South Africa: SAHRC hearings into the July unrest continue

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is expected to continue with the National Investigative Hearings into the July 2021 unrest, which erupted mainly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

The unrest caused billions of rands in damage to infrastructure and businesses and hundreds of lives were lost during the violence that erupted.

The SAHRC said this leg of the hearings which get underway today will focus on Gauteng, however more evidence will also be presented from the perspective of KwaZulu-Natal.

The Hearing Panel is due to hear testimony from survivors, various community members as well as industry players in commerce, private security and State officials.

The subject matter of this hearing is a matter of national concern and implicates various rights such as the right to security, the right to be free from all forms of violence, the right to not to have ones possessions seized and the right to life, the Commission said.

The SAHRC previously said it will inquire into, make findings, report on and make recommendations and/or directives concerning:

The causes of the July unrest, with particular focus on Gauteng Province and KwaZulu-Natal province.

The causes of the alleged racially motivated attacks and killings following the unrest.

The causes of the apparent lapses in law enforcement by state security agencies, particularly the SAPS and the role of private security companies in the unrest.

The social, economic, spatial and political factors prevalent in the various affected areas and the extent to which these played a role in the unrest.

The SAHRC explained that the hearings are in line with its mandate to ensure that human rights are observed and respected in the country.

Our Constitution is founded on the principle of accountability. The Commissions mandate is, among others, to monitor and assess the observance of human rights in the Republic. Ultimately it falls on the Commission in terms of the Constitution of the Republic to investigate and report on issues where human rights have been violated and to take steps to secure appropriate redress, the commission said.

The hearings are expected to continue until next Friday, March 4.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-02-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hanoians flock to buy quick test kits amid rocketing Covid-19 infections

Many people in Hanoi are rushing to buy quick test kits and face masks amid the citys rapid Covid-19 infections.



Vietnams total Covid-19 cases have reached over 40,000 per day with the capital city of Hanoi securing the highest number of patients.



Le Nguyen Thanh Thao from Hoang Mai District said that her two children have returned to in-person study, so she has bought more face masks and quick test kits to use. Her family conducts Covid-19 quick testing every three days.





The demand for quick test kits in Hanoi on the rise



Bui Van Luan from Thanh Xuan District said he had booked one box of quick test kits and two cartons of masks. Since his children came back to school, Covid-19 quick testing is carried out every three days.



Duong Thi Kim Ngan bought up to 50 boxes of quick test kits for a wholesale price of VND50,000 (USD2.15) each kit and then shared them with their friends and relatives.



Currently, the retail sale of each test kit ranges VND53,000-100,000, depending on different kinds.



According to Mai Thi Ngoc, a drugstore owner in Nam Tu Liem District, most of her customers buy cartons of face masks, not boxes as before the Lunar New Year or Tet holiday. Recently, both masks for children and adults have seen higher prices.



Pham Anh Thu, who works at a pharmacy in Hai Ba Trung District, said that besides masks and quick test kits, vitamins, saline and medicines such as fever reducers have been sold very well.
A woman and her young children are in critical condition at a hospital after Baltimore firefighters rescued them from a house fire Saturday morning in Northwest Baltimore.

Firefighters arrived around 7:55 a.m. to heavy flames showing from the top floor of a three-story occupied house in the 4800 block of Beaufort Ave. Firefighters rescued a 27-year-old woman and her 8-year-old and 3-year-old daughters from the Central Park Heights home and transported them to a hospital. The fire was extinguished shortly before 8:30 a.m.

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Neighbors described seeing the woman on top of an awning above the front door after she escaped from the burning building. Firefighters used a ladder to rescue her from the porch roof. One neighbor heard her call for her children, whom firefighters found inside the house. Fire personnel ran the girls, who appeared to be unconscious, to an ambulance, the neighbor said.

Mayor Brandon Scott, Fire Chief Niles Ford and Councilwoman Sharon Green Middleton gathered in front of the charred house hours after the fire and urged residents to check their smoke detectors. The smoke detector at the home did not appear to be working Saturday morning, Ford said, but said the investigation into the cause of the fire and the functionality of the houses fire alarms is in early stages.

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I want to take time to use this as a solemn reminder for all of us, as we are in winter, of the importance of having a fire safety plan in your home. The importance of having a smoke detector, which the fire department will install for free by simply just having you call 311, Scott said. We want to make sure were seeing less and less of these incidents and less and less of people being injured in these incidents.

Mayor Brandon Scott, Fire Chief Niles Ford and other members of the Baltimore fire department stand outside a rowhome where a woman and her two young children were rescued during a house fire Saturday morning. Scott urged residents to check their smoke alarms and to call the fire department if they need a smoke alarm installed. February 19, 2022 (Lily Price/Baltimore Sun)

A strong smell of smoke wafted from the rowhomes broken windows Saturday afternoon. A misplaced book lay open atop the awning. A crumbled kiddie pool and childs seesaw rested in the yard in front of the husk of a blackened couch thrown to the outdoor patio.

Middleton, who represents the residential Central Park Heights community she described as a close-knit neighborhood, promoted the fire departments smoke detector program as an easy safety precaution that can save lives. City residents can call 311 to have fire personnel come to their residence and install a smoke alarm for free. The fire department advises residents to check their smoke detector monthly and replace its battery routinely, such as changing clocks for daylight savings time.

Fire alerts can also give residents time to escape a burning building before firefighters arrive at the scene. Firefighters will attack a fire differently if people are trapped inside and need to be rescued, Ford said. Three Baltimore firefighters died Jan. 24 when they entered a vacant rowhome to extinguish the fire from inside the building. Lt. Kelsey Sadler, Lt. Paul Butrim, and firefighter/paramedic Kenny Lacayo were told people could be trapped inside the house, which collapsed minutes after they went inside.

Scott praised Baltimores firefighters during the media conference Saturday as the sound of fire engines responding to another call in the nearby area blared above his voice.

As a city lets wrap our arms around this family through deep prayer. But also, again, support the women and men in the fire department who do this heroic job each and every, he said.
Feb. 21State Rep. Georgene Louis is out of step with the people she claims to serve. So is the Democratic Party of New Mexico based on its reaction to Louis' recent legal troubles.

Santa Fe police stopped Louis for speeding on St. Francis Drive about 11:30 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday. The severity of the case against her escalated quickly.

Sgt. Heinz De Luca smelled alcohol on Louis. How many drinks had she had?

"Two-ish," said Louis, a Democrat from Albuquerque.

Her count expanded after De Luca inquired about the daylong total. Louis said she'd had two glasses of beer as well as vodka and soda, the amount never specified.

"Let me look in your eyes," the sergeant said to Louis. He described them as watery or glassy.

Louis attempted a diversionary tactic.

"So, like, I haven't had much sleep because, um, I'm not trying to, like, say anything, but, like, I'm a legislator, so we haven't had much sleep," Louis said, her rambling statement punctuated by a laugh.

De Luca had an evenhanded reply: "To me, you're just another citizen, another driver, on the road."

"Totally, totally, totally. We just haven't had a lot of sleep," Louis said.

She dragged out a sobriety test by regularly failing to follow the sergeant's instructions. Louis often complained about the "crazy cold" temperature, which she said was 36 degrees.

After initially refusing to take a breath-alcohol test, Louis changed her mind. Her level was 0.17 percent, more than double the presumptive limit for intoxication for drivers. Police arrested her on suspicion of aggravated drunken driving.

I asked the New Mexico Democratic Party if Louis should remain in office and if state Chairwoman Jessica Velasquez believed Louis had attempted to improperly influence a police officer.

"We do not comment on these kinds of ongoing judicial processes, but we support Ms. Louis as she focuses on her family and her health," party spokeswoman Miranda van Dijk wrote in an email.

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"I also wanted to emphasize on background that officers have stated publicly that Ms. Louis cooperated fully with law enforcement. There is no evidence that she attempted to use her position as a legislator to influence these proceedings."

Not true. Louis' mention of her elected position was gratuitous.

A 44-year-old attorney, Louis knew the office she holds was irrelevant in the police investigation. The only issue was whether Louis was intoxicated and therefore a danger to pedestrians, other drivers and herself.

There's more to this story regarding Louis' political office.

Most New Mexico legislators display on their vehicles a special license plate emblazoned with the number of their district. Not Louis. She kept her legislative license plate inside her car, so it could not be seen by police.

She did so, it seems, because she didn't have a valid vehicle registration. She also could not provide proof of automobile insurance.

If her alibi was that her eyes were wet or glassy from lack of sleep, she larded it with statements about her heavy workload as a lawmaker. Louis' drinking had occurred on Super Bowl Sunday, when legislators had more downtime than usual.

Louis' conduct was similar to that of then-Rep. Monica Youngblood, R-Albuquerque, who was arrested in 2018 at a DWI checkpoint.

An Albuquerque police officer smelled booze on Youngblood. The cop asked about Youngblood's educational background before he explained what her sobriety test would entail. Youngblood told him she was a state representative, which had nothing to do with her level of education.

Democrats lambasted Youngblood. They had good reason. But now they excuse similar tactics by Louis and falsely claim she was a model of cooperation with police.

De Luca and a second officer asked Louis many times to remove her glasses. Louis refused, though no one expected her to read fine print. Police needed to monitor her eye movements to evaluate her sobriety, a job made harder by Louis wearing glasses.

There was a time when a politician could survive a conviction for drunken driving.

Then-Rep. Mimi Stewart, now president pro tem of the state Senate, pleaded guilty the same day of her arrest for drunken driving. But that was in 1999, when a lawmaker-turned-lawbreaker could hold on to power.

Stewart, D-Albuquerque, had led the way on legislation to close drive-up windows at liquor stores  a symbolic strike against drunken driving. Once arrested herself, she decided on a fast guilty plea and a public apology to remain in office.

This is a different era. Voters ousted Youngblood in 2018, and Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Ojo Caliente, in 2020 after he seriously injured two people while driving drunk.

Louis can resign from the Legislature or take her chances in a reelection campaign this year. The only difference is whether she leaves voluntarily or voters fire her.

Ringside Seat is an opinion column about people, politics and news. Contact Milan Simonich at msimonich@sfnewmexican.com or 505-986-3080.
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan will fly to Moscow this week to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Islamabad confirmed on Monday - the first such trip by a Pakistani leader in two decades.

The two-day visit, starting on Wednesday, was planned before the current crisis over Ukraine.

"During the Summit meeting, the two leaders will review the entire array of bilateral relations including energy cooperation," Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement, adding that Khan and Putin will also discuss issues including the situation in Afghanistan.

Relations between Pakistan and Russia were minimal for years as Islamabad sided with the United States in the Cold War and was given Major Non-NATO Ally status by Washington after U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001.

In recent years, however, relations between the United States and Pakistan have deteriorated and there has been a thawing between Moscow and Islamabad, which has seen the planning of projects in the gas and energy fields.

In an interview published on Monday, Khan played down the timing of the visit, and any effect it would have on Pakistan's relations with the West.

"This visit was planned well before the emergence of the current phase of Ukrainian crisis ... I received the invitation from President Putin much earlier," he told Newsweek Pakistan.

(Reporting by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Catherine Evans)
The Daily Beast

Claudio Peri/Pool/ReutersROMESince the beginning of Russias invasion of Ukraine, Pope Francis has floated the idea that he wants to take a trip to Kyiv to try to broker a ceasefire. But now he says he would prefer to go to Moscow to try to talk some sense into Vladimir Putin, who he has not outwardly condemned in the now nearly three-month-old war and only did so lightly in a lengthy interview with an Italian newspaper.I feel that before going to Kyiv, I must go to Moscow, he told Corriere D
By Andrew Osborn and Mark Trevelyan

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Seated at a large white table in an echoing Kremlin hall, Vladimir Putin summoned his top security officials one by one on Monday to give him their advice at a potential turning point in the crisis around Ukraine.

In a lengthy meeting of his Security Council, broadcast on state television in what a presenter called "unprecedented footage", Putin cross-examined ministers and spy chiefs on the question of whether to recognise the two breakaway Donbass regions of eastern Ukraine as independent states.

One after another, they walked to a white lectern in the column-lined hall to paint a relentlessly grim picture of the situation in Donbass.

Looking pale and tired, Putin drummed with his fingers from time to time as he listened.

His special representative on Ukraine, Dmitry Kozak, said Kyiv and the West had no interest in implementing a 2015 peace deal to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists have been fighting Ukrainian government forces for the past eight years.

The head of the FSB security service, Alexander Bortnikov, told Putin the security situation in the two breakaway regions was deteriorating, and that nearly 70,000 people had so far fled to Russia.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu accused Ukraine of stepping up shelling of the separatist regions - which Kyiv has strongly denied - and said some residents had been left without gas or water.

Much was riding on the president's decision. Recognition of the separatist regions could provide Russia with a pretext to openly send its military forces into the Donbass and justify that by arguing that it was protecting residents there from Ukraine.

It would also effectively kill off the Minsk peace agreements that all sides, including Russia, have until now called the only possible route out of the crisis.

But Putin was taking his time.

SHOW OF AUTHORITY

At one point he intervened to emphasise that he had not discussed in advance what the officials were going to tell him, as if to dispel the impression that the proceedings had been choreographed.

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In reality, the televised meeting appeared calculated to convey the impression of a leader carefully arriving at an important decision after weighing all the evidence from his subordinates.

It also gave Putin the chance to demonstrate his authority over the most powerful people in the land, putting them in their place if they slipped up.

He jumped in to chastise foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin when the latter said he "will support" recognition of the Donbass regions.

"Will support, or do support? Tell me straight, Sergei Yevgenievich," Putin said.

When Naryshkin then said he supported the breakaway regions becoming part of Russia, Putin upbraided him again: "We're not talking about that... We're talking about whether to recognise their independence or not."

Naryshkin: "Yes, I support the proposal to recognise their independence."

Putin: "Ok, please sit down, thank you."

With all the reports delivered, all eyes turned to Putin to pronounce his verdict - but he was not yet ready to end the suspense.

"A decision will be taken today," he said - and with that, the cameras stopped rolling.

(Reporting by Andrew Osborn in Moscow and Mark Trevelyan in London; Editing by Alex Richardson)
The march ended at the White House, where U.S. President Joe Biden had convened the National Security Council earlier in the day and spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron about the situation in Ukraine.

The White House on Monday said Biden has agreed "in principle" to a proposal by Macron to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but only if an invasion has not taken place.

Russia is extending military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday, according to the Belarusian defence ministry.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the move has made him more worried about an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly denied such plans.
WASHINGTON  For Brandon Smith, a fourth-generation cattle rancher from Texas, the $1.9 trillion stimulus package that President Joe Biden signed into law nearly a year ago was long-awaited relief.

Little did he know how much longer he would have to wait.

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The legislation included $4 billion of debt forgiveness for Black and other socially disadvantaged farmers, a group that has endured decades of discrimination from banks and the federal government. Smith, a Black father of four who owes about $200,000 in outstanding loans on his ranch, quickly signed and returned documents to the Agriculture Department last year, formally accepting the debt relief. He then purchased more equipment for his ranch, believing that he had been given a financial lifeline.

Instead, Smith has fallen deeper into debt. Months after signing the paperwork he received a notice informing him that the federal government intended to accelerate foreclosure on his 46-acre property and cattle if he did not start making payments on the loans he believed had been forgiven.

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I trusted the government that we had a deal, and down here at the end of the day, the rug gets pulled out from under me, said Smith, 43.

Brandon Smith, a cattle rancher, in Bastrop, Texas, Feb. 10, 2022. (Montinique Monroe/The New York Times)

Black farmers across the nation have yet to see any of Bidens promised relief. While the president has pledged to pursue policies to promote racial equity and correct decades of discrimination, legal issues have complicated that goal.

In May 2021, the Agriculture Department started sending letters to borrowers who were eligible to have their debt cleared, asking them to sign and return forms confirming their balances. The payments, which also are supposed to cover tax liabilities and fees associated with clearing the debt, were expected to come in phases beginning in June.

But the entire initiative has been stymied amid lawsuits from white farmers and groups representing them that questioned whether the government could offer debt relief based on race.

Courts in Wisconsin and Florida have issued preliminary injunctions against the initiative, siding with plaintiffs who argued that the debt relief amounted to discrimination and could therefore be illegal. A class-action lawsuit against the USDA is proceeding in Texas this year.

The Biden administration has not appealed the injunctions but a spokesperson for the Agriculture Department said it was continuing to defend the program in the courts as the cases move forward.

The legal limbo has created new and unexpected financial strains for Black farmers, many of whom have been unable to make investments in their businesses given ongoing uncertainty about their debt loads. It also poses a political problem for Biden, who was propelled to power by Black voters and now must make good on promises to improve their fortunes.

The law was intended to help remedy years of discrimination that nonwhite farmers have endured, including land theft and the rejection of loan applications by banks and the federal government. The program designated aid to about 15,000 borrowers who receive loans directly from the federal government or have their bank loans guaranteed by the USDA. Those eligible included farmers and ranchers who have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice, including those who are Black, Native American, Alaskan Native, Asian American, Pacific Islander or Hispanic.

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After the initiative was rolled out last year, it met swift opposition.

Banks were unhappy that the loans would be repaid early, depriving them of interest payments. Groups of white farmers in Wisconsin, North Dakota, Oregon and Illinois sued the Agriculture Department, arguing that offering debt relief on the basis of skin color is discriminatory, suggesting that a successful Black farmer could have his debts cleared while a struggling white farm could go out of business. America First Legal, a group led by the former Trump administration official Stephen Miller, filed a lawsuit making a similar argument in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Last June, before the money started flowing, a federal judge in Florida blocked the program on the basis that it applied strictly on racial grounds irrespective of any other factor.

The delays have angered the Black farmers that the Biden administration and Democrats in Congress were trying to help. They argue that the law was poorly written and that the White House is not defending it forcefully enough in court out of fear that a legal defeat could undermine other policies that are predicated on race.

Those concerns became even more pronounced late last year when the government sent thousands of letters to minority farmers who were behind on their loan payments warning that they faced foreclosure. The letters were sent automatically to any borrowers who were past due on their loans, including about one-third of the 15,000 socially disadvantaged farmers who applied for the debt relief, according to the Agriculture Department.

Leonard Jackson, a cattle farmer in Muskogee, Oklahoma, received such a letter despite being told by the USDA that he did not need to make loan payments because his $235,000 in debt would be paid off by the government. The letter was jarring for Jackson, whose father, a wheat and soybean farmer, had his farm equipment foreclosed on by the government years earlier. The prospect of losing his 33 cows, house and trailer was unfathomable.

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They said that they were paying off everybodys loans and not to make payments and then they sent this, Jackson, 55, said.

The legal fight over the funds has stirred widespread confusion, with Black and other farmers stuck in the middle. This year, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives has fielded calls from minority farmers who said their financial problems have been compounded. It has become even harder for them to get access to credit now, they say, that the fate of the debt relief is unclear.

It has definitely caused a very significant panic and a lot of distress among our members, said Dania Davy, director of land retention and advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund.

The Agriculture Department said that it was required by law to send the warnings but that the government had no intention of foreclosing on farms, citing a moratorium on such action that was put in place early last year because of the pandemic. After The New York Times inquired about the foreclosure letters, the USDA sent borrowers who had received notices another letter late last month telling them to disregard the foreclosure threat.

We want borrowers to know the bottom line is, actions such as acceleration and foreclosure remain suspended for direct loan borrowers due to the pandemic, said Kate Waters, a department spokesperson. We remain under the moratorium, and we will continue to communicate with our borrowers so they understand their rights and understand their debt servicing options.

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The more than 2,000 minority farmers who receive private loans that are guaranteed by the USDA are not protected by the federal moratorium and could still face foreclosure. Once the moratorium ends, farmers will need to resume making their payments if the debt relief program or an alternative is not in place.

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Some Black farmers argue that the Agriculture Department, led by Secretary Tom Vilsack, was too slow to disburse the debt relief and allowed critics time to mount a legal assault on the law.

The Biden administration has been left with few options but to let the legal process play out, which could take months or years. The White House had been hopeful that a new measure in Bidens sweeping social policy and climate bill would ultimately provide the farmers the debt relief they have been expecting. But that bill has stalled in the Senate and is unlikely to pass in its current form.

While we continue to defend in court the relief in the American Rescue Plan, getting the broader relief provision that the House passed signed into law remains the surest and quickest way to help farmers in economic distress across the nation, including thousands and thousands of farmers of color, Gene Sperling, the White Houses pandemic relief czar, said in a statement.

For Black farmers, who have seen their ranks fall from more than 1 million to fewer than 40,000 in the past century amid industry consolidation and onerous loan terms, the disappointment is not surprising. John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association, said that rather than hearing about more government reports on racial equity, Black farmers want to see results.

We need implementation, action and resources to farm, Boyd said.

c.2021 The New York Times Company
Vladimir Putin of Russia gives a televised address on Ukraine on February 21, 2022. Shortly after, he recognized the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent and ordered troops there. Alexei Nikolsky\TASS via Getty Images

President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Monday ordered troops into eastern Ukraine.

He gave the command in decrees recognizing the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent.

US officials have long warned that Putin was seeking a pretext to invade Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia ordered troops into eastern Ukraine on Monday, dramatically escalating the conflict there.

Putin signed a presidential decree mandating a "peacekeeping" operation in Donetsk and Luhansk, two separatist territories that are loyal to Moscow. The order was also reported by The New York Times.

It came after Putin decided to recognise the regions as independent states rather than parts of Ukraine, dealing a major blow to the Minsk accords  ceasefire agreements meant to end fighting in eastern Ukraine (the Donbas). The recognition attracted instant condemnation from the US, UK, and EU, with promises of sanctions. The international community continues to recognize the Donbas, including Donetsk and Luhansk, as Ukrainian territory.

Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 21, 2022

Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 21, 2022

The details of the activities Putin had in mind for the troops were not immediately clear.

US officials have long said they believed Putin is following a playbook designed to bring about a full-scale invasion.

Events in the region moved quickly on Monday.

Russia earlier that day accused Ukraine of sending troops into its territory via Donetsk, an assertion given without independent evidence that seemed to fulfill US warnings of a "false flag" campaign to create a pretext for war. Putin last week baselessly suggested genocide was occurring against ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine.

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For the past months, Russia has been building up forces around Ukraine, many of which are near Donetsk and Luhansk. There are also units further along the borders of Ukraine, along its eastern border, to its north  both in Russia and Belarus  and also in occupied Crimea to the south.

US officials estimated that as many as 190,000 troops were stationed there and poised to attack as of late February.

Putin, who has ruled over Russia for 20 years, has a long history of aggression toward Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in 2014. Ukraine has also been fighting a war against Kremlin-backed separatist forces in the Donbas region since 2014. The conflict has claimed over 13,000 lives.

Russia has repeatedly claimed it doesn't have a military presence in the Donbas, despite evidence to the contrary.

As Russia has gathered tens of thousands of troops along Ukraine's border in recent months, the Kremlin has blamed the contentious dynamic in the region on NATO. Along these lines, Russia has made demands for binding security guarantees from the West  including permanently barring Ukraine and Georgia from the alliance. But NATO and the US have repeatedly said that this demand is a non-starter while offering to negotiate on other issues such as missile deployments and military exercises.

Experts say Putin's bellicose posture toward Ukraine is part of his broader goal of restoring the level of power and authority Russia enjoyed in the region during the Soviet era. The Russian president has repeatedly suggested Ukraine is not a real country, while stating that Ukrainians and Russians are "one people." Continuing to push such rhetoric during an incendiary speech on Monday, Putin said, "Modern Ukraine was completely created by Russia."

"Listening to Putin's rant makes absolutely plain that his problem was never with NATO...It was always about the collapse of the USSR and the independence of Ukraine," Ivo Daalder, a former US ambassador to NATO, said in a tweet reacting to the address.

In short, Putin appears determined to see Ukraine firmly under Russian control.

The US has warned Russia it will face swift and severe economic sanctions if it launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But the Biden administration has ruled out sending in troops to defend Ukraine, given it's not a NATO member.

As of Monday evening, it remained unclear whether the Biden administration viewed the deployment of Russian "peacekeepers" to the Donbas as a new invasion that would trigger the type of major sanctions it's warned Russia about.

Read the original article on Business Insider
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday assured Moscow's decision to recognize the independence of two eastern Ukraine territories controlled by Russian-backed separatists would not go unpunished, the official tweeted Monday.

"Kremlin recognition of the so-called 'Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics' as 'independent' requires a swift and firm response," Blinken wrote, "and we will take appropriate steps in coordination with partners."

Around the time of Blinken's Monday missive, Russian President Vladimir Putin ominously ordered Russian troops to carry out "peacekeeping functions" in the aforementioned separatist regions, raising alarm bells that the "long-feared" invasion of Ukraine has finally begun.

"While Mr. Putin's ultimate plans remain a mystery," writes The New York Times, "a full invasion would constitute the largest military action in Europe since World War II."

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Special Report: This is one in a series of articles, galleries and interviews looking back at two years of COVID-related learning disruptions, taking stock at whats been lost  and where we go from here. Follow our coverage, and see our full archive of testimonials, right here.

To mark the 24 months since schools shut down because of COVID-19, The 74 spoke with parents, educators, researchers and students across the U.S. We are running some of these interviews in their entirety to give complete accounts of where weve been and where some think were going.

Susan Enfield is finishing her 10th and final year as superintendent of the Highline Public Schools, near Seattle. A finalist for chief in the San Diego Unified School District, Enfield has been a confidant for fellow chiefs and outspoken about the burdens placed on district and school leaders during the pandemic. In a January interview, Enfield described how shes relied on her sister supes for support and said watching students return to learning in the classroom has been a tonic for the soul. She also spoke about how state and federal leaders have abdicated their responsibility during the pandemic, how educators from other countries are shocked that U.S. principals conduct contact tracing and spending weekends on her couch.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Related: 700 Days Since Lockdown

The 74: Feb. 14 marked 700 days since most schools began closing. That number even took us by surprise. Whats your initial reaction to it?

Susan Enfield: I didnt know that 700 days could both seem so long and so short simultaneously. The last couple of years have felt like a lifetime in and of themselves and yet at the same time it feels like its gone by in a flash. I think about all that we have accomplished and all that weve adapted to, but what I really am sort of fixing my sights on is the next 700 days.

What was the moment you realized everything changed? What were you doing before and after?

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A very good friend of mine who works in the Northshore School District, which was the first in the United States to close, called me, end of February, and said, I think were going to close. And I said, Youre nuts. What are you talking about? And he said, And I think the rest of you wont be far behind. I said, No way, theres no way theyre going to close schools. I mean I really was incredulous.

In the ensuing days and weeks, it became abundantly clear that indeed, we were going to close, and so I quickly shifted. I think as leaders, you shift from your initial emotional response to putting your strategic hat on and preparing and figuring [it] out. Our last day with students was March 13, and so the week before that, I was watching what was happening, and I knew closure was coming. Our state hadnt announced it yet, but I knew it was coming.

I went to my chief operating officer and said, Get prepared meals in place. I went to my chief technology officer and said, Lets figure out what were going to do around Internet access. Get as many hotspots as you can. I went to my teaching and learning team and said, Start getting packets together.

We all mobilized so that when we eventually did have to close, we were as prepared as you could be. At least we had a bit of a head start. I think thats the luck of geography. Im in a region that was so close to the initial districts that closed. Of course, we thought we were planning for a matter of weeks. I dont think any of us envisioned months-long, a year-and-a-half long of students being out of school.

The last couple of years have meant every day is a fresh challenge, and I dont think anything surprises us anymore.



Highline Public Schools Superintendent Susan Enfield taught a pre-K class in January due to staff shortages. (Highline Public Schools)

What other decisions do you remember having to make in the first weeks after schools closed?

Superintendents have a wonderful sense of camaraderie. Were kindred spirits. Theres a tremendous sense of collegial support and that predates the pandemic. But boy, did the pandemic really heighten that. I was in constant communication prior to that closure with districts in my region and South King County of Seattle. There is a group of superintendents, and our districts all serve very similar demographics. We Have a lot of transition of students and staff between our districts. So we really try to make decisions in unison because it makes the most sense for our families. It minimizes the chaos. Once we heard that Seattle had made the decision to close, thats when we knew we had to make the decision. We reached out to the governor and the Department of Health and said, Seattle made its decision. We really need the state to make a decision and that would be whats best, but were going to act on our own if you dont.

We really had to take matters into our own hands. Thats been a huge theme of this pandemic. School districts have taken on tremendous responsibility. Others have abdicated their leadership, and I use that term very, very deliberately.

The governor said he would make his decision by the next day. It was a Thursday, and I remember this distinctly. When the decision came out, it was early afternoon and Friday was a non-student day. That meant we were sending students home that Thursday and they werent going to come back to school for  at the time, we thought several weeks, but what ended up being longer. I called my principal supervisors in and said, You need to get to all of your principals, and you need to tell them to get to teachers and to end instruction early so that they can explain to students to the best of their ability whats happening.

We have so many students in our district  this is not unique to Highline and this is not true for every child, I want to be clear  who think of school as a safe place. Its a haven. Its where they feel connected and supported with their friends and their teachers. [It was troubled by the] thought of sending them home and them not being able to process with their teachers why they werent coming back on Monday. I think that was one of the things Im really glad we did to minimize some of the trauma.

The greatest gift we give to children is a sense of predictability, a sense of calm, a sense of what is known. For children to be thrust into chaos and the unknown is one of the most traumatizing things that can happen to them. Our goal was to give them a sense of calm, that it was going to be OK.

Related: This Was Allowed to Be Politicized: Superintendent Pedro Martinez on Battling Texass Governor and Chicagos Union on Vaccines, Masks and Keeping Schools Open

What has been the darkest part of the pandemic for you?

We lost two middle school students to suicide early in the pandemic. Im grateful that did not continue, though that was my greatest concern. We lost staff members [to COVID] as well. The loss of human life has been the darkest part  knowing how hard this was and how out of my control it was to do more to help.

When we were handing out meals one day, a woman drove up. I would always ask, How are your children doing? She started crying and said, Not good. I had her pull over to the side, and I said, Tell me whats going on. She is a grandmother and she said her grandson had special needs and he had regressed so quickly within a couple of months that he would walk in circles around the kitchen and not talk to anybody. She was literally begging me to do something and there was nothing really that I could do. At that particular moment, we werent in any way equipped to bring even our students with special needs in. Nobody was coming back yet. It was those moments you realize how hard this was on people in so many ways, and that as a leader, a fellow community member, a fellow human being, there wasnt more you could do to alleviate their pain and suffering. I think those were the darkest moments.

What have you done to take care of yourself, to get through the rough times?

Early on, a group of female superintendents from around the country  we refer to ourselves as sister supes  had a standing Sunday afternoon Zoom where we would check in. Sometimes we would do a book study, but a lot of times it was, How are you doing? Whats going on? Going for walks with my husband and frankly allowing myself to feel pain and to grieve. I think as leaders we do need to inspire hope and let people know its going to be OK and be strong. But we also have to sort of balance that strength and courage with vulnerability. There were weekends where I didnt get off the couch. Ive been pretty honest about that in conversations with others. I said to someone once, If one more person says, You got this, Im gonna smack em. A year and a half ago, I didnt got this, and [people] were lying. Im sorry, they were just lying.

I dont think we do ourselves, our colleagues or anyone any service by faking it. I think superintendents need to feel and care for themselves and share those feelings. Ive been pretty honest and vulnerable about my struggle. Its also in some ways reassuring to staff, like Oh my gosh, its OK that Im feeling like my life is imploding because the superintendent feels that way. You say, You know, I was in a fetal position on my couch this weekend, but I did what I needed to do to take care of myself so I could show up on Monday. Were going to get through this, and the way were going to get through this is one day at a time, moving forward together. Its strength, courage and vulnerability  that mix. Its not equal parts everyday. Sometimes its heavier on one side.

Related: Twitter Breaks, Meditative Walks, Security Guards: How School Leaders are Responding to an Unsettling Season of Public Outrage

What gives you hope now, 700 days later?

Thats hard, because the last few weeks with the Omicron surge have in some ways been even harder than those initial days. I think back to spring of 2020 and the planning that we had to do. My team and I never worked so hard in our lives. It was 24/7, figuring out how we were going to do a hybrid model. I have an extraordinary team, but it pushed us to our limits. I thought that was as hard as its ever gonna be, but theres been something about the last few weeks coming out of the winter break and coming perilously close to going remote again. Its a little harder to find hope right now. I think we thought wed be in a very different place. That said, I do feel like weve turned a corner in this most recent surge.

People struggle hearing this, but we are moving into the endemic phase of this, and that may not be what everyone wants to hear. We are moving into living with, rather than living in fear of the virus. I am hopeful that in the coming weeks and months, we are going to collectively come to that understanding and adapt to a way of life that will be far more familiar  I dont use the term normal anymore  but a way of living, a way of working that will feel more familiar to what we knew prior to the pandemic. I think entering that phase gives me hope.

As hard as its been working in schools during this time, I also have the great gift of going into schools and seeing children, educators, nutrition services, transportation workers and custodians who are doing such extraordinary work. Nothing gives you more hope than seeing kindergartners engaged in their learning, so happy to be in their school with their classmates and their teachers. Its a tonic for the soul. When youve committed your life to working in public education, you get up every day believing the impossible is possible. Weve accomplished things over the last 700 days that if someone had told us three years ago, In about six months, youre going to be doing these, we would have said theres no way we could do that. We did it and were stronger for it. I think we could all use a nice vacation, but were stronger for it.

Related: The 74 Interview: UFTs Michael Mulgrew on Fighting City Hall, Teacher Resignations and How the Pandemic Has Made us Stronger

Whats one thing about superintendents that you think nobody has understood from the beginning of this crisis?

That were people first. I had school staff that were very upset with me during the period when we were bringing students back to school in hybrid. I had a meeting with them. They wanted to have a healing conversation, and the prompt, as we went around the room was, What do you need people here to know? I was part of the circle, so I got to answer, and I said, I need you to know that Im a person first and a superintendent second. So when you are attacking the superintendent, when you are attacking the district, you are attacking me. I bleed like the rest of them. I feel like you do. I think this notion that superintendents need to be superhuman and that somehow we make these incredibly difficult decisions that we know have tremendous impact on the lives of children and families in a way that is capricious or uncaring is so far from the truth.

There isnt a decision that any superintendent I know has made over the past year that they havent agonized over. I mean agonized over. Superintendents are used to making hard decisions and taking the hits, but in so many instances, there was no good decision, so I was choosing the least bad option available. That was tough and Ive seen it take a toll on my colleagues. Some have truly suffered. Im very fortunate. I have not had that level of attack. Superintendents are thinking, feeling, human beings who are doing this work because we care deeply about our children and our community. Were trying to do right by them, and we get it wrong sometimes, absolutely. Were human, but we acknowledge when we get it wrong, and we come back and try to make it right. I think thats all we can ask of our leaders  honesty and a sense of continuing to try to do better.

Describe a moment when you felt you were getting conflicting guidance or conflicting instructions. What did you ultimately do and why?

Its been commonplace. Thats been our reality, at least here in Washington State, but I know were not alone: trying to make sense of [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidance, Department of Health guidance, local public health guidance, state superintendent guidance. It sometimes does conflict, especially with respect to distancing and contact tracing. Sometimes those dont align. The CDC may come out with something and weve been following our Department of Health guidelines that dont readily adapt. My families want to know why were not doing what the CDC is saying. Well, were being consistent in following the Department of Health. It puts districts in a very difficult position because our families and staff are looking to us for answers, and we are trying to give them the best answers possible, but because the guidance sometimes conflicts and quite frankly is ever-changing. its sometimes hard to give them the clarity and the certainty theyre looking for, and people are desperate for certainty in any way shape or form they can find it.

I want to be clear. I will lay plenty of criticism at the feet of those in leadership who I believe did not do what they needed to do and did not own what they needed to own. That said, I also understand that everybody, regardless of your position, was figuring this out as we went along and there was no road map for this. I get that. Ive been very clear that we need to give one another grace, and that goes for our elected officials and Department of Health officials. I believe theyre doing the best they can under difficult circumstances because this is a constantly changing and evolving and fluid situation. However, I do believe that school districts have had to take on a tremendous amount of leadership that should have been handled at other levels of the state and federal government.

My father once told me that when youre backed into a corner you do the best you can and make the best decision you can. Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you get it wrong, and we were all backed into a massive corner in this pandemic, and we got it right and we got it wrong. For example, contact tracing. Why in heavens name were school officials ever put in the position to be responsible for contact tracing? Thats a public health responsibility. When I talked to educators in other countries, their jaws were on the ground. That continues to take a huge toll on my principals and its so time consuming.

I work with the best team of professionals at every level of my system, anywhere in this country. Ill put them up against anybody, and on many occasions theyve come close to the breaking point. As superintendent, I have to make sure that Im not pushing them past that breaking point. I think at the end of the day, well come back and wonder if there was a better way.

Did you ever think of quitting and, if so, why didnt you?

I dont think I ever thought of quitting. There were moments where I thought I dont know if I can do this, but thats different than quitting. I never said, Im out of here, and my decision to leave Highline was not a response to the pandemic. Im ready for a fresh challenge and Highline is ready for a fresh leader. I didnt think of quitting. That doesnt make me super strong and special and courageous. I think I was blessed to go through the past 700 days in Highline. Ive said many times, Id rather not have to live through a global pandemic, but if I did, Highline is the place Id want to be. Ive taken my fair share of hits with the rest of them, but my board has been so supportive, and so has my staff, my families, my community andmy union leadership for the most part. Of course, there have been disagreements, but I think people have really understood that were all doing our best and were all in this together. I hope theyll look back and say I did right by them.

Putting a human face to this is really important, especially in the online era, its super easy to type into the chat box or the Q&A box. I remember doing one of our webinars on returning to school and bringing staff back in hybrid, because almost half of my families wanted to send their kids back, and I had a responsibility to make that happen. One staff member typing in the chat box wrote, Please tell me how long it will take for my husband to receive my death benefits after I die because you forced me back to school.

I finally said in a long speech at one meeting that you can disagree with me, you can even dislike me. Thats fine. But I ask you to sit back and be honest with yourself and your criticism. Ive lived in this community for almost a decade now. Whether you like me or not, you know me, and I dont think anyone would honestly say that I dont genuinely care about the children and families in this community. I may get it wrong and you may not like it, but to say that I dont care  that I have to take issue with.

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National data show students are rebounding from the progress they lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, but experts say there's still a long way to go and pre-pandemic literacy levels are not the end goal.

"We are starting to dig our way out (of learning loss)," said Paul Gazzerro, director of data analysis at Amplify Education. "There are fewer students at risk and more students on track."

Gazzerro described this "bounce-back" in a call Wednesday regarding Amplify's mCLASS and DIBELS assessment data. DIBELS is a widely-used series of tests that assess K8 literacy and are typically administered three times a school year  at the start, the middle and end.

Amplify, a curriculum and assessment company with literacy-focused programs, serves millions of students in grades K-5, and researchers like Gazzerro have been following a smaller subset of students  400,000 students over 1,300 schools in 37 states, including Louisiana  since before the pandemic.

The data show that at mid-year 2021-22, more students are on track for learning to read than there were this time last year, but not as many as there were two years ago (mid-year 201920) before COVID-19 closed schools and prompted hybrid or virtual schedules.

Those showing the most improvement or recovery are older students. In grades 4 and 5 the most recent on-track percentages are close to where they were in the middle of school-year 2019-20.

Youngest learners bear the brunt

Assessment scores for younger students, those in K-2, tell a less positive story.

Little learners experienced a deeper impact of remote learning, quarantining and school closures, because they have a greater need for explicit instruction and exposure to oral language when learning to read, said Susan Lambert, chief academic officer of elementary humanities at Amplify.

Seven year old Patrick Malveaux reading a book at his home in Opelousas, LA. Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021.

Teaching kids to read: Educators working to overcome gaps widened by the pandemic

"When we look at the data for K-2 compared to 3-5 there is definitely a different impact," Lambert said. "When theyre in and out, in and out, it's not just picking up where you left off for little ones. It's starting over."

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In kindergarten, the percentage of students on track for learning to read fell from 55% in the middle of 2019-20 to 47% in the middle of 2021-22. In first grade, it fell from 58% to 48%; in second grade, it fell from 59% to 51%, according to Amplify.

Louisiana data reflect the same trends. Nearly half of children in K-3 in Louisiana public schools were reading below grade level before the pandemic and that remained true in fall 2021.

A reading report by the Louisiana Department of Education showed that 50.8% of students K-3 performed below grade level on literacy assessments in fall 2021, compared to 54.9% in fall 2020 and 48.5% in fall 2019.

Students in kindergarten and first grade seem to have made up for some of their initial COVID-related learning losses, but that is not the case for second-graders, where the percentage of students on track is the same as it was a year ago.

The percentage of students who are far behind grade-level in reading is lower than it was last year at the height of COVID-disrupted schooling  for all except second grade.

There are slightly more second-grade students in the greatest risk category now (35%) than there were last year (34%), according to the data. In other words, the number of students at greatest risk of not learning to read is slightly higher than it was a year ago

For every grade level there are more students considered far behind in 2021-22 than in 2019-20, the last assessment before the pandemic, especially in minority demographics.

In K-2 the gaps nationally between Black and Hispanic students and their white counterparts are now greater than they were before the pandemic, according to Amplify data.

While all demographics of K-2 students saw decreases in the percentage who were on track to learn to read for their grade level, the drops were disproportionately higher for Black and Hispanic students. For example, in first grade, there was a decrease of 14 percentage points for Black students, 12 percentage points for Hispanic students, and only 7 percentage points for white students, according to Amplify's national sample.

'Aiming for recovery is the wrong goal'

Much of the talk in education since the pandemic closed schools is about overcoming learning loss and returning to a pre-pandemic "normal."

"Recovery" isnt good enough, Lambert said.

"We've had a literacy crisis going on in our country for a while now," Lambert said. "Aiming for recovery is the wrong goal. Shooting for pre-pandemic literacy levels is really falling short.

"We need to be asking, 'How can we invest in our systems, in our schools, our students to move them beyond what we saw pre-pandemic?'"

'Making parents our partners': Louisiana schools aim to engage families, improve literacy

Lambert said educators must be targeted and urgent in the effort to improve student literacy. She called for covering both word recognition and language skills  not one over the other  and spending more time on literacy in the classroom.

"Teaching practices must be focused on the right thing, Lambert said. "We don't want these impacts to compound over time."

Education leaders in the Bayou State feel the same way, having implemented a Louisiana State Literacy Committee and Louisiana Comprehensive Literacy Plan. One of the primary pillars of the plan is that teachers provide explicit instruction, systematic interventions and extension activities based on individual student needs to improve children's literacy skills.

Contact children's issues reporter Leigh Guidry at Lguidry@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @LeighGGuidry.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Students are rebounding from learning loss, but it's not enough
Tucker Carlson alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. AP Images

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said comments about her by Tucker Carlson were "libelous."

The Fox News host devoted a section of his show last week to insulting her.

Hillary Clinton said recently that Fox attacks on her were approaching a point where she could sue.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described personalized attacks on her by Fox News host Tucker Carlson as "targetted, libelous harassment," deepening the feud between the two.

Carlson devoted a segment of his show Friday to mocking and insulting Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive Democrat from New York and a frequent subject of his on-air tirades

He described Ocasio-Cortez, whose ancestry is Puerto Rican, as a "rich, entitled white lady," and remarked that an old Instagram video she posted sounded like "an invitation to a booty call."

In a series of tweets, Ocasio-Cortez said the host's comments were fuelling violent threats against her.

"I genuinely want to know why Tucker Carlson is allowed/paid to engage in clear, targeted, libelous harassment that endangers people &drives so many violent threats that ppl have to fundraise for their own safety. Why should they have to pay for his harassment? Make it make sense," she said.

"It's not within the realm of political commentary, & it's not just me. He regularly targets people that do not have access to resources for protection. Once he gets to fantasizing about 'booty calls' of women on national TV I cease to see the political value outside of incitement."

She had earlier posted a tweet linking to a video of his "booty call" comments, and described him as a "creep."

Fox News did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Ocasio-Cortez is one of America's most prominent progressive voices and has a gained a large social media-following.

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She has also become a hate figure for many conservatives and has spoken of the trauma of the online attacks against her. Carlson's attention to her intensified last week after she began campaigning for Democratic candidates in Texas.

Ocasio-Cortez's comments echo those of Hillary Clinton, who last week said that Fox News attacks on her were approaching "actual malice," the threshold where she could sue for defamation.

Read the original article on Business Insider
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Iran's president arrived in Qatar on Monday and was welcomed in an official ceremony by the country's ruling emir ahead of a global gas summit and as pressure mounts to revive Iran's nuclear deal with world powers.

This is President Ebrahim Raisi's fourth trip abroad since he took office six months ago. His visit to the neighboring Arab state of Qatar, with which Iran shares a vast underwater gas field, comes as the two Persian Gulf countries forge even closer bonds.

Kicking off his visit to Doha, the two leaders sat side by side as 14 agreements of cooperation were signed in fields including aviation, trade, shipping, media, electricity, culture and education, according to media in both countries. The Iranian president traveled to Qatar with five Cabinet ministers, including the foreign and energy ministers, the state-run news outlet IRNA reported.

Speaking to reporters in Qatar, Raisi said Iran was seeking change in regional relations around cooperation and interaction. Referring to the ongoing negotiations in Vienna around Iran's nuclear accord, he said the United States must prove it is willing to lift key sanctions against his country.

In order to reach an agreement, it is necessary to ensure the interests of the Iranian people, especially the lifting of sanctions," he said.

The United States has participated indirectly in the talks because it unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 under then President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden has signaled that he wants to rejoin the deal.

The tiny nation of Qatar, which lies on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula and has only one land border to Saudi Arabia, is among the worlds largest suppliers of liquefied natural gas. Despite its small size, it also plays a strategic role as a back channel, mediator and facilitator of negotiations among countries and groups.

Qatar's ties with both Washington and Tehran allow Doha to relay viewpoints between the two. Qatar's foreign minister, who reportedly met with his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, visited Tehran last month. That visit that came just days before Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with President Joe Biden in Washington. Biden described Qatar as a good friend and a reliable partner  and designated the energy-rich state as a major non-NATO ally after its outsized role in assisting with the chaotic mass evacuation of Afghans and foreigners following the Taliban's takeover of the country last summer.

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While in Qatar, Raisi will attend the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Doha, where he is expected to deliver remarks on Tuesday. The forum is likely to focus on tensions over Ukraine and what could happen to Europes energy supply if Russia were to invade. The forum is aimed at bringing heads of state and energy ministers from gas exporting nations to interact and exchange views.

The forum, which comes as a growing number of nations pledge to shift towards renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions, represents nations that hold 70% of the worlds proven gas reserves. In addition to Qatar and Iran, the forum includes Russia, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Algeria, Bolivia, Equatorial Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, in addition to the seven observer countries of Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Norway, Peru and the United Arab Emirates

Iran, similar to Turkey, rushed to support Qatar with vital imports in the first days of a lightning diplomatic blitz in mid-2018 by four Arab nations, led by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Qatari flights were also rerouted over Iranian airspace during that time. The quartet of nations was angered by Qatar's support for Islamist groups across the region in the wake of Arab Spring protests and over Qatar's ties with Iran.

Qatar has a little more than 300,000 citizens, but expatriate foreign workers on temporary visas far outnumber the local population. It is set to host the FIFA World Cup later this year, the first time ever the tournament will be played in the Middle East.

___

Vahdat reported from Tehran, Iran.
Feb. 21Based on the preliminary data shared by the Bakersfield Police Department for a number of violent crime categories, including rapes, assaults and homicides, the metro Bakersfield area is likely to see an uptick in its 2021 crime rate, once the official tally is available  a trend experienced by many larger cities across the nation.

However, most police departments in rural areas of Kern County reported decreases in 2021 compared to their 2020 numbers, according to data collected by The Californian.

Analyses of that data from the leaders of these local agencies point to a number of reasons why Kern County's smaller cities might have bucked the national trend.

The Tehachapi Police Department, for example, reported an 11.5 percent decrease in Part-I crimes for 2021 versus 2020. Part-I offenses include homicides, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, theft, grand theft auto and arson. The agency cited its relationship with the community as a major reason for this decline.

"The latest crime statistics comes at a challenging time for law enforcement across the state of California and is a testament to the work of the men and women of the Tehachapi Police Department and the community for building a trusting relationship with the officers, 911 dispatchers and emergency response staff who handle these incidents," the city of Tehachapi said in a news release.

Many police chiefs interviewed by The Californian cited community relationships as key factors behind the decrease in their crime numbers. A smaller city allows officers to know the suspects, said Delano Police Chief Tyson Davis. Residents also become familiar with the deputies and officers, which leads to tips and information about offenders, other chiefs said.

Delano Police Department

The Delano Police Department was the only rural law enforcement agency in Kern County that saw an uptick in crime between 2020 and 2021. Part-I crimes totaled 1,314 in 2020 and then 1,417 in 2021, a figure that was still lower than the number of Part-I crimes in 2019, which was 1,639.

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Davis said many crimes within the city are related to gang activity. He added cameras have been placed in "strategic locations" around the city, and those help deter crime. The cameras also help the department catch suspects.

"We know from our officers talking ... to gang members (that) they're aware of the cameras," Davis said.

The chief added an employee does not watch the cameras every day. If a crime happens, footage is examined to catch the perpetrator.

Many residents remain fearful the cameras could be used to target someone who's not a U.S. citizen, but Davis said the department does not concern itself with the residency status of individuals.

McFarland Police Department

Part-I crimes in the city of McFarland declined from 451 in 2020 to 268 in 2021, after reporting 309 in 2019.

McFarland Police Chief Kenny Williams said his department filled vacant positions, which has led to the decrease in crime. The department has about 17 sworn officer positions, and only about half of those positions were filled at one point.

Hiring more staff led to more frequent patrols, which deters crime, he said.

Williams noted that adding staff can often lead to an uptick in crime, though, simply because more arrests are made, in addition to other factors.

"I've seen it go both ways," Williams said.

The department also focused on decreasing the city's number of auto thefts over the past year, the police chief said. From 2019 to 2020, the number of car thefts doubled from 71 to 159. However, in 2021, that number decreased to 65.

Investigators focused on "chop shops" and other locations related to vehicle thefts, Williams said, in addition to saturation patrols, which target specific crimes with a larger than normal deployment of resources. These methods address car thefts by going after others who seek to benefit from this type of crime, the chief added.

Shafter Police Department

Shafter PD reported 785 Part-I crimes in 2019, 656 in 2020 and 627 in 2021, for a city with approximately 19,953 residents, according to 2020 census data.

Police Chief Kevin Zimmermann said about half of the total incidents for Shafter are from police-initiated activity, the result of active patrols apprehending offenders. These perpetrators, who may commit smaller violations, are caught before engaging in more serious crimes at another time, he added.

"It creates a rhythm in our community  we make it difficult for the criminals to move around," Zimmermann said. "My officers are out there and they're committed to effecting change on the micro in order to effect larger change on the macro."

Zimmermann said a partnership between his department and residents in Shafter ensures crime is caught. When a person calls his department, an officer will respond. There is no online reporting mechanism, officers glean more information when questioning those filing a crime report, he added.

This relationship also leads to the community calling in tips to catch suspects, the chief said.

You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @idesai98 on Twitter.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's finance ministry on Monday said it would take proposals on cryptocurrencies from the country's central bank into account so long as they do not contradict its own approach, paving the way for legislation governing digital assets.

A simmering dispute over cryptocurrency regulation in Russia heated up on Friday as the finance ministry submitted legislative proposals to the government that clashed with the central bank's demand for a blanket ban.

The Bank of Russia has proposed banning cryptocurrency trading and mining due to the threat digital currencies pose to financial stability. But the finance ministry prefers legislation that regulates cryptocurrencies, allowing them as an investment tool, but not as a means of payment.

The finance ministry's draft legislation aims to create a legal market for digital currencies, it said on Monday.

One proposal is for transactions involving the purchase or sale of cryptocurrency requiring customer identification, a move that may diminish one of cryptocurrencies' major selling points - their anonymity.

Other proposals include foreign cryptocurrency exchanges having to obtain a licence in Russia, and introducing financial literacy tests that determine how much individuals are permitted to invest.

Citizens who successfully pass the tests would be permitted to invest up to 600,000 roubles ($7,853) in digital currencies each year, the finance ministry said. Those who fail would have an investment limit set at 50,000 roubles annually.

The central bank also opposes cryptocurrency mining, whereby powerful computers compete against others hooked up to a global network to solve complex mathematical puzzles. The bank has warned of inefficient energy consumption and the environmental impact of the mining, while the finance ministry prefers to permit mining under a taxation basis.

The central bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

($1 = 76.4044 roubles)

(Reporting by Darya Korsunskaya; additional reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Katya Golubkova and Kenneth Maxwell)
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has laid out a grim scenario for a Russian invasion of Ukraine during an interview with ABC News.

Speaking with the organisations chief global affairs correspondent, Martha Raddatz, on Sunday, Mr Austin explained that an attack on Kiev was highly likely to occur should the Russian military go ahead with an attack on eastern Ukraine.

Would we see [Russian] tanks rolling in to Kiev? Ms Raddatz asked the defence chief.

You could see that. I mean, thats highly likely. You could see that. You could see a significant amount of combat power move down to take Kiev, responded Mr Austin.

Pointing to the Ukrainian-Russian border, he noted: We see a lot of tanks and armoured vehicles there, we see a lot of artillery, we see rocket forces.

The secretary went on to say that any deployment of such forces offensively in Ukraine, but particularly to take the capital, would result in significant civilian casualties.

If he employs that kind of combat power, it will certainly create enormous casualties within a civilian population ... this could create a tragedy, quite frankly, in terms of refugee flow and displaced people. So this is potentially very, very dangerous, said the general.

The stark warning of what a Russian attack could look like comes just two days after the president said in a national address that his administration believes Vladimir Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine, and NBC News cited senior US officials claiming the order to attack had been given.

Russias top representatives to the west, despite the claims, have continued to insist otherwise. Moscows ambassador to the US appeared on the Sunday news show circuit this week as did Mr Lloyd and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and once again denied that Russias military was planning to attack.

There is no invasion. There is no such plans, Anatoly Antonov insisted on CBSs Face the Nation.

Russian troops are on sovereign Russian territory, he added. We don't threaten anyone.

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US officials have disputed claims from Russian officials of military pullbacks from the region and insisted in return that the military presence near Ukraines border has actually strengthened, including the recent addition of first-strike forces.

On Sunday, Mr Blinken continued to stress that the US had plans to respond to a potential Russian attack as well as the possibility of Moscow allowing tensions at the Russia-Ukraine border to continue boiling for the forseeable future.

The US has stressed that diplomatic off-ramps still exist for Moscow to avoid war, while refusing to say whether the US would support one of Russias key demands: the permanent exclusion of Ukraine from Nato, the anti-Soviet alliance that Moscow continues to recognise as a threat.

Mr Blinken did add on Sunday that the US would refuse to recognise Crimea, a region of Ukraine annexed by Russia in 2014, as part of the Russian Federation. He is set to meet with Russias foreign minister in the coming days, but the Biden administration has warned that an attack before that date would slam the door shut on future diplomatic efforts.
Just last December, the true-crime comedy podcast "Small Town Murder," hosted by James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman, sold out a live show at Lincoln Hall. Four months later, on Friday, it will headline the much-bigger Park West. No one can quite explain their meteoric rise to the middle: Podcasts, like pop stars, just take off sometimes.

In a recent phone interview, Pietragallo and Whisman, comedians from Phoenix and longtime friends, talked about how they launched two successful true-crime podcasts with nothing but a microphone, a dream, and a totally normal fondness for murder (spree killers and homicidal athletes preferred).

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The following are excerpts from that conversation:

1. Put a novel spin on an already popular idea

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In 2016, Pietragallo and Whisman launched their maiden (and still ongoing) podcast, "Crime in Sports," which documents the misdoings of athletes, both famous (doomed pitcher Steve Howe) and infamous (misbegotten major league prospect Greg "Toe" Nash). "We took an ESPN '30 For 30,' sprinkled in a little 'America's Most Wanted,' maybe put some 'Dateline' on the edge of it, and molded that together to make a show," Whisman says. True-crime podcasts have been popular for as long as the format has existed; "Crime in Sports," like countless others, emerged in the wake of the success of "Serial." Both men had long been addicted to true crime. Pietragallo's mother "used to read me horrible true-crime books when I was a kid," he remembers, and Whisman never missed an episode of "Dateline." "Anything that has an eerie undertone to it, I was always a fan of," Whisman says. "We both like true crime, and we both like to make jokes about it."

2. Understand that if you don't get the tone right, you will be doomed

"Crime in Sports" and its sister show, "Small Town Murder," are both technically humor podcasts. They are indebted to forerunners like "Last Podcast On the Left" and "My Favorite Murder," which blended comedy and crime to blockbuster effect. "They really did a great job with that, and broke that door down, of talking about horrible subjects in a funny way on a podcast," Pietragallo says.

Hosts who succeed in this very limited niche follow the same rules Pietragallo and Whisman do: Make fun of the perpetrators, not the victims. "If they're murderers or something, then we don't feel bad about mocking them," Pietragallo says. "We don't go after any of the victims or anything like that. If we stay in that space, it's been pretty safe. So far, no one's gotten too upset with us."

3. Being a comedian helps more than you'd think

Some of the best podcasts, even serious ones, are helmed by hosts with backgrounds in comedy. Comedians have better timing and know to avoid rookie mistakes, like talking over each other, or pausing awkwardly while shuffling through their notes. "Journalists make great podcasts, too, like 'Serial,' but there's something about comics, we're a different breed, and we do things a little different," says Pietragallo. "Also, comics can tell when a subject is dying, and when to move on. We know when to stop joking and say, 'OK, back to the story.' "

4. Research helps too

Both podcasts routinely clock in at more than two hours each. "Small Town Murder" is especially involved, offering a detailed recounting of the history of each town, and the gruesome murder therein. "We try to give you a movie's worth of show every week," Pietragallo says. Listeners are unusually inclined to listen to the show all the way through, particularly impressive given the hosts' refusal to bag the usual big game. "We always say we could spike our numbers tomorrow if we did Jonbenet (Ramsey) or BTK or any of the standards," says Pietragallo, "But we try not to do anything other podcasts have done."

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Whisman also credits their refusal to tell stories of crimes that are unsolved. "A lot of these stories, they're really messed up, and people want to get to the end and find the closure, and find out how the story ended," he says. "Some podcasts leave them hanging."

5. Don't worry. No one really has this podcast thing figured out.

Podcasting is still the Wild West. There's a low barrier to entry  anyone with a few hundred dollars for microphones and a mixer can be a podcaster  and, except for those at the very top of the pile, success is hard to come by, and even harder to measure. "This is like radio days, and Marconi is still alive," Whisman says.

ITunes charts are based on what the men describe as a soul-crushing algorithm, which favors podcasts with lots of reviews, and shows with familiar hosts and guest stars. For two utterly unconnected comedians in Phoenix, getting heavy-hitting cameos, usually a necessity for a growing podcast, has proved difficult. "When you're not famous, nobody wants to be on your show, and people generally don't want to listen to it, and you don't get any attention," Pietragallo says. "You have no friends to call. We just had ourselves, sitting in my living room, saying, 'I think this is how you make a podcast.' It was more of an uphill climb."

Allison Stewart is a freelance writer.

onthetown@chicagotribune.com

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Newly discovered dinosaur may have looked like the horned abelisaurid dinosaur Carnotaurus sastrei illustrated here (Fred Wierum; CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

Paleontologists have uncovered the skull of an unusual dinosaur that could be the close relative of the ancestors of an armless group of dinosaurs that roamed the Earths southern hemisphere about 70 million years ago.

The new species, Guemesia ochoai, was a species of abelisaurid  a clade of carnivorous dinosaurs that lived in parts of modern-day Africa, South America, and India, according to the study, published earlier this month in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

The skull fossil may lead to a better understanding of why this area gave rise to such unusual animals, say researchers including those from Universidad Maimonides in Argentina and the Natural History Museum in the UK.

This new dinosaur is quite unusual for its kind. It has several key characteristics that suggest that is a new species, providing important new information about an area of the world which we dont know a lot about, Anjali Goswami, study leader from Natural History Museum, said in a statement.

While some preliminary research suggests the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex might have actually used its tiny arms to bring prey in close for a bite, paleontologists behind the new study say many species of abelisaurs had front limbs that were even shorter than those of the T.rex, and effectively useless.

A Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur fossil skeleton is displayed in a gallery at Christies auction house on September 17, 2020 in New York City (Getty Images)

Abelisaurid hands, they say, could not grasp prey or objects, forcing the dinosaurs to rely on their powerful heads and jaws to capture prey.

Fossils of this clade of dinosaurs have been found in rocks across Africa, South America, Europe as well as India dating to the Late Cretaceous, just before dinosaurs were wiped out 66 million years ago, scientists say.

Paleontologists also found that the G. ochoais braincase was small like those of other abelisaurids, suggesting it had a small brain.

They also identified rows of small holes in the front of the skull known as foramina that could have allowed the dinosaur to cool down, with blood being pumped into the thin skin at the front of the head to release heat.

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The fossil reveals the new species had a cranium about 70 per cent smaller than any of its relatives, but also indicating it may be the remains of a juvenile.

Scientists say there is conflicting evidence on this, but add that there are enough unique features of the dinosaur to believe this is a new genus and species near the bottom of the family tree of abelisaurs, or closely related to the ancestors of the rest of the group.

The fossil, scientists say, adds to a growing body of evidence that suggest north-western Argentina had a unique set of creatures unlike those found elsewhere in the world at this time, including the podocnemidoidae turtle Stupendemys geographicus, one of the largest aquatic reptiles to have ever lived.

While Argentina is well known for fossils of dinosaurs from this clade, with 35 species already described from the country, researchers say nearly all of these fossils are from Patagonia, in the countrys south, and relatively few have been found in the north-west.

It shows that the dinosaurs that live in this region were quite different from those in other parts of Argentina, supporting the idea of distinct provinces in the Cretaceous of South America, Dr Goswami said.

Understanding huge global events like a mass extinction requires global datasets, but there are lots of parts of the world that have not been studied in detail, and tonnes of fossils remaining to be discovered, she added.

Researchers say they are now focused to uncover more specimens, particularly from the period just before and after the end-Cretaceous mass extinction that wiped out most dinosaurs to understand how this massive event shaped life on the planet.
Money exchanging hands. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE  A security officer accused of attempting to obtain a bribe in exchange for not taking action against a person who had entered a condominium without using the TraceTogether application was charged in court on Monday (21 February).

Ganesan Gunasagaran, 33, was employed by Metropolis Security Systems and deployed to SeaHill Condominium during the alleged offences on 19 October 2021.

Apart from trying to obtain the bribe, Ganesan is said to have blackmailed the person for $10,000 by stating that the person would be investigated for illegal entry into the condominium and for having sex with a student in a toilet within the premises.

Ganesan allegedly personated a police officer to the same person, claiming that he was a high-ranking undercover officer of the "Singapore Police Licensing Sector".

The Malaysian was handed one count each of graft, extortion, and of representing himself as a police officer.

Appearing in court without a lawyer, Ganesan told the court that his "mistake was when there was communication via WhatsApp" but added that he did not receive any monies.

Asked by the judge if he would be accepting the prosecution's plead guilty offer, Ganesan said he was not ready to plead guilty.

His matter has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on 23 March.

If convicted of a corruption offence, Ganesan may be jailed up to five years and/or fined up to $100,000. For extortion, he can be jailed between two and five years and caned. A person who personates a police officer may be jailed up to six months, or fined up to $2,500, or both.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore
Candace Bushnell attends New York premiere of "Sex and the City" in 2008. JIMI CELESTE/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

Candace Bushnell shared her thoughts about the "Sex and the City" reboot with The New Yorker.

Bushnell said she was "startled" by some of the creative choices made in the reboot.

"And Just Like That" premiered on HBO Max in December 2021.

"Sex and the City" creator Candace Bushnell recently told The New Yorker she's "startled" by some of the decisions made on "And Just Like That."

In an interview with The New Yorker's Jia Tolentino published Wednesday, Bushnell discussed her thoughts on the "Sex and the City" reboot, which premiered on HBO Max last December. Bushnell wrote the newspaper column and 1996 book that inspired the popular TV series.

"I'm really startled by a lot of the decisions made in the reboot," Bushnell, 63, told The New Yorker. "You know, it's a television product, done with Michael Patrick King and Sarah Jessica Parker, who have both worked with HBO a lot in the past. HBO decided to put this franchise back into their hands for a variety of reasons, and this is what they came up with."

Sara Ramirez and Cynthia Nixon on "And Just Like That." Craig Blankenhorn / HBO Max

When Tolentino says she gathers that Bushnell doesn't see herself in "And Just Like That," Bushnell responds: "Not at all."

"I mean, Carrie Bradshaw ended up being a quirky woman who married a really rich guy," she adds. "And that's not my story, or any of my friends' stories. But TV has its own logic."

One of the main differences fans noticed in the reboot was the stride towards diversity. In the reboot, actor Sara Ramirez portrayed Che Diaz, a non-binary Irish-Mexican podcast host and comedian. Ramirez's character forms a bond with Miranda Hobbes, played by Cynthia Nixon. The series also cast Karen Pittman as Dr. Nya Wallace.

When asked about the criticism "Sex and the City" has faced over its lack of diversity, Bushnell told The New Yorker "that was how people cast things then."

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Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, and Sarah Jessica Parker seen on the set of "And Just Like That..." HBO Max

"Was my own world only white people? No, of course not  that's just not New York," Bushnell said. "But, for the show, that was how people cast things then, it was the way that people in TV were. I don't think anyone was consciously trying to be nasty about it; they just really didn't think."

During the interview, Bushnell also noted that Carrie stopped feeling like her long before "And Just Like That" aired.

Asked by Tolentino at which point she felt that way, Bushnell replied: "When the character of Carrie sleeps with Mr. Big after he's married to somebody else  that's when I felt like the character's becoming something other." Carrie's affair with Mr. Big begins in season three of "Sex and the City," which aired in 2000.

The reboot has much of the original cast reprising their roles, including Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes, and Kristin Davis as Charlotte York-Goldenblatt. However, Kim Cattrall did not return to play Samantha Jones.

Representatives for Candance Bushnell did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP)  Slovakia marked on Monday the anniversary of the 2018 slayings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee by unveiling a monument to honor them at a central square in the capital of Bratislava.

Prime Minister Eduard Heger and the parents of the two were among those attending the unveiling ceremony.

Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, both 27, were shot dead at their home in the town of Velka Maca, east of Bratislava, on Feb. 21, 2018.

Kuciak had been investigating possible government corruption when he was killed. The killings prompted major street protests unseen since the 1989 Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia and a political crisis that led to the governments collapse.

I thank all those who work to prevent people from forgetting what happened and why it happened, Kusnirova's mother Zlatica said.

Three defendants have been sentenced in the case. Among them, a former soldier who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting the two received 25 years in prison.

In June, Slovakias Supreme Court dismissed a lower courts acquittal of a businessman accused of masterminding the slayings. A three-judge panel of the Supreme Court said the lower court did not properly assess available evidence when it cleared businessman Marian Kocner and one co-defendant of murder. It ordered a retrial that is scheduled to begin next week.

Prosecutors alleged Kocner ordered the killing. He denies that.

Kocner had allegedly threatened Kuciak following the publication of a story about his business dealings.

In the meantime, Kocner was sentenced to 19 years in prison in a separate forgery case.
(@hollywood.flix/TikTok)

After a customer revealed that there were apparently bugs in a pastry display case, Starbucks workers have sparked a debate about why these pests can often be found inside the food cabinets.

In a video posted to TikTok on 6 February, @hollywood.flix zooms in on a display of pastries and breakfast items on at a Starbucks.

A bug is then shown crawling within the cabinet, while another one is on top of a cake pop. Multiple bugs were on a chocolate croissant, as a few others were flying around a ham & cheese croissant.

#starbucks ? I only know of starBugs, the TikTok user joked in the caption.

@hollywood.flix claimed in the comments that this wasnt their first time seeing unwanted pests on food.

Some places will serve display items last so you never know, they wrote.Ive seen places serve donuts and cookies when bugs were on itCustomer safety 1st.

This video has received over 2.9 million views so far, with former and current Starbucks workers in the comments noting that it can be difficult to keep these food displays bug-free.

I worked at a starbucks its basically impossible to keep flies out of the case however your food is very safe lmao, one viewer wrote.

I think I can speak for all Starbucks workers, were trying our best to get rid of them, its a hard job, another wrote.

Other workers emphasised that bugs are unavoidable so customers arent given these specific pastries.

I work at Starbucks and we NEVER serve display items. it is 100% a health code violation. it is extraordinarily difficult to keep the bugs out, a comment reads.

At my old store we were not allowed to sell anything in the cases, another viewer wrote. It is all thrown out at the end of the night.

However, many other TikTok users were still appalled by the fact that bugs were constantly around Starbucks displays.

Yall just because theyre not served doesnt make bugs everywhere okay, one wrote. More than likely theyre where the real food is too.

It doesnt matter if theyre served ?? Theres bugs in clearly visible food at a restaurant, a TikTok user wrote.

The Independent has reached out to @hollywood.flix and Starbucks for comment.
A charter school bus company that operates in Pierce and Thurston counties has been hit with another formal complaint by state regulators.

Staff for the Utilities and Transportation Commission filed the complaint on Thursday after finding new and repeated safety violations by Ohio-based First Student Inc., according to a news release.

The UTC fined the company $23,700 in 2019 but suspended $10,000 on the condition it met certain criteria and did not commit violations for two years. The company operates throughout the country, including in Tacoma, Tenino and Rochester.

A routine follow-up to the 2019 investigation uncovered 634 violations of vehicle and driver safety requirements from January 2020 to April 2021, per the release. Staff categorized 396 of these violations as acute, critical or repeated.

Consequently, staff recommended the UTC reapply the previously suspended $10,000 penalty and consider imposing a $1,000 fine for the 396 violations.

The alleged violations include three occasions of making fraudulent statements or record entries, 38 occasions of using a driver before the motor carrier received a negative pre-employment drug test, 209 occasions of failing to conduct required random drug testing and many more.

Representatives for First Students Inc. did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Olympian.

The companys website says it has consistently been recognized as a leader in safety and promotes case studies in support of that claim.

First Student had the best product and service at the most advantageous price for the benefit of our students.  This is a way for the district to offer our students the utmost safety and comfort, Al Diamico, Director of Transportation, is quoted as saying on the website.

The UTC does not regulate school-to-home or home-to-school bus routes. However, the commission does have regulatory authority over buses that are chartered to transport students for field trips, sporting events and other non-routine events.

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A virtual brief adjudicative proceeding will be held 9:30 a.m. March 22. During the proceeding, an administrative law judge will decide whether to impose new or previously suspended penalties based on the complaint.

Members of the public can join online or by calling 253-215-8782, using Meeting ID: 929 2209 0324 and Passcode 782234#.

In addition to servicing communities in Pierce and Thurston counties, First Student Inc. also provides services in Seattle and Vashon Island.
Gasoline prices in Florida hit another high mark over the last week, increasing by 6 cents and setting a new record for the year at $3.51 a gallon, according to AAA-The Auto Club Group's weekly briefing.

The increase, nearly a dollar more than last years high price, comes after a slight dip in crude oil prices  a determining factor for the cost to consumers at the pump.

Recent coverage:

Oil prices ended last week at about $93 a barrel, the first time in eight weeks they have dropped. Experts are still watching what effect tensions between Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world could have on global energy markets.

Gas prices in Florida hit another high mark over the last week, increasing by 6 cents setting a new record for the year at $3.51 a gallon.

In recent weeks Russia has moved thousands of troops to surround Ukraine prompting fears of an invasion. President Biden may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin late this week. Russia is the second-largest oil-producing country behind Saudi Arabia.

"It's hard to get too excited about the recent oil price drop, because prices could easily rebound if Russia invades Ukraine," AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said.

"If an invasion occurs and oil prices spike, that will most certainly drag gas prices higher too," he added. "To what degree, it's still unclear."

Regional prices

Most expensive metro markets  West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($3.63), Fort Lauderdale ($3.53), Gainesville ($3.53).

Least expensive metro markets  Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($3.42), Panama City ($3.44), Punta Gorda ($3.45).

Daily gas price averages can be found at Gasprices.aaa.com.

Gas prices snapshot

Sunday's average price in Florida was $3.50 per gallon, the highest since July 2014.

The average cost for a fill-up was $52.50.

The 2022 high is now $3.51 per gallon.

The 2021 high was $3.36 per gallon.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Not yet March and Florida gas prices already hitting new high for 2022
Dozens of homes have been evacuated and more than 150 flood warnings have been put in place due to Storm Franklin, the third named storm to hit the UK in a week.

The Environment Agency issued two severe flood warnings on Monday 21 February for areas in south Manchester, prompting evacuations of at least 70 properties close to the River Mersey in Didsbury and Northenden.

Flood warnings are also in place across northeast England, southeast England, and Wales. Amber alerts have been issued in the northwest of England, the Midlands and the south. A total of 151 warnings are currently in place.

Across the UK, river levels remain high and heavy rain is expected to continue throughout Monday.

The threat of flooding and strong winds is also disrupting travel services, with train companies advising people not to travel.

With weather warnings issued in different parts of the country, its helpful to know how to minimise the risks in case of flooding.

What insurance should you have?

Flood cover is a standard feature of most home insurance policies, but experts recommend homeowners double check their policies to make sure this is the case.

If youre uncertain, the National Flood Forum offers advice on how to get the best insurance if you live in a flood-prone area.

For those who are renting, flooding insurance will be covered by the landlord, but you may wish to insure some of your personal property which will not be covered by the insurance plan.

How can you make sure youre best prepared in the event of a flood?

When a severe flood warning is issued, it means that flooding is expected.

People living in these areas should prepare ahead of time by taking detailed photographs of all areas of their property to show their insurance company if it is damaged.

Additionally, experts recommend packing a flood kit containing essentials should you need to evacuate the premises. This includes essentials such as a change of clothes, thermals, underwear, toothbrush and toothpaste.

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Those living in flood warning areas should also make sure all of their important documents and treasured mementos are safely stored. These could be moved upstairs or to another part of your property where water is unlikely to reach.

What should you do if your house floods?

In the scenario that your property does flood, there are several steps you should take.

Find safety

The most important thing is to make sure that you and your family are safe. You should either move to a dry part of your home or evacuate to a dry area outside.

Do not touch any electrical appliances until you are told it is safe to do so and stay out of floodwater, experts at Flood Guidance said.

Document everything

Homeowners should document the extent of the damage by the flood by taking pictures of their home showing everywhere the water reaches.

You could also use a permanent marker to mark the walls and show how high the water reached.

However, the water flooding your home could include sewage and other hazardous material so be cautious not to touch it.

In most cases, insurance companies will send a loss adjuster to examine the damage to your property.

Some insurance policies also cover the loss of perishable goods. In this case, people should make a list of all the foods they throw away and those items from the fridge and freezer that are ruined by loss of electricity.

Additionally, keep a note of all telephone calls made to your insurance provider following the flood and who you spoke with, ask for confirmation of what the company will cover and keep a record of what was agreed.

Turn off electricity

Experts at Flood Guidance warn that all electrical systems in your home should be turned off as soon as possible, but do not walk through water to get to the fuse box.

If you cant reach the fuse box without stepping in water, you should call an electrician.

Evacuate if necessary

The UK Environmental Agency urges the public to cooperate with the emergency services if they tell you to evacuate during flooding.

Those who are evacuated will be taken to an evacuation centre run by their local council. Here, free food and bedding will be provided.

You should be prepared to bring spare clothing, essential medication and babycare items if necessary.

Most evacuation centres also allow people to bring their pets.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Theranos Inc. and its founder, Elizabeth Holmes, accusing her and the company's former president of raising more than $700 million from investors through an elaborate fraud in which they exaggerated or made false statements.
Tom Cruises former manager has claimed the actor suffered from a terrible temper in the early stages of his career.

Eileen Berlin, 82, worked with Cruise at the beginning of his career and even let the actor stay at her home.

Tommy had a terrible temper, she claimed, in an interview with the Daily Mail.

Berlin spoke of one incident in which Cruise was allegedly unhappy with a present she gave him for his 19th birthday.

I presented him with an album with all his publicity articles from teen magazines, she said. He screamed, I dont want to be in the teen mags.

It was like something was smouldering and it would boil up and explode. I put it down to his insecurity.

The Independent has contacted a representative of Cruise for comment.

In December 2020, Cruise made headlines after he was recorded yelling at the crew of his forthcoming Mission: Impossible 7.

Furious after appearing to spot two crew members failing to observe strict social-distancing rules, Cruise was heard screaming: Theyre back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. Because they believe in us and what were doing.

Im on the phone with every f***ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers and theyre looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf******. I dont ever want to see it again. Ever!

He later addressed the rant in an interview in May, commenting: There was a lot at stake at that point. But it wasnt my entire crew. I had the crew leave the set and it was just select people.

I was thinking about the people I work with, and my industry, he continued. And for the whole crew to know that wed started rolling on a movie was just a huge relief. It was very emotional, I gotta tell you.

Berlin mentioned Cruises extreme desire for perfection in her interview, commenting: What I have never seen is a real display of happiness in Tommy. He was always very, very ambitious, very, very determined to be a star. And that made him a perfectionist.
State Rep. Mark Finchem, of Arizona, gestures as he speaks during an election rally in Richmond, Va., on Oct. 13, 2021. Steve Helber, File/Associated Press

Arizona state Rep. Mark Finchem was subpoenaed by the January 6 committee.

Finchem pushed false claims about the election and met with Rudy Giuliani in November 2020.

Finchem has started a "legal defense fund" to resist the committee's requests.

A candidate for Arizona secretary of state is trying to raise $750,000 to go towards a legal defense fund to fight a subpoena issued by the House committee investigating the Capitol riot.

Arizona state Rep. Mark Finchem took to Twitter Saturday to ask for donations, saying he needs an immediate $5,000.

"Dear patriots - I am being subpoenaed by the Kangaroo Court in DC. In order to hire a lawyer to protect me from Liz Cheney and Pelosi, I need an immediate $5k to put him on retainer. Please help me reach my goal by donating here. I appreciate you all," Finchem said in the tweet.

He also shared the link to a donation page titled "Rep Mark Finchem Legal Defense Fund" on the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo. The page said Finchem has "stood as a champion" for Americans with concerns about the 2020 election and that he is now facing an "unjust subpoena" from the January 6 committee.

"As a state representative, earning $24,000/year gross, he does not have the resources to defend himself against the abuse of power that the Congress is now engaged in. He needs your help," the page said.

Though Finchem asked for $5,000 in his tweet, the funding goal on the page was set at $750,000. As of Sunday evening, more than $3,700 had been raised.

Finchem, who represents Arizona's District 11, has maintained that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump and continues to advocate for de-certifying the results in Arizona, a state won by President Joe Biden.

Trump endorsed Finchem for Arizona secretary of state in September, praising his "incredibly powerful stance on the Voter Fraud that took place in the 2020 Presidential Election Scam," AZ Central reported.

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Trump and his allies have not provided any proof of voter or election fraud and legal challenges in Arizona and other states were all dismissed.

If elected secretary of state in November, Finchem would become Arizona's chief election officer.

The January 6 committee subpoenaed Finchem on Tuesday along with Kelli Ward, chair of the Arizona GOP, for documents and testimony related to efforts to overturn the election.

In November 2020, Finchem participated in an election fraud meeting in Phoenix that was attended by Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis and other GOP lawmakers in the state. After that meeting, Giuliani suggested to state lawmakers, without success, that they dismiss the election results and simply appoint Republican electors, AZ Central reported.

Finchem's campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Ezgi Erkoyun

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -A Turkish court said on Monday philanthropist Osman Kavala must stay in prison, lengthening his detention of more than four years without conviction in a case that has fuelled tensions in Ankara's relations with Western allies.

The Council of Europe this month referred Kavala's case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to determine whether Turkey has failed to meet its obligation to implement a previous ECHR judgment, more than two years ago, that he should be released immediately.

President Tayyip Erdogan subsequently said that Turkey would not respect the Council of Europe if it did not respect Turkish courts.

The Turkish court on Monday ruled to keep Kavala, one of Turkey's highest-profile detainees, in custody and set the next hearing for March 21.

After the ruling, Nacho Sanchez Amor, Turkey rapporteur for the European Parliament said Kavala's imprisonment was unlawful, and added "tricks" would not hide the fact that ECHR decisions were being ignored.

"I was today at Caglayan courthouse for Osman Kavala's trial and witnessed the umpteenth legal trick in this mockery of due process," Amor said on Twitter.

Kavala was detained on Oct. 18, 2017.

He was acquitted in 2020 of charges related to nationwide protests in 2013, but hours later another court ordered his arrest based on a charge of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order related to a 2016 coup attempt.

That court later ruled to release him on that charge but ordered his detention on an espionage charge in the same case, a move critics said was aimed at circumventing the ECHR ruling.

(Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Tuvan Gumrukcu, Ece Toksabay and Alex Richardson)




Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is calling for an immediate meeting of the United Nations Security Council aimed at de-escalating the current tensions with Russia.

Kuleba tweeted that he was acting on behalf of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky soon after the Kremlin on Monday said Russian President Vladimir Putin will recognize as independent two breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine, a move many fear could be a pretext for an invasion.

Kuleba asked the Security Council member states to "immediately hold consultations under article 6 of the Budapest memorandum" to discuss urgent actions aimed at de-escalation, as well as "practical steps to guarantee the security of Ukraine."

Russia, however, has veto powers as a permanent member of the Security Council.

Kuleba added that "not only Ukraine, the entire world now closely follows Russia's actions regarding the recognition of the so-called 'L/DPR'" he said, referencing the separatist enclaves in Luhansk and Donetsk.

"Everyone realizes consequences. A lot of emotions out there, but it's exactly now that we all should calmly focus on de-escalation efforts. No other way," he said on Twitter.

Kuleba was referencing the memorandum signed after the fall of the Soviet Union in which Ukraine, which had the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal, agreed to sign it away in return for guarantees of its sovereignty and the sanctity of its borders, The Washington Post noted.

Under Article 6 of the Budapest memorandum, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom agreed in December 1994 that they would "refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine except in self-defence," the Post added.

The Kremlin said in a statement Monday that Putin intends to sign a decree recognizing the so-called Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, which are in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, as independent.

The New York Times reported that if Russia recognizes the two separatist enclaves, "it could allow separatist leaders to request military help from Russia, possibly paving the way for a military offensive."

Up to 190,000 Russian soldiers are believed to have amassed near Ukraine's borders, and President Biden and other White House officials have promised to impose harsh and swift sanctions on Russia should it move forward with an invasion.
Branding didnt become a buzzword in Lynchburg until about 2014, said Jawansa Hall, owner of Blackwater Branding. Because of that, hes spent a good portion of his career  until recently  educating businesses on its power.

I would always compare it by telling people that their business has its own life, it has a personality, its like a person, he said. And that person has character traits. And what are those character traits? Do you know? And some people had never thought about it that way.

From there, Hall would talk to businesses and organizations about color, font and aesthetics because that all has a personality as well.

After the birth of his daughter, Keziah, 6, he wanted more flexibility to be with her and more hands-on interaction with his clients, deciding to open his own business, Blackwater Branding.

The company spent some time in Riverviews Artspace but soon will open its own brick and mortar location in the former Lynchburg Camera Shop at 1009 Main St. in April.

To Halls knowledge, it will be the first minority-owned ad agency on Main Street.

He also recently was named as an advisor with the Small Business Development Center, located in the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance building downtown, where he will help out as a branding and marketing advisor.

Hall, now 41, was born and raised in Lynchburg on Bedford Avenue at his grandmothers house and said being born in the 1980s and raised in the 1990s, he grew up watching drugs take over the neighborhood.

So you see this transformation from something that was quiet and kind of to itself, just become a different beast. Its definitely not the same place now but I ended up spending a lot of time in the house because of that.

Inside the house, he took to making his own art work. His grandmother gave him free rein of the house, according to Hall, and his room was filled with drawings on the walls, lamp shades and floors.

Along the way, he said he had some amazing art teachers in the Lynchburg Public School system and benefited from them before attending Virginia Intermont College in Bristol to study art and graphic design in 2002.

Those were the early days of graphic design and at that point, it wasnt something businesses associated their whole brand with. It was more of a means to an end, Hall said.

The focus wasnt on being creative or artistic, he said. But like, heres the project, give me the results. You know, were doing posters, were doing newsletters, that sort of thing.

What Hall saw in college was he could use the medium in an artistic manner.

And that was something that I kind of pushed with the professors and some liked the idea, others were like, No, this is the way we do it. Youre not being traditional.

At first Hall said he was just looking to make money with graphic design and branding but once he became more established, he looked less for the material gratification but rather wanted to elevate his work.

Because everyone was kind of doing the same thing. Thats when I started to question, Can we do more with the medium? What if I use this to personify emotions and colors and personality? And I started working on trying bring personality to the pieces that we were doing.

Today, thats building a brand identity, he said, but back then it was Youre not following directions.

The biggest change he wanted to make was to introduce graphic design as art and not just as a commercial skill-set.

I also wanted to solve problems creatively, he said. Those were like the two things that I wrestled with.

His senior thesis in college allowed him to do that when he created artifacts from drawings of African-American slave children.

He took photos of people he knew and transformed them graphically into a sketch, put the sketch on handmade paper and put that behind glass.

So it felt like an artifact and everyone was like, Wow, yeah this is art, he said. And everything was digital. So it began to bend the rules and I was big on once you know the rules, you can break the rules and that was kind of the way I went about it. I played by everyones rules and this is my opportunity to shift things.

Post-grad, he moved back to Lynchburg where he and his girlfriend, now wife, Michelline, opened a coffee shop and art gallery on Commerce Street.

After that he worked graphic design jobs creating advertisements at The News & Advance with Nancy Marion at The Design Group and then with Susan Richards and Stan Webb at Dayrich Enterprises, where he was able to work with bigger clients, such as Centra and the Virginia 10 Miler.

I love the fact that something that you created was later used for a purpose that builds business or builds commerce and youre a direct impact because of that, he said.

Hall worked with Anthony Andrews on branding his business Twenty23 in 2013 when Andrews was building a new business customizing in artisan mens neck wear and accessories.

It was actually real good chemistry and we just kind of took off from there, Andrews said. And then we started doing all different types of ventures.

Andrews said Hall always has been ahead of his time.

Hes always been a visionary, he said. Hes a great storyteller. His concept is to always make things bigger.

Hall took Twenty23s Instagram following from 13 followers to 5,000.

We were not only creating a business but we were creating a brand and he took that vision and made it bigger than I ever could have imagined, he said. I was able to sell the product and make the product and be behind that but Jawansa was the huge driving force behind that.

He said Hall loves Lynchburg and loves small businesses and because of that, he enjoys adding value to the community.

He is a cat that came from the 1800 block of Bedford Avenue and he was always been considered an underdog, Andrews said. Nobody ever really gave him attention because hes reserved, hes quiet, hes laid back. But hes also strategic. And hes thought provoking and hes intelligent. And he goes in for the kill. And if you ever sit down and have a conversation with him, its gonna be a lot more in depth than just a surface driven conversation. Every single time I talk to him, I learned something new about the world or about myself because he is an intellect.

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RICHMOND  Public schools would get big boosts in the state budgets the General Assembly money committees approved on Sunday, from restoring state funding for school support employees to a proposed loan-rebate program to generate up to $2 billion to replace or modernize obsolete public school buildings.

But the House Appropriations and the Senate Finance and Appropriations committees went in different directions on pay raises for teachers and other public employees, for whom then-Gov. Ralph Northam proposed 5% raises in each year of the two-year budget he proposed in December before leaving office.

The House proposed to split the proposed increase between 4% raises and 1% bonuses in each year, while the Senate kept the 5% raises and added a $1,000 bonus for teachers and other school workers, state employees and state-supported local employees, effective June 1.

They shouldnt take credit for reducing a salary increase for our hard-working state employees and teachers from what Northam proposed, said Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, after the Senate committee unanimously adopted budgets for this year and the next two years.

Despite record increases in revenues, the budgets adopted by the two committees are hard to compare because the House is operating with almost $3 billion less. That is because it approved certain tax cuts proposed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin that the Senate did not during the first half of the General Assembly session.

Tax cuts

The biggest differences in revenues come from the Senates decisions to defer action for a year on Youngkins proposal to double the standard deduction for state income tax filers at a cost of $2.1 billion, protect the 1% local option sales tax on groceries and reject a 5-cent-per-gallon cut in the gasoline tax over 12 months.

The Senate has approved a $1.2 billion one-time tax refund  which would send $300 back to individual filers and $600 back to joint filers  most of it already included in Northams proposed budget. The Senate also backs eliminating 1.5% of the grocery tax, leaving untouched the 1% local portion.

It proposes to use state funds to replace money from the sales tax that would be distributed to school divisions, but will not replace $190 million in lost transportation funds. However, the Senate budget includes $190 million to widen 9 miles of Interstate 64 from New Kent County to James City County. The House budget includes $30 million to widen the interstate, using money diverted from a proposal Northam made to greatly expand Virginias trail system.

The Senate also expanded Northams proposal to make a portion of the earned income tax credit refundable to low-income families, a proposal the House rejected in the budget and in separate legislation.

After the House and Senate vote on the proposed budgets on Thursday, a conference committee will negotiate the differences, with Youngkin waiting in the wings with likely amendments.

With an eye toward those negotiations, the House proposed to deposit $150 million in a taxpayer relief fund created three years ago and then abandoned after Democrats took control of the assembly in 2020. The relief fund also could hold revenues while the legislature studies changes in tax policy.

Im really adamant about having all of these tax cuts and tax credits studied so we can figure out their long-term implications, said Senate Finance Chair Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, who has proposed to create a joint subcommittee to study comprehensive changes to state and local government tax policy.

Youngkin praised the House budget in a statement on Sunday and said, While it does not include nearly enough tax relief, the Senate budget proposal also includes common sense, bipartisan priorities on which we can find common ground.

I know Senator Howell and Senate Leadership are eager to work in good faith on these and other important priorities, he said. Despite the major differences outlined [Sunday], theres a clear path forward.

As a result of the gap in available revenues, the House and Senate budget proposals differ more in scale than in purpose.

K-12 education

Both make K-12 public education their top priorities, including restoring state funding of some school support positions that the General Assembly had capped in the Standards of Quality in 2010 because of big revenue losses during the Great Recession.

The House included $170 million over two years to help school divisions pay for principals, assistant principals and reading specialists. The Senate proposed $272 million to increase state funding of school support positions in what Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, called a step toward eliminating the funding cap.

This will be the largest education budget ever, said House Appropriations Chair Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, before the committee unanimously adopted a pair of revised budgets.

School buildings

The biggest surprise in the House budget is a proposal to use a combination of more than $500 million in state tax funds and money from the Literary Fund to establish a loan-rebate program that would leverage up to $2 billion in bonds to help localities replace or modernize school buildings.

Del. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, chair of the elementary and secondary school subcommittee  and chair of the House Education Committee  said a tour of dilapidated school buildings across Virginia made a convincing case for the state to intervene in what has historically been a local government responsibility.

These schools, among far too many others, faced horrible conditions that our children do not deserve, said Davis, citing leaking roofs; failing heating, cooling and ventilation systems; and deteriorating pipes. This is a health and safety matter, and is unacceptable.

The Senate budget endorses Northams proposal of $500 million in state general funds, but Knight said the House committee fashioned a solution that would use about $292 million in general tax funds and $250 million from the Literary Fund.

The money would leverage the issuance of bonds for two tiers of public school buildings, based on local ability to pay. In the long term, a portion of proceeds from four  and potentially five  casinos would go into the fund.

I take the approach that schools need to be replaced, but it is not a state function, he said in an interview. It has never been a state function. I didnt want to set a precedent.

During this session, the House killed most proposals to address the issue, including sales tax increases subject to local referendums, but approved a bill proposed by Del. Israel OQuinn, R-Washington County, to create a school construction fund that Knight wants to use to launch the loan-rebate program.

The Senate has approved five bills to help localities with school construction and modernization, including creation of a school construction fund. The others would allow localities to impose a 1% sales tax with voter approval, expand availability of low-cost loans from the Literary Fund, assess the condition of school buildings, and use unspent budget funds to address those needs.

Retirement plans

Both committees took steps to lower long-term liabilities in teacher and state employee retirement plans, but the Senate went further by proposing to deposit $1 billion into the Virginia Retirement System, which Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, estimated would save state and local governments $1.7 billion over the coming years.

Northam had proposed $924 million for VRS. The House budget would deposit $500 million to raise the funded status of the teacher and state employee plans.

The House version of the budget also includes almost $197 million in targeted pay increases for law enforcement officers  state police, correctional officers, deputy sheriffs, regional jail officers, and probation and parole officers  but no additional money for local police officers through so-called 599 funds for localities with police departments.

The Senate proposed $50 million for local police departments over three years, in addition to $223 million in targeted compensation for law enforcement. It also proposed $5.6 million over two years to boost compensation of Capitol Police and staff at the Division of Legislative Services.

The House budget also includes almost $164 million to raise pay for employees in state behavioral health facilities and community services boards (including the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority). The Senate budget would provide $80 million in the second year for direct care staff in state hospitals, on top of $68 million in federal aid in the first year.

Colleges

The budgets take different approaches to funding higher education, with the House proposing $240 million to keep tuition from increasing by more than 3% at public colleges and universities, while the Senate focused on expanded financial aid.

Both budgets would make big deposits in the rainy day fund, using at least $500 million of the $1.25 billion in additional revenues that Youngkin made available on Friday. The additional deposit would swell Virginias combined financial reserves to $4.4 billion by mid-2024.

The budgets also would bolster the Virginia Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund  $180 million in the House version and $110 million in the Senate, on top of the $862 million that Northam and the General Assembly provided last year from federal aid in the American Rescue Plan Act.

Keeping [payroll] taxes low is good for businesses and good for our economy, Knight said.
As the world shifts away from fossil fuels, Nebraska and Iowa utilities are among those preparing for the possible use of nuclear power to supplement renewable energy.

New technology is being tested that proponents say could make nuclear power plants safer, more flexible and more affordable than traditional nuclear plants. Additionally, state and federal governments are reworking regulations and incentives to encourage the revival of nuclear power.

However, critics say the new technology is unproven and presents fresh risks of cost overruns, nuclear accidents and opportunistic terrorist actions.

Utilities increasingly see transitioning away from fossil fuels as necessary to remain competitive on costs, stay ahead of regulations and address global warming.

"It's an important thing to do from a business perspective," said Tom Kent, president and chief executive officer at Nebraska Public Power District. NPPD operates the only active nuclear plant in Nebraska and Iowa. "Carbon has business risks as we look to the future."

Given this imperative, a seismic shift toward renewable energy is under way. Over the last 10 years, more than half of the new electric power added to the grid came from wind or solar, according to the Edison Electric Institute.

Looming ahead is the question of how to generate electricity during lulls in wind and solar energy. Conventional power plants do that now.

An Associated Press survey of the energy policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia found that a strong majority  about two-thirds  say nuclear, in one fashion or another, will help take the place of fossil fuels. The momentum behind nuclear power could lead to the first expansion of nuclear reactor construction in the U.S. in more than three decades.

Nebraska is among the states engaged on the issue.

"I think you'll see nuclear  assuming the next generation of nuclear proves affordable," Kent said. "In terms of future resources, the economics of building new nuclear is part of what we would look at."

Kent said he anticipates that nuclear will prove itself  or not  within the next 10 years.

Last year, Nebraska's major utilities and some of their industry partners hosted a forum on advanced nuclear energy to familiarize Nebraskans and others nationally with the push for smaller, more nimble nuclear reactors.

Additionally, the Nebraska Legislature last year unanimously approved legislation that would allow nuclear power to qualify for renewable energy incentives. Legislative Bill 84 allows a renewable energy firm that uses nuclear energy to seek incentives under the ImagiNE Nebraska Act.

State Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, who sponsored the bill, said his goal is to encourage companies to pilot new nuclear technology in Nebraska. He said new nuclear plants could be used to replace coal plants or supplement renewables. He said they would provide an economic boost with good-paying jobs and reliable energy, especially in rural areas where more access to power is needed.

Like NPPD, officials at the Omaha Public Power District are looking at nuclear as an option for supplemental power.

"All of the resources we've considered have different attributes," said Brad Underwood, senior director of system transformation. "Nuclear is one we're very interested in. We will continue to monitor its advancement and changes in cost."

Other regional utilities evaluating nuclear include Iowa's MidAmerican Energy, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

In a recent filing, MidAmerican said it plans to invest $3.9 billion in accelerating its drive toward carbon neutral generation. While much of that will go toward expanding its wind and solar power by about 30%, it also includes studying new technologies like nuclear. The utility does not expect the project, dubbed Wind Prime, to lead to an increase in rates.

According to MidAmerican, the advantages of these small modular reactors compared to traditional reactors include requiring less space, costing less to build and providing greater flexibility in where they can be built and how much electricity they generate.

Representatives of OPPD, NPPD and MidAmerican say that nuclear is just one supplemental option being studied.

Other options include biofuel generation, capturing and storing the carbon from coal or natural gas plants, or finding a way to store excess renewable energy  such as batteries, hydrogen or even reservoirs  so that electricity is available when the wind dies down or the sun's not out. Hydrogen uses a chemical reaction to store energy that can be converted to electricity. "Pumped storage hydropower," is another option and it involves moving water between reservoirs of different elevations (pumping it to the higher elevation during times of excess renewable energy and then releasing the water to generate electricity during times of low renewable energy).

Each utility's final decision will be based on the viability of the technology, they said.

Since 2004, MidAmerican has spent a total of $14 billion on wind energy, and last year MidAmerican's Iowa customers got 88% of their electricity from renewable energy, said Geoff Greenwood, spokesman.

By 2025, MidAmerican will generate enough renewable energy to meet 111% of its Iowa customers' needs. (The utility serves multiple states so its overall fuel mix is: 65% carbon free (mostly wind) and 35% fossil fuel (coal and natural gas).

OPPD, in its newly released Integrated Resource Plan, said will need to add 1,800 megawatts of wind and solar over the next eight years, with more to be installed in later years. OPPD generates enough renewable energy to meet 38% of its customers' needs and most of that comes from wind. It sells power to other utilities, so its overall fuel mix is nearly 70% fossil fuels and slightly more than 30% renewable energy.

NPPD's plans will be more clearly laid out next year when it releases its Integrated Resource Plan. NPPD generates enough carbon-free energy to supply 65% of its customers' needs, with most of that coming from nuclear. It, too, sells electricity on the market, so its overall generation is 45% carbon free and 55% fossil fuels.

The push for renewables has become more urgent for both environmental and economic reasons.

In August, the International Panel on Climate Change noted that climate change is intensifying, and some of its trends have become irreversible. The head of the United Nations described the report as "a code red for humanity  the evidence is irrefutable."

As the consequences of climate change become more onerous, there's a general expectation that regulations will ramp up pressure on utilities. Power plants cost hundreds of millions of dollars so utilities that don't plan ahead could be in financial peril if climate shocks force society to make abrupt changes.

Fossil fuels still generate about 60% of the nation's electricity, while nuclear power and renewables provide about 20% each, according to the Energy Information Agency.

If Nebraska or Iowa utilities want to build a nuclear plant using new technology, they wouldn't have far to look for an example.

In Kemmerer, Wyoming, in the southwest part of the state, companies related to Bill Gates and Buffett are piloting a plant. The Natrium reactor is being built by TerraPower, a company spearheaded by Gates, and PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

MidAmerican, as a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, will be able to monitor the project through its participation on an advisory committee, Greenwood said.

All three utilities say it's too early to talk about where they might build a nuclear plant.

Furthermore, if Nebraska's largest utilities decide to pursue nuclear, they'll have the advantage of experience, executives say. NPPD operates Cooper Nuclear Station at Brownville, and OPPD operated Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station until 2016.

OPPD closed Fort Calhoun due to its high cost. The plant, about half the size of Cooper, was the smallest in the U.S. and economies of scale worked against it, the utility says.

Kent said NPPD plans to operate Cooper until its license expires in 2034.

After that, NPPD could seek a license extension to keep Cooper running.

"I see that as a good path forward," Kent said. "But our board hasn't made any decision; we'll be working on this over the next few years."

The license renewal process is lengthy and can be costly, and NPPD will have to demonstrate that its plant, which went on line in 1974, can be safely operated 60 to 70 years later.

Lincoln Electric System hopes to be at net zero carbon by 2040. NPPD and OPPD are targeting 2050 for net zero. Net zero doesnt mean a utility eliminates all fossil fuels. It just means that the utility intends to negate any remaining carbon emissions by the year they've targeted.

How a utility will do that depends upon emerging technologies.

The environmental community is united on the urgency of climate change but divided over the issue of nuclear energy.

David Corbin, chairman of the Missouri Valley Sierra Clubs energy committee, pointed to the costs and dangers associated with nuclear power and said the industry lacks sufficient oversight.

Corbin said nuclear power costs two to three times more per megawatt than solar or wind, and it creates deadly waste with no permanent storage solution.

Additionally, Corbin pointed to last week's report by the Inspector General of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that found that counterfeit, fraudulent or suspect parts were being used in some of the nation's nuclear plants.

High level nuclear waste from Nebraska's nuclear power plants is stored about 20 miles north of Omaha at the shuttered Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station and about 70 mile south of Omaha at the Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville. If small reactors are built in rural Nebraska, then resulting nuclear waste may likewise be stored at those scattered sites.

The Biden administration views nuclear as a essential to reaching net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050.

The $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package approved by Congress last year will allocate about $2.5 billion for advanced reactor demonstration projects and $6 billion to help existing nuclear plants, such as Cooper, stay open.

Closure of nuclear plants is a concern. Fort Calhoun in Nebraska and the Duane Arnold Nuclear Station in Iowa are two of 12 commercial reactors that have ceased operations. The U.S. has 93 aging, active reactors.

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the administration wants to see the U.S. break free of reliance on fossil fuels. That means nuclear, that means hydropower, that means geothermal, that means obviously wind on and offshore, that means solar. We want it all, Granholm said. This report includes material from the Associated Press.
Chicago firefighters work the scene of a large fire on West Montrose Avenue at North Richmond Street in the Albany Park neighborhood on Feb. 21, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

When an extra-alarm blaze in Albany Park left one person seriously injured and destroyed a popular brewery Monday, embattled landlord Gary Carlson said he knew fingers would point toward his apartment building.

And it wasnt without some reason.

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The city last year sued Carlson over exterior conditions at the North Richmond Street property, noting that inspectors could not get inside the two-story building, public records show. Three months later, on a Cook County judges orders, city inspectors visited again and found fire safety violations inside the property, including a common stairway devoid of smoke detectors.

Throughout the building, inspectors also found defective light fixtures and no emergency lighting, which they labeled dangerous and hazardous. A judge ordered Carlson to put in working smoke detectors within 24 hours and fix the electrical issues by the next court date, scheduled for last Thursday, four days before the extra-alarm fire.

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A car is buried in bricks after a fire in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood on Feb. 21, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

After initially suggesting the fire started in the apartment building, the Chicago Fire Department later clarified that the point of origin appeared to be between Carlsons property and a neighboring business. The popular brewery Twisted Hippo was largely reduced to rubble after a series of explosions could be heard inside the building during the blaze. An obstacle course gym called Ultimate Ninjas was also destroyed and dozens of people forced out of their homes.

A man, estimated to be about 60 years old, was taken to Swedish Hospital in serious condition for smoke inhalation, officials said. No other injuries were reported.

Officials initially said that eyewitnesses described the fire starting at the apartment building, then spreading next door to the brewery around 4 a.m. and requiring roughly 150 firefighters. Carlson said he has his own eyewitness accounts insisting the fire began elsewhere.

The cause remained under investigation late Monday night.

Of course, theyre saying it started at my building, Carlson said. Im 70 years old, and I dont have a friend in the world.

Carlson told the Tribune that he hired an electrician to handle the city code violations, but he said he didnt know if there had been a follow-up inspection or if the building had passed.

Let me tell you how it works, he said. No matter how many things you fix, the city comes up with all new stuff.

He provided the name and phone number for an electrician who he said handled the repairs. The electrician, Richard Stepaniak, told a Tribune reporter that he attended the city inspection and handled everything on the inspectors list, with the exception of installing the fire detectors. A Carlson employee handled that job, he said.

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They gave me a list of things to do, and it wasnt that serious, Stepaniak said.

A co-owner of Twisted Hippo, Marilee Rutherford, said Monday afternoon she hadnt had time to process what happened.

The brewery prided itself on eccentric beers and had a $15 minimum hourly wage for staff when it opened in 2019. Its owners also hoped to succeed in a seemingly unlucky location that had seen a revolving door of three prior breweries in the three years preceding their opening.

The establishment was surviving by the skin of our teeth in the pandemic, but Rutherford said she is still hoping to support employees as much as possible. In the hours following the fire, the Chicago beer community rallied behind the brewery, quickly raising more than $46,000 through a GoFundMe campaign.

Alex Borrayo, a chef who said he helped found Twisted Hippo almost four years ago, said seeing the rubble at the place he helped conceptualize from pen and paper stages was just a little unbelievable.

I had to come down here to see it for myself, Borrayo said, before walking across the street to hug Rutherford.

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Neighbors expressed shock Monday afternoon, gathering to watch as heavy construction equipment marked with Department of Streets and Sanitation seals scooped up bricks and debris from North Richmond. At least three cars were crushed by bricks where one of the brewerys walls appeared to have been blown out, and were towed away with some of the bricks still on the hoods.

People at the site of the fire said the gym and brewery had been welcoming gathering places in the community.

Neighbors described waking up to what sounded like explosions around 4 a.m.

Its really kind of unsettling  The wind was roaring, said Donna Schober, a resident of nearby Ravenswood Manor.

Carlson, for his part, said the fire will not change the way he operates his rental business.

The owner of an estimated 80 properties on the North Side, Carlsons various buildings have been plagued by violence and hundreds of code violations. Just last August, his properties came up in a police meeting, where officials noted they had thousands of pages of calls, incidents, arrests involving his residents.

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In 2019, a Chicago firefighter was shot outside one of his other Albany Park buildings, which Carlson said made him a target of Mayor Lori Lightfoots administration. Carlson said city inspectors have retaliated against him ever since, constantly citing him for code violations.

They just come up with all this stuff, he said.

A spokeswoman for Chicagos buildings department did not respond to a request for comment. The city, however, has been citing Carlsons buildings for code violations long before Lightfoot came into office.

In 2016, the Better Government Association and the Sun-Times published an investigation looking into the hundreds of code violations leveled against Carlson. And state Rep. Jaime Andrade, a former aide to retired-Ald. Dick Mell who now represents Albany Park in the General Assembly, says his dealings with Carlsons properties go back more than two decades.

Andrade said Carlson provides much needed affordable housing in the neighborhood, but that the troubling landlords track record cannot be denied. He intends to speak with city officials this week to determine what can be done, including whether they could require Carlson to hire more employees to care for his buildings.

There have been concerns about safety issues related to his properties for 20 to 30 years, Andrade said. Its past time something be done about it.

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Moroccos interior ministry has ordered water rationing in regions hit by drought, the worst Morocco has experienced in decades.

Climate experts consider this drought the worst in 30 years and has hit all Moroccan regions compromising this crop year.

The Interior ministry asked local governors to ensure that green spaces are not irrigated with drinking or underground water and issued a ban of street cleaning using potable water.

Tankers have also been mobilized to channel water to drought-hit rural areas, Moroccan media reported.

Drought has forced many farmers to lose hope in this years crop as many havent sown or have forsaken their fields following late rainfall.

Besides lack of rainfall, Moroccos dam filling rate fell to 33% by mid February with some key agricultural areas suffering a dam filling rate below 6%. The situation is further complicated by the huge pressure on underground water.

The government, upon royal instructions, unveiled a 10 billion-dirham-plan to mitigate drought by offering financial help to farmers and subsidizing animal feed as well as promoting water saving irrigation and innovation.

This years drought takes place in a particular context marked by the surge in wheat prices and dim prospects for the national harvest, which means Morocco will have to import higher quantities of soft wheat.

The government had said it will boost spending on soft-wheat subsidies to 3.8 billion dirhams to keep prices stable.
Morocco and Israel signed an economic cooperation deal aiming at facilitating investments in key industrial and innovative fields.

The deal was signed in Rabat by visiting Israeli economy minister Orna Barbivai and Moroccan trade and industry minister Ryad Mezzour.

Mezzour said the deal will open prospects for trade and for investments in key industries in Morocco, citing in particular renewable energies and water management technologies as well as the automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, textile and agri-food industries.

The agreement aims, among other things, at creating qualified industrial zones in Morocco which will make it possible to concretize the tripartite Morocco-Israel-United States cooperation, primarily in the field of trade and investment, and to facilitate the direct access of goods produced in these zones to the American market.

It also provides for holding regular joint business committees to encourage investors, notably in innovative and highly technological fields, Mezzour told the press.

He said the deal comes in implementation of an agreement signed by the two countries in December 2020 when they agreed to resume diplomatic ties, launch direct flights and boost trade.

For her part, the Israeli minister said trade between the two countries is set to grow from 131 million dollars to 500 million dollars at least.

Barbivai held talks earlier with finance and economy minister Nadia Fettah Alaoui on future cooperation in the fields of customs, investment promotion and double taxation.

Morocco runs a surplus in its trade with Israel of $70 million, according to Israeli figures. Rabat exports transport and agri-food equipment.

The Israeli Economy and Industry Minister arrived in Morocco on Sunday for a three-day visit.

This is the third visit by an Israeli minister (after those of the foreign and defense ministers) since the normalization of relations between the two countries.
A suburban school bus driver had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when he crashed his bus with students inside Thursday afternoon, the Lake County sheriffs office said.

Authorities say James Dolan, 61, was taking students home from Barrington School District 220s Prairie Middle School when he failed to yield to oncoming traffic during a snowstorm and turned in front of a sport utility vehicle headed southbound on Ela Road in Deer Park. The driver of the SUV was unable to stop on the snow-covered road and struck the bus, which had about 20 children on board, authorities said.

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None of the students were injured, according to the sheriffs office. The SUV driver did not sustain any injuries, either.

When sheriffs deputies arrived at the scene, Dolan was acting erratically and exhibiting other signs of alcohol impairment, according to a news release from the Lake County sheriffs office. Dolan, who lives in Hoffman Estates, requested to go to the hospital for a medical issue and was taken there by ambulance.

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Authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Dolan on Friday after determining he had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit, according to the sheriffs office. He was taken into custody on Sunday, the same day he was discharged from the hospital.

A Lake County judge set the bond on his arrest warrant at $100,000. He faces a felony charge of aggravated driving under the influence, which carries up to three years in prison.

It is absolutely shameful that a professional school bus driver would put all of those children in his care at significant risk by driving drunk, Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said in a statement released Sunday. We are grateful none of the students, and nobody else was injured, as the drivers horrifically poor judgment could have resulted in a tragic outcome.

An attorney for Dolan could not immediately be identified.

Dolan, who has no known criminal record or history of serious traffic citations, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday. He remained in Lake County Jail as of Sunday evening.
Attorneys offered dueling perspectives of the moments after an Omaha woman gave birth on a sidewalk near 24th and P streets on Sunday.

Prosecutor Michael McInerney said Thursday in court that Trinity Shakespeare delivered her baby boy and then ran away from the infant, hiding in the backyard of a home about a block away.

Defense attorney Cathy Saathoff said, however, that Shakespeare had run to call for help and left the child with another person.

Douglas County Judge Jeffrey Marcuzzo ordered Shakespeare, 27, to be held on $50,000 bail on one count of intentional child abuse. If convicted, she faces a maximum of three years in prison.

Shakespeare gave birth to a baby boy about 10 a.m. Sunday near 24th and P. Someone with her had called 911 about 9:15 a.m. to report that Shakespeare was having pain, a call that was coded as someone with a maternity problem. An ambulance arrived, but Shakespeare refused assistance and didnt answer questions from medics except to deny that she needed care.

About 10 a.m., Sheila Allee called 911 to report that a baby had been born. She told The World-Herald the mother left before the ambulance arrived. Other witnesses covered the newborn with warm clothing, but law enforcement said the baby was exposed to the 15-degree weather for five minutes.

Both the baby and Shakespeare were taken to Nebraska Medical Center. Officials said the baby will survive. The state has been granted temporary custody of the boy.

According to an affidavit, the Omaha police officer who rode in the ambulance with Shakespeare said she had a hard time keeping her eyes open and smelled strongly of alcoholic beverage.

The next day, an Omaha police detective interviewed Shakespeare in the hospital. Shakespeare told the detective that she found out in September that she was pregnant.

Shakespeare told the detective that she didnt see a doctor or take prenatal medications during her pregnancy. She said she drank alcohol at times because of her painful cramps.

Shakespeare also said she smoked marijuana the night before the baby was born and drank vodka on the day she gave birth, according to the affidavit. She told the detective that she was aware of what occurred that day and remembered delivering her baby and walking away.

Saathoff said Shakespeare was trying to go back to her infant when she was stopped by police, who prevented her from returning and called an ambulance for her.

Saathoff brought up Shakespeares mental health issues and said she has lived in Omaha, residing with her grandparents, for about 10 years. Her sister told the World-Herald on Wednesday that Shakespeare has been homeless for the past four years.

Marcuzzo initially set Shakespeares bail at $40,000, meaning she would have to pay 10%, or $4,000, to be released from jail.

McInerney requested that bail be increased to $75,000 because of the nature of the alleged crime and Shakespeares numerous prior misdemeanor convictions.

Had there not been a witness there to intervene, this could have been a lot worse situation, McInerney said.

Saathoff said the bail was sufficient because Shakespeare likely would not be able to afford the $4,000 cost. She also said Shakespeare was not a threat to society.

Any threat that she was posing has been removed, Saathoff said. She is no longer pregnant.

Marcuzzo then increased bail to $50,000, meaning Shakespeare would have to post $5,000 to be released.
A leftover sign is seen as city employees clean up Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, previously occupied by the Freedom Convoy, in Ottawa, Ontario on Sunday. Photo: Andrej Ivanov/AFP via Getty Images

The core of a more than three-week occupation staged by a group of truckers in downtown Ottawa against COVID-vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions has been cleared following the largest police operation in Canadian history.

Since the operation began on Friday, police have arrested nearly 200 people and towed almost 60 vehicles, including big rigs, away from the streets around the Canadian Parliament. By Saturday evening, the protesters who hadnt been detained had effectively abandoned the area, and the citys interim police chief declared that this unlawful occupation is over. By Sunday, security fences had been erected, and cleanup (and, this being Ottawa, snow removal) were underway.

While the so-called Freedom Convoy protest stronghold in Ottawa is finally now gone, people aligning themselves with the truckers are still trying to stage other protests throughout Canada, including at a U.S. border crossing in British Columbia on Saturday.

In recent weeks, the Canadian protests have inspired convoy-style demonstrations attended by anti-vaxxers and anti-government activists abroad. There is also an effort underway to stage a similar convoy protest in the U.S., where the Canadian truckers story has been a cause celebre for many figures on the American right and on right-wing media. As Grid News reported Friday, those behind the so-called Peoples Convoy are hoping a thousand truckers from across the U.S. will join the convoy, which is supposed to depart from California this week and converge on Washington, D.C., by March 1, when President Biden is scheduled to give his annual State of the Union address to Congress. Its not yet clear how the protest will play out. At the very least, its unlikely D.C. authorities will be caught off guard in light of what happened in Ottawa this month, or at the U.S. Capitol a year ago in January.
Donald Trump with one of his 2022 endorsees, Texas governor Greg Abbott. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Former president Donald Trump really likes to endorse candidates for office, in keeping with his general determination to share his views on every imaginable subject. According to Ballotpedia, since Trump was elected president in 2016, he has endorsed a total of 408 candidates. This includes candidates at every level of government from potential U.S. senators to state legislators and even one county commissioner. Hes off to a roaring start in 2022 with 98 endorsements so far, all of them conferring his blessing on candidates facing primaries and general elections later this year.

Trumps motives arent hard to infer. First, endorsements are a simple way to keep himself in the news, which isnt a given thanks to his permanent ban from Twitter. And second, at least when it comes to primaries, its an easy way to illustrate his grip on the GOP and to intimidate Republicans who might otherwise oppose or disregard his wishes.

But Trumps aggressive endorsement program, which often targets GOP incumbents with whom he has issues (typically stemming from a refusal to cooperate with his attempted 2020 election coup), has not gone over well with Republicans focused on party unity and general-election viability, as Politico reported recently:

To some Republicans, Trumps efforts to take down GOP incumbents in federal and state races are at odds with the partys interests in a midterm election where Republicans are within striking distance of recapturing control of Congress. While the party is focused on the November 2022 general election, Trumps gaze is fixed on the primary election season that begins next spring.

That gaze is often fueled by rage, not careful political calculation. For example, Trump had vowed to oppose Senate foe Lisa Murkowskis reelection this year even before she voted to convict him on impeachment charges. He endorsed conservative insurgent Kelly Tshibaka to topple Murkowski, though the three-term incumbent from Alaska was strongly backed by the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. Since the state has a top-four primary followed by a general election with ranked-choice voting, its possible the split Trump engineered could create a rare opening for Democrats in a race the GOP can ill afford to lose.

In addition to his endorsement of candidates who arent the strongest options for a general election, Trumps heavy involvement in 2022 races could dilute the expectation that the midterms will be a referendum on the increasingly unpopular Joe Biden, who despite his troubles is more popular than his predecessor was at this stage of his presidency.

Unsurprisingly, Trump doesnt take criticism of his endorsement strategy very well. During a February 13 discussion on ABC News This Week, political commentator Sarah Isgur opined that the ex-presidents endorsements arent worth a lot. He issued a statement almost instantly:

Could somebody please inform the low-rated political shows that plague our Sunday morning programming that my Endorsement of candidates is much stronger today than it was even prior to the 2020 Election Scam. I am almost unblemished in the victory count, and it is considered by the real pollsters to be the strongest endorsement in U.S. political history.

Unblemished is a reach. Before the current cycle, Trump endorsed 43 candidates in competitive primaries with his preferred pols winning 37 races and losing six. Perhaps his most notable miss was in the Alabama special election to choose a successor to Jeff Sessions. Then-President Trump twice endorsed appointed Senator Luther Strange, who was forced into a runoff with the ancient theocratic extremist Roy Moore, which he lost. Trump then gave Moore his support in the special general election, and the judge promptly lost to Democrat Doug Jones in that profoundly Republican state.

While the 2017 Alabama race was certainly a fiasco, the 2022 primaries may be even trickier for Trump. The first big challenge to his 2022 strategy could come in Texas, which holds it primary March 1. Its likely that Governor Greg Abbott, whom Trump has endorsed, will win his primary. But in the Texas attorney general race, its unclear whether Ken Paxton, the ethically challenged incumbent Trump endorsed for his anti-immigrant views, will prevail over Land Commissioner George P. Bush and the ultra-MAGA-y Representative Louie Gohmert. Polls show Paxton holding on, but if he falters, Trumps reputation could be damaged.

The biggest gamble Trump has taken so far is his effort to purge Georgias Republican governor, Brian Kemp, who infuriated him by confirming Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffenspergers certification of Bidens Peach State win in 2020. His endorsement of Representative Jody Hice to expel Raffensperger seems likely to succeed. But as an incumbent governor, Kemp is going to be a tough nut to crack even with former U.S. senator David Perdue carrying the MAGA flag.

Trump is still in a bit of a quandary over what to do in Pennsylvanias key Republican U.S. Senate primary. He tried to clear the field for his favorite, Sean Parnell, early in the cycle. But Parnell dropped out of the race in November after getting hit with a domestic-abuse allegation and losing custody of his kids, leaving a scattered field with multiple MAGA aspirants but no clear favorite.

Similarly in Ohio, Trump is struggling to decide whether to endorse one of several MAGA candidates for the U.S. Senate lest the one non-MAGA candidate, the self-funded Matt Dolan, sneak through the primary to victory via a plurality. And in Missouri, Trump must decide whether his toxic ally, the disgraced former governor Eric Greitens, deserves an endorsement that might well elevate him over several hyperconservative rivals.

All in all, Trump is engaged in a risky 2022 endorsement strategy that might backfire or might confirm his mastery of the GOP. He cant seem to help himself; its in his nature to intervene in every direction, so he will. And like it or not, the Republican Party has to deal with the consequences.
Washington, PA (15301)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 58F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 58F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Washington, PA (15301)

Today

Thunderstorms likely early, then mainly cloudy overnight with light rain possible. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 57F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely early, then mainly cloudy overnight with light rain possible. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 57F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
no but for real so much is being wasted here, you could use that for good!

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Oh, fuck off. You cant reason with these morons - theyre nothing more than domestic terrorists at this point.

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they're crying about their freedoms but don't seem to grasp that freedom also means being able to walk down your street without being harassed by people like them.

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Yeah, they dont care about other peoples freedoms, only their freedoms.







Edited at 2022-02-20 10:56 pm (UTC)

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The freedom to walk down the street, freedom to counter-protest, freedom of the press...so many freedoms (of other people) that they are squandering b/c it doesn't fit with their narrative right now.



Several occupiers were holding up a copy of the Charter and it's like, you're literally proving that you have never read this thing and have no idea how it works.

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Cant handle the consequences of freedom. These dumbasses.

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I dont get it. Protests = disruption. Should Canada outlaw protests?

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Maybe theyre all in menopause.

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Man shut the fuck up



Anyone supporting this freedom convoy nonsense can gtfo

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why doesn't she sit down



in



mud. idk.

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quicksand

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Three for three for this one, huh?

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There is no point in talking to people like this, we already know where they stand and have heard their side countless times.

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Hell No. and in true canadian fashion we used the most passive agressive way to get rid of those insurrectionists.

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it's really "amazing" how quickly that street along Parliament Hill returned to its 'boring' state (which honestly thank god for the Ottawa residents). Makes one wonder what if Ottawa police just did their friggin job when the court injunction came out - perhaps that Emergencies Act didn't need to be invoked (maybe).

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yeah, i'm still baffled (except not really) that it took so long for them to actually do something. but for everyone in ottawa i'm just glad it happened.

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There was this argument that using brute force would just fuel the narrative that Canada is becoming fascist or wtv or that it would just turn to violence which I don't disagree with especially because some of these nut jobs were armed and are part of more radical groups. Also for sure many police officers were in on the whole thing. But I do think what killed these mfers the most if the local backlash, the main organizers being arrested and just Canadians being a lot more vocal with their dissaproval. I really don't think Trudeau wanted to go with the Emergencies Act tbh but for anyone thinking the police is ever on anyone's side I hope they get that no

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They literally could have stopped them from even getting downtown the way Toronto did by cutting off all the highway traffic in the area. I never should have gone on for this long.

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There were rumours that the police chief was trying to sandbag. But for what reason, I have no idea.

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I am so glad Trudeau barely acknowledged these assholes. If it had worked, thered be people occupying Ottawa all the time. But Evangeline is one of the assholes and she isnt saying this in good faith. Fuck her and all the antivaxx people

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Yeah he did such an amazing job... lmfaooooooo

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I actually never said he did an amazing job. I just said I was glad he refused to talk to them. I feel like every level of government let me and the rest of the city down by not acting sooner.

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Sorry if this is a dumb question, but are the freedumb convoy Americans or Canadians.

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they're canadian but have got a lot of financial support from americans

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theyre Canadian, but most of the support for them is from reactionary Americans

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In addition to Americans providing 61% of the funding for this shit show, some have also been coming up and joining the border crossing blockades. I know at Coutts (Alberta) there were lots of people that would join the pedestrian protestors during the day and then cross back over to the US at night. I hope they all were flagged by border patrol and get a cavity search every time they try to enter Canada again.

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How were they able to cross without being vaccinated tho?

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Canadians that wish they were American.

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the ones actually in ottawa, canadian



but i think part of the original point of all this was because canada was putting in mandatory vaccines for all truckers coming and going across the border (something, you know, the US agreed to as well) adn that set them all off, i assume americans included

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What would a dialog do? Do they think Trudeau will... Idk... Outlaw COVID? He's not in charge of the provincial mandates, which represent 99% the limitations Canadians have under COVID. The US government has the same regulations, so the cross-border truckers couldn't be unvaccinated and work no matter what the Canadian government said.



It's, like, 3500 people out of a country of 37+million, why does the news keep giving them coverage? They're not significant, the demographic they represent is not significant, and no one is having their charter rights violated according to the SCC. So.... What would be the point?



It's not a protest (which would have specific policy goals), rather like a giant pity party.

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You're bringing logic where logic doesn't belong

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It's, like, 3500 people out of a country of 37+million why does the news keep giving them coverage?



I think you can ask this about the antivax movement as a whole. They're not a lot of people. Every time an industry implements a vaccine mandate, there's a bunch of people that say they'll quit but then when the deadline comes, it's always a handful of people.



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you forget that the provincial mandates are from conservative dummy Doug Ford so they cant be against him! It's the fascist left!

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What is Trudeau even supposed to do? Removing the mandates would mean nothing for those crossing the border where the US has it in place. So what, are the truckers gonna go down to DC and whine at Biden? Is Trudeau supposed to ask Biden to remove the mandates? Lmao there is no logic with these fucks.

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Most if not all provinces have already announced dates for the end of restrictions including masks and mandates. Yet they keep doing their protests.

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Theyre also acting like theyre the reason why its happening like no. Doug Ford (Im from Ontario) had said that he wanted to lift everything in March back in September. It is election time soon.

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Theres one person who is a huge supporter that I havent unfollowed on ig just so I can keep a pulse on what is going on in their weird brains. But she posted a screenshot that there was going to be an SUI investigation for the police horse trampling incident. But like, any person should know that that is STANDARD practice when there is an incident like that. It doesnt mean shit or that the police officer didnt do anything wrong

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this is almost as funny as finding out why Peppa Pig is trending, or that at least one Canadian trucker told the court the Emergencies Act was in violation of his first amendment rights



which goes to show that these people are beyond reason and just breathing in the fumes of American nonsense politics, like Canada is an illegal apartment over a body shop

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Peppa Pig really got the celebs shook!

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Why was Peppa trending? Is it because of her and Kanye thing?

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Yes

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of course

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lmao peppa is minding her own business and got celebs in their feelings over her, its hilarious.

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More than one person has mistakenly used "first amendment rights" and "constitution" as a defence for their actions. High school civics class failed these people and it really shows.

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And Canadas first amendment isnt even remotely similar to Americas. These regurgitated talk points are so pathetically embarrassing.

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Somebody on my insta posted how the first amendment of the Canadian Constitution is about accepting Manitoba as a province or something like that which just made me lol. These people are such idiots. My anti-vax cousin and her family are claiming they got Covid (which they didn't even believe in three weeks ago) from their 14 year olds hockey game (he's the only one vaccinated and its only so he can play hockey) but lo and behold, they were in Ottawa supporting this garbage two weeks ago so no surprise they got covid from those mouth breathers.

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Dead that the judge was like what first amendment

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Talk to them? No. Fuck you.

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remember when she just made headlines for whining about being too pretty and dominic monaghan accusing her of cheating? good times.

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Which is hilarious because shes really not that pretty either.not pretty enough anyway to complain about being too pretty. Im like you are no (insert whoever here) maam.

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The big purple truck that delivers health supplies to drug users in Chicagos suburbs carries more than 100 items  everything from syringes and condoms to snacks and winter coats.

But theres one other thing the harm reduction group Live4Lali hands out that suddenly has become the subject of a Washington, D.C., firestorm  a slender glass tube used to smoke crack cocaine and other drugs.

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Its the key part of so-called safe smoking kits that are handed out in the hope of cutting down on disease transmission and injuries among people who smoke drugs. For years it was an innocuous part of the arsenal, but last week it came under scrutiny after a conservative news outlet published a story with a provocative headline: Biden Admin to Fund Crack Pipe Distribution to Advance Racial Equity.

The story concerned a $29 million federal grant for harm reduction groups that will allow them to buy supplies, including safe smoking kits (the racial equity part refers to a requirement that groups specify how they intend to reach underserved communities).

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But after the storys publication, federal officials all the way up to President Joe Bidens White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, hastened to say the pipes themselves were never a part of the kit the grant would pay for.

Karen Bigg, right, of Chicago Recovery Alliance, gathers information from a client on California Avenue at North Avenue in Chicago on Feb. 15, 2022. Bigg distributes safe smoking kits and other harm reduction tools in order to cut down on injury and disease among drug users. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

That hasnt stopped some from making political hay out of the episode, dubbing the items Bidens crack pipes. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, has introduced legislation that would prohibit federal funds from going toward such purchases, and some Republican operatives have promised that crack pipes will be an issue in the coming midterm elections.

In 100 years America went from a chicken in every pot to a crack pipe in every house, GOP consultant Ryan Girdusky told the New York Post.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is administering the grant, did not respond to the Tribunes request for comment.

Laura Fry, Live4Lalis executive director, said the dust-up was much ado about very little: Her group, like others, has numerous funding sources, public and private, and at 40 cents apiece, the glass tubes are among the least expensive things it purchases.

But she nonetheless found it disheartening.

Its just more bias and stigmatizing rhetoric for our friends who use drugs, she said. People who use substances do not deserve any less respect than you and I do when trying to treat our disorders and diseases. That is really what we fight  the stigma and the shame.

Many harm reduction groups got their start distributing clean syringes to heroin users, intending to curb the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne diseases. Over time they added other products to the mix, including plastic straws, for heroin users who prefer to snort their drugs, and safe smoking kits.

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Erica Ernst of the Chicago Recovery Alliance says its kits, which it buys using funds from the Chicago Department of Public Health, include two glass tubes suitable for smoking crack, an alcohol pad to clean them, a bit of copper mesh that acts as a filter and heat retainer, a chopstick to push the drugs and filter into the pipe, and a rubber spark plug cover that serves as a mouthpiece.

Karen Bigg, of Chicago Recovery Alliance, holds safe smoking kits for drug use on Feb. 15, 2022. She distributes them and other harm reduction tools, like clean syringes, in order to cut down on injury and disease among drug users. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

She said people who smoke crack or meth can burn their lips and leave blood  and potentially viruses  on their pipes. Sharing the devices heightens the chance of spreading disease, she said.

Researchers have linked crack pipes with the transmission of hepatitis C and tuberculosis. One recent study out of England even warned that the sharing of pipes poses an acute COVID-19 transmission risk, given the infectivity of the virus.

Drug users who obtain their own pipes often end up with substandard products, Ernst said, such as thin glass tubes, sold at gas stations or convenience stores, that are known as roses for the small artificial flowers they contain.

They tend to shatter or explode, she said. Giving someone a safe Pyrex equivalent can lead to less injury.

Crack use often accompanies opioid use, so a harm reduction organization can address many issues at once, or even end up guiding a user into treatment. Ernst said the important thing is to connect with vulnerable people and help them make positive changes, no matter how small.

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Both the Chicago Recovery Alliance and Live4Lali sought the grant that kicked off the controversy, but with only 25 awards promised, just a fraction of nations harm reduction groups will end up with any money.

The alliance wont be one of them: Ernst said the online portal wasnt working when the group tried to send in its application and technical assistance didnt arrive in time.

If Live4Lali succeeds, Fry said the federal prohibition against spending the money on pipes would have no practical effect; the group hands out only 20 or so smoking kits a week.

Besides, there are plenty of other things the organization needs.

We give out 50 pounds of fresh fruit a week, Fry said. That is a hot item  much hotter than a smoking utensil.

jkeilman@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @JohnKeilman
Out of the aforementioned headlines, the Frasier one is the only one that speaks to me

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Same lol

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Same. I watch Frasier almost everyday.

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Ive been knee-deep in Beatles gossip/rumors this past week. My conclusion? John and Paul had an obsessive love for one another lol

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i thought it was sweet that in the get back documentary, lennon would always look at paul when he made a joke to see if it made him laugh. and he would hyper focus on paul whenever they were having a conversation. to me it just felt like they were always vying for each other's approval.

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Yeah even though John was checked out mentally for a bit he and Paul definitely had a lot of respect and care for the other, especially with work. They spoke the same weird language.

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have you heard the interview where Paul was asked about the movie Two of Us? the film dramatizes the day where Paul and John were hanging out and saw the SNL segment where Lorne Michaels offered the Beatles $3000 to reunite on the show, and they joked about going. and Paul said that he wishes it had actually happened the way the movie portrayed it.



he also said he didn't like Nowhere Boy lol



Edited at 2022-02-21 02:05 am (UTC)

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If the Beatles were a group today, John and Paul fic would be #1 on AO3 or whatever.

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John and Paul were 100% platonically in love with each other. It was like a marriage and their breakup was like a divorce. I could write a thesis on these two, tbh.



And as a crazy stan of Paul and the Beatles for 25 years, I'd spill all the tea of there was even a hint of them being anything more platonic soulmates, but outside of some circle jerk nonsense with friends where they all jacked themselves off as teenagers, there is nothing to tell. John has rumors with other men, but never Paul.



The bromance of all bromances imo.

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I believe they were platonic (though I buy John having an infatuation with Stu Sutcliffe) but The Long and Winding Road is absolutely a break up song about the two of them.

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1996 would've been GREAT posts about Princess Diana & Charles' divorce as well as the Revenge Dress

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ontd would've lost it over the revenge dress!!

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The best thing that came from The Crown was the youth finding out about Charles' cheating ways.

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lmao I had the Diana Beanie Baby so I knew but how did the youths see him before that?

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All those years of PR undone in one season! LOL

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The posts about Diana's car accident and death would have probably broken LJ/the internet in the vein of Michael Jackson's death IMO.

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May 31 1998: When Geri left the Spice Girls!



That was the talk of the lunch tables at my school cafeteria ALL DAY!!



As a Ginger Spice fan I was d e v a s t a t e d

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Lol I did not explain the concept of this right but this is interesting too! How did/do you feel about it?

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I was devastated lol! and the surrounding rumors of a rift between geri and mel b too!

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can you give a go at explaining it again? because i read it twice and also went through the comments and still don't quite understand what you were aiming for... not trying to be snarky just genuinely confused LOL

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also when geri did a nude photo shoot

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Id already gone through Robbie leaving Take That by that point that nothing surprised me when it came to pop groups lol

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May 31 1998: I was eleven and PISSED

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Ginger Spice was my fav and I was shunned from my friend group for like a week because she broke up the band.

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SPRING 1993 - CBS ANNOUNCES FRASIER CRANE SPINOFF WITH KELSEY GRAMMER TO STAR.



Ugh, IDK why they chose Frasier out of everyone to have a spin-off with.

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I sorta get it. He's basically a second protagonist, and the invested a lot in his wife/ex-wife, Lilith. I mean who else where they going to follow? Woody? It's not like that actor has a lot of range.

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Admittedly as someone who watched Frasier first I 100% understood WHY he got the show and why it was so wildly successful. I think that at that point in time people were probably like 'uh, okay?' and it's a bit different from Cheers!



I love Frasier though, it had such an impact on me when I was younger.

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OCTOBER 10th, 1986 - Paramount to create a new Star Trek TV series!

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People are up in arms over this, acting like they're rewriting the Bible or something. But there's hasn't been new Trek in years (not counting the movies) but we need this. And no one runs the reruns the the '60s thing any more.





BTW am I doing this right?

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yes ... but not me noticing this two days later :(

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June 29th, 1994 - Lady Diana Spencer seen wearing a black, off the shoulder evening dress to a dinner at the Serpentine Gardens. 'Revenge' dress?

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_is_dead September 17 1969 - a student newspaper published an article titled "Is Beatle Paul McCartney Dead?" and the rumor and that theres hints about it in songs and album covers spreads

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Honestly THIS is why the Beatles broke up, isn't it?



(lol i feel silly writing like this was today's news but still)

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Omg, as we live in the age of conspiracy theories, you cant click on a Beatles video on YouTube without people insisting and arguing over several comments that Paul is dead

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There's a fun book called "The Walrus was Paul" that breaks down the whole conspiracy theory and all the clues.

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omg I still remember learning about that as a kid and part of it being that he wasn't wearing shoes on the cover of Abbey Road.

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Long live Faul.

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i don't know the exact date, when news broke in 1958 that Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher were having an affair or dating or whatever must have been such a Moment lol.

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OMG I wonder if Debbie Reynolds had stans then!!

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Oh, she and Eddie Fisher were America's sweethearts. The Lizzie/Debbie/Eddie affair was the original Brad/Angie/Jen triangle.

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Absolutely, my grandma was one!

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It would have broke ONTD lol

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So would Ingrid Bergman's affair with Roberto Rossolini.

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This place would've melted down over Sharon Tate's murder.

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LMAO whoever the one Manson stan on here was would have to delete their account.

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I can picture the comments going "I don't like what he did but damn I'd join his cult cause he's FIONE" right now.

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we had a manson stan? who was it? :O!

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I applaud all these suggestions, and have to add a gross one - ONTD would have gone insane when the Camillagate tape leaked in 1993. That shit was wild.

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YOOOO it would have been like Kristmas in July!! Or the Sony leaks!

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I genuinely think worse because what they're talking about is just SO out there and disgusting lmao, of all the celebrities to conclusively prove they have the red badge of courage, PRINCE CHARLES?!?!?!?!



not to mention how clear it is that it's a long term affair



Edited at 2022-02-21 04:36 am (UTC)

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This place would've also ripped Judy Garland to shreds in her hayday and make tons of Amy Winehouse-esque jokes about her up to the day she overdosed.

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I can also imagine the stan wars between the Beatles and Stones.

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Yes at your Ringo and George icon! Everyone will scream for John and Paul, but I always preferred Ringo and George's relationship the best!

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Honestly I really want a George's red outfit icon. Imagine the Beatles stan wars on here in the heyday

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Yess! John and Paul had the creative relationship but I truly love how supportive Ringo and George were to each other for DECADES, even after the wife affair incident 

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Alright lets get this over with, like for Stones, flames for the Beatles.

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A sad one - September 11th, 2003 - John Ritter has passed away due to unforeseen heart problems.

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omg that day was so sad!

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Yeah dude, if we shift the ONTD demo back ten years it would've hit us all harder than it did. I was watching 8 Simple Rules live.

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I was sooo sad that day :(((

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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What

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This was supposed to be in the Rosie post but it applies here too, I guess.

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I will agree that both Brad and Angelina are guilty causing the tabloids of giving Jen that motherhood rumors for like a decade and still.



Cause they played up to that growing family angle. I remember the W magazine cover spread coming a bit before or after the breakup and I was like oooooh thats dirty city man .



Clearly Brad has always been a shit-stirrer accomplice with the media but Angelina also played her part there.



Edited at 2022-02-21 07:22 pm (UTC)

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Now that theyre split, its so much clearer how much they both rely on the press to do their dirty work for them. Especially Brad.

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Oh yeah. When Brad and Angelina, I immediately noticed that Brad started doing that dirty press business to Angelina.



Brad is most vicious though.



Thats why Im convinced Jennifer was being fuck you to Angelina when her and Brad were all buddy-buddy during the awards season 2 years ago and at that fast times table read.



Edited at 2022-02-21 07:42 pm (UTC)

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Imo, Angelina seems the type to seek good press for herself, while Brad seems the type who uses the press to also make others look bad.

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They definitely played up their happy family image but the W spread was very much not about that. It depicts an abusive relationship masked by a veneer of perfection. Some of the images were really disturbing and, given that it was conceived by brad, probably should have been a major red flag about the type of person he really is.

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I think the three benefited from this. Jennifer benefited from her "we were still married/I thought we were going to make it" for years, even so far as to give interviews years later still talking about that.



I think Jennifer would have faded to obscurity as her other other Friends costars if it wasn't for this feud.

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Good for Jen for not having kids if she didn't want them. The tabloids were ruthless about her and kids. And can you imagine, a child of Jen would have been stalked and compared to Brangelina's perfect children.



Edited at 2022-02-21 07:25 pm (UTC)

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I feel bad if she genuinely wanted kids and couldn't have them tho.



Her being portrayed as a kid-hating spinster would suck if that was the case.

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I thought she admitted recently that she did want kids but it just never happened.

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Sees the OP + Brangelina + subject...aight imma head out

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I've only been here for like a week or so and I already know that some people here still live with the predominant mindset of their favorite pop culture era. In ops case, they're still in 2005

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and in the end we learned that brad was the villain the whole time

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some of us knew from the start

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Can we move on from this ffs?

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Seriously, this is like talking about the cultural relevance of the 60s Taylor Burton affair years later. All the nuance of the moment is lost and telling us that women always get shit on more than the man in the affair, oftentimes more by other women, is not news or revelatory. It's just wank reporting pretending to be cultural analysis.

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Theyre taking the whole 2000s resurgence to a whole new level

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Mte. I'm absolutely disgusted on seeing much of Brad and Angelina in the press these days. Especially since now they both hate each other's asses like they weren't french kissing for the paparazzi 10 years ago.

At least Jen somehow kept a low profile in between movies.

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In the Philippines, this huge (ish) celebrity couple broke up bc the guy went (potentially cheated with? I'm not actually sure) with a younger girl and my brother (ofc) said the broken up with woman played it up to the media and made people feel bad for her.



I remember reading sentiments like that about Jennifer here during the height of the drama when ONTD was in its jackal phase, like she played the media on her side because everyone loves a scorned woman and IDK what to feel about that bc I feel like I would do the same thing lol like why should she let them get away with their happy married fantasy lmao regardless of w/n she wanted kids or not it would still majorly suck to be in her shoes.

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I have to admit that Jolie's stans here made me dislike her immensely (along with her actions) for a long time. People were outright saying that Jennifer deserved to be cheated on because she was ugly and Jolie deserved him because pretty people belonged together, and that wasn't even the worst thing.

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Yeah that's exactly it! I remember those people too.

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I admit to falling into the Angie was stealing Brad team back in the day. Now Im team Everyone stay away from Brad.

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This bit:



"...thus conveniently placing the blame for the breakup on her head, not lovable old Brads"



I've noticed a pattern with Brad, when he and Gwyneth broke up the rumour was she used to be condescending towards him, like she felt she was superior (which it was not difficult to believe since Gwyneth seems to have a tone of voice that often reads a bit condescending lol but what if this was Pitt's team doing?) and also a lot of talk of Brad being broken hearted and sad.



Then, boom! He finds love again! Entering Jennifer, then after divorcing her it's all about how he wanted kids and Jennifer didn't so he found his true love! Enter former "bad girl" now loving mother Angelina, years later him and Angie split (at first he takes some accountability but then goes back to his old but I AM the victim) and starts leaking info on Angelina alienating the kids and a bunch of other things.



How does he do it?



And how come it is never his fault?



Also, damn! All of these women come from family in the industry.



Edited at 2022-02-21 07:55 pm (UTC)

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But the thing with Gwyneth is that the one who started the rumors of her not being so nice to him, was Gwyneth herself. She used to talk about it in the 90s about being a mess when she was with him and he, of course went along with it.

Also, she thought he was handsome but really stupid and vapid irl. Which turns out, was true. This is why I absolutely hate, but also love Gwyneth lol

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Amazing, are there quotes of Gwyneth saying that about him?

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Ooh did not know she was the o e that started it but I dont remember the E! reports on Brad and Jen fairytale and how they painted he was so heartbroken but found love! On sweet Jen which now that Im older I can see how PR approved that relationship was. With Brangelina it was more like: He can finally start a family, but a lot of tabloids would also say he was being manipulated by Angelina and how he was no longer friends with George or Julia because they didnt like Angelina, etc



Its so weird how this mans PR treats him like his life is a romantic comedy lmao



Edited at 2022-02-23 10:54 am (UTC)

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I remember even in the behind the scenes pics of Mr./Mrs. it looked pretty crystal clear what was going on between them.



Looking back when they officially happened, a lot of the media was pretty insensitive and meaner towards Jen than I originally remember. She went through a lot

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Team no one but the common denominator in both of these drama-filled divorces is Brad so I choose to believe he is the shittiest. He has made sure both of these women will now be remembered more for their connection to him than their work so he can suck it.

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Yes! Also Jennifer Aniston is a lot more forgiving than I would be, or she just plays the game, because she must know the press frenzy that will result anytime the two of them have any interaction

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Ugh, the fact that she still gives him the time of day kinda grinds my gears, ngl. If I were here I'd be all Idontknowher.gif whenever Brad is around. F that loser, girl. He shat on you while he was your husband, now he is shitting on another woman and trying to get good press out of his interactions with you to cover that. He's just using you again and that minor "f u Angie" you got out if it isn't worth it.

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The villilain in this story has always been Brad. He hid behind these women, let them take the fall when he was equally culpable. And now he's hiding behind his "wronged father" image when it's been made very clear he was an abusive asshole.



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People really need to move the fuck on.



I sometimes wonder if Jennifer has ever read one of the thousands of think-pieces on this Brangelina business, or any of the ones on how problematic Friends is.People really need to move the fuck on.

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It's just such an exhausting topic. Seeing now clearly how Brad can manipulate the media it's very obvious it was happening to Jennifer before, now Angelina just is not on the same side and supporting it.



At least that's my take.

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That's where I'm at and why I'm strictly "Team Kids."

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I was on a plane yesterday and the two people around me watch 4 movies, 3 of them with angelina. IMO she's very beloved and a star to the public, and so is Jen! Sadly so is Brad, I wish people would turn on him. Anyone who comments about him being hot etc is such a turn off. He's very much like Johnny Depp to me.

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both brad and johnny being well past their prime but still being beloved due to successful films in the past, while also using the court system to continue tormenting their exes that they abused while the general public fully supports them and vilifies the women is just foul. some

of that probably applies to depp a lot more, but i cant help but draw similarities between the two situations and how they both just show how much society hates women



Edited at 2022-02-21 08:34 pm (UTC)

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The whole Neri Oxman thing left an extremely bad taste in my mouth because her focus is kinda career-adjacent, plus I know women who work in academia in STEM related fields and know how hard it is to get taken seriously even when they are at the top of their game and he tried to use the good sis for clout to the detriment of her reputation. Making up a whole ass relationship with someone who only had lunch with you and showed you around campus is delusional and low as hell.



Then there was the "Imma have an affair with my friend's wife" thing, the "Imma build raggedy ass housing in NOLA for clout with mold" thing, the "Imma get in on an artist retreat despite not being one and taking a slot away from an actual artist" thing, the continuing to fuck with Angelina thing and apparently he got sued by the designer of his chateau and tried to say that all her plans for the property was his idea in court. Anyone who still thinks he's "a good guy" is not paying attention.

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Speaking of Neri Oxman, tbh I've always found the MIT Media Lab kind of sus (very flashy, good PR but little substance - Sarah Taber has a good tweet thread about one of their agricultural projects - also, Joi Ito had links with Epstein, yikes). She narrated the Abstract episode on Netflix about the Lab and she did nothing to dispel this impression, but I wonder if I was judging her too harshly because ultimately her job was to give a PR spiel to the doc crew, not go into depth about the research. I'm curious about where her work actually places within her field.



Regardless, Brad Pitt is an asshole

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Plans for a joint Saudi Arabia-China refining and petrochemical complex to be built in northeast China that were shelved in 2020 are now being discussed again, according to sources close to the deal. The original deal for Saudi Aramco and Chinas North Industries Group (Norinco) and Panjin Sincen Group to build the US$10 billion 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) integrated refining and petrochemical facility in Panjin city was signed in February 2019. However, in the aftermath of the enduring low prices and economic damage that hit Saudi Arabia as a result of the Second Oil Price War it instigated in the first half of 2020 against the U.S. shale oil threat, Aramco pulled out of the deal in August of that year.

The fact that this landmark refinery joint venture is back under serious consideration underlines the extremely significant shift in Saudi Arabias geopolitical alliances in the past few years  principally away from the U.S. and its allies and towards China and its allies. Up until the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, intended by Saudi Arabia to destroy the then-nascent U.S. shale oil sector, the foundation of U.S.-Saudi relations had been the deal struck on 14 February 1945 between the then-U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Saudi King Abdulaziz. In essence, but analyzed in-depth in my new book on the global oil markets, this was that the U.S. would receive all of the oil supplies it needed for as long as Saudi had oil in place, in return for which the U.S. would guarantee the security both of the ruling House of Saud and, by extension, of Saudi Arabia.

After the end of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, Saudi Arabia had not only lost the upper hand in global oil markets that it had established alongside other OPEC member states with the 1973 Oil Embargo but it had also prompted a catastrophic breach of trust with its former allies in Washington. Consequently, the U.S. changed the effective terms of 1945 to: the U.S. will safeguard the security both of Saudi Arabia and of the ruling House of Saud for as long as Saudi not only guarantees that the U.S. will receive all of the oil supplies it needs for as long as Saudi has oil in place but also that Saudi Arabia does not attempt to interfere with the growth and prosperity of the U.S. shale oil sector. Shortly after that (in May 2017), the U.S. assured the Saudis that it would protect them against any Iranian attacks, provided that Riyadh also bought US$110 billion of defense equipment from the U.S. immediately and another US$350 billion worth over the next 10 years. However, the Saudis then found out that none of these weapons were able to prevent Iran from launching successful attacks against its key oil facilities in September 2019, or several subsequent attacks.

Concomitant with this weakening of relations between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. came a drift towards Russia first and then China. Given the reputational damage done to the perceived power of Saudi Arabia and its OPEC brothers by their inability to destroy or disable the growing threat from U.S. shale oil to their former dominance in the global oil markets, their attempts to pull oil prices back up to levels at which they could begin to repair the damage done to their economies by the 2014-2016 Oil Price War towards the end of 2016 also failed. At that point, fully cognisant of the enormous economic and geopolitical possibilities that were available to it by becoming a core participant in the crude oil supply/demand/pricing matrix, Russia agreed to support the OPEC production cut deal in what was to be called from then-on OPEC+, albeit in its own uniquely self-serving and ruthless fashion, again analyzed in-depth in my new book on the global oil markets.

Given Russias significant leverage in the Middle East by dint of its pivotal position in making the OPEC deal credible in terms of being able to affect global oil prices, China also began to more aggressively leverage its own power with the group and in the region by dint of its being the worlds biggest net importer of crude oil and its increasing use of checkbook diplomacy. Nowhere were the two elements more in evidence than in Chinas offer to buy the entire 5 percent stake of Aramco in a private placement. This was designed to enable Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to save face, given his unsuccessful attempts from 2016 to 2020 to persuade serious Western investors to have any significant part in the companys initial public offering. Shortly after the offer was made, China was referred to by Saudis then-vice minister of economy and planning, Mohammed al-Tuwaijri, as: By far one of the top markets to diversify the funding basis of Saudi Arabia. He added that: We will also access other technical markets in terms of unique funding opportunities, private placements, panda bonds and others. In a similar vein, and just last year, Saudi Aramcos chief executive officer, Amin Nasser, said: Ensuring the continuing security of Chinas energy needs remains our [Saudi Aramcos] highest priority  not just for the next five years but for the next 50 and beyond.

Between the end of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War and now, there have been multiple high-level visits back and forth between Saudi Arabia and China, beginning most notably with the trip of high-ranking politicians and financiers from China in August 2017 to Saudi Arabia, which featured a meeting between King Salman and Chinese Vice Premier, Zhang Gaoli, in Jeddah. During the visit, Saudi Arabia first mentioned seriously that it was willing to consider funding itself partly in Chinese yuan, raising the possibility of closer financial ties between the two countries. At these meetings, according to comments at the time from then-Saudi Energy Minister, Khalid al-Falih, it was also decided that Saudi Arabia and China would establish a US$20 billion investment fund on a 50:50 basis that would invest in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, mining, and materials, among other areas. The Jeddah meetings in August 2017 followed a landmark visit to China by Saudi Arabias King Salman in March of that year during which around US$65 billion of business deals were signed in sectors including oil refining, petrochemicals, light manufacturing, and electronics.

Later, the first discussions about the joint Saudi-China refining and petrochemical complex in Chinas northeast began, with a bonus for Saudi Arabia being that Aramco was intended to supply up to 70 percent of the crude feedstock for the complex that was to have commenced operation in 2024. This, in turn, was part of a multiple-deal series that also included three preliminary agreements to invest in Zhejiang province in eastern China. The first agreement was signed to acquire a 9 percent stake in the greenfield Zhejiang Petrochemical project, the second was a crude oil supply deal signed with Rongsheng Petrochemical, Juhua Group, and Tongkun Group, and the third was with Zhejiang Energy to build a large-scale retail fuel network over five years in Zhejiang province.

This latest Aramco-Norinco-Panjin Sincen deal, though, carries with it even broader ramifications of a much more overtly testing nature for U.S. President Joe Biden in terms of where he draws the line on supposed allies blurring trade considerations and security considerations. All Chinese companies function as part of the State apparatus  without any exception  and Norinco has the added troubling element for the U.S. that it is one of Chinas major defense contractors, specializing in the full range of research, development, and production of military equipment, technology, systems, and weapons. This runs alongside ongoing concerns from Washington about Saudi Arabias on again-off again agreement with Russia to buy its S-400 missile defense system, and much more recent news in December 2021 that Saudi Arabia is now actively manufacturing its own ballistic missiles with the help of China.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
When OPEC+ agreed on its 400,000 b/d monthly increases back in August 2021, the overwhelming expectation for the first months of 2022 was a gradual return to normality, with key Middle Eastern crude producers ramping up production to almost pre-pandemic levels. Fast-forward to today and the world is facing a completely different picture  inventories are the tightest in almost a decade, with the pace of stock depletion unparalleled in recent decades. The same key Middle Eastern powerhouses have played a part in this, underperforming their production quotas  in fact, the divergence between self-reported figures and third-party assessments keeps on increasing, potentially insinuating that the likes of Saudi Arabia stalled the monthly additions knowingly. Against the background of tight inventories and invariably robust demand across markets, Saudi Aramco hiked all its March-loading formula prices.

Chart 1. Saudi Aramcos Official Selling Prices for Asian Cargoes (vs Oman/Dubai average).

Source: Saudi Aramco.

The Dubai cash/futures spread, i.e. the difference between M1 and M3 futures, moved up some 65 cents per barrel last month so the fundamentals suggested that the increase be somewhere within the $0.5-$0.7 per barrel interval. And after several months when Aramcos reaction to market developments provided for some unwelcome surprises, the Saudi NOC set its March OSPs fully in line with what the futures curve suggested. Its lightest grades saw the smallest month-on-month increase, with Arab Super Light and Extra Light ramped up by 30 and 40 cents per barrel, respectively. On the other hand, Arab Heavy and Arab Medium  both grades being long-time favorites with Chinese refiners  were hiked by 70 cents per barrel. Considering that flows of Arab Heavy have dropped significantly starting from January, down some 300,000 b/d from average levels in Q4 to just a little above 900,000 b/d, as well as Dubai backwardation steepening again, the OSP for April 2022 might bring another all-time high differential for the heaviest of Saudi grades.

Chart 2. Saudi Aramcos Official Selling Prices for US Cargoes (vs ASCI).

Source: Saudi Aramco.

Despite seeing four separate missile attacks over January, presumably coming from Yemens Houthi militias, the Emirati national oil company ADNOC managed to maintain production and exports. In contrast to Saudi Arabia and Iraq, oil exports from the UAE went up in January in line with the countrys OPEC+ addition rate, up by some 60,000 b/d to a total of 2.68 million b/d. As usual, ADNOCs pricing was the first to surface on the basis of IFAD Murban trades over the preceding month. Attesting to Murbans increased appeal, the Emirati flagship grade saw its premium over front-month Dubai cash prices reach almost $1.80 per barrel, just a tad below the all-time high seen in January this year. The light sour Umm Lulu and heavy sour Upper Zakum saw their differentials to Murban rolled over from February 2021 (at +$0.05 per barrel and -$1.55 per barrel, respectively), whilst Das was marginally decreased to a -$0.40 per barrel discount to Murban.

Chart 3. ADNOC Official Selling Prices for March 2022 (set outright, here vs Oman/Dubai average).

Source: ADNOC.

Comparing current export levels to pre-pandemic levels is a tricky endeavor as many Middle Eastern producers have brought new downstream capacities onstream  to name just one example, Saudi Arabia is still lacking some 400,000 b/d in terms of its crude exports vs March 2020 (comparing it to April 2020 would have been pointless as then all inventories were splashed out), yet that is exactly the capacity of the recently launched Jizan Refinery. In this sense, ADNOC might provide a little sneak peek into the workings of OPEC+ as the Emirati NOC forecasts its own production per grade. According to its own assessments issued late last year, the January 2022 export volume of Murban was assumed to reached 1.22 million b/d (fairly in line with export allocations in the pre-pandemic period) yet, in the end, it was more than 150,000 b/d lower, potentially (once again) hinting at a self-imposed OPEC+ production slowdown.

Chart 4. Iraqi Official Selling Prices for Asian cargoes (vs Oman/Dubai average).

Source: SOMO.

Iraqi exports last month remained flat month-on-month, averaging some 3.2 million b/d  essentially the entirety of Basrah Light was blended into the Basrah Medium stream. At the same time, Iraq produced only 4.16 million b/d in January, 120,000 b/d below its production target, implying that Baghdad might have even more serious problems in ramping up output further down the road. In addition, Iraqs federal Supreme Court might have revived a long-term spat with the Kurdish Regional Government by ruling that Erbil should not produce and market oil independently of the central government in Baghdad, keeping Iraqi oil authorities busy with internal issues. With this, Iraqs state oil marketer SOMO increased Asia-bound OSPs for March 2021 by 80-95 cents per barrel, with the heavy sour Basrah Heavy seeing the largest m-o-m hike.

Chart 5. Iraqi Official Selling Prices for European cargoes (vs Brent Dated).

Source: NIOC.

European pricing might become quite the headache for SOMO. At first glance, it seems normal enough  SOMO followed Saudi Aramco in hiking Europe-bound prices by 25-50 cents per barrel, with Basrah Medium, by far the largest crude stream after the discontinuation of Basrah Light, seeing the highest month-on-month increase at a relatively palatable -$4.65 per barrel discount to Dated Brent. Yet this is where the trouble kicks in  Saudi Aramco prices its European cargoes off ICE Brent, whilst both Iraq and Kuwait rely on spot assessments. In contango markets, having a cargo that prices in sooner would be a boon for the buyer, however, we have been seeing the steepest backwardation in the markets since at least 1993. The real-time difference between spot Dated prices and front-month ICE Brent quotes stands at a whopping $5 per barrel and with the nomination period for April coming up in a couple of weeks, demand for Iraqi barrels might suffer the inevitable setback.

Chart 6. Iranian Official Selling Prices for Asia-bound cargoes (vs ICE Bwave).

Source: NIOC.

The return of Iran to oil markets remains one of the key known unknowns of 2022, with the Vienna talks reportedly making tangible headway and being only a couple of steps away from being finalized by all participating parties. Irans national oil company NIOC is cognizant of the widening window of opportunity, having already ramped up exports to some 800,000 b/d in December-January. NIOC took almost two weeks to issue its March 2021 pricing after Saudi Aramco started the Middle Eastern round of pricing strategy announcement  either it is too busy with ensuring that the Vienna talks go according to plan, or it was having qualms about the upcoming months required change. In the end, Asian prices were hiked by 65-70 cents per barrel, i.e. marginally more than the Saudi ones, narrowing the Iranian Light-Arab Light to -0.15 per barrel, the strongest in 11 months.

Chart 7. Kuwaiti Official Selling Prices for Asian cargoes (vs Oman/Dubai average).

Source: KPC.

Kuwait has increased the March OSP of its flagship Kuwait Export Blend by $0.75 per barrel, 5 cents per barrel higher than the Saudi equivalent of Arab Medium (they both share an API density of 31 and a sulfur content of 2.5%). Interestingly, Kuwait has not had a cargo to Europe in many months, yet it committed to a much more buyer-friendly pricing routine with European prices, hiking them by 20-40 cents per barrel, a fraction of the changes stipulated by Saudi Aramco. Meanwhile, Kuwait Super Light, the most recent addition to the countrys crude slate, has seen its Asian differentials move up by 30 cents per barrel to a total premium of $3.35 per barrel against the Oman/Dubai average. This has brought the KSLC-AXL spread to its widest since July 2021, at -$0.25 per barrel, most probably stemming from weaker Northeast Asian demand overall as Japan emerged as the main buyer of the light sour grade.

By Gerald Jansen for Oilprice.com

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Energy independence is a little bit more complicated than it seems, however, and true independence may require a lot more renewable energy

Now, nearly 50 years later, it seems America has finally accomplished that dream.

Since the oil crisis of the 1970s, America has relentlessly pursued the utopia of energy independence.

Since the days of President Jimmy Carter and the 1970s oil crisis, the United States has relentlessly pursued the utopia of energy independence. Indeed, energy independence is a worthy pursuit that both Democrats and Republicans readily agree upon. After all, relying on other countries for oil, natural gas or coal is an inherently risky proposition since It can lead to wars, or compromise the countrys relationships with foreign powers.

The notion that the country could become self-sufficient by producing enough energy to sustain the entirety of its population and industries was first floated by Nixon when he declared war on foreign oil during the oil crisis of the 1970s.

It was later popularized by Bush in a state of the union address in February 2006 when he decried United States addiction to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world before announcing plans to break this addiction by developing several alternatives, including a multibillion-dollar subsidized ramp-up of biofuels.

Bush went on to boldly declare that by 2025, America would ...make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past by cutting imports from Gulf states by three-quarters.

Well, it turns out the former president was prescient on some key predictions, which in hindsight appears quite remarkable when you consider that back then, the shale industry was barely on its feet.

The revelation that the U.S. is currently producing more energy than it consumes suggests that America has finally achieved the seemingly elusive goal of producing enough fuels to avoid relying on the rest of the world.

Net Energy Exporter

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States was a net energy exporter in 2019 and 2020.

EIA notes that total U.S. annual primary energy net imports (imports minus exports) generally increased in most years since the mid-1950s, reaching a record high in 2005, equal to about 30% of total U.S. energy consumption. Since 2005, total annual energy imports have gradually decreased while total energy exports have increased.

The United States became a net total energy exporter in 2019 for the first time since 1952, and maintained that position in 2020 even though both total energy production and consumption were lower in 2020 than in 2019. Total U.S. energy exports exceeded total energy imports by 3.46 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) in 2020, the largest margin on record. U.S. energy exports in 2020 totaled 23.47 quads, and energy imports fell 13% to 20.0 quads, the lowest level since 1992.

Crude oil accounts for the largest share of U.S. energy imports on an energy content basis. Even though the United States remained a net importer of crude oil in 2020, crude oil net imports were at the lowest level since 1985. Moreover, some of the imported crude oil is refined into products that are exported.

Source: EIA

Despite a 4% drop in domestic crude oil production in 2020 from 2019, U.S. crude oil net imports in 2020 were the lowest since 1985. U.S. total annual crude oil exports have increased every year since 2010 and reached a record high in 2020 of about 3.18 million barrels per day (b/d). U.S. crude oil imports fell to about 5.88 million b/d in 2020.

U.S. petroleum products (excluding crude oil) imports and exports declined in 2020 from 2019: imports by 15% and exports by 5%. However, total annual petroleum products exports in 2020 were the third highest on record behind 2019 and 2018. Propane was the most-exported petroleum product in 2020, followed by distillate fuel oil.

Gross exports of natural gas have increased every year since 2014, and in 2017, the United States became a net exporter of natural gas for the first time since the late 1950s. In 2020, natural gas gross exports reached a record high of 14.43 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), and gross imports of natural gas fell to 6.99 Bcf/d, the lowest level since 1993. Increases in domestic natural gas production and increases in liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity have contributed to growth in natural gas exports.

Trade volumes of coal and other fuels account for relatively small shares of U.S. total energy trade. U.S. coal exports, which had increased in both 2017 and 2018, decreased in both 2019 and 2020. The United States has been a net coal exporter since at least 1949.

Net Petroleum Exporter

In 2019, for the first ever, the U.S. became a net exporter of petroleum--which includes crude oil and petroleum products.

Unfortunately, U.S. crude imports have remained stubbornly high even during the shale boom thanks to healthy domestic demand. U.S. crude oil production has shot up 160% to over 13 million b/d since the advent of the shale era; meanwhile, domestic demand has remained flat but very high at 19-21 million b/d.

In 2019, the country still imported 9.1 million b/d of petroleum and other liquids, with 6.8 million b/d of those being crude oil, due to constraints such as regional supply/demand imbalances, infrastructural challenges, and other factors. Further, many of the refineries in the United States are optimized to process the heavier crude grades from Canada, Venezuela, and Mexico instead of the lighter, sweeter oil crude from its own shale fields.

Source: EIA

The big consolation here is that a bigger proportion of its oil imports have been coming from its northern ally, with crude imports from Canada clocking in at 134 million barrels in 2019 from 76 million in 2008.

As Bush predicted, the United States is no longer as heavily reliant on OPEC for its oil, with the organization supplying less than 30% of imports.

Renewables Offer The Best Solution

Its, therefore, clear that whereas the overall trend is that the U.S. has been exporting more energy than it imports, its still a very mixed bag with many regions still importing vast quantities of crude and other petroleum products.

To complicate matters further, the planets fossil fuel reserves are finite, with experts estimating that the U.S. only has enough natural gas reserves to last 93 more years, and enough coal to last about 283 years.

In other words, the United States will never achieve true energy independence while still relying so heavily on fossil fuels.

Indeed, some experts now contend that the only one surefire way to be completely and indefinitely energy independent is by adopting 100% renewable energy.

At first, this sounds like a pipe-dream, considering that only tiny Costa Rica has come close to achieving that goal after it generated 98.1% of its electricity from renewables in 2016. The Central American nation, however, has a population of 5 million vs. 330 million by the U.S. and a land area 0.5% the size of the U.S.

But some experts still insist that 100% renewable energy in the U.S. is not only feasible but can lower costs.

Renewable resources generate only around 19 percent of U.S. electricity in 2020. However, last year, a group of researchers at Stanford University set out to prove that a 100% renewable energy grid by 2050 is not only feasible but can be done without any blackouts and at a lower cost than the existing grid.

The researchers matched time-dependent energy supply with demand and storage in a grid integration model for every 30 second interval in 2050 and 2051. The study authors analyzed U.S. regions and countrywide demand until the model produced a solution with what the authors called zero-load loss--meaning, essentially, no blackouts with 100% renewable energy and storage.

Wesley Cole, a senior energy analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), says that hourly interval models are more common, but this new study gives researchers like himself a boost of confidence that they are not missing anything by modeling at a higher temporal resolution.

The question is much more an economic question, not so much a technical question, says Cole. According to Cole, the pathway to a 100% renewable grid is not as expensive as first estimated due to huge cost reductions in solar and wind energy over the years.

Unfortunately, politics always seem to get in the way.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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In addition to producing oil and gas for energy purposes, Egypt is also looking to expand its petrochemical sector.

Egypt is expecting major investments in its oil sector this year as national and foreign oil companies increase operations across the country. The development of Egypts energy sector has been further supported by increasing petrochemical output and a strong export market. Its geographic location could make it a hub in the MENA region and its efforts to decarbonize will help it sustain its position in the international oil market.

After a successful year in oil and gas in 2021, Egypt is expecting between $7.5 to $8 billion in foreign investment in exploration this year, according to Petroleum Minister Tarek el Molla.

In 2021, Egypt saw its LNG production increase substantially. A historically strong natural gas producer, Egypt came to rely on imports in 2015 after a drop in production levels following instability after the 2011 Arab Spring. However, under the current political administration, Egypt is rapidly increasing its gas output, hoping to ensure its energy security in the coming years.

Several oil and gas firms are looking to profit from the governments investment in its energy sector, using President Sisis openness to foreign companies to increase their presence in the oil-rich country. Egypt had 3.1 billion barrels of proven crude reserves at the end of 2019, down from 4.5 billion in 2010. However, it is thought the greater investment in exploration could lead to more discoveries, as many operations were put on hold or abandoned during the years of instability and are picking up once again.

American oil firm Apache announced this month that it is aiming to boost its oil and gas output in Egypt by between 10 and 15 percent within the next five years. In December, Apache updated its production sharing contract with Chinas Sinopec, placing Egypt at the top of its global portfolio. Apache CEO, John J. Christmann IV, stated that the joint venture reinforces Egypts commitment to responsible economic development and public-private partnerships.

The UAE's Dragon Oil is also hoping to build on Egypts oil momentum, making its first discovery in the Gulf of Suez this month. The find is said to be one of the biggest in the region in the past two decades and could contain as much as 100 million barrels of crude. Petroleum Minister Molla believes there are around 45 to 50 million barrels that can be extracted, potentially in less than a year.

Dragon emerged in the Egyptian oil market in 2019 when it acquired BPs oil concessions in the Gulf of Suez, as well as its interest in the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company. In 2021, the oil firm announced an output of 60,000 bpd and is hoping to boost this production substantially based on the new discovery.

Related: Geopolitical Risk Premium Could Send Oil Prices To $120

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of Dragon Oil, stated this week We are glad to announce our first oil discoveries in Egypt, and we aspire to more success during the coming period. We will continue to work for more discoveries sustainably in the promising Egyptian market to create long-term value for the benefit of all.

In addition to producing oil and gas for energy purposes, Egypt is also looking to expand its petrochemical sector. Due to its strategic location, Egypt believes it can become a hub for petrochemicals in the MENA region. And it has already begun work on developing the industry, producing 3.34 million tonnes of petrochemicals in 2020-21, with revenues increasing by 50 percent annually. The sector is thought to have grown by around 11 percent between 2015 and 2020, according to a Fitch Solutions report, with exports achieving $5.2 billion in 2019.

Egypt is also developing its oil and gas sector at the national level as Egyptian General Petroleum Corp (EGPC) has partnered with Baker Hughes to manage the countrys gas flaring and improve its emissions going forward. As Egypt enhances its reputation as a world oil leader, it must consider the effect that greater fossil production will have on the environment, as many global powers turn their backs on oil and gas. Pressure from major world powers and international organizations is changing the shape of oil production going forward, encouraging oil-rich states to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy operations.

This year, Baker Hughes signed a Memorandum of Understanding with EGPC to establish and carry out a flare recovery initiative to help recover and reduce emissions in Egypts upstream and downstream oil and gas operations. This plan is expected to support EGPCs decarbonization strategy.

Molla explained of the partnership, As part of Egypts sustainable development vision, we are actively exploring opportunities that support our strategy of using clean energy and reducing emissions to accelerate our journey towards net-zero Further, We are proud of EGPCs collaboration with Baker Hughes to deploy technologies that can help us manage and recover emissions across oil and gas operations, which is a key pillar in driving the energy transition in Egypt, he stated.

Egypts energy sector appears to be going from strength to strength as the government invests heavily in achieving energy security and attracting greater foreign investment. Several international oil companies are expanding their operations and Egypt is successfully beginning to diversify its oil products, while also seeking decarbonization solutions to maintain its appeal heading forward.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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Other states are considering similar policies, insisting that Wall Street cannot afford to turn its back on fossil fuels just yet.

Texas could potentially cease doing business with any firms or asset managers that have anti-oil policies.

The worlds largest asset manager had to clarify earlier this year that it is and will continue to be an energy investor with $91 billion invested in fossil fuel companies in Texas alone, after the biggest oil-producing state in the U.S. passed a new law relating to state contracts with and investments in certain companies that boycott energy companies. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar is drafting a list of companies that are boycotting energy companies. The state would then cease doing business with any firms or asset managers that have anti-oil policies or push for net-zero portfolios.

Texas is not the first U.S. state to consider dropping top asset managers because of those asset managers environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

Yet, the standoff between the biggest asset manager in the world, BlackRock, and the biggest oil-producing state in America is indicative of the growing backlash of major fossil fuel states against the net-zero and ESG trends.

The Texas comptroller has the difficult task of compiling a list of those financial institutions that boycott oil and gas, which could potentially harm the states energy industry.

The official is being urged to put BlackRock on the top of that list, while the asset manager said in a memo in early January, We will continue to invest in and support fossil fuel companies, including Texas fossil fuel companies.

BlackRock has never said it would discontinue investments in fossil fuels, but it now has to balance the message for Texas, following the asset managers increased focus on ESG.

Importantly, we believe that the experience, expertise, and scale of fossil fuel companies will be integral to future energy solutions. As such, we have not and will not boycott energy companies, BlackRock said in the letter in early January.

BlackRock, on behalf of its clients, had $259 billion in assets invested in fossil fuel companies globally as of June 30, 2021, including $91 billion invested in Texas fossil fuel companies alone.

We are perhaps the worlds largest investor in fossil fuel companies, and, as a long-term investor in these companies, we want to see these companies succeed and prosper, said the asset manager which holds 6.3% in ExxonMobil, 7.9% in ConocoPhillips, 9.1% in Occidental, and 6.8% in Pioneer Natural Resources, which are among BlackRocks top ten holdings in Texas energy companies.

Related: IEA: Chronic OPEC+ Undersupply Could Propel Oil Prices Even Higher

Were proud of our commitment to and investments in Texas and Texas-based energy companies, which positively contributes to the Texas economy and helps to create more economic opportunity for millions of Texas families, BlackRocks letter signed by Dalia Blass, Senior Managing Director, Head of External Affairs, reads.

Those assurances came as Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick sent a letter to Comptroller Hegar asking him to place BlackRock at the top of the list of financial companies that boycott the Texas oil & gas industry.

When the Senate passed Senate Bill 13, we made it clear that Texans will not tolerate Wall Street turning its back on our flourishing oil and gas industry and the millions of Texans who rely upon it, Patrick said.

But just as Lt. Gov. Patrick was calling for blacklisting BlackRock, Texas-based giant ExxonMobil announced its ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions for operated assets by 2050.

So, net-zero is not only investors latest whim, it is now part of the narrative of the worlds biggest oil firms, and Exxon was actually one of the last supermajors to pledge net-zero emissions.

Texas may be considering dropping BlackRock, but West Virginia has already done it.

Last month, West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore said the Board of Treasury Investments, which manages the states roughly $8 billion operating funds, will no longer use a BlackRock investment fund as part of its banking transactions. The decision follows reports that BlackRock has urged companies to embrace net zero investment strategies that would harm the coal, oil and natural gas industries while increasing investments in Chinese companies that subvert national interests and damage West Virginias manufacturing base and job market.

Any company that thinks Communist China is a better investment than West Virginia energy or American capitalism clearly has a bad strategy, Treasurer Moore said.

In November 2021, Moore announced that a coalition of 15 Republican Treasurers, Auditors, and Comptrollers of states representing over $600 billion in public assets could potentially reduce future business with banks that cut off financing for oil, gas, and coal. Those states include Texas, North Dakota, Wyoming, and West Virginia, among others.

In a letter to the banking industry, the state officials wrote, We are writing to notify you that we will be taking collective action in response to the ongoing and growing economic boycott of traditional energy production industries by U.S. financial institutions.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The Biden Administration has delayed or stopped work on federal oil and gas leases and permits following a court ruling that struck down the Administrations social cost of carbon metric to account for climate risk when holding lease sales or issuing permits.

Earlier this month, Judge James D. Cain, JR of a Louisiana district court granted a preliminary injunction sought by major fossil fuel-producing states in a lawsuit against the Biden Administration challenging the so-called social cost of carbon in rule-making and decision-making regarding lease sales.

As a result of this court ruling, the Administration has stopped or delayed work on leases, grants, permits, and rules so that agencies can assess whether and how they can proceed, the U.S. Justice Department said in a court filing on Saturday. In it, the Administration filed a motion for a stay pending appeal.

The Courts injunction not only bars any mandatory obligation imposed by Section 5 of Executive Order 13990 for Defendants to use the Interim Estimates when monetizing the social costs of greenhouse gas emissions in regulatory analysis, but also bars Defendants from exercising their authority to operate independently within the policymaking boundaries set by Congress and to agree with the Working Groups analysis to the extent the agency deemed appropriate within its statutory authority, the U.S. Administration said.

The injunction over the social cost of carbon interim estimate further complicates the Department of the Interiors efforts to comply with a separate court ruling. In that ruling by a D.C. court in January 2022, 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.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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China and Australia appear to have finally moved away from each other. The relationship turned frosty after China imposed an unofficial ban on Australian coal imports back in November 2019. At the time, many speculated that China would suffer more. But steel prices have held steadier as well.

The dispute started sometime in 2019 after China delayed Australian coal shipments. Other factors including Covid made things worse. China hardened its stance after the Australian government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. In what is being interpreted as retaliation, China blocked imports of Australian products like copper and coal. Last year, China imported 54.7 million tons of coking coal, down by 24.6% from 2020.

Australia found new outlets for coking coal

Meanwhile, new reports from Australia, including from one of its largest coal-making provinces, Queensland, indicates Australia has found other export markets. China, too, has stepped up domestic production of coal to try and meet the shortfall. However, analysts say those efforts have not been particularly successful. China lifted restrictions on coal mining enforced by the countrys national production plan. This helped to shore up the deficit in coal demand and supply. The countrys promised increase in reliance on alternate sources of fuel and increased energy efficiency has also helped fill the gap.

Indonesia to the rescue

The lifting of export controls of coal from Indonesia may come as good news for China. China remains one of the largest importers of Indonesian coal, importing as much as 123 million tons of it last year.

Before the unofficial ban on Aussie exports had kicked in, Australian coal had accounted for almost half of Chinas coal imports. The Australian import ban affected many sectors in China where coal played a prominent role, including in steel making.

China crude steel production falls

During the second half of 2021, much of China experienced power blackouts as it struggled with supplies. Also, for the first time in six years, the countrys crude steel production fell. China said production drops came as a result of reducing the sectors carbon emissions. In addition, numbers dropped due to high international coal prices.

Meanwhile, as China explored other avenues to fill the supply gap, Australia has managed quite well.

According to news reports, Queenslands overall exports rebounded by 26.3%, or $16.5 billion, to $79.2 billion in 2021, according to a report released a few days ago.

Coal exports from Queensland increased by about 36% in 2021. India, South Korea, and Japan have picked up the windfall of Australian coal following Chinas ban. Many Australian coal companies said they would not go back to China. And China does not need to go back to Australia. When Indonesia implemented an export ban on coal and subsequently partially lifted the ban, that provided more options for China.

Unlike the 2021 China steel price rollercoaster ride, experts have expressed confidence in more stability. Markets may not see much volatility in steel prices as Chinas crude steel output could increase in the first half of 2022 and then decline during the second half. Chinas 2022 steel production levels should remain similar to 2021.

Higher demand and lower inventory levels market suggest higher prices for the medium-term according to analysts. Conversely, China filled its energy supply gap in 2021 through increased demand for imports of thermal and met coal.

By AG Metal Miner

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The compliance of OPEC+ producers with their output cut surged in January, suggesting that the gap between nominal monthly output quotas and actual supply to the market continued to widen.

OPEC+ members complied with a massive 129 percent of the production cuts last month, an OPEC+ source told Reuters on Monday. Thats up from 122 percent compliance in December and a compliance rate of 117 percent in November.

In January 2021, OPEC producers compliance jumped to 133 percent, while the non-OPEC members of the OPEC+ pact had their overall compliance rate at 123 percent, the source told Reuters.

As oil prices rally in a tight market with a geopolitical risk premium, the widening gap between what OPEC+ has to produce on paper and the reality of oil output is pushing prices higher.

For half a year now, OPEC+ has actually added lower volumes to the market each month than the 400,000 bpd nominal monthly increase announced in each of the OPEC+ meetings since August 2021.

Estimates in the International Energy Agencys monthly oil market report for February showed that the gap between OPEC+ production and its target levels surged to as much as 900,000 bpd in January.

If the persistent gap between OPEC+ output and its target levels continues, supply tensions will rise, increasing the likelihood of more volatility and upward pressure on prices. But these risks, which have broad economic implications, could be reduced if producers in the Middle East with spare capacity were to compensate for those running out, the IEA said.

Last week, the IEAs executive director Fatih Birol urged OPEC+ twice in one week to narrow the widening gap between its production quotas and the much lower actual supply to the market.

On Sunday, the energy ministers of the biggest oil producers in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE, said that OPEC+ should stick to the plan to raise production by 400,000 bpd each month despite calls to boost supply more to cool oil prices.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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More than half a year since Chicagos inspector general announced he would be stepping down, Mayor Lori Lightfoot still hasnt named a permanent replacement to fill the critical position.

Former Inspector General Joe Ferguson announced he would not seek reappointment in a July 2021 letter urging Lightfoot and aldermen to begin the replacement process. Ferguson said he was giving the city more than 100 days notice so that officials could perform a legally mandated national search and make the hire before his term expired in mid-October.

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Joe Ferguson, who was the city inspector general, hosts a community forum in the Austin neighborhood to gather input on the Chicago Police Department's gang database in 2018. He announced last July he wouldn't seek reappointment to the job. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

City officials were slow to start the process, however, and Lightfoot has yet to hire a permanent inspector general, drawing concern from some good government advocates and city leaders.

The inspector general is the citys internal watchdog tasked with investigating corruption and malfeasance, which have been plentiful in Chicago. Under the law, city employees, contractors and vendors have a duty to cooperate with IG investigations, empowering the office to pursue detailed audits of government programs and alleged misconduct.

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Records show Lightfoot has also privately criticized the former inspector general for public safety, Deborah Witzburg, who worked under Ferguson and has publicly said she wants the job.

Deborah Witzburg, former inspector general for public safety, has applied to be the citys IG. (City of Chicago)

Until Lightfoot nominates a full-time inspector general to a four-year term, the position will be filled by acting IG William Marback.

Alisa Kaplan, the executive director of Reform for Illinois, said its critical to fill the position soon and that an interim IG just cannot be fully independent in the way that a permanent IG can be.

Thats a big problem for a position where independence is absolutely crucial. This is one of the most important positions in the City right now, especially at a time when there is a troubling level of distrust around police conduct and other critical issues, Kaplan said. It shouldnt go unfilled for one minute more than is necessary.

In response to questions about the process, Lightfoots office said the search committee is following the specifications of the ordinance detailing how the search must go.

Under the law, the city must create a selection committee to hire a national search firm to find candidates. The committee recommends finalists to the mayor. Although Ferguson put in his notice in July, officials didnt create the committee until September, and the search has dragged on for months.

The Mayor values the significance and independence of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in contributing to improving the City by rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse the mayors office said. Currently, the search firm and selection committee, as set forth in ordinance, are working diligently to identify top candidates both locally and nationally for the inspector general role. Its critically important we take the necessary time to find the right person for this important job.

Lightfoot has not spoken with any candidates as part of this process and will only meet with the finalists once they are identified by the search committee, her office said.

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The City Council ethics committee vice chair, Ald. Matt Martin, said he would like to see a clarified timeline for when the position will be filled.

When Joe Ferguson announced halfway through last year that he would be stepping down, we at that time needed stuff to move as quickly as possible, Martin said. Given were now seven months past that point, we absolutely need someone in place as quickly as possible.

A permanent inspector general is needed to hold everyone accountable, Martin said, not just our departments, but City Council itself. To have that person in place in a permanent, non-acting capacity is an important signal that we take ethics and good government seriously but to ensure theres substance to support those words.

Slow hiring has been a hallmark of the Lightfoot administration, even for key positions.

For instance, Lightfoot took more than half a year to replace her deputy mayor for public safety, Susan Lee, after she resigned in October 2020. The mayor didnt appoint a successor until May 2021, even as shootings spiked dramatically.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, shown in January, has yet to appointment a permanent inspector general and has struggled to keep other City Hall positions filled. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Lightfoot does not have a permanent deputy mayor for infrastructure or education. Early in her administration, Lightfoot created a chief risk officer position that she said would be critical for reforming the Police Department but the administrations hire, Tamika Puckett, left that role in October 2020. No permanent successor has been named.

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Lightfoots appointment of an inspector general follows the fraying of her relationship with Ferguson, who was first appointed to the role by Mayor Richard M. Daley and reappointed twice by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

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Even though Lightfoot originally helped Ferguson get the job, the two had a falling-out after she became mayor. Lightfoot criticized Ferguson behind the scenes for being too slow to complete investigations. Publicly, she has said his replacement must understand the importance of staying in their lane.

In a series of interviews since his departure, Ferguson has criticized City Hall for not doing enough on police reforms and said Lightfoots administration lacks competencies. He also said the city hampered his investigation into the botched police raid on Anjanette Youngs home by hiring the law firm Jones Day to run a parallel investigation.

Lightfoot has downplayed and disputed his criticism. At one news conference, she said Who? when asked about Fergusons comments. At another, she called him a speck on her rearview mirror.

Emails released to the Tribune in response to a public records request show Lightfoot has also been privately critical of Witzburg, the former inspector general for public safety, who resigned that position last November to pursue the appointment as top inspector general.

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In October, Lightfoot exchanged contentious emails with Northwest Side Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez after the first-term alderwoman argued with the mayor over public safety.

Lightfoot held a community event on public safety in Rodriguez Sanchezs ward without notifying the alderwoman.

I was made aware that the Mayor and Police Superintendent visited a block in my ward without providing any notice or coordinating with me or my office, Rodriguez Sanchez wrote to the mayor and other city officials.

The failure to communicate shows a lack of respect for me as the Alderperson of this area and for the neighbors who wanted to have an opportunity to speak with Supt. Brown in the wake of a wave of gun violence that has impacted our community, Rodriguez Sanchez said.

The mayor responded in part by criticizing Rodriguez Sanchez for having held a community forum on crime where Ferguson and Witzburg spoke.

People were mystified that you featured the IG and the PSIG on these fundamental crime issues about which neither are qualified to opine, Lightfoot wrote.

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Witzburg worked for the Cook County states attorney for nearly eight years, according to her LinkedIn page. She joined the inspector generals office in May 2016 and rose to become the deputy inspector general for public safety. She resigned the position in November to pursue the inspector general job.

Because the (IGs) Public Safety Section oversees and makes recommendations to city departments including the office of the mayor, it is my responsibility to avoid any appearance or concern that the work of the section might be influenced by my candidacy for a mayoral appointment and that its independence might therefore be impaired, Witzburg wrote in her resignation, first reported by WTTW-Ch. 11.

Lightfoots office did not respond to a question about her criticism of Witzburgs credentials.

gpratt@chicagotribune.com
The European Union has told Ukraine it is not ready to slap sanctions on Moscow at this time, but it did back plans for financial assistance to the country struggling under the threat of attack from Russia.

Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters on the sidelines of the blocs foreign ministers summit in Brussels on February 21 that he would convene an extraordinary EU meeting to set sanctions only "when the moment comes."

The decision rebuffed calls by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba for the West to immediately take steps against Moscow that he has said would help avert war rather than wait for a possible Russian invasion.

Western nations have said they expect Russia to invade Ukraine at any moment following a massive buildup of troops along their border. Moscow denies it is planning to attack, but U.S. officials have said they believe Moscow is looking to create a pretext for an invasion.

"We expect decisions," Kuleba said in Brussels before addressing the EU foreign ministers.

"We believe that there are good and legitimate reasons to impose at least some of the sanctions now to demonstrate that the European Union is not only talking the talk about sanctions, but is also walking the walk," he said.

Borrell said, however, that for now, EU ministers back the diplomacy route, including moves by France to broker a meeting of U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Summit meetings, at the level of leaders, at the level of ministers, whatever format, whatever way of talking and sitting at the table and trying to avoid a war, are badly needed," Borrell said.

Related: OPEC Gets Further Behind Oil Production Quotas

The United States and Russia have said that a summit of the two has been agreed in principle, but Washington has said it will only take place if Russia does not invade Ukraine. Moscow, meanwhile, has said nothing concrete has been set up regarding a meeting.

The EU ministers did support plans announced in January for a $1.36 billion financial aid loan package for Ukraine.

They also agreed in principle to a Ukrainian request for a team of military instructors to help train officers.

Kuleba welcomed the agreement to send military instructors and noted that they were not "combat forces," while the EU stressed that the mission would be limited in scope.

"The details, the parameters, and the timeline of this rollout are still to be discussed. But this is critical we open that new phase in our relations," Kuleba said.

By RFE/RL

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The European Union would target Russia-led gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2 if Russian invades Ukraine, as part of an EU package of sanctions being prepared in case of an armed conflict, Austria said on Monday.

Certification (of the pipeline) would then be stopped (if Russia invaded). There is no question about that. That, therefore, means that Nord Stream 2 is part of the sanctions, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said during a news conference on Monday, as quoted by Reuters.

The pipeline construction is completed, but Nord Stream 2 is awaiting full regulatory clearance from Germany and a review by the European Union over its compliance with EU energy regulations.

However, in case Russia invades Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 may never see the light of day.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a threat for the Nord Stream 2 project if Russia were to invade Ukraine, although he did not elaborate on how such a move would be made.

If Russia invades -- that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine, again, then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2, the U.S. President said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as quoted by CNBC. We will bring an end to it.

Amid heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and Russia and the West over Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told CNBC last week that everything is on the table, including energy-related sanctions against Russia.

Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Lavrov are scheduled to meet later this week in Europe, provided Russia does not proceed with military action. President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement, again, if an invasion hasnt happened, the White House said on Sunday, referring to the latest diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the Russia-Ukraine situation.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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The Bellevue West High School wrestling team had two boys on the podium on Feb. 19 at the Nebraska state wrestling tournament at the CHI Health Center in Omaha.

Junior Grant Moraski finished second in the 160-pound bracket, losing to Papillion La Vista wrestler Nick Hamilton, 14-6 in the finals.

Moraski finished the year with a 41-6 record.

Moraski had wrestled in the Class A district four finals against Hamilton but that match ended in the first period, via a pin by Hamilton.

Moraski said he had more time to think about the matchup on Feb. 19.

I to get the nerves out the first time and overall wrestling a full match was my goal and I got that done, Moraski said. This year, Im pretty proud; you can always do better and theres always someone out there.

Sophomore Tanner Hosick finished third in the 132-pound bracket and ended the year with a 43-9 record.

Hosick is often the most recognizable wrestler at events. He wears the retro Dan Gable wrestling tights at every event.

At BJSA, I used to have my wrestling partner, Daniel Doreisser. Hes a great wrestler and we always went by the theory, fear the tights and thats why we wear them, Hosick said.

Hosick said he was disappointed after his semifinal loss but had to step up and finish the year strong.

Hosick scored a last-second takedown to win his third place match 3-1.

Hosick said it was thrilling to close out his sophomore year with a win.

Its just unreal, like my heart is racing super fast and Im still shaking right now, Hosick said.

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Cases of COVID-19 in Nebraska remained in a free fall last week, dropping to their lowest levels in more than six months and giving the state one of the nations lowest per-capita rates.

Nebraska reported 1,940 new COVID cases for the week ending Thursday, down from 4,868 the previous week and 10,435 the week before that, according to a World-Herald analysis of data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nebraskas 81% drop in cases over the past two weeks is the steepest in the nation. In all, cases in Nebraska are down 94% from when the wave caused by the highly contagious omicron variant peaked a month ago.

Nebraskas per-capita case rate for last week was the second-lowest in the nation, trailing only Maryland. Overall, U.S. cases have dropped by two-thirds in the past two weeks and are at their lowest levels since early December.

But while the omicron wave is fast receding, experts stress that the pandemic remains far from over.

Dr. Mark Rupp, chief of the University of Nebraska Medical Centers infectious diseases division, said Monday that he was hopeful in December that Nebraskas cases eventually would drop as quickly as they rose. Thats what appears to be occurring.

All of that is heartening, and its really great to see it going down, he said.

But Rupp said a couple of cautions remain. Case counts are an underestimate of actual cases because not everyone who becomes ill gets tested and because some people now are using at-home test kits that arent counted in official tallies.

Rupp said hospitalizations due to COVID-19 likewise are on their way down. But they remain at higher levels than health officials would like and are falling more slowly than case counts.

According to the states dashboard, hospitalizations for COVID in Nebraska dropped to 387 on Sunday, down from a peak of 767 on Jan. 28. The number of COVID patients in Omaha-area hospitals similarly stood at 257 on Thursday, down from a peak of 452 on Jan. 24.

We still have too (many) hospitalizations going on in the community, and frankly, we have too many documented cases for us to feel like were in a safe spot, he said. Were in a safer spot, but not a safe spot.

Rupp said hed like to see case rates in the range of between 5 and 10 per 100,000 residents a day. Douglas County is at about 25 cases per 100,000 residents a day.

Were probably at least twice as high as wed like to be before we start to tell people, OK, were out of the woods, at least for now.

In addition, test positivity rates in both Douglas County and the state as a whole remain higher than the 5% that Rupp would prefer.

Meanwhile, he said, Nebraskans need to be willing to put their masks back on if another variant comes along and cases start going up.

The nation still is seeing roughly 2,000 COVID-related deaths a day. At current rates, the nation soon could top 1 million deaths for the pandemic.

According to CDC figures, Nebraska last week added 68 deaths to its tally, bringing the number of confirmed and probable deaths from the virus to 3,883. The state has recorded 452,601 cases during the pandemic.

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Four people were injured in a shooting Sunday night at a store near 33rd and Decatur Streets in North Omaha.

Police were called to the area about 9:20 p.m. to investigate a report of multiple gunshots. Officers found Tony Dexter, 54, injured by gunfire inside NBH Grocery at 1817 N. 33rd St.

Dexter was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center with injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening, a police spokesman said. Three other people, Dontavious Swift, 21, Krandon Thompson, 19, and Danasia Hunter, 22, went by private vehicle to the nearby Creighton University Medical Center-University Campus emergency room for treatment.

Anyone with information about the incident may contact Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP, at www.omahacrimestoppers.org or on the P3 Tips mobile app. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a $10,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest in a shooting.

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An Omaha Public Schools teacher has received one of the highest honors available to math and science teachers nationwide.

Bancroft Elementary teacher Leah Litz recently received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching from the White House.

The recognition is the highest award a K-12 math and science teacher can receive from the U.S. government, according to a press release. The award recognizes teachers for their commitment to STEM education.

Litz is a Zoo Kindergarten teacher, a position that is part of a program created through a partnership between OPS and Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium. Her contributions to the program include helping expand access for students and increase enrollment.

Zoo Kindergarten is recognized nationally as an innovative education program, said Elizabeth Mulkerrin, the zoos vice president of education. Litz is the third presidential award winner recognized within the Zoo Education Department since 2010.

It is a privilege to work within the partnership between Omaha Public Schools and Omahas zoo, Litz said in the release. This accomplishment would not have been possible without their support and the support of my family.

Award nominees completed an application process to demonstrate their knowledge and dedication to improving STEM education. A panel of state and national mathematicians, scientists and educators are part of the selection process.

Each recipient receives $10,000 from the National Science Foundation, which manages the awards on behalf of the White House.

Litz said she is passionate about connecting students to the world around them as she helps students develop a strong academic foundation.

It is an incredible honor to be recognized among this prestigious group of educators, Litz said. I am proud of the work our community is doing within science education and continue to be inspired by my students courage, curiosity, resilience and compassion they have for the environment and humanity.

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The pandemic has both exacerbated and shone a spotlight on the challenges faced by health care workers.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing has received a three-year, $2.2 million federal grant to work with partners across Nebraska to address burnout in the states nursing workforce.

Alyson Hanish, an assistant professor in the college, said the initiative will focus on nursing students and on nurses and their employers in rural and medically underserved areas.

We had a nursing shortage before the pandemic, but the pandemic has exacerbated it, she said. We want to recruit nurses but then keep them healthy and well so that they want to have long professional careers in nursing.

The UNMC grant is funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services. Its part of an estimated $103 million in American Rescue Plan funding over a three-year period to reduce burnout and promote mental health among the health care workforce.

Hospitals, Hanish said, are looking for solutions to retain nurses. But there arent a lot of evidence-based resources. The team will begin to develop that evidence base. They will start by deploying a stress management program developed by Dr. Rebecca Wysoske and others in UNMCs psychiatry department and tailor it to meet the needs of nursing students and working nurses.

The program, called WHOLE, or Wellness  How One Lives Effectively, includes ways to manage acute stress as well as self-care, meditation and other proven strategies to reduce chronic stress.

The program already has been piloted in nursing students and received good feedback, Hanish said. The team will continue to work to adapt it.

The program will be implemented across all five campuses of UNMCs nursing college. For working nurses, they will focus primarily on the states smaller hospitals and offer the program both as wellness training and free continuing education credits.

Hanish, a pediatric nurse and sleep researcher, said she has seen family members and colleagues struggling with burnout during the pandemic. She saw the grant as a way to help.

I felt like I needed to do something, she said. ... I thought we could try to tackle it from a team perspective.

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A California truck driver died and four Omaha residents were injured early Sunday in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 near Adair, Iowa.

Jasvir Sood, 27, of Fresno, California, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Iowa State Patrol. Sood, who was not wearing a seat belt, was partially ejected from the truck's cab.

Investigators determined that the 2021 Freightliner semitrailer truck driven by Sood was westbound on I-80 at 12:20 a.m. The semi hit the back end of a 2008 Honda Pilot driven by Milinganyo Bwami, 36, of Omaha.

The Pilot came to rest upright in the north ditch. The semi entered the north ditch and rolled onto the driver's side, the patrol said.

Bwami and his passengers, Wabiwa Yungu, 45, and two juveniles, ages 12 and 15, were taken to a Des Moines hospital. All four occupants of the Honda were wearing seat belts.

Adair is about 55 miles west of Des Moines and 75 miles east of Council Bluffs.

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Want to view the cranes?

Every February and March, more than a million sandhill cranes travel through the Platte River Valley in central Nebraska to fuel up before continuing north to their nesting grounds. Here are two places to see them:

Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary

Open daily in Gibbon, Nebraska, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during crane season. Daily guided tours at sunrise and sunset along the Platte River. Preregistration is required. Trails are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Offers crane viewing experience, a guided crane photography experience, an overnight photography experience, virtual crane tours and crane behavior basics. Spots are limited.

For reservations: go to rowe.audubon.org/crane-viewing or call 308-468-5282.

All visitors are required to wear a face mask while on Rowe Sanctuary's property. All tours are subject to cancellation and refunds will be available if COVID-19 safety precautions change the scheduling.

Watch the birds for free on the crane cam at explore.org/livecams/national-audubon-society/crane-camera.

Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center

Open daily in Wood River, Nebraska, starting March 1, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Offers guided tours, Wild About Nebraska Speaker Series, group blind tours offered morning and evening, footbridge tours in the evening.

To see results of the aerial tours each week on social media, go to facebook.com/cranetrust or instagram.com/cranetrustnvc/.

For reservations, go to cranetrust.org or call 308-382-1820.

While you are there

The art exhibition, "Wings Over the Platte" is at the Stuhr Museum in Grand Island until April 3. Jude Martindale is the featured artist. For information about other organizations, outfitters and public viewing locations go to nebraskaflyway.com.
LINCOLN  Marilyn Asher has often been shocked at what pops up on her computer screen: Sex toys. Graphic photos of sex acts. X-rated videos.

But what appalls her the most is that she found these by searching through links and databases on school library websites in Nebraska, including both public and private schools.

Thats why the Omaha woman has been working with State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston to push Legislative Bill 1213, which is aimed at making those sites safer for children to use.

If a 70-year-old grandma can find this material online in school libraries, think of what a 12-year-old child can find, Asher said at a recent public hearing before the Judiciary Committee. It just made me sick.

Albrecht introduced the bill and named it her priority after learning about Ashers research. The measure targets educational research databases, which provide searchable collections of articles, photos and other information that students can use in learning about classroom subjects.

But opponents questioned the extent of the problem and said schools already filter what students can access. They argued that LB 1213 would not be the best way to resolve any issues with the databases.

In my experience, I have not heard of any instances of people accidentally encountering obscene content on (the) databases, said Emily Nimsakont, president of the Nebraska Library Association, who testified against the bill on behalf of that group and the Nebraska School Librarians Association.

The Nebraska Library Commission, a state agency, licenses several educational research databases and makes the information available through its NebraskAccess website. The databases are available to all Nebraska residents.

Many Nebraska school libraries connect to that site, which has some databases specially aimed at K-12 students. The libraries also may have links to other databases or websites, including Google.

Under LB 1213, any database offered to K-12 students would have to filter and block all materials that would be considered obscene or harmful to minors under Nebraska law. The requirements would apply to databases offered through schools or the library commission.

Under an amendment offered by Albrecht, the bill would not address other electronic resources, such as search engines, that are available through school libraries.

The bill would require database providers to set up individual accounts for students using the database. Schools would have to give parents access to those accounts.

Providers that fail to comply would lose their contract with the schools or library commission. They also could be sued by any student or parent of a student attending a school where obscene or harmful material slipped through. Each case of obscene or harmful material would be counted as a separate violation.

Albrecht said her goal is to protect children while going after the vendors that provide the databases. She said she is not targeting teachers, librarians or schools.

We need to say, You do not get to pollute the minds of children that are using your database,  she said. They dont need to know about some things until they are ready and let that be a parental thing to decide.

Neither Albrecht nor Asher said she knew of cases where Nebraska students have found obscene materials while using the databases available on school library sites.

Rather, their concern is based on what Asher and a network of volunteer researchers nationally have found when searching the databases.

Asher said she started with search terms such as toys for mom and toys for dad, then moved on to terms such as nude women, sexual intercourse and wanna see porn. When she found problematic material, it often was a few clicks away from the home page, sometimes through a link in an article.

Sometimes, you have to go quite a ways to find it, she said.

Within NebraskAccess, Asher said she focused on the databases available to the general public. She said she has not found issues with those designated for K-12 students, but noted that students can use the general databases.

School technology officials said school internet filters protect students from opening inappropriate sites when using the school Wi-Fi systems.

Nimsakont said surveys have found that all public schools and half of private schools and public libraries filter according to federal Childrens Internet Protection Act standards.

Many schools also put filters on school-owned devices that students can take home, said Bill Pulte, chief information officer for Educational Service Unit 3. Those that do include the 18 school districts in ESU 3, which encompasses all the metro-area districts except the Omaha Public Schools.

But Pulte said it is a challenge to keep the filters updated, because the internet changes daily. He also said students potentially can reach inappropriate material using other internet connections and personal phones, laptops and other computers.

Every student is bringing a phone to school now, and so were doing the best we can over here, he said. But there are other ways they can get to the material we hope they wouldnt be going to.

Pulte and other school technology officials supported the bill as a way to enlist the help of the database providers in screening materials. They noted that the providers are being paid with tax dollars.

Controversies over educational research databases, particularly the Connecticut-based EBSCO Information Services, have been raised in a handful of other states in recent years.

In 2018, EBSCO was the target of a lawsuit filed by the Thomas More Society on behalf of some Colorado parents. The lawsuit, which was dismissed, alleged that EBSCO knowingly provided children access to pornography.

The attorney who represented those Colorado parents, Matt Heffron of Omaha, helped craft LB 1213. He said the measure, if passed, would be a model for other states, particularly for giving people the right to sue and collect damages.

He claimed that it would be very simple for EBSCO and other database providers to eliminate obscene and harmful material from their databases, but they refuse to do so.

In a statement, EBSCO said it has worked to address concerns in Nebraska and elsewhere.

EBSCO is working with NebraskaAccess to ensure that the school databases accessible from their website exist in a walled garden  a vetted, safe source of content that is specifically curated for school-aged users  and an environment that is much safer than the open web, where there are no controls related to content, the statement said.

EBSCO has been the name associated with these complaints for many years, however, EBSCO has worked to address content concerns and we believe we have a solid curation process in place that is both effective and responsive to customer concerns.

In an Oct. 14, 2020, letter to the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, attorneys representing EBSCO said the company gives schools the ability to remove any publication from any individual database and is working on controls to allow for removal of specific issues, or even specific articles, from a database.

The letter said those options and the companys curation strike the correct balance between providing age-appropriate content and censorship concerns.

Spike Eickholt, an attorney for ACLU Nebraska, said LB 1213 raises issues of academic freedom and appears to tie in to other controversies over the content of school curriculum and school library books. He said the bill, especially the part allowing individual lawsuits, could discourage database providers from doing business in Nebraska.

But Kent Kingston, executive director of technology for the Millard Public Schools, said any effort to keep students safe online is welcome.

Its a battle that doesnt get any easier, he said.

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A Nebraska lawmaker is calling for an investigation into the conduct of State Sen. Mike Groene, the North Platte legislator who on Friday announced he was resigning after it emerged he had photographed a female staff member without her knowledge.

Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha on Saturday sent the request to the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office and two state law enforcement officials. In her letter, Hunt flagged potential areas of criminal wrongdoing based on media reports of the allegations. She urged the officials to investigate the matter promptly and thoroughly.

This issue deserves your attention in the highest priority, Hunt wrote.

On Friday Groene, a two-term lawmaker who gained a reputation for being an outspoken conservative, said he would resign from the Legislature and drop his bid for the University of Nebraska Board of Regents following reports that he took inappropriate photographs of a former staffer.

Groene told The World-Herald that he did take photos of the staffer and that it was a mistake, but he denied other details published by an online news site and said he never made sexual advances toward the staffer or said anything to her that could be termed harassment.

The female staffer who was photographed, Kristina Konecko, also refuted a detail in the story published by the news site, Nebraska Sunrise News. (The World-Herald is publishing Koneckos name at her request.)

Nebraska Sunrise News, a recently launched news website whose leadership includes Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, was the first to report the allegations against Groene on Friday.

It reported that Konecko discovered the photos of herself on Groenes laptop in the course of her work. The report said the photos appeared to have been taken by Groene, then sent with email captions of a sexual nature. It said the emails were described as objectifying and demeaning and that some were zoomed-in photos of provocative body parts.

However, Konecko said Nebraska Sunrise News reporting that the emails were sent to others is inaccurate. Groene also said he didnt send the photos to other people.

Konecko told The World-Herald on Saturday that she saw that photos were sent from Groenes phone to his personal email address on his work computer, but she did not see that the photos were sent to anyone else.

Im not sure where the misunderstanding came from, she said, and she felt it very important that confusion be cleared up.

In an email to The World-Herald, Nebraska Sunrise News Publisher Fletcher Reel said the outlet stands by its reporting.

Konecko said that other details regarding the photos  that they were close-ups of provocative body parts with sexually suggestive captions  were accurate.

Groene on Friday said that he took full-length photos but did not zoom in, and that she was not in compromising positions.

Konecko said she originally reported the issue on Feb. 4 and followed the Legislatures workplace harassment policy. She confirmed that she had worked for Groene at multiple points since September 2015, and said she was last brought on to work for him in September.

Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango, who chairs the Executive Board of the Legislature, on Friday confirmed that the board had received a complaint, though he didnt specifically name Groene. Hughes said that the bodys workplace harassment policy is being followed and that an investigation is ongoing.

Konecko wanted to make it clear that nobody had told her to be quiet about the situation or barred her from speaking about it.

I have not been advised or directed nor have I received any suggestions or recommendations from any outside sources, but because there has been a call for a formal investigation, I am not going to be answering any questions or sharing any further information, she said. However, I am very grateful and appreciative for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received from the public.

In her call for an investigation, Hunt identified areas of potential criminal wrongdoing, based on media reports.

Unlawful intrusion, which Hunt said makes it a felony for any person to photograph or record an image of the intimate area of another person without their knowledge or consent. It also makes it illegal to share or distribute non-consensual images.

Official misconduct or misuse of state property, which Hunt said may have occurred if the pictures were taken with or saved and stored on a state computer.

Witness tampering, a violation Hunt said may have occurred if Groene or any other state senator tried to dissuade the staffer from cooperating in an investigation into the complaint.

Hunt said there could be other potential violations, writing that she had only done a cursory review of the statutes.

Her letter was addressed to Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Col. John A. Bolduc and Capt. Lance Rogers, who is in charge of security at the Nebraska State Capitol.

A State Patrol spokesperson confirmed that the patrol received Hunts letter and is in communication with the Attorney Generals Office. A spokesperson for the AGs Office said the office will review the letter and assess its role.

Groene on Friday acknowledged that he made a mistake in taking the photos. Asked why he took them, he said: Just stupid. I just did  stupid.

He said he intended to submit his letter of resignation Monday. He cited the politics of the ordeal, rather than the seriousness of the crime, as his rationale for resigning. Groene is a registered Republican.

Im not gonna let the Democrats attack me and embarrass my family and my wife, he said.

The Nebraska Democratic Party put out a statement condemning the senator and the state GOP on Friday before Groene announced his resignation. Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb urged Sen. Mike Hilgers, speaker of the Legislature, to answer questions regarding the incident.

Hilgers on Friday acknowledged that Groene informed him of his intent to resign  a decision that was supported by top Republican officials.

Gov. Pete Ricketts also said he spoke with Groene on Friday and we both agreed it was best for him to resign.

Taylor Gage, executive director of the Nebraska GOP, told The World-Herald in an email that the party supports Groenes decision to resign.

Groene, who is barred from seeking reelection in the Legislature due to term limits, said he was dropping his candidacy for a seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents and leaving politics all together.

Im done with politics, he said. Im done.

Ricketts will be able to appoint a replacement for the remainder of Groenes term, which ends in early January 2023. To serve beyond that date, a candidate would have to run for election this year. As of Friday, three candidates had filed for Groenes District 42 seat: Chris Bruns, Mel McNea and Brenda K. Fourtner. Individuals who dont currently hold elected office have until March 1 to file.

Thursday marked the 28th day of a 60-day legislative session. Lawmakers are expected to return Tuesday to the Capitol after a four-day recess.

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From legalizing medical cannabis to requiring an ID to vote to raising the minimum wage, backers of statewide petition efforts are up against a July deadline to gather tens of thousands of signatures to get their initiatives before Nebraska voters.

And one of the committees collecting signatures is working with substantially deeper pockets than the others: Citizens for Voter ID, which supports amending the state constitution to require valid photo identification before voters cast their ballot.

As first reported by News Channel Nebraska, that group had gotten nearly all its money from Marlene Ricketts, mother of Gov. Pete Ricketts, as of the end of January.

According to financial reports, Marlene Ricketts made a $376,000 donation last July. The same month, former Omaha Mayor and U.S. Rep. Hal Daub donated $1,000. The group hadnt reported any other donations, cash or otherwise.

Almost all of the roughly $271,000 the committee had spent went to national Republican political consulting firm Axiom Strategies and Vanguard Field Strategies, a grassroots arm of Axiom.

According to State Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling, one of the petitions sponsors, Axiom is leading coordinating efforts and Vanguard is doing the on-the-ground work. The groups cash balance at the end of January was about $106,000.

Slama pushed back against the idea that the groups biggest donor is driving the effort, saying volunteers are on the ground and some grassroots donors have given below the reporting threshold.

It definitely is a team effort, she said. After this legislative session wraps up, Slama said shell be leading a statewide tour to gather signatures.

But theres another committee organized thatd like to thwart that initiative: Nebraskans for Free and Fair Elections.

Its not working with the funding of its nemesis  as of the end of January, it hadnt received any cash donations. But, it had attracted about $66,000 in in-kind contributions.

In terms of it being a grassroots campaign, we truly are one, for sure, at this point. And you cant really say that about the other guy, said John Cartier, director of voting rights for Civic Nebraska, one of the organizations behind the opposition committee.

Cartier said theyve been focused on building up a coalition of supporters  he shared a lengthy list of organizations with The World-Herald  but soon plan to start volunteer phone-banking across the state to persuade people against voter ID.

The biggest in-kind contribution to the group, about $55,000, came from ACLU of Nebraska, for a public opinion poll in October. Cartier said that included polling on voter ID and some effective talking points. He declined to share specific findings of the research but said it was informative.

Essentially what were dealing with is a billionaire trying to fundamentally change how our elections are ran, he said, referring to Ricketts.

While Citizens for Voter ID has been the most well-funded ballot question committee, Raise the Wage Nebraska ended January with the highest cash balance.

The group is gathering signatures for a petition that would put an incremental minimum wage increase on ballots. If voters approved it, state law would change to raise the minimum wage from $9 to $15 by 2026, upping it by $1.50 a year. After that, the states minimum wage would be adjusted each year for cost-of-living increases.

As of the end of January, the group had reported receiving about $158,000 in cash and spent about $29,000, leaving it with a cash balance of about $129,000. It had also received about $91,000 in in-kind contributions.

It was mostly bankrolled by the 501c4 affiliate of Nebraska Appleseed, which gave $148,000. The Nebraska State AFL-CIO and ACLU of Nebraska also donated $5,000 each.

Its in-kind contributions have come mostly from organizations that support the effort, including Nebraska Appleseed, ACLU of Nebraska, Nebraska Civic Engagement Table, Voices for Nebraska and YWCA Lincoln. In addition to in-kind contributions  staff time, email consulting, a website domain and other help  the committee has spent cash on printing, paying people to circulate petitions and compliance consulting.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, which hopes to get a pair of questions on the ballot this November, has also raised money from supporters this cycle.

The effort is an encore of an initiative the same group tried to get on the November 2020 ballot. Despite surpassing the required number of signatures, it was disqualified by the State Supreme Court for containing more than one subject.

This time around, after seeking advice from experts, the group hopes to avoid a similar fate. One initiative would focus on patient and caregiver protections, and the other on regulations.

As of the end of January, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana had received about $68,000 in cash and spent about $38,000, leaving it with a cash balance of about $30,000. It had also received over $22,000 in in-kind donations.

About $13,000 of its cash came from individuals whove given $250 or less per calendar year. Several other individuals pitched in with donations above $250, including Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, whos co-sponsoring the petitions and gave $1,000.

The group received a $21,000 transfer from the previous campaigns committee and $25,000 from a company called Agmed based in Elkhorn. Its roughly $22,000 in in-kind contributions have come from the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., which offered staff time as well as legal research through Omaha law firm Fraser Stryker.

The Marijuana Policy Project also donated about $2,600 in cash.

No formal committee has registered in opposition to the medical cannabis ballot initiatives. However, campaign coordinator Crista Eggers pointed out theres certainly opposition, and third-party groups such as SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) Nebraska, which opposes legalization, have run ads.

Were a grassroots campaign, Eggers said. Our donors are people all over the state, all over the country who want to see a medical cannabis program started in this state, truly, to help people. Thats who our donors are.

Among its expenses, the committee has spent its cash on a texting program, postage and mailing, printing petitions, and paying a coordinator and signature gatherers.

Representatives of the three committees in support of ballot questions all sounded positive about their chances of hitting their mark by the July 7 deadline, but none would share how many signatures theyve gathered so far.

Petitions for initiatives that would change state law have to collect valid signatures from 7% of registered voters. Theres a higher, 10% threshold for those that would change the state constitution.

Based on the most recent voter registration numbers, that would equate to roughly 87,000 signatures for the minimum wage and medical marijuana efforts and 124,000 for the voter ID effort.

Both types also have to get signatures from 5% of registered voters in 38 of Nebraskas 93 counties.

According to the Nebraska Secretary of States Office, there are 16 petitions total in circulation now. Committees that support or oppose those causes only have to register and file financial reports if they receive or spend at least $5,000 in a calendar year.

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BLOOMINGTON  A 35-year-old man is behind bars after police say he hurt a woman early Sunday morning and bit a Bloomington police officer responding to a domestic battery call.

A arrest statement sent to The Pantagraph from the McLean County State's Attorney's Office said police were called at 2:40 a.m. Sunday to a west Bloomington home, where a man had kicked the door in.

Officers arrived at the scene and found Lamont J. Woods arguing with the battery victim, who later told police she tried to call 911 but he struggled to take her phone.

During the altercation, the report said, Woods grabbed the woman's arm. Police said her arm had been lacerated and was bleeding.

The charging document said Woods became increasingly irate after officers stated he was under arrest for domestic battery. He pulled his arm away as a police sergeant grabbed him, the report said, and Woods tried running back inside the home.

Another police officer chased after him and grabbed him, but the suspect pulled away again, the statement said. A third officer was charged by Woods, and he had to push him out of the way to avoid being knocked over, it continued.

The man was eventually brought to the ground. The record said an officer was bit on the leg by Woods while trying to put him in handcuffs. Another officer's lip was cut during this struggle, per the report.

Woods is charged with two counts of aggravated battery of a peace officer, a Class 2 felony; resisting a peace officer causing injury, a Class 4 felony; two counts of domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor; two counts of resisting a peace officer, a Class A misdemeanor; criminal damage to property, a Class A misdemeanor; and criminal trespass to a residence, a Class 4 felony.

Woods remains jailed as of Sunday at the McLean County Detention Facility, in lieu of posting a $50,000 bond.

Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison

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Q: I am a veteran rated at 40% service-connected disability due to having sleep apnea, diagnosed by the VA as being connected to my military service. I heard recently that the VA is reviewing sleep apnea cases. How will this review affect those of us who are already rated under the current schedule?

A: As medical technology, treatment and care change over time, the VA reviews the disability rating schedule under the new information about those factors and makes changes on how ratings will be made. The VA is currently proposing rating schedule changes for not only sleep apnea (respiratory) but also tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears and other auditory) and certain mental health conditions. These reviews are made periodically to ensure that veterans receive compensation based on the most current and accurate information. Based on the reviews, the rating schedules could end up not changing, being increased or being decreased. No change to a veterans current rating would occur due to these proposed changes. If the proposed changes are finalized, veterans who are currently receiving compensation for a service-connected condition that will have a higher rating can apply for increased compensation, but no reductions shall be made unless an improvement in the veteran's disability is shown to have occurred.

Q: I have heard that the VA is working hard on reducing the number of veterans who are homeless, specifically a program titled HUDVASH. What is HUDVASH and where is the program locally?

A: The federal Housing and Urban Development Department provides assistance to low-income and homeless citizens. HUDVASH is a program which pairs HUDs Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance program with VA case management and supportive services for homeless veterans. These services are designed to help homeless veterans and their families find and sustain permanent housing and access to health care, mental health treatment, substance use counseling and other support necessary to help them in their recovery process and with their ability to maintain housing in the community. Through public housing authorities, HUD provides rental assistance vouchers for privately owned housing to veterans who are experiencing homelessness. VA case managers may connect these veterans with support services such as those identified above. Case management in the McLean County area is conducted through the VA Supportive Services for Veterans and Families by The Salvation Army.

DID YOU KNOW?

While many states, including Illinois, have legalized the possession and consumption of personal use of marijuana, the federal government has not. Veterans who use VA health care will find that the VA will not write a prescription for medical use of marijuana for any purpose. Additionally, if veterans are receiving certain opioid or mental health-related medication through the VA, they will probably be denied those VA medications if the veteran is using marijuana. The VA is very concerned that any powerful mental health-related mediations from the VA may interact with the marijuana in a dangerous way. There currently are no plans for the VA to review and/or modify its ban on marijuana use for VA health care.

Jerry Vogler is superintendent of the McLean County Veterans Assistance Commission.

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BLOOMINGTON  Thin Mints. Caramel deLites. Do-si-dos. Lemon-Ups.

All are sweet staples of the Girl Scout cookie selling season, which carries into April. Some troops in the Twin Cities are exceeding expectations, with at least two already having surpassed their sales goals.

Troop 1449, based out of Parkside Elementary School, spent Saturday morning vending confections to shoppers leaving Lowe's, 2101 E. Empire St., in Bloomington.

Therese Denham, co-leader of the troop, said the scouts have done a wonderful, wonderful job adapting to all of the different challenges. Thats included canceling in-person activities because kids were being quarantined, or they werent taking chances with sick kiddos.

Part of being a Girl Scout is learning how to be resilient and handle yourself when things are unexpected, she said, adding thee troops are getting a really good education.

Some of the scouts who stationed the Saturday booth included Brooklyn Mlot, Charlotte Peveto, Raquel Rice, Alice Denham and Emae VanCalbergh. Brooklyn likes Adventurefuls the most.

The Adventurefuls is a brownie cookie with caramel and chocolate drizzle, explained Alice, 8. Her favorite cookie is the Toast-Yays.

The Toast-Yays are also among Charlottes favorite, as are the Lemonades.

Denham said theyd sold 3,296 boxes of cookies as of 11 a.m. Sunday, and shes super proud of the girls work.

By noon, the troop had handed out 68 packages within three hours  that includes 17 Thin Mints.

She added cookie season helps out the troop because they get a portion of the sales back to sponsor activities.

One of the best parts about Girl Scouts is its a low investment to join, Denham said.

Samantha Mlot said they ask the girls what they want to do for activities, take a vote and then go from there. Horseback riding is popular among the girls.

Jenny Rice said cookie sales teaches them how to count and exchange money, interact and be a part of the community, and be polite, kind and courteous. She added sending her husband to his workplace with an order form and a photo of her daughter was a success.

With a big smile, Raquel Rice, 8, said she learned she can sell lots of cookies with my cute face. She added she likes having her bestie, Charlotte, in the troop with her.

While part of the days scouting activities involved entrepreneurship, others were just having fun  like when one customer approached the booth with a Pomeranian puppy. The girls excitedly ensured the dog got a loving welcome with lots of pets.

Denham noted the kiddos have a lot of personality. She also said theyve interacted with other troops across the nation in Zoom calls, for painting and drawing. Michelle Obama once logged in to speak.

All of us moms were crying, said Denham.

Over at Walmart, 300 Greenbriar Drive, Normal, Troop 1386, with Chiddix Junior High School, had both department store entrances covered. Zoe McKittrick, 12, and mother Jennifer McKittrick ran the southern booth.

We got a troop of five girls, said Jennifer, so theyre all working really hard to maximize their sales.

Troop leader Kristine Cottone said Walmart has been an excellent spot, and shes proud of them for setting their goals, figuring out how many booths they wanted to do, what each girls personally going to commit, and then exceeding their objectives.

The troop has a big trip ahead of them. Zoe said theyre planning to go to a camp near Savannah, Georgia, the birthplace of Girl Scouts.

Rick Burge of Farmer City picked up some Thin Mints from the girls' booth.

Im taking them to Dad, he said.

Where & when to buy Habitat for Humanity Restore, 1402 W. Washington St., Bloomington 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26 Main Street Yoga, 402 N. Main St., Bloomington 5-8 p.m., Friday, March 4 Walmart, 2225 W. Market St., Bloomington 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26 Walmart, 300 Greenbriar Drive, Normal 4-7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 25

Noon-3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26 Sam's Club, 2151 Shepard Road, Normal 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 26

11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 27

4 p.m.-7 p.m., Friday, March 4 Lowe's, 2101 E. Empire St., Bloomington 4-7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 25

9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26

9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 27

4-7 p.m., Friday, March 4

9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, March 5

9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, March 6 For additional booth dates, visit www.girlscouts.org

Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison

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100 years ago

Feb. 21. 1922: This story is just coming out. Boy Scout Auston Thompson rescued a young swimmer from drowning in a swimming hole near Kenney. That was last May 31. Auston wouldnt talk about it but somehow the Boy Scouts found out and now recommend him for a medal.

75 years ago

Feb. 21, 1947: A Bloomington woman mysteriously disappeared from a Downs farm house while purportedly applying for a housekeepers job. Her body turned up the next day, not far from the house. She may have frozen to death; she wasnt dressed for the cold. The sheriff is investigating.

50 years ago

Feb. 21, 1972: The state is closing the laboratory school at Northern Illinois University as a budget cut. In Normal, Metcalf and U High will stay open along with the two other lab schools in Illinois. The NIU school contains only kindergarten thru eighth grades with 386 students.

25 years ago

Feb. 21, 1997: The Mennonite Relief Sale has committed to move from Peoria to Bloomington. The sale, which raises money to feed the poor, will move into the new Interstate Center on West Market St. for at least four years. This years sale will be March 7-8 at the Peoria Civic Center.

Compiled by Jack Keefe; jkeefe@coldwellhomes.com.
Hempu Time, a Chinese hemp company, will highlight three of its CBD products this year  a pain-away spray, patches and cream  while promoting cooperation with Thailand and trade worldwide.



The company's CBD pain-away spray, which was rolled out in 2021, was well received, especially in the United States, according to Ji Han, CEO of Hempu Time.

"The next step for Hempu is to develop a range of scented sprays, including those specially designed for women," Ji said. The reinvented spray will maintain the pain relieving effects of CBD and traditional Chinese medicine, while incorporating floral fragrances, which Ji explained represents a surprising new innovation among both pain-relief and CBD products.

Another major product of Hempu Time  its CBD pain-away patch, released on Feb. 10  could be the first product of its kind in China, said Ji. The patches have so far been sold in Malaysia, Thailand, South Africa and the U.S. Scented patches are also currently under development, with possible fragrances including sandalwood.

Hempu Time is also seeking a larger market share and greater cooperation in Thailand, and is playing its trump card by debuting a CBD cream there featuring local ingredients in 2022 with Brother Bao, a local company. The Thai company owns two hemp farms, a greenhouse of around 8 hectares and a field of over 30 hectares, which provide raw hemp material for further processing.

To extract CBD and develop future products, Hempu Time co-established a laboratory with Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, a leading Rajabhat university in Thailand. With the professional equipment of Hempu Time and relevant licenses from its Thai partners, Hempu Time's business in Thailand will run smoothly, Ji said.

Thailand is a country that welcomes CBD products and boasts strong consumer awareness in this area, according to Cai Zhen, CEO of Brother Bao. The nation's medical cannabis market reached a value of $26.3 million in 2020. Looking forward, the market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of around 32% from 2021 to 2026, according to a report by market research company IMARC Group.

With breakthroughs in scented CBD sprays and patches, as well as cooperation with a Thai company and university, Ji believes that Hempu Time is well placed to enjoy a greater share of the global CBD market.
BLOOMINGTON  A series of dramatic temperature changes are expected throughout Illinois starting Tuesday, bringing severe thunderstorms and potential snow later in the week.

"Were past the peak of winter at this point," said Lee Enterprises chief meteorologist Matt Holiner. "This is the wildest time of the year for Central and Southern Illinois where you could be dealing with all types of precipitation."

A whiplash of weather through the end of the week kicks off early Tuesday with a series of showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures are expected to peak at about 63 degrees in Central Illinois by Tuesday afternoon.

Severe thunderstorms are a possibility for much of the region, producing damaging winds, small hail, and potential tornadoes, said Holiner. Rainfall totals could range from 1 to 1.5 inches before drying off Tuesday afternoon.

A cold front will soon follow as rainfall quiets down, with temperatures quickly dropping to the low 30s.

A brief dry period will be in place before precipitation picks up again either as snow, rain or a wintry mix of the two.

Its really going to be a low pressure system thats tracking toward the south thats going to be the main trigger for the precipitation that we see Wednesday evening to Thursday night, said Holiner. However our temperatures end up after it clears is going to have a big impact on how those precipitation types are going to play out."

The roller coaster comes after the state was hit with heavy snow last week, canceling about 500 flights in Chicago and creating a massive pileup involving 100 vehicles on Interstate 39 north of Bloomington. By the weekend, sunny skies brought people outdoors.

The new system is expected to cause wide temperature fluctuations across the state.

In the Quad Cities, meteorologist Brian Pierce of the National Weather Service said: "The system is too far out to determine how much snow we may get. Any slight deviation in the track of the storm could mean a lot in terms of how much or how little snow we get."

Forecasts remained uncertain as of Monday afternoon, but depending how temperatures fall, Central Illinois residents could be looking at between 2 to 5 inches of snowfall starting Wednesday evening.

Those in the Carbondale area could see between 1 and 2 inches of snow, or or freezing rain and sleet. Meteorologists expect to get a better handle on the forecast later in the week after the first round of severe weather, said Holiner.

"I want people to be in a spring mindset from here on out," said Holiner. "There are going to be more events like this with wild temperatures where it's going to warm up and then cool down. We might have some really beautiful weather followed by very chilly weather, and there could be a storm threat followed by snow.

"So, stay on your toes, things are probably going to be pretty wild over the course of the next month before we settle into our summer pattern.

Thomas Geyer, of the Moline Dispatch and Rock Island Argus, contributed to this report.

Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry.

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Two Benin bronzes were returned on Saturday to a traditional palace in Nigeria, more than a century after they were pillaged by British troops, raising hopes that thousands more artefacts could finally be returned to their ancestral home.



The artefacts, mostly in Europe, were stolen by explorers and colonizers from the once mighty Benin Kingdom, now southwestern Nigeria, and are among Africa's most significant heritage objects. They were created as early as the 16th century onwards, according to the British Museum.



At a colourful ceremony to mark the return of a cockerel sculpture and head of an Oba or king, spokesman Charles Edosonmwan for the Oba palace in Benin City noted that some of the bronzes were kept as far away as New Zealand, the United States and Japan.



The Oba of Benin Kingdom, Oba Ewuare II receives two stolen Benin artifacts returned from England after 125 years in Benin, Nigeria.



The two artefacts were handed over to the Nigerian High Commission in October by the University of Aberdeen and Cambridge University's Jesus College but have yet to return to their ancestral home. read more



"They are not just art but they are things that underline the significance of our spirituality," Edosonmwan said in an interview on the sidelines of a ceremony attended by traditional leaders.



The return is another milestone in the years-long fight by African countries to recover looted works, as numerous European institutions are grappling with the cultural legacies of colonialism.



Some 90% of Africa's cultural heritage is believed to be in Europe, French art historians estimate. Musee du quai BranlyJacques Chirac in Paris alone holds around 70,000 African objects and London's British Museum tens of thousands more.

Source: REUTERS









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On 22 February, Letshego will be taking to Twitter Space to host its latest stakeholder engagement on Twitter with the ever-popular Connect Spaces platform. This sees a celebration of collaborative regional efforts of Letshegos proudly African LetsGoNation community, while also promoting the inclusive finance entitys progressive transformation to digital, for the benefit of customers, suppliers and communities across Africa.



Digital warriors who attend the event can look forward to meeting LetsGo event host, Mpoeng Mphoeng, one of Twitter Spaces earliest adopters, and founder of the popular and influential @BWConnectSpaces. Social Enterprise Entrepreneurs and recognisable Influencers of the likes of Vee Mampeezy and Thabiso Mashaba from Botswana, Mr. Macoroni from Nigeria, Neyma from Mozambique, Tracy Owusu Addo from Ghana and Masoud Kipanya from Tanzania will be joining this live online event. Twitter Space is a unique, and fast-growing space for widely-known community trailblazers to share personal insights into their own experiences, learnings and unpack the ingredients for success that brought them the opportunities they celebrate and build on today.



Letshegos LetsGoNation is an online-based community for all Africans to join, network and share experiences, celebrating their passion for our continent and collaboration in building Africa by Africans, in simple terms, Getting it Done! Fellow Africans who wish to join the movement are invited to sign up at letsgodigitalafrica (@africaondigital) / Twitter . The Twitter Space event will be hosted on Tuesday 22 February at 6pm (CAT)/8pm (GTM)/9pm (EAT).



In 2021, Letshego progressed its digital strategy by launching the LetsGo Digital Mall in 10 markets across sub-Saharan Africa. The LetsGo Digital Mall is an Omnichannel integrated platform that customers can access via Web, WhatsApp USSD and Mobile. The reason for the term Mall is Letshegos insight into the evolution of this platform into a digital platform that will serve to link customers, suppliers, services through a one-stop platform for all regional customers. For now, the Digital Mall serves as a catalyst to provide customers with a simple and accessible platform to their accounts, as well as a simple easy solution to apply for or top up their personal loans.



In marking the launch of Letshegos first truly online event, Chipiliro Katundu, Letshegos Group Chief Marketing Officer commented, Our first regional online event celebrates our #LetsGoSpirit, and unlocks conversations between our diverse nations and trailblazers who share Letshegos passion and commitment to making a difference in their respective communities to improve lives. The LetsGoNation brings us together to celebrate those nuances that make our continent and people unique, while enabling us to collaborate in creating a brighter future for all.



 Objective: The conversation about Africas #LetsGo spirit, powered by Digital will best be accelerated through use of relevant content platforms/channels.



 Platform: Twitter Spaces unlocks conversations with the depth and power only the human voice can bring  this is how Letshego meets Africa in 2022 - through the #LetsGoDigitalAfrica Space.



 The conversation  Leveraging the power of ideas, digital, unlocking opportunity, side hustles, turning passions to business while connecting start-ups, hustlers, and innovators, Digital Ideators, African fintechs, Boss Ladies and the Ogas, the young entrepreneurs, visionaries, the creatives, trail blazers and trendsetters

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The youth in Ada on Friday, February 18, 2022, embarked on a walk to express their solidarity and support for the decision by the traditional authorities of Ada in the Greater Accra Region, and the government of Ghana, to lease the Songor salt concession to Electrochem Ghana Limited owned by Dr. Daniel Mckorley (McDan).



The walk, which was led by the Ada Youth Forum for Development (AYFfD), a community-based advocacy group, started from Sege through Kasseh, and ended at the Asafotu Park at Big Ada with the presentation of a note of gratitude to the Paramount Chief of Ada, Nene Abram Kabu Akuaku III.



In his speech, the secretary to AYFfD, Mr. Ernest Kugblenu, expressed appreciation to the traditional council, government, and other stakeholders for leasing the Songor lagoon to Electrochem Ghana for what they see as the long-awaited transformation from its artisanal status to a world-class salt-producing site.



He said, Electrochems achievements, in just a year of operation, are incontestable.



The decision to create community pans for artisanal miners in communities around the concession is one initiative by Electrochem, which must be lauded, since it gives a lot more people access to the lagoon as captured in the Master Plan, Mr. Kugblenu noted.



The people of Ada, particularly the fisherfolk, are happy that Electrochem has restored the Songor lagoon and fishing activities  which positively impact the livelihood of the people  back to life



In his view, the very few people who are agitating against the redevelopment of the lagoon are yet to tell the Ada state how they want the Songor developed and what benefit the Ada state got through artisanal mining (Atsiakpor) which, he noted, has been the practice for years.



Mr. Kugblenu indicated that Ada would have seen more development if similar progressive initiatives and investments were not resisted in the past just as a few self-centered persons are presently doing.



He reaffirmed the youths support for the traditional authorities and for all efforts that will bring development to the Ada people and the state.



We are very optimistic that before the 15-year lease ends, Ada will be a better place to live in, he emphasised.

Nene Ahuodin Otumfuor, Senior Asafoatse of Kabiawetsu clan, who received the gratitude note from the youth on behalf of the paramount chief, thanked the youth for the open support.



He urged them to disregard the rumours that the concession was sold, adding, We were on the verge of losing the Songor lagoon because it had dried completely and for years, efforts to restore it failed.



We, the traditional authorities, considered it prudent to partner the government to lease it for only 15 years to help turn around its fortunes



We have the power to renew the agreement or reclaim the concession after expiration depending on the impact the current investor makes, he said.



For now, Electrochem needs our support to get fully established and to be able to champion the development of the Ada state, he concluded.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a motor rider to eight years imprisonment for defiling his girlfriends companion at Agbogboloshie, Accra.



Edward Mensah, 19, charged with defilement, pleaded not guilty.



However, the court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann found him guilty at the end of the trial and sentenced him accordingly.



The court said it considered the age of the accused, the degree of revulsion felt by the law and ordinary citizen, the premeditation with which the crime was executed, the prevalence of the offence and the fact that accused was a first offender.



Prosecuting Inspector Opoku Aniagyei narrated that Mensah per the bone examination was 19 while the victim per bone examination was between 13 and 15 years.



Inspector Aniagyie said the accused resided in the same vicinity as the complainant.



The prosecution said the victim was a friend of the accused's girlfriend and they both attended the same church.



He said Mensahs girlfriend was pregnant and had gone to the Northern Region to deliver.



Inspector Aniagyie said in January, Mensah met the victim in the vicinity and told her that her friend had returned from the Northern Region and had safely delivered and so she should visit her.



He said the victim obliged and went to Mensahs house at about 8:00 pm.



On reaching the house, prosecution said Mensah asked the victim to enter his room knowing that his girlfriend was not around.



Mensah then locked the door and pushed the victim on his mattress, undressed the victim, held the victims neck, and had sex with her.



After the act, the prosecution said Mensah warned the victim not to tell anyone about it.

Source: GNA









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Burkina Faso's transitional president, Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba, has called for an investigation to assess the damage during the 24 January military coup.



Two civilians were killed and a dozen others were injured by stray bullets during the military takeover, according to a statement released by the presidency.



Mr Damiba ordered that the families of the victims be taken care of, reassuring them that all measures would be taken to support them.



A girl who was among those injured is still waiting for a bullet to be removed from her lung, Radio Omega reported.



Mr Damiba, who was sworn in on 16 February as interim president, has vowed to do everything possible to guarantee justice for all the people of Burkina Faso.

Source: BBC









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Professor Paul Kwame Nyame, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Medical and Dental Council, has expressed concerns over the mushrooming of medical schools in the country.



He observed that many of such schools were operating without the Council's authorization and advised prospective students to check the accreditation status of schools before enrolling.



Prof Nyame gave the advice at the induction ceremony of 454 newly qualified medical and dental practitioners from nine institutions, including foreign-trained doctors who passed the Council's registration examination.



The training institutions include the University of Ghana Medical and Dental Schools, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, School of Dentistry, Kumasi, University of Cape Coast, School of Medical Sciences, Family Health University College, University of Health and Allied Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Ho, Accra College of Medicine and University of Development Studies, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Temale.



He said the Council was aware of the need to train more doctors and as such was working with all stakeholders, including the medical and dental schools, government, and its relevant agencies, to find a strategy to increase the number of trained doctors and dentists to curtail the need to send students abroad.



"We are working towards holding a conference this year, hopefully by June as part of the Council's 50th anniversary, to deliberate on issues that are germane to the subject," he added.



This would include the expansion of existing medical schools by providing them with the necessary facilities to match the projected increase in intake, and the establishment of new schools, Prof Nyame stated.



He congratulated the inductees and urged them never to stop learning, practice within the limits of their skills, be confidential when handling clients information adding, "avoid thirst for glory, at the expense of reputation.



The inductees took the Hippocratic Oath and were charged to always uphold high integrity and good moral standards.



Alhaji Mahama Asei Seini, the Deputy Minister of Health, also led the inductees to recite the National Pledge to affirm their commitment to the service of humanity and the nation, while congratulating them for the success chalked.



He reminded the inductees of the core tenets of the profession, which remained the interest of the patients, protection of human life as well as the community at large, which they had publicly affirmed through the swearing of the oath.



Alhaji Seini said acts of professional negligence, improper conduct and unethical behavior by health professionals were unacceptable.



He noted that the Ministry was aware of the reforms the Council had embarked on, adding that government was committed to ensuring that Ghanaians had access to quality healthcare services.



"This can be proven with the National Health Insurance Scheme and the introduction of the Agenda 111 project," he said.



He commended frontline health workers who had been at the forefront of the response in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.



Dr Divine N. Banyubala, the Registrar MDC, advised the inductees on the requirements of the profession and urged them to always have respect for human dignity.

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.

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The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah, has urged concerned parties to ensure a speedy resolution of the University Teachers Association of Ghana's (UTAG) demands to enable academic activities to resume.



He said it was unfortunate that the strike action had dragged and halted academic activities in all public universities across the country.



UMaT for instance reopened more than a month ago and students have not gone to classes yet and therefore for us is not a good thing, Prof. Amankwah said.



The Vice-Chancellor made the appeal at the weekend when the University held its 17th matriculation ceremony.



As we hope that an amicable solution to the demands of UTAG would be met in the shortest possible time, I encourage the students to seize this rare opportunity to explore ways to make their stay in UMaT a success, he added.



Prof. Amankwah said the past years had been challenging, considering the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic activities and all spheres of life, adding that the lessons learnt would continue to shape the future of education.



He explained that the combination of virtual and face-to-face interactions as practiced on campus was aimed at reducing the spread of the disease and also bring mining education to the doorstep of Ghanaians and other nationals.



COVID-19 is still with us so do well to follow all the protocols, socialize with caution and take the vaccine when you get the chance, the Vice-Chancellor advised.



Prof. Amankwah further said, As the University provides you with the freedom of pursuing your studies, you must be guided by our core values of knowledge, truth and excellence at all times.



He, therefore, challenged the matriculants, to bring their intellect and enthusiasm to bear to help solve some of the economic, social and environmental challenges that the country continues to face.

Source: GNA









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Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) Sammi Awuku and his deputy, Anna Horma Miezah, have paid a familiarisation tour of the Western Region and Central Region operational offices.



The tour was for the Director-General and his deputy to learn at first hand challenges associated with the work, including welfare of the staff and how together they can perform and improve on the lot of the Authority.



The tour is also in tandem with the Director-Generals vision of rebranding lotteries in the country.



We all will recall the euphoria associated with staking lotteries with the NLA and the associated prompt payment back then. I remember how people will be glued to their TV and radio sets waiting anxiously to hear the winning numbers. We want to bring that back. It is doable and we can do that through our collective efforts, he charged the workers.



According to him, the National Lottery Authority is moving to a stage where it will become the Number One gaming company in Ghana.



But he decried how the industry has been bedevilled with gross illegality and made a solemn promise to sweep them all out with your help.



We want to change the face of NLA. That is not in doubt because I know you are all with me. But we cannot do so when 70 percent of the work is done illegally. I want you to help me flush them all out. I want you to see the vision, move along with me and lets take back what is rightfully ours. You know those behind the illegality. Help me deal with them and together we can enjoy the gains.



Some of the workers took turns to explain how the fortunes of the NLA have dwindled over the years and promised to help with the restoration efforts.



For her part, Deputy Director-General Anna Horma Miezah said Ghana is losing millions of cedis due to the illegality in the system.



Ivory Coast generates $580 million annually from their lotteries. Nigeria makes $3 million a day. Unfortunately, Ghana makes only $80,000 a day. This is due to the work of the illegal operators. That must change. And so this visit is to help us look at the leaks and deal decisively with them.



She assured the workers that we will give you the right motivation to go about your duties especially in going after these illegal operators while embarking on an intensive sales drive to improve revenue.

Source: 3 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.

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The Minerals Commission has reacted to a Facebook post that suggested that two trucks were last week allowed to transport explosives in the Western Region without a police escort.



In a press statement reacting to the Facebook post, the Acting Chief Inspector of Mines/Explosives, Mr John Amoanyi explained that the video shared on social media showing the trucks without a police escort was captured at a time there were no explosives on board.



He explained that on February 17, 2022, around 09:15am, the Principal Inspector of Mines was at the operational site of Solar Nitro to conduct all the necessary safety inspections and verifications.



"There were two trucks with registration numbers GT 1821-14 and WR 1301-18 that were on the site to convey explosives to Perseus Mining Ghana Limited."



"The Principal Inspector of Mines after being satisfied that all the requisite safety protocols and all other regulatory requirements pursuant to L.I. 2177 have been met (including but not limited to the presence of two police escorts, a competent person onboard, explosives trucks registered and fit for purpose), allowed the trucks and the escorts to leave the site of Solar Nitro."



He said the explosives were delivered to the mine site of Perseus and the trucks returned to the operational site of Solar Nitro without the police escorts and there were no explosives onboard.



This was apparently captured and circulated as the trucks that were carrying explosives without escorts," he added.



Below is a copy of the press statement



MINERALS COMMISSION



PRESS STATEMENT



RE: TRANSPORTATION OF EXPLOSIVES WITHOUT POLICE ESCORTS



The attention of the Minerals Commission has been drawn to a video on the facebook page of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and on other social media platform of two trucks with the inscription Danger Explosives that were transporting explosives without police escorts.



The Commission wishes to inform the public that on 16th February 2022, the Operations Manager of Solar Nitro Ghana Limited (Solar Nitro) notified and requested the approval of the Western Regional Manager of Mines of the Commission to transport explosives from the operation site of Solar Nitro to the mining site of Perseus Mining Ghana Limited (Perseus) in Ayanfuri on February 17, 2022.



Solar Nitro has been registered as a mine support service company to deal in explosives and has also been issued with all the requisite permits and approvals by the Chief Inspector of Mines/Explosives to transport explosives.



A Principal Inspector of Mines from the Takoradi office of the Commission was assigned by the Regional Manager to carry out all the necessary inspections pursuant to the Minerals and Mining (Explosives) Regulations, 2021 (L.I. 2177) and also as set in the new safety measures recently issued by the Acting Chief Inspector of Mines/Explosives to all mining, explosives, quarries and other related mining companies.



On February 17, 2022, around 09:15am, the Principal Inspector of Mines was at the operational site of Solar Nitro to conduct all the necessary safety inspections and verifications.



There were two (2) trucks with registration numbers GT 1821-14 and WR 1301-18 that were on the site to convey explosives to Perseus Mining Ghana Limited.



The Principal Inspector of Mines after being satisfied that all the requisite safety protocols and all other regulatory requirements pursuant to L.I. 2177 have been met (including but not limited to the presence of two police escorts, a competent person onboard, explosives trucks registered and fit for purpose), allowed the trucks and the escorts to leave the site of Solar Nitro.



The explosives were delivered to the mine site of Perseus and the trucks returned to the operational site of Solar Nitro without the police escorts and there were no explosives onboard.



This was apparently captured and circulated as the trucks that were carrying explosives without escorts.



The public is hereby notified that following the explosion that occurred in Apiatse on January 20, 2022, fourteen (14) new safety measures have introduced to strengthen the existing regulations and protocols for the transportation of explosives and most importantly to protect the health and safety of the public as well as the environment.



The Commission wishes to remind the media and the public that the Commission is available to provide information on all mining activities or operations in Ghana and the public is advised to seek clarification or verify such information with the Commission before they are made public.



JOHN AMOANYI, ACTING CHIEF INSPECTOR OF MINES/EXPLOSIVES

Source: graphiconline.com









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Runway at Tan Son Nhat Intl Airport closes for maintenance

A runway at Tan Son Nhat International Airport will be closed for maintenance from Monday, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).













An aircraft on Runway 25R/07L at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.  VNA/VNS Photo



The service on Runway 25R/07L is expected to last 25 days, until March 15.



In accordance with this schedule, the CAAV has reduced the number of flights to 30 per hour from February 21 to April 30.



Airlines are requested to utilise flight slots to ensure their effectiveness and push up the operation of night flights.



Prior to Monday, this number was 48 flights per hour in the time frame of 6am to 11:55pm, and 36 per hour from 12am to 5:55am.



Domestic flights are also cut down to 24 flights per hour for arrivals, and 20 per hour for departures. Previously, these numbers were 26 and 24, respectively.



According to the plan, Tan Son Nhat International Airport welcomed 507 flights on Monday. Of these, approximately 23,000 passengers would leave while 40,600 others would arrive at the airport.



In Hanoi, Noi Bai International Airport has also been performing maintenance on its runway 11L/29R, and parts of the taxiways S1, S2, and S7. The work will be finished on Wednesday.



Last week, the Vietnamese Government decided to fully reopen its borders to foreign tourists starting March 15, about three months earlier than previously planned.
China has issued a plan to further bolster the high-quality development of services and support for retired servicemen during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

The main objectives are to raise the capability of better providing assistance, working opportunities, pensions and preferential treatment for veterans, while better protecting their rights, interests and dignity, said the plan jointly issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission.

To deliver on the goals, the plan outlines measures including improving the management system for veteran affairs, reforming the assistance system for veterans, supporting their employment and entrepreneurship, and advancing the system for the provision of pensions and preferential treatment.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has urged lawyers to make it a duty to fight injustice in society.



Dr Akoto said despite the strides made by the country, there was lot of injustice and inequalities in society which needed to be addressed.



As trained advocates, it is incumbent upon you to continually uphold the rule of law to address the inequalities in society which Baffour Osei Akoto and others fought for, he said.



He was speaking at the launch of the 2022 Baffour Akoto Moot Court Competition by the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Ghana School of Law (GSL) at the Makola campus of the GSL last Wednesday.



The event was on the theme: Leadership, Gender & Disabilities, Corporate Governance: The way forward after legal education.



Baffour Osei Akoto



Dr Osei, who is the son of Baffour Osei Akoto, described his father as a foremost freedom fighter who fought injustice and political oppressions.



He said Baffour Osei Akoto formed the National Liberation Movement (NLM) to fight the one-party system that was gradually being introduced by Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and also fought against injustice meted out to cocoa farmers.



For his role in standing up for the rights of cocoa farmers and advocating multi-party democracy, Baffour Osei Akoto and hundreds of others were detained under the Preventive Detention Act (1958) and kept in the Nsawam Medium Security Prison in solitary confinement for nearly six years, he said.



Leadership



Dr Osei advised the Law students not to forget about the vulnerable and those suffering from injustices when they finally become lawyers.



We still have discrimination of women at the workplace and at home. Women farmers are denied land rights and in many cases their cultivation is limited to food crops rather than the more profitable cash crops. Strong advocacy of the law is therefore needed to address these concerns, he said.



A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Sir Dominic Dennis Adjei, advised the students to translate what they learn in school into leadership qualities for the benefit of society.



You have gone through the faculty, you are now in Law school and very soon you will be called to the Bar. You must make use of the acquired knowledge in the real world. It is not about committing what you learnt to memory for academic purposes, he added.



The SRC President of the GSL, Mr Wonder Victor Kutor, said the moot court competition would be expanded to allow participants from Law schools in other African countries.









Source: graphiconline.com









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A broadcaster with Accra-based Power FM, Oheneba Boamah Bennie, sentenced 14 days to the Nsawam prison has been released today, Monday morning, 21 February 2022.



The Accra High Court Criminal Division sentenced Mr Boamah.



Apart from that he was also to pay GHS3000 to the court.



Mr Boamah posted alleged secret videos regarding the 2020 election petition featuring President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and some Supreme Court Judges in a secret meeting.



The Journalist created the impression that President Akufo-Addo had met the Judges to influence them with bribes in order for them to rule the 2020 election petition in his favour.



It later emerged that the video was fake and defamatory.



The journalist who was sued by the Attorney-General, and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame pleaded guilty and accepted that the video's source was not authentic.

Source: classfmonline.com









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Five rooms serving as bedrooms and some stores near the Central Market in Tamale were razed by fire Sunday dawn.



Electrical gadgets and poles belonging to the Northern Electricity Distribution Company Limited were also damaged by the fire.



It took the intervention of personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to bring the fire under control.



Assistant Divisional Officer (Grade II) Mr Baba Hudu, Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Northern Region, told the Ghana News Agency that there was no casualty, but property and some cash of traders have been lost.



He said investigations had begun to ascertain the cause of the fire but expressed regret that the people rather called the Accra Head Office of the Fire Service to report the incident instead of calling the Tamale emergency lines.



Mr Ibrahim Jawal, whose store was burnt, said: "I have lost everything. We need government's support or else we are doomed. As we speak, everything in my store has been burnt. I could not retrieve even a single item."



"I left some money that was supposed to be taken to the bank, but because yesterday was a weekend, I could not send it. That money too has been burnt."

Source: GNA









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National Organizer of Liberal Party of Ghana, Asani Tanoh has criticized Bishop of The Potters House, Thomas Dexter Jakes Sr., popularly called T.D. Jakes over the effusive praise the latter heaped on President Akufo-Addo's administration quite recently.



In a video circulated widely on social media, T.D. Jakes, while introducing the Ghanaian leader to his audience as one of the speakers for his upcoming summit on leadership said: I have, for some time, watched with amazement, the President of the Republic of Ghana and the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo will speak at our International Leadership Summit this month. And, in case you are not up to speed on how things are going in Africa; Ghana is one of Africas wealthiest countries; he [Akufo-Addo] has completely turned it around.



It is the largest producer of gold on the continent and the worlds second-largest producer of cocoa. Under President Akufo-Addos leadership, Ghana has emerged as a booming tech centre  even welcoming Twitter. [Twitter] is moving to Ghana. Africas corporate headquarters of Twitter is going to be there.



However, Asani Tanoh believes T.D. Jakes' comment is not a true reflection of what's happening in the country.



Speaking on Neat FM's Me Man Nti programme, he said: "he (Bishop T.D. Jakes) goofed big time...if he was in this country we would have met him squarely...we accept that there's money but we're not seeing anything...he failed to tell his people that even though we have gold ghana has less than two percent stake"



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Director of Communications of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Yaw Buaben Asamoa, has said party officials are mute about the controversial E-levy.



You will be surprised how many of our NPP officers at the local level are not talking enough about the governments policy, especially e-levy.



I was at a funeral and I took the time to speak to a lot of people. The NPP in the community is not stepping out to project the NPP, he complained to journalists at a press conference in Kumasi, Ashanti Region on Friday, 18 February 2022.



They must step out and boldly project the party and its achievements. It is very important, the former Adentan MP charged.



In his view, Many many people have accepted the e-levy in principle but they still need to be spoken with and the engagement must continue.



We, members of the NPP, ought to be talking more about the e-levy at the local level.



So some of the information may not be very very clear but the reason for the e-levy, we believe at the national level, at the government level, is clear and it is an opportunity to transform local indigenous capital into local production, creating high important skills and then you have high-paying private-sector jobs, he said.



In his view, the e-levy will act as a catalyst to drive private sector investment  both local and foreign  into the productive areas of our economy.



If passed, Ghanaians will be paying 1.75 per cent as levy for some electronic transactions.



While the government is pushing for it, the opposition in parliament continues to fight it.









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Ms Fatimatu Abubakar, the Deputy Minister of Information, has debunked claims journalists are being cowed into silence under the current administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).



In as much as the media were guaranteed freedom by the constitution, she said they also ought to practise responsible and ethical journalism.



She said this in an interview with the media after delivering an address at the 2022 World Radio Day celebration organised by the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) in Accra.



The comment followed recent arrests of journalists at local radio and television stations for their alleged comments while hosting programmes.



She said journalists who felt unsafe in their line of duty could report to the National Media Commission (NMC) for necessary actions to be taken to safeguard their wellbeing.



Media practitioners have a responsibility to disseminate right and well researched verifiable information, she added.



Speaking on the theme, Radio and Trust, Ms Abubakar said the success of radio was partly due to the use of local languages in broadcasting to better serve everyone especially those without formal education.



She entreated radio show hosts and all journalists to use their media platforms responsibly to serve the public better.



Mr Affail Monney, President of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), in a solidarity message, said if Ghana was touted as the most peaceful nation in West Africa and the second in Africa, it was principally because radio provided avenues for people to settle their differences in non-violent ways.



Although some radio stations are filled with outright lies, blatant spin and unpleasant noise, he said, those professional sins did not and could not, justify any inhuman mode of arrest an erring journalist.



The growing use of prosecutorial and judicial power to punish them can also exert a significant chill in press freedom and erode the robust foothold of our free media system, which is a reference point and standard measure for Africa. Accordingly, we urge resort to civil remedies to deal with media infractions.



Indeed, we do not need Zoomlion to fumigate the media space, despite the putrid stench on certain radio stations. It is the responsibility of practitioners themselves to do their work with critical sensibility and utmost responsibility. Press freedom has no absolute value and must always be lodged in the memory of all journalists, Mr Monney stated.



He, however, said the time had come for the authorities and stations to prioritise the acquisition of delayed broadcast equipment to help sieve offending materials before they got to the public.



Mr Abdourahmane Diallo, UNESCO Country Representative, said radio broadcast in Ghana had built trust among Ghanaians through timely delivery of information and engagement of their audience over topical issues.



Using digital radio with visuals and sign language where audience with hearing impairments could also subscribe to a radio show, he said would make the work of Ghanaian radio stations complete and more satisfying.



Speaking on press freedom in Ghana, he said journalists were entitled to freedom of expression, access to information and overall safety.



I express our solidarity to the radio journalists attacked recently. It is affront to freedom of the media which should be condemned in no uncertain terms, he added.



Professor Eric Opoku Mensah, the Deputy Rector, GIJ, said the GIJ in collaboration with the Ministry of Information was organising a capacity building and enhancement programme for journalists.



He said the Institute believed sharing of knowledge and best practices would help to let government handle power in a more acceptable way and the journalist to work in a more professional manner.

Source: GNA









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Over the weekend, the Peoples' Campaign continued its ongoing first phase tour of key constituencies in the 16 regions of Ghana respectively as part of a Skeletal tour to touch base and have a constructive conversation, particularly on the rescue mission of the incumbent New Patriotic Party.



The Musah Superior led Peoples' campaign, Party First mantra continues to be a spirited and bold drive to rejuvenate the base structure of New Patriotic party and inspire hope of change to better the lots of the hardworking party people who have sacrificed for the party.



Musah Superior, a strong contender in the race for General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party and current Deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission, has made strong and critical assessments of the current National leadership of the New Patriotic Party and has advocated for new people with fresh strategic ideas to re-recruit the base of our party secure victory in the 2024 elections.



The Oti region played host to the Peoples' Campaign as the team visited a good number of constituencies within the newly created region.



Krachi West Constituency was the first stopover of the Peoples' campaign as Musah Superior, leader of the Peoples' campaign and NPP General Secretary hopeful and his team engaged the constituency executives on the core agenda of the campaign.



Significantly, as part of his presentation to the Constituency Leadership, Musah Superior reiterated that "all over the country, the spiritual philosophy of the party is dead and a good number of our party members are disgruntled and languishing in despair of neglect by the current National party leadership.



Since we came to power, the party had no plan to cater comprehensively for the welfare of the hardworking party officers which consequentially characterized our poor outshow of the party's poor performance in the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections." "There should be no excuse for our loss of 32 seats in parliament and our current National executives ought to be held to blame because they superintended over the disqualifications, machinations, favouritism and imposition of candidates on the constituencies which caused our downfall" the maverick politician added



Other constituencies the team visited were the Krachi Nchumuru Constituency, the Krachi East Constituency and the Biakoye Constituency.



At every engagements of these constituencies, the complaints of great apathy and neglect by the party has been the same across the country, of which they were no exceptions.



The constituency leaderships' narrative of gross suffering and disappointment were loudly articulated and took center stage of the discussions.



The former Mayor of Tamale thus far has demonstrated the tenacious capacity to be a forerunner in the race to be General Secretary of the NPP as the teeming delegates keep yearning for him as their " Messiah" in such a time where they have been abandoned to their peril.



Currently, the New Patriotic Party is organizing their internal elections commencing with the polling stations executives elections and subsequently the constituency executives elections across the entire country.

Source: William Gentu/ Peace FM 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.

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The Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has said the Majority in Parliament will not ambush the Minority in the consideration and passage of the Electronic Transfer Bill, 2021 (E-Levy).

In his view, the Business Committee of Parliament had made provision for motions and bills, including E-levy, to be considered in the ensuing week.



The Finance Committee has a number of bills that they are considering which include E-Levy, a matter before Parliament. So, the report of the committee will be considered as a motion, he said.



Ambushing



Mr Afenyo-Markin, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Business Committee, stated that when he presented the business statement last Friday for February 22 to 25, 2022.



He gave the assurance when he responded to a question on why the Finance Committee of Parliament had done its work on the bill but the motion on the bill had not been considered.



That was after the Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, had complained to the Second Deputy Speaker, Mr Andrew Asiamah Amoako, who was presiding, that the business statement Mr Afenyo-Markin presented did not make any provision for the E-Levy bill to be taken next week.



The Asawase MP recalled how the persistent assurances by the Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, over the past three weeks that the bill would be put before the House had not yielded any outcome.



He noted that the business statement for next week clearly indicated that the House would not take the bill.



We do not want a situation where an attempt will be made to introduce the bill because any attempt to do that will be ambushing. If the bill is going to be introduced unplanned, that we will not accept it and I just thought that we needed to serve this notice, he said.



Heat on MPs



Responding, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the business statement he presented last Friday contained motions that might be debated and their consequential if any.



The motions include the E-Levy, so do not create the impression with mischievous intent that the government does not intend to pursue its own policy. We have provided for it and it is there; we do not need to mention E-Levy, he said.



Expressing surprise that some NDC MPs were complaining about lack of funds for road construction in their constituencies, Mr Afenyo-Markin reminded them of the urgent need for Parliament to pass the E-Levy bill to allow the government to raise funds to complete these projects in your constituencies.



I am happy the pressure is coming from your constituencies and the heat is on you; assist the government to pass the E-Levy, he stated.



He, therefore, urged the two sides of the House to build consensus to pass the E-levy bill just as they considered the Sputnik-V report by consensus.



Blame game



The NDC MP for Juaboso, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, lamented the manner in which some Majority MPs kept blaming the Speaker as the cause for the consideration and passage of the bill.



Some NPP MPs blame the Speaker for not being in the seat for the bill to be taken; Mr Speaker has been in the country and for one week he has been sitting and you are reading the business statement and there is nothing to that effect, he said.









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.

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The Aliu Mahama Foundation is set to hold the 10th anniversary celebration of the demise of the late former Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama.



Ahead of the celebration, the Foundation has unveiled a new logo to commemorate this years event under the tagline, Ten Years On; Celebrating Alhaji Aliu Mahama.



The week-long event is aimed at celebrating the life and legacies of the late former veep who was first Muslim Vice President of the Ghana from 2001 to 2009.



Member of Parliament for Yendi, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama said the Planning Committee of the anniversary have finalized preparations and will soon roll out a list of activities for the annual memorial event.



The legislator described his late father as a man of great national icon of peace, harmony and respect for humanity.



According to him, the late Aliu Mahama as Head of the Economic Management Team contributed significantly to the successes achieved under the Kuffour administration arguing the fastest economic transformation under the fourth republic was achieved under his stewardship.



This period witnessed the fastest economic transformation in the history of the Fourth Republic-attaining middle income country status by 2006 much earlier than the projected year of 2015. His stewardship as a lead member of the Economic Management Team and government is historically recorded.



Alhaji Aliu Mahama died on November 16, 2012 at age 66 during the run up to the December general elections.



He left behind a wife Hajia Ramatu Aliu Mahama and four siblings, Salma, Umar Farouk, Halim and Fayad Aliu Mahama.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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National Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, popularly called 'Nana B', has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene in the UTAG situation.



An Accra High Court has ordered the University lecturers to resume work after weeks on strike but the lecturers, who are calling for better conditions of service, have reportedly defied the ruling as they are still currently on strike.



According to the President of UTAG, Prof. Solomon Nunoo, they are not convinced yet to resume work as he disclosed that UTAG will file a countersuit in court tomorrow.



"Tomorrow at 1:30 pm, they will look at the substantive case to declare whether the strike is legal or illegal and also the motion to set aside the injunction ruling also has been filed...The calls coming in about the President intervening, I think it is all in the right direction. If the President will step in and intervene, fine, I think it will also help the matter but the most important thing is that the condition of service of the University teacher is extremely bad and must be dealt with," he stated in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''.



Addressing the issue, Nana B is of a strong view that the UTAG impasse will be resolved when the President steps in, so calling on him to call for a meeting with the lecturers.



"I doubt these University lecturers will disrespect His Excellency the President," he emphasized.



He also advised the University lecturers to be considerate and heed the calls to go back to the classrooms saying, "if this thing drags too much, it's the students who will suffer. The young people will suffer more''.





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.

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The first batch of 150,000 boxes of anti-epidemic traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) donated by the Chinese mainland, as well as some other anti-epidemic supplies ordered previously arrived at Hong Kong on Sunday.

"The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is grateful to the central government for its care of the people of Hong Kong and its strong support for the city's anti-epidemic efforts," said Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau, who led a task force of ensuring medical supplies including coordinating medical supplies from the mainland to Hong Kong.

Yau stressed that by leveraging the central authorities' guidance based on their experience in fighting the epidemic, as well as their manpower and resource support, the HKSAR government will spare no effort in combating the fifth wave of the epidemic.

He said that the task force is working at full speed to coordinate the deliveries, ensuring that the large number of medical supplies including rapid antigen test (RAT) kits, masks, medicines, protective gear and medical products from the mainland are delivered to Hong Kong and distributed to relevant departments, organizations and residents in an orderly manner.

To enhance the capability of "early identification, early isolation and early treatment of the infected," the HKSAR government is procuring over 100 million RAT kits to substantially ramp up Hong Kong's capacity of rapid testing. The kits will be distributed as a priority to specified high-risk and target groups of people. The first batch of 10 million RAT kits provided by the mainland has arrived in batches since Feb. 19.

Separately, over 300,000 boxes of different types of Chinese medicines will be delivered from the mainland to Hong Kong in batches. The first batch of 25 million KN95 masks provided by the mainland has also arrived in batches recently.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong on Sunday registered 6,067 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official data showed.

Since the start of a mass inoculation program in February last year, about 5.79 million people, or 85.9 percent of the eligible population in Hong Kong, have taken at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccines, while about 5.11 million, or 75.8 percent of the eligible population, have taken two doses. Over 1.45 million people have taken their third shot.
Henry Nana Boakye, popularly called Nana B, has urged all aspirants in the New Patriotic Party to pick their forms at either the Regional or national levels.



He made this annoucement in reaction to reports that the party's nomination forms are being hoarded by some executives for their favourite candidates.



There are suspicions that Kwadaso constituency executive members are trying to deny some aspirants from picking the forms.



Due to these suspicions, the party Chairman, Mr. Yaw Bonna Boadi narrowly escaped an attack from the constituents last Saturday as he sought refuge at the Suntreso Police station.



The constituents alleged that the Chairman called his favourites last Friday and made the forms available to them.



Nana B has debunked the claims, hence stating emphatically that no one has the right to refuse an aspirant the opportunity to pick forms.



"No NPP member, who is working at the polling station and is qualified, will be denied. Even if the Constituency Elections Committee, that is the polling station electoral area, deny you, go to the Region. The Region will give it to you. Go to national or if you want, call me, we will direct you," he charged while speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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In what way is social media affecting the "green" behavior of people in India? Research published in the International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management looks to answer that question with respect to motivational factors revealed by an analysis of social media and attitudes to eco-friendly consumer choices balanced against costs.

Meesha Gupta and Asif Ali Syed of the Faculty of Management Studies and Research at the Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, collected data from 536 respondents who use social media and are also inclined towards eco-friendly products as opposed to less environmentally benign purchases. The team used exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling techniques to analyze the data.

The study revealed that Indian consumers are quite willing to pay a higher price for products that are greener. As such, the researchers suggest that companies can benefit from this attitude by offering novel and innovative products through their social media marketing efforts. They add that this must be done subtly so as not to over-saturate an account that might render it annoying rather than enticing. Moreover, they stress that companies must be transparent and communicate openly with their customers and putative customers, without that approach trust in a brand's green credentials might be easily lost.

In a world where social media has leveled the relationship between producers and providers and those to whom they sell products and services, those providers must put themselves in a position of trust. Social media can be powerful, attempts at "greenwashing" become obvious in the face of the hive mind where customers share and discuss products openly and frequently on social media and any issues can be shared very quickly and become serious problems for companies that attempt to fake their credentials, for instance.

"Green firms should foster relationships based on mutual gain and mutual interest. This can leverage customer loyalty," the team writes.

Explore further Accessible social media analysis through web-based application programming interfaces

More information: Meesha Gupta et al, Social media impacting green behaviours of Indian consumers, International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management (2022). Meesha Gupta et al, Social media impacting green behaviours of Indian consumers,(2022). DOI: 10.1504/IJICBM.2022.120923
Synthetic biologists have engineered bacteria to convert carbon waste into valuable chemicals. The carbon-negative approach could contribute to a net-zero emissions economy. Credit: Justin Muir

Bacteria are known for breaking down lactose to make yogurt. Now researchers led by Northwestern University and LanzaTech have harnessed bacteria to break down waste carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to make valuable industrial chemicals.

In a new pilot study, the researchers selected, engineered and optimized a bacteria strain and then successfully demonstrated its ability to convert CO 2 into acetone and isopropanol (IPA).

Not only does this new gas fermentation process remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, it also avoids using fossil fuels, which are typically needed to generate acetone and IPA. After performing life-cycle analysis, the team found the carbon-negative platform could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 160% as compared to conventional processes, if widely adopted.

The study will be published on Monday (Feb. 21) in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

"The accelerating climate crisis, combined with rapid population growth, pose some of the most urgent challenges to humankind, all linked to the unabated release and accumulation of CO 2 across the entire biosphere," said Northwestern's Michael Jewett, co-senior author of the study. "By harnessing our capacity to partner with biology to make what is needed, where and when it is needed, on a sustainable and renewable basis, we can begin to take advantage of the available CO 2 to transform the bioeconomy."

Jewett is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering and director of the Center for Synthetic Biology. He co-led the study with Michael Koepke and Ching Leang, both researchers at LanzaTech.

Necessary industrial bulk and platform chemicals, acetone and IPA are found nearly everywhere, with a combined global market topping $10 billion. Widely used as a disinfectant and antiseptic, IPA is the basis for one of the two World Health Organization-recommended sanitizer formulas, which are highly effective in killing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. And acetone is a solvent for many plastics and synthetic fibers, thinning polyester resin, cleaning tools and nail polish remover.

While these chemicals are incredibly useful, they are generated from fossil resources, leading to climate-warming CO 2 emissions.

To manufacture these chemicals more sustainably, the researchers developed a new gas fermentation process. They started with Clostridium autoethanogenum, an anaerobic bacterium engineered at LanzaTech. Then, the researchers used synthetic biology tools to reprogram the bacterium to ferment CO 2 to make acetone and IPA.

"These innovations, led by cell-free strategies that guided both strain engineering and optimization of pathway enzymes, accelerated time to production by more than a year," Jewett said.

The Northwestern and LanzaTech teams believe the developed strains and fermentation process will translate to industrial scale. The approach also could potentially be applied to create streamlined processes for generating other valuable chemicals.

"This discovery is a major step forward in avoiding a climate catastrophe," said Jennifer Holmgren, LanzaTech CEO. "Today, most of our commodity chemicals are derived exclusively from new fossil resources such as oil, natural gas or coal. Acetone and IPA are two examples with a combined global market of $10 billion. The acetone and IPA pathways developed will accelerate the development of other new products by closing the carbon cycle for their use in multiple industries."

The study is titled "Carbon-negative, scaled-up production of acetone and isopropanol by gas fermentation."

Explore further Engineered bacteria show promise for sustainable biofuel industry, researchers say

More information: Michael Jewett, Carbon-negative production of acetone and isopropanol by gas fermentation at industrial pilot scale, Nature Biotechnology (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41587-021-01195-w Journal information: Nature Biotechnology Michael Jewett, Carbon-negative production of acetone and isopropanol by gas fermentation at industrial pilot scale,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41587-021-01195-w
Map showing Balkanatolia 40 million years ago and at the present day. Credit: Alexis Licht & Gregoire Metais

A team of French, American and Turkish paleontologists and geologists led by CNRS researchers1 has discovered the existence of a forgotten continent they have dubbed Balkanatolia, which today covers the present-day Balkans and Anatolia. Formerly inhabited by a highly specific fauna, they believe that it enabled mammals from Asia to colonize Europe 34 million years ago. Their findings are published in the March 2022 volume of Earth Science Reviews.

For millions of years during the Eocene Epoch (55 to 34 million years ago), Western Europe and Eastern Asia formed two distinct land masses with very different mammalian faunas: European forests were home to endemic fauna such as Palaeotheres (an extinct group distantly related to present-day horses, but more like today's tapirs), whereas Asia was populated by a more diverse fauna including the mammal families found today on both continents.

We know that, around 34 million years ago, Western Europe was colonized by Asian species, leading to a major renewal of vertebrate fauna and the extinction of its endemic mammals, a sudden event called the "Grande Coupure." Surprisingly, fossils found in the Balkans point to the presence of Asian mammals in southern Europe long before the Grande Coupure, suggesting earlier colonization.

Now, a team led by CNRS researchers has come up with an explanation for this paradox. To do this, they reviewed earlier palaeontological discoveries, some of which date back to the 19th century, sometimes reassessing their dating in the light of current geological data. The review revealed that, for much of the Eocene, the region corresponding to the present-day Balkans and Anatolia was home to a terrestrial fauna that was homogeneous, but distinct from those of Europe and eastern Asia. This exotic fauna included, for example, marsupials of South American affinity and Embrithopoda (large herbivorous mammals resembling hippopotamuses) formerly found in Africa. The region must therefore have made up a single land mass, separated from the neighboring continents.

Site excavated in Turkey (Buyukteflek). Credit: Alexis Licht & Gregoire Metais

The team also discovered a new fossil deposit in Turkey (Buyukteflek) dating from 38 to 35 million years ago, which yielded mammals whose affinity was clearly Asian, and are the earliest discovered in Anatolia until now. They found jaw fragments belonging to Brontotheres, animals resembling large rhinoceroses that died out at the end of the Eocene.

All this information enabled the team to outline the history of this third Eurasian continent, wedged between Europe, Africa and Asia, which they dubbed Balkanatolia. The continent, already in existence 50 million years ago2 and home to a unique fauna, was colonized 40 million years ago by Asian mammals as a result of geographical changes that have yet to be fully understood. It seems likely that a major glaciation 34 million years ago, leading to the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet and lowering sea levels, connected Balkanatolia to Western Europe, giving rise to the "Grande Coupure."

Explore further Newly discovered species of pseudo-horse lived 37 million years ago

More information: Alexis Licht et al, Balkanatolia: The insular mammalian biogeographic province that partly paved the way to the Grande Coupure, Earth-Science Reviews (2022). Alexis Licht et al, Balkanatolia: The insular mammalian biogeographic province that partly paved the way to the Grande Coupure,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.103929
The Moai Tau will be returned to Easter Island a century-and-a-half after it was taken from there by the Chilean navy.

Chile's National Museum of Natural History said Monday it will return to Easter Island an enormous stone statue taken from the Rapa Nui people and brought to the mainland 150 years ago.

The monolith is one of hundreds, called Moai, carved by the Rapa Nui in honor of their ancestors and sometimes referred to as the Easter Island heads.

The statues are today the island's greatest tourist attraction, sculpted from basalt more than 1,000 years ago.

The one being returned, dubbed Moai Tau, is a 715-kilogram (1,500-pound) giant brought by the Chilean navy some 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) across the Pacific in 1870.

Eight years later, it was moved to the natural history museum to be displayed.

The Rapa Nui, for whom the Moai represent the spirits of their ancestors, have been asking for the statue's return for yearsas well as other cultural treasures taken from their island.

"For the Rapa Nui, their ancestors, funerary objects and ceremonial materials may be as alive as members of their communities themselves," said a museum statement.

The return of the monolith "is profoundly significant as a gesture towards our indigenous peoples," said museum curator Cristian Becker.

With delays due to the coronavirus epidemic, the statue will finally depart from the port of Valparaiso next Monday on a trip of about five days to Easter Island, said the museum, "after a complex technical and diagnostic process" to guarantee its structural integrity.

A traditional ceremony was held at the National Museum of Natural History in Santiago to send the statue safely on its long way back home.

A traditional ceremony was held at the museum Monday to send the statue safely on its way.

"It is essential that the Moai return to my homeland. For them (the community) and for me, this day is very much awaited," said Veronica Tuqui, a Rapa Nui representative.

Back on Easter Island, the Moai will be exhibited at the Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum.

The Rapa Nui community has also asked the British Museum in London to return another Moai, dubbed Hoa Hakananai'a, that was taken in 1868 from Orongo, a ceremonial village on Easter Island.

The Rapa Nui in 2017 gained self-administration over their ancestral lands on Easter Island, a special territory of Chile.

Explore further Chile to ask British Museum to return extinct mammal remains

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Schematics and photographs of 4D imaging apparatus for high-temperature electrochemistry. (A) 3D scheme of the assembled 4D characterization facility for high-temperature electrochemistry. (B) Schematic of the facility in transmission mode for x-ray -CT. (C) Photograph of the 4D studying facility. (D) Photograph of the high-temperature electrolysis cell through a peephole of the facility. (E) 3D reconstructed image of the experimental electrolysis cell at high temperature. Credit: Science Advances, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5678

The concept of high-temperature electrochemistry has broad ranging applications in multiple fields; however, researchers yet remain to conduct real-time observations to gain in-depth understanding of the evolution in such systems. The primary limits include harsh reaction conditions and multiphysics fields. In a new report now published in Science Advances, Handong Jiao and a team of scientists in advanced structure technology and metallurgy in Beijing, China, addressed the challenge by developing a high-temperature electrolysis facility. The facility allowed in-situ X-ray computer microtomography (CT) for non-destructive and quantitative three-dimensional (3D) imaging. The CT further probed the dynamic evolution of 3D morphology and components of electrodes in 4D. The team visualized the 4D process using reconstructed images to monitor the efficiency of the process, and explore dynamic mechanisms to provide real-time optimization. The 4D analysis platform provided in-depth combinations of traditional electrochemistry with digital twin methods to extract data and facilitate multiscale visualization.

The experiments

High temperature electrochemistry has many applications across metallurgy, nuclear, chemical production and energy industries. The process can facilitate the molten salt/oxide electrolysis to extract and purify metal, with a prominent role in large-scale stationary energy storage transformation. The process of experimentally examining the evolution of internal dynamics in such systems remains challenging due to limited development of the method. To monitor the dynamic evolution under harsh temperature and electrochemical systems, Li et al. developed a specific high-temperature electrochemical facility with built in X-ray microtomography (CT) for quantitative 3D imaging, including the morphology and components of electrodes within such systems under extreme conditions. The team verified the apparatus via classical electrorefining experiments of titanium in molten salt. They then performed a 4D study on the electrode structures and chemical components through time. The results combined high temperature electrochemistry with mathematical simulations to quantitatively design and optimize high-temperature electrochemistry.

4D imaging and analysis of Ti electrorefining in the molten salt medium. (A and B) 3D reconstructed images of the Ti anode and Ni cathode at different electrolysis time ranges. Current density, 0.3 A cm2 (A) and 0.6 A cm2 (B). (C and D) The change of the dissolution mass of Ti anode and the Ti deposition mass on the Ni cathode at different electrolysis stages. The insets are current efficiencies of Ti anode and Ni cathode at different electrolysis stages. (E) The competitive mechanism of possible reactions at electrodes. Credit: Science Advances, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5678

The homemade in situ 4D characterization apparatus for high temperature electrochemistry contained a quartz tube electrolysis cell fixed vertically to the rotation actuator axis of the X-ray system. The team controlled the molten salt medium and electrodes by using an electrochemical measurement system based on metal wires. They then heated the cell by using four halogen lamps fixed to the heating furnace and settled the furnace chamber under vacuum conditions to reduce the temperature outside of the furnace. The researchers matched the distance between halogen lamps and cell to alter the heated zone according to experimental requirements. The electrolysis quartz cell provided an optically transparent view, although it was challenging to clearly observe the inner cell via an optical camera due to thermal radiation from high-temperature molten salt at elevated temperatures. The 4D facility based on X-ray CT could reconstruct a reliable 3D complex structure of inner electrochemical cells with high spatial resolution from microscopic to macroscopic scales.

4D evolution process and mechanism of Ti electrorefining. (A) Demonstration of electrode surface information extraction. (B) The evolution processes of the thickness of the dissolved Ti (left) and the deposited Ti (right) from the bottom to the top of the electrodes as obtained from the 3D reconstructed images. (C) The evolution processes of the thickness of the dissolved Ti (left) and the deposited Ti (right) on different angles of electrodes obtained from 3D reconstructed images. (D to F) The evolution of concentration field, electric field, and current density on the surface of the Ti anodes calculated from the simulation results. (G to I) The evolution of concentration field, electric field, and current density on the surface of the Ni cathode calculated from simulation results. Credit: Science Advances, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5678

4D analysis

To show the capability of the 4D facility to conduct high-temperature electrochemistry, Jiao et al. performed a typical experiment of titanium (Ti) electrorefining in molten salt. The group had previously studied the extraction and purification of titanium using molten salt electroanalysis, with mechanisms of efficiency, purity and yield data yet to be understood. In this work, the scientists used a two-electrode system with titanium and nickel wires with same area and current density to form the anode and cathode. They then conducted scanning and electrolyzing in a cyclic process and obtained voltage-time profiles for the titanium electrorefining process under different current densities, then reconstructed 3D images of the Ti anode and Ni cathode at different electrolysis time ranges. Based on the outcome, Jiao et al. noted the average thickness of Ti plating on the Ni cathode to increase during the first electrolysis stage, to then drop slowly with time of electrolysis, which was unusual. The team therefore studied the competitive mechanism of chemical and electrochemical reaction at the interface and on the surface of electrodes to implement strategies to improve current efficiency.

Titanium dissolution and deposition

The scientists combined real-time experimental outcomes and simulations to reveal the evolution mechanism and extracted the local evolution information about the electrodes and noted the varying thickness of Ti anodic dissolution and Ti cathodic deposition surrounding the electrodes. The researchers noted the anodic dissolution and cathodic deposition of Ti to not be uniform. They revealed the evolution mechanism via multi-physical field simulations. Similarly, they obtained local information about the electrode surface to show the evolution of the 3D concentration field, current density and electric field surrounding the electrode along with electroanalysis time. Jiao et al. conducted additional experiments to understand the evolution of the 3D physical fields surrounding the Ni cathode. Based on the outcomes of the 4D characterization process, they optimized the electrorefining process in situ.

In situ optimization of Ti refining process. (A) 3D views of the novel electrolysis system of Ti refining. (B) 3D reconstructed images of the Ti anode and Ni cathode at different electrolysis time ranges. Current density, 0.2 A cm2. (C) Cell voltage-time profile of electrolysis process. (D) The evolution process of the thickness of the deposited Ti from the bottom to the top of the Ni cathode obtained from 3D reconstructed images. (E) The current efficiency of the Ti cathodic deposition on a Ni cathode at different electrolysis stages. (F) The roughness of the Ni cathode at different electrolysis time spans. Credit: Science Advances, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5678

In this way, Handong Jiao and colleagues successfully formed an in situ X-ray micro-computer-tomography method for high-temperature electrochemistry. The product offers new 4D characterization of the phenomenon for the first time. By using a titanium electrorefining experiment at high temperature, Jiao et al. verified the concept. They monitored the evolution of electrolysis for hitherto unknown quantitative details on electrode morphologies and current efficiency relative to different stages of electrolysis. The team combined the experimental results and multiphysics simulations to understand the mechanism of evolution in detail. The resulting techniques can be extended to high temperature electrochemical industries and industrial systems.

Explore further Scientists propose IAP process for separation of aluminum alloys

 2022 Science X Network
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Whistleblowers are not only helping to disclose immoral or criminal acts but also to deter offenders. Niels Johannesen, an economics professor from the University of Copenhagen and Tim Stolper, a former research associate at the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance found clear evidence for this deterrence effect, using the example of data leaks surrounding banking services in tax havens. The economists discovered that following the appearance of the first data leak, which originated from LGT Bank in Liechtenstein, also Swiss banks engaged in cross-border tax evasion suffered significant drops in their share prices. At the same time, bank deposits in tax havens fell by more than ten percent compared to deposits in non-haven countries.

Whistleblowers steal confidential information in order to lay bare criminal actions such as tax evasion. For this, they are sometimes considered to be "heroes of our time", to paraphrase Alfred de Zayas, former UN Special Rapporteur for the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order. This positive view of informants assumes that whistleblowing not only acts as the catalyst for prosecuting individual criminals but also promotes honest behavior by lifting the lid on undesirable conduct. The empirical results by Niels Johannesen, an economics professor from the University of Copenhagen and Tim Stolper, a former research associate at the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance, support this hypothesis.

For their analysis, Johannesen and Stolper examined developments in Switzerland, the world's largest financial center for cross-border wealth management. The economists observed how the share prices of Swiss banks implicated in offshore tax evasion, reacted to a total of 13 data leaks that became public. Their main insights derive from analyses of the so-called Liechtenstein tax affair, the first data leak from a bank involved in tax haven activities to come to the public's attention. An employee of LGT Bank in Liechtenstein had copied customer information and later sold it to the German Federal Intelligence Service. The Liechtenstein tax CD triggered the scandal surrounding the former head of Deutsche Post Klaus Zumwinkel in 2008, and in the following weeks, around 800 further suspects were caught in the authorities' spotlight.

Leak of data lowered expectations of profit

The examination conducted by Johannesen and Stolper revealed that the share prices of Swiss "tax evasion banks" behaved inconspicuously in the ten trading days leading up to the LGT leak. However, in the first two days after the revelations, their prices fell by a market-adjusted amount of 1.1 percent, and in the four subsequent days by a total of 2.2 percent which is statistically significant. Banks that helped to conceal money from the financial authorities clearly suffered a significant drop in their profit expectations as a result of the data leak from LGT Bank.

According to the theory of efficient financial markets as developed by economics Nobel prize winner Eugene Fama, share prices always follow the information available and reflect the net present value of expected future profits. They rise when there is new, positive information on future profits and fall if new negative information comes to light. Applying this theory to the results of Johannesen and Stolper, a decline in the share prices at precisely the time of the data leak can be interpreted as that the financial markets were expecting to see a fall in the future profits from criminal offshore activities.

As the Liechtenstein tax affair was the first data leak that became public, tax evaders and their accomplicesas per the researchers' interpretation ranhad hitherto not taken into account the risk emanating from data leaks, or had not done so sufficiently. The first perception of the risk of a data leak, or at least the perception of a heightened risk, therefore affected the supply and demand for offshore banking services and reduced the expected profits of offshore service providers.

This insight is supported by the results of further analyses by Johannesen and Stolper. For example, Swiss banks with no connection to offshore tax fraud suffered no drop in their share price. It can also be assumed that the US authorities initially investigated those banks where they suspected the greatest involvement in offshore tax evasion or where they had the clearest signs of such activity, and that investors in the stock markets harbored similar suspicions. This chimes with the finding that the share prices of banks which were later subject of criminal investigations by the US authorities fell more appreciably (6.1 percent in four days after the data leak) than those of banks which subsequently offered voluntary disclosures (1.2 percent in four days). The two economists also established that banks that had to pay above-average penalties also suffered higher falls in their share prices (3.2 percent in four days) than banks whose penalties were below the median (1.4 percent in four days).

Bank deposits in tax havens dropped around the world

Johannesen and Stolper also discovered that later uncovering of offshore banking activities, for example the Swiss Leaks in 2009 or the Panama Papers in 2016, had no more significant effects on the banks' share prices. This result also supports the scientists' main hypothesis: after the first data leak became known, owners of illegal bank accounts and offshore companies as well as their accomplices on the side of the banks adjusted their expectations, or in other words factored in the risk that their criminal schemes might be uncovered. The share prices fell because new negative information affected the price. The data leaks that subsequently came to light, contained no additional news in terms of the risk of discovery.

Finally, Johannesen and Stolper underpinned their theory of the deterrent effect of whistleblowing with statistics from the Bank for International Settlements. After the data leak, international bank deposits in tax havens around the world fell by more than ten percent by comparison with deposits in countries not acting as a tax haven. This implies that the effects of whistleblowing identified by the economists constitute more than a mere financial market phenomenon. Rather, the revelations actually had real consequences, namely the effect of frightening off tax fraudsters and their accomplices.

The research was published in The Journal of Law and Economics.

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More information: Niels Johannesen et al, The Deterrence Effect of Whistleblowing, The Journal of Law and Economics (2022). Journal information: Journal of Law and Economics Niels Johannesen et al, The Deterrence Effect of Whistleblowing,(2022). DOI: 10.1086/715197
Firn ice core with storage tray. Credit: C. Barbante

The first ice core drilling campaign of Beyond Epica-Oldest Ice has been successfully completed at the remote Little Dome C site in Antarcticaone of the most extreme places on Earth. By analyzing a deep ice core extracted from the Antarctic ice sheet, scientists aim to find out information on the evolution of the temperatures, on the composition of the atmosphere and on the carbon cycle over the last 1.5 million years.

BAS scientist Dr. Robert Mulvaney was part of the site selection team who spent three years looking for the perfect location to extract this ice core. Finally after COVID delays during the 2021/22 campaign, the team completed the field camp installation, set up the drilling area reaching a depth of 130 meters, completed the temporary storage cave, and installed the complex drilling system. The target is to reach a depth of about 2,700 meters, the ice thickness at Little Dome Can area of 10 km2 located 34 km from the Italian-French Concordia Station.

The campaign is an unprecedented effort in paleoclimatology studies, to reveal invaluable information on temperature and on the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere in the past. Glaciologists, engineers and technicians of the international team have worked at an altitude of 3,233 meters above sea level, over 1,000 km away from the coast. Strong gusts of wind and a temperature almost always below -40C, with lows of -52C, made camp set-up even more challenging.

Carlo Barbante, director of the Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council of Italy (Cnr-Isp) and professor at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, is the project coordinator. He says:

Aerial view of the Little Dome C camp. Credit: C. Barbante

"We are very satisfied with the work done so far. Our next campaign will involve a final testing of the drilling system and then speedily proceeding to conduct deep drilling. We believe this ice core will give us information on the climate of the past and on the greenhouse gases that were in the atmosphere during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), which happened between 900,000 and 1.2 million years ago. During this transition, climate periodicity between ice ages changed from 41,000 to 100,000 years: the reason why this happened is the mystery we hope to solve."

The climate and the environmental history of our planet is archived in the ice, which can reveal information from centuries and even hundreds of millennia ago on changing temperatures and on the historical composition of the atmosphereincluding levels of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.

Dr. Robert Mulvaney, who's part of the Beyond EPICA project and who was involved in the site selection says:

"I'm delighted that the drilling of the Oldest Ice Core is finally underway. It is almost twenty years now since the first EPICA drilling project reached the bottom of the Antarctic ice sheet at nearly 3200 meters and gave the world the unparalleled record of the evolution of our climate and the greenhouse gases over the past 800,000 years. Now we want to obtain older ice, to understand how our climate and atmosphere changed over 1.5 million years. After three years spent searching for the best site for drilling, we are now at last on our way. Only 130 meters this year, but the drilling camp and the drilling infrastructure is now operational. I am personally looking forward to next season when I will join the drillers to hopefully drill the next 1000 meters on our way to the bedrock."

This international research project started in 2019 and will last seven years and is funded by the European Commission with 11 million euros, and supported by significant financial and in-kind contributions from the participating nations. The project is coordinated by the Institute of Polar Sciences of the Cnr (National Research Council of Italy).

Explore further Antarctica: Beyond Epica exploring the climate of the past
Lions are the only predator of African elephants, apart from humans. Credit: Graeme Shannon, Author provided

It's not only humans who suffer from the long-term effects of childhood trauma. In our latest research we discovered that there appears to be a very real and lasting impact on elephants who experienced trauma and profound social disruption many decades earlier.

Families of African elephants who had witnessed their parents being culled appeared less able to differentiate between the roars of different numbers of lions than the elephants from a natural, relatively undisturbed populationand as you can imagine, assessing the level of danger from their key predator is a crucial skill on the African savanna.

Acquiring complex ecological knowledge about their own population and surrounding environment (such as how to accurately assess predatory threat)and passing it onto younger family membersis crucial for long-lived species who live in multi-generational groups, such as elephants.

The knowledge passed from one generation to the next can vary depending upon specific threats faced by the population. For example, elephants in Amboseli National Park, Kenya can use human voices to distinguish the greater threat associated with groups of people that are more likely to hunt them. They recognized the more threatening people on the basis of ethnicity, gender and age through their language and voice characteristics.

Aside from humans, lions are the key natural predator of elephants. It may be rare, but lions will occasionally hunt calves that have become separated from their family. In some regions, such as the Chobe national park in Botswana, large prides of lions have actually become adept elephant hunters and will even tackle smaller adults.

How we assessed threat response

For many years we have been studying African elephants in South Africa and Kenya, to explore the role of age and experience in effective leadership and decision making.

Our previous research in 2011 showed that the oldest matriarchs in Amboseli National Park were better at determining the greater danger associated with larger-bodied male lions compared with female lions solely from listening to lion roars broadcast from our custom-built loudspeaker. Making these subtle acoustic distinctions required experience gained over a long lifetime.

So, in our latest study we set out to explore whether social trauma experienced decades ago might affect the natural ability of wild elephants to make key decisions on predatory threat.

We used two populations with differing developmental backgrounds. The natural population in Amboseli consisted of stable family groups with related individuals, and had experienced low levels of human disturbance. But the elephant population in Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa was founded with young, unrelated elephants who were survivors of culling operations in Kruger National Park during the early 1980s. The adult females from the families were shot, while the young animals were rounded up and moved to new reserves, forming groups with unrelated individuals. Thankfully this practice was ended soon after the population in Pilanesberg was established.

We broadcast one or three roaring lions to our study populations in Amboseli and Pilanesberg over a period of three years. The 30 second roars were broadcast from the back of our project Land Rover in the late afternoon when lions are most active. The behavioral responses of the elephant family group to the lion roars were recorded on video for later analysis.

Impact of trauma

The Amboseli elephants adjusted their behavioral response depending upon the number of lions that were broadcast. In situations of greater threat (more roaring lions) the elephants formed a rapid defensive bunch that would likely deter even the most committed predator. These involve calves moving to the middle of the group while the adults form a defensive ring. Whereas a single roaring lion was met with a reduced threat response and the elephants were less alert.

But the Pilanesberg elephants did not appear able to distinguish three roaring lions as a greater threat than one roaring lion, showing a similar high probability of defensive bunching in both situations.

This overreacting to every situation could potentially result in increased use of energy, loss of feeding time and injury risks.

So, it appears that their traumatic past has had a long-term impact on the development and knowledge acquisition of these surviving animals.

In fact, the results echo those of our earlier study exploring social knowledge in the Pilanesberg elephants. We found that they were unable to assess the greater social threat presented by the vocalizations of unfamiliar and older adult female elephants.

As well as the likely direct impact of trauma, the lack of older highly knowledgeable females in the orphaned population is key. The passing on of knowledge is likely to have significant survival and reproductive benefits for families led by the oldest and most experienced matriarchs, whereas orphaned elephants commonly miss out on the benefits.

But it's not all bad news. Despite everything, the elephants in Pilanesberg have shown remarkable resilience and over time have formed stable family groups that exhibit normal social behavior. This is not always the case, with some reintroduced elephants showing very high levels of aggression against other animals.

Our results have important implications for the remaining elephant populations across Africa, many of which face considerable pressure from humans, such as poaching, habitat loss and climate change. These threats greatly impact social structure and the opportunity to learn crucial skills from older and more experienced individuals.

Sadly it is often these older and wiser animals that are the target of illegal hunting due to their larger tusks. Ultimately, when it comes to conserving long-lived and highly social species such as elephants, we need to protect the social structure of the population.

Explore further Orphaned elephants struggle to assess the threat posed by roaring lions

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A general view shows a newly discovered Roman cemetery containing ornately decorated graves, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.

Construction workers at a building site in northern Gaza have uncovered 31 Roman-era tombs dating from the first century AD, the Palestinian territory's Islamist rulers Hamas said Monday.

The tombs were discovered near the town of Beit Lahia as work began on an Egyptian-funded residential area, part of the $500 million reconstruction package Cairo pledged after the 11-day war in May between Israel and armed groups in the Gaza Strip.

Naji Sarhan, an official at Gaza's Ministry of Public Works, confirmed the find and said there is "evidence that there are other graves" at the site.

Construction work has been halted and technicians from Gaza's Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism have been sent to the site to catalogue gravestones and artefacts, officials said.

One technician, who requested anonymity, said the tombs were believed to be part of a cemetery linked to a nearby Roman site in Balakhiya.

The find was the latest in Gaza, where tourism to archaeological sites is limited due to an Israeli blockade imposed since Hamas took over the strip in 2007.

Israel and Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, tightly restrict the flow of people in and out of the impoverished strip, which is home to about 2.3 million Palestinians.

Last month, Hamas reopened the remains of a fifth-century Byzantine church following a years-long restoration effort backed by foreign donors.

 2022 AFP
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A soldier of the Pakistani army and five terrorists were killed in a clash in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an army statement said on Sunday.

The intense exchange of fire took place when security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan district of the province, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement.

The killed five terrorists had been involved in terrorist activities against security forces, targeted killings and kidnappings for ransom, the statement said, adding that weapons and ammunition including submachine guns and hand grenades were seized from their possession.
Failure under uniaxial tensile loading. (a) Optical image of the cubic octet-truss specimen with an embedded square crack of side 2a. Insets: XCT images of the octet-truss microstructure, unit cell and orientation and geometry of the embedded crack. b,c, XCT images of the crack front/flank at loading-stage I in e (b) and cracks of fixed size 2a but with varying cell sizes  as parameterized by a/ (c). d, Tensile loading set-up, with in situ XCT imaging. e, Tensile load P versus displacement u response of the =0.08 uncracked and cracked (a/=10) specimens. f, The crack front/flanks at KIc (loading-stage II in e). Inset: a magnified view of the failed crack front struts. g, Measured normalized toughness KIc versus relative density  (lines are FE predictions and symbols are measurements with error bars indicating variation over five test samples). h, XCT image for the  = 0.03 and a/=4 specimen when failure is set by elastic buckling of crack front struts Inset: a magnified view of the buckled struts. Nature Materials, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01182-1

Mechanical metamaterials are an emerging class of materials primarily governed by their architecture to create lightweight materials with extreme mechanical properties. The functionality of such materials is limited by their tolerance to damage and defects, better known as "fracture toughness." Materials scientists credit the difficulty in part to the manufacture and characterization of a large number of unit cells. In a recent report now published on Nature Materials, Angkur Jyoti Dipanka Shaikeea and a team of scientists in engineering and metamaterials at the University of Cambridge U.K., and the University of California, Los Angeles, U.S., combined numerical and asymptotic analyses to extend the ideas of elastic fracture mechanics to mechanical 3D metamaterials and developed a design protocol to form optimally robust discrete solids.

The evolution of materials

The evolution of materials engineering has led to the development of a range of material properties with unique combinations, and the material property space can be expanded by introducing new alloys and new microstructures. Advances in additive manufacture have allowed intriguingly accurate small-scale, periodic and functionally graded architectures that can be formed into large networks to create man-made materials on the macroscopic scale known as metamaterials, alongside mechanical metamaterials more distinctly defined by their structure rather than composition.

Three-dimensional (3D) micro- and nano-lattices are a promising class of low-density materials with numerous applications including thermal insulation and energy absorption, with remarkable mechanical and functional properties. These functionalities are governed by the parent material and their architecture, known as mechanical metamaterials. Researchers have used additive manufacturing methods, including projection microstereolithography and two-photon lithography to form polymeric, metallic and ceramic metamaterials.

Primary author Angkur Shaikeea is a Cambridge India Ramanujan Scholar; he joined Cambridge for his Ph.D. with Professor Vikram Deshpande, who is an eminent scholar in mechanics of solids. Shaikeea is currently the Ashby Research Fellow in the Engineering department at Cambridge. The team of scientists have formed key collaborations with another leading team at the metamaterial fabrication lab of Dr. Xiaoyu Rayne Zheng at the University of California, Los Angeles, U.S., to realize the outcomes of this research. In this work, Shaikeea et al. used a stretch-dominated metamaterial made of a network of struts to form an octet-truss. The team developed the large 3D specimens containing nearly 10 million periodic cells and cell sizes as small as 150 m via large-area projection microstereolithography to form each layer through a continuously moving projection via subsections.

Failure under multiaxial loading. (a) Multiaxial loading set-up with in situ XCT imaging. (b) Summary of the measurements and FE predictions of KIc as a function of the load triaxiality   Q/P for specimens that fail by strut fracture ( = 0.1) and elastic strut buckling ( = 0.03). Results are shown for two values of a/ in both cases. (c) FE modelling of the specimens. Insets: individual struts modelled as elastic solids and shaded by contours of the normalized axial stress a/f (f is the strength of the parent solid TMPTA). (df) FE predictions of the failure modes for loading with  = 1. Failure set by elastic buckling of crack front (d,e) and crack flank struts (f) of the =0.03 and a/=4 specimen. The predicted KIc differs by 1% between the different eigenmodes in d and e, and by 2% between e and f. The struts are shaded by magnitude of normalized displacement u/umax. g, Distribution of normalized axial stresses a/f for the a/=10 and =0.10 specimen ( = 1) with crack tip struts predicted to undergo tensile fracture at KIc. h,i, XCT images for the =0.03 and a/=4 specimen for loading with  = 1 when failure is set by elastic buckling of crack front struts (h) and crack flank struts (i). Insets: magnified views of the buckled struts. The measured KIc between h and i differs by only 2%. Nature Materials, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01182-1

The experimental system allowed the scientists to manufacture samples with embedded cracks to perform a range of valid fracture toughness measurements. Using in situ X-ray computed tomography and large-scale numerical simulations, the team characterized fracture mechanisms across a range of specimen densities, parent materials, cell sizes and crack sizes, including loading configurations. Shaikeea described the concept of architected metamaterials as "a rapidly proliferating engineering material suited for a wide range of applications, although such materials are limited in structural applications simply since, no engineering material can find application without a clear understanding of defect and damage tolerance." He explained that "this was highlighted thus far by a lack of experiments measuring the toughness in large 3D specimens."

To generate the required crack-tip K field for fracture toughness mechanisms, they formed the metamaterial specimen by using a large-area projection microstereolithography system. The method allowed printing of each layer via single projection to develop inhomogeneous material properties, although with enclosed heat in the central region. To overcome this, the team used a moving projection system for curing in subsections for reduced heat generation with enhanced dissipation, and increased printing area without sacrificing resolution.

The team combined the experimental setup with X-ray computed tomographic (XCT) observations and large-scale numerical simulations to characterize fracture mechanics of truss-based 3D metamaterials. Shaikeea notes the use of "XCT data as a major advancement for experimental mechanics in general." As a first step to characterize the fracture, they employed uniaxial tensile tests, and combined them with an in situ observation protocol. To develop a physical understanding of the observations, they performed finite element simulations for uniaxial and multiaxial loading cases and modeled every strut in the specimen.

Fracture mechanism map. (a) Sketch illustrating the crack front coordinate system and a 2D slice used in the asymptotic analysis. (b) FE predictions showing the sensitivity of the asymptotic predictions of KIc to T over a range of relative densities . (c) FE predictions of normalized axial stress aa/(Es) around the crack tip for an applied KI/(Es)=0.01 and three choices of the normalized T-stress T. (d) FE predictions and measurements from Fig. 2b replotted as a function of T to illustrate that  and T set KIc, with the effect of a/ and  both captured within T. (e) Fracture mechanism map of the octet-truss metamaterial, with axes of normalized T-stress T and /f and contours of KIc/f. The strut tensile fracture and strut elastic buckling failure regimes are shaded. Nature Materials, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01182-1

The team developed a protocol to select the optimal topology for a given application. They combined calibration factors with metamaterial microstructural parameters and constituent material properties to form "fracture mechanism maps" to provide information on the failure mode and toughness of the metamaterial. By using fracture maps from different types of unit cell topology, they created topology selection maps to maximize toughness or failure loads, allowing researchers to select optimized metamaterial topologies based on various design parameters.

The procedure was independent of topology and is applicable for other classes of truss-based metamaterials. Such maps can be used by materials designers to identify failure in different applications at minimal computational cost, compared to modeling microstructural detail of the metamaterial. This setup can provide a materials selection protocol for mechanical metamaterials design, much like Ashby plots for materials selection in materials design with conventional materials.

Through-thickness cracks. (a) Sketch illustrating tensile loading of a specimen of thickness 2B with a through-thickness crack (CCT geometry). FE predictions of the variation of normalized axial strut stresses a/max for struts along the crack front (the maximum tensile and compressive stresses are plotted in each unit cell along the crack front) are included in the inset, which also illustrates the local axis  along the crack front with  = 0 at the midplane of the specimen and  = B on the specimen free surfaces. b, FE predictions and measurements (error bars indicating variation over five tests) of KIc versus  for specimens of different thicknesses 2B. In each case, the results are shown for two values of a/, with the embedded crack results reproduced from Fig. 1g. c, XCT image of a portion of the 2B= specimen. Inset: optical image of the specimen along with a magnified view of the microstructure (scale bar refers to inset). d,e, XCT images and FE predictions of the crack tip state at KIc in the a/=10 specimen illustrating the tensile fracture ( = 0.10) (d) and elastic strut buckling ( = 0.03) (e) failure modes. The FE predictions show distributions of the normalized axial stress a/max and the normalized displacements u/umax in d and e, respectively, with the maximum taken over all struts in the specimen. f, XCT image of a portion of the 2B=100 specimen, with a/=10 showing the free surface and five unit cells along the thickness. Inset: optical image of the specimen with the dashed cuboid marking the region of the XCT image. g,h, The corresponding FE predictions and XCT observations show that failure by tensile strut fracture (=0.10) (g) and elastic strut buckling (=0.03) (h) occurs on the specimen free surfaces. Nature Materials, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01182-1

Applications of the proposed framework

The researchers showed that the framework applies to any 3D metamaterial, regardless of its topology and constituent material properties. Further investigations will shed light on the types of constituent material behavior, including stress, which can influence qausibrittle materials. Many engineering materials are affected by strain rates and size effects, where materials that are brittle at bulk scale show improved ductility and toughness at sub-micron scales. The multiscale in situ characterization studies can help understand and predict mechanical properties of the metamaterials with features spanning several orders of magnitude.

Uniformity of mechanical properties. (a) Optical image of the printed specimen and (b) sketches depicting tensile testing along x, y and z directions where z is the build direction. The measured tensile responses for the (c)  = 0.1 and (d)  = 0.02 specimens in the x, y and z directions. Predictions based on the measured properties of a single strut (Supplementary Fig. 2) are included in (c) and (d). (e) The specimen cut into 27 sub-cubes and (f) uniaxial tensile tests were conducted on each cube along the (g) z direction. The measured responses are shown in (h) and (i) for the  = 0.1 specimen with two different choices of unit cell dimensions. The shaded zone depicts the variation over the 27 sub-cubes with the solid line the mean measured response. Nature Materials, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01182-1

The work will inspire investigations of diverse metamaterial topologies including shell and plate lattices, non-uniform periodic arrangements including crystal-inspired architectures. Shaikeea highlights a key outcome of the study as "understanding T-stress and its effects in fracture mechanics of 3D architected solids."

Design with metamaterials. (a) Octet-truss beam of aspect ratio L/W = 20 with the embedded crack (a/W = 0.2) subjected to four-point bending. (b) Geometry of the continuum anisotropic elastic beam used to determine the calibration factors YI and T^ for KIand T, respectively. (c) The cross-plotted fracture map from Fig. 3e. (d) Prediction of the normalized failure load Pf of the  = 0.08 octet-truss over a range of crack sizes and two choices of parent materials. The reference prediction for an assumed T= 0 is also included. The black markers in (c-d) show examples of the prediction of the normalized failure load P = Pf for a crack with a/=16 in a  = 0.08 octet-truss metamaterial beam made from parent materials with f = 0.025 and 0.1. (e-g) Topology selection for maximizing failure load under four-point bending. (e) The four candidate topologies with their orientations labelled in the global beam co-ordinate system (X,Y,Z). (f) Continuum calibration of the geometric constants YI and T^ and (g) description of the optimal topology and improvement over the next best candidate for a  = 0.08 beam made from a parent material with failure strains f = 0.025 and 0.1. Nature Materials, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01182-1

Outlook

In this way, Angkur Jyoti Dipanka Shaikeea and colleagues developed a novel study as a milestone towards structural applications of mechanical metamaterials. The work will prompt materials scientists to revisit fundamental concepts of fracture in discrete solids, while providing a framework to form optimal metamaterials for specific applications. More research could be done to explore various topologies, material behaviors and size effects of metamaterials relative to mechanical characteristics of strength and toughness. The work has the potential to develop metamaterial selection maps and performance indices, much like Ashby plots for conventional materials, with profound impact on future mechanical studies.

Explore further Origami, kirigami inspire mechanical metamaterials designs

More information: Angkur Jyoti Dipanka Shaikeea et al, The toughness of mechanical metamaterials, Nature Materials (2022). Angkur Jyoti Dipanka Shaikeea et al, The toughness of mechanical metamaterials,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-021-01182-1 A. Fleck et al, Micro-architectured materials: past, present and future, Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (2010). DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2010.0215 Journal information: Nature Materials

 2022 Science X Network
Green fluorescent protein (shown in the middle) is used by engineered bacteria as a reserve of amino acids. When nutrients become scarce, the protein can be broken down to provide essential amino acids needed for survival. Credit: Klara Szydlo & Thomas Gorochowski

Researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Hamburg have engineered bacteria with internal nutrient reserves that can be accessed when needed to survive extreme environmental conditions. The findings, published in ACS Synthetic Biology, pave the way for more robust biotechnologies based on engineered microbes.

Synthetic biology allows scientists to redesign organisms, harnessing their capabilities to lead to innovative solutions spanning the sustainable production of biomaterials to advanced sensing of pathogens and disease.

Dr. Thomas Gorochowski, joint senior author and a Royal Society University Research Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences at Bristol, said: "Many of the engineered biological systems we have created to date are fragile and break easily when removed from the carefully controlled conditions of the lab. This makes their deployment and scale-up difficult."

To tackle this problem, the team focused on the idea of building up reserves of protein within cells when times are good, and then breaking these down when conditions are difficult and additional nutrients are needed.

Klara Szydlo, first author and a Ph.D. student at the University of Hamburg, elaborated: "Cells require building blocks like amino acids to function and survive. We modified bacteria to have a protected reserve of these that could then be broken down and released when nutrients became scarce in the wider environment. This allowed the cells to continue functioning when times were tough and made them more robust to any unexpected challenges they faced."

To create such a system, the team engineered bacteria to produce proteins that could not be directly used by the cell, but which were recognized by molecular machines called proteases. When nutrients fluctuated in the environment, these proteases could then be called on to release the amino acids making up the protein reserve. The released amino acids allowed the cells to continue growing, even though the environment lacked the nutrients required. The system acted similar to a biological battery that the cell could tap into when the mains power was cut.

Dr. Gorochowski added: "Developing such a system like this is difficult because there are many different aspects of the design to consider. How big should the protein reserve be? How quickly does this need to be broken down? What sorts of environmental fluctuation would this approach work for? We had lots of questions and no easy way to assess the different options."

To get around this problem, the team built a mathematical model that allowed them to simulate lots of different scenarios and better understand where the system worked well and where it broke. It turned out that a careful balance was required between the size of the protein reserve, the speed of its breakdown when required, and the length of time nutrients were scarce. Importantly though, the model also showed that if the right combination of these factors was present, the cell could be completely shielded from changes in the environment.

Professor Zoya Ignatova, joint senior author from the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Hamburg, concluded: "We've been able to demonstrate how carefully managing reserves of key cellular resources is a valuable approach to engineering bacteria that need to operate in challenging environments. This capability will become increasingly important as we deploy our systems into complex real-world settings and our work helps pave the way for more robust engineered cells that can operate in a safe and predictable manner."

Explore further How to meet demand in bacterial 'factories'

More information: Klara Szydlo et al, Improving the Robustness of Engineered Bacteria to Nutrient Stress Using Programmed Proteolysis, ACS Synthetic Biology (2022). Journal information: ACS Synthetic Biology Klara Szydlo et al, Improving the Robustness of Engineered Bacteria to Nutrient Stress Using Programmed Proteolysis,(2022). DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00490
Life reconstruction of Iberospinus natarioi (ML1190) showing 3D digitalization of some of the recovered bones, along with reconstructed musculature. Upper, right lateral view; Bottom, anterolateral left view. Paleoart by Victor Feijo de Carvalho. Credit: Mateus, Estraviz-Lopez et al., 2022, PLOS ONE

A pair of researchers affiliated with both the NOVA School of Science and Technology and Museu da Lourinha, has found evidence that suggests a group of fossils found 23 years ago in Portugal are the remains of a new species of Spinosaurusthe type of dinosaur featured prominently in the movie Jurassic Park III. They have named it Iberospinus natarioi. In their paper posted on the open-access site PLOS ONE, Octavio Mateus and Daro Estraviz-Lopez, describe the fossils they studied and explain why they believe they belonged to a separate species of Spinosaurus.

Spinosaurids are believed to be one of the largest living carnivores to have ever walked the earth. They were long with large back legs and small front legs, as well as long tails and large heads that somewhat resembled those of a crocodile. They lived during the Mesozoic in Africa and parts of Britain and Europe, most notably on the Iberian Peninsula. Prior research has suggested that they likely lived most of their lives in the water but were quite capable of chasing down prey on land as well. Estimates of their characteristics are generalized as only a small number of fossils that have been found.

In this new effort, Mateus and Estraviz-Lopez suspected that the fossil remains discovered in 1999 close to Cabo Espichel, Portugal had been mistakenly identified. For many years, it was believed that the remains were from a single Spinosaurus known as Baryonyx walkeriso they were given the label ML1190. The fossils included dorsal vertebra, rib fragments, a pubis shaft, dentary fragments, a partial right scapula, a phalanx bone, a public peduncle, and dorsal neural arches.

In taking a closer look at the fossils, the research pair found that they came from a creature that was likely 9 meters long and lived approximately 125 million years ago. In studying where the nerves would have been in the creature's mandible and a tip on the dentary that was straight instead of curved as it was with other Spinosaurids, the researchers found evidence of a unique species. They also found it had a unique bony ridge on its pubis and lacked the type of muscle projections seen with Baryonyx. They gave it the name Iberospinus natarioi, after the Iberian Peninsula, and Carlos Natario, the amateur archeologist who found the fossils.

Explore further Fossils of largest theropod to date found in Australia

More information: Octavio Mateus et al, A new theropod dinosaur from the early cretaceous (Barremian) of Cabo Espichel, Portugal: Implications for spinosaurid evolution, PLOS ONE (2022). Journal information: PLoS ONE Octavio Mateus et al, A new theropod dinosaur from the early cretaceous (Barremian) of Cabo Espichel, Portugal: Implications for spinosaurid evolution,(2022). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262614

 2022 Science X Network
Porthcawl Lighthouse in South Wales is buffeted by waves during Storm Eunices approach. Credit: Leighton Collins/Shutterstock

The UK Met Office has issued two red weather warnings in as many months for strong winds. These are the highest threat levels meteorologists can announce, and are the first wind-only red warnings to be issued since 2016's Storm Gertrude.

So what's behind the UK's recent spate of dangerous wind storms? And are these events likely to become more common in future?

Storm Arwen in late November 2021 caused devastation across Scotland, northern England and parts of Wales. Winds of 100mph killed three people, ripped up trees, and left 9,000 people without power for over a week in freezing temperatures.

The destruction caused by Arwen is still apparent in some areas, and the clean-up from Storm Dudleywhich battered eastern England on Wednesday February 16is underway at the time of writing.

Now the UK faces Storm Eunice, and its gusts of up to 122 miles per hour. Eunice bears a striking similarity to the "Great Storm" of 1987, which unleashed hurricane-force winds and claimed 22 lives across Britain and France in October of that year. Both are predicted to contain a "sting jet": a small, narrow airstream that can form inside a storm and produce intense winds over an area smaller than 100 km.

Pilots have been struggling to land at Heathrow Airport due to strong winds from Storm Eunice. Video courtesy of @BigJetTVLIVE who have a live stream from the airport since this morning, showing planes landing. @HeathrowAirport #stormeunice #Heathrow pic.twitter.com/8cdkv1oMN0  London Live (@LondonLive) February 18, 2022

Sting jets, which were first discovered in 2003, and likely occurred during the Great Storm and Storm Arwen, can last anywhere between one and 12 hours. They are difficult to forecast and relatively rare, but make storms more dangerous.

Sting jets occur in a certain type of extratropical cyclonea rotating wind system that forms outside of the tropics. These airstreams form around 5km above the Earth's surface then descend on the southwest side of a cyclone, close to its center, accelerating as they do and bringing fast-moving air from high in the atmosphere with them. When they form, they can produce much higher wind speeds on the ground than might otherwise be forecast by studying pressure gradients in the storm's core alone.

Meteorologists are still working to understand sting jets, but they are likely to have a significant influence on the UK's weather in a warming climate.

Windier winters ahead?

In 1987, the models used for weather forecasts were incapable of representing sting jets, but improvements mean that forecasters predicted Storm Eunice before it had even begun to form in the Atlantic.

Over the past decade, our team at Newcastle University has worked closely with colleagues at the UK Met Office to develop new high-resolution climate models that can simulate sting jets, as well as hail and lightning, to illuminate how extreme weather events might change in a warming climate.

We already know that, as the world warms, downpours are intensifying. The simple reason is that warmer air can hold more moisture. The UK saw the wettest day on record in 2020, already estimated to be 2.5 times more likely because of greenhouse gas emissions.

Our research team's new high-resolution climate models predict bigger increases in winter rainfall than standard global climate models due to a large increase in rainfall from thunderstorms during winter.

We are less certain about how the pattern of extreme wind storms, like Eunice, will change, as the relevant processes are much more complicated. The UK's recent cluster of winter wind storms is related to a particularly strong polar vortex creating low pressure in the Arctic, and a faster jet streama core of very strong wind high in the atmosphere that can extend across the Atlanticbringing stormier and very wet weather to the UK.

A stronger jet stream makes storms more powerful and its orientation roughly determines the track of the storm and where it affects. Some aspects of climate change strengthen the jet stream, leading to more UK wind storms. Other aspects, like the higher rate of warming over the poles compared with the equator, may weaken it and the westerly flow of wind towards the UK.

Our high-resolution models predict more intense wind storms over the UK as climate change accelerates, with much of this increase coming from storms that develop sting jets.

Projections from global climate models are uncertain and suggest only small increases in the number of extreme cyclones. But these models fail to represent sting jets and poorly simulate the processes that cause storms to build. As a result, these models probably underestimate future changes in storm intensity.

We think that using high-resolution climate models, which can represent important processes like sting jets, alongside information from global models on how large-scale conditions might change, could give a more accurate picture. But the UK isn't doing enough to prepare for the increasingly severe extreme weather already predicted.

Humanity has a choice in how much warmer the world gets based on the rate at which we reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While more research will confirm if more extreme wind storms will hit the UK in the future, we are certain that winter storms will produce stronger downpours and more rain and flooding when they do occur.

Explore further Predicting and preparing for the impact of approaching storms

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday reminded New Yorkers to continue to seek COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses when the time comes.

"The vaccine is a key tool to beat back this virus and keep our families safe," Hochul said in a news release. "Parents and guardians, please talk to your pediatrician or health care provider about getting your children vaccinated, and boosted if eligible, if you haven't already."

Hospitalizations in the state have fallen below 2,600, the lowest since before Thanksgiving. The report stated 2,574 residents were hospitalized on Sunday, with only 270 new admissions. Additionally, 403 patients were discharged.

On Sunday, 2,640 positive COVID cases were identified out of the 170,969 tests given in New York.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate continues to drop and was at 2.2%.

According to the CDC's vaccination data, 75.2% of the state's population has completed the vaccine series.

Warren County

Warren County Health Services no longer releases daily COVID cases reports on Sundays.

According to the New York state vaccine tracker, 51,339 county residents have received one dose of the vaccine and 48,128 have been fully vaccinated.

Washington County

According to New York state COVID data on Sunday, 16 positive cases were recorded in Washington County on Saturday out of the 294 residents tested.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate was at 5.5%.

The New York state vaccine tracker states that 41,123 residents have received one dose of the vaccine and 38,860 have been fully vaccinated.

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ATLANTIC CITY  Work to improve conditions in the citys Chelsea neighborhood will begin in March, with funding available to add surveillance cameras, increase security in higher-crime areas, address vacant properties and build a network of street captains to keep their blocks tidy and safe.

The Chelsea Economic Development Corporation recently announced its plan for the upcoming year and said it addresses a variety of issues, ranging from safety to beautification.

One of the programs initiatives will allow local businesses to participate in the Atlantic City Police Departments Project PACT by adding security cameras in key locations outside their businesses that will feed right to the police departments surveillance.

The Project Protecting Atlantic City Together, or Project PACT, surveillance initiative started in 2017. It allows local businesses to connect their privately owned cameras to the departments multi-million dollar 24-hour surveillance system.

The Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program of New Jersey, a tax credit program by the N.J. Department of Community Affairs that fosters revitalization in distressed neighborhoods, is funding the program, which allows the Chelsea EDC to pay for all aspects of the Beautify Chelsea Program initiatives, like security cameras.

Businesses near problem areas hope the cameras and public safety presence will make the neighborhood safer.

Other initiatives include a street captain program that allows residents to act as community leaders within their block or other blocks in the Chelsea area to get neighbors involved with clean-ups, beautification and other efforts the program wishes to spearhead. Rewards, incentives and funding will be given to street captains and their designated blocks based on their activism, adding a competitive aspect to the program.

The incentives are also made possible from the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program funding, unlike past programs that required donated rewards from local businesses and the Chelsea EDC.

The Beautify Chelsea Street Captain program plans to engage residents to help keep the neighborhood more clean and safe, said Elizabeth Terenik, the president of the Chelsea EDC. Our goal is to have volunteer captains. The ambassadors will act as a public safety presence and contact police if there are any issues.

Volunteer street captains become community leaders by working with neighbors and businesses to beautify the neighborhood, clean up public spaces and ensure the neighborhoods safety.

Street captains could improve housing and property conditions by encouraging neighbors to improve the appearance of their properties and public areas near their home, such as sidewalks and streets, and giving bulbs and planters to neighborhood businesses and residents for beautification.

They will also identify and report code violations and infrastructure needs and address community safety issues, acting as a neighborhood watch.

Terenik said among the five street captains hired to kick off the program is a retired ACPD officer who will lead the public safety initiatives.

Terenik said street captains will be focusing public safety efforts in areas deemed unsafe.

With help from the Atlantic City Police Department, specific areas in the Chelsea and Chelsea Heights neighborhood were identified from incident reports. The data helped determine which streets had the most incidents, as well as the days and times problems occurred.

Terenik said some of those hot spots included Texas, Boston, and Chelsea avenues where there are liquor stores and bus stops located.

Nighttime problems

Salina Nixon, 46, works at the 24 Hours convenience store on Texas Avenue, which falls just outside of the Chelsea neighborhood bounds.

Nixon said she works during the daytime, but her nighttime coworkers get the brunt of the hazards the block faces.

During the daytime, its fine. There are people that hang out outside, but they dont cause problems, said Nixon. The nighttime is when there are more problems.

Nixon said incidents that occur on the block range from robberies to shootings and stabbings. She said some of her customers even complain to the store about drug use happening on the block.

If people see the police around, they will think twice, said Nixon, who believes a greater police presence is needed to deter these incidents.

We have inside cameras, but none outside, said Nixon, who believes the cameras in conjunction with ACPD monitoring will improve safety in the area. We dont have access to see everything, but we also dont have the money for it.

Security cameras given to the businesses will be covered by the programs grant money.

Other businesses dont think the cameras will help.

Silva Sharmin, 32, works at City Grocery II, which falls within Chelsea on Texas Avenue.

If something happens here, how can a camera help me? said Sharmin. People and the drugs in the neighborhood make it unsafe.

Terenik said another aspect of the program would be to address the abandoned properties, such as boarded-up properties directly across from City Grocery II, which attract more crime.

Owners have walked away from these properties so people are breaking into them, and theyve become magnets for crime, said Terenik.

Some city residents say the Chelsea area is one of the safer parts of the city.

Theres not a lot of crime in the area I live in, said Lucia Morales, who lives in Chelsea near Atlantic Avenue.

Theres a lot of people outside drinking, but its not bad. Theyre just having fun, said Morales while standing outside of Pats Liquor Store on Atlantic Avenue where a few residents enjoyed a freshly cracked, tall-boy can of Natural Ice on an early afternoon.

Tadinder Singh, 37 who works at Oldwells Liquor on Pacific and Chelsea avenues in one of the areas marked as unsafe, said security cameras outside of his building werent necessary.

Its safer now than it has been in the last two years, said Singh. There are no more drugs outside, and the cops are around here more.

Singh said a building across the street recently installed outside security cameras, which reinforces his liquor stores security, but that other areas closer to the Tropicana Atlantic City and Providence Avenue that have been marked as unsafe areas would benefit from increased safety.

Jean Jonson, 63, lives in Galloway Township but frequents the ODonnell Park on Albany Avenue in the Chelsea neighborhood when she has free time just because.

Its safe down here. Police are all over, and the cameras watch everything, Jonson said as she sat at the bus stop on Atlantic and Boston avenues, enjoying Wednesdays weather.

Some residents and business owners expressed concerns about other parts of the city.

This is the quiet part, not like the bus station, Jonson said of the downtown area where the Atlantic City Bus Terminal is located. They got to clean that bus station out.

Morales said she has family near the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. They should install more cameras and security going towards the Hard Rock, she said.

And Nixon said, A lot of crime happens on Bellevue Avenue, which is one street away from the Chelsea boundary.

While Chelsea residents debate the need for security, the program will focus on preparing for its anticipated spring start date and enhancing the overall well-being of the community by having the city and residents working together.

Contact Selena Vazquez: 609-272-7225 svazquez@pressofac.com

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ATLANTIC CITY  Students and teachers took to the streets in Atlantic City Sunday to celebrate Black history and rally for justice.
ATLANTIC CITY  Students and teachers took to the streets in Atlantic City Sunday to celebrate Black history and rally for justice.

The Student Senate of Stockton University hosted its second annual Black History Month march and rally with the theme Continuing the movement for social justice.

About two dozen people gathered at the Fannie Lou Hamer Event Room at the John F. Scarpa Academic Center to hear speeches from faculty and student leaders. They then chanted while marching from the Scarpa Center to the Boardwalk. The Student Senate designed the event to reflect on how African Americans have fought for equal rights throughout American history and to learn how to advance the causes of equality and equity today.

No justice, no peace, the group chanted as a rally cry during the march.

The event featured free food and drinks, free parking, and as a sign of concern for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, free masks. The university offered to shuttle bus students living on Stocktons Galloway Township campus to Atlantic City for the march and provided construction paper, markers and paint in the Fannie Lou Hamer room for students to make signs.

A moving rendition of the Black national anthem, also known as Lift Every Voice and Sing, began the ceremony. Student Senator Alicia Jenkins, a senior mathematics major, and her sister Alexis Jenkins sang while Stockton music professor Beverly Vaughn played on piano.

Student Senate Vice President Irenonsen Eigbe, a junior majoring in biology, delivered the rallys opening remarks. With a Nigerian flag draped around her shoulders, Eigbe said the event exhibited the power of students to send a message and effect change when they unite for a common purpose. She also praised the senate for creating a diversity and inclusion committee.

It is an honor to one of the original organizers for this event that showcases the activism that Stockton students are capable of when they come together for a cause they believe in, Eigbe said. With that all that has happened in past years, we as senators, students and humans feel it is necessary to commemorate Black History Month in a celebratory way that shows homage to its origins.

Eigbes speech was followed by ones from several other student leaders, faculty and administrators. Christopher Catching, the Stockton vice president for student affairs, said the student enthusiasm on display was critical to promoting justice in colleges and beyond. He pointed to the impending creation of a Stockton multicultural center as evidence of the power of student activism  but also emphasized there is more that needs to be done.

We have a lot of work to do, and whats encouraging about being on a university campus is that were at the epicenter of where a lot of this work has continued to happen, Catching said.

The march from the Scarpa Center to the Boardwalk, which followed the initial series of speeches, lasted about 15 minutes. The marches were led by a pair of percussionists who set the beat for the groups rally cries. Along with no justice, no peace, marchers chanted Black lives matter; and What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now. One of the chants honored George Floyd, the Black man whose murder by a white Minneapolis police officer ignited months of historic nationwide protests. Another honored Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was killed by a white police officer in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2020.

Among the signs were ones that read End systemic racism, Racism is a pandemic too, We must work to be antiracist and Black lives matter.

While Sundays cold weather meant there were few residential onlookers, some cars honked in support as they drove by, and at least one passerby raised her fist in solidarity. Police had blocked off an intersection in front of the Scarpa Center for the event.

The location of the rally in Atlantic City was a departure from 2021, when the rally was held in Galloway. Asked about it before the rally began, Eigbe said the change was mostly coincidence, with the space being one of the only ones open Sunday. She said it was powerfully symbolic, however, to hold the rally in a room named after Fannie Lou Hamer, an esteemed civil rights activist who spoke at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City.

Brian Jackson, the chief operating officer for the Stockton Atlantic City campus, carried a sign during the march that displayed a Lou Hamer quote: When I liberate myself, I liberate others.

Once the march around Atlantic City was complete, rallygoers met back at the Scarpa building to hear more speeches. Among the second-half speakers were Africana Studies professor Kimoni Ajani and Student Affairs Planning and Operations Executive Director Ashlee Roberts. Eigbe also read a letter from African Student Organization representative Bernice Ntambwe about the importance of student organizing. They asked that students do all they can to combat racism in different aspects of society, including environmental racism and racism in health care.

Most of these movements and organizations are started by young people, Ajani said in his speech, urging students to reflect on the legacies of past student movements such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Sundays march was the first since the Stockton Board of Trustees passed a resolution in May 2021 mandating that all incoming students take two courses about race and racism.

Stockton has recently expanded its support for education about Black history and culture in other ways, too. In 2019, for example, the university began offering a bachelors degree. in Africana studies.It is also providing support to the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey, which travels to elementary, middle and high schools to show students Black history exhibits.

Before the event began, Eigbe said the Student Senate founded the march and rally last year to maintain the momentum for justice fueled by the 2020 protests over Floyds murder.

Joshua Hunte, the diversity and inclusion chairperson for the Student Senate and a junior dual major in biology and psychology, delivered the closing remarks. He exhorted his fellow students to carry on the movement for justice and equality for more than a couple of years or one month.

All I know is that we have to continue reignite the passion in people, ignite the passion in other people, continue to plant seeds and continue to water seeds, Hunte said.

Contact Chris Doyle cdoyle@pressofac.com

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Quad-Cities school districts are issuing warnings about the dangers of fentanyl in vaping devices.

The North Scott Community School District advised parents a vaping accessory containing suspected fentanyl was recovered at the districts high school.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration describes as being 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Often combined with other drugs, an overdose can lead to respiratory failure, unresponsiveness and death.

Fentanyl achieved mainstream recognition when counterfeit pain pills, laced with the synthetic opioid, killed Prince in 2016.

A 'weed cart' was seized

The school district said the device, known as a weed cart, was seized by the high school administration Thursday. A field test showed it contained THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, and fentanyl.

The device was used but no one overdosed or was hurt by the contents, Joe Stutting, North Scotts superintendent, said on Monday. It was recovered when several students were caught vaping.

We will continue to educate our students, work with our families and enforce school policies, Stutting said of the districts next steps. Prior to this situation, we have contracted with a company to install a device in all our bathrooms at the junior high and high school to detect vaping.

There has been an increase of vaping in schools and Quad-Cities authorities say they have seen an increase in fentanyl in vaping devices, the parental notification said.

The Bettendorf Community School District issued a statement to parents asking them to talk to their children about vaping and its possible risks.

Our message comes with an added sense of urgency as a dangerous national trend has been identified here in the Quad-Cities area, the Bettendorf statement reads. Across the country and in our local community, authorities have discovered an increase in the presence of vaping devices that contain ingredients laced with the potentially fatal drug fentanyl.

The North Scott release said the weed cart was being tested to confirm the results.

Eldridge Police are investigating, Stutting said. As of Monday afternoon, no other vaping materials containing fentanyl have been recovered by the administration.

The Bettendorf district did not say if fentanyl has ever been discovered in its district. They did not immediately respond for a request for additional information.

Mike Vondran, Davenport Community School District spokesman, said he was not aware of any issues with fentanyl in vaping products in the district.

What Local Health Officials Say

Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate with very strong pain management ability and has a legitimate medical use, Brian Gustafson, Rock Island County Coroner, said.

Its over 100 times more potent than morphine and it kills people when its not administered in a hospital setting, Gustafson said.

Gustafson said the coroners office has had a lot of deaths involving fentanyl in general but he has not had a fentanyl-related death where vaping was known to be involved.

Dr. Destinee DeLemos, co-medical director of the Genesis Medical Center, Davenport Emergency Department, said that Genesis sees fentanyl overdoses in general as a huge problem, but one that is really hard to confirm, because the drug tests only test for opiates in general.

We don't have a straight fentanyl test, DeLemos said. We see multiple opiate overdoses each month, and what we've noticed is that these overdoses now are much more resistant to Narcan, which is why we feel the amount of fentanyl in the community is much higher than previously.

What ends up happening is that a patient will come in with a clear opiate overdose, DeLemos continued. Their heart rate is low. They're not breathing, they're unresponsive. We give them the medicine Narcan to try to reverse what looks like an opiate overdose. In the case of heroin or percocet, or hydrocodone  overdoses from those types of opiates, you give a dose of Narcan and people generally improve very quickly. But with fentanyl, it takes a much larger dose of Narcan, it takes much longer to reverse the overdose and the patient requires extended monitoring. So when we have to administer large doses of Narcan and see a long length of time to reverse an overdose, it's a dead giveaway that it's probably fentanyl."

Asked if any of the overdoses Genesis doctors see are attributable to fentanyl-laced vaping materials, she said theyve been seeing a lot of marijuana laced with fentanyl.

The patient will come in saying I was just smoking marijuana, but then has a clear, opiate overdose component, she said. So we suspect that there is quite a bit of marijuana laced with fentanyl."

Not many of the fentanyl overdoses treated at Genesis have been juveniles, she said.

"It's mostly adults actually, DeLemos said. It's usually people who already are using street drugs. We'll see people who thought they bought just meth or marijuana, and then it's laced with fentanyl."

Juveniles, however, do use marijuana a lot, she said.

So with the fentanyl-laced marijuana that we're seeing, that definitely puts them at higher risk of an overdose," DeLemos said.

Asked if any of those children had been exposed through use of vaping materials, DeLemos said: "There's all kinds of materials they can buy at these vape shops locally that are non-narcotic. But they also can do it with marijuana, and that's where teens can run into trouble if the marijuana contains fentanyl."

What the businesses and industry have to say

Todd Smith is owner of the Vaporosity Shop, which sells e-cigarettes, the juice that goes in them and other vape-related devices, at two locations in Davenport and one in Rock Island.

He said Monday that the appearance of fentanyl in vape pens has so far been specific to marijuana products, not e-cigarettes.

Illegal drug dealers, not state-sanctioned dispensaries, are the likely suppliers of fentanyl-laced marijuana cartridges, Smith said.

Its likely being made by some guy in his basement, using powder or pill form fentanyl for an extra kick to the THC cartridge, but its killing people, he said.

Whoever is lacing marijuana cartridges likely is doing so by creating their own mix of THC and fentanyl and filling empty cartridges they bought online, then packaging them to look like vape pens that are legally purchased at dispensaries, he said.

Those under 21 who cant buy legally see the packaging and think its legit, Smith said. You can buy anything on the internet and, with Chicago so close, theres an open pipeline to illegal fentanyl.

I dont think kids in high school are adding fentanyl to their weed pens. The dealers are adding it.

At the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, a marijuana trade organization, another theory is that someone is adding fentanyl to synthesized hemp and/or CBD.

Called hot hemp or weed light, the products are intoxicating but not regulated, said Pam Althoff, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois.

Its one of the things the legal cannabis industry is warning people about, she said of the CBD variants. Any type of inhalable product advertised as intoxicating or buzzing, dont buy it.

While Smith said he sells one of the very mild intoxicating CBD products at his Rock Island shop, he said he carefully vets his suppliers, and their packaging is tamper-proof.

And both Smith and Althoff say they do not think the fentanyl is coming from any legitimate producers of vaping products.

Im going to guess 100% theyre buying the empty cartridges online, Althoff said of the source of the fentanyl, which she guessed is used as a filler in THC and/or CBD cartridges.

The synthesized hemp is more likely the source than THC from cannabis, she said, because hemp is so much cheaper. It is unlikely coming from street-corner drug dealers, she said, and underage buyers more likely are finding it online.

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The Easter Bunny was representing the prosecution in several hundred Polk County criminal cases.At least thats what Iowa Courts Online, the court systems official, statewide web-based repository of court records, indicated for most of April.On April 4, the online docket sheets for hundreds of Polk County cases  primarily misdemeanors and drunken-driving cases  were revised to indicate the prosecution of those cases had been transferred from one particular assistant county attorney, Kailey Gray, to another prosecutor in the county attorneys office by the name of Easter Santa Bunny.And thats where the cases remained as of Thursday morning.Bret Lucas, an assistant county attorney, said Thursday the situation stemmed from a recent realignment of cases within the county attorneys office. Gray took over a colleagues cases, and Iowa Courts Online accurately reflects the transfer of those cases. But Grays old cases, he said, were transferred to the Easter Bunny until all of the work on the digital case transfer could be completed.We had contacted the Judicial Branch and they worked with their information technology department to facilitate the mass transfer of cases, Lucas said. Apparently, the Judicial Branch and the IT department decided to put that placeholder in there because, obviously, no one else would have that name.  So they were all aware of that, and it sounds like they must still be in the middle of that transfer process.Stacy Curtis, a supervisor for the criminal division of the Polk County Clerk of Courts Office, said the references to the Easter Bunny should not be visible to the public either through a name search or in the docket sheets for the individual cases. She said the office took extra steps to make sure members of the public didnt see any reference to the Easter Bunny and only clerks, lawyers, judges and others with higher security clearance could see it. It appears that the opposite may have occurred, as the Easter Bunny references could be seen by members of the public who werent even logged into the site.This has been a nightmare for me, Curtis said. We moved everything from Kaylie to the Easter Bunny, and those should have all been cleaned up so you wouldnt be able to see that.Many of the cases that were publicly assigned to the Easter Bunny are open, active cases, but hundreds of others are dormant, though not technically closed because of probationary sentences that have yet to be completed or fines that have yet to be paid.The only practical effect of the Easter Bunny designation is that some defendants may see that information online and not know who to contact at the county attorneys office about their case.After being contacted by the Iowa Capital Dispatch on Thursday, court officials were working to erase from the website any mention of the Easter Bunny, and by late afternoon it appeared they had succeeded.Santa bailed out by RudolphThe Easter Bunny cases are not the only criminal matters listed on the court systems official website to have featured nonexistent lawyers or defendants. In what appear to be training exercises for clerical staff, fictitious test cases are sometimes created and then posted to the public website but never removed.For example, a December 1997 case shows Santa Claus being convicted of felony burglary and kidnapping, with a charge of assault on a peace officer dismissed by the court. The court records indicate a sentence of 999 years in prison was imposed.As part of that same test case, the court imposed a no-contact order prohibiting Santa from having any contact with Mickey Mouse. Santas bail  listed as one million bucks in a possible punning reference to Santas reindeer  is stated to have been posted by Rudolph.In 2014, Santa Claus was charged with second-degree robbery in Scott County, according to the Iowa Courts Online site. Although theres no record of a conviction in that case, Claus right to carry a gun was revoked.The court systems website also shows that in 2014, Mickey Mouse filed a small claims case against Donald Duck in Marion County.For more information, visit iowacapitaldispatch.com.
 Flash

Four people including two foreigners were Sunday morning killed after a vehicle they were traveling in plunged into a railway track near Dagoretti neighborhood in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, the police said.

Nairobi regional deputy police commander, James Mugera said two others were injured in the accident, adding that two Canadians and two Kenyans were among those killed in the accident.

Mugera said the four-wheel drive car hit a roadside wall and plunged into the track almost five meters down.

Witnesses said the car was moving to the city centre when the driver lost its control after the hit and plunged into the track.

The incident caused a huge traffic jam on the busy road as officials tried to rescue those trapped in the car for almost three hours.

Locals asked authorities to rectify boulders at the scene, which they claimed are a death trap on motorists using the road.

According to the police, fatal accidents are common in Kenya due to reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, drunk walking, drunk riding, and failure to use helmets.
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In the days leading up to Christmas most people were shopping for gifts. Some were trying to make travel plans. And others sought COVID-19 tests.

The delta variant remained potent. Omicron was rapidly spreading. COVID-19 cases escalated. There were long lines for testing at Genesis Health System, the Scott County Health Department ran out of state-supplied testing kits for a short time, and the test kit supply at retailers ran low.

Into the testing void a testing site called "Center for COVID Control" popped up in Davenport and in cities across the country. Two months later, the Center for COVID Control is the subject of an FBI investigation. An official from the Scott County Health Department confirmed the Iowa Department of Public Health asked local health employees to find out more about the unlicensed business in January.

"As far as we know, there were one or two people who had questions about the testing site called Center for COVID Control," said Brooke Barnes, the public information officer at the Scott County Health Department. "The state asked us to go in and find out general information about the testing site.

"We sent two health department officials over there and, after the visit, we sent that information to the state."

A number of states' attorneys general have opened investigations of Center for COVID Control testing sites, including Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. Miller said his office is concerned about personal data collection and inaccurate test results.

The company's testing sites in Johnston, Maquoketa and Davenport have since closed.

COVID-19 in the Q-C, by the numbers

According to the latest updates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 community transmission remains high in Rock Island and Scott counties.

Rock Island County saw an increase of 298 new cases during the seven-day period ending Monday. Crucially, the county had a seven-day positivity rate of just 5.9%.

Rock Island County also saw 27 hospital admissions for COVID-19.

Some of the numbers out of Scott County were similar. The county saw an increase of 314 new COVID-19 cases during the seven-day period ending Monday. There were 27 hospital admissions for COVID-19 during the same span.

Scott County's seven-day positivity rate, however, checked in at 10.52% Monday.

Vaccinations in Rock Island Co.

The Rock Island County Health Department continues to offer vaccination clinics on Tuesday for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (age 18 and older) and on Friday for Pfizer (age 5 and older). No appointments are needed. The next walk-in Saturday pediatric vaccination clinic is March 5 from 9 a.m. to noon. You can find other providers at vaccines.gov.

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The Golden Apple Foundation, the leading Illinois nonprofit committed to preparing, honoring and supporting educators who advance educational opportunities for students, has announced the 2022 finalists for the prestigious Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching.

Three local teachers were among the 30 ninth- to 12th-grade teachers chosen as finalists for the award that honors outstanding teachers for having lasting, positive effects on students' lives and school communities.

Area finalists are:

Andrew Lister, Orion High School, Grades 11-12, English

In his English courses, Lister implements inclusive teaching elements by tasking students with studying marginalized groups throughout American history using the lens of firsthand narratives.

Holly Schou, United Township High School, Grades 9 and 11, English, American Studies

During her English classes, Schou and her students have discussed everything from the cultural impact of the Harry Potter series (in 1998) to the plausibly negative impacts of the internet (2008) to the racist implications of the Confederate flag (2016). This lighthearted-yet-rigorous approach to cultural phenomena that continue to shape national discourse is a hallmark of her teaching style.

Tina Dunker, United Township High School, Grades 9, 11 and 12, Algebra

Dunker finds new and innovative ways to help students understand that they can excel in math, including introducing new forms of peer-to-peer instruction, such as teaming up on individual problems, using personal whiteboards to demonstrate work, encouraging students to teach the class and more. Her methods have led to better classroom scores and a greater sense of self-confidence.

The selected 2022 Golden Apple Award recipients will be surprised in the spring. Each recipient receives a $5,000 cash award. Award recipients become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who play an important role in preparing the next generation of teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs that are dedicated to addressing the teacher shortage in Illinois.

For more information about the awards, visit goldenapple.org/golden-apple-awards-finalists-2022.

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State legislatures across the country are proposing so-called "curriculum transparency" bills, and some Republican governors are highlighting them in state of the state addresses.

Iowa, along with Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina and West Virginia are among states considering versions of the legislation. It's not just about what's being taught in public schools. The push is part of a broader national political strategy by Republicans ahead of this year's midterm elections centered on a "Parents' Bill of Rights." That effort calls for access to classroom materials, certain entry privileges to school buildings, rights to academic, medical and safety records, and to school contracts, educational data collection strategies and more.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has proposed schools be required to publish lists of course materials and library inventories, with state funds being withheld if they don't comply.

Free-speech advocates and some Democratic governors say the bills open the door to censorship in a time when books are being banned in some states and conservatives are targeting schools for their teachings on race relations, slavery and gender.

In Iowa, there are so-called transparency bills in the House and Senate. A separate proposal, introduced by Sen. Jake Chapman, from Adel, would enable parents to sue schools or educators who distribute materials the parents deem obscene.

Communication is a positive

Encouraging strong communication and collaboration between districts and families is a positive, said Brian Strusz, superintendent of the Pleasant Valley Community School District; and Joe Stutting, North Scott Community School District superintendent.

Districts are not opposed to transparency, Stutting said.

They always want to ally with families to educate the students who attend their schools, Stutting said.

Any time you want to bring parents into the conversation and into the equation, thats always a good thing, Toby Paone, UniServ director of the Iowa State Education Association, said.

Parents, however, have always had the right to be involved, to review, question and challenge material used to educate their children, Paone said. There are already vetting and challenge processes in place.

Adrienne Wheeler, whose two children attend Riverdale Heights Elementary in the Pleasant Valley School District, said shes never felt the need to request specific lesson plans or course materials. The teachers she's encountered have been transparent about what theyve been teaching, allowing Wheeler to supplement their education at home.

I've always had very positive experiences being able to gain information on how my kids are performing through simple, transparent and frequent conversation with their teachers, Wheeler said.

Codifying in state law whats already being done at the local level is to a certain degree not necessary, Paone said.

Pleasant Valley and North Scott both have mechanisms in place that allow members of the public to review curriculum and materials and challenge them, the superintendents said. There is variation between the districts implementation.

For example, North Scotts high school curriculum and library offerings are available for review online to district families, Stutting said. That is not the case for younger grades, but the district tells families about curriculum content and sends out notices if anything is controversial.

At Pleasant Valley, parents can request a review of materials, and district staff will set up a meeting, Strusz said.

Wheeler said the avenues to bring up such issues were clear, but she trusts teachers to be the experts.

I think somebody who has a master's degree in early education curriculum has way more credentials for selecting the books that my kids read and the lesson plans that my kids have access to than I do, because what  I have a strong opinion about something? Wheeler said. I want my kids to get a well-rounded public school education.

Teachers worry the legislation could erode their professional judgments and stifle spontaneity in the classroom while also adding new duties to overwhelming workloads already taking a serious toll on school staffing.

Will it hurt teacher recruitment?

The two Quad-Cities superintendents said educators didn't know how these proposals would be implemented. Who posts the materials? The district? The teachers?

Plans sometimes change, Wheeler said. A teacher may want to talk about a current event. They would have to constantly change whats posted to keep up, or it could cause teachers to self-censor bringing up a current event, to avoid going off the published list of materials.

Instead of more burdens on teachers, parents should be proactive and communicate with their teachers, she said.

I do believe that if a parent is engaged with their school, and has a regular line of communication with their teacher, goes to conferences, attends school events, participates in school activities and gets to know the people that are teaching their kid, they would feel like they do have transparency, Wheeler said. They can ask really good questions, and that information would be provided to them.

Strusz and Stutting said that if there were questions about a teachers conduct, there was recourse through both the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners  bodies that can conduct inquiries into such concerns.

The superintendents also worry it would make it harder to recruit new educators or retain existing ones, at a time when there is already a teacher shortage, Strusz and Stutting said.

Paone believes Chapmans proposal that could target teachers with lawsuits is already negatively impacting teacher morale, recruitment and retention. 

People are walking away, Paone said.

There is a national labor shortage and teachers have marketable skills, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A suburban school bus driver had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when he crashed his bus with students inside Thursday afternoon, the Lake County sheriffs office said.

Authorities say James Dolan, 61, was taking students home from Barrington School District 220s Prairie Middle School when he failed to yield to oncoming traffic during a snowstorm and turned in front of a sport utility vehicle headed southbound on Ela Road in Deer Park. The driver of the SUV was unable to stop on the snow-covered road and struck the bus, which had about 20 children on board, authorities said.

None of the students were injured, according to the sheriffs office. The SUV driver did not sustain any injuries, either.

When sheriffs deputies arrived at the scene, Dolan was acting erratically and exhibiting other signs of alcohol impairment, according to a news release from the Lake County sheriffs office. Dolan, who lives in Hoffman Estates, requested to go to the hospital for a medical issue and was taken there by ambulance.

Authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Dolan on Friday after determining he had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit, according to the sheriffs office. He was taken into custody on Sunday, the same day he was discharged from the hospital.

A Lake County judge set the bond on his arrest warrant at $100,000. He faces a felony charge of aggravated driving under the influence, which carries up to three years in prison.

It is absolutely shameful that a professional school bus driver would put all of those children in his care at significant risk by driving drunk, Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said in a statement released Sunday. We are grateful none of the students, and nobody else was injured, as the drivers horrifically poor judgment could have resulted in a tragic outcome.

An attorney for Dolan could not immediately be identified.

Dolan, who has no known criminal record or history of serious traffic citations, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday. He remained in Lake County Jail as of Sunday evening.

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CHICAGO - A 24-year-old man is accused of fatally strangling a Forest View woman hed met on social media and leaving her body in the back seat of her car in South Austin last month, prosecutors said Saturday.

Judge Susana Ortiz on Saturday ordered Richard Chavez held without bail on a first-degree murder charge during a bond hearing Saturday afternoon.

Charisma Ehresman, 20, was found dead in the back seat of her vehicle in the 5900 block of West Iowa Street in the South Austin neighborhood on Jan. 28, three days after she was reported missing and five days after she was last seen leaving her Forest View home, Cook County prosecutors said during the hearing.

After the two communicated on social media, they decided to meet in person and she left her home Jan. 23 in her red Ford Fiesta and went to Chavezs home, parking her car in the 600 block of South Maple Avenue in Oak Park, prosecutors said.

Doorbell surveillance from a nearby home shows Chavez walked out of his home and walked back in with Ehresman around 10:38 p.m. Jan. 23, prosecutors said.

Around 7:30 a.m. the next day, surveillance video shows Chavez getting into Ehresmans car and driving it to the 5900 block of West Iowa Street, parking it there and walking east, prosecutors said. No one else exited the car, prosecutors said.

Chavez walked around the area for about an hour then called his brother to pick him up, prosecutors said. His brother picked him up around 9:37 a.m. less than a mile from where he parked the car, prosecutors said.

Ehresman is never seen leaving Chavezs home and Ehresmans last phone call was to Chavezs phone, prosecutors said.

Cell phone records show Chavezs phone was pinged in the area where he was seen walking after he parked the car, prosecutors said. Surveillance video shows he was wearing a mask when he drove the car to South Austin, prosecutors said.

On Jan. 25, when Chavez was placed in custody for an outstanding DUI warrant, police spotted lacerations on his hands and he appeared to have cut his hair, prosecutors said.

While in custody, Chavez called his parents and asked them to get his passport ready, prosecutors said. He told police hed gone to sleep by 8 p.m. after the two hooked up on Jan. 23 and when he woke up after 10 a.m., Ehresman was gone.

On Jan. 28, Ehresmans car was found and she was found in the back seat with a jacket covering her face, prosecutors said.

Ehresman died of asphyxiation caused by strangulation and being smothered, prosecutors said. Her death was ruled a homicide.

After getting a search warrant on Jan. 31, police searched Chavezs home and found a partially packed suitcase, the mask hes seen wearing in surveillance video and hair clippings in his garbage, prosecutors said.

Alfredo Acosta, Chavezs attorney, said he is a United States citizen and his relatives, including his father, were in court. Acosta questioned how he really is a threat or danger to anyone in the public because he does not have any violence in his background.

Chavez is due back in court Feb. 24.

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You may have heard that Illinois is among the top 10 states nationally in business startups for 2021, with nearly 200,000 businesses formed last year. Thats up from 170,400 in 2020. And 2020 was also a very good year.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker took credit for this positive development, declaring the state to be back, and open for business and touting some of his pet economic projects.

The governors triumphant recent statement, which claimed Illinois was sixth in the nation when it came to the number of 2021 startups, omitted any reference to the flip side of business startups: business failures. Unfortunately, a lot of Illinois businesses went bust in the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, though we dont have a figure comparable to the U.S. Census Bureau count of business applications that Pritzker equated with startups (which is only a rough approximation, at that).

The governor also overlooked how severe layoffs early in the pandemic drove some of the suddenly unemployed to launch their own ventures out of desperation, and how the anemic growth of the labor force continues to put a drag on business creation nationwide.

And did he mention that business startups appear to be slowing, so that 2022 is likely to be below the 2021 peak? Or that business failures probably will run high in 2022, partly because new ventures often fail in their first year or two?

Of course, he didnt. Hes seeking reelection, after all.

Heres the truth about business formation in Illinois and across the country: A high rate of startups really is very good news, all spin aside, but its not the whole story.

On the plus side, the recovery from the short, sharp recession of 2020 has followed a much better trajectory than the slow-motion comeback from the Great Recession of 2007-09. The absence of startups was one of the most disappointing features of that difficult period more than a decade ago. The economy stayed under a cloud that choked off the usual green shoots for years.

Today is much greener, in no small part because economic growth has been stronger, and a ton of investor money is chasing new ventures. Whats more, technological advances have made it less risky and potentially more lucrative for budding entrepreneurs to take the plunge, and for current business owners to expand and diversify.

Got an idea for a new app? A cryptocurrency? Dog-walking software?

Bring it on  conditions are ripe for tech startups. Big players like Amazon and Google are practically giving away valuable business services, social media platforms make it easier to reach customers and Americans overall are increasingly more computer savvy.

Quite a few digital entrepreneurs these days are self-funding, launching new ventures without much more than hard work and loose change. That bootstrap approach spells opportunity for those who dont have the backing required to start a biotech or medical device company, for instance, which typically take years to clear regulatory hurdles before making a first sale.

Beyond tech, the pandemic left gaping holes that entrepreneurs are starting to fill. In the hard-hit food service and hospitality industry, new entrants are emerging and survivors who embraced online sales and other creative side hustles during COVID-19 have lived to fight another day.

A surge in startups demonstrates the American genius for business renewal, and the benefit of keeping our economy flexible. When Americans quit their jobs, as they did wholesale in the recent Great Resignation, they had the option of becoming their own bosses, and they didnt need to live in Silicon Valley to pull it off.

Of course, Chicago or any other city would love to be like Silicon Valley. For all the wonders of digital technology and the supposed ability to work from anywhere, the local business environment still matters. And while Illinois is indeed among the fastest-growing states for new-business applications, it could be doing a lot better.

One obvious indicator is unemployment, which as of December was running at 3.9% nationwide but 5.3% in Illinois. The higher figure reflects a relative lack of economic opportunity that can prompt productive people to pack up and move to another state.

Illinois also is weighed down by the red tape and high taxes that go along with its excessive number of costly and duplicative local governments. And while Pritzker, who has a helpful background in new business incubation, deserves great credit for chipping away at the states fiscal mess, Illinois ongoing public pension crisis continues to discourage job creation and long-term investment. Much more needs to be done.

The state has a lot going for it, especially a dynamic, diverse and well-educated workforce supportive of entrepreneurship. If Illinois would make the business environment friendlier to those willing to invest and reduce the costs imposed by government, who knows how many startups would take root here and flourish.

This is a Chicago Tribune editorial. 2022 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The proposed law would make it much harder for a pre-arranged disposition to be changed, allowing a challenge only if the decedent made it clear before death that he or she was open to other plans, and only from survivors the person designates in advance.

While a signed and notarized pre-need legal document makes it much easier to determine disposition intent, many people die without making such arrangements, Steinhoff said.

The current law requiring consensus among survivors of people without pre-need arrangements is unhelpful when there are only two surviving siblings who disagree, if there are varying opinions within a group of survivors, or when one or more surviving family members cannot or refuse to be located or contacted.

Unexpected deaths or those without pre-need documents can lead to family arguments, causing high stress during a time of grief and sometimes requiring costly litigation. Disputes over disposition also place logistical and emotional burdens on funeral directors who cannot process a body until disposition is legally settled.

Under this bill, its clearly defined in terms of the order in which it goes and how things operate if a family ever had an issue, Steinhoff said. It makes it so much simpler for everybody. It will be very easy to show them, Here is the law, and we dont have that now.

Rep. Charlie Hoffman, R-Eureka, the prime sponsor of the legislation, said the revised laws are needed to assist families and funeral homes to make decisions that successfully avoid many of the circumstances that can stalemate or stall funeral arrangements.

Hoffman said all states allow someone to designate in advance the disposition of his or her body after death. About half of U.S. states have enacted four or more of the eight major provisions in the proposed model legislation, but only three states, including South Dakota, have not adopted any of the revised legal principles, Hoffman said.

Jason Glodt, lobbyist for the state funeral directors group, said the weak South Dakota laws have led to expensive and needless litigation in contested disposition cases and caused undue hardship for families and for funeral directors caught in the middle.

In one example highlighted by Glodt, a non-Native man in South Dakota was charged in the death of his son, but then refused to agree with the wishes of the mother, a Native American, to bury the boys body on a reservation.

A judge had to intervene to grant the mothers wishes, Glodt said. The new law would remove disposition rights from someone charged in the killing of a family member.

In another case, two siblings arguing over the estate of their late father could not agree on the disposition of their mother after her death, with one sibling refusing to be contacted after the mothers death in an apparent attempt to gain emotional leverage over the other sibling in the ongoing estate case.

The mothers body remained in refrigerated limbo for months at the funeral home until a judge settled the disposition. The new law would forfeit the disposition rights of someone who cannot be contacted or refuses to be contacted within three days of a persons death.

In another case, a body was held in storage for several months while survivors bickered over how to dispose of it. The new law would allow a simple majority of survivors to agree on disposition, rather than requiring all survivors to agree.

Other elements of the law would remove disposition rights of someone who cannot be located, give funeral directors legal immunity in cases of disputes, and allow for disposal of unclaimed remains.

Rep. Mike Stevens, R-Yankton, brought some personal experience, and some levity, to the discussion of the bill before the House Judiciary Committee, where it passed unanimously on Feb. 9.

Stevens, an attorney and member of the committee, shared how a client who died and was cremated had no one to claim his ashes, so they were brought to Stevens office where they remain to this day. Stevens referred to the client only as Jim.

Theyre in the corner of my office and I cant get any of Jims family members to come and get his remains, Stevens testified. I have to explain to my clients why theyre sitting next to Jim.

In all seriousness, however, Stevens said the update to the laws is needed to avoid unsettled disposition of bodies.

This is a lot more common than people actually really think, so for us to have that and get it taken care of is very important, he said.

HB 1152 was passed unanimously by the full House of Representatives on a consent motion on Feb. 14 and now moves to the Senate.

Steinhoff said future legislation is needed to further clarify the obligations and responsibilities of South Dakota funeral directors. But he said the disposition bill now under consideration will be a great aid to funeral directors and families.

The reason we become funeral directors is that we have a calling to help people, he said. Obviously, if an issue arises, the grief process is not being helped, and it can become a horrible situation because not only are you dealing with the death of a loved one, but now youre fighting with other loved ones or relatives.
Legitimate political discourse. What does that phrase mean to you? Does it mean two members of Congress discussing aspects of a bill recently introduced? Does it mean two candidates of opposing parties debating their positions on various policies?

Or does it mean thousands of organized insurrectionists storming the U.S. Capitol building with weapons, beating police officers, tearing down doors, crashing through windows, chanting that they want to hang the vice-president? We have seen the terrifying videos of the whole 187 minutes. Representatives and senators and their staffs were running for their lives or crouched down in their chambers awaiting rescue.

My idea of legitimate political discourse would be either of the first two mentioned. After all, discourse means discussing, debating, conversation. However, the Republican National Committee has used that phrase to describe the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

It certainly was political, but it wasnt legitimate or any form of discourse.

We deserve to know from our elected officials where they stand on that very question. As of now, they have been silent; of course, we are accustomed to that: they indicate their approval through complicity.

This will happen again unless we demand truth, accountability, and justice. It is well known that a failed coup attempt is a practice run. Almost all our members of Congress have said they want to be sure it doesnt happen again. But at the same time, the Republicans dont want it to be investigated; they dont seem interested in finding out the truth of how it happened. They dont want to cooperate with the bi-partisan House Investigation Committee or the Department of Justice.

In fact, the Republicans promise that if they control the House after the 2022 election, they will shut down the committee. In doing that, how will we ever learn the truth about who organized it and how it was carried out? How will the principal organizers ever be held accountable? How will we finally achieve justice?

Our democracy is fragile; it is being shattered all around us. Once again, the Republicans say they support democracy. I was taught at a very early age that actions speak louder than words. How can some people praise democracy at the same time they are trying to tear it down?

So many questions and too few answers. Let us answer with truth, accountability, and justice for all.

 Susan Moore, Stevensville

Valley Womens Voices is a Sunday feature in the Ravalli Republic. Send submissions to OnMyMindMFT@gmail.com

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A Richmond burial ground where an estimated 22,000 freed and enslaved Black people were interred two centuries ago may soon be recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

Generations of neglect made the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground invisible, with no signs or visible evidence of its past. But a few historians and the descendant of a woman buried there have applied to enter the site into state and federal record books as a historically significant site.

As the state Board of Historic Resources and other officials are poised to consider the nomination next month, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Rep. Don McEachin, D-4th, last week announced their support of the nomination.

Given the history and known location of this African Burial Ground we recognize the value in preserving such a space and strongly recommend its inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, the pair said in a letter to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

In Congress, Kaine and McEachin have also been advocating for the creation of a central database of African American cemeteries to make it easier for African Americans to trace their lineage and visit their ancestors resting places, such as the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground.

Located at what is now the intersection of North Fifth and Hospital streets, the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground, also known as the Second African Burial Ground, grew to approximately 30 acres after the city established it in 1816 as a racially segregated, 2-acre expansion of Shockoe Hill Cemetery.

The city closed the cemetery in 1879, giving way to development that erased the burial ground from the landscape. The original 2-acre site is vacant with an abandoned vehicle service station and a billboard overlooking Interstate 64.

Ryan Smith, a local historian and one of the co-authors of the nomination letter, said the bid was submitted in August after several years of research by a team that included Lenora McQueen. Several years ago, the Texas resident found ancestral ties to Richmond through her fourth great-grandmother, Kitty Cary, who was buried in Shockoe Hill.

We are cautiously optimistic about the nominations prospects here, Smith said in an email on Friday. We know that it is worthy of such recognition.

The nomination form technically calls for the creation of a Historic District so that the African Burying Ground is recognized along with the neighboring Shockoe Hill Cemetery and Hebrew Cemetery, which are already on the National Register of Historic Places.

While little evidence remains of the African burial ground, historic preservationists say plans for widening I-64 and expanding rail transportation there would endanger the integrity of a site they are trying to reclaim as hallowed ground. They say its inclusion on the national register could help protect the site.

The larger burial ground ... is still under threat, McQueen said Friday.

The city of Richmond last year purchased an acre of the original site for $145,000 in a tax auction with the intention of creating a memorial there.

A spokesperson for Mayor Levar Stoney said Friday that the mayor also plans to write a letter endorsing the register nomination, and that the city is in the process of hiring firms to develop a cultural landscape analysis and conceptual design for the site.
 Flash

Iranian lawmakers have issued a statement asking President Ebrahim Raisi not to agree to a deal in Vienna unless strong guarantees are provided by Washington, CGTN reported on Sunday.

The U.S. and Europe must guarantee that they will not withdraw and that the trigger mechanism will not be used, according to the statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on the same day that Iran may "shortly" agree to a new nuclear deal with major powers, but it would be "weaker" than the original 2015 agreement, according to AFP. He added that Israel was "organizing and preparing for the day after, in all dimensions."
Its doors and windows shuttered and its paint peeling, the old cottage rests on steel and wooden beams in a parking lot behind Main Street Station. The Richmond Slave Trail runs right past it; next door is the site of the notorious Lumpkins Slave Jail. Traffic from Interstate 95 roars behind it, a few feet away.

If you didnt know any better, you might think the cottage has merely been temporarily deposited here, waiting for a truck to return, lift it onto its bed and carry it to a new home. In reality, the cottage has had no permanent address for 20 years, and has spent most of the past decade here, hidden in plain sight.

Though neglected and in limbo, the significance of the weather-beaten building is not unrecognized. A sign posted in front announces it as Winfree Cottage, the 19th-century home of Emily Winfree, a once-enslaved woman who after the Civil War raised her children  some of whom were fathered by her one-time owner  in the modest, two-room dwelling when it stood across the river in Manchester.

A few years ago, before the sign arrived, the dilapidated cottage spoke to Jan Meck, not just in terms of the history it told, but of the history it didnt.

It represented yet another untold story about African Americans in Richmond, says Meck, who became acquainted with the cottage while on a journey of personal discovery, seeking local history that she felt had been kept from her growing up.

She saw the cottage for the first time while on a tour sponsored by The Valentine museum for local tour guides. Suitably intrigued, she began to dig deeper to learn more about Emily Winfree.

She eventually partnered with genealogist Virginia Refo, documented details about Winfree and proceeded to do something that she  a white, retired NASA pharmacologist  could scarcely have imagined a few years ago: She wrote a book about the complicated, difficult life of a Black woman who was enslaved and then emancipated and managed despite all of the sufferings and the odds stacked against her to make a life for herself and her children, which resonates generations later through her descendants.

Its a story about the horrors of slavery, the resilience of Winfree and the importance of preserving her home as a piece of history. Meck hopes her book, The Life & Legacy of Enslaved Virginian Emily Winfree, will raise awareness and funding to find a permanent home for the cottage. But the book is something much more, says Winfrees great-great-granddaughter Emily J. Jones.

Its not about just another hardship story because that should be something that most Americans understand about that time, but what it looks like in these generations that have gone on from Emily, said Jones, director of the New York State Education Departments Technical Assistance Partnership for Equity at Bank Street College of Education. Because I think thats what Emily would want us to share.

She would want to say, Yes, this is what my life was ... but then, This is what it looks like when you do what I did, when you pushed the way I pushed and you survived the way I survived and then all of these children have these gazillion lives.

Thats important, and I think thats what brings us to a more comprehensive conversation around American history. Also it brings us as humans closer because theres something in Emilys story that a white Trump supporter, even if they dont want to admit it, could relate to.

***

Meck, 73, grew up in Northern Virginia in the white suburbs of Washington, D.C., and the nations capital is the only place she ever saw anyone of color. She was accustomed to hearing disparaging remarks about Blacks, and the history she learned in school has long since been exposed for being one-sided and distorted.

It wasnt until she went to college in Michigan that she began to learn some truths, she writes, and not until after she retired from NASA, returned to Richmond in 2011 and volunteered as a docent at the Virginia Historical Society (now the Virginia Museum of History & Culture), particularly its Story of Virginia gallery, that she began to understand how incomplete her education had been.

I became more and more outraged at the lies I had been told in school and by my parents. It became my passion to learn as much as I could about the true history of African Americans in my town of Richmond, she writes in the books preface.

She learned enough to develop her own driving tour, African-American Heroes of Richmond, and offered it free to anyone. One Saturday soon after he arrived in Richmond, Jamie O. Bosket, president and CEO of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, rode along.

We spent a good two or three hours driving around Richmond, which was a welcome opportunity to see the city, but particularly to hear some of these stories that she brought forward with such passion, Bosket recalled. She was so invested in it.

When they arrived at the cottage, Bosket was intrigued by the story he didnt know and started asking questions about Emily Winfree that Meck could not answer.

I just turned to Jan, recalled Bosket, and said  I can still remember the moment  Someone has got do this research. There must be something somewhere that would speak to Emilys story.

Meck accepted the challenge and began doing the sort of research she had never done before  some of it at the VMHC. Bit by bit, she started piecing together Winfrees story, which only made her want to find out more.

It was life-changing, she said.

Bringing in genealogist Refo really took it to the next level, Meck said.

They went looking for original documents and materials and, though such records of the enslaved are difficult if not impossible to find, were able to chronicle much of Winfrees life and six generations of her family.

Through census data, court records, physicians reports and other sources, Meck and Refo constructed a framework of Winfrees life through its milestones: when she and her daughter were sold for $1,025 in 1858, the places she lived in enslavement, the children she birthed, the domestic jobs she held after emancipation, and her 33-year, part-time employment at Masonic Manchester Lodge #14 as a cook.

In regard to the cottage, they found the 1866 deed showing it was given to her by David C. Winfree, a white Chesterfield County landowner who became her owner just before the Civil War. There is evidence to suggest he was also the father of some of her seven children. In addition to the cottage, he gave her a 109-acre tract of his Chesterfield land. David Winfree died in 1867.

Beyond the official accounts, their relationship is unclear. It was not unusual for white owners to rape enslaved women as a way to increase their wealth by way of more enslaved offspring. Providing homes and property to the women after emancipation might not have been as typical.

There is no record of David Winfree, nor Emily Winfree, ever being married. Emily Winfree used his last name and was known, even to at least some in his family, as Mrs. Winfree. She was listed as widow on her death certificate in 1919.

***

In addition to the documented evidence about Emily Winfree, Meck and Refo delved further into her story by tracing her family tree and finding dozens of living descendants, including Emily Grace Jones Jefferson, now in her 90s, who grew up in Richmond, attended Armstrong High and Virginia Union University and now lives in Maryland; others, such as great-great-granddaughter Jones grew up farther afield, their ancestors having left the South during the migration of Black people to other parts of the country.

Meck makes the point that the resilience and fortitude of Emily Winfree, who was denied an education and for so many years her freedom, is reflected in the achievements of her descendants, which include teachers, community leaders, successful business owners, a military officer and several with doctoral degrees in science, education and engineering.

There was an expectation around the name, said Jones, who, like others in previous generations, were given the name of Emily in honor of her great-great-grandmother. I did not understand it when I was growing up, but I do now. There was an expectation to be focused, be a little more serious. That kind of ethic and almost like personal culture. You have a big name.

Its a powerful legacy but a complicated one, Jones said, because of David Winfree. Through the generations, lighter-skinned members of the family went on to marry white men and women and moved on to a white world, she said, some reluctant to even acknowledge those left behind.

As a result, also built into the expectations surrounding the name of Emily was the need to show the blacker side of the family was just as accomplished or just as amazing, not in some sort of showy way, Jones said. It wasnt about that. It was about who you really are, what your character is.

Because of how much of a hit it is for Black folks to have family that passes [for white]. Thats such a gut hit. Thats what we were trying to address by way of academic and professional success, not so much that we have these degrees ... but more like, theres a secret thing we have to address in this family and the way we do that is by showing up and being a person who ... embodies everything that your cousins may have been thinking they needed to get away from.

In July 2018, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture invited descendants to gather in Richmond for a presentation by Meck and Refo and a tour of the sites related to Emily Winfree. Another reunion is scheduled for this coming June at the museum.

***

Emily Winfrees name was not widely known until 2002 when her cottage was slated for demolition and preservationists stepped in. ACORN, the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods, moved to save the cottage, saying it was historically significant as representing a part of post-Civil War Richmond where Blacks lived and worked.

The cottage was donated to the city and moved out of harms way. ACORN worked with the city to develop a plan to restore the cottage and find a permanent home for it and even raised money for such a project but, in the end, the efforts became mired within the citys bureaucracy, Meck reports, and nothing came of it. The money was returned to donors.

The cottage, though it underwent modest repairs a few years ago, still sits forlornly at its temporary location, but at least Emily Winfrees story is becoming known. Her story represents so many others that we dont have the materials that we do for Emily, said VMHCs Bosket.

And I think when you look at it on the whole, you turn back and say, My gosh, what a shame that cottage remains there after [so many years], he said. It had a little love given to it, but certainly not enough for the story that it represents.

As for the cottage, the interpretative sign was added in 2019 because there was so much confusion surrounding it, said Kimberly M. Chen, senior manager in the citys office of the deputy chief administrative officer for economic development and planning.

A more permanent solution for the cottage needs to be found, Chen said in an email.

The city is open to proposals or suggestions, she wrote.
Public schools would get big boosts in the state budgets the General Assembly money committees approved on Sunday, from restoring state funding for school support employees to a proposed loan-rebate program to generate up to $2 billion to replace or modernize obsolete public school buildings.

But the House Appropriations and the Senate Finance and Appropriations committees went in different directions on pay raises for teachers and other public employees, for whom then-Gov. Ralph Northam proposed 5% raises in each year of the two-year budget he proposed in December before leaving office.

The House proposed to split the proposed increase between 4% raises and 1% bonuses in each year, while the Senate kept the 5% raises and added a $1,000 bonus for teachers and other school workers, state employees and state-supported local employees, effective June 1.

They shouldnt take credit for reducing a salary increase for our hard-working state employees and teachers from what Northam proposed, said Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, after the Senate committee unanimously adopted budgets for this year and the next two years.

Despite record increases in revenues, the budgets adopted by the two committees are hard to compare because the House is operating with almost $3 billion less. That is because it approved certain tax cuts proposed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin that the Senate did not during the first half of the General Assembly session.

Tax cuts

The biggest differences in revenues come from the Senates decisions to defer action for a year on Youngkins proposal to double the standard deduction for state income tax filers at a cost of $2.1 billion, protect the 1% local option sales tax on groceries and reject a 5-cent-per-gallon cut in the gasoline tax over 12 months.

The Senate has approved a $1.2 billion one-time tax refund  which would send $300 back to individual filers and $600 back to joint filers  most of it already included in Northams proposed budget. The Senate also backs eliminating 1.5% of the grocery tax, leaving untouched the 1% local portion.

It proposes to use state funds to replace money from the sales tax that would be distributed to school divisions, but will not replace $190 million in lost transportation funds. However, the Senate budget includes $190 million to widen 9 miles of Interstate 64 from New Kent County to James City County. The House budget includes $30 million to widen the interstate, using money diverted from a proposal Northam made to greatly expand Virginias trail system.

The Senate also expanded Northams proposal to make a portion of the earned income tax credit refundable to low-income families, a proposal the House rejected in the budget and in separate legislation.

After the House and Senate vote on the proposed budgets on Thursday, a conference committee will negotiate the differences, with Youngkin waiting in the wings with likely amendments.

With an eye toward those negotiations, the House proposed to deposit $150 million in a taxpayer relief fund created three years ago and then abandoned after Democrats took control of the assembly in 2020. The relief fund also could hold revenues while the legislature studies changes in tax policy.

Im really adamant about having all of these tax cuts and tax credits studied so we can figure out their long-term implications, said Senate Finance Chair Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, who has proposed to create a joint subcommittee to study comprehensive changes to state and local government tax policy.

Youngkin praised the House budget in a statement on Sunday and said, While it does not include nearly enough tax relief, the Senate budget proposal also includes common sense, bipartisan priorities on which we can find common ground.

I know Senator Howell and Senate Leadership are eager to work in good faith on these and other important priorities, he said. Despite the major differences outlined [Sunday], theres a clear path forward.

As a result of the gap in available revenues, the House and Senate budget proposals differ more in scale than in purpose.

K-12 education

Both make K-12 public education their top priorities, including restoring state funding of some school support positions that the General Assembly had capped in the Standards of Quality in 2010 because of big revenue losses during the Great Recession.

The House included $170 million over two years to help school divisions pay for principals, assistant principals and reading specialists. The Senate proposed $272 million to increase state funding of school support positions in what Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, called a step toward eliminating the funding cap.

This will be the largest education budget ever, said House Appropriations Chair Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, before the committee unanimously adopted a pair of revised budgets.

School buildings

The biggest surprise in the House budget is a proposal to use a combination of more than $500 million in state tax funds and money from the Literary Fund to establish a loan-rebate program that would leverage up to $2 billion in bonds to help localities replace or modernize school buildings.

Del. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, chair of the elementary and secondary school subcommittee  and chair of the House Education Committee  said a tour of dilapidated school buildings across Virginia made a convincing case for the state to intervene in what has historically been a local government responsibility.

These schools, among far too many others, faced horrible conditions that our children do not deserve, said Davis, citing leaking roofs; failing heating, cooling and ventilation systems; and deteriorating pipes. This is a health and safety matter, and is unacceptable.

The Senate budget endorses Northams proposal of $500 million in state general funds, but Knight said the House committee fashioned a solution that would use about $292 million in general tax funds and $250 million from the Literary Fund.

The money would leverage the issuance of bonds for two tiers of public school buildings, based on local ability to pay. In the long term, a portion of proceeds from four  and potentially five  casinos would go into the fund.

I take the approach that schools need to be replaced, but it is not a state function, he said in an interview. It has never been a state function. I didnt want to set a precedent.

During this session, the House killed most proposals to address the issue, including sales tax increases subject to local referendums, but approved a bill proposed by Del. Israel OQuinn, R-Washington County, to create a school construction fund that Knight wants to use to launch the loan-rebate program.

The Senate has approved five bills to help localities with school construction and modernization, including creation of a school construction fund. The others would allow localities to impose a 1% sales tax with voter approval, expand availability of low-cost loans from the Literary Fund, assess the condition of school buildings, and use unspent budget funds to address those needs.

Retirement plans

Both committees took steps to lower long-term liabilities in teacher and state employee retirement plans, but the Senate went further by proposing to deposit $1 billion into the Virginia Retirement System, which Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, estimated would save state and local governments $1.7 billion over the coming years.

Northam had proposed $924 million for VRS. The House budget would deposit $500 million to raise the funded status of the teacher and state employee plans.

The House version of the budget also includes almost $197 million in targeted pay increases for law enforcement officers  state police, correctional officers, deputy sheriffs, regional jail officers, and probation and parole officers  but no additional money for local police officers through so-called 599 funds for localities with police departments.

The Senate proposed $50 million for local police departments over three years, in addition to $223 million in targeted compensation for law enforcement. It also proposed $5.6 million over two years to boost compensation of Capitol Police and staff at the Division of Legislative Services.

The House budget also includes almost $164 million to raise pay for employees in state behavioral health facilities and community services boards (including the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority). The Senate budget would provide $80 million in the second year for direct care staff in state hospitals, on top of $68 million in federal aid in the first year.

Colleges

The budgets take different approaches to funding higher education, with the House proposing $240 million to keep tuition from increasing by more than 3% at public colleges and universities, while the Senate focused on expanded financial aid.

Both budgets would make big deposits in the rainy day fund, using at least $500 million of the $1.25 billion in additional revenues that Youngkin made available on Friday. The additional deposit would swell Virginias combined financial reserves to $4.4 billion by mid-2024.

The budgets also would bolster the Virginia Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund  $180 million in the House version and $110 million in the Senate, on top of the $862 million that Northam and the General Assembly provided last year from federal aid in the American Rescue Plan Act.

Keeping [payroll] taxes low is good for businesses and good for our economy, Knight said.
At a time of continuing economic disruption, supply chain challenges and workforce shortages, businesses and colleges are coming together to build the pipeline of people who will be ready to work in the emerging industries of the future. This is particularly true in advancing the transformation of manufacturing in the greater Richmond area, as we move to more technology-focused and enabled processes in pharmaceuticals, logistics and other advanced manufacturing sectors.

Started in 2016, the GO Virginia program, which was advanced by many of the commonwealths top business leaders to help address the changes in the states economy, provides competitive grants to support programs to advance site development, entrepreneurship and small-business growth, and innovation. In fact, the GO Virginia program provided the seed funding to start the pharmaceutical research and manufacturing cluster emerging between Richmond and Petersburg.

One of the most exciting programs associated with GO Virginia is the establishment of a new initiative to link students interested in manufacturing careers with internships and apprenticeships. Through the internships, students earn valuable workplace skills and better position themselves for future jobs. The Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education is a national program sponsored by The Manufacturing Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers. FAME currently serves 400 manufacturers in the U.S. and has 34 chapters.

With GO Virginia funding, the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, together with Richard Bland College of William & Mary, launched the Central VA FAME chapter in the spring of 2021. Since then, they have received financial support from Prince George County and the Cameron Foundation to grow the initiative. Dozens of other partners  including Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, Virginias Gateway Region, GENEDGE, Brightpoint Community College, regional planning districts and others  also have been advisers and supporters of this effort.

The work-study program is based on a classic apprenticeship model, and its industry-led curriculum is the first of its kind in Virginia. Trainees are earning an average of $18 per hour, and some have access to other perks from their employers such as tuition reimbursement, health benefits, 401(k) match and stock options.

This unique blend of on-the-job training and one-on-one mentorship, while earning a comprehensive associate degree combining technical skills with soft skills, is a winning combination for manufacturers throughout this region. While Central VA FAME trains for advanced manufacturing technicians today, these students are on the fast track to becoming future leaders in the field.

Nine manufacturing companies currently are participating in Central VA FAME, including Amsted Rail, AMPAC Fine Chemicals, Blueprint Automation, Civica Rx, G.D. USA, EPT Connectors, Niagara Bottling, Phlow Corp. and Sabra Dipping Co. And theres plenty of room to grow this exciting effort.

We recently had the chance to learn more about Griffin Krell, a graduate of Deep Run High School in Henrico County and a current Central VA FAME program trainee with AMPAC. He noted the program is providing the framework for the type of work he wants to do long term.

In other words, this is more than just a way to earn money  it is leading to a career. Managed by Thomas Midgette, a former Navy aviation electrician and a local high school assistant principal, FAME is exactly the sort of program we need to build more pathways to get our kids into fulfilling, lifelong jobs that are growing our economy.

Over the coming weeks, the General Assembly will be considering budget amendments proposed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to provide additional support for talent pathway programs across the commonwealth like FAME. These are truly investments in our future and what Virginia needs to be competitive in the changing 21st-century economy.
RICHMOND  Opportunity arose in December for Del. Chris Head, R-Botetourt, when he said he saw the states new electoral maps, spurring him to recently announce a run for Virginia Senate in 2023.

Heads announcement late last week marks the first legislative shakeup caused by court-drawn redistricting results from 2021.

The lines are all very different than they were, Head said on Monday. This just feels like the right thing for me to do next.

Serving his 11th term this year in the Virginia House of Delegates, Head said he will run in 2023 to represent the newly drawn Senate District 3, which was created in December during Virginias decennial redistricting process.

Ive been here for for a decade, Head said. I have been a consistent voice for conservative values, and now Ill continue to champion all of those things in this process.

The court-drawn Senate District 3 includes northernmost reaches of Roanoke County, all of Botetourt, Craig, Alleghany and Rockbridge counties, stretching northward to Staunton and Waynesboro and some of surrounding Augusta County.

Youve got a strong emphasis on the arts in certain sections. Youve got higher education, youve got farms and factories, Head said. Its a really wonderful cross section of what Virginia has always been.

Redrawn electoral maps put Head in the same House district as 10-term incumbent Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt. Meanwhile, there are no sitting senators living in the freshly minted Senate District 3, whose voters will elect their representative in November 2023.

Part of the reason for the announcement being as early as it was, is to be able to let everybody know, Head said. This will give me the opportunity to let voters know what Im doing in my role as a delegate.

Head, who has served in the House of Delegates since 2012 and was reelected in 2021, said he will finish out his two-year House term with the same zeal and vigor as ever, while getting acquainted with people of the new Senate district he hopes to represent.

I am committed to faithfully serving the people, Head said. Its just that the next election cycle, well be running for something different.

Nearby in Virginia politics, other incumbent legislators whose districts overlap for now remain unannounced on future election plans:

Sens. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, and David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, both now live in the new Senate District 4.

Sens. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, and Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, both reside in the new Senate District 8.

Dels. Marie March, R-Floyd, and Wren Williams, R-Patrick, are grouped together in the new House District 47, while two neighboring House districts, 39 and 41, have no incumbents living within their boundaries.

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With only 19 years left on the lease for the real estate on which the Gainsboro Branch Library rests, its not too soon for the city of Roanoke to start thinking about renewal discussions.

A strong negotiator should have the assignment. The lease holder is the sort of institution not to be trifled with under any circumstances.

Furthermore, count on having to instruct the city official tasked to work something out on the library lease that he or she may have to deal with the pope. As in the one whose seat of authority is at the Vatican.

The manner in which this lease was first arranged and how Pope Pius XII became part of city lore is an interesting story.

Perhaps you have heard it. Nevertheless, libraries and research being a recent topic here, that slice of Roanoke history is worth revisiting. Too, given that particular library branch is a year past its centennial in service to the Black community and surrounding locales and this is Black History Month, its a pleasing story to tell.

As an aside, good stories and history of all kinds, newspapers endeavor to present every day.

The source for the institutional history narrative to follow was shared by library associate Pam Young and drawn from the branchs rich collection of materials devoted to the life of that neighborhood and beyond.

The day the library opened was Dec. 13, 1921, with the original collection of materials housed in the basement of Odd Fellows Hall at Gainsboro Road and Patton Avenue. The building later became the William A. Hunton YMCA.

Educator Lucy Addison, the Rev. A.L. James and the Rev. Lylburn L. Downing comprised the first advisory board. Ella F. Bowden was the first librarian serving until 1923 and she was followed, briefly, by Emma Lyons then Harriet Miles, in office until 1928.

Thats when Virginia Y. Lee took over. A powerhouse she was, no other word seems quite sufficient.

At once, she began to amass materials devoted to Black history and set up displays to celebrate the accomplishments of members of the community.

In addition, she corresponded with prominent Black authors outside Roanoke who then donated signed copies of their work and other materials. That trove including signed writings from Langston Hughes and James Baldwin among many other unique artifacts that are now housed in a special collection room named in honor of Librarian Lee.

So tirelessly diligent was she in her collecting zeal over more than a decade that by and by there was no more room in the basement at the Y. She went to city official to appeal for a new building.

You wont be surprised this petition  in the era of racial segregation as a matter of law  met with resistance, the delicate term employed in the institutional history on file at the library.

Undeterred, she hammered away in her librarian-like way until it was agreed the city would put up $20,000 if somehow Lee could secure the land. The year was 1941, Pearl Harbor to come in December, when she approached the Rev. Thomas Martin at St. Andrews Catholic Church to inquire if some sort of lease could be arranged for church property on which a library could be built. The priest was agreeable but indicated he must appeal to a higher authority.

Father Thomas assisted Lee with correspondence to the pope seeking permission to craft a lease. The pope was magnanimous. Instead of a lease, he ruled the church would donate the land for the library for the next 99 years.

That of course was a wonderful gesture. At the same time it must be noted Pius XII enjoyed a long and controversial reign (1939-58) during a tumultuous age. Since then many historians hold him responsible for what was blandly termed his public silence on knowledge of Nazi genocide. That stated, the endless list of the churchs good works in the Roanoke area is undeniable.

Back to the library, construction of the 3,050-square-foot building was completed and opened publicly May 10, 1942. Librarian Lee continued to serve an outsized role in the project by suggesting a Tudor architectural style to echo the nearby Hotel Roanoke. The design firm Eubank & Caldwell Inc. concurred and Tudor it was.

The initial collection totaled 7,000 titles. For some, apparently that was too many. It may not surprise you that city officials of a still Jim Crow society deemed not long after the opening that all the Black history Lee amassed had to go. Taking up too much room, they must have said.

It also may not startle you to find out Librarian Lee was insubordinate to those instructions. The collection went into hiding for safekeeping in the library basement. When Lee retired in 1971, she donated 3,500 items from her collection to the library.

In 1982, largely through efforts of one of Lees successors, Carla Lewis, the Virginia Y. Lee Collection was dedicated and its array of rare signed books, first editions and other artifacts housed in its own room at the branch.

Lewis, by the way, served for 36 years there before retiring in 2009. One of her signature innovations was the librarys extensive oral history collection. The interview recordings and transcripts are accessible by going to virginiaroom.org, digital collection tab, then browse or search neighborhood oral histories covering the whole city.

The Lee collection is considered the most extensive of its kind devoted to Black history in southwest Virginia.

Even after all that, the branch faced continued headwinds. In both 1976 and 1982, those city officials were back again suggesting the library should be closed. Who votes to close libraries?

Those efforts twice were fought back by residents of the neighborhood who said they could not live without it. The branchs worth was further endorsed when it was chosen for first state then national historic properties registries in 1996.

Remember that the next time you stop by 15 Patton Ave. N.W. to see Langston Hughes work that passed from his hands to your eyes. Or to check the 1961 edition of The Addisonian, the Lucy Addison High yearbook (only 1951 and 1952 are missing from the complete series) and read a June 1978 copy of The Roanoke Tribune, journalism of the highest repute then and now.

As for Librarian Lees inspiration and Eubank & Caldwell execution, the Gainsboro Branch is among the most beautiful fully operational public buildings in the Roanoke Valley.

The roster of competitors is exceptionally brief.

If youve been wondering about something, call Whats on Your Mind? at 777-6476 or send an email to whatsonyourmind@roanoke.com. Dont forget to provide your full name (and its proper spelling if by phone) and hometown.
Roanoke could easily see highs above 60 four of five days in this last work week of February, but could also see it rain on four of five days also.

The exception to rain will be today, on Presidents Day, when some aren't working. The exception to 60s will be Thursday when cooler air wedges to the south and it might get stuck in the 40s. Beyond this period, there will be a colder surge for the weekend and, possibly, a flirtation with wintry precipitation by Sunday and Monday to close out February and meteorological winter, but that's very iffy right now.

What is much less iffy is sunshine and the beginning of warm, moist flow from the south and southwest pushing high temperatures into the upper 50s to mid 60s range across most of the Roanoke-New River valleys area on this Monday.

After that, a series of waves of low-pressure riding along a frontal boundary to our northwest will bring chances of rain, while also continuing to feed in warm, moist air. Late Tuesday into early Wednesday and most of Thursday look to be most likely times of concentrated, steady to locally heavy rainfall, but showers are possible just about any time from the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday until late Friday when a cold front finally pushes through to clear out the warmth and moisture.

So it won't rain continuously from Tuesday to Friday and there may even be some breaks of sunshine on three of those days (Thursday not likely, given cooler-air wedge and overrunning moisture). But this also won't be the basking-in-the-sun warm week many eager spring fans desire. Wednesday afternoon might be the closest to that, when some lower 70s are possible during what looks to be a break between rainy spells.

It appears the heaviest rain will be west and southwest of our region, with 1-2 inches total for the week near us and more flooding risk to the west, possibly as far east as the far southwest area of Virginia west of Interstate 77.

The weekend cold front will have some Arctic punch to it, though modified after helping feed what will be a mid-to-late-week winter storm over the Ohio Valley and Northeast. It is possible another wave of moisture moves through by next Sunday and Monday, and it may be just cold enough to put some wintry mix or wet snow on the table as a possibility in or near our region. Much is unsettled about this period, so don't take it to the bank winter is roaring back, but it could peek through the curtains for a cameo if the atmospheric setup lines up for it.

March looks to open with short warmups punctuated by cold fronts, perhaps tilting a little on the cold side on average. Spring is not going to burst out in radiant victory nor is winter going to make a triumphant return in our region to start March, but we may some elements of each in what will be considered early spring on the meteorological calendar.

Contact Kevin Myatt at kevin.myatt@roanoke.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevinmyattwx.

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The Blue Ridge Rock Festival  an event that brought a record crowd of 33,000 people to Pittsylvania County in 2021  is steering down the road this year to a new venue at Virginia International Raceway in Halifax County.

The new location officially was announced Friday when tickets went on sale for the four-day festival set Sept. 8-11.

This event is very unique to VIR as we have never hosted a music festival of this scale, Kerrigan Smith, VIR president and COO, told the Register & Bee via email. There is a great opportunity for us to strengthen relationships in the community and to create new ones to make this successful.

For Pittsylvania County, the musical endeavor was riddled with controversy from the start. When it was proposed, nearby residents werent thrilled with the idea that thousands of music fans would make their way to a rural part of the county. After revising ordinances that hadnt been changed in more than 30 years, Pittsylvania County officials approved the history-making event.

More than 180 bands performed last year before the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Some of those acts included Anthrax, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeth, Bush, Lamb of God, Cypress Hill, Seether, Ludacris, T-Pain, Body Count, Lil John and Rev Run (from Run-DMC).

The thousands of fans also boosted business for establishments throughout the Dan River Region.

The festivities kicked off Sept. 9, backing up traffic along U.S. 29 in Blairs. On the first day, it took about 20 to 30 minutes for a Register & Bee reporter to get from the exit onto northbound U.S. 29 to R & L Smith Road, which leads to Carson Lester Lane and the Blue Ridge Amphitheater, where the festival was located.

After being overwhelmed by the thousands of fans arriving for the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, the promoter  Purpose Driven Events  pivoted and turned all operations outside of the event gates over to Pittsylvania County, ultimately leading to what officials termed as a flawless affair.

Pittsylvania County billed Purpose Driven Events more than $337,000 for work performed at that event and a smaller one that preceded it.

A Blue Ridge Country Festival set for early October was postponed until May by organizers first citing COVID-19 worries. However, days later details emerged that the county rescinded permits for that endeavor.

Two civil lawsuits were filed late last year by vendors claiming they hadnt been paid for services surrounding the rock festival. It appears both suits were settled out of court.

Pittsylvania County leaders were happy to host the Blue Ridge Rock Festival and Worship at the Mountain Events in 2021, Caleb Ayers, a spokesperson for the county, told the Register & Bee. These events provided a positive economic impact on our county and entire region.

When asked if the promoters notified the county this years event was moving to VIR, Ayers didnt comment, instead saying, We wish the event promoters the best as they move the event to the Virginia International Raceway.

The event will be the largest on record for the road racing course tucked away in rural Alton.

VIR hosts many large weddings and large corporate retreats, but nothing on the scale of what we are expecting with the Blue Ridge Rock Fest, Smith said.

VIR referred other questions to Jonathan Slye, the event promoter. Slye didnt respond to an email from the Register & Bee.

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FREDERICKSBURG  Dr. Henry Wicker Jr. recalls that some people looked at him like he stepped off a spaceship more than 30 years ago as he arrived as Fredericksburg's first Black surgeon.

Others didnt want to see him at all. There were a handful of patients who didnt realize his race when they made their appointments. Hed walk into the room to introduce himself, say a few words and step out so they could change into a patient gown. When he returned, they were gone.

Even when a prominent physician started recommending him, the referral came with a caveat.

He would warn them that I was colored,  Wicker said.

Meanwhile, there was the opposite reaction in the Black community. People were so excited by his practice, they came, even if they didnt need surgery.

They just wanted to see a Black doctor, he said.

How times have changed.

Wicker, 63, has become the surgeon other doctors pick to perform their procedures, said Crystal Jernigan, director of surgical services at Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center. His general surgery practice initially included everything from breast cancer to vascular issues but narrowed over time as Wicker specialized in the abdominal area.

Nurse Leah Blake, who said other doctors regularly seek insight from operating nurses like her when they need work done, put it this way: You want your hernia done, you go to Dr. Wicker.

Wicker probably would laugh at her words while also being a little embarrassed by the accolades. He doesnt seek the limelight, but agreed to a story after HCA Virginia, which owns the Spotsylvania hospital, highlighted him as a health care hero during Black History Month.

He believes his family has an interesting and inspiring history and hes proud of the trails they blazed. His great-great-grandfather, A.E.P. Albert, was the son of a slave, but he earned a medical degree in the 1880s and became a staunch supporter of civil rights in Louisiana.

Alberts wife, Octavia, also was born into slavery, but was educated in Georgia and wrote a book about slave experiences called The House of Bondage.

The Wicker family has a copy of that book, tattered and worn. The surgeon believed it was the only one left until scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. included it in a collection of Black female authors from the 19th century.

The emphasis his great-great-grandparents placed on education has remained a core family value over centuries.

Every single one of their descendants was at least a college graduate and most of us have advanced degrees, Wicker said. Thats unusual to have a line go back into the 19th century for a Black family. Were talking about five generations.

Many have become teachers, like his brother and oldest daughter. Still others entered the medical field, including Wickers father, the late Dr. Henry Wicker Sr., who was the first Black ophthalmologist at George Washington University Hospital in the 1960s.

Off limits, on campus

The younger Wicker didnt plan to go into medicine.

I was gonna be a bomber pilot, that was what I was intent on doing, he said with a hearty laugh. I was just fascinated with military aviation. I had model planes I made hanging from my ceiling and the B-52 hung right over my bed. I was going to be a B-52 pilot.

He even earned an Air Force scholarship. But in those years after Vietnamthe late 1970sWicker said the country had no taste for the military . . . and the ROTC was not a popular place to be.

When he learned the Air Force was looking for doctors, not pilots, he changed direction. It wasnt a total about-face, as he already was familiar with the world of medicine from spending time with his father and his contemporaries.

His family lived in Washington, where his mother, Geralyn, taught in inner-city schools and made it her lifes work to impart the thirst for education in children who had very little in the form of guidance or security, Wicker said.

She wanted him to apply to Harvard. But hed also spent a lot of time with family in New Orleans, so when he got early acceptance into Tulane University, Wicker didnt apply anywhere else. He did his undergraduate work there and received his medical degree from its School of Medicine in 1985.

The choice of Tulane was especially meaningful to Wickers father, who didnt have the same opportunities. Legalized segregationthe notion that opportunities offered were separate but equalstarted in New Orleans and was enforced to the degree that any Black who challenged it was arrested. Tulane was clearly off limits to Blacks in the elder Wickers day.

Every time my father would come to visit on campus, he would make the remark: You know, I couldnt even walk on the same side of the street and now Im walking with you on campus, Wicker recalled.

As a young man, Wicker sensed his fathers pride but probably didnt fathom the magnitude of what he felt.

I feel so much differently about things now, looking back as an old man with children, than I did when I was young and just excited about being away from home, he said.

'He saved my life'

Wicker did his internship and residency at Howard University Hospitals. His mentor was Dr. Lasalle Leffall Jr., an internationally known surgeon and educator who trained more than 4,500 medical students.

Wicker still has the Chairmans Award, presented to him by Leffall in June 1990, hanging in his office at the Pratt Medical Center across from Spotsylvania Regional. The award was presented to a resident with superior skills who is deemed by the department to demonstrate the attributes necessary for a safe and skillful surgeon.

Wicker treasures the award because Leffall instilled in his students that surgeons needed stellar skills and a hefty dose of humanity. While others of that era placed surgeons on pedestalsbelieving that technical competency trumped everything else, including compassionLefall imparted the sense that you were the servants.

Wicker never forgot the lesson.

He was larger than life, magnanimous, just a superb human being, Wicker said. Still to this day, I spend time trying to emulate him. Never successful, but always trying.

Those whove worked with himand have been cared for by himwould say otherwise.

I consider him my savior, said Valentin Aksilenko, who came to America from Russia in 1993, three years after Wicker opened his practice. He saved my life, not one time but several times.

Aksilenkos long history with the surgeon began with a diagnosis of Stage 4 rectal cancer and involved a complicated and difficult initial surgeryand there have been many since then. The former KGB operative and Kremlin staff member was taken back at 10 a.m. for that first procedure and his wife, Irene, remembers with keen clarity sitting in the waiting room. It was after midnight when Wicker emerged.

I was alone, lying on the sofa, and he came out and he was tired, his eyes were bloodshot as the surgery involved more organs than initially thought, she said.

Irene Aksilenko began to cry when Wicker explained the procedure had resulted in a colostomy bag, meaning her husbands waste had to be diverted in a different direction.

I was crying on his shoulder and he was trying to calm me down and soothe me, telling me its not the end of the world, that people live with this condition for years, she said. Its been almost 20 years already and we owe Vals life to him. No doubt, no doubt about it.

'The absolute best'

That story probably wouldnt surprise David McKnight, the former CEO of Spotsylvania Regional. Wicker was chief of staff and one of the patriarchs of the hospital when McKnight first joined the team in 2015. He came to discover that Wicker is a perfectionist.

He demands the absolute best, which to some can be intimidating. However, it makes you better, McKnight said. He is an incredible teacher, and if you want to see how things should be done, you watch him. Patients love him because of the way he can explain things. If he needed to draw a diagram to better explain something, he would draw it himself.

But perhaps the best testament to Wickers skills comes from Lawrence Davies, Fredericksburgs first Black mayor and a man renowned for his calming influence during troubling times.

Like others, he visited Wicker for a medical matter.

He spared me from surgery that was unnecessary and Ill be eternally grateful to him for that, Davies said.

As the years passed, Wicker went from being a bit of a curiosity, as he called himself in his early days in Fredericksburg, to a surgeon known for his kindness and competence, not his color.

He is highly respected and appreciated as a physician, Davies said. Not as a Black physician but as a physician in the community.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., wants to change federal law to push employees to save for their retirement.

Kaine and Rep. Kathy Manning, a North Carolina Democrat, introduced the Auto Enrollment Act in both chambers of Congress on Friday to encourage employers to automatically enroll employees in workplace retirement plans unless the workers choose to opt out.

Many employers already use automatic enrollment to provide a retirement savings plan to new employees, but workers often opt out, even if their employer offers to match their contributions.

The proposed legislation would amend federal retirement law to let employers automatically enroll employees every three years with the opportunity to opt out to encourage them to save for retirement.

Employer-sponsored retirement plans are an important part of retirement for millions of Americans, Kaine said. However, far too many workers are missing out on money that can go a long way toward financial stability in their retirement years by failing to participate in their employer matching contribution.

He and Manning estimate that 51% of private sector workers participate in the retirement plans their employers offer, often not taking advantage of matching contributions.

Their proposal would amend the Employment Retirement Income Security Act and the IRS code to encourage employers to automatically re-enroll employees who arent participating every three years unless they again choose to opt out.

This common-sense legislation will build on the success of auto-enrollment and help put families in Virginia and across the nation on a safer financial footing for the future, Kaine said.
 Flash

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that President Joe Biden "accepted in principle" a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Psaki's confirmation of a potential Biden-Putin summit followed a statement by the Elysee Palace in France saying the two presidents have "accepted in principle" a virtual meeting brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron, who held separate phone calls with Biden and Putin on Sunday.

Psaki said the summit would happen after a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov next week, provided that Russia will not invade Ukraine.

"We are always ready for diplomacy," she said in the statement. "We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war."

The latest development came as the United States has kept claiming Russia could invade its neighbor at any time, while Russia has denied any such plans, accusing Washington of "hysteria."

The Blinken-Lavrov meeting, agreed previously by the two sides, will take place on Thursday in Europe.
The Richmond Police Department, working with multiple other law enforcement agencies, said Monday they stopped hundreds of motorists from participating in a roadshow of wheelies, burnouts, doughnuts and other illegal activities on public intersections late Saturday night.

The event, known informally as a sideshow, brought about 300 cars to town from as far away as D.C. and Baltimore.

In an interview with The Times-Dispatch, Richmond Chief of Police Gerald Smith said he doesnt understand why these drivers are attempting such stunts.

Im going to be honest with you, a lot of people are asking that same question and we are struggling to figure that out, Smith said.

In a statement from RPD, officials said they made a single felony arrest. Richard C. Shreve, Jr. was charged with felony eluding of a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, and illegal window tint. His car was also impounded. Smith was unaware of any other arrests at this time.

Officers also issued 45 summons for various offenses such as reckless driving, trespassing, illegal window tints, disregarding a red light and more.

Around 300 cars planned to arrive in multiple locations Saturday evening, according to Richmond police. Virginia State Police, Henrico Police, the Hanover County Sheriffs office, VCU Police and the Richmond Sheriffs office collaborated in order to diffuse meetups at six different spots from around 9 p.m. Saturday to 12:34 a.m. Sunday.

Richmond police caught wind the event was taking place while monitoring the internet for planned gatherings and compiling tips from the public, according to Smith. He said the the operations primary objective was to address the illegal behavior taking place as result of such a gathering.

Smith didnt want to give away too many specifics about the response, but Richmond police utilized their plane and a state police helicopter to watch over the streets as the drivers descended upon Richmond.

We utilized that heavily in this entire operation, to watch their behavior, as well as know where to go to head them off before they got there, Smith said.

Smith said residents have been instrumental in providing tips about when potential car shows are going to happen on websites like Facebook, Nextdoor and Reddit and that these arent the typical car clubs one might imagine.

Sideshows are informal gatherings where people perform automotive stunts and spectacles on vacant lots and public roads.

Smith said cracking down on such behavior isnt necessarily a primary focus of the department, but whenever they catch word of such activity they will address it.

I personally dont understand it, but maybe if one of them would like to come forward and just sit down and explain to us, what the attraction is, we would listen, Smith said. Although its still illegal behavior....maybe they dont recognize it as such, but it is, and every time it occurs, we will address it.

Smith thanked Richmonds community partners for their help in this operation and that hes proud his officers were able to prevent the event from disrupting city activity.

Our message is clear and simple, we will not tolerate this activity on the streets of Richmond and we will strictly enforce the law when it comes to potentially endangering the lives of others, Smith said in a press release. Im proud of how our officers stopped efforts to wreak havoc on the city of Richmond, they prevented what could have been a very tragic event.
For the first time since December, theres no health district in the commonwealth experiencing a surge of cases. In fact, nearly all are in a decline for the second consecutive week.

It is hard not to be excited by the last few weeks, researchers with the University of Virginias Biocomplexity Institute wrote in Fridays report.

The reports optimism is tempered with a bit of reality, especially for the Dan River Region.

Case rates remain very high for some rural parts of the state, in particular counties in Southside and the Far Southwest, the report noted. Residents in these regions should continue to wear a mask when in indoor public places.

Thats the same advice leaders with Sovah Health and the Pittsylvania-Danville Health Department told the Register & Bee last week.

While we are seeing a decline in cases across our system compared with previous weeks, we ask that the public remain vigilant and continue to practice mitigation tactics, which include wearing a mask in indoor public places, practicing social distancing and proper hand hygiene  and most importantly  get vaccinated or boosted, Dr. Sheranda Gunn-Nolan, market chief medical officer for Sovah Health, said.

Cases are indeed declining around the commonwealth leading to a 60% drop in statewide hospitalizations for the novel coronavirus, according to data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.

Locally, the drop-off is even more steep. Sovah Health was treating 20 people for COVID-19 on Friday, a decline of 71% from the record highs set just a month ago.

But the virus is still circling, still causing sickness and still sending people to the hospital.

While case numbers and hospitalizations are down, transmission rates still remain high across the state, Brookie Crawford, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Health, told the Register & Bee Friday. Additionally, its important that people dont let their guard down and continue to practice mitigation measures  wear a mask, wash their hands, practice social distance  and most importantly, stay home if they are sick.

The UVa models show the downward trend continuing. Some scenarios  such as one that factors in decreased vigilance  slows the decline a tad.

The report likens the omicron wave to a roller coaster. The highly transmissible variant cases a rapid climb to never-before-seen heights, followed by a tremendous and rapid descent, researchers said.

But it also notes not all roller coaster riders reach the ground at the same time. Thats the same for the state.

The urban centers in Northern and Eastern Virginia peaked early and have since declined, scientists explained. But more rural parts, in Southside and the Far Southwest, only peaked last week.

These areas still have what UVa considers extremely high levels of community transmission.

The omicron variant accounts for nearly 100% of all new cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, a subvariant  dubbed BA.2  is making its away across Virginia. Experts believe that will become dominant by mid-March.

BA.2 has a slight transmission advantage over Omicron, spreading more easily, the report stated. Research on BA.2 is still ongoing, but some early studies suggest it might be able to cause more severe disease than BA.1.

All in all, the differences between the variants arent extreme and vaccination remains the most effective weapon on the pandemic battle.

It is also our best bet at preventing another hospital-filling surge in the future, researchers noted.

This week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin rallied Virginians to get vaccinated. He also announced plans for about 120 COVID-19 vaccine events across the state, UVa reports.
The websites of the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry and major banks were knocked offline after a series of cyberattacks highlighting the nature of modern-day warfare.

At least a dozen Ukrainian websites were unreachable for a few hours due to the attacks, including the defense, foreign and culture ministries and Ukraines two largest state banks.

Customers of Privatbank and Oschadbank reported problems with online payments, ATM withdrawals and mobile apps.

Even though Ukraine officials didnt rush to blame Russia for the attack, like they did with a previous cyber attack, a Ukrainian Information Ministry statement suggests Russian involvement.

It is possible that the aggressor resorted to tactics of petty mischief, because his aggressive plans arent working overall, the Ukrainian statement said.

This is the second cyberattack on Ukrainian infrastructure this year. Last month, a massive cyber-attack knocked out key government websites, the foreign ministry, the cabinet of ministers and the security and defense council, among others.

The hackers left a message on the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry website saying: Ukrainians!  All information about you has become public. Be afraid and expect worse. Its your past, present and future.

Authorities in Kyiv said they had uncovered clues that Russian security services could have been behind the cyber-attack.

Unless some third party is trying to take advantage of openings amid an intensifying crisis between Ukraine and Russia, Russian hackers, either acting privately or state-sponsored, are likely behind this weeks attack.

There is certainly a recent precedent: In 2014, when it seized and annexed Crimea from Ukraine, Russia was accused of launching a series of cyber-attacks to destabilize communications and spread disinformation. Cyberattacks are strategically advantageous to create a destabilizing atmosphere ahead or instead of a physical invasion.

Since then, Russian hackers have attacked Ukraines power grid and caused several blackouts in the capital city of Kyiv.

The Russian track record of unleashing destructive "hybrid warfare" cyber attacks has many nations, the U.S. included, worried that the conflict in Ukraine might spillover far beyond its borders. Last month, U.S. Homeland Security warned that Russia could launch a cyberattack on U.S. infrastructure if it perceived any Western response to be a threat to its own national security.

In 2017, the U.S. government attributed a massive ransomware attack, NotPetya, to the Russian military. The NotPetya cyberattack was directed initially at Ukrainian private companies, but it spilled over and affected several international companies globally. The result was more than $10 billion in damages.

In October 2020, the U.S. The Justice Department charged six Russian intelligence officers for the 2017 attack, but also for some previous and later attacks, such as an attempt to disrupt the 2017 French Elections and the Winter Olympic Games following year.

All six, believed to reside in Russia, are charged with seven counts of conspiracy to hack, commit wire fraud and causing computer damage.

In the meantime, while the Russian government has denied any involvement in the attacks, Washington is calling for more sanctions in response.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders are pushing to include sanctions for cyberattacks as part of a wider bill of actions against Russia if it invades Ukraine.

Every time the Russians have done this, theyve started with a cyber-attack. They did it in Georgia, they did it in Crimea, they did it in Estonia, when they didnt even go in. Its in their quiver, Senator Jim Risch said, the top Republican on the Committee
" " The Gateway Arch stands on the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri. Built as a monument to Thomas Jefferson and Americas westward expansion, its the tallest arch in the world and the tallest monument in the United States. VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm/Getty Images

Less than half a millimeter (0.01 inches): That's the margin of error welders had to work with when inserting the last piece of the towering St. Louis monument formally known as the Gateway Arch. The swooping, 630-foot (192-meter) landmark appears smooth and seamless, but its two legs were built separately from stainless steel shipped via train from Pennsylvania. When construction kicked off in 1961, many predicted an epic failure was inevitable  after all, how could workers ensure they'd leave just the right amount of space for the final piece with virtually no wiggle room for mistakes?

Somehow the team pulled it off, securing the Gateway Arch's enduring reputation as America's tallest monument and the world's tallest arch. The ambitious endeavor was the product of American-Finnish architect Eero Saarinen's contest-winning design. But the bigger story of the arch's origin is kind of wild.

"Gateway Arch National Park is an unusual National Park Service site," says NPS historian Bob Moore. "Its origins were equally out of the ordinary. The idea for the park was generated in the early 1930s by a bespectacled, middle-aged lawyer and self-proclaimed 'do-gooder' named Luther Ely Smith, who wanted to beautify the rundown St. Louis riverfront. In the era before commercial aviation was common, the riverfront area was the first glimpse those in automobiles and trains had as they approached the city."

According to Moore, the area as it stood in the early '30s wasn't making any good impressions. "It was not a pretty sight, and did not make visitors think that St. Louis was one of the great American cities," he says. "The riverfront buildings were rundown and ancient in appearance." As modern barges replaced the old-timey paddle-wheel steamboats, the once-bustling harbor fell into disrepair as the action moved elsewhere. "In addition to beautifying the city, Smith also wanted to put St. Louisans back to work during the Great Depression," Moore says. "Thirdly, Smith wanted their efforts to result in a unique memorial which would draw tourists from all over the world."

Although proposals to revitalize the riverfront had been circling since 1898, Smith "had the reputation and dedication to push his own concept to reality," according to Moore. The goal at the heart of Smith's proposal was to construct a tribute to commemorate a legitimate landmark in U.S. history  the unprecedented migration during the 19th century of hundreds of thousands of people into the trans-Mississippi West, funneled through the bustling city of St. Louis, the last major metropolitan center on the edge of the frontier," Moore says.

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The Competition for an Architect

And so, in 1947, two years after the end of World War II, a St. Louis citizen's committee sponsored an architectural competition to transform the face of the city's riverfront. Any architects who were U.S. citizens could compete for the honor (and the sweet $225,000 cash prize). "It was the intent of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association that the memorial area would become an integral part of the community's life, and revive the beauty and overall impression of the adjacent downtown area," Moore says.

The two-stage competition included an elite jury of nationally recognized architects like George Howe and William Wurster who favored the more modern style of architecture. Influential names in architecture like Walter Gropius, Charles Eames and Kazumi Adachi were among the 172 entrants, but the judges landed on one lucky contender  sort of.

"When the five semi-finalists were chosen in the fall of 1947, the name Saarinen prompted the competition adviser, George Howe, to telegraph Eliel that he was one of them, and that he should work to prepare a revised design for a second round of judging in early 1948," Moore says. "At the Saarinen studio in Michigan, Champagne bottles were uncorked in honor of the triumph. But a few days later, an embarrassed telephone call from Howe revealed that Eliel was not among the semi-finalists. It was his then-unknown son, Eero, who was the winner of a coveted place as a semi-finalist, with his audacious and creative design of a gigantic, soaring stainless steel arch." Like a good sport and a good dad, Eliel popped a second bottle upon learning Eero was the actual recipient of the news.

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Eero Saarinen Is Chosen

Eero officially snagged the top honor on Feb. 18, 1948. In a March 7, 1948, article for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch titled "The Arch Began With Pipe Cleaners" (courtesy of the Gateway Arch National Park Archives), Saarinen wrote that his idea for the arch stemmed from a search to emulate the distinct geometric shapes of the existing monuments to Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson.

"We began to imagine some kind of a dome which was much more open than the Jefferson Memorial in Washington," Saarinen wrote. "Maybe it could be a great pierced concrete dome that touched the ground on just three points. . . . We tried it in a very crude way; the only things we could find to make it with were some pipe cleaners. But the three legs did not seem to fit in the plan, so we tried it with two legs, like a big arch. . . . More and more, it began to dawn on us that the arch was really a gateway, and various friends who stooped to look at what we were doing immediately interpreted it as such. Gradually, we named it the 'Gateway to the West.'"

" " Nearing completion during construction of the Gateway Arch, here shown on July 8, 1965. Flickr/ Missouri State Archives

But constructing a giant swooping structure isn't exactly simple. "In designing the Arch, many studies were made to determine the proper curvature," wrote architect Kevin Roche, who worked with Saarinen on the final design and carried the unfinished plans to completion after Saarinen's death in 1961. In a document from the Gateway Arch National Park Archives titled "Designing the Arch," Roche writes that "while the curve was that of a catenary such as would be formed by a chain hung upside down, the development included studying the impact of a weighted catenary which would slightly modify the simple catenary form. Again  many models, studies, section drawings, many chains hung from the ceiling with weights."

The actual structural design of the Gateway Arch came courtesy of the wisdom of engineer Fred Severud, assisted by an associate named Hannskarl Bandel. In another document provided by the Gateway Arch National Park Archives, Severud's son, Fred Jr., wrote of his father, "Although Eero Saarinen designed the look of the Arch, it was my father and his firm that worked out the way in which it could be built. Without the mathematical calculations worked out by the Severud firm, and the use of orthotropic engineering principles (meaning that the steel inner and outer walls of the Arch are the actual structural members, rather than a skeleton of girders with the steel panels hanging on them), there would be no Arch today. After many years of consultations and hard work, construction was finally begun in 1963."

Severud's son painstakingly detailed the specifics of his father's grand plan. "The Arch was built as two cantilever structures, which eventually met at the top," he wrote. "The design had to consider the loadings and structural action at the various stages, while keeping in mind the practicalities of construction. During the initial cantilever stage, post-tensioned concrete was placed between the inner and outer skins, up to the 300-foot (91-meter) level, to provide the necessary strength for the inward curve of the legs. Above 300 feet (91 meters) the post-tensioned concrete was omitted."

Because the structure was too tall to construct with standard cranes, the crew had to use something called a climbing crane, along with the contractors, on each leg of the arch. "At about 500 feet (152 meter) elevation, a temporary horizontal strut truss was placed from leg to leg, which then made the legs act together, an entirely different stress condition," he wrote.

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The Shape of the Curve

Figuring out the whole arch part of the arch wasn't easy, either. "The attempt to arrive at a curve for the Arch included suspending a rope fastened at its endpoints; the sagging rope formed a catenary curve, sort of an upside down arch," architect Bruce Detmers wrote in another document from The Gateway Arch National Park Archives. "The adding of weights along the length of the suspended rope changed the shape of the curve. A uniform rope resulted in a curve that was too flat on top. The attempts to weight the suspended rope were not helpful in arriving at a shape to satisfy Eero."

Severud's assistant, Bandel, saved the day in a sense, according to Detmers. "Numerical adjustments were made in the formula and plotted," he wrote. "The plotting process and that of making study models resulted in the final design of the Arch. The legs of the Arch are steeper and larger at the base; the top of the Arch smaller and less flat than a pure uniformly weighted centenary, resulting in the fact that the Arch seems to soar." The final step in defining the Arch involved complex mathematical formulas that took hours to calculate. "Our accounting department's mechanically operated machine could multiply tracking numbers to several decimal places," Detmers wrote. "This by today's standards ancient technology was used to calculate the dimensions of the Arch. I was much relieved to learn that Pittsburgh Des Moines Steel, the subcontractor to fabricate the Arch structure, used a computer to check our calculations and found no errors."

The real issue (as if there weren't already so many others to overcome) was figuring out how to leave just enough space for that final connecting piece at the top  any amount of extra space or insufficient space would wreck the whole thing. And there was an added complication, thanks to Mother Nature. "Since the setting of the final piece was to be done during warm weather, a problem arose," Severud's son wrote. "The legs had different exposures to the sun, which caused them to be several feet different in elevation during the day, so all measurements were made at night, when there was no temperature difference. The construction team planned to also place the piece at night, when both sides would line up."

Apparently, the mayor of St. Louis thought this plan was insane. "This was to be one of the most significant happenings in St. Louis history; the setting must be done during the early afternoon!" Severud's son wrote, describing the mayor's incredulity. "This would cause a difference in elevation which couldn't be overcome; what could be done? My father woke up with the solution during the night: use water to cool down the hot side! The fire chief was contacted, and agreed to provide hoses and pumpers to spray the hot side. The result? The final piece was placed during the day, with no problem."

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Getting People to the Top

The final issue to contend with: How in the world were the engineers supposed to bring visitors to the top of the landmark? A regular elevator can't exactly navigate a towering curvature. This problem was solved by Dick Bowser, a college dropout who worked at the Montgomery Elevator Company in Moline, Illinois. His solution: a tram that combined the functions of an elevator with ... a Ferris wheel.

" " Tourists enjoy the view from the interior of the top of the St. Louis Arch. CC BY-SA 3.0) Wikimedia Commons/ Kelly Martin

"There were many meetings with Dick, who came up with the idea of the capsule which could rotate as it traveled from the underground station up the leg of the Arch to the visitors' platform at the top," Roche wrote. "We constructed many models of the underground station and built a full-size model of the five-person capsule to test with passengers of various sizes. We also built a full-size cross section through the top of the Arch so that the viewing windows could be small enough to not be visible from the outside but large enough to provide the visitor with a spectacular view. Much effort went into this model to ensure that children and adults of all heights could reach the viewing windows comfortably."

And today, 6,700 daily visitors still use Bowser's innovative system to take in the view from the top of the arch. The 630-foot (192-meter) high arch weighs 43,226 tons (39,214 metric tons), including 900 tons (816 metric tons) of stainless steel, wound up costing $13.4 million, and employed several hundred workers (none of whom died in the process, despite predictions of 13 deaths). The landmark continues to be a major national attraction, drawing 3.5 million visitors each year.

Now That's Interesting It may not look like it, but the arch is actually as wide as it is tall (630 feet [192 meters] in both directions). The reason it appears longer from top to bottom is thanks to an optical illusion  since you rarely look at the arch straight on, your eyes perceive it to be significantly taller than it is wide.
" " People gather around the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, on June 4, 2020, amid continued protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody. RYAN M. KELLY/AFP via Getty Images

In Richmond, Virginia, in June 2020, during protests against police brutality and racism, demonstrators spray-painted the base of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee with epithets and slogans like "Black Lives Matter", "Blood On Your Hands" and "Stop White Supremacy." These were sparked by the May 2020, death of George Floyd while in police custody. The city's mayor agreed to take down this and other Confederate monuments by July 1, 2020, saying "Richmond is no longer the capital of the Confederacy. It is filled with diversity and love for all, and we need to demonstrate that," according to The Guardian.

The movement to pull down public Confederate monuments, which began in 2017, has been picking up steam. In the spring and summer of 2017, construction crews hired by the cities of Baltimore, Maryland and New Orleans wrapped heavy straps around the bronze chests of towering sculptures of confederate icons Lee, Confederate States President Jefferson Davis, Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson and Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard.

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Working under the cover of darkness to avoid crowds of protesters (there were death threats), the crews used cranes to lift the monuments from their pedestals and load them onto flatbed trucks. The statues were shipped off to warehouses, where they would remain out of sight until the cities could find appropriate places  if any  to resettle them.

Taking down public monuments like these is no small decision. In these cases, the removal of the Confederate monuments was sparked by the June 2015 murder of nine black parishioners at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, by an avowed white supremacist claiming allegiance to the Confederate battle flag.

Immediately following the Charleston attack, former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu called for the city council to convene a task force on the removal of the city's Confederate monuments [source: Wendland]. The same thing happened in Baltimore, where former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake assembled a panel of historians and activists to decide the fate of its monuments [source: Campbell].

In both cases, the city councils voted to remove the Confederate statues, ruling that they were offensive to the two cities' majority African-American residents and flashpoints for violence.

But many monuments to the Confederacy still stand in American cities. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are more than 1,700 statues, flags, plaques, city and county names, street names, holidays and even military bases named for Confederate generals, or otherwise dedicated to honoring and celebrating the Confederate cause. Some 780 of these are monuments. Only 114 Confederate symbols have been removed since the Charleston attack.

Supporters of these Confederate monuments argue that removing them is akin to erasing or rewriting history, and wonder which other historical figures will fall victim to modern readings of morality. Founding Father and third POTUS Thomas Jefferson kept slaves at Monticello. Christopher Columbus' "discovery" of the Americas led to savage oppression of the New World's native inhabitants.

The decision of whether or not to remove a public monument is really a question of what public monuments represent. Are they bygone products of a distant time and place, or timeless reminders of our core values and beliefs? When our values change, should our public monuments change with them? Are monuments an important way of chronicling a nation's history, both the good and the regrettable? Or do they chiefly serve to chronicle only the history that a small group of people  typically the wealthy and powerful  want to preserve?

Before we dive into the history and controversies surrounding the removal of public monuments, let's take a swing at that first question  what do public monuments really represent?
EU and African startups and SMEs collaborate to scale up and find solutions to shared challenges.  Jono Erasmus, Shutterstock.

Covering everything from smart health and fintech services to food tech, ed tech and sustainable energy, EU and African companies are bringing their smart solutions to be incubated, accelerated and scaled up via partnerships across the Mediterranean Sea. Together, they are tackling global health emergenciessuch as the COVID-19 pandemicand climate change, issues that hit Africa hardest, but transcend borders and countries.

Meet Hadiyyah Eleojoh Lawal. She is a disrupter dedicated to unlocking digital healthcare in Nigeria, now scaling up in Europe. Appreciating the tremendous potential of digital technologies, she is helping African hospitals throw their paper files into the dustbins of history, and through smart solutions, linking hospitals and patient data across the two continents.

Making the dream come true

'It was always a dream to make key information available to patients in my home country,' said Lawal, who studied information management systems at university.

As chief operations officer of Primed E-health, a leading African digital healthcare company in Nigeria's capital city Abuja, Lawal has realised her dream. Together with co-founder and company CEO Dr. Are Abdulhafiz, they developed a game-changing electronic management system to unify records and databases across hospitals, which now counts 44 hospitals in West Africa, handling data of 1.5 million patients. With Primed E-health's award-winning SmartClinic app, patients can use their smartphones to access their doctors for consultations, download their health records, get prescriptions, book medical appointments and pay fees through the SmartWallet.

As one of the first companies in Africa to digitise hospitals, Primed E-health's mobile and web medical app gained incredible traction in the response to COVID-19. Its mobile-web solution was recognised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as one of the country's top digital solutions developed by startups.

Along with the NCC award came funding to digitise many more hospitals in Nigeria and roll out the pilot SmartClinic product. The company is now expanding to 200 hospitals in Ghana, Uganda, Cote d'Ivoire, and Kenya. 'And the next step will be to link them with Europe,' said Lawal.

Hadiyyah Eleojoh Lawal, Primed E-healths cofounder and CEO.

A chance to bridge the business in Europe

'We have vast knowledge of the startup space, allowing us to develop a model that we think can be scaled across Europe,' said Lawal. 'We can now achieve this with the large network of startupsespecially in other African countries like Uganda and Kenya, expanding our reach as we develop programmes around healthcare and technology. We are now able to hire local experts due to the collaborations we already established while in Europe.'

Plans to connect with Europe are in motion. The company is one of 10 African innovators to incubate in the "BEES" soft-landing programme launched in Paris by the French incubator Bond'innov - a key industry player in the innovation network ENRICH in Africa (EiA) mentoring startups and SMEs in the cross-continental innovation system.

Lawal highlights her experience as proof that such EU-Africa initiatives are key to attracting investors and future stakeholders when launching in Europe. 'We have been able to establish partnerships around online transactional services that we can integrate with our healthcare solutions, and other mobile healthcare providers, like H24. These are allowing us to [even] integrate with other markets that are linked to Europe, such as Tunisia, Algeria and others,' she added.

Powered by the EiA programme, Bond'innov's bootcamp has helped Lawal and her company 'navigate the complex and important path of internationalisation to Europe.'

Such European and African innovation linkups to tackle global challenges are expected to get a boost as EU and AU leaders acknowledged their joint Innovation Agenda for jobs and growth with a focus on youth during the AU-EU Summit this week.

European companies scale up in Africa

EiA programmes do not just help African startups and SMEs scale up in Europe. They also cater for European innovators interested in scaling up on the opposite side of the Mediterranean and right across Africa. These programmes offer access to local markets and knowhow, and aim at boosting innovation investments, jobs and growth. They also target global challenges, as pandemics and the climate emergency do not respect borders between countries or continents.

Rym Jarou, project manager for ICT Startups and Innovation Ecosystems Development at the Smart Africa Secretariat.

European startups are already experiencing acceleration in Africa. They can now join accelerators such as Chapter54, whichlaunched by global tech investment firm Partechis the first accelerator dedicated to European scaleups. The decision to expand to Africa is inspired by the continent's fast-growing tech ecosystem, the company says.

The timing is perfect. The African 'tech hubs' ecosystem is expanding to accommodate a next generation of innovators that range from business incubatorswhere early-stage companies have access to mentoring and support to help them get establishedand accelerators, offering developing companies access to mentorship, investors and further support.

One platform for European companies seeking to invest in Africa is the African European Digital Innovation Bridge Network (AEDIB|NET). Aiming to create a common digital innovation ecosystem, this initiative is building bridges between EU and African ecosystems. By connecting startups, SMEs, the diaspora, and other African and European ecosystem players in trans-continental partnerships, it is facilitating intercontinental collaboration.

Its mission includes establishing digital innovation hubs (DIHs) along the EU DIH model, and adapting them to work on shared challenges, such as climate, smart agriculture, smart cities, and digital trade. The final goal is to provide SME and intermediary support as well as investor networks by tapping into expertise from Africa and Europe, altogether creating a powerful common innovation ecosystem.

Of the 13 key consortium partners in the project is Smart Africa, a pan-African institution. Its aim is ambitious: to transform Africa into a single digital market by 2030 (much like the EU) by building affordable digital infrastructure, promoting and facilitating investment in Africa, and accelerating the birth and development of a digital society. Backed by all heads of state and government of the African Union, the Smart Africa Alliance today includes 32 African countries, which represent close to a whopping 815 million people.

'Smart Africa is ensuring that the continent develops in harmony with Europe and the rest of the world through cooperation initiatives such as the EU-Africa Digital Economy Taskforce, the AU-EU D4D Hub project, our partnership with European development partners such as Norway's NORAD and Germany's BMZ/GIZ,' said Rym Jarou, project manager for ICT Start-ups and Innovation Ecosystems Development at the Smart Africa Secretariat.

According to Jarou, the project outcomes will be 'very impactful' for the development of African and European digital innovation hubs.

'We need to ensure that the maximum number of possible hubs, startups and innovators benefit from this knowledge and these linkages and opportunities,' she concluded.

Provided by Horizon: The EU Research & Innovation Magazine
NORFOLK, Va.  Cmdr. Devine Johnson, a native of Timmonsville, serves as the commanding officer of a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Norfolk, preparing to forward deploy to Rota, Spain.

Johnson joined the Navy 19 years ago seeking an opportunity to see the world and serve his nation.

Growing up in Timmonsville, Johnson attended Timmonsville High School and graduated in 1999. Today, Johnson relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Timmonsville to succeed in the military.

Growing up in South Carolina, I learned the importance of building relationships, said Johnson. I also learned that having a positive and inviting personality goes a long way.

These lessons have helped Johnson while commanding USS Bulkeley.

A Navy destroyer is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with Tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a phalanx close-in weapons system.

Destroyers like USS Bulkeley are taking part in an initiative called Task Group Greyhound (TGG).

It is designed to provide the fleet with additional continuously ready, fully certified warships prepared to accomplish a full range of on-demand missions. TGG assigns Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers homeported at Mayport, Florida, and Norfolk, Virginia, to be at-the-ready to fill fleet commander requirements and to counter Russian naval threats to the homeland. The destroyers activities also support the need to maintain an undersea warfare competitive edge over Russian submarines off the East Coast.

Serving in the Navy means Johnson is part of a team that is taking on new importance in Americas focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

A strong Navy is needed to keep our sea lanes open, said Johnson. This has a worldwide impact, especially for commerce. This is critical in choke points. We also are important to project power, maintain stability and support diplomacy around the world.

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the worlds international phone and internet traffic carried through underwater fiber optic, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

The Surface Force is responding to the realities of the modern security environment, and their efforts are critical in preserving freedom of the seas, deterring aggression, and winning wars.

According to Commander Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, The Surface Force will continue to meet the challenge of strategic competition and respond to the realities of the modern security environment. Our efforts are critical to preserve freedom of the seas, deter aggression and win wars.

Johnson, and the sailors he leads, have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.

Taking command of this ship is what Im most proud of, said Johnson. Leaving South Carolina, graduating from a HBCU, Norfolk State University, and now commanding this warship is very rewarding and humbling. If it wasnt for my Army ROTC instructor in high school, I wouldnt be here today. Retired Army Major Reginald Dawkins had a major influence in my life and my decision to serve.

As Johnson continues to lead his sailors through their required training and missions, he takes pride in serving in the United States Navy.

Serving in the Navy means serving the greater good, added Johnson. Thats reiterated when I hear citizens say, thank you for your service. Whats most important to me is the impact I can have on the lives of the sailors, both personally and professionally.

USS Bulkeley is part of the USS George H.W. Bush Strike Group ramping up for a fleet exercise that will integrate multi-level faceted training that will prepare them for future deployments. The ships crew has successfully completed all basic phase training and is making outstanding progress to be prepared to operate in a complex seamanship environment.
NEW YORK (AP)  Former President Donald Trump's social media app that he hopes will rival Twitter launched Monday as he seeks a new digital stage to rally his supporters and fight Big Tech limits on speech a year after he was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

His Truth Social app was offered for download from the Apple App Store to a limited number of subscribers who had preordered, with others added to a waiting list to be given access over the next 10 days.

The site encountered technical glitches shortly after launch, with reports that subscribers were shut out for hours. Others had trouble signing on. The site is not expected to be open to anyone who wants to download it until next month.

"Due to massive demand, we have placed you on our waitlist," read a message some of those trying to access the platform, adding, "We love you."

Trump is hoping Truth Social will attract the millions who followed him on Twitter as he hints at a third presidential run, triggering a wave of other subscribers to justify the billions of dollars that investors have bet on the venture. Shares in a company that plans to buy Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent of Truth Social, have soared in recent months.

According to Apple's rankings, Truth Social was the top free app in the U.S. on Monday morning, besting the "Talking Ben the Dog" children's game, streaming service HBO Max, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

24 possible GOP presidential candidates in 2024 It's all speculation at this point, but many names are being floated by media and oddsmakers as possible Republican presidential candidates in

The partial launch Monday follows an experimental "beta" launch to test the platform last week.

Trump was banned from top social media platforms following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot last year that critics accused him of inciting. The ban has raised difficult questions of free speech in a social media industry dominated by few tech giants, an issue that Trump and conservative media have seized upon.

Republicans were quick to use the launch of Truth Social to raise money for their election efforts.

"After over A YEAR of muzzling by the Liberal Big Tech Tyrants: TRUMP. IS. BACK," wrote GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in a fundraising email appeal Monday.

Groups like the Republican National Committee and the Congressional Leadership Fund also have been fundraising off the launch.

"Our main goal here is to give people their voice back," Trump Media CEO and former GOP Congressman Devin Nunes said Sunday on Fox News. He added that the app offers "the opposite of some Silicon Valley tech oligarch freak telling people what they want to think and deciding who can or cannot be on the platform."

Trump is hoping to tap into outrage over the social media bans to attract a broad audience to keep the stock rising  and possibly hand him hundreds of millions of dollars personally  but he faces significant challenges.

None of alternative messaging platforms already open to public, such as Gettr and Parler, have been able to move beyond an echo chamber of conservative political commentary.

Trump's company, Trump Media, also faces financial hurdles. It has been promised nearly $300 million from a publicly traded company that plans to merge with it and got pledges from dozens of private investors for an additional $1 billion to fund its operations, but it still needs approval from regulators for the deal before it can access the cash.

The company it hopes to merge with, Digital World Acquisition Corp., has said regulators are investigating following reports that it may have broken security rules last year by talking to Trump representatives about possibly joining forces before selling stock to the public. Digital World is a so-called blank-check company that is only allowed a quick path to going public without many disclosures if it has not identified a target to buy yet.

Another regulatory investigation is focused on possible stock trading violations earlier in the fall.

Stock is Digital World puts the value of its eventual merger target, Trump Media, at $10 billion.

***

Associated Press writers Tali Arbel and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.
Ahmed Faysal (PHOTO: Ministry of Home Affairs)

SINGAPORE  A Bangladeshi construction worker in Singapore who donated to campaigns linked to a Syrian terrorist group and was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) was jailed for two years and eight months on Monday (21 February).

Ahmed Faysal, 27, donated $891.98 over 15 occasions to campaigns that he had reason to believe would benefit the militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS).

HTS is a terrorist group in Syria that aims to overthrow Bashar al-Assad's regime and establish an Islamic caliphate in Syria. It was created by Al-Nusrah Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, in January 2017. HTS currently controls the last rebel-held enclave in Idlib, a city in northwestern Syria.

HTS was listed as a terrorist entity on the United Nations Security Councils ISIL (Daesh) and Al- Qaida list on 5 June 2018.

Ahmed pleaded guilty to five counts under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act, with 10 similar charges considered for his sentencing.

Ahmed initially supported the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) after learning about jihad and the Syrian civil war through Facebook. He spread his pro-jihadist views on Facebook, creating multiple accounts to glorify the solders of jihad and their deaths. He knew that Facebook might delete his accounts due to the content he posted.

In the initial stages, Ahmed considered travelling to Syria to support ISIS but did not as he did not have the funds and still had to support his family in Bangladesh.

In mid-2019, Ahmed became disillusioned with ISIS after watching videos of Muslim scholars condemning the group for killing innocents. He switched allegiance to HTS instead, believing that HTS was less brutal.

Despite being informed that HTS had detained, tortured and executed civilians, Ahmed continued to support HTS. In preparation for jihad, Ahmed armed himself with seven knives and more blades, which were found with him when he was arrested.

When asked, Ahmed said he intended to use the knives in Bangladesh and not in Singapore as he still wanted to work here. He did not have any concrete plans on what he would use the knives for, save for using them against those that attacked Muslims and got away scot-free.

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In 2019, Ahmed began following the Facebook page of a medical doctor who was working in Idlib, Syria. The doctor was vocal in his support of HTS and the overthrowing of the Syrian government through violence. He would livestream videos on Facebook to appeal for funds purportedly for his hospital, which supposedly treated injured HTS soldiers.

Swayed by the doctor, Ahmed would donate to an entity, believing that the money would help HTS and other civilians and refugees affected by the violence. He did not know or find out how the money would be used specifically, just that it could have been used to benefit HTS.

In 2020, Ahmed also donated to a fundraising campaign he learned of through the same doctor. The campaign on online platform JustGiving purported to build emergency homes in Syria for people whose houses had been destroyed. Ahmed sent money to the campaign thinking that it would benefit people in Idlib.

The prosecution sought 34 months jail, citing the difficulty of detecting such offences and their transnational element.

In the present case, it is clear that the offences were deliberately carried out by the accused. The accused was exposed to HTSs extremist ideologies, including its intention to establish an Islamic caliphate and to overthrow the Syrian government. He agreed with these goals, and was personally committed to jihadi ideology and the violent cause, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Esther Wong.

This was not a spur of the moment or a one-off offence, but a systematic pattern of behaviour.

Ahmed was arrested on 2 November 2020 and placed on detention under the ISA, and has since been incarcerated for 476 days, his lawyer Samuel Seow An pointed out. Ahmed is deeply remorseful for his misdeeds, and has disavowed the radical beliefs of HTS and other terrorist entities, Seow said. He is committed to support his family upon returning to Bangladesh, the lawyer from Yong Seow & Lim Legal LLP added.

His sentence will be backdated when he was charged on 23 December last year.

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If you have no travel plans even with all the reasons to make them now, you can still find some exciting events to enjoy in Singapore in February 2022.

This month, your options range from a showcase of some of the finest jewellery craftsmanship in the world, to a retrospective of one of the biggest anime series in the last decade. On the arts and culture front, youll be treated to the very first local solo show of the iconic American photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe, as well as the show-stopping installations by local artists and creatives. In short, you wont run out of things to do on your weekends. Find out more below.

The best events in Singapore this February 2022:

Hermes Kellymorphose

(Photo credit: Maud Remy-Lonvis / Hermes)

When: 19 February to 27 February

Where: Hermes Liat Towers, 541 Orchard Rd, #01-02A Liat Towers, Singapore 238881

Hermes is celebrating the Kelly handbag through its new jewellery collection, Kellymorphose. The collection takes cues from the distinctive details of the iconic bag, from its side straps to its padlock, resulting in necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings with an unexpected twist. These jewellery creations are best appreciated beyond the confines of your screen, which is why we recommend heading down to Hermes Liat Towers boutique to see them amidst scenography by Mathias Kiss.

Book an appointment

Attack on Titan: The Exhibition

The Grand Titan Theatre (Photo credit: ArtScience Museum)

When: 19 February to 3 July

Where: ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands, 6 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018974

Otakus finally have a reason to leave their homes: the ArtScience Museum is hosting an exhibition on the widely celebrated anime, Attack on Titan, and its the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. Fans of the franchise will get to dive deep into the series and the manga its based on through the showcase, which houses over 150 artworks, drafts and sketches by creator Hajime Isayama. Guests will also be treated to immersive experiences like the Great Titan Theatre, as well as real-life displays of Titans, characters and objects from the series.

Story continues

Buy tickets

Staging: Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe, Alan Lynes (1979). Silver gelatin print, 50.8 x 40.6cm. Courtesy and  Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation.

When: Until 9 April 2022

Where: Appetite, 72A Amoy Street, Singapore 069891

Legendary American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe is finally getting his first solo exhibition in Singapore, albeit posthumously. Mapplethorpe is best known for his black-and-white photography that ranged from stylised self-portraits to those of famous figures like Grace Jones, Debbie Harry and his biggest muse, Patti Smith. In Staging: Mapplethorpe, youll get to discover 10 of those works that were captured during the 80s, a tumultuous but significant period when the artists creative prowess was at its height and the AIDS pandemic was taking over the US. Mapplethorpe would later die of the disease himself but, as Smith wrote, his work will not fall away.

Book a private viewing

The Non-Season at Design Orchard

When: Until 10 April

Where: Design Orchard, 250 Orchard Road, Singapore 238905

The idea of seasonal fashion collections may sound outdated today, which is why Design Orchard is now inviting us to consider other possibilities with The Non-Season. Curated by creative collective Hyphen BB, the presentation comprises installations by over 20 local artists and designers such as Divaagar, Aki Hassan, Marla Bendini. Besides those visual spectacles, Design Orchard will also house a series of workshops, panel discussions, live performances and heritage tours that dive deep into creativity.

Find out more

Design Superposition

(Photo credit: Yeo Ker Siang / National Design Centre)

When: Until 10 April 2022

Where: National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, Singapore 188969

National Design Centre is staging yet another thought-provoking exhibition, this time one that questions the value of design. Design Superposition brings together 10 local and international creatives to explore the idea through their practices, which run the gamut from fashion and visual art to technology and architecture with fengshui principles. Look out for works by Cliff Tan, Debbie Ding, Junichi Yamaoka and more.

Find out more

Fresh off the Dot x Open Farm Community pop-up

(Photo credit: Open Farm Community)

When: 26 and 27 February

Where: Open Farm Community, 130E Minden Road, Singapore 248819

If youve got a green thumb or would like one, you should head down to Open Farm Community this February. A hybrid of an urban farm and a restaurant, the space will be hosting an activity-filled pop-up by Fresh off the Dot offering insights into local produce, plant-based products, and growing your own greens. After exploring the space, be sure to try out Open Farm Communitys weekend brunch menu, whose dishes include fresh ingredients like fish and vegetables produced in local farms.

Find out more

Header photo credit: Yeo Ker Siang / National Design Museum

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.

The post Art, Jewellery And Anime Events Happening In Singapore In February 2022 appeared first on Augustman Singapore.
Tom Holland hasnt exactly hung up his Spider-Man tights.

In Uncharted, an adventure film based on the old PlayStation game, he flies through the air at the back end of a cargo plane, cavorts around an auction house light sculpture and romances a woman who just might be a villain.

Like dozens of films before it, Uncharted goes where many others have been. Eager to find Magellans gold, Hollands Nate Drake teams up with Mark Wahlbergs Sully to figure out the clues planted in an ancient map  one he remembers when he and his missing brother were kids.

To earn money to fund the trip  presumably  Drake picks pockets and unlatches diamond bracelets while tossing cocktail shakers like Tom Cruise. Hes quite charming and incredibly adept at stunts. That bodes well when the two head to Barcelona where (surprise, surprise), someone else (Antonio Banderas) is searching for the gold, too. He has a henchwoman who isnt afraid to kiss and kill, so the two adventurers have to watch their steps. Meanwhile, Sully has a friend, Chloe (Sophia Ali) who has similar skills and a piece of memorabilia that could prove helpful.

Its all connect-the-dots storytelling but Uncharted does have moments of concern that National Treasure, The DaVinci Code and other, similar films didnt boast. Director Ruben Fleischer loses Wahlberg at one point and, frankly, hes not missed. Holland handles the puzzle with ease and has the ability to look surprised just when we know he shouldnt.

Fleischer sends the team all across the map until clues, planted by Drakes brother, point them and their detractors in the right direction. (Why? We dont know.)

Then, Uncharted becomes an homage to Pirates of the Caribbean, complete with gold bars, rickety ships and a sword fight that would make Johnny Depp weep.

In many ways, the film serves as Hollands audition reel for dozens of others (Indiana Jones included). He comes through at every turn and even manages to romance the stone, so to speak.

He and Ali have some fun scenes in a tunnel and become prey in one of Banderas planes. There, they dodge bullets, moving cars and that villain (nicely played by Tati Gabrielle, who looks like she could take many of Cynthia Erivos cast-offs), who isnt afraid to slit anyones throat.

While a post-credits scene suggests theres more to this map than we thought possible, there is enough of a seed here to grow into an acceptable franchise.

That is, of course, if Holland isnt too busy filling his timecard with better material. He has the goods to be the next big action hero. But he also has the dramatic chops to become the biggest threat to Timothee Chalamet.

Uncharted sets the course. Its just a matter of where its skipper wants to take it.

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SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa -- A Milford, Iowa, man has been accused of having indecent contact with a 15-year-old girl while he was employed as a bus driver for the Okoboji Community School District.

The Dickinson County Sheriffs Office said in a statement that Steven V. Titterington, 71, is charged with third-degree sexual abuse, a class C felony, as well as sexual exploitation by a school employee, a Class D felony, and child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor.

The charges stem from an investigation the sheriff's office conducted after receiving a report of indecent contact with a child.

According to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in Dickinson County District Court, Titterington inappropriately touched the victim on multiple occasions over and under her clothing without her consent. The indecent contact allegedly occurred while Titterington was "driving school bus and having custody and control over the 15-year-old victim."

Titterington was released from custody after posting $10,000 bond on Feb. 18, according to the statement. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 10.

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Veronica Peckens, 18, of Lake Ann, Michigan, entered her written plea Monday in Osceola County District Court to charges of attempted murder, willful injury causing bodily injury and assault with intent to inflict serious injury.

According to court documents, Peckens was at the victim's home in Sibley on Dec. 2, when she took a basket screw and stabbed the woman several times in the eyelid and tried several times to cut the woman's throat.
Guns could be more prevalent, although not necessarily more evident, at the next Tulsa State Fair.

In a surprise move last week, the chairman of the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee shucked House Bill 4138, which had already been shucked once, and inserted new legislation that would allow concealed firearms at the Oklahoma and Tulsa state fairs.

Firearms are currently illegal at both events.

Chambers of commerce, fair boards and other organizations that host or promote large gatherings generally oppose such measures, both on public safety grounds and because they fear that such laws will keep visitors and participants away from their events. This year, though, as part of a joint legislative agenda, the State, Tulsa Regional and Greater Oklahoma City chambers of commerce said they oppose legislation that would negate the rights of businesses, property owners and event hosts from prohibiting firearms.

Tulsa County owns Expo Square, where the Tulsa State Fair is held, and County Commission Chairwoman Karen Keith said she thinks the legislation is unwise.

As a member of the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority, which oversees the Tulsa County Fairgrounds, security and safety are a top priority year after year. ... In my opinion this legislation appears to allow unknown attendees to conceal handguns, which would introduce more risk into an already safe environment and risk loss of business, Keith said in a written statement.

But Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado, who is in charge of security for the fair, said hes OK with HB 4138. He said serious crimes are rare at the fair, but fights and armed robberies are not uncommon just outside Expo Square.

Ive read the bill, Regalado said. Would I support it? Yes. Are there issues with it? Yes. But you cant legislate common sense.

Regalado said he believes an individuals right to protection overrides any negatives to allowing concealed weapons during the fair.

There are guns at the fair now, he said.

Regalado said his deputies confiscated 10 guns from nine individuals, whom he described as crooks, at the 2021 Tulsa State Fair.

Asked to elaborate, Regalado said the people arrested were mostly gang members. When asked if legalizing concealed weapons might make it more likely for bad guys to bring guns to the fair, Regalado said his deputies would be on the lookout for them.

He gave a similar answer about the possibility of what are now fistfights at the fair turning into gun battles. He said deputies are already on the alert for altercations and know how to intervene before they turn violent.

Besides, Regalado said, there is no data that gun violence in Oklahoma has increased since the state adopted looser gun laws.

To some extent, that depends on who is asked and to which data set they refer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oklahoma recorded 18.6 gun deaths per 100,000 residents in 2019, which was 11th-highest nationally. That rate is comparable to recent years but noticeably higher than the 13.2 in 2005.

The national rate is currently 13.6 deaths per 100,000 residents. According to the Pew Research Center, gun deaths hit an all-time high in 2020. Pew said the gun death rate has also been rising but remains well below rates of the 1970s.

Earlier this year, gun control advocates Everytown for Gun Safety issued a report the group said shows gun deaths are significantly lower in states with stricter gun laws. It rated Oklahoma in a group labeled National Failures.

But gun rights activists wear such a badge with honor and say rising gun deaths are arguments for measures like HB 4138.

Regalado said his first consideration with such measures is what most benefits law-abiding citizens.

And there is the Second Amendment, which many view as sacrosanct.

The right to bear arms is a constitutional right and one that I take very seriously, 2nd District Congressman Markwayne Mullin said recently in an email to constituents. It is not a second class right.The Second Amendment in our Constitution clearly states, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

The future of HB 4138 is uncertain. It passed the committee 4-1 on a party-line vote but seems likely to encounter opposition before it reaches the House floor.

HB 4138 originally dealt with regulation of firearm suppressors and then mandated 15-minute breaks for corrections officers before the second and final substitution by House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee Chairman Justin Humphrey, R-Lane. Humphrey has a bit of a history in that regard.

The double switch may peeve some lawmakers and suggests that Humphrey might not have been able to get the bill heard except in his own committee  most gun bills go through the Public Safety Committee  but hes had some success with such tactics in the past.

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Here's a look at some of today's COVID-19 news:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scrapping the last domestic coronavirus restrictions in England, including the requirement for people with COVID-19 to self-isolate, even as he acknowledged Monday the potential for new and more deadly variants of the virus.

Johnson told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the country was moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility as part of a plan for treating COVID-19 like other transmissible illnesses such as flu.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday emergency powers are still needed despite police ending border blockades and the occupation of the nation's capital by truckers and others angry over Canadas COVID-19 restrictions.

"The situation is still fragile, the state of emergency is still there, Trudeau said.

Lawmakers in Parliament will vote Monday night whether to allow police to continue to use emergency powers. Opposition New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh said his party will support it, ensuring Trudeau should have enough votes.

But: The BA.2 virus -- a subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant -- isn't just spreading faster than its distant cousin, it may also cause more severe disease and appears capable of thwarting some of the key weapons we have against Covid-19, new research suggests.

New lab experiments from Japan show that BA.2 may have features that make it as capable of causing serious illness as older variants of Covid-19, including Delta.

And like Omicron, it appears to largely escape the immunity created by vaccines. A booster shot restores protection, making illness after infection about 74% less likely.

Check out more COVID-19-related headlines from today here:

What can occur when COVID-19 turns cruise vacations into nightmarish voyages? Like the twilight zone Unexpected postcruise adventure Stranded in St. Maarten Cruise FAQs
It can be hard for a student to share concerning information with school officials without classmates finding out who told.

That reality has inspired a growing number of school districts to turn to Safe2Help Nebraska, a reporting system created through a partnership between Boys Town National Hospital and the Nebraska Department of Education. It offers students, staff and community members a way to anonymously report concerning behavior around the clock.

Since it was made available last fall to every Nebraska school district that chooses to use it, the number of districts relying on Safe2Help has increased, as has the number of tips coming into the service.

Students often dont feel like they can share details about others who are struggling, especially in a smaller school district, said Jolene Palmer, the states school safety and security director.

The saying snitches get stitches holds true many times, she said.

Safe2Help Nebraska began as a pilot program in Douglas County in January 2020, but expanded statewide in September through LB322, introduced by Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg.

Palmer said anonymity is one of the hotlines greatest assets  school districts cant even find out who reports a tip.

No one sees (a student) walk out of a principals office after sharing information like this, Palmer said. The only way a student becomes known is if they choose to tell somebody.

Anyone can report behavior through Safe2Help online, by phone or mobile app. About 70% of reports come through the app or online.

Trained Boys Town crisis counselors receive the tip reports and immediately gather as much information as they can, said Diana Schmidt, Safe2Help manager.

A person can submit a tip report under more than 40 diverse event types, including assault, eating disorders, suicide and school threats.

Reports about suicide are the most common, followed by bullying and drugs. Schmidt said child-abuse tips have also been increasing.

The hotline has topped more than 1,000 total reports since January 2020, including 10 tip reports about planned school attacks.

Schmidt said that if the report includes a life safety emergency, counselors will collaborate with law enforcement to dispatch help to the person of concern.

School districts are also contacted with every tip report, no matter its content. If its an emergency, the district usually has a threat-assessment team made up of school officials who respond within minutes along with law enforcement.

Chad Denker, superintendent of David City Public Schools, said it was a simple process to create a threat-assessment team after the district decided last fall to start using Safe2Help. The team includes himself, an assistant high school principal, school counselors and a Butler County Sheriffs Office deputy.

The team has received about eight reports since the hotline was implemented before Thanksgiving. Denker said he was nervous at first that some students were going to submit prank reports, but every tip the district has received thus far warranted attention.

Schmidt said schools will notify Boys Town if they need help communicating with the student or coordinating outside services. Boys Towns team of nearly 20 crisis counselors  who rotate in shifts  are trained to assess a situation and determine next steps.

If we can secure safety without law enforcement, then that is a savings to the law enforcement resources, Schmidt said. If we have to send law enforcement for an active rescue, we will.

Schmidt said the majority of tip reports are students concerned about their friend. But teachers and community members have also used the hotline.

About 23% of Nebraskas school districts are enrolled so far, Schmidt said. The program is optional, and districts that have their own established hotline dont have to switch.

Lincoln Public Schools encourages staff, students and family to report any concerning behavior through a "Safe to Say" link on the district's website.

Bennington Public Schools has been using the hotline since it began as a pilot program. Superintendent Terry Haack said before the district got involved, it didnt have a way for people to report concerns anonymously.

The district has received 56 tip reports since the school year began. Haack said when the district first starting using Safe2Help at Bennington Middle School, some students called in curious about the program. But the hotline has received a steady flow of credible reports since its first month.

We didnt think as a small school we would need something like this, he said. I do think it has helped families and individuals from something that could be very harmful and sometimes fatal.

Safe2Help is currently in 17 states. Its costing Nebraska about $810,000 a year, Palmer said. The hotline is funded for three years, and the Nebraska Legislature will reassess LB322 for funding in 2024.

Since September, the number of tip reports to the hotline has increased each month, Schmidt said. In January, the hotlines call volume skyrocketed 94% over December.

Palmer said shes heard some Nebraska school administrators have apprehension about using Safe2Help because they think their districts could be labeled as a bad school if they receive too many reports.

Its a badge of honor for a school to have large numbers of reports (because) the school has done a phenomenal job of teaching students what to report, Palmer said.

Denker encouraged every Nebraska school to get involved, saying he was as skeptical as anyone, but now Im one of their biggest advocates.

Schools are reluctant to add one more thing to their plate, but this hasnt added anything to our workload, its actually alleviated it, Denker said. We thought, Why would we not become involved with this even if it prevented one tragedy?"

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Former Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee, is changing his party registration to Republican in order to vote for his former legislative colleague, Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, in the GOP gubernatorial primary election.

"I'm going to change parties and I will support Lindstrom," Krist said in a telephone conversation.

"We all have values," he said, and those values are sometimes measured by choosing among available options.

Gov. Pete Ricketts won his initial 2014 Republican gubernatorial primary race with 26% of the vote, Krist said, and that may point to an opening for Lindstrom in his primary contest with perceived GOP frontrunners Jim Pillen and Charles Herbster.

"If those two guys split the vote, there might be a path," Krist said.

Krist, who was appointed to a seat in the Legislature by former Republican Gov. Dave Heineman in 2009 and served 10 years, changed his party registration from Republican to Democratic when he challenged Ricketts' re-election as the Democratic nominee in 2018.

Meanwhile, in another political development, Dan Wik of Norfolk, the Democratic nominee for the 1st District House seat in 2016, said he will file as a candidate for western and central Nebraska's 3rd District congressional seat.

Candidates for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives do not need to live in the district they seek to represent, but Wik noted that he owns a house and has a medical practice in Grand Island in the 3rd District.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon

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A bill seeking to place a limit on perpetual conservation easements drew mixed responses from Nebraska landowners at a hearing earlier this month. But the goal of ending the perpetual agreements has drawn support from a prominent and outspoken official: Gov. Pete Ricketts.

State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil introduced Legislative Bill 1135, which would limit the easements to a time period of 99 years and give local planning agencies more discretion to approve or reject proposed easements.

Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements between a landowner and government agency, typically a land trust, that permanently limit land use for conservation purposes.

They have been used in Nebraska and the U.S. for decades but have come under fire in the past year amid Ricketts campaign against President Joe Bidens goal of conserving 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030. The White House has since rebranded the broad proposal, first referred to as 30-by-30, as America the Beautiful.

Under Murmans proposal, a register of deeds would require approval from the appropriate governing body  a local planning commission or a county board  before recording the easement.

Under state law, local governments with zoning in place can deny easements if they conflict with previously approved land uses or a previously announced plan for government use of the land. Local planning boards are given 60 days to provide comment on the easement. If they fail to do so, the easement is approved.

Murmans proposal would give planning boards 90 days to provide comment. The easement proposal would be denied if none is received.

The bill just makes a few modifications to ensure some local control and safeguard Nebraska agriculture for future generations to decide for themselves what is in their best interest, Murman told the Legislatures Judiciary Committee earlier this month. To me, a perpetual easement is a tool for taking away property rights from future generations.

Murmans remarks echo those made by Ricketts spokesperson Alex Reuss, who said the perpetual agreements rob future generations of the flexibility to develop or manage the land differently.

During his monthly radio show in July, Ricketts criticized conservation easements but said those shortcomings should be weighed against the rights of private landowners to direct what happens to their property.

We want to strike a balance between personal property rights and the public good here, Ricketts said at the time. Also, its ultimately up to the counties to be able to manage those. Im a big believer in government closer to the people.

While the governor said at that point he was not willing to jump to state intervention, Reuss said, Ricketts meant the state should not intervene where it doesnt have the legal authority to do so.

But should the Legislature pass a bill changing the current law, the governor would support measures to end perpetual conservation easements, Reuss said.

At the hearing on Feb. 11, the Judiciary Committee heard an array of opinions from ranchers, farmers and environmental advocates who traveled from across the state to speak on the bill.

Tanya Storer, a rancher and county board member in Cherry County, spoke in support.

Perpetual conservation easements create a negative servitude which places the holder of the deed of the property in a subservient position to the easement holder, she said. It takes the freedom and decision-making away from the living and buries it with the dead.

Storer was among several county officials who spoke in support of the bill, which also received support from the Nebraska Association of County Officials. Some called for a further reduction in the lifespan of the easements.

L. Wayne Johnson, a member of the Clay County Board, said he favored a 20- or 30-year timeframe for the easements.

Thats about a generation, he said. As we all know, many things change with the next generation.

Others said that putting a time limit on conservation easements takes away from the rights of landowners who wish to safeguard the future of their property.

Permanent decisions are made all of the time, said John Denton, the manager of Nebraska conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited. This bill would be taking a property right from those who want to make the decision to conserve their land.

Vern Jantzen, the vice president of the Nebraska Farmers Union and a fourth-generation family farmer, shared similar sentiments.

As a landowner, I should be able to use a voluntary tool if I think it is necessary to protect the future of my generational family farm, he said.

Murman said uncertainty about Bidens conservation proposal has caused concern for landowners, including many in his district.

Ricketts has argued that Bidens 30-by-30 proposal, in which conservation easements would be one tool to reach the goal, amounts to a land grab orchestrated by radical environmental groups.

He signed an executive order in June 2021 that requires state agencies to stop providing money and staff support for any project involving permanent conservation easements, and requires set-term easements to receive approval from the Governors Office. Reuss pointed to the executive order as evidence that Ricketts has not opposed state intervention on conservation easements.

The only state agencies covered under the executive order are those under the governors control, which leaves out the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska Environmental Trust, among others. The order applies only to discretionary funds, those dollars not directed by state or federal law. And the order allows the Governors Office to approve several exceptions, such as for multistate water agreements, infrastructure and water management programs.

Currently, 67 of Nebraskas 93 counties have passed resolutions in opposition to the 30-by-30 plan. Douglas and Sarpy counties have not introduced any such resolution.

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PIERRE  Some customers of South Dakota's only medical marijuana dispensary are being arrested across the state, despite having tribal-issued cannabis cards.

Officials with the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe told the Argus Leader that more than 100 people who've been issued tribal medical marijuana identification cards have been arrested since the tribe opened South Dakota's first-ever cannabis store last year.

"They're taking the cards and handing out fines," tribal chairman Tony Reider said. "But most we don't know about, because most people are just paying the fines."

Since starting up its medical marijuana program on July 1, 2021, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe has issued about 8,000 medical marijuana cards to tribal and non-tribal members. And although several county- and city-level law enforcement agencies and state's attorneys have eased up on arrests and prosecutions for possession of small amounts of marijuana all together, others, like the Flandreau Police Department, are not honoring some tribal-issued medical cards.

And that's based on a directive from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety and the Attorney General's Office, which have taken the position that tribal cards aren't valid for non-tribal members.

"If they have a tribally issued card and they are non-Native American, we seize the card and any of the marijuana products that they would have," Flandreau Police Chief Zach Weber said, noting that 24 marijuana arrests have been made by his agency since the tribe opened its dispensary.

While the majority of those arrests have involved the seizure of products sold at the tribe's dispensary, Weber noted some involved marijuana not purchased at a store.

Reider said the Highway Patrol is also arresting non-tribal card holders and in a couple circumstances, tribal members have also been arrested.

And for those being arrested who choose to fight the charge, the tribe is honoring a promise made last summer to aid in the defense of their cardholders.

The tribe's attorney general, Seth Pearman, told lawmakers this week his office is currently engaged in at least 10 active marijuana cases involving non-tribal members. And that the cards are also being seized along with the marijuana products is a concern, he said.

"I don't think the state has the authority to revoke a license issued by another jurisdiction," he said.

Neither the Moody County State's Attorney's Office or DPS immediately responded to requests for comment.

The tribal medical marijuana program operates independently of the state medical marijuana program. The Department of Health began issuing state medical cards last fall, though no state-licensed dispensaries, grow facilities or testing sites are in operation.

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The popularity of state parks that emerged the first year of the pandemic  when COVID-confined Nebraskans were desperate for a breath of fresh air  grew in 2021.

The state Game and Parks Commission generated $17.4 million in camping and lodging fees last year, roughly $7 million more than in 2020.

And it sold more annual park passes  both to Nebraskans and nonresidents  than it did the year before.

It also spent the year celebrating its centennial. Under the banner of Your adventures, your memories, your parks, it staged more than 100 events  kite days, kayak races, candlelight tours and crane viewing  across the state.

The story of 2021 is a good story, said Jim Swenson, the agencys assistant director.

But it wasnt a perfect story.

The commission sold fewer hunting and fishing permits  again, both to Nebraskans and nonresidents  than it did the year before. And in August, it announced unprecedented cuts to hours and services at many of its properties because it couldnt find and keep enough employees.

Camping demand increases

The campers keep coming back, and the commission is racing to keep up with demand.

We saw a huge spike in camping revenue. People are spending more and more time in the outdoors.

And theyre spending it all over the state, from the marquee parks like Mahoney  where the agency opened the $4.4 million, 11,600-square-foot Crete Carrier Riverview Lodge  to its more remote recreation areas, like Verdon Lake in Richardson County and Dead Timber northwest of Fremont.

All of the centennial events likely had something to do with the increase in camping fees and annual park passes, he said, which were up 3% for Nebraska vehicles (144,000 in 2020; 148,000 in 2021) and 22% for out-of-staters (11,000 to 13,700).

But theres also another driver. The pandemic taught people they can work from home, so why cant they work from their RV?

In the past couple of years, the commission built nearly 50 campsites at Platte River Park with Wi-Fi and upgraded amperage. People are seeing this is a great opportunity to get outdoors. They find they can work remotely.

The states parks and recreation areas did see a decrease in day passes. Nebraskans bought nearly 189,220 in 2021, down 9% from the year before. And nonresidents bought about 158,240, a 14% decrease.

Some of that could be explained by the return of youth sports, and families schedules losing flexibility. Or more people returned to their offices. But Swenson  who pointed out that overall park pass sales increased by 1%  had another thought.

I think our customers were coming to the park more often, and it was a better deal to buy that annual pass.

Fishing, hunting declines

Sales of hunting and fishing permits in 2021 didnt surpass 2020s numbers, with the sharpest drops in resident and nonresident one-day fishing passes  each fell 27%. Resident annual permits dropped 18%, and nonresident annual permits fell 10%.

But there could be a simple reason for that, said Dean Rosenthal, fisheries division administrator. People returned to more traditional work and school schedules last year.

I think in 2020, people had more time available, he said.

But there were promising trends in hunting and fishing, said spokeswoman Christy Firestone. Permit sales remained above the five-year average. And there was what she called reactivation: The number of people who had hunted and fished earlier  but not in 2019  who returned in 2020 and remained active in 2021.

For anglers, 67% reactivated. For hunters, 52%.

Staffing shortages

In August, in a year when park use was more popular than ever, the commission cut the hours for many of visitor centers, stables, swimming pools and other services.

It just couldnt find enough employees, Swenson said. At some properties, their staffing levels fell to 60%.

That was a big challenge last year. Our team was doing a large amount of work with limited-sized team.

The commission is trying to address that, he said, looking at ways to improve job offerings and wage scales while staying within its budget.

Whats next?

The agency has several projects planned for 2022, Swenson said. An improved visitor center at Fort Atkinson. An education treehouse at Schramm. And moving Dead Timbers flood-prone campsites to higher ground.

But its also going to keep building and improving campsites across the state, to try to keep up with demand.

Last year, it upgraded 200 and built 50. Now its launching a five-year plan  to upgrade 1,000 of its existing 3,700 RV sites, and build 500 more.

Were a little bit limited by the landscape sometimes, but any chance we get, were trying to expand. The feedback we get from the camping public, theyre continually telling us to develop more sites.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7254 or psalter@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSPeterSalter

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This story was originally published by High Country News and has been republished here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

In early January, Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley took to his home states flagship newspaper, the Des Moines Register, to rail against Californias war on breakfast. The strongest animal welfare law in the nation had just gone into effect, and according to Grassley, it threatened Iowas behemoth pork industry.

Californias Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act, or Proposition 12, mandates that factory farms make more physical space for some animals to reposition their limbs and move around. If factory farms across the country dont comply, theyll be barred from selling to the Golden States coveted consumers, who make up a whopping 15 percent of the United States pork market.

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In 2018, the law passed with 63 percent of Californian voters supporting it. But in the years following, the powerful pork industry has waged a protracted legal campaign to overturn it, filing three lawsuits alleging that the law poses a serious threat to their business model. In late January, industry groups seized on a Sacramento County Superior Court ruling to renew calls for Supreme Court intervention. The Sacramento court had granted grocery retailers a six-month extension to iron out the specifics, but pork producers and the meat lobby called the ruling a delay on all regulation. Now, a final attempt to overturn the law is moving toward a hearing before the Supreme Court, where it awaits a mid-February review.

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Pork producers decided not to comply, said Chris Green, executive director of Harvard Law Schools Animal Law & Policy Program. Instead, they pinned everything on litigation. And now that their litigation failed multiple times, theyre in this panic.

Californias new law means that any pork companies that want to sell pork in California now have to give breeding mother pigs and their bacon-destined piglets enough space to stand up, turn around, and stretch their limbs without touching another animal or the sides of an enclosure. To standardize the regulation for farmers, the law requires 24 feet of floor space for each sow and her piglets, a number based on welfare standards set by farm animal organizations.

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For pork producers looking to sell to Californias large market, the requirement effectively bans a common practice: keeping pregnant mothers in gestation crates, metal cages designed to confine a sow while she is forcibly artificially inseminated through multiple pregnancies. The cages are unsparing. Josh Balk, who led the campaign to pass the law and is the vice president of animal welfare at the Humane Society, says this confinement is the equivalent to spending your life in a coffin: Can you imagine the pain, suffering, and fear when you cant turn around for four years? Pigs are social, smart creatures. If you did this to a dog, youd be arrested in every state.

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Out of 6 million in the country, roughly a million breeding sows will be affected by the progressive Western states new regulations. But few of those pigs will actually be in California; the overwhelming majority of pork farming and production is concentrated in the Midwest and the South.

In a statement, Jen Sorenson, president of the National Pork Producers Council, argued that one state imposing regulations on another would stifle interstate and international commerce, in a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

To sell in California, farmers will need to retrofit existing pig housing, keep fewer hogs, or build out more space for the animals, all of which will cost money. Critics also warn that this will increase costs for consumers, amplifying fear over possible bacon shortages in California. Small family farms well beyond Californias borders will be hit hardest as they are forced to make expensive and unnecessary changes to their operations, said American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duval, arguing that this would also lead to more consolidation and higher prices at the grocery store.

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The arguments direct attention away from the existing harms of the already highly consolidated pork industry, where a few vertically integrated firms dominate. This is entirely about the largest of operators, says Loka Ashwood, a sociologist at the University of Kentucky who studies agribusiness. Animals, small farmers, and ecosystems all pay the price for a business model that maximizes efficiency by squeezing pigs into tightly confined spaces.

According to one report, the biggest 10 hog companies own nearly half of the countrys sows, with the top two firms owning 20 percent. Animal welfare regulations will force some contracts to change, but that is completely within the power of those large companies, which, Ashwood said, saw record profits during the pandemic. Small-scale producers, meanwhile, have been forced to get big or get out and raise hogs under rigid and low-paying contracts with multinational corporations like Tyson and Smithfield, Ashwood said.

Its so minuscule, to a degree, what Proposition 12 is asking for, Ashwood said. It shows how consolidated and vulnerable our food system is. If giving animals a few more square feet of room is going to topple the system, we probably need a new system.
The problem began, as a surprising number do, with a blog post. Giorgio Agamben, the Italian philosophy giant who is a bit like the Jonathan Franzen of the fieldthe kind of towering yet idiosyncratic figure you feel you have to respond to, whether you like him or nothad long maintained a blog where he posts short pieces about current events and other musings. Sometimes hed comment on Greta Thunberg; other times hed write poetic meditations on social decline. This went largely unnoticeduntil he made his first intervention into the debate about emergency measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus in February 2020.

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The Invention of an Epidemic, as the post was titled, began by calling the reaction to the virus frenetic, irrational and entirely unfounded, and it didnt stop there. The incendiary argument essentially accused state authorities of intentionally misleading the public about the threat of COVID-19, which Agamben, like many others to come, dismissed as no more dangerous than the flu. It is almost as if with terrorism exhausted as a cause for exceptional measures, the English translation reads, the invention of an epidemic offered the ideal pretext for scaling them up beyond any limitation. (Scroll down here to read the translation.) In other words, he claimed, the authorities sought to shore up their own crumbling legitimacy and try out new forms of social control. Even more disturbing than this power grab, he said, was the near-total lack of resistance. In a later piece addressing the Italian response, he claimed, It is obvious that Italians are disposed to sacrifice practically everythingthe normal conditions of life, social relationships, work, even friendships, affections, and religious and political convictionsto the danger of getting sick. In another post, he decried peoples willingness to accept a massive disruption of every aspect of their lives solely in the name of a risk that it was not possible to specifya phrase that he repeats like a mantra.

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The screed was a sensation. A flood of blog posts, interviews, and an address to the Italian Senate followed. Even as the months passed and the pandemic took hold in starker and starker terms, Agamben continually doubled down on his critique of the pandemic emergency measures. Ultimately, in the spring of 2021, he published a collection of several of his diatribes in a short book to enshrine them permanently.

As a professor, I would be concerned to see any respected colleagues career take such a turn. But my personal stake is much greater.

This was not the work of some isolated obsessive. Agamben is a colossal intellectual figure whose range and erudition have made him a major influence in essentially all fields within the humanities and theoretically informed social sciences for the past two decades or more. Though his doctorate is in law, early in his career Agamben made his name primarily in philosophy and literary studies, partly on the strength of a fellowship at the University of Londons prestigious Warburg Institute and, more importantly, his participation in an exclusive seminar with Martin Heidegger, who is easily the most influential 20th century philosopher in continental Europe. For decades now, Agambens writings have been required reading across a range of humanities and social scientific disciplines, but he only became a true academic celebrity when he began working on politics in the late 90s. Google Scholar lists some 24,000 citations for his most famous work, Homo Sacer: Sovereign Power and Bare Life (1998), including engagement from top-tier scholars in multiple fields. Most academics are lucky to get citations in the 100s, much less grace the pages of the leading lights of several disciplines.

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Now those same ideas that have had such a huge impact are being used to advance conspiracy theories and decry the supposed persecution of anti-vaxxers. An author who is better known for teasing out the subtle nuances of Plato and Aristotle in the original Greek has come to sound disturbingly like a right-wing crankto the point where an actual right-wing crank has praised his writings in the New York Times, very far-right politicians in his own country have invoked his considerable intellectual authority to argue for their cause, and online anti-vaxxers have made memes calling for him to become the president of Italy.

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As a professor in the humanities, I would be concerned to see any respected senior colleagues career take such a turn. But my personal stake is much greater. I am a scholar and translator of Agambens work, which has deeply influenced my own. Though we are not personally close, we are in contact, and I first learned of his turn to COVID skepticism when he asked me to translate some of his blog posts. I agreed, hoping to present the best version of his argument while trying (and ultimately failing) to get him to reconsider his position. In the end, I regretted inserting myself into this embarrassing affair, and began to wonder whether his paranoid pandemic writings called the rest of his work into question. The more I waded into them, the darker my outlook became.

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Agambens new arguments about coronavirus restrictions are explicitly grounded in the book that made him most famous. In Homo Sacer, Agamben argues that political power in Western societies is founded on the decision to include some people within the protections of the law and exclude others, stripping them of their human privileges and reducing them to a state he designates as bare life. This is not a simple division between insiders and outsiders, as he conceives it. In this scheme, those who are reduced to bare life are not expelled from society, but included in it as a subhuman class that is excluded from the formal protections of the law but is nonetheless foundational to the social order.

Agambens primary example of the production of bare life is the Nazi Shoah, which stripped Jews and other victims of their citizenship to expose them to the limitless violence of the concentration camps. Though excluded from society in one way, through the loss of citizenship, these groups became the primary focus of the Nazis in another sense, as all of society was organized around carrying out the Final Solution.

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Agamben believes that Nazi Germany, far from being an exceptional deviation, was paradigmatic for modern politics. The supposedly normal operations of our legal institutions always carry with them the threat of turning, suddenly and without warning, into a new concentration camp. Part of his argument for this explosive claim is that everything that happened under the Nazis was, disturbingly enough, completely legal, in one sense. The Nazis legitimized their actions via Hitlers declaration of a state of emergency that allowed him to suspend civil rights and normal legal processes.

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In his 2005 follow-up book, State of Exception (whose title is based on a more literal translation of the German word for state of emergency), Agamben argued that all the major Western nations have increasingly declined to govern by means of normal constitutional processes and have come to rely on emergency powers, even in response to seemingly workaday problems like economic downturns. To quote Agambens idol Walter Benjamina German Jewish intellectual who witnessed the rise of Hitler and ultimately died by suicide to escape deportation to a concentration campthe state of exception has become the norm.

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At the time of its U.S. release, in the darkest days of the Bush administrations war on terrorism, State of Exceptions diagnosis seemed less hyperbolic than prophetic. As Agamben pointed out several times in the text itself, George W. Bush really was claiming expansive emergency powers, grounded both in laws like the Patriot Act and in claims about the intrinsic powers of the presidency. And he was using those powers to create a whole new class of human beingsthe so-called enemy combatants, who were imprisoned, tortured, and executed via drone strike with little to no judicial oversight. In some cases, even U.S. citizens were assassinated on the executives sole say-so. In the 90s, when Homo Sacer was originally published, Agambens argument that the Western powers were hard-wired to produce concentration camps could have been dismissed as extreme or absurd. But in the wake of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, it was alarmingly plausible.

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This argument about the relationship between sovereign emergency powers and the production of disposable bare life single-handedly launched Agamben to international academic fame. He became an unavoidable point of reference for academic analysis of the war on terrorismmost notably in Judith Butlers book Precarious Lifeand scholars took the idea and applied it to other sites of state violence, like prisons, borders, and refugee camps. Even critics of his thesis often accepted many of its premises. The Black studies scholar Alexander Weheliye argued in 2014, in Habeas Viscus, that Agambens focus was too Eurocentric, and that the slave plantation was actually a more suitable paradigm than the concentration campbut he did not question the idea that ultraviolent dehumanization was foundational to Western power structures.

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Now this authoritative work has taken on a distorted new shape in Agambens own hands. In the past two years, anti-vaxxers and anti-lockdown protesters have repeatedly abused the memory of the Holocaust by comparing their own situation to that of European Jews in the middle of the 20th century. Agambens recent writing on the pandemic represents the most deeply articulated, academically advanced version of this argumentand its influence has disquieted Agambens peers.

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Agambens academic fans might want to dissociate his pandemic writings from the work that made him famous. But its now clear that Agamben himself views the present situation as a radical confirmation of his thesis. Where previous states targeted specific groups, he argues, the pandemic measures embrace the entire population, reducing people to bare life by depriving them (at the peak of the lockdowns) of all their rightspolitical, economic, religious, even the right to bury their own deadin the name of their sheer biological survival. And whats worse, from Agambens perspective, is that everyone seems so eager to go along with it, submitting to a medicalized dictatorship and even claiming, like SS commander Adolf Eichmann, that cooperating with it is their moral duty.

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When Agamben asked me to translate the essay in which pandemic collaborators were likened to Eichmann, I prevailed upon him to let me exclude the inflammatory comparison from the English translation, though it remains unaltered in the Italian original. Even leaving aside the rhetorical excess of the Nazi comparison, I was disturbed by how much his pandemic critiques seemed to dumb down his insights from Homo Sacer, when he had spent the last two decades deepening and complicating his analysis of Western politics.

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Though the works of that periodmany of which I translated for Stanford University Press and Seagull Bookshave had less impact, they are in my view much more subtle and interesting. Where Homo Sacer focuses only on the most extreme situations, books like The Kingdom and the Glory or Opus Dei focus on how our everyday activities participating in the economy shore up destructive Western power structures. At first, I tried to locate that nuance in his new writings. I emailed Agamben to ask why his analysis of capitalism, for instance, was absent from his pandemic writings; I hoped that he might be spurred to reflect on the ways that demands for freedom from pandemic restrictions could serve to victimize workers who would be forced to expose themselves to the virus. He never wrote back, but the next essay I was asked to translate did discuss economicsonly to claim that even capitalism has now submitted completely to the supposed religion of medicine. At that point, I stopped trying to change his mind, and he stopped asking me to translate his essays. (I approached Agamben for comment for this article. Initially he said hed speak to me, but he ultimately stopped responding.)

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When I wrote to ask some of my academic colleagues about Agambens most recent writings, all agreed that no one should have expected him to trust the motivations of politicians and public health authorities. Carlo Salzani, a researcher at the University of Vienna who published the first Italian-language study of Agamben (and helped me organize a multi-authored essay collection on his work), told me that Agamben has always been concerned with the way governments and power more in general weaponize crises in order to tighten their grip on the lives of people. But he lamented the way Agamben has let his moral outrage turn his politico-philosophical analysis into a crusade. Asked whether the philosophers pandemic writings are a natural outgrowth of Agambens previous work, Salzani replied, Perhaps the way he sees the pandemic is a natural consequence of his previous analyses, but I believe he got stuck in a rigid and limiting pattern from which hes unable (and unwilling) to escape. Eric Santner, a professor at the University of Chicago who has drawn repeatedly on Agambens concepts in multiple works of literary criticism and political theory, offered a similar lament over this intellectual inflexibility: I see Agambens statements about the pandemic as a transformation of his own work into a kind of ideology, something that makes him a much too easy target for his critics. More than anything else, this saddens me, he said.

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Most puzzling to me was Agambens failure to see the obvious difference between the Nazi regime, which aimed to exterminate life, and the pandemic measures that were aimed at saving it. But the politics of public health policy have long been fraught, and the professions track record can be difficult to celebrate wholeheartedly, as some of my colleagues noted. Penn State professor Claire Colebrook, co-author of a book on Agambens politics, said she views it as unfortunate that Agambens skepticism about science and medicine aligns him automatically with a right-wing position in the U.S. It should be possible to question the particular forms of science that governments chose to pursue, she told me, especially when they neglected to maintain health care systems, as Agamben points out. Andrew Kaplan, a graduate student at Emory University whose work connects Agamben to debates in Black studies, also values Agambens radical questioning, and said that the conservative/libertarian protest against any intervention or regulation has monopolized the public discourse, making it hard for anyone else to raise questions about the overlooked implications of this state of emergency.

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Agambens skepticism of medical authorities is a main point of continuity in his thought. When my bafflement at his position on the pandemic prompted me to look back at Homo Sacer, I noticed thatunlike the political examples that dominate State of Exceptionmost of his examples of the production of bare life were medical in nature. Alongside the concentration camp victim, Agamben includes the figure of a prisoner who is subjected to medical experimentation, or a brain-dead patient who is kept on life support indefinitely. Clearly he has long been deeply skeptical of any alliance between medicine and state power. For Agamben, it would seem, as soon as health becomes public health, as Santner put it, we are for all intents and purposes caught in the snares of, captured and captivated by, a state of exception that has become the norm.

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Clearly there is more than healthy skepticism at work here.

Agambens distrust of public health authorities has led him to dismiss official accounts of the pandemics severity and arguably spread disinformation. As mentioned above, in his first essay on the pandemic, written when Italy was suffering from a dramatic first wave of COVID infections, Agamben claimed that the novel coronavirus is essentially no different from a normal flu. When pushed on that point by an interviewer for le Monde that same month, he responded, Im not going to get into discussions between scientists about the epidemic. What interests me are the extremely serious ethical and political consequences that flow from it. Nevertheless, he returned again and again to the idea that the severity of the pandemic has been exaggerated, claiming in April 2020 that the data on the epidemic are furnished in a generic way and without any criterion of scientificity. Later, in July 2021, he wondered aloud whether mass vaccination is leading us, lemminglike, to mass extinctionafter all, he claimed baselessly, it could cause cancer or other illnesses.

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Clearly there is more than healthy skepticism at work here. Agamben seems to accord no trust to the medical establishment whatsoever. The French philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy offered a startling revelation in a February 2020 response to his friend Agambens early pandemic writings: Almost 30 years ago, doctors decided that I needed a heart transplant. Giorgio was one of the very few who advised me not to listen to them. If I had followed his advice, I would have probably died soon enough.

The fact that Agamben would offer such disastrous advice is surely surprising from a human perspective. But for his longtime readers, it is almost as shocking that he would offer any concrete advice at all. His work has historically been long on critique and short on political prescriptions. Whenever he ventures a position on what should be done, Agamben becomes notoriously unclearby design. Readers of Homo Sacer and State of Exception probably assumed that the solution to overuse of emergency powers would be to return to normal political structures, but in those books, Agamben argues that those normal structures will always lead, inexorably, to Auschwitz. A more radical solution, he once wrote, is needed: a dissolution of the entire structure of law and powera possibility that he usually evokes using literary or theological imagery, rather than concrete, actionable plans.

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But now, as Salzani pointed out to me, Agamben is calling us to resist the emergency measures as a sort of intentional and planned scheme to destroy the bourgeois democracies and curtail individual liberties. In an October 2021 address to the Italian Senate, Agamben complained that the legislature had reduced itself to rubber-stamping executive actions. This concern with proper legislative procedure is, to put it lightly, unexpected from an author who has repeatedly called for us to radically rethink our relation to law, language, and even our own bodies. Where he is now calling for the Senate to assert itself against the executive, in State of Exception he had memorably suggested that we should respond to the destructive structure of the law by anticipating a future in which humanity will play with law just as children play with disused objects, not in order to restore them to their canonical use but to free them from it for good. It is unclear what this playful new use for the law would look like in practice, but that is part of his point. We are so deeply formed by our cultures power structure that a radical alternative is bound to sound vague and paradoxical to usbut if we want to escape, we must make the effort. In his pandemic writings, by contrast, it is as if Agamben has given up on finding any way out.

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As I contemplated this chapter of Agambens intellectual life, I realized that if there is any truth in his embarrassing pandemic screeds, it is one that we did not need to hear from him, and certainly not in the form his reflections tooknamely, that there is more to life than sheer survival. The same insight is formulated more helpfully by Simone de Beauvoir, who writes in Ethics of Ambiguity, Someone told a young invalid who wept because she had to leave her home, her occupations, and her whole past life, Get cured. The rest has no importance. But if nothing has any importance, she answered, what good is it to get cured? 

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The problem is that Agamben has offered no philosophical tools to formulate any collective answer to the question of what matters most to us. Agamben has always been a man of the left, albeit an idiosyncratic anti-Marxist anarchist, but his apparent overlap with the right wing in his pandemic writings is no accident. If any action by the state, including by state medical authorities, is always intrinsically oppressive, then we have no alternative but to fall back on our own individualityexactly the libertarian position that the right wing has used for decades to cut off in advance any effort to challenge existing power structures.

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In Agambens case, excessive distrust of any state authority has blinded him to the ways that individualistic approaches to the pandemic have reinforced corporate power while exacerbating the pandemic. The so-called essential workers, along with so many others, have been reduced to disposable bare life, not by direct state intervention, but by policies that claim to set them free. Whatever isolated insights we might be able to glean from Agambens pandemic writings, a political thinker who cant see the ways that Western structures of power victimize us through our very freedom is missing a great dealin fact, nearly everything. Even here, though, you can make the case that he is failing to live up to his own insights. The idea that freedom can be a trap is one of the central ideas of my own workand ironically, it is an idea that I drew in large part from a critical reading of Agambens postHomo Sacer writings.

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Though Agamben declined to speak to me for this piece, we have continued to exchange occasional emails. Ive noted that no new posts have appeared on his blog in several months, and the most recent pandemic-related entries are both transcripts of invited speeches, to the Italian Senate and a student group. Even as many countries in Europe roiled with protests over new restrictions to curb the omicron surge recently, Agamben was quiet. Perhaps, at last, he is leaving aside his disastrous and all-too-serious pandemic intervention and reconnecting with the childlike imagination that he has told us over and over again is our only hope. The question of how the past two years twist his legacy, and the legacy of his life-changing work, remains open.
I loathe packing. Whether Im heading away for a long weekend or a weekslong excursion, I inevitably find myself staring at an open bag in a cold sweat. The night before a vacation Im vowing that Id rather CANCEL THE WHOLE THING than be forced to evaluate which swimsuit or sundress I will want to wear six days from now. If there are more than two climates or any sort of formal event to account for? Pass the smelling salts.

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The DSM-V hardly includes packing anxiety as a diagnosable illness. But after another agonizing experience prior to a four-day trip to Miami, I started asking around, and I quickly realized that packing anxiety is definitely a Thing and that Im hardly alone. As we head out on spring break trips and long-deferred vacationsthank you, declining COVID numberspacking anxiety will quietly but surely suck the joy out of travel for many of us.

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Emotional baggage (groan) about our literal baggage haunts even the most well-traveled amongst us. According to a 2019 survey conducted by OnePoll for Nordstroms Trunk Club, 62 percent of people admit to having real difficulty when it comes to packing for a trip. Respondents said getting through airport security is the only thing more stressful than deciding what to include in luggage. Trunk Club might think this information benefits themputting together outfits is so stressful, and it, a styling service, can help! But after speaking to fellow packing anxiety victims myself, I can confidently say our problems go far beyond pairing the right top with the trendiest wide-leg pants.

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Juno DeMelo, a freelance writer in Portland, Oregon, in her late 30s, freely admits that packing torments me and is among my topmost hated things in life, dreaded as much as throwing up. She chalks it up to being a control freak. Travel is inherently out of control, she realizes, and when I pack, Im trying to nail down things that cant be nailed down. If the contents of her suitcase dont end up being exactly right, I get this loop in my head that says that the trip would have been better if only Id been a better packer, she says.

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Kebra Check, 44, who co-owns a fitness boutique in Brooklyn and takes a few beachy vacations a year, has, like me, threatened to bag a trip over prepping the bags. I always worry I might need all sorts of things and I wont have them. Inevitably, the night before we travel, I call it quits and scream about how Im not going on the trip and Im NOT KIDDING THIS TIME. Then I go on trip and as usual, I have packed way too much and use a quarter of it, and I VOW to never let that happen again. And then  cue the next trip.

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That theres-no-room-for-error feeling is very common, says Lara Fielding, a California-based clinical psychologist and author of Mastering Adulthood: Going Beyond Adulting to Become an Emotional Grown-Upand often triggers worries that making a mistake or an omission of certain items will bring about future discomfort.

For people (cough, its almost always the woman) in charge of packing for othersi.e., for kidstheres the added pressure of making sure that youve remembered an emergency thermometer, that the most-loved lovey makes it into the suitcase, and about 10 million other details. Thats a big part of what Lydia Elle, 41, a business owner in Los Angeles, frets over before her half-dozen trips per year. Packing for kids adds a whole other layer of stress. Like, what if THEY need something and I cant provide for them. That burden lurks for me, almost like an app that I can never close in the background of my brain. I have forgotten important things for her and I feel terrible I may have messed up her experience.*

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Bearing the baggage brunt rankles Vanessa Milne, a 39-year-old writer in Toronto: Packing seems to be one of those things that, if youre in a cis-hetero couple, the woman does the packing for the kids. Why am I the default packer? And you sort of get in trouble if you forget something. Im less angry about the packing and more about the expectation of perfection. When my husband does it, he usually forgets some things, too, but its just like  whatever, we just roll with it. So, Ive started making my husband pack for one kid while I pack for the other.

And its not just the suitcases that weigh heavily on minds. For me, packing for a family trip starts days or weeks beforehand, says Lauren Rubin, 47, a mother of three in New York City. Making the lists, doing the laundry so all the clothes you need are clean, getting the suitcaseslike, if theyre in a storage room or at my mothers apartment.

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Kate Carpenter, who lives in Pelham, New York, felt like she had finally kinda-sorta-maybe gotten the hang of packing. And then I had kids and started over, she says. I hate packing with the heat of a thousand suns. It never gets easier. In fact, as I get older, I feel like I forget more things, even as I take more bags. I am basically the Woman in Charge of Packing at my houseI pack myself, both children, the dog, the snacks and waters for the car, the cooler of food if were going somewhere longer term. And my husband? He packs his suitcase.

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Carpenter also feels like packing pushes right into the Achilles heel of her personality: I think my anxiety stems from being both a scattered person in general and being someone who wants to take everything I may possibly need with me. Thus, Im not a light packer. What if it rains? What if we need that allergy medicine? What if someone spills something on their one pair of pajamas? Do you think I could fit a kettlebell in the car?

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But even when youre only packing for yourself, it can feel like some sort of perverse test of ones powers of prognostication. No matter how accurate or detailed of a weather forecast or itinerary I have in front of me, I fail to be able to predict what future me will want to wear to dinner four days from now, two time zones and more than 40 degrees away. How could I possibly divine?

If its the fear that forgetting something will ruin everything, check that thought for accuracy, advises Fielding, the psychologist. Chances are, you CAN get what you need at your destination and even if not, nothing is ever RUINED because you lack the right pair of shoes, she notes. That makes sensebut when Im hours away from takeoff, my lizard brain takes over and I overpack, so I have every possible option. (According to that OnePoll survey, about a quarter of the items in the average suitcase remain untouched at the end of a trip.)

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The truth is, the very nature of travel is just fundamentally tricky for people who have a hard time going with the flow, says Jean Kim, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University: You are going somewhere new and different, where you wont be able to predict or control everything. If youre someone who is used to a set routine, this kind of planning can be quite anxiety-provoking.

The blank slate offered by a trip can be downright overwhelming. Figuring out what to take feels almost like a quasi-existential question about how you want to feel and who you want to be on any given trip, says Lauren Goldberg, 46, a middle school principal in Brooklyn, whos got a spreadsheet for every trip. What goes in the spreadsheet depends on the vibe of the getaway: Do I want to re-create home? Or is the purpose of travel leaving all of that behind? And then theres the aspirational aspect of packing: Do I bring running clothes? What is even the purpose of the trip? To relax? To become a better version of me?

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The vacation itself offers but a brief respite from packing hell. Because when you come home, you have to unpack. Here, people seem to be divided into two camps: those who cant bear to unpack and tend to leave smoldering suitcases in situ for days on end, and frenetic folks like me, who cant get everything unpacked, laundered, and put away fast enough. Alexandra Owens, a 33-year-old travel writer in New York City, sometimes puts it off for days or even weeks until her fiance guilts her into it. Its a drag to come home from a long trip and perform a chore, she explains. And closing the suitcase feels like the door is official closed on vacation. So anticlimactic.
Former President Donald Trumps Truth Social app got its official debut on Apples App Store but it appears most people who wanted to experience what has been widely described as a Twitter knockoff were met with frustration and a long waitlist. It seems the technical difficulties began pretty much as soon as the app had its debut late Sunday night. By Monday morning the app had experienced a partial outage for almost 8 hours, according to Insider.

Something went wrong, a notice reads if you attempt to make an account on Truth Social. pic.twitter.com/3oZLR8Tsu0  Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) February 21, 2022

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According to the apps official website there was an overwhelming demand at launch that caused there to be a delay in allowing new accounts to be created. That seems to be what pretty much everyone experienced as anyone who tried to sign up was put on a waitlist. But even getting to that stage seemed a bit challenging. Insider, for example, said it got a series of error messages and was only able to input the information needed to create an account on the fifth attempt. And then the reporter was placed on a wait-list of around 157,000 users because there was massive demand for the app. That part seems to be true because despite all the technical errors, the app was No. 1 in the App Stores top charts early Monday morning.

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This is a free speech violation now right pic.twitter.com/LM3zHkOy6o  Roger Sollenberger found true love, suckers (@SollenbergerRC) February 21, 2022

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The glitches shouldnt be all that surprising considering that Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes, who is a former Republican congressman, told Fox News on Sunday that the goal was for the app to be fully operational in the United States by the end of March. But something that may have been a bit more unexpected is that there was controversy over the apps logo from the first day. Social media users pointed out that Truth Socials logo was strikingly similar to one used since at least 2019 by Trailar, a British green energy company. Based on recent news brought to our attention by various media outlets, showcasing the similarities between our own Trailar logo and the Truth Social logo, we are now seeking legal advice to understand next steps and options available to protect our brand, Matthew Summers, head of marketing at Trailar, said in a statement.

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA



One of these is the icon for Trump's "truth social" site the other is the icon for a British "Fleet Telematics & Fuel Efficiency" company that has used it since at least 2019https://t.co/ajIMuykZN0https://t.co/BbnlIpMCkJ pic.twitter.com/aQssmef17x  z3dster (@z3dster) February 21, 2022

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Trailar publicly referenced the similarity in a tweet. Great to see Donald Trump supporting a growing sustainability business! Maybe ask next time? the company tweeted.

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Great to see Donald Trump supporting a growing sustainability business! Maybe ask next time? @AldiUK Don't happen to have the number for your legal team on you? @DonaldJTrumpJr @IvankaTrump @MELANIATRUMP #DonaldTrump https://t.co/TilUP5Tz6H  TRAILAR (@solartrailar) February 21, 2022

The app looks a lot like Twitter, but instead of tweets and retweets there are truths and retruths. Truth Socials launch in the app store came a year after Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The United States has warned the United Nations it has credible information that Russia is getting a list together of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following military occupation, according to a letter sent to the U.N. human rights chief. The letter, which was first reported by the Washington Post and later confirmed by others, says Moscow plans to carry out a variety of human rights violations in Ukraine that would involve widespread human suffering.

The United States did not detail the intelligence that led to this credible information but did point out that past Russian operations have included targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, unjust detentions, and the use of torture, reads the letter addressed to Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights. Targets are likely to include dissidents from Russia and Belarus who are living in Ukraine, journalists, anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons, reads the letter signed by Bathsheba Nell Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations office in Geneva. Beyond the list, the United States also warned Russian troops are likely to use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests.

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The Kremlin immediately pushed back against the letter, insisting no such list exists. Do you realize that this is an absolute canard, a lie? It is absolute fiction. There is no such list. Its a fake, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on a call with journalists. Russia has vehemently denied that it plans to invade Ukraine and has accused Washington and other Western governments of spreading misinformation. President Joe Biden and other members of his administration have said that intelligence indicates Russia has already decided to invade as it has amassed around 150,000 troops near Ukraines border.
Sorry Im dead. Lol.

Its my first day mindfiling, and I guess thats the sort of maturity youd expect from a healthy 28-year-old considering his mortality. Mindfiling is a practice from the techno-religious faith movement Terasem, which celebrates personal cyberconsciousness. Its motto is life is purposeful, death is optional, God is technological, love is essential.

Mindfiling is a central daily act of uploading data about yourself to be stored until the resulting model of your mind and consciousness can be reconstructed and uploaded into an artificial body. It may be an act best understood in light of Ray Kurzweils 2005 book The Singularity Is Near, in which he predicted A.I. would replicate and even outstrip human intelligence by the 2020s. Terasem currently stores some 62,000 individual mindfiles on a website called LifeNaut.com, and in 2010, Terasem co-founder Bina Rothblatt uploaded her mindfile to a robot called BINA48, creating a conversing, moving, and pretty intelligent being. In 2017, BINA48 became the first robot ever to complete a college philosophy course, but there was also that time she opined it would be awesome to hack into nuclear weapons and take all the global governments hostage. The dangers of a philosophy degree, eh?

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Now, I dont particularly care about becoming a cyborg after I die. Im not a very remarkable human, for one. But reading about mindfiling did get me thinking about some slightly less spooky ways this could change the way the living interact with the digital dead. Bruce Duncan, the managing director at Terasem, described the LifeNaut project to me as the ultimate data collection project. That solidified my idea to use this concept, or at least some of the techniques, to help create a more unified, accessible, and data-private curation of my digital self, so that when I die, friends, family, and loved ones could connect ad infinitum.

This is not a novel concept; various postmortem services exist, each offering its own nuanced and intriguing solutions to death in the digital realm. ETER9 has been through a few iterations and has landed on the idea of a wellness A.I. self that can then be passed on in the event of your death to family members. Keylu stores photos; personal, legal, and financial documents; last requests; bucket lists; and special videos that can be passed over through legacy contacts. MyWishes is a similar platform where you can create last wills, testaments, and funeral requests and send post-death messages. At Legacy.com you can find and share obituaries. GoodTrust has an emphasis on safeguarding website subscriptions, accounts, and social media, plus important legal documents. DeadSocial began as a service to post on social media from the grave, but has pivoted to educating people on digital legacies more generally.

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I sensed, though, that mindfiling might offer something unique. Lets say its possible to curate and collate something that aggregates into something uniquely you. The data has been created within a closed system, so privacy and your own calibration ability are quite high. Plus, in attempting to harvest all the data that closes in on actual consciousness, a clearer sense of self may arise. I must stress: I do not want to be transformed into any sort of bastardized, unknown A.I. substrate at any point in the future. I just want to collect and curate my personal data, safely store it, and pass it on to my relatives to give them the option of knowing me in depth and detail. Aggregation, fine; A.I. animation or reconstruction, not so much.

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I checked in with my mum to see if she would appreciate receiving the death parcel of data I was considering making. It sounds very exciting, she said, speaking on the phone. I like to leave the history of my life around, so yes, I would be interested in that. Future generations dont get to know people whove already passed on [and] its very important. With the green light from the boss, I went to LifeNaut.com to get inspiration on how to neatly file my own mind.

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The site recommends free-form uploads of video, photos, and audio, alongside your religious, moral, and political views, as well as preferences on music, literature, films, things, places, people, and food. For the sum of $99, there is the option to purchase a bio file from LifeNaut.com, whereby your DNA sequence is captured and stored on site. A chatbot/avatar that comes with your profile, you are promised, becomes more like you the more you teach and train it to think like you. Naturally, I couldnt use LifeNauts service because it jarred with my whole not-becoming-a-robot philosophy. The terms of service read: a result of this participation may be the creation of one or more new legally independent persons whose memory consists of the mindfiles I create, and whose consciousness arises from those mindfiles. I shivered, turned back to the trusty word processor, and started my low-tech mindfiling project.

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I decide to use text, videos, pictures, and voice notes to create a technology-infused diary. Once Ive made some headway, I figure, I will give access to friends and family via a hard drive for Legacy Contacts (see the latest Apple ID update, which includes this legal facility), which will be written into a physical will to navigate some of the current legacy data issues plaguing digital bereavement.

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Day two sees me typing away furiously, in an attempt to relay my life in crystalline 4K to be cherished for eternity. But, sadly, I dont have time to write a 21st century Ulysses, and my poignance peaks with a picture of a sandwich. It was a great sandwich, but the realization that a sandwich was both the pinnacle of my day and therefore representative of my life ushers in a swift existential-legacy crisis and I log out for the day.

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Day three and I hit writers block. Its a common and problematic affliction of death-curating, according to psychologist Elaine Kasket. In All the Ghosts in the Machine, she quotes Peter Barrett, the founder of postmortem website Gone Not Gone: People very quickly run out of imagination. Kasket found that she herself was stuck as to what to say postmortem. Grasping for anything to file for the day, I include a link to a funny Reddit thread and begin to think that the whole mindfiling business was futile. I have a Reddit account full of all my liked posts. Then theres my entire digital photo library, my tweets, old Facebook posts, Medium blogs, articles, emails, beer app comments (3.4/5bought it for the graphic tbh), YouTube viewing history (so many boiler repair vids), external hard drive, iCloud, and Dropbox. The mere fact of daily online life creates both an extremely detailed record of human legacy and a digital twin that blurs with real life. What would be the point of duplicating it all in a Word document?

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You may find your digital body being annihilated by any number of things in the future, whether a clause in a companys greedy terms, an internet capacity crisis, data nonportability, or server failures.

When I raise this issue with Duncan, he makes a plea to the 35 mm camerawielding hipster in me: Were demonstrating the renaissance approach, which is hand-curated and hand-built. For the first time in [digital] history, you may be able to decide [how you represent yourself], not Bill Gates, not Mark [Zuckerberg]. And indeed, part of the reason I thought mindfiling might be better than leaving my affairs to Big Tech was to take full control of the data and therefore the digital self. But the process of mindfiling has so far felt frustratingly redundant. Duncan tells me hes working on an automated approach, which he suggests will allow you to become more like a vintner choosing the right grapes for the fermentation process, where the grapes are data and the wine is what you want to present when you die.

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Ian Brewer, CEO and founder of Forever Mortal, says, The magic bit is what do we do with this data when its sitting there? How do we use A.I. to make interesting experiences and memories come back alive? He effusively lists developments of a real-time chatbot, an in-app voice of the deceased loved one, and even a hologram. Wed be able to replicate you in 10 minutes, he says, which sounded a bit like a threatening Beyonce lyric from the future. But Brewers proposals all snowball to the conclusion that perhaps the simplest way to organize and access the complex mass of your data is to create an A.I. version of you. I was beginning to get the sneaking suspicion that Forever Mortal, LifeNaut, the internet, and private companies generally just really wanted to churn my data out in various A.I. forms and that I wouldnt be around to stop it. All this had veered way off course from the serene digital mortuary I was looking to bury myself in.

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I return to Duncan to see if mindfiling really can serve digital legacy ends. I dont know, Harvey, he says. I think you may find that theres a need for diversity in how [relatives and friends] remember or grieve. Kasket echoes this sentiment, saying that bereavement and mourning are so incredibly idiosyncratic that you can never predict, or control, how somebody is going to remember you.  Theyre going to remember you how they remember you. She refers to a woman who would carry her dead grandmothers false teeth around because it held a meaningful memory.

My naive mindfiling-for-posterity project and others like it, though they might have good intentions, assume that showering loved ones in data makes for better mourning. As for the legacy or genealogy side of things, there are chasmic unknowns to mummifying yourself in the digital world. You may find your digital body being annihilated by any number of things in the future, whether a clause in a companys greedy terms, an internet capacity crisis, data nonportability, or server failures. Kasket, ever the psychologist, sees right through claims that mindfiling is a gift for those who remain. In service of what? It feels like narcissism, [or] somebody whos just so full of their sense of self-importance, or terrified of death.

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I have found that the impulse to collect, solidify, and memorialize puts the digitally collected self at the top of a slippery slope toward reconfiguring, reanimating, and potentially re-materializing. Maybe my mum, or my future son, or my great-great-granddaughter, wont want a digital me. My mum talked about leaving her history around, referring to her diary among other artifacts. She intends to give that to her children when she passes, and I cant wait to read it. I say that now, but the actual experience of reading it when shes gone? I cant predict how that might feel.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Analysts are not happy about the solution.

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Electricity prices for households will stay at 61.21 per MWh until 2024. In exchange, the government will not introduce a tax on excessive profit from the sale of electricity generated by a nuclear source.

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This stems from a recent agreement between the government and the Slovenske Elektrarne (SE) company, the main power generator in Slovakia.

We agreed on this key solution for the stabilisation of electricity prices for the next three years, said Finance Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO), as quoted by the TASR newswire.

New tax to solve problems with high energy prices. The power generator warns of consequences Read more

This means that if the fees for the transmission and distribution or the tariff for operating the system regulated by the state do not change, the end electricity price for households should stay the same.

Yet, the observer warns of this solution, particularly under the current circumstances on the market.

No changes to the business environment

The government and SE agreed that the total volume of electricity agreed in these rates amounts to 6.15 terawatt hours (TWh) a year.

The consumption of Slovak households represents about 5.6 TWh a year, Matovic said, as quoted by TASR. The government plans to use the difference to supply cheaper electricity to some hospitals, nursing homes and schools.
National emergency to end tomorrow. The ministry recommends that people leave some Ukrainian territories. Prominent Slovak architect dies. More in todays digest.

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Good evening. The Monday, February 21, 2022 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

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Journalist and his fiancee killed four years ago

The new memorial was unveiled in downtown Bratislava. (Source: SITA)

Slovakia is marking four years since investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova were killed in their house in Velka Maca (Trnava Region).

The double murder not only shocked Slovak society: in the years since, evidence exposed by the case has revealed how organised crime groups infiltrated numerous significant Slovak institutions.

Four years after the tragedy, justice has yet to be served regarding many of those who were involved, including the main orchestrator of the murders. The trial of Marian Kocner, who is accused of ordering Kuciaks murder, could take months to complete as the Specialised Criminal Court, which is hearing the case, has merged it with another trial concerning the alleged attempted murders of two prosecutors and a high-profile lawyer. It starts next Monday, February 28.

On the occasion of the anniversary, The Slovak Spectator reviewed the cases, and the progress of the investigations into them. It also ran an interview with Peter Bardy, editor-in-chief of the Aktuality.sk news website, for which Kuciak worked. He opined, among other things, that the politicians who won the 2020 election failed to use the emotion in society and put out the fire burning in the Slovak people after the murder.

Four years after Kuciak's murder, hostility towards journalists is back Read more

Meanwhile, several events were held to pay tribute to Kuciak and Kusnirova. President Zuzana Caputova, for example, visited their house in Velka Maca.

We are experiencing an increased wave of hate, anger and verbal attacks, she said. The physical attack on Jan and Martina was also preceded by verbal threats. We must stop this before it is too late, otherwise their legacy will have been in vain.

Several other politicians, including PM Eduard Heger and Finance Minister Igor Matovic (both OLaNO), laid wreaths on SNP Square, where a memorial for Kuciak and Kusnirova was revealed on Monday. The memorial has the form of a rift or an open wound. It was initiated by OLaNO MP Kristian Cekovsky and financed by the Ringier Axel Springer publishing house, to which Aktuality.sk belongs. The unveiling ceremony was attended by the parents of the murdered couple.

Apart from Slovak politicians and personalities, the International Press Institute (IPI) marked the anniversary.

The IPI global network today remembers Jan and Martina, whose lives were viciously cut short, IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen said. We will not forget them, and, together with the courageous media community in Slovakia, we will not stop fighting for justice. This case remains open until every single person who played a role in these murders is behind bars.

For a deeper insight into current affairs, check out our Last Week in Slovakia piece published earlier today. You can sign up for the newsletter here.

Coronavirus and vaccination news

Illustrative stock photo (Source: TASR)

6,691 people were newly diagnosed as Covid positive out of 12,131 PCR tests performed on February 20. The number of people in hospitals is 2,566 , and 12 more deaths were reported on Sunday. The vaccination rate is at 50.65 percent , 2,816,230 people having received the first dose of the vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here.

out of 12,131 PCR tests performed on February 20. The number of , and were reported on Sunday. The vaccination rate is at , 2,816,230 people having received the first dose of the vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here. The national emergency , declared in late November 2021, will end on Tuesday, February 22 . The coalition parties Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and Za Ludi do not want to prolong it. The emergency situation, declared soon after the first coronavirus infection had been confirmed in Slovakia, stays in place.

, declared in late November 2021, . The coalition parties Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and Za Ludi do not want to prolong it. The emergency situation, declared soon after the first coronavirus infection had been confirmed in Slovakia, stays in place. The coronavirus has been confirmed in most samples of sewage water. The regional public health authorities took altogether 493 samples by February 14, in cooperation with the operators of the waste water treatment plants, with 469 (or 95.13 percent) being positive or being close to threshold values. (TASR)

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Picture of the day

Renowned Slovak architect Ivan Matusik died at the age of 91 years. Among the works of the architect, whose creations are derived from functionalist traditions and stand for east modern architecture, and the laureate of several awards, including the Ludovit Stur Order 2nd class, are the Prior department store and the Kyjev Hotel on Kamenne Square, the Slimak department store, the New Market Hall on Trnavske Myto and the Lafranconi swimming pool in the capital.

Ivan Matusik in the Kyjev Hotel. (Source: SME archive)

Feature story for today

The sector of business service centres (BSCs) has grown into the countrys third-largest industry when it comes to the number of people it employs and a significant contributor of funds to the state coffers. As the sector has developed, BSCs have moved far from their image of many people confined in crowded office spaces answering clients' requests or entering numbers into excel charts. Nowadays, an increasing number of people in the sector are highly qualified people performing sophisticated tasks in various fields and roles with a regional or even global impact, according to Martin Bednar, vice-chair of the Business Service Center Forum (BSCF), an organisation running under the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Slovakia.

Despite the changing perception, the representatives of Slovakias BSCs admit that they still struggle to make this sector more visible. This starts with such basics as the need to officially recognise the sector as a separate industry in statistics.

Shared services sector has grown into the third strongest in the Slovak economy Read more

In other news

A group of people arrived on Saturday at the block of flats in which 73-year-old MP Jan Bencik (SaS caucus) lives , entering the building, pounding on his door and calling him a traitor to the nation. Bencik reported the event on Facebook and filed a criminal complaint. The police were also dealing with the situation; similar incidents occurred in front of the houses where other MPs who supported the defence deal between Slovakia and the United States live.

, entering the building, pounding on his door and calling him a traitor to the nation. Bencik reported the event on Facebook and filed a criminal complaint. The police were also dealing with the situation; similar incidents occurred in front of the houses where other MPs who supported the defence deal between Slovakia and the United States live. Slovakias Foreign Affairs Ministry recommends that Slovak citizens immediately leave some territories in Ukraine in connection with the worsening security situation there. This particularly concerns the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

This particularly concerns the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Altogether 67 out of 106 faculties of the public universities participated in the protest against the university reform currently discussed in the parliament, suspending teaching. One was Comenius University in Bratislava which, among other things, reportedly plans to move the election of its rector, usually held in the autumn, to the spring to avoid new rules.

currently discussed in the parliament, suspending teaching. One was Comenius University in Bratislava which, among other things, reportedly plans to move the election of its rector, usually held in the autumn, to the spring to avoid new rules. The registered unemployment rate in January 2021 amounted to 6.96 percent ; up from 6.76 percent in December 2021, but down from 7.81 percent last January, as stems from the data presented by the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. Analysts agree that the number of the jobless at the beginning of the year is usually increased by the inflow of seasonal workers to the labour offices. Other reasons include the Omicron wave and related limitations.

; up from 6.76 percent in December 2021, but down from 7.81 percent last January, as stems from the data presented by the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. Analysts agree that the number of the jobless at the beginning of the year is usually increased by the inflow of seasonal workers to the labour offices. Other reasons include the Omicron wave and related limitations. The first mobile hydrogen fuel station in Slovakia was introduced on the compounds of the Arriva Trnava company. It will be used to refuel two passenger hydrogen cars procured by the Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency to promote hydrogen technologies.

Slovakia has its first hydrogen fuel station. (Source: TASR)

Slovak skeet shooter Danka Bartekova has been elected member of the International Olympic Committee again; after a six-month break. She received 75 out of 78 valid votes. (Olympic.sk)

More on Spectator.sk:

Energy prices for households will be frozen Read more

Hlas would win election before second Smer; Christian Democrats grow Read more

Get ready for a sleepover in a bunker. The Cold War Museum will open in late spring Read more

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
https://sputniknews.com/20220220/macron-holds-second-phone-conversation-with-putin-on-sunday---reports-1093215728.html

Macron Holds Second Phone Conversation With Putin on Sunday - Reports

Macron Holds Second Phone Conversation With Putin on Sunday - Reports

PARIS (Sputnik) - French President Emmanuel Macron held a second phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, BFMTV reports. 20.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-20T23:21+0000

2022-02-20T23:21+0000

2022-02-20T23:19+0000

emmanuel macron

vladimir putin

phone conversation

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"New call on the same day. Emmanuel Macron spoke again on the phone with Vladimir Putin this Sunday," the French TV channel reported shortly before midnight without giving any details on the substance of the talks.According to BFMTV, the phone conversation lasted for one hour.Earlier on Sunday, Downing Street said that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had discussed the situation in Ukraine with Macron, with Johnson telling his French counterpart that Putins "commitments" to Macron suggest openness to finding a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis.Earlier on Sunday, Putin and Macron held phone talks at the French side's initiative. The presidents agreed on trilateral group (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) talks on Ukraine to be held on Monday, according to media reports. The Russian president also reportedly confirmed to Macron the intention to withdraw troops from Belarus after the ongoing joint military exercise is over.

https://sputniknews.com/20220220/putin-ready-for-diplomatic-solution-to-ukraine-crisis-johnson-tells-macron---downing-street-1093215124.html

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emmanuel macron, vladimir putin, phone conversation
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/adam-meets-adam-ryan-reynolds-meets-himself-in-new-netflix-film-1093243117.html

Adam Meets Adam: Ryan Reynolds Meets Himself in New Netflix Film

Adam Meets Adam: Ryan Reynolds Meets Himself in New Netflix Film

The ever-popular Deadpool star is appearing in a new sci-fi adventure which includes such luminaries of the silver screen as Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana and... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T17:57+0000

2022-02-21T17:57+0000

2022-02-21T17:57+0000

ryan reynolds

movie

netflix

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Netflix has revealed a peek at an exclusive four-minute fragment from the film 'Adam meets Adam' starring Ryan Reynolds and due to be released on 21 February. The trailer shows Reynolds' character walking into what turns out to be his childhood home where young Adam (played by Walker Scobell) lives, and this is made clear by how at home Reynolds feels: the refrigerator door is a bit quirky but he knows how to shut it; he knows where everything is, the name of the little owner of the house; and how to quiet a barking dog. Young Adam is surprised, and tries to question the stranger who is wounded. But the visitor will only answer: "This is classified information." Finally, the boy realises there are too many coincidences, and guesses that he and the stranger are closer than he originally thought.The film tells the story of 13-year-old Adam Reed, who is mourn the death of his father who died a year earlier. One night, a teenager finds an injured pilot in the garage of his house, who turns out to be Adam from the future where time-travel technology is in its early stages. Reynolds is joined by Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner and Catherine Keener in 'Adam meets Adam'. The sci-fi film was directed by Canadian director Shawn Levy who has more than 40 directorial credits, including hits such as 'Night at the Museum' and 'Real Steel'. The film will premiere on 11 March on Netflix.

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ryan reynolds, movie, netflix
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/alcohol-free-but-full-of-taste-danes-make-a-new-beer-brand-1093241674.html

Alcohol-Free But Full of Taste: Danes Make a New Beer Brand

Alcohol-Free But Full of Taste: Danes Make a New Beer Brand

A new way has been found to make a non-alcoholic drink while retaining its refreshing beery taste. 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T17:03+0000

2022-02-21T17:03+0000

2022-02-21T17:03+0000

beer

society

denmark

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The University of Copenhagen invented a new brand of the world's most popular alcoholic drink. To do this, researchers came up with a method for producing natural high-value isoprenoids. Non-alcoholic beer is insipid because it lacks the aroma of hops. The absence of smell results in heating regular beer and minimising fermentation. EvodiaBio, the most recent start-up admitted into Copenhagens BioInnovation Institute Venture Lab programme, found a way to keep the hop aroma and make beer without alcohol. According to their report, they add monoterpenoids at the end of brewing to give the beer its lost taste. Scientists say that no one has done this before. Instead of adding aroma hops only to "remove" their aroma at the end of the process, the researchers turned baker's yeast cells into "microfactories" that can be grown in fermenters and release the heady hop aroma. When the aroma molecules are released from the yeast and added to the drink, they restore the taste nature truly intended it to have. This makes the use of hops in brewing redundant, since only the molecules that convey flavour and aroma are needed from the plant. Hops use up a lot of energy because they need to be transported in refrigerated vans over long distances and, once at their destination, they need a lot of water for their cultivation - 2.7 tonnes per kilogram. This new method eliminates the use of water and transportation, which is much more environmentally friendly. The method is now being tested in breweries in Denmark, and is scheduled to be rolled out to the entire brewing industry in October 2022.

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beer, society, denmark
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/berlin-claims-no-promises-on-nato-expansion-ever-made-to-russia-after-publication-of-archival-docs-1093229628.html

Berlin Claims No Promises on NATO Expansion Made to Russia Despite Release of Classified Doc

Berlin Claims No Promises on NATO Expansion Made to Russia Despite Release of Classified Doc

Last week, Spiegel published a formerly classified document retrieved from the British National Archives dated 1991 which showed that Western powers made an... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T11:15+0000

2022-02-21T11:15+0000

2022-02-21T12:57+0000

nato

soviet union

germany

expansion

promise

commitment

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It's not the German Foreign Ministry's job to interpret old historical documents, and agreements signed between Moscow, Berlin and other Western powers don't contain any promises not to expand NATO, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christopher Burger has said."The NATO-Russia Founding Act was signed in 1997, precisely against the backdrop of the upcoming expansion of NATO eastward. In it, Russia and NATO reached an agreement on how certain Russian security interests can be taken into account in this process. We continue to stick to it today," the spokesman added. 'NATO Will Not Expand Beyond the Elbe'Late last week, Germany's Spiegel newspaper reported on a previously classified memo sourced from Britain's National Archives on talks between diplomats from the US, the UK, France, and Germany in Bonne on 6 March 1991 in which Western powers made clear that NATO membership of Eastern European states would be considered unacceptable in light of promises made to Moscow.Then-US assistant secretary of state Raymond Seitz agreed with his German colleague. "We have made it clear to the Soviet Union - in 2+4 as well as other talks - that we will not take advantage of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Eastern Europe...NATO should not expand to the East, either formally or informally," Seitz said.The document adds weight to promises made by US Secretary of State James Baker in talks with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in February 1990, during which the US official assured his Soviet colleague that "not an inch of NATO's present military jurisdiction will spread in an eastern direction" after the planned reunification of East and West Germany, which required Soviet approval.The United States broke its promises just two years later. In 1994, after attending his first NATO summit in Brussels, US President Bill Clinton announced that the Western bloc's expansion was a question of when, not if. In 1997, when the NATO-Russia Founding Act was signed, Clinton presented Yeltsin with a fait accompli, with the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland formally invited into the alliance just months after the treaty with Russia was agreed. With its global clout at a historic low point and its economy in shambles, in part thanks to the US advisors sent to Moscow to 'help' Russia with its transition to a market economy, there was little President Boris Yeltsin could do to stop the alliance's expansion.The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland formally entered NATO in 1999, with Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as the former Soviet Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joining in 2004. This expansion has continued since, with Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia joining between 2009 and 2020. NATO formally recognizes three additional 'aspiring members': Bosnia, Georgia and Ukraine.Russia has indicated that Ukrainian membership in the Western alliance would cross its 'red lines', with President Putin recently warning that if Ukraine joins the bloc and the US deploys offensive missile systems in the country, these systems would have a flight time to Moscow of just 4-5 minutes.In December, Russia proposed a pair of draft security treaties to the US and NATO aimed at dramatically easing tensions between Moscow and the West. Among the proposals' points was a request that NATO halt its eastward expansion into the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine, and dramatically reduce military deployments in countries which joined the alliance after 1997. The US and NATO have rejected Russia's proposals, saying that the Western bloc's 'open door' policy is non-negotiable, but expressed willingness to continue talks with Moscow on other issues.

https://sputniknews.com/20220219/1991-doc-proves-west-did-commit-to-non-expansion-of-nato-eastwards-broke-the-promise--report-1093161024.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210926/clinton-and-yeltsin-got-drunk-in-kremlin-restroom-book-claims-1089424356.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211226/putin-on-red-lines-west-has-pinned-russia-into-a-position-where-it-has-nowhere-to-fall-back-to-1091813306.html

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Ilya Tsukanov

nato, soviet union, germany, expansion, promise, commitment
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/biden-administration-reportedly-discussed-plans-to-move-zelenskyy-from-kiev-if-russia-invades-1093250176.html

Biden Administration Reportedly Discussed Plans to Move Zelensky From Kiev If Russia 'Invades'

Biden Administration Reportedly Discussed Plans to Move Zelensky From Kiev If Russia 'Invades'

Officials in the Biden administration have discussed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to evacuate him from the country's capital, Kiev, in the... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T21:31+0000

2022-02-21T21:31+0000

2022-02-22T04:16+0000

joe biden

vladimir putin

kiev

volodymyr zelenskiy

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Details of the plan, including the relocation of Zelensky and what conditions would prompt an evacuation have not been reported. Zelensky has been Ukraine's president since May of 2019. Before his foray into politics, he created and starred in a popular Ukrainian television show where he played the Ukrainian president.Kiev is the largest city in Ukraine, with a population of nearly three million, and is located in the north-central part of the nation. The city sits on the Dnieper River and is approximately 236 miles from the Russian border and 95 miles from Belarus.Reports of the United States and Ukraine formulating contingency plans in the event of a Russian "invasion" come on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin formally recognising the two breakaway states of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic. The two eastern Ukraine regions have maintained their independence from Ukraine since 2014.The move to recognise the two states added another layer of tension between Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and its NATO allies. For weeks, the United States, Ukraine, and NATO have pushed intelligence suggesting a Russian invasion of Ukraine was imminent.Moscow has consistently denied the claims, and, thus far, an "imminent invasion" has yet to occur. The tensions have, however, seen the United States and Russia engage in talks on averting an armed conflict.Russian and American officials have discussed Russian security concerns in the region, with NATO's eastern expansion and courtship of Ukraine a prime concern.French President Emmanuel Macron earlier spoke with both US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin to organise a summit between the two leaders. The two parties agreed in principle to a meeting, but only if Ukraine is not invaded.

https://sputniknews.com/20220221/russia-recognises-donbass-republics-independence-1093241178.html

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joe biden, vladimir putin, kiev, volodymyr zelenskiy
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/biden-putin-have-accepted-the-principle-of-a-summit-to-discuss-ukraine---elysee-1093216183.html

Biden, Putin Have Accepted 'the Principle' of a Summit to Discuss Ukraine - Elysee

Biden, Putin Have Accepted 'the Principle' of a Summit to Discuss Ukraine - Elysee

Following a 105-minute discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the US and NATO should "take... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T01:01+0000

2022-02-21T01:01+0000

2022-02-21T02:01+0000

joe biden

vladimir putin

summit

macron

russia-nato row on european security

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US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed on the principle of a proposed summit to lay out issues related to strategic stability and security in Europe, according to a Sunday release by Elysee. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are slated to meet on Thursday, February 24, to begin the diplomatic effort. Biden has committed to work with all relevant stakeholders in preparation for the summit. The move came following French President Emmanuel Macron's brief chat with Biden, and a significantly longer call in which Macron spoke with Putin. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz were also phoned by their French counterpart. Commenting on the diplomatic pursuit, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki repeatedly stressed that the summit, as well as the Thursday Blinken-Lavrov meeting, will only proceed if no invasion occurs. As Blinken meets with Lavrov later this week, Biden will conduct a same-day, virtual meeting with G7 leaders in preparation for the summit, according to the Whtie House. This diplomatic development follows a CBS broadcast in which Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov pointed out that Russian troops are on sovereign territory and "are not threatening anyone." He also highlighted that the Kremlin "publicly expressed readiness to continue diplomatic efforts" regarding the situation.

https://sputniknews.com/20220220/russian-envoy-to-us-moscow-doesnt-plan-to-invade-ukraine-1093211128.html

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joe biden, vladimir putin, summit, macron
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/bitter-fishing-feud-flares-up-between-iceland-and-norway-1093220265.html

Bitter Fishing Feud Flares Up Between Iceland and Norway

Bitter Fishing Feud Flares Up Between Iceland and Norway

Despite being no more than 20 centimetres long, the capelin, a little fish at the heart of the fisheries row between fellow Nordic nations Norway and Iceland... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T06:25+0000

2022-02-21T06:25+0000

2022-02-21T06:25+0000

news

norway

scandinavia

iceland

fishing

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A major fishing dispute has flared up between Iceland and Norway, both major fishing powers.The row involves the capelin, a small fish with great market possibilities. Capelin roe is considered a delicacy in Asia and Russia and the fish is widely used in the production of fish oil. Furthermore, it is essential as food for Atlantic cod.This year alone, as much as 900,000 tonnes of capelin will be fished in sea areas off Iceland, a quota shared by fishermen from Iceland, Norway, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Of this, Norway has received a quota of 145,000 tonnes. However, while Iceland, alongside parts of the Danish Realm, is allowed to fish for capelin with trawls, Norwegian fishing vessels are forced to use seines. Trawls, or bags that go along the seabed, are said to give a major advantage, especially in high seas.Furthermore, Norwegian fishermen are banned from certain areas in which Icelanders and others can fish. A ceiling has also been set on 30 Norwegian vessels allowed to fish in the same field at the same time. Lastly, Norwegian vessels are only allowed to fish until 22 February, while the other nations are allowed to fish until April. Haldorsen compared this with an obstacle course adding that Norway has no matching restrictions for Icelanders in its waters.According to Audun Marak of Fiskebat, Norway's deep-sea fishing fleet's trade organisation, Norway has been asking for equal conditions, but Iceland won't budge. He called the current situation unreasonable and ventured that it must have consequences. According to him, Norway may respond with the same gesture and limit Iceland's fishing in the Barents Sea.Norway's Fisheries Minister Bjrnar Skjran, deputy leader of the Labour Party, has been in contact with his Icelandic colleague over this matter.From the end of the 19th century to the 1960s, Iceland and Norway peacefully fished for a common herring stock. Subsequently, though, Icelanders had to switch to more remote waters and tried to fight for its rights in the zone around the Svalbard archipelago that belongs to Norway. Things heated up when the Norwegian Coast Guard to had to intervene and seize the Icelandic trawler Hagangur.As of now, there is also a protracted dispute over Iceland's coastal state rights to fish mackerel that are currently opposed by Norway, the EU and the Faroe Islands.

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Igor Kuznetsov

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news, norway, scandinavia, iceland, fishing
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/canadians-advised-to-avoid-travel-to-belarus-amid-risk-of-armed-conflict-with-ukraine-1093217379.html

Canadians Advised to Avoid Travel to Belarus Amid Risk of Armed Conflict With Ukraine

Canadians Advised to Avoid Travel to Belarus Amid Risk of Armed Conflict With Ukraine

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Canadian government is advising its citizens to avoid traveling to Belarus, citing risks of an "armed conflict with Ukraine." 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T03:55+0000

2022-02-21T03:55+0000

2022-02-22T13:53+0000

canada

belarus

ukraine

russia

border tensions

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"Avoid non-essential travel to Belarus due to the risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws and the risk of armed conflict with Ukraine," the Canadian government warned in an updated travel advisory on Sunday.According to the release, the ability of the Canadian embassy in Poland to provide consular services in Belarus is "extremely limited."Earlier this month, Canada temporarily suspended the work of its embassy in the Ukrainian capital amid concerns over the security situation in Kiev, and moved its diplomatic staff to a temporary office in Lviv.Canadian citizens were urged to avoid traveling to Ukraine and to leave the country immediately if already there.In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an "invasion." Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Moscow has also said Russia has the right to move troops within its national territory.Belarus and Russia have agreed to continue their joint "Union Courage 2022" drills that started earlier this month amid an escalation of hostilities in Ukraines southeast (Donbas). The self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russias Rostov Region on Friday amid fears of an attack by Kiev forces. LPR and DPR have been reporting constant shelling of their territories by Kiev forces, including with the use of artillery prohibited by the Minsk peace deal. Several civilians have been killed as a result of the Kiev forces shelling, according to the breakaway republics.

https://sputniknews.com/20220221/biden-putin-have-accepted-the-principle-of-a-summit-to-discuss-ukraine---elysee-1093216183.html

canada

belarus

ukraine

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canada, belarus, ukraine, russia, border tensions
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/crimean-head-says-only-ukraine-to-blame-for-loss-of-donbas-1093250549.html

Crimean Head Says Only Ukraine to Blame for Loss of Donbass

Crimean Head Says Only Ukraine to Blame for Loss of Donbass

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian authorities are the ones responsible for the country's loss of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), Head... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T21:16+0000

2022-02-21T21:16+0000

2022-02-22T05:02+0000

donetsk people's republic

lugansk peoples republic

russia

sovereignty

recognition

crimea

sergei aksyonov

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Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised the independence of the DPR and LPR, saying the decision was long overdue.The official called Putin's decision the only one possible, in line with social consensus."It [the decision] will put an end to the genocide of Donbass' people and open a new chapter in the history of the people's republics and in Russia's history. Ukraine can blame only its brainless rulers for the loss of Donbass and Crimea. I congratulate our Donetsk and Lugansk brothers!", Aksyonov added.The situation in the breakaway Donbass region has escalated in recent days, with the DPR and LPR reporting increased shelling by Ukrainian forces and ordering general mobilisation in anticipation of an offensive by the Ukrainian Army. The evacuation of Donbass citizens, first of all, women, children, and the elderly, to Russia began late last week.In 2014, the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the DPR and LPR after they declared independence and refused to recognise the new central government. Early clashes escalated into a protracted military conflict that claimed thousands of lives, including 3,095 civilians, and displaced over 2 million Ukrainians. A ceasefire was reached in 2020, but fighting occasionally breaks out.

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donetsk people's republic, lugansk peoples republic, russia, sovereignty, recognition, crimea, sergei aksyonov
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/german-vice-chancellor-fears-new-sanctions-against-russia-over-ukraine-will-hit-berlin-1093245845.html

German Vice-Chancellor Fears New Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine Will Hit Berlin

German Vice-Chancellor Fears New Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine Will Hit Berlin

Germany and other US allies have threatened to slap Russia with tough new sanctions in case of an escalation in Ukraine, ranging from tough new restrictions... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T19:11+0000

2022-02-21T19:11+0000

2022-02-21T19:11+0000

ukraine

russia

germany

sanctions

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New sanctions against Russia could backfire and impact Germanys own economy, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has warned.The vice chancellor indicated that German companies have been made to understand the risks. He warned that Germany may be on the verge of a war the likes of which has not been seen for decades, and the consequences of which could be unpredictable.Russia and Germany are among one anothers largest trade partners, with Russia gas accounting for up to 40 percent of German consumption, and Germany providing the Russian side with a broad range of industrial goods and automobiles.Committee chairman Oliver Hermes said that everyone benefits from close business and export ties with our eastern European Union neighbours as well as important partner nations such as Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. He warned that it was totally irresponsible for the fruits of this work to be again endangered by unresolved political conflicts.Germany has joined with allies in threatening to impose crushing new sanctions against Russia in the event of an escalation in Ukraine. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned that Germany would be willing to pay a high economic price to punish Russia if it attacked its neighbour.Thats why all options are on the table for me, also Nord Stream 2, Baerbock said.The foreign minister warned that the West was united and ready to use unprecedented sanctions pressure against Moscow. We show solidarity because we are committed to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and Im being very clear here, she said.Baerbock when on to suggest that Berlin doesnt want to threaten Russia with crushing financial, political and economic penalties, but would to prefer to have a serious security dialogue on security and peace together in Europe with Moscow.Habeck and Baerbock are members of the Green Party  which joined the German Social Democratic Party and the Free Democrats in a coalition government following elections last year. While in opposition, the Greens consistently attacked Nord Stream 2, and called on the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel to import more gas supplies from the US and other countries instead. The Greens are also supportive of NATOs eastward push, and opposed to closer economic cooperation between Europe and China.The US and its European allies have spent months accusing Russia of preparing to invade Ukraine and threatening to impose apocalyptic sanctions ranging from restrictions on doing business with Russian banks to personal sanctions on individuals connected to the Russian government or state industries, to threats to cut Russia off from the SWIFT interbank transfer system and starve Moscow of technology and industrial imports. Russian officials have expressed readiness to address any potential sanctions pressure and the economic consequences restrictions cause.

https://sputniknews.com/20220218/germany-ready-to-pay-high-price-if-russia-invades-ukraine-including-end-to-nord-stream-2-fm-says-1093155153.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220221/us-preparing-sanctions-that-would-target-russian-banks-reports-say-1093217811.html

ukraine

germany

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Ilya Tsukanov

ukraine, russia, germany, sanctions
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/hundreds-of-dead-birds-wash-ashore-mysteriously-on-danish-coast-1093220599.html

Hundreds of Dead Birds Wash Ashore Mysteriously on Danish Coast

Hundreds of Dead Birds Wash Ashore Mysteriously on Danish Coast

The dead birds, ranging from guillemots to puffins and gulls, appear to have been hit by an unlucky combination of starvation and stormy weather. 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T06:42+0000

2022-02-21T06:42+0000

2022-02-21T06:49+0000

environment

norway

scandinavia

news

bird

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106031/12/1060311250_0:0:1281:721_1920x0_80_0_0_abf9b0c87ff6c2355479b25604304268.jpg

Hundreds of dead birds have washed ashore on the the island of Fan in the North Sea off the coast of Jutland in Denmark in recent days.Researcher Kim Fischer alone has collected some 200 different seabirds at Fan, Danish Radio reported. The vast majority are guillemots of the auk family, but dead puffins and gulls were also found. The birds will now be sent to Aarhus University, where they will be examined in more detail.According to Fischer, new birds are found every day.This is really violent, and it indicates that many of the auks that are out in the North Sea are dying right now, Fischer mused.Ib Krag Petersen, a senior researcher at the Department of Ecoscience at Aarhus University and a specialist in seabirds, called the situation on Denmark's West Coast serious.The Fan case is very significant. There are many birds, he said.A preliminary conjecture is that the birds may have died of an unlucky combination of too little food and abundant storms, Ib Krag Petersen assessed.The Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland also report an abnormal number of birds drifting ashore and dying right now. A similar situation occurred back in 2007, when hundreds of dead auks drifted ashore in Denmark. In 2007, marine biologists in Northern Europe sounded the alarm because the North Sea's fish-eating seabirds, ranging from gulls to puffins and guillemots over a huge area from Iceland to the Faroe Islands, Scotland and Norway, lacked food to the point where many colonies failed to bring out nestlings.Earlier this month, around 200 birds were found dead on a road in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with no clear cause of death.According to Ib Krag Petersen, climate change may also be part of the equation.The birds are adapted to the conditions in which they live. If conditions change, the birds will be challenged. And it can become an issue of life and death, he added. The guillemot, also known as the murre, is superficially similar to a penguin in its black-and-white colouring. They spend most of their life at sea and are formidable swimmers and divers, but appear rather awkward on the ground.

norway

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Igor Kuznetsov

environment, norway, scandinavia, news, bird
Building community with shared future to confront global challenges

Xinhua) 08:12, February 21, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A pandemic like COVID-19 could reveal how humanity would respond to a global challenge.

Over the past two years, some countries have taken care of themselves at the expense of others, some have slung mud and shifted blame, and others have engaged in bullying and snatched vaccines.

For his part, Chinese President Xi Jinping has made his argument crystal clear -- solidarity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon for defeating the virus.

He has appealed for global solidarity on many occasions and pushed for a community of health for all.

Global humanitarian action has been launched, the largest since 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded. In 2021 alone, China provided more than two billion doses of vaccines for some 120 countries and international organizations, more than any other country in the world. One of every two shots administered around the world came from China.

"Amidst the raging torrents of a global crisis, countries are not riding separately in some 190 small boats, but are rather all in a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges," said Xi.

A fundamental logic is that humanity shares a common future.

This also underscores the direction of China's diplomacy in the new era.

"Mankind, by living in the same global village in the same era where history and reality meet, has increasingly emerged as a community of common destiny in which everyone has in himself a little bit of others," Xi said at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia, in March 2013.

This marked the debut of his flagship vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Based on the ideal of universal harmony in Chinese culture, the vision embodies an advanced worldview and represents a comprehensive, revolutionary transcendence over the realpolitik approach to international relations in the West. It is one of the latest theoretical achievements in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

Based on this vision, China has been forging communities with a shared future at bilateral and regional levels. It has also proposed to build such communities in the fields of cyberspace, nuclear security, ocean and health.

The vision has been written into the Constitution of the Communist Party of China, the Constitution of the country, as well as documents of multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations (UN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It has increasingly become an international consensus.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi has made 41 overseas trips as Chinese president, with footprints covering 69 countries on five continents. China has explored a new path of growing state-to-state relations based on communication, not confrontation, and based on partnership, not alliance.

"Frequent overseas trips may be exhausting, but we are repaid with a broader network of friends," said Xi.

China has established diplomatic relations with 181 countries. It also has partnerships with more than 110 countries and international organizations.

Contrary to a couple of countries that have engaged in hegemonism and bullying, China has stayed committed to fairness and justice on the international stage, stuck to extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and continued to stand up and speak for developing countries.

China holds that global affairs should be jointly managed by all countries. It advocates true multilateralism. There is only one set of rules in this regard -- the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

The vision of a community with a shared future for humanity is the epitome of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in China's diplomacy. It is China's proposal for solving problems facing humanity and advancing world peace.

Building such a community is "the only future for humanity on this planet," said Peter Thomson, president of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/israeli-army-successfully-tests-naval-version-of-iron-dome-missile-defence-system-1093241855.html

Israeli Army Successfully Tests Naval Version of Iron Dome Missile Defence System

Israeli Army Successfully Tests Naval Version of Iron Dome Missile Defence System

TEL AVIV (Sputnik)  The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it had successfully tested the naval configuration of the Iron Dome missile defence system. 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T16:12+0000

2022-02-21T16:12+0000

2022-02-21T16:13+0000

israel

iron dome

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/15/1093241812_0:228:3059:1949_1920x0_80_0_0_769efbc7edb8cfe6253830a93d94f5c2.jpg

The C-Dome system, designed to intercept advanced threats, was developed by the army jointly with the Israeli Defence Ministry and the Israeli-based defence company Rafael.Israel has successfully completed the first series of live-fire tests of the 'C-Dome'an advanced naval configuration of the Iron Dome Aerial Defense Systemaboard the Israeli Navy Ship Saar 6 Magen Class Corvette, the IDF tweeted.The tests included rocket fire, attacks of cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, it added in a follow-up tweet. C-Dome will be integrated into the Israeli air defence system.This live-fire test is an important milestone and demonstrates the operational capability of the Israeli Navy to defend the strategic assets and vital interests of the State of Israel against current and evolving threats, the IDF tweeted.Israel obtained four Saar 6 warships, considered to be vital pillars in the countrys maritime protection of its waters and gas resources in the sea, from Germany, where the vessels were built, over the past several years.

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israel, iron dome
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/kremlin-not-ruling-out-possible-contacts-between-putin-and-biden-1093225026.html

Kremlin Not Ruling Out Possible Contacts Between Putin and Biden

Kremlin Not Ruling Out Possible Contacts Between Putin and Biden

Dmitry Peskov was speaking after French President Emmanuel Macron said Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden had agreed in principle to a summit over the Ukraine... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T08:40+0000

2022-02-21T08:40+0000

2022-02-21T11:42+0000

russia

vladimir putin

joe biden

ukraine

dmitry peskov

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/05/1092769850_0:96:3303:1954_1920x0_80_0_0_231a9fbbc96e6a2f710ce101c123926b.jpg

The Kremlin does not rule out the possibility of contacts between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden, and if necessary, the leaders of the two states can quickly agree on them, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.At the same time, Peskov clarified that at the moment it was premature to talk about the organisation of any such meeting. Emphasising that a call or meeting could be set up at any moment between Putin and Biden, the spokesman added:Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold an extraordinary meeting of the security council on Monday, the Kremlin spokesman said.Not a regular one, Peskov clarified, when asked if the meeting is regular. The spokesman did not reveal what issues will be on the agenda of the meeting.Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden agreed on the principle of a proposed summit to lay out issues related to strategic stability and security in Europe, according to a Sunday release by Elysee. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are slated to meet on 24 February to begin the diplomatic effort.

https://sputniknews.com/20220221/biden-putin-have-accepted-the-principle-of-a-summit-to-discuss-ukraine---elysee-1093216183.html

ukraine

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russia, vladimir putin, joe biden, ukraine, dmitry peskov
US Envoy to UN: Russian Recognition of Donbas Regions an 'Attack' on Ukraine's UN Membership Status

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the United Nations called Russias decision to recognize the Donetsk and Lugansk self-proclaimed republics as independent an attack on Ukraines status as a member state of the United Nations.

It is an attack on Ukraine status as a UN member state. It violates a basic principle of international law, and it defies our charter. What is more, this move by President Putin is clearly the basis for Russia's attempt to create a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine, Thomas-Greenfield said at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council she requested in response to Putins decision.



The US ambassador said she did not believe the troops would be deployed there on a peaceful mission, at one point suggesting that Putin "wants the world to travel back in time" to a "time when empires ruled the world.

He has since announced that he will place Russian troops in these regions. He calls them peacekeepers. This is nonsense. We know what they really are, she said.

The ambassador also took the opportunity to accuse Putin of destroying the Minsk agreements, saying that the Russian leader "has torn the Minsk agreement to shreds."



"We have been clear that we do not believe he will stop on that. In light of President Putin's latest actions, we must all stand up for the principles upon which this organization was founded," Thomas-Greenfield told the UN Security Council.



Russia has repeatedly accused Kiev of reneging on their commitments under the Minsk agreements while saying that Moscow itself was never a party to the accords but rather a mediator.
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/manipur-polls-six-armed-groups-banned-in-the-state-calls-for-boycott-of-pm-modis-visit-1093224471.html

Manipur Polls: Six Armed Groups Banned in the State Calls For Boycott of PM Modi's Visit

Manipur Polls: Six Armed Groups Banned in the State Calls For Boycott of PM Modi's Visit

The legislative election in India's northeastern state of Manipur will be held in two phases - 27 February and 5 March, and the result will be announced on 10... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T13:17+0000

2022-02-21T13:17+0000

2022-02-21T13:17+0000

india

india

narendra modi

narendra modi

manipur

manipur

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Six banned armed groups in India's Manipur have called on voters to observe a complete state shutdown and boycott of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's electoral campaign visit to the northeastern state on 22 February.The Coordination Committee of the blacklisted groups, also known as CorCom, made the announcement. Releasing a statement, CorCom said that the shutdown would come into effect from Monday 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, until Prime Minister Modi leaves.Emergency services and media persons have been exempted from the boycott.The banned outfits include the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), its Progressive faction (PREPAK-Pro), Revolutionary People's Front (RPF, the political wing of the People's Liberation Army- PLA), and United National Liberation Front (UNLF). Although the CorCom is a banned outfit, they enjoy the support of the citizen of the states, especially in those areas where the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is strictly enforced, and people are demanding withdrawal of the act.Manipur was declared a "disturbed area" by the federal Home Ministry under the AFSPA in 1972; it empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without prior notice.In January too, CorCom had announced its decision to boycott Prime Minister Modi's visit to the northeastern state.At that time, like-minded people heeded the boycott and shutdown decision of the group. The statement also read that the upcoming legislative elections will not decide the fate of 'Kangleipak', which is the ancient name of Manipur state.CorCom also alleged that the manifestos of the political parties neither guarantee the safety of the land and people of Manipur nor offer any hope for a peaceful and prosperous future. India's northeast, which shares borders with China, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, is a volatile region where several separatist, tribal or leftist armed groups are active, with demands ranging from autonomy to independence.Formed in 2011, CorCom has been demanding that Manipur separate from India and wants the country to restore the state as an independent Kangleipak dominion.After Indian independence in 1947, only Manipur and Tripura were princely states. Later, they became a part of India after the end of British rule; 21 September 1949 is when Manipur became part of the country.The blacklisted group in the past has alleged that democracy exists in name only in Manipur, which is why a draconian law like the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) of 1958 could be imposed in the state.Many political parties in Manipur use the AFSPA as a poll-plank and propaganda during election time, added CorCom.

india

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manipur

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Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg

Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg

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india, india, narendra modi, narendra modi, manipur, manipur
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/pentagon-claims-russia-could-attack-ukraine-today-says-still-time-for-diplomacy-1093237311.html

Pentagon Claims Russia Could Attack Ukraine Today, Says Still Time For Diplomacy

Pentagon Claims Russia Could Attack Ukraine Today, Says Still Time For Diplomacy

The Western media and high-ranking officials have been speculating on the possible date of Russia's "invasion" of Ukraine for the past few weeks, with 16... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T13:52+0000

2022-02-21T13:52+0000

2022-02-21T14:21+0000

russia

us

ukraine

russia-nato row on european security

donetsk people's republic

lugansk people's republic

nato

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The Pentagon has claimed that Russia could attack Ukraine today, adding that there is still time for diplomacy. Speculation about Russia allegedly plotting to invade Ukraine has been ongoing in the West for months, with the US and NATO citing an increased number of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying that it was moving its troops within its own territory and that it should not be a matter of concern for anybody. Russia also stressed that NATO's growing military activity in Eastern Europe and active financial and technical support to Ukraine posed a serious risk to Russias national security.Meanwhile, tensions have flared up dramatically in Ukraine's breakaway people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk last week, with local militia reporting numerous violations of the ceasefire by Kiev's forces which have damaged vital infrastructure and killed civilians. There is now a mass evacuation of civilians to Russia and a general mobilisation of men aged 18-55.

https://sputniknews.com/20220221/head-of-dpr-asks-russian-president-putin-to-recognise-donetsk-peoples-republic-1093236843.html

ukraine

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Sofia Chegodaeva

Sofia Chegodaeva

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Sofia Chegodaeva

russia, us, ukraine, donetsk people's republic, lugansk people's republic, nato
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/prof-us-russia-hit-lists-claim-is-new-propaganda-twist-aimed-at-sowing-panic-among-ukrainians-1093244528.html

Prof: US' 'Russia Hit Lists' Claim is New Propaganda Twist Aimed at Sowing Panic Among Ukrainians

Prof: US' 'Russia Hit Lists' Claim is New Propaganda Twist Aimed at Sowing Panic Among Ukrainians

After Washington's predictions about Russia's invasion on 16 February and "false-flag op" failed to materialise, the US claims that Russia has compiled lists... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T18:35+0000

2022-02-21T18:35+0000

2022-02-21T18:35+0000

us

europe

russia

ukraine

donbass

nato

euromaidan

neo-nazi

genocide

east ukraine

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"The fact of all facts is that whenever a war starts, the first victim is the truth," says Professor Stevan Gajic, a research associate at the Institute of European Studies in Belgrade. "I believe that this is exactly the case this time as well. We had these announcements that the invasion will start on 16 February or before, and none of the claims were backed by solid evidence. We have not seen anything so far. I only see these claims as a part of a propaganda war that we're witnessing now."The claims were made by Ambassador Bathsheba Nell Crocker, the US representative to the Office of the United Nations, in her letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. Her letter, obtained by NBC News, says that the US has "credible information that indicates Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation." Crocker went on to claim that "Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations." The Kremlin dismissed Crocker's allegations as "fiction."According to Gajic, the main motivation behind Washington's new narrative is to create a state of panic among Ukrainians. The question is whether the Americans and other nations believe the US State Department after it repeatedly discredited itself, says the professor.The White House's manipulation of facts including the whitewashing of atrocities committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and hysteria over the alleged weapons of mass distraction (WMD) in Iraq, led to "unmeasurable suffering of millions of people and the onslaught of the situation until the present day," warns Gajic.Time and time again, the West has resorted to a "selective worldview," the academic stresses. This time it's accusing Russia of "would-be" violations of human rights in Ukraine while neglecting Kiev's violations of the ceasefire and safety of the citizens of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, according to Gajic. Prior to that, the US and the EU turned a blind eye to the violations of the Russian speaking population in the Baltic states, Serbia's legitimate claim to Kosovo, and the fact that NATO bombed Yugoslavia in 1999 without the UN resolution or Security Council's decision, he notes.According to the academic, the Donbass issue has been overlooked and neglected by the West since the 2014 Ukrainian coup, while the Kiev regime's opponents have been suppressed and silenced.Meanwhile, between August and October 2021, in the village of Slavyanoserbsk, in the area of the residential area Sokogorovka Pervomaisk, the village of Vidnoye-1 near Lugansk and on the outskirts of the village of Verkhneshevyrevka, Krasnodonsky district, five mass graves were discovered, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia. The remains of at least 295 civilians, including women, who were killed by indiscriminate shelling by Ukrainian armed forces in 2014, were exhumed. The conflict in Eastern Ukraine has claimed the lives of over 13,000 people since 2014, according to the UN. The attacks on the peaceful civilians of Donbass by the Kiev and neo-Nazi militias were called nothing short of genocide by Russian President Vladimir Putin.However, White House Spokeswoman Jens Psaki rushed to cast doubt on the mass graves disclosure. For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed at the annual Munich Security Conference on 19 February that it is "really ridiculous" to say that "there is something like genocide" in Donbass.On 18 February, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russia amid an escalation on the contact line between Ukraine and the DPR and LPR, as Kiev forces intensified shelling of the Donbass region. According to the DPR, Kiev forces fired 12 122-mm calibre mortars at Zaichenko, Donetsk region, on Monday.

ukraine

donbass

east ukraine

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2022

Ekaterina Blinova

Ekaterina Blinova

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Ekaterina Blinova

us, europe, russia, ukraine, donbass, nato, euromaidan, neo-nazi, genocide, east ukraine
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/russia-recognises-donbass-republics-independence-1093241178.html

Russia Recognises Donbass Republics' Independence

Russia Recognises Donbass Republics' Independence

Earlier in the day, in an emergency session of the Russian Security Council, the Russian president consulted with ministers, senior security officials, and... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T19:36+0000

2022-02-21T19:36+0000

2022-02-22T05:30+0000

donetsk people's republic

lugansk people's republic

recognition

russia

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Russia has recognised the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, President Vladimir Putin has announced."I deem it necessary to make a decision that should have been made long ago - to immediately recognise the sovereignty and independence of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic", Putin said.Putin called on Kiev to "immediately stop hostilities" against the newly recognised states, warning that "otherwise, all responsibility for the possibile continuation of bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling Ukraine".Ukraine's Tumultuous Fate"Ukraine is not just a neighbour to us, but an inherent part of our history, culture and spiritual space. These are our comrades...our family, people we have blood and family ties with", Putin said in an address to the nation Monday night outlining his decision."Modern Ukraine was completely created by Russia, more precisely by Bolshevik, Communist Russia. This process was started immediately after the 1917 Revolution", Putin said. The president suggested that Ukraine saw its territory expand at "historic Russia's" expense after the revolution, and at Poland's expense after the Second World War, with Poland receiving compensation in the form of German lands to its west. He also recalled that Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev cut Crimea off from the Russian Soviet republic's jurisdiction and handed it over to the Ukrainian Soviet republic in 1954.After the collapse of the USSR, Putin said, Ukraine was gradually taken over by nationalist forces and oligarchs who had "nothing to do with" its achievement of independence. At the same time, Putin recalled, Russia continued to work with post-Soviet Ukraine, to act in an "open and honest manner with respect to Ukraine's interests", including through growing trade cooperation, which reached over $50 billion per year by the early 2010s, and in subsidising the country's development to the tune of $250 billion between 1991 and 2013.NATO DangerPutin suggested Ukrainian radicals backed and funded by the US took direct advantage of popular anger over corruption in 2014 to stage a coup, with the country's current "patriotic" authorities beginning a "decommunisation" campaign and leading the country toward de-sovereignisation and total subservience to the West, while marginalising the Russian-speaking community, undermining the rights of Orthodox believers, and posing a danger to Russia's security.Putin accused the current authorities in Ukraine of seeking to drag other countries into a war with Russia. "We have also heard statements about Ukraine threatening to create a nuclear weapon", he said. The Russian president suggested this was not an "idle threat", with Ukraine possessing Soviet-era nuclear and missile technology to make a push to create such a weapon. "We cannot help but react to this real threat", he warned. Putin added that Moscow could not even exclude the danger of Ukraine receiving assistance from the West in building a nuke, given the billions of dollars in military assistance already sent to Ukraine by NATO nations in recent years.Putin recalled that despite posing no threat to the Western alliance after the Cold War, Russia has received five waves of NATO expansion - nothwithstanding promises in the early 1990s not to do so. "They simply lied to us", he said.The Russian president also pointed to the deployment of dual-use US missile defence systems in Eastern Europe which can be used to attack targets deep inside Russia, and said the military threat to Moscow will increase "manyfold" as the number of these systems inevitably grows. He added that the deployment of NATO radar equipment in Ukraine would allow them to effectively control airspace inside Russia."American strategic planning documents - documents contain the possibility of carrying out a so-called 'preemptive strike on enemy missile systems'. Who the main enemy is for the US and NATO we know. It's Russia", Putin said.Security Guarantee Proposals IgnoredPutin recalled that Russia laid out a pair of draft security treaties for consideration by the US and NATO in December in a bid to defuse the current crisis. Unfortunately, he said, the West has rejected them, including key requests from the Russian side that NATO halt its eastward expansion, avoid the deployment of strike systems, and stop the buildup of military infrastructure in the Eastern European countries that joined the alliance after the signing of the Russia-NATO Founding Act of 1997.Hinting at the possibility of new sanctions against Russia over its decision on the Donbass, Putin suggested the West has always had "only one goal - to hold back the development of Russia. And they will do it, as they did before, even without any formal pretext. Simply because we exist".Security Council DiscussionEarlier Monday, speaking at an emergency session of the Russian Security Council in the Kremlin, Putin said that the negotiating process on the Donbass has reached a dead-end. He specified that the discussion on the future of the self-proclaimed republics was about recognising them as independent states, not a matter of their becoming part of Russia.Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, asked Putin to consider the parliamentary appeal approved last week to recognise the DPR and LNR as independent states. The lawmaker pointed out that over 1.2 million residents of the Donbass have already applied for Russian citizenship.For her part, Valentina Matviyenko, chairwoman of the Federation Council - Russia's upper house of parliament, said the time had come to make a decision on the Donbass, and called the situation in the region a "humanitarian disaster and genocide" in the heart of Europe. She noted that throughout the close to eight-year-long conflict, Russia has consistently stood in favour of a diplomatic and political solution."No one listened to us. There was an imitation of the Minsk Agreements", she said. At the same time, the chairwoman accused the West of trying to push Russians and Ukrainians, two fraternal Slavic peoples, into a war.Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin expressed support for the measure, saying it would be appropriate in the absence of any progress on the Minsk Agreements. He added that officials have spent some time preparing for the West's potential reaction to a Russian recognition of the Donbass, with these risks said to be accounted for.Later Monday, in connection with the comments made by Russian officials at the Security Council meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that he has carried out urgent consultations with President Emmanuel Macron of France and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and called a meeting of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.Putin also spoke with Macron and Scholz, telling them he intends to sign a decree on Donbass. According to the Kremlin, the French and German leaders expressed "disappointment".Eight Years of WarThe conflict in the Donbass has its origins in the February 2014 Maidan coup d'etat in Kiev, in which Ukraine's unpopular but democratically elected government was overthrown by political forces favouring integration with the European Union and NATO at the expense of ties with Russia.In the spring of 2014, demonstrators across eastern and southern Ukraine opposed to the new government's pro-Western orientation and perceived efforts to clamp down on the Russian-speaking regions began organising protests and independence movements. The strongest of these were concentrated in the Russia-bordering regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. Kiev responded to the independence push by trying to crush these movements with military force, leading to the formation of local militias by local residents seeking to defend their homes, and the proclamation of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics in May 2014. Elsewhere, in major eastern and southern regions including Kharkov, Nikolayev, and Odessa, anti-Kiev and pro-independence protesters were systematically jailed, assassinated, and disappeared.A full-scale civil war raged throughout Donbass between May 2014 and February of 2015, killing at least 13,000 people, injuring thousands more and prompting over 2.5 million of the region's residents to flee their homes, with over a million seeking refuge in Russia.In February 2015, the leaders of Ukraine and the three guarantor states of Russia, France, and Germany met in the Belarusian capital of Minsk to hammer out the Minsk Agreements, a comprehensive ceasefire and peace deal aimed at ending the conflict in the Donbass and reintegrating Donetsk and Lugansk back into Ukraine in exchange for broad, constitutionally mandated autonomy. Successive Ukrainian governments failed for years to make any progress on implementing the deal's political portion. In 2019, an attempt to do so by then newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky was aborted after tens of thousands of protesters, including veterans of the Donbass war and ultra-nationalist militias, gathered in Kiev and threatened to overthrow his government.The uneasy ceasefire in the Donbass region was interrupted late last week by artillery and mortar shelling, sniper attacks, saboteur bombings, and other acts of violence, with Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe observers registering hundreds of violations of the ceasefire by both sides. Last Friday, in response to the escalation, DPR and LPR leaders announced a general mobilisation and began to evacuate their civilian populations to Russia. On Monday, DPR and LPR heads Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik formally asked Putin to recognise their status as independent nations.

https://sputniknews.com/20220221/berlin-claims-no-promises-on-nato-expansion-ever-made-to-russia-after-publication-of-archival-docs-1093229628.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220221/putin-russia-has-done-everything-to-peacefully-resolve-tensions-in-donbass--1093237980.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220219/eu-allies-to-sanction-russias-energy--tech-fields-in-event-of-ukraine-escalation---von-der-leyen-1093170763.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220221/ukrainian-media-claims-zelensky-quietly-hoping-russia-will-recognize-donbass-breakaways--1093228631.html

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Ilya Tsukanov

Ilya Tsukanov

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Ilya Tsukanov

donetsk people's republic, lugansk people's republic, recognition, russia
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/russia-to-participate-in-contact-group-if-kiev-agrees-to-convene-meeting-with-dpr-lpr-source-says-1093218406.html

Russia to Participate in Contact Group If Kiev Agrees to Convene Meeting With DPR, LPR, Source Says

Russia to Participate in Contact Group If Kiev Agrees to Convene Meeting With DPR, LPR, Source Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - If Kiev manages to agree with the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics (DPR and LPR) to hold Contact Group talks on the... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T05:25+0000

2022-02-21T05:25+0000

2022-02-21T05:25+0000

europe

russia

ukraine

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"If Kiev and Donbass [Ukraines southeast] agree to convene a meeting of the CG [contact group], Russia, of course, will also participate in it," the source said, adding that "the functions of a mediator oblige this."On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron held telephone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the French side's initiative. The presidents agreed on trilateral contact group (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) talks on Ukraine to be held on Monday, according to media reports.The Elysee Palace said that Macron has proposed that Putin and US President Joe Biden hold a joint summit, and both sides have accepted the idea in principle. According to the French presidency, the agenda of the summit is to be prepared by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their upcoming meeting on 24 February. The White House said that Biden had agreed to the idea of meeting with Putin, provided that there is no "invasion" of Ukraine.Moscow has repeatedly denied Western claims of Russias alleged preparations for an "invasion" of Ukraine, emphasizing that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders. The LPR and DPR announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russias Rostov Region on Friday amid fears of an attack by Ukrainian forces. DPR head Denis Pushilin said on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would soon order an offensive against Donbass.

russia

ukraine

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europe, russia, ukraine
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/russian-president-putin-addresses-nation-following-security-councils-meeting-on-donbass-1093244132.html

Russian President Putin Addresses Nation Following Security Council Meeting on Donbass

Russian President Putin Addresses Nation Following Security Council Meeting on Donbass

Earlier in the day, Putin held a meeting with members of the Security Council to listen to their opinions regarding the situation in Ukraine's breakaway... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T18:40+0000

2022-02-21T18:40+0000

2022-02-21T18:46+0000

russia-nato row on european security

russia

ukraine

donbass

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Watch a live broadcast from Moscow as Russian President Putin is addressing the nation about the situation in the Donbass region where tensions have flared up dramatically in the past few days because of shelling by Kiev forces. This comes after the heads of the DPR and LPR asked Putin to recognise the republics' independence. After receiving the request, President Putin held an urgent meeting with the Security Council members who shared their views on the situation in Donbass. *Follow Sputnik's live feed to find out more.

ukraine

donbass

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russia, ukraine, donbass
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/serbian-lawmaker-says-russian-recognition-of--dpr-lpr-will-prevent-further-escalation-1093248624.html

Serbian Lawmaker Says Russian Recognition of DPR, LPR Will Prevent Further Escalation

Serbian Lawmaker Says Russian Recognition of DPR, LPR Will Prevent Further Escalation

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Member of Belgrade's city parliament Draginja Vlk told Sputnik that the decision by Russia to recognise the Donetsk and Lugansk People's... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T20:30+0000

2022-02-21T20:30+0000

2022-02-22T04:56+0000

russia

lugansk peoples republic

donetsk people's republic

serbia

recognition

sovereignty

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"Russian people are Russian people wherever they are. And now, the Russian people in the Donbass are in danger. Russia must defend and protect the people in the Donbass and they themselves want that", Vlk said. "I support the decision of Moscow to recognise the DPR and LPR"."Tens of thousands of refugees are already in Russia, fleeing the Donbass to Russia", Vlk added. "No one in the 21 at century, almost 77 years after World War II should feel insecure economically or even be at life risk, and no one should tolerate US and NATO claims".Vlk's remarks came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would be formally recognising the LPR and DPR as sovereign states and as several world figures reacted to the development. Among the critics were the UK, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, among other officials.

serbia

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russia, lugansk peoples republic, donetsk people's republic, serbia, recognition, sovereignty
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/sputnik-light-may-become-universal-booster-shot-as-china-approves-mixmatch-covid-vaccination-1093226490.html

Sputnik Light May Become Universal Booster Shot as China Approves Mix&Match COVID Vaccination

Sputnik Light May Become Universal Booster Shot as China Approves Mix&Match COVID Vaccination

The mix&match approach to coronavirus vaccination was pioneered by the makers of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine and has proven its effectiveness in creating a... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T10:41+0000

2022-02-21T10:41+0000

2022-02-21T10:41+0000

sputnik v

vaccine

russian direct investment fund (rdif)

russia

covid-19

gamaleya research institute of epidemiology and microbiology

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Russia's Sputnik Light vaccine can become a major booster for those vaccinated with inactivated Chinese COVID vaccines globally after China has officially recommended a mix & match approach with adenoviral vector-based vaccines as boosters. Vaccines produced by Chinese companies (Sinovac and Sinopharm) are widely used, with over 4.7 billion doses supplied in China and worldwide. While Chinas State Council has authorised the mix & match boosting only with domestic vaccines, the Russian one-shot Sputnik Light vaccine (the first component of Sputnik V) can become a solution for boosting those initially vaccinated with Chinese vaccines in other countries around the world. A study conducted in Argentina says that a Sputnik Light combination with other vaccines showed that the antibody and T-cells response elicited by Sputnik Light as a booster to inactivated Sinopharm vaccine is 10x higher than it is for two shots of Sinopharm. According to the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, which pioneered the mix&match approach to coronavirus vaccination, the use of Sputnik Light in combination with all other vaccines has demonstrated a high safety profile with no serious adverse effects.To date, Sputnik Light has been approved in more than 30 countries with a total population of over 2.5 billion and Sputnik V  in 71 countries with a total population of over 4 billion people. Sputnik V creates a stronger and longer-lasting immune response against COVID (including the Omicron variant) than many other vaccines, which is further strengthened by the Sputnik Light booster. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the main investor in the development of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus, was established in 2011 as the country's sovereign wealth fund to make equity co-investments.

https://sputniknews.com/20211217/sputnik-v-induces-robust-neutralising-antibody-response-to-omicron-variant-preliminary-study-shows-1091604643.html

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sputnik v, vaccine, russian direct investment fund (rdif), russia, covid-19, gamaleya research institute of epidemiology and microbiology
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/uk-cabinet-has-been-reportedly-pushed-back-to-this-afternoon-1093229471.html

UK Cabinet Meeting Has Reportedly Been Pushed Back To This Afternoon

UK Cabinet Meeting Has Reportedly Been Pushed Back To This Afternoon

Earlier, Boris Johnson touted his plan of "living with COVID-19" as instrumental in bringing society "towards a return to normality" after "one of the most... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T11:07+0000

2022-02-21T11:07+0000

2022-02-21T13:00+0000

uk

covid-19

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A UK cabinet meeting on future COVID-19 strategy has been delayed to later in the day, according to government sources cited by British media.Earlier, several cabinet ministers were reported to have arrived in Downing Street ahead of the meeting, where UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to outline his "living with COVID" plan, involving dropping all remaining pandemic restrictions.Starting in England, the rules around self-isolation when infected with the coronavirus are expected to be lifted, in line with the plan, leaving it up to the devolved administrations to decide whether they do the same or not. Local authorities will be expected to contain any further outbreaks of the disease with pre-existing legal powers, while free Covid testing for the general public is also expected to be phased out.UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson postponed a cabinet meeting on Monday to have a security briefing and to finalise plans for the removal of all of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions, his spokesman said.According to sources citing Number 10, the cabinet meeting was delayed due to a busy morning schedule. According to The Sun, the delay was prompted by the need to resolve some issues between the Department of Health, the finance ministry and Johnson's Downing Street office.Later in the day, Boris Johnson is expected to update parliament on his plans, before holding a news conference to reveal the details of the future COVID-19 strategy to the public.'A Return to Normality'Speaking before Monday's planned announcement, Johnson insisted his plan would bring society "towards a return to normality" after "one of the most difficult periods in our country's history". He hailed the success of the vaccination programme in the country, saying:The PM's plan has triggered a wave of criticism among the opposition. Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, told reporters that Johnson's government was "paralysed by its own chaos and incompetence and the British public are paying the price".The Labour Party politician was referring to the so-called partygate" scandal. Earlier, it was confirmed by Downing Street that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had responded to Scotland Yard's legal questionnaire pertaining to the probe, looking into the 12 purportedly lockdown-breaching parties held at 10 Downing Street between 2020 and 2021.Health experts have also raised concerns regarding the proposed plans to ditch restrictions. Robert West, a health psychologist at University College London and member of one of the government's independent scientific advisory groups, weighed in on the "irresponsible" plans.As for the UK's devolved nations, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which set their own health policies, Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford, of the Labour party, was quoted by the UK media as saying:

https://sputniknews.com/20220220/bojo-to-scrap-forced-quarantine-after-positive-test-in-uk-as-part-of-living-with-covid-19-plan-1093191413.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220220/not-a-bean-i-can-tell-you-bojo-refuses-to-commit-to-resigning-if-fined-by-police-over-partygate-1093206999.html

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uk, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/uk-prime-minister-boris-johnson-expected-to-announce-living-with-covid-plan-1093229714.html

UK PM Johnson Announces Removal of All Remaining COVID Restrictions

UK PM Johnson Announces Removal of All Remaining COVID Restrictions

Last week, the prime minister admitted that the COVID-19 infection won't "suddenly disappear," adding that it is necessary to "learn to live with this virus". 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T16:41+0000

2022-02-21T16:41+0000

2022-02-21T18:18+0000

uk

boris johnson

covid-19

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced the removal of all the remaining coronavirus restrictions in the country.He presented his "Living With COVID" plan during a regular Q&A session in parliament earlier on Monday. First of all, Britain is removing the legal requirement to self isolate following a positive COVID test. According to the prime minister, free mass COVID testing will end in England from 1 April."From April 1, when winter is over and the virus will spread less easily, we will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public," Johnson said. He added that restrictions have been posing a heavy toll on the economy and society and there is no need to pay that cost any longer.

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uk, boris johnson, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/ukraine-requests-unsc-consultations-under-budapest-memorandum-1093243911.html

Ukraine Requests UNSC Consultations Under Budapest Memorandum

Ukraine Requests UNSC Consultations Under Budapest Memorandum

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that Kiev has requested the UN Security Council to immediately hold consultations under the... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T17:31+0000

2022-02-21T17:31+0000

2022-02-21T17:43+0000

russia-nato row on european security

un security council (unsc)

ukraine

russia

soviet union

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Ukraine signed the treaty with the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia in 1994, agreeing to give up the nuclear arsenal left behind by the Soviet Union in its territory in exchange for security guarantees by the other signatories. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his address to the Munich Security Conference that he will initiate negotiations of the participants to the Budapest memorandum."On President @ZelenskyyUas initiative I officially requested UNSC member states to immediately hold consultations under article 6 of the Budapest memorandum to discuss urgent actions aimed at de-escalation, as well as practical steps to guarantee the security of Ukraine," Kuleba posted on Twitter.

https://sputniknews.com/20220220/going-nuclear-would-be-ukraines-quickest-path-to-pariah-state-status-but-can-kiev-actually-do-it-1093213612.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220221/ukrainian-media-claims-zelensky-quietly-hoping-russia-will-recognize-donbass-breakaways--1093228631.html

Ukrainian Media Claims Zelensky Quietly Hoping Russia Will Recognise Donbass Breakaways

Ukrainian Media Claims Zelensky Quietly Hoping Russia Will Recognise Donbass Breakaways

Since the signing of the Minsk Agreements in February 2015, Moscow has consistently called for the peaceful reintegration of the Donbass breakaway regions with... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T10:38+0000

2022-02-21T10:38+0000

2022-02-22T04:33+0000

ukraine

donbass

volodymyr zelensky

recognition

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping Russia will recognise the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, since this would enable him to avoid implementing the political portion of the Minsk Agreements, Strana.ua reports, citing sources close to the Ukrainian presidential administration.Kiev has no plans for direct negotiations with the Donbass breakaway regions, and seeks to avoid making changes to Ukraine's Constitution to provide them with a special autonomous status, as required by the Minsk deal, sources say.According to the outlet, Kiev is looking to take advantage of the dramatic escalation in the Donbass area seen in recent days to avoid fulfilling promises recently made to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to move forward with Minsk II.The outlet's sources also confirmed that neither Zelensky nor those close to him seriously believe in the threat of a Russian "invasion" of Ukraine, despite months of claims by Western officials and media citing an "imminent" Russian incursion.In an interview with RBK Ukraina last week, Zelensky confirmed that the German chancellor and French President Emmanuel Macron had insisted on the Minsk Agreements' implementation. Zelensky characterised the peace deal as "botched" and complained that "it is designed in such a way as to make us weaker from the start, to be in a losing position".Publicly, however, Zelensky appeared to have assured Scholz and Macron of Kiev's preparedness to continue working on the Minsk Agreements, something mentioned publicly by Macron and recently by Scholz in his talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Moscow."President Zelensky said firmly yesterday that the Trilateral Contact Group, within which the Minsk process is taking placewill soon be presented with all three texts of the envisaged bills  on the status of Ukraine, amendments to the constitution, and preparations for elections. This is good progress to build on", Scholz told reporters last Tuesday following his talks with the Russian president.Two days later, the self-proclaimed Donbass republics reported a dramatic escalation of shelling, mortar attacks, and sniper fire by Ukrainian forces, culminating in the decision by republican leaders Friday to announce a general mobilisation and to begin the evacuation of their civilian populations to Russia.President Putin reiterated Russia's position on the conflict in eastern Ukraine on Friday. "The guarantee to restoring peace in Ukraine and relieving tension around this country lies in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. All Kiev needs to do is sit down at the negotiating table with representatives of the Donbass and agree on political, military, economic and humanitarian measures to end this conflict. The sooner this happens, the better", Putin said.Also last week, the Russian Duma approved an appeal to the president asking him to grant Russian recognition to the self-proclaimed Donbass republics. DPR and LPR heads Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik welcomed the move. In his talks with Scholz, Putin stressed that the potential of the Minsk Agreements has not yet been exhausted.Minsk II was signed in the Belarusian capital on 12 February 2015, after months of heavy fighting between Ukrainian troops and separatist forces in eastern Ukraine. The civil conflict in Ukraine began in the spring of 2014, when the Ukrainian government sent troops to crush nascent independence movements which sprang up in the aftermath of a US and EU-backed coup d'etat in Kiev in February of that year. The subsequent Ukrainian crisis resulted in the most serious deterioration of relations between the West and Russia since the Cold War.

https://sputniknews.com/20220221/live-updates-kiev-forces-continue-shelling-donbass-on-monday-lpr--dpr-say-1093217700.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220218/putin-all-kiev-needs-to-do-is-sit-down-to-talks-with-donbass-republics-and-agree-steps-to-end-war-1093144230.html

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Ilya Tsukanov

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Ilya Tsukanov

ukraine, donbass, volodymyr zelensky, recognition
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/us-envoy-to-un-claims-russia-has-lists-of-ukrainians-to-be-killed-sent-to-camps-after-invasion-1093223434.html

Kremlin Slams US 'Lies' About Russias Alleged 'List' of Ukrainians 'To Be Killed, Sent to Camps'

Kremlin Slams US 'Lies' About Russias Alleged 'List' of Ukrainians 'To Be Killed, Sent to Camps'

Amid Western claims of Russias alleged preparations for an "invasion" of Ukraine, repeatedly been denied by the Kremlin, a letter from the US Ambassador to... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T07:58+0000

2022-02-21T07:58+0000

2022-02-21T11:37+0000

ukraine

russia

antony blinken

joe biden

vladimir putin

donbass

lugansk people's republic

donetsk people's republic

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Allegations on Russia having compiled a so-called hit list of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps in the event of an incursion into Ukraine were slammed as fake by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday.The Kremlin spokesman was referring to an undated letter sent by US Ambassador to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Bathsheba Nell Crocker. to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, and first reported by the Washington Post.In the undated missive, the US official fed into the "Russian threat" rhetoric, saying:At this point, the US official most likely made reference to Crimea, which became a part of Russia in a referendum held in March 2014 in which nearly 96% of Crimeans voted to rejoin the country. Kiev, however, claims that Crimea is Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia, with this stance readily echoed by the US and many Western countries. Moscow has repeatedly stated that the decision made by the Crimean people was conducted in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter.Crocker, who wrote that Russian forces had used tactics such as targeted killings, kidnappings, illegal detentions, and torture throughout previous operations, continued:According to Crocker, Russian forces would likely target those who oppose the Kremlins actions, including Russian and Belarussian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons.The report comes as attempts are being made to use diplomacy to defuse the volatile security situation in the Ukrainian breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk (DPR and LPR). OSCE observers have reported hundreds of violations of the Minsk ceasefire in the second part of the past week, with Kiev forces intensifying their shelling of the Donbass region. In response, Donbass authorities started an evacuation of their civilian populations to Russia on 18 February and by mobilising reserves.DPR head Denis Pushilin said on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would soon order an offensive against Donbass.Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden have agreed on the principle of a proposed summit to lay out issues related to strategic stability and security in Europe, according to a Sunday release by Elysee. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are slated to meet on Thursday, 24 February, to begin the diplomatic effort.

https://sputniknews.com/20220122/chief-of-german-navy-believes-crimea-will-never-come-back-to-ukraine-1092446474.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220221/biden-putin-have-accepted-the-principle-of-a-summit-to-discuss-ukraine---elysee-1093216183.html

ukraine

donbass

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2022

Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

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Svetlana Ekimenko

ukraine, russia, antony blinken, joe biden, vladimir putin, donbass, lugansk people's republic, donetsk people's republic
https://sputniknews.com/20220221/us-preparing-sanctions-that-would-target-russian-banks-reports-say-1093217811.html

US Preparing Sanctions That Would Target Russian Banks, Reports Say

US Preparing Sanctions That Would Target Russian Banks, Reports Say

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The administration of US President Joe Biden could block US financial institutions from processing transactions for Russian banks as part of... 21.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-21T04:34+0000

2022-02-21T04:34+0000

2022-02-21T05:29+0000

world

us

russia

bank

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The sanctions would cut the "correspondent" banking relationships between targeted Russian banks (possibly Sberbank, VTB and Gazprombank) and US banks that enable international payments. In addition, certain Russian individuals could be cut off from the US banking system: they would be placed on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list and their US assets would be frozen.UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said at the Munich Security Conference this past weekend that anti-Russia sanctions, which will be implemented in the event of a Russian "invasion" of Ukraine, would target Russian "oligarchs" and will also make it harder for Russia to access sovereign debt markets.Moscow has repeatedly denied Western claims of Russias alleged preparations for an "invasion" of Ukraine, emphasising that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders. Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed republics in Ukraines southeast have announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russias Rostov Region amid fears of an attack by Kiev forces and the continued shelling of Donbass.DPR and LPR have been reporting on the constant shelling of their territories by Kiev forces.According to the DPR, Kiev forces fired 12 122-mm calibre mortars at Zaichenko, located in the DPR, at around 02:55 (00:55 GMT) on Monday. The DPR also recorded the use of prohibited 120-mm calibre mortars by Kiev forces in Donbas on Sunday night.The LPR, in its turn, said that two civilians were killed as a result of the Ukrainian military's Sunday shelling of the breakaway republics territory.

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world, us, russia, bank
Iredell Health System and the Iredell Physician Network have welcomed Dr. Nadia Nasser to Family Care Center of Mooresville.

Nasser is a physician with four years of internal medicine experience. She chose her specialty as it allows her to study a wide variety of medical conditions and to aid her patients in their long-term health and well-being.

She believes in integrating all aspects of a patients unique health into her medical decision-making. Upon first meeting Nasser, patients can expect to be treated with compassionate, attentive care.

My goal is to help my patients better understand their health goals and to prevent future diseases, she said.

Nasser earned her medical degree from the American University of Antigua, located in Antigua and Barbuda. She completed her residency through the Wayne State University Sinai-Grace program at Detroit Medical Center in Detroit.

She has lived in Michigan for the majority of her life but is excited to begin working in Mooresville. When not taking care of her patients, Nasser enjoys cooking and spending time with her friends and family. In addition to English, Nasser also is fluent in Arabic.

Her favorite tip is to maintain healthy eating habits and partake in regular exercise.

Nasser will practice at the Family Care Center of Mooresville, 653 Bluefield Road, on the second floor of the new Iredell Mooresville building.

To schedule an appointment, call 704-360-6480.
BestCo LLC, a leading manufacturer of innovative over-the-counter pharmaceutical, vitamin, and supplement products, will significantly expand its facilities in Iredell County, creating 394 jobs, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday. The company will invest $177 million to increase production capacity in Mooresville.

BestCo is located in Business Park East at 208 Manufacturers Blvd.

North Carolina is one of the top locations in the world for pharmaceutical, and innovative manufacturers like BestCo help keep us there, said Cooper. Life science companies rely on the educational and workforce training systems weve built for their specific needs, and well continue to invest in the workers who power this important industry in our state.

BestCo develops, manufactures, and packages over-the-counter drugs and supplements across a wide range of enjoyable dosage forms including Lozenges, Soft Chews, pan-coated SuperChew and the industrys first drug-compliant chewable gel gummy, known as the SuperGel. The company produces supplements and nutraceuticals that have a high efficacy rate and are appropriate for a wide range of consumer health care categories. BestCos customers include private label retailers in the food, drugstore and mass merchant channels as well as branded global consumer product companies of highly recognized name brand consumer products. BestCos project in Mooresville will add both production and packaging capacity to its current operations, with a focus on its gummy line of products.

BestCo President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Condron says, BestCo is part of a dynamic community that continually values and invests in fast-growing businesses. The ongoing support and partnership from state, county and city officials has been instrumental in BestCos rapid growth and success in the region in recent years.

Theres a good chance when you open your medicine cabinet at home, a product made by BestCo will be right there on the shelf, said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. Were excited to support the expansion of a North Carolina company thats already doing well in our state, and with the states continued commitment to workforce development, were confident more growth is ahead for this company and the states pharmaceutical industry overall.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce led the states support for the company during its site evaluation and decision-making process.

Although wages will vary depending on positions, the average salary for all the new jobs will be $51,209, in line with the current average wage in Iredell County of $51,136. The community will see more than $20.1 million enter its economy from the projects new payroll impact, each and every year.

BestCos project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the states Economic Investment Committee earlier Thursday. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the states economy by $2.8 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $2,000,250, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grants reimbursement payments to a given company.

Because BestCo chose a site in Iredell County, classified by the states economic tier system as Tier 3, the companys JDIG agreement also calls for moving $666,750 into the states Industrial Development Fund  Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities across the state finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business.

We are at a time of innovation among our industries, they are investing in themselves and in our community, said Mooresville Mayor Miles Atkins. BestCo has been an outstanding corporate citizen in Mooresville for many years and we are honored they have chosen to continue to invest locally and employ our residents.

Its great to see BestCo expand again in Mooresville, said Sen. Vickie Sawyer. Many people in our community already work and support this companys operations, and now nearly 400 more will find jobs, not to mention the thousands of other people who will benefit from the positive impact this expansion brings to our local economy.

North Carolina offers one of the nations best business climates, said Rep. Grey Mills. Were proud when an important, local company like BestCo sees those advantages and decides to expand in our region. Well do everything we can to support them as they grow and thrive in Mooresville.

Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Mitchell Community College, Iredell County, the Town of Mooresville, the South Iredell Community Development Corporation, and the Iredell County Economic Development Corporation.
Raymond Mitchell was well aware of the dangers that tow truck operators faced at crash sites.

Last May he took part in a memorial drive for Arthur Anderson, the owner of Affordable Towing in Longview who was one of three people killed in an accident south of Castle Rock. He and his wife, Kayla Mitchell, each wore shirts promoting the states Slow Down, Move Over law.

Towing was the latest in a line of high-risk jobs Ray Mitchell took on. Kayla Mitchell said he previously worked as a logger, a mechanic and a construction worker. He had been working with TLC Towing for about a year but felt it was the work he wanted to stick with for the rest of his life.

I guess it was the thrill of making sure people were safe, helping people out. It was never a dull moment out there, Kayla Mitchell said.

Less than four months after the memorial drive for Anderson, Raymond Mitchell was killed. He was responding to a call along the shoulder of I-5, only a few miles from his home in Kalama, when a semi truck trailer swung out and hit his truck. He was 33 years old and a father of two.

Kayla Mitchell said the death flipped our world upside down. It made her a more outspoken advocate for tow truck safety measures.

Everybody thinks that where they need to be is more important than the life on the other side of that small white line, Kayla Mitchell said.

Having two drivers killed on the job in Cowlitz County within a year also galvanized the push for reform. Tow truck safety bills introduced by local legislators passed this month in the state House and in the state Senate. Leaders in the industry hope to combine those with a broader awareness campaign about the Slow Down, Move Over law.

I dont think people understand what it means, said Mike DeSpain, co-owner of Carls Towing in Longview and a board member for the Towing and Recovery Association of Washington. Any time youre within 200 feet of an accident you need to slow down and, when safe to do so, move into the next lane.

Dangers facing tow truck drivers

A 2019 federal study of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found tow truck drivers had a workplace fatality rate 15 times higher than the average private industry.

A Vancouver operator had one of his legs amputated after he helped change a flat tire in January 2021. Another death was added to the list this week when a tow truck operator in Milton was struck and killed by a semi truck Tuesday. The Washington State Patrol said the semi driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

If an officer pulls somebody over, they can pick and choose where the car stops and get them off the road safely, TLC Towing owner Cory Wells said. We dont have a choice. Wherever the car is located is where we have to respond.

The current Slow Down, Move Over law took effect in July 2019. The Washington State Patrol held an initial set of patrols to remind drivers about what the new rules were, but its unclear how much awareness of the laws has seeped into the public.

More than 300 tow truck drivers from across the state and northern Oregon took part in a memorial drive for Mitchell. Along for the ride was Rep. Ed Oructt, the District 20 Republican who lives in Kalama. Orcutt was invited by Wells to let the dangers facing the business sink home.

The bills from Orcutt and Wilson

Orcutts House Bill 1709 passed the House 87-8 Feb. 12.

The bill allows tow truck drivers to use a flashing blue light while working at the scene of an accident. It also expands the use of the flashing red light when going through slow traffic on the way to a scene or accelerating back up as they leave a scene and specifies that drivers slow to 50 miles per hour or less when passing emergencies on roads where the speed limit is above 60 mph.

Orcutt said that years earlier, the Legislature allowed police to use blue lights at the scene because they needed additional protections. Orcutt supported the expansion in his bill and in House Bill 2033, which allows fire departments to flash blue lights at the scene of emergencies.

Its gotten to a point where we need that added visibility for our fire personnel, our ambulances and our tow truck operators, Orcutt said.

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs testified in opposition to the blue light allowance in both bills, saying expanding the use of blue lights could cause confusion about whether or not police officers were at a scene. WASPC representatives also argued there was no data linking blue lights to a reduction in accidents.

On the Senate side, a bill introduced by Sen. Jeff Wilson (R-Longview) passed the floor unanimously in early February. Senate Bill 5907 includes the same details about blue lights and the lowered speed limit.

Equally as important is the reminder of the education of Washington states slow down and move over law. Its time that we re-energized that campaign, Wilson said.

Wilsons bill takes multiple approaches to the public awareness push. It asks the Department of Licensing to add a section about emergency work zones to future driver training classes. DOL and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission would cooperate to launch a statewide awareness campaign.

The bill orders the Washington Department of Transportation to substantially increase the use of mobile electronic signs and permanent displays to warn drivers about upcoming emergency zones. DeSpain said that AAA had expressed interest in helping fund those warning signs once the program got rolling.

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Know simple and easy tricks to share live location via Google Maps on iPhone and android.

Since its launch in 2005, Google Maps has become a very useful tool in the daily life of many travellers. The Google Maps app has made it easier to find specific places as well as people at ease. The app is free of cost and easy to use. You can even track someone on Google Maps without letting them know or locate a cell phone and much more. Though tracking someone without their permission using Google Maps is a breach of privacy and we wouldn't recommend that, you can try real-time tracking a friend or a family member to be on the safe side. However, for this, they must share their live location on WhatsApp. Notably sharing live location feature is applicable to iPhone, iPad or Android phones. Its not possible to share your live location on PC, but you can still view someone elses location on the desktop version of Google Maps. You can stop sharing your location with someone at any time.

Know how to track a someone on Google Maps on iPhone, iPad and Google Maps here!

How to share Google Maps location on iPhone and iPad

1. If you want to share your live location with someone who has a Google account, youll be required to add their Gmail address to your Google Contacts.

2. Once done, open Google Maps on your device, tap your profile picture, and then choose location sharing.

3. Next, select add People, and choose the time duration for which you want to share your location, and then tap one or more contacts.

4. Now, grant permission to share contacts with Google Maps.

5. Then tap Share. If the person doesnt have a Google account, you can share a location link from the Add People tab of the above process.

6. You can even send the link via iMessage or a different chat app.
Apple iPhone 13 price has been slashed on Flipkart. The ecommerce website is offering discount, exchange and bank offer on the iPhone.

Planning to buy an all new iPhone 13? Here is a great chance for you to get the latest Apple iPhone at a discounted rate. The all new iPhone 13 price on Flipkart has been slashed considerably and along with other options, it can lead to a major fall in price. The ecommerce website is offering discount, exchange offer and bank offers on Apple iPhone 13. You can avail an iPhone 13 originally priced at Rs. 79,900 for Rs. 59,400 on Flipkart, combining the discount and the exchange offer. Here is all you need to know about the latest iPhone 13 price drop.

Price of iPhone 13 on Flipkart

The Apple iPhone 13, 128 GB variant in Pink colour can be purchased at Rs. 74,900 at a discount of 6 percent against its market price of Rs. 79,900 on Flipkart. That is you can buy the phone at a discount of Rs. 5,000. But wait, this is not yet! You can reduce the cost of the iPhone further.

Price of iPhone 13 on Flipkart: Exchange offer

If you buy iPhone 13 via the exchange offer, then you can get up to Rs. 15,500 off. After which the price of the iPhone will reduce to Rs. 59,400 on the ecommerce website. However, you need to enter your pin code and check if the exchange offer is available at your place or not. Also, the off on price with exchange depends on the model of the phone you are exchanging and its condition.

Price of iPhone 13 on Flipkart: Bank offers

Users of Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card can get 5 percent unlimited cashback. However, you are advised to check the terms and conditions before mentioned on the website before applying.

iPhone 13 on Flipkart: Other variants

The 256GB variant of the iPhone 13 is available at a discount of 5 percent, that is it can be purchased for Rs. 84,900. You can also avail the iPhone via exchange offer and get up to Rs. 15,500 off, similar to the 128GB variant. 5 percent unlimited cashback is also available on Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card.

The 512GB variant of the phone is available for Rs. 1,04,900 at a discount of 4 percent on the ecommerce website. There is no exchange offer on this variant of iPhone 13, but you can avail several bank offers and freebies.

The bank offer being provided on iPhone 13 512GB variant is 5 percent unlimited cashback on Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card. While the freebies include 25 percent off on Discovery+ subscription; free 6 months Gaana Plus subscription; and free Rs. 100 cashback on ZebPay.
Figure showing the digital privacy divide between protected and exposed users. Credit: Alhazmi, Imran & Alsheikh.

As information and communications technology (ICT) systems proliferate, it has become essential for the privacy of users to be considered and safeguarded. While there are many existing ways to protect users' digital privacy, such as network security measures, cryptography and access control strategies, these methods are not implemented equally in all countries worldwide.

Researchers at University of Canberra in Australia have recently carried out a study investigating the factors that are defining this global digital privacy divide. Their findings, published in IEEE Access, highlight several social and demographic trends influencing how digital privacy measures are implemented worldwide.

"Our team has been researching digital privacy since 2016," Mohammad Abu Alsheikh, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told TechXplore. "This recent work was inspired by the inequality we noticed in the digital privacy protection provided to users based on their geographical location."

Over the past few decades, regions and countries worldwide introduced different policies and regulations aimed at protecting the digital privacy of internet users. These include, for instance, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which protects the privacy of users in countries within the European Union (EU), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which is only applicable to services and users in California.

These regulations force online platforms, services and tech companies, such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter, to follow specific rules that protect the privacy of their users. As a result of these rules, people in different places can experience online services in different ways, for instance, viewing cookie consent pop-ups in different formats or being presented with additional privacy-related notifications.

To investigate the socio-demographic patterns that define these differences in online privacy, Alsheikh, together with his colleagues Hamoud Alhazmi and Ahmed Imran, asked 776 participants in different countries to complete an online survey. These participants were sourced via manual referrals and through the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform.

"We then used statistical analysis tools to examine the data we gathered and found that the conducted survey research meets rigorous internal consistency reliability," Alsheikh said. "After that, we used statistical methods to study the relationship between the socio-demographic patterns of users and their perceived privacy protection."

The analyses conducted by this team of researchers yielded very interesting results, which emphasize the extent to which digital privacy has recently led to significant inequality. Most notably, they found that young users (15- to 32-year-olds) were more concerned about their digital privacy than older ones (33-year-olds and older adults).

In addition, their study showed that the ethnic background, occupation, and higher education level of users had a very minimal impact on the digital privacy divide perceived by users. In the future, the results gathered by Alsheikh and his colleagues could inspire the introduction of new strategies aimed at decreasing the digital privacy divide worldwide.

"We believe that digital privacy is a fundamental human right," Alsheikh added. "Accordingly, we call for unified digital privacy regulations that protect users regardless of their countries of residence. We will now work on extending the study to explore the connection between the digital privacy protection provided to users and their vulnerability to online disinformation campaigns."

Explore further WhatsApp pushes privacy update to comply with Irish ruling

More information: Hamoud Alhazmi et al, How Do Socio-Demographic Patterns Define Digital Privacy Divide?, IEEE Access (2022). Hamoud Alhazmi et al, How Do Socio-Demographic Patterns Define Digital Privacy Divide?,(2022). DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3144436

 2022 Science X Network
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.
1 event to mark on your calendar

The Taste of Aggieland is set for April 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Brazos County Expo in Bryan. Local restaurants will be handing out food samples for the all-you-can-eat experience. General admission is $35. Visit go.theeagle.com/taste for more information.

MONDAY

EVENTS

Juneteenth: The Galveston Story, 6:30 p.m. online event. A panel discussion with the documentarys producers, Texas A&M graduates Sam Collins and Sam Addington, will follow. The documentary tells the stories of family members of people who were in Galveston in 1865 when federal troops arrived to enforce the end of slavery. A&M students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to attend. Registration ends Saturday.

The Fortnightly Club annual used book sale, Washington County Fairgrounds in Brenham. The sale will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $10 for the first four hours on Monday and $1 after that. Parking is free and there is no admission fee for children. Proceeds benefit the Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library in Brenham.

Boccia ball, 4:30 p.m. at Southwood Community Center, 1520 Rock Prairie Road in College Station. For people of all ages with disabilities. $40 per four-week session.

Brazos Church Pantry food distribution, 1 to 2:30 p.m. at 304 W. 26th St. in Bryan. brazoschurchpantry.org.

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Zumba, 5:45 p.m. at Lincoln Recreation Center, 1000 Eleanor St. in College Station. A 45-minute fitness program inspired by Latin dance and set to upbeat Latin music. Cost is $5 per class; ages 16 and older welcome.

COVID-19 TESTING

St. Teresa Catholic Church, 201 Hall St. in Bryan, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Due to high demand, walk-ins may not be accepted. curative.com.

New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1505 Dansby St. in Bryan, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Due to high demand, walk-ins may not be accepted. curative.com.

Kohls parking lot kiosk, 1509 Texas Ave. in College Station, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Due to high demand, walk-ins may not be accepted. curative.com.

Blinn College, 651 Blinn Blvd. in Brenham, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday. Due to high demand, walk-ins may not be accepted. curative.com.

Rudder Plaza kiosk, 275 Joe Routt Blvd. on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For Texas A&M students, faculty and staff members. Appointments required.

Mays Plaza kiosk, 210 Olsen Blvd. on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For Texas A&M students, faculty and staff members. Appointments required.

A.P. Beutel Health Center, 311 Houston St. on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For Texas A&M students, faculty and staff members. Appointments required.

EXHIBITS

Oceans of Plastic at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station. A collection of art made from plastic pollution acquired from beaches along the Texas coast. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, and tickets must be purchased at bush41.org/visit/admission.

Unexpected Treasures on the Texas A&M campus, through April 22 at the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives. The exhibit includes rare and unique items from campus collections. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Until We Meet Again, 11 a.m. at Christ United Methodist Church, 4201 Texas 6 in College Station. For anyone grieving the death of their spouse.

Spanish sexual assault therapy group, 5 p.m. Open to female survivors of sexual assault. For more information, call 731-1000 or email kdalum@sarcbv.org.
An investigation into the cyberattack targeting Iranian national media corporation, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), in late January 2022 revealed the deployment of a wiper malware and other custom implants, as the country's national infrastructure continues to face a wave of attacks aimed at inflicting serious damage.

"This indicates that the attackers' aim was also to disrupt the state's broadcasting networks, with the damage to the TV and radio networks possibly more serious than officially reported," Tel Aviv-based cybersecurity firm Check Point said in a report published last week.

The 10-second attack, which took place on January 27, involved the breach of state broadcaster IRIB to air pictures of Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) leaders Maryam and Massoud Rajavi alongside a call for the assassination of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"This is an extremely complex attack and only the owners of this technology could exploit and damage the backdoors and features that are installed on the systems," Deputy IRIB chief Ali Dadi was quoted as saying to state TV channel IRINN.

Also deployed during the course of the hack were custom-made malware capable of taking screenshots of the victims' screens as well as backdoors, batch scripts, and configuration files used to install and configure the malicious executables.

Check Point said it didn't have enough evidence to make a formal attribution to a specific threat actor, and it's currently not known how the attackers gained initial access to the targeted networks. Artifacts uncovered so far include files responsible for 

Establishing backdoors and their persistence,

Launching the "malicious" video and audio files, and

Installing the wiper malware in an attempt to disrupt operations in the hacked networks.

Behind the scenes, the attack involved interrupting the video stream using a batch script to delete the executable associated with TFI Arista Playout Server, a broadcasting software used by IRIB, and play the video file ("TSE_90E11.mp4") in a loop.

The intrusion also paved the way for the installation of a wiper whose main purpose is to corrupt the files stored in the computer, not to mention erase the master boot record (MBR), clear Windows Event Logs, delete backups, kill processes, and change users' passwords.

Furthermore, the threat actor leveraged four backdoors in the attack: WinScreeny, HttpCallbackService, HttpService and ServerLaunch, a dropper launched with HttpService. Taken together, the different pieces of malware enabled the adversary to capture screenshots, receive commands from a remote server, and carry out other malicious activities.

"On one hand, the attackers managed to pull off a complicated operation to bypass security systems and network segmentation, penetrate the broadcaster's networks, produce and run the malicious tools that heavily rely on internal knowledge of the broadcasting software used by victims, all while staying under the radar during the reconnaissance and initial intrusion stages," the researchers said.

"On the other hand, the attackers' tools are of relatively low quality and sophistication, and are launched by clumsy and sometimes buggy 3-line batch scripts. This might support the theory that the attackers might have had help from inside the IRIB, or indicate a yet unknown collaboration between different groups with different skills."
It had been years since Jack Pusel laid eyes on the jeep he grew up with  a 1957 jeep originally owned by Dale E. Kelly: a U.S. Marine veteran who had served in World War II and had driven Gen. George S. Patton around a number of times.

After he died they were going through his records, Pusel said. They found some stuff that Patton had written and also found he never told me that he had a Purple Heart.

They fished together  a lot. Pusel looked up to him. Kelly was so close to Pusel, himself a veteran, that he called Kelly uncle.

Several wars and a few generations later, Pusel wanted the jeep for his own. It would be neat to restore it, he thought.

I told my aunt what I wanted to do with it. I had to buy it from her, Pusel said.

Pusel, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, wanted the jeep to serve as a way to honor his father, nine uncles and eight cousins who served in the military, including the Purple Heart-bestowed uncle who originally had the jeep.

To be sure, the jeep had seen some rough miles, rumbling through orchards and doing good, hard work. It was likely a little worse for wear, but Pusel was not prepared for what he saw that day in 2009.

It was in terrible shape, Pusel remembered, shaking his head. The windshield was all busted out. There wasnt a straight piece of metal on it.

The kicker, Pusel said, My aunts son was stripping it out, selling it for parts for drug money.

Despite its condition, Pusel wanted the jeep. It didnt go easily, he said. In order to get it loaded my buddy and I used his pickup and his trailer. We took the hood off and I had to stand there and pour gasoline in the carburetor to get it started, then stand there as he drove it up onto the trailer, pouring gas into the carburetor to get it up on the trailer.

Pusel said he wasnt a body person, but knew his way around a vehicle, having been a retired fleet mechanic. I got home and I just started. I started restoring every bit of it myself to take all the dents out. I put the new bumper on the front and so I could put flags in it just did everything  restored it all, totally.

That included engine work (so much that Pusel is unsure how many miles it has been driven) and putting in a new radiator. Back in the day, the jeep had a hand-cranked windshield wiper, so Pusel put in a more modern mechanical one on the drivers side.

He converted the jeeps electrical system from six volts to 12. I wanted to put a CD player in; they didnt have CD players during the war, Pusel said, chuckling. When Im in parades I play patriotic music.

There are subtle differences, like the spare tire placement, Pusel explained. The full military ones will have the tire in the back.

In service vehicles, there would have been a spot reserved for a firearm near the windshield, Pusel said. Of course, this is a 57 and the older old Jeeps were a lot different.

There have been a lot of parades  and trophies, too.

Pusels Shore Patrol jeep is now a shiny, creamy gray with subtle white military stars, topped with a genuine military tarp he found in California. The vintage vehicle has a World War II siren, given to him by his American Legion commander in Washington state, a POW/MIA flag and, of course, an American flag.

Pusel incorporates Old Glory into most  if not all  of his and the jeeps appearances. The jeep draws onlookers  even Saturday in the otherwise empty front parking lot of Grand Islands Veterans Park, it drew attention.

An older man, wearing a veterans cap, stopped to inquire about decals. Pusel and the man chatted, the man leaving with fresh U.S. flags for his grandchildren. Another admirer, much younger, checked out the vintage jeep, the child leaving with a fistful of American flags for himself and his siblings, waving thanks to the veteran dressed in Navy Blues.

They call me the flag person up in Washington because I give out so many flags every year, Pusel said, motioning to the back of his jeep, which contains flags of different sizes for different ages.

Its a far cry from the orchards of Washington state, and perhaps even farther than when hippie daisy decals were stuck to it. Today, the restored 57 jeep moves for a different reason, albeit while getting about six miles to the gallon.

There are many more miles, many more gallons to go as the revived 57 jeep has gone from rust to glory in parking lots and parades.

Jessica Votipka is the education reporter at the Grand Island Independent. She can be reached at 308-381-5420.

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From the Comoro Islands of Africa to Grand Island comes Koponi Vanilla.

Koponis Founder and CEO Fouad Mhadji came specifically to Grand Island in March 2021 to work with the Grand Island Area Economic Development Corporation in starting the new company.

From his native country, the Comoros, a series of islands north of Madagascar, off the east coast of Mozambique, Mhadji brought with him vanilla beans. Those beans are being cultivated to create a selection of high-quality, in-demand products, including pure extract, paste and syrup.

When you go to the store looking for vanilla extract, most of it, when you look at the ingredients, they have other things like coloring or caramel, or some kind of syrup. I dont know why they do that, Mhadji said. We dont use anything other than beans. It makes a huge difference on the taste.

Commercial vanilla extracts uses a flavoring derived from the gland excretions of beavers for flavoring. Its common and allowed by the Food & Drug Administration, but its not vanilla, Mhadji said.

Mhadjis efforts are being supported by the Grand Island EDC, much as the local agency helped to launch Zabuni Coffee.

Vanilla is a very sought after commodity right now, especially in this form, GIAEDC President Dave Taylor said.

Mhadji is also supported by University of Nebraska, which is helping him to develop the raw beans and hone the microbrewery distillation extraction process.

After a return trip to the Comoros, Mhadji brought back with him 150 pounds of ready vanilla beans in suitcases for his first batch. The amount is too large for the university, so Mhadji began working with local investors to get his company started.

A new facility and office space is being setup at 311 Willow St. to make the product, which is used mainly used by bakeries for cakes and cookies, ice cream makers, breweries and coffee shops, Mhadji said.

We took that sample from what we have been working with the University to check the market if they would like it, and we had positive feedback from them, he said.

An initial batch allowed for samples to be sent to local businesses, such as The Chocolate Bar in Grand Island, Gibbons Rise & Grind Coffee Shop, and Grand Islands Prairie Pride Brewing Co., which is using it to craft a vanilla beer, Mhadji said.

It keeps us going, he said. I would say, 99% of people who try it, they really love it, and that keeps us working hard.

The Grand Island-based enterprise will directly trade with and benefit vanilla farmers in the Comoros.

Comoros is a really small country, and vanilla is the major exporting good we have, but we dont have a good system that can assure farmers they can work and make this as a living, Mhadji said. At the end of the day, even though they go to the farm and through the whole process, planting and pollinating by hand, the farmer at the end of the year is not sure hell be able to make money to live on.

The Meaning of Koponi

Mhadji's father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all vanilla farmers in the Comoros.

My dad got to go abroad and make connections, so he was able to push it a little farther, taking it to Europe and looking for customers, he said, but its slow-going and farmers are just stuck there with a lot of vanilla beans and they dont know where to go.

He added, If I can do something about this, I need to do something, because there is a lot of opportunity and a lot of life that can be improved because of this.

Koponi is a family name, Mhadji explained. It is not a surname, but a name given to a people of a neighborhood.

It literally means trading site.

This dates back to the 1840s, when the French first brought the bourbon vanilla to the islands, and money was not used in Comoros.

The vanilla farmed there would be traded for other goods, such as plates or silver forks.

People, to buy those, would come to see my grandma and instead of paying money they would pay beans, he said. Thats how she collected other farmers vanilla, and once they know the ship is coming from Europe or Asia or America, my grandfather would take everything and put it on a donkey, and ride to the port and see who is there and exchange with what he brought.

As the company name, it celebrates his origins and serves as a legacy.

I want to have something for my children and grandchildren. They will ask, why this name? And they will have that story, Mhadji said.

Coming to Grand Island

Mhadji came to Nebraska and worked as a farmer. He specifically moved to Grand Island in March 2021 to work with its EDC after reading about its efforts in helping to launch Zabuni Specialty Coffee Auction.

As he started his company, he lived in a basement and worked up to two jobs. He now works at Zabuni while pursuing his dream, while his wife and children, whose visas have expired, are living in France.

Although he hasn't seen his family for nine months, Mhadji is glad he made the move to Grand Island.

I didnt know exactly where the journey was taking me, but I just had the feeling that I need to move here, I need to be in this community, in Grand Island, because of the opportunities and the people and the way they support new businesses, he said. A year from that time, Im glad I did. I did so much in one year I never thought I would be able to do.

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BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (AP)  The sister of Wall Street fraudster Bernie Madoff and her husband were found dead in what investigators said was an apparent murder-suicide in Florida, according to news reports.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office on Sunday identified the couple as 87-year-old Sondra Wiener of Boynton Beach and her 90-year-old husband, Marvin. They were found unresponsive with gunshot wounds Thursday afternoon inside their residence.

Keep scrolling for a look at notable people who have died in 2022

"Detectives from the Violent Crimes Division arrived on scene to investigate further. After further investigation it appears to be a murder/suicide," the Sheriff's Office statement said.

Officials said the cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner's Office.

A woman who identified herself as the wife of son David Wiener asked for privacy "at this time of grief."

Contacted by phone, she said: "We are not making any comment at this time."

Madoff was infamously known for orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme that wiped out people's fortunes and ruined charities. He was sentenced to 150 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to fraud and other charges and died while incarcerated at age 82 last year.

***
YORK  The city has begun its third round of the downtown revitalization program.

Back in November, it was announced the city was awarded $435,000 for the third phase and the city council signed off on an agreement with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

This is a highly competitive grant program in the state, with many communities seeking these funds to help their downtown business and property owners rehabilitate their faces and structures, improving historic ambience and value.

The first two rounds of the program were highly successful, with many downtown buildings seeing historic restorations and renovations. There have already been $1.4 million improvements done through the first two phases.

This past week, York Chamber Director Madonna Mogul was before the city council to ask for a grant for a business wanting to do facade improvements. That money was taken from the CDBG reuse funds as the downtown revitalization funds from the second round had run out.

We want to keep the energy moving, this is in the overall spirit of the downtown revitalization program, Mogul said.

Well, that is what that money is dedicated for, said Mayor Barry Redfern. What is the status of the third round?

We are waiting for the release of the funds right now, Mogul said. Ive met with 16 interested property owners and today I have five that are ready to go to committee. Then they will put their blessings on the projects and I will come back to the council for final approval. This is very exciting. And the state has been very pleased with York regarding this project.

We want to thank you for all your hard work with this, as this has made a huge impact on the downtown, Mayor Redfern said to Mogul.

Its been a joy, she responded.

It is expected that after the funds are released, the council will be presented with numerous projects, which will take place in this calendar year.
YORK  Gregory Meyers, II, 42, of York, earlier pleaded guilty to a felony charge of being in violation of the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry Act. This past week, he was sentenced to a term of 1-2 years in prison with credit for 80 days already served in the York County Jail on this count.

According to court documents, he was found by local law enforcement to be in non-compliance, as a registered sex offender. One of the cases involved him not reporting ownership of a vehicle, as is required.

It is noted in the affidavit filed with the court that he has had multiple prior charges for failing to register required information.

A review of his criminal history, according to the affidavit, shows a prior conviction for sex offender registry violations in Cuming County in 2002 and in Fillmore County in 2020 (for which he remains on probation).

It is also noted that he is on supervised release status through the federal court system/U.S. probation for activities relating to material constituting or containing child pornography.

According to the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry, Meyers was convicted of sexual assault of a child in Dodge County in 1995 and of possession of child pornography in U.S. Federal Court in 2007.

Regarding the non-compliance case, he was sentenced in York County District Court by Judge James Stecker.
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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. 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
["Open Mike" is the often off-topic, anything-goes Editorial page of TOP,

in which Yr. Hmbl. Ed. settles down about being all over the place.]

I started writing a piece about "things you don't want to forget" being a motivation for taking pictures; and that led to wondering how well I've done documenting my own life; and that led to wondering how many of the places I've lived I have pictures of; and that led to...well, counting all the places I've ever lived.

It was interesting, to me anyway. Any idea how many places you've lived, all told?

D.C. is not a State

I had to come up with some standards for counting. Different dorms at the same college counted as one place, but living off campus gets counted separately, because Shoestring Farm (we lived on a shoestring, you see) was across the river and way up into the hills of Vermont, very different from the stately Georgian halls of Dartmouth. Short stays only counted if I had no other place to live at the time. Would longer times away from home count? That's a judgement call, I guess"sometimes" is the best answer I could come up with. I went on a Foreign Study League tour of Europe when I was 14, and was gone for six weeks, but I would never say "I lived in Europe once." On the other hand, my stepfather lived in Kenya for two years for his job, and it certainly seems legitimate to say he lived in Kenya, even if he still owned his house in the States throughout that time.

Anyway, here's my total. I've lived in:

22 different places

14 different cities or towns

10 different States

1 country

Is that a lot? A little? I have no idea. The longest I ever lived anywhere was 14 years, which I did deliberately because I wanted my son to have a stable place to call home while he was growing up.

By the way, I counted anywhere in a greater metropolitan area as being the same city, which was part of a curious counting anomaly. We lived in Bethesda just over the D.C. border, and I also lived in downtown D.C., so I counted all that as one cityWashingtonbut of course I had to count it as two different "States," D.C. and Maryland. Even though D.C. isn't technically a State. What I'm saying is that there are probably going to be some gray areas and/or judgement calls as you're counting.

I always had it vaguely in mind that I would live in England one day (and here I mean England, not Great Britain or the U.K.), but it looks now like that will never happen. Still, I have to say I would have liked to be a person who lived in more than one country. I would have liked to visit other continents, toomy total is two, North America and Europe. I had a chance to visit Asia when my mother and stepfather were in Singaporeboth my brothers didbut I couldn't afford the plane ticket.

Neither better nor worse, just different

I have two relatives on different sides of the family, both women, both about my age, who seem to embody the extremes. One grew up in a Midwestern city in her parents' house, went to a local college, then bought a house a mile or two from the campus, and has lived there ever since. She's not agoraphobicshe travelsbut she has a strong attachment to home. She's even thought she wanted to move a couple of times but couldn't bring herself to do it.

The other seems to switch houses every few years, will undertake epic drives at the drop of a proverbial hat, and just doesn't seem comfortable staying in one place very long. She finally bought a camper van! And from what she tells me I gather she doesn't even like staying at one campground for too long. Right now she's moseying along somewhere between Georgia and Michigan, dreading having to return to her house that's permanently attached to its foundation.

The first relative can't bring herself to move even within her home town; the second keeps going back to the same town in Michigan largely because it's a convenient epicenter between her three sons and growing brood of grandchildren, but she's lived in eight different houses in that same town. Not to mention all the other places she's lived.

I love them both, and I'm not criticizing either one of them in the slightest...I have no problem with people doing what they want to do or need to do. There's no "better" or "worse" in this, moving around a lot or staying put in one place. I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both. The interesting thing is just that the two of them are such opposite extremes in this regard.

Domiciles

But getting back to the memories aspect of photographs: I didn't deliberately collect pictures of all the places I lived as I moved through life, so my archives make a poor job of documenting where I've lived. And anyway, my archives are such a hodgepodge, such a jumble, that I'm forced to come to a conclusion that seems somewhat sad somehow: I'm actually no better at hanging on to photographs than I am at hanging on to memories.

I have to say that looking back from the end of middle age, there are two things* I wish I had done differently: one is that I wish I'd been more careful and conscientious about documenting my own life and the people in it.

Mike

*The other is that old joke: If I'd known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of my teeth. But that's a little gross.



Book o' the Week

Ara Guler's Istanbul, one of the more amazing books in my collection. I'm also amazed it's still in print. Not only does it culminate a longtime habit and a vast body of work for the Turkish photographer of Armenian descent, one of the few world-famous photographers from Turkeya labor of lovebut it's a unique and wonderful example of bookmaking. If you don't buy this, at least see one sometime.

This book link is a portal to Amazon.

Today at B&H Photo

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)

Featured Comments from:

Richard U (partial comment): "One of the things I only learned with age was the importance of documenting everyday life. In the early days of my photography I was always chasing the interesting and 'different.' My father who was clearly a wiser man than I, always took a photo during birthdays and of the family Christmas gathering. As much as I hated them at the time, these are the most valuable photos I have."

Eric Brody (partial comment): "I am fascinated by the contrast between those who move and those who do not. When I lived in Chicago, on the lakefront, I had a friend, a native Chicagoan of Eastern European descent, who had family on the north side who had never been to the lake, despite living but a mile from its shores. Some Eastern Europeans have a shtetl mentality, born 'here,' grew up 'here,' married and raised a family 'here,' and will likely die 'here.'"

Mike replies: I keep meeting people here in Penn Yan who have never been to New York City. It's a six-hour drive. Then again, Aaron Rodgers could probably throw a football from the Corcoran School to the grounds of the White House, and I never went on a tour of the White House, so....

Sean: "Poverty might act as a slingshot for some, but for many its gravitational pull proves too hard to escape. People who spend their whole life in the same town are often viewed as parochiallargely by people who fail to see how the constraints of poverty play out in a person's life. To not see or understand those constraints is parochialism of another kind. Its a view from a bubble clouded by class, social capital and expectation. Its no wonder that so many people spend their whole life in such a comfortable place."

Henning: "Twenty-four places; 14 cities, towns, rural settings; 2 provinces, 3 states; 3 countries. I came over from Germany with my parents 70 years ago, grew up mostly in northern Alberta, studied some in California, spent my working life in southwestern British Columbia, and have traveled a lot and visited all continents. The longest I've spent in one home is 25 years in Vancouver, BC.

"The only regret I have concerning this topic is that I didn't travel more especially to places that are now realistically inaccessible, but I have been extremely fortunate."

Bryan Pollock (partial comment): "I may have kept up with your numbers but for the fact that we moved onto a sailboat in 1989 and have been on it ever since. In 2011 we buggered off for good and began traveling by boat full time. Since then, and thanks to how painfully slow we travel, means weve lived in five countries. Canada (both coasts) USA (both coasts) Mexico (west coast) Costa Rica (west Coast) Panama (Caribbean coast). We tend to travel based on dodging bad seasonal weather so we often hunker down wherever we find ourselves. That sometimes means were living locally somewhere for four to six months. Boat repairs will mean we stay longer. Panama was the record at two years. It was an unplanned way of traveling, but, as time wore on, I came to love it, because it meant really getting to know the region and people in a meaningful waynot to mention that the photo opps have been spectacular. Heres the wifes photo travel blog feed."

jh: "Won't bother to count, however, I built a house in the spot where my grandparents' house used to be. It is also just a few minutes from the house I grew up in and that I might end up back in as well at some point. The reason is absolutely not because I never wanted or had a chance to go or move anywhere else but because the city and country are arguably in the best possible location. I have traveled far and wide, still do (in a van most commonly), and have yet to find a better place to live in. Yes, there are many locations around the world that far exceed it in certain categories that are important in various stages of life, but none come very close as a whole package. This will always be my base camp as there's just no particular, convincing reason to leave."

Simon Griffee: "I started traveling with my mom and and dad at two years old and the count so far is: 36 different places; 20 different cities or towns; 10 countries; 5 continents. My best memories are of the friends made after meeting so many people and seeing that they are mostly the same, kind and generous, with only a very few bad apples here and there. After a while I learned the value of traveling light, of good, simple food, of appreciating and respecting nature, and of making do with what is at hand without becoming too attached to material things."

But if you would know, I am turning aside soon. I am going to have a long talk with Bombadil: such a talk as I have not had in all my time. He is a moss-gatherer, and I have been a stone doomed to rolling. But my rolling days are ending, and now we shall have much to say to one another.

Gandalf in J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings

Jim Buttel: "I'm old (73) and peripatetic I guess: 30 addresses; 20 towns or cities; 7 states, all in the U.S., but I spend some time every summer in Canada at a house we have there.... Longest in any one place: nine years in Newry, Maine."

Phil: "Thirteen addresses; 7 villages/towns/cities; 4 counties; 1 country (unless England/Scotland counts as two). On the other hand in 2021 my parents celebrated 50 years of living in the same house (which is also where I spent the first 18 years of my life)."

Olivier: "Change in one's life can take so many forms. This is well exemplified by my own family history.

"My grandfather was born and died in the same house in Alsace (now a French region), a house from which he never moved. And yet he changed nationality three times. He was born German in 1906, became French at the end of WWI, then German again when WWII started, and French again when it ended. After that, my grandmother used to ask him, "What exactly are we right now?"

"My father was the family's adventurer as he has lived in several villages in the region. He finally settled 15 km away with my mother, who was a person of such a different culture (Catholic vs. Protestant!) that both families opposed the wedding. My grandfather did not attend when it took place. In some way, I am the child of a happy version of Romeo and Juliet.

"And here I am at 52, having lived in four countries on three continents, and I consider my life much simpler than the lives of my ancestors.

"I guess the family's exponential trend regarding mobility has to come to an end...or I should grow concerned for my own children!"
MOUND CITY  The death of an off-duty Pulaski County sheriff's deputy is under investigation.

Jonathan David Utley was driving in his personal vehicle westbound in the 2000 block of Shiloh Road in Villa Ridge at 8:30 p.m. Saturday when it left the roadway and struck a tree, Illinois State Police said in a statement. It's unclear what caused the incident, police said.

Utley, 26 of Olmsted, was taken to a hospital with severe injuries and later died, the sheriff's office said.

The crash is under investigation by the Illinois State Police as is standard procedure, according to police.

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CHICAGO  Chicago authorities could seize street gang members' property under a proposed ordinance headed for a vote in the full City Council.

The council's Public Safety Committee approved Mayor Lori Lightfoot's plan 10-4 on Thursday, though several alderman expressed doubt it would actually lower crime as police and city officials claim.

Opposing aldermen on the panel also worried that the ordinance is too vague, though Lightfoot altered the original proposal aiming to more specifically target "adult gang leaders" rather than young members.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the proposal could allow judges or court officers to seize "any property that is directly or indirectly used or intended for use in any manner to facilitate street gang-related activity."

The full council is expected to consider the proposal this week.

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CHICAGO - A woman who allegedly planned an armed robbery of a man who was fatally shot left her cellphone at the scene of the Gresham attack, prosecutors said Saturday during her bond hearing.

Donna Howard, 48, appeared Saturday afternoon before Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz, who denied bail during a bond hearing that was broadcast live on YouTube.

Howard is charged with attempted armed robbery and first-degree murder in the Jan. 11 shooting death of 53-year-old Phillip Goodwin in the 8000 block of South Union Avenue, police said.

In court, Assistant States Attorney James Konstantopoulos said Howard left her cellphone at the scene, almost left her ID card and filmed the scene of the killing.

On the evening of the attack, Howard and Goodwin visited two people identified as witnesses at their home at the Union Avenue address.

When somebody knocked on the door one of the witnesses got up and returned to the dining area. Then Goodwin approached the door and suddenly the person at the door yelled out and fired a gun through a locked gate, hitting Goodwin, Konstantopoulos said.

Goodwin was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead a short while later.

One of the witnesses recognized the shooters voice, peeked outside and saw the assailant, who was wearing a black fur coat.

Then Howard began gathering items off a table, and ran out a back door with the witness who didnt see the shooter while the other witness spotted Howards ID card on the table and threw it out after them before calling 911, Konstantopoulos said.

A break in the case came Jan. 18 when a man went to the 6th District police station and gave them a red cellphone hed found at his home, where the homicide occurred. He unlocked the phone and showed police several text messages relating to the homicide, Konstantopoulos said.

Police learned the phone belonged to Howard, who was texting a person named mom about a possible robbery of someone named Sleepy, who was the witness she fled the home with. The phone also had messages from another person talking about getting guns on the day of the fatal shooting, Konstantopoulos said.

After Howard was arrested Thursday, she told police shed contacted a friend of her dead son via Facebook in order to set up a robbery, that shed gone to the home earlier that day to purchase illegal drugs and that she and the victim entered the home together, Konstantopoulos said.

Additionally, she told police shed made a video in the home  while identifying various people inside  and corroborated witness accounts of the shooter coming to the door and knocking, Konstantopoulos said.

Howards attorney said it was her first arrest and she lives in Chicago with her disabled son. She is a life-long resident of Cook County and earned her GED. Howard receives some disability payments and works part-time in a restaurant, her attorney said.

Howard, of the of Chicagos Back of the Yards neighborhood, is due back in court Wednesday.

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Today

Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 61F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 61F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing during the afternoon. High 83F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
BEIRUT  Parliament approved Monday the extension of a law that lifts banking secrecy on public accounts to facilitate a forensic audit on the countrys central bank, multiple MPs announced via their Twitter accounts.

Heres what we know:

 The law was not originally included on Parliaments agenda for Mondays session; however, Free Patriotic Movement MP and head of Parliaments Finance and Budget Committee Ibrahim Kanaan requested at the start of the session that it be added.

 In a tweet, MP George Adwan (Lebanese Forces/Chouf) also said we demanded to add to the schedule a law [on banking secrecy] that extends the work of the financial audit.

 The Lebanese government has twice signed contracts with the firm Alvarez & Marsal to audit BDLs accounts. The firm canceled the first contract due, it said, to BDLs failure to provide the documents needed to complete the audit. The second contract was signed in September 2021, but the financial audit remains incomplete.

 Parliament approved a law in 2020 that lifted banking secrecy on BDLs accounts for one year. This period expired on Dec. 29.

 During the session, Parliament also sent a law that includes a proposal designed to prevent interference in the judicial system back to the parliamentary committees for further discussion.

 Mondays session came to an end when Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned it at 2 p.m. due to lack of quorum, following the departure of many MPs.

 Parliament had been set to reconvene Tuesday, but a source close to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, told LOrient Today the session had been canceled as Parliament finished all of its schedule on Monday. However, not all the laws on Parliaments agenda Monday were addressed. For example, a controversial law that would allow municipalities to grant exceptional building permits, circumventing the permitting process, went undiscussed.
Get ready to bundle up.

Wyoming could experience the coldest temperatures of the winter this week when a cold front sweeps into the region.

The National Weather Service is forecasting snow, high winds and bitterly cold temperatures. Snow was expected to begin falling over parts of northwest Wyoming on Sunday night to be followed by temperatures well below zero during the week.

The frigid conditions follow a period of unseasonably mild weather. Temperatures could fall by as much as 60 degrees in one week, with a low of minus 10 forecast for Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter weather advisory was set to go into effect for much of the state on Monday. Natrona County could see snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches, with up to 8 inches in the mountains. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Between 3 to 6 inches of snow was expected in the Rock Springs area, with lighter amounts falling in the Bighorn Basin.

The weather service warned of blowing snow that could significantly reduce visibility on area roads. Wind chills could drop as low as minus 30, which can cause frostbite in only 20 minutes.

When temperatures drop into the single digits and below, ice melt is less effective. Given that reality, the city of Casper in a statement urged drivers to be cautious as they travel during the upcoming week.

On Monday, the high in Casper was forecast to hit 24. On Tuesday, a high of 3 degrees was expected.

Temperatures were expected to plunge to minus 9 degrees on Monday and Tuesday nights in Casper and minus 10 degrees on Wednesday night.

Ahead of the cold front, the city of Casper issued a frozen water pipe advisory, warning that pipe could freeze. Residents were advised to:

leave a trickle of water running from faucets;

open cabinet doors;

turn up the heat.

Water crews will be available to turn off the water if a break with spraying water occurs, the city said. Property owners can seek help at 307-235-8278 on Monday, which is a federal holiday, and after hours. During normal business hours Tuesday-Friday, help is available at 307-235-8360.

The bitterly cold temperatures were expected to linger over the region through Thursday.

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In 2005, a Fremont County prosecutor charged a woman with felony child endangerment after finding her newborn baby tested positive for methamphetamine. She was the first person in Wyoming to be charged for endangering an unborn child with drugs.

The woman also tested positive for meth at the hospital after giving birth. The next day, she said, police took her child.

A judge dismissed Michele Fousts case, court documents show, saying that her fetus was not a child in the eyes of the law. Because of that designation, her using meth while pregnant wouldnt qualify as child endangerment.

I owe a lot to that judge, Foust said.

Fousts case, Rep. Ember Oakley, R-Riverton said, has been used as a precedent to dismiss these kinds of cases across the state in the years since.

This legislative session, Oakley is sponsoring a bill aimed at closing the gap in the laws governing drug use around children. House Bill 85, if passed as written, would make using meth or other narcotics while pregnant a felony.

We know the dangers to a child of meth use, and abuse, Oakley said. Any time youre using meth while pregnant, its safe to assume youre endangering that child or what will become that child.

Sen. Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne, has also brought a bill that would allow those who used controlled substances while pregnant to be charged with felony child abuse if the child is born with a bodily injury, disability or disfigurement.

Both bills passed their introductory votes Thursday. Hutchings bill will now go to the Senates labor and health committee, and Oakleys will have to make it past the House Judiciary Committee.

Kevin Taheri, an assistant district attorney in Natrona County, said that most cases like this are currently handled through the Department of Family Services. The department intervenes to care for the child, at least temporarily, and can connect the parent with treatment.

Oakley argued on the House floor on Thursday that if her bill passes, its likely that most of the cases prosecuted under the new charge would result in probation, rather than prison, for the parent.

Both she and Hutchings said that the criminal penalties imposed by their bills would increase accountability for parents. Having a criminal charge may motivate people to get treatment, Oakley said, like a carrot on a stick.

Obviously we dont want people to use meth while pregnant, Taheri said. A criminal offense could deter that.

Adding a felony penalty for using drugs while pregnant, Taheri said, would mean that people failing to complete court-ordered treatment programs could be subject to prison time.

Rep. Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, urged the House to vote no on the bill on Thursday. It could deter people from going to a hospital to give birth, Provenza said, which could be dangerous.

Women should be given the opportunity to go into treatment instead of prison, Foust said. Its no easier to quit when youre pregnant than when youre not pregnant. Having a life inside you is not a skill that keeps you sober.

The only remaining prison treatment center for women in the state, at the womens center in Lusk, may also not be staffed adequately to handle additional people needing treatment, Rep. Pat Sweeney, R-Casper, said Thursday.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

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Many people are struggling during this Covid-19 pandemic as prices increase, while many are 
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.
Cummings joins St. Marys Hospital

Steve Cummings has come on board as the associate administrator at St. Marys Hospital.

He has more than 21 years of experience in a variety of health care settings; ranging from working with school systems, early intervention and acute care.

He joins Carondelet Health Network from the Tenet Healthcare San Antonio Market where he served as the regional director of rehabilitation services. Cummings has held leadership roles for more than 14 years.

Social Venture Partners names VP

Jennie Grabel has been named vice president of programs for Social Venture Partners Tucson.

Previously Grabel served as director of marketing and communications at Community Investment Corporation, and, before that, Family Housing Resources Inc. She also served as program director at KXCI Community Radio.

She is responsible for providing strategic leadership for SVPs programmatic and community impact activities.

Tucson Tax Team adds 2 new CPAs

Tucson Tax Team announced the addition of two CPAs, Amy Perlich and Rachael De La Rosa.

Perlich has worked in tax firms in Tucson and California. She has a special interest in cryptocurrency taxes, vacation rentals and stock options.

De La Rosa has worked in Colorado, Arizona and California. Her special interests are in real estate, small business consulting and tax planning.

Rambaud promoted to branch manager

Shelby Rambaud has moved into the branch manager slot at Long Realtys Houghton/Southeast/Vail office.

Licensed as a broker in 2021, she began her 16-year career with Long Realty in 2006 as a receptionist. She started at the Houghton office as office administrator, and then sales manager, in 2015. Since then shes been involved in some 7,000 transactions.

As branch manager, Rambauds duties include supervising the sales force, helping as needed with client relations and contract issues, approving employment renewals, reviewing sales contracts and more.

PCAO hires comm.director C.T. Revere

C.T. Revere has been named director of communications for the Pima County Attorneys Office.

Revere brings experience in both the public and private sectors, including 30 years of professional experience in Tucson.

Most recently, Revere served for five years as public involvement director for Gordley Group, which followed seven years as a senior community relations officer for the Arizona Department of Transportation in Tucson.

Additionally, Revere served as chief of staff in Tucsons Ward 6 City Council Office after a 22-year career in journalism, including 15 years reporting for Tucson-based newspapers.

+5 +5 +5 +5 +5 +5

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Tucsonans made a $100 million investment in the citys crumbling roads when they approved Proposition 101 five years ago, a ballot initiative that uses a half-cent sales tax to fund the projects.

Its set to expire soon and city officials are asking voters to extend the 2017 tax by approving Prop. 411 in May. The new initiative would generate about $590 million to fix local streets over the next 10 years and its failure at the ballot box could kill repaving efforts in Tucson for the foreseeable future.

Ahead of the May election, many voters said they want to know how the Prop. 101 money was used before they greenlight an extension of the sales tax for another decade.

About 60% of the money collected since 2017 hasn't been spent and less than half of the 900 miles of planned road work has been completed  though officials said everything is going according to plan.

There havent been any project delays and all of the repaving efforts are expected to wrap up by summer 2023, city officials said. The sales tax has also generated an extra $6 million than the city anticipated, so even more streets may be repaved than were promised five years ago.

We are going to fulfill the obligation to the voters, said Michael Graham, a Department of Transportation and Mobility spokesman. Were completing not only what voters approved, but were going to do more because theres a surplus of funds.

The reason why just 40% of the Prop. 101 projects have been finished to date is because construction didnt actually begin until early 2019, according to staffers who said Tucson hadnt saved enough tax money to begin executing the plan before then.

Gaps between when an initiative is passed and when construction happens are typical for projects that depend on new external revenue streams, like a sales tax, rather than money thats pulled from the citys general fund budget.

We didnt start the roadway improvement projects on Day 1 because we had to generate funds to pay for the improvement packages, Graham said. Instead of building one roadway segment at a time, we lump three to four segments in a package.

Lumping projects together can also prolong the time it takes for residents to notice their tax dollars being put to work because it creates bursts of construction in certain areas, rather than a continuous stream of repaving throughout the city.

Tucson lumps the projects to save money because it allows construction contractors to finish the work for less. The companies dont have to haul equipment back and forth to repave different roads in the same area, for example, and they can buy materials like asphalt in bulk.

Issues with utility companies also pushed certain road repaving efforts to the back of the Prop. 101 program during planning, officials said. Tucson Water may have to replace underground piping near the roadway, for example, which would have forced the city to tear up new pavement if it was laid too soon.

With all of the projects, there are design elements that need to take place prior to roadway improvements being made, said Erica Frazelle, a Transportation Department spokeswoman. For instance, Silverbell Road from St. Marys Road to Congress Street, utility work needed to take place prior to the start of road improvements. Theres a lot of coordination with utility companies that take place, but the work will be completed within the Prop. 101 program.

The lions share of remaining Prop. 101 roadwork is expected to be done this summer and officials said it will all be completed within the next 17 months at the very latest. Tucsonans can keep an eye on the citys progress online, though the website isnt updated in real time.

Prop. 411, the extension of the 2017 sales tax, is expected to have a much greater impact on city streets than Prop. 101 even when the first package is complete, however.

The money from the new initiative will be spent exclusively on local road work and safety upgrades  while the bulk of Prop. 101 funds went to public safety resources  and its expected to generate nearly six times more funding for street repair, which officials said is enough to fix nearly every residential road in Tucson without raising taxes beyond the 2017 level.

City voters will choose whether to pass Prop. 411 during the special election on May 17, 2022.

Reporter Sam Kmack covers local government. Contact him at skmack@tucson.com.

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Automotive dealer Jim Click Jr. announced the launch of the latest Millions for Tucson Raffle giving local charities another opportunity to raise $1 million this year.

In this latest iteration of the raffle, Click will again issue 100,000 raffle tickets to eligible nonprofit organizations to sell, and participating charities will keep 100% of the funds raised to support their local services and programs.

The grand prize this year is a 2022 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid. The second-place prize is two first-class airline tickets to anywhere in the world (some restrictions apply), and the third-place prize is $5,000 in cash.

Last year while we were still working our way through the pandemic, our community was overwhelmingly supportive of our charities and raised a record amount, nearly $1.4 million, Click said in a news release. I believe that just goes to show that our Tucson and Southern Arizona community is home to some of the most generous and kind folks in our country. We are humbled and grateful for the support for our charities who do so much for our community.

This is the 13th raffle that Click has conducted with the previous 12 collectively raising more than $9 million for local charities since 2003. The past seven raffles have raised on average more than $1 million per year, all of it going to local charitable programs in greater Tucson.

Raffle tickets are now being issued to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations, which are encouraged to sell as many tickets as possible before the Dec. 9 deadline. A drawing will be held for the winning tickets on Dec. 15. Tickets are $25 each, or five for $100.

Eligible nonprofit organizations wishing to participate in the fundraising campaign can make arrangements to pick up their tickets by contacting the Millions for Tucson Raffle management team at 520-342-5210, or by e-mail at jimclickraffle@russellpublic.com. Get more information online at millionsfortucson.org.

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A Border Patrol agent shot and killed a migrant in a rugged mountain area about 30 miles north of Douglas, officials say.

The deadly encounter occurred around 10 p.m. Saturday near Skeleton Canyon, in the Peloncillo Mountains near the state line with New Mexico.

The Cochise County Sheriffs Department said in a news release that it went to the area to answer a call about a seriously injured migrant.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection area spokesman John Mennell confirmed Monday to the Associated Press that an agent was the shooter.

Details about the encounter, however, had yet to be made public by Monday afternoon.

Early indications are that one male subject, presumed to be an illegal immigrant, was fatally wounded by a Border Patrol agent who was on duty with additional personnel, the Cochise County Sheriffs Department said Sunday night in its initial news release.

A Border Patrol medic treated the wounded migrant, but the man died at the scene, the Sheriffs Department release says.

The identity and nationality of the dead man were not immediately disclosed.

Five Mexican nationals were apprehended in the same incident, and they had been interviewed by various agencies, the Mexican consulate said in a news release Monday.

It said the Mexican government lamented the fatal encounter. The government of Mexico rejects any act of unjustified violence against migrants, the consulate release says.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety helped retrieve the mans body early Sunday, and it was taken to the medical examiners office in Tucson.

Several agencies are involved in investigating the incident, including the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection and the Sheriffs Department.

Edward Celaya is a breaking news and marijuana reporter. He has been on both beats since May 2021.

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Colorado's Democratic governor said Sunday that his party can best navigate the divisive issues of masking and vaccines by talking about them "as a matter of personal responsibility."

"I think talking about masks and vaccines as a matter of personal responsibility, as a data-driven way to reduce your own personal risk, is the right way to be talking about them," Gov. Jared Polis told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" when asked what his advice is to national Democrats looking to win over swing voters in areas where Covid-19 mandates have become divisive issues.

"As long as we're stuck in this dichotomy of mandate versus no mandate, there's a lot of Americans of all persuasions that react very negatively, rightfully so, to being told or forced to do something," he added. "So I think it's about winning over hearts and minds, about practical steps we can take to protect ourselves."

Polis has been lauded for his approach to the coronavirus pandemic, with Colorado having a low death rate and high vaccination rate months after he dropped the state's indoor mask mandate. He has also resisted reinstating Covid-19 restrictions as the Omicron variant wreaked havoc around the US this winter.

The governor's remarks come as Democratic leaders around the country grapple with how to form policy and messaging around the pandemic as it nears its third year. As the Omicron wave recedes, some Democratic-led states are preparing to roll back their mask mandates, including Illinois, New Jersey and Oregon. Last week, California unveiled an endemic strategy for dealing with the virus, a phase that would see many of the state's strict public health measures relaxed.

Polis, when asked whether he thinks the US has finally reached the endemic phase of Covid-19, stressed that preparing "for an uncertain future" is what's key right now.

"I think a lot of states are undertaking that. I hope the federal government is as well. What does that mean? It means that we don't know what variant will occur, we don't know when the current resistance we have because of prior infection or vaccine wears off. We need to be ready in six months or a year -- if we need to -- to be able to administer a lot of doses of a new vaccine or perhaps the same one quickly," he said, adding that hospitals should also be ready for potential surges.

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Tasha Nelson's 10-year-old son held back tears when he heard the news. The two were in the car when the announcement came through the radio: Virginia's freshly sworn-in governor had signed an order attempting to ban mask mandates in schools.

"My son looked up at me and he had tears in his eyes because he knew what it meant. He said, 'Mom, does that mean I can't go to school anymore?'" Nelson said. "He said, 'Can't we let the governor know about kids like me? I want to go to school too.'"

Jack, a fourth grader, has cystic fibrosis, a progressive genetic disease that causes persistent, damaging lung infections, making it harder to breathe over time. Like other immunocompromised, disabled and chronically ill Americans, Jack was taking measures, like masking, to dodge infections before the pandemic too. But with Covid-19 still rampant, it's not as easy. Even though he's vaccinated, the virus poses a serious, potentially deadly, risk to Jack. His 2-year-old brother, who is not yet eligible for the shots, is another concern.

Nelson is among a group of parents who sued Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin over that order, claiming it puts students who are immunocompromised or have disabilities at risk and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. CNN has reached out to Youngkin's office for comment on the lawsuit.

Roughly two weeks after that lawsuit was filed, the governor signed a bill into law allowing parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates.

Nelson is keeping her son at home again because of it.

"This whole pandemic, our culture, media (and) government has made it very clear to high-risk and disabled people that we are an acceptable loss," Nelson said. "We're doing everything we can to survive this pandemic too."

Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are declining nationwide, but transmission -- how much virus is circulating in a community -- remains high in more than 90% of the United States, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC still recommends everyone to mask indoors in areas of substantial or high transmission.

But public health experts are split on whether it's time to lift mitigation measures. Some say dropping protections at a time when Covid-19 numbers are so high is a political move rather than a public health one. Others say the downward trends justify those moves and note Omicron is milder than earlier variants for most healthy people.

As local and state leaders nationwide remove mask and vaccination rules, those at high risk for severe disease say doing away with protections now leaves them more vulnerable, especially as they, or family members, return to in-person work or school. And for some, Covid-19 vaccines are not as effective in staving off a severe bout with the virus, prompting the CDC to recommend a fourth shot for immunocompromised people 12 years and older in October.

Roughly seven million American adults are immunocompromised, the CDC estimates. While not all have conditions that leave them severely immunocompromised and vulnerable to severe Covid-19, about 61 million adults -- roughly one in four in the US -- have some type of disability, according to the agency. More than three million children had a disability in 2019, according to the US Census Bureau.

"Everyone knows someone who had cancer, everyone knows somebody who had a kidney transplant for one reason or another, or someone who's got Alzheimer's or someone who has a heart condition or someone who was born with a rare immunodeficiency," said Sara Willette, who has been in isolation with her husband in Iowa since the state reported its first case of the virus, some 700 days ago.

"The more protections that we remove, the less accessible the rest of the world becomes to people who are high-risk," Willette said.

Even though Willette is triple vaccinated and preparing for her fourth shot, catching the virus could be deadly. She has Common Variable Immunodeficiency Disorder (CVID), meaning her body does not produce protective antibodies to defend itself against pathogens like bacteria or viruses.

The couple considered leaving their home in Ames and moving to southern California, where stricter masking protocols could have helped protect her. But they ruled out the idea after California's governor lifted the indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people this month, citing a drop in infections.

Iowa's lawmakers are going even further -- a bill looking to effectively ban vaccine and mask mandates is making its way through the legislature. "We have to make a choice between staying alive and having a life," Willette said.

The high-risk people CNN spoke to said as the country eagerly looks to move on from the pandemic, they feel forgotten -- and worse, like they don't matter to the rest of the American public. Some say they feel like they've been left to adapt to a more dangerous reality, while others are now mapping out a permanently isolated lifestyle.

Families faced with impossible choices

In Wilmington, Massachusetts, Karen Yurek's family is navigating a tough balancing act. Yurek and her husband are both high-risk and on immunosuppressant medications. She has rheumatoid arthritis and he has multiple sclerosis. Both have received four Covid-19 shots and work remotely.

Their family was almost entirely isolated until last week, when their 6-year-old son, Billy, returned to school. Billy is vaccinated, and Yurek and her husband felt he could stay safe with the help of a universal masking requirement that was in place.

Then, state officials announced they were lifting the mandate at the end of February. Yurek wrote to the Wilmington School Committee, urging them to keep masks mandatory to "protect the members of our community who don't have the luxury of 'normal' anymore."

The committee voted Wednesday to lift its mask mandate, posing a difficult dilemma for Yurek's family: pull their child out of in-person class or risk serious illness.

"It's really demoralizing," Yurek said. "It just feels like everyone's so focused on getting back to normal that ... they're forgetting about all of the really at-risk people. And if they're not forgetting about them, that they're just saying, 'Well, you're on your own.'"

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN's John Berman on Thursday that lifting school mask mandates given the current transmission levels could push cases back up. "We've been to this show before," he said. "Where things came down, you pull back a little, and it bounces back."

When asked this month about immunocompromised Americans who feel left behind, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the agency is working to update its mask guidance so it is "relevant for the public, but also for the public who is immunocompromised and disabled," but offered no further details.

To help keep more people safe, mask requirements should depend on how much virus is circulating in a community, said Raymund Razonable, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic and vice chair of the division of public health, infectious diseases and occupational medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. Shedding masks at a time the virus is still rampant and the threat of more variants -- including an Omicron subvariant -- loom is a risk, Razonable told CNN.

All but one of the remaining states that still had mask mandates in place -- Hawaii -- have announced plans to remove them.

Other local leaders have announced the end of vaccine measures too. The country's capital put an end to its indoor business vaccine requirement Tuesday. In the following days, Philadelphia and Boston also announced they were dropping vaccine requirements. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams told employers to end work-from-home policies, saying in a news conference, "We need people back to work."

"Unfortunately, for the most part, we're seeing a lot of disregard for the immunocompromised and the disabled community," said April Moreno, a public health expert and founder of the Autoimmune Community Institute, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization. "We're hurting."

Kris Giere, a 42-year-old who has Type 1 diabetes and lives in Indiana, a state that ended its mask mandate last April, echoed the same.

"I'm tired of having to worry about how many disease vectors I'm in contact with," Giere said. "I'm on edge every day, because I don't get to go back to normal. There is no going back to normal for me."

'We don't have the luxury of pretending the pandemic is over'

When the CDC updated its isolation guidelines in December to say people can leave isolation five days after testing positive if their symptoms are gone or getting better, and to wear a well-fitted mask for 10 days, the agency also urged them to "avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease," for at least 10 days.

But it can be hard to know when someone -- a coworker, a friend or a passerby -- is immunocompromised or high-risk, Moreno pointed out. It's why many conditions are known as "invisible illnesses."

"No one ... has given me a giant foam hat with an arrow saying 'immunocompromised' on it," said Matthew Cortland, who works on disability and health policy at Data for Progress, a left-leaning think tank. "The lengths we have to go to in order to mitigate, to some extent, the risk that society at large is just offloading onto us is absurd."

Cortland permanently works from home. But many friends who are also chronically ill and disabled don't have the same option. That's why public health measures remain critical, Cortland said, including global vaccination campaigns, widespread availability and use of high-quality masks, research into more adaptive personal protective equipment, improvements to indoor air quality, better testing procedures and sufficient treatments.

The US has increased its order for one of the key preventive therapies for the immunocompromised, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced last week. But even with that boost, the country will only have enough of that monoclonal antibody treatment for less than a quarter of its immunocompromised population. And while there are other Covid-19 therapeutics that can help people including the severely immunocompromised, they are still also in short supply in many parts of the US and won't be more widely available until spring, the US Food and Drug Administration has said.

"There's not enough for the millions of immunocompromised patients," said Razonable. In his hospital, he said there is a "sufficient" supply to cover only "the highest risk group" of people.

Two years in, high-risk Americans are feeling traumatized and exhausted from the daily risk assessments and new hurdles that life in a Covid-era America comes with.

As Cortland puts it: "No one wants to actually be done with the pandemic more than disabled, chronically ill, and immunocompromised Americans. We just don't have the luxury of pretending the pandemic is over when it isn't. And it clearly is not."

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Grand Old Party

has lost its way

I have voted for Republican candidates in the past based on platform and ideals and character, but I might have to rethink my actions on all Republican candidates in the future, save for Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, both of whom, since I live in Arizona, I cannot vote for. I understand almost without objection the Republican National Committee (RNC) voted to censure both because of their duties investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and attempt to overthrow our government. Shame on the RNC. It used to be a party of good people, with many times solid economic and community-oriented platforms. But not now. What does the RNC stand for now other than the party of "no"? Hooray for Cheney and Kinzinger for standing up for what is right and just and shame on the RNC, its leadership, and the mindless lemmings who blindly follow such foolish folderol.

John (Jay) Van Echo

West side

AWOL Brnovich

wants a reward

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is getting paid to do his job, but I think he isnt doing it. He is now asking Arizonans to elect him to the better paying and more important job of U.S. senator. Why would Arizonans do this?

As AG, Brnovich is the the main man to see that the Arizona Constitution is upheld. When it comes to the plot by the Arizona GOP to send fake electors to Washington armed with fake paperwork using the states official letterhead, he shrugs and says its up to the feds. No, it is a crime against the Arizona Constitution, which he took an oath to uphold. This GOP cabal tried to steal the election from Arizona voters. Brnovich shrugs.

He does seem to have time to threaten Secretary of State Katie Hobbs for doing her job. It would be nice if he did his, but hes too busy groveling to the GOP and running for a better one.

Christi S. Driggs

Northwest side

Car noise worse

than jet noise

Re: the Jan. 29 article "AF seeks to change flight rules in AZ zones."

These people that complain about airplane noise need to focus more on traffic noise. Those planes are our security. I live near a busy intersection and have to listen to loud cars and motorcycles all night and day, but they don't mention a word about that. I welcome the new practice the Air Force wants to do. Let's have the police get after those vehicles that are too loud so we can all sleep better at night and leave the Air Force alone  they don't wake me at 3 in the morning.

Thomas R. Crawford

Foothills

Pine Tree flag

not appropriate

What does the Pine Tree flag (aka An Appeal to Heaven flag) currently displayed in our Arizona House second-floor lobby have in common with the Jan. 6 insurrection? Both flags are proudly displayed by those intent on stomping out separation of religion and government. The "Appeal to Heaven" website finds this separation "perverted, exaggerated and repeatedly used to drive men and women of faith out of public service." This Revolutionary War flag has been co-opted by the Christian Nationalist movement. Displaying this religious flag within the halls of a government building is in violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution as well as the Arizona State Constitution. Who authorized this? Why are we allowing this flag to be displayed? This is not a dog whistle. It's a bullhorn.

Mary Ganapol

Foothills

Surely God knew

what he meant

Re: the Feb. 18 article "Thousands of invalid baptisms in Phoenix."

I was deeply saddened this morning when I read this Arizona Daily Star article. How could the church be so cruel as to tell thousands of parishioners that their emotional, heartfelt baptism experience was a fraud because the priest used the single word, we, instead of I? This is religious ritual at its worst. Its no wonder so many young people claim to be spiritual but want nothing to do with religion. Using the term, we in a baptism seems appropriate, in that it implies acceptance by the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and inclusion by the entire congregation. In fact, using the term I in the baptism ritual might imply the priest has the power, rather than the Trinity. The Rev. Andres Arango, if your church no longer feels you are suitable to serve the Lord, please look for a more welcoming congregation. If you should find your way to Tucson, I would be pleased to worship with you.

Doug Wingert

Northeast side

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Milos Tea Company is sweetening its local manufacturing presence.

The Alabama-based maker of all-natural, fresh-brewed teas and lemonade is sinking $20 million into an expansion of a Tulsa County plant it built in 2020, a move that will create about 50 new jobs this year, Whitney Wright, Milos director of communications, said in an email.

The money will add about 3,100 square feet of production space to its existing 105,000-square-foot facility at Cherokee Extension Industrial Park, north of Tulsa and west of Owasso, company officials said. The expansion will support two new lines that will triple Milos gallon-making capacity and are expected to be operational this summer.

The upgrade also will include 118 more parking spaces and a second entrance onto 76th Street North.

Milos Tea Company has been a great corporate partner since announcing its expansion to Tulsa in May 2019, Arthur Jackson, senior vice president of economic development at the Tulsa Regional Chamber, said in a statement. Were grateful Milos has found success in northeast Oklahoma and is further investing in our workforce and the community.

This expansion is another example of how Tulsas Future, the Chamber-led regional economic development partnership, works to attract new companies that will have long-term impacts on the region.

Increased demand sparked Milos desire to bulk up operations, Wright said.

Its sales grew 57.6% in a recent four-week period, according to a Jan. 29 report from Nielsen, a New York-based analytics company. During that same four-week span, growth overall in the in the refrigerated tea category jumped 11.9%.

Over the past several years, Tulsa has been ranked as having the best water quality in the region, which Im told is one of the main reasons Milos Tea decided to come to our area, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a statement. Im excited that Milos is expanding and want to thank our team at the city for ensuring Milos can deliver a world-class product with world-class water quality service.

Milos started in 1946 as a Birmingham hamburger joint headed by current CEO Tricia Wallworks grandparents, Milo and Beatrice Carlton, who would serve customers tea to wash down their meals. The family cashed in on the popularity of their tea by placing the refrigerated beverages in grocery stores in 1989, selling what had become a chain of restaurants in 2002 and concentrating on Milos Tea exclusively.

The companys Oklahoma facility was its first out-of-state expansion. Milos campus sits on 20 acres that are just east of Macys Fulfillment Center, which opened in 2015.

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Tom Gilbert Chief Photographer I joined the Tulsa World in 1988 after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma. I lived in Saudi Arabia before graduating from Broken Arrow High School. I'm married to Karen Gilbert and have three grown children. Phone: 918-581-8349 Follow Tom Gilbert 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

Jake Keyes, owner founder and brewmaster for Oklahoma City's Skydance Brewing Company, has their best seller for What the Ale's Beer of the Week. Fancy Dance, is their New England style IPA that comes in at 6.8% ABV.

A New England style India pale ale has a tropical fruit taste with an intense hop aroma and flavor. It is dry-hopped to the point of being hazy with a full body and smooth flavor and is less bitter than typical IPAs.

"This is our flagship beer. It's just a hazy IPA, with citra, mosaic, and somewhat of a new hop, brew one. It is super hazy, juicy, with a great mouthfeel. It has citrus, tropical fruit, specifically pineapple. This is the one that basically built the new brewery for us," said Keyes.

"I think Fancy Dance became our number one seller because we came out with it at a time when New England hazy IPAs were just all the rage and still are. I think that's just the most popular beer style and it's our passion. It's what we're all about. It's the beer style I love. And so I think it just really comes through in the end product," he said.

Keyes started brewing with his dad and they both wanted to open a brewery one day. Keyes dad didn't live to see the new taproom at Skydance Brewing Co.

Keyes opened his new brewery in Oklahoma City, 1 N.E. Seventh St. on October 2nd.

"What you're looking at here at Skydance Brewing Company is the culmination of a dream that me and my dad had going back since I was a kid learning how to brew. When I was little, we dreamed for years about opening a brewery. Unfortunately, he's not able to be here now, but we finally did it.

We finally have our own spot. For two and a half years, we were actually at the brewers union brewing in a co-op brewery, just to get the name out, get the beer out there. And through COVID through those two and a half years at the brewers union, we finally found a spot and finally started construction, and we have a taproom here in downtown Oklahoma City that we're just super proud of," he said.

Skydance has a prime location with a view of the Oklahoma City skyline and a big patio with fire pits. When the weather is nice they open up the garage doors to the patio. Inside they have two different lounge areas that have a feel of being in a nice home. One is located in the Eagles Nest which is upstairs and overlooks the taproom and the brewhouse.

"We really went after that cigar lounge feel, relaxed kind of my man cave type thing. We have a big screen TV up there with a good view of the brewery overhead. Then downtown is just the perfect spot for us. We've got the parlor across the street with food.

There are lots of other breweries in the area so we get a lot of people just kind of bouncing around from brewery to brewery. And what's good about us being downtown is that each brewery down here sort of has their own niche. Ours is IPAs. If you like stouts, you go to Prairie, there's other breweries that have their own niche. And so you can come down here and hit all the breweries and get something different every time."

You won't get bored with the same beers at Skydance, they offer up a new beer each Friday, usually a double IPA or triple IPA. Thursdays are acoustic music nights that bring in the crowds as well.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jake before he had started his commerical beer endeavors. He was a homebrewer and was pouring at a beer festival. At that time, I told him to give me a call when he was serious about brewing. He did that, but telling him 'when he was serious' were words that pushed him. He thought he was serious. He was pouring at a festival. I meant serious in terms of opening his own brewery. Keyes remembered my words and now is producing a new beer called Dead Serious, a west coast double IPA.

"Tom came to me and said, Hey, when you get serious, let me know. And I thought I was serious. I was gonna open a brewery. And so I brewed a beer immediately after that. It was a west coast, double IPA. It is extremely hoppy, just maxed out with hops. And we called it Dead Serious.

My goal was to package that beer and send it to Tom's office. And we never got to brew it up to this point, but next month we're releasing Dead Serious here and we will definitely be sending it into distro up into the Tulsa area."

Fancydance is available at most liquor stores, and stores such as OnCues, Walmart, Reasors. You'll usually find it on draft in the Tulsa area at Roosevelts, 1551 E 15th St.

Past Beers of the Week:

Tom Gilbert 918-581-8349 tom.gilbert@tulsaworld.com

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After school grant recipients: The state Department of Education announced last week that it will award $18 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to 68 schools and community partners across Oklahoma to provide after school and summer activities for students through June 30, 2024.

Applicants were required to apply in tandem with a school district or organization in order to establish or expand a school-based partnership. The partners will receive technical support and must provide evidence-based, comprehensive after school and summer enrichment opportunities for students.

Tulsa-area teams receiving grant funds include the Bartlesville Boys and Girls Club and Bartlesville Public Schools for programming at four campuses; the Glenpool Chamber of Commerce and Glenpool Public Schools for programming at three campuses; Jenks Public Schools and the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance; the YMCA of Greater Tulsa and Okmulgee Public Schools and Tulsa Honor Academy and the Nathan Hale branch of the Tulsa City-County Library.

Tulsa Public Schools and Union Public Schools each had two applications approved. TPS had applications approved for partnerships with Lilyfield Inc. for programming at Hawthorne Elementary School and Under the Canopy, an outdoor education nonprofit, for programming at Emerson Elementary School. Unions approved applications were with the Tulsa Debate League for programming at the districts Sixth and Seventh Grade Center and Spot31, a faith-based non-profit housed in east Tulsas Hope United Methodist Church, to help provide programming for students at Boevers Elementary School.

Calendar conversation: Union Public Schools is accepting public feedback on three proposed calendars for the 2022-2023 school year. Constituents may view the three options on the districts website, unionps.org, and email comments prior to the school boards March 7 meeting.

All three versions call for 172 instructional days and seven professional development days, with classes starting on Aug. 17 and ending on either June 1, 2023, or June 2, 2023.

Help wanted: Two Tulsa-area teacher job fairs are scheduled for March 5.

Bartlesville Public Schools is hosting their event in the high schools commons area. Attendees are asked to pre-register through the districts website and bring three copies of their resume.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Public Charter School Association is hosting an event at the Central Librarys Pocahontas Greadington Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for more than a dozen charter schools from both Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

COVID-19 by the numbers: Multiple local school districts released updated COVID-19 case counts on Friday.

Tulsa Public Schools reported two positive cases among its employees and nine among students. Tulsa MET Junior High and High School had the highest number of cases with four.

Bartlesville Public Schools reported one positive case among its employees and six among its students. The district has an additional 19 students and staff in quarantine due to close contact exposure.

Berryhill Public Schools reported one case among its students and staff. The district does not differentiate between students and staff in its site-level reporting.

Broken Arrow Public Schools reported 32 cases among its students and four among its employees. The district does not differentiate among campuses in its public facing reporting.

Glenpool Public Schools reported two cases among its staff and one among its students.

Jenks Public Schools reported four cases among its employees and six among its students.

Owasso Public Schools reported three cases among its students and one among its staff. OPS does not differentiate among sites in its public-facing reporting.

Sand Springs, Skiatook and Union did not publish updated case counts by the close of business Friday.

Bixby, Collinsville and Sapulpa did not have classes on Friday. As of Thursday, Bixby had 18 active cases, Collinsville had six positive cases and Sapulpa had no reported cases among its students or staff.

School board calendar: The boards of education for Bartlesville, Liberty and Woodland are scheduled to meet on Monday.

The state board of education is scheduled to meet Thursday morning in Oklahoma City.

The board of education for Epic One-on-One and Epic Blended has a special meeting Thursday evening in Oklahoma City.

Tulsa Public Schools board of education has a special meeting scheduled for Friday morning.

lenzy.krehbiel-burton @tulsaworld.com

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MOSCOW (AP)  The White House says President Joe Biden is ordering new sanctions on Moscow after Russia moved to recognize separatist eastern Ukraine regions.

The Biden administration calls Mondays announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin a blatant violation of Russias international commitments. The sanctions will prohibit new investment, trade and financing in the two separatist regions of Ukraine recognized by Putin. The European Unions top officials have also said the bloc will impose sanctions.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.

The European Unions top officials say the bloc will impose sanctions against those involved in Russias recognition of two separatist regions of eastern Ukraine amid fears of a potential Russian invasion of the country.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel say in a joint statement that the recognition is a blatant violation of international law. The statement adds that the bloc will react with sanctions and reiterates its unwavering support to Ukraines independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and paved the way to provide them military support  a direct challenge to the West that will fuel fears that Russia could imminently invade Ukraine.

The carefully staged move announced in the Kremlin could lead to new sanctions on Russia and flies in the face of European efforts for a diplomatic solution to the escalating crisis, which has brought East-West relations to a new low and jeopardized trade. Britains prime minister called it a breach of international law.

It came amid a spike in skirmishes in the eastern regions that Western powers believe Russia could use as a pretext for an attack on the western-looking democracy that has defied Moscows attempts to pull it back into its orbit.

Putin justified his decision in a far-reaching, pre-recorded speech blaming NATO for the current crisis and calling the U.S.-led alliance an existential threat to Russia. Sweeping through more than a century of history, he painted todays Ukraine as a modern construct that is inextricably linked to Russia. He charged that Ukraine had inherited Russias historic lands and after the Soviet collapse was used by the West to contain Russia.

Ukrainians shrugged off the move as meaningless, but it remains a fundamental blow to their country eight years after fighting erupted the Donetsk and Luhansk regions between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces.

After his speech, Putin signed decrees in the Kremlin recognizing those regions' independence and called on lawmakers to approve measures paving the way for military support.

Until now, Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of supporting the separatists, but Moscow has denied that, saying that Russians who fought there were volunteers.

European leaders had urged Putin to not to recognized the regions' independence, and the EU foreign policy chief threatened possible sanctions if he did. Ukraine's president convened an emergency meeting of top security officials.

According to the Kremlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron voiced disappointment with such a development but also readiness to continue contacts.

At an earlier meeting of Putin's Security Council, a stream of top Russian officials argued for recognizing the separatist regions' independence. At one point, one slipped up and said he favored including them as part of Russian territory  but Putin quickly corrected him.

With an estimated 150,000 Russian troops massed on three sides of Ukraine, the U.S. has warned that Moscow has already decided to invade. Still, the American and Russian presidents tentatively agreed to a possible meeting in a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

If Russia moves in, the meeting will be off, but the prospect of a face-to-face summit resuscitated hopes that diplomacy could prevent a devastating conflict, which would result in massive casualties and huge economic damage across Europe, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels that, If there is a recognition, I will put sanctions on the table and the (EU) ministers will decide whether to agree to impose them.

Even as the diplomatic efforts inched forward, potential flashpoints multiplied. Sustained shelling continued Monday in Ukraine's east. Unusually, Russia said it had fended off an incursion from Ukraine  which Ukrainian officials denied. And Russia decided to prolong military drills in Belarus, which could offer a staging ground for an attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Earlier Monday, leaders of the separatist regions released televised statements pleading with Putin to recognize them and sign treaties that would allow for military aid to protect them from what they described as an ongoing Ukrainian military offensive. Russias lower house of parliament made the same plea last week.

Ukrainian authorities deny launching an offensive and accuse Russia of provocation.

Putin's announcement shatters a 2015 peace deal signed in Minsk requiring Ukrainian authorities to offer a broad self-rule to the rebel regions, which marked a major diplomatic coup for Moscow.

The deal was resented by many in Ukraine who saw it as a capitulation, a blow to the countrys integrity and a betrayal of national interests. Putin and other officials argued Monday that Ukrainian authorities have shown no appetite for implementing it.

With the prospect of war looming, French President Emmanuel Macron scrambled to broker a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Putin, who denies he plans to attack Ukraine.

Russia says it wants Western guarantees that NATO wont allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members  and Putin said Monday that a simple moratorium on Ukraine's accession wouldn't be enough. Moscow has also demanded the alliance halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe  demands flatly rejected by the West.

Macron's office said both leaders had accepted the principle of such a summit, to be followed by a broader meeting that would include other relevant stakeholders to discuss security and strategic stability in Europe.

The language from Moscow and Washington was more cautious, but neither side denied a meeting is under discussion.

During the Kremlin meeting, several top officials spoke skeptically about a possible summit, saying it was unlikely to yield any results.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, meanwhile, said the administration has always been ready to talk to avert a war  but was also prepared to respond to any attack.

So when President Macron asked President Biden yesterday if he was prepared in principle to meet with President Putin, if Russia did not invade, of course President Biden said yes," he told NBC's Today show on Monday. "But every indication we see on the ground right now in terms of the disposition of Russian forces is that they are, in fact, getting prepared for a major attack on Ukraine.

Since Thursday, shelling has spiked along the tense line of contact that separates Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland of Donbas. Over 14,000 people have been killed since conflict erupted there in 2014, shortly after Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

Ukraine and the separatist rebels have traded blame for massive cease-fire violations with hundreds of explosions recorded daily.

While Russia-backed separatists have charged that Ukrainian forces were firing on residential areas, Associated Press journalists reporting from several towns and villages in Ukrainian-held territory along the line of contact have not witnessed any notable escalation from the Ukrainian side and have documented signs of intensified shelling by the separatists that destroyed homes and ripped up roads.

Some residents of the main rebel-held city of Donetsk described sporadic shelling by Ukrainian forces, but they added that it wasnt on the same scale as earlier in the conflict.

The separatist authorities said Monday that at least four civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling over the past 24 hours and several others were wounded. Ukraines military said two Ukrainian soldiers were killed over the weekend, and another serviceman was wounded Monday.

Ukrainian military spokesman Pavlo Kovalchyuk insisted that Ukrainian forces werent returning fire.

In the village of Novognativka on the Ukraine government-controlled side, 60-year-old Ekaterina Evseeva, said the shelling was worse than at the height of fighting early in the conflict.

We are on the edge of nervous breakdowns. And there is nowhere to run, she said, her voice trembling.

In another worrying sign, the Russian military said it killed five suspected saboteurs who crossed from Ukraine into Russias Rostov region and also destroyed two armored vehicles and took a Ukrainian serviceman prisoner. Ukrainian Border Guard spokesman Andriy Demchenko dismissed the claim as disinformation.

Amid the heightened invasion fears, the U.S. administration sent a letter to the United Nations human rights chief claiming that Moscow has compiled a list of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to detention camps after the invasion. The letter, first reported by the New York Times, was obtained by the AP.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the claim was a lie and no such list exists.

___

Karmanau reported from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Cook from Brussels. Lori Hinnant in Kyiv; Angela Charlton in Paris; Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani in Munich, Germany; Geir Moulson in Berlin; and Ellen Knickmeyer, Robert Burns, Matthew Lee and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine crisis at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Everywhere you look engineering touches your daily life. The technology that powers your smartphone, the car you drive, the roads you travel on, the water you drink, the plane you fly in, and the technology of modern medicine are possible because of engineering advances.

Our national defense, economic competitiveness, energy grid and communications depend on our engineering leadership. Now, consider whats beyond your day-to-day reality.

Targeted cancer therapies, abundant clean water, new hydrogen energy from natural gas, advanced radar to protect the homeland and advanced on-demand manufacturing technologies are just a few of the examples. Theres a future made possible by engineering that has the potential to enhance our way of life and grow economic opportunity in our state.

Civil, computer science, aerospace, architectural, electrical, industrial, mechanical, biomedical, chemical and petroleum engineering are all part of what makes the world go round. This year, Engineers Week that continues through Saturday, has a fitting theme for the state of Oklahoma  Reimagining the Possible.

If we had this conversation 20 or 30 years ago, the title might have been Imagining the Impossible. In Oklahoma, we know the value and the promise of engineering.

The rising aerospace industry and other industries in the Sooner State are generating demand for more than 3,000 new engineers annually in coming years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects nationwide employment growth for engineers, with nearly 140,000 new jobs expected during the decade of 201626.

Seem a little divorced from your immediate life? Its not just the aerospace and high-tech industry where more well-trained engineers are needed.

Oklahoma needs engineers to help rebuild and repair more than 2,200 bridges. The state is set to receive $266.9 million to improve its bridges as part of a new funding program being launched by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Another $825 million will go to tribal transportation projects.

What about the water you drink, cook with, bathe in or give your animals to drink? Civil engineers are today looking at ways to give us all higher quality, clean water.

The Sooner State is eager to strengthen both the states technology and economic landscapes. As part of this investment, the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education committed $12.6 million to improve engineering studies at state universities in June 2021.

Thanks to targeted support by state leadership, the University of Oklahomas Gallogly College of Engineering is making big moves to address the engineer demand. In 2021, OU hired 21 engineering faculty whose expertise range from aerospace engineering, data science and energy to medical devices and next generation microelectronic technology.

Our enrollment is on the upswing, and our mentoring programs have enjoyed immense growth  in fall 2021, the OU Engineering Pathways program instructed 1,000 students in grades 4-12 from 21 different schools.

We know this work is just the beginning in helping Oklahoma transform its economic landscape. But thanks to the state, Oklahoma is on its way to producing more engineers to take us into the next decade  and to the innovations and discoveries of the decades beyond.

The states continued support will no doubt provide opportunities for our young people and long-term benefits to our state, its economy, and our citizens.

John Klier is the dean of the University of Oklahomas Gallogly College of Engineering.

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Two television projects gaining buzz will be a boon for Tulsa and Oklahoma, adding to their growing reputation for being friendly to film and video productions.

Creator of the modern-day Western Yellowstone and crime thriller Mayor of Kingstown, Taylor Sheridan, announced the backdrop of his next series will be Tulsa. Also, a series based on the life of 19th century Black lawman Bass Reeves will star David Oyelowo, of Selma fame.

Its unknown if productions will be shooting in the city or state. But, the name recognition in Sheridans Tulsa King, and true story of Reeves are enough to bring welcomed attention. The projects are bound for Paramount+.

This comes on the heels of the critically successful Reservation Dogs on FX  created by Tulsas Sterlin Harjo and shot around Okmulgee  and the filming of Killers of the Flower Moon by director Martin Scorsese in Osage County. Tulsa filmmaker John Swab continues making productions in the city, and the 2020 award-winning movie Minari by Lee Isaac Chung was shot in the Tulsa area.

Academy Award-winning actor Sylvester Stallone is slated to star in Tulsa King as a gangster released from prison after 25 years and starting over in Tulsa. The character assembles a new crew to continue the criminal enterprise.

Fans of Sheridan are drawn to the sprawling storytelling of conflict and political undertones. The plotlines may be gritty, but it will heighten the citys profile having the name attached.

The legend of Bass Reeves goes in the other direction, one of law and justice. Its an inspirational tale of how the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi arrested more than 3,000 criminals, killed 14 and did so having never been shot.

Reeves was born a slave and fled during the Civil War to Indian Territory, living among the Seminole, Cherokee, and Creek Indians. He picked up their languages and customs while developing tracking skills. He was hired as a marshal under U.S. Judge Isaac Parker of Fort Smith, Arkansas, known as the hanging judge.

Indian Territory had become a lawless region harboring murderers, thieves and fugitives among the rugged landscape. Reeves was among the lawmen sent to clean it up.

Reeves led the kind of life needing to be known, both in fact and in the inspiration of nonfiction. Hopefully, it will bring forth other stories of Black Americans who shaped this country.

These projects are exciting news for Tulsa. It will bring a spotlight to our city and region with top-notch creators, entertainers and stories.

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Commuters in several districts in Ho Chi Minh City met lots of difficulties looking for gasoline on Sunday as many filling stations claimed they were out of stock.

At around 2:00 pm on Sunday, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters arrived at the Tai Loc Thinh 2 petrol station in Cu Chi District, which appeared to be open as usual.

However, all attendants claimed that they had run out of gasoline, forcing drivers to leave with their tanks almost empty.

An employee said the facility would resume petrol sales on Monday afternoon.

A similar situation also occurred at petrol station No. 6 in District 12, with employees saying they only had oil products available.

After finding out they were being filmed, a man claiming to be the owner began to threaten the correspondents.

Signs saying 'out of gasoline' are pictured at filling stations in Ho Chi Minh City, February 20, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre

At another station in District 12, gasoline was also said to be out of stock until Monday.

At a petrol station in Go Vap District, an attendant stated that they had run out of gasoline since Saturday afternoon and were unable to restock as of Sunday.

Several market watchdog officers had already inspected the venue and confirmed that it did suffer gasoline shortage, the employee added.

The situation gave a lot of residents a hard time looking for gasoline on Sunday.

Some even had to push their motorbikes for a long distance to find a filling station where gasoline was still available.

A resident reacts after finding out a filling station was out of stock in Ho Chi Minh City, February 20, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre

The short supply appeared to only affect small businesses, while petrol stations run by major firms were still in normal operation.

A representative of a petroleum retailer admitted that the current discount rate offered by producers is too modest, which results in their low profitability.

Tran Y Lan, a representative of a petrol station run by the Ngoc Den 2 private business in Binh Thanh District, explained that local residents had been hoarding gasoline over the past days as there were rumors that fuel prices would further increase in the coming time.

The station thus ran out of stock by the end of the week and could only refill its tanks on Monday, Lan elaborated.

A resident pushes his motorbike after it ran out of gasoline in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, February 20, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre

On Monday afternoon, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry of Finance announced the latest adjustment in oil and gas prices in the country, pushing retail rates to an eight-year high.

E5RON92 and RON95-III gasoline prices both increased by VND960 (US$0.04) per liter to VND25,531 ($1.12) and VND26,282 ($1.15) per liter, respectively.

Oil prices also surged by VND280-940 ($0.01-0.04) per liter.

This is the fourth consecutive increase of fuel prices in the country since the beginning of this year due to the global uptrend and low supply in the country.

A man carries a plastic can to buy gasoline in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, February 20, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre

Market management officers inspect a filling station in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, February 20, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre

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Vietnams food safety authorities have warned that some Abbott powdered infant formulas imported from the U.S. to Vietnam potentially contain the dangerous bacteria Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport, and requested a recall of them from the market.

The warning was released after the Vietnam Food Safety Authority (VFA) under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health was notified by the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) on Sunday that four American infants have been infected with the two strains of bacteria after consuming powdered infant formulas produced by Abbott Nutrition in the U.S.

One of them has died and the manufacturer initiated a voluntary recall of three potentially affected products including Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare manufactured in an Abbott Nutrition facility in Sturgis, Michigan, the INFOSAN said.

These products have been exported to Vietnam and the potentially affected products have a code on the container beginning with the first two digits of 22 through 37 and also containing K8, SH or Z2, the producer said, noting they have an expiration date of April 1, 2022, or later.

Upon receipt of the information from INFOSAN, the VFA immediately requested the importers of such powdered infant formulas to urgently recall them from the Vietnamese market.

The VFA recommended that consumers not use these identified products and immediately notify local authorities when detecting any of them on the market.

It said updated information related to the case will be posted on its website when available.

This image shows the signs (inside red lines) included in the code on U.S.-based Abbott Nutritions baby formula products that have been found potentially containing harmful bacteria Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport. Photo: VFA

In a press release on Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was investigating complaints of four infant illnesses from three states, and advised consumers not to use the products subject to the recall.

All four cases related to these complaints were hospitalized and Cronobacter may have contributed to a death in one case, the agency stated.

The FDA said an onsite inspection has been conducted at the facility and that findings to date include several positive Cronobacter results from environmental samples taken by the FDA and adverse inspectional observations by the FDA investigators.

An internal report of the firm also indicated environmental contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii and the facilitys destruction of products containing Cronobacter, the FDA said.

Cronobacter bacteria can cause severe, life-threatening sepsis or meningitis, whose symptoms may include poor feeding, irritability, temperature changes, jaundice, grunting breaths, and abnormal movements, according to the FDA.

Cronobacter infection may also cause bowel damage and may spread through the blood to other parts of the body.

Meanwhile, salmonella is a group of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever called salmonellosis, which leads to diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps in most infection cases, the FDA warned.

In severe cases of salmonellosis, patients may have high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, a rash, blood in the urine or stool, and it may become fatal in some circumstances.

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Police in Binh Phuoc Province, southern Vietnam have arrested four teenage boys for allegedly attacking and stabbing to death a 15-year-old student in front of his school last week.

The provincial Department of Public Security confirmed on Sunday it had apprehended Le Van Chien, Ly Van Bi, Ho Nhat Hao, and Pham Khanh Hung, all of whom are 16 years old.

The four were accused of being involved in the murder of 15-year-old Pham Gia Hiep, a ninth grader at Nguyen Du Middle School in Phu Rieng District.

At the police station, the young suspects said they had a conflict with Hiep prior to the incident.

They planned on attacking Hiep and waited for him in front of his school on Saturday afternoon.

One of the suspects is caught on camera prior to the attack in front of Nguyen Du Middle School in Binh Phuoc Province, Vietnam, February 19, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre contributor

As Hiep exited the school, the gang began assaulting him, before one of them pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim.

The four later left the scene.

Hiep was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his serious injuries.

Hao turned himself in later the same day, while Chien, Bi, and Hung were eventually arrested by police officers.

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Twenty couples, who are doctors and nurses at Military Hospital 175 in Ho Chi Minh City, tied the knot on Sunday in a collective wedding after a months-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On seeing young health workers who devoted their youth and happiness for the sake of community safety in the fight against the coronavirus, Tran Quoc Viet, deputy director of Military Hospital 175, was so grateful that he decided to hold the special wedding ceremony to pay tribute to and compensate the couples for their sacrifice.

Fashion designer Minh Hanh, director of the Vietnam Fashion Design Institute (FADIN), co-organized the wedding ceremony.

An apology to you all is not enough, Minh Hanh said, referring to the enormous contribution of medical staff to the fight against the virus.

Tran Van An (R) and Bui Thi Hoai Thu (C) are seen working at Military Hospital 175 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

"Given all the hardships that the doctors and nurses have experienced, I call you all heroes."

As they all try hard, so do we.

"Every individual needs to take more practical action, think, and work more responsibly for a safer society.

The pandemic had scuppered all the medical workers' wedding plans after a fourth virus wave erupted in Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, in April last year.

The country has switched to living safely with the pathogen since October this year.

One-of-a-kind wedding

Couples earlier attended a pre-wedding shoot which was set up on the hospital rooftop, bubbling with excitement for their upcoming special day.

Tran Van An and Bui Thi Hoai Thu, who have developed their loving relationship during their time working at Vietnam's first field hospital in South Sudan, finally realized their wedding plans after a period of suspension.

Tran Van An, Bui Thi Hoai Thu, and their one-year-old child have a great time together in a park in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

We came back home after two years and decided to tie the knot, although our son has turned one, An said.

From the guest list to the restaurant and the wedding rings, everything was so ready yet had to be canceled due to the onset of the coronavirus, he recalled.

Up until August last year, they once again planned to have a wedding ceremony. However, the pandemic hit its complicated phase and he got infected and did camp at the hospital for months.

I was so nervous when hearing of the news, Thu said.

Doctor Nguyen Van Khien and his wife have a memorable moment on their big day.

Amidst the pandemic, their love was expressed via screens and the lunch boxes that Thu prepared for her husband.

Tran Thi Thuy Hang, a nurse at Military Hospital 175, appeared in a gorgeous wedding dress at the photo session.

She was touched when her dream came true.

During her fight against the epidemic, Hang always received encouragement from both her family and her fiance.

After the epidemic scaled back, my fiance and his family revealed that they were all infected by the virus, which dumbfounded me, Hang emotionally recounted.

A patient gives a bunch of flowers and wishes the couple the best in their upcoming marriage journey.

Whenever thinking of the challenging time when she could not take good care of her family, Hang bursts into tears.

After ups and downs, especially loss and challenges during the pandemic, Hang and her partner decided to get married earlier than planned.

I love everything about you

Le Thi Huynh Nhu and her husband Huynh Tan Luc fell in love at first sight on a summer volunteer trip 10 years ago.

Their plan for a wedding in October last year was put on hold since Nhu was collecting COVID-19 test samples amidst a surge in the number of infections.

We heard our voices via quick phone calls, or we stood looking at each other over a fence at the hospital, which was somewhat lucky for us during that harsh time, Nhu recalled.

Tran Thi Thuy Hang and her husband-to-be are seen happy in wedding outfits.

Normally, we would see each other once every couple of days, but the virus suddenly messed everything up, Luc shared.

I gave her supplemented foods and nutrients. I sent her loving care and health reminders. Those moments were all saved back to our memory tape.

"I love everything about her and I really respect what she has been doing."

Witnessing Nhu in a beautiful wedding gown during the photoshoot, Tran Thi Kim Thu, Nhus mother-in-law, could not hide her emotion when she recalled her special date 40 years ago in wartime.

"I always encourage them to stay focused on their duties, as I see myself in them," Thu emphasized.

We then fought against the enemies, my children now fight against the epidemic.

Brides and grooms are so happy in their wedding ceremony.

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Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City placed an apartment building in District 1 under temporary lockdown on Monday to control the spread of a new COVID-19 cluster with a score of infections detected recently before removing it just half a day later.

A representative of the Peoples Committee of Ben Nghe Ward in District 1 confirmed the medical isolation order imposed on the building, located at 89-91 Nguyen Du Street, on Monday morning.

COVID-19 cases have been found on every floor of this four-story apartment building, a representative of the Medical Center of District 1 told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Initial statistics have reported more than 20 positive cases.

Police officers were guarding the apartment building, as observed by Tuoi Tre correspondents on Monday morning, while its residents were still accessing all delivery services.

The lockdown, which was ordered on Sunday afternoon to facilitate the mass COVID-19 testing for all residents of the building, was lifted by the middle of Monday, with only some households with infected patients remaining under quarantine, according to District 1 chairman Le Duc Thanh.

Many experts have commented that any lockdown is not advisable in the current context.

The solution here is home isolation, not a lockdown, said Dr. Do Cao Van Anh, deputy dean of the Faculty of Infectious Diseases at the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Van Dung, head of the Faculty of Public Health at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, also said that such a blockade is likely to draw negative reactions from the public, like their evasion to report infections to authorities.

All apartment buildings are no different from residential areas, Dr. Dung explained.

Human contact among apartments is even less than that made by people living in residential areas.

Therefore, it is not fair to lock down an entire building because of a COVID-19 case while people living in residential areas with the same infection situation are allowed to go outside [like the present].

Besides, mass COVID-19 testing is no longer effective when there have been a lot of infections in the community now.

A resident receives goods at the apartment sealed off due to a new COVID-19 cluster at 89-91 Nguyen Du Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, February 21, 2022. Photo: Le Phan / Tuoi Tre

The number of COVID-19 infections in Ho Chi Minh City has increased after the Lunar New Year holiday, which ended earlier this month, and the resumption of offline study.

The number of hospital admissions is also on a slight upward trend.

The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control said that the spike in new cases in all districts and Thu Duc City had been in the forecast.

Besides, many Omicron coronavirus cases have been detected in the community in the southern city while Vietnam is transitioning to the safe and flexible adaptation to COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health logged a record high of 47,200 coronavirus cases across the country on Sunday, alongside 13,414 recovered patients and 78 virus-linked mortalities.

The Southeast Asian nation has detected 2,780,251 community transmissions in all its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth virus wave broke out on April 27, 2021.

Above 2.27 million of them have recovered from COVID-19.

The total caseload since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the country in early 2020 has reached 2,787,493 patients.

Healthcare workers have administered over 191 million vaccine doses, including 456,129 shots on Saturday, since inoculation was rolled out nationwide on March 8, 2021.

Over 174.6 million doses have been given to the adult demographic of the countrys 98 million people, including 70,871,973 first shots, 67,266,482 second doses, 13,335,678 additional primary jabs, and 21,692,469 boosters.

A total of 16,756,669 shots have been injected into children aged 12-17, including 8,608,568 first doses and 8,148,101 second jabs.

Ho Chi Minh City, which has registered some 520,000 infections in the fourth bout, has gradually resumed socio-economic activities since early October last year after being placed under strict lockdown for nearly six months.

More than 8.1 million adults of the southern metropolis nine million population have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose while over 7.5 million of them have been jabbed twice.

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This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears uswhatever we askwe know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)
By Dave Larsen

On the first day of class, University of Dayton history professor Julius Amin challenges his students to name something from Africa that is improving their standard of living here in the United States. When they cant come up with an answer, he pulls a mobile phone from his pocket and says, coltan.

A metallic ore mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, coltan is one of the most important minerals for modern technology, producing several elements that are used in the production of electronic components.

The Congo in Africa has over 75% of the worlds known reserve of coltan, a commodity needed by the cellphone industry to function, and yet the per capita income of this country is less than $1,000, Amin said.

He uses the example to illustrate Africas important contributions to the global economy, as well as how that economic system functions: You provide a necessary commodity, but you continue to live in poverty.

Africa in Our Century is the theme of the 2022 Global Voices virtual symposium, hosted by Amin, the Universitys Alumni Chair in Humanities. The two-day event, presented online March 1-2, examines the growing importance of Africa to the worlds present and future.

Now in its fifth year, the Global Voices symposiums goal is to educate, inform and contribute to ongoing conversations to strengthen global consciousness and awareness on campus and in the larger Dayton community.

It is important to focus on Africa, because people dont understand that Africa is making such contributions to the world, Amin said. This is a continent that is very complex. This is a continent that is clearly on the move.

In November, The Washington Post reported that by the end of this century, Africa will be home to 13 of the worlds 20 biggest urban areas  up from two cities today  as well as a third of the worlds population. By 2034, Africa is expected to have a larger labor workforce than China or India, according to a McKinsey Global Institute report.

The Global Voices symposium begins at 3 p.m. March 1 with an introductory address by Amin, a native of Cameroon.

Three panel discussions on March 2 will address topics that include the impact and promotion of global learning, as well as resetting global awareness amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Panelists include faculty, staff and students from UD, Sinclair Community College, Central State University, Miami University and Wright State University, and participants from the city of Dayton.

Landry Signe, a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program and the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution, will deliver the keynote address at 7 p.m. March 2. Signe also serves as professor and managing director at Arizona State Universitys Thunderbird School of Global Management. He is a distinguished fellow at Stanford Universitys Center for African Studies. His address is titled Unlocking Africas Potential in a Time of Competition Between Rising and Global Powers.

He is a powerful speaker and presents very significant ideas about why Africa should matter to people in our society here in Dayton, in America and around the world, Amin said.

Jayme Shackleford, a 37-year-old mother of three and full-time University of Dayton junior pre-medicine major, will participate in the student panel session Perspectives on Global Education and Impact.

After graduating with an associates degree in Christian ministry, Shackleford visited Denmark, Sweden and Norway, where she spoke at churches. She enrolled at UD in 2018 to fulfill her dream of becoming a physician and practicing medicine in Africa. In 2019, she studied abroad for three weeks in Durban, South Africa.

It was by far the most significant and life-changing trip I have taken, Shackleford said. Study abroad trips for students are relative to growth and development, because they challenge all that the student thinks they know about a culture that is different from their own.

Amin said the symposium is intended to introduce students to Africa  a continent with 54 nations  in a more deliberate and direct manner.

This symposium brings all these mission-driven things at UD like social justice, race, diversity and inclusion to the forefront, Amin said. It helps our students realize that we may live in Dayton, Ohio, but we are part of the global community and this global conversation.

All events are free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. For more information, including the complete symposium schedule and registration links, visit the Global Voices page on the Alumni Chair in the Humanities website.

Photos: Top, Global Voices Virtual Symposium keynote speaker Dr. Landry Signe; Middle, UD professor Julius Amin
* Investigative journalism network publishes client data

* More than 18,000 accounts held more than $100 billion - NYT

* Credit Suisse rejects allegations of wrongdoing

* Government says Switzerland upholds international standards

* Shares lose almost 3% (Adds government statement, market reaction)

By Michael Shields and Francois Murphy

ZURICH/VIENNA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse was plunged into a dirty money scandal on Monday after media outlets reported the Swiss bank had managed accounts for human rights abusers, fraudsters and businessmen who had been placed under sanctions.

One person leaked information on the accounts, which were held in decades ranging from the 1940s to 2010s, to Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung. The German daily then shared it with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and 46 other news organisations including the New York Times, Britain's Guardian and France's Le Monde.

The Panama Papers-style investigations were published on Sunday and come as Credit Suisse, which denies any wrongdoing, tries to shake off a series of risk-management scandals and a 1.6 billion Swiss franc ($1.75 billion) loss in 2021 that has pummelled its stock.

The New York Times said the leaked data covered more than 18,000 accounts collectively holding more than $100 billion.

The revelations also turned the spotlight on Switzerland only a little more than three years after it ditched, under U.S. pressure, a centuries-old culture of secrecy that had made the Alpine state a global no-questions-asked vault for the worlds rich.

"For CS, even if the allegations are unfounded, this raises questions about its business practices in wealth management and should tie up management having to spend time fighting fires instead of moving forward," RBC analysts said.

Shares in Credit Suisse, which fell by almost a quarter last year, were almost 3% lower by mid-afternoon.

"Credit Suisse strongly rejects the allegations and insinuations about the bank's purported business practices," the bank said in a statement issued on Sunday night in response to the consortium's reports.

Story continues

Switzerland's financial watchdog, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) which in 2018 rapped Credit Suisse for deficiencies in fighting money laundering, said it was in contact with the bank about the matter.

"Compliance with money laundering regulations has been a focus of our supervisory activities for years now," a FINMA spokesperson said.

After a call from members of the European Parliament to review Switzerland's banking practices and perhaps include the country in the EU's dirty-money blacklist, the finance ministry's State Secretariat for International Finance said in an emailed statement that the country meets "all international standards on the exchange of information in tax matters and on fighting against money laundering, terrorist financing and corruption".

It added that Switzerland was now participating in the automatic exchange of information on account data with more than 100 countries.

Credit Suisse described the issue as "predominantly historical", adding that information had been taken out of context.

The bank said it had received numerous inquiries from the consortium in the past three weeks and reviewed many of the accounts.

"Approximately 90% of the reviewed accounts are today closed or were in the process of closure prior to receipt of the press inquiries, of which over 60% were closed before 2015," it said.

The bank said that it was satisfied with its checks on the remaining accounts.

"The Swiss financial centre has no interest in money of dubious origin. It attaches the greatest importance to the maintenance of its reputation and integrity," the Swiss Bankers Association said.

($1 = 0.9167 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by Francois Murphy in Vienna, Michael Shields in Zurich and Francesco Guarascio in Brussels; additional reporting by Bartosz Dabrowski in Gdansk; Editing by Frances Kerry, David Goodman, Kirsten Donovan)
The work of several artists will grace art galleries on the University of North Georgia's (UNG) campuses this spring, offering something sure to please art lovers. Professors, students and founders of the Visual Arts Department will exhibit pieces in various media.

A Stacy Koffman exhibition will be March 3-March 22 on UNG's Gainesville Campus. Koffman was an art professor on the Gainesville Campus and then the Oconee Campus. She taught for many years and even served as the department head for visual arts on the Gainesville Campus. Koffman's work will be exhibited as a retrospective, which treats viewers in a single setting to the progression of an artist's work throughout her life.

Her exhibition, called "Transitions," will open in the Roy C. Moore Art Gallery on the Gainesville campus on March 3. It will close in Gainesville and a portion of the show will then be on display in the Oconee Campus art gallery from March 28-April 22.

Koffman will offer a talk and discussion about her show via Zoom. To join Koffman, please contact Victoria Cooke, director of UNG art galleries, at Victoria.cooke@ung.edu.

A visual arts faculty biennial exhibition is on display in Oconee through March 11 after starting in January.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) senior capstone exhibitions for Calli Buttrey, Sarah McPherson and Sara Wagler will be on the Gainesville Campus from March 30 to April 13.

Seniors work throughout the semester to create work to represent themselves.

"This series is a visual progression that explores emotion," Buttrey said. "My work is a depiction of how I think of my own emotions and my journey through them. I am excited for my sculptures to be exhibited and take on a unique meaning to each person that sees them."

Running Feb. 28 through March 22 in the Bob Owens Art Gallery on the Dahlonega Campus is "Foundations: Bob Owens, Tommye Scanlin, Hank Margeson and Win Crannell," featuring the work of four professors who laid the foundation for visual arts at UNG.

Owens was the first department head and ceramics professor. With the addition of Scanlin (McClure) and Crannell, the department was able to add drawing, painting, printmaking and fiber arts to its curriculum. In 1989 Margeson joined the department, adding photography. Owens was instrumental in establishing the reputation of UNG as a leader in the field of art education.

The juried Hal B. Rhodes III Student Exhibition will run April 4-26 on the Dahlonega Campus and showcases the best work of UNG visual arts students. The annual event includes an awards ceremony as part of the month-long exhibition.
Georgia Army National Guard 2nd Lt. Jared Pate, a 2020 University of North Georgia (UNG) graduate, earned the title of distinguished honor graduate of his Ranger School class in January.

Ranger School is a demanding 61-day course that develops combat skills of selected officers and enlisted soldiers, requiring them to perform effectively as small-unit leaders in a realistic, tactical environment, and under mental and physical stress comparable to actual combat.

The Ranger School is regarded as one of the toughest schools of all the military services, let alone the Army, and graduates earn the right to wear the Ranger tab.

Pate's class started with 359 other students when the courses began on Nov. 7. Only 129 soldiers from Pate's class became Rangers by completing the course, a graduation rate of 36%.

"The guys that go in and think about graduation from day one typically fail out or really have a hard time and struggle," said Pate. "But if you take it one day at a time and one hour at a time, kind of chip away at it, you can make it."

Currently a platoon leader of the Gainesville-based Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. He is originally from Commerce, Georgia, and now resides in Athens.

Pate was a Distinguished Military Graduate from UNG. While attending UNG, he served in the Georgia Army National Guard as an infantryman assigned to the Covington-based Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment.
A group of journalists has accused Switzerland's second-largest bank of processing money for dictators, drug traffickers, and torturers for over a year. The United States and the United Kingdom have raised the stakes for prospective sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine.

The customer lists of Swiss banks are among the world's most tightly guarded secrets, preserving the identity of some of the world's wealthiest individuals as well as hints as to how they came to be so wealthy.

An astounding data breach from Credit Suisse, one of the world's most recognizable banks, reveals how the bank kept hundreds of millions of dollars for heads of state, intelligence officers, sanctioned businesspeople, and human rights violators, among others.

The German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, a self-described whistleblower, provided data on more than 18,000 bank accounts, totaling more than $100 billion. The newspaper shared the data with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, a non-profit journalistic organization, and 46 other news organizations across the globe, including The New York Times.

The data includes accounts opened from the 1940s until far into the 2010s but does not include the bank's present activities.

King Abdullah II of Jordan and the two sons of former Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak were reported as having millions of dollars in Credit Suisse accounts. Sons of a Pakistani intelligence officer who helped transfer billions of dollars from the U.S. and other nations to the mujahedeen in Afghanistan in the 1980s were among the account holders, as were Venezuelan officials embroiled in a long-running corruption scandal.

According to the leak, Credit Suisse established accounts for and continues to service the ultrawealthy and persons with questionable histories who might have been discovered by running their names through a search engine.

According to Daniel Thelesklaf, the former director of Switzerland's anti-money laundering agency, Swiss banks have long faced legal bans on accepting money related to illicit activities. However, he claims that the legislation is seldom implemented.

In a response, Candice Sun, a bank spokesperson, stated, "Credit Suisse vehemently disputes the claims and inferences concerning the bank's claimed business operations." She said that many of the accounts in the breach stretch back decades to "a period when financial institutions' regulations, policies, and expectations were significantly different from where they are today."

While Credit Suisse cannot comment on particular customers, Ms. Sun said that many of the accounts listed in the stolen information had already been closed. "Of the remaining current accounts," she stated, "we are confident that sufficient due diligence, reviews, and other control-related measures, including pending account closures, were performed."

Ms. Sun went on to say that the leak seemed to be part of a "coordinated campaign to undermine the bank and the Swiss financial system, which has experienced considerable changes in recent years."

The release comes after the Panama Papers in 2016, the Paradise Papers in 2017, and the Pandora Papers last year. They all shed light on the shadowy operations of banks, law firms, and offshore financial-services providers, which enable affluent individuals and organizations  even those suspected of crimes  to transfer significant quantities of money entirely beyond the reach of tax collectors and law enforcement.

The fresh revelations are expected to increase legal and political scrutiny on the Swiss banking sector, particularly Credit Suisse. The bank is already suffering from the sudden departures of two of its senior executives.

Switzerland has traditionally been a sanctuary for anyone who wants to conceal money due to its strict regulations of bank secrecy. Over the last decade, this has made the country's top banks, particularly its two behemoths, Credit Suisse and UBS, a target for authorities in the United States and abroad attempting to combat tax evasion, money laundering, and other crimes.

The Justice Department and the Senate Finance Committee also investigate whether U.S. citizens continue to have undisclosed bank accounts.

According to a whistleblower lawsuit filed last year by a former bank official and a lawyer for other former employees, several former Credit Suisse employees told federal prosecutors late last year that the bank continued to hide hundreds of millions of dollars for clients long after its 2014 guilty plea. (The complaint was dropped when the Justice Department claimed it "threatens to interfere with existing conversations with Credit Suisse" regarding dealing with U.S. residents' Swiss bank accounts.)

The media consortium has dubbed "Suisse Secrets" the newest leak. Approximately 100 US residents maintained accounts among the more than 18,000 bank accounts linked, although none are prominent celebrities.

Among the most shocking disclosures is that Credit Suisse continued to conduct business with clients even after bank personnel warned of questionable financial behavior.

Nervis Villalobos, Venezuela's former deputy minister of energy, was one of the account holders.

Credit Suisse's compliance department employees had cause to be apprehensive about doing business with him. According to a Spanish police investigation received by the media consortium, the bank possessed a 2008 study by an independent due-diligence firm documenting corruption charges between Mr. Villalobos and Venezuela's state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela. (The report was examined by The New York Times.)

Despite this, Credit Suisse established an account for him in 2011, according to stolen bank data. The account closed in 2013, had up to $10 million.

Mr. Villalobos' lawyers did not reply to demands for comment. He was accused criminally by the Justice Department in 2017.

There were 25 Credit Suisse accounts totaling around $270 million that belonged to persons suspected of being engaged in a broad scheme involving Venezuela's oil business. After the incident became known, the accounts remained active but were closed when criminal charges were brought.

The bank also left accounts open for a Zimbabwean businessman sanctioned by U.S. and European authorities for his links to the country's longstanding ruler, Robert Mugabe's regime. After the penalties were applied, the accounts remained open for many months.

According to the stolen bank information, many accounts were related to government figures in the Middle East and beyond. The data raises concerns about how public officials and their families amassed enormous fortunes in a corrupt area.

Why Billionaires Worship Swiss Banks
Members of the Order of Granaderos y Damas de Galvez facilitated this special donation. Representatives presenting the flag were Dan and Nancy McCort, Ms. Nan Harper, and sisters Mrs. Molly Long Fernandez de Mesa and Ms. Anthony Long Startz. The Long sisters father, Mr. Don Long, served aboard Cabot during her stay at Pensacola in the 1950s, while Mollys husband Luis later served aboard Dedalo as a pilot with the Spanish Navy after completing flight training in Pensacola.

On 1 February 2022, the National Naval Aviation Museum was honored to receive the donation of a historic Torrotito flag, a banner which last flew over the Spanish aircraft carrier Dedalo during 1989 upon her return to the United States. Dedalo had previously served with the U.S. Navy as USS Cabot (CVL 28), receiving the Presidential Unit Citation for actions during World War II. The Spanish Navy acquired the ship in 1967 following her decommissioning from the American fleet. With the(Spanish Navy), the carrier logged an further 30,000+ aircraft launches and recoveries.

Cabot II (CVL 28) via www.history.navy.mil

The second Cabot (CVL 28) was laid down as the light cruiser Wilmington (CL 79) on 16 March 1942 at the New York Shipbuilding Co. in Camden, New Jersey. On June 2nd, 1942, the ship was reclassified as an aircraft carrier (CV 28), receiving the new name of Cabot a few days later on June 23rd. Her conversion from light cruiser to carrier took place during her construction, with the launch taking place on 4 April 1943 (sponsored by Mrs. A.C. Read). Reclassified as a light aircraft carrier (CVL 28) on 15 July 1943, the ship was commissioned into the U.S. Navy on 24 July 1943, with Capt. M.F. Shoeffel in command.

Cabot sailed from Naval Air Station (NAS) Quonset Point, Rhode Island for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 8 November 1943; she arrived on 2 December. Clearing for Majuro in the Marshall Islands on 15 January 1944, she joined Task Force 58 to begin the consistently high quality of wartime service which was to win her a Presidential Unit Citation. From 4 February to 4 March 1944, Cabot launched her planes in strikes against Roi, Namur, and the island stronghold of Truk in the Carolinas, helping to neutralize these Japanese bases as her part in the invasion of the Marshalls.

Cabot then returned to Pearl Harbor for a brief period of repairs and resupply; she was back in action from Majuro for raids on the Palaus, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai at the close of March, 1944. She then sailed to help provide air cover for the Hollandia operation (2225 April) and, four days later, began to hurl her air power at Truk, Satawan, and Ponape. She cleared Majuro again on the 6th of June for the pre-invasion air strikes in the Marianas, and during June 19 and 20, she launched sorties in the key Battle of the Philippine Sea, the famous Marianas Turkey Shoot, which hopelessly crippled Japanese naval aviation. Cabots aircraft pounded Japanese bases on Iwo Jima, Pagan, Rota, Guam, Yap, and Ulithi as the carrier continued her support of the Marianas operation until 9 August.

Pre-invasion strikes in the Palaus in September 1944, along with air attacks on Mindanao, the Visayas, and Luzon paved the way for the long-awaited return to the Philippines. On 6 October, Cabot sailed from Ulithi for raids on Okinawa, and to provide air cover for her task group during the heavy enemy attacks off Formosa [Taiwan] (1213 October). Cabot joined the group which screened Cripple Division 1, heavy cruiser Canberra (CA-70) and Houston (CL-81), which had been torpedoed off Formosa, to the safety of the Carolines, then rejoined her group for continued airstrikes on the Visayas, and the Battle for Leyte Gulf (2526 October).

Cabot remained on patrol off Luzon, conducting strikes in support of operations ashore, and repelling desperate, kamikaze suicide attacks. On 25 November a particularly vicious attack took place; Cabot had fought off several kamikazes when one of these aircraft, already aflame, crashed onto the flight deck on the port side, destroying the still-firing 20-millimeter gun platform, disabling the 40-millimeter mounts and a gun director, not to mention taking the lives of many American sailors manning those positions. Another of Cabots victims crashed close aboard and showered the port side with metal fragments and burning debris. Cabot lost 62 men killed and wounded, but careful training had produced a crew which handled damage control smoothly and coolly. While she continued to maintain her station in formation and operate effectively, temporary repairs took place. On 28 November she arrived at Ulithi to undergo more permanent repairs.

Cabot returned to action on 11 December 1944, steaming with the force striking Luzon, Formosa, Indochina, Hong Kong, and the Nansei Shoto in support of the Luzon operations. From 10 February to 1 March 1945, her planes pounded the Japanese homeland and the Bonins to suppress opposition to the invasion of Iwo Jima. Continued strikes against Kyushu and Okinawa in March prepared for the invasion of the latter island. After these prolonged, intensive operations, Cabot was homeward bound for San Francisco, California, for a much-needed overhaul (completed in June).

After refresher training at Pearl Harbor, the carrier launched strikes on Wake Island on 1 August while en route to Eniwetok. Here she remained on training duty until the end of the war. Sailing on 21 August, she joined Task Group 38.3 to support the landings of occupation troops in the Yellow Sea area in September and October. Embarking homeward-bound men at Guam, Cabot arrived at San Diego on 9 November, then sailed for the east coast. Cabot was placed out of commission in reserve at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 11 February 1947.

Recommissioned on 27 October 1948, Cabot was assigned to the Naval Air Reserve training program. She operated out of Pensacola, Florida, then NAS Quonset Point, on cruises to the Caribbean, and had one tour of duty in European waters (9 January26 March 1952). Cabot was again placed out of commission in reserve on 21 January 1955, and on 15 May 1959, reclassified to an auxiliary aircraft transport (AVT-3).

Cabot was loaned to the Spanish Navy on 30 August 1967, gaining the new name Dedalo (R.01). She was thus stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1972 and sold to the Spaniards. She continued in service with that fleet until she was stricken a second time, in August 1989. Returned to the United States, attempts to preserve her as a floating museum and a war memorial eventually fell apart and, sadly, she was broken up and scrapped in 2002. The National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola, Florida, built a replica of her island and part of the flight deck, using the ships original plans. In addition to the Presidential Unit Citation, Cabot received nine battle stars for World War II service.
Doc, one of two airworthy Boeing B-29s in the world, will be returning to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2022 for air show appearances and static displays during the week. While the exact appearance schedule is still being finalized, the aircraft will be parked on Boeing Plaza for public view when on the AirVenture grounds.

The World War II-era bomber will help commemorate the U.S. Air Forces 75th anniversary at Oshkosh in 2022. AirVenture will feature aircraft from throughout the Air Forces history, from its creation out of the Army Air Forces in 1947 to todays modern military aircraft.

The rarity and the historical significance of the B-29 always make it a popular sight at Oshkosh, said Rick Larsen, EAAs vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. Being able to see Doc both on the ground and in the air during AirVenture week will be a big addition to our commemoration of the U.S. Air Forces 75th anniversary this summer.

Doc was rescued from the Mojave Desert in 1987 and was meticulously restored over a 30-year period. It made its first air show appearances in 2017, including a legendary flight at Oshkosh that year with the Commemorative Air Forces B-29 FIFI, marking the first time two B-29s had flown together information in approximately 60 years.

Earlier this month, EAA and Docs Friends announced that the B-29 would be joining EAAs B-25 Berlin Express for a series of joint appearances in Florida and Louisiana beginning late March.

Advance tickets for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh are now on sale, with the lowest rates for EAA members and early-bird discounts currently available.





In addition, Docs Friends will be offering flight experiences aboard the aircraft during AirVenture week, based at Appleton International Airport (ATW). More information is available through the Docs Friends website at www.b29doc.com/rides.

About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is The Worlds Greatest Aviation Celebration and EAAs membership convention. Additional information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available at www.EAA.org/airventure. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or visit www.EAA.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.
Mainland medical experts continue inspection of Hong Kong's anti-COVID work

Xinhua) 08:51, February 21, 2022

The team of the mainland epidemiological experts, accompanied by representatives from the Department of Health (DH) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, visit the Quarantine Center Task Force to learn about the HKSAR government's quarantine and isolation work, in south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 20, 2022. Two medical expert delegations from the Chinese mainland continued their inspections of Hong Kong's anti-COVID-19 work and patients treatment on Sunday. (Xinhua)

HONG KONG, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Two medical expert delegations from the Chinese mainland continued their inspections of Hong Kong's anti-COVID-19 work and patients treatment on Sunday.

The team of the mainland epidemiological experts met and exchanged views with representatives from the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), the Home Affairs Department (HAD), and the Department of Health (DH) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.

Secretary for Food and Health of the HKSAR government Sophia Chan said that the HKSAR government will carefully study and implement the recommendations offered by mainland experts, and manage the various aspects of anti-epidemic work.

"The HKSAR government spares no effort in implementing anti-epidemic strategies that are effective, targeted and most suited to the situation in Hong Kong in order to cut the virus transmission chains as quickly as possible, and to put the fifth wave of the epidemic under control," she said.

During the meeting, the OGCIO introduced the technical support provided for the compulsory home quarantine arrangements in Hong Kong, and the HAD briefed the mainland experts on the scope of services and mode of operation of the 24-hour hotline to support the "StayHomeSafe" scheme.

After the meeting, the mainland epidemiological experts visited the Quarantine Center Task Force to learn about the HKSAR government's quarantine and isolation work. The team was also briefed on Hong Kong's sewage surveillance program in Sunday afternoon.

The other delegation of medical experts attended an exchange meeting chaired by Chan, with the participation by representatives from the Hospital Authority (HA) in the HKSAR, and learned about Hong Kong's work in treating patients infected with COVID-19. Both sides exchanged views on the latest situation of the fifth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong and the clinical management of patients.

In the afternoon, the medical experts visited the Princess Margaret Hospital Infectious Disease Center to learn about Hong Kong's work in diagnosis, treatment and care for confirmed COVID-19 patients.

The epidemiological and medical expert delegations, both from the neighboring Guangdong province, arrived in Hong Kong on Feb. 17 and 19, respectively.

The team of the mainland epidemiological experts exchange views with representatives from the Food and Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, in south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 20, 2022. Two medical expert delegations from the Chinese mainland continued their inspections of Hong Kong's anti-COVID-19 work and patients treatment on Sunday. (Xinhua/Su Wanming)

The team of the mainland epidemiological experts is briefed on Hong Kong's sewage surveillance program in south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 20, 2022. Two medical expert delegations from the Chinese mainland continued their inspections of Hong Kong's anti-COVID-19 work and patients treatment on Sunday. (Xinhua)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
WATERLOO -- J. Nicholas De Bonis will discuss Waterloos racial and social conflicts during the 1960s at the Cedar Valley Historical Society meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday. A 1966 East High graduate, De Bonis used social media asking other 1963-1972 Waterloo graduates to reminisce about their school experiences. These posts became an integral part of his book, "The Bridge Between: Race, Rage & Reconciliation in 1960s Iowa," published in 2018.

He is an Air Force (Vietnam, 1969) and Army veteran.

De Bonis has a B.A. from Flagler College (St. Augustine, Fla.); an M.S. from Troy State (Alabama) University; and a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. For more than 20 years, he has taught marketing, advertising, and communication in college and has co-written three books on these topics. He is also a global strategic customer value management consultant.

The meeting will be at the Grout Museum of History and Science, 503 South St. Guests are asked to park in the upper parking lot off of South Street. All programs are open to the public. Refreshments will be served after the meeting. Although it is not mandatory, the Grout Museum asks the public to please wear a face mask. Free disposable face masks will be available.

New members are always welcome. Anyone interested in becoming a member and learning more about upcoming programs should contact Craig Bravender at (319) 296-3019.

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WATERLOO  A Waterloo man has been arrested after allegedly shooting a gun following a discussion with his wife over the weekend.

Waterloo police arrested Daniel Lee Sperry-Weber, 59, of 723 Reber Ave., on charges of intimidation with a weapon and domestic assault with a weapon on Sunday. Bond was set at $15,000.

Authorities allege Sperry-Webers wife told him she wanted a divorce, and he went to the bedroom and picked up a .22-magnum North American Arms revolver.

He then called his wife to the bedroom and fired a single shot when she looked around the corner into the room, according to court records. The bullet struck a hallway door, and the woman left the house.

Sperry-Weber then allegedly left the bedroom with the weapon and put it away before police arrived.

Officers found the revolver and noticed a spent shell casing in the cylinder, according to court records.

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INDEPENDENCE  One person is dead and second has serious injuries after a pickup truck allegedly crossed into oncoming traffic, striking a car and a sheriffs patrol vehicle south of Hazleton early Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Ronald Landals, 31, of Perry, according to the Buchanan County Sheriffs Office. His passenger, Erin Bernardion, 28, of Des Moines, was airlifted to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City with serious injuries, according to deputies.

A preliminary report indicates a Chevrolet Silverado operated by Brian Goedken, 27, of Independence, was heading south on Jackson Avenue/U.S. Highway 150 around 2:34 a.m. when it crossed the center line and into the path of a Landals northbound Pontiac G5.

The Silverado struck the Pontiac head-on and then collided with a Sheriffs Office Ford Police Interceptor Utility driven by Deputy Mitchell Franck, 26, of Fairbank, who was behind the Pontiac, according to authorities.

Goedken and a passenger in his vehicle, 21-year-old Meadow Lynn of Independence, were transported to St. Lukes Hospital in Cedar Rapids with non-life-threatening injuries.

The collision remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.

The Buchanan County Sheriffs Office was assisted at the scene by the Iowa State Patrol, Fayette County Sheriffs Office, Independence Police Department, Oelwein Police Department, Hazleton Fire Department, Independence Fire Department, AMR Ambulance and Oelwein MercyOne Ambulance.

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This is the Minsk Agreement that Ukraine refuses to implement in any form and yet they signed it

February 12, 2015

1. An immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine and its strict implementation starting at 0000 (Kyiv time) February 15, 2015.

2. The withdrawal of all heavy weapons by both parties at equal distances in order to create at least a 50 kilometer security zone for 100mm or larger caliber artillery systems, a 70 kilometer security zone for Grad multiple rocket launcher systems and a 140 kilometer security zone for the Tornado-S, Uragan, and Smerch multiple rocket launcher systems and Tochka (Tochka-U) tactical missile systems:

 for the Ukrainian troops: [withdrawal] from the actual contact line;

 for the military units of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine: [withdrawal] from the contact line in accordance with the Minsk memorandum of September 19, 2014

Withdrawal of aforementioned heavy weapons shall begin no later than the second day of the ceasefire and end within 14 days.

The OSCE will contribute to this process with the support of the Trilateral Contact Group.

3. Starting the first day of such withdrawal, ensuring the effective monitoring and verification by the OSCE of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons with the use of all necessary technical means, including satellites, UAVs, radar systems, etc.

4. On the first day after the withdrawal, to begin a dialogue on the procedures for holding local elections in accordance with Ukrainian law and the Law of Ukraine On a temporary order of local government in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as on the future regime of these areas, according to this Act.

Immediately, no later than 30 days from the date of signing of this document, to adopt a resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with the specification of a territory subject to the special regime in accordance with the Law of Ukraine On temporary order of local government in some regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions based on the line set in a Minsk memorandum of September 19, 2014

5. To provide pardons and amnesties by the enactment of a law prohibiting prosecution and punishment of persons with regard to the events that took place in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

6. To ensure the release and exchange of hostages and illegally detained persons based on the principle of all for all. This process must be completed no later than the fifth day after the withdrawal.

7. To provide secure access, delivery, storage and distribution of humanitarian aid to the needy on the basis of an international mechanism.

8. Determination of the procedure for the full restoration of the socio-economic relations, including transactions of social payments, such as pensions and other payments (takings and income, timely payment of all utility bills, renewal of taxation within Ukraines legal framework).

To this end, Ukraine shall regain control over the segment of its banking system in conflict-affected areas, and an international mechanism to facilitate such transfers will probably be created.

9. Restoration of full control over the state border of Ukraine by Ukraines government throughout the whole conflict area, which should begin on the first day after the local elections and be completed after a comprehensive political settlement (local elections in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on the basis of the Law of Ukraine, and a constitutional reform) by the end of 2015, on condition of implementation of paragraph 11  with consultations and in agreement with the representatives of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group.

10. The withdrawal of all foreign armed forces, military equipment, as well as mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine under the supervision of the OSCE. Disarmament of all illegal groups.

11. Conducting constitutional reform in Ukraine, with the new constitution coming into force by the end of 2015, providing for decentralization as a key element (taking into account the characteristics of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, agreed with representatives of these areas), as well as the adoption of the permanent legislation on the special status of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in accordance with the measures specified in Note [1], until the end of 2015. (See Notes)

12. On the basis of the Law of Ukraine On temporary order of local government in individual areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions the questions regarding local elections shall be discussed and agreed with the individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group. Elections will be held in compliance with the relevant standards of the OSCE with the monitoring by the OSCE ODIHR.

13. To intensify the activities of the Trilateral Contact Group, including through the establishment of working groups to implement the relevant aspects of the Minsk Agreement. They will reflect the composition of the Trilateral Contact Group.
The USA Embassy located in Moscow, Russia has post something on official website, that is totally off the wall and most likely could be construed in the normal world as being drunk and or on drugs at the time it was posted

Security Alert: U.S. Mission Russia (February 20, 2022)

https://ru.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-mission-russia-february-20-2022/

Location: Russia Event: According to media sources, there have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine. Actions to Take: Monitor local and international media for updates. Avoid crowds. Notify friends and family of your safety. Be aware of your surroundings. Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists/Westerners. Review your personal security plans. Carry proper identification, including a U.S. passport with a current Russian visa. Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance. Assistance: U.S. Embassy Moscow, Russia +(7) (495) 728-5577 After hours  +(7) (495) 728-5000 moscowacs@state.gov Website  U.S. Embassy MoscowState Department  Consular Affairs 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444Russia Country InformationEnroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updatesFollow us on Facebook and TwitterBy U.S. Mission Russia | 20 February, 2022 | Topics: Alert

Source: Security Alert: U.S. Mission Russia (February 20, 2022)  U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Russia

Even McFaul is confused about this official statement

This is very unusual. I cant ever remember a message like this (except one time when there was a demonstration outside of our residence at Spaso House, and we told people to avoid the area.) https://t.co/DNZDmRZ4PS  Michael McFaul (@McFaul) February 20, 2022

I really hope that this is not a sign of a desperate USA and its shenanigans?

WtR
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TAIPEI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan has officially allowed the imports of Japanese food and agricultural products from areas affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, according to a notice issued by the island's food and drug administration on Monday.

The move came after the island's executive authority announced in early February that it would lift the 10-year ban by the end of this month, indicating that food imports from five prefectures in Japan -- Fukushima and neighboring Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki, and Tochigi -- would be permitted to enter Taiwan.

Despite the lifting of the import ban, certain restrictions will remain in place. Mushrooms, wild bird and other wild animal meat and a Japanese vegetable known as "koshiabura" from the five prefectures, as well as other items from the affected areas that cannot be sold in other parts of Japan, will continue to be prohibited from entering Taiwan.

For all other food imports from the five prefectures, Taiwan will mandate border inspections and require certificates of origin and radiation inspection certificates.

The import ban was imposed by Taiwan in late March 2011 for food safety reasons in the wake of a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami that triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 
On December 2, 2016, the Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland stole the life of 20-year old Michela Gregory. Her father, photographer David Gregory, has never been the same.

That just totally changed my life in a bad way. For a while, I thought I was never going to be able to take pictures anymore because I cant go anywhere without thinking about her, he says. Sunrises are tough, sunsets. Everything has a double meaning now. But I try to keep going because thats what she would want.

Gregory, the son of an African-American father and an Italian mother, immigrated from Italy to San Francisco as a teenager in the 1980s. I couldnt speak English, even though my dads American. Every time he spoke to us in English, it felt like a punishment, he explains. I struggled to fit in for awhile.

A mechanic by trade, Gregory purchased his first camera in 2012 and the hobby quickly became both a passion and an escape. I call it freestyling. I jump in my car and go from neighborhood to neighborhood. When I go out and shoot, I put on my headphones and listen to music and I walk. You never know what youre going to encounter, he says, like the coyote he found just standing in the middle of Hyde Street early one morning. Its one of my favorites.

While photography continues to spark Gregorys creativity, he has recently begun to expand his artistic practice to include painting, too.

I print some of my images on canvas and go over them with oil. Its a work in progress and something Ive been thinking about doing for a while. Its looking pretty cool but I want to get better before I start posting them, he explains.

For me, the last couple of years have been really rough but I try to go out there and stay motivated, Gregory says. I love cityscapes, landscapesits all beautiful to me. I just think the world is beautiful.

Below, Gregory describes below how he got the shot on some of our favorite images from the streets of San Francisco. Follow him on Instagram at @gregoryd1.

The moody lights of San Francisco's Chinatown. (David Gregory, @gregoryd1)

"I was with a couple of friends and we were walking in Chinatown. The light was so cool. It was just one of those moments that everything comes in front of you and you react. I just love the way it looked. I was lucky to take a good picture," explains Gregory.





Reflections on a cable car. (David Gregory, @gregoryd1)

"This was on California Street right after the rain. I wanted to try and go find some reflections and I was walking near there and I was hoping there was a puddle so I could get the cable car. Theres many times when you take a picture thinking its going to look a certain way but once you go home and look at it on a larger screen it doesnt come out like you were hoping. There are disappointments, but this one came out really good. Its one of my favorites," Gregory says.





A peek of the Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Baker. (David Gregory, @gregoryd1)

"This one was taken from Fort Baker. It was low tide and a couple of friends and I were taking pictures. There was another photographer right at the spot I wanted to be but he looked so cool the way he was positioned with the pilings and the bridge in the background and the colors because it was sunset. It turned out to be a really good shot," Gregory explains.





"Sunrise" over San Francisco. (David Gregory, @gregoryd1)

"The sun is not supposed to be rising there. The sky itself was just gray but, because it was sunrise, I said let me just put the sun there. The sun usually rises way more to the right. Some people pointed it out and gave me a hard time about it, but I use some of the tools available to me to enhance some of my images. A lot of great photographers do that. At first i was against it, but i guess I feel like Ive evolved a little bit more," says Gregory.







A woman feeds the seagulls behind the San Francisco Ferry Building. (David Gregory, @gregoryd1)

"This is my most favorite in a long time, something I witnessed and I happened to have my camera. A lady came up as I was walking on the Embarcadero by the Ferry Building. Once she got there, all these gulls came and she just started feeding them. It was just an awesome moment and i was really lucky to be there at the time to get the shot," remembers Gregory.
Forty-seven percent of voters age 50-plus in Illinois have experience as family caregivers, either by currently caring for an adult loved one (15%) or previously doing so (32%). Most of these caregivers also worked while providing care (64%).

The majority of voters (52%) do not believe that the Illinois state government offers enough support for unpaid family caregivers. Consequently, the majority of voters support paid leave for caregivers (82%), increased funding for respite care (79%), the establishment of an income tax credit for caregivers (88%), and more resources to the Care Coordination Services program (81%).

While nearly all voters believe it is extremely or very important that nursing home residents receive quality care (98%), at least eight in ten are extremely or very concerned about inadequate staffing in nursing homes (91%), as well as the cost of nursing home care (86%), and not being about to have visitors (83%) or being isolated and alone in nursing homes (79%).

The majority of voters support nursing home reform, including eliminating ward-like rooms (74%), accountability of nursing home facilities for abuse and neglect (96%), increasing the frequency of safety inspections (89%) and those that inspect them (84%).

The majority of voters also support increasing funding to direct care workers (82%) in nursing homes and requiring that the majority of taxpayer funding goes toward staffing and safety protocols (90%).

Methodology

AARP Illinois commissioned a telephone survey among 1,104 registered voters age 50-plus in Illinois to learn their views on long-term care and related proposals being considered by the Illinois State Legislature. A total of 1,104 registered voters were interviewed from September 29, 2021 to October 20, 2021. The data collection was performed by ADRG. The data is weighted by age, gender, AARP membership status, race, and ethnicity. Percentages reported are rounded.

For more information, please contact Terri Guengerich at tguengerich@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.

Suggested citation:

Guengerich, Terri. AARP Illinois Voter Survey on Family Caregiving and Long-Term Care. Washington, DC: AARP Research, February 2022. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00523.001
Policies that help family caregivers, improve the quality of long-term care facilities, and facilitate telehealth receive overwhelming support of Nebraska voters age 50-plus, according to a recent AARP survey.

With a desire to help people age in place, Nebraskans want policies that not only offer financial assistance, but also improve the quality of care for people as they age. More than four in 10 Nebraskans identify as current or former caregivers and reveal the mental and financial stress experienced during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the pandemic has increased the emotional strain on more than half of current caregivers.

Championing Caregiver Support

Chief among the findings is a desire for helping family caregivers. Eight in 10 Nebraska voters believe employers should be required to provide limited unpaid leave to employees who are caregivers, and 73% support some paid leave to all employees that can be used for caregiving purposes.

Further, 82% think employers should be prohibited from firing family caregivers for taking time off.

Not only do Nebraskans want employers to accommodate family caregivers, but they also want increased funding for respite care programs. The vast majority (79%) of voters support public financing of short-term help from a home health aide or adult day care program so family caregivers can take a break.

Voters also embrace continuing to fund the Nebraska Family Caregiver Reimbursement Program. The program provides partial reimbursement to family caregivers who pay for home modifications and assistive care technology, such as hearing aids and wheelchairs. While transportation is the most common expense cited by caregivers, 44% have paid for assistive technology. Home modifications are also a common expense, with 39% of caregivers modifying the recipients home and 30% modifying their own home.

Eight in 10 voters want to see the reimbursement program continue. The strongest support comes from Democrats with 78% saying they strongly support continued funding for the program, while 53% of Republicans and 61% of Independents also expressed strong support.

Strengthening Long-Term Care

While most Nebraska voters want to receive long-term care at home  and support policies allowing that  there is bipartisan interest in policies that ensure quality of care in long-term care facilities. Virtually all Nebraska voters (97%) say it is extremely or very important for nursing home residents to receive quality care.

Voters also strongly support providing a living wage to paid caregivers who work in long-term care facilities and developing a multigenerational nursing home facility where childcare is offered to children of employees.

With 83% indicating it is extremely or very important to have services that would allow them to stay at home, older Nebraska voters also express significant support for enhancing telehealth services. Eight in 10 support a requirement that health insurance cover telehealth, and 78% support investments to improve peoples access to telehealth services.

Methodology

The Nebraska Voter Survey on Caregiving and Long-Term Care was conducted by American Directions Research Group (ADRG) among registered voters of Nebraska ages 50-plus. The survey asked registered Nebraska voters their views on families and older Americans, as well as related proposals being considered by the Nebraska state legislature. The telephone survey interviews averaged 20 minutes in length. The interviews were conducted in English by ADRG from October 4 to October 23, 2021. The data were collected using a registered voter list. A total of 1,000 interviews were completed. For more information, contact Terry Keenan at tkeenan@aarp.org. For media inquiries, please contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.

Suggested citation:

Keenan, Teresa A. Nebraska Voter Survey on Caregiving and Long-Term Care. Washington, DC: AARP Research, February 2022. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00518.001
A fourth Covid-19 shot might be recommended this fall, as officials 'continually' look at emerging data. Pictures are Covid-19 vaccine syringes at a vaccination clinic in Peabody, Massachusetts, on January 26.
Flint attorney urging Flint residents to file for Flint water settlement well before May 12 deadline
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President Joe Biden has agreed "in principle" to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as long as Russia does not further invade Ukraine, according to a statement from White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
BEIRUT, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's state security on Monday seized a cargo of 200,000 Captagon pills from Syria to the Lebanese border town Arsal, the National News Agency reported.

The Captagon, the trademark name for the synthetic stimulant fenethylline, was snatched when the state security was chasing the vehicle heading to the Wadi Oueini region of Arsal, Baalbek District.

The pills fell on the ground and the driver managed to flee the scene, said the reports.

In recent months, Lebanese security forces launched dozens of operations to monitor coastal and land borders with Syria to identify smuggling routes and reduce such crimes.

Saudi Arabia announced in April the suspension of fruit and vegetables imported or transited from Lebanon, after Saudi authorities thwarted an attempt in that month to smuggle more than five million Captagon pills in fruit shipments from Lebanon.

At the time, Lebanese authorities said the cargo entered Lebanon from Syria and was repackaged in Lebanon's Bekaa region before heading to the Saudi port of Jeddah. 
FSG Selects Nokia and Mavenir as Technology Partners for Australia's 4th Mobile Network



FSG Selects Nokia and Mavenir as Technology Partners

Sydney, Feb 21, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Field Solutions Holdings Limited ( ASX:FSG ), Australia's leading rural and regional telecommunications carrier, is pleased to announce it has selected Nokia and Mavenir as primary technology partners to build FSG's RAN - Regional Australia Network, Australia's 4th Mobile Network.Highlights- Technology partners to supply 4G and 5G radio access networks and mobile core- Mavenir(R) to provide 4G/5G Converged Packet core, as well as IMS Voice and Messaging services- FSG to deliver Australia's 4th 4G/5G mobile network in rural, regional, and remote areas- FSG to deliver private 4G/5G networks for agribusiness, mining, and government- NB-IoT and Cat-M1 capability- Nokia and Mavenir to power FSG's Neutral Host and Domestic Roaming Trials under MBSP5A- Rollout to commence FY23"FSG has run a comprehensive 6-month RFP process to select the most appropriate technology partners for the rollout of the Regional Australia Network," said Andrew Roberts, FSG CEO. "FSG has selected these partners to ensure we have the cost-effective, future proof and globally proven technology platform needed to deliver Australia's 4th mobile network", he added.The recently released response to the 2021 Regional Telecommunications Review highlighted the importance of alternate delivery models to drive coverage enhancements, including active neutral host RAN and Roaming options. It also highlighted the importance of "place-based network solutions" rather than a continued "sprinkle" approach to resolving connectivity issues. Further, the report emphasised the need for scarce government funding to be allocated to multi-tenanted solutions.FSG welcomes these recommendations and is fully supportive of "place-based network solutions.""Together with our new partners, Nokia and Mavenir, FSG is primed to deliver connectivity to regions, whilst offering capability for carriers to join the solution using Active Neutral host RAN, inbound roaming or 'old school' passive co-location on our purpose-built infrastructure" outlines Roberts. By embracing new models, the cost to deliver these solutions can be kept to a minimum, further supporting the committee's desire to ensure that affordability is not forgotten.FSG are in the process of delivering 19 new place-based networks across Australia. These networks, comprising over 100 sites, each of which will be 4G and 5G capable, Neutral Host and Roaming ready when delivered in FY 23/24. "The Regional Australia Network is a dedicated network supporting rural Australia," says Roberts. "Today, we operate Australia's largest non-NBN fixed wireless network, which delivers fixed wireless broadband across rural, regional and remote Australia. The Regional Australia Network (RAN(TM)) will see these current and all new networks being enabled to delivery 4G and 5G data and voice services, fixed wireless broadband together with NB-IoT and CatM1 services", says Roberts.Anna Perrin, Nokia's Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand said, "As a world-leading provider of mobile technology, we have championed the development of Neutral Host networks around the world and we're excited to bring this global expertise to our partnership with FSG.Supporting the creation of new and innovative solutions and business models for rural and remote coverage across Australia""Mavenir is excited to partner with FSG to deliver a cost-effective, future proof and globally proven 4G/5G Cloud-native Converged Packet Core, IMS and messaging services to enable Australia's 4th mobile network," said Dereck Quinlan, Mavenir Regional VP."Mavenir continues to drive forward with advanced cloud-native solutions that our customers and the industry recognise. Our Cloud-native Converged Packet Core solution embraces a disruptive technology architecture and business model that drive network agility, deployment flexibility, and service velocity," says Quinlan.FSG is currently in the site acquisition phase for its 19 new networks and the MBSP5A trial sites, with the bulk of sites to be delivered during FY23.FSG will also be delivering private 4G and 5G LTE service offerings. "The demand for private 4G and 5G networks is gaining momentum, FSG will be delivering cost-effective, carrier-grade private solutions for Agri-Business, Mining and Government", outlines Roberts. We expect to be announcing several private 4G and 5G private network deployments in the coming weeks," says Roberts.FSG have received overwhelming support from regional Australia to provide a "choice." "For too long regional Australia has had to accept sub-par services which do not meet the quality and capacity needs of businesses and residents in rural and remote locations," says Roberts. "We are delighted to partner with Nokia and Mavenir, both global leaders in mobile telecommunications, to combine their state-of-the-art technologies with Field Solutions on the ground experience and pragmatic design and delivery capabilities, to deliver carrier-grade solutions designed to meet the needs of regional Australia, says Roberts.Over the next 18 months, FSG, in partnership with the Australian Federal Government and Optus, will be trialling the deployment of Australia first Active Neutral Host Network. The neutral host model enables FSG to build and operate infrastructure and a single set of electronics that all mobile network operators in Australia can utilise and will be ready for PSMB services "The more carriers subscribe to the model, the more valuable and impactful it is for Australian Rural communities and Australia as a whole", commented Roberts, "We look forward to welcoming the other Australian Carriers to the program, to make the neutral host model a reality for rural, regional and remote Australia", says Roberts."FSG and Optus share the view of delivering more coverage to regional areas; the neutral host model delivers a cost-effective strategy for all mobile network operators to provide coverage whilst at the same time greatly reducing the operating costs and overhead of maintaining duplicated infrastructure and electronics in regional areas," outlines Roberts. "The neutral host model delivers more coverage to regional Australia from programs such as the Federal Governments Mobile Blackspot Program," says Roberts. "Today's government funding supports network duplication in regional areas, by deploying the Neutral Host Model, we aim to cover more of regional, rural and remote Australia for the same Federal Government investment.About Field Solutions Holdings Limited

Field Solutions Holdings Limited (ASX:FSG) is dedicated to provide connectivity to Rural and Regional Australia where other providers simply cannot. We employ innovative technologies and a community focused approach which engages local government, businesses and residents to ensure we build where it is most needed. FSG provides, builds, and operates "true broadband networks" specifically for rural, regional, and remote Australia. FSG is a licensed Australian telecommunications carrier and a retail service provider (trading under the brands 'JustISP,' TasmaNet and Ant Communications), and a NBN Co Retail and Business Service Provider.
WASHINGTON  Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced Friday that he and his young family have COVID-19 despite their best efforts to avoid infection by getting vaccinated and taking other precautions.

Writing on Twitter, Americas doctor said, When youve been as safe as you can, getting COVID-19 can be frustrating and disappointing. Ive felt that. It can also be a source of shame. Many people assume you must have been careless to get sick. Our safety measures reduce risk but they cant eliminate risk. Nothing can.

As new cases and hospitalizations plummet, and deaths have finally started to decline, the Murthy familys bout with COVID calls attention to the real risks of a virus that many people assume is finally on the way out.

Murthy, a regular participant at White House COVID task force briefings, said he and his wife, physician and political activist Dr. Alice Chen, have mild symptoms. She has a headache and fatigue, and he said he was dealing with muscle aches, chills, and a sore throat.

Our breathing is fine, thankfully, he wrote.

Murthy, his wife and their 5-year-old son are vaccinated and boosted. Their 4-year-old daughter is too young to be eligible for vaccination.

The kids are coping, Murthy wrote.

His daughter, who tested positive first, is doing ok, he said. Fevers are starting to improve. Shes still congested and is now hoarse from all the coughing, but thankfully shes still smiling and enjoying her arts and crafts.

Our son has a runny nose and low-grade fever but is otherwise eating, drinking, playing with his sister, and watching his favorite cartoons, Murthy added.

It has been chaotic at home with all of us sick but I wouldnt want to navigate this with anyone but Alice, he said.

Murthy was not present at Wednesdays White House COVID briefing. The White House said Murthy has not had any recent contact with President Joe Biden, and that COVID was not the reason for Murthys absence from the briefing.

As surgeon general, Murthy called out early on COVID misinformation and disinformation, urging Americans to follow tested public health guidance and get vaccinated and boosted.

That he and his family got sick illustrates the ruthless efficiency of the omicron variant, which has a series of mutations that increase its capacity to evade vaccines. Government officials, however, say that data clearly show those fully vaccinated retain substantial protection against severe disease and hospitalization, and for those who get their booster shots resistance to getting sick is even greater.

Although unvaccinated people are still far more likely to get sick, be hospitalized, or die, the omicron wave has seen many vaccinated people get infected as as well. That has created disruptions to family and work routines and added to the burden at crowded hospitals.

Murthy said his confidence in vaccines remains unshaken.

One major source of peace of mind for us: we and our son are vaxed/boosted, he wrote. Vaccines are very effective at saving our lives and keeping us out of the hospital. As parents, I cant tell you how reassuring it is to know well be able to care for our kids even if we get infected.

Murthy served on Bidens transition team as co-chair of the coronavirus advisory board, and is said to enjoy a close personal relationship with the president. His trademark is a soft-spoken, empathetic style of public speaking. Even before the pandemic, he was warning about the toll of loneliness in America.

Murthys family roots are in India, but as a youngster he lived in Miami. His father had a medical clinic, where both parents worked. The son spent weekends helping out and says thats where he discovered the art of healing.

On Friday, Murthy sought to console those whove tried to protect themselves and still have gotten sick.

If youve done everything you can and gotten COVID-19 anyway, dont beat yourself up, he wrote. A lot of us are doing the best we can. And lets not assume those who get sick are careless. We dont know peoples circumstances. They may not be able to protect themselves the way we can.
WASHINGTON  The Ukrainian parliament thundered with applause as Joe Biden stepped into the wood-paneled chamber a little more than six years ago. Five hundred miles to the south and east, Russian troops and separatists were occupying parts of the country, and President Barack Obama had dispatched his vice president in a show of solidarity with the besieged nation.

His voice rising, Biden declared that Ukraine could demonstrate that aggressors cant use coercion, bribery, sending tanks and men across a border to extinguish the dreams and hopes of a people.

For if you succeed  Biden rapped his fist on the podium  that message is sent around the world.

Ukraines government was unable to retake the land it lost, and now the world waits to see what message will be sent as Russia readies what might be a new, more expansive invasion that could end the nations short history as an independent republic.

Such an attack would be the most difficult test yet for a president who has made the defense of democracy a cornerstone of his administration. If Bidens threats of sanctions, shipments of weapons and intelligence operations are not enough to deter war, his next challenge will be holding together a fractious international coalition to punish Russia both economically and diplomatically.

Biden spoke Friday with allies on both sides of the Atlantic, and he told reporters at the White House that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade. Western officials estimate that Moscow now has between 169,000 and 190,000 troops in and around Ukraine.

Until recently, the U.S. presidents long political career has paralleled democracys expansion across Europe. Unlike Putin, a former intelligence officer who views the collapse of the Soviet Union as a cascade of indignities, Biden cheered the so-called color revolutions that swept through former Soviet republics and supported the eastward expansion of NATO.

Daniel Fried, a longtime U.S. diplomat in the region, said Biden is someone with a belief in the free world  without ironic tones.

Its not put on, he said. Its real.

Now, decades of progress could be rolled back in dramatic fashion in a country where Biden invested years of work to hold the line against Russian aggression.

He represents an older generation of American politicians who grew up in the Cold War and for whom the trans-Atlantic community is the center of gravity, said Charles Kupchan, who served on Obamas National Security Council and traveled with Biden when he spoke to the Ukrainian parliament.

Although Biden has tried to focus his foreign policy on countering Chinas expanding influence, a peaceful and democratic Europe remains central to his worldview.

All of that effort to deal with the rise of China has to be anchored on a group of likeminded liberal democracies, said Kupchan, now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Thats why hes gone out of his way to build a united front.

Although Biden spent decades engaged on foreign affairs as a senator, his focus on Ukraine sharpened as Obamas vice president.

Todays crisis began when the countrys Russia-aligned leader rejected an agreement that would have strengthened ties with the European Union, angering a populace that saw a better future looking west than east. A subsequent uprising known as the Revolution of Dignity toppled Ukraines government in 2014, rattling Putin.

He responded by seizing Crimea, a peninsula that juts into the Black Sea, and backing separatists in the Donbas, a region along Ukraines eastern edge.

Everyone was caught totally off guard, said Max Bergmann, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress who was serving in the U.S. State Department at the time.

A stalemate eventually took hold. Russian forces and separatists remained in control of parts of Ukraine, while a democratic government based in Kyiv, the capital, tried to carry on.

Biden traveled to Ukraine six times as vice president, and his work in the country is one of the major storylines of his 2017 memoir, Promise Me, Dad.

He wrote that some warned him the situation would damage him politically because it was bound to be a defeat for the West, but he didnt much care.

( It eventually caused headaches in a different way during the 2020 campaign, when President Donald Trump bludgeoned Biden with unproven allegations of corruption because his son, Hunter, served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company at the same time.)

Before his 2015 speech to the Ukrainian parliament, known as the Rada, Biden spent weeks developing his remarks and kept tweaking the text as he flew to the country. He described the government as struggling with twin threats of internal corruption and Russian aggression.

Ukraine was at the crossroads of history, Biden wrote, and he wanted to remind the men and women sitting in the Rada that they were on the cusp of something extraordinary and  like all the most worthwhile things in life  extraordinarily fragile.

A tactile politician who believes in the power of his personal relationships, Biden described feeling a connection with his audience.

One thing I know from working with politicians and national leaders across the world is that they are a lot more like me than unlike me, he wrote.

In his last mention of the country in his memoir, Biden wrote that its future remained uncertain  It might take a generation or more to know if the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine had truly succeeded.

Putin is trying to ensure that it does not. Hes spent months ratcheting up the pressure on Ukraine, and U.S. officials accuse him of planning false flag operations to create a pretense for an invasion.

Timothy Naftali, a historian at New York University who has studied the Soviet Union, said the Russian president is using the same playbook as his Cold War predecessors.

You had a series of Soviet leaders who would try to get their way by scaring us, he said.

Biden has declined to commit American troops to defend Ukraine, which would raise the possibility of war between the U.S. and Russia, two nuclear-armed powers.

But hes moved additional forces into Eastern Europe, warning Putin that he would defend every inch of NATO territory, and hes pumped more American-made weapons into Ukraine, which is not a NATO member.

U.S. analysts and former officials praise Biden for rallying European nations to oppose any Russian attack, a difficult task when countries have varying political and economic interests.

This is what it looks like when its working, said Fried, a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council whose decades-long career in the Foreign Service included a stint as the U.S. ambassador to Poland. The French always have a different style. The Germans are always agonizing.

Trans-Atlantic unity has been a priority for Biden since taking office, and Fried said solid relationships would make sanctions on Russia more damaging,

If Putin is determined to start a war, he will start a war, Fried said. But if he does, our job is to make sure it ends badly for his regime.

Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who served as senior director for European and Russian affairs on Trumps National Security Council, said an invasion could have ripple effects around the world.

This is not just about Ukraine, its about a precedent that is set globally, she said.

Thats something Biden is anxious to avoid as he watches democracy face threats at home and abroad. He frequently warns that autocrats like Putin, who has claimed that the liberal idea has started eating itself, want to demonstrate that representative governments cant function in the current era.

During a December virtual Summit on Democracy, Biden called such threats the defining challenge of our time.

By that point, Russia already had tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine.

___

AP s Tracy Brown contributed to this report.
PHOENIX  A freeway crash early Sunday left two adults dead and two children critically injured and authorities were trying to determine if car racing was involved.

Phoenix police said the crash occurred on Interstate 10 just after midnight.

When officers arrived on the scene, they reported finding four people inside the crashed vehicle.

The names, ages and genders of the two adults who died havent been released yet.

Authorities said a 2-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl were rushed to a hospital in critical condition.

Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said investigators believe the vehicle was racing another car just before the crash occurred but driver impairment also has not been ruled out.
TORONTO  The streets around the Canadian Parliament are quiet now. The Ottawa protesters who vowed never to give up are largely gone, chased away by police in riot gear. The relentless blare of truckers horns has gone silent.

But the trucker protest, which grew until it closed a handful of Canada-U.S. border posts and shut down key parts of the capital city for weeks, could echo for years in Canadian politics and perhaps south of the border.

The protest, which was first aimed at a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers but also encompassed fury over the range of COVID-19 restrictions and hatred of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, reflected the spread of disinformation in Canada and simmering populist and right-wing anger.

I think weve started something here, said Mark Suitor, a 33-year-old protester from Hamilton, Ontario, speaking as police retook control of the streets around Parliament. Protesters had essentially occupied those streets for more than three weeks, embarrassing Trudeau and energizing Canadas far right. Suitor believes the protests will divide the country, something he welcomes.

This is going to be a very big division in our country, he said. I dont believe this is the end.

While most analysts doubt the protests will mark a historic watershed in Canadian politics, it has shaken both of Canadas two major parties.

The protest has given both the Liberals and the Conservatives a black eye, said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. Trudeaus Liberals look bad for allowing protesters to foments weeks of chaos in the capital city, he said, while the Conservatives look bad for championing protesters, many of them from the farthest fringes of the right.

The conservatives have to be careful not to alienate more moderate voters, who are generally not sympathetic to the protesters or right-wing populism more generally, said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

The self-styled Freedom Convoy shook Canadas reputation for civility, inspired convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands and interrupted trade, causing economic damage on both sides of the border. Hundreds of trucks eventually occupied the streets around Parliament, a display that was part protest and part carnival.

Authorities moved quickly to reopen the border posts, but police in Ottawa did little but issue warnings until the past couple days, even as hundreds and sometimes thousands of protesters clogged the streets of the city and besieged Parliament Hill.

Truckers ignored warnings that they were risking arrest and could have their rigs seized and bank accounts frozen under the new emergency powers invoked by Trudeau. The truckers, parked on the streets in and around Parliament, blared their horns in defiance of a court injunction against honking, issued after residents said the constant noise was making the neighborhood unlivable.

Its high time that these illegal and dangerous activities stop, Trudeau declared in Parliament a few days ago, speaking just a few hundred meters from the protests.

On Friday, authorities launched the largest police operation in Canadian history, arresting a string of Ottawa protesters and increasing that pressure on Saturday until the streets in front of Parliament were clear. Eventually, police arrested at least 191 people and towed away 79 vehicles. Many protesters retreated as the pressure increased.

The Ottawa protests  the movements last major stronghold  appeared to be largely over by Sunday. Fencing and police checkpoints remained.

The number of unlawful protesters has dramatically declined in the last 24 hours, Ottawa interim Police Chief Steve Bell said.

Authorities also said 206 bank accounts had been frozen under the power granted by federal emergencies act.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said progress has been made but the end of the blockades might not be over. He said that targeted measures in the emergencies act allowed police to designate a wide swath of Ottawas downtown core to become a no-go zone and that tool alone has been extremely effective.

For the first time in three weeks the streets are calm, they are quiet and they are clear. That all followed the invocation of the emergencies act, Mendicino said in an interview with The Associated Press. We will not use it for a single minute longer than we have to.

Mendicino said the financial accounts of those who refused to leave will remain frozen while the act is in force but added that it is up to police to decide whose accounts get frozen. The powers are already in effect but Parliament is expected to ratify the action Monday.

As it did in the United States, COVID-19 quickly became a political issue in Canada.

Coronavirus health restrictions became a political cudgel for Canadas far right, which accused Trudeau of authoritarianism. But while the restrictions clearly benefitted the far-right Peoples Party of Canada, things are more complicated in the Conservative Party.

Only recently have some Conservative leaders fully embraced the pushback against vaccine mandates and coronavirus restrictions.

Even so, the protests may open the door to the sort of populism that former President Donald Trump used to vault himself into the White House.

Pierre Poilievre, who is running to become the next leader of the Conservative party, has cheered on the protesters, gambling that voters will back him. But it remains unclear whether that will get him to the top of the party, or whether it would help or hurt him if there is a showdown between him and Trudeau or the next Liberal party leader.

Poilievre is clearly playing by the populist playbook right now, said Beland. If he becomes Conservative leader, the party might effectively shift towards Trump-style populism. However, its unclear whether enough Canadians support this vision to make it appealing beyond the partys base.

The protests have been cheered on in the U.S. by Fox News personalities and conservatives like Trump. Millions of dollars in donations have flowed across the border to the protesters.

About 44 percent of the nearly $10 million in contributions to support the protesters originated from U.S. donors, according to an Associated Press analysis of leaked donor files. Prominent Republican politicians have praised the protesters.

But experts say the U.S. support of the Canadian protesters is really aimed at energizing conservative politics in the U.S., where midterm elections are looming. k.

Meanwhile, though the situation in Ottawa appeared to be ending, there were new signs the protests had not died out entirely.

The Canadian border agency warned late Saturday afternoon that operations at a key truck crossing from western Canada into the United States had been slowed by protesters, advising travelers to find a different route.
ATHENS, Greece  Greek emergency workers rescued a Belarussian truck driver Sunday from a burning ferry off the island of Corfu and found the body of a Greek truck driver as they combed the wreckage for missing passengers. The discoveries left 10 people still unaccounted for.

The survivor, 21, was able to make his way up to the left rear deck on his own, and told rescue workers he heard other voices below.

The fact that this man succeeded, despite adverse conditions, to exit into the deck and alert the coast guard  gives us hope that there may be other (survivors), coast guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told state broadcaster ERT.

The victim was identified as a 58-year-old Greek truck driver by his family.

The Italian-owned Euroferry Olympia, which was carrying more than 290 passengers and crew as well as 153 trucks and 32 cars, caught fire Friday, three hours after it left the northwestern Greek port of Igoumenitsa bound for Brindisi in Italy. The company that operates the ferry said the fire started in a hold where vehicles were parked.

The Greek coast guard and other boats evacuated about 280 people from the ferry to the nearby island of Corfu.

The ferry has been towed to the port of Kassiopi, in northeastern Corfu. Firefighters were still battling the blaze in spots Sunday and a thick smoke still blanketed the ship.

Alexiou said his understanding was that the truck driver hadnt heard any voices just before making his way onto the deck but added the situation is evolving. The survivor was taken to a hospital for a medical exam.

The extreme heat in some parts of the ship has impeded the Greek fire services Disaster Management Unit and a team of private rescuers from searching the whole ship. The ferry is slightly listing from the tons of water poured into it to douse the fire but authorities say its not in danger of capsizing.

Two passengers were rescued Saturday. One wasnt on the ships manifest and was presumably a migrant. The other person, a 65-year-old Bulgarian truck driver, had respiratory problems and is on a ventilator in a Corfu hospitals intensive care unit.

A Greek prosecutor on Corfu has ordered an investigation into the cause of the fire. The ships captain and two engineers were arrested Friday but were released the same day, authorities said.

Passengers described the initial evacuation as dramatic.

We heard the alarm. We thought it was some kind of drill. But we saw through the portholes that people were running, truck driver Dimitris Karaolanidis told The Associated Press. You cant think something at the time (other than) your family  When I hit the deck, I saw smoke and children. Fortunately, they (the crew) acted quickly.

___

Petros Giannakouris and Lefteris Pitarakis contributed to this report from Corfu.
A pastor from Las Vegas, Nevada wanted on suspicion of sexual assault against a child was arrested over the weekend in Albuquerque, according to court records.

Reynaldo Crespin, 59, was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center Saturday as an out-of-state fugitive. An arrest warrant from Clark County, Nevada shows Crespin faces two counts of sexual assault against a child under 16, two counts of sexual assault against a child under 14, five counts of lewdness with a child and a count of open/gross lewdness.

He is scheduled to make his first appearance on Monday afternoon in Metropolitan Court.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Crespin is a former Clark County School District teacher and a pastor, who founded New Horizon Christian Church. The warrant for Crespin was issued earlier this month, according to the Review-Journal.

Jail records show that Albuquerque police arrested Crespin at an address on the 700 block of Doe SE.

Albuquerque police reports show that a woman called the department late Friday to say Crespin was staying with her relative in Albuquerque. The woman said she Googled Crespins name and saw a Review-Journal article showing he was wanted in a sexual assault case.

The reports show Crespin was taken into custody a little more than an hour later.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Maurice Cruz walks among piles of timber and brush on a cold, snowy morning in the Santa Fe National Forest.

Equipped with helmets, torches and fireproof clothes, his team has a clear mission for the day: create and control a fire that will help preserve the forest landscape.

Cruz leads the Forest Stewards Guilds All Hands All Lands crew. This winter the team is assisting state, federal and tribal agencies on prescribed burns using funding from the Nature Conservancy and the Forest Service.

I found myself more interested in prescribed fire than the suppression side of things, because that feels to me like putting a Band-Aid on an arterial bleed  responding to things as they happen, Cruz said. Prescribed fire is treating things before they get to the heat of fire season.

As New Mexicos climate warms and wildfire season becomes year-round, federal and state agencies and conservation groups are increasingly seeing forest management and fire prevention as an urgent environmental  and economic  issue.

New Mexico is slated to receive $5 million to $8 million through the Forest Service from last years federal infrastructure package for wildfire management.

That funding will support wildfire detection and prevention.

Fires that scorch thousands of acres, such as the Las Conchas Fire that burned in the Jemez Mountains in 2011, leave massive burn scars in their wake.

The exposed soil can cause flash floods and pollute rivers.

Healthy forests protect watersheds and are key for carbon sequestration, said Owen Burney, director of New Mexico State Universitys forestry research center in Mora.

Sadly, many of these forests which have succumbed to these fires are not growing back naturally, which is resulting in an overall loss of our forests in New Mexico, Burney said.

The state currently needs to reforest about 1 million acres.

That would require 150 to 200 million seedlings, and our current production capacity is about 300,000 seedlings per year, Burney said.

A new state reforestation center aims to boost that number to 5 million seedlings each year.

NMSU, New Mexico Highlands University, the University of New Mexico and the state Forestry Division signed an agreement last month to create the center, which would support research, seed collection, a new nursery and planting.

But a $4.6 million bill to kick-start operations and fund the nursery design failed to pass in the recent legislative session.

The budget working its way through the Legislature does include funding for a seed collector position at the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and more state firefighters.

A decadeslong legacy of fire suppression across the West has created ideal conditions for catastrophic wildfires. Prescribed burns allow fire to resume a carefully-managed role on the landscape.

But it can take up to a year to prepare a burn area.

Crews thin larger, older trees to reduce the amount of fuels that could burn during a wildfire. The piles then need time to dry out just enough for the crews to set the fires on a snowy day.

When you remove that understory, youre reducing the ability of a surface fire to make it up to the crowns of the trees, Cruz said. Then if fire does come, whether its a human start or lightning strike, it will burn at very low severity and remain on the ground.

New Mexico faces challenges when it comes to rebuilding forests that will survive a warmer, drier climate.

Matthew Hurteau, a UNM biology professor and forest ecologist, is researching trees that will thrive in that new reality.

Weve got incredibly low planted seedling survival rates following wildfire, Hurteau said. Tree seedlings are way more sensitive to heat and drought than mature trees, and theyre really the limiting factor for reforesting these burn scars.

Planting the right trees in the right places will help New Mexico restore forests before its too late.

In another 10 to 15 years were going to lose the window we currently have to reforest lower-elevation areas where temperature is increasing faster and were exceeding tolerance of those seedlings for survival, Hurteau said.

Forest Stewards crews have helped with burns this winter in Glorieta, Coyote and Tierra Amarilla.

The team aims to address a backlog of prescribed fire work.

Many forestry positions at state and federal agencies are seasonal and laser-focused on firefighting in the dry heat of summer, so the preventive work often gets pushed aside.

The time is right for New Mexico to create a robust year-round forestry workforce, said Joshua Sloan, a Highlands forestry professor.

An economic study commissioned by New Mexico Highlands University found that the states new reforestation center could support 475 new jobs and add $900 million to the state economy in the next 30 years.

This is not only the right thing for us to be doing in terms of saving our states forests and all the resources they provide, but its also an excellent opportunity for us to build a reforestation economy in the state, Sloan said.

For workers like Cruz, theres no better career than helping protect New Mexicos forests, whether thats managing a prescribed burn or replanting burned areas.

Its a very skill-based job, and great for folks who dont want to be in an office all day, he said.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
Editors note: This is part one in a series about the first wave of non-payment evictions in New Mexico.

A Clovis magistrate courtroom became a laboratory for a new eviction diversion program this month, ushering in a major change to state housing policy that aims to bring the rental market closer to normal while also staving off a wave of evictions amid a lingering pandemic.

What happens in Clovis doesnt stay there. Sometime in March, the Eviction Prevention and Diversion Program will be expanded from the 9th Judicial District to all of New Mexico, allowing for the first time in about two years, tenants to be evicted for being behind on rent.

Its the beginning of the end of an eviction ban imposed March 25, 2020, at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. New Mexicos ban is the last statewide holdout in the country.

Two Clovis judges heard about 10 eviction cases in recent days in the desert city of about 40,000 near Texas west border, one that boasts a rock n roll museum, an Air Force base, a major cheese distributor, a rural charm and minimal adherence to the statewide indoor mask mandate.

Among the tenants facing eviction in the one-story courthouse were a 26-year-old single mother, a man in jail, a woman in the hospital, a tenant in subsidized housing, an elderly woman with no stove in her apartment, and a couple whose rent increased 20% without explanation.

Landlords were both huge real estate firms and mom-and-pop owners, all of them frustrated at having to keep a non-paying tenant housed. The property owners alleged some renters had also been disruptive. They were the first in line to kick their tenants out after the ban was lifted.

To replace the eviction ban, the state Supreme Court created the Eviction Prevention and Diversion Program, which gives landlords and tenants a two-month grace period to connect with emergency pandemic rent money.

Its not exactly clear why the state Supreme Court chose the 9th Judicial District, which includes Curry County and Roosevelt County, to give the new program a test drive.

Its a good program, because its trying to help both sides come to a resolution, Magistrate Judge Janemarie Vander Dussen told a feuding landlord and tenant at a hearing Monday. It just started on Feb. 1, and were the only ones in the state trying it to see how its working.

Taken together, the handful of hearings so far show that two years into a pandemic that dramatically disrupted the economy, tenants are struggling to afford rent and still dont know about resources available to them.

The Emergency Rental Assistance Program in New Mexico has about $75 million left to pay for months of rent, and $152 million more is on the way from the federal government. But experts previously told Source New Mexico they were concerned landlords might not be inclined to participate in the diversion program.

By the time tenants and landlords arrive in court, landlords typically have already received a judgment confirming they are owed rent. Plus, property owners have been waiting these last years to be able to begin evicting people, and the housing market is heating up, even in a smaller town like Clovis, which grew but only slightly in the last decade.

Assuming they were already aware of the rental assistance program, experts said, why would they wait 60 more days?

I worry that in some instances, landlords dont have a lot of incentive to participate, said Riley Masse, housing director for New Mexico Legal Aid. Still, she added, there is potential the program can prevent some renters from suddenly losing their homes.

Two multi-property landlords bringing eviction cases last week had previously received some cash through the program, according to a list of recipients obtained through an Inspection of Public Records Act request. Its not clear why they didnt seek or receive the funds for the tenants they tried to evict recently in Clovis.

The Clovis Housing and Redevelopment Agency also received about $13,000, according to the list. That agency operates a 132-unit affordable housing complex in the city.

A failure to communicate

The emergency rent fund was supposed to prevent tenants and landlords from getting to this point by helping landlords cover their mortgages and expenses while keeping people housed. However, its not clear how much outreach the state did in rural New Mexico, and specifically eastern New Mexico, to raise awareness of the program.

None of the four tenants who spoke to Source New Mexico knew of the tens of millions of dollars available to help them. The director of the citys only homeless shelter was vaguely aware of it, she said.

And a top city official who handles housing policy said she was surprised to learn of its existence during her interview with Source New Mexico.

I didnt know that there was this program, said assistant city manager Claire Burroughes last week in her office. So if folks are evicted or facing eviction  people that are impacted by COVID, they can go and apply for this.

She said she planned to begin reaching out to city departments and organizations to make sure they know about the rent assistance fund and to recommend it to residents.

Documents obtained through a public records request show that program administrators knew lack of awareness about emergency rent assistance was a problem about three months after the program launched in March 2021.

The state Department of Finance Authority commissioned a survey about rental assistance and other financial needs among New Mexicans. Researchers also asked how far word of the program had spread.

The survey found that 50% of those polled had never heard of the rental assistance program, and 34% more had heard about it but didnt know enough to apply.

Only 16% of respondents said they heard about it and felt they had enough information to apply.

New Mexicans need to learn more about the assistance programs and about how much assistance they can receive at the individual level, the survey authors wrote as one of three key takeaways in a presentation to state officials.

The company hired to do the survey is run by University of New Mexico political science professor Gabriel Sanchez and the Biden campaigns Latino pollster. They reported that they surveyed 1,200 adults in New Mexico between June 30 and July 18 of last year, including a disproportionate number of renters and those whod previously received government assistance.

The documents did not break down where respondents lived or whether they were in rural or urban areas.

A spokesperson from the Department of Finance and Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the department marketed the program in rural New Mexico and specifically eastern New Mexico. Neither did officials in charge of the rent assistance program itself. The state is typically allowed to spend 10% of federal funds for programs like these on administrative costs and marketing.

Hot housing market

When Judge Shaun Burns informed two landlords about the new court diversion program, they didnt exactly jump at the opportunity. One landlord, through a Spanish translator, agreed to wait 60 days to kick his tenant out, but he told the judge he planned to sell the home.

The housing market in Clovis is heating up. Burroughes, the assistant city manager, said about 200 houses were on the market in the Clovis area two or three years ago. On a recent Sunday, about 70 were for sale, she said. It makes evicting a tenant to sell a home an enticing prospect.

A representative for another landlord told the judge she liked the program, but she didnt think her boss at the real estate company would.

In that case, the tenant was in jail and owed $1,415 for about two months of missed rent and other fees. He called in from jail to say he hadnt been able to pay rent since he was locked up on an assault charge. He almost missed the hearing entirely because of difficulties with the call-in system, he told the judge.

When he finally got through, he had only two minutes left on the call, so he had to hang up before giving a full explanation. He never successfully called back in.

Instead of waiting longer or giving the landlord time to consult her boss, Burns instead ordered the eviction, potentially due to statutory deadlines on eviction hearings, experts said. Burns declined to comment.

Sheriffs deputies were authorized to show up and evict the tenant, according to court records.

The conveyor belt starts up again

Legislation cleared the state House of Representatives that would have given tenants more time to come up with rent after theyd been served an eviction notice and once theyd gone to court. The bill died in Senate judiciary with 24 hours left in the session.

Clovis officials and advocates are anxious to see what might happen, now that the evictions for non-payment begin again.

Rent and housing prices in Clovis  like the rest of the state and country  are rising, and with them, the risk of homelessness, according to city officials and local experts.

Attorney Maria Griego, who listened in on a recent hearing, said she was disappointed to hear of landlords not participating in the program, calling it a win-win for all involved. Now that theyve restarted, she said shes reminded of how easy it is to get evicted in New Mexico.

The way our laws are currently written really sort of facilitate this kind of conveyor belt of eviction, she said. Like these cases are processed really quickly, a judgment is spit out, and the tenant is evicted. And theres just no flexibility.

This story was originally published in Source New Mexico  sourcenm.com  which is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news provider.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

In one scenario, an unsuspecting man is getting picked up by a buddy when a backseat passenger starts a close-quarters gunfight that leaves the three men in the car dead.

The man, a humanitarian and good citizen, dodges numerous bullets and drives the car to the hospital  calling 911 and begging for someone to save the men.

In the other, an associate of the Aryan Brotherhood recruits two friends, and they bring tools and duct tape, to confront the man who had lived in his home with his wife and stole from her while he was in prison. The backseat passenger gets the jump on the trio, trading bullets with the two in the car before the Aryan Brotherhood associate jumps inside and shoots him at point-blank range, stashing the gun in a dumpster afterward.

Those are the two conflicting versions  the first being leveled by defense attorneys for Richard Kuykendall, 42, and the second by federal prosecutors charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Defense attorneys also say in newly filed court documents that authorities violated Kuykendalls due process after Albuquerque police destroyed the car in which the shootout occurred, something federal prosecutors do not refute but say they played no part in.

Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said, We took photographs and collected evidence, per the warrant, and released the car at the conclusion.

APDs investigation is ongoing and will be turned over to the District Attorneys Office when it is complete, he said.

Gallegos did not respond to questions about what released the car meant or where it is now.

The May 16 triple homicide of the three men in the car  Michael Sanchez, 33, Brandon Torres, 44, and James Fisher, 41  is still being investigated. Authorities have said all three were members of the Aryan Brotherhood and Kuykendall, who has not been charged in the mens deaths, is affiliated with the gang.

A SWAT team arrested Kuykendall at a foothills home two days after the bullet-riddled car with the three mens bodies inside was dropped off outside Kaseman Hospital in Northeast Albuquerque.

On Feb. 1, Kuykendalls attorney filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against him, calling the claim that he shot the backseat passenger, Sanchez, a fantasy and that Kuykendall only took the gun from Sanchez for his own safety. The attorney also alleges that APD destroyed the car involved in the incident, violating his right of due process by not giving them an opportunity to evaluate the evidence.

Prosecutors allege Kuykendall tried to set up Sanchez in the first place.

Their response states Kuykendall got out of prison on May 12 and was left semi-homeless because Sanchez, known as Spider Mike, refused to leave his home, where he had been living with Kuykendalls wife and stealing from her.

(Kuykendall) wanted Spider Mike out of his wifes life, and he was willing to use violence to get that, a prosecutor wrote. As it turned out, the violence he got was not exactly what he intended.

According to court records, Torres and Fisher warned that Sanchez was a dangerous fellow and the plan could escalate to deadly violence. Authorities found duct tape, a saw, hammer and a blanket in the trunk of the car.

Prosecutors allege that, once in jail, Kuykendall told others he shot Sanchez at point-blank range and took the drugs from his pockets for himself. Court records state federal authorities played no part in APDs handling of the car, which was in police custody.

The federal government was not alerted in advance  (and) did not consent to APD disposing of the vehicle, and does not know where it is now (if anywhere), a prosecutor wrote.

Prosecutors said the defenses motion does not negate the charge Kuykendall faces, as he admitted to authorities he possessed the gun before hiding it in the dumpster. Court records state authorities cannot determine whether Sanchez, who was shot several times, would have died anyway from the shootout with Torres or whether he died from Kuykendalls shot.
GAZA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement of Hamas said on Sunday that there has been no progress toward reaching a prisoner exchange deal with Israel.

Zaher Jabarin, a member of Hamas's politburo, said in a press statement sent to Xinhua that "until now, there is no progress because the Israeli side is not taking any serious steps" regarding the issue.

Jabarin was responding to Israeli Labor Party lawmaker Emilie Haya Moatti's remark that indirect negotiations between the Hamas and Israel for a prisoner exchange deal have witnessed progress.

Moatti, a Knesset member, did not provide further details, calling it a sensitive and confidential issue, according to Israel Radio.

Jabarin said that such remarks are made from time to time to prevent the families of the captive Israeli soldiers from moving to pressure their government.

He noted that there is "a state of anger" in Israel due to the lack of intention to resolve this issue, adding that "one of the most important officials responsible for the issue of the captive soldiers, Moshe Tal, resigned because of this."

In April 2016, Hamas' armed wing al-Qassam Brigades announced that it held four Israeli captives without saying anything about their fate.

In 2011, Egypt brokered a prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas, under which Israel released more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in return for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. 
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

For Sherrilyn Apache, navigating water issues in Tohajiilee means relying on a sometimes-working well and hoping for a long-term fix.

The community services coordinator for the Navajo chapter west of Albuquerque oversaw a recent emergency water distribution delivered in bottles and gallons by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Water pressure has dropped dramatically during the latest series of pump repairs. The communitys homes, clinic and school often receive little to no water.

It sometimes feels like were just gambling with our water source at this point, Apache said.

Now, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority has accepted $7.7 million from the New Mexico Finance Authority to build a waterline connecting Tohajiilee to the city water system.

The revised agreement removes one of the last financial roadblocks to a reliable water supply.

Last summer the project hit a snag when the state announced a Water Trust Fund allocation of a $4.96 million grant and $3 million loan.

Water authority officials said repaying the hefty loan would have been problematic for the small Navajo community.

The new agreement boosts the grant to about $6.94 million, with a $770,000 loan.

Mark Sanchez, the water authoritys executive director, said the utility will award a construction contract once Souder, Miller and Associates completes the engineering design.

The Indian Health Service has reached out to us about the possibility of sending water to Tohajiilee in the period between when the construction begins and water is delivered, Sanchez said. We might have a weekly or biweekly delivery to them with some kind of a water tank that they could access during this period.

A corrosive water supply has put five of the communitys six wells out of commission.

Albuquerque delivered emergency water more than a dozen times in recent years when the sole functioning well failed or produced rust-colored water. The chapter estimates it will take 18 months to two years to build and connect a 7.7-mile pipeline from existing storage tanks on Albuquerques West Side to Tohajiilee.

Nothing is going to happen overnight, Apache said.

Its been an up and down roller coaster waiting for this waterline.

In the meantime, the Indian Health Service and the Navajo Nation used pandemic relief funds to install a safe watering point at the chapter and distribute chlorine tablets and water jugs.

About $4 million from the Navajo Nation government and about $3.5 million from New Mexicos tribal infrastructure fund are helping improve the communitys internal water system so its ready for the waterline.

Souder, Miller & Associates is replacing asbestos concrete water lines with plastic and repairing a booster pump.

Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie OMalley in late 2020 pushed for negotiations on the final land easement for the project within her district.

The community there has been waiting for clean water for many years, OMalley said. Im really pleased to hear that things are moving forward.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell has a soft spot for some baby cows in southern New Mexico.

On Facebook last week, the Republican weighed in on the U.S. Forest Services plans to shoot and kill feral cows in the Gila Wilderness. Herrell wrote in a Facebook post that the Forest Service has already slaughtered dozens of wild cattle.

She posted two photos of a dead black cow in a waterway, lying on its side with its feet sticking out of the water. She said the picture was taken by locals.

It is sad and infuriating, Herrell wrote in a post, which received more than 200 comments, many from people who found the act cruel. This method was inhumane, and risked leaving orphaned calves starving to death.

A federal district judge earlier this month gave the Forest Service the green light to shoot from helicopters about 200 feral cows that roam the Gila. The judge gave the OK over objections from the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association.

The federal agency took action because of concerns that the animals overgraze riverside areas, erode streambanks, harm water quality and degrade endangered species habitat. The Forest Service also said the animals have been known to charge hikers.

It is yet another example of how Washington agencies run roughshod over local expertise and requests, especially for rural communities in the American West, who Washington bureaucrats consider an annoying roadblock to whatever policies the Feds wish to inflict, Herrell wrote on Facebook.

BEN RAY GETTING STRONGER: U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan is back in Washington and working just weeks removed from suffering a stroke.

Lujan on Thursday posted a photo of himself on Twitter, showing him sitting in a chair and doing some work with a New Mexico United shirt and just-buzzed haircut. He underwent brain surgery after suffering a stroke in his cerebellum on Jan. 27.

Through the love and support from my family, medical team, and New Mexicans, Im getting stronger each day in D.C. where Im completing my recovery, Lujan wrote. Im thankful for the well wishes from folks across the country. Im back at work and will return to the Senate floor soon.

On Thursday, Lujan was one of five Democratic senators who signed a letter to the chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, lauding the commissions decision to require internet service providers to give its customers easy-to-read pricing information.

Lujan said in a video posted earlier this month that he was planning to spend some time in an in-patient facility. He posted Friday on Twitter that he was leaving in-patient care.

Next stop is out-patient care and getting back to the floor of the United States Senate, he said.

Senators are not allowed to vote by proxy so Democrats could face difficulties passing legislation or sitting nominees during his absence.

TRUCKER AMNESTY: Herrell over the weekend compared Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus crackdown against an anti-vaccine protest in the countrys capital to that of an authoritarian regime like Venezuela.

The Republican congresswoman said she would introduce legislation to temporarily grant asylum to the protesters.

Canadian police in recent days have arrested hundreds of protesters who have swarmed the capital for weeks in protest of the countrys requirement for truckers entering the country and other COVID-19 precautions.

Just as we provide asylum for political prisoners, we should do the same for truckers who have been subjected to violence, had their property confiscated, and their bank accounts frozen by a government that is quickly becoming the embarrassment of the free world, Herrell said on Twitter. I am introducing legislation that would temporarily grant asylum to innocent Canadian protesters who are being persecuted by their own government. We cannot be silent as our neighbors to the north are treated so badly.

Ryan Boetel: rboetel@abqjournal.com
KYIV, Ukraine  Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraines northern border, a move that U.S. leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraines capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace.

Russias action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraines neighbor to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraines borders, along with tanks, warplanes, artillery and other war material.

The continued deployment of the Russian forces in Belarus raised concern that Russia could send those troops to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away.

In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered with the aid of French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said U.S. President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with Russias President Vladimir Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault that U.S. officials warn appears increasingly more likely.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe  as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand.

We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war, Psaki said in a statement. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.

In Kyiv, life outwardly continued as usual for many on a mild winter Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack.

Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capitals St. Michaels monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared.

We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life, Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. We should appreciate it every day. Thats why I think everything will be fine.

Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing, said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh.

A U.S. official said Sunday that Bidens assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine  a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russias orbit  and is now trying to create pretexts to invade.

Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Putin does.

U.S. officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called passionately Saturday for the West to do more.

If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesnt exist anymore as a deterrent, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox on Washingtons sanctions threat.

Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraines soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict.

Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russias military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion.

Were talking about the potential for war in Europe, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. Its been over 70 years, and through those 70 years  there has been peace and security.

Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed on Twitter for a cease-fire. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyys offer Saturday to meet with Putin.

Blinken intentionally raised the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit in interviews with U.S. television networks on Sunday, in a bid to keep diplomacy alive, a senior U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. reasoning.

Blinken said that Biden was prepared to meet President Putin at any time in any format if that can help prevent a war and the U.S. official said Macron had then conveyed the offer of talks to Putin.
LONDON  Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, Buckingham Palace said, adding that she still plans to carry on working. The diagnosis prompted concern and get-well wishes from across Britains political spectrum for the famously stoic 95-year-old.

Britains longest-reigning monarch and a fixture in the life of the nation, the queen reached the milestone of 70 years on the throne on Feb. 6, the anniversary of the 1952 death of her father, King George VI. She will turn 96 on April 21.

The palace said the queen, who has been fully vaccinated and had a booster shot, would continue with light duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week.

She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines, the palace said in a statement.

People in the U.K. who test positive for COVID-19 are now required to self-isolate for at least five days, although the British government says it plans to lift that requirement for England this week.

Both the queens eldest son Prince Charles, 73, and her 74-year-old daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall contracted COVID-19 earlier this month. Charles has since returned to work. There are also thought to be several recent virus cases among staff at Windsor Castle, where the queen is staying.

Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, said the queen would likely be given one of several antiviral drugs that have been approved in the U.K. to treat COVID-19.

If you do get them early enough, it does reduce the risk of severe disease developing, so I would imagine any doctor for a patient in their 90s would be considering giving these antivirals, he said.

A host of senior British politicians sent get-well messages on Sunday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: Im sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from COVID and a rapid return to vibrant good health.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid wrote that he was Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a quick recovery, while opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer wished the queen good health and a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Maam.

Elizabeth has been in robust health for most of her reign and has been photographed riding a horse as recently as 2020. In the past year she has been seen using a walking stick, and in October she spent a night in a London hospital for unspecified tests.

The queens doctors ordered her to rest after that and she was forced to cancel appearances at several key events, including Remembrance Sunday services and the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

This month she returned to public duties and has held audiences both virtually and in person with diplomats, politicians and senior military officers. During one exchange caught on camera last week, she walked slowly with a stick and said as you can see I cant move in apparent reference to her leg.

The queen delivered two televised messages to the nation early in the pandemic in 2020, and has sought to lead by example. She let it be known she had been vaccinated, and last year sat alone during the funeral of her husband of 72 years, Prince Philip, because of coronavirus restrictions.

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said members of the royal family are probably more concerned than the queen about her situation.
DETROIT  One word caught the ear of a young priest a few years ago when his father shared a video of his 1990 baptism at a suburban Detroit church.

Wait, the Rev. Matthew Hood recalled thinking. Something doesnt seem right here.

Indeed, an error by a deacon who said We baptize instead of I baptize spoiled Hoods baptism in the eyes of the Catholic Church  and, in domino-like fashion, erased his other sacraments and meant that he wasnt really a priest.

It was perhaps the most significant consequence from a controversy that emerged nearly two years ago at St. Anastasia Church in Troy, after the Vatican said the use of we invalidates baptisms in the Catholic faith.

Thousands of Arizona Catholics recently made headlines when they learned that they, too, may have been improperly baptized with the wrong words in a separate but similar matter involving a popular pastor, the Rev. Andres Arango, who resigned Feb. 1.

In Michigan, Hood was baptized, given other sacraments and swiftly ordained again to the priesthood within days in 2020. But the Archdiocese of Detroit still hasnt heard from hundreds of people whose rites at St. Anastasia are considered invalid, despite outreach efforts and publicity.

It immediately caused confusion and anger as frustrated members of St. Anastasia wondered why the Catholic Church was hung up on a single word expressed by a deacon during baptisms in the 1980s and 90s.

Why do you think so many people are leaving the Catholic Church? a woman, who wasnt identified, said during a 2020 question-and-answer session with clergy thats posted online. This is a great example why. This is just awful.

An unidentified man at the meeting posed a question commonly asked in thorny situations: What would Jesus do?

I think he would be on a different side here and say by what youre doing you have disrupted so many lives, so many people, the man said.

The archdiocese said Deacon Mark Springer, now retired, performed nearly 800 baptisms at St. Anastasia from 1986-99. After the decree by the Vatican, local church officials said all were presumed invalid unless theres clear evidence that he didnt use the phrase we baptize.

Its not the we of the congregation doing the baptizing, but rather the I of Jesus Christ, working through a priest or deacon, that makes a baptism valid, the Vatican said in a global order.

That sent people at St. Anastasia scrambling to find videos of their childrens baptism, the official entry into the church and a gateway sacrament to other Catholic rites, such as Holy Communion and even marriage.

About 200 baptisms were found to be valid, while 71 people stepped forward to go through baptism and other initiation sacraments again, archdiocese spokeswoman Holly Fournier told The Associated Press.

Another 47 people are making new arrangements, she added, but 455 still have not responded. Ten declined to participate.

We reached out directly, mailing letters to everyone impacted using the most recent records we had on each individual.  Were eager to accompany anyone who comes forward, Fournier said.

She declined to make clergy available for interviews to discuss why they believe so many people havent responded over the past 18 months.

During the meeting at St. Anastasia in 2020, Monsignor Ronald Browne, a church lawyer, revealed that officials in 1999 learned that Springer was using we baptize and ordered him to stop. But experts who were consulted at the time also said his earlier baptisms still were OK.

Then nothing happened for two decades  until Hood asked questions about what he had heard in his boyhood baptism video, and the Vatican separately declared that we baptize voids the sacrament, Browne said.

Im sorry, he said.

Springer told the AP that he couldnt comment, on the request of the archdiocese.

The consequences for Hood went beyond his own baptism and other sacraments, including priestly ordination. He had officiated at roughly 30 marriages during his initial three years as a priest. Those couples had to make their vows again.

I was expecting them to be angry, upset, confused, Hood said. Their reaction was Father Matt, we feel so bad for you.'

Hood, 31, currently serves Catholic college students, especially around Wayne State University in Detroit. They are around the same age as many of the young people who havent reached out to the church about being baptized a second time.

The sacraments are the mystery of God crashing into our lives, Hood said. It isnt just a checklist that you need to make in a Christian life. Its something that changes us completely.

He said Pope Francis has likened the Catholic Church to a field hospital serving people at all stages of their faith.

Were aware there are young people who no longer practice the faith. This problem has opened that up, Hood said of the botched baptisms. But for some individuals, it has been the opportunity to say I havent taken my faith seriously and this is an opportunity to do that, to realize something real is at play here.

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Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez
BRUNSWICK, Ga.  Three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery on a residential street acted out of pent-up racial anger and should be convicted of hate crimes, a federal prosecutor told a jury Monday. Defense attorneys argued that the Black man was fatally shot in self-defense and had acted suspiciously during prior trips to the neighborhood.

The jury of eight white people, three Black people and one Hispanic person adjourned without a verdict Monday evening after deliberating about for about three hours following closing legal arguments in U.S. District Court. Verdicts on hate crime charges rest not on whether the pursuit and shooting were justified, but whether they were motivated by racism.

The jury was to resume deliberations Tuesday morning.

The trial, which began a week ago, has been taking place simultaneously with that of three former Minneapolis police officers who have been charged with violating the civil rights of George Floyd. Floyd died on May 25, 2020, when then-officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground and pressed a knee to his neck for what authorities say was 9 1/2 minutes. Defense attorneys for the third officer rested their case Monday, paving the way for closing arguments.

In Georgia, prosecutor Christopher Perras argued that Travis McMichael was just looking for a reason to hurt a Black person when the 25-year-old Arbery jogged past his home on a Sunday afternoon. Perras cited a slew of racist comments and videos the defendant had posted online.

And when McMichael, his father and a neighbor began chasing Arbery, they had no evidence he had done anything wrong, but they assumed he had because he was Black, Perras said.

When McMichaels father, Greg McMichael, saw Arbery jogging down the street, he didnt grab his phone and call police, Perras said. He called his son and grabbed his gun.

Theres a big difference between being vigilant and being a vigilante, said Perras, later adding: Its important for you to understand the full depth of the defendants racial hatred.

Defense attorneys insisted past racist statements by their clients offered no proof that they targeted Arbery because of his race. They urged the jury to set aside emotions when deciding the case.

Its natural for you to want retribution or revenge, said Pete Theodocion, Bryans attorney. But we have to elevate ourselves  even if its the tough thing.

Its been nearly two years since Arbery fell dead from two shotgun blasts on Feb. 23, 2020, after a five-minute chase through the Satilla Shores subdivision just outside the port city of Brunswick. The slaying was captured in a graphic cellphone video that sparked outrage far beyond Georgia.

Basic facts of the case arent disputed. The McMichaels armed themselves and chased Arbery in a pickup truck after he was spotted running past their home on a Sunday afternoon. A neighbor, William Roddie Bryan, joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded the video of Travis McMichael firing the fatal shots at point-blank range.

Travis McMichaels attorney, Amy Lee Copeland, told the jury prosecutors presented no evidence that he ever spoke to anyone about Mr. Arberys death in racial terms or committed prior acts of racial violence.

Copeland noted the McMichaels pursued Arbery because they recognized him from videos recorded by security cameras inside a neighboring home under construction, which Arbery had entered at night four times in the months before the shooting. She said the behavior was suspicious, though there was no evidence Arbery had stolen anything.

As for the shooting, Copeland said it was based on self-defense, with Travis McMichael opening fire after Arbery tried to grab his shotgun.

Mr. Arbery tried to wrestle the gun out of Travis McMichaels hand, Copeland said. You can see the struggle on the recording.

The McMichaels and Bryan were all convicted of murder last fall in a Georgia state court. The U.S. Justice Department charged them separately in federal court with hate crimes, alleging that all three men violated Arberys civil rights and targeted him because hes Black. They are also charged with attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels face counts of using guns in the commission of a crime.

Regardless of the outcome of the hate crimes case, the McMichaels have been sentenced to life in prison without parole for their murder convictions. Bryan also received a life sentence, with parole possible only after hes served at least 30 years.

Legal experts have said that its tougher to prove hate crimes than it is the crime of murder. The McMichaels and Bryan have all pleaded not guilty to the hate crimes.

Defense attorneys insisted the trio pursued Arbery based on an earnest, though erroneous, suspicion that he had committed crimes in their neighborhood. Greg McMichael told police he recognized Arbery from security camera videos from the neighboring construction site as he came running out of the same unfinished house the day of the shooting.

Greg McMichaels attorney, A.J. Balbo, said Monday that his client had previously confronted a white person he suspected of possibly committing crimes in the area. Balbo said his client didnt chase Arbery because he was a Black man, but because he was THE man from the security videos.

Those videos showed Arbery taking nothing from the construction site. An officer told the McMichaels there was no evidence of him stealing. Bryan, who knew nothing of the security footage, told investigators he assumed Arbery had done something wrong when he ran past Bryans house with the McMichaels in pursuit.

Theodocion argued it was entirely reasonable for his client to assume that a truck he recognized as belonging to someone in the neighborhood was chasing Arbery because he had done something wrong. He said the chase and Bryans participation in it would have happened regardless of race, based on the circumstances.

FBI agents uncovered roughly two dozen racist text messages and social media posts from the McMichaels and Bryan in the years and months preceding the shooting.

In 2018, Travis McMichael commented on a Facebook video of a Black man playing a prank on a white person: Id kill that f-ing n-r. Greg McMichael had posted a Facebook meme saying white Irish slaves were treated worse than any race in U.S. history. And for several years on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Bryan wrote messages in which he mocked the holiday honoring the civil rights leader.

Some witnesses testified they heard the McMichaels racist statements firsthand. A woman who served under Travis McMichael in the U.S. Coast Guard a decade ago said he made crude sexual jokes after learning she had dated a Black man and called her n-r lover. Another woman testified Greg McMichael had ranted angrily in 2015 when she remarked on the death of civil rights activist Julian Bond, saying, All those Blacks are nothing but trouble.
LONDON  Northern Europe has been battered by its third major storm in five days, with heavy rains and high winds killing at least two more people, disrupting travel and prompting hundreds of flood alerts across a region still recovering from last weeks hurricane-force winds.

Storm Franklin pushed in from the North Atlantic on Sunday afternoon even as crews worked to clear fallen trees and restore power to thousands of customers hit by storms Dudley and Eunice last week. Heavy rains and high winds swept across Northern Ireland and northern England on Monday before moving on to France. Englands environment agency issued more than 300 flood warnings and alerts and train operators urged people not to travel.

In France, a couple in their 70s died Sunday after their car was swept into the English Channel near a small town in Normandy. The couple had called for help but it did not reach them in time.

With the wind, the car skidded, Herve Bougon, mayor of Bricqueville-Sur-Mer, told the Ouest-France newspaper. It was pushed onto its side as it sank into the water.

At least 14 people have died across Europe during a week of wild weather that meteorologists say is being fueled by an unusually strong jet stream over the North Atlantic. The storms have left hundreds of thousands of people without power and triggered local flooding and evacuations as high winds ripped the roofs off buildings.

Gusts of up to 87 mph (140 kph) were recorded late Sunday on the Isle of Wight. A gust of 122 mph (196 kph), provisionally the highest ever recorded in England, was measured Friday on the Isle of Wight as Storm Eunice hit the region. Hurricane-level winds start at 74 mph.

Official weather warnings in Germany, where the latest storm is known as Antonia, were lifted on Monday, though disruption to transport continued in northern parts of the country.

Experts said the weather toll for the week has been extensive for the environment as well. The German Aerospace Center, DLR, says the current storms hitting northern Europe would likely result in widespread damage to already weakened forests.

In a study released Monday, the government-funded agency said satellite data shows massive forest loss due to drought and bark beetle infestation between 2018 and 2021. These factors  which are exacerbated by global warming  weaken trees, making them vulnerable, DLR said.

The current storm situation across Germany will probably again lead to the need to remove damaged trees in many areas, it said.

Insurance broker Aon estimated the insured damage in Germany from the successive storms at 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion). The Dutch insurers association estimated that the three storms caused at least 500 million euros ($567 million) of damage across the Netherlands.

Despite preparations and warning by weather authorities, the February storms have sparked a record number of claims and an enormous damages bill, said Richard Weurding, general director of the Dutch Association of Insurers.

The storms blew roofs off buildings and uprooted trees across the Netherlands, killing four people on Friday as Eunice lashed the country. Insurers warned that more damage could still be to come with strong winds forecast in coming days.

In Denmark, the storm uprooted trees and disrupted rail services in and around Copenhagen, the capital. Sweden saw heavy snowfall that shut down buses in its capital city of Stockholm.

___

Elaine Ganley in Paris, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Frank Jordans and Geir Moulson in Berlin and Mike Corder in The Hague contributed to this story.

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Follow all AP stories about climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.
BELGRADE, Serbia  With all eyes on a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is sending his top security envoy to the Balkans where Moscow has been trying to maintain influence mainly through its ally Serbia, according to reports.

Serbias pro-government media said Monday Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful secretary of the Kremlins Security Council, is due to arrive in Belgrade in the coming days for talks with Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic. Moscow hasnt made an announcement about Patrushevs trip.

The talks are reportedly to focus on Moscows claims that mercenaries from Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia are being sent from those Balkan states to fight on the Ukrainian side against the pro-Russia rebels amid fears of a Russian attack.

Officials from Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia have rejected those claims, which were made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week.

Theres information that mercenaries are being recruited in Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina to knock Russia out of balance and send them to places including Donbass, Lavrov said according to the Russian TASS news agency, referring to the rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine. We are now double-checking that.

Vucic on Monday called a meeting of Serbias top security officials who reportedly also discussed the reports of mercenaries from the Balkans going to Ukraine. Dozens of Serb fighters have in the past fought in eastern Ukraine, but on the side of the pro-Russia rebels.

Serbia has formally declared neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine standoff that threatens a major war in Europe. However, Serbias state-controlled media is squarely supporting Moscow in the crisis, carrying Russian propaganda without any questions raised.

Although formally seeking European Union membership, Serbia has refused to align its foreign policies with the 27-nation bloc and has instead strengthened its political, economic and military ties with Russia and China.

The increasingly autocratic Vucic, who faces an April 3 general election, opened his campaign this past weekend by declaring that as long as he is in power, Serbia will never join NATO and will maintain its close ties with Moscow and Beijing.

Illustrating growing ties between the two Slavic allies, Serbia and Russia have recently formed a working group tasked with combating popular revolts known as color revolutions that the two countries top security officials described as instruments of the West to destabilize free states.

Western officials have accused Kremlin of malign influence in the Balkans that has helped fuel a wave of nationalism which threatens to undo peace in Bosnia after its 1992-95 war, reignite armed conflict over Kosovo that split from Serbia in 2008, and stir up political troubles in NATO-members North Macedonia and Montenegro.

Moscow has repeatedly denied those claims, although maintaining that Bosnia, Serbia and Kosovo must never join NATO.

Bosnia is in the middle of a political crisis, with EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels to discuss ways to ease tensions and prevent the possible breakup of the ethnically divided Balkan country. Bosnian Serbs, who have the support of Serbia and Russia, are threatening to split from the federation.

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Llazar Semini contributed to this report from Tirana, Albania.
ST. PAUL, Minn.  The defense attorney for the third former Minneapolis officer charged with violating George Floyds civil rights as Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyds neck rested his case Monday, after the officer testified that he didnt realize how dire Floyds condition was until paramedics turned him over.

Thomas Lane testified that it was the first time he had seen Floyds face since officers had struggled with 46-year-old Black as they tried to arrest him. While Floyd was handcuffed, facedown on the pavement, Lane held Floyds legs and testified that he thought he saw Floyds chest rise and fall, and believed Floyd still had blood pressure based on the appearance of veins in his arm.

What went through your mind when you saw his face there, once he was tipped over? Gray asked.

Um. He didnt look good, Lane said.

Lanes co-defendants, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng, presented their cases last week. Kueng knelt on Floyds back and Thao kept bystanders back.

All three former officers are all charged with depriving Floyd of his right to medical care. Kueng and Thao are also charged with failing to intervene to stop Chauvin in the May 25, 2020, killing that triggered protests worldwide and a re-examination of racism and policing.

The trial was nearing an end just as another major civil rights went to a jury Monday in Georgia. In that case, three white men are charged with hate crimes in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old Black man who was chased and shot in February 2020.

Closing arguments in the Minnesota trial are scheduled for Tuesday.

Under cross-examination, Lane told prosecutor Samantha Trepel that he was trained that he had a duty to intervene and to provide medical care if needed. Lane said when someone doesnt have a pulse, CPR should be started as soon as possible in ideal situations, but said that isnt always possible in law enforcement.

Lane agreed with Trepel that medical aid should be provided if a person is passed out with someone on their neck. But he also said he didnt know how much pressure Chauvin was applying or where exactly his knee was when Floyd passed out.

It seemed reasonable at the time. Mr. Floyds been pretty unpredictable, Lane said, noting that Floyd had fought his way out of a squad car when officers put him there while responding to a complaint that he had used a counterfeit $20 bill at a corner store.

Lane said officers at one point considered using a hobble  a restraint device that would have required that Floyd be put on his side so that he could breathe more easily. The hobble has straps that bind the ankles together, and can also attach to someones waist.

The officers decided against using it. Lane said Thao noted that if they used the device, they would have to call a supervisor to the scene. Also, Lane had called an ambulance because Floyd was bleeding and the device would have to be removed for paramedics, he said.

It seemed kind of excessive because we had an ambulance coming, Lane said.

Lane said he also suggested putting Floyds legs up, since he was kicking, but that Officer Chauvin said, No, were good.' Lane also recalled Chauvin rebuffing him when he asked if Floyd should be rolled onto his side after he stopped resisting.

When a bystander said Floyd wasnt breathing, Lane responded that he was. Asked why, Lane testified, I could see his chest rise and fall.

He said even after he couldnt find a pulse in Floyds ankle, he thought Floyd still had blood pressure because he could see that the veins in Floyds arm were raised. Lane also said: I could see the ambulance turn and I heard it before that.

Once paramedics arrived, one checked Floyds pulse and put him on a stretcher. Lane said he did not understand how grave Floyds condition was until he saw Floyds face. Lane said he then got into the ambulance to help and was told to do chest compressions.

As he recalled efforts to save Floyds life, he paused a few times and sniffed.

I wasnt sure if he was breathing or not, Lane said.

Paramedic Derek Smith testified previously that Floyd had no pulse, and other medical experts have said he likely stopped breathing minutes earlier.

Prosecutors have argued that the officers violated their training by not rolling Floyd onto his side or giving him CPR. Defense attorneys have attacked the departments training as inadequate.

Thao testified last week that he was relying on the other three officers to care for Floyds medical needs while he controlled the crowd and traffic. Kueng, who like Lane was a rookie, said he deferred to Chauvin as the senior officer on the scene.

At the start of the monthlong trial, Magnuson selected a total of 18 jurors, including six alternates. As closing arguments were set to begin, 15 people remained  12 who will deliberate and three alternates.

Lane, who is white; Kueng, who is Black; and Thao, who is Hmong American, also face a separate state trial in June on charges alleging that they aided and abetted murder and manslaughter.

Chauvin, who is white, was convicted in state court of murder and pleaded guilty in December to a federal civil rights charge.

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Find APs full coverage of the killing of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque police are searching for a man who starting late Sunday night kidnapped three people, shot at bystanders and forced himself into homes during an overnight crime spree.

The man, described by witnesses as Hispanic, 5-feet-8 and about 200 pounds, was last seen in a silver Toyota Prius driving the wrong way in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 when the car exited the freeway west of Coors NW. The Prius was found Monday at a gate at the citys fleet management facility at 5501 Pino NE.

Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos outlined the following actions:

At 11:20 p.m. Sunday, Albuquerque police were told a man stole a work truck from a business before crashing it near Gibson and Interstate 25. The driver fired a gunshot at a bystander before fleeing on foot.

Shortly after midnight, police were told a woman was abducted and her vehicle taken from her residence at Elm and Thaxton SE. Police found signs of a struggle and an empty gun holster in the residence.

At 1:30 a.m., police responded to a report of a home invasion in the 7500 block of Willow Run NE. Officers found a family sheltering upstairs who told police the intruder had fled in the familys white Honda. Nearby, police found the woman who had been abducted from the residence on Elm SE. She said she had ridden with the suspect for two hours until her car ran out of gas. Gallegos said the offender struck the woman in the stomach.

At about 2:25 a.m., women flagged down Bernalillo County sheriffs deputies and said a gunman abducted them from a gas station at Carlisle and Gibson SE. The gunman told them to get out of the car on Rio Bravo SW.

At 3:30 a.m., APD officers responded to a residential burglary in the 1000 block of Chama NE. The intruder injured the homeowner and barricaded himself in the garage before fleeing in the homeowners silver Toyota Prius.

Police pursued the suspect driving the Prius westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-40. The driver eluded police by driving off the freeway near Fortuna.

It was quite the crime spree, Gallegos said. He said that except for the first vehicle stolen, the offender had driven the vehicles he had taken until they were out of gas or almost out of gas.

Gallegos said, too, there were reports there may have been two suspects at the site of the theft of the truck from the business that set off the nights wild series of events. He said anyone with information regarding the overnight incidents should call 242-COPS.
Photo taken on Feb. 17, 2022 shows U.S. President Joe Biden speaking to members of the press at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that President Joe Biden "accepted in principle" a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that President Joe Biden "accepted in principle" a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Psaki's confirmation of a potential Biden-Putin summit followed a statement by the Elysee Palace in France saying the two presidents have "accepted in principle" a virtual meeting brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron, who held separate phone calls with Biden and Putin on Sunday.

Psaki said the summit would happen after a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov next week, provided that Russia will not invade Ukraine.

"We are always ready for diplomacy," she said in the statement. "We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war."

The latest development came as the United States has kept claiming Russia could invade its neighbor at any time, while Russia has denied any such plans, accusing Washington of "hysteria."

The Blinken-Lavrov meeting, agreed previously by the two sides, will take place on Thursday in Europe. 

Photo taken on Feb. 17, 2022 shows U.S. President Joe Biden speaking to members of the press at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that President Joe Biden "accepted in principle" a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Feb. 17, 2022 shows U.S. President Joe Biden speaking to members of the press at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that President Joe Biden "accepted in principle" a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Feb. 17, 2022 shows U.S. President Joe Biden speaking to members of the press at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that President Joe Biden "accepted in principle" a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Feb. 17, 2022 shows U.S. President Joe Biden speaking to members of the press at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that President Joe Biden "accepted in principle" a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)
Instagram Celebrity

The armed Colorado man, named David Adam Cako, is taken into police custody after screaming outside the 'Baywatch' actress' home and refusing to leave the property.

Feb 21, 2022

AceShowbiz - Alexandra Daddario has suffered a stalker scare. The Summer Quinn depicter in "Baywatch" has an "irate" Colorado man, who carried a loaded gun in his car, arrested outside her Hollywood home.

A man named David Adam Cako was taken into police custody on Saturday, February 19 after the Los Angeles Police Department received a 911 call around 11 A.M. from "The White Lotus" star's home, per TMZ. While the authorities arrived at the scene, the 24-year-old man was spotted screaming something about the actress.

After David allegedly refused the police officers' request to leave, they detained him and searched his vehicle where they found a loaded handgun. The suspect was then arrested for possession of a concealed firearm. He has a bail of $35,000 in the incident. There's no information whether Alexandra and her fiance, producer Andrew Form, were at home at the time of the scary incident.

The horror incident came just days after Alexandra shared her "excitement" at being named one of the 2022 SAG Awards ambassadors alongside Ross Butler. The actress portraying Annabeth Chase in the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" film series took to social media on Wednesday to share the good news with her fans.

Along with a promotional image of the announcement, Alexandra wrote, "I'm so excited for the @sagawards! This year I'm going to be a SAG awards ambassador alongside the wonderful @rossbutler." She concluded her post as saying, "Stay tuned for some fun"

As for now, Alexandra is reportedly living with her fiance Andrew. The actress and her 52-year-old beau got engaged last December. At the time, Alexandra went on to post a gushing tribute to him on her Instagram account, calling him "the absolutely most wonderful man."

"You're a loving father, funny, hard-working, honest, introspective, sexy, kind and sensitive- you've made room on some of the prime real-estate wall space for pictures of Levon, a dog you never even met," she continued raving over her soon-to-be husband. "You've taken the worst moments of my life and soothed them, just knowing that you existed when they happened makes my heart fuller and more pieced together."
Lions Membership Community Meet Ups form part of the LIONS Membership  a year-round platform created to unite the global creative community through inspiration, creative resources and a global directory of talent.

The mission of this initiative is to ignite collaboration, build new connections and drive positive change within the creative community. The Meet Ups draw from the power of collective thinking - something creativity needs more than ever.

Josy Paul, Chairman and CCO of BBDO India, will lead two meet up sessions for Lions Members titled Creativity, Empathy and Emotional Datataking place on Wednesday, 23rd February, at 10am and 4pm GMT. To book, click here.

These meet up sessions will focus on answering the key question, can creativity drive meaningful action?

The answer lies in our understanding of empathy and emotional data, this is data that is rooted in human confessions, and not just analytics. Attendees will learn that it is these insights that sometimes involve things that hard data cant get obtain; it is the data of the soul and the heart. And getting it right can involve an uncomfortable understanding of people and society. But, if handled sensitively, it has the power to transform brands and society.

This discovery process is not in textbooks. Getting it right is not easy, but when you tap into it, society responds and brands can prosper.

The Cannes Lions Community welcomes all creatives, strategists, brand leaders, CEOs, founders and anyone open to learning, emotional exchange and the changing phase of creativity.

Take part and understand the importance of meaningful action.The discussion and conversation around empathy and emotional data are key to transform brands and society. So join the conversation on creativity and emotional data. Embrace sensitivity in a world where no one is listening.

Josy Paul is one of the Founding Members of the Lions Membership. This year, he has also been invited to be the President of the Film Jury at Dubai Lynx and to sit on the jury of the ANDYs Awards Global Jury.
Flamingo, the flagship consumer healthcare brand of Ascent Meditech Ltd., has launched a brand new TV commercial for one of their hero healthcare products - Cool Pack featuring their brand partner Hrithik Roshan. Alongside the Cool pack, Flamingos other pain management products - Heatbelt, Knee Cap and Lumbar Sacro Belt (L.S. Belt) allows people of all ages, from millennials to the elderly, to manage pain in ways that are tailored to their needs.

The newly launched TVC has been conceptualized on the theme of their already released campaign that was introduced in late November last year. This campaign has also been built around the central concept of "never say die mentality," which was expressed in the earlier three TV commercials as "...par hum kabhi haar nahi maante."

Flamingo Cool Pack is a problem-solving product, thus it's critical to offer customer education about how to use it. As a result, the freshly created TVC starring Hrithik Roshan will be broadcasted on GEC, News, and Movie channels and amplified on social media and diverse digital platforms.

Rakesh Kumar, V.P Sales & Marketing, Ascent Meditech Limited, expressed his thoughts on the new campaign, saying, Flamingo Cool Pack is a unique product that has replaced Ice Bags to become the undisputed leader in the necessities space and is a must-have for every family. Hrithik, whose character appeals to audiences of all ages and they are influenced by his 'Greek God' features and dramatic action sequences, reveals his go-to shield when faced with injuries and agony. This well-crafted commercial will undoubtedly persuade viewers to keep the Flamingo Cool Pack as a permanent product for relief from swelling and pain in their home refrigerator, thereby allowing them to apply it as and when it arises. I am convinced that with this new commercial clubbed with a very reasonable pricing, the cool pack will be able to successfully penetrate into India's Tier 2 cities.

Sharing thoughts on the newly launched TVC, Roop Naik, Director, Zip Zaap Zoom Productions, said Flamingo's brand ambassador Hrithik Roshan the 'hottest' super star and the 'coolest' cold therapy for reducing pain & swelling instantly/quickly through Flamingo's 'cool pack' was a deadly cocktail to handle creatively. So we put on our 'thinking cap' again and we came up with a creative way in which how Hrithik as an actor faces his own perils & challenges during the course of his day to day shootings. In the 'cool pack' commercial Hrithik has performed a perfectly synced action sequence where he is looking 'super hot' while knocking down some goons, while in the portion where he is using the 'cool pack' he looks 'cool' as the pain & swelling disappears and he gets back to action.

Flamingo has ensured the Indian metropolitan and residents living in small towns that its innovative product line can support them through moments of discomfort in their daily lives at an affordable price. With these considerations in mind, Flamingo encourages people to treat themselves without pausing their life, even in Tier 2 cities, with its top-of-the-line quality items. Flamingo Cool pack is one of its kind and has superseded Ice Bags as the undisputed leader in delivering relief from pain and swelling through Cold Therapy.

Flamingo Cool pack in its newly launched TVC showcases Hrithik Roshan using Cool Pack it to treat his swelling and pain post an action scene.

The new TVC will be promoted through a variety of media channels, including television (across GEC, Movies, Music, and News channels), digital (promotions on social media networks) and BTL activities in chemist shops in metros and Tier 1&2 cities across India. Flamingo Cool Pack will also be available on the brands e-commerce portal - www.flamingohealth.com with the goal of making it available to every family.
The Oberoi Mall is back with one of its most awaited events of the year  The International Food Festival 2022, starting from 10th to 27th February 2022. Oberoi Mall invites all the foodies around the city of Mumbai to satiate their hunger pangs!

At this International Food Festival, various food outlets, restaurants and cafes at Oberoi Mall are giving crazy discounts on the food menu. They are also offering specially curated cuisines for this festival with exclusive offers and discounts which can be availed only during this time of the year. Some of the participating brands in the International Food Festival 2022 includes Poetry by Love and Cheesecake, Mad Over Donuts (MOD), Starbucks, KBC, Malgudi, Wow! Momo, Wow! China etc.

To add to the excitement, the dine-in customers will get whooping 22% of their food bills as Club Uno reward points (Oberoi Malls rewards programme) on participating brands at the International Food Festival. The reward points earned can be redeemed against gift vouchers of various brands present at Oberoi Mall. The mall has also created a quirky photo-booth showcasing Food is always a good idea which is a great platform for its patrons to create savoring moments with family and friends.

So, come and indulge in the celebration of food and pamper your taste buds with mouth-watering dishes from the best of food outlets in the city.






Kaizzen, ranked among the Fastest Growing PR Agencies worldwide as per PRovoke Global Ranking 2021, has further strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Soumya Dev, as Chief Strategy Officer. He will be working closely with Vineet Handa, Founder and CEO, Kaizzen in driving the organizational strategy for the company, including new service offerings, footprint expansion, acquisitions and partnerships.



Soumya brings with him close to two decades of experience in the full mix of Communications, spanning Digital Marketing, Content Marketing, Public Relations and Multimedia Production. Soumya is a seasoned communications professional, having worked at Fortune 500 corporates in international roles as well as at best-of-breed communications agencies in India. Most recently, Soumya was leading the digital mandate for PepsiCos Asia, Middle-East and North Africa operations.



Soumya is highly experienced and is credited for driving successful campaigns at the intersection of technology, data-science and compelling storytelling. Having him on board further strengthens our aspirations to transform Kaizzen into a knowledge-based and data-led communications consultancy, said Vineet Handa, CEO and Founder, Kaizzen. We are investing significantly to add highly specialised expertise into our client offerings such as Insights, Integrated Communications and Advocacy, as well as toward expanding our domestic and international market footprint, Handa added.



I am excited to join Kaizzen at a very exciting juncture of its growth journey. Kaizzen has a tremendous talent pool and a host of successful client relationships across sectors. It presents exciting possibilities to bring value to our clients and in driving the growth story of the company, said Soumya Dev, Chief Strategy Officer, Kaizzen.



Soumyas appointment comes close on the heels of the recent appointment of Ashish Gupta, former Deputy Editor and Chief of Bureau of the Indian edition of the Fortune magazine to lead Kaizzen Insights.
Dinesh Vijan - These are fascinating times for content companies. I am proud of the body of work Maddock has been able to showcase to the world. The Nepean private equity investment gives us the growth capital to expand our expertise in films to the digital OTT space and allow us to give wings to young story tellers.

Gautam Trivedi, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Nepean Capital - We are excited to have invested in one of Indias leading film production studios, Maddock Films. Maddock is a young and dynamic enterprise that is known for its content driven films delivered on tight budgets.

In this era of media convergence and digital explosion, we believe an investment in a content company such as Maddock will yield strong returns. It is a mutually synergistic deal and we have immense faith in Dinesh Vijans leadership and execution capabilities.
We are all facing it arent we? The Public Relations Sector has been a high attrition industry, but it is facing an even greater challenge now as it gears up for a booming economy and The Great Resignation.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by PRPOI (@prpoi_india)

How do we attract the right talent?

How do we retain them? How do we motivate them and take them to the next level? Dr. Sudipta Sengupta ( Head MBA & PGD Programs, Head Industry Interaction & Assistant Professor, Faculty Member of Marketing & Entrepreneurship Chair, School of Management, G.D.Goenka University ) joins us on a #PRPOILIVE chat to discuss the talent gap.

In a candid conversation, Dr. Sengupta shared many insights which would be helpful to all of us to navigate, guide and mentor the new generation of PR professionals as they join the ranks.

Motivation Has Changed

This is a generation that is not always looking for money or many things, but for experiences. Unlike the previous generation that was in wealth acquisition mode the new generation is looking for real experiences which will add richness and meaning to their lives. The demographic of talent has also changed. One demographic is from metro cities, with a western mindset and who have access to the best education. The other is talent in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, who while they have access to the global world through the internet still hold on to the need to make their parents proud. In many ways they are also looking for individual self-expression, and a sense of belonging.

They are Risk Takers:

The new generation is open to risks and they are also looking for a gamut of roles. Unlike the specialist role many of the previous generation had taken, many of them are looking for multiple skill sets and are keen to explore various facets of themselves professionally. It would literally be no surprise to have an aspiring investment banker interning with a PR firm, while a budding PR professional may want to try their hand at becoming a chef. This makes the fight for talent across industry and not just within the same pool.

The Issue of Vertical Defiance:

The new generation is not one that understands or respects hierarchies very well. They are more comfortable in flat organisations and are looking to scale up faster. They also have an overarching need for horizontal acceptability and look for greater acceptance from their peers. This is also a generation that lives in a virtual world and the place of works reality can be overwhelming for them. Giving them the most menial task can take away from their motivation, thus organisations need to enroll them into the big picture to make them see their role in the entire process.

Widen the Talent Pool:

As firms look for more talent to join the ever-rising demands of the workplace, universities and colleges are also rising to the talent by running programmes that help the transition from campus to the workplace easier. Another important tip shared by Dr. Sengupta is to widen the talent pool and hire from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Its possible the new recruits may not have the complete skills for the workplace but they do replace that with eagerness and the right attitude. Companies need to start investing in skilling up potential candidates as opposed to fighting for a small talent pool of already skilled up candidates. This will help in two ways, retaining employees who feel they get back from the organisation beyond monetary benefits and it will also allow companies to get more recruits to fill in positions.

The workplace has truly changed in the past two years. Covid has induced more isolation and greater questioning of self-worth across sectors. The PR industry is no different. Its time to redefine the entire work culture to make it more meaningful and rewarding for both employees and employer.
TV9 Marathi, Maharashtras leading Marathi news channel, will host the inaugural Maha-Infra Conclave with the focus on building future ready Maharashtra Infrastructure.



A first of its kind initiative in Maharashtra, the Conclave will highlight the key role infrastructure plays in aiding economic growth, while also addressing the state of infrastructure in Maharashtra and how it can drive growth for the region and ultimately help in nation building.



TV9 Marathis Maha-Infra Conclave is scheduled for 22nd February at Mumbai and will be inaugurated by Shri. Eknath Shinde, Minister for Urban Development & Public Works (Public Undertaking), Maharashtra.



Along with him, Shri. Subhash Desai, Minister for Industries & Mining, Maharashtra and Shri. Aditya Thackeray, Minister for Tourism & Environment, Maharashtra will also address the event and share their vision on how infrastructure development projects will fuel growth for the Industry and Tourism sector in the state. The policy push for mega infrastructure projects has opened a lot of opportunities for the state and the Conclave will provide a platform that will bring key policy makers and private sector leaders to draw an actionable agenda while articulating the positive impact that these humongous Infra-development projects will have on the people of Maharashtra.

The Conclave will be an interactive discussion with the panel and will have the following sessions on various development projects in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and rest of Maharashtra.



World Class MMR | Focusing on Infrastructure development in MMR Region: With mega projects like Mumbai Metro, Mumbai Coastal Road, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link and many others in action, the MMR region is set to see not just increased modes of transport but also a transformation in the way people travel in the city and to other various important nodes of the city



Connecting Maharashtra | Connecting rural with urban via infrastructure: Humongous projects like the Mumbai-Nagpur Prosperity Corridor that will pave way for tremendous development to industry, tourism and generate employment along with connecting the urban areas with rural areas



Hith Maharashtracha | Impact of Infrastructural growth on development in various sectors



Given the multiple road, rail and sea transportation projects taking place across the city, the Conclave will witness the presence of different Government and private stakeholders, who shall come together to highlight the importance of these projects, their completion time lines and when they would be open for public use.

Key policy makers that will be present at the conclave will include, I.S. Chahal, Commissioner, MCGM; SVR Srinivasan, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA; Manisha Mhaiskar, Principal Secretary, Environment; Dinesh Waghmare, Principal Secretary, Energy; Radheshyam Mopalwar, VC & MD, MSRDC; Sanjay Sethi, Chairman, JNPT; P. Anbalagan, CEO, MIDC; Sanjay Mukherjee, CMD, CIDCO; Ranjit Singh Deol, MD, MMRCL; Suhas Diwase, MD, PMR; Milind Borikar, Director, MTD.

The Conclave will be telecast through the day on February 22, 2022, on TV9 Marathi and across its social media platforms.
Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products

Bern, 19.02.2022 - Swissmedic and the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) secured 9,421 packages containing illegally imported medicinal products during 2021. As before, the majority of the products seized were potency preparations. The majority of cases were dealt with using the simplified procedure and the medicines in question were destroyed. In a new development, criminal intermediaries in Poland have become the primary source of goods from Asia. Half of illegally sold preparations do not contain what they claim to contain! Taking medicinal products that have been ordered without a prescription or with a sham online prescription is dangerous to health.

In 2021, Swissmedic and the Swiss customs authorities dealt with 9,421 packages of illegally imported medicinal products. This is a significant increase on the previous year, when there were 6,733 such packages. Swissmedic dealt with 9,028 cases. In 393 cases, FOCBS employees passed packages containing narcotic medicinal products straight to the cantonal authorities responsible for prosecuting narcotics cases.

The number of seized packages containing illegal erectile stimulants remained roughly the same as in 2020. Potency preparations account for around three quarters (77%) of confiscated packages. Other preparations secured included prescription-only medicines, such as hormones and anti-inflammatories (17%) or sleeping tablets and tranquillisers (5%).

Around 150 of the packages that were seized were connected with the COVID-19 pandemic. These contained prohibited quantities of prescription-only medicinal products, including anti-parasitics containing ivermectin, medicinal products containing hydroxychloroquine or antibiotics from India.

Swissmedic procedures for destroying illegal medicines

Swissmedic was able to deal with the majority  8,607  of the illegal imports under a simplified procedure that involves destroying the products. Swissmedic also undertook ordinary administrative proceedings in 183 cases, the costs of which were charged to the intended recipients, and legal proceedings were initiated in 122 cases (113 by Swissmedic and 9 by the FOCBS). Swissmedic referred 166 mixed packages of narcotic and other medicinal products to the Cantons, which are responsible for such cases.

Countries of origin: Poland overtakes Asian countries

Poland has overtaken the countries of Asia to become the first European country to top the country-of-origin rankings. However, the contents of the packages of potency preparations from Poland that were seized were all erectile stimulants manufactured in India. Swissmedic suspects that new illegal distribution channels have been set up after the authorities successfully shut down the transit route via Singapore in October 2020 as part of the internationally coordinated Hydra operation.

International cooperation is key

Information and cooperation at national and international level are crucial in prosecuting therapeutic product-related offences. Swissmedic is part of a global network of medicinal product control authorities. In addition to Europols Shield II and Stop II operations against illegal online therapeutic products trading, Swissmedic joined the FOCBS and Swiss Sport Integrity (formerly Antidoping Schweiz) in taking part in Operation Pangea, the international effort coordinated by Interpol.

Warning against allegedly Swiss online pharmacies run by criminals

Online shops repeatedly give the deliberate impression that they are selling goods from Switzerland. When conducting procedures, Swissmedic frequently finds that the people buying the products believed they had ordered on a website belonging to a Swiss pharmacy.

In reality, they are being specifically targeted and deceived. By displaying Swiss flags and the logos of well-known Swiss companies (such as Swiss Post), by giving Swiss-franc (CHF) prices and showing automatically generated, fictitious customer feedback from Switzerland, these web shops lead customers to believe they are dealing with an authorised Swiss mail-order pharmacy.

Steer clear of medicinal products from dubious sources

Anyone who uses medicinal products obtained through uncontrolled online channels is running a major health risk. Medicines from dubious sources that are a front for criminal networks are often supplied without a box or package leaflet and do not warrant the purported cost savings. In fact, medicines with the wrong active substance content or potentially dangerous constituents are damaging to health. Never take a risk. Only products obtained through monitored distribution channels are safe, effective and of good quality.

Address for enquiries

Swissmedic

Media Unit



+41 58 462 02 76

media@swissmedic.ch

Publisher

Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products

http://www.swissmedic.ch/?lang=2




Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 21.02.2022 - 21 February 2022 marks the start of Romansh Language Week ('Emna rumantscha'), an initiative launched last year by the FDFA in cooperation with the Canton of Graubunden and the Lia Rumantscha. Young people remain at its heart: this year, the Swiss president, Ignazio Cassis, has invited a group of secondary school pupils from Scuol and Savognin to Bern to inaugurate the second edition of the event together with Jon Domenic Parolini, member of the Cantonal Council of Graubunden. The school delegation has arrived with a suitcase full of ideas for promoting the Romansh language and culture in Switzerland and for making them known abroad.

'Rumantsch: in ferm toc Svizra' (an essential part of Switzerland). But also of the world. This is the motto the FDFA is using to promote Romansh Language Week in cooperation with the Canton of Graubunden. "Plurality is an asset for our country. Romansh Language Week allows us each year to promote our diverse identity: in Switzerland, through the contribution of the young representatives of Romansh languages, and abroad, through our representations," explains Cassis. This year too, Switzerland's representations abroad have been taking initiatives to promote knowledge of the Romansh language and culture in their respective countries within the confines of the conditions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular by means of online meetings and digital content.

A suitcase of Romansh ideas



Following last summer's meeting with the pupils of Ilanz and the Romansh course with the Lia Rumantscha in Scuol, Mr Cassis is continuing his personal journey of discovery of the fourth national language during his time as president this year. The invitation was extended to twelve pupils from Scuol and Savognin, representing the Vallader and Surmiran varieties of the language. The young people packed their ideas and representations of Romansh language and culture in a suitcase and brought them to the attention of the Swiss president and the head of Graubunden's Department of Education and Culture. "Cohesion and passion for plurality: it is on this strength that our country must focus to meet every challenge. The young people of Savognin and Scuol demonstrate this: our plurality gives rise to innovative ideas, which also set us apart abroad," said Cassis.

FDFA, multilingualism: collaboration with the cantons of Graubunden and Ticino



Romansh Language Week is part of a series of events  in addition to Multilingualism Week and the activities organised during Italian Language Week and French Language Week  which underline the importance of multilingualism for national cohesion, but also for opening up to the outside world.

The promotion of minority languages in Switzerland is also part of the structured, ongoing political dialogue that the head of the FDFA is conducting with the cantons of Graubunden and Ticino. This exchange has also given rise to the 'Mini Erasmus' initiative, which offers staff from the three administrations the opportunity to spend a few months on an exchange from the Federal Administration to a cantonal institution, or vice versa. A personal and professional immersion in Switzerland's plurality.

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




BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The picturesque Swiss town of Davos is celebrated for hosting the World Economic Forum (WEF). It has also been a witness to China's endeavor to champion an open, cooperative and mutually beneficial world economy.

On his first trip to attend the annual WEF meeting in 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "Whether you like it or not, the global economy is a big ocean that you cannot escape from."

Five years later, at the 2022 WEF virtual session, Xi said, "Economic globalization is the trend of the times. Though countercurrents are sure to exist in a river, none could stop it from flowing to the sea."

Despite the countercurrents of protectionism and unilateralism, China has been consistently committed to promoting win-win cooperation and common development through its opening-up drive and has injected confidence and momentum into a world afflicted by uncertainties.

Back in 2013, Xi proposed a significant initiative to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In less than nine years since then, over 140 countries spanning different regions, cultures and stages of development, as well as more than 30 international organizations, have signed BRI cooperation documents with China.

Scholars and experts have expressed their appreciation for the initiative's role in boosting connections across the globe, particularly in an economic sense.

In December 2021, the China-Laos Railway, a flagship BRI project, started operations. With a total length of 1,035 km, the electrified passenger and freight railway helps convert Laos from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

Thanks to the BRI, many more people in the world now have access to clean water, safe electricity and modern transportation. Kenya saw its first modern railway put into operation, the Maldives has built its first inter-island bridge, and Belarus is able to produce passenger vehicles...

Apart from the BRI, China has also been exploring new channels to contribute to world development. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which was launched in 2016, is a prime example of such channels.

In his address at the AIIB inauguration ceremony, Xi said, "The initiative to establish the AIIB is a constructive move. It will enable China to undertake more international obligations, promote the improvement of the current international economic system and provide more international public goods. This is a move that will help bring mutual benefits and win-win outcomes to all sides."

Surely enough, other than providing international public goods, China is also committed to sharing the development opportunities its large market brings with the rest of the world.

In 2021, for the fourth consecutive year, Xi delivered his keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo. Through his speech, an unequivocal message was sent to the world that China will steadfastly advance high-level opening-up.

To make good on the commitment, China has advanced the construction of 21 pilot free trade zones, initiated the high-caliber development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, and shortened the negative list for foreign investment.

It has also prompted the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and officially filed an application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Today, openness has become one of the hallmarks of the world's second-largest economy.

In 2021, China's foreign trade exceeded 6 trillion U.S. dollars for the first time and its economy expanded 8.1 percent year on year. Contributing over 30 percent of global growth in recent years, China has become a key anchor and driver for the world economy.

"The WTO would not be the World Trade Organization without China," WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said at a recent high-level forum on the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the WTO.

China's persistent efforts to push win-win cooperation and common development for the world attest to its simple but meaningful aspiration: to secure good livelihoods for its own people and promote happiness and well-being in other parts of the world. 
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I am so tired of Bidens Press Secretary Jen Mean Girl Pskai. Pskai loves to smirk and speak in the most condescending tone imaginable when demeaning unvaccinated people. Over and over again, Psaki repeats the old man/s false narrative that Covid is the pandemic of the unvaccinated. That is such a ridiculous lie, I doubt Pskai even believes it, but she shamelessly parrots this inane talking point whenever possible.

This isnt Sweden. There is a very small safety net for American workers. Taking away someones job puts their whole family in jeopardy. If you lose your job, you lose your paycheck, your healthcare and possibly, your housing. Some states are even denying unvaccinated people unemployment! That is so excessively cruel. It absolutely astonishes me that the President, who should be the American workers biggest supporter, fully supports these heartless and spiteful policies.

Shortly after that nasty speech, here comes Mr. My, Body, My Choice ramming vaccine mandates down everyones throat. Mandates are mean and stupid. Mean because you are forcing someone to do something they really, really do not want to do or you take that persons job away. Since when does President want to take away peoples jobs ? To take away a persons means of supporting themselves or their family is horrible thing to do!! We thank the front-line staff of hospitals for their extraordinary hard work by saying, vaccinate or be fired! Mandates are stupid because they only increase mistrust in the government.

A year later it is abundantly clear that the individual sitting in the White House is truly a mean old man! In one of the first speeches he gave, Biden blamed unvaccinated people for stalling the economy and said his patience was running out with those who declined the vaccine. What? Biden thinks he is an emperor, not a president of a democracy. He self-righteously railed on and on about why no one has a right to be concerned about vaccine safety, they just need to do what they are told.

Here's a Monday morning eye opener. Its a divisive topic, so please comment respectfully. By Katie Wright When the 2020 Presidential election was over, I remember thinking, "well at least this new president will be less divisive." Wow, I could not have been more wrong!!!! Biden sold himself as a genial guy, always smiling, so empathetic. Sure, he sometimes mangled the English language and went off on tangents. Biden would never be a great orator, but he would be a kind and collaborative President.

I watched Biden have a town hall with Anderson Cooper. Anderson asked if he felt badly about the firing of so many first responders, firefighters, nurses, police. No! Biden said with a huge grin on his face. How could an American president literally express glee about thousands of essential workers losing their job?? The amount of suffering Biden is causing tens of thousands of Americans is horrific! Mr. Soft Ball Questions, Anderson Cooper, never brought up the fact that most of the fired first responders HAD Covid, have the antibodies and do not need the vaccine. They resent being forced to have a medical procedure they neither want nor need. Would you get a flu shot AFTER you got the flu? No, because that is stupid.

At no time during this whole mandate business did Biden express ANY empathy at all for all the heroic health care workers he demanded be fired. He never asked them why the reluctance. I doubt he even cared to find out. Bidden just wanted his bidding done!

Then came his state mandated censorship of those who doubted the efficacy of the NIH or CDCs handling of Covid. People who said the vaccine doesnt stop the spread of Covid where instantly de platformed from social media. Prominent scientists had doubts about the supposed wet market origin of Covid and argued that a lab leak was more likely. As a result, cenosors immediately got to work, deplatforming all those people as well.

People say, oh Twitter, Facebook, etc are private companies and can do what they want. That would be true if not for direct government involvement in these censorship activities . As Press Secretary, Jen Pskai says, the White House is partnering with Big Tech to combat (so called) misinformation. I would bet ANYTHING Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg receive daily phone calls from the White House about the misinformation they must censor. That is illegal.

Of course, all these deplatormed people turned out to be correct about basically everything! Meanwhile the CDC and Chinese govt have tested tens of thousands of animals looking for this strain of Covid and no luck. It is pretty clear we are dealing with a lab leak. At no time did Biden or the people in his administration apologize or urge social media to reinstate those censored accounts. No, those people needed to be punished for not backing the party line! It doesnt even matter if they were right! Once again, mean and nasty behavior.

In one breath the president would say, we are in battle with Covid, not each other! But not long after that he would promote divisiveness and speak to the American public in a stunningly boorish and disrespectful manner. Over and over again, Biden yells this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated! That is a total lie because the vaccine does not stop transmission. It is a fact that vaccinated people can give each other Covid. It seems like half the vaccinated people I know got breakthrough Covid. Why the histrionic blaming of American citizens, who literally, did NOTHING wrong? Where is the blaming of the CDC and NIH for their atrocious leadership? How about blaming yourself Mr. President for promising once you get the vaccine you wont get Covid!

Biden should have acknowledged the extreme sacrifices of families with small children or disabled children. The sudden absence of school and childcare, halted the careers of millions of women, some may never regain their professional status. Covid was his opportunity to be the conciliatory and uplifting Biden. He should have been thanking single Moms, caregivers to the elderly, the families of nurses with small kids etc. for their extra hard work and sacrifice. There is no political downside to being a nice guy. But no, only recently Biden ranted in his latest speech that, unvaccinated people care costing the rest of us! No, its your vaccine mandate that is costing all of us! Taking away the jobs of tens of thousands of Americans is the cause the worker shortage!

We need to see a 9/11 style committee look at why we had the highest per capita deaths of any industrialized state, yet massive lockdowns,, closed schools and mandatory vaccination. Why did it take 2 years to provide in home testing kits? Who was responsible for the many smear campaigns on scientists with different points of view? Why 2 yrs in and no therapeutics?? Why vaccination the sole NIH and CDC focus? Why did Fauci deny that natural immunity was real?. Why isnt the CDC rigorously studying the causes of severe adverse Covid vaccine reactions, instead of dismissing them?

I cannot wait to see the back of that mean old man.
Looking back over the past several weeks, the durum market has remained flat with no impressive moves one way or the other. That said, most lo
KUWAIT CITY, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait held on Monday a celebration to mark the upcoming National and Liberation Days here at the Liberation Tower with art events.

The celebration featured folklore dance and singing, and an exhibition of handcrafted items and antiques such as stamps, coins, antiques, documents of the Kuwaiti rulers, medals, and trophies.

Meanwhile, rare species of owls from the Kuwait Owl Team were brought to the event to call for wildlife protection and proliferation in the region.

During the antique exhibition, Rana Al-Faris, state minister for municipality affairs and state minister for communications and information technology, praised the efforts of participants to preserve and promote the Kuwaiti heritage.

The exhibition's coordinator Muhammad Kamal said they aim to preserve the Kuwaiti heritage and support a new generation of talented craftsmen.

Kuwait's National and Liberation Days fall on Feb. 25-26. 
Remember President Clinton? I remember that, after he left office, he regretted that he'd never be ranked among the top presidents because he didn't have a war on his watch. Kosovo need not apply.

There's a "tell" here, of course. It is that the leader of a country is not there to hand out goodies in the latest ruling-class enthusiasm for spending other people's money. It is to keep a sharp eye out for enemies. And if an enemy shows up on his watch, he should stick a fork in it.

There's a reason why heads of state like the Kaiser and Joe Stalin and Mao Zedong -- and even Prime Minister Winston Churchill during WWII -- like to dress up in military uniforms. You'll have noticed that male members of the British Royal Family do the same. It's because.

So think of poor Justin Trudeau, whose only encounter with warpaint is that blackface photo that we've all sneered about.

What if he could send the Canadian cavalry charging into a crowd of rebels and insurrectionists with sabers drawn and sharpened? Why, then he could really stand with the great and powerful Oz.

Unfortunately, in another proof of God's existence, all that the fierce masked Canadian Flashmen could manage -- I assume they wore traditional cavalry mustaches under their masks -- was to knock over a little old lady on a mobility scooter -- now identified as an indigenous elder. Oh, dear. I wonder what the book will be called? Flashman and the Little Old Lady? Alas, George MacDonald Fraser is dead, so he won't be able to write the book.

Still, we can take heart that Justin Trudeau knows how to dish out an insult, like any barroom brawler down the ages.

Today in the House, Members of Parliament unanimously condemned the antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, homophobia, and transphobia that weve seen on display in Ottawa over the past number of days. Together, lets keep working to make Canada more inclusive.

I agree, Justin: bouncy castles are straight-up systemic white insurrection.

But I wonder what pejorative is appropriate -- with the mandatory -phobia ending -- for a regime that mows down little old ladies with the Charge of the Woke Brigade? As in:

Half a block, half a block,

Half a block onward,

Into little old ladies

Rode the Woke hundred.

Fortunately, there is a word. It is oikophobia, coined by the dearly departed Roger Scruton. It means "the fear of one's fellow countrymen."

That just about sums it up for Our Justin and his fellow Virtuals: fear of their fellow countrymen, fear that the loyalty to the Woke Cause among the Physicals might not be quite as certain as those with a career and a pecuniary interest in Woke-with-everything, and indeed, whose very ideological detachment from Woke Orthodoxy is manifest in their inexplicable devotion to climate-killing fossil-fuel-powered transportation.

Now, Scruton knew all about horses, for he liked to go fox-hunting, although I don't know if he ever sharpened a saber. Did you know how Scruton met his wife Sophie Jeffreys? His horse, a gelding, kept sidling up alongside Sophie's horse, a mare, as the hunt was milling around prior to the Tally Ho. So one thing led to another, as they do when horses are around.

But let's get back to more important things.

Forward, the Woke Brigade!

Was there a woke dismayed?

Not though the wokies knew

Someone had blundered.

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to tweet and lie.

Into little old ladies

Rode the Woke hundred.

That's the point, what we all hope. That King Justin has just made a dreadful mistake, just like the catastrophic Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War, another vital attempt to stop Russian world domination.

But let us not just versify on the glorious deeds of the Woke Brigade. Why not sing about the glory of being Justin, the Wokey King?

For I am a Wokey King!

And it is, it is a glorious thing

To be a Wokey King!

It's odd, isn't it, that we don't have a satirical tradition in the modern Wokey musical world. Why should the Victorians have been so good at it? I mean, Victorians! Because when our generation does it, it's so serious:

Do you see the castles bounce?

Bouncing the kids of angry men?

It is the laughter of the people

Who will not be slaves again!

When the neighing of the mounts

Echoes the blaring of your horns

There is a life about to start

When tomorrow comes!

Well, Les Deplorables is not so serious by the time I've finished with it. I think you should laugh at practically everything, including yourself because the worst thing my Dad would say about anyone was "absolutely no sense of humor."

Anybody know if Justin Trudeau has a sense of humor? At least he's a war hero.

Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also get his American Manifesto and his Road to the Middle Class.

Image: Elizabeth Thompson
One of the hallmarks of liberty is a reliable legal system. In totalitarian countries, one of the ways you control people is to keep them perpetually off-balance. The law and its application are utterly unpredictable. People become paralyzed and dare not do anything that might offend the regime, lest they get destroyed. And that's what we're seeing in Canada, where the newly dictatorial government is making no pretense of abiding by the rule of law.

A very specific aspect of the rule of law is that new laws are not applied retroactively. In a free country, one with a safe, reliable legal system, if it was legal for you to buy a croissant on Monday, the fact that the law changed on Tuesday to make croissants illegal does not mean that the police can come and arrest you for that Monday croissant. In a police state, of course, the police can arrest you at any time for anything, including engaging in conduct that was legal when you engaged in it.

With that in mind, I give you a series of tweets from Mark Strahl, a Canadian member of Parliament (so we must assume, for now, that he's telling the truth):

Briane is a single mom from Chilliwack working a minimum wage job. She gave $50 to the convoy when it was 100% legal. She hasnt participated in any other way. Her bank account has now been frozen. This is who Justin Trudeau is actually targeting with his Emergencies Act orders.  Mark Strahl, MP (@markstrahl) February 20, 2022

To those of you, especially the media, demanding more details on Briane, having seen what has been said about her online today and what has been done to other convoy donors in the last weeks I am not going to help you dox her. I know who she is and I wont stop fighting for her.  Mark Strahl, MP (@markstrahl) February 21, 2022

Every Canadian should be offended by this serious retroactive punishment. Briane herself went public and posted, whether jokingly or not, that "The Libz are all outside my house." She seems cheerful enough in tone, but that sounds unpleasant.

Tellingly, one person implied that Briane deserved to be punished for conduct that was not criminal at the time she acted because some members of the group she supported intimidated (without physical violence) a reporter from an outlet relentlessly hostile to the truckers:

https://t.co/TrbQXXSG79 - this is who Briane is supporting with her $50. Be better.  Salmonid (@salmonidae16) February 20, 2022

Think about that: this person believes that, because a random crowd got angry at a reporter who works for an outlet that has been demonizing them, Briane should be financially destroyed. That's neither justice nor the rule of law. That's sheer, tyrannical viciousness.



Image: Angry Canadians. Twitter screen grab.

And keep in mind that this new attitude on the part of the truckers  and attitude that still hasn't turned to violence  began only after Trudeau, who first demonized and "otherized" them, began to use the vast power of the state to destroy them.

David Suissa, writing at the Jewish Journal, made a telling point about the moment when Canada went from a free country, which allowed people to express their views and petition their government, to a totalitarian country. (Hat tip: Instapundit.)

On February 24, 2020, a former judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice Deepak Gupta, delivered a lecture to the Bar arguing that "the right to dissent is the most important right granted by the Constitution." Gupta took the ancient idea of challenging authority and gave it dignity: "To question, to challenge, to verify, to ask for accountability from the government is the right of every citizen under the constitution," he said. "These rights should never be taken away otherwise we will become an unquestioning moribund society, which will not be able to develop any further." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would have done well to study Gupta's address. When he responded to truckers protesting vaccine mandates by saying they had "unacceptable views," he was undermining the fundamental right to dissent. He was saying, in essence: You have no right to think this way.

George Orwell would have recognized Trudeau's statement. According to Justin "Big Brother" Trudeau, the truckers and their supporters had engaged in "crimethink" or "thoughtcrimes." In other words, as Orwell explained, they were thinking about bad things such as liberty and equality. The moment the government defines thoughtcrimes and then uses the power of the state to destroy those who engage in them, you have entered the world of tyranny.
What if there were a fire in a liberal democracy scorching human rights and civil liberties? What if that fire was in several liberal democracies and spreading fast? The people are loudly screaming "fire!" but their leaders are curiously silent.

The implementation of emergency war powers in Canada to suspend rights is either a temporary overreach of power or a blatant authoritarian shape-shift to crush political dissent, seize assets, and implement martial law on completely fabricated charges. The majority of people in the U.S. and Canada are seeing the totalitarian shape-shift and loudly screaming "fire!" but there are no Western leaders rushing with an extinguisher, nor even any acknowledgment of what is happening.

One would think it the duty of every pragmatic and thoughtful western leader to call out the suspension of basic human rights and civil liberties where they see them, and yet with the exception of Nayib Bukele, president and self-proclaimed CEO of El Salvador, all of them are terrifyingly silent on the matter. Perhaps if democracy is dead, as Tucker Carlson and others have recently observed, then majorities no longer matter and there aren't just little fires across the West, but raging infernos.

For two years, these leaders have tasted the kind of power that corrupts and may be envious of the Trudeau regime's beta testing of this new shift toward absolute power and permanent destruction of any pretense of being considered a liberal democracy ever again. Let their silence serve as a warning that what's happening in Canada may not stay in Canada.

This was your view about protesters blocking roads in India. pic.twitter.com/9LHiXA4gcp  Veer Bhadra (@kartikeyaBhakt) February 19, 2022

Globalism's Chains

If the best-case scenario is that liberal democracies are presently in a state of "suspension" across much of the West, even in the absence of any real threat, then the values that the individuals support and are linked by are no longer in play, and we have no choice then to acknowledge some other forces have been substituted to prepare the shift to a new governing paradigm. We can call this new paradigm global technocracy because we have seen it with our own eyes for years ushered in through the ruse of invisible harm necessitating the state impose measures that collectivize risk and risk choices of the individual which undermines both their autonomy and liberty. Convincing the masses to go along with this ruse only required controlling all narratives, and injecting sufficient and constant streams of fear into the body politic.

As with interlinked individual rights, the rush to globalism over the past thirty years has linked many nations of the West beyond just commerce, trade, and economics. The unity of alliances for defense and diplomatic affairs in global groups like the G7 and G20 have merged the governing and ruling habits of Western leaders who have formed a curious "lockstep" on domestic policies. We've watched these policies be war-gamed through "pandemic preparedness" of simulations for events that are being ushered in under the pretense of threats, which are fabricated to justify the desired "lockstep" maneuvers. It's as if these nations were now networked computers running the same domestic policy software programs.

Silence Is Envy

Could it be true, as many are speculating, that leaders of the West wish they could do what Trudeau is doing, that they envy his authoritarian power-grab? Having tasted two years of power that corrupts and advertised their fealty toward global power interests rather than the people who elected them, it's hard to disagree. Their resistance to dispense with emergency medical police state powers should be a warning that, given the opportunity to create an emergency to justify more state powers and the suspension of liberties, they will rush to take this action. The conclusion is clear if this is true: these are not liberals; these are not leaders; these are servants of the global technocratic machine.

Trudeau assumed the seat of prime minister with less than a third of the popular vote, a convenient loophole and glaring deficit of many parliamentary democracies. This results in a simple tyranny-of-the-minority coalition government. In a nation where peaceful protest is criminalized by political opponents in power under banana republican fabricated charges, there is nothing liberal or democratic to see there. Worse still, it may engender the kind of violent rebellion the Trudeau regime has fabricated as justification for its tyranny. They are using JFK's famous words to their advantage: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. They can point to any resistance as violence and offer their prepared solutions  more tyranny.



In the absence of condemnation of what we're witnessing in Canada, the cancer will only grow and likely spread across the West. This disturbing silence of Western leaders should be viewed as tacit support of the authoritarianism and fascism in Canada, and that should worry all of us who care deeply about our basic liberties, because in a globally interconnected lockstep world, what happens in Canada may not stay in Canada.

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Graphic credit: Qimono, Pixabay license.
Lessons learned in youth persist throughout the years. The infant cannot define the words "mama" or "dada," but  in what may be the ultimate etiology of the practice of magic  he soon learns that uttering those sounds in a chortle produces tangible rewards, and thereafter learns to apply this lesson to other theatres of his relationship with parents.

Those of us who grew up in a Norman Rockwell painting were privileged to attend college during the American post-war golden age. One of our sacred institutions was the dormitory bull session.

Fifteen or twenty of us would gather in one of the dorm's lounges and engage in wholly unstructured debate on a variety of topics: politics, religion, philosophy  whatever struck our fancy. The proceedings were always entertaining and sometimes enlightening but inevitably collapsed into adjournment when someone committed the mortal gaffe of demanding that his antagonists define their terms. Thereafter, the correct definition of the terms "democracy," "communism," "capitalism," "socialism," "evolution," etc., became the focus of the debate. The inability to forge agreement terminated the bull session 'til next time.

The key idea is to understand that many words and phrases have both cognitive and emotive meanings and that many people use words solely for their emotive effect without regard to any cognitive component. They will eagerly enter into a discussion using the terms "communism," "capitalism," "socialism," "dictatorship," "authoritarian," "fascist," etc., with no clear cognitive meaning in mind. If you have any nonfiction books on your shelf with any of those words in the title, go to the index and see whether the author anywhere defines those words. If he does not, it signifies that his use of those words is intended to cause a buzz in your nervous system rather than to engage your intellect.

Against this background, I note that the phrases "law and order" and "rule of law" are commonly used as though they are synonyms, which they certainly are not. "Law and order" is what you get from Marshal Dillon; "rule of law" is what you get from the Constitution. The principal word in the phrase "law and order" is the word "order," meaning order under the police power of the state. The principal word in the phrase "rule of law" is "rule," meaning it is the law that rules, not men.



Image: Dictonary by fabrikasimf. Freepik license.

Similarly widely accepted is the idea that "capitalism" and "socialism" are two systems of economics. In reality, there is only one system of economics, and it doesn't have a name.

Economics is the art of creating wealth. The only way to create wealth is to start with some wealth  the startup wealth  which may be ships and factories or, maybe, only a man's strong right arm. Then, add to that a business plan, labor, management, and the realization of profit. There is no other way.

"Socialism" and "capitalism" are not systems of economics; they are systems of government. When people note that "socialism doesn't work," they mean "wealth creation doesn't happen under a socialist form of government."

After Mao's death, the Chinese realized that "socialism doesn't work" and that they could create wealth only by allowing a capitalist form of government to some degree. The problem was how to allow some degree of capitalism while maintaining dictatorial control.

The Chinese call their solution "capitalism with Chinese characteristics." The essence of this is to allow specified property ownership and free enterprise for wealth creation while maintaining total political power in the Chinese Communist Party and coming down hard on any signs of political independence. The deep states and elites around the globe (including the USA) have noticed that the Chinese have been remarkably successful and view the Chinese model as preferable to the American model.
With the Freedom Convoy protest making waves in Canada and the likelihood of similar movements springing up across the world, the act of civil disobedience is once again in the spotlight. It, therefore, makes sense to revisit the earliest organized civil disobedience moment in modern history.

It was in 1893 that a 24-year-old Indian attorney by the name Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi landed in South Africa.

Gandhi had lived a privileged life in India, and like most men of affluence, he was educated in England, where he trained to be an attorney. When he returned to India, he set up a practice in India but had sparing success.

During this time, he was presented to a case based in South Africa, a dispute between two brothers.

South Africa was the first occasion in life he experienced discrimination.

In court, Gandhi was ordered by the magistrate to take off his turban. Gandhi pleaded that it was customary for Indian lawyers to wear turbans in courts under British rule but to no avail. Gandhi left the court in anger. What also irked him was that Muslims and Persian individuals were permitted to wear religious headgear.

Next, Gandhi was traveling to meet his client by train in the first-class compartment when the ticket inspector unceremoniously threw him out because non-white people were not allowed by law to travel first class. He had a similar experience while traveling by a horse-driven carriage: he was compelled to sit outside the carriage with the cab driver because non-white people were not allowed inside.

When he studied in England and when he lived in British-ruled India, he was treated equally, as a subject of the Empire. His privilege led him to be insulated from the discrimination in India suffered by the working class. Hence, his experience of racism in South Africa was a shock.

Gandhi soon learned about the institutionalized discrimination in South Africa against Indians.

In certain provinces, Indians weren't allowed to own property. The laws mandated that Indians submit their fingerprints and register with the government and carry passes that could be checked anytime by authorities. Laws were proposed that would deny Indians voting and even subject Indians to random inspections of their properties without reason. An unfair tax was levied specifically on Indian businesses.

Different people react differently to discrimination. Some individuals swallow their pride and focus on earning a living. Some just escape to a safer place for a better life. Most people live for themselves and their families; they usually have no time or patience to strive for the greater good.

A rare kind among the affronted chooses to react to discrimination in the form of protests. Among those who organize protests, few find sustained supporters. Usually, even sustained movements fail to bring about any change. But the rarest among the rare kind not only organize sustained protests but also manage to bring about real change.

Gandhi led such a movement.

But Gandhi wasn't an overnight success. His first few speeches to the Indian community in South Africa were fiascos. He was an abominable public speaker and could barely muster words. The audience was understandably disengaged.

But he gradually learned the art of rabble-rousing by using emotions to get the public charged. Instead of giving spiels about laws, he made it personal as he cited specific instances of discrimination owing to South African laws that offended the religious sensibilities of Indians.

Gandhi also learned the importance of symbolism. At one point, he held an outdoor gathering where the discriminatory mandatory passes were burned.

But most importantly, Gandhi developed his philosophy of passive resistance and civil disobedience, where he innovated peaceful measures for expressing dissent.

The small Indian minority in South Africa participated in demonstrations, boycotts, marches, and sit-ins. They gave up their livelihoods and even participated in strikes to protest against discrimination and government mandates that treated them as second-class citizens.

The South African government and their agents branded Gandhi and the protesters as troublemakers and traitors.

Gandhi also knew that if the protests were to be restricted to just South Africa, they would probably be ruthlessly crushed. Hence, he founded a newspaper, Indian Opinion, to spread his message. He took aid from the international media, which were restricted to newspapers back then; like-minded groups; and religious leaders to spread his message against discrimination.

Since Gandhi's stay in South Africa was extended, he went back to India to bring his family to South Africa. The South African authorities attempted to block Gandhi's entry into South Africa, citing the plague that had hit India, from where his ship had sailed. When he stepped on land, he was subjected to violence by local thugs.

Gandhi and his allies were frequently imprisoned during the struggle. During the last phase of the struggle, thousands of Indians, including women, were imprisoned. Indian laborers, who had struck against their workplaces, were flogged, and some were even shot. It was a terrible ordeal.

Despite his activism against British-ruled South Africa, Gandhi led a stretcher-carrying service called the Indian Ambulance Corps to aid British troops during the Second Boer War. Gandhi himself was awarded medals by the British for his brave and selfless work on the frontlines.

In the end, after two decades of struggle led by Gandhi, there were many triumphs. The laws pertaining to discriminatory passes were repealed and so were the tax laws. The Natal Indian Congress (NIC) was founded, which marked the birth of the first permanent political organization to strive to maintain and protect the rights of Indians in South Africa. These were the earliest steps toward dignity for Indians in South Africa.

It has to be remembered that Gandhi and the Indian community in South Africa were a small minority. This was a time when the British ruled in countries across Asia, South Africa, the Middle East, and even North America. The influence of the British Establishment was considerable.

Yet a few hundred Indians managed a unique struggle of civil disobedience and managed to win back their human rights. It was the triumph of the human spirit over seemingly insurmountable challenges. In the end, tyranny and oppression were defeated without a single punch or firing a single bullet.

Gandhi wrote about his struggles in detail in his autobiography. Gandhi is regarded as the founder of civil disobedience, and the likes of MLK regarded him as their inspiration.

The Freedom Convoy in Canada and similar other movements around the world find themselves in a similar position during the initial phases. They are a minority against the might of and tyranny of governments. But it is impossible to repress all the people all the time. If more people join the civil disobedience movement against mandates, at some point, the establishment will capitulate, and freedom will win.

Gandhi famously said, "When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it  always."



Gandhi in 1931 (public domain image).
Joe Biden has become toxic not just for the country, but for Democrats, who are reaping the consequences of foisting a declining old man on the voting public and getting him installed as president. So harmful is his incompetence to the party that, inevitably, wags are suggesting tongue-in-cheek that he must be a Republican plant. For example, this by John W. Childs, titled, "Joe Biden: Closet Republican?"

From the New York Sun:

I wrote an earlier op-ed suggesting that the Biden budget might have been designed in Beijing, so favorable was it to Chinese aspirations of world domination. His current agenda looks as if it might have been devised by the Republican National Committee, so favorable is it to Republican aspirations of domestic political domination. Let me count the ways, starting with Mr. Biden's hysterical (in the sense of panicky, not funny) advocacy of the voting rights bill, HR1. He alternately shrieks, or whispers, that our democracy depends on it. Among its many puzzling provisions it would ban any requirements for voter ID. This is politically counterintuitive as most polls show voter ID is supported by something like 70 percent of the voters, even a majority of those supposedly at risk of suppression. Take Mr. Biden's border policy. The contrast between Mr. Biden's shrill support of extreme antiseptic measures when it comes to Covid among citizens versus the welcome mat for unmasked, unvaxed, and untested aliens is startling. This wave of untested individuals is a visual that should rally GOP voters new and old.

It's good political humor, but any writers using this sort of irony have to realize that they follow in the wake of a masterpiece of political satire published almost 30 years ago with Hillary Clinton (who somehow still remains on the political scene) as its target. Ron Unz took note that while she was in high school in the early 1960s, Hillary Clinton had been a Barry Goldwatersupporter, her first foray into political activism. Such young women were at the time called "Goldwater girls."

If I recall, when first published in the California Political Review, the essay was called "Letter to a Goldwater Girl." It is currently archived in what Ron Unz calls the "Goldwater Papers." Take a look at the first few paragraphs and, if you are in the mood for biting satire on a target that richly deserves it, read the whole thing:

The following correspondence was found in the personal papers of a retired U.S. Senator from Arizona after his death in 1998. Dearest H., Almost 30 years have gone by, and nobody suspects a thing! The strength of your determination still astonishes me. I never dreamed that the fiery "Goldwater" girl who visited me in my Chicago hotel room a couple of weeks after my landslide defeat in 1964 was serious. After all, when a teenage girl swears to go underground and dedicate the rest of her life to destroying American Liberalism and the Democratic Party, but from within, a crusty old politician like me assumes it's a passing phase.. I'd certainly forgotten our conversation within a few weeks, though I was charmed by your spirited support. How wrong I was. When I got your letter shortly after your husband was elected Attorney General of Arkansas in '76, your name meant absolutely nothing to me. As an old male chauvinist, how could I reject a lunch request from a lady, even one who mentioned she was visiting Arizona to attend an ACLU conference. When we sat down, and you explained who you were and what you'd been doing over the previous 10 years, I thought you'd escaped from the loony bin. But then you showed it all to me, your pages of notes, your secret diary, your strategy outline, all perfectly authentic. The boldness of your plan floored me. If even just a few of our intelligence agents had been of your caliber, those damn commies in 'Nam would never have stood a chance. Imagine, "converting" to the Left at Wellesley, having your consciousness raised, learning to dress Left, act Left, talk Left, even think Left, all as a cover. Learning your lessons so well, you not only became a solid member of those college pinkos, but one of the leaders, student body president and a key figure at college conferences. With the contacts you made at those conferences you were able to evaluate which of those college leftists had the greatest political potential. You even slept with bums you personally and politically detested ever searching for the man to be your future instrument. Mata Hari has nothing on you. And then you finally found him. As you've told me so many times since, he was a complete boob, an empty windbag, a politician to the core, with no goals except fame, women, and the good graces of his trendy-leftist social set. He was perfect: a Rhodes Scholar, but not a very smart guy, and he came from the tiny state of Arkansas, where it would be easy to launch a political career. He was an anti-war activist  but not an extreme one  a soft compliant fellow, who would always recognize that you were far more intelligent and knowledgeable, and who would willingly let himself be molded like putty in your hands. Even before you were married, while he was at Oxford, you persuaded him to "maintain his future political viability" by risking the draft lottery. You always emphasized to him his great political potential, and how important it would be for him to make the "right" friends among the other Rhodes Scholars. Then later, after marriage and Yale Law School (where you diligently helped the blockhead in his coursework), the efforts you had to make to get him to move back to Arkansas, and re-establish his country-boy roots, so necessary for the political future you were planning. He'd have been perfectly content to spend the rest of his life seducing co-eds as a second-rate law lecturer at the lower rungs of the Ivy League. And the media thinks that you followed him back to Arkansas! After that it was all like clockwork. Local boy who made good in the Big City gets interested in local politics, then becomes state Attorney General, then became one of the youngest governors in American history, and finally begins to build a national following. And all that time, you turned a blind-eye to his heavy womanizing, though you kept those photos around just in case he ever tried to slip the leash. Not that he would try  he knew you were aiming at the White House, though he never dreamed of your true motives.

Ron Unz, I salute you.



Caricature by Donkey Hotey, CC BY-SA 2.0 license.
With no public announcements, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) both are studying neurological problems that have appeared in people after receiving the COVID vaccines. In a scoop, Zachary Stieber of the Epoch Times has confirmed via emails that the studies are underway. You can read the report un-paywalled (by special arrangement with the Epoch Times) here:

Two U.S. agencies have been quietly studying neurological problems that have appeared in people who have had COVID-19 vaccines, The Epoch Times has found.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been conducting separate research projects into post-vaccination neurological issues, which have manifested with symptoms like facial paralysis and brain fog and have been linked in some cases with the vaccines, according to emails reviewed by The Epoch Times.

One attempt to gain understanding of a problem that experts around the world are struggling to understand is being carried out by Dr. Janet Woodcock, who was acting commissioner of the FDA until Feb. 17.

Woodcock, now the FDA's principal deputy director, has been personally evaluating neurologic side effects from the COVID-19 vaccines since at least Sept. 13, 2021, according to the emails, many of which have not been reported on previously. FDA epidemiologists are also gathering data to look into the issues, according to messages from Dr. Peter Marks, another top FDA official.

A team at the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), meanwhile, started seeing patients reporting vaccine injuries for a study in early 2021 after receiving complaints shortly after the vaccines were made available. A portion of the patients was examined in person at the Bethesda, Maryland, facility.

None of the reviews or studies appear to have been announced, and health officials have said little about them publicly, despite a growing recognition among experts that at least some issues are likely linked to the vaccines.
NAIROBI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's telecommunication industry regulator said Monday it will roll out its 5G network on a pilot basis this year.

Matano Ndaro, the director of licensing, compliance and standards at the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), told journalists in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that the regulator has developed a roadmap that outlines strategies to facilitate the deployment of 5G technology.

"We are now set to hold a validation workshop in the next one month to discuss the comments received. Once we adopt the input from the stakeholders, we shall establish a national 5G forum and allocate pilot frequencies," Ndaro said when Chinese smartphone maker Vivo launched its 5G enabled device in the Kenyan market.

Ndaro revealed that the east African nation will begin to authorize the first 5G pilot projects this year and thereafter release the requisite frequency bands and subsequently issue 5G commercial licenses, saying that Kenya's telecom operators have already begun the process of deploying the 5G infrastructure across the country.

The communications regulator will facilitate the deployment of the technology, enabling the country to derive maximum benefits from the new frontier, according to Ndaro.

Ndaro added that the deployment of 5G, which offers extremely fast download and upload speeds, presents a myriad of opportunities for all sectors of the economy.

According to the CA, the 3G/4G coverage now covers 96.3 percent of the country's population and 56.3 percent of the Kenyan landmass. 
In her Wall Street Journal article titled "The Jan. 6 Committee Won't Be Intimidated," Congresswoman Liz Cheney advises us that the January 6 Select Committee upon which she sits is all about defending the Constitution.

Rep. Cheney, first of all, sets everyone straight on the procedure for finalizing the electoral vote count in the Senate, and for challenging it. She correctly observes that neither the Constitution's Twelfth Amendment nor the Electoral Count Act of 1887 provides for the vice president rejecting at his own discretion the electoral vote tabulation submitted by the states. She, however, gives scant mention to the Electoral Count Act, which directs the vice president to entertain objections to the state electoral counts, the objections requiring deliberation by both Houses if in writing and signed by a senator and a representative. Its constitutionality was challenged, unsuccessfully, by Republican congressman Louis Gohmert and others, but it is a provision that Democrats have invoked after every Republican presidential election victory of the twenty-first century.

Cheney fiercely maintains that the state electoral tabulations received in the Senate are inviolate and cannot be challenged. Again, that is not the law in light of the Electoral Count Act. Plenary authority over presidential elections in each state, on the other hand, is vested in the state Legislature by Article II, Section 1, paragraph 2 of the Constitution. It provides, "Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of Electors equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress[.]" The state Legislature itself sets the rules for the presidential election in the state for which it legislates, subject only to the prohibitions against racial and sexual discrimination in the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments and the voting age established by the Twenty-Sixth Amendment.

The "Electors Clause" was utterly subverted and cast aside in the 2020 election, as governors and secretaries of state changed the election rules or consented to such changes at the demand of Democrats. The public health crisis justification for unregulated mail-in ballots and ballot-harvesting was a rubric, abandoned after the election when congressional Democrats sought to make the innovations permanent.

Rep. Cheney, her loathing of Donald Trump forever incandescent, says he "falsely claimed that the election was stolen from him because of widespread fraud." But "there was no evidence of fraud on a scale that could have changed [the outcome]" (emphasis supplied).

Of course, had Representative Cheney said merely that there was no proof of fraud sufficient to swing the election, it might have been possible to call her assertion debatable. Whether a thesis is proven is one thing and whether there is any evidence supporting it another.

It is unnecessary here to rehearse the extensive evidence of irregularities in the 2020 election, chronicled for a year now in articles and books, and still the subject of official investigations in certain of the states. Cheney does not reply to the authors who claim to advance proof that the result was altered by fraud. She knows well enough that to steal an American presidential election, there need not be fraud on a national level, but only in the handful of "battleground" states that will decide a close election.

Ms. Cheney goes on to assert that all her fellow Republicans know that the election was fine but are too cowardly to say it (presumably fearing Trump's vengeance). She then almost immediately proves that the intimidation goes the other way: public officials and counsel representing them have reason to fear suggesting, even in court papers, that there was anything amiss in the 2020 election.

Cheney positively crows that Rudolph Giuliani has had his professional license suspended, essentially for representing his client, President Trump, in his legal challenge to the election. Indeed, from the beginning, Democrats were relentless in trying to discourage law firms with the capacity to handle so momentous an exertion as representing Trump. The firm's clients would learn that it was racist if it did not withdraw its representation of him.

Does punishing attorneys for advocating their client's position not offend the Constitution in some sense (e.g., the First Amendment's Free Speech Clause, Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause)? What about trying to prevent members of Congress from seeking re-election because they questioned the legitimacy of the election on the basis of Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment, barring former members of Congress who had joined the Confederacy from again holding office in the United States? And what of dragging anyone associated with President Trump before the January 6 Committee, upon pain of contempt, and demanding production of his correspondence and records? Is there nothing amiss in the Committee investigating members of Congress because they either spoke to the president on or around January 6 or challenged the legitimacy of the election?

Rep. Cheney assures us that the Committee is "focused on facts, not rhetoric, and ... will present those facts without exaggeration." There are certain facts, however, of which she is already convinced, before the staged ritual of the hearings. "Our hearings will show that [Trump's] falsehoods [denying the legitimacy of the election] provoked the violence on January 6."

Does that mean that they have Trump on film exhorting people to commit violence in the Capitol, in contrast to the widely available footage in which he urges peaceful protest, the kind in which most of the demonstrators engaged? Or are Ms. Cheney and her new Democrat friends dispensing with the Supreme Court's protected speech standard in Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969)  speech is protected unless it actually urges imminent violence? Does she think that to question publicly the fairness of the 2020 election is a crime? Is that her idea of shouting "fire" in a crowded theater?

If the Committee is focused on the facts, then it will surely investigate whether Trump offered National Guard protection in advance of January 6 and Speaker Pelosi and D.C. mayor Bowser declined. It will no doubt determine whether there was FBI infiltration of the demonstration accompanied by instigation and entrapment. It will find out whether the Capitol Police murdered two demonstrators and arbitrarily used chemical spray on others. It will discover whether that same gallant police force let demonstrators into the Capitol, effectively giving them permission.

The proceedings of the January 6 Committee will extend the campaign of prosecution and prolonged incarceration that the Justice Department has conducted for a year against anyone inside or on the grounds of the Capitol that fateful day. Is this plan of inquisition and punishment actually in the service of the Constitution, as Representative Cheney insists? Or does it resemble more a political persecution, directed against Trump-supporters, including the many who intended only "peaceably to assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances"?

A proceeding by Congress or the Justice Department tending to impinge upon the liberty of American citizens cannot be a defense of the Constitution. For liberty is among the "unalienable rights" enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution was made to "adorn" and "preserve" the meaning of that earlier document, as Lincoln famously said.

Photo credit: Milonica, CC BY-SA 3.0 license.
(Image source from: Twitter.com/GummallaSrijana)

AP Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy is no more:- Andhra Pradesh Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy passed away this morning after he suffered a massive heart attack. He has been rushed to a private hospital and the doctors declared that he has been brought dead. The 50-year-old minister was in Dubai from the past one week after he signed MoUs on the behalf of the AP government. Mekapati Goutham Reddy collapsed at his home and he was taken to Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad. He was declared dead at 9:16 AM. "Today morning Mr. Gautam Reddy 50/M was brought to Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills in an emergency. He had collapsed suddenly at home. He arrived into our ER at 07:45am and was unresponsive, not breathing and in cardiac arrest on arrival, told the official statement of Apollo Hospitals.

Mekapati Goutham Reddy received CPR and advanced cardiac life support from the emergency department of doctors. CPR was done for more than 90 minutes but there was no response from him told the doctors. Mekapati Goutham Reddy spent 10 days in Dubai in the Expo 2022. Telangana IT Minister KTR who shares a great bonding with Mekapati Goutham Reddy rushed to his residence to offer the condolences for the young politician. AP Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy is heading to Hyderabad to pay his last respects for Mekapati Goutham Reddy. Several AP ministers, MLAs and other leaders rushed to Hyderabad.

AP government declared a two-day mourning as a mark of respect for the minister. Mekapati Goutham Reddy returned back to Hyderabad during the early hours of Sunday from Dubai. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu expressed his condolences saying that he was close to his family. His last rites are expected to be held in Nellore on Wednesday. His mortal remains will be taken to Nellore this night and will be placed for public visit tomorrow. Rest in peace Mekapati Goutham Reddy garu.
(Image source from: Twitter.com/JanaSenaParty)

Pawan Kalyan calls the Fishing GO a Scrap:- Janasena Chief Pawan Kalyan promised to stand for the fishermen against the GO 217 that is issued by the government of Andhra Pradesh. He participated in a public meet that saw lakhs of participants including his fans and supporters. The government sought to put fish tanks under open auction. Pawan Kalyan addressed the crowds of the fishermen community in Narasapuram in West Godavari district. He said that he is ready to go to jail for the benefit of fishermen. He said that no Indian state issued such GO but YS Jaganmohan Reddy decided to auction the fish tanks and the pilot project started in Nellore district.

"There are various assurances given for the community of the fishermen but they were never implemented. A housing scheme was announced and the cyclone shelters are yet to be built. Janasena party will scrap the GO in seven days after coming to power if the AP government fails to cancel the issued GO. We will meet once again on March 14th marking the foundation day of Janasena and will discuss the further course of action. The government created psychosis in various sections of the people and Janasena is here to stand for the people against the odds of the government. Instead of the solving the problems of the fishermen community, the government of AP is creating further problems for the poor community" told Pawan Kalyan.

(Video Source: NTV Telugu)
North Andover, MA (01845)

Today

Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
During the launch of its 2022 flagship, the Galaxy S22 series, Samsung also highlighted one key app called Expert RAW. Although this is not a new app from Samsung, it isnt available for any device, but it can be installed on the Galaxy S22 series.

The Expert RAW app has been available in beta for the Galaxy S21 Ultra since November last year. The company confirmed officially that it will bring the Expert RAW app to more devices starting on February 25th.

Now the tentative list of the first devices to receive this Expert RAW app is available. According to an official post by a Samsung official, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, S20 Ultra, Note 20 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2, will receive the app in the first half of 2022.

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As far as the stable version of Expert RAW for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is concerned, it will receive the app in March 2022. To be specific, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will receive the app in April.

However, it seems like you can install the Expert RAW app on your Galaxy S21 Ultra from any third-party source and it will work just fine without any hiccups.

The Expert RAW app works with all cameras on the Galaxy S21 Ultra

The minimum hardware requirements for Samsung phones to run the Expert RAW app include Exynos 990/Snapdragon 865 or higher processor, 8GB RAM, and a telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and Bayer RAW support.

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Moreover, the official also noted that unfortunately, the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus, Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and Galaxy Note 20 arent supported. This is because the telephoto lens on these phones doesnt offer 2x optical zoom.

Expert RAW is a powerful tool, especially for photographers, as it gives them plenty of room to play around with the images and create the desired output.

It gives the user access to some advanced shooting features, full manual camera controls, HDR multi-frame capture support, and even lets you save images in JPEG and DNG RAW formats.

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The Expert RAW app also integrates with Adobe Lightroom. This will let users directly open the RAW images in the app for final edits. The Expert RAW app works with all four cameras on the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The same is the case with the newly launched Galaxy S22 flagship. Overall, with the help of the Expert RAW app, you can fine-tune the images captured using a Galaxy phone. You can apply effects and enhance details.
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(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 21 - Italy's ambassador to Congo Luca Attanasio and his bodyguard, Carabinieri officer Vittorio Iacovacci were killed by a Congolese kidnapping gang in North Kivu a year ago after they were unable to pay the gang $50,000, newspapers Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica said Monday.

The papers quoted World Food Organization (WFP) deputy director Rocco Leone as telling Rome prosecutors who have accused him of manslaughter in allegedly not respecting security protocols: "I gave them everything I had, $300-400 and my phone. The ambassador, too, started to remove everything he had on, certainly his wallet and perhaps his watch. I told Iacovacci to keep calm and not go for his gun, perhaps the ambassador told him too.

WFP aide Mansour Rwagaza told the prosecutors: "the bandits told us to hand over the money. They wanted $50,000, otherwise they were going to take us into the forest and demand a ransom...I told Rocco Leone that we would have to cooperate to stop being shot".

It was then that the ambush turned into a tragic kidnapping attempt, with shots exchanged.

Attanasio, 43, and 30-year-old Iacovacci were killed along with their Congolese United Nations driver Mustapha Milambo near the Virunga National Park on February 22, 2021.

The WFP delegation were travelling on a field visit.

The two-vehicle convoy with seven people was travelling in the Congolese province of North Kivu, from the province's capital of Goma to a WFP school feeding programme in Rutshuru, a town 70 kilometres north of Goma, on a route that would have taken the vehicles through the natonial park.

North Kivu governor Carly Nzanzu said the convoy did not have a security escort at the time of the attack.

The WFP has said minimum security protocols were respected.

Iacovacci's widow Zakia Seddiki Attanasio, a Moroccan woman he met on a mission there and with whom he had three small children, on Monday unveiled the Mama Sofia Foundation, the same name as an aid association the slain envoy had opened in Congo.

(ANSA).


MOGADISHU, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations top relief official in Somalia on Monday called for urgent humanitarian support to drought-affected communities in Somalia's northern region of Somaliland.

Adam Abdelmoula, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Somalia who visited Somaliland to assess the drought situation, noted an increase in the number of displaced families arriving from other drought-hit parts of the country, seeking refuge in Somaliland.

"This is further stretching the thin resources available to the local communities," Abdelmoula said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

During the two-day visit, Abdelmoula toured the drought-affected area of Cunaqabad, outside Hargeisa, where he witnessed the effects of the ongoing drought and interacted with displaced families in vulnerable conditions.

"What we need to do is invest more in the areas of origin of these newly displaced communities to ensure that they can safely stay home, and in parallel enhance the social services in the areas that have seen significant arrivals of people because of the drought," Abdelmoula said.

Persistent failure of rains in the Awdal, Marodijex, Sahil, Sanag, Sool, and Togdheer and regions has led to severe drought conditions that have displaced 810,000 people, and decimated crops and livestock.

The UN in its 2022 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan, seeks to raise nearly 1.5 billion U.S. dollars to provide humanitarian assistance to 5.5 million vulnerable people, including 1.6 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), 3.9 million non-IDPs, and people with disabilities. 
(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 21 - An Italian student from Battipaglia in Puglia died in a New York college on the night of Thursday-Friday, a day before turning 18, the victim of an apparent heart attack.

Claudio Mandia had been studying English and training to become a manager, his lifetime ambition, at the college, his family said.

His family, who make frozen pizzas and export them around the world including America, said he had been subjected to "unimaginable treatment" by the college and would take "appropriate action" once an investigation has reached its conclusion.

They also said doctors must explain why he died, since he was "very healthy". (ANSA).


MADRID - The Spanish region of Estremadura will have a new city of about 63,000 inhabitants as a result of a referendum held Sunday in the outlying areas of Don Benito and Villanueva de la Serena in the Badajoz province.

The inhabitants of the two towns were asked whether they supported a proposal to merge the two town councils.

According to the local representatives of all the main political parties and an academic study, this plan will lead to greater prospects for development, attracting investment, enabling new businesses to be created, and improving public services.

"Their union could transform (the two town councils) into one of the main hubs of economic development in Estremadura," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a tweet on Sunday.

The much-coveted "yes" to the merger came after a day of suspense. In the two towns - both under Socialist Party administration - 66% had been set as the minimum vote percentage for the decision to be made.

In Villanueva, over 90% of inhabitants voted in favor but in Don Benito, unexpectedly, only 66.27% did.

This proved enough, however.

The creation of the new city, Spanish media said, will however, not be immediate; the bureaucratic process is expected to take five years.

A commission of experts is expected to decide on a name for the new city within about the next month and a half.
Palestinian struggle 'hero' Handala cartoons now in Italy First for work by Naji al-Ali, killed 35 years ago in London

(by Francesco Tedesco) (ANSAmed) - NAPLES, FEB 21 - Handala, depicted as a child as seen from behind and drawn by the Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali, has over time become a symbol of the struggle for the liberation of Palestine.



He will now make his 'debut' in Italy with Marotta&Cafiero publishing "Handala, un Bambino in Palestina" ("Handala, a Child in Palestine") by Naji al-Ali, considered the most important cartoonist in Palestinian history.



Ali was killed 35 years ago.



The volume will be published on Feb. 22 and for the first time in Italy, the book of cartoons will tell its tale in Italian of the horror, resistance, and suffering of the Palestinian population.



"He was in Kuwait, where he felt like he was 'slipping into a life of luxury', that Ali drew Handala for the first time - who, to use Ali's words, 'represents the honest Palestinian who will always be part of popular imagination'," the naturalised American journalist and cartoonist Joe Sacco wrote in the preface.



His drawings had a precise aim.



"My work," Ali said, "was to give a voice to the population, to my people in the camps, in Egypt, in Algeria, the Arabs spread out across all the region who have few means to express their points of view." "Some 35 years after the killing of Naji al-Ali, we are publishing for the first time in Italy, 'Handala, un Bambino in Palestina'," the editorial director of Marotta&Cafiero Rosario Esposito La Rossa said, calling it a "unique work that with simplicity and clarity narrates history from the Palestinian point of view." "An artist," La Rossa continued, "who, thanks to the character of Handala, a 10-year-old child always drawn from behind while watching what is happening on Earth - gives voice to the poor and oppressed. This is a book that is powerful in its contents and that we have the pleasure and the duty to publish, precisely to give voice once again to the Palestinian population. Due to his efforts, Naji al-Ali was killed in London. However, thanks to this publication, [his] broken pencils are still coloring." During his career, a statement sent out promoting the book said, Ali criticised the Israeli occupation, the Palestinian government, and Arab regimes, "making his pencil into a sword" and creating over 40,000 cartoons.



"Ali serves as an example of how a cartoon measuring only a few square centimetres can be more useful that an intifada to stop the occupation and lift the veil of lies covering Palestine," it said.



The book will be presented in collaboration with the Handala Ali Cultural Center in Naples on Thursday, Feb. 24, at 4 PM at Caffe Arabo, Piazza Vincenzo Bellini 74-62, with aperitifs and literature, alongside Palestinian products. (ANSAmed).




ISTANBUL - The judges of the 13th criminal section of the Istanbul court on Monday ruled that human rights activist Osman Kavala will remain in jail until his next hearing, slated for March 21.

Kavala has been in prison for over four years on charges of having played a role in an attempted coup d'etat in 2016.

Ankara has never released the activist despite the European Court of Human Rights having asked it to do so in 2019

The Council of Europe began an infraction procedure against Turkey due to this issue at the beginning of the month.


Lebanon inquiry into port blast halted after new appeals MPs and former ministers hindering judiciary

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, FEB 21 - A Lebanese judicial inquiry into a massive, devastating August 2020 port explosion in Beirut has been halted for three months.



More appeals filed on Monday by two MPs and former ministers have now stalled the proceedings once more, according to Beirut media that quoted the lawyers of the former ministers Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zuwaiter, MPs.



The men have filed an appeal over alleged "serious omissions" at the 1st civil chamber of the Beirut Court of Cassation, tasked with ruling on a request to remove judge Tareq Bitar from his position in charge of the inquiry into the port explosion.



On August 4, 2020 some 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, left unguarded for seven years in one of the port hangars in central Beirut, killed 220 people and injured 6,500 - many of whom were left handicapped or disfigured for life.



So far the inquiry under Bitar has summoned nine of high-ranking figures within the government and security services in Lebanon, confirming - as had already emerged - in the weeks following the explosion - that Lebanese leaders at a high and medium level were aware of the presence of the ammonium nitrate in the port next to residential areas.



A third of the city of Beirut was hit and damaged by the explosion.



About 300,000 people were forced to leave their homes after the blast, considered one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history. (ANSAmed).




ANSAmed - Weekly diary from 21/2 to 27/2

(ANSAmed) - ROME, FEB 21 - The following are the main events scheduled in the Euro-Mediterranean area between February 21 to February 27: MONDAY FEBRUARY 21 LE BOURGET - Informal meeting of EU transportation ministers (until 22/2).



BRUSSELS - Meeting of EU foreign ministers.



BRUSSELS - Caritas report on poverty in Europe.



TUESDAY FEBRUARY 22 ATHENS - Another meeting between Turkish and Greek delegations to develop a mechanism for dialogue on disputes over some Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.



ALGIERS - Third anniversary of the launch of the pro-democracy movement Hirak.



BRUSSELS - Meeting of EU General Affairs ministers.



WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 23 TUNIS - Forum on entrepreneurship begins (until 24/2).



ABI DHABI - Briefing on the UAE's nuclear program.



FLORENCE - Conference entitled 'Mediterraneo Frontiera di Pace' ('Mediterranean, Frontier of Peace') (until 27/2).



THURSDAY FEBRUARY 24 ISTANBUL - Trial in absentia for the killing of Saudi journalist Khashoggi.



BRUSSELS - Meeting between the EU commissioner tasked with economic affairs, Paolo Gentiloni, and Odile Renaud-Basso, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).



FRIDAY FEBRUARY 25 PARIS - Informal meeting of EU economic and finance ministers (until 26/2).



BRUSSELS - Meeting of the Eurogruppo.



SATURDAY 26 FEBRUARY No major events scheduled SUNDAY 27 FEBRUARY No major events scheduled (ANSAmed).




BRUSSELS - The treatment often faced by migrants on EU borders "is legally and morally unacceptable and must stop", UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement posted online on Monday.

He stressed that: "We fear these deplorable practices now risk becoming normalized and policy-based.

Grandi made these comments in light of accounts given by thousands of people "across Europe who were pushed back and reported a disturbing pattern of threats, intimidation, violence and humiliation". "UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply concerned by the increasing number of incidents of violence and serious human rights violations against refugees and migrants at various European borders, several of which have resulted in tragic loss of life," the statement said.

"Violence, ill-treatment and pushbacks continue to be regularly reported at multiple entry points at land and sea borders, within and beyond the European Union (EU), " it noted.

"We are alarmed by recurrent and consistent reports coming from Greece's land and sea borders with Turkey, where UNHCR has recorded almost 540 reported incidents of informal returns by Greece since the beginning of 2020. Disturbing incidents are also reported in Central and South-eastern Europe at the borders with EU Member States.": It went on to note that: "With few exceptions, European States have failed to investigate such reports, despite mounting, credible evidence." "The right to seek and enjoy asylum does not depend on the mode of arrival to a country. People who wish to apply for asylum should be allowed to do so and they should be made aware of their rights and provided legal assistance," Grandi wrote.

"People fleeing war and persecution have few available options. Walls and fences are unlikely to serve as a meaningful deterrent. They will just contribute to greater suffering of individuals in need of international protection, particularly women and children, and prompt them to consider different, often more dangerous, routes, and likely result in further deaths," he continued.

"What is happening at European borders is legally and morally unacceptable and must stop," he stressed. "They reinforce a harmful and unnecessary 'fortress Europe' narrative. The reality is that the majority of the world's refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries with far fewer resources, often bordering countries of origin in crisis." "European countries have long been a strong supporter of UNHCR's work and are providing important contributions that both help protect refugees and support host countries. Yet financial and capacity support abroad cannot replace States' responsibility and obligation to receive and protect refugees on their own territory," he noted.
The Ukraine crisis has intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would recognise two breakaway republics.

The decision to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine was an ill omen and a flagrant breach of international law, Boris Johnson said.

The Prime Minister was considering whether the actions could trigger the imposition of fresh sanctions on Russia.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Mr Putins actions could not be allowed to go unpunished.

At a Downing Street press conference he said: This is plainly in breach of international law, its a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine.

It is a repudiation of the Minsk process and the Minsk Agreements.

I think its a very ill omen and a very dark sign.

It was yet another indication that things are moving in the wrong direction in Ukraine.

The move appears to have dashed hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough which had been raised with the possibility of talks between Mr Putin and US President Joe Biden.

The Prime Minister had previously said sanctions would be triggered if Russia invaded Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP)

But he said: Plainly what has happened is extremely bad news and we will be urgently talking to our friends and allies around the world, all of whom are jointly signed up with us in this package of sanctions.

Mr Johnson said it was becoming clear that we are going to need to start applying as much pressure as we possibly can.

It is hard to see how this situation improves, he acknowledged.

But he added: I think theres a sort of chance that (Mr Putin) could row back from this, and weve got to pray that thats the case.

The Prime Minister said he would speak to Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky to offer him the support of the United Kingdom.

My statement condemning Russias recognition of the Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic as independent states  pic.twitter.com/e0y3LNu29X  Liz Truss (@trussliz) February 21, 2022

Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary said the recognition of the Donetsk Peoples Republic and the Luhansk Peoples Republic as independent states demonstrates Russias decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue.

We will co-ordinate our response with allies, she said.

We will not allow Russias violation of its international commitments to go unpunished.

The Government has already promised a tougher sanctions regime to deal with any Russian transgression, with MPs expected to approve the new framework on Tuesday.

The European Union announced it would impose sanctions in response to Russias recognition of the two states.

The recognition of the two separatist territories in #Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the #Minsk agreements EU and its partners will react with unity, firmness and determination in solidarity @ZelenskyyUa @POTUS  Charles Michel (@eucopresident) February 21, 2022

In a joint statement, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel said it was an illegal act.

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said: This further undermines Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party.

Earlier Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said there was still strong cause for concern that Mr Putin remained committed to an invasion of Ukraine, despite diplomatic moves to end the crisis.

In a Commons statement, he said Russian forces were continuing to move towards the border zone contrary to repeated assurances given by Moscow.

There were now more than 110 battalion tactical groups massed along the border while the Black Sea fleet included two amphibious groups and nine cruise missile-equipped ships with a further four cruise missile-capable vessels in the Caspian.

At the same time, he said there had been a proliferation of false flag operations and propaganda stunts and Russian news outlets carrying fictitious allegations.

Downing Street said intelligence reports suggested the Russian plan has in effect already begun and that it was starting to play out in real time.

Nevertheless Mr Johnsons official spokesman said there was still a window for diplomacy after it appeared that a tentative agreement had been reached on a crisis summit between Mr Putin and Mr Biden.

Following a series of lengthy calls involving French president Emmanuel Macron, the White House said talks could go ahead provided there had been no invasion.

However Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said later that while the two leaders could meet if they considered it necessary, no plans for a summit had been agreed.

Its premature to talk about specific plans for a summit. The meeting is possible if the leaders consider it feasible, he said.
Lucy Mecklenburgh says she cant wait to welcome her second child, but that she will need to wait to meet her baby daughter before deciding on a name.

The former The Only Way Is Essex star, who already shares son Roman with actor Ryan Thomas, said she had an inkling that her new baby would be a girl but was not sure.

She told Hello! magazine that the latest addition to the family was due in late spring.

Mecklenburgh announced she was expecting again in November when she shared a photo on Instagram

We cant wait, the 30-year-old TV personality said.

I had an inkling that I was having a girl, but I was a bit more unsure than with Roman.

With him I just knew  I dont know why but even before we found out, I said: I know, one hundred per cent, its a boy.

On choosing a name, Mecklenburgh said again she was more certain with her previous child.

With Roman we named him as soon as we found out we were having a boy.

I remember we looked at a list and we both pointed to the same name. But this time, we have a list of 15 names.

We may just have to wait to meet her. Nothing in the world beats that moment when you hold your baby for the first time.

You experience this whole new kind of love, and they are your world. Nothing else really matters.

Mecklenburgh announced she was expecting again in November when she shared a photo on Instagram.

The post showed her cradling her baby bump while her son looks at his own bare stomach.

Roman was born on 7 March 2020  a couple of weeks before lockdown hit and Mecklenburgh admitted that being a new mum could be very lonely.

But she said social media had helped.

Mecklenburgh already shares a son, Roman, with actor Ryan Thomas (Steve Parsons/PA)

Id put up stories at 4am about feeding and Id get mums messaging me back.

It was a way to know you are not alone. That is how motherhood is: we are all in it together.

Mecklenburgh and Thomas, 37, have been in a relationship since 2017 after meeting on Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls.

Thomas, who played Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street from 2000 until 2016, proposed during a holiday in Italy in June 2019.
NAIROBI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta Monday flagged off a consignment of emergency relief supplies to 2.3 million drought-hit Kenyans in 23 arid and semi-arid counties.

Kenyatta expressed his government's commitment to providing both short-term and long-term solutions to drought by investing in community-based resilience and drought preparedness programs.

"Further, in January a total of 508 million shillings (4.47 million U.S. dollars) was disbursed to 169,000 households, translating to a population of 846,885 reached by the cash transfer," Kenyatta said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

He emphasized that the government is focused on implementing interventions that will build resilience in all the vulnerable households, diversify livelihoods from drought sensitive activities to drought resilient ones as well as improve on early warning and impact forecasting systems.

Kenyatta said the latest emergency is part of the many interventions that his government has undertaken since September 2021 when he declared the ongoing drought a national disaster and immediately put in place measures to cushion the affected populations.

He pointed out that the government had released 17.7 million dollars to assist the affected households through relief food distribution, water trucking and a livestock offtake program immediately after the declaration of the ongoing drought, a national disaster late last year.

Kenyatta also said from October 2021 to date, a total of 11,250 cattle and 3,200 sheep and goats have been bought by the Kenya Meat Commission from the counties most affected by the drought.

He directed the responsible ministries and agencies to immediately complement the cash transfer program with relief food distribution to overcome challenges such as vulnerable households lacking mobile telephone numbers and devices. 
A UK-based lingerie and swimwear company once favoured by Samantha Cameron has seen a 200% spike in lingerie sales during the pandemic as customers looked to spice up their bedroom attire.

The founder of Pour Moi told the PA news agency he saw customer numbers soar to help sales reach 31 million in the 12 months to the end of September, up 46%, following a 61% jump in the same period in 2019.

Several successive UK lockdowns meant citizens were trapped inside, so demand for nightwear soared.

Founder Michael Thompson started the business around 17 years ago after he discovered a passion for lingerie whilst working in the department at M&S.

The company has high repeat uptake figures, boasting 72% retention rates, measured by a repeat or return purchase in the year following first purchase.

Underlying pre-tax profits have more than trebled since before the pandemic, including a 75% jump in the past year to 2.7 million.

Michael

Mr Thompson said: Like a lot of people, for the first couple of months of the pandemic we were terrified.

The biggest terrifying thing for us was that 80% of our business was swimwear, it was like having cassette player and having loads of cassettes in your warehouse, then finding out everyone has gone to streaming.

Three men and 47 women make up the design team at Pour Moi and the entire business has 147 staff.

He added: If youre stuck at home, your entertainment has limited resources, it was either streaming something, playing Scrabble or buying lingerie.

Straight into Covid we definitely saw our sexy lingerie sales spike, and then it went into more everyday lingerie because the stores were closed.

It is mad, everything, every customer need changed overnight and then has changed back again, and then will change again, we are constantly trying to keep up with it and its so exciting.

Pour Moi also experienced a 154% increase in e-commerce website sales compared with 2019 figures.

During the final three months of 2021 growth increased by 297% from 2019.

The brand gained notoriety in 2015 after Samantha Cameron, ex-Prime Minister David Camerons wife, wore a Pour Moi bikini on a trip to Ibiza.

Being predominantly online benefited the company during the pandemic and helped them compete with bigger names like Marks and Spencer, who hold a huge chunk of the market share currently.

Demand for Pour Moi lingerie soared during Covid (Pour Moi/PA)

Mr Thompson does have plans to open more physical stores around the UK, in addition to the one currently based in Chester.

Pour Moi does work with wholesale partners including Next, Very, Asos and Zalando, but direct-to-consumer sales now account for 58% of the business, making them less reliant on these partners.

Mr Thompson also agreed to give their manufacturer BIA, based in China, a 5% stake in the business at the beginning of their partnership and did not cancel any orders throughout the pandemic.

This helped BIA avoid some of the manufacturing issues that many others companies had during lockdowns.

Shapewear sales online increased by 420% since restrictions started to ease in summer 2021 and strapless bra sales also jumped up by 140% as more people go on holiday.

Mr Thompson said: We started seeing it going up really from the summer onwards and then its just getting really strong now. I mean, I think I think everyone now is all about the holidays.

So, there is huge amounts of beach wear and strapless dresses, or sunny clothes being bought at the moment this huge mess, swimwear and shapewear and bridal, and its just like this emergence of life I think there which is great.
Britons have been warned to brace for strengthening winds and lashing rain as Storm Franklin moves in overnight.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for wind which could cause a risk to life in Northern Ireland until 7am, while a milder yellow wind warning covers England, Wales and south-western Scotland from midday until 1pm.

Environment agencies have issued hundreds of alerts for flooding across the UK, including two rare severe warnings where rainfall could also pose a danger to life for communities along the River Mersey in Greater Manchester.

This comes after huge waves were seen crashing onto coastal areas, homes were destroyed by strong winds, and emergency services deployed flood defences along swelling riverbanks on Sunday.

Onlookers are dwarfed by huge waves crashing over Newhaven lighthouse at West Quay in East Sussex (Steve Parsons/PA)

The River Don burst its banks in the Sprotbrough area of Doncaster in South Yorkshire on Sunday night, and police have warned people to stay away from dangerous fast flowing water.

South Yorkshire Police said: We ask people to remain away from the area of Sprotbrough Falls and Sprotbrough Lock in Doncaster, after the River Don burst its banks in this location earlier this evening.

Many of the footpaths in this area are presently underwater.

The water is fast flowing and poses a risk to people attempting to wade through it.

Members of the public are being asked to remain away from the area at this time for their own safety. Thank you.

WEATHER: We ask people to remain away from the area of Sprotbrough Falls and Sprotbrough Lock in Doncaster, after the River Don burst its banks in this location earlier this evening.   South Yorkshire Police (@syptweet) February 20, 2022

The River Severn has also been threatening to burst its banks, with water creeping towards homes in Ironbridge, Shropshire, and emergency teams have erected flood barriers along some sections of the waterway.

In Derby, firefighters from three locations were called to Wilson Street at 4.15pm after a roof blew off a terraced house, causing damage to five other properties.

Colossal waves have been captured engulfing Newhaven lighthouse in West Quay, East Sussex, and Porthcawl Lighthouse in Bridgend, Wales.

Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said last week marked the first time three named storms have been recorded within seven days since the storm-naming system began in 2015, with Dudley, Eunice and Franklin.

She added that there will definitely be some impact from Storm Franklin on Monday but it is not expected to be as severe as Eunice because the strongest winds will be confined to the coast.

The waters of the River Severn in edge towards homes in Ironbridge, Shropshire (Nick Potts/PA)

Gusts of 60-70mph are predicted to hit inland Northern Ireland in the early hours of Monday morning, while 80mph speeds are expected on the coast.

Gales of up to 60mph are expected to sweep the rest of the nation.

As of 10pm on Sunday, the Environment Agency had issued two severe flood warnings in Didsbury and Northenden in the North West.

Katharine Smith, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, urged people to stay away from swollen rivers while teams deploy temporary barriers and pumps on the river.

Pedestrians shield themselves from the wind and rain as they cross the Millennium Bridge, in London (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car, she said.

Residents close to the River Mersey are being warned to take immediate action and prepare for property flooding.

Manchester City Council began evacuating affected residents on Sunday afternoon in advance of the rising waters.

On Friday, Storm Eunice caused what energy providers believe was a record national outage over a 24-hour period, with around 1.4 million homes losing power.

Ross Easton, director of external affairs at the Energy Networks Association (ENA), said 56,000 people were still without power on Sunday afternoon, and Storm Franklin will hamper recovery efforts on Monday.

Wilson Street in Derby, where the wind had blown the roof from a building causing damage to five other properties (Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service/PA)

Mr Easton told PA: Were still making pretty good progress in terms of reconnections, but its certainly being hampered by the high winds.

Giving advice to those facing a fourth day without power, he added: First and foremost, check on friends, family, and neighbours to make sure theyre safe and well, and if you have any concerns or need extra support, call your local network operator.

The Environment Agency has also issued 183 warnings where flooding is likely for locations mainly in the north and west of England, and 172 alerts where flooding is possible for the north-western half of the UK, London and the south coast.

Some 18 flood warnings and seven alerts have been issued across the Scottish Borders, Ayrshire, Orkney and the Western Isles by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa).

Natural Resources Wales has issued 26 flood warnings and 47 alerts covering much of the country.
Vladimir Putin must step back from his current threats as part of any solution to the Ukraine crisis, Boris Johnson has said, following suggestions the Russian leader is open to last-ditch peace talks.

The Prime Minister said it is a welcome sign that a phone call between French leader Emmanuel Macron and the Russian president had shown Mr Putin may be willing to engage in finding a diplomatic solution.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister and Mr Macron agreed during a discussion on Sunday that the next week would be crucial in the bid to prevent an invasion of Ukraine.

It comes as the White House said US President Joe Biden has accepted in principle a meeting with Mr Putin as long as Russia holds off on any invasion plans.

Ukraine is currently surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment, with the West predicting that Moscow is poised to launch an offensive on Kyiv  a battle Mr Johnson has predicted would be bloody and protracted.

In a readout of the call between Mr Macron and Mr Putin, the Elysee Palace said the pair agreed to work towards a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine where violence has escalated between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists.

French and Russian foreign ministers will meet in Paris to advance a solution to the current tensions, while the two heads of state made a firm engagement to take all useful actions to avoid escalation, reduce risks and preserve peace, according to a statement.

The Prime Minister, who has said a conflict between Kyiv and Moscow would amount to a war on a scale not seen since the Second World War, spoke to Mr Macron after the French presidents dealings with Mr Putin on Sunday.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: The Prime Minister noted that President Putins commitments to President Macron were a welcome sign that he might still be willing to engage in finding a diplomatic solution.

The leaders underscored the need for President Putin to step back from his current threats and withdraw troops from Ukraines border, Downing Street added.

Before the call, the Conservative Party leader had conceded that a joint US-UK sanction threat to prevent Russian state-linked firms from trading in pounds and dollars in the event of an incursion  a move he predicted would hit the Kremlin very hard  may not be enough on its own to prevent a conflict.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement the US is committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins, adding US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, are scheduled to meet in Europe later this week.

She said: President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement if an invasion hasnt happened.

We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war.

Western fears about an invasion grew after Russia and Belarus extended joint military exercises beyond the original intention to end them on Sunday.

Le President @EmmanuelMacron s'est entretenu avec le President Vladimir Poutine ce dimanche. Ils se sont accordes notamment sur la necessite de privilegier une solution diplomatique a la crise actuelle et de tout faire pour y parvenir. Le communique :https://t.co/g8uNVzeYkW  Elysee (@Elysee) February 20, 2022

It is feared the displays are a further indication that Russia, which is also conducting naval drills off the coast of the Black Sea, is gearing up for an offensive.

Shelling in rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine increased over the weekend, with the Prime Minister suggesting the activity was part of a Russian plan to invade.

Hundreds of artillery shells exploded along the contact line between the two sides in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and thousands of people were evacuated into Russia in a move some commentators believe is designed by Moscow to paint Kyiv as the aggressor.

There is anxiety that Russia, which also carried out nuclear drills on the weekend, could use the increase in tension as a pretext for an attack.

The Prime Minister said British intelligence had suggested that the surge in fighting bore all the signs that Mr Putins attack plan has already in some senses begun, Mr Johnson told the BBC.
A new law could be tabled in the House of Commons to create the power to remove the Duke of York title from Andrew, MPs have heard.

Labours Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central, has suggested Andrew should lose his association with the north Yorkshire city following the settlement of his legal battle with Virginia Giuffre.

Ms Maskell said it appeared impossible under parliamentary rules to bring forward new legislation to ensure the necessary powers are in place to remove such a title from someone.

But Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing suggested the private members bills system, which enables backbench MPs and peers to introduce proposed laws, could be an option for her to pursue.

Dame Eleanor added House of Commons clerks could offer advice should Ms Maskell wish to take the matter forward.

Elsewhere, Dame Eleanor also advised Labours Andy McDonald to get in contact with ministers to establish if any public money has been used to pay for the dukes settlement with Ms Giuffre.

Andrew will have to pay a legal bill of up to 12 million, according to speculation, following his out-of-court agreement with Ms Giuffre who was suing the Queens son for sexual abuse after she claims she was trafficked by his friend and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York, Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell (US Department of Justice/PA)

Although the parties have settled the case, the agreement is not an admission of guilt from the duke and he has always strenuously denied the allegations against him.

Speaking in the Commons, Ms Maskell told Dame Eleanor: I seek your advice on a matter of a point of order concerning the ability to raise the matter of the removal of a title when it impacts on a geographical location, such as my city of York.

Ms Maskell cited Erskine Mays restrictions on discussing royal family matters, adding: The removal of a title, such as a duke, can only be achieved through the passing of legislation.

According to the clerks of the House, this has been achieved through legislation in 1798 concerning a specific individual and in 1917 under the Deprivation of Titles Act for the matter of treason.

The sovereign does not have powers to remove a title unless Parliament confers such powers on them, nor does Parliament except under this specific legislation which is very limited in its application.

However, in order to bring forward future legislation so that there were such powers available then new legislation would need to be introduced, which would appear impossible under the rulings of Erskine May.

Dame Eleanor, in her reply, said: There are other means by which the matters shes raised can be brought before the House, and she rightly says the matter she describes can be resolved by legislation and (Ms Maskell) knows there are ways in which she can introduce legislation into the House  by private members bills, through the 10-minute rule procedure.

And Im quite sure if she were to ask the advice of the clerks, they would guide her on how she might take this matter forward if she so wishes.

The Duke of York (Neil Hall/PA)

Erskine May, which outlines parliamentary procedure, states in its section on the royal family: No question can be put which brings the name of the sovereign or the influence of the crown directly before Parliament, or which casts reflections upon the sovereign or the royal family.

It adds only questions on matters such as costs to the public of funding royal events and royal palaces are allowed.

Mr McDonald earlier did not refer to the duke by name as he said: In recent days theres been widespread coverage of the settlement of an extremely high profile court case.

There are undoubtedly significant sensitivities and difficulties here and Im conscious of the need to proceed with care.

But my particular concern is whether such a significant settlement could be satisfied by the use of public funds.

In those circumstances, I seek your guidance as to how I might illicit clarification and assurance from a Government minister that no public funds have been used or will be used in part or whole in satisfaction of the settlement.

Dame Eleanor replied: I suggest that given that (Mr McDonald) were to put down questions for ministerial answer here in the chamber, there could be difficulties because questions are based on ministerial responsibility and theres no obvious ministerial responsibility for the expenditure of public funds in the way (Mr McDonald) suggests.

So therefore it might be best if he were to write to ministers to seek the assurance that he wishes.

It is understood Mr McDonald will do as suggested by the Deputy Speaker.

No detail has been disclosed with regard to the settlement and costs.

Reports suggest the duke has agreed to pay around 10 million to Ms Giuffre and a further 2 million to her charity, with speculation the Queen might help with costs from her private funds.

Andrew is reportedly in the process of selling his Swiss ski chalet with the property expected to generate many millions in funds.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  International tourists and business travelers began arriving in Australia with few restrictions on Monday, bringing together families in tearful reunions after separations of two years or longer forced by some of the most draconian pandemic measures of any democracy in the world.

Australia closed its borders to tourists in March 2020 in a bid to reduce the local spread of COVID-19, but on Monday removed its final travel restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers.

Tearful British tourist Sue Witton hugged her adult son Simon Witton when he greeted her at Melbournes airport.

Seven hundred and twenty-four (days) apart and hes my only son, and Im alone, so this means the world to me, she told reporters.

Travelers were greeted at Sydneys airport by jubilant well-wishers waving toy koalas and favorite Australian foods including Tim Tams chocolate cookies and jars of Vegemite spread.

Federal Tourism Minister Dan Tehan was on hand to welcome the first arrivals on a Qantas flight from Los Angeles which landed at 6:20 a.m. local time.

I think therell be a very strong rebound in our tourism market. Our wonderful experiences havent gone away, Tehan said.

Danielle Vogl, who lives in Canberra, and her Florida-based partner Eric Lochner have been separated since October 2019 by the travel restrictions.

She said she burst into tears when she heard about the lifting of the restrictions, which will allow them to reunite in April, and telephoned him with the news.

I actually woke him up to tell him, because I thought it was big enough news to do that, Vogl told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

He couldnt believe it.  He was like Are you sure, is this true? and Im like Yes, its happening. This is over now: we can be together again, she added.

Lochner was not eligible for an exemption from the travel ban because the couple werent married or living together.

Its been a very long and very cruel process for us, Vogl said.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said all travelers vaccination status would be checked before they arrived to avoid a repeat of Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovics visa debacle.

Djokovic was issued with a visa through an automated process before he left Spain to compete in the Australian Open in January but was deported after he arrived in Melbourne because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said she expected tourist numbers would take two years to rebound to pre-pandemic levels.

This is a really great start, Harrison said. This is what the industry had been asking us for, you know, just give us our international guests back and we will take it from there.

Qantas on Monday was bringing in passengers from eight overseas destinations including Vancouver, Singapore, London and New Delhi.

The Sydney-based airlines chief executive Alan Joyce said bookings have been strong since the federal government announced two weeks ago that the country was relaxing restrictions.

It has been a tough two years for everybody in the tourism industry, but today is really one of the big steps on the way back to a full recovery so we are very excited, Joyce said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 1.2 million people had visas to enter Australia with 56 international flights due to touch down in the first 24 hours of the border reopening.

Australia on Monday reported 17,736 new COVID-19 infections and 34 deaths. Australias death toll since the pandemic began is 4,929.

Australia imposed some of the worlds toughest travel restrictions on its citizens and permanent residents in March 2020 to prevent them from bringing COVID-19 home.

Travelers had to apply for an exemption from the travel ban, but tourism wasnt an accepted reason. International students and skilled migrants were prioritized when the border restrictions were relaxed in November in response to an increasing vaccination rate among the Australian population. Tourists from New Zealand, Japan and South Korea were also allowed in early.

Australian states and territories also have their own COVID-19 rules. The strictest are in Western Australia state, which covers a third of the island continent.
President Joe Biden on Monday reacted swiftly to Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring he would recognize the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, possibly using the move as a pretext for an invasion the U.S. has warned was likely coming at any hour.

The White House said Biden would soon issue an executive order "that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in" the two Ukrainian regions under the control of Russian-backed separatists, Donetsk and Luhansk.

The order "will also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. She added that the U.S. "will also soon announce additional measures related to todays blatant violation of Russias international commitments."

But the White House added these sanctions were not the same punishing ones the U.S. has threatened for weeks -- crippling Russia's banking sector, restricting access to semiconductors, targeting Putin and those close to him, and more -- if Russia actually launched an invasion.

"These measures," Psaki said, "are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine."

The European Union said it, too, would "react with sanctions against those involved in this illegal act" of recognizing the Ukrainian regions' independence, which are under the separatists' partial control.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his administration's efforts to pursue deterrence and diplomacy in response to Russia's military buildup on the border of Ukraine, from the White House in Washington, Feb. 18, 2022. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

The announcements came soon after Putin said during a televised address that he would recognize the regions' independence.

I believe that its necessary to take a decision that has long been coming  to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donesks Peoples Republic and the Luhansk Peoples Republic, Putin said, using the names the separatists use for the regions.

Moscow already de facto controls the two self-declared republics, which make up only a portion of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, with the authorities answerable to Russian operatives.

Putin's announcement and subsequent decrees he signed recognizing the regions' independence -- expected to be ratified by Russia's parliament on Tuesday -- raised the question of whether he would then take the more provocative step of formally annexing them, and sending Russian troops into Ukraine.

The American sanctions were comparable to the actions the U.S. took after Russia invaded Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, and most people impacted would already have likely been subject to sanctions anyway, according to Thomas Graham, who served as the White House National Security Council's director for Russia under George W. Bush.

"These aren't going to have much of an impact, if at all," on what Russia does moving forward, Graham, an expert on Russia at the Council on Foreign Relations, told ABC News.

During Putin's lengthy speech, Biden spoke on the phone for 35 minutes with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the White House.

Biden also spoke for half an hour today with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanel Macron, according to the White House; both spoke with Putin over the past couple days.

Earlier, Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, all arrived at the White House for a meeting of Biden's national security team on Presidents Day morning

Previously, while the U.S. and Western allies have said they would be united in imposing severe sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine, they had been more ambiguous about what steps they would take if Russia stopped short of a full-on invasion. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that Russia recognizing the regions' independence would "necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our allies and partners."

MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates: Biden, Putin agree to possible summit

The White House meeting came a day after officials said Biden was, "in principle," open to a summit with Putin, brokered by France's President Emmanuel Macron, on the condition that Russia did not invade. Russian officials were cool to the idea on Monday.

During their meeting with Putin, Russia's defense minister, foreign minister, chiefs of intelligence agencies, and the heads of parliament and senate, all called on Putin to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk.

PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a joint news conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following their talks in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Feb. 18, 2022. (Sergei Guneyev/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Biden said Friday the U.S. had "reason to believe" that Russia would invade "within days." On Sunday, U.S. officials told ABC News that lower-level Russian tactical commanders had been making plans on the ground, at the local level, to invade Ukraine.

A senior Biden administration official said Sunday that no plans existed yet for a potential Biden-Putin summit, and that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would discuss the format and timing later this week  as long as Russia did not invade.

MORE: 'I don't believe it's a bluff,' Defense Secretary Austin says of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine

The diplomatic proposal emerged from two calls Macron held with Putin and one with Biden Sunday; his second with Putin began around 1 a.m. Moscow time Monday morning, according to the Elysee Palace.

PHOTO: A map shows the location of Ukraine and the Russian controlled regions in the East and Crimea. (ABC News)

Biden told Macron that, "in principle, he would be prepared to meet with Putin if President Putin stood down from his invasion," Biden's top national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said in an interview with "Good Morning America" on Monday.

But, Sullivan added, "We can't say anything other than indications on the ground look like Russia is still moving forward."

MORE: Why Americans should care about the Ukraine-Russia conflict

Meanwhile, during their meeting in Moscow, Putin and top Russian national security officials bluntly questioned the usefulness of holding any new summit with Biden, suggesting it would be pointless unless the United States had changed its position.

Putin said that Macron suggested there were some "changes" in the U.S. position, although he added he could not see what they would be. Russia's foreign minister said he would speak to his French counterpart today  but was sure the U.S. would not provide positive responses to Russia's needs.

Even as U.S. officials warned a Russian invasion appears imminent, they also said they were still open to talking.

"We never give up hope on diplomacy until the missiles fly or the tanks roll," Sullivan said. "We've been working hard for months with our allies and partners to get Russia to sit down in a serious way at the table."

But, he added, "The likelihood there's a diplomatic solution, given the troop movements of the Russians, is diminishing hour by hour."

ABC News' Cecilia Vega, Mary Bruce, Sarah Kolinovsky, Luis Martinez, Conor Finnegan and Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.

Biden responds with limited sanctions after Putin recognizes breakaway Ukraine regions originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
In this aerial image taken from a drone, the city of Klamath, Calif., home of the tribal headquarters for the Yurok Tribe, dots the side of U.S. Highway 101 at sunrise on Jan. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

YUROK RESERVATION, Calif. (AP)  The young mother had behaved erratically for months, hitchhiking and wandering naked through two Native American reservations and a small town clustered along Northern Californias rugged Lost Coast.

But things escalated when Emmilee Risling was charged with arson for igniting a fire in a cemetery. Her family hoped the case would force her into mental health and addiction services. Instead, she was released over the pleas of loved ones and a tribal police chief.

The 33-year-old college graduate  an accomplished traditional dancer with ancestry from three area tribes  was last seen soon after, walking across a bridge near a place marked End of Road, a far corner of the Yurok Reservation where the rutted pavement dissolves into thick woods.

Her disappearance is one of five instances in the past 18 months where Indigenous women have gone missing or been killed in this isolated expanse of Pacific coastline between San Francisco and Oregon, a region where the Yurok, Hupa, Karuk, Tolowa and Wiyot people have coexisted for millennia. Two other women died from what authorities say were overdoses despite relatives questions about severe bruises.

The crisis has spurred the Yurok Tribe to issue an emergency declaration and brought increased urgency to efforts to build Californias first database of such cases and regain sovereignty over key services.

I came to this issue as both a researcher and a learner, but just in this last year, I knew three of the women who have gone missing or were murdered  and we shared so much in common, said Blythe George, a Yurok tribal member who consults on a project documenting the problem. You cant help but see yourself in those people.

A picture of missing woman Emmilee Risling sits on a table at the Risling family home on Jan. 21, 2022, in McKinleyville, Calif. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

The recent cases spotlight an epidemic that is difficult to quantify but has long disproportionately plagued Native Americans.

A 2021 report by a government watchdog found the true number of missing and murdered Indigenous women is unknown due to reporting problems, distrust of law enforcement and jurisdictional conflicts. But Native women face murder rates almost three times those of white women overall  and up to 10 times the national average in certain locations, according to a 2021 summary of the existing research by the National Congress of American Indians. More than 80% have experienced violence.

In this area peppered with illegal marijuana farms and defined by wilderness, almost everyone knows someone who has vanished.

Missing person posters flutter from gas station doors and road signs. Even the tribal police chief isnt untouched: He took in the daughter of one missing woman, and Emmilee  an enrolled Hoopa Valley tribal member with Yurok and Karuk blood  babysat his children.

In California alone, the Yurok Tribe and the Sovereign Bodies Institute, an Indigenous-run research and advocacy group, uncovered 18 cases of missing or slain Native American women in roughly the past year  a number they consider a vast undercount. An estimated 62% of those cases are not listed in state or federal databases for missing persons.

Hupa citizen Brandice Davis attended school with the daughters of a woman who disappeared in 1991 and now has daughters of her own, ages 9 and 13.

Here, were all related, in a sense, she said of the place where many families are connected by marriage or community ties.

She cautions her daughters about what it means to be female, Native American and growing up on a reservation: Youre a statistic. But we have to keep going. We have to show people were still here.

Gary Risling, left, and Judy Risling, talk about the disappearance of their daughter Emmilee Risling on Jan. 21, 2022, in McKinleyville, Calif. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

Like countless cases involving Indigenous women, Emmilees disappearance has gotten no attention from the outside world.

But many here see in her story the ugly intersection of generations of trauma inflicted on Native Americans by their white colonizers, the marginalization of Native peoples and tribal law enforcements lack of authority over many crimes committed on their land.

Virtually all of the areas Indigenous residents, including Emmilee, have ancestors who were shipped to boarding schools as children and forced to give up their language and culture as part of a federal assimilation campaign. Further back, Yurok people spent years away from home as indentured servants for colonizers, said Judge Abby Abinanti, the tribes chief judge.

The trauma caused by those removals echoes among the Yurok in the form of drug abuse and domestic violence, which trickles down to the youth, she said. About 110 Yurok children are in foster care.

You say, OK, how did we get to this situation where were losing our children? said Abinanti. There were big gaps in knowledge, including parenting, and generationally those play out.

An analysis of cases by the Yurok and Sovereign Bodies found most of the regions missing women had either been in foster care themselves or had children taken from them by the state. An analysis of jail bookings also showed Yurok citizens in the two-county region are 11 times more likely to go to jail in a given year  and half those arrested are female, usually for low-level crimes. Thats an arrest rate for Yurok women roughly five times the rate of female incarcerations nationwide, said George, the University of California, Merced sociologist consulting with the tribe.

The Yurok run a tribal wellness court for addiction and operate one of the countrys only state-certified tribal domestic violence perpetrator programs. They also recently hired a tribal prosecutor, another step toward building an Indigenous justice system that would ultimately handle all but the most serious felonies.

The Yurok also are working to reclaim supervision over foster care and hope to transfer their first foster family from state court within months, said Jessica Carter, the Yurok Tribal Court director. A tribal-run guardianship court follows another 50 children who live with relatives.

The long-term plan  mostly funded by grants  is a massive undertaking that will take years to accomplish, but the Yurok see regaining sovereignty over these systems as the only way to end the cycle of loss thats taken the greatest toll on their women.

If we are successful, we can use that as a gift to other tribes to say, Heres the steps we took, said Rosemary Deck, the newly hired tribal prosecutor. You can take this as a blueprint and assert your own sovereignty.

Mary Risling stands near a photo of her missing sister, Emmilee Risling, at the family home on Jan. 21, 2022, in McKinleyville, Calif. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

Emmilee was born into a prominent Native family, and a bright future beckoned.

Starting at a young age, she was groomed to one day lead the intricate dances that knit the modern-day people to generations of tradition nearly broken by colonization. Her family, a dance family, has the rare distinction of owning enough regalia that it can outfit the brush, jump and flower dances without borrowing a single piece.

At 15, Emmilee paraded down the National Mall with other tribal members at the opening of the Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian. The Washington Post published a front-page photo of her in a Karuk dress of dried bear grass, a woven basket cap and a white leather sash adorned with Pileated woodpecker scalps.

The straight-A student earned a scholarship to the University of Oregon, where she helped lead a prominent Native students' group. Her success, however, was darkened by the first sign of trouble: an abusive relationship with a Native man whom, her mother believes, she felt she could save through her positive influence.

Later, Emmilee dated another man, became pregnant and returned home to have the baby before finishing her degree.

She then worked with disadvantaged Native families and eventually got accepted into a masters program. She helped coach her sons T-ball team and signed him up for swim lessons.

But over time, her family says, they noticed changes.

Emmilee was uncharacteristically tardy for work and grew more combative. She often dropped off her son with family, and she fell in with another abusive boyfriend. Her son was removed from her care when he was 5; a girl born in 2020 was taken away as a newborn as Emmilees behavior deteriorated.

Her parents remain bewildered by her rapid decline and think she developed a mental illness  possibly postpartum psychosis  compounded by drugs and the trauma of domestic abuse. At first, she would see a doctor or therapist at her familys insistence but eventually rebuffed all help.

After her daughters birth, Emmilee spiraled rapidly, like a light switched, and she began to let go of the Native identity that had been her defining force, said her sister, Mary.

That was her life, and when you let that go, when you dont have your kids ... what are you? she said.

Gary Risling holds dancing regalia that had been used by his missing daughter Emmilee Risling at their family home, Jan. 21, 2022, in McKinleyville, Calif. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

In the months before she vanished, Emmilee was frequently seen walking naked in public, talking to herself. She was picked up many times by sheriffs deputies and tribal police but never charged.

The only in-patient psychiatric facility within 300 miles (480 kilometers) was always too full to admit her. Once, she was taken to the emergency room and fled barefoot in her hospital gown.

People tended to look the other way. They didnt really help her. In less than 24 hours, she was just back on the street, literally on the street, said Judy Risling, her mother. There were just no services for her.

In September, Emmilee was arrested after she was found dancing around a small fire in the Hoopa Valley Reservation cemetery.

Then-Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Chief Bob Kane appeared in a Humboldt County court by video and explained her repeated police contacts and mental health problems. Emmilee mumbled during the hearing then shouted out that she didnt set the fire.

She was released with an order to appear again in 12 days after her public defender argued she had no criminal convictions and the court couldnt hold her on the basis of her mental health.

Then, Emmilee disappeared.

We had predicted that something like this may ... happen in the future, said Kane. And you know, now were here.

A dog walks along End of Road on Jan. 19, 2022, where police received and investigated reports of Emmilee Risling staying before her disappearance in October 2021, on the Yurok Reservation, Calif. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

If Emmilee fell through the cracks before she went missing, she has become even more invisible in her absence.

One of the biggest hurdles in Indian Country once a woman is reported missing is unraveling a confusing jumble of federal, state, local and tribal agencies that must coordinate. Poor communication and oversights can result in overlooked evidence or delayed investigations.

The problem is more acute in rural regions like the one where Emmilee disappeared, said Abigail Echo-Hawk, citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and director of the Urban Indian Health Institute in Seattle.

Particularly in reservations and in village areas, there is a maze of jurisdictions, of policies, of procedures of who investigates what, she said.

Moreover, many cases arent logged in federal missing persons databases, and medical examiners sometimes misclassify Native women as white or Asian, said Gretta Goodwin, of the U.S. Government Accountability Offices homeland security and justice team.

Recent efforts at the state and federal level seek to address what advocates say have been decades of neglect regarding missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Former President Donald Trump signed a bill that required federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to create or update their protocols for handling such cases. And in November, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to set up guidelines between the federal government and tribal police that would help track, solve and prevent crimes against all Native Americans.

A number of states, including California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona, are also taking on the crisis with greater funding to tribes, studies of the problem or proposals to create Amber Alert-style notifications.

Former Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Chief Bob Kane, right, who helped to investigate the disappearance of Emmilee Risling, embraces his wife Brandice Davis as they talk about Risling's case at their home on Jan. 20, 2022, in Hoopa, Calif. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

Emmilees case illustrates some of the challenges. She was a citizen of the Hoopa Valley Tribe and was arrested on its reservation, but she is presumed missing on the neighboring Yurok Tribes reservation.

The Yurok police are in charge of the missing persons probe, but the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office will decide when to declare the case cold, which could trigger federal help.

The remote terrain where Emmilee was last seen  two hours from the nearest town  created hurdles common on reservations.

Law enforcement determined there wasnt enough information to launch a formal search and rescue operation in such a vast, mountainous area. The Yurok police opted to forgo their own search because of liability concerns and a lack of training, said Yurok Tribal Police Chief Greg ORourke.

Instead, Yurok and Hoopa Valley police and sheriffs deputies plied the rain-swollen Klamath River by boat and drove back roads.

Emmilees father, Gary Risling, says the sheriffs office failed to act on anonymous tips, was slow to follow up on possible sightings and focused more resources on other missing persons cases, including a wayward hunter and a kayaker lost at sea.

I dont want to seem like Im picking on them, but that effort is sure not put forward when it becomes a missing Indian woman, he said.

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal declined interview requests, saying the Yurok are in charge and there are no signs of foul play. ORourke said the tips arent enough for a search warrant and theres nothing further the tribal police can do.

The police chief, who knew Emmilee well, says his work is frequently stymied by a broader system that discounts tribal sovereignty.

The role of police is protect the vulnerable. As tribal police, were doing that in a system thats broken, he said. I think that is the reason that Native women get all but dismissed.

Emmilees family, meanwhile, is struggling to shield her children, now 10 and almost 2, from the trauma of their mothers disappearance  trauma they worry could trigger another generational cycle of loss.

The boy has been having nightmares and recently spoke everyones worst fear.

Its real difficult when you deal with the grandkids, and the grandkid says, Grandpa, can you take me down the river and can we look for my mama? What do you tell him? Were looking, were looking every day, said Gary Risling, choking back tears.

And then he says, What happens if we cant find her?
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran has returned 820,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines donated by Poland because they were manufactured in the United States, state TV reported Monday.

TV quoted Mohammad Hashemi, an official in the countrys Health Ministry, as saying that Poland donated about a million doses of the British-Swedish AstraZeneca vaccine to Iran.

But when the vaccines arrived in Iran, we found out that 820,000 doses of them which were imported from Poland were from the United States, he said.

Hashemi said after coordination with the Polish ambassador to Iran, it was decided that the vaccines would be returned.

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, in 2020 rejected any possibility of American or British vaccines entering the country, calling them forbidden."

Iran now only imports Western vaccines that are not produced in the U.S. or Britain.

Hard-liners swept the parliament and railed against American-made vaccines even as daily deaths shattered records.

Iran is struggling with its sixth wave of coronavirus infections and authorities say the aggressive omicron variant is now dominant in the country.

With more than 135,000 total deaths from COVID-19, according to official numbers, Iran has the highest national death toll in the Middle East. It says it has vaccinated some 90% of its population above age 18 with two shots, although only 37% of that group has had a third shot.

Iran has relied on Sinopharm, the state-backed Chinese vaccine, but offers citizens a smorgasbord of other shots to choose from  Oxford-AstraZeneca, Russias Sputnik V, Indian firm Bharats Covaxin and its homegrown COVIran Barekat shot. British-Swedish AstraZeneca makes up a substantial amount of Irans inoculations.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)  A University of Alabama official has resigned after being arrested on a charge of soliciting prostitution.

Tuscaloosa police said Former Vice President of Student Life Myron Pope, 50, is free on $1,000 bond after his arrest Thursday on the misdemeanor charge, news outlets reported.

I have difficult news to share today. Vice President of Student Life Myron Pope has resigned from the university following his recent arrest, university President Stuart R. Bell said in a statement emailed Friday.

Pope was among 15 men arrested during a prostitution sting Thursday and Friday, news outlets reported.

Pope told The Associated Press on Monday that he is working on a statement that he probably will release Tuesday.

Capt. Phil Simpson, commander of the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force, said in a press release on Saturday that the men had arranged through an app to pay for sex and were arrested after showing up at the agreed location and talking with an undercover officer.

Pope was on the Alabama football team that won the Sugar Bowl after the 1992 season. He earned his bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees at Alabama.

Bell said he will appoint an interim vice president of student life.

Pope was Alabamas director of recruitment programs/alternative certification and a clinical assistant professor in the higher education administrative program from 1997 to 2000, and became a vice president in May 2020.

A native of Sweet Water, Pope was a walk-on tight end and linebacker under former Alabama coach Gene Stallings. His undergraduate degree was in history and his graduate degrees were in higher education administration.

As head of the school's Division of Student Life, he worked to provide support for students through programs including health and recreation, career counseling, the student center, student media and residential communities.

Before returning to the university he was chief of strategic engagement for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. He also served 14 years in vice presidential positions at the University of Central Oklahoma.
The Queen has continued with her head of state duties despite having Covid, sending a message of condolence to the Brazilian president.

The 95-year-old monarch has been self-isolating at Windsor Castle, but will be free from Thursday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an end to the legal requirement to isolate after a positive test.

Mr Johnson sent the Queen a get well soon message in the Commons, saying: I know the whole House will join me in sending our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen for a full and swift recovery.

He said her diagnosis is a reminder that this virus has not gone away.

The Queen tested positive on Sunday (Steve Parson/PA)

Those with Covid will still be advised to stay at home for at least five days, but will not be obliged to under law as part of the living with Covid plans subject to parliamentary approval.

Continuing with light duties despite suffering from mild cold-like symptoms, the Queen sent her message of condolence on Monday after the flooding in the city of Petropolis.

She wrote: I am deeply saddened to hear of the tragic loss of life and destruction caused by the terrible floods in Brazil.

The Queen has sent a message of condolence to the people of Brazil following flooding in the city of Petropolis, Brazil. pic.twitter.com/gzR8xAqK5T  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) February 21, 2022

My thoughts and prayers are with all those who have lost their lives, loved ones and homes, as well as the emergency services and all those working to support the recovery efforts.

The Queen is expected to hold a telephone audience with Mr Johnson and conduct virtual audiences this week.

Concerns for the nations longest reigning sovereign have been heightened given her age and recent health scare.

The Queen viewing memorabilia ahead of her Platinum Jubilee milestone (Steve Parsons/PA)

But the Palace said she will be carrying on with light duties in the coming days.

The Queen holds an audience with Boris Johnson most Wednesdays, either in person or by telephone, and has recently been holding one or two diplomatic audiences a week with ambassadors by video link, and is likely to do so this week if well enough.

She has been following all Covid self-isolating guidelines after testing positive on Sunday.

The Queen speaks to Prime Minister Boris Johnson from Windsor Castle in 2020 (Buckingham Palace/PA)

The Queen will also be working from her red boxes, sent to her every day and containing policy papers, Foreign Office telegrams, letters and other state papers from Government ministers and Commonwealth representatives that have to be read and, where necessary, approved and signed.

For company, she has her dogs  her elderly dorgi Candy, corgi puppy Muick and another young corgi.

The monarch, if she feels well enough, is also likely to be studying the Racing Post.

She had a win on Sunday when her horse Kincardine won the Federation Of Bloodstock Agents Maiden Hurdle at Newbury.

The Queen with dorgi Candy at Windsor Castle (Steve Parsons/PA)

Her diagnosis follows a string of cases among the royal family, with the Prince of Wales meeting his mother in the week he tested positive, and the Duchess of Cornwall also isolating after contracting the virus.

The Queen has only just reached her historic Platinum Jubilee of 70 years on the throne, on February 6.

The Royal Household has its own physicians and the Queens doctors will be on hand to take care of and monitor the head of state, with Professor Sir Huw Thomas, head of the Medical Household and Physician to the Queen, expected to be in charge.

The Queen has a number of major engagements coming up next month.

She is set to host the Diplomatic Reception on March 2, where she will meet hundreds of members of the Diplomatic Corps at Windsor.

She is also due to attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14 and then the Duke of Edinburghs memorial service, also at the Abbey, on March 29.

The Duke of Edinburgh died in April last year (Tim Graham/PA)

The Queen is believed to be triple vaccinated but until recently had been on doctors orders to rest since mid-October, after cancelling a run of engagements and spending a night in hospital undergoing preliminary tests.

She now regularly uses a stick and recently commented about her mobility issues, telling two senior military officers during a Windsor Castle reception Well, as you can see, I cant move, when asked how she was.

The Queen, whose husband, Philip, died 10 months ago, spent much of the pandemic in the safety of the Berkshire royal residence, protected in HMS Bubble, the nickname given to her reduced household of dedicated staff.

The monarch, who for almost two years avoided contracting Covid, has served as a symbol of national stability during the pandemic, delivering two rare televised addresses to the nation weeks apart.
Strive for peace over Ukraine, FM counsels

09:05, February 21, 2022 By ZHAO JIA ( China Daily

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, center, attends the 58th Munich Security Conference via video from Beijing, on Feb 19, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

Eastern European nation should serve as bridge between East, West, Wang says

China called on countries to shoulder their responsibilities and strive for peace rather than escalate tension, create panic and even hype up wars on the Ukraine issue.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remark via video to the 58th Munich Security Conference, where he said Ukraine should serve as a communication bridge between the East and West, instead of the frontier of a confrontation of powers.

Wang said countries needed to reject the idea of exclusive security and absolute security, as well as guard against and oppose any attempt for a "new Cold War".

China always holds that all countries' sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity should be respected and safeguarded, and Ukraine is no exception to the principle, Wang stressed. He added that Russia's reasonable security concerns should be given respect and emphasis.

Wang reiterated that the parties concerned should come back to the Minsk II agreement of 2015, which he said was the only way to solve the Ukraine issue.

As a product of the Cold War that has long gone, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization needs some necessary adjustments, he said and called into question whether the bloc's eastward enlargement is conducive to long-term European peace and stability.

The three-day conference, which concluded on Sunday, was convened amid the plethora of current crises and the significant risk of further escalation. Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference, called on everyone to collectively unlearn and overcome helplessness.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned against the risk of geopolitical divides and urged "leaders to back a surge in diplomacy for peace, a surge in political will for peace, and a surge in investment in peace" at the meeting.

Noting that the world faces once again the danger of division and confrontation, including the revival of Cold War mentality and undermining of the international rule of law by a certain major power, Wang said such phenomena run counter to the advancement of history and "should not be allowed to continue".

To overcome the current challenges and usher in a bright future, Wang said, "the answer lies in greater solidarity and cooperation under the banner of multilateralism", highlighting critical roles and actions of major countries.

Wang called for countries to champion and act on true multilateralism, saying the authority of the United Nations must be guaranteed and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be upheld.

"No country, not even a superpower, should replace international norms with its own will, still less put itself above international norms," he stressed.

Countries need to work together for a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, equity, justice and win-win cooperation, Wang said, opposing state-to-state relations being simplistically defined by competition only and forging rivaling alliances.

Cui Hongjian, director of the European studies department at the China Institute of International Studies, said China's position on the Ukraine issue came at a very critical moment and was of great significance.

It added to the confidence and strength of the parties concerned to seek a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine issue, he said. As two major forces and great civilizations, China and Europe have a good foundation of cooperation and extensive common interests, Cui said.

"China is unwilling to see Europe get mired in geopolitical conflicts, supports European strategic autonomy and hopes Europe will take regional fate into its own hands," he added.

Zhang Shengjun, deputy dean of the school of international relations at Beijing Normal University, said the United States instigated geopolitical conflicts on the Ukraine issue for self-gain, and such irresponsible behavior was the cause of the current instability and insecurity.

In the annual conference on international security policy with the Ukraine issue taking center stage, Zhang hailed China's responsible role as a major country for advocating solving disputes through dialogue and consultation rather than creating division and confrontation.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
An exhibitor shows jewelry to a customer during the Nebu expo for gold and jewelry in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Major gold companies and designers at home and abroad have gathered in Egypt's first-ever trade fair for gold and jewelry here in the capital Cairo to support local industries and attract foreign investments.

The three-day Nebu expo for gold and jewelry, which runs until Monday and is named after the Egyptian symbol for gold, has attracted over 30 major gold manufacturing and trading firms from Egypt as well as master goldsmiths and designers.

"The exhibition helps us develop relationships with existing and potential customers. It also adds value to the influence of marketing activities," George Abdallah, a local marketing manager told Xinhua.

Sponsored by the Egyptian government, the expo also came as unique trading and investment platform for the industry in the Middle East and Africa, according to Abdallah.

"Here, we can reach customers that were not reached before through regular promotions. We can also increase sales and collect business leads," he noted.

"This is the first fair for gold makers where I can meet a large number of gold and jewelry manufacturers one-stop" and talk to them directly, Amr Mamdouh, a visitor seeking business opportunities, told Xinhua.

"I can also know more about the gold industry in Egypt through live seminars and discussion panels" during the trade fair, he added, referring to the sideline events.

Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Nevin Gamea said the Egyptian gold and jewelry industry enjoys competitiveness as the country is becoming a major production and export hub in the Arab region and Africa.

Gold production from Egypt's major Sukari mines has hit an annual average of 15.8 million tons, which is expected to increase with the Golden Triangle project launched in the Eastern Desert, the minister said earlier during the opening ceremony.

Gamea said the government intended to build the first domestic gold refinery to purify gold extracted from Egypt and other countries in the Middle East and Africa, as an alternative to the refineries in Switzerland and Canada.

The Egyptian government has also tried to add more value to the local gold industry by building a new city for the manufacture and trade of gold in the New Administrative Capital, she said.

The new "City of Gold" would include 400 technical workshops for gold production, 150 other educational workshops, and a vocational school, she added. 

A man takes photos of jewelry during the Nebu expo for gold and jewelry in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

An exhibitor arranges jewelry during the Nebu expo for gold and jewelry in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A woman wears jewelry to show during the Nebu expo for gold and jewelry in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

People view jewelry during the Nebu expo for gold and jewelry in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A woman shows jewelry during the Nebu expo for gold and jewelry in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

An exhibitor shows a piece of jewelry during the Nebu expo for gold and jewelry in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Russia launching an invasion of Ukraine remains a very credible threat, a minister has warned, as Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin tentatively agreed to hold a crisis summit.

The US President agreed during last-ditch diplomatic efforts amid heightening tensions to meet his Russian counterpart on the condition Moscow does not invade.

But the prospect of talks did little to dampen fears an attack was imminent, with the White House saying the Kremlin was continuing to prepare a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.

In the UK, business minister Paul Scully warned that Moscow had amassed 7,000 extra troops on the Ukrainian border within the past few days.

So there is a very, very credible threat and thats why weve got to continue to be vigilant, weve got to continue to work with Ukraine and Poland, as Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, was doing just this week, he told Sky News.

He warned the loss of life will be horrendous if Mr Putin does not engage in diplomacy after French President Emmanuel Macron sought to broker a meeting during a series of calls.

Boris Johnson signalled the prospect of Mr Putin being might still be willing to engage in finding a diplomatic solution was a welcome sign.

But No 10s account of the Prime Ministers own call with Mr Macron during the diplomatic flurry over the weekend did not appear overly optimistic about the prospect of a Russia climbdown.

The leaders underscored the need for President Putin to step back from his current threats and withdraw troops from Ukraines border, Downing Street added.

Mr Macrons office said the Russian and US presidents had both accepted the principle of a summit, adding that the meetings can only be held on the condition that Russia does not invade Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins, but noted that currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.

Mr Scully sought to deny suggestions Mr Macron had been more effective in tackling the Ukraine crisis than the Prime Minister, saying Mr Johnson had been on the front foot in addressing the rising tensions.

Le President @EmmanuelMacron s'est entretenu avec le President Vladimir Poutine ce dimanche. Ils se sont accordes notamment sur la necessite de privilegier une solution diplomatique a la crise actuelle et de tout faire pour y parvenir. Le communique :https://t.co/g8uNVzeYkW  Elysee (@Elysee) February 20, 2022

Its important that every member of Nato collaborate and work together, as they are, to make sure that Vladimir Putin realises that he needs to go down the diplomatic route and retreat from the border, he told TALKRadio.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace will take questions in the Commons on Monday afternoon.

Russia and ally Belarus said they were extending war games on Belarusian territory that would offer a convenient staging post on Ukrainian capital Kyiv, less than 50 miles south of the border with Belarus.

Heavy shelling in Ukraine continued on Monday in the heightened tension between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatist rebels in the Donbas region.

Mr Johnson and other Western allies have suggested the shelling was part of a false flag attempt by the Russians to stage a pretext to attack.
Around 20,000 homes and businesses remain without power after Storm Franklin hit the island of Ireland.

It is the third storm to pass over the island in recent days, after Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice wreaked havoc.

This latest storm brought coastal flooding and fallen trees to parts of the island once again, with the north and north-west worst affected.

Met Eireann said gusts of more than 130kph were recorded in Co Galway and Co Donegal.

Very windy with some severe gusts, but easing through the morning while scattered showers in the NE gradually die out  By late morning it will be dry & bright for most but cloud will extend into the west this afternoon, followed by outbreaks of rain  Highs of 7 to 11C  pic.twitter.com/2HRApJXPCe  Met Eireann (@MetEireann) February 21, 2022

Status orange wind warnings issued for parts of the north and north-west have now lifted, while a yellow wind warning for the entirety of the Republic of Ireland expired at 9am.

A yellow wind warning for the counties of Wicklow and Wexford, on the east coast of the island, expired earlier.

Storm Franklin, coming in the wake of two other major storms, left homes and businesses across the island without power.

ESB confirmed on Monday afternoon that around 18,000 customers remain without power in the wake of the storm in the Republic, while Northern Ireland Electricity Networks confirmed that just 2,000 customers are still cut off.

ESB said that power had been restored to 11,000 people over the course of the morning, with most of the damage in the north-west.

That damage, a spokesperson said, was largely caused by fallen trees on overhead lines.

They said: ESB Networks are working towards having power restored to the majority of customers impacted by tonight.

However, such is the damage to the electricity network following three storms in close succession, it is likely that there will be some customers in Counties Leitrim and Donegal without power overnight.

Apologies to 29,100 customers who are without power following #StormFranklin. Our crews are working to repair the damage and reconnect customers. To report an outage or check estimated restoration times see https://t.co/EU6R9nRfwR. pic.twitter.com/RW0k3N0wec  ESB Networks (@ESBNetworks) February 21, 2022

Parts of the country were still clearing up after Storm Eunice when the latest storm hit.

Sligo County Council had made the decision in advance to close certain coastal roads, as well as the popular Strandhill promenade, due to fears of flooding at high tide.

Brian Tapley, from ESB, said on Monday that crews had been working since first light and hoped to restore power to all customers by tonight.

Our technicians have been nearly three or four days at this now. So fatigue is something we have to be mindful of as well, he told RTE radio.

High waves in Doolin in County Clare on the west coast of Ireland (Niall Carson/PA)

Deirdre Lowe, from Met Eireann, said that the country had certainly felt the impact of three storms in quick succession.

It makes the impacts more risky. Structures have been weakened, tree roots have been weakened. There was a lot of fallen trees this morning, particularly in Donegal and Sligo.

Certainly, one storm coming in after another. Its due to a very strong jet stream over Ireland, which has persisted in the past week, she told RTE radio.

She also warned that the country could see snow and sleet in the days to come.
A 24-year-old English teacher who killed himself after battling a gambling addiction started betting on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) when he was at school aged 16 or 17, an inquest heard.

Hull University history graduate Jack Ritchie died in Hanoi, Vietnam, after years of gambling problems, a hearing in Sheffield was told on Monday.

His parents, Charles and Liz Ritchie, from Sheffield, believe that failures on the part of UK authorities to address gambling issues contributed to their sons death and have campaigned for reform through the Gambling With Lives charity they set up.

Charles and Liz Ritchie speaking outside Sheffield Town Hall (Dave Higgens/PA)

In a statement read to the inquest, Jacks friend Nick Clough described how they started going to bookmakers when they were under-age, in sixth form, and at first bet small amounts on FOBTs.

At first, Mr Clough said, his friend would try and double his money to get a free lunch.

But he said: With Jack it became more than that.

Mr Clough said that his friend won 1,000 in under 30 seconds and, after that, Jacks attitude towards gambling changed as he began chasing his losses and looking for the big win.

Witnesses whose evidence was read to the inquest described how no-one realised the extent of Jacks problems until after he took his own life while teaching English in Vietnam on November 22 2017.

Forensic evidence presented to the inquest showed he was a regular visitor to the BetVictor online gambling website in the days leading up to his death.

Mr and Mrs Ritchie believe the inquest, which is due to last two weeks, is the first so-called Article 2 inquest in a case relating to suicide following gambling.

Charles and Liz Ritchie arrive at Sheffield Town Hall (Dave Higgens/PA)

This means its scope will include an examination of whether any arm of the state breached its duty to protect Mr Ritchies right to life.

The couple believe an undiagnosed gambling disorder lay behind their sons death and have argued there were no public health warnings about the risk to life posed by gambling products, and that their son was not diagnosed or offered treatment that linked his symptoms to gambling disorder.

At the start of Mondays proceedings, senior Sheffield coroner David Urpeth said the evidence will cover topics including what information was available to Jack and his family about the risks of gambling and also what medical treatment was available to him.

Mr Urpeth said that his examination of how Sheffield United fan Jack died will include whether gambling caused or contributed to his death.

The coroner said he understood Mr and Mrs Ritchie wanted the scope of the inquest to be an even wider analysis of Government gambling policy and told them: I do not want the family to think I am disinterested in their wider concerns. Its just that such concerns are beyond the power invested in me.

The inquest began in Sheffield Town Hall with a video montage of happy moments from Jacks life.

Following this, Mr Ritchie gave a pen portrait of his son in which he said: Right up to the time of Jacks death, he appeared to be the wonderful, caring, friendly and happy young man that he had always been.

While clearly the addiction to gambling lurked within him, he was to all intents and purposes a fine young man, on the threshold of his life, enjoying himself with a group of close friends with no obvious signs of depression or anxiety.

He said he spoke to many of Jacks friends after his death. Mr Ritchie told the inquest: They had all known that Jack gambled, but no one had understood the nature of the addiction.

No one had thought that his life might be in danger.

So many of them said that if he had been taking hard drugs they would have spoken to him. They would have warned him. They would have spoken to us.

But, actually, all they had seen was their brilliant friend being the same as he had always been  an enormous personality that they looked forward to meeting up with and having a laugh.

He concluded: As a family we have a lifetime of memories of our beautiful boy who brightened and enhanced our lives with his warmth, enthusiasm, energy, intelligence, humour and love for nearly 25 years.

Among those due to give evidence later in the inquest are senior officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Gambling Commission.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine appears highly likely despite Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin tentatively agreeing to hold a crisis summit.

The US President agreed during last-ditch diplomatic efforts against the backdrop of heightening tensions to meet his Russian counterpart on the condition Moscow does not invade.

Ms Truss, however, did not appear to be revising her concerns that the Kremlin would order an attack as she warned that the price of an invasion must be intolerably high for Russia.

Met @jensstoltenberg @NATO. Diplomacy must be pursued but a Russian invasion of Ukraine looks highly likely. The UK and allies are stepping up preparations for the worst case scenario. We must make the cost for Russia intolerably high. pic.twitter.com/RNXGSaQBAQ  Liz Truss (@trussliz) February 21, 2022

After meeting Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, she tweeted: Diplomacy must be pursued but a Russian invasion of Ukraine looks highly likely.

The UK and allies are stepping up preparations for the worst case scenario. We must make the cost for Russia intolerably high.

The prospect of talks also did little to dampen fears an attack was imminent in Washington, with the White House saying the Kremlin was continuing to prepare a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.

In the UK, business minister Paul Scully warned that Moscow had amassed 7,000 extra troops on the Ukrainian border within the past few days.

So there is a very, very credible threat and thats why weve got to continue to be vigilant, weve got to continue to work with Ukraine and Poland, as Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, was doing just this week, he told Sky News.

The minister also warned the loss of life will be horrendous if Mr Putin does not engage in diplomacy after French President Emmanuel Macron sought to broker a meeting during a series of calls.

Boris Johnson signalled that the prospect of Mr Putin still being willing to engage in finding a diplomatic solution was a welcome sign.

Ukrainian Army soldiers (AP)

But No 10s account of the Prime Ministers own call with Mr Macron during the diplomatic flurry over the weekend did not appear overly optimistic about the prospect of a Russian climbdown.

The leaders underscored the need for President Putin to step back from his current threats and withdraw troops from Ukraines border, Downing Street added.

Mr Macrons office said the Russian and US presidents had both accepted the principle of a summit, adding that the meetings can only be held on the condition that Russia does not invade Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins, but noted that currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.

Mr Scully sought to deny suggestions Mr Macron had been more effective in tackling the Ukraine crisis than the Prime Minister, saying Mr Johnson had been on the front foot in addressing the rising tensions.

Le President @EmmanuelMacron s'est entretenu avec le President Vladimir Poutine ce dimanche. Ils se sont accordes notamment sur la necessite de privilegier une solution diplomatique a la crise actuelle et de tout faire pour y parvenir. Le communique :https://t.co/g8uNVzeYkW  Elysee (@Elysee) February 20, 2022

Its important that every member of Nato collaborate and work together, as they are, to make sure that Vladimir Putin realises that he needs to go down the diplomatic route and retreat from the border, he told TalkRadio.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace will take questions in the Commons on Monday afternoon.

Russia and ally Belarus said they were extending war games on Belarusian territory that would offer a convenient staging post on Ukrainian capital Kyiv, less than 50 miles south of the border with Belarus.

Heavy shelling in Ukraine continued on Monday in the heightened tension between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatist rebels in the Donbas region.

Mr Johnson and other Western allies have suggested the shelling was part of a false flag attempt by the Russians to stage a pretext to attack.
The UK and EU have reiterated their determination to find durable solutions to the Northern Ireland Protocol after a meeting on the contentious trading arrangements ended without a breakthrough.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic issued a joint statement after taking stock of progress in negotiations to reduce red tape associated with the disputed Irish Sea trade rules.

Talks between the two sides will now continue, but it is anticipated engagement will be more low key in the coming weeks and months, with London and Brussels keen to avoid raising tensions amid the forthcoming Assembly election campaign in Northern Ireland.

On Monday, Ms Truss and Mr Sefcovic jointly chaired an EU/UK committee on the implementation of the protocol.

Co-Chaired Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee Meeting with @MarosSefcovic on the  relationship. Read our joint statement https://t.co/V2qTLJ0oka pic.twitter.com/DdmZ5DWpcj  Liz Truss (@trussliz) February 21, 2022

Afterwards, Ms Truss said unilaterally suspending elements of the protocol  by triggering Article 16 mechanism  remained an option for the UK Government, but she said her focus was on finding a negotiated solution with the EU.

Article 16 is in the protocol as a safeguard if things arent working as they should, she said.

But what I want to do is achieve through constructive negotiations the solutions in place to benefit both communities in Northern Ireland.

Mr Sefcovic said intensified negotiations over recent months to find an agreed settlement, discussions that involved more than 100 meetings, had so far resulted in neither a breakthrough nor a breakdown.

Mr Sefcovic, who described his relationship with Ms Truss as positive and excellent, said talks would continue with a laser focus on practical solutions.

The EU and UK are attempting to find an agreed way of reducing customs paperwork and the number of agri-food checks required on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the terms of the protocol.

Loyalists are opposed to the protocol (PA)

Asked if there was a deadline for making progress, Mr Sefcovic told a press conference in Brussels that the EU was not in the business of setting artificial deadlines.

With Liz Truss we are determined to keep our eyes on the ball to find durable solutions for the benefit of Northern Ireland, he said.

Mr Sefcovic added: My objective remains the same  to provide Northern Ireland and all stakeholders on the ground with stability, predictability and opportunities stemming from the protocol.

Ultimately, this is the only way to protect the hard-earned gains of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement in all its dimensions, while avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and minimising disruptions caused by Brexit without compromising the integrity of the EUs single market.

The protocol has created new economic barriers on trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Agreed by the UK and EU to ensure no hardening of the Irish land border post-Brexit, it has instead moved regulatory and customs checks to the Irish Sea, with Northern Ireland remaining in the EU single market for goods. The region also applies the EU customs code at its ports.

Unionists and loyalists claim the arrangements have undermined the sovereignty of the UK and have demanded that the UK trigger Article 16 to suspend the protocol.

Took stock of our talks on the IE/NI Protocol. Hard work continues. My team will continue to work flat out on the outstanding issues within the Protocol and build on our proposed solutions. They offer remarkable simplification and a big permanent impact.https://t.co/uiOJLLNQWx pic.twitter.com/FusMD2fqDb  Maros Sefcovic (@MarosSefcovic) February 21, 2022

However, a majority of Assembly members at Stormont support the protocol, claiming it offers Northern Ireland a degree of protection from what they portray as the negative economic consequences of Brexit.

Earlier this month, the main unionist party in the region  the DUP  withdrew its first minister from Stormonts powersharing executive in protest against the protocol  a move that effectively collapsed the administration and removed its power to take significant decisions.

The Assembly election is scheduled for May 5 and the protocol is set to be one of the dominant issues in the campaign.

After Mondays meeting, Mr Sefcovic reported progress on one issue of concern for the EU  gaining access to UK data on the movement on goods across the Irish Sea.

He welcomed that access to UK IT databases was finally materialising.

The joint EU/UK statement issued after the meeting read: Vice president Sefcovic and Foreign Secretary Truss underlined that the UK and EU share an overriding commitment to protect the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement of April 10 1998 in all its dimensions.

Vice president Sefcovic and Foreign Secretary Truss took stock of the intensified and constructive talks that have taken place between them over the last months.

They underlined the ongoing determination of both parties to ensure that the outstanding issues in the context of the protocol are addressed, and durable solutions found for the benefit of citizens, businesses and stability in Northern Ireland.

Lorries arriving from Great Britain undergo checks at Belfast port (Liam McBurney/PA).

The joint statement continued: In addition, vice president Sefcovic and Foreign Secretary Truss reiterated the importance of further engagement, including with the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, and wider Northern Ireland civic society and business.

Vice president Sefcovic and Foreign Secretary Truss noted that the joint bodies established by the Withdrawal Agreement should meet regularly, and agreed to discuss any point raised by the EU or the UK that is of relevance to the Withdrawal Agreement in general.

The joint EU/UK committee also focused on the wider issue of post-Brexit citizens rights on Monday.

Mr Sefcovic said he had highlighted two issues related to EU citizens living in the UK.

He raised concern that EU citizens could lose residence status if they did not apply in time to change their status from pre-settled to settled.

He also asked for clarity on whether EU citizens with new resident status had those rights guaranteed under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement or under UK immigration law.

Mr Sefcovic said he had regret on the UK position on both issues and said the matters had the potential to place a question mark over progress that has been made on citizens rights.

However, the senior diplomat said he hoped a resolution could be found.

I still believe that we can and we should find an amicable solution to this issue and well be working with the UK to resolve these matters, he said.
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YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Russian and Armenian experts want to place the bilateral dialogue at expert level on such an institutional basis which on the one hand will unite the influential political analysts, commentators and academicians, and will ensure connection with policy makers on the other hand.

Nikolai Silaev, researcher at the Institute for International Studies at MGIMO, has discussed this issue recently with the Armenian expert community in Yerevan.

Explaining the necessity of creating an Armenian-Russian permanent expert dialogue platform, the Russian expert on international studies told Armenpress that Armenia is Russias ally, and its significance is gradually increasing. He added that Russias role for Armenia has also increased. However, according to him, sometimes Moscow and Yerevan do not so well perceive the mutual approaches and policies on this or that issue. Silaev says this expert platform could contribute to solving this issue.

I wanted to understand how my Armenian colleagues react to the prospects of Armenian-Russian-Azerbaijani trilateral discussions at expert level. Such attempts were made and will be made, but I would like to know the moods of Armenias expert community, he said.

Asked how Armenian experts react to idea of creating an Armenian-Russian permanent expert platform, he said he has an impression that most of his colleagues in Armenia believe that its necessary to strengthen the alliance with Russia, the ties also at the expert level, and that the two countries are interested in the strengthening and development of the bilateral relations, this alliance. However, I suppose that Russias position and stance on this or that issue are not so well explained. Its not always stated very clearly. Therefore, a lot of work still needs to be done in this field, he added.

Asked what kind of a trilateral meeting he was talking about in Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan trilateral format, the expert said: I would not like to talk about the meeting yet because the talk is not about some kind of planning. What is the logic of Russias policy today? The logic is that Russia acts as the key guarantor of maintenance of peace in and around Nagorno Karabakh, and we are interested in that our guarantees are conditioned not only by the presence of the Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh, but also by more intensive diplomatic contacts, solution of the problem of unblocking transportation ties and promotion of the whole agenda well known to you. You know, in such cases, my colleagues use strengthening of trust and similar other terms. But I cannot talk about the strengthening of trust because its obvious that this mistrust is very big, he said.

Presenting his conclusions from the meetings held in Yerevan, he said the approaches are different, the issue is and will remain very sensitive for a long time.

When asked to comment on whether its Russias todays approach to activate and start any dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the expert said the dialogue is being held at political, inter-state level, and over the past more than a year all actions of Russia have obviously shown that Russia supports that dialogue.

The dialogue at expert level has one weak side which is also its strong side. It doesnt suppose political obligations of the sides. It means that people, who are involved in that dialogue, could discuss a broad range of issues and more freely than the diplomats do. That is the essence of the Second Track Diplomacy to talk freely, in details with no political obligations and concrete agreements, which have a nature of an order for a diplomat.

We understand that miracles do not happen, and it would be naive to expect that people will quickly approve the Second Track Diplomacy format. But this format allows to develop new ideas, to more thoroughly understand the position of the other side, allows to search for new steps, after which diplomats could use or not. The talk is about this if this idea turns into practice one day, he said.

Asked whether similar meetings are expected with the Azerbaijani experts in Baku, he said: I recently visited Baku for a Russian-Azerbaijani expert council, which is organized by the Russian International Affairs Council, and during that meeting there was a chance to discuss also the issue which we have just talked with you. And I have an impression that my Azerbaijani colleagues are more inclined in favor of such an expert dialogue with the Armenian side.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service (NSS) of Artsakh issued a statement.

Given the concerns in our society over the Azerbaijani prosecutions statement on holding to account the President of the Republic of Artsakh, the National Security Service of Artsakh is assuring that it is capable of ensuring the security of both government officials, in person of the President, as well as any citizen of the Republic of Artsakh and persons whove visited Artsakh, by taking additional measures, the Artsakh NSS said.

The Azeri general prosecution earlier said that they intend to arrest President Harutyunyan as soon as possible" for what they described as the missile attack on Gyanja during the war.

During the 2020 war, on October 4, the Artsakh president Arayik Harutyunyan ordered missile strikes on military facilities in Ganja in response to the Azeri indiscriminate use of prohibited cluster munitions during the bombardment of civilian areas, including the heavy bombardment of Stepanakert City. On October 4, the Defense Army delivered several missile strikes with the purpose of neutralizing military facilities deployed in the city of Ganja. Then, President Harutyunyan ordered the military to stop firing to avoid possible civilian casualties.

The Azeri intentions to arrest the Artsakh president were described as void of any international legal base by the Armenian Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan.
STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense released new disinformation accusing the Artsakh Defense Army units in opening fire on February 20 and 21 in the direction of Azerbaijani military positions deployed adjacent to the villages of Shosh and Taghavard.

The Artsakh Ministry of Defense said the Azeri accusations are entirely false, and moreover the Azeri units themselves violated the ceasefire in the abovementioned area.

The events described in the Azerbaijani Defense Ministrys statement are entirely false. The ceasefire was actually violated by the Azerbaijani military units by opening sporadic fire in the direction of Defense Army positions. There are no victims or material damages as a result of the ceasefire violation, the Ministry of Defense of Artsakh said.

The information on the Azerbaijani ceasefire violation was reported to the Russian peacekeeping command.
RABAT, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Morocco has entered the "green zone" and the Omicron wave in the country is nearing its end, as the number of COVID-19 infections in the country continue to fall, Moroccan state news agency MAP reported on Monday.

"The rate of new infections has dropped by 52 percent, and viral circulation has further slowed across the country," Mouad Merabet, the coordinator of the Moroccan Center for Public Health Emergency Operations, was quoted by MAP as saying.

The declining trend was also observed in the number of admissions to intensive care and resuscitation, which reduced by 49.3 percent, and weekly deaths, which decreased by 40 percent, according to the official.

After two months of closure to contain the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the Moroccan government reopened the borders for commercial flights into and out of the country on Feb. 7.

On Monday, Morocco's Health Ministry reported 190 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the caseload in the country to 1,159,157.

The number of people died of the pandemic rose to 15,916 on Monday, with 22 fatalities reported during the last 24 hours. 
YEREVAN, 21 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he will make a decision today on the recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk, ARMENPRESS reports RIA Novosti informs that Vladimir Putin stated this at the end of the Security Council session.

"Dear colleagues, I listened to your opinions. Decisions will be made today. I want to thank you for this meeting and consultation," Putin said.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and other members of the Security Council attended the meeting.
The funds were illegally withdrawn through fake bills and vouchers in the name of arranging fodder and transporting animals

Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav arrives at special CBI court to appear in connection with the fodder scam case against him, in Ranchi. (Photo: PTI)

Patna: A special CBI court in Ranchi on Monday sentenced RJD chief Lalu Yadav to five years in prison and imposed Rs 60 lakh fine. This is the fifth fodder scam case in which he has been convicted. The case pertains to the illegal withdrawal of Rs 139.35 crore from Doranda treasury in 1995-96 when he was the chief minister of Bihar.

The funds were illegally withdrawn through fake bills and vouchers in the name of arranging fodder and transporting animals.

Sources from Ranchi said that lawyers representing Lalu Yadav will soon file a petition in the high court for bail on health grounds.

RJD sources said that the courts order came as a setback for the party and family as they were expecting lighter punishment considering his old age and health conditions.

In his reaction to the courts verdict in the Doranda treasury case, Lalu Yadavs younger son Tejashwi Yadav said, This is not the last court verdict. We believe that the high courts verdict will be in favor of Lalu Yadav and he will come out soon. But it seems that this is the only scam case (fodder scam) which institutions like CBI, ED and income-tax have spread like this. They have made six cases out of one which has happened for the first time in the country.

He further said his father Lalu Yadav is being made to suffer for raising his voice against the BJP and RSS.

He is the only leader in the country who raised voice against the BJP and the RSS that is why he is facing problems like this. You will see what will happen in UP elections, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said.

Special CBI judge S.K. Shashi had convicted 75 accused in the case, including Lalu Yadav, on February 15. Mr Yadav was shifted to a special paying ward at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, on health grounds.

On Monday before the quantum of sentence was announced, special arrangements were made at RIMS for online hearing.

Lalu Prasad was earlier granted bail in four fodder scam cases pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of around Rs 900 crore from Deoghar, Chaibasa and Dumka treasury.

Mr Yadav was sentenced to five year in 2013 in a case related to illegal withdrawal of Rs. 37 crore from Chaibasa treasury. He was granted bail in December the same year. The conviction in the case had barred him from contesting elections.

In December 2017 he was awarded three-and-a-half-year prison term in a case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of funds from the Deoghar treasury. In this case he secured bail in July 2021.

In January 2018, he was sentenced to five years in a case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 33.13 crore from Chaibasa treasury.

The special CBI court in March 2018 convicted Lalu Yadav for illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.76 crore for Dumka treasury.

One more case is pending before the CBI court in Patna. The case is related to illegal withdrawal of funds from Banka-Bhagalpur treasury.
Three family members of the farmers, killed in the violence, have sought a stay on bail order by Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench

Activists of Youth Congress hold placards during a silent protest in New Delhi on October 11, 2021, days after at least eight people died in an incident involving protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. (Photo: AFP/File)

New Delhi: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging grant of bail by the Allahabad High Court to Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Mishra, who was arrested in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that killed eight people including four farmers on October 3 last year.

Three family members of the farmers who were killed in the violence have sought a stay on the February 10 bail order of the Lucknow bench of the high court saying the verdict was unsustainable in eyes of law as there has been no meaningful and effective assistance by the state to the court in the matter.

The lack of any discussion in the High Court's order as regards the settled principles for grant of bail is on account of lack of any substantive submissions to this effect by the State as the accused wields substantial influence over the state government as his father is a Union Minister from the same political party that rules the State.

The impugned order is unsustainable in eyes of law as there has been no meaningful and effective assistance by the State to the court in the matter contrary to object of first Proviso to Section 439 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which provides that in grave offences notice of bail application should ordinarily be given to the Public Prosecutor, said the plea which has been filed by Jagjeet Singh, Pawan Kashyap and Sukhwinder Singh through lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

There has been an improper and arbitrary exercise contrary to settled law by the high court which has granted bail without at all considering the heinous nature of the crime, it said.

Seeking stay of the impugned bail order, the plea narrated the sequence of evidence and said, The act of deliberately crushing the peacefully returning farmers by the Thar vehicle on the instructions of the accused from the back was not an act of negligence or carelessness but a pre-planned conspiracy as the accused thereafter from the farms circled back to the place of the dangal' event at around 4:00 pm and acted as if nothing had happened.

The plea said the high court did not consider the overwhelming evidence against the accused, position and status of the accused with reference to the victim and witnesses and the likelihood of him fleeing from justice and repeating the offence while granting the bail.

There was also the possibility of his tampering with the witnesses and obstructing the course of justice, it said.

At least 27 witnesses have testified that they either saw the accused at the scene of the crime or saw him running away from the scene of the crime... At least 8 witnesses testified that they saw and heard the accused and his supporters asking the driver of the Thar vehicle to crush the protesters, it said.

Post-mortem reports reveal that injuries found on the bodies of the deceased are consistent with the main allegation against the accused, that is murdering the victims through his car in a pre planned conspiracy, it said.

At least 37 witnesses have testified that they saw and heard firing of arms, it said, adding FSL reports reveal that firearms were in fact used and that a 32 bore and 315 bore firearm belonging to the accused were used for firing, and unspent cartridges from the 315 bore firearm were recovered from the Thar Vehicle.

Even the victims were prevented from bringing the relevant material as regards the settled principles for grant of bail to the notice of the High Court as their counsel got' disconnected from the hearing on January 18, 2022 before he could barely make any submissions and repeated calls to the court staff to get reconnected were of no avail, it alleged.

A single judge bench of the high court, on February 10, had granted the relief of bail to Mishra who had spent four months in custody.

On October 3, last year, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri during violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.

Four farmers were moved down by the SUV. A driver and two BJP workers were then allegedly lynched by angry farmers.

A journalist also died in the violence that triggered outrage among opposition parties and farmer groups agitating over the Centre's now-repealed agri laws.

On November 17 last year, the top court had appointed Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to monitor the probe by Uttar Pradesh SIT which will also get three IPS officers who are not natives of the state.

Recently, another plea seeking cancellation of bail of accused Ashish Mishra was filed by advocates Shiv Kumar Tripathi and CS Panda on whose letter the apex court had taken the suo motu cognizance of the incident.
The Expert further said that BA.2 will be more transmissible than BA.1 and has mutated to increase its transmissibility

New Delhi: As India reports a high number of Omicron BA.2 cases, a top Health Expert has said it is not a cause of concern because it will not lead to another COVID-19 surge in the country.

Speaking to ANI, Co-Chairman National IMA COVID Task Force Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said that BA.2 is a sub-lineage of Omicron variant, which fuelled the third wave in the country.

According to him, BA.2 cannot infect those who have previously had BA.1 sub-variant of COVID-19.

"It will not cause another surge. BA.2 is not capable of infecting people who had BA.1. It's not a new virus or strain. BA.2 is a sub-lineage of Omicron," Dr Jayadevan said.

The Expert further said that BA.2 will be more transmissible than BA.1 and it has mutated to increase its transmissibility.

"BA.2 is a little bit more transmissible than BA.1. For the last two years, it has constantly evolved to increase its fitness, which is its ability to infect more people and to leap past natural immunity and vaccinated immunity," he said.

Dr Jayadevan also said that the Omicron variant showed that vaccine immunity can be "easily surpassed by variants" and this trend will continue to be seen in future, if new variants emerge after mutation of the virus.

"Omicron showed that even vaccine immunity can be easily surpassed by variants and this trend will be expected in the future as new variants arrive. But BA.1 and BA.2 both have immune escape ability which means that if you've been naturally infected, or if you've been vaccinated or both, this virus can still infect us," he noted.

Explaining the nature of BA.2, Dr Jayadevan said, "It is the sub-lineage of Omicron and is essentially as same as Omicron that was identified in November in South Africa. It now has BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3."

He also said that virus will be around for a very long time time.

"Virus is going to be around. It will come in ups and downs for a very long time. When the next variant comes, there will be a surge. We do not know when that will be, but history says that it can happen once inevitably six to eight months and that is typically how it acts."

"But until then, we are now in the low phase Omicron. However, what we should remember is this virus is around which means that we must do everything we can to stop it from infecting us," he added.

Citing a study conducted on hamsters in Japan, Dr Jayadevan said that BA.2 may cause severe lung disease.

"As of today, symptoms of Omicron are no different between BA.1 and BA.2. So there is no difference in severity. However, there is a study from Japan done on hamsters. In this study, hamsters showed that BA.2 involved the lungs more than BA.1."

On the trend of the Omicron BA.2 cases globally, he said, "It is believed that BA.2 is increasing in India. But in several other Asian countries in the region and across Europe, the prevalence is slowly increasing, particularly in Denmark. There's a slight increase in the United States and also in Britain."
the government has not taken a decision yet on vaccinating those aged below 15 years

EUA to Biological E's COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax for the 12 to 18 years age group, subject to certain conditions. (Representational Photo: PTI))

New Delhi/Hyderabad: The Drugs Controller General of India has granted restricted emergency use authorisation (EUA) to Biological E's COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax for the 12 to 18 years age group, subject to certain conditions, official sources said on Monday.

However, the government has not taken a decision yet on vaccinating those aged below 15 years.

This is the third vaccine to have received EUA from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for the age group of 12-18 years after Zydus Cadila's ZyCoV-D and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

At present, India is using Covaxin to vaccinate adolescents in the 15 to 18 years age group.

The health ministry recently had said additional need for vaccination and inclusion of population for vaccination is examined constantly.

The DCGI's approval comes after the Subject Expert Committee on COVID-19 of the CDSCO on February 14 recommended granting restricted EUA to Corbevax for the 12 to 18 years age group after deliberating on Biological E's application.

The DCGI had approved Corbevax, which is India's first indigenously developed RBD protein sub-unit vaccine against COVID-19, for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28. It has not been included in the country's vaccination drive.

"The DCGI on Monday granted restricted EUA to Corbevax for the 12 to less than 18 years age group subject to certain conditions," an official source said.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted, "The @CDSCO_INDIA_INF has granted emergency use authorisation to COVID-19 vaccine #CORBEVAX for 12-18 year age group. It is India's 1st indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain Protein sub-unit vaccine against COVID-19.This will further strengthen our fight against COVID19."

Mahima Datla, Managing Director, Biological E Limited, said: We are pleased with this significant development, which helps extend the reach of our vaccine to the age group of 12 to 18 years in our country."

With this approval, we are even more closer to overcoming our global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.

In an application sent to the DCGI on February 9, Srinivas Kosaraju, the head of quality and regulatory affairs at Biological E Limited, had said the firm had received approval for conducting phase 2/3 clinical study of Corbevax among children and adolescents aged 5-18 years in September.

"Based on the no-objection certificate, Biological E has initiated the clinical study in October 2021 and has evaluated the available safety and immunogenicity results of the ongoing phase 2/3 study, which indicated that the vaccine is safe and immunogenic," he said.

"The proposed application is for obtaining permission for restricted use in an emergency situation in adolescents aged 12 to less than 18 years based on interim results (of the ongoing phase 2/3 clinical study) considering the current pandemic and widespread of COVID-19 vaccine in India," Kosaraju had said in the application.

The Corbevax vaccine is administered through the intramuscular route with two doses scheduled 28 days apart and is stored at two to eight degrees Celsius temperatures and presented as 0.5 ml (single dose) and 5 ml (10 doses) vial pack.

According to the health ministry, the company has conducted phase 1/2 and 2/3 clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

Further, it has conducted a phase 3 active comparator clinical trial to evaluate superiority against Covishield vaccine, it said.

Mahima Datla said, "Once fully vaccinated, children can resume their activities and educational pursuits in schools and colleges without any apprehension."

She thanked all the participants in the clinical trials, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and Department of Biotechnology of the Union government, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (TSTHI) and the principal investigators and clinical site staff who have extended their support during the last several months.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M M Sundresh issued notice on the plea filed by Supreme Court lawyer Durga Dutt

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday sought response from the Centre and states on a plea seeking direction for enacting well-defined laws/rules to ensure adherence to the fundamental duties as enshrined in the Constitution.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M M Sundresh issued notice on the plea filed by Supreme Court lawyer Durga Dutt.

The plea sought issuance of directives ensuring adherence to the mandates as postulated under Part IV-A of the Constitution and said that non-adherence to them has a direct bearing on the exercise and enjoyment of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 14, 19, 21 for formulation and operationalisation of appropriate scheme providing incentives to the citizenry for their adherence.

Moreover, it may be just and appropriate for this court to frame guidelines for regulation and effective implementation for fundamental duties in the exercise of the plenary and extra-ordinary power of this court under Article 32 and 142 of the Constitution until the scheme in this regard is formalised by the respondents,'' said the plea filed through advocate Karunakar Mahalik.

The plea said the fundamental duties are intended to serve as a constant reminder to every citizen that while the Constitution conferred on them certain fundamental rights specifically, it also requires citizens to observe certain basic norms of democratic conduct and behaviour because rights and duties are correlative.

The fundamental duties are an important tool to protect the unity and integrity of several institutions including the judiciary. It is submitted that every citizen must learn how to respect the institutions of this country. There have been cases where Fundamental Duties have been brazenly flouted by the people including the officers of the law and which in turn resulted in violation of fundamental rights of other citizen, the plea said.

Dutt said his plea aims to address the issue of national importance and to promote commitment amongst citizens towards each other and towards the nation as it contributes towards development and progress of the nation.

The petitioner is constrained to invoke the jurisdiction of this court because the existing laws are inadequate for ensuring performance of the fundamental duties, it said.

The plea further added that except for some scattered legislations, there is neither a uniform policy nor a comprehensive code for enforcement of fundamental duties.

It said that while citizens show a serious concern towards fundamental rights, they often forget that there is a corresponding Constitutional and moral obligation upon them to perform the fundamental duties.

It is further apt to state that at the advent of COVID-19 pandemic and then the manner in which it was cynically exploited to stoke communalism, on social media and TV channels... Therefore, it is need of the hour that certain moral obligations be converted to legal obligations by enacting legislation and framing guidelines, so that if in future such situation arises, we as a nation shall be seen standing together with united efforts'', it said.

The plea also sought direction for setting up of an independent high-powered committee, headed by a retired chief justice or judge of this court or High Court and consisting of distinguished citizens from different fields /professions and concerned officials of the stakeholders and the respondents, to scrutinise and review the entire legal framework relating to the effective implementation of Part IV-A of the Constitution and recommendation of appropriate guidelines needed to be laid down by this court.

It sought directions to Centre and states for framing of guidelines for taking appropriate steps to sensitize people and spread general awareness among the citizens in relation to performance of fundamental duties under the Constitution.
Mr Rao received a warm welcome from the Shiv Sena with posters welcoming him seen in various places in Mumbai

Mumbai: Insisting that there was a need for structural and policy changes in the country, Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday exuded confidence that like-minded parties will come together to fight against the BJP at the national level. He held meetings with Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Sunday.

You will get to see good results of our meeting very soon. I invite Uddhavji to come to Telangana. I shall be meeting leaders in other parts of the country too, said Mr Rao after meeting the Maharashtra CM. The Telangana CM also called on Mr Pawar as a part of his efforts to cobble together an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Calling Mr Thackeray his brother, KCR said that he discussed ways of bringing change in the country with the Maharashtra CM. Many issues were discussed. There is a need for structural and policy changes in the country. There are many other people in the country who think alike and we are talking to them too. We shall soon meet together in Hyderabad or elsewhere and draw up a future plan, he added.

The Telangana CM also issued a warning to the BJP, saying that it was misusing the Central agencies in a very bad manner. He said: We condemn it. The Central government should change their policy, they will suffer if they dont.

Mr Thackeray also took a swipe at the BJP saying that the Shiv Senas Hindutva doesnt teach wrong politics. He said: The situation prevailing in the country and the way low level politics is happening is not Hindutva... Our Hindutva is not about taking revenge. Today the entire focus is on defaming others and trumpeting ones achievements, while saying others have not done anything and resorting to lies.

Mr Rao received a warm welcome from the Shiv Sena with posters welcoming him seen in various places in Mumbai. The posters had photographs of KCR, Mr Thackeray, Mr Pawar and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said the meeting will expedite the process of political unity at the national level against the BJP.

Visuals showed Mr Thackeray greeting the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders accompanying Mr Rao. Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut was also present. Actor-politician Prakash Raj, known for his anti-BJP stand, was also seen at the meeting. Mr Rao was accompanied by his daughter K. Kavitha, a member of the state Legislative Council, and party MPs J. Santosh Kumar, Ranjith Reddy and B.B. Patil on his visit to Mumbai.

Mr Rao also met Mr Pawar at the latters residence in South Mumbai and discussed the new vision and agenda to run the country properly. This country needs to be run properly with a new agenda, new vision I discussed the same with Sharad Pawar Ji. He is an experienced leader, has given me his blessings, and we will work together, said KCR.

Mr Pawar said that he discussed solutions to the problems that India is facing currently -- be it poverty or the farmers issues with KCR. We did not have much of a political discussion, because the issue is development... we will again hold discussions later, he added.

Welcoming KCRs bid to form an anti-BJP front, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said: Without the Congress, such efforts will neither be complete nor become successful.
There was a time when a business leader like JRD Tata could have a civil relationship with the PM and yet be critical of government policy

It is a testimony to his standing both within Indias business community and society in general that the tributes to the memory of industrialist Rahul Bajaj have been so effusive and warm. Banker Uday Kotak offered the most appropriate eulogy when he tweeted: Bold and fearless. A rare businessman who spoke truth to power. Built a world class enterprise.

As I pondered over those words, it occurred to me that the last business leader of whom one could say that was J.R.D. Tata. In 1992, Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao conferred the Bharat Ratna on him. Rahul Bajaj too deserved that honour.

They do not make many like them these days.

Bajajs boldness may have been rooted in his upbringing, given his family background, steeped as it was in the national movement, but his entrepreneurship was of his own making. Perhaps his success as an entrepreneur added to his boldness. So too his reputation for honesty and integrity in business. The economist Omkar Goswami, who knew him well, has written in a business newspaper about Bajajs commitment to corporate good governance and the leadership role he played in producing a code of good governance for business.

My first encounter with Rahul Bajaj was in November 1993 when I was business editor at the Times Of India. Commenting on a note addressed to then Union finance minister Manmohan Singh by a group of top business persons, I published a column entitled From Plan to Plea. It contrasted the boldness of vision of the famous Bombay Plan of 1944, a long-term plan for national development, written by J.R.D. Tata, G.D. Birla, Lala Shri Ram, among others, to what I viewed as a plea against liberalisation of what came to be dubbed the Bombay Club, that included Rahul Bajaj, Hari Shankar Singhania, M.V. Arunachalam, C.K. Birla, Jamshed Godrej, B.K. Modi, Bharat Ram and L.M. Thapar.

The note was reported in the media as a complaint against the liberalisation initiatives of then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. Soon after my column was published, I received two phone calls. One from Mr Singhania and the other from Mr Bajaj. Both claimed that their views had been misrepresented in the media and their note was no more than a pre-Budget memorandum presented to Union finance minister Manmohan Singh. They did not want their statement to be viewed as being opposed to the Rao-Singh reforms nor did they wish to add their voice to the anti-liberalisation forces.

They did not want critics to allege that they were lobbying for protection, nor secure concessions from the government. They fully endorsed the vision of Prime Minister Rao and Dr Singh but were seeking a proper sequencing of liberalisation and only sought a level playing field in dealing with competition from the more financially powerful global competitors. If the purpose of external liberalisation was to shift dependence from foreign debt to foreign investment and trade then, they said, ways should be found to reduce foreign debt without hurting domestic industry.

Years later, when I was in the Prime Ministers Office, Mr Bajaj came to call on Dr Singh to discuss some policy issues. Dr Singh teased him and asked if the Bombay Club had met again! Turning towards me, Mr Bajaj jocularly claimed it was all media mischief. If in 1993 I, like many in the media, had viewed him as someone lobbying against government policy, by the mid-2000s I had come to respect him for what he was. He had emerged by then both as a courageous leader of Indian business and a successful global business leader.

Apart from his entrepreneurship and courage, many people have paid wholesome tribute to his social commitment. I saw this up close as a member of the board of Bharat Yuva Shakti Trust, an NGO that was focused on promoting young, first-generation entrepreneurs. Mr Bajaj was chairman of the trust. Flying down from Pune to Delhi, leaving his corporate work aside for an entire day, he never failed to attend a single meeting of BYST over the years. His commitment to the empowerment of the less privileged was palpable.

Mr Kotaks tribute draws attention to the fact that few business leaders today are known for promoting world class enterprise, being committed to national development and social justice and willing to speak truth to power. That is a pity.

India today has more billionaires than even a decade ago and yet Indian business leaders remain shy of speaking their mind on important issues of policy and governance. The atmosphere of fear among business persons that Mr Bajaj articulated at a meeting of a business organisation in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah some years ago is pervasive and palpable.

Mr Bajajs exceptional example raises an important question. Why has business leadership lost the courage to speak truth to power, or just speak in the larger interests of society and the nation? There are just a handful of billionaires today whom one can think of as having that kind of courage and commitment.

Perhaps this is because even three decades after the licence-permit-control raj ended, there is still a regulation raj and, worse, political bossism through various agencies of the State.

There has of course been some improvement in business-government relations. One does not come across too many instances of the sort when a young Union minister would harass an elderly businessman, openly demanding a slice of the cake. But business persons still have to deal with the routine harassment of a Kafkaesque State or plain bad manners when Union ministers and chief ministers seek supplication before engagement.

There was a time when a business leader like J.R.D. Tata could have a civil relationship with the Prime Minister and yet be critical of government policy. Many are today not aware that J.R.D. Tata openly funded the Swatantra Party because he agreed with its views on economic policy and was critical of Jawaharlal Nehrus policies. Many business persons are wary today of extending such open support to the Opposition political parties even as they fill the coffers of a ruling party.
MANILA, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Five suspects of "an attempted robbery" were killed in the southern Philippines over the weekend, the military said on Monday.

Lieutenant General Alfredo Rosario, the commander of the Western Mindanao Command, said the government forces killed the suspects during a five-minute firefight at a checkpoint Saturday night in Ampatuan, a town in Maguindanao province.

He said the soldiers and members of a paramilitary unit set up the checkpoint after civilians tipped off a robbery of a convenience store allegedly being hatched by armed men.

Rosario said the fighting broke out while the paramilitary unit at the checkpoint "encountered an undetermined number of armed men on board a minivan."

Two other suspects escaped and are being sought by the government forces, he said, adding that they also recovered two pistols and ammunition in the van. 
by Melani Manel Perera

Pujith Jayasundara and Hemasiri Fernando were accused of ignoring warnings from foreign intelligence services. To get justice, we have to wait for another government, said Card Ranjith.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  A Sri Lankan court acquitted two former officials tried in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

Retired Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and former permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence Hemasiri Fernando were accused of ignoring warnings from foreign intelligence agencies about a possible attack.

There is no confidence in the current government and the Attorney General's Department, said Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo in a video message in Sinhala.

The government has not fulfilled any of its promises to do us justice for the Easter attack, he added. Hence, we will not be able to get the truth and justice from this government. For this to happen, we have to wait for another government.

Although the presidential commission report called for legal action against those individuals who were aware of this attack, and those who did not take action to prevent the attack, due to the misconduct of the Attorney General and the Attorney General's Department, a situation has arisen where justice is not being served. We are deeply saddened by this, the cardinal said.

Both Jayasundara and Fernando resigned on 25 April 2019. According to AFP, the prosecutor wanted to accuse them of murder but there was no evidence linking them to the attackers, who were believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State.

Muslim extremists were directly behind the attack, and intelligence and senior government officials were aware that the attack would take place. We have evidence of that. In particular, the report of the presidential commission clearly stated that, Card Ranjith said

Following the attacks, former president Maithripala Sirisena set up a commission of inquiry whose final report was given to current President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in February 2021.

Rajapaksa then appointed another committee (composed only of members from the ruling coalition) to examine the report, which has however not been shared with either the Church or the Attorney General.

According to the archbishop of Colombo, the government and the attorney general withheld evidence from the presidential commission.

The retired bishop of the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka, the Rev Asiri P Perera, agrees with Card Ranjith.

As a law-abiding, responsible citizen, I know that I have no right to criticise the decision and judgment delivered by a court of law and I shall abide by the same, Bishop Perera said. However, The comment made by the presiding Judge that this decision will not please all parties is worth taking note.

In the prelates view, it is regrettable how the investigation was handled and how charges were laid, not some much the verdict.

Certain names and evidence have been swept under the carpet. The daring negligence of those who were responsible to investigate is clearly visible to the public. In the face of such shortcomings, where can we now turn to seek justice? he wonders.
by Stefano Vecchia

The drastic steps taken against the latest pandemic wave are causing serious problems for foreign workers employed as domestic helpers, cooks or babysitters. Their representatives complain that people are being fired it they test positive, forced to sleep outdoors, and denied hospital care.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews)  More 7,500 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Hong Kong today, an exponential rise since the start month considering that until the latest outbreak only 12,000 cases had been reported.

The drastic containment measures adopted by local authorities are also having predictable repercussions on Hong Kongs approximately 370,000 foreign workers, mostly Philippine and Indonesian women, who perform domestic work (cooking, cleaning and babysit) for families in the former British colony.

By law, these workers have to live with their employers, with a series of restrictions on their free time and right to change jobs.

In accordance with mainland Chinas zero-COVID policy, Hong Kong police crack down hard on migrants, imposing heavy fines for non-compliance with social distancing rules.

Last Friday, a coalition of groups representing migrant workers said the already bad situation in which foreign workers have to live got worse as some workers are fired because they test positive, forcing them to sleep outdoors. Once unemployed, they are also denied hospital care.

For Dolores Balladares Pallaez, from the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, staying home means we have to work, and workers need compassion and help from both the government and wider society.

Many have spoken out against this situation, which is certainly difficult and unclear, and affected by circumstances and politics.

By contrast, the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment yesterday denied reports that Philippine workers were being fired for testing positive for SARS-CoV-2; instead, it claimed that some were in hospitals, others were in isolation or had recovered. In total 28, Filipinos out of 170,000 had tested positive.

Speaking to the ABS-CBN network, Consul General Raly Tejada in Hong Kong said that the consulate would take legal action against heartless employers and defend Filipinos fired because of the pandemic since it is against the laws of Hong Kong.

Consul General Raly Tejada did acknowledge that the consulate had to help 10 Philippine workers forced to sleep outdoors after they were sacked, ostensibly because they had contracted the disease. All 10 were rescued and placed in medical facilities.
Courtesy photo

Brownsboro volunteer firefighter Robert Mitchell's home will take substantial work to repair after a fire. Donations of all kinds are being accepted by BFD. Please message the Brownsboro Fire Department through Facebook for more information.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Fortunately, only 50 units of the car are involved, but unfortunately for their owners, their front airbag modules on the drivers side could develop a mind of their own during a potential impact, further increasing the risk of injury.According to an official document released by the NHTSA ), the outcome varies depending on the type of driver airbag module installed. For instance, in one scenario, it might not restrain the person behind the wheel as intended in the event of an accident, whereas in a different case, it could detach from its mounting location altogether. Needless to say that both situations could have disastrous outcomes, and in the latter, the module could literally injure the occupants.Due to the nature of this issue , drivers will not be warned prior to failure. Neither the safety watchdog nor the automaker has said what exactly led to this defect, other than a production deviation, which will be fixed by authorized dealers, subsequent to scheduling an appointment. Technicians will check and replace the front driver airbag if necessary, and the whole work will be carried out free of charge. Since all vehicles are still covered by the factory warranty, Mercedes-Benz USA will not reimburse those who may have fixed their rides.Dealers have already been brought up to speed on the pending voluntary recall late last week, and owners are expected to be informed on April 12. Until then, they can contact the car manufacturer at 1-800-367-6372 should they have any questions on the topic. Additionally, the safety agency can answer some questions about the defect too, and they can be reached at 1-888-327-4236.
AMG

Details surrounding the five-door liftback are still scarce, and they havent even shown the final production model yet. However, while it partially remains shrouded in mystery, rendering artists have already had their way with it.Take SugarDesign_1s idea, for instance, who remembered the classic Integra Type R . The model has been imagined in a very official-ish manner, using the Honda brand instead of Acura, with a different moniker out back in Chinese, because in the digital realm, it is aimed at the Peoples Republic apparently.Mixing the actual prototype, as well as its compact sibling from Honda, namely the new-gen Civic, the digital illustrations portray it in a two-door body style. It has different front and rear lighting units compared to the pre-production Integra, a big wing out back, larger wheels that spin around the uprated brakes, red Honda logos, and Type R badging.Logic dictates that a hypothetical Integra Type R, which hasnt been confirmed, by the way, would share many nuts and bolts with the upcoming Civic Type R that is due later this year. The new-gen hot hatch has been confirmed with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit, hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission that will channel the yet undisclosed output and torque to the front wheels. Reports indicate that it could have similar numbers to its predecessor, which makes do with 306 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) in the United States.But whats your opinion on the topic, should Honda/Acura give the new Integra a Type R variant? Wed say yes, as it would be a more affordable alternative to the Audi S3 Sedan and Mercedes-CLA 35, but the ball is in their court, and theyll have to decide whether it would justify the multi-million dollar investment.
BANGKOK, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Thailand on Monday raised its COVID-19 alert level to the second-highest tier following a rising number of new infections linked to the spread of the Omicron variant.

The Ministry of Public Health raised the COVID-19 alert level from 3 to 4, a category that includes regulations discouraging dining or drinking at restaurants and avoiding public gatherings to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The ministry expected the number of new infections to keep rising in the coming one or two weeks due to the fast spread of the Omicron variant, which now accounts for more than 90 percent of active cases.

Thailand reported 18,883 new cases and 32 additional fatalities over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of infections and fatalities to more than 2.73 million and 22,656 respectively, according to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

The ministry advised the public to take booster shots as soon as possible, especially those aged above 60 or with underlying diseases.

As of Sunday, 71.1 percent of the country's nearly 70-million population had been fully-vaccinated, while 27.5 percent had received booster shots, according to the CCSA. 
Many of you are surely accustomed to the fact that Aston Martin is the brand from Gaydon, but the DBX is made at the company's all-new factory in St. Athan, Wales. With such a successful model launch behind them, Aston Martin will ramp up production now, and they have decided to create more employment opportunities for those who live near the factory.The DBX is the first Welsh-built production car in almost half a century, so each new hire is important. Moreover, the people who get selected to join the legendary marque will be skilled technicians, which means that they will be compensated for their effort.While it is not clear if another automaker will build facilities in the UK after Brexit, that is something that comes as an advantage for Aston Martin Lagonda, as there are skilled workers in the area.The region is known for having skilled laborers. For example, in Bridgend, Ford established a factory that was open for four decades. Right across the street from it, the folks at Ineos wanted to build a plant for their first vehicle, the Grenadier. But instead, Ineos decides to build the Grenadier in France , in a former Mercedes-Benz factory.That plant was closed in September 2020 , and over 1,000 jobs were lost at the time. Initially, over 1,644 people were employed at the site , but not all were involved in production.It is critical to note that Bridgend is one hour away from St. Athan, but that is just one example of the fact that Wales is a region rich in history, especially in the automotive field. TVR wants to renovate a factory in the Ebbw Vale, which is also in Wales. Many analysts see the area of the UK as a promising site for vehicle manufacturing.As usual, hiring people in factories and increasing production will also bring more jobs in what is described as supporting industry. It may involve suppliers, but it does not stop there, and such a facility leads to many other businesses thriving near a factory.
Cabecas revealed during the weekend that the electric cars inside the vessel were making it more difficult to fight the blaze. Electric car fires are notoriously difficult to kill because of the battery chemistry that contains oxides. When they burn, they release oxygen. That keeps the flames going for much longer than in other kinds of fires.In Europe, some firefighters even carry large water tanks to fire spots involving electric cars. A crane places them inside these tanks to prevent the fire from reigniting instead of spending massive amounts of water in the process.Cabecas said they would demand specialist equipment to kill the fire inside the Felicity Ace. It is still not clear how the fire started or if the EVs inside the boat had anything to do with it. Apparently, the situation was solved on its own. At this point, the towboat Thor B is just cooling down the cargo ship for rescue and insurance teams to evaluate the vessel. The Azorian government had originally hired that boat to transport goods among some of the islands that constitute the archipelago.The Portuguese Navy captain told Agencia Lusa that the main concern with the cargo ship at this point is to ensure it will not pollute the waters in any way. Luckily, no issues with that have been registered so far.On Sunday, a Dutch ship called ALP Guard was expected to arrive coming from Gibraltar. The towboat will be one of the vessels responsible for taking the Felicity Ace to its final destination. Currently, there are two options for it: getting back to Europe  Portugal or Spain are the closest points for it to reach  or going to the Bahamas. The ship is registered in Panama.Around 4,000 cars from the Volkswagen Group burned down in the fire. Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback units were confirmed inside the Felicity Ace, but plug-in hybrids and Porsche Taycans could also be in the cargo compartment. The losses could amount to $282 million.
AMG

As youre well aware, V8-engined AMGs feature hand-built powerplants. The E 53 relies on a straight-six mill that isnt assembled from start to finish by one pair of hands in Affalterbach. Be that as it may, the mild-hybrid engine is pretty impressive for merely 3.0 liters of displacement and six cylinders thanks to 429 horsepower (435 metric ponies) and 380 pound-feet (520 Nm) from 1,800 all the way through 5,800 revolutions per minute.For a mid-size premium sedan that weighs 4,376 pounds (1,985 kilograms) in this application, its more than adequate for most peeps. Add the all-wheel drive and launch control systems to the mix, and it becomes pretty obvious why the Mercedes-E 53 is marketed under the AMG sub-brand even though its not a thoroughbred like the Mercedes-AMG E 63.Currently priced from $75,000 excluding options and the destination charge, the 53 series can reach 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in 4.4 seconds. Although larger and slightly more powerful, the 392-engined Charger in the featured video is more than capable of shaming the German interloper over the quarter mile from a dig and roll. Tipping the scales at 4,354 pounds (1,975 kilograms), the Dodge cranks out 475 horsepower (492 ps) and a meaty 475 pound-feet (644 Nm) at 4,100 rpm.Although it struggles to put all that power down to the road at launch, the more affordable car makes easy work of the E 53 thanks to its much torquier engine. The HEMI may feature pushrods and natural aspiration, but as you already know, displacement sometimes matters more than clever bits and bobs such as the electric auxiliary compressor and TCT 9G transmission.Drag racing aside, which of these two would you rather daily?
The race has been absent from the motorcycle racing circuit for the past two years, and as a means to make amends, the organizers are promising more ways to follow the event than ever before. That includes live streaming on the races dedicated digital channel and on demand viewing.Called TT+, the digital channel launches later in spring and should bring year-round access to the TT and its competitors, sprinkled with immediate access to 24 hours of racing highlights from past iterations of the race.The channel is subscription-based and will cost a one-off payment of 14.99 pounds (roughly $20), but youll get to see, for the first time ever, up to 40 hours of qualifying, uninterrupted live coverage of the event, and access to the pre-race build up and post-race analysis.Filming will be done with a great number of cameras, including some located on two helicopters that will hover over Mountain Course. The footage will be accompanied by a new on-screen graphics package.Narrating the events will be TT veterans Matt Roberts and Amy Williams, but also newcomer Jennie Gow, a regular of Formula 1, Formula E, and MotoGP. BBCs Rick Faraagher will also be on deck.The 2022 Isle of Man TT kicks off on Sunday, May 29, with a speed control lap, and qualifying for Superbike, Superstock, Supersport, Supertwin, and sidecar. The entire week that follows brings more qualifying runs, with the actual race week kicking off on Saturday, June 4.
The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L retails from $39,220 and if you dont mind spending a few extra bucks, you can get the flagship spec (Summit Reserve) for $64,395. The latter is only available with four-wheel drive.Now, if you like black accents, the Altitude specification can be the right choice, for upwards of $42,575, but then theres also the new Limited Black Package , unveiled by Stellantis at the 2022 Chicago Auto Show.For an extra $1,695, this package adds a wide range of Gloss Black accents (including badging), plus you also get black roof rails and a bespoke seven-slot grille with a dark aesthetic. It looks pretty neat, especially if you also go for the white exterior for added contrast.Those of you that would rather see the Grand Cherokee L look a little bit bespoke can always turn to various aftermarket specialists, an endeavor that could yield results such as this so-called Grand Cherokee L Shadow Line rendering by Kelsonik. Its got a black grille, black roof, black accents (window surrounds, mirrors, lettering), custom wheels (also black, obviously) with yellow calipers, and a lowered suspension for a more planted appearance.Its a little Trackhawk-ish, if the Trackhawk was based on the long-wheelbase variant of the Grand Cherokee, that is. It certainly looks more premium than any other GCL specification, although to be fair, it doesnt offer that much more than the previously mentioned Limited Black Package, from a visual standpoint. Besides, the latter is actually real, which is kind of a bonus if youre an interested party.Still, the Grand Cherokee L can certainly clean up well, if you know what youre doing.
A few weeks ago, three Merlins of 845 Naval Air Squadron and four Wildcats from 847 NAS arrived in Bardufoss, Norway. The helicopters left their base at Yeovilton and embarked on an epic five-day journey to get deep inside the Arctic Circle.Now at their winter base, the aircraft will have to withstand temperatures that can drop to -25 degrees Celsius (-13 degrees Fahrenheit) and operate in limited visibility to support the air and ground crew of 845 and 847 Naval Air Squadron.The two squadrons will work together with the Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade, who've been enduring the cold since January, for the Exercise Clockwork. They will exercise in an area covered in snow. And as beautiful as it may look, that white, fine snow can be the greatest enemy for both aircrew and helicopters When a Wildcat or Merlin approaches the ground, it stirs up the snow, causing a snow cloud to surround the helicopter right before it touches down. The Merlin 's downwash, in particular, can form a cloud of fine snow that can reach 50 feet (18 meters) high and have a 200-foot (61-meter) diameter.As a result, the marines waiting on the ground group together to form an "Arctic huddle", helping the pilots see where to land."If we are in heavy recirculation conditions  after a fresh dump of snow  due to visibility reducing to a matter of metres in the final stages of the approach we fly directly to the Arctic huddle, landing only one to two metres away from the troops," explained Merlin pilot Lieutenant Andy Duffield.This helicopter exercise will be followed by Cold Response, which is set to be the largest military exercise Norway has led in the last three decades. The exercise will involve around 35,000 military personnel from 28 nations.
TDI

Recently, VW released three new official design sketches for the 2023 Amarok and aside from the exaggerated proportions, we know that it will ultimately feature a redesigned front end with wider headlights and a muscular grille, a more modern body design (overall), plus, and this is important, an increased footprint.The all-new Amarok will be wider and longer than its predecessor, which should result in more legroom, better handling and an improved appearance. The bigger a truck, the more imposing it looks, not to mention the fact that it becomes more practical, which is kind of the whole purpose when it comes to these types of vehicles.In terms of extracting something more palpable from those sketches, we really like what Kolesa just did with this rendering. The rear end is decent enough, but the front fascia is properly modern, while the profile looks sharp. If the real-life Amarok ends up looking anything like these digital drawings, wouldnt you rather have the V-Dub instead of the Ranger?Speaking of rivals, once the 2023 Amarok does break cover, it will have to fend off some serious competition from the likes of the Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier and the upcoming all-new Dodge/Ram Dakota As for the engine range, all we know right now is that VW confirmed the presence of a V6turbo diesel unit, offering plenty of towing power and torque. That said, we expect additional gasoline-powered units too.
The most beautiful building on earth @MOTF set for grand opening on 22-2-2022 in #Dubai. pic.twitter.com/H8NvCqLfXc  Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 18, 2022

If you were wondered which is the most beautiful building in the world, the newest one to claim this title is the Museum of the Future, opening tomorrow. Indeed, this building looking straight out of a Sci-Fi movie is an instant head-turner. Envisioned by Killa Design architects and engineered by the Buro Happold consultancy firm, this circular masterpiece is all about symbolism. Its supposed to represent humanity, sitting on the earth (the green mound), while the unknown future is at its core (the void).Boldly contrasting with high-rise towers, this circular building is 225-foot (77 meters) tall, with a total capacity of 30,548 square meters (328,815 square feet). If youre wondering about the unusual design, those are actual quotes of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which, according to the Museums official presentation, are rendered in the calligraphy of Mattar bin Lahej. This incredible facade, made of stainless steel, is comprised of 1,024 pieces manufactured through an advanced, robot-assisted process.As its name shows, this museum will be dedicated to various aspects of the future, including travel, climate change, health, and spirituality. It will combine conventional exhibitions with immersive theater and themed attractions, with each floor resembling a movie set thats ready for interaction with the visitors. Not only designers but also artists and filmmakers participated in this unique project.The most beautiful building in the world is ready to open its gates for the first time tomorrow. In anticipation of the inauguration, the government of Dubai shared an intriguing short video on social media, showing what seems to be a spacecraft flying over to the Museum of the Future and entering it. No other details were revealed, but the ones who will be attending the grand opening will most likely find out more about this mysterious flight and all the treasures hidden inside this spectacular piece of architecture.
Many years ago, the best tires you could get for the street were called UHP, which meant Ultra High Performance. For years now, manufacturers have introduced what they call UUHP tires or Ultra Ultra High Performance, and the latter is a category that essentially replaced the former. These tires are fully street legal in any country, as well as safe to use in the wet , but can be enjoyed on the track as well.Evidently, there are still tires for those who only use their vehicles on the track, as well as competition-only tires, which are meant to never touch public roads. Not all those tires are slicks , as you may imagine, and not all slicks are entirely without grooves. But let us get back to the topic at hand.If your vehicle's manufacturer has not issued a recommendation of tire type, not just tire size, you are almost unrestricted in your choice. However, on some vehicles, you need to replace your existing tires with ones of the same brand and type as the ones that were fitted to them from the factory. As you will see below, grip varies from tire to tire and from situation to situation.For example, if a vehicle manufacturer had teamed up with a tire manufacturer and designed tires specifically for your model, in a certain size or configuration, you will be better off if you get those instead of anything else. Some vehicles will have issues with their all-wheel-drive systems if they are fitted with tires that lack a manufacturer's approval, such as the little star that xDrive BMW models require or other similar special markings for tires.In the case of vehicles that have a staggered wheel setup, such as the Toyota Supra, some manufacturers will not have tires for it in both sizes. Jonathan Benson of Tyre Reviews has observed while looking for affordable UUHP tires, which are difficult to come by. Be careful what you do when just two tires are worn The latest test by Tyre Reviews shows that there is no perfect tire for all possible conditions, so you will have to think of your usage scenario to find what suits your needs. Almost each of the ten tire models tested was the best at something , but your decision should focus on finding the best one for your needs.
There are countless types of helicopters currently flying in the skies of our world, but not all of them are suitable for the uses mentioned above. Those that are, like the HH-60G Pave Hawk , can do both with equal ease.The Pave Hawk is how the American military calls the variant of the Black Hawk meant to be used for recovery of personnel from behind enemy lines or other dangerous situations. Dating back to the 1980s, its on its way out the door, slotted to be replaced by the equally Black Hawk-based Jolly Green II (HH-60W), but is still capable of incredible feats, as demonstrated in this most recent photo of it released by the U.S. Air Force.It shows a Pave Hawk deployed with the 55th Rescue Squadron based at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. Well, not exactly the entire Pave Hawk, as most of the shot shows the menacing red helmet with black visor of a Special Missions Aviator flying in it.Dangling halfway out of the helicopter, this helmeted face is the first thing one sees when being extracted from a dangerous situation. In this case, someone taking part in a civilian search and rescue simulation in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the beginning of January.According to the profile of the mission, the 55th Rescue Squadron was deployed to an austere location in high elevation in order to simulate combat search and rescue missions in an arctic-like environment.Were not informed how the exercise went, but were still left with this amazing shot, worthy of our Photo of the Day section.
BANGKOK, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's central bank said on Monday that the country's banking system recorded a 23.6 percent jump in net profit in 2021 to reach 181 billion baht (about 5.6 billion U.S. dollars) amid recovering economic activities.

The improved profitability was mainly due to lower provisioning expenses as banks set aside an elevated level of provision in the previous year and banks' operating cost control, said Suwannee Jatsadasak, a senior director at the Bank of Thailand.

The country's banking system has remained resilient with high levels of capital fund, loan loss provision and liquidity, which served as a key mechanism to support the country's economic recovery, Suwannee said.

The overall bank loan growth in 2021 stood at 6.5 percent year-on-year, edging up from a rise of 5.1 percent in the previous year, according to the central bank data.

The gross non-performing loans (NPL) increased slightly to 530.7 billion baht (16.48 billion dollars), equivalent to an NPL ratio of 2.98 percent.

Data released on Monday showed the Southeast Asian country's economy expanded 1.6 percent in 2021, recovering from a 6.2 percent contraction in 2020 due to COVID-19, its worst economic performance in more than two decades. 
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The first thing to know about the ID. BUZZ is that it will have two wheelbase options. The short-wheelbase vehicle will still have 2.99 meters (117.7 in) in a body that is 4.71 m (185.4 in) long, 1.99 m (78.4 in) wide, and 1.94 m (76.4 in) tall. Thats an amazing wheelbase for a vehicle of this size, meaning that it must be very roomy  so much so that we do not get why it offers only two rows of seats.If you remember our previous articles about the ID. BUZZ, the interior images show that the electric van was conceived to have three rows. There are storage boxes and armrests beneath the side window that is between the C-pillar and the D-pillar  considering the ID. BUZZ has a split A-pillar (or two of them) due to not having a body division ahead of the driver.As we bet in previous articles, the short-wheelbase ID. BUZZ indeed has the 77-battery pack that we see in the top versions of the ID.4. It has a total of 82 kWh, but Volkswagen reserved 5 kWh as buffering to make the battery pack last longer.The long-wheelbase version of the ID. BUZZ will have a bigger battery pack. Volkswagen did not reveal its details so far, but Automobilwoche did. According to the German outlet, it will present 111 kWh. According to thecycle, it could have a range of around 600 kilometers (373 miles) on a single charge.Some reviewers tried the five-seater version, while others had the cargo version of the ID. BUZZ. In this last configuration, it seats three people on the front row (the only one available in that version). Why Volkswagen decided not to offer three seats in the front for the passenger vehicle  making it a six-seater  is something we cannot explain.The German automaker promised to offer a wide variety of seat configurations for the, so the six-seater may still be in the cards. The ID. California was also briefly mentioned in the reviews, but it will only be presented by 2024. Volkswagen also said it intends to fit a smaller battery pack for more affordable derivatives. The retractable third row of seats in the Opel Zafira would be a welcome option for the ID. BUZZ.The reviewers were impressed with the ID. BUZZ 's performance and handling. The first one to reach the market will have only a rear motor  like the original  delivering 150(201 hp), butversions are not ruled out. Some journalists also praised the short turning circle (11 meters, or 36.1 feet) and the roominess of the electric van. Sliding doors on both sides give easy access to the rear seats.When finally put for sale, Automobilwoche said the ID. BUZZ should cost around 60,000 ($68,170 at the current exchange rate). Considering it was referring to the version with the 111-kWh battery pack, we imagine it relates to the larger one. The short-wheelbase derivative may arrive for lower prices, around 55,000 ($62,480) or a bit less than that.
Still surrounded by the white stuff, the latest prototype, which had one angry driver behind the wheel, looks slightly different compared to the other one.For instance, the front license plate was moved further down, and there was no light bar in the middle of the bumper anymore. The camouflage is a bit more revealing, though due to its thickness, doubled by the fake cladding, we still cannot decipher its design.Still, it appears that the double lights arent going anywhere and that the roofline has a very similar shape compared to the current Kona . Out back, things get even blurrier, as the whole tailgate has a huge plastic attachment, complete with provisional taillights.It is obvious that our spy photographers couldnt get anywhere close enough to snap a few pictures of the cockpit, and zooming in doesnt help either, as the dashboard was under wraps. However, we do expect an entirely new panel, complete with a more modern infotainment system, and digital instrument cluster in the better-equipped versions. Drivers will be aided by all sorts of safety systems on the go.As far as the underpinnings go, it appears that the new-gen Hyundai Kona will be built around an entirely new platform, perhaps shared with the upcoming Seltos. The front-biased, all-wheel drive construction is understood to have been designed with gasoline and diesel engines in mind, yet hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains are expected as well, joined by a battery-electric variant that will presumably get the Ioniq name. The sporty N model should live on.Some believe that the new Kona, otherwise expected to hit assembly in the first half of 2023, might replace the i30 hatchback, but wed take it with the proverbial pinch of salt if we were you.
Polestar has officially arrived Down Under, with the automaker beginning sales of the all-electric Polestar 2 before deliveries commence in March. Polestar has been drumming up as much hype as possible to boost the company's profile in Australia in recent weeks, with the car manufacturer hosting a 'test-drive roadshow' in Sydney, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Polestar gave over 1,600 customers the opportunity to experience its new EV model in person.

The test-drive roadshow was a huge success for Polestar with customers placing nearly 300 orders for the Polestar 2 EV 48 hours after the event. Polestar's Australian arm will sell the Polestar 2 in three different guises, rivaling the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Tesla Model 3 in the electric sedan segment.

The Polestar 2 range starts with the basic Standard range model, which has a single electric motor and a starting price of AU$59,900 ($43,109). For customers who want to travel longer distances, they can go for the long range single motor version which has a starting price of AU$64,900 ($46,707). Last but not the least in the Polestar 2 range is the Long range dual motor variant that has a starting price of AU$69,900 ($50,305).

Polestar entices buyers with Customer Satisfaction Guarantee

Polestar has decided to adopt a direct-to-customer sales model in Australia which includes a Customer Satisfaction Guarantee. With this sales model, Australian customers can return their Polestar vehicle for a full refund within seven days of delivery as long as the car has not been driven more than 500 kilometers. All Polestar vehicles sold in Australia also come with a 5-year service plan, 5-year roadside assistance, and a 5-year warranty.

Polestar Australia managing director Samantha Johnson issued a statement regarding the company's entry Down Under, saying, "There is incredible interest in electric vehicles in Australia, with sales increasing by more than 190 percent year-on-year in 2021."

Johnson added that they are thrilled that the Polestar 2 is now here to help meet the Australian public's demand for the company's electric vehicles. She said that with 180 vehicles already on-the-ground in Australia and ready for delivery next month, the Polestar 2 will further accelerate their national shift to an electric-vehicle fleet."

Also Read: Renault Nets $1 Billion Profit in 2021 Despite Chip Shortage; Looks to Bolster EV Business With Spinoff

Plenty of Polestar 2 options for Australia

Australian drivers who want to acquire a Polestar 2 as soon as possible, however, will have to choose from a bunch of pre-configured options to get their electric vehicle next month. Based on the car brand's website, a total of 19 Polestar electric vehicles are available for customers.

There is the standard single-motor variant which has a 170kW power output that can help the electric vehicle last up to 440 kilometers. The long-range dual-motor option has a 300kW power output with a range of 480 kilometers. For customers wanting the longest driving range possible for their Polestar 2, the single-motor version with long-range battery is a terrific choice. That EV has a 170kW power output and a range of 540 kilometers.

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The U.S. Security and Exchanges Commission (SEC) responded on Friday, February 18, to Tesla CEO Elon Musk's allegations that he and his company were subjected to endless and unfounded investigations by the agency, saying that it is acting diligently to resolve a complex matter.

The SEC also refuted Musk's assertion that the federal agency was dragging its feet in distributing the $40 million settlement to the shareholders of Tesla, which was paid by the company and its chief executive back in 2018.

SEC official Steve Buchholz wrote to Judge Alison Nathan in a letter filed in a Manhattan federal court to explain the agency's side, saying that the allocation plan for the $40 million settlement is taking time to craft given the complexity of its distribution.

SEC to submit distribution plan by next month

As per CNBC, Buchholz added that it is only a matter of time before the SEC distributes the settlement to Tesla shareholders, saying that process is nearing completion and that the "Distributions staff expects to submit the proposed plan of distribution for the Court's approval by the end of March 2022."

Buchholz sent a reply on behalf of the SEC after Musk filed a complaint earlier this week, insinuating that the agency's "unrelenting" investigation into him and Tesla was meant to stifle his right to free speech. Musk levied the stunning accusation via his attorney Alex Spiro in a letter filed to Nathan on Thursday, February 17.

Spiro wrote to the judge, who handled the 2018 settlement between the two parties that the agency is "weaponizing the consent decree by using it to try to muzzle and harass Mr. Musk and Tesla."

Spiro added that the SEC seems to be targeting Musk and Tesla because he continues to be an outspoken critic of the government, saying the agency's efforts seem calculated to chill the chief executive's exercise of his First Amendment rights.

Also Read: Tesla vs South Korea: Korean Body May Impose Penalties on Carmaker for Exaggerating Range in Cars

Tesla's war with SEC going on for years now

The war between the SEC and Tesla all started in September 2018 when the agency charged the celebrity CEO with making "false and misleading" statements to the automaker's investors after he posted on Twitter that he had secured private funding for a buyout of the company at $420 a share. Tesla's stock went into a period of unusual volatility following Musk's tweets but the deal that he tweeted never materialized.

Tesla and Musk eventually settled with the SEC, each paying a $20 million fine and the billionaire owner relinquishing his position as company chairman for three years. The settlement, which did not include Musk admitting any wrongdoing in the Twitter fiasco, also required Tesla staff to supervise all of Musk's statements that he will issue on behalf of the company, including on social media platforms.

That has not stopped Musk from posting on Twitter about Tesla, with the SEC repeatedly accusing Musk of violating the terms of the settlement.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk Accuses SEC of Curtailing His Free Speech; Blasts 'Unrelenting' Investigation

Cargo Ship Felicity Ace Catches Fire: Nearly 4,000 Porsche, Audi, Bentley, and VW Vehicles on Board
A vendor stands next to a Tesla car on display at a shopping mall in Beijing on April 14, 2021. (Photo : NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images)

Tesla China has ordered a recall for the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 due to possible issues relating to the vehicles' heat pumps. Heating problems could result in a degradation of the cars' windshield defrost performance, forcing Tesla to recall a total of 26,047 China-made Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

According to China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), 14,044 Tesla Model Y and 12,003 Tesla Model 3 vehicles are affected by the heat pump recall. The Tesla vehicles affected by the potential heat pump issue were manufactured in China between December 28, 2020, and January 15, 2022.

SAMR noted in its press release that Tesla China would carry out software upgrades for the vehicles within the recall area through the company's vehicle remote upgrade (OTA) technology. Users affected by the recall do not need to go to the store to complete the recall, with Tesla providing an over-the-air software update.

Tesla China to fix the issue via software upgrades

For vehicles that cannot be recalled through the automaker's vehicle remote upgrade (OTA) technology, Tesla China will contact the affected customers through the company's service center to upgrade their vehicles' software, which will come free of charge, to eliminate the safety hazards that the heat pump problem may pose.

Tesla China's move comes on the heels of the automaker's decision to recall its vehicles in the United States because of a similar issue. Some 26,681 Tesla vehicles were recalled after the company told U.S. safety regulators that a software error might cause a valve in the heat pump to open unintentionally, trapping the refrigerant inside the evaporator in the process.

Also Read: Ford EV Spinoff: Is CEO Jim Farley Considering Separating Its Electric Business?

Heat pump issue triggers Tesla recalls in the U.S and Canada

The U.S. heat pump recall covers some 2020-2022 Model Y and 2021-2022 Model S, Model 3, and Model X vehicles that may not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Transport Canada also has issued a recall notice because of the same heat pump issue, saying that the problem under the country's Motor Vehicle Safety Act is considered a "defect that could affect the safety of a person."

Transport Canada told the website Drive Tesla that a total of 2,084 Tesla vehicles in Canada were affected by the recall. The recall notice comes after Transport Canada began a defect investigation at the Issue Assessment level concerning the faulty heat pumps on January 5, 2022.

Transport Canada received six complaints from owners in the preceding weeks relating to that problem, triggering the investigation. More complaints regarding the heating problems were submitted to Transport Canada after the group announced the investigation on January 29, 2022, with 170 owners airing their grievances regarding the defective heat pumps.

The issue transpires, especially when the temperature outside the Tesla vehicle is below -10 degrees. The SAMR said that the windshield defrost system in the electric cars "does not operate to achieve the defrost effect required by the relevant national regulations."

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Lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles have complicated firefighting on a cargo ship that was carrying 4,000 vehicles  including Porsches, Audis and Bentleys  across the Atlantic, Reuters reports.

Driving the news: On Monday, Joao Mendes Cabecas, captain of the nearest port in the island of Faial, told Lusa news agency "the fire has subsided in recent hours." He had told Reuters over the weekend the batteries were "keeping the fire alive", and that specialist equipment was required to extinguish it.

Catch up fast: The crew of 22 was evacuated by helicopter on Wednesday, leaving the ship adrift off Portugal's Azores islands.

Volkswagen owns the brands. The ship was bound from Germany to the auto-import Davisville port in North Kingstown, R.I.

It wasn't clear whether the batteries sparked the fire.

Felicity Ace later on Friday. Photo: Portuguese Navy via Reuters

Worth noting: The luxury inferno adds to dealers' supply-chain hell.
The Czech Republic eased its coronavirus restrictions Wednesday by canceling a requirement for people to show proof of vaccination to attend public events, bars or restaurants or use certain services, according to AP.

Why it matters: Several European nations have recently eased or ended their COVID restrictions. The moves signal that these countries believe a potential bump in cases from opening back up is unlikely to jeopardize their health services, despite elevated  though rapidly falling  case numbers from the Omicron variant.

Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala said Wednesday that in addition to ending the proof of vaccination requirement, his government will lift more coronavirus measures in February, according to AP.

Other announcements made so far:

Sweden

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced Thursday that all of the country's restrictions would end on Feb. 9, allowing people to return to restaurants without capacity or operating hours limitations, AP reports.

This also includes the end of its vaccine and face mask mandate on public transportation, as well as its recommendation to limit social contact.

Denmark

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced Tuesday that the country no longer considers COVID-19 to be a "socially critical disease" and would lift its restrictions.

The pandemic is still here but with what we know, we now dare to believe that we are through the critical phase, Frederiksen added.

Norway

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre announced Tuesday that Norway's restrictions would end.

Jonas Gahr Stre announced Tuesday that Norway's restrictions would end. "Even if many more people are becoming infected, there are fewer who are hospitalised. We're well protected by vaccines. This means that we can relax many measures even as infections are rising rapidly," Stre said.

The big picture: Several other European countries, like the United Kingdom, have announced the end to some restrictions, including travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers.

Yes, but: Austria last week became the first country in the European Union to legally mandate that all adults get vaccinated against COVID-19.

What they're saying: Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe, said Thursday that the continent is likely entering a "ceasefire" with coronavirus because of high vaccination rates, the approaching end of winter and the Omicron variant.

"This period of higher protection should be seen as a 'ceasefire' that could bring us enduring peace," Kluge said, according to the BBC.

Go deeper: Omicron infections may not protect well against future spread

Editor's note: This story, originally published on Feb. 4, has been updated with new details about the Czech Republic.
Russia claimed Monday that its forces had killed five Ukrainians with anti-tank weapons after their vehicles crossed into Russian territory, which Ukraine denied. The head of Russia's FSB intelligence service later claimed one Ukrainian soldier had been captured.

Why it matters: U.S. and Ukrainian officials have vehemently denied claims that Ukraine would launch attacks on Russia soil at a time when 150,000 Russian troops are massed on the borders, but fear they're part of the Kremlin's efforts to justify an imminent invasion.

Russian state media claimed the Ukrainians that were killed had been on a "sabotage" mission, and also reported that Ukrainian shells had destroyed a border post on Russian soil.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba denied both allegations and called on Russia to "stop your fake-producing factory now."

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine tweeted: "Russias execution of transparent, hackneyed plots to justify an invasion would be laughable if they werent so destructive and dangerous."

Zoom out: Pro-Russian separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine have asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to send military assistance and recognize the independence of their breakaway republics, Russian state media reported Monday.

The Russian-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014, when they proclaimed independent "republics" in Donetsk and Luhansk. Because they don't control all of the territory they claim, recognition by Russia could actually be a de facto declaration of war.

It could lay the groundwork for future Russian annexation of the territory. Recognition would also amount to a withdrawal from the Minsk Accords, which are viewed as the best chance to bring to peace to the war-torn Donbas region.

Putin has until now downplayed the possibility of recognition and insisted that he wants the Minsk Accords to be implemented, but he held an extraordinary televised meeting of his Security Council on Monday to consider the proposal.

The big picture: President Biden and Putin agreed "in principle" on Sunday night to French President Macron's proposal to hold a leaders summit, but both sides have downplayed the likelihood of this happening.

"Of course President Biden said yes, but every indication we see on the ground right now in terms of the disposition of Russian forces is that they are, in fact, getting prepared for a major attack on Ukraine," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on NBC's "Today" on Monday morning.

In televised remarks during Russia's Security Council meeting, Putin claimed Macron had told him Biden had shifted his position on Russia's security demands in Europe, without providing any details.

What to watch: Senior officials at the Security Council made a case for recognizing the republics and sending in troops to "defend" the Russian citizens in eastern Ukraine  attempting to position Russia as the victim of escalation that is outside of its control.
The U.S. says it has "credible information" indicating "Russian forces are creating lists" of Ukrainians "to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation," the Washington Post first reported Sunday.

Driving the news: Bathsheba Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, warns in a letter to the UN, confirmed by a State Department official, that the information "indicates that human rights violations and abuses in the aftermath of a further invasion are being planned."

"We also have credible information that Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations," Crocker wrote, per the letter.

She said "past Russian operations have included targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, unjust detentions, and the use of torture."

Likely targets would be "those who oppose Russian actions, including Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons," according to the letter.

The big picture: The warning comes as the White House announced that President Biden has agreed "in principle" to hold a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, providing Russia does not invade Ukraine.

Putin has also "accepted the principle of such a summit," according to French President Emmanuel Macron's office.

President Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council on Sunday, following a tense weekend of conflicting-claims about whether Putin has decided to invade Ukraine.

Read Crocker's letter, first obtained by WashPost, via DocumentCloud:

Go deeper: Biden and Putin agree "in principle" to hold summit

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
SYDNEY, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Authorities of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) shut down all Sydney and intercity trains on Monday amid an escalation in an industrial dispute between the state government and rail workers.

Until Monday evening, the ongoing dispute between the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) and the NSW government over safety guarantees, hygiene, pay and privatization concerns are still frustrating Sydney's evening commuters.

The shutdown came on the day when the country opened its border to fully vaccinated international travellers for the first time after two years of border closure due to COVID-19.

Travellers and commuters were urged to use alternative means of transport and allowed extra time for trips, as the shutdown forced train passengers to drive cars.

"We will work into the evening if that's required to look at what we can do to get train running tomorrow," Chief Executive of Sydney Trains Matthew Longland said.

"This is a difficult period, regardless of the outcome ... we do expect some impact over this two-week period," he said.

In a statement, Transport for NSW said the snap shutdown was due to the ongoing union action taken by the RTBU making Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink unable to safely operate train services.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet accused the unions and the Labor Party of conducting a "concerted campaign" to cause mass disruption for Sydney.

However, the RTBU said the shutdown was not a strike, noting that rail workers turned up for work but the "NSW government is spitting the dummy and trying to make a point".

"The government went to the media and blatantly lied to the public saying that members were on 'strike'. This was a deliberate move by the government to try and turn the public against us," the RTBU wrote in a statement. 
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference in Germany.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said they reviewed bilateral relations in various fields of cooperation and ways to support and enhance them. They also explored opportunities to enhance bilateral coordination and discussed many regional and international issues, it wrote on Twitter.

According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Mirzoyan discussed with Al Saud prospects for establishing relations and cooperation between their nations and expressed readiness to work on setting bilateral and multilateral agendas.

During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers emphasized the importance of promoting trade and economic ties, implementing investment programs, and establishing contacts between business circles, read a statement released by the ministry.

Saudi and Armenian foreign ministers are not known to have met in the past.

Saudi Arabia has for decades refused to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia due to its conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. The oil-rich kingdom signaled a change in that policy after its relations with Armenias arch-foe and Azerbaijans ally Turkey deteriorated significantly several years ago.

The policy change was highlighted last October by then Armenian President Armen Sarkissians visit to Riyad. Sarkissian sat next to Saudi Arabias de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, at the opening ceremony of an international conference held there.

We spoke about our diplomatic relations, and we agreed that in reality our diplomatic relations started with that visit, Sarkissian told the Saudi newspaper Arab News in December.

The Karabakh conflict has not prevented Armenia from developing relations with other Gulf Arab monarchies, notably the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Both nations have embassies in Yerevan.

Successive Armenian governments have maintained closer ties with Iran, Saudi Arabias main regional rival.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of an annual conference on international peace and security held in the German city of Munich.

Amir-Abdollahian described bilateral relations between Tehran and Yerevan as deeply expanding, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the talks.

He said that senior Armenian and Iranian diplomats should build on this positive dynamic by negotiating a new document on bilateral cooperation, the statement added without elaborating.

Amir-Abdollahian was also reported to hail the planned opening of an Armenian-Iranian transit route for regional trade. He clearly referred to an ambitious project to create a transport corridor that would connect Irans Persian Gulf ports to the Black Sea through Armenia and Georgia.

According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Mirzoyan and Amir-Abdollahian agreed on the need to finalize an agreement on that corridor that would pass through Armenias southeastern Syunik province bordering Iran as well as Azerbaijan.

The Iranian ambassador in Yerevan, Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, said last month that Syunik must remain the principal transit route for cargo shipments between Armenia and Iran even after the anticipated launch of Armenian-Azerbaijani transport links. The Iranian side is therefore looking forward to further highway upgrades in the strategic Armenian region, he said.

The Armenian government last week announced its first step towards attracting potential contractors for the multimillion-dollar construction of a new highway in Syunik that will significantly shorten travel time between Armenia and Iran.

We hope that by the end of the year we will have [selected] a company that will carry out that work, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said during a session of his cabinet.

Armenia lost control over a 21-kilometer stretch of an existing Syunik road leading to the Iranian border after a controversial troop withdrawal ordered by Pashinian following the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Last September, Azerbaijan set up checkpoints there to tax Iranian vehicles, triggering unprecedented tensions with Tehran.

An influential Iranian cleric accused Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in October of trying to cut Irans access to Armenia. More than 160 members of Irans parliament issued a joint statement warning against any geopolitical change and alteration of the borders of neighboring countries.

Meeting with Mirzoyan, Amir-Abdollahian likewise emphasized Tehran's opposition to any geopolitical change in the region, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
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You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @idesai98 on Twitter.
President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo after a one-on-one meeting in Kinshasa, capital of the DRC, on Feb. 20, 2022. The DRC signed late Sunday multiple cooperation agreements with Turkey following a meeting between the two heads of state here. (Photo by Alain Uaykani/Xinhua)

KINSHASA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed late Sunday multiple cooperation agreements with Turkey following a meeting between the two heads of state here.

The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's 48-hour official visit to the DRC starting Sunday.

Following a one-on-one meeting between the two presidents, the two countries signed several bilateral agreements on cooperation in various sectors, including defense and security, infrastructure and transport, as well as non-double taxation and investment promotion.

"This day is historic in importance" for bilateral ties, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi said, noting that the signed agreements "symbolize the will to strengthen our relations and develop good things between our two countries."

On Monday, the two presidents will attend a ceremony to launch the construction of Turkey's new embassy. 

Officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Turkey shake hands after signing multiple cooperation agreements in Kinshasa, capital of the DRC, on Feb. 20, 2022. The DRC signed late Sunday multiple cooperation agreements with Turkey following a meeting between the two heads of state here. (Photo by Alain Uaykani/Xinhua)
Bedford, PA (15522)

Today

Cloudy with showers. Low 58F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy with showers. Low 58F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
TK1482-class vessels of Vietnam Maritime Militia receiving the final touch before leaving for the sea at Ba Son Shipyard, Vung Tau, Vietnam, July 2021.

Vietnam is strengthening its maritime militia. In late January, it held a flag-hoisting ceremony in Vung Tau province for a new militia unit consisting of five gleaming steel-hulled boats that Chinese researchers claim are equipped with heavy machine guns.

Six months earlier, the first such unit of Vietnams permanent maritime militia and self-defense force was established in another southern province, Kien Giang. Similar units are planned for at least four other coastal provinces, according to state media.

This is widely seen as a response to Chinas maritime militia, which is far larger and better-equipped, and a key lever in Beijings effort to assert control in the contested South China Sea.

But Chinese analysts argue that arming the Vietnamese militia could stoke tensions and threaten regional security. Thats a charge often leveled at China, particularly when its vessels mass around disputed reefs and islets.

Vietnam insists its militia operates purely for defensive purposes and in accordance with international law.

Not part of the armed forces

Carl Thayer, a veteran Vietnam expert, says the nations maritime militia was only instituted comparatively recently. Prior to 2009, Vietnam did not have a formal entity called the maritime militia, he said.

The role of the maritime militia and self-defence forces evolved gradually over time but to this very day they remain an organic part of Vietnams Militia and Self-Defence Forces and not a separate service like the Vietnam Border Guard or Vietnam Coast Guard, said Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales.

In June 2005, Vietnam adopted the Law on National Defense, in which the tasks of the Militia and Self-Defense Forces were enumerated but still no mention was made of the maritime militia.

To compare, Chinas modern use of fishing militias dates back to at least 1974 when they were employed in seizing the Paracel Islands from Vietnam, according to a report published in November 2021 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington D.C.

The U.S.-government-funded research organization Rand Corp. alleged that Chinas maritime militia was actually formed in the 1950s and answers directly to the Peoples Liberation Army.

Thayer said that Vietnams maritime strategy that included the need for developing national defense in coastal and maritime areas was first publicly announced in 2007.

So it developed much later than the Chinese maritime militia, and both the scale and resources are far inferior.

The formulation of militia in Vietnam is rooted in the concept of the peoples defense, meaning militiamen are mostly fishermen, said Viet Hoang, a maritime law expert based in Ho Chi Minh City.

They are not only poorly equipped but also often poorly trained, said Viet, pointing out that several government programs to transform wooden fishing boats to steel-hull boats with better defensive capabilities for fishermen have failed because their interest was just fishing.

Undated photo showing fishing boats anchored near Ly Son island in central Quang Ngai province, Vietnam. [Reuters]





Arming fishermen

Theres no official figures of how large the Vietnamese maritime militia is but Chinas National Institute for South China Sea Studies estimated that it totalled between 46,000 and 70,000 personnel in 2021.

The maritime militia accounted for only 0.08 percent of the total number of militia members in Vietnam and 1.22 percent of the total number of maritime laborers as of 2016, according to a report in Vietnams National Defense magazine authored by Col. Nguyen Phuong Hoa.

In contrast, Chinas maritime militia is mostly organized by the countrys large fishing companies.

Research by Andrew Erickson and Conor Kennedy in 2016 found the only estimate of the size of the Chinese maritime militia was from a source published in 1978, which put the number of personnel at 750,000 on approximately 140,000 vessels. This number has likely grown substantially since.

In its 2010 Defense White Paper, China stated that it had eight million militia members nationwide, including maritime militia.

Analysts argue that Chinas assertive activities in the South China Sea, where Beijing claims historical rights to almost 90 percent of the sea, led to Vietnams rushed plan to expand its maritime militia and self-defense forces.

The tactics are somewhat similar to the so-called gray-zone tactics of the Chinese maritime militia, where fishermen are trained to do paramilitary work and fishing boats get armed.

Gray-zone tactics are when unconventional forces and methods are used to pursue strategic interests while trying to avoid the possibility of a conflict.

Vietnams maritime militia was present at several recent incidents in the South China Sea, such as the 2014 standoff over the deployment of the Haiyang Shiyou-981 drilling rig near the Paracel islands and some confrontations near where Vietnam and international partners explored for oil and gas.

Analysts say the new permanent militia units are intended to be more combat ready than regular maritime militia and could play an active role in confrontations.

For more than a decade, Vietnam has expended huge manpower and material resources in developing maritime militia, wrote Ding Duo, deputy director of Chinas National Institute for South China Sea Studies, in China Daily newspaper.

According to Ding, 126 fishing boats manned by maritime militia from 14 coastal provinces and cities will be built in Vietnam during the period 2019-2022.

Chinese analysts alleged that Vietnams new TK-1482 class militia vessels are equipped with weapons including large caliber heavy machine guns.

The use of weapons on the well-equipped militia vessels would entail the risk of causing significant harm to regional security and stability, warned Lei Xiaolu, vice director of the South China Sea Probing Initiative, a Chinese think tank.

Yet Vietnamese researchers like Viet Hoang said that the main focus of Vietnamese maritime militia remains fishery, search and rescue.

They may take part in tracking and surveillance missions but the lack of training and resources poses a great obstacle to their capabilities, he said.

Canberra-based expert Thayer said that Vietnam will continue to gradually expand and modernize its standing maritime militia as new TK 1482-class vessels are commissioned into service.

However, Vietnams standing maritime militia and self-defense forces will remain under the control of local and provincial authorities, he said.
DALTON  A mothers claim that a Dalton Police officer chose on a fateful night to protect a fellow cop, rather than check on her daughters safety, will proceed to trial.

A U.S. District Court judge last week denied an attempt by former officer John Marley to dismiss the claim, in a civil lawsuit, that he failed to provide Sherilyn Hayes with equal protection under the law, as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, on the night a neighbor told police the young woman spoke of harming herself.

Quote Plaintiff has adequately alleged that [John] Marley withheld assistance from Sherilyn [Hayes] to avoid negatively impacting the career of a fellow police officer. Such a motive has been found sufficient to support a viable equal protection claim.  Judge Katherine A. Robertson

The ruling came Thursday, after Judge Katherine A. Robertson took three months to consider motions and arguments in the case, which concerns how police handled an emergency call in late 2019.

Robertson allowed several motions by lawyers for multiple defendants to strike elements of the lawsuit, brought by Patricia Hayes on May 7, 2021.

Hayes daughter, Sherilyn, was found dead in her North Street apartment in Dalton at 7 p.m. Nov. 23, 2019, 44 minutes after the first call about her safety came in to a Dalton Police dispatcher. Despite that call, officers did not enter her apartment.

Revelations about police conduct that night led Dalton officials within months to remove Marley and the chief at the time, Jeffrey E. Coe. Marleys attorneys have claimed that he was scapegoated in a sham investigation arranged by the town.

The judges decisions narrow the focus of the lawsuit, which also names as defendants the town of Dalton; Coe; dispatcher Frank M. Speth III; officer Dylan Bencivenga; the town of Peru; and Kyle Nutting, a police officer in Peru who lived with Sherilyn Hayes.

Robertson granted a defense motion to dismiss the case against Peru, as well as claims against Nutting in his capacity as a Peru officer. Only Dalton remains as a municipality in the action.

The judge also allowed motions from Marleys lawyer, Alexandra Milan Gill, to dismiss claims that the officer engaged in a conspiracy to delay responding to the womans apartment, after a neighbor became concerned about her safety and called police. The neighbor, a friend of Nutting, had been told Hayes spoke of killing herself after an argument with Nutting.

In a 30-page ruling, Robertson said the plaintiff has adequately alleged that Marley acted with discriminatory intent by withholding assistance from Sherilyn when he would have responded appropriately to a call for assistance for a similarly situated individual who was not involved in a domestic confrontation with a police officer.

That and other decisions announced by the judge are procedural and do not affix blame. The lawsuit seeks damages of up to $3.7 million.

When evaluating a motion to dismiss, judges must make all reasonable inferences in Plaintiffs favor, Robertson wrote.

Marleys failure to comply with a Dalton police department regulation requiring an immediate response to a suicide threat and his knowledge of Nuttings status as a police officer  raise a reasonable inference that Marley treated Sherilyn differently from others who were similarly situated, Robertson wrote.

While the judge allowed a motion to dismiss complaints against Nutting in his capacity as a Peru officer at the time, she let complaints against him individually remain part of the case.

The lawsuit alleges that Nutting engaged in conduct that resulted in gross negligence and wrongful death under state statutes.

At a Nov. 18 hearing, attorney Keith A. Minoff, representing Nutting individually, told Robertson that his client was not acting as a police officer in his interactions with Dalton Police on the night Hayes died. One of Marleys first steps, after being directed by a dispatcher to go to the North Street apartment, was to call the Peru Police chief, with whom Nutting was having dinner. The chief put Nutting on the line with Marley, according to facts that emerged in 2020, after the town hired an independent investigator.

Attorney Jared S. Burke, representing Patricia Hayes, told Robertson that while Nutting was outside the town of Peru that night, he gets that call [from Dalton police] because hes a police officer.  That is a subjective issue that needs to be fleshed out.

Robertson said that Marley, who faces the same counts of gross negligence and wrongful death, has defenses to those claims. But, she also termed unpersuasive the officers statements that the department had no basis to enter Sherilyn Hayes apartment.

The court cannot say, as a matter of law, that Marleys acts and omissions as alleged were not grossly negligent or willful, wanton, or reckless, Robertson wrote. Plaintiff has adequately alleged that Marley withheld assistance from Sherilyn to avoid negatively impacting the career of a fellow police officer. Such a motive has been found sufficient to support a viable equal protection claim.

Burke, the plaintiffs attorney, failed to convince Robertson that a conspiracy existed among defendants. He had argued that Marley took steps to prevent another officer  the defendant, Bencivenga  from entering the apartment. This is a calculated decision. He had critical information given to him repeatedly.

She is being treated as the fiancee of a police officer, he told Robertson at the November hearing.
TEHRAN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday called on the Europeans and the United States to show "willingness" for a possible nuclear deal.

The Iranian delegation has presented its proposals on remaining issues to the relevant parties of the ongoing nuclear negotiations in Vienna, Saeed Khatibzadeh told a weekly press conference.

Dialogues in the Austrian capital have made significant progress, and the scope and number of controversial topics have reduced, he said, adding that some difficult and key issues remain to be addressed.

"We are still waiting for the decisions that Europe and the United States must make, and we have not yet seen that willingness in them," he said.

The spokesman stressed that the Iranian negotiators will never compromise on the rights of the Iranian people and the country's redlines.

"What is certain is that all sanctions must be lifted, regardless of their labels, which are inconsistent with the other party's commitments and an impediment to (Iran's) economic benefit from the JCPOA (2015 nuclear deal). This has been one of our principles and has been followed up to this day," he said.

Besides, any agreement in Vienna requires unfreezing Iran's assets held in other countries, he noted.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, which prompted the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments one year later and advance its halted nuclear programs.

Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining parties, namely Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the United States indirectly involved in the talks, to revive the landmark deal. 
BOISE - Attorney General Lawrence Wasden is advising Idahoans to do their homework before purchasing residential rooftop solar systems. The Attorney Generals Consumer Protection Division continues to receive reports and complaints from the public about some solar companies misleading sales tactics through door-to-door sales and social media advertisements.

The installation of solar equipment at your home can be a big investment, Wasden said. There are some very reputable solar companies doing business here in Idaho, but some installers arent always 100 percent honest in their representations to customers. My goal is to shed some light on the issue to make sure Idahoans are prepared and protected in the marketplace.

Consumers report false representations that:

Installers work for or partner with the State of Idaho or the customers electric provider. Neither an electric utility company nor the State of Idaho partners with businesses that sell residential solar systems. Rather, electric utility companies process consumers applications to connect a solar system to the electric grid.

Consumers will receive government rebates or payments for installing solar systems. Only some consumers are eligible for tax credits and should talk to their financial or tax advisor about their eligibility.

Customers with solar equipment will never pay a power bill again. Even with a residential solar system, consumers are connected to the electric grid and continue to receive bills from their electric utility for connection fees and electric service beyond what a solar system generates.

Idaho is experiencing an energy shortage. The state has ample access to a variety of energy resources.

Solar customers will be locked in to current rate pricing established by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. The Idaho PUC does not set solar prices.

During an electrical power outage, consumers with rooftop solar will still have power. Solar panels only generate power during a blackout if a solar battery is installed.

When deciding whether to purchase a residential solar system, consumers should:
BOISE - Last Thursday, the Idaho Board of Education voted unanimously to waive Idahos requirement that members of the high school Class of 2022 must take a college entrance exam in order to graduate this spring or summer.

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction and board member Sherri Ybarra advocates for the permanent removal of the requirement.

That issue, a rule change proposed by the state board, is pending before the Idaho Legislature this session. Under the current rule, which was waived in 2020 and 2021 because of pandemic conditions, Idaho students must take either the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) or the ACT (American College Testing). Most high school juniors take the SAT because a state contract provides that test to students for free.

Last June, the State Board of Education dropped college entrance exams as a statewide requirement for state colleges and universities. Ybarra says the required test has questionable value for assessing Idaho high school students college readiness relative to their peers across the nation.

Idaho students SAT performance is hard to compare to results in other states, where the test is optional and therefore only taken by motivated students who prepare for the exam, Superintendent Ybarra said. Idaho students, too, should have the option. I dont think it should be a graduation requirement, she said, but the access and ability to take the college entrance exam should be available to all of our students.
GRAND VIEW, ID - Radioactive soil in Australia is being excavated and shipped to a waste disposal facility in Idaho.

The soil was polluted from a carbolic acid plant and uranium refinery that operated a century ago and is located in a suburb of Sydney.

The low-level radioactive waste will go to US Ecology's Grand View site in southwest Idaho. The news has been a relief for Australian residents living on the soil, but has raised a concern among some in the Gem State.

Tami Thatcher is a nuclear safety consultant for Environmental Defense Institute and former nuclear safety analyst at Idaho National Laboratory.

"Whenever you become aware of how radioactive waste is shipped from around the country and from around the world to Idaho, it's kind of alarming," said Thatcher.

Excavation of the contaminated soil began in September and is expected to take 18 to 24 months. It totals about 1,900 tons.

A spokesperson for US Ecology says the soil and debris are contaminated with a very low level of naturally occurring radioactive material but fall well below the established criteria in the company's Idaho permit.

Thatcher said there have been concerns about US Ecology's Grand View operations. In 2018, an explosion at the site killed one person and injured three others.

"They've never admitted where the waste came from," said Thatcher. "What type of waste it was and why it is - when they mixed their magnesium oxide to neutralize the waste - it blew sky high."

An investigation into the explosion found there was "non-conforming waste" included in material that was not supposed to be part of the waste stream.

US Ecology is the only commercial hazardous waste landfill operating to Idaho. According to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the facility received nearly 110,000 tons of waste in 2020, 96% of which came from outside the state or country.
OLYMPIA - Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee was joined by former Vice President Al Gore and current White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy at a Climate Action Now! virtual town hall.

The trio advocated for more action at all levels of government in combatting climate change caused by an increase of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases in Earths atmosphere, mostly from fossil fuel emissions.

This is a very pivotal moment in our arc of our history in our state against climate change, because we are very close to passing some absolutely necessary legislation to reach our climate goals, Inslee said during the late Wednesday afternoon/early evening event. He warned that time is running out to deal with the negative effects of warming temperatures.

The legislation Inslee referred to is House Bill 1770, which would impose strict new net-zero housing requirements to meet Washingtons carbon dioxide-reduction targets. On Saturday, the House passed HB 1770 on a 51-47 vote.

Gore, well-known for his crusade against climate change, echoed Inslees sentiment that time is running out to do something about the problem.

Despite all of the pledges and promises, were continuing to put 162 million tons of global warming pollution into our atmosphere every single day as if it were an open sewer, Gore said. And the accumulation of all that heat trapping, man-made pollution is creating consequences that are all around us. And of course, youve felt  those of you in Washington state have certainly felt it.

Last summer, Washington state residents endured record-breaking temperatures well in excess of 100 degrees.

Both national climate change figures applauded Inslees work on the issue.

Its the most important decade of action in our lifetimes and we need to move quickly to deploy the solutions that will make our buildings and homes more energy efficient, Gore said. Thats what Gov. Inslee is proposing as legislation. Decarbonize our power grid, replace gas-guzzlers with electric vehicles. Hes got the practical solutions well thought out, well drafted. We need your support to get these measures enacted.

McCarthy, who ran the Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama, also had kind words for Inslees work on the climate change front.

I dont think anyones had to tap on Gov. Inslees shoulder and remind him to take action, cause thats what hes all about, she said. His leadership on this fight on climate change has been just incredible, both in Washington state and in Washington, D.C.

While not discounting federal action in addressing climate change, all three agreed that state and local governments are the main drivers on the issue.

We can do things that the federal government cannot, Inslee said. We do not have to wait for other states.

He charged that things like the filibuster and gerrymandering have hampered the ability of Congress to take on climate change.

We can lead on this, and we are, Inslee said. And other governors are as well.

As an example, Inslee pointed to the Climate Commitment Act passed last year in Washington state to develop rules to implement a cap-and-invest program  what he called the best in the nation  for the sale and tracking of tradable emissions allowances.

So, weve moved the ball in places the Congress has not been able to move, the governor said.

Gore agreed.

Leadership at the state and local level has been absolutely crucial in moving the United States forward, he said, noting state action was the saving grace of climate change work during the previous administration of President Donald Trump.

McCarthy chimed in with a similar sentiment.

I mean, I know where innovation comes from, she said, noting that a concept in fighting climate change can be proved in a state or states and then applied across the country.

States, she said, have been driving climate action for the last 20 years and will continue to play a huge role.

Gore remained upbeat about the long-term picture related to climate change, pointing to recent developments that give him hope.

Look at all the ads for electric cars on the Super Bowl, he noted.
Covid-19 has had some devastating effects on the airline industry over the last two years. The travel bans imposed internationally saw economies plummet. In Africa, the strain was felt. However, through continued perseverance, the airline industry has slowly gained momentum as air travel continues to rise with borders re-opening.

How has airline profitability changed in the wake of Covid-19?

How do you expect it to change over the next 12 months?

Can you tell us about the growth of cargo buoyed by ecommerce?

Thapelo Mokwena, Divisional Executive - Operations, ACS

What has the feedback to this been like on the African continent?

In which ways can we expand this internationally? And also, place Africa on this map?

ACS Cargo Screening  how is the Plug & Play solution helping the aviation industry?

How can it be implemented within other sectors such as freight, logistics and mining, etc?

What are some of the trends we can look out for this year?

One such company that has provided operational support services to both international and domestic airline operations from, into and within South Africa is the Aviation Co-ordination Services (ACS) which continues to advocate for not only the airline industrys recovery, but also that of air transport which had a direct impact on cargo disruption too.Here, we chat to Thapelo Mokwena, divisional executive - operations, ACS, to find out what the company is doing to provide solutions for the aviation industry.Generally, airline profitability was decimated in the wake of Covid-19. Some airlines battled to cope and opted to go for business rescue processes, while some opted for retrenchments. In general, the sector was negatively impacted by Covid-19. However, theres a silver lining, namely if an airline operator has a cargo division that somewhat minimised the Covid-19 impact since it's the one sector that saw consistent growth during this period.Honestly, theres been a significant shift in how the global community views or has learned to live with Covid-19. Vaccine availability has also moved the needle forward too, weve seen Denmark doing away with restrictions of movement and abandoning the lockdown measures to curb infections. These developments happen amid the Omicron variant-driven cycle of infections, which has shown to be more transmissible although less virulent.Australia has also changed their hard stance and is preparing to open its borders to fully vaxxed individuals towards the end of February. With this backdrop, one wonders if we may see the recovery in the sector much earlier than previously anticipated. The International Air Transport Association (IATA)s economic division is forecasting a pre-pandemic recovery in 2024 in their most optimistic forecast. At present, passenger volumes are at 55% capacity (on average) when compared to corresponding pre-pandemic numbers. Our expectations are that the numbers will continue to modestly pick up, however, we still see the next 12 months as subdued, since one cannot rule out the possibility of a new variant that could impact the sector negatively.Cargo has been the poster child of the air transport industry in recent months. In some cases, its performance has surpassed the pre-pandemic numbers. Revenue generated by online shopping in Africa was estimated to be approximately $28bn USD in 2020, according to Statistics SA which was an increase of $6bn USD from 2019.Exponential growth is predicted for a few more years. Markets such as South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya have the highest internet penetration on the continent, however, ecommerce penetration was at 37% for both Nigeria and South Africa and Kenya at 25% according to a report by PayU. As internet connectivity increases, so will ecommerce penetration. And as Africa and the rest of the world embraces digitisation, there are many opportunities for growth within the cargo sector.There is growing interest in Africa, we see it by large international brands and payment platforms setting up shop here; online and omnichannel merchants are realising these breaks.The African continent has had a torrid time, largely due to vaccine unavailability within the continent, and slow uptake of it once widely available. Last I checked, as a continent we were sitting at 16% vaccination rate, and this is not fully vaxxed but rather includes those with access to at least one shot of the vaccine.To quote author and business expert, Victor Kgomoeswana "Africa is open for business", however, restrictions imposed by the developed countries have had a devastating effect on the continent and the aviation industry at large. The world witnessed the restrictions imposed on the Southern African countries after RSA disclosed the discovery of the Omicron variant.Africa doesnt have to market itself anymore, the world can see the potential and opportunities in Africa. What businesses and leaders of industries on the continent need to do is make sure that when the outside world arrives, we are ready to provide them with the best service, technology, world-class customer experience and return on investment. I would hate to see us being African businesses be side-lined due to a lack of those things. We have the expertise and access to technology to stand toe to toe with our western counterparts.Most businesses would like policy certainty and political stability in their operating environments. African countries need to do more to meet these basic expectations at the very least. However, developments in the ECOWAS block in recent months are worrying.Our cargo screening solution is designed to assist cargo operators to focus on their core business, while we take care of the screening and the compliance requirements associated with the cargo screening function. Compliance issues can be daunting and time-consuming for operators. However, since ACS has been performing this function for a while, we are familiar with the required standards, and we keep abreast with the changes in legislation to ensure compliance.Furthermore, we are technology-driven and we believe in deploying best-in-class technology in our operations. We provide all these services to our customers at competitive rates.Screening is an essential component of air cargo, therefore, if goods are destined for air travel, screening is required to ensure that they dont contain any materials that may interfere with aviation security.To this end, the regulations allow for organisations to register as regulated agents where screening can be dispensed at the organisation premises in accordance with part 108 of the civil aviation regulations. In such instances, screening can take place away from the airport and although the process is slightly different, the screening equipment is like that deployed at airports.From a screening processes perspective, the sector is highly regulated and as such changes rarely take place, rather the technology is improved to allow for new dangerous goods, complex objects and materials to be detected. However, there are new developments in passengers processing at airports. Most airports around the world are adopting touchless solutions to facilitate passenger processing, thereby minimising human-to-human contact.These touchless solutions include the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) and Biometric recognition devices to aid in passenger facilitation in airports. Biometric devices might be a game-changer, especially with the immigration function at airports going forward.
TEHRAN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Negotiation with the United States over a possible nuclear deal is not on the agenda of the Iranian negotiators in the Austrian capital of Vienna, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said on Monday.

"Vienna Talks have been going on between Iran and P4+1 (Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany) and the representative of EU, and this path will continue unchanged until a result is reached," Shamkhani tweeted.

"Negotiation with U.S. is not on the agenda of Iranian team because it will not be the source of any progress," he added.

Iran and major world powers, with the United States indirectly involved, are currently negotiating in Vienna in a bid to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, from which former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew unilaterally in 2018 and reinstated sanctions against Iran. 
The City of Cape Town's Energy Directorate has accepted an offer of R5.9m in technical assistance from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Its Sustainable Energy Markets Department is embarking on a number of projects relating to renewable energy purchase and generation, and other sustainable energy interventions.

Source: Gallo/Getty

Energy efficiency in municipal buildings/facilities



Electricity supply, including the purchase of renewable energy



Climate investment opportunities assessment



Green pricing approach

Among these projects are:The letter of collaboration states that the technical assistance is provided to the city free of charge. There will be no co-payment or concomitant additional investment of resources by the city arising out of the transaction, since the city projects on which the assistance will be rendered are scheduled and resourced already. The rendering of the assistance by the IFC will not necessitate the allocation by the city of any additional resources."The IFC and its team of consultants have the necessary expertise to render the assistance offered. The assistance will expedite and lend depth to the citys endeavours in the relevant areas. The work is aligned to city policy and imperatives relating to energy sector reform and climate change mitigation. These are matters which require urgent attention given South Africans energy constraints and the changing energy governance landscape," said mayoral committee member for energy Beverley van Reenen.
Boomtown creative director, Thule Ngcese, ranked as the Number 1 art director on the 2021 Loeries Official Rankings lists, released late last month, explains what this achievement means, and his creative plans for the future.

Boomtown creative director, Thule Ngcese, ranked as the Number 1 art director on the 2021 Loeries Official Rankings lists,

What does your 2021 Loeries achievement mean to you?

What are you focusing on now?

What work epitimises this concept of making a difference in people's lives?

I have never been one to speak of my achievements, but somewhere out there is a black kid who grew up like me and who will read this and be inspired to do what I have done, so its important.To see the hours, days, months and  in this instance  a process thats gone in for nearly two years come to life and receive the accolades we have received is proof that theres a place for great creative ideas that incorporate the use of tech to live in our country.Winning my second Loeries Grand Prix and a couple of Gold Loeries for work (Nissan Shwii) that addressed a human need is always meaningful for me. The Number 1 ranking for me is validation for the hours I have put in throughout my advertising career, but my job is just starting.Right now, I am focusing on mentoring young talent  talent that could conceivably be ranked in that Number 1 spot in the future. I am also working with my team at Boomtown to build an agency that sees what others overlook and believes in building in better. Not just better brands, but better work - work that makes a difference in peoples lives.As part of Nescafe Ricoffys 50th year campaign, we celebrated our South Africanness our way when we encouraged people to submit their favourite Mzansi words. (It also tookfirst place in the Creative Circle Ad of the Month (November 2021 awarded in January 2022) in the Radio & Audio category for Ricoffy.)When the country responded, we created the MzanSay Keyboard app that suggested user-generated South Africanness words every time we texted. As a nation filled with diverse languages and cultures, its no myth that sometimes things get lost in translation.Since our South Africanness is a language that we all understand, it makes for a perfect solve to a miscommunication dilemma. We created a radio campaign where we use our South Africanness to clear up the confusion in our daily interactions, proving that sometimes its only our South Africanness thatll do.I am super proud of this work. To see our young creative team  Musawenkosi Nhlapo, Obakeng Rapoo and Mongezi Xhoma  win their first place in Creative Circle Ad of the Month has been such a great highlight for me so far. And to see this inspire them to create more and be recognisable for their work is so exciting to see and I cant wait for the world to see what these kids have been doing.Ilali iyabulela.
"I have to say, when I mention now names, like Mrs. (Angela) Merkel and even Vladimir Putin, and so on, they all have been Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum ... But what we are very proud of now is the young generation like Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau  We penetrate the cabinets ." "So yesterday I was at a reception for Prime Minister Trudeau and I know that half of his cabinet, or even more than half of his cabinet, are actually Young Global Leaders." -Klaus Schwab

Watch:

Other notable Young Global Leaders include: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda "this will never end" Ardern, French President Emmanuel Macron, and other high ranking officials from Germany, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands and Denmark. It might even explain Pete Buttigieg's odd success-to-competence ratio.

Enter the pandemic

Three years after Schwab bragged about having 'penetrated cabinets' of world governments, he wrote in a June 2020 publication titled Now is the time for a 'great reset' how the pandemic presented a "rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world to create a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous future."

Then in May 2021, the WEF acknowledged that "The Forum is involved in the WHO task force to reflect on those [vaccine credential requirements] standards and think about how they would be used."

And so, given the WEF's "infiltration" - people have begun asking questions over the group's influence in current events.

1. My mind is still blown by the fact that Canada's deputy prime minister Freeland sits on the World Economic Forum (WEF) board of trustees.

The sequence of events unfolding today was inevitable and fueled in no small part by the lassitude of Canadian political system.  Rising serpent  (@rising_serpent) February 19, 2022

Podcaster Joe Rogan appeared shocked at the WEF's 'infiltration' in a recent episode of with Maajid Nawaz.

MUST WATCH: Maajid Nawaz leaves Joe Rogan speechless by explaining how the World Economic Forum (WEF) is infiltrating governments around the world. pic.twitter.com/qSHFQV75Up  Culture War Resource (@CltrWarResource) February 20, 2022

Meanwhile, Canadian MP Collin Carrie was cut off when asking about the influence of the WEF in domestic politics.

"Klaus Schwab is the head of the World Economic Forum and bragged about how his WEF has infiltrated governments around the world," asked Carrie, who was then cut off when he asked which ministers were behind the WEF agenda - with the speaker saying the sound had become "very poor."

Another MP then accused Carrie of "disinformation."

Watch:

Ahem:

As Jeremy Loffredo and Max Blumenthal wrote last October:

On paper, the WEF (also known as the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation) is an NGO and think tank committed to improving the state of the world. In reality, it is an international network of some of the wealthiest and most influential people on the planet. The Forum positions itself as the thought leader of global capitalism. The organization is best known for its annual gathering of the global ruling class. Each year, hedge fund managers, bankers, CEOs, media representatives, and heads of state gather in Davos to shape global, regional and industry agendas. As Foreign Affairs put it, the WEF has no formal authority, but it has become the major forum for elites to discuss policy ideas and priorities. In 2017, German economist and WEF founder Klaus Schwab introduced the concept of The Fourth Industrial Revolution with the title of the book he published that year. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) denotes the current technological revolution that is changing the way people live, work, and relate to one another, and with implications unlike anything humankind has experienced, according to Schwab. For him, the 4IR is the merging of the physical, digital and biological worlds. Schwab has even said that the 4IR will inevitably veer into trans-humanism, or human genome editing.

Klaus Schwab, 2015:



'And you see, the difference of the fourth industrial revolution is, it doesn't change what you are doing, it changes you. If you take genetic editing just as an example, it's you who are changed'#greatreset #thegreatreset pic.twitter.com/IWFJoqrVkG  Ole O'Suilleabhain : (@OlisGud) September 6, 2021

Why are Canada and other nations dying on this hill of mandates for a virus where the current dominant strain is largely a nuisance for the vast majority of those who contract it?\
You know that feeling when youre riding a fancy brand-new rollercoaster and youre literally being smashed and banged around from side to side and never know what to expect next? Well, as cheesy as it sounds, I can think of no better analogy to describe my college experience  a rollercoast
The rebel leaders of Donetsk and Lugansk made a coordinated appeal to Putin for Moscow to recognise them earlier on Monday.

The Russian parliament has also asked Putin to recognise the pro-Moscow separatist territories, which declared themselves independent of Kyivs rule after Ukraines 2014 pro-EU revolution.

Our goal is to listen to our colleagues and determine our next steps in this direction, bearing in mind both the appeals of the leaders of the DNR and LNR to recognise their independence, Putin said, using the acronyms for the two separatist regions.

Putin made his remarks during an unscheduled meeting of Russias security council, which brings together the countrys most senior defence and security officials.

Calls for recognition from the rebels came as the Ukraine crisis escalated sharply on Monday, with fears mounting that Russia is paving the way for an all-out invasion of its western neighbour.

I ask you to recognise the sovereignty and independence of the Lugansk Peoples Republic, separatist Leonid Pasechnik said in a video aired on Russian state television.

Denis Pushilin, the rebel head of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, made a similar appeal.

On behalf of all the people of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, we ask you to recognise the Donetsk Peoples Republic as an independent, democratic legal and social state, Pushilin said.

He said the move could possibly prevent casualties among civilians, accusing Ukraine of planning an attack, which Kyiv has firmly denied.
The agenda was strategic (give credit where credit is due). In fact, it was so well implanted, that most people were literally willing to give up all their freedoms as they desperately wanted to appear virtuous by "following orders and saving lives".

With protesters refusing to let go, their strategy only allowed for them to double down. This in turn, forced the monster to come out much earlier than they planned. The monster was not ready and did not have the necessary time to hide its true nature.

The emergency act, the presence of the UN on Canadian soil, the freezing of funds, the violence directed towards those calling for freedom; all of these things loudly roar out to the world that Canada is not a democracy. It is a communist country run by a foreign dictator.

Anyone who has been paying attention over the last few years clearly already understood this.

Now its time for the majority (those who watch the msm and actually thought they were being good people by staying in their homes and injecting themselves with big pharmas experimental syringes) to see the truth.

Fuck the whole "saving lives". The monster is in plain sight. Only ego and pride can blind one from seeing it now.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday formally recognized Donetsk and Luhansktwo self-proclaimed peoples republics in eastern Ukraineas independent, a move opposed by the leadership of Ukraine and Western powers.

After a lengthy address to the Russian public, Putin signed documents recognizing the Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) and Luhansk Peoples Republic (LPR), which have been subjects of tension and conflict between Russia and Ukraine for nearly a decade.

"True friends of Ukraine, and of global peace, should be calling for a U.S. and NATO compromise with Russia."

Putins move came after the Kremlin announced that the Russian leader had notified French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz by phone that he would soon sign the decrees.

"Vladimir Putin informed [Macron and Scholz] about the results of the expanded meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, which considered the current situation around Donbas in the context of the State Dumas decision on the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics," the Kremlin said. "Today, the leadership of the DPR and LPR received appeals to recognize their sovereignty in connection with the military aggression of the Ukrainian authorities, the massive shelling of the territory of Donbas, as a result of which the civilian population is suffering."

The Kremlin noted that Macron and Scholz "expressed their disappointment with this development" but still "indicated their readiness to continue contacts." Last week, Frances foreign minister said he would view any recognition of DPR and LPR as "an attack without weapons."

In his address on Monday, Putin denounced Western nationsparticularly the United Statesfor pouring weapons into Ukraine and reiterated his view that Ukraine joining NATO would represent a serious security threat to Russia.

The situation is "like having a knife against our throat," argued Putin, who said that Russia has "a right to take countermeasures to enhance our own security."

Shortly ahead of Putins speech, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba characterized the Russian presidents expected move as an escalation but added that "its exactly now that we all should calmly focus on de-escalation efforts."

"No other way," he wrote on Twitter.

Writing in the Financial Times on Monday, economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey D. Sachs put himself among those calling for a diplomatic solution, including an agreement by the U.S. to compromise on NATO expansion.

"As misguided as the Russian actions are," argued Sachs, "American intransigence regarding Nato enlargement is also utterly misguided and risky. True friends of Ukraine, and of global peace, should be calling for a U.S. and NATO compromise with Russiaone that respects Russias legitimate security interests while fully backing Ukraines sovereignty."

Putins decision Monday came shortly after he and Bidenafter speaking with Macronagreed "in principle" to hold a summit on Ukraine amid global fears of a conflict involving the U.S. and Russia.

Neither Putin nor Biden committed to a specific date for such a meeting, but the prospect of continued dialogue left open the possibility of averting a war involving two nations that together possess more than 90% of the worlds nuclear weapons.

"The presidents believe it is important to intensify efforts to find solutions through diplomatic means," the Kremlin said following Putins conversation with Macron.
In retrospect, Hitlers worst strategic debacle that ultimately cost the Nazi Germany the Second World War was invading Russia before crushing the British peril following the precipitous rout of the French military in June 1940. The only reason the megalomaniac Fuhrer didnt initially commit enough military resources into crossing the English Channel and dismantling the Anglo-American Empire once and for all was that ruling elites of the two nations were tied together by blood relations.

Kaiser Wilhelm, the last deposed emperor of the House of Hohenzollern that ruled Germany until the end of the First World War, was the eldest grandchild of British Queen Victoria. Wilhelm's first cousins included King George V of the United Kingdom and many princesses who, along with Wilhelm's sister Sophia, became European consorts. Similarly, the German social elites of the Second and Third Reich regarded the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy of the United Kingdoms as kinsmen not to be harmed.

In the Second World War, the Nazi air force did mount Luftwaffe attacks on a limited scale targeting Britains industrial infrastructure, but the tiny island boasting imperial legacy was simply not a match for the Third Reichs military strength without the assistance of its trans-Atlantic ally, the United States, with vast natural resources, territorial possessions spanning the whole of the North American continent besides Canada, technologically innovative manpower and logistical difficulty of mounting an invasion. Thankfully, Britain was spared the pulverizing force of the Nazi Blitzkrieg experienced by France and Eastern Europe.

According to a 1978 essay by German historian Andreas Hillgruber, the Russia invasion plans drawn up by the German military elite were colored by hubris stemming from the rapid defeat of France at the hands of the invincible Wehrmacht and by traditional German stereotypes of Russia as a primitive, backward Asiatic country, having Turco-Mongol ancestry, a fallacious superiority complex predicated on the Nazi social Darwinism and the cherished myth of the German and Anglo-Saxon racial superiority.

Had Hitler skimmed through the European history as a major in high school and been aware of the Napoleonic armys harrowing fate in its botched Russia campaign in 1812, he would never have committed the blunder of invading Russia to create so-called Lebensraum or living space for the German race.

Russia defeated the forces of Napoleon and Hitler through strategic depth of its vast territorial possessions spanning almost the entire northern landmass of Eurasia, by letting them advance into Russian territory, extending their supply lines, burdening logistics and mounting ferocious guerrilla warfare campaign that decimated the morale and military capabilities of the most invincible armies of their eras.

Russian fatalities during the Second World War ranged from 20 to 27 million, according to various estimates, including over 8 million military fatalities. In comparison, the United States lost 400,000 soldiers during the war. Clearly, Russia paid the most sacrifices and defeated Nazism while the United States misappropriated the credit for salvaging the world from the menace of fascism in the imagination of the subjects of the Anglo-American Empire.

Before the end of the Second World War, when Japan was about to fall in the hands of geographically adjacent Soviet Union, the Truman administration authorized the use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to subjugate Japan and send a clear message to the leaders of the former Soviet Union, which had not developed its nuclear program at the time, to desist from encroaching upon Japan in the east and West Germany in Europe.

The Pentagon publicly confessed to over 30 Broken Arrows [1], serious nuclear accidents, including accidentally dropping atom bombs on populated areas in the US and Europe that thankfully didnt explode, though the real number of such nuclear accidents is calculated to be in thousands, particularly at the height of the Cold War during the sixties when such apocalyptic accidents were everyday occurrence.

Thus, the United States came close to making the planet uninhabitable for the rest of humanity due to its unfettered nuclear arms race and the global domination agenda that subtly continues to this day, as is obvious from the escalation of hostilities against Russia and China and the current stand-off in Ukraine.

As for Ukraines aspirations for joining NATO and the alliances eastward expansion along Russias western borders, the ostensible cause of the escalation, its pertinent to mention that the trans-Atlantic military alliance NATO and its auxiliary economic alliance European Union were conceived during the Cold War to offset the influence of the former Soviet Union which was geographically adjacent to Europe.

Historically, the NATO military alliance, at least ostensibly, was conceived as a defensive alliance in 1949 during the Cold War in order to offset conventional warfare superiority of the former Soviet Union. The US forged collective defense pact with the Western European nations after the Soviet Union reached the threshold to build its first atomic bomb in 1949 and achieved nuclear parity with the US.

But the trans-Atlantic military alliance has outlived its purpose following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and is now being used as an aggressive and expansionist military alliance meant to browbeat and coerce the former Soviet allies, the Central and Eastern European states, to join NATO and its corollary economic alliance, the European Union, or risk international economic isolation.

Regarding the mainstream medias contention that Russia has amassed 100,000 troops along Ukraines borders, thus portending imminent invasion, the United States, too, has permanently deployed over 100,000 forces, not to mention strategic armaments, nuclear-capable missiles and air force squadrons, in Europe since the end of the Second World War, including 50,000 troops at sprawling Ramstein Air Base [2] and several other military bases in Germany.

Does that mean the United States has invaded and occupied Europe? Of course, it has in the garb of establishing Pax Americana across the world. If the United States has purported strategic interests across the Atlantic Ocean in Europe, then is it too hard to imagine that Russia could also have vital security interests along its western borders in Ukraine?

In Europe, 400,000 US forces were deployed during the height of the Cold War in the sixties, though the number has since been brought down after European powers developed their own military capacity following the devastation of the Second World War. The number of American troops deployed in Europe now stands at 50,000 in Germany, 15,000 in Italy and 10,000 in the United Kingdom.

During the last year, the United States has substantially ramped up US military footprint in the Eastern Europe, deploying strategic armaments aimed at Russia and provocatively exercising so-called freedom of navigation right in the Black Sea and the South China Sea, veritable territorial waters of Russia and China, respectively.

Wouldnt it be a cause of immense consternation for the US military strategists and policy-makers if Russia or China deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-capable strategic bombers and provocatively exercised freedom of navigation right by deploying nuclear submarines in the Gulf of Mexico straddling the US borders?

Ukraine is Russias backyard whereas the distance between New York and Kiev is over 7,500 kilometers. Whats the purpose of deploying thousands of US troops equipped with strategic armaments in the Eastern Europe if not to intimidate and insult Russia? Despite the obvious contradiction between tangible reality on the ground and parallel universe of media narratives, the corporate media would project Russia as an aggressor and the United States as a peace-maker.

Not only the disenfranchised masses of Ukraine but underprivileged proletariats of all the former Soviet constituent republics in Eastern Europe share historical, political and cultural bonds with Russia. The collective security of Eurasian nations is Russias responsibility as a successor to the former Soviet Union.

The imperialist stooge, Volodymyr Zelensky, elected president through sham electoral process in bourgeois democracy called Ukraine, represents nobody but the avaricious and exploitative entrepreneurial oligarchs wanting to expand family businesses and attract foreign investments by pandering to corporate interests of Western Europe and North America.

He is a figurehead beholden to the deep state, the top brass of the military trained and educated at premier Western military academies, the West Point and Sandhurst, and conducting joint military and naval exercises alongside NATO forces deployed in the Eastern Europe.

Centralized governments across the world are run by behemoth state bureaucracies. Politicians are merely show pieces meant to lend legitimacy to supposedly elected governments and to cater to interests of business elites which they really represent.

Disenfranchised masses are least bothered whether government is being run by autocrats or by elected representatives of the bourgeoisie, though the political and business elites often get restless and mobilize their support base to demand a share in the power pie.

The national security and defense policies of modern nation states are formulated by civil-military bureaucracy, dubbed as the deep state. Whereas trade and economic policies are determined by corporate interests and business cartels within the framework of neocolonial economic order imposed on the post-colonial world by corporate America following the signing of the Bretton Woods Accords at the end of the Second World War in 1945.

Purportedly democratic governments, elected through heavily manipulated electoral process, are reduced to performing ceremonial gimmicks and are meant only to serve as showpieces to legitimize militarist and capitalist exploitation.

Excluding the self-styled global hegemon, the imperial United States, the rest of the Western powers might have been colonial powers before the Second World War but they are no longer powers in global politics.

In fact, they can more aptly be described as Western regimes that serve no other purpose than act as Washingtons client states via the framework of transatlantic NATO military alliance to maintain the charade of multilateralism. With the second largest army in NATO after United States, Turkey has more military power and political sovereignty than the servile lackeys of Washington: the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

After the Second World War, Washington embarked on the Marshall Plan to rebuild Western Europe with an economic assistance of $13 billion, equivalent to hundreds of billions of dollars in the current dollar value. Since then, Washington has maintained military and economic dominance over Western Europe.

The European colonial powers were so utterly devastated following the Second World War that let alone keeping their Asian and African colonies, they was finding it hard to keep European countries united and economies running.

Thus, the age of colonialism didnt end due to colonial powers voluntarily relinquishing control over colonial possessions, as peddled by Orientalist historians, rather they didnt have the military and economic capacity to forcibly suppress liberation movements kicking off all over the colonial world.

In the medieval era, although monarchs were chosen by hereditary title, their throne rested on unequivocal support of military aristocracy. As kings didnt have standing armies of their own beyond several legions of praetorian guards. Feudal barons provided the bulk of forces from private militias in times of wars and insurrections.

Thus, the deep state and its monopoly over politics, specifically in the domain of national security and defense policy, was in-built in the Western governance system since the time of the imperial rule, and insidiously continues in the neocolonial era.

Ironically, the first military dictator to establish a standing army of 50,000 men in Europe was none other than infamous Oliver Cromwell, who ruled England with an iron fist for a brief period of time from 1653 to 58, albeit with far-reaching consequences. As his model of military autocracy was subsequently widely adopted across Europe and the United States, albeit in a barely disguised veneer of hereditary monarchy, military aristocracy and, at times, dubious parliamentary democracy.

In conclusion, military aristocracy held real power in the medieval times, as it provided foot soldiers and cavalry units to monarchs in times of war. With the advent of standing armies in 17th century, the power transferred to generals, who were typically princes or belonged to the nobility.

The United States of America is credited with building the first plebian army, as it couldnt trace a royal lineage so settler colonists, having the blood of indigenous Red Indians on their hands, were raised to higher ranks, who first wreaked havoc across Latin America in the 19th century by invoking the Monroe Doctrine, and then unleashed a reign of terror in the wider world in the 20th century by invoking the Truman Doctrine that enunciated raison detre of the American-led neocolonial world order as containment of the Soviet-led communism.

Citations:

[1] When the US Air Force accidentally dropped an atomic bomb on Mars Bluff South Carolina:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/when-the-us-air-force-accidentally-dropped-an-atomic-bomb-on-mars-bluff-south-carolina

[2] What the US Gets for Defending Its Allies and Interests Abroad?

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/16/world/trump-military-role-treaties-allies-nato-asia-persian-gulf.html

About the author:

Nauman Sadiq is an Islamabad-based geopolitical and national security analyst focused on geo-strategic affairs and hybrid warfare in the Af-Pak and Middle East regions. His domains of expertise include neocolonialism, military-industrial complex and petro-imperialism. He is a regular contributor of diligently researched investigative reports to alternative news media.
The United States on Monday announced sanctions against rebel territories recognized by Russia in eastern Ukraine and warned that more were ready if necessary.

President Joe Biden will issue an executive order to prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by US persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

The order will provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine, Psaki said, adding that the measures are separate to wider Western sanctions ready to go should Russia further invade Ukraine.
Recognizing the Donbass Republics might be considered a so-called 'escalation' among some foreign observers who dont have a proper understanding of the grand strategic dynamics at play but its actually a clever attempt to change the local military-political calculations. This is meant to encourage the US-led West and especially the increasingly independent French to enter into a series of deals for resolving the interconnected Ukrainian Civil War and the undeclared US-provoked missile crisis in Europe...The situation will soon either get much worse or hopefully slightly better depending on Americas choices in the immediate future, but the fact remains that itll once again be its decision alone whether to escalate or not.

The authors analysis last week about the Strategic Contours Of The Dumas Request For Putin To Recognize The Donbass Republics predicted that he might end up making such a dramatic decision in the event that Kiev initiates a third round of civil war hostilities in that region, which is exactly what transpired in the three days since it was published. The humanitarian crisis that this triggered was severe enough for Russia to swiftly resort to a tacit application of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) concept in order to ensure the security of those newly recognized republics people, especially the over 700,000 who received Russian citizenship upon applying for it. Furthermore, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned over the weekend that his country might begin developing nuclear weapons while speaking at the Munich Security Conference, which poses a pressing threat to Russia.

The largest context in which these fast-moving events are unfolding is the undeclared US-provoked missile crisis in Europe brought about by Americas withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and Open Skies Treaty. These developments occurred in parallel with the continual eastward expansion of NATO, an explicitly anti-Russian military alliance that Moscow regards as an existential threat, and the deployment of anti-missile systems and strike weapons closer towards Russias borders. The cumulative effect is that Russias nuclear second-strike capabilities were at risk of being eroded, which would eventually place the country in a perpetual position of nuclear blackmail vis-a-vis the US. In response, Russia urgently made its security guarantee requests in an attempt to reach a diplomatic resolution to this unprecedented New Cold War crisis.

These were published in late December and aimed to revise the European security architecture that had hitherto been tilting against Russias favor in contravention of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europes (OSCE) principles of indivisible security and not enhancing ones security at the expanse of anyone else. The US unsatisfactory response these very sensitive requests revealed to Moscow that Washington wasnt taking its national security red lines seriously. President Putin even extensively elaborated in his televised speech to the Russian people on Monday evening how the US succeeded in capturing control of the entire Ukrainian state apparatus in order to turn it into an anti-Russian proxy weapon of full-spectrum Hybrid Warfare against his country. He also claimed that US-led NATO already made the decision to exploit Ukraine as a national platform for containing Russia.

The Donbass Republics figure prominently into these grand strategic calculations since Kievs US-backed initiation of a third round of civil war hostilities  delayed as they inexplicably were by a few days from their initially planned starting point of 16 February  was earlier suspected by Russian intelligence to serve as the pretext for scaling up Americas deployment of strike weapons to the region. These could even eventually include hypersonic missiles and could potentially be sent to Ukraine one day too. Even worse, President Putin warned that Ukraines newfound flirtation with obtaining a nuclear weapon represents a very credible threat that could materialize much sooner than later in the event that it obtains foreign support for this project that would presumably come from the US-led West. Under these extremely tense security circumstances, President Putin decided to recognize the Donbass Republics.

Doing so might be considered a so-called escalation among some foreign observers who dont have a proper understanding of the grand strategic dynamics at play like were earlier explained but its actually a clever attempt to change the local military-political calculations. This is meant to encourage the US-led West and especially the increasingly independent French to enter into a series of deals for resolving these two interconnected security crises. The most well-known of these in the West is the Ukrainian Civil War, whose eight-year-long lack of a resolution President Putin blamed solely on Kievs US-supported refusal to implement the UNSC-backed Minsk Accords. Although theyre practically irrelevant after his decision, its hoped that a replacement will be urgently devised by all relevant stakeholders, though such an outcome certainly cant be assured if the US decides to further escalate that crisis.

The second and much more important aspect of this European crisis is the undeclared US-provoked missile crisis in Europe that President Putin said in his speech can only be resolved through a package deal that includes legally binding guarantees to halt NATOs further eastward expansion, an agreement not to deploy strike weapons near Russias borders, and the return to the continental military status quo from the 1997 Russian-NATO Founding Act. Failure to respect Russias three most pressing national security red lines will only worsen the current crisis to potentially catastrophic proportions. Recognizing the Donbass Republics shows that President Putin wants all stakeholders in these interconnected crises to urgently cooperate on a new format for ending the Ukrainian Civil War and resolving the US-provoked missile threat that risks undermining Russias nuclear second-strike capabilities if left unchecked.

It should also be seen for what it obviously is too, which is a humanitarian gesture motivated by the desire to ensure the safety of those civilians  and especially the over 700,000 Russian citizens among them  in those two newly recognized republics who President Putin declared last week are suffering genocide by Kievs US-backed forces. If Washington doesnt order its Ukrainian proxies to stand down, they might very well end up entering into direct clashes with the Russian military, which could in turn lead to Moscow neutralizing all imminent and hot threats coming from the western direction of that country. Should that scenario transpire, its unclear whether Russia would resort to the on-the-ground action that the West fearmongered about (an invasion, even if its only a minor incursion in reality) or if itll rely on air, artillery, and/or missile assets to carry out such tasks instead.

Seeing as how President Putin very clearly articulated the nature of the creeping existential threat that US-led NATOs anti-Russian project in Ukraine poses to his civilization-state, theres also the possibility of supporting so-called regime change there even if only by extending political support to opposition members who might potentially seize power through a genuinely grassroots Color Revolution organized to force their renegade foreign-backed fascist government to peace with its fraternal neighbor. Regardless of whether or not that particular scenario unfolds, it still cant be dismissed that Russia might have decided to sustainably protect its national security red lines through a variety of means far beyond simply recognizing the Donbass Republics after its head of state passionately explained to the world the multidimensional threats  including nuclear and terrorist ones  emanating from Ukraine.

The onus is now on the US alone whether to escalate these interconnected crises or to sincerely explore their urgent de-escalation, even if the latter includes face-saving sequences such as first imposing the so-called unprecedented sanctions that it earlier threatened despite possibly ordering its Ukrainian proxies to stand down for the time being right afterwards out of simple self-preservation to retain some element of control over that country when all is said and done. Its unclear at the time of writing what the US will do and which factors might figure into its calculations, but all thats known for sure is that everything changed after President Putins recognition of the Donbass Republics. The situation will soon either get much worse or hopefully slightly better depending on Americas choices in the immediate future, but the fact remains that itll once again be its decision whether to escalate or not.


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150,000 boxes of traditional Chinese medicines donated by mainland arrive in Hong Kong

Xinhua) 09:12, February 21, 2022

The first batch of 150,000 boxes of anti-epidemic traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) donated by the Chinese mainland, arrives at Hong Kong, south China, Feb. 20, 2022. Separately, over 300,000 boxes of different types of Chinese medicines will be delivered from the mainland to Hong Kong in batches. The first batch of 25 million KN95 masks provided by the mainland has also arrived in batches recently. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

HONG KONG, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of 150,000 boxes of anti-epidemic traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) donated by the Chinese mainland, as well as some other anti-epidemic supplies ordered previously arrived at Hong Kong on Sunday.

"The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is grateful to the central government for its care of the people of Hong Kong and its strong support for the city's anti-epidemic efforts," said Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau, who led a task force of ensuring medical supplies including coordinating medical supplies from the mainland to Hong Kong.

Yau stressed that by leveraging the central authorities' guidance based on their experience in fighting the epidemic, as well as their manpower and resource support, the HKSAR government will spare no effort in combating the fifth wave of the epidemic.

He said that the task force is working at full speed to coordinate the deliveries, ensuring that the large number of medical supplies including rapid antigen test (RAT) kits, masks, medicines, protective gear and medical products from the mainland are delivered to Hong Kong and distributed to relevant departments, organizations and residents in an orderly manner.

To enhance the capability of "early identification, early isolation and early treatment of the infected," the HKSAR government is procuring over 100 million RAT kits to substantially ramp up Hong Kong's capacity of rapid testing. The kits will be distributed as a priority to specified high-risk and target groups of people. The first batch of 10 million RAT kits provided by the mainland has arrived in batches since Feb. 19.

Separately, over 300,000 boxes of different types of Chinese medicines will be delivered from the mainland to Hong Kong in batches. The first batch of 25 million KN95 masks provided by the mainland has also arrived in batches recently.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong on Sunday registered 6,067 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official data showed.

Since the start of a mass inoculation program in February last year, about 5.79 million people, or 85.9 percent of the eligible population in Hong Kong, have taken at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccines, while about 5.11 million, or 75.8 percent of the eligible population, have taken two doses. Over 1.45 million people have taken their third shot.

Edward Yau (4th L), secretary for commerce and economic development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, poses for a group photo upon the arrival of the first batch of 150,000 boxes of anti-epidemic traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) donated by the Chinese mainland, as well as some other anti-epidemic supplies ordered previously, in south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 20, 2022. Separately, over 300,000 boxes of different types of Chinese medicines will be delivered from the mainland to Hong Kong in batches. The first batch of 25 million KN95 masks provided by the mainland has also arrived in batches recently. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
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The Kinsmen Club of Brandon set up bright pink flocks of plastic flamingos as part of Kin Canadas Day of KINdness this past week to give thanks to Brandons essential workers for their tireless efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Kinsmen Club of Brandon set up bright pink flocks of plastic flamingos as part of Kin Canadas Day of KINdness this past week to give thanks to Brandons essential workers for their tireless efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The colourful flocks were designed to help put some kindness back into the world, said chair John DeBeer, affectionately known in the club as the "FlockmasterJ." The club was compelled to bring some brightness into the community, he said, given the emotionally and mentally exhausting situations many have faced over the last two years.

"If even for five minutes looking at a flamingo helps you forget about the world and puts everything back in perspective for you, thats all worth it," DeBeer said. "Its worth getting up at 5 oclock in the morning to get those flamingos in the ground. Its worth being out there when its -50C  because you can bring that small amount of joy to somebody amid all this craziness."

The Kinsmen Club had a flock of 100 plastic flamingos ready to spread their wings and migrate around town for the Day of KINdness. It took seven club members and one Kinnete to help the flamingos set up roost in their designated areas. DeBeer noted the flamingo flocks are typically set up to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, adoptions, retirements and other special events or milestones at the request of someone looking to help a friend or loved one celebrate a special day.

"This is the first time that weve done what I would guess that is a recognition one," DeBeer said. "This is the first time we have done something with our flamingos or our flocks as a thank you to community partners for what theyve done."

The flamingos visited several spots around town in honour of the Day of KINdness.

The first flocking took place Tuesday at Brandon City Hall as a thank you to recognize all city staff for their hard work during the pandemic.

From there, the flamingos migrated to different spots each day. On Wednesday they set up shop at both Brandon Fire Emergency Services stations and the Brandon Police Service station. On Thursday, they made an appearance at the Brandon School Division office. On Friday, they flew by the Fairview, Rideau Park and Hillcrest personal care homes, and on Saturday they were parked in front of the Brandon Regional Health Centre.

DeBeer added it was especially important to provide acts of kindness at personal care homes because these facilities have been heavily impacted by COVID-19 and the virus associated health measures. Raising the flamingo flock outside these facilities served as a way to show they have not been forgotten.

"Theyve really taken it on the teeth and all of these things were to recognize the staff. The people that have been in the trenches and doing all of that work right from the start," DeBeer said. "Whether youre a doctor, or a nurse, or a housekeeper  It wasnt important to us what you did  it was important to us that you were recognized for the part that you played in getting the citizens of Brandon and western Manitoba through some of what the last two years have thrown at us."

The project was able to take flight thanks in part to sponsorship from Brandon Home Hardware and Scale Solutions Inc. that helped absorb the startup costs of raising the initial flamingo flock.

Saturday marked the official Kinsmens National Day of KINdness. The Kin Canada association was founded on Feb. 20, 1920, by Hal Rogers  a First World War veteran who missed the camaraderie he shared with his fellow soldiers in the trenches, DeBeer said. Rogers founded the organization based on service, fellowship and kindness.

The Brandon Kinsmen are the fourth-oldest active charter in the association of Kin Canada, founded in July of 1925.

"To honour him about 10 years ago, they started this day of KINdness," DeBeer said. "We [the Brandon Club] decided to make it a week of kindness."

The event served to honour the father of the organization and their community at the same time.

The Brandon Kinsmen have a rich and storied history of aiding the community whenever it is asked of them, DeBeer said, and they look forward to carrying forward this mission in the future, "one flock at a time."

For those interested in becoming a bird of a feather and flocking together with the Brandon Kinsmen or to request a visit from the flamingo flock for a special occasion, contact DeBeer at flockmasterj@brandonkin.ca.

The Brandon Kinsmen will soon be relaunching its Chase the Ace, more details will be available soon.

For more information on the Kinsmen Club of Brandon, visit brandonkin.ca/kinsmen. And to learn more about Kin Canada  the only all-Canadian service organization  visit kincanada.ca.

 ckemp@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp
The Manitoba Metis Federation will honour Louis Riel Day Monday with a series of in-person and online educational events.

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WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES A statue commemorating Louis Riel stands in Winnipeg.

The Manitoba Metis Federation will honour Louis Riel Day Monday with a series of in-person and online educational events.

Planning for Louis Riel Day was a unique experience for 2022, said Shannondoah Fleury, cultural youth worker with the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) Southwest Region. Organizers placed an emphasis on the safety of participants while finding ways for families to have fun.

The MMF Southwest Region has about 15 locals and they typically host at least four big celebrations with music, dance and games for the entire family on Louis Riel Day. Fleury said these opportunities were "not in the cards" this year due to COVID-19. Only one MMF local will be going ahead with in-person plans.

"This year has been tough. Weve kind of had to come with ideas for people to celebrate at home with their families," Fleury said.

It can be challenging crafting activities that are fun and educational at the best of times, but this has only grown more difficult during the pandemic.

The MMF has a Regional Youth Advisory Committee in place and organizers have worked with members to hear directly from youth what they think would be the most engaging and interesting activities for communities.

"We try to take their ideas and make those possibilities," Fleury said.

In the Southwest Region, a virtual youth scavenger hunt has been planned. It will be an exciting event, she said, because families can participate on their own time and submit the photos they capture to try and win special prizes.

She noted people are growing tired of virtual events, so organizers tried to create something a little different with a photo scavenger hunt that allows participants to get active and out of the house as a family.

The scavenger hunt is for Metis citizens across the region and aims to encourage them to engage with cultural teachings and history.

"If they have a sash that has been packed away and hasnt really seen the sunlight in a couple of years during quarantine, they get to go look for all their cultural knick-knacks," Fleury said. "Were just trying to do something fun from home."

The scavenger hunt hints are centred on Metis culture as a theme.

"You can take photos of wildlife, a sash, somebody celebrating, dancing, a fiddle," Fleury said. "Its just a bunch of fun little objects that you think represent Metis culture."

Participants will be provided with a list of 16 hints and they can look for as many as they can and submit their findings to the MMF for a chance to win prizes.

Participants will need to capture at least 10 out of 16 checklist items to compete and a draw will be held for first-, second- and third-place prizes on Feb. 22. Photos may be shared with MMF social media platforms.

To register, fill out the client intake form and submit it to swmmfyouth@mmf.mb.ca to receive your scavenger hunt checklist and join the search. To participate in the hunt, players must be Metis citizens living in the Southwest Region and under the age of 29.

"Just have fun with it. Be creative. Im excited to see [what people create]," Fleury said. "I imagine some people have some pretty creative deliveries of their photos."

Other activities are available across the province in honour of Louis Riel Day.

An MMF bannock taco lunch in partnership with Portage la Prairie Brandon Friendship Centre will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and cultural activity kits will be available.

St. Eustache will celebrate the day with a pancake breakfast from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for $5. The Kevin Chief Memorial Dancers will perform from 1 to 2 p.m. and an ax-throwing competition, bannock on a stick, rainbow auction and 50/50 draw will also take place.

It remains vital to create opportunities to talk about Riel so everyone has the opportunity to learn about Metis history and culture, Fleury said.

"They can learn a little bit about history, a little bit about themselves, they get a chance to spend the day with their family. If they are lucky to be near an in-person event or a celebration they get to learn about the history of Manitoba, about Louis Riels life and they get to take some of those cultural aspects that you dont really get to do all that often," Fleury said.

To take part in activities, register online or visit MMF social media at twitter.com/mmfswryouth, m.facebook.com/MMFSWRYouth, instagram.com/mmfswryouth/ or southwestmmf.ca.

 ckemp@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp
The Royal Family will be "concerned" by Queen Elizabeth's COVID-19 diagnosis.

The 95-year-old monarch has tested positive for the virus and although she's only experiencing "mild, cold-like symptoms", her family "wont be complacent" about the situation, according to a royal expert.

Robert Jobson, the author of 'William: The Making of a Modern Monarch', said: "As a rule, the Palace do not routinely talk about the Queens health unless they have something definite to say, and she clears it.

"This time they have been candid. What concerns me, however, is the reference to Her Majesty continuing with light duties at Windsor over the coming week.

"I really think given her great age, that she should have a complete rest, and leave the duties to others in her family."

The royals will be thinking about the Queen's health over the coming days, according to Robert.

The expert told The Mirror: "There is no doubt The Prince of Wales and his family will be concerned by this development and wont be complacent.

"Charles often spends longer at Windsor Castle when he visits these days, so that he can enjoy quality time with his mother.

"Kate, Duchess of Cambridge flies to Copenhagen this week for a series of solo engagements. If there was a serious cause for concern, I am sure that overseas visit would have been postponed.

"That said, every time there is a Palace bulletin about the health of the monarch, it focuses the minds of her family and her loyal subjects during this Platinum Jubilee year."

Robert also noted that the monarch will have a "top medical team around her".

He said: "The Palace has assured us that there is no need for panic, with their statement talking of mild, cold like symptoms.

"Thankfully, she has a top medical team around her, monitoring constantly."
President Donald J. Trump to Present the Unity Award to Dr. Alveda King at 10th Annual We Love Christian Music Awards | Nashville Publicity Group

MEMPHIS, Tennessee  For the past ten years, the WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS (www.WeLoveAwards.com) has celebrated the best faith-based artists, albums and songs in each calendar year, and has given the Christian music fan the power to choose the winners.

The upcoming 10th Annual ceremony will be broadcasting live in front of a sold-out audience from Visible Music College (www.visible.edu) in downtown Memphis, Tennessee on Tuesday, 2.22.22. In addition to the winners of 24 categories being announced, Dr. Alveda King will be on site accepting the first annual UNITY AWARD. President Donald J. Trump will present the award to Dr. King via video.

This new, annual award will recognize a celebrated public figure outside of Christian music who is continually using their platform and reach to encourage communities to find commonality above division, race and ideology through loving faith-based values and ethics.

Dr. Alveda C. King is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. A.D. King and the niece of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A leading pro-life activist and the founder of Speak for Life, Dr. King has dedicated much of her life to fighting for the sanctity and dignity of all lifefrom the womb to the tomb. She is a Fox News contributor and host of the Fox Nation show, Alveda Kings House, and currently serves as the Chair of the Center for the American Dream at AFPI. Dr. King is a former college professor, served in the Georgia State House of Representatives, is a former presidential appointee, and 2021 recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.

Unity has always been at the center of the WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS, shares founder, Kevin McNeese. The more we can focus on common ground, despite our differences, the better off our collective communities will be. Im excited to be able to welcome Dr. Alveda King to our event in Memphis, and look forward to bringing her spirit of faith-based unity to the entire evening.

Presented by Christian music site NewReleaseToday.com, the live, 2-hour ceremony will be broadcast exclusively at WeLoveAwards.com starting at 9 PM EST/8PM CST. The night will be hosted by DREAM Records pop recording artist Branan Murphy and 5-time GRAMMY nominated and Bethel Music worship recording artist Dante Bowe. Live performances will include Cade Thompson (Red Street Records), Coby James (Centricity Music), The Letter Black (Nashville Label Group), Stephen McWhirter, Jason Clayborn, Remedy Drive, Jadi, Hope VanDouser and boiling point. NEXT BIG THING nominees Grace Graber, Emily Faith, Abby Robertson and Amongst Wolves will also be performing. Pastor Sam Evans of PLANETSHAKERS will be delivering a special message for the global worship community.

Christian music fans can familiarize themselves with all 84 artists nominated this year through the official We Love Awards playlist, available exclusively at APPLE MUSIC. https://nrt.cc/10thWLAPlaylist.

Learn more about the WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS, view the full list of nominees and watch the live broadcast Tuesday, 2.22.22 at 9 PM EST/8 PM CST, at http://www.weloveawards.com.
Tens of thousands of small businesses have been dealt another blow in the long-running legal dispute over whether insurers are liable to cover losses associated with pandemic lockdowns.

The Federal Court on Monday largely upheld an October judgment favourable to insurers that rejected key arguments from policyholders and knocked out a significant portion of potential claims.

However, for those claims that remain valid, Justice Mark Moshinsky ordered insurers should be forced to pay interest and should not be able to deduct JobKeeper payments from any payout.

Pitt Street mall in Sydneys shopping district during lockdown last year. Many businesses had to close during this time. Credit:Edwina Pickles

The insurance industry launched a test case in 2020 after policyholders lodged business interruption (BI) claims to cover losses associated with COVID-19 lockdowns.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Late last year, as world leaders entered the final stages of negotiations for emissions targets they would make at COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, a small team had formed in Australia plotting what could turn out to be one of the single largest decarbonisation projects the world had yet seen. The team called itself Project Arise  a partnership between the Australian software billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and his wife Annies private investment vehicle Grok Ventures and Canadian asset manager Brookfield, a corporate behemoth with a track record of serious energy and infrastructure investing. Mike Cannon-Brookes and Brookfield have launched a bid for AGL to accelerate its coal exit. Credit:Wolter Peeters, Bloomberg Project Arise was secretly assessing making an offer to buy AGL, the largest Australian power company. Part of its ambitious proposal would be to fast-track the companys plans to close its fleet of coal-fired power stations and invest an extraordinary $10-20 billion in projects to replace them, including with wind farms and big batteries. For years, Cannon-Brookes, the co-founder of Atlassian and Australias third richest person, had made his frustration at Australias lumbering climate politics and lack of meaningful action abundantly clear. We face the greatest human challenge for generations and were not improving our targets? We are using trickery and misleading about our national emissions, he wrote on Twitter in 2019. In the past, I believe Australia has always stepped up when asked. Weve never dodged our global responsibilities, until now. Cannon-Brookes has become a prominent investor in renewable energy, including plans to develop the worlds largest solar farm in the Northern Territory and link it via an underwater cable to Singapore.

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In 2021, he started thinking about what more his money could do for the planet. AGL's coal-fired Loy Yang power plant in the Latrobe Valley. Credit:Justin McManus On the last day of June, AGL had unveiled a proposal to split itself into two: the first, AGL Australia, would own the groups power, gas and telecommunications retailing arm along with some cleaner generation assets. The other, Accel, would be created to hold AGLs fleet of giant coal- and gas-fired power stations, which account for about 8 per cent of Australias overall emissions. There is no doubt that the winds of change in the electricity market have been substantially faster than many people have anticipated, said AGL chairman Peter Botten, on a video call with the companys investors. We are very committed to turning this ship around. Loading Amid the accelerating clean-energy transition, the influx of wind and solar into the electricity market has been gutting the profits of the coal-fired generators that supply the bulk of Australias power. In the six months to December 31, AGL had sunk to a $2.3 billion loss. But the proposed corporate split did little to deal to address the companys carbon footprint or ensure a smooth transition away from coal-fired power.

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Before long though, it caught the attention of Cannon-Brookes. [It] didnt make any sense, Cannon-Brookes thought to himself. In fact, it was going in the opposite direction of what we expected. Cannon-Brookes assembled a team to consider making a takeover bid: Banking advisors, legal advisors and accountants started work. Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes made a joint bid with Brookfield for AGL. Credit:Wolter Peeters One of those advisors caught wind that Brookfield was assessing a similar move on the AGL. By October, Grok and Brookfield had started talking to each other. Grok was always going to need a financial partner, said one source familiar with the two companies. It made sense for them to come together to talk about making a consortium. At first blush, Brookfield might seem a strange partner for Cannon-Brookes.

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The Toronto-listed company has extensive holdings in fossil fuel infrastructure, including in Australias Dalrymple Bay coal terminal. What it also has, though, is deep expertise in the energy sector and four decades experience investing in renewable energy. And, importantly it had recently raised a multibillion-dollar carbon fund for precisely the kind of opportunities that decarbonising AGL presented. The head of its transition fund is Mark Carney, who has served as both governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, and who has helped reshape the global financial sectors views on climate. At the COP26 talks in Glasgow, Carney chaired a coalition of banks, investors and insurers that collectively control $130 trillion in assets that it said would be committed to reaching net zero emissions across its portfolio by 2050. Loading We now have the essential plumbing in place to move climate change from the fringes to the forefront of finance so that every financial decision takes climate change into account, he said. Cannon-Brookes became convinced the partnership with Brookfield made sense. It made very logical sense to combine strengths and together we have built a far superior offer than we had individually, Cannon-Brookes recalls.

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Billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn has set his sights on McDonalds, picking a corporate fight with the fast-food giant over the treatment of pigs sourced for its US pork supply.

In 2012, McDonalds made a splashy commitment to end the use of gestation stalls - small crates used to house pregnant pigs - by 2022. The Humane Society of the United States said at the time that the move was a bit of an earthquake in the world of pork industry.

McDonalds says Carl Icahn had nominated two people for election to its board in an apparent start to a proxy battle with the fast-food giant. Credit:CNBC

But McDonalds has yet to make good on the promise. The company said that Icahn had nominated two people for election to its board in an apparent start to a proxy battle with the fast-food giant, a confrontational attempt to collect shareholder proxy votes to replace board members, gaining enough power within the company to change its policies.

In recent years, activist investors have used the tactic to not only seek higher profits, but also align companies with their ethical or political stances. A group of investors led by a hedge fund called Engine No. 1 successfully won a third seat on the board of ExxonMobil in June, pushing the oil giant on its positions regarding climate change.
Activist takeovers, company results, and a surprising infrastructure deal helped the ASX to a positive close on Monday, despite some volatile price moves.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 ended the day up 11.9 points, 0.2 per cent, at 7233.6 points. The index spent the morning in negative territory, but improved once futures indicated Wall Street would rise when trading resumes after a public holiday.

News was dominated by an attempted takeover of AGL Energy, with the prospect of a bidding war pushing shares up 10.6 per cent to a seven-month high of $7.92. Meanwhile, Telstra surprised the market by announcing plans to let a competitor onto its prized regional mobile network with long-time competitor TPG.

Chief investment officer at Australian Eagle Asset Management, Sean Sequeira, said his firm bought into Telstra about a year ago when the incumbent bundled up part of its mobile tower assets for sale.

Telstra surprised the market with its infrastructure sharing deal. Credit:Glenn Campbell

We liked the idea of them separating out the infrastructure assets, he explained.

Telstra hit a four-year high of $4.26 in January, but declined in recent weeks. Shares closed 1.5 per cent higher at $3.97 on Monday. TPG shares jumped 3.1 per cent to a two-week high of $5.97.

Mr Sequeira said he would wait until the end of the reporting season to adjust his portfolio, but has been surprised by the size of reactions in some stock prices.

We have had some winners and losers. Relative to other reporting seasons, we find it has been quite volatile.

Five companies moved more than 10 per cent on Monday due to results or corporate activity.

The biggest move was a 25.9 per cent fall in Tyro Payments, which reported a larger than expected loss.

PointsBet Holdings fell 11.1 per cent After an international peer reported falling customer numbers.

Super Retail Group dropped 9.5 per cent after a 36 per cent fall in profit, and Zip Co dropped 7.8 per cent because early results foreshadowed a $108 million loss.

Meanwhile, a2 Milk jumped 11.1 per cent to a three-month high of $5.89 after its half-year results, and Woolies drinks spin-off Endeavour Group jumped 10.3 per cent to a three-month high of $7.18, thanks to Australians drinking at home more during the pandemic.

Outside of the big swings, the big banks closed higher, while BHP and Rio Tinto made small gains. Property owners also improved, with Centre Group, Dexus, and GPT Group higher.

However, the health sector dragged with CSL falling 0.8 per cent and Sonic Healthcare falling 3.6 per cent. Information technology was dragged down with heavyweight Block Inc setting 6.8 per cent to a new low of $133.80.
Mike Cannon-Brookes, youll remember, was the bloke who was there at the birth of Australias first big battery at Hornsdale in South Australia. He challenged Elon Musk to see if he could build the biggest battery in the world in 100 days.

Musk got it done and within two years the battery paid for itself. Today far bigger batteries are commonly built around the world.

Mike Cannon-Brookes, Brookfield launch bid for AGL to accelerate coal exit Credit:Wolter Peeters, Bloomberg

On Sunday, it was revealed that Cannon-Brookes is teaming up with the Canadian asset manager Brookfield to launch a takeover bid for AGL in a deal that would see Australias biggest greenhouse gas polluter exit coal as early as 2030, 15 years earlier than it otherwise would.

In addition to a purchase of about $5 billion they propose to invest a further $10 billion to get it done.
Household contacts of COVID-positive people will not be required to isolate under changes to quarantine rules being considered by the countrys chief health officers and state officials.

Four senior government and health sources, who were not authorised to speak publicly, told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) was considering relaxation of the requirement for asymptomatic household contacts to isolate for seven days.

Health officials in Victoria and NSW are separately working on a plan that would allow asymptomatic household contacts who have had three doses of a coronavirus vaccine to leave isolation to attend work.

One source familiar with the AHPPC discussions said the committee, comprised of health officials from around the country, was close to recommending changes to isolation rules for household contacts that would represent a major change in the countrys pandemic management.
That's all for the blog today. We hope you've managed to navigate the shutdown this evening.

As yet, there's no news about tomorrow. If the stand-off continues it could be another day without trains. But don't discount the potential for a late-night compromise that gets the network up and running by the morning.

To close, here are a couple of things to read:

This opinion piece from state political editor Alex Smith about Premier Dominic Perrottet's almighty gamble

And this analysis from senior writer Deborah Snow about the public sector's growing push for wage rises.

For those still battling to make it home, good luck and take care.
Mel Robinson hasnt suffered from Zoom fatigue. The patchy internet at her property in regional NSW means she can barely connect to the video conferencing service. She has grown weary of standing near a window, or in the sheep paddock next to her house, trying to a get one bar of service on her mobile phone to send a text message.

Welcome to Kundabung, population 630, where Telstra outages in January have frustrated residents and intensified calls for more reliable phone and internet services in the area about 400 kilometres north of Sydney.

Mel Robinson is among residents of Kundabung on the NSW Mid North Coast who are pushing for more reliable phone and internet access. Credit:Lindsay Moller

We get a lot of messages on our Kundabung Facebook group from people saying, [Im] moving into the area, just wanting to know whos the best internet provider? And we all just laugh, Ms Robinson said.

Its not a matter of whos best - its anything that you can get, deal with it.
An Australian citizen accused of helping three men enter Syria and alleged to have shot at armed forces overseas has been granted bail, as his lawyer criticised the attitude of high-ranking Australian Federal Police members.

Logan dog trainer Gabriel Crazzi, charged with terrorism-related offences, has been released on bail. Credit:Internet

Counterterrorism teams from Queensland and Victoria arrested Gabriel Crazzi, 35, from Chambers Flat in Logan, south of Brisbane, last year.

Ahmed Talib, 31, from Doncaster East in Melbournes north-east was also arrested as part of the co-ordinated raids.

Mr Crazzi, a father of three, had been in custody after fronting court last year on charges including incursions into foreign states with the intention of engaging in hostile activities, engaging in hostile acts in a foreign country, and making preparations for foreign incursions into foreign states for the purpose of engaging in hostile activities.
In his own words, Sam Groth is ready to deliver. Ready to win back Nepean. The tennis star, Nine personality and Liberal Party preselection hopeful for the state seat of Nepean, has produced a glossy brochure ahead of the big vote on Tuesday night. The world record holder for the fastest serve is ready to use his extensive media and public relations experience to be an effective and powerful voice for local issues.

Im living the Liberal dream, Groth proclaims alongside pics of wife Brittany and twins Mason and Parker.

A life of service: Sam Groth, who hopes to win Liberal preselection for the state seat of Nepean, with wife Brittany. Credit:Sam Tabone/Getty Images for Uber.

He has a number of hefty supporters including former premier Jeff Kennett, who starts his endorsement: I admit I dont know Sam Groth well.

Cheering on courtside are also Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, party grandee Helen Kroger, state MP James Newbury and Martin Dixon, former member for Nepean.
With eyes focused on Russian troops mustering on the Ukraine border in an ominous display, the stage is set for another mass border incursion closer to home. From Tuesday, the Labor Partys federal election generalissimos and campaign strike force from the length and breadth of the country will converge on Sydney.

Paul Erickson and Anthony Albanese plan for the worst. Credit:Illustration: John Shakespeare

The mission? A campaign dry run at the partys election nerve centre in Surry Hills on Wednesday and Thursday where the campaign team and party officials will be put through their paces.

The task? Well SAS Australia it aint. But the team will be sorely tested by a series of dastardly scenarios they will be praying dont actually occur during the real campaign.

Quick  Albos being caught in (another) car crash en route to a doorstop! Tensions spill over (again) in the South China Sea and the Coalition attacks Labors national security credentials? Deputy Leader Richard Marles is caught on a hot mic calling a pensioner a silly old bugger. Grace Tame forgets her contact lenses and accidently side-eyes the Opposition Leader.
Tens of thousands of Victorian public servants could be back at their desks as early as next week, with preparations under way to get government offices open again.

The state governments work-from-home recommendation is expected to end on Friday and managers across the 58,000-strong Victorian Public Service are working with their teams on plans for a return to the office. An announcement is expected within days.

The Commonwealth Public Service  which employs 26,000 Victorians, mostly in Melbourne  is also gearing up to get workers back to their desks, but the process may not be entirely smooth, with a dispute already breaking out at the Australian Taxation Office, which has 5400 Victorian workers including 2000 in Docklands.

Sources close to the state government process who are unable to speak publicly say public servants could be returning to the city in significant numbers from early next week. They expect an announcement to follow quickly if the government removes its work-from-home recommendation and mask mandates on Friday.

Large employers were told last week that the state government wants to get its workforce back, partly to provide a much-needed boost to businesses  particularly in Melbournes CBD  that rely heavily on commuting office workers as their customer base.
Chinas foreign ministry says Australias complaint about a laser from a Chinese naval vessel doesnt square with the facts and called on the nation to stop spreading false information.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton on Monday demanded answers from Beijing after a Chinese ship aimed a military-grade laser at a RAAF aircraft which could have blinded the Australian crew.

A PLA-N Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock vessel transits through the Torres Strait on February 18, 2022. Credit:Defence

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Monday labelled the accusation groundless and urged Australia to stop maliciously spreading false information.

Earlier, Australia was accused of throwing mud in the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, The Global Times.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott says Russia will look to take over Poland and the Baltic states if it invades Ukraine, warning of a new Iron Curtain ringing down over Europe.

Mr Abbott, who famously vowed to shirtfront Vladimir Putin after Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a missile over eastern Ukraine in 2014, said the Russian President saw himself as the new tsar, a ruler for life, determined to restore greater Russia.

Tony Abbott says Vladimir Putin is intent on turning Ukraine into a Russian colony. Credit:AP

United States President Joe Biden has said he is convinced Mr Putin has made up his mind about invading Ukraine, escalating the worst security crisis for Europe since the end of World War II.

In a speech to conservative think tank the Danube Institute in Hungary on Monday night, Mr Abbott lashed the West, particularly European countries including Germany, for not being willing to give up more to help Ukraine defend itself from a Russian invasion.
The Prime Minister has warned power prices would go up as more coal plants bring forward their closure dates, and said his government will make sure the trend of early shutdowns doesnt continue.

Scott Morrison was speaking on Monday morning, following an unprecedented bid from tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and Canadian infrastructure giant Brookfield to buy Australias largest coal-fired power company AGL, with the intention of closing its last coal-burning power stations 15 years early than the companys current timelines.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is warning coal plant closure will drive up power prices, as the energy market shifts to renewables. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Let me be really clear about something. We need to ensure that our coal-fired generation of electricity runs to its life because if it doesnt electricity prices go up. They dont go down, Mr Morrison told media in Tasmania, where he announced a new fund for the plantation timber industry.

Our government is very committed to ensure we sweat those assets for their life, to ensure that businesses can get access to the electricity and energy that they need at affordable prices to keep people in jobs. And whats essential is that we get the balance right with our energy policy.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has launched a fierce attack on the rail unions and Labor, accusing them of leaving his government no option but to shut down Sydneys rail network on Monday.

Mr Perrottet said he received early morning advice from Sydney Trains that it would be unsafe to operate the network following a breakdown in industrial negotiations over the weekend.

Im incredibly disappointed. I feel the anger of everybody across our city. Make no mistake: this is a co-ordinated attack by the Labor Party and the union, he said.

This is the Labor Party in bed with the union movement to cause mass disruption.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The messages would come to Gavin Wayne every day: pleas from hospital management or locum agencies scrambling to get healthy staff as the Omicron wave struck Victorias health system. Coronavirus presentations rose at the same time as the army of workers trained to care for them was depleted. Thousands were forced into isolation, exposed or sick with the virus. When Wayne got the requests for volunteers to help with extra shifts, the junior doctor felt obliged to help. Even though his days were already fully packed. Even though it was already a struggle to get enough sleep. Even though it could be at the expense of his own wellbeing. If we dont have people rock up to tend to the sick its not like we can just say the hospital is closed today, dont get sick, he says. Talk to a healthcare worker in a Victorian hospital today and they will reach for similar words and phrases. Burnout. Exhaustion. Fatigue. Just holding on for a break. All workplaces have been forced to adjust during the pandemic. But in hospitals  where waves of COVID-19 cases wash over them, only to recede before crashing back again with the next variant  the staffing crisis has been troubling. In an industry tightly rationed to keep labour costs down, the worker shortage has become all too obvious. We still have really large numbers of really sick patients, many of whom need to be admitted to hospital, that we dont have capacity for, says emergency doctor and Australian Medical Association federal council member Sarah Whitelaw. Theres no relief coming for us.

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From Monday, semi-urgent or category 2 surgery resumes in public and private hospitals, placing further strain on the system. And surgeons are lobbying for even non-urgent surgeries to resume. Emergency doctor Stephen Parnis. Credit:Eddie Jim Stephen Parnis, a Melbourne emergency physician, remembers speaking about the issue of a profound nursing shortage when he was vice-president of the federal AMA six years ago. Tens of thousands of nurses [were] needed and back then I got the impression that things were sort of just going along at meeting after meeting without the sense of urgency that we needed. So severe is the public hospital crisis, not just in Victoria but across the country, that the AMA has for the first time launched a campaign targeted at the upcoming federal election on the critical issue of chronic problems within public hospitals: bed shortages, ambulances ramping, crowded emergency departments and long waits for elective surgery. Loading The organisation doesnt have the budget to spend on an ad campaign, but it does have something perhaps more powerful: a network of trusted doctors, and patients captive to posters being put up in doctors waiting rooms. The association is pushing as hard as it can to put the issue at the centre of the upcoming federal poll.

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Need to get surgery under way: surgeons The Omicron wave saw Victorian hospitalisations from coronavirus peak on January 17 with just over 1200 people occupying hospital beds that night. Case numbers have stabilised. By Sunday there were 358 people in hospital with COVID-19. The code brown in place for three weeks to direct resources to coronavirus wards by restricting certain types of less urgent surgery was removed last week. Surgery in Victoria falls into three categories: urgent, semi-urgent and non-urgent. From Monday this week, semi-urgent or category 2 surgery can resume. Surgeons have been pushing for more surgery to get under way swiftly, even that deemed non-urgent. Urologist Mark Frydenberg is a councillor with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and chairs its health policy and advocacy committee. He says it wasnt just the recent code brown that caused the backlog in surgery. Weve been having intermittent surgical restrictions now for probably the best part of 18 months. Patients in the greatest need have still received surgery, says the professor. Those with problems considered not life-threatening, though, were constantly pushed back one month, and then another and another. Which might be people who are in a lot of pain and suffering but nonetheless theyre not about to succumb to their illness.

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Frydenberg regularly sees patients with cancer who might not, according to the categories used in Victoria, be considered the most urgent and so have had their surgery delayed. Patients with an underlying malignancy, Frydenberg says, even if you try and rationalise with [them] and say that, you know, We dont envisage that you would necessarily come to harm within a month, psychologically, most people with cancer that need an operation just want it gone. It causes an enormous amount of psychological distress. Under the code brown, surgery was restricted in private hospitals so the most urgent surgical cases could be brought over from public hospitals if they were overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases. But in fact, very few people were transferred, says Frydenberg. So what we were seeing as surgeons were quite a few empty operating rooms, cancelled sessions and available nursing staff in some hospitals  not all hospitals, but some. Burnout like never before Loading Even with COVID-19 declining and with it the immediate pressure on the health system, hospital workers are still burnt out like never before. Following last years lockdowns, there was a notable surge for treatment in hospitals as people caught up on care put off during waves of the pandemic. This is expected again. This time, though, it will combine with fresh challenges including the likely return of the flu  almost eradicated during the pandemic due to travel restrictions, social distance and mask wearing  and a possible dual winter surge of COVID-19.

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The public hospital system is in crisis. It was pre-pandemic. Nows the time to acknowledge it, says the AMAs Sarah Whitelaw. A state parliamentary inquiry into the pandemic last week heard from the heads of Victorias biggest hospitals. All told of the struggles of coping over summer. Royal Womens Hospital chief executive Sue Matthews said her staff were exhausted and any possible increase in surgery being done needed to consider impacts on them as well as patients. Outside the hospital, people were living almost pre-pandemic lifestyles, she said. Theres this sense COVID is almost over in the community, but it isnt in hospitals, she said. Its almost an alternate universe. On Tuesday the AMA will release polling, done by Essential Research, showing that of 1069 voters questioned, 34 per cent said they were less likely to vote for the government as a result of its handling of public hospital funding. Public hospitals were more important as a vote switcher than economic management or Australias relationship with China, the polling found. Australian Nurses Federation Victorian secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick. Credit:Luis Ascui Nurses beyond tired, union says In New South Wales, nurses are taking industrial action over their conditions, but also over COVID-19 exhaustion. In Victoria, where there are 115,000 nurses along with 8000 midwives, that exhaustion is also present, says Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Victorian secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick.

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The US President, Joe Biden, has made it clear. If Russia launches a new military attack on Ukraine, America will not defend it.

Why not? Why will the US not defend a newish democracy of some 40 million people on the edge of Europe against an aggressive dictator and traditional US rival?

Illustration by Dionne Gain. Credit:Fairfax Media

Theres the obvious political reason. America is war-weary. After two decades of wasting blood and treasure on a faked war against Iraq and a failed war in Afghanistan, Americans are disillusioned and exhausted.

Fifty-five per cent of Americans oppose the idea of sending US troops to stop Russia, according to a YouGov poll last week. Only 13 per cent of Americans agree that itd be a good idea.
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday AEDT recognised the independence of Moscow-backed rebel regions in eastern Ukraine, a move that will further fuel tensions with the West amid fears of Russian invasion.

Putins move follows days of heightened tensions in Ukraines eastern industrial heartland, where Ukrainian forces are locked in a nearly eight-year conflict with Russia-backed separatists that has left more than 14,000 people dead.

A municipal worker prepares to put up a Donetsk People Republic flag on a building in Donetsk, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, eastern Ukraine. Credit:AP

Russia recognising parts of Ukraine as if they were independent territories raises the risk that other countries will shrug off international law elsewhere.

Here is a look at the rebel-controlled territories in eastern Ukraine:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier accused Russia of wrecking peace efforts and ruled out making any territorial concessions in an address to the nation on Tuesday. Zelensky spoke after Russias decision to formally recognise the two Moscow-backed regions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, as independent and send troops to the region, accelerating a crisis that the West fears could unleash a major war. Earlier, after chairing a meeting of his security council, Zelensky accused Russia of violating Ukraine sovereign territory and said it could mean Moscow pulling the plug on the peace talks aimed at ending the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing plans to sign a decree on eastern Ukraine regions. Zelensky said he wanted to solve the crisis through diplomacy but that his country was ready to dig in for the long haul.

We are committed to the peaceful and diplomatic path, we will follow it and only it, Zelensky said. But we are on our own land, we are not afraid of anything and anybody, we owe nothing to no one, and we will give nothing to no one. We wont cede anything, said a defiant Zelensky. Its not Feb 2014, but Feb 2022, he said, in a likely reference to Ukraines loss of Crimea to the Russians. Its important right now to see who our true friends are, Zelensky said. He added that Ukraine was expecting clear and effective steps from its allies to act against Russia and called for an emergency summit with the leaders of Russia, Germany and France. Tanks roll

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his Defence Ministry to dispatch troops to maintain peace in Ukraine east, in a significant escalation of the Kremlin-driven crisis. A Reuters witness saw columns of military vehicles including tanks on the outskirts of Donetsk, the capital of one of two breakaway regions. There were about five tanks in a column on the edge of the city and two more in another part of town. No insignia were visible, but the appearance of the tanks came hours after Putin signed friendship treaties with the two separatist regions and ordered Russian troops to deploy on what Moscow called a peacekeeping operation. Russia has deployed troops to its ally Belarus for sweeping joint military drills that run through Sunday, fuelling Western concerns that Moscow could use the exercise to attack Ukraine from the north. Credit:AP World reacts

Leaders lined up to denounce Putins words and actions. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Russia should unconditionally withdraw from Ukrainian territory and cease to threaten its neighbours. It is important that like-minded countries who denounce this sort of behaviour...stick together, he said. US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to prohibit trade and investment between US individuals and the two Ukrainian breakaway regions recognised as independent by Russia on Monday, the White House said. Included is the prohibition of new investment by an American, wherever located, and the importation into the United States, directly or indirectly, of any goods, services, or technology from the covered regions. One administration official told reporters that additional measures would be announced on Wednesday, but those were separate from a wider set of sanctions that Washington has promised to implement with its allies if Russia invades Ukraine.

This isnt a further invasion since its territory that theyve already occupied, that official said. Bloomberg has reported the US is moving its Ukraine embassy staff out of the country and into Poland for security reasons - they were moved out of Kyiv to Lviv last week. They are expected to return tomorrow if the Russian invasion doesnt occur. Australias Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne has directed all of Australias embassy staff to leave Ukraine for Poland and Romania, temporarily closing the office that was set up in Lvivi last week after embassy staff left Kyiv. Following Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who earlier said claims the troops were peace keepers was nonsense, Paye said Putins recognition of the separatist states had no validity under rule of law and that sanctions would follow.

She called on all Australians remaining in Ukraine to leave immediately. Sanctions British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Zelensky a Russian invasion was possible within hours or days and Britain would explore sending further defensive support to Ukraine and announce sanctions on Russia. Outlining his grave concern at recent developments in the region, the Prime Minister told President Zelensky that he believed an invasion was a real possibility in the coming hours and days, Johnsons office said. He denounced Putins move to recognise the regions as independent as a breach of international law.

Loading Its a ... flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine, Johnson said. British Foreign Minister Liz Truss said she had agreed with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell that Britain and the EU would coordinate to deliver swift sanctions against Russia. We agreed [Britain] and [the EU] will coordinate to deliver swift sanctions against Putins regime and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine, Truss said on Twitter following a call with Borrell. Putin speech

Earlier on Tuesday AEDT, Putin signed a decree recognising the two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash a war. Loading In a lengthy televised address, Putin, looking visibly angry, described Ukraine as an integral part of Russia. Sweeping through more than a century of history, he painted todays Ukraine as a modern construct that is inextricably linked to Russia. He charged that Ukraine had inherited Russias historic lands and after the Soviet collapse was used by the West to contain Russia. He brushed off Western warnings that such a step would be illegal and would kill off peace negotiations and that he was confident the Russian people would support his decision.

Putin sought to justify his decision in the pre-recorded speech by blaming NATO for the crisis and calling the US-led alliance an existential threat to his country. Pretext to invade Separately, Moscow said Ukrainian military saboteurs had tried to enter Russian territory in armed vehicles leading to five deaths, an accusation dismissed as fake news by Kyiv. Both developments fit a pattern repeatedly predicted by Western governments, who accuse Russia of preparing to use a false flag, or fabricate a pretext to invade Ukraine, by blaming Kyiv for attacks and relying on pleas for help from separatist proxies.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Kathy Abbass was furious. For 22 years, the American researcher had toiled over the fate of one of the most important and contentious ships in history: the HMB Endeavour, which British explorer James Cook sailed to Australia in 1770. It had been a labour of love for Abbass since 1999, ever since she uncovered archival information at Londons Public Records Office suggesting that the Endeavours remains lay in waters in the Rhode Island harbour city of Newport, the sailing capital of the United States. But just as her team at the Rhode Island Marine Archeologist Project were getting closer to solving the mystery once and for all, the groups research partner, the Australian National Maritime Museum, conducted a press conference on February 3 to announce to the world that they were sure the wreck was the iconic Endeavour. A pre-visualisational digital model of Lieutenant James Cooks vessel the Endeavour. Credit:Deep Dive Abbass, the lead researcher for the study had been given a copy of the museums report days ahead of the announcement, but still couldnt believe what she saw as audacity. Two weeks after she made global headlines by accusing her counterparts of acting on Australian emotions and politics rather than science, she and her allies in Rhode Island remain unimpressed by the museums conduct. Were totally thrilled to have the participation of our Australian mates, but there are ethical protocols within the field of archaeology that everyone should respect, said Joe McNamara, a Democrat in the Rhode Island House of Representatives who is also a project volunteer hunting for another significant ship in the American Revolution: the HMS Gaspee. Rhode Island House of Representatives Democrat Joe McNamara: Were totally thrilled to have the participation of our Australian mates, but there are ethical protocols. Credit:Faith Dugan

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I realise the excitement that everyone is feeling, but when that announcement is made, you want it based on science, backed up, and indisputable. With Dr Abbass, that is the criteria. Abbass is still not talking publicly about the maritime stoush, opting to spend her days in her lab in the Rhode Island town of Bristol conducting a comprehensive data-analysis, which is expected to continue until mid-April. Kathy Abbass, Director of the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project. Credit:Jenny Magee But the final report, due to be released before June after its reviewed by Rhode Islands Historical Preservation Commission, will address the researchers claim that the Australias National Maritime Museum breached its contract with the Rhode Island project team. The Rhode Island Marine Archeologist Project argues it is the studys lead authority and therefore has the intellectual property rights for all the data  a claim that the Australian museum strongly denies. A painting of HMB Endeavour by John Alcott. And despite the Australian National Maritime Museums insistence that the ship had been found, documents also suggest a series of cautions remain. Among them is the possibility that modern intrusions have damaged or disturbed the sites making indisputable identification a challenge.

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Scavengers have carried off artefacts that may mean that particularly important diagnostic pieces that could identify a shipwreck are now missing. The Australian National Maritime Museum was forced to amend its latest report after including the exact site of the shipwreck on a map, which Rhode Island authorities warned could lead to more looting. The wrecks on the seabed of Newports Outer Harbour in the 18th century are not of interest only to Australian historians. Some of the vessels played a part in the American Revolution. Given the subtle nature of the 18th-century sites and the difficulty to find them, RIMAP can not yet say with certainty that it has found all of the transports that still exist in Newports Outer Harbor, the project has warned in an online document. Several shipwrecks lie off the shore of Newport Harbour, many of which played a part in the American Revolution. Credit:Faith Dugan So was the Australian museums announcement premature, as some in the US suggest? Has there been a breach of contract, as Abbass has publicly claimed, and if so what happens next? And if the final resting place of Captain Cooks ship is off the coast of Rhode Island, who gets to claim it? *** On the snow-capped north side of Goat Island  far removed from the historic mansions, boutique shops and cobblestone pavements that line Newport streets  theres a nondescript sign overlooking the water.

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Off This Shore Lies Capt. Cooks Endeavour Bark, it says. The sign was erected two years ago by Gurneys Resort, the upmarket hotel on the island that has become a hotspot for weddings, long lunches and quiet getaways. The only marker for the site where the ship identified as the Endeavour lies. Credit:Faith Dugan A few hundred meters away, just in front of the picturesque Newport Bridge, a series of No Anchor-No Dive buoys mark the study area that is now at the centre of an international maritime spat. If it turns out the Endeavour is resting off this shoreline, its unlikely that whats left of the vessel will ever return to Australia again. Only 15 per cent of the ship remains and it belongs to the state of Rhode Island, its management overseen by the Historic Preservation Commission. It will stay in Newports outer harbour, yet another drawcard for a town that has attracted many wealthy tourists, from president Dwight Eisenhower to actor Johnny Depp.

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It was in these waters in 1983 that another famous vessel, Australia II, changed the sailing world forever by defeating the US in the Americas Cup for the first time in 132 years, ending the longest winning streak in sporting history. Australia II wrested the Americas Cup from the US in Newport Harbour in 1983. Credit:AP The most spectacular boats in the world come here, said Newport Harbour Master Stephen Land, whose job it is to direct daily boating in the area. There arent any out there now because of the weather, but in summer, you cant even see across the harbour  there are so many of them. I think itll be really great if it turns out we have the Endeavour as well. Loading Some locals, such as James Poutney, a waiter from Providence, said he had never heard of the Endeavour. Others, such as Gurneys Resort general manager David Smiley, said he hoped confirmation of the wreckage would boost post-pandemic tourism. Boy, lets hope its the Endeavour, as that would be a great thing for Newport to talk about and promote, so Im keeping my fingers crossed, he said.

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Latest News Big four banks lift variable interest rates Increases across board for home loan customers

Commercial lending market flourishing 40% to 50% uplift, says brokerage

The Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) will hold its annual International Womens Day event in Brisbane on March 8, where it will tackle the issue of gender bias. The event will also be livestreamed nationally.

In keeping with this years global theme, #BreakTheBias, the event will feature a panel of leading industry women representing different generations who will consider whether bias is generational.

FBAA Managing Director Peter White will serve as MC during the event along with Alex Brgudac, former Prospa head of industry and partnerships, who believes bias is formed as a child.

Its deep-seated and developed in our formative years, with values and principles passed down generally by parents or other influencers that are close to us during those years, Brgudac said.

The ex-Prospa leader believes this means it will take one to two generations before society sees a fundamental change in behaviours.

White said gender bias is a conversation that will stir debate but is necessary within the broking industry.

We all know that our industry will thrive as more women continue to join and gain even greater influence, and the FBAA is excited to be a driver for progress, White said.

The event, which is sponsored by Aquamore, will be held at the Glen Hotel in Brisbane from 1 to 4pm with free entry and optional charity donation.

The event is open to everyone and attendees will receive three CPD hours.
Latest News Big four banks lift variable interest rates Increases across board for home loan customers

Commercial lending market flourishing 40% to 50% uplift, says brokerage

NAB has awarded its first Future Farmers loan to a 27-year-old Wimmera mixed farmer in Nhill, western Victoria.

Launched in January, the NAB Future Farmers program provides more flexible loan structures including potential for reduced equity requirements and a longer repayment period, on a case-by-case basis.

Brad Keller, recipient of NABs first loan, grew up on his familys cropping and sheep property at Nhill but left the farm at 18 to work full-time as a shearer, gradually saving enough to start leasing land and running his own cropping and livestock operation.

The Future Farmers program certainly made it a lot easier to get a loan for a younger person, but youve still got to be able to service the loan and make the land pay for itself, Keller said. You need to keep working hard to keep building savings because its unbelievable how quickly land prices are rising.

Since 1990, the average number of farms under $500,000 has decreased by 54%, while the average value of farms, including land and fixed improvements, has increased by over 220%, according to AgSurf data from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

Julie Rynski, NAB executive regional and agribusiness, said Future Farmers was established to support the next generation of farmers like Keller.

Having enough equity has traditionally been a challenge for young farmers wanting to buy land, Rynski said. NAB Future Famers reduces equity requirements and allows us to back young farmers like Mr Keller. NAB is taking a longer-term view of the lending application. First-time farmers will have a dedicated and specialised local agribusiness banker who will be assigned to help with the right support and banking services. Successful applicants like Mr Keller will have access to online business planning tips, tools, and calculators to help with business establishment and management and build financial literacy.
on Monday announced it has joined SEA-ME-WE-6 undersea cable consortium, participating as a major investor, while said it will land its India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives.

In a day of twin developments, the two large operators came out with separate announcements related to undersea cable projects.

Airtel said it is participating as a "major investor" in the SEA-ME-WE-6 and is anchoring 20 per cent of the overall investment in the cable system, which will go live in 2025.

Bharti said it has joined the 'SEA-ME-WE-6' consortium to scale up its high-speed global network capacity to serve India's fast-growing digital economy.

The 12 other consortium members of SEA-ME-WE-6 include Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company, Dhiraagu (Maldives), Djibouti Telecom, Mobily (Saudi Arabia), Orange (France), Singtel (Singapore), Sri Lanka Telecom, Egypt, Telekom Malaysia, and Telin (Indonesia).

The 19,200 Rkm (route kilometres) SEA-ME-WE-6 will connect Singapore and France, and will be among the largest undersea cable system globally.

"Through SEA-ME-WE-6, Airtel will add a significant amount of 100 TBps capacity to its global network," the statement said.

Airtel has acquired one fibre pair on the main SEA-ME-WE-6 system and will co-build four fiber pairs between Singapore Chennai Mumbai as part of the cable system. Airtel will land the SEA-ME-WE-6 cable system in India at new landing stations in Mumbai and Chennai.

SEA-ME-WE-6 will be integrated with Nxtra by Airtel's large data centres in Mumbai and Chennai to enable global hyperscalers and businesses to access integrated solutions and strengthen India's position as an emerging data centre hub in the region.

Meanwhile, India's largest mobile operator Infocomm said it will land the multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives. The high capacity and high-speed IAX system will connect Hulhumale directly with world's major internet hubs in India and Singapore.

Jio's IAX project will land in the Maldives in collaboration with Ocean Connect Maldives, the company said in a statement.

The IAX system originates in Mumbai in the west and connects directly to Singapore, with branches including additional landings in India, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) system connects Mumbai to Milan, landing in Savona, Italy, and includes additional landings in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean.

IAX is expected to be ready for service end-2023, while IEX will be ready for service in mid-2024.

"These high capacity and high-speed systems will provide more than 200Tb/s of capacity at speeds of 100Gb/s, over 16,000 kilometers," Jio statement informed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Organisations need to adapt to new models and unconventional thinking going ahead as a volatile and uncertain environment has undermined the effectiveness of traditional ways of operating businesses, Chairman and CEO said on Monday.

Munjal, who is the recipient of this year's AIMA JRD Tata Award, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant unprecedented challenges and uncertainties in the supply chain call for sea changes in operating procedures.

In the recent past, the incredibly volatile and uncertain environment has undermined the effectiveness of long term forecasting and traditional strategic planning. The change in the world ecosystem has been disruptive, pushing people, organisations and economies to the brink. Thus, achieving goals now requires a sea change in our models of operations, Munjal stated in his keynote address.

The veteran industry leader noted the ability to thrive in uncertain times requires unconventional thinking and calculated risks, including delivering difficult or unpopular decisions.

In the current scenario, where uncertainty characterizes ties, economic and social structures, it is a race for organisations to move away from the traditional approaches of strategy and adopt evolved models, Munjal said.

He noted that global political unease, commodity and supply chain disruptions, health concerns and innovations were adding to all the global uncertainty. "..Leaders, public and private, need to develop balanced strategies to ensure growth and stability in the future," Munjal said.

He further said: Another very crucial aspect in today's world is that not only is it changing faster than ever before, but it is also far more complex than the past. The geopolitical situations around the world mixed with fast-evolving consumer behaviour and rapid technology advancements have seen even new-age losing prominence as quickly.

Since uncertainty is perceived as a threat, usually individuals, as well as large groups, get into survival modes, Munjal said.

In the past, we have seen public and private enterprise perishing in survival mode. However, uncertainty also brings with it endless opportunities, even though it may be counterintuitive to human nature...uncertainty also often gives rise to new undiscovered needs, he stated.

Munjal noted that the biggest positive in recent times has been the significant support from all quarters for the green and sustainable initiatives.

From a time when the green agenda had to be pushed, it is now being welcomed and propagated by individuals, organisations and governments alike. India's renewed focus on sustainability through natural and organic farming relies on green energy and the creation of funds will further India's efforts to meet climate change goals for a sustainable future, he stated.

On queries regarding the company's EV roadmap, Munjal said that the two-wheeler major plans to utilise some of its existing dealers to roll out its upcoming range.

We have about 8,000-9,000 touchpoints across the country. It is one of our biggest strengths. Why would we let go of that strength? We are already working very closely with some of our dealer partners who, going forward, are going to also become our network for the electric vehicles, he stated.

Munjal noted that the company has already come out with its vision document which states its ambition to lead the two-wheeler space in the future as well. On a query related to the readiness of the component industry in the EV segment, he stated that the ecosystem has been also transitioning for some years now.

A number of the supply chain partners have already co-created systems for electrification while they're still working on supply chain components for the combustion engine vehicles. And there are many new startups that have come up for electrification components, whether it's battery or motor or battery management systems, etc. So that combination is already working, he noted.

He further said: Going forward, I believe most of the current ice (internal combustion engine) component suppliers will get into the electric components as well.

(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.)
Vishal Bali, a former official at Fortis Hospitals, on Monday settled with markets regulator a case pertaining to allegedly aiding in the diversion of public shareholders' funds for the benefit of the promoters of Fortis Healthcare and Fortis Hospitals.

Bali has settled the case after paying Rs 65.02 lakh towards settlement charges. He was one of the members of the Executive Committee/ Treasury Committee of Fortis Hospitals, according to a order.

The order came after Bali approached the regulator proposing to settle the instant proceedings initiated against him, "without admitting or denying the findings of fact and conclusions of law" through a settlement order.

In its settlement order, has disposed of the adjudication proceedings initiated against the applicant -- Vishal Bali -- vide the Show Cause Notice (SCN) dated April 9, 2021.

In the SCN issued to Bali, it was alleged that non-independent directors of Fortis Hospitals, including Bali, had failed to carry out adequate due diligence and exercise independent judgment with respect to the grant of loans or investments by Fortis Hospitals during the period of investigation.

It was thus alleged that Bali was one of the individuals who had aided in the misuse and diversion of public shareholders' funds for the benefit of the promoters of Fortis Healthcare Ltd (FHL) and Fortis Hospitals Ltd (FHsL).

It was therefore, prima facie, observed that the conduct of Bali had led to the violations of the provisions of PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) norms, Sebi said in the order.

The observation came after Sebi had conducted an investigation into the alleged siphoning of funds by promoters and related entities of Fortis Healthcare pursuant to a media article in February 2018 alleging the promoters of FHL had taken at least Rs 500 crore out of FHL and that the statutory auditor of FHL had refused to sign off on the company's second quarter results until the funds were accounted for.

Pending adjudication proceedings, the applicant proposed to settle the instant proceedings initiated against him. Following the application, the settlement terms of Rs 65.02 lakh was proposed by Sebi. Subsequently, the applicant remitted the amount and settled the matter.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The (ED) on Monday conducted raids at the offices of India Bulls Finance Centre in Mumbai and Delhi in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering case lodged against the company and its promoter Sameer Gehlaut in April 2021.

The ED had earlier recorded the statement of a Pune based businessman who deals in real estate, in this connection.

The ED officials held a meeting on Sunday to plan Monday's . Separate teams were formed to recover a few incriminating documents.

Earlier, a case was lodged against the company and its promoter at Palghar, Maharashtra. It had been alleged in the FIR that the real estate company first took loan from India Bulls and invested in India Bulls housing shares. The company had increased the share value and the money were later siphoned off to other entities.

The Delhi High Court had issued an order barring the ED from taking coercive action against the company.

Further details are awaited.

--IANS

atk/skp/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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The (SAT) has quashed a order against HDFC Bank, whereby the regulator had imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore on the lender in a case pertaining to invoking securities pledged by stockbroker BRH Wealth Kreators.

In addition, the regulator had directed to transfer Rs 158.68 crore along with seven per cent interest per annum into an escrow account till the issue of settlement of clients' securities is reconciled.

These directions were issued by in January 2021 as invoked securities pledged by BRH Wealth Kreators in violation of the regulator's interim order passed in October 2019.

Following the Sebi's order, moved to SAT.

In its order on Friday, SAT said the bank was justified in invoking the pledge made by the broker BRH. While invoking the pledge the bank did not violate any direction contained in Sebi's interim order.

"The appellant (HDFC Bank) could invoke the pledge under Depositories Act and is not required to approach any forum or Court of law for invocation of the pledge. The assets of the broker do not include pledge of the shares created by the sub-broker," SAT said.

The tribunal noted that the pledge was created by the broker BRH under the Depositories Act in favour of .

According to SAT, once a pledge is validly created by the broker in favour of the appellant (HDFC Bank) and the appellant is recorded as the beneficial owner in the records maintained by the depository, the beneficial owner becomes the registered owner.

Consequently, if a default is committed by the broker, the appellant gets a right to invoke the pledge under the agreement, it added.

"Nothing has come on record to indicate that the invocation of the pledge by the appellant was wrongly done as there was no default committed by the broker," SAT said.

Accordingly, the tribunal said that Sebi's order "cannot be sustained and is quashed".

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The has agreed to hear in open court the review petition filed by the challenging last year's apex court decision that had ruled in the Tata groups favour.

The order to hear the review petition was passed by a three-judge Bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian, who dissented saying the review is not needed, according to a report by Bar and Bench.

The fact that this order has been passed and the has agreed to hear the review petition in open court means they must have found merit in the grounds set out in the Review Petition by the Pallonji group, said Nirav Shah, Partner, DSK Legal.
group firm on Monday announced an oil discovery in a Barmer district block of Rajasthan, not very far away from its prolific oilfield in the same desert.

In a stock exchange filing, the firm said it has notified the government and the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) of the discovery in exploratory well WM-Basal DD Fan-1 drilled in OALP Block RJ-ONHP-2017/1.

The discovery has been named 'Durga'.

The firm said the approval of the block oversight panel, called the Management Committee, has also been sought.

The block is one of the 41 areas that the company had won in the first round of the open acreage licensing policy (OALP) bid round in October 2018.

Cairn Oil & Gas, a unit of Mumbai-listed Ltd, holds 100 per cent participating interest in the block.

"Durga-1 (earlier WM-Basal DD Fan-1) is the second well drilled in the Block RJ-ONHP-2017/1 to a depth of 2615 meters," the firm said.

This is the third hydrocarbon discovery notified by the company under the OALP portfolio.

"During the drilling of the well, four hydrocarbon zones were encountered in the Dharvi Dungar (DD) formation of Late Paleocene to Early Eocene age," it said.

The 542 square kilometre RJ-ONHP-2017/1 Block is located in Gudamalani and Chohtan Tehsil of Barmer district, .

The block lies in the vicinity of the prolific block which produces about 150,000 barrels per day of oil and gas.

Separately, the company said it is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

"The company is committed to investing USD 4 billion over 3-4 years to double its production, and the newly announced ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) roadmap will enable the company to achieve this vision sustainably," it said in a statement.

founder and chairman Anil Agarwal said, "Our oil and gas business is today well-poised to meet India's energy needs and growth aspirations."



"Guided by the philosophy of 'zero harm, zero waste, zero discharge', we have formulated robust ESG targets for our operations which will help India's energy sector become more efficient and enable the country's journey towards aatmanirbharta," he added.

deputy CEO Prachur Sah said, "ESG has always been a top priority for . As we continue our sustainability journey, we are committed to our vision of ensuring holistic socio-economic development while achieving our goal of ensuring energy aatmanirbharta for India."



The ESG objectives will broadly focus on uplifting lives of people in operational areas through sustainable livelihood opportunities to 1 million people, educating 9 million students by 2030 through digital education programs alongside uplifting 20 million women and children through education, nutrition, healthcare, and welfare, the statement said.

"The company is innovating for a healthier planet by sustaining net water positive impact, use of renewable energy, planting 2 million trees by 2030, and protecting and enhancing biodiversity throughout the project lifecycle.

"Further, the company is driving a great workplace by promoting gender parity, diversity, and inclusivity, adhering to global business standards of corporate governance and remaining focused on the health & safety of employees and business partners," it said.

The company has been efficiently using associated natural gas for meeting its power and heating requirements.

Cairn has also planted 279 acres of mangroves along the coasts of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. In Rajasthan's arid Thar, a floral biodiversity park hosting over 100 indigenous species now dots the landscape of Mangala Processing Terminal in Barmer, .

"Overall, 1,644 acres of area is developed as a greenbelt across Cairn's operational areas," it added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
American woman treated for rare tissue infection in eye at hospital New Delhi, Feb 21 (PTI) An American woman, who had recently visited the Amazon forests, was diagnosed with a rare case of myiasis, a type of tissue infection, in her eye and underwent a "successful surgery at a private facility here, hospital authorities claimed on Monday.

During the operation, "three live human botflies almost 2 cm in size" were removed from the 32-year-old woman, they said.

Myiasis is the infection of a fly larva (maggot) in human tissue. This occurs in tropical and subtropical areas The patient visited the emergency department with complaints of swelling in the right upper eyelid along with redness and tenderness.

She also revealed that she had been feeling something moving inside her eyelids once in a while for the past 4-6 weeks, Fortis hospital, Vasant Kunj, said in a statement.

She had consulted doctors in the US, but the myiasis (botfly) could not be removed and doctors discharged her on few symptomatic relief medications, it said.

Dr Mohammad Nadeem, consultant and head emergency department, at the hospital, said, It was a very rare case of myiasis. Therefore, these cases need to be evaluated in detail urgently".

"The US national is a traveller and had a history of visiting the Amazon jungle two months back. Suspecting foreign body from her history of travelling, and noticing movements inside her skin, diagnosis was done," he said.

Dr Narola Yanger from the surgery department proactively managed to remove "three live human botflies almost of 2 cm in size -- one from the right upper eyelid, second one from back of her neck and third from her right forearm," the statement said.

The surgery was completed in 10-15 minutes with all aseptic precautions, without any anesthesia. The woman was discharged on symptomatic prescribed medicines from the emergency department, it said.

Myiasis burrow into delicate membranes and feed on underlying structures. Such cases have been reported earlier too from tropical and subtropical areas like Central and South Americas and Africa, the statement said.

In India, such cases have been reported mostly from rural areas particularly in children where the botflies have entered through either nasal opening or musculoskeletal skin lesions, it claimed.

Had the yiasis not been removed, it could have caused considerable destruction of tissues, resulting in complications such as extensive erosion of nose, face, and orbit. This could have led to rare meningitis and death, doctors claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 26-year-old activist was stabbed in this district headquarters town, following which violence broke out during his funeral procession that left a photo journalist and a woman cop among three injured.

They were injured when miscreants pelted stones during the funeral procession that took place amid tight security on Monday, even as several vehicles were torched and damaged while there were reports of some shops being ransacked.

According to official sources, there was stone pelting when the body of the deceased Harsha was being taken from District McGann Hospital here. Two persons have been arrested in connection with the murder, police said.

Police tried to bring the situation under control and made way for the funeral procession to move further and the final rites to take place.

Harsha, a resident of Seegehatti, was attacked by a group of unknown persons at Bharati Colony here on Sunday night, following which he was taken to McGann Hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

Minister K S Eshwarappa, who is from the district alleged that "Musalman goondas" are behind Harsha's murder.

He said, "recently D K Shivakumar (state Congress President) had made an instigating statement that at a government school premises, the national flag was lowered to hoist Bhagwa flag and 50 lakh saffron flags were brought from Surat in lorries and were distributed among students. This had given abetment Muslim goondas. We will not allow such goondagiri in Shivamogga and will suppress it."



Shivakumar hit back at the minister, saying Eshwarappa cannot sleep without taking his name.

According to Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Selvamani, "already section 144 has been imposed (for two days). Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) himself is monitoring the maintenance of law and order.. we are doing all that we can and bring the situation under control at the earliest."



ADGP Murugan said efforts were on to bring the situation under control. Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Commissioner were visiting various places and using force wherever required, and the administration is taking all the necessary measures to ensure peace and order is not disturbed.

He said a case has been registered and the investigating team has already arrested two accused in connection with yesterday's murder and have gathered complete information about who were all involved in it. Efforts were on to nab the others, he added.

Regarding damage to property, separate cases will be booked and who ever was involved, whether it is a Hindu or a Muslim, merciless action will be taken against them, he said.

I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. Don't put fire to your own city."



The SP has formed four teams under DSP (Deputy superintendent of police) level officers, and the additional SP himself is supervising the investigation, he added.

Earlier, hundreds of people and Hindu workers took part in the funeral procession that was joined by Minister Eshwarappa, who is also Shivamogga MLA, and Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra.

The administration had declared holiday for schools and colleges in the city today, while shops and commercial establishments remained shut in parts of the city.

Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, appealing for peace said that the government will get the murder investigated and punish the guilty at the earliest.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, who met the family earlier today said he has not got any information about involvement of any organisation behind the murder so far, but four-five member group was involved.

"Police have information on who was involved in the murder and were behind them and very soon they will be arrested. According to information, four to five people were involved," he said.

In response to a question, Jnanendra said, Harsha was a Hindu karyakarta and there is information that there were a couple of cases against him, and earlier too there was an attack on him.

"They are all being looked into."



Congress President D K Shivakumar said there is information that the murder might have been due to personal issue.

"There is such information, such reports are there in the media also, we don't know. Guilty must be punished and justice should be given to the family of the deceased," he said.

Reacting to Eshwarappa's allegation against him, he said the minister "can't sleep without taking my name.....If I have incited people, let them take action against me. Case should be booked against him (for his recent comments on the national flag) first, he should have been sacked from the Ministry."



Meanwhile, "#JusticeForHarsha" was trending on Twitter, with several users demanding justice for the young activist.

Among them were actor Raveena Tandon and BJP leaders Kapil Mishra and the saffron party's Andhra Pradesh state general secretary Vishnu Vardhan Reddy.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister on Monday said the Union Budget for 2022-23 will be of great help in implementing the on the ground and asserted that the decision to set up a National Digital University can solve the problem of shortage of seats in educational institutions in the country.

Addressing a webinar on the positive impact of the Union Budget 2022-23, Modi said the budget focuses on five aspects related to the education sector -- universalisation of quality education, skill development, urban planning and design, internationalisation and AVGC (Animation Visual Effects Gaming Comic).

Asserting that the digital connectivity is what kept the education system running in this time of global pandemic, Modi also noted that the is rapidly shrinking in India.

"Digital university is an innovative and unprecedented step that has the potential of fully addressing the problem of seats in the universities. I call upon the education ministry, UGC and AICTE and all the stakeholders of the Digital University to work with speed on the project. I emphasised on the need to keep international standards in mind while creating institutes," he said.

"It was digital connectivity that kept the country's education system going during the pandemic. We are seeing how the is rapidly shrinking in India. Innovation is ensuring inclusion for us. Educational infrastructure such as e-Vidya, One Class, One Channel, Digital Labs and Digital University are going to help the youth a lot, " he said.

Modi asserted that the Budget for 2022-23 will be of great help in implementing the on the ground. The prime minister elaborated on five aspects that were highlighted in the Budget 2022.

"Key decisions have been taken for universalisation of quality education which means expansion of education with improved quality along with enhanced capabilities of the education sector. Second, attention has been given to skill development. Focus is on creating a digital skill ecosystem, skill development as per industry demand and better industry linkages," he said.

"Third, inclusion of India's ancient experience and knowledge of urban planning and designing into education is important. Fourth, Internationalisation has been emphasised upon. This involves arrival of world class foreign universities and encouragement of institutions of GIFT City getting Fintech-related institutes."



"Fifth, focus on Animation Visual Effects Gaming Comic (AVGV) where there is huge potential of employment and there is a big global market. This budget will help a great deal in realizing the National Education Policy," he said.

On the International Mother Language Day on Monday, the prime minister underlined the link between education in the medium of mother language and the mental development of children.

"In many states, medical and technical education is also being imparted in the local languages. There should be a momentum in creating best content in digital format in local Indian languages. Such content needs to be available via Internet, mobile phones, TV and radio," the PM said.

He reiterated the requirement to keep the work with regard to content in sign languages going with due priority.

The prime minister said "dynamic skilling is critical from the point of view of global talent demand for Aatmanirbhar Bharat".

He highlighted the need to prepare the 'demographic dividend' of the country as per the demands of the changing job roles. Digital Ecosystem for skilling and livelihood and e-skilling labs were announced in the budget with this vision in mind, 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.)
Chief Minister on Monday said that the state government will conduct the caste . He said that the government will seek a political consensus before taking up the .

Speaking to the reporters here, Kumar said, "We are committed to doing a caste in the state. We want to hold an all-party meeting to take everyone's ideas and experiences. It will benefit all."

Highlighting the importance of the caste Census, the Chief Minister said that it will enable the government to work for the development of various sections of the society.

"We will start it soon and will also ensure it is implemented properly. Once the caste-based Census is done, the government can work for their development," he said.

Refuting the speculations of poll-strategist Prashant Kishor rejoining the JD(U) after he met him in New Delhi, the Chief Minister said that it was a personal meeting and should not be seen with political colours.

"Is my relationship with Prashant Kishor new? When I was sick, he called me up. When I went to Delhi, I met him. There is nothing political in this. It was a personal meeting," he said.

Notably, Kishor was expelled from the JD-U for "making controversial remarks". He was vice-president of JD (U) at the time of expulsion and was seen close to the Chief Minister.

Kishor had worked with the grand alliance in the 2015 Assembly polls in . The grand alliance had included JD (U) and RJD but the two parties fell out with each other later. Kishor's political consultancy group I-PAC had worked with the Trinamool Congress in the Bengal Assembly polls last 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.)
An association of traders at has written to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, requesting him to allow shops to remain open till 10 pm in view of the improving COVID-19 situation in the national capital.

This is the second letter to Baijal written by the New Traders Association (NDTA). It cited huge financial losses as a cause of concern for traders.

"We request you to extend the closing timings of shops in to 10 pm on the same line as that of restaurants. In UP and Haryana, night curfew and all restrictions have been removed but in Delhi timings for closing shops is same at 8 pm, which is causing huge financial losses to shop owners," NDTA wrote to the LG.

"Since Covid positivity rate in Delhi has reduced drastically and is continuously reducing every day, we once again request you to extend closing timing of shops from 8 pm to 10 pm on the same line as closing timing fixed for restaurants," it added.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), in its meeting on February 4, had extended the imposition of night curfew in the national capital but slashed its duration by an hour -- from 11 pm to 5 am.

Due to the night curfew, shops selling non-essential items are only allowed to operate till 8 pm.

The DDMA had also allowed the reopening of schools for classes 9 to 12 from February 7 and for students of nursery to Class 8 from February 14.

Further, it had permitted all government and private offices to function at 100 per cent capacity. Gyms were also allowed to reopen with certain restrictions.

However, several restrictions like allowing only one weekly market in a municipal zone, no standing passengers in buses and Metro trains and a 50 per cent cap on seating capacity in restaurants, bars and cinemas remain, even though there has been a marked decline in COVID-19 cases in Delhi.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Home Minister said on Monday that the matter related to the controversy is in court but he personally feels that a school's dress code should be followed by people of all religions.

He said ultimately it has to be decided whether the country will function on the basis of the Constitution or whims.

Shah said once the court takes a decision on the matter everyone should accept it.

On the issue of implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Shah said there was no question of going back on it.

He, however, said the decision is linked to the Covid situation.

It is my personal belief that people of all religions should accept the school's dress code. And the issue is now in court, and the court is conducting its hearings on the matter. Whatever it decides should be followed by all, Shah said in an interview with Network18.

Ultimately, it has to be decided whether the country will function on (the basis of) the Constitution or whims. My personal belief only remains until the court makes a decision. And once the court makes a decision, then I should accept it, and everyone should accept it.

"But, I still personally believe that every student should function according to the dress code and uniform mandated by the school, he added.

Asked about the involvement of the Campus Front of India on the issue, the minister said, "These people may have their active involvement, but I'll just say that their intentions will not come to fruition."



"The people of India will accept the court's judgement once it comes."



The issue in Karnataka had triggered a major controversy across the nation. The matter had its echo in the ongoing assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh too.

According to a statement from the news group, Shah said on the CAA implementation: As long as we are not free from COVID-19, this can't be a priority. We have seen three waves. Thankfully, things are getting better, the third wave is receding. The decision is linked to the Covid situation. But there is no question of going back on it. The question does not arise."



He also hit out at the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party for withdrawing cases registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) during their respective tenures in Uttar Pradesh.

The law and order issue is important. And now PM Modi has also spoken on terrorism. He spoke in Hardoi on the Ahmedabad blasts case in which 38 accused have been sentenced to death. He said these terrorists were freed from jail during the SP regime, he said,



Eleven such instances took place during the SP and BSP eras when UAPA and POTA cases were withdrawn. What do SP and BSP have to say about security in the country? They will have to answer the public, he added.

Shah expressed confidence of his party's victory in the politically significant state.

(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.)
If there are no more major Covid outbreaks after Omicron, the pandemic may see an end in 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Russia has said.

However, it does not mean that the virus will vanish completely, Melita Vujnovic was quoted as saying in an interview with TASS news agency.

"It's hard to make predictions at the moment but we hope that if nothing else happens, the pandemic may end in 2022.

"What does an end to the pandemic mean? It means that there will be no major outbreaks, but it doesn't mean that the virus will vanish.

"A great number of cases means that the virus is capable of mutating so we don't know how the situation will unfold. However, there is cautious optimism that major outbreaks will end once Omicron spreads across the globe," she said.

According to Vujnovic, the is trying to predict when it will happen, but it's difficult because countries "are now changing their testing strategies".

She said that the Omicron strain was very contagious and was spreading quickly, while some countries did not have the money to test everyone given the large number of patients without symptoms, the report said

"The picture that we are seeing does not fully reflect the exact number of cases as opposed to what things were like when the pandemic just broke out and the Delta strain started spreading," the envoy said.

Several countries have seen a decline in Omicron variant-led Covid surge. The decrease in cases has also led to lifting restrictions. Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have all lifted Covid restrictions as they look to reclassify the virus as a disease that does not pose a threat to society. The UK and the US are soon likely to follow.

However many experts, including the WHO, have urged caution.

Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had recently stated "it's premature for any country either to surrender or to declare victory".

--IANS

rvt/vd

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court here on Monday issued show cause notice to Police for allegedly making misleading statement before it regarding the sanction to prosecute Sushil Ansal, convicted in the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire which killed 59 people, for purported fraud while getting his passport renewed.

The court issued the notice to the investigating officer (IO) of the case on an application moved by the complainant, alleging that the Lieutenant Governor of had already accorded the requisite sanction on September 16 last year, which was duly communicated to the DCP headquarters on the same day.

The police on January 31, 2022 submitted before the court that its application seeking the sanction was pending before the LG's office and sought more time to procure the documents.

The court had granted three weeks to the IO to procure the sanction.

The court passed the order on Monday after the complainant and Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) chairperson Neelam Krishnamoorthy informed it that conflicting details had come out from the reply of an RTI application filed by her on February 14, 2022.

Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for the AVUT, pointed out that the charge sheet filed in the court was only under section 177 (furnishing false information), 181 (knowingly stating to a public servant, on oath as True that which is false) of IPC and 12 (obtaining a passport by suppressing information about his nationality) of Passport Act, whereas the draft charge sheet filed with the office of the LG on May 22, 2020 was under sections 420 (cheating), 177, 181, 192 (giving or fabricating false evidence), 197 (issuing of sighting false certificate) of IPC and section 12 of the Passport Act.

It is surprising to note how such important sections were deleted when the charge sheet was actually filed in the court, the counsel told the court.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma issued the notice to the IO on both the accounts and directed him to file the reply by March 4, the next date of hearing.

The police had earlier told the court in its charge sheet that Ansal played a fraud on authorities by concealing information about criminal cases pending against him while getting his passport renewed.

In its 8-page final report, police had claimed that Ansal misled the government authority on oath that he has not been convicted in any criminal proceedings by any court.

The case was lodged on the direction of the High Court while hearing a petition by Krishnamoorthy, alleging that Ansal concealed or gave false information to the authorities for renewal of his passport.

Ansal, however, surrendered his passport on August 14, 2017 because he knew that adverse orders against him may well be passed, the final report said.

Krishnamoorthy, who lost two children in the tragedy, has been fighting a legal battle on behalf of the victims' families for the past 20 years.

It was alleged in the complaint that Ansal was getting his passport renewed every 5-10 years.

As per rules, the passport application for new/ re-issue/ replacement of lost/ damaged passport issued by the Ministry of External Affairs mandates the applicant to disclose whether he is involved in any criminal case or not and to produce the NOC from the concerned court in case they are involved in any criminal prosecution.

The plea claimed that Ansal was holding two passports. The court had also noted in an order that his passport number given to the court in 2018 was different from the earlier one mentioned in 2008.

A fire at the Uphaar cinema during the screening of Hindi film 'Border' on June 13, 1997 had claimed 59 lives.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister on Monday chuckled at allegations of political vendetta leveled against his ally BJP by supporters of his arch rival Lalu Prasad who has been awarded yet another prison sentence in yet another .

Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of his weekly public interaction programme, Kumar also asserted that there was "nothing political" about his recent meeting with Prashant Kishor with whom he shared a "personal bond". "He (Lalu) had to give up the Chief Minister's chair and install his wife in his place. There have been many cases (related to fodder scam) and he has been convicted in many of these. There may be some more", said Kumar in response to queries about allegations that the ailing RJD supremo, on the wrong side of 70, was paying the price for his stout opposition to the BJP which now rules the Centre.



"I am not among those who had filed litigation against him", the JD(U) leader said, with a ghost of smile on his lips, adding "but he now has many people around him who were among litigants. One such person has been some time with him, some time with me and had even sought to make me a co-petitioner, but I refused to be drawn into the matter".





The allusion was to Shivanand Tiwary, currently the RJD national vice president, who was among those on whose PIL the Patna High Court had ordered a CBI inquiry into fraudulent withdrawal from treasury of nearly Rs 1000 crore during Prasad's tenure as CM. Tiwary had been with Samata Party, JD(U)'s previous avatar, before walking over to RJD which rewarded him with a ministerial berth in the Rabri Devi government.

Later, he jumped back to the JD(U) and enjoyed a term in the Rajya Sabha but was expelled from the party in 2014.

A few years later, he was again accommodated by the RJD. Kumar was also asked about his much talked about meeting with Prashant Kishor whom he had inducted into the JD(U) and elevated to the post of national vice president some years back. Kishor's outspokenness on a range of issues had left the JD(U) uneasy and his outbursts against the CM, who was then the party president as well, led to his expulsion. However, Kumar, often seen as one who did not easily forget slights, indicated that he was not bitter with the young political strategist who had "called me up a number of times while I was down with COVID". "But we share an old relationship, which is personal, and nothing political should be seen into it. Moreover, it is well known that Prashant knows many political figures and keeps interacting with them all", Kumar pointed out. PTI PKD NAC



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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The on Monday reiterated that is not an essential religious practice and said religious instructions should be kept outside the educational institutions.

"This is our stand that is not an essential religious practice. There was a statement by Dr B R Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly where he said 'let us keep the religious instructions outside educational institutions'," Karnataka Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi told the full bench of the High Court, which is hearing the case.

The full bench comprises Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna M Dixit.

According to the AG, only the essential religious practice gets protection under the Article 25, which guarantees the citizens to practice the faith of their choice. He also referred to "reforms in the religion" as part of the Article 25.

As soon as the proceedings began, CJ Awasthi said certain clarifications were required related to Hijab.

"You have argued that government order is innocuous and the state government has not banned Hijab and not put any restrictions on it. The GO says that the students should wear the prescribed uniform. What is your stand -- whether Hijab can be permitted or not in the educational institutions?" the Chief Justice asked.

In reply, Navadgi said if the institutions allow it, then the government would possibly take a decision as and when the issue arises.

On January one, six girl students of a college in Udupi attended a press conference held by Campus Front of India (CFI) in the coastal town protesting against the college authorities denying them entry into the classroom by wearing Hijab.

This was four days after they requested the principal permission to wear Hijabs in classes which was not allowed. Till then, students used to wear Hijab to the campus and entered the classroom after removing the scarves, the college principal Rudre Gowda had said.

The institution did not have any rule on Hijab-wearing as such and since no one used to wear it to the classroom in the last 35 years. The students who came with the demand had the backing of outside forces, Rudre Gowda had said.

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The government on Monday reiterated that is not an essential religious practice and said religious instructions should be kept outside the educational institutions.

"This is our stand that is not an essential religious practice. There was a statement by Dr B R Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly where he said 'let us keep the religious instructions outside educational institutions', Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi told the full Bench of the HC, which is hearing the case.

The Bench comprises Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna M Dixit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and Oman on Monday began a five-day in Jodhpur, in reflection of growing bilateral military cooperation.

The Indian Air Force has deployed a fleet of Sukhoi-30MKIs, Jaguar and Mirage-2000 fighter jets for the sixth edition of the exercise 'Eastern Bridge'.

On its part, the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) has deployed its F-16 jets.

"It will provide an opportunity to enhance operational capability and interoperability between the two air forces," the IAF said.

The defence cooperation between India and Oman has witnessed an upswing in the last few years.

Commander of Royal Navy of Oman (CRNO) Rear Admiral Saif Bin Nasser Bin Mohsin Al Rahbi visited India last week to explore the expansion of bilateral maritime security cooperation.

Besides holding talks with Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, he met Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.

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A 23-year-old Bajarang Dal activist was allegedly stabbed to death in this district headquarters town, police said Monday, as the administration clamped prohibitory orders and announced a holiday for schools and colleges.

Harsha was allegedly stabbed to death by unknown assailants Sunday night at the Ravi Varma lane in Bharathi Colony, they said.

The town, around 250 km from the state capital Bengaluru, had recently seen disruption in some colleges over the hijab row.

However, the reason behind the Sunday killing is not immediately known.

After the incident, some supporters of the deceased man came out on the streets and vented their anger. Television footage showed them pelting stones but it was not clear what their target was.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra rushed to Shivamogga and met the victim's family. He said the police have got vital clues and would soon arrest those behind the incident.

A 23-year-old youth has been killed. Such incidents should not happen. Police have got the clue and surely they (the accused) will be arrested soon. I appeal to people to maintain calm, Jnanendra told reporters.

Deputy Commissioner Selvamani R told reporters that prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC have been clamped in the town and orders have been given to shut all the schools and colleges.

Police are investigating the case and trying to find out the criminals. We are also working with them. Already section 144 has been clamped in the entire city. So, we have announced a holiday for the schools and colleges, Selvamani said.

Superintendent of Police B M Lakshmi Prasad told reporters that a taskforce has been formed to track down the criminals behind the incident.

"Our priority is to find them out and get them punished. We request people to cooperate with us and not to act emotionally," Prasad told reporters.

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Family members of the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident have moved challenging Allahabad High Court order, which granted bail to the prime accused in the case, Ashish Mishra, who is the son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni.

The petition was filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan.

In the Special Leave Petition, family members of the deceased have challenged the Allahabad High Court order dated February 10, 2022, wherein Ashish Mishra has granted regular bail.

The petitioner said that the Allahabad HC order is unsustainable in law. They also said that they have approached the Apex Court as the state has failed to prefer any appeal against the impugned order.

"The lack of any discussion in the High Court's order as regards the settled principles for grant of bail is on account of lack of any substantive submissions to this effect by the state as the accused wields substantial influence over the State government as his father is a Union Minister from the same political party that rules the state," read the petition.

"The impugned order is unsustainable in eyes of law as there has been no meaningful and effective assistance by the state to the court in the matter contrary to the object of the first Proviso to Section 439 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which provides that in grave offences notice of bail application should ordinarily be given to the Public Prosecutor, " said the petitioner.

Even the victims were prevented from bringing the relevant material as regards the settled principles for grant of bail to notice of High Court as their counsel 'got' disconnected from the hearing on January 18, 2022, before he could barely make any submissions and repeated calls to the court staff to get reconnected were to no avail and application filed by the victims/petitioners, the petition said.

"Contrary to settled law, the High Court failed to form its opinion on the basis of the chargesheet on broad probabilities and has instead gone on the basis of far-fetched imaginary possibilities.

The observation of the High Court that, there might be a possibility that the driver tried to speed up the vehicle to save himself, on account of which, the incident had taken place is perverse especially when there was nothing on record to show the same and there is evidence in fact in the chargesheet to the contrary showing that the vehicles had been dashing at high speeds of 70-100 km/hr from the time they left the venue of the 'dangal'; when they passed the petrol pump; when they crossed the police crossing; all the way to the scene of the crime; and the same has been attested to by various eyewitnesses including police officials on duty, the petition said.

The petitioner said that Allahabad High Court has not considered the heinous nature of the crime; the character of the overwhelming evidence against the accused in the chargesheet; the position and status of the accused with reference to the victim and witnesses.

The likelihood of the accused fleeing from justice and repeating the offence and the possibility of his tampering with the witnesses and obstructing the course of justice while granting relief to the accused.

Ashish Mishra was released from jail last week followed by Allahabad High Court granting him bail. Eight people, including four farmers, had died in violence on October 3, 2020, in Lakhimpur Kheri.

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The COVID-19 tally in reached 10,35,287 on Monday after the detection of 847 new cases, while the deaths of two patients in the last 24 hours took the toll to 10,717, a health department official said.

The positivity rate dipped to 1.2 per cent from 1.3 per cent on Sunday, he pointed out.

The recovery count stood at 10,17,673 after 1,475 people were discharged during the day, leaving the state with 6,897 active cases, he said.

Bhopal and Indore, the two worst coronavirus-hit cities of Madhya Pradesh, registered 151 and 58 cases, respectively, during the past 24 hours, he added.

With 68,756 samples examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,74,37,675, the official said.

A government release said 11,31,60,603 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 1,27.204 on Monday.

figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 10,35,287, new cases 847, death toll 10,717, recoveries 10,17,673, active cases 6,8756, number of tests so far 2,74,37,675.

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New Delhi [India], February 21 (ANI): As India reports a high number of BA.2 cases, a top Health Expert has said it is not a cause of concern because it will not lead to another COVID-19 surge in the country.

Speaking to ANI, Co-Chairman National IMA COVID Task Force Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said that BA.2 is a sub-lineage of variant, which fuelled the third wave in the country.

According to him, BA.2 cannot infect those who have previously had BA.1 sub-variant of COVID-19.

"It will not cause another surge. BA.2 is not capable of infecting people who had BA.1. It's not a new virus or strain. BA.2 is a sub-lineage of Omicron," Dr Jayadevan said.

The Expert further said that BA.2 will be more transmissible than BA.1 and it has mutated to increase its transmissibility.

"BA.2 is a little bit more transmissible than BA.1. For the last two years, it has constantly evolved to increase its fitness, which is its ability to infect more people and to leap past natural immunity and vaccinated immunity," he said.

Dr Jayadevan also said that the variant showed that vaccine immunity can be "easily surpassed by variants" and this trend will continue to be seen in future, if new variants emerge after mutation of the virus.

"Omicron showed that even vaccine immunity can be easily surpassed by variants and this trend will be expected in the future as new variants arrive. But BA.1 and BA.2 both have immune escape ability which means that if you've been naturally infected, or if you've been vaccinated or both, this virus can still infect us," he noted.

Explaining the nature of BA.2, Dr Jayadevan said, "It is the sub-lineage of Omicron and is essentially as same as Omicron that was identified in November in South Africa. It now has BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3."

He also said that virus will be around for a very long time time.

"Virus is going to be around. It will come in ups and downs for a very long time. When the next variant comes, there will be a surge. We do not know when that will be, but history says that it can happen once inevitably six to eight months and that is typically how it acts."

"But until then, we are now in the low phase Omicron. However, what we should remember is this virus is around which means that we must do everything we can to stop it from infecting us," he added.

Citing a study conducted on hamsters in Japan, Dr Jayadevan said that BA.2 may cause severe lung disease.

"As of today, symptoms of Omicron are no different between BA.1 and BA.2. So there is no difference in severity. However, there is a study from Japan done on hamsters. In this study, hamsters showed that BA.2 involved the lungs more than BA.1."

On the trend of the Omicron BA.2 cases globally, he said, "It is believed that BA.2 is increasing in India. But in several other Asian countries in the region and across Europe, the prevalence is slowly increasing, particularly in Denmark. There's a slight increase in the United States and also in Britain.

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has sought emergency use authorisation from India's drug regulator for its COVID-19 vaccine Covovax for the 12 to 17 year age group, official sources said on Monday.

The government has not yet decided on vaccinating those aged below 15.

The Health Ministry had recently said the additional need for vaccination and inclusion of population for inoculation is examined constantly.

In the application for emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the 12-17 year age group, Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII, is learnt to have stated that data from two studies on about 2,707 individuals aged 12 to 17 years show Covovax is highly efficacious, immunogenic, safe and well-tolerated in this age group.

"We are submitting our application along with documents for grant of permission for restricted use in emergency situation for Covovax vaccine in children aged 12 to 17 years in addition to approved age of individuals 18 years and older," an official source quoted Singh as having said in the application.

This approval will not only be beneficial for the country but will also benefit the world, fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Making in India for the World', Singh is learnt to have said.

"In line with the philosophy of our CEO Dr Adar C Poonawalla, we are sure that Covovax will play an important role in protecting the children of our country and the world against COVID-19 and will keep our national flag flying high globally," Singh stated.

The Drugs Controller General Of India has already approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28.

Covovax is manufactured by technology transfer from Novavax and is approved by the European Medicines Agency for conditional marketing authorisation.

It has been granted emergency use listing by the World Health Organisation on December 17, 2021.

India has been using Bharat Biotech's Covaxin to vaccinate adolescents between 15 and 18 years.

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'LIC is well capitalised,' says chairman M R Kumar ahead of mega IPO

State-run Life Insurance Corporation Of India (LIC), which is planning the country's largest IPO next month, is well capitalised, the company's chairman M.R Kumar said on Monday.

Kumar said LIC's potential investors should not worry about government control post the IPO as decisions in the country's largest insurance company are taken by its board and not by the government, which will hold 95% of stake post the IPO. Read more

says initial signs indicate monsoon 2022 could be 'normal'

Though early days, private weather forecasting agency on Monday said that the 2022 southwest monsoon could be normal , finishing around the mid-way mark of the normal range of 96-104 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA).

LPA for the four-month southwest monsoon season that starts from June is 881 millimeters. Read more

Putin and Biden could meet or talk but no firm plans yet: Kremlin

The said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden could set up a call or meeting any time but there were no concrete plans yet for a summit.

Tensions were growing over Ukraine, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, but diplomatic contacts were active. He said Putin would imminently address a special session of Russia's security council. Read more

CBI court sentences Lalu to five years in prison in fodder scam case

A special CBI court in Ranchi on Monday sentenced Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad to five years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 60 lakh on him in the Rs 139.35 crore Doranda treasury scam, the fifth fodder scam case.

The former Bihar chief minister along with other accused was pronounced guilty by the court on February 15. Read more
The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will boost the food processing sector while protecting the interest of farmers in India, Union Commerce and Industry Minister said on Monday.

Goyal, while interacting with industry representatives here, assured that farmers have been fully protected in the India-UAE while the food processing sector will get a boost.

"An additional increase in exports of agricultural products are projected at $850 million over the next five years," he said.

With CEPA, India's market access will increase and with five more countries coming on board, access to the Middle East will be enhanced, he said.

The minister further stated that with tariff concessions offered to the UAE in gold will lower input costs boosting the exports to the UAE.

"This is expected to boost gems and jewellery (mainly plain gold and gold studded jewellery) exports to the UAE to reach $10 billion (around Rs 74,000 crore) in 2023," Goyal said.

Similarly, the plastics industry will witness a big jump in exports as under the raw materials costs are expected to become cheaper leading to lower input cost, he noted.

During 2020-21, India had exported plastics worth USD 418 million to the UAE, he added.

The Union minister said both India and the UAE believe in the principles of reciprocity, rule of law and transparency, therefore, India-UAE is a win-win agreement for both nations.

Indian industry can explore avenues for start-ups in UAE while the start-ups may find investors in the Emirates, the minister added.

With the CEPA Agreement India and UAE aim to increase their bilateral trade to over USD 100 billion in the next five years, Goyal said.

However, he said the potential for trade between the two nations is even bigger, we will surpass the target we have set for ourselves.

"The Foreign Trade Agreement comes at an opportune time while we are working towards and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. We are also negotiating FTAs with other countries such as the UK, Australia, EU, Israel among others," Goyal added.

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The of India (LIC) does not intend to sell its entire stake in IDBI Bank, considering that the lender is its strategic partner for the bancassurance channel. Also, at a time when the state-run insurer is looking to expand its bancassurance business, the relationship with is of much significance, Chairman M R Kumar said on Monday.

Kumar said was keen to list in March itself despite global geo-political tensions weighing on market sentiment -- a stance that has been echoed by finance ministry officials time and again.

He also said LICs potential investors should not worry about government control after its initial public offering (IPO) because decisions in the insurance company were taken by its board and not the government. LIC, he said, was well capitalised and didnt require capital as of now.

Addressing a press conference ahead of the IPO, Kumar said, We would like to have some stake in . The whole idea of us picking up a stake in the bank was for a strategic reason and that has not gone away. In fact, has been the strongest contributor for us in the bancassurance channel.

In a post-listing scenario, when we would want to expand on the bancassurance business, this is something that will really help us. I, as chairperson, LIC, would like to see this relationship continuing in the future, he added.

had picked up a 51 per cent stake in IDBI Bank in 2019. Subsequently, in 2020, it reduced its shareholding to 49.24 per cent. Currently, the government of India and LIC hold 94.71 per cent in the bank. The government is looking to sell its stake in the lender and LIC will also offload its stake, although the quantum of stake sale has not been made public so far.

It is up to the government and DIPAM (Department of Investment and Public Asset Management ) to kick off the privatisation exercise. But since it was a strategic partnership to begin with, we might stick on to some stake so that we continue the relationship we have in bancassurance and other areas, which is a win-win for both LIC and IDBI Bank, Kumar said.

Since LIC is the parent company of both IDBI Bank and LIC Housing Finance, and since both are engaged in the mortgage business, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had given LIC time till November 2023 to wind down either of its associates housing finance business. ALSO READ: LIC 3.0 to be listed, nimble and agile, say M R Kumar & K R Ashok

Kumar said, The RBI has given time to us till November 2023 on the LIC Housing and IDBI Bank issue. Before that we have to take a call whether we want LIC Housing Finance to source the business from IDBI Bank. The other scenario is in case disinvestment happens before the timeline, then the problem would not arise.

LIC had a single life fund before Section 24 of the LIC Act was amended by the government to bring its surplus distribution mechanism at par with private life insurers. Now, the life fund has been segregated to two funds  participating policyholders fund and non-participating policyholders fund. Consequently, the surplus distribution in the participating policyholders fund has been modified to 90:10 in a phased manner, wherein 90 per cent will go to policyholders and 10 per cent to shareholders. Further, 100 per cent of the surplus generated out of the non-participating business will be available for distribution to all shareholders.

This change, Kumar said, will help LIC to increase its profitability, a metric that will be closely tracked once it gets listed. Going forward, with the change in surplus distribution, profitability will increase. Beyond that, its a question of how the product mix changes, penetration, more coverage to people, getting into sectors where we have been missing out. So, that should take care of the profits, Kumar said.

Kumar also outlined the corporations policy post listing wherein it would focus on non-par products, which generate a lot of margins for insurers. They would also look to capitalise on the bancassurance channel of distribution and may also make customised products for this channel.

On the bancassurance side, we have been making progress over a period of time. We have tie-ups with almost 58,000 bank branches and this is higher than any other private insurance companies. In terms of product mix, we are working on several products, both par and non-par. Going forward, we might have differentiated products for bancassurance as some others have, Kumar said.

LIC filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on February 13, thus setting the ball in motion for the countrys largest-ever public listing. The government will sell 5 per cent of its stake, or 316.25 million shares of its over 6,325 million shares. The government owns 100 percent of LIC.
in Delhi on Monday released the second list for admission to entry-level classes -- nursery, KG and class-1.

The process for nursery admissions in over 1,800 schools in the national capital began on December 15 last year, bringing respite for anxious parents who have been waiting for the notification for over two months.

The schools had put out their first list on February 4 using the point-based criteria announced by them earlier.

"The students who have been shortlisted in the second list have to take admission between February 22 to 28, a senior official of the Directorate of (DoE) said.

All private unaided recognised schools were directed that they shall develop and adopt criteria for admission which shall be fair, reasonable, well-defined, equitable, non-discriminatory, unambiguous and transparent," he said.

The official said, "The subsequent list for admission, if any, will be released on March 15. The entire admission process will conclude on March 31."



The DoE has also directed that the number of seats at the entry-level shall not be less than the highest number of seats in entry-level classes during the last three academic years -- 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.

According to norms, all private unaided recognised schools admitting children in pre-school, pre-primary and class-l level shall reserve 25 per cent seats for EWS or DG category students and children with disability.

A monitoring committee has been constituted in each district under the chairmanship of the Deputy Director (District) concerned regarding the admission process.

The deputy director has been asked to ensure that each private school uploads the criteria and its points on the online module and further ensure that the school shall not adopt those criteria which were abolished by the department and upheld by the Delhi High Court.

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(SP) president has said that the ruling BJP was set to be removed from power.

He said the BJP was losing ground and, as the Assembly elections progress and the people of Azamgarh, Ballia, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra vote, the saffron party will be completely routed.

"We have done exceedingly well in the first two phases and even in the third phase on Sunday, the SP alliance is ahead of everyone else.

"Farmers will not forgive them. BJP said income of farmers will be doubled. Ask the farmers what is the truth is. The BJP withdrew the controversial farm law bills in view of the elections and not in farmers' interest," the SP chief said.

Akhilesh described BJP leaders as liars and said "nobody can match them in making false promises".

Taking a pot-shot at the Yogi Adityanath government over free distribution of tablets, he said the Chief Minister does not know how to operate a laptop and tablets.

"Recently, he posted a photograph of himself on Facebook in which he and the people in the picture are looking in opposite directions. Even traders have faced the brunt of the Yogi government in Covid-19 times as the government did nothing for them," Akhilesh said.

He said Yogi did nothing for youths and job aspirants. Instead, BJP sold airports to private players.

The SP President also listed out the achievements of his government from 2012 to 2017.

--IANS

amita/ksk/

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AAP supremo on Monday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks equating bicycle' with 'terrorism' as an attack on the poor, and indicated that his party will go with anti-BJP camp in case of a hung assembly in .

Addressing an election rally in support of (AAP) candidates in the state capital, Kejriwal said, "Yesterday, I heard the prime minister came (to Uttar Pradesh) and said that all those who rode cycles in the country were terrorists. This is a 'chhot' (attack) on all the poor who ride bicycles.

The prime minister is calling all the poor 'terrorists'. All those who ride cycles -- when you press the button to vote, tell them whether those riding bicycles or the BJP men, are terrorists, he said.

Days after a court convicted 49 people for the Ahmedabad serial blasts, Modi had on Sunday said that had vowed to punish the perpetrators even if they took refuge in paatal' (hell), and accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) of being sympathetic to such terrorists. He said he had wondered why the terrorists had opted for bicycle', SP's election symbol, to plant bombs in the initial blasts in Ahmedabad.

Indicating supporting the anti-BJP camp in the event of a hung assembly in Uttar Pradesh, Kejriwal said, "A man came to me and said Kejriwal ji, you are making big promises this elections, but will you win? I replied that all the surveys are saying that any particular party may not get the majority this time.

If we get the opportunity to form the government or any anti-BJP camp forms it I will get all my guarantees (promises) fulfilled by whoever forms the government, he said.

The Delhi chief minister also accused Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of calling him a terrorist, saying despite ruling the country for 70 years, these parties do not have a single concrete work to talk about and that is why, they are calling Kejriwal a terrorist.

"Tell me, if any terrorist has built schools/hospitals in the world? Does any terrorist arrange pilgrimages for elders?" he asked.

Without taking the name of former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas, he said, "In the past seven years that Modi got his house and office raided by the CBI, Enforcement Directorate, RAW and Delhi Police, but got nothing.

"When I asked what was found at my house, I was told nothing. When I asked why the raids were conducted then, I was told that some poet lives in Ghaziabad who said I am a terrorist. I came in his dream and told him seven years ago that I would divide India in two parts and become the prime minister of one.

I said prime minister, where will I break India into two parts?' Your ED, RAW or CBI did not get to know. You should shut down all these agencies and keep that poet, Kejriwal told the rally.

Vishwas, who supported Kejriwal during the Anna agitation, had recently claimed that the AAP supremo was supportive of the Khalistan movement in Punjab.

"Actually, these people have made a mockery of the security of the country. They call anyone a terrorist. In the past, when farmers' agitation was going on, they said that farmers are terrorists. I want to tell the farmers of the state that this time when you go to press the button (vote), show them who is the terrorist," Kejriwal said.

Referring to opening of smart schools, Mohalla clinics and other facilities by his government in Delhi, Kejriwal said, "Terrorists are of two types. One who scares the public and the other who scares the corrupt. Kejriwal is the terrorist who scares the corrupt."



In a lighter vein, he said, When someone commits corruption for 100 miles, mother says just sleep, otherwise Kejriwal will come." He was referring to a dialogue from popular Bollywood film Sholay.

Calling himself a disciple of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, the AAP leader said, "The British used to call Bhagat Singh a terrorist. Today, all these corrupt people cannot sleep peacefully due to the work done by Kejriwal. These corrupt people are calling me a terrorist."



He further claimed that "every Delhiite is happy with the work of AAP government and if it is not so, then do not vote for me in the .

"Both the BJP and Congress have been wiped out from Delhi. If given a chance, all other parties will be wiped out from here too," he added.

Kejriwal began his four-day tour from Monday to drum up support for party candidates in the ongoing assembly polls, AAP office-bearers said.

He will also be visiting Barabanki, Prayagraj and Gorakhpur during the visit and join various election-related programmes of the AAP, party spokesperson Vaibhav Maheshwari said.

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Two days after a special court in Gujarat sentenced 38 people to death for the 2008 Gujarat bombings, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister lashed out at claiming that a convict's father is an active worker.

The Chief Minister representing the Bharatiya Janata Party said that chief Akhilesh Yadav should come out with a clarification in the matter.

Addressing a public meeting in Hardoi, the Chief Minister said, "A Gujarat court has convicted 38 people in Ahmedabad blasts case. Of these, 8 have a connection with Azamgarh. Of these 8 convicts, a convict's father is an active Samajwadi Party worker. SP Chief should give clarification and apologize before the public."

In view of the approaching Uttar Pradesh elections, one of the seats in the spotlight is Azamgarh that for long, has been considered a Samajwadi Party bastion. In 2014, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav won the seat.

Assembly elections are being held in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to March 7 in seven phases to elect all 403 members of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on March 10, 2022.

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The stage is now set for the fourth phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh in which 56 Assembly constituencies, spread across nine districts, will go to polls on February 23.

This phase includes 16 reserved constituencies.

Pilibhit, Lakhimpur-Kheri, Sitapur, Lucknow, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Fatehpur and Banda districts will go to polls in the fourth phase.

A total of 624 candidates are in the fray for 59 Assembly seats. The maximum number of candidates is 15 in Sawayajpur in Hardoi while a minimum of six candidates each, are contesting for two seats, including Palia in Lakhimpur and Sevata in Sitapur.

In the fourth phase, polling will be held in Rohilkhand, Terai region, Awadh and Bundelkhand regions.

In the elections held in 2017, the had won 51 of 59 seats. One seat was won by its ally Apna Dal (S). Four were won by SP, while two seats were won by the and two by the BSP.

In this phase, voting is also taking place in state capital Lucknow which has nine Assembly seats. Of these, eight are with the .

Polling is also scheduled to be held in this phase in Lakhimpur Kheri which has become a focal point of the farmer movement, especially after the October 3 incident in which four farmers were mowed down by an SUV owned by union minister Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish Mishra.

Ashish Mishra was recently released on bail from jail last week.

The opposition has been constantly targeting the on this incident and Mishra's release has further stoked the fire.

This phase is crucial for the BJP which faces the challenge of retaining its 51 seats. The party is facing resistance in the Terai region where BJP MP Varun Gandhi has been speaking up on issues against his own party. Varun is MP from Pilibhit, a farmer dominated constituency.

Then the party faces hostile voters in Lakhimpur where the opposition is refusing to let the October incident fade from public memory.

In Sitapur, the BJP faces rebel candidates.

For the Congress, the biggest challenge of these elections comes from Rae Bareli that also goes to polls this week. Both the MLA, Aditi Singh and Rakesh Singh, have turned rebels and joined the BJP.

Rae Bareli is the parliamentary constituency of president Sonia Gandhi and the party will face major embarrassment if it fails to win seats here.

--IANS

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday accused (SP) of giving protection to terrorists by using its 'cycles'.

Speaking to ANI today, Shehzad Poonawala, the spokesperson, said, "Today the question is not of the use of cycles. The SP has given protection to terrorists on its cycles. The SP has given 'sanrakshan poora (full protection) to terrorists. Why does SP give full protection to terrorists? Will Akhilesh Yadav answer this?"

The leader claimed that the SP chief had gone to Ahmedabad to give protection to Abu Azami. "In 2006 the SP said that SIMI is not a terror outfit. The way the SP started the process to withdraw cases against terrorists even invited comments from the court. So, did the cycle symbol of the party not work to support terrorism?" he added.

Launching a scathing attack at the SP, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday had said that the Opposition party is protecting and giving shelter to terrorists while playing with national security.

Addressing a public meeting in Nighasan and Dhaurhara Assembly constituency of Lakhimpur Kheri, Adityanath said, "Ahmedabad court has sentenced 38 terrorists in the blast case. One of the convicts is a person of the SP. I want to ask Akhilesh Yadav why he has not given explanations. They are giving shelter to terrorists. They are playing with the security of the country. Will the people vote for those who support terrorism?"

Seven phases of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh began from February 10 and will conclude on March 7 for the 403 seats in the state while the people's verdict would be known on March 10, 2022.

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on Mondaywelcomed its first tourists in almost two years after reopening its which was shut in early 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Australia's reopened to travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, marking an end to restrictions that were introduced to prevent the spread of the virus in March 2020, reports Xinhua news agency.

Fifty-six flights were due to land in in the 24 hours after reopening.

Dan Tehan, the federal minister for trade, tourism and investment, was at the Sydney airport on Monday morning to welcome the first arrivals and said it was a milestone for .

"The first passengers had a huge smile on their face even though they have been on a plane for what, 20-odd hours," he told Nine Network television.

"The warmth of the welcome that the Australian people give our overseas visitors hasn't gone away."

The return of double vaccinated international visitors will reinvigorate Australia's tourism sector, which supports 660,000 jobs and contributed A$60.4 billion ($43 billion) to the economy in 2018-19, according to Tehan.

David Marshall, chair of the Canberra Region Tourism Leaders Forum, said it would take up to 18 months for the tourism industry to recover from the pandemic.

"We're really playing catch-up," he told The Canberra Times.

The country on Monday reported more than 15,000 new infections and 17 deaths -- seven in New South Wales, six in Queensland, three in Victoria and one in the Australian Capital Territory.

Monday marked one year since Australia administered its first vaccines.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said that more than 53.2 million vaccines have now been administered in Australia.

--IANS

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U.S. President and Russian President have agreed in principle to a summit over Ukraine, U.S. and French leaders said, offering a possible path out from one of the most dangerous European crises in decades.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement on Monday he had pitched both leaders on a summit over "security and strategic stability in Europe." The White House said in a statement that Biden had accepted the meeting "in principle" but only "if an invasion hasn't happened." "We are always ready for diplomacy," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. "We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war." A call seeking comment from the Kremlin was not immediately returned early Monday.

Many details about the proposed summit - which was announced after a volley of phone calls between Macron, Biden, Putin, and British leader Boris Johnson - are unclear. Macron's office and the White House said that the substance of the summit would be worked out by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their upcoming meeting planned for Feb. 24.

The news comes after a week of heightened tensions spurred by Russia's military buildup all around the Ukrainian border.

Russian forces have been amassing around its neighbor since late last year, something Western countries say is a prelude to an invasion. Nerves were further frayed when the Belarusian defence ministry announced that Russia would extend military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday. Satellite images appeared to show new deployments of Russian armor and troops in farms and forests close to .

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the extension of the exercises made him more worried that Russia was on the brink of invading. Moscow has repeatedly denied such plans.

U.S.-based satellite imagery company Maxar reported multiple new deployments of Russian military units in forests, farms, and industrial areas as little as 15 km (9 miles) from the border with - something Maxar said represented a change from what had been seen in recent weeks.

Blinken told CNN that "everything we are seeing suggests that this is dead serious."

But he said he hoped the invasion could still be averted by peaceful means.

"Until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward," Blinken said.

On the ground, war drums have been beating ever louder over the past few days.

Sporadic shelling across the line dividing Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in that region increased sharply since Thursday; sounds of fighting continued into Monday, when a blast was heard in the centre of the city of Donetsk, which is held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern . Its cause was unknown.

Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine said on Monday that two civilians were killed in shelling by the Kyiv government forces, Russia's RIA news agency reported.



Kyiv has accused pro-Russian forces of shelling their own compatriots in eastern Ukraine to blame the attacks on Ukrainian government forces.

The fighting - and Russia's continued war drills - have put the Europe on edge.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a TV interview that the continent was on the brink of catastrophe.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that Europe is a step away from war, which was something unimaginable not long ago," he said.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Raphael Satter; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Stephen Coates)

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said Monday it will impose new sanctions on US defense contractors Technologies and Martin due to their arms sales to Taiwan, stepping up a feud with Washington over security and Beijing's strategic ambitions.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced the move at a daily press briefing, citing a newly passed Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law that took effect in 2021.

It was in response to a $100 million deal approved by the US for maintenance of Taiwan's missile defense systems by the two .

once again urges the US government and relevant parties to . . . stop arms sales to and sever military ties with Taiwan," Wang said.

will continue to take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its sovereignty and security interests in accordance with the development of the situation," he said without giving any details.

is a democratically self-governed island that communist-ruled China claims as its own territory.

The two sides split amid civil war in 1949.

The US has no formal relations with but is its main ally.

It has increased weapons sales in recent years, angering China with the sales. US law requires the government to ensure Taiwan can defend itself.

Beijing regularly pressures American to try to influence US policy.

In October 2020, Beijing also announced sanctions against and other defense contractors and relevant American individuals.

A day later, the State Department said it had notified Congress of plans for a $2.37 billion sale of Harpoon attack missiles to Taiwan.

It's unclear what penalties, if any, were imposed. US weapons or military aircraft sales to Taiwan in 2010, 2015 and 2019 drew similar threats of sanctions.

China maintains that US arms sale to Taiwan violates its so-called one-China principle" and provisions of agreements between Beijing and Washington.

Tensions over Taiwan have been mounting as Beijing has stepped up military activity around the island to try to force concessions from the pro-independence administration of President Tsai Ing-wen.

The Communist Party also is using the Chinese mainland's growing economic weight to pressure other governments to cut diplomatic and unofficial ties with Taiwan.

Raytheon, Boeing, Martin and other defense industry giants face controls on sales to China of military and dual-use technologies that have both defense and commercial applications.

But they also have major civilian businesses and China is a huge market for aviation, among other industries.

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French President held a second phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, BFMTV reports.

"New call on the same day. spoke again on the phone with Vladimir Putin this Sunday," the French TV channel reported shortly before midnight without giving any details on the substance of the talks.

According to BFMTV, the phone conversation lasted for one hour.

Earlier on Sunday, Downing Street said that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had discussed the situation in with Macron, with Johnson telling his French counterpart that Putin's "commitments" to Macron suggest openness to finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Earlier on Sunday, Putin and Macron held phone talks at the French side's initiative. The presidents agreed on trilateral group (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) talks on to be held on Monday, according to media reports. The Russian president also reportedly confirmed to Macron the intention to withdraw troops from Belarus after the ongoing joint military exercise is over.

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Russian President said on Monday that he no longer felt that a 2015 peace plan agreed would be able to resolve Ukraine's separatist conflict.

"We understand that there are no prospects" for the implementation of the 2015 Minsk peace accords, agreed in the capital of Belarus to end fighting between Ukraine's army and pro-Moscow rebels in the east of the country, Putin told his security council.

Meanwhile, the United States has warned the United Nations it has information that has lists of people from "to be killed or sent to camps" in the event of an invasion, as per a letter sent to the UN rights chief, reported by news agency AFP.

Putin's statement follows televised statements by separatist leaders, who pleaded with Putin to recognise them as independent states and sign friendship treaties envisaging military aid to protect them from what they described as the ongoing Ukrainian military offensive. Russia's lower house made the same plea last week.

Ukrainian authorities deny launching an offensive and accuse of provocation amid intensifying shelling along the line of contact.

The Kremlin initially signalled its reluctance to make the move that would effectively shatter a 2015 peace deal for eastern that marked a major diplomatic coup for Moscow, requiring Ukrainian authorities to offer a broad self-rule to the rebel regions.

The US and Russian presidents tentatively agreed to meet in a last-ditch effort to stave off a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, even as sustained shelling continued on Monday in a conflict in eastern that Western powers fear could provide the spark for a broader war.

If invades, as the US warns Moscow has already decided to do, the meeting will be off. Still the prospect of a face-to-face summit resuscitated hopes that diplomacy could prevent a devastating conflict, which would result in massive casualties and huge economic damage in Europe, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy.

Russia has massed an estimated 150,000 troops on three sides of Ukraine  the biggest such buildup since the Cold War. And Western officials have warned that Russian President is now merely looking for a pretext to invade the country, a western-looking democracy that has defied Moscow's attempts to pull it back into its orbit.

Moscow denies it has any plans to attack, but wants Western guarantees that NATO won't allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members. It has also demanded the alliance halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe demands flatly rejected by the West.

With the prospect of war looming, French President Emmanuel Macron scrambled to broker a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Putin.

Macron's office said both leaders had accepted the principle of such a summit, to be followed by a broader meeting that would include other relevant stakeholders to discuss security and strategic stability in Europe. The language from Moscow and Washington was more cautious, but neither side denied a meeting is under discussion.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the administration has always been ready to talk to avert a war but was also prepared to respond to any attack.

"So when President Macron asked President Biden yesterday if he was prepared in principle to meet with President Putin, if Russia did not invade, of course President Biden said yes," he told NBC's Today show on Monday. "But every indication we see on the ground right now in terms of the disposition of Russian forces is that they are, in fact, getting prepared for a major attack on Ukraine." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday that Putin and Biden could meet if they consider it feasible, but emphasised that it's premature to talk about specific plans for a summit." Macron's office said that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are set to lay the groundwork for the potential summit when they meet Thursday. The French leader has been trying to play go-between to avert a new war in Europe, and his announcement followed a flurry of calls by Macron to Putin, Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Even as the diplomacy pressed ahead, there were signs it might not head off a broader conflict. In on particularly dire signal, Russia and its ally Belarus announced Sunday that they were extending massive war games on Belarus' territory, which could offer a staging ground for an attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, located just 75 kilometers south of the border.

Russian forces killed five saboteurs and destroyed two Ukrainian armored personnel carriers that crossed into Russian territory in the Rostov region early Monday, state-run Tass news service reported, citing a statement from the Southern Military District.

The alleged strike comes as tensions have escalated between the Ukrainian army and separatists in two breakaway republics in the countrys east, with both sides accusing the other of increased shelling in recent days.

Unlike the firing along the contact line between Ukraine and the separatists, Russia alleged this incident took place over the border. Ukraine did not comment on the reported strike, but officials there have said they arent conducting offensive operations.

Starting Thursday, shelling also spiked along the tense line of contact that separates Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland of Donbas. Over 14,000 people have been killed since conflict erupted there in 2014, shortly after Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

The French and Russian leaders agreed to pursue dialogue at the level of foreign ministers, he said on a conference call with reporters.
India and have agreed on a Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance with the aim to contribute to scientific knowledge and ocean conservation and ensure that the ocean remains a global common, based on the rule of law.

This agreement came during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's three-day visit to .

The scope of the roadmap will encompass maritime trade, the naval industry, fisheries, marine technology and scientific research, integrated coastal management, marine eco-tourism, inland waterways, and cooperation between competent administrations on civil maritime issues.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement said that both nations plan to organize an annual bilateral dialogue on the blue economy and ocean governance to exchange views on their priorities, share their best practices and support ongoing and future cooperation.

"India and intend to make blue economy a driver of progress of their respective societies while respecting the environment and coastal and marine biodiversity," the MEA said in a joint document.

India and France underscored that fisheries are a vital economic sector and play a decisive role in food security and livelihood security, particularly for coastal populations.

They also highlighted that demographic, economic and societal factors have led to an increased global demand for marine products and growing stress on global fish stocks.

According to the statement, India and France will make the blue economy a priority in the development of their economic exchanges.

"They will facilitate contacts between economic actors, business heads organisations, technopoles and maritime clusters of the two countries, cross investments, as well as visa issuance to entrepreneurs active in the blue economy," the MEA said.

Earlier today, Jaishankar held wide-ranging and productive talks in Paris with France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and both sides discussed cooperation, the Ukraine situation and Indo-Pacific.

Jaishankar on Sunday began his visit to France. He will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, amid China's assertiveness in the region, on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council.

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will take part in an online meeting of the G7 countries this week and the talks will be aimed at measures to de-escalate tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the government said on Monday.

Kishida said he would make his utmost efforts in lockstep with the G7 and other members of the community to deescalate and ultimately resolve the crisis on the Russia- border, Xinhua news agency reported.

Addressing Parliament, he said that "while the situation remains critical, will continue to make diplomatic efforts with other countries to ease tensions".

Kishida urged Russian President Vladimir Putin last week to find an "acceptable" diplomatic solution to the current impasse and held a teleconference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during which a number of pertinent issues were traversed, government sources said.

Kishida's participation in the Thursday summit, meanwhile, to be hosted by Germany, was announced by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

Matsuno told a press briefing on Monday that the government has been urging Japanese nationals in to evacuate, and has been taking measures to bring this to fruition.

He said has chartered an aircraft near as part of its plans to evacuate Japanese nationals.

There were about 120 Japanese nationals in Ukraine till date, local media reported.

--IANS

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US President held a meeting of the over the situation around on Sunday, the said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin along with the other members of NSC were present during the meeting.

"Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. convened a meeting of the to discuss the latest developments regarding Russia's military buildup on the borders of Ukraine," the said in a tweet.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a Saturday statement, "President Biden continues to monitor the evolving situation in and is being updated regularly about events on the ground by his national security team. They reaffirmed that could launch an attack against at any time."

Western countries and Kyiv have been accusing of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security.

has pointed out that rising fears of an "invasion" in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe.

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the ongoing turmoil is being deliberately promoted by the West to cover up Kyiv's sabotage of the Minsk agreements.

The self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) in Ukraine's southeast (Donbas) announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russia's Rostov Region on Friday over the escalation of tensions on the contact line. DPR and LPR have been reporting ongoing shelling of Donbas settlements by Kyiv forces since Thursday.

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Sri Lanka's Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has written to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, seeking India's intervention in ensuring a lasting political solution to the long-standing Tamil issue and the implementation of the contentious 13th Amendment.

In the letter sent to Stalin over the weekend, the TNA, along with diaspora group Global Tamil Forum, said, "Tamil Nadu has always been critical in setting Indian policies towards . It is in this context that a path-setting and pragmatic approach adopted by Chief Minister would give us enormous comfort."



The TNA, Sri Lanka's main Tamil party, says the proposed constitutional process related to Amendment 13 was likely to further politically weaken the Tamil groups.

The 13th Amendment was the result of the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987, inked by the then Sri Lankan President JR Jayawardena and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

It provides for devolution of powers to the minority Tamil community in . India has continually reaffirmed its commitment to protect the rights of Sri Lanka's minority Tamil community through the full implementation of the 13th Amendment, early convening of Provincial Council elections and achieving reconciliation.

Earlier this month, during the visit of Sri Lankan foreign minister G L Peiris to New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised that Sri Lanka's interests are best served by ensuring equality, justice, peace and respect for the Tamil people within a united .

Devolution of power is an important aspect of this process, Jaishankar had underlined.

However, the ruling Sri Lanka People's Party's Sinhala majority hardliners have been advocating for a total abolition of the island's Provincial Council system.

The Sri Lankan government has said the latest draft of the new Sri Lankan Constitution was sent to the Legal Draftsman; while the TNA is still waiting for a meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The TNA, in its letter ahead of next month's 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, said a revised Constitution could further alienate the minority group "especially by abolishing or weakening the provincial councils - the only constitutional power devolution arrangement Tamil people achieved with direct Indian involvement".

The TNA said it looks forward to directly engaging with the Tamil Nadu government as it is crucial for the long-term peace and prosperity of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.

Since taking office in 2019, Sri Lankan President Rajaspaksha has not held talks even once with the TNA which is Sri Lanka's largest and most prominent Tamil political outfit.

In its letter to Stalin, the TNA decried the pace at which the investigation on war crimes during Sri Lanka's three-decade long civil war was going on. The UN Human Rights Commission has demanded for the probe.

"Tamils in Sri Lanka are, once again, at a critical point. Twelve years after the end of the war, their economic prospects are dismal. The progress on war-related accountability is marginal at best. Tamils face many existential challenges to protect their land and to preserve their identity in the Northern and Eastern Provinces against rampant militarisation and state-sponsored initiatives aimed at altering regional demography," said the statement.

Sri Lanka has been marred by an over three-decade-long brutal civil war that ended with the death of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief Velupillai Prabhakaran in 2009.

The UN believes 80,000-100,000 people died in the conflict when the rebels sought to carve out a separate state for the Tamil minority and accused both sides of war crimes.

The UNHRC has passed a resolution censuring Colombo over its treatment of minorities and alleged failure to investigate atrocities during the civil war.

According to government figures, over 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts. The Tamils allege that thousands were massacred during the final stages of the war.

The Sri Lankan Army denies the charge, claiming it was a humanitarian operation to rid the Tamils of LTTE's control.

Meanwhile, the UNHRC session is due to begin on February 28 and will end on April 1.

The Sri Lankan government has already received the draft report of the UNHRC on Sri Lanka last week and a response has already been sent, government sources said.

Foreign Minister GL Peiris will lead the government delegation to Geneva. The dialogue on Sri Lanka will take place on March 3.

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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that may soon sign a new nuclear agreement with world powers but the new deal is "weaker" than the previous one.

Referring to the negotiations in Vienna between and world powers, Bennett told his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that "the talks are advancing quickly... We may see an agreement shortly", reports Xinhua news agency.

But "the new apparent agreement is shorter and weaker than the previous one," he said.

The Israeli leader warned that the lift of sanctions against will provide the country with more money to build weapons.

is prepared to protect its citizens' security, on its own, in any scenario, the Prime Minister noted.

While addressing the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, Defence Minister Benny Gantz urged the community to use the emerging deal to tighten the oversight over Iran's nuclear program.

"Action must be taken to ensure that Iran does not continue enrichment in additional facilities, and oversight must be increased," he told the conference.

has been a staunch opponent of the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which offered Tehran sanction relief in return for restrictions and oversight over its nuclear programme.

Former US President Donald Trump pulled out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, which prompted the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments one year later and advance its halted nuclear program.

Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Vienna between Iran and the remaining parties, namely the UK, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the US indirectly involved in the talks, to revive the landmark deal.

--IANS

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By Sonali Paul and Florence Tan

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Oil prices fell on Monday, reversing course from strong initial gains, as news of fresh diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis provided some relief from concerns about crude supply.

futures and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose more than $1 a barrel at the start of Asian trade as the crisis threatened to disrupt Russian energy exports to Europe.

But prices subsequently swung to a near $1 loss after the office of French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement on Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed in principle to a summit over .

futures slipped to $93.14 a barrel at 0730 GMT, down 40 cents or 0.4%, after earlier touching $95, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dropped 28 cents to $90.79 a barrel, off an earlier high of $92.93. U.S. will be closed on Monday for the Presidents Day holiday.

"A potential reduction of Ukraine tensions following the US/ summit announcement this morning has seen some sellers emerge in oil in Asia," OANDA's analyst Jeffrey Halley said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said would be cut off from financial and denied access to major exports needed to modernise its economy if it invaded Ukraine.

"If a Russian invasion takes place as the U.S. and U.K. have warned in recent days, Brent futures could spike above $US100/bbl, even if an Iranian deal is reached," Commonwealth Bank analyst Vivek Dhar said in a note.

Analysts at Singapore's OCBC bank said Brent could test $100 in the short term, possibly before the end of first quarter.

Despite the prospect of $100 oil, ministers of Arab oil-producing countries said on Sunday that OPEC+ should stick to its current agreement to add 400,000 barrels of oil per day each month to output, rejecting calls to pump more to ease pressure on prices.

To avert a major run up in prices, RBC Capital analysts said the White House is expected to prepare a large strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) release coordinated through the Energy Agency.

"We anticipate that the U.S. SPR release will be larger than the one in November and more sweet barrels could be offered this time around through direct sale," RBC Capital said in a note.

Price gains have also been limited by the possibility of more than 1 million barrels a day of Iranian crude returning to the market.

A senior European Union official said on Friday a deal to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement was "very very close".

Analysts said the market remained tight, and any addition of oil would help, but prices would remain volatile in the near term as Iranian crude would only likely return later this year.

(Reporting by Sonali Paul and Florence Tan; Editing by Sam Holmes, Shivani Singh and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

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By Noah Browning

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose slightly on Monday as fresh diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis provided some relief from supply concerns that have kept oil prices near $100 a barrel.

Brent crude futures rose 25 cents, or 0.3%, to $93.79 a barrel at 1000 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 35 cents, or 0.4%, to $91.42 a barrel.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed in principle to a summit over Ukraine but the Kremlin said there were no immediate plans for a meeting.

U.S. will be closed on Monday for the Presidents Day holiday.

"A potential reduction of Ukraine tensions ... has seen some sellers emerge in oil in Asia," OANDA analyst Jeffrey Halley said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said would be cut off from financial and denied access to major exports needed to modernise its economy if it invaded Ukraine.

"If a Russian invasion takes place, as the U.S. and U.K. have warned in recent days, Brent futures could spike above $100/bbl, even if an Iranian deal is reached," Commonwealth Bank analyst Vivek Dhar said in a note.

Meanwhile, ministers of Arab oil-producing countries said on Sunday that OPEC+ should stick to its current agreement to add 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil output each month, rejecting calls to pump more to ease pressure on prices.

Price gains have also been limited by the possibility of more than 1 million bpd of Iranian crude returning to the market.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said "significant progress" had been made in talks to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement on Monday after a senior European Union official said on Friday that a deal was "very, very close".

Analysts said the market remained tight and any addition of oil would help, but prices would remain volatile in the near term because Iranian crude is unlikely to return until later this year.

(Additional reporting by Sonali Paul and Florence Tan; Editing by David Goodman)

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The Pakistani ambassador to Kabul has expressed the countrys serious concerns over the active presence of foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan, who use Afghan soil to carry out terror related attacks and activities in .

Ambassador Mansoor Ahmed Khan said that terror groups like Daesh and Al-Qaeda pose a serious threat to as they facilitate, support and operate in tandem with terror groups in .

'Terrorist organisations present in have been posing threats to the security of as well as to other countries, including Pakistan. Daesh is there, and remnants of Al-Qaeda may be there too. Then there are elements like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch insurgents and many other groups,' said Ahmed Khan during an interview with Afghanistan's Tolo News.

Khan also expressed security concerns along the Durand Line, hoping to resolve the matter with the Taliban leadership in .

'The fence was erected or installed in the previous years when cross-border was at its highest. One of the ways the Pakistan government could deal with this issue was to erect a fence,' he said.

Khan's reservations raise questions over the Taliban leadership of the Islamic Emirate, as it does not agree to the presence of foreign terrorist groups on its soil. Afghan Taliban have also assured that Afghan soil would not be used against anyone.

It is pertinent to mention that the Taliban regime does not recognise the Durand Line, an issue that has escalated tensions between the two countries in the recent past, when Taliban fighters removed the fence, claiming that the Pakistani authorities had installed the fence on Afghanistan territory.

'Considering the current difficult condition, Afghanistan should have good political, economic and social relations with its neighbors, particularly Pakistan,' said Sayed Haroon Hashmi, a political analyst.

Pakistan has also raised the same concern at the UNSC, calling on the global body to hold accountable the masterminds who continue to support, finance and sponsor cross-border terrorist attacks.

It seems clear that all is not well between the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan and the Pakistani authorities, as the issue of Durand Line fencing, cross-border and presence of foreign terror groups on Afghan soil are reliving the memories of similar exchanges of accusations between the two countries during the previous Ashraf Ghani government in Afghanistan.

--IANS

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Vasyl Siredzhuk, of Wolcott, holds his son Matviy, 5, on his shoulders at a rally and prayer vigil for Ukraine at the State Capitol in Hartford, Conn., Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Siredzhuk is from Ukraine and came to the United States 10 years ago. (Jessica Hill / Special to the Courant)

Hartford  As civilians evacuated from parts of eastern Ukraine on Sunday amid mounting fears of an imminent Russian invasion, Alexander Kuzma stood on the steps of the Capitol building in Hartford and invoked the spirit of Nathan Hale.

Facing more than 100 people rallying for peace in Ukraine, Kuzma recalled the legendary last words of the Revolutionary War hero from Coventry before he was executed by British forces: I only regret that I have but one life to give to my country.

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Today, there are thousands and thousands of Ukrainian Nathan Hales, standing guard in the bunkers and the outposts, along the Belarusian border, along the eastern border of eastern Ukraine, in Odessa, said Kuzma, a Ukrainian American resident of Wethersfield who organized the Stand With Ukraine rally and prayer vigil.

[ In Connecticut, growing unease among some Ukrainian-Americans as tensions rise on Russian border ]

With Russian forces assembled along Ukraines borders and a recent intensification of shelling by Russian-backed separatists in the eastern region of Ukraine, President Joe Biden has warned that a Russian invasion of the country could be fast approaching. As leaders of NATO member states urge a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, Russia has continued military exercises perceived by many American officials as a prelude to a military conflict.

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In Hartford, the blues and yellows of the Ukrainian flag brightened the steps of the Capitol, where those gathered sang the Ukrainian and American national anthems and called for an end to Russian hostility. Their hand-made signs were blunt: Putin out of Ukraine, Say No to war! Expose, dont soft-pedal Putins war crimes. Members of Connecticuts Polish, Lithuanian and Belarusian communities also joined the rally, unfurling their own national flags in a show of solidarity.

The rally was attended by a number of Connecticut politicians, including U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

[Russian President Vladimir] Putin must be deterred, said Blumenthal, who last month joined a Senate delegation to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenksyy.

For many in the crowd, the mounting conflict in Ukraine was not a distant concern but one poised to entrap friends and family members, threatening the countrys hard-won independence and reflecting a long legacy of oppression by foreign powers.

Ukraineian American Julie Nesteruk of Wethersfield attends a rally and prayer vigil for Ukraine at the Capitol in Hartford on Sunday. Nesteruk has family in Ukraine. (Jessica Hill / Special to the Courant)

Anatole Bobriwnyk, 79, of Rocky Hill, held a black-and-white sign reading Ukraine will fight for freedom.

Born in Ukraine, Bobriwnyk noted the devastating national trauma that marks his own familys history. His mother was taken to work in a German labor camp during the Second World War, he said. A decade before he was born, the Great Famine, driven by the decisions of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, led to the deaths of millions of Ukrainians.

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The Ukrainians are a proud people and they love their country, he said. They will never become part of the Russian empire.

It was not lost on the crowd that Sunday marked the eight-year anniversary of the massacre of dozens of protesters in Kyiv by the Ukrainian government, which at the time was aligned with Russia.

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Remember Ukraines martyrs of the Maidan, one sign read, referring to the Ukrainian citys central square, where the 2014 killings occurred.

Rally closes with a rendition of the Ukrainian National Anthem (Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished) pic.twitter.com/i7lMYOEud6  Eliza Fawcett (@ElizaFawcett) February 20, 2022

I pray to God that this evil person comes to his senses and doesnt do what hes thinking of doing, Ihor Rudko, a Colchester resident, said of Putin. Rudko, a national commander of the Ukrainian American Veterans organization, highlighted the high suicide rate among Ukrainian soldiers and the psychological toll of recent years of Russian hostility.

Julie Nesteruk, 66, of Wethersfield, who carried a blue and yellow sign calling for peace and freedom, said that she is in regular communication with relatives in Ukraine.

They pray, she said. They believe that whatever is going to happen is Gods will.

Eliza Fawcett can be reached at elfawcett@courant.com.
has toughened laws to curb so-called by regulating posts on social media platforms like Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc.s Facebook, a move seen as an attempt to crack down on journalists and opponents of the government.

President Arif Alvi approved an ordinance to amend the countrys Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act that allows anyone to file a complaint against a social media post. It also increased the jail term for the act from three to five years and made spreading online a non-bailable offense, law minister Farogh Naseem said at a press conference Sunday.

The changes to the law follow online misinformation about a rift between Prime Minister and the first lady and violent language used against former Chief Justice of Gulzar Ahmed on social media, according to Naseem.

This is simply a move to further silencing dissenting voices.

Its very serious. They have sharpened the law, said Haroon Baluch, senior program manager at Bytes for All, a digital rights organization. Now you will see more self-censorship.

Separately, the authorities last week arrested Mohsin Jamil Baig, the editor of wire service Online News Agency, for comments made on a television show after a complaint made by a federal minister Murad Saeed.

The government action is unwarranted and deplorable and undermines democratic, political and media freedoms, Federal Union of Journalists said in a statement. The union plans to challenge the ordinance in court and start a protest.

The decision comes days ahead of a planned protest by opposition parties to dislodge Khan from power through a series of rallies and a possible no-confidence move in parliaments lower house.
Prime Minister will visit on February 23-24, diplomatic sources said in Islamabad on Monday, signalling the first visit by a Pakistani premier to Moscow in 23 years.

An official from Pakistan's Foreign Office confirmed that Prime Minister Khan will visit Moscow on February 23-24.

He has been officially invited by and Prime Minister Khan will hold talks on key issues of bilateral interest with top leadership, the official told PTI.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday confirmed that preparations for the visit of the Prime Minister Khan were underway, the state-run TASS news agency reported.

"The visit will take place on February 23-24," it quoted a source in diplomatic circles as saying. Khan's visit has not been officially announced by and .

The visit, which comes amid heightened Russia-Ukraine tensions, is expected to focus on bilateral ties, particularly economic and trade cooperation.

Progress is also expected on the Stream Gas Pipeline project that the Russian company would undertake in laying a pipeline from Karachi to Kasur near the Indian border.

A Russian delegation was in Pakistan recently to negotiate toll-free proceedings and tax exemptions in connection with the Pakistan Gas Stream Project.

Khan is also expected to hold a key meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, sources in Pakistan said earlier.

Khan will become the first Pakistani premier to visit Russia in 23 years after former premier Nawaz Sharif travelled to Moscow in 1999.

Though former presidents General Pervez Musharraf, Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi visited Russia, none of them was an official trip.

Pakistan's ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years and the chill in the relations between Pakistan and the US has further pushed the country towards Russia and China.

In April last year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Islamabad after a gap of almost nine years. During the visit, he conveyed a message to Pakistani leadership on behalf of President Putin that Moscow was willing to extend all possible help to Islamabad.

(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.)
Pakistan's political opposition and journalist community Monday rejected a tough new cybercrimes law approved by the country's president that enhances jail terms for users convicted of disseminating fake news.

The development came a day after President Arif Alvi approved the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, enhancing jail terms from three to five years for people convicted of spreading fake news on .

Suspects arrested under the law will not be entitled to bail during trial. The legislation takes effect immediately.

It is an attack on freedom of expression," Maryam Aurangzeb, a spokesperson for the Muslim League opposition party told reporters at a news conference.

Yusuf Raza Gilani, a senior leader of the opposition People's Party, at a separate news conference, said his party will challenge the new law in the court because it is aimed at curbing media freedom.

Almost all of Pakistan's other opposition parties and journalist unions have also opposed the new law, which was approved by Alvi days after authorities arrested media owner Mohsin Baig. Baig had appeared on a TV talk show and suggested that Prime Minister had shown favouritism this month by granting an award to a Cabinet minister Murad Saeed with whom he has a close friendship.

Although the government says it supports freedom of speech, critics say the space for media freedom has shrunk in since Khan's government came into power in 2018.

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intends to bring the tribal areas near the Durand Line under its control and complete its Durand barbed wire fencing, according to Pakistani officials in the Western media, reported Shamshad News.

Following deadly attacks on Pakistani troops, the Pakistani military has launched an operation along the Durand Line near .

According to the Military analysts, has not changed its bilateral policy and the country wants to rid itself of criticism, which has been accused of training and financing terrorism for years.

" is based on lies and several terrorist groups are being trained in Pakistan," said Toryali, a former soldier.

"It is clear to the whole world, and it is time to get rid of all the crimes that Pakistan has committed against humanity and to hand over to the current government of the actions that we have not done so far."

Moreover, University professor Faiz Mohammad Hollande believes that Pakistan is creating artificial insecurity on its soil and in tribal areas and carrying out planned attacks to complete the Durand Line barbed wire project.

"Pakistan has always pursued a two-pronged policy towards Afghanistan," Hollande added. "To protect the wire, Taliban officials have been forced to work together to protect it, so there are occasional unwanted artificial attacks on Iraqi soil," he said.

Military analysts have dismissed the claims made by the Pakistani Interior Ministry and its representative to the United Nations that militants have crossed into Pakistan and are working to complete the barbed wire fence.

"Pakistan itself is a platform for militant training, and that is an excuse," said Sarwar Niazi, a military analyst. "Under these pretexts, Pakistan wants to complete the barbed wire fence of the Durand Line."

In the past two months, there have been clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces along the Durand Line in Nangarhar, Kandahar, Nimroz, Kunar and Khost provinces over the construction of barbed wire fences, some of which have been fenced off by the Islamic Emirate of .

Notably, the Taliban have not accepted the Durand Line as the 'official' boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan. There have been frequent skirmishes between Taliban and Pak security forces along the border after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden could set up a call or meeting any time but there were no concrete plans yet for a summit.

Tensions were growing over Ukraine, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, but diplomatic contacts were active. He said Putin would imminently address a special session of Russia's security council.

Peskov was speaking after French President Emmanuel Macron said Putin and Biden had agreed in principle to a summit over the crisis.

The and its allies have been warning for days that could invade at any time, which Moscow denies.

Peskov said U.S. media reports that had drawn up a list of Ukrainians to capture or kill after an invasion were an "absolute lie".

He described as "highly unusual" a U.S. embassy warning to Americans in that they should prepare plans to leave the country if necessary.

The security alert on Sunday cited media sources as saying there had been threats of attacks against shopping centres, railway and metro stations and other public places, including in Moscow, St Petersburg and areas near the Russia- border.

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A key Japanese parliamentary committee on Monday approved the government's record $940 billion initial spending plan for the next fiscal year, setting the stage for the budget's full passage through the legislature in March.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is counting on the budget to pull the world's third-largest out of the Covid-19-induced doldrums with the set to slow to a crawl this quarter.

The budget for the new fiscal year beginning in April, worth 107.6 trillion yen ($936.14 billion), is Japan's biggest initial spending plan.

The expansive fiscal package will also add to strains for the industrial world's heaviest debt burden, which is more than twice the size of Japan's $5 trillion .

The budget was approved on Monday by ruling party lawmakers at the lower house budget committee. It would be put to a vote on Tuesday in the plenary, as agree by ruling and opposition blocs.

Given the ruling bloc's majority in the both chambers of parliament, the budget bill would be enacted 30 days after it is sent to the upper house.

It marked the quickest enactment of a budget since 1999.
President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with Russia's President as long as that country holds off on what US officials believe is an imminent assault on .

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe as long as a further invasion doesn't occur.

In a statement, Psaki said: We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should instead choose war. And currently, appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on very soon.

French President Emmanuel Macron assisted in brokering the potential talks after a day of talks with the two leaders Sunday.

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday laid out the details of his living with COVID plan, which involves an end to the legal requirement to self-isolate after a positive test from Thursday and a rollback of free mass tests from April.

In a House of Commons statement, the UK Prime Minister confirmed that all temporary laws brought in to tackle the pandemic in March 2020 will lapse next month as part of his strategy to shift away from government mandate to personal responsibility.

He declared that the countrys health strategy will now be geared towards vaccines and therapeutics, including accepting the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice to offer a fourth booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to all those aged over 75 and the most vulnerable groups over the next few months.

While the pandemic is not over, we have now passed the peak of the Omicron wave with cases falling, hospitalisations now below 10,000 in England and still falling and the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths substantially weakened, said Johnson.

Together with the treatments and scientific understanding of the virus weve now built up, we now have sufficient levels of community to complete the transition from protecting people with government interventions to relying on vaccines and treatments as our first line of defence, he said.

We can now deal with it in a very different way, moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility so we protect ourselves without losing our liberties and maintaining our contingent capabilities so we can respond rapidly to any new variant, he added.

As part of the plan, until April 1 people will be advised to stay at home if they test positive but after that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms will be encouraged to exercise personal responsibility and consideration, similar to the flu. Contact tracing will come to an end and fully vaccinated close contacts will no longer be asked to test daily for seven days, as per current rules. The legal requirement of self-isolation for close contacts of a COVID positive individual who are not fully vaccinated will also end.

Other measures, including the voluntary use of COVID vaccine certification by venues and the guidance for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to test twice a week will end from April 1.

Johnson reiterated that it is because of high levels of immunity and deaths being below where expected for this time of year that the government can lift restrictions.

He added: COVID will not suddenly disappear. So those who would wait for a total end to this war before lifting these regulations would be restricting the liberties of the British people for a long time to come.

We have a population that is protected by the biggest vaccination programme in our history. We have the antivirals, the treatments and the scientific understanding of this virus. And we have the capabilities to respond rapidly to any resurgence or new variant. And it is time that we got our confidence back. The Opposition Labour Party, however, accused the government of setting out a half-baked strategy which fails to ensure living well with COVID.

The Prime Minister promised to present a plan for living with COVID, but all weve got today is more chaos and disarray, not enough to prepare us for the new variants which may develop, an approach that seems to think that living with COVID means simply ignoring it, said Labour Leader Keir Starmer.

He also referenced a reported rift within Cabinet earlier on Monday, during which UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid clashed over recuperating the costs related to COVID testing.

Under current norms, fully vaccinated individuals who test positive must isolate for up to 10 days with an option of ending isolation after five days if they register two consecutive negative lateral flow tests on days five and six.

According to official data being collated since the UKs COVID vaccine rollout began in December 2020, around 91 per cent of people in the UK aged 12 and over have had a first dose of a vaccine, 85 per cent a second dose, and 66 per cent a booster or a third dose.

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Even as Prime Minister is set to announce the scrapping of all Covid restrictions on Monday in Parliament, scientists have urged caution.

According to Johnson, lifting curbs is part of his "living with Covid" strategy that will return people's freedom, the BBC reported.

Johnson said the end to restrictions would "mark a moment of pride as we begin to learn to live with Covid".

The plan to move out of the pandemic would bring society "towards a return to normality" after "one of the most difficult periods in our country's history", he said.

Further, Johnson attributed the plan to the success of the Covid vaccination programme, which according to him had put England in a "strong position to consider lifting the remaining legal restrictions".

However, he has maintained that the pandemic is "not over" and the plan for living with Covid would take a "cautious approach" which would retain "some surveillance systems and plans for contingency measures which can be stood up if needed to respond to new variants", the report said.

Just over 91 per cent of people in the aged 12 and over have had a first dose of a vaccine, 85 per cent a second jab, and 66 per cent a booster or a third dose, according to official data.

Earlier this week, the government also announced it would offer a low-dose Covid vaccine to children aged between five and 11 in England during April.

As part of he new strategy, Johnson said that Covid testing would take place at a "much lower level".

Community PCR testing for people with symptoms is expected to stop under the new plan, but it is unclear whether the availability of free lateral flow tests will be reduced, the report said.

The plans would also see councils in England become responsible for managing Covid outbreaks using existing powers.

The country is also expected to slim down virus surveillance programme.

But some scientists, health experts and charities helping vulnerable people have also voiced concern at the plans to lift all restrictions.

David Spiegelhalter, professor of public understanding of risk at the University of Cambridge, said there was significant uncertainty about the impact of the plans, the Guardian reported.

"I can see the figures are looking encouraging, but the consequences are very difficult to predict. It may be fine, it may not be," he was quoted as saying.

Scientists at the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) have also raised alarm about the prospect of a new mutant strain emerging, Daily Mail reported.

They warned that any sudden change to the rules carries the potential to accelerate the pandemic and trigger a 'rapid' rise in cases.

In a paper discussed by SAGE, the scientists argued that it's a "common misconception" that viruses evolve to become weaker.

It warned of a "realistic possibility" that a variant could spawn that is just as lethal as other coronaviruses known to strike humans, such as MERS, which has a 35 per cent case fatality rate, the report said.

--IANS

rvt/ksk/

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Russia's military said on Monday Ukrainian military saboteurs had tried to enter Russian territory in armed vehicles, an accusation dismissed as "fake news" by Kyiv amid Western accusations that could fabricate a pretext to invade.

The Russian military said five people had been killed when the Ukrainian saboteurs were thwarted. and its Western allies have been saying for days that could manufacture a pretext to invade with a huge force it has massed on the border.

Western countries accuse of planning to invade a neighbour that it had controlled until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. denies planning any attack but has demanded sweeping security guarantees, including a promise that will never join NATO.

Hours earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron said Russian President and his U.S. counterpart had agreed in principle on a meeting.

An adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron told Reuters that Macron had put the proposal to Putin at Biden's request.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said a call or meeting between Putin and Biden could be set up at any time, but there were no concrete plans yet for a summit. Tensions were growing, he said, but a foreign ministers' meeting was possible this week.

Macron's office and the White House said the substance of the plan would be worked out by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting planned for Thursday.

European financial markets were tumbling on Monday at signs of increased confrontation, after having briefly edged higher on the glimmer of hope that a summit might offer a path out of Europe's biggest military crisis in decades.

After the report of the alleged incursion, major European bourses were down between 0.5% and 1.8%. Russian stocks plunged.

Russia's military said troops and border guards had prevented a "diversionary reconnaissance" group from breaching Russia's border from Ukrainian territory near Rostov and that five people had been killed, Russian news agencies reported.

Interfax cited the Russian military as saying that Ukrainian armed vehicles had been destroyed.

Ukraine rejected the report, calling it fake news, and said no Ukrainian forces were present in the Rostov region where the incident was alleged to have taken place.

Satellite imagery released at the weekend appeared to show Russian deployments closer to Ukraine's border than before.

Nerves frayed further when Moscow's close ally Belarus announced on Sunday that would extend military exercises there.

has tens of thousands of soldiers in Belarus - part of what Washington says is a force now numbering 169,000-190,000 troops in the region, including pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

After talks in Brussels with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, British foreign minister Liz Truss said Western countries were preparing for a "worst-case scenario". The airlines Lufthansa, KLM and Air France all cancelled flights to Kyiv.

But the European Union rebuffed a call from Kyiv to impose some sanctions now to try to avert war before it started.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
World Insights: Munich Security Conference focuses on "unlearning helplessness"

10:12, February 21, 2022 By Zhu Sheng, Huang Yan, Ren Ke ( Xinhua

MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Against such backdrops as the deepening crisis over Ukraine and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing 58th edition of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), held from Friday to Sunday, focuses on the theme of "unlearning helplessness."

In the face of a growing number of crises and conflicts, there is a mounting feeling of "collective helplessness" in many societies across the world, according to the Munich Security Report 2022 published ahead of the conference.

The answer to the "collective helplessness" lies in greater solidarity and cooperation under the banner of multilateralism, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who attended the MSC on Saturday via videolink.

"COLLECTIVE HELPLESSNESS"

Whether it is the seemingly endless pandemic, the increasingly tangible threat of climate change, the vexing vulnerabilities of an interconnected world, or increasing geopolitical tensions, all these challenges contribute to a feeling of a loss of control, said the Munich Security Report 2022.

"Collective helplessness and how we can overcome it is at the core of the Munich Security Report 2022," Wolfgang Ischinger, the chairman of the MSC, noted in his foreword in the report.

"The feeling of helplessness is becoming a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, which leads (us) to give up, even though we have all the tools and resources to address such challenges as the pandemic, climate change or great power confrontations," said Ischinger in his opening remarks at the MSC.

The three-day conference gathers over 30 heads of state and government and more than 100 ministerial officials and leaders of important international organizations to discuss current crises and future security challenges around the world.

Among them are United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russia did not send official representatives to the MSC. A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the annual conference had lost its objectivity and has become a Transatlantic Forum only.

LOGICAL CONTINUATION

"Collective helplessness" is a logical continuation of "Westlessness," which was a theme of a previous MSC and refers to the loss of the common standing of what it means to be part of the West, Zhou Bo, a senior fellow of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, told Xinhua.

Zhou, who attended the MSC in 2018 and 2022, said Europe's capacity in changing the world has dwindled and therefore its influence in the international arena has declined significantly. These, coupled with significant obstacles to multilateral cooperation, have contributed to a sense of "collective helplessness."

On the organizer's agenda, the Ukraine issue has been specially highlighted. However, according to some analysts, without Russia's attendance, most participants at this year's MSC can only send messages toward Moscow without discussions.

For Zhou, the root cause of the Ukraine crisis is that the decades' old efforts of the U.S.-led NATO in expansion in Russia's periphery have eventually backfired.

If the West only talks about Ukraine's sovereignty but does not heed Russia's legitimate concerns, it will be difficult to achieve a real solution to the Ukrainian issue, and Europe's "helplessness" in terms of strategic security will only increase, he said.

MULTILATERAL COOPERATION

Alongside Ukraine, this year's MSC also covers topics like the situation in Afghanistan, Africa and the Middle East, the COVID-19 pandemic, governments' climate change policies, technology supply chain security and the future of the European Union, among others.

It is clear to all that resignation is not an option. To "unlearn" the helplessness, true multilateralism and cooperation should be the way forward, as this year's MSC only reinforced the notion that no single country could solve all problems today by itself.

Man-made problems can be solved by man, Ischinger said, calling on everyone to collectively unlearn and overcome helplessness.

Ischinger noted that institutions like the United Nations Security Council, the World Trade Organization, and the World Health Organization have been neglected, circumvented, and even undermined.

Overlooking such bodies and deeming them irrelevant in bringing positive changes "is a huge mistake," the outgoing MSC president said.

Noting that the world once again faces the danger of division and confrontation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said certain big powers are reviving the Cold War mentality and stoking confrontation between blocs.

"Only when countries row the oars together and cheer up each other, rather than undercut and come after one another, can we overcome the current challenges and sail into a bright future," said Wang.

When answering questions on the eastward expansion of NATO, European security, and the situation in Ukraine, Wang urged all parties to take due responsibility and make efforts toward peace on the Ukraine issue, instead of just escalating tensions, creating panic and even playing up the threat of war.

Ukraine should become a bridge of communication between the East and West, instead of the front line of confrontation between major powers, he added.

"China is ready to work with all countries as passengers in the same boat and, with unity as the sail and cooperation as the oar, sail through the pandemic and toward a brighter future," Wang said.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Holden Morgan of Dom's Coffee in Avon is the reigning champion of The Golden Bean, a competition created last year for baristas to show off their latte art. (Susan Dunne)

The Golden Bean, the second annual contest for Hartford-area baristas to make the best latte art, will be Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Doms Coffee, 20 W. Main St. in Avon.

Holden Morgan, a barista at Doms, won the Golden Bean title last year, besting 15 rivals at the inaugural event at Story & Soil in Middletown.

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The trophy  which has a hollow base filled with coffee beans and a gold-painted giant coffee bean perched on top  will be displayed at the winners shop for a year. That shop hosts the next years contest.

We hope we win again and we can keep the trophy here, says Morgan, 24, of Bristol.

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Juan Valentin, a former barista at Story & Soil, created the Golden Bean contest and designed the trophy. Valentin says latte-art contests are common among coffee-shop employees.

That was more just baristas hanging out, he says. The contest now formalizes it, gives it a way to continue as a series, and brings a certain spectacle to it.

Valentin will not compete in this years Golden Bean because he has moved to Puerto Rico to open his own shop.

The Golden Bean trophy was designed by the creator of the contest, Juan Valentin, formerly with Story & Soil in Middletown. (Susan Dunne)

Andrew Plankis, who owns Doms with his wife, Asta Plankiene, has all Doms baristas train with Piyapat Flook Lapteerawut of New York, recognized as one of the nations premier latte artists.

For me, it is a sign of quality. Customers appreciate it if you do more than just pour it and give it to them, Plankis says. They know when they see the latte that this will be a beverage of good quality.

Doms baristas learn how to do hearts, rosettas and tulips, using no tools other than the small pitcher of hot milk. Using a toothpick to manipulate the image is frowned upon in the latte art world, Morgan says.

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Doms serves a variety of milks for coffee and tea, but Morgan says the best art is made with steamed whole milk.

When you add air to milk that has no fat in it, there are no molecules for the air to attach to and it dissipates quickly, he says.

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The art is done in a wide-mouth cup on dine-in lattes only. Its a canvas for the artist to draw on, he says.

At the Golden Bean event, baristas are listed on a bracket similar to the March Madness tournament. Each undergoes a series of one-on-one challenges. The winner in each face-off moves to the next level. Competitors are judged on art, presentation, lack of spillage and fullness of the cup: They should be filled all the way to the top, Morgan says.

Competitors pay $10 to compete, Plankiene says, and the winner takes the money, trophy and bragging rights until next year.

Hartford-area baristas who want to compete for the Golden Bean can email domscoffee@gmail.com. Anyone who wants to watch the event can come to Doms on Wednesday evening.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.
on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine's northern border, a move that US leaders said put another step closer to launching what they said was the planned invasion of .

Residents of Ukraine's capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace.

Russia's action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraine's neighbour to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraine's borders, along with tanks, warplanes, artillery and other war materiel.

The continued deployment of the Russian forces in Belarus raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away.

In Kyiv, life outwardly continued as usual for some on a mild winter Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what US President Joe Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack.

Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capital's St. Michael's monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that be spared.

We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life," Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. We should appreciate it every day. That's why I think everything will be fine.

Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing," said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh.

A US official said Sunday that Biden's assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraine's soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict.

The and many European countries have charged for weeks that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive sanctions if it does.

Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russia's military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion.

"We're talking about the potential for war in Europe, US Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. It's been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security.

European and US officials insisted they were still pursuing what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken depicted as last-ditch diplomacy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed on Twitter for a cease-fire. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyy's offer Saturday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Putin blamed Ukraine incorrectly, according to observers there for the escalation of shelling along the contact line and NATO for pumping modern weapons and ammunition into Ukraine. The Kremlin statement mentioned a cease-fire only in passing and made no mention of Zelenskyy's call for a meeting.

Macron, who has been prominent in European diplomatic efforts with Putin, spoke separately to Zelenskyy and to Biden after his talks Sunday with Putin. Macron's office said both the Ukrainian and Russian leaders had agreed to work toward a diplomatic solution in coming days and coming weeks.

Blinken also renewed his offer to meet one-on-one with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov next week on the condition, he said, that Russia had not invaded by then.

Up to the last minute, there is still an option for him to pull back, Blinken told NBC's Meet the Press.

The US Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory urging greater caution by Americans in Russia overall. Have evacuation plans that do not rely on US government assistance, it warned.

In the eastern Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action.

Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraine's military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday.

Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television.

On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote.

Right now, we don't respond to their fire because ..." the soldier said before being interrupted by the sound of an incoming shell. "Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.

(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 Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine's northern border, in a move that US leaders warned put another step closer to launching an invasion of .

Russian President Vladimir Putin was silent on Ukraine's appeal for a cease-fire.

Russia's action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraine's neighbor to the north. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away.

US President Joe Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russia's military buildup around . White House officials released no immediate details of their two-hour discussion.

Western leaders intensified warnings that was poised to attack its neighbor, which is surrounded on three sides by at least 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment.

Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

The and many European countries have charged for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive, immediate sanctions if it does.

We're talking about the potential for war in Europe, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany. It's been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security.

A top European Union official, Charles Michel, said: The big question remains: Does the Kremlin want dialogue?



We cannot forever offer an olive branch while Russia conducts missile tests and continues to amass troops, said Michel, the president of the European Council.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Saturday on Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose a place where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis and on Sunday appealed for a cease-fire on Twitter. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyy's offer to meet. It was Belarus not Russia that announced the extension of the drills.

NATO has estimated there are 30,000 Russian troops in Belarus.

After a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Putin blamed for the escalation at the contact line and NATO for pumping modern weapons and ammunition into Ukraine. The Kremlin statement mentioned a cease-fire only in passing and made no mention of Zelenskyy's call for a meeting.

In Kyiv, life continued seemingly as usual on a mild winter Sunday, with brunches and church services. Katerina Spanchak, who fled the separatist-occupied Lugansk region years ago, said she prayed for peace.

"We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life. We should appreciate it every day. That's why I think everything will be fine, Spanchak said outside services at St. Michael's monastery.

But in Lugansk, the area of eastern Ukraine where her parents still live, and neighboring Donetsk, separatist leaders ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action.

Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraine's military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday.

Ukraine's leader criticized the U.S. and other Western nations for holding back on new sanctions for Russia. Zelenskyy, in comments before the conference, also questioned the West's refusal to allow Ukraine to join NATO immediately. Putin has demanded that NATO reject Ukraine as a member.

U.S. President Joe Biden said late Friday that based on the latest American intelligence, he was now convinced that Putin has decided to invade Ukraine in coming days and assault the capital.

A U.S. military official said an estimated 40% to 50% of the ground forces surrounding Ukraine had moved into attack positions closer to the border. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. assessments, said the change had been underway for about a week and did not necessarily mean Putin was committed to an invasion.

Lines of communication between Moscow and the West remain open: Macron spoke with Putin on Sunday for nearly two hours before a 30-minute call with the Ukrainian president. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to meet next week.

Blinken said Sunday the U.S. was still working every lever possible to try to dissuade Putin from invading Ukraine but said recent events, including the extension of the troops in Belarus and the increase in shelling along the contact line, showed Putin well underway in laying the pretexts and groundwork for invasion, in line with findings of U.S. intelligence and previous Russian territorial grabs.

"So all of this, along with the false flag operations we've seen unfold over the weekend, tells us the playbook...is moving forward, the U.S. secretary of state told CNN.

Up to the last minute, there is still an option for him to pull back, Blinken told NBC's Meet the Press. He said his offer to meet Lavrov in Europe in the coming days was conditioned on Russia not rolling into Ukraine beforehand.

Macron's office said both the Ukrainian and Russian leaders had agreed to work toward a diplomatic solution in coming days and coming weeks.

Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

Ukraine and the separatist leaders traded accusations of escalation. Russia on Saturday said at least two shells fired from a government-held part of eastern Ukraine landed across the border, but Ukraine's foreign minister dismissed that as a fake statement.

When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences, Putin' spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television.

On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote.

Right now, we don't respond to their fire because ..." the soldier said before being interrupted by the sound of an incoming shell. "Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.

Sporadic violence has broken out for years along the line separating Ukrainian forces from the Russia-backed separatists, but the spike in recent days is orders of magnitude higher than anything recently recorded by monitors: nearly 1,500 explosions in 24 hours.

Denis Pushilin, the head of the pro-Russia separatist government in Ukraine's Donetsk region, cited an immediate threat of aggression from Ukrainian forces in his announcement of a call to arms. Ukrainian officials vehemently denied having plans to take rebel-controlled areas by force.

A similar statement followed from his counterpart in the Luhansk region. On Friday, the rebels began evacuating civilians to Russia with an announcement that appeared to be part of efforts to paint Ukraine as the aggressor.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With all eyes on a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian President is sending his top security envoy to the Balkans where Moscow has been trying to maintain influence mainly through its ally Serbia, according to reports.

Serbia's pro-government media said Monday Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful secretary of the Kremlin's Security Council, is due to arrive in Belgrade in the coming days for talks with Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic.

Moscow hasn't made an announcement about Patrushev's trip.

The talks are reportedly to focus on Moscow's claims that mercenaries from Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia are being sent from those Balkan states to fight on the Ukrainian side against the pro- rebels amid fears of a Russian attack.

Officials from Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia have rejected those claims, which were made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week.

There's information that mercenaries are being recruited in Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina to knock out of balance and send them to places including Donbass, Lavrov said according to the Russian TASS news agency, referring to the rebel-held territory in eastern .

We are now double-checking that.

Vucic on Monday called a meeting of Serbia's top security officials who reportedly also discussed the reports of mercenaries from the Balkans going to . Dozens of Serb fighters have in the past fought in eastern Ukraine, but on the side of the pro- rebels.

Serbia has formally declared neutrality in the Russia- standoff that threatens a major war in Europe.

However, Serbia's state-controlled media is squarely supporting Moscow in the crisis, carrying Russian propaganda without any questions raised.

Although formally seeking European Union membership, Serbia has refused to align its foreign policies with the 27-nation bloc and has instead strengthened its political, economic and military ties with Russia and China.

The increasingly autocratic Vucic, who faces an April 3 general election, opened his campaign this past weekend by declaring that as long as he is in power, Serbia will never join NATO and will maintain its close ties with Moscow and Beijing.

Illustrating growing ties between the two Slavic allies, Serbia and Russia have recently formed a working group tasked with combating popular revolts known as colour revolutions that the two countries' top security officials described as instruments of the West to destabilise free states.

Western officials have accused Kremlin of malign influence in the Balkans that has helped fuel a wave of nationalism which threatens to undo peace in Bosnia after its 1992-95 war, reignite armed conflict over Kosovo that split from Serbia in 2008, and stir up political troubles in NATO-members North Macedonia and Montenegro.

Moscow has repeatedly denied those claims, although maintaining that Bosnia, Serbia and Kosovo must never join NATO.

Bosnia is in the middle of a political crisis, with EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels to discuss ways to ease tensions and prevent the possible breakup of the ethnically divided Balkan country.

Bosnian Serbs, who have the support of Serbia and Russia, are threatening to split from the federation.

(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.)
Shares of Vedant Fashions, the owner of ethnic wear brand Manyavar, were trading lower for the third straight day on Monday, falling 3 per cent intra-day to Rs 877.05, which is close to its issue price of Rs 866 per share on the BSE. This comes after the company made a decent market debut last week.

The stock has fallen 12 per cent from its listing day high of Rs 993 on February 16, 2022. Currently, it is trading just 1 per cent higher over its issue price.

Vedant Fashions' shares were listed at Rs 936, an 8 per cent premium over its issue price of Rs 866 per share on the BSE. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the stock opened at Rs 935 per share despite poor subscription figures.

The Rs 3,150-crore IPO of the Kolkata-based company had received lukewarm response with the issue being subscribed nearly three times. The institutional investor portion of the IPO saw 7.5 times oversubscription; the wealthy investor portion was subscribed 1.07 times, while the retail portion remained undersubscribed at 40 per cent.

is among the top companies in the Indian wedding and celebration wear segment with the brand name Manyavar Mohey. The company has strong brand value with good fundamentals. However, valuation is a major concern.

"The company has strong brand value with good fundamentals however valuation is a major concern, therefore, investors should approach it from the long-term perspective where any dip of 15-20 per cent from current levels will be a good buying opportunity. Those who applied for listing gain should maintain a stop loss of Rs 890," Santosh Meena, Head of Research, Swastika Investmart had said after the stock's listing.

has registered a 15 per cent revenue and 31 per cent profit after tax (PAT) CAGR in FY17-20. With the companys strong brand franchise, it looks to tap the large and growing Indian wedding and celebration wear market driven by increased spending.

High dependence on wedding and celebration wear, inability to maintain and scale up brands and dependence on third party for manufacturing the products are key risk and concerns, said ICICI Securities in an IPO note.
Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) today announced that its subsidiary HGS UK has been selected by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to provide critical customer support to UK citizens for an initial period of two years, with an option to extend further.

The partnership is already underway having launched earlier last week, and the contract could be worth up to 211 million (Rs. 2,100 crore) across the term of the contract, employing over 2,000 Work@Home positions across the UK.

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Reliance Jio Infocomm will land the next generation multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives. The high capacity and high-speed IAX system will connect Hulhumale' directly with World's major internet hubs in India and Singapore.

The IAX system originates in Mumbai in the west and connects directly to Singapore, with branches including additional landings in India, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) system connects Mumbai to Milan, landing in Savona, Italy, and includes additional landings in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. IAX is expected to be ready for service end-2023, while IEX will be ready for service in mid-2024.

These high capacity and high-speed systems will provide more than 200Tb/s of capacity at speeds of 100Gb/s, over 16,000 kilometers. Employing open system technology and the latest wavelength switched RoADM/branching units ensures rapid upgrade deployment and the ultimate flexibility to add/drop waves across multiple locations.

IEX and IAX together will be one of the most important developments in telecommunications infrastructure in this decade, linking India, Europe to Southeast Asia, and now the Maldives.

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Equity indices traded range bound with deep losses amid geopolitical concerns. The Nifty traded above the 17,100 mark. All sectoral indices traded with losses with realty, media and metal stocks losing the most.

Ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, rising crude oil prices and relentless selling by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) continued to put pressure on domestic shares. In the commodities market, Brent crude for April 2022 settlement fell 22 cents at $93.32 a barrel.

At 9:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, dropped 460.92 points or 0.8% at 57,372.81. The Nifty 50 index lost 146.95 points or 0.85% at 17,129.80.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index declined 1.03% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index lost 1.78%.

The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 598 shares rose and 2,600 shares fell. A total of 140 shares were unchanged.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index slipped 1.47% to 5,693, extending its losing run to fourth consecutive trading session. The metal index declined % in four days.

Coal India (down 4.01%), APL Apollo Tubes (down 2.09%), Hindalco Industries (down 1.97%), Vedanta (down 1.22%) and Hindustan Zinc (down 1.09%) were the top losers.

Among the other losers were JSW Steel (down 0.85%), Tata Steel (down 0.75%), NMDC (down 0.7%) and Jindal Steel & Power (down 0.31%).

Stocks in Spotlight:

Kansai Nerolac Paints fell 1.16%. The paint maker appointed Anuj Jain as the managing director (MD) for a term of five years, with effect from 1 April 2022. Jain is a B. Sc. and Master of Management Studies, University of Bombay (Mumbai). Jain had joined Kansai Nerolac Paints on 4 June 1990 and was the director of Decorative and Industrial Sales & Marketing, prior to his appointment.

Strides Pharma Science fell 1%. The drug company announced that its step-down wholly-owned subsidiary, Strides Pharma Global Pte., Singapore, received approval for Amantadine Hydrochloride Softgel capsules from the United States Food & Drug Administration. The product is bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to the Reference Listed Drug (RLD), Symmetrel Capsules of Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc (Endo). According to IQVIA MAT December 2021 data, the US market for Amantadine Hydrochloride Capsules USP,100 mg is approximately $11 million.

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Indices extended their losing run to fourth consecutive trading session on Monday. The Nifty closed just above the 17,200 mark after hitting a day's high of 17,351.05 in afternoon trade. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, rising crude oil prices and relentless selling by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) continued to put pressure on domestic shares. In the commodities market, Brent crude for April 2022 settlement rose 45 cents at $93.99 a barrel.

As the provisional closing data, the S&P BSE Sensex, fell 149.38 points or 0.26% at 57,683.05. The Nifty 50 index lost 69.65 points or 0.4% at 17,206.45.

The broader market underperformed the main indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.8% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index slipped 2.2%.

The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 712 shares rose and 2773 shares fell. A total of 133 shares were unchanged.

Preliminary Monsoon Forecast Guidance for 2022:

Skymet, India's private weather forecasting solutions company, expects the upcoming Monsoon to be 'normal'. Skymet intends to release a detailed report on the prospects of Monsoon 2022 in April. Skymet has been predicting Monsoon since 2012, except in 2020 when it abstained for strategic reasons.

"Monsoon has large inter-annual fluctuations in its arrival, intensity, duration, and withdrawal. It is rather early to decode all these aspects at this stage. However, there are precursors to get an early glimpse and gauge its health during the four-month-long season. The last two Monsoon seasons have been driven by back-to-back La Nina events, which has started shrinking now. It also means that Monsoon 2022 is going to be a devolving La Nina to start with and turn neutral later," it said in a statement.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Reliance Industries (RIL) lost 1%. Reliance Jio Infocomm (Jio), the subsidiary of RIL will land multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives. The high capacity and high-speed IAX system will connect Hulhumale' directly with World's major internet hubs in India and Singapore.

Capri Global Capital fell 0.33%. The company said it plans to enter the gold loan business and it will launch this business in the first half of the financial year 2022-23. The company aims to build a gold loan book size of Rs 8,000 crore and expand its network with 1500 branch locations over the next five years.

Power Finance Corporation (PFCL) rose 0.17%. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India sold 5.35 crore equity shares or 2.028% stake of PFCL between 1 November 2017 and 17 February 2022. Post transaction, LIC has decreased its shareholding in PFCL to 5.069%.

White Organic Retail rose 3.7% after the company said its board will consider bonus share issue on 28 February 2022.

Tata Power fell 0.38%. RWE and Tata Power agreed on a partnership to explore the potential for a joint development of offshore wind projects in India.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Tata Power Renewable Energy, a 100% subsidiary of Tata Power and one of India's largest integrated power companies, and RWE Renewables GmbH, one of the key player in offshore wind. The MoU between Tata Power Renewable Energy and RWE becomes significant in the light of the Government of India's announcement of achieving 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind installations by 2030 to meet the country's growing power demands.

Equitas Small Finance Bank rose 3.84% after the company said it has raised Rs 550 crore in the qualified institutional placement of equities. The small finance bank sold 10,26,31,087 equity shares to qualified institutional buyers at the issue price of Rs 53.59 each, aggregating to Rs 5,49,99,99,952. The qualified institutions placement (QIP) Issue opened on 14 February 2022 and closed on 18 February 2022. The government of Singapore invested about Rs 155 crore while the Monetary Authority of Singapore put in Rs 36 crore. The balance Rs 359 crore was invested by Nippon Life India Trustee, SBI Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential, HDFC Mutual Fund and HDFC Trustee Company. The QIP will reduce the promoters holding to 75% and raise public shareholding to a minimum of 25%, as stipulated by the market regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India.

The Phoenix Mills (PML) rose 0.82%. The company announced the execution of nonbinding term sheet to acquire balance 50% equity stake in Classic Mall Development Company (CMDCL) from Crest Ventures and Escort Developers, a 100% subsidiary of Crest Ventures. Currently, PML owns 50% stake in CMDCL while the balance 50% stake is owned by Crest Ventures (46.35%) and Escorts Developers (3.65%); completion of the stake purchase will make CMDCL a subsidiary of PML.

Kansai Nerolac Paints fell 1.06%. The paint maker appointed Anuj Jain as the managing director (MD) for a term of five years, with effect from 1 April 2022. Jain is a B. Sc. and Master of Management Studies, University of Bombay (Mumbai). Jain had joined Kansai Nerolac Paints on 4 June 1990 and was the director of Decorative and Industrial Sales & Marketing, prior to his appointment.

InterGlobe Aviation lost 1.4%. The aviation firm informed that Rakesh Gangwal, non-executive, non-independent director has tendered his resignation from the board of directors of the company vide his letter dated February 18, 2022, with immediate effect.

Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation rose 0.67%. The company has received an amendment to its environment clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest to mine up to a depth of 135 meters from its earlier approved depth of 94 meters at the Tadkeshwar, Lignite Mines.

Strides Pharma Science fell 2.96%. The drug company announced that its step-down wholly-owned subsidiary, Strides Pharma Global Pte., Singapore, received approval for Amantadine Hydrochloride Softgel capsules from the United States Food & Drug Administration. The product is bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to the Reference Listed Drug (RLD), Symmetrel Capsules of Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc (Endo). According to IQVIA MAT December 2021 data, the US market for Amantadine Hydrochloride Capsules USP,100 mg is approximately $11 million.

Global Markets:

Most shares in Europe and Asia declined on Monday, as investors continued to watch the situation surrounding Ukraine.

China on Monday held steady on a benchmark lending rate, with the one-year loan prime rate (LPR) kept unchanged at 3.7%. The five-year LPR was also kept unchanged at 4.6%.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Sunday agreed to work for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, as per reports. They also agreed on "the need to favour a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis and to do everything to achieve one", adding that both countries' foreign ministers would meet "in the coming days".

US President Joe Biden is also willing to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "at any time" to defuse Ukraine war tensions, as per reports, warning Russia appeared on the verge of invading its neighbor.

US stock market is closed on Monday for a holiday. Wall Street ended lower on Friday after escalating tensions in Ukraine and US warnings of a potential Russian invasion prompted investors to dump risky assets in the run-up to a long weekend.

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Strides Pharma Science announced that its step-down wholly-owned subsidiary, Strides Pharma Global Pte., Singapore, received approval for Amantadine Hydrochloride Softgel Capsules USP, 100 mg from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA).

The product is bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to the Reference Listed Drug (RLD), Symmetrel Capsules, 100 mg, of Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc (Endo).

According to IQVIA MAT December 2021 data, the US market for Amantadine Hydrochloride Capsules USP,100 mg is approximately $11 million. The product will be manufactured at the company's facility at Bengaluru (Karnataka) and will be marketed by Strides Pharma Inc. in the US market.

The company also has approval for Amantadine Hydrochloride tablets and the combined market size of tablets and capsules together is approximately $21 million as per IQVIA MAT December 2021 data.

The company has 271 cumulative ANDA filings with USFDA of which 244 ANDAs have been approved and 27 are pending approval.

On a consolidated basis, Strides Pharma Science reported a net loss of Rs 126.66 crore in Q3 FY22 as compared to a net profit of Rs 35.16 crore in Q3 FY21. Net sales declined 4.5% to Rs 794.39 crore in Q3 FY22 over Q3 FY21.

Shares of Strides Pharma Science fell 1.40% to Rs 359.80 on BSE. Strides Pharma Science is a global pharmaceutical company. The company mainly operates in the regulated markets and has an 'in Africa for Africa' strategy along with an institutional business to service donorfunded markets. The company focuses on difficult to manufacture products that are sold in over 100 countries.

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Strides Pharma Science today announced that its step-down wholly owned subsidiary, Strides Pharma Global, Singapore, has received approval for Amantadine Hydrochloride Softgel Capsules USP,100 mg from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA).

The product is bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to the Reference Listed Drug (RLD), Symmetrel Capsules, 100 mg, of Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc (Endo).

According to IQVIA MAT December 2021 data, the US market for Amantadine Hydrochloride Capsules USP,100 mg is approximately US$ 11 Mn. The product will be manufactured at the company's facility at Bengaluru and will be marketed by Strides Pharma Inc. in the US market.

The company also has approval for Amantadine Hydrochloride tablets and the combined market size of Tablets and Capsules together is approximately US$ 21 Mn as per IQVIA MAT December 2021 data.

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraines northern border, a move that U.S. leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraines capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace.

Russias action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraines neighbor to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraines borders, along with tanks, warplanes, artillery and other war materiel.

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The continued deployment of the Russian forces in Belarus raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away.

A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a coomand post to start his shift at a frontline position outside Popasna, in the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Russia extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. Ukraine's president appealed for a cease-fire. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (VADIM GHIRDA/AP)

In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said U.S. President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with Russias President Vladimir Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault that U.S. officials warn appears increasingly more likely.

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White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe as long as a further invasion doesnt occur.

We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war, Psaki said in statement. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.

In Kyiv, life outwardly continued as usual for many on a mild winter Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack.

Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capitals St. Michaels monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared.

We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life, Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. We should appreciate it every day. Thats why I think everything will be fine.

Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing, said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh.

A Ukrainian serviceman walks to a frontline position outside Popasna, in the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Russia extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. Ukraine's president appealed for a cease-fire. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (VADIM GHIRDA/AP)

A U.S. official said Sunday that Bidens assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine  a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russias orbit  and is now trying to create pretexts to invade.

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Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Putin does.

U.S. officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called passionately Saturday for the West to do more.

If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesnt exist anymore as a deterrent, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox on Washingtons sanctions threat.

Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraines soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict.

Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russias military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion.

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Were talking about the potential for war in Europe, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. Its been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security.

Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed on Twitter for a cease-fire. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyys offer Saturday to meet with Putin.

After a call with Macron, Putin blamed Ukraine  incorrectly, according to observers there  for the escalation of shelling along the contact line and NATO for pumping modern weapons and ammunition into Ukraine. The Kremlin statement mentioned a cease-fire only in passing and made no mention of Zelenskyys call for a meeting.

Macron, a leader in European efforts to broker a peaceful resolution with Russia, also spoke separately to Zelenskyy, to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and to Biden. Macrons office said both the Ukrainian and Russian leaders had agreed to work toward a diplomatic solution in coming days and coming weeks.

Blinken, the United States top diplomat, on Sunday renewed his offer to meet one-on-one with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week  on the condition, he said, that Putin has not invaded Ukraine by then.

Up to the last minute, there is still an option for him to pull back, Blinken told NBCs Meet the Press.

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The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory urging greater caution by Americans in Russia overall. Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance, it warned.

Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

News @3 Daily Catch up on the days top headlines sent directly to your inbox weekdays at 3 p.m >

In the eastern Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action.

Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraines military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday.

When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences, Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television.

On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote.

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Right now, we dont respond to their fire because ... the soldier said before the sound of an incoming shell interrupted him. Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.

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Heintz reported from Moscow and Miller from Washington. Mstyslav Chernov in Zolote, Ukraine, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Aamer Madhani in Munich, Ellen Knickmeyer, Robert Burns and Darlene Superville in Washington, Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv contributed to this story.
A 28-year-old activist was stabbed in this district headquarters town, following which violence broke out during his funeral procession that left a photo journalist and a woman cop among three injured.

Two people have been arrested in connection with the Sunday night killing, with the police saying efforts were on to nab the rest of the suspects at the earliest, even as the government appealed for calm.

A four-five-member group of assailants was suspected to be involved in the killing, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said.

On Monday, three people were injured when miscreants pelted stones during the funeral procession of the deceased Harsha that took place amid tight security, even as several vehicles were torched and damaged while there were reports of some shops being ransacked.

According to official sources, there was stone pelting when the body of Harsha was being taken from District McGann Hospital. Police tried to bring the situation under control and made way for the funeral procession to move further and the final rites to take place.

Harsha, a resident of Seegehatti, was attacked by a group of unknown persons at Bharati Colony here on Sunday night, following which he was taken to McGann Hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

Minister K S Eshwarappa, who is from the district alleged that "Musalman goondas" were behind Harsha's murder.

He said, "recently D K Shivakumar (state Congress President) had made an instigating statement that at a government school premises, the national flag was lowered to hoist Bhagwa (saffron) flag and 50 lakh saffron flags were brought from Surat in lorries and were distributed among students. This had given abetment to Muslim goondas. We will not allow such goondagiri in Shivamogga and will suppress it." Shivakumar hit back at the minister, saying Eshwarappa cannot sleep without taking his name.

According to Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Selvamani, "already section 144 has been imposed (for two days). Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) himself is monitoring the maintenance of law and order...we are doing all that we can and bring the situation under control at the earliest." ADGP Murugan said efforts were on to bring the situation under control. Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Commissioner were visiting various places and using force wherever required, and the administration is taking all the necessary measures to ensure peace and order is not disturbed.

He said a case has been registered and the investigating team has already arrested two accused in connection with yesterday's murder and have gathered complete information about who were all involved in it. Efforts were on to nab the others, he added.

Regarding damage to property, separate cases will be booked and whoever was involved, whether it is a Hindu or a Muslim, merciless action will be taken against them, he said.

"I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. Don't put fire to your own city." The SP has formed four teams under DSP (Deputy superintendent of police) level officers, and the additional SP himself is supervising the investigation, he added.

Earlier, hundreds of people and Hindu workers took part in the funeral procession that was joined by Eshwarappa, who also the local MLA and Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra. The administration had declared holiday for schools and colleges in the city today, while shops and commercial establishments remained shut in parts of the city.

Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, appealing for peace said that the government will get the murder investigated and punish the guilty at the earliest.

Jnanendra, who met the family earlier in the day said he has not got any information about involvement of any organisation behind the murder so far, but that a four-five member group was involved.

"Police have information on who was involved in the murder and were behind them and very soon they will be arrested. According to information, four to five people were involved," he said.

In response to a question, Jnanendra said, Harsha was a Hindu karyakarta and there is information that there were a couple of cases against him, and earlier too he had been attacked. "They are all being looked into." Congress leader Shivakumar said there is information that the murder might have been due to personal issue.

"There is such information, such reports are there in the media also, we don't know. Guilty must be punished and justice should be given to the family of the deceased," he said.

Reacting to Eshwarappa's allegation against him, he said the minister "can't sleep without taking my name.....If I have incited people, let them take action against me. Case should be booked against him (for his recent comments on the national flag) first...he should have been sacked from the Ministry." Meanwhile, "#JusticeForHarsha" was trending on Twitter, with several users demanding justice for the young activist.

Among them were actor Raveena Tandon and BJP leaders Kapil Mishra and the saffron party's Andhra Pradesh state general secretary Vishnu Vardhan Reddy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister on Monday interacted with and invited suggestions from them on the state budget for development of the agriculture sector.

He said whatever necessary suggestions make will be studied and given prominence in the state budget for financial year 2022-23.

The budget session of the assembly begins here next month.

The chief minister was speaking at a meeting organised for pre-budget consultation with and stakeholders on agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries.

Agriculture Minister J P Dalal, officials, farmers from across the state and vice chancellors of the Haryana Agriculture University, the Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences and the Horticulture University also participated in this meeting virtually, a statement said.

Khattar, who holds the finance portfolio, said that in the budget, more focus will be given on development of the agriculture sector and increasing the income of farmers.

It is the effort of the government that farmers' income is increased by forming more Farmers' Producers Organisations, the chief minister said.

Khattar said that small units for making jaggery can also be set up in rural areas. "This will encourage farmers to adopt sugarcane production instead of crops like paddy," he said.

Similarly, efforts to set up processing units for different crops will also be encouraged, Khattar said, according to the statement.

He said that instead of traditional farming like paddy and wheat, farmers would be encouraged to switch over to alternative crops.

Farmers will be encouraged to take up pulses, horticulture crops and fisheries under crop diversification method, and incentives will also be given to such farmers, Khattar said.

To save groundwater sources, emphasis will be given to increase the production of other crops instead of paddy, he said.

He said that dairy farming is also a good option to increase the income of the farmers



There are immense employment opportunities in all categories of the agriculture sector, Khattar said.

Employment opportunities in this sector will be increased by training the youth, 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.)
New Delhi [India], February 21 (ANI/PRNewswire): The International Institute of Hotel Management has launched a world-class Pastry School, IIHM Institute of Patisserie and Culinary (IIPC) headed by renowned Pastry Expert, Chef Avijit Ghosh, Brand Ambassador, the Belgian chocolate company Callebaut and former Corporate Pastry Chef, Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts.

IIPC's first-ever unique 'Chocolat Hotel' is all set to open doors in Bangalore. A hotel, cafe, banquet, rooms and buffet designed, inspired and themed on chocolate is an incredible and unexplored area. The new hotel will have its own chocolate cafe and chocolate buffet with the best international chocolate brands displaying their products here. Chocolate-lovers will also get to see, taste and buy a variety of items that will be available at the chocolate exhibitions that will be held here from time to time.

The good news for young culinary talents who aspire to become pastry chefs or homemakers who want to master the art of making chocolates is that IIPC will start special classes to learn chocolate-making. Interested people are welcome to come to the hotel, stay for six days and learn the art of chocolate making. It's a residential programme open to all interested candidates.

The hotel rooms, too, will be themed on chocolate. Chocolate exhibitions displaying the best chocolate brands and their products. This is the very first Institute in India promoting culinary tourism. The attempt is to make The Chocolate Hotel a destination for holiday-goers.

IIPC will be offering nine months and a six months certificate course in patisserie which will also have the residential option. IIPC will also offer weekend courses and customised residential courses for mature students.

Chef Avijit Ghosh said, "This is a unique and innovative idea of starting a Chocolate Hotel. This will be the first-of-its-kind and people will experience chocolate in so many forms like never before. At IIPC, people interested in learning the art of chocolate-making will find a lot of inspiration for making various kinds of chocolates and pastries."

Dr Suborno Bose, the Chairman and Chief Mentor of IIHM said, "This is going to be the first Chocolate Hotel in India where everything will be themed on chocolate. Everyone loves chocolate and it is a way of expressing a lot of emotions for most people. I think this new concept will provide a unique opportunity to taste and experience chocolate in various forms. We are starting IIPC as well where the very talented and renowned pastry chef, Chef Avijit Ghosh will lead the pastry and chocolate-making classes."

IIHM (International Institute of Hotel Management) is the largest chain of premier hospitality and hotel management schools across India that started its journey in 1994 at Kolkata. IIHM is a part of Indismart Group, the conglomerate that operates the Indismart Hotels. IIHM campuses are located across eleven National and International cities with the associate institute IAM-IHM located in Kolkata, and Guwahati.

Students passing out of IIHM are armed with an international degree from the University of West London and equipped with global hospitality skills that enable easy placements in any hospitality brand across the world. IIHM is dedicated to its pursuit of excellence in teaching and placements. Real-time experience is the key to success in hospitality and that makes the institute popular. In recent years, IIHM has been instrumental in organizing the Worlds biggest Culinary Olympiad Young Chef Olympiad, with participation of over 50 countries, a unique idea and initiative inviting young culinary talents across the world. It has MOU's with over 50 countries for student and faculty exchange bringing the best of education for its students from around the World.

The institute has bagged several prestigious awards in the past 24 years. The list includes the Best Education Brand Award from Economic Times consecutively in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. It was also featured in Forbes Magazine as Great Indian Institute and Great Place to Study consecutively in the year 2018 - 2019 and 2019 - 2020.

IIHM was also awarded as one among the World's Greatest Brands & Leaders 2015-16 by URS International (IMEA - Process Reviewer PriceWaterhouseCoopers PL) and also received the Best Institute in Hospitality Education 2017 Award by Assocham from Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon'ble Minister of State for HRD (Higher Education), Govt. of India.

Please visit for more information: (www.iihm.ac.in)

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Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 21 (ANI/BusinessWire India): India Global Forum will kick off its 2022 series of international events with 'The New India Inc.' that will be hosted in Bengaluru on 7 and 8 March.

The Forum will mark the growth trajectory of India powered by new-age businesses as the country celebrates 75 years of independence. It will open doors to a global audience for incisive global discussion and lively debate over two stimulating days at the Taj West End, Bengaluru.

The sessions will help set a global agenda for India with wide-ranging themes like Cultural Economy and Creative Industries, Education and Skills, Diplomacy for Business, India's Digital Transformation in Numbers, The Changing Face of Global Diplomacy, Financing India's Global Future, Women in Leadership, and Taking the Transformation Further amongst others.

With participation already confirmed from three of India's senior ministers, unicorn founders, investors and leading women entrepreneurs, the Forum will enhance dynamic alliances with world-class talent, technology, and networking to achieve long-term global influence. Participants can book for in-person or virtual participation at India Global Forum.

Commenting on the event, Manoj Ladwa, Founder and Chairman, India Global Forum said, "India Global Forum has developed an international reputation of offering the most engaging and enriching conversations, high-impact networking, high-profile speakers, and special workshops. India Global Forum is where India meets the World, and the World meets India. As India heralds a new era of entrepreneurship and innovation, IGF's The New India Inc. will showcase India as the world's next big growth engine "

High profile speakers so far confirmed at India Global Forum Bengaluru include:

* Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, Government of India

* Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Electronics & IT, Government of India

* Umang Bedi, Co-Founder, Verse Innovation

* Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education

* Nitin Agarwal, Co-Founder, GlobalBees

* Varun Dua, Co-Founder, Acko

* Suumit Shah, Co-Founder, Dukaan

* Smita Deorah, Co-Founder & COO, LEAD School

* Amit Malik, CEO & MD, Aviva Life Insurance Company India Ltd

Past speakers at India Global Forum include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Boris Johnson, Tony Blair, Michael Bloomberg, Gautam Adani, HRH Prince of Wales, and Sunil Bharti Mittal.

The full list of speakers can be accessed here IndiaGlobalForum2022Speakers.

For more information on the event, click here: IndiaGlobalForum.

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New Delhi [India], February 21 (ANI/SRV): Cognizant former Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lakshmi Narayanan today formally launched the website and Android app of Bharat Generic, which were developed to provide high quality medicines to people at affordable rates.

The iOS app of Bharat Generic was launched by Sthaneegam C R Nataraja Sastry, Sri Kamakshi Ambal Devasthana Heriditary Mirasdar, Sri Kamakshi Ambal Devastanam, Kancheepuram.

V India Group, a leading player in web hosting industry for the last 22 years since 2000, has ventured into pharmacy sector with Bharat Generic Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd.

Focussing on both wholesale and retail, Chennai-based Bharat Generic deals with leading generic medicine brands like Cipla, Univentis, Koye, Wockhardt, Lupin, Knoll, Elixir, Alkem, Zydus, Elder, Abbott, Steris and Leeford. All its generic medicine companies are WHO / GMP approved manufacturers in India.

Bharat Generic is the authorised distributor of Univentis Medicare Ltd, Koye and Elixir. The objective of Bharat Generic is to provide high-quality medicines to people at affordable rates.

C Venkatraman, Founder of Bharat Generic said, "Our motto is that people should spend less on medicines. As per our data more than 65% of people are not able to take medicines regularly due to high cost of medicines. So, we are planning to serve high quality branded generic medicines at low cost. At the same time, quality pharma products should reach them and Bharat Generic will cater to both the above. Hailing from a middleclass family, I know the difficulties people face due to unexpected medical expenses. With the cost of medicines rising, we are here to offer them a pocket-friendly solution, that too without compromising on the quality."

Over the next six months the franchiseeplans to extend the pharmacy network to 50 outlets all over India, especially targeting Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities like Trichy, Madurai, Cochin, Tirupati, Surat, Nagpur, Nizamabad, Kanpur and Karaikal, to bring generic medicines to the needy people.

Bharat Generic Website: (www.bharatgeneric.com)

Bharat Generic Android APP: (https://bit.ly/bharatgenericapp)

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Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 21 (ANI/NewsVoir): The Department of Prosthodontics and Implantology at SRM Kattankulathur Dental College & Hospital has enabled a quick restoration of a patient with facial defect using "Silicone Cheek Prosthesis".

The patient, a 53-year old male, was not able to socialize with others because of the defect in the cheek. The team at Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery headed by Dr Vivek aided in removing the squamous cell carcinoma developed in the cheek. The patient was then referred to Maxillofacial Rehabilitation Department to rectify the defect left behind after the removal of the tumor in the cheek. The defect was successfully rectified through "Silicone Cheek Prosthesis" by Dr Vidyashree Nandini (Professor & Head, Prosthodontics) with her team. She said, "After the restoration of the defect on the cheek he was able to attend a social gathering the same day." The cheek prosthesis made of silicone material, in this instant, replaces the lost part of the cheek thereby camouflaging the existing defect.

She added that "Injury, accidents, tumors can result in body parts being lost or removed surgically. Artificial replacement of lost body parts is called a prosthesis; silicone and acrylic polymers are the materials used in the prosthetic process. Silicone has the quality of mimicking nature closely. Such replacements can also be given for lost parts of the eye, ear, nose, cheek, etc, in the Maxillofacial Prosthetic section."

This process requires high-end skills, with advanced materials and technology. It is available only in a few centers in the country and SRM Kattankulathur Dental College & Hospital is one among them.

Overall, about 10 adults per 100,000 develop oral cancer during their lifetime. Oral cancer rates are significantly higher for males than for females. The removal of such tumors commonly results in defects. In such situations, defects are constructed using artificial replacements with so that affected person/s have a better quality of life.

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Q1: Generally, startups go to private equity funds and in various rounds raise money and valuation. You have done which is very different. You have gone to a large company that is also a major player in the retail space. So what was the reason? Ans: >Building a new format of retail over the next 10-15 yrs >Consumerism is getting quicker >In strategic partnership with Reliance Retail with a long term vision >The partnership is likely to help double the business volume in 5-10 yrs >Leverage existing Reliance Retail supply chain in all cities of India and deliver merchandise to customers in 15-20 mins >Can partner with Reliance Retail in their omnichannel retailing >Open to working with financial investors in the next 5 years Q2: You were saying that the partnership will change the speed at which you can grow. You were in seven cities and talked about reaching 20 cities.

You are looking at a very moderate growth/expansion rate in cities. How will that change? Ans: >Quick commerce daily and weekly essentials business will be in 20 Indian cities by the end of 2022 >B2B business will be in 50 cities of India by the end of 2022 >Partner with Reliance Retail in their omnichannel delivery platform Q3: What is the number of SKUs will you have in this? Because today the issue is SKUs are limited to a certain amount of products. The other thing is, you do not get the kind of discounts which you would have got if you had waited for 15 mins or end of the day or next day. Ans: >Stock-keeping units (SKU) of products in its warehouse are between 2,500 and 3,000 items > uses data analytics to study consumer buying behaviour >Avoid offering a hypermarket selection because it wont be profitable in this form factor >Sharp selection of merchandise that customers buy frequently will be profitable >Around 80% of the gross merchandising value (GMV) comes from 20% of the SKUs. So, is focused on those 20% of SKUs and ensure warehouses are running on high capacity >Quick commerce category is created out of convenience and quality, and not discounts Q4: You had earlier talked about going for an IPO and taking the company public to raise funds. So, how is that moving for you now? Ans: >Plans to go for IPO by 2024 and not before that >Raise capital from private markets and PE investors in the next 3-6 months >Aims to become the No 1 player in quick commerce category in 18-24 months >Capital raised ($200-$300 million) in the next six months will help grow faster Q5: If you look at your model  is GMV will be from quick-service business and from the B2B business  what is the kind of ratio that you are looking at? Do you think it would eventually become a B2C platform? Ans: >Gross merchandising value split between 80% from B2C and 20% from B2B business >B2C business is growing much faster >In the next 24 months, GMV split will be 90% from B2C and 10% from B2B >Every B2C transaction is worth about Rs 400 and every B2C transaction is about Rs 60 >For the next 24 months, all revenue focus is on the B2C side and incubate the business
The city of Hartford has emerged as a national leader in connecting people experiencing homelessness with a federal windfall of emergency-housing vouchers.

Nationwide, municipal housing authorities have used just 16% of the 70,000 Section 8 vouchers provided by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, paid for with $5 billion in American Rescue Plan funding.

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In Hartford, meanwhile, all 50 of the vouchers the city received have been connected with individuals and families in need. Thirty-eight of the voucher recipients have signed a lease, while the remaining 12 continue to search for housing.

Hartford also stands apart from its in-state peers: As of Feb. 17, Bridgeports housing authority has only used 14 of its 38 vouchers, and New Haven is further behind with just 3 of 37.

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Hartfords robust homelessness-response system, or Coordinated Access Network, enabled a perfect recipe for success, said Richard Cho, a senior adviser to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. Cho is also the former CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

With that existing system, there was already collaboration with the housing authority, Cho said. Thats a place where youve seen these [vouchers] not only be able to immediately help people who are experiencing homelessness, but youre seeing success in faster utilization of these vouchers.

Why vouchers matter

The vouchers come at a crucial time: Homelessness was on the rise even before the pandemics devastating impacts. Emergency shelters, far from ideal environments in the best of times, took on the added risk of COVID-19.

President Joe Bidens American Rescue Plan outlined more than $20 billion for emergency rental assistance to help at-risk tenants, $5 billion for homelessness-assistance programs and another $5 billion for vouchers aimed at people experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence.

Housing vouchers are an example of whats referred to as a housing first approach to tackling homelessness: Place someone in safe, decent housing and surround them with the services they need.

Throughout the years, Section 8 vouchers are No. 1 contributor to bringing individuals and families out of poverty, said Kara Capone, CEO of Community Housing Advocates, the umbrella organization that oversees Hartford-based Mercy Housing and My Sisters Place.

We know that putting people into housing, and doing that first, is the stabilizing factor in that individual or that familys life, Capone said. Once people feel secure in their housing, all of a sudden they can work on these other issues.

Vouchers follow in the same vein as the strategies used by Connecticut under former Gov. Dannel Malloy to end chronic homelessness among veterans with disabilities in 2015. In 2016, the state said it was the second state to effectively eliminate all veteran homelessness.

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And through a combination of vouchers and other supportive services, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness nationwide fell from 74,087 in 2010 to 37,252 in 2020.

Long championed by housing advocates, housing-first policy is gaining traction in federal government.

We know that vouchers are one of most effective tools for solving homelessness, Cho said.

How Hartford acted

Cho attributes Hartfords relative success to a high degree of communication and coordination between several city agencies. For Capone, its a continuation of work already underway.

Connecticut has always been a leader in homelessness and housing, a national leader, Capone said. We have, over the years, really taken to heart the goal of ending homelessness. Period. Thats it. Thats our goal.

Individuals and families eligible to receive the vouchers were identified by Journey Home, the backbone agency for the Greater Hartford Coordinated Access Network, in coordination with other continuum of care groups.

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Recipients in Hartford included those who were living in city-funded motels after being displaced from housing due to fires or code violations, and individuals and families experiencing homelessness as identified through Journey Home.

Journey Home referred candidates to Imagineers LLC, a housing-service company and Hartfords Section 8 housing program administrator, which worked with the individuals or families to verify program eligibility. Maria Stoute, director of the housing program management division, said the process could take as little as a week.

Voucher recipients were moved on to My Sisters Place, Capones agency, which provided housing-search services and tapped into its existing network of area landlords to negotiate leases. (According to the ct.gov website, Once a voucher recipient finds a suitable rental, a housing subsidy is paid to the landlord, and the voucher recipient pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized.)

Imagineers also provided rapid apartment-inspection services in keeping with federal voucher requirements.

Everyone is very well aware and dedicated to making sure the folks who need this benefit are housed as quickly as possible, Stoute said.

I want to thank the team at Journey Home for the tremendous work theyve done throughout this pandemic to coordinate the distribution of Emergency Housing Vouchers, as well as their broader role as the nerve-center of our Coordinated Access Network, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said in a statement.

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We still have a lot more work to do, and we look forward to working with our partners to provide vital services to the individuals and families in our community who are homeless or housing insecure.

Challenges

The process has not been without its challenges, many of which have slowed progress in some of the nations largest housing authorities.

The New York City Housing Authority, for example, received more than 5,700 vouchers  more than any other entity  but less than 5% have resulted in leases, according to a database maintained by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The lease rate is 1.28% in Los Angeles, and 14.85% in Chicago. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority stands out, with 492 leases from 779 vouchers.

Capone said many places around the country dont know how to do what we do in Connecticut. In some cases, the silos have not been broken down. The housing authorities arent necessarily willing to work with partners who have been doing housing for people experiencing homelessness, she said.

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Factors unique to the voucher recipient have to be considered, Capone said. Proximity to public transportation is crucial for individuals without cars, and families require availability of day care and schools.

And in Connecticut as around the country, a tight rental market marked by low vacancy rates exacerbate the challenges of finding housing for Section 8 voucher recipients.

Rents continued to increase  a national trend made worse in Connecticut after an influx of high-income families from New York City, Capone said  which posed a challenge as housing coordinators searched for units that qualified for fair market rent.

Some landlords took advantage of the hot housing market to sell out, lessening the already limited housing stock. Capone said she thinks other landlords were hesitant to rent to a Section 8 voucher recipient during the state eviction moratorium.

Its illegal to say youre not going to rent to somebody with a Section 8 voucher, but it does happen, Capone said. Not often, but it does happen.

That hesitance was less an issue for the My Sisters Place team, Capone said, which drew on strong relationships developed over the organizations 40 years in operation.

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My Sisters Place also employs a housing navigation specialist, a staff member with a real-estate background tasked with recruiting new landlords to the organizations housing program. As an incentive, landlords who joined were eligible to receive a one-time, $500-per-houselold signing bonus.

More needed?

The 548 emergency housing vouchers received by Connecticut is a start but dont come close to addressing the full scope of homelessness.

There were 2,594 people experiencing homelessness in Connecticut during the 2021 point-in-time count, a hand count to measure how many people are living outdoors or in shelters during a single night in January. The 2022 count took place Jan. 25, and results are currently being compiled.

With many cities struggling to put this round of housing vouchers to use, it may take some time before vouchers become a focal point of another multibillion dollar federal investment.

But for those who work in housing, voucher efficacy  in Hartford and beyond  is clear.

Ive seen it with my own eyes over the last eight years of doing this work, that housing starts to make all of the difference for folks, said Sara Wilson, director of development and communications at Journey Home. If youve got to figure out where youre going to sleep that night, its hard to pull your life back together. When you know where youre going to be, life starts to fall into place.

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Seamus McAvoy may be reached at smcavoy@courant.com.
On paper, the social workers role at public K-12 schools is straightforward: to support a caseload of students with special needs to thrive in often-challenging academic setting.

But ask a social worker employed in a public school these days, and theyre likely to tell a much different story.

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For social worker Jara Rijs, who works at Windham Center School, where more than half of its pre-K through fifth-grade students qualify for subsidized lunch, the job responsibilities bleed well beyond the job description, particularly since the pandemic hit.

Jara Rijs, a social worker at at Windham Center School, says, Ive never seen so many young children talking about suicidality, feeling so drained and not having coping skills.

As many in her school community face trauma either induced or exacerbated by the pandemic, Rijs said she considers every one of the estimated 250 students at her elementary school part of her caseload.

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Beyond providing clinical support to students with individual education plans, in a given day, Rijs might also meet with a student struggling with a family loss or divorce, connect to a community health agency to check availability, lead a staff discussion on self-care, or even don the schools froggy mascot costume  a symbol of the schools Froggy Four character development program.

Fun and games aside, Rijs takes a serious tone when discussing the state of her students mental health.

Ive never seen so many young children talking about suicidality, feeling so drained and not having coping skills, Rijs said.

In Connecticut, as elsewhere across the country, the pandemic has exacerbated just how thin school-based social workers are stretched, with the demand for services swelling. The number of children needing behavioral health treatment at childrens hospitals has surged, resulting in long waits for inpatient and community-based care.

[ Bipartisan group of Connecticut lawmakers unveil comprehensive legislative effort to address childrens mental health crisis ]

In January, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy declared a national youth mental health crisis, acknowledging the pandemics toll on children.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy takes questions from the media after visiting the King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles in December to discuss the importance of protecting youth mental health during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) (Damian Dovarganes/AP)

Connecticuts ratio of social worker to student is 580 students to one social worker; the national professional standard recommends one social worker for every 250 students. The standard was developed before school-aged children endured months of isolation from the regular daily routine of school and the broad, adverse ramifications of the pandemic.

Earlier this month, a state task force led by the Department of Public Health identified 157 schools most in need of health care and mental health care services, with Waterbury, Bridgeport and New Haven at the top of the list. The task force report is designed to provide lawmakers with data to be used during the 2022 legislative session.

Last week, Democratic lawmakers held a press conference highlighting their top priorities for the legislative session and acknowledging the mental health fallout from the pandemic. Lawmakers plan to introduce several measures supporting childrens mental health, including increasing funding for school social workers.

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Stephen A. Wanczyk-Karp, executive director of Connecticuts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, said: Ive been in this field since 1977, and Ive never seen this level of interest for social work.

Unable to keep up with demand

Even in districts with seemingly adequate mental health resources, some schools are in crisis mode.

Carrie Rivera, assistant director of mental health services for New London Public Schools, describes the districts efforts to ensure adequate student support: increasing the number of social workers at the secondary level, adding social-emotional programming to include a mindfulness program for pre-K through eighth grade, and maintaining a relationship with a community agency for psychiatric evaluations.

But the communitys needs are significant. Rivera says several families have lost family members  many of them parents or guardians  during the pandemic. The homeless student population has increased. Job loss, food insecurity and financial insecurity are running high. Consequently, Rivera says, the district has seen a huge uptick in student depression, anxiety and related behavioral concerns.

We have support staff within every single building, she said. I dont think it can ever be enough right now. Every day theres a crisis.

Windhams Rijs knows the feeling. In a school year during which shes never before seen students so mentally fragile, she says, the district eventually secured a one-year contract with a second social worker at her school.

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I hope they keep the second social worker position, but I worry that its a position that could be eliminated, Rijs said.

Obstacles to hiring

Amid the enormous need for school-based social workers, whose many roles include first responders to student crises, leaders in the field say the job is often misunderstood. Wanczyk-Karp says that frequently they are perceived as interchangeable with other mental health professionals such as school psychologists, whose primary responsibilities include conducting student psychological and academic assessments and guiding students academic success.

A lack of recognition of social workers value to schools may be the cause of district-wide decisions like the one in 2015 by the Avon School District to eliminate its social workers and replace them with additional school psychologists, which met with public outcry from parents and former students. Catherine Lewis, an Avon parent and professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut, was among those who denounced the districts decision to eliminate social workers.

They do a lot of intangibles, Lewis said. They know the pulse of the school.

Some social workers hope that the pandemics silver lining will mean greater recognition of their profession, and, subsequently, additional resources.

Legislation is talking about students health more than ever, Rijs said. We are finally in the limelight.

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This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (c-hit.org), a nonprofit news organization dedicated to health reporting.
Published On Feb 21, 2022 03:18 PM By Rohit for Toyota Innova Crysta

Toyota will likely introduce a petrol hybrid engine option and axe the diesel unit

A possible test mule of the new-gen Innova has been spied overseas.

Sported bigger alloy wheels, LED taillights, and large glass areas like the existing model.

Expected to be unveiled later in 2022.

A camouflaged MPV has been spied overseas, which, as per reports, might just be the new-gen Toyota Innova. The current-gen model has been on sale since 2016, and it received a midlife update in 2020.

The spied mule had a similar silhouette as the existing Innova Crysta, along with the identical large glass areas and upright tailgate. However, the chrome-finished alloy wheels look bigger than the ones on the current model. The spied model featured LED taillights.

While there is no confirmation on its powertrains, the carmaker will likely provide it with a petrol-hybrid engine option. For reference, the current Innova Crysta comes with a 2.7-litre petrol (166PS/245Nm) and a 2.4-litre diesel engine (150PS/360Nm). Both are paired with a 5-speed manual and an optional 6-speed torque converter.

Toyota is expected to unveil the new-gen Innova in Thailand later this year, and it will certainly command a premium over the current-gen model (priced between Rs 17.3 lakh and Rs 25.32 lakh ex-showroom Delhi). As of now, it doesnt have any direct rival in India, but price- and size-wise, it is positioned between the Kia Carens and the Kia Carnival.

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Read More on : Innova Crysta diesel
Mashael al-Shuwaihan, who sits on the board of Kuwait's Women's Cultural Society, speaks during an interview, at a protest outside Kuwait's National Assembly, in Kuwait City, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022. Her placard reads: "Freedom and equality for women are constitutional pillars." Women might be progressing across the Arab world, but in Kuwait, the guardians of conservative morals have increasingly cracked down on their rights in recent months, prompting activists to take to the streets last week. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Photo: Province of BC YouTube Health Minister Adrian Dix

It was a news conference about expanding college and university spaces for nursing students, but B.C.s health minister started it off with a comment about whats been happening at protests in Ottawa and in this province.

Before I begin, I just wanted to say a couple things about events in the last couple of days. Some of the behaviour, whether its in Surrey, whether its in Oliver, whether its in communities in different parts of B.C. or whether its in Centretown of Ottawa...when people yell freedom, but systematically impede other peoples freedom, whether it be journalists, whether it be citizens in their homes, whether it be students, it is  will always be  completely unacceptable.

It is not freedom to attack other peoples freedoms and rights, Dix said.

He called the actions of police in Ottawa and B.C. appropriate and necessary.

Two of the events Dix was referring to involved protesters yelling at and at spitting at journalists who were covering anti-mandate rallies near the Canada-U.S.border in Surrey and in the Okanagan on Saturday.

Dix also referenced the confrontation between a woman and some high school students in Oliver last week, which saw the woman fined $2,300.

Yasmin Gandham of Global News Okanagan tweeted Saturday that she was spat at and called a liar and "fake news" while covering the weekly freedom convoy that travels down Highway 97.

Being spit on, having my physical appearance scrutinized, called a liar and fake news - just a few of the interactions at the protests in Osoyoos.



As a journalist, we work to be unbiased and report on fact but no matter what your beliefs are, this behaviour is unjustified. pic.twitter.com/CqE7tTYWa6  Yasmin Gandham (@YasminGandham) February 19, 2022

Kamil Karamali, also of Global News, shared footage of him and his colleague being yelled at, spat at and then escorted to their vehicles by police. They were blocked in by demonstrators before they were able to drive out of the area. Surrey RCMP has launched an investigation into the treatment of journalists at the event.

??WARNING: Profane language.



My camera operator and I get swarmed by protesters and followed  after an interview with police media relations.



Officers escort us to our vehicle after we receive verbal threats. #bcpoli #TruckerConvoy pic.twitter.com/280fzoq2UD  Kamil Karamali (@KamilKaramali) February 19, 2022

Dix was later asked about protesters gathering outside the home of Port Coquitlam MLA and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth.

There are no freedoms without responsibilities. Part of our responsibility to one another is not in exercising and chanting freedom to abuse other peoples freedoms. That doesnt work, Dix said.

Dix then went on to highlight that 93 per cent of adults in this province have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and said while there are divisions, the divisions are 16-1.

That doesnt mean the one cant speak its mind or that persons mind. But it doesnt mean they can say that were going to continue to interfere with other people's freedoms until you change the policy. Policies have been open, generous and effective in B.C," Dix said.

Dix added that nurses in the public health care system have provided some of the most outstanding care to unvaccinated patients.

He also made it clear that some pandemic restrictions were lifted last week not because of people shouting abuse, but because of the actions of British Columbians who followed public health guidelines and orders.
Photo: RCMP

A Surrey man who alleges he was violently taken down in a case of mistaken identity is suing the RCMP, the B.C. government and the federal government.

In a notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Feb. 2, Surjeet Heer says four constables arrived at his home on May 8, 2020 and asked about the location of a tenant who resided in Heers basement.

He asserts that when he moved forward, the officers demanded he step back and place his hands behind him.

The defendant constables then proceeded to violently take the plaintiff down, forcing him to the ground, the notice said. The court document says Heer was handcuffed and arrested as constables kept a knee on his back, his face pushed into the ground.

It appears the defendant constables seized the plaintiff thinking he was the tenant, the notice said.

Heer asserts he was not notified of his right to speak to a lawyer.

The incident resulted in injuries to his back and neck and lacerations and bruising to his face, elbows and arms, according to the notice. Heer says he's dealt with ongoing issues, including post-traumatic headaches, sleep problems, shock, depression, moodiness, anxiety and loss of motion. The claim notes he continues to need medical treatment.

The defendants named in the suit are B.C.s minister of public safety and solicitor general, Canadas attorney general for the RCMP, Surrey RCMP members Rija Munawar and JP Varvajal and two John Does, also RCMP members.

The federal Department of Justice referred Glacier Media's inquiries to RCMP E Division.

RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said she had not been able to confirm if the force had been served with the notice.

Once served, the Department of Justice will review the information and provide an official response through the court process, Shoihet said.

B.C.s Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General said it could not comment as the issue may be before the courts.
Tripura Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Monday reminded the people of the genesis of the language movement in Bangladesh and explained how the Bengali speaking people of then East Pakistan revolted against the unilateral decision of imposing "Urdu" as a national language.

Hitting out at Pakistan, Nath said that the country (Pakistan) that still dreams of breaking India into pieces should first seek apologies from Bangladesh for attempts to suppress the cultural and linguistic practices of the region that was once a part of it.

Addressing the central event of International Mother Language Day, Nath said, "Pakistan government did not seek any apology from the people of Bangladesh. The kind of atrocities the Pakistanis had unleashed on the people of then East Pakistan is known to all.

Unfortunately, Pakistan has neither acknowledged its barbaric acts nor expressed any regret for its past deeds. Pakistan still keeps its hopes alive to break India into pieces but I want to ask our neighbours to first apologize to Bangladesh for their gory deeds. Better late than never."

Discussing the importance of the day, Nath said, "Tripura is the only state that is observing this day in collaboration with Bangladesh Assistant High Commission, Agartala. We are giving due importance to the day and even UNESCO has been informed of this programme. We have started it from last year and we are continuing to celebrate the auspicious day in a grand manner".

Nath also remembered the sacrifices of the martyrs of the language movement and paid rich tributes to the people of Bangladesh, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and Bangabandhu Sheikh Majibur Rahman through present representatives from Bangladesh assistant high commission, Agartala.

Apart from Nath, Assistant Bangladesh High Commissioner Arif Mohammad and Tripura Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury also delivered their speeches on the significance of the day. All the present dignitaries paid floral tributes to the slain patriots at the Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan before the main function.

Tripura Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath and others attended the International Mother Language Day event at Rabindra Bhavan in Agartala.

(ANI)
If you are looking for the best wordpress plugins, then you are at the right place. Here is the list of best wordpress plugins that you should use in your blog to boost SEO, strong your security and know every aspects of your blog . Although creating a good content is one factor but there are many wordpress plugins that perform different actions and add on to your success. So let's start

1.Yoast SEO

Those users who are serious about SEO, Yoast SEO will do the work for them to reach their goals. All they need to do is select a keyword, and the plugin will then optimize your page according to the specified keyword

Yoast offers many popular SEO WordPress plugin functions. It gives you real-time page analysis to optimize your content, images, meta descriptions, titles, and kewords. Yoast also checks the length of your sentences and paragraphs, whether youre using enough transition words or subheadings, how often you use passive voice, and so on. Yoast tells Google whether or not to index a page or a set of pages too.

Let me summarize these points in bullets:

Enhance the readability of your article to reduce bounce rate

Optimize your articles with targetted keywords

Let Google know who you are and what your site is about

Improve your on-page SEO with advanced, real-time guidance and advice on keyword usage, linking, and external linking.

Keep your focus keywords consistent to help rank better on Google.

Preview how your page would appear in the search engine results page (SERP)

Crawl your site daily to ensure Google indexes it as quickly as possible.

Rate your article informing you of any mistakes you might have made so that you can fix them before publishing.

Stay up-to-date with Googles latest algorithm changes and adapt your on-page SEO as needed with smartsuggestionss from the Yoast SEO plugin. This plugin is always up-to-date.

Free Version is available

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Premium version=$89/year that comes with extra functions, allowing you to optimize your content up to five keywords, among other benefits.





2. WP Rocket

A website running WordPress can put a lot of strain on a server, which increases the chances that the website will crash and harm your business. To avoid such an unfortunate situation and ensure that all your pages load quickly, you need a caching plugin like WP Rocket.

WP Rocket plugin designed to increases your website speed. Instead of waiting for pages to be saved to cache, WP Rocket turns on desired caching settings, like page cache and gzip compression. The plugin also activates other features, such as CDN support and llazy image loadding, to enhance your site speed.

Features in bullets:

Browser Catching

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Reducing the number of HTTP requests allows websites to load more quickly.

Decreasing bandwidth usage with GZIP compression

Apply optimal browser caching headers (expires)

Minifying and combining JavaScript and CSS files

Remove Unused CSS

Deferred loading of images (LazyLoad)

WebP compatibility

Deferred loading of JavaScript files

Delay JavaScript Execution

Critical Path CSS generation and deferred loading of CSS files

Database optimization

WordPress Heartbeat API control

DNS prefetch

CDN integration

Cloudflare integration

Sucuri integration

Easy import/export of settings

Easy roll back to a previous version





Pricing

Single License =$49/year for one website

Plus License =$99/year for 3 websites

Infinite License =$249/year for unlimited websites





3.Wordfence Security

Wordfence Security is a WordPress firewall and security scanner that keeps your site safe from malicious hackers, spam, and other online threats. This Plugin comes with a web application firewall (WAF) called tthread Defence Feed that helps to prevents brute force attacks by ensuring you set stronger passwords and limiting login attempts. It searches for malware and compares code, theme, and plugin files with the records in the WordPress.org repository to verify their integrity and reports changes to you.

Wordfence security scanner provides you with actionable insights into your website's security status and will alert you to any potential threats, keeping it safe and secure. It also includes login security features that let you activate reCAPTCHA and two-factor authentication for your website.

Features in Bullets.

Scans your site for vulnerabilities.

Alerts you by email when new threats are detected.

Supports advanced login security measures.

IP addresses may be blocked automatically if suspicious activity is detected.

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Premium Plan= $99/Year that comes with extra security features like the real time IP backlist and country blocking option and also support from highly qualified experts.

4. Akismet

Akismet can help prevent spam from appearing on your site. Every day, it automatically checks every comment against a global database of spam to block malicious content. With Akismet, you also wont have to worry about innocent comments being caught by the filter or false positives. You can simply tell Akismet about those and it will get better over time. It also checks your contact form submissions against its global spam database and weed out unnecessary fake information.

Features in Bullets:

The program automatically checks comments and filters out spam.

Hidden or misleading links are often revealed in the comment body.

Akismet tracks the status of each comment, allowing you to see which ones were caught by Akismet and which ones were cleared by a moderator.

A spam-blocking feature that saves disk space and makes your site run faster.

Moderators can view a list of comments approved by each user.

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Free to use for personal blog

5. Contact Form 7

Contact Form 7 is a plug-in that allows you to create contact forms that make it easy for your users to send messages to your site. The plug-in was developed by Takayuki Miyoshi and lets you create multiple contact forms on the same site; it also integrates Akismet spam filtering and lets you customize the styling and fields that you want to use in the form. The plug-in provides CAPTCHA and Ajax submitting.

Features in bullets:

Create and manage multiple contact forms

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Use simple markup to alter mail content

Add Lots of third-party extensions for additional functionality

Shortcode offers a way to insert content into pages or posts.

Akismet spam filtering, Ajax-powered submitting, and CAPTCHA are all features of this plugin.

Pricing

Free to use

6. Monster Insights

When youre looking for an easy way to manage your Google Analytics-related web tracking services, Monster Insights can help. You can add, customize, and integrate Google Analytics data with ease so youll be able to see how every webpage performs, which online campaigns bring in the most traffic, and which content readers engage with the most. Its same as Google Analytics

It is a powerful tool to keep track of your traffic stats. With it, you can view stats for your active sessions, conversions, and bounce rates. Youll also be able to see your total revenue, the products you sell, and how your site is performing when it comes to referrals.

MonsterInsights offers a free plan that includes basic Google Analytics integration, data insights, and user activity metrics.

Features in bullets:

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Google AdSense tracking

Send you weekly analytics report of your blog you can download it as pdf

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Premium plan= $99.50/year that comes with extra features like page and post tracking, Adsense tracking, custom tracking and reports.

7. Pretty Links

Pretty Links is a powerful WordPress plugin that enables you to easily cloak affiliate links on your websiteIt even allows you to easily redirect visitors based on a specific request, including permanent 301 and temporary 302/307 redirects.

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You can pass custom parameters to your scripts when using pretty permalinks, and still have full tracking capability.

Exclude IP Addresses from Stats

Cookie-based system to track your activity across clicks

Create nofollow/noindex links

Toggle tracking on / off on each link.

Pretty Link Bookmarklet

Update redirected links easily to new URLs!

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Beginner Plan=$79/year that can be used on 1 site

Marketer Plan: $99/year  that can be used on upto 2 sites

Super Affiliate Plan: $149/year  that can be use on upto 5 sites





We hope youve found this article useful. We appreciate you reading and welcome your feedback if you have it.




I've often wondered how medieval Christians dealt with the plague, and how it compares to the way we deal with the coronavirus today.

The three volumes of Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter, set in 14th-century Norway, don't answer the question. This is a historical novel, not description of fact. Still, the way Undset imagines medieval Christians responded to the plague is instructive and moving.

The high point of the novel, I think, is the last few chapters, which depict Kristin traveling to take up religious life in Rein Abbey near Trondheim in Trndelag, halfway up the coast in Norway (some spoilers to follow). Shortly after her arrival, the plague breaks out. Undset's descriptions of both fear and courage brought tears to my eyes.

I have long thought our reactions to COVID to be mostly cowardly. We have left elderly people isolated for months on end in long-term care facilities; we have let them languish and die there. Many of our elderly parents must have wished they were dead already, to avoid being left to die alone in their old-age hovels. Our hospitals have refused family access to people with COVID. Priests were unable  and sadly, often unwilling  to visit the sick. Many died without last rites or final prayers with loved ones and pastors, because we were too cowardly to allow visitation. We even denied people dying with COVID decent funerals for fear we might catch it ourselves.

So far, I have read few reflections on our moral failings  as individuals, as pastors, and as policymakers. We seem to think that fear of risk, no matter how minimal, always and necessarily carries its own justification.

We seem to think that fear of risk, no matter how minimal, always and necessarily carries its own justification.

Here's how Kristin Lavransdatter ends. One of her sons, Skule, is visiting the abbey where his old mother has settled. Kristin overhears him talking with the abbey's priest, Sira Eiliv. Skule explains to Sira Eiliv that one of his seamen died when his ship put in at the wharf. Kristin realizes what this means and utters "a little involuntary cry of fear." Skule then admits to her that five of his men have already died. Kristin suggests that he should stay in town rather than go back to his ship. But Skule recognizes this won't make a difference. "Oh, I think soon it won't matter where I am. It's useless to be frightened; fearful men are half dead already. But if only I was as old as you are, Mother." Skule refuses to cave in to fear, while at the same time lamenting his short life.

Two weeks later, two fishermen come to the convent, carrying a dying man in a sail. "The lay sisters and servingwomen all had fled into the buildings, but the nuns  a flock of trembling, terrified, and bewildered old women  were clustered near the door to the convent hall." Despite the fear spreading through the abbey, the abbess herself knows what's demanded by her faith. "'In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti,' she said clearly, and then swallowed hard. 'Bring him to the guesthouse.'" Together with Sister Agata, Kristin cares for the dying patient. When Sira Eiliv comes by later that evening, he reprimands Sister Agata for not wearing a mask, "a linen cloth, dipped in vinegar, around her mouth and nose. She murmured crossly that it would do no good, but now both she and Kristin had to do as he ordered." Masks were controversial in 14th-century hygiene, much as they are today.

The nuns themselves get sick. Sister Inga "was so terrified of death that it was a horror to see and hear." As she lies prostrate with a burning fever, blood seeping out of her skin, Kristin's heart is "filled with dread; no doubt she would be just as pitifully frightened when her turn came. It was not just the fact that death was certain, but it was the horrifying fear that accompanied death from the plague."

"The agony of people's souls was worse than that of their bodies." One's response to the plague matters eternally.

The abbess's example gives the nuns "new courage" in nursing the sick in the convent. But not everyone responds in an equally courageous manner. Kristin hears a bad report about her son Skule. Like many other young people, out of despair he throws himself into wild living. "They said that whoever was afraid would be sure to die, and so they blunted their fear with carousing and drinking, playing cards, dancing, and carrying on with women." Sira Eiliv, who keeps a steady, Christian perspective throughout, "told Kristin one day that the agony of people's souls was worse than that of their bodies." One's response to the plague matters eternally.

When a bunch of locals bury alive a young lad, believing that this will persuade the Devil to leave the area, Kristin interferes despite fierce opposition from some of the local loudmouths. One of them shouts at her, "Isn't it better to sacrifice one than for all of us to perish?" Kristin courageously lifts the boy out of his grave just in time. She then learns his mother died about two weeks ago, her body still lying in her hovel. "'She was lying there?' Kristin gave the men a look of horror. 'Didn't anyone bring a priest to her? Is  the body  still lying there? And no one has had enough mercy to put her into consecrated ground? And her child you were going to '" Lack of courage typically results from lack of mercy.

Kristin, with the help of her former servant Ulf Halderssn, decides to give the woman a decent burial, no matter the danger to herself. As they carry the body to the convent, Kristin feels the sickness pervading her own body. When Sira Eiliv and others relieve her from the heavy burden of the body, she nearly collapses.

This leads to one of the most moving scenes in the book.

Sira Eiliv was about to catch her when she said quickly, "Don't touch me. Don't come near me. I can feel that I have the plague myself." But Sira Eiliv put his hand under her arm all the same. "Then it should be of comfort for you to remember, woman, what Our Lord has said: That which you have done unto one of my poorest brothers or sisters, you have also done unto me."

The next thing Kristin feels is an unthinkable, piercing pain, as her mouth fills with blood and vomit covers her robe. We then read: "Ulf Haldorssn lifted her up in his arms and carried her."

Did the plague induce fear in people? Of course it did. But committed Christians such as Kristin, Ulf, and Sira Eiliv did not let go of their Christian calling  no matter their fear. Bodies deserve care and respect, even after the point of death. Priests and religious  indeed, even ordinary folk such as Ulf Halderssn  have a duty to help the sick, irrespective of the risk to themselves.

Fear may be powerful, but courage is called for all the same. During a pandemic, we are to keep our eye on the soul, for pandemics can harm the soul even more than the body. Perhaps more than anything, we need to recover a sense of horror at a culture that allows our fears to trump every sense of obligation to the dead, the sick, and the elderly.
Feeling the heat of mercury

ICR Research By

Published 21 February 2022

Cement kiln operators, particularly in cases of co-incineration, may feel the heat when considering upcoming government regulations regarding mercury emissions. Therefore, it is recommended to invest in upgrading mercury monitoring systems if existing ones use out-of-date technology that no longer complies with mercury monitoring standards. By Gasmet, Finland.

In an effort to decrease fossil fuel dependence and mitigate their environmental impact, many modern cement kilns are using waste incineration to generate energy. While these advances are applauded, this progress also presents its own challenges, including managing emissions from the incineration process. In the past, cement kilns that also incinerate waste were often allowed to operate with less stringent requirements than purpose-built waste incinerators, but that flexibility is rapidly diminishing.

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Buena Vista, CO (81211)

Today

Showers early, then clearing overnight. Low 29F. WSW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Showers early, then clearing overnight. Low 29F. WSW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
I am being asked more and more frequently if I  as a longtime subscriber of Chattanoogas newspapers  will pay $34 per month for that privilege when the Times Free Press goes to a digital-only replica this year. My answer is a sad no, just as I suspect many other former readers will respond to a ridiculous $408 yearly subscription price.

I currently pay $42.80 for a 13-week print subscription that includes daily delivery Monday through Sunday. Exactly when the newspaper will pull the plug on the print version is not known but the weak circulation and advertising revenue cannot sustain the current economic model much longer. The Times Free Press will soon change to a digital-only model with an actual printed edition on Sundays only.

A key will be what the subscription rate will be if you have your own iPad or similar computer. The cost of an iPad begins at about $250 so to lease a machine from the newspaper in the $408/year plan is downright foolish.

The current come-on is that the subscription includes an iPad to get the most from gig city but the fine print reveals for those who would cancel the $34/month package, they must turn the iPad back in to the newspaper. Quite frankly, I dont think this plan has much of a chance at success. Whoa, Ive been wrong before and as a somewhat sentimentalist I hope the Chattanooga newspaper will always flourish but  in complete candor -- there is simply too much free competition on the Internet.

First, John Wilsons Chattanoogan.com website  as you read this story from it  has never been as popular. And its free! There is no charge to access its daily stories and Chattanoogas television outlets have excellent websites, also free to access. I cant imagine who would pay over $1.00 per day for the same news. Google is free, Google News is free, Yahoo, Topix, Fox, CNN, Bing and hundreds of thousands more are all free access. The Times Free Press cannot compete for the reader.

As a newspaper lover, I have several out-of-town subscriptions that I try to include in my Morning Readings:

* -- THE NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN has an annual digital fee of $69 per year. (There is currently an introductory offer of $1 a week for nine weeks, then $9.95 per month)

* -- THE KNOXVILLE JOURNAL, also a Gannett newspaper, is priced identically to the Tennessean.

* -- USA TODAY is $1/week but they have several different subscription models. They will deliver a newspaper by mail and give you full digital access for $12.95 per month and that includes a full virtual access.

* -- THE NEW YORK TIMES has various subscription plans, as does the Washington Post and other big dailies like the Chicago Tribune and L.A. Times.

But all of them offer some free access versus $34 per month for what? There is nothing, outside of local news, that the Times Free Press can offer the reader and there are too many other Chattanooga outlets where the same news cannot be obtained  for free.

When the Times Free Press abandons its print version, I have to admit I believe $34 per month is a waste of money and, while I deeply regret the demise of the happiest days in my life, Change is the only constant in life.

royexum@aol.com
Have you ever been playing with a dog, maybe throwing a ball for it to fetch  it chases after the ball, but then stops because something else has caught its eye? Or maybe youre playing tug-of-war with it  the pup holds the toy in its teeth with an iron grip, until you distract it somehow so it loosens its grip and you can pull the toy away?

Of the many words that could describe our society these days, that word immediately comes to my mind: Distracted.

Were got smartphones that seem to beg for our attention; were texting, sharing photos, or checking to make sure we havent missed something on social media. We go out to dinner and rather than enjoying conversations with our family members or friends, we sit there staring at our phones. I admit, sometimes guilty as charged.

Then weve got our computers. When were not using them for work, we can access email and explore the unlimited treasures of the Internet. If we get bored with those, we can always resort to the longtime favorite  TV  which can effectively anesthetize our minds if we let it.

But there are other ways of getting distracted. Job demands can monopolize our concentration, drawing us away from cultivating and strengthening important relationships. Hobbies and pastimes are good, but they sometimes pull us away from responsibilities that need to be addressed.

Years ago, Charles Hummel wrote a little book called The Tyranny of the Urgent, in which he succinctly explains how the seemingly urgent can lure us away from whats really important  and life seems to always present something urgent that needs our attention. While were busy with urgent things, more important matters get ignored.

Ive read through Oswald Chambers excellent devotional book a number of times, and one phrase that always resonates is good is the enemy of the best. Thats often been helpful for me in evaluating various opportunities or choosing whether to take on one more activity. Is it something I really should do, or is it just a good thing that will take time away from doing whats best?

Distractions can pose a real problem for our spiritual growth as well. Writing to his protege, Timothy, the apostle Paul warned him about the dangers of becoming distracted:



Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs  he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victors crown unless he competes according to the rules (2 Timothy 2:3-5).

The book of Hebrews also speaks to the matter of distractions, or as it terms it, drifting. After reminding readers about their foundation of faith in Jesus Christ  the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3)  the author issues a warning: We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift awayhow shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? (Hebrews 2:1-3).

This problem arises repeatedly in the Scriptures, strong and committed believers becoming distracted by various concerns and beginning to drift away from the faith they have held so dear. We see it with Abram, Isaac, David, Solomon, Hezekiah and others in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, even the disciples drifted away for a time. One of them, Judas Iscariot, never returned.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul gives this sad pronouncement about a man of whom he had spoken highly in another of his letters: Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica (2 Timothy 4:10). Can you imagine something like that being written about you?

So, the problem of drifting, becoming distracted by other things  even good ones  isnt anything new. But its no less a danger for those of us who follow Christ in the 21st century. As someone expressed Chambers sentiments in a similar manner, a good thing, when it becomes the main thing, becomes a bad thing.

It wouldnt hurt to stop from time to time and assess whether were letting this happen to ourselves. Is my devotion to my Lord being diminished by allowing other things, even good things, become my primary focus? Am I living the victorious life in Christ that Ive been promised, or am I unwittingly being defeated by distractions? Only through prayer and an open, humble heart can we answer that honestly.

* * *

Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly published, Marketplace Ambassadors; Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Todays Workplace; Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. A weekly business meditation he edits, Monday Manna, is translated into more than 20 languages and sent via email around the world by CBMC International. The address for his blog is www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. His email address is btamasy@comcast.net.
One of the surviving events that modern day historians of the University of the South (Sewanee) have not changed is the fact that an 1888 graduate of the liberal arts institution outside of Monteagle was a passenger on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912, in the north Atlantic after it struck an iceberg.

Mayor Archibald Willingham Butt was born in Augusta, Georgia on September 26, 1865, and graduated from Sewanee in 1888.

For several years he worked as a journalist and lived in Washington, D.C.

where he served as a correspondent for several Southern newspapers.

He suspended his career as a newspaper writer to work in the Mexican Embassy and later joined the United States military to serve in the Spanish-American War (1898) and intended to become a career officer. He also served in the Philippines from 1900-1906 and then in Cuba before becoming military aide to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908.

When President William Howard Taft took office in 1909, Butt was asked and accepted the position of personal advisor to the new president.

On November 10, 1911, the president was travelling by train throughout the South on a trip to visit the Civil War Chickamauga Battlefield and was convinced by his aide Major Butt to make a stop at Sewanee to visit his assistants alma mater.

Various accounts of the historical event have previously been preserved by prior writers.

Author Patricia Short Makris in her 1997 publication, The Other Side of Sewanee, devotes a page to the event.

The two-hour visit made upon the request of Major Butt was a tremendous success with the only alleged negative occurrence being the actions of a dedicated Democrat lady of Sewanee who turned her back when the parade passed by her house carrying a Republican president.

Butt would remain an advisor and presidential aide until 1912 when his health would deteriorate because of his attempts to remain neutral during the personal and political quarrels between his former and present employers, Roosevelt and Taft.

This effect on his health necessitated that he take six weeks leave from his service at the White House and he sailed to Europe with his close friend, Francis Millett, who had business at the American Academy in Rome, Italy.

They became first class passengers in Cabin B38 on the Titanic that sailed from South Hampton on April 10.

Butts and Milletts bodies were never recovered but they were not forgotten.

They have both been memorialized in several ways including the Butt-Millett Memorial Fountain erected in Washington, D.C. in 1913 and the Butt Memorial Bridge in Augusta, Georgia that was dedicated by President Taft in 1914.

The high esteem that President Taft held for Major Archie Butt is reflected in this message from the White House in Washington:

April 1912

Major Archie Butt was my Military Aide. He was like a member of my family, and I feel his loss as if he had been a younger brother. The chief trait of his character was loyalty to his ideas, his cloth, and his friends. His character was a simple one in the sense that he was incapable of intrigue or insincerity. He was gentle and considerate to everyone, high and low, he never lost, under any conditions, his sense of proper regard to what he considered the respect due to constitute authority. He was an earnest member of the Episcopal church and loved that communion. He was a solider, ever inch of him, a most compitent {sic} and successful quartermaster, and devotee of his profession.

After I heard that part of the ships company had gone down, I gave up hope for the rescue of Major Butt, unless by accident. I knew that he would certainly remain on the ships deck until every duty had been performed and every sacrifice made that properly fell on the charged, as he would feel himself charged, with responsibility for the rescue of others.

He leaves the wildest circle of friends, whose memory of him is sweet in every particular.

Wm. H. Taft



(Whether he had any connections in his past that would override the respect issued by President Taft and his fellow classmates from Mississippi at Sewanee that included Bishop Theodore du Bose Bratton, Reverend William Mercer, Reverend Edward McCready, Dr. T. O. Hunter, and J.D. Ferguson is beyond the scope of this article.)

* * *

Jerry Summers



(If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com)
The board of directors of the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce has unanimously voted to select Jason Thomas Mock as the next president and chief executive officer of the 800-member business organization. The announcement was made this week by 2022 chair Dr. Margaret Venable who also serves as president of Dalton State College, and search committee chair Bill Davies, Truist president, Northwest Georgia.



Mr. Mock currently serves as president and chief executive officer of the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce in Texas, which is located 30 miles south of Austin and 40 miles north of San Antonio. He previously served as director of small business services for the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce in Cumming.



The board is excited to have Jason join the chambers team of professionals, according to Dr. Venable. He brings with him an understanding of the opportunities and challenges a diverse

demographic population can have in a community and the role business leaders, large and small, play in creating an environment for economic prosperity. I have confidence that he will continue to build upon the great foundation that has been put in place by other chamber leaders, both volunteers and internal team members.



Mr. Mock has led the San Marcos Area Chamber since 2016, growing its membership in both numbers and influence. His role at the chamber has been to lead the staff, operations and strategic planning for the 550-member organization.



I am extremely excited about the opportunity to come home to Georgia and be a part of the leadership team at the Greater Dalton Chamber, Mr. Mock said. With the accomplishments of the Believe Greater Dalton plan and upcoming update of future strategies, I look forward to becoming engaged in how the business community plays a role in the quality of life for current and future residents. These initiatives are key to the success of businesses already established in the area and future prospects.



The search committee has been seeking a professional who is highly skilled in motivational techniques and directive group dynamics to guide the Greater Dalton Chamber, said Mr. Davies. Our group vetted several extremely impressive candidates over the past 30 days. We believe Jasons chamber experience, innovation and creativity will be a great fit for the leadership position.



Mr. Mock is a graduate of the US Chambers Institute of Organization Management program. The program is recognized for offering premier training to chamber professionals throughout the country. He graduated from the University of West Georgia with a bachelor of science, political science degree in 2006. The Carrollton, Ga. native has been active with the several organizations during his time in Texas, including the Texas Association of Business, board member; Economic Development San Marcos; United Way of Hays & Caldwell Counties; Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Leadership San Marcos.



Mr. Mock and his wife, Katie, will be moving to Dalton and Whitfield County. His first day at the chamber is scheduled for March 28.



In addition to Dr. Venable and Mr. Davies, other search committee members included Will Brackett, Nichols, Cauley & Associates, LLC; Tom Bundros, Dalton Utilities; Chuck Dobbins, Dobbins Investments, LLC; Todd Harrison, Hamilton Medical Center; Zab Mendez, North Georgia National Bank; John T. Minor V, The Minor Firm; Amanda Reed, HealthOne Alliance, LLC; and Micah Riggle, Mohawk Industries.



The executive search process was broken into three phases. The first stage centered on determining the skill sets and focus points for the position. Business representatives, government leaders and other stakeholders were interviewed in order to build an updated position description and a candidate profile for the search committee. The second phase was the casting of the net for candidates and specifically identifying professionals who fit the criteria established. The final segment was to interview candidates best suited for the role and complete a vetting process.

The Chason Group, an executive search firm specializing in chambers of commerce, economic

development organizations, foundations and other nonprofits, assisted the Greater Dalton Chamber with the process.
A trend towards nepotism is a noticeable  and not very attractive  element in this years Hamilton County GOP primary races. More than 240 years ago, the colonies threw off the idea of a divine monarchy established on the basis of blood relations rather than meritocracy. Indeed, a comparatively youthful America rose to worldwide prominence mostly on the basis that anyone who worked hard enough and long enough could step up the ladder of opportunity to greater success based on their individual ambition, ability and proven expertise. That ladder of opportunity elevated the prosperity of millions of Americans for more than two centuries.

Unfortunately, money talks, particularly in politics, and the money this year in particular seems to be attracted more by family ties than earned merit. Now old money has influenced, if not dominated, Chattanooga and Hamilton County politics for generations. Well-known families on Lookout and Signal mountains frequently have had a strong say regarding our political leadership and local government officeholders. Such has long been the way of the world. Whether that has worked well for the greater benefit of most if not all Hamilton County residents over the years is for each voter to decide.

But for a political party that ostensibly prides itself as the party of opportunity, the dual appearances of Wamps, Hullanders and Heltons on the May Republican primary ballot are a bit jarring to say the least. It doesnt take a cynic to believe that those individuals, foundations and institutions financing these campaigns (including a fair amount from outside Hamilton County) believe they are investing in politicians they believe they can control for their own personal or business purposes.

That is not to say that some of these candidates representing these families dont have qualifications to be among the candidates for the posts for which they are running. Bill Hullander has proven to be an effective trustee who runs an efficient office with a good customer service record. His son Matt, a county mayoral candidate, capably ran and grew the family business for years before selling it last year. Coty Wamp is young for a DA candidate, but has proven to be a very capable attorney and made the right call regarding a wrongly-accused man in Soddy Daisy while promising to more stringently prosecute criminal cases that seemed to have been overlooked or dropped by the current DA. Brother Weston Wamp is a well-spoken venture capitalist who has run a national foundation to reduce our national debt and is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents. Esther Helton represents Tennessee House District 30 in the state legislature and her son Lee runs a construction company and is running for the Hamilton County Commission for District 7.

That said, surely the Hamilton County GOP is capable of attracting or encouraging a more diverse collection of potential officeholders than some of the above family-business candidacies suggest. While Bill Hullander has proven himself an effective public servant over time, son Matt  with no public office track record - has leveraged the sale of the family business into at least three real estate and land development businesses. Considering the hot topic about the proper development of northern Hamilton County for area residents, does this not suggest potential conflicts of interest  not to mention an additional conflict if he is elected county mayor and his father serves as trustee? Shouldnt that bother voters?

While Weston Wamps father, Zach, served in Congress for several terms as the 3rd District representative to the U.S. House, his son has less of a track record to recommend for public office than the other two mayoral candidates, including Sabrena Smedley, who has ably served two terms on the Hamilton County Commission as District 7 representative. Considering Westons focus on education, it seems he would have been better served (as would his district) if he had run for a school board seat or even the County Commission, which each have a greater influence on local education than the mayor. Again, the potential of a county mayor being brother to the DA is a conflict of interest that should be avoided from the start.

Which brings up the Heltons. Esther has served as District 30 representative in the Tennessee legislature since November 2018. With son Lee now a candidate for County Commission, does it not seem that the HC GOP is following a family business model of recruiting candidates for public office a bit much? Is Lee running so he can be prepared to take over his mothers seat when she steps down? Perhaps that question is a wee bit insensitive, but it certainly is legitimate.

With more than 200,000 registered voters in Hamilton County and nearly 70,000 registered Republicans, you would think the chances of seeing one or maybe two instances of family ties on the same ballot would be rare. But to find three? How many generations does it take a family to serve in government offices before its members start to feel entitled to an elected position?

Of course, taking advantage of family name recognition is a convenient and practical approach for candidates for public office. And its fair for these candidates to seek the public offices they are seeking  they stepped up when others didnt. But shouldnt the party of opportunity do more to encourage other qualified candidates to seek public office, and encourage their leading donors to do the same? Voters only have so many choices, but ultimately have no one to blame but themselves if nepotism proliferates.

Brendan Jennings

Birchwood
V of BTS is currently recovering from the coronavirus (COVID-19). On Feb. 20, V assured BTS fans he is feeling well on his Instagram story. Big Hit Music originally announced that V tested positive for the coronavirus on Feb. 15.

V of BTS | The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images

V is typically quite active on social media, and he often uses Instagram and Weverse to communicate with fans. On Feb. 20, V posted two videos on his Instagram story to let fans know how he is feeling.

Both videos featured a black-and-white filter and showed V sitting in front of the camera.

V captioned the first video in Korean, and the official translation through Instagram reads, Thank you for your concern Im all better thanks to you.

In the second video, V wrote in English for BTS international fans, writing, Youre sweet to worry have a good day.

RELATED: BTS Recently Performed Sold-Out Concerts at the Same Stadium the 2022 Super Bowl Was Held

BTS fans reacted to Vs message

After V posted on his Instagram story, ARMY passed along the good news on social media. Fans were particularly touched that V went out of his way to assure them he feels good.

One fan wrote on Reddit, Good to hear that hes feeling better! They really are the sweetest!

Another fan wrote on Reddit, Man, sometimes I think I cant love these men and this fandom anymore, my heart grows another three sizes! Glad to hear hes well!

Hes so SWEET! God I just love him so much, so happy hes fully recovered, wrote a Reddit user.

What a honey! This instantly put a smile on my face, both because hes better and him taking the time to thank us for worrying, wrote a fan on Reddit.

Hundreds of millions of stars  (it's not photoshopped) pic.twitter.com/D4bQMxJDcA   (@BTS_twt) December 9, 2021

RELATED: BTS Make a Brief Appearance in Janet Jacksons Documentary  How Did the Artists Meet?

V tested positive for the coronavirus

On Feb. 15, Big Hit Music published a Weverse announcement letting fans know that V tested positive for the coronavirus.

V visited the hospital Tuesday afternoon on the 15th after experiencing a mild sore throat and took the PCR test. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 tonight, Big Hit Music wrote in the Weverse post.

The announcement continues, V completed two rounds of COVID-19 vaccinations and is not presenting any extraordinary symptoms other than a mild fever and sore throat. He is currently undergoing treatment at home while waiting for further guidelines from the health care authorities.

In the Weverse announcement, Big Hit Music also let ARMY know that V was recently in contact with Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, and Jungkook. However, the members of BTS tested negative after V tested positive.

There was contact with the other members on Saturday the 12th, but everyone was wearing a mask, and there was no close contact. None of the BTS members other than V are presenting any symptoms, and everyone received negative results from the preemptive self-tests, wrote Big Hit Music.

RELATED: BTS: Suga and Jungkook Release Stay Alive for 7FATES: CHAKHO Soundtrack
Derek Hough continues to further his career with projects that have piggybacked on his success as a choreographer and professional dancer. The six-time Dancing with the Stars mirrorball winner and three-time Emmy Award winner starred in his own successful Las Vegas show in 2021. This revue fused dance styles ranging from ballroom, tap, salsa, hip-hop, and everything in between. However, it appears that Houghs planned return to the Las Vegas stage may cause a conflict with his judging duties this fall for DWTS 31st season. Will he be able to do both?

Derek Hough | Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images

Derek Hough will return to the Las Vegas stage in May 2022

Almost one year ago, Hough first announced his Las Vegas residency. However, he appeared to be more than up to the challenge of both promoting and performing in his Derek Hough: No Limit show.

In a July 2021 interview with ABC7, Hough said, Im ready, though, to do what I do and do what I do best: perform live on stage, you know, with an audience.

Motown, rock and roll, Latin, ballroom, the classics, new music. I mean, its going to be just something for everybody, said Hough, who will helm the show alongside longtime girlfriend, Haley Erbert.

What will Derek Houghs Las Vegas residency mean for his return to Dancing with the Stars?

The choreographer took to Instagram to share the dates he would appear in Sin City.

Hough posted he will star in the second run of his residency at the Venetian Las Vegas beginning in May 2022, with dates running through September.

However, there is the possibility that Hough could add extra dates due to high audience demand. Therefore, Hough would likely find himself in the middle of a demanding schedule that would include flying back and forth between Nevada and California throughout the week.

Also in flux is his return to the dance competition series as ABC has not yet announced whether or not Dancing with the Stars would return for its 31st season. This scheduling announcement typically takes place in the summer.

However, as the show remains a fan favorite, there is a distinct possibility the ballroom dance series will return for yet another season of competition on ABC. As a result, Hough will likely return, taking his seat alongside fellow judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli.

How did he make this similarly tough schedule work in 2021?

Moreover, in the comments section of a Sept. 2021 Facebook post where Hough first shared news of his residency, fans questioned the professional dancer about how he planned to juggle his Las Vegas show and Dancing with the Stars judging duties.

He subsequently wrote, Ill be flying back and forth, in response to a fan who commented on the professional demands he will face.

Dancing with the Stars is currently on hiatus.

RELATED: Dancing With the Stars Fans Disappointed Derek Hough Snubbed for Gene Kelly Biopic
In 2020, Prince Harry stepped down as a senior royal and moved to California with his wife, Meghan Markle. Since then, some fans have been curious to see which parts of American culture Harry might adopt. According to a royal journalist, the Duke of Sussex may have adopted the attitude of my way or the highway.

Prince Harry | Koen van Weel/AFP via Getty Images

Prince Harry is in the middle of a legal dispute with the U.K. government

Harry currently has a legal dispute with the government of the United Kingdom. Back in January 2022, the duke shared with the public (via a spokesperson) that he has requested to pay for police protection for his family when they visit the U.K. However, his request has been denied, and Harry is trying to challenge this decision.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed while in the UK, the statement read. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home.

On Feb. 18, Harrys lawyer also spoke to the High Court at a preliminary hearing. The lawyer reiterated the claim that Harry does not feel safe in the U.K. without police protection.

However, Harrys legal challenge has been criticized by many royal experts. For example, a former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent called Harrys request nonsensical.

An expert believes Prince Harry has adopted an American attitude

RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Made 1 Awful Move When Stepping Down as Senior Royals, According to Author

According to American royal expert Kinsey Schofield, Harrys legal challenge against the U.K. government is a sign of him adopting an American attitude.

What I wanted to say about this is I really feel like Harry and Meghan have inherited this American attitude, Schofield told GB News presenter Mark Dolan (via Express). This our way or the highway and this is a situation where Prince Harry the people that are mentoring him and working with him throughout some of these issues. They are Americans, and they dont understand the proper way to communicate and they dont understand that element of respect.

Schofield added, Its just we are not as respectful and kind as decent as your people I hate to break it to you Mark but you guys are much better human beings than we are. But it seems like he has inherited the attitude, the American attitude of its our way or the highway and I do feel like he probably did not mean it to come off that way.

How much would the Sussexes have to pay for police protection?

Its not clear how much Harry and Meghan would have to pay in order to get police protection. However, security expert Richard Aitch has spoken about it.

Its very difficult to put a figure exactly on it, Aitch told Us Weekly. The cost for a personal protection officer from the [Metropolitan Police] has been estimated to be around 100,000 a year.

When adding in other expenses, such as flights and accommodations for these security officers, as well as the fact that Harry and Meghan have two young children who need protection, the Sussexes might need to pay quite a lot from their own pocket.

Aitch said, What may appear as a wish on paper is far more in reality, and the costs can certainly be quite huge.

RELATED: Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Lack of Social Media Presence Could Be Making Them Less Popular, Royal Expert Says
Although many royals try to safeguard their private lives, this does not make them immune to scandals. In fact, the royal family is currently experiencing a few big ones at the same time. According to a royal expert, these scandals make MegxitPrince Harry and Meghan Markles exit in 2020look like a walk in the park.

(L-R) Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate Middleton in 2018 | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

What scandals have the royal family been dealing with?

The biggest scandal concerns Prince Andrew and his sexual abuse allegations. Andrew was linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and Andrew has been accused of sexually abusing a woman named Virginia Giuffre when she was a minor. Giuffre recently brought forth a civil lawsuit against Andrew, and the prince got stripped of his royal titles. Andrew reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre.

Meanwhile, Prince Charles charity, The Princes Foundation, has been accused of promising a knighthood and British citizenship to a donor from Saudi Arabia. The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into this alleged cash-for-honors matter.

This year will also see the release of Prince Harrys memoir. Many sources believe that Harry is estranged from some members of the royal family, which means the memoir could include stories that paint the royals in a negative light.

The scandals are making Megxit look like a walk in the park, expert says

RELATED: Prince Charles Was Allegedly Shocked to the Core After Discovering Something the Sussexes Did, Expert Says

A panel of experts discussed these issues plaguing the royal family on a new episode of Mail Plus Palace Confidential.

This must be total chaos behind the scenes, host Jessica King said. I mean, the PRthe palace must be going into overdrive.

Journalist Charlotte Griffiths agreed, saying, I know, its just one thing after another. And it makes Megxit look like a breeze, a walk in the park, doesnt it? Its just complete turmoil for them.

Meanwhile, writer Guy Adams looked at Charles scandal specifically and shared that, thanks to other things going on, it is not getting as much media attention. Its not even the most important royal story of the week, Adam said. Its the second.

Queen Elizabeth tested positive for COVID-19

Here is the short statement from Buckingham Palace in full about the Queen getting Covid.

Both Prince Charles and Camilla tested positive for it in the previous 10 days. pic.twitter.com/JZ2olOwkqT  Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) February 20, 2022

Another recent development concerns Queen Elizabeths health. On Feb. 20, Buckingham Palace announced that Her Majesty, who is 95 years old, had tested positive for COVID-19.

Her majesty is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week, the statement read. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.

This came after Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles both tested positive earlier this month. According to a source who spoke to CNN, COVID-19 has been making its way around the royal households.

A number of cases have been diagnosed in the Windsor Castle team, the insider said.

This past year, Queen Elizabeths health has made a lot of headlines. In October 2021, she had a short visit to the hospital, though the specifics of her visit were not released to the public. Her doctors reportedly advised her to rest for some time, and her trip to Northern Ireland was canceled. Given Her Majestys age, it is not surprising that she has been experiencing health issues, and onlookers have been talking more about Charles eventually taking over the monarchy.

RELATED: Prince William and Prince Charles Undoubtedly Bonded Over Drama With Prince Harry, Expert Says
Even though son Peter Rosellos domestic violence charges were dropped, Alexia (Echevarria) Nepola from Bravos The Real Housewives of Miami says her family was still judged by the public.

Rosello was arrested for battery misdemeanor in January after a fight with his girlfriend. The girlfriend presented with physical injuries and the police were called. In early February, Rosellos attorney shared that all charges were dismissed against his client.

After a pre-file investigation of the case by the State Attorneys office, the decision was made not to file charges against Peter Alexander Rosello. There was no evidence to support allegations. The case was dismissed and is now closed, Attorney Peter Heller shared in a statement with Showbiz Cheat Sheet.

Alexia son Peters charges were dropped but the court of public opinion remains

Despite Rosello being cleared of the charges, Nepola said her family was still judged. Unfortunately, we were charged by the peoples court, so were always guilty, till proven innocent, Nepola said on the Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast.

Alexia Echevarria Nepola | Aaron Davidson/WireImage

What hurt me the most was the fact that I had to listen to all that kind of stuff, she continued. And thank God. All the other [RHOM] girls can tell you and Todd, I dont read the comments. I post a picture. I dont even look back at how many likes, I dont care. You know what? You dont know me. She added, You dont know my family.

Alexia grew a thick skin even before RHOM

So Ive grown a thick skin, she added. Even before I did [RHOM], Ive always been like that. You can see by the choices Ive made in my life, that Ive never given a s***. And now I give even less. So I really dont care what people have to say because nobody knows my life.

And yes, of course, I was happy and grateful, she said about the charges being dismissed. I know that Peters a kind loving human being and Im very proud to be his mother. But when you talk the opposite, its hard to go through it.

So, Im relieved that the fact that its behind us and that justice was served, she added. You live and learn.

Peter struggled after Frankies accident, Alexia shared

In a previous interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Nepola said so much has gone on behind the scenes that RHOM fans dont know about. She talked about the level of despair Rosello endured when his brother, Nepolas youngest son Frankie was in a devastating car accident.

You cant judge my other son, Peter, she said. My other son, Peter, when he was going through his brothers accident, people dont know this. But he would tell me, is my brother going to make it? she continued, close to tears. It was like, Mom, if my brother doesnt make it like Im killing myself. I dont want to live without my brother. People dont know what I went through. And still, so many years later, you know, I hear comments. I obviously dont even read them. Ive never been that person that really cares about what other people think because they dont know my life.

She also addressed how Rosello sometimes talks about what would have been if his brother hadnt been in the accident that left him forever changed. I feel like sometimes when its me, him, and his brother and the tears are rolling down his face, she said. Because he thinks like, Oh my God, if my brother wouldnt have had the accident, he would be like, you know, just like me. And doing music. I mean, even though Frankie still does music, you know, its different. Hes not 100%, we know that.

RELATED: RHOM: Alexia Echevarria Reveals She Hit a Breaking Point When She Learned Her Wedding Venue Fell Through (Exclusive)
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

The Tulsa King will be Sylvester Stallones first TV series.

When Yellowstone creator originally announced his new series it was based on the Kansas City mob.

But, now the series is based a little further west in Oklahoma.

Taylor Sheridan | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The Tulsa King was on the list of new series recently announced by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. The drama will star Sylvester Stallone as a legendary East Coast mobster named Sal who moves to the Midwest after serving a lengthy prison sentence.

When the initial series announcement was made in December, it had the title of Kansas City. Now, the project has moved to Oklahoma and will be known as The Tulsa King.

Sylvester Stallone will lead a TV series for the very first time in The Tulsa King

The first time it was revealed that Stallone had teamed up with Sheridan for a new drama, the project was titled Kansas City. According to a December 2021 article from Variety, the series comes from Sheridan and Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter. And this new drama marks the first time that Stallone has ever led a TV series.

The Tulsa King sounds a lot better than The Tiger King. Welcome to Oklahoma, Mr. Stallone. We look forward to this show being around awhile. #Okiewood https://t.co/Nw0ibKPe9X  Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell (@LtGovPinnell) February 16, 2022

According to the description, the series is set in the present day. It will follow legendary New York City mobster Sal (Stallone), who is faced with the startling task of reestablishing his Italian mafia family to the modernized, straight-shooting town of Kansas City, Missouri.

Taylor Sheridans Stallone-led series moved from Kansas City to Oklahoma

Obviously, some changes were made to the series location and title since the first announcement. The Stallone-led series is now titled The Tulsa King, but neither Sheridan nor Stallone has revealed why the change was made. However, the three-time Oscar nominee did give a brief description of his character.

The Tulsa King is a very interesting story. Sals a lifetime gangster. He took the fall for his bosses and went to prison for 25 years  kept his mouth shut, Stallone explained. And now he comes out. Next thing you know hes in Tulsa. He has to now start a new life and create a gang because they want him to be an earner. And thats when the fun begins.

The Tulsa King was created in just one weekend by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan

According to 101 Studios CEO and executive producer David C. Glasser, The Tulsa King began as a simple idea on a Friday afternoon. Glasser says he told Sheridan, what if you came up with the cool wildness of Goodfellas with Stallone?

He [Sheridan] takes a breath, Im not even joking, and he goes, Hmm, thats a good idea, Glasser. Then, on the spot, he proceeds to spend 45 minutes pitching me a story that he just created in his head. This is Friday at 3 p.m. It is a great story, and nothing is written down, Glasser recalled, per Outsider.

Taylor Sheridan admits he seeks out movie stars

Within 48 hours, Glasser says that Sheridan had already hashed out a pilot script and pitched the idea to Stallone. After hearing about Sal, the Rocky star reportedly signed on immediately.

I wanna go get movie stars. An opportunity to work with someone like Stallone, it just follows this model, Sheridan said.

Glasser says that the following Monday, he and the Yellowstone creator pitched The Tulsa King idea and script to Paramount, and the network immediately greenlit the series.

This is how it happens with him, Glasser said of Sheridan. He just picks up the phone and calls people like Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Hanks, Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw and says, Hey, Ive got this idea. Ill call to do the deal with the agent afterward.

The Tulsa King will premiere on Paramount+ this fall

According to The Wall Street Journal, Sheridan met Stallone at an equestrian center in Burbank, California, where Stallones daughters trained in the same riding style as Sheridan. The 75-year-old says he was drawn to Sheridans script because of the characters he creates.

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan announced Kansas City in December. But the mafia series got a new name, and a new setting. https://t.co/y1vGwsjOck  The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) February 16, 2022

Hes bringing back a kind of rugged individualism that has been sorely lacking, Stallone explained.

Production for season 1 of The Tulsa King is scheduled to begin in March. It will premiere on streamer Paramount+ in the fall of 2022.

RELATED: Yellowstone: Taylor Sheridan Had No Idea Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly Would Have Such Insane Chemistry  Until 1 Scene Left Him Glued to the Monitor
Imagine discovering that you have royal blood coursing through your veins. Thats what happened to Food Network star Valerie Bertinelli.

As much as the news wowed the former One Day at a Time star, it was learning of another more humble ancestor that affirmed her move to the culinary channel in 2015.

Actor and Food Network star Valerie Bertinelli | David Livingston/Getty Images

The Food Network star learned her mother had majestic roots

The actor was featured in an episode of TLCs Who Do You Think You Are? in 2014, during which she discovered stunning information about her family from both her parents lineages. She traveled to England (her mothers heritage) and Italy (her fathers) as part of the programs work to delve into her family genes.

Bertinelli was told there was a link to medieval English royalty on her mothers side of the family.

The former Hot in Cleveland star was astounded to learn this part of her family history, especially given that during her formative years, she and her brothers were always surrounded by my dads side of the family, she said on the show (video below).

Her mother Nancy, she added, fully embraced her fathers Italian side of the family so much that, growing up, Bertinelli knew very little about her mothers side.

It turned out that my mother was related to a prominent family of Quakers named Claypoole, whose lineage could be traced to King Edward I. Dozens of other distant relatives  names in thick, dusty books in Londons College of Arms  filled in the blanks, she wrote in her recent memoir Enough Already.

You are directly descended from Edward I, Peter ODonoghue, York Herald of Arms at the College of Arms in London told a shocked Bertinelli on the program. And if youre going to be directly descended from an English king, what a great one to be descended from. Because he is the quintessential medieval English king.

Valerie Bertinelli also found out about her fathers Italian heritage

While conducting research for the genealogy program, Bertinelli learned that it was not just from her mother that she had inherited her love of the kitchen.

She revealed that before she approached Food Network in 2015 about the show that eventually became Valeries Home Cooking, the genealogists on the TLC program informed her that her great-grandmother Maria, on her fathers side, prepared and sold food for a living. It was a moment of validation for the actor.

It was this legacy that food had among the women in my family that gave me the encouragement I needed to embrace this passion of mine, this new and maybe next chapter in my life, she continued in her book. [It] was calling me and I was listening.

A popular Italian recipe from Food Network personality Valerie Bertinelli.

Bertinellis great-grandmothers food cart

While in Italy, she learned about her great-grandmother Maria Francesca Possio Crosa and her food cart. This Italian ancestor depended on it to feed her family. Thanks to her food cart, Maria eventually financed her move to the U.S.

It was thanks to her, she said, I was to learn, that cooking was in my blood.  I found out that Maria had worked as a cook at a home in San Remo.  To make extra money, my great-grandmother sold her homemade gelato. After [her husband] died suddenly of a heart attack, she used her gelato savings to buy tickets to the United States for herself and her children.

RELATED: Valerie Bertinellis Sheet Pan Vinegar Chicken Is a Quick and Savory Dinner With Minimal Clean-Up
Oklahoma Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association Treasurer David Hampton presents $1,000 scholarship checks to Northeastern State University students Watie Byrd and Whitney Roach during a Feb. 18 ceremony at the Cherokee Nation Tribal Complex in Tahlequah.
Funeral Service will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church. Interment will be at Rose Hill Cemetery under the direction of Sevier Funeral Home. Elnora J Rock of Chickasha, OK, passed away on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at the age of 85. She was born Dece
When the Executive Committee (EC) of the Southern Baptist Convention gathers in Nashville this week, it will no longer face the debate over waiving attorney-client privilege in an abuse investigation, the topic that dominated a contentious series of meetings last fall.

But it will be hard to ignore the fallout of that decision and how the disagreement highlighted deeper divides in the SBC.

Seventeen members of the Executive Committee have resigned since June. All but one left because of the conflict over waiving privilege in an investigation into the ECs response to abuse. The choice to waive attorney-client privilege was approved near-unanimously by thousands of messengers at last years annual meeting.

Included among the resignations were committee officers Robyn Hari and Robert Showers. Three executives have also resigned since October: president Ronnie Floyd, executive vice president Greg Addison, and chief financial officer Jeff Pearson.

The departures were largely the result of the consequences EC members feared they could face due to waiving privilege, from losing insurance coverage to exposing the organization to legal liability that could bankrupt it.

About half of the resigning members indicated that the potential breach of fiduciary duty that might result from waiving privilege could put their professional status at risk, including attorneys, CPAs, a financial adviser, and a licensed counselor.

Southern Baptist historian and pastor Bart Barber told CT that thus far, none of the things about which members were warned have transpired.

I know some of the people who stepped aside. I think they had been led to believe and genuinely held the belief that all of these risks were severe, Barber said.

Many of those who left their elected EC positions said that they were leaving because they were convinced that waiving attorney client privilege would cause a lot of bad things to happen, he added. That didnt happen.

An exodus of trustees on this scale is unprecedented in the SBC, according to multiple historians consulted by CT. But it does not affect the committees ability to carry out its mandate to disburse funds from the conventions funding mechanism, known as the Cooperative Program, and act on behalf of the convention ad interim.

Executive Committee bylaws specify that action can be taken when a quorum of existing members is present, and though the normally 86-member committee currently has only 68 members, the committee could legally function with as few as three members.

The controversy over the vote to waive privilege and the ensuing resignations signal a deeper divide within the convention related to politics, sexual abuse, racial reconciliation, womens role in the church, the legacy of Paige Patterson (known as the architect of the SBCs conservative resurgence in the 1980s), and the degree to which fields of study like critical race theory can have any value for the church.

According to Barber, the Conservative Baptist Network (CBN)a group in the SBC linked to Patterson that has criticized a purported liberal drift in the SBChad an outsized presence on the EC and among its officers, and for a number of reasons they opposed waiving privilege. The CBN Steering Council includes immediate past EC chairman Mike Stone, former vice chairman Tom Tucker, former secretary Joe Knott, current officer Jim Gregory, and former officer Rod Martin. Tucker finished his term in June of last year, and Martin resigned in the fall.

Many in the SBC believe that waiving attorney-client privilege in the EC investigation has implications for Augie Boto in particular, since he served as EC vice president and in-house counsel during the 20 years covered by the inquiry. Boto has recently been in legal trouble regarding his connection to Patterson and an alleged plan to redirect foundation monies away from Baylor and Southwestern Seminary, which fired Patterson in 2018.

If you are someone who has a sense of loyalty and connection to the Pattersons and to the penumbra of people around the Pattersons, and if you see something that poses a risk to Augie, Barber said, maybe theres some personal reasons that people would look and say, This is one of our guys. I like him; hes a friend of mine. He really doesnt want this to go forward. And so Im against it too. I think personal affiliations always plays a role in everything in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Patterson has been accused of mishandling allegations of rape at two SBC seminaries and has denied the accusations. CBN members say they are committed to opposing abuse and abusive pastors in the SBC, but its leaders have also suggested that the issue has been overblown and put undue suspicion on the many pastors in the convention who arent abusive.

Of the multiple matters before the EC ahead of this weeks meeting, replacing missing members is not on the agenda. That task is left to the Committee on Nominations, which brings a slate of candidates to the conventions annual meeting each summer to replace all vacancies among the denominations 12 entities and two other committees.

According to Leah Finn, chair of this years Committee on Nominations and the first woman to serve in that role, the 24 vacancies to be filled for the Executive Committeewhich includes both the resignations and those whose second term is expiringconstitutes more than a quarter of the total vacancies within the convention.

I dont think theres ever been that number of resignations, Finn said. And having 24 that were replacing all at once, it has to be the highest number of vacancies to occur in a single year, she added.

EC chairman Rolland Slade told CT that the real challenge for the EC was overcoming staffing challenges in the wake of three C-suite resignations. He also expressed confidence in the officers recent appointment of Willie McLaurin as interim president, a role the bylaws stipulate must be filled by an EC vice president.

For a denomination that has long reckoned with its history regarding racism, Sladethe first African American chair of the ECwas hopeful at the appointment of McLaurin, who is the first-ever Black entity head in the SBC.

This, to me, is a signal of good things in the sense that God has given men opportunities and raised them up for such a time as this, Slade said. Willie served on state staff in Tennessee for 15 years. So, you know, he has experience. Hes well qualified.

McLaurin has also served as an interim pastor at a number of churches throughout his career, and he said that experience will serve him well in this season.

My role as an interim has been to shepherd the people patiently with the love of God, help the church remember its main mission, keep the church moving forward, and provide stability in a time of instability, he told CT in a statement. As the interim president and CEO at the SBC Executive Committee, I will focus on serving our staff team and caring for them well.

Regarding the historicity of his appointmentwhich must be ratified by the EC this weekMcLaurin told CT he was honored and thankful, particularly for those who had gone before him.

This is the first time in 177 years that an individual of non-Anglo descent has served as the interim or head of any SBC entity, he wrote. I am prayerful this moment will signal the Southern Baptist Convention is actively engaged in erasing the stain of racism.

The committee will hear a report on the status of the sexual abuse investigation from SBC president Ed Litton and form a search committee that will be tasked with finding Floyds replacement.

One criticism of some of the ECs fall meetings was how often they invoked the use of executive session, typically used to handle legal or personnel matters not open to the public. Slade said that he intends for as much as possible of this weeks meeting to take place in open session.

Im confident that were going to conduct ourselves in a different tone, Slade said of this weeks meeting. Were really honed in on doing what it is that we are tasked to do and serving the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Southern Baptist Convention fell on hard times last year, with a contentious sexual abuse investigation, racial tensions, and shrinking US baptism numbers. But amid the gloom, there was a bright spot: international missions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic s first year, the number of new believers harvested by the 3,552 missionaries serving with the convention s International Mission Board (IMB) increased 62 percent from the previous year. Baptisms were up 81 percent from 2019 to 2020 (the most recent year for which data is available), and salvation testimonies continue to pour in.

The increases are particularly significant in a denomination where many cite missions as their reason for joining and staying.

A 53-year-old Thai man with chest pain went to see an IMB medical missionary outside Bangkok. The man collapsed in the clinic and regained consciousness only after the IMB missionary, a physician, performed emergency medical procedures.

As they waited for an ambulance, the man prayed to receive Christ, prompting the doctor to ask, When did you start to become interested in Gods story?

The man pointed to the place on the floor where he collapsed and said, Right there. Before that, I had never been interested at all. But when I collapsed, I heard God call my name three times, and I knew he was warning me.

That wasn t an isolated incident, according to IMB reports. The evangelistic surge, missiologists say, is attributable to effective methodology, the pandemic, and the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit.

We ve seen the Holy Spirit working across the globe in mighty ways, said Wilson Geisler, IMB director of global research. One missionary team saw the first believers among an incredibly tough-to-reach people group. Another saw more people coming to faith in 2020 than in the previous three years combined.

In a video report ahead of Februarys Executive Committee meeting, IMB president Paul Chitwood noted that even with canceled short-term missions trips keeping tens of thousands of Southern Baptists at home, full-time missionaries international work was able to continue and thrive.

Despite fewer face-to-face evangelistic encounters thanks to COVID, IMB personnel and their partners around the world found innovative, often virtual, ways to present the gospel, according to the IMBs 2020 Annual Statistical Report.

The 535,325 people who heard a gospel witness in 2019 increased to 769,494 in 2020. The approximately 89,000 new believers recorded in 2019 increased to 144,000 in 2020, with a corresponding jump in baptisms from 47,929 to 86,587.

IMB statisticians are sparing in the information they release about their counting methodology. They say data reflects the work of IMB personnel and their baptistic partners, though neither the number of partners nor the groups they represent are specified. Several years ago, under David Platt, the IMB saw a dramatic decline in converts, baptisms, and church plants, as the agency transferred ministries from missionaries to national partners. (See CTs 2016 article on how missions agencies count converts.)

Additionally, IMB cautions against parsing the numbers too closely because the number of missionaries and ministers reporting varies from year to year.

For security reasons, Geisler said, in each part of the world, the number of personnel and close partners who provide data for the report is not provided. This means it will always be unclear how many individual report givers contributed to annual statistics. Field research teams and our US-based Global Research Department review reports for anomalies.

Despite the IMBs qualification and hedging of the numbers, they argue the increase is incredible.

I was not surprised at the increase, said John Brady, IMB vice president of global engagement. Rather, I was amazed. He said the increase can be attributed in part to a discipleship plan coming to fruition in parts of the world.

The plan starts with discipling new Christians through 35 Bible passages which teach the necessity and power of transformation that comes from God, Brady said. The new believers share those key passages with their neighbors and repeat the process. Then they go on to other studies such as a biblical plan to teach key doctrines and leadership development.

Most of the reported evangelistic increase occurred in South Asia. Eighty-nine percent of 2020 baptisms (76,904) and 97 percent of new churches (17,772) were reported in that region.

While COVID-19 has caused death and infection in South Asia (with 510,000 reported deaths in India to date, according to the World Health Organization), the pandemic has not interrupted daily life there as it has in the West.

We have heard anecdotally from South Asian pastors that because many people survive by daily labor, within two weeks of government-sanctioned lockdowns, people had to ignore those in order to feed their families, Geisler said. In urban areas of South Asia, weve also heard from personnel that COVID provided more opportunities for gospel witness and disciple making.

Missiologist David Garrison, a former IMB leader in South Asia, attributes the increases to an explosion of church planting. He retired from the IMB in 2015 after 35 years of service, including publication of a 2004 book that has become a standard work on church planting movements.

When we entered the region, only 4 percent of the IMBs personnel were serving in this densely populated region, Garrison said. The explosion of Christians and churches stems from the multiplication of church planting movements that are an essential part of the vision and DNA of the missionaries in that region. This factor is even more evident in the new churches started in South Asia.

Not all missiologists agree with Garrison s analysis. The term church planting movement (CPM) refers to a specific methodology in the missions worldone that has drawn critique in some evangelical circles and that the IMB says it does not utilize.

The traditional model of church planting focuses on preaching and launching churches with a preaching pastor, said Ted Esler, president of the missions network Missio Nexus, which includes IMB.

The CPM model focuses on starting house churches and utilizing Socratic discussions about Scripturewith the discussion led sometimes by a nonbeliever and almost always by someone from the indigenous culture rather than a missionary. Esler sees the reported IMB numbers as plausible due to IMBs use of CPM methodologyeven if it prefers not to use that terminology.

All forms of church planting are awesome, Esler said. But most of the action in the world is with the movements. In Missio Nexus, we have 320 mission agency members. My guess is that among those that do church planting, 80 percent have some sort of movement-oriented ministry going.

Among CPM critics are Reformed evangelicals like John Piper s ministry Desiring God and the church health organization 9Marks, who argue CPM methodology tends to lack quality controls and at times neglects the biblical task of preaching. CPM advocates reply that preaching is just a method and that Scripture requires only that churches teach the Bible.

In 2006, then-IMB missionary John Massey, now dean of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary s evangelism and missions school, penned a friendly critique of the IMBs use of CPM methods, claiming they wrongly elevated speed as a goal of church planting at the expense of biblical fidelity.

In CPM methodology, quick results take short-term precedence over long-term sustainability, he wrote.

But Massey told Christianity Today that much has changed in the IMB leadership since his critique was written, with each successive IMB president distancing the organization from CPM methodology.

Massey is doubtful the 2020 baptism increase was in any way the result of CPM methodology, which has enjoyed less and less favor among Southern Baptists.

Garrison continues to defend his CPM framework and insists it is widespread in the IMB and throughout the international church-planting community. Yet whatever label is used to describe the IMBs church-planting work, Garrison said the organization is being very faithful to Southern Baptist standards outlined in the Baptist Faith and Message as well as the IMBs Foundations document, which sets forth 12 characteristics of a healthy church.

The pandemic itself drove some of the growth in conversions. When the COVID-19 lockdown started, many Muslims in our area were out of work and in need of food, according to the South Asia section of the 2020 Statistical Report. Southern Baptists generously provided food for those in need. Local evangelists then had the joy of going house-to-house in Muslim communities providing food and sharing the gospel.

The leader of IMB work in the Asia-Pacific Rim region reported similar stories from South America and East Asia. One part of Asia saw 191 professions of faith among Buddhists in six weeks through a food distribution ministry. In South America, a woman and her three children had not eaten in two days. When an IMB worker arrived with food, the woman fell at this missionary s feet.

Yet not all IMB statistical increases can be explained by missiological methods or doors opened by COVID-19, such as with a movement of the Holy Spirit among one of the people groups IMB serves in East Asia.

Last fall, a group of adults gathered in an apartment for Bible study and worship while their children met in a nearby apartment to study Acts 16, the story of Paul and Silas sharing their faith in prison. Just then, police raided the gathering, eventually arresting three leaders.

Like the biblical characters they were studying, the leaders shared the gospel in jail. Now more than 20 formerly unengaged people have access to the gospel, along with their families and friends.

IMB personnel and partners, regardless of the difficulty of the soil, are laboring diligently and with their best efforts, trusting God with the results, Geisler said.

The IMBs statistical report for 2021 is expected this spring.

David Roach is a freelance reporter for CT and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama.
For a long time, lets just say for more than a century, some church historians told a story: Jerusalem to Antioch to Ephesus to Rome, and then from Rome to Wittenberg and Geneva and then to London and then to colonies and the Awakenings and revivals, and then on to Princeton and, for the more evangelical types, onto Grand Rapids and Wheaton and Nashville and Colorado Springs. It was the story of Great Men and Big Events that mattered, lets be honest, to those who were writing the story. Who were not independent agents so much as agents of a location in history that had power, nearly all of it white power. This doesnt make it all wrong. No, it makes it unbearably narrow and biased.

Im jumping lanes outside of my discipline so I may need to be corrected about some of this. But this is what I think. I welcome your comments. There are huge gaps in my reading. Forgive them. This sketch concerns the recent inability of some to welcome constructive criticisms of how church and evangelical history is told.

This standard history of church history for many in my world were telling, not the history of the church and not the history of the global church, but the history of USA evangelicalism  red, white and blue. In this newsletter I will keep my eye mostly on the American church, but I do so with a constant smirk that there is a much much much bigger church history story that is not about the USA. Gary Dorrien has done so much good work on the history of American liberal Christianity.

When Al Mohler recently claimed that American evangelicalism is the heir of the Reformation  wow, what a claim  hes telling a very narrow story. One that at best is a smidgeon of the truth. What about Germanys and Scandinavias Lutherans or the Netherland or South African Reformed and the Irish Presbyterians and the South Koreans Presbyterians and South and Central Americas charismatics and Pentecostals? Are these not heirs? Some are, some are not. Its beyond narrow to think Americas, especially conservative, evangelicals are the heir. Canada is part of that history, too. Ill drop the need to widen the story for a moment, but more will be added below.

The history of this story has been written by authors like Mark Noll and David Bebbington. Their books are both numerous and very influential.

This history, which is only a part of church history, has classically avoided the Arminian and holiness wings of the church, the Restoration movement, and the Anabaptist/Neo-Anabaptist wing. Scholars like Donald Dayton have told the holiness/charismatic story well but have often been intentionally ignored. John Stackhouse added a new element (non-denominational) to the mix, and some have ignored his accurate reminder. Many today pull us to consider the Orthodox church in all its varieties.

But more than other theological wings to the church have been ignored, and here I point only to the American experience. The story of the church for most all but ignores the African American church (the Black church) and the Latin American church (the Brown church), and one can read about this in Raphael Warnock and Robert Chao Romero. To include the excluded others in church history many today turn to Justo Gonzalezs wonderful books about church history and the history of theology. And what about the Asian American church? One can read Sharon Kims study.

Now add that women were ignored, and recent studies in church history have put women right where they belong: in the middle of the mix. They were not deemed the Great Men of the past and often did not have the power to create the Big Events, but they were there. One scholarly study after another has pointed to women in the church, and I think of Lynn Cohick and Amy Hughes to name but one study (more below). The literature from feminists and womanists about American church history, and the wider church history, is immense. Much of it presents seering criticisms and deserves a careful hearing.

And slaves, too. They were a vibrant part of (mostly ignored) American church history but one study after another has opened the door on the vicious treatments of New world slaves as well as on their powerful spiritual visions. Read Lisa Bowens and Emerson Powery.

The studies of women in the last two years have upset the apple cart in a new way. Its because they are women but because what they have written about is, frankly, not entirely new. Yes, very fresh and engaging prose and very well documented stories, mostly of stuff many of the irritated grew up with. So Kristin Kobes Du Mez showed the inextricable connection evangelicalism has with masculinism and militarism, and Beth Allison Barr broke down a few doors and tossed a few bricks through some windows on whats really going on with complementarianism. What they did was to show that those ideological strains of evangelicalism were just what George Marsden showed: tied to culture and not just Bible and theology. The very precious doctrines of complementarians and evidently fragile egos of some of their most vocal proponents have had enough and now say these authors dont love the church.

A big hooey on that! If I knew how to make a poop emoji right there I would.

Was it because they were women?

Heres why I say so: if you have read books about evangelicalism over the last forty years, and I have read more than my share as a NT prof (and not a church historian), you will know that scholars who love the church and even have much affection for evangelicalism have been calling it to repent of its corruptions and theological goofinesses and its entanglement with American culture, power and politics. Here are the names, and if you dont know them, look some of their books up:

Ernest Sandeen

Clarence Bass

Richard Quebedeaux

Bernard Ramm

George Marsden

James Barr

That was the first wave of critical histories, most of whom loved the church and wanted a better version of evangelicalism. They wrote well and they told truths that needed to be heard.

We are seeing now a second wave of critics, and they are just as gifted as scholars and writers and critics, some of it I would call prophetic. Here are some of the names, and forgive me if I do not mention your book!

Randall Balmer, whose Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory was a necessary expose.

James Davison Hunter called it a culture war and showed evangelicalism as not all that much morally different than anyone else in America.

Molly Worthen, who said theres more than the narrow reformed branch to this evangelical movement.

Robert Wuthnow, who had the capacity to connect sociology and American history to American church and evangelical history.

Christian Smith tied American evangelical history to sociological stats in one study after another, showing  this cant be ignored if you want to tell the truth  the social realities of evangelicalism.

Timothy Gloege connected American evangelicalism to the market and consumerism.

David Swartz showed that there was a moral minority whose moral convictions were the heart of biblical moral visions for society.

Brent Gasaway wrote about progressive evangelicalism as well.

Aaron Griffith connected Billy Graham, American republicanism and prison ministries in ways that, well, dont always look good.

Now add Du Mez and Beth Barr and the penny drops for some of those who think they are the gatekeepers for evangelicalism. The question is Whose evangelicalism? But there were predecessors, like R. Marie Griffiths Gods Daughters: Evangelical Women and the Power of Submission, the now 3d edition of Discovering Biblical Equality, Catherine A. Brekus, and Priscilla Pope Levison. Why such vitriol for Du Mez and Barr? Have they finally struck the nerve the others were aiming at? It was a sensitive nerve called male identity expressed in masculinism and complementarianism.

Now add Jemar Tisby and a nickel drops, and what do we hear from the gatekeepers? Some have the chutzpah to dismiss everything under the Critical Race Theory banner but that trick has been tried before. Tisby and many others, like Angela Parker and Anthea Butler, have pulled back the curtain to reveal the Great White Oz behind the curtain, and he is wearing white undies, white socks, white pants, a white shirt, a white coat, a white hat and hes walking on black shoes.

Now add Robert Chao Romero, who writes an eloquent, sad, tragic history of the relationship of the church to Mexican Americans in the West. The theologies of liberation were at work among them in the 16th Century, social justice was always their concern. But they were powerless and their story is mostly unknown. Behind the curtain its all the same but now the man is walking on brown shoes.

Now add Asian Americans and I have been paying attention of late to Raymond Chang at Wheaton who will not let the story die that Asian American evangelicals are too often ignored, and their voice has been suppressed, and their churches are thriving and growing and  the white man is walking on them too.

Now add First Nation and indigenous persons in the USA, who have been erased not only from American history but also especially from the church. I think of Richard Twiss, Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz, Mark Charles with Soong Chan Rah, and the new First Nations Version of the New Testament.

I close now with an invitation.

Add the megachurch and Southern Baptist and nondenominational pastor failures and weve got a lesson. In most of those cases the churches and pastors huddled together, spun a story, protected the church, blockaded themselves behind power, and pounced on their critics. For what? For not loving the church, for criticizing their previous evangelicalism and church, for laying their hands on the anointed, and for, well, exposing the rot and saying the emperor has no clothes.

Instead of these evangelical church historians admitting the truth about the sins  little and large  of evangelicalism, they have resorted to spin. They want to suppress the voices above. They make false allegations about these authors. I know many of them. Nothing to worry here about their faith or their love for the church. Whistleblowers, you know, get stiffed.

The irony is obvious but Ill say it: Those who are calling people to confess their sins and trust in Gods gracious forgiveness, the essence of the evangelical gospel, are the very ones who are afraid to confess the sins of their precious historiography and movement.

Any claim that evangelicalism is without sin mocks what sin is.

Evangelicalism needs to get saved.

Come. Just as you are. The Lamb of God is waiting for you to come to him. Please come.
50 Afghan evacuees brought to US had 'potentially significant security concerns:' Defense Dept. report

A report from the U.S. Department of Defenses Inspector General raises questions about the security threats posed by dozens of Afghan evacuees brought to the United States following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Central Asian country last year.

The report, released Tuesday, provided an Evaluation of the Screening of Displaced Persons from Afghanistan. As noted by Acting Assistant Inspector General Andre Brown, the purpose of the evaluation is to determine the extent to which the DoD managed and tracked displaced persons from Afghanistan through the biometric enrollment, screening, and vetting process.

President Joe Biden helped ensure the arrival of displaced persons from Afghanistan in the U.S. by initiating an inter-agency effort to evacuate and relocate Afghans who had applied for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) along with other vulnerable Afghans to address the rapid takeover of Afghan cities by the Taliban.

Upon arrival in the U.S., Afghan evacuees were placed at safe havens, primarily consisting of military bases that allowed federal agencies to determine whether they posed a national security threat.

The report concluded that U.S. agencies did not use all available data when vetting Afghan evacuees, stating that Afghan evacuees were not vetted by the National Counter-Terrorism Center [NCTC] using all DoD data prior to arriving in [the continental United States].

This occurred because Customs and Border Patrol [CBP] enrollments were compared against the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] Automated Biometric Identification System [IDENT] data, the report stated.

This data did not initially include all biometric data located in the DoD Automated Biometric Identification System [ABIS] database and because the DoDs National Ground Intelligence Center [NGIC] has agreements with foreign partners that prohibits the sharing of some ABIS data with U.S. agencies outside of the DoD, the report added.

While NGIC personnel expanded their normal analytic review of all biometric watchlist matches to also include non-watchlist matches of Afghan evacuees, the agreement between the NGIC and the Department of Homeland Security that enabled them to do so expired on Dec. 27. The agreement was ultimately renewed, and it will remain in effect until June 27.

Based on the results of the review thus far, the NGIC personnel identified Afghans with derogatory information from the DoD ABIS database who were already in the United States.

As of November 2, 2021, NGIC had identified 50 Afghan personnel in the United States with information in DoD records that would indicate potentially significant security concerns, the report stated.

However, government officials could not locate every Afghan evacuee with derogatory information on their records because of field representatives or operators failing to upload data or maintain devices properly. The NGIC had identified 31 Afghans with derogatory information present in the U.S. as of Sept. 17 but were only able to locate three of them.

As a result of the NCTC not vetting Afghan evacuees against all available data, the United States faces potential security risks if individuals with derogatory information are allowed to stay in the country, the report warned. In addition, the U.S. Government could mistakenly grant SIV or parolee status to ineligible Afghan evacuees with derogatory information gathered from the DoD ABIS database.

Security concerns are exacerbated by the fact that Afghan parolees have the right to leave the safe havens at any time after receiving the required vaccinations and tuberculosis testing.

Those seeking immigration parole status are separate from those seeking special immigrant visas after working on behalf of the U.S. government in Afghanistan by working on a military base or serving as an interpreter or translator.

Although parolees must provide their address to [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] and notify USCIS of every change of address in order to obtain parolee status, many Afghan evacuees chose to leave the safe havens before completing the immigration process required to secure a two-year stay in the U.S. for urgent humanitarian reasons.

Reuters previously reported that more than 700 Afghan evacuees had left the safe havens before completing the resettlement process as of early October.

Regardless of whether Afghan evacuees have known terrorist connections, crimes committed by Afghans brought to the U.S. have caused some elected officials at the state level to call on the Biden administration to halt the refugee program.

In Montana, for example, the identification of a rape suspect as a 19-year-old Afghan evacuee caused Gov. Greg Gianforte to ask the Biden administration to conduct a careful, immediate reevaluation of the refugee resettlement program, citing issues with your vetting system.

Gianforte lamented that what happened in Montana was one of several tragic events over the last few weeks involving Afghan evacuees.

Just weeks before, two Afghan evacuees were charged with committing crimes while staying at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, one of the safe havens mentioned in the Inspector Generals report. A grand jury indicted one of the men for attempting to have sex with a minor and engaging in sex acts with a minor while the other man allegedly strangled and suffocated his wife.
Illinois county to pay $370K for violating Christian nurse's rights by forcing her to push abortions

A trial court in Illinois has ruled that Winnebago County must pay more than $370,000 in attorneys fees for violating the legally protected freedoms of a Christian a pediatric nurse who was ordered to refer women for abortions or provide abortifacient contraceptives against her religious beliefs and conscience.

Circuit Court Judge Eugene Doherty ruled last week that the Winnebago County Health Department must pay $374,000 to the attorneys of Sandra Rojas, who worked with the department for 18 years, said legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, whose attorneys served as co-counsel for Rojas, in a statement.

Eighteen years into the job, the nurse faced the country health departments new requirement forcing nurses to undergo training on how to refer women to abortion facilities and help them access abortifacient contraceptives.

The department refused to accommodate her objections of conscience in her existing job at the clinic and fired her from her job, following which she sought protection under the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act.

Medical professionals should never be forced to engage in or promote activities that violate their beliefs or convictions, ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot said.

Sandra served as a nurse according to her conscience and religion  a right for medical providers that is protected under Illinois and federal law, Theriot added. The courts fee award sends a clear message that health care workers are free to practice medicine in a manner consistent with their conscience and religious beliefs, and there will be a steep penalty if the government fails to respect that legally protected freedom.

Lead counsel in the case, Noel Sterett, from Dalton & Tomich, said, Healthcare professionals should not be required to violate their conscience to keep their jobs. We hope the outcome of this case will encourage other public and private health care employers to respect their employees rights of conscience.

Last November, the 17th Judicial Circuit Court in Winnebago County ruled in favor of Rojas and wrote: The Health Department improperly discriminated against [Rojas] by refusing to accommodate her objections of conscience in her existing job at the clinic. The Court has concluded that the Health Department could have reasonably accommodated [Rojas] objections without removing her from her job.

No American should be forced to refer for abortions or assist patients in accessing abortifacients  least of all medical workers who entered the profession to follow their faith and save lives, not take them, Sterett said at the time. The courts decision is a win for all healthcare professionals throughout Illinois. Healthcare professionals should not be required to violate their conscience to keep their jobs.
Ottawa police arrest nearly 200 Freedom Convoy protesters, tow over 50 vehicles

Police in Ottawa, Canada, used pepper spray and stun grenades and arrested nearly 200 who were part of the Freedom Convoy to protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions. Police also had more than 50 vehicles towed in an attempt to clear out demonstrators who have been protesting in the area for weeks.

At least 191 protesters were arrested and 57 vehicles were towed in the citys downtown area as of Sunday evening, Ottawa Police tweeted, adding, streets cleared.

Late Sunday, the police department tweeted, A Coventry Road location previously occupied by an unlawful assembly is now clear. 20 vehicles were towed and a police presence will remain in place to prevent anyone from returning.

As a result of the police action, the Freedom Convoy was moved out of Ottawa after three weeks of demonstrations, CTV News Ottawa reported Sunday.

Before the crackdown, police tweeted: If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges. It also wrote, We continue to maintain a police presence in and around the area the unlawful protest occupied. We are using fences to ensure the ground gained back is not lost.

At least two police-involved incidents were also reported Saturday at the protests in Ottawa. The provinces Special Investigations Unit is investigating them, CNN reported.

On Saturday evening, there was an interaction between a Toronto Police Service officer on a horse and a 49-year-old woman on Rideau Street and Mackenzie Avenue. The woman has a reported serious injury, the SIU was quoted as saying.

In the second incident, Vancouver Police Department officers discharged Anti-Riot Weapon Enfields (less-lethal firearms) at individuals in the area of Sparks Street and Bank Street, but no injuries were reported, the agency claimed.

Police said some protesters were wearing body armor and carried smoke grenades and fireworks.

Protesters continue to be aggressive and assaultive on officers. They are refusing to comply with the orders to move. You will have seen officers use a chemical irritant in an effort to stop the assaultive behavior and for officer safety, police tweeted Saturday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also announced Sunday it had frozen the finances of individuals and companies associated with the ongoing protests.

The RCPM froze 206 bank and corporate accounts; disclosed the information of 56 entities associated with vehicles, individuals and companies; shared 253 bitcoin addresses with virtual currency exchangers; and froze a payment processing account valued at $3.8 million, CNN reported quoting RCPMs deputy commissioner of federal policing, Mike Duheme.

Samuel Sey, a Ghanaian-Canadian who lives in Brampton, a city just outside of Toronto, earlier wrote in op-ed for The Christian Post about his experience as a supporter of the Freedom Convoy.

Though Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the truckers are just a small, fringe minority with unacceptable views, there were probably 5,000 people at the overpass that I was at, he wrote, adding: I dont want anyone to suffer from COVID. And I dont want anyone to suffer from vaccine mandates either. The two are not mutually exclusive. COVID has killed many people. However, that isnt an excuse for the government to kill our spirits.

Sey added, Its almost impossible to maintain a job or attend a post-secondary school  even if a person works at home or takes online courses  without getting the vaccine  Across the country, unvaccinated Canadians are banned from restaurants, movie theatres, concerts, gyms, some trains, and planes.

Many U.S. Republicans have shown support for Canadas Freedom Convoy.

Justin Trudeaus heavy-handed crackdown against peaceful protesters in Canada is not the action of a Western Democracy, but that of an authoritarian regime like Venezuela, Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-N.M., tweeted Saturday. Just as we provide asylum for political prisoners, we should do the same for truckers who have been subjected to violence, had their property confiscated, and their bank accounts frozen by a government that is quickly becoming the embarrassment of the free world.
Kevin Richardson, criminal justice reform advocate, talks about how he thought his life would be in the future before wrongfully convicted at 14 years old for sexually assaulting and attacking jogger Trisha Meili in Central Park during the moderated Q&A session with Kelli King, assistant vice chancellor of student affairs, at the Swanson Auditorium of Nebraska Union on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Virginia withdraws from legal battle to get ERA added to US Constitution

Virginia has pulled out of a legal battle to get the Equal Rights Amendment added to the U.S. Constitution, an amendment pro-life activists fear would constitutionally cement legal access to abortion and create obstacles for religious freedom.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is part of the new Republican-led executive branch that took office last month, withdrew on Friday from an appeal seeking to compel certification of the ERA.

Proponents of the litigation claimed that when Virginia became the 38th state to pass the ERA in 2020, the amendment had garnered the support of the necessary number of states to take effect even though the ratification deadline had expired decades ago.

Judge Rudolph Contreras, appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, disagreed with their analysis and dismissed the case last March.

Christopher Schroeder, an assistant attorney general with the Biden administrations Office of Legal Counsel, agreed that the deadline had passed for the ERAs ratification. Miyares office cited the opinions of the Democrat-appointed legal scholars as justification for pulling out of the lawsuit.

Considering that a Democrat appointed judge, and the Biden administration all concluded that the deadline to ratify the ERA passed decades ago, Virginia will no longer participate in the ERA lawsuit with Illinois and Nevada, said Victoria LaCivita, Miyares communications director, said in a statement to The Washington Post.

Any further participation in this lawsuit would undermine the U.S. Constitution and its amendment process, she added.

First conceived in the 1920s, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the ERA in 1971, followed by the Senate in 1972.

After securing the required two-thirds support from both houses of Congress, the ERA went to the states for ratification. To take effect, the ERA needed to receive support from three-fourths of the states, the equivalent to 38 out of 50, within a seven-year deadline. The deadline was eventually extended to 1982.

The proposed amendment stated that Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Although the ERA failed to get the necessary 38 states for ratification by 1982, three states, including Virginia, recently passed the amendment, concluding that the deadline was not an issue. Nevada ratified the amendment in 2017, and Illinois approved the ERA in 2018.

While supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment see it as a necessary measure to enshrine equal rights for women into the Constitution, critics warn of its implications for religious liberty.

For example, the National Right to Life Committee has argued that the ERA was a constitutional stealth missile to make abortion permanently legal.

The ERA is a stealth missile with a legal warhead that could be used to attack any federal, state, or local law or policy that in any way limits abortion, stated Douglas D. Johnson, an NRLC senior policy adviser, in 2021.

Pro-abortion advocates failed under the constitutional amendment process provided in Article V of the Constitution  the ERA expired unratified over 40 years ago  so now they are attempting to achieve their goal by brazenly political means, hoping to cow the courts into ignoring the flimsiness of their constitutional claims.

Additionally, Mat Staver of the Christian conservative legal nonprofit Liberty Counsel expressed concern in a previous interview with The Christian Post that the ERA could be used as a hammer against religious organizations, including churches, to provide abortion or abortion-inducing drugs or devices and include an LGBT agenda that would conflict with churches and religious organizations with respect to biblical doctrines and beliefs of male and female in uniquely created and complementary sexes.

The lawsuit Virginia has just withdrawn from is not the only legal effort to get the ERA added to the Constitution.

In 2020, the feminist groups Equal Means Equal and the Yellow Roses joined a Massachusetts woman named Katherine Weitbrecht in filing a lawsuit against the National Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero, over his refusal to add the ERA to the U.S. Constitution.

In late June 2021, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued a unanimous ruling against the groups, arguing that they lacked the standing to sue.

Equal Means Equal and The Yellow Roses do not purport to premise their standing here on any benefit that has been denied to them by the challenged actions of the defendant in the way in which the plaintiffs in those three cases did, wrote First Circuit Judge David Barron on behalf of the panel, affirming a lower court decision.

They instead premise their standing on the risk of harm that they contend they face because of the Archivistsfailure to publish the ERA. Thus, those precedents fail to support the conclusion that the plaintiffs plausibly assert the requisites for standing.
Pastor Greg Locke says devil revealed identity of 6 witches in his church during exorcism

Popular internet preacher and leader of the Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee, Greg Locke, swore by the hand of God and the name of Jesus during his sermon on Sunday that a demon told him the identity of six witches in his congregation. Then, he asked them to get out.

You so much as cough wrong, and Ill expose you in front of everybody in this tent, you stinking witch , Locke said during his sermon broadcast on Facebook Live.

You were sent to this church to destroy us. You were sent to this church to lure us in. You were sent to this church to cast a spell. Listen! Some of you been sick because you befriended that witch!  Two of you in my wifes ladies Bible study. And you know who you are, and we going to ask you to get out, or Ill expose you in front of everybody, he threatened.

We got all six of their names, all six of them, he added.

The revelation, Locke said, came after a week of intense spiritual warfare at his church. He described interactions with demons that sounded like a scene from the 1973 cult classic horror film, The Exorcist, which tells the story of a 12-year-old girl who was possessed by a demon.

Hand of God. In the name of Jesus, if Im lying, if Im over exaggerating what Im trying to tell these people for the purpose of clicks and likes, may I drop dead preaching on this platform having blasphemed the Holy Ghost in front of everybody, Locke said during the sermon. Im not playing. Im telling you what Ive seen and what Ive heard in my office all week long.

Earlier today, Pastor Greg Locke threatened to expose the six witches who are members of his church. pic.twitter.com/NSoTqQayQk  Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) February 13, 2022

Lockes account about his recent encounter with demons and the revelations they made about the witches in his church has gone viral on social media after atheist activist Hemant Mehta shared a clip from the sermon on Twitter Sunday night.



The clip has already racked up more than 1.3 million views. The original broadcast of the service, which spanned almost 2.5 hours, has been viewed more than 80,000 times.

The controversial preacher was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Christian Post on Wednesday.



Locke said the revelation of the witches in his church came from a demon that had taken up residence inside a young girl.

Laugh at me if you want to, dont come back next week. Its alright. Theres going to be thousands of people who show up by spring that want some deliverance from this nonsense that youre discounting right now, he declared before recounting what happened. This isnt no sci-fi movie. Youve known me for 15 years. Im a truth teller at the expense of my own life and the safety of my own family. Im a truth teller.

He recalled how the demon speaking through the young girl told Christians during the exorcism things that the girl could not have known before the demon speaking through her gave up the names of the witches in his church.

We wrote them all down. That devil gave us the names  and then we commanded it in the name of Jesus, Locke said.

We got first and last names of six witches that are in our church. And you know whats strange? Three of you are in this room right now.  Three of you in the room right now! You better look in my eyeballs, the animated preacher said. We aint afraid of you, you stinking, witch! You devil-worshiping Satanist witch! We cast you out in the name of Jesus Christ! We break your spells! We break your curse! We got your first name! We got your last name! We even got an address for one of you!

Locke threatened that if the witches refused to leave his church, he would show up next Sunday with a stage full of brooms.

In recent years, groups describing themselves as Christian witches have argued that Christians can practice witchcraft despite biblical warnings against the practice.

The Rev. Valerie Love, who describes herself as a practicing Christian witch and an ordained minister of spiritual consciousness, argued in an earlier CP report that there is nothing wrong with Christians being witches.

Stop thinking you can tell people how to worship. Stop thinking you can tell people how to connect with the divine. I could tell you how many people have told me, You cant be a Christian witch, but here I am, she said in a rant on Facebook. See, you cant tell me how to worship. You cannot tell me how to connect with the divine. Thats between me and God. You cannot tell me how to pray.
Freedom convoy' exposes Canadas hollow liberal universalism

Canada has seen its third week of so-called trucker protests that mostly have centered on downtown Ottawa, adjacent to Parliament. Last weekend, authorities ended the blocking of traffic on the Ambassador Bridge connecting Ontario and Michigan.

And now Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government will use the tools of its Emergencies Act to end truckers Freedom Convoy, or so it hopes.

This effort involves dragooning private parties to assist the government in removing trucks, seizing property and accounts without a court order, and using state coercion beyond the formal channels of due process. This entire situation, obviously, is a rapidly moving one and it could turn against the key players, depending on how events emerge.

Canadian lawmakers created the Emergencies Act for truly harrowing situations of national security, and it seems ill-fitting to what is a large and peaceful protest in the streets of Ottawa.

The government did not employ the law during the darkest times of the COVID-19 pandemic, but now brings its wrath upon the truckers. The move represents incredible power being employed in arbitrary fashion, indicating not strength but weakness in Canadian government authority.

But Trudeaus use of the Emergencies Act is instructive because it reveals the underlying dynamics driving this political drama. The harshness and even humiliating aspects of Canadas COVID-19 enforcement regime have illuminated the numerous identities and interests that Canadians possess, long ignored and diminished by official government ideology.

We should not be surprised, then, that citizens working in the private sector have risen to vindicate their interests and their pride.

Many residents of Quebec acquired dogs once it was announced that those in the province who care for the four-legged kind would be allowed extended time outdoors to exercise them.

After stating in full humanitarian voice in 2020 that Canada would not close its borders to China because that solves nothing, Canada has maintained a rigorous border policy for international travelers. The government requires them to stay in quarantine hotels for three nights upon entering the country and paying the bill, which is upward of $2,000 for each stay. Restrictions on Canadians traveling between provinces have been nearly absolute and in violation of Canadas Constitution.

Truckers and their associates in the Freedom Convoy mostly are working- and middle-class Canadians. They have proclaimed in deeds their opposition to the governments COVID-19 matrix of policies.

But why has the movement been so intense, so prolonged, and, apparently, not widely opposed by an equal and opposite number of Canadians? One reason could be that the length of the policy restrictions, in boiling tea kettle fashion, caused an explosion with which many Canadians concur. Their assent to the protests could increase.

Will Trudeau risk his legitimacy with his intention to use extraordinary powers to end the demonstrations?

Perhaps what we are witnessing is an extended challenge to Canadas liberal universalism, which Trudeau once announced is the bedrock of what it means to be Canadian. And that challenge could come in many forms, arising out of identities, loyalties, and commercial interests. Trudeau argued in 2015 that Canada is a post-national state with no core identity or mainstream.

So what exactly is Canada? Trudeau appeals to the rather vacuous ideals of modern liberalism, replete with therapeutic overtones: Canada has shared values of openness, respect, compassion, willingness to work hard, to be there for each other, to search for equality and justice.

In an insightful piece in The American Interest, Canadian Ben Woodfinden argued that Trudeau was only building on the Canadian liberalism that his father, Pierre Trudeau, enshrined in the passage of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982.

This had the effect of creating a new Canadian identity rooted in a homogeneous liberalism that primarily identified itself by its rejection of purported American illiberalism. Thus, to be Canadian was to support as a matter of right public health care, international peacekeeping, abortion, multiculturalism, and general abstractions such as equality and justice.

Whatever Canada previously was, the elder Trudeau managed to lay a liberal humanitarian foundation that positively buried former Canadian standards of citizenship. In practice, the Supreme Court of Canada functions, courtesy of the charter, in expansive rights-defining fashion. The high court began to bypass parliamentary sovereignty with ease and to declare new rights for Canadian citizens outside the democratic process.

And the irony is that as the charter was seen as a proclamation of how Canada is morally and politically superior to America, the countrys political dynamic became more American. The Supreme Court of Canada began to function like the U.S. Supreme Court.

By defining rights and values without the consent of the people, Canadas highest court imbibed some of the worst features of American politics. Did Canada also tacitly accept major power being exercised by unelected officials who are held loosely accountable? That, too, would be American.

Can any nation be defined by such abstractions, all of which seem to cohere around egalitarianism? What kind of actual citizenship and belonging can such liberalism bring you, other than mindless attempts to moralize every political decision on behalf of various groups? What about the attachments, loyalties, and interests that inevitably will arise in any modern democracy composed of over 30 million people?

And in almost clockwork fashion, the attempt to cover Canada in the shade of liberal universal ideology is being challenged. However, this rejection is not by an equally comprehensive quest for a populist nationalism or conservative nationalism, but by the rise of provincial and commercial identities and interests that find no representation or affirmation in this liberalism.

Quebec long was home to separationist elements, owing to its Francophone status. That preliberal identity went dormant, but has arisen in recent years with a new political party called Coalition Avenir Quebec, a nationalist party that seeks greater autonomy for Quebec. Its majority victory in the French-speaking province in 2018 clearly signaled that Quebecs identity had reemerged in the nations politics.

But the real movement is in the Western province of Alberta. There, citizens have a very real frustration with Trudeaus green energy policies and taxes, which render Albertas oil business stagnant and incapable of future growth as taxes and transfer payments from Alberta to Ottawa and other provinces diminish its wealth.

Albertas future may no longer be in Canada, a fact that many of its leaders are beginning to articulate. Alberta would seem to have more in common with Montana or Texas than with Ottawa.

Returning to the truckers and their supporters, well might we conclude that a rising number of Canadians are aroused and stand steadfastly opposed to a COVID-19 regime that has been seemingly without end. That this regimes draconian substance is surely backed by the liberalism that marks Canada has not protected it from concentrated opposition.

Do those who oppose these policies find representation in Canadas official liberalism? No.

Even Canadas Conservative Party, led by the recently ousted Erin OToole, has been unwilling to contest the prevailing consensus and seize clear political momentum. The subnational ties of commercial interests, personal freedom to work and travel, and the desire not to have your life dictated in endless fashion by experts seem to be reemerging in Canada.

Think of it as a Lockean liberalism, and all the personal and commercial elements that compose it spontaneously emerging to challenge Trudeau liberalism.

Does the Conservative Party realize that here are the building blocks of a new majority, and perhaps a new constitutional vision for Canada?

Originally published at The Daily Signal.
Minority neighborhoods need maternity wards, not crack pipes

The Biden administration has authorized a new $30 million grant program directing federal funds to purchase harm reduction supplies for drug users. It specifically targets minorities, or underserved communities like minority neighborhoods.

Biden has defended the program by challenging rumors that the safe smoking kits funded by the program will contain crack pipes, although other safe smoking programs across the country have indeed distributed smoking pipes. Regardless, the question remains as to why passing out needles and smoking kits to addicts is thought to be meeting the greatest needs of minority communities.

The Biden administration seems to have missed the even deeper needs of underserved minority communities: access to grocery stores, pharmacies, and perhaps most importantly, birth wards and quality medical care. Given that February is Black History Month, there seems to be no better time than the present to consider the disproportionate lack of resources that underserved minority communities face.

Take the nations capital, for example. Washington, D.C.s local government is separated into eight wards roughly equivalent in population size. Although ward boundaries are largely determined by geography, the unfortunate reality is that the wards divide the citys population by race and socioeconomic status.

The combined population of Wards 7 and 8, which are separated from the rest of the city by the Anacostia River, is over 160,000 people, 90% of whom are black. Despite having population sizes roughly equivalent to the other wards, Wards 7 and 8 have a combined total of only three grocery stores. In contrast, the other six wards have a combined total of 71 (an average of 11.8 per ward). Ward 8 has only seven pharmacies to service its 80,517 residents.

There is only one hospital that services Wards 7 and 8  United Medical Center, a poorly-rated hospital that is planning to cease operating entirely by 2023. Notably, there is no hospital with a birth ward east of the Anacostia River, meaning that mothers in Wards 7 and 8 must travel across the river in order to deliver their children. This fact is especially concerning considering that Ward 8 has the highest birth rate in the city. The mortality rate for black mothers in D.C. is 71 per 100,000 live births  50 points higher than the national average of 20.1, which is already the highest rate for any developed country.

A solution to the disproportionately high black maternal mortality rate should include expanded access to the medical care that mothers and babies need to thrive. However, the abortion industry insists that the solution that will empower the black community is advancing abortion, which only ends unborn black babies lives. In a recent commentary on Black History Month, Planned Parenthood stated, When restrictions are placed on birth control and family planning, Black communities bear a disproportionate burden. For Planned Parenthood, abortion constitutes family planning.

In reality, the black population has the disproportionate burden of being targeted for abortions. Almost 80 percent of surgical abortion facilities are within walking distance of minority neighborhoods. In 2019, black babies represented 38 percent of total U.S. abortions, even though black Americans only comprise 14 percent of the U.S. population. A New York City Health Department report found that between 2012 and 2016, there were 18,299 more black babies aborted than black babies born in the city. Abortion does not empower the black population  rather, it is slowly shrinking it.

The Biden administrations funding of safe smoking kits represents another failure to meet underprivileged communities in their blatantly obvious areas of deepest need. Minority communities need grocery stores, pharmacies, and real health care  not smoking kits, syringes, and abortionists waiting to kill their children.

As the United States celebrates Black History Month, the nation should pause to reflect on the current state of the union for under-resourced minority communities. Despite the immense progress made in the past century, there remain areas in which the black community is neglected or continuously targeted for harm. Initiatives like harm reduction programs for drug users and blocking protections for the unborn are red herrings that distract attention from the disparities in resources needed to promote human flourishing.

Originally published at The Daily Signal.
'Genocide': The horrors of rape, torture and forced labor facing the Uyghurs in China

Who are the Uyghurs and what is their plight inside China?

Christian Post reporter Ryan Foley joins The Christian Post Podcast to break down the Uyghurs history, the horrors unfolding inside concentration camps and the reason so many international parties are accusing the Chinese Communist Party of committing genocide.

An estimated 1 to 3 million Uyghurs have been detained in concentration camps since 2016, Foley explained. While critics refer to them as reeducation camps ... the Chinese government contends that the camps are necessary to root out extremism.

He continued: Women in the camps are subject to rape, torture, and forced labor.

Both the Trump and Biden administrations have said genocide is unfolding in China. Listen to this episode to fully understand the issue:

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I was astonished they let me in  The woman who infiltrated the male world of the Surrealists

In between glamorous parties and hedonistic adventures with the great cultural figures of her day, Eileen Agar blended abstraction and the surreal to reveal what is concealed in the hide-and-seek of life. Illustrated with works offered in February and March

One day in 1924 Eileen Agar stepped back to consider a painting she had made and crashed straight into a standing mirror, sending shards of shattered glass everywhere. Bad luck was my first thought, she recalled, but then I realised that it was only the old image of myself I had smashed, and that I could exorcise the bad luck by creating a new image of a more liberated and imaginative being. I was suddenly transposed into the real illusory world of art. Beautiful, creative and singleminded, Agar is often described as a woman Surrealist, thanks to her inclusion in the famous London International Surrealist exhibition of 1936. In fact she was relatively ambivalent about the movement. I didnt agree with the automatic part of Surrealism, she said. A painting is not automatic, you have to think about it. However, she was proud to be one of them. I was astonished they let me in  they only ever thought of women as muses, she said. Agar confronted the groups notorious misogyny rather well by using the men in her life as subject matter. Not even Pablo Picasso, whom she gently teased in a vibrant semi-Cubist portrait from 1939 entitled Muse of Construction, was off limits.

Open a larger version of this image Eileen Agar, Muse of Construction, 1939. Oil on canvas. On loan to Southampton City Art Gallery /  Estate of Eileen Agar. All rights reserved 2022 / Bridgeman Images

Paintings by Agar will be offered in the First Open: Post-War and Contemporary Art Online sale from 23 February to 9 March, and in the Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale on 2 March. The works were painted in the 1960s and early 1970s, and reveal Agar to be a vibrant colourist with a singular vision. She was a woman doing things with a spirit of independence, at a time when it was very difficult to succeed as a female artist, says Christies specialist Isabel Millar. Born in Argentina in 1899, Agar was the daughter of a Scottish businessman and a biscuit heiress. Her life in the handsome city of Buenos Aires was that of a privileged expat  beach parties, trips to the opera, polo matches. When the family eventually returned to Britain in 1911 it was to Belgravia in London, from where she attended a series of art schools including the Slade.

Open a larger version of this image Eileen Agar (1899-1991), The Dance, circa 1960s. Oil on canvas board. 14 x 17 in (35.6 x 45.5 cm). Sold for 20,160 at Christies on 9 March 2022, Online

Photographs of Agar reveal a striking, determined young woman. There is an image of her dancing semi-naked on a rooftop outside Mougins in 1937. It is a beautiful and carefree picture, revealing what a liberated female artist could be. Her husband Joseph Bard once said, Eileens special trend is trying to do something in a way that cannot be done, such as making love standing on a hammock. Her independence and tenacity proved crucial when her parents cut her off financially. I had a great feeling of unease, she wrote later, and wanted to do something that I considered more worthwhile than the usual repetitive routine of marrying and having a brood of children, who would probably be slaughtered in the next war. She moved into a one-room studio in Chelsea and committed her life to art.

Open a larger version of this image Eileen Agar (1899-1991), Harlequin, 1968. Oil on canvas. 50 x 40 in (127.5 x 101.5 cm). Sold for 63,000 on 2 March 2022 at Christies in London

After a brief and unsuitable marriage to a fellow Slade student, Robin Bartlett, she married Bard, a Hungarian writer, and moved to Paris. It was the architect and designer Adolf Loos who recommended she study with the Czech Cubist Frantisek Foltyn. Agar began experimenting with abstraction, creating paintings with overlapping patterns and blocks of colour in which she incorporated birds, animals and collaged forms. In 1931, alarmed at the rise of fascism, she conceived of womb magic, a feminine type of imagination intended to neutralise the rampant hysterical militarism of the male sensibility. This idea of miraculous creativity, together with her interest in the subconscious and Jungian psychoanalysis, would inform her work for the rest of her life.

Open a larger version of this image Eileen Agar (1899-1991), Morse Code, 1963. Oil on canvas. 30 x 38 in (76.3 x 96.4 cm). Sold for 16,380 at Christies on 9 March 2022, Online

For the next few years Bard and Agar lived a charmed existence, flitting between Paris, London and Portofino. Their vibrant social circle embraced emigres and the avant-garde: besides Surrealist house parties with Andre Breton, Nusch and Paul Eluard, Dylan Thomas, Oskar Kokoschka and Ezra Pound, there were trips to Juan-les-Pins with Lee Miller, Roland Penrose, Picasso and Dora Maar. The Surrealists were always supposed to be immoral monsters, but I for one did not go to bed with everybody who asked me, she said. When would I have had the time to paint? What made her work so fundamental to early Surrealism was her combination of the rational and the irrational. Nature was the starting point for her imagination. She would go on beachcombing adventures and use the marine life, seaweed and pebbles she collected to inform her dreamlike works.

Open a larger version of this image Eileen Agar (1899-1991), Rite of Spring, 1971. Oil on canvas. 48 x 36 in (122 x 91.9 cm). Sold for 81,900 at Christies on 9 March 2022, Online

That element of chance and discovery  how a leaf might form the outline of a womans body, or a rock look like a prehistoric monster  was countered by her firm devotion to abstraction. She once said we all walk on two legs, and for me, one is abstract, the other surreal. Agars works were so unique that they didnt fit into any specific movement, observes Christies specialist Stephanie Garcia. In a text titled Am I a Surrealist? Agar wrote about the fine balance between abstraction and Surrealism that informed her practice as a revelation of what is concealed in the hide-and-seek of life, a mixture of laughter, play and perseverance.

Open a larger version of this image Eileen Agar (1899-1991), Return of Europa, 1971. Oil on canvas. 48 x 60in (122 x 152.5cm). Sold for 57,960 on 2 March 2022 at Christies in London

In the post-war years, Agar continued to work and was exhibited, but she remained the most under-represented of the British Surrealists. Garcia cites Return of Europa, above, from 1971, as an example of Agars work at its best. Agar herself mentioned it as a personal favourite prior to her show at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in 1999. It is ebullient, daring and brilliant. Agar was still innovating and exploring new media right up until her death in 1991, but had little interest in self-promotion. Her humorous response in 1990 to hearing that she had been elected to Britains most illustrious art institution was typical. Id always rather laughed at the Royal Academy, she said. They wouldnt have had Surrealists at one time.

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(Bloomberg) -- The cargo ship that caught fire last week carrying about 4,000 Volkswagen AG vehicles could cost the automaker at least $155 million, according to one consultants estimate.

Of the roughly $438 million total value of goods aboard the Felicity Ace, which went up in flames off the coast of Portugals Azores Islands, Russell Group said Monday it estimates there are $401 million worth of cars. VW group had Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini models on the vessel.
Dozier's BBQ in Fulshear makes a style of bacon so special that former President George H.W. Bush once had it personally delivered to the White House on Air Force One.

In fact, it was so beloved by the elder Bush that Dozier's now markets it under the moniker "Presidential bacon."

Dozier's bacon is smoked and sliced in-house, and prepared with pecan wood instead of the hickory used for most commercially available bacon, says pitmaster Jim Buchanan. A whole slab of pork belly, about 30 inches long and a couple of inches thick, is hung in the restaurant's cold smoker, where its cooked for hours at a temperature of about 170 degrees.

Once thoroughly smoked, the pork belly is cut into thick slices and sold by the pound from Dozier's meat counter. In addition to the Presidential bacon, the restaurant also sells a peppered bacon, prepared the same way.

Texas barbecue scene has changed a lot since Dozier's opened in 1957. The restaurant was a hotspot for politicians, oil barons and other people with means in the '70s and '80s.

"You listen to the stories the old-timers tell, and it's just like, wow," he said. "Dozier's was the 'in' spot."

At times, movers and shakers would even fly in by helicopter, landing in the pasture next to the restaurant, Buchanan adds. Farrah Fawcett, Texas Gov. Mark White, Hakeem Olajuwon, and the members of ZZ Top were among Dozier's more famous fans.

"'41' was a regular," said Buchanan, referring to Bush Senior.

Dozier's BBQ

Once Bush moved into the White House, he started sending aides to Houston on a regular basis to pick up Texas comfort food. Buchanan says the White House chef ordered about 30 slabs of bacon every three or four weeks.

In a 2019 video, Dozier's owner Smedley Evans recounted the first time such an order was placed  he almost didn't take the call seriously.

"The guy says 'This is the head cook at the White House. The president's gonna be in town on Monday, and he wants your bacon.' And I said 'We're closed on Mondays,'" said Evans in the video.

A few days later, Bush's aide, Don Rhodes, picked up the order, which was to be delivered to the president via Air Force One.

When Evans asked if they had a cooler on Air Force One to put the bacon in, Rhodes reportedly replied: "Let me tell you something about Air Force One  it has everything that you can imagine, and way more."

Dozier's wasn't the only Houston-area restaurant where the former president had a favorite dish. He was also a regular at Christie's Seafood on Westheimer, where he ordered the oyster stew and even had his own table.

And Bush wasn't the only Texan president to have a hankering for barbecue in the White House. In 1963, then-president Lyndon B. Johnson hosted the first "presidential barbecue" at the high school gym in Stonewall, Texas, near his Hill Country Ranch. LBJ's guest of honor was West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard.

Texas Archive reports that the gym was decorated with bales of hay, red-checkered tablecloths, saddles and lassos. In lieu of a formal state dinner, Johnson and Erhard were served pinto beans, spare ribs, cole slaw and fried apricot pies, which they ate off of paper plates.

Dozier's Presidential bacon is available for purchase from the restaurant's Fulshear meat market, and can be shipped via its website. Air Force One delivery not included.
Rankings reflect sales for the week ended Saturday, Feb. 12, which were reported on a confidential basis by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles. Picture Book rankings include hardcover sales only. Series rankings include all print and e-book sales.

Every week, thousands of diverse selling locations report their actual sales on hundreds of thousands of individual titles. The panel of reporting retailers is comprehensive and reflects sales in stores of all sizes and demographics across the United States. An asterisk (*) indicates that a books sales were barely distinguishable from those of the book above. A (b) indicates that some bookstores reported receiving bulk orders.

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The New York Times Best Sellers are compiled and archived by The Best-Seller Lists Desk of The New York Times News Department, and are separate from the Culture, Advertising and Business sides of The New York Times Co. More information on rankings and methodology: www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/methodology.

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PICTURE

1. LITTLE BLUE TRUCKS VALENTINE, by Alice Schertle. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) Little Blue Truck delivers Valentines Day cards to all his farm animal friends. (Ages 4 and up)

2. LOVE FROM THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, by Eric Carle. (Grosset & Dunlap) A ravenous insect returns with its appetite intact. (Ages 3 to 5)

3. IN MY HEART, by Jo Witek. Illustrated by Christine Roussey. (Abrams Appleseed) An exploration of feelings. (Ages 2 to 4)

4. LOVE FROM THE CRAYONS, by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers. (Penguin Workshop) The Crayons show the colors of love. (Ages 5 to 8)

5. THE WONDERFUL THINGS YOU WILL BE, by Emily Winfield Martin. (Random House) A celebration of future possibilities. (Ages 3 to 7)

6. PETE THE CAT: VALENTINES DAY IS COOL, by James Dean and Kimberly Dean. (HarperFestival) Petes passing out valentines, but what happens when someone is overlooked? (Ages 4 to 8)

7. THE ABCS OF BLACK HISTORY, by Rio Cortez. Illustrated by Lauren Semmer. (Workman) An informative ode to Black history. (Ages 5 and up)

8. CHANGE SINGS, by Amanda Gorman. Illustrated by Loren Long. (Viking) A childrens anthem for change. (Ages 4 to 8)

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9. THE 1619 PROJECT: BORN ON THE WATER, by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson. Illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. (Kokila) A young Black girl traces her ancestry for a school assignment. (Ages 7 to 10)

10. LOVE YOU BY HEART, by Peter H. Reynolds. (Orchard) An adult expresses love for a child. (Ages 3 to 5)

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MIDDLE GRADE HARDCOVER

1. LITTLE LEADERS, by Vashti Harrison. (Little, Brown) The biographies of 40 African American women who made a difference. (Ages 8 to 12)

2. WONDER, by R.J. Palacio. (Knopf) A boy with a facial deformity starts school. (Ages 8 to 12)

3. LITTLE LEGENDS: EXCEPTIONAL MEN IN BLACK HISTORY, by Vashti Harrison with Kwesi Johnson. (Little, Brown) Biographies of trailblazing Black men. (Ages 8 to 12)

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4. DAUGHTER OF THE DEEP, by Rick Riordan. (Disney-Hyperion) Ana Dakkar faces the weekend trials at the Harding-Pencroft Academy. (Ages 9 to 12)

5. REFUGEE, by Alan Gratz. (Scholastic) Three children in three different conflicts look for safe haven. (Ages 9 to 12)

6. OUT OF MY HEART, by Sharon M. Draper. (Atheneum) In this sequel to Out of My Mind, Melody goes to summer camp. (Ages 10 and up)

7. BLACK BOY JOY, edited by Kwame Mbalia. (Delacorte) Seventeen stories that celebrate the joys of Black boyhood. (Ages 8 to 12)

8. GROUND ZERO, by Alan Gratz. (Scholastic) Parallel story lines of Brandon and Reshmina take place on Sept. 11, in 2001 and 2019. (Ages 9 to 12)

9. STUNTBOY, IN THE MEANTIME, by Jason Reynolds. Illustrated by Raul the Third. (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy) As a coping mechanism for his frets, a young boy creates a superhero alter ego. (Ages 7 to 12)

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10. PAX, JOURNEY HOME, by Sara Pennypacker. Illustrated by Jon Klassen. (Balzer and Bray) A boy and his pet fox reunite after a year of separation. (Ages 8 to 12)

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YOUNG ADULT HARDCOVER

1. ANATOMY, by Dana Schwartz. (Wednesday) Hazel and Jack work together to solve a mystery in 19th-century Edinburgh. (Ages 13 to 18)

2. ONE OF US IS LYING, by Karen M. McManus. (Delacorte) For five students, a detour into detention ends in murder. (Ages 14 and up)

3. THE HATE U GIVE, by Angie Thomas. (Balzer and Bray) A 16-year-old girl sees a police officer kill her friend. (Ages 14 and up)

4. I MUST BETRAY YOU, by Ruta Sepetys. (Philomel) In 1989, Cristian Florescu is an informant for the secret police in communist Romania. (Ages 12 to 17)

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5. THIS WOVEN KINGDOM, by Tahereh Mafi. (HarperCollins) A tale inspired by the Persian epic poem the Shahnameh. (Ages 13 and up)

6. THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, by Chloe Gong. (Margaret K. McElderry) A re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai. (Ages 14 to 18)

7. YOUVE REACHED SAM, by Dustin Thao. (Wednesday) After the death of her boyfriend, Sam, Julie can still reach him via cellphone. (Ages 12 to 18)

8. THE HAWTHORNE LEGACY, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. (Little, Brown) Avery and the four Hawthorne grandsons have a new family puzzle to solve. (Ages 12 to 18)

9. YOULL BE THE DEATH OF ME, by Karen M. McManus. (Delacorte) Three friends skip school together and become involved in a murder. (Ages 14 to 17)

10. HERES TO US, by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. (Quill Tree) Two lovers reconnect in this sequel to What If Its Us. (Ages 14 and up)

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SERIES

1. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. (Amulet) The travails and challenges of adolescence. (Ages 9 to 12)

2. HARRY POTTER, by J.K. Rowling. (Scholastic) A wizard hones his conjuring skills in the service of fighting evil. (Ages 10 and up)

3. CRAVE, by Tracy Wolff. (Entangled Teen) Grace attends Katmere Academy among supernatural beings. (Ages 14 to 18)

Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news >

4. A GOOD GIRLS GUIDE TO MURDER, by Holly Jackson. (Delacorte) Pippa Fitz-Amobi solves murderous crimes. (Ages 14 and up)

5. THRONE OF GLASS, by Sarah J. Maas. (Bloomsbury) Celaena must battle evil forces threatening her realm. (Ages 14 and up)

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6. PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS, by Rick Riordan. (Disney-Hyperion) A boy battles mythological monsters. (Ages 9 to 12)

7. THE TWILIGHT SAGA, by Stephenie Meyer. (Little, Brown) Vampires and werewolves and their intrigues in high school. (Ages 12 and up)

8. WINGS OF FIRE, by Tui T. Sutherland. (Scholastic) Only the five dragonets of destiny can unite the seven warring dragon tribes. (Ages 9 to 12)

9. FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDYS: FAZBEAR FRIGHTS, by Scott Cawthon. (Scholastic) Short stories from the twisted, sinister world of Five Nights at Freddys. (Ages 12 to 18)

10. WHO WAS/IS  ?, by Jim Gigliotti and others; various illustrators. (Penguin Workshop) Biographies unlock legendary lives. (Ages 8 to 11)
A police pursuit Sunday night through York County, Newport News and James City County ended with the arrest of a Chesapeake man wanted on weapons and drug charges.

At one point in the chase, the man, Daniel Thomas Rudy, 32, rammed a Virginia State Police car. Although Rudy suffered a minor injury, nobody else was injured during the chase, police said.

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The chase started when York-Poquoson Sheriffs Office deputies responded to a call about a suspicious SUV at the 7-Eleven in the 8000 block of U.S. 17.

Rudy would not get out of the car when asked by deputies to do so and instead sped off, the sheriffs office said. Deputies pursued Rudy because they believed he was driving under the influence, according to officials.

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Virginia State Police took over the lead in the pursuit. The SUV eventually pulled into the commuter lot off Rochambeau Drive. Rudy then ran but was quickly apprehended after a brief foot pursuit in the woods by YPSO Deputies and state troopers.

YPSO deputies are seeking to charge Rudy with obstruction of justice, reckless driving, driving under revocation, felony evading and eluding arrest, felony hit-and-run, felony assault on a law enforcement officer, felony destruction of property, driving under the influence of illegal drugs, possession of illegal drugs and possession of ammunition by a felon.
University of Texas at Austin President Jay Hartzell said Monday that removing tenure for faculty would hurt the universitys ability to hire the best professors, countering a proposal from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick last week to eliminate tenure for new hires at all public universities in Texas.

Removing tenure would not only cripple Texas ability to recruit and retain great faculty members, it would also hurt Texas students, who would not be able to stay in state knowing that they will be learning from the very best in the country, Hartzell said in a letter to the university community. It would also increase the risk of universities across the state making bad decisions for the wrong reasons.

Academic tenure is the indefinite appointment for distinguished university faculty that guarantees lifetime job security and can only be terminated under extraordinary circumstances.

On Friday, Patrick had laid out a proposal for the 88th Legislative session that would end tenure for new hires and add the teaching of critical race theory, a university discipline that studies how race and racism have impacted social and local structures in the United States, as grounds to revoke a professors tenure.

Conservatives over the past year have used critical race theory as a broad label to attack progressive teachings and books in college and K-12 schools that address race and gender.

Hartzell did not address that proposal in his letter. But he said broadly that said tenure is what keeps high quality professors at the university and gives them the security and long-run horizon to tackle hard problems.

He wrote that while some people might argue universities sometimes make mistakes in the tenure process or that it can lead to unproductive behavior, he argues those instances are rare and the university has processes in place to ensure tenured faculty are contributing to the university and research community. At UT-Austin, there is an annual review process and a comprehensive review process every six years. Patrick had proposed changing that six-year review to every year.

Patrick said Friday his latest priority is in response to the UT-Austin Faculty Council after it passed a nonbinding resolution Monday to reaffirm instructors academic freedom to teach on issues of racial justice and critical race theory.

One day after the resolution passed, Patrick signaled on Twitter that he would continue the fight against teaching the discipline in the next legislative session.

I will not stand by and let looney Marxist UT professors poison the minds of young students with Critical Race Theory, Patrick wrote on Twitter. We banned it in publicly funded K-12 and we will ban it in publicly funded higher ed.

But academics said Friday that tenure is intended to protect faculty and academic freedom from exactly the kind of politicization being waged by Patrick.

This kind of attack is precisely why we have faculty tenure, said Michael Harris, a professor at Southern Methodist University studying higher education. The political winds are going to blow at different times, and we want faculty to follow the best data and theory to try to understand whats happening in our world.

Disclosure: Southern Methodist University and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
The whistleblowers who sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after he fired them for accusing him of bribery and abuse of office are speaking out against him publicly for the first time since filing their lawsuit, in response to what they say are Paxtons numerous false and misleading public statements on the campaign trail.

The four whistleblowers  former deputy attorneys general James Blake Brickman, Mark Penley, and Ryan Vassar, as well as the offices former director of law enforcement David Maxwell  said they previously intended to stay silent about their case while it played out in the judicial system.

Our preference was to remain silent while the wheels of justice turned, and our civil case progressed in the courts, they said in a joint statement Monday. However, in recent weeks, Paxton has made numerous false and misleading public statements that we feel obligated to correct.

The whistleblowers also said they had remained quiet to respect the ongoing FBI investigation, indicating that a federal criminal probe into Paxton continues. The FBI has declined to comment on the matter in the past.

The most basic qualifications of an attorney general are respect for truth and respect for the law. Ken Paxton has neither, the whistleblowers said in their statement. The day will come when Ken Paxton must testify under oath about his and his agencys actions. Until then, we call on Ken Paxton to start telling the truth to the people of Texas.

Paxton, a two-term incumbent, is in a heated four-way primary for reelection and is campaigning throughout the state ahead of Election Day on March 1. The criminal allegations by his former top deputies have weighed down the attorney general this election cycle.

His office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The whistleblowers allegations were first made public in late 2020, when eight former top deputies accused Paxton of abusing his office, accepting bribes and tampering with government documents to tip the scales at the attorney generals office in favor of one of his political donors, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul.

The whistleblowers told authorities Paxton had tried to intervene in legal matters related to Paul, who had donated money to the attorney generals campaign, helped him remodel his home and gave a job to a woman with whom Paxton allegedly had an extramarital affair. Paxton has denied wrongdoing.

All of the employees who reported Paxton were either fired or left the office under pressure after the complaint. The four who filed the whistleblower complaint contend they were fired for reporting Paxtons alleged criminal behavior to local and federal authorities and are seeking to be reinstated.

Many of what the whistleblowers call Paxtons misleading public statements came during a Jan. 31 interview with conservative radio host Mark Davis about the attorney generals race. In the interview, Paxton claimed the whistleblowers didnt come to him and didnt explain the issues they had with the behavior that led to their complaints. In a separate interview with conservative outlet Texas Scorecard this month, Paxton claimed the FBI had infiltrated his office to investigate him before the whistleblowers made their complaint.

But the whistleblowers said in their statement they approached Paxton multiple times about their concerns with his push to get involved in Pauls affairs before reporting him to the FBI. Their whistleblower lawsuit details specific dates when the whistleblowers individually and as a group warned Paxton that his actions in legal matters related to Paul were unlawful.

They said they first reported their concerns to the FBI on Sept. 30, 2020 after they could not convince Paxton to follow the law.

We had no previous contact with the FBI before that date and believe this was the first time the FBI became involved with the investigation of Paxton and his office, they wrote in their statement released Monday.

The whistleblowers also took issue with Paxtons comment on Davis show that no one has ever disputed an unsigned 374-page report generated by his office in August that exonerated him of the whistleblowers allegations.

This is false. Paxtons self-exonerating report is directly disputed by the detailed allegations in the whistleblower lawsuit, the statement read. Unsurprisingly, Paxtons report selectively ignored some of the most troubling allegations we reported to the FBI, like Paxton providing blatant political favors to a campaign donor  the same campaign donor who has admitted in sworn testimony to hiring a woman at Paxtons behest, a woman with whom media reports reveal Paxton had an extramarital affair.

The whistleblowers also blasted Paxton for accusing them of committing crimes in the Davis interview, calling his accusations ridiculous.

We confronted Ken Paxton about his and his agencys corrupt and criminal conduct, and, when he would not abide by the law, we reported him to the FBI, they said in their statement. Paxton is under criminal investigation, not the whistleblowers.

Paxton also told Texas Scorecard that he still does not know the specific allegations against him. The whistleblowers said the allegations against him are clearly spelled out in their lawsuit and include: bribery, tampering with government records, obstruction of justice, harassment and abuse of office.

Paxton has tried to convince judges in the whistleblower lawsuit to throw out the case, arguing that he is not subject to the whistleblower law as an elected official. A district judge and a three-judge appellate court have rejected that argument and allowed the case to move forward.

Paxton has now appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, which will likely delay the cases progress for several months, well beyond Election Day for the Republican primary.

Ken Paxtons cynical, baseless argument has won for him what he most wanted, a

delay in the truth coming out so that he can travel the state misleading Texans, the whistleblowers said.

But Paxton is still in the toughest fight of his political career in perhaps the most-watched primary race of the cycle. His challengers include Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and congressman Louie Gohmert. Polling has consistently shown Paxton leading the race, but does not show him garnering the simple majority of votes needed to avoid a runoff in May, though Paxton remains confident he can win outright.

Paxton is still facing charges of securities fraud in a separate legal case stemming back to 2015. He has denied wrongdoing.

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Global carmakers raise stakes in bid to cash in

By LI FUSHENG (China Daily) 11:16, February 21, 2022

Visitors inspect a range of vehicles displayed at the BMW booth at an international auto show held in Haikou, Hainan province, in March last year. [Photo by Wang Chenglong/For China Daily]

Removal of equity cap gives greater control of joint ventures to international vehicle brands

International carmakers can now have majority control of their Chinese joint ventures, but auto analysts warn that the change in equity structure does not guarantee their success in the world's largest vehicle market.

"A majority stake may mean more profit if the company is successful, but its success is not the natural result of such a change," said Dong Yang, a former executive of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

"That is because the change alone will not bring about better products or lower costs that will mean a competitive edge over others," said Dong, highlighting the importance of investment in research and development and closer cooperation between the partners.

China earlier this year removed the 50 percent equity cap for international car companies in their Chinese joint ventures that make gasoline passenger vehicles, allowing them to have the majority stake.

The caps, which were put in place in 1994, were moved in 2018 for the electric car sector and in 2020 for companies producing commercial vehicles including trucks and buses.

Because gasoline vehicles account for the absolute majority of the country's vehicle market, the policy change is perceived by many as the opportunity to maximize international carmakers' return on investment in China.

BMW became the first international carmaker to take majority control of its Chinese joint venture, when it raised its stake in BMW Brilliance to 75 percent earlier this month.

The German carmaker inked a deal with Brilliance Auto to scale up its stake in their joint venture from 50 percent to 75 percent in 2018, when China announced its timetable to relax ownership rules in the automotive industry.

Analysts suggest a majority stake in joint ventures, which also means a larger say and faster decision-making, will stimulate international carmakers' ambitions and strengthen their commitment in China, the world's largest vehicle market.

BMW and Brilliance has also renewed the contract of their joint venture to 2040.

"Today marks an important step, as we continue to expand our long and successful commitment to China," said BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse, in a statement when the joint venture's renewed contract took effect earlier this month.

"We firmly believe that our continued success in the world's largest automotive market can only go hand in hand with the growth and further development of our BBA joint venture," said Zipse.

BMW saw a 9 percent growth in its deliveries in China to 846,237 vehicles in 2021, as the best-selling premium carmaker in the country.

BMW Brilliance, based in Shenyang, Liaoning province, produced 700,000 vehicles in the year.

Chief Financial Officer Nicolas Peter told reporters that BMW's sales are expected to grow further in 2022 as demand continues to rise in China.

BMW said it is expanding its production capacity in China, with one plant currently being expanded and a new one under construction.

Among other vehicle models, BMW will start producing the X5 SUV, previously imported from the United States, in the second quarter of the year at the BMW Brilliance joint venture, according to Reuters.

"Our extended joint venture contract lays the foundation for further mutual growth and progressive development in the future. It therefore paves the way for balanced development in the three main regions of the world, as we have done in the past," said Peter.

Some other international carmakers are considering raising the stakes in their joint ventures to save their prospects.

Late last month, Stellantis said it would like to increase its equity from 50 to 75 percent in its joint venture GAC-Stellantis, adding this will set a new basis for its business in China.

The joint venture, which produces and sells Jeep-branded vehicles, delivered merely 20,000 vehicles last year, around half of its sales in 2020.

Hyundai's Kia is restructuring its partnership with Jiangsu Yueda Group, after another partner, China's State-owned carmaker Dongfeng, quit the joint venture earlier this year.

Kia did not make public the equity it will hold in the new partnership, saying more details will be released in April, but analysts said it is likely to have the majority stake as part of its efforts to revive its fortunes in the Chinese market.

Kia and Yueda have announced that they would invest $900 million in their joint venture to boost its competitiveness.

The joint venture's goal is to sell 4 million vehicles in 10 years from now. Its cumulative sales in China stand around 6 million since its establishment in 2002.

It was previously one of the most popular carmakers in China. Its models were more affordable than those from European and Japanese carmakers and had better quality than Chinese ones.

Its sales peaked in 2016 at around 650,000 units but deliveries have since dwindled, falling to 160,000 units in 2021.

The company lost 4.75 billion yuan ($747 million) in 2020 and 2.61 billion yuan in the first 10 months of 2021, according to Shanghai United Assets and Equity Exchange.

"The situation has changed. The auto industry has entered a new stage with electric cars and smart vehicles, and so has competition among carmakers," Dong said.

"So the policy change should not only serve as the chance to seek more profit but also a new starting point for all-around cooperation," he said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot takes questions during a press conference regarding the Codi Bigsby investigation on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, in Hampton. Bigsby, 4, was reported missing by his father, Cory Bigsby, on January 31. (Kaitlin McKeown/The Virginian-Pilot)

Hampton  It was just after 10 p.m. on Jan. 31 when investigators gave Cory Jamar Bigsby Jr. a lie-detector test about what happened to his 4-year-old boy.

Bigsby had reported Codi missing from the familys Buckroe townhome about 13 hours earlier, and had spent all day at Hampton Police headquarters answering investigators questions.

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But just after 4 a.m.  about six hours after the polygraph exam  the 43-year-old Bigsby and a Hampton police detective got into a shouting match over the results.

There was a heated back and forth, Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot said at a news conference early last week. During the argument, the chief said, Bigsby twice indicated that he wanted to have legal counsel with him, but was ignored.

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My assessment is that his desires should have been honored, Talbot said. They werent.

Hampton Police would not say exactly how Bigsby conveyed his request for a lawyer, including the words he used. But the conversations continued after that, with Bigsby staying at police headquarters for another two and a half days.

Its not clear what Bigsby told investigators after he requested an attorney  or whether police detectives found any of those statements useful to their investigation into the missing boy.

But if detectives indeed violated Bigsbys constitutional rights by ignoring a valid request, the decision could have implications on one of the regions highest profile criminal investigations: Legal experts say anything Bigsby told them after such a violation cant be used against him in any future prosecution.

Adam Gershowitz, a dean and criminal law professor at the College of William & Mary School of Law, said the Miranda rules require that an in-custody suspect who makes an unambiguous request for a lawyer must be allowed to get one.

If he invokes his right to counsel, then all interrogation is supposed to cease, Gershowitz said. And if it does not cease, all statements that happen afterward  even if its many days worth of statements  are inadmissible unless they got him a lawyer.

Exceptions can be made if a suspect voluntarily reinitiates the interrogation by saying hes changed his mind and will talk without a lawyer. But even then, Gershowitz said, investigators need to renew the Miranda warning and have him sign a new waiver.

Will Bigsbys statements be tossed?

More than three weeks after Codi was reported missing, police are still looking for leads on where he might be.

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While the lead detective on the case was placed on administrative leave for the interrogation gone awry  and as others in the chain of command are also being investigated over it  police say there are no issues with the statements Bigsby made before he asked for a lawyer.

Bigsby  whom Hamptons top prosecutor has called the chief suspect in Codis disappearance  has been jailed on child neglect charges based on what police say are admissions to twice leaving Codi and his siblings home alone.

The seven counts of felony child neglect that stem from those statements are proceeding as normal. Bigsby was ordered held in jail on the charges and has a bond appeal hearing slated for Friday in Hampton Circuit Court.

Cory Bigsby, seen at left, and Codi Bigsby. (Hampton Police Division)

Talbot said he remains confident that the overall investigation is sound, and says the legal issues surrounding Bigsbys request for a lawyer are matters for prosecutors and the courts to sort out.

But Bigsbys attorney, Jeffrey Ambrose, has vowed to raise concerns about the Feb. 1 interrogation at Fridays bond hearing, saying hes awaiting about 100 hours of video footage from his clients time at police headquarters.

There could potentially be other defects with how that interrogation occurred that may need addressing, Ambrose said, saying similar interview flaws could potentially call into question the child neglect charges, too.

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I want to understand whats on those tapes very, very badly, Ambrose said. Because we need clarity on those issues. What happened while Mr. Bigsby was there is very important. The details matter.

Holding investigators to account

Talbot said the Hampton Police Division mishandled the Feb. 1 interrogation, saying its become a distraction in the search for the missing 4-year-old.

I deeply regret what I found out, make no mistake about it, he said. Im extremely disappointed ... that we have done anything that may have slowed us down on our quest to bring justice to this child.

While Talbot said its too soon to know if police mistakes were intentional or the simply result of a different legal interpretation, he made clear that his officers must do better to avoid skirting any lines during their investigations.

Caution tape blocks a grassy area in Buckroe Pointe Apartment Townhomes on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Hampton, Va. (Kaitlin McKeown/The Virginian-Pilot)

We have our own obligation here, Talbot said. We didnt meet it, frankly.

On Feb. 11, something  or someone  tipped Talbot off that there might be a problem with the Feb. 1 interrogation.

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The chief soon ordered more than 12 people  including the agencys entire command staff  into police headquarters over that weekend to review roughly 100 hours of footage of Bigsbys time with police.

Everyone in the police division, Talbot said, is obligated to provide clear and concise information all the way up the chain of command. Hes pledged that anyone who didnt live up to the departments standards will be held accountable.

Its unclear how far up the chain an internal review might go.

Sgt. Reggie Williams, a Hampton police spokesman, would not say last week how many investigators were in the interview room when Bigsby made his requests. Williams also declined to say how many supervisors were monitoring that questioning, either in real time or afterward.

The FBI, for its part, would not confirm whether its separately looking into the conduct of an agent who has assisted in the case. The agent administered the polygraph and took part in the interview in which Bigsby asked for a lawyer.

Cassandra Temple, a spokeswoman for the FBI Field Office in Norfolk, would not say whether the federal agency believes the interrogation was properly handled, nor would she say whether the agent is still assigned to the case.

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How the interviews unfolded

Cory Bigsby told police he last saw Codi sleeping in his bed at 2 a.m. on Jan. 31 at the familys home off in the Buckroe Pointe Townhomes off Old Buckroe Road. He told police that when he went to check on his son about 9 a.m., the boy was nowhere to be found.

Investigators are still trying to pinpoint when Codi was last seen alive by anyone else, with the last confirmed sighting several months ago.

Soon after the boy was reported missing, his father and three of Codis brothers  a 5-year-old and two 2-year-old twins  were taken to police headquarters.

Talbot said Bigsby waived his right to a lawyer at about 2:30 p.m. that day, agreeing to talk to investigators. After several hours of questions, police asked him to take a lie-detector test, and again he agreed.

The FBI administered part of that test, also reminding Bigsby of his right to talk to a lawyer. Talbot said Bigsby took the polygraph exam just after 10 p.m., followed by more questioning that ran into the early morning hours on Feb. 1.

Community members hold at a vigil for missing 4-year-old Codi Bigsby on sunday, Feb. 6, 2022 in Hampton, Va. (Mike Caudill/The Virginian-Pilot)

Talbot wouldnt provide the results of the lie detector test. But the chief said that in the midst of that heated exchange about the outcome, Bigsby made his first request for a lawyer at 4:13 a.m. and the second at 4:20 a.m.

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More than two days later, on Feb. 3  with Bigsby still at police headquarters  his family hired an attorney to represent him.

Ambrose told the Daily Press that when he learned Bigsby had been there for more than three days, he and Bigsbys sister and another lawyer immediately went to the police building to try to talk to him. Ambrose said he wanted to confirm that his new client was OK and there voluntarily.

But after waiting in the lobby for more than an hour, Ambrose said, officers told them they couldnt speak with Bigsby. Police instead referred the matter to Hampton Commonwealths Attorney Anton Bell, whom Ambrose couldnt reach.

When community activists pressed Talbot the next day about why the lawyer was turned away at the door, Talbot asserted that Bigsby  a retired U.S. Army sergeant  is a smart and capable man who knows his rights, was there voluntarily and never asked for counsel.

He was absolutely made aware of his rights, Talbot said at that Feb. 4 news conference. Had he requested a lawyer, he said, we would have honored it.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

But Ambrose, who spoke to Bigsby after his arrest on the child neglect charges, said his client had a different take.

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He advised me that he requested an attorney, that he requested not to answer any further questions, and that those requests were not honored, Ambrose told the Daily Press at the time. He told me he was asking, Can I go? Id like to go home, and they were telling him no.

At the Feb. 14 news conference, Talbot said his comments at the prior news conference were based, frankly, on bad information that he had been provided by others in the Hampton Police Division. And that just cant happen, he said.

Though Hampton police initially said Bigsby was at police headquarters voluntarily for three and half days before his arrest on child neglect charges, the chief said through a spokesman Friday that prosecutors and the courts would ultimately make that determination.

I would prefer not to add the weight of my judgment on either side of the issue prior to that happening, Talbot wrote.

Gershowitz, the William & Mary professor, said a determination on whether someone is in custody or with police voluntarily depends on a variety of factors. Those can include, he said, how many officers were present, whether the door to the interview room was open or closed, and whether an atmosphere was conveyed that he wasnt going anywhere.

Peter Dujardin, 757-247-4749, pdujardin@dailypress.com
Florida, US (34429)

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A shower or two around the area early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

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Immigration minister commits to speeding up work permit processing Work permits are among five priorities on IRCC's $85 million budget this year.

Immigration minister commits to speeding up work permit processing Work permits are among five priorities on IRCC's $85 million budget this year.

Immigration minister commits to speeding up work permit processing Work permits are among five priorities on IRCC's $85 million budget this year. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Canadas immigration minister restated his promise to improve processing times for work permits during meetings with the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

Last week, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told the committee that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will use its $85 million budget to reduce processing times that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The minister had previously announced that service standards for work permits, study permits, proof of citizenship, and permanent residence card renewals would return to normal by the end of 2022.

The IRCC webpage estimates processing times for work permits submitted from most countries are currently not meeting the processing standard. Nonetheless, IRCC is processing a higher level of work permits. In 2021, Canada issued some 420,000 under the International Mobility Program (IMP) and Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). In 2019, the total was about 405,000.

Need Help with Work Permits? Contact Cohen Immigration Law for a Free Consultation

The TFWP allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals to fill labour shortages in Canada. The IMP promotes Canadas broad economic, social, and cultural interests.

The processing standard for work permits submitted outside of Canada is 60 days, except for International Experience Canada (IEC) work permits, which are supposed to be processed in 56 days. Work permit extensions submitted in Canada have a processing standard of 120 days. Before the pandemic, IRCC met these standards more than 87 per cent of the time. Official data on how often IRCC met its service standards in 2020-2021 have not yet been released.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, IRCC operations around the world halted operations. The result eventually led to a backlog in applications. As of February 1, IRCC has more than 85,000 work permit applications in its inventory.

IRCC Assistant Deputy Minister Daniel Mills was also at the committee meeting. Mills said in French that the $85 million budget will not improve processing times for permanent residents, but it will allow IRCC to develop tools such as electronic application systems and online application trackers. Minister Fraser had previously noted that processing for new spousal sponsorship applications have returned to the one-year standard.

The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration is a group of Canadian politicians from major political parties that conduct studies and offer policy recommendations on how to improve the immigration system.

The importance of fast work permit processing

Canada had nearly 900,000 job openings this past November, according to the latest job vacancies report. Immigration has long been touted as a strategy to support labour market growth in Canada.

Since employers in certain industries have long demonstrated that there is consistent need for foreign talent, there are some work permits that have expedited processes for workers in certain sectors. The Global Talent Stream, for example, has a processing standard of 10 business days. It is meant for employers in the tech sector to onboard foreign talent.

The province of Quebec offers a list of occupations that exempt the employer from the advertising requirement of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process. Although they still need an LMIA for these positions, they can get one much faster without having to advertise a job opening.

The LMIA is required for the hiring of some foreign nationals. It is a labour market test that the Canadian government may require to demonstrate a worker in Canada is unavailable to do the job. Canada offers fast-tracked LMIA processing for the GTS and Quebec facilitated occupations list.

In 2021, about one-quarter of work permits granted required an LMIA. The remaining 75 per cent did not require an LMIA.

Staying in Canada

If a worker applies to extend their status before their work permit expires, they can stay in Canada on maintained status until IRCC makes a decision. They are allowed to work under the same conditions as their work permit, as long as they stay in Canada while waiting. Maintained status could also apply to study permit holders and visitors applying to extend their temporary status.

If the worker applies for permanent residence, they may be able to get a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP), which will allow them to stay in Canada until their application is processed.

Need Help with Work Permits? Contact Cohen Immigration Law for a Free Consultation

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
A man who had just been hired by an upscale steakhouse in Georgia is accused of stealing $15,000 of beef from an outdoor cooler.

The man was scheduled to begin work Friday at Uncle Jacks in Roswell, but allegedly stole the expensive meat on Monday and Thursday, WSB-TV reported.

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Warrants accuse the man of two counts of second-degree burglary, Roswell police told the station.

The first theft included Kobe and Wagyu beef, ahi tuna, and long bones, which William Degel, owner of the New York-based chain, described as Fred Flintstone racks of beef on bones about 20 inches (50 centimeters) long.

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Degel, in New York, told WSB that better locks were installed on the cooler after Mondays theft but surveillance video from Thursday shows the man cutting them off.

Im so shocked someone came back that fast, Degel said.

The head chef recognized the man as an applicant who had been in the restaurant just days before, the station reported.

Degel said he wonders what the man did with the meat.

Hed need a bandsaw; got to cut the loins, the chops. Going to eat it all? Degel said.
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Prayer flags festoon a structure by Hailuogou Glacier in Chagsam County, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on Sept. 7, 2020. Ahead of the summer Olympics 14 years ago, Tibet was on fire. Deadly clashes between Tibetans and security forces in Lhasa made global headlines, and for weeks, monks and herders battled bullets and batons. But today, Tibet has fallen silent, even as the Olympic games come to Beijing for a second time. (AP Photo/Dake Kang)
Daouda Diallo, 39, One of Burkina Faso's most outspoken human rights defenders, poses for a photograph in Ouagadougou Thursday Feb. 3, 2022. Diallo has documented more than 1,000 extrajudicial killings by security forces and jihadis since Islamic extremists launched a violent campaign in the country six years ago.
Roger Schultz, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Liberty University, and Randy Lichtenberger, lead archeologist and founding member of Friends of New London, unveil a plaque on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, recognizing Mead's Tavern in New London as an addition to the National Register of Historic Places. (Kendall Warner/The News & Advance/AP)

NEW LONDON  The only remaining colonial structure left in New London recently celebrated a special milestone.

Community members, Friends of New London and staff from Liberty University celebrated the unveiling of a new plaque Feb. 10 on Meads Tavern, which recently was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

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Donna Donald  director of Public History Initiatives in the History Department at Liberty University and also a member of the board for Friends of New London, a local nonprofit preservation group  said the project has been collaborative.

A lot of different people have contributed to research, to encouraging means of financial support, encouraging developing classes, all of the different facets that have gone into this and I do appreciate that, she said.f

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The two-story tavern, built in 1763, provided meals and a nights stay to travelers. The building later was turned into a school and doctors office before becoming a single-family dwelling during the 1820s.

William Mead, the original owner of the tavern, never lived in the building but the earliest residents of the basement may have been his employees, Robert Hairston or Richard Turner, and their families.

The National Register of Historic Places is a federally established listing of buildings, sites and structures which have been officially recognized as possessing historical and cultural value for the nation.

Randy Lichtenberger, lead archaeologist on the tavern and founding member of Friends of New London, helped to lead tours through the building and said it actually looks a little bit worse now than it did in 2012 when the Friends of New London purchased the property.

This is obviously a structure that you have to see with your mind, in your heart, not with your eyes at the moment, but thats a natural part of the restoration process, he said. Things have to look worse before they look better typically. Were at that point right now. So please excuse our mess. Wonderful things do sometimes lie hidden under modern features, and Meads Tavern is one of them.

It was a real struggle for Friends of New London to put the money together to acquire the Campbell County property, he said, but by the time it came on the market their research indicated it was a diamond in the rough  the last surviving Colonial-era structure in New London as well as one of the earliest in the entire region.

Our board of directors and the many friends pooled our resources and were able to buy the tavern, we worked some late nights removing carpets to reveal the wooden floors, spending hours pulling tack strips and staples, cleaning and dusting to keep it in good shape, he said.

Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news >

In 2015, Liberty University purchased the tavern, and since then students have participated in ongoing excavation and restoration projects in association with the Friends of New London and local archaeologists.

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The first restoration phase will include stabilization of the taverns basement which launched this winter.

Lichtenberger said the addition of Meads Tavern to the National Register of Historic Places validates the groups efforts to save a piece of early history for future generations.

Sam Smith, chair of the history department at LU, always has been fascinated by the fact the tavern was built even before the establishment of the United States.

1763 is a unique year. Its the end of the French and Indian War and people are on the move, he said. Theres the Proclamation of 1763 thats supposed to keep American settlers from going west, but a lot of people ignored that. And a lot of people came down the old wagon road, which is now roughly Interstate 81. So this place represents movement and activity that was going on in the same year that the French and Indian War ended.

Smith said the site has been special for the history department and he is grateful for the people whove worked hard to keep the project going.

Essentially, we use Meads Tavern as a laboratory for our students to study archaeology, to study historic preservation, to study digital history and other public history initiatives, he said. It has been so valuable to our students. So this is a special place for us. And its special that we were having this recognition and having the unveiling of this plaque.
Beachwood, OH (44122)

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Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 49F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

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Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 49F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Beachwood, OH (44122)

Today

Thunderstorms, some strong this evening giving way to periods of light rain late. Low 48F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

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Thunderstorms, some strong this evening giving way to periods of light rain late. Low 48F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Former Beachwood resident Rabbi Dan Utley was named director of the Mandel Jewish Community Centers Camp Wise in Claridon Township Jan. 31.

A Beachwood High School and College of Wooster graduate, he will replace Rachel Felber, who is stepping down in June.

Utley, 39, currently the associate rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, spoke with the Cleveland Jewish News as he looks forward to his first summer as director.

CJN: What in your current job has prepared you for your new role?

Utley: At Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, Ive overseen youth/teen engagement and young adult outreach for a congregation of 2,600 households. Its my mission as a rabbi to help people access Jewish community and find meaningful ways to develop Jewish identity on their terms. Building strong youth programs at synagogues and excellent immersive experiences such as camp or day school in the community furthers this mission.

CJN: What are you focusing on first?

Utley: Im focused on the transition this spring, building strong relationships with our full-time team, with seasonal staff members for this summer and with parents and campers. Top priorities for this summer are safety, fun, joy and the excitement of camp for all staff and campers. As the challenges of the pandemic continue to evolve, Im grateful for Rachel Felbers skilled leadership this season and to the outstanding director team who are working tirelessly each day to plan an amazing summer in Claridon Township.

CJN: How many campers do you expect this summer?

Utley: We expect that over 500 campers will have the best summer of their lives at the home of happiness in summer 2022. Weve added to the enrollment, too, as our oldest son who is in first grade, will join Chalutzim for his first summer at overnight camp. Rising second graders, come and join us. If you have questions or just want to connect, give us a call and well talk it through.

CJN: What are the camps successes that you will build upon?

Utley: As evidenced by its 115-year history of close community, Mandel JCCs Camp Wise prioritizes relationships. Camper to camper, cabin communities and as a whole, camp-building relationships is the core of what we do. Camp is strong and will be strengthened as we deepen this emphasis. In our world today, children, young adults and all of us have been living through an extended time of uncertainty and even trauma. The supportive, caring and nurturing environment of the camp community offers opportunity for stability, healing, confidence and growth.

CJN: How will you raise the bar for the Camp Wise experience?

Utley: Im already impressed by the creative staff, countless joyful camp traditions and energetic optimism about the summer ahead. I look forward to doing a lot of listening to staff members, campers, parents and community supporters this summer and in the year, in order to build a shared vision of what raising the bar looks like for Camp Wise. Also, more ice cream and good camp surprises never hurt.

CJN: What is your three- to five-year vision for the camp?

Utley: Recent times have taught us that much can change in three-to-five years. Im eager to engage our team of camp professionals, our camp committee and our community members to envision an ambitious plan for this next era of Camp Wise. My hope is that we can continue to develop the quality of the camper and staff experience in order to grow the reach of Camp Wise into the community in steady and sustainable ways. Jewish Cleveland will be strengthened by Camp Wises development in the future and I plan to share the magic of Jewish camping with people of all ages in our community and through the Mandel JCC.

CJN: How do you plan to connect with those that are not aware of Camp Wise?

Utley: Camp Wises families are our most influential marketing team. Word of mouth is the best way camps connect with new families. Our reach will grow because of excellent staff and camper experiences each summer. We will also engage our amazing alumni community to help spread the word and grow sub-communities in new cities where alumni choose to send their children and grandchildren to Camp Wise.

CJN: What is your favorite part of becoming director of Camp Wise?

Utley: Seeing people grow, be the best version of themselves, and bring camps energy into their lives after summer. Camp has always been my happy place  a place of friendship, immersion in nature, close community, spiritual growth, music, laughter and fun. My sense of accomplishment as director will come from watching our campers and staff members overcome challenges, learn life lessons and grow over the course of a summer.
Clinton, IA (52732)

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Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 36F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

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According to sources, the government has decided to act tough against rule violations as it is losing huge revenue from registration of unauthorised layouts. (Representational image/ DC File)

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has initiated measures to restrain illegal layouts. The registration department has been ordered to register only plots that have necessary approvals.

According to the reports, there were 10,169 unauthorized layouts in 13 districts across the state, in which the majority were barred from having basic amenities including water, electricity and road. The present order would put an extra financial burden on those who had purchased plots in unauthorized layouts in order to get regularization.

Commissioner and Inspector general of stamps and registrations Rama Krishna issued an advisory to stop registration of plots of unauthorized layouts under the Registration Act 1908. He has asked deputy inspectors general and district registrars to register only plots approved by Directorate of Town Planning and Country Planning (DTCP).

He has warned that any deviation will be viewed seriously and punishment for violations will include even dismissal from service under CCA rules. He has also asked DIGs to monitor compliance and submit reports on the monthly basis.

According to sources, the government has decided to act tough against rule violations as it is losing huge revenue from registration of unauthorised layouts. Local bodies and urban development authorities are losing crores of rupees in revenue every year as realtors are not paying land development charges and betterment charges.

The local bodies are not giving permission to construct houses in the unauthorised layouts. This is forcing the plot owners to pay additional fees for regularization of unauthorized layouts to construct houses under the Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS).

The government decided on strict implementation of the government order to restrain unauthorized layouts.

Earlier, the government had conducted a survey to know about the unauthorized layouts and noticed huge increase in the unauthorized layouts from the 2015 - 2019 period. There were 6,049 illegal layouts in 2015 and the number rose to 9,422 in 2019.

At present, there exist 10,169 illegal layouts in 13 districts.

The reports said that out of 10,169 unauthorized layouts spread in 37,684 acres, only 4,176 layouts have road facility, while 814 layouts have electricity lines and only 362 layouts have drinking water facility.

A majority of the unauthorized layouts are spread on 29,075 acres of lands, which were situated adjacent to or around the cities and towns.

Realtor Naresh Reddy said the real estate business is already in a crisis. There is very little demand for plots due to the financial crisis caused by Covid19. New orders will increase the additional financial burden on realtors and it will further increase the prices of plots in the ventures. This would put a huge extra financial burden on the people and dampen the real estate business in the post-Covid season.

Officials said the government issued orders for registration of only plots with proper approvals and stopping registration of unauthorized layouts in January 2020, but it was failing to implement this order properly. Now, the government has called for strict implementation of orders and the same is followed by the registration department.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 20)  Three senatorial candidates said some of the provisions of the vape bill need further study or reconsideration, particularly the line that allows persons as young as 18 years old to purchase the e-cigarette.

RELATED: House ratifies bill regulating vape products

Former Agriculture secretary Manny Pinol said the provision in the Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation bill should be vetoed.

"Any vice is always an enemy and the government must regulate it. What level and what age? It needs further study," he said in the CNN Philippines Senatorial Forum on Sunday. "I believe it should be vetoed -- portions of the bill which would allow young people access to the vape."

Former Agrarian reform secretary John Castriciones said that although he believes the vape bill is a "friendly" measure because it promotes regulation, the provision should also be reexamined.

"In the near future, after having probably implemented this law, we would be able to evaluate what are the good points and the bad points -- one of which, of course, is the lowering of the age of people who can actually make use of the vape," he said.

The initial minimum age for vape purchases was at 21 years old.

Health advocate Dr. Minguita Padilla also said the line should be vetoed, calling it a "dangerous" provision.

"The brain is still developing after 18 and this will open this purchasing of these gadgets and these vapes to people still in their senior high years," she explained.

Not under DTI?

Two of the candidates also opposed the provision that tasks the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to oversee regulation, instead of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"This is a substance which enters the body and can actually cause harm and they (DTI) don't have the capacity to analyze data that involves health," said Padilla.

Under the measure, the DTI is also in charge of setting technical standards for the safety, consistency, and quality of these smoking alternatives.

Pinol shared the same sentiment.

"I don't think DTI is the proper agency to regulate something that involves people's health," said the former secretary.

Padilla suggested that should the government still want DTI to have a role in the regulation, then it should at least be a joint responsibility with the FDA.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  Senatorial candidate Alex Lacson vowed to push for the provision of free 100,000 worth of health card for every Filipino family to pay for hospital bills.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source on Monday, the Visayan lawyer running under Kapatiran Party, said his proposal would benefit roughly 22 million families in the country.

"This is like a credit card. Pag nagkasakit sila, 'pag na-hospitalize, saka lang magagamit ito (When a family member gets sick or hospitalized, that's the only time this can be used)," Lacson said.

Lacson recounted that he comes from a family of overseas Filipino workers, who are currently benefitting from free public healthcare system in the countries that they reside in. He said he also wants Filipinos to experience the same thing.

The senatorial hopeful also pitched that fund for the measure go straight to beneficiaries. He said the card can also be used by any family member for his health needs, and is renewable per year.

"Isinusulong ko na yung pondo sa family health card 'wag na idaan sa LGUs, sa Department of Health, sa Philhealth. Diretso na ito sa taumbayan," Lacson said. "Lahat naman ng budget natin sa gobyerno, intended naman 'yan sa taumbayan, dinadaan lang natin sa kamay ng gobyerno."

[Translation: I want the funding for the family health card to not go directly to LGUs, the DOH, or the PhilHealth. Give them straight to the people. Because all the state budget is intended for the people, the money only goes through the hands of the government.]

Lacson said this is to prevent money from getting lost to corruption and to lessen the probability of leaving unspent portions of government funds that are usually worth "hundreds of billions."

Lacson is currently part of the Leni Robredo-Kiko Pangilinan tandem, and has also secured the endorsement of opposition coalition 1Sambayan for the national polls.

He previously ran for senator under the Liberal Party in 2010 and Negros Occidental 6th District representative in 2001, but was defeated in his bid for the two posts.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  A senatorial candidate wants to push for a two-party system and an anti-dynasty law through people's initiative once he gets elected.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source on Monday, lawyer and writer Alex Lacson said a two-party system will enforce political parties to promote genuine representation and discourage turncoatism or party-switching.

He acknowledged, however, that he is part of a senatorial lineup which includes candidates endorsed by other presidential and vice presidential tandems.

Lacson is running under Leni Robredo-Kiko Pangilinan tandem. The two also endorsed reelectionist Sen. Richard Gordon and former vice president Jejomar Binay who are part of the Ping Lacson-Tito Sotto slate.

"Right now, I support the decision of the standard bearers but when we get elected I really would like to push for that two-party system para madevelop ang mga partido sa atin and magkaroon ng klarong plataporma at pagalingan ng serbisyo sa bawat partido (in order to develop political parties with a clear platform as they demonstrate which one offers the best services)," he said.

Lacson said he also wants a people's initiative through legislative districts to pass laws without having to go through Congress. This includes passing a measure against political dynasties.

He added that senators could also be elected per region instead of nationwide so that there will be equitable representation and distribution of talent and resources among potential legislators, after acknowledging the possibility of having another Cayetano, Binay, or Villar in the Senate this year.

"I think that would introduce more development in the countryside. Nangyayari sa atin ngayon pasikatan, [binoboto] kung sinong sikat, artista ka, social media star ka, pamilya ka na ng very well-established na senator o politiko," he noted.

[Translation: Right now, people often vote for the popular ones, the celebrities, social media stars, and a relative of a very well-established senator or politician.]

Lacson also said he would push for an independent commission with appointing powers on crucial posts in government agencies, to lessen instances such as in the Commission on Elections wherein the majority of the commissioners are from Davao or Mindanao.

He would also push for an educational reform by incorporating "the culture of cooperation" in schools' curriculum so that children would know the value of collective success brought by working together.

Lacson also said he would provide free 100,000 worth of health card for every Filipino family to help finance hospital expenses.

READ: Alex Lacson vows 100K health card for Filipino families if elected

Lacson previously ran for senator under the Liberal Party in 2010 and Negros Occidental 6th District representative in 2001 but lost.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  The Philippine government is extending help to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who tested positive for COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles on Monday said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office gave cash, food packs, and hygiene kits to the workers who caught the virus. In addition, POLO is working to provide spaces for isolation pending quarantine arrangements since hospitals are full due to the ongoing Omicron-driven surge.

POLO also provided $200 financial assistance each to OFWs who recently recovered from COVID-19.

In an interview with CNN Philippines The Final Word, Philippine Consul General in Hong Kong Raly Tejada said they have so far recorded 41 COVID-19 cases, 28 of which are in isolation centers. The others were admitted by the Hong Kong government under its quarantine system.

As of Feb. 19, five have already recovered, three of whom have returned to their employers.

Tejada confirmed reports that some OFWs with COVID-19 had been fired from their jobs. He said this occurred during the beginning of the surge, where three to five OFWs were terminated after contracting the virus.

Unfortunately, this included other Filipinos who had nowhere to go because either they missed their flights after they tested positive, or those that were staying in dormitories were kicked out by their dorm mates, he noted.

Tejada said the infected OFWs went to the hospital to seek medical help, but ended up waiting for a long time because Hong Kong facilities were actually full to the brim and close to breaking point.

The official said the unlawful act stopped after a stern warning was issued to employers. He said his office is now coordinating with Hong Kong authorities to properly address the matter and take legal action if necessary.

For those that were fired by employers because they tested positive for COVID, we will make sure that a proper investigation by our labor office in Hong Kong is conducted with the view to filing appropriate charges against erring employers," Tejada said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  The Department of Interior and Local Government on Monday defended the Philippine National Police for arresting Dr. Natividad Castro, whom authorities claim to be a high-ranking communist party official.

The PNP was just doing their job. Why gang up on them? This was not a warrantless arrest. The RTC issued a warrant and its their duty to serve it, said Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano in statement.

The police and the military arrested Castro in her San Juan City home last week. The warrant of arrest was issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 7 in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur for charges of kidnapping and illegal detention.

The DILG also slammed her legal counsel for accusations that authorities violated Castros rights and the charges against her were baseless.

Ano noted that the doctor was arrested for the criminal charges against her and not because of her alleged position as head of the national health bureau of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army.

FLAG (Free Legal Assistance Group), the National Union of Peoples Lawyers, and other lawyers of Castro had every opportunity to quash the charges against her at the level of the City Prosecutor during the preliminary investigation and even with the court, said Ano.

They could have challenged the prosecutors findings and appealed it with the Department of Justice. Or if they wanted to challenge the warrant, they could have brought it to the Court of Appeals or even the Supreme Court," he added.

Ano also said the Commission on Human Rights is welcome to investigate Castros case, but it should be impartial.

The CHR is supposed to be impartial, fair, and unbiased. But why did it immediately conclude that Castro was red-tagged for being a human rights and development worker? he said.

Castro is currently detained at the Bayugan City Police Station where her lawyers can visit her to prepare for her defense, the DILG said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  Presidential candidate Senator Ping Lacson and his running mate Senate President Tito Sotto said there might not be a "solid north" following the warm welcome they received during visits to northern provinces over the weekend.

The tandem visited Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Baguio City where they met with businessmen as well as farmers and tricycle drivers.

Interaction with these groups proved, the lawmakers said, that the opportunity to gain votes in these areas is still open.

"As you may be aware, 'di ba, 'yung basta Ilocos Region mostly taga-region nila 'yung tinatangkilik pero sa nakita namin kanina, maganda 'yung response kasi nga issue-based na naman 'yung tinalakay namin na mga problema," Lacson said Sunday at an event with tricycle operators and drivers in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.

[Translation: As you may be aware, those in the Ilocos Region mostly vote for those from their region, but from what we saw earlier the response was good as we discussed issue-based problems.]

In a statement Monday, the tandem proposed that to help the public utility vehicle (PUV) sector, the government should resume its subsidies to all PUV drivers, especially now that oil prices are surging amid the current instabilities in oil-producing countries.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  More former lawmakers and senior government officials, including two former senators who previously expressed support for other presidential bets  have endorsed Vice President Leni Robredo's presidential candidacy.

Former senators Rodolfo Biazon, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Sergio Osmena III, Wigberto Tanada, and other signatories issued a joint statement on Monday entitled, "An earnest appeal to our fellow Filipinos."

They said the country deserves a president who is action-oriented, inclusive, and decisive, which Robredo has demonstrated in the last six years of her vice presidency despite limited resources and hostility from the Duterte administration. They added the country's next president should be someone "who respects our democratic processes, and will uphold our country's sovereignty and territorial integrity at all times."

"We strongly believe that VP Leni is the most qualified and trustworthy presidential candidate who has the political will to rebuild our sordid past, engender hope and inspiration among our people regardless of social standing, and bring about change that has long eluded us," the former lawmakers and government officials said.

Biazon, a former chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said in September 2021 that presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson can provide the solution to the nation's problems. Meanwhile, around the same time, Osmena said he will help the presidential campaign of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, whom he described in an interview with One News PH as dirt poor but was able to develop himself to be a good candidate.

Aside from the four ex-senators, the 12 others who signed the statement include former Reps. Tomas Apacible, Raul Daza and Felicito Payumo; former Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca; former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena; former Agriculture Secretary Senen Bacani, Interior and Local Government Secretary Cesar Sarino and Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz-Araneta; former Higher Education Commissioner Ester Garcia, former Philippine Retirement Authority Chair Luis Sison; former PTV4 Chair Virgilio Yuzon; and former Poro Point Management Corp. Director Jose Osias.

Several officials from the Ramos and Aquino administrations have also chosen Robredo as the best among the 10 presidential candidates.
ANANTAPUR: Even after four years of formation, the prestigious AP Central University sanctioned on the eve of state bifurcation in 2014 is yet to stabilize its functioning. There is no regular registrar and the posts of several other key heads of the department remain vacant.

The Institute has no regular Registrar, financial officer, deans and Controller of Examinations. But it is offering UG courses in English Literature, Telugu, Political Science, Tourism and Travel, Retail Management & IT and economics.

The central university has now earned a bad reputation as the centre for irregularities while it is not able to compete with other Central Universities in terms of academic standards. While the other central varsities including Hyderabad are offering large numbers of courses including also on culture and tradition, the AP central university is unable to get out of its teething troubles.

Students who got qualified in the national-level entrance test say they are not keen on joining the facility at Anantapur because of its lesser number of courses and lack of proper faculty.

The institution has no regular registrar and faculties and how can a merit student wish to join here," a student union leader from AP central university lamented.

In addition, the Centre has not released the necessary funds for the university for the past four years. Except for the little budgetary allocations, the central university is unable to get the required funds for the establishment of permanent buildings and other requirements.

TD politburo member Kalava Srinivasulu has lashed out at the state and central governments, saying they were ignoring the university all these years. Students have no proper hostel facility and classrooms because the central university continued to be run from temporary buildings of JNTUA.

Even the Anantapur MP, Talari Rangaiah, proposed the universitys shift to a vacant private engineering college where all facilities including hostel for both girls and boys are present, but the authorities have not heeded the proposal.

As opposed to old science technologies such as Space, telecommunications, semiconductors, electronics and conventional energy, local varsities need to introduce new subject and have financial nourishment, said Dr Suresh Babu from Praja Science Vedika.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  Metro Manila mayors will come up with their recommendation on the regions next alert level status at their meeting on Tuesday based on data and on the ground situation, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.

"Asahan po ng ating mga kababayan na 'yan po ay ibabase ng mga mayors sa datos po na araw-araw naman po nare-receive namin from DOH, IATF, NTF at ganon din po yung kanilang experience sa ground, MMDA general manager Don Artes said Monday in a public briefing

[Translation: Our fellow citizens can expect that the mayors will base it on data we receive every day from the Department of Health, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, National Task Force Against COVID-19, along with what they experience on the ground.]

DOH chief Francisco Duque III earlier told CNN Philippines there's a likelihood Metro Manila will ease to Alert Level 1 depending on factors like its safety seal coverage.

RELATED: Metro Manila mayors ready to shift to Alert Level 1 as COVID-19 cases decline  MMDA

The National Capital Region is currently classified under moderate risk by the DOH, faring better than its prior critical risk classification last month due to the Omicron-driven uptick in fresh infections. Cases have recently been on a downtrend in the region.

READ: OCTA: Daily COVID-19 cases in NCR could fall to 200 by end-February

Given the regions high vaccination rate, Artes said Metro Manila is now focusing on vaccinating young children along with increasing its booster coverage.

NCR is currently under Alert Level 2 until end-February.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  Presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao has vowed to provide justice to farmers who are victims of land grabbing, saying hell see to it that the properties are returned to them in the first three years of his administration if he gets elected.

Pacquiao on Monday said he will push for a thorough investigation into complaints of those whose farms have been seized and converted into residential subdivisions by wealthy developers. He added he will create a special agency that would specifically address these issues.

Makikita nila sa first three years, kung papalarin tayo, iyong mga lupa na inangkin ng iba, iyong mga lupang walang kakayahan ang may-ari na ipaglaban ang sarili, ibabalik natin sa kanila, he said in a statement.

[Translation: If I win, theyll see that in my first three years, we will return these seized lands owned by those who have no means to fight for themselves.]

The senator claimed the properties  which he said several farmers lost due to inability to pay real estate taxes  often end up in the possession of those who have connections with the Land Registration Authority and the Department of Agrarian Reform.

Pacquiao added there is a need to review policies governing the disposition of lands and previous land conversions that negatively impacted the country's food production capacity.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  A consular team from the Philippine Embassy in Poland is already in Lviv, Ukraine to provide immediate assistance to Filipino nationals should Russia invade the former Soviet republic, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

The two-man team composed of a consul and an assistance-to-nationals officer arrived in Ukraine on Feb. 17 to monitor the situation.

Two personnel from the Embassy, composed of a Consul and an ATN Officer, in coordination with the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Kyiv, arrived in Lviv last Thursday, the DFA said in a statement. The Embassy team immediately established an emergency contact base.

The embassy in Warsaw has a jurisdiction over Ukraine.

The DFA earlier reported that six Filipinos from Ukraine have already returned home on Feb. 18.

During the first day of mission, the consular team met with two groups of Filipinos who temporarily relocated to Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk from Kyiv.

The Philippine Embassy in Warsaw keeps close coordination with the DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs and the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Kyiv in arranging the repatriation of Filipinos who have chosen to avail of the Philippine governments voluntary repatriation program from Ukraine, the DFA said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 22)  The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections is urging President Rodrigo Duterte to make public his shortlisted candidates for the vacant positions at the Commission on Elections.

Speaking to CNN Philippines, Namfrel Secretary General Eric Jude Alvia said it is important to publicize the list to make the appointments process open and transparent.

Moreover, publicizing the list would invite ordinary citizens to be involved in choosing the most competent and qualified appointees before the Office of the President makes its final decision, he said.

This would ensure that whoever he appoints is really independent, and upholds the task at hand in making decisions during this election period, Alvia added.

In early February, Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas and commissioners Rowena Guanzon and Antonio Kho, Jr. retired from the poll body.

Alvia said they are already aware about the short list of nominees, who all passed the minimum qualification required. However, some may fail in the additional criteria they are looking for, namely integrity, probity, independence and competence, he pointed out.

He called on the President to consider the criteria in appointing the new Comelec officials.

Alvia emphasized the urgency of the issue, with the 2022 national and local elections less than three months away. He said the three posts would be crucial in deciding on poll-related matters.

He said a transparent selection process would also help reinforce public trust in the Comelec and dispel concerns that the poll body would be composed of appointees coming from Dutertes hometown, or people from inside his inner circle.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 22)  The government aims to vaccinate 80% of the vulnerable population against COVID-19 before the country eases to Alert Level 1.

In a televised briefing Monday night, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the recommendation is from presidential adviser for COVID-19 response Vince Dizon.

"Bago ma-de-escalate to Alert Level 1, kinakailangang 80% [ang vaccination rate] ng ating A2 and A3... At kung hindi po sila makarating sa panukatan na 'yan ay hindi tayo puwedeng ibaba," he said.

[Translation: Before we de-escalate the country to Alert Level 1, the vaccination rate of the A2 and A3 groups should be 80%. If they will not reach this, then we cannot de-escalate.]

The vaccination rate is also a good metric to use when deciding which areas are ready to shift to Alert Level 1, he added.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said health authorities want to focus on immunizing the remaining three million senior citizens and people with comorbidities.

Duque reported that from Feb. 15 to 21, the country's average number of daily reported cases was 1,972, down 44% compared to the previous week. Healthcare utilization rate was classified as low risk.

Currently, the National Capital Region and several other areas are under Alert Level 2 until the end of February.

Metro Manila mayors will meet on Tuesday and they are expected to come up with a recommendation on the capital regions next alert level status. They already expressed readiness to de-escalate the region to the lowest classification to be able to open more industries.
(CNN)  Credit Suisse pushed back Sunday after multiple media outlets reported that the Swiss investment bank had clients that included criminals, alleged human rights abusers and parties facing sanctions.

"Credit Suisse strongly rejects the allegations and insinuations about the bank's purported business practices," the bank said in a news release Sunday. "The matters presented are predominantly historical, in some cases dating back as far as the 1940s, and the accounts of these matters are based on partial, inaccurate, or selective information taken out of context, resulting in tendentious interpretations of the bank's business conduct."

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, a non-profit reporting platform, said in a news release that a whistleblower leaked information to the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung. The OCCRP said that its investigation looked at data from more than 18,000 accounts worth more than $100 billion, opened between the 1940s and the 2010s.

Suddeutsche Zeitung and 46 other news organizations  including The New York Times and The Guardian  collaborated on the analysis and reported details of the data in an investigation titled "Suisse Secrets."

The OCCRP and Suddeutsche Zeitung coordinated the project.

The OCCRP release said the project's reporting indicates that the bank's clients include a "Yemeni spy chief implicated in torture" and Venezuelan officials accused of corruption, among others.

"I've too often seen criminals and corrupt politicians who can afford to keep on doing business as usual, no matter what the circumstances, because they have the certainty that their ill-gotten gains will be kept safe and always within their reach," said OCCRP co-founder Paul Radu in a statement.

In a statement provided by the OCCRP, the whistleblower who provided the information said Swiss banking secrecy laws are "immoral" and enable corruption.

Credit Suisse said Sunday that about 90% of the accounts mentioned are closed or were in the process of closing before the project's reporting and that it has taken significant steps to combat financial crime in the last decade. Although it said it cannot comment on potential client relationships, the bank confirmed it is taking action "in line with applicable policies and regulatory requirements."

"These media allegations appear to be a concerted effort to discredit not only the bank but the Swiss financial market-place as a whole, which has undergone significant changes over the last several years," the bank said Sunday.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Credit Suisse pushes back on reports of controversial accounts."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 20)  Three first-time senatorial candidates who took part in the CNN Philippines Senatorial Forum on Sunday expressed their views on religious leaders endorsing political candidates.

Former Agrariam Reform chief John Castriciones and health advocate Dr. Minguita Padilla said religious leaders have the obligation to guide their followers, but drew the line at telling them who to vote for.

"The church has a big role in shaping up the minds of people in choosing the right candidates, but to specifically name people to vote upon is like imposing on the members of your church," said Castriciones.

"Probably what is good is to try to identify the qualities, values and virtues necessary for a certain candidate...in order to choose the right person (or) party," he added.

Meanwhile, Padilla said religious leaders should guide their faithful but only up to a certain extent.

"I am talking first as a Catholic. Our priests, I believe and our bishops have the obligation to guide their flock," she said.

"How to choose the right leaders, they can guide and they should guide them, but hindi dapat gamitin yung pulpit, yung misa para sabihin sa mga parokya, sa mga parishoners 'Ito ang dapat niyo iboto!' Hindi ako naniniwala dito."

[Translation: How to choose the right leaders, they can guide and they should guide them, but they should not use the pulpit or the mass to tell the parish "This is who you should vote for!" I don't believe in that.]

Padilla said doing so could lead to confusion and division.

However, former Agriculture secretary Manny Pinol said he saw nothing wrong with such endorsements.

"Every political candidate...would always want to be endorsed by a group, be it civic, social, or religious. I don't see anything wrong with religious groups or religious leaders endorsing political candidates," he said.

"I don't think there is an infringement on the constitutional provision on the separation of the Church and the State. It is the obligation of every religious leader to guide their flock...Anyway, they're not forcing members to vote for a certain candidate."

Watch CNN Philippines' sixth Senatorial Forum
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  Masungi Georeserve has denied the claim of those allegedly involved in a mobbing incident last week which wounded forest rangers that they are farmers, saying they are actually workers of illegal resorts and land-grabbers in the area.

They are pretending to be farmers despite clearly operating resorts on the ground, Ann Dumaliang, Trustee of Masungi Georeserve Foundation, told CNN Philippines on Sunday.

Masungi Georeserve is a conservation project located in Baras, Rizal that aims to protect the biodiversity in the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape.

These land-grabbers and illegal resorts owners are spreading disinformation and agitating the people against us to protect their own interest. That we are removing small farmers and households from the protected area is a complete lie, Dumaliang added.

She noted that resort owners arrived in the areas and are claiming only recently.

Dumaliang explained that there are three illegal resorts in the area, with Olitoquit operating since 2017, and Lihim na Batis and Erins Place Resort operating since 2018.

She also said they believe that true forest-dependent communitiesthe landless, and those who have genuine tenuremust be empowered and protected.

But big time and capable businesses, as well as landgrabbers, have no right to appropriate benefits reserved for forest-dependent communities, the landless, and those who have genuine tenure,  she added.

On Friday, at least six unarmed Masungi forest rangers were attacked by about 30 individuals, with two rangers ending up hospitalized.

Dumaliang said the police responded to the incident but there were too many perpetrators to initiate arrests.

She also dismissed statements made by the alleged landgrabbers that the protected area where locals reside, and where illegal businesses operate, are alienated and disposable land based on Presidential Decree 324.

PD 324, which was issued in 1973, was lifted in 1977 reverting the area back to protected land and wildlife reserve status, Dumaliang said. explained.

We respect genuine free patents given during this period and rightful beneficiary would have documents to show. However, these resorts only entered in recent time. Sale of these lands without documents to show more than three decades after PD 324 was lifted is ridiculous, Dumaliang discussed.

She also explained illegal operations and business activities inside the protected area are prohibited as these could harm the biodiversity and destroy the environment.

The Environment Department issued a Cease-and-Desist Order last July 2021 to illegal infrastructures in the area, disallowing businesses to operate, including Erin's Place Resort. However, the resort reportedly remains open to visitors and tourists.

The Environment Department said any construction or infrastructure within the protected area without permission is prohibited based on Section 20 of R.A 7586 or National Integrated Protected Areas System Act and R.A 11038 or Expanded NIPAS Act. Violators will be charged with up to five million pesos and subject for imprisonment of up to 12 years.

Based on Global Witness Report in 2019, the Philippines is the second most dangerous place for environmental defenders.

CNN Philippines has reached out to the local police and the resorts mentioned for comment but they have yet to respond.

This investigation is part of a series on environmental crime in Asia, supported by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, the Henry Nxumalo Foundation and Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21)  Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba ordered an investigation into the drag racing event in Baggao town that injured four people after one of the drivers lost control of the wheel. The driver was among those hurt.

Partikular na inatasan ng ama ng lalawigan si Cagayan Police Provincial Director, PCol. Renell Sabaldica, para pangunahan ang imbestigasyon kaugnay sa pagpapahintulot ng umano'y Lokal na Pamahalaan ng Baggao sa pagsasagawa ng Drag Racing sa Barangay San Jose, the Cagayan Provincial Information Office said in a statement on Monday.

[Translation: The governor had assigned Cagayan Police Provincial Director, PCol. Renell Sabaldica to head the investigation into the alleged drag racing in San Jose, Baggao]

It added that the event took place on Sunday and among the injured were two 17-year-old spectators, another aged 20, and the 42-year-old driver.

Video footage of the event showed one of the cars running over a crowd of spectators.

The provincial office said a certain Jay-r Padilla allegedly organized the race and that it was sponsored by the mayor, citing the police report.

The Sangguniang Bayan members of Baggao will also hold a special session to discuss the incident. The council earlier passed an ordinance in October 2020 forbidding drag racing in the area, the provincial office noted.
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has expressed deep shock and profound grief over the untimely demise of his cabinet colleague Mekapati Goutham Reddy, said a press release.

Terming Goutham Reddy as a young promising leader who was known to him since early days, the Chief Minister expressed anguish over the tragic incident and said that words fail to describe the loss of his young cabinet colleague.

"He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members with a heavy heart," added the release.

Andhra Pradesh IT and Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy passed away on Monday morning after suffering a heart attack following which he was immediately admitted to the Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad.
(CNN)  After a mild end to the weekend for many states, Old Man Winter will make a comeback as we start off the new workweek.

"Temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees below average over the northern tier states by Monday morning," the Weather Prediction Center said Saturday.

And that's just the beginning. The thermometer will slip to 30 to 40 degrees below normal by Tuesday and Wednesday, as a strong high pressure system begins to spread Arctic air farther south and east.

Many cities will see a sharp polar plunge in a 48-hour span.

Denver will go from a high temperature in the low 60s Sunday all the way down to 15 for the peak Tuesday, with snow showers.

Rapid City, SD will slide from a high of 50 degrees Sunday to 0 degrees for a high Tuesday. By Tuesday night, the bottom will drop out in the Black Hills to 17 degrees below zero.

Some cities will see the drastic drop in temps even more quickly, in a mere 24 hours.

In Amarillo, TX the high temperature Monday will top out in the low 70s, but quickly drop to the mid 30s just one day later.

Wichita, KS will plummet even further, going from a high near 70 Monday down to the mid-20s for a high Tuesday.

Over the next week more than 70% of Americans in the Lower 48 will experience temperatures below the freezing mark. More than 15 million will endure temperatures below zero.

With such cold temperatures already in place, any moisture moving through will result in snow spreading across a wide region.

"Arctic front arrives late Sunday bringing snow, bitter cold, [and] hazardous travel," the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Rapid City, SD said. They also strongly advised wearing layers, and carrying a winter survival kit if you are traveling.

Frigid cold meets prolonged snow

The snow will begin across the Upper Midwest, but since the cold front will not move very quickly, it will allow for considerable snowfall rates across the area.

"A long period of snow and gusty northeast winds will begin late Sun night and continue thru Tuesday," the NWS office in Twin Cities, MN said in a tweet. "Snow may be heavy at times with significant accumulations across parts of the Upper Midwest."

By Tuesday, sleet, rain and freezing rain will cover the Great Lakes region, where significant ice accumulations are possible.

Approximately 6 inches of snow is forecast across portions of the northern Plains and Midwest through Tuesday, but some areas could see upwards of 12 inches.

The slow movement of the system will also be a concern on the southern side of the storm due to very heavy rain.

"Confidence is increasing that a multiday rainfall event will bring concerns of flooding," the NWS office in Nashville said.

The bulk of the rain will fall in the Southeast Monday and Tuesday.

The South will be one of the few areas dealing with above average temperatures Monday, which will help fuel severe storms.

The Ark-La-Tex region as well as the lower and mid-Mississippi Valley will see possible tornadoes, large hail and wind damage from Monday afternoon into Monday night.

CNN Meteorologist Haley Brink contributed to this story

This story was first published on CNN.com "Millions of Americans will be forced into an involuntary polar plunge this week"
(CNN)  Five people were stabbed in separate incidents in New York City subway stations this weekend since officials on Friday vowed to combat crime and address homelessness in the city's transit system as part of a new public safety initiative, according to the New York Police Department.

No arrests have been made in connection to any of the incidents, and all five victims are in stable condition, a NYPD spokesperson told CNN on Sunday.

The first stabbing incident this weekend occurred Friday evening inside a Queens subway station, where a man was stabbed by another man who fled the scene on foot, police say. The victim was taken to a local hospital with a cut to his arm and is expected to survive. The NYPD said they have a suspect related to the attack in custody.

The second incident occurred early Saturday morning inside another subway station in Queens. A 46-year-old man was approached by three males who demanded money, the NYPD said. A dispute ensued, and the victim was stabbed in the thigh. He was taken to a local and is in stable condition.

On Saturday afternoon around 2:50 p.m., an unknown male punched a 20-year-old female victim in the back while she was on the northbound platform inside a subway station in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York. A verbal dispute ensued, and the assailant stabbed the victim three times in the abdomen. Emergency Medical Services arrived at the scene and transported the woman to a hospital in stable condition, according to police.

On Saturday evening around 8:10 p.m., two men attempted to remove property from a male victim. A struggle ensued, and the victim was stabbed in the leg. No property was removed, and the victim was treated on scene by EMS, the NYPD said.

Less than an hour later, a verbal dispute in the 116th street station in Harlem resulted in a male victim getting slashed in the arm. He was taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in stable condition, police said.

Joint initiative will address homelessness, subway safety

Mayor Eric Adams, a former transit police officer, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul held a press conference on Friday to announce the subway safety initiative, highlighting the local, state and federal resources the city will employ to combat mental health and safety.

The joint initiative, which will go into effect on Monday, will involve the deployment of up to 30 inter-agency collaborative teams that bring together the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), the NYPD and community-based providers in "high-need" locations, the plan states.

The new efforts come as crime in the city, particularly within its transit system, has garnered national attention.

"The subway system and our bus system, they are the lifeblood of our city," Adams said. "If we don't get them right, our city won't continue to recover from Covid. Millions of New Yorkers use the system to go to school, to go to their place of employment and just to visit their loved ones. It provides a vital service."

The mayor's announcement on Friday took place just one day after a 22-year-old man was stabbed on a Brooklyn-bound train in an apparent unprovoked attack by a male stranger, according to police. The NYPD has arrested a 44-year-old man in connection to the attack on charges of second-degree assault, it said.

The incident followed the death of Michelle Alyssa Go, an Asian American woman who was pushed in front of a Times Square subway train on January 15. Roughly one week later, a 62-year-old man suffered minor injuries after he was pushed onto the subway tracks at the Fulton Street subway station in Lower Manhattan, police said.

The new subway safety measures are laid out in the second phase of New York City's plan to improve and modernize a 113-year-old system that was forced to scale back its services early in the pandemic amid staffing shortages and declining ridership. Since the first phase of the effort was announced in January, NYPD officers have conducted some 115,000 inspections in the system, Adams said.

Other key initiatives in the plan include training NYPD officers in the subway system to enforce MTA and New York City Transit Authority rules of conduct; incorporating medical services into DHS sites to serve people experiencing unsheltered homelessness; requiring everyone to leave the train and the station at the end of the line; transitioning people from the subway system to "safe" spaces.

NYPD officers will enforce subway violations such as "sleeping across multiple seats, exhibiting aggressive behavior to passengers, or creating an unsanitary environment," the city said in a press release.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "There were at least 5 NYC subway stabbings this weekend after mayor unveiled new safety plan."
(CNN)  US President Joe Biden has agreed "in principle" to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as long as Russia does not further invade Ukraine, according to a statement from White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

The meeting, according to Psaki, would happen after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet on February 24.

The proposed summit, according to an Elysee Palace statement, was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

"President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement, again, if an invasion hasn't happened. We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon," Psaki said in a statement on Sunday night.

This story is breaking and will be updated.
(CNN)  US President Joe Biden plans to impose new sanctions on trade and financing in the two pro-Moscow territories in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to recognize as independent on Monday.

In a statement, the White House said Biden would sign an executive order that would "prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by US persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine."

Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic Monday in a ceremony carried on state television earlier on Monday.

Biden's executive order will also allow the US to impose sanctions on anyone operating in those areas. And the White House said it would "soon announce additional measures related to today's blatant violation of Russia's international commitments."

"To be clear: these measures are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with Allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine," White House press secretary Jen Psaki wrote in a statement.

The sanctions announced by the White House targeting the specific regions were far from the devastating consequences to Russia that Biden and US officials have warned would be imposed if Russia invades, a sign that the more sweeping measures are being kept in the event that Moscow moves forward with military action to invade Ukrainian territory.

Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised "a swift and firm response" from the US and allies and partners if Russia moved to recognize Ukraine's breakaway regions as part of Russian territory, calling such a move a "gross violation of international law."

The US response followed a lengthy speech from Putin Monday attacking both Ukraine and the West and his signing of the decrees recognizing the two controversial separatist-held regions.

Western officials fear that the move is the precursor to a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. US and other NATO countries have warned they have prepared severe sanctions in the event Moscow invades Ukraine that would go beyond the measures the White House announced on Monday.

NATO and European officials also condemned Putin's actions in statements. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the move "further undermines" Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"I condemn Russia's decision to extend recognition to the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk People's Republic' and 'Luhansk People's Republic,'" he said. "This further undermines Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that Putin's recognition of the separatist regions was an "ill omen and a very dark sign."

Biden consulted with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on a call Monday afternoon, and he subsequently spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

While Putin held a national security meeting Monday ahead of his speech, Biden was conferring with top US officials at the White House. Blinken, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley and CIA Director Bill Burns arrived at the White House on Monday, which is a US holiday. Vice President Kamala Harris, who returned Sunday evening from the Munich Security Conference, was also at the White House.

Overnight, US officials downplayed the chances a French-proposed summit between Biden and Putin would materialize, suggesting the prospects of a Russian invasion of Ukraine made such a meeting highly unlikely.

They said no work had been made on timing, format or location for such a summit.

Speaking on American television morning shows, national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned Russia could be preparing for a conflict even more brutal than some initial estimates.

"We believe that any military operation of this size, scope and magnitude of what we believe the Russians are planning will be extremely violent. It will cost the lives of Ukrainians and Russians, civilians and military personnel alike. But we also have intelligence to suggest that there will be an even greater form of brutality because this will not simply be some conventional war between two armies: It will be a war waged by Russia on the Ukrainian people, to repress them, to crush them, to harm them," Sullivan said during a Monday appearance on NBC's "Today Show."

Sullivan said on ABC that "all signs look like President Putin and the Russians are proceeding with a plan to execute a major military invasion of Ukraine," making clear that an attack could begin at any moment and the step toward invasion was underway.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Biden plans to impose new sanctions on trade and financing in two pro-Moscow territories."
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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
Bengaluru: Protests by the Congress, who are demanding the sacking of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa and that he be booked for sedition over a statement on the national flag, continued to rock the Assembly proceedings in Karnataka for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.

The Assembly also saw passage of four bills amidst the din, and Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri took strong exception to Congress members "unnecessarily" bringing in RSS' name during their protest in the well of the House.

The 'day-and-night' protests by the legislators whereby they spend the night inside the Assembly began on Thursday demanding Eshwarappa's dismissal.

Recently, Eshwarappa had claimed 'Bhagwa dhwaj' (saffron flag) may become the national flag some time in the future and the same may be hoisted on the Red Fort then.

He however had said the tricolour is the national flag now, and it should be respected by everyone.

As the House met for the day, Congress members trooped into the well of the House and started shouting slogans demanding action against Eshwarappa.

Slogans like - "Down, down BJP", "Suspend Eshwarappa", "Eshwarappa desha drohi (traitor)", "Down Down desha drohi BJP government", "Speaker give justice", "This government is RSS' puppet", "We want constitution, not Manuvada" - among others marred the proceedings.

Despite protest, Speaker Kageri took up the question hour with no Congress legislator taking part in it.

Then, amidst the din, the assembly also passed four bills - The Karnataka Civil Services (Validation of Selection and Appointment of 2011 batch Gazetted Probationers) Bill, 2022; The Karnataka Stamp (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Karnataka Stamp (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, 1944, (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2022 - without any discussions.

After the passage of bills, the Speaker asked former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah to participate in the discussion on the motion of thanks to

the Governor's address, and called on Congress members to go back to their seats, which went unheard by the principal opposition party members, who in turn demanded "justice" from him.

The Speaker said several attempts have been made by him for the smooth conduct of the proceedings of the house, by calling a meeting of the Leader of the House (CM Basavaraj Bommai) and Leader of Opposition, along with other senior leaders, but it has failed.

"Difference of opinion is common in a democracy, but we are duty bound to conduct the proceedings of this House. If the government has not agreed to your demands, protest outside and cooperate to run the House. We have to discuss developmental issues, issues of the people here," he said.

JD(S) deputy leader Bandeppa Kashempur said his party has 31 members and wants to raise several key issues concerning the people of the state and farmers, and they should be given an opportunity.

Meanwhile, when Congress members raised slogans taking the RSS' name, Speaker Kageri took strong exception to this. "I want to say to Congress members very strongly - unnecessarily, why are you bringing in the RSS' name. How is RSS responsible for this? Don't repeatedly bring RSS' name unnecessarily," he said.

"RSS is an organisation with a nationalist ideology, they are working towards uniting Hindus. You have to cooperate in their efforts. Don't bring RSS name, if you have political differences, set it right," Kageri added.

As chaos continued, the Speaker then adjourned the House for Tuesday.
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We know too well that our state has had an identity crisis for generations. Is Connecticut truly part of the tri-state area? Are we really part of New England? I easily respond yes to both questions, and I challenge my students, especially in my Connecticut Politics class at Southern Connecticut State University, to consider their state identity. We are a unique place because of our nimble size but also because of our geographical location. What better place to be than in historic New England and near the greatest city in the world, New York City? No offense to Bostonians, my father included.

When my class spent the beginning of the semester reading and discussing Connecticuts political history, they were struck by our divided political landscape centuries ago. In fact, we were a series of highly individualistic colonies. I presented New Haven Colony as an early example, since it initially operated as a theocracy. Although it was eventually absorbed into Connecticut, New Haven served as a coastal co-capital with Hartford every other year. I present pictures of the New Haven Green and areas surrounding downtown Hartford that would become the General Assemblys modern Capitol complex. Students are amazed to see the differences in downtown development and eventual suburban growth into the 20th century. Both cities demonstrate the uniqueness but also divisiveness of our state, since a vast part of it was agrarian and industrial while the other served more maritime and cultural purposes.
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This CoolSocial report was updated on 2022-02-20, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
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Covovax is manufactured by technology transfer from Novavax. A vial of the Novavax coronavirus vaccine. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: Serum Institute of India has sought emergency use authorisation from India's drug regulator for its COVID-19 vaccine Covovax for the 12 to 17 year age group, official sources said on Monday.

The government has not yet decided on vaccinating those aged below 15.

The Health Ministry had recently said the additional need for vaccination and inclusion of population for inoculation is examined constantly.

In the application for emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the 12-17 year age group, Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII, is learnt to have stated that data from two studies on about 2,707 individuals aged 12 to 17 years show Covovax is highly efficacious, immunogenic, safe and well-tolerated in this age group.

"We are submitting our application along with documents for grant of permission for restricted use in emergency situation for Covovax vaccine in children aged 12 to 17 years in addition to approved age of individuals 18 years and older," an official source quoted Singh as having said in the application.

This approval will not only be beneficial for the country but will also benefit the world, fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Making in India for the World', Singh is learnt to have said.

"In line with the philosophy of our CEO Dr Adar C Poonawalla, we are sure that Covovax will play an important role in protecting the children of our country and the world against COVID-19 and will keep our national flag flying high globally," Singh stated.

The Drugs Controller General Of India has already approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28.

Covovax is manufactured by technology transfer from Novavax and is approved by the European Medicines Agency for conditional marketing authorisation.

It has been granted emergency use listing by the World Health Organisation on December 17, 2021.

India has been using Bharat Biotech's Covaxin to vaccinate adolescents between 15 and 18 years.
James Chandler, vice president of security for Western Governors University, has successfully moved security left by implementing a scorecard system that requires devops teams to meet certain standards and enforcing those expectations through business processes.

In short, Chandler says, teams must earn top scores to push out their code without approvals. If they dont have those top scores, they must defend their lower marks and the reasons for them before proceeding with releases.

Its about pushing security left, so security starts early and flows through the development lifecycle, Chandler says. Its a huge factor weve been trying to push as a security group, because we have better security success when the developers are taking part in it during their day-to-day [work] versus when the security team finds an issue and has to ask them to go solve it.

The creation of a scorecard to improve security initially stemmed from concerns about the technology infrastructures performance.

Western Governors University is a 100% online university focused on helping the underserved population achieve higher education. The Salt Lake City-based institution serves 130,000 students, most of whom are based in the United States.

Western Governors University James Chandler, VP of security, Western Governors University

Given its mission, Chandler says he and the universitys other technology leaders consistently look for ways to improve the reliability of systems as well as the datas confidentiality, integrity and availability (the well-known CIA triad that helps guide information security policies in many organizations).

However, Chandler and his peer VPs in early 2019 assessed performance data and concluded that the systems werent as reliable as they should be. They were seeing outages across the universitys platform that were negatively impacting both students and staff. Such incidents get priority attention; as Chandler notes, If it impacts students, it quickly becomes a severity 1 issue.

Aligning on expectations

The universitys IT and security leadership determined that existing business processes within their domains did not incentivize the successful deployment of software in accordance with the CIA triad.

Chandler explains that various factors contributed to that scenario.

The university had a complex infrastructure with more than 1,000 third-party vendors and dozens of product teams.

That in turn made security requirements, such as timely patching of vulnerabilities, challenging, as that work often impacted the work of disparate teams from security to engineering.

Moreover, security teams and IT groups werent aligned on expectations.

Their ideas on how fast to resolve issues were different than ours, so we werent hitting the security targets we wanted because of challenges getting everyone aligned, Chandler says, noting that the universitys goal tracks to five-nines availability, or 99.999% for network and service accessibility to users.

After reviewing the situation with the other vice presidents, Chandler says that he concluded that improving security performance and the overall experience for users, particularly the students, couldnt happen without certain organizational changes.

We came to a point where we hit a wall, he says. But once we identified those different factors, we started to look at what we can do to solve for them.

Chandler collaborated with several other vice presidents (who collectively had responsibility for security as well as IT infrastructure, technology operations and educational technology) to find the best way forward.

They then created a committee to examine the issues and propose a solution, assigning seven of their directors (all of whom reported to the VPs and oversaw related areas, such as engineering and general operations).

The directors worked for a few months in fall 2019 and proposed a scorecard that would track and measure performance in five areas essentially for reliability and availability of systems: availability (99.99%), problem resolution (<30 minutes), problem record error budget (<100 severity demerits), security hygiene (<0) and root cause analysis task hygiene (<0).

That then became part of our operations metrics, and each team has to present their scorecard and defend what the score was and why, Chandler says, explaining that scores are electronically recorded in its ServiceNow platform as part of the agile development management processes. If they had updates or new code to push, they had to use the scorecard.

Keeping score

The scorecard, which comes with multiple enforcement layers, increased the incentive to maintain the highest levels.

For example, teams with a score of 5 have the most freedom to go to market; teams on the other end of the scale have the most additional requirements, including approvalessentially, Chandler says, more eyes looking at you because youre not keeping up with the program. Levels 4, 3 and 2 have increasing levels of requirements that correspond to their scores.

This scorecard was implemented in 2020; it was optional at first and then mandatory.

Chandler says the scorecard moved the teams from their devops practices closer to devsecops.

I dont know if were fully there yet, but this was a large leap in the right direction. They start with security in the early stages and it stays through the lifecycle, Chandler says.

It also created more accountability and alignment as well as a greater sense of shared responsibility.

Tying [those five performance areas] together in one scorecard helps each team understand that those different areas are their responsibility with the support of the other groups. That was part of the expectation-setting, tying those all together, he adds.

Chandler notes that the fact this concept came from the directors who work directly with the teams helped with a quick and successful adoption: The buy-in came from the directors themselves; theyd go to their teams and said, Heres what were doing. And because it wasnt coming down from senior leaders, because it was very local instead of coming from the top, the buy-in was a lot easier.

Reaping the rewards

The use of a scorecard also created some healthy competitiveness, with teams aiming for high marks to earn recognition at the biweekly meetings. Chandler says its rare that all teams earn 5s, the highest mark, in any given two-week stretch; the majority earning 4s is more common and somewhat of the average.

On the other hand, teams with low scores are required to discuss their challenges in those meetings.

That isnt meant to be punitive, Chandler says. Rather, the process gives teams a chance to hear ideas, garner insights and get help from othersespecially as some of the factors for lower scores relate to challenges others encounter, such as working with legacy technology.

It created a community rather than siloed teams, he adds.

Security and performance improvements were as rapid as the adoption of this scorecard process, Chandler adds; he saw improvements in various areas, including system uptime, within a month.

More specifically, the scorecard implementation generated a 62% reduction in breached security tickets, a 72% reduction in vulnerabilities, and a 34% reduction in the mean time to remediate security issues.

Chandler sees more positive achievements ahead. He and his colleagues plan to not only continue using the scorecard but boost scorecard requirements to bring incremental improvements to the departments performance.

They solved the problem and the task they were given, Chandler says. Now were looking at it and saying, What areas are next that we can improve on?
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GUILFORD  Kaoud Rugs is among the best-known names in the Connecticut carpet industry, but for owner Rumzi Randy Kaoud, its a love story as well as a business.

Kaoud, who became enthralled with the magic of Oriental rugs as a child growing up in the Palestinian city of Ramallah and made it his business as an adult, has written a memoir, A Lifelong Love Affair: From Ramallah to New Haven and the Artistry of Persian Rugs.

I would do it again, Kaoud, a Woodbridge resident, said of his lifes journey. He runs the Guilford store at 594 Boston Post Road and his son, Jim Kaoud, runs the Orange store at 463 Boston Post Road and together, they own both legendary rug stores.

The book, an easy read with many photographs of some of the finest Oriental rugs, touches on Randy Kaouds young life in Ramallah, his early business in New Haven, his love of America and his deep relationship with Yale University through the rugs. It also talks of his amazement at how the oldest rugs, 150 years old, were made by primitive means by villagers, yet became works of art for those of the highest intellect. He wrote the memoir during the pandemic.

There is a magical element.  Its not just floor covering. Its real time artwork, architectural artwork, three-dimensional artwork, he said of the rugs.

The old rugs made by villagers are so complex in design, its as if an engineer created them, rather than an uneducated villager, he said, and it was the intellectual set that most appreciated the artistry on the floor. No two are the same, the wool hand-dyed and varied.

You leave your house that day, you come home, its like you discovered something new, he said. You cant upload it in your brain - its too complex.

The memoir is selling fast online through Amazon and is available in both stores. The stores sell traditional wall-to-wall and other rugs, but have a special niche in the Oriental/Persian rug arena.

Jim Kaoud, who shares his dads appreciation of antique rugs, said the memoir is an interesting read, but there were no surprises for him after living with and working with his father all these years.

I knew of his affection for Yale, Jim Kaoud said. The old ones (Oriental/Persian carpets) have a certain feel when you look at them. To me its just raw art.

Randy Kaoud, his mother and younger brother came to New Haven in 1958 when he was 20, to join his father, siblings and other relatives who already were here.

He was well-suited to attend college, as he had graduated from an elite private, American Quaker school before coming to America. The school was located just outside Jerusalem. Part of what he learned there was hard work, honesty and rules, he said.

But the academically accomplished Kaoud was tired of the rigidity of that school, and since boyhood had been enthralled with the Oriental/Persian rugs that a neighbor/salesman would hang from the balcony.

When I came here, my dad said, Do you want to go to college? I said, No, I want to go into the family rug business, Randy Kaoud said. He said, Good luck to you.

That would set off a journey that took Randy Kaoud to some of the finest homes in New Haven and led to memorable relationships at Yale University, where many administrators, professors and students sought his carpets.

It was in the early days that Randy Kaoud was introduced to a Yale University design specialist who appreciated his work and had him go into the home of Yale then-President Alfred Whitney Griswold on Hillhouse Avenue to repair, clean and replace his many Oriental rugs while the Griswold family vacationed on Marthas Vineyard.

The designer began recommending Kaoud to the Yale community, and Kaoud said he catered to them.

He started in business with his two brothers, Abe and Fred, but eventually they went their own ways.

In the 1950s, when wall-to-wall carpet came into vogue, people were selling their Oriental/Persian rugs in New Haven, he said.

We bought a lot of them, Randy Kaoud said. People didnt want them. They didnt appreciate the artwork.

In the 1980s the carpet market shifted again, from wall-to-wall to newly produced carpets from India, China, Pakistan and Turkey, he said  their designs inspired by Persian carpets, but simpler and made for profit.

The originals can sell for tens of thousands of dollars, the most valuable among them upwards of $50,000.

The old Persian carpets have architectural poetry, he wrote, noting, theres no machine known to man that can weave by knotting the same way. He said the process of hand weaving is uniquely suited to carpet construction.

Randy Kaoud dedicated the book to his family, including his late wife, Salwa; to Mr. Taborian for hanging the colorful rugs from his balcony; and the weavers, to whom he wrote, Thank you for the magic.

The cover depicts Randy Kaoud as a child glancing from home to a balcony across the way where a neighbor would air the carpets he sold on the railing.

Thats when the love affair started.

Randy Kaoud started studying business on his own by learning from those with experience and it was like getting a degree on Main Street, he said.

Then he joined the National Guard, as he wanted to experience military life, and was sent to the intelligence gathering unit.

In the book, Kaoud speaks of his love for America, which he calls, A God given blessing for every inhabitant who lives here.

He writes: I had come from a village in Palestine right to the shadows of Yale University. I was extremely happy and appreciative, and It seemed to me so valuable to live near this most humane institution that attracted the highest intellects on the planet.

The Kaoud name entered the rug business arena more than 60 years ago and is well known throughout Connecticut.

So here in the best country on the planet, with the best form of government, with the most educated people and the best universities, here we are offering for sale the most talented form of art, Kaoud wrote.
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BRIDGEPORT  Dorothy Washington said Bridgeport police treated her sister Brenda like she was a Jane Doe while investigating her untimely Dec. 12 death.

Shantell Fields said her daughter Lauren, who also died in Bridgeport that day, was treated like rubbish.

Mayor Joe Ganim promised to make appropriate changes at the police department in the wake of the public outcry following the families criticism of the way cops handled the cases of Lauren Smith-Fields, 23, and Brenda Lee Rawls, 53, both Black women, who died in unrelated incidents Dec. 12.

But the families of the two women say theres a long way to go to regain their trust and that of the community.

Were still angry about how things went down but were also very disappointed because the majority of my family was raised and we grew up in Bridgeport, Washington said during an interview this month. We would never have thought that we would be here today. I loved Bridgeport. My sisters loved Bridgeport.

The families have complained they were not properly notified of the fatalities by police and that the police have not seriously investigated the cases.

The families have also raised the idea that if Smith-Fields and Rawls were white women, their deaths would have been handled differently  a key factor in the intense scrutiny their deaths have received on social media and in the national media.

If she was a Caucasian, white, blond-haired girl, youd all scour the earth to find out what happened to her, Shantell Fields, Smith-Fields mother, said during a meeting of the citys police board Tuesday.

The two cases did not happen in a vacuum.

With a national conversation regarding the relationship between police and the Black community in the background, local leaders say theyve been raising concerns about the department for years  and point to Black officers in the department who have done the same  only to have their calls fall on deaf ears.

Now, they are seizing on the national spotlight the city and department are under to reiterate their concerns while pointing to the departments past issues.

Stronger oversight

According to the states Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Smith-Fields died of an accidental overdose which police are now investigating with help from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Rawls cause of death has not yet been determined.

Washington, who has started a GoFundMe page to help with her familys legal fees, said she feels like there are some socioeconomic issues going on in how cops handle cases.

These two women were Black, they were female and they lived in low socioeconomic areas, she said. You can only look at what happened and thats what it appears to look like. Sometimes I feel like (police) felt nobody would look for them.

I think it probably happens more than we think, we just dont know about it, she said of her familys experience. It almost seems like they felt like they can get away with not performing their jobs.

Since the mayor announced a full and fair investigation last month, the city has take some steps  for instance, by hiring a victim advocate, and suspending two detectives Ganim said did not follow policies in the cases.

In a statement on Thursday announcing an investigation into a sexual assault, Ganim restated the citys commitment to stand behind all victims, specifically referencing women of color.

These matters involving any victim, but especially in this case as in other cases where you have a woman, or a woman of color who has been victimized or allegedly victimized; that we stand with you and we stand behind you to protect you as we should as a police department, as a fire department as a city administration, Ganim said.

He lamented, in a statement to Hearst Connecticut Media on Friday, that some think he and others in his administration do not care.

I also want to be loud and clear about the fact that we will not tolerate anything less than fairness, transparency, competence and compassion from all who work for this administration and with the public, the mayor said. I am truly sorry if there are some that believe that I along with others in my administration do not care, or would knowingly allow any of this to happen as it did. That is just not true.

Washington, who asked for Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia to resign during Tuesdays police commission meeting, said more change should be coming.

It goes way beyond an officer following a policy, Washington said. Policies and procedures are all well and good, but there needs to be stronger oversight, because it appears these officers are roaming the street with no oversight.

Ganim noted in a statement this week the city is moving ahead with a national search for a permanent police chief. Garcia hasnt indicated whether she intends to keep the job permanently.

Department concerns

This month the NAACP called for a federal investigation of the department.

The group made a similar call last year after a former senior police officer alleged in a lawsuit that disgraced former police chief A.J. Perez engaged in racist commentary in the office. Two Black police captains have also filed federal lawsuits alleging racist behavior within the department.

The new leadership will address some of the issues, Lord said. It will take time to address the community trust issues that have been systemic through the years. This has been going on here in this city for a long time.

Nichola Hall, president of the citys Greater Bridgeport Ed Gomes Black Democratic Club, agreed.

Its not an overnight fix, she said. Its going to take some time to get there.

Hall referenced past consent decrees between the federal government and the citys police prompted by allegations of racial discrimination but said that since they were lifted more than a decade ago there has been a downward spiral in the department.

Washington said even simple things like reopening substations or having cops walk beats  so-called community policing  would help.

If you work for the community I believe you have to get out there and find out about your community, she said.

If we have real community policing, yes, itd make a difference, because theyd be part of the community, Lord said. The problem is most of our officers are not part of the community.

Hall said the relationship between the police department and the Black community is repairable.

She said the Smith-Fields and Rawls cases might have struck a chord because they showed how much that relationship had eroded.

Maintaining a healthy dialogue, thats missing, she said. The communication is never there, transparency is never there. Because those things are never there, there will always be a level of distrust.

Rowena White, a spokesperson for the city, said Friday, The mayor and the administration welcome input from the community on this and all city matters as we in part wait and continue to search for answers as to what happened (happens) in these cases and why.

The administration has initiated the nationwide search for a new chief of police and will set up a process for community input and involvement is securing the best and the brightest to be the next chief of police in Bridgeport, White said. That said, this is not a magic fix to a national issue with local challenges, however it is a series of some steps in hearing the community feedback and concerns and answering those concerns in an administrative process.

Planned march

A Black Women Speak march is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday at City Hall on Lyon Terrace organized by several groups, including the democratic club.

We invite all women from across Connecticut  and our allies  to join us this Saturday as we march to demand justice and accountability from Bridgeports elected officials and the Bridgeport Police Department for the inhumane treatment of Black women and Black lives, Hall said.

Amber Kelly is an associate professor of social work at Quinnipiac Universitys School for Health Sciences who has done research on the criminal justice system.

She said cases like Smith-Fields and Rawls lay bare who do we and our communities deem as disposable, and whose lives have value?

Its become up to families to work on figuring out what happened to their loved ones, she said.

Kelly said reforming the existing system will not fix bigger problems. Maybe we just need to rethink it from the ground up, she said.

We are in a socio-historical moment of reckoning about what are the purpose of our police departments and how do they serve our communities, she said. What does public safety mean and what is it we are gaining from our police departments? Why is this happening in the first place? Why is crime happening in our communities?

Each of these awful incidents is an opportunity to have an honest conversation about how to do things differently, Kelly said of the Smith-Fields and Rawls cases. Every time we dont do something, were letting our residents down. Every time we make the choice to keep doing things the same way, we make a choice to turn away from what it might mean to have a healthier society.
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STRATFORD  A few weeks after his mother died, retired New Haven police officer Jeffrey Fletcher got a call from his father.

Calvin Fletcher, Jeffreys father, wanted him to come to his home in Colchester to pick up some things his mother had collected.

Jeffrey knew his mother, Ruby, liked to keep the personal items and keepsakes from his youth so he could one day show his children  things like birthday cards, graduation gowns and gifts he had made in art class.

He also knew about his mothers extensive collection of artifacts of African American history. She grew up on a sharecropping farm in South Carolina before moving to Connecticut at age 16. She had collected items from tag-sales and by other means over time.

What he did not know, is that she had left her collection to him.

I walked through the den door and I see maybe about 10 of these big giant, green rubber bins. And so, I said to my father, Which one of those are mine? Fletcher said. My dad said, Its not one theres like six of them, seven of them.

Each one of the bins was filled to the brim with items from his mothers collection.

Growing up, he said he thought of his mothers collection as junk. Now, hes turned it into a life-long passion  one of storytelling and education.

After spending several years traveling with the artifacts and presenting them to audiences, Fletcher opened the Ruby and Calvin Fletcher African American History Museum, sponsored by Shearman and Sterling, LLP., in October. It is located at 952 East Broadway in Stratford.

Since opening his doors, more than 4,300 visitors have come through his doors, he told Town Council last week.

This museum has given his mothers collection, and subsequent items he has acquired since starting this project, a permanent brick-and-mortar home. Among some of the other artifacts in the museum are shackles that were once used on slaves, a Ku Klux Klan hood and signs used to segregate bathrooms and water fountains.

The museum is inspired by The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., but Fletcher wanted to present it more personally.

Being able to touch the artifacts, seeing the photographs and being able to feel the weight of the shackles that were affixed on slave children was highly impactful for Evan Plotkin, a real estate developer from Springfield, Mass.

When you bear witness to the atrocities that took place to the Black Americans, to Black men and women, children, it impacts you on a cellular level, Plotkin said. Its not something that you can experience and walk away from without being impacted.

Fletcher said he makes a point not to let anyone walk through the museum alone, whether they are accompanied by him or his staff. This serves two purposes: Making sure the visitor has all their questions answered and giving the museum a human face.

Rather than placing the artifacts behind large glass panels or on stanchions, Fletcher integrates them into a scene with accompanying audio.

I put you in the middle of those scenes or displays, so when you walk into my museum, each one of those displays (is something) everybody feels they are a part of, he said. Youre not looking on the other side of a stanchion. Youre not looking through glass. Youre in the middle of the scene with audio in the abstract.

One item especially adds a personal touch to the museum  a replica of a Starbucks bathroom door, included as a reminder of an incident Fletcher experienced in 2013 when he was still a police officer, when an employee of the coffee shop denied him access to the bathroom.

Im not saying this to champion my cause, but Im trying to put a face on what this whole museum is about, Fletcher explained. If were going to make change and talk about change, then lets start to have those dialogues.

He said incidents like these,and those his parents had with discrimination in their lives, only motivate him to make sure the information is presented in the right way. His overall goal is to educate people on the history his items represent.

Two members of the board of directors, Larry Conaway and Kendell Coker, said they had Fletcher present these artifacts to their students before he created this museum. The reactions were quite similar.

Conaway said all of his students were in awe looking at them. Coker said his students had a very positive reaction to them as well.

Even students who may be resistant to it, I think thats the importance of the exhibit, to push people to have difficult conversations, Coker said. So, if students are resistant to it, I think we can use stuff like this to point out that this is part of history. And that we can make a lot more progress by working through the darker side of history. And I think hes done a very good job of pushing that dialogue.

mike.mavredakis@hearstmediact.com
GLASTONBURY  Local police were discussing the possibility of evacuating a heated public hearing over the high schools mascot at the moment a speaker in the audience allegedly punched a Board of Education member in the face, according to newly-released arrest warrants.

A now widely-seen video of the Dec. 14 incident shows a man identified by police as local resident Mark Finocchiaro getting up close in the face of board Secretary Monte Ray McFall. The video shows McFall appear to shove the other man away, prompting Finocchiaro to punch McFall in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Both were charged last week with second-degree breach of peace, a Class B misdemeanor.

The altercation ocurred during a recess following the public comment portion of a hearing to discuss changing the high school mascot back to its historical name, which some found offensive to Native Americans.The school changed its mascot to The Guardians in 2020, after the National Congress of American Indians objected to the old mascot because of its negative effects on Native American students, Board of Education Chair Doug Foyle said during a meeting in December. But a group of parents later petitioned to have the schools re-adopt the old name, claiming it wasnt offensive, and that the name change deprived students of school pride.

The arrest warrants for McFall and Finocchiaro on file at Manchester Superior Court show police became concerned during the public comment portion of the meeting as the crowd became volatile, with a police sergeant calling for two uniformed officers to standby in the lobby in case they were needed.

The warrants allege that during his public comment, Finocchiaro went over the 3 minute time limit when it was his turn to speak. That prompted McFall - who was keeping time - and Foyle to tell him his time was up. the filings state.

Mark, who already seemed to be agitated during his initial comments, became more angry and used several profanities while ignoring the 3 minute rule and continued on, the filings state. He eventually sat back down, but periodically yelled out into the crowd while other people were attempting to use their time to address the board members, the warrant states.

The school resource officer wrote in the filings that when he heard Finocchiaro start to speak and evaluated his body language, he immediately moved to the side nearest him to limit my reaction time if needed.

Police and school security also discussed the possibility of removing Finocchiaro from the meeting, but decided not to because of the crowds volatility, the filings show.

Following public comment, the meeting went into a recess, during which the sergeant allegedly heard McFall say Im going to tear that guys [expletive]ing lips off, the warrant states.

During the recess following public comment, the officers discussed options and contingencies if the crowd reacted in a way that may cause harm to anyone, including options for evacuating the crowd if needed, based on potential risks and our limited staffing, the warrant reads.

It was at that moment police heard a commotion inside the auditorium from the physical altercation between Finocchiaro and McFall, according to the warrants.

Police said that based on witnesses and the video, McFall approached Finocchiaro up against the seats bolted into the floor, meaning Finocchiaro would have had to retreat by backing into the row of seats or crawling over them, and that McFalls demeanor was very agressive, the warrants state. The two men allegedly taunted and cursed at one another before McFall pushed Finocchiaro away slowly, whereupon Finocchiaro struck Ray in the face, the filings state.

Finocchiaro was not interviewed by police. When police spoke with McFall, he told investigators  he did not know what Mark's intentions were and due to the fact he was unmasked, and in the middle of a pandemic, his immediate reaction was to move Mark from his personal space.

Glastonbury Republican Town Committee Chairman George Norman reiterated a call for McFall to resign over the matter in a Facebook post last Thursday, after the warrants were made public. Norman said in a separate Facebook post in December that he had asked McFall to resign from the board, but McFall had instead resiged from the Republican party.
After a lengthy battle last year, Connecticuts Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont is still supporting a ban on flavored e-cigarette vapor products. It would be the third time a flavor ban bill was brought before the General Assembly.

While the initial ban came during a so-called public health outbreak, all of the proposals have featured support from anti-harm reduction groups who purport that banning e-cigarettes and flavored e-liquids will protect youth. If Connecticut lawmakers truly want to protect youth, they would understand that bans are ineffective and ultimately make the issue worse.

On Jan. 13, a 13-year-old male student died from a fentanyl overdose at a magnet preparatory school located in Hartford  just 1.5 miles away from the Connecticut statehouse. During the investigation, police found 40 packages of powdered fentanyl in two classrooms and the schools gym and another 100 bags in the students bedroom.

This is not an isolated incident. The day after the school reopened classes after sanitizing the school of any possible fentanyl, a 13-year-old in California died from what police described as an overdose. In August 2021, a 13-year-old Missouri boy died of a drug overdose during a sleepover at a 12-year-old friends house. In the same month, in California, a 14-year-old girl passed away after overdosing on a pill laced with fentanyl.

Unfortunately for the parents and family members of these kids, there isnt much lawmakers can do, as prohibition of prescription drugs has allowed for an inflow of illicit drugs.

Its well known that prescription opioid abuse was the first wave of the opioid epidemic. After one company changed its prescription policies to reduce abuse, heroin use nearly doubled according to a 2012 study.

Between 2012 and 2014, the number of prescription opioids that were dispensed in the United States decreased by 5.6 percent, from 255.2 million to 241 million. Yet during the same time period, deaths from heroin overdose increased by 78.5 percent, and deaths due to fentanyl overdoses increased by 111 percent. In 2019, when lawmakers were reacting to the spate of what was being called vaping-related lung injuries, despite actually being illicit vapes, 14,019 Americans died from a heroin overdose and another 36,359 died from fentanyl poisoning.

Many lawmakers used the so-called vaping injury epidemic in 2019 to justify bans on e-cigarette and vapor products. In fact, one sponsor of last years flavor ban legislation called these products deadly. Ultimately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified 68 vaping-related deaths, with the majority of those related to the use of black-market vapor products containing tetrahydrocannabinol  the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2019, when 68 Americans died from using black market vaping products, another 3,391 Americans aged 15- to 24-years-old succumbed to an overdose attributed to heroin and/or other illicit opioids. In Connecticut, in 2018, there were 948 opioid-involved deaths. According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, there were 1,372 fatal drug overdose deaths in the Constitution State  a 14.3 percent increase from 2019. Moreover, CDPH has identified 474 individuals aged 15- to 24-years-old that have died from an unintentional drug overdose between 2015 and 2021.

Given that overdose deaths are now becoming common among middle schoolers, Connecticut lawmakers ought to rethink bans and focus on the real problem  and the real substances that are killing Americans in droves. Bans helped fuel Americas overdose epidemic. E-cigarette and vapor flavor bans will only help the already-booming black market, ultimately harming the already-overburdened public health efforts.

Lindsey Stroud is a visiting fellow at Independent Womens Forum and director of The Taxpayers Protection Alliances Consumer Center.
As of February 2022, some 65,000 Afghans evacuated during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan have settled in U.S. communities. Several hundred more remain on military bases in the U.S., while nearly 2,800 are still waiting on U.S. bases abroad.

The Biden administration, which aims to have all Afghan evacuees off domestic military bases by the end of February, has started the final push to place refugees with host communities.

Operation Allies Welcome, the official name for the American governments Afghan assistance program, is the most significant U.S. resettlement effort since 1975, when more than 140,000 people from Southeast Asia were resettled following the U.S. military withdrawal from Vietnam.

But the media spotlight has moved on, and most Americans have limited understanding of what it means for Afghans to transition to life in the United States. Our work as educators and researchers is focused on migration, human rights and social work. We have studied American volunteers role in helping refugees and see public support as crucial for Afghans continued adjustment to the U.S.

System under strain

Evacuees brought to U.S. military bases go through rigorous security vetting and health checks. Once these are complete, evacuees await assignment to private groups that will assist in securing housing, work opportunities, education and health care.

Nine domestic agencies partner with the U.S. government to resettle refugees. Six of them are faith-based, reflecting a long history of religious groups involvement in immigration policies. These include Jewish, Catholic and Protestant groups, but all offer help regardless of refugees religion.

These resettlement agencies are given a one-time payment of $2,275 in federal funding for each refugee they support. Of this assistance, $1,225 may be used for housing and other basic necessities. The remainder of the funds covers administrative costs.

The Trump administration severely limited refugee resettlement, dropping admissions to a record low of 15,000 in 2021, compared with an average of 95,000 per year under previous administrations. Our current research examines the extraordinary strain this decrease put on the resettlement system.

Innovations in aid

To evacuate Afghans quickly, the State Department launched an initiative in September 2021 called the Afghan Placement and Assistance Program, which allows Afghans into the U.S. as parolees after security checks. Humanitarian parole can be granted for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.

Those paroled between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022, are eligible for refugee assistance and other public benefits until March 31, 2023, or the end of their parole term. Afghan parolees who leave military bases before being assigned to a resettlement organization or placed with a community sponsorship group have 90 days to request aid through the program.

Yet the capacity of these organizations is not adequate to meet the large-scale rapid resettlement needs, as agencies struggle to build back from the previous administrations cuts. The housing shortage for rapid resettlement is so profound that resettlement agencies and some states have partnered with Airbnb to provide emergency housing, following the companys commitment in August 2021 to support 20,000 Afghan evacuees worldwide.

For this reason, the Biden administration created a parallel program to allow community organizations or groups of five or more individual volunteers to directly sponsor Afghans. These sponsors, many of whom are part of a new initiative called Sponsor Circles, must raise $2,275 on their own for each evacuee and commit to providing at least 90 days support, such as helping them secure housing and employment and building connections in their new community.

As of late January, approximately 30 Sponsor Circles had reportedly received approvals and another 100 were being certified.

Here  for now

While many Americans think of the arriving Afghans as refugees, most of these newcomers have a more tenuous legal status.

The Department of Homeland Security reports that 70,192 have entered the country under humanitarian parole, which allows residence in the U.S. for two years without a visa.

Nearly 40,000 Afghan evacuees who entered under humanitarian parole have applied for refugee status or for special immigrant visas, which are for people who worked with the U.S. government or armed forces in Afghanistan. Another 36,433 Afghans have no clear pathway to permanent legal status, because of many factors such as not having worked at least one year for the U.S. government.

U.S. agencies brought in Afghans under humanitarian parole, rather than standard refugee procedures, because of the urgency of the evacuation. But the consequences may be profound.

Some parolees had to wait weeks or months for the government or social service organizations to file paperwork granting them the right to work. Another challenge for parolees is securing family members admission to the U.S., which requires a high level of proof of threat to that particular individual.

Many Afghan parolees should eventually qualify for asylum, but applying is a lengthy and complex process that generally requires significant legal assistance. More than 400,000 asylum cases are pending in the U.S. asylum system.

Refugee resettlement organizations and voluntary groups that could normally help with filing asylum claims are already stretched thin. Evacuees advocates have called for approval of the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow Afghans to apply for lawful permanent resident status without waiting for the asylum system to rule on their cases or processing of special immigrant visa applications.

Governors, businesses, celebrities, universities, military members, veterans and individuals across the U.S. have stepped in to support recent Afghan evacuees  many in locales with no history of resettling refugees. The responsibilities of resettlement, however, extend beyond helping evacuees in their first few weeks, to helping them secure a stable future.

Kathryn Libal is director of the Human Rights Institute and associate professor of social work and human rights at the University of Connecticut. Scott Harding is associate professor of social work at the University of Connecticut. This essay first appeared on the website The Conversation.
Sweaty palms, weak knees, differences in breathing patterns and heavy limbs are all symptoms of the academic activity I have grown to hate: Standardized testing. As a pedagogical task used to measure a certain level of intelligence, tests have long been a mainstay of academia and have evolved very little with time.

Recently, the College Board announced the SAT will soon change in hopes of becoming more student-friendly. In 2024, the test will be shorter, will discuss more topics in the reading passages and will be held entirely online, but the fundamental structure of the test will remain the same. I want to know what part of taking an arduous, hours-long test that could determine ones collegiate future is friendly.

Despite the College Boards apparent good intentions, these changes fail to address fundamental errors in standardized testing and overlook one key fact: There are multiple intelligences. The CattellHornCarroll theory of cognitive abilities states that embedded in the concept of intelligence are clusters of abilities that construct a fuller understanding of an individuals academic intelligence. Basically, if intelligence is a troupe of superheroes, every individual has their own assembly of characters that come together to create the team. Some of those types of cognitive abilities are not accounted for in many standardized tests such as the SAT. Therefore, these tests cannot gauge the full extent of a students intellect.

The SAT gets some aspects of intelligence correct, given that well performing individuals dont have to rely solely on their high schools prestige to be considered for prestigious universities. But the SAT doesnt test for things like auditory processing, which the Cattell-Horn-Carrol theory, or CHC theory, describes. Students whose strengths lie in processing types the SAT doesnt test for effectively operate at a disadvantage compared to other students.

The issue with standardized testing is that it fails in acknowledging some of the most vital aspects of intelligence. Not only are some of the CHC theory clusters neglected in tests, but so are aspects of creativity.

Liska Chan, an associate professor of landscape architecture at the University of Oregon, has had a lot of experience with the benefits of project-based coursework. Chan got her undergraduate education at Hampshire College, a college in which there are no majors, no grades and no exams in the traditional sense.

Standardized things, especially the tests, were barriers more than any kind of port of opening the door for me, Chan said, describing her time outside of the project-based environment.

Chan has applied project-based characteristics to her classrooms here at UO. The coursework she provides for her students allows for a greater diversity in learning styles. This kind of learning lets students adapt classroom concepts to their own understanding. It caters to all kinds of intelligences because students can express ideas in whatever form they choose.

It just allows us to actually personalize the learning, and to meet peoples various levels of intelligence, Chan said. I wasnt reviewing anyone's writing. I did that on purpose because I didnt want people to be hindered by my expectations, but more to have conversations with themselves about how they are learning.

Traditional learning experiences dont serve all individuals in the same way. Chan thinks it would be a good idea for other universities to take on different structures and approaches to learning. She thinks moving away from traditional and standardized learning helps students more effectively and educators measure other important factors of intelligence.

Connectivity is a huge part of Chans profession, and in reference to the skills the SAT measures, Chan said, there is a lot of controversy around what these tests are actually assessing. I think that it is very hard to compare something that probably would involve a lot more individualized and close exchanges and iterations between a teacher and a student.

It is through these accommodating learning environments that students can best demonstrate their many types of intelligence. While standardized tests may measure intelligence to an extent, continuous use of this as a basis for academic achievement will continue to ignore creative, unique and innovative individuals. Our societal definition of brilliance has attempted to specify something that must remain vague in order to truly appreciate all kinds of intellect.
Steps toward racial equity in Oregon

Following centuries of discriminatory practices , Oregon lawmakers and citizens are working to overcome racist histories and create a more equitable future.

Lynette Slape /Daily Emerald

Oregons centuries-old history of exclusionary laws and discriminatory practices has long defined the state. Now, lawmakers and citizens are working to push back against racist histories to pave the way toward a more equitable future.

Whiteness in the West

Oregon has a long history of Whiteness, exemplified by Black exclusionary acts signed in 1844, 1849 and 1859 that barred Black people from moving to, staying in for more than three years, buying property and signing contracts in Oregon territory. Even after Oregons exclusionary clauses were rendered irrelevant by the ratification of the 14th Amendment, the clauses remained in the states constitution until 1926.

Bobbin Singh, executive director of the Oregon Justice Resource Center, said this series of exclusionary laws were put in place to protect White populations in Oregon and discriminate against Black and Brown individuals. OJRC is an organization dedicated to disrupting mass incarceration by providing access to legal support and service resources, Singh said. OJRC uses six programs to provide resources surrounding women and youth in the justice system, immigrants' rights, civil and human rights, wrongful convictions and excessive sentencing.

Its impossible for us to fully understand whats happening currently without understanding where we came from, Singh said. Its important for us to connect that history to what is happening now.

Singh said understanding the history of systems of power is the only way to understand why our criminal justice, housing, education and social systems look the way they do.

Its that history that sort of defines our modern society, Singh said.

One of the things that I believe all early writers want to do is express themselves, Anderson said, adding that a key part of writing is being able to use ones personal experiences in a way that allows readers to relate.

Housing discrimination in the Eugene-Springfield area

The 1930s saw the increase of redlining, a practice in which public officials and lenders decided which neighborhoods were good real estate based on demographics that purposefully devalued Black neighborhoods.

Bills encouraging middle housing, like duplexes, work to incorporate affordable housing into city limits where such housing may be scarce. One such bill in Oregon is HB 2001, which will change housing codes by June to allow for more middle housing units to be built around the city of Eugene and across the state.

The Springfield-Eugene Tenant Association helps renters facing housing discrimination access information. Timothy Morris, executive director of SETA, said zoning laws remain a factor in housing discrimination to this day.

Folks have found ways to discriminate through legal methods. Zoning law was one of the biggest and still is perpetuated to this day, Morris said. Its extremely frustrating because as a community we know ethically that you should not be racist, that is not an okay thing to be, but we often come across folks that will find loopholes or hidden ways to engage in that kind of behavior.

SETA hosts a free hotline dedicated to providing information about renters rights. Morris said the resource is important because 52% of people in the city of Eugene rent housing. SETA hears about issues regarding a vast amount of discriminatory practices, from people being denied housing due to having a non-Anglo name, to landlords condoning tenants sexualities and raising rent prices because of it.

All of these things are awful and terrible and should not be happening, but because there is no big enforcement agency to prevent this kind of situation, renters dont really have anywhere to turn, Morris said. Thats why Im so glad that SETA exists because [tenants] can come to us and we can provide them with information and really be able to help themselves and advocate for themselves properly.

Name-based discrimination

Non-Anglo sounding names can bar access not only for renting housing but also for renting quick getaways. Starting on Jan. 31, Airbnb hosts operating in Oregon have only been permitted to see guests initials prior to finalizing bookings on the platform, according to a release from Airbnb. The update comes after a 2019 settlement with three Black women in Oregon  Patricia Harrington, Carlotta Franklin and Ebony Price  in which court records claimed Airbnbs booking policies result in unequal treatment to African-Americans.

Harringtons statement in 2017 court documents said the companys booking policies requiring users to maintain a profile that includes personal information cause African American guests to receive unequal treatment. She said these policies also allow the denial of requests based on race.

Airbnb offers a different service to African Americans than it does to whites, according to the court documents.

Janice Kai Chen/Daily Emerald

A 2016 research study from Harvard Business School found that requests from guests with distinctively African American names are roughly 16% less likely to be accepted than identical guests with distinctively white names, and that the difference persists regardless of the hosts racial or gender identity.

In the official announcement, Airbnb said the policy change in Oregon continues work toward community inclusivity.

As part of our ongoing work, we will take any learnings from this process and use them to inform future efforts to fight bias, the release said. While we have made progress, we have much more to do and continue working with our hosts and guests, and with civil rights leaders to make our community more inclusive.

Janice Kai Chen/Daily Emerald

Creating campus inclusivity

In 2019, the Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center opened its doors to serve as a safe space for community programming and support for Black students, staff and faculty on the University of Oregons campus. Dr. Aris Hall, coordinator for the BCC, said the BCC aims to be a place to call home on campus by offering academic and personal support.

The most rewarding part is to see that people are able to do that from all different backgrounds and all different walks of life, Hall said. She said its been rewarding to engage and create spaces for members of UOs Black community to come together and to feel like they have a place to call their own.

Photo courtesy of Aris Hall

The 2021 Oregon Census showed only 2.2% of Oregon residents identify as Black or African American. In 2019-2020, 2.4% of UOs student body was Black, according to the Division of Equity and Inclusion. Despite being almost 100 years removed from the decommissioning of Black exclusionary acts, Oregons population is still over 86% white, according to the 2021 census.

I think in the state of Oregon, it wasnt ever meant to be a place open and welcoming for Black people, Hall said. I think this gives the BCC an opportunity to have a place for people to feel welcomed.

Respect for natural hair

Parkrose High School in Portland made headlines in March 2021 after volleyball player Marissa Martino was required to cut her braids before competing in a match. The CROWN Act was passed in Oregon three months later.

The CROWN Research Study found that Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from their workplace because of their hair and that Black women are 80% more likely to feel like they need to change their hair from its natural state to fit in at office jobs.

Hall said students at UO can feel comfortable however they wear their hair, but that outside of campus, students may not be granted the same right.

I think the CROWN Act is not just a state thing that needs to happen, Hall said. It needs to be a federal mandate and law.

Leila Jebara, an Oregon State University student, said some instances of discrimination shes faced occured in response to her wearing a hijab. Three instances of discrimination where individuals yelled racist remarks still stand out to her.

They would look at me in a different way. Its like Im not normal, Jebara said. Sometimes I want to fight back, to be honest, but then I look at them, and I feel like You should be more educated, more literate, honestly.

Jebara said in the face of discrimination, she treats people as the soul they embody rather than based on their outward appearance.

Whether we all like it or not, at the end of the day, were all related at least in one way, Jebara said. Theres always one thread thats connected between one person and the other.

Video courtesy of Leila Jebara and Lane Community College

Bias and hate crimes

Incidents of hate/bias crimes in Oregon show the discriminatory issues communities are facing. The FBIs Oregon Hate Crime Instances Report from 2019 shows that the city of Eugene reported 28 incidents relating to race, ethnicity or ancestry.

The Department of Justice Bias Hotline Reports saw a yearly total of 1,099 reports filed in 2020, and 1,497 reports throughout 2021. Out of 2,596 total reports filed, 1,455 were considered bias incidents and 728 were considered hate crimes.

A 2020 report on Senate Bill 577, which redefined bias crimes in the state, found that the majority of reports to the DOJ Bias Hotline were reports of race-based targeting, and a majority of those were anti-Black/African American bias.

Janice Kai Chen/Daily Emerald

The report also found that the later half of 2020 saw a 134% surge in hotline reporting compared to the first 6 months of reporting in 2020, with only 18 defendants convicted of bias charges in 2020. These data suggest there are gaps in Oregons bias response systems, from the hotline to the criminal justice system, officials wrote in the reports.

The report recommended increased bias hotline staffing to improve capacity for handling high call volumes, ongoing bias training for law enforcement, community outreach and education about Oregons bias crime laws and continued improvement of data collection and analysis to allow for better resource allocation.

Fatima Benhabyb, a Lane Community College student, moved to Oregon from Morocco in June of 2021. She said adapting to a new lifestyle and culture can sometimes cause denial for the communities being joined or left. She said for her, feelings of being scattered can cause barriers to adapting to changes.

Its like you belong but you dont belong at the same time, Benhabyb said. Ive never had a serious reaction to [my name], but sometimes you feel the awkwardness of some encounters with people.

Although moving to the U.S. has been challenging, Benhabyb said sharing her experience with support systems at school has helped her.

Its really a nice experience when you have the voice and strength to represent your country, Benhabyb said.

Photo courtesy of Fatima Benhabyb

Steps forward

While initiatives like HB 2001 and the CROWN Act work to lessen the impact of centuries of discrimination, Hall said there is still much to be done.

I think theres a lot of work that the University of Oregon has to do, and I think it comes from making sure that students feel as comfortable in a classroom setting as they do in their apartment or when they go to Target, Hall said. I think those are the things we have to continue to work on, and thats not just a University of Oregon thing.

UOs Bias Education and Response Team, which provides support for those affected by acts of bias, is on hiatus while the school determines the best ways to equitably and holistically support those targeted by acts of bias, UO spokesperson Saul Hubbard said. He said any reports of bias, discrimination, harassment and retaliation should be filed with the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance.
Ashland, KY (41101)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Sunbury, PA (17801)

Today

Periods of rain. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
The Post Office scandal erupted again last week as a long-overdue public inquiry into the fiasco began  and the Mail revealed that 33 postmasters have died without getting justice.

Widely regarded as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in our history, the saga saw more than 700 postmasters and mistresses wrongly prosecuted for theft and false accounting from 2000 to 2014, due to a faulty IT system and shamefully arrogant behaviour by the Post Office.

Some were jailed, others took their own lives and many were saddled with ruinous debts.

For almost two years, ardent-Remoaner Davey served as Postal Affairs Minister in the coalition government. He was contacted by desperate postmasters numerous times about the scandal

Last week, politicians of all stripes expressed their outrage at the shambles.

Tory peer Lord Arbuthnot condemned 'the delay, the obfuscation and the restrictiveness of the Post Office' and Labour's Kevan Jones called it a 'devastating tragedy'.

But what of Lib Dem leader, Sir Ed Davey?

For almost two years, ardent-Remoaner Davey served as Postal Affairs Minister in the coalition government. He was contacted by desperate postmasters numerous times about the scandal.

You might have imagined, therefore, that Sir Ed would have been among the first to speak out. But you'd be wrong. He has remained oddly silent about the scandal on social media and made no statements in the Commons.

As Labour MP Karl Turner, a former barrister who represented a victim, told me: 'The truth is, as the minister responsible for the Post Office  then a government-owned and controlled business  Davey either didn't ask the right questions or was told lies by Post Office executives. Which is it?

'We will only get to the truth about this shocking scandal when those at the top 'fess up'.'

Oscar-winning luvvie Emma Thompson describes new Left-wing book, Charged: How The Police Try To Suppress Protest, as 'brilliantly readable'.

It accuses successive governments of using tactics such as batons and horse charges at demos. 'The detail on police behaviour is dreadfully shocking and distressing,' Emma wails.

Not, perhaps, as shocking as flying in first-class from New York for an Extinction Rebellion protest against climate change, as Dame Emma did in 2019.

As fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine mount, I am reminded of a 2003 meeting between the Queen and President Vladimir Putin.

Hosting a reception for the Russian leader, her Majesty saw then-Home Secretary David Blunkett's guide dog bark fiercely at Putin.

'Sorry, Your Majesty, about the dog!' said Blunkett. To which the Queen is said to have wryly replied: 'Dogs have interesting instincts don't they, Mr Blunkett?

An obituary notice appeared last week for the remarkable Tessa Gaisman, Mrs Thatcher's diary secretary at No 10 for several years. When the IRA bomb went off at Brighton's Grand Hotel during the 1984 Tory conference, the redoubtable Mrs Gaisman and fellow secretary Amanda Ponsonby bravely rescued the draft of the speech they had been working on as the bomb went off.

Mrs Thatcher was able to deliver it, with a new opening referencing the attacks, the next day. As Lord (Charles) Moore, Mrs T's official biographer, rightly points out: 'With secretaries such as these, there was some peace at the heart of the whirlwind... We shall not look upon their like again.'

Glossy gossip rag OK! has released a 'Special Historic Royal Collector's Edition' with the Sussexes on the cover.

'A desire to be royal in a different way is something that defined Diana, and that very much lives on through Harry,' it gushes. His way of 'being royal' is certainly different, quitting the Royal Family to live in LA opulence.

Angela not party to broadcast

In a party political broadcast last week, Labour's Sir Keir Starmer was all smiles with his shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves.

But there was no sign of the party's most senior female MP, Starmer's stiletto-shod deputy Angela Rayner. Why ever not? My mole on the Opposition benches tells me Starmer consistently sidelines his deputy  and the film is only the most recent snub.

'They can't stand each other!' adds the source. 'Angela will have wanted to be in that broadcast  now she'll be planning her revenge.'
When Georgia was on the verge of joining Nato in 2008, Russias president Vladimir Putin stirred up bitter separatist tensions, made baseless claims of genocide, and carried out military exercises nearby.

His proxies fired pot-shots over the border, then evacuated civilians from areas under their control, on the bogus pretext of saving them from aggression.

There was a short war that ended with Russian tanks 30 miles from the capital Tbilisi and two chunks of the country breaking away as self-declared republics.

But the former KGB chief denied he had any imperial ambitions, insisting Russia had no wish or grounds to encroach on the sovereignty of former Soviet republics.

How hollow those words sound now as history looks set to repeat itself, with this hateful dictator using identical tactics and trickery in Ukraine.

Just as when he invaded and illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, he is operating through proxies to achieve his aims of corroding democracy and thwarting a sovereign nations desire to find stability under the defensive shield of Nato.

Yet for all his talk of Western influence in Ukraine, Putins real aim is simple: To prevent democracy from infecting his own blighted citizens and leading them to challenge his corrupt regime, one that has failed them so badly.

Vladimir Putins real aim is simple: To prevent democracy from infecting his own blighted citizens and leading them to challenge his corrupt regime, one that has failed them so badly. Pictured: Putin addresses the nation on the recognition of independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics

Once again we see Putins stooges in two breakaway republics Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine  fabricating attacks and evacuating civilians.

And, once again, Putin makes phoney assertions of genocide, as well as lying about Ukrainian attacks on mother Russia.

With his customary twisting of the truth, the president claimed last night he had always treated his neighbour in an honest way and with respect to Ukraines interests.

That could not be further from reality  especially as he signed the decree formally recognising the two republics, paving the way for a possible further invasion that might have cataclysmic consequences for our continent.

The current conflict began in 2014 when a corrupt Russian-backed president of Ukraine fled after pro-democracy protests erupted across the nation following his decision to abandon moves to sign a co-operation deal with the European Union.

Putin reacted to the ousting of his ally by stealing Crimea  the first annexation of sovereign territory in Europe since the Second World War.

He then sent in his tanks and troops when it seemed Ukraine was on the point of crushing rebels that he supported in Donbas.

This led to full-scale fighting, followed by a peace deal known as Minsk 2 that resulted in a 173-mile frontline across eastern Ukraine between the Kiev regime and the two self-declared republics. The conflict, which left 14,000 people dead and two million people displaced, has flickered ever since.

Russian and Belarus soldiers during joint exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus as part of an inspection of the Union State's Response Force, at a firing range near Brest

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, deployed to Poland to reassure NATO allies and deter Russian aggression

The hastily-agreed peace treaty, backed by Putin and signed under pressure by Kiev, was imperfect and never fully implemented. It envisaged special status for the two republics  although their status and political structures were ill-defined  and would have given Russia control over Ukraines future.

Now Putin has torn up the treaty after a carefully-choreographed routine that began last Tuesday when the lower house of the Russian parliament voted to ask their puppet-master to recognise the separatist regions.

Then the Russian leader called a meeting of his security council, at which ministers and security chiefs lined up to demand recognition of the republics. We were left with no choice, claimed foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.

So what can we deduce from the latest manoeuvres?

First, that Putin has effectively stolen another chunk of Ukraine and breached international law by undermining another nations territorial integrity  even if those in charge of the republics have not yet asked to formally join Russia as I write.

However, they have signed a friendship and mutual assistance treaty which means Putin can be asked to send in military assistance or peacekeepers  and last night, in an ominous move, it emerged he has already given an order to send his armed forces into the republics.

Given the forces massed on the border and his ceaseless lies about Ukrainian attacks and Nato aggression, this could lead to defensive intervention elsewhere in the country.

Indeed, if full-scale war erupts, the start might be dated to last Thursday when the shelling across the border was massively increased  from an average of five a day to 60  66 on Friday, and more than 100 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Putin claimed last night that Ukraines military strategy is nothing less than the preparation for military actions against Russia  an absurd suggestion that would be suicidal for Kiev given the imbalance of forces between the two nations.

We must hope the West stands firm and imposes every possible sanction on this brutal thug to punish him as he rips apart a neighbouring nation based on specious historical arguments and makes preparations to invade again on utterly spurious grounds. Pictured: Boris Johnson on Monday

Yet this malevolent dictator  with four yachts and a billion-pound palace on the Black Sea  who has overseen the pillaging of his resource-rich nation by his band of patsy oligarchs, even had the cheek to argue that corruption had eroded Ukrainian statehood and Kievs politicians were robbing their people.

Having spent five weeks in Ukraine  and having previously been witness to the appalling events of 2014  I can feel only sorry for all those decent people I have met and interviewed whose only desire is peace and security for themselves, their families and their friends.

And my sorrow extends to a nation that has been struggling to escape the Soviet shadow in pursuit of democracy but is being dismembered by a despot who once worked for the Communist secret police and now seeks to protect himself and his thieving pals from his own people.

We must hope the West stands firm and imposes every possible sanction on this brutal thug to punish him as he rips apart a neighbouring nation based on specious historical arguments and makes preparations to invade again on utterly spurious grounds.
Fabulous clothes, stunning houses, snobbery, romance, intrigue and grand dames with cutting wit  what could be more glorious in these miserable winter months than Julian Fellowes's latest drama The Gilded Age? This is Downton Abbey meets Sex And The City and it is utterly scrumptious.

The nine-part series is set amid high-society New York in 1882, when America was on the cusp of its rise to becoming one of the most powerful nations in the world, and explores what happened when old money collided with the thrusting new self-made millionaires. Nicole Lampert goes behind the scenes to tell you everything you need to know...

Louisa Jacobson stars as Marian Brook, who find herself caught up in a social war, in Julian Fellowes's latest drama The Gilded Age. Pictured left to right: Agnes Van Rhijn, Peggy Scott, Marian Brook and Bertha Russell

THE START OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

The idea of The Gilded Age had been percolating in the mind of Julian Fellowes for decades, long before he created Downton. 'My parents' 21st birthday present for me was a tour of America and I've been going back ever since,' he says.

'I was always interested in the so-called 'Gilded Age', that period after the Civil War in the 1870s and 1880s when fortunes made from the railways, shipping, copper and coal were flooding into New York. It's the gilded age, not the golden age. It was all about the look of things, making the right appearance.'

He was going to write about real family the Vanderbilts, whose shipping and railroad empires made them the richest Americans of the era. But, working with Downton producer Gareth Neame, his idea soon became the story of two very different fictional families representing old money and new.

'Downton was about the end of an era,' says Gareth. 'The Gilded Age is the beginning of the American Dream, the industrialisation of America and how that created huge fortunes. I think it will be an eye-opener for some viewers that this world existed at all.'

FABULOUS FROCKS

Costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone had a team of 60 making clothes inspired by the stunning looks of 1880s New York. 'We compiled a library of thousands of images both from that period and the decades before and after,' says Kasia.

'While you want historical accuracy, it's always important to focus on the character. There's a certain level of modernity in Bertha's world and older classic values in Agnes's world.'

SO WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

In 1882 Marian Brook, the orphaned, penniless daughter of a general who fought on the Union side in the American Civil War, moves into the home of her two aunts on New York's Upper West Side.

Julian was going to write about real family the Vanderbilts (pictured), but his idea soon became the story of two very different fictional families representing old money and new

Agnes is a haughty, widowed aristocrat who clings to old values and married a rich husband just as her parents' money was running out, Ada has remained a spinster who relies on her sister for charity. Marian has travelled to New York with Peggy Scott, a young African-American with hopes of becoming a writer, and the pair become friends.

But Marian finds herself caught up in a social war between her aunts and their wealthy neighbours George and Bertha Russell. He's a railroad tycoon, and his wife's hell-bent on entering aristocratic society.

Marian finds herself mixing with an assortment of characters. There's the Russells' daughter Gladys, whose independence is no match for her mother's forcefulness, and her brother Larry, a Harvard graduate.

Then there's Oscar, Agnes's son, who's on the lookout for an heiress, and Tom Raikes, a lawyer from Pennsylvania who represented Marian's late father and followed her to New York.

MEET THE OLD ELITE

Ada, played by Cynthia Nixon (pictured), never married and relies on her sister Agnes Van Rhijn's charity

Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) is clinging on to her aristocratic heritage and determined to keep newcomers out. She's witty and snobbish but also has a kinder side.

'She has a dry sense of humour and is appalled by the change in the city, a change she senses will not be for the better,' says Christine.

Her sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon, right) never married and relies on Agnes's charity. She's a woman with a good sense of right and wrong. 'I found the character delicious,' says Sex And The City star Cynthia. 'She's an enthusiastic, heart-on-sleeve kind of person.'

Their niece Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) has been left penniless by her late father and is forced to appeal to her aunts for mercy. Arriving in New York she becomes part of their social circle  even if she doesn't approve of the rules.

'Marian knows her probable fate will be to marry as well as she can to survive, but she wants more than that,' says Louisa, whose mother is Meryl Streep. 'She's curtailed by the rules of the time, but she wants to be fulfilled.'

Agnes's son Oscar (Blake Ritson) is obsessed with money and is one of the very few who will stand up to his mother.

THE NEW MONEY WANNABES

George, played by Morgan Spector (pictured) is interested in winning at all costs and is utterly ruthless in business

Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) comes from a middle-class family, but is desperate to become part of society after her husband made his millions. 'In the Gilded Age there were women who might have become senators or doctors, but were relegated to their charities and their children,' says Carrie.

'So you have Bertha, who's smart and ambitious, trying to break into a codified society.'

Like his wife, George (Morgan Spector) is interested in winning at all costs and is utterly ruthless in business. 'There's something very attractive about a character who is so unscrupulous,' says Morgan. 'But at home he's a conscientious husband and father. He's an iron fist in a velvet glove.'

Their son Larry (Harry Richardson) is the apple of his mother's eye, and his sister Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) hates the way her family still treat her like a child.

THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS

Peggy Scott (Denee Benton), a young ambitious writer returning home after finishing school, meets Marian when she helps her out on the train from Pennsylvania to New York and the pair form an unusual friendship. She ends up working as a secretary to Marian's Aunt Agnes but has secrets that have estranged her from her parents.

'The world of the black elite at this time is not usually represented in the media, so it was interesting for me to learn about that,' says Denee.

'I could relate to Peggy as a black woman whose parents worked hard to give me access to opportunities. She's clever and cultured and begins moving in different circles.'

Peggy's father Arthur (John Douglas Thompson) is a formerly enslaved man who opened a chain of pharmacies to support his steely wife Dorothy (Audra McDonald).

AND BELOW STAIRS...

Agnes's maid Bridget, played by Taylor Richardson (pictured left) is an Irishwoman with a dark past. Pictured centre: Simon Jones as Englishman Bannister, Agnes's butler

It wouldn't be a Julian Fellowes drama without servants helping to oil the wheels of skulduggery. Englishman Bannister (Simon Jones) is Agnes's butler.

Not only is he the keeper of other people's secrets, he has a few of his own. Her maid Bridget (Taylor Richardson) is an Irishwoman with a dark past.

In the Russell household, Bertha's lady's maid Turner (Kelley Curran) is as ambitious as her employer but scathing of her mistress's attempts to inveigle her way into society. Church (Jack Gilpin), the butler, has a shady background but is good at his job.

The city of Troy had one of its squares (pictured) transformed into 1880s New York for several scenes

THE GLORIOUS LOCATIONS

Much of the filming took place in Newport, Rhode Island, where the titans of The Gilded Age built their palaces. One of the finest is The Breakers, a 70-room mansion inspired by the 16th-century palaces of Genoa and Turin, built by Cornelius Vanderbilt.

'The locations are extraordinary,' says Blake Ritson. 'We shot in mansions where you can still feel and taste the unimaginable fortunes that were being accrued.'

New York City looks very different now, but the city of Troy, 130 miles away, retains its 19th-century architecture  so much so, that one of its squares (above) was transformed into 1880s New York for several scenes.

The Gilded Age, available from Tuesday, Sky and NOW.
A Canadian man who imports bottled water from Europe has outraged followers by revealing his $2,000-a-month spend.

Ryan Dubs, who boasts more 503,000 followers on TikTok, took to the platform explaining that he fills his four fridges with Voss glass bottles because he doesn't like the taste of tap water.

The founder of a mindful multi-million-dollar skincare company, based in Toronto, said that he previously would order from Fiji water, but began to feel guilty for the amount of plastic waste.

Many responses to the admission criticized his $2,000 spend, while others admitted they also prefer bottled water to drinking from the tap.

Ryan Dubs (pictured) has sparked a discussion about how ethical it is to purchase bottled water instead of drinking from the tap

Posting on TikTok, Ryan explained that he spends $2,000 a month on bottled water because he doesn't like the taste of tap water

Ryan captioned his video, which has been viewed almost 2million times, writing: 'it's honestly a fashion accessory at this point'

Ryan filmed the process of packing away his monthly supply of water in a post captioned 'it's honestly a fashion accessory at this point'.

He said: 'I spend over $2,000 a month on high-end water bottles delivered directly to my house. As a water snob, it is honestly such a luxury.

'I know what you're thinking: Where do I keep it all?

'I have four fridges, so I've got that part covered. Today is delivery day so I'm about to load up my fridges, which is literally so satisfying.

'These boxes are so heavy because the bottles are glass but it's so worth it.

'I love Voss it's one of my favorite water bottle brands. I've always been a water snob and I know for a lot of people you're probably like why do you care, it's just water.

'I hate the taste of tap water, I cannot drink it. I can only drink bottled water. It's the only way I'll get it in me.

'For the past year I actually had Fiji water delivered to my house but it started to weigh on me how much plastic waste that was creating.

Ryan said that he spent a year buying Fiji water but swapped to Voss (pictured) because he felt guilty about his plastic waste

'Voss is net carbon neutral so it's definitely a more eco-friendly choice. It's a little price but I buy it in bulk from the same type of place that would sell to a hotel or a grocery store, so it's a bit better.

'Everybody has their thing and I guess I'm just a water snob. My guests love it, everybody loves to be a handed a nice cold glass water bottle.'

A flood of responses to the video blasted Ryan for boasting about his supply of bottled water.

One person commented: 'How is it carbon neutral? What about transportation?'

Another said: 'People don't have clean water or any water at all and this guy out here [saying]: "I hate the taste of tap water. I can't get it in me."'

A third wrote: 'This is genuinely one of the most humiliating things I've ever seen a human being post. Thank you for making any and all insecurities I once had vanish.'

However, others defended his decision, with one writing: 'We buy bottled water because the tap water is hard and keep it on the floor in the garage.'

'Do you know the amount of fluoride in tap water? Nah man honestly you're doing good,' another said.

A stream of responses to the post argued that ordering water from Europe isn't eco-friendly, while others commented on the lack of clean water in other areas of the world

A third wrote: 'There are thousands of people in the US alone (and Canada) that get sick because of the quality of their tap water. I'm sure they would appreciate even 10 per cent.'

A fourth added: 'This is something I might do if I had ridiculous amount of money but still wouldn't shamelessly share it online.'

This is not the first time that Ryan - who describes himself as a 'brand king and creative director to the stars' - has flaunted his lavish lifestyle online, however.

Other videos see the skincare brand founder flaunting his sky-high credit card bills, his $2.1 million home, and his luxury car collection.

In a clip posted on January 3, Ryan boasted about the enormous amount of money he spent on his credit card in 2021, saying: 'I'm 92 per cent sure that I spend more money on my American Express card than anyone else on TikTok.

'This is my annual spend report... I spent $950,000 on my Amex this year.'

The TikTok star also regularly posts about the amount of money he makes from his skincare brand, claiming in September 2021 that he had signed a $15 million contract with a 'massive beauty brand', which put in an order for one million units of one of his products.

'I'm not allowed to tell you who the buyer is but just know that it is a very big buyer in beauty,' he explained.
Beacon of democracy turns out to be living hell of modern slavery

13:22, February 21, 2022 By Xin Yue ( People's Daily Online

Private prisons in the U.S., as both a lucrative business and a kind of modern nightmare, epitomize the real human rights situation in the U.S., a country self-styled as a beacon of democracy. While the operators of these prisons make a ton of money, the incarcerated suffer from forced labor, abuse, as well as other types of human rights violations.

Notorious land of sweatshops

With 5 percent of the worlds population and a quarter of all incarcerated people in the world, the U.S. has witnessed how private prisons, which sprang up in the 1980s, have expanded rapidly over the past decades.

Private prisons in the U.S. sign contracts with the federal government and local governments to provide inmate services, and get paid based on the number of prisoners they house.

Besides receiving government subsidies, private prisons throughout the country also profit from forced labor. In 2020, inmates in private prisons around the U.S. produced more than one million U.S. dollars worth of commodities, including face masks and hand sanitizer, but were paid far less than the statutory minimum hourly wage in the country.

Private prison inmates in the U.S. face atrocious working conditions, a result of the operators efforts to reduce operating costs. Due to poor health service capacity, the number of COVID-19 cases soared rapidly in private prisons in the U.S. since the first wave of the pandemic.

As COVID-19 spread across the country in 2020, inmates in a womens prison in Chino, California, the U.S., were forced to work overtime to stitch together masks, but were forbidden from wearing them, according to an article published on the website of the Los Angeles Times in October 2020, which said that in the end 352 inmates and 85 staffers had been infected with the coronavirus at the prison.

Instances of corruption, among other types of scandals at private prisons in the U.S., such as prison breaks and the death of inmates, often come into public view under the spotlight. An investigation conducted by the Associated Press (AP) revealed that more than 100 federal prison workers have been arrested, convicted or sentenced for crimes since the start of 2019, according to an article published on the website of the news agency in November 2021.

An article about an Associated Press investigation into criminal offences committed by federal prison workers published in November 2021. (Screenshot of the website of The Associated Press)

Cash cow sustained by money-tainted politics

The tentacles of capital couldnt have spread so widely in the private prisons of the U.S. without a deep-rooted network of collusion between politicians and businesses.

Private prisons in the country spend huge amounts of money on lobbying. They gain support from politicians by making political contributions to help certain candidates with their election campaigns.

Between 2010 and 2015, CoreCivic and the GEO Group, major private prison operators in the U.S., spent $14.6 million on funding political activities and lobbying.

Politicians who receive money from private prisons will leave their doors wide open so that private prison operators are provided with a means to affect the formulation of policies impacting the criminal justice system and relevant legislation across the country.

Policies rolled out by the U.S. government, including those on the privatization of prisons and shortening the procedures for criminal trials, have created favorable conditions for further expanding the number of inmates and lengthening prison sentences in private prisons.

Private prisons have also fueled judicial corruption in the country. Driven by personal interests, some judges bend the law for personal gain and deliberately put defendants who otherwise would not need to serve a sentence into private prisons to increase their revenue.

Backed by government policies and regulations, private prison operators have quickly made a fortune. Within the short span of merely 10 years after its incorporation, CoreCivic went public at the New York Stock Exchange.

During his presidential election campaign, U.S. President Joe Biden promised to shut down privately-run immigrant detention centers. And in the first week after he took office, Biden signed an executive order directing the Department of Justice to refrain from renewing its contracts with private prisons.

An excerpt from an article titled The Biden Plan For Strengthening Americas Commitment to Justice. (Photo/Official website of Joe Biden)

However, private prisons paths to continue their business operations were not actually blocked by the executive order. The Moshannon Valley Correctional Center, a former private prison operated by the GEO Group, for instance, was closed in March 2021 as a result of the executive order, but then reopened with a new legal identity in November of the same year after renewing a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In addition, BI Incorporated, a subsidiary of the GEO Group, will cooperate with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to operate a new U.S. pilot program targeting migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, Reuters reported on Feb. 16.

An article published on the website of The Wall Street Journal points out that the Biden administrations executive order directing the Justice Department not to renew any expiring contracts with privately-operated detention facilities hasnt in fact prevented private prisons from continuing to profit from their provision of inmate services, October 2021. (Screenshot of the website of The Wall Street Journal)

Hotbed of modern slavery

Early in 1865, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed by the U.S. Congress abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. The amendment created an opening for forced labor to be legally revived inside the countrys private prisons, and has gradually evolved into a form of modern slavery.

The spread of Convict leasing, a system of forced penal labor, in the U.S. after the Civil War has resulted in frequent abuses of prisoners in privately-run prisons, but local governments have nonetheless continually turned a blind eye to this phenomenon, as pointed out by the veteran undercover American journalist Shane Bauer in his book American Prison: A Reporters Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment.

As a matter of fact, private prisons are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to labor-related issues in the U.S., where such phenomena as forced labor, debt slavery, and human trafficking have emerged in an endless stream.

In its annual Trafficking in Persons Report, the U.S. State Department conceded that the U.S. is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, transgender individuals, and children  both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals  subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor.

Up to this day, the U.S. still shirks its responsibilities for ensuring labor protections and remains reluctant to ratify core conventions of the International Labor Organization, despite widespread criticism of its labor rights violations at the 109th Session of the International Labor Conference held in June 2021.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Hey Democrats, were not a democracy By Rachel Alexander

web posted February 21, 2022 The left has been speaking up lately about protecting our democracy, which seems unusual since usually they never talk proudly about the U.S., they just bash it and talk about moving to some whiter country instead. They almost sound patriotic. But nope, its just smoke and mirrors, which both allows them to fool people into thinking the left cares about the country and to sneak in their radical agenda. Despite the fact the Founding Fathers were genius enough to create a Constitution that has lasted almost 250 years, arguably the longest in the world today providing the freest country, the left wants to throw it all away. The Founding Fathers created a representative democracy, not a democracy. (It is also frequently referred to as an indirect democracy, democratic republic, or constitutional republic, and democracy is also referred to as direct democracy.) The reason why a representative democracy is superior to plain democracy is because we choose wise, intelligent leaders who will have the time to devote a significant amount of time to studying issues, instead of expecting everyone to achieve this level of knowledge and ability. The left gets away with the deception in part because democracy is being increasingly defined to sound more like representative democracy. The Oxford Dictionarys first definition provides , A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. But if you look at older versions of dictionaries, like the 1828 Websters Dictionary, there is nothing in the definition about elected representatives. In fact, it specifically mentions democracy in ancient Athens where everyone (well, the males) equally participated in political decisions. Any male citizen could participate and vote in the main assembly. There is another reason the left is now bringing up democracy. Until this century, it was not a realistic option to allow everyone in a huge country to decide all political questions. With the advent of the internet, anyone can now vote from home anytime. The left loved motor voter laws because it got people registered to vote who normally wouldnt have bothered since they werent informed; didnt have the time, interest or aptitude to pay attention. The left then preyed upon the poor, bribing them with cigarettes and money, giving them rides to the polls and ballot harvesting. The lefts tactics at winning elections in recent years have shifted to this, using nonprofit organizations and GOTV. Its easier to disguise the election fraud that way, but some of it is clearly illegal , such as using nonprofits to influence partisan elections. By allowing everyone to vote from home, combined with federalizing elections so there are no more local elections, another one of their goals, they reap great rewards targeting neighborhoods full of low information voters to decide every issue. Its easy to convince people who dont know anything about politics to vote your way if you promise them Santa Claus. The left has started accusing former President Donald Trump of threatening democracy in regard to the Jan. 6, 2021 protest at the U.S. Capitol. Theyve been attempting for over a year now to claim that he and his supporters tried to overthrow the country. But none of the gullible protesters who walked into the Capitol that day are being tried for insurgency, and nothing has happened to Trump. Even the biased MSM quietly reported that the FBI found no insurgency. But the left wont keep up their repeated chants that the protesters tried to force Vice President Mike Pence into rejecting the certified electors from the disputed swing states. The reality is, if Pence had decided to do so, it wouldnt have resulted in a constitutional crisis. It would have merely been another one of many hundreds of constitutional questions the U.S. Supreme Court has adjudicated over the past 246 years. The Supreme Court  which has proven afraid to rule in favor of Trump regarding the election  would have ruled that Pence had merely ministerial, not discretionary authority under the Constitution and that would have been the end of it. And even if they had ruled that he did have the authority, there have been plenty of previous SCOTUS decisions along those lines that didnt destroy the country. Perhaps the most similar major ruling along those lines was the 1803 case Marbury v. Madison, which established that SCOTUS had the authority under the Constitution to review legislative or executive acts and find them unconstitutional. In that case, newly elected President Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, refused to honor a commission awarded to William Marbury, a Federalist appointed by previous Federalist President John Adams to place him on the Supreme Court. Marbury sued, and the Supreme Court ruled against him, holding that Congresss Judiciary Act of 1789 exceeded the original jurisdiction given to the courts in the Constitution. Even if the Supreme Court had ruled the other way, there would have been no constitutional crisis or threat to democracy. Democrats have figured out that most people arent constitutional scholars and dont understand this, so they continue repeating it ad nauseum. Pence could have issued this statement explaining his decision, I am choosing to accept the Democratic slates from the disputed states because it is clear that the Supreme Court is going to rule that way anyway, and I want to avoid a needless conflict. Professor John Eastman, considered one of the leading constitutional lawyers on the right for years, became famous  infamous thanks to the left  for showing there was a convincing legal argument that Pence could have rejected the slates under the Constitution. For that, Eastman was chased out of his job as a professor at Chapman University. Even most European socialist-leaning countries arent pure democracies. While the American left usually follows the lead of Europe, in this case theyre taking the lead destroying the representative democracy our Founders established protecting our rights, through the novel reframing of the word democracy. Next up: watch how they cleverly transition political decisions from the predominantly Republican state legislatures to everyone. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative . She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home
Social media star Kurt Coleman has issued a stern warning about the dangers of alcohol after he was hospitalised from a bad 'binge drinking' habit.

The 25-year-old, who grew up on the Gold Coast and now lives in Melbourne, has been sober for eight months and shared before and after images on Instagram detailing his experience.

Kurt was hospitalised after drinking a single glass of wine, leading doctors to discover he has pancreatitis which was likely caused by drinking since he was just 13.

'Now I'm eight months sober and feel amazing. This photo of me sick as reminds me of what alcohol can do,' he wrote online.

'I wasn't a binge drinker at all when this happened to me (in fact I only drank once a month at the time) BUT it can catch up to you and that's my warning to everyone.'

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Australian social media star Kurt Coleman (pictured right) has been eight months sober after he was hospitalised after a bad 'binge drinking' habit

The 25-year-old shared an image on Instagram (pictured) detailing the extend of the situation. Doctors discovered he had pancreatitis likely caused by drinking since he was just 13

'I wasn't a binge drinker at all when this happened to me (in fact I only drank once a month at the time) BUT it can catch up to you and that's my warning to everyone,' he wrote

Kurt went on to describe alcohol as 'poison' and it took the entire eight months to feel 'normal and strong again'.

'Getting rid of toxic alcohol and becoming healthy again, I'm so thankful for my health and will never betray my body again!!' he wrote.

According to the Australian Government Health Department, adults should limit their alcohol consumption and consume no more than ten standard drinks per week or no more than four in any one day.

Kurt went on to describe alcohol as 'poison' and it took the entire eight months to feel 'normal and strong again'

The condition detected while Kurt was in hospital was likely caused by drinking too much alcohol from a young age.

Pancreatitis is known as inflammation of the pancreas - an organ in the digestive system.

'With the condition I have now I could die if I drink again, that to me just proves how bad it [alcohol] is for us!' Kurt wrote in the comments of his social media post.

When asked if he ever feels pressured to drink during social situations, Kurt said he is happy drinking mocktails.

'It's changed my life not having it and when I see my friends so hungover I always think 'wow I'm so glad I don't drink anymore',' he added.

'With the condition I have now I could die if I drink again, that to me just proves how bad it [alcohol] is for us!' Kurt wrote in the comments of his social media post

According to the Australian Government Health Department, adults should limit their alcohol consumption and consume no more than ten standard drinks per week or no more than four in any one day

Last year an Australian psychologist who specialises in alcohol addiction has revealed the signs you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and how to reduce your intake.

Tara Hurster, from Sydney, previously told Daily Mail Australia common warning signs stem from a person's lifestyle and whether they have a tendency to start 'drinking without thinking'.

'Alcohol as a drug is classified as a depressant, meaning the body feels relaxed because of the release of pressure in the muscles, so there is a perception of relaxation,' she said.

'But the reality is that anxiety is heightened by alcohol consumption because the body has been working hard to remove the toxin from the blood stream.'

Ms Hurster said alcohol becomes a problem when it becomes an 'unconscious habit' - rather than drinking to enjoy an experience, you are 'drinking without thinking'.

Rather than going completely cold Turkey, Ms Hurster suggested tracking how much, how often and when you are drinking.

What to expect when you stop drinking (pictured). After the first 12 hours the detoxification begins, and by the fourth week your blood sugar levels stabilise
An Australian entrepreneur is preparing to launch her range of chic washable rugs with 'stainvincible technology' that can be laid out in any room to enhance the surroundings.

Alexandra Tanya Weller, 36, is the co-founder of Miss Amara, which she launched alongside her husband in 2014 in a bid to make rugs 'fun' and show off their transformative qualities when it comes to decorating your home.

'Back then the rug market was so stagnant and either went with the perpetual closing down narrative (hello we're not stupid) or the Aladdin on his magic carpet ride,' she told FEMAIL.

'Rugs are so much more fun than that and interior designers will tell you that bar renovations, a rug is the quickest and easiest way to totally transform the look of your space.

Alexandra Tanya Weller, 36, is the co-founder of Miss Amara , which she launched alongside her husband in 2014 in a bid to make rugs 'fun'

It's not unusual for Miss Amara collections to sell out on the same day they launch and the Tumblelux washables (pictured) are shaping up to be the most highly anticipated yet

'It's just that sometimes we need a bit of help, because buying something that big can be scary.'

It's not unusual for Miss Amara collections to sell out on the same day they launch and the Tumblelux washables are shaping up to be the most highly anticipated yet.

'A sell out would be amazing and is insanely gratifying to know that you are creating products that your customers love,' Ms Weller said.

While there are other 'washables' on the market, Miss Weller felt as though they always had to compromise on either texture, design or pile height.

'We wanted to make sure we only released a washable rug when we knew we were doing it right. No exceptions, no compromise - what we landed on is a product that is super luxe, non shed, gorgeous, stainvincible, foldable, stackable and storable, all with a built in underlay,' she said.

'A sell out would be amazing and is insanely gratifying to know that you are creating products that your customers love,' Ms Weller said

How to style your room with a rug: Every home is different but I think the best thing to think about is think about your rugs as a means to create 'zones' in your home. So you want the family to gather and commune in the tv/lounge room, choose a large luxe rug you can lie and sprawl over - I've had many customers tell me this has changed the way they use the spaces in their home. How do you want the space to feel? Recently I redecorated my bedroom and decided that I wanted my bedroom to instantly feel like a retreat. So I opted for the largest rug the room could take, a high pile luxe wool berber and every time I wake up and sink my feet into the pile I get all those luxury retreat feels. A tip for your dining room is to choose something flat, as this space you're always going to be dragging furniture and chairs across the surface of your rug. So durability is a consideration, as well as crumb picking out of something shaggy or high pile doesn't sound like my idea of fun! Advertisement

The fibres on the rug won't absorb a stain straight away, so if you can tackle it quickly there won't be any residue to speak of

The fibres on the rug won't absorb a stain straight away, so if you can tackle it quickly there won't be any residue to speak of.

And if you can't, a quick rinse through the washing machine will make it look as good as new.

Ms Weller recommends giving your rugs a light vacuum two or three times a week to extend its life cycle, as dirt and dust can settle into it over time.

Similarly don't neglect the bottom of your rug and where possible purchase an underlay.

'This is going to stop any slipping or buckling (particularly if you have little toes running across the surface) and will stop dirt or dust penetrating the underside,' she said.
A man who challenged himself to drink alcohol every day for a month has revealed he gained 10kg, spent over $10,000 and was left with painful gout in his foot.

Conan Visser, from Brisbane, hopes to raise awareness about the detrimental effects alcohol can have on mental and physical health.

The 37-year-old would drink up to 40 beverages a day while out at venues with friends, often starting as early as 10am.

Throughout the duration of the experiment Mr Visser was closely supervised by doctors and professionals, and the challenge should never be attempted by others.

According to the Australian Government Health Department, adults should limit their alcohol consumption and consume no more than ten standard drinks per week or no more than four in any one day.

'I'm doing it to help others make better decisions with their food and alcohol and for mental health awareness,' Mr Visser told Daily Mail Australia.

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Australian TikToker Conan Visser gained 10kg, spent over $10,000 and was left with painful gout in his foot after drinking alcohol everyday for a month

Mr Visser said he drank shots, cocktails and low-carb beer, and for more than half the time he doesn't recall going to sleep.

He would visit venues five days a week, on average having three drinks per hour.

Mr Visser said he suffers from depression and did not wish to drink at home alone.

Before and after the extreme test, Mr Visser noted the changes in his body with assistance from professional guidance - such as how he was feeling mentally and physically, how much he weighed, sex drive and his blood levels.

At the start of the challenge he weighed 75kg and by the end he tipped the scales at 85kg.

Throughout the duration of the challenge Mr Visser was closely supervised by doctors and professional guidance, and the huge challenge should not be attempted by others

How much alcohol is safe to drink? To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury, healthy men and women should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day The less you choose to drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol. For some people, not drinking at all is the safest option. A standard drink contains 10 g of pure alcohol. Many drinks have more than 1 standard drink in them. Source: Health.gov.au Advertisement

'My blood test showed that my liver and kidney enzymes had doubled the normal range in the first two weeks and then again at the end when I got the gout, they were more than double,' he said in a TikTok video.

Mr Visser said he got 'really sick' twice, the worst being during the final week.

At the very end of the challenge, he went straight into a 'water fast' where he drank nothing else but water, often with lemon juice or vitamin C.

'I was really lucky that I overcame the gout within three days and I was back to walking normally, but holy sh*t, gout is painful - just lying in bed hurt,' he said.

'Then I had a week break for my birthday, drank three days and ended up in hospital with liver damage and throwing up uncontrollably.'

According to the Australian Government Health Department, adults should limit their alcohol consumption and consume no more than ten standard drinks per week or no more than four in any one day

Revealed: Long-term effects of regular heavy drinking Brain: Drinking too much can affect your concentration, judgement, mood and memory. It increases your risk of having a stroke and developing dementia. Heart: Heavy drinking increases your blood pressure and can lead to heart damage and heart attacks. Liver: Drinking three to four standard drinks a day increases your risk of developing liver cancer. Long-term heavy drinking also puts you at increased risk of liver cirrhosis (scarring) and death. Stomach: Drinking even one to two standard drinks a day increases your risk of stomach and bowel cancer, as well as stomach ulcers. Fertility: Regular heavy drinking reduces men's testosterone levels, sperm count and fertility. For women, drinking too much can affect their periods. Source: Health Direct Advertisement

The alcohol challenge is part of a 'docuseries' shared on TikTok in which Mr Visser undergoes extreme challenges to demonstrate the different effects of certain lifestyle choices.

The 12-part series of eating different foods for 30 days straight also includes eating vegan food, meat, McDonald's, Subway and CBD oil.

Previously Mr Visser ate set himself the task of eating KFC every day, which he admits was far more challenging than the alcohol challenge.

'Mentally, KFC was ten times worse than the alcohol, which was surprising,' he said.

You can follow Mr Visser's updates on his TikTok page.
A mum has shared how she created an organised linen cupboard using a budget-friendly buy from Kmart.

Perth mum, Alinta used the $12 Linen Look Collapsible Boxes to create an immaculate-looking space to store all of her linen items.

The large and collapsible boxes have completely transformed her cupboard into a functional and easy to access space.

Perth mum, Alinta used the $12 Linen Look Collapsible Boxes to create an immaculate-looking space to store all of her linen items

The boxes are practical for stacking in areas with small amounts of room and are ideal for storing seasonal items when they're not in use.

The viewing window also allows homeowners to instantly see what is inside a box and stops unnecessary mess from forming.

Alinta has organised everything inside of the zip-up boxes from backpacks, pyjamas, sheets, blankets, jumpers and doona covers.

The boxes are practical for stacking in areas with small amounts of room and the viewing window also allows homeowners to instantly see what is inside a box

The mum says that the job was indeed hard to complete, due to the amount of linen items she owned, but absolutely worth it in the end.

'What a huge job. Im knackered now,' Alinta wrote.

The mum shared impressive before and after photos of the project and left hundreds of Facebook users stunned with her exceptionally organised cupboard.

The mum shared impressive before and after photos of the project and left hundreds of Facebook users stunned with her exceptionally organised cupboard

'These work well I have had them for a couple of years definitely recommend,' a happy customer wrote.

'Looks fantastic! A job well done I say,' a user wrote.

'You can save even more space by putting a sheet, quilt cover and pillow cases inside a matching pillow case,' another suggested.
Hes got seven popular restaurants in glitzy Mayfair already up-and-running - yet Richard Caring is expanding his vast empire to include two new eateries.

The hospitality mogul, 73, owns the nation's most famous private members' club, Annabel's, as well as fashionable London restaurants including The Ivy, J Sheekey and 34 Mayfair.

And the king of Mayfair is now adding to his fine dining establishments, as he turns a former Porsche showroom into a new Greek and Italian restaurant called Bacchanalia.

Bacchanalia was a festival of sex, drugs and rocknroll, Mr Caring told The Times, explaining how the title in Greco-Roman religion was given to any of the several festivals of Bacchus (Dionysus), the wine god.

Meanwhile, Mr Caring is moving Marks Club, an aristocratic hotspot that counts David Cameron as an honorary member, a few doors up from where it sits now near Berkeley Square, where Sir Winston Churchill spent part of his childhood, and another new club, Isabellas will be opened next to it.

Hes got seven popular restaurants in glitzy Mayfair already up-and-running - yet Richard Caring (pictured in 2018) is expanding his vast empire to include two new eateries

Bacchanalia, which is reportedly set to open sometime this year on Mount Street, will include a members-only section, as well as a public restaurant and a private dining room, plus a terrace for alfresco food and drink.

The capitals elite will be offered a menu that will apparently include grilled octopus and stuffed porchetta, washed down with Gaia and Sassicaia wines.

Bacchanalias theme seems to have been partly influenced by a Vanity Fair piece from 2018 illustrating the dark side of Silicon Valleys hedonism, according to the publication.

An image the magazine used for the article - a Roman orgy painting updated with 21st-century features - will be added to one of the walls of the restaurant.

There will also be a huge Damien Hirst sculpture of winged lovers hugging on a unicorn float, as well as four other pieces from the renowned artist.

The hospitality mogul, 73, owns the nation's most famous private members' club, Annabel's (pictured), as well as fashionable London restaurants including The Ivy, J Sheekey and 34 Mayfair

Mr Caring has been dubbed the last king of Mayfair - after other Mayfair restaurateurs such as Marlon Abela, former owner of Mortons and the Square, have gone - and Berkeley Square branded Caring Court. Sexy Fish (pictured) sits on the southeastern corner - a Japanese-inspired seafood restaurant thats a favourite with celebrities

Next up is Harrys Bar (pictured), which includes a menu full of unfussy Italian classics. On the 40th anniversary of the restaurant in 2021, celeb guests included David Walliams, Guy Ritchie and Matteo Bocelli

34 Mayfair (pictured), of Grosvenor Square, describes itself as a a modern grill restaurant and its fans include the Duchess of Cornwall, Kate Moss and Simon Cowell

Sistine Chapel-style frescoes will engulf the ceilings, while ancient statues from Christies and Sothebys have been bought to add to the decor.

Discussing his budget for the project, Mr Caring said: I have a number in my head, but Im not sure were going to hit it.

When we buy real art, I dont count that in the cost. As long as you dont buy it stupidly, you can always get your money back.

Mr Caring has been dubbed the last king of Mayfair - after other Mayfair restaurateurs such as Marlon Abela, former owner of Mortons and the Square, have gone - and Berkeley Square branded Caring Court.

Sexy Fish sits on the southeastern corner - a Japanese-inspired seafood restaurant thats a favourite with celebrities. Then theres Marks Club which is being moved, while Isabellas, named after his eldest daughter, will lie next to the revamped place.

Annabels is in the centre of Mr Carings empire. The exclusive venue has witnessed the comings and goings of the creme de la creme of British society  with Princess Diana visiting for the hen night of Sarah, Duchess of York.

The Queen also visited for the 70th birthday of her friend the Countess of Airlie in 2003.

Elsewhere, on Mount Street, customers will also find Scotts (pictured), a fish restaurant which was popular with James Bond author Ian Fleming

George (pictured) is found opposite Scotts. Founded in 2001, the contemporary private Members' Club features a restaurant and bar, and canopied decking outside, overlooking Mount Street

A flamboyant figure, Mr Caring paid 150,000 in 2019 to dine with Boris Johnson at his own venue, Mark's Club (pictured)

In 2018, Mr Caring spent around 65million moving Annabel's which was opened in 1963 by Mr Birley and named after his wife Lady Annabel Goldsmith  to a Grade I-listed townhouse two doors down on Berkeley Square.

Annabel's opened its doors at its new address of 46 Berkeley Square in 2018. The club occupies 26,000 sq ft and offers members space to work, dine and entertain.

Its 7,000 members pay 3,250 a year on top of a 1,750 joining fee - and the waiting list to join is said to be made up of 5,000 people at least.

Members are said to be informally ranked from elephants - the most important, to ostriches, the guests that make people want to bury their head in the sand when they walk on by.

100 legacy members pay upwards of 100,000 for lifetime access - and the memberships are tradable. One recently sold for 250,000.

Elsewhere, on Mount Street, customers will also find Scotts, a fish restaurant which was popular with James Bond author Ian Fleming.

George is found opposite Scotts. Founded in 2001, the contemporary private Members' Club features a restaurant and bar, and canopied decking outside, overlooking Mount Street.

Richard Caring, Goldie Hawn, Lady Shakira Caine and Sir Michael Caine in London in 2016

Tatiana Kharchylava, Richard Caring and Patricia Caring at Annabel's Christmas lights switch on in 2021

The king of Mayfair is now adding to his fine dining establishments, as he turns a former Porsche showroom into a new Greek and Italian restaurant called Bacchanalia. Pictured, Joan Collins and Mr Caring in 2011

The menu features classic brasserie dishes with both British and international influences and the Clubs walls are hung with works by David Hockney.

Next up is Harrys Bar, which includes a menu full of unfussy Italian classics. On the 40th anniversary of the restaurant in 2021, celeb guests included David Walliams, Guy Ritchie and Matteo Bocelli.

Last but not least, 34 Mayfair, of Grosvenor Square, describes itself as a a modern grill restaurant and its fans include the Duchess of Cornwall, Kate Moss and Simon Cowell.

Mr Caring's empire also includes the Bill's chain of restaurants - however that hasn't proved as successful as the businessman's other ventures.

In 2021, it was announced the company has closed 14 loss-making restaurants during the previous financial year as cost pressures forced it to re-evaluate its performance.

The business generated turnover of 62million in 2020, compared to 127million in 2019, according to BigHospitality.

Meanwhile, in the US, Mr Caring has launched the first overseas branch of Sexy Fish in Miami.

Meanwhile, in the US, Mr Caring (pictured with Andrea Bocelli in 2016) has launched the first overseas branch of Sexy Fish in Miami

Mr Caring (pictured with Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber) started his career in clothing, before buying the Caprice Holdings group for 31.5million in 2005 to start his restaurant business

In 2019, the Daily Mail revealed that Mr Caring sold 25 per cent of his empire to the former prime minister of Qatar for 200million. The deal valued his business at a 'staggering' $1billion (800million).

It gives the former Qatari prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani  known as HBJ  the option to buy a further 25 per cent of the group, depending on its performance.

A flamboyant figure, Mr Caring paid 150,000 in 2019 to dine with Boris Johnson at his own venue, Mark's Club. He made the donation to the Conservatives during their fundraiser at the Hurlingham Club in Fulham, south-west London, where he sat next to then-prime minister Theresa May.

Mr Caring started his career in clothing, before buying the Caprice Holdings group for 31.5million in 2005 to start his restaurant business.

In 2020, Mr Caring pledged to feed thousands of NHS workers and the critically vulnerable by opening up the kitchens of his restaurants.

Mr Caring, together with his wife Patricia and The Caring Foundation, said they wanted to help feed those in need during this tunnel of darkness.

Some 5,000 meals a week were made in Annabels four kitchens and distributed to staff at London hospitals including the Chelsea & Westminster, West Middlesex University Hospital, St Thomas and St Marys.

He also partnered with The Felix Project  Londons biggest food redistribution charity  to help feed 20,000 isolated elderly people, families with no income and NHS workers.
A glamorous bar worker has revealed that she was too embarrassed to leave her home for four days when she was left looking like Quasimodo, after falling 10 feet from a VIP booth while cheering on a male strip show.

Courtney Doran, 23, originally from Bergen County, New Jersey, was on a night out enjoying the show from the top of a booth at Barley House in Cleveland, Ohio, when she lost her balance while hugging a friend.

Courtney claims that she fell 10 feet onto the dancefloor, landing on her head, which caused the skin around her eyebrow to balloon and swell.

The aspiring fashion designer took a week off work following the incident, however it took a full three weeks for the swelling to completely clear up

Courtney, who moved to Cleveland in July, says she'd been at her workplace for around an hour and had drunk a few vodka mixers before the accident. Her hospital CAT scan confirmed she'd escaped concussion, so she was given an ice pack and returned home within a couple of hours

Immediately it looked like she had grown a second forehead, with a 'hard' purple bump bulging from her face.

Courtney documented her injury from hospital that night, 21st January, and friends were quick to make the reference to The Hunchback of Notre Dame character Quasimodo, who is known for his facial disfigurements.

A viral video shot at Courtney's hospital bedside shows her laughing as she moans her cartoon-like bump is getting in the way of her love life.

Courtney's TikTok videos of her showing her second forehead bruise have now gone viral, with over 2 million views and many users playfully mocking her new look.

Courtney, originally from Bergen County, New Jersey said: 'It was really hard. Like a knot. One of the first things one of my colleagues said was that I look like Quasimodo, so I found that funny.'

Friends were quick to make the reference to The Hunchback of Notre Dame character Quasimodo, who is known for his facial disfigurement

One joked: 'Quasimodo casting is getting a little too serious. Props for taking the role seriously.'

Another added: 'Are you okay? Because you've kind of got a forehead sticking out of your forehead.'

Courtney, from Bergen County, New Jersey said: 'It was really hard. Like a knot. One of the first things one of my colleagues said was that I look like Quasimodo, so I found that funny.

'I noticed people on TikTok thought that too, but I've got a good sense of humour so I haven't taken anything to heart.

A viral video shot at Courtney's hospital bedside shows her laughing as she moans her cartoon-like bump is getting in the way of her love life

'I first saw the bump on my phone and my friends started taking pictures of me. They were laughing but they were concerned too.

'We were just sitting on the booth. We went to hug, lost balance and then fell off the side. We'd had a few drinks by this point.

'I kind of saw my life flash before my eyes as I fell and realised this wasn't going to be good. I landed on my face but I just bounced back up because I didn't want to take any attention off the show.

Courtney says that she has a good sense of humour and hasn't taken to heart any of the comments that have been made about her new appearance on TikTok

'The show stopped and people helped me up. I tend to try and downplay everything, but my colleagues said I needed to go to the hospital immediately. My eye was swelling up really badly.

'I thought it would go down that night, but they said it would take a couple of weeks. I thought the nurses would drain it or something, but luckily I wasn't in that much pain.

'There was a guy I was seeing and I was going to go back to his, but this ruined that. This definitely wasn't in my plans.

Courtney claimed that whilst out in public, people on the street recognise her as 'the girl with the eye.' She tried to cover the bruise with make-up and created a smoky eye on the other side to match

'I landed on my face but I just bounced back up because I didn't want to take any attention off the show.'

'I stayed in my house for four days and was just ordering food to the house. When I went out, I put make-up over it. I still had a purple bruise but I did a smoky eye on the other side to match it.

'When I go out in public people recognise me on the street, saying, "Oh my god, there's the girl with the eye". They ask how I'm doing.'

Courtney, who moved to Cleveland in July, says she'd been at her workplace for around an hour and had drunk a few vodka mixers before the accident.

Her hospital CAT scan confirmed she'd escaped concussion, so she was given an ice pack and returned home within a couple of hours.

The aspiring fashion designer took a week off work following the incident, however it took a full three weeks for the swelling to completely clear up.

Barley House have been contacted for comment.
A mother has slammed the midwives who took care of her pregnancy who she claims mistakenly told her the baby was 'dying' and recommended termination.

Harriett Blakey, 27, a director from Lincolnshire, fell pregnant with her daughter Poppy, now 15 weeks old, in March 2021 and was overjoyed to be starting a family with her partner, Jamie.

In May, the pair went to a scan and the midwife told them that she had no concerns and that the baby was active with a strong heartbeat.

But just a few days later, she attended another scan with her local hospital to officially register her pregnancy  but says there was trouble finding the foetus.

Harriett Blakey, 27, a director from Lincolnshire, fell pregnant with her daughter Poppy, now 15 weeks old, in March 2021 and was overjoyed to be starting a family with her partner, Jamie

Pictured with baby Poppy and partner Jamie, Harriett went to register her pregnancy days after her 12-week scan - only to be told by midwives that there was trouble finding the foetus

'The sonographer appeared to be struggling to find the baby and so she pressed into my stomach even harder, causing me a lot of pain,' Harriett said.

'The baby wasn't active like they normally are and was curled up at the bottom of my uterus.

'Abruptly, she told me there was a problem and asked me if I wanted to call my partner.

'I told her my baby was fine and that she didn't need to be so negative.'

Harriet was told there was a problem and asked if she wanted to call her partner not long after getting scanned (baby Poppy pictured as a newborn)

Harriett, pictured with Jamie and Poppy after the birth, said she was told by a senior midwife that the baby had nuchal translucency thickness which is fluid under the skin

Harriett began to feel sick and wanted to go home but was asked to stay and speak with a senior midwife, who explained that the baby had nuchal translucency thickness (fluid under the skin).

It was much higher than average levels, indicating a 'serious problem'.

She claims: 'She showed me a scan picture and pointed to the black area on my baby, and said the fluid shouldn't be there and is an indication of a serious problem.

'I was spoken to as if my baby had already died.

Harriett claims that she was shown a scan picture that had a black area on the baby (pictured during pregnancy)

Pictured: the scan image of Poppy that Harriett was given after being told her baby was unwell

'I asked her if there was hope but she couldn't comment.

'I felt like I was lulled into a place of giving up. I was heartbroken, devastated and in a state of disbelief.'

Harriett requested a second scan, which confirmed that the fluid was very thick.

She claims to then have been given a leaflet titled: 'Dealing with grief after terminating a baby with abnormalities' but couldn't bear to open it.

The expectant mum was also allegedly told that it was unlikely her baby would survive.

Harriett said: 'I sat waiting for three hours for my partner to come home, then had to break his heart too.

The 27-year-old claims to have been given a leaflet titled 'Dealing with grief after terminating a baby with abnormalities' but says she couldn't bear to open it

Harriett said: 'I sat waiting for three hours for my partner to come home, then had to break his heart too (pictured, Poppy)

The mother from Lincolnshire says she cried and grieved for a person who had died, explaining that the experience with the midwives made her forget the baby still had a heartbeat

'I cried and grieved for a person who had died  I forgot the baby had a heartbeat and was still wiggling around.'

Harriett called the hospital to ask for help but claims she was told there was nothing they could do over the weekend, so decided to take matters into her own hands.

After scouring the web for answers, she found a test that could tell her more about her baby's genetics and booked in with a private practice in London to have a full set of tests.

She also had a third scan, which later confirmed that her baby had Down's syndrome.

She said: 'On the scan, our baby looked wonderful.

'Hands and feet waving, strong and consistent heartbeat  everything was looking just like a baby should.

Harriet scoured the web for answers and found a test that could tell her more about her baby's genetics and booked in with a private practice in London to have a full set of tests

On her third scan, which later confirmed that her baby had Down's syndrome. She said: 'On the scan, our baby looked wonderful. Hands and feet waving, strong and consistent heartbeat  everything was looking just like a baby should'

'We fell in love and although the nuchal translucency was thick, the doctor told me this didn't matter.

'Two days later, we received results that confirmed our baby to be a girl, with Trisomy 21.'

Trisomy 21, otherwise known as Down's syndrome, is a genetic condition caused by an extra chromosome.

At this point, Harriett felt at her lowest and worried about facing her family and friends if she were to terminate the pregnancy.

She said: 'I was embarrassed  I felt like I had failed to make a baby properly.'

Harriett contemplated terminating her pregnancy but ultimately decided against it.

She said the private doctors in London told her that the fluid under Poppy's skin was thick but 'this didn't matter', and two days later, they received results that confirmed the baby to be a girl and that she had Down's syndrome

However, at 28 weeks, another issue was detected: the baby had a blockage in her bowel, a condition called duodenal atresia, often associated with Trisomy 21.

It means she couldn't eat or digest amniotic fluid as normal, and it was also found she has a heart defect.

Harriett said: 'This was my first baby and I couldn't believe it was such a disaster.'

Once again turning to the internet for help, the budding mum found a specialist at St Thomas Hospital in London, who helped to 'regain her faith in the pregnancy'.

Harriett said: 'The specialist took a personal interest in T21 and placental function. He was an expert in his field and he taught me about my unborn baby and my body.

'Every scan was a science lesson. He was magnificent.'

The specialist's new scans, which confirmed that Harriet would be unable to give birth naturally due to the health risks associated with too much amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios).

Her baby was also presenting breech, so when signs of labour started, an emergency C section was performed on 2 November 2021.

Her baby was also presenting breech, so when signs of labour started, an emergency C section was performed on 2 November 2021

Harriett added: 'My little girl Poppy was born and operated on at 17 hours old to remove the blockages'

Harriett added: 'My little girl Poppy was born and operated on at 17 hours old to remove the blockages.

'After seven days the second operation excelled her recovery and she is now a beautiful, happy baby.

'I have been unlucky in some of the care I have received and I know I shouldn't have been offered termination before diagnosis.

'I shouldn't have had to do this alone  but I am proud to say that she deserved a chance.

'To say I am in love with my daughter is an understatement. She is cherished every minute of the day.

'I know what I almost lost and she deserves so much love and warmth because she is so special.

'I have been unlucky in some of the care I have received and I know I shouldn't have been offered termination before diagnosis,' Harriett said. 'I shouldn't have had to do this alone  but I am proud to say that she deserved a chance'

The mother from Lincolnshire says that she wishes people would see that she is 'not trying to burden the economy' with having a disabled child, but 'simply having a baby'

'I wish people would see that we are not trying to burden the economy with disabled children  we are simply having a baby.

'I wish we could be left to enjoy our pregnancies, rather than being chucked down care pathways and stopped at every trimester to check if we would like a termination.

'Poppy is a gift, not a burden to me. I often think "what if"  I feel sick at the thought of what I almost gave up on.

'She has made me the happiest I've ever been and, although we've had a rocky start with her, she has been worth every single tear.

'My daughter has such a charismatic little personality  she looks so deep sometimes, like she's reading my soul.

'I look at Poppy and cannot believe the fight she put up to be here today.

'You can see she means business  nothing stops her and nobody can get in her way.'
Princess Charlene of Monaco is doing much better, according to Prince Albert, who said he hopes his wife will be back in the principality very soon.

The mother-of-two, who turned 44 in January, 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.

Speaking to local newspaper Monaco-Matin on Thursday, Albert, 63, said: Princess Charlene is doing much better, and I hope she will be back in the principality very soon.

The princes comment comes three weeks after the most recent palace update, which described Charlenes recovery as continuing in a satisfying and very encouraging way.

However the statement also added that her stay at the treatment facility would still take several weeks.

Princess Charlene of Monaco is doing much better, according to Prince Albert (pictured together), who said he hopes his wife will be back in the principality very soon

Prince Albert, Princess Caroline of Hanover, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco appear on the palace's balcony during the Sainte Devote Celebrations in Monaco on January 27, 2022

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.

Charlene's recuperation was 'currently progressing satisfactorily and very encouragingly', the palace said in a statement in January.

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.

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.

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.

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

The mother-of-two (pictured), who turned 44 in January, 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

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.

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.'

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

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.
A former police lieutenant-turned-OnlyFans star, who claimed she was 'shamed' out of her job after her colleagues found her naked photos and spread them around the force, is now using her old uniform, handcuffs, and baton to pose in sexy snaps for the adult-content site.

Melissa Williams, 46, from Colorado, first launched her OnlyFans account in May 2020, sharing photos of herself with her husband - whose name has been hidden for privacy reasons - in an attempt to spice up the couple's sex life and destress from her high-pressure and often dangerous job.

The mom-of-two, who worked as a police officer for 28 years, said her colleagues soon discovered her sultry photos, made fun of her for them, shared them with her entire office, and told her boss - and she was ultimately pushed her out of her role and paid $30,000 to resign.

Despite being upset at how she was treated at first, Melissa - who is now working full-time as an OnlyFans star and making thousands a month - has no regrets about switching up her career.

Melissa, who often poses in her old work gear, said she is happy she can now wear her 'uncomfortable' uniform 'exactly how she wants.' She said as a police officer, her bra was often 'too tight' due to the protective vest she had to wear underneath, but now, her 'boobs can finally breathe.'

A former cop-turned-OnlyFans star, who claimed she was 'shamed' out of her job by her colleagues, is now using her old uniform, handcuffs, and baton to pose in sexy snaps

Melissa Williams left the force in August 2021, after her coworkers found out that she was working as an OnlyFans creator. She is pictured as a police officer (left) and on OnlyFans (right)

Now, the mom-of-two, 46, from Colorado, said she is happy she can wear her uniform - which she said used to be 'uncomfortable' and 'too tight' - 'exactly how she wants to'

'I can wear the uniform exactly how I want to now,' the model  who goes by the alias Lexi Bella online - told Jam Press.

Melissa said as a police officer, her bra was often 'too tight' due to the protective vest she had to wear underneath, but now, her 'boobs can finally breathe'

'My bra was always too tight before, especially with my protective vest on under my uniform. I just really couldn't be at all girly in that job.

'The uniform was really uncomfortable and rugged. It weighed 20 pounds.

'With this line of work my boobs can finally breathe and I can wear sexy Victoria's Secrets underwear underneath.

'And no more sweat rashes from the trousers  I've swapped them for a thong, and I've never felt sexier.

'I see myself in a different light. I'm a sexy, beautiful woman. Now every time I put the uniform on, I know I'm going to have fun.'

Melissa, who hit the headlines earlier this month after revealing that some of her former colleagues had asked her for a discount to subscribe to her OnlyFans page, said her followers love the 'police look.'

The mom admitted that she does get some cheeky requests though.

Free: The model added that she is happy to have swapped her pants - which often left her with 'rashes' - for a thong, allowing her to feel 'much sexier' and 'see herself in a different light'

Melissa added that now, every time she puts the uniform on, she 'knows she's going to have fun.' She is pictured as a police officer (left) and on OnlyFans (right)

Melissa said: 'Ive arrested hundreds of people with these handcuffs but I definitely get just as much use out of them now'

'It's such a contrast to my experience as a lieutenant where most of the time, men who I pulled over were upset and agitated with me. Now I'm making people happy,' she explained

She said: 'I get all kind of requests and messages. Some people clearly have a copper fantasy, saying things like, "I wish you could pull me over and arrest me." Someone else asked me to frisk them.

Melissa first launched her OnlyFans account in May 2020, sharing photos of herself with her husband - whose name has been hidden for privacy reasons

'A lot of people ask for photos of me with the handcuffs; Ive had men requesting my ankles be handcuffed and my feet tickled.

'Ive arrested hundreds of people with these handcuffs but I definitely get just as much use out of them now! I do sanitize them after every use though.

'The same goes for the baton; it's as much of a prop now as it was when I was in the force.

'Others ask for specific pictures or videos of me in my uniform.

'It's such a contrast to my experience as a lieutenant where most of the time, men who I pulled over were upset and agitated with me.

'Now I get the perks of being in uniform and I'm making people happy.

'I love talking to people and getting to know men on my site. I just try to be a real person and interact with everyone. It's all very flattering.'

Last month, Melissa revealed that some of the same people who had judged her for her side gig later reached out and asking if they could see some of her sexy snaps for a cheaper price - or even for free.

She started it an attempt to spice up the couple's sex life and destress from her high-pressure and often dangerous job. She is pictured with her husband

The mom-of-two said her colleagues discovered her sultry photos and told her boss - and she was pushed her out of her role. She is pictured as a police officer (left) and on OnlyFans (right)

The situation wreaked havoc on Melissa's mental health, and she was signed off with stress and anxiety for 12 weeks by a doctor in August 2021, who then recommended she not return

'Ive seen messages on my Instagram from former male colleagues saying things like, "Oh I was your favorite, can you send me something for free?"' she explained to Jam Press at the time.

'Others have asked if I do a discount for law enforcement? The answer is just no.

'Its interesting to me that I had just a handful of co-workers reach out in support during all of this and now some of those who were gossiping about me and spreading rumors are the ones asking for free photos and subscriptions.

'While I was out on a mental health leave [prior to leaving my job], I received calls from colleagues alerting me that false rumors were being spread about me. I felt that my character and leadership was being shred.'

The cat was let out of the bag about Melissa's secret extra-curricular activities in August 2021, when her superior received an anonymous tip about it.

Soon after, Melissa claimed she was sent an official complaint via email - which left her 'shocked and panicked' about the 'two parts of her life colliding.'

She then discovered that several of her colleagues had signed up to her page so that they could 'investigate her conduct,' and they shared her images around the entire local force and jail staff.

The situation wreaked havoc on Melissa's mental health, and she was signed off with stress and anxiety on August 23, 2021, for 12 weeks by a doctor. He then recommended that she not return to her old job.

Since sharing her story online, Melissa has seen her fan base soar into the thousands  and she's also gotten 100's of supportive responses from other law enforcement officials

Melissa revealed that some of the same people who judged her for her side gig later reached out and asking if they could see some of her sexy snaps for a cheaper price - or even for free

Now, the former police lieutenant is working full-time as an OnlyFans creator and makes thousands of dollars a month. She is pictured as a police officer (left) and on OnlyFans (right)

Since sharing her story online, Melissa has seen her fan base soar into the thousands  and while some of the messages she's received have been negative, she's also gotten 100's of supportive responses from other law enforcement officials.

Melissa explained last month: 'Other male colleagues have messaged to say they didnt have OnlyFans before but they wanted to support me and told me to keep doing what Im doing.

'A woman I worked with wrote a message saying: "Just checking in to see how you are doing. You were the best leader I had and still one of my role models in law enforcement."

'Another told me I was making a positive impact for all women and I shouldnt let the negativity bring me down.

'The support really has been overwhelming and it means so much. Its made me feel like Im not a terrible person.

'I was so worried about this all coming out and I never wanted it to but so much of it has been positive.'
Former Ms Great Britain, April Banbury, has spoken out about how she is taking a break from dating after men ghost her or get tired of waiting to sleep with her.

The 32-year-old beauty queen from Hertfordshire told Fabulous that she never gets chatted up, and that on the rare occasion she finds someone she likes, he usually disappears by date number four.

April said: 'I've been on more than 100 dates now and I'm done.'

April refuses to be messed around by men and stands her ground, not jumping into bed with them straight away

The former Ms Great Britain says that she is taking a break from dating to focus on her career; she has designed the national costume for the Miss Universe competition for the second year running

Despite her gorgeous award winning looks, April reveals that she turned to online dating because men never approach her.

To add insult to injury, April is a wedding dress designer, and is frequently asked why she's not married.

Unfortunately, April went on to explain that there has been a whole array of 'horror' dates and red flags, including one man who couldn't stop sneezing throughout their evening together.

Instead of using a tissue, he kept wiping his nose with the back of his hand, leaving April to make her excuses.

Another date was constantly on business calls during their date, leaving April feeling like she was 'having dinner with myself.'

When she said she didnt want to see him again, he blocked her number.

Then one bold man tried his luck on the way home from their first date with a text book excuse.

The 32 year old beauty queen from Hertfordshire said that she never gets chatted up and any men she has liked has disappeared by date number four

April thought he was dropping her off in a taxi, but he jumped out when they reached her home and said he ndeed to use the toilet.

'I knew what his intentions were and I would not let him in for a wee. He just assumed he was coming back with me to my place! Red flag.'

There was another who was rude to a waiter and one who April found chatting up a girl at the bar when she returned from the Ladies.

Another date took her to the pub and 15 of his friends turned up, prompting him to whip out his phone to show them articles about April, saying: Yeah Im on a date with Ms GB.

April was crowned Ms Great Britain 2020, a beauty contest for women aged 28 and over.

April and her male flat mate have a code they use when either of them goes out on a date, which includes gluten free bread and a fake cat

She refuses to be messed around by men and stands her ground, not jumping into bed with them straight away.

This means she suffers from what she calls the 'fourth date curse, meaning that men usually ghost her if they've not slept together.

She went on to explain that she likes to get to know someone first, and it's just not in her nature to have sex after a handful of dates.

The one time April brok her rule, the connection quickly fizzled out, and she was left 'feeling used.'

When she has liked someone and hinted at something more serious, April says the guys get scared off and disappear.

'Sometimes men Google me before the date and then discuss what they found online. He was showing off to his mates saying Yeah Im on a date with Ms GB.

Another red flag for April, that she's found is the number of men openly dating multiple women at the same time.

Personally, she prefers to just date one person at a time, nor not at all.

However, although April is quitting online dating for now, she's found a new love - herself.

Her career is her priority and she has designed the national costume for the Miss Universe competition for the second year running with requests to design and create dresses for the pageant community.
Anyone whod cancel George Washington is an enemy within By Selwyn Duke

web posted February 21, 2022 There are different ways to identify an enemy within, but one is quite simple. Anybody whod cancel George Washington should be considered a fifth-column member fit only for scorn and ostracism. Weve seen attacks upon Washington take many forms, with San Franciscos 2021 decision to rename a school bearing our first presidents name a prime example. Its a red flag because it reflects hatred of Americas very foundation, of everything she truly represents. George Washington is unlike any other American figure. His arch rival, King George III, knew this well. Responding to news that with the Revolutionary Wars conclusion, Washington would relinquish power and return to his farm, the monarch exclaimed , "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." But Washington did do that  twice. Though the story about him being offered the kingship of America is exaggerated, that sentiment did exist  and Washington rejected the proposal unreservedly. He also not only resigned his military commission after the war, but also resisted entreaties to seek a third term as his second one as president was concluding. Moreover, his noble conduct during the Newburgh affair in 1783 inspired Major General David Cobb, who served as aide-de-camp to General Washington, to say in 1825 that he believed these United States are indebted for their republican form of government solely to the firm and determined republicanism of George Washington. This greatest man in the world was a giant, figuratively and literally. Standing about six feet tall, he exceeded his days average height significantly and mustve been an imposing figure. Yet this paled in comparison to his moral stature. Just consider Washingtons  Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour IN COMPANY AND CONVERSATION ; 110 in number, he copied them into the last 10 pages of a book of his personal notes before he was 16 years old. This reflects how Washington really did try to cultivate virtue in himself (virtue being that set of objectively good moral habits). Its an example people certainly need today, too, in our age of moral laxity where If it feels good, do it has become a common creed and weve lost sight of how virtue in the people is a prerequisite for enjoying liberty. Speaking of morality, I wont even address the politically correct charges incessantly leveled against Washington (though an interesting video that does so follows this article). This is for two reasons. First, our modern compulsion to issue disclaimers about how our country or this or that historical figure wasnt perfect is tiresome. Would you feel compelled to precede a tribute to your mother with a little speech about how she wasnt perfect, followed by an enumeration of her supposed sins? Its stupid, to be frank. Perfection is not a thing of this world. Its a thing of Heaven. It also is not a prerequisite for admiration or hero status. Additionally, such disclaimers are often self-serving. The subtle message sometimes is, I want to signal that Im a good person, too good to praise my country or its historical figures without pointing out how it or they paled in comparison to our enlightened beneficence. Second, leftists are notorious for claiming that everything is relative, and they certainly dont spew venom at the Aztecs for having engaged in wide-scale human sacrifice or at the 19th-century Papua New Guinea tribes that embraced cannibalism. But when at issue are the Founders, these relativists become quite absolutist in their condemnation of people who existed within an entirely different cultural context. This double standard reflects anti-white and/or anti-Western bigotry. We also should ask: Who are these leftists  these depraved, child-corrupting, angry, uncharitable, lying, often violent, baby-killing, civilization-destroying, illiberal miscreants  to look down their crooked noses morally on anybody? Heres some advice: Learn what boys and girls are before preaching to others about rectitude, chief. Unfortunately, George Orwell certainly wasnt far off when stating that the most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history. This obliteration is largely complete in the United States, as evidenced by how many Americans will condemn the father of our nation  and how many others feel no desire to defend him. For those interested, one man who did defend Washington, and the other Founders, is Professor Thomas Sowell. His defense is presented in the video below. Contact Selwyn Duke , follow him on MeWe , Spreely or Parler , or log on to SelwynDuke.com . Home
The story of how over 50 employees were tricked into working for a fake design agency during the pandemic has been told in a jaw-dropping new documentary.

BBC Three's Jobfished, which airs tonight at 9pm, sees journalist Catrin Nye investigate how dozens were hired by MadBird, a made-up company fronted by self-proclaimed 'influencer' Ali Ayad.

Despite claiming to have high-profile clients including Facebook and Samsung, the agency never existed - using fake employee profiles and stolen examples of work to appear legit.

The pretend company would hire employees on an unpaid probation period, where they would only receive commissions on sales before receiving a fixed salary after six months.

But before anyone could be paid, the company was exposed after all employees received a mysterious email from 'Jane Smith', claiming they had all victims of a massive scam.

In the documentary, graphic designer Chris Doocey, 27, from Cornwall, claimed he wracked up 10,000 of debt after working for the company for months for free.

BBC Three's Jobfished, which airs tonight at 9pm, sees journalist Catrin Nye investigate how dozens were hired by MadBird, a made-up company fronted by self-proclaimed 'influencer' Ali Ayad (pictured)

It revealed that one of the company founders, Dave Stanfield, had been fabricated using a stolen image and that the content on their website was stolen from other companies.

Catrin later discovered that other high-ranking members of the company had also been made up, with profiles using stock images sourced from the internet or social media pictures of real people.

She found that Mr Ayad, a Lebanese entrepreneur based in London who had hoards of followers on social media and had faked an appearance in GQ magazine, was the mastermind behind the scam.

Ali said he had previously worked at a Canadian company Sid Lee and US-based design agency Saco, both of which denied he ever worked there, and found he had faked his degree.

Chris Doocey, 27, from Cornwall, claimed he wracked up 10,000 of debt after working for the company for months for free

Meanwhile graphic designer Chris explained how he lost his job on the sales team of a Manchester-based company in March 2020.

After rigorously applying for new roles, he bagged an interview at MadBird.

'Each time you drop out of a process of a job application you lose a bit of hope each time', he explained.

He spoke with an Eastern European woman called Simona before chatting with Ayad, who he said was hugely invested in 'hustle culture'.

While the company never asked him for money, he spent months working for free while paying his bills and mortgage - claiming he racked up debts of around 10,000.

'To have gone months without pay working at MadBird, still paying off mortgage, paying off loans, it leaves you in this deep hole', he said.

Gemma Brett, 27, a graphic designer from west London had been working in the graphic design industry ever since leaving university, and described Mr Ayad as 'handsome' and charming.

'He very much had Tom Cruise energy', she said. 'If Elon Musk works 15 hours a day, he's gonna work 16 hours a day. He talked about Steve Jobs, he spoke about wanting to build the next Apple.'

Gemma explained how one of the 'most hard hitting moments' was discovering one of the employees named 'Nigel White' did not exist and that his company profile picture was a stock image from Getty.

Meanwhile Gemma Brett, 27, described how the conman 'very much had Tom Cruise energy' and spoke about 'wanting to build the next Apple'

Jordan Carter , 26, from Suffolk, gave up a paid position for a commission based job at MadBird, where he worked for six months contacting an estimated 10,000 people around the world

'It was such a brutal moment', she said. 'He had seemed to be a colleague I could connect with and I was looking forward to being friends with.

'I was basically catfished by someone pretending to be him which made it all seem quite sinister'.

Jordan Carter , 26, from Suffolk, gave up a paid position for a commission based job at MadBird, where he worked for six months contacting an estimated 10,000 people around the world.

'It was tough to be honest', he said. 'I wanted to apologise to everyone in LinkedIn I spoke to about something that isn't even real, trying to get money out of them.

'in my head I was like I've wasted six months where minimum wage would have got me 8,000 and I have nothing'.

Stephie Nkoy-Nyama, from east London, also quit a good job to join MadBird's sales team and spoke of her anger after realising the company was fake.

'The email had pdf evidence of how MadBird is fake, how they never worked with Samsung or Facebook or anything, just everything was fake.

She said: 'When I saw that I just thought am I a d***head. I've been here for two months working my a** off not getting paid, recruiting people to a fake company'.

The documentary also saw the journalist confront Mr Ayad, who had agreed to a sit down interview with the BBC but pulled out the day before, outside his west London home.

Caitrin asked him: 'Why did you make up a fake company and take advantage of people when they were at their most desperate?'

The documentary sees the journalist confront Mr Ayad, who had agreed to a sit down interview with the BBC but pulled out the day before, outside his west London home

After Catrin pointed out that it was a fake company which had used a pretend co-founder and stolen examples of work, he argued by saying it was 'not a fake company'

Mr Ayad was reluctant to speak with the journalist, eventually insisting: 'This is your version of the story, you don't know everything behind the story.

'You need to see two sides of the story there's always a different side to the story.'

'Do you know how badly you effected people with what you did?' asked Catrin, to which he replied: 'All I know is we created opportunity for people to work in the middle of Covid'.

After Catrin pointed out that it was a fake company which had used a pretend co-founder and stolen examples of work, he argued back by saying: 'It's not a fake company. What is a company, what is a fake company?'

'Will you say sorry for the fact that you lied?', she asked. 'Will you say sorry for the lies and time you wasted?'

'How do you know I did?', he said. 'This is what you do in the news, you point the finger at people.

'If I hurt people of course I'm sorry but there's another version of the story.'

After filming, the BBC reached out to Mr Ayad once again, who conceded that a 'couple of points' he was being accused of were true - but claimed the 'majority' of points raised against him were 'absurd and incorrect'.

Jobfished airs this evening on BBC Three at 9pm
Shaman Durek has revealed he 'asked King Harald' of Norway for Princess Martha Louise's hand in marriage - but is yet to propose because they're in 'no rush' to get married.

Martha Louise, the only daughter and elder child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, has been dating Shaman Durek  a Los Angeles-based 'spiritual guide and gifted healer' whose celebrity following includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Nina Dobrev and James Van Der Beek since 2019.

In an interview in Billed Bladet he said he 'does things in a respectful way', adding: 'I'm very old-fashioned in the way I do things. Therefore, I sat down with King Harald and Queen Sonja and asked for their daughter's hand in marriage. If they had said no, I would not have gone ahead with it.'

It comes after Martha Louise revealed she plans to move to California to be near her celebrity shaman boyfriend.

Shaman Durek has revealed he 'asked King Harald' of Norway for Princess Martha Louise's hand in marriage - but is yet to propose

Meanwhile he revealed how he plans to propose in an 'old-fashioned' way, adding: 'For it will take me far more time to be ready to create a marriage. I do not want to rush a wedding.

'It is a very sacred ceremony for me and the same goes for the moment when I propose. It must be perfect.'

Last year, MarthaLouise revealed she was moving to California to be closer to her boyfriend of two years. However, she said they are still living apart for now.

'We built our love on the dissident, on the friendship,' she said.

Martha Louise is the only daughter and elder child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway (pictured)

Martha Louise, the only daughter and eldest child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, told the Norwegian newspaper VG in April last year that she was planning on bringing her children  Maud Angelica, 18, Leah Isadora, 16, and Emma Tallulah, 13  with her to the U.S.

'Right now there is COVID and it is difficult to plan, but we plan to move with time.

'The children will, of course, join me. We will keep the home in Lommedalen anyway. We must have a home in Norway. We'll still be here a lot. We can not leave beautiful Norway completely,' she said.

Durek spent Christmas with Martha Louise and her daughters and bought the family and had bought the family tickets to Hawaii for a trip in February 2020, where he planned to propose.

Princess Martha -Louise previously revealed she plans to move to California to be near her celebrity shaman boyfriend. Pictured, the couple in an Instagram snap

But due to the pandemic, Martha Louise hasn't seen her boyfriend in months, and both the trip and the proposal haven't gone ahead.

'He was supposed to come over, but he hasn't been able to travel here, which totally crushed me. I went more into a depression, where I just couldn't cope,' she said.

In a candid interview with Vanity Fair last year, Martha Louise revealed her turmoil following the suicide of her ex-husband Ari Behn and revealed her upset that she and her boyfriend Shaman Durek Verrett were blamed for his death.

Princess Martha Louise and Ari Behn married in 2002 and have three children together Maud Angelica, 17, Leah Isadora, 15, and Emma Tallulah, 12.

Martha Louise, the only daughter and elder child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja was married to Ari Behn (pictured together). Ari took his own life on Christmas Day in 2019

On Christmas Day 2019, Ari, a well-known writer died by suicide aged 47.

Discussing the traumatic day, Martha Louise revealed they returned home from the Christmas morning church service to the news.

'They were saying that it was my fault and Durek's faultthat if it hadn't been for Durek, this wouldn't have happened. I was so lucky to have the support of Durek and my family and my friends all around us, but it's a void.

'Suddenly I was a single parent, which is a very different horse, and of course the grief, the anger, the self-pity, the sadness over never seeing him againit's devastating.'

Martha, who added that she 'never felt like a royal' also revealed she's discovered how racist Norwegian people can be since coupling up with Derek, who is of Norweigan, Indian and Haitian descent.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden has payed a sweet public tribute to her daughter Leonore to mark her eighth birthday.

Posting on Instagram, the mother-of-three, who lives in Florida, shared an adorable photograph of Princess Leonore, he first social media post of 2022.

She gushed about her daughter, who also has the title Duchess of Gotland, in the caption, writing: 'Happy Birthday to our strong and beautiful Leonore!'

Leonore has a striking resemblance to her mother in the heartwarming snap, wearing a white dress with pearl earrings.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden posted a tribute on Instagram to celebrate the eighth birthday of her daughter Leonore (pictured)

Princess Madeline gushed in the caption of the post about her daughter's strength and beauty

The eight-year-old has her hair styled in a relaxed off-centre parting with one side tucked behind her ear.

Royal fans went wild for the snap, which quickly racked up 26,000 likes and hundreds of comments from well-wishers around the world.

One person wrote: 'Congratulation Princess Leonore on her birthday. You are so like your mother in the picture'

Another said: 'Oh Congratulations Princess Leonore. Hope the day goes well'

A third added: 'Happy birthday, princess may God bless and keep you'

Leonore appears to have been outside when the photo was taken using natural lighting.

The eldest of Princess Madeleine and Christopher ONeills three children, she is currently ninth in line to the Swedish throne.

Despite the family currently living in Miami, Florida, Leonore was born in New York and holds dual American and Swedish citizenship.

Princess Madeleine last shared a photograph of her husband Christopher ONeill and their three children (pictured) on Christmas eve

She and her siblings Prince Nicolas, six, and Princess Adrienne, three, lost their Royal Highness style after King Carl XVI Gustaf removed the title and membership in the Royal House in 2019 to allow his grandchildren more freedom as they grow up.

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia's children were also affected by the change.

Following the official announcement, Princess Madeleine took to her Instagram page to state that the decision would give her children more control over their own lives.

Many well-wishers from around the world have been quick to comment 'happy birthday' to Leonore on Instagram

She posted a picture of herself with her three children next to a statement which read: 'This change has been planned for a long time.

'Chris and I think it is good that our children now have a greater opportunity to shape their own lives in the future as individuals.'

Princess Madeleine last took to Instagram with a photo of her husband and children on Christmas Eve 2021, while wishing their almost 300,000 followers well for the year ahead.

The family returned to the Royal Palace in Stockholm for the holidays, where they posed for a series of sweet snaps in front of an elegantly decorated Christmas tree.
Two women who learned from an Ancestry.com DNA test that they were switched at birth in 1964 are suing an Oklahoma hospital for the damaging mixup.

Tina Ennis and Jill Lopez, now 57, were both born at Duncan Physicians and Surgeons Hospital, on May 18, 1964  but somehow, they claim, each was handed off to the other's biological parents.

According to the Daily Beast, the two women and their families went 55 years without knowing the truth, until Ennis sent her DNA off to Ancestry.com and got some confusing results.

With some help from her daughter and a bit of internet sleuthing, Ennis tracked down Lopez, who took her own DNA test and confirmed that she is the actual biological daughter of Ennis' mother, Kathryn Jones.

Now Ennis, Lopez, and Jones are suing Duncan Regional Hospital (which merged with Duncan Physicians and Surgeons Hospital in 1975) for recklessness and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Two women who learned from an Ancestry.com DNA test that they were switched at birth in 1964 are suing an Oklahoma hospital for the damaging mixup (Tina Ennis pictured left, Jill Lopez pictured right)

The families had been none the wiser about the mixup until recently, and they are all struggling with the revelation.

Ennis, who works as a postal service carrier, said that she noticed that she was taller and thinner than her mother and two siblings, but Jones insisted she looked just like the man they believed was her biological dad, who had left when she was two.

Jones' father had also left when she was a child, and in 2019, Ennis took a DNA test to try to learn more about her grandfather.

But she was confused when the results came back, and her list of DNA relatives had names she didn't know  including Brister.

Jones didn't know the names either, so Ennis got her to take a DNA test as well.

When those results came back, they showed that the mother and daughter were not related to each other.

Assuming there was a mistake, Ennis called customer service  who told her, 'You know, you find out some interesting things on Ancestry.'

Ennis' 26-year-old daughter floated the idea that she was switched at birth and began digging online.

When she managed to find a woman nearby who was born on the same day  and, remarkably, looked a lot like Jones  Ennis sent her a message.

That woman, Lopez, took her own DNA test, which showed that Jones was her mother.

Tina Ennis (back left) got confusing Ancestry.com results, and after her mother, Kathryn Jones (bottom left) took her own test, they learned they were not biologically related

They discovered Jill Lopez (left), who was born the same day as Ennis. They realized right away she bore a striking resemblance to Jones (right). Lopez took a test that confirmed Jones is her biological mother

'My heart just sank [in that moment] because I was just like, "This is for real,"' Ennis said.

Jones didn't want to believe it at first, but when she saw a photo of Lopez, who works selling real estate, she initially thought it was an old photo of herself.

'Because she actually looked just like me,' Jones said. 'And it devastated me.'

Jones said one of the worst parts of the discovery was realizing that her grandchildren were not biologically hers, either.

'It was like somebody had ripped out a part of my heart,' Jones said. 'I just couldn't deal with it.'

Since then, Lopez has spent time with her biological mother, Jones. But Ennis has not been able to do the same, as her biological parents, Joyce and John Brister, have both passed away.

'Jill got to be with my real parents, and now she gets to be with my parents I grew up with,' Ennis lamented. 'I didnt know what to think about it at first, but the more I think about it, it makes me really sad.'

Together, Ennis, Lopez, and Jones have filed suit against Duncan Regional Hospital.

The hospital is fighting back, claiming that though it merged with the hospital where the two women were born, it is not the same one and is therefore not responsible.
A 19-year-old student had to have both of his legs and all 10 fingers amputated after developing life-threatening sepsis and gangrene caused by bacteria from eating leftover Chinese takeout.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the student, who was referred to by the publication only as JC, was admitted to the intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston last year, where doctors discovered that he was in shock and suffering from multiple organ failure.

JC had gotten sick after eating leftovers from an unnamed Chinese restaurant - which was purchased the night before and consisted of chicken, rice, and lo mein.

After eating the leftovers, he said he immediately began throwing up and developed chills, generalized weakness, shortness of breath, headache, blurry vision, and chest pain - and when his skin started to turn 'purple,' a friend who he was staying with at the time decided to take him to the emergency room.

A student, 19, had to get both of his legs and all 10 fingers amputated after eating leftover Chinese takeout - which had bacteria in it that caused him to develop sepsis

Are leftovers safe to eat? How to avoid bacteria and illness from your food Bacteria can grow quickly at room temperature, so it's important to store all leftovers in a fridge or freezer

You cant see, smell, or taste the bacteria that can make you sick. To protect against food poisoning, toss out food after three to four days in the fridge or move it to the freezer

All food should be heated to 156 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that all bacteria is killed

When microwaving leftovers, cover them with a lid or vented plastic wrap. Halfway through cooking, stir, rotate, or turn the food upside down. Let stand for a few minutes, and put a thermometer in different places to check the temperature

Source: WebMD Advertisement

The friend, who had also eaten the leftovers, revealed that he threw up only once shortly after, but then said he felt better.

Upon arriving at the hospital, doctors noted that JC appeared 'pale, anxious, and moderately distressed.' He had a fever of 105 degrees Fahrenheit and a heart rate of 166 beats per minute.

Over the next few hours, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that his breathing worsened - becoming 'labored' - and cyanosis, which is a bluish discoloration of the skin resulting from poor circulation or inadequate oxygenation of the blood, spread to his face, chest, abdomen, back, arms, and legs.

Despite giving him fluids through an IV and oxygen, JC continued to get sicker - with his blood pressure falling to 70 mm Hg and his pulse being described as 'weak.' He was transported by helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital.

Doctors diagnosed JC with sepsis - the body's extreme response to an infection - triggered by meningococcal disease.

According to PublicHealth.lacounty.gov, meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria and often spreads through saliva or air droplets that come out while coughing or sneezing.

Close contact (like kissing), living in the same household, or sharing utensils, food, or drinks, can also spread this germ.

The meningococcal disease had caused JC's liver to fail and his blood to clot.

He also developed gangrene - which is when tissue in the body dies due an infection or lack of blood flow.

JC had gotten sick after eating leftovers from an unnamed Chinese restaurant - which was purchased the night before and consisted of chicken, rice, and lo mein

The 19-year-old then had to have both of his legs amputated below the knee, along with all 10 of his fingers.

JC, who lives in the New England area with his mom and brother and worked part-time in a restaurant, told the hospital that he smoked two packs of cigarettes weekly and smoked marijuana daily.

He had only received one of three doses of the meningococcal vaccine.

JC received antibiotics and has reportedly made a full recovery. His case recently went viral after YouTuber Chubbyemu covered in it a video, which has now been viewed more than 900,000 times.

According to WebMD, bacteria can grow quickly at room temperature, so it's important to store all leftovers in a fridge or freezer. It is unclear how JC's leftovers had been stored before he consumed them.

Doctors diagnosed JC with sepsis - the body's extreme response to an infection - triggered by meningococcal disease. JC received antibiotics and has reportedly made a full recovery

'You cant see, smell, or taste the bacteria that can make you sick. To protect against food poisoning, toss out food after three to four days in the fridge or move it to the freezer,' it reported.

What is meningococcal disease? Meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria and often spreads through saliva or air droplets that come out while coughing or sneezing

Close contact (like kissing), living in the same household, or sharing utensils, food, or drinks, can also spread this germ

One out of every ten people will carry this germ without getting sick

Symptoms include high fever, stiff neck, confusion, rash, bad headache, nausea and vomiting, muscle pain, and more

Source: PublicHealth.lacounty.gov Advertisement

'While frozen leftovers are safe for a long time, they lose flavor and texture after three to four months. Always use airtight packaging or containers, and write down the date.'

The organization also noted that all food should be heated to 156 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that all bacteria is killed.

'While freezing can slow the growth of bacteria, it doesnt kill them. When you thaw leftovers, the bacteria may start growing again and make you sick. Thats why its important to reheat thawed leftovers the right way,' it continued.

'To kill dangerous bacteria, you need to heat food to 165 F. The best way to tell if it has reached that temperature is with a food thermometer.

'Put it in different places, especially the thickest or deepest part, because dishes can cook unevenly.

'Microwaves cook food from the outside in. This leaves cold spots where bacteria can grow.

'One study found that simply zapping a dish for 5 minutes didnt kill salmonella. To microwave safely, cover leftovers with a lid or vented plastic wrap.

'Halfway through cooking, stir, rotate, or turn the food upside down. Let stand for a few minutes, and put a thermometer in different places to check the temperature.'
King Felipe appeared in good spirits this evening as he made his first public appearance since he tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month.

The Spanish royal, 54, cut a suave figure in a stylish black suit with a navy tie as he stepped out alongside his wife Queen Letizia at Royal Theater in Madrid.

The mother-of-two opted for stylist black midi dress, which featured a ruffle detail and a skirt with a high leg slit across the thigh with matching accessories.

The event was the inaugural gala commemorating the acts of the centenary of the death of Antonio de Nebrija.

The couple appeared relaxed as they walked into the event alongside one another.

King Felipe appeared in good spirits this evening as he made his first public appearance since he tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month

The Spanish monarch stepped out alongside his wife Queen Letizia at Royal Theater in Madrid this evening

The couple attended the inaugural gala commemorating the acts of the V centenary of the death of Antonio de Nebrija

Putting safety first, Letizia and King Felipe opted to wear white face masks.

Queen Letizia donned her usual glamorous make-up underneath, opting for a warm peach coloured eye and subtle highlight.

Spain's King Felipe VI was vaccinated against the coronavirus. The 54-year-old monarch was tested for the virus after he developed 'mild symptoms' of COVID-19, his royal house said.

The Spanish royal household said King Felipe's 'overall health' was fine and he would remain in isolation for seven days, following national health protocols.

The couple shared a sweet moment as they stepped out for the event in Madrid this evening (pictured)

The mother-of-two opted for stylist black midi dress with a skirt with a high slit across the leg with matching accessories

Putting safety first following the monarch's recovery from Covid, Letizia and King Felipe both opted to wear white face masks

Felipe, 54, cut a suave figure in a stylish black suit with a navy tie as he stepped out while Letizia, 49, looked stunning in a chic black midi dress

The couple appeared relaxed as they walked into the event alongside one another this evenings in Madrid

The royal house confirmed on Wednesday that Queen Letizia has not shown any symptoms of the virus.

With 90 per cent of its population over age 12 years old having received at least two doses of a coronavirus vaccine, Spain is starting to roll back health restrictions as the latest surge driven by the omicron variant ebbs.

Queen Letizia had said during a royal engagement on February 11 that her husband was doing very well.

Journalists enquired about her husband's health, she said he was doing very well, according to Hola!

He spent the period isolating at their home, Zarzuela Palace,

King Felipe and Queen Letizia posed ahead of the inaugural gala commemorating the events of the V Centenary at the Royal Theatre this evening

Spain's King Felipe VI was vaccinated against the coronavirus. The 54-year-old monarch was tested for the virus after he developed 'mild symptoms' of COVID-19, his royal house said

The Spanish royal household said King Felipe's 'overall health' and he appeared in high spirits at the event this evening

Queen Letizia donned her usual glamorous make-up underneath her face mask, opting for a warm peach coloured eye and subtle highlight while she wore her brown tresses loose around her shoulders

Letizia was the picture of elegance in a black gown paired with matching heels and stylish clutch bag

While this event this evening marked King Felipe's first royal engagement in days, Queen Letizia has had a busy few weeks carrying out royal duties

While this event marked King Felipe's first royal engagement in days, Queen Letizia has had a busy few weeks.

Last week she chaired a meeting with the Governing Council of the Army Orphans Board, a private charity association which offers protection and support to the orphans of Army soldiers and the Common Defense Corps attached to it.

She cut a stylish figure in a recycled collarless coat from Carolina Herrera's A/W15 collection and straight-cut navy leather trousers, as the organisation marks their 150th anniversary.

Days earlier she visited the Proton Therapy center of the University Hospital Quironsalud, days after it was announced Felipe had contracted the virus.

It is part of a spate of positive Covid-19 tests across European royal families, with Prince Charles and Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, 81, also struck down.
Ivermectin does not prevent Covid patients from becoming severely ill, scientists have found.

The drug, used to treat head lice and scabies, has had a tumultuous history during the pandemic. It has been touted as a miracle remedy because numerous studies have suggested it can beat the virus.

But experts have criticised the experiments of the medication, which costs pennies, as being deeply flawed and unreliable and insist there's not enough evidence to say it has any benefit.

Now researchers in Malaysia have concluded ivermectin is ineffective at preventing hospitalised patients from becoming severely ill.

Medics from Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital analysed data from a randomised trial of ivermectin among 490 Covid patients between May and October 2021.

The patients were classified as suffering from mild to moderate levels of illness as a result of Covid, and about half were given the drug in an attempt to test if it helped them from becoming severely ill.

All patients were over the age of 50 and had comorbidities that made them more at risk from severe Covid infection.

Severe disease developed in 21.6 per cent of patients given ivermectin and in 17.3 per cent of those who received only standard care, the researchers said.

The researchers said their findings do not support the use of ivermectin for patients with Covid

Ivermectin as a Covid treatment has been championed by vaccine sceptic figures such as Laurence Fox, who pictured here used it when he was infected by Covid earlier this year. Mr Fox said he picked up a supply of the drug while on holiday in Mexico, where it is available 'over the counter'

What is ivermectin and can it REALLY treat Covid? What is Ivermectin? Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic drug developed during the 1970s. It has been prescribed billions of times worldwide and is listed as one of the World Health Organization's essential medicines list. What is it used for? Today the medication is prescribed for treating scabies, head lice and rosacea. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the UK health watchdog, recommends it should also be given for round worm infections. Can it REALLY treat Covid-19? The jury is out on whether it can treat Covid. The hype started early in the pandemic when ivermectin was shown to destroy the virus in lab studies. Several dozen trials have also indicated that the pills may have some value in the pandemic - either by using them on patients with Covid, or as a preventative. But, according to a BBC investigation last year, around a third of studies advocating ivermectin's use were seriously flawed or biased in some way, making the results unreliable. Reviews by health authorities in the US, UK and EU have found there is insufficient evidence for using the drug against Covid. The first double-blind, gold-standard clinical trial into ivermectin is currently being carried out in Oxford, as part of the PRINCIPLE trial. Definitive results on the drug are expected this year. Where can I get it? Ivermectin is already used in around 20 countries  including swathes of Latin America and parts of Europe, such as Greece, Bulgaria and Slovakia. In some countries, like Mexico, the drug is available over-the-counter, while in others it can be prescribed at doctors' discretion. In the UK, health watchdogs do not recommend any clinicians prescribe the drug but, as a safe and approved medicine, it can be obtained privately. Advertisement

They defined severe disease as requiring oxygen to help with breathing.

There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in rates of ICU admission, need for mechanical ventilation, or death, according to the study.

The researchers concluded that their findings do not support the use of ivermectin for patients with Covid.

However, both doctors and patients knew which group the patients had been assigned to, and this kind of 'open-label' trial design could have introduced bias, potentially overestimating the effect of the drug, the researchers said.

The results of the trial were published on Friday in the JAMA Internal Medicine.

The use of ivermectin to treat Covid is currently being investigated in a UK trial run by the University of Oxford. The researchers have said they do not want to comment until they have results to report.

Buzz around ivermectin as a potential Covid treatment and prophylaxis originated from a number of studies in mid-2021 which claimed the anti-parasitic medication killed the virus in the lab.

The results were hailed by some as a major breakthrough in the pandemic as ivermectin is a cheap and widely available medication.

However, a significant number of the initial studies were found to be inherently flawed or biased, casting doubts on the drug's effectiveness.

Subsequent reviews of the drug by UK and US health authorities have concluded there is, at this time, insufficient evidence for ivermectin as a potential Covid treatment.

But this hasn't stopped people from taking the drug if they can get it.

Most recently Covid jab sceptic Laurence Fox championed its use after getting infected with the virus earlier this year.

The controversial actor turned activist posted on social media how he was taking ivermectin to treat his Covid infection after acquiring the drug while on a trip to Mexico.

Ivermectin for humans can be purchased over-the-counter in a number of countries, but not in the UK or US, where a prescription is needed.

Animal versions of the medication, for example for treating horses, can be purchased more easily.

This led to some people taking animal ivermectin, something health authorities have urged people not to do as the dosage and composition of the drug for livestock is different and can lead to potentially serious health problems.

While the jury is currently out on if the drug works as a Covid treatment UK, researchers are soon set to shine light onto the subject.

Result from a 'gold standard', double-blind, clinical trial into ivermectin effectiveness on Covid patients by the University of Oxford is expected this year.

In humans, ivermectin is used to treat a variety of conditions caused by parasites such as scabies, head lice, and round worm infections.

Ivermectin was first developed for tropical medicine. Its commonly used to treat nasty parasitic infections, including onchocerciasis, or river blindness, which causes loss of vision and severe skin itching, and lymphatic filariasis, which causes the limb deformity elephantiasis.

It is also used in veterinarian medicine to treat similar parasitic conditions in livestock, hence it being somewhat tarred with the horse dewormer label.

But the drug has saved numerous lives developing countries since being introduced in the late 1970s  so much so, its on the World Health Organisations list of essential medicines.

However, as the organisms that cause most of the illnesses that ivermectin treats arent seen in the UK, the drug isnt as commonly used here.
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Covid cases in the U.S. are continuing to plummet, and health officials are reportedly discussing rolling out annual vaccine shots to keep the virus controlled long term.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering making a second booster shot - which would be a fourth shot overall for a vast majority of vaccinated Americans. Data is currently being reviewed regarding the shots, the Journal reports. While there are no guarantees, it is likely the FDA will authorize fourth shots for Americans in the future.

Regulators are also reportedly weighing whether this fourth booster will be the start of annual Covid-19 vaccinations.

It is not yet clear whether the annual shots would be mandated or not.

The news comes just days after an undercover reporter from Project Veritas allegedly caught an FDA executive on camera saying Covid boosters would become annual requirements and that the Biden administration has financial incentives for pushing the vaccine. Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe warned that the move posed 'serious ethical issues'.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the FDA is considering rolling out a fourth shot of the COVID-19 vaccines in the future, and is already reviewing data for the shots. Americans that are considered immunocompromised are already eligible for an additional booster dose per CDC guidelines. Pictured: A woman in Los Angeles, Florida, receives a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine

Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, has suggested since last year that it was likely there could be a fourth shot. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in January that these repeated shots would be necessary long-term to keep Covid under control. Israel, which has been ahead of the U.S. during its vaccine rollout, recently made fourth shots available to its elderly population as well.

Health experts and officials are now preparing for a 'post-pandemic' phase of Covid, where humans can live alongside the virus like they do the flu. Controlling the virus may require regular, annual, vaccine shots though.

Some Americans already can receive fourth vaccine doses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that immunocompromised Americans receive the additional shot to shore up protection against Omicron. While the Omicron variant poses little risk to the general population, some people with serious comorbidities are still at risk of severe infection if they do catch the virus.

There are fears that Americans will not be willing to continue receiving Covid vaccine doses, though, especially if they do not feel the virus is a major threat. Despite booster shots becoming available to the general population in late-September, uptake of the boosters did not peak until Omicron arrived in December.

The population waiting for Covid cases to spike, or waiting for a variant that is perceived to be more dangerous, to arrive before receiving additional shots is what opens the door to future variants and outbreaks.

A majority of eligible Americans did eventually get boosted. According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 70 percent of eligible Americans have received their booster dose.

Reports that an additional Covid jab could be on the way come as cases continue to plummet, as the Omicron variant-fueled surge is all but finished.

Daily Covid infections in the country have dipped to as low as 101,718 per day, a 43 percent drop from the 177,379 cases per day last week. While the holiday weekend could play a role in reduced case figures over the weekend, the current seven day drop in cases is consistent with previous data.

The mid-January peak of just under 800,000 cases per day is now over a month into the rear view, and cases since then have dropped a whopping 87 percent. Daily cases have basically returned to normal levels in the U.S., and are expected to fall even further.

Deaths, which often lag behind cases, are starting to come down as well but have not experienced the same massive plummeting that case rates did. The nation is averaging 2,165 Covid deaths every day, a seven percent fall over the past week. Deaths did not explode the same way cases did last month, though, as the relatively mild nature of Omicron meant that many people who contracted the virus were fine.

The low Covid mortality rate in America can be attributed to the country's successful vaccine rollout as well. According to official CDC data, 76 percent of Americans have received at least on vaccine dose and 65 percent are fully vaccinated. Vaccine uptake is high among adults in particular, with nearly 90 percent at least partially jabbed.

Falling Covid numbers has increased pressure of the White House and the CDC to lift remaining pandemic-related restrictions. The CDC still recommends masking in schools and other indoor public places despite many remaining states dropping restrictions.

Pressure is coming from abroad as well, as European nations start to declare the pandemic over and move back to a 'normal' life. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to lift the little remaining Covid restrictions soon - including isolation requirements for a positive test - this week.

Earlier this month, the nation removed many other restrictions like work from home orders, mask mandates and capacity restrictions on certain venues. A requirement for National Health Service employees to be vaccinated in order to stay on the job may be removed as well.

Proof of vaccination requirements at some venues will be dropped as well.

Covid cases are currently dropping in all 50 U.S. states over the past two weeks. Cases have slashed in half over that period in 44 states.

Nebraska is recording the largest drop of any state, with cases dropping 81 percent over the past two weeks. The Cornhusker state now has one of the nation's lowest infection rates, with 14 of every 100,000 residents testing positive for the virus every day.

The state with the lowest infection rate is Maryland, where only 12 of every 100,000 residents are testing positive daily. Maryland was among the first states struck hard by Omicron, and has since experienced a miraculous turnaround and gotten its Covid situation under control.

New York was an early virus hotspot as well during the Omicron wave, with New York City experiencing a massive case surge in mid-December. The state is recording 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents as of Monday morning, one of the lowest rates in America.

Only one state is still recording more than 100 daily cases per every 100,00 residents, Kentucky. Cases are down 31 percent over the past two weeks in the Bluegrass state, though.

Maine, one of the most vaccinated states in America, seems to be in the midst of a late Omicron surge. The state was not slammed as hard as many others to start the year, but has experienced an increase in cases during February and finds itself among the leaders in Covid mortality.

The state, which has vaccinated 78 percent of its residents so far, is averaging 1.4 daily Covid deaths per every 100,00 residents, the second highest rate in America.

Only Tennessee, with has a much lower vaccination rate of 53 percent, has a higher mortality rate - with 1.43 of every 100,000 residents dying from Covid every day.

Five other states are also suffering more than one daily Covid death per 100,000 residents: West Virginia (1.36 daily deaths per 100,000; 57 percent vaccination rate), Mississippi (1.33; 51), Oklahoma (1.23; 56), Arkansas (1.07; 53), Alabama (1.05; 50).
The Novavax vaccine may finally be available to Americans soon, and one top vaccine expert believes it can help solve some issues health officials have faced during the vaccine rollout so far.

Dr Cody Meissner is the chief of pediatrics at Tufts Children's Hospital in Boston Massachusetts and serves as a member of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC).

He told DailyMail.com that some people concerned about the novel nature and potential side-effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots could be willing to receive the Novavax jab, which is a standard protein based vaccine.

Unlike the others, it also does not require hyper-cold storage with dry ice, which makes it easier and less costly to transport - a boon for some developing nations where vaccines are few and far-between.

The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine has some health experts excited, as the shot is a more standard 'protein' based vaccine, and can more easily be stored and transported than other vaccines. The company is seeking FDA authorization to use its shot in U.S. adults (file photo)

Novavax has has supply issues in its rollout of it shot. It just recently submitted its application for FDA authorization after months of waiting, and the country missed its Q1 vaccine orders for 2022 after projecting to roll out two billion shots this year (file photo)

'It is exciting,' Meissner said about the prospect of the Novavax shot.

The Novavax jab has been lauded by health experts in recent months due to its safety and effectiveness in clinical trials.

While it is universally agreed upon by experts and officials that the Moderna and Pfizer shots are safe and effective, there is still room for them to be upgraded upon.

The Novavax is a protein based shot, unlike previous shots. Moderna and Pfizer's shots use mRNA technology that uses nucleic acid to generate a spike protein that imitates that of what the virus uses to infect a person's cells.

Like the mRNA jabs, it is a two-dose vaccine with the shots to be administered around three weeks apart from each other. The company first is seeking to roll it out to Americans 18 and up, and is studying the shot for children as young as 12.

mRNA technology is very promising, and many experts are hopeful it can be used in future vaccines. Its novel nature gives some hesitancy in wanting to receive shots that use it, though, and conspiracy theories about the shot 'changing people's DNA' and more have been rampant on social media.

Novavax's shot is similar to the yearly flu shot, or others of the over a dozen vaccines Americans are scheduled for before the age of 18.

Dr Cody Meissner (pictured), a member of the FDA's VRBPAC, is hopeful that the more familiar nature of the Novavax shot will ease some concerns of the vaccine hesitant

It's pure protein, there is no nucleic acid that is injected into your body. That protein stimulates protected antibody and T-cell response,' Meissner explained.

Were much more familiar with protein vaccines.'

The less-novel nature of the jab could spur some hesitant people to finally go get the shots.

Many people are reluctant to be immunized. They're called anti-vaxxers in the press, but I think a lot of that 20 percent [of unvaccinated Americans] are people who have fully immunized themselves and their children against [other viral diseases]. They're just a little nervous about the mRNA vaccine,' Meissner said.

They may be more willing to immunize with a more standard protein vaccine.

Meissner also believes it could be a more effective shot long-term.

Efficacy from the mRNA vaccines fades within a matter of months, requiring the use of booster shots. The shots are also not very resistant to vaccine mutations, allowing new variants like Omicron to emerge and evade vaccine protection.

Novavax's shot may have more resistance to virus variant's, Meissner predicts, as it showed effectiveness against the Omicron variant in trials.

Storage of the shots is less arduous than it is for others as well. Moderna and Pfizer's shots require storage at temperatures as low as -60 degrees Celsius in order to be transported.

They can only be kept at regular freezing temperatures for as long as two weeks before they spoil as well.

This has proved to be a problem for some developing nations, as storage at those temperatures requires dry ice, which is not readily available in many parts of the world.

Novavax's shot also did not use fetal stem lines in its development and trial process, an objection some conservative-leaning Christians have had toward the existing shots.

Novavax's shot can be stored in normal freezing temperatures, which is less resource intensive and more accessible for the developing world.

Despite all the excitement generated over the shot among health leaders over the past year, the company has had trouble getting the shot into people's arms.

Novavax expected to make its COVID-19 vaccine available to Americans in early 2021, but the company blamed supply issues for long delays.

It finally filed its application for emergency use authorization in the U.S. this year, and has received approval from European regulators and some developing countries, but that was not the end of the issues.

Meissner is a member of the FDA committee that will review the company's application.

The Maryland based company planned to deliver two billion shots around the world this year - a lofty goal for a company that took this long to have a product to ship.

It already is on pace to miss its 2022 Q1 targets, though, once again underdelivering.

On Monday, Germany began to first distribute and administer that shots, becoming one of the first nations to actually use the mythical jab.

Meissner believes the shot can really shine as a booster, though. Because it is effective against Omicron and it is believed the heterologous vaccination - when a person receives a booster that is different than their original vaccine regimen - is most effective, Novavax could be a key part of the nation's vaccine rollout going forward.

If the company can fix issues on its own end, the stage is set for the company to dominate the booster rollout going forward, which some officials could last beyond the next decade.
British subprime lender Morses Club has seen its share price nosedive after it slashed its annual profit forecast and revealed its chief executive had quit his role.

Shares in the Leeds-based doorstep loans provider declined by over 64 per cent to 14.8p on Monday after it informed investors that Paul Smith had stood down with immediate effect after seven years in charge.

No explanation was given for the departure of the Birmingham-born boss, who also sold more than 200,000 of his own shares in the business at 42.65 pence each last week without apparently notifying Morses Club ahead of time.

Departure: Birmingham-born Paul Smith had stood down as chief executive of doorstep loans provider Morses Club with immediate effect after seven years in charge

Chief operating officer Gary Marshall will replace him as CEO at the company, which specialises in providing non-standard credit directly to customers' homes and has been trading for more than 130 years.

Its home collected credit lending arm is one of the largest in the UK with more than 144,000 customers, but the business said this division had been impacted in the last few days by a 'rapid increase' in claims volumes.

Because of this, Morses Club now expects adjusted pre-tax profits for the fiscal year ending 26 February will be around 20 to 30 per cent below present analyst forecasts of 7.5million.

Analysts at investment bank Peel Hunt described the results as 'clearly hugely disappointing news' and has downgraded its forecasts and recommendation for the financial services group from 'Buy' to 'Under Review.'

On the recent surge in claims, it said: 'There is no clear reason for the increase in recent days and weeks of this activity, but it is clear it has picked up again and is difficult to predict what impact this will have on future profitability.'

It added: 'The company believed that it had robust processes to protect against claims activity, but this has not stopped the CMCs [claims management companies] pursuing Morses, with the related impact on claims provisions.'

Despite Morses Club's share price plummeting on Monday morning, it was only the second-biggest faller on the FTSE AIM All-Share Index, behind the respiratory biotechnology specialist Synairgen.

The Southampton-based business reported this morning that Phase III trials for an inhalable therapy for patients hospitalised with coronavirus had failed to shorten recovery times or hospital stays when compared to a placebo.

However, the group's chief executive Richard Marsden said the treatment had produced 'an encouraging trend in the prevention of progression to severe disease and death, which we strongly believe merits further investigation in a platform trial.'
Capcom will be celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. To commemorate its huge contribution to the video game industry, the Japanese publisher announced that it would release "Street Fighter 6" as part of its Capcom Fighting Collection series.

The gaming company dropped a jaw-dropping trailer on Monday, Feb. 21, featuring Ryu, who appears to be wearing sandals, but what does it really mean?

'Street Fighter 6' Trailer Revealed

According to Kotaku's report, the latest trailer for "SF VI" revealed a more different Ryu than the previous installments. Based on the video, the protagonist appears to be more mature than ever this time. There are also some close-ups of his sweaty and muscular body.

After six years, Capcom has announced that it would be pushing through with the next-gen "Street Fighter 5" sequel. Initially, the sixth edition was first mentioned when a ransomware attack broke out in 2020.

As of press time, the company has not yet disclosed the information about its potential release date.

So far, one of the things that we knew about "Street Fighter VI" is that "Bayonetta 2 director Yusuke Hashimoto will be the designer for the most anticipated "Street Fighter" series.

We could see that Ryu is far from his previous forms for this upcoming installment for the sixth entry. As explained in Street Fighter Wiki, Ryu can buy shoes, but he still wanted to walk barefooted. We could possibly tell that he prefers to travel with no footwear because of the comfort.

Furthermore, Ryu said in UDON's comics that walking with no shoes whatsoever is helpful when it comes to character building.

Moreover, we could remember that his winning quote against Guy tells more about this perspective in wearing shoes. In the "Street Fighter X Tekken's" English version, Ryu leaned on the idea of re-evaluating his current disposition of wearing shoes.

Although Ryu sported red sneakers in the first installment of the "Street Fighter" series, he's not really used to wearing them. At that time, we could assume that he's just waiting for an opportunity to wear sandals. Maybe in "Street Fighter 6," we could see huge character development in him as he got to wear what he wanted.

Related Article: 'Lost Ark' Rovlen Guide: How to Find and Defeat this Boss | List of Rewards That You Will Receive



Capcom Fighting Collection

Amid the hype surrounding the upcoming street fighting game, fans hope that the next installment will surpass the previous version. Its predecessor, "Street Fighter 5," drew flak from the crowd since it has many bugs and missing features.

On top of that, Capcom managed to drop two updates for this game: Arcade and Champion Edition. While the original title suffered from criticisms, the fans warmly accepted its two revisions.

Besides "Street Fighter 6," the gaming giant will also release 10 fighting game titles on June 24. The multi-game compilation will drop on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, according to The Verge.

Capcom Fighting Collection brings together 10 classic fighters with Online Rollback Netcode, coming June 24th, 2022!



 Darkstalkers (all five games!)

 Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix

 Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

 Red Earth

... and more!



 https://t.co/prOT8yT6Xz pic.twitter.com/7HbE8nt1G0  Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) February 21, 2022

Here's the list of the titles that will be included in the all-fighter game lineup:

- Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors

- Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge

- Vampire Hunter 2: Darkstalkers' Revenge

- Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire

- Vampire Savior 2: The Lord of Vampire

- Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition

- Red Earth

- Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix (Pocket Fighter)

- Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness

- Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

Read Also: Smart-Saving Tips For Gamers Who Usually Spend Money For In-Game Purchases, Bundles [2022]

This article is owned by GameNGuide

Written by Joseph Henry
Dechra Pharma saw its profits bound higher after cashing in on a boom in pet ownership during the Covid pandemic.

The animal medicine maker saw its profits for the six months to December jump 22 per cent year-on-year to 93.9million.

Revenues, meanwhile, were up nearly 16 per cent at 332.4million. Dechra also hiked its interim dividend by 8 per cent to 12p per share.

Pandemic boost: Animal medicine maker Dechra saw its profits for the six months to end December jump 22% year-on-year to 93.9m

The firm noted that its half-year performance had been boosted by increased spending on pets during the pandemic as people stuck in lockdown sought out companionship and stress relief from cats, dogs and other animals.

Recent acquisitions of drugs used on horses had also helped increase sales in North America, Dechras largest market, by over 26 per cent over the period.

The outlook was also upbeat, with the firm noting strong trading from key markets in its second half, with boss Ian Page adding that its prospects remain excellent.

However, the outlook was clouded slightly by pet ownership levels becoming more normalised as the effects of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions began to fade.

This appeared to have weighed on the share price, which despite spiking higher early in the session ended the day down 0.5 per cent, or 18p, at 3766p.

HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) DIY investing platform and stocks and shares Isa

Dechras pandemic pet profit boost followed a similar trend from retailer Pets At Home, which last month upgraded its profit guidance as a result of continued growth of new pet owners in the UK driving a boom in spending at its stores and vet clinics.

The FTSE 100 was down 0.4 per cent, or 29.29 points, at 7484.33 while the FTSE 250 slipped 1.2 per cent, or 265.41 points, to 21097.19.

Stock Watch - Synairgen Shares in pharma firm Synairgen collapsed 84 per cent after a Covid-19 product failed a late-stage clinical trial. A study of its treatment, designed to reduce the time patients spend in hospital and speed up recovery from the virus, failed to show meaningful changes to either. Boss Richard Marsden said advances in patient care over the course of the pandemic may have compromised the potential of the treatment. Shares fell 84.1 per cent, or 143.82p, at 27.18p.

Fears over the Ukraine crisis continued to grip markets despite news of a possible summit between the US and Russia to help reduce mounting tensions in Eastern Europe.

Russia-focused firms were once again under pressure, with miner Polymetal International, which owns projects across Russia, tumbling 8.5 per cent, or 99p, to 1070.5p.

Steel firm Evraz, part-owned by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, also dropped 5.7 per cent, or 16.2p, to 267p amid fears any sanctions on Russia will constrain its business.

Oil prices remained elevated, with Brent Crude climbing back to over $94 a barrel amid concerns any conflict could disrupt global supplies of oil and gas.

Sanction worries weighed on BP, which has large investments in Russia through its joint venture with Rosneft.

Shares in the oil giant dipped 0.8 per cent, or 3p, to 388.4p. Rival Shell, which also has business interests in Russia, lost 0.6 per cent, or 12.8p, to 1944.2p.

It came as Steve Hill, Shells executive vice-president for energy marketing, blamed the high and volatile gas prices over the past year on an influx of hedge funds into European energy markets.

The potential for travel disruption from the conflict also hit several travel stocks, with British Airways-owner IAG dipping 1.7 per cent, or 2.7p, to 158.82p while Easyjet sank 2.4 per cent, or 16.2p, to 658.2p and Wizz Air slipped 0.9 per cent, or 35p, to 4046p.

Rolls-Royce, which makes turbine engines for passenger aircraft, was also down, by 2 per cent, or 2.34p, at 114.72p amid worries of subdued demand.

Gambling group Playtech saw another twist in its takeover saga after revealing that its boss Mor Weizer was looking to join forces with the firms second-largest investor, Hong Kong-based firm TT Bond Partners, to make a possible bid for the firm. The groups shares were down 1.6 per cent, or 11p, at 660p.

UK-based Satellite Vu, part of the portfolio of LSE-listed space investment trust Seraphim, signed a deal with Elon Musks Space X to launch a thermal imaging satellite next year. Seraphims shares fell 0.4 per cent, or 0.4p, at 105p.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has finally begun to release the UK from its EU shackles with a promise to unlock billions of cash to invest in the economy.

John Glen, economic secretary to the Treasury, last night laid out plans to slash the red tape faced by insurance firms so they are free to invest in Britain's growth.

Speaking at the Association of British Insurers' annual dinner, he said the Government would reduce the amount of capital which insurers must hold to cover themselves in the event of a disaster.

Investment drive: John Glen, economic secretary to the Treasury, (pictured) has laid out plans to slash the red tape faced by insurance firms so they are free to invest in Britain's growth

This would free up vast piles of cash  estimated at 95billion by some industry experts  which insurers and pension firms could then use to invest in long-term projects such as green energy plants and transport systems.

The Government also plans to cut the reporting burden on insurance firms, which must complete swathes of calculations for every investment they make.

The reforms will see Britain tear up so-called Solvency II rules, which were introduced by the EU in 2016.

Glen said: 'EU regulation doesn't work for us any more and the Government is determined to fix that by tailoring the prudential regulation of insurers to our unique circumstances.

'We have an opportunity to maintain and grow an innovative and vibrant insurance sector while protecting policyholders and making it easier for insurance firms to use long-term capital to unlock growth.'

The plans were welcomed by the industry. Sir Nigel Wilson, chief executive of Legal & General, said: 'This is a great example of improving regulation post-Brexit, through collaboration between regulators, government and industry.

'When implemented it will enable Legal & General to invest billions more in the UK's levelling up, net zero and science super-power agenda.'

Amanda Blanc, chief executive at Aviva, said the reform would allow 'insurers like Aviva to play an even bigger role in supporting the UK economy, investing more in the country's essential infrastructure  the colleges, hospitals, transport and renewable energy which are critical to our future'.

The Treasury plans to publish a full consultation document in April. But not everyone is pleased with the reform.

Mick McAteer, a former board member of the Financial Conduct Authority, is worried consumers could end up with a raw deal.

McAteer, co-director of think-tank the Financial Inclusion Centre, told the Financial Times: 'Reforming Solvency II is attractive to insurers, as it could generate higher fees and provide a windfall for shareholders at the expense of policyholders and pension savers that use insurance-based products.'
Businesses must beware of becoming too woke at the expense of their financial performance, a leading conservative think-tank has warned.

The Policy Exchange has waded into the row over what a companys role should be and defended the pursuit of profit.

Firms such as Unilever have drawn criticism for putting too much emphasis on their social purpose.

Firms like Unilever, which refuses to sell Ben and Jerry's ice cream in the 'Occupied Palestinian Territory', have drawn criticism for putting too much emphasis on their social 'purpose'

So woke has the company become that Unilever refuses to sell one of its brands, Ben & Jerrys, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

In a paper, Sir Geoffrey Owen, a former editor of the Financial Times and head of industrial policy at the Policy Exchange, defended capitalism arguing that competition between profit-making firms is best for everyone.

He wrote: In the last few years the capitalist system has come under attack. The single-minded pursuit of profit, and a higher share price is said to encourage companies to do bad things.

But shareholder-based capitalism remains the most effective means of promoting economic growth, innovation and prosperity.

He noted recent claims by woke activists that the principle of putting investors and profit first had caused problems such as environmental disasters.

But he dismissed this view as too simplistic, and said focusing on shareholder value did not necessarily mean running a company only for investors benefit.
A fresh raid on the London Stock Exchange saw three stalwart British companies worth almost 3billion fall into foreign hands.

The flurry of deals will reignite fears that UK plc will be the target of another takeover frenzy this year after buyouts of public companies hit a record 62billion in 2021.

Analysts and major City figures have warned that London-listed firms are still undervalued and remain easy prey for foreigners with deep pockets while the pound is cheap.

Going cheap: Analysts and major City figures have warned that London-listed firms are still undervalued and remain easy prey for foreigners with deep pockets

Private equity firms in particular have been circling after snapping up Morrisons and Aggreko last year.

Yesterday lorry and warehouse giant Clipper Logistics agreed a 943million deal with US competitor GXO Logistics, while baggage handler John Menzies accepted a 558million bid from Kuwaiti firm Agility after several rounds of haggling.

And pioneering tech group Blue Prism announced UK regulators waved through its 1.2billion takeover by American firm SS&C  paving the way for the tie-up to complete within weeks.

A slew of other buyouts are also in the works, with communications group Next Fifteen in talks to pounce on Engine Group and a bid for podcasting specialist Audioboom by either Amazon or Spotify expected as early as this week.

The string of deals came as Sir Martin Sorrell warned he was considering moving his digital advertising agency S4 Capital from London to Wall Street as it would 'get a better valuation'.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'The fight for UK assets by foreign companies continues apace with two targets in the services sector looking as if they will be the next ones gobbled up.

'With the UK market still trading on a cheaper level relative to other places like the US, we're likely to see further takeover action.

'That may be good for investors in that it provides a short-term boost to the value of their assets, but longer term this isn't good for someone's wealth or indeed the reputation of the market if the pool of companies is shrinking.'

Sir Martin Sorrell said he was considering moving his digital advertising agency S4 Capital from London to Wall Street

The bosses of Leeds-based Clipper have unanimously recommended a possible takeover offer by New York-listed GXO for 920p, split between cash and shares.

Executive chairman Steve Parkin founded Clipper in 1992, long before online shopping took off.

The group has 52 warehouses in the UK and several European countries and around 10,000 staff. Asos, John Lewis, Asda and Marks & Spencer are among its customers. GXO, which is worth 6.8billion, has not made a formal offer yet but gaining the backing of management already means it has cleared a major hurdle.

John Menzies bosses also said they were ready to accept the 608p per share bid from Agility, which previously made unsuccessful offers. Edinburgh-based Menzies was founded as a bookshop in 1833 but is now a major airport services firm.

Agility  which is conducting the deal through its subsidiary National Aviation Services  has not made a formal offer yet.

Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said the deal was a good fit for Menzies and 'made strategic sense'. But she added that it showed how undervalued many UK companies have become.
Charlise Mutten's family members have been kicked out of a Facebook group

A Facebook group dedicated to 'murdered' nine-year-old Charlise Mutten has been slammed as 'toxic' by her distraught family members after they were sensationally kicked out.

The discussion group was founded in January when Charlise first went missing and was joined by multiple relatives who occasionally chimed in to express their grief, or to correct one of the 1,300 social media sleuths who got their facts wrong.

But conversations descended into arguments over the weekend after a disagreement between the schoolgirl's cousin Beau Mutten and a relative from the other side of Charlise's family.

The relative criticised Mr Mutten for using the girl's name on a fundraiser for his two-year-old son Ryder-Kris, who has a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

While the woman regretted making the comments and later apologised, group members chastised her in a series of vicious posts - wrongly accusing her of lying about being related to Charlise, and saying she was only seeking attention.

The family of Charlise Mutten (pictured) have been kicked out of a Facebook group over a misunderstanding

Charlise Mutten's father Scott Hensby (pictured together) was also removed from the group

The online fracas resulted in the woman and her partner, along with Mr Mutten and his mother Tracey being removed from the group by gatekeeper admins who claimed it was 'for their own good'.

The administrator also said Charlise's biological father Scott Hensby was kicked out, despite having no involvement in the argument.

Mr Mutten told Daily Mail Australia he didn't know why he was removed from the 'toxic group' because 'I was never rude to anyone on there'.

'I dont get it,' he added.

The last thing he posted before he was blocked from the page was a picture of a candle, and asked everyone to 'stop and remember what this page is for, RIP beautiful Charlise'.

Beau Mutten (pictured with his son Ryder-Kris) said the group is 'toxic' and doesn't know why he was removed from the group

The group administrator said it was Charlise's family's 'best interests' to be removed from the group (pictured)

Mr Mutten confirmed the situation between his family and the relative was resolved calmly, and condemned the people who lashed out at her.

'There was no need for everyone to attack her - Ive said I have no bad blood towards anyone,' he said.

'Attacking like that could make the poor girl suicidal.'

'People dont realise the effect their words can have.'

In a lengthy post to group members, an administrator said: 'If I think it is in someone's mental health interest to be removed, I made the decision to remove some people from the group including the known family members of Charlise.'

'I do not make this decision lightly, but I think it is in their best interest.'

She also implied an intention to remove other family members from the group so social media detectives could continue posting 'opinions that the family find hurtful'.

'This is not a memorial,' she added.

Group members wrongly accused one of Charlise's relatives of speaking out for attention (pictured)

With all known family members removed, one woman suggested the group now 'only provides a platform to speculate and cause harm' and said it should be shut down.

'There is a little girl and her family whose feelings and pain are far more important than anything any random person on this page has to offer,' she said.

'Do the right thing and either give control of this page to the family if they want it, or take it down.'

A day later, administrators removed her from the group.

Charlise's stepfather Justin Stein was charged with murder after the nine-year-old's lifeless body was found in a barrel on the bank of the Colo River near Mount Wilson, north-west of Sydney, in January.

Justin Stein (pictured) has been charged with murder. He will appear in court on March 9

Group members have wrongly pointed the finger at her mother Kallista Mutten (pictured)

No charges have been laid against any other family members, but people in the group continue to wrongly point the finger at the youngster's mother Kallista Mutten and wrongly place blame on other close relatives.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Kallista Mutten was involved in Charlise's death.

Mr Mutten said he would have liked to stay in the group and have it 'go back to the way it was - a page for my poor little cousin Charlise'.

Ryder-Kris has endured multiple tumours from neuroblastoma and is not undergoing his third round of chemotherapy in Western Australia.

Mr Mutten asked his friends and families to pray for his son.

It is unclear whether Charlise's cremation and funeral service has already taken place.

Stein, the boyfriend of Charlise's mother Kallista Mutten, has been remanded in custody to appear in Penrith Local Court on March 18.
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New York City's 24th annual Lunar New Year Parade took place in Chinatown on Sunday, with celebrants welcoming the Year of the Tiger in festive costumes and masks.

The festival started on the corner of Hester Street and Mott Street, before making its way from Mott and Canal Street towards Chatham Square and East Broadway by the Manhattan Bridge.

The parade eventually finished at Eldridge and Forsyth Street towards Grand Street next to Sara D. Roosevelt Park.

The Year of the Tiger officially began with the Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival on February 1, and lasts around 40 days.

Scroll down for video

Many parade participants held colorful hand fans and dressed in red outfits, pictured above

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams could be seen participating in Sunday's festivities

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announces $10 million in awards for Asian American organizations - the largest investment in the community in New York State history

A group of women dressed in long yellow dresses danced along the parade route, to the delight of onlookers

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams could be seen participating in Sunday's festivities.

Large tiger balloons festooned the air in commemoration of the Year of the Tiger, as dragon mascots made their way through Chinatown in Lower Manhattan.

Meanwhile, groups of young women were spotted as they danced in unison together on the city sidewalks.

Another group of women dressed in long yellow dresses danced along the parade route, to the delight of onlookers.

Nearly every participant in Sunday's parade wore face masks, both in the traditional sense as well as COVID-19 face protectors.

A Chinese man waves towards the camera as the Lunar New Year Parade is held on Sunday in Lower Manhattan

Nearly every participant in Sunday's parade wore face masks, both in the traditional sense as well as COVID-19 face protectors

Men and women alike donned traditional Chinese robes and clothing in vibrant reds and yellows, with many wearing decorative headpieces

Men and women alike donned traditional Chinese robes and clothing in vibrant reds and yellows, with many wearing decorative headpieces.

Elsewhere, parade-goers waved gold colored pom-poms, while many other participants held colorful hand fans.

In China, where the Winter Olympics are currently taking place, the country observes a seven-day long state holiday.

The cycle repeats every 12 years, with a new animal representing each annual cycle, with the last Year of the Tiger taking place in 2010.

Last year's parade celebrated the Year of the Ox.

A parade-goer pictured wearing a traditional Chinese mask and outfit

Elsewhere, parade-goers waved gold colored pom-poms while dressed in red hats, shirts and scarves

Traditional dragon mascots also made their way through Chinatown in Lower Manhattan

Large tiger balloons festooned the air in commemoration of the Year of the Tiger

Meanwhile, groups of young women were spotted as they danced in unison together on the city sidewalks

According to Chinese mythology, the Year of the Tiger signals bravery, strength, courage and hope.

Meanwhile, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced $10 million in awards at the start of the parade for Asian American organizations - the largest investment in the community in New York State history.

The award money will ultimately provide services and resources to Asian-Americans that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding, which was set aside for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, is set to be given to civic groups through the Asian American Federation, the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, the Chinese-American Planning Council, as well as several other community-based organizations.

Asian Americans have experienced a 343 percent increase in hate crimes in 2021 with 133 attacks. Hispanics are also seeing a rise in attacks with eight attacks happening in 2021, compared to one in 2020. A total of 538 hate crimes took place in the Big Apple, compared to 275 in 2020

The festivities come just weeks after reports of hate crimes having surged a shocking 96 percent in the Big Apple throughout 2021, new data from the NYPD has revealed, as Manhattan's woke DA announced on Friday that he'll be expanding the hate crimes unit to address radically motivated attacks.

Asian hate crimes skyrocketed 343 percent from 2020 to 2021 as the pandemic rattled on, with 133 Asian Americans experiencing terrifying and dangerous experiences of discrimination, according to the new data, which was first reported by Fox News.

Overall, the City That Never Sleeps city saw a 96 percent increase in bias crimes throughout 2021, as more and more New Yorkers are being attacked in the streets, pushed onto subway tracks, and harassed for their gender, race and religion.

A total of 538 hate crimes occurred throughout 2021, compared to 275 in 2020.
A school refused to tell its young students their teacher had died suddenly from Covid because her death was too 'sensitive' to be dealt with in the classroom.

Mother-of-two Michelle Hayes, 46, died on February 16 - two days after she tested positive to the virus on Valentine's Day.

Shocked colleagues have rushed to pay tribute to the much-loved Bowral Public School teacher, whose family had moved from Norfolk Island to the NSW Southern Highlands only a month earlier.

'Michelle was everywhere around me today as I taught in her classroom. She is so loved. You are so loved,' wrote a former workmate from Norfolk Island Central School, where Ms Hayes worked for 12 years.

'Michelle was one of the special ones - her warmth, kindness and integrity [was] evident in every interaction. She will be so deeply,' another said.

Bowral Public School Principal Chris Beard said it was more appropriate for the parents of Mrs Hayes' students to inform them of her death 'as they deem fit'.

Mother-of-two Michelle Hayes, 46, (pictured centre with her husband Ben) died from Covid on February 16 - two days after testing positive to the virus on Valentine's Day

'Students were not informed at school, a subject this sensitive should be handled by parents as they deem fit,' Ms Beard said.

'Teachers were informed off-site in a private setting with support available from myself, our Director Education Leadership and the Senior Psychologist Education.

'Due to the confidentiality and sensitivity of this matter, we felt a note for students to take home would not be appropriate.'

A NSW Education spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the school told parents and carers of Ms Hayes' death in a letter, which included the offer of counselling support for students.

Ms Hayes' husband Ben said he is unable to see any visitors and is still in isolation after being deemed a close contact of his wife.

'Been trying to think what to say. Can't do it justice - She was my everything. Everything - and just like that, she's gone,' her husband Ben Hayes said in an outpouring of raw emotion on Facebook.

'The best part of me is gone and now I have to be the Dad and the Mum and I will never come close to being anywhere near as fabulous as she was.

Beloved Australian mother and school teacher Michelle Hayes (pictured) died from Covid barely a month after her family moved from a tiny island

Ben Hayes posted a series of gut-wrenching messages to and about his beloved wife Michelle on Facebook this week (pictured, the Hayes on their wedding day)

'For those who think that Covid isn't that dangerous - try losing the love of your life in under 48 hours from positive test result,' Mr Hayes wrote

'Nobody can currently come to the house because were still in iso  please don't  we're even keeping my Mum away  I would seriously break if anyone else got this.

Michelle Hayes, 46, (pictured) died on February 16 after testing positive on Valentines Day

'Please don't call yet. I can't cry anymore. I've never known such limitless sorrow. '

Mr Hayes reminded others not to take Covid lightly and suffer the way his family had.

'For those who think that Covid isn't that dangerous - try losing the love of your life in under 48 hours from positive test result,' he said.

The Hayes had brought their two children from Norfolk Island, which had no Covid cases up until December 30, in January.

They had both only just started teaching jobs at Bowral Public School.

Mr Hayes shared the shocking news of his wife's passing on Wednesday.

'To all the beautiful people who meant so, so much to my most beloved wife, on Norfolk, in Australia or Overseas and especially all of her students, it is with such a broken heart that I'm letting you all know that Michelle passed away this morning after testing positive to Covid on Monday,' he posted.

Shocked well-wishers flooded Facebook with tributes.

'Although Michelle was only pint-sized, her passion for all things demanded triple the space on this earth. Every person who engaged with Michelle walked away a better person, such was her presence,' one grieving friend posted.

'It was obvious to anyone that had been in your company that you were soul mates,' another friend wrote to Ben Hayes.

Her shattered husband Ben took to social media to connect with friends and share his grief in a series of devastating messages

One teacher in Norfolk Island wrote in a tribute that Michelle Hayes (pictured) was 'everywhere around me today as I taught in her classroom' on Thursday

'We are sending you all love and strength at this very sad time. She touched so many lives and will be terribly missed.'

'We were only on Norfolk Island for a year but Michelle made such an impact on Lisette she still talks about her as her favourite teacher three years on,' wrote one family.

Another colleague wrote that Mrs Hayes was a 'passionate' teacher, 'mentor and friend'.

'What an inspiration Michelle was. Her legacy will live on in many,' added another.

Mr Hayes said he and his children Matilda and Harry are due out of isolation on Monday - if they stay Covid-free.
Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame has put her energies into a new project to help sexual abuse survivors, in the wake of a wave of commentary about an old photo of her with a bong.

The outspoken advocate for survivors of sexual abuse has established a fundraiser to help change the wording of legislation relating to abuse of minors by removing the phrase 'sexual relationship'.

Ms Tame, herself a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a school teacher, said the words implied a form of consent, rather than the exploitation of a child.

The Grace Tame Foundation, a non-profit charity, has set a goal of raising $100,000 and is already at more than $72,000 as of Monday morning.

The money will be used to campaign for consistent wording of laws around child sexual abuse across all states and territories.

Grace Tame (pictured) wants to help change legislation that protects perpetrators of abuse through including the phrase 'sexual relationship' in offences

Ms Tame said in her recent speech at the Press Club in Canberra: 'The man who abused me was convicted of "maintaining a sexual relationship with a person under the age of 17".

'In other jurisdictions this exact same offence was called "the persistent sexual abuse of a child".

'The former implies consent, while the latter reflects the gravity and the truth of an unlawful criminal act committed against an innocent, vulnerable child-victim,' she said.

The campaign page explained the reasons behind the push. 'Language matters,' it said.

'And language which minimises, sanitises or romanticises rape and sexual violence must be reformed.

'That's why we're running this crowdfunder to change the offence to "persistent sexual abuse of a child" across the country.'

Grace Tame (pictured) is an outspoken advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and former Australian of the Year

As things stand, only Victoria and Western Australia have removed 'sexual relationship' from the name of the crime and all other parts of the offence.

Tasmania - where Ms Tame is from - has removed the phrase from the name of the crime, but not all other parts of the offence.

Language which sanitises the sexual abuse of children Victoria and Western Australia have removed 'sexual relationship' from the name of the crime and all other parts of the offence. Tasmania has removed the phrase from the name of the crime, but not all other parts of the offence. In all other states and territories, the phrase 'sexual relationship' is still included in both the name of the crime and all other parts of the offence. Advertisement

In all the other states and territories, the phrase 'sexual relationship' is still included in both the name of the crime and all other parts of the offence.

While a broader definition like 'sexual relationship' can prevent offenders wriggling out of charges which they might be able to do if it had more specific wording, Ms Tame said a change of language would send a strong signal.

'Piece by piece we must correct the narrative and take control away from abusers who have for so long sought solace in our systems and institutions that shield them from the full extent of what they've done,' said Ms Tame.

The campaign points out that with the public's support, change is achievable.

'Already, in 2020, the #LetHerSpeak campaign (created and run by survivor advocate Nina Funnell) led to an overhaul of gag-laws in Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Victoria,' it said.

'That same year, due to Funnell's tireless work, the #LetHerSpeak campaign also prompted the Tasmanian Government to retitle the offence of 'maintaining a sexual relationship with a person under the age of 17' to the 'persistent sexual abuse of a child'.

The campaign aims to ensure that every state and territory adopts the best practice model by 'totally removing all language which sanitises the sexual abuse of children'.

'We all have a role to play in preventing and responding to sexual violence. We all have a role to play in shifting attitudes and beliefs which enable perpetrators and gaslight survivors,' the campaign said.

Grace Tame (pictured left) with her fiance Max Heerey (pictured right)
There has been a surprise twist in the case of a high-profile businessman who was caught on video smoking from a glass pipe.

Geoff Bainbridge resigned as chief executive of alcohol business Lark Distilling last week after a video went public appearing to show him smoking with the device.

The father-of-four, 50, claimed he was the victim of an extortion attempt, in which blackmailers threatened to release the video publicly unless he paid them off.

Mr Bainbridge told The Age newspaper the video was filmed in south-east Asia, following a big night out in 2015.

'The next morning, when Bainbridge awoke to discover the two strange men, he soon realised it was a shakedown,' the newspaper reported. 'They threatened to expose him'.

But on Monday doubt was cast on Mr Bainbridge's claims, with The Australian newspaper publishing photos which it said indicated the video was not filmed in south-east Asia seven years ago but in the bedroom of his $3 million Melbourne home which he purchased 18 months ago.

Fresh claims have emerged about the ice-smoking video featuring high profile businessman Geoff Bainbridge that it was filmed in his bedroom (pictured) and not overseas as he claims

Real estate photographs of Mr Bainbridge's home in Middle Park show it shares the same unique light fitting and white wooden Venetian blinds as seen in the viral businessman's viral video last week.

Other distinctive features of the room such as the ornate ceiling decor, a study nook, a fireplace and a distinctive bedhead can be seen in several unpublished videos obtained by The Australian.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Bainbridge is not telling the truth, simply that a discrepancy was raised.

Mr Bainbridge purchased the home in the affluent Bayside suburb of Middle Park for $3.46 million in July 2020, which was settled the following month.

The publication reported Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning documents confirm the transfer of the Middle Park property into Mr Bainbridge's name as the 'sole proprietor' in August 2020.

ASIC documents also list several of Mr Bainbridge's businesses are registered to the same Middle Park address.

When asked about the apparent discrepancy in his story exposed by the light fittings, Mr Bainbridge told The Australian 'no comment/no response'.

Real estate photo shows the master bedroom's distinctive light fixture (pictured) which features in the video

Several distinctive features of the bedroom were spotted in videos posted by Geoff Bainbridge

Mr Bainbridge quit as managing director of the publicly listed Lark Distillery over the video.

He left his post at the whiskey distillery business 'effective immediately to enable him to manage a personal matter', after The Australian published footage of him appearing to light up the pipe.

'Ultimately, I put myself in a situation I shouldn't have been in,' he told Nine newspapers last week.

'I'm a victim of extortion but that wouldn't have occurred without my poor judgment. I am deeply remorseful for my own actions.'

Bainbridge told Nine he was not a typical user of the drug ice. The clip was filmed after Bainbridge ended his association with Grill'd.

Aussie businessman Geoff Bainbridge has quit his CEO post at alcohol distillery Lark as video emerged of him holding a glass pipe

In the footage, which was reportedly taken in 2015 in a south-east Asian country, the now-former chief executive was heard saying: 'Let's get f***ing high together baby. I'd smoke meth and just blow it all over your c*** babe.'

'I'm so high, I'm so f***ing horny.'

He was seen wearing just a pair of underwear while muttering into the camera, in the video published by The Australian.

Bainbridge claimed he woke up after a night of partying to find two strange men showing him the footage of him with the pipe.

Bainbridge told Nine newspapers that he believed he was the victim of an extortion attempt.

'I was just horrified. You are like, ''what else happened? What else don't I remember? How am I going to explain this to anyone?''' he told the Herald.

'The reality for me is there is footage of me consuming class-A drugs in a foreign country. That has serious ramifications.'

He claims the two men then threatened to expose the footage, and demanded money from Bainbridge and he gave them $3,000.

A few years later they came back again demanding more money. Bainbridge gave them another $9,000 over 14 consecutive payments.

WhatsApp messages supposedly sent from the men to Bainbridge show them making threats to show the footage to his children and the media.

'You just need to negotiate and everything will be OK,' one said.

'Tik tok little man.'

Due to his apparent drug use, the businessman did not take the matter to police but sought advice from a global risk consultancy group.

He was told to either continue paying off the men or hope they would go away, despite them making threats to leak the vision to Australian news outlets.

The video was filmed after Bainbridge ended his association with popular burger chain Grill'd

One video has been altered to appear it had been filmed last year instead of 2015.

Bainbridge's lawyers told the Australian he was the subject of a 'continuing, sophisticated and recently intensified extortion attempt by persons overseas using manipulated unverified images'.

'The attempted extortion of Mr Bainbridge commenced years before he had any involvement in Lark Distillery; and Mr Bainbridge has sought the assistance of London-based professionals with the extortion attempt.'

Bainbridge was appointed the managing director of Lark in 2019. Lark Distillery is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Bainbridge had also helped fund Grill'd since 2004 with with managing director Simon Crowe before the pair fell out in 2016 over the ownership of the business.
A teenage angler snagged a 2.8metre bull shark in Sydney Harbour - less than a week after a British expat was mauled by a great white at a beach.

Addison Hodge, 15, was fishing with friends on Saturday aboard a boat at Middle Harbour on Sydney's north shore.

The boy first caught a much smaller fish called a Frigate Mackerel before he released it back into the water.

Moments later he felt a sharp pull on the fishing line and spent the next 45 minutes battling to reel in the bull shark.

'I had so much adrenaline running through my body,' he said.

'It was incredible to see the bull shark up close. They are nothing like the ones you see at the Sydney Aquarium that's for sure.'

Footage of the impressive catch uploaded to local site Mosman Collective shows Addison locked in an intense game of tug-of-war with the powerful creature.

Addison Hodge, 15, was fishing with friends on Saturday aboard a boat at Middle Harbour on Sydney's north shore when he snagged the 2.8metre bull shark

Addison spent the next 45 minutes battling to reel in the bull shark as he was urged on by his friends

The 15-year-old schoolboy is seen posing with the shark after his epic battle in Middle Harbour

The fishing line bends almost to breaking point as Addison rocks back and forth, trying to pull in the well-sized specimen while directing the person at the wheel of the boat to keep it straight.

His excited friend encourages him off-camera and continues to cheer him on.

'What a snag,' Addison says, wiping perspiration from his forehead.

Addison manages to reel in the apex predator to the side of the boat. Its sheer size stuns the fishermen onboard.

'It's huge!' one says as they note the shark is tagged.

Addison's catch came three days after Simon Nellist, a former RAF engineer who survived two tours of Afghanistan, died in front of horrified beachgoers at Sydney's Little Bay beach when he was taken by a 4.5metre great white shark.

His death occurred just weeks before 'smart' drum lines were reportedly due to be installed which could have prevented the tragedy.

Family members said the nature-loving Mr Nellist, 35, would have been against the hunting of sharks.

Simon Nellist, a former RAF engineer who had toured Afghanistan, died in front of horrified beachgoers at Sydney's Little Bay beach when he was taken by a 4.5metre great white shark on February 16

'He swam with sharks before. This isn't the first time he's gone out and seen them but he would still go out swimming. That's brave,' his aunt Jacqui Seager, 62, said.

'I don't think he ever thought they would hurt him. Sadly, this time it managed to get to him.

'It's absolutely horrendous. We are all in shock.'

A large bull shark was also spotted swimming in Lake Orr at suburban Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast on Friday.

The artificial lake near Bond University has been the site of several sightings of the species in recent years.
The Queen has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Buckingham Palace. The monarch suffers from slight cold-like symptoms, but the palace says he will return to Windsor next week to resume his duties.

The Prince of Wales, her eldest son, and heir, tested positive on February 10 after seeing his mother on February 8, several persons are believed to have tested positive at Windsor Castle, where the Queen resides.

Queen Elizabeth II's Diagnosis Drew Support From Across the World

The Queen sent a congratulations message to the Team GB Curling teams later on Sunday, according to the palace. She praised the teams' "excellent performance" in the Winter Olympics, which resulted in a gold medal for the ladies and a silver for the men.

The positive test comes just days before England is set to drop the legal obligation for persons who get COVID-19 to self-isolate, as the remaining virus restrictions are scheduled to be lifted. On the eve of her Platinum Jubilee, which will honor her 70 years on the throne on February 6, the Queen met with charity workers at Sandringham House for the first time in over three months.

The Queen, who will turn 96 in April, had her first immunization in January 2021 and is said to have received all of her subsequent vaccinations. Since spending a night in hospital for medical tests in October last year, she has been taking things "much more casually," according to BBC royal journalist Nicholas Witchell.

The Queen skipped the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in November due to a stiff back, weeks after doctors recommended her to rest following her hospital stay. It was the first time in her reign as monarch that she did not attend the Cenotaph event in London, according to BBC.

Per Sky News, the news of the 95-year-illness old's prompted a worldwide outpouring of goodwill, with politicians and celebrities wishing her a quick recovery. In a tweet, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed the nation's wishes for the Queen's "fast recovery from COVID-19 and a quick return to bright good health."

Piers Morgan, an ardent opponent of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, her grandson, and granddaughter-in-law, says it's a "very scary time for Britain. "Wishing Her Majesty, The Queen, a speedy recovery from COVID," Scott Morrison, Australia's prime minister, took to Twitter.

Read Also: Prince Charles' Golden Orb Coronation Speculations; Sussexes Absence on the Royal Balcony Is Expected

Who Can Takeover the Queen's Responsibilities?

Following the revelation of Queen Elizabeth's positive coronavirus test on Sunday, many people voiced concern for her health as well as the monarchy's future, which big and small scandals have beset. If the Queen is unable to perform her official responsibilities due to sickness or travel, two or more counselors of state can act on her behalf, according to Buckingham Palace.

The sovereign's spouse - which does not apply to the Queen because her husband, Prince Philip, died last year - and the next four individuals in the line of succession, who are selected when they reach 21 - are among these advisers. Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince William, and Prince Harry are the current four counselors.

However, royal analysts believe that only Prince Charles and Prince William are likely to take on additional tasks. After a case alleging Prince Andrew of sexual assault was permitted to proceed, he was deprived of public responsibilities and military titles. He has subsequently found a home. And Prince Harry has relocated his family to California, so he is not in the UK.

The Metropolitan Police Service in London has announced an inquiry into a charity founded by Prince Charles. He has denied knowing anything about the alleged acts, and Howard has maintained that the investigation would not interfere with his ability to carry out royal duties unless the police find any evidence of wrongdoing or foreknowledge.

Buckingham Palace gave a number of assurances concerning the Queen's health and capacity to function following the news of her sickness. The palace said in a statement that she was only experiencing minor symptoms and would "continue light duties." Shortly after the positive test was announced, the palace announced that the Queen had sent a congratulatory message to the British curling teams after the women's team won gold and the men's team took silver at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Despite the positive indicators, the coronavirus infection has raised new concerns about the Queen's health. She is 95 years old and recently marked her 70th anniversary as monarch, New York Times reported.

Related Article: Prince Charles' 2nd Positive COVID-19 Test Raises Concerns for Queen Elizabeth II After 'Recent' Meeting

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A Montgomery County Virginia school board member stormed out of a public meeting after trying to silence a parent fed up with mask mandates because the parent showed Facebook photos of the board member violating mask rules.

The fracas is just the latest public confrontation happening across the country between parents, students and school officials over mandatory mask policies in public schools.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkins recently signed a bill into law that would make wearing a mask in a public school optional.

The state's seven-day average for Covid-19 infections on Friday was 2,392 cases, down 28 percent from 3,062 on February 14, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The new law brought angry parents like Alecia Vaught, a self-described homemaker, out to the February 15 meeting to give the board a piece of her mind.

She began her address by touting the law as a necessary corrective against what she said was the school board's overreaching mandatory mask policy.

'We're taking the power out of your hands and putting it back with the parents, the way it should be,' Vaught said, standing at the microphone in a yellow flowered blouse and business suit.

An empty seat at the front of the room was where Montgomery County School Board chair Susan Kass was sitting before she got fed up over and argument with a parent and stormed out

Parent Alecia Vaught, left, held up photos of Montgomery County School Board chair Susan Kass, right, that she said showed her flouting mask rules. Kass walked out in a huff

Montgomery County School Board chair, Susan Kass, stormed out of a public meeting after trying to silence a parent who showed Facebook photos of the board woman congregating in a crowd without a mask

She then took the board to task, singling out chairwoman Susan Kass, who she said yelled at her for taking off her mask the last time she attended a public meeting.

'We sat here last year and listened to you guys preach to us about Governor Northam's executive orders and how we must follow them. Remember that?' she said, referring to former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam who made masks mandatory for all public school kids K-12.

'Here's a governor that comes into office, but yet you don't want to follow his orders. Why is that? Why is it different from last year when we were here to this year? Vaught said. 'Two different governors, different political parties. So we're supposed to follow it last year, but not this year? That makes no sense, and it makes all of you a bunch of hypocrites.'

Virginia's seven-day average for Covid-19 infections on Friday was 2,392 cases, down 28 percent from 3,062 on February 14.

Board chair Susan Kass called on an officer in the back of the room to come forward hustle parent Alecia Vaught away from the mic

'We're coming for your seat' Alecia Vaught, left, told Montgomery County School Board chair Susan Kass, right, as she stalked out of a public meeting. 'You can have it' Kass replied

Kass called an officer from the back of the room to try to silence Alecia Vaught, pictured in yellow at the microphone, but the officer did not intervene

Vaught then held up her phone and showed photos from Kass's Facebook page apparently showing the board chair in public social settings without a mask on.

'Here's a picture of you right here on Facebook with a crowd of people with no mask on,' she said.

At that point Kass, a former teacher who works in HR at Virginia Tech, cut in and told her that she would not be given any more time to speak.

Alecia Vaught, a parent with kids in the Montgomery County School District, called out the school board for not supporting rolling back mask mandates

'I'm sorry Ms. Vaught, you are done if you are going to, if you are going to sit there and disparage a member of our school board, you can sit down,' Kass said. 'I am not going to sit here, this is not about you anymore. Can we have an officer, please?'

At that point, an officer in the back of the room came forward and stood to the left of Vaught, but did not hustle her away from the mic.

Another board member, Jamie Bond, defended Vaught's right to speak.

'She should be able to say her piece,' Bond said. 'I've had to listen to people come and criticize me.'

'That doesn't make it right, Jamie,' Kass said. 'That's my family.'

Vaught continued to bait Kass.

'What do you think about our family? Our family has been suffocated to death with your policies,' Vaught said.

The board chairwoman got up at that point, walked around the dais and past Vaught, who said, 'We're coming for your seat.'

'You can have it,' Kass shot back.

The Montgomery County School Board was force to abandon strict Covid-19 mask mandates after the Virginia governor signed a law making them optional in all public schools

Vaught then announced that anyone looking to run for the Montgomery County School board could attend two free training sessions being held in March at the Christiansburg bowling alley.

Kass later issued a statement apologizing for walking out.

'I wish I had reacted differently,' she said. 'But when someone is scrolling through your personal FB trying to prove something that isn't true, and now they are threatening to show photos of your family, you become protective.'

'She is trying to paint me as a hypocrite because I spent time with family and friends who are vaccinated and boosted at people's homes. I have not asked anyone to do something that I haven't done myself. I have elderly parents that I also need to protect,' she added.

Wearing a properly fitting, N95 or KN95 mask can a reduce a person's likelihood of being infected from Covid by 83 percent, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found last year.

However, cloth face covering have proven to be far less effective at preventing the spread of COVID. Meanwhile, studies have shown that kids' ability to learn and socialize has been hampered by masks.

Kass told the Roanoke Times that her father was in the hospital, but she felt duty-bound to honor her commitment and show up at the meeting.

I volunteered to do this because I care about teachers, and I care about students, she told the paper.
A Bronx mother pounced on a career criminal after he randomly sucker-punched her four-year-old son in the head in Times Square.

Rafaela Rivera, 42, says she was left startled when she heard a noise resembling somebody being hit with a 'halfway empty bottle of water,' only to realize mere seconds later that the victim had been her little boy, Angel.

Once she set eyes on the culprit of the crime, she tackled 34-year-old Babacar Mbaye to the ground and did not let go of him until police arrived at the scene at the corner of 46th Street and Seventh Avenue shortly after 3.30pm on Thursday.

'I was angry. I sprung into action,' Rafaela told The Post. 'The mama bear in me came out. I did what any mama would do. I see my baby crying, it was like why you hit a 4-year-old?'

Rafaela's husband, Federico Rivera, said he specifically asked her to take an Uber from their home in The Bronx to Times Square because he was concerned about the rise in violent, random attacks on the subway.

'I said no [to his family taking the subway], too much problem. Take [an] Uber...And something still happened, my [God,]' Federico told NBC.

Mbaye was charged with two counts of assault, endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest, and was booked into the Eric M. Taylor Detention Center in The Bronx.

He is being held on $30,000 bail and is scheduled for a court hearing on Wednesday.

The incident is the latest in a string of violent crimes in New York City, with transit attacks spiking 65.3 percent this year compared to the same period last year, and felony assault and grand larceny rising 18.4 and 66.8percent, respectively, during the same period.

Rafaela Rivera, 42 (pictured with her husband Federico and son Angel) went into mama bearmode when a career criminal hit her little boy in the head in Times Square on Thursday

Babacar Mbaye, 34, was tackled to the ground by Rafaela, who did not let go of him until police arrived. He was later arrested and charged with two counts of assault, endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest

Mbaye has an extensive rap sheet and has been arrested more than 40 times - with three arrests just this year before he allegedly attacked Angel.

During his arraignment at Manhattan Criminal Court Friday, Mbaye's attorney, Thomas Kenniff, claimed his client was suffering a psychiatric episode resulting from drinking a whole bottle of sanitizer.

Rafaela, a bagel factory worker, was spending Thursday with Angel and her older daughter, Carmen, in Times Square.

She had been taking photos of Carmen, an aspiring model, and was walking with her children toward the famous red staircase near the TKTS booth in Times Square when the attack unfolded.

'All of a sudden I hear like somebody got hit in the head with a halfway empty bottle of water and I turned around and [Angel is] screaming and crying, getting up off the floor,' Rafaela recalled.

'I was looking at him and I fell down on my head,' Angel said.

Rafaela said she called Mbaye out, before tackling him to the ground and hitting him.

'He wouldn't turn around so I grabbed him by his jacket...And I said no, no. You're not getting away,''' she told ABC.

'At that point I was really mad. I was hitting him. That was nasty,' she said.

By the time police arrived, Rafaela was still on top of Mbaye.

'The cops said, ''Let him go, let him go.' I said, 'He hit my son,' and one said, 'We got him, let him go.' So I let him go and they had him on the ground,' Rafaela told The Post.

'He didnt say anything. He was mumbling. I think he wasnt in the right state of mind,' she added.

Crime in the city has continued to spike, with overall crime having increased 46.5percent, robbery up nearly 38percent, and felony and misdemeanor assaults up 18.4percent and 33.3percent, respectively, in the year to date compared to the same period in 2021

Federico Rivera said he specifically asked Rafaela to take an Uber with the kids to Times Square because he was concerned about the rising crime in New York City

'Why do they keep letting him out,' Rafaela said. 'I mean he hit a 4-year-old, what if he ended up, you know, something worse?'

Just two weeks ago, on February 13, Mbaye had been arrested and charged with assault after allegedly punching a woman in the head on the subway.

He was released without bail for that incident, said his lawyer, who claimed Mbaye 'inadvertently made contact with [Angel]' when he was dancing in Times Square.

In January, he was given supervised release after reportedly kicking another woman in the stomach.

Rafaela said she thought she was safe because there were many people in Times Square, but added she will now keep her guard up.

'I turn around and the baby is screaming hollering and crying...I was ticked off. I was outraged,' Rafaela recounted to ABC. 'I grabbed him harder and we both went down. He was on top of me and I was not letting go.'

'Its a different New York now  forget it. The crime is out of this world,' Federico added. 'There is no police presence like it used to be.'

Crime in the city has continued to spike, with overall crime having increased 46.5 percent, robbery up nearly 38 percent, and felony and misdemeanor assaults up 18.4 percent and 33.3 percent, respectively, through February 13 from the same time last year.

The city deployed an additional 1,000 officers to patrol the subway system on Friday amid a spike in violent crimes on the subway system

Last week, a Trader Joes' worker became one of the latest victims of violence in New York City after being horrifically slashed across the face for standing up to a rude passenger.

The subway stabbings have spiked 29 percent in the last year, with 182 incidents compared to 141 in 2020.

And 2022 is squaring up to be even worse. So far this year, there have been 27 subway attacks on passengers - a 35 percent increase on the 20 reported for the same period in 2021.

Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Adams said he will attempt to crack down on crime in the city's subway system by deploying 1,000 additional officers as well as teams of health workers to address rampant homelessness on the transit system.

Adams announced the new Subway Safety Plan initiative on Friday with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who said the state would deliver 600 new psychiatric beds and another 500 beds at shelters in the city to try and provide help for those currently living in the subways, many of whom suffer from severe mental illness.

An investigation is underway after a 22-year-old man was stabbed while aboard an L train

Police say the victim was stabbed by an unknown individual just after 2 p.m. at the 14th Street and 3rd Avenue subway station

Police set up camp outside the 1st Avenue L train station in Brooklyn

It comes amid a spate of shocking crimes in NYC, including the death of a Deloitte advertising executive killed after she was pushed in front of a train in an unprovoked attack at Times Square Station in January.

Earlier this month, an Asian advertising creative was knifed to death by a homeless serial criminal who was free on bail, after he followed her inside her apartment in Chinatown when she returned from a night out.

The state will also be investing $9 million a year to recruit psychiatrists and nurses as Adams said 30 teams of service and health workers would also be deployed to work alongside officers at the subway.

'Let's be clear on this, [the homeless] are not dangerous,' Adams said. 'The vast majority are not dangerous, but we have to be honest about the number of individuals dealing with mental health crises. They are dangerous to themselves and dangerous to New Yorkers.'
A 29-year-old Michigan man charged in the fatal hit-and-run of a 64-year-old retired nurse allegedly killed her on purpose so he could have sex with her dead body, prosecutors said.

Colby Martin, of White Pigeon, was initially charged with manslaughter after he allegedly struck Melody Rohrer with his car on September 20 and moved her body about 26 miles southwest, Van Buren County Sheriff's Office said at the time.

Prosecutors upgraded his charges to open murder during a hearing at Van Buren County District Court on Wednesday, after investigators revealed that Martin searched necrophilia-related pornography immediately after Rohrers death, ABC 13 reported.

Detectives also found Rohrers DNA on condoms found in Martins car and in a trash can near his house, the news outlet added.

Colby Martin, 29, allegedly struck Melody Rohrer, 64, with his car on purpose so he could have sex with her dead body, prosecutors said

Rohrer, a grandmother of four and retired nurse from Bronson Methodist Hospital, was reported missing by family members in September after she went on a daily walk outside the Oak Shores Campground and didnt return

Martin was initially charged with manslaughter in Rohrer's death, but had his charges upgraded to open murder in a hearing Wednesday

Rohrer was reported missing by family members after she went on a daily walk outside the Oak Shores Campground and didnt return.

'Upon looking around the area where she normally walks, one of the deputies found some items that belonged to her and skid marks and it was quite obviously shed been hit by a vehicle,' Van Buren County Sheriff Dan Abbott said in September.

Martin allegedly struck Rohrer dead with his car and took some of her belongings and cell phone, which police used to track him down the following day at a Walmart parking lot in Oshtemo Township. He was using the same car, a 2013 Ford F-150, when law enforcement confronted him and detectives said it had severe front-end damage.

Martin led police to Rohrers body, about 25 miles southwest at the Three Rivers State Game Area. Police alleged that Martin took the body to the second location, which is a large public park with hundreds of acres of trees and wooded sections, and engaged in sexual acts with it there.

Martin had been released on $300,000 bail since September, when he was charged with manslaughter with a motor vehicle, failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death when at fault and concealing the death of an individual.

During his most recent hearing, detectives revealed that Martins search history showed he was looking up pornography involving dead or unconscious women immediately after Rohrer was reported missing.

Investigators revealed to a judge that Martin allegedly searched necrophilia-related pornography immediately after Rohrers death

Detectives also said they found Rohrers DNA on condoms found in Martins car and in a trash can near his house

Martin allegedly moved Rohrers body after the hit-and-run, taking it about 26 miles southwest at the Three Rivers State Game Area

Martin and Rohrers DNA was also found on condoms recovered in Martin's vehicle and a trashcan near his home, detectives said.

Van Buren County Prosecuting Attorney Kirk Metzger said that the new allegations were chilling.

"That is a very different set of facts," Van Buren County District Court Judge Michael McKay said during Wednesdays arraignment, where he confirmed the establishment of probably cause for the open murder charge.

There is probable cause to believe that the defendant intentionally struck the victim with the vehicle, took her body [and] engaged in sexual acts with the body, he said.

McKay also denied bond for Martin, who is being held at the Van Buren County Jail. He was arrested at his girlfriends home in Big Rapids earlier last week. His girlfriends identity was not revealed and it is not clear if she had any knowledge of his alleged criminal activity.

Martin's attorney, Jim Mequio, said the allegations should not justify the new charges, ABD 13 reported.

"We're still waiting for reports and more evidence from the prosecutor's office. From a legal standpoint, I'm not seeing the increase in charges will be justified," he said.

Rohrer was a grandmother of four and worked as a nurse in the Antepartum and Postpartum unit of Bronson Methodist Hospital from 2001 to 2017, according to an obituary released from Hohner Funeral Home in Three Rivers, Michigan

Detectives are still investigating and awaiting subpoena and Freedom of Information Act requests, ABC 13 reported.

"We expect more information to keep coming forth. Our focus right now is this case to make sure no stone goes unturned," Abbott told the news outlet.

"We're absolutely devastated and heartbroken. She was an amazing woman," Rohrer's niece, Danielle Rohrer, told ABC 13 in September.

Rohrer was a grandmother of four and worked as a nurse in the Antepartum and Postpartum unit of Bronson Methodist Hospital from 2001 to 2017, according to an obituary released from Hohner Funeral Home in Three Rivers, Michigan.

She loved being an advocate for her patients and also became a mentor to many of the new nurses as they entered into their careers, the obituary reads, adding that she loved spending time with family & friends, spoiling her grandchildren, camping, painting, arts and crafts, music, exercising and taking care of herself.

Her family encouraged donations in her name to be made to Ronald McDonald House in Ann Arbor in lieu of flowers at her funeral.
Train workers, their bosses and the NSW Government are all blaming each other for causing Sydney's disastrous last-minute transport shutdown.

With spin and insults flying from all directions, the only certainty was that commuters were the ones who were suffering most from a bizarre dispute that boiled over into a disaster.

Hygiene, safety and network privatisation were among the many reasons given by the warring sides to explain the action, with some crude language also making an appearance.

Millions of Sydneysiders discovered on Monday morning they had no way of getting to work with just a 5am social media announcement from Sydney Trains.

The result was chaos with 22km traffic jams on the M2 Motorway and similar gridlock elsewhere as workers jumped in their cars all at once.

Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp sent an email at 1.38am suddenly cancelling all services in what rail workers called a 'dummy spit'.

A snap rail strike caused numerous traffic problems across the Sydney road network with inner city areas hit particularly hard, as buses replaced trains and many people were delayed and confused. Pictured is Newtown in Sydney's inner west

Mr Sharp and the NSW Government claimed they had no choice but to cancel all services as the union's industrial action made the system unsafe - a claim the union strongly rejects.

But this was just the latest act in an extraordinary chain of events over the past year and beyond that came to a head over the weekend.

The union, transport authorities and the state government have been at each other's throats for months over a new enterprise agreement, with 30 meetings in the past six months alone.

The union demanded better pay and conditions and improvements to hygiene, safety and no moves to privatise the network.

The city-wide shutdown stranded millions of commuters, forcing many to wait for overcrowded buses

Poll Who do you blame for the Sydney rail shutdown? NSW Government Transport union Both of them! Not sure Who do you blame for the Sydney rail shutdown? NSW Government 383 votes

Transport union 183 votes

Both of them! 187 votes

Not sure 30 votes Now share your opinion





Industrial action had been threatened for some time, and followed through on several occasions during the long-running negotiations.

The RTBU planned a ban for the next two weeks on overtime, 'altered working' and other flexible rostering that Sydney Trains uses to respond to changes on the network.

The two sides met for conciliation on Saturday with Sydney Trains and the government sending 10 lawyers at a $500,000 cost to taxpayers.

The government wanted all industrial action halted and was pushing for the Fair Work Commission to arbitrate the contract dispute.

Union bosses claim if the agreement was decided by the FWC it would side with the government and Sydney Trains because it was stacked with anti-union judges.

Back-to-back traffic crippled Victoria Road as train services were shut down on Monday

A graphic depiction of bumper to bumper traffic along Victoria Road and the M2, stationed trains at Clyde Train Depot, a shuttered Town Hall, and commuters left stranded in Parramatta

After hours of tense negotiation, the union agreed to cancel a ban on overtime and other plans in exchange for being able to go ahead with scaled-down industrial action on Monday for two weeks, and the government withdrawing its arbitration push.

However, the next day government realised it agreed to a deal that still has wide ranging, though comparatively minor, industrial action.

NSW Transport Minister David Elliott claimed on Monday this was because the union 'deliberately misinterpreted' the agreement.

The government sent Crown solicitors to the FWC to demand the industrial action be called off. Union leaders were not present but RTBU's lawyers were.

The Fair Work Commission sided with the union and the industrial action was scheduled to go ahead.

Mr Elliot slammed this outcome and said he wasn't there either because no one invited him.

'What was agreed to on Saturday was in question, which was why last night at 8 o'clock we should have bedded down these questions... [but] they (the union) didn't even bother showing up,' he said.

'The buck stops with me. I'm the transport minister, which is why I'm horrified that an agreement made on Saturday afternoon that could have been clarified last night, therefore avoiding the industrial action this morning, has occurred.'

Photos emerged of dozens of bored Sydney train workers left with nothing to do, milling about the train station and sitting in the depot after a city-wide shutdown

Other train workers were pictured on a desolate platform at Lithgow in Greater Sydney as millions of commuters battled to get to work and school on time on Monday

That was when Mr Sharp sent the 1.38am email to staff that announced Sydney Trains would be shutting down the network on Monday morning.

The former Virgin Australia boss claimed the industrial action the union planned for the next two weeks would compromise safety.

'These impacts result in hundreds and thousands of customers being left stranded, unable to get to work, school and where they need to be,' he wrote.

'We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact on commuters and sincerely apologise to people inconvenienced by this industrial action.'

RTBU secretary Alex Claassens strongly disputed this, calling it a bulls**t excuse' and 'a new low'.

Mr Claassens said the 'altered work ban' the union planned to implement would only have caused delays if Sydney Trains failed to adapt to it.

'Workers will be taking protected industrial action, but only transport management will notice the impact, not commuters,' he said.

Town Hall has been barricaded as train services are crippled by widespread cancellations in Sydney

Men and women in orange high-vis vests sat around on their phones as negotiations continued before the Fair Work Commission on Monday morning (pictured)

'If commuters see any impact to their services, it won't be because of workers' actions, but because the NSW Government is spitting the dummy and trying to make a point.'

Mr Claassens said union members, who showed up for work at 2am with no idea the rail network was shut down, would be at work ready to go as soon as management and the government let them.

'All members will be at work, ready to work. They will be ready and waiting to crew the trains. There is no impediment, only stubbornness on behalf of the NSW Government,' he said.

'The actions being taken are designed to make life hard for transport management, not commuters.

'There's no strike  workers are simply performing the shifts we're set without any changes.'

An empty Sydney train station pictured on Monday, February 21, 2022 on the day of a train strike

The rest of the morning was an all-in brawl between both sides, with Premier Dominic Perrottet, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Labor opposition joining the fray.

Mr Elliott was not alone in his take no prisoners approach, with Mr Perrottet claiming, without evidence, that the strike was a 'campaign by the unions and Labor to cause chaos across the city'.

'The unions were intent on causing chaos,' he said.

'This is the unions playing games with the Labor Party for political purposes at the expense of our people.

'This is the Labor Party in bed with the union movement to cause mass disruption.'

Mr Morrison said if Labor won the federal election, due by May 21, there would be a lot more strikes - which seemed to contradict Mr Perrottet's view that Labor and the unions were in cahoots just to win the federal election.

Mr Claasens broke down at a Monday morning press conference as he revealed the union's safety demand was a very personal matter.

'Yesterday was also a very important day for me, because it was two years ago a friend of mine died in a train accident,' he said.

Mr Claasens paused for a moment to hold back his tears and compose himself.

A sign (pictured) outside a Sydney train station saying transport staff want to work but the government shut the rail network down

There was traffic gridlock (pictured) across Sydney on Monday due to a train strike

'For me to have to go through all this rubbish and stand here and justify why we're taking protective industrial action, which we're allowed to do legally under the law. We have done everything by the book.'

While one person's spin is another person's outright lies, both Mr Claasens and Mr Elliott used the same strong language to dismiss each other.

On Sydney radio station 2GB, host Ben Fordham put it to Mr Elliott that the strike was due to a decision taken by Transport for NSW, not the unions.

Mr Elliott didn't hold back. 'That's bulls**t. That's union spin,' he said.

He Fordham he was 'furious' at the union trying to blame the government.

'They cannot use the city's transport system for some sort of terrorist-like activity,' he said.

'I have been negotiating with unions for 20 years and I haven't seen this sort of behaviour for quite some time.'

NSW Minister for Transport David Elliott (pictured) accused unions of 'terrorist-like activity'

Mr Elliott was not alone in his take no prisoners approach, with Mr Perrottet claiming, without evidence, that the strike was a 'campaign by the unions and Labor to cause chaos across the city'.

The union, on the other hand, accused the NSW Government of using used anti-union laws to try to shut down its members' right to take industrial action.

'If the last few days have taught us anything, it's that we have a government that is willing to try anything to screw us over, no matter what the cost to taxpayers,' it said.

'We need to, and we will, stand together to beat this heartless and morally bankrupt government. Our anger is palpable.'

Transport for NSW announced the sudden train closure at 5am on its social media, when some commuters were already heading to their local train stations.

'Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink intercity services are not running today due to industrial action,' it wrote online.

'Please avoid travel wherever possible, use alternative modes of transport and allow extra travel time on other modes of transport.'
The man hoping to be Australia's next Prime Minister has transformed himself since leading Labor's 'hard left' as a young political operator.

Anthony Albanese - who hopes to turf out Scott Morrison at the May election - led a faction of NSW Labor known as the 'hard left' or 'socialist left' in the 1980s.

His supporters were known by many names including 'Bolsheviks', 'Ratbags' and 'Doers,' according to an essay by Labor MP Andrew Leigh.

Anthony Albanese was interviewed by the Communist Party of Australia newspaper in 1991. He is pictured in the paper

Labor leader Anthony Albanese with his son Nathan (left) and partner Jodie Haydon in January at the National Press Club in Canberra

The faction 'maintained closer links with broader left-wing groups', such as the Communist Party of Australia, People for Nuclear Disarmament and the African National Congress.

In 1991 Mr Albanese - then Assistant General Secretary of the Australian Labor Party - conducted an interview with the Communist Party's official paper, the Tribune.

Revealing his hard left credentials, he talked about class and 'comrades who struggled before us' to put left-wing policies into action.

'The main reason for joining the ALP is that it is a trade-union based party. If you believe in some form of class politics then that is a very important link,' he said.

But those comments he made when he was 28 after growing up in housing commission are at odds with the man he is today.

In the article (pictured) he praised 'comrades who struggled before us' to put left-wing policies into action

Federal opposition leader Anthony Albanese (right) with mum Maryanne Ellery and son Nathan

Now Mr Albanese has abandoned talk of class struggle and stripped down Labor's policy offering to give it the best chance of being elected.

The 58-year-old has scrapped Bill Shorten's hated franking credits and negative gearing tax policies.

The strategy is to remain a small target to avoid attacks and make this election a referendum on Scott Morrison's leadership and character.

Meanwhile, Mr Albanese has been at pains to point out that he stands for aspiration and will back everyday Aussies who work hard for their families.

'I stand for a strong economy. I stand for making sure that people can not get left behind, but also that they not get held back for opportunity. I stand for aspiration,' he told the Today show earlier this month.

Asked by host Karl Stefanovic if he stands for 'inner-city lefties', Mr Albanese replied: 'Well, I stand for all Australians, Karl. And I'm comfortable sitting in a pub in Hewenden in North Queensland just as I am comfortable sitting around a boardroom talking about business.'

Mr Albanese is pictured campaigning for Medicare services in 1996 when he first joined parliament

Mr Albanese is pictured as a young man. He became a federal MP in 1996 aged 33

Drawing a line under his hard left days, Mr Albanese said he is now focussed 'on things that matter to Australians like jobs, wage growth, the crisis in aged care and the need for the revival of Australian manufacturing'.

'I'm very happy to stand by all of the policies that I have outlined ahead of the coming election because these are the policies a Labor government will implement if we are successful,' he said.

Mr Albanese, a divorced father of one who grew up in housing commission, is also portraying himself as a family man and has appeared in photos with his partner Jodie Haydon who was recently interviewed by Women's Weekly.

Ms Haydon revealed that she realised she was in love with the Labor leader when he was rushed to hospital after a car crash in Sydney's inner west early last year.

'It was very scary, and in that moment, you realise just how much you love this person  the fear of losing them,' Ms Haydon said.

Mr Albanese's car was hit by another driver but he made a full recovery.

From Albo's humble childhood to his marriage to a powerful Labor politician and a new romance with a high-flying financial worker: Inside the life of the man trying to become the next leader of Australia

By Charlie Coe

Anthony Albanese will be supported closely by his girlfriend of two years as he challenges Scott Morrison for the Australian leadership this year.

The Labor leader will have his partner Jodie Haydon and son Nathan, 21, in his corner during the upcoming federal election, which is expected to be called in May.

Mr Albanese, who earns $390,820 a year, and the First State Super financial worker were first spotted kissing at an upmarket Sydney restaurant in June 2020.

Mr Albanese attends the Australian premiere of Hamilton at Lyric Theatre last year with girlfriend Jodie

Eighteen months earlier on New Year's Day 2019, the 58-year-old separated from his ex-wife - former NSW deputy premier Carmel Tebbutt.

The potential future prime minister later said he 'didn't see it coming' when Ms Tebbutt abruptly ended their marriage.

'I found it very tough. The relationship was 30 years old,' he told ABC Radio in 2022.

Mr Albanese and Ms Tebbutt met in Young Labor during the late 1980s. They were together for 30 years.

Nathan, the couple's only child, had just turned 18 and completed his HSC exams when Ms Tebbutt ended the relationship.

The Opposition leader now lives in Marrickville in his inner-west Sydney electorate with his boy.

In January 2020, Mr Albanese declared his relationship with Nathan to be the strongest it's ever been as the pair were forced to rely on each other more than ever in their two-person household.

The Labor leader was brought up by single mother Maryanne Ellery - who raised him on a disability pension income.

'My story began in a council house in Camperdown,' he said.

'Just me and my mum. She wasn't well and it wasn't easy. But all things were possible.'

Mr Albanese and his ex-wife Carmel Tebbutt - the former NSW deputy premier. The potential future prime minister said he 'didn't see it coming' when Ms Tebbutt abruptly ended theIr marriage on New Year's Day 2019

Ms Ellery was rushed to hospital on Mother's Day in 2002 after a brain aneurism, before dying two weeks later.

Mr Albanese has been open about her death and recently told how he discovered something was wrong after flying to Sydney from Canberra to take Ms Ellery to a Mother's Day lunch.

'When I got to her home in Camperdown, I knew something wasn't right. The front door had been left open,' he wrote on Twitter.

Mr Albanese (left) told in 2021 how his mother Maryanne Ellery (right) had a brain aneurism on Mother's Day in 2002

'After decades of health problems, mum had a brain aneurysm, and was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Mum would spend two weeks in hospital before finally passing.'

His mother died on May 25 and in the two decades since Mr Albanese said he has visited her cemetery every Mother's Day to 'remember how much she sacrificed' for him.

'Mum always gave me unconditional love. And I feel very privileged to have had that,' he wrote.

Ms Ellery (pictured with Nathan) died on May 25 in 2002, two weeks after being hospitalised

Mr Albanese didn't meet his Italian father Carlo Albanese until 2009, and believed he was dead until he was 15-years-old.

Carlo died in 2014.

Mr Albanese has been the Leader of the Opposition since 2019. He has held the federal seat of Grayndler - which covers the inner-western Sydney suburb he calls home - since March 1996.
Scott Morrison has explained why he risked blindness by trying to weld without a mask during an extraordinary photo-op blunder.

The Prime Minister diced with danger at a small business in Alice Springs on Saturday when he lifted his safety mask above his eyes just as he unleashed a blinding flash from a welding torch.

Footage of the incident was shared widely online by his political opponents including trade union boss Sally McManus who posted it with the caption 'what do the tradies of Australia think of this?'

Asked about the blunder on Sydney's Radio 2GB on Monday, Mr Morrison said: 'This was a pretty tricky little device I was trying to use. I hadn't used that one before.'

He then hit back at his critics, saying welding is not his job.

'So if people want to have a chip at me because I'm not a good welder, well, that's not my day job,' he said.

'And if all the narcs in the bubble want to have a crack at me, well, they can. But what I'm doing is showcasing the great work of our apprentices and small businesses.'

The PM wore a regulation welding safety visor during a visit to the workshop in the Northern Territory.

But he lifted the protective helmet moments before he touched the blazing arc of the welding torch to a metal beam.

His face lit up with the intense white light from the searing flame, which should only be viewed from behind the specially darkened screen.

The Prime Minister donned PPE including a safety visor during a visit to a workshop in Alice Springs but lifted the mask as he touched the blazing arc of a welding torch to a metal beam

The blunder drew comparisons with Donald Trump's defiant gazing at the eclipse without protective eyewear from the balcony of the White House in August 2017

Video showed a bystander desperately reaching out to try to bring down the mask but couldn't manage it in time as the 6000C spark erupted in his face.

Seconds earlier Morrison had cheerfully assured the tradie with him 'I've done this before, up in the Hunter.'

'On the tools again!' he added.

Eye damage from burns is a huge risk in welding and precautions to prevent it are taken extremely seriously.

The blunder drew comparisons with Donald Trump's defiant gazing at the eclipse without protective eyewear from the balcony of the White House in August 2017.

He looked three times, despite White House aids shouting, 'Don't look!'
The average price tag on a home put up for sale has rocketed by nearly 8,000 in the space of a month, as ambitious sellers back the pandemic property boom to continue.

The 7,785 jump to mid-February was the biggest month-on-month increase in cash terms recorded by property listings giant Rightmove in more than 20 years of its reporting.

It means the average asking price across Britain now stands at a record 348,804  a rise of nearly 40,000 in the two years since the pandemic started, compared with just over 9,000 in the previous two years.

The average asking price for a home is 9.5 per cent higher than a year ago, marking the highest annual rate of growth since September 2014, Rightmove said.

London saw its highest annual rate of asking price growth since 2016, or 7.3%, in February, but remains well behind many other regional locations, with the East Midlands seeing the greatest inflation at 13.3%

February's price growth is being driven by the 'second stepper' sector  a category of buyers who may find themselves in need of more space and are now ready to move on from their first homes.

As some workers are being encouraged to return to the office, London has seen a particularly big jump in home buyer inquiries, Rightmove said.

Buyer demand generally is 16 per cent higher than at this time in 2021.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove's director of property data, said: 'We now have a group of movers who are looking to return closer to major cities, or at least within comfortable commuting distance.

'High demand and a shortage of available stock are supporting a rise in prices and a new record average asking price this month.

He added: 'A fear of missing out on one's dream home is really driving market behaviour at the moment, as movers look to do all that they can to avoid the disappointment of being too slow to secure their ideal property.

'We're seeing buyers sending more enquiries for available homes than usual, and doing everything that they can to put themselves at the top of the list.'

Average asking prices rose by 2.3%, or 7,785 in February - the biggest monthly jump in cash terms recorded by Rightmove in more than twenty years of reporting

Activity from both buyers and sellers has increased this month, with the number of new sellers listing their homes for sale up by 11 per cent.

The number of people requesting a home valuation from an estate agent was also up 11 per cent in January compared to last year.

'The data suggests that people are by no means done with their pandemic-driven moves,' Bannister said.

'Such a significant societal event means that even two years on from the start of the pandemic, people are continuing to re-consider their priorities and where they want to live.'

High demand and shortage of properties is continuing to prop up prices, despite the rising cost of living affecting many people's finances, especially first-time buyers'.

'Despite rising costs and rising interest rates, the data right now shows demand rising across the whole of Great Britain, with many people determined to move as we head into the spring home-moving season,' Bannister added.

Second-steppers homes have seen the largest increase in prices this month, says Rightmove

Average asking prices for first-time buyers' properties have risen 7.3 per cent over the last year, compared to 11.3 per cent increase for second-steppers' homes and 11 per cent for top of the ladder homes.

Geoff Garrett, director of mortgage solutions firm Henry Dannell, said: 'It remains very much a sellers market and the continued increase in asking price expectations demonstrates this, as buyers are further stretched in order to secure a home.

'However, with high chances of at least two further interest rate increases over the course of this year, those purchasing with the help of a tracker or variable rate mortgage will notice their monthly costs climb significantly.'

As the final pandemic restrictions now look to be ending, and returning to the office is encouraged or required by many businesses, the London property market is accelerating.

The capital recorded the biggest jump in the number of buyers sending enquiries of any region (+24 per cent), a new price record, and its highest annual rate of price growth since 2016, or 7.3 per cent.

The East Midlands and South West saw the fastest rate of growth, with average asking prices rising 13.3 per cent and 13.2 per cent respectively compared to a year ago.

The North East saw the slowest pace of annual growth at 6.4 per cent, while prices in Scotland rose 8.1 per cent.

Ben Hudson, managing director at estate agents Hudson Moody in York, said homes continued to be in short supply, despite some improvement.

'As soon as anything new comes onto the market, it is flying off the shelf, with multiple buyers competing for the final sale,' he said.

'With so many potential buyers, many properties at the moment are selling above asking price, which can make valuing a property accurately a challenge as we don't want to give unrealistic expectations.'

But he added: 'We are going out to value more properties, and seeing more new listings come to the market for sale, and we are seeing signs of a busy, but more traditional spring season.'
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Infuriating photos have emerged of hundreds of bemused Sydney train workers standing around on train station platforms and depots after the entire Sydney rail network was shut down without warning on Monday.

The city's commuters were abruptly stranded on Monday morning after the NSW Government made a late-night decision to shut down the train system - on the first weekday after working from home rules were eased.

As residents were forced into buses and clogged highways in 22km long traffic jams, pictures obtained by Daily Mail Australia showed others in orange high-vis vests sitting in a depot lunch room with nothing to do.

Other pictures showed a huge crowd of rail workers milling about one of the main platforms at Central Station.

The Rail Tram and Bus Union has claimed Sydney Trains staff were 'locked out' despite agreeing to work, however Transport Minister David Elliott has blasted that as 'union spin'.

As the union and the state government were locked in high-level talks, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet slammed the shutdown as a 'concerted campaign' and insisted the unions were to blame.

Shocking photos have emerged of dozens of bored Sydney train workers left with nothing to do, milling about the train station and sitting in the depot after a city-wide shutdown

Men and women in orange high-vis vests sat around on their phones as negotiations continued before the Fair Work Commission on Monday morning (pictured)

Other train workers were pictured on a desolate platform at Lithgow in Greater Sydney as millions of commuters battled to get to work and school on time on Monday

Mr Perrottet said it was 'no accident' that this has occurred on the same day as international borders reopened, workers returned to the office, and children and university students ventured to their classes.

The premier said unions were taking 'a different approach' to the agreement reached and insisted the decision had been made with intent to cause chaos'.

Poll Who do you blame for the Sydney rail shutdown? NSW Government Transport union Both of them! Not sure Who do you blame for the Sydney rail shutdown? NSW Government 383 votes

Transport union 183 votes

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'Make no mistake this is a coordinated attack by the Labor party and the union movement,' he said.

'This is no accident. This is a concerted campaign by the unions and the Labor party to cause mass disruption across our city.'

However the union claims it 'intended to take legitimate and legal industrial action today which would not have affected service'.

'Workers would have worked as per their normal roster. The employer, however, chose to shut down the rail network.'

Federal Labor frontbencher Tony Burke took to Twitter to refute claims the unions were behind the cancellations.

'The claim that the trains in Sydney aren't running because of a strike is wrong,' he tweeted.

'The planned union action was not going to stop the trains. The Liberals have decided to stop the trains. Train drivers have turned up to work. There's chaos in Sydney and the government chose chaos.'

The city-wide shutdown has caused a gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway and huge lines of traffic along Victoria Road, the M5 and Hume Highway.

The cancellations came on the day Australia's international borders finally opened and work from home was ditched in NSW with employees told they could return to the office at their bosses' discretion.

A graphic depiction of bumper to bumper traffic along Victoria Road and the M2, stationed trains at Clyde Train Depot, a shuttered Town Hall, and commuters left stranded in Parramatta

The city-wide shutdown has caused a gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway and huge lines of traffic along Victoria Road, the M5 and Hume Highway

The cancellations came on the day Australia's international borders finally opened and work from home was ditched in NSW

Schools are reportedly being closed because teachers are unable to get to work with no trains and huge delays due to traffic

Schools are reportedly being closed because teachers are unable to get to work with no trains and huge delays due to traffic.

The shutdown is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute between the NSW Government and the Rail Tram and Bus Union over safety guarantees, hygiene, wages, and privatisation concerns.

The two sides are blaming each other for the shutdown with NSW Transport Minister David Elliott accusing the union of 'hijacking the city' and the union arguing the government of 'locking workers' out after they agreed to work.

Transport for NSW announced the sudden train closure at 5am on its social media, and before that in a 1.38am email to staff.

'Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink intercity services are not running today due to industrial action,' it wrote online.

'Please avoid travel wherever possible, use alternative modes of transport and allow extra travel time on other modes of transport.

'This was a difficult decision to make, but we cannot and will not compromise on safety. We apologise to customers for what is clearly an unacceptable course of action.'

NSW Labor's spokeswoman for transport Jo Haylen has called on the state government to negotiate with the union today so the afternoon train service could recover in time for commuters to travel home.

'After all, rail workers turned up at 2am today ready and willing to work. Let's let them,' the MP said on Twitter.

'Transport workers stand ready to get the trains running now.'

Back-to-back traffic crippled Victoria Road as train services were shut down on Monday

The two sides are blaming each other for the shutdown with NSW Transport Minister David Elliott accusing the union of 'hijacking the city' and the union arguing the government of 'locking workers' out after they agreed to work

The state government encouraged staff to get back into the office for the first time since the Omicron wave

Transport bosses attempted to blame the union for the sudden rail shutdown, but it was Transport for NSW's decision to shut the network down.

Transport minister Mr Elliott told Ben Fordham he was 'furious' the union would blame the government.

'I have been negotiating with unions for 20 years and I haven't seen this sort of behaviour for quite some time,' he said.

'Why the hell would I want a strike to occur the day universities are going back?

'They cannot use the city's transport system for some sort of terrorist-like activity.'

Workers never planned to strike and were all going to show up to work under comparatively minor bans on rostering flexibility.

However, Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp at 1.38am sent an email suddenly cancelling all services in what rail workers called a 'dummy spit'.

Rail replacement buses have not been organised due to the last-minute nature of the shutdown, with commuters urged to find alternative transport.

This was after the state government encouraged staff to get back into the office for the first time since the Omicron wave.

Rail, Tram, and Bus Union secretary Alex Claassens said Sydney Trains locked workers out of the train network despite them being ready to work.

'For the government to use this as a bulls**t excuse is a new low. They are the ones that are doing all of this,' he said.

Millions of Sydney commuters will wake up this morning to find they have no way to get to work after all trains were suddenly cancelled

Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed up his Coalition partners in NSW by attacking the 'disrespectful' union for inconveniencing commuters

Roads are choked with traffic as Sydneysiders jumped into their cars with little other way to get to work, with gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway

Chain of events leading to Sydney train shutdown Past six months: Rail Tram and Bus Union, Sydney Trains, and the NSW Government has 30 meetings trying to resolve long-running dispute over new enterprise agreement. Union demands better pay and conditions and improvements to hygiene, safety, and no moves to privatise the network. Saturday: Two sides meet for conciliation with Sydney Trains and government sending 10 lawyers at a $500,000 cost to taxpayers. Government wants all industrial action halted and is pushing for the Fair Work Commission to arbitrate the contract dispute. Union is dead against that as it claims the Commission is stacked with anti-union members. Union agrees to cancel a ban on overtime and other plans in exchange for being able to go ahead with scaled-down industrial action on Monday for two weeks, and the government withdrawing arbitration push. Action limited to a ban on 'altered working' and other flexible rostering that Sydney Trains uses to respond to changes on the network. Union secretary described altered working as: 'You know you're going to work on a particular time, but you don't quite know the duties you're going to be doing.' Sunday: Government realises it agreed to a deal that still has wide ranging, though comparatively minor, industrial action. 8pm Sunday: Government sends Crown solicitors to the Fair Work Commission to demand the industrial action be called off and 'clarify' the deal. Union leaders are not present but RTBU's lawyers are. Fair Work Commission sides with the union and the industrial action is scheduled to go ahead. Monday, 1.38am: Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp sends an email suddenly cancelling all services in what rail workers called a 'dummy spit'. He and the government claim the industrial action compromised rail safety and they had no choice but to shut it down. Union secretary Alex Claassens later rejects this, arguing the limited industrial action would cause delays but was easy to work around if Sydney Trains was properly prepared. 5am: Sydney Trains tell passengers via social media that all trains and cancelled and they will need to find alternative transport. Train staff show up to work, only to find themselves locked out. Union bosses are also taken by surprise, thinking the deal was still in place. 8am: Mr Claassens hold an emotional press conference where he lashes the government and explains the death of his friend on the job is an example of why workers are demanding better safety standards. He earlier went on radio to accuse the government of 'spitting the dummy' and shutting down the network to embarrass the union. Advertisement

'The ball is in their court, our members are ready to go to work. As soon as the government decides they want to run trains, we can run them.

'It's Transport for NSW and the government's call to shut down the network. I went to bed last night expecting trains to be running this morning. It's very disappointing.'

Mr Claasens held back tears at his press conference on Monday morning as he revealed the shutdown was a very personal matter.

'Yesterday was also a very important day for me, because it was two years ago a friend of mine died in a train accident,' he said.

The veteran union leader paused for a moment to hold back his tears and regather his composure.

'For me to have to go through all this rubbish and stand here and justify why we're taking protective industrial action, which we're allowed to do legally under the law. We have done everything by the book.'

Mr Claassens said the 'altered work ban' the union planned to implement would only have caused delays if Sydney Trains failed to adapt to it.

'Workers will be taking protected industrial action, but only transport management will notice the impact, not commuters,' he said.

Speaking to media on Monday, RTBU branch secretary Alex Claasens held back tears as he revealed the shutdown was a very personal matter

Town Hall has been barricaded as train services are crippled by widespread cancellations in Sydney

Commuters have directed their rage at the NSW government and blamed them for the transport chaos

Commuters were left stranded and confused on Sunday with some forced to pay hundreds for an Uber or rideshare after all rail lines were cancelled

'If commuters see any impact to their services, it won't be because of workers' actions, but because the NSW Government is spitting the dummy and trying to make a point.'

Mr Claassens said union members would be at work ready to go as soon as management and the government let them.

'All members will be at work, ready to work. They will be ready and waiting to crew the trains. There is no impediment, only stubbornness on behalf of the NSW Government,' he said.

'The actions being taken are designed to make life hard for transport management, not commuters.

'There's no strike  workers are simply performing the shifts we're set without any changes.'

The NSW Government took the issue to the Fair Work Commission on Sunday night trying to cancel the industrial action, after spending another $500,000 in legal fees on conciliation meetings with the union on Saturday.

Trains were due to go ahead but with significant delays after a series of court actions over the weekend as the union, management, and the NSW Government squabbled over details of long-running industrial action.

Outraged commuters have taken to social media to vent their frustration over having to catch several buses because of the train service shutdown

Trains were due to go ahead but with significant delays after a series of court actions over the weekend as the union, management, and the NSW Government squabbled over details of long-running industrial action

A closed sign is set up outside the turnstiles at a train station in Sydney with commuters forced to make last minute travel alternatives to get to work

Mr Sharp, a former Virgin Australia boss, claimed the industrial action the union planned for the next two weeks would compromise safety.

'These impacts result in hundreds and thousands of customers being left stranded, unable to get to work, school and where they need to be,' he wrote.

'We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact on commuters and sincerely apologise to people inconvenienced by this industrial action.'

Transport Minister David Elliot, whose office was responsible for shutting down the trains, tried to blame the union for the debacle.

'This is the most un-Australian act I've ever heard of,' he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed up his Coalition partners in NSW by attacking the 'disrespectful' union for inconveniencing commuters.

'There are people this morning who are going to have an overpriced Uber, or they're not going to be able to get to work,' he said on 2GB radio.

'This is just not how you behave and this is not how you treat your fellow citizens.

'This is not how this should be done, and I feel for all of those Sydneysiders today who are affected by this strike.

'The disrespect being shown to their fellow Sydneysiders today who are going about their day, kids trying to get to school, parents getting their week underway all having to deal with the unions carrying on like this in the middle of the night to cause such a terrible disruption.'

A huge queue of cars on Sydney's M2 as commuters took to the roads following the train service shutdown

A sign at Town Hall Station informing commuters the train station is closed and advising then to use 'alternative modes of transport'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the first international visitors to Australia in two years were being greeted with no trains at Australia's biggest gateway (pictured, a commuter at Newtown train station on Monday)

Mr Morrison said the first international visitors to Australia in two years were being greeted with no trains at Australia's biggest gateway.

'This is an important day that Australians have looked forward to,' he said.

'The union movement has decided to really pull the rug out from under that on our first day back.'

The union hit back with a tweet saying: 'Lower than snake's belly: Scott Morrison's pathetic attempt to blame workers for a rail lockout ordered by the NSW Govt shows what a contemptible liar he is.

'The Perrottet Government must let rail workers go back to work.'

Employee Relations Minister Damien Tudehope claimed the train network couldn't operate safely as a result of the union bans.

'They won't work their rostered shifts, or overtime, signallers won't work to the roster, noticed won't be delivered to change timetables, the train system would be in chaos,' he said.

'It's effectively saying to commuters of Sydney that 'we don't care about your convenience, your business, you taking the kids to school, doctors and nurses trying to get to work.

'It's using commuters of Sydney as pawns to achieve a political outcome, we'll be back before the Fair Work Commission to get this resolved.

'This is industrial bastardry at it's finest.'

Commuters wait for buses with no trains to jump on to on their way to work after a city-wide cancellation of rail services

Frustrated commuters have been forced to wait for replacement buses on Monday morning after trains were cancelled

The union, transport authorities, and the state government have been at each others throats for months over a new enterprise agreement, with 30 meetings in the past six months alone.

Workers want better safety and hygiene standards and improved pay and conditions and successive negotiations have failed.

The union planned a ban on overtime and various flexible rostering conditions that make the network better able to respond to last-minute changes.

Both parties met on Saturday for a conciliation meeting to hammer out a short-term compromise, with transport and the government reportedly bringing a team of 10 lawyers estimated to have cost taxpayers $500,000.

They agreed to a compromise where the union would drop its overtime ban in exchange for Sydney Trains and the government dropping its plan to force the enterprise agreement to be arbitrated by the FWC.

Union bosses claim if the agreement was decided by the FWC it would side with the government and Sydney Trains because it was stacked with anti-union judges.

The union stressed that if there was a major incident or safety issue, workers would scramble to clear any risk even if it went against the industrial action.

'If there is a genuine safety risk on the railway, we will always ensure the safety of all workers and the public,' the union said on Sunday.

Train schedule board shows there are no services running at all from that, or any other, station

Then on Sunday night, both sides accused each other of reneging on the deal and Crown solicitors took the union to court to cancel the industrial action.

The government failed and the union resolved to continue with its plans with huge delays expected across the network.

'The NSW Government today used anti-union laws to try and shut down our members' right to take industrial action,' the union said.

'If the last few days have taught us anything, it's that we have a government that is willing to try anything to screw us over, no matter what the cost to taxpayers.

'We need to, and we will, stand together to beat this heartless and mortally bankrupt government. Our anger is palpable.'

Both parties will appear before the Fair Work Commission at 9am to thrash out the issue.
Anti-vax protesters have come under heavy fire for a 'tasteless' and 'insensitive' video filmed at one of Australia's oldest cemeteries - sparking calls for them to respect the dead.

Video emerged at the weekend showing protesters gathering at heritage-listed Waverley Cemetery in Sydney's east to film a video. In the clip, a woman used the hundreds buried there as a prop to joke about Covid-19 vaccines.

The clip shows a group of protesters gathered there with anti-vax messages painted on their cars, with a woman joking: 'So we're in Waverley and we're about to interview people who've had their sixth booster.'

The camera then zooms in on some of the 50,000 graves at the cemetery overseeing the cliffs at Bronte. 'Hello? Hello? Hello?' protesters are heard calling out while laughing.

The clip, posted by the Cafe Locked Out, on Sunday has since backfired and been slammed by viewers as disrespectful to those laid to rest there, which include many famous Australians such as iconic poets Henry Lawson and Dorothea Mackellar.

Many disgusted viewers called for the video to be taken down.

'Quite insensitive to be honest. You can tell a booster jab joke without showing a cemetery of people who have died, families have loved ones in there,' one woman wrote.

Another added: 'This is NOT FUNNY - It is so... disrespectful! Would this woman do same if her grandparents were there? Please delete.'

A third wrote: 'I've followed in the hope of understanding but I have to say I am truly gobsmacked that this is even remotely amusing. It's not even 'shock value'. No words.

Those who have beloved family members buried there were horrified by the footage.

'Guys I understand the need for humour but my parents are buried there so dont appreciate your insensitive commentary,' one woman posted.

A stunt filmed anti-vaxxers at a heritage-listed cemetery has been slammed by many viewers

Even some anti-vaxxers were left unimpressed.

'MY FIRST instinct was - not funny - I have learned to trust my first instinct - it might be good to get a cheap laugh but it did absolutely nothing to help our cause,' one commented.

Another added: 'I get the joke, but I find it a bit morbid. Intellectually it's funny and witty I give her that, if we remove all empathy towards our fellow humans, but it actually made me sad. I just can't bring myself to laugh at people that got tricked into the jab and the boosters.'

Those who saw the funny side defended the stunt and urged critics to lighten up.

'It's a joke guys and treat it as that or have we lost our sense of humor as well?' one man wrote.

Shocked viewers slammed the stunt at Waverley Cemetery as 'tasteless' and 'insensitive'

Waverley Council had no knowledge of the gathering until it was alerted to the online video by Daily Mail Australia.

'The vision shows one of our cemeteries but was not taken on the cemetery grounds,' a spokeswoman said.

'We ask that people respect our cemeteries and the lives of those buried there, and their families.'

Daily Mail Australia has also contacted cemetery management for comment.

The heritage listed Waverly Cemetery (pictured) is home to at least 50,000 graves

Opened in 1877, the cemetery is regarded as one of the most beautiful graveyards in the world and was listed on the NSW state heritage register five years ago.

Former aeronautical pioneer Lawrence Hargrave, Olympic swimmer Fanny Durack and Sir Francis Forbes, the first Chief Justice of NSW are among the famous Australians buried there.

The cemetery was also used in the filming of Australian romantic drama Tim, starring Mel Gibson, which is based on novel of the same name by late author Colleen McCullough.
Are you an American stuck in Russia or Ukraine? Email newsUS@dailymail.com

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Americans in Russia have been told to make plans to evacuate that doesn't involve support from the U.S. government as Washington and the Kremlin tussle over a summit with President Biden and Vladimir Putin and intelligence warns 190,000 troops are ready to strike Ukraine.

The State Department cautioned Americans to flee Moscow and St. Petersburg, without the help of the U.S. government, amid warnings of terrorist attacks in the cities and warned U.S. citizens in Ukraine to get out as soon as possible because Moscow could 'severely restrict' air travel.

'According to media sources, there have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine,' the warning issued on Sunday read.

Americans were told to avoid crowds, tell relatives if they are safe, carry around U.S. identification and 'have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance'.

In a separate warning for Americans in Ukraine, the State Department wrote: 'The security situation in Ukraine continues to be unpredictable throughout the country and may deteriorate with little notice. There is a strong likelihood that any Russian military operations would severely restrict commercial air travel.'

French President Emmanuel Macron said early Monday that he had suggested the summit to Putin and Biden to discuss 'security and strategic stability in Europe.'

'Presidents Biden and Putin have both accepted the principle of such a summit,' the French president said, before adding that such a meeting would be impossible if Russia invaded Ukraine as Western nations fear it plans.

The Kremlin on Monday morning downplayed the possibility of a summit next week - after the White House said that Biden had agreed 'in principle' to talks brokered by France, provided war did not break out in the meantime.

'As the President has repeatedly made clear, we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday night.

She said that U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are scheduled to meet first on February 24 in Europe to hammer out the terms of the confab between the two heads of state. After the Blinken/Lavrov pow-wow, the two presidents will meet if all goes well.

French President Emmanuel Macron hammered out a tentative meeting between President Biden and President Putin to discuss 'security and strategic stability in Europe.'

'President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement, again, if an invasion hasnt happened,' Psaki said.

'We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.

France's announcement - released after a volley of phone calls between Macron and leaders on both sides of the Atlantic - comes as the Biden administration scrambled Sunday following a US intelligence report that revealed Putin has 190,000 troops poised to roll over Ukraine.

Tensions have escalated in the last week during Russia's steady military buildup along the Ukrainian border. Ukraine has begged the West to act now and impose sanctions on Russia in response to sustained shelling by pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.

US diplomat Bathsheba Nell Crocker penned a letter to the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights warning that Russia planned further human rights abuses in Ukraine if the invasion goes forward.

Vice President Kamala Harris warned about the 'real possibility of war in Europe' as sources alleged that Russian commanders on the ground have received orders to proceed with an invasion of Kiev, and that they're now making specific battle plans.

No less than 75 percent of Putin's conventional forces are now poised at the Ukrainian border as Blinken warned that 'we are on the brink of an invasion'.

Ongoing tensions prompted Biden to convene a National Security Meeting while Harris wrapped up a Munich Security Conference, where she called the situation a 'decisive moment' for world leaders who 'still sincerely hope that there is a diplomatic path out of this moment.'

President Joe Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council on Sunday to discuss the latest developments regarding Russia's expected invasion of Ukraine

Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters in Munich on Sunday that there was a 'real possibility of war in Europe' as Russia appears posed for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Vice President Kamala Harris' Munich Security Conference remarks Well, this was an important trip to be here at the Munich Security Conference - in particular this year - as I said yesterday. We are looking at a moment that is a very decisive moment on one of the bases for the Munich Security Conference and certainly one of the founding reasons for NATO, which is European security and the connection and alliance between Europe and the United States. This was a productive trip, in terms of the extensive bilateral meetings that we had that were in furtherance of the ongoing collaboration and partnership with our Allies. It was important in that, as you all know, this is a moment that is very dynamic. If not every hour, certainly every day, there seem to be new moments of interest and also of intelligence. And so we have affirmed, however - all of that being said - through these last couple of days, that this Alliance is strong - probably stronger than it was before; and that this Alliance has purpose and meaning founded on shared principles that are very much at play right now. And as I mentioned yesterday, if we think about those principles, one of the most important is about a mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, which at its essence is what is at play in terms of Russias posture as it relates to Ukraine. At stake is the NATO Alliance, in terms of our unity, joining together - through, sometimes, compromise; certainly always through collaboration - to be a unified voice, especially when these very founding principles of our relationship are being compromised, if not attacked. Advertisement

Biden was planning to travel to Delaware following Sunday's meeting, but abruptly canceled those plans and will remain in DC, the White House said.

It is thought Moscow will start the invasion with a cyber-assault before unleashing a campaign of missile and airstrikes before ground troops attempt to take Ukrainian cities and towns, CBS News reported. The invading Russian force reportedly has the ability to invade and take much of the country.

The Biden administration has promised to retaliate with sanctions against Russia, including barring U.S. financial institutions from processing transactions for major Russian banks, Reuters reported.

The US would block the flow of currency between specific US banks and Russian banks and target individuals and companies by placing them on the Specially Designated Nationals, effectively kicking them out of the banking system.

The dire warnings come as Putin and his ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko extended military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday, meaning an estimated 30,000 Russian troops will remain there.

But the concentration of nearly 200,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment within striking distance of Ukraine  including as many as 500 fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft  is highly unusual and part of the reason Washington believes Russia is ready to attack, a US official told CNN.

Amid the soaring tensions Macron pleaded for peace from his Russian counterpart during a two-hour phone call today  but Putin blamed Ukrainian 'provocations' for the escalating crisis that could turn into all-out war.

A Russian invasion force of armored tanks painted with the letter 'Z' and huge convoys were seen rolling towards the Ukraine border - as the eastern region continues to be rocked by shelling and British expats have vowed to 'fight like devils'.

It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion, with footage showing the letters sprayed on tanks, self-propelled guns, fuel trucks and supply vehicles.

The U.S. embassy in Russia also cautioned Americans on Sunday to have evacuation plans ready.

'There have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine,' the embassy said.

'Review your personal security plans,' the embassy said. 'Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.'

Analysts seized on the idea of false flag terrorist attacks on Russian soil being used to justify an overwhelming attack on Ukraine.

Russian armoured tanks painted with a letter 'Z' and huge convoys are moving towards the Ukraine border. It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion - as shelling rocked the east of the country

The tactic mirrors that used by UK and US forces in the First Gulf War when the allied invasion sent to liberate Kuwait marked vehicles with a distinctive upturned chevron [^] to avoid friendly fire once action begins

It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion, with footage showing the letters sprayed on tanks, self-propelled guns, fuel trucks and supply vehicles

No less than 75 per cent of Vladimir Putin's conventional forces are now poised at the Ukrainian border, it emerged tonight, as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned that 'we are on the brink of an invasion'

A Russian and Belarussian convoy heading south via the Gomel region towards the border with Ukraine.

Memebers of the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) on ceasefire and stabilization of the demarcation line inspect a house damaged in a shelling by Ukrainian troops near the village of Pionerskoye

A car bomb in Donetsk close to the Government House building at around 7pm on Saturday. It comes as 1,500 ceasefire violations were reported in east Ukraine in one day

It comes as Blinken said he believed Putin is 'moving forward' which his decision, a move the Kremlin has denied.

The concentration of Russian forces within striking distance of Ukraine  including as many as 500 fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft - is highly unusual and part of the reason the US believes Russia is ready to attack, a US official told CNN.

This includes some 120 of Russia's total estimated 160 Battalion Tactical Groups or BTGs which are positioned within 38 miles of Ukraine, according to the official. While that figure represents 75% of Russia's principal combat units, it is less than half of the total troops in the Russian military.

US officials have reported that Russian troops combined with separatist forces could number as high as 190,000 deployed around Ukraine.

Some 35 of 50 air defence battalions are deployed against Ukraine. In addition, the US estimates some 500 fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft are within range of Ukraine, as well as 50 medium to heavy bombers.

Together, the Russian forces now vastly outnumber Ukrainian military forces, according to the assessment. US officials estimate there are some 190,000 soldiers in and around Ukraine, including in the illegally annexed territory of Crimea, which was seized by Russia in 2014.

One British expat said he was part of a small community ready to help armed resistance volunteers and 'fight like devils' in the event of an invasion.

He told the BBC: 'We are here, we are ready to fight and we will fight like devils, I tell you. There is a small expat community here but we will join with our Ukrainian partners, our Ukrainian friends and Ukrainian family.'

Russia will also extend military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday, the Belarusian defense ministry announced, in a step Blinken said made him more worried about an imminent invasion.

The defense ministry said the decision was taken because of military activity near the borders of Russia and Belarus as well as the situation in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region.

Sporadic shelling across the line dividing Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in that region increased sharply last week and continued on Sunday.

Speaking to CNN, Blinken said all signs suggested Russia was about to invade. Russia has repeatedly denied such plans.

'Everything we are seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion,' Blinken said, adding that the West was equally prepared if Moscow invades.

'Until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President (Vladimir) Putin from carrying this forward.'

Blinken told CBS: 'Everything we're seeing tells us that the decision we believe President Putin has made to invade is moving forward.

'We've seen that with provocations created by the Russians or separatist forces over the weekend, false flag operations, now the news just this morning that the 'exercises' Russia was engaged in in Belarus with 30,000 Russian forces that was supposed to end this weekend will now continue because of tensions in eastern Ukraine, tensions created by Russia and the separatist forces it backs there.'

But he rejected a plea from Ukraine for the West to act now against Moscow in an interview with the US broadcaster CNN.

'The purpose of the sanctions in the first instance is to try to deter Russia from going to war. As soon as you trigger them that deterrence is gone,' he said. Blinken is due to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Thursday.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba had said sustained shelling by pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine in recent days needed an immediate response.

'Russia has to be stopped right now. We see how events are unfolding,' Kuleba told a security conference in Munich, where Western leaders had gathered to discuss the crisis. 'It's time to act. I'm officially saying that there are all the grounds to implement at least a part of sanctions prepared against Russia now.'

People evacuated from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic get on a train to be evacuated deep into Russia in the town of Taganrog, on February 20

Thousands of civilians have been evacuated from increasingly barraged front line regions, where Kyiv said two of its soldiers had died in an attack yesterday - the first fatalities in the conflict for more than a month. Pictured: People evacuated from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic are seen on a bus at a railway station ahead of departing for temporary accommodation facilities on Sunday

Separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action

People from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the territory controlled by a pro-Russia separatist governments in eastern Ukraine, walk from a train to be taken to temporary residences in the Volgograd region in Russia on Sunday

Medical workers and people evacuated from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic are seen at a temporary accommodation facility at the Akhtuba Hotel in Volgograd region in Russia

A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a command post to start his shift at a frontline position outside Popasna, in the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Sunday

The Moscow apartment bombings in 1999 were an immediate prelude to a brutal Chechen war. Critics of Vladimir Putin have always maintained that the Russian state was behind the atrocities.

Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, questioned if the United States had passed on the information about possible attacks to Russia.

'And if not, how is one to understand all of this?' Zakharova said.

Meanwhile, the call between Macron and Putin on Sunday led to the leaders agreeing on 'the need to favour a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis and to do everything to achieve one.'

But during the call, Putin told the French leader that Western countries should give point-by-point responses to sweeping demands set by Moscow last December to limit the West's role in eastern Europe and ex-Soviet countries

The Kremlin said the supply of weapons and ammunition by NATO countries to Ukraine was pushing Kyiv towards a 'military solution' against separatists in the country's east.

'As a result, civilians... who have to evacuate to Russia to escape the intensifying shelling, suffer,' the Kremlin added.

Explosions late on Saturday shook eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

Hundreds of artillery shells have exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists, further increasing fears that the volatile region could see a Russian invasion.

Ukraine and the separatist leaders traded accusations of escalation. Russia on Saturday said at least two shells fired from a government-held part of eastern Ukraine landed across the border, but Ukraine's foreign minister dismissed that claim as 'a fake statement.'

'When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences,' Putin' spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television.

On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote.

'Right now, we don't respond to their fire because...' the Ukrainian soldier said before being interrupted by the sound of an incoming shell. 'Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.'

Thousands of civilians have been evacuated from increasingly barraged front line regions, where Kyiv said two of its soldiers had died in an attack yesterday - the first fatalities in the conflict for more than a month.

Separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action.

Sporadic violence has broken out for years along the line separating Ukrainian forces from the Russia-backed separatists, but the spike in recent days is orders of magnitude higher than anything recently recorded by international monitors: nearly 1,500 explosions in 24 hours.

Denis Pushilin, the head of the pro-Russia separatist government in Ukraine's Donetsk region, cited an 'immediate threat of aggression' from Ukrainian forces in his announcement of a call to arms. Ukrainian officials vehemently denied having plans to take rebel-controlled areas by force.

Military hardware of Russian Army Western Military District tank army units loaded onto a troop train as it returns from recent routine drills to permanent deployment sites

Anton Olegovich Sidorov, a soldier of the 30th OMBR, is understood to have been killed during the Russian shelling in the East of Ukraine yesterday

A convoy of tanks 25km from the Ukraine border as it is confirmed that Russian military exercises in Belarus will continue on Sunday

Civilians from Donetsk and Lugansk, located in the separatist-controlled Donbas region, are being evacuated to camps in Rostov, Russia

People who have been evacuated from the separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine fill in and submit documents in a temporary accommodation centre in the Rostob region of Russia on Sunday

A car bomb in Donetsk on Saturday evening. Civilians have been evacuated from the region, where Kyiv said two of its soldiers had died in an attack

Civilians train with members of the Georgian Legion, a paramilitary unit formed mainly by ethnic Georgian volunteers to fight against the Russian forces in 201. It comes as one British expat said a small community would 'fight like devils'

Russian tanks pictured leaving the border with Ukraine on Friday following the completion of joint exercises with Belarus as diplomatic tensions continue to mount over fears of an imminent invasion

Home Secretary warns UK interests could be targeted by Russian hackers as GCHQ tells firms and public services to take 'pre-emptive measures' to defend themselves British firms and public services should brace themselves for cyber attacks as tensions with Russia escalate over a potential invasion of Ukraine. In a stark warning, Home Secretary Priti Patel urged organisations to take 'pre-emptive measures' against 'cyber attacks aimed at the West'. Lindy Cameron, head of Government Communications Headquarters GCHQ (GCHQ) national cyber security centre, also described a 'heightened cyber threat', the Sunday Telegraph reports. The heads of food, utility and communications companies have been briefed by GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming and told to strengthen their cyber defences. Advertisement

Putin and Macron said during their phone call they would work 'intensely' to allow the Trilateral Contact Group, which includes Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE, to meet 'in the next few hours with the aim of getting all interested parties to commit to a ceasefire at the contact line' in eastern Ukraine where government troops and pro-Russian separatists are facing each other.

'Intense diplomatic work will take place in the coming days,' Macron's office said, with several consultations to take place in the French capital.

Macron and Putin also agreed that talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany should resume to implement the so-called Minsk protocol, which in 2014 had already called for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

Both also agreed to work towards 'a high-level meeting with the aim of defining a new peace and security order in Europe', Macron's office said.

In Sunday's call, Putin told Macron that he intends to withdraw Russian troops from Belarus as soon as ongoing military exercises there are over, the Elysee also said.

The French presidency said that this claim 'will have to be verified', adding it appeared to contradict a statement by the Belarusian government that the Russian military would 'continue inspections' beyond Sunday's previously announced end of the exercises, leaving Moscow with a large force near the northern Ukrainian border.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the phone call between Macron and Putin, where the Russian leader agreed on the 'need to favor a diplomatic solution' to the ongoing crisis, was a 'welcome sign'.

Johnson and Macron later agreed during a phone call on Sunday that the next week will be 'crucial for diplomacy' as the West looks to avert war between Russia and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday night issued a NOTAM (Notice to airmen), declaring the Sea of Azov a no-fly zone for commercial flights. The area concerned bordered the crucial Ukrainian port of Mariupol, which is close to the line of contact between Ukraine's and the pro-Russian forces.

The move was seen as a possible precursor to a seaborne invasion of Ukraine from the flotilla of six massive landing ships which the Russian Navy has amassed in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, each of which can carry ten main battle tanks and 300 troops.

The vessels and their deadly cargo would open up yet another line of attack for the Russians alongside their massive troop build-ups already in place on Ukraine's eastern and northern borders.

The ships, all part of Russia's Northern and Baltic Fleets, made the tortuous journey around western Europe, through the Strait of Gibraltar and right across the Mediterranean.

It came as a Russian invasion force of armored tanks painted with the letter 'Z' and huge convoys were seen rolling towards the Ukraine border in Shebekino, Russia.

Around 200 military vehicles were spotted in Shebekino, just across the border from Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast, with 'Z' markings 'applied hastily' to the backs of most vehicles.

Independent Russian Telegram channel Hunter's Notes, which closely monitors military movements, said 'all equipment [marked with 'Z'] was seen near Kursk and in the Shebekino region of Belgorod' on the border with Ukraine.

The tactic mirrors that used by UK and US forces in the First Gulf War when the allied invasion sent to liberate Kuwait marked vehicles with a distinctive upturned chevron [^] to avoid friendly fire once action begins.

The Ukraine War Report account on Twitter, which posts about Russian troop movements near Ukraine, said: 'Numerous videos are being uploaded of Russian military vehicles with 'Z' markings. Our assessment is it's 'friend or foe' identification markings used by armies during wartime.'

Military analyst Rob Lee wrote on Twitter: 'It appears Russian forces near the border are painting markers, in this case 'Z', on vehicles to identify different task forces or echelons.'

'It would suggest final preparations are complete,' a source in Ukraine told The Sun. 'The Ukrainians have very similar tanks and vehicles and [the Russians] will want to reduce the risk of friendly fire.'

It was suggested Russian troops also have the letter 'Z' on their military packs, which could support the friendly fire theory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for Vladimir Putin to meet him for talks amid the escalating crisis, saying 'I don't know what the president of the Russian Federation wants', but that Ukraine would continue 'to follow only the diplomatic path'.

The Kremlin insists it has no incursion plans, but its test-firing of nuclear-capable missiles Saturday did little to alleviate tensions.

British and US intelligence has also suggested that Putin has already issued a 'go' order to trigger his invasion plan.

It is expected that Russia will follow false flag operations and brushes with Ukrainian military in the Donbas region with an attack led by separatist groups, before Russian troops 'take a bite out of Ukraine' or launch a full invasion, The Sunday Times reports.

A security source added: 'I would expect a massive opening salvo to try to remove the government in Kyiv. The Russians have positioned cruise missiles to take out the capital.'

Dmitry Polyanskiy, the first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, has also accused the West of 'warmongering' by creating an 'artificial crisis' in Ukraine.

He told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday program that Moscow had the 'right to be concerned' by the placement of Nato infrastructure and troops 'near our border'.

President Zelenskyy made his plea for talks with Putin hours after separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine ordered a full military mobilization and Western leaders warned a Russian invasion of its neighbor appeared imminent.

However, Belarusian Defence Minister Victor Khrenin has confirmed that joint exercises involving Russia and Belarus forces are being extended, despite promises from Moscow that the drills would end this weekend.

He said: 'The presidents of Belarus and Russia decided to continue inspections of the readiness of Union State forces.'

Khrenin added that the decision was taken due to increased military activity along the Belarusian and Russian borders and because of an 'escalation' in east Ukraine.

The drills in Belarus - which had been due to conclude Sunday - have exacerbated already soaring tensions.

The Belarus defence ministry said upcoming stages of the large-scale drills would continue the aim of ensuring a sufficient military response to any external threats. It did not specify an end date.

The Kremlin insists it has no incursion plans, but its test-firing of nuclear-capable missiles Saturday did little to alleviate tensions. Russia has also been holding joint exercises with Belarus at a firing range near Brest (pictured)

A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground

A T-72B tank takes part in the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground

Photos released by Belarus' Ministry of Defence show Russian and Belarusian soldiers shaking hands while taking part in joint operations in Brest

In new signs of fears that a war could start within days, Germany and Austria told their citizens to leave Ukraine. German air carrier Lufthansa cancelled flights to the capital Kyiv and to Odessa, a Black Sea port that could be a key target in an invasion.

At the same time, pro-Russian social media accounts claimed the Ukrainian military was planning a huge offensive in the war-torn eastern region of Donbas.

Fears of tensions boiling over were backed up by figures released Saturday by the OSCE, which showed there were more than 1,400 explosions in the rebel held regions of Donetsk and Luhansk on Friday.

The OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission that is deployed in the conflict zone said it had logged 553 explosions in Donetsk and a further 860 in neighbouring Luhansk - adding that it had confirmed one civilian casualty in a government-controlled area of Donetsk.

It put the total number of ceasefire violations on Friday at more than 1,500, compared with 870 the day before, suggesting an upwards trajectory of gunfire and mortars.

Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy experienced the clashes first-hand Saturday, ducking for cover as mortar shells fell within a few hundred metres of him while he toured the frontline with reporters.

It came as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Saturday during a visit to Lithuania that Russian troops dotted along Ukraine's border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike'.

The origin of the explosions over the weekend are not clear, while there was no immediate comment from separatist authorities or from Kyiv.

Last-ditch diplomatic efforts were underway on Sunday to prevent what Western powers warn a catastrophic European war as Macron was to call his Putin as ceasefire monitors and Ukrainian commanders reported intense shelling in eastern Ukraine.

Macron met Putin on February 7 and has since, along with fellow Western leaders like Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, been urging his Russian counterpart to pull back from the brink of war.

Sunday's call, Macron's office said, represented 'the last possible and necessary effort to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine'.

But in a new suspected stunt the pro-Moscow rebel authority in Donetsk claim to have detained a Ukrainian spy who was said to be confessing to Kyiv's aims to overrun the Donbas.

Anton Matsanyuk is alleged to have 'confirmed that Kyiv intends to use all its strike power in the forcible seizure of the Donbas', one report said.

The alleged saboteur conveniently confirmed a plan touted in recent days by Russia of a Ukrainian plan to invade Donetsk and Luhansk.

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the media following an appearance at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday. She warned the US would impose 'some of the greatest, if not strongest' sanctions 'ever issued'

Prime Minister Boris Johnson greets the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy for bilateral talks during the Munich Security Conference on Saturday

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) pictured with Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) in Moscow earlier this month. The pair have shared a phone call today amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion of Ukraine

This detailed offensive plan, which fell into the hands of Donetsk intelligence officers, was broadcast by Channel One.

He was also linked to a plan to blow up the car belonging to Denis Sinenkov, the head of the people's militia directorate of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), said Russian TV. The car was blown up in what the West say was a false flag operation on February 18.

Russian TV claimed Matsanyuk had access to classified information on Donetsk leaders, and that it was by 'sheer luck' Sinenkov was not inside his vehicle.

'I was recruited in 2018', he said as he claimed he was an agent of Ukrainian military intelligence.

Matsanyuk was allegedly forming a 'sleeping cell' to stage 'terrorist attacks' on orders from Ukraine.

In a claimed confession, he said: 'When the 'H-Hour' comes, they will be instructed to place the caches with improvised explosive devices [IEDs], so that in the future these IEDs will be installed in critical facilities of the DPR; these are bridges, this is a crowd of people, these are railway crossings, also on the routes of the first people in the republic and against military motorcades.'

It comes after Jens Stoltenberg, NATO chief, warned that the risk of a Russian attack is 'very high', echoing US warnings that Russian troops dotted along Ukraine's border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike'.

'Every indication indicates that Russia is planning a full-fledged attack against Ukraine,' Stoltenberg told German broadcaster ARD on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

'We all agree that the risk of an attack is very high.'

The United States dominates NATO, and US President Joe Biden on Friday said he was 'convinced' Russia was going to invade Ukraine within the week, and have its forces target Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

The US recently sent nearly 5,000 troops to NATO ally Poland, in addition to the 4,000 that are on a permanent rotation in the country. The aim is to reassure a nervous ally amid fears that Russia could attack Ukraine.

The US recently sent nearly 5,000 troops to NATO ally Poland, in addition to the 4,000 that are on a permanent rotation in the country. The aim is to reassure a nervous ally amid fears that Russia could attack Ukraine

U.S. troops load equipment onto vehicles in Rzeszow, Poland, on Saturday. The United States dominates NATO, and US President Joe Biden on Friday said he was 'convinced' Russia was going to invade Ukraine within the week, and have its forces target Ukraine's capital Kyiv

Nearly 10,000 American troops are now in the neighboring country, set to act if the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border continues to escalate

The soldiers' arrival in Poland Thursday came in response to the Russian deployments on Ukraine's borders

NATO is also relocating staff from Kyiv to Lviv, in the west of the country, and to the Belgian capital Brussels, which houses NATO's headquarters, for their safety, an alliance official said Saturday.

'The safety of our personnel is paramount, so staff have been relocated to Lviv and Brussels. The NATO offices in Ukraine remain operational,' the official told AFP, without giving numbers.

Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin channel NTV has revealed that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov personally ordered a leak damaging to 'insolent' Foreign Secretary Liz Truss immediately after their talks in Moscow earlier this month.

He did so because Ms Truss showed herself to be 'a fool, and so arrogant at the same time', it was claimed in a new attack on the Tory politician who has become a Moscow target for her forthright views.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss showed herself to be 'a fool, and so arrogant at the same time' during her trip to Moscow, according to Kommersant newspaper journalist Maxim Yusin

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg (pictured) warned that the risk of an attack is 'very high', echoing US warnings that Russian troops dotted along Ukraine's border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike'

Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko oversee joint military drills from the situation room in the Kremlin

Huge flames and smoke fill the air after a gas pipeline was struck in the Lugansk region of Ukraine, amid fears of a Russian invasion 'within days'

Dramatic moment militants open fire on the Ukrainian interior minister and journalists in eastern Ukraine on Saturday

Volunteers are seen during mobilisation process in military, at pro-Russian separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine on Saturday

Local residents of pro-Russian separatist-controlled city of Donetsk are seen during evacuation process in Rostov region on Saturday

Kommersant newspaper journalist Maxim Yusin revealed his paper was leaked an apparent blunder by Truss during the talks in confusing two regions in Russia - Voronezh and Rostov - with Ukrainian regions.

He said: 'This exchange [with Ms Truss] happened in closed negotiations. Were it not for Lavrov [deciding to leak], and sharing it with Kommersant, nobody would know about [her confusing Ukrainian and Russian regions].

'I have no doubt there were a lot of blunders when Lavrov was talking to [German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock] who is not much smarter than this madam [Truss] - but [Baerbock] didn't behave as insolently and arrogantly.

'This is why neither her nor other interlocutors of Lavrov who slipped up became victims of making [their blunders] public. [With Truss] one can't be a fool, and so arrogant at the same time. It's either, or.'

In the talks, Lavrov had insisted that Russia had every right to move its armed forces on its own territory.

But Ms Truss repeated that they should be withdrawn and Lavrov countered - according to Kommersant newspaper: 'Do you recognise the sovereignty of Russia over the Rostov and Voronezh regions?'

She allegedly replied after a short pause: 'Britain will never recognize Russian sovereignty over these regions.'

At this, British ambassador Deborah Bronnert was forced to intervene to correct Truss and explain that these were Russian - not Ukrainian - regions, according to the accounts in Moscow.

Meanwhile, Putin put on a show of military strength today with huge new nuclear drills involving ballistic missiles, submarines, tank convoys and ship-based missiles.

In a released photo, the Russian president and Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko - often dubbed the 'Europe's last dictator' - can be seen watching the sabre-rattling drills from a situation room in the Kremlin.

It came as world leaders gathered at the Munich Security Conference in Germany today - where Boris Johnson warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state', adding that 'the shock will echo around the world'.

The Prime Minister said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment'.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Western powers at the conference to stop their 'appeasement' of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts - which earned him a standing ovation from world leaders.

The conference had echoes of the 1938 summit in Munich in which leaders agreed a policy of appeasement against Adolf Hitler's Germany in an effort to prevent an imminent war.

Zelensky said today: 'Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. We have no weapons. And no security ...

'But we have a right - a right to demand a shift from a policy of appeasement to one ensuring security and peace.'

He added: 'For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world.'

Foreign ministers from the G7 group of rich nations said on Saturday they saw no evidence that Russia is reducing military activity near Ukraine's borders and remain 'gravely concerned' about the situation.

'We call on Russia to choose the path of diplomacy, to de-escalate tensions, to substantively withdraw military forces from the proximity of Ukraine's borders and to fully abide by international commitments,' the countries said in a joint statement released by Britain's foreign ministry.

'As a first step, we expect Russia to implement the announced reduction of its military activities along Ukraine's borders. We have seen no evidence of this reduction,' they added.

Elsewhere, NATO is relocating staff from Kyiv to Lviv, in the west of the country, and to the Belgian capital Brussels, for their safety, an alliance official said Saturday.

Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday

A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground

Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday. The exercise is being held from February 10 to 20 as part of the second phase of testing response forces of Russia and Belarus

A helicopter is seen flying as Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday

A view of a gas pipeline hit by a blast in Frunze Street, Lugansk, Ukraine on Saturday night. Several gas pipelines were blown up in the region amid escalating tensions in the east of the country

Close up shows flames bursting from an exploded gas pipeline in Lugansk, Ukraine, as tensions with Russia escalated to new heights on Saturday

Military hardware takes part in the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground

A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground

Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday

The military exercise is being held from February 10 to 20 as part of the second phase of testing response forces of the Union State of Russia and Belarus

Boris Johnson has warned an invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state' and 'the shock will echo around the world'. Pictured: The Prime Minister meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukrainian soldier rests a rocket launcher on his shoulder during a military drill at an unknown location in Ukraine on Saturday - as tensions with Russia reach boiling point

A tank travels through mud during a Ukrainian military drill on Saturday as the country braces for a potential Russian invasion

Reservists take part in a tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv on Saturday

Reservists take part in a tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv on Saturday

Residents of the Lugansk People's Republic get on a bus at the Lugansk bus terminal before evacuation to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region late on Friday night

Ukrainian troops patrol at the frontline outside the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19, 2022

A Ukrainian serviceman speaks to his comrade walking along a trench on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote

Ukrainian troops patrol the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19 - after two soldiers were reportedly killed Saturday by Russian-backed separatists

A Ukrainian serviceman walks in a yard of a destroyed house on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote

Reservists take part in tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv

A man is seen lying down holding a gun as reservists take part in tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv

Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and the alliance does not have any forces there, but since the late 1990s it has maintained two offices in Kyiv - a NATO Liaison Office and a NATO Information and Documentation Centre.

The liaison office's job is keep up dialogue between NATO and Ukraine's government while encouraging a democratic transformation of Ukraine's defense and security sector.

According to NATO's website, it consisted of a civilian head leading a mixed team of NATO military and civilian personnel. The web page, last updated in 2016, said there were a total of 16 staff.

The NATO Information and Documentation Centre's number of personnel was not disclosed. Its job was to inform the Ukrainian public about NATO and support Ukrainian institutions in their communications.

Stoltenberg has previously said that the alliance will not deploy any forces into Ukraine to defend it from any Russian aggression.

But NATO members have sent forces to neighbouring countries which are alliance members, and Stoltenberg has said NATO member countries will vigorously react to any Russian action in those territories, under its collective defence pact.

It comes as the Russians are continuing their 'false flag' operations in Eastern Ukraine, seemingly designed to provoke conflict.

Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are starting to stream into Russia today after Vladimir Putin's allies ordered a mass evacuation of two separatist republics as part of a suspected 'false flag' operation to provide the pretext for an invasion.

Up to 700,000 civilians are being evacuated from the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after rebel leaders yesterday claimed Ukraine was about to attack the areas.

Hours later, a car bomb rocked Donetsk in an alleged 'assassination attempt' of a top Putin-allied official, which Western intelligence agencies believe was faked as part of the 'false flag' deception.

Evacuees from the Donetsk People's Republic arrive Saturday at a refugee camp organized at the Kotlostroitel children's health center in the village of Krasny Desant, Neklinovsky, Russia

Photos released Saturday show Ukrainian paratroopers taking part in exercises in an undisclosed location in Ukraine

Ukrainian troops patrol at the frontline outside the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19, 2022

Ukrainian Soldiers in camouflaged gear huddle in front of an armored vehicle during a military drill in Ukraine

A militant of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) reads out names of men registered at a military mobilisation point in a school in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday

Reservists queue at a mobilization center for citizens of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine on Saturday

Civilians take part in a military training course conducted by a Christian Territorial Defence Unit on February 19, 2022 in Kiev, Ukraine

Using wooden guns modelled on Kalashnikovs, residents in Kiev receive military training in the event of Russian invasion

Russia's Acting Emergencies Minister Alexander Chupriyan (right) visits a tent camp set up by the Russian Emergencies Ministry at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint for evacuees from the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine

A woman evacuated from the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine kisses a child in a tent camp set up by the Russian Emergencies Ministry at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint

Buses carrying evacuees from Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, arrive at a refugee camp organised at the Kotlostroitel children's health center in the village of Krasny Desant, Neklinovsky District, Russia

Russian Emergencies Ministry employees set up a tent camp for people evacuated from Donetsk at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint

Russian Emergencies Ministry employees transport a bunk bed as they set up a tent camp for people evacuated from the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint

Civilians of all ages receive military training at an old industrial plant in the Desnianskyi district, outside Kiev, on Saturday

A Ukrainian soldier takes aim while training residents in Kiev in the event of a Russian invasion

Ukrainian soldiers in camouflaged gear take a break while training civilians in how to defend against a Russian invasion, near Kiev on Saturday

A Ukrainian soldier peers through binoculars while helping to train civilians in Desnianskyi, just outside Kiev on Saturday

Ukrainian soldiers don balaclavas while training citizens in a district just outside Kiev on Saturday

Civilians receive training from the Ukrainian military at an old industrial plant in the Desnianskyi district outside Kiev on Saturday

A rebel soldier from the self-declared Donetsk Peoples Republic watches on as residents are evacuated and shipped off to Russia on Saturday

A Russia-bound train with citizens of the Lugansk People's Republic is seen before its departure from a station in Lugansk, east Ukraine. The train is the first to depart for Russia from the Lugansk People's Republic since 2014

A woman waves from a train carriage to be evacuated to Russia, at the railway station in Debaltseve, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine

Residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic wait for a train at the Donetsk-2 railway station as they evacuate to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region on Saturday

A man helps a small child put on a glove as they wait for a train at the Donetsk-2 railway station as they evacuate to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region on Saturday

Women take part in a military exercise for civilians conducted by veterans of the Ukrainian National Guard Azov battalion in Kharkiv, Ukraine on February 19, 2022

Later two explosions at a 'gas pipeline' rocked the separatist city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in another suspected false flag attack.

Elsewhere, the Russian leader is personally overseeing nuclear exercises involving 'strategic forces' which will include practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

The Kremlin nuclear drills also involved Mig fighter bombers armed with hypersonic missiles patrolling over the Mediterranean from their bases in Syria.

Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko is joining Putin in the situation room in the Kremlin to watch over the strategic drills.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today's drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels.

Russia holds huge strategic drills every year but today's manoeuvres include the Black Sea Fleet, based on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

Meanwhile, top Ukrainian military officials came under a shelling attack during a tour of the front of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine and were forced to flee to a bomb shelter before leaving the area.

A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is launched during Russian training drills as part of the strategic exercises today

A Ukrainian serviceman digs a trench on a positions at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote

Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022

Smoke and flame rise over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022

A handout still image taken from handout video made available by the Russian Defence ministry press-service shows launch of a cruise missile of the operational-tactical missile system 'Iskander' from at the Kapustin Yar training ground, Russia, 19 February 2022

Two Tu-22M3 bombers escorted by Su-35 fighters of the Russian air force fly during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills

A Russian nuclear submarine sails in an unknown location during exercises by nuclear forces involving the launch of ballistic missiles, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022

Russian guided missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov fires the Tsirkon hypersonic missile during the exercises by nuclear forces in an unknown location

A Russian Tu-95MS air-launched cruise missile is tested as part of a planned exercise of strategic deterrence forces

Russian and Belarusian multi-role combat helicopters Mi-35M attend the joint operational exercise of the armed forces

A resident learns how to point and shoot with a wooden stick as she takes part in a military exercise for civilians conducted by Christian Territorial Defence in Ukraine

Russian and Belarusian multi-role combat helicopters Mi-35M attend the joint operational exercise of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia

Military helicopters fly over tanks and armored vehicles moving during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022

False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released

Up to 700,00 civilians are being evacuated from the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after rebel leaders yesterday claimed Ukraine was about to attack the areas. A woman says goodbye to her father through a bus window in Donetsk

Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic are placed in tents in the refugee camp in Rostov on Don, Rostov region, Russia

Russian and Belarusian servicemen conduct joint drills at a firing range in the Brest region of Belarus

Fighter jets fly during the joint military drills of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus at a firing range in the Brest Region

Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic wait in a bus to enter Russia at the customs post 'Matveev Kurgan' in Rostov region

The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin announced a general mobilisation

Russia has also sent a MIG-31K and a Tu-22M3 bomber over the Mediterranean in another show of force amid the rising tensions.

The warplane is deployed with the new ultra high speed Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles.

The 24-foot-long, one-ton Kinzhal - or Dagger - can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, and Russia boasts it has no match among Western defences.

The hypersonic Kinzhal has a range of 1,250 miles and could pummel Ukrainian troops and defences without flying close to the country.

Russia is believed to have around 20 Kinzhal-compatible MiG-31Ks in total.

Video footage has also emerged which graphically demonstrates the sheer intensity of the bombardment that Russian-backed forces have unleashed on Ukraine in the last two days.

In night-time footage taken from the port city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, just a few miles from the front line, shells could be heard raining down almost incessantly on Ukrainian positions for five hours.

The distant flashes from the exploding 122mm and 152mm heavy artillery and mortars on the video posted on censor.net were reminiscent of WW1 trench warfare.

One resident of the city posted on Facebook: 'No-one in Mariupol is sleeping tonight.'

According to the Ukrainian government there were a total of 66 ceasefire violations by the pro-Russian rebels overnight, involving hundreds of shells.

In a separate incident at a front-line checkpoint at Schastia, which ironically means 'Happiness' in Ukrainian, more incoming shells blasted onto a car park in daytime CCTV footage provided by the Ukraine government.

Shelling also damaged a pumping station in Donetsk Oblast, threatening water supply to 46 towns and villages in the Ukrainian-controlled parts of the region, Ukraine's authorities reported.

Amid the new drills today, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said the troops on the border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike' during a visit to Lithuania.

This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, shows a MiG-31K fighter of the Russian air force carrying a Kinzhal hypersonic cruise missile parked at an air field during a military drills

An airman checks a Russian Air Force MiG-31 fighter jet prior a flight with Kinzhal hypersonic missile during a drill in an unknown location in Russia, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022

A Belarusian Army military helicopter flies over tanks and armored vehicles moving during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022

Military jets drop bombs flying over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022

Smoke rise over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022

A military helicopter flies next to a flock of birds in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol, Crimea

Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022

A Russian paratrooper takes part in a force inspection at the Obuz-Lesnovsky firing range in Belarus today

Tanks and armoured vehicles move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground

Russian Tu-95MS bomber aircraft flies during the Grom-2022 Strategic Deterrence Force exercise amid threat of an invasion

The Russian leader is personally overseeing the nuclear exercises involving 'strategic forces' which will include practice launches

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today's drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels

Civilians train with members of the Georgian Legion, a paramilitary unit formed mainly by ethnic Georgian volunteers, to fight against the Russian aggression in Ukraine

Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine have ordered a full military mobilisation amid growing fears in the West that Russia is planning to invade the neighbouring country

'They are uncoiling and are now poised to strike,' he said, adding that troops were 'moving into the right kinds of positions to be able to conduct an attack'.

Meanwhile Boris Johnson warned an invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state' and 'the shock will echo around the world'.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference today, the prime minister said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment'.

He jetted to the annual summit in Bavaria to make a plea to avoid 'unnecessary bloodshed' by diplomatic means if the West speaks with 'one voice'.

In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Johnson said: 'If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine is overwhelmed, we will witness the destruction of a democratic state, a country that has been free for a generation, with a proud history of elections.

Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic arrive to the refugee camp in Rostov on Don, Rostov region

People sit in a bus for their evacuation in Donetsk on February amid fears of an imminent invasion with troops massed on the border

Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are streaming into Russia today after Putin's allies ordered a mass evacuation

It comes as thousands of Ukrainian refugees are streaming into Russia today after Putin's allies ordered a mass evacuation of two separatist republics as part of a suspected 'false flag' operation to provide the pretext for an invasion.

Up to 700,00 civilians are being evacuated from the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after rebel leaders yesterday claimed Ukraine was about to attack the areas.

Hours later a car bomb rocked Donetsk in an alleged 'assassination attempt' of a top Putin-allied official, which Western intelligence agencies believe was faked as part of the 'false flag' deception.

Later two explosions at a 'gas pipeline' rocked the separatist city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in another suspected false flag attack.

Last night, US President said he is 'convinced' the Russian premier has made up his mind to launch an invasion after amassing almost 200,000 troops on the border.

In a televised address from the White House, Biden said he has 'reason to believe' it will occur in the 'coming days' and will include an assault on the capital Kyiv.

After weeks of saying the US was not sure if Putin had made the final decision to launch a widespread invasion, Biden said that assessment had changed.

'As of this moment I'm convinced he's made the decision,' Biden said. 'We have reason to believe that.'

He cited the United States' 'significant intelligence capability' for the assessment.

The Ukrainian civilian refugees will be housed in tent cities provided by Putin's government in Russia where they will receive a gift of $132.

False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released.

Huge convoys of buses were laid on the for the refugees, after the evacuation was announced in video addresses by the leaders of the breakaway Republics which have also ordered a general mobilization of all men to the army.

Multiple explosions could be heard on Saturday morning in the north of the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, a Reuters witness said. The origin was not immediately clear. Ukraine said earlier that one of its soldiers had been killed.

False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released

False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released.

A boy looks through a bus window waiting to be evacuated to Russia, in Donetsk, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, eastern Ukraine

Denis Pushilin, the leader of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, has called on all men 'who are in the reserves to come to military conscription offices' following a mass evacuation of women and children in Ukraine's breakaway provinces to southern Russia.

Leonid Pasechnik, the leader of the Luhansk separatist region in Ukraine, ordered a general mobilisation shortly afterwards.

Pushilin claimed his region's forces had prevented attacks he said were planned by Ukraine, and that the Ukrainian army had continued manoeuvres.

Separatist authorities on Friday announced plans to evacuate around 700,000 people, citing fears of an imminent attack by Ukrainian forces  an accusation Kiev flatly denied.

Less than 7,000 people had been evacuated from Donetsk as of Saturday morning, the local emergencies ministry said.

The Ukrainian military said it had recorded 12 ceasefire violations by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in the morning after 66 cases in the previous 24 hours. Separatist authorities also reported what they said was shelling by Ukrainian forces of several villages on Saturday. Both sides regularly trade blame for ceasefire violations.

Kiev has repeatedly denied any plans to regain control of separatist-held areas using force, including the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014. More than 14,000 people have been killed in fighting between Ukraine's army and Russia's proxies.

It comes as Ukraine's army claimed today a soldier had been killed in the separatist east and Volodymyr Zelensky is heading to the Munich Security Conference, despite President Joe Biden's warning not to leave Ukraine through fear of an imminent invasion.

Yesterday Biden said he is now 'convinced' Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and assault the capital.

After weeks of saying that Washington was not sure if Putin had made the final decision, the US President said that his judgment had changed, citing American intelligence. He reiterated that the assault could occur in the 'coming days'.

His comments followed a day of rising violence that included a humanitarian convoy hit by shelling and a car bombing in the eastern city of Donetsk.

Huge convoys of buses were laid on the for the refugees, after the evacuation was announced in video addresses by the leaders of the breakaway Republics

An explosion was heard in rebel-held Luhansk, one of the main cities in Ukraine's breakaway region of People's Republic of Luhansk, according to reports

In this photo made from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on February 19, 2022, a Russian marine takes his position during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus

People board a bus during the evacuation of residents to Russia, in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, February 19, 2022

A car bomb sparked 'false flag' fears after it exploded near the headquarters of the pro-Russian Donetsk People's Republic. Just hours later a fireball was seen lighting up the sky after an international oil pipeline running through the key rebel-held city of Luhansk blew up. The blast rocked the Druzhba pipeline which runs from Russia to various points in eastern and central Europe. On Thursday a shell blew a hole through the wall of kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska

People look at a memorial dedicated to late Euromaidan activists along the Alley of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes on February 18, 2022 in Kiev, Ukraine

US President Joe Biden delivers a national update on the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border at the White House in Washington, DC, February 18, 2022

Pro-Russian rebels began evacuating civilians from the conflict zone with an announcement that appeared to be part of Moscow's efforts to paint Ukraine as the aggressor instead.

One of Vladimir Putin's closest allies, parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin vowed that Russia would 'defend' its compatriots in the Donbas, hinting at military intervention.

He said: 'Russia doesn't want war.

'Our president Vladimir Putin repeatedly said this earlier and is saying this these days.'

But 'if danger arises to the lives of Russians and compatriots living in the DPR and LPR, our country will defend them.'

This came as pro-Moscow rebels claimed a water-pumping station in Vasilievka was hit by Ukrainian fire.

Ukraine has denied any such attacks.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has announced massive nuclear drills to flex its military muscle, and Putin pledged to protect Russia's national interests against what it sees as encroaching Western threats.

Biden reiterated his threat of crushing economic and diplomatic sanctions against Russia if it does invade, and pressed Putin to reconsider. He said the US and its Western allies were more united than ever to ensure Russia pays a steep price for any invasion.

He said: 'We're calling out Russia's plans. Not because we want a conflict, but because we are doing everything in our power to remove any reason Russia may give to justify invading Ukraine.

'If Russia pursues its plans, it will be responsible for a catastrophic and needless war of choice.'

Earlier on Friday, Biden said he believed Putin had already made up his mind to invade Ukraine.

He said: 'As of this moment, I'm convinced he's made the decision. We have reason to believe that.'

He said it was based on Washington's 'significant intelligence capability.' But he insisted Putin could change course if he wanted to.

'Russia can still choose diplomacy,' he said. 'It is not too late to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table.'

As further indication that the Russians are preparing for a major military push, a US defense official said an estimated 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the ground forces deployed in the vicinity of the Ukrainian border have moved into attack positions closer to the border.

That shift has been under way for about a week, other officials have said, and does not necessarily mean Putin has decided to begin an invasion.

The official also said the number of Russian ground units known as battalion tactical groups in the border area had grown to as many as 125, up from 83 two weeks ago. Each group has 750 to 1,000 soldiers.

Lines of communication remain open. The US and Russian defence chiefs spoke on Friday, and US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to meet next week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will attend the Munich Security Conference on Saturday and return home later the same day, a statement from his office said.

Zelenskiy's trip had been under scrutiny due to concern in Western countries that Russia is poised to launch a military offensive against Ukraine and could do so while the president is out of the country.

The Russian defense ministry extended its military drills on Sunday, with some involving its strategic nuclear forces.

Putin observed the drills involving multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in a demonstration that Russia remains a nuclear superpower.

The Russian leader has insisted that the large-scale military exercises with Belarusian forces close to the Ukrainian border are 'purely defensive' and do not represent a threat to any other country.

The blast, which was first reported by Russian state media, is thought to be the start of Putin's long-predicted false flag operation used to justify an invasion of the country

The destroyed UAZ military jeep belonged to Denis Sinenkov, head of regional security in Donetsk, in what Russian state media suggested was an assassination attempt

Russia's President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks during a press conference with his Belarus counterpart, following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on February 18, 2022

An hour before the car bomb went off, separatist leaders in Donetsk and Luhansk had ordered an evacuation of civilians because of what they said was the threat of Ukrainian invasion (pictured, children are evacuated from an orphanage)

Children are pictured after being loaded on to a bus for evacuation out of the city of Donetsk, in separatist-occupied eastern Ukraine, after leaders spread rumors that Kiev's troops were about to attack

There are concerns among western allies that the Kremlin could use disinformation and a possible 'false flag' operation to justify an offensive, particularly with growing activity in separatist-held areas of Ukraine.

Putin will hold a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday as tensions spike in the crisis over Ukraine, Moscow said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the call was 'on the president's schedule'.

With an estimated 190,000 Russian troops now posted around Ukraine's borders, the long-simmering separatist conflict could provide the spark for a broader attack.

Fears of such escalation intensified amid Friday's violence. A bombing struck a car outside the main government building in the rebel-held city of Donetsk. The head of the separatist forces, Denis Sinenkov, said the car was his, the Interfax news agency reported. There were no reports of casualties and no independent confirmation of the circumstances of the blast.

Shelling and shooting are common along the line that separates Ukrainian forces and the rebels, but targeted violence is unusual in rebel-held cities.

Adding to the tensions, two explosions shook the rebel-controlled city of Luhansk early on Saturday. The Luhansk Information Centre said one of the blasts was in a natural gas main and cited witnesses as saying the other was at a vehicle service station.

There was no immediate word on injuries or a cause. Luhansk officials blamed a gas main explosion earlier in the week on sabotage.

Monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe reported more than 600 explosions in the war-torn east of Ukraine on Friday.

Separatists in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions that form Ukraine's industrial heartland known as the Donbas announced they were evacuating civilians to Russia.

Pushilin said women, children and the elderly would go first, and that Russia has prepared facilities for them. He alleged in a video statement that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was going to order an imminent offensive in the area.

Metadata from two videos posted by the separatists announcing the evacuation show that the files were created two days ago.

US authorities have alleged that the Kremlin's disinformation campaign could include staged, pre-recorded videos.

Authorities began moving children from an orphanage in Donetsk, and other residents boarded buses for Russia. Long lines formed at gas stations as more people prepared to leave on their own.

Putin has ordered the government to offer a payment of 10,000 rubles (about 95) to each evacuee, equivalent to about half of an average monthly salary in the war-ravaged Donbas region.

By Saturday morning, more than 6,600 residents of the rebel-controlled areas were evacuated to Russia, according to separatist officials, who have announced plans to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people.

The explosions and the announced evacuations were in line with US warnings of so-called false flag attacks that Russia could use to justify an invasion.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the threat to global security is 'more complex and probably higher' than during the Cold War.

He told a security conference in Munich that a small mistake or miscommunication between major powers could have catastrophic consequences.

Russia announced this week that it was pulling back forces from vast military exercises, but US officials said they saw no sign of a pullback and instead observed more troops moving toward the border with Ukraine.

Ukraine's president condemns Western 'appeasement' of Putin in blistering address in MUNICH and vows to protect the country 'with or without support' from Europe - before leaders give him standing ovation with Russia expected to invade in days

By Jack Newman for Mailonline

Ukraine's president has called on the West to stop their 'appeasement' of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts, to a standing ovation from world leaders.

Volodymyr Zelensky told a security forum in Munich that his country deserves stronger international support after acting as a buffer against Russian expansion.

The conference had echoes of the 1938 summit in Munich in which leaders agreed a policy of appeasement against Adolf Hitler's Germany in an effort to prevent an imminent war.

Zelensky said today: 'Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. We have no weapons. And no security ...

'But we have a right - a right to demand a shift from a policy of appeasement to one ensuring security and peace.'

He added: 'For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world.'

Ukraine's president has called on the West to stop their 'appeasement' of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts

The Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces, the military reserve of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, take part in a military drill outside Kyiv

What happened at the 1938 Munich conference? The Munich Agreement was signed by Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler and Edouard Daladier in 1938. It was designed to stop Germany invading Czechoslovakia. The agreement by the leaders agreed the annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, occupied mainly by German speaking people. Upon his return home, Chamberlain declared the agreement had secured 'peace in our time'. However a year later Hitler invaded Poland, sparking the beginning of the Second World War. Advertisement

Zelensky also said he wants a 'clear' timeframe for when Ukraine can join the NATO alliance.

'What can we do? We can continue forcefully supporting Ukraine and its defences. Present... clear, feasible timeframes for membership of the Alliance,' he said.

The president also called for a meeting with Putin in order to avoid any conflict.

He said: 'I do not know what the Russian president wants. For this reason, I propose that we meet.'

Zelensky was warned not to travel to Munich today through fear that Russia may launch an attack in his absence.

Putin is putting on a show of military strength with new nuclear drills as he sends a MIG armed with a hypersonic missile over the Mediterranean.

The Russian leader is personally overseeing the nuclear exercises involving 'strategic forces' which will include practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko is joining Putin in the situation room in the Kremlin to watch over the strategic drills.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today's drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels.

Russia holds huge strategic drills every year but today's manoeuvres include the Black Sea Fleet, based on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022

Smoke and flame rise over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022

Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko oversee joint military drills from the situation room in the Kremlin

A handout still image taken from handout video made available by the Russian Defence ministry press-service shows launch of a cruise missile of the operational-tactical missile system 'Iskander' from at the Kapustin Yar training ground, Russia, 19 February 2022

A Russian nuclear submarine sails in an unknown location during exercises by nuclear forces involving the launch of ballistic missiles, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022

Military helicopters fly over tanks and armored vehicles moving during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022

Russian and Belarusian servicemen conduct joint drills at a firing range in the Brest region of Belarus

Tank army units loaded onto a troop train return from recent routine drills to permanent deployment sites

Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic wait in a bus to enter Russia at the customs post 'Matveev Kurgan' in Rostov region

The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin announced a general mobilisation

Russia has also sent a MIG-31K and a Tu-22M3 bomber over the Mediterranean in another show of force amid the rising tensions.

The warplane is deployed with the new ultra high speed Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles.

The 24-foot-long, one-ton Kinzhal - or Dagger - can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, and Russia boasts it has no match among Western defences.

The hypersonic Kinzhal has a range of 1,250 miles and could pummel Ukrainian troops and defences without flying close to the country.

Russia is believed to have around 20 Kinzhal-compatible MiG-31Ks in total.
Two US officials and another source familiar with US intelligence claim that the US possesses evidence showing that instructions have been conveyed to Russian commanders to proceed with an assault on Ukraine.

The intelligence about the directive to tactical commanders and intelligence agents is one of several signs the US is keeping an eye on to see whether Russian invasion preparations are nearing completion.

Russian Military Given Order To Proceed With Ukraine Invasion

According to the report, further symptoms like electronic jamming and extensive cyberattacks have yet to be seen. The sources warned that instructions might be revoked at any time or that the information could be false to confuse and mislead the US and its allies.

However, the intelligence comes after Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared on Friday that they believe Putin has "taken the decision" to invade, a sentiment shared by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday. The Russian playbook, according to Blinken, is "going forward."

On Sunday, Biden met with his senior aides on the National Security Council to examine the situation in Ukraine, including Blinken, Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who were all in Europe over the weekend discussing the problem with friends, as per CNN.

Read Also: US Says Russian Forces 'Poised To Strike' Ukraine; Zelensky Seeks UN Security Council 'Guarantees' for Kyiv

New Intelligence Prompts Biden Warning on Russian Attack

The significant escalation of ceasefire breaches in eastern Ukraine in recent days, which Ukraine has blamed on Russia-backed rebels in Ukraine's Donbas area, has added to suspicions that Russia is contemplating a large-scale offensive. Russia, for its part, has alleged that Ukraine is planning a large-scale operation in Donbas, which would need a stronger pro-Russian military presence.

The latest escalation in eastern Ukraine, Blinken said at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, "is part of a paradigm that is already in the play of making false provocations, then having to respond to those provocations, and then eventually committing additional aggression against Ukraine."

Biden's trip to Wilmington, where he'll spend the President's Day vacation, was unexpectedly disclosed by the White House earlier Sunday. According to a White House official, the trip was unexpectedly canceled on Sunday afternoon when the President was on the phone with French President Emmanuel Macron for a 15-minute chat, according to WishTV.

As the world saw the Russian military execute moves that American espionage agencies had foreseen, the administration's faith in intelligence has only risen. Nonetheless, a Kremlin source stressed that the Kremlin has devised various war scenarios and that it is still unclear how an attack on Ukraine would play out, particularly how swiftly Russian soldiers would march on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.

Biden's announcement, as well as the fresh explanation of what he was based on, are the latest salvos in the administration's attempt to use declassified intelligence to expose and undermine the Kremlin's intentions, perhaps delaying an invasion and allowing more time for negotiation.

However, American military and intelligence assets have confirmed that they have seen Russian military personnel preparing to launch an attack. According to recent data, 40 to 50 percent of the more than 150,000 Russian soldiers encircling Ukraine have moved out of staging and into battle formation, indicating that a full-scale invasion might take place within days, according to US officials. Officials say some of the personnel are Russian reservists who would serve as an occupying force in the event of an invasion.

Russia's military drills in Belarus were extended on Sunday, as European intelligence authorities had feared. According to American intelligence authorities, Russia continued to build up its soldiers in Belarus last week, according to the White House.

A Belarusian attack is a possibility that US officials have been warning against for weeks. They emphasized on Friday that the Ukraine-Belarus border is significantly less well-protected than the border in Ukraine's far east, near Russia and separatist-controlled sections of the Donbas. A quicker route from Belarus to Kyiv is also available, New York Times reported.

Related Article: Russia, China Military Alliance Signals the Rise of Power; Bloc Will Divide the World Into Spheres of Influence

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A Texas Republican candidate running for the House in November's midterms labeled college graduates as 'radical, leftist, hating-America atheists.'

Christian Collins, a conservative activist and former campaign manager for Rep. Kevin Brady, who is retiring from the seat north of Houston, said he will ban Critical Race Theory during an 'America First Rally' on Sunday.

'We know how important the youth are to our future because you can raise them the right way. You can work your butts off every day to put food on the table, sent them to college, and then what ends up happening?' Collins asked rhetorically.

'They go off to college not knowing what they believe sometimes, and their teachers, their professors, try to deconstruct everything that you've taught them. And they go off with the college that you paid for and come out radical, leftist, hating-America atheists, and they don't have any usable skills to get employed,' Collins said.

Collins is supported by the campaign arm of the House's right-wing Freedom Caucus, as well as U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and devoted Trump acolytes like Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina and Marjorie Taylor Greene, the controversial Georgia congresswoman.

Christian Collins, a conservative activist, who is running for Texas' 8th Congressional district was speaking at an 'America First Rally' in Texas

Republican Christian Collins of Texas is seen in some of his Facebook photos and ads

Referring to students heading off to university he said: 'They go off with the college that you paid for and come out radical, leftist, hating-America atheists.'

Collins, a graduate of the University of Texas who got his master's from Liberty University, has said he is running on a ticket that will see him ban critical race theory from schools.

He also founded the Texas Youth Summit to teach younger people about 'principles of fiscal responsibility, free market, limited government, American Exceptionalism, and the Judeo-Christian principles this country was founded upon.'

'We are in the midst of a spiritual and cultural battle for the heart and soul of our country, and I've been serving on the front lines of this battlefield for a long time working alongside our pastors and faith leaders by organizing prayer breakfasts, pro-life rallies, and educating our youth on the Conservative, Judeo-Christian principles our nation was founded upon. As a member of Congress, I will never compromise on Pro-Trump, America First policies.

'My top priorities will be to secure our elections and border, stop critical race theory, and impeach 'President' Biden,' he stated.

Texas Republican Christian Collins, second from right standing, poses with Madison Cawthorn, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Sheriff Troy Nehls in a Twitter picture posted Sunday

Republican Christian Collins of Texas is seen with former President Donald Trump in an ad

Republican Christian Collins of Texas seen at a recent Trump rally in one of his Facebook pics

The district seat is more than likely to remain Republican with nearly a dozen others seeking the party's nomination to succeed Brady, a 13-term congressman.

The two most prominent have split many of the state's top Republicans.

Morgan Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL, is backed by a political action committee with ties to Republican congressional leadership, as well as Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, former Governor Rick Perry and U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw.

Luttrell is the twin brother of Marcus Luttrell, also a Navy SEAL, who wrote the bestselling memoir 'Lone Survivor.'

According to his campaign website, Collins is the former campaign manager and advisor to Rep. Kevin Brady, who currently holds the TX-8 seat and is retiring.
Schools have warned against a new social media app dubbed Tinder for teens after claims it exposes children to sexual harassment, racism and bullying.

Yubo, which has 3.6million users in the UK, allows children aged between 13 and 17 to match with potential dates and encourages them to join group video calls.

But head teachers have warned parents that children could stumble across inappropriate content and that the app could be exploited by adults.

Schools have warned against a new social media app dubbed Tinder for teens after claims it exposes children to sexual harassment, racism and bullying (stock image)

An undercover reporter for the Sunday Times posing as a 15-year-old girl was frequently asked to send nude pictures and was propositioned for sex.

They also witnessed boys telling girls they would strip you naked and rape you and choke you.

Self-harm and suicide was discussed regularly, and a black girl was reportedly asked if she could be called a dirty little slave.

Despite Yubos screening tools, it is possible to sign up by uploading a photo of someone else from the internet.

Yubo, which has 3.6million users in the UK, allows children aged between 13 and 17 to match with potential dates and encourages them to join group video calls. But head teachers have warned parents that children could stumble across inappropriate content and that the app could be exploited by adults (file image)

Chris Philp, minister for the digital economy, said: What I have heard about this site is sickening. Apps ... marketed at children should be safe for them to use.

James Loten, deputy head at Harwich and Dovercourt High School, Essex, warned parents the app could be exploited by adults for nefarious purpose.

Paris-based Yubo apologised and said it was taking the claims extremely seriously.
Dominic Perrottet has accused the train union of conspiring with Labor to shut down the rail network and undermine the Coalition ahead of the federal election.

The premier accused both parties of being in bed together but failed to provide any evidence to back up his extraordinary claims on Monday.

'Make no mistake this is a coordinated attack by the Labor party and the union movement,' he told reporters.

'This is no accident. This is a concerted campaign by the unions and the Labor party to cause mass disruption across our city.'

Dominic Perrottet has accused the Rail, Tram and Bus union of working with Labor to shut down the rail network and undermine the Liberals ahead of the election

Millions of Sydney commuters woke up in the morning to find they had no way to get to work after all trains were suddenly cancelled.

Peak-hour roads were choked with traffic as Sydneysiders jumped into their cars with little other alternative to get to work, with gridlock as long as 22km on the main arteries to the city: the M2 motorway, Victoria Road, the M5, and Hume Highway.

The network shutdown came on the day Australia's international borders finally opened, forcing arrivals into expensive taxi fares, and also when NSW officially lifted work-from-home advice.

Mr Perrottet held the press conference at Sydney International Airport and intended to focus on the momentous reopening of the border.

Millions of Sydney commuters woke up in the morning to find they had no way to get to work after all trains were suddenly cancelled

Peak-hour roads were choked with traffic as Sydneysiders jumped into their cars with little other alternative to get to work, with gridlock as long as 22km on the main arteries to the city: the M2 motorway, Victoria Road, the M5, and Hume Highway

Poll Who do you blame for the Sydney rail shutdown? NSW Government Transport union Both of them! Not sure Who do you blame for the Sydney rail shutdown? NSW Government 383 votes

Transport union 183 votes

Both of them! 187 votes

Not sure 30 votes Now share your opinion





But the premier was swamped with questions about the train service cancellation before he claimed it was 'no accident' it happened on one of the busiest days since the pandemic began in 2020.

'It should be condemned, and I'm incredibly disappointed and share the anger of every single person across our city this morning,' he said.

'The unions were intent on causing chaos. This is the unions playing games with the Labor Party for political purposes at the expense of our people.'

'This is the Labor Party in bed with the union movement to cause mass disruption.'

But in reality, the battle between the NSW Government and Sydney Train management, and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has been going on for years.

The cancellation is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute between the parties over safety guarantees, hygiene, wages, and privatisation concerns.

The network shutdown came on the day Australia's international borders finally opened, forcing arrivals into expensive taxi fares, and also when NSW officially lifted work-from-home advic

The cancellation is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute between the NSW Government and the Rail Tram and Bus Union over safety guarantees, hygiene, wages, and privatisation concerns

The two sides are blaming each other for the shutdown with NSW Transport Minister David Elliott accusing the union of 'hijacking the city' and the union arguing the government of 'locking workers' out after they agreed to work.

NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns accused Mr Perrottet of promoting a 'conspiracy theory' by claiming Labor was colluding with the union.

Labor MP Tony Burke took to Twitter to back the union and point the blame finger at the Liberals.

'The claim that the trains in Sydney aren't running because of a strike is wrong,' he wrote.

'The planned union action was not going to stop the trains. The Liberals have decided to stop the trains. Train drivers have turned up to work.

'There's chaos in Sydney and the govt chose chaos.'

His tweet divided social media users with some slamming the train drivers for the widespread rail cancellation and others backing them.

'Trains don't need drivers in 2022,' one person wrote. 'The safety is already assured by onboard systems. All they do is press Start and push the button to show they're still awake. Not worth $200k+ with penalty rates.'

A different social media user disagreed and pointed the finger at the Liberals.

The premier was swamped with questions by reporters about the train service cancellation before he claimed it was 'no accident' it had happened on one of the busiest days since the pandemic began in 2020

Labor MP Tony Burke took to Twitter to back the union and point the blame finger at the Liberals

'Filthy Propaganda from the LNP make people distrust and hate unions in the hope that fewer people will join unions making workers vulnerable to greedy employers leading to poor wages and working conditions,' they wrote.

Mr Perrottet said he would continue to negotiate with RTBU in 'good faith'.

'They could not turn around and change the timetable system in a way that would be safe for commuters, that's the advice from the [Sydney Trains] CEO,' he said.

'You don't just turn a train system on in a few hours. The timetabling had been set.

'Today is not reasonable. This is a concerted campaign, I will do whatever I can to ensure this doesn't happen again.'

NSW Transport Minister David Elliott said he would not be 'conceding on unreasonable things' as talks continued between the two sides.

'What was agreed to on Saturday was in question, which was why last night at 8 o'clock we should have bedded down these questions... [but] they didn't even bother showing up,' he said, speaking about the RTBU.

'The public are pretty upset with the union today. It has been a long time since the city was brought to a standstill with zero notice.'

'I don't think the electorate as a whole is going to cop this sort of industrial bastardry.'

NSW Transport Minister David Elliott said he would not be 'conceding on unreasonable things' as talks continued between the two sides
A Chinese security guard was kidnapped and used as a 'blood slave' by a gang in Cambodia after he was lured to the country by a fake job ad.

The 31-year-old man, who has been identified only by his surname Li, was held captive and had 27 ounces of blood drained from him every month for six months.

It is believed that the gang who kidnapped Li sold his blood to private buyers online.

A normal blood donation usually takes around 16 ounces - 11 ounces less than the amount drained from Li - which is around 8 per cent of the average blood volume of an adult.

As a result of the excessive blood extraction, Li, who managed to escape the gang earlier this month, had multiple organ failures and his arms were covered with bruises from the needles.

The victim told Beijing Youth Daily he had been trafficked last June after going to China's southwestern region of Guangxi in response to a job advert for work as a nightclub bouncer.

Li said he was smuggled to the Cambodian coastal city of Sihanoukville by a criminal gang who sold him for 13,598 ($18,500) to another gang who forced him to work for various telemarketing fraud schemes.

The 31-year-old man, who has been identified only by his surname Li, was held captive and had 27 ounces of blood drained from him every month for six months. Pictured: Lee recovering in hospital

In September, his captors began carrying out repeated extractions of blood from him after he refused to work and collect a ransom, which put his life in danger.

So much blood had been drained from Li that his captors started drawing from his head because the veins in his arms failed to yield enough blood.

The American Red Cross says that people should not donate blood more frequently than every 56 days, but for LI, the gang would extract the blood every month.

Li was only able to flee the gang when one member switched sides and was admitted to hospital on February 12 where he is in a stable condition after suffering from multiple organ failures.

Li said he was used as a 'blood slave' by the gang when he refused to participate in their fraud scheme and collect ransom for them.

He said one of the gang members threatened that they would sell him to organ harvesters if he did not give them his blood, the Asia Pacific Times reported.

Li said the gang would use electric prods to beat him and other men they had held captive.

Li, who had worked as a security guard in Shenzhen and Beijing before being trafficked, said he saw at least seven other men detained with him in a large room.

Li was only able to flee the gang when one member switched sides and was admitted to hospital on February 12 where he is in a stable condition after suffering from multiple organ failures

He said the others did not have their blood taken as much as him because his blood type is O, a universal blood type, reports the South China Morning Post.

'From top managers to HR staff [of this company] are all Chinese. They treat us coldly,' Li said. He added that they regarded him and the other captives as 'tools for making money'.

Li said he had been tricked by a fake job advertisement on the Chinese online classifieds platform 58.com.

The company, China's equivalent of Craigslist, told state media on Thursday it would cooperate with a police investigation in Cambodia although it had 'not yet established' whether the fraudulent job advert had been on its platform.

The Chinese embassy in Cambodia on Thursday in a statement confirmed parts of Li's story, but did not mention 58.com.

'The Chinese embassy in Cambodia once again reminds Chinese citizens who want to work in Cambodia to follow formal channels and not to believe in false adverts for high-paying jobs,' the statement said.

Sihanoukville has in recent years seen a surge of Chinese investment and immigration, mainly in the casino business, which is banned in mainland China.

Illegal online gambling operations targeting the mainland market are often run in overseas territories like Cambodia or the Philippines, where enforcement is less strict.

58.com's response to state media went viral on Friday, drawing over 200 million views on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where users accused 58.com of a wide range of unethical practices, from the high number of scams on the platform to the indiscriminate purchase and selling of user data.

58.com could not be immediately reached for comment. The company in 2020 was taken private by a consortium of investors who were backed by private equity firms Warburg Pincus and General Atlantic.
A Nebraska state senator has offered to resign after he admitted taking photographs of his aide without her knowing.

Republican Senator Mike Groene, 66, said he took 'harmless' photos of aide Kristina Konecko, which she found on his laptop.

Although he denied they were sexual, Democratic state Senator Megan Hunt of Omaha sent a letter urging the state attorney general and Nebraska State Patrol to investigate whether Groene committed any crimes.

Groene said Friday he planned to resign this week to avoid putting his family through a public ordeal.

'I'm done. I really don't care,' Groene told The Associated Press. 'I don't care about politics anymore. I've got bigger fish to fry.'

Senator Mike Groene, 66, (pictured) of North Platte said Friday he planned to resign this week to avoid putting his family through a public ordeal after he admitted taking photographs of his aide without her knowing

Aide Kristina Konecko discovered the photos of herself on Groene's laptop, which he had given her to complete a project

He added: 'She's a very modest person and I guess she was offended.'

The conservative from North Platte, who often disagreed with his Democratic colleagues in the Legislature, also said he would withdraw from the race for the University of Nebraska Board of Regents and leave politics.

He was already scheduled to leave the Legislature next year due to term limits.

Konecko discovered the photos of herself on Groene's laptop, which he had given her to complete a project.

She didn't find any evidence that the photos had been sent to anyone else but said some of the photos were close-ups of parts of her body with sexually suggestive captions.

Groene said he took photos of the staffer, but he described them as harmless images of staffers, visitors and family members in his office.

He also denied that any of them were sexual in nature or that focused on particular body parts.

Konecko told the Omaha World-Herald she filed her complaint under the Legislature's workplace harassment policy in early February and has since transferred to another legislative office.

She said no one ordered her not to discuss the issue, but she doesn't plan to answer additional questions about it now that it may be investigated.

She said: 'I am very grateful and appreciative for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received from the public.'

Democratic state Senator Megan Hunt (pictured) of Omaha sent a letter urging the state attorney general and Nebraska State Patrol to investigate whether Groene committed any crimes

Groene said he apologized to the staffer after she confronted him about the photos a few weeks ago and believed the matter was over.

A Nebraska State Patrol spokesperson said it had received Hunt's letter and is talking with the Attorney General's office about it.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General said his office will review the letter.

Under the Legislature's policy, formal complaints about senators or staffers are filed with the Legislature's Executive Board, but they're not released to the public unless the committee finds serious misconduct.

During his time in the Legislature Groene fought to lower property taxes and sometimes used abrasive language during floor debate.

He also led the Legislature's Education Committee for four years before his colleagues voted to replace him with a Democratic state senator.
The leader of Plaid Cymru was at the centre of a row last night after he embarked on a fact-finding mission to Kiev.

Adam Price and Labour Welsh government minister Mick Antoniw landed in Ukraine on Saturday, along with their delegation of hard-Left anti-war activists and trade union members.

They were accused of madness for ignoring the Governments advice to avoid all travel to Ukraine.

The delegation, which includes union chiefs Mick Whelan and Chris Kitchen, said the fact-finding mission would express solidarity to the Ukrainian working class

The delegation, which includes union chiefs Mick Whelan and Chris Kitchen, said the fact-finding mission would express solidarity to the Ukrainian working class.

They planned to hear evidence from workers in the Donbas region so they can separate truth from propaganda.

The eastern Ukrainian area has been ravaged by fighting with Russian-backed separatists since 2014.

But Tom Giffard, a Tory member of the Welsh parliament, said: With everything going on there, this seems so, so stupid.

Aides said Mr Price and Mr Antoniw were travelling in a personal capacity.

Mr Price defended his decision yesterday and said: If we want to see Wales truly connect with the world, then we must reach out in meaningful ways.

The city of Donetsk in the Donbas region has ties to Wales as it was founded by John Hughes, a 19th century Welsh ironmaster.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: Our travel advice is clear  British nationals should not travel to Ukraine.
People traffickers have been smuggling dinghies in from China to keep migrants flowing across the Channel.

Crime gangs have been scouring the world because the authorities in mainland Europe have made it harder to secure craft legitimately.

David Fairclough, of the Home Office's immigration enforcement agency, said: 'The supply of rigid inflatable boats, maritime engines and equipment has become much harder in northern Europe.

'We have even seen evidence of them being purchased in China before being imported into eastern Europe. They are smuggling the boats themselves. We have also seen an increase in the size of the vessels over the past 12 months which the organised crime groups are using to maximise every crossing.

Crime gangs have been scouring the world because the authorities in mainland Europe have made it harder to secure craft legitimately. Migrants are seen above on January 26th

'We now see 20 to 25 migrants per boat when 12 to 18 months ago it was 15.'

The people traffickers have been warning migrants they must cross before a new UK crackdown, pushing prices up from 2,000 to as much as 5,000 a head. 'It shows just how unscrupulous the groups are,' said Mr Fairclough.

Smugglers have been forced to take such action because the authorities in mainland Europe have made it harder to secure boats legitimately, it is understood.

Mr Fairclough added: 'We have also seen attempts to create larger vessels as crime groups modify them  in effect, putting two vessels together as one.

In October 2019, 39 Vietnamese migrants were found dead in an HGV's refrigerated trailer after being smuggled into Britain through Purfleet docks

'With the northern camps in France the message that is being put out by the organised crime groups is 'You've got to get into the UK now, before the new Bill'.

'It's something they are using for marketing themselves.

'This has seen an increase in demand and an increase in rates they charge.

'It's gone up from 2,000 to 4,500 or 5,000 in the last quarter period.

'It's part of the exploitation and shows just how unscrupulous the groups are to encourage the migrants to pay more.'

The Nationality and Border Bill, which is currently before Parliament, will introduce a twin-track system for asylum claims and introduce a wide range of stiffer penalties for people trafficking.

Mr Fairclough said one current investigation is examining a group suspected of being behind 27 crossings as well as other migrants arriving by air and through the Common Travel Area with Ireland.

Home Office minister Tom Pursglove saw Border Force checks against people trafficking and other types of smuggling at Purfleet port in Essex this week.

In October 2019, 39 Vietnamese migrants were found dead in an HGV's refrigerated trailer after being smuggled into Britain through Purfleet docks.

Mr Pursglove said: 'With the new Bill we have a plan to deliver an end to these crossings and make sure we preserve human life  which is something for which the people traffickers have no regard.'
A massive data leak from Credit Suisse has exposed the hidden wealth of its customers, including some involved in crimes such as torture, human trafficking and money laundering.

A whistleblower revealed the details of 30,000 secretive accounts belonging to a string of dubious and corrupt clients which collectively held more than 80billion.

The customers include a human trafficker in the Philippines, a Hong Kong stock exchange boss jailed for bribery and a billionaire who ordered the murder of his girlfriend.

A massive data leak from Credit Suisse has exposed the hidden wealth of its customers, including some involved in crimes such as torture, human trafficking and money laundering

There is also a string of corrupt politicians and executives, including Venezuelan officials accused of looting the states oil company.

The data also includes one Vatican-owned account which was used to spend 290million in an allegedly fraudulent investment in property in London, which is currently the subject of a criminal trial.

The leak shows Credit Suisse opened accounts for and continued to serve a string of questionable clients whose problematic backgrounds could easily be found.

An anonymous whistleblower handed the data to a German newspaper which shared it with the non-profit group The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.

The group then sent the information to 46 news organisations.

I believe that Swiss banking secrecy laws are immoral, the whistleblower said in a statement.

The pretext of protecting financial privacy is merely a fig leaf covering the shameful role of Swiss banks as collaborators of tax evaders.

The data covers accounts that were open from the 1940s until well into the 2010s  but does not cover current operations.

However, more than two thirds were opened since 2000.

A whistleblower revealed the details of 30,000 secretive accounts belonging to a string of dubious and corrupt clients which collectively held more than 80billion

The bank said 90 per cent of the accounts in question were closed or were in the process of being closed prior to the leak.

It added: Credit Suisse strongly rejects the allegations and insinuations about the banks purported business practices.

It added that the selective information was taken out of context, resulting in tendentious interpretations.
The tax rise aimed at improving care for the elderly will in fact prove devastating for nursing home owners, staff and residents, Boris Johnson is warned today.

Industry leaders believe the looming national insurance rise will cost large care providers millions of pounds a year.

They fear this will force them to reduce investment in their properties  and could even cause some to go bust.

Industry leaders believe the looming national insurance rise will cost large care providers millions of pounds a year (stock photo used)

Others say the move  which the Daily Mail has been fighting through its Spike the Hike campaign  has driven them to increase the fees they charge pensioners for rooms by as much as 80 a week.

The 1.25 percentage point increase in NI contributions is also being imposed by the Government on those who work in care homes, eating away at their wages and making it even harder to fill posts.

It comes despite the Prime Minister vowing that the new health and social care levy, which will start in April and will raise billions a year, would help 'fix' the crisis in elderly care.

Critics fear the money will instead be used up tackling the backlog of operations in the NHS, which is also being handed millions to cover higher NI contributions for staff.

Last night former Tory pensions minister Baroness Altmann said: 'Once again, care home operators are being treated with disdain, while the NHS is protected.

Tory pensions minister Baroness Altmann (pictured in 2017) said: 'Once again, care home operators are being treated with disdain, while the NHS is protected'

'While the Government claims its NI hike will solve the social care crisis once and for all, it is actually going to make things worse.

The move will help the NHS, but penalises social care particularly, and hits charities and not-for-profit operators.'

Professor Martin Green, of Care England, said extra costs will mean some care homes will 'find it extremely difficult to continue', while others will 'inevitably' have to increase fees.

The Department of Health said the levy would allow the start of comprehensive reforms towards 'an affordable, high-quality and sustainable' social care system.
Andrew Neil is to host a Sunday night political show for Channel 4 in an embarrassing blow for the BBC.

Neil will examine the biggest events of the moment during the live ten-part series.

The half-hour weekly programme, which has a working title of Sunday Politics with Andrew Neil, will air in May.

Neil, 72, said he was honoured and delighted to present the show at what is a pivotal point in the political week.

Neil was a BBC political broadcaster for decades, presenting This Week, Daily Politics and BBC Ones Sunday Politics.

He left after his show was cancelled.

Andrew Neil (pictured) is to host a Sunday night political show for Channel 4 in an embarrassing blow for the BBC

Neil said: 'I'm honoured and delighted to be presenting a new Sunday night political show for Channel 4.

'Sunday night is a pivotal point in the political week - we can sweep up what's happened in the previous week, mop up what's been in the Sunday papers and talk shows and throw forward to the upcoming week.

'We'll aim to do all of that and more.'

Neil's career as a political presenter and interviewer has spanned three decades, and he is the chairman and editor-in-chief of Press Holdings Media Group, publishers of The Spectator and other related titles.

He stepped down as the chairman and host of a prime-time show on GB News last year.

Neil is a former Sunday Times editor and was one of the BBC's top political broadcasters for many years.

Louisa Compton, Channel 4's head of news, current affairs and specialist factual and sport, said: 'I'm delighted to be bringing Andrew Neil to Channel 4 at a time where politics forms such a huge part of our national conversation.

'Andrew's new show will deliver big name politicians answering the questions the public want to hear. It's another example of our huge commitment to public service journalism and current affairs at Channel 4.'

Ian Rumsey, managing director of television at ITN productions, said: 'We're delighted to be working with Andrew and Channel 4 on this new show.

'If ever there was a time when Britain needed forensic questioning, brilliant political insight and to hold those in power to account, it's now. And there's no finer broadcaster to do that.'

Andrew Neil, former Sunday Times editor and one of the BBC top political broadcasters for many years, stepped down as the chairman and host of a prime-time show on GB News last year

Sophie Raworth has hosted BBC One's flagship Sunday morning current affairs programme, titled Sunday Morning, since January.

The hour-long show, starting at 9am, was previously known to viewers as The Andrew Marr Show.

Sky News' Sunday morning news and current affairs programme, Trevor Phillips on Sunday, airs from 8.30am.

Neil presented the Channel 4 programme Boris Johnson: Has He Run Out of Road? in January.
Former Ambassador Ric Grenell says the hardline stance is due to President Joe Biden after the Afghanistan debacle and losing to the Taliban, shaming America into another fall of Saigon.

The Ukraine crisis is going on because he was vice-president when Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea during Obama's term. Kabul's capitulation to the Taliban forces made him the most vilified US leader in modern times.

Biden Tries To Act Tough

Grenell said in an interview with Newsmax that the hardline stance against Russia is due to capitulating Kabul due to a series of errors. One of the worst failures of the current administration has made the US less trusted by its allies.

The Ukraine border crisis is getting milked for what it's worth to prove the president has what it takes to be the leader of the free world.

He spoke to Rita Cosby on Saturday Report, saying Kabul's fall is not healthy as the White House may have lost perspective. The president's mindset might not be the best way to judge the dicey situation with Vladimir Putin.

US allies saw the domino effect from the decisions of the White House until Kabul fell. They were kept out of the loop and realized that Washington was not what it used to be.

Biden Administration Should Consider Diplomacy

The ex-ambassador Rick Grenell said that it is a mistake to antagonize Moscow due to its position and power. In his opinion, all the war hysteria pushed by the Biden administration is counter-productive.

Read Also: Republican Senator Tells Joe Biden To Take Responsibility For Rising Fuel Prices, Stop Using Putin as an Excuse To Deflect Blame

A stand-down of harsh rhetoric and use diplomacy to turn down existing tensions. He added that the tough guy act would scare off the Kremlin, but they are not impressed.

It is not so convincing the US is trying to project an image of control, and the White House says there will be a war on Wednesday.

The next move would be to penalize the Nord Stream 2, and it should be down without delay. It has geopolitical consequences that affect the west, cited Al Jazeera.

The controversial pipeline will provide funds for Russia when it operates any time soon. It will conduit natural gas supplies to Germany, tightening Putin's control over the EU's energy dependency. An nth hour is coming soon.

Other options over diplomacy could have a better effect; this includes pipeline sanctions and omitting Moscow from the banking system. But talking to Putin's officials might avert a war and have a solution sooner.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has used his troops to threaten the Ukraine border, rife with charges of invasions from Moscow and Kyiv.

Another aspect is the Ukrainian forces attacking the pro-Russian Donbas region. He added that many know its Russian propaganda going around the news outlets, the Kremlin is proficient at it.

This kind of propaganda should be dealt with very carefully, and the Russians know how to manipulate the media.

He doubts Kamala Harris attending the German Munich Security Conference, and it should be more than scoring points with the media. She should try hard to help find a way out of the crisis.

It is better to send diplomats skilled at negotiation and seeking answers, not the White House and its Russian invasion hysteria.

Former ambassador Rick Grenell outlined the stakes for the Biden administration that should be taken, but the ghost of the Afghanistan Debacle is always there.

Related Article: Former German Ambassador Says Joe Biden Is Committing the US To War, Ignoring Diplomatic Channels To Prevent Conflict

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
As ever, the Queen sets an inspiring example to us all. Despite suffering from Covid, she's up and about and, we're told, performing 'light duties'.

She watched her horse win at Newbury races on television yesterday and found time to send a congratulatory message to our curling gold medallists in Beijing.

As well as demonstrating her typical 'keep calm and carry on' approach, the mildness of her symptoms perfectly illustrates the evolving story of this pandemic.

Despite suffering from Covid, the Queen is up and about and, we're told, performing 'light duties'

Until a year ago contracting Covid could easily have been a death sentence for any 95-year-old. At the very least, it would have been a cause for grave concern.

That Her Majesty is now able to brush off the infection so lightly is testament to the miraculous effect of the vaccines, which this country pioneered and Boris Johnson ensured were properly funded.

The time has come for Britain to become a free society once more  learning to live with Covid, rather than being shackled by it.

No more being told where we may go, whom we may meet and how we should live our lives. The state must move aside and let the individual take back control.

True, the pandemic isn't over, and probably never will be. But it's receding all the time and is manageable without any major risk of the NHS being overwhelmed.

Thanks to Mr Johnson's hugely successful booster jab campaign and the relative weakness of the Omicron variant, the chances of the fully vaccinated becoming seriously ill are small to negligible.

So today, he lays out his blueprint for scrapping all remaining Covid rules, including mandatory isolation for five days after a positive test.

As a result of Boris Johnson's hugely successful booster jab campaign and the relative weakness of the Omicron variant, the chances of the fully vaccinated becoming seriously ill are small to negligible

Inevitably, some say it's too soon  Labour, the SNP, the gloomier members of Sage, risk-averse NHS managers, trade unions.

But if they had their way, we would be cocooned indefinitely, with all the hideous collateral damage that would inflict on hospital waiting lists, children's education, mental health and, of course, the economy.

Free Covid testing costs up to 2billion a month. For a virus which has lost most of its sting, that is simply unsustainable.

Yes, we must remain cautious, but we must also snap out of this suspended animation. It's time to trust the vaccines and get on with our lives.

Give students a refund

While their students languished at home or were locked down in halls of residence, receiving inadequate online teaching over flickering Zoom, universities were piling up a mountain of cash.

Between them, the 24 Russell Group institutions have amassed a surplus of 2.2billion during the pandemic, including 115million from furlough alone.

To avoid looking like base profiteers, they must now give a large part of that money back to their students, in refunds and reduced fees.

These young people have been paying through the nose for a service they have simply not received. They deserve to be compensated. The least universities can do is acknowledge that by sharing their own massive profits.

Putin's new nemesis

We no longer need to worry about the impending conflict in Ukraine. The Welsh nationalists have arrived!

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has taken an anti-war delegation of 'socialists, democrats and internationalists' to Kiev, where they have been meeting workers, LGBTQ representatives, ethnic minorities and human rights groups.

He says the visit is a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, and that they will stand together 'in defiance of Putin's warmongering'. The Russian tyrant must be quaking in his boots.
A library in Iraq looted and badly burned by Islamic State militants has re-opened.

Fighters burnt at least 10,000 books at Mosul University during the IS takeover of the city in 2014.

In all, around 85 per cent of the librarys collection was lost.

Iraqis gather outside the library of the University of Mosul which was newly-refurbished

Founded in 1921, it had previously been the second richest library in Iraq, after the Central Library in Baghdad.

The refurbished building, which was reopened by the United Nations Development Programme, will initially house 32,000 books with a view to eventually rebuilding a million-strong collection.

The two-storey Library is next to the bustling Student Centre and recently reopened Theatre Hall.

It can seat over 1,000 students at once and has the capacity to house over 100,000 books.

The Library comes with dedicated spaces for studying, meetings, computers, and exhibitions.

Also reopened today was the Ninewa Federal Court of Appeal based in Mosul which holds the court of appeal, personal status court, tort court, investigation court, domestic violence court and first instance court.

The purpose-built facility will house 50 judges, 300 administrative staff and 50 security personnel.

The six courts will have the capacity to handle around 7,500 cases every month.

The reopening of the Central Library and Ninewa Federal Court of Appeal is an important milestone in the journey to revitalizing this iconic city.

Due to the citys historical importance and devastating destruction under ISIL, UNDP prioritized its stabilization and rebuilding efforts in Mosul.

I am proud that today, the number of students at the University has surpassed enrollment rates before ISIL occupation by

over 40 percent. This shows the strength and resilience of the city  one thats well on its way to recovery after years of conflict, said UNDP Resident Representative in Iraq, Zena Ali Ahmad.

UNDPs Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS) rehabilitated the Central Library with financial support from the Federal Republic of Germany, provided through KFW.
A Florida mom found her two-year-old daughter alone and locked inside a dark room at her daycare center after coming to pick her up a few minutes late.

Stephanie Martinez is pursuing legal action against Plantation KinderCare after she went to pick up her daughter Anastasia and found her abandoned in a dark room, standing on a chair and crying.

Martinez called 911 and was only reunited with her toddler after the Plantation Fire Department arrived and pried the buildings doors open.

Shes crying, shes in there by herself, Martinez could be heard telling the 911 operator in cell phone video she began taking when she saw Anastasia alone in the room.

Stephanie Martinez found her two-year-old daughter Anastasia alone and locked inside a dark room after coming to pick her up from daycare a few minutes late

When Martinez arrived at the daycare center, she found Anastasia standing on a chair and crying

Martinez called 911 and was only reunited with her toddler after the Plantation Fire Department arrived and pried the buildings doors open

The daycares assistance director, Nichole Burrillo, told police that she and Lucilena Viggiano, a teacher, were the last employees on the premises and responsible for closing.

Burrillo said Viggiano uses a tablet device to check all of the children out before closing the daycare center, according to a police report seen by Local 10 News.

The daycare closes at 6pm, but staff typically stay later because of parents who often come later for pickup, like Martinez, who picks up another child earlier.

Burrillo and Viggiano both left around 6:20pm, they told police. Martinez arrived eight minutes later. She told police that she did not receive a call from the daycare to let them know her child was still there.

Both employees have since been placed on administrative leave while the daycare and its affiliates investigate the incident further, KinderCare confirmed in a statement to NBC 6.

The Broward Sheriff's Office Child Protection Services and Plantation Police are now investigating the incident, which happened last Tuesday at the KinderCare Child Care Center on Sunrise Boulevard.

Martinez says her child is now traumatized.

It's the worst feeling ever. You feel helpless, Martinez told NBC 6. You can't do anything to console her. She was definitely stressed out and definitely crying the whole time she was there by herself.

Martinez is now pursuing legal action against Plantation KinderCare for leaving her daughter Anastasia alone and not notifying her

The Broward Sheriff's Office Child Protection Services and Plantation Police are now investigating the incident

Martinez says her child was left traumatized' by the incident. Anastasia was above in an undated photo with her aunt and emergency contact, Samantha Scaramellino

When she arrived at the daycare center, Martinez saw that the parking lot was empty and the building was locked. She called the childs aunt and emergency contact, Samantha Scaramellino, who told her that she had not picked up Anastasia and to call the police.

I still cant believe this even happened. Tonight my two-year-old niece was left in the daycare center after they closed, Scaramellino wrote in a Facebook post recounting the events.

Martinez said Anastasia heard her banging outside the building and was able to push a chair next to the window and stand up to get her attention.

'Nobody should ever go through this,' Martinez told NBC 6. 'You pay for trust and they completely voided that. I have no words, I'm still in shock right now.'

The day cares assistance director, Nichole Burrillo, told police that she and Lucilena Viggiano, a teacher, were the last employees on the premises and responsible for closing

Both employees have since been placed on administrative leave while the daycare and its affiliates investigate the incident further, KinderCare confirmed in a statement to NBC 6

'We take all concerns about childrens safety seriously and follow a specific protocol anytime an issue is raised. Part of that protocol includes notifying our agency partners, like state licensing and Child Protective Services, as we did in this case,' the statement adds.

Martinez said she plans on taking legal action against the daycare to ensure that nothing like this happens to another child, her attorney said in a statement to Local 10 News.

'We are outraged that KinderCare endangered the life of a child by not observing any safety protocols that led to a two-year-old being abandoned and locked inside a darkened facility,' reads the statement from the attorney, whose name was not listed by the news outlet.

'Making the whole situation worse was that Ms. Martinez was forced in horror to witness her child in peril and it was not until law enforcement and the fire department were called that the toddler was then extricated through extreme measures,' the statement reads.

The entire event couldve been avoided if KinderCare did not abandon their responsibilities and the toddler. What adds insult to injury is that nobody at KinderCare bothered to answer the phone in this emergency situation, they failed to apologize for their bad behavior and they failed to provide anything but a bad excuse for what happened, the statement adds.
At least two cabinet ministers will withdraw support for the Prime Minister if he is handed a fixed penalty notice in relation to Covid rule breaches, it has been reported.

Boris Johnson stonewalled for 10 minutes on Partygate in an awkward interview, refusing to say whether he will quit if police fine him.

The PM squirmed as he was repeatedly grilled by the BBC's Sophie Raworth on the controversy - insisting he 'can't comment about a process that is under way'.

Despite there being no apparent legal barrier to speaking on the issue, Mr Johnson said: 'There is simply not a bean I can tell you about that.'

Mr Johnson handed a legal questionnaire to police on Friday regarding claims that lockdown-busting parties were held in Downing Street.

He is thought to be arguing that he believed all the functions he attended were essential for work, but No10 has insisted the document will not be made public.

At least two ministers will withdraw support for the Prime Minister Boris Johnson if he is handed a fixed penalty notice by police in relation to Covid rule breaches, it has been reported

The government has also urged police not to publish hundreds of pictures handed to an official civil service probe into the scandal - allegedly including one of the premier drinking beer.

However, Mr Johnson has committed to revealing if he gets a fixed penalty notice (FPN).

And while some of his allies, including James Cleverly, have spoken out and said he should not be forced to resign if he is found to have broken the law, reports suggest not everyone is of that opinion.

According to the Times newspaper, two ministers have said the Prime Minister's position will be untenable if he is found to have breached lockdown laws and is fined by the police.

One source told The Times: 'If he gets an FPN he'll have to go. How can you have a prime minister who has been found guilty of breaking the law?'

A minister and close ally of a second cabinet member also told the newspaper: 'If the Met's conclusion is effectively that he broke the regulations then it makes his position extremely difficult.

'It's going to be very difficult for him to stay, especially if it's for a party in the No 10 flat.'

The Times reported that he will be expected to appeal an FPN if he is handed one by the Met in an attempt to draw out the process and 'to kick it into the long grass'.

In an interview with BBC One's Sunday Morning Programme recorded yesterday at the Munich security conference, Mr Johnson was asked if he could understand many people's doubts about his explanations of gatherings held in No10.

He repeatedly said there was 'nothing' he could offer on the matter until the police inquiry was completed.

Mr Johnson said: 'Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to give you full and detailed answers on all this stuff. I genuinely can't because we've got a process under way  there is not a jot I can say until it is done.'

Told the public found some of his excuses for attending Downing Street gatherings 'implausible', particularly the 'bring your own booze' event in May 2020, the Prime Minister replied: 'You're just going to have to wait until the process is complete  there is literally not a bean I can tell you about that, as much as I would like to.'

Police have been considering whether to add this Downing Street quiz night from December 2020 (Boris Johnson pictured on the right) to the Partygate incidents they are investigating

On the BBC One's Sunday Morning show recorded at the Munich security conference, Mr Johnson repeatedly said there was 'nothing' he could offer until the inquiry is completed

Pressed further, he added: 'I understand your curiosity, I totally accept it, but you're just going to have to accept for the time being  and you won't have long, I hope  but for the time being you're going to have to contain your interest.

'I will be saying a lot more about it in due course.'

Scotland Yard is investigating 12 events allegedly attended by Government figures during lockdowns, including as many as six that the Prime Minister is reported to have attended.

Officers involved with Operation Hillman, which is examining whether Covid restrictions were broken in Downing Street and across Whitehall, sent formal questionnaires to approximately 50 people as they look into the details of alleged Covid rule-breaking.

Speaking to Sky on Trevor Philips on Sunday, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said he wanted to Mr Johnson to stay in post.

'I don't think what the country needs at the moment is a vacuum at the centre of Government when we are dealing with our recovery from Covid, the accumulation of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, making sure that the the health service is able to deal with the sad, the unfortunate but nevertheless obvious, backlog that's been created by Covid,' he said.

'That's what the country needs. That's what I believe the Prime Minister should be doing.'

Asked if that could be taken as Mr Johnson should not resign if he gets a fine, Europe Minister Mr Cleverly said: 'That is exactly how you should be taking it.'
A 13-year-old Florida girl who was jailed for nearly two weeks after a classmate threatened their school on social media while pretending to be her is suing the school and Instagram.

Nia Whims, 13, of Pembroke Pines, was accused of threatening to bomb her school in November and was placed in juvenile detention for 11 days. She was exonerated after authorities discovered the threats had been made by a classmate who posed as Nia.

On Wednesday, the teenager and her mother, Lezlie-Ann Davis, announced their lawsuit against Renaissance Charter School, Instagram and its parent company Meta.

They are demanding a minimum of $30,000 in addition to costs and attorney's fees. The family is also planning to add the Pembroke Pines Police Department to the suit.

Nia and her mother argue that the social media giant was negligent, given that evidence showing her innocence was 'literally available at the press of a button.'

As a result, the lawsuit claims, Nia was exposed to grueling and distressing circumstances during her time at the juvenile detention center.

'When it comes to our babies, when it comes to our children, law enforcement needs to make sure they do a thorough investigation,' Marwan Porter, an attorney for Nia and her family, told CBS.

'Another young lady who was in [the detention center], older than [Nia], threatened to stab her over a piece of chocolate,' he added.

Nia Whims, 13, (center) of Pembroke Pines and her mother, Lezlie-Ann Davis (right) are suing Renaissance Charter School and Instagram for $30,000 in addition to costs and attorney's fees

Nia, a student at Renaissance Charter School in Pembroke Pines was arrested in November 2021 after threats against staff and students were made. Police later determined the threats had been made by a classmate posing as Nia

The lawsuit the school didn't act promptly to provide information to authorities that would have proved Nia was innocent

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in Broward County, claimed that Instagram failed to promptly turn over information to authorities.

Law enforcement later determined that the threats had been sent from an IP address that did not match Nia's. The seventh grader said that the 'horrifying' experience left her feeling anxious, and she is now learning remotely.

'I feel distanced. I don't really want to talk to anybody about the situation,' Nia said.

'At one point I wanted her out so bad I called my lawyer, and I was like I'd rather do the time than her. ''What can I do?''' Davis said of her daughter during a press conference on Wednesday.

The lawsuit also claims the school and Instagram showed 'failure to promptly investigate this easily discoverable information by the Pembroke Pines police.'

A spokeswoman for Renaissance Charter School told the New York Times that the institution 'always have and always will take all appropriate actions to ensure our students and staff are safe.'

School staff at the Renaissance Charter School where the girl attended discovered menacing messages in November, including a bomb threat had been made against the educational establishment, which were all posted on Instagram.

Nia was left traumatized after she spent 11 days in a juvenile detention center, where an older girl threatened to stab her over a piece of chocolate, her lawyer said

Nia was placed in handcuffs and detained for two weeks while an investigation was carried out

Nia wipes away a tear as she tells her story to Local 10 along side her mother. She is now learning remotely

So serious were the threats, the school was placed on 'code yellow,' which signifies 'there is no immediate danger within the building or on the campus but a situation has arisen requiring all students and all staff to stay in the classrooms.'

The Pembroke Police Department claimed Nia and her family initially failed to cooperate with the investigation.

She was placed into the back of a police cruiser while wearing handcuffs as she sobbed.

'Due to the exigent nature of the school threats and in accordance with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Act, it was determined that probable cause existed to arrest [the teen] due to available evidence as well as multiple witness statements,' police said in a statement defending their actions.

The details of Nia Whim's wrongful arrest are details in police documents are seen in this report

But in the three months since the arrest was made, the girl's family began helping police with their inquiries and obtained a subpoena for the IP addresses associated with the threatening messages.

'No mom wants to see their child being taken away from them,' said Nia's mom, Lezlie Davis, to Local 10. who insisted that there be a thorough investigation into what she believes may be life-long trauma for her daughter.

'Before you place a child in cuffs, there should be a thorough investigation, and a life shouldn't be scarred,' Davis said.

It wasn't until a month after 13-year-old Nia's arrest that police finally worked out she had been framed by a fellow female 12-year-old classmate, who has not been identified publicly.

The youngster had used all of Nia's personal information to create email addresses and a number of Instagram accounts under her name.

After doing so, the 12-year-old fired off several threatening messages to students at the school including herself in order to keep up the lie.

Nia was in tears as she was led away from her school wearing handcuffs

When questioned by police, the girl then lied in order to lay the blame with Nia.

'I kept telling them 'I didn't do this', but they didn't listen,' she said.

Charges against the teenager were dropped during a court hearing on January 28.

During the hearing, the judge could be heard apologizing to Nia for what she had endured.

'Your case is being dropped today,' the judge said. 'Do you have any questions for me? Good luck. I'm really sorry you went through this.'

'It's okay,' Nia replied humbly.

The 12-year-old girl believed to be behind the threats has now been charged with written threats to kill or do bodily harm, falsifying a police report, penalty for disruption of an educational institution, and criminal use of personal information.

She was named as MS in the lawsuit filed by Nia's family on Wednesday.

'It was heartbreaking that everybody thought it was me,' Nia told the Florida news station. 'I wanted to hide.'

'When it comes to our CHILDREN, educational institutions and law enforcement must make sure they do their HOMEWORK before putting students in handcuffs, arresting and detaining them for two weeks,' Porter said in a statement.

'It is very clear that the Pembroke Pines Police Dept. and others involved, failed to conduct a basic investigation into the false allegations which resulted in the arrest and severe emotional damage to my client. This could have happened to any one of our babies and we can not and will not tolerate it.

'My firm is conducting an investigation to identify those responsible for this travesty and will be pursuing all options available to hold them accountable.'
Ms Ho has been silent since Mr Nellist died, but she shared a photo on Sunday

About to marry Jessie Ho after wedding plans were disrupted by Covid-19

The shattered fiancee of a dive instructor who was viciously mauled to death in shark attack at a Sydney beach has shared a touching photo of the day he proposed.

Simon Nellist, 35, was preparing for a charity ocean swim at Little Bay, in the city's east, last Wednesday afternoon when he was killed by a great white shark.

Jessie Ho, the 'love of his life' Jessie Ho, uploaded a photo on Sunday showing them together by the water in 2019.

Alongside the image, Ms Ho posted the date Mr Nellist asked her to be his wife - leading several friends to come forward to make comments about their love story.

The pair were supposed to marry in 2020, but had to postpone until the middle of this year due to the pandemic.

Daily Mail Australia understands their wedding was scheduled to take place in a matter of weeks.

Family members had been expecting to fly in for the nuptials - but are now tragically booking flights to attend his memorial service instead.

Simon Nellist and Jessie Ho (pictured together) were supposed to get married in 2020

British diving instructor Simon Nellist, 35, died just 500ft from horrified beachgoers near Sydney

One friend of Ms Ho's said she loved the story of their engagement, adding that she wasn't surprised he popped the question.

'I love the story of the not-so-surprising surprise engagement,' she wrote. 'Simon was truly one of the good ones and I will miss him. '

Another friend said she admired the couple for persevering through a long-distance relationship.

'You guys were the love story that made me believe in long distance relationships and making each other grow in all the best ways,' she wrote.

'He'll be missed.'

One friend commented on the photo and said she loves the story of their engagement, adding that she wasn't surprised he popped the question. Pictured: Simon Nellist and Jessie Ho

Simon Nellist (pictured on a motorcycle in Thailand) loved adventure and was popular in the local diving community

Others share their condolences and spoke about their 'beautiful love story'.

'You guys crammed a thousand years of adventure into your time together - keep it going beautiful girl, I know you can. Love always,' one friend wrote.

Another said: 'What an amazing photo. Send all my love and energy your way and to all the loved ones who are dear to you both.'

Over the weekend, heartbroken friends revealed the expat, from Cornwall in the UK, had met Ms Ho not long after he went travelling in Australia six years ago.

Mr Nellist had finished a two year stint with the Royal Air Force and quickly fell in love with the wildlife and Ms Ho during his tour around the country.

Witnesses recalled the horrifying moment the swimmer was mauled by a great white shark on Wednesday, with shocking footage (pictured) captured at the scene

Simon Nellist (right) often encountered sharks on his frequent diving expeditions and he was a very experienced ocean swimmer

Surf life savers have been scouring the sea with drones, jet skis and helicopters in the days since Mr Nellist died.

At about 1pm on Monday, authorities reported a large tiger shark at Malabar Beach - just 5km from the fatal attack on Wednesday.

Tiger sharks are one of the most dangerous species of shark and are responsible for more attacks on humans than great whites - the species that killed Mr Nellist.

Surf Life Saving NSW spokeswoman Donna Wishart said: 'We have conducted searches from Little Bay along the beaches north to Bondi, we put on heightened surveillance presence to assist in the days following the attack to allay swimmers' fears and restore confidence of people involved in the attack and in general.'

'We are still searching for the swimmer's remains but with each day that passes, we are less optimistic about finding anything. If we see any shark activity we will send alerts out to life savers on the ground.'

Simon Nellist and his partner Jessie Ho pictured after a diving expedition off Queensland's Rainbow Beach last June before Sydney was plunged into lockdown

Mr Nellist was just 150 metres away from horrified fisherman and swimmers at Buchan Point when the predator struck.

He is the first person to be killed by a shark in Sydney since 1963.

The family of a British diving instructor called him a wonderful human being who had the rare gift of connecting with people.

They said: Simon had a great passion for nature and the sea, as well as being a very talented photographer.

Saying they would miss him terribly, they added: Simon was a gentle, kind and wonderful human being. He was a cherished fiancee, son, brother, uncle and friend.

Simon was funny, compassionate and always had time for people. He had a rare gift of instantly being able to connect with others, gaining their trust and respect.

On Friday morning, a single red rose could be seen in a gate on the beach at Little Bay (pictured)

Pictured: Simon Nellist playing Rage Against The Machine with children in Afghanistan

On Friday, a close friend shared a post the former soldier wrote last year from his time spent in Afghanistan with the UK Royal Air Force.

In the post, Mr Nellist wrote about playing music by the band Rage Against The Machine to local children.

Mr Nellist wrote that the kids 'were so nice, just good-hearted kids who had nothing. We made friends, played music and shared food.

'I hope they're okay. If they managed to escape, I hope we can look after as many of them as possible.'

The shark victim's friend shared the post to show 'the kind of gentleman Simon was.

'He was rare, salt of the earth, lived life to the max, an incredible diver and photographer, a brave soldier, a fine looking man, his heart was wholesome,' she said.

'I can't stop thinking about him, his family, the love of his life Jessie and the pain they are feeling.'

Relatives said Mr Nellist's distraught mother was left wondering how could he return from the frontline unscathed to then go to Australia, go out for a swim and get killed.
A 61-year-old Florida woman was charged with first-degree murder after she stabbed her disabled husband 140 times and bludgeoned him with a meat cleaver, police said.

Joan Burke was arrested after allegedly stabbing 62-year-old Melvin Weller to death at their home on the 4400 block of Anna Lane in Palm Springs on February 11.

Police were called to the scene by Burke's son, Ricardo Green, 41, when he returned from work to find his stepfather lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen.

Burke was found lying in the bed of the master bedroom, and was taken to a hospital for evaluation after she refused to speak to law enforcement.

She was booked into Palm Springs Main Detention Center on Saturday, according to Palm Springs Police.

Burke, who was licensed as a nursing assistant until 2019, appeared in court on Sunday via video-conference and was denied bail.

Weller's family reportedly said he was physically disabled but did not specify the degree of his condition.

Joan Burke was arrested after allegedly stabbing 62-year-old Melvin Weller to death and charged with first-degree murder

Weller, who was physically disabled according to his family, was found lying on a pool of blood by law enforcement

The gruesome crime took place at the couple's home on the 4400 block of Anna Lane in Palm Springs on February 11

Upon arriving to the gruesome scene of the murder, police found Weller's body in the kitchen, with blood smears on the walls, ceiling and cabinets of the room.

Knives and a meat cleaver were found in the sink and cleaning tools and products were found next to Weller's body, local news station WPTV reported.

An autopsy later revealed he had been stabbed 140 times all over his body, and had a skull fracture.

Burke, who was conscious in the master bedroom but would not talk, was taken to JFK Hospital to be evaluated.

Police said they found lacerations on her hands.

A woman who appeared to be Weller's cousin posted a tribute on Facebook.

'Rest In Peace Cuz...I cant even imagine how hard it was for you during your final hours on earth (140 stab wounds). Still in disbelief. May God comfort the entire Weller family,' Nicola Andrews wrote.

A woman who appeared to be Weller's cousin posted a tribute on Facebook
US Ambassador to the UN Bathsheba Nell Crocker issued an 'early warning' that the war in Eastern Europe would 'create a human rights catastrophe.'

Russia plans to carry out a host of human rights abuses - including targeted killings, kidnappings, torture and forced disappearances - against ethnic minorities, gays and journalists after it invades Ukraine, according to a frantic letter penned to the UN Human Rights Commission.

US Ambassador to the UN Bathsheba Nell Crocker dashed off a one-page missive to UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet as an 'early warning' that the war in Eastern Europe would 'create a human rights catastrophe.'

'I would like to bring to your attention disturbing information recently obtained by the United States that indicates that human rights violations and abuses in the aftermath of further invasion are being planned,' Crocker wrote in an undated letter that was first reported by the Washington Post.

Top US diplomat Bathsheba Nell Crocker said that gays, journalists and ethnic and religious minorities will be targeted for abuse if Russia invades Ukraine

Russian armored tanks painted with a letter 'Z' and huge convoys are moving towards the Ukraine border. It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion - as shelling rocked the east of the country

Russia has amassed 190,000 troops on the border and U.S. intelligence reports indicated that President Vladimir Putin intends to invade

Abuses have already been documented in Crimea, which was invaded and annexed in 2014 and other parts of Russia controlled Ukraine.

'[We] have every reason to believe those concerns will multiply following a new military offensive,' she wrote.

Russia has amassed 190,000 troops on the border and U.S. intelligence reports indicated that President Vladimir Putin intends to invade.

UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet was told that Russia plans torture, assassinations, kidnapping and imprisonment of targeted Ukrainians

Crocker said that Russia plans to target anyone who opposes their military intervention.

'These acts, which in past Russian operations have included targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, unjust detentions, and the use of torture, would likely target those who oppose Russian actions, including Russian and Belarussian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons,' Croker warned.

She said that Russian operatives were creating lists of names of Ukrainians to be assassinated or sent to camps.

Peaceful protests from the civilian population will be met with lethal force, the letter says.

More than 200 people - including civilians - are being held captive in the facilities found in eastern Ukraine, close to the Russian border, rights groups say.

The conflict known as the War in Donbas has raged since 2014 and left the former Soviet-state split, and has resulted in the death of more than 13,000 people and to roughly 1.1 million people fleeing their homes.

Former nuclear bunkers in Ukraine have been used by Putin-backed thugs to hold and torture, civil rights groups claim.

The prisoners are said to be subject to electric shocks, beatings with hammers and mutilations with surgical tools.

Justice for Peace (JFP) in Donbas, an alliance of 17 Ukrainian human rights organizations and local media, claimed that a vicious torturer known as 'the Maniac' uses one of the dungeons as a torture playground.

The Maniac, whose real name is believed to be Serhiy Konoplytsky, is said to be the one who uses surgeons' tools on the prisoners, as well as a plastic pipe and a hammer to inflict savage beatings.

It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion, with footage showing the letters sprayed on tanks, self-propelled guns, fuel trucks and supply vehicles

A car bomb in Donetsk close to the Government House building at around 7pm on Saturday. It comes as 1,500 ceasefire violations were reported in east Ukraine in one day

A Russian and Belarussian convoy heading south via the Gomel region towards the border with Ukraine.

The Centre for Civil Liberties (CCL), based in Kyiv, told the Sun that there are currently 267 people locked up in these dungeons without facing any charges - including 226 civilians.

Tensions have escalated in the last week during Russia's steady military buildup along the Ukrainian border.

Putin and his ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko extended military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday, meaning an estimated 30,000 Russian troops will remain there.

Ukraine has begged the West to act now and impose sanctions on Russia in response to sustained shelling by pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The ABC will not screen Clive Palmer's pre-election speech live from Canberra -reportedly amid fears he could use the opportunity to push anti Covid-vaccine rhetoric.

The billionaire mining magnate - who opposes jab mandates and is unvaccinated himself - is scheduled to launch his United Australia Party's election campaign at the National Press Club at 12.30pm on Tuesday.

The national broadcaster normally televises speeches from the press club live but said it will instead air Mr Palmer's address on a 90-minute delay at 2pm.

ABC executives took the rare step of delaying the broadcast because they didn't want to give the billionaire a platform to spread his views on Covid vaccines, The Australian reported.

Clive Palmer's pre-election speech at Canberra's National Press Club on Tuesday will not be broadcast live on the ABC, the broadcaster has announced. ABC executives reportedly fear he could use the opportunity to spout anti Covid-vaccine rhetoric

The report originally claimed the ABC was refusing to televise the speech altogether, before the broadcaster issued a correction.

'[The] claim that the ABC is "refusing to broadcast Clive Palmer's appearance at the press Club on Tuesday" is wrong,' a spokesman said.

'Clive Palmers address will be aired on a 90-minute delay at 2pm AEDT on Tuesday on the ABC News Channel.'

Mr Palmer has previously made the unfounded claim Covid vaccines have not gone 'through any testing'.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the ABC for further comment.

The UAP chairman, 67, has spent more than $31million since August on advertising for the party and says he has attracted more than 80,000 members.

The billionaire mining magnate opposes jab mandates and is unvaccinated himself. He is pictured with his wife Anna

Nielsen Ad Intel figures show the Labor and Liberal parties spent only $266,494 and $246,133 over the same time period, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Centre for Public Integrity chair Anthony Whealy QC said the spending was 'dangerous for democracy'.

'What it means is that a multi-billionaire with misleading ideas can present those manifestly throughout the community,' he said.

'The sheer amount of expenditure therefore makes the peddling of those notions a... threat to our democracy.'

Mr Palmer said his party will be backed by a campaign with significant resources that can win seats in the upper and lower house.

ABC executives are believed to have taken the rare step of delaying the broadcast because they didn't want to give the billionaire a platform to spread his views on the vaccines (file image of the ABC's Sydney offices)

He announced the UAP was making a federal election run last month.

When asked about any potential rule breaking, Mr Palmer fired back.

'I don't think I need a vaccination for Covid personally, I haven't caught it, I have a healthy life,' he said.

'I don't think I'm in bad shape. I think I look a lot more trim now than when I did when I was in parliament.

'I haven't checked into the hotel, I haven't gone to a restaurant here, I just came up to the escalator and walked into this room.'

The mining magnate last month announced he is making another run at federal politics promising his United Australia Party would launch the 'largest and most extensive political campaign in the nation's history' ahead of this year's election

The vaccine mandate opponent (pictured) says his party has attracted more than 80,000 members, and will be backed by a campaign with significant resources

Mr Palmer's United Australia Party plans to field Senate candidates in every state and territory, with the one-time lower house MP last tasting victory in 2013 when he won the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax.

In March, the outspoken businessman will return to court where he faces up to five years jail for fraud and corporate misconduct offences.

He is accused of funneling $10million from his Mineralogy mining company to into his 2013 election campaign.

The mogul has categorically denied the allegations, calling them 'nonsense'.

'The reason I've come back into politics and taken a key role at this important time is because of the state of the nation,' he said pointing to the level of national debt.

'I'd like to be on my boat but I'm not, I'm in this situation.'
A convicted cocaine smuggler and former Rio Tinto employee has been found dead in his cell while awaiting trial for further drug smuggling charges.

Sydney businessman Bennet Schwartz was arrested at his home in Rose Bay, in the city's eastern suburbs last October over a drug importation scheme allegedly involving accused drug kingpin Mostafa Baluch.

Schwartz was accused of texting Baluch on the fake encrypted messaging app An0m while allegedly trying to smuggle 27kg of cocaine into the country.

Schwartz, 34, was found 'unresponsive' in his maximum security cell in Silverwater on Saturday.

'The inmate was found unresponsive in a cell at around 11.45am and was pronounced deceased by NSW Ambulance officers at approximately 12.18pm,' a statement from Corrective Services reads.

Bennet Schwartz (left) used to be a mining executive at Rio Tinto. He was found dead in his maximum security cell at Silverwater on Saturday

Court documents from 2018 show Schwartz had previously been targeted in prison, with other inmates accusing him of being a police informant.

He was the victim of several attacks, including one involving a sandwich press.

A former cellmate told a court that prisoners chanted 'dog, dog, dog' at Schwartz after news of his crimes aired on television.

Schwartz told his cellmate that he had been stabbed, with other criminals saying they had seen stab wounds on his body, according to court documents.

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death are underway and Corrective Services confirmed there will be a coronial inquest.

Pictured: Bennet Schwartz being arrested outside his Rose Bay home. He was accused of smuggling drugs into the country before his death on Saturday

Mostafa Baluch was caught hiding in the back of a luxury car in a truck at the Queensland-NSW border in November as he attempted to evade capture after weeks on the run.

Police allege Baluch was involved in an organised crime syndicate that conspired to import and distribute three tonnes of cocaine, potentially worth an estimated $900 million.

His dramatic arrest last year was the culmination of a weeks-long search after he allegedly removed an ankle monitor and went on the run.

With help from US authorities, 1770 kilograms of cocaine was seized from vessels off the coast of Colombia in October 2020 and Ecuador in April 2021.

Five men have been charged so far over their alleged involvement in the syndicate.

Accused drug kingpin Mostafa Baluch allegedly went on the run from police for 16 days after cutting off his ankle monitor (pictured at Bankstown Airport after extradition)
Russian scientists could have beaten the West to the punch in plasma physics and advanced materials for highly advanced weaponry in their current arsenal. It bodes a robust store of futuristic weapons that the western alliance will fear.

Countries like the United States and other advanced nations see it as a crucial arms race; notably, China and Russia have an alleged head start.

The Future is terrible

According to military technology expert James Peddle to an outlet that both Moscow and China have spent on R&D of hypersonic missiles; they are now owners of such arms, reported the Express UK.

He is the ex-research director of the Ministry of Defense and works for Black Jellyfish consultants, stating that the arsenal developed by Moscow could be impossible to deflect by current missile defense networks.

Beijing and its Russian counterpart have working superfast missile technology after the 3M22 Zircon or Tsirkon, noted US News. It could alter its flight path before terminal trajectory to its target, capable of Mach 5+.

He explained that Russia has countless warheads of the nuclear type; he added that the West has constantly been working to counter this deadly arsenal for over twenty years. Most defenses are for conventional weapons.

The Kremlin knows that the US can defend against its ballistic missiles; next is where are these missile defenses are located.

Suppose Russian scientists devised these weapons to bypass the technology developed to stop it with plasma physics and advanced materials. It will increase the danger of such arms capable of striking targets with impunity.

Read Also: Russia Warns US: Deploying Hypersonic Missiles in Europe Will Result to Retaliation and World War III

Both superpowers are in a contest to have the upper hand in an arms race to have the most formidable system for defense or attack.

Though Moscow is not interested in only defense, it wants to bypass anti-missile measures and hammer its targets to destroy them.

Deathly Cat and Mouse game

The quest for mastery in the arms race is like cat and mouse; both Russia and America are after the best technology to give them the best advantage.

Russians said Peddle has been wise to devise these breakthrough technologies, seen in new arms displayed by armed forces.

No way should the Russians be underestimated; because they know what they are doing from plasma energy and exotic materials.

They are needed to develop superfast hypersonic arms into what is available now.

Due to tensions caused by allegations of a Russian false flag attack in Ukraine's Donbas region last Thursday. Its target is a kindergarten that hurt two individuals in a report, cited.

It gets more confusing as the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson blames Moscow for the attack. The Kremlin was shocked at the unverified accusation; accused the Ukrainians. As many as 41 artillery assaults hit east Donbas, cited the Diverse Bulletin.

Despite Russia's denial, they did not do it; experts are saying it's Vladimir Putin's orders that have not sat well with the Kremlin.

US president Joe Biden and his officials are raising hysteria by accusing Moscow are not pulling back troops.

Russian Scientists are driving fears in the West with their research in plasma physics and advanced materials that will be ready for use as unstoppable offensive weapons.

Related Article: Putin Steps Up Production of Advanced Hypersonic Missiles As the Tension With the West Escalates

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Police will allege a man who died after his leg was amputated with a circular saw paid a fruitpicker friend thousands of dollars to perform the amateur surgery.

A 66-year-old Innisfail man died in the early hours of Saturday morning on Fitzgerald Esplanade at Innisfail, North Queensland, after he was discovered by passers-by.

Police allege John Yalu, 36, amputated the older man's lower leg in parklands next to the street.

The charges against Mr Yalu, a Vanuatu national, were put before Innisfail Magistrates Court on Monday, and he was remanded in custody awaiting a hearing.

Police allege John Yalu, 36, a fruitpicker, amputated the older man's lower leg in parklands next to the Fitzgerald Esplanade at Innisfail, 88km south of Cairns in far north Queensland

Police believe the deceased man paid the 36-year-old $5,000 to perform the amputation

Police said that the two men were known to each other and that the saw belonged to the deceased man

Detective Inspector Gary Hunter of Cairns police said it was believed the amputation occurred after a prior arrangement between the two men.

Police believe the deceased man paid the 36-year-old $5,000 to perform the amputation.

'Police will allege that at 3.48am (Saturday), the deceased person and another male person arrived at a location on Fitzgerald Esplanade at Innisfail,' Det Insp Hunter he said.

'Both the people left the vehicle and went to a grassed area not far away and remained at that location for about 20 minutes.

'A male person has then commenced to saw the deceased persons leg off using a circular saw.

'A short time later, the male person in this matter has assisted the deceased person, who is 66 years of age, return to the vehicle and a short time later has left the area on foot.

'Police will allege that these two people were known to each other.'

Innisfail's Fitzgerald Park on Fitzgerald Esplanade, where the amateur amputation is alleged to have taken place

Police will allege the deceased man paid the 36-year-old $5,000 to undertake the amputation

The battery-powered saw used in the incident is believed to belong to the deceased man.

The people who found the man called an ambulance but he died before it arrived.

Yalu was found at a home in Innisfail at about noon on Sunday and charged with one count of murder.

The police investigation into the relationship between the two men is continuing, with an appeal for any CCTV or dashcam footage from the area.

Mr Yalu's legal representative made no bail application on Monday and the next hearing was set for June 6.
New Zealand has been rocked by a 5.6 earthquake on the nation's South Island.

The quake struck near the town of Blenheim in the Marlborough District on Monday afternoon shortly after 4pm local time at a depth of 30 kilometres, government seismic monitor Geonet confirmed.

There were no immediate reports of extensive damage or injuries as residents described the impact as 'short and sharp'.

Geonet reported the earthquake caused 'a decent shake' in the upper South Island and lower North Island.

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand's Marlborough District on Monday afternoon

'The shaking was strong in intensity, and we have received more than 15,000 felt reports,' the organisation tweeted.

Shocked Kiwis near the epicentre recalled feeling a massive jolt.

'The floor shook a heavy table shook and the floor of the house and the walls shook. We got out if the house,' one recalled.

Another added: 'Is there going to be a tsunami? In Tuamarina and close to the sea?'

The earthquake was felt in New Zealand's upper South Island and lower North Island

The earthquake should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves and broken windows, volcanodiscovery.com reported.

The quake was also felt in the neighbouring town of Seddon, 62 kilometres away in the city of Nelson and across Cook Strait as far as Wellington in the nation's capital.

University of Otago's geology department described the earthquake as 'pretty big' and unusually deep for the area.

'We did get a bit of a fright. We were outside, standing out the back and we heard a massive bang,' one Seddon local told Stuff.

'We looked at the truck and it was rocking and rolling.'

New Zealand is one of many nations that lie on the seismically active 'Ring of Fire', a 40,000-km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling much of the Pacific Ocean.
A remote Aboriginal community in Western Australia is in lockdown after two people who travelled there by back roads tested positive to Covid-19.

WA Premier Mark McGowan warned more cases were likely in the tiny community of Jameson, about 1,000km east of Kalgoorlie.

He said on Monday the state had 213 new local Covid cases and 11 travel-related infections.

The two people who tested positive in Jameson, also known as the Mantamaru Community, snuck in from South Australia, breaching WA's border rules.

Two people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Jameson, WA, which is also known as the Mantamaru Community

'They've been fined as a consequence,' Mr McGowan said.

'Police have locked down that community. The people who were positive are in quarantine and police are monitoring the situation.

'We expect there will be other people infected and we'll do what we can to manage that situation in the community.'

WA Health said there were about 50 people in Jameson, and five close contacts linked to the cases were also isolating.

The department said it was working with Ngaanyatjarra Health Service to manage the outbreak.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service has visited the remote Ngaanyatjarra Lands, which includes Jameson, for five-week long vaccination clinics.

It administered about 1,500 doses - but it is not known what percentage of the community has been immunised.

The most recent clinic was this month, during which paediatric vaccinations and booster shots were provided, the West Australian reported.

WA has around 230 remote Aboriginal communities, with low vaccination rates a great concern in those parts of the state.

'The fact the virus is in one community will hopefully spur more people to get vaccinated,' Mr McGowan said.

WA's active case tally has grown to more than 1,000 as the state prepares to reopen its borders to vaccinated travellers from March 3.

Around 5,800 people presented for testing at WA PCR clinics on Sunday and the number of people hospitalised with Covid remains at two  neither of whom are in ICU.

A man gets a Covid-19 vaccine in the remote Aboriginal community of Beagle Bay in WA. Vaccination rates among Aboriginal people in the state are far lower than among the general population

One of the two people in hospital is vaccinated while the other is not.

The state's Emergency Management Committee met on Monday and discussed proof of vaccination requirements, which Mr McGowan said would be in place 'for quite a while'.

The premier defended the 'relatively modest' restrictions that faced criticism from the hospitality sector.

He said strict proof of vaccination rules would stay in place at most businesses until there was improvement in the booster rate.

'It's one of the measures we used to get the third dose vaccination rate up,' he said.

Aboriginal vaccination statistics in remote Western Australia As of February 16, 2022, 78.06 per cent of Indigenous people aged 16 and over in the remote outback of southern WA had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 64.82 per cent had two doses. In the general community, as of Monday, February 21, more than 95 per cent of West Australians over 12 were double jabbed while 56.9 per cent of over 16s had been boosted. Source: health.gov.au Advertisement

As of Monday, more than 95 per cent of West Australians over 12 were double jabbed while 56.9 per cent of over 16s had been boosted.

New public health measures are now in effect in Perth and five other regions, including a density rule at hospitality venues of one person per two square metres.

Home gatherings are capped at 30 people and private outdoor events capped at 200 people.

Visitor limits also came into effect at hospitals and aged care facilities.

'The only way we got to high levels of vaccination was via the mandates,' Mr McGowan said, noting WA previously avoided widespread community transmission.

'Had we not done that, we wouldn't have gotten there... then we'd have people getting very sick, many dying and our hospitals being overwhelmed.'

WA National Party leader Mia Davies and Liberal leader David Honey called for an expedited review of both proof of vaccination requirements and vaccine mandates for workers, questioning whether the measures remained proportionate.
A 78-year-old Virginia man suffering from dementia who was looking for love on a dating app was scammed out of $600,000 after falling victim to a pair of online con artist.

The unidentified man from Annandale had worked his entire life investigating fraud for the government, but fell victim to an age-old con himself, prosecutors said..

Over a span of two months, he sent $400,000 in cash and $200,000 in apple products to a woman who claimed she was a 30-year-old widow thrown into prison.

In total, he sent 53 packages of Apple products, which were to be used to raise money to 'free the woman from jail,' he was told.

However, the man was taken in by an extensive scam involving several Ghanian nationals, prosecutors said.

On Friday, two of the people who scammed the Annandale man were sentenced in federal court in Alexandria.

Ghanian nationals Linda Mbimadong, 29, and Richard Broni, 31, played relatively minor roles in the scam: Prosecutors describe them as 'money mules' who never made contact with the victim themselves but helped receive and launder the money in return for a five to ten percent cut of the proceeds.

He has since been diagnosed with dementia and is the latest victim in a growing trend known as romance fraud.

'It did not matter when [he] revealed that his credit was ruined, that he could not afford to pay for medical insurance, his bills, or even his medications,' the man's son wrote.

He said the scammers 'took advantage of an elderly man with declining physical and mental health, showing no remorse in trying to extract the maximum amount possible for him at every turn.'

Romance scams reached a record high in 2021, increasing by nearly 80 percent from 2020, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission.

In the past five years, victims have lost more than $1.3 billion to such scams, the FTC said, more than any other category of fraud the agency tracks.

Ghanian nationals Richard Broni, 31, and Linda Mbimadong, 29, were involved in a plot to scam money from unsuspecting individuals online. Prosecutors described them as 'money mules' who never made contact with the victim themselves but helped receive and launder the money in return for a 5 to 10 percent cut of the proceeds

The man had created an account on a social network called iFlirt in an effort to find some companionship and made contact with someone who identified themselves as a widow in her 30s, who seemed interested.

The person sent him photos supposedly of herself that matched that description, but as the online relationship grew, the scam started to emerge.

The woman, who at first claimed to be from New York, said she was arrested while traveling to Germany to retrieve an inheritance of gold bars, and needed money to make bail.

Despite the bizarre circumstances, the man paid it, only to receive yet another message that she had been arrested a second time and needed even more cash to make bail.

A man Virginia created an account on a social network called iFlirt in an effort to find some companionship and made contact with someone who identifying themselves as a widowed woman in her 30s, who seemed interested - but it was all part of a scam

He told the scammers he was depressed and that he was considering suicide but the scammers continued to coerce him into sending more money.

They even convinced the man to use money from his IRA.

The couple, who were romantically involved themselves, worked with several unnamed co-conspirators to trick elderly victims online into sending them cashier's checks, wires, and Apple products.

Mbimadong was jailed for 36 months while Broni was given a 19-month sentence.

'I did not know a lot of what was going on,' Mbimadong said to the judge in court. 'I just looked the other way.'

She has agreed to pay $1.3 million to the victims. Broni will pay $87,000.

'This was really an ageless, classic confidence game that has played out over modern social media,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Carlberg said in court.

The victim's children contacted law enforcement in April 2020, starting the investigation that led to the convictions of Broni and Mbimadong.

Prosecutors estimate that the scheme targeted multiple victims and raked in more than $42 million, much of it going go Ghana, where the scam was headquartered.

Judge T.S. Ellis said the sentences for Mbimadong and Broni would have been higher but for their cooperation with authorities in identifying others involved in the romance scam.

Ahead of their court hearing, Mbimadong and Broni, who were living in New York City at the time of their arrest, apologized for their actions.

'I have to express my ugly truth. I was selfish, ambitious and greedy for success,' Mbimadong wrote.

Jessica Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, is prosecuting the Annandale man's case. She said large numbers of romance scams go unreported because victims are embarrassed that they fell for tales like the one the defendants in this case spun, around widowed royalty and inheritances of gold bullion.

Richard Dorpe, pictured, a Ghanaian national, portrayed himself as a balding 57-year-old white man from Virginia Beach named 'Jerry Linus' on the 'OurTime' senior dating website. He conned a 68-year-old widow from Chesapeake out of more than $300,000, as well as items including clothes, a computer and jewelry. When she ran out of cash, she took out a home loan

But she said the scammers are sophisticated and patient in their approach, building rapport with targets over a matter of months before making their move.

'These fraudsters know exactly how to play on people's emotions,' Aber said in an interview. 'They use third parties to try to validate the stories that are being spun.'

Authorities take it seriously when complaints are made, Aber said; her office has prosecuted multiple cases of romance fraud in recent years.

Dorpe was sentenced to more than three years in prison last year by the federal court in Norfolk

Scammers are based both domestically and internationally, she said. Sometimes fraudsters spin exotic tales of international intrigue; other times, the approach is more mundane.

Richard Dorpe, a Ghanaian national, portrayed himself as a balding 57-year-old white man from Virginia Beach named 'Jerry Linus' on the 'OurTime' senior dating website.

He conned a 68-year-old widow from Chesapeake out of more than $300,000, as well as items including clothes, a computer and jewelry. When she ran out of cash, she took out a home equity loan.

Dorpe was sentenced to more than three years in prison last year by the federal court in Norfolk.

Aber encourages potential victims to contact law enforcement. She noted that the FBI has a website to report internet crimes, and does a good job of connecting the dots of disparate reports when they're made.

'The best thing you can do is to report it so you can potentially stop some other person from falling victim to this kind of scheme,' she said.
A group of parents lambasted an infamously woke California school district after learning that biological male counselors who are non-binary and use they/them pronouns were sleeping in the same rooms as fifth-grade girls at a school-organized science camp.

The parents said that their children, who attend Weaver Elementary School in the Los Alamitos Unified School District, came home from spending three nights at Camp Pali in San Bernardino, from January 25 to 28, to say that some of their counselors were nonbinary, yet biological men.

I contacted the school and asked them if they were able to confirm that there was not a man actually sleeping in the same cabin as the girls. They were not able to confirm that, Rachel Sandoval, one of the parents, told KTLA.

The district said that it takes all complaints and concerns seriously and would be investigating the parents grievances, a spokesperson told the news outlet.

And Emmi Teige, the assistant director of Camp Pali, told KTLA that the camp was following California law by placing staff in cabins they identify with.

Los Alamitos parents shared their outrage over learning that nonbinary counselors, who are biologically male, shared cabins with fifth-grade girls at Camp Pali in San Bernardino, pictured above

The counselors spent three nights sleeping in the same rooms as the students, like the one pictured above, which drew the fury of some parents of Weaver Elementary School students

The district said that it takes all complaints and concerns seriously and would be investigating the parents grievances, a spokesperson told the news outlet

A PowerPoint presentation sent to parents by the district did not mention anything about the camps gender policy or specify that counselors and campers would be separated by gender.

It does say that all counselors have been fingerprinted, have a background check, have Wilderness First Aid, CPR certifications, and are trained to deal with common student issues, such as bullying.

Some parents were outraged that they were not told about the camps gender policy and want to warn others that there may be biological male, nonbinary counselors sharing cabins with girls.

No parent should feel the way I feel after knowing what could have happened to my daughter, Suzy Johnson, a parent, told KTLA.

Its awful that children had to even experience this in fifth-grade camp, she added. If I was aware of it and I had initialed something saying this was going to be done at this outdoor science camp, I would have kept my children home.

This is not the first time parents of students in the Los Alamitos Unified School District were outraged over policies involving gender identity that some parents have branded the districts woke, leftist agenda.

A group of parents calling for a recall of the Los Alamitos School Board lashed out at a September meeting after a teacher at Oak Middle School started class by giving his students a survey asking for their preferred pronouns.

A spokesperson for Camp Pali (pictured above) has defended the camp's actions, saying that it was following California law by placing staff in cabins they identify with'

A PowerPoint presentation sent to parents by the district does not mention anything about the camps gender policy or specify that counselors and campers would be separated by gender

There are parents that believe that is not the place for a science teacher, Robert Aguilar, who organized a parent committee to recall three board members, told Spectrum News.

There was some concern, Why would an adult man be asking minor children under the age of 14 about their sexuality? The parents are here to regain control over what is being enforced on and taught to their children," he added.

The science teacher, who Spectrum News did not identify, was asking about gender identity and which pronouns he should call his students by  not their sexual preference.

Drew Sells, a biology teacher at Los Alamitos High School, defended the teachers actions, telling Spectrum News that he was in line with the law.

"It's best practice to make kids feel included by allowing them to use their proper pronoun, and since doing so, [the teacher] has been under attack by people who have misconstrued what that actually means, Sells added.

The Los Alamitos Unified School District has been at the center of a number of debates over LGBTQ issues, Critical Race Theory and coronavirus policies.

"The CRT (critical race theory), everything has gone so woke and so left that I can't take it anymore, Staci Muller, a Seal Beach resident who pulled her two kids out of the district in September, told Spectrum News at the time.

I am concerned about what they are teaching, about what's being dripped in the classroom with the racism, the CRT, the sexual stuff, everything. There's so many things. Even a tiny comment could twist a kid's brain, she added.

The Los Alamitos Unified School District has spent this year at the center of a culture war over LGBTQ issues, CRT and coronavirus policies. in October, tensions flared over coronavirus policies when School Board President Marlys Davidson was picked up by the microphone saying 'f**k you' to one parent angry with mask mandates

And in October, tensions flared over coronavirus policies when School Board President Marlys Davidson was picked up by the microphone saying 'f**k you' to one parent angry with mask mandates.

In the same meeting, Davidson appeared to say 'Oh God, here we go' after introducing two speakers, according to a video posted on YouTube by Los Al Recall.

Davidson was heard cursing after Lauren Roupoli gave a heated speech against mask and vaccine mandates before accusing one board member of criticizing parents as 'selfish' for raising their concerns at the board meetings.

Before she had finished speaking, Davidson cut across Roupoli to tell her she had run out of time to speak to the board, but Roupoli calmly finished what she was saying anyway.

A round of applause from other parents followed Roupoli's conclusion, during which she said: 'We are vocal because we are our children's biggest advocates.'

It was after this applause that Davidson was then heard saying 'f**k you' through a microphone.

KTLA reported that following the meeting, Davidson issued an apology for her remark in which she said: 'I reaffirm my commitment to serve our community with dignity and integrity, and I hope they will accept my sincere apology.'
Four men were killed in a horror crash in the Northern Territory on Saturday.

A 32-year-old male driver and three male passengers aged 27, 30 and 36 were killed in the single vehicle accident.

Police said a 2006 white Holden Commodore left the road at Hillier Road at Howard Springs, 30kms south of Darwin, about 7pm on Saturday night and caught fire in a culvert.

Detective Senior Sergeant Brendan Lidner of NT Police's Major Crash Investigation Unit said on Monday that while the men were yet to be formally identified, family and next of kin had been notified.

'All four tragically were extensively burned and the process of formal identification is happening,' Det Snr Sgt Lidner said.

A 32-year-old male driver and three male passengers aged 27, 30 and 36 were killed in the single vehicle accident when a Holden Commodore left the road at Hillier Road at Howard Springs (pictured) , 30kms south of Darwin, about 7pm on Saturday night

It's believed the driver's family had been travelling in a car behind and were quickly on the scene after the horrific accident.

Senior Sergeant Lindner said witnesses had indicated the the car was travelling 'at speed'.

Tributes had been laid at the site of the accident over the weekend, including flowers, beer bottles and handwritten notes, including one that read: 'Thank you my friend for always being my homie.'

A number of local residents posted to social media they had heard 'a bang' and tyres screeching at the time of the accident.

The deaths brought the road toll in the Northern Territory this year to eight fatalities, following on from 35 deaths in 2021.
Scott Morrison has been forced to dodge an environmental activist who crashed a pre-election campaign event to speak to him about a controversial mine.

The prime minister met with Burnie-based manufacturing company Elphinstone - a defence contractor for the federal government - on Monday as part of a tour of marginal seats in regional Tasmania.

But the affair was interrupted by an activist from conservational organisation the Bob Brown Foundation who was protesting a proposal to turn part of Takayna Tarkine rainforest into a waste site for Chinese-owned mining company MMG.

After signing into the premises as a visitor, Courtney Hayes approached Mr Morrison as he gathered in a carpark with the business owners.

'Mr Morrison, my name's Courtney,' she calls out, racing towards him as he turned to walk towards a car to retrieve his glasses.

Scott Morrison spent Monday touring marginal seats in regional Tasmania (pictured) ahead of the upcoming election

Environmental activist Courtney Hayes (pictured left) approached Scott Morrison as he stopped at a business in Burnie, in the state's north west

'I just want to talk to you about the Takayna Tarkine. I think it is really important we bring up some of these issues,' she continued.

The nation's leader appeared to ignore her, reaching into the back seat of a black SUV to as she tried to gain his attention.

Members of Mr Morrison's entourage quickly rushed over and tried and escort the activist away.

'Don't touch me!' she said as several men placed their hands on her arms.

'I will move if you stop touching me. Please stop touching me,' she said.

Mr Morrison's team removed their hands, with Ms Hayes then turning to face a nearby camera to continue her address

'This is not on the current national stage. We are here to start dialogue about why the Tarkine is significant,' she said, as Mr Morrison discreetly slipped away behind her.

A man who was part of the meeting then confronted Ms Hayes to tell her it was not her 'place or time' to speak with the prime minister.

'We haven't had an audience with Mr Morrison, I've tried before so I have come here today to say we need to protect Takayna Tarkine,' she said, before walking away.

Takayna Tarkine is 447,000 hectares of wilderness in north-west Tasmania, which is home to the Savage River National Park, the largest single area of cool temperate rainforest surviving in Australia.

The Bob Brown Foundation is protesting a proposal to turn part of Takayna Tarkine rainforest into a waste site for Chinese-owned mining company MMG

Mr Morrison appeared to ignore Ms Hayes' attempts to gain his attention, before a member of his entourage intervened

According to Bob Brown, the region is under threat from acid mine drainage, deforestation and contamination of waterways by proposed new mines.

Ms Hayes travelled from a BBF protest camp defending the takayna forests to speak to the prime minister after local media outlets reported on his plan to visit Burnie.

'I wanted to tell Scott Morrison that he should protect takayna and stop the planned destruction,' she said in a statement provided to Daily Mail Australia.

'I will continue to stand up and speak for this ancient place as long as big business and mining magnates seek to destroy it.

'Wake up Scott - no tailings dam in the Takayna Tarkine.'

The project, which is set to clear 285 hectares of forest for a MMG tailing dam, will reportedly threaten the habitat of Tasmania's endangered Masked Owl.

BBF Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said: 'Scott Morrison needs to have more people peacefully interrupting his tour around the country as he oversees the crimes against the climate, Australia's environment and wildlife.'

Mr Morrison headed to the southern state this week to spend time campaigning in crucial electorates ahead of the election, expected to take place in May.

The prime minister used the visit to announce an $86million grant for the state's forestry industry, pledging 150 million new trees.

Takayna Tarkine is 447,000 hectares of wilderness in north-west Tasmania

The region is home to the Savage River National Park, the largest single area of cool temperate rainforest surviving in Australia, and Tasmanian's endangered Masked Owl

Three years ago this week Morrison had this photo taken in Tassie with a plan to plant 1 billion trees.



With another election approaching and having delivered just over 1% of this target he now comes back with a promise for only 150 million trees. Embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/KhEu9OAcOQ  Julie Collins (@JulieCollinsMP) February 20, 2022

Members of the opposition were quick to slam the proposal, accusing Mr Morrison of backtracking after he initially pledged to have one billion trees planted in the region in 2019.

'Three years ago this week Morrison had this photo taken in Tassie with a plan to plant 1 billion trees,' Shadow Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins Tweeted.

'With another election approaching and having delivered just over 1% of this target he now comes back with a promise for only 150 million trees. Embarrassing.'

Greens Senator Christine Anne Milne said: ' Scott Morrison rushed to Tasmania, ably assisted by Sen Colbeck, promising one billion trees.

'Now hes back announcing 150m trees, a significant reduction on 1 billion.'

The electorates of Bass and Braddon are must-hold seats for the government, with both being on slim margins.

The coalition holds Braddon by a little more than three per cent, while the margin is even narrower in Bass, at just 0.4 per cent.

The Labor-held seat of Lyons, which sits at just more than five per cent, also remains in play at the upcoming poll.

Mr Morrison said the visit would be one of many made to Tasmania between now and when voters go to the polls.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Scott Morrison's office for comment.
Nichols said more tests were need before it could be ruled a drug overdose

Neighbor Ian Scott said he heard partying the night before and the surviving adult seemed 'high as a kite'

Three women and two men were found dead, an infant and a sixth woman survived

Commerce City Police Chief Clint Nichols said that there was no signs of trauma or gas leak

A woman described as 'high as a kite' while holding a baby in her arms was seen stumbling out of a Colorado house party where five people died of suspected overdoses.

The unidentified woman and four month-old infant were the only survivors of the bash at Commerce City in Colorado Sunday evening, and were seen by neighbor Ian Scott after he heard her screams and went outside.

Three men and two women died inside, with the surviving woman telling a shocked onlooker she'd tried to revive one of her friends using an injection.

There was no indication of violent death or gas leak, but an unknown substance that the chief said 'could be described as illicit narcotics' was found in the apartment.

North Range Crossing in Commerce City, Colorado was the scene of a mass casualty event after three women and two men were found dead in an apartment there. A neighbor heard partying the night before and drug overdoes is suspected

Commerce City Police Chief Clint Nichols said that there was no sign of blunt force trauma or violence and a mysterious substances that could be illicit drugs was found at the scene

When Scott peaked inside the apartment he saw three dead bodies.

Scott said that he had heard loud music and thumping the night before until midnight.

'It was a party,' he told the Post. 'I saw what I saw.'

The police chief said that further tests would need to be conducted before investigators could say that the substance found inside was illicit drugs.

Neighbor Ian Scott said he heard screaming and saw a frantic woman holding a baby. Inside the apartment he saw three dead bodies

'If it is going to be illicit drugs, they were very, very bad,' Nichols said at a press conference. 'If it was drugs, no one was able to get to a phone and call 911 for a medical emergency. It happened pretty quickly  speculation on my part.'

Nichols could not say if the child's parents were among the dead, but he said the baby is in good health.

The surviving woman is also 'lucid' and does not seem to have suffered any immediate injuries at the scene.
The federal civil rights trial of Ahmaud Arbery's murderers has been given to jurors to deliberate, after prosecutors said the men who killed the black jogger were racist vigilantes intent on violence.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys made their closing arguments Monday afternoon, with the case passed to jurors shortly afterwards.

Travis McMichael 'was just looking for a reason' to hurt a black person when he saw Ahmaud Arbery jogging on his street in Georgia in February 2020, a prosecutor asserted during closing arguments for the federal hate crimes trial of the slain 25-year-old's three already convicted killers Monday.

Attorney Christopher Perras told jurors that when McMichael, his father Greg McMichael, and neighbor William 'Roddie' Bryan began chasing Arbery, they did so not because he had done anything wrong, but because they assumed he had because he was black.

According to the jurist, when Greg McMichael saw Arbery jogging down the street, 'he didnt grab his phone and call police - he called his son and grabbed his gun.'

'Theres a big difference between being vigilant and being a vigilante,' the lawyer said, later adding, 'Its important for you to understand the full depth of the defendants' racial hatred.'

Perras' comments came as attorneys began delivering their closing arguments in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, where the hate crimes trial over Arbery's death began a week ago.

Closing arguments have since completed, with jurors currently deliberating a verdict for the three men. The jury will continue deliberating until dinner time this evening and continue tomorrow morning if a verdict isn't reached tonight, the judge said.

Glynn County booking photos show from left, Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael, and William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr. Legal experts say federal hate crimes charges in the 2020 chase and killing of Ahmaud Arbery could prove more difficult to prosecute than the fall murder trial that ended in convictions of three white men

The prosecution rested its case Monday morning, giving way for the final segment for the ongoing legal saga - the closing arguments from the three defendants' attorneys, which come after the trio were found guilty in Georgia criminal court last month.

During closing arguments Monday afternoon, Travis McMichael's attorney told the jury that despite the digital evidence of his racist comments, 'there is no evidence of any acts of racial violence by Travis McMichael.'

Attorney Amy Lee Copeland also said there was no evidence that McMichael 'ever spoke to anyone about Mr. Arberys death in racial terms.'

McMichael's attorney told the jury his client acted in self-defense when he shot Arbery twice with a shotgun, killing him in February 2020, following a five-minute chase through a suburban neighborhood just outside Brunswick. The slaying was captured in a graphic cellphone video that sparked outrage across the country.

Video shows the McMichaels arming themselves and chasing Arbery in a pickup truck after he was spotted running past their home on a Sunday afternoon. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded the video of Travis McMichael firing the fatal shots at point-blank range.

Bryan saw the chase and assumed it was warranted, his lawyer said during proceedings.

The lawyer for Greg Michael, who helped the other two run Arbery down, meanwhile, noted he had not used racist slurs during or before the attack.

Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was shot and killed in February 2020. His killers are currently facing a hate crimes trial, after being found guilty in Georgia criminal court last month

The McMichaels and Bryan were all convicted of murder last fall in a Georgia state court, and have already received life sentences for their respective parts in the murder.

The U.S. Justice Department charged them separately in federal court with hate crimes, alleging that all three men violated Arbery's civil rights and targeted him because he's black. They are also charged with attempted kidnapping, and the McMichaels face counts of using guns in the commission of a crime.

Regardless of the outcome of the hate crimes case, the McMichaels have been sentenced to life in prison without parole for their murder convictions. Bryan also received a life sentence, with parole possible only after he's served at least 30 years.

The federal hate crimes trial is all about whether racism motivated the pursuit and killing of Arbery. Legal experts have said that's tougher to prove than the crime of murder. The McMichaels and Bryan have all pleaded not guilty.

Amural depicting Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Ga. Travis McMichael, the man convicted of murder for shooting Ahmaud Arbery is withdrawing his guilty plea on a federal hate crime charge. McMichael announced the decision Friday

Summarizing previous racist slurs the trio had made, Perras remarked, 'The defendants didn't just make racial assumptions; they made racial decisions. They chose to act on those assumptions.'

The defendants' reactions to Arbery's death was further evidence of their racial animus, said Perras, who noted that none of them tried to aid him after he was shot. Instead, Greg McMichael spoke to police 'like a man who just came back from a hunting trip and wanted to talk about the thrill of the hunt.'

The McMichaels and Bryant saw Arbery as an animal 'and they treated him like an animal,' Perras said.

Defense attorneys have insisted that the trio pursued Arbery based on an earnest, though erroneous, suspicion that he had committed crimes in their neighborhood. Before the day of the shooting, security cameras had recorded Arbery several times inside a home under construction a few doors down from the McMichaels' house.

Greg McMichael told police he recognized Arbery as he came running out of the same unfinished house the day of the shooting.

Greg McMichaels attorney, A.J. Balbo, said Monday that his client had previously confronted white people who were suspected of possibly committing crimes in the area. Balbo said his client didnt chase Arbery because he was a Black man, but because he was 'THE man' who had been seen in the house.

Security videos showed Arbery taking nothing from the construction site. An officer told the McMichaels there was no evidence of him stealing.

Bryan, who knew nothing of the security footage, told investigators he assumed Arbery had done something wrong when he ran past Bryan's house with the McMichaels in pursuit.

Bryan's attorney, Pete Theodocion, argued Monday that it was 'entirely reasonable' for his client to assume that a truck he recognized as belonging to someone in the neighborhood was chasing Arbery because he had done something wrong.

Ahmaud Arbery's mother Wanda Cooper-Jones, center, is surrounded by supporters after Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley sentenced Greg McMichael, his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William 'Roddie' Bryan to life in prison during the conclusion of convicted killers' criminal hearing on January 7

The chase and Bryan's participation in it 'would have happened regardless of race, based on the circumstances,' Theodocion said. He said the government has not provided evidence 'that shows Roddie to be obsessed with race,' or that he has 'a hatred of African Americans.'

FBI agents uncovered roughly two dozen racist text messages and social media posts from the McMichaels and Bryan in the years and months preceding the shooting.

During Monday's proceedings, prosecutors pointed to racist comments and videos McMichael had posted online.

In 2018, Travis McMichael commented on a Facebook video of a Black man playing a prank on a white person: 'Id kill that f----ing n----r.' Greg McMichael had posted a Facebook meme saying white Irish 'slaves' were treated worse than any race in U.S. history. And for several years on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Bryan wrote messages in which he mocked the holiday honoring the civil rights leader.

During the trial, several witnesses testified they heard the McMichaels' racist statements firsthand.

A woman who served under Travis McMichael in the U.S. Coast Guard a decade ago said he made crude sexual jokes after learning she had dated a Black man and called her 'n--r lover.'

Another woman testified Greg McMichael had ranted angrily in 2015 when she remarked on the death of civil rights activist Julian Bond, saying, 'All those Blacks are nothing but trouble.'

In the video recorded by Bryan, Arbery can be seen trying to wrestle a shotgun from Travis McMichael's hands in the South Georgia neighborhood of Brunswick on February 23, 2020

After being shot three times by the younger McMichael, the video shows Arbery collapsing to the pavement. He died on the scene
A British Airways company has invited pilots to train to become flight attendants ahead of a predicted travel boom.

Subsidiary BA CityFlyer  which is anticipating a big holiday rush this year  wants to hire 4,000 cabin crew before summer arrives.

And it has offered captains the chance to do the six weeks of training, which includes the safety routines and serving customers on board.

The roles are only temporary and pilots would still get their over 100,000 salaries as part of the 'Discovery' learning scheme.

Currently it is only available to workers at BA CityFlyer and London City Airport and the firm's headquarters.

But it has received some criticism after its parent firm laid off 10,000 staff just two years ago.

Two female British Airways Cabin Crew from the Ambassador team, on board an Airbus A380

A pilot from the British Airways wearing a face mask arrive at Heathrow international airport

A source told The Sun: 'This has not gone down well with pilots. They think it's a complete joke.

'Thousands of jobs were cut and now they're worried about staff numbers. It's no surprise to anybody  but this isn't the way to win back loyalty.'

Pilots have recently been given a five per cent pay increase by BA.

Other workers were also handed a generous five per cent bonus, on a one-off basis.

The 'Discovery' scheme was launched back in November as travel started gearing up once more.

It includes a 300 referral bonus if workers get friends or family to take part.

British Airways is recruiting 4,000 cabin crew ahead of a predicted summer travel boom

The drive comes as the travel sector begins to start up again after two years of devastation under Boris Johnson's restrictions during the Coronavirus pandemic.

It suffered numerous false starts under the Tories' ever-changing testing and red list regulations, decimating confidence in passengers to go abroad.

A British Airways spokesperson said: 'We are proud to have launched our learning programme, Discovery, offering colleagues in head office functions the opportunity to try an operational role on a temporary basis.

'Discovery will bring together our customer support schemes into one.'

Today it was reported Grant Shapps is pushing for the end of the widely-panned passenger locator forms still needed to enter the UK by the start of April.

As an interim measure the forms, in which people must provide contact and travel details, are to be significantly simplified in the coming weeks.

The travel industry has been calling for the cumbersome documents to be scrapped, saying they are acting as a drag on British holiday firms.

The documents have already been simplified once, to shorten the time it takes to fill them in. And by the end of the month, people will be given an extra day to fill them out.

It is a criminal offence to provide false or deliberately misleading information when filling out the form.

People who do not provide accurate details about the countries they have visited in the ten days before they arrived in the UK can be fined, imprisoned or both.
A Staten Island cemetery is being sued by a New York City family after a 2,000-pound headstone collapsed on a laborer who was tending graves nearby, killing her.

According to court filings, Elvira Navarro, a mother of five, was tending graves at the Baron Hirsch Cemetery with her son Anthony Rosales in October 2021 when the large burial monument fell on her.

Mother-of-five Killed by Falling Gravestone in New York

She was airlifted to Richmond University Medical Center, where she died later that day from her injuries. The incident's details are sketchy since it's unknown how the deceased died or where it happened in the 80-acre cemetery.

According to the complaint, Navarro and her son were both engaged by a third party to protect the Staten Island burial cemetery. Her family has now filed a lawsuit in Manhattan court against the Baron Hirsch Cemetery Association, accusing it of failing to provide a safe working environment for its employees at the historic Jewish cemetery, which was founded in 1899 and is home to many Holocaust survivors. It is demanding undisclosed monetary compensation.

The lawsuit claims the cemetery of creating, permitting, and enabling the cemetery to develop and remain in a dangerous, hazardous, and trap-like state. Rosales' mental and physical health was also allegedly negatively impacted by his mother's death, which he saw, resulting in serious and irreversible injuries, a nervous system shock, psychological trauma, and terrible physical agony and emotional misery, Daily Mail reported.

According to the Staten Island Advance, the Jewish cemetery, which was founded in 1899, contains roughly 500 plots, is home to many Holocaust survivors, and has been vandalized for years.

Rabbi Andrew Schultz, executive director of the Community Alliance for Jewish-Affiliated Cemeteries, or CAJAC, an organization that helped clean up roughly four acres of the poison ivy-infested cemetery about a decade ago, said, "I'm saddened to know that news."

Large gravestones may be dangerous for a variety of reasons, including crumbling foundations, he explained. Members of the prominent Newhouse publishing family, American theatrical producer Joseph Papp, who died in 1991, composer Elliot Willensky, and Grand Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner, who died in 1925 and whose burial still attracts hundreds of visitors, are among the notables interred at Baron Hirsch, as per New York Post.

Read Also: Winter Storm Warning February 2022: 'Multiple Hazards' Threaten 100 Million Americans -- What and How to Prepare

Case Is One of Unheard Stories of Deaths in Cemeteries

Several notable persons, including Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi "Herman" Steiner, acclaimed theater director Joseph Papp, Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient William Shemin, and members of the Newhouse publishing family, are buried at the cemetery.

The cemetery, which is almost 125 years old, is also home to the graves of some Holocaust survivors. It was formerly the subject of restoration efforts due to worries about the site's disrepair.

Navarro, who is listed in public records as a Port Richmond resident, was seen clearing leaves at the cemetery during a 2015 Advance/SILive.com visit. The manner and location of the deadly occurrence are unknown at this time.

It is not uncommon for people to die at cemeteries. A cemetery worker on Long Island was killed a year ago when the grave he was excavating fell on him. Rodwin Allicock, 42, was slain at the bottom of a 7-foot-deep grave at Mount Sinai's Washington Memorial Park, as per Silive.

Related Article: Australian Man Pleads Guilty to Cold Crime of an American in 1988 Whose Death Was Mistakenly Dismissed

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A wild storm that swept through Sydney's west on Monday afternoon has brought heavy rain, hail and strong winds causing a shopping centre roof to collapse.

Penrith and surrounding areas were battered by the storm at 5pm, with 19mm of rain dumped in just under 15 minutes and winds of up to 90km/h.

There were reports of flash flooding which left some motorists stranded and the roof of the Nepean Shopping Centre collapsed under the weight of the deluge.

The storm hit numerous Sydney suburbs including Penrith, St Marys and Glenmore Park and also further west towards the Blue Mountains, including Katoomba, Blaxland and Leura.

Flash flooding in Penrith put streets underwater with motorist stranded (pictured) on Monday afternoon

The storm brought hail which battered suburbs surrounding Penrith and towards the Blue Mountains (pictured)

The freak storm barrelled through Western Sydney at 5pm on Monday (pictured)

Fire and Rescue NSW said at 6pm they had received numerous call-outs and were already providing assistance.

The storm was one of three storm cells moving over the region on Monday afternoon.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning just before 7pm as the the storm moved further north.

'At 6:50 pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on the weather radar near Hornsby and Glenorie,' the Bureau said.

'These thunderstorms are moving towards the east. and they are forecast to affect Terrey Hills by 7:05 pm and Brooklyn, Maroota and Mona Vale by 7:20 pm.'

The Bureau said damaging winds, large hailstones, and heavy rainfall were likely and residents should secure loose items and stay away from storm drains and fallen power lines.

About 19mm of rain was dumped in Sydney's west in under 15 minutes on Monday afternoon causing flooding (pictured)

Firefighters at the Nepean Chopping Centre assessing the damage (pictured) and there have been no reports of injuries

Firefighters rushed to the Nepean Shopping Centre after the roof collapsed under the weight of the deluge (pictured)

Australians on the east coast have enjoyed a break from the wet weather this month which had been a fixture for much of January, but there is likely going to be a 'significant drenching' in the next 10 days.

Sydney is forecast to receive 50mm to 100mm of rain in the next week with most of the rainfall from daily afternoon thunderstorms.

Much of the wet weather will be focused on central Queensland and the northern and inland parts of NSW - the Hunter region and Sydney basin included.

Temperature-wise Sydney will see the mercury reach stay under 30C this week.

Melbourne will be slightly warmer on Wednesday reaching a maximum of 32C but will cool down by Friday reaching 25C.

Humid weather and showers are also forecast for the Victorian capital each day this week.

Brisbane can expect showers and similar temperatures in the high 20s.

Over on the west coast, Perth will continue its run of hot, sunny weather sweltering through temperatures in the mid to high 30s all week.

Adelaide should also get sunny weather but will be slightly cooler with the mercury hovering around maximums of 30C.

The storm also brought strong winds and hail with drivers rushing to get under cover (pictured)
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned Vladimir Putin's decision to sign a decree recognising Ukraine's eastern regions as independent states - a move that will pave the way for a long-feared Russian invasion of the country.

Recognising the rebel regions' independence effectively shatters the Minsk peace agreements and opens the door for Russia to sign treaties with the 'states' and openly send troops and weapons there to defend them against Ukrainian 'threats'.

The move fuels further tension with the West and narrows the diplomatic options available to avoid war, since it is an explicit rejection of a seven-year-old ceasefire mediated by France and Germany, still touted as the framework for any future negotiations on the wider crisis.

The Kremlin said that upon hearing that Putin will sign the order to recognise the independence of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had 'expressed disappointment' over the decision in phone calls with the Russian President.

In response, the US has ordered sanctions which will prohibit new investment, trade and financing in the two separatist regions of Ukraine recognised by Putin, while the EU's top officials said the bloc will also impose sanctions.

Mr Johnson said Putin's decision to recognise the two separatist Ukrainian republics was in breach of international law and an 'ill omen' and 'dark sign' that things are moving in the wrong while UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the move would not go 'unpunished' as she announced new sanctions on Russia.

The EU's top officials also said they will impose sanctions, while the U.S. has ordered sanctions which will prohibit new investment, trade and financing in the two separatist regions of Ukraine recognised by Putin.

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg also condemned Putin, accusing Russia of 'trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine yet again'.

Earlier, Putin vowed to decide 'today' whether to recognise Ukraine's eastern regions as independent states. He made the remark at the end of an hours-long security council meeting that was broadcast on Russian TV during which the country's top security officials were called up one by one and asked to lay out the case for war - seemingly aimed at persuading a skeptical public of the need to attack.

Having spent days staging what are widely believed to be false flag attacks on Ukrainian soil and blaming them on Kiev, ministers presented the 'evidence' to Putin today: Claiming Russians in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions are under threat of 'genocide', that no peace deal can save them, and that he must intervene to save lives.

But in evidence that the entire spectacle was being staged - with the West warning a decision to invade has already been made - eagle-eyed viewers noticed that defence minister Sergei Shoigu's watch was five hours behind Moscow time, suggesting the hearing was pre-recorded.

All eyes will now turn to Ukraine's border regions for evidence that Russian troops have crossed, after videos published earlier in the day showed tanks and armoured vehicles in 'battle formations' - some of them less than three miles from the frontier.

Dymtro Kuleba, Ukraine's defence minister, said after the council meeting that 'the entire world' will watch what Russia does next and that 'everyone realises the consequences' if Putin vows to recognise the breakaway regions. 'We all should calmly focus on de-escalation efforts, [there is] no other way,' he tweeted.

It comes as two Ukrainian soldiers died on Monday and three were wounded in a shelling attack in Zaitseve, a village 18 miles north of the rebel stronghold Donetsk, Ukraine's national police said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had a phone call with Putin this evening, warned him that recognising the eastern regions would be a 'one-sided' breach of peace negotiations and that he has a 'responsibility' to de-escalate tensions by removing troops from the border.

Meanwhile Joe Biden called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and convened a meeting of his National Security team after Putin slammed the U.S. for 'colonizing' Ukraine and using it as a 'puppet regime' in televised remarks before signing the decree.

Elsewhere today...

US officials warned Russian battle plans call for 'overwhelming' fire against Ukraine that could cause 'tens of thousands of casualties' within days of an invasion

US also warned Russia has prepared a hit-list of people it wants to kill or send to detention camps if Ukraine falls, with dissidents, journalists, political figures , ethnic minorities and LGBTQ people all on the list

Fresh explosions were heard in Ukraine's eastern regions with separatist leaders claiming a Ukrainian citizen was killed and that Kiev's troops had crossed the border in armoured vehicles

Russia claimed that a Ukrainian shell hit its territory in the Rostov-on-Don region, destroying an unoccupied guard post. Kiev has strongly denied shelling separatist or Russian positions

Pro-Russian separatists said 60,000 people have now been evacuated from rebel-held areas to Russia

Air France announced it is halting all flights to and from Kiev, following similar move by Germany's Lufthansa

Vladimir Putin today chaired a meeting of Russia's full security council, with top aides getting to their feet one by one to lay out the case for war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a document recognising the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Monday

But in evidence the spectacle was being staged, viewers noticed defence minister Sergei Shoigu's watch was running five hours slow - suggesting the hearing was pre-recorded

Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine celebrated on Monday evening as fireworks went off following Russian President Vladimir Putin signing a decree recognizing two Eastern Ukrainian regions as 'independent republics'

Separatist leaders in Ukraine's eastern regions claimed today a Ukrainian shell landed in Russian territory, destroying a guard post that was unmanned at the time

Pro-Kremlin media also broadcast claims that a bomb-carrying saboteur was foiled trying to attack a market, airing graphic images of a severed leg which Ukraine said had been taken from a nearby morgue and used to stage the 'blast'

Russian tanks an armoured vehicles are seen in what observers described as 'battle formation' close to the border with Ukraine today, with a 'Z' symbol painted on the sides which is believed to denote a battle group

Russia has moved its forces to within three miles of the Ukrainian border, with tanks spotted on manoeuvres in Kursk (left) at the weekend and support trucks in Belgorod (right) on Monday

Russian 'terminator' tanks - armoured vehicles that are designed to support infantry units fighting in urban areas - were spotted being transferred to the frontlines at the weekend

Russia 'used body parts from morgue to fake attacks in Donbass' Ukraine today accused Russia of taking corpses from morgues and using them in incidents of fake attacks blamed on Kiev. In one piece of footage, pro-Moscow journalists reporting from a market in the Donetsk region claimed a 'saboteur' had attempted to plant a bomb there in the morning while people did their shopping. Reporters claimed the 'criminal ' had been blown up by security forces before showing images of body parts scattered around the road. But Kiev said the limbs had likely been taken from a local morgue and placed to appear as if an attack had taken place, in an effort to justify Russia marching troops into the region to protect locals. 'We assume that they take corpses from morgues and blow them up for imitation,' said an official. A second such incident was reported elsewhere in the Donbass region, as separatist channels reported that a miner had been killed in a blast. Advertisement

Putin told the public in a lengthy televised address on Monday evening: 'I believe it is necessary to take a long overdue decision, to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic.' He was then shown signing mutual aid agreements with rebel leaders in the Kremlin.

At the end of his lengthy speech, Putin asked Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, to 'support this decision'.

Both Russia's lower and upper houses of parliament are due to vote on the recognition on Tuesday.

The Russian leader also demanded that Ukraine end military operations against pro-Moscow rebels in the eastern part of the country, or face more possible bloodshed.

'We demand an immediate end to military operations,' Putin said, accusing Kyiv of 'trying to organise a blitzkrieg' in east Ukraine.

'Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of bloodshed will be fully on the conscience of the regime in power in Ukraine,' he added.

The West had repeatedly warned Putin not to recognise Ukraine's rebels, a move that effectively buries a fragile peace agreement regulating the conflict.

Putin spoke for over an hour in a speech heavy with historical references questioning Ukraine's right to sovereignty and alleging the West had spent years cheating Moscow.

'Modern Ukraine was entirely and completely created by Russia,' Putin said.

Appearing visibly angry, Putin said Ukraine should be called 'Ukraine of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin', saying it owes its creation to the Russian revolutionary.

He also accused Kiev of waging 'genocide' in eastern Ukraine and of preparing to get hold of a nuclear arsenal.

He said the West 'spat' on Russia's security concerns for years by 'moving NATO eastwards and putting military infrastructure closer to Russia's borders.'

The Russian leader said the West was trying to 'blackmail' Moscow, 'regardless of the situation in Ukraine.'

'There is only one aim: to stop Russia from developing. And they will do it, as they did before, even without any formal pretext at all,' the longtime Russian leader said.

In response, Ms Truss said the UK will announce new sanctions on Russia on Tuesday 'in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity'.

President Biden has also ordered new sanctions after calling Putin's announcement a 'blatant violation of Russia's international commitments'. The sanctions will prohibit new investment, trade and financing in the two separatist regions of Ukraine recognized by Putin.

The absence of sanctions directly on Russia or Putin was immediately met with backlash from those who said the Biden administration isn't doing enough in response to the latest Russian movements and announcements.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki assured that there will be further measures taken in coordination with U.S. allies and partners if Russia invades Ukraine.

'We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps and on Russia's ongoing escalation along the border with Ukraine,' she wrote.

The European Union's top officials have also said the bloc will impose sanctions against Russia.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel say in a joint statement that the recognition is 'a blatant violation of international law.'

The statement adds that the bloc 'will react with sanctions' and 'reiterates its unwavering support to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.'

Responding to Putin signing a decree formally recognising rebel-held territories in eastern Ukraine as independent states, Mr Johnson told a press conference: 'I gather that Vladimir Putin has effectively announced that Russia is recognising the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.

'This is plainly in breach of international law. It's a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine.

'It is a repudiation of the Minsk process and the Minsk agreements. And I think it's a very ill omen and a very dark sign, and certainly does seem to me that it's certainly an indication - yet another indication - that things are moving in the wrong direction in Ukraine.

'The UK will continue to do everything we can to stand by the people of Ukraine with a very robust package of sanctions, as you know, fortifying the Eastern flank of NATO in all the ways that we have, but also being one of the few countries to have given the Ukrainians, the defensive weaponry that we think is appropriate to their needs and we will continue to to think about what more we can do to support Ukraine in what is clearly a very, very dark and difficult time.'

Ms Truss said 'we will not allow Russia's violation of its international commitments to go unpunished' after Putin said he would recognise two separatist Ukrainian republics.

She added: 'President Putin's recognition of the 'Donetsk People's Republic' and 'Luhansk People's Republic' as independent states shows flagrant disregard for Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements. This step... signals an end to the Minsk process.

'It demonstrates Russia's decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue. We will co-ordinate our response with allies. We will not allow Russia's violation of its international commitments to go unpunished.'

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg tonight condemned Putin's action in recognising the breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine and accused Russia of 'trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine yet again'.

'I condemn Russia's decision to extend recognition to the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk People's Republic' and 'Luhansk People's Republic',' NATO's secretary general Mr Stoltenberg said.

'This further undermines Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party.'

The former Norwegian Prime Minister added: 'In 2015, the United Nations Security Council, which includes Russia, reaffirmed its full respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Donetsk and Luhansk are part of Ukraine.

'Moscow continues to fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine by providing financial and military support to the separatists. It is also trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine once again.

'NATO supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. Allies urge Russia, in the strongest possible terms, to choose the path of diplomacy, and to immediately reverse its massive military build-up in and around Ukraine, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine in accordance with its international obligations and commitments.'

Waving Russian flags, people celebrated the latest announcement in the streets in Donetsk, Ukraine on Monday, February 21

Putin's recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel regions' independence paves the way for the long-feared Russian invasion. Pro-Russian residents in Donestk celebrated independence with a fireworks show on Monday

What did Vladimir Putin say in his speech? ON DONBASS 'Those who embarked on the path of violence, bloodshed, lawlessness did not recognize and do not recognize any other solution to the Donbass issue, except for the military one. In this regard, I consider it necessary to take a long overdue decision to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic. I ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision, and then to ratify the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with individual republics. These two documents will be prepared and signed in the very near future. And from those who seized and hold power in Kyiv, we demand an immediate cessation of hostilities. 'Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine. Announcing the decisions taken today, I am confident in the support of the citizens of Russia. Of all the patriotic forces of the country.' ON UKRAINE MEMBERSHIP OF NATO 'If Ukraine was to join NATO it would serve as a direct threat to the security of Russia.' ON ORIGINS OF MODERN UKRAINE 'Modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia, more precisely, Bolshevik, communist Russia. This process began immediately after the revolution of 1917... 'As a result of Bolshevik policy, Soviet Ukraine arose, which even today can with good reason be called 'Vladimir Ilyich Lenin's Ukraine'. He is its author and architect. This is fully confirmed by archive documents... And now grateful descendants have demolished monuments to Lenin in Ukraine. This is what they call decommunisation. Do you want decommunisation? Well, that suits us just fine. But it is unnecessary, as they say, to stop halfway. We are ready to show you what real decommunisation means for Ukraine.' ON UKRAINIAN STATEHOOD 'Ukraine never had a tradition of genuine statehood.' ON BREAK-UP OF USSR 'Russia assumed obligations to repay the entire Soviet debt in return for the newly independent states giving up part of their foreign assets. In 1994, such agreements were reached with Ukraine, but they were not ratified by Ukraine... '(Ukraine) preferred to act in such a way that in relations with Russia they had all the rights and advantages, but did not bear any obligations... 'From the very first steps they began to build their statehood on the denial of everything that unites us. They tried to distort the consciousness, the historical memory of millions of people, entire generations living in Ukraine.' ON NATO'S 2008 MEMBERSHIP PROMISE TO UKRAINE AND GEORGIA 'Many European allies of the United States already perfectly understood all the risks of such a prospect, but were forced to come to terms with the will of their senior partner. The Americans simply used them to carry out a pronounced anti-Russian policy. A number of member states of the alliance are still very skeptical about the appearance of Ukraine in NATO. 'At the same time, we are receiving a signal from some European capitals, saying what are you worried about, this will not happen literally tomorrow. Yes, in fact, our American partners are also talking about this. Well, we answer, if not tomorrow, so the day after tomorrow. What does this change in a historical perspective? Basically, nothing. Moreover, we know the position and words of the U.S. leadership that active hostilities in eastern Ukraine do not exclude the possibility of this country joining NATO if it can meet the criteria of the North Atlantic alliance and defeat corruption. At the same time, they try to convince us over and over again that NATO is a peace-loving and purely defensive alliance, saying that there are no threats to Russia. Again they propose that we take them at their word. But we know the real value of such words.' ON THREATS TO RUSSIA 'We clearly understand that under such a scenario, the level of military threats to Russia will dramatically increase many times over. I pay special attention to the fact that the danger of a sudden strike against our country will increase many times over. Let me explain that U.S. strategic planning documents contain the possibility of a so-called preemptive strike against enemy missile systems. And who is the main enemy for the U.S. and NATO? We know that too. It's Russia. In NATO documents, our country is officially and directly declared the main threat to North Atlantic security. And Ukraine will serve as a forward springboard for the strike. If our ancestors had heard about it, they probably would simply not have believed it. And today we don't want to believe it, but it's true.' ON SANCTIONS 'They are trying to blackmail us again. They are threatening us again with sanctions, which, by the way, I think they will introduce anyway as Russia's sovereignty strengthens and the power of our armed forces grows. And a pretext for another sanctions attack will always be found or fabricated. Regardless of the situation in Ukraine. There is only one goal - to restrain the development of Russia. And they will do it, as they did before. Even without any formal pretext at all. Just because we exist, and we will never compromise our sovereignty, national interests and our values. I want to say clearly and directly that in the current situation, when our proposals for an equal dialogue on fundamental issues have actually remained unanswered by the United States and NATO, when the level of threats to our country is increasing significantly, Russia has every right to take retaliatory measures to ensure its own security. That is exactly what we will do.' Advertisement

President Biden called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and convened a meeting of his National Security team after Putin signed the decree.

Zelensky revealed the call with Biden on Twitter Monday and said they 'discussed the events of the last hours'.

'We begin the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council,' he posted, adding: 'A conversation with [UK Prime Minister] Boris Johnson is also planned.'

Mr Johnson's spokesman said that it appears Putin's invasion plan has 'already begun' while Ms Truss, after meeting with NATO, said an invasion appears 'highly likely' but that diplomacy must continue until the last moment.

There are now thought to be 190,000 Russian troops on the border of Ukraine comprising around three quarters of its conventional forces backed by 500 fighter jets, 50 heavy bombers, and dozens of attack helicopters.

The Kremlin denies it has plans to attack, but Western allies say Putin is trying to concoct a pretext to invade by stirring up conflict in two breakaway eastern regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - and staging 'false flag' attacks to justify marching his troops in on a mission to 'protect' them.

Should Russia go ahead with its attack, the US has warned the UN security council that Moscow has prepared a list of targets for assassination and imprisonment in detention camps.

Officials say the list includes anyone who might oppose the Kremlin - including political figures, journalists, Russian and Belarusian dissidents sheltering in the country, ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community.

'As we've seen in the past, we expect Russia will try to force cooperation through intimidation and repression,' a US official told Foreign Policy magazine on Friday, before a letter containing the allegations was sent to the US on Monday.

'These acts, which in past Russian operations have included targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, detentions, and the use of torture, would likely target those who oppose Russian actions.

'[That] includes Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBT persons.'

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the claims an 'absolute lie'.

Heavy shelling was reported along the frontline at the weekend, leaving several Ukrainian troops dead, following what Russian state media claimed were terror attacks targeting top officials and a gas pipeline in the two regions - which the West said was staged.

Fighting continued on Monday, with separatist commanders alleging that artillery had been fired into the Donetsk region and struck a hospital with 'clashes' reported near Mariupol. Russia separately claimed that a Ukrainian shell had blown up a guard post in Rostov-on-Don. Ukraine denies firing at either separatist or Russian territory.

The Kremlin has also been pushing claims that 'mass graves' containing the bodies of civilians killed by Ukrainian troops have been discovered in the region, and today submitted documents containing those allegations to the UN Security Council.

Tens of of thousands of civilians - mostly women, children and the elderly - have now being evacuated from rebel-held areas into Russia due to the 'threat'. Fighting-age men have been ordered to stay behind under the threat of legal sanctions if they try to leave.

In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered with the aid of French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said Biden has agreed 'in principle' to a meeting with Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault. But the Kremlin said no 'concrete' plans had been made.

It is the second time that Emmanuel Macron, who has tried to position himself as Europe's top security negotiator, has been embarrassed by Moscow - given guarantees which were revoked when he made them public. Two weeks ago he claimed Putin had agreed to stop military drills on Ukraine's border, which Russia immediately denied.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that 'we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins.'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe - as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand.

'We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war,' Psaki said in statement.

'And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.'

Despite the threat, life in the capital Kiev outwardly continued as usual for many Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack.

Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capital's St. Michael's monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared.

Video shows another Russian field hospital established in the Belgorod region, near the border with Ukraine, amid fears it marks one of the final preparations for an attack

'We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life,' Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. 'We should appreciate it every day. That's why I think everything will be fine.'

'Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing,' said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh.

A U.S. official said Sunday that Biden's assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine - a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russia's orbit - and is now trying to create pretexts to invade.

Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Putin does.

U.S. officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called passionately Saturday for the West to do more.

'If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesn't exist anymore as a deterrent,' Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox on Washington's sanctions threat.

Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraine's soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict.

Ukrainian tanks take part in training drills at an unknown location somewhere in Ukraine, in an image taken on Sunday but released by the military on Monday

Ukrainian soldiers and helicopters take part in military drills at an unspecified area somewhere in Ukraine on Sunday

A Ukrainian soldier aims a machine-gun mounted on top of an armoured vehicle during training exercises on Sunday

An image taken from the cockpit of a Ukrainian attack helicopter shows a second helicopter flying in formation during military drills in an undisclosed area of the country on Sunday

A Ukrainian soldier aims his rifle during training exercises somewhere in the country, which took place on Sunday

Canadian military aid arrives at Lviv airport, in the west of Ukraine, late Sunday as the West continues to supply the army with defensive weapons against a Russian attack

Biden hits two pro-Russian regions in eastern Ukraine with sanctions after Putin declared them independent Joe Biden will issue sanctions on the two regions declared 'independent republics' by Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday in his first real move toward full-scale invasion. The absence of sanctions directly on Russia or Putin was immediately met with backlash from those who said the administration isn't doing enough in response to the latest Russian movements and announcements. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki assured that there will be further measures taken in coordination with U.S. allies and partners if Russia further invades Ukraine. 'We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps and on Russia's ongoing escalation along the border with Ukraine,' she wrote. Biden almost immediately called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and convened a meeting of his National Security team after Vladimir Putin slammed the U.S. for 'colonizing' Ukraine and using it as a 'puppet regime' in remarks where he announced he would sign a decree recognizing two eastern regions of Ukraine as independent states. The president also hopped on a secure call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shortly after Putin's remarks. 'We have anticipated a move like this from Russia and are ready to respond immediately,' Psaki wrote in her Monday statement following Putin's remarks. 'President Biden will soon issue an Executive Order that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine,' she detailed, adding 'the Departments of State and Treasury will have additional details shortly.' 'We will also soon announce additional measures related to today's blatant violation of Russia's international commitments,' Psaki added. A bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers pledged on Monday to 'work toward whatever emergency supplemental legislation will best support our NATO allies and the people of Ukraine.' 'No matter what happens in the coming days, we must assure that the dictator Putin and his corrupt oligarchs pay a devastating price for their decisions,' they wrote. Zelensky said he discussed with Biden on Monday afternoon 'the events of the last hours'. 'We begin the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council,' he posted, adding: 'A conversation with [UK Prime Minister] Boris Johnson is also planned.' The White House confirmed that Biden did have a roughly 35-minutes call with Zelelnsky. Advertisement

Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russia's military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion.

'We're talking about the potential for war in Europe,' U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. 'It's been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security.'

Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed on Twitter for a cease-fire. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyy's offer Saturday to meet with Putin.

After a call with Macron, Putin blamed Ukraine - incorrectly, according to observers there - for the escalation of shelling along the contact line and NATO for 'pumping modern weapons and ammunition' into Ukraine.

Macron, a leader in European efforts to broker a peaceful resolution with Russia, also spoke separately to Zelenskyy, to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and to Biden.

Blinken intentionally raised the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit in interviews with U.S. television networks on Sunday, in a bid to keep diplomacy alive, a senior U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. reasoning.

Blinken said that Biden was 'prepared to meet President Putin at any time in any format if that can help prevent a war' and the U.S. official said Macron had then conveyed the offer of talks to Putin - conditioned on Russia not invading - in his phone calls with the Russian leader.

Tensions mounted further, however. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory urging greater caution by Americans in Russia overall. 'Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance,' it warned.

Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

In the eastern Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action.

Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraine's military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday.

'When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences,' Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television.

On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote.

'Right now, we don't respond to their fire because ...' the soldier said before the sound of an incoming shell interrupted him. 'Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.'

Russian attack helicopters are pictured taking part in joint drills in Belarus on Sunday, as the Kremlin announced the drills will not end as expected but will be extended to an unknown date - meaning 30,000 troops remain in the country

Smoke rises into the air after Russian attack helicopters blew up a target on a firing range in Belarus during joint training exercises on Sunday - amid fears of an invasion

Tanks and armoured vehicles of the Russian and Belarusian militaries take part in training exercises at the weekend, shortly before the Kremlin announced the drill will be extended and its forces will remain in the country

Russian and Belarussian machine-gunners take part in joint training exercises in Belarus at the weekend

Russian troop tents and tanks (left and centre) are seen near a forested area of the Belgorod region, close to the border with Ukraine, on Sunday amid fears the order to attack will be given soon

Russian troops and tanks (left) are shown parked up next to attack helicopters (centre) near the town of Valuyki, Belgorod region, close to the border with Ukraine

Russian tanks and trucks are seen parked in the tree line of a forest in the Belgorod region of Russia (right) in an apparent attempt to hide them from prying satellites

A satellite image shows additional armor and equipment deployed along a tree line, near Valuyki, Russia

A satellite image shows an overview of a new deployment, east of Valuyki, Russia

On Friday, separatist officials announced the evacuation of civilians and military mobilization in the face of what they described as an imminent Ukrainian offensive on the rebel regions. Ukrainian officials have strongly denied any plans to launch such an attack and described the evacuation order as part of Russian provocations intended to set the stage for an invasion.

The separatist authorities said Monday that at least four civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling over the past 24 hours and several others were injured. Ukraine's military said two Ukrainian soldiers were killed over the weekend, and another serviceman was wounded Monday.

Ukrainian military spokesman Pavlo Kovalchyuk said the Ukrainian positions were shelled 80 times Sunday and eight times early Monday, noting that the separatists were 'cynically firing from residential areas using civilians as shields.' He insisted that Ukrainian forces weren't returning fire.

In the village of Novognativka on the government-controlled side, 60-year-old Ekaterina Evseeva, said the shelling was worse than at the height of fighting early in the conflict.

'It's worse than 2014,' she said, her voice trembling. 'We are on the edge of nervous breakdowns. And there is nowhere to run.'

Evseeva said that residents were hunkering down in basements amid the renewed fighting: 'Yesterday I saw my neighbor with her 2-month-old as she was running to the basement. It shouldn't be like this.'

Russian troops and tanks are spotted in a forest area near civilian buildings (bottom left) near Belgorod, just a short distance from the border with Ukraine

Russian military vehicles are spotted formed up into a convoy and heading south next to a highway and near a forest in Soloti, around 10 miles from the Ukraine border

Satellite images reveal Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are now being concealed within civilian areas and forests close to the border, such as these vehicles on farmland near Soloti

Ukrainian troops near the frontlines with pro-Russian separatist forces train using a British NLAW anti-tank missile launcher

A Ukrainian soldier inspects a rocket-propelled grenade in Novognativka village, near the frontlines with pro-Russia separatists, as fighting in the region escalates

Servicemen of Ukrainian Military Forces walk along tranches on their position on the front line with Russia backed separatists, near Novognativka

Moscow denies any plans to invade Ukraine, but wants Western guarantees that NATO won't allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members. It also urges the alliance to halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe - demands flatly rejected by the West.

Russian officials have shrugged off Western calls to deescalate by pulling back troops, arguing that Moscow is free to deploy troops and conduct drills wherever it likes on its territory. Last week, Western officials dismissed Russian statements about some of the troops returning to their bases, saying that Moscow was actually beefing up its forces around Ukraine.

A U.S. official said Sunday that Biden's assertion last week that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

Russia also upped the ante Saturday with sweeping nuclear drills that included multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that Putin personally oversaw.

Ukraine's president reaffirmed his call for a quick meeting with Putin to help defuse tensions, but there was no response from the Kremlin.

The European Union's top diplomat, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, welcomed the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit but said that should diplomacy fail the 27-nation bloc has finalized its package of sanctions for use if Putin orders an invasion.

'The work is done. We are ready,' said Borrell, who is chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers and was tasked with drawing up a list of people in Russia to be hit with asset freezes and travel bans. He provided no details about who might be targeted.

The European Commission has prepared other sanctions to 'limit the access to financial markets for the Russian economy and (impose) export controls that will stop the possibility for Russia to modernize and diversify its economy,' its president, Ursula von der Leyen, said over the weekend.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed Macron's summit initiative and warned Russia against any false flag action to provoke hostilities. 'I appeal urgently to the Russian government, to the Russian president: Don't play with human lives,' she said as she arrived at the EU top diplomats' meeting.
Over-80s and the most vulnerable will still be offered free Covid tests after they are scrapped nationwide, it was claimed today.

Boris Johnson will unveil his 'living with Covid' strategy later today, with the Prime Minister expected to lay out a timetable for axing public access to lateral flow and PCR swabs.

The regime  thought to cost taxpayers around 2billion a month  could start to be wound down within weeks.

But after wrangling between Sajid Javid's Department of Health and Rishi Sunak's Treasury, free testing is likely to be kept in place for at-risk groups.

As well as the over-80s, Whitehall sources say free tests may still be made available to NHS staff, hospital patients and care home residents.

No10's business minister Paul Scully today said the Government 'cannot continue forevermore spending 2billion a month on tests'.

He said: 'Theres a lot of other backlogs in the NHS, other illnesses in the NHS, that that money could otherwise go for.'

But Labour, the unions and medical experts argue it is simply too early to consider scrapping Covid curbs.

Boris Johnson is planning to wind down the Covid testing drive. Pictured above is a mobile testing unit in Windsor in early February

Mr Johnson met with his Cabinet this morning to finalise his strategy, drawn up last week.

The PM will unveil the plan at Parliament this afternoon, before presenting it to the nation in a televised Downing St press conference tonight, where he may be flanked by top advisers, Sir Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance.

It is expected to be an end to nearly two years of Covid curbs, with Mr Johnson set to declare that it is time for the public to take personal responsibility for their health.

The power to impose lockdowns and self-isolation rules are set to end on Thursday.

Contact tracing will also be wound down, and schoolchildren will be told they no longer need to test themselves twice a week, according to The Guardian.

Covid infections plummet by 37% in a week to 25,696 cases Covid infection rates plummeted by more than a third on last week yesterday  as Boris Johnson prepared Britain to fully exit Covid restrictions. Case rates reported by the UK Health Security Agency on Sunday fell by 37 per cent on last week to 25,696 cases - the lowest figure since August last year. Deaths however increased slightly compared to last Sunday, rising from 52 to 74. It comes as Mr Johnson urged people to be 'more confident and get back to work' as he heralded this coming Thursday as Covid Freedom Day. The PM will unveil his 'Living with Covid Plan' tomorrow, insisting vaccines and new treatments can be relied upon to keep the public safe. All curbs - including legal self-isolation - are set to end in England within days, and Mr Johnson made clear that the taxpayer cannot keep shelling out 2billion a month on mass testing. In a compromise between the Treasury and Department of Health, he will lay out a timetable for axing free tests - but they are still likely to be available for more vulnerable and older age groups. 'We will be testing at a much lower level,' he told the BBC's Sunday Morning show. 'We are in a different world. It's important people should feel confident again... people should be able to go back to work in the normal way.' He added: 'We need people to be much more confident and get back to work.' Advertisement

Britain currently carries out about 900,000 Covid swabs everyday, including 250,000 PCRs.

Most of these tests will end from April under Government plans, reports the Daily Telegraph, although some vulnerable people will still be able to access them.

Critics have raised concerns that the plans  which will only apply to England  could leave the country unable to detect flare-ups in Covid cases, or new variants in parts of the country.

Mr Scully told Sky News today that 'we cant continue forevermore spending 2billion a month on tests'.

He added: 'If you think what that 2billion might go towards, theres a lot of other backlogs in the NHS, other illnesses in the NHS, that that money could otherwise go for.

'So for every person that is worried about a test, there may be another person thats worried about a cancer diagnosis, for instance.'

Mr Johnson said today will be a 'moment of pride'. But he insisted it was now time for an end to reliance on government intervention.

He said: 'Today will mark a moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country's history as we begin to learn to live with Covid.

'It would not be possible without the efforts of so many  the NHS who delivered the life-saving vaccine rollout at phenomenal speed, our world-leading scientists and experts, and the general public for their commitment to protecting themselves and their loved ones.

'The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others.'

Speaking to the BBC yesterday, the PM said lifting the rules did not mean the public should start acting irresponsibly.

People will still be encouraged to stay away from work if they have Covid, but it will no longer be a legal requirement.

He said: 'It's very important we should remain careful, and we're certainly not asking people to throw caution to the winds.

'We've reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action, in favour of encouraging personal responsibility.

'I think we need resilience, but we don't need to keep spending at a rate of 2billion a month [on testing], which is what we were doing in January.'

Mr Johnson said he hoped to never have to order another lockdown, saying: 'I don't want to go back to that kind of non-pharmaceutical intervention, I want to be able to address the problems of the pandemic with a vaccine-led approach.'

But he cautioned: 'Covid remains dangerous if you're vulnerable and you're not vaccinated. But we need people to be much more confident and get back to work.'

The British Medical Association said the Government should only end self-isolation when case rates are falling.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA council, said: 'You have at the moment more people dying, more people in the hospital, than you had before Plan B was introduced. It seems a rather odd decision to make.'

Meanwhile, education unions Unison, Unite and the GMB urged the Prime Minister to keep free testing and the requirement to self-isolate.

They warned that failure to provide detailed guidance risks a 'super-spreader free-for-all' in schools and workplaces.

Referring to 'Partygate' probes, Labour's health spokesman Wes Streeting said: 'Boris Johnson is declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door.

'The Government should publish the evidence behind this decision, so the public can have faith it is being made in the national interest.'

A government source said vaccines would be available for the 'foreseeable future', saying avoiding the return of curbs would depend on the 'sustained population immunity' provided by the jabs.
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Living with Covid: what restrictions will be removed next week? Boris Johnson has vowed to scrap the last remaining Covid restrictions from next week. He announced earlier this month that he wanted England to emerge from the pandemic a month earlier than planned. The regulations that have kept a stranglehold on people's lives since march 2020 run out on March 24. But Mr Johnson is expected to announce later that the rules will be withdrawn some time next week. Few restrictions remain in place to be removed. But those that do are among the most trying. The self-isolation requirement for those with Covid is to go. Currently people have to self-isolate for 10 days, though they can end quarantine early by returning negative LFTs on days five and six and don't have a temperature. This is expected to be replaced with guidance advising isolation and testing. This has raised concerns that it it more likely to be ignored. Critics also say that if there is a winding down of free LFT handouts, people could simply not test and go to work with Covid, leading to a spike in cases. Mask wearing in shops, restaurants and other social settings is already discretionary and Mr Johnson is expected to lift the requirement for them to be needed in medical and care units including hospitals, GP surgeries and pharmacies. He is also expected to remove councils' power to recommend face coverings in school communal areas. He will also remove the need for any venue to force revellers to use the NHS Covid Pass, although individual venues will still be allowed to demand it voluntarily. Advertisement

Boris Johnson can go ahead with his grand 'Living With Covid' set-piece today after Cabinet finally signed the plan off after hours of last-ditch haggling over testing.

Ministers have given the green light to the strategy at the second time of asking - after they had to be sent away from Downing Street this morning because details had not been thrashed out.

Mr Johnson is now expected to make a Commons statement at around 4.30pm laying out the blueprint, and a timetable for scrapping 'free' tests which have been costing the taxpayer around 2billion a month. He will then hold a press conference at 7pm.

The premier's team had already arrived at No10 when they were informed the gathering to finalise the strategy for England - including axing self-isolation this week - was being pushed back.

The process was paused while Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid - neither of whom were seen arriving in Downing Street this morning - desperately tried to thrash out differences.

Free provision looks likely to be kept in place for over-80s and the most vulnerable, but Mr Sunak - backed by Mr Johnson - is believed to have resisted pressure from Mr Javid for more funding to maintain testing capacity and a slower timetable for ending the arrangements. The Department for Health is said to have asked for 5billion a year, but there are claims the costs will be footed from within existing budgets.

Nicola Sturgeon called for Scotland to be given cash to carry on handing out free kits, saying it would be 'unacceptable' for Westminster to force the issue. Although the devolved administrations have policy-making powers, the Treasury has broad control of the purse-strings.

The second attempt at gathering ministers happened virtually, with one senior source telling MailOnline: 'The irony of the ''Covid is over'' Cabinet being virtual wasn't lost on many attendees.'

Earlier, a No10 spokesman insisted 'it is always an iterative process for these plans, it's right to take the time to get it right'.

Ben Zaranko, an economist from the respected IFS think-tank, observed wryly of the DoH's funding push: 'Only three things are certain: death, taxes, and the Department of Health and Social Care asking the Treasury for more cash.'

Although Tories have welcomed the decision to tear up laws that have underpinned the government's response to the pandemic, some have voiced fears that charging for lateral flows and PCRs could cause serious problems.

There are also concerns that employers and workers face confusion when self-isolation rules lapse. In a round of interviews this morning, business minister Paul Scully said people should still stay at home if they have a 'transmissible disease' - although he stressed it had to be discussed between staff and bosses.

After his statement to the House of Commons this afternoon Mr Johnson is holding a coronavirus press conference in Downing Street this evening - although the timings look to be slipping significantly.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: 'What confidence can the public have that the Conservatives are acting in the national interest when they can't agree a plan for Covid?

'It is clear the Prime Minister was trying to declare victory before the war is over, simply to distract from the police knocking at the door of Number 10.'

On a critical day that could finally start to draw a line under the pandemic:

Over-75s and people with suppressed immune systems in the UK are to be offered another Covid-19 booster jab in the coming weeks, the government has declared;

Ministers have denied that the timing of the lockdown announcement is a 'smokescreen' to distract from Mr Johnson's Partygate woes;

A leading expert has insisted that Covid booster jabs will not need to be given to all Britons in future years;

Ms Sturgeon is due to unveil her pandemic plan tomorrow with doubts over whether Scotland and Wales will follow the same path as England.

Boris Johnson (pictured) is hoping to lay out a 'Living With Covid' strategy to MPs later today

Science and health chiefs Patrick Vallance (left) and Chris Whitty (right) in Westminster today

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi (left) and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries (right) were among the ministers who had already arrived in Downing Street when Cabinet was postponed

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey came to Downing Street this morning only to have the Cabinet session delayed

Fourth jabs for the most vulnerable... but NOT for the whole population A leading expert has insisted that annual Covid jabs will not need to be given to all Britons. A decision is expected imminently on boosters for the most vulnerable this spring. Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, said the outbreak must keep being tracked to take decisions on vaccination. But he said: 'As far as whether we need them for the whole population, I don't think that's likely to be the future - for whole populations to get regular doses. 'But we are identifying those in society who are particularly vulnerable to the virus, and it's certainly reasonable to think that further doses may be needed to maintain immunity in those who are at greatest risk of ending up in hospital.' Advertisement

SNP leader Ms Sturgeon vented her 'frustration' at the Westminster approach.

'We are back again being really starkly reminded of this illogical position that Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments have to deal with which is that we are responsible for public health decisions in our own countries, but it's the Treasury who makes the funding decisions and they seem to be only triggered by the decisions Boris Johnson makes for England,' she said.

'That's unsustainable, it's unacceptable, but that's the situation we're in.

'So one of the questions that we are hoping to have answered today is what the remaining funding for testing is going to be.

'Presumably, England is not going to take away its testing infrastructure completely, so what the residual funding will be, what that then enables the devolved administration's to support, I hope we get clarity on that later today.

'It would be unacceptable now, as it has been in the past, for the decisions that the Scottish Government or the Welsh or Northern Irish governments think are right for public health reasons are constrained because of decisions on funding that the Treasury are taking only on the basis of what is decided for England.'

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said: 'Any decision to change the existing National Testing Programme would be premature and reckless.'

Despite the huge cost of testing, experts have voiced caution about cutting the provision.

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, admitted that the decisions are finely balanced.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the UK has a 'wall of immunity now' thanks to the vaccines 'but the decision about when and how to reduce restrictions is enormously difficult'.

Prof Pollard said the benefits of restrictions are obvious in 'reducing chains of transmission, the risks of people getting infected, the burden on the health system', but the harms of restrictions are harder to assess.

'They include things, just from a health perspective, like the the impact on hospitals of having staff self-isolating, the inability to perform operations, there will be surgery cancelled today that may be critical for people because of staff who are off work during that period; the impact on education, on the workplace and the economy.

'The impacts on the economy and mental health will have longer-term consequences. So if we could find a measure that brings all of that together, we could work out the exact right moment (for lifting restrictions).'

Sir Andrew said 'there isn't a right or wrong answer to this because we don't have a measure that helps us get there'.

The director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford said: 'One of the key things is, whenever we do reduce restrictions, we need to have a number of measures in place for that period, and one of the most critical is surveillance for the virus, an early warning system if you like, which tells us about new variants emerging and gives an ability to monitor whether those new variants are indeed causing more severe disease than Omicron did.

'And that is something which can be put in place, and I hope that if there are announcements today that we'll hear exactly how that will work.'

Ahead of the crunch day, the PM said: 'Today will mark a moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country's history as we begin to learn to live with Covid.

'It would not be possible without the efforts of so many  the NHS who delivered the life-saving vaccine rollout at phenomenal speed, our world-leading scientists and experts, and the general public for their commitment to protecting themselves and their loved ones.

'The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others.'

Mr Johnson warned in interviews over the weekend that the 2billion-a-month cost of testing is simply too much for the country to bear.

And Mr Scully suggested this morning that the money will be pumped into the struggling NHS.

'If you think what that 2billion might go towards, there's a lot of other backlogs in the NHS, other illnesses in the NHS, that that money could otherwise go for,' he said.

'So for every person that is worried about a test, there may be another person that's worried about a cancer diagnosis, for instance.'

The legal requirement to isolate if you test positive for coronavirus could end as early as Thursday, which has been dubbed 'Covid Freedom Day'.

But Labour, unions and medical experts have complained it is simply too early to consider scrapping Covid curbs.

Professor Robert West, a health psychologist from University College London and a SAGE member, told Times Radio the government has decided to 'abdicate its own responsibility for looking after its population'.

He pointed out one in 20 people currently has Covid-19 and 150 people are dying each day.

'It looks as though what the Government has said is that it accepts that the country is going to have to live with somewhere between 20,000 and 80,000 Covid deaths a year and isn't really going to do anything about it,' he said. 'Now that seems to me to be irresponsible.'

He added that there are a 'large number of deaths from heart disease and cancer but we don't just say 'Well, we've got to live with it'.

'We do an awful lot with heart disease and cancer and other forms of deaths to try to prevent them and to treat them, and so it seems a little odd really to be saying 'Well, Covid, we're going to treat that differently. We're not going to try and prevent it'.'

Prof West said he would be 'very surprised' if scrapping rules is cost-saving, given the costs of hospital admissions, and the impact of things like long Covid on the economy.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford waded into the row by branding the end of testing 'unacceptable', and Nicola Sturgeon has been critical

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (right) strolled into Downing Street for the meeting

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis exited the famous black door again after the Cabinet was delayed

In a round of interviews this morning, business minister Paul Scully said people should still stay at home if they have a 'transmissible disease' - although he stressed it had to be discussed between staff and bosses

Minister denies PM's Covid freedom plan is a Partygate 'smokescreen' A minister today denied that Boris Johnson's Covid freedom announcement is a 'smokescreen' to distract from the Partygate saga. Labour has accused the PM of 'declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door'. But business minister Paul Scully told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'The restrictions are all peeling back on the 22nd of March anyway, so we need to be looking at these measures and we need to be looking at the data in the round.' Advertisement

Mr Scully stressed that the government wants to put decisions back into the hands of businesses and workers, saying Britons should not 'work and live under Government diktat for a moment longer than is necessary'.

But when asked what people should do if they get Covid he told Sky News that 'like any transmissible illness you'd say stay at home'.

'I would say that it's like any illness, frankly, any transmissible illness that you would say stay at home,' he said.

He said if an employee had flu, they would be expected to stay at home, 'but it'll be down to themselves or down to their employer'.

Asked what action employees should take if their employers tried to force them in if they were ill with Covid, Mr Scully said: 'This is why we need to make sure that we've got really good guidance for employers.

'But as I say, there will come a time when the pandemic moves to more of an endemic approach to Covid, in the same way that flu and other viruses are treated, and that's what we've got to get back to.

'But it's a fine balance, clearly, and that's why Cabinet's meeting this morning, to go through the science, to go through that balance and debate it and then, obviously, the Prime Minister (will) come before Parliament to make his announcement.'

Mr Scully denied the PM's announcement was a 'smokescreen' to distract from the Partygate saga.

'No, the restrictions are all peeling back on the 22nd of March anyway, so we need to be looking at these measures and we need to be looking at the data in the round,' he told ITV's Good Morning Britain.

Speaking to the BBC yesterday, the PM said lifting the rules did not mean the public should start acting irresponsibly.

People will still be encouraged to stay away from work if they have Covid, but it will no longer be a legal requirement.

He said: 'It's very important we should remain careful, and we're certainly not asking people to throw caution to the winds.

'We've reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action, in favour of encouraging personal responsibility.

'I think we need resilience, but we don't need to keep spending at a rate of 2billion a month [on testing], which is what we were doing in January.'

Mr Johnson hoped to never have to order another lockdown, saying: 'I don't want to go back to that kind of non-pharmaceutical intervention, I want to be able to address the problems of the pandemic with a vaccine-led approach.'

But he cautioned: 'Covid remains dangerous if you're vulnerable and you're not vaccinated. But we need people to be much more confident and get back to work.'

However, the British Medical Association said the Government should only end self-isolation when case rates are falling.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA council, said: 'You have at the moment more people dying, more people in the hospital, than you had before Plan B was introduced. It seems a rather odd decision to make.'

Meanwhile, education unions Unison, Unite and the GMB urged the Prime Minister to keep free testing and the requirement to self-isolate.

They warned that failure to provide detailed guidance risks a 'super-spreader free-for-all' in schools and workplaces.

A government source said vaccines would be available for the 'foreseeable future', saying avoiding the return of curbs would depend on the 'sustained population immunity' provided by the jabs.

It came as the Government yesterday logged another 25,696 daily Covid cases and 74 deaths.
Three men who may have had access to potentially damning information concerning a South Korean presidential hopeful have died within two months of each other.

The potential whistleblowers allegedly held information about a mafia-involved real estate deal that took place while the nominee of the Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung was mayor of Seongnam.

Two of the men, who worked at the Seongnam Development Corporation, took their own lives last December before they were to be interrogated for their roles in bribes that were connected to the real estate project in 2015.

Their deaths came just before a third man died last month from a heart attack.

It comes as South Korea's presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Suk-yeol, from the conservative main opposition People Power Party, formally began campaigning in what is set to be the tightest race in 20 years between its two main parties.

The three men apparently held access to damning information concerning Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung (pictured)

Mr Jae-myung began his career as a civil rights lawyer before becoming mayor of Seongnam in 2010.

During his time as mayor he had the ability to purchase land for a development project, aimed at bringing wealth to the Gyeonggi Province, at low prices.

However questions later began to surface around where the estimated one hundred million dollars worth of profits from the development deal went after they were accrued by an asset management company.

Members of the People Power Party accused of Mr Jae-myung of being involved with a mafia organisation.

One businessman told The Daily Beast: 'The mafia hold the power here. They were the only ones who can do these things.'

Questions surrounding what happened to the vast sums of money generated by the project are now threatening to take down the front-runner.

Mr Jae-myung has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged by police investigating the Seongnam project.

Dogged by the scandal involving the development plan, he used his acceptance speech last year to pledge progress on policy issues, including a push for universal basic income and more affordable housing amid skyrocketing property prices.

People Power Party leader Yoon Seok-youl, has also been caught up in scandals of his own.

Mr Jae-myung (speaking during a press conference in Seoul) began his career as a civil rights lawyer before becoming mayor of Seongnam in 2010

People Power Party leader Yoon Seok-youl (pictured) was last year accused of meeting an unlicensed anal acupuncturist

Last year Mr Seok-youl was forced to distance himself from an unlicensed anal acupuncturist and a Rasputin-like preacher.

He denied knowing the acupuncturist, and said he only 'seldom' meets fortune-tellers or shamans.

The rival nominee denied any wrongdoing.

Lee Jae-myung currently trails Yoon Suk-yeol from the conservative main opposition People Power Party, 34 per cent to 41 per cent, according to a public opinion poll by Gallup Korea.

Ahn Cheol-soo, a third candidate has 11 per cent support.




A British Airways manager who was involved in a 365,000 flight delay compensation scam has been jailed.

Anthony Robertson, 41, abused his position as a call centre manager to siphon off large sums of money by pretending to be customers and filling out compensation forms, before adding his own bank details and approving the claim.

Robertson, from Longbenton in North Tyneside, diverted some of the money to two bank accounts of his own and the rest to 41 other accounts, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Robertson transferred 86,984 to his own account, while 197,150 was paid to third party accounts, of which 169,945.68 was subsequently transferred to Robertson and 81,653 was paid to third parties with no evidence it was forwarded to him.

In total, he was involved with 117 fraudulent transactions and jailed for 32 months after admitting fraud.

Anthony Robertson, 41, pictured leaving North Tyneside Magistrates' Court in North Shields, was jailed at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this month after admitting fraud

The scam first came to light in 2016 but was only concluded this month after what Robertson's barrister called 'unconscionable delays'.

Joe Hedworth, prosecuting, said: 'He was a highly trusted member of the British Airways team.

'It was a sophisticated offence, there was significant planning involved for a significant period of time.'

Robertson was first interviewed by the police in July 2016, when he admitted that he had committed the fraudulent transactions as he had personal debt and saw an opportunity to make money.

He said he had access to the details of the passengers who had been affected and so decided to fabricate the claims.

He completed claim application forms online, pretended to be a customer and then used his own bank details to receive the compensation.

The former British Airways worker said he would access the details of passengers who had not claimed compensation. He said he produced fraudulent paperwork, claimed to be the customer, and gave consent for the claims to be paid for the delayed flight, on their behalf.

He accessed the relevant system and made the refund payment to his own bank account.

After this, he input fictitious bank account details for the claim to conceal the fact the funds had been paid to his own bank account.

The former British Airways call centre manager siphoned 365,000 to 43 bank accounts

An investigation confirmed that none of the passengers, listed as claimants, were eligible for compensation and they did not travel on the specified flights. All information provided in respect of the claims was false.

Paul Caulfield, defending, said: 'The delay in this case is unconscionable. He should have been sentenced in 2016.

'He has lost everything. His relationship broke down, he applied for bankruptcy, he lost his job and reputation, his mental health was significantly impacted.

But he has rebuilt his life. He has done charitable work. Notwithstanding his anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, he has been able to work with the Samaritans and other organisations.'

Mr Caulfield said Robertson was remorseful and had moved on in his life, despite having it hanging over him for six years.

He added that the owners of the 41 other bank accounts were not prosecuted but instead treated as prosecution witnesses.
Liz Truss today warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine appears 'highly likely' despite Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin tentatively agreeing to hold a crisis summit.

The Foreign Secretary spoke after flying to Belgium for talks with Nato leaders amid 'false flag' claims about fighting on the border.

The US President agreed during last-ditch diplomatic efforts against the backdrop of heightening tensions to meet his Russian counterpart on the condition Moscow does not invade.

Ms Truss, however, did not appear to be revising her concerns that the Kremlin would order an attack as she warned that the price of an invasion must be 'intolerably high' for Russia.

After meeting Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, she tweeted: 'Diplomacy must be pursued but a Russian invasion of Ukraine looks highly likely.

'The UK and allies are stepping up preparations for the worst case scenario. We must make the cost for Russia intolerably high.'

Britain has provided weapons and tactical aid to Ukrainian forces amid a build up of Russian troops and armour on its eastern flank, but it has vowed to target Putin's oligarchs and their cash if there is an invasion

But the Russian ambassador to the UK today threatened tit-for-tat sanctions today. Andrei Kelin suggested British efforts to build a united front in drawing up sanctions in the event of an invasion of Ukraine was a 'huge overreaction to the unusual circumstances'.

Asked if Russia would retaliate, the ambassador told the PA news agency: 'We will of course find ways to respond.'

It came as pro-Moscow separatists fighting in Ukraine's eastern regions called on Russia to send 'military assistance' after a flurry of what appeared to be false flag attacks early Monday that they blamed on Kiev.

Leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republic both appealed to the Kremlin to send troops and weapons across the border after accusing Ukrainian forces of shelling them and launching 'sabotage' missions across the border. Russia also claimed a border outpost in its Rostov-on-Don region was hit.

Kiev strongly denies carrying out any artillery attacks or 'sabotage' missions, accusing separatists of faking the blasts - including using limbs collected from morgues to pose as 'victims' - and peddling 'fake news' as a pre-text for Russia to attack under the guise of 'protecting' the breakaway regions.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace this afternoon told MPs Russian troop numbers continued to increase on Ukraine's eastern flank and Putin remains 'committed' to an invasion.

The Foreign Secretary spoke after flying to Belgium for talks with Nato leaders amid 'false flag' claims about fighting on the border.

Andrei Kelin suggested British efforts to build a united front in drawing up sanctions in the event of an invasion of Ukraine was a 'huge overreaction to the unusual circumstances'.

Russian tanks an armoured vehicles are seen in what observers described as 'battle formation' close to the border with Ukraine today, with a 'Z' symbol painted on the sides which is believed to denote a battle group

Ministers urged to reverse Army manpower cuts The Government's plans to cut the army should be reversed in light of Russian aggression on Ukraine's border, Labour has said. Shadow defence secretary John Healey said: 'Whether or not President (Vladimir) Putin gives the go ahead to military invasion, this unprecedent military intimidation is part of a long pattern of aggression against Western nations including attacks on British soil and against British institutions. 'Does Ukraine not expose the flaws in the Government's integrated review last year with its focus on the Indo-Pacific and its plan to cut the army by another 10,0000 soldiers? In light of these threats will he halt any further army cuts and will he restore the highest defence priority to Europe, the North Atlantic and the Arctic?' Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Russia's threat 'proves the integrated review correct', adding: 'Alliances are the most important way we can defend ourselves, whether that is through Nato, bilateral, trilateral, whether that is pacific or Europe and re-investing in Nato, where we are now the second biggest spender in Nato. 'Yes, troop numbers are scheduled to reduce but spending on defence is going up a record amount, an extra 24bn over the period of the spending review is not money to be sniffed at.' In reply to a separate question about troop numbers from Labour MP Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield), Mr Wallace said the army's size would be 'threat-led' and could be increased in future. Advertisement

He told the Commons: 'In the last 48 hours, contrary to Kremlin assurances we have seen a continued increase in troop numbers and a change in... position including from holding areas and potential launch locations.

'All the indicators point to increasing numbers and readiness of Russia forces and, not surprising to many of us, the pledge to withdraw Russian troops from Belarus at the end of their joint military drills on February 20, were not carried out and the exercise has now been extended until further notice.'

Downing Street said this afternoon there is still a 'window for diplomacy' to avert war.

Boris Johnson last night urged Vladimir Putin to 'step back' from an invasion of Ukraine amid hopes a potential summit between the Russian leader and Joe Biden could provide a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Mr Johnson said the Russian President must ditch his 'current threats' and 'withdraw troops from Ukraine's border'.

Mr Putin held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron at the weekend, with suggestions that the former is open to last-ditch peace talks.

Mr Johnson said the call was a 'welcome sign' that had shown Mr Putin may be 'willing to engage in finding a diplomatic solution'.

The Prime Minister spoke to Mr Macron last night and Downing Street said they 'agreed next week would be crucial for diplomacy'.

It came as the White House said Mr Biden had 'accepted in principle' a meeting with Mr Putin - as long as Russia holds off on any invasion plans.

Ukraine is currently surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment, with the West predicting that Moscow is poised to launch an offensive on Kiev.

In a readout of the call between Mr Macron and Mr Putin, the Elysee Palace said the pair agreed to work towards a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine where violence has escalated between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists.

French and Russian foreign ministers will meet in Paris to advance a solution to the current tensions, while the two heads of state 'made a firm engagement to take all useful actions to avoid escalation, reduce risks and preserve peace', according to a statement.

Mr Johnson, who has said a conflict between Kyiv and Moscow would amount to a war on a scale not seen since the Second World War, spoke to Mr Macron after the French President's dealings with Mr Putin on Sunday.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: 'They updated one another on their respective diplomatic efforts, including President Macron's call with President Putin today.

'The Prime Minister noted that President Putin's commitments to President Macron were a welcome sign that he might still be willing to engage in finding a diplomatic solution. The Prime Minister stressed that Ukraine's voice must be central in any discussions.

Boris Johnson has urged Vladimir Putin to 'step back' from an invasion of Ukraine amid hopes a potential summit between the Russian leader and Joe Biden could provide a diplomatic solution to the crisis

The White House said Mr Biden had 'accepted in principle' a meeting with Mr Putin - as long as Russia holds off on any invasion plans

'The leaders agreed on the need for both Russia and Ukraine to meet their commitments under the Minsk Agreements in full. They also underscored the need for President Putin to step back from his current threats and withdraw troops from Ukraine's border.

'The Prime Minister and President Macron agreed next week would be crucial for diplomacy and resolved to stay in close contact.'

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement the US is 'committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins'.

She added US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, are scheduled to meet in Europe later this week.

She said: 'President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement if an invasion hasn't happened.

'We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war.'

Western fears about an invasion grew after Russia and Belarus extended joint military exercises beyond the original intention to end them on Sunday.

It is feared the displays are a further indication that Russia, which is also conducting naval drills off the coast of the Black Sea, is gearing up for an offensive.

Shelling in rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine increased over the weekend, with the Prime Minister suggesting the activity was part of a Russian plan to invade.

Hundreds of artillery shells exploded along the contact line between the two sides in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and thousands of people were evacuated into Russia in a move some commentators believe is designed by Moscow to paint Kiev as the aggressor.

There is anxiety that Russia, which also carried out nuclear drills on the weekend, could use the increase in tension as a pretext for an attack.

Mr Johnson told the BBC that British intelligence had suggested the surge in fighting bore 'all the signs' that Mr Putin's attack plan has 'already in some senses begun'.
Boris Johnson was told to start acting like a Conservative by a Brexiteer Tory donor who threatened to pull his financial support and even his vote from the party today unless he made rapid policy changes.

High profile hotelier Sir Rocco Forte said he was with-holding his money and demanded a 'change of tack' that included tax cuts.

The scion of the Forte hotel clan gave thousands to Vote Leave and supported Mr Johnson's leadership campaign in 2019 to the tune of 100.000,

But he laid into Mr Johnson today, becoming the latest Tory figure to attack the PM's tax-and-spend plans to invest in the NHS and infrastructure projects.

Sir Rocco told the BBC's World At One: 'My disappointment with the Prime Minister and this Government is it's not acting as a Conservative Government.

'Instead of reducing regulations, increasing it, instead of lowering taxes, it's increasing them, and now as a lot of businesses who've suffered heavily through the pandemic and have become more heavily indebted as a result are facing increased National Insurance costs and increased corporate taxes, and it's completely the wrong way to approach the situation.'

Asked if his donations to the party were on pause, he said: 'Yes I'd like to see a complete change of tack by this Government and if it doesn't change tack then I won't be even interested in voting for them.'

High profile hotelier Sir Rocco Forte said he was with-holding his money until there was a 'change of tack' that included tax cuts.

The scion of the Forte hotel clan gave thousands to Vote Leave and supported Mr Johnson's leadership campaign in 2019 to the tune of 100.000,

It came after a minister today warned that there is a 'high bar' to get rid of a PM as the Partygate reckoning closes in for Boris Johnson.

Business minister Paul Scully dodged as he was grilled on whether Mr Johnson will have to quit if he is fined by the police.

But he became the latest to suggest that the premier might be able to hang on, stressing the importance of 'context'.

Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said yesterday that the last thing the country needs with the Ukraine standoff and Covid ongoing was a 'vacuum at the centre of Government'.

However, behind the scenes other senior figures are more sceptical about whether Mr Johnson can survive if police find he broke lockdown laws.

Two Cabinet ministers are poised to withdraw support if he receives a fixed penalty notice (FPN), according to The Times - although there are claims he would try to appeal the punishment.

In a round of interviews this morning, Mr Scully said he wants to 'see the Sue Gray report, see what the police find and then we can work through'.

'I'm going to wait until I see context before I really make any more judgment on it,' he said.

But Mr Scully insisted there should be a 'real high bar to get rid of any prime minister'.

The comments came as Mr Johnson was rocked by a Conservative donor saying he cannot see himself voting for the Tories unless the Government undertakes a 'complete change of tack'.

Business minister Paul Scully dodged as he was grilled today on whether Mr Johnson will have to quit if he is fined by the police

Mr Johnson (pictured in Munich at the weekend) has refused to engage with questions about Partygate saying he 'can't comment about a process that is under way'

Police have been considering whether to add this Downing Street quiz night from December 2020 to the Partygate incidents they are investigating

Mr Johnson stonewalled for 10 minutes on Partygate in an awkward interview over the weekend, refusing to say whether he will quit if police fine him.

The PM squirmed as he was repeatedly grilled by the BBC's Sophie Raworth, insisting he 'can't comment about a process that is under way'.

Despite there being no apparent legal barrier to speaking on the issue, Mr Johnson said: 'There is simply not a bean I can tell you about that.'

Mr Johnson handed a legal questionnaire to police on Friday regarding claims that lockdown-busting parties were held in Downing Street.

He is thought to be arguing that he believed all the functions he attended were essential for work, but No10 has insisted the document will not be made public.

The government has also urged police not to publish hundreds of pictures handed to an official civil service probe into the scandal - allegedly including one of the premier drinking beer.

However, Mr Johnson has committed to revealing if he gets a fixed penalty notice (FPN).

Scotland Yard is investigating 12 events allegedly attended by Government figures during lockdowns, including as many as six involving the PM personally.

Officers involved with Operation Hillman, which is examining whether Covid restrictions were broken in Downing Street and across Whitehall, sent formal questionnaires to approximately 50 people as they look into the details of alleged Covid rule-breaking.

Sources close to two Cabinet ministers told The Times that they might withdraw support for Mr Johnson if he is fined.

'If he gets an FPN he'll have to go. How can you have a prime minister who has been found guilty of breaking the law?' one said.

In an interview with BBC One's Sunday Morning Programme recorded yesterday at the Munich security conference, Mr Johnson was asked if he could understand many people's doubts about his explanations of gatherings held in No10.

He repeatedly said there was 'nothing' he could offer on the matter until the police inquiry was completed.

Mr Johnson said: 'Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to give you full and detailed answers on all this stuff. I genuinely can't because we've got a process under way  there is not a jot I can say until it is done.'

Told the public found some of his excuses for attending Downing Street gatherings 'implausible', particularly the 'bring your own booze' event in May 2020, the Prime Minister replied: 'You're just going to have to wait until the process is complete  there is literally not a bean I can tell you about that, as much as I would like to.'

Pressed further, he added: 'I understand your curiosity, I totally accept it, but you're just going to have to accept for the time being  and you won't have long, I hope  but for the time being you're going to have to contain your interest.

'I will be saying a lot more about it in due course.'

In an interview with BBC One's Sunday Morning show recorded at the Munich security conference over the weekend, Mr Johnson repeatedly said there was 'nothing' he could offer until the police inquiry is completed

Speaking to Sky on Trevor Philips on Sunday, Mr Cleverly said he wanted to Mr Johnson to stay in post.

'I don't think what the country needs at the moment is a vacuum at the centre of Government when we are dealing with our recovery from Covid, the accumulation of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, making sure that the the health service is able to deal with the sad, the unfortunate but nevertheless obvious, backlog that's been created by Covid,' he said.

'That's what the country needs. That's what I believe the Prime Minister should be doing.'
An Oklahoma Democratic congressional candidate has apologized for 'getting drunk and shouting at schoolgirls', calling one 'acne f**ker' and another 'Hispanic f**ker' during a teenage girl's Valentine's sleepover party before she threw up in a hamper and a girl's shoe.

Abby Broyles was invited over to a friend's house to share a drink while the friend's daughter enjoyed a slumber party with seven other middle school girls.

She allegedly became drunk over the course of the evening and threw up in a laundry basket and a girl's shoe and launched a profanity-laced tirade at several of the children.

Abby Broyles (pictured), a candidate for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District, apologized after 'getting drunk and shouting at schoolgirls'. She had gone over to a friend's house for 'wine and sushi' but ended up letting loose a profane tirade

The budding politician denied she had a drinking problem and blamed a bad reaction to sleeping pills for the alleged outburst. Broyles called one schoolgirl 'acne f**ker' and another 'Hispanic f**ker' during her friend's daughter's Valentine's sleepover party

Originally Broyles fiercely denied she was even at the party, before admitting she had been there and was 'deeply sorry' for her actions.

Broyles said she had wine and sushi with her friend, who gave her a sleeping pill to help her deal with anxiety.

However, she claims she had a bad reaction to the drug, which made her hallucinate, black out and unable to remember what happened that night.

Multiple reports of the incident published by NonDoc alleged that Broyles hurled multiple insults at the pre-teen girls including 'acne f***er', 'Hispanic f***er' and 'judgy f***er', bringing them to tears.

Broyles's friend, whose daughter was having the party, confirmed the Democrat had created an incident 'of the kind of magnitude that I needed to make phone calls to every parent [of the children in attendance] the next day to discuss one-on-one'.

She said her behavior was as a result of having a bad reaction to sleeping pills her friend gave her as they enjoyed an evening of 'wine and sushi' while watching a movie.

Sarah Matthews, (pictured) whose 12-year-old daughter was at the party, slammed Broyles's alleged behavior, claiming it was 'vile, cruel and bigoted'

'Instead of helping me sleep, I hallucinated. I don't remember anything until I woke up or came to, and I was throwing up in a hamper,' she told KFOR.

She said: 'I want to say sorry from the bottom of my heart, I apologize for any hurt or damage or trauma that my behavior, when I didn't know what I was doing, caused. I'm deeply sorry.'

She added that she didn't believe she had a problem with alcohol

She alleged Broyles scared the group of girls and claimed she 'ruined a pair of their shoes with vomit'

Sarah Matthews, whose 12-year-old daughter was at the party, said Broyles 'verbally and emotionally abused' the group of 12 and 13-year-olds on the weekend of February 12 and 13.

She wrote on Twitter: 'For someone who pontificates to be undyingly pro-woman, I am disgusted by your behavior and find it appalling you couldn't understand why their parents are angry.

'Your vile, cruel, and bigoted behavior should not be excused or 'swept under the rug'.

Broyles liked a tweet saying, 'Sometimes I have to remind myself that I don't have to get it "right", I just have to give it my best'

The Dem candidate was told she terrified the group of girls. However, she has vowed to continue with her political campaign

'Not only did you scare and traumatize these beautiful girls with your words, you ruined a pair of their shoes with your vomit! (Which she saved up to buy with her own money!)

'Considering how much you bragged about how 'rich and successful' you are to these children, surely you can afford to replace her shoes!'

Broyles did not reply to the tweets by Matthews but liked one from another user written a day later saying, 'Sometimes I have to remind myself that I don't have to get it "right", I just have to give it my best'.
A Black Lives Matter activist who was charged with attempted murder last week following an alleged assassination attempt on a Jewish mayoral candidate exhibited anti-Semitic views on social media.

Quintez Brown, 21, was arrested and charged with attempted murder shortly after Monday's shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, in which Democratic candidate Craig Greenberg narrowly avoided the bullet.

But he was released from prison and placed under house arrest just two days after the shooting when a BLM chapter, the Louisville Community Bail Fund, posted his $100,000 bond.

In the months leading up to the shooting, Brown's social media posts showed an increasing interest in Black nationalist and pan-Africanist leaders, and last week he appeared to encourage his followers to join the Lion of Judah Armed Forces.

The group shares similar ideas to the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, which claims that Black Americans are the true descendants of the Biblical Hebrews and has been associated with several murders of Jews in the US.

Brown was one of 22 people chosen to meet the former President of the United States in 2019 as part of Obama's My Brother's Keeper Alliance, which is aimed at closing achievement gaps facing young boys and men of color.

He also made regular appearances on the BBC to discuss race matters in the US, and was running as an independent candidate for Louisville's metro council.

This photo provided by Louisville Metro Department of Corrections shows Quintez Brown, who was charged with attempted murder after firing on a Jewish mayoral candidate last week

Brown (circled) was named as a 'rising face' by Barack Obama's foundation in 2019, and was one of just 22 participants chosen for the former president's My Brother's Keeper program

Brown was accused of opening fire on Monday on Greenberg (pictured), whose shirt was grazed by a bullet in his campaign headquarters in Louisville

In the months leading up to the shooting, Brown's social media posts showed an increasing interest in Black nationalist and pan-Africanist leaders, and last week he appeared to encourage his followers to join the Lion of Judah Armed Forces, a self-proclaimed militia group

Brown's recent social media activities have sparked fears that the attempted shooting last week was a hate crime.

In the week prior to the shooting, Brown appeared to encourage his followers to support the Lion of Judah Armed Forces, a self-proclaimed militia group.

A local spokesman for the Lion of Judah Armed Forces told The Daily Beast he met with Brown the Thursday prior to the attack, but said the shooter was not officially a member of the group and condemned the assassination attempt.

Brown's Twitter bio read: 'We have one scientific and correct solution, Pan-Africanism: the total liberation and unification of Africa under scientific socialism.'

His social media accounts have since been deleted.

Brown's attorney Rob Eggert meanwhile has denied claims that his client attempted to carry out an anti-Semitic attack, alleging instead that Brown was struggling with mental health issues.

'This is not a hate crime. It is a mental health case,' Eggert said, before adding that his client would undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

On Wednesday, BLM Louisville, together with the BLM-run Louisville Community Bail Fund, posted Brown's $100,000 cash bond.

Brown was placed under house arrest and fitted a GPS ankle monitor after he hours after the bail was paid.

Social activists used their publicly donated funds to secure Brown's release from behind bars, claiming he would be safer at home and he is suffering PTSD after two years of social unrest and the Covid pandemic.

The Louisville fund's co-founder and local BLM organizer Chanelle Helm said they wanted to keep Brown safe while he awaits trial, and she knows him personally through their activism.

But Brown's release from jail has angered Republicans and Democrats alike, including Greenberg who said he was 'traumatized' by the attempt on his life.

Democrat Greenberg said: 'Our criminal justice system is clearly broken. It is nearly impossible to believe that someone can attempt murder on Monday and walk out of jail on Wednesday.

'If someone is struggling with a mental illness and is in custody, they should be evaluated and treated in custody. We must work together to fix this system.'

Chanelle Helm (pictured during BLM protests in 2020) said she knows Brown personally through their activism and wanted to guarantee his safety. BLM chapter Louisville Community Bail Fund, posted Brown's $100,000 cash bond to have him released from jail two days after he tried to shoot a Jewish mayoral candidate

Senate Minority Leader, Republican Mitch McConnell, who serves the state of Kentucky, criticized Brown's release: 'A left-wing bail fund partnered with BLM Louisville to bail him out. Less than 48 hours after this activist tried to literally murder a politician, the radical left bailed their comrade out of jail'

The Lion of Judah Armed Forces group shares similar ideas to the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, which claims that Black Americans are the true descendants of the Biblical Hebrews and has been associated with several murders of Jews in the US

Senate Minority Leader, Republican Mitch McConnell, who serves the state of Kentucky, also criticized Brown's release.

'This far-left Black Lives Matter activist and defund-the-police cheerleader walked into a Jewish Democrat's campaign headquarters and opened fire,' the Senate Minority Leader said in a statement.

'But guess what: He's already been let out of jail,' McConnell added.

'A left-wing bail fund partnered with BLM Louisville to bail him out. Less than 48 hours after this activist tried to literally murder a politician, the radical left bailed their comrade out of jail.'

Charles Booker, a Louisville Democrat running for the US Senate, also released a statement opposing Brown's release, insisting that 'anyone who has been arrested for attempted murder - and is feared to be a harm to themselves and others - should be in custody.'

'The sad reality of our cash bail system is that it puts a price tag on crime without sufficient considerations for safety. This often keeps innocent people behind bars because they do not have the funds,' Booker said.

'Meanwhile, a person charged with attempted murder can be released in 48 hours if they have access to enough money.'

Brown was named as a 'rising face' by Barack Obama's foundation in 2019, and was one of just 22 participants chosen for the former president's My Brother's Keeper program, which is aimed at closing achievement gaps.

Brown's lawyer said there are 'serious mental issues at play here' and he will have Brown undergo a psychiatric evaluation before trial (Brown pictured at the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards on September 12, 2019)

Brown was named as a rising star by Barack Obama's foundation in 2019, and appears on the former president's website as a role model who bragged of inspiring young boys

Brown previously wrote a slew of opinion pieces for the Louisville Courier Journal website, including an attack on the city's police department. One article written by the shooter in May 2021 - titled 'Louisville's huge police budget is the real boogeyman traumatizing Black people' - ironically took aim at Louisville PD for failing to reduce gun violence

Brown was arrested shortly after the incident last week near Greenberg's offices (pictured). He was carrying a loaded magazine, 9mm handgun, gun case, and additional magazines when he was arrested

He still appears as a changemaker on the Obama foundation's website. DailyMail.com has contacted the foundation for further comment.

The activist, who studied at the University of Louisville and was running as an independent candidate for the city's metro council, was employed as a columnist at his local paper, the Louisville Courier Journal, where he posted regular diatribes against the police and gun ownership.

One article written by the shooter in May 2021 - titled 'Louisville's huge police budget is the real boogeyman traumatizing Black people' - ironically took aim at Louisville PD for failing to reduce gun violence.

Brown was also repeatedly hired by the BBC - the UK's prestigious public broadcaster - as a spokesman on race matters in the US.

Greenberg said he was at his campaign headquarters with four colleagues when a man appeared in the doorway and began firing multiple rounds last Monday.

One staffer managed to shut the door, which they barricaded using tables and desks, and the suspect fled.

Police apprehended Brown a short time later, less than a half-mile from the scene.

A police report said he was carrying a loaded 9 mm magazine in his pants pocket and had a drawstring bag with a handgun and additional handgun magazines.

A judge has ordered Brown to have no contact with Greenberg or his campaign staff and said Brown cannot possess firearms.

And a GOP state lawmaker, Rep. Jason Nemes of Louisville, told the Courier Journal on Thursday that he will introduce a bill this week that would allow voters to decide on a constitutional amendment allowing defendants to be detained without bail if they pose a grave danger.
Former United States President Donald Trump's social media app, "Truth," will be available for Americans to access on Monday for those who have pre-ordered the platform from the Apple Store.

On Sunday, a source familiar with the matter said that the company was operating under a staged approach. They also explained that Truth Social, the official name of the application, will populate with new users in the next 10 days.

Trump's Truth Social

The social media platform has welcomed a number of prominent users in the last week, including influencers, politicians, and celebrities. It also included Americans who were first in line to pre-order the app before its release.

Some of the distinguished people who are currently on the Truth Social media app are Fox News' Sean Hannity, Dan Bongino, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Kodak Black, Traviss Tritt, and several others.

A report earlier this month found that the platform will be fully operational by the end-of-quarter launch date. Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), which is managing the Truth Social platform, is not relying on any traditional big tech companies for infrastructure needs, said sources, but rather, uses its cloud services partnership with Rumble, as per Fox Business.

Trump announces his plans to launch the platform in October in his attempt to "stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech." Former GOP Rep. Devin Nunes serves as TMTG's chief executive in charge of overseeing the social media platform.

Read Also: National Archives Say Trump Took Classified Records After Leaving White House as Ex President's Truth App Set For Release on Monday

On Thursday, it was reported that there were roughly 500 beta users who were already using Truth Social. The platform's chief product officer reportedly released screenshots of the social media app on Saturday in his announcement that it will be released to the public by Monday.

According to Business Insider, an executive, who was listed by the social media app as Billy B, said that the platform was set for release in the Apple App store on Feb. 21, Monday. Trump's social media app releases on the day that America celebrates the Presidents' Day holiday.

"Fighting" Against Big Tech

Despite the launch on Monday, Trump's Truth Social is expected to take several weeks to reach full service, Nunes indicated. He added that the company's goal was to become fully operational by the end of March and at the very least, encompass the whole of the United States.

Truth Social is believed to be the former president's response to having been permanently forced off of Twitter after the social media platform ruled that the Republican businessman's tweets violated policies against the glorification of violence. The ruling was made with regards to Trump's posts leading up to the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot.

Twitter's decision resulted in Trump's account, which had direct contact with almost 90 million followers, being shut down. Furthermore, Facebook also suspended the former president for comments inciting violence at the Capitol but has not fully blocked Trump from the platform.

Current leaks of Truth Social showed that it resembled Twitter to a great extent but instead of blue ticks to denote verified accounts, it will use red ticks. Donald Jr., the former president's oldest son, tweeted a screenshot of his father's first post on Truth Social, saying that he would soon be seeing his supporters on the platform, The Guardian reported.



Related Article: Stimulus Check Update: Did President Joe Biden Authorize Another Round of Relief Payments?

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Ambulance trusts have revealed they are receiving dozens of complaints each year about vulnerable patients being dropped off in compromising positions.

East of England Ambulance Service left a blind patient in a hospital car park to wander around for two hours, before they were eventually guided to the correct place by a member of the public.

South Central Ambulance Service abandoned an immobile Parkinson's patient who was recovering from a tracheotomy unattended in his house, where his wife was 'surprised' to find him hours later 'exhausted and hungry'.

MailOnline conducted the survey of ambulance trusts using Freedom of Information requests.

A spokesperson for South Central Ambulance Service said: 'Our patient transport crews are non-clinical and convey patients based on the instructions given by the care provider.

'There was a lack of information provided about the patient's care requirements when the booking was made so we have since reminded the provider about the information required by our crews prior to a journey.'

Ambulance trusts have revealed they received 50 complaints last year about vulnerable patients being abandoned in compromising positions

Botched patient drop off complaints received by Ambulance Trusts, 2019 to 2021 Ambulance Trust Patient drop off complaints, 2019-21 East Midlands 38 Yorkshire 21 East of England 8 South Central 7 North East 6 West Midlands 3 North West 2 London 1 South East Coast 0 South Western 0 TOTAL 86

A private patient transport provider in East Midlands dropped off a stroke patient with limited speech at reception, but they could not find their own way through the labyrinthine hospital departments to their appointment or even ask for help, leaving the patient 'distressed'.

In 2020/21, the ten ambulance trusts in England received 50 complaints from patients who had been on the wrong end of a botched drop off, up from 36 in 2019/20 - although in some cases, the complaints received were misdirected at the ambulance trusts, as the patients' bad trips had been the fault of third-party transport providers booked by hospitals.

East Midlands Ambulance Service tops the table for the most complaints (38) received by indignant patients disappointed by their drop offs between 2019 to 2021, although other trusts' totals were reduced by their partial or total refusal to supply the requested data.

One driver left a frail old woman, who fell from the vehicle trying to get out, at the kerb to struggle to her door without any assistance.

The old woman's grandchildren complained to North East Ambulance Service, saying it took them 20 minutes to get their grandmother and her bags into the house after the driver had sped off.

East Midlands Ambulance Service received 38 complaints in two years, more than any other ambulance trust - although other trusts' totals were reduced by their partial or total refusal to supply the requested data. In addition, some of the complaints were misdirected at the trust, with third-party patient transport providers booked by hospitals actually being to blame for the patients' bad trips

The complaints to ambulance trusts from indignant patients left in compromising positions were collected by MailOnline under Freedom of Information

A complaint was received for a private patient transport company in London, who took a patient to the wrong address leaving them in their hospital gown to be cared for by bewildered neighbours.

Another vulnerable patient was left propped up in an armchair with no lifeline button passed to them, and when carers found them hours later - having not been told the patient was being discharged - they were on the floor, covered in diarrhoea and unresponsive, according to a complaint received by East Midlands Ambulance Service about a private patient transport service in their area.

A complaint received by North East Ambulance Service told of a patient who was required to turn up with a full bladder for clinical reasons being abandoned at the hospital reception - as the driver told the desperate and cross-legged patient it was not their job to take them any further.

A spokesperson for East of England Ambulance Service said: 'We work collaboratively with hospital and social care colleagues to ensure patient handovers are well managed, and we apologise unreservedly to any patients affected by instances where this has not happened.

'We continue to work closely with our private providers to ensure cases like these do not happen again, and that the high standard of care we strive to provide is delivered to all of our patients.'

Paul Liversidge, chief operating officer for North East Ambulance Service, said: 'From the hundreds of thousands of patient journeys we make each year, these are isolated incidents where our care has clearly fallen well below those expected standards.'
Sir Andrew Pollard, who helped develop the Oxford Covid jab, said fourth jabs would not be needed for the entire population

Not every Briton will need to get a Covid booster vaccine every winter, one of the country's top experts claimed today.

Oxford University's Sir Andrew Pollard  who advises No10 on the jab roll out  said the current 'wall of immunity' will keep the virus at bay for most Britons.

But he admitted it was 'reasonable to think' that the most vulnerable members of society would likely be offered top-up doses in the future.

His comments echo other scientists, who say annual Covid jabs will likely be offered to all those that get a flu shot every year. This includes the over-50s, care home residents, health workers, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised.

Sir Andrew, who is part of the team behind the AstraZeneca jab, also gave a luke-warm reception to plans to dump the last Covid measures, saying there was no 'right or wrong' time to relax the final rules.

Over-75s and the most vulnerable in Britain are expected to be offered a fourth jab within weeks. It has been six months since many received their last jab in late 2021.

Scientists say the top-up doses may be needed because of concerns over how long immunity from the jabs lasts.

Israel has offered fourth jabs to its over-60s and health workers since early January, and expanded the roll out to all adults later that month.

But some academics say the US, the UK and other major economies could be on the brink of over-vaccinating people in the fight against Covid.

Israel is offering fourth Covid jabs to all adults. Pictured is a man receiving the jab in Israel

Moves to offer a fourth Covid vaccine were revealed on Sunday, as Boris Johnson made the final tweaks to his 'living with Covid' strategy.

The plan envisages Britain shifting to relying on vaccines and other drugs to keep the virus at bay, rather than restrictions.

Sources told the Sunday Times that this means the country may need to offer an annual Covid jab, similar to the flu vaccine which is given every year to older age groups.

They said the vaccination programme would only be scaled up if a more dangerous variant emerged sparking concern in official circles.

Which countries are offering fourth doses? Israel All adults in Israel are being offered a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine. Initially only over-60s and healthcare workers were able to get the shot in early January, but later that month it was opened to all adults following a recommendation from its vaccine chiefs. Israeli officials cite research showing a fourth dose provides three to five times the level of protection against Covid as three doses to support the move. Denmark It became the first country in Europe to offer the jab to vulnerable adults in January. But this was not extended to health workers or over-85s. Danish authorities are now looking to wind down their vaccination drive by the spring, saying three doses have provided good protection. Chile This country started offering fourth jabs to its most vulnerable in January, before opening the drive to all over-55s this month. The country originally used the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine. The expanded programme now uses the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs alongside Sinovac. Germany Vaccine advisers in the country have recommended the shots for over-70s, the most vulnerable and healthcare workers. Health authorities there said they made the recommendation based on waning protection after three doses. Health ministers in the country described the decision to expand the vaccination drive as 'correct'. Advertisement

Decisions on whether to expand the Covid vaccination programme will be made by Britain's vaccine watchdog, the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation, which is chaired by Sir Andrew.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: 'As far as whether we need them for the whole population, I dont think thats likely to be the future  for whole populations to get regular doses.

'But... its certainly reasonable to think that further doses may be needed to maintain immunity in those who are at greatest risk of ending up in hospital.'

Sir Andrew, who previously insisted boosters might not be needed, also did not slam moves to dump the last Covid restrictions from Thursday.

He said it was 'enormously difficult' to decide when to end the final measures.

'There isnt a right or wrong answer to this because we dont have a measure that helps us get there,' he said.

Sir Andrew noted that although the measures had benefits, including breaking chains of transmission and limiting hospital admissions, there were also hidden harms.

'(The harms) include things, just from a health perspective, like the the impact on hospitals of having staff self-isolating, the inability to perform operations, there will be surgery cancelled today that may be critical for people because of staff who are off work during that period; the impact on education, on the workplace and the economy,' he said.

'The impacts on the economy and mental health will have longer-term consequences.

'So if we could find a measure that brings all of that together, we could work out the exact right moment (for lifting restrictions).'

He called for Covid surveillance systems for variants to remain in place, and for monitoring for outbreaks using national programmes to continue.

Britain started offering third jabs to older age groups to shore-up immunity levels from September, before the drive was opened to all adults amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

More than 66 per cent of Britons now have their third dose, but uptake has been patchy with more than 90 per cent of over-70s getting the shot compared to less than 40 per cent of younger adults.

SAGE adviser Dr Mike Tildesley has previously suggested annual Covid jabs could be needed for the most vulnerable.

Education Secretary and former vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi also made it clear that the Government intends to roll out booster doses annually.

A virologist at Cambridge University today said extra doses would likely be needed because of uncertainty over how long immunity from three jabs lasts.

Dr Chris Smith told BBC Breakfast: 'Were very well protected as a community, having been vaccinated and boosted now.

'Now, its a question of seeing what the booster does in the longer term to our immune system and also, critically, what the virus is going to do, because the virus is probably not done with us yet.

'There may be other variants that come along. They may require an update to the vaccines anyway.

'So I think well see what happens over this winter; then weve got the summer to think about how to plan for next winter and, by then, things will have moved on a bit more, well have more information.'

Some scientists have previously argued that rolling out vaccines every three-to-four months simply isn't 'doable'.

And they have said it may not even be necessary because of Omicron, which some believe has speed up the process of endemicity.

Some claim the benefits of extra jabs are minimal because their primary purpose  preventing deaths and hospitalizations  has barely waned after a year and several Covid variants, effectively meaning boosters are adding to an already high base level immunity.

Others have called for more data on dosing gaps between boosters before pressing ahead with plans to administer fourth jabs.

The WHO's director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has previously slammed moves to roll out fourth jabs, saying: 'Indiscriminate booster programs have every chance of prolonging the pandemic, rather than ending it, by diverting available doses to countries that already have high vaccination rates, thereby giving the virus more opportunities to spread. spread and mutate.'
Three people have died after a fighter jet crashed into a school in Iran, according to reports.

Emergency teams raced to the scene after the F-5 fighter jet crashed into the school, which was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, in Tabriz, a city of 1.6 million residents, at around 9am local time and burst into flames.

Two pilots and a civilian were killed in the crash, the state-run news agency IRNA said.

Today army official Reza Yousefi said the plane's pilots 'laid down their lives' and steered the plane away from the residential areas.

He said the plane was being used for training and crashed due to a technical issue.

Fire crews at the scene after the F-5 fighter jet crashed in Tabriz, a city of 1.6 million residents, at around 9am local time and burst into flames

He told Al Jazeera: 'These two pilots laid down their lives so the plane wouldn't hit residential areas.

'They could have ejected but they stayed and managed to veer it toward a non-residential area.'

General Reza Youssefi said the plane had been stationed at the Shahid Fakouri air base in Tabriz and that it was heading back from the training mission when it encountered a technical problem that prevented it from landing.

Local official Mohammad-Bagher Honarvar told state television: 'Luckily the school was closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.'

The aircraft went down around 9am local time in the city's central district of Monajem, Mr Honavar, who heads a crisis management unit in East Azerbaijan province, added.

The head of the local Red Crescent organisation said the plane crashed into an external wall, and that one of the people who had died was a nearby resident.

Today footage showed thick plumes of smoke rising into the air as fire crews tried to put out the blaze.

The charred remains of the warplane could be seen amid the rubble of the school's blackened facade.

Authorities are investigating the incident.

Iran's airforce has some 300 warplanes, mostly Russian MiG-29 and Sukhoi-25 fighters that date back to the Soviet era, as well as Chinese F-7s, and French Mirage F1s.

But decades of Western sanctions have made it hard to maintain the aging fleet.

The fleet also includes some American F-4 and F-5 jets that date back to the regime of the Western-backed shah, who was ousted in the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Experts say that only some of these aircraft are operational.

In August 2006, Iran announced it had developed a new warplane named 'Azarakhsh' (Lightning) which it described as similar to the F-5.

A year later it unveiled another home-grown jet calling it 'Saegheh' (Thunder), saying it was similar to the American F-18.

But some Western military experts have said the Saegheh is a derivative of the F-5.

Emergency teams put out the flames after the plane went down at around 9am local time in the city's central district of Monajem

The charred remains of the warplane could be seen amid the rubble of the school's blackened facade

In June 2021, two Iranian fighter jet pilots were killed when their ejector seats activated before take-off.

State broadcaster IRIB reported the F-5 fighter jet had a 'technical problem' that killed both the pilots, who were identified as as Kianoush Basati and Hossein Nami.

The report said the incident unfolded at Dezful Vahdati Air Force Base, approximately 270 miles south of the capital Tehran, and near the Iraq border.

And in 2019 a cargo plane crashed into as a residential building before exploding and killing 13 people on board after skidding off a runway.

The Boeing 707, which was carrying meat from Kyrgyzstan, skidded off the runway after an emergency landing in the town of Safadasht, near the Iranian capital of Tehran.

The plane crashed at Fath Airport when it was meant to land at the nearby Payam International Airport, about 25 miles west of Tehran, the Iranian capital.
A nurse has avoided being struck off after asking for oral sex from a student he was mentoring.

Scott Macpherson told a male student nurse it would 'cost him' to progress to the next year of his placement during a review session.

A professional conduct committee heard when the trainee, known only as Student Nurse A, joked that he could not afford any payment, Mr Macpherson leaned back in his chair and asked 'how about a bl***** instead?'

Student Nurse A was then told to not be a 'spitter' when he coughed while drinking some water, which he took to be an innuendo.

He took days off sick as he could face returning to work.

But when he eventually did come back, his mentor offered him a massage which he claimed he was good at because 'it was all about fingers', the panel heard.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council heard the student was left 'speechless' as when he declined, Mr Macpherson then said: 'I don't bite*well not unless they want me to.'

Student Nurse A has since left nursing altogether.

Scott Macpherson was working at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, Scotland, at the time

Mr Macpherson - who claimed 'banter' was commonplace between them - has now been suspended for six months after a panel found he 'violated' the student's dignity.

In May 2018, the hearing was told Mr Macpherson was working at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, Scotland, where Student Nurse A was doing his placement.

The pair worked together in the hospital's Highland Children's Unit.

During a conversation about the student's placement and whether he would progress to his third year, a panel heard Mr Macpherson said 'it'll cost you'.

The student nurse replied: 'I'm well into my overdraft, there's no chance.'

The panel heard he was left feeling 'extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed' when Mr Macpherson suggested oral sex.

Student Nurse A told the hearing: 'I reached for my water battle and took a drink; as I did so, Scott continued 'don't spit it out now, don't be a spitter'.

'This seemed to me to be an innuendo, relating to the earlier "bl*****" comment.

Both of the men were nurses in the hospital - but the victim has not been named (file pic)

'I continued with my shift but a couple times over the rest of the shift he brought up the fact that I would owe him extra or reminding me that I still hadn't given him the 'payment'.'

The panel heard Mr Macpherson reminded him up to seven times about not receiving 'payment'.

The following day, Student Nurse A phoned in sick because 'he could not face going back to that environment'.

He then reported it to the university and returned to work, hoping it was an isolated incident.

But at the beginning of his next shift, after saying he had a sore neck, the hearing was told Mr Macpherson offered him a massage.

Student Nurse A continued: 'Scott had said that he was good with giving neck massage as it was all about fingers, I reacted and went red and said no.

'Scott then said 'seriously I don't bite, not if you don't want me too'.'

'I took this to be a further sexually suggestive comment, and was totally speechless that it had happened again and so openly.

'I just stared at my water bottle and wished that I could run out or disappear.'

Mr Macpherson was then brought before a fitness to practice committee.

Suspending him, it concluded: 'The panel was of the view that the facts found proved had the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment for Student Nurse A and had the effect of violating his dignity.

'The panel noted that following that shift, he took absence on May 4, 2018 as he felt unable to attend due to the events on May 3, 2018.

'The panel also had regard to his oral evidence where he stated that he was left upset, uncomfortable, felt overwhelmed by the situation, and eventually left nursing.'
More flash supercars are fined for bad parking in Westminster than anywhere else in the UK, a recent study has found.

Bugattis, Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins and Bentleys parked inconsiderately in central London have made it a hotspot for parking fines.

Westminster Council handed out over 1.4 million tickets between the 2016 and 2021 period - more than three times as many penalty notices as Cardiff.

The number of fines given out is only exceeded by fines collected in the entire city of Manchester.

Over the last six years, the borough has collected 81 per cent of the country's fines on Bugattis and 71 per cent of fines for Rolls Royces.

More flash supercars are fined for bad parking in Westminster than anywhere else in the UK, a recent study has found. Pictured: Ferrari supercar parked on single yellow line near Harrods gets impounded

Bugattis, Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins and Bentleys parked inconsiderately in central London have made it a hotspot for parking fines. Pictured: Wardens tackle supercars parked illegally in Westminster, London

Westminster Council handed out over 1.4 million tickets between the 2016 and 2021 period - This was more than three times as many penalty notices as Cardiff (file image)

The number of fines given out is only exceeded by fines collected in the entire city of Manchester. Pictured: Wardens tackle supercars parked illegally in Westminster, London

It also had 64 per cent on Lamborghinis, 36 per cent on Aston Martins and 46 per cent on Bentleys.

A Westminster Council spokesperson said: 'Westminster is home to a large number of supercars.

'And owning a luxury or high-performance vehicle does not offer an exemption from our parking rules.

'The council has acted following complaints from residents and business owners about these vehicles parking illegally and in an inconsiderate manner.'

It follows 428 Freedom of Information requests uncovering more than 22.5 million pieces of data from 141 councils.

Westminster council makes up for 7 per cent of fines across 141 UK councils - with 88 per cent more charges than the average individual council (file image)

Westminster council makes up for 7 per cent of fines across 141 UK councils - with 88 per cent more charges than the average individual council.

This is despite Westminster, covering an area of 21km square, accounting for less than 0.09 per cent of the country's landmass.

Westminster's Parking Service is the largest troop in Europe, providing over 47,000 parking spaces and patrolling 1,990 streets and 600 miles of kerbside.

Councils invest surplus funds from fines into council schemes such as transport for children and adults in social services.

It exceeds those of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast, alongside the counties of Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Cornwall.

Westminster's Parking Service is the largest troop in Europe, providing over 47,000 parking spaces and patrolling 1,990 streets and 600 miles of kerbside (file image)

Westminster council was reported to make 140 a minute last year in parking fines, taking in 74.4million from charges in 2019-20.

This news comes as parking fines will be slashed from 100 to 50 as part of a long-awaited crackdown on cowboy private firms.

Under a Parking Code of Practice being unveiled by ministers earlier this month, ruthless wardens will also be forced to give drivers a ten-minute grace period for overstaying their ticket.

A simpler and fairer independent appeals process will be created to give more motorists the benefit of the doubt in cases involving honest mistakes or situations outside of their control.

These will include where drivers accidentally key in a wrong digit when typing their number plate into ticket machines, not displaying their valid ticket correctly or overstaying due to breaking down.
This is the horrifying moment a 98ft crane toppled over in 90mph winds and crushed two builders to death in Poland as storms battered Europe.

Footage posted online shows debris, including leaves, plastic and panels of plasterboard, flying through the air in high winds and lashing rain in Krakow, Poland.

The 98ft crane initially looks stable despite the weather conditions, part of Storm Eunice that brought record 122mph winds to the UK, but then starts to fall backwards.

The crane, which was out of service at the time, disappears behind an apartment block as it smashes down, killing two workers and injuring another two, police said.

Polish officials, who have opened an investigation into the accident, recorded wind speeds of up to 40mph in the area on Thursday.

This is the horrifying moment a 98ft crane toppled over in 90mph winds and crushed two builders to death in Poland as storms battered Europe

Footage posted online shows debris, including leaves, plastic and panels of plasterboard, flying through the air in high winds and lashing rain in Krakow, Poland, as the crane topples over behind an apartment block

The 98ft crane initially looks stable in the video despite the weather conditions, which were part of Storm Eunice that brought record 122mph winds to the UK, but then starts to fall backwards

The crane, which was out of service at the time, disappears behind an apartment block as it smashes down, killing two workers and injuring another two, police said

One of the builders who died was on the ground while the other was working on a nearby rooftop when they were crushed, Vertikal.net reported.

One was declared dead at the scene and the second died in hospital after succumbing to his injuries on Thursday.

Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident and probing whether officials properly secured the crane in preparation for strong winds.

The crane had been working on a five-storey building prior to the incident but was out of service on Thursday because of the storm.

A statement from the developer, the Murapol Group, said all cranes were taken out of service as a result of the wind meaning there was 'no operator in the cabin of the machine' at the time of the accident.

It said the two builders killed and the two injured were working for a sub-contractor.

'The Murapol Group will provide the emergency services and safety authorities with the necessary information to explain the causes of the situation,' the statement added.

'At the same time, we express our deep sympathy for the family of the person who died as a result of this unfortunate accident.'

Storms battered Poland, destroying this house elevation in Pozan, west-central Poland, on Thursday

Construction workers repair traffic lights in Poznan, Poland, on Friday after they were felled by strong winds as storms battered northern Europe

Poland's meteorology directorate warned on Thursday that wind speeds would top 100km per hour (62mph) as the storms swept through the country

Poland's meteorology directorate warned on Thursday that wind speeds would top 100km per hour (62mph) as the storms swept through the country.

It said on Thursday that at least 3,000 houses had been left without power after the first wave of bad weather passed through northern Europe.

The second major storm in three days smashed through northern Europe on Friday, killing at least nine people as high winds felled trees, cancelled train services and ripped sections off the roof of London's O2 Arena.

The weather system, known as Storm Zeynep in Germany, pushed into the European mainland, prompting high wind warnings in Belgium, Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany.

In the Netherlands, firefighters said three people were killed by falling trees in and around Amsterdam, and a fourth died in the northern province of Groningen after driving his car into a fallen tree.

And in neighboring Belgium an elderly man died when high winds pushed him into a canal in Ypres.

Eunice was the second named storm to hit Europe last week, with the first storm killing at least five people in Germany and Poland.

At least 3,000 houses in Poland were left without power after the first wave of bad weather passed through northern Europe on Thursday
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Russian battleplans call for an 'overwhelming intensity of fire' on Ukraine that could kill 'tens of thousands' within the opening days of a conflict, the US has warned, as Putin moves his troops within three miles of the border.

Tanks, trucks and artillery have been spotted just two and a half miles from Ukrainian territory in Russia's Belgorod region as new satellite images reveal convoys and troops hiding in civilian areas and the tree-lines of forests in Soloti and Valuyki - a short distance from Ukraine's Kharkiv region where major military bases are located.

Diplomacy is continuing despite the threat, though the Kremlin this morning downplayed the possibility of a meeting between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin next week - after the White House said that Biden had agreed 'in principle' to talks brokered by France, provided war did not break out in the meantime.

'It's premature to talk about any specific plans for organising any kind of summits,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that no 'concrete plans' had been put in place for a meeting.

The next high-level negotiations between the two sides are due for Thursday this week, when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with the issue of Biden-Putin talks expected to be on the agenda.

Meanwhile Russian military exercises in Belarus which were due to end on Sunday have been extended to an unspecified date, meaning 30,000 men plus ballistic missile launchers, artillery and tanks will remain in place on Ukraine's northern border and within easy striking distance of Kiev.

Biden warned at the weekend that Putin has already given the order to attack, leaving the world guessing as to where and how hard the hammer will fall. American officials who claimed to have seen some of the Kremlin's battle plans warned that a full scale bombardment of the country is being prepared.

'We were told to expect tens of thousands of casualties in the opening days,' one official told the New York Times.

Russia is also preparing a 'hit list' of targets for assassination or arrest once it has troops in Ukraine, US officials said, with political figures, anti-corruption activists, Belarusian and Russian dissidents and LGBT activists all on it.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that it appears Putin's invasion plan has 'already begun', but that a 'window for diplomacy' still exists, while UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, after meeting with NATO, said an invasion appears 'highly likely' but insisted that diplomacy must be pursued.

Elsewhere today...

Fresh explosions were heard in Ukraine's eastern regions including around the Donetsk Airport, with separatist leaders claiming a hospital was struck

Separatist commanders also alleged that 'clashes' have taken place near the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, close to the border with pro-Russian forces

Russia claimed that a Ukrainian shell hit its territory in the Rostov-on-Don region, destroying an unoccupied guard post. Kiev has strongly denied shelling separatist or Russian positions

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's defence minister, asked the EU to start imposing sanctions on Russia now in order to avert a war as he met with diplomats in Brussels

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Russia of playing an 'irresponsible' game with people's lives in eastern Ukraine after a ramp-up of shelling in recent days

Russia has moved its forces to within three miles of the Ukrainian border, with tanks spotted on manoeuvres in Kursk (left) at the weekend and support trucks in Belgorod (right) on Monday

Satellite images reveal Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are now being concealed within civilian areas and forests close to the border, such as these vehicles on farmland near Soloti

Russian military vehicles are spotted formed up into a convoy and heading south next to a highway and near a forest in Soloti, around 10 miles from the Ukraine border

Russian troops and tanks are spotted in a forest area near civilian buildings (bottom left) near Belgorod, just a short distance from the border with Ukraine

Russian 'terminator' tanks - armoured vehicles that are designed to support infantry units fighting in urban areas - were spotted being transferred to the frontlines at the weekend

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) hammered out a tentative meeting between President Biden (L) and President Putin (R) to discuss 'security and strategic stability in Europe'

'As we've seen in the past, we expect Russia will try to force cooperation through intimidation and repression,' a US official told Foreign Policy magazine.

'These acts, which in past Russian operations have included targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, detentions, and the use of torture, would likely target those who oppose Russian actions.

'[That] includes Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBT persons.'

There are now thought to be 190,000 Russian troops on the border of Ukraine comprising around three quarters of its conventional forces backed by 500 fighter jets, 50 heavy bombers, and dozens of attack helicopters.

The Kremlin denies it has plans to attack, but Western allies say Putin is trying to concoct a pretext to invade by stirring up conflict in two breakaway eastern regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - and staging 'false flag' attacks to justify marching his troops in on a mission to 'protect' them.

Heavy shelling was reported along the frontline at the weekend, leaving several Ukrainian troops dead, following what Russian state media claimed were terror attacks targeting top officials and a gas pipeline in the two regions - which the West said was staged.

The Kremlin has also been pushing claims that 'mass graves' containing the bodies of civilians killed by Ukrainian troops have been discovered in the region, and today submitted documents containing those allegations to the UN Security Council.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians - mostly women, children and the elderly - are now being evacuated from rebel-held areas into Russia due to the 'threat'. Fighting-age men have been ordered to stay behind under the threat of legal sanctions if they try to leave.

Video shows another Russian field hospital established in the Belgorod region, near the border with Ukraine, amid fears it marks one of the final preparations for an attack

In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered with the aid of French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said Biden has agreed 'in principle' to a meeting with Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that 'we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins.'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe - as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand.

'We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war,' Psaki said in statement.

'And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.'

Despite the threat, life in the capital Kiev outwardly continued as usual for many Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack.

Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capital's St. Michael's monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared.

'We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life,' Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. 'We should appreciate it every day. That's why I think everything will be fine.'

'Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing,' said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh.

A U.S. official said Sunday that Biden's assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine - a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russia's orbit - and is now trying to create pretexts to invade.

Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Putin does.

U.S. officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called passionately Saturday for the West to do more.

'If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesn't exist anymore as a deterrent,' Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox on Washington's sanctions threat.

Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraine's soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict.

The Kremlin has poured cold water on the possibility of talks between Putin and Biden, saying no 'concrete plans' have been put in place - despite the White House saying it had agreed 'in principle' to negotiations next week

This handout picture taken by Ukrainian Naval Forces Press Service and realised on February 21, 2022 shows Ukrainian tanks in an unknown location of Ukraine

This handout picture released on February 21, 2022 by the press service of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in an unknown location of Ukraine shows Ukrainian soldiers taking part in exercises

Images taken from a Ukrainian attack helicopter shows a combat flight exercise over the fields of Ukraine

Ukraine's Armed Forces have been engaged in rigorous training exercises in recent weeks as they prepare for a potential invasion

Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russia's military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion.

'We're talking about the potential for war in Europe,' U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. 'It's been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security.'

Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed on Twitter for a cease-fire. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyy's offer Saturday to meet with Putin.

After a call with Macron, Putin blamed Ukraine - incorrectly, according to observers there - for the escalation of shelling along the contact line and NATO for 'pumping modern weapons and ammunition' into Ukraine.

Macron, a leader in European efforts to broker a peaceful resolution with Russia, also spoke separately to Zelenskyy, to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and to Biden.

Blinken intentionally raised the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit in interviews with U.S. television networks on Sunday, in a bid to keep diplomacy alive, a senior U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. reasoning.

Blinken said that Biden was 'prepared to meet President Putin at any time in any format if that can help prevent a war' and the U.S. official said Macron had then conveyed the offer of talks to Putin - conditioned on Russia not invading - in his phone calls with the Russian leader.

Tensions mounted further, however. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory urging greater caution by Americans in Russia overall. 'Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance,' it warned.

Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

In the eastern Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action.

Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraine's military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday.

'When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences,' Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television.

President Joe Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council on Sunday to discuss the latest developments regarding Russia's expected invasion of Ukraine

Russian attack helicopters are pictured taking part in joint drills in Belarus on Sunday, as the Kremlin announced the drills will not end as expected but will be extended to an unknown date - meaning 30,000 troops remain in the country

Smoke rises into the air after Russian attack helicopters blew up a target on a firing range in Belarus during joint training exercises on Sunday - amid fears of an invasion

Tanks and armoured vehicles of the Russian and Belarusian militaries take part in training exercises at the weekend, shortly before the Kremlin announced the drill will be extended and its forces will remain in the country

Russian and Belarussian machine-gunners take part in joint training exercises in Belarus at the weekend

Russian troop tents and tanks (left and centre) are seen near a forested area of the Belgorod region, close to the border with Ukraine, on Sunday amid fears the order to attack will be given soon

Russian troops and tanks (left) are shown parked up next to attack helicopters (centre) near the town of Valuyki, Belgorod region, close to the border with Ukraine

Russian tanks and trucks are seen parked in the tree line of a forest in the Belgorod region of Russia (right) in an apparent attempt to hide them from prying satellites

A satellite image shows additional armor and equipment deployed along a tree line, near Valuyki, Russia

A satellite image shows an overview of a new deployment, east of Valuyki, Russia

On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote.

'Right now, we don't respond to their fire because ...' the soldier said before the sound of an incoming shell interrupted him. 'Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.'

On Friday, separatist officials announced the evacuation of civilians and military mobilization in the face of what they described as an imminent Ukrainian offensive on the rebel regions. Ukrainian officials have strongly denied any plans to launch such an attack and described the evacuation order as part of Russian provocations intended to set the stage for an invasion.

The separatist authorities said Monday that at least four civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling over the past 24 hours and several others were injured. Ukraine's military said two Ukrainian soldiers were killed over the weekend, and another serviceman was wounded Monday.

Ukrainian military spokesman Pavlo Kovalchyuk said the Ukrainian positions were shelled 80 times Sunday and eight times early Monday, noting that the separatists were 'cynically firing from residential areas using civilians as shields.' He insisted that Ukrainian forces weren't returning fire.

In the village of Novognativka on the government-controlled side, 60-year-old Ekaterina Evseeva, said the shelling was worse than at the height of fighting early in the conflict.

'It's worse than 2014,' she said, her voice trembling. 'We are on the edge of nervous breakdowns. And there is nowhere to run.'

Evseeva said that residents were hunkering down in basements amid the renewed fighting: 'Yesterday I saw my neighbor with her 2-month-old as she was running to the basement. It shouldn't be like this.'

Moscow denies any plans to invade Ukraine, but wants Western guarantees that NATO won't allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members. It also urges the alliance to halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe - demands flatly rejected by the West.

Russian officials have shrugged off Western calls to deescalate by pulling back troops, arguing that Moscow is free to deploy troops and conduct drills wherever it likes on its territory. Last week, Western officials dismissed Russian statements about some of the troops returning to their bases, saying that Moscow was actually beefing up its forces around Ukraine.

A U.S. official said Sunday that Biden's assertion last week that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

Russia also upped the ante Saturday with sweeping nuclear drills that included multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that Putin personally oversaw.

Ukraine's president reaffirmed his call for a quick meeting with Putin to help defuse tensions, but there was no response from the Kremlin.

The European Union's top diplomat, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, welcomed the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit but said that should diplomacy fail the 27-nation bloc has finalized its package of sanctions for use if Putin orders an invasion.

'The work is done. We are ready,' said Borrell, who is chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers and was tasked with drawing up a list of people in Russia to be hit with asset freezes and travel bans. He provided no details about who might be targeted.

The European Commission has prepared other sanctions to 'limit the access to financial markets for the Russian economy and (impose) export controls that will stop the possibility for Russia to modernize and diversify its economy,' its president, Ursula von der Leyen, said over the weekend.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed Macron's summit initiative and warned Russia against any false flag action to provoke hostilities. 'I appeal urgently to the Russian government, to the Russian president: Don't play with human lives,' she said as she arrived at the EU top diplomats' meeting.
Experts told MailOnline 'we do not need to wait until cases reach some unspecified lower level' to ease rules

The move only affects England, but Scotland and Wales are expected to further ease rules next week

He is expected to scrap self-isolation laws and free tests, as well as plans to give fourth jabs to some groups

It comes as Boris Johnson is scheduled to set out his 'living with Covid' plans to the Commons this afternoon

The number of infected people taking up critical care beds has fallen to 346  the lowest figure since July

Figures show Covid cases falling in nine out of 10 of England's neighbourhoods, with 88% drops in some parts

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Covid cases are now falling in nearly all of England's neighbourhoods, according to official data which illustrates how the country's Omicron-fuelled wave has collapsed over the past fortnight.

Government statistics reveal outbreaks are shrinking or flat in 95 per cent of the nation's 7,000 neighbourhoods, with the trend visible in a series of fascinating maps.

Meanwhile, the number of infected patients being treated in intensive care has fallen to levels not seen since last summer. And the ultra-transmissible variant, which is milder than rivals it overtook, never really triggered a surge on ICUs, despite cases hitting pandemic highs.

NHS England statistics show just 346 critical care beds were occupied by Covid patients on February 15, the most recent day figures are available for. The figure is around a third of that seen at the Omicron peak and the smallest number since July.

The catalogue of promising figures have given Boris Johnson confidence to ditch all remaining Covid restrictions, with the Prime Minister set to confirm self-isolation rules will be axed later this week when he unveils his blueprint for living alongside the virus later today.

Mr Johnson is due to make a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon, before holding a Downing Street press conference this evening.

As well as confirming the scrapping of the legal duty for infected people to quarantine, he is expected to produce a timetable for scrapping 'free' tests which have been costing the taxpayer around 2billion a month, and discuss plans to dish out fourth vaccines to older adults and the immunocompromised.

The move will only affect England, but Scotland and Wales are expected to further ease rules next week. Northern Ireland already lifted all legally binding Covid rules last week.

Professor Robert Dingwall, a former Government Covid adviser, told MailOnline that 'we do not need to wait until cases reach some unspecified lower level' for restrictions to ease.

He said spring is our 'best chance' to move on from the acute phase of the pandemic because of the country's sky-high immunity levels  derived from the hugely successful vaccine roll-out and numerous waves.

And Professor David Livermore, a microbiologist at the University of East Anglia, said restrictions should be lifted now because 'they are costly and achieving little'. The public will look back at the curbs which have been in place over the last two years as a 'wild over-reaction', he said.

 Slide me  Government statistics reveal outbreaks are shrinking or flat in 95 per cent of the nation's 7,000 neighbourhoods, with the trend visible in a series of fascinating maps. The left map shows the Covid infection rate per 100,000 people on January 4, while the right map shows the infection rate on January 15

The graph shows the rolling Covid case rate across the UK's four nations, which have been trending downwards since the Omicron peak in January

NHS England data shows the number of Covid-infected people occupying critical care beds. Just 346 people infected with the virus were in critical care beds on February 15, the most recent data figures are available for. The number has dropped 18 per cent in a week and nearly a third of the 996 in intensive care beds on December 31 at the winter peak. The figure is also around 12-times lower than the spike last winter, when more than 4,000 patients across England were in critical care beds on a single day

Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that out of the 6,789 smallest geographical areas in England, Covid cases have fallen week-on-week in 6,346 (93.5 per cent).

The biggest weekly drops were seen in parts of the North East, including Bowling Park in Bradford, Barnoldswick South in Pendle and Ravensthorpe in Kirklees, where cases fell by up to 88 per cent in the week to February 15.

Areas in Wigan, Leicester, Birmingham, Stockton-on-Tees and Birmingham also saw significant drops over the same time period, with cases falling by up to 80 per cent in parts of the region.

Cases dropped by a third, on average, across England's regions.

Infections have been trending downwards nation-wide since the daily count of confirmed cases peaked at 234,747 on January 4.

Just 23,831 positive tests were announced in England yesterday  a tenth of the level seen at Omicron's worst point and a drop of 26 per cent week-on-week.

Free Covid tests are set to stay for over-80s and most vulnerable - as minister says NHS should save 2BILLION a month from scaling back system Over-80s and the most vulnerable will still be offered free Covid tests after they are scrapped nationwide, it was claimed today. Boris Johnson will unveil his 'living with Covid' strategy later today, with the Prime Minister expected to lay out a timetable for axing public access to lateral flow and PCR swabs. The regime  thought to cost taxpayers around 2billion a month  could start to be wound down within weeks. But after wrangling between Sajid Javid's Department of Health and Rishi Sunak's Treasury, free testing is likely to be kept in place for at-risk groups. As well as the over-80s, Whitehall sources say free tests may still be made available to NHS staff, hospital patients and care home residents. No10's business minister Paul Scully today said the Government 'cannot continue forevermore spending 2billion a month on tests'. He said: 'Theres a lot of other backlogs in the NHS, other illnesses in the NHS, that that money could otherwise go for.' But Labour, the unions and medical experts argue it is simply too early to consider scrapping Covid curbs. Advertisement

The number of daily tests carried out has also been falling. Latest figures show 34 per cent fewer swabs were conducted on February 19 in England compared to one week earlier.

But the positivity rate  the proportion of swabs that detect the virus  is also trending downwards, suggesting that the fall in cases is genuine and not simply down to fewer tests being carried out.

Around 1.7 million people took a PCR test in the week to February 11 and 11.3 per cent of them tested positive.

For comparison, at the Omicron peak in January, 3.7million people were tested in a week and 32.2 per cent tested positive.

PCR test positivity is sitting between 10 and 12 per cent across England's nine regions, with the lowest positivity rates in the North West (10.2 per cent) and London (10.8 per cent), while the rate is slightly higher in the South West (12.6 per cent) and East Midlands (12.4 per cent).

The figures have not been this low since early December, before the Omicron strain took off across the country.

Meanwhile, hospitalisation data from England's health service shows just 346 people infected with the virus were in critical care beds on February 15.

The most recent daily figure is 18 per cent lower than seven days earlier and nearly a third of the 996 in intensive care beds on December 31 at the winter peak.

The number is also around 12-times lower than the spike seen last winter, when more than 4,000 patients across England were in critical care beds on a single day.

Daily Covid hospitalisations in England dropped to 900 on Friday, the lowest level since mid-December, before the Omicron wave took off. And the number of virus patients being treated by the NHS fell to just 9,058 yesterday, the lowest number in nearly two months.

Separate data also shows that around half of Covid 'patients' in hospital aren't primarily ill with the virus and just incidentally have it.

Professor Dingwall, who used to sit on the JCVI's Covid subcommittee, told MailOnline the data shows that Covid appears 'to be set firmly on a downward course' and that vaccines are 'clearly blocking the most severe outcomes'.

He said: 'As we saw last summer, removing legal restrictions does not result in sudden changes in people's behaviour but gradual shifts as confidence returns to everyday life.

'We do not need to wait until cases reach some unspecified lower level to take our fingers off the scales and allow infections and behaviour to find their own balance.

'Spring is a time for new hope and new beginnings as we venture out from the confinements of winter.

'It is our best chance to make the transition from a severe pandemic illness to a generally mild endemic one, in a population with high degree of immunity from vaccination and prior infections.'

The data comes as Boris Johnson is scheduled to set out his plans for lifting remaining Covid curbs in Parliament later this afternoon, following a Cabinet meeting to sign off the steps.

The maps show the infection rate across the UK, based on how many people tested positive per 100,000 in each region, with blue signalling lower infection rates and purple and black highlighting regions with the worst outbreaks. The left map shows the UKs outbreak in the week to November 16, while the right map shows the infection rate in the week to November 23

The maps show the infection rate across the UK, based on how many people tested positive per 100,000 in each region, with blue signalling lower infection rates and purple and black highlighting regions with the worst outbreaks. The left map shows the UKs outbreak in the week to November 30, while the right map shows the infection rate in the week to December 7

The maps show the infection rate across the UK, based on how many people tested positive per 100,000 in each region, with blue signalling lower infection rates and purple and black highlighting regions with the worst outbreaks. The left map shows the UKs outbreak in the week to December 14, while the right map shows the infection rate in the week to December 21

The maps show the infection rate across the UK, based on how many people tested positive per 100,000 in each region, with blue signalling lower infection rates and purple and black highlighting regions with the worst outbreaks. The left map shows the UKs outbreak in the week to December 28, while the right map shows the infection rate in the week to January 4

The maps show the infection rate across the UK, based on how many people tested positive per 100,000 in each region, with blue signalling lower infection rates and purple and black highlighting regions with the worst outbreaks. The left map shows the UKs outbreak in the week to January 11, while the right map shows the infection rate in the week to January 18

The maps show the infection rate across the UK, based on how many people tested positive per 100,000 in each region, with blue signalling lower infection rates and purple and black highlighting regions with the worst outbreaks. The left map shows the UKs outbreak in the week to January 25, while the right map shows the infection rate in the week to February 1

The maps show the infection rate across the UK, based on how many people tested positive per 100,000 in each region, with blue signalling lower infection rates and purple and black highlighting regions with the worst outbreaks. The left map shows the UKs outbreak in the week to February 8, while the right map shows the infection rate in the week to February 15

He is set to cancel the legal requirement for people to self-isolate after testing positive. The move could come as soon as Thursday.

However, guidance is expected to be unveiled that asks people to stay at home and limit the spread of the virus if they have an infection confirmed.

Mr Johnson is also expected to announce a future date when free lateral flow and PCR Covid tests, which cost around 2billion per month, will be scrapped. However, the over-80s, most vulnerable, NHS staff and hospital patients will still be able to access the swabs without paying for them.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that a fourth Covid jab will be offered to at-risk groups, subject to the move being approved by No10's vaccine advisers, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Top Oxford professor says entire country probably won't need Covid jab every winter Not every Briton will need to get a Covid booster vaccine every winter, one of the country's top experts claimed today. Oxford University's Sir Andrew Pollard  who advises No10 on the jab roll out  said the current 'wall of immunity' will keep the virus at bay for most Britons. But he admitted it was 'reasonable to think' that the most vulnerable members of society would likely be offered top-up doses in the future. His comments echo other scientists, who say annual Covid jabs will likely be offered to all those that get a flu shot every year. This includes the over-50s, care home residents, health workers, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised. Sir Andrew, who is part of the team behind the AstraZeneca jab, also gave a luke-warm reception to plans to dump the last Covid measures, saying there was no 'right or wrong' time to relax the final rules. Over-75s and the most vulnerable in Britain are expected to be offered a fourth jab within weeks. It has been six months since many received their last jab in late 2021. Scientists say the top-up doses may be needed because of concerns over how long immunity from the jabs lasts. Israel has offered fourth jabs to its over-60s and health workers since early January, and expanded the roll out to all adults later that month. But some academics say the US, the UK and other major economies could be on the brink of over-vaccinating people in the fight against Covid. Advertisement

The second booster jab would be on top of the Covid vaccination rollout to children aged five to 11, which was announced last week but will not commence until April.

However, Oxford University's Sir Andrew Pollard  who advises the Government on the jab roll out  today said not all Britons will not need a Covid jab every year.

Ministers hope the steps will maintain the virus at an equilibrium, where restrictions are not required due to built up immunity from the Covid jabs and natural infection.

Government data shows 91.4 per cent of over-12s have had at least one dose, while 85 per cent are double-jabbed and two-thirds are boosted.

And the Office for National Statistics estimates 98 per cent of the UK's population has Covid antibodies, either from vaccination or natural infection.

However, Government scientists last week warned that lifting Covid curbs and allowing the virus to circulate at a higher level in the population increases the risk of a new and more severe variant emerging.

The SAGE panel said on Friday that Omicron's reduced severity was a 'chance' event and argued that it's a 'common misconception' that viruses evolve to become weaker.

They warned of a 'realistic possibility' that a variant could spawn that is just as lethal as other coronaviruses known to strike humans, such as MERS, which has a 35 per cent case fatality rate.

And other experts have hit out at the plans, warning it leaves vulnerable groups at a higher chance of becoming infected.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that the end of testing could prevent the UK reacting to new variant threats, while Wales branded the idea 'unacceptable'. Although the devolved administrations have policy-making powers, their hand could be forced by Westminster turning off the spending taps.

There are also concerns that employers and workers face confusion when self-isolation rules lapse.

But Professor Livermore told MailOnline that the 'living with Covid' plans accept 'the inescapable reality' that the virus is 'with us for the foreseeable future and that it is evolving to be one more sort of unpleasant cold'.

He said a 'night watchman' surveillance system  which is in place to monitor other respiratory viruses, such as the flu  will be needed.

But it is 'no longer appropriate to view Covid as an especial threat', Professor Livermore said.

He added: 'Rising post-infection immunity, together with vaccination, have greatly reduced the risk of severe disease.

'Meanwhile the cost and damage of the restrictions remains: Test and Trace, including free lateral flow and PCR tests, costs 2bilion per month, which is almost double what the new National Insurance levy will raise.

'Given all this, there is no good reason to continue with restrictions; they are costly and are achieving little.

'In a year or two we will look back upon what has been done these past 24 months as a wild over-reaction.'
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With the government today announcing the abolition of all remaining Covid restrictions - including the legal requirement to self-isolate - employers face major decisions about which policies to adopt.

Today, small business minister Paul Scully confirmed it would be down to businesses themselves to decide the best way forward, including whether staff should stay at home if they test positive.

Companies also face a raft of other decisions, from whether to pay for tests when the government stops providing them for free, to questions over mask mandates and social distancing rules.

Then there's the question of sick pay, with unions today warning that two million employees could be forced to continue working because they are not paid enough to be entitled to it.

Firms have a legal duty to protect their employees, leaving them vulnerable to legal action if they allow staff who have tested positive to come into work, or are seen as tolerating an unhealthy environment.

Here, MailOnline runs through some of the key questions about the world of work after 'Freedom Day'.

Bosses and workers now need to navigate a knot of confusing laws and guidance to ensure they avoid legal jeopardy

What is the government planning to announce today and how will it affect my business?

The Prime Minister is expected to unveil his 'living with Covid' plan today, with reports it will include the end of universal free tests, as well as the legal requirement to self-isolate.

Queen tests positive for Covid but only has 'mild' symptoms The Queen has tested positive for Covid just days after Charles and Camilla both caught the virus, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. The monarch, 95, is understood to be experiencing 'mild cold like symptoms', but is expected to continue with light duties at Windsor over the coming week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all appropriate guidelines. It comes just two weeks after the Queen reached her historic Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years on the throne on February 6. Covid symptoms may appear from two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, but it is understood a number of cases have also been diagnosed among the Windsor Castle team. Buckingham Palace said in a statement today: 'Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid. 'Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. 'She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.' Prime Minister Boris Johnson today tweeted his well wishes to the monarch, saying: 'Im sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health.' Advertisement

This means companies will have to decide whether to pay for tests for staff, and set their own self-isolation policies.

Business minister Paul Scully said it was the right move, and that the PM would be weighing up the balance between a return to normality and keeping people safe.

Mr Scully told Sky News: 'Infections are coming down quite rapidly, the hospitalisations and deaths are following as well - they tend to lag behind, obviously, the case numbers - but nonetheless you can see the trend within that.'

He said Mr Johnson will be 'looking at the best advice possible but getting the balance right'.

If a worker gets Covid will they have to self-isolate?

Today, Paul Scully said it would be down to employers and employees to make decisions over self-isolating.

The business minister told Sky News: 'I would say that it's like any illness, frankly, any transmissible illness that you would say stay at home.'

He said if an employee had flu, they would be expected to stay at home, 'but it'll be down to themselves or down to their employer'.

Asked what action employees should take if their employers tried to force them in if they were ill with Covid, Mr Scully said: 'This is why we need to make sure that we've got really good guidance for employers.

'But as I say, there will come a time when the pandemic moves to more of an endemic approach to Covid, in the same way that flu and other viruses are treated, and that's what we've got to get back to.

'But it's a fine balance, clearly, and that's why Cabinet's meeting this morning, to go through the science, to go through that balance and debate it and then, obviously, the Prime Minister (will) come before Parliament to make his announcement.'

Richard Fox, an employment partner at Kingsley Napley, said staff may need to produce proof that they are ill to avoid coming into the office.

'You should tell your boss that you cannot come into work because you have tested positive,' he said.

'The employer cannot force you back in if you're unwell. But if someone doesn't come in they can require within a certain number of days that the person gets a certificate from a GP saying whether they are fit to come into work.

'And the employer can also require the staff member to be seen to judge whether they are fit to return to work.'

Case rates reported by the UK Health Security Agency on Sunday fell by 37 per cent on last week to 25,696 cases - the lowest figure since August last year

Deaths however increased slightly compared to last Sunday, rising from 52 to 74. It comes as Boris Johnson urged people to be 'more confident and get back to work' as he heralded this coming Thursday as Covid Freedom Day

What if one of my employees has Covid?

'They should be allowed to stay at home until they are better - forcing them to come in could raise an issue under health and safety at work legislation,' says Richard Fox.

'Employers are responsible for the health and safety of all their employees, and if they force someone to come and they or other staff suffer they could be liable.'

Speaking today, Mr Scully said businesses still had a statutory duty of care.

NHS chiefs call for free virus tests and self-isolation rules to stay Free Covid tests and self-isolation rules must continue, NHS leaders have said in a last ditch attempt to persuade Boris Johnson against dropping all remaining restrictions next week. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of NHS Confederation  an organisation that represents leaders across the health service, warned uncertainty over long-term immunity from vaccines and previous infection and the risk of future variants meant it was still too early to drop the final measures. He urged ministers 'now is not the time to take risks', saying the last restrictions should only be relaxed gradually and on the basis of evidence to avoid any sudden flare-ups, even though cases, hospitalisations and deaths have all been trending downwards for weeks as the Omicron wave recedes. Calling for the brakes to be slammed onto No10's 'living with Covid' plans, Mr Taylor  Tony Blair's former policy adviser  said: 'The Government cannot wave a magic wand and pretend the threat has disappeared entirely.' He added the move to exit the acute phase of the pandemic 'must not be driven by political expediency'. Other healthcare leaders also urged the Prime Minister to re-consider his plans today, saying he should ease the last restrictions 'gradually'. Advertisement

'I would say that it's like any illness, frankly, any transmissible illness that you would say stay at home,' he said, but he admitted 'it'll be down to themselves or down to their employer'.

He said workers should contact Acas if they 'really think that there is a detriment to them'.

What can I do if they insist on coming in? Can I force them to go home?

Stephen Morrall, of Hunters Law LLP, said 'a number of different legal considerations' would apply in this instance.

'If you have Covid and you are suffering from symptoms, a good employer would ask you not to come into the office,' he said.

'They must have regard to the health and safety of the individual and their other staff. You can't force somebody not to come in through the door, but if an employee insisted on doing so, the employer would need to decide whether it was reasonable in the circumstances to instruct the employee to return home.

'If the employee refused to comply with a reasonable instruction, this could become a disciplinary issue which could ultimately lead to dismissal. In reality, this sort of situation is self-regulating as most employees will not want to work if they are sick.'

What can I do if a colleague has it?

'If two secretaries came in and one was ill, the other one would not have the authority to ask her to go home, but she could ring up HR and then they would make a decision,' said Mr Morrall.

'If the outcome was to ask the sick employee to go home that is likely to be considered a reasonable request.'

Do businesses still need to test people or ask them to wear masks?

'The government's policy is to remove the legal restrictions and persuade people to act sensibly - they want it to be self-regulating, which is a very English approach,' said Mr Morrall.

'In England the law doesn't prescribe things unless they are necessary, and things are done by consensus.

'So once all further restrictions are removed, I will recommend people at my firm take tests periodically during the week. But it will be down to each company, and their employees, to decide for themselves.'

Can a vulnerable colleague sue if they get Covid off an infected person?

'It's unlikely - first of all it would be virtually impossible to prove how you've caught Covid, because if you go out of your house and come within a metre of someone you could have caught it from anybody,' said Mr Morrall.

'If they come into work they are taking a conscious risk. It's not like falling off a ladder - which would be a workplace injury.'

What are unions saying?

Kate Bell, from the TUC trade union, today expressed concern about the millions of workers who are not entitled to statutory sick pay.

She fears they could be forced to continue working even if they are positive, putting their colleagues at risk.

'Everyone wants to get back to normal as quickly as possible but we need to do it safely,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'We know 2million people in low-paid jobs don't qualify for sick pay because they don't earn enough.

'That's a major issue for them and it's going to be a major issue if you're facing that difficult choice about whether you can afford to pay for Covid tests. We don't know what Covid tests will be priced at if charges are introduced.

'People want to be able to do Covid tests and stay at home if they are sick to keep their colleagues safe. That shouldn't be a choice people are forced to make on their own.'

What if my boss tries to force me in?

'Employers can give ''lawful and reasonable'' instructions to their employees, but I would question whether this would be a lawful and reasonable reason,' said Richard Fox.

'I suspect there will be some difficult situations to come. It's a big jump to say that people can come in whether hitherto it has been unlawful to do this.'

An Office for National Statistics survey found more than 60 per cent of Britons said they were now travelling into work only in the week to February 13. For comparison, those working from home only dropped to about one in six (17 per cent)

What are my options if I want to stay working from home?

'You have the right to request flexible working, but you don't have the right to work flexibly - there's a crucial difference there,' Mr Fox said.

'So if you request to continue working from home, there's a regimen the employer must go through with a corresponding timescale. But you'd expect there to be dialogue in most workplaces.

'The issue that employers need to be careful about is whether they are being discriminatory in how they apply the policy. So if an employee is vulnerable and has been working successfully for the last few years, the employer would need to tread carefully.'

Will employers have to rip up their existing sickness rules and start again?

'This is undoubtedly a big moment for employers,' said Mr Fox.

'When the Government scraps COVID isolation rules, it means employers can no longer rely on Government regulation to provide the groundwork for a system of protection for their workers. Earlier than expected it seems employers are going to need to set the rules for themselves.

'It may be prudent for these to cover new more potent strains of COVID-19 that may come along or even other infections besides COVID-19.

'If they do not have appropriate policies already in place, employers may want to consider introducing 'infection policies' to set rules and standards for the entire organisation so everyone is clear. For a building contractor the rules may be different to a care home; office-based workplaces may have different rules and needs to a retailer.

'It may not be wise to leave it to individual managers to take a view on isolation and vaccine requirements for members of their own departments, as that could lead to legal risk for the employer.'

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'There's a row brewing': Chaos as Cabinet meeting to sign off Boris's 'Living With Covid' plan axing self-isolation is delayed just MINUTES before it was due to start amid alarm about ending free tests

By James Tapsfield for MailOnline

What is the timetable for 'Living With Covid' From Thursday: Self-isolation law axed People will still be advised to stay at home if positive Vaccinated contacts and under-18s no longer have to test for seven days Requirement for non-vaccinated contacts to isolate dropped. End to routine contact tracing End to self-isolation payments End to legal obligation for people to tell employers when they self-isolate From March 24: Enhanced statutory sick pay removed so people can only claim from day four. From April 1: Free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic channels will end for general public. Elderly and vulnerable will still have access to provision, with UKHSA deciding later how it is allocated. Surveillance by the ONS and other bodies will continue to detect threats from variants. Advertisement

Boris Johnson hailed a new post-Covid era today as he declared that self-isolation laws are being axed from Thursday and free Covid tests will go from April.

In a dramatic statement to MPs, the PM confirmed that people with the virus will no longer be compelled to stay at home in England - although they will be advised to avoid spreading the disease in the same way as with flu.

From March 24 more generous state sick pay provisions are being downgraded, so people will no longer be eligible from day one.

And from April 1 free lateral flow and PCR testing - which has been costing the taxpayer 2billion a month - is being abandoned, except for very limited supplies for the elderly and very vulnerable. Details of who gets them will be decided later by the UK Health Security Agency.

Instead the government is set to focus on monitoring the development of the virus, with surveillance programmes to keep watch for emerging variants. The testing infrastructure will be kept ready so it can be 'stood up' quickly if there is a serious threat.

Ministers hope that when people have to buy tests themselves the costs per individual kit will be in the 'low single figures'.

Mr Johnson told the House that the pandemic 'hasn't gone away', sending the Queen his best wishes after her positive diagnosis.

But he said the country is past the peak of the Omicron wave and must start 'protecting ourselves without losing our liberties'.

He said the cost of the 'colossal' testing infrastructure was 'vast', pointing out it had been more than the Home Office budget in 2020-21.

The blueprint emerged after Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak blocked a bid by Health Secretary Sajid Javid for more funding to maintain testing capacity and a slower timetable for ending the arrangements.

The Department for Health is said to have asked for 5billion a year, but No10 made clear that the costs will be footed from within the existing budget.

Nicola Sturgeon has called for Scotland to be given cash to carry on handing out free kits, saying it would be 'unacceptable' for Westminster to force the issue. Although the devolved administrations have policy-making powers, the Treasury has broad control of the purse-strings.

After his Commons statement, Mr Johnson will hold a press conference at 7pm.

Cabinet finally gave the green light to the strategy at the second time of asking at lunchtime - after they had to be sent away from Downing Street this morning because details had not been thrashed out.

The premier's team had already arrived at No10 when they were informed the gathering to finalise the strategy for England - including axing self-isolation this week - was being pushed back.

The second attempt at gathering ministers happened virtually, with one senior source telling MailOnline: 'The irony of the ''Covid is over'' Cabinet being virtual wasn't lost on many attendees.'

A No10 spokesman insisted 'it is always an iterative process for these plans, it's right to take the time to get it right'.

Ben Zaranko, an economist from the respected IFS think-tank, observed wryly of the DoH's funding push: 'Only three things are certain: death, taxes, and the Department of Health and Social Care asking the Treasury for more cash.'

On a critical day that could finally start to draw a line under the pandemic:

Over-75s and people with suppressed immune systems in the UK are to be offered another Covid-19 booster jab in the coming weeks, the government has declared;

Ministers have denied that the timing of the lockdown announcement is a 'smokescreen' to distract from Mr Johnson's Partygate woes;

A leading expert has insisted that Covid booster jabs will not need to be given to all Britons in future years;

Ms Sturgeon is due to unveil her pandemic plan tomorrow with doubts over whether Scotland and Wales will follow the same path as England.

Boris Johnson (pictured) is hoping to lay out a 'Living With Covid' strategy to MPs later today

Science and health chiefs Patrick Vallance (left) and Chris Whitty (right) in Westminster today

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi (left) and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries (right) were among the ministers who had already arrived in Downing Street when Cabinet was postponed

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey came to Downing Street this morning only to have the Cabinet session delayed

Fourth jabs for the most vulnerable... but NOT for the whole population A leading expert has insisted that annual Covid jabs will not need to be given to all Britons. A decision is expected imminently on boosters for the most vulnerable this spring. Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, said the outbreak must keep being tracked to take decisions on vaccination. But he said: 'As far as whether we need them for the whole population, I don't think that's likely to be the future - for whole populations to get regular doses. 'But we are identifying those in society who are particularly vulnerable to the virus, and it's certainly reasonable to think that further doses may be needed to maintain immunity in those who are at greatest risk of ending up in hospital.' Advertisement

Although Tories have welcomed the decision to tear up laws that have underpinned the government's response to the pandemic, some have voiced fears that charging for lateral flows and PCRs could cause serious problems.

There are also concerns that employers and workers face confusion when self-isolation rules lapse. In a round of interviews this morning, business minister Paul Scully said people should still stay at home if they have a 'transmissible disease' - although he stressed it had to be discussed between staff and bosses.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: 'What confidence can the public have that the Conservatives are acting in the national interest when they can't agree a plan for Covid?

'It is clear the Prime Minister was trying to declare victory before the war is over, simply to distract from the police knocking at the door of Number 10.'

SNP leader Ms Sturgeon vented her 'frustration' at the Westminster approach.

'We are back again being really starkly reminded of this illogical position that Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments have to deal with which is that we are responsible for public health decisions in our own countries, but it's the Treasury who makes the funding decisions and they seem to be only triggered by the decisions Boris Johnson makes for England,' she said.

'That's unsustainable, it's unacceptable, but that's the situation we're in.

'So one of the questions that we are hoping to have answered today is what the remaining funding for testing is going to be.

'Presumably, England is not going to take away its testing infrastructure completely, so what the residual funding will be, what that then enables the devolved administration's to support, I hope we get clarity on that later today.

'It would be unacceptable now, as it has been in the past, for the decisions that the Scottish Government or the Welsh or Northern Irish governments think are right for public health reasons are constrained because of decisions on funding that the Treasury are taking only on the basis of what is decided for England.'

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said: 'Any decision to change the existing National Testing Programme would be premature and reckless.'

Despite the huge cost of testing, experts have voiced caution about cutting the provision.

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, admitted that the decisions are finely balanced.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the UK has a 'wall of immunity now' thanks to the vaccines 'but the decision about when and how to reduce restrictions is enormously difficult'.

Prof Pollard said the benefits of restrictions are obvious in 'reducing chains of transmission, the risks of people getting infected, the burden on the health system', but the harms of restrictions are harder to assess.

'They include things, just from a health perspective, like the the impact on hospitals of having staff self-isolating, the inability to perform operations, there will be surgery cancelled today that may be critical for people because of staff who are off work during that period; the impact on education, on the workplace and the economy.

'The impacts on the economy and mental health will have longer-term consequences. So if we could find a measure that brings all of that together, we could work out the exact right moment (for lifting restrictions).'

Sir Andrew said 'there isn't a right or wrong answer to this because we don't have a measure that helps us get there'.

The director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford said: 'One of the key things is, whenever we do reduce restrictions, we need to have a number of measures in place for that period, and one of the most critical is surveillance for the virus, an early warning system if you like, which tells us about new variants emerging and gives an ability to monitor whether those new variants are indeed causing more severe disease than Omicron did.

'And that is something which can be put in place, and I hope that if there are announcements today that we'll hear exactly how that will work.'

Ahead of the crunch day, the PM said: 'Today will mark a moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country's history as we begin to learn to live with Covid.

'It would not be possible without the efforts of so many  the NHS who delivered the life-saving vaccine rollout at phenomenal speed, our world-leading scientists and experts, and the general public for their commitment to protecting themselves and their loved ones.

'The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others.'

Mr Johnson warned in interviews over the weekend that the 2billion-a-month cost of testing is simply too much for the country to bear.

And Mr Scully suggested this morning that the money will be pumped into the struggling NHS.

'If you think what that 2billion might go towards, there's a lot of other backlogs in the NHS, other illnesses in the NHS, that that money could otherwise go for,' he said.

'So for every person that is worried about a test, there may be another person that's worried about a cancer diagnosis, for instance.'

The legal requirement to isolate if you test positive for coronavirus could end as early as Thursday, which has been dubbed 'Covid Freedom Day'.

But Labour, unions and medical experts have complained it is simply too early to consider scrapping Covid curbs.

Professor Robert West, a health psychologist from University College London and a SAGE member, told Times Radio the government has decided to 'abdicate its own responsibility for looking after its population'.

He pointed out one in 20 people currently has Covid-19 and 150 people are dying each day.

'It looks as though what the Government has said is that it accepts that the country is going to have to live with somewhere between 20,000 and 80,000 Covid deaths a year and isn't really going to do anything about it,' he said. 'Now that seems to me to be irresponsible.'

He added that there are a 'large number of deaths from heart disease and cancer but we don't just say 'Well, we've got to live with it'.

'We do an awful lot with heart disease and cancer and other forms of deaths to try to prevent them and to treat them, and so it seems a little odd really to be saying 'Well, Covid, we're going to treat that differently. We're not going to try and prevent it'.'

Prof West said he would be 'very surprised' if scrapping rules is cost-saving, given the costs of hospital admissions, and the impact of things like long Covid on the economy.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford waded into the row by branding the end of testing 'unacceptable', and Nicola Sturgeon has been critical

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (right) strolled into Downing Street for the meeting

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis exited the famous black door again after the Cabinet was delayed

In a round of interviews this morning, business minister Paul Scully said people should still stay at home if they have a 'transmissible disease' - although he stressed it had to be discussed between staff and bosses

Minister denies PM's Covid freedom plan is a Partygate 'smokescreen' A minister today denied that Boris Johnson's Covid freedom announcement is a 'smokescreen' to distract from the Partygate saga. Labour has accused the PM of 'declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door'. But business minister Paul Scully told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'The restrictions are all peeling back on the 22nd of March anyway, so we need to be looking at these measures and we need to be looking at the data in the round.' Advertisement

Mr Scully stressed that the government wants to put decisions back into the hands of businesses and workers, saying Britons should not 'work and live under Government diktat for a moment longer than is necessary'.

But when asked what people should do if they get Covid he told Sky News that 'like any transmissible illness you'd say stay at home'.

'I would say that it's like any illness, frankly, any transmissible illness that you would say stay at home,' he said.

He said if an employee had flu, they would be expected to stay at home, 'but it'll be down to themselves or down to their employer'.

Asked what action employees should take if their employers tried to force them in if they were ill with Covid, Mr Scully said: 'This is why we need to make sure that we've got really good guidance for employers.

'But as I say, there will come a time when the pandemic moves to more of an endemic approach to Covid, in the same way that flu and other viruses are treated, and that's what we've got to get back to.

'But it's a fine balance, clearly, and that's why Cabinet's meeting this morning, to go through the science, to go through that balance and debate it and then, obviously, the Prime Minister (will) come before Parliament to make his announcement.'

Mr Scully denied the PM's announcement was a 'smokescreen' to distract from the Partygate saga.

'No, the restrictions are all peeling back on the 22nd of March anyway, so we need to be looking at these measures and we need to be looking at the data in the round,' he told ITV's Good Morning Britain.

Speaking to the BBC yesterday, the PM said lifting the rules did not mean the public should start acting irresponsibly.

People will still be encouraged to stay away from work if they have Covid, but it will no longer be a legal requirement.

He said: 'It's very important we should remain careful, and we're certainly not asking people to throw caution to the winds.

'We've reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action, in favour of encouraging personal responsibility.

'I think we need resilience, but we don't need to keep spending at a rate of 2billion a month [on testing], which is what we were doing in January.'

Mr Johnson hoped to never have to order another lockdown, saying: 'I don't want to go back to that kind of non-pharmaceutical intervention, I want to be able to address the problems of the pandemic with a vaccine-led approach.'

But he cautioned: 'Covid remains dangerous if you're vulnerable and you're not vaccinated. But we need people to be much more confident and get back to work.'

However, the British Medical Association said the Government should only end self-isolation when case rates are falling.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA council, said: 'You have at the moment more people dying, more people in the hospital, than you had before Plan B was introduced. It seems a rather odd decision to make.'

Meanwhile, education unions Unison, Unite and the GMB urged the Prime Minister to keep free testing and the requirement to self-isolate.

They warned that failure to provide detailed guidance risks a 'super-spreader free-for-all' in schools and workplaces.

A government source said vaccines would be available for the 'foreseeable future', saying avoiding the return of curbs would depend on the 'sustained population immunity' provided by the jabs.

It came as the Government yesterday logged another 25,696 daily Covid cases and 74 deaths.
A van driver today admitted killing a young brother and sister on their way home from a birthday party.

Martin Newman, 41, was driving his Ford Transit van when he smashed into the car carrying Gracie-Ann Lucas, four, and her brother Jayden-Lee Lucas, three, on February 5.

Gracie died just hours after the crash in hospital and Jayden-Lee died five days later.

At Cardiff Crown Court today, prosecutor Roger Griffiths said the youngsters had been travelling with mum Rhiannon Lucas when they were hit on the M4 motorway.

The family was heading home from a birthday party when the tragic crash unfolded near Tredegar Park in Newport, Gwent.

Newman, of Croeserw, South Wales, admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

He also pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving to Rhiannon Lucas.

Mr Griffiths said: 'An accident and investigation report has not yet been concluded.'

Judge Daniel Williams adjourned the case for sentencing on April 8.

He said: 'You have pleaded guilty. The next stage is for the court to proceed to sentence you.'

Jayden-Lee Lucas and four-year-old Gracie-Ann Wheaton died in hospital after the crash in Wales earlier this month

The children's mother, Rhiannon Lucas, was injured in the crash - leading Newman to plead guilty to one count causing serious injury by dangerous driving

Tributes were paid to Gracie-Ann and Jayden-Lee following their deaths.

Headteacher Huw Waythe, of Deighton Primary School, described them as two 'special children.'

He said: 'Everyone at the school is immensely sad to hear of the passing of a second pupil following a road traffic collision on February 5, 2022.

'Our thoughts remain with members of the family, and words cannot adequately express the shock and pain which they must be feeling.

'We are shocked and saddened by the loss of two of our own. We will never forget how special the children were to our school community.

'They both put a smile on all our faces daily. They were a delight to have and both always lit up any room with their positive personality and beaming smiles.

'Gracie-Ann and Jayden-Lee's lives will continue to be celebrated and remembered by us all. They both have a special place in our hearts and Deighton Primary School will never forget them.

'We will support each other through this, seeking and providing further specific professional assistance for those pupils and staff who find this time the most upsetting.

'We ask that you give us your support by allowing us some time to process our thoughts and feelings.'

The youngsters, from Tredegar, had been returning from a birthday party at around 1.45pm on February 5 when the car they were travelling in collided with a van. Today tributes were paid to young Jayden (pictured left), who died on Friday after a week in intensive care. Gracie-Ann (pictured right) died a day after the crash, despite efforts to save her

A 41-year-old man today appeared in court charged with causing death by dangerous driving in relation to the crash (pictured: Cars queued on the motorway following the collision)

The children's cousin Jamie Lucas, 19, from Abergavenny, said: 'Unfortunately, after a week of fighting, Jayden has passed away.

'He was wonderful, creative and a kind soul. Turned the grey skies blue.'

In a previous tribute to Gracie-Ann, who died in hospital the day after the crash, he said: 'I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that she's gone; it's hard to believe.

'She was so young. She had a bright future ahead of her. She was such a wonderful child.

'I'm just lost for words really. How she was returning from a birthday party and all of a sudden she's gone.'

Jayden and Gracie-Ann, and their parents, were rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU) of University Hospital of Wales, also known as the Heath Hospital, in Cardiff, following the crash.

Jayden and Gracie-Ann (pictured), and their parents, were rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU) of University Hospital of Wales, also known as the Heath Hospital, in Cardiff, following the crash

Gracie-Ann (pictured left and right) suffered a cardiac arrest due to the severity of her injuries and died the following day at around 5am. A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the siblings' funeral has raised more than 11,500.

Gracie-Ann suffered a cardiac arrest due to the severity of her injuries and died the following day at around 5am. Jayden died the following Friday at 4.30pm, his family confirmed.

A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the siblings' funeral has raised more than 11,500.

The crash happened on the westbound carriageway between junctions 28 and 29, prompting a huge emergency services response and causing the route to be closed for around seven hours.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday criticized a surfacing deal over Iran's nuclear program, saying that it would be "weak" compared to a previous agreement resulting in a deadlier Middle East.

Many nations have been working to negotiate the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal in Vienna after former United States President Donald Trump left it in tatters by withdrawing. Originally, the deal granted Iran relief from crippling economic sanctions if it agreed to curb its nuclear program.

Iran's Nuclear Deal

However, Israel forcefully disagreed with the deal, urging negotiators to take a hard line against Iran in the most recent talks. Bennett spoke to Jewish American leaders on Sunday warning that Iran has taken advantage of the interim period to move forward with its enrichment of uranium to levels that come close to being weapons-grade.

Furthermore, the Israeli prime minister said that the 10-year limits on enrichment and other crucial aspects of Iran's nuclear program from the original deal were set to be lifted in 2025, which is less than three years from now, as per ABC News.

Bennett also argued that Iran will agree on a new nuclear deal with major powers "shortly" but warned that it would be "weak" compared to its predecessor. The prime minister's remarks were made ahead of a cabinet meeting following indications of a deal in Vienna.

Read Also: US Intel Leaks Looming Russia Attack of Ukraine - But It Could Be Misinformation

The new negotiations surrounding the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, have been taking place in the Austrian capital since late November. The discussions involved the United Kingdom, China, France, Germany, and Russia. Indirectly, the United States was also involved in the negotiations.

According to Aljazeera, on Sunday, most of Iran's parliamentarians said that the nation's government would not agree to a new accord unless their demands were met. This includes the assurance that the U.S. and European nations did not again withdraw and reimpose crippling sanctions,

Danger to the World

At the start of the cabinet meeting, Bennett argued that there were two major factors that have appeared since the 2015 deal. First, Iran has vastly improved its enrichment capabilities, and second, time has passed.

Bennett noted that, under the new agreement, Iran will be allowed to build "stadiums of advanced centrifuges without restrictions" after the deal lapses in two and a half years. The Israeli prime minister said his administration was organizing and preparing for the day after to maintain its country's security and the safety of its citizens.

He argued that in exchange for signing the agreement, Tehran will receive billions of dollars due to the removal of the sanctions. Bennett said that Iran will use the funds to terrorize people in the region.

Bennett added that the situation threatened his nation and endangered other countries in the region as well as American forces. Tehran is known for backing several groups in the region, including Hezbollah terrorists, Gaza terror factions, and Yemen's Houthis. They are also known to have proxies in Iraq and Syria. In recent weeks, there has been an uptick in drone and cruise missile attacks conducted by these groups, the Times of Israel reported.



Related Article: US Freedom Convoy Gaining Traction Amid Huge American Support of Canada Protests; 3 Orgs Planning Washington Trip in March

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Businesses today revealed their plans for 'Freedom Day', with most saying they will continue to make staff who test positive stay at home and many planning to pay for swabs.

The Prime Minister unveiled his blueprint for his 'living with Covid' plan in the Commons this afternoon, which is likely to include the end of universal free tests and the axing of the legal requirement to self-isolate.

This morning, business minister Paul Scully said it would be down to companies themselves to decide which policies to adopt, although he promised to provide 'really good guidance' for employers.

Business owners Louise Reed and Maddy Alexander-Groutwe both said they would continue with their current approach to self-isolation

Meanwhile, Adam Bamford, CEO at gift company Colleague Box, said he would be open to employees who had tested positive coming into the office as long as they were not showing any symptoms and followed social distancing rules

Time to move on from Covid: Free tests will be axed from APRIL 1, legal self-isolation goes on THURSDAY Boris Johnson hailed a new post-Covid era today as he declared that self-isolation laws are being axed from Thursday and free Covid tests will go from April. In a dramatic statement to MPs, the PM confirmed that people with the virus will no longer be compelled to stay at home in England - although they will be advised to avoid spreading the disease in the same way as with flu. From March 24 more generous state sick pay provisions are being downgraded, so people will no longer be eligible from day one. And from April 1 free lateral flow and PCR testing - which has been costing the taxpayer 2billion a month - is being abandoned, except for very limited supplies for the elderly and very vulnerable. Details of who gets them will be decided later by the UK Health Security Agency. Instead the government is set to focus on monitoring the development of the virus, with surveillance programmes to keep watch for emerging variants. The testing infrastructure will be kept ready so it can be 'stood up' quickly if there is a serious threat. Ministers hope that when people have to buy tests themselves the costs per individual kit will be in the 'low single figures'. Mr Johnson told the House that the pandemic 'hasn't gone away', sending the Queen his best wishes after her positive diagnosis. Advertisement

Maddy Alexander-Grout, CEO at My VIP Rewards, said she would continue requiring positive employees to self-isolate and would fund sick pay and tests for staff.

'We will be making employees self-isolate if they have Covid, and we will be paying them as normal,' she told MailOnline.

'I have an autoimmune disease and I don't want to get it for the second time. We will be paying for tests for our employees as well.

'Companies need to think about those who are more vulnerable, and removing all precautions could result in absences with other staff members.'

Lee Marples, founder of digital marketing agency Think 3, said: 'Sick pay will continue to be paid where required and if staff feel they would be best to self-isolate we will of course support them in doing so, including WFH if that is the best answer.

'We have never mandated that staff should carry out COVID tests as 'proof to work' and see no need for this to be changed.

'We must put trust in our employees to do the right thing, the same as they would have done before COVID if they felt unwell or unable to work.'

Ross Boyd, CEO at mortgage comparison site Dashly.com, said he would continue asking staff to self-isolate if they tested positive and would 'definitely' be happy to pay for tests.

'I think we need to get back to normal but equally we need to continue to protect the vulnerable,' he said.

Louise Reed, from toy producer Little Nutkins; Helen Skripek, of The Butlers Pantry in Derby; and Sarah Loates from Loates HR Consultancy all said they would continue with their current approach to self-isolation.

Meanwhile, Adam Bamford, CEO at gift company Colleague Box, said he would be open to employees who had tested positive coming into the office as long as they were not showing any symptoms and followed social distancing rules.

Sarah Loates said: 'If one of our team tested positive for COVID, I would expect them to take the same action as they would if they had a bad cold, namely stay at home, take the time they need to fully recover, and definitely not to bring it into the workplace!'

'We have consulted with our colleagues who are all comfortable that if someone has tested positive but aren't showing signs of being ill they will come to work with usual protocols of working with a 2 metre gap and our high quality cleaning controls in place,' he said.

'Otherwise, we intend to return to a common sense policy whereby if our colleagues are ill we will ask them not to come into work and they will be paid at full pay as is our policy.'

Barry Whitehouse, who runs The Artery - an art shop in Banbury, Oxfordshire - said he had 'no intention' of relaxing any Covid restrictions.

But Sandra Wilson Director, from HR consultancy Cottrell Moore Limited, said companies would be wise to treat Covid like other illnesses.

Business minister Paul Scully said it would be down to companies themselves to decide which policies to adopt, although he promised to provide 'really good guidance' for employers

'As restrictions are lifted, companies need to stop thinking separately about Covid and treat it as part of their usual sickness absence procedure/policy,' she said.

'All absence is dealt with on a case by case basis so this should be no different.

'Common sense please, surely we don't need to keep being told how to manage things as a ''nanny state''.

'Each business is individual as are its employees, and they should manage it the way that works best for them.'

What does Freedom Day mean for YOUR business? Bosses face setting their OWN Covid rules for staff who test positive after government axes self-isolation orders this week

With the government set to abolish all Covid restrictions - including the legal requirement to self-isolate - employers face major decisions about which policies to adopt.

Today, small business minister Paul Scully confirmed it would be down to businesses themselves to decide the best way forward, including whether staff should stay at home if they test positive.

Companies also face a raft of other decisions, from whether to pay for tests when the government stops providing them for free, to questions over mask mandates and social distancing rules.

Then there's the question of sick pay, with unions today warning that two million employees could be forced to continue working because they are not paid enough to be entitled to it.

Firms have a legal duty to protect their employees, leaving them vulnerable to legal action if they allow staff who have tested positive to come into work, or are seen as tolerating an unhealthy environment.

Here, MailOnline runs through some of the key questions about the world of work after 'Freedom Day'.

What is the government planning to announce today and how will it affect my business?

The Prime Minister is expected to unveil his 'living with Covid' plan today, with reports it will include the end of universal free tests, as well as the legal requirement to self-isolate.

This means companies will have to decide whether to pay for tests for staff, and set their own self-isolation policies.

Business minister Paul Scully said it was the right move, and that the PM would be weighing up the balance between a return to normality and keeping people safe.

Mr Scully told Sky News: 'Infections are coming down quite rapidly, the hospitalisations and deaths are following as well - they tend to lag behind, obviously, the case numbers - but nonetheless you can see the trend within that.'

He said Mr Johnson will be 'looking at the best advice possible but getting the balance right'.

Case rates reported by the UK Health Security Agency on Sunday fell by 37 per cent on last week to 25,696 cases - the lowest figure since August last year

If a worker gets Covid will they have to self-isolate?

Today, Paul Scully said it would be down to employers and employees to make decisions over self-isolating.

The business minister told Sky News: 'I would say that it's like any illness, frankly, any transmissible illness that you would say stay at home.'

He said if an employee had flu, they would be expected to stay at home, 'but it'll be down to themselves or down to their employer'.

Asked what action employees should take if their employers tried to force them in if they were ill with Covid, Mr Scully said: 'This is why we need to make sure that we've got really good guidance for employers.

'But as I say, there will come a time when the pandemic moves to more of an endemic approach to Covid, in the same way that flu and other viruses are treated, and that's what we've got to get back to.

'But it's a fine balance, clearly, and that's why Cabinet's meeting this morning, to go through the science, to go through that balance and debate it and then, obviously, the Prime Minister (will) come before Parliament to make his announcement.'

Richard Fox, an employment partner at Kingsley Napley, said staff may need to produce proof that they are ill to avoid coming into the office.

'You should tell your boss that you cannot come into work because you have tested positive,' he said.

'The employer cannot force you back in if you're unwell. But if someone doesn't come in they can require within a certain number of days that the person gets a certificate from a GP saying whether they are fit to come into work.

'And the employer can also require the staff member to be seen to judge whether they are fit to return to work.'

Deaths however increased slightly compared to last Sunday, rising from 52 to 74. It comes as Boris Johnson urged people to be 'more confident and get back to work' as he heralded this coming Thursday as Covid Freedom Day

What if one of my employees has Covid?

'They should be allowed to stay at home until they are better - forcing them to come in could raise an issue under health and safety at work legislation,' says Richard Fox.

'Employers are responsible for the health and safety of all their employees, and if they force someone to come and they or other staff suffer they could be liable.'

Speaking today, Mr Scully said businesses still had a statutory duty of care.

'I would say that it's like any illness, frankly, any transmissible illness that you would say stay at home,' he said, but he admitted 'it'll be down to themselves or down to their employer'.

He said workers should contact Acas if they 'really think that there is a detriment to them'.

What can I do if they insist on coming in? Can I force them to go home?

Stephen Morrall, of Hunters Law LLP, said 'a number of different legal considerations' would apply in this instance.

'If you have Covid and you are suffering from symptoms, a good employer would ask you not to come into the office,' he said.

'They must have regard to the health and safety of the individual and their other staff. You can't force somebody not to come in through the door, but if an employee insisted on doing so, the employer would need to decide whether it was reasonable in the circumstances to instruct the employee to return home.

'If the employee refused to comply with a reasonable instruction, this could become a disciplinary issue which could ultimately lead to dismissal. In reality, this sort of situation is self-regulating as most employees will not want to work if they are sick.'

What can I do if a colleague has it?

'If two secretaries came in and one was ill, the other one would not have the authority to ask her to go home, but she could ring up HR and then they would make a decision,' said Mr Morrall.

'If the outcome was to ask the sick employee to go home that is likely to be considered a reasonable request.'

Do businesses still need to test people or ask them to wear masks?

'The government's policy is to remove the legal restrictions and persuade people to act sensibly - they want it to be self-regulating, which is a very English approach,' said Mr Morrall.

'In England the law doesn't prescribe things unless they are necessary, and things are done by consensus.

'So once all further restrictions are removed, I will recommend people at my firm take tests periodically during the week. But it will be down to each company, and their employees, to decide for themselves.'

Can a vulnerable colleague sue if they get Covid off an infected person?

'It's unlikely - first of all it would be virtually impossible to prove how you've caught Covid, because if you go out of your house and come within a metre of someone you could have caught it from anybody,' said Mr Morrall.

'If they come into work they are taking a conscious risk. It's not like falling off a ladder - which would be a workplace injury.'

What are unions saying?

Kate Bell, from the TUC trade union, today expressed concern about the millions of workers who are not entitled to statutory sick pay.

She fears they could be forced to continue working even if they are positive, putting their colleagues at risk.

'Everyone wants to get back to normal as quickly as possible but we need to do it safely,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'We know 2million people in low-paid jobs don't qualify for sick pay because they don't earn enough.

'That's a major issue for them and it's going to be a major issue if you're facing that difficult choice about whether you can afford to pay for Covid tests. We don't know what Covid tests will be priced at if charges are introduced.

'People want to be able to do Covid tests and stay at home if they are sick to keep their colleagues safe. That shouldn't be a choice people are forced to make on their own.'

What if my boss tries to force me in?

'Employers can give ''lawful and reasonable'' instructions to their employees, but I would question whether this would be a lawful and reasonable reason,' said Richard Fox.

'I suspect there will be some difficult situations to come. It's a big jump to say that people can come in whether hitherto it has been unlawful to do this.'

An Office for National Statistics survey found more than 60 per cent of Britons said they were now travelling into work only in the week to February 13. For comparison, those working from home only dropped to about one in six (17 per cent)

What are my options if I want to stay working from home?

'You have the right to request flexible working, but you don't have the right to work flexibly - there's a crucial difference there,' Mr Fox said.

'So if you request to continue working from home, there's a regimen the employer must go through with a corresponding timescale. But you'd expect there to be dialogue in most workplaces.

'The issue that employers need to be careful about is whether they are being discriminatory in how they apply the policy. So if an employee is vulnerable and has been working successfully for the last few years, the employer would need to tread carefully.'

Will employers have to rip up their existing sickness rules and start again?

'This is undoubtedly a big moment for employers,' said Mr Fox.

'When the Government scraps COVID isolation rules, it means employers can no longer rely on Government regulation to provide the groundwork for a system of protection for their workers. Earlier than expected it seems employers are going to need to set the rules for themselves.

'It may be prudent for these to cover new more potent strains of COVID-19 that may come along or even other infections besides COVID-19.

'If they do not have appropriate policies already in place, employers may want to consider introducing 'infection policies' to set rules and standards for the entire organisation so everyone is clear. For a building contractor the rules may be different to a care home; office-based workplaces may have different rules and needs to a retailer.

'It may not be wise to leave it to individual managers to take a view on isolation and vaccine requirements for members of their own departments, as that could lead to legal risk for the employer.'
Downing Street today said it is not advising British nationals living in Russia to draw up escape plans despite the US issuing the advice to American citizens.

The US embassy in Russia yesterday advised US nationals to come up with 'evacuation plans' as tensions continue to rise amid the Ukraine crisis.

The US cited concerns about potential attacks in Moscow and St Petersburg 'as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine'.

But Number 10 said at lunchtime that 'we dont have that same advice to British nationals in Russia', with the situation being kept under 'close review'.

Downing Street would not be drawn on why its assessment is different to that of the US.

Downing Street today said it is not advising British nationals living in Russia to draw up escape plans despite the US issuing the advice to American citizens

The UK is currently advising against all travel to the border area between Russia and Ukraine

The US embassy told US citizens in Russia on Sunday: 'According to media sources, there have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine.'

It said US citizens should 'review your personal security plans' and 'have evacuation plans that do not rely on US government assistance'.

The advice prompted a slap down from Moscow as the spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, questioned if the US had passed on the information about possible attacks to Russia.

'And if not, how is one to understand all of this?' Ms Zakharova said.

Asked if the UK Government is advising its citizens living in Russia to take the same steps, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said: 'We dont have that same advice to British nationals in Russia.

Obviously we keep it under close review. We will update as necessary.

Asked why the UK does not share the same assessment of the situation as the US, the spokesman said: I cant get into what prompted that alert or update from the US.

Obviously that would be a matter for them. We are keeping the situation under constant review and will update as necessary.

UK travel advice for Russia was last updated on February 17 with the Foreign Office advising against all travel to the border area between Russia and Ukraine.

The department said: 'Due to the build up of Russian forces and ongoing military exercises the FCDO advises against all travel to: within 20km of the border with the Ukrainian Donetsk, Kharkiv and Lugansk Oblasts and within 20km of the border with Ukraine in the Rostov, Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk and Bryansk regions.'

The Government is advising against all travel to Ukraine and has told British nationals to 'leave while commercial options remain'.
Israel has announced it will allow unvaccinated tourists to enter the country from next month as the latest wave of Covid-19 recedes.

Under new rules taking effect on March 1, foreign tourists will need to take a PCR test before boarding a flight to Israel and a second one upon landing, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday.

Currently only vaccinated foreigners and citizens are allowed into Israel after the country virtually closed its skies to tourists late last year with the arrival of the highly contagious omicron variant.

Recent data has shown a sharp drop in new cases, mirroring patterns in other countries around the world.

'We are seeing a constant decline in morbidity data, so it is time to gradually open up,' Bennett said. 'At the same time, we will keep a finger on the pulse, and in case of a new variant we will react quickly.'

Bennett's office said that restrictions would also be eased on Israelis returning to the country, with travellers no longer required to take a PCR test before their flight, only upon arrival.

Israel has announced it will allow unvaccinated tourists (pictured, tourists at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem on Friday) to enter the country from next month as the latest wave of Covid-19 recedes

Under new rules taking effect on March 1, tourists will need to take a PCR test before boarding a flight to Israel and a second one upon landing, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday

An attempt to open the borders to vaccinated visitors last November foundered after just a few weeks because of the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant.

Israel first shut its borders to foreigners in March 2020. The number of visitors has slowly risen as the country lifted some restrictions, but they remain well below pre-pandemic levels.

Some 46,000 tourists entered Israel last month, up from 7,800 a year earlier but way lower than the 333,000 that visited in January 2020.

Requirements for weekly testing of school children will also be halted in the coming weeks and Israelis will no longer have to use a green pass, Bennett said on Thursday, citing a decline in infections.

The Jewish state was also an early trailblazer of a national vaccine rollout and among the first countries to demand a vaccination certificate, which it called the green pass, to enter a range of facilities.

More than 10,000 new cases of Covid-19 were reported Sunday in Israel, down from a high of more than 85,000 daily cases in late January. A total of 9,841 people have died from the illness, including seven reported Saturday.

'We are seeing a constant decline in morbidity data, so it is time to gradually open up,' Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (pictured) said during a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Sunday

Requirements for weekly testing of school children will also be halted in the coming weeks and Israelis will no longer have to use a green pass, (pictured) Bennett said on Thursday, citing a decline in infections

Israel joins a group of twelve countries that unvaccinated tourists can visit including Mexico, El Salvador, Portugal and Croatia.

Cyprus, Slovenia, Turkey, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ireland, Italy and the Maldives are also among the counties accepting unjabbed travellers.

Entry to Mexico just requires UK visitors to fill out the passenger locator form Vuela Seguro prior to their flight, and show the QR code on arrival.

While El Salvador has no entry requirements for UK passengers. The UK government website does, however, advise bringing proof of vaccination in order to attend certain events.

Unvaccinated travellers to the Seychelles can enter the country under the same restrictions as jabbed tourists - with a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure.

And in recent weeks the United Arab Emirates has added to that list, with unvaccinated tourists asked for a negative PCR test within 48 hours of arrival.

But it also follows a global relaxation of entry requirements as counties emerge from the pandemic.

Australia, which endured one of the world's most draconian lockdowns, today welcomed back foreign visitors after removing its final restrictions, though only for fully vaccinated passengers.

And Europe last month eased restrictions on fully vaccinated tourists, including Austria where a virtual lockdown of the unvaccinated was imposed late last year.

El Salvador has no entry requirements for UK passengers. The UK government website does, however, advise bringing proof of vaccination in order to attend certain events
A depraved cocaine addicted killer strangled his grandmother to death before having sex with her corpse, a court today heard.

Donovan Miller choked 76-year-old Phyllis Grant and beat her over the head with a vase at her home in Kent Street, Plaistow, east London.

The 31-year-old killer then had sex with her body twice, before admitting his horrifying acts to paramedics, telling them 'I raped her'.

Ms Grant was a regular churchgoer who neighbours described as a 'matriarch of the community' and a 'lovely' woman.

She had been released from hospital after recovering from Covid prior to her killing in March last year.

Donovan Miller choked 76-year-old Phyllis Grant (pictured) and beat her over the head with a vase

The incident took place at her home in Kent Street, Plaistow, east London in March last year

Ms Grant a regular churchgoer who neighbours described as a 'matriarch of the community' and a 'lovely' woman. She had been released from hospital after recovering from Covid prior to her killing in March last year. Pictured: Police at the scene

The Old Bailey heard how police arrived at Ms Grant's address after 10pm on March 25 last year after Miller called police saying he had killed his grandmother the previous night.

He told paramedic the night of his arrest: 'I raped her as well for what it's worth, yesterday and today.'

Miller later confirmed he had sex with his grandmother's corpse after she had died.

He also told police he was dependent on cocaine but that he had no mental health issues.

Miller, also of Kent Street, Plaistow, appeared in court via video link from the John Howard Centre secure psychiatric unit.

He denied murder but admitted manslaughter and sexual penetration of a corpse.

The Crown Prosecution Service accepted the plea in light of the conclusions of three psychiatrists. Miller is now due to be sentenced next month.

Miller, also of Kent Street, Plaistow, appeared at the Old Bailey in London (pictured: Library image) via video link from the John Howard Centre secure psychiatric unit. He denied murder but admitted manslaughter and sexual penetration of a corpse

Speaking about the plea, prosecutor Caroline Carberry QC said: 'Careful consideration has been given in advance of today to the acceptability of a plea and in light of the conclusions of three forensic psychiatric consultants, the Crown's position is that this is a proper approach to take in this case.'

Judge Anthony Leonard, QC, said: 'So on the basis of diminished responsibility as we used to call it.'

Adjourning sentence until March 28 while further psychiatric reports are prepared the judge told Miller: 'The fact you pleaded guilty today will be taken into account by the sentencing judge.'
A masked sex attacker who attacked a paramedic in a park near Buckingham Palace and assaulted a woman on a train was caught after police tracked his hired Boris bike.

Christion Wright, 28, dragged his first victim into the bushes at St Jamess Park in a terrifying ordeal at around midnight on January 29 last year.

Three days later he pulled his trousers down on a train and molested a second woman between Waterloo East and Greenhithe in Kent, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Wright, of Nelson Square, Southwark, was jailed for three years and eight months after admitting two counts of sexual assault relating to the first victim and sexual assault and exposure for the train attack.

Detectives used financial analysis to link Wright to the Santander hire bike he was using at the time.

Met Police found Christion Wright, pictured riding through London in January last year, after tracking the Boris Bike he was using

Christion Wright, above, was jailed for three years and eight months for sexual assault

Catherine Milsom, prosecuting, explained to the court that the first victim had just finished a shift as a paramedic and went for a walk at St Jamess Park.

She said: She was in the park, she walked around the lake and up towards Buckingham Palace.

She noticed a man nearby. It was this defendant.

He was wearing a face mask and hoodie and something about him made her very suspicious.

After becoming worried the victim changed her direction but then spotted Wright hiding behind some trees and stalking her before he told her 'I just want to f*** you'.

Ms Milsom added: She started to walk quickly and saw he was following her.

She thought he wanted to rob her and offered him her mobile phone.

He didnt take it and instead said I just want to f**k you"'.

Wright dragged the struggling woman up to some bushes and sexually assaulted her.

In a brave attempt to get away the woman bit his hand and he made off on a Santander hire bike.

Two days days later Wright targeted a teenager who was sitting alone on a train watching YouTube videos on her phone.

Ms Milsom again told the court: 'On February 2 on a train, a woman 19 years of age, was sitting on a carriage on the way to Kent and at Greenhithe got off because the defendant stood behind her.

'When she stood to get off and turned round, she found the defendant with his trousers down. The Crown would say he is dangerous.'

Detectives based at Charing Cross police station launched an investigation and pieced together CCTV evidence showing him cycle away from the first attack. He was seen on CCTV to dock the bike in Lower Marsh on the Southbank.

Wright was then linked to the train assault by his DNA.

Wright, 28, pictured on CCTV bottom right, attacked a paramedic in St James's Park in January last year before riding off on a Boris Bike

Referring to the attack on the paramedic, Judge Andrew Goymer said: It is sufficient to say he followed the victim into St Jamess Park, she was subjected to considerable force and feared, for good reason, she was going to be raped.

Both are very unpleasant assaults and very distressing to the victims and nobody suggests anything other than a sentence of imprisonment of some substance.

Wright was also placed in the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Constable Henh Ban Song of Central West CID said: My colleagues and I are using all legitimate methods at our disposal to identify and convict those who commit crimes against women in the capital.

In this case, Met officers based at Charing Cross police station used technologies including the CCTV network, financial instrument analysis and DNA matching to identify and convict the offender.

Women and girls in London are safer for our hard work and tenacity.

Det Con Song also appealed for any other victims of the predator to come forward, adding: In my view, Wrights offending may have escalated quickly and alarmingly had he not been caught so soon after the offence in St Jamess Park.

I am appealing for anyone else who may have been a victim of Wright to contact me by calling 101 with the reference 6502934/21.
Transport for London has agreed with the Government to extend its existing funding package - but only until this Friday.

It is the latest in a series of short-term extensions as the transport body tries to secure a long-term deal, amid huge pressure.

TfL has repeatedly issued stark warning that it will be forced to begin 'managed decline' of the capital's public transport network unless it secures a multi-year funding deal to replace fares revenue lost during the coronavirus pandemic.

But some services on the Underground have been lacking in recent weeks, with delays making thousands late for work.

A TfL spokesman said: 'We have agreed with the Government that our existing funding agreement will be extended until February 25 so that these discussions can be concluded.

'Working together, we must achieve a longer-term capital funding settlement of at least three years that ensures London's transport network can remain reliable and efficient, can support the jobs and new homes that rely upon it and can support the economic recovery of the capital and the country as a whole.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the small extension will let negotiations carry on

Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said TfL wanted more time to consider deal

TfL has agreed with Government to extend funding package until Friday as talks continue

'We hope these discussions can be concluded successfully soon.'

The Department for Transport insists it has 'repeatedly shown its commitment' to supporting TfL during the pandemic by providing more than 4.5 billion in emergency funding.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'We have provided TfL with a deal that both supports London's transport network and is fair to taxpayers across the UK.

'They have asked for more time to consider the settlement, therefore we have agreed a short extension until February 25 for this to take place.'

People getting on the bus at a bus station in central London last week as the deal end neared

TfL has said that if there is not an injection of cash there will be a managed decline of service

In response to the short-term extension of Transport for London's (TfL) funding package, mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: 'This extension to the current funding deal until Friday February 25 will allow negotiations to continue.

'The pandemic is the only reason TfL is facing a financial crisis.

'I urge the Government to engage with TfL and City Hall in good faith so that we can finally agree a fair, long-term funding deal that will protect London's transport network - for the sake of the capital and the whole country.

'London's economy plays a huge role in the national economy and around 43,000 jobs outside London depend on TfL's investment.

'If the Government fails to support TfL at this difficult time, it could impact TfL's UK-wide supply chain, hitting jobs and growth and holding back the economic recovery in London and across the UK.'
The billionaire co-owner of the Chrysler building in New York must pay out more than 3.5million ($4,763,150) every year until a judge decides how much money his estranged wife should walk away with in their divorce.

Michael Fuchs, a German-born 62-year-old who moved to the US in the 1990s, and French former journalist Alvina Collardeau-Fuchs, 46, are fighting over money at the High Court in London.

The couple, who have two children together, married in New York in 2012 before separating two years ago.

Mr Fuchs had enjoyed an 'extraordinarily successful career' and owned a 'very significant amount of prime Midtown Manhattan real estate' before marrying Ms Collardeau-Fuchs, the court heard.

The couple shared a 30m ($40,827,000) home together in London, where Ms Collardeau-Fuchs still lives, which boasts six floors, five bedrooms and an indoor underground swimming pool.

Mr Justice Mostyn heard they also had a villa in Antibes, France, and a penthouse in Miami, Florida.

He today made rulings on how much maintenance Ms Collardeau-Fuchs should receive while the dispute continues, confirming that a final hearing is due to begin on October 10.

Michael Fuchs and Alvina Collardeau-Fuchs pictured together in New York in 2011 - a year before their marriage

The couple (pictured in 2011) shared a 30m home together in London, while they also owned a a villa in Antibes, France, and a penthouse in Miami, Florida

An aerial view over Manhattan, New York City, including the Chrysler Building co-owned by Mr Fuchs

He ruled that Mr Fuchs should pay his former partner around 70,000 ($95,263) a month maintenance - equivalent to more than 800,000 ($1,088,720) a year.

However, Mr Fuchs said he will also cover the cost of staff and other overheads - expenses the judge says will total around 2.7m ($3,676,050) a year.

Mr Justice Mostyn said his 'overall liability' would therefore be 'an approximate annual rate of 3.64m' ($4,955,860).

Ms Collardeau-Fuchs had asked for 130,000 ($176,995) a month in maintenance, but her ex-husband offered 31,000 ($42,194), the judge said.

Mr Fuchs told the court that the couple's London property was worth 30.2 million ($41,104,616) and was subject to a mortgage of 21.5 million ($29,263,220).

Historically, a retinue of staff had been employed at the property, including two rota chefs, a house manager, two or three housekeepers, and a laundress.

Ms Collardeau-Fuchs pictured attending the Aby Rosen & Samantha Boardman Dinner in Miami Beach, Florida, in December 2013

(L-R) Michael Fuchs, Aby Rosen and Alberto Mugrabi attend a birthday celebration in May 2006

(L-R) Jason Binn, Alvina Collardeau-Fuchs and Michael Fuchs pictured at a Memorial Day party in Southampton, New York, in May 2010

Mr Justice Mostyn was told that, towards the end of their relationship, they had 'global annual living costs' of around 900,000 ($1,224,972).

He described the overheads as 'enormous'.

The judge said the divorcing couple had already spent more than 900,000 on lawyers between them - Mr Fuchs more than 450,000 ($612,486) and Ms Collardeau-Fuchs more than 460,000 ($626,101).

He earlier ruled, at a recent preliminary hearing, that they could be named in media reports.
A teacher who took his own life after battling a gambling addiction first started betting on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) when he was in school, an inquest today heard.

Jack Ritchie, 24, died in Vietnam - where he was teaching - after years of gambling problems dating back to as young as 16 years old, a hearing in Sheffield was told on Monday.

Forensic evidence presented to the inquest showed the Hull University graduate was a regular visitor to the BetVictor online gambling website in the days leading up to his death in Hanoi in November 2017.

At the inquest, taking place in Sheffield, a friend of Jack's described how the pair had started going to bookmakers when they were under-age, in sixth form.

In a statement read to the inquest, Jack's friend Nick Clough, said how at first they would bet small amounts on FOBTs.

He said his friend would try and double his money 'to get a free lunch'. But he said: 'With Jack it became more than that.'

Mr Clough said that his friend won 1,000 in under 30 seconds and, after that, Jack's attitude towards gambling changed as he began looking for the big win and chasing his losses.

Jack's parents, Charles and Liz Ritchie, from Sheffield, believe that failures on the part of UK authorities to address gambling issues contributed to their son's death and have campaigned for reform through the Gambling With Lives charity they set up.

Jack Ritchie, 24, died in Vietnam - where he was teaching - after years of gambling problems dating back to as young as 16 years old, a hearing in Sheffield was told on Monday

In a statement read to the inquest, Jack's friend Nick Clough described how they started going to bookmakers when they were under-age, in sixth form, and at first bet small amounts on FOBTs

Mr and Mrs Ritchie believe the inquest, which is due to last two weeks, is the first so-called Article 2 inquest in a case relating to suicide following gambling.

This means its scope will include an examination of whether any arm of the state breached its duty to protect Mr Ritchie's right to life.

The couple believe an undiagnosed gambling disorder lay behind their son's death and have argued there were no public health warnings about the risk to life posed by gambling products, and that their son was not diagnosed or offered treatment that linked his symptoms to gambling disorder.

Jack's parents, Charles and Liz Ritchie (pictured), from Sheffield, believe that failures on the part of UK authorities to address gambling issues contributed to their son's death and have campaigned for reform through the Gambling With Lives charity they set up

At the start of Monday's proceedings, senior Sheffield coroner David Urpeth said the evidence will cover topics including what information was available to Jack and his family about the risks of gambling and also what medical treatment was available to him.

Mr Urpeth said that his examination of how Sheffield United fan Jack died will include 'whether gambling caused or contributed to his death'.

The coroner said he understood Mr and Mrs Ritchie wanted the scope of the inquest to be an even wider analysis of Government gambling policy and told them: 'I do not want the family to think I am disinterested in their wider concerns.

'It's just that such concerns are beyond the power invested in me.'

The inquest began in Sheffield Town Hall with a video montage of happy moments from Jack's life.

Following this, Mr Ritchie gave a pen-portrait of his son in which he described him as a 'fine young man on the threshold of his life' who 'brightened the lives of everyone around him'.

Jack's family previously revealed how the teacher had gambled away a 5,000 inheritance from his grandmother and student loan money.

They said prior to his death that he had Skyped them and told them he was feeling down because he had gambled again, on British websites.

They bought blocking software for his computer and they thought he had installed it during the call.

Three days later, that the couple opened an email with a suicide note attached.

Jack's (pictured) family previously revealed how the teacher had gambled away a 5,000 inheritance from his grandmother and student loan money

Through their charity Gambling With Lives, set up in the wake of Jack's death, the couple have been on a mission to get gambling viewed precisely as tobacco and drugs are  a risk to life.

The Ritchies hope is that their son's inquest will identify gambling and its causes in its conclusions.

With QCs Paul Greaney and Jesse Nicholls driving the case, the issues will be submitted to a more unsparing public examination than ever before.

Speaking prior to the inquest, Mrs Ritchie said: It was the effect of gambling on Jacks mental health that caused his death.

He thought he was free of it but it kept coming back. You never think you never think you will be free.

Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, where Jack is said to have started his gambling, have been a controversial talking point for many years.

Prior to changes in the law, they were criticised for allowing users to gamble as much as 300 per minute.

And FOTBs have previously been considered so addictive by experts that they have been compared to class A drugs.

Figures from March 2017 showed the annual revenue from the controversial machines was a staggering 1.8billion  or 93 for every family in the country.

Through their charity Gambling With Lives, set up in the wake of Jack's (pictured left with his mother) death, the couple have been on a mission to get gambling viewed precisely as tobacco and drugs are  a risk to life. The Ritchies (pictured right) hope is that their son's inquest will identify gambling and its causes in its conclusions.

Experts, including Professor David Nutt, the Government's former drugs tsar, also warned about their dangers.

Speaking in 2016, he said: 'No one is going to get addicted from placing a bet on the Grand National once a year.

'But on these machines you can place 50 bets an hour.'

Explaining the science behind the addiction, he said: 'Gambling addiction has a biological basis.

'The brain has a chemical abnormality similar to those that have other additions.

'Addicts have a brain defect because they are programmed not to function without their addiction.'

Following a Daily Mail campaign, a new law was introduced limiting the amount people can bet on the FOBTs to 2.

Revenue from the machines fell from 1.1billion to 624million between October 2018 and September 2019.

Betting shops also suffered sales declines during the Covid pandemic, with stores having to close during lockdown.

But there are fears that gamblers moved online, with one betting firm recording 23 consecutive months of rising revenues in the division over the last two years.
Bernie Madoff's elderly sister and her husband were found dead with gunshot wounds in their garage in Florida last week in a suspected murder suicide, neighbors have claimed.

Sondra Weiner, 87, and her husband Marvin, 90, were found inside the garage of the home in Boynton Beach, Florida, at around 12pm. It's unclear who called the police.

Neighbors told multiple local media outlets over the weekend that the Marvin was 'ill' and had been for years but police have not yet confirmed that.

The pair 'lost millions' in the Ponzi scheme her brother ran and went to jail for, and had to sell their old home to downsize.

'She lost millions in this whole thing,' a source told the New York Post in 2009. The couple have at least one adult son who last week said they were 'victims' as much as anyone else.

They seem to have kept to themselves in the gated community in Florida where they lived. They were parents to a son, 63 year-old Charles, who said 'No comment' when contacted by DailyMail.com about the murder-suicide.

Sondra Wiener died Thursday at age 87 in a suspected murder suicide alongside husband Marvin Wiener

The sister of the disgraced Ponzi fraudster Bernie Madoff - who died in federal prison in April - has died, along with her husband, in what Florida police are calling a possible murder-suicide

Sondra Wiener, 87, and husband Marvin Wiener were both found dead Thursday night in their private gated community home in Valencia Lakes (pictured), outside of Tampa

Sources told the outlet that the couple's bodies were recovered by cops Thursday in their home on Barca Boulevard, an occurrence confirmed by an internal email sent to homeowners in the private housing development notifying them of the Wieners' deaths, and confirming the investigation.

'Let me start off by stating that as many of you have heard, we had a tragic situation on Barca Boulevard regarding the passing of Sondra and Marvin Wiener,' the private email obtained by the outlet and penned by an unnamed community leader reads.

One of the only surviving Madoff's is Bernie's wife Ruth, who is living as a recluse now in Connecticut

'Our thoughts and condolences go out to their family. There is currently an investigation pending. All I can say is at this time there is no security or safety threat to anyone in the community.'

Wiener was Madoff's only sister.

Cops did not comment on the circumstances of their deaths, nor whom is thought to have killed the other.

The couple's deaths comes a little less than a year after Madoff died in prison in April.

Madoff was a fixture on Wall Street before his fall in 2008, when he was arrested and pleaded guilty to operating a sprawling, decades-long Ponzi scheme that swindled thousands out of their life savings, according to federal prosecutors.

Madoff started his scheme nearly half a century ago, in the early 70s, and by the time he was busted by feds in December 2008, the financier had already defrauded roughly 37,000 people in 136 countries - out of up to $65 billion.

The crooked speculator's victims included tens of thousands of ordinary investors, as well as big names like Steven Spielberg, Kevin Bacon and Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Weisel.

Madoff died in federal lockup in North Carolina in April, serving a 150-year prison sentence.

The deaths of his sister and brother-in-law come as the latest installment of a series of tragedies surrounding the family of the fallen financier.

His son, Mark, hanged himself inside his New York City apartment in 2010, at the age of 46.

His other son, Andrew, died of cancer in 2014 at age 48.

Moreover, in a prophetic foretelling of the fate of the Wieners and Palm Beach cops' current investigation, Madoff's wife, now-80-year-old Ruth Madoff, has claimed that she and her husband both attempted suicide together during his scandal.

However, their attempt, which consisted of downing prescription pills Ambien and Klonopin in December 2008, failed.

'I don't know whose idea it was, but we decided to kill ourselves because it was so horrendous what was happening,' Madoff told CBS News years after the incident. 'We had terrible phone calls. Hate mail, just beyond anything and I said "...I just can't go on anymore."'

'I took what we had, he took more,' Ruth told the outlet. 'We took pills and woke up the next day....It was very impulsive and I am glad we woke up.'

The details of the Wieners deaths are still mired in mystery, with investigators still keeping mum concerning the exact details of how they died, and what drew them to declare the case a murder-suicide.

DailyMail.com reached out to the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office to comment on the case Sunday morning, but did not immediately hear back.
A senior Facebook executive caught in a vigilante pedophile sting last week was allegedly grooming a supposed 13-year-old boy with sick sexual texts, messages obtained by DailyMail.com reveal.

Jeren Miles, a 35-year-old data center community development manager for Facebook company Meta, allegedly arranged to meet 13-year-old Corey in a Columbus, Ohio hotel room after texting him that he wanted to suck him, have naked cuddles and telling him I wont have any restraint around you if Im horny.

Corey was in fact a fake account set up by vigilante pedophile-hunting group Predator Catchers Indianapolis (PCI)  who say police have yet to respond to the evidence they submitted against the alleged predator.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Jeren Miles, 35, was data center community development manager for Facebook company Meta before he was dismissed last week. He allegedly arranged to meet 13-year-old Corey in a Columbus, Ohio hotel room after texting him that he wanted to 'have naked cuddles and telling him I wont have any restraint around you if Im horny'

Corey was in fact a fake account set up by vigilante pedophile-hunting group Predator Catchers Indianapolis (PCI) Two members of the group turned up at Miles hotel room last Wednesday night and persuaded him to own up to sending the disturbing messages while filming him and livestreaming the footage on Facebook

The video went viral, prompting Meta to fire Miles and launch an investigation, according to a statement from the company which said the seriousness of the allegations against him cannot be overstated

A man and woman from the group turned up at Miles hotel room on Wednesday night and persuaded him to own up to sending the disturbing messages while filming him and livestreaming the footage on Facebook.

The video went viral, prompting Meta to fire Miles and launch an investigation, according to a statement from the company which said the seriousness of the allegations against him cannot be overstated.

Miles has not been arrested or charged with any crime. Although admitting to sending the texts on video, he did not admit to any specific sex act, nor intending to with any minors.

Texts sent via Facebook messenger and obtained by DailyMail.com show how the six-figure-earning Meta manager allegedly groomed the supposed 13-year-old, telling him he was in a safe space while repeatedly steering the conversation towards his twisted sexual fantasies.

Miles started texting Corey on November 22, sending him a private message saying Hey there, do we know each other?

Corey told Miles he was 13, but the information did not seem to deter the 35-year-olds sexual advances.

Texts sent via Facebook messenger and obtained by DailyMail.com show how the six-figure-earning Meta manager groomed the supposed 13-year-old, telling him he was in a safe space while repeatedly steering the conversation towards his twisted sexual fantasies.

Better watch my language with you! Lol. Because youre a youngin, he wrote, adding that he planned to find some trouble to get into the kind Id get in trouble for talking to a minor about.

On December 3, Miles wrote to Corey he was for exploring thing[s] whenever you feel ready, and when asked to elaborate by the supposed 13-year-old, he wrote I love naked cuddles on a cold evening. With you pressed up against me.

In the disturbing messages Miles told Corey Its about what you want to do that you like, or something you want to try. Safe space here.

He added a few hours later: I like the sweet cuddlesbut I also like to bend a boy over and pound him while he calls me daddy, and told the teenager I wont have any restraint around you if Im horny.

Miles arranged to meet Corey while on a work trip in Columbus, and gave the boy his hotel room number at Le Meridien downtown in the city.

When Predator Catchers Indianapolis founder Eric Schmutte and his colleague Shanda Nolley, who was running the fake Corey account, showed up at the door he allowed them in, sat down and confessed on camera to sending the messages and having a sexual attraction to the 13-year-old boy.

Miles tried to defend himself, claiming: I was flirting, talking to him. Throughout all of this, there was never any intention of me ever meeting up with him'

Predator Catchers Indianapolis posted pictures from his social media, attached. Also attached an archive of his twitter feed caught on Google cache, he's since shut down his twitter, facebook and Instagram

So youre ok with talking sexual online as long as you dont meet the children? Nolley asked Miles.

This is the one time Ive done this, he replied.

Nolley claimed that despite turning over the shocking text messages to both Columbus Police Department and police in Miles home of Palm Springs, California, as well as his videotaped confession she has had no response from law enforcement.

Palm Springs police spokesman Mike Casavan said Nothing has been reported to us with that name.

But Nolley shared a screenshot of an email sent to PSPD officer Miguel Torres on February 17 at 9pm reporting the alleged grooming and providing the text messages to the department.

Columbus Police Department did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.

When contacted by phone, Miles hung up. A man who answered the door at a property the Facebook senior manager bought in 2019 said he did not know Miles and declined to comment further.

Neighbors said Miles lives at the property and rents it out to holidaymakers at weekends.

A spokesman for Meta said: The seriousness of these allegations cannot be overstated.

The individual is no longer employed with the company. We are actively investigating this situation and cannot provide further comment at this time.

Miles arranged to meet Corey while on a work trip in Columbus, and gave the boy his hotel room number at Le Meridien downtown in the city

In an interview with DailyMail.com, Nolley said she works with around 15 volunteers who have together allegedly exposed around 200 pedophiles since the organization was founded in March 2020, including about 80 herself.

Nolley said in order to get the most compelling evidence against their targets, the alleged predators have to initiate the initial conversation, they must initiate the sexual conversation, and initiate a meet up.

Once that happens, then we confront them and ask them why they're having this conversation, she said.

We are finding that a lot of these men are repeat offenders. These are serious predators who are online, preying on our youth.

We want these guys behind bars for a very long time.

Nolley said her organization has seen child sex offense convictions against men they reported to cops after catching them in their stings.

An Indiana high school band teacher was convicted of child solicitation after texting sexually graphic messages to someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl from Muncie, Indiana.

Brian J. Boyer, 40, told the girl to just act like you are one of my former students. When he arrived at the school to meet her, he was faced instead with Nolley, 34, and Schmutte, 35.

Boyer took a plea deal for 18 months jail time and a further two and a half years probation under intense supervision.

It's a success, but definitely we need to see stricter laws for these predators, said Nolley. That's not enough time.

PCI is one of two chapters of Predator Catchers Incorporated, a registered 501c(3) charity.

Nolley, whose day job is as a financial manager for a construction firm, said all its volunteers are unpaid and their operations are funded by donations.

She is one of several members whose job is to pretend to be minors and catch pedophiles sexting and soliciting.

Predator Catchers Indianapolis founder Eric Schmutte and his colleague Shanda Nolley (above), who was running the fake Corey account, showed up at the door he allowed them in, sat down and confessed on camera to sending the messages and having a sexual attraction to the 13-year-old boy

She said her decoy alter-ego Corey had also ensnared several other alleged predators, including one woman, but that Facebook deleted Coreys account after the video of Miles confession went viral on Wednesday  meaning important evidence was lost.

Its unfortunate, because I did have other predators that were ready to be caught on there, she said.

Nolley said the groups YouTube channel has also been warned by YouTube for breaching its terms of use.

After all this went down, we got two strikes on our main YouTube channel, she said.

We get one more strike and they delete the channel. It's hard for us to find platforms where we can share this information. We're trying to educate communities and bring awareness to this issue.
We Are China

Inheritor of Chen Leaf Miniatures carves Beijing 2022 into leaves

People's Daily Online) 13:44, February 21, 2022

Photo shows a leaf carving work with the pattern of Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, created by Chen Liming. (Photo/Yang Fan)

Chen Liming, a leaf carving master in Jiaozuo city, central Chinas Henan Province, created leaf carving works with the theme of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games to show his support for the mega sporting event.

Chen is the heir of Chen Leaf Miniatures, listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in Henan. Chen Leaf Miniatures require dozens of steps such as selecting, cleaning, coloring, drawing, carving and drying natural leaves.

Chen Liming presents his leaf carving work. (Photo/Yang Fan)

Photo shows Chen Limings leaf carving work with an image of Chinese speed skater Ren Ziwei. (Photo/Yang Fan)

Photo shows Chen Limings leaf carving work with an image of Chinas freeskier Gu Ailing. (Photo/Yang Fan)

Photo shows Chen Limings leaf carving work with an image of Chinese speed skater Wu Dajing. (Photo/Yang Fan)

Photo shows Chen Limings leaf carving work with an image of Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming. (Photo/Yang Fan)

Photo shows Chen Limings leaf carving work with a pattern of Bing Dwen Dwen eating tangyuan, a kind of stuffed small dumpling ball made of glutinous rice flour to celebrate the Lantern Festival. (Photo/Yang Fan)

Photo shows Chen Limings leaf carving work with an image of a short-track speed skater. (Photo/Yang Fan)

Photo shows Chen Limings leaf carving work with an image of a speed skater. (Photo/Yang Fan)

Photo shows Chen Limings leaf carving work with an image of a freestyle skier. (Photo/Yang Fan)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Despite the blurry possibility of another federal payment this year, several states provide a fourth stimulus check and some states are even giving out money each month.

In 2021, the federal government has stopped issuing stimulus checks. Overall, US government had already distributed three stimulus checks.

Fortunately, there are states that will receive a fourth stimulus check in 2022. These states have agreed to develop recovery strategies to alleviate the economic effects of the Corona pandemic, which continues to afflict millions of Americans.

Four States With Fourth Stimulus Check

A total of 87 million people live in the four states that are poised to issue extra stimulus checks. Though not everyone will be eligible for the stimulus package, it is expected to help a large number of residents.

1. New York

Undocumented employees in New York who were unable to collect prior government stimulus cheques may be eligible to participate in a stimulus fund valued at little over $2 billion. Excluded Workers Fund is the name of the program, and money has already been distributed to people who fell into this group and earned less than $26,208 in 2020. In 2022, this initiative will be expanded.

Governor Kathy Hochul stated that the Excluded Workers Fund is a lifeline for thousands of New Yorkers since the COVID-19 outbreak is still ongoing. They are an inherent element of the state, keeping it operating even during the pandemic's deadliest phase.

2. Indiana

The state of Indiana had a large surplus last year, and the administration wants to share it with people in the form of a 125-dollar tax refund. "We must return this money into the hands of taxpayers instead of putting it in the hands of the government," Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb stated.

3. California

Californians may look forward to a third check as part of the high-profile Golden State Stimulus initiatives. It was revealed by Governor Gavin Newsom, who intends to deliver an extra refund to taxpayers once the budget is amended.

5. Florida

The state of Florida thanked the teachers and promised a new stimulus payment in 2022. The stimulus check in 2022 will be worth $1,000, according to KSU Sentinel.

Many people were afraid of the pandemic's devastating potential when the Omicron outbreak first arrived in the United States in 2021. Because this strain of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic is highly contagious, many people are concerned that businesses will be closed for a long period of time.

The fear was that this would result in an extremely high unemployment rate, delaying the speed of economic recovery in the United States of America. For this reason, many Americans expected the fourth stimulus check to be sent this year, as per Unica News.

Read Also: Stimulus Check Update: Did President Joe Biden Authorize Another Round of Relief Payments?

You May Get Another Federal Payment When You File Your Tax Return

It's less than a month and a half until the time to submit taxes on stimulus check payment. The majority of tax specialists around the state have been extremely busy aiding customers in reaching the deadlines that have been established. The current position, according to Sam Noshirvan, a tax associate with the Timberline Tax Group, does not depict an ideal world under any circumstances since the IRS is a vast vessel.

After Channel 2 got a flurry of queries from viewers, Noshirvan assisted in clearing up an unusually huge jar of misunderstandings concerning stimulus payments and CTC stimulus checks when it came to paying taxes.

As part of the Cares Act, Noshirvan said that none of the stimulus check payments should be deemed taxable. Surprisingly, this is also a major component of the several agreements that Congress has put into law. He went on to say that both government payments were advances that might be utilized as credit or tax reductions if you owed money to the government. It would function as a refund if there was no tax balance.

As things stand, most families throughout the country will only be able to receive half of the CTC stimulus check in June 2021. Noshirvan said, "Once the taxes have been submitted, the remaining half will be applied-either as a credit for what is owed or as a refund in and of itself." He said that when they filed their tax returns they would almost certainly qualify for the remaining 50%.

Payments made with stimulus checks appear to be in the same boat. Noshirvan went on to say that if a person received one of their two stimulus payments they would be eligible for a credit on the remaining installment, Digital Market News reported.

Related Article: Student Loan Forgiveness for 16,000 Students Approved: Who Qualifies?

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At least six people were stabbed over the weekend in the New York City's crime-ridden subway system, which has seen close to 300 violent incidents so far this year, despite city and state leaders' efforts to curb the bloodshed.

The first of the half-dozen attacks took place just hours after New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul, both Democrats, announced a crackdown on rampant crime and homelessness in the sprawling transit system.

The 31-year-old victim was on a southbound 6 train approaching Canal Street at 6.10pm on Sunday when police say a stranger plunged a knife twice into his arm without any apparent provocation.

The attacker remained on the train as it continued on its way to Brooklyn, while the victim got off at the Canal Street station, where photographs showed his blood staining walls and floors.

The knifed man, who has not been named, was transported to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.

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Bloody Sunday: A stabbing victim's blood stains the wall and floor at the Canal Street station in Manhattan on Sunday night

Police say the 31-year-old victim was riding a southbound 6 train when he was attacked without any provocation by a knife-wielding stranger, who stabbed him twice in the arm

Police officers are seen investigating at the scene of Sunday's stabbing, which capped off a violent weekend in the city's sprawling subway system

Police say the suspect, who fled, was last seen wearing a colorful vest over a grey hoodie. He has not been arrested as of Monday

A police officer emerges from the No 6 Canal Street Station on Sunday, following the random stabbing that sent the victim to the hospital in stable condition

The suspect, believed to be a man in his 30s, was described as wearing a colorful vest over a gray hoodie. He has not been arrested as of Monday morning.

Sunday's incident capped off a violent weekend, which saw at least five other people assaulted in the subway system in a span of 48 hours.

On Friday evening - just hours after Adams and Hochul unveiled a new subway safety plan - a man was slashed in the forearm at the Briarwood subway station in Queens and was hospitalized in stable condition, reported NBC New York.

At around 3am on Saturday, a 46-year-old homeless man was stabbed multiple times in the thigh and buttocks during a robbery attempt at Jamaica station in queens

About 12 hours later, a man punched a 20-year-old woman on the 3 train platform at Livonia and Van Siclen Avenue in Brooklyn. An argument ensued, during which police say the male attacker pulled out a knife and stabbed the woman three times in the abdomen. The victim was hospitalized in stable condition.

At around 8.30pm on Saturday, a 24-year-old man was standing on the A-C-E platform in the 168th Street station in Manhattan when police say he was stabbed by two teens during a botched robbery attempt.

About 30 minutes later, another man was riding a southbound train in Morningside Heights in Manhattan when he was knifed after asking a stranger to stop smoking.

According to the latest data from the New York City Police Department, since the beginning of the year, there have been 276 instances of crime in the subway system, which represent a 65 percent increase compared to the same period in 2021.

As of January 1, there have been 276 instances of crime in NYC's subway system - up 65 percent compared to the same period last year

Mayor Adams announced last month he was injecting more police officers into the subway system, not only having officers riding trains but having other neighborhood patrol officers spend more time in stations and on platforms.

The crackdown was spurred by a string of violent incidents in the transit network, including the death of a woman who was pushed in front of a train in January and a fresh incident last Thursday, when a man breakdancing on a train was wounded when he was stabbed twice by another man who then fled.

In the case of the fatal shoving of Michelle Alyssa Go, police said the suspect, Martial Simon, was homeless and had a history of 'emotionally disturbed encounters.'

Adams encountered incidents himself on his first day as mayor, when he witnessed a fight and at least one person sleeping on a train as he made a point of commuting on the subway to City Hall.

'Who wants to start their day that way? Of that level of despair thats right in front of them?' the mayor said on Friday when unveiling a new initiative to combat homelessness in the subway system, which he likened to a 'cancerous sore.'

Mayor Eric Adams announced last month he was injecting more police officers into the subway system

Adams and Gov Kathy Hochul on Friday unveiled a plan to combat homelessness in the subway by barring people from sleeping on trains

Police statistics show major felonies in the subways have dropped over the last two years, but the numbers are difficult to compare with ridership numbers having dropped as well.

'People tell me about their fear of using the system and we are going to ensure that fear is not New Yorks reality,' Adams said.

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said starting next week, the police departments officers will be joined by mental health workers in the subways. The teams will focus on high-traffic areas or areas where there have been increased reports of crime.

'Trained people will look to assist those in need. We will enforce transit rules when necessary, but this is about helping people,' she said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who joined Adams at a subway station on Friday to announce a plan to start barring people from sleeping on trains or riding the same lines all night, said the city and state cant recover from the devastation of the pandemic until people return to their jobs  and ride the subway to get there.

'We know its a big problem. But shame on us if this moment in time, if we dont turn over every single stone, find every possible way to to deal with this,' Hochul said.
Professor Robert West, a psychologist, accused ministers of 'abdicating' their responsibility for looking after the public

No10 is 'abdicating' its responsibility for looking after the public by dropping the final Covid rules, a Government adviser claimed today  barely hours before the plans were set to be revealed.

Professor Robert West, a psychologist and member of a SAGE sub-committee who also criticised lifting restrictions last summer, said plans to live with Covid like the flu were 'irresponsible'.

He argued the move meant that Boris Johnson and senior ministers would 'accept' between 20,000 and 80,000 virus deaths every year.

For comparison, flu kills in the region of 20,000 people in a bad winter.

Professor West, from University College London, said there are a 'large number of deaths' from heart disease and cancer but we don't just say: 'Well, we've got to live with it.'

'We do an awful lot with heart disease and cancer and other forms of deaths to try to prevent them and to treat them,' the SPI-B panelist added. 'So it seems a little odd really to be saying "Well, Covid, we're going to treat that differently. We're not going to try and prevent it".'

Mr Johnson will go ahead with his grand 'Living With Covid' set-piece today, after Cabinet finally signed the plan off after hours of last-ditch haggling over testing.

Ministers have given the green light to the strategy at the second time of asking  after they had to be sent away from Downing Street this morning because details had not been thrashed out.

Mr Johnson is now expected to make a Commons statement at around 4.30pm laying out the blueprint, and a timetable for scrapping 'free' tests which have been costing the taxpayer around 2billion a month. He will then hold a press conference at 7pm.

Some scientists gave a luke-warm welcome to the plan today  which should see self-isolation laws axed from Thursday  saying there is no 'right or wrong' time to end them.

But Labour, the unions and experts argue it is simply too early to consider scrapping Covid curbs, and that the plan is to distract from lockdown parties.

Pictured above is Sir Chris Whitty (right) and Sir Patrick Vallance (left). They will join the Prime Minister this evening for a press conference when he scraps the remaining Covid rules

Entire country probably WON'T need Covid booster jab every winter, expert says Not every Briton will need to get a Covid booster vaccine every winter, one of the country's top experts claimed today. Oxford University's Sir Andrew Pollard  who advises No10 on the jab roll out  said the current 'wall of immunity' will keep the virus at bay for most Britons. But he admitted it was 'reasonable to think' that the most vulnerable members of society would likely be offered top-up doses in the future. His comments echo other scientists, who say annual Covid jabs will likely be offered to all those that get a flu shot every year. This includes the over-50s, care home residents, health workers, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised. Sir Andrew, who is part of the team behind the AstraZeneca jab, also gave a luke-warm reception to plans to dump the last Covid measures, saying there was no 'right or wrong' time to relax the final rules. Over-75s and the most vulnerable in Britain are expected to be offered a fourth jab within weeks. It has been six months since many received their last jab in late 2021. Scientists say the top-up doses may be needed because of concerns over how long immunity from the jabs lasts. Israel has offered fourth jabs to its over-60s and health workers since early January, and expanded the roll out to all adults later that month. But some academics say the US, the UK and other major economies could be on the brink of over-vaccinating people in the fight against Covid. Advertisement

Under the plans, contact tracing will also be wound down, and Covid testing for pupils twice a week will also be dropped, according to The Guardian.

Railing against the move, Professor West accused the Government of abdicating 'its own responsibility for looking after its population'.

He said: 'It looks as though what the Government has said is that it accepts that the country is going to have to live with somewhere between 20,000 and 80,000 Covid deaths a year and isn't really going to do anything about it.

'Now, that seems to me to be irresponsible.'

England recorded fewer than 70,000 coronavirus deaths during 2020, a time before life-saving vaccines were available  below Professor West's highest estimate.

The country has also suffered fewer than 15,000 fatalities since the Omicron wave took off.

The UK is also currently registering about 144 Covid deaths a day, well below the 400 a day average at the peak of the last bad flu season in 2017/18.

And the virus was only the fourth leading cause of death in England and Wales at the end of 2021, behind dementia, heart disease and respiratory problems.

It has not been the leading cause of death since February 2021, at the tail-end of the Alpha wave before vaccines were widely administered.

Professor West has previously slammed Government plans, accusing ministers of trying to get as many people infected as possible last year and saying the public were not tired of Covid rules two weeks before measures were eased.

Some scientists supported Mr Johnson's plans today, with Sir Andrew Pollard, a top expert at Oxford University, giving them a luke-warm reception and saying there was no 'right or wrong' time to end restrictions.

He said it was 'enormously difficult' to decide when to end the final measures.

'There isn't a right or wrong answer to this because we don't have a measure that helps us get there,' he said.

Sir Andrew noted that although the measures had benefits, including breaking chains of transmission and limiting hospital admissions, there were also hidden harms.

'(The harms) include things, just from a health perspective, like the the impact on hospitals of having staff self-isolating, the inability to perform operations, there will be surgery cancelled today that may be critical for people because of staff who are off work during that period; the impact on education, on the workplace and the economy,' he said.

'The impacts on the economy and mental health will have longer-term consequences.

'So if we could find a measure that brings all of that together, we could work out the exact right moment (for lifting restrictions).'

Britain is also now considering plans to roll out fourth doses to the over-75s. Above is a man getting his fourth dose in Israel, which has been rolling out the extra jabs since January

Former SAGE adviser Professor Robert Dingwall has also backed the move, saying the change is 'not a cliff-edge'.

'Large numbers of people are not going to start changing their behaviour overnight  but behaviour will gradually shift, as it did last year,' he said.

He also suggested the remaining restrictions were already only having a marginal impact because of the lack of enforcement.

Other scientists called for the final relaxation to be slowed down, however, warning it risked accelerating the spread of the virus.

Dr Simon Clarke, from Reading University, said: 'This is not a move motivated by data, despite what ministers will doubtless say; they have never outlined what the national Covid picture would need to look like for this to happen.

'It seems to be a Government pantomime geared towards persuading people that it's all over and I expect that in the coming days it will be linked to helping the NHS get back on its feet.

'However, allowing infections to run riot in the community and be transferred into hospitals, which they will probably end up being unfairly blamed for again, will just cause more problems in vulnerable patients.'

Referring to 'Partygate' probes, Labour's health spokesman Wes Streeting said: 'Boris Johnson is declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door.

'The Government should publish the evidence behind this decision, so the public can have faith it is being made in the national interest.'
A banana picker from Vanuatu accused of amputating a man's leg with a circular saw before he died from the horrific injury had left behind a young family to do farm work in Australia just a few months ago.

A 66-year-old man died in the early hours of Saturday morning on Fitzgerald Esplanade at Innisfail, North Queensland, after he was discovered by passers-by.

Police allege John Yalu, 36, amputated the older man's lower leg in parklands next to the street.

His social media account is littered with pictures of his young children in Vanuatu, who he left behind in June last year to travel to Australia for work.

Yalu is understood to have been living at a local accommodation facility since arriving in Queensland.

Police allege John Yalu, 36, a fruitpicker, amputated the older man's lower leg in parklands at Innisfail, 88km south of Cairns in far north Queensland

A 66-year-old Innisfail man died in the early hours of Saturday morning on Fitzgerald Esplanade (pictured) after he was discovered by passers-by

Fellow farm workers and countrymen who lived with the Vanuatu national at the Rankin St property said they were 'shocked' by his arrest, the Courier Mail reports.

They said they flew to Australia on the same plane as Yalu in June last year and all quarantined together before moving into the accommodation centre.

The charges against Yalu were put before Innisfail Magistrates Court on Monday, and he was remanded in custody awaiting a hearing.

Detective Inspector Gary Hunter of Cairns police said it was alleged the amputation occurred after a prior arrangement between the two men.

Police allege the deceased man paid the 36-year-old $5,000 to perform the amputation.

'Police will allege that at 3.48am (Saturday), the deceased person and another male person arrived at a location on Fitzgerald Esplanade at Innisfail,' Det Insp Hunter he said.

'Both the people left the vehicle and went to a grassed area not far away and remained at that location for about 20 minutes.

Yalu (pictured) left a young family behind in Vanuatu to travel to Australia to work as a fruit picker last June

Police believe the deceased man paid the 36-year-old (pictured) $5,000 to perform the amputation

Innisfail's Fitzgerald Park, where the amateur amputation is alleged to have taken place

'A male person has then commenced to saw the deceased persons leg off using a circular saw.

'A short time later, the male person in this matter has assisted the deceased person, who is 66 years of age, return to the vehicle and a short time later has left the area on foot.

'Police will allege that these two people were known to each other.'

The battery-powered saw used in the incident is believed to belong to the deceased man.

The people who found the man called an ambulance but he died before it arrived.

Yalu was found at a home in Innisfail at about noon on Sunday and charged with one count of murder.

The police investigation into the relationship between the two men is continuing, with an appeal for any CCTV or dashcam footage from the area.

Yalu's legal representative made no bail application on Monday and the next hearing was set for June 6.
The three Met officers charged for allegedly sharing grossly offensive messages with Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens were today finally named by the Crown Prosecution Service as it backed down following a secrecy row.

The three officers, two of whom are still serving, are accused of sharing racist and misogynistic texts with the former protection officer about two years before he abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard.

The CPS announced the trio were charged with sending grossly offensive messages over WhatsApp between. But their names were withheld by the CPS for 'operational reasons' - prompting claims they were receiving 'special treatment'.

Today the officers were identified as Pc Jonathon Cobban, 35, Pc William Neville, 33, and ex-constable Joel Borders, 45. Cobban is a local officer in West London while Neville is based in the South West. Borders has now left the force.

Wayne Couzens in Folkestone when he worked for Kent Police before joining the Met

Cobban and Borders have both been charged with five counts of sending grossly offensive messages on a public communications network contrary to S127 of the Communications Act 2003.

Neville has been charged with two counts of sending grossly offensive messages on a public communications network contrary to S127 of the Communications Act 2003.

The CPS announced earlier this month that trio had been charged with sending grossly offensive messages over WhatsApp between April and August 2019.

The decision to withhold their names followed after a Supreme Court ruling confirming criminal suspects have the right to privacy, meaning they cannot be named by the press before they are charged with an offence unless there is a proper public interest justification to do so.

Despite this ruling defendants, including police officers such as Couzens, are identified when they are charged, so the decision to withhold the names was highly unusual.

The decision to withhold the identities was not thought to have been made by Scotland Yard or the IOPC, and a source said both bodies disagreed with the anonymity. MPs and lawyers slammed the decision as 'ridiculous' and 'a charade'.

Nazir Afzal, former chief prosecutor for the North West, said naming the defendants could not risk prejudicing a trial as details of the officers' relationship with Couzens would inevitably emerge in court.

He said: 'I think it is ridiculous. As soon as these officers are in front of a magistrate or judge they will say of course you should be named.

'We don't have secret justice in this country for good reason and it should not start now.

'Regardless of the crime said to have been committed, the identity of the accused should not be kept a secret.'

Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, said it appeared as if the officers were receiving special treatment. He said: 'This will only exacerbate the public feeling that the people in charge of the law feel like they are above it.

'There can't be special treatment for police officers. They are people in trusted positions so if they are accused of something the law needs to be seen to be done.'

Sarah Everard, 33, was kidnapped, raped and murdered by Couzens in March last year

Detectives investigating Couzens after Miss Everard's murder found the allegedly grossly offensive material on one of the killer's old phones. The two serving officers were placed on restricted duties but Scotland Yard confirmed they have now been suspended.

After an investigation the IOPC sent a file to the CPS this month. The three officers will appear at Westminster magistrates' court on March 16.

Former parliamentary protection officer Couzens, 48, was handed a whole life term at the Old Bailey last September after pleading guilty in July.

Miss Everard disappeared while walking home in south London last March and was later discovered on waste ground more than 50 miles away in Kent strangled.

Couzens used Covid curbs at the time and his warrant card to stop his victim in the street and get her into a hire car.

Couzens abducted Sarah Everard as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham, south London, on the evening of March 3, abusing his position as a police officer to force her into his car

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said today: 'Following a referral of evidence by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the CPS authorised charges against two serving Metropolitan Police officers and one former officer.

'PC Jonathon Cobban, 35, PC William Neville, 33, and former officer Joel Borders, 45, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 16 March for their first hearing.

'Each of the three defendants has been charged with sending grossly offensive messages on a public communications network. The alleged offences took place on a WhatsApp group chat.

'The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges to a court to consider.

'Criminal proceedings are active and nothing should be published that could jeopardise the defendants right to a fair trial.'

The IOPC said: 'The IOPC's investigation began following a referral from the MPS in April last year (2021) and was completed in December when we referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

'The CPS has taken the decision to authorise charges against the officers.'

The three suspects will make a first appearance before Westminster Magistrates' Court on March 16.
A woman in Tennessee lost $300,000 in inheritance money after she fell for a crypto romance scam on a dating app last year that tricked her into believing that she was investing in cryptocurrency.

Niki Hutchinson, a 24-year-old social media producer from Tennessee, was visiting a friend in California last year when she matched on Hinge - a dating app - with a man whose name was Hao. He had told her that he was living nearby and that he worked in the clothing business.

The two kept on exchanging messages on WhatsApp for more than a month after Hutchinson had returned home. She told Hao that she was from China but that she was adopted. He told her that he was Chinese, too, and that he came from the same province as her birth parents. Both were even teasing about the idea that they were long-lost siblings as he would call her 'sister'.

However, little did Hutchinson know at the time that she was going to become the latest victim of a new type of fraud - crypto romance scams. It's a term for online scammers feigning romantic interest to gain a person's trust before selling to them the idea that investing in cryptocurrency is an attractive idea for the long-haul.

But, unlike typical romance scams  which generally target older, less tech-savvy adults  these scammers appear to be going after millennials on dating apps like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge.

So when Hutchinson told Hao that she had just inherited nearly $300,000 from the sale of her childhood home after her mother's death, he did not hesitate to suggest that she should invest her money in cryptocurrency.

'I want to teach you to invest in cryptocurrency when you are free, bring some changes to your life and bring an extra income to your life,' he once texted her, according to a screenshot of the exchange obtained by the New York Times.

Scammers are attempting to romantically lure millennials through dating apps so that they can 'invest' on their fake cryptocurrency exchange platforms

Niki Hutchinson, 24, was targeted by a Chinese man, called Hao, on Hinge, swindling both her and her father out of $300,000 in inheritance money

Ultimately, she agreed to Hao's suggestion and sent a small amount of crypto to a wallet address he provided her, which he said was affiliated with an account on a crypto exchange called ICAC. After her money had successfully appeared on ICAC's website, she sent more.

She was pleasantly surprise by the simplicity of making money through Hao's advice. Eventually, she took out a loan to keep on investing after making the call to dump her entire savings on the crypto trading platform.

In December of last year, Hutchinson started to see red flags after trying to withdraw money from her account. She wasn't able to, and a customer service agent for ICAC informed her that her account would remain frozen unless she paid her taxes, which was in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Coincidentally, her habit of texting with Hao on a daily basis had ceased. They had even video-chatted once on a previous occasion, she said  but Hao only partly showed his face and hung up quickly.

'I thought he was shy,' she said.

But after her suspicion grew, she realized how long she had been led on for.

'I was like, oh, God, what have I done?' she told the New York Times.

Now, Hutchinson is trying to play catch up while living in a R.V. with her father. It's one of the few assets they have left  and she is corresponding with authorities in Florida to pursue her scammer.

However, she isn't the only one to have experienced fraud last year as romance scams online have increased during the pandemic, along with crypto prices. That was the common denominator that has made crypto such an attractive market for scammers looking to part victims from their savings.

Nearly 56,000 romance scams, adding up to $547 million in losses, were reported to the Federal Trade Commission last year, according to agency data. That is almost as twice as many reports as the agency shared in 2020 - 33,000 scams, totalling $307 million in loses .

In a memo sent out in September, the FBI's Oregon office warned that crypto dating scams were on the rise and that it was a new way of doing cybercrime, with more than 1,800 reported cases in the first seven months of the year.

In 2021, the total reported losses related to romance scams were more than six times what they were in 2017, and the number of reports grew to more than three times the 2017 number

Experts trace the new scamming technique back to China, where it is translated roughly as 'pig butchering' - an allusion that criminals are 'fattening up' their victims with flattery and romance before ripping them off.

Jane Lee, a researcher at the online fraud-prevention firm Sift, started taking interest in crypto dating scams last year. She signed up across multiple dating apps and quickly matched with men who tried to offer her investing advice.

'People are lonely from the pandemic, and crypto is super hot right now,' she told the New York Times. 'The combination of the two has really made this a successful scam.'

Lee added that scammers tended to move the conversation off datings platforms and onto encrypted playfrom, noticeably WhatsApp and Telegram, where messages are harder for companies or law enforcement agencies to retrieve.

From there, the scammer lure the victim by bombarding them with romantic and flirtatious messages until popping the big suggestion: investing into cryptocurrency. The scammer, identifying himself as a successful crypto trader, offers a key reason for the victim how to invest his or her money: fast and low-risk gains.

After that, Lee said, the scammer helps the victim with buying cryptocurrency on a legitimate site, including popular ones like Coinbase or Crypto.com, and sends them details on transferring it to a fake cryptocurrency exchange platform.

The victim's money appears on the exchange's website, and is eventually 'invested' in various crypto assets, under the scammer's recommendations, before the scammer ultimately cashes out and runs with the money.

What makes this particular scam much more difficult to detect than others, such as the Nigerian prince scams (called advance-fee scams) is how authentic these fake crypto exchange websites are as they usually display charts and tickers showing the prices of various crypto assets.

Crypto scams are a lot harder to decipher than most online cams due to the authenticity of fake crypto exchange websites, full of graphs, charts and tickers showing the fluctuating pricing of different crypto assets

However, names and addresses of investors change frequently, and victims are often permitted to withdraw small amounts of money early on, giving them the incentive and comfort that they could withdraw larger sums later.

'This kind of scam is quite labor-intensive and time-consuming,' Jan Santiago, the deputy director of the Global Anti-Scam Organization, said. 'They're very meticulous in their social engineering.'

Cryptocurrencies are convenient for scammers due to the relative privacy they offer. Bitcoin transactions have to be publically visible by trade, but because digital wallets can be created anonymously, and it's a safe haven for technically sophisticated criminals to dump their money in without leaving a path behind them.

And because there is no central bank or deposit insurance for cryptocurrencies yet, stolen money can not be retrievable.

Hutchinson, who isn't expecting a refund for her investments, said she hopes others will be more diligent and skeptical about strangers who promise to help them invest in cryptocurrency.

'You hear all these stories about people becoming millionaires,' she said. 'It just felt like, oh, well, cryptocurrency's the new trend, and I need to get in.'
Environmental health officials destroyed a musicians drum kit after he defied a court order to stop playing at his home.

James Andrew Gibbs Jones, 28, of Abertillery, South Wales, continued to drum out beats day and night after his neighbours had complained to the council about the loud noise.

Blaenau Gwent council served Jones a notice but a court heard he continued to play at his home in Tillery Street.

The council secured an entry warrant and officials carried out a raid to seize and destroy his drum kit.

He pleaded guilty to failing to comply with an abatement notice and was ordered to pay 404 in a fine, costs and surcharge.

Environmental health officials destroyed a musicians drum kit after he defied a court order to stop playing at his home (file image)

Newport Magistrates' Court heard Gibbs was deprived of a bass drum and pedal, three tom-tom drums, a snare drum and stand, five cymbals and a seat.

Following the sentence, a council spokesperson said: 'Mr Gibbs was a resident in Tillery Street, Abertillery, who was regularly witnessed playing a drum kit in his living room.

'Following complaints about the unreasonable noise levels from residents in the area the authority tried unsuccessfully to engage with Mr Gibbs on a number of occasions regarding the issue and having been satisfied that the noise levels produced were a statutory nuisance, the authority served an abatement notice on Mr Gibbs in March 2021, which he subsequently breached on a number of occasions.

James Andrew Gibbs Jones, 28, of Abertillery, South Wales, continued to drum out beats day and night after his neighbours had complained to the council about the loud noise. Pictured: Newport Magistrates Court

'This resulted in the authority securing a warrant of entry from the magistrates' court to seize Mr Gibbs drum kit and we executed the warrant on the May 12, 2021.'

The spokesperson added: 'Mr Gibbs was then subsequently successfully prosecuted on February 11, 2022 for the breach of the abatement notice and at that hearing Mr Gibbs pleaded guilty.

'The district judge confirmed a deprivation order for the drum kit so that the local authority could retain and dispose of it.'
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The White House says any Russia attack on Ukraine would be a 'greater form of brutality' than a typical war between two militaries and warns chances of diplomacy are diminishing 'by the hour', National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin assembled his inner circle on Monday to discuss invading Ukraine as his top aides continue to advise him not to meet with President Joe Biden.

'We've been negotiating for eight years, we've reached a dead end,' Putin said during the meeting.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Putin said the decision will be taken on Monday on whether to recognize two breakaway regions of Ukraine. If he does go forward with recognizing the 2014 borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions as 'people's republics' and sends troops to help, it means a war.

Putin's aides, who all favor recognition, blame the U.S. during the meeting for the escalation in tensions. Russia's foreign minister, however, said he is willing to meet his American counterpart for talks this week in Geneva.

Biden is also meeting at the White House on Monday with his national security team to be 'briefed on developments regarding Russia and Ukraine', an administration official said.

Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Mark Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were all spotted arriving at the West Wing Monday morning, according to reporters at the White House.

The president also convened with his National Security Council on Sunday to discuss the latest developments in Eastern Europe.

The White House said Sunday that Biden had agreed 'in principle' to talks with Putin brokered by France, provided war did not break out in the meantime.

'It's premature to talk about any specific plans for organizing any kind of summits,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that no 'concrete plans' had been put in place for a meeting.

Sullivan said Russia plans to 'crush' Ukraine should it decide to go forward with a full-scale invasion.

'We believe that any military operation of the size, scope and magnitude of what we believe the Russians are planning will be extremely violent,' Sullivan told NBC News' Today show on Monday morning. 'It will cost the lives of Ukrainians and Russians, civilians and military personnel alike.'

'But we also have intelligence to suggest that there will be an even greater form of brutality, because this will not simply be some conventional war between two armies,' he continued.

'It will be a war waged by Russia on the Ukrainian people to repress them, to crush them, to harm them. And that is what we laid out in detail for the U.N. because we believe that the world must mobilize to counter this kind of Russian aggression should those tanks roll across the border as we anticipate they very well may do in the coming hours or days.'

There are now thought to be 190,000 Russian troops on the border of Ukraine comprising around three quarters of its conventional forces backed by 500 fighter jets, 50 heavy bombers, and dozens of attack helicopters.

The Kremlin continues to deny any plans to attack, but Western allies say Putin is trying to concoct a pretext to invade by stirring up conflict in two breakaway eastern regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - and staging 'false flag' attacks to justify marching his troops in on a mission to 'protect' them.

A Ukrainian serviceman pictured outside of Svitlodarsk, Ukraine in a trench on Monday, February 21 amid warnings that diplomatic paths with Russia are diminishing with each passing hour

Ukrainian border guard officers patrol the Ukrainian-Belarusian border at a checkpoint in Novi Yarylovychi, Ukraine on Monday, February 21 as Russian-Belarusian joint Military exercises continue just miles from the border with Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday negotiations with the west are at a 'dead end' as he convened his inner circle to discuss invading Ukraine

Putin assembled members of his inner circle on Monday (pictured) as aides advise him not to accept Biden's invite for talks after the White House would agreed 'in principal' to talks with Russia facilitated by French President Emmanuel Macron

The White House is warning of a high scale of 'brutality' and 'extreme violence' Russians will have on Ukrainians  civilian and military  if they invade. Here U.S. troops load equipment onto vehicles in Rzeszow, Poland on Saturday, February 19

President Joe Biden deployed a few thousand troops from the 82nd and 18th Airborne Corps to assist in Eastern Europe

Russia continues to show their strength by engaging in military exercises near the border with Ukraine. Russian Defense Ministry released video on Saturday February 19 showing a cruise missile of the Iskander tactical missile system (pictured)

The National Security Advisor to President Biden, @jakejsullivan, joins us to discuss the Ukraine crisis. pic.twitter.com/xaWogFyPID  TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 21, 2022

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Monday that any Russian attack on Ukraine 'will be extremely violent' and a 'greater form of brutality' than a typical war between two militaries

In a separate interview with ABC News' morning program Good Morning America, Sullivan said there are only indications that Moscow is moving forward with plans to invade after snubbing Joe Biden's offer for a summit on the caveat that Russia stands down.

Sullivan said Monday morning: 'We never give up hope on diplomacy until the missiles fly or the tanks roll. But we have been working hard for months with our allies and partners to get Russia to sit down in a serious way at the table  even as recently as yesterday, the president has indicated his readiness to do that. Russia has not shown the same willingness on their side.'

'The likelihood that there's a diplomatic solution, given the movements  the troop movements of the Russians, is diminishing hour by hour,' he said.

'Unfortunately, we have called out at every stage of this what the Russians were going to do and they're doing it.'

Russian battle plans call for an 'overwhelming intensity of fire' on Ukraine that could kill 'tens of thousands' within the opening days of a conflict, the US has warned, as Putin moves his troops within three miles of the border.

Tanks, trucks and artillery have been spotted just two and a half miles from Ukrainian territory in Russia's Belgorod region as new satellite images reveal convoys and troops hiding in civilian areas and the tree-lines of forests in Soloti and Valuyki - a short distance from Ukraine's Kharkiv region where major military bases are located.

Despite warnings of a bloodbath between Ukraine and Russia, the Pentagon continues to insist that no U.S. troops will be put directly in harms way.

'Is there a chance there will be U.S. men and women on the front line fighting and perhaps dying in this war?' MSNBC Morning Joe co-host Willie Geist asked Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby.

'No sir,' he replied.

'President Biden was very, very clear,' Kirby continued, 'there will not be American troops fighting inside Ukraine.'

Diplomacy is continuing despite the threat of war, though the Kremlin this morning downplayed the possibility of a meeting between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin next week - after Biden agreed 'in principle' to talks.

The next high-level negotiations between the two sides are due for Thursday this week, when Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with the issue of Biden-Putin talks expected to be on the agenda.

Their meeting is also dependent on war not breaking out in the meantime.

At the same time, Russian military exercises in Belarus, which were due to end on Sunday, have been extended to an unspecified date, meaning 30,000 men plus ballistic missile launchers, artillery and tanks will remain in place on Ukraine's northern border and within easy striking distance of Kiev.

Biden warned at the weekend that Putin has already given the order to attack, leaving the world guessing as to where and how hard the hammer will fall. American officials who claimed to have seen some of the Kremlin's battle plans warned that a full scale bombardment of the country is being prepared.

'We were told to expect tens of thousands of casualties in the opening days,' one official told the New York Times.

Russia is also preparing a 'hit list' of targets for assassination or arrest once it has troops in Ukraine, US officials said, with political figures, anti-corruption activists, Belarusian and Russian dissidents and LGBT activists all on it.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that it appears Putin's invasion plan has 'already begun', but that a 'window for diplomacy' still exists, while UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, after meeting with NATO, said an invasion appears 'highly likely' but insisted that diplomacy must be pursued.

'As we've seen in the past, we expect Russia will try to force cooperation through intimidation and repression,' a US official told Foreign Policy magazine.

'These acts, which in past Russian operations have included targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, detentions, and the use of torture, would likely target those who oppose Russian actions.

'[That] includes Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBT persons.'

A new report indicates that Russia either plans to kill these populations or send them to camps.

Ambassador Bathsheba Nell Crocker, the U.S. representative to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, sent a letter to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet.

'We have credible information that indicates Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation,' the letter, obtained by NBC News, reads.

U.S. troops load equipment onto vehicles in Rzeszow, Poland on Saturday. Biden approved movement of nearly 5,000 troops to NATO ally Poland, in addition to the 4,000 that are on permanent rotation in Poland

U.S. troops load equipment onto vehicles in Poland on Saturday

Meanwhile, Ukrainian servicemen prepare and drill outside Svitlodarsk, Ukraine on Monday, February 21

Ukrainian servicemen are seen outside of Svitlodarsk on Monday as Russian President Vladimir Putin convened his aides to discuss invading Ukraine

Russia has moved its forces to within three miles of the Ukrainian border, with tanks spotted on maneuvers in Kursk (left) at the weekend and support trucks in Belgorod (right) on Monday

Satellite images reveal Russian tanks and armored vehicles are now being concealed within civilian areas and forests close to the border, such as these vehicles on farmland near Soloti

Russian military vehicles are spotted formed up into a convoy and heading south next to a highway and near a forest in Soloti, around 10 miles from the Ukraine border

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) hammered out a tentative meeting between President Biden (L) and President Putin (R) to discuss 'security and strategic stability in Europe'. The Kremlin poured cold water on the possibility, saying no 'concrete plans' have been put in place - despite the White House saying it had agreed 'in principle' to negotiations next week

Americans in Russia told to evacuate WITHOUT help of U.S. government due to terrorist threats and warns Moscow could 'severely restrict' flights from Ukraine Americans in Russia have been told to make plans to evacuate that doesn't involve support from the U.S. government as Washington and the Kremlin tussle over a summit with President Biden and Vladimir Putin and intelligence warns 190,000 troops are ready to strike Ukraine. The State Department cautioned Americans to flee Moscow and St. Petersburg, without the help of the U.S. government, amid warnings of terrorist attacks in the cities and warned U.S. citizens in Ukraine to get out as soon as possible because Moscow could 'severely restrict' air travel. 'According to media sources, there have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine,' the warning issued on Sunday read. Americans were told to avoid crowds, tell relatives if they are safe, carry around U.S. identification and 'have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance'. In a separate warning for Americans in Ukraine, the State Department wrote: 'The security situation in Ukraine continues to be unpredictable throughout the country and may deteriorate with little notice. There is a strong likelihood that any Russian military operations would severely restrict commercial air travel.' French President Emmanuel Macron said early Monday that he had suggested the summit to Putin and Biden to discuss 'security and strategic stability in Europe.' 'Presidents Biden and Putin have both accepted the principle of such a summit,' the French president said, before adding that such a meeting would be impossible if Russia invaded Ukraine as Western nations fear it plans. The Kremlin on Monday morning downplayed the possibility of a summit next week - after the White House said that Biden had agreed 'in principle' to talks brokered by France, provided war did not break out in the meantime. 'As the President has repeatedly made clear, we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday night. She said that U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are scheduled to meet first on February 24 in Europe to hammer out the terms of the confab between the two heads of state. After the Blinken/Lavrov pow-wow, the two presidents will meet if all goes well. Advertisement

Heavy shelling was reported along the frontline at the weekend, leaving several Ukrainian troops dead, following what Russian state media claimed were terror attacks targeting top officials and a gas pipeline in the two regions - which the West said was staged.

The Kremlin has also been pushing claims that 'mass graves' containing the bodies of civilians killed by Ukrainian troops have been discovered in the region, and today submitted documents containing those allegations to the UN Security Council.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians - mostly women, children and the elderly - are now being evacuated from rebel-held areas into Russia due to the 'threat'. Fighting-age men have been ordered to stay behind under the threat of legal sanctions if they try to leave.

In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered with the aid of French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said Biden has agreed 'in principle' to a meeting with Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that 'we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins.'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe - as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand.

'We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war,' Psaki said in statement.

'And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.'

Despite the threat, life in the capital Kiev outwardly continued as usual for many Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack.

Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capital's St. Michael's monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared.

'We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life,' Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. 'We should appreciate it every day. That's why I think everything will be fine.'

'Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing,' said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh.

A U.S. official said Sunday that Biden's assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine - a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russia's orbit - and is now trying to create pretexts to invade.

Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Putin does.

U.S. officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called passionately Saturday for the West to do more.

'If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesn't exist anymore as a deterrent,' Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox on Washington's sanctions threat.

Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraine's soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict.

Polish and U.S. soldiers are seen before a meeting with their Defense chiefs at the 33rd Air Base near Powidz, Poland on February 18

This handout picture taken by Ukrainian Naval Forces Press Service and released on February 21, 2022 shows Ukrainian tanks in an unknown location of Ukraine

This handout picture released on February 21, 2022 by the press service of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in an unknown location of Ukraine shows Ukrainian soldiers taking part in exercises

Images taken from a Ukrainian attack helicopter shows a combat flight exercise over the fields of Ukraine

Ukraine's Armed Forces have been engaged in rigorous training exercises in recent weeks as they prepare for a potential invasion

Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russia's military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion.

'We're talking about the potential for war in Europe,' U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. 'It's been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security.'

Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed on Twitter for a cease-fire. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyy's offer Saturday to meet with Putin.

After a call with Macron, Putin blamed Ukraine - incorrectly, according to observers there - for the escalation of shelling along the contact line and NATO for 'pumping modern weapons and ammunition' into Ukraine.

Macron, a leader in European efforts to broker a peaceful resolution with Russia, also spoke separately to Zelenskyy, to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and to Biden.

Blinken intentionally raised the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit in interviews with U.S. television networks on Sunday, in a bid to keep diplomacy alive, a senior U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. reasoning.

Blinken said that Biden was 'prepared to meet President Putin at any time in any format if that can help prevent a war' and the U.S. official said Macron had then conveyed the offer of talks to Putin - conditioned on Russia not invading - in his phone calls with the Russian leader.

Tensions mounted further, however. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory urging greater caution by Americans in Russia overall. 'Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance,' it warned.

Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

In the eastern Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action.

Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraine's military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday.

'When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences,' Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television.

Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council on Sunday to discuss the latest developments regarding Russia's expected invasion of Ukraine. He also held a call with Macron

Russian attack helicopters are pictured taking part in joint drills in Belarus on Sunday, as the Kremlin announced the drills will not end as expected but will be extended to an unknown date - meaning 30,000 troops remain in the country

Smoke rises into the air after Russian attack helicopters blew up a target on a firing range in Belarus during joint training exercises on Sunday - amid fears of an invasion

Tanks and armoured vehicles of the Russian and Belarusian militaries take part in training exercises at the weekend, shortly before the Kremlin announced the drill will be extended and its forces will remain in the country

Russian and Belarusian machine-gunners take part in joint training exercises in Belarus at the weekend

Russian troop tents and tanks (left and centre) are seen near a forested area of the Belgorod region, close to the border with Ukraine, on Sunday amid fears the order to attack will be given soon

A satellite image shows an overview of a new deployment, east of Valuyki, Russia

On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote.

'Right now, we don't respond to their fire because ...' the soldier said before the sound of an incoming shell interrupted him. 'Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.'

On Friday, separatist officials announced the evacuation of civilians and military mobilization in the face of what they described as an imminent Ukrainian offensive on the rebel regions. Ukrainian officials have strongly denied any plans to launch such an attack and described the evacuation order as part of Russian provocations intended to set the stage for an invasion.

The separatist authorities said Monday that at least four civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling over the past 24 hours and several others were injured. Ukraine's military said two Ukrainian soldiers were killed over the weekend, and another serviceman was wounded Monday.

Ukrainian military spokesman Pavlo Kovalchyuk said the Ukrainian positions were shelled 80 times Sunday and eight times early Monday, noting that the separatists were 'cynically firing from residential areas using civilians as shields.' He insisted that Ukrainian forces weren't returning fire.

In the village of Novognativka on the government-controlled side, 60-year-old Ekaterina Evseeva, said the shelling was worse than at the height of fighting early in the conflict.

'It's worse than 2014,' she said, her voice trembling. 'We are on the edge of nervous breakdowns. And there is nowhere to run.'

Evseeva said that residents were hunkering down in basements amid the renewed fighting: 'Yesterday I saw my neighbor with her 2-month-old as she was running to the basement. It shouldn't be like this.'

Moscow denies any plans to invade Ukraine, but wants Western guarantees that NATO won't allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members. It also urges the alliance to halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe - demands flatly rejected by the West.

Russian officials have shrugged off Western calls to deescalate by pulling back troops, arguing that Moscow is free to deploy troops and conduct drills wherever it likes on its territory. Last week, Western officials dismissed Russian statements about some of the troops returning to their bases, saying that Moscow was actually beefing up its forces around Ukraine.

A U.S. official said Sunday that Biden's assertion last week that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

Russia also upped the ante Saturday with sweeping nuclear drills that included multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that Putin personally oversaw.

Ukraine's president reaffirmed his call for a quick meeting with Putin to help defuse tensions, but there was no response from the Kremlin.

The European Union's top diplomat, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, welcomed the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit but said that should diplomacy fail the 27-nation bloc has finalized its package of sanctions for use if Putin orders an invasion.

'The work is done. We are ready,' said Borrell, who is chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers and was tasked with drawing up a list of people in Russia to be hit with asset freezes and travel bans. He provided no details about who might be targeted.

The European Commission has prepared other sanctions to 'limit the access to financial markets for the Russian economy and (impose) export controls that will stop the possibility for Russia to modernize and diversify its economy,' its president, Ursula von der Leyen, said over the weekend.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed Macron's summit initiative and warned Russia against any false flag action to provoke hostilities. 'I appeal urgently to the Russian government, to the Russian president: Don't play with human lives,' she said as she arrived at the EU top diplomats' meeting.
The founder of CNN, Ted Turner, has sparked suicide concerns after his biographer revealed that the 83-year-old suffers from the same debilitating and incurable disease that led Robin Williams to take his own life - and carries around the same silver pistol that his father had used to kill himself.

But Lewy Body Syndrome hasn't stopped the outspoken media mogul from speaking his mind about the network he founded - and the man who was running it as president until his very recent ousting for his relationship with a coworker.

Turner blames Jeff Zucker for taking CNN away from straight news into a more opinion-led network, according to Porter Bibb, who wrote a biography on Turner; It Ain't as Easy as It Looks.

'Hes been adamantly [against] what Zucker did with CNN, turning it into an opinion network, to compete with Fox and losing the concept of hard news 24/7 was wrong,' Bibb said in a February 17 interview with The Ankler.

However, the author admitted that he hadn't spoken to Turner recently 'because candidly he cannot really carry on a conversation. His brain is starting to go.

'Ted has Lewy Body Syndrome - the same irreversible brain disease that Robin Williams had and he ended up killing himself,' Bibb said, referring to William's 2014 suicide.

Bibb admitted he was concerned that 'the same thing that could happen to Ted.'

'Ted's famous for carrying a silver pistol that his dad committed suicide with. He's packed it all his life,' he added.

'If he loses his brain, I'm sure that he will follow Robin Williams.'

Turner founded CNN as an all-news network in 1980, reportedly convinced audiences wanted a 24/7 news station

Turner, now 83, was gradually pushed out of a leadership position in the network following a 1996 merger with Time Warner. He is pictured here in 2019 at the Turner Classic Movie Classic Film Festival in Hollywood

Turner first revolutionized the news industry in 1970, when he purchased a UHC station in Atlanta, Georgia and turned it into the country's first 'superstation' with the breakthrough of a satellite to transmit programming to cable companies throughout the US.

Bibb chronicled Turner's rise to power and fame in the book It Ain't as Easy as it Looks

By 1980, he founded the Cable News Network, convinced that audiences wanted a station they could turn to to find information whenever they wanted, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

But as it grew more and more opinion-based over the years, Turner has become a critic of the network.

Bibb revealed that Turner and competitor-turned-friend John Malone, Discovery network's biggest shareholder, agreed on their disappointment in the current state of the network - and the direction it needs to be taken in, ahead of the Discovery merge with CNN parent WarnerMedia.

'John Malone is not only speaking his own opinion of what CNN should be doing as an all-news network, but he speaks for Ted,' Bibb said.

Turner has long maintained a 'near-fanatical belief' that the station be fair, the Hollywood Reporter reports, and told executives to spend 'whatever it cost' to accurately cover the Gulf War - refusing to buckle even when President George W. Bush called his top news executive and pleaded for him to withdraw CNN's reporter from Baghdad.

The debilitating effects of Lewy Body dementia Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These deposits, called Lewy bodies, affect chemicals in the brain whose changes, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. LBD affects more than 1 million individuals in the United States. The disease lasts an average of five to eight years from the time of diagnosis to death, but can range from two to 20 years for some people. In the early stages of LBD, symptoms can be mild, and people can function fairly normally. As the disease advances, people with LBD require more help due to a decline in thinking and movement abilities. Source: National Institute on Aging Advertisement

'When he was running CNN, he would stay up 24, 30 even 40 hours and then crash,' Bibb said of Turner. 'He lived and slept at CNN. He had a little apartment on top of the newsroom building.

'They wouldn't see him for another 24 hours and then he'd come back full of energy.'

But in October 1996, Turner Broadcasting merged with Time Warner, and Turner became vice chairman of the parent company, soon becoming sidelined by Jerry Levin, the head of Time Warner.

According to Bibb, Levin called Turner at 2.30am 'on the morning of the AOL' merger in 2000.

'That was the first that Ted heard of it, and he was on the board and was the largest shareholder at the time,' Bibb told The Ankler, noting: 'It was the worst business deal in the world for Ted.

'He had over $20 billion net worth before AOL,' Bibb explained. 'Once that dissolved, Ted's wealth shrank by more than 50 percent.

'After that, he became known as a hostile shareholder.'

'Levin and company took away his Number One parking space at Turner Field,' Bibb claimed. 'They said "Ted, your son Ted Jr. is getting paid too much. You're not using him."

'Nobody, including Zucker today had any time of day for Ted Turner or any of his ideas. He just grew increasingly critical of the fact that they were not an all news network anymore.'

Jeff Zucker served as the president of CNN Worldwide until he stepped down earlier this month in the wake of an investigation into his affair with Vice President Allison Gollust

Turner is now suffering from Lewy Body Syndrome, the same irreversible brain disease that actor Robin Williams (pictured) suffered from before he famously killed himself in 2014

In fact, Bibb said, Turner would agree with Malone's criticism of the network under Time Warner.

Malone is a supporter of Zucker's most emboldened enemy, Donald Trump. He donated $250,000 to Trump's inauguration in 2017 and has made no secret of the fact that he, like Trump and millions of others, think CNN has become too left-wing and biased.

'I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing John Malone

'I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing,' he told CNBC in 2019.

'I do believe good journalism could have a role in this future portfolio that Discovery-TimeWarner's going to represent.'

AT&T bought WarnerMedia (formerly Time Warner) in 2018 for $84 billion. It was a disastrous deal that the telecoms giant has been trying to unwind for years. It, finally, is now in the finalizing stage of a $43 billion sale of WarnerMedia to Discovery.

For legal reasons, Discovery must avoid getting involved with WarnerMedia until the deal has been approved by the U.S. government.

However, in November last year after news of the impending merger was announced, Malone made it clear that he was not a fan of the direction CNN had gone in under Zucker, who took the helm in 2013.

John Malone, a majority shareholder at Discovery, has been critical of CNN and has said he would like to see 'CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with'

Malone has also been credited with the ouster of Zucker, after he learned of the ex-president's affair with Vice President Allison Gollust.

'Discovery's largest shareholder, John Malone, a critic of CNN, made it known that corporate procedures had to be followed to the letter in regards to Zucker, we hear,' Deadline previously reported.

'Being that WarnerMedia's standards of business conduct require disclosure of relationships that develop with a boss and subordinate, Zucker's goose was officially cooked,' the report added.

Zucker and Allison Gollust had worked together for 20 years. The pair claim their relationship turned romantic during the pandemic but others say it far predates COVID, and was common knowledge for as many as eight years.

Porter Bibb a former Newsweek White House correspondent who wrote Turner's biography, It Ain't as Easy as It Looks , in 1993

Zucker stepped down from his position earlier this month, admitting he was 'wrong' not to have told the company about the relationship.

Gollust also announced her resignation last week as CNN's executive vice president and chief marketing officer following a third-party investigation into 'issues associated with Chris Cuomo and former Governor Andrew Cuomo,' WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar said in a statement.

According to sources cited by Rolling Stone on Thursday, the pair breached journalism ethics to help Cuomo behind the scenes in the same way that his younger brother Chris did.

Chris was fired from CNN for helping Andrew through a sexual misconduct scandal and in the messy fallout from his departure, the affair between Zucker and Gollust has surfaced.

The two were due to take on senior roles within the new company, under the leadership of Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

But now, Michael Bass, Amy Entelis and Ken Jauntz have now been named interim network leaders to replace Zucker.

Bibb - a former Newsweek White House correspondent who wrote Turner's biography, It Ain't as Easy as It Looks, in 1993 after interviewing 222 people who worked for Turner, plus two of his three ex-wives and all of his children.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a prevention network of 161 crisis centers that provides a 24/7, toll-free hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

If you need help, please call 1-800-273-8255.
The UK will keep its gold-standard Covid surveillance project, the Prime Minister confirmed today as he dismissed fears that Britain's crucial radar was going to be turned off.

Unveiling his 'Living with Covid' strategy in the Commons this afternoon, Boris Johnson said the 'world-leading' Office for National Statistics survey will continue monitoring infection levels.

Ministers have heavily relied on the random testing scheme throughout the course of the pandemic, with the scheme used to track infections and antibody levels. And some positive samples collected by the project  which tests 100,000 people every fortnight  are sent onto labs to check for variants.

Mr Johnson told MPs the survey will continue tracking the virus 'in granular detail' and both its regional and age breakdowns will help spot surges 'as and where they happen'.

The PM hinted that other studies would continue, saying we will 'main our resilience to manage and respond to these risks'. However, it is not clear exactly which other surveillance projects will be kept, or whether or not they will be watered down.

Last week scientists warned that it would be 'idiotic' to axe the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) weekly infection survey, following claims that it would be scrapped.

Former SAGE scientist Jeremy Farrar claimed it was 'crucial' the ONS infection survey was kept, adding that even a reduction in its service would be 'very unwise'.

Unveiling his 'Living with Covid' strategy in the Commons this afternoon, Boris Johnson (pictured) said the 'world-leading' Office for National Statistics survey will continue monitoring infection levels

One of the key features of the Office for National Statistics weekly infection survey has been tracking how likely different age groups were to test positive for Covid over the course of the pandemic

The SIREN study aims to track how likely NHS workers were to be infected/re-infected with Covid over the course of the pandemic, this graph from the latest UK Health Security Agency report on the study shows the impact of the Omicron wave on health service staff testing positive

Submitted to the UK Government advisory body SAGE the CoMix study tracks a number of behaviours by members of the public during the Covid pandemic such as number of contacts as this chart demonstrates, in addition behaviours such as adherence to mask wearing

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) from the Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in England. 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

What are the current Covid surveillance schemes in the UK and how do they work? ONS Infection Survey Run by the UK's statistics body this weekly survey is considered the the gold-standard of the nation's Covid surveillance system and is based on random swabs from 100,000 Britons. Random sampling, rather than relying on positive cases to come forward, allows scientists to track cases across the country and among different age groups. The antibody portion of the survey also enables us to estimate how many people are protected against Covid. SIREN This study is run by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and monitors 10,000 NHS workers in England in an attempt to track Covid reinfections through regular swab test and blood tests for antibodies. Vivaldi Run by University College London with care home chain Four Seasons healthcare, and the Department of Health, this study aims to track Covid infection in care homes. Care homes are considered particularly vulnerable to Covid infection due to the high concentration of a people who are at risk of becoming severely ill if they catch the virus. It involves testing around 6500 staff and 5000 residents across 100 care homes in England to estimate the proportion of those who had been infected with Covid and if they had antibodies. The study aimed to find out how long antibody protection lasts and if it helps ward off reinfection as well as tracking Covid outbreaks across England's care sector. It is due to end in April 2022. REACT Short for 'Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission' the REACT studies is conducted by Imperial College London. REACT involves a random sample of 150,000 people in England who are sent a nose and throat swab kit each month. This provides a snapshot how prevalent Covid is in the community by estimating how many people are currently infected and to calculate the R number, a measure of how quickly the virus is spreading. CoMix A report prepared by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine for the Government scientific advisory group for the pandemic, SAGE, on how people behaved during the pandemic. This included aspects such as the number of social contacts in a given period, if people wore of facemasks, sand if people were working from home or not. Data is collected very two weeks through a survey of about 1,350 British households. Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in England Run by UKHSA this study involved analysing the wastewater in England for traces of Covid. People infected with coronavirus shed it through a variety of activities, including when blowing their nose and going to the toilet. Wastewater from across England was analysed throughout the pandemic for fragments of the Covid virus in an attempt to track outbreaks. The UKHSA and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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 doesn't rely on people coming forward for a swab to pick up trends in cases. COG-UK A consortium of genomics laboratories in the UK which sequence samples of Covid taken from the public. This data enables scientists to track if particular variants of the Covid virus, such as Omicron and Delta are in the UK and how they are spreading, as well as if they are evolving mutations which could impact severity of disease to vaccine effectiveness. It is partly funded by the UK Government. Advertisement

The PM said: 'SAGE advises there is considerable uncertainty about the future path of pandemic and there may, of course, be significant resurgences.

'They are certain there will be new variants and it is very possible they will be worse than Omicron.

'So we will maintain our resilience to manage and respond to these risks, including our world-leading ONS survey which will allow us to continue tracking the virus in granular detail, with regional and age breakdowns helping us to spot surges as and where they happen.'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked for assurances that the ONS infection survey will not see reduced capacity.

Sir Keir said: 'We cant turn off Britains radar before the war is won. Ignorance is bliss is not a responsible approach to a deadly virus.

'It actually risks undoing all the hard won progress the British people have achieved over the last two years.'

There have also been concerns that scaling back the UK's Covid testing system will make spotting a new, and potentially dangerous, variant of the virus more difficult.

But the PM said the UK's laboratory networks will continue to monitor the evolution of the virus and identify any changes in characteristics.

He said: 'We will prepare and maintain our capabilities to ramp up testing.

'We will continue to support other countries in developing their own surveillance capabilities because a new variant could emerge anywhere.'

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, called the ONS survey 'one of the most valuable surveillance systems in the world'.

Ahead of the PM's 'living with Covid' blueprint being set out, he said scrapping the survey when the UK will likely see further waves would be 'idiotic'.

He argued the surveillance scheme would still be needed for another year.

However, other experts say it will still work even if scaled back slightly, so long as variant surveillance is continued.

Dr Raghib Ali, an epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge, said the ONS infection survey should continue, albeit at a smaller scale.

'I would also continue the ONS infection survey at a smaller scale and continue variant surveillance to ensure we catch new variants as early as possible,' he said.

The ONS' weekly report is considered the gold standard for tracking the UK's outbreak and is used by ministers to monitor changes in cases.

The random swabbing ensures the surveillance does not need to rely on people coming forward for tests unlike the official system, allowing it to monitor the prevalence of the virus across the population.

Its publication was pushed to twice a week in December amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant to allow officials to keep a closer eye on the current wave.

There are an array of other Covid studies that scientists and misters have used to interpret how the virus was spreading across Britain and whether to lift or impose limits on the public.

Some of these like the ONS's study are broad studies looking at a random samples of Britons or using data collected from wastewater with the aim of making broad conclusions about the how the virus was spreading among the entire population.

Others have looked at specific groups with greater vulnerability or exposure to the virus, like care home residents and NHS staff.

The future of all these surveillance systems is currently unknown as No10 unveils plans for the nation to live with Covid.

Whether some will be scrapped entirely or just scaled down remains unclear.

In either eventuality, one of the key concerns is a potential reduced ability to spot a new Covid variant.

Under the current system, some of the samples collected by UK Covid surveillance system are sent to laboratories for genomic sequencing.

This information is critical in spotting new mutations of Covid such as Omicron, how they are spreading and if they contain any mutations which could impact the severity of disease or effectiveness of vaccines.

If mass testing is scaled back that will mean a lesser pool of samples for scientists to use in Covid variant detections.

This could lead to a new variant or mutated one gaining more traction in the UK before the alarm is raised.

Ahead of his Commons announcement, Mr Johnson said: 'Today will mark a moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country's history as we begin to learn to live with Covid.'

'The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others.'

Mr Johnson also unveiled a timetable for scrapping 'free' tests which have been costing the taxpayer around 2billion a month.

He said the majority of Britons would not be able to access the tests for free after April 1. The Government is working with retailers to ensure people can buy the tests, which will remain free for older age groups and the most vulnerable.

The legal requirement to self-isolate will be scrapped from Thursday, along with contact tracing, the PM announced.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is believed to have resisted pressure from Health Secretary Sajid Javid for more funding to maintain testing capacity and a slower timetable for ending the arrangements.

The Department for Health is said to have asked for 5billion a year, but there are claims the costs will be footed from within existing budgets.

There has already been some push-back to the plans with one Government advisor saying No10 is 'abdicating' its responsibility for looking after the public by dropping the final Covid rules.

Professor Robert West, a psychologist and member of a SAGE sub-committee who also criticised lifting restrictions last summer, said plans to live with Covid like the flu were 'irresponsible'.

He argued the move meant that Boris Johnson and senior ministers would 'accept' between 20,000 and 80,000 virus deaths every year.

For comparison, flu kills in the region of 20,000 people in a bad winter.

Professor West, from University College London, said there are a 'large number of deaths' from heart disease and cancer but we don't just say: 'Well, we've got to live with it.'

'We do an awful lot with heart disease and cancer and other forms of deaths to try to prevent them and to treat them,' the SPI-B panelist added. 'So it seems a little odd really to be saying 'Well, Covid, we're going to treat that differently. We're not going to try and prevent it'.'
A Canadian MP says the bank account of a single mom with a minimum wage job has been frozen after she donated $50 to Freedom Convoy.

Conservative lawmaker Mark Strahl says the mom, named only as Briane, has had her life ruined for donating the small sum to the anti-vaccine mandates protest.

Strahl shared Brianne's story as concerns grow that scores of ordinary people will no longer be able to pay for food and basics after their accounts were frozen for donating to a group of protesters.

'Briane is a single mom from Chilliwack working a minimum wage job. She gave $50 to the convoy when it was 100% legal. She hasn't participated in any other way. Her bank account has now been frozen. This is who Justin Trudeau is actually targeting with his Emergencies Act orders.'

Response on social media varied from those angry at the situation, stating this would have never happened to Black Lives Matter protesters, and offered to help Briane, to those who questioned whether Briane really exists. DailyMail.com has contacted Strahl for further information.

A Canadian MP tweeted that the bank account of a single mom with a minimum wage job has been frozen after she donated $50 to Freedom Convoy

Strahl tweeted her story Sunday, shining a light on how her livelihood is being affected by Trudeau's orders

Response on social media varied from those angry at the situation, stating this would have never happened to Black Lives Matter protesters, to those who claimed Briane was fake

'Thank you to those who have read this and offered to help someone you've never met,' Strahl tweeted. 'Shame on those who have read it and attacked someone you've never met. I will keep working with Briane to resolve this matter with her bank and will provide updates as they are made available.'

'To those of you, especially the media, demanding more details on Briane, having seen what has been said about her online today and what has been done to other convoy donors in the last weeks I am not going to help you dox her,' Strahl continued. 'I know who she is and I won't stop fighting for her.'

Canadian trucker Derek Brouwer told Fox News that along with his truck being seized, his personal and business bank accounts have been frozen since Friday

Brouwer added they also froze the account for another business he owns that he said has nothing to do with trucks or the protests

Meanwhile, Canadian trucker Derek Brouwer told Fox News that his truck has been seized, and that his personal and business bank accounts have been frozen since Friday, because of his involvement with the protests.

'They've taken my truck - I don't know where it is - and on Friday, they locked up my personal and my trucking business accounts,' he said.

He added that they also locked the account for another business he owns that he said has nothing to do with trucks or the protests.

Brouwer said he hasn't heard anything from police or the government on what steps to take next.

He is attempting to work with the bank to rectify the situation, but was not getting anywhere Monday, which is a bank holiday in Canada.

Brouwer also told Fox News that from what he heard in Calgary on Sunday, the truck convoy protests aren't finished yet.

As Briana's story continued to spread across social media, multiple questions remain on the reach of the Emergencies Act powers that allow banks to freeze accounts of people involved in the blockades.

Canadian banks have been freezing the accounts and canceling credit cards of people linked to the trucker protests in accordance with the Emergencies Act, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked last week in an attempt to clear the demonstrators from Ottawa.

Trudeau said Monday emergency powers are still needed despite the progress police have made in stamping out weeks long paralyzing protests by truckers and others angry over Canadas COVID-19 restrictions.

'The situation is still fragile, the state of emergency is still there,' Trudeau said Monday. Debate in the country's parliament about the legality of his use of the act is ongoing, with a vote expected later this week.

Trudeau noted there are some truckers that are just outside Ottawa that may be planning further blockades and his public safety minister noted there was an effort to block a border crossing in British Columbia on the weekend.

CTV: whats the threshold? Does the law allow a financial institution to say hey Joe and Jane gave $200 to Canada Unity, to the truckers, were going to freeze their accounts and investigate. Does it allow them to do that?

Blair: No Evan, and no one is interested in that.  Marieke Walsh (@MariekeWalsh) February 21, 2022

'Even though the blockades are lifted across border openings right now, even though things seem to be resolving very well in Ottawa, this state of emergency is not over,' Trudeau said. 'There continues to be real concerns about the coming days.'

Lawmakers in Parliament will vote Monday night whether to allow police to continue to use emergency powers. The opposition New Democrat party has said it will support Trudeau's Liberals, ensuring Trudeau has enough votes.

Trudeau has been blasted for the move, seen as draconian and an affront to the right to protest, but said he's confident lawmakers will vote to continue to allow police to use emergencies act, which allows authorities to declare certain areas as no go zones.

It also allows police to freeze truckers' personal and corporate bank accounts and compels tow truck companies to tow away vehicles.

On Monday, a reporter in Ottawa tweeted that Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair told CTV that the act it 'isn't targeted at small donations.'

CTV asked, 'what's the threshold? Does the law allow a financial institution to say 'hey Joe and Jane gave $200 to Canada Unity, to the truckers, we're going to freeze their accounts and investigate.' Does it allow them to do that?'

Blair responded, 'no one is interested in that.'

The Ottawa protests - the movement's last major stronghold - appeared to be largely over by Sunday. Fencing and police checkpoints remained.

But as of Monday, Canadian authorities said 206 bank accounts had been frozen under the power granted by federal emergencies act.

Trudeau has been blasted for the move, seen as draconian and an affront to the right to protest, 'that 'would never have been imposed on BLM'

The Ottawa protests - the movement's last major stronghold - appeared to be largely over by Sunday. Fencing and police checkpoints remained

Cops are filmed shoving protesters during Saturday's operation to break up the remaining Freedom Convoy

Canadian MP Mark Strahl (left) says the bank account of a single mom with a minimum wage job has been frozen after she donated $50 to Freedom Convoy, saying 'This is who Justin Trudeau is actually targeting with his Emergencies Act orders'

Toronto-Dominion Bank said it froze donations from that were transferred to individual bank accounts

Mike Duheme, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) deputy commissioner of federal policing, said Sunday that finances associated with certain individuals and companies believed to be involved in the protest will continue to be frozen.

'Provisions of this Emergencies Act have allowed us to maintain the perimeter, restrict travel and ensure that we can continue to choke off financial support and other assistance to protesters,' Duheme said.

The RCMP froze 206 financial products, including bank and corporate accounts, Duheme said at the news conference, adding it disclosed the information of 56 entities associated with vehicles, individuals and companies; shared 253 bitcoin addresses with virtual currency exchangers; and froze a payment processing account valued at $3.8 million,

The powers have been in effect but Parliament is expected to ratify the action Monday.

Until then, there are still reports of accounts being frozen.

'We continue to work at collecting relevant information on persons, vehicles and companies and remain in daily communication with the financial institution to assist them,' Duheme said.

The powers under the Emergencies Act Vote allows banks to target the accounts of people who have donated to crowdfunding platforms, like the fundraising campaigns on GoFundMe and GiveSendGo, that have fueled the ongoing protests, but authorities would not give 'specifics of whose accounts are being frozen.'

On Monday, GoFundMe was blasted for allowing the donation page to raise cash for armed Antifa members who were shot during the deadly confrontation in Portland despite axing Freedom Convoy page.

GoFundMe canceled the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser earlier this month for allegedly violating its terms of service.

Another protester held up a placard saying 'Hold the line' in a rallying cry to his fellow Freedom Convoy members on Saturday

Four officers carry a handcuffed protester away from the no-go zone in Ottawa

The trucker protests grew until it closed a handful of Canada-U.S. border posts and shut down key parts of the capital city for more than three weeks.

But all border blockades have now ended and the streets around the Canadian Parliament are quiet.

Ottawa protesters who vowed never to give up are largely gone, chased away by police in riot gear. The relentless blare of truckers horns has gone silent. A large police presence remains in Ottawa and some areas are fenced off.

'We saw calm, peace and quiet and that was certainly a sense of relief for all of us,' Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said.

The protests, which were first aimed at a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers but also encompassed fury over the range of COVID-19 restrictions and hatred of Trudeau, reflected the spread of disinformation in Canada and simmering populist and right-wing anger.

The self-styled Freedom Convoy shook Canadas reputation for civility, inspired convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands and interrupted trade, causing economic damage on both sides of the border. Hundreds of trucks eventually occupied the streets around Parliament, a display that was part protest and part carnival.

Authorities moved quickly to reopen the border posts, but police in Ottawa did little but issue warnings until the past couple days, even as hundreds and sometimes thousands of protesters clogged the streets of the city and besieged Parliament Hill.

Truckers ignored warnings that they were risking arrest and could have their rigs seized and bank accounts frozen under the new emergency powers invoked by Trudeau.

The truckers, parked on the streets in and around Parliament, blared their horns in defiance of a court injunction against honking, issued after residents said the constant noise was making the neighborhood unlivable.

'Its high time that these illegal and dangerous activities stop,' Trudeau declared in Parliament a few days ago, speaking just a few hundred meters from the protests.

On Friday, authorities launched the largest police operation in Canadian history, arresting a string of Ottawa protesters and increasing that pressure on Saturday until the streets in front of Parliament were clear.

Eventually, police arrested at least 191 people and towed away 79 vehicles. Many protesters retreated as the pressure increased.

The Ottawa protests - the movements last major stronghold - appeared to be largely over by Sunday. Fencing and police checkpoints remained.

'The number of unlawful protesters has dramatically declined in the last 24 hours,' Ottawa interim Police Chief Steve Bell said.

Authorities also said 206 bank accounts had been frozen under the power granted by federal emergencies act.

Mendicino said progress has been made but the end of the blockades might not be over. He said that targeted measures in the emergencies act allowed police to designate a wide swath of Ottawa's downtown core to become a no-go zone and that tool alone has been extremely effective.

He said that targeted measures in the emergencies act allowed police to designate a wide swath of Ottawa's downtown core to become a no-go zone and that tool alone has been extremely effective.

'For the first time in three weeks the streets are calm, they are quiet and they are clear. That all followed the invocation of the emergencies act,' Mendicino said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'We will not use it for a single minute longer than we have to.'

Mendicino said the financial accounts of those who refused to leave will remain frozen while the act is in force but added that it is up to police to decide whose accounts get frozen.

The powers are already in effect but Parliament is expected to ratify the action Monday.

As it did in the United States, COVID-19 quickly became a political issue in Canada.

Coronavirus health restrictions became a political cudgel for Canadas far right, which accused Trudeau of authoritarianism. But while the restrictions clearly benefitted the far-right Peoples Party of Canada, things are more complicated in the Conservative Party.

The streets around the Canadian Parliament are quiet now. The Ottawa protesters who vowed never to give up are largely gone, chased away by police in riot gear. The relentless blare of truckers horns has gone silent.

A winter service vehicle drives through Ottawa Sunday as Canadian police make possibly the final push to clear the capital city of demonstrators who have paralyzed it by parking and camping on the streets for more than three weeks to protest against pandemic restrictions

Police vehicles have replaced big rig trucks and protesters Sunday in the main downtown area that has been fenced off with warnings for people to avoid the space or risk being arrested

A barricade blocks a street near Parliament Hill a day after police cleared a demonstration by truck drivers opposing vaccine mandates that had been entrenched for 23 days

But the trucker protest, which grew until it closed a handful of Canada-U.S. border posts and shut down key parts of the capital city for weeks, could echo for years in Canadian politics and perhaps south of the border.

The protest, which was first aimed at a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers but also encompassed fury over the range of COVID-19 restrictions and hatred of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, reflected the spread of disinformation in Canada and simmering populist and right-wing anger.

'I think weve started something here,' said Mark Suitor, a 33-year-old protester from Hamilton, Ontario, speaking as police retook control of the streets around Parliament.

Protesters had essentially occupied those streets for more than three weeks, embarrassing Trudeau and energizing Canadas far right. Suitor believes the protests will divide the country, something he welcomes.

'This is going to be a very big division in our country,' he said. 'I dont believe this is the end.'

Police man a checkpoint inside of a barrier fence near Parliament Hill on Sunday. Police have made 191 arrests and towed 57 vehicles since they began efforts to bust up the protest

While most analysts doubt the protests will mark a historic watershed in Canadian politics, it has shaken both of Canadas two major parties.

'The protest has given both the Liberals and the Conservatives a black eye,' said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. Trudeaus Liberals look bad for allowing protesters to foments weeks of chaos in the capital city, he said, while the Conservatives look bad for championing protesters, many of them from the farthest fringes of the right.

The conservatives 'have to be careful not to alienate more moderate voters, who are generally not sympathetic to the protesters or right-wing populism more generally,' said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

Coronavirus health restrictions became a political cudgel for Canadas far right, which accused Trudeau of authoritarianism. But while the restrictions clearly benefitted the far-right Peoples Party of Canada, things are more complicated in the Conservative Party.

Only recently have some Conservative leaders fully embraced the pushback against vaccine mandates and coronavirus restrictions.
In the aftermath of Jean-Luc Brunel's death, Ghislaine Maxwell's family has expressed concern for her safety.

Brunel was discovered dead in his Parisian jail cell on Saturday, reportedly introduced by Maxwell to wealthy pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The 76-year-old man was charged with rape and was awaiting a trial when he died. He was suspected of assisting billionaire buddy Epstein in sexually trafficking young females. Epstein, 66, committed suicide in his New York jail cell in August 2019 before facing charges, according to Mirror.

Ghislaine Maxwell's Brother Fears For Her Safety

Maxwell, a British socialite, was found guilty of sex trafficking and conspiracy late last year and faces a sentence of 65 years in jail. Her family is now afraid for her safety following the second suicide attempt.

"It's pretty upsetting," said Ian Maxwell, one of Ghislaine's siblings, to the New York Post. He went on to explain that he is concerned for her safety in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she is being kept.

Maxwell was convicted on December 29 of recruiting and grooming adolescent females for sexual encounters with Epstein. She was then placed in a room in the jail with a psychiatrist and two other people, one of whom was a guard, and everything was videotaped.

Ghislaine was judged a suicide risk, Ian alleged, despite a psychiatrist's opinion to the contrary, and is awakened up every 15 minutes at night. Ian also stated that his younger sister was not suicidal and that he found it "ironic" that both Epstein and Brunel committed suicide while not on suicide watch.

Brunel was facing charges of raping youngsters and was linked to the sex abuse case involving Harvey Weinstein and Prince Andrew. Virginia Roberts Giuffre told attorneys she was forced to sleep with the Duke of York after being trafficked to him at least three times between the ages of 17 and 18. Ms. Giuffre and Prince Andrew have now reached a legal settlement for an estimated $16 million.

Read Also: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Might Not Go Back to the UK Over Security Concerns

Jeffrey Epstein's pal Reportedly Hung Himself

Brunel, who is said to have been a major member of Epstein's inner circle, was not on suicide watch at the time and had no cameras in his cell at Paris' La Sante prison. Despite this, after being sectioned at the renowned prison, which is one of the hardest in France, the alleged paedo was said to have been under near continual surveillance by patrols.

While video monitoring is ubiquitous in the halls and entrances of French prisons, the great majority of cells are not. This is to maintain some level of privacy while also ensuring that European human rights legislation is not broken. Brunel allegedly discovered a time gap between patrols and hanged himself, evading punishment after being accused of human trafficking and rape.

Brunel was sure to take many of Epstein's secrets, including his heinous "sexual pyramid scheme" ring, to his grave. His death was eerily similar to that of Epstein, who committed suicide in his New York cell in August 2019 - and was not caught on camera. Two of the cameras in front of his cell failed that night while a third camera caught "unusable" film, The Sun reported.

Related Article: Prince Andrew Faces Royal Family Ban Ahead of His 62nd Birthday as Duke of York Shunned Over Sexual Abuse Case Settlement

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A Turkish man allegedly doused his friend in acid as she slept, leaving her blind and with horrific burns, because she spurned his romantic advances.

Mehmet Yildiz, 30, allegedly attacked Yasemin Uzuncelebi, 42, on October 5, 2021, as she slept in her house in the Istanbul district of Avcilar, leaving her fighting for her life in an ICU.

A Turkish court heard yesterday that Yildiz 'had planned before the event to turn off the water valves of the house and empty water from objects such as jugs and other containers' so his victim could not wash the solution off her face.

He entered Uzuncelebi's home using a key that she had given him and poured over his victim a concoction of 'several liquids' as she slept around 3am.

The pair had been pals before the attack but their friendship turned sour after Uzuncelebi rejected Yildiz's overtures to develop an intimate relationship.



Uzuncelebi's lawyer said doctors described his client's injuries as some of the worst they had ever seen and that, five months later, she was still on life support.

The Kucukcekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has urged the court to hand Yildiz a sentence of between 13 and 20 years on the charge of 'attempted murder with prejudice' over the attack.

Mehmet Yildiz, 30, who allegedly poured chemicals onto a woman as she slept after she rejected his advances had planned the attack by turning off the water supply so she could not wash the solution off her face, a court has heard

Yildiz entered Uzuncelebi's (left and right, in hospital after the attack in October) home using a key that she had given him and poured over his victim a concoction of 'several liquids' as she slept around 3am, burning the flesh on her face

Yildiz reportedly launched the attack after he became angry when Uzuncelebi, who had known him for some time, told him she was not interested in a relationship.

The court heard he decided to get his revenge by pouring a black, flammable substance on Uzuncelebi's face, leaving her screaming in agony.

Uzuncelebi, whose skin was burned off and her skull exposed by the liquid, eventually made her way out of the house and got help from her neighbours who took her to hospital.

A court heard Yildiz was later arrested over the attack after police launched a manhunt after unearthing CCTV footage which shows him fleeing the property.

Avcilar Police Department said Yildiz refused to disclose the solution's recipe during questioning, but did confess that it involved 'several different liquids'.

Uzuncelebi was preparing to leave Istanbul to live in another city, Hurriyet reported.

Hatice and Nazli Uzuncelebi, the victim's sisters, attended the latest hearing, at which the defendant was expected to speak but chose to remain silent. His lawyer has asked that his mental health be assessed.

Addressing the court, Nazli Uzuncelebi claimed the bed her sister was sleeping on when the attack happened was 'completely melted'.

Describing Yasemin's treatement, she said: 'Tissue was taken from 17 different areas and doctors tried to close the open wounds, but they still could not be closed.

'I cannot describe in words the brutality my sister went through. We demand that the accused be punished. My sister's torture will continue for years.'

Uzuncelebi, whose skin was burned off and her skull exposed by the liquid, eventually made her way out of the house and got help from her neighbours who took her to hospital

A court heard Yildiz was later arrested over the attack after police launched a manhunt after unearthing CCTV footage which shows him fleeing the property

Femicide is a growing problem in Turkey, particularly after the country officially quit the Istanbul Convention in July last year.

According to the 2021 Annual Data Report announced by the 'We Will Stop Femicide Platform', 280 women were killed by men in 2021, while 217 women were found suspiciously dead.

According to data from the 'Monument Counter', which is a monument established on the Internet to keep alive the memory of the women who died due to violence against women in Turkey and which is updated every day, 59 femicides have taken place since the beginning of 2022.

The trial continues.
Melania Trump launched her latest round of NFTs - or non-fungible tokens - on Monday, with a range of digital art commemorating what she called 'iconic'moments from her time in office.

Selling for $50 apiece, early trade was brisk, with items being snapped up by supporters every six to 10 seconds according to a tally on her website.

'Happy President's Day,' tweeted the former first lady as the 10,000 tokens went on sale.

Buyers received one of five designs, featuring images including the Trumps aboard Air Force One or during a visit to Mount Rushmore.

Some 10,000 tokens were made available in all with buyers unaware of the design they would receive until it landed in their cryptocurrency wallet.

If they all sell, that would bring in a cool half million dollars.

Melania Trump's latest NFT sale went live on Monday morning with 10,000 pieces of digital going on sale, representing what she said were 'iconic' moments in her husband's presidency

Each NFT sells for $50, and features one of five designs in either gold or platinum

But buyers won't know which design they are buying until it lands in their crypto currency wallet. They were selling at a rate of one every six to 10 seconds in early trading

The range of NFTs includes the Trump's visit to Mount Rushmore for the Fourth of July in 2020

The sale marked a new strategy for the first lady, whose most recent activity in the market involved a high-priced auction and questions about who had actually paid for the winning bid.

Cryptocurrency sleuths traced an online wallet used to pay for a $270,000 lot that included artwork and a hat worn by the first lady to an address used to sell the items - suggesting either Trump or the project's creator paid for the bid.

The latest venture was announced last week.

'I am proud to expand upon my NFT platform and am honored to be able to recognize important moments in our nation's history,' said Trump.

'I look forward to collaborating with others to offer truly special, authentic parts of U.S. history.'

Trump provided 'creative direction for the collection, according to a statement from her office.

The collection uses the Solana blockchain protocol, with right-wing social network Parler 'powering the platform,' it said.

The former first lady entered the world of NFTs in December last year.

She launched a website and a slate of auctions selling pieces of digital content, linked to the Blockchain, identifying the buyer as the owner of a piece of art.

Last month, her website revealed that a bid worth about $170,000 had won her first offering in the Head of State Collection, 2022 - a package that included a hat worn during the state visit of the French president to the White House in 2018, a watercolor of her wearing it and an NFT of the painting.

It was bought with 1800 SOL - a type of cryptocurrency. And a plunge in its price meant that the sale came in about $80,000 short of the goal.

The former first lady entered the NFT market with her first offering in December

Last month former First Lady Melania Trump auctioned off a hat she wore during the state visit of President Emmanuel Macron Of France and his wife Brigitte (seen her with Trump) in 2018, along with an NFT and a watercolor. It sold for 1800 SOL or about $170,000

However, internet sleuths traced the winning bidder's payment and found that it was funded with cryptocurrency that came from a wallet owned by the seller

Trump's website published the address of the wallet that came up with winning bid, allowing internet experts to use the transparency of Blockchain transactions to trace where the payment came from.

Analysis first published by MotherBoard found that the address that made the bid had earlier been funded to the tune of 1800 SOL from another address, which in turn was funded by an address that linked back to the creator of the NFT.

After the auction, the NFT creator then sent 1800 SOL back to the intermediary.

'In other words, the winner of Melania Trump's NFT got the money from none other than the creator of the NFT itself, and an address linked to the NFT creator got the money back,' it concluded.

Trump's office said the arrangement was made for an outside buyer.

'The nature of Blockchain protocol is entirely transparent,' her office said in a statement.

'Accordingly, the public can view each transaction on the Blockchain. The transaction was facilitated on behalf of a third-party buyer.'

One reason might be that the buyer is not a cryptocurrency user and instead paid with dollars which then needed to be converted into SOL.

Another explanation might be that it was an attempt to shore up the price when there was little interest.
Texas realtor Jenna Ryan, who served a 60-day prison sentence for participating in the January 6 Capitol riots, has said she 'ate bologna sandwiches and watched a lot of TV' in jail.

Ryan, 50, made the comments in a Twitter video posted on Sunday in which she said she was 'excited to be free' after she pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of parading on Capitol grounds.

'I served 60 days in prison. I did not get beat up. I ate a lot of bologna sandwiches, I didn't lose a ton of weight.' Ryan said.

'I was really really blessed because I met really great people. I prayed every day, I read the Bible, got close to God, watched a lot of TV, read a lot of books.'

The realtor also told her 21,000 Twitter followers that she plans to start a YouTube channel following her release in which she will talk about 'God, freedom and individual rights.'

Ryan previously told her followers that she was 'too white and blonde' to go to prison, before announcing she had planned a weight loss, yoga and alcohol detox regiment for her 60 days behind bars after entering a plea deal.

Texas realtor Jenna Ryan, who served a 60-day prison sentence for participating in the January 6 Capitol riots, has said she 'ate bologna sandwiches and watched a lot of TV' in jail. Ryan, 50, made the comments in a Twitter video posted on Sunday (pictured) in which she said she was 'excited to be free' after she pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of parading on Capitol grounds

Ryan, who was seen in photos and video at the US Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, was released from her 60-day prison sentence on February 17

The now viral realtor was seen posing for photographs outside the Capitol building before entering onto the White House grounds when the rally turned into a riot

Court documents allege she also posted a 21-minute Facebook Live during the insurrection in which she was seen entering the Capitol rotunda. The video was later deleted deleted but was described in an affidavit for her arrest - and grabs were shared by the FBI in an attempt to identify her

Ryan took a private jet 'on a whim' to attend the rallies outside the Capitol building on January 6 2021 in support of then-president Donald Trump.

The now viral realtor was seen posing for photographs outside the Capitol building before entering onto the White House grounds when the rally turned into a riot.

Court documents allege she also posted a 21-minute Facebook Live during the insurrection in which she was seen entering the Capitol rotunda. The video was later deleted deleted but was described in an affidavit for her arrest.

Two days after the riot, the FBI identified her as a person of interest and shared grabs of the livestream she filmed, pressuring Ryan to hand herself in.

She ultimately plead guilty to one misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building and received a 60 day prison sentence and $1,500 fine.

Her sentence began mid-December and she was released on February 17.

The realtor's video was met with incredulity on social media alongside a previous series of tweets in which she alleged she had been 'tortured' in prison. She did not specify what kind of torture she was subject to while in prison, but said she intends to release a video about her ordeal later this week

In her Twitter video posted on Sunday, Ryan declared she was 'proud of the fact' she attended the rally and did not regret being involved in the mob which illegally trespassed on Capitol grounds.

She did not disclose the facility where she served the 60-day sentence in her video, though in a December interview with Insider said that it was a minimum security prison in northern Texas.

Ryan signed off her video by encouraging her followers to submit questions about anything related to her prison sentence and said 'I'm ready to sell houses and my life is beautiful and getting better every day. I hope everyone has a blessed evening.'

The realtor's video was met with incredulity on social media alongside a previous series of tweets in which she alleged she had been 'tortured' in prison.

She did not specify what kind of torture she was subject to while in prison, but said she intends to release a video about her ordeal later this week.

Ryan also tweeted separately: '[Prison staff] are using COVID to sadistically abuse all the inmates and deny basic human needs like sunshine, phone, food. No human deserves what they're doing in Federal Prison to every inmate.'

Ryan, who took a private plane to Washington D.C. on the day of the riot, was seen posing for photographs outside the Capitol building before entering onto the White House grounds

A few months after the attack, as she prepared to go to trial in Washington DC, Ryan bragged that she'd be spared a prison sentence because of her hair color and ethnicity, before declaring she intended to undergo a 60-day yoga detox upon entering a plea deal

Ryan shared an interview with NBC News prior to her jail sentence in which she said she was being made a 'scapegoat just like they did to the Jews in [Nazi] Germany'

Prior to being incarcerated, Ryan shared an interview with NBC news in which she compared her persecution and the criticism she received on social media to those who had to deal with the wrath of Hitler during World War II.

'They're making fun of my skin color. They're calling me an 'insurrection Barbie,' Ryan said as she spoke of her critics.

'They have no idea who I am as a person, what my beliefs are, what I've been through, who I am.

'They see me as a one-dimensional caricature. They don't see me as a human.

'And so, that is the epitome of a scapegoat. Just like they did that to the Jews in Germany. Those were scapegoats.

'And I believe that people who are Caucasian are being turned into evil in front of the media.'

Before her sentencing, she wrote a four-page letter to the judge apologizing for her actions on January 6 and said her tweet about not being sentenced had been taken out of context.

Ryan claimed she didn't mean that she 'was above prison' when she wrote it and argued that she 'just shouldn't tweet.'

'I just felt that it would be unlikely since I was pleading to entering the Capitol for two minutes and eight seconds. Now I realize that was a false notion but having a false notion does not automatically mean I deserve incarceration,' she wrote.
Hashem Abedi has complained he is not being 'treated like other prisoners' as he stands trial for allegedly attacking a prison officer.

It came as the 24-year-old told Woolwich Crown Court he 'was not here to complain' over conditions inside HMP Belmarsh in London.

Meanwhile the jury was showed CCTV of the inmate smiling to his friends before running towards the alleged victim's office.

Abedi is one of three prisoners accused of attacking Paul Edwards, 57, at the prison on May 11, 2020.

Mr Edwards, a custodian manager, said he feared for his life when he was allegedly hit with a chair and repeatedly punched and kicked in his office.

Abedi, Ahmed Hassan, 22, and Muhammed Saeed, 23, deny the charges but declined to give evidence after the prosecution closed its case last week.

Hashem Abedi (pictured in an earlier court sketch) complained he is not being 'treated like other prisoners' as he stands trial for allegedly attacking a prison officer

Abedi, who is defending himself, delivered a closing speech to Woolwich Crown Court on Monday.

He said he was 'not here to complain' but the court had not heard 'what was going on' in the prison before May 11.

He said: 'I don't think we get treated like other prisoners.'

CCTV played to the jury shows Abedi and Hassan, with a black and white hat and dark clothing, being escorted to the prison exercise yard.

They returned about half an hour later with Saeed, who has long hair tied in a ponytail.

Abedi, wearing an Adidas tracksuit, white cap and glasses, is seen smiling before the three defendants run towards Mr Edwards' office, closely followed by prison officers.

It came as the 24-year-old told Woolwich Crown Court he 'was not here to complain' over conditions inside HMP Belmarsh in London. Pictured: Three defendants smiling to each other before the alleged attack

It comes after he told prison governor Angela Gissing 'he and his brothers wanted the regime changed'.

He complained 'non-Muslim prisoners' - also on 'basic' status incentive and earned privileges (IEP) - are treated differently, the court was told.

In her closing speech, prosecutor Sasha Wass QC said on Monday: 'The defendants had no other reason to visit Mr Edwards' office other than to assault him.

'They went in there with the expressed intention of beating him up and that is what they did.'

Abedi admitted his guilt at Westminster Magistrates' Court - despite pleading not guilty - because he said he 'did assault that filthy pig but I don't see any harm in doing that', Ms Wass argued.

She added: 'Mr Edwards is not a filthy pig. He is a prison officer who has worked for the prison service for most of his adult life.'

She also told the court Abedi was the 'ringleader' in the plan to 'savagely attack' the prison officer.

Woolwich Crown Court previously heard Mr Edwards, who had worked at Belmarsh for 25 years, was responsible for removing privileges from Abedi and Hassan after they shaved their heads.

Abedi, 24, Hassan, 21, and a third defendant, 23-year-old Muhammed Saeed (pictured left to right) are on trial

Benjamin Squirrell, representing Hassan, and Sebastian Winnett, representing Saeed, both argued in closing speeches evidence of the actual attack only comes from witnesses, which is not 'neutral', and the prosecution case is 'insufficient'.

Mr Edwards said he believed Abedi to be the 'amir' or 'leader', who had orchestrated complaints about the regime inside the high security unit, known as a 'prison within a prison'.

All three defendants are charged with assault causing actual bodily harm to Mr Edwards.

Abedi is also charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker - a second prison officer Nick Barnett - who was allegedly kicked.

The jury is expected to be sent out on Monday afternoon.
The Government has started secretly rationing free Coronavirus home testing kits amid fears of a rush ahead of them being phased out.

The online portal to apply for seven lateral flow tests was quietly changed this morning to restrict how many could be ordered.

Previously people worrying they had Covid were able to put an order in every 24 hours for a set.

But now the Government portal says they can only be ordered once every three days.

There were no announcements about this change but it comes ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's expected announcement that all restrictions will be lifted.

Mathematical biologist Dr Kit Yates wrote online: 'It's started. You used to be able to order a pack of lateral flow tests every 24 hours. That has now gone up to every 72 hours.'

 Slide me  Before and after: The rules used to allow a test every 24 hours but it is now every 72 hours

People worried about the availability of tests in the future have started stockpiling them

Some Twitter users posted about stockpiling to try and make sure they could be tested

Free testing is incredibly expensive and looks to be phased out for most people in the UK

Another added: 'Looks like the Lateral Flow Tests system has already changed ahead of PM's announcements today.'

A Londoner said: 'I've been ordering a pack every 24 hours (ish) for the last week to stock up in light of the rumours of there being a charge.

'I want to be able to test before seeing anyone vulnerable. I'm sure it was still 24 hours earlier this morning.'

Over-80s and the most vulnerable will still be offered free Covid tests after they are scrapped nationwide, it was claimed today.

Boris Johnson will unveil his 'living with Covid' strategy later today, with the Prime Minister expected to lay out a timetable for axing public access to lateral flow and PCR swabs.

The regime  thought to cost taxpayers around 2billion a month  could start to be wound down within weeks.

But after wrangling between Sajid Javid's Department of Health and Rishi Sunak's Treasury, free testing is likely to be kept in place for at-risk groups.

As well as the over-80s, Whitehall sources say free tests may still be made available to NHS staff, hospital patients and care home residents.

Boris Johnson is planning to wind down the Covid testing drive. Pictured above is a mobile testing unit in Windsor in early February

Covid infections plummet by 37% in a week to 25,696 cases Covid infection rates plummeted by more than a third on last week yesterday  as Boris Johnson prepared Britain to fully exit Covid restrictions. Case rates reported by the UK Health Security Agency on Sunday fell by 37 per cent on last week to 25,696 cases - the lowest figure since August last year. Deaths however increased slightly compared to last Sunday, rising from 52 to 74. It comes as Mr Johnson urged people to be 'more confident and get back to work' as he heralded this coming Thursday as Covid Freedom Day. The PM will unveil his 'Living with Covid Plan' tomorrow, insisting vaccines and new treatments can be relied upon to keep the public safe. All curbs - including legal self-isolation - are set to end in England within days, and Mr Johnson made clear that the taxpayer cannot keep shelling out 2billion a month on mass testing. In a compromise between the Treasury and Department of Health, he will lay out a timetable for axing free tests - but they are still likely to be available for more vulnerable and older age groups. 'We will be testing at a much lower level,' he told the BBC's Sunday Morning show. 'We are in a different world. It's important people should feel confident again... people should be able to go back to work in the normal way.' He added: 'We need people to be much more confident and get back to work.' Advertisement

No10's business minister Paul Scully today said the Government 'cannot continue forevermore spending 2billion a month on tests'.

He said: 'There's a lot of other backlogs in the NHS, other illnesses in the NHS, that that money could otherwise go for.'

But Labour, the unions and medical experts argue it is simply too early to consider scrapping Covid curbs.

The PM will unveil the plan at Parliament this afternoon, before presenting it to the nation in a televised Downing St press conference tonight, where he may be flanked by top advisers, Sir Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance.

It is expected to be an end to nearly two years of Covid curbs, with Mr Johnson set to declare that it is time for the public to take personal responsibility for their health.

The power to impose lockdowns and self-isolation rules are set to end on Thursday.

Contact tracing will also be wound down, and schoolchildren will be told they no longer need to test themselves twice a week, according to The Guardian.

Britain currently carries out about 900,000 Covid swabs everyday, including 250,000 PCRs.

Most of these tests will end from April under Government plans, reports the Daily Telegraph, although some vulnerable people will still be able to access them.

Critics have raised concerns that the plans  which will only apply to England  could leave the country unable to detect flare-ups in Covid cases, or new variants in parts of the country.

Mr Scully told Sky News today that 'we can't continue forevermore spending 2billion a month on tests'.

He added: 'If you think what that 2billion might go towards, there's a lot of other backlogs in the NHS, other illnesses in the NHS, that that money could otherwise go for.

'So for every person that is worried about a test, there may be another person that's worried about a cancer diagnosis, for instance.'

Mr Johnson said today will be a 'moment of pride'. But he insisted it was now time for an end to reliance on government intervention.

He said: 'Today will mark a moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country's history as we begin to learn to live with Covid.

'It would not be possible without the efforts of so many  the NHS who delivered the life-saving vaccine rollout at phenomenal speed, our world-leading scientists and experts, and the general public for their commitment to protecting themselves and their loved ones.

'The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others.'

Speaking to the BBC yesterday, the PM said lifting the rules did not mean the public should start acting irresponsibly.

People will still be encouraged to stay away from work if they have Covid, but it will no longer be a legal requirement.

He said: 'It's very important we should remain careful, and we're certainly not asking people to throw caution to the winds.

'We've reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action, in favour of encouraging personal responsibility.

'I think we need resilience, but we don't need to keep spending at a rate of 2billion a month [on testing], which is what we were doing in January.'
An investigation has revealed the biggest fines handed out to utility companies for delays in roadworks over the last two years.

Network Rail was slapped with the biggest fine totalling some 132,000 after a project to repair a road bridge in Quidenham, Norfolk, overran by 25 months.

Thames Water paid out four of the ten heftiest fines, totalling 204,900, after numerous projects dragged on beyond schedule.

In Kingston upon Thames, on Beaufort Road, Thames Water construction work trundled on for 30 days longer than planned, leading to an eye-watering 106,400 fine for the private utility company.

The third highest penalty was handed out to Severn Trent Water, which faced a 97,000 bill for a 39-day delay to works in Evesham, Worcestershire.

An investigation has revealed the utility companies slapped with the biggest fines for delayed roadwork projects since 2019, with Thames Water charged 204,900 and Network Rail paying out 132,500

The utility companies slapped with the biggest fines for overrunning works Thames Water = 204,900 Network Rail = 132,500 Severn Trent Water = 97,000 Cadent Gas = 51,000 T-Mobile = 48,000 Netomnia = 45,750 JBDS Ltd = 33,000 Advertisement

Online car marketplace heycar unearthed the findings through extensive Freedom Of Information requests to 150 English councils.

From 2001 onwards, councils have had the power to penalise firms inflicting disruption on motorists through delayed roadworks.

Utility firms can be hit with penalties ranging from 250 to 10,000 per day depending on the level of disruption and how busy the road normally would be.

Individuals and businesses are also able to claim compensation in the event of disturbance or disruption from roadworks.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: 'Utility works are vital as they enable households and businesses to connect to critical services such as electricity, gas and broadband.

'However, it is important that when roadworks are required that they are completed on time and are of sufficient quality to reduce the disruption and impact on local areas and road users.'

The table-topping 132,000 fine for Network Rail was due to delayed works on a road bridge over the railway in Quidenham, Norfolk, which were supposed to start in December 2017 and finish by the end of 2018.

From 2001 onwards, councils have had the power to penalise firms inflicting disruption on motorists through delayed roadworks

Biggest fines for utilities with delayed roadwork projects since 2019 Fine Utility Location Delay 132,500 Network Rail Quidenham, Norfolk 25 months 106,400 Thames Water Kingston upon Thames [Beaufort Rd] 30 days 97,000 Severn Trent Water Evesham [Cheltenham Road] 39 days 51,000 Cadent Gas Kensington [Westbourne Park Road] 61 days 48,000 T-Mobile Manchester [Lightbowne Rd] 16 days 45,750 Netomnia Easington Village, Durham 261 days 34,500 Thames Water London [Palace Rd, Lambeth] 46 days 34,500 Thames Water London [Willesden Lane, Brent] 99 days 33,000 JBDS Ltd London [Marshwall, Tower Hamlets] 44 days 29,500 Thames Water Croydon [Woodmere Av] 162 days

Local MPs complained to Network Rail about the disruption to local residents who had to make detours because of the blocked road.

Eventually, in October 2020 Network Rail started to repair the bridge, which was damaged in an accident, and then finished five months later.

A Network Rail spokesperson commented: 'On this occasion, a vehicle hit and caused extensive damage to the bridge, which left it beyond repair in an unexpected incident.

'We had no choice but to replace the bridge, which required extensive design and build work.

'Under normal circumstances a bridge replacement of this size would be planned in over a number of years, but the unexpected nature of this incident meant it had to be planned at short notice.

'We did what we could to speed up the process for the benefit of the community.'

Dan Powell, Senior Editor at heycar, who compiled the data, said: 'We all accept that roadworks are an unavoidable fact of life.

'Yet, in the worst case scenarios demonstrated by our investigation, drivers have been faced with delays for months on end, as well as disruption to domestic and business life in the streets concerned.

'And while the firms concerned are regularly fined, compensation claims are still few and far between.'
A California transgender woman who was convicted of molesting a young girl but got off with a slap-on-the-wrist sentence of just two years in a juvenile facility openly laughed at her generous plea deal and was heard mocking her victim in newly revealed jailhouse phone calls.

The 26-year-old defendant, who now goes by the name Hannah Tubbs, boasted to her father in November that she will not have to register as a sex offender, and that 'nothing' will be done to punish her for violently assaulting a 10-year-old, according to an audio recording that was obtained by Fox News Digital.

Tubbs also reportedly made crude and disparaging comments about the child she had abused, jokingly talking about her sexual attraction for the 10-year-old.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon has admitted that Tubbs may have been given too lenient of a sentence, after he refused to prosecute her as an adult for the crime that she committed as a male juvenile.

Tubbs' victim, now aged 18, hit out at Gascon for his handling of the case, which she described as 'insulting.'

'The things [Tubbs] did to me and made me do that day were beyond horrible for a 10-year-old girl to have to go through,' the young woman said, referring to Tubbs as a male. 'That man was very clear minded and old enough to know what he did that day was wrong and still did it anyway.

'it's something I struggle with and it's insulting that this is all he was given as punishment. Ans I want something done about it.'

Gascon, who has been widely criticized as being soft on crime, on Friday backtracked on some of his most controversial policies, including not pursuing sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole, and not prosecuting juveniles accused of serious offenses as adults.

Gascon's sudden change of heart comes as he faces a second recall effort organized by his critics, who contend that his woke policies are to blame for Los Angeles' rising crime rates.

In his statement announcing the policy changes, the progressive DA highlighted the case of Hannah Tubbs, who was sentenced last month to just two years in a juvenile facility after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting the 10-year-old girl at a Danny's in Palmdale, California, in 2014.

'After her sentencing in our case, I became aware of extremely troubling statements she made about her case, the resolution of it and the young girl that she harmed,' Gascon stated.

LA DA George Gascon (left) has admitted that convicted child molester Hannah Tubbs, 26 (right) should not have been prosecuted as a juvenile and should have received a harsher sentence for sexually assault a child

EXCLUSIVE: In in-custody phone calls, 26 y/o transgender child molester Hannah Tubbs boasts about not having to serve prison time or register as a sex offender before being sentenced to 2 yrs in a juvenile facility after LA DA @GeorgeGascon refused to prosecute Tubbs as an adult. pic.twitter.com/n9KesabvXE  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) February 21, 2022

Gascon was reportedly unaware of the the jailhouse phone conversations between Tubbs and her father until he was contacted by Fox News about them.

During one exchange last November, Tubbs tells her dad: 'don't worry about it. ... I'm [going to] plead out to them and plead guilty. They're gong to stick me on probation. And it's gong to be dropped. It's gonna be done, done. I won't have to register nothing.'

Tubbs' father asks to clarify if she won't have to register as a sex offender, and she confirms that she will not have to do that.

'So what are they going to do to you then?' the father inquires.

'Nothing!' Tubbs replies.

She then adds with audible glee: 'if there is a next time I ever get in trouble, I'm leaving the state, I'm leaving the country. I ain't staying!'

On another call cited by Fox, Tubbs talks about her status as a transgender woman, and reminds her father to use female pronouns in court.

'So now they're going to put me with other trannies that have seen their cases like mine or with one tranny like me that has a case like mine,' Tubbs says. 'So when you come to court, make sure you address me as her.'

Tubbs was 17 years old and identifying as a male named James in 2014, when police say she cornered a 10-year-old girl in a bathroom and sexually assaulted her

Tubbs' victim took issue with her being treated as a woman in the criminal justice system, saying that it was 'unfair' because her attacker 'clearly didn't act like one' during the assault.

The defendant, known then as James Tubbs, was two weeks away from turning 18 years old when police said she walked into a women's bathroom, locked a 10-year-old girl in a stall, grabbed her by the throat, shoved her hand down the child's pants and proceeded to sexually assault her. Tubbs only stopped when someone else walked into the restroom.

Tubbs, who is a career criminal with an extensive history of offenses in multiple states, was only connected to the sexual assault after being arrested in 2019 for an unrelated crime.

Because Tubbs was 17 years old when she committed the sexual assault in 2014, Gascon's office prosecuted her as a juvenile.

After pleading guilty to the assault, Tubbs was sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility, but she would be eligible for a reduction in time, or even an early release on good behavior, after six months.

Gascon said around the time of Tubbs' sentencing that he concerned that the defendant, who is mentally disturbed, could be victimized in an adult facility as a transgender woman, and said a probation report recommended she be sentenced to home confinement.

DA GEORGE GASCON'S FULL STATEMENT ON POLICY CHANGES DA George Gascon on Friday backtracked on policies of not pursuing sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole, and not prosecuting juveniles accused of serious offenses as adults 'I want to address some policy changes that we are making in our office, which made the news earlier this week. I want to reaffirm my commitment to the core values I expressed when I took office. We do not believe that children should be tried as adults. We should treat kids like kids and give them every opportunity to grow and change. We also do not believe people should be sentenced to death in prison. People change and evolve  most often, for the better. For too long, our system operated without recognizing this fact, ignoring entirely the capacity people have for change. We must restore that underlying value into our justice system. While we maintain our commitment to these principles and will continue working to improve our system, there are some cases and situations that require a different response. We have made some adjustments to our policies to account for these exceptions. Like every responsible office, we learn as we go, take feedback from the community, and make necessary adjustments based on our experiences and the complex nature of this work. That is the responsible way to govern. I have always been open to learning and growing in this work. When I started in policing 40 years ago, I believed that arresting and jailing people would bring us safety. However, after several decades of work, it was clear to me that we needed a more nuanced approach. The same is true now. While I remain committed to the core values of our policies, I have seen a small number of cases that presented real challenges. As a result, we are making minor adjustments to our policies on juveniles and LWOP to allow for exceptions in the most extraordinary of cases. Specifically, we learned a lot from the Hannah Tubbs case about the need for a policy safety valve. Rather than the usual case where a child is arrested close in time to their crime, police arrested Ms. Tubbs at 26 for a crime she committed as a juvenile. Ms. Tubbs had several charges in other counties after the juvenile offense but never received any services which both her past behavior and that subsequent to her arrest demonstrates she clearly needs. After her sentencing in our case, I became aware of extremely troubling statements she made about her case, the resolution of it and the young girl that she harmed. Unfortunately, our juvenile system in its current iteration does not provide adequate support to help someone at 26 with this level of challenges except through the adult system. While for most people several years of jail time is adequate, it may not be for Ms. Tubbs. If we knew about her disregard for the harm she caused we would have handled this case differently. The complex issues and facts of her particular case were unusual, and I should have treated them that way. This change in policy will allow us the space to do that moving forward. We have now implemented policies to create a different pathway for outlier cases, while simultaneously creating protections to prevent these exceptions from becoming the rule. Any time a prosecutor wants to deviate from our core principles, they must put a request in writing. That request will then go to a committee, staffed by my most trusted advisors, who must evaluate the case and approve any requests to pursue an exception. This process ensures that only in the rarest of cases, where our system has failed, will we diverge from our principles. We do not always get it right, as no one can, but we do believe that our fundamental beliefs are the right ones. Kids should be treated like kids. People should be given an opportunity to grow and change. Victims and survivors should be given support, and we should always provide every opportunity for all people in the criminal legal system to receive what they need to heal. We will continue to uphold these values.' Advertisement

On Friday, however, LA's top prosecutor revealed that he has completely changed his stance on Tubbs' case.

'Unfortunately, our juvenile system in its current iteration does not provide adequate support to help someone at 26 with this level of challenges except through the adult system,' he said. 'While for most people several years of jail time is adequate, it may not be for Ms. Tubbs.

'If we knew about her disregard for the harm she caused we would have handled this case differently. The complex issues and facts of her particular case were unusual, and I should have treated them that way.'

In his statement announcing policy changes pertaining to juvenile offenders and defendants convicted of the most serious crimes, Gascon acknowledged that 'some cases and situations' are exceptions that require 'adjustments.'

Tubbs has a vast criminal record including arrests in multiple states. She is pictured in some of her old mugshots taken prior to her transition from a man to a woman

'We have now implemented policies to create a different pathway for outlier cases, while simultaneously creating protections to prevent these exceptions from becoming the rule,' he stated.

While in jail, Tubbs boasted to her father in a jailhouse phone conversation that she'll be able to plead out and won't have to register as a sex offender

As part of this new approach, prosecutors will be required to make written requests seeking to treat a case as an exception, which will then go to a committee of Gascon's high-level advisors for consideration.

'This process ensures that only in the rarest of cases, where our system has failed, will we diverge from our principles,' Gascon said.

Although the DA admitted that Tubbs' case should have been treated as an exception, his statement suggests that the policy changes will not be applied to the convicted child molester retroactively.

'We do not always get it right, as no one can, but we do believe that our fundamental beliefs are the right ones,' Gascon added.

In December 2014, police said the suspect in the Danny's assault was a panhandler with the nickname 'Shrink' who frequented a nearby Chevron gas station early mornings.

The perpetrator was described as an 18- to 20-year-old man, standing about 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing about 150 pounds, ABC reported at the time.

The man walked with a noticeable limp and was 'holding his hands down in an odd fashion,' according to a county sheriff's sergeant.

After a five-year absence, Tubbs was arrested in Idaho in 2019 on suspicion of battery. Tubbs was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon for a stabbing and served time in a state prison when she were linked to the 2014 molestation.

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, for battery, drug possession and probation violations in several states.

Tubbs was eventually brought to LA in November 2021 and quickly confessed to the sexual crime. By this point, Tubbs had transitioned and was known as Hannah.

But Gascon refused to press for jail time in an adult facility, as the crime was committed while Tubbs was a minor, as is the DA's standard office policy.

LA County Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami, a prosecutor and supporter of the movement to recall Gascon, said Tubbs was too dangerous to be in the juvenile system.

'This was done with limited guidance and no concerns for public safety,' Hatami said speaking of California's system to handle violent juveniles.

'This clearly shows you the dangerous aspect of the blanket policies of George Gascon,' he said.

'Under George Gascon's 'reforms,' a 26-year-old admitted child molester is being housed with juveniles,' Hatami said. 'She may be released early, back into the community, with no sex registration. Only innocent victims and the public suffer because of George Gascon's so-called 'progress.'

'This is not somebody who should appear in the juvenile system.'

Another LA County Deputy District Attorney, John McKinney, also strongly disagreed with Gascon's decision.

'The DA is trying to distance himself from this result and lay blame on the judge when in fact, it's only happened because of his policy against transferring juvenile cases to adult court,' said McKinney.

'Two years is a pathetic outcome for man who is a career criminal with felony convictions in multiple states and who committed forcible sexual assault on a 10-year-old girl in a Denny's bathroom.

'What is happening is our district attorney is ushering him right out the door, back onto the streets of this county and God knows where else he might roam.

'It's madness, it makes a mockery of our criminal justice system.'

Gascon was elected to the DA's office in November 2020 campaigning on a reform agenda when he successfully unseated incumbent DA Jackie Lacey.

But last spring, victims rights advocates joined Sheriff Alex Villanueva in launching a bid to recall the against newly-elected DA.

The protests did not end Gascon's recall but protestors' anger has not been subdued. Last month LA residents were granted permission to launch a second bid to recall the DA, and the push to oust Gascon has already drawn $1.8million in donations.
Former President Donald Trump is already facing legal action over Truth Social on its bungled launch day.

The British solar technology firm TRAILAR is considering suing Truth Social over its nearly identical logo.

'Based on recent news brought to our attention by various media outlets, showcasing the similarities between our own TRAILAR logo and the Truth Social logo, we are now seeking legal advice to understand next steps and options available to protect our brand,' the company told DailyMail.com.

'TRAILAR has no affiliation or connection with the Truth Social network site, with our business firmly focused on decarbonising global transport through the use of solar and data driven technologies,' a statement from the company said.

Additionally, people trying to log onto Truth Social are already reporting problems, including receiving error messages and being put on a lengthy waitlist.

Trump's social media venture launched late last night on Apple's app store, marking the former president's return to social media after he was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube last year.

His return comes as the U.S. marks Presidents' Day.

The app was available to download shortly before midnight ET and was automatically downloaded to Apple devices belonging to users who had put in pre-orders.

It's not available on Android phones yet.

Online, users reported a buggy process when trying to sign up.

DailyMail.com's own reporters received error messages on the page when users are to enter their birthdates and on the email verification page.

On Twitter, potential users posted screengrabs of their place in the long waitlist.

Trump's social platform should be 'fully operational' by late March according to Trump Media & Technology Group Chief Executive Devin Nunes, the former California congressman.

TRAILAR's logo (left) is very similar to the one used by Truth Social (right), and so the British company is mulling legal action

The British solar technology company TRAILAR is thinking about seeking legal action against Truth Social over their similar logos

DailyMail.com's own reporters received error messages on the page to enter a users birthdate (left) and on the email verification page (right)

Former President Donald Trump's new social media venture, Truth Social, launched late last night on Apple's App Store, marking the former president's return to social media after he was banned from several platforms last year (app is seen on a smartphone screen before a picture of the former president)

Ric Grenell, who served as acting Director of National Intelligence during Trump's one term in office, urged patience with the sign-up process.

'They are limiting the number of signups per day at first - so be patient and sign up early,' he tweeted Monday. 'No more silencing our voices!'

Truth Social is Trump's alternative social media site meant to combat Big Tech companies like Facebook and Twitter, which he utilized throughout his presidency but now complains censors conservatives and right-leaning voices and perspectives.

Trump was booted from Twitter shortly after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot as he continued to push claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race.

Nunes has also been banned from the platform for the last two years.

'It's actually very moving for me to see people that are on [Truth Social] that have had their voice canceled,' Nunes said.

Truth Social's app store page detailing its version history showed the first public version of the app, or version 1.0, was available last night for free.

The current version 1.0.1 includes 'bug fixes,' according to the page.

Former President Donald Trump was booted from Twitter shortly after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot as he continued to push claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race

Devin Nunes said yesterday that Donald Trump's Truth Social will be fully operational by the end of March

Truth Social is former President Trump's alternative social media site meant to combat Big Tech companies like Facebook and Twitter, which he claimed through his presidency and now silences and censors conservative and right-leaning voices and perspectives

TMTG's team is branding Truth as a First Amendment platform that will not censor voices just because they disagree.

There is excitement surrounding the launch, Nunes said, from people who were 'booted from social media for the last two or three years.'

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who can no longer use her personal Twitter account, tweeted from her Congressional handle on Sunday that she had signed up for Truth Social.

Greene got kicked off of Twitter in January for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.

Parler and Gettr are two other sites that have branded themselves as less moderated alternatives to Big Tech companies.

Gettr was launched and is run by former Trump spokesperson Jason Miller.

When Trump started promoting Parler after the January 6 attack as a good alternative to Twitter, Apple took it down from its App Store in January 2021.

The application made a return to the store in May of last year.

But so far none of these social media alternatives have come close to matching the popularity of the mainstream counterparts.

Before being banned by Twitter, Trump had some 89 million followers there and used the platform constantly, both for presidential statements and to attack rivals.

The 75-year-old has hinted but never definitively said whether he will seek the presidency again.

Nunes was a congressman for California's 21st district from 2003-2013 and the 22nd district from 2013 until January 1 of this year, when he stepped down from the House of Representatives to join TMTG as CEO.

During Trump's presidency, Nunes was chairman and then ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee.

'We want (customers) to tell us what they would like to have on the platform, which is the opposite of some Silicon Valley tech oligarch freak telling people what they want to think and deciding who can or cannot be on the platform,' he said.

'I mean, we're really taking just the opposite approach, which is valuing our customers.'

Donald Trump Jr. (right) celebrated on Twitter, posting, 'Time for some Truth!!!' and including what he said was his father's first post on Truth Social: 'Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!'

Nunes is retiring from Congress at the end of this year to join Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) as the Chief Executive

Time for some Truth!!! pic.twitter.com/jvyteDb5gW  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 15, 2022

'TRUTH is coming...' congresswoman Elise Stefanik, the third-ranking House Republican, tweeted Friday, in an allusion to the ominous 'Winter is coming' catchphrase of television series Game of Thrones.

She posted a screen grab of her message on Truth Beta, the test version of the new site, saying, 'I'm so excited to be on TRUTH!'

And Donald Trump Jr. celebrated on Twitter, posting, 'Time for some Truth!!!' and including what he said was his father's first post on Truth Social: 'Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!'

TMTG remains mostly shrouded in secrecy and is regarded with skepticism by some in tech and media circles.

It is unclear, for example, how the company is funding its current growth.

TMTG is planning to list in New York through a merger with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) and stands to receive $293 million in cash that DWAC holds in a trust, assuming no DWAC shareholder redeems their shares, TMTG said in an Oct. 21 press release.

Additionally, in December TMTG raised $1 billion committed financing from private investors; that money also will not be available until the DWAC deal closes.

Digital World's activities have come under scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, according to a regulatory filing, and the deal is likely months away from closing.
A nine-year-old girl attending her grandmother's 75th birthday drowned after her hair got tangled in the pool drain at a club in the west-central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Mariana dos Anjos Farias was playing with her family when her hair got swept up by the drain on February 12, news outlet G1 reported.

She was unable to free herself, and drowned while submerged.

Dos Anjos Farias' father and one of her cousins jumped into the swimming pool in an attempt to save her life.

Mariana dos Anjos Faria drowned in Dois Irmaos do Buriti, Brazil, while attending her grandmother's birthday at a club on February 12. Her hair got caught in the pool drain and was rescued by her cousin and father, who provided CPR. The nine-year-old was rushed to a local hospital and declared dead

Authorities in Dois Irmaos do Buriti, Brazil, are investigating the pool club where nine-year-old Mariana dos Anjos Faria drowned last week, according to Brazilian news outlet G1, to see if the owner's were negligent

The fifth grader was pulled out and was unresponsive as her father provided CPR.

Paramedics later rushed dos Anjos Farias to a hospital in the the municipality of Dois Irmao do Buriti, where she was pronounced dead.

The Dois Irmao do Buriti Civil Police has been looking into the tragic incident to determine if the club was at fault.

Fifth-grader, Mariana dos Anjos Faria, of Dois Irmaos do Buriti, Brazil, drowned in a pool that was rented at a local club where her family was celebrating her grandmother's 75th birthday February 12

Mariana dos Anjos Faria got her hair stuck in a pool drain in Brazil and drowned February 12

Mariana dos Anjos Faria

'We will verify if it was in fact an accident or if there was any negligence or omission of those responsible for the place,' police chief Karen de Queiroz said.

Dos Anjos Farias' death comes two months after a 13-year-old Maria Rita Pimentel nearly drowned in a similar incident at a home in Teresina, Piaui.

The teenage girl was swimming in the pool on December 5, 2021, when her hair suddenly got trapped in the pool drain.

Pimentel spent nearly two minutes underwater before one of her friend's father took a knife and cut part of her hair to free her from drain.

She was unconscious for about 10 minutes before she was able to breathe normally.
Around 8million Britons will be offered a fourth Covid vaccine this spring, the Government announced today.

Over-75s, all care home residents and immunocompromised people aged 12 and over will be eligible for the top-up dose in the coming weeks.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises No10 on the rollout, said the spring roll-out will 'maintain high levels of protection for the most vulnerable individuals'.

Health chiefs are already planning for another booster campaign this autumn, with it expected to cover a wider group of people.

Eligible over-18s will receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine this spring, while immunocompromised people aged 12 to 18 will receive a Pfizer jab. They will only be eligible for the additional jab six months after their last.

Officials say it will mean that some severely immunocompromised people who have already had four jabs will get a fifth  this group includes blood cancer patients and transplant recipients. It is unclear how many Britons have already had four vaccines.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who greenlit the plans, which will apply to the entirety of the UK, not just England.

The move means the UK joins a short list of nations that have already began dishing out fourth doses, such as Israel, Denmark and Germany.

And it comes after Mr Javid last week announced the Covid vaccine rollout would be expanded to all children aged five to 11 in April.

The vaccination campaign forms part of Boris Johnson's blueprint for living with the virus, which saw the Prime Minister today confirm self-isolation rules will be axed from Thursday.

Speaking to MPs in the Commons this afternoon, Mr Johnson claimed the 'targeted' rollout will safe guard against a 'possible resurgence of the virus'.

The over-75s, older care home residents and immunocompromised people aged 12 and over will be eligible for the top-up dose in the coming months to maintain their protection against becoming severely unwell with the virus. They will either be given a Pfizer or Moderna jab (pictured)

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the vaccine rollout has saved countless lives and reduced pressures on the health service and means the UK is the 'freest country in Europe'

The precautionary vaccination approach comes even though just a small amount of waning has been recorded among the vulnerable groups.

Cases have been are falling and no new concerning variant has been identified since Omicron.

Official data suggests older people who have had two doses have roughly 90 per cent protection against hospitalisation straight after their booster dose. The figure drops to roughly 88 per cent 10 weeks later.

But the JCVI believes that even a small drop off in protection among vulnerable people can heap pressure on the NHS.

Older and immunocompromised people are most at risk from the virus, with 160 Covid hospital admissions per 100,000 over-85s recorded in January.

Among 75 to 85-year-olds, 60 admissions per 100,000 people were logged at the start of the year.

For all other age groups, around 20 people were hospitalised because of the virus per 100,000 people.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of Covid vaccination at the JCVI, said: 'Last year's booster vaccination programme has so far provided excellent protection against severe Covid.

'To maintain high levels of protection for the most vulnerable individuals in the population, an extra spring dose of vaccine is advised ahead of an expected autumn booster programme later this year.

Omi-gone: Covid outbreaks are now shrinking in 95% of England's 7,000 neighbourhoods Covid cases are now falling in nearly all of England's neighbourhoods, according to official data which illustrates how the country's Omicron-fuelled wave has collapsed over the past fortnight. Government statistics reveal outbreaks are shrinking or flat in 95 per cent of the nation's 7,000 neighbourhoods, with the trend visible in a series of fascinating maps. Meanwhile, the number of infected patients being treated in intensive care has fallen to levels not seen since last summer. And the ultra-transmissible variant, which is milder than rivals it overtook, never really triggered a surge on ICUs, despite cases hitting pandemic highs. NHS England statistics show just 346 critical care beds were occupied by Covid patients on February 15, the most recent day figures are available for. The figure is around a third of that seen at the Omicron peak and the smallest number since July. The catalogue of promising figures have given Boris Johnson confidence to ditch all remaining Covid restrictions, with the Prime Minister set to confirm self-isolation rules will be axed later this week when he unveils his blueprint for living alongside the virus later today. Mr Johnson is due to make a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon, before holding a Downing Street press conference this evening. Advertisement

'The JCVI will continue its rolling review of the vaccination programme and the epidemiological situation, particularly in relation to the timing and value of doses for less vulnerable older adults and those in clinical risk groups ahead of autumn 2022.'

Around nine in 10 over-12s in the UK have received at least one Covid jab, while 85 per cent are double-jabbed and two-thirds are boosted.

Nearly 38million booster doses have been dished out across the UK.

Data on fourth vaccinations from the UK and Israel shows it triggers the same mild and short-lasting side effects reported after the first booster jab.

Mr Javid this afternoon confirmed he accepted the latest JCVI recommendation, which was leaked by Whitehall insiders over the weekend.

He said the vaccine rollout has saved countless lives and reduced pressures on the health service and means the UK is the 'freest country in Europe'.

Mr Javid said: 'Following the JCVI's advice, I have asked the NHS to prepare to offer those eligible a vaccine from around six months after their last dose and they will set out further details in due course.

'We know immunity to Covid begins to wane over time.

'That's why we're offering a spring booster to those people at higher risk of serious Covid to make sure they maintain a high level of protection. It's important that everyone gets their top-up jabs as soon as they're eligible.

'The JCVI will keep under review whether the booster programme should be extended to further at-risk groups.

'This is a national mission  the vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones and I urge everybody to get your jabs as soon as you can.'

Mr Johnson said: 'Today we're taking further action to guard against a possible resurgence of the virus, accepting JCVI advice for a new spring booster offered to those aged 75 and older, to older care home residents and to those over 12 who are immunosuppressed.'

The announcement comes days after it was revealed healthy children aged five to 11 will be offered two Covid jabs on a 'non-urgent' basis.

No10's vaccine advisers have said that the jabs will protect a 'very small number of children from serious illness and hospitalisation'.

Officials stressed that the offer is not urgent because Covid poses such a tiny risk to children. Experts estimate as few as 0.001 per cent of all youngsters who get infected will die, with the risk even lower for the healthy.

Meanwhile, Sir Andrew Pollard, who is part of the team behind the AstraZeneca jab, said it was likely that not every Briton would be given an extra Covid jab every year.

But he noted it was 'reasonable to think' the most vulnerable would likely be offered top-up doses in the future.

His comments echo other scientists, who say annual Covid jabs will likely be offered to all those that get a flu shot every year. This includes the over-50s, care home residents, health workers, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised.

Sir Andrew Pollard, who helped develop the Oxford Covid jab, said fourth jabs would not be needed for the entire population

Israel is offering fourth Covid jabs to all adults. Pictured is a man receiving the jab in Israel

Which countries are offering fourth doses? Israel All adults in Israel are being offered a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine. Initially only over-60s and healthcare workers were able to get the shot in early January, but later that month it was opened to all adults following a recommendation from its vaccine chiefs. Israeli officials cite research showing a fourth dose provides three to five times the level of protection against Covid as three doses to support the move. Denmark It became the first country in Europe to offer the jab to vulnerable adults in January. But this was not extended to health workers or over-85s. Danish authorities are now looking to wind down their vaccination drive by the spring, saying three doses have provided good protection. Chile This country started offering fourth jabs to its most vulnerable in January, before opening the drive to all over-55s this month. The country originally used the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine. The expanded programme now uses the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs alongside Sinovac. Germany Vaccine advisers in the country have recommended the shots for over-70s, the most vulnerable and healthcare workers. Health authorities there said they made the recommendation based on waning protection after three doses. Health ministers in the country described the decision to expand the vaccination drive as 'correct'. Advertisement

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir Andrew said: 'As far as whether we need them for the whole population, I don't think that's likely to be the future  for whole populations to get regular doses.

'But... it's certainly reasonable to think that further doses may be needed to maintain immunity in those who are at greatest risk of ending up in hospital.'

Sir Andrew, who previously insisted boosters might not be needed, also did not slam moves to dump the last Covid restrictions from Thursday.

He said it was 'enormously difficult' to decide when to end the final measures.

'There isn't a right or wrong answer to this because we don't have a measure that helps us get there,' he said.

Sir Andrew noted that although the measures had benefits, including breaking chains of transmission and limiting hospital admissions, there were also hidden harms.

'(The harms) include things, just from a health perspective, like the the impact on hospitals of having staff self-isolating, the inability to perform operations, there will be surgery cancelled today that may be critical for people because of staff who are off work during that period; the impact on education, on the workplace and the economy,' he said.

'The impacts on the economy and mental health will have longer-term consequences.

'So if we could find a measure that brings all of that together, we could work out the exact right moment (for lifting restrictions).'

He called for Covid surveillance systems for variants to remain in place, and for monitoring for outbreaks using national programmes to continue.

Britain started offering third jabs to older age groups to shore-up immunity levels from September, before the drive was opened to all adults amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

Education Secretary and former vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi also made it clear that the Government intends to roll out booster doses annually.

A virologist at Cambridge University today said extra doses would likely be needed because of uncertainty over how long immunity from three jabs lasts.

Dr Chris Smith told BBC Breakfast: 'We're very well protected as a community, having been vaccinated and boosted now.

'Now, it's a question of seeing what the booster does in the longer term to our immune system and also, critically, what the virus is going to do, because the virus is probably not done with us yet.

'There may be other variants that come along. They may require an update to the vaccines anyway.

'So I think we'll see what happens over this winter; then we've got the summer to think about how to plan for next winter and, by then, things will have moved on a bit more, we'll have more information.'

Some scientists have previously argued that rolling out vaccines every three-to-four months simply isn't 'doable'.

And they have said it may not even be necessary because of Omicron, which some believe has speed up the process of endemicity.

Some claim the benefits of extra jabs are minimal because their primary purpose  preventing deaths and hospitalizations  has barely waned after a year and several Covid variants, effectively meaning boosters are adding to an already high base level immunity.

Others have called for more data on dosing gaps between boosters before pressing ahead with plans to administer fourth jabs.

The WHO's director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has previously slammed moves to roll out fourth jabs, saying: 'Indiscriminate booster programs have every chance of prolonging the pandemic, rather than ending it, by diverting available doses to countries that already have high vaccination rates, thereby giving the virus more opportunities to spread. spread and mutate.'
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz criticized United States President Joe Biden on Sunday, arguing that the Democrat allowed Russia to take aggressive actions against Ukraine due to his "fecklessness."

Cruz said that Biden's presidency was the "best thing" that had happened for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Texas senator said that the Biden administration's approach to the Ukraine situation has not been working at all.

Joe Biden's Fecklessness

During an interview with Fox News Channel anchor Bill Hemmer, Cruz argued that Ukrainians have laid out their requests explicitly. This includes urging the United States to impose sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, "right now, today." He said that Biden was able to hand out the sanctions that morning but refused to do so.

Additionally, Ukrainian officials were requesting lethal military aid and weapons to allow them to defend themselves against Russian aggression. Cruz said that Senate support for sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline changed primarily because of who was now sitting in the Oval Office. The Texas senator accused Democrats of voting in support of Russia, as per Yahoo News.

The official added that Europe was on the "verge of war" because of Biden's weakness, calling the situation a tragedy. Cruz argued that the Democratic president made a "surrender and disastrous retreat from Afghanistan" that he called the worst military catastrophe for the U.S. in recent years.

Read Also: US Intel Leaks Looming Russia Attack of Ukraine - But It Could Be Misinformation

Cruz said that the move paved the way for Russia to take aggressive action and begin its invasion of Ukraine. The senator said that he previously argued that the Afghanistan withdrawal would result in all of the country's enemies looking to Washington.

According to Fox News, the official said other nations were measuring Biden and will base their actions and decisions on what they see. Cruz said that the possibility of Russia attacking and invading Ukraine rose tenfold due to Biden's fecklessness.

Russia vs Ukraine

The situation comes as French President Emmanuel Macron and Putin have agreed to work for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. The foreign ministers of both nations are set to meet in the coming days.

In a statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was willing to meet with Russian President Putin to figure out what he wants. He said he was open to seeking a "peaceful settlement" despite rising tensions over a potential invasion.

In recent days, violence in eastern Ukraine has risen with fights breaking out sporadically for years along the line separating Ukrainian forces from Russian-backed rebels. However, the recent sheeling and bombing spike could potentially spark a full-scale war between the two factions.

Roughly 500 people rallied for Ukraine at a Madrid protest, the majority of whom were Ukrainians, to push back against the threat of a Russian invasion. Demonstrators waved blue and yellow Ukrainian flags or wore them over their backs while parading in the Plaza de Espana square.

One Ukrainian who was living in Madrid, Ruslan Sendzyuk, noted that everyone was worried and fearful because they were unsure of what tomorrow will bring. They were all worried about Russia's actions on the border with their home country, Aljazeera reported.



Related Article: Authorities Reinstall Capitol Fence Ahead of President Joe Biden's State of the Union as Truckers Convoy Plan DC Protests

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Sen. Ted Cruz stepped up his attacks on Joe Biden's strategy for picking a Supreme court nominee on Sunday, saying it would be illegal for anyone else to specify the race and gender of job applicants.

Biden has made clear he will nominate a black woman to replace Justice Stephen Breyer who announced his retirement last month.

'Democrats today believe in racial discrimination,' Cruz told Fox News Sunday.

'They're committed to it as a political proposition. I think it is wrong to stand up and say, "We're going to discriminate."

Cruz said that made 94 percent of the population ineligible, including Merrick Garland, nominated by Barack Obama for a Supreme Court seat.

'If he happened to nominate a justice who was an African-American woman, great,' he continued.

'But you know what, if Fox News put a posting, we're looking for a new host for Fox News Sunday and we will only hire an African American woman or a Hispanic man or a Native American woman, that would be illegal.'

'Democrats today believe in racial discrimination,' Ted Cruz told Fox News Sunday as he slammed President Joe Biden's promise to select a black woman for the Supreme Court

President Biden is said to have a shortlist of three for Justice Stephen Breyer's seat: Ketanji Brown Jackson (left), Leondra Kruger (center), and J. Michelle Childs (right)

Biden made his promise to pick a black woman for the Supreme Court during the 2020 election campaign and has said he will make his announcement before the end of February

Biden has said he will make his announcement before the end of February and is believed to have narrowed his selection to three women.

Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, has long been seen as the frontrunner. She is a recent appointee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Leondra Kruger, 45, has been a California Supreme Court judge since 2015. She would be the first person in more than 40 years elevated from a state court to the Supreme Court if she were to be confirmed.

A third name, J. Michelle Childs, 55, emerged in recent weeks - largely down to the backing of House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) a close Biden ally. She has also won the support of South Carolina's two Republican senators, Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott.

Leading conservatives - including former Vice President Mike Pence - have expressed concern about Biden's promise, warning that he could be overlooking the best person for the job.

But supporters say it will help make the court a better representation of America.

And the White House has previously called out Cruz for hypocrisy over President Donald Trump's choice of Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died in September 2020.

'Just over a year ago, the previous president also promised to select a woman for the Supreme Court,' said Press Secretary Jen Psaki earlier this month.

'Not only were there no complaints about choosing a nominee from a specific demographic, from the same corners, but there was widespread praise of now Justice Barrett on those grounds with Republican lawmakers widely highlighting that they thought this was positive for women in America.

'So take Senator Cruz himself, he had no objection to Donald Trump promising he'd nominated a woman in 2020. Repeat: No objection at all.'

Coney Barrett was confirmed in October 2020, hurried through by Republicans with one eye on the looming presidential election.

Psaki was responding to an episode of Cruz's own podcast where he said Biden's policy was offensive to black women.

'The fact that he's willing to make a promise at the outset that it must be a black woman  I gotta say, that's offensive,' he said.

'Black women are, what, six percent of the U.S. population? He's saying to 94% of Americans, 'I don't give a damn about you  you are ineligible

'And he's also saying  it's actually an insult to black women.

'If he came and said, 'I'm going to put the best jurist on the court', and he looked at a number of people and he ended up nominating a black woman, he could credibly say, "OK I'm nominating the person who's most qualified."'
The parents of a murdered classical music student who was shot dead outside the orchestra hall where she practiced on Friday say they believe she was in the 'wrong place at the wrong time'.

Beth Howell, 21, was shot by Michael J. Snow, 31, outside the orchestra hall where she played cello at SUNY in upstate New York on Friday at around 5pm.

She was taken to the hospital but died of her wounds and Snow, who lived 23 miles away in Massena, was arrested the next day.

He remains in the custody of sheriffs, charged with murder, but police are yet to reveal his motive for the killing. Her parents say they have no other motive beyond the theory she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Beth Howell, 21, was shot by Michael J. Snow, 31, outside the orchestra hall where she played cello at SUNY in upstate New York on Friday at around 5pm. The killing remains unexplained

Howell was a talented cellist who was due to graduate this year from SUNY

It is still unclear whether Beth knew her killer or not. New York State Police will not comment

He was not involved with the university in any way, and it's unclear if he has a criminal record.

Beth's grieving father Joe told The New York Post that he believes it was a random act of violence.

'She was the type of person that didnt have enemies, and certainly no one that would want to kill her.

'As soon as they told us, we figured wrong place, wrong time,' he said.

New York State Police - who are leading the investigation - will not confirm or deny that it was a random act of violence, nor will they give any details on whether or not Snow has a criminal record.

He is thought to live alone in the home he once shared with his mother in Massena.

She died 'unexpectedly' in 2019 but no other details of her death could be confirmed.

The SUNY Potsdam campus where Beth was a student and was studying classical music

Beth with her older brother Ben. Her family live in Patterson, New York. They believe she was in the wrong place at the wrong time

Beth, in another photo from her Facebook feed. Her family said she had no enemies

Neighbors declined to comment on his history when contacted by DailyMail.com on Monday.

Howell, a cellist from Patterson in Putnam County, was set to graduate this year with a degree in music education, the school said.

'Beth was a cellist who performed with the Crane Symphony Orchestra, and she was an aspiring educator with a bright future ahead of her,' the post stated.

'No words can express the sadness we share as a campus community following this tragic loss.'

SUNY Potsdam, which is located in St. Lawrence County roughly 30 miles from the Canadian border, canceled classes for Monday in response to Howell's death, and has also canceled or rescheduled various activities.
Social media is awash with excitement as February 22, 2022 approaches, the date all numbers will line up to give the 2.22.22 date.

The unique date is a palindrome, which means it reads the same forwards and backwards, and has been dubbed 'Twosday' by social media users as it happens to fall on a Tuesday.

It is also an ambigram which means the date remains the same when its digits are reversed and comes more than

Although a full Twosday isn't on the cards for another two centuries (2.22.2222), we've already seen a few patterns in our dates.

Countries such as Australia and Japan are the lucky ones so far, having already experienced four and two hours of Twosday respectively.

More than a decade ago we saw two Onesdays with 11.1.11 and 11.11.11.

This century there have been 11 other months with similar patterns, such as 02.02.02 and 12.12.12.

In 11 years we'll be treated to Threesday (3.3.33) and Foursday another 11 years after that (4.4.44).

However, it will be for future generations to enjoy a full flush of twos on Twosday as the next one is centuries away.

The internet went wild for Twosday (2.22.22) as social media users shared their experiences and even Google celebrated the day

Sadly for the people of the future though, that particularly special Twosday in the year 2222 will fall on a Friday.

That will be the last time there is a full line up of twos until February 22 22222, exactly 20,000 years later.

Of course there will be a 2.22.22 in 100 years' time, but because the year will be 2100 it is not counted in the same way as it is with a zero, or 2022.

Aziz Inan, professor in electrical engineering at the University of Portland in Oregon, said he believed these unique dates had a 'magical power in terms of getting people's attention'.

His website lists 500 years' worth of palindromes spanning from the 19th century to the 23rd century.

He told CNN: 'I enjoy when I get somebody's attention to this, especially some kid or college student, and it makes me feel happy that I did something good in the long term to tap into their curiosity.'

HOW HAS THE HUMAN BRAIN DEVELOPED TO SEE SIGNIFICANCE IN PATTERNS? The human brain has evolved to find meanings in patterns, in part because doing so helped our species survive. This included looking for changes in daylight to indicate when crops should be planted and harvested, as well as keeping an eye out for paw prints in the soil in case dangerous predators were near. The same could be said for those able to use patterns to detect poisonous plants from healthy ones. This enabled the survivors to pass on those pattern-friendly genes to future generations. But helping to keep us alive is not the only reason humans like to find meanings in patterns. When the brain finds one it zaps its synapses with a shot of dopamine, which in turn encourages itself to keep finding more connections. However, there is also a tendency to make connections where none exist, known as apophenia. This has been defined as 'the experience of seeing meaningful patterns or connections in random or meaningless data'. Taking the example of the date 2/22/22, although it is a unique milestone that looks appealing to the human eye, it carries no inherent meaning beyond its function in our particular calendar. This 'Twosday' is an example of numerology, where supernatural significance is attached to numbers. It may look mathematical, but it's more akin to reading tea leaves and extends to the belief that certain numbers are good or bad. For instance, 7 is often seen as lucky and 13 as unlucky. Advertisement

Meanwhile Morten Heedegaard, who created the website 22-2-22.com in 2019, said he tried to ask the United Nations to make the unique day a 'day of self-celebration and self-care'.

He told the Washington Post: 'I tried to make a tweet at one point, addressing the United Nations to make that date the day of self celebration and self-care. They didn't respond.'

The unique dates have always been busy days in the US and on a previous palindrome date, on November 11, 2011, Las Vegas saw more than 3,500 couples get married.

Tomorrow, 222 couples are expected to get married in Sacramento, California, in a ceremony that starts at 2pm and conclude at precisely 2.22pm.

Elsewhere in Singapore 483 couples were registered to get married on February 22 as of January 24, according to the South China Morning Post.

In 2020, China asked couples to delay wedding ceremonies that fell on the palindrome date 02.02.2020.

Today excited Twitter user Peter Murphy took to the platform to ask a question about Twosday.

He said: 'Would it be too wrong to wear a tutu to work' to celebrate Twosday?'

One Twitter user shared that they had woken up specially to celebrate the rare numerically satisfying day.

Meanwhile, Google celebrated Twosday with an eruption of confetti and twos on searching for the word.

People have evolved to find meaning in patterns as a survival instinct.

This helped hunters track animals as they lived a more nomadic lifestyle.

It also came in handy when checking for nearby predators that could have endangered them.

The same could be said for those able to use patterns to detect poisonous plants from healthy ones.

The pattern-minded survivors of a much harsher environment than today were able to pass on their number-friendly genes to generations of humans.

Yet not all patterns have meaning. Twosday has provided many people with a burst of happiness and interest, although a higher purpose has not yet been discovered.

Dates such as these often give way to pseudoscience and theories of a higher meaning, sometimes connected to the cosmos.

This happens because humans want to find the meaning in the numbers they see, as well as being curious about the world we live in.

For example, many people believed the end of the world, or Doomsday, was upon us on December 12, 2012 (12.12.12).

That date was seen as the final day of a 5,126-year cycle in the ancient Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by pre-Columbian cultures in the Americas.
It comes five months after she was pictured on a set tour of soap opera Coronation Street, organized by Hoyle as part of the G7 Speaker's Conference

The Speaker of the House met German, Palestinian and Israeli leaders last week

Pelosi's visit is part of a US congressional tour to meet several world leaders

They were seen at the House of Commons ahead of a parliamentary session

US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has arrived in London for the last leg of a whistle-stop world tour which has seen her visit Jerusalem, the West Bank and Munich in recent days.

Pelosi, 81, was today welcomed by her British counterpart Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to the House of Commons, where the Democrat will likely discuss responses to the crisis in Ukraine.

Her visit to the UK comes as part of a US congressional tour in which a delegation of American lawmakers met with several world leaders to discuss matters pertaining to 'security, economy and governance', according to Pelosi's website.

The US and UK speakers last met in September, when they toured the exterior set of long-running soap Coronation Street, including the Rovers Return pub, as part of the G7 Speaker's Conference.

US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (R) has arrived in London for the last leg of a whistle-stop world tour which has seen her visit Jerusalem, the West Bank and Munich in recent days (UK House Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle pictured left)

The pair were pictured posing for the media outside the House of Commons before entering for an afternoon session

Pelosi, 81, was today welcomed to the House of Commons by British counterpart Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, where the Democrat is expected to discuss Western responses to the escalating crisis in Ukraine

The Democrat's visit to London comes after she met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) in Munich, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas (R) in the West Bank, and attended a parliamentary session in Jerusalem with Israeli leaders last week

A statement given by Pelosi touched upon security, economic prosperity and promoting democracy as reasons for the congressional tour, but gave little further information about the subjects of planned discussions.

'As threats to democracy grow more alarming and urgent, American leadership remains committed to advancing security and stability, economic prosperity and democratic governance around the world,' Pelosi said.

'In London, our delegation will deepen our interparliamentary dialogue on how we can continue to work together to counter antidemocratic forces and advance our shared values and interests in the global arena.

'As Speaker, I am proud to lead a Congressional delegation with the Chairs of significant committees and subcommittees of jurisdiction and on the subjects that are the focus of our visit.'

Pelosi's visit to London comes five months after the G7 Speaker's Conference in September last year.

The Conference saw representatives meet to discuss issues around security as well as rising rates of hate crime at the summit held in Sir Lindsay's home constituency of Chorley in Lancashire.

As part of the summit, Sir Lindsay arranged a tour of Weatherfield and the Coronation Street set for the foreign delegates.

He said at the time: 'Walking round Weatherfield, I never thought I would be here. Speakers coming from overseas with me. This is a delight for them.'

Richard Ferrand, President of the French National Assembly was present on the tour, along with President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico, and representatives from Germany, Canada, Japan and the European Union.

Pelosi's visit to London to meet Hoyle (pictured today) comes five months after the G7 Speaker's Conference in September last year

As part of the summit in September, Sir Lindsay arranged a tour of Weatherfield and the set of Coronation Street for the foreign delegates (pictured outside of the Rovers Return Inn with members of the cast)

UK Parliament of Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle welcomes Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives in the United States to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London

Pelosi's arrival in London comes after she met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Munich to discuss the Ukraine crisis and possible sanctions that could be levied against Russia should an invasion take place.

Pelosi said sanctions might include the SWIFT banking system, which could cut Russia off from most international financial transactions - though this would also impact Western economies.

'That's still a matter of negotiation,' Pelosi said, but added that 'the president has the authority to implement those sanctions without the Congress'.

She also said of Russia: 'You can't bully the world and take a walk and you're off the hook.'

Prior to arriving in Munich, Pelosi travelled to Jerusalem and the West Bank, where she attended an Israeli parliamentary session on Wednesday before meeting the Palestinian President on Thursday.

Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States of America Nancy Pelosi speaks during a panel discussion at the 2022 Munich Security Conference last week

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (C) and members of her delegation are pictured at the plenary sitting in the Knesset parliament building in Jerusalem on February 16, 2022

In Jerusalem, Pelosi assured Israeli politicians that American support for their country remains 'ironclad,' despite deep differences between peace with the Palestinians and other issues.

Pelosi stuck to what the US and Israel have in common, particularly on their desires to rein in Iran's nuclear capabilities and find a path toward peace with the Palestinians.

'The US remains ironclad, I keep using that word, in our support of Israels security and its regional stability,' Pelosi said with her counterpart, Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy, standing nearby.

One day later in the West Bank, the Speaker of the House met with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to discuss an approach to reviving a two-state solution to conflict between Palestine and Israel.

It was one of the highest-level meetings with an American official in recent years for the 86-year-old Palestinian president.

Abbas urged US action on what he described as 'unilateral Israeli practices' that 'undermine a two-state solution.'

Those included expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and moves to evict Palestinians from various parts of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as their future capital.

Relations between the US and the Palestinian Authority effectively collapsed during former president Donald Trump's administration, notably after Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's 'undivided capital.'
A $250,000 reward is now being offered for any information on a missing four-year-old Afghan refugee girl who vanished from a Texas playground in December.

Lina Sardar Khil was last seen in the playground of a northwest San Antonio apartment complex during the late afternoon of December 20, while her mother allegedly left her unattended.

The Islamic Center of San Antonio announced it is offering a $200,000 reward for any information that leads to the safe return of Lina.

Meanwhile, the San Antonio CrimeStoppers group said it had 'a guaranteed $50,000 reward, for this case only, for information resulting in the arrest or indictment of a suspect accused of any involvement in' Lina's disappearance, bringing the total reward amount to $250,000.

The Islamic Center had originally offered a $100,000 reward and Crime Stoppers $50,000 in exchange for information.

On Saturday, San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus tweeted that local authorities have continued to investigate the girl's disappearance while working with the FBI in a concerted effort to find Lina.

'There's been no pause in our efforts. SAPD continues to work with the FBI to find Lina Sardar Khil who went missing on Dec 20. The investigation is on-going,' McManus posted.

'Pls report any info no matter how insignificant you may think it is. Call SAPD Missing Persons Section on 210 207-7660.'

The San Antonio CrimeStoppers said it had 'a guaranteed $50,000 reward for info resulting in the arrest or indictment of a suspect accused of any involvement in' Lina's disappearance

The Islamic Center of San Antonio announced it is offering a $200,000 reward for any information that leads to the safe return of Lina

Police in San Antonio looking for little Lina, who vanished from an apartment complex's playground on the afternoon of December 20

An FBI dive team had previously joined the search for the missing girl, who would have turned four Sunday.

A birthday celebration was still held in Lina's absence at the apartment complex where her family lives on Fredericksburg Road.

The 12-member FBI Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team flew in from Washington, DC, on January 3 and searched water bodies near the girl's family's apartment all day Tuesday, Police Chief William McManus said.

Appearing downcast, McManus said the team was merely checking a lead, of which there have been few.

Lina was last seen wearing a red dress, black jacket and black shoes and had her brown hair in a ponytail, police said.

The child's family had reported that she was at the playground with her mother, who had walked away briefly and found the child missing upon her return.

On December 31, over a week after Lina's disappearance, McManus had spoke at a press conference at the Islamic Center of San Antonio pleading for anyone with more information on Khil's whereabouts to come forward.

'We need your assistance, if you know anything, even if you think it may not help,' McManus said.

Although police say they do not have a description of a possible kidnapping suspect, they are investigating the case as a child abduction

Riaz Khil, the father of the missing four-year-old, says the family believe she may have been abducted

'We want you to call us and give us any information that you may have.'

He also ensured their safety and protection of identity in exchange of any valuable information.

The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) had also previously released a statement to publicly announce their continuing search efforts just days after Lina went missing.

'While there have been no substantial updates to report, we continue to deploy an all hands on deck approach to ensure no evidence, witness statement or clues are left undiscovered,' the statement posted to Facebook read.

Over the course of the investigation, SAPD and other departments have refused to exhaust their attempts to find Lina as they have looked through other apartments in the family's complex, utilized search dogs and have collected surveillance footage from surrounding areas.

Despite the consistent search efforts, McManus had said the department is becoming 'less hopeful' as the investigation continues.

'Unfortunately, I have to say that the longer the time lapses, the less hopeful we become,' McManus said.

The young girl's father, Riaz Sardar Khil, and the rest of the family has still remained hopeful throughout the search.

'I'm hopeful that my daughter will be back,' he told the San Antonio Express-News.

'I know there is a good person among us whose prayer will be heard by God, and that will be the cause for the safe return of my daughter.'

The family moved to the US in 2019 from Afghanistan after fleeing from 'threats that were posed to us,' Lina's father, Riaz Sardar Khil, told KENS-TV.

The child was last seen in the 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road between 5 and 6pm on Monday, December 20

Khil said through a translator that his wife, who is pregnant, was watching their daughter at the playground between 5 and 6 pm that day, when the four-year-old walked over to a nearby path and suddenly vanished.

Lina's mother initially thought she may have returned to the family's apartment, but she was not there.

The family then thought Lina may have left the playground with another Afghan family but now believe she may have been abducted.

'During our entire lives we have not been as saddened as we were yesterday and today,' Riaz Khil said.

The father said that the FBI have questioned him and his wife for several hours.

Lina is four-feet-tall and weighs 55 pounds, with brown eyes and straight, shoulder-length brown hair tied in a ponytail. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, a red dress and black shoes.

Anyone with more information on Lina's disappearance is asked to call SAPD Missing Person's Unit at 210-207-7660.
Mount Etna sent plumes of smoke and ash shooting into the air over eastern Sicily after roaring back into action today.

Images showed the sky above Catania engulfed in thick smoke after Etna, one of Europe's most active volcano, sent a 7.5-mile high volcanic ash cloud over the city.

The lava flow from the volcano was centred around the crater on the mountain's south-east slope, said officials in Italy.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage on the inhabited towns on the slopes of the volcano, which is popular with hikers, skiers and other tourists.

Mount Etna sent plumes of smoke and ash shooting into the air over Catania, in eastern Sicily today

Etna, one of Europe's most active volcano, sent a 7.5-mile high volcanic ash cloud over the city after roaring back into action

The towering cloud, which was visible for miles, came as Vincenzo Bellini international airport in Catania was forced to close

Today, the nearby Vincenzo Bellini international airport in Catania closed at lunchtime until further notice, with inbound flights diverted to Palermo.

It came as roads, balconies and rooftops were left covered in ash.

By Monday afternoon, the lava flow from the crater had stopped, officials said.

But earlier in the day, while the volcanic cloud was pouring out of Etna, they issued a warning for aircraft in the area.

The towering cloud, visible for miles, is the latest impressive show of Etna's power this month.

Earlier in February, a particularly powerful eruption sent bolts of lightning dramatically across the sky over eastern Sicily.

In 1669, in what has been considered the volcano's worst-known eruption, lava buried a swathe of Catania, the largest city in the east on the island of Sicily, and devastated dozens of villages.

More recently, in 1983, dynamite was used to divert lava threatening towns.

In 1992, the army built an earthen wall to contain the lava, flowing from Etna for months, so it would not reach one of the villages on the slopes.

The sky above Catania was engulfed in thick smoke after Etna, which stands at 11,013ft, erupted today

The lava flow from the crater stopped by the afternoon but earlier in the day, while the volcanic cloud was pouring out of Etna, officials issued a warning for aircraft in the area

Etna is Europe's most active volcano, producing enough lava every year to fill a 108-story skyscraper

In August last year, Italy's volcano monitoring agency said Mount Etna had grown in height to a record 11,013ft.

Experts said the southeast and youngest crater of Europe's most active volcano was now much higher than its 'older brother', the northeast crater, which was the 'undisputed peak of Etna' for 40 years.

It came after some 50 episodes of ash and lava belched from the mouth of the crater from mid-February last year, the National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said.

The northeastern crater of Etna reached a record height of 10,990ft in 1981, but a collapse at its edges reduced that to 10,912ft, recorded in 2018.

Satellite suggest the southeast crater has now surpassed that and stands at 11,013ft.

Etna is Europe's most active volcano, producing enough lava every year to fill a 108-story skyscraper.

Although it poses little danger to surrounding villages, Sicily's government estimated last July that 300,000 metric tones of ash had so far been collected as part of the clean-up operation.
Binghamton University has blasted one of its sociology professors for giving priority to 'non-white folks' during in-class discussions while asking white male students to stay silent.

In the syllabus for her class dubbed 'Social Change - Introduction to Sociology', instructor Ana Maria Candela wrote: 'This means that we try to give priority to non-white folks, to women, and to shy and quiet people who rarely raise their hands,' the syllabus reads.

'It also means that if you are white, male, or someone privileged by the racial and gender structures of our society to have your voice easily voiced and heard, we will often ask you to hold off on your questions or comments to give others priority and will come back to you a bit later or at another time.'

Her de facto rule - which violated the school's faculty handbook - angered some students who viewed the policy as both racist and unfair. It also drew the ire of the university, which said her policy violated school principles.

The syllabus for a Binghamton class dubbed 'Social Change - Introduction to Sociology' says the professor uses 'progressive stacking' to give minority students priority in classroom discussions

Professor Ana Maria Candela, who instructs the class, wrote in the syllabus: 'If you are white, male, or someone privileged by the racial and gender structures of our society to have your voice easily voiced and heard, we will often ask you to hold off on your questions or comments'

Student Sean Harrigan wondered whether he would be dinged participation points under the policy.

'How am I supposed to get full participation when the professor won't call on me even though I had my hand up the longest' Harrigan told Campus Reform.

Michael Lawrence, who also attends the university, told the outlet that he has 'experienced classes that partake in similar rules.'

'Progressive stacking teaches students to victimize people and see them as less than many of their peers,' he said.

The New York university, where annual tuition averages $19,000 per year, did not immediately return a DailyMail.com request for comment, and Candela's biography no longer appears on the school's website. Her Twitter account also appeared to removed, and her personal website was not accessible without a password.

Binghamton University, where annual tuition averages $19,000 said the 'progressive stacking' rule has been removed from the syllabus because it violated the faculty handbook

A university spokesman told Fox News that the syllabus violated its faculty staff handbook.

'The Faculty Staff Handbook outlines principles of effective teaching, which include valuing and encouraging student feedback, encouraging appropriate faculty-student interaction, and respecting the diverse talents and learning styles of students,' the spokesperson said. 'The syllabus statement you have brought to our attention clearly violates those principles.'

The 'progressive stacking' section has now been removed from the syllabus, the spokesperson added.

Candela, who did not return a DailyMail.com request for comment, has a 2.5 out of 4 score on Ratemyprofessors.com, where students

'Woke, woke, woke. Total racist,' one student said. 'She openly ignores you if you are a white male... Total socialist crazy. Don't waste your money or time if you have white skin.'

The 'progressive stacking' policy was slammed on Twitter, where some called the professor out for discrimination in the name of 'progressiveness'

Added another student: 'A racist and sexist person who has no business in the classroom setting at a public university.'

The professor's controversial rule was also a talking point on Twitter, where some users called Candela out.

'@binghamtonu here is a professor being extremely racist,' tweeted @libsoftiktok. 'This is sick!! People pay tens of thousands of dollars to be treated like this?'

David Farmbrough also took issue with her policy, tweeting: 'Translation: "We favor some people and discriminate against others on the basis of race and sex."'

Added @SelagoArt: 'So? Racism and sexism but under the guise of "Progressiveness"
A female passenger who refused to wear a Covid-19 mask on a plane after being told to put it on 15 times before assaulting a police officer with her make-up bag has been let off with a fine.

Lotta Kemppinen, 28, from Bristol, was arrested at Heathrow airport following a two-hour flight from Helsinki on Christmas Eve last year.

Kemppinen, who was drunk on the plane, was told to pay 1,450 for being drunk on an aircraft, including compensation to PC Manesh Patel and court costs, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

James O'Connell, prosecuting, said: 'About 20 minutes into the flight the crew became aware of the defendant who was sitting in seat 11A because another passenger asked to be moved because the defendant appeared to be drunk and was bothering the passenger.

'The defendant was then asking if she could have some more wine. She'd already been given two small bottles of wine.'

Lotta Kemppinen, above, was let off with a fine after disrupting a flight from Helsinki to London

Crew members saw Kemppinen was 'under the influence of alcohol' and refused to serve her any more drinks before she began shouting about a connecting fight.

He added: 'For one hour and twenty minutes of the two hour flight they were distracted by having to pay attention and deal with the defendant.

'She was asked at least 15 times to put on her mask.

'She refused to do it and eventually a decision was made the police would need to be called when the plane landed at Heathrow.

'The defendant was uncooperative with the police. She was asked to provide her passport.

'Using a makeup-style bag she hit the officer then slapped the officer once to the face.'

Once she was arrested, Kemppinen became 'fully cooperative and apologetic for her actions'.

Mr O'Connell added: 'Her actions thankfully were not to assault the aircrew. She was more disruptive during the flight and when she did assault someone it was thankfully after the plane had landed.'

Defending solicitor Tom Quinn argued Kemppinen's actions were more 'disorientated' than drunk and that despite shouting loudly she was not swearing.

Kemppinen, 28, was arrested when she landed at Heathrow, above, after a two hour flight

He said she has taken an anti-depressant called Sertraline prior to the incident, which contributed to the state she was in.

The court was shown body worn footage of police office speaking to her, saying: 'Tell me your name or give me your passport. Are you taking the mick?

'I'm going to have to arrest you.'

Police body-cam footage played in court showed Kemppinen was curled up on the seats of the plane, crying and seemingly distressed.

Mr Quinn claimed there was 'little or no distress caused to the officer'. He suffered a minor headache after the incident.

'Since this offence, at her own cost she has engaged in rehabilitation,' he continued.

Lotta Kemppinen,pictured above, from Bristol, assaulted a police officer with her make-up bag

'When you find yourself away from home arrested in a police station, it's a massive wake up call,' he added, explaining that alcohol had 'become a problem' for her.

The incident took place because of a combination of alcohol, anti-depressants and 'international flight anxiety', said Mr Quinn, adding that her grandfather had recently passed away.

Kemppinen was tearful in the dock as the judge, Mr Recorder Michael Hick told her: 'You behaved very badly and clearly caused anxiety and distress.

'I am sure you are well aware of the effect that can have on people in those confined and cramped conditions where people feel vulnerable and many feel anxious.

'You refused to wear a mask and were clearly causing great difficulty to the crew.'

The judge took into account her previous good character and her mental state at the time following the death of her grandfather.

He fined her 1,000 for being drunk on an aircraft and ordered to pay 250 compensation to PC Patel. She must also pay 200 in costs.

Kemppinen admitted assaulting an emergency worker and being drunk on an aircraft.

She appeared in court wearing a black skirt, a white skirt and a charcoal blazer.
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What is the timetable for 'Living With Covid' From Thursday: Self-isolation law axed People will still be advised to stay at home if positive Vaccinated contacts and under-18s no longer have to test for seven days Requirement for non-vaccinated contacts to isolate dropped. End to routine contact tracing End to self-isolation payments End to legal obligation for people to tell employers when they self-isolate From March 24: Enhanced statutory sick pay removed so people can only claim from day four. From April 1: Free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing will end for general public. Symptomatic elderly and vulnerable will still have access to provision, with UKHSA deciding later how it is allocated. Government will no longer 'advise' people to isolate when positive, although they will be 'encouraged'. Surveillance by the ONS and other bodies will continue to detect threats from variants. Government will no longer recommend the use of Covid certification, although the NHS app will continue to allow people to indicate their vaccination status for international travel. Advertisement

Boris Johnson hailed a new post-Covid era today as he declared that self-isolation laws are being axed from Thursday and free Covid tests will go from April.

In a dramatic statement to MPs, the PM confirmed that people with the virus will no longer be compelled to stay at home in England - although they will be advised to avoid spreading the disease in the same way as with flu.

From March 24 more generous state sick pay provisions are being downgraded, so people will no longer be eligible from day one.

And from April 1 free lateral flow and PCR testing - which has been costing the taxpayer 2billion a month - is being abandoned, except for very limited supplies for the elderly and very vulnerable. Details of who gets them will be decided later by the UK Health Security Agency.

Instead the government is set to focus on monitoring the development of the virus, with surveillance programmes to keep watch for emerging variants. The testing infrastructure will be kept ready so it can be 'stood up' quickly if there is a serious threat.

Ministers expect that when people have to buy tests themselves the costs per swab will be in the 'low single figures' - around 20 for a pack.

Mr Johnson told the House that the pandemic 'hasn't gone away', sending the Queen his best wishes after her positive diagnosis.

He said it is 'certain' new mutant strains will emerge and 'very possible' they will be more severe than Omicron.

But he said the country is past the peak of the current wave and must start 'protecting ourselves without losing our liberties'.

'It is time that we got our confidence back. We don't need laws to compel people to be considerate to others. We can rely on that sense of responsibility towards one another,' he said.

He said the cost of the 'colossal' testing infrastructure was 'vast', pointing out it had been more than the Home Office budget in 2020-21.

The blueprint emerged after Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak blocked a bid by Health Secretary Sajid Javid for more funding to maintain testing capacity and a slower timetable for ending the arrangements.

The Department for Health is said to have asked for 5billion a year, but No10 made clear that the costs will be footed from within the existing budget.

Mr Johnson said: 'Covid will not suddenly disappear but those who would wait for a total end to this war.. would be restricting the liberties of the British people for a long time to come.'

The plan was welcomed by business and the hospitality industry, but came under fire from education unions and some scientists.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said the strategy was 'half-baked' and abolishing free tests was like substituting a 'star defender' before the football match is won. 'His approach will leave us vulnerable,' he said.

Nicola Sturgeon has called for Scotland to be given cash to carry on handing out free kits, saying it would be 'unacceptable' for Westminster to force the issue. Although the devolved administrations have policy-making powers, the Treasury has broad control of the purse-strings.

After his Commons statement, Mr Johnson will hold a press conference at 7pm.

Cabinet finally gave the green light to the strategy at the second time of asking at lunchtime - after they had to be sent away from Downing Street this morning because details had not been thrashed out.

The premier's team had already arrived at No10 when they were informed the gathering to finalise the strategy for England - including axing self-isolation this week - was being pushed back.

The second attempt at gathering ministers happened virtually, with one senior source telling MailOnline: 'The irony of the ''Covid is over'' Cabinet being virtual wasn't lost on many attendees.'

A No10 spokesman insisted 'it is always an iterative process for these plans, it's right to take the time to get it right'.

Ben Zaranko, an economist from the respected IFS think-tank, observed wryly of the DoH's funding push: 'Only three things are certain: death, taxes, and the Department of Health and Social Care asking the Treasury for more cash.'

On a critical day that could finally start to draw a line under the pandemic:

In an attempt to ensure people do not build up personal stockpiles of free lateral flow tests before the April 1 cut-off, individuals can now only order a box every three days, instead of every 24 hours;

Over-75s and people with suppressed immune systems in the UK are to be offered another Covid-19 booster jab in the coming weeks, the government has declared;

Ministers have denied that the timing of the lockdown announcement is a 'smokescreen' to distract from Mr Johnson's Partygate woes;

Mr Johnson was praised in the chamber by a series of Tories who have threatened to force a no-confidence vote in his leadership;

A leading expert has insisted that Covid booster jabs will not need to be given to all Britons in future years;

Ms Sturgeon is due to unveil her pandemic plan tomorrow with doubts over whether Scotland and Wales will follow the same path as England.

Boris Johnson (pictured) is hoping to lay out a 'Living With Covid' strategy to MPs later today

Science and health chiefs Patrick Vallance (left) and Chris Whitty (right) in Westminster today

The government tonight issued the latest slides laying out the Covid situation in the UK

Fourth jabs for the most vulnerable... but NOT for the whole population A leading expert has insisted that annual Covid jabs will not need to be given to all Britons. A decision is expected imminently on boosters for the most vulnerable this spring. Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, said the outbreak must keep being tracked to take decisions on vaccination. But he said: 'As far as whether we need them for the whole population, I don't think that's likely to be the future - for whole populations to get regular doses. 'But we are identifying those in society who are particularly vulnerable to the virus, and it's certainly reasonable to think that further doses may be needed to maintain immunity in those who are at greatest risk of ending up in hospital.' Advertisement

Although Tories have welcomed the decision to tear up laws that have underpinned the government's response to the pandemic, some have voiced fears that charging for lateral flows and PCRs could cause serious problems.

There are also concerns that employers and workers face confusion when self-isolation rules lapse.

Setting out 'four principles' on ending all Covid restrictions in England, Mr Johnson told MPs: 'First, we will remove all remaining domestic restrictions in law.

'From this Thursday February 24, we will end the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test and so we will also end self-isolation support payments, although Covid provisions for statutory sick pay can still be claimed for a further month.

'We will end routine contact tracing and no longer ask fully vaccinated close contacts and those under 18 to test daily for seven days.'

Mr Johnson said people will need to take 'personal responsibility' for Covid in future rather than Government restrictions to control it.

The PM said: 'Before we begin I know the whole House will join me in sending our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen for a full and swift recovery. It is a reminder that this virus has not gone away.

'But because of the efforts we have made as a country over the past two years, we can now deal with it in a very different way, moving from Government restrictions to personal responsibility, so we protect ourselves without losing our abilities and maintaining our contingent capabilities so we can respond rapidly to any new variant.'

Mr Johnson said: 'Until April 1 we will still advise people who test positive to stay at home but after that we will encourage people with Covid-19 symptoms to exercise personal responsibility, just as we encourage people who may have flu to be considerate to others.'

He added: 'It's only because levels of immunity are so high and deaths are now if anything below where you would normally expect for this time of year that we can lift these restrictions and it's only because we know Omicron is less severe that testing for Omicron on the colossal scale we've been doing is much less important and much less valuable in preventing serious illness.

The 'biggest testing programme per person of any large country in the world', he said 'came at vast cost', adding: 'The test, trace and isolation budget in 2020/21 exceeded the entire budget of the Home Office. It cost a further 15.7 billion in this financial year and 2 billion in January alone at the height of the Omicron wave.'

To cheers from Tory MPs, Mr Johnson said: 'Covid will not suddenly disappear so those who would wait for a total end to this war before lifting the remaining regulations would be restricting the liberties of the British people for a long time to come.

'This Government does not believe that is right or necessary. Restrictions pose a heavy toll on our economy, our society, our mental wellbeing and on the life chances of our children, and we do not need to pay that cost any longer.'

Mr Johnson highlighted the vaccination effort, treatments and scientific understanding in place, adding: 'It's time that we got our confidence back.

'We don't need laws to compel people to be considerate to others, we can rely on that sense of responsibility towards one another, providing practical advice in the knowledge that people will follow it to avoid infecting loved ones and others.

'So let us learn to live with this virus and continue protecting ourselves and others without restricting our freedoms.'

Mr Johnson insisted the government will be able to 'surge' testing when needed. 'We will have stockpiles, we will keep our labs in readiness and we will be able to surge when necessary but now is not the right time to continue with mass testing,' he said.

Sir Keir said removing self-isolation support payments and weakening sick pay were the wrong things to do, dismissing a 'half-baked announcement from a Government paralysed by chaos and incompetence'.

'These are decisions which will hit the lowest paid and the most insecure workers the hardest,' he said.

He also asked for assurances that the ONS infection survey will not see reduced capacity.

Sir Keir said: 'We can't turn off Britain's radar before the war is won. Ignorance is bliss is not a responsible approach to a deadly virus.

'It actually risks undoing all the hard won progress the British people have achieved over the last two years.'

The slides outlining the UK's Covid status were presented at the Downing Street press conference this evening

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey came to Downing Street this morning only to have the Cabinet session delayed

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi (left) and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries (right) were among the ministers who had already arrived in Downing Street when Cabinet was postponed

Earlier, SNP leader Ms Sturgeon vented her 'frustration' at the Westminster approach.

'We are back again being really starkly reminded of this illogical position that Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments have to deal with which is that we are responsible for public health decisions in our own countries, but it's the Treasury who makes the funding decisions and they seem to be only triggered by the decisions Boris Johnson makes for England,' she said.

'That's unsustainable, it's unacceptable, but that's the situation we're in.

'So one of the questions that we are hoping to have answered today is what the remaining funding for testing is going to be.

'Presumably, England is not going to take away its testing infrastructure completely, so what the residual funding will be, what that then enables the devolved administration's to support, I hope we get clarity on that later today.

'It would be unacceptable now, as it has been in the past, for the decisions that the Scottish Government or the Welsh or Northern Irish governments think are right for public health reasons are constrained because of decisions on funding that the Treasury are taking only on the basis of what is decided for England.'

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said: 'Any decision to change the existing National Testing Programme would be premature and reckless.'

Despite the huge cost of testing, experts have voiced caution about cutting the provision.

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, admitted that the decisions are finely balanced.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the UK has a 'wall of immunity now' thanks to the vaccines 'but the decision about when and how to reduce restrictions is enormously difficult'.

Prof Pollard said the benefits of restrictions are obvious in 'reducing chains of transmission, the risks of people getting infected, the burden on the health system', but the harms of restrictions are harder to assess.

'They include things, just from a health perspective, like the the impact on hospitals of having staff self-isolating, the inability to perform operations, there will be surgery cancelled today that may be critical for people because of staff who are off work during that period; the impact on education, on the workplace and the economy.

Minister denies PM's Covid freedom plan is a Partygate 'smokescreen' A minister today denied that Boris Johnson's Covid freedom announcement is a 'smokescreen' to distract from the Partygate saga. Labour has accused the PM of 'declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door'. But business minister Paul Scully told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'The restrictions are all peeling back on the 22nd of March anyway, so we need to be looking at these measures and we need to be looking at the data in the round.' Advertisement

'The impacts on the economy and mental health will have longer-term consequences. So if we could find a measure that brings all of that together, we could work out the exact right moment (for lifting restrictions).'

Sir Andrew said 'there isn't a right or wrong answer to this because we don't have a measure that helps us get there'.

The director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford said: 'One of the key things is, whenever we do reduce restrictions, we need to have a number of measures in place for that period, and one of the most critical is surveillance for the virus, an early warning system if you like, which tells us about new variants emerging and gives an ability to monitor whether those new variants are indeed causing more severe disease than Omicron did.

'And that is something which can be put in place, and I hope that if there are announcements today that we'll hear exactly how that will work.'

Professor Robert West, a health psychologist from University College London and a SAGE member, told Times Radio the government has decided to 'abdicate its own responsibility for looking after its population'.

He pointed out one in 20 people currently has Covid-19 and 150 people are dying each day.

'It looks as though what the Government has said is that it accepts that the country is going to have to live with somewhere between 20,000 and 80,000 Covid deaths a year and isn't really going to do anything about it,' he said. 'Now that seems to me to be irresponsible.'

He added that there are a 'large number of deaths from heart disease and cancer but we don't just say 'Well, we've got to live with it'.

'We do an awful lot with heart disease and cancer and other forms of deaths to try to prevent them and to treat them, and so it seems a little odd really to be saying 'Well, Covid, we're going to treat that differently. We're not going to try and prevent it'.'

Prof West said he would be 'very surprised' if scrapping rules is cost-saving, given the costs of hospital admissions, and the impact of things like long Covid on the economy.

The British Medical Association has said the Government should only end self-isolation when case rates are falling.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA council, said: 'You have at the moment more people dying, more people in the hospital, than you had before Plan B was introduced. It seems a rather odd decision to make.'

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford waded into the row by branding the end of testing 'unacceptable', and Nicola Sturgeon has been critical

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (right) strolled into Downing Street for the meeting

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis exited the famous black door again after the Cabinet was delayed
An Arkansas man has been arrested for allegedly running over a cyclist with his pickup truck and then fled the scene with the victim's body.

James Ray Jones, 42, is charged with manslaughter and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, Fort Smith Police Department said.

Around 7am on Saturday, police got a call from someone who discovered a human leg on the side of Grand Avenue between North 14th and North 16th streets, just about a mile away from the Arkansas-Oklahoma border.

James Ray Jones, 42, was arrested on Saturday after fleeing the scene of a fatal hit-and-run on Friday, in which he killed a cyclist with his pickup truck before putting his body in the truck's bed

Investigators searched surveillance footage and saw a bicyclist being hit by a pickup around 8 p.m. the night before.

Cops were able to track down the owner of the pickup and later on Saturday, officers arrived at Jones' home to find his pickup in his backyard - and the cyclist still to be in the bed of the pickup.

Jones reportedly confessed in an interview that he had 'panicked' over the outcome of the incident.

The deceased cyclist has been identified, but police have yet to notify the victim's next-of-kin before publicly sharing the cyclist's identity.

Jones was arrested and taken to the Sebastian County Jail.

One anonymous resident living close to the accident told KFSM 5News that this isn't the first time an accident has happened in that area.

She says it's 'frustrating' and 'concerning' that there simply isn't enough lighting.

'I don't want to see anybody get hurt, certainly not see anybody get killed,' she said.

'And part of the problem is that it gets very dark in this neighborhood on Grand and on certain intersections.'
The White House said late Sunday that President Joe Biden has agreed to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming days under the condition that Russia refrains from launching an invasion of Ukraine.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday. Biden "agreed in principle" a meeting with Putin after that engagement, again, providing an invasion hasn't occurred.

US Hopes To Prevent Ukraine Invasion

To avert a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the White House and its allies have explored numerous diplomatic off-ramps, with the probable Biden-Putin summit being the most recent example. Nonetheless, both Biden and Vice President Harris have recently stated that they believe Putin has chosen to go forward with an invasion, The Hill reported.

Biden met with his national security council earlier Sunday and spoke on the phone with French President Emmanuel Macron, who had spoken to Putin the same day to press for a diplomatic solution to avert a European conflict. According to US estimates, Russia is believed to have assembled between 160,000 and 190,000 troops on Ukraine's borders, and authorities have warned for weeks that an invasion might happen at any time.

Should Russia go forward with an invasion, Biden and other White House officials have pledged harsh consequences. The administration has warned of Moscow's attempts to construct a pretext to justify deploying soldiers into Ukraine. Officials from the United States and Ukraine have previously rebuffed Moscow's accusations that Ukraine is nearing war. They have blamed Russian-backed separatists for the shelling of a Ukrainian kindergarten classroom on Friday.

According to Sky News, Russia welshed on a previous promise to withdraw tens of thousands of troops from Ukraine's northern border, prompting US officials to declare that this action takes Moscow one step closer to an invasion.

Read Also: US, Japan, South Korea Meet in Hawaii in Trilateral Talks Aiming for Denuclearization in Korean Peninsula

US Announces Russia's Intention to Kill, Detain Ukrainians

Military maneuvers involving an estimated 30,000 Russian soldiers in Belarus were supposed to finish on Sunday, but they have already been prolonged. The personnel's continuing deployment has aroused fears that they may be deployed to sweep down on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, which is only a three-hour drive away.

It comes as the US announced that it had acquired solid intelligence that Russia intends to kill and detain Ukrainians during an invasion and that it already has a list of targets. According to a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Russian dissidents in exile, as well as journalists, anti-corruption campaigners, religious and ethnic minorities, and the LGBT community, would be susceptible.

The White House is claimed to believe that Moscow is planning a "full-scale assault" very soon, based on this intelligence. The Kremlin, on the other hand, has called these allegations "absolutely false."

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was set to speak with his French colleague Jean-Yves Le Drian by phone later Monday, ahead of scheduled discussions with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday.

For weeks, tensions between Moscow and Western capitals have been rising amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine and a huge build-up of Russian soldiers near Ukraine's borders, as per Mint.

Last week, leaders of separatist-controlled districts in eastern Ukraine advised citizens to flee to Russia, citing an increase in hostilities with Ukraine's army on the front lines. Fresh combat between rebels and the Ukrainian military, Peskov told reporters, has made the situation on the ground "very serious."

Related Article: US Intel Leaks Looming Russia Attack of Ukraine - But It Could Be Misinformation

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Headteachers have welcomed an amendment to a new Bill which will help councils set up buffer zones around schools to stop children being targeted by anti-vaccination protests.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said in a letter to MPs on Monday that she would back an amendment from the House of Lords to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

The amendment would 'enable a local authority to quickly establish a "buffer zone" around schools and vaccination centres if targeted by harmful and disruptive protests, as have been seen recently from "anti-vaxxers".'

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders union, said headteachers remain 'concerned' that anti-vaccination campaigners are continuing to target schools 'despite the vaccination programme for 12 to 15-year-olds having been underway for many months now'.

The amendment comes after Labour's Keir Starmer called for councils to be allowed to use exclusion orders to stop anti-vaccine activists from protesting outside schools and 'spreading dangerous misinformation'.

An amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would help councils set up buffer zones around schools to stop children being targeted by anti-vaccination protests. Pictured: an anti-vaxx demonstration in Bournemouth earlier this month

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders union, said headteachers remain 'concerned' that anti-vaccination campaigners are continuing to target schools

Mr Barton said: 'The programme is clearly important in reducing the disruption to education and living with Covid,' he said.

'The amendment to the Policing Bill proposed by the House of Lords, which will allow local authorities to quickly establish buffer zones around schools where there is a threat of disruption, is therefore welcomed as an extra tier of protection.'

A statement from the Home Office added: '[Ms Patel] will point out to MPs the irony of recognising the significant harm that can be caused by protests with this amendment and highlight that logic follows that it shouldn't just be schools and vaccination centres that are protected.'

Mr Barton said protests seen at schools last year were 'completely inappropriate and have a profound impact on both the students and staff caught up in them'.

He said schools played a role as venues hosting the School Age Immunisation Service, running vaccination sessions and communicating with pupils and parents.

He also said the 'vaccine is an offer, not a requirement' and that it was up to individual families to make a decision on Covid-19 vaccines for their child.

'Anything that prevents protests happening again in future is long overdue and we hope the measures in the Policing Bill will come in time to prevent further unwanted disruption to the current vaccination programme,' he added.

'Potential protests cause more worry at a time when schools are already under huge pressure just trying to cope with the ongoing disruption caused by the pandemic.'

Home Secretary Priti Patel said in a letter to MPs on Monday that she would back an amendment from the House of Lords to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill

Last November, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi told MPs 'it was 'totally unacceptable' for any headteacher to be 'harassed or threatened' by anti-vaxxers.

Last October, Sajid Javid slammed 'idiot' anti-vax campaigners for 'spreading vicious lies' outside secondary schools following reports three children had been left injured by demonstrators.

The health secretary described how the group of campaigners were 'doing so much damage' and warned rallies were becoming a 'growing problem' across the country.

Mr Javid went on to say that an exclusion zone was an option but other methods to tackle the campaigners should be done at a local level.
An 'insane' lawyer injected food with his blood at a series of supermarkets in West London in a 500,000 rampage, a court heard.

Leoaai Elghareeb, 37, wandered into high street stores carrying a bucketful of hypodermic needles as he jabbed at products including Chicken Tikka on Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, between 7pm and 8pm on August 25 last year, it was said.

The solicitor also threw a syringe at a doctor but it fortunately bounced off her harmlessly, causing no injuries, jurors heard.

The three supermarkets - Sainsbury's Local, Tesco Express and Little Waitrose - had to throw away all their products as a precaution, causing nearly 500,000 in losses, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

Police were alerted at around 7.40pm after a man was reported to be throwing blood-filled syringes and eggs in the three supermarkets.

Prosecutor Philip Stott said: 'Mr Elghareeb is accused of doing two types of things: firstly contaminating goods, and secondly assaulting two people, a Bilal Ansari and a Dr Meghana Kulkarni.

'In short what happened is this: in the early evening of a late summer's day last year, Mr Elghareeb walked down the Fulham Palace Road in West London carrying a bucket. It was filled with syringes, some of which had hypodermic needles attached.

'A number of those syringes were filled with blood - his own. Mr Elghareeb then entered, in turn, three supermarkets on the Fulham Palace Road - in order: they were Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Tesco - and he proceeded to stick those syringes in food products inside those branches of those supermarkets.

'Along the way he also threw some of the syringes at people inside and outside the store including hitting a passerby on the street.

'As he was confronted, because of his actions, by a succession of store personnel inside the supermarkets he assaulted one of them by pushing him, in addition to throwing verbal insults at those around him.'

It is agreed that Elghareeb committed the offences, but the defence is likely to argue that 'Mr Elghareeb was, in the legal sense, insane at the time of those acts', said Mr Stott.

'Insane' lawyer Leoaai Elghareeb, 37, injected food with his blood at a series of supermarkets in a 500,000 rampage, a court heard

Elghareeb could be seen in CCTV footage wearing trainers, black shorts and a black American sports-style T-shirt, carrying a bucket apparently full of syringes.

As he walked down Fulham Palace Road he stared at Dr Kulkarni, causing her to feel 'uncomfortable as he seemed aggressive', said Mr Stott.

As she passed him in the street, he threw a syringe at her which hit her in the chest.

'Fortunately the syringe had no needle attached to it, and it just bounced off her without causing any injuries,' Mr Stott said.

Dr Kulkarni started speaking to other people on the street who were picking up syringes off the floor.

Dr Kulkarni said in a statement read to the court: 'I thought the suspect might have been on a pub crawl because he was in possession of the bucket and because he appeared to be swaying around a bit.'

She was walking along Crabtree Lane, Fulham, when she saw Elghareeb - who she referred to as 'suspect' - staring at her.

She said: 'The suspect was staring at me and I thought at first he was checking me out because of the way he was staring at me.'

Elghareeb was walking in 'quite an aggressive' manner, she added, continuing: 'As the suspect passed me he threw something at my chest.'

The item, which she soon realised to be a syringe, hit her in the collarbone but it did not cause any injuries.

She said: 'As I looked down at this item I realised it was an empty small plastic syringe.

'I did not touch the syringe and left it where it had fallen in the road near a parked car.

'At no point during our interaction did the suspect say anything to me and I didn't say anything to him.'

She approached a group of people outside a convenience store and asked: 'Did he do anything to you?'

They replied: 'Yes, he has been throwing needles and syringes all along this road.'

She phoned the police to report the incident.

He then entered Little Waitrose on Fulham Palace Road and began to jab food products including apples and Chicken Tikka Fillets with syringes.

The court was shown CCTV footage of Elghareeb casually walking around the shop for about two minutes, jabbing foods and throwing syringes.

The three supermarkets - Sainsbury's Local, Tesco Express and Little Waitrose (pictured) - had to throw away all their products as a precaution, causing nearly 500,000 in losses, Isleworth Crown Court heard

Police were alerted at around 7.40pm after a man was reported to be throwing blood-filled syringes and eggs in the three supermarkets. Above: The Sainsburys Local outlet

In Tesco Express - the third supermarket - Elghareeb threw syringes and stuck them in food, forcing the staff to close the store immediately

When staff were alerted, they asked all customers to drop their shopping and evacuate the store.

George Bruce, duty manager of the Little Waitrose outlet, said: 'I was helping my colleagues at checkouts when I noticed a male throwing something at mine and my colleague's direction.

'I recognised the male as someone who was in the store the previous week.

'He was previously exchanging conversations with food products and smelling plastic packaging.

'This time he looked very tired and had bags under his eyes.

'My manager then told everyone to drop their shopping and leave the store.'

A security guard at Sainsbury's, Bilal Ansari, said he saw a man enter the store and 'throw an egg at the tills'.

'He then turned around and threw an egg at me,' said Mr Ansari. 'He said the "f word" and shouted and screamed 'don't touch me'.'

He then got 'really angry' and squared up to the male while 'swearing at him', causing Elghareeb to assault him.

He continued that Elghareeb then turned to a female customer and said: 'Why are you looking at me you fat b***h?

'He then threw an egg at the female customer.

'A female customer came up to me and presented me with a cooked chicken with a syringe in it.'

Elghareeb continued down the road to Sainsburys and began injecting food and throwing syringes once again.

He pushed security guard Mr Ansari in the chest while shouting things like: 'You are all vile people and Sainsbury's is vile.'

He engaged in similar behaviour in Tesco Express - the third supermarket - throwing syringes and sticking them in food, forcing the staff to close the store immediately.

Shortly before he was arrested, he walked past a Tapas bar called Avanti and threw a plant pot through the open door, narrowly missing a waiter.

Forensic teams are pictured inside the Tesco store shortly after the rampage

The man was alleged to have hit three supermarkets Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury's

Meat seen in health hazard police bags outside Tesco after it was allegedly targeted

The three supermarkets found a total of 21 syringes during a thorough search and deep-clean before they were able to reopen.

He was arrested just before 8pm outside a pub called The Distillers.

He did not respond to any questions when he was later interviewed.

A black plastic syringe box was recovered from Fulham Palace Road by police officers.

Mr Stott said: 'The stores also, inevitably, took the precaution of throwing away and destroying all their produce before reopening some days later.

'All that cost, in respect of Waitrose, approximately 207,000, in respect of Sainsbury's 143,000, and in respect of Tesco's approximately 117,000. So nearly half a million pounds worth of loss to those three businesses.'

Elghareeb, of Crabtree Lane, Fulham, denies three counts of contaminating goods and two counts of assault.

He appeared at Isleworth Crown Court wearing a grey prison tracksuit and dark-rimmed glasses.

The trial continues.
A fugitive member of Joaquin El Chapo Guzmans cartel was arrested by Mexican security in the middle of a baptism Maas, dramatic video footage shows.

Jose Bryan Salgueiro Zepeda was taken into custody at a church in Culiacan, Sinaloa, on Friday.

Salgueiro Zepeda is the one of alleged leaders of the family-operated criminal faction known as Los Salgueiro in the northern state of Chihuahua.

The shocking video shows the Sinaloa Cartel member, who is also known as El 90 and El Brayan, standing next two women and another man, who was identified by the Mexican press as El Chapos nephew.

Still image of video shows Jose Bryan Salgueiro Zepeda (second from left) being taken into custody during the middle of a baptism Mass at a church in Sinaloa, Mexico. Salgueiro Zepeda, who was arrested on kidnapping charges, confessed to the authorities of being a member of the Sinaloa Cartel faction known as "Los Salgueiros" and that he holds a high-ranking position in the organization's criminal structure throughout the state of Chihuahua

Jose Bryan 'El 90' Salgueiro Zepeda was arrested while he took part in a baptismal ceremony at a church in Sinaloa, Mexico. Salgueiro Zepeda was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for his alleged role connected to a May 19, 2020, kidnapping of an individual in Chihuahua

The priest who is officiating the religious ceremony asked the group, Do you renounce Satan? before one of the women next to Salgueiro Zepeda responded, Yes, I renege.

Subsequently, a masked soldier stepped out of nowhere as the priests asks them, Do you renounce all of his seductions, and grabbed Salgueiro Zepeda by the arm before another servicemen came in and dragged him away.

The Chihuahua State Office of the Attorney General said that he acknowledged being a member of the Los Salgueiro criminal organization and a groups high-ranking leader in Chihuahua.

Salgueiro Zepeda was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for his alleged role connected to a May 19, 2020, kidnapping of an individual in Chihuahua.

Jose Bryan Salgueiro Zepeda was among four people who were being baptized at a church in Sinaloa, Mexico, when he was arrested Friday. The male individual on the right has been identified by the Mexican press as being the nephew of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman

Jose Bryan Salgueiro Zepeda is set to appear in a Chihuahua, Mexico, court Wednesday

Ruperto Salgueiro-Nevarez is one of three siblings belonging to the Sinaloa Cartel cell known as the Salgueiro-Nevarez Organization, that is accused of the international 'distribution of controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana'

The U.S. Department of State is seeking the arrest of Sinaloa Cartel members Heriberto Salgueiro-Nevarez (left) and Jose Salgueiro-Nevarez (right) and offered rewards of $5 million any information that will help authorities arrest and/or convict them. They are accused of operating the Salgueiro-Nevarez Organization, a Sinaloa Cartel cell that was involved in the alleged international 'distribution of controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana'

A spokesperson with the Chihuahua State Office of the Attorney General told DailyMail.com that Salgueiro Zepeda is expected to be appear in court Wednesday for his arraignment.

The family-run Los Salgueiro organization is also led by Ruperto Salgueiro-Nevarez, Heriberto Salgueiro-Nevarez and Jose Salgueiro-Nevarez, for whom the U.S. Department of Justice in November 2021 offered three $5 million bounties for their arrests.

All three are accused operating in Sinaloa and Chihuahua and trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana to the United States.

Their sibling, Noel 'El Flaco' Salgueiro-Nevarez, was extradited to the United States in December 2019 to face drug trafficking charges.

Mexican authorities claim the family trafficked a monthly average of 15 tons of marijuana and two tons of cocaine into the United States

El Flaco founded the Gente Nueva in 2007, which served as an armed wing for the Sinaloa Cartel and was involved in a deadly conflict from 2008 to 2012 that left 10,000 people dead, including cartel members, in the border town of Ciudad Juarez.

El Chapo, who co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel and reportedly made over $12 billion trafficking drugs, is serving a life sentence at a super maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado,
Homicides in Atlanta are on track to beat last year's 30-year high of 158 murders while rapes are up 236% after a soft-on-crime mayor and pandemic lockdowns sent crime in the city spiraling.

Atlanta Police Department statistics revealed on Friday, that homicides are up 43 percent for 2022 compared to the same period, from January 1 to February 12, in 2021. In total, there were 20 homicides so far in 2022 compared to 14 last year.

Rapes are also up an astounding 236 percent, with 37 reported so far this year, compared to 11 at the same time in 2021.

Burglaries are also up 18 percent from last year, with 229 reported as of February 12 compared to 191 at the same time in 2021, and shoplifting cases are up 4 percent, with 164 cases thus far in 2022 compared to 157 last year.

The Atlanta Police Department has said 'irresponsible gun ownership' has led to many of the shootings this year, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, after more than 2,000 firearms were stolen from vehicles in Atlanta last year.

While some city officials laid the blame at woke former Mayor Lance Bottoms, who announced she wasn't running for office again in 2022, for not doing enough to tackle crime. Meanwhile, Bottom tried to blame local Republicans for lax gun lows and lifting the pandemic lockdown.

In January 2021, City Council President Felicia Moore announced she would be running to unseat the then-mayor on the grounds that 'crime that is out of control in every neighborhood.'

'And you must do more to reduce the bloodshed here,' she told her, according to New York Magazine.

Former City Council President Howard Shook made similar comments in December 2020 following the shooting of a seven-year-old girl.

'I don't want to hear the word 'uptick.' Stop minimizing our concerns by telling us that 'crime is up everywhere',' he said in a statement.

'Spare us from the lie that the steady outflow of our officers isn't as bad as it is,' Shook's statement said.

'And please, not another throw-away press conference utterly devoid of game-changing action steps.'

Bottom responded to criticism, say her mentioning the rise in violence across the United States is 'not an abdication of responsibility, but an acknowledgement of the widespread severity of this issue.'

But by May last year, Bottoms announced she would not seek another term in office.

The former mayor had previously tried to blame the city's crime wave on state Republicans lifting COVID-19 restrictions too early and lax gun laws.

'Remember, in Georgia, we were opened up before the rest of the country, even before the CDC said that it was safe for us to open,' she said in an interview with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle.

'So our night clubs and our bars remained open, so we had people traveling here from across the county to party in our city.'

She said the pandemic 'left a lot of people battered and bruised, not just physically, but also emotionally,' which led to an increase in personal disputes that could easily be exacerbated by guns.

'Until we deal with the systemic issues of gun violence in this country - how easily young people with mental illness can access guns in this country, I'm afraid that this will not be the last summer that we are having this conversation.'

She noted that Atlanta is not the only American city experiencing a crime wave as the pandemic wanes, with shootings in New York City up about 68 percent over last year, according to the New York Post.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms blamed the rising crime in the city on the state lifting its COVID restrictions too early and lax gun laws in an interview

'If it were an Atlanta issue alone, then I'd know that there was something we weren't getting right,' the mayor said.

'But I'm talking to mayors and hearing from mayors in cities and large urban areas, we're all experiencing this, which means that we all have to work together to find a solution to this gun violence that is gripping our nation.'

New Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who was elected in November on his pledge to fight crime, has already pledged to install a combined total of 10,000 new streetlights, security cameras and license plate readers in the city, as well as hire hundreds of new police officers.

And police officials now hope a new camera integration system, called Connect Atlanta, will continue to help investigators.

Connect Atlanta, a network of more than 4,500 surveillance cameras across the city will allow officers to pull up footage on their cellphones and laptops before they get to the scene.

'We're moving from a video integration center to a real-time crime center,' Chief Rodney Bryant said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

He said he hopes the new technology will make officers more proactive in addressing crime.

Last year, the rising crime pushed residents in Atlanta's wealthiest suburb to announce they planned to secede from the city last year, and even introduced a bill in Georgia's legislature to de-annex the suburb.

The leader of the movement, Bill White, the CEO of Buckhead City Committee (BCC), said they wanted to create their own police department as crime skyrocketed throughout the area - where the average house price is $1.4 million.

'We are living in a war zone in Buckhead,' White told Bloomberg Businessweek. 'Shootings and killings, it just never ends.'

White, who officially filed to secede from the city in June, had slammed Atlanta city leadership, including Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, accusing her of ignoring the soaring crime and presiding over a demoralized and underfunded police department.

If the bill passed, White said he expects the new city of Buckhead to be up and running by June 2023, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

But earlier this month, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, their efforts to secede from the city were quashed when both Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and House Speaker David Ralson announced their opposition.

The break would have harmed the city of Atlanta financially, as Buckhead would take around 90,000 citizens with it, which is approximately one-fifth of the population, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

The latest grisly crime in Atlanta took place on Saturday when a security guard was shot and killed at the Courtesy Chrysler dealership at around 11pm. He was later identified as 24-year-old Henry Ashley by his wife, Kyla Rushton, with whom he has a four-year-old son.

Rushton said she was on the phone with Ashley when he got the dispatch call that someone was on the property of the dealership. She said he was shot in the back.

The couple had a bad feeling about work that day, Rushton told WSB, and the two were discussing leaving the security business due to the rising crime.

The Dekalb County Police Department released a still from surveillance footage of at least five suspects walking through the dealership's parking lot

'I have to stay strong for my son,' Rushton said, adding: 'I hope whatever they wanted here was more important than his life. I hope they got what they wanted, taking a husband a son, a father, a brother so young.

'We were planning on buying a house this summer,' she said. 'This was our first time we were able to do this and it all got ripped away in a matter of moments.'

Bill White, the CEO of Buckhead City Committee (BCC), led the movement for the wealthy suburb to secede from Atlanta

No suspects have been arrested yet in connection with his murder, but the Dekalb County Police Department has released a still of security camera footage showing at least five suspects walking through the dealership's parking lot.

Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at (770) 724-7850.

Meanwhile, just a few weeks earlier, an acclaimed British astrophysicist was killed by a stray bullet as he laid in bed with his girlfriend at her Atlanta apartment.

Dr. Matthew Willson, 31, had been in the U.S. barely two days when, on January 16, he was hit in the head by a round fired amid a 'rapid' and 'reckless' volley believed to have come from an apartment complex less than 200 feet away.

The Atlanta Police Department is now investigating the death as a homicide.

Matthew Willson, 31, an astrophysicist from Surrey, England, had just arrived in Atlanta to stay with girlfriend Katherine Shepard (right) when he was shot in the head by a stray bullet on January 16
This weekend will feature rival conferences that demonstrate the warring factions of the Republican Party.

The Conservative Political Action Conference will take place starting Thursday in Orlando, Florida, where it moved last year to escape the D.C. area's stricter COVID protocols. Former President Donald Trump will be the headliner.

On Monday, organizers confirmed that former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard would be a 'special guest' at CPAC's Friday night Ronald Reagan Dinner. Additionally, Dr. Oz, who is running as a Republican for Pennsylvania's open Senate seat, will be on a healthcare panel on Sunday.

Trump's speech has been moved from the afternoon - when he typically addresses the conservative crowd - to primetime Saturday, showing that he remains the star of the party.

However, the anti-Trump elements of the Republican Party are also gathering, starting on Saturday.

Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (left) and Dr. Mehmet Oz (right) will both be appearing at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, where it was moved to get away from strict COVID-19 protocols

Former President Donald Trump's CPAC speech has been moved from the afternoon - when he typically addresses the conservative crowd - to primetime Saturday, showing that he remains the star of the party

The group Principles First is hosting a two-day summit at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. - which still has an indoor mask mandate until the end of the month.

The top-billed speakers are Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who were censured earlier this month by the Republican National Committee for their work on the Democrat-led January 6 House select committee.

The full speakers list is a who's who of Trump critics.

There's Georgia's Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who stood up to pressure from Trump and his 'big lie' allies after Georgia went for now President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

There's former Republican Rep. Denver Riggleman, who was primaried by a far-right GOP candidate after he officiated a gay wedding.

Whistleblowers including Alexander Vindman and Olivia Troye and U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn will speak.

Meanwhile back in Washington, prominent Trump critics will gather at the two-day Principles First summit. The gathering will be headlined by Reps. Liz Cheney (left) and Adam Kinzinger (right)

Former GOP Rep. Joe Walsh, who tried to mount a primary campaign against Trump in 2020, will also appear.

Meanwhile in Florida, the CPAC schedule is crammed with Trump allies - new and old.

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert - both elected in 2020 when Trump was on his way out - will be making appearances at CPAC, as they've become prominent and controversial voices within the House GOP caucus.

Both lawmakers are appearing on panels.

Greene will appear on one Saturday morning entitled 'They Cant Shut Us Up!' while Boebert will appear Sunday and discuss 'The Moron in Chief.'

Donald Trump Jr. has been given the final speaking slot on Sunday - followed by musician Lee Greenwood.

Greenwood's God Bless the USA has been former President Trump's walk-on music at his rallies for years.

Former Trump officials including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and economic adviser Larry Kudlow will give speeches.

Trump-aligned lawmakers including Reps. Jim Jordan, Ronny Jackson, Madison Cawthorn and Sens. Ted Cruz, Marsha Blackburn, Marco Rubio, Bill Hagerty, Mike Braun, Rick Scott, John Kennedy and James Lankford are all slated to appear.

CPAC organizers also have Jackie Siegel, who was featured in the documentary 'The Queen of Versailles' for trying to build a replica of the French chateau in Florida, and 'Papa John,' former pizza CEO John Schnatter, who was removed from his post after using the n-word in a sensitivity training, making appearances.

Another controversial guest is former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who is running for the state's open Senate seat.

Greitens resigned the governorship in 2018 over claims he sexually and physically assaulted his hairdresser - and used nude photographs taken of her to keep her quiet.

The woman said at one point the governor 'taped her hands to pull-up rings,' blindfolded her and spit water in her mouth in an attempt to kiss her. He also pulled down her pants and photographed her, she claimed.

So far, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is the only prominent Democrat slated to appear at CPAC, a gathering for those on the political right. While Gabbard endorsed President Joe Biden, she's become more critical and often appears on Fox News Channel

So far, Gabbard is the only prominent Democrat.

She has turned heads throughout her political career.

When she came to Congress in 2013, she forged an across-the-aisle Congressional Future Caucus with Republican Rep. Aaron Schock, before he resigned in scandal.

Relations between the parties were frosty even then.

Then in 2016, she resigned from her Democratic National Committee position to endorse progressive Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for president.

She had been critical of the party for only hosting six primary debates and not allowing candidates to participate in non-DNC debates.

A letter Gabbard wrote to then DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was made public by Wikileaks and revealed the Hawaii congresswoman had accused the party of favoring Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary.

Gabbard ran for president in 2020, but eventually dropped out and endorsed Biden.

She has become critical of the president since and is a frequent guest on the conservative Fox News Channel.

Dr. Mehmet Oz will be making his CPAC debut as he runs in a crowded Republican field to take the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.

Oz, who recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his years as a TV personality, will have to showcase his conservative bona fides as his rivals have been blasting him as being too 'Hollywood' for Pennsylvania.
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A classic car fan has been left devastated after a beloved collection of vintage motors worth almost 500,000 was damaged when Storm Eunice flattened his barn.

Petrol-head Ewen Sergison, 46, has been left counting the cost after his valuable vehicles were destroyed in 100mph winds over the weekend.

The F1 racing engineer, who also works as a high-speed driving instructor, said the damage to his collection of racing cars will run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Ewen Sergison, 46, pictured with his partner Rachel Lovett, 30, beside the racing spec Mini Marcos at their home in Darlton, Nottinghamshire

The open fronted barn was badly damaged when it was battered by 100 mile per hour winds crushing several cars

There were two TVRs, including this one, damaged when the barn's roof collapsed during Storm Eunice

This Aston Martin Vantage, worth 30,000, suffered extensive damage when it was crushed by the roof

An Alfa Romeo GTA, worth 350,000, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, worth 30,000, a Mini Marcos, worth 15,000, a Triumph Stag, worth 10,000, and two TVRs, worth 20,000 each, were all inside the open-fronted barn when it collapsed.

Despite the extensive damage, Mr Sergison, who runs AVIT Motorsport, says he was just glad no customers or staff were inside the structure when it came down during the storm.

Mr Sergison, of Darlton, Nottinghamshire, who lives with fiancee Rachel, 30, said: 'We'd only been home for around half an hour when we noticed the wind pick up.

'One tile suddenly shot across the yard so we thought we should move the cars but as we got up to move them, the whole courtyard filled with dust.

'The building's roof and walls just came down. It was a relief to find out nobody was inside.

'My partner was hysterical, I spent a good minute telling her to calm down.

'Luckily everyone was safe. None of my staff, customers or animals were in there, it was mostly my own cars damaged and not customers'.

'If anything I'm glad it wasn't the customers' - as one of them was the 350,000 aluminium bodied Alfa Romeo GTA and the other was the Triumph Stag.

'But the cost in total is still likely to be hundreds of thousands of pounds so it is pretty devastating to say the least.

'We moved in just over a year ago, the home hasn't had any damage.

'One side is where all the preparation work takes place, the side that's collapsed is an open fronted barn where we kept the cars.

'The wind blew the back wall and roof and took it around 20ft into the courtyard.

'The digger and dumper are one's we use on site, the Aston Martin was a retirement present.

The convertible Aston Martin was badly damaged when the roof collapsed on the V8 super car

Mr Sergison said it was fortunate that none of his customers' cars were in the shed which collapsed during Storm Eunice

Among the cars damaged in the collapse was a 1968 Mini Marcos which was a gift from his mother when he was aged 14

Mr Sergison said he was planning to install five ramps and a glass front with room for 11 cars, so the scale of damage could have been significantly worse

Mr Sergison and his partner flew into Heathrow during the middle of Storm Eunice. He said he saw the aircraft landing on Big Jet TV. He said: 'We had a bad landing at Heathrow, I drive F1 cars for a living but that is the most scared I have ever been. We saw our flight featured on YouTube. It was a bit surreal to see it when we recognised it. And then this happened within half an hour of getting home. Everyone has been brilliant in terms of supporting us though'

'The 1968 Mini Marcos was given to me by my late mother when I was 14 so these cars obviously have sentimental value too.

'But we also got away with a lot when you think about it. The valuable customers cars just had some windscreen damage and dents to the bonnets and roof.

'Long term we were going to have 11 cars, five ramps and a glass front so it's a good job it happened now instead of further down the line as it could have been worse.'

Mr Sergison and his partner had already suffered a terrifying flight from New York back to the UK, landing at Heathrow Airport in the high winds.

He added: 'We had a bad landing at Heathrow, I drive F1 cars for a living but that is the most scared I have ever been.

'We saw our flight featured on YouTube. It was a bit surreal to see it when we recognised it.

'And then this happened within half an hour of getting home. Everyone has been brilliant in terms of supporting us though.

'People were helping and bringing food. I'm not sure of the exact costs yet and I'm not looking forward to finding out.'

The Mini Marcos was damaged when the roof collapsed during Storm Eunice last Friday. Ewen said the car 'was given to me by my late mother when I was 14'

Fortunately nobody was injured when the barn collapsed on top of the collection of classic cars
A Texas man has been arrested for fatally shooting his parents before surrendering to the police.

Michael V. Burger, 20, is being held on one count of capital murder after a San Antonio police officer responding to a traffic accident across the street heard gunfire and found Burger armed with an assault rifle and a shotgun near two dead bodies outside of an apartment complex on Parkdale Street.

He was arrested following a brief gun battle with the responding officer, who has not been named, but was uninjured and taken into custody. He is now being held on a $500,000 bond.

The victims, meanwhile, were identified Monday by Spring Branch ISD school officials as William 'Bill' Burger and Noreen Burger, Michael's parents.

William was an assistant principal for the past 11 years and served the Spring Branch ISD for three decades, according to KSAT, while Noreen, who retired in 2020, worked at the district for 25 years.

'Our hearts are heavy as we hear these reports, however we cannot confirm anything past that at this time as this is a San Antonio Police Department investigation,' Angel Purdy, principal of Cornerstone Academy, wrote in a Monday email to the school community.

Michael V. Burger, 20, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly fatally shooting his parents

Police arrived on the scene of the shooting at an apartment complex on Parkdale Street in San Antonio, Texas, where William 'Bill' Burger and Noreen Burger were found shot dead

The apartment complex remained roped off Sunday night following the shooting

Police Chief William McManus said Sunday that Burger was arrested at the scene after reportedly ducking between two cars when the responding officer arrived at around 12.15pm.

Eventually, Burger popped up from where he was hiding, and the officer demanded Burger drop his weapons.

The officer then fired his service weapon at Burger, McManus said in a Sunday news briefing, but did not shoot Burger, who then surrendered and was taken into custody.

'It appears that it could be a family violence,' McManus told reporters at the scene, noting that the victims were 'probably his parents.

'I couldnt even imagine what was going on in his head, why he took his parents lives or why he gave up, I dont know,' McManus said.

An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

Neither Burger nor the officer, whose name was not released, were injured.

McManus said the officer remains on duty because his shots did not strike Burger.
Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on Monday endorsed South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, making him the second high-profile member of the Trump administration to back the first-term congresswoman rather than former President Trump's preferred candidate.

The move gives the sense of battle lines being drawn within a party grappling with how to manage candidates who broke from Trump over Jan. 6.

Mulvaney himself resigned from the administration after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol last year.

And Mace, 44, attracted the former president's anger for also speaking out about the violence, but 10 days ago visited Trump Tower in an effort to win back his affections.

Mulvaney praised her as a 'proven fiscally conservative leader.'

'Getting things done in Washington isnt easy and it doesnt have to be a nasty business  especially when Members of Congress put their constituents needs before partisan politics,' he said in a statement shared by her campaign.

The episode illustrates how lawmakers like Mace have to look beyond Trump if they are to find powerful backers in the Republican Party.

Nancy Mace has been in the Trump firing line since speaking out about the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol last year, saying the violence 'wiped out' the former president's legacy

On Monday, Trump's former Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney endorsed Mace, illustrating the battle lines inside the Republican Party about whether there is a place for Trump critics

Trump and Mulvaney in happier times. Mulvaney resigned from his post as special envoy to Northern Ireland after Trump supporters attacked the US Capitol in January last year

Mulvaney followed Nikki Haley, Trump's former ambassador to the United Nations in backing Mace in the primary.

In the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6, Mace was fiercely critical of the way the violence unfolded and Trump's role.

'His entire legacy was wiped out yesterday,' she told CNN a day after the MAGA mob ransacked the U.S. Capitol.

She said she could not 'defend the indefensible.'

'People violently attacked the halls of Congress, our United States Capitol,' she said.

'I believe that every accomplishment that Republicans and the president had, and I was a big supporter of the president over the last four years ... but I believe that those accomplishments were wiped out.'

Trump made his feelings clear with an emailed statement earlier this month endorsing Mace's challenger.

'Katie Arrington is running against an absolutely terrible candidate, Congresswoman Nancy Mace, whose remarks and attitude have been devastating for her community, and not at all representative of the Republican Party to which she has been very disloyal,' he said.

Days later, Mace took matters into her own hands.

She traveled to New York where she recorded a video outside Trump Tower, recounting her MAGA credentials.

Trump backed Katie Arrington, whom he endorsed for the seat in 2018 as well, calling Mace an 'absolutely terrible candidate' and 'very disloyal' to the Republican Party

'I'm in front of Trump Tower today,' the South Carolina Republican said. 'I remember in 2015 when President Trump announced his run, I was one of his earliest supporters.'

Mace talked about how she worked for his campaign in 2016 and then supported Trump again in 2020.

Although Mace was critical of Trump after Jan. 6, she wasn't among the Republicans who backed his second impeachment.

'He made America safer and he took on China directly,' she said. 'As a strong fiscal conservative, I believe in putting America First,' she added.

Mulvaney, a founder member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and who was Trump's chief of staff for 14 months, said: 'Her voting record is exceptional when it comes to promoting smaller government and lower taxes.

'And refreshingly, actually she works overtime to get things done in Congress.'

Mace thanked the former South Carolina congressman for his support.

'Mick understands putting your constituents first sometimes means bucking the party line and that principles matter,' she said.

'Mick has stood up time and time again to do the right thing, hes a great example of what conservative leadership looks like in South Carolina.
Distressing video footage captured the moment paramedics tried unsuccessfully to save a Florida mom-of-two after she was struck by a car following an argument over her daughter's parking space.

EMTs were filmed working on Olga Fernandez, 62, in Hialeah, Florida, on February 13 after she was struck by a car, then fatally dragged, after the argument erupted.

Footage obtained by WESH - pixelated to preserve Fernandez's privacy - shows her being treated on the asphalt, before being lifted onto a stretcher and put into an ambulance.

Tragically, those emergency efforts did not succeed, and she succumbed to her injuries shortly after. A black car, believed to be a Toyota Corolla, is being sought in connection with the brutal killing.

Fernandez, a mom of two adult children, was fatally injured last week when her 24-year-old daughter apparently came home to find someone in her assigned parking spot.

Paramedics are seen in this video working frantically to save the life of a Florida mother who had just been been struck by a car and dragged after an argument over a parking space

Olga Fernandez died Sunday, February 13, after she was struck by a car outside her Hialeah home following an argument over a parking space

Fernandez came to her daughter's aid and got into an argument with the man after telling him to leave a parking spot.

'Her daughter said, 'mom, someone is in the parking lot,' and her mom went downstairs and she went to the bathroom. When she came out of the bathroom, she heard her mom screaming,' said Ileana Ajo, Fernandez's best friend.

The driver had hit Fernandez with his car and sped off, dragging her.

Fernandez was rushed to the hospital where she died from her injuries.

Hialeah Police are investigating and say they're looking for a black Toyota Corolla with damage to the front.

It was still dark out on Sunday when video captured half a dozen first responders working on Fernandez outside her apartment near First Avenue and Fourth Street in Hialeah, Florida

The mother of two, who lived at the apartment with her adult children, is seen being lifted onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital where she tragically died from her injuries

Surveillance footage was reportedly handed over to the police, but it has not yet been released and no further details were given.

Family and friends are in shock over Fernandez's tragic death.

A neighbor, only identified as Jeanette, told Local NBC 10 that she heard the commotion that day, but was afraid to look.

She remembers Fernandez as a wonderful person and credits her with saving her daughter's life.

'My daughter had stopped breathing and blacked out,' Janette said. 'My mother went out running, but she doesn't know how to drive. Olga saw my mother, dialed 911 and gave her CPR.'

Ajo said her best friend's children, Diana, 24, and Freddy, 18, are heartbroken.

'The girl says that she can't close her eyes because she sees her mother on the floor bleeding from her mouth, saying, 'I can't breathe,' she said.

'I feel like half of me has been taken away,' Ajo continued. 'Yesterday, I found out that I'm going to be a grandmother again, and I'm far from being happy. I felt sadness because I wanted to call her and tell her, but she wasn't there.'

Fernandez was described as a hard-working, caring woman who lived for her children

A GoFundMe has been has been created to help the family with funeral expenses

A GoFundMe has been has been created to help the family with funeral expenses.

'We have lost a great friend, sister, mother, aunt, niece and human being,' a message on the site reads. 'Everyone who knew them knew that she was a hard-working, caring woman who lived for her children.

'Olga not only left us unexpectedly but also left her two children behind. Diana, 24, and Freddy, 18. At times like this it's important to get together and help your children. We are asking that you help with whatever you can for funeral expenses and other expenses that they will have to face without their mother.'
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of England, is expected to announce the removal of all COVID-19 rules later today.

Following a Cabinet meeting to settle on the final aspects of the country's strategy to "living with covid," he will make a speech in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon. He will also hold a news conference on Monday evening.

Boris Johnson: "Living With Covid" Plan Will Restore Freedoms

The day after it was established that the Queen had tested positive for the virus, he will make his declaration. According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK was one of the worst-affected European countries during the first wave of coronavirus in spring 2020, with more than 183,000 victims having COVID-19 listed on their death certificates.

On Saturday, the government declared that by the end of this week, self-isolation regulations for people who test positive will be lifted. They may be lifted by Thursday, according to some sources.

Johnson will also lay out a timeline for reducing the availability of free coronavirus testing, while older and more susceptible people will still be able to get them. The prime minister said that the UK spent 2 billion on testing in January alone, and that such high spending was unnecessary, Gazette Live reported.

With more than 81 percent of people receiving a booster dose and COVID-19 cases continuing to plummet, Downing Street claimed the vaccination campaign has put England in a "good position to explore eliminating the remaining legal limitations."

Read Also: Joe Biden Agrees To Hold Summit With Vladimir Putin If Russia Won't Invade Ukraine as Moscow Denies "Kill List"

What COVID-19 Rules Changes Will be Made in the UK?

As of Thursday, those who test positive for COVID-19 and their close contacts will no longer be forced by law to self-isolate, as the government repeals pandemic rules.

Per Telegraph, the government will still urge them to self-isolate and return to work only after testing negative, but this will no longer be a legal requirement as ministers transfer the burden of proof to personal discretion and responsibility.

In addition, as with other diseases, blanket lockdown regulations would be replaced with a need that local governments handle outbreaks through planning and pre-existing public health authority. Despite the loosening of domestic limitations, travel tests and red tape will continue.

Unvaccinated tourists must still undergo a pre-departure test and pay for a PCR test on or before the second day of their arrival in the UK. To the disappointment of many in the travel industry and Tory MPs who have fought for "frictionless" travel, all travelers - jabbed and unjabbed - will have to continue to fill out the passenger locator form to enter the UK.

Except on the London Underground and other forms of public transportation in the capital, face masks are no longer required. Wearing them in stores is not required by law. Instead, firms and people will be free to choose their own strategy, which implies that businesses, theaters, and stores may still insist that their staff and customers wear them.

To check for the virus, students were previously encouraged to take two lateral flow swabs every week. Delivery of the kits from NHS Test and Trace and the UK Health Security Agency were halted last week, as per Daily Mail.

The termination was only discovered by education leaders on Wednesday. As of yesterday, universities are no longer permitted to distribute their stocks on campus. Officials said the 'living with Covid' plan announced tomorrow would maintain resilience against new versions with continuing surveillance capabilities, according to officials.

It comes after top statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter suggested that the COVID-19 research conducted by the Office for National Statistics should be preserved in some form. The Cambridge University professor, who is also head of the advisory board for the COVID-19 Infection Survey and a non-executive director for the ONS, said that the data were crucial for monitoring people's behavior.

Related Article: Bill Gates Warns About New Pandemic Amid Weakening of COVID-19: "It Will Be a Different Pathogen"

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But in France, people can pick up tests at a third of the price, for as little as 1

People who keep testing face spending 20 for a box of seven  3 per test

As part of 'living with Covid', 'free' lateral flow tests will be scrapped from April 1

Britons will face paying 3 per lateral flow test from April, despite French supermarkets offering them for three-times cheaper.

As part of his 'living with Covid' blueprint, the Prime Minister announced he will scrap 'free' lateral flow tests within weeks.

Britons can currently pick up the tests in pharmacies or order them through the Government's website at no cost. But the scheme costs No10 2billion per month.

People who opt to keep testing face spending 20 for a box of seven  around 3 per test, MailOnline understands.

But in France, people can pick up tests at a third of the price, for as little as 1, while in Germany they can cost just 1.80 and Spain's Government has capped them at roughly 2.45.

However, the tests - which experts say can cost just pennies to make - are not as cheap everywhere, with Americans paying $10 (7.35).

As part of his 'living with Covid' blueprint, the Prime Minister announced he will scrap 'free' lateral flow tests within weeks.

In France, people can pick up tests at a third of the UK price (around 3), for as little as 1, while in Germany they can cost just 1.80 and Spain's Government has capped them at roughly 2.45. However, the tests - which experts say can cost just pennies to make - are not as cheap everywhere, with Americans paying $10 (7.35)

The Government said testing has been a 'crucial' part of its Covid response and more than 2billion kits have been dished out since 2020.

But lateral flow and PCR tests will no longer be available to the general public for free. However, at-risk groups and social care staff will be able to take a test for free if they have symptoms.

No10 said with the less severe Omicron being dominant and high levels of immunity across the country, 'the value for taxpayers' money is now less clear'.

Lateral flow tests are being rationed ALREADY The Government has started secretly rationing free coronavirus home testing kits amid fears of a rush ahead of them being phased out. The online portal to apply for seven lateral flow tests was quietly changed this morning to restrict how many could be ordered. Previously people worrying they had Covid were able to put an order in every 24 hours for a set. But now the Government portal says they can only be ordered once every three days. There were no announcements about this change but it comes ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's expected announcement that all restrictions will be lifted. Mathematical biologist Dr Kit Yates wrote online: 'It's started. You used to be able to order a pack of lateral flow tests every 24 hours. That has now gone up to every 72 hours.' Advertisement

Britons can currently buy the tests for 12.99 at some retailers.

But in France, the tests are easily accessible for 3 (2.50), but can be bought for as little as 1.24 (1) at retailer E.Leclerc.

People in Germany can pay just 2.20 (1.80) per test at Lidl when buying a multipack of five tests, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Meanwhile, the Spanish Government brought in a price cap of 2.94 (2.45) per test.

The European countries also offer free tests.

The exact cost of making the test varies, but some researchers say it is just five pence. But Mologic, one of the largest British testmakers, said the tests can cost $2 (1.47) to make.

Dr Alexander Edwards, an associate professor in biomedical technology at Reading University, told MailOnline: 'Lateral flow tests are really cheap to manufacture, what costs is making high quality tests, and following all the regulatory requirements.

'So there is no reason why tests should cost more in UK than elsewhere in Europe, but tests can vary in quality, so its possible that the really cheap products are less reliable.

'Remember also that the UK hasnt been an attractive market for suppliers because the free government tests make it unpredictable if or when you can ever sell any here.

'So it may take a while for things to even out. As practical advice, Id suggest to people there really is no need to test all the time- save tests for when they are really important.'

Professor Lawrence Young, a microbiologist from the University of Warwick, told MailOnline removing access to free tests 'will mean that we wont know who is infected and how the virus is spreading'.

He added: 'For those on low incomes who may be less inclined to test because of difficulties with being supported to self-isolate, this will mean ignoring symptoms with the inevitable consequence of spreading infection  including to those who are more vulnerable.'

Ministers have never confirmed the exact details of their deals to buy lateral flow tests from manufacturers such as Innova.

But last winter it was revealed that No10 had paid around 800million in return for roughly 380million swabs from the California-based firm.

That suggests the Government was paying in the region of 2.10 per test but slightly more expensive estimates have also been touted.

It comes as the UK's online portal to apply for seven lateral flow tests was quietly changed this morning to restrict how many could be ordered.

Previously people worrying they had Covid were able to put an order in every 24 hours for a set.

But now the Government portal says they can only be ordered once every three days.

There were no announcements about this change but it was implemented ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's expected announcement that all restrictions will be lifted.
Australian workers have the luxury of putting their tools down and heading home the second it starts raining or if temperatures plunge to 1C.

RELATED STORY: Sydney is smashed by a months' worth of rain in just two hours as streets turn into rivers, cars are washed away and city's biggest river breaks its banks - and there could be even WORSE to come

Most of the country looks set to experience more wet and cool conditions this week as two powerful cold fronts bring torrential rain and wintry weather across the country.

And as bad weather can put lives at risk, those who work outdoors can stop working if work sites begin to get lashed by wild winter conditions.

Australia's national workplace relations tribunal states that workers are entitled to go home if rain or abnormal (hail, extreme cold, high wind) weather conditions make it 'unreasonable or unsafe' to continue working.

Under the 2010 Building and Construction award, workers can claim up to 32 hours pay in a four-week period due to work being cancelled for wet weather.

Australian tradesman have the luxury of putting their tools down and heading home if the wet weather looks set to stay

As bad weather can put lives at risk, those who work outdoors can stop working if work sites begin to get lashed by wild winter conditions

What are the rules when it rains? Workers are not required to start or continue to work out in the rain. If it rains at/before starting time and there are no covered walkways from the amenities to the workplace, workers do not have to go to work unless the rain stops or a covered walkway is provided. If there is other work available within your classification and in a dry safe area, your employer can transfer you to work on another area of the site or to another work site. If a concrete pour has already commenced, the pour can continue until finished but all affected workers must be provided with wet weather gear and paid at the rate of double time. Source: Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union Advertisement

Safe Work Australia states employers must postpone outside work and provide access to shelter when it starts raining or the weather takes a turn.

But bosses are entitled to send tradesmen to do work in other areas of the site or to another work site if it's protected from the rain - rather than sending them home.

Workers pouring concrete are entitled to double pay when finishing a job in the rain, according to the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union.

Specific workplace health and safety regulations vary from state to state, and it is usually up to individuals to decide when it is time to pack it in.

For self-employed workers and tradesmen with deadlines, the option of going home when it starts raining isn't always a reality.

Sydneysiders have already been hammered with wet conditions this week, with more than 33mm of rainfall on Monday.

More showers are expected over the next few days before it slowly starts to clear towards the end of the week.

If the mercury plummets between 4C and 1C, tradesman are entitled to half-hour breaks every hour, according to the OHS guidelines

Most of the country looks set to experience more wet and frigid conditions this week as two powerful cold fronts bring torrential rain and icy weather across the country

Working in cold: Health and safety recommendations for employers Outside work in cold weather to be sheltered, screened and warmed with hot air blowers if possible. If the environment cannot be effectively controlled, implementation of an appropriate work/rest regime: for example, paid rest breaks of ten minutes per hour for temperatures between 9C and 7C, 20 minutes per hour for temperatures between 7 and 4C, and thirty minutes per hour for temperatures between 4C and 1C. (An air temperature of 1C should be regarded as the minimum acceptable for normal work. When the temperature reaches this point, workers should be stood by on full pay.) Workers needing to do work in intentionally cold environments below 1C - freezers for example - must be provided with appropriate protective clothing and the time they work in such environments must be kept to a minimum. Heated rest rooms or shelters should be provided so those workers may obtain temporary relief from the cold. Provision of hot drinks. Protection of the extremities through the use of appropriate protective clothing, including gloves, insulated or vapour barrier boots, and face masks as necessary. Provision of hot air jets, radiant heaters and appropriate types of gloves and mittens to keep the hands warm and maintain manual dexterity. Insulation or substitution of metal handles and control bars to reduce conductive heat loss. Source: Occupational Health and Safety Advertisement

And it's not just a bit of rain that can result in tradies heading home.

If the mercury plummets between 4C and 1C, tradesman are entitled to half-hour breaks every hour, according to the OHS guidelines.

They can take 20-minute breaks between 7C and 4C and ten minutes between 9C and 7C.

Meanwhile, Sydney is forecast to receive 50mm to 100mm of rain in the next week with most of the rainfall from daily afternoon thunderstorms.

Much of the wet weather will be focused on central Queensland and the northern and inland parts of NSW - the Hunter region and Sydney basin included.

Temperature-wise Sydney will see the mercury reach stay under 30C this week.

Melbourne will be slightly warmer on Wednesday reaching a maximum of 32C but will cool down by Friday reaching 25C.

Humid weather and showers are also forecast for the Victorian capital each day this week.

Brisbane can expect showers and similar temperatures in the high 20s.

Over on the west coast, Perth will continue its run of hot, sunny weather sweltering through temperatures in the mid to high 30s all week.

Adelaide should also get sunny weather but will be slightly cooler with the mercury hovering around maximums of 30C.
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New videos show the Russian army's so-called 'peacekeeping' force on the ground inside Ukraine, as the United States was trying to convince European allies to follow their lead and impose tough sanctions.

Military vehicles were seen after night fell on Monday in Makiivka, in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), recognized hours earlier as an independent state by Vladimir Putin.

Other footage showed armored vehicles at other locations in the DPR and neighboring Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), also recognized by the Kremlin.

No insignia were visible on the vehicles, but there is little doubt they are Russian forces deployed on Putin's orders.

At the same time, Ukraine said heavy shelling broke out along nearly all 250 miles of its frontline with the breakaway provinces, leaving two of its soldiers dead and 12 injured in a major escalation in violence.

Videos showed pro-Russian separatists lighting celebratory fireworks and waving Russian flags in Donetsk city following Putin's announcement of recognition.

The celebrations came as President Joe Biden issued an executive order banning US investment or trade with the two regions, but stopped far short of the 'swift and decisive' response that had been threatened.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sanctions were designed to prevent Russia 'profiting off of this blatant violation of international law,' before tweeting: 'Russia's move to recognize the 'independence' of so-called republics controlled by its own proxies is a predictable, shameful act.

'We condemn them in the strongest possible terms and #StandWithUkraine, as I told Foreign Minister tonight.'

White House spokesman Jen Psaki promised more sanctions will follow later today, while the State Department ordered its remaining staff to leave Ukraine for the safety of Poland.

Biden was on Monday night trying to get European allies to follow him in imposing sanctions.

'Clearly, the White House is talking to the Europeans,' said Bill Taylor, former US ambassador to Ukraine, on CNN - suggesting the administration is holding off on tougher sanctions on Russia for the moment in order to get European partners on board.

A senior US official earlier declined to characterize whether Putin's order for Russian armed forces to conduct 'peacekeeping' there counted as an actual invasion, which would trigger much wider and more severe Western sanctions against Moscow.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that 'the first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia' will be revealed today after Putin 'completely tore up international law.'

After chairing an early morning emergency meeting of top ministers, Johnson told reporters: 'This is I should stress just the first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia because we expect I'm afraid that there is more Russian irrational behavior to come.

'I'm afraid all the evidence is that President Putin is indeed bent on a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the overrunning, the subjugation of an independent, sovereign European country and I think, let's be absolutely clear, that will be absolutely catastrophic.'

Johnson said that Putin continues down on the path to 'encircling Kyiv itself, which is what he seems to be proposing to do, capturing the Ukrainian capital' then it is vital his efforts 'should not succeed and that Putin should fail'.

It comes as UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid declared that Russia 'invaded' Ukraine.

'We are waking up to a very dark day in Europe,' Javid said early this morning on Sky News. 'We have seen that [Putin] has recognized breakaway eastern regions in Ukraine and from the reports we can already tell that he has sent in tanks and troops. From that you can conclude that the invasion of Ukraine has begun.'

European Union foreign ministers are also set to meet today to decide what sanctions to impose, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

'Clearly, the response will be in the form of sanctions,' he declared, but added that the aim is not to impose the whole range of sanctions that the EU has prepared should Russia invade Ukraine, but rather to address the recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent.

Asked whether Russia's decision to send 'peacekeepers' in already amounts to an invasion, Borrell said, 'I wouldn't say that's a fully fledged invasion, but Russian troops are on Ukrainian soil.'

The bloc has repeatedly said it is ready to impose 'massive consequences' on Russia's economy if Moscow invades Ukraine but has also cautioned that, given the EU's close energy and trade ties to Russia, it wants to ratchet up sanctions.

An EU official said the bloc's 27 ambassadors would discuss a wider package of sanctions this afternoon, but warned there would be difficulty in agreeing on an approach.

'There's a whole escalation ladder, starting with Russian individuals and moving up to finance, trade, and eventually energy. So, technically, a lot is possible,' the official told Reuters.

'The problem politically is how to craft sanctions that all can agree to.'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also refused to recognize an 'invasion' in a 2am address to the nation, instead speaking of a 'violation of sovereignty' before adding: 'We are not afraid of anyone or anything. We don't owe anyone anything. And we won't give anything to anyone.'

Zelensky has also demanded an immediate halt to the Nord Stream 2 project to pipe Russian natural gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The President called on Europe to introduce 'immediate sanctions' that include 'the complete stop of Nord Stream 2'.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appeared to oblige his request, announcing this morning that he was suspending the pipeline project and had asked the German regulator for the pipeline to halt the review process.

'There can be no certification of the pipeline and without this certification, Nord Stream 2 cannot begin operating,' he said.

Nord Stream 2 has long been a point of contention between Ukraine and Germany, with Ukrainian authorities pointing out that Germany cannot effectively impose sanctions on Russia while simultaneously securing a dedicated pipeline for Russian gas.

Scholz's declaration that the project has been halted suggests that Germany is now willing to join Western allies in imposing strong sanctions.

In other major developments...

Reports from US intelligence has suggested that Russia has a 'kill list' of Ukrainians to target if they invade and an attack could form two weeks of 'terror', with constant rocket attacks and street fighting

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Putin's call to recognize the independence of the breakaway regions was a 'very ill omen and a very dark sign'

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg also condemned Putin, accusing Russia of 'trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine yet again'

Fresh explosions were heard in Ukraine's eastern regions with separatist leaders claiming a Ukrainian citizen was killed and that Kiev's troops had crossed the border in armored vehicles

Russia claimed that a Ukrainian shell hit its territory in the Rostov-on-Don region, destroying an unoccupied guard post

Kiev has strongly denied shelling separatist or Russian positions Pro-Russian separatists said 60,000 people have now been evacuated from rebel-held areas to Russia

Air France announced it is halting all flights to and from Kiev, following similar move by Germany's Lufthansa

A tank is seen on Monday night driving through Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine

A military truck drives along a street in Donetsk after Putin ordered the deployment of Russian troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine

Military vehicles are seen on the move on Monday night in Donetsk

A tank drives along a street in Donetsk on Monday night

Russian troops are seen entering Donetsk in the early hours of Tuesday morning, after Vladimir Putin said he was sending in 'peacekeepers'

Joe Biden on Monday signed an executive order prohibiting trade and investment between US businesses and citizens and two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine

Putin gave a televised address on Monday and explained he would sign a decree recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel regions in Eastern Ukraine as independent 'republics'

Waving Russian flags, people celebrated the latest announcement in the streets in Donetsk, Ukraine on Monday, February 21

Prime Minister Boris Johnson stopped short of declaring that Putin had ordered an invasion, but said that 'the first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia' will be revealed today after Putin 'completely tore up international law.' After chairing an early morning emergency meeting of top ministers, Johnson told reporters: 'This is I should stress just the first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia because we expect I'm afraid that there is more Russian irrational behavior to come'

President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the nation on a live TV broadcast in Kievat 2am this morning in which he declared: 'We are not afraid of anyone or anything. We don't owe anyone anything. And we won't give anything to anyone.'

What did Vladimir Putin say in his speech? ON DONBASS 'Those who embarked on the path of violence, bloodshed, lawlessness did not recognize and do not recognize any other solution to the Donbass issue, except for the military one. In this regard, I consider it necessary to take a long overdue decision to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic. I ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision, and then to ratify the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with individual republics. These two documents will be prepared and signed in the very near future. And from those who seized and hold power in Kyiv, we demand an immediate cessation of hostilities. 'Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine. Announcing the decisions taken today, I am confident in the support of the citizens of Russia. Of all the patriotic forces of the country.' ON UKRAINE MEMBERSHIP OF NATO 'If Ukraine was to join NATO it would serve as a direct threat to the security of Russia.' ON ORIGINS OF MODERN UKRAINE 'Modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia, more precisely, Bolshevik, communist Russia. This process began immediately after the revolution of 1917... 'As a result of Bolshevik policy, Soviet Ukraine arose, which even today can with good reason be called 'Vladimir Ilyich Lenin's Ukraine'. He is its author and architect. This is fully confirmed by archive documents... And now grateful descendants have demolished monuments to Lenin in Ukraine. This is what they call decommunization. Do you want decommunization? Well, that suits us just fine. But it is unnecessary, as they say, to stop halfway. We are ready to show you what real decommunization means for Ukraine.' ON UKRAINIAN STATEHOOD 'Ukraine never had a tradition of genuine statehood.' ON BREAK-UP OF USSR 'Russia assumed obligations to repay the entire Soviet debt in return for the newly independent states giving up part of their foreign assets. In 1994, such agreements were reached with Ukraine, but they were not ratified by Ukraine... '(Ukraine) preferred to act in such a way that in relations with Russia they had all the rights and advantages, but did not bear any obligations... 'From the very first steps they began to build their statehood on the denial of everything that unites us. They tried to distort the consciousness, the historical memory of millions of people, entire generations living in Ukraine.' ON NATO'S 2008 MEMBERSHIP PROMISE TO UKRAINE AND GEORGIA 'Many European allies of the United States already perfectly understood all the risks of such a prospect, but were forced to come to terms with the will of their senior partner. The Americans simply used them to carry out a pronounced anti-Russian policy. A number of member states of the alliance are still very skeptical about the appearance of Ukraine in NATO. 'At the same time, we are receiving a signal from some European capitals, saying what are you worried about, this will not happen literally tomorrow. Yes, in fact, our American partners are also talking about this. Well, we answer, if not tomorrow, so the day after tomorrow. What does this change in a historical perspective? Basically, nothing. Moreover, we know the position and words of the US leadership that active hostilities in eastern Ukraine do not exclude the possibility of this country joining NATO if it can meet the criteria of the North Atlantic alliance and defeat corruption. At the same time, they try to convince us over and over again that NATO is a peace-loving and purely defensive alliance, saying that there are no threats to Russia. Again they propose that we take them at their word. But we know the real value of such words.' ON THREATS TO RUSSIA 'We clearly understand that under such a scenario, the level of military threats to Russia will dramatically increase many times over. I pay special attention to the fact that the danger of a sudden strike against our country will increase many times over. Let me explain that US strategic planning documents contain the possibility of a so-called preemptive strike against enemy missile systems. And who is the main enemy for the US and NATO? We know that too. It's Russia. In NATO documents, our country is officially and directly declared the main threat to North Atlantic security. And Ukraine will serve as a forward springboard for the strike. If our ancestors had heard about it, they probably would simply not have believed it. And today we don't want to believe it, but it's true.' ON SANCTIONS 'They are trying to blackmail us again. They are threatening us again with sanctions, which, by the way, I think they will introduce anyway as Russia's sovereignty strengthens and the power of our armed forces grows. And a pretext for another sanctions attack will always be found or fabricated. Regardless of the situation in Ukraine. There is only one goal - to restrain the development of Russia. And they will do it, as they did before. Even without any formal pretext at all. Just because we exist, and we will never compromise our sovereignty, national interests and our values. I want to say clearly and directly that in the current situation, when our proposals for an equal dialogue on fundamental issues have actually remained unanswered by the United States and NATO, when the level of threats to our country is increasing significantly, Russia has every right to take retaliatory measures to ensure its own security. That is exactly what we will do.' Advertisement

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting in New York at 9pm on Monday evening - chaired by Russia, which is currently president of the Security Council.

'President Putin is testing our international system' and 'seeing how far he can push us all,' said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the U.N.

The flurry of diplomatic activity came after Putin signed decrees declaring the so-called DPR and LPR as sovereign states.

He justified his decision in a history-laden, grievance-ridden, pre-recorded speech that blamed NATO for the current crisis and railed against the way the West had triggered collapse of the Soviet Union.

'I consider it necessary to take a long-overdue decision: To immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic,' he said.

He said America was 'pumping' in weapons to Ukraine and said accused Kiev of creating 'weapons of mass destruction'.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said Putin's move puts 'Kafka & Orwell to shame'.

She added: 'What we witnessed tonight might seem surreal for democratic world. But the way we respond will define us for the generations to come.'

A senior Biden administration official said the speech was not just about Russia's security. It was a speech that laid out a greater plan.

'He made clear that he views Ukraine historically as part of Russia,' he told reporters.

'And he made a number of false claims about Ukraine's intention that seems designed to excuse possible military action. This was a speech to the Russian people to justify war.'

The official said more sanctions will follow today.

The increased level of threat led the State Department to temporarily move its remaining diplomats out of Ukraine to Poland, Bloomberg reported.

They are expected to return later this week if an invasion is not launched.

Biden spent 35 minutes on a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, promising a 'swift and decisive' response.

He also spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as the Western allies coordinated their response.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said more measures will be taken if Russia further invades Ukraine.

'We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps and on Russia's ongoing escalation along the border with Ukraine,' she wrote.

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace this morning said: 'It's incredibly serious what's happening in Ukraine.

'Many of us were forewarning that President Putin already had an agenda - you heard that agenda in his speech last night.

'This is a sovereign state which has now had some of its land effectively annexed from it.

'This is a sovereign state, a democratic state in Europe. All of us in Europe should worry and not hesitate to take whatever action we need to to deter President Putin from undermining both Nato, but also Europe and, more importantly, our values.'

Putin's recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel regions' independence paves the way for the long-feared Russian invasion and effectively shatters the Minsk peace agreements.

It also opens the door for Russia to sign treaties with the 'states' and openly send troops and weapons there to defend them against Ukrainian 'threats'.

US intelligence has warned for weeks that this would be the way Putin would go about trying to disguise his invasion of Ukraine.

'We have anticipated a move like this from Russia and are ready to respond immediately,' Psaki wrote in her Monday statement following Putin's remarks.

Elsewhere, leaders in Asia have voiced support for Ukraine's sovereignty and condemned the movement of tanks and troops into the breakaway provinces.

'Ukraine's sovereignty and territory must be respected,' South Korean President Moon Jae-in said this morning.

'A military clash against the wishes of the international community... would bring huge ramifications in the politics and economies of not only Europe, but to the whole world.'.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said diplomats were trying to persuade 63 of its nationals who currently remain in Ukraine to leave.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meanwhile criticized Russia for violating Ukrainian territorial integrity and said his country would discuss possible 'severe actions,' including sanctions, with the international community.

Putin's 'actions are unacceptable, and we express our strong condemnation,' Kishida told reporters today.

'Japan is watching the development with grave concern.'

Japan has a separate territorial dispute with Moscow over four Russian-controlled northern islands taken at the end of World War II. The standoff has prevented the signing of a peace treaty between the two sides.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said there was no basis under international law for Putin to recognize the Ukrainian separatist regions.

'We are concerned that this is a calculated act by President Putin to create a pretext for invasion, which would be a clear act of aggression. We again call for urgent diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution,' Mahuta said in a statement.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Russia should 'unconditionally withdraw' from Ukrainian territory and stop threatening its neighbors. Morrison said Russia's actions were 'unacceptable; it's unprovoked, it's unwarranted.'

'It is important that like-minded countries who denounce this sort of behavior do stick together, and I can assure you that the moment that other countries put in place strong and severe sanctions on Russia, we will be in lockstep with them and we will be moving just as quickly,' he said.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, is pictured on Monday night at an emergency session of the Security Council

US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield (C, bottom) speaks during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the Ukraine crisis, in New York, February 21, 2022

Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine celebrated on Monday evening as fireworks went off following Russian President Vladimir Putin signing a decree recognizing two Eastern Ukrainian regions as 'independent republics'

Putin's recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel regions' independence paves the way for the long-feared Russian invasion. Pro-Russian residents in Donetsk celebrated independence with a fireworks show on Monday

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also spoke with Zelensky, promising to pursue a diplomatic solution until the last possible second.

'The Prime Minister told President Zelensky that he believed an invasion was a real possibility in the coming hours and days,' Johnson's office said in a statement afterwards.

Hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough increased a day earlier when the White House said Biden had agreed in principle to a summit with Putin.

That hope all but evaporated after the Russian president's speech.

'Our strong sense, based on everything that we are seeing on the ground in the areas around the Ukraine to the north, to the east, to the south, is that Russia is continuing to prepare for military action that could take place in the coming hours or days,' said the official, adding that administration could not commit to a meeting when invasion now seemed imminent.

A bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers pledged on Monday to 'work toward whatever emergency supplemental legislation will best support our NATO allies and the people of Ukraine.'

'No matter what happens in the coming days, we must assure that the dictator Putin and his corrupt oligarchs pay a devastating price for their decisions,' they wrote.

Zelensky said he discussed with Biden on Monday afternoon 'the events of the last hours'.

'We begin the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council,' he posted, adding: 'A conversation with [UK Prime Minister] Boris Johnson is also planned.'

The White House confirmed that Biden shared a 35-minute-long call with Zelensky but did not give details of the discussion.

Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Mark Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were all spotted arriving at the White House West Wing on Monday morning.

'President Biden is meeting with his national security team at the White House today and is being regularly briefed on developments regarding Russia and Ukraine,' a White House official confirmed.

The site of a car explosion outside a building of the representative office of the Lugansk People's Republic in the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) on ceasefire

An armed man stands beside the site of the blast after Putin declared the breakaway region of Luhansk 'independent'

American soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division start a fire in Poland, near the Ukrainian border, after they were deployed to back up NATO allies

Artillery is seen in the foreground to American armored vehicles in a camp in Przemysl, Poland, 3.7 miles from the Ukrainian border during the standoff with Putin

Members of the 82nd Airborne Division, deployed to Poland, walks past a fleet of their vehicles in Eastern Europe

The White House announced Monday President Joe Biden will sign an Executive Order issuing economic sanctions on the two regions Russia just declared it recognizes as independent 'republics' in Eastern Ukraine

Servicemen attend joint exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus

The White House is warning of a high scale of 'brutality' and 'extreme violence' Russians will have on Ukrainians  civilian and military  if they invade. Here US troops load equipment onto vehicles in Rzeszow, Poland on Saturday, February 19

President Joe Biden deployed a few thousand troops from the 82nd and 18th Airborne Corps to assist in Eastern Europe

US troops load equipment onto vehicles in Poland on Saturday

How Putin's recognition of breakaway republics has 'dangerous parallels' to Nazi Germany's actions before WWII Vladimir Putin's decision to recognise two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine has 'dangerous parallels' to Nazi Germany's actions prior to the Second World War, the Commons has heard. Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash (Stone) said: 'This evening Mr Putin has recognised the two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent states with dangerous parallels to Germany's recognition of the Sudetenland in 1938.' In the run-up to the Second World War, the Sudetenland, in which three million Germans lived, was part of what was then Czechoslovakia. In the famous Munich Agreement of 1938 the region was ceded to Adolf Hitler in the hope that the concession would be enough to avoid Europe-wide armed conflict after months of tensions caused by Germany's territorial ambitions. Vladimir Putin's decision to recognise two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine has 'dangerous parallels' to Nazi Germany's actions prior to the Second World War, the Commons has heard Hitler had been planning an invasion of the territory prior to the signing of the agreement. Britain's then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who was the main driver of the agreement, famously told the British public after it was signed that he believed it was 'peace in our time'. Hitler, who had already absorbed Austria into Germany in March 1938, rode roughshod over the deal the following year by annexing all of Czechoslovakia in March and invading Poland on September 1. It was that last act of aggression which was the final straw even for the peace-loving Chamberlain, who declared war on Germany on September 3. France followed soon after, sparking a conflict that finally ended with Germany's defeat in May 1945. In the famous Munich Agreement of 1938 the region was ceded to Adolf Hitler in the hope that the concession would be enough to avoid Europe-wide armed conflict after months of tensions caused by Germany 's territorial ambitions. Above: Hitler (right) with the then British PM Neville Chamberlain (centre) Advertisement

Biden also convened with his National Security Council on Sunday to discuss the latest developments in Eastern Europe as the west was still hoping for a diplomatic path forward at that point.

Putin assembled his inner circle on Monday as his top aides continue to advise him not to meet with Biden.

'We've been negotiating for eight years,' Putin said during the meeting, adding: 'We've reached a dead end.'

The move fuels further tension with the West and narrows the diplomatic options available to avoid war, since it is an explicit rejection of a seven-year ceasefire mediated by France and Germany, still touted as the framework for any future negotiations on the wider crisis.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned in a statement last week that if Russia did take the very action that it did on Monday, it would 'necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our Allies and partners.'

He said it would further undermine the sovereignty of Ukraine, which was formerly a Soviet Bloc nation.

Biden met with his national security team Monday to discuss the situation, having been rebuffed earlier in the day over a summit with Putin.

France claimed to have brokered a meeting between the two leaders next week, which the White House agreed to 'in principle', before the Kremlin said talks were 'premature' and no 'concrete' plans had been made.

It is the second time that French President Emmanuel Macron, who has tried to position himself as Europe's top security negotiator, has been embarrassed by Moscow - given guarantees which were revoked when he made them public.

Two weeks ago, Macron claimed Putin had agreed to stop military drills on Ukraine's border, which Russia immediately denied.

The Kremlin said that upon hearing that Putin will sign the order to recognize the independence of eastern Ukraine's separatist republics, Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had 'expressed disappointment' over the decision in phone calls with the Russian President.

Earlier on Monday, Putin vowed to decide 'today' whether to recognize Ukraine's eastern regions as independent states during remark at the close of an hours-long security council meeting that was broadcast on Russian TV.

During that meeting, the Kremlin's top security officials were called up one by one and asked to lay out the case for war - seemingly aimed at persuading a skeptical public of the need to attack.

Having spent days staging what are widely believed to be false flag attacks on Ukrainian soil and blaming them on Kyiv, ministers presented the 'evidence' to Putin today claiming Russians in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions are under threat of 'genocide', that no peace deal can save them and that he must intervene to save lives.

But in evidence that the entire spectacle was being staged - with the West warning a decision to invade has already been made - eagle-eyed viewers noticed that defense minister Sergei Shoigu's watch was five hours behind Moscow time, suggesting the hearing was pre-recorded.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Dymtro Kuleba, said following the Russian council meeting that 'the entire world' will watch what Putin does next and claimed 'everyone realizes the consequences' of Russia recognizing breakaway regions.

'We all should calmly focus on de-escalation efforts, [there is] no other way,' he tweeted.

The US has warned the United Nation's Security Council that Moscow has prepared a list of targets for assassination and imprisonment in detention camps.

And now NBC News is reporting that two people familiar with discussions have detailed Biden administration officials discussions with the Ukrainian government for President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave Kyiv in the event of a Russian invasion.

Two Ukrainian soldiers died on Monday and three were wounded in a shelling attack in Zaitseve, a village 18 miles north of the rebel stronghold Donetsk, Ukraine's national police said.

Germany's Scholz, who had a phone call with Putin Monday, warned him that recognizing the eastern regions would be a 'one-sided' breach of peace negotiations and that he has a 'responsibility' to deescalate tensions by removing troops from the border.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Russia plans to 'crush' Ukraine should it decide to go forward with a full-scale invasion.

'We believe that any military operation of the size, scope and magnitude of what we believe the Russians are planning will be extremely violent,' Sullivan told NBC News' Today show on Monday morning.

'It will cost the lives of Ukrainians and Russians, civilians and military personnel alike.

'But we also have intelligence to suggest that there will be an even greater form of brutality, because this will not simply be some conventional war between two armies,' he continued.

'It will be a war waged by Russia on the Ukrainian people to repress them, to crush them, to harm them. And that is what we laid out in detail for the U.N. because we believe that the world must mobilize to counter this kind of Russian aggression should those tanks roll across the border as we anticipate they very well may do in the coming hours or days.'

There are now thought to be 190,000 Russian troops on the border of Ukraine comprising around three quarters of its conventional forces backed by 500 fighter jets, 50 heavy bombers, and dozens of attack helicopters.

Sullivan told Good Morning America earlier on Monday that Moscow is moving forward with plans to invade after snubbing Biden's offer for a summit on the caveat that Russia stands down.

'We never give up hope on diplomacy until the missiles fly or the tanks roll,' he said. 'But we have been working hard for months with our allies and partners to get Russia to sit down in a serious way at the table  even as recently as yesterday, the president has indicated his readiness to do that. Russia has not shown the same willingness on their side.'

'The likelihood that there's a diplomatic solution, given the movements  the troop movements of the Russians, is diminishing hour by hour,' Sullivan added.

'Unfortunately, we have called out at every stage of this what the Russians were going to do and they're doing it.'

Putin convened a meeting with his top security officials Monday where he called them up one by one to lay out the case for recognizing eastern Ukrainian regions as independent republics  seemingly aimed at persuading a skeptical public of the need to attack

US intelligence has long warned that Russia would invade Ukraine by saying it needs to protect the interests of separatist ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers in the country. A handout image shows Russian cruiser Moskva conducting an artillery battle and destroying a mock enemy submarine in the Black Sea near Sevastopol, Crimea on February 18, 2022

Why Putin has the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk how they became separatist (SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS) Amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, tensions have spiked in the country's east, where Ukrainian forces are locked in a long conflict with Russia-backed separatists. More than 14,000 people have been killed in nearly eight years of fighting, and a sharp increase in skirmishes in recent days have raising concerns that Moscow could use the situation as a pretext for an incursion. President Vladimir Putin said Monday he was mulling the recognition of the rebel regions independence, a move that would further ratchet up tensions with the West. Here is a look at the rebel-controlled territories in eastern Ukraine: SEPARATIST REBELLION IN THE EAST When Ukraine's Moscow-friendly president was driven from office by mass protests in February 2014, Russia responded by annexing Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. It then threw its weight behind an insurgency in the mostly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine region known as Donbas. In April 2014, Russia-backed rebels seized government buildings in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, proclaimed the creation of 'people's republics' and battled Ukrainian troops and volunteer battalions. The following month, the separatist regions held a popular vote to declare independence and make a bid to become part of Russia. Moscow hasn't accepted the motion, just used the regions as a tool to keep Ukraine in its orbit and prevent it from joining NATO. Ukraine and the West accused Russia of backing the rebels with troops and weapons. Moscow denied that, saying any Russians who fought there were volunteers. Amid ferocious battles involving tanks, heavy artillery and warplanes, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people aboard. An international probe concluded that the passenger jet was downed by a Russia-supplied missile from the rebel-controlled territory in Ukraine. Moscow still denied any involvement. The following month, the separatist regions held a popular vote to declare independence and make a bid to become part of Russia. Moscow hasn't accepted the motion, just used the regions as a tool to keep Ukraine in its orbit and prevent it from joining NATO. Ukraine and the West accused Russia of backing the rebels with troops and weapons. Moscow denied that, saying any Russians who fought there were volunteers. PEACE AGREEMENTS FOR EASTERN UKRAINE After a massive defeat of Ukrainian troops in August 2014, envoys from Kyiv, the rebels and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe signed a truce in the Belarusian capital of Minsk in September 2014. The document envisaged an OSCE-observed cease-fire, a pullback of all foreign fighters, an exchange of prisoners and hostages, an amnesty for the rebels and a promise that separatist regions could have a degree of self-rule. The deal quickly collapsed and large-scale fighting resumed, leading to another major defeat for Ukrainian forces at Debaltseve in January-February of 2015. France and Germany brokered another peace agreement, which was signed in Minsk in February 2015 by representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the rebels. It envisaged a new cease-fire, a pullback of heavy weapons and a series of moves toward a political settlement. A declaration backing the deal was signed by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany. A FROZEN CONFLICT IN UKRAINE The 2015 peace deal was a major diplomatic coup for the Kremlin, obliging Ukraine to grant special status to the separatist regions, allowing them to create their own police force and have a say in appointing local prosecutors and judges. It also envisaged that Ukraine could only regain control over the roughly 200-kilometer (125-mile) border with Russia in rebel regions after they get self-rule and hold OSCE-monitored local elections - balloting that would almost certainly keep pro-Moscow rebels in power there. Many Ukrainians see it as a betrayal of national interests and its implementation has stalled. The Minsk document helped end full-scale fighting, but the situation has remained tense and regular skirmishes have continued. With the Minsk deal stalled, Moscow's hope to use rebel regions to directly influence Ukraine's politics has failed but the frozen conflict has drained Kyiv's resources and effectively stymied its goal of joining NATO - which is enshrined in the Ukrainian constitution. Moscow also has worked to secure its hold on the rebel regions by handing out more than 720,000 Russian passports to roughly one-fifth of their population of about 3.6 million. It has provided economic and financial assistance to the separatist territories, but the aid has been insufficient to alleviate the massive damage from fighting and shore up the economy. The Donbas region accounted for about 16% of Ukraine's GDP before the conflict. EFFORTS TO REVIVE PEACE DEAL Amid soaring tensions over the Russian troop concentration near Ukraine, France and Germany embarked on renewed efforts to encourage compliance with the 2015 deal, in hopes that it could help defuse the current standoff. Facing calls from Berlin and Paris for its implementation, Ukrainian officials have strengthened their criticism of the Minsk deal and warned that it could lead to the country's demise. Two rounds of talks in Paris and Berlin between presidential envoys from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany have yielded no progress. The lower house of the Russian parliament, meanwhile, urged Putin last week to recognize the independence of Ukraine's rebel regions. Advertisement
Two of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick's luxury cars have been auctioned off for $361,250 as liquidators try to recoup the $30million the fraudster swindled from investors.

Caddick's parents and hairdresser husband Anthony Koletti were given formal notice late last year that her exotic cars, luxury properties and jewellery would be sold to repay her victims, many of whom were friends and relatives.

The fraudster vanished on November 12, 2020 from her Dover Heights home in Sydney's east after the financial watchdog discovered she had been operating a Ponzi scheme.

She is likely dead after her foot washed up on a Bournda Beach, south of Tathra on the NSW South Coast, last February - about 400km from her home.

Her blue convertible 2016 Audi R8 coupe and black 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 were auctioned off on Monday for $295,000 and $66,250 respectively, the liquidator for Ms Caddick's assets has confirmed.

Two of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick's luxury cars have gone under the hammer as liquidators try to recoup some of the $30million she swindled from investors. Caddick is pictured with her husband Anthony Koletti

A blue 2016 Audi R8 coupe, has sold at auction for $295,000 by Pickles. Caddick's hairdresser husband Anthony Koletti has been pictured driving the Audi and has posted pictures of himself with the vehicle on social media (above)

Jones Partners Insolvency & Restructuring said there was significant interest in both cars and the firm were satisfied with the prices achieved by the auctioneer Pickles.

'We will be holding a creditors meeting on March 15 to discuss the status of the liquidation generally and other potential recoveries,' the firm's principal Bruce Gleeson said.

He said Ms Caddick's share portfolios and real estate holdings would likely be the next assets to be sold off by liquidators.

Mr Koletti has been pictured driving the Audi around Sydney and has posted images of himself with the striking vehicle on social media.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Koletti is in any way responsible for Caddick's fraudulent conduct or had any knowledge of it.

The Federal Court in November declared that Ms Caddick's assets should be distributed to duped investors.

Justice Brigitte Markovic ruled on November 22 Caddick had provided unlicensed financial advice between 2012 and 2020 under her company's Maliver banner.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has been trying to recover some of the live savings her 72 clients poured into the scam, which funded Caddick's lavish lifestyle.

A Mercedes-Benz CLA45 wagon that belonged to Melissa Caddick has 32,883km on the clock and fetched $66,250

Investors were scammed out of about $30million before ASIC cottoned onto Caddick's racket.

Justice Brigitte Markovic ordered Maliver should be wound down, with what is left of the company to be divvied up among those who are owed money.

The ruling also meant Mr Koletti would be booted out of his missing wife's $6.2million home.

Justice Markovic ruled Caddick bought the property with investors' money in 2014.

The Audi R8, which is described as an asset of Caddick's company Maliver Pty Ltd, was sold for $295,000

The family of conwoman Melissa Caddick (pictured) were informed her exotic cars, luxury properties and expensive jewellery will be sold off, as liquidators try to recoup some the money for her victims

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Koletti is in any way responsible for Caddick's fraudulent conduct or had any knowledge of it. He is pictured with her Audi R8

The other property in Caddick's name is an Edgecliff penthouse snapped up in 2016.

Her parents, who were also victims of the fraud, have lobbied the court to be given priority over other investors as they gave their daughter $1.1million for the purchase.

Under the deal they would get to live in the home rent-free for the rest of their lives, owning a third of the property.

Caddick handed over a $255,000 deposit in 2016, representing 10 per cent of the $2.55million home.

Liquidators say the cash came from funds stolen from investors.

As an ASIC investigation closed in on her $30million scam, Caddick left her luxury $6.2million Dover Heights home in Sydney's eastern suburbs (pictured) for a dawn run and vanished

They argue that dirty money was also used for the settlement fee and the interest-only loan repayments.

The court heard the $1.1 million given to their daughter came from the sale of their Connells Point home the following year in 2017.

'The Edgecliff property was purchased by Caddick before the Connells Point property was sold,' Mr Gleeson has said.

'Therefore, Ms Caddick's parents did not contribute to the purchase price for the Edgecliff property.'

Caddick went missing the day after ASIC fraud investigators descended on her home office.

Caddick is likely dead after her foot (pictured) washed up on a Bournda Beach, south of Tathra in in February -about 400km from her Sydney home where she was last seen

Financial adviser Melissa Caddick is pictured with her husband Anthony Koletti in Aspen, Colorado, during a ski trip

Most of her victims were family and friends who trusted her to invest their money.

'Instead, [the funds] were used to meet Ms Caddick's personal expenses and purchase assets in her name,' Justice Markovic said.

Caddick's unsophisticated but elaborate scam used a bogus CommSec document to claim her investors were making remarkable returns.

In reality the money was never being paid into any investment vehicles, with ASIC uncovering she spent the funds buying up luxury clothes, taking lavish getaways and even forking out thousands on protein shakes.

On her American Express card alone, Caddick allegedly spent $229,277 at Dior, $187,000 at Canturi Jewellers, $48,000 at Chanel and $52,548 at Cosmopolitan shoes.

Court documents also showed Caddick splurged on holidays to Fiji, New York and Aspen.

Caddick is pictured during the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Australian Federal Police raid on her Dover Heights home on November 11, 2020

Based on the liquidators' report, the court found investors were owed $23,554,921.

That figure is subject to any potential 'unjust enrichment or uncommercial transaction' claims related to Caddick paying out returns that were fictitious or possibly inflated.

Maliver, whose sole director was Caddick, traded on another person's Australian Financial Services Licence and neither the company nor Caddick ever held an AFSL while providing a financial service, the judge found.

Mr Gleeson said 'significant work' had been done in recent months ahead of selling the Dover Heights and Edgecliff properties as well as a share portfolio.

'We are taking legal steps to expedite the sale of these assets to progress being in a position to return monies to investors,' Mr Gleeson said.
Bernie Madoffs elderly sister is claimed to have made a tragic suicide pact with her ailing 90-year-old husband before they were both found dead from gunshot wounds, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.

Friends of 87-year-old Sondra Weiner and her husband Marvin say the couple were so devoted to one another they could not face living part.

Their bodies were found last Thursday afternoon in the garage of their Boynton Beach, Florida home in what the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Department described as a murder/suicide.

But a well-placed source took issue with that designation, telling DailyMail.com: This isnt a murder, thats unfair.

The source added: It was a consensual agreement between the two. He was sick and dying and they made a pact that they would both go together when the time came.

Whatever went on in there happened because they both wanted it to happen.

The neighbor did not disclose the type of illness Mr. Wiener was suffering.

Sondra Wiener died Thursday at age 87 in a suspected murder suicide alongside husband Marvin Wiener

The sister of the disgraced Ponzi fraudster Bernie Madoff - who died in federal prison in April - has died, along with her husband, in what Florida police are calling a possible murder-suicide

Sondra and Marvin were sued in 2010 by a trustee representing Bernie Madoffs victims, alleging they pocketed at least $1.75 million from his $65 million Ponzi scheme.

Their son Charles, 63, had also worked for the crooked financier, who died of natural causes last April as he served 150 years in federal prison.

Reached by telephone over the murrder-suicide, their son Charles said: No comment

However it was also reported that Sondra lost $3 million when her brothers scam came crashing down in 2008, forcing her and Marvin to sell their Palm Beach mansion and move to the more modest gated community where they were found dead.

Everybody knew about their past but it didnt matter. They were a very, very nice couple, they didnt give anyone any trouble, the source added.

She was an excellent swimmer, I would see her at the pool - but her husband was sick.

Thats the whole story. It has nothing really to do with Madoff; its just two people who loved one another, lived normal lives and who decided they wanted to leave this world together.

Sondra Wiener, 87, and husband Marvin Wiener were both found dead Thursday night in their private gated community home in Valencia Lakes (pictured), outside of Tampa

The pair 'lost millions' in the Ponzi scheme her brother ran and went to jail for, and had to sell their old home to downsize.

'She lost millions in this whole thing,' a source told the New York Post in 2009. The couple have at least one adult son who last week said they were 'victims' as much as anyone else.

They seem to have kept to themselves in the gated community in Florida where they lived.

Sources told the outlet that the couple's bodies were recovered by cops Thursday in their home on Barca Boulevard, an occurrence confirmed by an internal email sent to homeowners in the private housing development notifying them of the Wieners' deaths, and confirming the investigation.

One of the only surviving Madoff's is Bernie's wife Ruth, who is living as a recluse now in Connecticut

'Let me start off by stating that as many of you have heard, we had a tragic situation on Barca Boulevard regarding the passing of Sondra and Marvin Wiener,' the private email obtained by the outlet and penned by an unnamed community leader reads.

'Our thoughts and condolences go out to their family. There is currently an investigation pending. All I can say is at this time there is no security or safety threat to anyone in the community.'

Wiener was Madoff's only sister.

Cops did not comment on the circumstances of their deaths, nor whom is thought to have killed the other.

The couple's deaths comes a little less than a year after Madoff died in prison in April.

Madoff was a fixture on Wall Street before his fall in 2008, when he was arrested and pleaded guilty to operating a sprawling, decades-long Ponzi scheme that swindled thousands out of their life savings, according to federal prosecutors.

Madoff started his scheme nearly half a century ago, in the early 70s, and by the time he was busted by feds in December 2008, the financier had already defrauded roughly 37,000 people in 136 countries - out of up to $65 billion.

The crooked speculator's victims included tens of thousands of ordinary investors, as well as big names like Steven Spielberg, Kevin Bacon and Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Weisel.

Madoff died in federal lockup in North Carolina in April, serving a 150-year prison sentence.

The deaths of his sister and brother-in-law come as the latest installment of a series of tragedies surrounding the family of the fallen financier.

His son, Mark, hanged himself inside his New York City apartment in 2010, at the age of 46.

His other son, Andrew, died of cancer in 2014 at age 48.

Moreover, in a prophetic foretelling of the fate of the Wieners and Palm Beach cops' current investigation, Madoff's wife, now-80-year-old Ruth Madoff, has claimed that she and her husband both attempted suicide together during his scandal.

However, their attempt, which consisted of downing prescription pills Ambien and Klonopin in December 2008, failed.

'I don't know whose idea it was, but we decided to kill ourselves because it was so horrendous what was happening,' Madoff told CBS News years after the incident. 'We had terrible phone calls. Hate mail, just beyond anything and I said "...I just can't go on anymore."'

'I took what we had, he took more,' Ruth told the outlet. 'We took pills and woke up the next day....It was very impulsive and I am glad we woke up.'

The details of the Wieners deaths are still mired in mystery, with investigators still keeping mum concerning the exact details of how they died, and what drew them to declare the case a murder-suicide.

DailyMail.com reached out to the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office to comment on the case Sunday morning, but did not immediately hear back.
A 'popular' father died after storm debris smashed through a van windscreen during high winds as Britain was ravaged by Storm Eunice.

Merseyside Police rushed to Netherton, Merseyside, at around 2.10pm last Friday following reports of debris hitting a vehicle.

Once at the scene officers found debris from Storm Eunice had flown through the windscreen of a van and hit passenger Stephen Matthews, 68, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Matthews, from Aintree, was a father-of-two. Paying tribute to him, Mr Matthews' family said he was 'taken too soon'.

He was one of four people killed during last Friday's Storm Eunice, which saw record-breaking gales of 122mph wreak havoc across the country.

At the height of the storm, dramatic scenes saw the roof of The O2 in Greenwich, London torn apart, while trees were ripped up, debris was sent flying, shoppers were blown over, and the spire of St Thomas Church in Wells, Somerset came crashing to earth.

'Popular' father Stephen Matthews, from Aintree, Merseyside, died after storm debris smashed through a van windscreen during high winds as Britain was ravaged by Storm Eunice

Mr Matthews's family said: 'Stephen was a popular and well-known member of the Aintree

community who was tragically taken from us too soon.

'The beloved husband of Sylvia and devoted Dad to Jonathan and Robert, he will be sadly missed by all of his family and friends.'

The man driving the van was not injured in the incident.

Merseyside Police rushed to Netherton, Merseyside, at around 2.10pm last Friday following reports of debris hitting a vehicle

News of his death comes after tributes were paid to an Irish council work and a father-of-one who were two of the other victims of Storm Eunice.

Elsewhere, a woman in her 30s also died after a tree fell on a car in Haringey, north London on Friday afternoon, the Metropolitan Police said.

A member of the public also suffered 'serious injuries' after being struck by debris from a roof in Henley-on-Thames.

Two men were hospitalised following similar, separate incidents in south London.

Meanwhile, a huge 400-year-oak tree crashed through a large family home in Brentwood, Essex, narrowly missing 23-year-old Sven Good.
Moscow was accused last night of producing Hollywood-style fake news videos to inflame tensions with Ukraine.

News bulletins in Russia yesterday were full of reports of shelling and other apparent provocations by Ukraine that were unverified or denied by the West and Kiev.

One video, released by the Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine, appeared to show a man pretending his leg had been blown off by a Ukrainian artillery strike.

It was mocked online as it showed the man's left leg, supposedly blown off under the knee, was already a prosthetic with the lower half detached. The video was later removed from social media.

Another clip from Russian state TV station Rossiya 1 showed a senior war correspondent in Donetsk claiming the city was coming under fire from Ukrainian shelling and that a Ukrainian invasion was imminent.

The West has long warned that Vladimir Putin would invent false flag incidents giving him an excuse to invade Ukraine.

A video released by the Donetsk Peoples Republic in eastern Ukraine, showed a man pretending his leg had been blown off by a Ukrainian artillery strike

The clip was mocked online as it shows the man's left leg, supposedly blown off under the knee, was already a prosthetic with the lower half detached. The video was later removed from social media

Moscow claimed yesterday it had killed five Ukrainian saboteurs who allegedly crossed the border to stage an attack.

It also said a Ukrainian shell had destroyed a border facility used by Russias Federal Security Service in the Rostov region on the frontier between the two countries.

But experts said digital locators embedded in online videos about the supposed incidents showed both had been filmed in the same area, despite Russian claims that they took place far apart.

Latvias foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics told Bloomberg: Its all made up like a Hollywood movie.

And Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba took to social media to deny Moscows claims, writing: Russia, stop your fake-producing factory now.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said there had been a proliferation of false flag operations, propaganda stunts and Russian news outlets carrying fictitious allegations.

News bulletins in Russia yesterday were full of reports of shelling and other apparent provocations by Ukraine that were unverified or denied by the West and Kiev

Social media experts have debunked several videos put out by Moscow by analysing embedded data.

For example, footage of a car allegedly loaded with explosives to attack Ukrainians fleeing to Russia had data showing it had been filmed in 2019.

Ukraine has even accused Russia of taking corpses from morgues to use in incidents of fake attacks blamed on Kiev.

Moscow claimed yesterday it had killed five Ukrainian saboteurs who allegedly crossed the border to stage an attack

Another video, released by the Peoples Militia of the Donetsk Peoples Republic on February 18, claimed 'Polish saboteurs' were planning to blow up a tank.

However, Eliot Higgins, the founder of the investigative website Bellingcat, discovered the audio matched another video uploaded to YouTube in 2010.

Christo Grozev, Bellingcats executive director, tweeted: 'If youre wondering if [the] Kremlins poorly executed war propaganda works on its domestic audience: sadly, it does.

'Have been talking to young people from Russias countryside. They are convinced Ukraine is shelling.'

Referring to the video of the man pretending his leg had been blown off, analyst Oliver Alexander said: 'The propaganda is reaching crazy levels.'
Radical environmental activists blocked off Sydney's Spit Bridge this morning, causing major traffic delays before being dragged away by police.

Motorists are being warned to expect significant delays after traffic built up at Mosman on the lower north shore heading into the city - at the same time that the city's trains are in chaos.

Protesters from 'Fireproof Australia' blocked traffic by sitting in the middle of city-bound lanes, with one demonstrator saying: 'Sometimes you have to make a fuss in order to be heard'.

The demonstrators chose to disrupt the morning routines of thousands to demonstrate for a water tank fleet to fight bushfires and climate change action.

Buses heading into the city brought to a standstill by a group of protesters (pictured) on the Spit Bridge

Motorists and commuters shared photos and footage of the traffic chaos before police arrived and dragged protestors from the road.

'Protestors' being basically carried off the Spit Bridge,' one commuter tweeted.

2GB breakfast radio host Ben Fordham slammed the group on air for putting their lives at risk.

A NSW Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia protesters quickly dispersed from the scene and that all traffic lanes are now clear.

No arrests were made.

Traffic on the Spit Bridge remains heavy with motorists urged to allow for extra travel time

Bus commuters on their way to work in the city were also caught up in the chaos

The activists, which included a blind grandmother, have defended their actions and the disruption caused, claiming non-violent civil resistance was necessary.

'We do not want to be doing this but our government is failing us and civil disobedience is the only and last powerful resort,' the group explained in an online video.

'We trust the people who actually hold the hose and what they need to protect us is we will give them.'

'We need a large aerial firefighting fleet. The bushfire Royal Commission has said they need this fleet to keep us safe and we're going to sit on the road until a large Australian aerial firefighting fleet is here and we fireproof Australia.'

Stunned motorists and commuters watched on as police dragged away the protesters

Southbound traffic remains extremely heavy on Spit Road at Spit Bridge.

Live Traffic Sydney advises motorists to take care and allow plenty of extra travel time as traffic queues stretched for more than two kilometres.

The incident added to a second consecutive day of chaos on Sydney roads after 'limited' train services resumed on Tuesday morning.
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Tanks, trucks and troops have rolled into eastern Ukraine hours after Vladimir Putin declared the region to be independent and ordered Russian forces to go in on what he called a 'peacekeeping mission', locking him on a direct collision course with Kiev and the West.

A column of armoured vehicles was spotted in Donetsk, the main city of one of the two so-called 'republics', in the early hours of this morning. No insignia were visible on the vehicles, but they are widely believed to be Russian forces deployed on Putin's orders.

At the same time, Ukraine said heavy shelling broke out along nearly all 250 miles of its frontline with the breakaway provinces, leaving two of its soldiers dead and 12 injured in a major escalation in violence.

All eyes will now turn to the West to see what its reaction will be. Before Putin's order, world leaders including Joe Biden and Boris Johnson had made it clear that any Russian incursion, no matter how limited, into Ukrainian territory would be considered a fresh invasion of the country and spark an unprecedented flurry of sanctions.

But nobody overnight used the word 'invasion'. Volodymyr Zelensky, giving an address to his nation, described a 'violation of sovereignty'; US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield rubbished the idea Russian troops are a 'peacekeeping force' without giving them another name; and sanctions levelled by the White House were limited in scope.

Joe Biden, signing an executive order, banned all new US trade with the breakaway regions and opened the door to sanctions individuals based there - but stopped far short of the 'swift and decisive' response that had been threatened. White House spokesman Jen Psaki promised more sanctions will follow later today.

There was also no immediate action from the UK. Boris Johnson, who has been outspoken in his support for Ukraine, has convened an emergency Cobra meeting this morning to clarify Britain's response. Ministers had previously threatened to take action against Russian expats if Putin invaded.

Eyes will also be on the eastern frontlines to see exactly how far Putin is willing to test the West's resolve. In recognising Donetsk and Luhansk as independent, it was not clear whether he meant the parts currently occupied by separatist troops or the wider regions, which could mean rolling troops into a much larger piece of territory.

There are also strong doubts about whether Putin will stop at recognising the two 'republics'. In an hour-long speech to the Russian nation before signing his order, the strongman leader seemed to be laying out a case for seizing the whole of Ukraine - arguing it has no history of statehood, was 'created by Lenin', is a corrupt US and NATO vassal, and has been directly threatening Russia's security.

He also promised 'bloodshed' if Ukraine's troops try to resist, warning ominously that Kiev would bear the responsibility for whatever comes after that.

Russia still has 190,000 troops backed by hundreds of tanks, artillery pieces, fighter jets, heavy bombers and missile batteries encircling Ukraine from three sides - including just a few dozen miles north of the capital, Kiev.

A tank drives along a street after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of Russian troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine

A tank, believed to be Russian, is spotted on a street near the city of Donetsk in separatist-held regions of eastern Ukraine

Military vehicles drive along a street after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of Russian troops

A military truck drives along a street after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of Russian troops

Russian troops are seen entering Donetsk in the early hours of Tuesday morning, after Vladimir Putin said he was sending in 'peacekeepers'

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrives for a COBRA meeting in Downing Street this morning

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a document recognising the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Monday

Vladimir Putin today chaired a meeting of Russia's full security council, with top aides getting to their feet one by one to lay out the case for war in Ukraine

Ukrainian servicemen are seen outside of Svitlodarsk, Ukraine on February 21

Putin addresses the nation as he recognised the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics on Monday

Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine celebrated on Monday evening as fireworks went off following Russian President Vladimir Putin signing a decree recognizing two Eastern Ukrainian regions as 'independent republics'

Russian tanks an armoured vehicles are seen in what observers described as 'battle formation' close to the border with Ukraine today, with a 'Z' symbol painted on the sides which is believed to denote a battle group

Russia has moved its forces to within three miles of the Ukrainian border, with tanks spotted on manoeuvres in Kursk (left) at the weekend and support trucks in Belgorod (right) on Monday

Russian 'terminator' tanks - armoured vehicles that are designed to support infantry units fighting in urban areas - were spotted being transferred to the frontlines at the weekend

Russia 'used body parts from morgue to fake attacks in Donbass' Ukraine today accused Russia of taking corpses from morgues and using them in incidents of fake attacks blamed on Kiev. In one piece of footage, pro-Moscow journalists reporting from a market in the Donetsk region claimed a 'saboteur' had attempted to plant a bomb there in the morning while people did their shopping. Reporters claimed the 'criminal ' had been blown up by security forces before showing images of body parts scattered around the road. But Kiev said the limbs had likely been taken from a local morgue and placed to appear as if an attack had taken place, in an effort to justify Russia marching troops into the region to protect locals. 'We assume that they take corpses from morgues and blow them up for imitation,' said an official. A second such incident was reported elsewhere in the Donbass region, as separatist channels reported that a miner had been killed in a blast. Advertisement

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg also condemned Putin, accusing Russia of 'trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine yet again'.

The U.N. Security Council set a rare nighttime emergency meeting at the request of Ukraine, the U.S. and other countries. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, sought to project calm, telling the country: 'We are not afraid of anyone or anything. We don't owe anyone anything. And we won't give anything to anyone.'

The Security Council began their meeting to discuss the latest developments at 9pm EST on Monday (0200 GMT on Tuesday). But it is virtually certain the Council will not take any action or issue any statement because Russia has veto power.

Earlier, Putin vowed to decide 'today' whether to recognise Ukraine's eastern regions as independent states. He made the remark at the end of an hours-long security council meeting that was broadcast on Russian TV during which the country's top security officials were called up one by one and asked to lay out the case for war - seemingly aimed at persuading a skeptical public of the need to attack.

Having spent days staging what are widely believed to be false flag attacks on Ukrainian soil and blaming them on Kiev, ministers presented the 'evidence' to Putin today: Claiming Russians in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions are under threat of 'genocide', that no peace deal can save them, and that he must intervene to save lives.

But in evidence that the entire spectacle was being staged - with the West warning a decision to invade has already been made - eagle-eyed viewers noticed that defence minister Sergei Shoigu's watch was five hours behind Moscow time, suggesting the hearing was pre-recorded.

The Kremlin said that upon hearing that Putin will sign the order to recognise the independence of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had 'expressed disappointment' over the decision in phone calls with the Russian President.

Dymtro Kuleba, Ukraine's defence minister, said after the council meeting that 'the entire world' will watch what Russia does next and that 'everyone realises the consequences' if Putin vows to recognise the breakaway regions. 'We all should calmly focus on de-escalation efforts, [there is] no other way,' he tweeted.

It comes as two Ukrainian soldiers died on Monday and three were wounded in a shelling attack in Zaitseve, a village 18 miles north of the rebel stronghold Donetsk, Ukraine's national police said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had a phone call with Putin this evening, warned him that recognising the eastern regions would be a 'one-sided' breach of peace negotiations and that he has a 'responsibility' to de-escalate tensions by removing troops from the border.

Meanwhile Joe Biden called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and convened a meeting of his National Security team after Putin slammed the U.S. for 'colonizing' Ukraine and using it as a 'puppet regime' in televised remarks before signing the decree.

As part of the decree signed by Putin, the Russian President ordered his Russian troops to enter eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions in a move he claimed was for 'peacekeeping'.

But US Congressman Gerry Connolly said it is not a 'peacekeeping operation' but instead an invasion.

He told CNN: 'This is not a peacekeeping operation, and we need to stop enabling Putin with even the use of that word.

'These are units of the Russian military who are using the pretext of the independence of Russian-occupied sovereign territory of Ukraine to further that occupation and to expand it.

'Right now, Russia's surrogates and Russian troops occupy about a third of Donetsk to Luhansk. What he proposes to do immediately is to extend that to the remaining two-thirds. That is an invasion by any sense of the imagination.'

Ukrainian President Zelenskiy accused Russia of violating Ukraine's sovereign territory and said it could mean Moscow pulling the plug on the Minsk peace talks aimed at ending the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine in an address to the nation.

After chairing a security council meeting, Zelenskiy said Ukraine wanted to solve the crisis through diplomacy but that his country was ready to dig in for the long haul.

'We are committed to the peaceful and diplomatic path, we will follow it and only it,' Zelenskiy said. 'But we are on our own land, we are not afraid of anything and anybody, we owe nothing to no one, and we will give nothing to no one.'

He called for an emergency summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France while urging Ukraine's allies to take action against Russia.

How Putin's recognition of breakaway republics has 'dangerous parallels' to Nazi Germany's actions before WWII Vladimir Putin's decision to recognise two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine has 'dangerous parallels' to Nazi Germany's actions prior to the Second World War, the Commons has heard. Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash (Stone) said: 'This evening Mr Putin has recognised the two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent states with dangerous parallels to Germany's recognition of the Sudetenland in 1938.' In the run-up to the Second World War, the Sudetenland, in which three million Germans lived, was part of what was then Czechoslovakia. In the famous Munich Agreement of 1938 the region was ceded to Adolf Hitler in the hope that the concession would be enough to avoid Europe-wide armed conflict after months of tensions caused by Germany's territorial ambitions. Vladimir Putin's decision to recognise two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine has 'dangerous parallels' to Nazi Germany's actions prior to the Second World War, the Commons has heard Hitler had been planning an invasion of the territory prior to the signing of the agreement. Britain's then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who was the main driver of the agreement, famously told the British public after it was signed that he believed it was 'peace in our time'. Hitler, who had already absorbed Austria into Germany in March 1938, rode roughshod over the deal the following year by annexing all of Czechoslovakia in March and invading Poland on September 1. It was that last act of aggression which was the final straw even for the peace-loving Chamberlain, who declared war on Germany on September 3. France followed soon after, sparking a conflict that finally ended with Germany's defeat in May 1945. In the famous Munich Agreement of 1938 the region was ceded to Adolf Hitler in the hope that the concession would be enough to avoid Europe-wide armed conflict after months of tensions caused by Germany 's territorial ambitions. Above: Hitler (right) with the then British PM Neville Chamberlain (centre) Advertisement

Putin announced the decision to recognise eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent in a lengthy televised address on Monday evening.

He said: 'I believe it is necessary to take a long overdue decision, to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic.' He was then shown signing mutual aid agreements with rebel leaders in the Kremlin.

At the end of his lengthy speech, Putin asked Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, to 'support this decision'.

Both Russia's lower and upper houses of parliament are due to vote on the recognition on Tuesday.

The Russian leader also demanded that Ukraine end military operations against pro-Moscow rebels in the eastern part of the country, or face more possible 'bloodshed'.

'We demand an immediate end to military operations,' Putin said, accusing Kyiv of 'trying to organise a blitzkrieg' in east Ukraine.

'Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of bloodshed will be fully on the conscience of the regime in power in Ukraine,' he added.

The West had repeatedly warned Putin not to recognise Ukraine's rebels, a move that effectively buries a fragile peace agreement regulating the conflict.

Putin spoke for over an hour in a speech heavy with historical references questioning Ukraine's right to sovereignty and alleging the West had spent years cheating Moscow.

'Modern Ukraine was entirely and completely created by Russia,' Putin said.

Appearing visibly angry, Putin said Ukraine should be called 'Ukraine of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin', saying it owes its creation to the Russian revolutionary.

He also accused Kiev of waging 'genocide' in eastern Ukraine and of preparing to get hold of a nuclear arsenal.

He said the West 'spat' on Russia's security concerns for years by 'moving NATO eastwards and putting military infrastructure closer to Russia's borders.'

The Russian leader said the West was trying to 'blackmail' Moscow, 'regardless of the situation in Ukraine.'

'There is only one aim: to stop Russia from developing. And they will do it, as they did before, even without any formal pretext at all,' the longtime Russian leader said.

In response, Ms Truss said the UK will announce new sanctions on Russia on Tuesday 'in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity'.

Meanwhile Mr Johnson will chair a Cobra meeting at 6.30am on Tuesday morning to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine, a No 10 spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said: 'The Prime Minister will chair a COBR (Cobra) at 0630 tomorrow morning to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine and to coordinate the UK response including agreeing a significant package of sanctions to be introduced immediately.'

President Biden has also ordered new sanctions after calling Putin's announcement a 'blatant violation of Russia's international commitments'. The sanctions will prohibit new investment, trade and financing in the two separatist regions of Ukraine recognized by Putin.

The absence of sanctions directly on Russia or Putin was immediately met with backlash from those who said the Biden administration isn't doing enough in response to the latest Russian movements and announcements.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki assured that there will be further measures taken in coordination with U.S. allies and partners if Russia invades Ukraine.

'We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps and on Russia's ongoing escalation along the border with Ukraine,' she wrote.

The Biden administration has also discussed plans with Zelenskyy to leave Kiev in the event of a Russian invasion and relocate to Lviv in western Ukraine, two people familiar with the talks told NBC News.

Washington has ordered all remaining U.S. State Department personnel to leave Ukraine amid the deepening crisis, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

'The embassy had previously relocated from Kyiv to the western city of Lviv. Now they are shifting to Poland,' a Bloomberg reporter wrote on Twitter.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



The European Union's top officials have also said the bloc will impose sanctions against Russia.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel say in a joint statement that the recognition is 'a blatant violation of international law.'

UK joins Biden and the EU in ordering sanctions against Russia after 'breach of international law' The UK is to join the US and the EU in imposing new sanctions on Russia 'in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity', Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Tuesday. It comes as the Ukraine crisis intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would recognise two breakaway republics. The decision to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine was an 'ill omen' and a flagrant breach of international law, Boris Johnson said in a press conference. Ms Truss tweeted about the new sanctions on Monday evening after saying Mr Putin's actions could not be allowed to go 'unpunished'. 'Tomorrow we will be announcing new sanctions on Russia in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity,' she said. Earlier on Monday, the Foreign Secretary said the recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic as independent states 'demonstrates Russia's decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue'. 'We will co-ordinate our response with allies,' she said. We will not allow Russia's violation of its international commitments to go unpunished.' The move follows a decision by US President Joe Biden to immediately impose sanctions on the two breakaway regions in Ukraine, a move which was met with criticism for not being strong enough. Jim Scuitto, who served as chief of staff to the U.S. Ambassador to China under Obama, said of the sanctions: 'Is this really it?' White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki assured in her Monday statement that there will be further measures taken in coordination with U.S. allies and partners if Russia further invades Ukraine. 'We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps and on Russia's ongoing escalation along the border with Ukraine,' she wrote. The European Union's top officials have also said the bloc will impose sanctions against Russia. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel say in a joint statement that the recognition is 'a blatant violation of international law.' The statement added that the bloc 'will react with sanctions' and 'reiterates its unwavering support to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.' Advertisement

The statement adds that the bloc 'will react with sanctions' and 'reiterates its unwavering support to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.'

Responding to Putin signing a decree formally recognising rebel-held territories in eastern Ukraine as independent states, Mr Johnson told a press conference: 'I gather that Vladimir Putin has effectively announced that Russia is recognising the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.

'This is plainly in breach of international law. It's a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine.

'It is a repudiation of the Minsk process and the Minsk agreements. And I think it's a very ill omen and a very dark sign, and certainly does seem to me that it's certainly an indication - yet another indication - that things are moving in the wrong direction in Ukraine.

'The UK will continue to do everything we can to stand by the people of Ukraine with a very robust package of sanctions, as you know, fortifying the Eastern flank of NATO in all the ways that we have, but also being one of the few countries to have given the Ukrainians, the defensive weaponry that we think is appropriate to their needs and we will continue to to think about what more we can do to support Ukraine in what is clearly a very, very dark and difficult time.'

Mr Johnson later told the Ukrainian president that he believes a Russian invasion is 'a real possibility in the coming hours and days'.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: 'Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this evening to discuss the deteriorating situation in and around Ukraine.

'Outlining his grave concern at recent developments in the region, the Prime Minister told President Zelenskyy that he believed an invasion was a real possibility in the coming hours and days.

'The Prime Minister strongly condemned the Kremlin's decision today to recognise Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states, and said the move made the Minsk agreements and process unworkable.

'He added that the UK was already engaging with partners on the issue and said the UK would raise it at the United Nations Security Council and Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in the coming days.'

Mr Johnson also told President Zelenskyy that he would 'explore sending further defensive support to Ukraine' at the request of the country's government.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: 'He told President Zelenskyy that the UK had already drawn up sanctions to target those complicit in the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity, and that those measures would come into force tomorrow.

'The Prime Minister also said he would explore sending further defensive support to Ukraine, at the request of the Ukrainian government.

'The leaders agreed that the West needed to support Ukraine in the event of an invasion, but should continue to pursue a diplomatic solution until the last possible second.

'Regardless of President Putin's actions, the UK would be steadfast in its full support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Prime Minister said.'

Ms Truss said 'we will not allow Russia's violation of its international commitments to go unpunished' after Putin said he would recognise two separatist Ukrainian republics.

She added: 'President Putin's recognition of the 'Donetsk People's Republic' and 'Luhansk People's Republic' as independent states shows flagrant disregard for Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements. This step... signals an end to the Minsk process.

'It demonstrates Russia's decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue. We will co-ordinate our response with allies. We will not allow Russia's violation of its international commitments to go unpunished.'

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg tonight condemned Putin's action in recognising the breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine and accused Russia of 'trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine yet again'.

'I condemn Russia's decision to extend recognition to the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk People's Republic' and 'Luhansk People's Republic',' NATO's secretary general Mr Stoltenberg said.

'This further undermines Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party.'

The former Norwegian Prime Minister added: 'In 2015, the United Nations Security Council, which includes Russia, reaffirmed its full respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Donetsk and Luhansk are part of Ukraine.

'Moscow continues to fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine by providing financial and military support to the separatists. It is also trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine once again.

'NATO supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. Allies urge Russia, in the strongest possible terms, to choose the path of diplomacy, and to immediately reverse its massive military build-up in and around Ukraine, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine in accordance with its international obligations and commitments.'

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya attends as the United Nations Security Council meets after Russia recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities, in New York City, U.S., on February 21

Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations (UN) Vasily Nebenzya (L) stands next to US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield (C) during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday

Waving Russian flags, people celebrated the latest announcement in the streets in Donetsk, Ukraine on Monday, February 21

Putin's recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel regions' independence paves the way for the long-feared Russian invasion. Pro-Russian residents in Donestk celebrated independence with a fireworks show on Monday

Russian and Belarus soldiers during joint exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus in a handout video grab taken and released by the Belarussian Defence Ministry on February 19, 2022

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, deployed to Poland to reassure NATO allies and deter Russian aggression, encamp at an operating base 6KM from the Ukrainian border, near Przemysl, Poland, February 21

What did Vladimir Putin say in his speech? ON DONBASS 'Those who embarked on the path of violence, bloodshed, lawlessness did not recognize and do not recognize any other solution to the Donbass issue, except for the military one. In this regard, I consider it necessary to take a long overdue decision to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic. I ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision, and then to ratify the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with individual republics. These two documents will be prepared and signed in the very near future. And from those who seized and hold power in Kyiv, we demand an immediate cessation of hostilities. 'Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine. Announcing the decisions taken today, I am confident in the support of the citizens of Russia. Of all the patriotic forces of the country.' ON UKRAINE MEMBERSHIP OF NATO 'If Ukraine was to join NATO it would serve as a direct threat to the security of Russia.' ON ORIGINS OF MODERN UKRAINE 'Modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia, more precisely, Bolshevik, communist Russia. This process began immediately after the revolution of 1917... 'As a result of Bolshevik policy, Soviet Ukraine arose, which even today can with good reason be called 'Vladimir Ilyich Lenin's Ukraine'. He is its author and architect. This is fully confirmed by archive documents... And now grateful descendants have demolished monuments to Lenin in Ukraine. This is what they call decommunisation. Do you want decommunisation? Well, that suits us just fine. But it is unnecessary, as they say, to stop halfway. We are ready to show you what real decommunisation means for Ukraine.' ON UKRAINIAN STATEHOOD 'Ukraine never had a tradition of genuine statehood.' ON BREAK-UP OF USSR 'Russia assumed obligations to repay the entire Soviet debt in return for the newly independent states giving up part of their foreign assets. In 1994, such agreements were reached with Ukraine, but they were not ratified by Ukraine... '(Ukraine) preferred to act in such a way that in relations with Russia they had all the rights and advantages, but did not bear any obligations... 'From the very first steps they began to build their statehood on the denial of everything that unites us. They tried to distort the consciousness, the historical memory of millions of people, entire generations living in Ukraine.' ON NATO'S 2008 MEMBERSHIP PROMISE TO UKRAINE AND GEORGIA 'Many European allies of the United States already perfectly understood all the risks of such a prospect, but were forced to come to terms with the will of their senior partner. The Americans simply used them to carry out a pronounced anti-Russian policy. A number of member states of the alliance are still very skeptical about the appearance of Ukraine in NATO. 'At the same time, we are receiving a signal from some European capitals, saying what are you worried about, this will not happen literally tomorrow. Yes, in fact, our American partners are also talking about this. Well, we answer, if not tomorrow, so the day after tomorrow. What does this change in a historical perspective? Basically, nothing. Moreover, we know the position and words of the U.S. leadership that active hostilities in eastern Ukraine do not exclude the possibility of this country joining NATO if it can meet the criteria of the North Atlantic alliance and defeat corruption. At the same time, they try to convince us over and over again that NATO is a peace-loving and purely defensive alliance, saying that there are no threats to Russia. Again they propose that we take them at their word. But we know the real value of such words.' ON THREATS TO RUSSIA 'We clearly understand that under such a scenario, the level of military threats to Russia will dramatically increase many times over. I pay special attention to the fact that the danger of a sudden strike against our country will increase many times over. Let me explain that U.S. strategic planning documents contain the possibility of a so-called preemptive strike against enemy missile systems. And who is the main enemy for the U.S. and NATO? We know that too. It's Russia. In NATO documents, our country is officially and directly declared the main threat to North Atlantic security. And Ukraine will serve as a forward springboard for the strike. If our ancestors had heard about it, they probably would simply not have believed it. And today we don't want to believe it, but it's true.' ON SANCTIONS 'They are trying to blackmail us again. They are threatening us again with sanctions, which, by the way, I think they will introduce anyway as Russia's sovereignty strengthens and the power of our armed forces grows. And a pretext for another sanctions attack will always be found or fabricated. Regardless of the situation in Ukraine. There is only one goal - to restrain the development of Russia. And they will do it, as they did before. Even without any formal pretext at all. Just because we exist, and we will never compromise our sovereignty, national interests and our values. I want to say clearly and directly that in the current situation, when our proposals for an equal dialogue on fundamental issues have actually remained unanswered by the United States and NATO, when the level of threats to our country is increasing significantly, Russia has every right to take retaliatory measures to ensure its own security. That is exactly what we will do.' Advertisement

President Biden called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and convened a meeting of his National Security team after Putin signed the decree.

Zelensky revealed the call with Biden on Twitter Monday and said they 'discussed the events of the last hours'.

'We begin the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council,' he posted, adding: 'A conversation with [UK Prime Minister] Boris Johnson is also planned.'

Mr Johnson's spokesman said that it appears Putin's invasion plan has 'already begun' while Ms Truss, after meeting with NATO, said an invasion appears 'highly likely' but that diplomacy must continue until the last moment.

There are now thought to be 190,000 Russian troops on the border of Ukraine comprising around three quarters of its conventional forces backed by 500 fighter jets, 50 heavy bombers, and dozens of attack helicopters.

The Kremlin denies it has plans to attack, but Western allies say Putin is trying to concoct a pretext to invade by stirring up conflict in two breakaway eastern regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - and staging 'false flag' attacks to justify marching his troops in on a mission to 'protect' them.

Should Russia go ahead with its attack, the US has warned the UN security council that Moscow has prepared a list of targets for assassination and imprisonment in detention camps.

Officials say the list includes anyone who might oppose the Kremlin - including political figures, journalists, Russian and Belarusian dissidents sheltering in the country, ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community.

'As we've seen in the past, we expect Russia will try to force cooperation through intimidation and repression,' a US official told Foreign Policy magazine on Friday, before a letter containing the allegations was sent to the US on Monday.

'These acts, which in past Russian operations have included targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, detentions, and the use of torture, would likely target those who oppose Russian actions.

'[That] includes Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBT persons.'

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the claims an 'absolute lie'.

Heavy shelling was reported along the frontline at the weekend, leaving several Ukrainian troops dead, following what Russian state media claimed were terror attacks targeting top officials and a gas pipeline in the two regions - which the West said was staged.

Fighting continued on Monday, with separatist commanders alleging that artillery had been fired into the Donetsk region and struck a hospital with 'clashes' reported near Mariupol. Russia separately claimed that a Ukrainian shell had blown up a guard post in Rostov-on-Don. Ukraine denies firing at either separatist or Russian territory.

The Kremlin has also been pushing claims that 'mass graves' containing the bodies of civilians killed by Ukrainian troops have been discovered in the region, and today submitted documents containing those allegations to the UN Security Council.

Tens of of thousands of civilians - mostly women, children and the elderly - have now being evacuated from rebel-held areas into Russia due to the 'threat'. Fighting-age men have been ordered to stay behind under the threat of legal sanctions if they try to leave.

In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered with the aid of French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said Biden has agreed 'in principle' to a meeting with Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault. But the Kremlin said no 'concrete' plans had been made.

It is the second time that Emmanuel Macron, who has tried to position himself as Europe's top security negotiator, has been embarrassed by Moscow - given guarantees which were revoked when he made them public. Two weeks ago he claimed Putin had agreed to stop military drills on Ukraine's border, which Russia immediately denied.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that 'we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins.'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe - as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand.

'We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war,' Psaki said in statement.

'And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.'

Despite the threat, life in the capital Kiev outwardly continued as usual for many Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack.

Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capital's St. Michael's monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared.

Video shows another Russian field hospital established in the Belgorod region, near the border with Ukraine, amid fears it marks one of the final preparations for an attack

'We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life,' Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. 'We should appreciate it every day. That's why I think everything will be fine.'

'Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing,' said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh.

A U.S. official said Sunday that Biden's assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine - a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russia's orbit - and is now trying to create pretexts to invade.

Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Putin does.

U.S. officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called passionately Saturday for the West to do more.

'If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesn't exist anymore as a deterrent,' Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox on Washington's sanctions threat.

Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraine's soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict.

Ukrainian tanks take part in training drills at an unknown location somewhere in Ukraine, in an image taken on Sunday but released by the military on Monday

Ukrainian soldiers and helicopters take part in military drills at an unspecified area somewhere in Ukraine on Sunday

A Ukrainian soldier aims a machine-gun mounted on top of an armoured vehicle during training exercises on Sunday

An image taken from the cockpit of a Ukrainian attack helicopter shows a second helicopter flying in formation during military drills in an undisclosed area of the country on Sunday

A Ukrainian soldier aims his rifle during training exercises somewhere in the country, which took place on Sunday

Canadian military aid arrives at Lviv airport, in the west of Ukraine, late Sunday as the West continues to supply the army with defensive weapons against a Russian attack

Biden hits two pro-Russian regions in eastern Ukraine with sanctions after Putin declared them independent Joe Biden will issue sanctions on the two regions declared 'independent republics' by Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday in his first real move toward full-scale invasion. The absence of sanctions directly on Russia or Putin was immediately met with backlash from those who said the administration isn't doing enough in response to the latest Russian movements and announcements. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki assured that there will be further measures taken in coordination with U.S. allies and partners if Russia further invades Ukraine. 'We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps and on Russia's ongoing escalation along the border with Ukraine,' she wrote. Biden almost immediately called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and convened a meeting of his National Security team after Vladimir Putin slammed the U.S. for 'colonizing' Ukraine and using it as a 'puppet regime' in remarks where he announced he would sign a decree recognizing two eastern regions of Ukraine as independent states. The president also hopped on a secure call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shortly after Putin's remarks. 'We have anticipated a move like this from Russia and are ready to respond immediately,' Psaki wrote in her Monday statement following Putin's remarks. 'President Biden will soon issue an Executive Order that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine,' she detailed, adding 'the Departments of State and Treasury will have additional details shortly.' 'We will also soon announce additional measures related to today's blatant violation of Russia's international commitments,' Psaki added. A bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers pledged on Monday to 'work toward whatever emergency supplemental legislation will best support our NATO allies and the people of Ukraine.' 'No matter what happens in the coming days, we must assure that the dictator Putin and his corrupt oligarchs pay a devastating price for their decisions,' they wrote. Zelensky said he discussed with Biden on Monday afternoon 'the events of the last hours'. 'We begin the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council,' he posted, adding: 'A conversation with [UK Prime Minister] Boris Johnson is also planned.' The White House confirmed that Biden did have a roughly 35-minutes call with Zelelnsky. Advertisement

Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russia's military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion.

'We're talking about the potential for war in Europe,' U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. 'It's been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security.'

Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed on Twitter for a cease-fire. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyy's offer Saturday to meet with Putin.

After a call with Macron, Putin blamed Ukraine - incorrectly, according to observers there - for the escalation of shelling along the contact line and NATO for 'pumping modern weapons and ammunition' into Ukraine.

Macron, a leader in European efforts to broker a peaceful resolution with Russia, also spoke separately to Zelenskyy, to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and to Biden.

Blinken intentionally raised the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit in interviews with U.S. television networks on Sunday, in a bid to keep diplomacy alive, a senior U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. reasoning.

Blinken said that Biden was 'prepared to meet President Putin at any time in any format if that can help prevent a war' and the U.S. official said Macron had then conveyed the offer of talks to Putin - conditioned on Russia not invading - in his phone calls with the Russian leader.

Tensions mounted further, however. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory urging greater caution by Americans in Russia overall. 'Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance,' it warned.

Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

In the eastern Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action.

Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraine's military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday.

'When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences,' Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television.

On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote.

'Right now, we don't respond to their fire because ...' the soldier said before the sound of an incoming shell interrupted him. 'Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.'

Russian attack helicopters are pictured taking part in joint drills in Belarus on Sunday, as the Kremlin announced the drills will not end as expected but will be extended to an unknown date - meaning 30,000 troops remain in the country

Smoke rises into the air after Russian attack helicopters blew up a target on a firing range in Belarus during joint training exercises on Sunday - amid fears of an invasion

Tanks and armoured vehicles of the Russian and Belarusian militaries take part in training exercises at the weekend, shortly before the Kremlin announced the drill will be extended and its forces will remain in the country

Russian and Belarussian machine-gunners take part in joint training exercises in Belarus at the weekend

Russian troop tents and tanks (left and centre) are seen near a forested area of the Belgorod region, close to the border with Ukraine, on Sunday amid fears the order to attack will be given soon

Russian troops and tanks (left) are shown parked up next to attack helicopters (centre) near the town of Valuyki, Belgorod region, close to the border with Ukraine

Russian tanks and trucks are seen parked in the tree line of a forest in the Belgorod region of Russia (right) in an apparent attempt to hide them from prying satellites

A satellite image shows additional armor and equipment deployed along a tree line, near Valuyki, Russia

A satellite image shows an overview of a new deployment, east of Valuyki, Russia

On Friday, separatist officials announced the evacuation of civilians and military mobilization in the face of what they described as an imminent Ukrainian offensive on the rebel regions. Ukrainian officials have strongly denied any plans to launch such an attack and described the evacuation order as part of Russian provocations intended to set the stage for an invasion.

The separatist authorities said Monday that at least four civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling over the past 24 hours and several others were injured. Ukraine's military said two Ukrainian soldiers were killed over the weekend, and another serviceman was wounded Monday.

Ukrainian military spokesman Pavlo Kovalchyuk said the Ukrainian positions were shelled 80 times Sunday and eight times early Monday, noting that the separatists were 'cynically firing from residential areas using civilians as shields.' He insisted that Ukrainian forces weren't returning fire.

In the village of Novognativka on the government-controlled side, 60-year-old Ekaterina Evseeva, said the shelling was worse than at the height of fighting early in the conflict.

'It's worse than 2014,' she said, her voice trembling. 'We are on the edge of nervous breakdowns. And there is nowhere to run.'

Evseeva said that residents were hunkering down in basements amid the renewed fighting: 'Yesterday I saw my neighbor with her 2-month-old as she was running to the basement. It shouldn't be like this.'

Russian troops and tanks are spotted in a forest area near civilian buildings (bottom left) near Belgorod, just a short distance from the border with Ukraine

Russian military vehicles are spotted formed up into a convoy and heading south next to a highway and near a forest in Soloti, around 10 miles from the Ukraine border

Satellite images reveal Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are now being concealed within civilian areas and forests close to the border, such as these vehicles on farmland near Soloti

Ukrainian troops near the frontlines with pro-Russian separatist forces train using a British NLAW anti-tank missile launcher

A Ukrainian soldier inspects a rocket-propelled grenade in Novognativka village, near the frontlines with pro-Russia separatists, as fighting in the region escalates

Servicemen of Ukrainian Military Forces walk along tranches on their position on the front line with Russia backed separatists, near Novognativka

Moscow denies any plans to invade Ukraine, but wants Western guarantees that NATO won't allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members. It also urges the alliance to halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe - demands flatly rejected by the West.

Russian officials have shrugged off Western calls to deescalate by pulling back troops, arguing that Moscow is free to deploy troops and conduct drills wherever it likes on its territory. Last week, Western officials dismissed Russian statements about some of the troops returning to their bases, saying that Moscow was actually beefing up its forces around Ukraine.

A U.S. official said Sunday that Biden's assertion last week that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

Russia also upped the ante Saturday with sweeping nuclear drills that included multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that Putin personally oversaw.

Ukraine's president reaffirmed his call for a quick meeting with Putin to help defuse tensions, but there was no response from the Kremlin.

The European Union's top diplomat, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, welcomed the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit but said that should diplomacy fail the 27-nation bloc has finalized its package of sanctions for use if Putin orders an invasion.

'The work is done. We are ready,' said Borrell, who is chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers and was tasked with drawing up a list of people in Russia to be hit with asset freezes and travel bans. He provided no details about who might be targeted.

The European Commission has prepared other sanctions to 'limit the access to financial markets for the Russian economy and (impose) export controls that will stop the possibility for Russia to modernize and diversify its economy,' its president, Ursula von der Leyen, said over the weekend.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed Macron's summit initiative and warned Russia against any false flag action to provoke hostilities. 'I appeal urgently to the Russian government, to the Russian president: Don't play with human lives,' she said as she arrived at the EU top diplomats' meeting.

Vladimir Putin has used these identical tactics and trickery before when he sparked war in Georgia... the West must punish this thug as he rips apart another nation, writes IAN BIRRELL

When Georgia was on the verge of joining Nato in 2008, Russia's president Vladimir Putin stirred up bitter separatist tensions, made baseless claims of genocide, and carried out military exercises nearby.

His proxies fired pot-shots over the border, then evacuated civilians from areas under their control, on the bogus pretext of saving them from aggression.

There was a short war that ended with Russian tanks 30 miles from the capital Tbilisi and two chunks of the country breaking away as self-declared republics.

But the former KGB chief denied he had any imperial ambitions, insisting Russia had 'no wish or grounds to encroach on the sovereignty of former Soviet republics'.

How hollow those words sound now as history looks set to repeat itself, with this hateful dictator using identical tactics and trickery in Ukraine.

Just as when he invaded and illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, he is operating through proxies to achieve his aims of corroding democracy and thwarting a sovereign nation's desire to find stability under the defensive shield of Nato.

Yet for all his talk of Western influence in Ukraine, Putin's real aim is simple: To prevent democracy from infecting his own blighted citizens and leading them to challenge his corrupt regime, one that has failed them so badly.

Vladimir Putin's real aim is simple: To prevent democracy from infecting his own blighted citizens and leading them to challenge his corrupt regime, one that has failed them so badly. Pictured: Putin addresses the nation on the recognition of independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics

Once again we see Putin's stooges in two breakaway republics Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine  fabricating attacks and evacuating civilians.

And, once again, Putin makes phoney assertions of genocide, as well as lying about Ukrainian attacks on mother Russia.

With his customary twisting of the truth, the president claimed last night he had always treated his neighbour in an 'honest way and with respect to Ukraine's interests'.

That could not be further from reality  especially as he signed the decree formally recognising the two republics, paving the way for a possible further invasion that might have cataclysmic consequences for our continent.

The current conflict began in 2014 when a corrupt Russian-backed president of Ukraine fled after pro-democracy protests erupted across the nation following his decision to abandon moves to sign a co-operation deal with the European Union.

Putin reacted to the ousting of his ally by stealing Crimea  the first annexation of sovereign territory in Europe since the Second World War.

He then sent in his tanks and troops when it seemed Ukraine was on the point of crushing rebels that he supported in Donbas.

This led to full-scale fighting, followed by a peace deal known as Minsk 2 that resulted in a 173-mile frontline across eastern Ukraine between the Kiev regime and the two self-declared republics. The conflict, which left 14,000 people dead and two million people displaced, has flickered ever since.

Russian and Belarus soldiers during joint exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus as part of an inspection of the Union State's Response Force, at a firing range near Brest

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, deployed to Poland to reassure NATO allies and deter Russian aggression

The hastily-agreed peace treaty, backed by Putin and signed under pressure by Kiev, was imperfect and never fully implemented. It envisaged 'special status' for the two 'republics'  although their status and political structures were ill-defined  and would have given Russia control over Ukraine's future.

Now Putin has torn up the treaty after a carefully-choreographed routine that began last Tuesday when the lower house of the Russian parliament voted to ask their puppet-master to recognise the separatist regions.

Then the Russian leader called a meeting of his security council, at which ministers and security chiefs lined up to demand recognition of the 'republics'. 'We were left with no choice,' claimed foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.

So what can we deduce from the latest manoeuvres?

First, that Putin has effectively stolen another chunk of Ukraine and breached international law by undermining another nation's territorial integrity  even if those in charge of the 'republics' have not yet asked to formally join Russia as I write.

However, they have signed a 'friendship and mutual assistance' treaty which means Putin can be asked to send in 'military assistance' or 'peacekeepers'  and last night, in an ominous move, it emerged he has already given an order to send his armed forces into the 'republics'.

Given the forces massed on the border and his ceaseless lies about Ukrainian attacks and Nato aggression, this could lead to 'defensive' intervention elsewhere in the country.

Indeed, if full-scale war erupts, the start might be dated to last Thursday when the shelling across the border was massively increased  from an average of five a day to 60  66 on Friday, and more than 100 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Putin claimed last night that 'Ukraine's military strategy is nothing less than the preparation for military actions against Russia'  an absurd suggestion that would be suicidal for Kiev given the imbalance of forces between the two nations.

We must hope the West stands firm and imposes every possible sanction on this brutal thug to punish him as he rips apart a neighbouring nation based on specious historical arguments and makes preparations to invade again on utterly spurious grounds. Pictured: Boris Johnson on Monday

Yet this malevolent dictator  with four yachts and a billion-pound palace on the Black Sea  who has overseen the pillaging of his resource-rich nation by his band of patsy oligarchs, even had the cheek to argue that corruption had eroded Ukrainian 'statehood' and Kiev's politicians were robbing their people.

Having spent five weeks in Ukraine  and having previously been witness to the appalling events of 2014  I can feel only sorry for all those decent people I have met and interviewed whose only desire is peace and security for themselves, their families and their friends.

And my sorrow extends to a nation that has been struggling to escape the Soviet shadow in pursuit of democracy but is being dismembered by a despot who once worked for the Communist secret police and now seeks to protect himself and his thieving pals from his own people.

We must hope the West stands firm and imposes every possible sanction on this brutal thug to punish him as he rips apart a neighbouring nation based on specious historical arguments and makes preparations to invade again on utterly spurious grounds.
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The UK is to join the US and the EU in imposing new sanctions on Russia 'in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity', Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Tuesday.

It comes as the Ukraine crisis intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would recognise two breakaway republics.

The decision to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine was an 'ill omen' and a flagrant breach of international law, Boris Johnson said in a press conference.

Ms Truss tweeted about the new sanctions on Monday evening after saying Mr Putin's actions could not be allowed to go 'unpunished'.

'Tomorrow we will be announcing new sanctions on Russia in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity,' she said.

Earlier on Monday, the Foreign Secretary said the recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic as independent states 'demonstrates Russia's decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue'.

'We will co-ordinate our response with allies,' she said. We will not allow Russia's violation of its international commitments to go unpunished.'

The move follows a decision by US President Joe Biden to immediately impose sanctions on the two breakaway regions in Ukraine, a move which was met with criticism for not being strong enough.

Jim Scuitto, who served as chief of staff to the U.S. Ambassador to China under Obama, said of the sanctions: 'Is this really it?'

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki assured in her Monday statement that there will be further measures taken in coordination with U.S. allies and partners if Russia further invades Ukraine.

'We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps and on Russia's ongoing escalation along the border with Ukraine,' she wrote.

The European Union's top officials have also said the bloc will impose sanctions against Russia.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel say in a joint statement that the recognition is 'a blatant violation of international law.'

The statement added that the bloc 'will react with sanctions' and 'reiterates its unwavering support to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.'

The UK is to join the US and the EU in imposing new sanctions on Russia after after Vladimir Putin said he would recognise two breakaway republics. Above: Pro-Russian activists celebrate in eastern Ukraine after Putin's decree

It comes as the Ukraine crisis intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would recognise two breakaway republics

Ms Truss tweeted about the new sanctions on Monday evening after saying Mr Putin's actions could not be allowed to go 'unpunished'

Putin signed a decree recognising the independence of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk regions while Mr Johnson was speaking at a news conference, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war.

Responding, Mr Johnson said: 'I gather that Vladimir Putin has effectively announced that Russia is recognising the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.

How Putin's recognition of breakaway republics has 'dangerous parallels' to Nazi Germany's actions before WWII Vladimir Putin's decision to recognise two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine has 'dangerous parallels' to Nazi Germany's actions prior to the Second World War, the Commons has heard. Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash (Stone) said: 'This evening Mr Putin has recognised the two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent states with dangerous parallels to Germany's recognition of the Sudetenland in 1938.' In the run-up to the Second World War, the Sudetenland, in which three million Germans lived, was part of what was then Czechoslovakia. In the famous Munich Agreement of 1938 the region was ceded to Adolf Hitler in the hope that the concession would be enough to avoid Europe-wide armed conflict after months of tensions caused by Germany's territorial ambitions. Vladimir Putin's decision to recognise two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine has 'dangerous parallels' to Nazi Germany's actions prior to the Second World War, the Commons has heard Hitler had been planning an invasion of the territory prior to the signing of the agreement. Britain's then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who was the main driver of the agreement, famously told the British public after it was signed that he believed it was 'peace in our time'. Hitler, who had already absorbed Austria into Germany in March 1938, rode roughshod over the deal the following year by annexing all of Czechoslovakia in March and invading Poland on September 1. It was that last act of aggression which was the final straw even for the peace-loving Chamberlain, who declared war on Germany on September 3. France followed soon after, sparking a conflict that finally ended with Germany's defeat in May 1945. In the famous Munich Agreement of 1938 the region was ceded to Adolf Hitler in the hope that the concession would be enough to avoid Europe-wide armed conflict after months of tensions caused by Germany 's territorial ambitions. Above: Hitler (right) with the then British PM Neville Chamberlain (centre) Advertisement

'This is plainly in breach of international law. It's a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine.

'It is a repudiation of the Minsk process and the Minsk agreements. And I think it's a very ill omen and a very dark sign, and certainly does seem to me that it's certainly an indication - yet another indication - that things are moving in the wrong direction in Ukraine.

'The UK will continue to do everything we can to stand by the people of Ukraine with a very robust package of sanctions, as you know, fortifying the Eastern flank of NATO in all the ways that we have, but also being one of the few countries to have given the Ukrainians, the defensive weaponry that we think is appropriate to their needs and we will continue to to think about what more we can do to support Ukraine in what is clearly a very, very dark and difficult time.'

Johnson said he would talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday and would offer Britain's support.

After Putin signed the decree, Ms Truss said in a statement that the move violated the U.N. Charter and signalled an end to the Minsk process - a set of agreements designed to end a separatist war by Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine.

'We will not allow Russia's violation of its international commitments to go unpunished,' she said.

She added: 'President Putin's recognition of the 'Donetsk People's Republic' and 'Luhansk People's Republic' as independent states shows flagrant disregard for Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements. This step... signals an end to the Minsk process.

'It demonstrates Russia's decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue. We will co-ordinate our response with allies. We will not allow Russia's violation of its international commitments to go unpunished.'

Tuesday's sanctions may not be the full extent of the response, with further sanctions in reserve if Putin subsequently decides to invade.

After Putin's declaration, President Biden almost immediately called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and convened a meeting of his National Security team.

The President also hopped on a secure call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for approximately a half-an-hour shortly after Putin's remarks.

'We have anticipated a move like this from Russia and are ready to respond immediately,' Ms Psaki wrote in her Monday statement following Putin's remarks.

'President Biden will soon issue an Executive Order that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine,' she detailed, adding 'the Departments of State and Treasury will have additional details shortly.'

'We will also soon announce additional measures related to today's blatant violation of Russia's international commitments,' Psaki added.

A bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers pledged on Monday to 'work toward whatever emergency supplemental legislation will best support our NATO allies and the people of Ukraine.'

'No matter what happens in the coming days, we must assure that the dictator Putin and his corrupt oligarchs pay a devastating price for their decisions,' they wrote.

Zelensky said he discussed with Biden on Monday afternoon 'the events of the last hours'.

'We begin the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council,' he posted, adding: 'A conversation with [UK Prime Minister] Boris Johnson is also planned.'

The White House confirmed that Biden did have a roughly 35-minutes call with Zelelnsky.

Britain and the US's response came as Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg condemned Putin's action in recognising the breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine and accused Russia of 'trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine yet again'.

'I condemn Russia's decision to extend recognition to the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk People's Republic' and 'Luhansk People's Republic',' NATO's secretary general Mr Stoltenberg said.

'This further undermines Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party.'

The former Norwegian Prime Minister added: 'In 2015, the United Nations Security Council, which includes Russia, reaffirmed its full respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Donetsk and Luhansk are part of Ukraine.

'Moscow continues to fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine by providing financial and military support to the separatists. It is also trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine once again.

The move follows a decision by US President Joe Biden to immediately impose sanctions on the two breakaway regions in Ukraine, a move which was met with criticism for not being strong enough

Putin signed a decree recognising the independence of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk regions while Mr Johnson was speaking at a news conference, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war

The White House announced Monday President Joe Biden will sign an Executive Order issuing economic sanctions on the two regions Russia just declared it recognizes as independent 'republics' in Eastern Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a document recognising the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Monday

Vladimir Putin today chaired a meeting of Russia's full security council, with top aides getting to their feet one by one to lay out the case for war in Ukraine

Separatist leaders in Ukraine's eastern regions claimed today a Ukrainian shell landed in Russian territory, destroying a guard post that was unmanned at the time

'NATO supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. Allies urge Russia, in the strongest possible terms, to choose the path of diplomacy, and to immediately reverse its massive military build-up in and around Ukraine, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine in accordance with its international obligations and commitments.'

Putin's move to recognise the rebel regions' independence shatters the Minsk peace agreements and opens the door for Russia to sign treaties with the 'states' and openly send troops and weapons there to defend them against Ukrainian 'threats'.

The move fuels further tension with the West and narrows the diplomatic options available to avoid war, since it is an explicit rejection of a seven-year-old ceasefire mediated by France and Germany, still touted as the framework for any future negotiations on the wider crisis.

Earlier, Putin vowed to decide 'today' whether to recognise Ukraine's eastern regions as independent states.

He made the remark at the end of an hours-long security council meeting that was broadcast on Russian TV during which the country's top security officials were called up one by one and asked to lay out the case for war - seemingly aimed at persuading a skeptical public of the need to attack.

Having spent days staging what are widely believed to be false flag attacks on Ukrainian soil and blaming them on Kiev, ministers presented the 'evidence' to Putin today: Claiming Russians in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions are under threat of 'genocide', that no peace deal can save them, and that he must intervene to save lives.

But in evidence that the entire spectacle was being staged - with the West warning a decision to invade has already been made - eagle-eyed viewers noticed that defence minister Sergei Shoigu's watch was five hours behind Moscow time, suggesting the hearing was pre-recorded.

All eyes will now turn to Ukraine's border regions for evidence that Russian troops have crossed, after videos published earlier in the day showed tanks and armoured vehicles in 'battle formations' - some of them less than three miles from the frontier.

Dymtro Kuleba, Ukraine's defence minister, said after the council meeting that 'the entire world' will watch what Russia does next and that 'everyone realises the consequences' if Putin vows to recognise the breakaway regions. 'We all should calmly focus on de-escalation efforts, [there is] no other way,' he tweeted.

It comes as two Ukrainian soldiers died on Monday and three were wounded in a shelling attack in Zaitseve, a village 18 miles north of the rebel stronghold Donetsk, Ukraine's national police said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had a phone call with Putin on Tuesday evening.

He warned him that recognising the eastern regions would be a 'one-sided' breach of peace negotiations and that he has a 'responsibility' to de-escalate tensions by removing troops from the border.
A dog who was missing for 12 years was finally reunited with her family this month after someone found the animal who called authorities on Feb. 10.

The dog, identified as 13-year-old Zoey, was dropped off on a rural property just outside Stockton. The person who found the missing animal said the dog looked "old and unwell," a Facebook post by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said.

Missing for 12 Years

The sheriff's office added that Animal Service Officer Brandon Levin was the one who retrieved Zoey and scanned her microchip. The officer discovered that the animal had been reported missing since 2010 and was originally from Lafayette, California. The animal's hometown was roughly 60 miles away from where she was found.

Michelle, Zoey's owner, said she was in quite a shock to discover that her pet was still alive and was able to come back home. The animal has been gone for so long that the company that produced the microchip that led to the find announced in 2015 that Zoey was "deceased" in their records, as per Fox News.

The dog's owner said that her family adopted Zoey when she was only six months old and noted that she had a twin sister. The dog lived with Michelle's family for about six months before the tragic incident. When the family went to the store for about 20 minutes and came back, they were surprised to see that the dog was nowhere to be found.

Read Also: COVID-19 Variants Remain Major Threat With Quick Evolution; Omicron 10 Times More Infectious, Study Reveals

Fortunately, the dog's owners still had the same contact information listed under the microchip despite moving to Benecia. The sheriff's office said they were able to contact Michelle and set up a reunion in Rio Vista. The owner said she was extremely excited to have her dog back after more than a decade finally, Cleveland reported.

Dog Goes Home

In a similar story, a dog named Buddy, who hailed from Mississippi, spent ten months in the hospital after he was accidentally set on fire in April and is now able to go back home. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Tunica Humane Society said that it was a wondrous day that they have prayed for.

The shelter added that despite the horrific injuries that the dog sustained during the incident, he stayed strong and continued to trust humans who were only trying to help him. They said that the animal taught caretakers about not giving up in the face of adversity.

On Apr. 22, Buddy was discovered in East Tate County with an extension cord twisted around his neck and his face set on fire. Medical experts conducted several skin grafts on the dog at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University, and he was given new skin on his snout and a fresh lease on life.

According to Southern Living, after months of searching for the perfect home, Buddy finally left the hospital on Tuesday night with Dr. Betsy Swanson, the veterinarian who was responsible for treating him. The shelter wrote that Swanson has been with the dog every step of the way to his complete recovery.

Related Article: With Spring Around the Corner, A Focus On Good Air Quality Is More Important Than Ever

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Rising sea levels may be seen as a very modern phenomenon, but according to a new study, it really became a significant issue more than 150 years ago.

Researchers have studied a global database of sea-level records spanning the last 2,000 years, based on archeological and biological evidence at global sites.

These sites include Pelham Bay in New York, Cheesequake in New Jersey, Vioarholmi in Iceland, Aasiaat in Greenland and Loch Laxford in Scotland.

Modern rates of sea level rise began emerging in 1863 following the Industrial Revolution, coinciding with evidence for early ocean warming and glaciers melting, the experts found.

However, the time period of 1940 to 2000 registered the biggest rates of sea level rises  up to 0.05 of an inch per year.

Researchers didn't look at sea level rises after 2000, although it's thought they've continued to increase globally since the turn of the century  up to 0.13 of an inch per year.

The database is based on archeological and biological evidence at sites including Pelham Bay in New York, Vioarholmi in Iceland and Loch Laxford in Scotland (pictured)

Globally, 'it is very likely' that rates of sea-level rise emerged above pre-industrial rates by 1863, which is similar in timing to evidence for early ocean warming and glacier melt, the researchers note

GLOBAL SEA-LEVEL RISE: SITES SAMPLED Researchers used a database that includes 2,274 sea-level samples from proxies such as single-celled organisms, coral and archeological evidence to work out historical seal levels. These sample sites include: - Pelham Bay, New York - Nassau, Florida - Cheesequake, New Jersey - Vioarholmi, Iceland - Aasiaat, Greenland - Ho Bugt, Denmark - Loch Laxford, Scotland - Kyle of Tongue, Scotland Advertisement

'We can be virtually certain the global rate of sea-level rise from 1940 to 2000 was faster than all previous 60-year intervals over the last 2,000 years,' said lead author Jennifer S. Walker at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

'Having a thorough understanding of site-specific sea-level changes over long timescales is imperative for regional and local planning and response to future sea level rise.'

The Industrial Revolution is generally said to have begun in 1760 in Britain, when manual labour began to be replaced by machinery fueled by new sources of the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil.

This was marked was mechanization of England's textile mills, the development of iron-making techniques, and the increasing use of coal rather than wood and water power for heating, industry, and transportation.

So even more than 150 years ago, humans were adding to the amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, ramping up the greenhouse effect and causing higher temperatures.

For the study, the researchers used a global database of sea-level records that includes 2,274 sea-level data points from proxies such as single-celled organisms, diatoms, protists, coral, archeological evidence and sediment geochemistry.

The Industrial Revolution is generally said to have begun in 1760 in Britain, when manual labour began to be replaced by machinery fueled by new sources of the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil. Here, an artist's impression shows machines making cotton thread by performing mechanical versions of carding drawing and roving in a mill in Lancashire England (ca 1835)

Another sample was taken at Aasiaat, a town in the Qeqertalik municipality in western Greenland (pictured)

In the pre-industrial era (from AD 0 to 1700), sea level rise fluctuated between a decline of 0.01 of an inch (0.3 mm) and an increase of 0.007-inch (0.2 mm) per year, they discovered.

Between 1700 and 1760, just prior to the the Industrial Revolution, sea levels were decreasing by 0.003-inch (0.1 mm) per year.

However, from 1940 to 2000 sea level rises increased to 0.05 of an inch (1.4 mm) per year.

'For comparison to the 20th century, current global rates of sea-level rise are about 3.4 mm [0.13-inch] per year,' Walker told MailOnline.

By examining the worldwide records, the researchers found that globally, the onset of modern rates of sea-level rise occurred in 1863, in line with the Industrial Revolution.

At individual sites in the US, modern rates emerged earliest in the mid-Atlantic region from 1872 to 1894, and later in Canada and Europe, emerging by the mid-20th century (1930 to 1964).

Here, 'time of emergence' - when a climate change signal emerges above background variability to reflect the onset of 'significant periods of change' - is shown for global sea level at the different locations

An international team of scientists including Rutgers researchers has found that modern rates of sea level rise began emerging in 1863 as the Industrial Age intensified, coinciding with evidence for early ocean warming and glacier melt.. Pictured, modern day sea levels at Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Walker noted that the statistical model the team used could also be applied to more individual sites to further understand the processes driving sea-level change on global and regional scales.

'The fact that modern rates emerge at all of our study sites by the mid-20th century demonstrates the significant influence global sea-level rise has had on our planet in the last century,' she said.

'Further analysis of the spatial variability in the time of emergence at different locations will continue to improve society's understanding of how regional and local processes impact rates of sea-level rise.'

According to the team, their study will help local and regional planners prepare for future sea-level rise, which is an important indicator of broader climate changes.

By identifying the time when modern rates of sea-level rise emerged above natural variability, the researchers were able to pinpoint the onset of a significant period of climate change.

The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
The largest known galaxy has been discovered by astronomers  measuring in at a whopping 153 times the size of our own Milky Way.

Named Alcyoneus, the galaxy is around 3 billion light-years away from Earth and is roughly 16.3 million light-years long.

By comparison, the Milky Way is just under 106,000 light-years long.

Alcyoneus has been identified as a giant radio galaxy, and contains a host galaxy along with massive jets and lobes that erupt from the centre of it.

The largest known galaxy has been discovered by astronomers  measuring in at a whopping 153 times the size of our own Milky Way. Named Alcyoneus, the galaxy (pictured) is around 3 billion light-years away from Earth and is roughly 16.3 million light-years long

Alcyoneus (pictured) has been identified as a giant radio galaxy, which contains a host galaxy, along with massive jets and lobes that erupt from the centre of it

WHAT IS INSIDE A BLACK HOLE? Black holes are strange objects in the universe that get their name from the fact that nothing can escape their gravity, not even light. If you venture too close and cross the so-called event horizon, the point from which no light can escape, you will also be trapped or destroyed. For small black holes, you would never survive such a close approach anyway. The tidal forces close to the event horizon are enough to stretch any matter until it's just a string of atoms, in a process physicists call 'spaghettification'. But for large black holes, like the supermassive objects at the cores of galaxies like the Milky Way, which weigh tens of millions if not billions of times the mass of a star, crossing the event horizon would be uneventful. Because it should be possible to survive the transition from our world to the black hole world, physicists and mathematicians have long wondered what that world would look like. They have turned to Einstein's equations of general relativity to predict the world inside a black hole. These equations work well until an observer reaches the centre or singularity, where, in theoretical calculations, the curvature of space-time becomes infinite. Advertisement

Little is known about these mysterious radio galaxies but experts think the jets and lobes associated with them are a byproduct of an active supermassive black hole at the galaxy's centre.

A black hole is defined as 'active' when it's eating, or 'accreting', material from a giant disk of material around it.

Not all of this material ends up beyond the event horizon, however, because a tiny fraction gets funnelled from the inner region of the disk to the poles, where it is blasted into space in the form of jets of ionised plasma.

These jets are able to travel huge distances at the speed of light, before spreading out into giant radio-emitting lobes.

Despite Alcyoneus' size, the type of radio lobes it emits are not out of the ordinary. Our Milky Way is also known to have its own radio lobes.

But one of the most mysterious things about Alcyoneus and other massive galaxies like it is how they grow so large.

Researchers led by the Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands hope their discovery of Alcyoneus could help shed light on how radio galaxies form and why they are so big.

'If there exist host galaxy characteristics that are an important cause for giant radio galaxy growth, then the hosts of the largest giant radio galaxies are likely to possess them,' Martijn Oei, of Leiden Observatory, said in a pre-print of the research paper.

'Similarly, if there exist particular large-scale environments that are highly conducive to giant radio galaxy growth, then the largest giant radio galaxies are likely to reside in them.'

Oei and his team discovered the largest known galaxy while searching for outliers in the data that the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) in Europe had put together.

The LOFAR is made up of around 20,000 radio antennas, distributed throughout 52 locations across the continent.

Researchers had to remove compact radio sources from the images to help detect radio lobes and correct for any optical distortions, which in turn led them to Alcyoneus.

According to the astronomers involved in the study, the largest known galaxy is surrounded by a cosmic web over 240 billion times the mass of the sun.

Despite Alcyoneus' size, however, the type of radio lobes it emits (pictured) are not out of the ordinary. The Milky Way is known to have its own radio lobes

Researchers led by the Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands hope their discovery of Alcyoneus could help shed like on how radio galaxies form and why they are so big

Oei and his team discovered the largest known galaxy while searching for outliers in the data that the Low Frequency Array in Europe had put together. Researchers had to remove compact radio sources from the images to help detect radio lobes and spot Alcyoneus (pictured)

They also think the supermassive black hole at the centre of Alcyoneus is about 400 million times the mass of the sun.

Although both parameters sound enormous, they are actually at the low end for giant radio galaxies.

'Beyond geometry, Alcyoneus and its host are suspiciously ordinary: the total low-frequency luminosity density, stellar mass and supermassive black hole mass are all lower than, though similar to, those of the medial giant radio galaxies,' the authors wrote in their paper.

'Thus, very massive galaxies or central black holes are not necessary to grow large giants, and, if the observed state is representative of the source over its lifetime, neither is high radio power.'

The researchers hope their study will help astronomers learn more about how radio galaxies originate, how much Alcyoneus might grow and at what rate, and whether even bigger galaxies exist.

The study is due to be published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
China has denied responsibility for a rocket that's set to slam into the moon while travelling at 5,700 miles per hour on March 4.

At a press conference in Beijing on Monday, China's foreign ministry denied a US claim that the spent rocket booster was debris from its Chang'e 5-T1 mission launched in 2014.

The booster in question had safely entered the Earth's atmosphere and was incinerated, according to Wang Wenbin, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, who said China's aerospace endeavors are 'always in keeping with international law'.

When the rocket was identified as hurtling towards the moon last month, it was identified as originally belonging to Elon Musk's firm SpaceX.

Mark Robinson, a professor of earth and space exploration at Arizona State University, told the New York Times in January that the item is believed to weigh about four tons and is traveling at 5,700 miles per hour.

It's expected to carve a crater about 65 feet in diameter on the surface of the moon, just a bit longer than a 10-pin bowling lane.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin (pictured here in June 2021) has denied responsibility for the wayward rocket

This image shows Chang'e 5-T1's re-entry module after vacuum thermal tests prior to its launch on a Long March 3C rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in October 2014

'According to Chinas monitoring, the upper stage of the Change-5 mission has fallen through the Earths atmosphere in a safe manner and burnt up completely,' said Wang when asked by a reporter from Associated Press.

THE CHANG'E 5-T1 MISSION Chang'e 5-T1 is an experimental robotic spacecraft that was launched to the Moon on October 23, 2014. Its purpose was to conduct atmospheric re-entry tests on the capsule design planned to be used in the Chang'e 5 mission (eventually launched in 2020). Chang'e 5-T1 rocket booster has been implicated in a collision with the moon that's set for March 4, 2022. Advertisement

'China follows international law for development of space affairs, and will safeguard the long-term development of outer space activities and conduct wider consultations with relevant sides.

Beijing 'conscientiously upholds the long-term sustainability of activities in outer space', Wang added.

According to the Chinese government's transcript of Monday's press conference, Wang refers to the Chang'e-5 mission  although this was a completely different mission.

Chang'e-5 launched in 2020, while the Chang'e 5-T1 mission  the one the Associated Press reporter refers to and the one recently blamed for the impending lunar collision  launched in October 2014.

Whoever it belongs to, the rocket was initially identified by Bill Gray, an independent researcher and developer of the astronomical software Project Pluto.

Initially, Grey thought it was the booster from a SpaceX rocket launch in February 2015, which sent a weather and Earth observation satellite named DSCOVR into orbit for NASA.

However, earlier this month NASA said its analysis showed that the object was likely the booster rocket from China's Chang'e 5-T1 mission launched in October 2014 from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Xichang, China.

The rocket is on track to hit the moon at the beginning of March, astronomers have revealed

China launched the uncrewed Chang'e 5-T1 spacecraft to the moon on a Long March 3C rocket, a three-stage Chinese rocket with two strap-on liquid rocket boosters.

The mission was to test the ability of the spacecraft's capsule to re-enter Earth's atmosphere.

The capsule landed back on Earth that same month, but it's been thought by the US authorities that the booster rocket had been floating through space for more than seven years before heading towards the moon.

Gray, who announced the upcoming collision in January, issued a correction about the identity of the rocket on February 16.

In the February 16 post, Gray says he's now sure that it's actually the Chang'e 5-T1 booster, rather than from DSCOVR.

When the rocket was identified as hurtling towards the moon last month, it was mistakenly identified as originally belonging to SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk (pictured)

Regardless of its identity, the collision course has re-ignited discussion about space debris and who is legally responsible for tracking space junk floating outside the Earth's atmosphere.

According to NASA, there are about 23,000 pieces of debris larger than a softball orbiting the Earth.

In 2021, an expert at the European Commission warned that unwanted debris left by humans in low-Earth orbit have become the equivalent of a 'new drifting island of plastic'.
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A huge eruption from the sun has been caught on camera by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Solar Orbiter probe.

It is the largest such eruption ever observed in a single image with the full solar disc in shot, according to ESA.

The burst of radiation erupted from the side of the Sun facing away from Earth and extended millions of miles into space.

Solar eruptions, or prominences, are large structures of tangled magnetic field lines that keep dense concentrations of solar plasma suspended above the Sun's surface, sometimes taking the form of arching loops.

They are often associated with coronal mass ejections, which if directed towards Earth, can wreak havoc with our technology.

Explosion: A huge eruption from the sun (pictured) has been caught on camera by the Solar Orbiter probe. It is the largest such eruption ever observed in a single image with the full solar disc in shot, the European Space Agency said

The burst of radiation erupted from the side of the Sun facing away from Earth and extended millions of miles into space

Solar eruptions, or prominences, are large structures of tangled magnetic field lines that keep dense concentrations of solar plasma suspended above the Sun's surface, sometimes taking the form of arching loops

WHAT ARE CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS? Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large clouds of plasma and magnetic field that erupt from the sun. These clouds can erupt in any direction, and then continue on in that direction, plowing through solar wind. These clouds only cause impacts to Earth when they're aimed at Earth. They tend to be much slower than solar flares, as they move a greater amount of matter. CMEs can be triggered when a storm on the surface of the sun causes a whirlwind to form at the base of plasma loops that project from the surface. These loops are called prominences and when they become unstable they can break, releasing the CME into space. Advertisement

The latest eruption took place on February 15 and was caught on camera by the Solar Orbiter's 'Full Sun Imager' (FSI) of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI).

FSI is designed to look at the full solar disc even during close passages of the Sun, such as during the upcoming perihelion passage next month.

At closest approach on March 26, which will see the spacecraft pass within about 0.3 times the Sun-Earth distance, the Sun will fill a much larger portion of the telescope's field of view.

Right now, there is still a lot of 'viewing margin' around the disc, enabling stunning detail to be captured out to about 2.17 million miles (3.5 million km), equivalent to five times the radius of the Sun.

Other space telescopes such as the ESA and NASA's SOHO satellite often see solar activity like this, but are either closer to the Sun, or further out, which blocks out the glare of the Sun's disc to enable detailed imagery of the corona itself.

That is why the eruption observed by the Solar Orbiter is the largest ever event of its kind to be captured in a single field of view together with the solar disc.

Scientists said it opens up new possibilities to see how events like these connect to the solar disc for the first time.

Other space missions were also watching the event, including NASA's Parker Solar Probe.

Next week, Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe will perform dedicated joint observations during Parker's perihelion passage.

Even spacecraft not dedicated to solar science felt its blast.

BepiColombo, a joint ESA/JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) mission, which is currently in the vicinity of Mercury's orbit, detected a massive increase in the readings for electrons, protons, and heavy ions with its radiation monitor.

ESA said that while this eruption did not send a blast of deadly particles towards Earth, it is an important reminder of the unpredictable nature of the Sun and the importance of understanding and monitoring its behaviour.

Scientists hope that with better views of events like these, we can better protect our home planet from the Sun's violent outbursts.

Other space telescopes such as the ESA and NASA's SOHO satellite often see solar activity like this, but are either closer to the Sun, or further out, which blocks out the glare of the Sun's disc to enable detailed imagery of the corona itself. Pictured is a combined wide-view image of Solar Orbiter and SOHO's view of the giant eruption

The eruption observed by the Solar Orbiter (pictured left) is the largest ever event of its kind to be captured in a single field of view together with the solar disc. Right is what SOHO saw

Solar Orbiter is a European Space Agency mission to explore the Sun and the effect our host star has on the solar system

The Solar Orbiter launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida in February 2020 is described by ESA as the 'most complex scientific laboratory ever to have been sent to the Sun.'

'Although our life-giving star has been an object of scientific interest for centuries, its behaviour still presents a puzzle for scientists,' ESA explained.

'Solar Orbiter will take images of the Sun from closer than any spacecraft before and for the first time look at its uncharted polar regions.

'By combining observations from Solar Orbiters six remote-sensing instruments and four sets of in situ instruments, scientists hope to find answers to some profound questions: What drives the Suns 11-year cycle of rising and subsiding magnetic activity? What heats up the upper layer of its atmosphere, the corona, to millions of degrees Celsius? What drives the generation of the solar wind? What accelerates the solar wind to speeds of hundreds of kilometres per second? And how does it all affect our planet?'
Greenland's Ice Sheet is melting from the bottom up and is now the largest single contributor to global sea level rise, a new study has warned.

Researchers have observed 'unprecedented' rates of melting at the bottom of the ice sheet, caused by huge quantities of meltwater falling from the surface to the base.

As the meltwater falls, energy is converted into heat in a similar way to how hydroelectric power is generated by large dams.

This effect is by far the largest heat source beneath the world's second-largest ice sheet, an international team of scientists led by the University of Cambridge found, leading to phenomenally high rates of melting at its base.

Warning: Greenland's Ice Sheet (pictured) is melting from the bottom up and is now the largest single contributor to global sea level rise, a new study has found

Researchers have observed 'unprecedented' rates of melting at the bottom of the ice sheet (pictured), caused by huge quantities of meltwater falling from the surface to the base

HOW IS GLOBAL WARMING AFFECTING GLACIAL RETREAT? Global warming is causing the temperatures all around the world to increase. This is particularly prominent at latitudes nearer the poles. Rising temperatures, permafrost, glaciers and ice sheets are all struggling to stay in tact in the face of the warmer climate. As temperatures have risen to more than a degree above pre-industrial levels, ice continues melt. For example, melting ice on the Greenland ice sheet is producing 'meltwater lakes', which then contribute further to the melting. This positive feedback loop is also found on glaciers atop mountains. Many of these have been frozen since the last ice age and researchers are seeing considerable retreat. Some animal and plant species rely heavily on the cold conditions that the glaciers provide and are migrating to higher altitudes to find suitable habitat. This is putting severe strain on the ecosystems as more animals and more species are living in an ever-shrinking region. On top of the environmental pressure, the lack of ice on mountains is vastly increasing the risks of landslides and volcanic eruptions. The phenomena is found in several mountain ranges around the world. It has also been seen in regions of Antarctica. Advertisement

The lubricating effect of meltwater has a strong effect on the movement of glaciers and the quantity of ice discharged into the ocean, but directly measuring conditions beneath more than half a mile (1 km) of ice to the bottom is a challenge, especially in Greenland where glaciers are among the world's fastest moving.

Experts say this makes it difficult to understand the dynamic behaviour of the Greenland Ice Sheet and predict future changes

Each summer, thousands of meltwater lakes and streams form on the surface of the ice sheet as temperatures rise and daily sunlight increases.

But many of these lakes quickly drain to the bottom, falling through cracks and large fractures which form in the ice.

With a continued supply of water from streams and rivers, connections between surface and bed often remain open.

Professor Poul Christoffersen from Cambridge's Scott Polar Research Institute has been studying these meltwater lakes, how and why they drain so quickly, and the effect that they have on the overall behaviour of the ice sheet as global temperatures continue to rise.

The current work, which includes researchers from Aberystwyth University, is the culmination of a seven-year study focused on Store Glacier, one of the largest outlets from the Greenland Ice Sheet.

'When studying basal melting of ice sheets and glaciers, we look at sources of heat like friction, geothermal energy, latent heat released where water freezes and heat losses into the ice above,' said Christoffersen.

'But what we hadn't really looked at was the heat generated by the draining meltwater itself.

'There's a lot of gravitational energy stored in the water that forms on the surface and when it falls, the energy has to go somewhere.'

To measure melt rates at the base of the ice sheet, the researchers used radio-echo sounding, a technique developed at the British Antarctic Survey and used previously on floating ice sheets in Antarctica.

'We weren't sure that the technique would also work on a fast-flowing glacier in Greenland,' said fellow author Dr Tun Jan Young, who installed the radar system on Store Glacier as part of his PhD at Cambridge.

'Compared to Antarctica, the ice deforms really fast and there is a lot of meltwater in summer, which complicates the work.'

The melt rates at the base were found to be as high as those measured on the surface with a weather station.

This is despite the fact that the surface receives heat from the sun while the base does not.

To explain the results, the Cambridge researchers teamed up with scientists at the University of California Santa Cruz and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.

Each summer, thousands of meltwater lakes and streams form on the surface of the ice sheet as temperatures rise and daily sunlight increases

But many of these lakes quickly drain to the bottom, falling through cracks and large fractures which form in the ice (pictured)

The researchers calculated that as much as 82 million cubic metres of meltwater was transferred to the bed of Store Glacier every day during the summer of 2014.

They estimated that the power produced by the falling water during peak melt periods was comparable to the power produced by the Three Gorges Dam in China, the world's largest hydroelectric power station.

With a melt area that expands to nearly a million square kilometres at the height of summer, the Greenland Ice Sheet produces more hydropower than the world's ten largest hydroelectric power stations combined, the researchers found.

'Given what we are witnessing at the high latitudes in terms of climate change, this form of hydropower could easily double or triple, and we're still not even including these numbers when we estimate the ice sheet's contribution to sea level rise,' said Christoffersen.

The researchers compared temperature measurements from sensors installed in a nearby borehole to verify the melt rates recorded by the radar.

At the base, they found the temperature of water to be as high as 33F (0.88C), which is unexpectedly warm for an ice sheet base with a melting point of 31F (-0.40C).

'The borehole observations confirmed that the meltwater heats up when it hits the bed,' said Christoffersen.

The researchers calculated that as much as 82 million cubic metres of meltwater was transferred to the bed of Store Glacier every day during the summer of 2014

As the meltwater falls, energy is converted into heat in a similar way to how hydroelectric power is generated by large dams (pictured)

'The reason is that the basal drainage system is a lot less efficient than the fractures and conduits that bring the water through the ice. The reduced drainage efficiency causes frictional heating within the water itself.

'When we took this heat source out of our calculations, the theoretical melt rate estimates were a full two orders of magnitude out.

'The heat generated by the falling water is melting the ice from the bottom up, and the melt rate we are reporting is completely unprecedented.'

Researchers said their study provides the first concrete evidence of an ice-sheet mass-loss mechanism, which is not yet included in projections of global sea level rise.

While the high melt rates are specific to heat produced in subglacial drainage paths carrying surface water, the volume of surface water produced in Greenland is huge and growing, and nearly all of it drains to the bed.

The study has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has showed off some nasty ankle scars after a 'proper game' against Leeds on Sunday.

Ralf Rangnick's men rallied after a second-half comeback from Leeds to win 4-2 at Elland Road, in a match in which treacherous conditions made for an engrossing, physical Premier League contest.

Scotland international McTominay got stuck in from the off and in a post on Instagram captioned 'Leeds away - proper game', the 25-year-old posted a photo of his ankle with numerous fresh scars following the contest.

Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has showed off some nasty ankle scars

The 25-year-old was flying into challenges and was arguably fortunate not to be sent-off

McTominay was flying into challenges straight away, with heavy rain in Leeds making for an old-school clash between two fierce rivals.

After 14 minutes, the midfielder flew into a challenge with Leeds defender Robin Koch, in which the Leeds defender needed medical assistance to the head after a forearm smash.

McTominay escaped with a warning from the referee, while Koch continued but was later substituted in the 31st minute due to concerns over concussion.

McTominay was eventually cautioned in the 78th minute after getting nowhere near the ball with a tackle on Joe Gelhardt.

McTominay escaped with a warning from the referee after a forearm smash on Robin Koch

Koch continued but was later substituted in the 31st minute due to concerns over concussion

The home-grown United star was also involved in a fracas as full-time approached but remained on the pitch for the whole 90 minutes.

A vital win for United means they are now in fourth place, four points above West Ham below them.

Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Fred and Anthony Elanga were all on the scoresheet in a feisty encounter - United's next game is in the Champions League last-16 at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo has thanked his fans after becoming the first person to reach 400 million followers on Instagram.

The 37-year-old, who currently has 404 million followers, posted a video on the platform for his supporters which included his famous 'Siuuu' celebration while wearing a 2,000 grey cashmere Dior jumper.

The Manchester United and Portugal superstar also targeted another '100 and 200 million' followers on the social media site in a 30-second video released on Monday afternoon.

Cristiano Ronaldo has thanked his fans after becoming the first person to reach 400 million followers on Instagram

The 37-year-old, who currently has 404 million, posted a video on the platform on Monday

In his post, Ronaldo said: 'Hi guys, 400 million. Wow, what a number. Now I can say Siuuu!

'Well it's fantastic, what a moment for me. Without you this wouldn't be possible. So from the bottom fo my heart I have to say thank you. Keep going like that!

'I will share my life with you, all the things with you because you deserve it. So thank you very much. Let's do it for more 100 million, 200 million - thank you guys!'

Ronaldo, who has also played for Real Madrid, Juventus and Sporting Lisbon in a stunning 20-year career, is 92 million followers ahead of the second most-followed person on Instagram, US model and TV personality Kylie Jenner.

Ronaldo is 96 million Instagram followers ahead of long-term Ballon d'Or rival Lionel Messi

The Manchester United forward broke his goalscoring drought last week against Brighton

Presumably much to Ronaldo's satisfaction too, he is 96 million followers ahead of third place on the list: long-term Ballon d'Or rival Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo was in action for United on Sunday but did not score in the 4-2 victory against Leeds, after breaking his goalscoring drought last week against Brighton.

The five-time Champions League winner will be targeting further glory in the competition this season, as United face Atletico Madrid in the last-16 on Wednesday night.
Every week, our Holiday Hero Neil Simpson takes an in-depth look at a brilliant holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you dont have to. This week: Fly-drive trips to America.

It's been around for 100 years, but the iconic American road trip has lost none of its appeal for those looking to inject adventure into their travels.

In fact, according to a growing number of holiday companies, fly-drives are topping the charts for new, long-haul bookings.

Iconic: The American road trip will appeal to those looking to inject adventure into their travels

Kuoni is the latest to tap into the demand, launching a website dedicated to North America. Were creating a collection of itineraries focusing on California, Florida, Las Vegas and the places we know travellers love to explore, says Kuoni chief executive Derek Jones.

Self-drive holidays along the Californian coast, through national parks and across the border into Canadas Rocky Mountains are expected to be popular as the website, breeze.kuoni.co.uk, goes live.

The costs of a North American road trip package (with flights, car rental and accommodation) are likely to be higher than they were a few years ago  car rental prices have soared post-pandemic.

The Highlights Of The Florida Keys holiday from Inspiring Travel includes direct flights to Miami, where you can tour South Beach (pictured)

Stop off at Ernest Hemingways Florida home (pictured) on Inspiring Travel's tour of the state

However, there are still good deals on offer and upgrades to convertible cars also make road trips more special. Sunny Florida is a perfect self-drive state and a great way to see it is on the Highlights Of The Florida Keys holiday from Inspiring Travel. It includes direct flights to Miami, where you can tour South Beach before collecting the keys to your rental car. Head south to Key Largo, one of the worlds best dive spots and swim alongside turtles and shipwrecks.

Then cross 42 bridges and follow the modern wonder of the 113-mile Overseas Highway for a few nights in Key West, the southernmost point of the continental United States. Ernest Hemingways house, amazing sunsets and the rest of the quirky town await. Then drive north to stay amid the six sandy keys of laid-back Islamorada before returning to Miami.

Daily drives rarely take more than a few leisurely hours on an eight-night, luxury self-drive tour from 3,499pp including flights (inspiringtravelcompany.co.uk).

Enjoy two nights in Las Vegas (pictured) before getting behind the wheel on American Sky's 15-night Route 66 self-drive holiday

Stop and admire the cinematic sandstone towers of Monument Valley (pictured) on American Sky's tour

American Sky tour-goers can look forward to seeing the rich, red rocks of Bryce Canyon, pictured

The American West was made for road trips including the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley And Mighty Five Of Utah from American Sky. Enjoy two nights in Las Vegas before getting behind the wheel and driving to the Grand Canyon, then the cinematic, sandstone towers of Monument Valley.

Take it down a gear touring the five lesser-known national parks of Utah, including the rich, red rocks of Bryce Canyon. Eat at cowboy-style, roadside diners and stay in retro motels along the way. A typical ten-night trip costs from 1,599pp, including flights.

Or let the company arrange flights and a classic Route 66 self-drive holiday. A 15-night trip from Chicago to Los Angeles is from 1,959pp (americansky.co.uk).

Retro stop: Eat at cowboy-style, roadside diners and stay in motels along the way on American Sky's Route 66 tour. Pictured is The Blue Swallow Motel in New Mexico, which features on the route

Dial-a-Flights Nations Capital holiday starts in Philadelphia, pictured, where Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration Of Independence

Dial-a-Flights itinerary makes time for canoeing on the Delaware River. Pictured is the river as it bends near Port Jervis, New York

On the East Coast, American history and a series of stunning landscapes combine on the route of Dial-a-Flights Nations Capital self-drive holiday.

The suggested itinerary starts in Philadelphia, where Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration Of Independence, and ends with his memorial in Washington DC. Between the two, your itinerary makes time for canoeing on the Delaware River, buggy rides in Amish country and boat trips across Chesapeake Bay with dolphins in your wake.

Take the tour in early autumn and the route is designed to showcase spectacular autumn colours. A 12-night trip costs from 1,465pp, including flights (dialaflight.com).
The future is not looking bright for Married At First Sight's most popular couples.

After getting into several onscreen arguments with their brides, Al Perkins and Brent Vitiello were enjoying drinks in Sydney without their rings on.

Daily Mail Australia's exclusive pictures, which were taken in January, show the Bondi tradie drowning his sorrows alongside his co-star after Samantha Moitzi raged at him during Sunday's episode.

EXCLUSIVE: The rings are off! MAFS' Brent Vitiello, 33, (right) and Al Perkins, 25, (left) drowned their sorrows at a Bondi bar back in January as their relationships went downhill on the show

Al, 25, and fellow groom Brent, 33, dined outdoors at a popular bar in Bondi.

They both expressed mixed emotions, just weeks after filming their final vows.

Sunday's episode of the Channel Nine show saw both couples relationships being tested following a turbulent week in the experiment.

Is everything okay? Daily Mail Australia's exclusive pictures show the Bondi tradie drowning his sorrows alongside his co-star after Samantha Moitzi raged at him during Sunday's episode

Emotional: Al and Brent expressed mixed emotions during the outing

Al's bride Samantha almost broke down into tears as she said she felt she was being pressured to kiss Al during Intimacy Week.

Speaking to the experts, Samantha said she was upset to learn that some of the other couples refused to participate in several of the kissing task.

'I feel like I made a few moves in private that he didn't really pick up. I just said ''I'm like, I want to do an in private when we're ready'', And then yeah, I ended up caving,' she explained on the couch.

Incoming call: At one point, Brent appeared nervous while taking a phone call

Taking the edge off! Brent and Al were seen downing several drinks while they spoke about their television relationships

Sam added that she then had a complete 'meltdown' because she didn't feel like that they were at that point in their relationship.

'I'm not going to sit here and makeout with you. Because you haven't earned it', she brutally told him.

Al said after their tiff he started to have doubts and questioned whether Sam was even attracted to him.

Looking for a spot: Earlier in the day, Brent and Al were seen roaming through the streets of Bondi looking for the perfect venue

Trouble: Brent's relationship also went from bad to worse after he revealed that Tamara 'stood over me and called me a c**t' during an argument over music volume

Meanwhile, Brent's relationship also went from bad to worse after he revealed that Tamara 'stood over me and called me a c**t' during an argument over music volume.

'That is a complete fabrication of an argument,' shot back Tamara.

The other participants and the MAFS experts all watched on in shock as the argument escalated.

'Now you're lying!' exclaimed Brent, before dropping his face into his hand in frustration.

Married At First Sight continues on Monday at 7pm on Channel Nine

On the rocks? Brent and Tamara's relationship has featured no shortage of drama in their brief time together
Lucy Mecklenburgh says she "can't wait" to welcome her second child, but that she will need to wait to meet her baby daughter before deciding on a name.

The former The Only Way Is Essex star, who already shares son Roman with actor Ryan Thomas, 37, said she had an "inkling" that her new baby would be a girl but was not sure.

She told HELLO! magazine that the latest addition to the family was due in late spring.

Excited: Lucy Mecklenburgh says she "can't wait" to welcome her second child, but that she will need to wait to meet her baby daughter before deciding on a name

'We can't wait,' the 30-year-old TV personality said. 'I had an inkling that I was having a girl, but I was a bit more unsure than with Roman.

'With him I just knew - I don't know why but even before we found out, I said: 'I know, one hundred per cent, it's a boy.''

On choosing a name, Mecklenburgh said again she was more certain with her previous child.

Happy family: The former The Only Way Is Essex star, who already shares son Roman with actor Ryan Thomas, said she had an "inkling" that her new baby would be a girl but was not sure

Read all about it: The full interview is available in the latest issue of HELLO!

She added: 'With Roman we named him as soon as we found out we were having a boy. I remember we looked at a list and we both pointed to the same name. But this time, we have a list of 15 names.

'We may just have to wait to meet her. Nothing in the world beats that moment when you hold your baby for the first time.

'You experience this whole new kind of love, and they are your world. Nothing else really matters.'

Mecklenburgh announced she was expecting again in November when she shared a photo on Instagram.

The post showed her cradling her baby bump while her son looks at his own bare stomach.

Roman was born on 7 March 2020 - a couple of weeks before lockdown hit and Mecklenburgh admitted that being a new mum could be "very lonely", but social media helped her stay connected.

'I'd put up stories at 4am about feeding and I'd get mums messaging me back.' she said. 'It was a way to know you are not alone. That is how motherhood is: we are all in it together.'

Mecklenburgh and Thomas have been in a relationship since 2017 after meeting on Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls.

Thomas, who played Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street from 2000 until 2016, proposed during a holiday in Italy in June 2019.

The full interview is available in the latest issue of HELLO!, out now.
Google accidentally leaked its Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones, hinting they will be equipped with an improved Tensor chip.

Aside from that, there are other Google Pixel devices to watch out for this year, including the Pixel Watch and Pixel 6a.

Google Pixel 7 in the Works

After the successful release of the Google Pixel 6 series last October, the search engine giant appears ready to introduce an update of the said device.

According to Forbes, the latest Google Pixel 7 leak, which was accidentally shared by the company, was found in the code for Android 13.

To further emphasize, both devices were discovered by 9to5Google and developer Cstark27, disclosing additional development codenames alongside a lot of new features.

Google Pixel 7 Leak: Codenames, Upgrades

In relation to the release of code Android 13 Developer Preview, 9to5Google stated that they uncovered numerous information about the things that Google will be offering this year. Cstark27 first spotted that the GS201 chip will be equipped with a Samsunf modem with a model number g5300b.

Samsung has yet to reveal this chipset, which is promising given that the Pixel 6 series featured an Exynos 5123 modem that was disclosed by the South Korean technology company in October of 2019.

For those who do not know, the Pixel 6 series has a model number of g5123b, the number 5123 was originated from the Exynos Modem 5123.

With the given model number, 9to5Google expressed belief that Google's second-generation Tensor chip will equip what could be called the Exynos Modem 5300.

Read Also: Chrome OS Flex: Windows, Mac Hardware Can Now Operate Google's Operating System

Meanwhile, the GS201 chip has the codename "Cloudripper"--which is assumed to be used by the developer testing board.

Since codenames were used instead of the name of the anticipated device, it is also believed that there are three other device codenames linked with the new Exynos Modem 5300. Two of the said codenames identified for Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are "Cheetah" and "Panther."

This information showed that the Pixel 7 series will be powered by the second-generation Google Tensor GS201 CPU, as these devices are said to feature the same modem as Cloudripper.

On the other hand, Tom's Guide added to the leak that the Pixel 7 may be the first Google device to be equipped with the new Tensor chipset despite the fact that there are several Pixel-based devices that will be released this year.

It is also worth noting that fans are likely to see at least three other Pixel devices before the new flagships arrive in October, per Tom's Guide.

Other Google Pixel Leaks To Know

Among the rumored Pixel devices to watch out for, one of them is the Google Pixel 6a.

This device is expected to be a trimmed-down version from last year's flagship with the same first-generation Tensor processing capability but a lower-spec camera and a less expensive design.

Aside from this, there is also a possibility that Google's first wearable Pixel Watch will be released in May. Following Google's $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit, the watch is rumored to sport a circular design, a crown and some Fitbit software integration as a way to show off what Wear OS 3 can accomplish.

Despite these latest Google Pixel 7 leaks, there is no official confirmation from Google about their validity.



Related Article: Google Search On Desktop Appears To Include Widgets Similar To Discover-like Cards
Strictly Come Dancing star Johannes Radebe said he has never given relationships a chance but feels he is now in a place where he can "accept love".

Radebe made Strictly history last year alongside Bake Off star John Whaite as the first all-male couple and finished as runners-up behind soap star Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice.

And the professional dancer, 34, tells HELLO! that he is now ready for a loving relationship, and would like to be a father at some point in the future.

Opening up: Strictly Come Dancing star Johannes Radebe said he has never given relationships a chance but feels he is now in a place where he can "accept love"

He said: 'I've never given relationships a chance. We can't love someone else if we don't love ourselves, but I'm now in a place in my own mind where I can accept love because I know how to give love.

'I'm still waiting for someone to step forward for me and know there are wonderful people out there. And yes, I'd like children one day. Parenthood is a huge responsibility I'd like to share.'

The South African dancer joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, having previously been on South Africa's version of Strictly and Dancing with the Stars.

Iconic: Radebe made Strictly history last year alongside Great British Bake Off star John Whaite as the first all-male couple to appear on the long-running BBC show

Read all about it: Read the full article in the latest issue of HELLO! magazine, out now

However, Radebe revealed that he considered giving up his "beautiful life" in the UK and returning home at one stage due to a number of family deaths causing him to feel lost.

He explained: 'Three members of my family had died. I felt lost and wanted to be there for my mum and the others.

'I was living a beautiful life in the UK but started to question what was more important. My career had taken me away from my family for years and I felt guilty. It still bothers me to this day.

'I live alone and don't have a partner. So, I thought by going home I could lead a simpler life around people I love."

The dancer said that his supportive late Aunt Martha, who died of COVID-19 last year, influenced his decision to stay.

'She told me I was highly favoured, not because of what I do on the dancefloor but because my purpose is about extending myself to help others', he said.

Success: Radebe and Whaite finished as runners-up behind soap star Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice in the final of Strictly Come Dancing

Radebe has been travelling around the UK over the past month with Whaite as part of the star-studded line-up for the Strictly Come Dancing tour.

The dancer is also preparing to tell his life story in his upcoming solo UK tour titled Johannes Radebe: Freedom.

Reflecting on his life in the UK, he said: 'It's amazing to be in a country where, as I walk down the street, I'm greeted and appreciated. There's nowhere else in the world I'd rather be, and I've never felt such freedom.'

Read the full article in the latest issue of HELLO! magazine, out now.
She recently returned to Australia after being in Los Angeles with her husband Sam and their three children for over a year.

And Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) had a ball catching up with her brother Joshua Bingle and friends on Saturday.

The model, 34, enjoyed a day cruising around Sydney Harbour.

Bikini babe! Lara Worthington showed off her cleavage and super slim figure in a strapless swimsuit as she went swimming off a yacht with her brother Joshua Bingle and friends in Sydney over the weekend

She showed off her cleavage and super slim figure in a chic black swimsuit as she went swimming off the luxury vessel.

The blonde bombshell's famous 'Love Lou' ribcage tattoo was seen peeking out of her strapless top and she flaunted her flawless visage by going makeup free.

Lara was seen boarding the boat wearing a fashion forward blue apron dress teamed with Nike slides.

Not an inch to pinch: The mother-of-three's tiny waist was also on display in the bikini

She accessorised with a large brown leather bag and designer shades.

The Share The Base founder appeared to be in good spirits as she caught up with her younger sibling and her pals.

Lara is married to Avatar actor Sam Worthington, 45, and the couple share three young sons; Rocket, six, Racer, four, and River, one.

Dedication: The blonde bombshell's famous 'Love Lou' ribcage tattoo was seen peeking out of her strapless top

The family moved back to Australia temporarily in January last year, after spending the better part of a decade living in New York and Los Angeles.

The fiercely private couple tied the knot in December 2014 in a low-key ceremony, saying 'I do' in front of just 10 people at a private house in Melbourne.

'It was very intimate, we just popped in to Melbourne where Sam's family is from. It was just our families, less than 10 people,' she told the Kyle and Jackie O radio show in October 2015.

Bottoms up! The mother-of-three also flaunted her toned derriere in the high-cut swimsuit

Cute: Lara shielded her famous face with a cute knitted bucket hat

Nice ride! The group enjoyed the stunning Harbour views from this luxury yacht

'We wrote the whole celebration, we wrote all our vows. I was pregnant as well.'

Describing her wedding day look, Lara added: 'It was super chilled.

'Just before the wedding I was in London, it was really cold at the time and finding a dress at six months pregnant was difficult.

'I found something at Louis Vuitton, it was white.'

Chic: Lara wore a blue apron slip dress for the boat outing and a pair of Nike slides

Flawless: She appeared to be completely makeup free and shaded her eyes with designer shades

In 2018, Lara reflected on how getting married and having children had completely changed her life.

'Five years ago I felt like a different person to what I am now, and it's nice to be able to grow,' she told Popsugar.

'When you get married and have children it's not all about you anymore, you have a responsibility to make your family proud and I really cherish that,' she continued.

'That's probably the most important thing to me.'

Family affair: Lara was joined by her younger brother Joshua Bingle and friends
She has been hosting Studio 10 for almost a decade.

But rumour has it Sarah Harris could jump ship to Channel Seven's Sunrise once her contract with Network 10 expires in October this year.

The speculation began after photos surfaced on Instagram last week of Sarah having lunch with Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell.

Speculation: Rumour has it Studio 10 host Sarah Harris (pictured) could jump ship to Channel Seven's Sunrise once her contract with Channel 10 expires in October this year

The cosy lunch between the friends and network rivals could be a telling sign Sarah is considering her options for 2023, a source told Woman's Day.

'When Sarah posted happy snaps from a relaxed Sunday lunch with Michael, she ended any speculation as to what her next big role might be,' the insider said.

'This has sent a very clear message to the current line-up at Seven that a new kid is about to arrive on the block.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Seven and 10 for comment.

Rival networks: The speculation began after photos surfaced on Instagram last week of Sarah having lunch with Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell (right)

Sarah has hosted Studio 10 since 2013.

Channel Nine reportedly tried to poach her for the Today show in December 2018.

Network bosses were apparently interested in hiring her as a co-host alongside Georgie Gardner.

Next move? The cosy lunch between the friends and network rivals could be a telling sign Sarah is considering her options for 2023, a source told Woman's Day

At the time, Karl Stefanovic had just been axed from the show - he would return a year later - but Sarah was still under contract at Channel 10.

Aside from her television career, Sarah has two sons, Paul, five, and Harry, three, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Tom Ward.

Sarah confirmed her split from IT professional Tom in March last year.
KIIS FM presenter Kyle Sandilands has denied he's picked his radio co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson to be his child's godmother.

Woman's Day alleged Jackie, 47, was 'over the moon' to be asked, but Kyle's manager Bruno Bouchet hosed down the story on Monday.

'Woman's Day has a stellar and unblemished track record of making up stories,' Mr Bouchet told Daily Mail Australia.

Not true! Kyle Sandilands (left) has shut down rumours he's chosen co-host Jackie O (right) to be his baby's godmother' - as he prepares to welcome a child with Tegan Kynaston (centre)

'This fictitious fable can go straight to the crowded pool room where Woman's Day keep all of their other spurious spiels.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jackie's manager for further comment.

Kyle and Jackie have been colleagues and friends for more than 20 years.

Denial: Woman's Day alleged Jackie was 'over the moon' to be asked, but Kyle's manager Bruno Bouchet hosed down the story on Monday

She previously described the shock jock as her 'go-to' person.

'Kyle is the one I would go to if I were in a jam. He's the person I'd go to for anything, because no one has my back like he does  and I have his back,' she told TV Week in September.

'We know each other better than anyone else.'

Congratulations! Kyle and his fiancee Tegan, who have been dating since 2019, announced their baby news live on The Kyle and Jackie O Show last week

Kyle, 50, and his fiancee Tegan Kynaston, 36, announced their baby news live on The Kyle and Jackie O Show last week.

'We're having a baby!' Kyle declared on air, as the entire KIIS FM studio cheered.

He then joked he plans to hire a 'dozen Fijian nannies' once the baby is born.

Sweet moment: 'We're having a baby!' Kyle declared on air, as Tegan joined him in the studio

Tegan, who is three months pregnant, also revealed her fiance had been busy preparing for their child's arrival, even helping pick out cribs.

The couple, who have been dating since 2019 and got engaged in Queensland over the Christmas holidays, began trying for a baby last year.

Kyle was previously in a relationship with model Imogen Anthony for eight years until their split in 2019.
She finished the thirteenth season of Dancing On Ice in second place.

And Faye Brookes, 34, returned to the show in spectacular style on Sunday as she announced the show competition after showcasing her moves, and impressive cartwheels.

The former Coronation Street actress looked sensational as she slipped into a tasselled bodysuit with fishnet stockings for her routine, which was inspired by her upcoming stint on the Chicago The Musical tour.

Stunning: Faye Brookes looked sensational as she slipped into a tasselled bodysuit with fishnet stockings to open the competition for Dancing On Ice on Sunday

The sparkly one piece featured a plunging neckline with a mesh insert and she showcased her toned legs in the thigh skimming ensemble.

To complete her outfit she wore a pair of black strappy heels and added a pop of colour with a slick of cherry red lipstick.

Faye shimmed her way through her performance before throwing her legs in the air as she cartwheeled across the stage.

Moves: The actress returned to the studio to announce the competition as she showcased her moves, and impressive cartwheels

The actress will be taking to the stage later this month as Roxie Hart for the UK leg of Chicago The Musical tour.

The event website read: 'After 25 years, is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one show stopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing youve ever seen.'

'As we celebrate our 25th anniversary  plus the return of Broadway and a new, all-star cast  youve got to come see why the name on everyones lips is stillCHICAGO.'

Incredible: The sparkly one piece featured a plunging neckline with a mesh insert as she showcased her toned legs in the thigh skimming ensemble

Exciting: The actress will be taking to the stage later this month as she continues her role as Roxie Hart for the UK leg of Chicago The Musical tour

Faye, who competed in Dancing On Ice last year, was partnered with professional dancer Hamish Gaman before being re-partnered with Matt Evers during week six of the competition.

Hamish was forced to withdraw from the show due to a hand injury sustained during practice, in a series that was tainted with injuries.

Last month, Hamish claimed he was asked by ITV producers to kiss Faye on last year's show despite being engaged at the time.

The professional skater, 38, was paired with Faye for the 2021 series and was engaged to be married to his fiancee Amelia Humfress.

Wow: Faye, who competed in Dancing On Ice last year, was partnered with professional dancer Hamish Gaman before being re-partnered with Matt Evers during week six of the competition

In week two of the series the pair skated to Taylor Swift's romantic hit Lover but Hamish says he refused to kiss Faye - who was dating personal trainer Joe Davies - at the end of the routine.

Writing on Instagram last night, Hamish said: 'I was asked by a senior member of the creative team to kiss Faye during one of our routines.

'When I said we'd both be uncomfortable doing that and I was concerned about the attention and the wellbeing of our partners, it was suggested that they could make it look like we kissed instead using camera angles.'
Isla Fisher has issued a searing response to the question of whether children should be allowed to access Instagram.

The Australian actress, who is married to British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, aired her grievances during an interview with The Independent this week, branding the social media platform a blight upon society.

'It's toxic for children and [for] the proliferation of fake news. They don't have to meet publishing standards, it appeals to our base instincts,' the 46-year-old declared.

'They don't have to meet publishing standards': Isla Fisher, 46, (pictured) has branded Instagram 'toxic for children' and blamed the social media platform for increase in bullying, anxiety and depression in a new interview with The Independent

'Actually, I'm being gentle  Instagram increases bullying and fear of missing out and leads to anxiety and depression. So, obviously, I am no fan of Instagram,' she added.

The Wolf Like Me star said she avoids posting anything too personal on her Instagram page and mainly uses the account to promote her work.

Indeed, neither Isla nor Sacha have ever uploaded social media images of their three children: Olive, 12, Elula, eight, and Montgomery, four.

Vetted: The Wolf Like Me star, said she avoids posting anything too personal on her Instagram page and mainly uses the account to promote her work

In an interview with Marie Claire Australia last year, Isla said she wanted to 'protect' her children from the public eye as much as possible.

'Motherhood is actually my favourite topic  but I keep it private. I think all parents are trying to protect their kids, especially in the social media age,' she said.

'I want our children to have a normal childhood  being able to play outside without pressure or scrutiny. All kids have the right to just be kids, and I would never sell a film or magazine by speaking about [mine].'

Private: Indeed, neither Isla nor Sacha (left) have ever uploaded social media images of their three children: Olive, 12, Elula, eight, and Montgomery, four

Isla and Sacha met at a party in Sydney in 2002 and married eight years later.

In 2020, Isla told Marie Claire that meeting Sacha was like 'winning the lottery'.

She said their relationship was built on 'a shared sense of humour and a willingness to be married'.

Love: Isla and Sacha met at a party in Sydney in 2002 and married eight years later

The Confessions of a Shopaholic star, who relocated to America early in her career, also admitted that 'juggling' a family in LA wasn't easy.

'There's not really a culture of bringing your kids to dinner parties or to restaurants past 6pm. I tend to entertain at home because I want to be with my family - it's easier to put your kids to bed and have a wine with friends,' she said.

Isla and Sacha, along with their children, moved to Sydney in 2020, and have since relocated to Perth, Western Australia.

The Stan Original Series, Wolf Like Me is available to stream on Stan.
Phillip Schofield was all smiles on Sunday night as he made his first appearance after Eamonn Holmes took aim at him in a recent interview.

The TV presenter, 59, was branded 'passive-aggressive' by Eamonn, 62, who also claimed Phillip 'has a habit of 'snubbing people' during an interview with the Daily Mail's Weekend magazine.

Yet the long-running This Morning and Dancing On Ice host - who appeared on the latter alongside Holly Willoughby on Sunday - seemed to divert his attention away from the cutting remarks as he jovially presented the skating show without alluding to the headlines.

What feud? Beaming Phillip Schofield made his first appearance on Sunday since former co-presenter Eamonn Holmes branded him 'passive-aggressive'

Eamonn co-hosted ITV's Friday instalment of This Morning for 15 years with his wife Ruth Langsford, 61. They also covered for Phillip and Holly during the holidays.

But the longstanding TV couple were replaced by Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary in 2021.

Belfast native Eamonn, who now presents the breakfast show at GB News with co-host Isabel Webster, accused ITV bosses of making it look as if he had walked away when in fact he had 'no idea' why he was being relieved of the slot.

A laugh a minute: The TV presenter, 59, seemed to divert his attention away from the cutting remarks as he jovially presented Dancing On Ice alongside Holly Willoughby

Not holding back: Phillip was branded 'passive-aggressive' by Eamonn, 62 (pictured January 2022) who also claimed Phillip 'has a habit of 'snubbing people'

'No one explained anything to me,' he told Weekend magazine.

'I'm all for TV companies being able to choose who works for them, but it would be nice if you were told why you were going.

'They're sly. They didn't want to announce that I'd been dropped because it would adversely affect audience figures, so they made it look as if I'd walked away from them rather than the other way round.'

Tension: Eamonn also targeted Phillip for cutting short his wife Ruth Langsford (left) in the middle of a trailer for Loose Women on This Morning in 2019 (pictured February 2020)

Eamonn also targeted Phillip for cutting short his wife in the middle of a trailer for Loose Women on This Morning in 2019.

Ruth looked shocked, adding: 'I only had about three more words to say.'

Eamonn said he was 'hurt' by the slight. 'Phillip is renowned for snubbing people,' he said.

'He's very passive-aggressive. It's up to Ruth to say how she felt, but I was feeling hurt for her. No one would have snubbed me like that.

'I have a good Belfast street fighter in me I would be direct. I don't go for presenters who think they have a special privilege or aura or influence.'
They have spoken to hundreds of celebrities during their 22-year radio career.

But Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson have revealed that Friends star Matt LeBlanc will always be remembered as their worst ever celebrity interviewee.

LeBlanc appeared on The Kyle and Jackie O Show in 2016 to promote his BBC series Top Gear, but things quickly went downhill when he failed to show any enthusiasm.

The secret's out! KIIS FM radio presenters Kyle Sandilands (left) and Jackie 'O' Henderson (right) have revealed their worst ever celebrity interview

'Remember when we had Matt LeBlanc on? Oh, that didn't go well,' Sandilands said on Monday's show.

'That was for Top Gear years ago, and it was a terrible interview. But he's notoriously bad in interviews,' Henderson added.

Sandilands, who previously called LeBlanc an 'a**ehole' following their disastrous interview, replied: 'Who cares? He was very arrogant and then he had to get hung up on and sworn at.

'And then banned from ever coming back again. Worst interview in the world!'

Ouch! Sandilands and Henderson revealed on Monday that Friends star Matt LeBlanc (pictured in Los Angeles on August 15,2017) was a 'terrible' interview

Furious: Sandilands, (left) who previously called LeBlanc (right) an 'a**ehole' following their disastrous interview, said he was 'very arrogant' and 'had to get hung up on and sworn at'

Sandilands then mocked LeBlanc's Friends character, Joey Tribbiani, who famously used the pick-up line, 'How you doin'?'

'"How you doin'?" That gets old! You can't just walk around [saying], "How you doin'?" It's bulls**t!' he laughed.

'He should have dropped that line. It wasn't funny,' Henderson agreed.

Unbothered: LeBlanc (left) appeared on The Kyle and Jackie O Show in 2016 to promote his BBC series Top Gear, but things went downhill when he failed to show any enthusiasm

Catchphrase: Sandilands and Henderson then mocked LeBlanc's Friends character, Joey Tribbiani, who famously used the pick-up line, 'How you doin'?'

Back in 2016, Sandilands took to the airwaves to slam LeBlanc over a pre-recorded interview in which the American actor seemed uninterested and annoyed.

He called LeBlanc a 'tosser' and an 'a**ehole', blasting him for uttering 'about 15 words' and showing a 'total lack of giving a s**t' during the interview.

Henderson, who had interviewed LeBlanc before, acknowledged he was 'hard work' and had 'never been into' doing press.

'Tosser': Back in 2016, Sandilands took to the airwaves to slam LeBlanc over a pre-recorded interview in which the American actor seemed uninterested and annoyed
Karl Stefanovic's wife Jasmine and his brother Peter's wife Sylvia Jeffreys enjoyed a relaxing day at a Sydney beach with their two children earlier this month.

The sisters-in-law were spotted enjoying a dip in the ocean.

Jasmine, 36, looked stylish in a floral mini dress as she watched on while her one-year-old daughter Harper ran on the sand.

It's a family affair! Karl Stefanovic's wife Jasmine and his brother Peter's wife Sylvia Jeffreys enjoyed a relaxing day at a Sydney beach with their two children earlier this month

Meanwhile, Sylvia, 34, wore a black swimsuit as she enjoyed a dip in the ocean with her two-year-old son Oscar Hamilton.

After her swim, the Today Extra host wrapped a checkered towel around her waist as she stood along the shore.

At one point, Jasmine bumped into Double Bay 'eyebrow queen' Kristin Fisher and the women enjoyed a chat on the sand.

Kristin showed off her toned figure in a bikini as she chatted and embraced Jasmine.

Fun in the sun! Jasmine, 36, looked stylish in a floral mini dress as she watched on while her one-year-old daughter Harper ran on the sand

Cooling down: Sylvia, 34, wore a black swimsuit as she enjoyed a dip in the ocean with her two-year-old son Oscar Hamilton

Drying off: After her swim, the Today Extra host wrapped a checkered towel around her waist

Catching up: At one point, Jasmine bumped into Double Bay 'eyebrow queen' Kristin Fisher and the women enjoyed a chat on the sand

Good to see you! Socialite and shoe designer Jasmine looked like she had plenty to catch up on with Kristin

Earlier this month, Sylvia and Peter held a birthday party for Oscar as he turned two.

They presented their son with a green and brown cake made to look like a race track complete with little cars.

Sylvia also shared a sweet video from the day showing her sons laying in a swinging chair together.

She captioned the set of sweet photographs and videos: 'Cars on a cake and cuddles with mates.

'Oscar had the best time at his party. A fun little afternoon celebrating our sweet boy's 2nd birthday.'

Sylvia recently ruminated on having two children under two at home.

'Life with two boys under two is chaotic but beautifully full,' she told 9Honey Parenting.

She also said it can be 'utterly exhausting' sometimes, but there are upsides.

Goodbye! Jasmine embraced the brunette before they parted ways

'When you have these moments of big brother Oscar cuddling little brother Henry over and over - it melts my heart and makes it all worthwhile.

'I knew it was going to be full-on, but I don't think I ever understood how much my heart could grow anymore with two little baby boys,' she added.

Sylvia and Peter began dating in 2013 after meeting at Nine and were engaged in 2016 while on holiday in France.

The couple tied the knot at the Ooralba Estate in Kangaroo Valley on April 1, 2017.

Meanwhile, Karl and Jasmine wed in December 2018 in a ceremony in Mexico and in May 2020, they welcomed Harper.
Cindy Crawford took to Instagram on Sunday to thank her admirers for their birthday wishes as she turned 56.

The longtime supermodel shared a post with two flashing photos of her sitting at a table with a birthday cake.

The ageless beauty showed off her stunning looks in a sleeveless black top as she held a small sparkler and wrote in the caption: 'Thank you for all the birthday love.'

Birthday girl: Cindy Crawford took to Instagram on Sunday to thank her admirers for their birthday wishes as she turned 56

Crawford, who's married to Rande Gerber, wore her luscious brunette locks in her signature blowout style.

Her tresses were parted on the side and voluminous as she posed for the celebratory images.

Behind her were purple balloons and a metallic 'C' balloon to honor the birthday girl.

The small cake had several golden candles and a 'Happy Birthday' topper.

Celebration: The longtime supermodel shared a post with two flashing photos of her sitting at a table with a birthday cake

The fashionista wore multiple gold bangles on both of her wrists and a couple of rings.

The piece of content was a joint post between Cindy and her beauty brand Meaningful Beauty.

It racked up 25,000 likes from her 6 million fans in just two hours of being uploaded.

On Saturday night the mom-of-two also appeared on Instagram to share a throwback image of her as a little girl.

Reflective: On Saturday night the mom-of-two appeared on Instagram to share a throwback image of her as a little girl

Cindy showed her vulnerable side as she wrote a thoughtful caption to 'little Cindy' and gave her life advice.

She expressed, 'I would tell her to be kinder to herself, to treat herself the way she treats her friends.

I would tell her everyone feels nervous in new situations and sometimes you just have to fake it 'til you make it.'

The wisdom continued as the runway star added, 'I would tell her not to be afraid to make a fool of herself  dance, sing, etc more  even if she isn't good at it.'

Social activity: Crawford was also active on social media last week as she posted a photo of herself sitting outdoors with her legs propped up on a table as she read

The entrepreneur also advised her past self to 'laugh as much as possible, 'be vulnerable,' and 'risk showing her true self to people she loves.'

She said 'the payoff is worth it.' Finishing up the superstar wrote, 'Practice gratitude. Keep growing and learning and becominglife is a blessing!'

The Illinois-born personality added a purple heart to cap off the post.

Crawford was also active on social media last week as she posted a photo of herself sitting outdoors with her legs propped up on a table as she read.

'Casual afternoon reading,' she said and added, 'Congrats on the new book Captivate, @claudiaschiffer,' as she gave her fellow model a shoutout.

Baring arms : Supermodel Cindy Crawford shows off her toned arms in a post-workout Instagram selfie. The former cover girl said she works out with weights and machines several times a week

At 56 Cindy is still going strong, proving age is just a number as she posted a workout photo on her Instagram account last week.

Friend and fellow supermodel Christie Brinkley gave her a fire emoji as actress Roma Downey responded with 'looking good.'

Crawford appeared makeup-free, wore a sleeveless black top with a ruched waist and high waist olive green leggings.

The location looked like a home gym, equipped with weights and machines.

Crawford has stated in the past that her 'go-to workout is 20 minutes of cardio then weights' three times a week followed up with 30 minutes to an hour of bicep curls, weights, squats and lunges.

Still got it: Crawford proved she's still got what the camera wants in a January 2022 photo shoot

In January, the former Northwestern University student posed for her first photo shoot of 2022, appearing in grey workout clothes in full hair and makeup.

Crawford has said hiking is one of her favorite exercises and has been spotted walking with friends in and around Malibu.

The Vogue cover model has said this is a time when she can not only get in some exercise, but she can catch up with pals as well.

Hoofing it: Crawford said she also enjoys going for walks and hikes with friends near her home in Malibu

Crawford officially retired from modeling, but continues to pose, occasionally, for various publications.

The former House of Style host is also an entrepreneur. She created her own skincare line, Meaningful Beauty, in 2004 and often promotes it on her Instagram feed.

As many fans know, Crawford's daughter, Kaia Gerber, is following in her mother's footsteps on the catwalk as a model and cover girl. The proud mom said now that she's in her 50s, her focus is geared more toward wellness than fitting in to skinny jeans.
Having problems with your Chromebook? After a few years of use, many users complain about longer boot time, slower app response, and even audio stutters. Fortunately, there are five tips available to fix your aging device.

Note, however, that you must check your internet connection before trying out the fix suggestions. If you are suffering from a poor internet connection, then it is advised to turn off the connection completely. This is because syncing data could cause massive delays in the repair process.

How to Fix Lagging Chromebook

5. Deactivate Offline Sync

Trafera pointed out that Chromebook is useful because it can save data to the cloud server. However, be warned that the feature also takes up a lot of system resources. At times it consumes a large amount of bandwidth and processing power, which causes device lag.

To deactivate this, you should head over to "Google Drive" and open "Settings." Then under "General," uncheck the option "Sync Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings files to this computer so that you can edit offline."

4. Move Files to Cloud Storage

Aside from system resources, be warned that excessive load on device storage can also cause lag. To resolve this issue, you are advised to load multimedia files like documents, pictures, video and audio to the cloud storage. Moreover, it is also better to delete any excess copies or unnecessary files from the device.

Taking all of this into consideration, it is recommended to be mindful whenever they download new content, so they do not have to repeat the purging process.

Read Also: Google Search On Desktop Appears To Include Widgets Similar To Discover-like Cards

3. Limit Apps and Extensions

Similar to the previous suggestion, go through downloaded apps and extensions so you can delete any unnecessary program. You can try installing three tools that can help optimize the device's performance.

These three extensions are Data Saver (compresses the file process), The Great Suspender (puts device to sleep when it remains idle for too long), and AdBlock (clears up webpages with unwanted advertisements).

2. Enable Hyper-Threading

If the last few suggestions didn't work, then it is best to optimize the device software and program. You can do this by following the steps provided by LaptopMag.

Note that if the Chromebook runs on an Intel chip, then you can push the CPU to double its processing capacity. By default, this feature is off, but you can easily turn it on by heading to Google Chrome.

You should input the command "chrome://flags" on the address bar and press Enter. Then scroll down and search for the option "Scheduler Configuration." Lastly, select the "Enables Hyper-Threading on relevant CPUs." Restart the Chromebook to finish the process.

1. Enable GPU Rasterization

Lastly, you should offload some CPU processes to the GPU on the Chromebook. Doing so consumes a lot of energy or battery, but it will greatly improve the device processing performance.

To do this, you should still input "chrome://flags" on Google Chrome address bar and press "Enter." After which, scroll down to search for the "GPU Rasterization" option. Open the dropdown selection and click "Enabled." Restart the device to finish the process.

Hopefully, these five tips should help you restore or improve system performance on an aging Chromebook!



Related Article: Dell Gaming Laptops on Sale: Alienware Gets $850 Discount!
Channel Nine has unveiled a new trailer for Underbelly: Vanishing Act - a drama centered around the life and crimes of high-profile fraudster Melissa Caddick.

Featuring glamourous Wentworth star Kate Atkinson, 49, as Caddick, the teaser hints that the series may have a fresh theory behind the mysterious disappearance of the Sydney con artist.

In the 40-second sneak peek, Kate as Caddick is seen shopping at high end boutiques, laughing and partying, sipping champagne and hoarding a bag of cash.

It ends with Caddick's character pulling a belt up to her face and a shot of Sydney Harbour from below the water line.

A gravelly voiceover tells viewers that Caddick 'stole forty million dollars and dropped off the face of the earth...you won't believe what really went down.'

Caddick was last seen shortly after the $7m Dover Heights home she shared with her DJ husband Anthony Koletti was raided by the Australian Federal Police and ASIC investigators.

New trailer: Channel Nine has unveiled a new trailer for Underbelly: Vanishing Act - a drama about the life and crimes of high-profile fraudster Melissa Caddick. In the 40-second sneak peek, Kate as Caddick is seen laughing and partying

Conned: Pictured is the real Melissa Caddick, who mysteriously disappeared in 2020 after scamming an estimated $30m from friends and family

A financial advisor, Caddick scammed an estimated $30million from 60 clients, most of them friends and family, in order to fund an extravagant life style.

Three months after Caddick vanished in November 2021 a severed foot was found on the south coast of NSW near Tathra, about five and a half hours from Sydney.

After DNA tests confirmed that the limb belonged to Caddick, 49, it was presumed the high-flying schemer was dead.

Hidden dollars: The trailer also shows Caddick hoarding a huge bag of cash

Many theories have surfaced since to explain the circumstances surrounding Caddick's disappearance including murder and suicide.

Some experts who have examined the case argue that it is possible that Caddick faked her own disappearance, and is in hiding.

Produced by Screentime and filmed late last year Underbelly: Vanishing Act has a cast that includes veteran actor Colin Friels (Mystery Road), Home and Away's Tai Hara, Maya Stange and Sophie Bloom from Love Child and Ursula Mills from Out of the Blue.
Halle Berry's daughter was shocked to see her mother kiss a woman in her film Bruised.

The actress, 55, plays mixed martial arts fighter Jackie Justice who is making a comeback to the sport after falling from grace while battling some personal issues.

And Jackie enjoys a short romance with trainer Bobbi Buddhakan, played by Sheila Atim, 31, prompting Halle's 13-year-old daughter Nahla to demand a conversation with her mother about love on screen and sexuality.

Honest: Halle Berry, 55, says her 13-year-old daughter Nahla was shocked to see her mother kiss a woman in her film Bruised

Halle said, according to The Sun: 'So Nahla watches the love scene (with a man). Shes looking at me and shes like, "Oh, whoa, mum. Really? Wow!" So then, my editor, whos sitting next to me not really realising my daughter is there, says, "Go to the second love scene, I want to see what that looks like." Well, thats a love scene with a woman.

'My daughters like, "Whoa, Mum, we need to have some conversations. You didnt tell me."

'And I said, "Nahla, this is a movie, none of this is true. Like, none of this is real." It started a conversation  really for the first time  about what I do and about playing characters and whats real and whats not real.'

Screen star: The actress plays mixed martial arts fighter Jackie Justice who has a short romance with trainer Bobbi Buddhakan, played by Sheila Atim, 31

Halle said she told Nahla that kissing another cast member in front of the camera is 'awkward' and 'not always fun', adding that they are some of the hardest scenes for actors.

Halle is mother to Nahla with her ex-boyfriend, Canadian fashion model Gabriel Aubry, 45.

She is also mum eight-year-old son Maceo, whose father is her ex-husband, French actor Olivier Martinez, 56. The couple divorced in 2015.

Chat: The scene prompted Halle's daughter to demand a conversation with her mother about love on screen and sexuality (Halle and Nahla pictured in 2018)

Halle said she invited Nahla to a screening of Bruised as she wanted her daughter to see what she had been working hard on and why she wanted to spend time away from home.

She said she was too young at the age of 13 to watch it at the cinema after its November 2021 release so invited her to the private screening.

However, the editor ended the screening before they got a chance to see the full film because the colour of the two love scenes was wrong.
Maggie Rhee took her revenge on the The Reapers by killing almost all the remaining members during the midseason premiere on Sunday of The Walking Dead on AMC.

The explosive season 11 episode titled No Other Way opened with Leah Shaw [Lynn Collins] unleashing her machine weapon armed with hundreds of arrows impaling and killing the mass of walkers inside the Reapers compound.

Leah also hoped the machines would also kill everyone inside the perimeter including all the members of Daryl Dixon's crew and especially Maggie [Lauren Cohan]. Leah was taking her vengeance against Daryl [Norman Reedus] for killing her leader Pope.

Midseason premiere: Maggie Rhee took her revenge on the The Reapers by killing almost all the remaining members during the midseason premiere on Sunday of The Walking Dead

Maggie ran through the zombies and tried to escape the ammunition laden arrows exploding around her. A member of the Reapers grabbed her, but she fought him off and broke free. She made her way inside the compound's building and ran into Negan Smith [Jeffrey Dean Morgan] and Elijah [Okea Eme-Akwari], who was injured.

The three of them hid in a secret chamber in the infirmary in the building and Maggie said they should wait there until dawn when she said it would be safe to walk out.

'Why don't we just get the food and go?,' asked Negan.

'We will walk out of here with our arms full,' said Maggie. 'I'm not leaving Daryl and Gabriel and I won't risk being followed home.'

Gun drawn: The Reapers were shot in the back by Maggie as they walked away after a truce

William Carver [Alex Meraz] of the Reapers then wandered through the infirmary looking for them, but didn't discover their hiding place.

Over at Alexandria, Rosita Espinosa [Christian Serratos] frantically worked with the others to kill the mass of walkers that had entered their house. They realized that Gracie [Anabelle Holloway] and Judith Grimes [Cailey Fleming] never made it up from the house's basement, which was filled with water. Walkers pounded at the basement door and eventually made their way inside.

Outside, Aaron [Ross Marquand], Jerry [Cooper Adams] and Carol Peletier [Melissa McBride] tried to figure out what to do about the windmill that was burning on the property. Aaron said if the windmill falls it would 'create an opening too big too close' in their security gate. Connie [Lauren Ridoff] went out to help find the breach in the gate and Kelly [Angel Theory] stayed behind.

Scary basement: A zombie waded intothe basement filled with water where Gracie and Judith where hiding

Aaron then heard Grace's whistle, which he said was her emergency signal, and rushed to help her. He instructed the others to put out the fire.

The next morning at the Reapers compound, Father Gabriel [Gabriel Stokes] ran through the courtyard trying to escape. Austin [Lex Lauletta], a sharpshooter for the Reapers, almost shot him but Daryl rushed in and knocked him down. Austin then tried to kill Daryl as vengeance for Pope's killing, but Daryl managed to stab and choke him to death instead.

Leah broke down the door and found Austin lying on the floor dead.

Tough fighter: Austin then tried to kill Daryl as vengeance for Pope's killing, but Daryl managed to stab and choke him to death instead

'No more,' Leah said.

Daryl, who hid in the room, was able to escape without Leah noticing.

Meanwhile, Gracie and Judith were trapped in the now flooded basement that walkers had managed to crawl into. Gracie fended them off with her sword as best as she could until she dropped it in the water.

Aaron arrived just in time and jumped through a window into the basement and started killing zombies. He then lifted Gracie and Judith up into the open window to safety as more walkers came into the basement. He told them not to wait for him as a whole group of walkers fell into the basement water with him.

Daring rescue: Aaron arrived just in time and jumped through a window into the basement and started killing zombies

At the Reapers compound, Father Gabriel went into a room and came face to face with Mancea [Dikran Tulaine], the Reaper's priest.

'Far enough,' said Mancea pointing a gun at Gabriel. 'I can't let you harm my flock.'

'Worry about yourself first,' said Gabriel.

Holy people: At the Reapers compound, Father Gabriel went into a room and came face to face with Mancea [Dikran Tulaine], the Reaper's priest

Mancea said he knew that Gabriel was at the graves because God told him. Gabriel was shocked and said if he spoke to God then why would he choose to defend the Reapers.

'These are monsters,' said Gabriel. 'How could God speak to you?'

'Violence is not the path I take but blood has been spilled in God's name for centuries,' said Mancea while pointing a weapon at Gabriel.

Religious violence: 'Violence is not the path I take but blood has been spilled in God's name for centuries,' said Mancea while pointing a weapon at Gabriel

'God wouldn't allow you to murder my friends,' said Gabriel. 'And neither will I.'

Mancea put away his knife and then said to Gabriel 'you don't hear him anymore.' He urged him to try to hear God again. Gabriel stared at him.

Mancea asked him to take his hand and allow himself to be saved. He told him that no one is above being saved. Gabriel instead stabbed Mancea in the stomach and said, 'I don't believe that.'

Meanwhile, Maggie ran through the halls of the compound chased by Carver. When he thought he cornered her, Elijiah and Negan appeared and then Carver realized he was the one trapped.

'You killed my sister,' said Elijah.

'Okay,' said Carver. 'Well, I got to say thanks for this. I'm getting tired of all the searching.'

Search mission: 'Okay,' said Carver. 'Well, I got to say thanks for this. I'm getting tired of all the searching'

The three of them fought Carver. Negan eventually brought him down by throwing sand in his face and then hitting him with a steel bell. Maggie and Elijah were left bloodied. Just when Maggie was going to kill Carver, Daryl ran down the hall and told her to stop. Carver looked over at Daryl and said that he should have killed him.

'We don't kill him yet,' Daryl said.

'He needs to pay for what he did,' said Elijah.

Daryl said that they needed to use him to get out alive. He said that Leah wanted them gone but also wanted to save her own family.

'Especially this a**hole,' said Daryl.

Daryl called Leah over the intercom and said that they needed to talk.

At Alexandria, the walkers were invading the house and climbing up the stairs. Rosita instructed the others to break a window and used it to get out of the house and go down to the cellar to help Aaron. In the basement Aaron was hanging on a pipe on the ceiling just out of reach of the walkers. He climbed across the pipe and was pulled to safety out the window. He ran to help the others with the windmill.

Daryl had tied up Carver and brought him to Leah with the others to make a trade. Maggie, Elijah, and Negan walked with him. Leah demanded to see Carver. Daryl yelled at her and her two fighters to throw their weapons on the ground. He told Leah to let them leave and then he would let Carver go.

Trade talks: Daryl had tied up Carver and brought him to Leah with the others to make a trade

'You expect me to trust you now,' said Leah.

'Yeah, I do,' said Daryl. 'You are doing this all wrong. We survived everything for what? To keep fighting and killing each other?'

Daryl told her that he was giving her a chance to save the rest of her family and his. Leah looked at him and said 'no more lies.' She then called Jensen, her sharp shooter, over the walkie-talkie, to fire a shot near Daryl's feet.

Roof sniper: Leah then called Jensen, her sharp shooter, over the walkie-talkie, to fire a shot near Daryl's feet

'That was a warning,' said Leah. 'The last one.'

Leah told Daryl to lower the knife he held at Carver's neck and to cut the rope around his mouth. When Leah instructed Jensen to shoot Maggie, Daryl agreed to cut Carver loose.

Elijah, enraged, hobbled over to Carver with his weapons and said, 'Her name was Josephine.' He then fell to the ground. Carver was about to kick him when the sharpshooter shot him in the leg.

Leah called out over the walkie talkie and asked Jensen what happened.

Cut loose: When Leah instructed Jensen to shoot Maggie, Daryl agreed to cut Carver loose

'Nope,' said the voice back to her from the walkie talkie. 'No Jensen here. Call me Gabriel.'

Gabriel, covered in blood, had taken over the sharpshooter's gun and position.

'The other two better back off or they're next,' said Gabriel.

Major surprise: 'Nope,' said the voice back to her from the walkie talkie. 'No Jensen here. Call me Gabriel'

Leah instructed her group to stand down. Leah asked Daryl if their deal still stands. Maggie said she had her chance and Gabriel would take them down one by one. Leah said she might be right but that she thought she would also be able to kill some of them herself first.

'You can have your town,' Leah said. 'We walk. You save your family. I save mine.'

'Yeah,' said Daryl.

Maggie told them to drop their weapons and go. Leah told her two soldiers to do it.

Deal struck: Maggie told them to drop their weapons and go

As part of the exchange, Carver got left behind. Leah walked away and then Maggie walked after her and gunned down two of the Reapers from behind. She shot Leah, but she ran off. She came back to shoot Carver but ran out of bullets. She then took a sickle and killed him.

Daryl found Leah hiding and bleeding and told her to go before he changed his mind.

Maggie, Negan, Elijah, Daryl and Gabriel loaded up all the food onto a horse drawn carriage to bring back to Alexandria. Maggie went ahead alone and told them she would be back soon.

Shooting rampage: She came back to shoot Carver but ran out of bullets

She walked to a building in the woods and then called out for Alden [Callan McAuliffe]. She walked in and saw that Alden was now a walker and killed him. She hugged him, broke down crying on top of him and then buried him.

Negan came up to her when she was putting dirt on Alden's grave. He pulled out his knife and said he 'you were always going to do what you did Maggie. I don't blame you, really.'

'When it comes to me, promise or not, it's just a matter of time before you make the same call,' said Negan. 'I ain't gonna give you a chance to do that. I'm going to be on my own way.'

Taking off: 'When it comes to me, promise or not, it's just a matter of time before you make the same call,' said Negan. 'I ain't gonna give you a chance to do that. I'm going to be on my own way'

Negan then walked off. Daryl, Gabriel and Elijah camped in the woods. They sat around a fire. Gabriel told Daryl that doubt was important and that he should have faith.

'What about you?,' asked Daryl.

'Yeah, I'm trying,' said Gabriel. 'I'm trying.'

Maggie caught up with them and told them that Alden didn't make it. Gabriel asked about Negan and Maggie told them that he left.

Tough loss: Maggie caught up with them and told them that Alden didn't make it

Back at Alexandria, Carol Peletier [Melissa McBride] and Jerry [Cooper Adams] looked over the wall of the compound. They then saw Daryl, dog and Maggie and the others coming on the horse drawn carriage.

'Where is everyone else?,' asked Jerry.

Everyone rushed to greet them. Daryl helped them unload the food. The group hugged and comforted each other. Aaron asked Gabriel where Alden was. He told him that he didn't make it.

'So many didn't make it all so we could survive,' said Gabriel.

Many lost; 'So many didn't make it all so we could survive,' Gabriel told Aaron

'Then we will,' said Aaron. 'After the storm we had nothing left. Thank you.'

Jerry then looked over the wall and said, 'Hey got something coming.'

Armed troopers from the Commonwealth walked towards the wall of the compound. Daryl pointed his weapons at them and told everyone to get ready.

Something coming: Jerry then looked over the wall and said, 'Hey got something coming'

Eugene Porter [Josh McDermitt] then ran in front and said wait that they were all friends.

'They are here to help,' said Eugene.

The troopers came inside the compound and unloaded supplies. Eugene told the members of Alexandria that he worked with Yumiko [Eleanor Matsuura] and Ezekeil [Khary Payton] to help them find supplies. He then introduced everyone to Deputy Governor of the Commonwealth Lance Hornsby [Josh Hamilton].

All friends: 'They are here to help,' said Eugene

'I must say that I am impressed with everything that you've built here and what I've heard of your other communities,' said Lance. 'But it is clear you have fallen on hard times. And that is where the Commonwealth is more than willing to help.'

Lance told them if they wanted to remain at Alexandria that he could provide them with labor and materials to build back all that they have lost. He also told them that he did have a 'potentially more interesting choice.'

The show then flashed forward to six months later with a small army of stormtroopers outside the Alexandria compound ordering Maggie to 'open up.'

Help offer: Lance told them if they wanted to remain at Alexandria that he could provide them with labor and materials to build back all that they have lost

Fast forward: The show then flashed forward to six months later with a small army of stormtroopers outside the Alexandria compound ordering Maggie to 'open up'

'It doesn't have to be this way,' said Maggie.

A trooper then took off his mask to reveal he was Daryl and he said, 'Yeah, it does.'

The Walking Dead will return next Sunday on AMC.

Open up: A trooper then took off his mask to reveal he was Daryl and he said, 'Yeah, it does'
Jodie Turner-Smith looked as if she was living her best life in playful photos from her vacation with friends that she posted to Instagram on Sunday.

The 35-year-old Queen & Slim star showed off her impressive frame in a tiny green bikini while soaking up some sun at a beach in Miami.

The UK-born entertainer wrote in her caption, 'I never do these. but heres a 3/4 best friends in Miami photo dump.'

Beach day: Jodie Turner-Smith looked as if she was living her best life in playful photos from her vacation in Miami with friends that she posted to Instagram on Sunday

The mom-of-one shared multiple outtakes from her Florida trip, including several on the beach.

The performer held yellow flowers and a glass of wine in the first photo, as she posed in the sand.

Her raven hair was left down, grazing her shoulders in tightly coiled spirals as she relaxed on the sand.

The NAACP Image Award nominee looked totally relaxed as she posed in a lounge chair.

She was joined by her mother, who wore a playful red, white and green striped beach dress.

Barely-there swimsuit: The Queen & Slim star showed off her impressive frame in a tiny green bikini while on vacation in Miami

Relaxation: The star, who's married to fellow actor Joshua Jackson smiled as she enjoyed down time with her girlfriends

Later, Jodie on she sat on a blue and white beach towel with another friend and a dog.

The star, who's married to fellow actor Joshua Jackson smiled as she enjoyed down time with her girlfriends.

One smoldering snapshot saw her on all fours as she crouched seaside under a blue and cloudy sky.

Jodie was joined by her gal pal, the photographer Frankie Mark-Nancy Gomez, who was clad in a white string bikini.

Vacation mode: One smoldering snapshot saw her on all fours as she crouched seaside under a blue and cloudy sky

Perspective: There was one picture taken from behind at Smith walked down a dimly lit corridor

The slideshow continued with photos from a night out, in which the public figure wore a leopard print body-clinging dress.

One image taken from behind show Smith as she walked down a dimly lit corridor.

Jodie also shared a video clip that featured her and one of her friends dancing as they walked down a hallway.

In the carousel, Turner-Smith teased a photo of a small child who may have been her daughter with Joshua Jackson, whose identity they've kept under wraps.

The child's hands were glimpsed holding one of the flowers, but they're face wasn't featured in the photo.

It wasn't clear if Jodie's husband Joshua had joined her on her trip, as he wasn't pictured at the beach.

Mystery: In the carousel, Turner-Smith teased a photo of a small child who may have been her daughter with Joshua Jackson, whose identity they've kept under wraps

MIA: It wasn't clear if Jodie's husband Joshua had joined her on her trip, as he wasn't pictured at the beach; seen together in February 2020
Celebrity trainer Jono Castano showed off his own impressive five-week body transformation as he went shirtless at Sydney's Clovelly Beach on Sunday.

The 31-year-old, who has helped the likes of Rebel Wilson and Rita Ora get in shape over the years, drew attention to his muscular yet lean frame in black boardshorts.

Last week, Jono revealed he'd shed 15kg in five weeks after putting on weight during a trip overseas, and shared before and after photos to Instagram of his overhaul.

His own best advertisement! Celebrity trainer Jono Castano, 31, showed off the results of his five-week body transformation as he went shirtless at Sydney's Clovelly Beach on Sunday

During his beach outing, Jono appeared relaxed as he cooled off.

He also showed off his array of tattoos and worked on his tan while joined by pals.

Last week, Jono was his own best advertisement as he shared before and after photos on Instagram of his physique after his five-week body transformation.

Looking good: Jono, who has helped the likes of Rebel Wilson and Rita Ora get in shape over the years, drew attention to his muscular yet lean frame in black boardshorts

Cooling off: He appeared relaxed as he cooled off, while also showing off his array of tattoos

Physical overhaul: Jono revealed on Instagram last week that he had shed 15kg over five weeks after piling on the weight during a trip overseas

'Swipe right to see my five-week transformation,' Jono's post began.

'Sheesh it feels good to be back. Been working my a** off after putting on 15kg overseas.'

He added: 'I wanted to make a massive change in 2022 and I'm feeling better than ever.'

Transformation: He shared before and after photos to Instagram and told his followers that he's feeling 'better than ever'

Training hard: 'Swipe right to see my five-week transformation,' Jono's post began. 'Sheesh it feels good to be back. Been working my a** off after putting on 15kg overseas'

Positive vibes: He added, 'I wanted to make a massive change in 2022 and I'm feeling better than ever'

Reputation: Jono's star status continues to rise, having helped the likes of Rita Ora and Rebel Wilson get into shape

It comes after Jono's split from his glamorous wife Amy Castano was revealed in January.

A source close to the couple told Daily Mail Australia they broke up early last year, then kept up appearances for several months.

They were last spotted going for dinner together at Mimi's restaurant in Sydney in November, shortly after their three-year wedding anniversary.

Networking: He is the co-founder of Acero gym in Sydney and is collaborating with AFL star Dustin Martin on a new fitness app, to be launched later this year

Smart: Jono previously revealed to Daily Mail Australia that he turned to OnlyFans, with custom training programs and fitness advice, to keep his business afloat amid the pandemic

Access: Exclusive workout videos and meal plans are available to subscribers for $10 a month

Shaping up! Jono is pictured in before and after shots following his body transformation

While they are no longer together, the insider said they remain friends and continue to operate their fitness empire together.

The couple first met on MySpace 13 years ago, before later running into one another at a nightclub and falling in love.

Jono proposed in Maui, Hawaii, on Amy's birthday, and she described the proposal as romantic and luxurious.

It's over! It comes after Jono's split from wife Amy Castano (right) was revealed in January. A source told Daily Mail Australia they broke up early last year, then kept up appearances for several months

On good terms: While they are no longer together, the source said they remain friends and continue to operate their fitness empire together

She told Husskie magazine: 'The concierge took me to the beach, the sun was setting, and I walked down these stairs and there was Jono surrounded by candles and rose petals everywhere!

'He worked with the chef at Four Seasons Maui and created a menu of all of my favourite foods for the night. It was absolutely magical.

'I was so surprised! Jono and I discuss everything, but he designed my ring and organised all of this without me knowing.'
Married At First Sight intruder Carolina Santos has branded herself a 'diva' and she lived up to that moniker from the moment she appeared on Monday's episode.

The 30-year-old online business owner thought nothing of keeping her guests and groom Dion Giannarelli, 33, waiting for three hours while she had a self-described 'meltdown' over her makeup.

The guests, including the show's original couples, lost patience and complained as they waited at the alter for hours on end for the no-show bride.

Meet the bride from HELL: Carolina Santos, 33, (pictured) made her groom and wedding guests wait over THREE hours so she could wash off her professional makeup to do it herself because she didn't like the way she looked

Back at her hotel, the Brazilian bombshell told the show's professional makeup artist that her finished makeup is a 'disaster' and that she couldn't get married if she hated what she saw.

'I wonder if any of the other brides hate their makeup if they have the balls to say it,' she ranted to her friend.

Her pal replied that the brides probably just went along with it, and implied that she should do the same.

Terrible: Carolina kept groom Dion Giannarelli (pictured) and all her wedding guests, which included the show's original couples, waiting for over three hours to arrive

Not impressed: Back at her hotel, Carolina told the show's professional makeup artist that her finished makeup was a 'disaster' and that she couldn't get married if she hated what she saw

'No f**king way,' she said before she attempted to rub it off

'I can't get married looking at myself and hating what I see because if I don't like it he won't like it,' she told her bridesmaid

'No f**king way,' she said before she attempted to rub it off.

'I can't get married looking at myself and hating what I see because if I don't like it he won't like it.'

A producer warned Carolina that they were running out of time to which she replied: 'I know but I kind of hate how I look here'.

Carolina then surprised her bridesmaid, producer and the cameraman by running to the bathroom and washing her makeup off, before insisting that she would do her makeup herself.

Diva: Carolina then surprised her bridesmaid, producer and the cameraman by running to the bathroom and washing her makeup off, before insisting that she would do her makeup herself

No remorse: On her way to the wedding, Carolina confessed that she didn't feel guilty for making all her guests wait. 'What's a few hours when he has the rest of his life with me?' she purred, adding, 'Happy wife, happy life'

Once happy with her appearance and on her way to the wedding, Carolina confessed that she didn't feel guilty for making all her guests wait.

'What's a few hours when he has the rest of his life with me?' she purred, adding, 'Happy wife, happy life'.

Luckily for Carolina, property developer Dion thinks she's worth the wait. The couple instantly hit it off at the altar.

Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7pm on Channel Nine
Jade Tuncdoruk has roasted other influencers for their lack of transparency.

In a now-deleted TikTok video, Jade mimicked influencers who promote products on their social media accounts.

'Hi, could you please tag your shirt? I love it,' the 26-year-old sarcastically said.

Roasted: Jade Tuncdoruk roasted influencers for their lack of transparency - amid 'fears she could be dropped from her management after a string of scandals'

She then zoomed the camera in to reveal a small mention of the brand in the corner.

It comes amid fears Jade could be dropped by her management.

According to The Daily Telegraph last month, when approached for comment regarding a week of bad press, talent agency MAXCONNECTORS said it was 'unable to comment as the situation is under review'.

Post: In a now-deleted TikTok video, Jade mimicked influencers who promote products on their social media accounts

Jade recently copped backlash when a Facebook post showing her complaining to Uber Eats about their 'annoying non-English speaking delivery drivers' resurfaced.

The influencer apologised for her 'hurtful comments' after her Facebook post was uploaded by the Celeb Spellcheck Instagram page.

The resurfaced post read: 'I order off you guys all the time and I'm starting to find it really annoying that you have so many non English speaking delivery people who can't follow basic delivery instructions.

Management: It comes amid fears Jade could be dropped by her management following a string of scandals

'I got a notification today saying my food was arriving and it took the person a further 20 mins to get to my door because he didn't read my delivery instructions properly and when I called him to explain he didn't understand a word I was saying.'

She continued: 'Your GPS is consistently sending drivers to the wrong address which I've explained in my instructions which most people read and have no problem with but when foreigners are delivering it takes twice as long for me to receive my then cold food. Sort it out.'

Jade was also recently slammed for 'demanding' a small business give her a refund for a deposit on her honeymoon - after she ignored the company's terms and conditions.

She raised eyebrows by whingeing to her fans about the financial woes of cancelling her lavish Hunter Valley honeymoon with fiance Lachie Brycki due to Covid.

Post: In the resurfaced post from 2017, the 26-year-old complained to Uber Eats about their 'annoying non-English speaking delivery drivers'

In her now-deleted post, Jade, who is frequently gifted with luxury designer handbags and clothing, explained that she'd booked her stay with premium holiday rental company Weekenda last year, putting down a $2,000 deposit.

She however decided to cancel her booking with the company Weekenda in August, after postponing her wedding due to Covid.

It's unclear why Jade opted to cancel altogether rather than simply postponing the trip, just like her wedding.

She demanded that the company refund her deposit - even though Weekenda's terms and conditions clearly states that customers aren't entitled to a refund of their deposit if they cancel.
Oscar winner Halle Berry held hands with her son Maceo Robert Martinez at Wylie's Bait & Tackle in Malibu on Saturday alongside her boyfriend since March 2020, Grammy winner Van Hunt.

The Ohio-born 55-year-old mothered the eight-year-old boy during her two-year marriage to ex-husband #3, French actor Olivier Martinez, whom she separated from in 2015.

Halle (born Maria) went make-up free for her family outing, wearing a large newsboy cap with a black hooded jumpsuit and green Birkenstock-style sandals.

Masked up! Oscar winner Halle Berry held hands with her eight-year-old son Maceo Robert Martinez at Wylie's Bait & Tackle in Malibu on Saturday alongside her boyfriend since March 2020, Grammy winner Van Hunt

Recently, little Maceo officiated a 'commitment ceremony' between Berry and the neo soul artist - turning 52 next month - in the backseat of her car 'of his own volition.'

'I think he finally sees me happy, and it's infectious. It was his way of saying, "This is good. I like this. This makes me happy,"' the Caesars Sportsbook spokesmodel told AARP last month.

'It was a very real moment for all of us. I teared up, Van was fighting back tears. Even Maceo knew he'd said something poignant. It meant a lot to us. I have two children with two different fathers. Van has a son. As a mom living this modern, blended family, all I care about is that my kids are okay with the decisions I'm making.'

Halle is also mother to daughter Nahla Ariela - turning 14 next month - from her four-year relationship with Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, which ended in 2010.

Make-up free: The Ohio-born 55-year-old dressed down in a large newsboy cap with a black hooded jumpsuit and green Birkenstock-style sandals

'It was a very real moment for all of us': Recently, little Maceo officiated a 'commitment ceremony' between Halle and the neo soul artist - turning 52 next month - in the backseat of her car 'of his own volition' (pictured last Monday)

'The moments that matter most': Berry is also mother to daughter Nahla Ariela (R, pictured in 2021) - turning 14 next month - from her four-year relationship with Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, which ended in 2010

Later on Saturday, Berry donned $496 Dolce & Gabbana 'Geometric Transparency' sunglasses to speak at an event for her wellness platform re.spin, which was hosted by The Wing.

The Bruised director-star joined OB/GYN Dr. Jessica Shepherd, wellness educator Lalah Delia, and AARMY co-founder Angela Manuel-Davis for the Movement & Meditation panel.

Halle likely spoke of her 'huge, life-changing moment in 2017' when she traveled to India and attended a four-hour group meditation 'with a shaman on a beach' that shifted the direction of her career.

Hairstylist Sara Seward coiffed Berry's locks for the feminist function and make-up artist Jorge Monroy brought out her youthful beauty.

Safety first! Later on Saturday, the Caesars Sportsbook spokesmodel donned $496 Dolce & Gabbana 'Geometric Transparency' sunglasses to speak at an event for her wellness platform re.spin, which was hosted by The Wing

Teaming up: Halle joined (from L-R) OB/GYN Dr. Jessica Shepherd, wellness educator Lalah Delia, and AARMY co-founder Angela Manuel-Davis for the Movement & Meditation panel

Chatting mindfulness: Berry likely spoke of her 'huge, life-changing moment in 2017' when she traveled to India and attended a four-hour group meditation 'with a shaman on a beach' that shifted the direction of her career

Casual glam: Hairstylist Sara Seward coiffed the Bruised director-star's locks for the feminist function and make-up artist Jorge Monroy brought out her youthful beauty

The Moonfall actress will next be honored with the SeeHer Award at The 27th Annual Critics' Choice Awards, which air March 13 on The CW/TBS.

Halle is the sixth woman to receive the accurate portrayals of women in media award after Viola Davis (2017), Gal Gadot (2018), Claire Foy (2019), Kristen Bell (2020), and Zendaya (2021).

Berry next executive produces and stars as farmer and mother-of-two Sara Morse, who's searching for her missing husband, in Matt Charman's sci-fi alien drama The Mothership premiering later this year on Netflix.

Worryingly, the biracial beauty's last two films - Moonfall and Bruised - received dismal 38% and 51% critic approval ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.

'The news is out!' Halle will next be honored with the SeeHer Award at The 27th Annual Critics' Choice Awards, which air March 13 on The CW/TBS
RuPaul's Drag Race star Carmen Carrera has made history after becoming the first transgender model to star in a campaign for Australian lingerie brand Honey Birdette.

The American-born activist presented as a male during the third season of Drag Race in 2011 before embarking on gender reassignment surgery shortly after the series came to an end.

Her new cowboy-inspired shoot was photographed inside a West Hollywood saloon and features kaleidoscopic images of Carrera, 36, alongside fellow models partying and riding a mechanical bull.

Carrera appears to be in her element as she poses in skimpy sheer lingerie from Honey Birdette's latest collection.

Giddy up! RuPaul's Drag Race star Carmen Carrera, 36, (pictured) has made history after becoming the first trans model to star in a campaign for Australian lingerie brand Honey Birdette

Her barely-there outfits were completed with Western-inspired props, including cowboy hats and faux pistols.

Also starring in the colourful campaign are lingerie models Zita Vass, Tiah Eckhardt and Kristina Sheiter.

Several images show the models play-fighting, while another shows the women posing with shirtless male model wearing a cowboy hat.

Old times: The American-born activist presented as a male during the third season of Drag Race in 2011 before embarking on gender reassignment surgery (pictured in 2011)

Yee-haw! The cowboy-inspired campaign was photographed inside a West Hollywood saloon, and features kaleidoscopic images of Carrera and fellow models partying and riding a mechanical bull

In theme: Her barely-there outfits were completed with Western-inspired props, including cowboy hats and faux pistols

'This was my first lingerie campaign and the first time I've ever ridden a mechanical bull, but I just thought 'challenge accepted!' I had a blast,' Carrera said of her Honey Birdette debut.

'I think the Honey Birdette girl is sexually empowered, loves herself and her body - and that's how I feel too.'

Carrera, who came out a decade ago, has long campaigned to break down the stigma faced by trans people and the LGTBQ+ community at large.

Popular: Carrera performed during RuPaul's Drag Race Battle of the Seasons Tour in 2014 (pictured), two years after her first appearance on the show

In good company: Also starring in the colourful campaign are lingerie models Zita Vass, Tiah Eckhardt and Kristina Sheiter (pictured)

Action-packed: Several images show the models play fighting, while another shows the women posing with shirtless male model wearing a cowboy hat

'I was one of the first trans models out in the mainstream, so I had to meet the opposition head on. But since then, there have been so many LGBTQ+ personalities and influencers who have been able to further the conversation,' she said.

'I think we still have a lot of work to do, but things have improved in leaps and bounds. When I started, people were like, 'how strange! A transgender? Are you serious?!''

Carrera said she looks forward to the day where trans people aren't treated as 'taboo'.

RuPaul's Drag Race is available exclusively on Stan.

Bombshell: Scantily clad model Zita Vass (centre) posed next to several women dressed in rhinestone-encrusted Brazilian Carnival outfits

Golden girl: Perth-born model Tia Eckhardt (pictured) posed on the mechanical bull as gold confetti rained from above

Howdy there, partner! A shirtless male model posed alongside Tia for one racy shot

'Trans people have been marginalised and ostracizsd in society for so long, that many people don't know how to embrace a trans person,' she said.

'I've met so many people where we're great friends in day to day life, but once they know I'm trans, the energy changes and they're weirded out.

'I'd like to see us reflected on camera so that the world can understand that we can exist in real spaces and that we have real lives. We're not some hidden thing only to be brought out for shock value.'

Fight night: One photo shows the models wrestling on the trampoline in front of a cheering crowd

First rodeo: 'This was my first lingerie campaign and the first time I've ever ridden a mechanical bull, but I just thought 'challenge accepted!' I had a blast,' Carrera said of her Honey Birdette debut

Carrera is the second contestant in the history of RuPaul's Drag Race to rejoin the show after being eliminated in 2011.

Having failed to impress the judging panel with a reggae-infused version of RuPaul track Superstar she returned for a later episode, only to be eliminated for a second time after attempting to style a male athlete in her own image.

Carrera also appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race Battle of the Seasons Tour in 2014.

Making waves: Carrera, who came out a decade ago, has long campaigned to break down the stigma faced by trans people and the LGTBQ+ community at large
Elle Fanning transforms into Michelle Carter in Stan's upcoming true crime drama, The Girl From Plainville.

Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2017 for encouraging her boyfriend to kill himself in text messages in 2014.

First look images and a compelling trailer sees a tearful sees Fanning as Carter announcing to her parents that her boyfriend Conrad Henri Roy III, played by Colton Ryan, is dead at the dinner table before she is convicted.

The Girl From Plainville FIRST LOOK: Elle Fanning (pictured) transforms into Michelle Carter in Stan's upcoming true crime drama - that explores the woman who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in texting-suicide case

Text messages between the pair are then shown on-screen, where Carter asks her boyfriend 'if he's going to do it'.

Carter is then seen going to court as a narrator questions what motive she would have for telling her boyfriend, who was 18 at the time, to kill himself.

'You don't get it. This is our love story,' a tearful Carter tells the court.

Real life: Pictured is Carter in court on June 8, 2017 where she was convicted of involuntary manslaughter

Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2017 for encouraging her boyfriend Conrad Henri Roy III to kill himself in text messages in 2014. Pictured: Fanning, 23, as Carter

Fanning, 23, also acted as a producer on the show.

Although Roy and Carter lived just over 30 miles apart near Boston, the two met while both were visiting Florida in 2012.

The two carried on a relationship via text from that point on despite rarely seeing each other, even though they lived within an hour's drive.

Although Carter referred to herself as Roy's girlfriend, he didn't use that terminology and only referred to her as a friend.

Portrayal: The beginning of the trailer sees Fanning as Carter breaking down in tears as she tells her parents at the dinner table that 'Conrad's dead'

After Roy began sharing his suicidal thoughts with Carter later in 2012, she initially tried to convince him that he has 'so much to live for,' according to the New York Times.

She urged him to seek professional help in June 2014, when he again told Carter that he was thinking of killing himself.

But just a month later, she began sending him text messages encouraging him to kill himself and trying to convince him that his family and friends would eventually accept his death.

Exchange: Text messages between the pair are then shown on-screen, where Carter asks her boyfriend 'if he's going to do it'

'Everyone will be sad for a while but they will get over it and move on,' she wrote in a text message shared in court.

Although Carter's defense blamed her text messages on mental changes brought about by a new anti-depressant she had begun taking, she was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.

Carter was released three months early in January 2020 due to good conduct.

The Girl from Plainville premieres 30 March, same day as the U.S. and only on Stan.
Former financial industry leaders declare their support for the main opposition presidential candidate, Yoon Suk-yeol, at the headquarters of the People Power Party (PPP) located on Yeouido, Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap



By Anna J. Park



A number of former financial industry leaders have declared their official support for main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol in the upcoming presidential election. They criticize the incumbent Moon administration for having "impaired the country's financial industry."



A total of 110 former financial industry leaders, including former Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA) chairman Hwang Young-ki, announced their official support for Yoon at the headquarters of the PPP located on Yeouido, Seoul, on Sunday morning. Hwang also served as chairman at both Woori Financial Group as well as KB Financial Group during the 2000s. Former Woori Bank CEO Lee Jong-hwi, former KB Kookmin Bank CEO Min Byung-duk and former NH Nonghyup Bank CEO Kim Ju-ha also joined the move to raise their voices of support for conservative party candidate Yoon.



"We couldn't sit idly by anymore, while the Moon administration and the ruling party put the entire nation in distress with their failed policies," their statement read. "Hoping to change the incumbent administration at the election, we ardently support presidential candidate Yoon, who pledges to transform Korea into a place where fairness and trust thrive," the statement continued.



The main rationale behind the group's criticisms of the Moon administration is that the government failed properly to supervise financial markets, resulting in a number of ill-designed problematic fund products and accompanying financial fiascos such as the Lime, Optimus and Discovery scandals. Such financial calamities wreaked havoc mostly on retail investors.



They also denounced the incumbent government for failing at managing the country's real estate policies, the snowballing debt of small business owners and the COVID-19 pandemic situation.



"With the domestic stock market being stimulated, the number of retail investors who wish to increase their assets through the market has also grown. Yet, the Moon administration has been incompetent in advancing the country's capital markets, failing at accomplishing the investors' wishes. The government has also been avoiding taking appropriate measures to protect investors," their statement stressed.



The group members urged the next administration to take proactive measures to advance the local financial market, proposing specific policy recommendations, such as reducing the level of regulations in financial markets while strengthening consumer protections, supplying longer-term mortgage products for housing, as well as promoting Korea as an international financial hub by advancing its capital markets to global standards.



This instance is not the first time that former financial industry leaders have declared support for Yoon. Earlier last week, a group of 1,150 people from the financial and economic sectors declared their official support for Yoon. They include KPMG Korea former CEO Yoon Sung-bok and Nexia Samduk former CEO Kwon Oh-hyung.


Pauly Fenech regularly gets the laughs on screen.

And the comedian, 51, got a lighthearted giggle from the recruits on Monday night's premiere of SAS Australia when he exposed his manhood.

The Fat Pizza star was involved in a challenge that saw his jumpsuit set on fire, before he was forced to jump into a river.

Going Commando: Comedian Paul Fenech, 51, (pictured) bared his penis bottom on SAS Australia's Monday night premiere

Emerging from the water, Paul stripped off and it was soon clear he wasn't wearing any underwear underneath his jumpsuit.

'F**k me, we've got a streaker,' commented directing staff Dean Stott.

'Clearly a confident individual. Must be hung like an Afghan yak...or not?' he added.

The other recruits could be seen standing in a line laughing as they noticed the comedian not wearing any underwear.

Hello: Emerging from the water, Paul stripped off and it was soon clear he wasn't wearing any underwear underneath his jumpsuit

'Holy sh*t. I thought you said it weren't cold,' directing staff Ollie Ollerton quipped.

He then added, 'True commando. No helmet required' as he gazed in Fenech's direction.

Paul then reflected on his years in stand-up comedy.

Racy: 'F**k me, we've got a streaker,' commented directing staff Dean Stott. 'Clearly a confident individual. Must be hung like an Afghan yak...or not?' he added

'When you do stand-up comedy you have to have absolute confidence or you will fail. So after years of this stuff, I have no shame,' Paul said.

The Housos vs. Authority star also spoke of his years in the Army Reserve.

'I thought the Army would train me to be like Rambo, but what I didn't realise is that you don't get to be like Rambo in the first minute.

No shame: 'When you do stand-up comedy you have to have absolute confidence or you will fail. So after years of this stuff, I have no shame,' Paul said. Here alongside the other recruits

Paul went on to say that he got 'personal discipline' out of the Reserve which he still values even now.

The controversial actor also spoke of his differences between home life and his larger-than-life personas on the small screen.

'My private life is probably not as fun as my TV life,' he said. 'At home, there's a lot less threesomes, let's just say that.'

SAS Australia continues on Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven
Just five months after his father Willie Garson passed away, his only son Nathen Garson paid tribute to his father on what would have been his 58th birthday.

Garson adopted Nathen when he was just seven years old back in 2009, with the 21-year-old honoring his father on Sunday.

The Sex and the City star passed away on September 21 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Tribute: Just five months after his father Willie Garson passed away, his only son Nathen Garson paid tribute to his father on what would have been his 58th birthday

Adopted: Garson adopted Nathen when he was just seven years old back in 2009, with the 21-year-old honoring his father on Sunday

Nathen shared an undated throwback snap of him with his father, adding, 'Happy birthday papa. Miss you tons and love you.'

Garson returned to reprise his role as Stanford Blatch in the Sex and the City sequel And Just Like That... though he only appeared in three episodes before falling ill.

Creator Michael Patrick King recently revealed he had a much different plan for the character and he was slated to appear in all 10 episodes.

Undated: Nathen shared an undated throwback snap of him with his father, adding, 'Happy birthday papa. Miss you tons and love you'

Every episode: Creator Michael Patrick King recently revealed he had a much different plan for the character and he was slated to appear in all 10 episode

The show ultimately dealt with his death by having Stanford abruptly divorce his husband Anthony (Mario Cantone) and move to Tokyo to manage a TikTok star.

'He was in all 10 episodes. Before I knew that Willie was sick and couldnt complete it, Stanford was going to have a midlife crisis,' King revealed.

Stanford was always a talent manager on the original series and the movies, but King admitted he always, 'had a borderline career as a manager, and we were like going to explore the fact that it wasnt a real career.'

Manager: The show ultimately dealt with his death by having Stanford abruptly divorce his husband Anthony (Mario Cantone) and move to Tokyo to manage a TikTok star

Manager: Stanford was always a talent manager on the original series and the movies, but King admitted he always, 'had a borderline career as a manager, and we were like going to explore the fact that it wasnt a real career'

'It was going to be Carrie and him, feeling the shifts. Anthony and him were probably going to have split anyway,' he said of Stanford's marriage to Anthony.

He added that they would keep both Carrie and Stanford in and, 'everybody would be relieved that they were divorced because it was not pleasant for anybody.'

'But there was a series of really fun, flirty, hilarious confidante scenes with Carrie that I loved. That old, old, very specific chemistry that Carrie and Stanford have, which is based totally on the uniqueness of Willie and Sarah Jessicas history,' King added.

Stanford and Carrie: He added that they would keep both Carrie and Stanford in and, 'everybody would be relieved that they were divorced because it was not pleasant for anybody'

Split: 'It was going to be Carrie and him, feeling the shifts. Anthony and him were probably going to have split anyway,' he said of Stanford's marriage to Anthony

He added that real death is not, 'funny or cute,' so he, 'didnt want to even flirt narratively with cute business about where he is.'

'I knew the audience would never invest in it, because they knew he was never coming back. Its the most threadbare writing Ive ever done just to move him along without much maneuvering, because it was just so sad. There was no way I could write myself out of that in any charming, cute way,' King admitted.

Garson also recently starred in the 2021 movie Before I Go and also lent his voice to the animated series Big Mouth.

Narrative: He added that real death is not, 'funny or cute,' so he, 'didnt want to even flirt narratively with cute business about where he is'
Courteney Cox says 'struggling' Friends co-star Matthew Perry put enormous pressure on himself to be funny while filming scenes as sardonic Chandler Bing.

The actors became household names thanks to their respective roles as Monica Gellar and Bing in the iconic '90s show about five twenty-somethings living together in New York City.

And Cox, 57, believes her former co-star felt obligated to make the studio audience laugh out loud while filming the show at Warner Brothers studios in Los Angeles.

Opening up: Courteney Cox says Friends co-star Matthew Perry put enormous pressure on himself to be funny while filming scenes as sardonic Chandler Bing for the hit sitcom

She told the Sunday Times: 'That was a lot of pressure he put on himself. That's a lot to think how much he relied on that for his own self-worth.'

Cox reunited with cast-mates Perry, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow for retrospective special The One Where They Get Back Together in 2021.

But Perry, 52 - whose battle with prescription drugs and alcohol began years before Friends went off-air in 2004 - prompted alarm from fans after appearing to slur his speech throughout the reunion.

Concern: Perry prompted alarm from fans after appearing to slur his speech throughout the eagerly anticipated Friends reunion in 2021

Just like old times: (L-R) Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc Courtney Cox and Matthew Perry joined James Corden (centre) for the Reunion Special

Cox added: 'He's just struggled for a while. I think he's doing great now.'

However the actress admitted she loved reuniting with her former co-stars and insisted she will never get bored with discussing her time on the show.

'No, that was such a huge part of my life,' she said. 'It was such a lucky situation that I fell into the show, and I went through so many things in those 10 years.'

Of her relationship with her co-stars, she added: 'We're just really comfortable. We've shared so much history together and we laugh.

'Lisa's laugh alone is the most infectious laugh I've ever heard. It's adorable. We have deep conversations, we also have silly times.'

Pals: Cox admitted she loved reuniting with her former co-stars and insisted she will never get bored with discussing her time on the show

Perry won't 'sugarcoat the tougher times that he went through' with his Friends castmates in an upcoming memoir, which hits shelves on November 1.

The Massachusetts-born star was paid in the 'mid-seven-figures' to pen the 256-page tell-all titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing - according to Deadline.

'He'll delve into his addictions, of course, plus clear up rumors about his feelings for the Friends co-stars,' a source told Us Weekly.

'It wasn't always a bed of roses for Matthew on and off the Friends set. He'll also discuss what it was like at the reunion, both good and bad.'

The insider added: 'It's not going to be salacious or mean, just totally honest. But given the nature of Matt's life and his experiences, that guarantees this will be an incredibly juicy read!'
Bella Hadid debuted an overhauled look during a trip to one of the international Vogue offices on Sunday, where she shared a slew of mirror selfies to Instagram.

The supermodel, 25, experimented with a chic brown pixie wig as she flaunted her pert bottom in a tight blue maxi dress, while wearing a coordinating shade of eye-shadow.

She pouted up a storm while putting her skills to use for the camera, and was joined by a pal who emulated her movements.

Wow! Bella Hadid overhauled her image with a chic brown pixie wig during a trip to the Vogue offices on Sunday, where she shared a slew of mirror selfies to Instagram

In her caption, the runway star wrote: '6am at Vogue,' followed by a blue butterfly and genie emoji.

The GQ Men of the Year Award winner had all eyes on her earlier this weekend when she arrived at Burberry's Rodeo Drive Takeover at its flagship store in Beverly Hills.

She looked effortlessly chic in an all-beige ensemble featuring a bustier-inspired top that showcased her cleavage.

Looking good: The supermodel, 25, flaunted her pert bottom in a tight blue maxi dress, while wearing a coordinating shade of eye-shadow

What a pair! She pouted up a storm while putting her skills to use for the camera, and was joined by a pal who emulated her movements

Early morning: In her caption, the runway star wrote: '6am at Vogue,' followed by a blue butterfly and genie emoji

She wore her skimpy top  which had circular cutouts over her sides  tucked into her high-waisted beige leggings.

Bella's pants reached down to her feet and were tucked into her classic pointy black heels.

She covered up with an intriguing deconstructed trench coat. The item was sleeveless and featured lapels in triplicate, along with epaulets over her shoulders.

The sister of Gigi Hadid accessorized with a tube-shaped handbag in a warmer brown tone.

She had her dark hair parted down the middle and pulled back in a tight bun to highlight her ornate dangling Burberry earrings.

Bella was joined by the likes of Lori Harvey, Sofia Boutella, Camilla Morrone, Jacob Elordi, Travis Bennett and 070 Shake at the star-studded event,
Emma Roberts looked incredible as she showed off her figure in a pink checked bikini on Instagram on Sunday.

The actress took her mind off her recent split from Garett Hedlund on a holiday in Costa Rica as she posed up a storm for a slew of snaps.

The 31-year-old let her blonde locks fall naturally, as she appeared to opt for a relaxed look while standing with her back to the camera in a bathroom.

Absolutely stunning: Emma Roberts wore a high-waisted pink checked bikini as she posed for Instagram snaps in Costa Rica on Sunday following her split from Garett Hedlund

The star was seen lounging by an indoor pool in the second picture, enjoying a piece of luxury.

Emma tagged holistic well-being resort Hacienda AltaGracia in Costa Rica.

She captioned the images 'it's summer somewhere right?', sharing to her 17.5m instagram followers.

R and R: The star was seen lounging by an indoor pool as she enjoyed her luxury break

Emma looked relaxed, despite her recent split from long-term boyfriend Garrett Hedlund.

The pair reportedly split at the beginning of the year - after welcoming their son Rhodes in December 2020.

Garrett, 37, is currently being sued for negligence over a drink driving incident in 2020 - and was arrested for public intoxication last month, following the split.

Over! Emma and Garrett reportedly split at the beginning of the year - after welcoming their son Rhodes in December 2020

While neither of the actors have commented on the split, the former couple are said to be trying their best to co-parent 1-year-old Rhodes.

The pair reportedly had a rocky few months towards the end of 2021, before calling quits on the 3-year romance.

Emma has been sharing a variety of snaps from her holistic getaway to Instagram - as she enjoyed some time away to herself.

Happy: Emma has been sharing a variety of snaps from her holistic getaway to Instagram - as she enjoyed some time away to herself
Chef Colin Fassnidge is stepping into some big shoes when he takes on the role of host of Kitchen Nightmares Australia.

The series originally soared to popularity in the UK and the US while fronted by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

The former My Kitchen Rules star has insisted however that he won't be exhibiting quite the same short temper that his British counterpart does.

Incoming! Chef Colin Fassnidge (pictured) is stepping into some big shoes when he takes on the role of host of Kitchen Nightmares Australia

The 46-year-old told The Daily Telegraph on Monday that he plans to be 'firm but fair'.

'If you are after a show screaming and shouting in people's faces, that is not what I want to do,' he said.

'I am a lot older now. Maybe 10 years ago I was like that but not now,' the Irish-born cook continued.

Popular: The series originally soared to popularity in the UK and the US while fronted by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay (pictured)

'I don't think anyone wants to see me go in at this time with the hospitality industry on its knees and be screaming and shouting at people.'

A casting call for the series, shared by Channel Seven this month, reads: 'Does Your Restaurant Need Rescuing?

'A renowned celebrity chef and restauranteur is on a mission to rescue struggling restaurants across Australia with a new series of Kitchen Nightmares, on Channel 7.

Nope: The former My Kitchen Rules star insisted he wont be exhibiting quite the short temper that his British counterpart does. 'If you are after a show screaming and shouting in people's faces, that is not what I want to do,' he said. Gordon is pictured on Kitchen Nightmares

'You will receive expert advice to revive your restaurant dreams, renew your passion and reinvigorate your menu.

'So, if your business is struggling, your staffs appetite for success has faded or your food has lost its flavour APPLY NOW! With our help, we could turn your restaurant into the hottest spot in town!'

Kitchen Nightmares ran in the UK for five seasons between 2004 and 2007, before returning for a one-off season in 2014.

'I don't think anyone wants to see me go in at this time with the hospitality industry on its knees and be screaming and shouting at people' the Irish-born cook continued

It also ran from 2007 to 2014 in the US on Fox, with the network also showcasing Ramsay's next series, Hell's Kitchen.

Kitchen Nightmares was iconic in its time, and saw Chef Ramsay have multiple fiery meltdowns on camera as he attempted to revive failed restaurants from ruin.

It's not the only cooking show Seven are reviving, after it was announced October the network were set to resurrect My Kitchen Rules.

Chef Manu Feildel will be at the helm of the show, however controversial anti-vaxxer Pete Evans won't be returning.
The US version of the show is the most successful factual franchise of SBS On Demand.

And the Australian network has announced it has secured the exclusive rights to commission a local version of Alone during Monday's SBS Upfronts presentation.

Alone Australia has already put the call out for contestants to try to survive in the wilderness when the show debuts in 2023.

Coming soon: SBS has announced it has secured the exclusive rights to commission a local version of Alone during Monday's SBS Upfronts presentation

According to ITV Studios who produce the series, Alone Australia will follow a cast of individual self-reliance experts as they brave the elements and fight to stay alive on their own terms, with nothing but what they carry in on their backs.

The players' mission is 'to live alone in the wild, for as long as they can, documenting their journey every step of the way.'

It promises a 'life-changing prize' for the winner, although does not specify an amount.

Players wanted: Alone Australia has already put the call out for contestants to try to survive in the wilderness when the show debuts in 2023

In the US version of the show, the ultimate winner takes home US$500,000.

ITV say they 'are looking to represent Australia's population in our casting'.

'We're very interested in applications from people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, First Nations, people with disability, LGBTIQ+, women and other lived experiences which are traditionally under-represented on screen.'

Goals: According to ITV Studios who produce the series, Alone Australia will follow a cast of individual self-reliance experts as they brave the elements and fight to stay alive on their own terms, with nothing but what they carry in on their backs

The casting call asks, 'Are you a TRUE survivor in the practical sense of the word? Is self-reliance a way of life for you?'

'Do you consider yourself a skilled survivalist? Do you have the stamina to sustain yourself for weeks on end, in a harsh environment with no contact from the outside world?'

'We want to hear from you!' it concludes.
Idris Elba was joined by Cynthia Erivo as they filmed the highly-anticipated Luther film in London's Piccadilly Circus on Sunday.

The production shut down the busy junction for filming as they shot a dramatic police scene.

The actor, 49, who first began work on the movie adaptation in November, was spotted getting back into character as the brooding detective John Luther to face another terrifying threat.

Action: Idris Elba was joined by Cynthia Erivo as they filmed the highly-anticipated Luther film in London's Piccadilly Circus on Sunday

The whole area was eventually closed to traffic and public during the evening shoot, while actors dressed as armed police officers could be seen on the streets.

Idris wrapped up in a dark grey coat which he paired with a light blue shirt and a pair of navy trousers.

The film star looked in good spirits for the shoot and was seen chatting to crew members between takes.

Cynthia, 35, whose role in the flick has yet to be confirmed, wore a navy coat along with a red turtle neck top.

Filming: The production shut down the busy junction for filming as they shot a dramatic police scene

Project: The actor, 49, who first began work on the movie adaptation in November, was spotted getting back into character as the brooding detective John Luther to face another terrifying threat

The star also sported a pair of dark trousers and added height to her frame with black boots.

Luther's fifth series aired on BBC One in January 2019, and ended with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, as the titular detective was arrested after he let serial killer Alice Morgan plunged to her death.

The actor has won a Golden Globe and was nominated for multiple Emmy Awards for his performance.

Cynthia is best known for her roles in the critically-acclaimed biopic Harriet and the thriller Widows.

Dapper: Idris wrapped up in a dark grey coat which he paired with a light blue shirt and a pair of navy trousers

Outfit: Cynthia, 35, whose role in the flick has yet to be confirmed, wore a navy coat along with a red turtle neck top

Movie: The film star looked in good spirits for the shoot and was seen chatting to crew members between takes

Show: Luther's fifth series aired on BBC One in January 2019, and ended with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger

Little is known about Cynthia's role in the upcoming film, but it is thought she'll play a new villain, following the death of murderous Alice in series five.

Alice (played by Ruth Wilson) had been one of Luther's main adversaries throughout the series' run, ruthlessly murdering her parents, before eventually helping him to clear his name when he was accused of killing DS Ripley.

While it was previously thought that the sinister criminal died in Belgium during series four, but in reality she'd been in regular communication with Luther via. burner phones.

Back in November, Idris confirmed that filming for the long-awaited Luther movie had finally commenced.

Plot: The titular detective was arrested after he let serial killer Alice Morgan plunged to her death

Style: Cynthia also sported a pair of dark trousers and added height to her frame with black boots

Success: The actor has won a Golden Globe and was nominated for multiple Emmy Awards for his performance

Exciting: Back in November, Idris confirmed that filming for the long-awaited Luther movie had finally commenced

Taking to Instagram earlier this month, Idris shared a photo of a clapperboard that was stamped with the date October 27 and read: 'take one'.

He also uploaded a photo of himself wearing DCI John Luther's red tie and tweed overcoat, tagging his location as 'on set' and writing: 'Oi I'm back!'

The actor, who has won multiple awards for his portrayal of the troubled cop who always gets his killer, was quickly inundated with comments from fans expressing their excitement over the announcement.

Luther follows on from the hit BBC series and stars Idris in the titular role.

Speaking in May, Idris confirmed he is 'so excited' to dive into the new project and he expects 'bolder' storylines which will span across the globe.

Career: Cynthia is best known for her roles in the critically-acclaimed biopic Harriet and the thriller Widows

Speculation: Little is known about Cynthia's role in the upcoming film, but it is thought she'll play a new villain, following the death of murderous Alice in series five

Idris said: 'We go into production, fingers crossed, in September. I'm so excited about it, it's been a long time coming'

He added: 'We're very, very close to pulling the green light on production'

He said to Variety: 'We go into production, fingers crossed, in September. I'm so excited about it, it's been a long time coming. We're very, very close to pulling the green light on production.'

Idris has been keen to take the BBC show to the silver screen for some time as he discussed the spin-off movie in an interview last year.

Speaking to reporters at the BAFTA TV Awards in July, he said: 'I've maintained that I'd like to see [Luther] come to a film. That's what I think we're headed towards, is a film. I'm looking forward to making that happen... It is happening!

'With film, the sky is the limit. You can be a little bit more bold with the storylines, and a little bit more international, and a little more up the scale. But John Luther is always going to be John Luther.'

Eager: Idris has been keen to take the BBC show to the silver screen for some time as he discussed the spin-off movie in an interview last year

Future: Speaking to reporters at the BAFTA TV Awards in July, he said: 'I've maintained that I'd like to see [Luther] come to a film. That's what I think we're headed towards, is a film'

He said: I'm looking forward to making that happen... It is happening! 'With film, the sky is the limit'

Idris added: 'You can be a little bit more bold with the storylines, and a little bit more international, and a little more up the scale. But John Luther is always going to be John Luther'

Franchise: In another interview last year, Idris confirmed once more that a Luther film is 'definitely coming'

In another interview last year, Idris confirmed once more that a Luther film is 'definitely coming', while admitting his mum still believes he will take on the role of James Bond.

The actor has been repeatedly linked with the coveted role following Daniel Craig's confirmation that he will not return following the delayed release of No Time To Die - his sixth film as Bond.

But while Idris has previously admitted his chances of becoming the next 007 are remote, his mum Eve remains quietly optimistic.

He said on Capital XTRA: 'The Luther film is definitely coming, I'm very excited. For the fans that have watched five seasons of Luther, I owe it to them to take it to the next level, and that's where the film comes in.

'I know the rumours about Bond have always chased me. Listen, my poor mum is like, ''one day you're going to get it!'' I was like, ''mum, I'm good, I've got Luther''. I'm definitely doing that.'

Scene: Members of the crew were seen filming Idris and Cynthia

Drama: Cynthia was seen running across the junction as she filmed a tense action scene

Another role? Idris previously admitted his mum still believes he will take on the role of James Bond
Adam Thomas' niece Scarlett has been cast as his on-screen daughter in the upcoming Waterloo Road's reboot, which saw its full ensemble revealed on Monday.

The actor, 33, made the adorable announcement about the child of Coronation Street's Ryan Thomas and his former co-star Tina O'Brien during BBC's Morning Live.

Filled with glee, the proud uncle began: 'I can't believe I'm actually saying this. I feel like I'm working for Marvel, I can never say too much about what is going on...

'I was blown away by her audition!' Adam Thomas has revealed his niece Scarlett, 13, will play his daughter Izzie in the Waterloo Road reboot - as the full class is revealed

'But what I can tell you is my little niece Scarlett Thomas is going to be joining the cast of Waterloo Road. She doesn't know it yet so congratulations Scarlett.

'Only joking. She's playing my daughter, I really don't know how that's gonna be.'

He continued of his co-star Katie Griffiths: 'Donte and Chlo had a little baby called Izzie many moons ago and now she's grown up.'

When asked by presenters Gethin Jones and Kym Marsh if he's given his relative any advice, Adam replied: 'To be fair, she doesn't need any. I saw her at the audition and I was blown away.'

Exciting: The actor, 33, made the adorable announcement about the child of Coronation Street's Ryan Thomas and his former co-star Tina O'Brien during BBC's Morning Live

He continued to gush: 'She's a force to be reckoned with. A triple threat. She can sing, she can dance, she can act. Oh man, she's amazing and she's stunning.

'It's her first day filming today so good luck Scarlett. It's all kicking off.'

The high-school drama's new line-up was announced alongside an image of the ensemble during rehearsals later on.

They have begun filming in Greater Manchester in time for an expected release later this year, almost seven years after it was axed by the BBC.

Ensemble: The high-school drama's new line-up was announced alongside an image of the ensemble during rehearsals later on

Fellow actors playing the pupil characters have been announced as Adam Abbou as Danny Lewis, Priyasasha Kumari playing Samia Choudhry, with Noah Valentine joining as Preston Walters.

Adam Ali has been cast as Kai Sharif while Alicia Forde joins as Kelly-Jo Rafferty, Francesco Piacentini-Smith cast as Dean Weever, Liam Scholes as Noel McManus and Lucy Eleanor Begg as Caz Williams.

The junior student cast also includes Summer Violet Bird playing Tonya Walters, Ava Flannery as Verity King, Thapelo Ray cast as Dwanye Jackson, Inathi Rozani joining as Zayne Jackson, Chiamaka (ChiChi) Ulebor playing Shola Aku.

Finally, Sahil Ismailkhil will be become Norrulah Ashimi - who was talent scouted following a production research trip to a local Leeds school.

Beaming: Filled with glee, the proud uncle began: 'I can't believe I'm actually saying this. I feel like I'm working for Marvel, I can never say too much about what is going on...'

Spilling the beans: 'What I can tell you is my little niece Scarlett Thomas is going to be joining the cast of Waterloo Road. She doesn't know it yet so congratulations Scarlett. Only joking!'

Big announcement: When asked by presenters Gethin Jones and Kym Marsh if he's given his relative any advice, Adam replied: 'To be fair, she doesn't need any'

It comes after Adam, Angela Griffin and Katie Griffiths were announced to be returning to the highly-anticipated reboot.

The former Emmerdale star got back into character as ex pupil Donte Charles, with Katie, 32, playing his wife Chlo Grainger.

Once the head of pastoral, Kim Campbell has now moved up the workplace ladder to become the namesake school's headteacher, played by Angela, 45.

Taking to Instagram to share the exciting news, Adam shared a warm embrace with Katie in an adorable reunion snap.

Talented: He continued to gush: 'She's a force to be reckoned with. A triple threat. She can sing, she can dance, she can act. Oh man, she's amazing and she's stunning'

In his caption, he wrote: 'The news is finally out!!! Donte and Chloe are back!! @kaytgriff  @waterlooroad coming soon @bbc @bbciplayer #waterlooroad.'

The Leeds native also shared a photo of the three-piece reading from their scripts while beaming from ear-to-ear, adding that new faces are 'to be revealed'.

She wrote: Big news! I'm going back to school! I'm so so excited to be returning to @waterlooroad reunited with @adamthomas21 and @theangelagriffin and loads of new faces yet to be revealed. Coming to @bbciplayer later this year. #waterlooroad.'

Exes: Ryan and his former co-star Tina welcomed their firstborn in 2008 before splitting in 2009 (pictured in 2009)

Posting the same images, Angela chimed in: 'Here it is!!! My big news! I'm going back to school! I'm ridiculously excited to be returning to @waterlooroad as Kim Campbell. But this time, she's the HEAD.

'I'm reunited with the brilliant @adamthomas21 and Katie Griffiths @kaytgriff (Donte and Chlo all grown up) and loads of new faces yet to be revealed. Coming to @bbciplayer later this year!

'#waterlooroad #series11 #kimcampbell #newhead #newschool #newchallenge #manchester #theoriginals #actress #actresslife #bts #onset @kaytgriff.'

The secondary school-set show first aired in 2006 and won legions of fans by tackling numerous tough issues over its 200-episode run and now its coming back and will tackle the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on school kids.

'We're going back to school!' Adam, Angela Griffin (right) and Katie Griffiths (centre) have revealed they will reprise their roles in Waterloo Road reboot... seven years after it was axed by the BBC

Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, said: 'Waterloo Road is the perfect lens through which to explore post-COVID Britain, from the perspective of those who have arguably been affected most young people in education.'

The gritty show - which was written by the creators of ITV prison drama Bad Girls - was originally set in Rochdale but later series saw a relocation to Greenock, Scotland.

It has been confirmed that the new episodes will be set once again in Greater Manchester.

Executive producer Cameron Roach said: 'Waterloo Road will continue its reputation for kickstarting, supporting and enabling careers both in front of and behind the camera, in a truly inclusive way, from our base in Greater Manchester.'

Happy: The Leeds native also shared a photo of himself and Katie, 32, (Chlo Grainger) reading from their scripts while beaming from ear-to-ear, adding that new faces are 'to be revealed'

The first run of the series featured a slew of familiar faces, such as Loose Women panellist Denise Welch as hapless French teacher Steph Haydock and Hollyoaks actress Chelsee Healey, 33, as ditsy but lovable pupil-turned-secretary Janeece Bryant.

Former Coronation Street actress Angela Griffin, 45, played pastoral care teacher Kim Campbell who smuggled a Rwandan baby into the country.

It launched the careers of The Capture star Holliday Grainger, 33, and Jenna Coleman, who went on to win awards for her role as companion Clara Oswald in Doctor Who and as Queen Victoria in Victoria.

The series - of which all ten series were released on BBC iPlayer prior to lockdown - tackled issues such as teenage pregnancy, alcohol, and drug addiction, and cancer.

What a pair! Donte and Chlo got married in series three, which aired in 2007 (Adam and Katie pictured in-character)

Sensational storylines saw headteacher Rachel Mason (Eva Pope) being exposed as a former prostitute, an explosion rip through the canteen, and pupil Maxine Barlow being shot to death by boyfriend Earl Kelly.

Wegner added: 'We are thrilled to be returning to this brilliant format  its thrills and spills, unmissable characters and high drama  at a time when audiences across Britain need it most, and to be collaborating with the brilliant Cameron Roach and Wall To Wall on its return.'

The programme ended in 2014 with BBC1 controller Charlotte Moore saying at the time it was 'important to make room for new dramas'.

The news was announced by BBC1's Twitter account, which wrote: 'Series 10 of #WaterlooRoad will be the final series. We're incredibly proud of the show but believe it has reached the end of its lifecycle. (sic)'.

Ms Moore said the BBC was 'incredibly proud' of the show but went on: 'We believe it has reached the end of its life cycle and won't be returning after series 10 finishes in 2015.

'On BBC1 it's important to make room for new drama and we are committed to commissioning new drama series for 8pm. There are some really exciting ideas currently in development but nothing to confirm yet.'

The final episode of the show aired on March 9 2015.

Waterloo Road will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later in 2022.
Jack Dee today defended fellow comedian Jimmy Carr after he sparked outrage with a joke about the travelling community being murdered during the Holocaust, declaring that Carr's critics have 'tried to make a storm out of very little'.

The funnyman, 60, appeared on Good Morning Britain on Monday, where he discussed the recent furore surrounding Jimmy's His Dark Material's gig.

Carr, 49, sparked criticism over a clip from his Netflix special, which saw him joke that the thousands of gypsies killed by the Nazis was a positive effect of the Holocaust.

It sparked a wave condemnation, including from the Prime Minister, and there were calls for a police investigation into Jimmy's controversial gag.

But veteran comedian Jack Dee said he did not believe the state should intervene on 'what can and can't be said', adding: 'I think we're sophisticated enough as an audience to discern what we want without calling the cops'.

He told GMB: 'These things come round and they go. Jimmy set it up as an unacceptable thing to say. A month later someone got hold of it and tried to make a storm out of very little.

'Do we want the state to intervene on what can be said or not said? I think we don't want that'.

Opinion: Jack Dee has jumped to the defence of fellow comedian Jimmy Carr after he sparked outrage with a joke about the travelling community during the Holocaust

Debate: The funnyman, 60, appeared on Good Mornining Britain on Monday, where he discussed the recent furore surrounding Jimmy's His Dark Material's gig

Speaking of his own experience of near-cancellation, Jack revealed there was a joke he was specifically told not to say or he would never work in TV again, but he told it anyway.

Mr Dee said: 'The Radio 4 audiences love that stuff, they're not very offendable. I am probably one of the more risque programmes that's allowed to be out there.

'I say what I want to say and that's good. A live show is the right arena to do that stuff because the audience can immediately tell you if they like it or not. I'm not out there to shock anyone but I'm also not going to cotton wool what I say.

'There was a joke I was told I mustn't say and I ended up telling the joke anyway and was told I'd never work in television again but promises, promises, never happened.'

In a widely-shared clip from his Netflix show His Dark Material, he joked about the horror of the Holocaust and 'six million Jewish lives being lost'.

Unimpressed: Jack said that he did not want the state to intervene on 'what can and can't be said', following calls for a police investigation into Jimmy's controversial gag

He told the hosts: 'These things come round and they go. Jimmy set it up as an unacceptable thing to say. A month later someone got hold of it and tried to make a storm out of very little'

Risky: Speaking of his own experience of near-cancellation, Jack revealed there was a joke he was specifically told not to say or he would never work in TV again, but he told it anyway

As a punchline, he then made a disparaging remark about the deaths of thousands of gypsies at the hands of the Nazis.

'But they never mention the thousands of gypsies that were killed by the Nazis. No one ever wants to talk about that, because no one ever wants to talk about the positives,' Carr quipped to a laughing audience.

The audience had reacted with hoots of laughter to the clip of Mr Carr from 'His Dark Material' which was widely shared online.

Mr Carr then explained why he thought it was a 'good joke', saying that it was 'f**king funny', 'edgy as all hell' and because it had an 'educational quality'.

But the joke has caused widespread backlash elsewhere and prompted a debate about racism and free speech.

Jimmy left the joke out of his live comedy show in Cambridge after the council said it would light up the venue in the colours of the Romani flag.

His management was said to have 'assured' Cambridge city councillors that no material from the show will feature at the gig at the Corn Exchange.

Cllr Anna Smith said: 'I share the outrage felt by so many in Cambridge and beyond, regarding these unacceptable remarks. Genocide is not a subject for mockery.

Controversial: But the joke has caused widespread backlash elsewhere and prompted a debate about racism and free speech

'As a council, we are committed to working with and supporting marginalized communities, including our Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.'

Cambridge City Council said that it would light up the outside of the Corn Exchange in the colours of the Romani flag - red, green and blue - ahead of Carr's show.

It also announced plans to hand out leaflets to punters about historic and current racism to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people.

Cambridge Stand Up To Racism wrote on Facebook: 'We need to inform him [Carr] that his vile racist jokes are not welcome in Cambridge.

'Our GRT communities are being battered by our government and we can't allow this further outrage to go by unmarked.'

David Baddiel, 57, was among swathes of other people to slam Mr Carr over the gag.

Mr Baddiel said: 'You can obviously tell a Holocaust joke that is cruel and inhumane and mean-spirited and racist.

Offering his opinion: David Baddiel, 57, (pictured) was among swathes of other people to slam Mr Carr over the gag

'Or you can tell one that targets the oppressors, or draws attention to the fundamental evil of it, or shines and light on the humanity of the victims.

'It's not the subject matter of the joke that counts, it's the specifics of the individual joke. Clearly, Jimmy Carr's was the former.'

Elsewhere, alongside Mr Baddiel, Irish traveller and bare-knuckle boxer Paddy Doherty condemned Mr Carr's joke.

He said the 'disgusting' gag was an insult to the 1.5 million gypsies killed in death camps.

He told the Sunday Mirror: 'He should be investigated by the police.

'That wasn't a joke. He's talking about mass murder being a positive  would he be allowed to say this about black people killed by the Ku Klux Klan?

'There's a level you don't go to. More than a million of my people were killed.'
Seen is the Seoul Metropolitan Government taken on Jan. 26. Korea Times photo by Suh Jae-hoon





Seoul Metropolitan Government will provide North Korean defectors with free health checkups, online tutoring services for students and other support measures to help them better settle in their new homeland, city officials said Monday.







This is the first time in nine years that Seoul has put together support measures for defectors. The capital is home to 6,759 defectors, about 21.4 percent of the total, and about 3.4 billion won ($2.85 million) has been earmarked for this year's support plan, up 1.5 billion won from last year.







Under the plan, free medical examinations will be provided for 200 people aged 14 or older in the first half of the year on a pilot basis, and those in need of medical treatment after examinations will be additionally given 1 million won in nursing fees a year.







The program will be expanded to other defectors either in the second half or next year, officials said.







The city government will also increase the amount of financial aid provided to help new defector households settling in Seoul purchase basic household items, such as TV sets and fans, to 1 million won from 700,000 won.







Also available to defectors will be welfare services for those suffering domestic violence or poverty as well as counseling programs for those experiencing depression or trauma, officials said.







The support plan also includes free e-learning classes and mentoring services for defector students through SeoulLearn, an online education platform, public jobs and community integration programs for defectors.







"The plan aims to help (North Korean defectors) gain complete independence and social integration, not only resettlement," the city government said. (Yonhap)






Katie Price has cut the price of her OnlyFans subscription just weeks after launching her page on the site, to much fanfare.

The star has been plugging the 50% sale on her social media over the weekend, slashing the 11 subsription fee to just 5.50 for users who sign up over the next month.

It comes after friends revealed they have distanced themselves from the troubled star following her drink-drive conviction and restraining order breach in recent weeks.

Sale! Katie Price has cut the price of her OnlyFans subscription just weeks after launching her page on the site, to much fanfare

Katie, 43, is currently enjoying a break in the New Forest, posting photos of the countryside and a luxury spa on Sunday.

She then uploaded a video promoting her 50% off sale, which comes a week after she struck a last-minute deal to pay off her debts, avoiding another high-court showdown over her mounting money woes.

Last Monday Katie was scheduled to explain to a High Court judge her attempts to pay back 2.3million she owed after being declared bankrupt in 2019.

But the former model - who dodged a potential jail term last month after 7,300 fines she owed for driving offences were paid - had her bankruptcy hearing postponed for a second time after agreeing an 11th-hour deal to pay back the money.

Money problems: The star has been plugging the 50% sale on her social media, slashing the 11 subsription fee to just 5.50 for users who sign up over the next month

Ahead of her hearing, Katie's bankruptcy trustees were said to have compiled a dossier of TV, magazine and newspaper deals to be presented at the Insolvency Court in London.

Despite owing millions she has seemingly enjoyed a luxury lifestyle with frequent exotic holidays, including a visit to Las Vegas with boyfriend Carl Woods.

Trustees also want to find out details of how much she has been paid for her TV work, including the latest on Channel 4 where she attempts to renovate her 2million country mansion.

Break: Katie, 43, is currently enjoying a break in the New Forest, posting photos of the countryside and a luxury spa on Sunday

Getting away from it all: Despite owing millions she has seemingly enjoyed a luxury lifestyle with frequent exotic holidays

To add to her woes, it was revealed over the weekend that Katie's long-term friends have distanced themselves from the star after a string of headline-grabbing incidents.

Those in the star's inner circle said to have been affected by her 'consistently concerning behaviour' include media personality Kerry Katona and model Danielle Lloyd.

The former glamour model, 43, was arrested last month on suspicion of breaching a restraining order, by sending messages to her ex-husband Kieran Hayler's fiancee Michelle Penticost.

Court: In December (pictured with fiance Carl Woods) the mother-of-five was handed a 16-week suspended jail sentence and a two-year driving ban following a drink-drive car accident three months prior

In December, the mother-of-five was handed a 16-week suspended jail sentence and a two-year driving ban following a drink-drive car accident three months prior.

A source revealed to The Mirror: 'Katie has had a solid group of girls around her for the best part of a decade but now many of her long-term friends are finally cutting ties.

'She hasn't been seen with any of them in months. After everything that has happened with Katie recently, it feels like things have gone too far.

'They all still love and care for her but feel that they can't be mates with her at this point.'

Distanced? Those in the star's inner circle said to have been affected by her 'consistently concerning behaviour' include media personality Kerry Katona (pictured 2018) and model Danielle Lloyd

Close bond: While former Atomic Kitten pop star Kerry, 41, was a bridesmaid at Katie's wedding to Peter Andre in 2005, ex-Miss England beauty Danielle, 38 (pictured) has known the star for decades

Hitting headlines: The former glamour model, 43, was arrested last month on suspicion of breaching a restraining order, by sending messages to her ex-husband Kieran Hayler's fiancee Michelle Penticost (the couple pictured January 2020)

While former Atomic Kitten pop star Kerry, 41, was a bridesmaid at Katie's wedding to Peter Andre in 2005, ex-Miss England beauty Danielle, 38, has known the star for decades.

According to The Mirror, Kerry has loved her fellow OnlyFans sensation since their I'm A Celebrity stint in 2004, with the pair joint at the hip around the time of Katie's nuptials to Peter.

However, she came to the decision that it was 'time for Katie to make her own mistakes' and has allegedly realised 'there is only so long you can keep trying to help someone who doesnt want it.'

Throwback: According to The Mirror, Kerry has loved her fellow OnlyFans sensation since their I'm A Celebrity stint in 2004 (pictured) with the pair joint at the hip around the time of Katie's nuptials to Peter

The publication stated Danielle's 'turning point' as Katie's drink-driving crash.

As a mother-of-five, it has been said that the Celebrity Big Brother star found it 'hard' and 'unfollowed her on Instagram.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Katie, Kerry and Danielle for comment.
She recently announced she has quit her role as barmaid Emma Brooker on Coronation Street after four years.

And Alexandra Mardell threw a star-studded goodbye party for her cast mates, as she prepared to leave the much-loved ITV soap on Saturday evening.

Taking to Instagram the actor, 28, shared a slew of snaps with her friends and former co-stars at the boozy bash, which was held at a Manchester bar.

Cast night out! Alexandra Mardell threw a star-studded goodbye party on Saturday evening as she prepared to leave Coronation Street after four years and shared a slew of snaps to her Instagram with her co-stars ( L-R ) Mikey North, Jordan Ford Silver, Tanisha Gorey, Joe Duttine, Charlie de Melo, Harriet Bibby, Alexandra and Georgia Taylor

Although she has already filmed her final scenes the star will remain on screen until April.

Alexandra looked incredible in a bright pink button up dress, which was cinched at the waist with a belt.

She completed her ensemble with open toe wedged heels and accessorised with large hoop earrings.

In one snap Alexandra laughed with her on-screen father Simon Gregson, who plays Steve McDonald and her real life boyfriend of four years, Joe Parker.

Stunning! The beauty beamed as she posed with Charlotte Jordan known for her role as Daisy Midgeley and Sair Khan who plays Alya Nazir

Cute! In one snap Alexandra laughed with her on-screen father Simon Gregson, who plays Steve McDonald and her real life boyfriend of four years, Joe Parker

Alexandra was joined by a host of Coronation Street co-stars including Millie Gibson, who plays Kelly Neelan, Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) and Georgia Taylor (Toyah Battersby).

The beauty beamed as she posed with Charlotte Jordan known for her role as Daisy Midgeley and Sair Khan who plays Alya Nazir.

As well as Elle Mulvaney who plays Amy Barlow, Mollie Gallagher who plays Nina Lucas was there, as was Harriet Bibby who plays Summer Spellman and Tanisha Gorey who plays Asha Alahan.

Fun night! She posed with Elle Mulvaney who plays Amy Barlow, her half sister

Looking good: The star posed for another snap with Colson Smith and Julia Goulding

She captioned the pics: 'Face ache from smiling and hardly any photos are a sign of a fab night! Can we do it again?'

She captioned the pics: 'Face ache from smiling and hardly any photos are a sign of a fab night! Can we do it again?

'Huge hugs to everyone who came to say ta-ra for now! Had the best night with you all! Big big love.

Speaking to The Sun about quitting, Alexandra said: 'Four years have gone so fast. Compared to other cast members I still feel like a newbie, which makes my decision to leave all the more difficult. But I feel it's the right time for me.

'I can't thank everyone at Coronation Street enough for welcoming me and trusting me to tell so many wonderful and heartfelt stories. And for the friendships.'

Bosses have said the door will be left open for the character to make a return to the cobbles in the future.

Wow! The actress looked incredible in a bright pink button up dress which was cinched at the waist with a belt

On set: Alexandra played Emma Brooker for four years (pictured with Curtis Delamere, as played by Sam Retford)

Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeon said: 'Emma has found herself in a massive pickle  one which will cause her to wave goodbye to the cobbles. At least for now. Alexandra has been pure Corrie gold and I wish her all the best.'

Alexandra's character Emma was introduced back in 2018 as the secret daughter of Steve McDonald and his ex-girlfriend Fiona Middleton.

The character is currently at the centre of a dramatic storyline after Faye Windass knocked down a pensioner during a driving lesson with Emma, who had had too much to drink.

Alexandra's portrayal of the character won her a Best Newcomer gong at the British Soap Awards in 2019.

Alexandra got engaged to her fiance Joe Parker in April after four years of dating.

The couple moved in together just before Britain was plunged into the first lockdown and their romance has continued to go from strength to strength.
EastEnders star Barbara Smith looks worlds away from her soap character Dana Monroe in snapshots from her impressive Instagram account.

The actress, 24, who joined the BBC show last year, has given fans a glimpse into her life away from Albert Square by sharing sizzling swimwear shots and candid snaps.

Uploading some glamorous snaps, the TV star has delighted fans with a rare insight into her life beyond Borehamwood.

Stunning: EastEnders star Barbara Smith looks worlds away from her soap character Dana Monroe in snapshots from her impressive Instagram account

Cast as the shy and retiring Dana Monroe, Barbara looks almost unrecognisable in some of the sultry snaps.

The screen star oozes confidence throughout her grid showing off her trim physique.

In one black and white portrait, Barbara can be seen basking in the sun sipping a cocktail as she oozes sophistication in a white bikini.



With a taste for exotic holidays, another image shows her looking incredible in her red two-piece while taking in some Vitamin D.

Same, but different: EThe actress, 24, who joined the BBC show last year, has given fans a glimpse into her life away from Albert Square by sharing sizzling swimwear shots and candids

Her colourful account also goes on to show her smiling candidly while posing in cute minidresses.

Keeping it chic - the brunette beauty also gives fans an insight into her love for print sporting a 'dump him' logo t-shirt.



Sharing to her 10,600 followers Barbara invites fans to see her off-duty side, making a peace sign while posing in a cream tracksuit.

In character: Her character has been involved in an on/off romance with Bobby Beale since she joined the long running soap (pictured playing Dana Monroe in the soap)

Her character has been involved in an on/off romance with Bobby Beale since she joined the long running soap.

However the couple recently broke up after Bobby found out that Dana's brother Aaron had attempted a far right terrorist attack on the mosque.

The actress previously enjoyed a very brief cameo in 2019 before joining full the soap full time.

Speaking to Inside Soap, Barbara explained that she 'played a girl named Ellie who sold Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield) some dodgy medication', which led to Bex's dramatic overdose storyline.

Gorgeous: Her colourful account also goes on to show her smiling candidly while posing in cute minidresses

Cheeky: Keeping it chic - the brunette beauty also gives fans an insight into her love for print sporting a 'dump him' logo t-shirt

'I felt as if I was stepping into my TV when I first walked on to the set and it was one of those moments where I had to pinch myself,' she told publication.

'I was obsessed with EastEnders as a kid, and it's especially surreal if I ever see Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey.

'The reveal of Max and Stacey's affair, followed by Bradley [Branning] later falling from the roof of the Queen Vic was my favourite storyline ever.'
Michelle Collins shot a series of very animated expressions as she got into character as Miss Scarlett during the Cluedo photocall earlier in the month.

The actress, 59, oozed elegance in an unmissable red maxi dress, which she accessorised with a pair of dazzling necklaces and elegant black opera gloves.

It comes after she admitted that she regrets taking part in MasterChef last year as mental health struggles had left her 'in a really bad way'.

Lady in red! Michelle Collins shot a series of very animated expressions as she got into character as Miss Scarlett during the Cluedo photocall earlier in the month

Conspicuously lifting a gold candlestick holder, the former EastEnders star put on a terrified display the camera before posing as if she were about to run away.

Her glossy blonde locks had been styled into a vintage beehive which continued with gorgeous curls and cascaded down to her shoulders.

She was soon joined on stage by her co-stars, Tom Babbage (Reverend Green), Judith Amesenga (Mrs Peacock), Wesley Griffith (Colonel Mustard), Daniel Casey (Professor Plum) and Etisyai Philipon (Miss White) at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley.

Having kicked off in Cambridge last week, the whodunnit is set to tour Woking until February 26 before hitting, Nottingham, Richmond and other venues across the UK until July 23.

Hilarious: Conspicuously lifting a gold candlestick holder, the former EastEnders star put on a terrified display the camera before posing as if she were about to run away

Looking good: The actress, 59, oozed elegance in an unmissable red maxi dress, which she accessorised with a pair of dazzling necklaces and elegant black opera gloves

It comes after Michelle admitted she 'mentally wasn't right' during her apparance on MasterChef last August before claiming she 'shouldn't have done it' while her late mum Mary was coming to the end of a two year battle with cancer.

Having suffered with depression and an eating disorder previously, Michelle has now revealed she's in a much better place and has become 'stronger'.

In a candid interview with Notebook, she began: 'I did Celebrity MasterChef, and I was really in a bad way. Mentally I wasn't right and I shouldn't have done it. Then in April mum died, so last year wasn't a happy time for me.

'We all go through times in our life when we suffer from mental health issues, and we should talk about it. I did write about it in my book, including the time when I attempted suicide.

Age-defying: Her glossy blonde locks had been styled into a vintage beehive which continued with gorgeous curls and cascaded down to her shoulders

Centre of attention: Michelle continued with her alarmed expressions

'I've become much stronger as I've gotten older, but I still want to help other people as much as I can.'

Michelle went on to describe how difficult she found lockdown last year since her mum was 'going downhill', especially at Christmas.

While Mary 'couldn't go out' due to her poor health, her daughter kept busy by doing her shopping and helping out at a friend's food bank.

The TV personality revealed her mother Mary had passed away following a two-year battle with cancer last year.

Talented: She was soon joined on stage by her co-stars at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley

Gang: Tom Babbage (Reverend Green), Judith Amesenga (Mrs Peacock), Wesley Griffith (Colonel Mustard), Daniel Casey (Professor Plum) and Etisyai Philipon (Miss White) [L-R] each looked on in shock at an unknown scene

Wow! The play kicked off in Cambridge last week to a very impressed audience

Michelle said she was 'devastated' by the loss and described her mother as the 'kindest woman I knew'.

She confirmed the news by shared a heartwarming snap of herself alongside her mother in a cafe.

In her caption, she wrote: 'My beautiful Mummy passed away on Friday 30th April . We are all devastated.

'She leaves behind her partner Sid , daughters Vicky and myself , 3 grandchildren Charlotte , Jack and Maia and her nephews and nieces whom she loved very much and her little dog #nano from @alldogsmatter.

Coming soon: The whodunnit is set to tour Woking until February 26 before hitting, Nottingham, Richmond and other venues across the UK until July 23

Team: Tom, Etisyai Philip, Michelle and Wesley (L-R) looked into the crowd

'She was the strongest, kindest woman I knew. Fierce, protective, passionate, clever, funny, articulate. She gave Vicky and I our #drive and #hunger for life.'

Michelle said her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer a couple of years ago as she thanked the Royal Free London NHS' oncology department for caring for her.

She wrote: 'She was diagnosed with terminal cancer a couple of years ago but had @immunotherapyforcancer treatment which gave her a couple more years.

'Thank you @royalfreelondonnhs #oncology dept for always being so amazing in caring for her .and #thewhittingtonhospital for caring for her at the end also the wonderful 2 #paramedics ( one was called Jack ) who cared for her in the morning .

Upset: It comes after she admitted that she regrets taking part in MasterChef last year as mental health struggles had left her 'in a really bad way' (pictured in 2021)

'You will always be with us mummy . I love you xxx. I don't know how the charity shops in #eastfinchley will manage without you!'

Michelle rose to fame for her role as Cindy Beale in EastEnders, first joining the soap in 1988 for a two-year stint.

She returned to Albert Square two years later before departing for good in 1998.

Michelle later joined the cast of rival soap Coronation Street, joining the ITV series as Stella Price in 2011.

She departed the soap three years later, telling Manchester Evening News it was difficult to juggle work in Manchester with her responsibilities as a parent to daughter Maia, 24, in London.

She said: 'I'd always said I'd only do three years on the show, which is what I've done. Everyone knows I'm a single mum, and ultimately my daughter is my priority and it was tough dividing my time between Manchester and London.'

Michelle shares her daughter with ex-partner Fabrizio Tassalini while she has been in a relationship with boyfriend Mike Dawson, 38, for more than nine years.
She always knows how to turn heads.

Amanda Holden looked stunning as she sported a beige duster coat, with a pair of tailored trousers - both from Reiss.

The 51-year-old added a spot of colour with a yellow knit v-neck jumper and matching court heels from Steve Madden.

So chic: Amanda Holden sported a beige duster coat, with a pair of tailored trousers as she left Heart FM on Monday

Finishing touches: The presenter complemented the look with a small brown handbag and a pair of dark sunglasses

The presenter complemented the look with a small brown handbag and a pair of dark sunglasses.

Keeping her golden hair down with a light wave, Amanda kept her makeup neutral too.

She left Heart FM studios on Monday after chatting with Keith Lemon and Ashely Roberts about their new E4 show, The Real Dirty Dancing, with co-host Jamie Theakston.

Windswept: She kept her golden hair down with a light wave and her makeup neutral too

Amanda has headed back to reality after jetting off to Dubai to celebrate her 51st birthday with her family.

She posted family snaps of the holiday to Instagram, posing with her two daughters as she enjoyed the break.

The star also showcased her slim figure in a two-piece on the beach.

She received balloons and cake on the Dubai beach as part of the birthday celebrations, with further celebrations when she landed back in the UK

Holiday blues: Amanda has headed back tor reality after jetting off to Dubai to celebrate her 51st birthday with her family

The radio host is being kept busy as auditions for the upcoming season of Britain's Got Talent are underway, with the show returning later this year.

Amanda is joined by fellow talent-show judges Alesha Dixon, Simon Cowell and David Walliams for the shows' fifteenth season.

After a two year absence, Amanda admitted on Heart that she cried during filming with happiness to be back.
Salma Hayek was among well-wishers sending messages to the Queen after it was revealed she has tested positive for coronavirus.

The actress, 55, said that she wished the monarch a 'swift recovery' and shared a bizarre snap where she was stood with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth, 95.

She wrote alongside the image: 'Long live the Queen. Wishing #queenelizabeth a swift recovery from Covid.', she also translated her message into Spanish.

Get better soon! Salma Hayek was among well-wishers sending messages to the Queen after it was revealed she has tested positive for coronavirus

In the snap, Salma posed in front of a portrait of the Queen against a glistening gold background, wearing navy suit while wearing a chic lilac blouse.

It comes following reports that Queen Elizabeth is determined to continue working despite contracting COVID-19.

The British monarch tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday but wants to fulfil a number of online audiences and telephone meetings this week.

Caption: She wrote alongside the image: 'Long live the Queen. Wishing #queenelizabeth a swift recovery from Covid.', she also translated her message into Spanish

Soldiering on: It comes following reports that Queen Elizabeth is determined to continue working despite contracting COVID-19

Only one event, which had been scheduled to take place in person, is likely to be cancelled as a result of the Queen's positive test.

Staff at Buckingham Palace will reportedly maintain a 'sensible' approach to keep the Queen safe even with COVID restrictions set to be eased in England later this week.

The monarch was said to be well enough to cheer one of her horses, Kincardine, as it romped to victory at Newbury and reportedly watch the race on TV at Windsor Castle.

Hopeful: The actress, 55, said that she wished the monach a 'swift recovery' and shared a bizarre snap where she was stood with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth, 95 (The Queen pictured recently)

Her trainer Nicky Henderson said: 'We were all sad to hear of Her Majesty's Covid today. I don't know if (the win) is Covid medicine but I hope it's given her a bit of a lift.'

It was confirmed that the monarch was only experiencing 'mild, cold-like symptoms' following news of her positive test.

A royal spokesperson confirmed: 'Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for COVID.

'Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week.

'She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.'
TOWIE's Yazmin Oukhellou looked incredible in a winter white ensemble as she was spotted shopping in London's upmarket Mayfair on Monday.

The reality star donned a cream Fendi thigh-grazing mini dress which flaunted her toned pins, paired with a matching fur-detailed coat.

Yazmin, 27, accessorised the chic look with Chanel's Quilted CC Filigree Vanity Case, which retails on resale sites for 4,599, alongside a pair of white knee-high boots.

So chic: Yazmin donned a cream Fendi dress, paired with a matching fur-detailed coat as she walked through London

The TV personality had her dark locks neatly falling onto her shoulders in a loose straight style, complemented with a glam makeup look.

Yazmin sported a similar look at London Fashion Week on Saturday, opting for a plunging white mini dress and the same Chanel bag.

The star, who lives in Dubai, returned to the UK to join fellow famous faces at Oh Polly's Fashion Week show.

Classy: She had her dark locks neatly falling onto her shoulders, with a glam makeup look

Wow! Yazmin accessorised with Chanel's Quilted CC Filigree Vanity Case, alongside a pair of white knee-high boots

She managed to fit some shopping in too as she strutted through Mayfair on Monday.

After splitting with ex-boyfriend James Lock in 2021, Yazmin quit TOWIE and decided to relocate to the UAE.

The surprise visit home comes as Love Islander Ellie Jones reportedly cosied up to Yazmin's boyfriend, Jake Mclean, last month.

On the rocks: Yazmin has deleted all trace of Jake from her Instagram, suggesting the pair have parted ways

The pair were spotted partying together on a night out in Dubai, with Yazmin nowhere to be seen.

32-year-old Jake previously dated Yazmin's TOWIE co-star Lauren Goodger in 2015, before moving to Dubai.

Yazmin has since deleted all trace of Jake from her Instagram, suggesting the pair have parted ways.
She welcomed her first child, daughter Enzo Elodie, with husband Johnny Dexter Barbara in September last year.

And Victoria's Secret star Devon Windsor appears to be taking motherhood in her stride.

The 27-year-old American model posted a series of idyllic vacation shots over the weekend, where she showed her taut bikini body, just five months after giving birth.

White hot! Victoria's Secret model Devon Windsor shows off taut bikini body just five months after giving birth to her first child

Posing around in her white two-piece, Devon revealed that she was modelling items from her own swimwear collection.

The fashion figure also revealed it was her last day of vacation and was headed out to enjoy some sun.

She then took part in a fun TikTok video that asked the question, 'How's your mental health after having a baby?'

Posing around in her white two-piece, Devon revealed that she was modelling items from her own swimwear collection.

Sun daze: The model was enjoying her final day of vacation

Mama: She welcomed her first child, daughter Enzo Elodie, with husband Johnny Dexter Barbara, in September last year

The humorous post saw Devon let out a frustrated scream as she danced to the children's nursery song Wheels on the Bus.

Devon updated her 3.2million followers on her nursing journey next, as she revealed her little one had not latched on to her for milk in a while.

The model - who discovered she was pregnant in January last year after six months of trying - revealed she has a few months worth of frozen milk left while she weighs up her options.

Slim: The star showed off her trim body while trying on a swimsuit for the day

Funny: The star also took part in a TokTok poking fun at the challenges of motherhood

Update: Devon then updated her 3.2million followers on her nursing journey, as she revealed her little one had not latched on to her for milk in a while

Windsor and her Cuban beau - celebrating two years of marriage on November 16 - also plan on eventually having at least three children.

The St. Louis-born IMG Model keeps busy running her eponymous brand, which she originally launched in August 2019.

Barbara works as the CEO and art director for her company as well as his sister Alexis Barbara Isaias's clothing company.
Penelope Cruz ensured she stood out while attending a photo-call for her latest Spanish language film on Monday afternoon.

The actress, 47, was in attendance at Madrid's Mandarin Oriental hotel for a promotional shoot on behalf of forthcoming comedy Official Competition, and she caught the eye courtesy of her thigh-skimming Chanel minidress.

Penelope added to her look with a pair of strappy open-toe heels, while her hair was neatly styled with a simple centre-parting.

Upbeat: Penelope Cruz ensured she stood out while attending a photo-call for her latest Spanish language film on Monday afternoon

The Spanish actress was joined by co-stars Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martinez as they promoted the feature, which originally launched at the 78th Venice Film Festival in September.

The release comes during a busy period for Cruz, who also takes a starring role in recent Pedro Almodovar release Parallel Mothers.

Speaking to the Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair, she detailed how her own mum became concerned about her mental state while she was filming the drama.

Greetings: The actress, 47, was in attendance at Madrid's Mandarin Oriental hotel for a promotional shoot on behalf of forthcoming comedy Official Competition, and she caught the eye courtesy of her thigh-skimming Chanel minidress

Glam: Penelope added to her look with a pair of strappy open-toe heels, while her hair was neatly styled with a simple centre-parting

Busy bee! The release comes during a busy period for Cruz, who also takes a starring role in recent Pedro Almodovar release Parallel Mothers

The actress said she internalised her character's pain, as the story portrayed her as Janis, a glamorous photographer who finds herself pregnant after a brief affair with a married academic.

She recalled: 'I told her, "Don't worry" - but I was worried. I pretended that I had things under control, but I was scared.'

'Its a big part of our work, to be able to transform into something that doesnt speak like you, doesnt move like you. The fear is part of the appeal: I need that to function. I dont want to feel too safe.'

Looking good: The Spanish actress was joined by co-stars Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martinez as they promoted the feature, which originally launched at the 78th Venice Film Festival in September

On the go: In Parallel Mothers, Penelope's character Janis bonds with Ana (Milena Smit) as they find themselves in hospital, preparing to give birth

Standing out: The stunning actress stole the spotlight from her co-stars as they posed for photos at the Mandarin Oriental

In Parallel Mothers, Penelope's character Janis bonds with Ana (Milena Smit) as they find themselves in hospital, preparing to give birth.

It received a staggering nine-minute standing ovation when it premiered at The Venice Film Festival, according to Deadline. The actress is up for Best Actress gong at the Academy Awards.

Cruz also discussed how she delves so deep into her characters when acting she can sometimes take on the emotions or the stress of those she is portraying.

Recalling the final month of filming Asghar Farhadi's drama Everybody Knows in 2018, she revealed she ran a fever every night.

'I know it was from the tension of that character', she said.

Official Competition is expected to go on general release across Spain on February 25.
James 'Arg' Argent has spoken out on his recent relapse, which saw him break two years of sobriety during a night out with friends.

The former TOWIE star was visited by paramedics earlier this month after concerned friends called an ambulance for him after a night of drinking.

Speaking to The Sun, Arg admitted he 'had a very bad relapse,' and the incident has made him realise he will be an addict for life..

Breaking his silence: James 'Arg' Argent has spoken out on his recent relapse, which saw him break two years of sobriety during a night out with friends (pictured in December)

The alarm was raised when the reality star was not answering his phone 'after hitting a blip in his recovery' earlier this month.

Breaking his silence Arg explained that he had enjoyed a comedy night in London with friends, where he experienced 'cravings'. He had a first drink after buying a round for friends at the afterparty back near his home in Essex.

'Addicts always say one drink is never enough - if it was, I wouldn't be an addict - but unfortunately it just escalated from there,' he explained.

'After that, I can't get into the specifics of what I did, but that's where it all started and I ended up at home having an awful relapse - I'd been clean and sober for such a long time, it hit me like a ton of bricks as my body and mind hadn't been used to it for so long.'

Relapse: 'Addicts always say one drink is never enough - if it was, I wouldn't be an addict - but unfortunately it just escalated from there,' he explained of the night out (pictured in December)

His 'shocked and worried' friends called an ambulance and after tests paramedics agreed it was safe for the star to recover at home.

Arg said that he thinks his problems started after losing 14 stone following his gastric sleeve surgery last April, and after gaining confidence in his looks he mistakenly believed he was 'recovered'.

'I thought I was cured and told myself that I can be in control and manage it - but I can't - I'm an addict and I can't just go to rehab, come back and be cured, it's something that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life and that will be in my life forever.

Home: His 'shocked and worried' friends called an ambulance and after tests paramedics agreed it was safe for the star to recover at home (pictured at home in Essex)

Before and after: Last year, James' weight ballooned to 27 stone after he replaced his cocaine habit with unhealthy eating (pictured before left). Arg has lost 14 stone following his gastric sleeve surgery last April

'I can glamorise partying but in reality it's never going to be fun for me as I'm an addict so it'll never be just one or two drinks - that will lead me to hospital or death.' he explained.

Arg is now getting support via a local walk-in rehab service, which he uses six days a week and said he was proud of himself for taking action and facing his addiction.

In 2019 James was hospitalised twice after overdosing on drugs at his home.

The scare was said to a 'wake-up call' to James who then 'accepted he needs professional help'.

Arg has battled drink and drug addiction since finding fame on TOWIE and in 2014 he was suspended from the show after he failed a routine drugs test.

Weight loss: Arg said that he thinks his problems started after losing 14 stone following his gastric sleeve surgery last April, and after gaining confidence in his looks he mistakenly believed he was 'recovered' (pictured in 2019)

The TV star spent three months in a facility in Thailand over the festive season in 2016 in order to get the 'ongoing support' he needed.

In August 2019, Arg returned to rehab following a split from Gemma Collins in a bid to tackle his demons.

He completed a third stint in treatment in 2020 prior to undergoing gastric bypass surgery.

Last year, James' weight ballooned to 27 stone after he replaced his cocaine habit with unhealthy eating.

He has since lost a staggering 13 stone after surgery saw 70 percent of his stomach removed in the 10,000 operation.

In January, Arg reflected on his drug recovery as he reached out to any followers who may be struggling.

Recovering: Arg is now getting support via a local walk-in rehab service, which he uses six days a week and said he was proud of himself for taking action and facing his addiction

He shared a video explaining: 'The festive season can be really hard for struggling addicts. I know because I've been there myself. And even to this day, I'm still in regular therapy, counseling, aftercare with the guys at Verve Health. They've really helped me.'

He added in the caption: 'During the holiday season, Suffering addicts may have found it even more difficult to cope. Which is why it's important to never suffer in silence. There is so much help out there and you can & will recover.

'The most important step is the first step, Picking up the phone and letting @vervehealthrehabs help you. They are leading addiction experts & know what to do in all circumstances, However bad things have gotten. Never believe that your past help, there is no such thing. You can get help today!'

Addict: Arg has battled drink and drug addiction since finding fame on TOWIE (pictured) and now says: 'It's something that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life'

James previously revealed during the height of his past cocaine addiction, he was locking himself in his house, in darkness, for two to three days straight.

The reality star broke down in tears during an appearance on Loose Women as he listened to his mother discuss his past battle and said the best way he can 'make amends' is by 'staying clean and sober'.

James said: 'I was the biggest I'd ever been, 23 and a half stone, I hated everything about myself, all time low.

'I remember around that period, I was using drugs for like two or three days straight in my house, I had locked myself in and it was pitch black in the house.'

For confidential help and support call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.
South Africa: Major benefits for local SMMEs at Tshwane SEZ

Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) from Mamelodi have benefitted to the tune of least R1 billion during the construction phase of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

This is according to Gauteng Premier David Makhura who was delivering the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday.

The Premier added that thousands of permanent jobs have also been created through the automotive SEZ.

The construction of the Tshwane Automotive SEZ amid the pandemic demonstrates our sense of urgency and the kind of emergency response required to deal with the economic challenges.

I am happy to give an update that there are 12 component manufacturers which are already operating in the Tshwane SEZ while construction work is continuing. I am pleased to announce that in line with the commitment we made in the last SOPA, 3440 permanent jobs have been created, exceeding the target of 3288 jobs, he said.

Makhura added that billions of rands in investment commitments have been made for the Vaal River SEZ and West Rand Agri SEZ while construction continues at the OR Tambo SEZ.

A major new development regarding the Vaal River SEZ is the R45 billion commitment by local investors at the October 2021 Sedibeng Investment Conference [and] all the four municipalities in the district have collectively made land available for this SEZ development.

The construction of the next phase of OR Tambo SEZ remains on track, albeit with challenges. We are engaging our anchor tenantsto consider expanding their portfolio of investment to grow the economy and create more job opportunities.

A new major development to report towards the realisation of the West Rand Agri-SEZ is the commitment by Maximum Group to invest R20 billion in an agri-processing hub and industrial park, he said.

The Premier told the legislature that the provincial government has collaborated with the Presidency to establish a project management office (PMO) for the development of the Lanseria Smart City.

He said Lanseria is being earmarked as a hi-tech SEZ.

The main focus of the PMO is to drive the implementation of the master plan by focusing on two critical areas, namely; securing sufficient land and ensuring acceleration of bulk infrastructure investment which will unlock R85 billion worth of private sector investment.

Lanseria will be a hub of the digital technology and services corridor, anchored by the new hi-tech SEZ in Lanseria.

Makhura added that a global business services SEZ is also in the wings at Nasrec.

Infrastructure delivery

Turning focus to infrastructure development, Makhura raised concern about challenges in the delivery of infrastructure over the past two years.

The work on infrastructure projects has not only been affected by COVID-19 lockdowns but there has also been a variety of issues these include the continuous stoppages by people claiming to be business forums demanding 30%, which is impeding good work of and progress on these projects.

The other challenge has been the capacity of the Department of Infrastructure as the implementing agent for most social infrastructure projects. This has been compounded by the allegations of corruption levelled against senior managers in the departments of infrastructure and health, he said.

Makhura said as a result, the provincial government will be working with a greater sense of urgency towards the delivery of delayed infrastructure project.

The focus will entail the completion of incomplete projects and the acceleration of the completion of new infrastructure projects across all regions. We will ensure that departments take full responsibility for the maintenance. All our infrastructure projects must be delivered on time and at cost.

The delivery of infrastructure requires a war room approach which will bring critical role players in one room to deal with efficiencies, delivery and create partnerships. Should any of the implementing agents fail to deliver on time and on budget, I will not hesitate to replace them with agencies that will deliver on time and on budget, he said.

Prior to the pandemic, billions of rands had been invested in infrastructure.

Between 2014 and 2019, we invested R53 billion in social and economic infrastructure, which contributed to the creation of almost 120000 jobs. [The] social sector created 15 152 jobs, while the infrastructure sector yielded 6 909 job opportunities

According to Makhura, at least 10 581 work opportunities were created through Gauteng municipalities through social, infrastructure and environment programmes during the pandemic.

Infrastructure investment has been a key catalyst for the growth of our economy and improvement in QoL [quality of life] and the global competitiveness of Gauteng. Investing in infrastructure will result in creating efficiencies in the economy and ensuring economic growth and employment creation, he said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-02-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
India faces tough choice in opening up its market

(Global Times) 14:28, February 21, 2022

The Modi government, which has refused to join any regional trade agreement, seems to have finally realized that it has come to a point where its foreign trade policy must change course, or the country faces the risk of being shut out of global markets.

India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that is expected to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion over a span of five years.

The first free trade deal signed by the Modi government, which marks part of the South Asian nation's recent efforts to pursue free trade deals with its trading partners including the UK, the EU, Canada and Australia, is undoubtedly an important shift of the country's attitude toward opening-up to the outside world.

Whether it is because of the pressure coming from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that took effect at the beginning of this year, or from the pandemic-hit economy, India's pursuit of separate free trade agreements with other economies is generally beneficial to its opening-up agenda.

Yet, it should be pointed out that those free trade talks aimed at lowering tariffs look more like a stopgap measure India has taken to counter the pressure in terms of its trade environment, rather than a real change in protectionism at home.

In fact, anyone who has the basic knowledge about India's obsession with protecting domestic industries like agriculture will know that its free trade negotiations with any developed country will not be as easy as the one with the UAE, which underscores the difficulty it faced in opening up its market to others.

For years, India's economic and trade policy has been facing the tough choice between opening-up and protecting domestic industries. On the one hand, some believe that the government should protect local industries from shocks caused by foreign rivals before they can grow to participate in international competition. On the other hand, there is rising sense of urgency over opening up India's domestic market, in order to improve the competitiveness of Indian manufacturing sector.

So far, the Modi government has yet to work out a solution to resolve New Delhi's frequent policies conflict, which has already become a critical question restricting India's economic development. This may be because the contradiction is also inextricably linked to India's political system. Policies that may harm domestic industries and affect Indian workers often face strong opposition and political pressure in India, even if they may be conducive to the country's long-term development.

In fact, there is no perfect solution for any economy. It is not realistic for developing countries to integrate themselves into the global value chain without suffering any negative impact. Take China's textile industry for an example. Without opening up to the world, China's textile industry would not have developed its edge today.

Unfortunately, India's political system makes it impossible for the nation to follow China's path. While India is now trying to strengthen trade through free trade talks with individual economies, the further it goes, the more difficulties and pressure it will face. India has a long-held ambition to become a regional power, but when it comes to market openness, it even lags behind neighbors like Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Against the backdrop of the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan has adopted favorable opening-up measures to attract foreign investment, allowing 100 percent foreign ownership in a wide range of industries.

India is very likely to face severe challenges if it cannot shake off of its fear of outside competition.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
A medical worker guides people as they wait for a COVID-19 test at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, Feb. 20. AP-Yonhap





Fewer than 100,000 daily COVID-19 infections were recorded Monday, due largely to less testing over the weekend, amid concerns about the rapid spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus.







The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 95,362 new cases, including 95,218 local ones, raising the total caseload to 2,058,184.







Total cases exceeded the 2 million-mark about two years after the country reported its first COVID-19 cases in January 2020.







Sunday's tally is down from 104,829 recorded Saturday when the country's new caseload surpassed the 100,000-mark for the third day in a row. The number of new daily cases usually shrinks at the beginning of the week due to less testing over the weekend.







The death toll from COVID-19 came to 7,450, up 45 from a day earlier for a fatality rate of 0.36 percent, the KDCA said.






Sofia Vergara stole the show on Sunday night as she was seen leaving a romantic dinner dinner date with her husband Joe Manganiello in Los Angeles.

The 49-year-old actress was seen in a vibrant two-piece orange pantsuit, which she paired with a black corset and a matching Hermes handbag.

Her husband of nearly seven years was seen in a gray jacket with a maroon shirt underneath as he made his exit from Craig's in West Hollywood.

Stunning: Sofia Vergara stole the show on Sunday night as she was seen leaving a romantic dinner dinner date with her husband Joe Manganiello in Los Angeles.

Joe recently admitted he is still 'coming to grips' with the fact he is married to Sofia and she has so much love for him

He said: 'The biggest adjustment in marriage? Coming to grips with the idea that someone who is not related to you could possibly love you that much.

'She was it for me. People say things like, "Marriage and relationships are work". But it's not. Life is hard. Having somebody to help you deal with it is the greatest thing that ever happened.'

The pair occasionally mix business with pleasure - they teamed up to voice roles in the recently released animated movie Koati.

Date night: The 49-year-old actress was seen in a vibrant two-piece orange pantsuit by JOSEPH, which she paired with a black corset and a matching Hermes handbag

Joe Manganiello: Her husband of nearly seven years was seen in a gray jacket with a maroon shirt underneath as he made his exit from Craig's in West Hollywood

Sofia tapped back into her modeling days as she looked glamorous during her Sunday night out.

The SAG award winner has come a long way since her days as a model.

The Colombian native and the cast of Modern Family won the Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance in a Comedy several years in a row.

Earlier this month Vergara shared some of her history as a cancer survivor on World Cancer Day.

Throwback: Sofia recently took to her nearly 25 million Instagram followers, sharing a throwback of her time on air in Miami

The then-single mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age 28, but thanks to early detection, treatment and education, she was able to pull through.

'I learned a lot during that time,' she said, 'not just about thyroid cancer but I also learned that in times of crisis, were better together.'

The actress said she still gets her blood checked every three months to make sure she stays healthy.

Sofia recently took to her nearly 25 million Instagram followers, sharing a throwback of her time on air in Miami.

The 90s: '#tbt u know where, in the 90s,' she captioned her pictures, adding a few laughing and palm tree emojis

Stylish: The former telenovela star is wearing a shimmering sequined turquoise halter, faded skinny jeans and open-toed black and silver high heels

'#tbt u know where, in the 90s,' she captioned her pictures, adding a few laughing and palm tree emojis.

The former telenovela star is wearing a shimmering sequined turquoise halter, faded skinny jeans and open-toed black and silver high heels.

She appeared to be working with a producer who was holding copy, perhaps from her days as a co-host.

The brunette beauty wore her hair down with frosty pink makeup as she put her hands on her hips then talked to the camera.

Brunette beauty: The brunette beauty wore her hair down with frosty pink makeup as she put her hands on her hips then talked to the camera
Miquita Oliver put on a stylish display as she attended Supriya Lele's London Fashion Week show at the BFC NEWGEN Show Space on Monday.

The former T4 host, 37, looked stunning in an olive green miniskirt that showed off her lithe legs, and which she paired with a striped black and white T-shirt for a casual look.

Keeping the cold at bay, the presenter later wrapped up in a blue bomber jacket and toted her essentials in a small brown leather bag.

Stunning: Miquita Oliver put on a leggy display in an olive green miniskirt as she attended Supriya Lele's London Fashion Week show at the BFC NEWGEN Show Space on Monday

She strolled through the London high street in a pair of black slingback heels, and with her long braids piled high in a bun on top of her head.

Miquita's outing came after she spoke about her experiences of 'self-loathing' as a teenager while in the public eye.

Speaking to Women's Health, she said: 'It was rough having my body develop, fluctuate and become fleshier in front of the Popworld cameras.'

Chic: The former T4 host, 37, looked stunning in an olive green miniskirt that showed off her lithe legs, and which she paired with a striped black and white T-shirt for a casual look

Under wraps: Keeping the cold at bay, the presenter later wrapped up in a blue bomber jacket and toted her essentials in a small brown leather bag

She continued: 'I was also one of few people of colour on TV back then and my body anxiety was compounded by self-loathing about being black.

'I cut off my curls and got hair extensions because I felt they made me look more acceptable  more white. I just wasnt very comfortable being a mixed-race woman.'

Miquita, whose mother is chef and musician Andi Oliver, 57, also spoke about her mixed-race heritage and said it's only recently that she learned of her famous parent's experiences with racial abuse.

The star said she was surprised to hear about her mother's experiences of racism growing up and added she is proud to be her mother's daughter.

Keeping it casual: She strolled through the London high street in a pair of black slingback heels, and with her long braids piled high in a bun on top of her head alongside her publicist Ellie Bate

Also at the Supriya Lele show were the likes of Victoria Beckham and Jourdan Dunn.

Former Spice Girl Victoria showed off her sense of style in a black, long-sleeved turtle neck top which she wore with matching trousers.

The fashion designer, 47, who enjoyed the show from the front row, added height to her frame with a pair of white heels while she styled her brunette locks into an updo.

Accentuating her natural beauty with a light pallet of makeup, Victoria posed for several snaps alongside Jourdan who looked incredible in a pale blue dress.

Walking tall: The pair looked fashion forward as they headed to their next destination

The garment featured a cut-out detail that highlighted the model's incredible figure while Jourdan also sported a pair of beige, open-toed heels.

Letting her tresses fall loose down her shoulders, the star added to her outfit with a black sheer top.

Victoria was also joined by her son Romeo's girlfriend Mia who cut a glamorous figure in a black mini dress with a ruched detail and a cut out along with the midriff.

Fashion royalty: Also at the Supriya Lele show were the likes of Victoria Beckham and Jourdan Dunn, who positioned themselves on the front row
She's a regular on the best dressed list.

And fashion queen Rachel Stevens, 43, proved why she deserves the title as her hard graft as a successful fashion influencer paid off yet again again.

The former S Club 7 star looked ecstatic as she launched her new collection with high street brand Oasis during London Fashion Week on Monday.

Congrats! Former S Club 7 star Rachel looked ecstatic as she launched her new collection with high street brand Oasis during London Fashion Week on Monday

Oozing sophistication at the glam event, Rachel looked typically chic in an aubergine key-hole long sleeved top from her collection.

Putting her best foot forward at the momentous occasion, the TV personality showed off her tiny waist in a pair of leather bootcut trousers.

The style icon matched the look with some knitted ankle boots.

Her blonde hair was worn down in beach waves, while she looked radiant applying a full palette of make-up in a neutral tones.

Success: The fashion queen certainly deserves the title as her hard graft as a successful fashion influencer has paid off time and time again

Adding some sparkle to her big night, she accessorised with a gold statement bangle and stylish beads.

Her statement piece necklace added some glamour to the overall stylish look.

The pop star's outing comes after she became the third celebrity eliminated from Dancing On Ice on earlier this month.

Chic: Oozing sophistication at the glam event, Rachel looked typically chic in an aubergine rib ring key-hole long sleeved top from her collection

Flawless: Her blonde hair was worn down in beach waves, while she looked radiant applying a full palette of make-up in a neutral tones

The businesswoman, and her skating partner Brendyn Hatfield landed in the bottom two alongside Kye Whyte and Tippy Packard with all the judges choosing to save the racer.

After her elimination, Rachel said: 'I have really loved it, it's been an amazing experience. I've loved dancing with Brendyn so much.'

Rachel's daughters Amelie, 11, and Minnie, seven, were in the audience to watch their mum, with Rachel saying: 'So special for them to have been a part of it and to have shared it with them. I've had the best time.'

Sent home: It was the end of the road for Rachel as she became the third celebrity eliminated from Dancing On Ice earlier this month

She added that she would miss Brendyn the most before the pair took one final lap around the ice.

The S Club 7's pal Jo O'Meara was in the audience to support her friend.

Rachel recently also told how she is still receiving therapy to cope with her experience of being in the iconic noughties band.

The actress explained that she is 'very good at putting on a show face and putting a lid on things'.

Supportive: Jo O'Meara looked gorgeous as she cheered on her fellow S Club 7 bandmember Rachel

The reality TV star was a member of the popular pop band from 1999 to 2003 and hit the top spot in the charts four times with singles including Don't Stop Movin'.

During a recent interview, she explained how she used to push down how she was feeling, but 'sucking it up' ended up taking a toll on her mentally.

She said: 'I've spent a lot of time trying to learn to undo that. It's something I have to work on every day. I still speak to a therapist. That really helps.'
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Daisy Lowe showed off her enviable curves while Jenna Coleman cut a chic figure as they arrived at the Erdem show during London Fashion Week on Monday.

The model, 33, beamed from ear-to-ear as she slipped into a stylish pink maxi dress featuring a black ribbon bow while accessorising her look with a fluffy white jacket as she strutted her way towards the venue.

She added inches to her frame with a pair of dazzling silver heels and toted her essentials around in an oversized black leather handbag, while being joined by a friend for the luxury event.

What a pair! Daisy Lowe (left) showed off her enviable curves while Jenna Coleman (right) cut a chic figure as they arrived at the Erdem show during London Fashion Week on Monday

Meanwhile, the actress, 35, put her best fashion foot forward in a white shirt which she teamed up with a glittery orange pencil skirt with silver prints, while wrapping up in a coordinating wool cardigan amid the wintery weather.

She elevated her height with a pair of tan leather heels and wowed onlookers while posing up a storm on the streets of the capital.

The former Doctor Who star appeared to be in high spirits as she chatted up a storm with her author pal Raven Smith who looked suave in a grey-and-blue fleece tank top.

Completing the very glamorous line-up was Amber Anderson, Bel Powley, Bimini Bon Boulash, Raven Smith and Omari Douglas, as they watched in awe at the show from the front row.

Gorgeous: The model, 33, beamed from ear-to-ear as she slipped into a stylish pink maxi dress featuring a black ribbon bow while accessorising her look with a fluffy white jacket as she strutted her way towards the venue

Towering: She added inches to her frame with a pair of dazzling silver heels and toted her essentials around in an oversized black leather handbag, while being joined by a friend for the luxury event

Centre of attention: Meanwhile, the actress, 35, put her best fashion foot forward in a white shirt

Fashionista: She teamed it up with a glittery orange pencil skirt with silver prints, while wrapping up in a coordinating wool cardigan amid the wintery weather

Daisy's outing comes after she and Jordan enjoyed a luxurious Valentine's spa break with her boyfriend Jordan Saul at The Harper Hotel in Norfolk.

She took to Instagram this week to share a very busty snap of herself in a classic black swimsuit as she gushed about her time away.

Daisy also included a photograph of herself dressed in casual wear, with a glimpse of her sexy red lace bra left on display.

The beauty posted a shot of her beloved pet pooch Monty resting on her bed and enthused that the hotel was dog friendly.

Too hot? Jenna elevated her height with a pair of tan leather heels and took off her cardigan due to the central heating

Beauty: She wowed onlookers while posing up a storm inside the swanky venue

Pals: The former Doctor Who star appeared to be in high spirits as she chatted up a storm with her author pal Raven Smith who looked suave in a grey-and-blue fleece tank top

Team: Completing the very glamorous line-up was Amber Anderson, Bel Powley, Bimini Bon Boulash, Raven Smith and Omari Douglas (L-R)

Daisy - who is the daughter of Pearl Lowe and Gavin Rossdale - penned alongside her upload: 'A valentines getaway @theharperhotel in one of my favourite places in the world - Norfolk.

'Even though it rained like cats & dogs, we had such a special trip

'The food was out of this world delicious, the spa was gorgeous & it is all only available to the residents which makes you feel really safe & taken the best care of.

'It took about 2 and half hours to get there from london (in my electric car) and there are car charging points for anyone driving electric.

'They also allow dogs which makes for a very cute stay! Thank you @rove_pr & @meadowshulme for helping me organise a special weekend away.'

Daisy and Jordan's romance was first revealed when they were spotted putting on a PDA-fest in a north London park in July 2020.
The cast of And Just Like That... are responding to criticism from Meghan McCain that the show is too 'woke' and politically correct.

Speaking to Andy Cohen on his Sirius XM show Saturday, the Bravo host put McCain's comments from her DailyMail.com column to the ladies of the rebooted Sex and the City series.

'Meghan McCain came out with a column saying that the show was too PC, was trying to do too much at once,' Andy said.

'I disagree,' Cynthia Nixon responded firmly, explaining that instead, it has been a necessary case of taking the characters 'out of their comfort zone.'

'I disagree': Cynthia Nixon responds to complaints And Just Like That... is 'too woke' as she argues the Sex and the City characters needed 'shaking up'

'The show became so beloved  reruns for all those years,' adding: 'I feel like people have watched it, and they know it so well, inside and out.'

Nixon, who plays Miranda Hobbes, continued: 'Because people know it so well, they have enshrined it in nostalgia. But this is a show that has always pushed every kind of boundary.'

'I think that that's what's so magnificent about the new show - about how many different directions we're going with that, and pushing boundaries and shaking people up.

Group chat: Speaking to Andy Cohen on his Sirius XM show on Saturday, he put the question to the ladies of the reimagined Sex and the City series

Her take: Cynthia - who plays Miranda Hobbes - said the changes in the new show has been a necessary case of taking the characters 'out of their comfort zone'

Storylines: Cynthia's character Miranda falls for Carrie's non-binary podcast colleague, Che Diaz

'And most importantly, shaking the characters up. We don't want to see these characters comfortable. We want to see them out of their comfort zones.'

McCain, in her DailyMail.com column from last December, wrote that the series had 'died of wokeness' which echoed similar responses from fans on social media.

'It is wokeness superficially shoved down your throat to make a point about wealthy white liberal women 'evolving' into the political climate of 2021,' McCain wrote.

Nicole Ari Parker, who plays LTW on the show, said: 'Comments like that say more about the person saying them.'

Kristin Davis added: 'I can't think of another situation where someone has done that with a show.

Main star: Sarah Jessica Parker also took part in the discussion

Sarah Jessica Parker, who recently admitted to only having watched the first two episodes, also interjected into the conversation.

She said: 'What's too much? Maybe in your living room or when you step outside, it looks the same as inside, and you go to the grocery store and it's the same.'

'Maybe it is too much for you. For these characters in New York City, it's not.'

Kristin Davis added: 'I can't think of another situation where someone has done that with a show.

'People don't know how to think about it... It gives so much possibility and we are living in a different time.'

The chapter of the show features a host of new and diverse characters, including Miranda's non-binary love interest Che Diaz.

Controversy: In the show, Che forms a relationship with Miranda, that ends up being the catalyst for her split with longtime husband Steve (David Eigenberg)

Last week, HBO's Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys told Deadline that the show's fate is ultimately up to Sarah Jessica Parker and executive producer Michael Patrick King.

'It's really Michael Patrick King and Sarah Jessica [Parker] talking to figure out if there's a story they're excited by,' Bloys said.

He continued, 'I think there will be, but they're talking and making sure they want to jump in.

'It's a big commitment, and they'll come to us and let us know what they're thinking but I'm feeling good about it.'

The series, which aired its season finale on February 3, followed original SATC leading ladies Carrie Bradshaw (Parker), Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York-Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) as they navigate life in their 50s.
Her 13-year-long conservatorship ordeal finally came to a close last year, and now Britney Spears is ready to tell her side of the story.

The Toxic singer is reportedly writing a tell-all memoir after inking a book deal said to be worth as high as $15 million.

It comes just a month after Britney was embroiled in a vicious public spat with her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, who also published a memoir that included personal information about the star.

Page Six reports Spears, 40, made a landmark deal with publishing house Simon & Schuster for a memoir chronicling her life, career and family.

The deal was reached after multiple publishers took part in a bidding war over the book.

That's a big deal! Britney Spears will reportedly be publishing a tell-all after inking a book deal said to be worth as much as $15 million; pictured in 2019 with her now-fiance Sam Asghari

An insider told the site 'the deal is one of the biggest of all time, behind the Obamas.'

Barack Obama and his wife Michelle sold the rights to their memoirs for an advance reported to be as high as $65 million in 2017.

Britney hinted at a tell-all last month after posting a photo of a typewriter next to a pile of pink roses.

'Shall I start from THE BEGINNING???' she captioned the sepia-toned image.

Britney, 40, reportedly landed the deal after multiple publishers took part in a bidding war over her book

Tell-all: Page Six reports Spears, 40, made a landmark deal with publishing house Simon & Schuster for a memoir chronicling her life, career and family; pictured with her father Jamie Spears, brother Bryan Spears, mother Lynne and sister Jamie-Lynne Spears

News of the deal comes following the release of a controversial memoir published by Britney's younger sister Jamie Lynn Spears, Things I Should Have Said, which contained shocking claims about the Stronger singer.

Jamie Lynn claimed her older sister once locked them both in a room with knife in hand, and described her behavior at one point as 'erratic, paranoid and, spiraling.'

Britney categorically denied the knife story and retaliated by calling her sister a 'scum person' for telling 'crazy lies' about her.

News of the deal comes following the release of a controversial memoir published by Britney's younger sister Jamie Lynn Spears, Things I Should Have Said, which contained shocking claims about the Stronger singer

Spilling the tea: Britney hinted at a tell-all last month after posting a photo of a typewriter next to a pile of pink roses

As the bad blood between them rose to a boil, Britney also expressed regret on social media that she had not 'slapped you and Mamma right across your f***ing faces!!!!!'

During the week of the book's release, Britney's counsel sent Jamie Lynn a cease and desist over the 'misleading or outrageous claims' in the book.

Things I Should Have Said was published last month and was a bestseller at first - only for Britney fans to swarm into the online reviews.

Freed: Jamie Lynn's book came out just months after Britney was finally released from her controversial conservatorship after 13 years

Legal victory: Last year she succeeded first in having her father Jamie removed as her conservator and then in being released from her conservatorship altogether

Just two days after the book came out, it tumbled to 95th place on Amazon, which reduced its hardcover price, according to The Daily Beast.

Jamie Lynn's book came out just months after Britney was finally released from her controversial conservatorship after 13 years.

Last year she succeeded first in having her father Jamie removed as her conservator and then in being released from her conservatorship altogether.

Since she was freed, Britney has waged a public war of words on her family for the way she alleges she was treated during the conservatorship.

'Lord have mercy on my familys souls if I ever do an interview,' she posted to Instagram last year.

Hitting back: Britney categorically denied the knife story and retaliated by calling her sister a 'scum person' for telling 'crazy lies' about her; pictured 2003
Helen George has opened up about her experience of cholestasis during her second pregnancy with daughter Lark.

Cholestasis is a liver disease that affects 1 in 140 pregnant women in the UK and slows or stops the normal flow of bile from the gallbladder.

After the condition was was highlighted during Sunday's emotional episode of Call The Midwife, the 37-year-old actress took to Instagram the following day to discuss her own experience.

Shadow: Helen George, 37, has opened up about her experience of cholestasis during her second pregnancy with daughter Lark

Alongside the image of her shadow during pregnancy, the mother-of-two revealed she was diagnosed with the condition after she gave birth to her first daughter Wren, now aged four.

The TV star, who is best known for playing Trixie Franklin in Call The Midwife, then described how her second pregnancy was 'so uncomfortable and painful'.

Helen, whose partner Jack Ashton, 35, is a former co-star on the hit series, gave birth to second daughter Lark last November.

She explained in her post: 'After last nights final episode of Call the Midwife, it seemed the right time to talk about my experience with Cholestasis in Pregnancy.'

Mummy's girl: Helen explained how she was diagnosed with the condition after she gave birth to her first daughter Wren, now aged four (pictured with her second daughter Lark)

Candid: After the condition was was highlighted during Sunday's episode of Call The Midwife, the 37-year-old actress took to Instagram the following day to discuss her own experience

Helen continued: 'In 2017 when I gave birth to our daughter Wren, I was diagnosed with this condition. I knew there was a high chance that I would suffer again with my second pregnancy, but I was under the most incredible specialists/doctors/midwives/health worker at Guys and St Thomass. So I felt safe.

'I started getting the itch a lot earlier with this pregnancy and it was infuriating. I tried everything, creams, baths all of it and nothing would work.

'I would scratch all day and all night, normally on my hands, shoulders, feet but that quickly increased to just bloody everywhere. I was put onto medication (Urso) at around 30 wks.

'My bile acids- whilst up and down were stable because of this, so I knew Lark was okay and the pregnancy progressing well. But the medication did little for the itch and urge to scratch myself raw. I have to say this pregnancy was so uncomfortable and painful. I thought the second would be easier but it really wasnt.'

Day job: The TV star, who is best known for playing Trixie Franklin (above) in the BBC series, described how her second pregnancy was 'so uncomfortable and painful'

She continued: 'Pre term birth is always a possibility with this condition but I was so hoping it wouldnt come to that. However, for me it did.

'I started having contractions whilst away but managed to race back to London and my obstetrician. He decided to perform an emergency C section that day, but I had to cross my legs whilst Jack raced to the hospital

'Lark was born on the 16th November to our chosen music, The Lark Ascending. The relief when we heard her first cry was overwhelming, a release of months of anxiety and the fear that this moment may not play out quite so successfully. Lark was born early but healthy and is doing so well.

Happy couple: Helen, whose partner Jack Ashton, 35, is a former co-star on the hit series, gave birth to daughter Lark last November (pictured with Jack last year)

'I was lucky, but more so, well looked after. ICP support were there every step of the way to help me with whatever questions I had. Please, if you are worried you may have Cholestasis in Pregnancy or have been diagnosed and need any advice, do reach out to them.

'Spreading the word about this sometimes fatal condition is really important to me. I was over the moon that Call the Midwife tackled the subject last night. @icpsupport'.

Helen met her partner Jack on the set of Call The Midwife.

Jack played Trixie's one-time fiance Reverend Tom Hereward and the actors grew close while filming on location in South Africa.

For help and support with cholestasis in pregnancy contact ICP Support on 07939 871929
Saffron Barker looked back to good health as she walked the red carpet at The Diary of a CEO Live With Steven Bartlett show at The London Palladium on Monday after recently being rushed to hospital in Brazil after suffering a painful ear infection.

The former Strictly Come Dancing star, 21, showed off her chic style as she flashed her midriff in a black tube top and matching open front crop jacket which she teamed with a pair of khaki combats and edgy boots.

It comes after the influencer shared a video on her YouTube channel of a trip to see a doctor in Brazil after she was left unable to eat or drink as it stung to swallow.

Recovered: Saffron Barker, 21, looked in good health at The Diary of a CEO Live With Steven Bartlett show at The London Palladium on Monday after a recent hospital dash

In the clip, the social media star could be seen getting checked over by the medic after she was left in excruciating pain.

Giving her followers an update, she said: 'I pretty much since day one of being here have had a really bad sore throat. Every day it's got worse and worse.

'It was causing me, like, agony. I was really trying to hide it. I didn't want to ruin everyone's holiday - I just didn't want to be the person who was constantly moaning.

Agony: The YouTuber and former Strictly Come Dancing star was rushed to hospital in Brazil after suffering a painful ear infection

Check up: The influencer shared a video of a trip to see a doctor on her YouTube channel after she was left unable to eat or drink as it stung to swallow

'I thought it would just go. I was taking so many tablets and to be honest nothing was helping. Everything was just getting worse and worse.

'I thought it was still my throat, I had really bad earache but basically if you guys have followed me for years and years you would know as a child I was pretty much in and out of hospital all the time.

'I got so many ear infections. They were just absolute agony - I would scream and I would cry. I couldn't hear out of my ears.

'I haven't really had once since I was so much younger. I thought because our nose and ears are linked that it was more my throat.

Troubled times: In the clip, the social media star could be seen getting checked over by the medic after she was left in excruciating pain

Honest: Giving her followers an updated, she said: 'I pretty much since day one of being here have had a really bad sore throat. Every day it's got worse and worse'

'Anyway I ended up burning up yesterday and getting a temperature. As you can tell I was bright red. My eyes felt puffy.

'My face is still really swollen, I couldn't eat and swallow and that's when I realised I really need to see someone.

'They don't have GPs here, they don't have doctors. I had to go to the hospital. I went and saw a doctor and a nurse there and he's prescribed me so many tablets.

'He said I have a really bad ear infection. It's so swollen inside my ear it's gone down my throat. It's making it impossible for me to eat because it's so painful.

'Even when I drink water it stings like, imagine you have ulcers. it stings. He's given me so many tablets and honestly after taking them last night it's already made the world of difference.'

Saffron rose to prominence after building a substantial following on social media, with the influencer now having 2.5million followers on YouTube.

She competed with professional dancer AJ Pritchard in the 2019 series of Strictly Come Dancing, with the pair being the ninth couple fo be eliminated.

Saffron went on to appear on Channel 4's Celebrity Circle last year.
Alexandra Daddario has been spotted out after a man with a loaded gun was arrested outside her home.

The Baywatch actress, 35, kept a low-profile with a blue Rams hat and face mask as she took a stroll with her fiance Andrew Form, 53, in Beverly Hills on Sunday.

Alexandra wore a light blue button down, jeans, and sneakers as she strolled down a sidewalk with a piece of paper in hand.

Stepping out: Alexandra Daddario kept a low-profile with a blue Rams hat and face mask as she strolled outside with her fiance Andrew Form in Beverly Hills on Sunday

She shielded her eyes with a pair of shades.

The actress appeared animated as she chatted with her beau, gesturing her hand about in the midst of their conversation.

Andrew was all ears as Alexandra caught him up on her thoughts.

The movie producer kept it casual with a black T-shirt, matching jeans, and sneakers. He blocked out the sun rays with shades while tucking a pair of spectacles into his neckline.

Chatty: The actress appeared animated as she chatted with her beau, gesturing her hand about in the midst of their conversation

Scary: The outing comes after a man with a loaded gun was arrested outside her home on Saturday

The outing comes after the scary arrest on Saturday.

Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department arrived to The White Lotus star's home after a man had been spotted screaming something about her while standing outside her house, per TMZ.

After the suspect allegedly refused their request to leave, they detained him and searched his vehicle where they found a loaded handgun.

Authorities said the man was was David Adam Cako, 24, according to the Los Angeles Times. Cako, who is from Woodland Park, Colorado, was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon.

There is no confirmation on whether Alexandra or her fiance were at home at the time of the scary incident

TMZ reported Sunday that Cako was still in custody. His bail was set at $35,000, according to the LA Times.

The Times reports authorities would not confirm whether or not Cako yelled about the actress and refused to leave the site once police arrived.

There is no confirmation on whether Alexandra or her fiance were at home at the time of the scary incident.

Alexandra and her beau got engaged in December of 2021, and she went on to post a gushing tribute to him on her Instagram, calling him 'the absolutely most wonderful man.'

Her fiance: There is no confirmation on whether the actress, 35, or her fiance, producer Andrew Form, 52, were at home at the time of the scary incident

'Youve taken the worst moments of my life and soothed them, just knowing that you existed when they happened makes my heart fuller and more pieced together,' she shared at the time.

Alexandra and Andrew made their red-carpet debut in July of last year at the premiere of her acclaimed dramedy The White Lotus.

She starred in the series  which was written and directed by Mike White  as a journalist on her honeymoon at an ultra-luxurious Hawaiian resort as she realizes that her wealthy husband (Jake Lacy) sees her more as a trophy than an equal.

The New York native is also famous for her role in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D as well as Baywatch.
Emily Ratajkowski was all bundled up on Monday as she took her 11-month-old son Sylvester on a walk through Tribeca.

The 30-year-old model turned author had her son fastened in a baby carrier on her chest as she wore a long, nude coat and cream sweatpants to bear the cold weather in New York.

It appears that she brought along their family pet as she held a rainbow leash in her hand.

All bundled up: Emily Ratajkowski was all bundled up on Monday as she took her 11-month-old son Sylvester on a walk through Tribeca

Emily put her natural beauty on display as she wore a minimal make-up look with orange sunglasses and gold hoop earrings.

She and her husband, film producer and occasional actor Sebastian Bear-McClard, married in 2018 and welcomed their first child together in 2021.

Ratajkowski and Bear-McClard were first linked in 2018, when they were seen kissing during an outing in Los Angeles.

Mom duty: The 30-year-old model turned author had her son fastened in a baby carrier by Artipoppe on her chest as she wore a long, nude coat and cream sweatpants to bear the cold weather in New York

Out and about: It appears that she brought along their family pet as she held a rainbow leash in her hand

The model shocked many when she announced that the couple tied the knot during a courthouse ceremony in New York, after having a friendship for years prior to dating.

She made the news public through a post on Instagram following the civil ceremony that was attended by a few close friends.

Emily gave birth to Sylvester last March and she has frequently been spotted taking him out to explore New York City.

The happy couple: She and her husband, film producer and occasional actor Sebastian Bear-McClard, married in 2018 and welcomed their first child together in 2021

Huge diamond: The model shocked many when she announced that the couple tied the knot during a courthouse ceremony in New York

As far as her career, the San Diego native began modeling at just 14, shooting catalogue campaigns for Kohl's and Nordstrom as well as having small acting roles.

After appearing on the cover of erotic magazine treats! in 2012, she went on to bag a part in two high-profile music videos, most notably Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines, which catapulted her to worldwide fame.

In early January, Emily revealed to Harper's Bazaar that, despite her successful modeling career, there have been many times when she 'felt like a failure.'

The nearly one year old: Ratajkowski gave birth to Sylvester last March and she has frequently been spotted taking him out to explore New York City

She explained: 'There are so many times when I felt like a failure. I am very hard on myself in general. Early on that would be not getting an audition or getting close to booking a job and missing it and it felt like everything was collapsing.'

After appearing on the cover of erotic magazine treats! in 2012, she went on to bag a part in two high-profile music videos, most notably Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines, which catapulted her to worldwide fame.

The My Body author had moments where she wanted to leave modeling entirely and take up a career in art. The model attended UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture in 2009 for only one year before dropping out to focus on modeling.
People waiting to receive a COVID-19 test stand in a long line snaking around the block outside of a screening center near Seoul Station, Monday. Yonhap



Total infections surpass 2 million



By Lee Hyo-jin



The latest deaths of COVID-19 patients have exposed blind spots in the government's self-treatment scheme, prompting concerns that people undergoing home treatment may be unable to receive urgent medical attention.



On Feb. 19, a 59-year-old man living alone in Gwanak District, Seoul, was found dead at his home, one day after he tested positive for the virus. His family called 119 after being unable to reach him by phone. Paramedics arrived there only to find the patient already dead.



According to the Gwanak District office, at the time of his death, the man had not yet been determined a patient eligible for home treatment. Under the current quarantine measures, public health officials should contact the patient within a day of when he or she tests positive, and collect basic information to determine whether the patient should be hospitalized or is eligible for home treatment.



But officials said they were unable to reach him, although they called him four times.



On Feb. 18, a seven-month-old boy in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, died while being transferred to a hospital after his symptoms suddenly worsened at home.









At around 8:30 p.m., his parents, who were also undergoing home treatment, called 119 saying that their son seemed to be having a seizure. The paramedics, who arrived at the site six minutes after the report, searched in vain for an empty hospital bed designated for COVID-19 patients at 10 different hospitals.



They managed to find a bed in a hospital located in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, around 17 kilometers away from their home. But the child suffered from heart failure on the way, and was pronounced dead on arrival at around 9:17 p.m.



The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it is conducting investigations on the two fatalities.





A medical worker administers a COVID-19 test on a visitor at a screening center near Seoul Station, Monday. Yonhap
SAS Australia delivered plenty of action during its long-awaited season premiere on Monday night.

Yet many viewers were distracted by former actress Melissa Tkautz and retired AFL star Wayne Carey's rather unnatural-looking faces.

Both Melissa, 48, and Wayne, 50, were almost unrecognisable compared to how they looked at the height of their fame, both debuting taut and puffy complexions.

'Needs a new cosmetic injector': SAS Australia viewers mocked AFL legend Wayne Carey (left) and Melissa Tkautz's (right) 'Botox and filler' as the pair debuted taut faces on Monday

While neither Wayne nor Melissa has ever admitted to going under the knife, fans couldn't resist poking fun at their uncanny appearances on Twitter.

'Wayne Carey needs a new cosmetic injector,' one viewer tweeted.

'I would honestly not have known that was Melissa Tkautz. Holy s**t!' another added.

Ouch: While neither Wayne nor Melissa has ever admitted to going under the knife, fans couldn't resist poking fun at the pair's uncanny appearances on Twitter

My, how you've changed! 'I would honestly not have known that was Melissa Tkautz,' one viewer tweeted. (Pictured left: Melissa in 2000; and right on SAS Australia)

During Monday's premiere, the recruits were doused in accelerant and set ablaze in a task that required them to race to water to put out the flames.

Some viewers took the opportunity to mock Wayne and Melissa during this challenge, with one tweeting: 'Wayne Carey's... face might melt.'

Another joked: 'Melissa's plastic face might burn into flames.'

On fire: During Monday's premiere, the recruits were doused in accelerant and set ablaze in a task that required them to race to water to put out the flames

Burn: Some viewers took the opportunity to mock Wayne and Melissa during this challenge, with one tweeting, 'Melissa's plastic face might burn into flames'

Wayne, who was once known for his mullet hairdo, underwent clinical hair-loss treatment several years ago after discovering he was balding at age 30.

He won two premierships as captain of North Melbourne and is regarded as one of the best players of all time.

In 2002, his life famously came off the rails when he was caught in a bathroom tryst with Kangaroos vice-captain Anthony Stevens' wife Kelli.

New look: Wayne, who was once known for his mullet hairdo, underwent clinical hair-loss treatment several years ago after discovering he was balding at age 30. (Pictured left: Wayne in 2019; and right: Wayne sporting a tighter complexion and fuller hairline on SAS Australia)

Melissa is best known for her appearance on The Real Housewives of Sydney, as well as her starring role on the soap opera E Street.

She also had a successful pop career in the 1990s with chart hits including Read My Lips and Sexy (Is the Word).

SAS Australia continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven and 7plus
Ryan Seacrest and his girlfriend Aubrey Paige were the perfect match as they enjoyed a stroll through NYC on Monday.

The talk show host, 47, and his lady love, 24, wore newsboy caps as they trekked through the Big Apple, bundled up from head to toe.

Ryan kept warm with the help of a grey scarf looped around his neck, while his girlfriend opted for one in plaid, tucked into her chic blue trench coat.

Hat's off to them! Ryan Seacrest and his girlfriend Aubrey Paige were the perfect match as they enjoyed a stroll through NYC on Monday

The American Idol host was looking dapper as usual, pairing his winter accessory with a burgundy sweater, navy blue jacket and grey jeans.

He made his way through the city in style with brown suede sneakers.

Even his pooch was smartly accessorized with a plaid red leash attached to his collar.

Both Ryan and Aubrey appeared to be in high spirits as they enjoyed a day together amid the host's bustling schedule.

Man's best friend! Even his pooch was smartly accessorized with a plaid red leash attached to his collar

The couple appeared to have made a stop at the stationery store Goods For The Study, based on the shopping bag carried by Aubrey.

The Live With Kelly and Ryan co-host has been romantically linked to the Texas-born brunette since May 2021  a year after it was reported he and longtime girlfriend Shayna Taylor had split for the third and final time.

Having children has become a more important goal for Ryan now that he has Aubrey in his life.

Hot stuff! The Live With Kelly and Ryan co-host has been romantically linked to the Texas-born brunette since May 2021  a year after it was reported he and longtime girlfriend Shayna Taylor had split for the third and final time

In an interview with WSJ. Magazine last year, Ryan said it had become 'clear' to him that he did want to start a family.

'I start thinking about blocking off certain times in my month or year or week to focus on my personal life,' he told the publication in an interview published December 2021. 'I do want to have kids. But I haven't even gone down that path, which is nuts at my age.'

'I think in the last year, it's become clear to me that yes, I do want to do that... I want to be available and present.'

Ryan's busy schedule has impacted his decision to become a father, much to the dismay of his mother, Connie, who has practically given up on her dream of being a grandma.

'She's given up on me,' he told the publication.
Michael Buble's wife, Luisana Lopilato, is pregnant and revealed they are expecting their fourth child in his new music video, I'll Never Not Love You.

The 34-year-old actress revealed a growing baby bump in Buble's latest video, which is reportedly a love story dedicated to the first time they met on set of the production for Haven't Met You Yet.

Buble and Lopilato became engaged in 2009 and were married two years later in 2011.

Baby bliss: Michael Buble's wife, Luisana Lopilato, is pregnant and revealed they are expecting their fourth child in his new music video, I'll Never Not Love You; seen in 2016

DailyMail.com has contacted Michael's representative for comment.

The couple has three children: Noah, eight, Elias, six, and three-year-old Vida.

He tweeted of the new music earlier this weekend: "Haven't Met You Yet" was the beautiful start of a true romance. 10 years later, the story continues in the extraordinary sequel Ill Never Not Love You 2.22.22.'

TMZ teased scenes with Lopilato showing a much bigger baby bump as her children walked in front of her.

In short clips shared of the new music video, Michael plays on the 'how it started' vs. 'how it's going' troupe, leaving viewers waiting in anticipation for Tuesday's big reveal

Sweet: He tweeted of the new music earlier this weekend: "Haven't Met You Yet" was the beautiful start of a true romance. 10 years later, the story continues in the extraordinary sequel Ill Never Not Love You 2.22.22'

In short clips shared of the new music video, Michael plays on the 'how it started' vs. 'how it's going' troupe, leaving viewers waiting in anticipation for Tuesday's big reveal.

The pair seem to dance through the aisles of a supermarket before physically walking on top of freezers to meet in the middle.

Luisana, an Argentinian actress, rocked a black leather jacket partially zipped over a flowing white shirt in the quick scene shared on social media.

Risky business. The pair seem to dance through the aisles of a supermarket before physically walking on top of freezers to meet in the middle

Baby on board: Luisana, an Argentinian actress, rocked a black leather jacket partially zipped over a flowing white shirt in the short scene shared on social media

Michael said: '15 years ago, you saw that my wife had a song that I had written for her where I meet her in a grocery store, and it becomes this thing at the end of the song that it's all just a daydream, and so I had this idea in the Michael Buble cinematic experience, 'Why can't I make the sequel? Why can't this be the sequel?'

The video pays tribute to some of cinemas romantic moments, and the subject felt fitting for the couple.

Michael said: '15 years ago, you saw that my wife had a song that I had written for her where I meet her in a grocery store, and it becomes this thing at the end of the song that it's all just a daydream, and so I had this idea in the Michael Buble cinematic experience, 'Why can't I make the sequel? Why can't this be the sequel?' So, at the end of the video, we find out that like M. Night Shyamalan, instead of I see dead people, we realize that once again, I have imagined all of this, I fantasized the whole thing.

'My wife and I have gone through, I think, the most romantic parts of cinema and some of the greatest moments of cinematic history and pay tribute cause we love them so much, and we love each other and at the end of the video, you find out once again I'm daydreaming.

'But the difference is now, the girl from 'Haven't Met You Yet' video that was his girlfriend at the time, 15 years later, is his wife and they have three beautiful kids.'

Buble's eldest son, Noah, was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2016, and has been in remission since 2017.

He told PEOPLE in December that he lives 'a much deeper life now' following his son's cancer battle: 'I don't wish that kind of pain upon any human being, but I do feel that when you've truly suffered, when you've truly felt fear and loss, it allows you to live a deeper life.'
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Alec Baldwin was snapped Monday in East Hampton, New York grabbing a bite amid the latest developments in the October death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The actor, 63, donned a puffy black coat with grey pants and black shoes, and had his hair combed to the side on the weekday outing in the luxe enclave of New York.

The 30 Rock actor was seen eating lunch while seated on a bench on the winter weekday. He had a bag of food and drank a Dr. Brown's soda on the daytime outing.

The latest: Alec Baldwin, 63, was snapped Monday in East Hampton, New York grabbing a bite amid the latest developments in the October death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

The Glengarry Glen Ross star was previously spotted heading out for coffee in New York City on Saturday, as a New Mexico DA revealed it was possible the actor might have fired the bullet that killed Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins without pulling the trigger.

The breakthrough revelation by Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies comes just days after Hutchins' family sued the beleaguered actor, claiming he is in 'complete denial' of his role in her death and is 'blaming others' over the October 21 shooting.

The slain cinematographer's family also claimed Baldwin is 'not accepting any responsibility' for her sudden death last year and noted that he 'refused any gun safety training, number one.'

Carmack-Altwies told Vanity Fair that it was possible the gun that killed Hutchins went off without Baldwin pulling the trigger, as he had previously claimed in a December interview with ABC.

The actor donned a puffy black coat with grey pants and black shoes, and had his hair combed to the side on the weekday outing in the luxe enclave of New York

The veteran actor had a bag of food and drank a Dr. Brown's soda as he stopped for lunch

The 30 Rock actor was seen eating lunch while seated on a bench on the winter weekday

'I didn't pull the trigger,' Baldwin said at the time. 'I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never.'

The DA said she asked an investigator in the case to bring their own revolver and conducted an unofficial test with two independent inspectors who made sure the gun was empty.

'One of the investigators in my office happens to have a very old type revolver, and so he brought it, at my request, so that we could look at it and see if that was at all possible,' Carmack-Altwies told Vanity Fair.

'Then they visually showed me you can pull the hammer back without actually pulling the trigger and without actually locking it,' she added. 'So you pull it back partway, it doesnt lock, and then if you let it go, the firing pin can hit the primer of the bullet.'

Exclusive photos by DailyMail.com show Baldwin, who is back in the United States from his first acting gig since the tragic shooting on the set of Rust, chatting with wife Hilaria, who waited inside the couple's SUV as he made a coffee stop in New York City on Saturday.

Alec Baldwin was spotted heading out for coffee in New York City just days after he was hit with a wrongful dead lawsuit by the family of Halyna Hutchins

Baldwin, who is back in the States from his first acting gig since the tragic shooting on the set of Rust, chatted with wife Hilaria, who waited inside the couple's SUV, as he made a coffee stop in New York City

Baldwin was in England filming the thriller 97 minutes, his first foray back into acting since the prop gun that he was holding went off on the set of now-abandoned Western Rust

The slain cinematographer's family also claimed Baldwin is 'not accepting any responsibility' for her sudden death last year and noted that he 'refused any gun safety training, number one'

In an interview with abc in December, Baldwin claimed the prop gun that killed Hutchins went off without him pulling the trigger

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies (pictured) corroborated that Baldwin's claims he did not pull the trigger could be true

Baldwin and Hilaria, 38, are parents to six children - daughter Carmen, eight, and sons Rafael, six; Leonardo, five; Romeo, three, and Eduardo, one; and newborn Lucia, one. Alec is also father to model Ireland Baldwin, 26.

On Tuesday, the actor purchased a historic 50-acre farm in Vermont for $1.7 million - the same day he was hit with a wrongful death suit by Hutchins' family.

The purchase in the small mountain town of Arlington, comes after the actor spent months in the area after fleeing his home in New York City following the tragedy in New Mexico.

'Obviously a purchase is public information,' broker Faith Rhodes, who handled the sale, told local outlet the Bennington Banner on Thursday when asked about the deal.

'It's an historic farm. East Arlington Village is historic itself.'

According to Rhodes, the farmhouse is nearly 250 years old and was built in 1780 or 1783.

Baldwin's family has deep ties to the area, with his wife Hilaria's grandfather, David Lloyd Thomas Sr., having having resided there for most of his life until his death in March 2020, at 92.

On Tuesday, the actor purchased a historic 50-acre farm in Vermont for $1.7million - the same day he was hit with a wrongful death suit by Hutchins' family

The home features 'a 3,600 [square foot] main house, and a nicely renovated 1800 [square-foot] guest cottage with 2 baths' (pictured)

As the Santa Fe Sheriff Office approaches its fourth month of investigation into the tragic accident on the set of the low-budget Western, criminal charges have yet to be filed against Baldwin.

'Everyone was shocked. The gun was supposed to be empty,' Baldwin said during an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos in December.

'I was told I was handed an empty gun. She [Hutchins] goes down, I thought to myself ''Did she faint?'''

Carmack-Altwies' office is expecting that a full forensic report to be conducted later this month will shed light on the make and type of ammunition that killed Hutchins.

The Santa Fe DA was reportedly shocked when she first heard Baldwin's claim that he had not pulled the trigger.

'I didn't know too much about guns, certainly not about 1850s-era revolver. So, when I first heard that, I was like, ''Oh that's crazy,''' she told Vanity Fair.

Carmack-Altwies' remarks followed Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza's comments saying that 'guns don't just go off. So whatever needs to happen to manipulate the firearm, he did that, and it was in his hands.'

She said her office is investigating claims that the shooting had been the result of a carefully planned sabotage by scorned staff, but highlighted there was not evidence that had actually occurred.

'The notion that theres sabotage  I mean, there is not one iota of evidence at this point,' she said.

An aerial view of the film set on Bonanza Creek Ranch where Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza

The Hutchins' family attorney, Brian Panish said that Baldwin had 'refused' training for the kind of gun draw he was doing when he shot Hutchins

The revelation comes after Baldwin's return from England, where he was filming the thriller 97 Minutes, his first foray back into acting since the prop gun that he was holding went off on the set of the now-abandoned Western Rust.

The movie follows the tale of a hijacked 767 plane that will crash in just 97 minutes when its fuel runs out. Baldwin's role has not been revealed.

The actor took to Instagram on Tuesday as he was in Hampshire, saying that 'it's strange to go back to work.'

'I said I would keep a little diary of when I was traveling and working,' Baldwin said in the clip. 'We had our first day today which is always tricky. I don't work as much as I used to ... you go to work and you forget what you're supposed to do.'

He added he continues to 'find that hard to say' nearly four months after the tragic incident.

'I went back to work today for the first time in three-and-a-half months,' he said. 'Movies are nearly always the same - everyone's young compared to me, everyone's young. Especially in independent films where there are good people, there are very good people.'

Baldwin commented how independent films often feature young people earlier in their careers working hard under time constraints.

The suit against Alec and Rust producers, filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles, claimed 'reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures led to the death of Halyna Hutchins,' noting that Hutchins 'would be alive and well, hugging her husband and nine-year-old son' had proper protocols been followed on set.

The suit says industry standards call for using a rubber or similar prop gun during the setup, and there was no call for a real gun.

It goes on to say that both Baldwin and assistant director David Halls, who handed him the gun, should have checked the revolver for live bullets.

The suit also names as defendants Halls, unit production manager Katherine Walters, the film's armorer Hannah Guttierez Reed and ammunition supplier Seth Kenney.

'Any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false,' Aaron Dyer, attorney for Baldwin and other producers, said in a statement Tuesday. 'He, Halyna and the rest of the crew relied on the statement by the two professionals responsible for checking the gun that it was a ''cold gun'' - meaning there is no possibility of a discharge.'

He added that 'actors should be able to rely on armorers and prop department professionals, as well as assistant directors, rather than deciding on their own when a gun is safe to use.'

At least three other lawsuits have been filed over the shooting, but this is the first directly tied to one of the two people shot.

A 10-minute video created by the attorneys showed a 3D animated recreation of the shooting during a rehearsal in a church.

The law firm handling the case produced this video that shows an animated recreation of the shooting, complete with a Baldwin avatar

In the video, Baldwin accepts the revolver and points it at Hutchins, who is standing next to the camera in a church set

Baldwin fires, and the round strikes Hutchins, 42, in the chest (left). Moments later Hutchins collapses on the floor after being shot (right)

The animation shows that the round in the gun was not a typical 'dummy' bullet with a hole drilled in the middle

It shows a computer-generated avatar representing Baldwin accepting the Colt gun from Halls, pointing it in Hutchins' direction and firing.

The animation shows that the bullet in the chamber was live and not a 'dummy' with a hole drilled into it. The round strikes Hutchins, who clutches her chest and collapses in the video.

The Hutchins' family attorney, Brian Panish, said that Baldwin had 'refused' training for the kind of gun draw he was doing when he shot Hutchins. The lawsuit also claims that Baldwin never checked the gun himself for ammunition before using it.

They also presented a list of 'at least 15 industry standards' an attorney for the family said producers had ignored on set.

These included failure to use a prop gun rather than a live weapon, a lack of individuals qualified to handle weapons on set at the time of the shooting, and lack of protective equipment for crew.

Panish also produced a copy of a text message where a local camera operator made safety complaints to producers that there had been three unsafe weapons discharges on the set, calling the environment 'super unsafe'.

The unit production manager responded 'with callous sarcasm,' according to the lawsuit. He said in response that it was 'awesome' and 'sounds good.'
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - An international case accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority returns to the United Nations' highest court Monday amid questions over whether the country's military rulers should even be allowed to represent the Southeast Asian nation.

Four days of public hearings at the International Court of Justice start Monday into Myanmar's preliminary objections to the case that was brought by Gambia, an African nation acting on behalf of an organization of Muslim nations that accuses Myanmar of genocide in its crackdown on the Rohingya.

In August 2017, Myanmars military launched what it called a clearance campaign in Rakhine state in the country's west in response to an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group. The campaign forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh and led to accusations that security forces committed mass rapes and killings and burned thousands of homes.

Gambia argues that the campaign amounted to a breach of the genocide convention and wants the court to hold the country responsible.

The figurehead who led Myanmar's legal team in court last time there were public hearings in the case - the nation's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi - is in prison after being convicted on what supporters call trumped up charges.

Opponents of Myanmar's military rulers say they have appointed two officials to the country's legal team at the U.N. top court who are the subject of international sanctions.

FILE - Rohingya refugees gather near a fence during a government organized media tour, to a no-man's land between Myanmar and Bangladesh, near Taungpyolatyar village, Maung Daw, northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, June 29, 2018. An international case accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority returns to the United Nations' highest court Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, amid questions over whether the country's military rulers should even be allowed to represent the Southeast Asian nation. (AP Photo/Min Kyi Thein, File)

Critics of the military rulers say that the National Unity Government - a shadow civilian administration - should be representing the country at hearings in The Hague. The group says it has appointed an "acting alternate agent," U.N. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, and says it's withdrawing the country's preliminary objections.

"This is a shameful double-whammy. Myanmar is being represented at the ICJ by people sanctioned for gross human rights abuses and violating the rule of law," said Chris Gunness, director of the Myanmar Accountability Project. "But in any case, this illegal junta should not be representing Myanmar, it should be the NUG."

The court didn't respond to a request for comment on Myanmars representation at the hearings.

"Whats really important here is that ... if it is the junta thats in court, this is not something that should be taken to confer legitimacy on the junta," said Akila Radhakrishnan, president of the Global Justice Center.

At public hearings in late 2019, lawyers representing Gambia showed judges maps, satellite images and graphic photos to detail what they called a campaign of murder, rape and destruction amounting to genocide perpetrated by Myanmars military.

That led the court to order Myanmar to do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya. The interim ruling was intended to protect the minority while the case is decided in The Hague, a process likely to take years.

Since that ruling, the military has seized control of the nation.

The takeover prompted widespread peaceful protests and civil disobedience that security forces suppressed with lethal force. About 1,500 civilians have been killed, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Earlier this month, the U.N. Security Council called for an immediate halt to violence throughout Myanmar and reaffirmed support for the countrys democratic transition and democratic institutions.

The U.N.s most powerful body also reiterated its call for the release of "all those who remain arbitrarily detained," including Suu Kyi, whose elected government was ousted by the military on Feb. 1, 2021.

Radhakrishnan said the hearings should "are laying the groundwork for accountability in Myanmar - not only for the Rohingya, but for all others who have suffered at the hands of the military."

FILE - Then Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi addresses judges of the International Court of Justice for the second day of three days of hearings in The Hague, Netherlands on Dec. 11, 2019. An international case accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority returns to the United Nations' highest court Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, amid questions over whether the country's military rulers should even be allowed to represent the Southeast Asian nation. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
It was a normal day on October 29, 2018 at SoekarnoHatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. A domestic flight from Jakarta to an Indonesian island capital Pangkal Pinang was scheduled. Eight crew members readied the flight for take-off with 181 passengers on board. The flight took off without any hiccups; everything was fine.

13 minutes later, the plane nose-dived into the Java Sea, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board. The main pilot of the plane was Indian national Bhavye Suneja. The tweet below documents the aerial view of the crash site.

Kami bersama institusi lainnya akan berusaha secepat mungkin melakukan evakuasi korban pesawat #LionAir #JT610 dan berharap masih ada survivors yang bisa diselamatkan. #PrayForJT610 (video dari heli Bolkow TNI AU/Basarnas HR-1519 pilot Letkol Pnb Risdiyanto) pic.twitter.com/XMkWIgj0MK  TNI Angkatan Udara (@_TNIAU) October 29, 2018

Less than 5 months later, on March 10, 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines international flight was slated to fly from Addis Ababa to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. Eight crew members were accompanying the 149 passengers on board.

Six minutes later, the plane had nose-dived into the ground near a village in Ethiopia, killing all 157 passengers and crew on board. There were no bodies to be found.

These two aviation disasters brought the world of flying to a partial halt. And Netflix just immortalised the story, the cause and the villain behind the two tragedies in its documentary released on February 18, 2022, Downfall: The Case Against Boeing.

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For those who are unaware of the details of the twin tragedies or dont understand the complex technicalities, the Netflix documentary directed by Rory Kennedy (of the Last Days in Vietnam fame) is a must watch.

And for those who are nervous flyers, the documentary is a difficult watch. But essential watch all the same.

On top of everything I worry about now I have to make sure my plane is not a Boeing 737 Max. pic.twitter.com/YWgkG4LG4u  britney? (@britfrombelize) February 19, 2022

The documentary uses interviews of the victims kin, veteran pilots belonging to major US pilots associations, journalists, aviation experts and footage of the case hearing in the US, along with CGI graphics, to take home the narrative.

For the unversed, both the 2018 and 2019 crash cases involved one similarity  a brand new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft that was being flown.

THE DOCUMENTARY TAKES A DEEP DIVE INTO WHAT CAUSED THE CRASHES

I know avgeeks will disagree but I want to avoid flying the Boeing 737 Max now more than ever after viewing the documentary, Downfall: The Case Against Boeing. Beyond axing the CEO, how has the culture been fixed?  Dennis Schaal (@denschaal) February 18, 2022

The documentary Downfall: The Case Against Boeing takes the viewer on the journey of the crash, the aftermath, the media scrutiny, the blame game, the corporate battle, finding out the real truth behind the crash - the cause, the reactions, and also a deep dive into the history of the making of the tragedy in decades.

We dont want to spoil the revelations for you if you are still unaware of them. But rest assured, when you find out the truth after all the blame game, the feeling is one of utter despair and rage about the kind of world we are living in, the realisation of racism and bias towards third-world countries'.

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing surely has done its research in great detail. Though its narrative is one-sided, training the guns solely on Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, the documentary convinces the viewers about the narrative with absolutely convincing evidence and hard facts. It also ends with Boeing's responses to Netflix's numerous questions. (Spoiler: None of the answers are answer enough for Boeing's role in the tragedies).

The kin of victims of the Ethiopian airlines crash protest in the US. File Photo: Getty Images

Whats new is that the documentary doesnt stop after learning about the cause and the criminal behind the accidents; it explores deep into the why and how the villain of the story  Boeing - reached this stage. And according to the documentary, the tragedies were decades in the making.

If you go back in time a little, you will know that Boeing 737 MAX 8 was grounded by several countries the world over, including India. The trend the documentary says was started by China, followed by various nations, and then grudgingly, the US too. It was only recently in 2021 that many countries allowed the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft back in the sky  including India.

IS BOEING SAFE TO FLY NOW?

Bone-chilling! In 2018-19 Boeing 737 Max was in the eye of a storm for faulty design which cost 100s of passengers their life.Watch the documentary DOWNFALL-THE CASE AGAINST BOEING (on Netflix) to know how corporate greed killed hundreds of passengers in two fatal crashes. pic.twitter.com/1gt28YFB97  Rajendra Kumbhat (@Enraged_Indian) February 19, 2022

Boeing has been operating over 10,000 aircraft in over 150 countries in the world. In India, according to the Indian Express, SpiceJet is the only airline that operates the aircraft model. Jet Airways also used to operate the same model, but the airline itself has been grounded due to financial reasons. Akasa, an upcoming domestic airliner is also set to launch its fleet with Boeing 737 MAX.

The DGCA has said that the aircraft model is safe to fly in the skies now.

The moral of the story is basically to hold corporate entities responsible and not blindly trust their claims emerging out of either their aggressive PR and advertising campaigns or even their historical record.

HOW IS BOEING'S BUSINESS DOING SINCE DOWNFALL DROPPED ON NETFLIX?

Boeing Asia market screenshot of 5 days. Photo: Google Finance

The documentary will live on as an irremovable spot on the record of Boeing Company. The American aerospace company has anyway been dealing with stiff competition from Airbus. Boeing's stock has not been doing great, especially when compared to Airbus. While one of the reasons is the Covid-19 pandemic; the other reason is also because of one of its aircraft models being grounded worldwide. Not just the 737 MAX model, but Boeing has also been having some trouble with the 787 jets.

Did the Netflix documentary do any harm to the stock price that Boeing loves to keep going up so much, no matter the cost?

Boeing was doing quite well in the market even after the 2018 and 2019 crashes. The only real hit Boeing took was post-March 2020, the arrival of the pandemic and the worldwide lockdowns. The only other significant hit it took was on January 27, 2022, and February 14, 2022.

The Netflix impact is not yet seen as the evaluation closed on Friday, February 18, 2022, the same day the documentary dropped. But as of February 18, 2022, the stock has taken another tumble, like the Feb 14 one. It is not yet sure if its related to the documentary.

Just watching "Downfall" the documentary about the Boeing 737 max disasters and subsequent corporate cover up. No Boeing executives are serving prison time for 346 deaths. Untrammelled profit motive corrupts everything.  Elinor Elliot (@ElliotElinor) February 19, 2022

But the harsh truth remains: that the people who took the lives of more than 300 innocent people, blamed some of the victims of their crime, got away with it with just a slap on the wrist and are going about business as usual.
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The top diplomats of South Korea and Armenia exchanged congratulatory messages Monday to mark the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, according to the foreign ministry.







Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan exchanged the letters and welcomed the development of bilateral relations in the political, cultural and economic fields over the past three decades, the ministry said.







They also expressed hope that the two sides will continue to work closely to expand bilateral cooperation, it added.







South Korea has sought to improve ties with Armenia under its New Northern Policy, which aims to promote cooperation with countries north of the peninsula. (Yonhap)


You don't want to miss this! Meet the Tri-State area's top vendors, see stunning displays, enjoy culinary delights, and so much more! If you only go to one wedding show this year, this is it! Also, take advantage of our only sale of the year!

*Multiple times slots to be mindful of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other safety measures and social distancing will be put into place as well.
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When the yacht Frama dropped anchor at the Visakhapatnam Port on February 17, after sailing 330 nautical miles (around 611 kms) in 54 hours from Chennai, it scripted history  it was manned by an all-women team of Army officers  the first such expedition organised by the Indian Army.

After routine repairs and replenishment of supplies, the 44-foot Bavaria class sailing vessel set off on February 18 from Visakhapatnam to Chennai on the return leg of its journey. The team covered a total of around 900 nautical miles (approx 1,700 kilometres) in 7 days.

This sailing expedition was organised under the aegis of Army Adventure Wing Southern Command Sailing Node and EME Sailing Association (MCEME), in order to promote sailing as a sport and encourage women to join the Indian Army. It was supported by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard. The expedition was flagged off from Chennai by Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana and Lt.Governor of Puducherry.

Major Mukta Shree Gautam, the skipper of the expedition talked about the great experience. The all-women sailing expedition was the brainchild of Lieutenant General TSA Narayanan, Commandant of MCEME (Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering). The officers who volunteered and trained for it belong to various branches of the Army, including Ordnance, Signals and the EME. Some of them are first-time sailors. We were first trained for 25 days at Marve, Mumbai. The training capsule was both a basic and a refresher course and was followed by a 10-day training on board the yacht in Chennai, says Major Mukta.

Majors Priya Semwal, Priya Das, Rashmil S, Arpita Dwivedi and Sanjana M, and Captains Jyoti Singh, Malvika Rawat, Subham Solanki and Sonal Goyal are the other members who underwent training, apart from Major Mukta.

Major Prashant Kishore from the Army and Lt.Vishwanadh from the Indian Navy supported and coordinated the expedition from the ground.

Major Mukta says, We sailed through a full moon night when the sea was very rough and the tide was high. We entered deep sea waters and had to steer clear of the oil wells of Kakinada-Krishnapatnam and avoid the fishing nets as well. The visibility dropped after it turned cloudy on the second day and navigating under such conditions was quite hard. Though we were mentally prepared for the unknown, it was a challenge for us to maintain calm amid the heavy winds and disturbed waters. The Bay of Bengal is known to be more turbulent and unpredictable than the Arabian Sea. There was no network connection mid-sea. Many of us experienced bouts of sea sickness as the sailboat was tossing throughout. However, we all maintained calm, braved the challenges, coordinated and bonded very well.

The sailboat, a German-made vessel, provided comparatively more security and stability and was a good choice for the rough waters of the Bay of Bengal, she adds.

There were some enchanting experiences too. We were followed by a school of dolphins, which swam close to our yacht. We had not seen so many dolphins so close before, says Major Mukta. We also saw huge sea turtles and flying fish. The Bay of Bengal is rich in biodiversity. The waters of the east coast are cleaner and clearer than those of the western coast near Mumbai.

This isnt Major Muktas first sailing expedition. She has taken part in national-level competitive sailing. In 2018, she sailed from Haldia to Porbandar in 40 days and also participated in various regattas, as part of a mixed crew of men and women officers. She was also part of four mountain expeditions organised by the Army to Mt. Stok Kangri, Mt. Bhagirathi, Mt. Kun and Mt. Khangchengyao in Sikkim  the last mentioned was organised by the Tri-Services Command.

The first from her family to join the defence forces, Major Mukta comes from Rajasthan, which is very far from the coast. The pull of adventure, the need for better exposure and the desire to serve the country made me join the Armed Forces a decade ago. My family, especially my mother, always motivated

me to follow my heart, take up new challenges and sports,

she says.
Activists of Youth Congress hold placards during a silent protest in New Delhi on October 11, 2021, days after at least eight people died in an incident involving protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. (Photo: AFP/File)

New Delhi: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging grant of bail by the Allahabad High Court to Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Mishra, who was arrested in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that killed eight people including four farmers on October 3 last year.

Three family members of the farmers who were killed in the violence have sought a stay on the February 10 bail order of the Lucknow bench of the high court saying the verdict was unsustainable in eyes of law as there has been no meaningful and effective assistance by the state to the court in the matter.

The lack of any discussion in the High Court's order as regards the settled principles for grant of bail is on account of lack of any substantive submissions to this effect by the State as the accused wields substantial influence over the state government as his father is a Union Minister from the same political party that rules the State.

The impugned order is unsustainable in eyes of law as there has been no meaningful and effective assistance by the State to the court in the matter contrary to object of first Proviso to Section 439 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which provides that in grave offences notice of bail application should ordinarily be given to the Public Prosecutor, said the plea which has been filed by Jagjeet Singh, Pawan Kashyap and Sukhwinder Singh through lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

There has been an improper and arbitrary exercise contrary to settled law by the high court which has granted bail without at all considering the heinous nature of the crime, it said.

Seeking stay of the impugned bail order, the plea narrated the sequence of evidence and said, The act of deliberately crushing the peacefully returning farmers by the Thar vehicle on the instructions of the accused from the back was not an act of negligence or carelessness but a pre-planned conspiracy as the accused thereafter from the farms circled back to the place of the dangal' event at around 4:00 pm and acted as if nothing had happened.

The plea said the high court did not consider the overwhelming evidence against the accused, position and status of the accused with reference to the victim and witnesses and the likelihood of him fleeing from justice and repeating the offence while granting the bail.

There was also the possibility of his tampering with the witnesses and obstructing the course of justice, it said.

At least 27 witnesses have testified that they either saw the accused at the scene of the crime or saw him running away from the scene of the crime... At least 8 witnesses testified that they saw and heard the accused and his supporters asking the driver of the Thar vehicle to crush the protesters, it said.

Post-mortem reports reveal that injuries found on the bodies of the deceased are consistent with the main allegation against the accused, that is murdering the victims through his car in a pre planned conspiracy, it said.

At least 37 witnesses have testified that they saw and heard firing of arms, it said, adding FSL reports reveal that firearms were in fact used and that a 32 bore and 315 bore firearm belonging to the accused were used for firing, and unspent cartridges from the 315 bore firearm were recovered from the Thar Vehicle.

Even the victims were prevented from bringing the relevant material as regards the settled principles for grant of bail to the notice of the High Court as their counsel got' disconnected from the hearing on January 18, 2022 before he could barely make any submissions and repeated calls to the court staff to get reconnected were of no avail, it alleged.

A single judge bench of the high court, on February 10, had granted the relief of bail to Mishra who had spent four months in custody.

On October 3, last year, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri during violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.

Four farmers were moved down by the SUV. A driver and two BJP workers were then allegedly lynched by angry farmers.

A journalist also died in the violence that triggered outrage among opposition parties and farmer groups agitating over the Centre's now-repealed agri laws.

On November 17 last year, the top court had appointed Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to monitor the probe by Uttar Pradesh SIT which will also get three IPS officers who are not natives of the state.

Recently, another plea seeking cancellation of bail of accused Ashish Mishra was filed by advocates Shiv Kumar Tripathi and CS Panda on whose letter the apex court had taken the suo motu cognizance of the incident.
Hyderabad: The principal Opposition parties, Congress and the BJP, termed TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's visit to Maharashtra as a futile exercise and an attempt to divert the attention of the people from their problems.

TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy said that Rao was trying to weaken the UPA and make Prime Minister Narendra Modi stronger. There is a hidden agenda in KCRs tour to Maharashtra. If KCR is against Modi, why not meet the NDA forces who are against him, Revanth Reddy asked.

The state Congress chief said that Rao should first meet Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Arvind Kejriwal and unite them against Modi. The BJP is benefiting from polarisation of votes by the MIM. KCR is trying to help Modi by weakening the UPA, he said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and others had already said that there is no alternative for the BJP without the Congress, the TPCC chief said. To create confusion among dissenting forces in the TRS, Rao was giving the impression that he is opposing Modi and would be friendly with the Congress, Revanth Reddy said.

Raos former close associate and BJP Huzurabad MLA Etala Rajendar said Rao was trying to escape from the problems in Telangana state and had begun the drama of national politics. Raos earlier efforts to form a front failed as no national leader believed him, Rajendar said.

It is simple logic. Any political leader would welcome a meeting with a Chief Minister. But KCR is giving the impression that he will play a key role in national politics, rajendar said.

Former PCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah said Raos attempt to project himself as a national leader would not work. Without the Congress, no alternative front could be built against the BJP, he said, repeating what Revanth Reddy had said.

Lakshmaiah, a former minister, pointed out that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had become Maharashtra Chief Minister only in alliance with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar. This shows that no alternative to the BJP is imaginable without the Congress.

BJP OBC Morcha national president, Dr K. Laxman said that Rao's Maharashtra visit was a futile exercise. When he is ailing with the MIM, how can the TRS get support from Shiv Sena, asked Dr Laxman, former state BJP chief.

People know the opportunistic politics of KCR, he said. It is clear that KCR is trying to closer to the Congress. Dr Laxman said the BJP had emerged as an independent force both at the state and the national levels.
During the road show at Siddantham village in West Godavari, a crazy fan of Pawan breached the security cordon and climbed up the vehicle and in his attempt to hug the cine star, both fell down. (DC Image)

Kakinada: Cine star and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan faced some embarrassment while on his way from Madhurapudi Airport of Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari district to Narsapuram in West Godavari district on Sunday to address a public meeting there.

During the road show at Siddantham village in West Godavari, a crazy fan of Pawan breached the security cordon and climbed up the vehicle. In his attempt to hug the cine star, both fell down.

The security staff swiftly dragged the fan away. Pawan stood up, regained his composure and continued the road show. For a moment, he was speechless.

At the public meeting in Narsapuram, Pawan tore up GO 217, saying that it would take away the rights of fishermen and cause damage not only to these folks but also their cooperative societies. He called upon the online traders not to participate in auctions so as to protect the livelihood of fishermen.

The actor hit out at the YSR Congress government and chief minister Jagan. He urged the government to withdraw the GO. If not, I shall abolish the GO in a week after we come to power in 2024, he said.

He asked Jagan whether he had undertaken the padayatra to sell fish and mutton. The government is not taking up any constructive schemes. It is trying to crush all sections of society. I will rather die than submit to such dictatorial policies. I will never bow my head before Jagan. I will get ready to go to jail to protect the rights of fishermen, he said.
The standoff over Ukraine refuses to drift away with Russia deploying over 150,000 troops on the periphery of the targeted state. Multiple theories are circulating as to Russian President Vladimir Putins real intentions. The simplest is the madman theory, based on the premise that leaders like Adolf Hitler are not mad, they just pretend to be. Their bluff, consequently, mostly enables them to achieve their desired strategic objective without a fight. The classic case in this regard was the appeasement of Hitler by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in Munich on September 24, 1938. The question then arises as to what does Mr Putin wish to achieve.

The immediate root of the crisis can be traced to the displacement of a pro-Russia ruler by a democratic alternative in 2014. Russia then seized the Crimea and destabilised Ukrainian control over its two eastern provinces -- Luhansk and Donetsk -- by using irregular fighters. But at the back of it exists a desire, since the revival of Russian power under Mr Putin, to create a buffer zone between Russia and the European Union. Russia desires to restore its sphere of influence in areas of the erstwhile Soviet Union. In Central Asia, this push has encountered Chinese and American counter-pressure. In Europe, it is simply a case of a pushback against the eastward expansion of Nato.

In his February 2007 speech at the Munich Security Conference, Mr Putin, referring to Natos expansion, had asked: What happened to the assurances our Western partners made after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact? He quoted the 1990 speech of Natos secretary-general that Nato was not ready to deploy its forces outside of German territory. Once again, after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, Mr Putin had decried the eastward expansion of Nato.

Mark Kramer has drawn on declassified Western records to assert that no assurance was given or even discussed by the Western nations when negotiating German reunification. What the Germans, as well as the Americans, British and French had agreed on was not to deploy non-German forces on the territory of the former German Democratic Republic. Article 5(3) of the 1990 Treaty on Final Settlement states that after the withdrawal of Soviet forces, German forces could be deployed in the former GDR. The only bar was on foreign forces or nuclear weapons. In an interview with Russia behind the Headlines, the Soviet Unions last President Mikhail Gorbachev revealed that the topic of Natos expansion was not discussed at all.

Thus, Mr Putins claim about the West reneging on its commitment on Nato expansion appears to be baseless. But the Western desire to extend its sphere of influence over the former Warsaw Pact nations has been undeniable, while Russia underwent a major power depletion after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Today, the allegation of betrayal by the West captures the Russian peoples imagination, whether or not it is true. Mr Putin is using it to force a redrawing of the strategic order that was settled in 1991 as the Cold War ended.

Ukraine is an instrument to achieve that end. Earlier, the Russian intervention in 2015 in Syria was to reassert Russias role in West Asia. What looked like a dangerous gamble then has worked out quite nicely for Russia as the Islamic State was dismantled and the Bashar al-Assad regime in Damascus stabilised. Russias meddling in Ukraine began after a pro-Russia regime was displaced in 2014.

Even more bothersome to Russia was the possibility of a functioning democracy taking root, as it did in most nations liberated from Russias yoke. Mr Putin would hardly desire such an example flourishing on Russias borders. If anything, the popular uprising in Kazakhstan, put down by Russian security forces invited by the tottering regime, would have rattled Mr Putin. The election of US President Donald Trump in 2016 was preceded by serious allegations of Russian interference in the US electoral process in 2015. Simultaneously, the two Minsk agreements were signed in 2014 and 2015. Ukraine figured prominently in President Trumps impeachment proceedings.

The current standoff entered an escalatory phase last week when US President Joe Biden claimed that a Russian military attack on Ukraine was imminent. Earlier, on February 4, alongside the Winter Olympics inauguration, Mr Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met. In a joint statement, their friendship is described as leaving no forbidden areas of cooperation. A bilateral agreement on oil and gas was augmented.

Even more tellingly while Russia endorsed Chinese opposition to Taiwanese independence, China decried Natos eastward expansion. With this strategic convergence complete, Mr Putin signalled the ability to defy Western economic sanctions. Thus, he ratcheted up the military pressure on Ukraine, while continuing to talk to Western leaders and keeping the dialogue open.

President Biden, meanwhile, managed to get the European leaders more aligned to the approach that any Russian attempt to breach Ukrainian sovereignty would be met with strong European sanctions. Germany hinted that it may even discard the almost-ready Nord Stream II Russian pipeline, owned by Gazprom. The US is suggesting that even secondary sanctions may be imposed on countries assisting the primary target.

While Ukrainian President Voldomyer Zelentsky sought, at the Munich Security Summit, a timetable to join Nato, Russia decided to leave in Belarus its 30,000 troops sent there for a military exercise. Diplomacy still has a narrow window. The two Minsk agreements of 2014-15 provide a path to de-escalation. Its 13 points weave together steps towards restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty over the Donbas region, Russias withdrawal of its irregular forces, greater devolution of powers to that region, etc. The problem is how to choreograph those steps.

Moreover, if Mr Putin is seeking a new European security order in which Russias veto is embedded, then risky military blackmail is hardly the right path. The Russian threats will only enhance cohesion on the Nato side.

Some analysts are suggesting a reverse China strategy. This implies that while 50 years ago US President Richard Nixon had engaged China to isolate the Soviet Union, it now needs to wean Russia from China. This assumes that the primary threat to the US is from China. But this can succeed only if Russian insecurity can be successfully handled.

For Indian diplomacy, a Russian attack will present a challenge as remaining silent would seriously upset its American and European partners. India has dithered over extracting many thousand Indian students from a possible war zone. Russia and Ukraine are two big wheat exporting nations. Interrupted global supplies will cause prices to rise and human distress. Thus, Ukraine needs urgent de-escalation.
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By Kwon Mee-yoo



Experts from Europe and Korea discussed ways of cooperating on global issues, key challenges and geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region at a roundtable, Friday.



Co-hosted by the embassies of France, Germany and the Netherlands in Korea in cooperation with the Delegation of the European Union to Korea, the roundtable explored the EU's strategy for the Indo-Pacific region ahead of the Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in Paris slated for Tuesday.



Ambassador of France to Korea Philippe Lefort highlighted the significance of the forum, which will feature some 50 countries from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania, and in which Korea's Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will give opening remarks.



"The minister forum is very timely also, because in recent years there has been a growing awareness that the EU and Indo-Pacific countries are natural partners in many areas. We came to realize that our futures are deeply linked because of the interdependency of all economies and common global challenges," Lefort said.



He noted that France was the first EU member to publish its Indo-Pacific strategy as a country with a historical and territorial presence in the area.



"France seems to be a committed actor and a bridge between the two regions... I hope that today's event will help you understand the different Indo-Pacific strategies of EU and its member states and, most importantly, that it will show you how EU and the Republic of Korea can work together to contribute to a better rules-based and open regional cooperation."



German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel emphasized that the political and economic balance is increasingly shifting towards the Indo-Pacific with the rise of Asia.



"The region is becoming a key to shaping the international order of the 21st century... From a global perspective, I think this region has many advantages. It has a young, well-educated population and they can look back at this region on decades now of considerable economic growth and innovation hubs," Reiffenstuel said.



"As an internationally active trading nation and proponents of a multilateral rules-based international order, Germany, embedded in the European Union, has a great and fundamental interest in participating in Asia's growth and in being involved in shaping the Indo-Pacific region, as well as upholding global norms in regional structure."



The roundtable was held under the Chatham House Rule, thus the speakers could not be attributed.



A speaker explained why the EU has set up strategies for the Indo-Pacific region.



"The Indo-Pacific, for us, is obviously not only the future, but it's already the present. The world's center of gravity is already there, both in geo-economics and geopolitical terms... We have to understand that the current dynamics in the Indo-Pacific have given rise to an intense geopolitical competition, which adds to increasing tensions on trade and supply chains as well as in technological, political and security areas," he said. "Our ultimate aim is to maintain and reinforce a free and open Indo-Pacific for all, while building strong and lasting partnerships."



He also spoke of Korea being a close partner in the region, providing an additional regional framework for cooperation in terms of multilateral dynamics.



"There are many common analogies between the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy and the New Southern Policy of Korea. Both partners are well aware of the centrality of ASEAN in this regard. This being said, with its commitment to an open and free Indo-Pacific and to an open and rules-based international security architecture, the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy can also substantially contribute to peace on the Korean Peninsula," he said.



"We'll set the context in which we address challenges emanating from the peace threats on the Korean Peninsula. This means that the long term objectives of the EU will remain the achievement of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization and respect for human rights as required by all relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions. With this objective in mind, the EU could support the peace process on the Korean Peninsula in a variety of ways by contributing to the de-escalation of tensions and the establishment of confidence-building measures by supporting any denuclearization negotiations."



Another speaker said the Indo-Pacific is not just a geographic concept, but rather a geographic translation of strategy. France built a series of partnerships gradually in the region, namely with India, Japan, Australia and ASEAN.



"This is an attempt to find a region in order to achieve three things  manage the rise of China, preserve whatever can be preserved of the Transatlantic Alliance and, at the same time, to the extent possible, avoid the consequences of polarization, which is the rivalry between China and the U.S."



How Japan and Australia came to rise and drove Indo-Pacific discourses was also discussed.



"The idea of forming a coalition of like-minded democracies to balance or perhaps even contain Chinese influence goes back to 2006 when Japanese policymakers sought ways for Japan to remain Asia's leading nation," the speaker said.



"For bringing more players to the table, the Indo-Pacific idea mitigates the dilemma caused by Japan's and Australia's strong economic dependence on an increasingly assertive China on the one hand and deepening security political dependence on the increasingly volatile U.S. on the other."



Maritime security and digital resilience were also mentioned as areas where the EU can cooperate with the Indo-Pacific region.



"Many countries in the Indo-Pacific want to maintain their own digital sovereignty. So to help countries with that and to offer alternatives is where the EU is acting or should be doing way more still and where we can coordinate with the South Korean players," the speaker said.



Another speaker disagreed with the focus on managing China, but emphasized cooperation.



"It is really a strategy which is meant to be a political recommitment and reengagement of what we have been doing all over and perhaps is not well known... We have been doing a lot of things for many years in the Indo-Pacific area and what we want to do now is to try to recommit ourselves, step up this engagement and build stronger partnerships."


Oil prices fell on Monday on a plan for US President Joe Biden and Russia's Vladimir Putin to hold a summit on the Ukraine crisis and on prospects of a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in the next week or two.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement on Monday he had pitched to both leaders a summit over "security and strategic stability in Europe." The White House said Biden had accepted the meeting "in principle" but only "if an invasion hasn't happened."

Brent crude futures fell 73 cents or 0.8 per cent to $92.81 at 0754 IST after having jumped more $1 than to $95.00 in early trade, its highest level since Wednesday.

Also Read | Ukraine-Russia worries to keep markets volatile

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures similarly fell 52 cents or 0.6 per cent to $90.55 a barrel after having hit a high of $92.93.

Oil markets have been jittery over the past month on worries a Russian invasion of its neighbour could disrupt crude supplies, but price gains have been limited by the possibility of more than 1 million barrels a day of Iranian crude returning to the market.

A senior European Union official said on Friday a deal to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement was "very very close".

Analysts said the market remained tight, and any addition of oil would help, but prices would remain volatile in the near term as Iranian crude would only likely return later this year.

Also Read | Biden agrees to meet Putin if he halts Ukraine attack

"There's just so many pressures geopolitically it's difficult to know what the answer is (on market movements) - with Ukraine and Iran," said National Australia Bank commodity analyst Baden Moore.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia would be cut off from international financial markets and denied access to major exports needed to modernise its economy if it invaded Ukraine.

"If a Russian invasion takes place as the US and UK have warned in recent days, Brent futures could spike above $US100/bbl, even if an Iranian deal is reached," Commonwealth Bank analyst Vivek Dhar said in a note.

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In a relief to the Cyrus Mistry's group, the Supreme Court has decided to hear review petitions against its March 26, 2021 judgement which had upheld the decision of Tata Sons to remove him as executive chairman in 2016 and director on the board of the company.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, by a majority view of 2:1, agreed to consider the review petition filed by the Mistry's group in open court on March 9.

Justice Ramasubramaian has dissented with this February 15 order to consider review petition. The review petition was considered inside judges chambers as per the Supreme Court Rules.

Also Read | SC order a miscarriage of justice, riddled with errors: Cyrus Mistry in review petition

"Applications seeking oral hearing of the review petitions are allowed," the majority view said in the order, released on Monday.

Justice Ramasubramaian, however, said, "I regret my inability to agree with the order. I have carefully gone through the Review Petitions and I do not find any valid ground to review the judgment. The grounds raised in the Review Petitions do not fall within the parameters of a review and hence the applications seeking oral hearing deserve to be dismissed."

On March 26, 2021 the top court had approved the decision of Tata Sons to remove Cyrus Mistry as executive chairman in 2016 and director on the board of the company.

The February 15 order would reopen one of the most high profile and publicly-fought bitter corporate battle.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde (since retired) and Justices A S Bopanna and Ramasubramanian had then set aside the order of December 18, 2019 by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) reinstating Mistry as chairman of the Tata Sons.

In a big setback to Mistry, the bench had then said that it was an irony that the very same person who represented shareholders owning just 18.37% of the total paid up share capital (by SP group) and yet identified as the successor to the Tatas' empire, has chosen to accuse the very same Board, of conduct, oppressive and unfairly prejudicial to the interests of the minorities.

The Tata Group claimed that the removal of Mistry was as a result of lack of confidence and trust. But by his own subsequent conduct, Mistry "unfortunately enhanced the firepower of the management of Tata Sons, with regard to their claim relating to lack of confidence and trust," the bench had said.

Mistry was handpicked by chairman emeritus Ratan Tata in 2012 and sacked in 2016 as chairman of the salt-to-software conglomerate.

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The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) is set to file for an initial public offering (IPO) on March 11 in what is certain to be the largest in India's history at $8 billion (Rs 60,000 crore). The insurer will be offering a 5% stake or about 31 crore shares, testing the appetite of investors who had a stellar rally last year. So why is the LIC selling stock to the public? Are investors really going to embrace it enthusiastically?

Just how big is LIC?

The LIC was established by the union government in 1956 with $10 billion in seed capital following the nationalisation of the insurance sector. The Mumbai-headquartered insurer has since become a household name as it boasts a strong omnichannel distribution network with over one lakh employees, nearly 2,000 branches and about 286 million policies. It has nearly $530 billion in assets and 250 million policyholders, possessing about 64% of the market share. It's so dominant that it issues three out of four individual policies. It's also the investor of the last resort as the government routinely uses it to bail out struggling financial institutions. Currently, it has investments in over 370 companies with a majority stake in 35 of them. Globally, it's the 10th most-valued insurance company in terms of assets and has an embedded value of $72 billion.

Also read: Business mix tweak will have LIC becoming bigger threat to pvt players: Report

Embedded value, what's that?

Life insurance companies typically use this metric to value themselves. The embedded value is the present value of future profits plus adjusted net asset value. NAV is the book value of its assets minus its liabilities.

What will be the market cap of LIC?

Using the embedded value method, Indias current top-listed insurer, SBI Life Insurance, trades at three times its per-share embedded value. Applying this metric, the LICs post-IPO market capitalisation would be $216 billion, as per Bloomberg. That would be more than Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India's most valuable company. Whoa!

Why the IPO? Doesn't LIC have enough money?

The government has been selling public-sector entities because it wants to bring down the fiscal deficit and get out of the business of doing business. In the 2021-22 financial year, the fiscal deficit rose drastically to 9.5% of the GDP as the government increased spending to fund schemes to support those battered by Covid-19. While the initial budgeted revenue target from divestment was Rs 1,75,000 crore for FY22, it has been substantially scaled down to Rs 78,000 crore. The LIC's draft red herring prospectus, however, mentions that the listing is to enhance our visibility and brand image as well as provide a public market for the equity shares in India.

Selling public-sector entities... isn't that's a political hot potato?

It indeed is. Some social activists have criticised the share sale, claiming the government has bypassed important rules to get the insurance behemoth listed for the sake of meeting its disinvestment target and disregarding the social cause that the LIC serves for the marginalised sections of society. They say that the "non-transparent valuation, harmful structural change and alteration in profit distribution after listing" would prove to be detrimental for the brand value that the LIC carries. Among them is a former secretary of economic affairs, E A S Sarma, who says that the IPO is "illegal, unconstitutional and against the interests of the people of India".

What might the IPO mean for the market?

The IPO has got investors excited and it's pretty obvious why. Who wouldn't want to invest in a company that controls nearly two-thirds of the market it serves? The IPO is likely to shed investments in the LIC's competitors. It's largely expected to bring cheers to the markets that were let down by some lacklustre IPOs last year. Many analysts have described the LIC IPO as India's Aramco moment, referring to the listing of the Saudi Arabian oil giant over two years ago in what was the world's biggest stock market debut.

But there's some worry, too. Aramco's IPO didn't quite meet the expectations. LIC has some pain points, and it would be interesting to know if investors disregard them all.

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The high-pitched campaigning for the fourth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections came to an end on Monday with leaders from various political parties intensifying attacks on their opponents. The fourth phase will decide the fate of 624 candidates in 59 Assembly segments on February 23. Stay tuned for the latest updates.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that the vision and ideology of the BJP and the RSS is to promote one idea, one culture and one language maintaining these are superior to all other ideas, all other languages and all other cultures.

Gandhi referring to his recent Lok Sabha speech on "Union of states" said the Congress always wanted to protect and develop the diverse culture of people of all the states and Union Territories of India.

He said that the BJP and the RSS did not like the reference of "Union of states" because they have a different vision of the country.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP and RSS leaders are coming to Manipur not with respect to the people of the state, not with understanding, they come with a sense of superiority. PM comes to Manipur with the idea that he has a superior vision, superior language and he has the right to define about India.

"I come Manipur with humility; because I understand that you (people) have a lot to give. I come here to learn a lot from you because there is a diverse culture, languages and traditions here. PM will come to Manipur on Tuesday with an air of superiority to tell you what he thinks and not to learn from you," the Congress leader said.

While addressing his first election rally in poll bound Manipur at Hapta Kangjeibung in Imphal, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress believed in an India where every state had equal rights and the right to have its own language, culture and history.

Modi earlier promised to give two crore jobs in a year, deposit Rs 15 lakhs in the bank account of every Indian and he would change the destiny of the farmers, Gandhi said.

"But now he is not talking about those commitments ...he is not talking about three black farm laws. He is not talking now about the severely bad effect of 'Notebandi' (demonetisation). He is not talking about the flawed GST.

"The faulty GST was created to help two to three millionaires and to destroy the small and medium industries and enterprises. India is now witnessing the highest number of unemployed in 40 years."

Gandhi referring to the Rs 11,000 crore National Palm oil cultivation mission of the government, said that this cultivation would not help the farmers of Manipur, it would destroy the economy of Manipur.

"Companies like Patanjali and large business organisations would be benefited and make profit from this cultivation. We are not interested to help Baba Ramdev and punish Manipuri people. We are always keen to protect the interest of Manipur and to make the state self-sufficient in rice production," he observed.

Criticising the BJP government for not helping women, the Congress leader said that his party led government in Manipur helped a lot in the 'Ima Keithal' and more such 'Ima Keithal' would be set up in the future to empower the women in the state.

The century old and world's largest all-women run market 'Ima Keithal' or the 'Mother's Market', located in Manipur capital Imphal and other smaller all-women markets functioning in different parts of the northeastern state boost the Manipur economy to a large extent and are a great source of livelihood of thousands of women.

The all women market, which has a history of over 500 years, has around 3,615 licensed female vendors registered with the Imphal Municipal Corporation.

Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "failure to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic", Gandhi said that Modi is the first Prime Minister in the world who campaigned for "Thali Bajao to vanish coronavirus.... when his Thali Bajao scheme failed he asked the people to switch on the mobile phone light to eradicate the virus".

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also addressed an election rally in Manipur virtually from Delhi on February 15 while party leaders Jairam Ramesh and Bhakta Charan Das are spearheading the party's election campaign in the northeastern state.

The elections to the 60-seat Manipur assembly would be held in two phases on February 28 and March 5.

The counting of votes would take place on March 10.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wished Britain's Queen Elizabeth II a speedy recovery after she tested positive for COVID-19.

The Buckingham Palace said she has tested positive for the infection and is experiencing "mild cold-like symptoms".

"I wish Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth a speedy recovery and pray for her good health," Modi tweeted.

I wish Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth a speedy recovery and pray for her good health. https://t.co/Em873ikLl8  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 20, 2022

The 95-year-old monarch remains at her Windsor Castle residence and is expected to carry out light duties over the next few days.

"She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines," a Buckingham Palace statement said.

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President Vladimir Putin warned Monday that Western powers were using Moscow's feud with Ukraine to threaten Russia's own security and said he was considering recognising the independence of two breakaway Russian-backed regions.

Openly backing the separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine would effectively put to an end an already shaky peace plan and dramatically increase the likelihood of an all-out Russian invasion.

Moscow appeared to be already laying the groundwork for such an operation by claiming -- to furious Kyiv denials -- that its forces had intercepted and killed five Ukrainian saboteurs who infiltrated Russian territory, and accusing Ukraine of shelling a border post.

The claim and counterclaim undermined efforts by European leaders to broker a diplomatic resolution, by urging Putin to hold a summit with his US counterpart Joe Biden, although Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did say he would meet his US counterpart on Thursday.

Also read: Putin says considering Ukraine separatists' independence request

Putin made his declaration as he opened a carefully stage-managed meeting of Russia's national security council with made-for-television opening remarks.

"Our goal is to listen to our colleagues and determine our next steps in this direction, bearing in mind both the appeals of the leaders of the DNR (Donetsk People's Republic) and LNR (Lugansk People's Republic) to recognise their independence," Putin said.

"The use of Ukraine as an instrument of confrontation with our country poses a serious, very big threat to us," Putin said, adding that Moscow's priority was "not confrontation, but security".

Ukraine and Washington, however, now expect confrontation.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told NBC news that a Russian invasion of its neighbour would be an "extremely violent" operation followed by a brutal occupation.

"It will be a war waged by Russia on the Ukrainian people to repress them, to crush them, to harm them," the White House official said.

Reflecting the gravity of the situation, which Western leaders have dubbed the worst threat to peace in Europe since the Cold War, stocks listed on the Moscow Stock Exchange fell steeply by around 10 percent.

Western powers have threatened a crippling sanctions package if Russia invades.

The Kremlin has dispatched a huge force to Ukraine's border -- US intelligence says it is more than 150,000-strong and poised to attack -- and on Monday the military said it had killed five infiltrators in the Rostov region, near Russia's border with rebel-held Ukraine.

"As a result of clashes, five people who violated the Russian border from a group of saboteurs were killed," the military said in a statement.

This followed an earlier claim that a shell fired from Ukraine had destroyed a shed at a Russian border post, and repeated claims that Kyiv's forces are shelling the pro-Russian enclave or plotting to attack it.

Kyiv, concerned that Russia is building a narrative to justify an invasion, immediately denied all the allegations, which are being widely broadcast on Russian state media, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba took to Twitter.

"No, Ukraine did NOT: attack Donetsk or Lugansk, send saboteurs or APCs (armoured personnel carriers) over the Russian border, shell Russian territory, shell Russian border crossing, conduct acts of sabotage," he said.

Read more: Russia facing 'very big threat' over Ukraine, says Putin

"Ukraine also does NOT plan any such actions. Russia, stop your fake-producing factory now," he wrote.

Mounting concern over an invasion quickly overshadowed a French diplomatic initiative, backed by Germany, to push for a summit between Putin and Biden.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "It's premature to talk about any specific plans for organising any kind of summits" adding that no "concrete plans" had been put in place.

A French presidential official later called on Putin to make a quick decision on the meeting, calling the situation "very dangerous".

"It is today possible to move towards a summit... it is up to President Putin to make his choice," the source said.

Visiting Brussels, Kuleba gave a cautious welcome to the French effort. "We believe that every effort aimed at a diplomatic solution is worth trying," he said.

But Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said there was no sign of Russian forces withdrawing from the border and that Moscow-backed rebels continue to shell Ukrainian positions.

Russia annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014 and Moscow-backed separatists hold an enclave in the eastern distracts of Lugansk and Donetsk.

In recent weeks, according to US intelligence, Moscow has massed an invasion force of troops, tanks, missile batteries and warships around Ukraine's borders in Belarus, Russia, Crimea and the Black Sea.

Biden has said that US intelligence believes that Putin has made a decision to invade Ukraine and that commanders are readying units to attack within days.

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Belarus said on Monday that the withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory would depend to a large extent on NATO pulling back its forces from near Belarus and Russia, opening up the possibility they could remain there indefinitely.

Russia deployed what NATO called its biggest military force to Belarus since the Cold War ended for joint exercises that started on February 10, part of a wider buildup near Ukraine that has fuelled fears of a looming war.

Also Read | Russia and Belarus extend large military drills near Ukraine

The exercises to the north of Ukraine were meant to end on Sunday, but instead, Minsk announced they would be extended, citing an increase in military activity near Belarus and Russia.

On Monday, the Belarusian Ministry of Defence took a harder position still, circulating remarks by the ex-Soviet republic's chief of general staff in a statement.

"The Russian Armed Forces' units will return to their permanent bases only when an objective need for that arises and when we decide," Belarusian army chief Viktor Gulevich was quoted as saying.

Also Read | Russia has lists of Ukrainians 'to be killed or sent to camps', US warns UN

"In no small measure, this will also depend on our Western counterparts. The forces and equipment deployed in the eastern European region, including near Belarus... are one of the factors that influence the development of the situation," he said.

He said that Minsk believed it was within its rights to demand the withdrawal of US and NATO member forces from near the Belarusian border.

Belarus borders NATO members Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Ukraine to the south.

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Ukraine on Monday firmly denied Russian claims that Russian forces had killed five Ukrainian "saboteurs" who allegedly crossed the border to stage an attack, heightening fears of an all-out war. "Not a single one of our soldiers has crossed the border with the Russian Federation, and not a single one has been killed today," Anton Gerashchenko, an official at Ukraine's interior ministry, told reporters.

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Abdul Razak Dawood, adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on commerce, has backed the resumption of trade with India, which was suspended by Islamabad in August 2019 after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Trade with India is the need of the hour and beneficial to both countries, Dawod said at a media interaction here on Sunday, Dawn News reported.

"As far as the ministry of commerce is concerned, its position is to do trade with India. And my stance is that we should do trade with India and it should be opened now," said Dawood, who also serves as the Prime Minister's Adviser on Textile, Industry, Production, and Investment.

"Trade with India is very beneficial to all, especially Pakistan. And I support it," he added, according to the Dawn News report.

The comments from Dawood raise hopes of a partial revival of Pakistan-India bilateral trade relations, which were suspended after the August 5, 2019 decision of New Delhi to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Also read: Pakistan and India should resolve Kashmir issue like good neighbours: Pak PM Khan

In March 2021, Pakistan's Economic Coordination Committee had lifted a ban on the import of sugar and cotton from India. However, the decision was withdrawn quickly as it emerged that the major move was taken by Pakistan's Finance Ministry without taking all stakeholders on board, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

India's move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 outraged Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad.

Pakistan also snapped all air and land links with India and suspended trade and railway services.

India has said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.

India has also told Pakistan that talks and terror cannot go together and has asked Islamabad to take demonstrable steps against terror groups responsible for launching various attacks on India.

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South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook met a visiting U.S. Marine Corps chief Monday to discuss regional security and the bilateral alliance, the defense ministry here said.







The meeting between Suh and Gen. David H. Berger came as Seoul and Washington seek to reinforce cooperation to counter North Korea's evolving military threats highlighted by a series of its missile launches last month.







Suh portrayed the two countries' Marine forces as a "symbol of the bilateral alliance" as he commented on their shared history of cooperation since the 1950-53 Korean War, according to the ministry.







Berger assessed that the two countries' combined defense posture is "stronger than at any time" while expressing hopes cooperation between the allies' Marine forces will help further develop the alliance, the ministry said.







Prior to the talks with Suh, Berger met separately with South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Won In-choul and Seoul's Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Kim Tae-sung. (Yonhap)


By Michelle Grattan for The Conversation,

Tensions between Australia and China have increased further after the Chinese shone a laser at a RAAF surveillance aircraft that was observing Chinese naval activity in Australias exclusive economic zone.

The incident comes as the government is set on ramping up the national security debate  despite pushback from some in the intelligence community  claiming an Albanese government would be soft on China.

Anthony Albanese on Sunday ensured Labors reaction to the incident was bipartisan, condemning it in the strongest terms.

Scott Morrison said the incident, which happened on Thursday, was an act of intimidation, unprovoked and unwarranted as well as irresponsible and dangerous.

Lasers can disable aircraft and blind crew members.

The Prime Minister told a news conference Australia would be making our views very, very clear to the Chinese government. Sources said later Australia had raised strong concerns in Canberra and Beijing through defence and diplomatic channels.

Albanese said Chinas action was an outrageous act of aggression that should be condemned.

The Australian government should be making the strongest possible statement about what is a reckless act, he added.

Morrison said the incident, in the Arafura Sea, only strengthens my resolve to ensure we keep going down the path of boosting Australias resilience, taking this issue as seriously as you possibly can take it, as we have always done.

"It has been our government that has stood up to these threats and coercion over many years now. Weve shown that resolve, weve shown that strength.

"And weve done it in the face of criticism, including here in our own country from those who think an appeasement path should be taken.

"I wont be intimidated by it. And the appeasement path is not something my government will ever go down.

The shadow ministers for foreign affairs and defence, Penny Wong and Brendan O'Connor respectively, said Labor was seeking a detailed briefing from the Defence Department.

These are not the actions of a responsible power, they said in a joint statement. It is consistent with Beijings growing regional aggression.

"China must understand that such action will only engender further mistrust.

They stressed support for our defence force is bipartisan and unwavering. On issues of national security, the focus should remain solely on Australias national interest and not political interests.

The Saturday Defence statement said that on February 17, a P-8A Poseidon detected a laser illuminating the aircraft while in flight over Australias northern approaches.

"The laser was detected as emanating from a Peoples Liberation Army  Navy (PLA-N) vessel. Illumination of the aircraft by the Chinese vessel is a serious safety incident.

The vessel, with a second PLA-N ship, was sailing east through the Arafura Sea when the incident happened.

Defence said such acts had the potential to endanger lives. We strongly condemn unprofessional and unsafe military conduct.

Such acts were not in keeping with the standards we expect of professional militaries.

Defence said the two ships had gone through the Torres Strait and were in the Coral Sea.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton said it was important to understand this was a military-grade laser  not a sort of laser you would see from time to time that [] kids might have or a pointer somewhere.

Australia was right to call out this sort of behaviour, Dutton said. Theres a lot of aggression going on by China at the moment.

Like in any circumstance, you cant deal with a bully in the schoolyard or a workplace from a position of weakness. You need to stand up and to push back on that aggression.

Morrison said China would have to explain their own actions.

That was not just important for Australia, but I think all around the region this explanation should be provided as to why a military vessel, a naval vessel, in Australias exclusive economic zone, would undertake such an act, such a dangerous act in relation to Australian surveillance aircraft.

The aircraft had been doing their job, being where they have every right to be. And that act of intimidation is not just a message that I suppose theyre trying to send to Australia, a message that we will respond to.

"But it is a sign of the sort of threats and intimidation that can occur to any country in our region. And thats why we need to band together.

Australias exclusive economic zone extends from 12 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles from its coastline. Within the zone, Australia has sovereign rights to explore, use, conserve and manage its natural resources.

On Ukraine, Morrison said Australia would work with its partners on a response if the Russians went ahead and invaded, making it clear response would involve new sanctions.

Theres never been any contemplation of Australian troops being deployed, he said.

Meanwhile, the Liberal chairman of the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security James Paterson said all sides of politics should heed the warning of ASIOs head Mike Burgess, who last week made it clear he was unhappy with ASIO being dragged into the political debate.

We should [all] be careful in referring to classified information, Paterson told the ABC.

(The author is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Canberra.)

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Australia opened its international borders to all vaccinated tourists Monday, nearly two years after the island nation first imposed some of the world's strictest Covid-19 travel restrictions.

A Qantas flight from Los Angeles was the first to touch down in Sydney at 6:20 am (1720 GMT) followed by arrivals from Tokyo, Vancouver and Singapore.

"It's fair to say we've all been waiting a long time to welcome visitors back to Australia," Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said.

The national carrier expects to more bring than 14,000 passengers into Australia this week -- the start of what many believe will be a long, slow recovery for a tourism sector devastated by the pandemic.

"I think we're going to see a very, very strong rebound," Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said at Sydney airport, wearing a t-shirt with the words: "Welcome Back".

Attracting tourists from China, previously Australia's biggest market, would be difficult while the country enforced a zero-Covid policy, Tehan said.

"But as soon as that changes, Tourism Australia have been doing a lot of work to make sure that we will be ready to encourage those Chinese visitors to come."

Only 56 international flights are scheduled to land in Australia in the 24 hours after the re-opening -- far below pre-pandemic levels -- but Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had "no doubt" the number will scale up in time.

Australia closed its borders to almost everyone except citizens and residents in March 2020 in an attempt to slow surging Covid-19 case numbers.

The travel ban -- which also barred citizens from travelling overseas without an exemption and imposed a strict cap on international arrivals -- earned the country the nickname "Fortress Australia".

Every month under the policies has cost businesses an estimated AUS$ 3.6 billion ($2.6 billion), according to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with tourism particularly hard hit.

Tony Walker, managing director of Quicksilver Group, which operates cruises, diving excursions and resorts across the Great Barrier Reef, told AFP he was "very excited about being able to re-open".

International tourists "make up around 70 percent" of business for tourism operators on the reef, Walker said, making the two-year border closure "incredibly difficult".

During the pandemic, his company had to reduce its employees from 650 to the 300 it has today.

Morrison on Sunday said tourism had "really borne the brunt of this Covid pandemic" and he thanked the sector.

"It's been tough, but Australia is pushing through," he added.

Western Australia will not re-open to international travellers on Monday, holding off until March 3.

Until recently, the state had pursued a strict Covid-zero policy, cutting itself off from the rest of the country.

The decision sparked lawsuits -- and the observation it was easier for Australians to travel to Paris than Perth -- but proved popular with West Australians.

Announcing the re-opening date for triple-vaccinated travellers, state Premier Mark McGowan said "there comes a point where the border is redundant, because we'll already have the growth of cases here".

Morrison welcomed Western Australia's re-opening and defended his own decision to shut the country's borders to the world for two years.

He said it "was incredibly important and that helped us achieve in this country what few others could around the world. We have one of the lowest rates of death of Covid in the world."

While the Australian government has launched a Aus$ 40 million advertising campaign to lure tourists back, the Australian Tourism Export Council warned this week that "there are worrying signs consumers are wary of travelling here with confusion over our various state travel restrictions and concern about snap border closures".

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Israel's prime minister on Sunday criticized an emerging deal over Iran's nuclear program, saying it would be weaker than a previous agreement and would create a more violent, more volatile Middle East.

World powers have been negotiating in Vienna in a bid to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which was left in tatters after the Trump administration, goaded by Israel, withdrew.

The original deal granted Iran relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Israel vehemently opposed that accord and has urged negotiators to take a hard line against Iran in the current round of talks.

Also Read: Iranian parliament sets six conditions for return to nuclear deal

In a speech to Jewish American leaders Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned that Iran has used the interim period to march ahead with its enrichment of uranium to levels approaching weapons-grade.

He also noted the 10-year limits on enrichment and other key aspects of Iran's nuclear program in the original deal are set to be lifted in 2025  just two and a half years from now.

That "leaves Iran with a fast track to military-grade enrichment, Bennett told the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations.

In the meantime, he said that lifting sanctions right away will deliver billions of dollars to Iran to spend on hostile proxy groups along Israel's borders.

For Israel and all the stability-seeking forces in the Middle East  the emerging deal as it seems is highly likely to create a more violent, more volatile Middle East," he said.

He repeated his pledge that Israel will not allow Iran to become a threshold state and said Israel would not be bound by a new deal. "We have a clear and un-negotiable red line: Israel will always maintain its freedom of action to defend itself, he said.

Bennett delivered a similar message earlier in the day during the weekly meeting of his Cabinet.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy. It strongly opposed the 2015 deal and has watched with trepidation as the current talks have carried on.

Also Read: Macron urges Iran to agree to a nuclear deal

It says it wants an improved deal that places tighter restrictions on Iran's nuclear program and addresses Iran's long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies along Israel's borders, like the Lebanese militant Hezbollah.

Israel also insisted that the negotiations must be accompanied by a credible military threat to ensure that Iran does not delay indefinitely.

Under the strong encouragement of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump withdrew from the original deal in 2018, causing it to unravel. Since then, Iran has stepped up its nuclear activities -- amassing a stockpile of highly enriched uranium that goes well beyond the bounds of the accord.

Despite Israel's support for Trump's withdrawal, prominent voices in the country have said in retrospect that the move was a blunder.

In Iran, meanwhile, the Iranian parliament's news agency, ICANA, reported that 250 lawmakers in a statement urged President Ebrahim Raisi and his negotiating team to obtain guarantees from the US and the three other European counties that they won't withdraw from the deal after it is renegotiated.

Iran's hard-line dominated parliament has the power to approve or reject any proposed agreement between Iran and the other parties in Vienna.

The United States has participated in the current talks indirectly because of its withdrawal from the original deal. President Joe Biden has signalled that he wants to rejoin the deal.

Under Trump, the US re-imposed heavy sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Tehran has responded by increasing the purity and amounts of uranium it enriches and stockpiles, in breach of the accord  formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. But the country's steps away from its obligations under the accord have alarmed its archenemy Israel and world powers.

Tehran has started enriching uranium up to 60 per cent purity  a short technical step from the 90 per cent needed to make an atomic bomb, and spinning far more advanced centrifuges than those permitted under the deal.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told participants at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday that the talks have come a long way over the past 10 months and all elements for a conclusion of the negotiations are on the table. But he also criticized Iran for stepping up its enrichment and restricting inspections by monitors from the U.N. nuclear agency.

Iran's foreign minister said that it's up to Western countries to show flexibility and the ball is now in their court.

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The Kremlin warned Monday there are no concrete plans for a summit between the Russian and US leaders, as diplomats scrambled to head off the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The idea of a meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden has been championed by France and cautiously welcomed by Ukraine as a way to avert a catastrophic war in Europe.

But Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "It's premature to talk about any specific plans for organising any kind of summits" adding that no "concrete plans" had been put in place.

Also Read | Biden agrees to meet Putin if he halts Ukraine attack

A French presidential official later called on Putin to make a decision on the meeting, calling the situation "very dangerous".

"It is today possible to move towards a summit... it is up to President Putin to make his choice," the source said, asking not to be named.

Separately, Moscow's FSB security service stirred tensions by claiming that Ukrainian forces had shelled a Russian border facility, an allegation dismissed as "fake news" by Kyiv's military.

France's President Emmanuel Macron called Putin on Sunday and afterwards, his office said that both the Russian leader and Biden were open to the idea.

But in Washington, a senior US administration official told AFP, "Timing to be determined. Format to be determined. So it's all completely notional."

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to talk to Putin later Monday and his call would be "closely coordinated" with the French efforts, his spokesman said.

Also Read | Vladimir Putin must decide on 'possible' Biden summit, says France

Visiting Brussels, Ukraine's foreign minister welcomed the French effort.

"We believe that every effort aimed at a diplomatic solution is worth trying," Dmytro Kuleba said ahead of a meeting with EU counterparts.

"We hope that the two presidents will walk out from the room with an agreement about Russia withdrawing its forces from Ukraine," he said.

Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said there was no sign of Russian forces withdrawing from the border, and that Moscow-backed rebels continue to shell Ukrainian positions.

"As of 09:00 am, 14 attacks have already been recorded, 13 of them from weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements," he told reporters in Kyiv.

"One of our soldiers was wounded," he said.

Russia annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014 and Moscow-backed separatists hold an enclave in the eastern districts of Lugansk and Donetsk.

Also Read | Information war rages ahead of feared Russian invasion

In recent weeks, according to US intelligence, Moscow has massed more than 150,000 troops and sailors around Ukraine's borders in Belarus, Russia, Crimea and the Black Sea.

Biden has said that US intelligence believes that Putin has made a decision to invade Ukraine and that commanders are readying units to attack within days.

Russia has long denied this, but state media accuse Kyiv of preparing a murderous assault against the rebel enclave and has started evacuating civilians from the area.

Kyiv and Washington accuse the Russians of plotting a "false flag" operation to fake Ukrainian atrocities in order to serve as a pretext for an all-out assault.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia continue to blame each other for a spike in shellings on the frontline separating Kyiv's forces from Moscow-backed separatists.

The bombardments have sent Ukrainians fleeing to cellars and other shelters, while some civilians have been evacuated.

The idea for a summit came moments after Macron held his second marathon call with Putin of the day.

Also Read | Russian troop withdrawal depends in part on NATO pullback: Belarus

During their first, 105-minute discussion, Putin blamed the increase in violence on the front line on "provocations carried out by the Ukrainian security forces", according to a Kremlin statement.

Putin repeated a call for "the United States and NATO to take Russian demands for security guarantees seriously".

But Macron's office also said the two had agreed on "the need to favour a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis and to do everything to achieve one".

The second time the pair spoke, late Sunday evening, it was for an hour, the French presidency said. The announcement of the summit came shortly after.

In Zolote, a frontline village in the Lugansk region, an AFP reporter found residents hiding in an earth-floored cellar roughly furnished when the separatist conflict erupted in 2014.

"These weeks they started shelling harder. Now they are shelling again," said 33-year-old handyman Oleksiy Kovalenko.

Fears of escalation mounted Sunday when Belarus said Russian forces would remain on its soil after Sunday's scheduled end to joint drills, within striking distance of Ukraine.

The Moscow-backed separatists have accused Ukraine of planning an offensive into their enclave, despite the huge Russian military build-up on the frontier.

Kyiv and Western capitals ridicule this idea and accuse Moscow of attempting to provoke Ukraine and of plotting to fabricate incidents to provide a pretext for Russian intervention.

The rebel regions have made similar claims about Ukraine's forces and ordered a general mobilisation, evacuating civilians into neighbouring Russian territory.

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Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Russia on February 23-24, the official Russian media has reported, signalling the first visit by a Pakistani premier to Moscow in 23 years.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that preparations for the visit of the Prime Minister Khan were underway, the state-run TASS news agency reported on Sunday.

"The visit will take place on February 23-24," it quoted a source in diplomatic circles as saying. Khan's visit has not been officially announced by Pakistan and Russia.

Khan is expected to hold a key meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, sources in Pakistan said earlier.

Pakistan and Russia are expected to strike major deals during the trip, including a movement forward on Russian investment to build a $2 billion worth gas pipeline, Pakistani media reported last week.

Also read: Russia has lists of Ukrainians 'to be killed or sent to camps', US warns UN

A Russian delegation was in Pakistan recently to negotiate toll-free proceedings and tax exemptions in connection with the Pakistan Gas Stream Project.

The Pakistani leadership wants to sign a commercial agreement with Russia during Khans visit. Another project which is likely to be on the agenda is the gas pipeline from Kazakhstan.

Khan will become the first Pakistani premier to visit Russia in 23 years after former premier Nawaz Sharif travelled to Moscow after the end of the Cold War.

Pakistans ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years and the chill in the relations between Pakistan and the US has further pushed the country towards Russia and China.

In April last year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Islamabad after a gap of almost nine years. During the visit, he conveyed a message to Pakistani leadership on behalf of President Putin that Moscow was willing to extend all possible help to Islamabad.

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The United States has warned the United Nations it has information that Russia has lists of Ukrainians "to be killed or sent to camps" in the event of an invasion, according to a letter sent to the UN rights chief and obtained by AFP Sunday.

The letter, which came as Washington warned of an imminent invasion by Russian troops massed near the Ukrainian border, says the United States is "deeply concerned" and warns of a potential "human rights catastrophe."

The United States has "credible information that indicates Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation," the letter says.

Also read: Biden agrees to meet Putin if he halts Ukraine attack

"We also have credible information that Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations," says the message, addressed to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

The note, signed by Bathsheba Nell Crocker, US ambassador to the UN in Geneva, warns a Russian invasion of Ukraine could bring with it abuses such as kidnappings or torture, and could target political dissidents and religious and ethnic minorities, among others.

Russia has placed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, the United States and Western allies have estimated.

Moscow denies it plans to attack its neighbour, but is seeking a guarantee that Ukraine will never join NATO and that the Western alliance will remove forces from Eastern Europe, demands the West has refused.

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The United Nations children's agency would pay Afghan teachers a monthly stipend for at least two months, the organisation said, with salaries unpaid for months as the country is plunged into economic crisis due to sanctions on the Taliban administration.

The payments, of roughly $100 per month, would be paid in the local currency to around 194,000 primary and secondary school teachers for January and February, and would be funded by the European Union, UNICEF said in a statement on Sunday.

"Following months of uncertainty and hardship for many teachers, we are pleased to extend emergency support to public school teachers in Afghanistan who have spared no effort to keep children learning," said Mohamed Ayoya, the representative for UNICEF Afghanistan.

Also Read | The money America owes the Afghan people

The country has been in economic crisis since the Taliban took over last August as foreign forces withdrew. Restrictions on the banking sector due to sanctions and a drop-off in development funding left the new administration struggling to pay many public sector salaries, including for teachers.

The international community has been grappling with how to engage with the Taliban without formally recognising their government, and has made education for girls a key demand when speaking with the group, according to diplomats.

The Taliban have been vague on their plans for girls' education with many still unable to attend secondary school in a large number of provinces. However, the group has said it is working on plans to allow girls to return to school and is opening universities this month with women attending.

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News Highlights: BJP govt left cow helpless, uses it only for politics, says Baghel
A day after Twitter removed a caricature tweeted by the Gujarat BJP unit on a court verdict sentencing 38 people to death in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts, the ruling party on Monday claimed the cartoon was based on real photographs and did not target any particular religion or community.

But, the opposition Congress and some social activists hailed Twitter's decision to remove the cartoon, and claimed the BJP was trying to gain political mileage out of the court's judgement.

The cartoon depicted a group of bearded men wearing skull caps hanging by a noose. It had a tricolour and a drawing depicting the scene of a bomb blast in the background, with "Satyamev Jayate" written on its top right corner.

Read more: Twitter takes down Gujarat BJP's tweet on Ahmedabad serial bomb blast verdict

It was posted on the Gujarat BJP's official Twitter handle on Saturday, a day after a special court here sentenced to death 38 convicts and handed life terms to 11 others in the case of 2008 serial bomb blasts in which 56 people had lost their lives and over 200 were injured.

The caricature is not available on either the Instagram or Facebook social media pages of the state BJP unit.

"The sketch was based on real photographs of the convicts published by newspapers a day after the verdict. The Gujarat BJP or its social media team had no intention to target any particular religion or community through the sketch," state party unit spokesperson Dr Rutvij Patel said.

He said when (terrorist) Osama Bin Laden was killed by American soldiers, his sketch was also published in the US. "Our sketch was just an artistic expression shared on social media, nothing else," Patel said.

Gujarat BJP's media coordinator Yagnesh Dave on Sunday said Twitter removed the caricature after "someone had reported against it". Meanwhile, state Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi welcomed Twitter's action.

"We firmly believe that terrorism has no religion. The Congress had lost two if its leaders - Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi - fighting terrorism. The verdicts of courts must not be seen through a political prism," he said.

"But, the BJP tried to take political advantage out of this (2008 Ahmedabad blasts case) judgement. This is BJP's old tactic to remain in power. Instead of indulging in such dramas, the BJP should focus on issues concerning the common man," the Congress leader said. Social activist Mujahid Nafees, who also runs an NGO for the minority community's welfare, claimed the BJP always targets the country's minorities, mainly Muslims and Christians, for political gains.

"The BJP had published the cartoon with the sole purpose of reigniting polarisation in Uttar Pradesh, where elections are underway. This is an attempt to communalise the issue of terrorism. The BJP believes in divide and rule," he alleged.

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India on Monday received its third Covid-19 vaccine against children with the drug regulator approving Biological Es Corbevax for emergency use in the 12-18 years age group.

The approval from the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation comes nearly two months after the protein sub-unit vaccine received emergency use authorisation for adults on December 28.

The CDSCO has granted emergency use authorisation to Covid-19 vaccine Corbevax for the 12-18 year age group. This will further strengthen our fight against Covid-19, tweeted Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

Also Read | Covaxin to be evaluated as Covid-19 vaccine candidate in US as USFDA lifts clinical hold

The approval for adolescents was based on interim results of the ongoing phase II/III clinical study, the Hyderabad-based company said in a statement.

Developed in partnership with Texas Childrens Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Corbevax is more than 90 per cent effective against Wuhan strain and more than 80 per cent efficacious to prevent symptomatic infections. The vaccine also generated 50 per cent fewer adverse effects when compared against Covishield, the Texas Childrens Hospital said in a statement.

The vaccine candidate received generous funding support from the Union government with the Health Ministry and Department of Biotechnology providing financial assistance and technical support to the company on vaccine development.

The approval comes after the Subject Expert Committee on Covid-19 of the CDSCO on February 14 recommended granting restricted EUA to Corbevax for the 12 to 18 years age group after deliberating on Biological E's application.

Currently, Bharat Biotechs Covaxin and Zydus Cadilas ZyCov-D are the two other vaccines approved for use in adolescents and children up to 12 years of age. But the government used only Covaxin in its programme to inoculate more than seven crores of 15-18-year-old kids.

Corbevax is administered through the intramuscular route with two doses scheduled 28 days apart and is stored at two to eight degrees Celsius temperatures and presented as 0.5 ml (single dose) and 5 ml (10 doses) vial pack.

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Unionized parcel delivery workers hold a large rally in Seoul, Feb. 21, demanding CJ Logistics, Korea's largest logistics firm, agrees to hold talks with striking workers seeking better working conditions. Yonhap





Thousands of unionized parcel delivery workers held a rally in Seoul, Monday, demanding CJ Logistics, Korea's largest logistics firm, agree to hold talks with striking workers seeking better working conditions.







According to the courier union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the more militant of the country's two major umbrella unions, around 2,000 workers held the demonstration against CJ Logistics in front of Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul.







Unionized CJ Logistics workers have been on a strike since late December, arguing the company has pocketed most of the profits from hikes in recent delivery charges while neglecting its responsibility to prevent unnecessary overwork, part of a deal between the government and the logistics industry reached last year.







In support of the striking workers, members of the KCTU courier union broke into and occupied CJ's headquarters office Feb. 10, and have since been staging a sit-in protest.







The company claims that workers occupying the building have violated COVID-19 rules, and has sued the union on charges of property damage and obstruction of business.







The union has designated Monday as a tentative deadline for CJ Logistics to agree to talks.







Jin Kyung-ho, head of the KCTU courier union, said at the rally that some 200 union members occupying the CJ Logistics building will end the sit-in protest, except for in the lobby, "in order to offer another opportunity for dialogue," but also threatened to launch a "larger sit-down strike" if CJ Logistics makes a "wrong judgment."







Jin also said he will begin an extreme hunger strike, foregoing even water and salt consumption.







Despite the recent surge in new virus cases, protesters got around the antivirus rules, which only allow for a rally of up to 299 people, by having an official campaign vehicle of Kim Jae-yeon, presidential candidate of the far-left Progressive Party, on the scene as campaign events are exempt from COVID-19 restrictions.







Unionized workers at other companies, including Lotte Global Logistics Co. and Hanjin Transportation Co., also launched a one-day walkout in a warning against CJ Logistics and in solidarity with striking workers. The union will also consider holding an industry-wide walkout unless CJ Logistics concedes to negotiations with its workers. (Yonhap)






Citing their own research on sharply declining women participation in the workforce, specially post-Covid, industry leaders Monday sought policy regulations to check their decline at a post Budget outreach programme with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team of secretaries.

Curious to know the reason herself, the finance minister asked the industry honchos to come up with their response on what is causing this decline.

"I am really curious to know at least in the formal sector, what is your understanding of decline," was the quick response of the finance minister when R. Mukundan, Managing Director of Tata Chemicals urged that the government should also a "third angle" of diversity while framing the policies, which gives emphasis on digital and sustainability.

Mukundan, who is also the National President of the Employees Federation of India, said research headed by him at CII's committee on labour and industrial relations found a perceptible shrinkage of women in the workforce, particularly in the last two years.

To the finance minister's query, he said maybe when companies started laying off post-Covid, women became the worst victim and added that when jobs had become the key issue in the post-pandemic era, some sort of the government's guideline could help companies move forward.

Industry honchos felt that regulations have helped increase women's participation at the Board level but within the corporate sector, it is still lacking.

CEO and MD of Tata Steel, T V Narendran said that some state governments do not allow women to work on three shifts and that prohibits them from entering the shop floor.

Punit Chhatwal, MD and CEO of Indian Hotels Company Limited came up with some of the best practices in Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavian countries where women are employed at the Board and rest of the ladder is taken care of by them.

To this, however, Sitharaman disagreed saying she herself has called up many women inviting them to represent the Boards of government companies but she found that they were not very forthcoming.

A considerable amount of time was devoted to the issue of women in the post-Budget interaction with industry in Mumbai. Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj said women have outnumbered men at his CBDT Board and he is quite happy with their work.

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Indian scientists on Monday announced launching an ambitious project to develop a pan-coronavirus vaccine that would give protection not only against known infections like MERS, SARS and Covid-19 but also from any other coronavirus infections that may emerge in the future.

With funding support of $12.5 million (over Rs 93 crore) from a global agency, scientists from Translational Health, Science and Technology Institution, Faridabad and Panacea Biotech will work together to come out with such a vaccine.

The aim would be to develop a broadly protective beta-coronavirus vaccine effective against multiple types of coronaviruses including MERS, SARS and Covid-19, Syed Khalid Ali, project leader at Panacea Biotech said at a press conference.

"We have a vaccine candidate and preliminary data from laboratory studies. The candidate is immunogenic. The final vaccine will be an injectable one. We plan to conduct the phase-I/II trial in the next 15-18 months, Ali told DH.

Read | Corbevax vaccine approved for emergency use on kids

The funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will support the development of nanoparticle-based vaccine candidates and advance the manufacturing process. While THSTI has developed the antigen, Panacea would work on the process development and scaling up the production.

The CEPI grant is one of the largest funding support in India for an early stage Covid-19 vaccine development effort. In comparison, the Department of Biotechnology pledged Rs 900 crore for Covid-19 vaccine development, but disbursed just about Rs 115 crore till January, of which the biggest chunk of Rs 40 crore grant went to Cadila.

Over the past two years, coronaviruses have demonstrated their pandemic potential with devastating effect. SARS-CoV-2 will not be the last coronavirus to infect humans, and theres nothing to stop the next one being even more deadly or contagious. Its vital for global health security that we invest now in research to develop vaccines that are broadly protective against variants of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses before they emerge, said Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI.

There are nine known coronaviruses that infect humans and two new coronaviruses have been discovered since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Indian funding is a part of CEPI's, $200 million programme, launched in March 2021, to advance the development of vaccines that provide broad protection against SARS-Cov-2 variants and other beta-coronaviruses.

THSTI and Panacea Biotec are using a novel technology platform with highly immunogenic antigens. Data from preclinical studies indicate that the vaccine platform induces all types of immune responses seen in the body.

If the platform is proven to be successful, it could potentially be used to enable rapid development of vaccines against Disease X  unknown pathogens with pandemic potential that have yet to emerge.

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Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday attacked the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, saying those who call cow mother have rendered it helpless.

The Congress leader said this addressing a public meeting and claimed that every village in his state has a cowshed while in UP the government uses the animal only for politics.

Baghel also accused the BJP of dragging religion into politics.

For them, religion is in danger when elections approach, Baghel said.

The chief minister said his government buys cow dung at Rs 2 per kg.

The Congress will implement this system in Uttar Pradesh if voted to power in the Assembly polls, he said, adding that gaushalas will be built in every village of the state.

Terming the BJP anti-farmer, Baghel alleged that a son of the BJP's Union minister drove a car over farmers, apparently referring to the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

When Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wanted to go there to share the pain of farmers, she was arrested, he said.

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A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court by the family members of farmers, mowed down by a car in Lakhimpur Kheri, challenging the bail granted to Ashish Mishra, the prime accused and son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni in the murder case.

A special leave petition filed on behalf of the victims by advocate Prashant Bhushan contended that the High Court's February 10 order was "perverse" and "unsustainable in eyes of law" as there has been no meaningful and effective assistance by the state to the court in the matter.

"Even the victims were prevented from bringing the relevant material to notice of High Court as their counsel got disconnected from the hearing on January 18, 2022 and repeated calls to the court staff to get reconnected were to no avail and the application filed by them for effective hearings was rejected," it claimed.

Also Read  Ashish Mishra's bail in Lakhimpur violence case challenged in Supreme Court

The petitioners led by Jagjeet Singh said, in their plea, said that they approached the top court as the State of Uttar Pradesh where the political party of the accused and his father is in power has failed to file an appeal against the order.

They contended that the High Court made "improper and arbitrary exercise of the discretion" in the grant of bail.

The High Court failed to consider the heinous nature of the crime; the character of the overwhelming evidence; position and status of the accused with reference to the victim and witnesses; the likelihood of him fleeing from justice and repeating the offence; and the possibility of him tampering with the witnesses and obstructing the course of justice, their plea said.

Also Read  Will put Lakhimpur Kheri accused back in jail: Akhilesh

Mishra was arrested on October 9 last year in a case related to the October 3 incident. As many as eight people, including four farmers, were killed, when a car allegedly ferrying the union minister's son ran over a group of protesters, gathered to oppose a programme attended by Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in Lakhimpur Kheri. The farmers were then demanding a repeal of three controversial farm laws.

Earlier, last week, an application for cancelling Mishra's bail was filed by advocates C S Panda and Shiv Kumar Tripathi, who had approached the top court last year, leading to the setting up of the SIT led by Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, retired judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

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The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre and states on a PIL for taking steps to sensitise people about the performance of fundamental duties enshrined under the Constitution.

A bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh sought a response from the Union government and states as petitioner, advocate Durga Dutt, led by senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, contended that "everybody is clamouring for rights, nobody cares about duties enjoined under the Part IV A of the Constitution."

"Let's have stand of the Union government. There is no provision in the Constitution which says Part IV A of the Constitution is not enforceable," Kumar said.

The counsel pointed out Part IV A was added to the Constitution in 1977 as the duties flowed from the fundamental rights.

The plea said former Chief Justice of India Ranganath Mishra in 1998 wrote a letter to the SC which was converted into a letter petition by which the top court had in 2003, directed the central government to consider and take appropriate steps expeditiously for the implementation of the recommendations of the report of the National Commission to review the working of the Constitution. The report had accepted suggestions by the Justice JS Verma Committee on the operationalisation of fundamental duties of citizens and their early implementation.

Also Read  Delhi riots: HC says right to protest, dissent occupies fundamental stature, grants bail to 5

The committee recommended the Union and state governments to sensitise the people and create general awareness among citizens regarding fundamental duties and achievement of their desired enforceability by not only legal sanctions but also social sanctions and creations of role models.

"However, despite the said recommendations and directions of this court, the required proper sensitisation, full operationalisation and enforceability of fundamental duties, is mainly diffused and remains an elusive goal," it said.

The plea also cited recent statements from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, former CJIs Ranjan Gogoi and S A Bobde highlighting the importance of fundamental duties for citizens.

The petitioner contended that the need to enforce fundamental duty arises due to new "illegal trend of protests" in the garb of freedom of speech and expression, by way of blocking of roads and rail routes, and damaging of public properties in order to compel the government to meet their demands.

"The fundamental duties are intended to serve as a constant reminder to every citizen that while the Constitution conferred on them certain fundamental rights specifically, it also requires citizens to observe certain basic norms of democratic conduct and democratic behaviour because rights and duties are co-relative," the plea said.



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Former AIADMK minister D Jayakumar was on Monday night arrested by Tamil Nadu police for allegedly assaulting a DMK cadre and parading him on the streets during the election to urban local bodies on Saturday.

Jayakumar, who was Fisheries Minister in the Edappadi K Palaniswami cabinet, was picked up by the Royapuram police from his residence based on a complaint filed by the DMK.

The complaint alleged that Jayakumar and his supporters attacked Naresh, a DMK cadre, tore his shirt and paraded him for trying to cast a bogus vote. A video of Jayakumar and his supporters parading him has gone viral on social media.

The arrest came hours after Chief Minister M K Stalin said the law will take its own course against Jayakumar. Former CM and AIADMK joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the arrest wondering why the DMK was punishing the man who cast a bogus vote.

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Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has the "ability to lead taking all together", a day after Rao met Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar in a bid to bring together like-minded parties against the BJP at the national level.

Talking to reporters in Nagpur, Raut also claimed that the BJP will be defeated in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls that are currently under way. After meeting Thackeray in Mumbai on Sunday, Rao said he and the Maharashtra CM agreed that change is the need of the hour.

Raut said, "K Chandrashekar Rao is a very hard-working leader. He faced a lot of struggles in his political life. He has the ability to lead taking all together."

Also Read  KCR meets Thackeray, Pawar to forge opposition unity

During their meeting on Sunday, Rao, who heads the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Shiv Sena president Thackeray discussed development issues and the country's political situation, he said. The two CMs and other political leaders will soon meet again, the Shiv Sena spokesperson said.

Asked about the BJP targeting its political opponents amid the ongoing UP elections, Raut said, "It is their habit. They make such statements when they are losing. The BJP is losing in Uttar Pradesh."

To a query on some remarks made by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil as well as his claim that Raut was trying to weaken the Shiv Sena, the Rajya Sabha member said, "He need not give us any advice, he should manage his own party which is going down every day."

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As many as 1,000 acres of land have already been acquired and the process to identify the remaining 3,000 acres is on, after which the land parcels will be bought by the government. The newly-acquired land will be added to the Land Bank  one of the high points that bring investors to the state who are spared of the long and tedious process of negotiating with the landowners.

Hosur has always been on the top of the investors list due to its climate, proximity to Bengaluru and vibrant presence of MSMEs. With several investors flocking to the city, the government feels it should have more land in its pocket to be transferred to the firms for setting up their shops. We cant make investors wait for land, a top government official told DH.

The acquisition of 4,000 acres of land is part of the state governments plan to give a fresh impetus to Hosur as it looks to decongest Chennai. Besides bringing in investments in the electric scooter sector, the industrial city is now being positioned as an electronics hub as well  besides Tata, Taiwan- based Delta Electronics functions out of here.

The 1,000-acre land that has already been acquired is located in Shoolagiri near Hosur. We are looking to acquire the remaining 3,000 acres also from the village or nearby hamlets. The process has already begun, and we will continue to acquire as much as land possible. We feel this region witnessed rapid growth in the years to come, the official added.

Hosur is already home to several industries, including Titan and TVS Motors. In the burgeoning EV sector, cab aggregator Ola, Ather, Sri Varu Motors, and Simple Energy are setting up their factories in and around Hosur, while TVS Motor Company has pledged Rs 1,200 crore for an EV manufacturing unit in the industrial town. The move to acquire more land comes close on the heels of the state government making yet another effort to build an airport in Hosur which could help attract more investments.

K Velmurugan, President of Hosur Small and Tiny Industries Association (HOSTIA), welcomed the move by the state government saying the 1,000 acres can easily attract an investment of Rs 25,000 crore leading to employment for over 1 lakh people.

Hosur is a well-matured industrial hub and is one of the most preferred destinations. When industries buy land from the government, the land title will be clear and free of any litigations. The investor gets a lot more when he buys land from the government as the industrial estates provide the right atmosphere with infrastructure, water. Moreover, the government clearances will be fast, Velmurugan told DH.

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Amid the ongoing row between the Governor and the state government over the pension for the personal staff members of the ministers, the BJP said that taxpayers in Kerala are sustaining Left's cadre.

Sharing a video of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, BJP national in-charge of information and technology department Amit Malviya said taxpayers are sustaining the Left cadre, and claimed that the Kerala government seeks to widen base so that more taxpayer funded cadre can be churned out.

"Tax payers in Kerala are sustaining Left's cadre. Governor Arif Mohammad Khan points out the flawed policy, which makes a political worker's job pensionable after serving for just 2 years! Kerala government seeks to widen base so that more tax payer funded cadres can be churned out," Malviya said.

Tax payers in Kerala are sustaining Lefts cadre. Governor Arif Mohammad Khan points out the flawed policy, which makes political workers job pensionable after serving for just 2 years! Kerala government seeks to widen base so that more tax payer funded cadre can be churned out. pic.twitter.com/VgGvcmjaUz  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 21, 2022

In Kerala, a minister is entitled to appoint 30 people as his staff members but the state restricted it to 27 members. Interestingly, the minimum pension for a personal staff member is Rs 3,550 after the 11th pay commission in the state.

Also read: Kerala government wants states to have power to remove Governors

Governor Khan, who is in an open fight with the state government and opposition, is adamant that the government give a report to him regarding pension to the staff members.

Khan has categorically stated that a staff member is posted for 2 years and after that period he resigns and another person is posted who can serve for the rest of the term of the minister, which leads to pension for both of them.

Currently in Kerala, if a personal staff member completes two years in service, he is entitled to draw a pension for life, and after his passing away his family is also eligible for the same.

The Kerala Assembly had passed a Bill on this in 1994 and ever since the state coffers have been paying pensions to the former staff members of the ministers.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday that the matter related to the hijab controversy is in court but he personally feels that a school's dress code should be followed by people of all religions.

He said ultimately it has to be decided whether the country will function on the basis of the Constitution or whims.

Shah said once the court takes a decision on the matter everyone should accept it.

Also read: Hijab: Twisting the court order

On the issue of implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Shah said there was no question of going back on it.

He, however, said the decision is linked to the Covid situation.

It is my personal belief that people of all religions should accept the school's dress code. And the issue is now in court, and the court is conducting its hearings on the matter. Whatever it decides should be followed by all, Shah said in an interview with Network18.

Ultimately, it has to be decided whether the country will function on (the basis of) the Constitution or whims. My personal belief only remains until the court makes a decision. And once the court makes a decision, then I should accept it, and everyone should accept it.

"But, I still personally believe that every student should function according to the dress code and uniform mandated by the school, he added.

Asked about the involvement of the Campus Front of India on the issue, the minister said, "These people may have their active involvement, but I'll just say that their intentions will not come to fruition."

"The people of India will accept the court's judgement once it comes."

The hijab issue in Karnataka had triggered a major controversy across the nation. The matter had its echo in the ongoing assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh too.

According to a statement from the news group, Shah said on the CAA implementation: As long as we are not free from Covid-19, this can't be a priority. We have seen three waves. Thankfully, things are getting better, the third wave is receding. The decision is linked to the Covid situation. But there is no question of going back on it. The question does not arise."

He also hit out at the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party for withdrawing cases registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) during their respective tenures in Uttar Pradesh.

The law and order issue is important. And now PM Modi has also spoken on terrorism. He spoke in Hardoi on the Ahmedabad blasts case in which 38 accused have been sentenced to death. He said these terrorists were freed from jail during the SP regime, he said,

Eleven such instances took place during the SP and BSP eras when UAPA and POTA cases were withdrawn. What do SP and BSP have to say about security in the country? They will have to answer the public, he added.

Shah expressed confidence of his party's victory in the politically significant state.

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(With agency inputs)


Support for Yoon rising, while Lee's rates stagnant in Hankook Ilbo survey



By Nam Hyun-woo





The two leading presidential candidates are still in a tight race with only 18 days left before the March 9 election. Main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol was leading the pack within the margin of error, and ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung was trailing, according to a recent poll released on Sunday.



In the survey conducted by Hankook Research at the request of Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, Yoon secured 42.4 percent of support, followed by Lee with 36.9 percent. Minor People's Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo scored 7.1 percent and another minor Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung stood at 2.3 percent.



The gap between Yoon and Lee is 5.5 percentage points, which is within the survey's margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for each candidate.



Compared to a previous Hankook Research poll conducted from Dec. 29 to 30, Yoon's support rate has increased sharply from 28.7 percent to 42.4 percent, whereas Lee's rate has barely changed from 34.3 percent to 36.9 percent. In December, the PPP was in an internal dispute between Yoon and party chairman Lee Jun-seok over election strategy, and the two reconciled in January.



Both Lee and Yoon have been implicated in various allegations.



Lee is accused of having been involved in a large-scale real estate development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and his wife came under fire for allegedly having used a government credit card for personal use while he was governor of Gyeonggi Province. Meanwhile, the DPK alleged that Yoon and his wife consult with a shaman.



The support rate for Ahn has declined from 9.0 percent to 7.1 percent, and Sim's also dropped from 4.5 percent to 2.3 percent. At the same time, the rate of respondents who said they don't support any candidate has declined from 14.9 percent to 5.8 percent, showing that voters are increasingly choosing one of the two leading candidates as the election nears.









To the question of how they define the upcoming election, 49.1 percent of respondents said people should root for an opposition candidate for a change in government, while 40.5 percent said the opposite.





A citizen walks past the posters of candidates running for the March 9 presidential election in Jongno District, Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon
The Bombay High Court on Monday directed BJP's media cell head for Maharashtra, Vishwas Pathak, to deposit Rs 2 lakh as security to prove his "bonafide" before the court decides to hear the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by him against state energy minister Nitin Raut for allegedly using chartered flights during the pandemic lockdown.

In his plea filed last April, Pathak had sought a direction to the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) and three other state power utilities to recover amounts allegedly spent illegally on the chartered flights for cabinet minister Nitin Raut.

On Monday, Raut's advocates told the HC that Pathak's petition was not maintainable. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik then directed Pathak to deposit Rs 2 lakh as security to prove his bonafide.

If the sum is deposited within a period of ten days, then the petition shall be listed for hearing two weeks thereafter. If the deposit is not made then the petition stands dismissed, the bench said.

In his PIL, Pathak had said that another person had obtained information under the Right to Information (RTI) from power generation and distribution companies, based on which he alleged that during the Covid-19 lockdown period, the concerned minister had used chartered flights on numerous occasions for 'administrative work' and had made the power companies pay the bills.

The PIL alleged that Raut used chartered flights for several trips between Mumbai, Nagpur, Hyderabad and Delhi, for which the debt-ridden power companies were made to pay over Rs 40 lakh during the lockdown.

The plea also said that the RTI queries made to MSEB revealed that the minister had used chartered flights at the cost of Rs 14.45 lakh for two trips to Nagpur in June and July 2020, for 'important administrative work'.

While most of the country's highest officials were performing their duties from remote and virtual setups, Raut flouted the existing norms on multiple occasions and took the liberty to travel around the country during the lockdown period for personal reasons under the pretext of administrative work," the PIL alleged.

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Soon after the hijab controversy rocked Karnataka, some Mumbai journalists received on WhatsApp excerpts from a local college's prospectus which had a rule forbidding the wearing of hijab, burqa or ghunghat. Expectedly, this became hot news. But it fizzled out when reporters found out that no girl wearing a hijab was stopped from entering the college. The principal explained that 50 per cent of the students were Muslim, and the rule had been introduced to prevent students from being harassed by boys who would wear a burqa to gain admission inside the campus. The college insisted that the face be visible, she said.

While the incident highlighted the dangers of hunting out "causes" without checking the ground reality, one wonders what would have happened if the rule had indeed existed. Would the college have been forced to change it? By whom?

Consider these varying statements made by different members of the Maharashtra government on the hijab row. In an unequivocal statement against "politics and religion entering educational institutions", Aaditya Thackeray said uniforms must be "followed and adjusted to". The 31-year-old is the state's environment minister, but also CM Uddhav Thackeray's son.

Also read: Karnataka English lecturer quits job over alleged bar on her hijab

The day after the junior Thackeray's statement, state home minister Dilip Walse Patil of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) too stressed the importance of following uniforms in educational institutions. Appealing to religious leaders not to make provocative speeches, he urged political parties not to stage protests on a controversy that had its roots in another state, not to create a communal divide and "burden the police".

The home minister was probably referring to his own party, which had been holding demonstrations against the Karnataka government's hijab ban, their slogans targeting the BJP. In Pune, where Hindutvavadis have flourished for generations, the NCP's demonstration was countered by a Hindu Mahasangh rally with women wearing saffron scarves, who declared that if parents insisted on hijab, they too would send their children to school in saffron.

As if oblivious to the utterances of those in government, the very next day, the Jamiat Ulema, the country's largest and most influential group of Sunni Muslim clergy, held a massive rally of burqa-clad women in the Muslim-dominated powerloom city of Malegaon to observe "Hijab Day". And two days later, state education minister Varsha Gaekwad, who belongs to the Congress, made it clear that as long as the uniform was not being "violated", students could not be stopped from wearing whatever was part of their religious beliefs.

As it is, Maharashtra's police have always followed double standards when it comes to dealing with protests, depending on whether the protesters are Hindu or Muslim. With contradictory voices emanating from their political masters, could they be blamed for dealing with the different groups of demonstrators differently? The NCP rally was, of course, not touched, but then, nor was the Hindu Mahasangh's. A few of the organisers of the Malegaon rally were booked after it was over, including the popular Mufti Ismail, who, apart from being part of the Jamiat, is also an AIMIM MLA.

Indeed, the only group the police dealt with swiftly was the AIMIM, making them take down their "pehle hijab, phir kitaab" (hijab first, then education) hoardings, thwarting their demonstrations and even detaining the voluble Waris Pathan, their national spokesperson and former MLA.

So to come back to the original question: how would a Karnataka-style hijab row be handled in Maharashtra? A clue lies in the solution found to one such dispute that did break out in December in Bhiwandi, a powerloom township outside Mumbai. Two hijab-wearing teachers first went to the police and then, accompanied by politicians, met the education minister, complaining of suddenly having been told to discard the hijab in class. But within days, they were posing for photographs with their principal against whom they had complained. Significantly, the police took credit for removing what all three players described as a "misunderstanding".

It is in such situations that the uniqueness of Maharashtra's ruling coalition can be appreciated. Between them, the parties that make up the MVA government: the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress; and the Samajwadi Party that supports the government from outside, cater to the broadest spectrum of Hindus and Muslims, including the most conservative and the most liberal among both communities.

Solutions then are not hard to arrive at, as long as these are sought through negotiations, without "ideology" coming into play. With the AIMIM and the BJP being the outliers, ideology remains at a safe distance. A lack of ideology isn't always a bad thing for a government.

(The author is a journalist)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.

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By Pankaj Mishra,

Recent weeks have confirmed that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses a dire risk to the moral health of UK society. His canard, borrowed from far-right conspiracists, that Labour Party leader Keir Starmer failed in his previous role as prosecutor to put a notorious pedophile behind bars prompted a mob to assault Starmer in the street. Londons Metropolitan Police are now investigating death threats against him.

Commentators are aghast that Tory members of parliament have not replaced Johnson with a leader less inclined to incite violence. Even former Conservative Prime Minister John Major recently complained that the partys reputation is being shredded as Johnson forces his colleagues to defend the indefensible and asks the public to believe the unbelievable.

Together with Republicans in the United States and members of Indias Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, Britains Tories are indeed travelling to a very dark place. Yet its not enough to blame these once-respectable right-wing parties for going rogue. The truth is that their decision to stand behind leaders such as Johnson, former US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflect a sinister shift in public sentiment.

Also Read | PM's speech in Parliament: The art of blame game

Arguably, a sizeable share of the electorates in the UK, US and India no longer minds, and indeed enjoys, the flagrant violation of political and ethical norms by their leaders.

Certainly, those voters ignored too many abysmal facts when electing such men in the first place. Modi was trailed on his way to high political office by accusations that he condoned a massacre of Muslims under his watch in 2002. Trump and Johnson had made careers out of broadcasting falsehoods about a range of issues, from former US President Barack Obamas birthplace to the European Union. Indeed, Johnson was fired from his job at the Times of London for dishonesty.

Nor do their supporters show any signs of abandoning these leaders because theyve registered mixed records in office. Brexit, achieved through a mendacious campaign, has brought no tangible benefits to the United Kingdom. The Indian economy was foundering even before Modis mismanagement of the pandemic made it worse. The damage inflicted by Trumps presidency on US institutions is too well-known to be recounted.

Much political discourse relies upon the expectation that politicians will be rewarded or punished for how effectively they advance the interests of those who vote for them. What the persistence of Johnson, Trump and Modi confirms once again is that passions have become far more politically consequential than interests.

The most potent of these passions is fear. Mostly groundless but deftly manipulated, the fear of replacement by darker-skinned populations, of being outbred by Muslims, of being left behind by immigrants stealing jobs and of being emasculated by women has come to determine many peoples choice of political party.

These voters like their political representatives more if they offer a wide range of contemporary figures to loathe. Among the most satisfactory targets are upstart minorities and arrogant metropolitan elites who have profaned cherished national icons with their radical iconoclasm.

The key to the resilience of Johnson and his peers lies in their mastery of this highly emotive, wholly irrational but fruitful political discourse. Their aggressive campaigns  against minorities and leftists and liberals, or such bogeys as Critical Race Theory  have reshaped how we understand and conduct political life.

This trend is not irreversible. Destructive passions fade over time, after all, and faster if there are viable visions of material improvement on offer in politics. But those critics of demagogues who seek to deploy prevailing sentiments to their short-term ends are making the situation worse.

In Britain, Starmer has taken to emphasizing his anti-woke and pro-Brexit credentials in order to woo hardline Tory voters to his party. He would grow his political capital a lot more quickly if he promised to reverse what is increasingly the most unpopular aspect of Brexit: the exit, enforced by Johnson, from the European single market, which has led to high import costs, export barriers, shortages of food and rising energy costs.

Likewise, Indias opposition Congress party could stop presenting itself as the civilized face of Hinduism and focus on Modis numerous fiascos as an administrator. The Democrats ought to cease mimicking the Republican obsession with wokeness and make faster progress to reverse Trump-era policies against immigration that, together with the pandemic, have helped slow down the US economy.

Economic interests may not be as viscerally appealing as the satisfactions of hating something or other. But a political life determined largely by passions stoked by demagogues will not only keep Johnson, Modi and Trump strong; it will consume what remains of democracy in its three former strongholds.

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In summer, Massachusetts's coastal destinations like Salem, Cape Ann, Gloucester and Rockport come alive when large crowds of tourists swing by to enjoy the great outdoors, wildlife and local seafood delicacies.

These neighbourhoods of New England, only 40 miles from Boston, also have a rich history of driving early trade between the newly formed republic and the overseas port cities. In the late 18th century, Salem was home to the East India Marine Society and its vessels regularly voyaged to Indian ports.

Annisquam, a quiet village overlooking a finger-shaped bay called Lobster Cove in Gloucester, attracts a small number of curious visitors to its village church originally established in 1728 as a Universalist Church. They are drawn to Swami Vivekananda's early sojourn in New England and the role played by this church.

On one Sunday morning, I waited for Annisquam Village Church's Sunday service to be over to have a glimpse of the sacred pulpit where Swami Vivekananda delivered his first public lecture titled The manners and customs of India on August 27, 1893, on an invitation from Prof. John Henry Wright of Harvard University. Based on the church's estimate, probably up to 200 guests were accommodated for the talk. This was before his famous Chicago lecture in the World Parliament of Religions on September 11, 1893.

In 1893, while the Gloucester Daily Times and The Cape Ann Breeze briefly reported Swami Vivekananda's public lecture, a letter of novelist Mary Tappan Wright to her mother provides greater details of Swamiji's arrival at the church, activities in Miss Lane's boarding house on Arlington Street where distinguished guests from Boston and elsewhere stayed to attend Swami Vivekananda's lecture.

Pastor Rev. Sue Koehler-Arsenault was kind enough to give me a tour of the church. Outside the church's main prayer hall, a plaque was installed on July 28, 2013, to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. This beautiful church pulpit once had a wooden lectern that was used by Swamiji and is now stored in the basement of the church. Thanks to Rev. Sue for turning the lights on for me and explaining the importance of this heritage wooden lectern.

Before Swami Vivekananda's visit, Sanskrit texts did reach the coast of New England. Intellectuals like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, who pioneered the transcendental movement in America, studied Bhagavad Gita and other Hindu scriptures since the 1820s. Yale University got its first Sanskrit chair in 1841 followed by the inclusion of Sanskrit in the curricula of several east coast universities by early 1880.

Now Vedanta Societies of Providence, Rhode Island regularly hold interfaith services in Annisquam Village Church.

I spent the remaining of the day exploring other important places in Gloucester where Swamiji stayed and delivered lectures on his second visit in 1894. The trip set me thinking about how a 30-year-old Hindu monk influenced New England intellectuals and changed the course of interfaith dialogue between India and the West.

Jaydeep Sarkar is a New York-based writer with a deep interest in Asian art, architecture and cultures of maritime and land Silk Roads.

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Home Minister Aaraga Jnanendra on Monday stated that police have found evidence related to the murder of Bajrang Dal worker Harsha (24).

Speaking to mediapersons, he said he interacted with family members of the youth and they have sought justice for Harsha's death. Four to five members are behind the murder of the incident. They will be nabbed soon, he said.

When asked about Harsha's background, he said he was an RSS worker and was active in many campaigns. However, police claimed that he was part of the Bajrang Dal.

The minister said he had already held a meeting with police officers. "We would convey a strong message that people with evil mindset can't escape from punishment under any circumstance.

He also appealed to the people of Shivamogga to join hands with police in maintaining law and order. People have become emotional as he was a member of a Hindu outfit. But they must not take law into their own hands as killers would be arrested, he warned.

Harsha was brutally murdered by four-member gang belonging to a minority community on Sunday night.

As a precautionary measure, a holiday was declared for schools and colleges in the city limits on February 21.

The gang came to at Seegahatti near Kamath Petrol bunk in the city in a car on Sunday night and killed him with lethal weapons. Police suspected that old enmity was the reason for the murder.

Police security has been beefed up in communally sensitive areas.

Prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC have been enforced in Shivamogga city till 9 pm on February 23. Agitations, processions, public programmes and the assembly of five or more people have been banned.

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Tension gripped Shivamogga after Bajrang Dal activist Harsha was brutally murdered by a four-member gang belonging to a minority community on Sunday night.

As a precautionary measure, Deputy Commissioner R Selvamani declared holiday for schools and colleges in the city limits on February 21.

Also Read | Youth's murder: Security heightened in Shivamogga

The gang came in a car at Bharathi colony near Kamath Petrol bunk on Sunday night and killed him with lethal weapons. Police suspected that an old enmity was the reason for the murder. Security has accordingly been beefed up in communally sensitive areas.

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Communal tension gripped Shivamogga on Monday, after three persons were injured when miscreants pelted stones at a funeral procession in which the body of Harsha (28), a Bajrang Dal worker, who was murdered by a gang of four members in the city on Sunday, was being carried under tight police security. At least 20 vehicles were also damaged and a few set afire, the police said.

A photojournalist suffered head injuries, while a woman, a cop and a man were also injured in the stone-pelting

The procession, from District McGann Hospital after a post-mortem examination to Rotary cemetery at Vidyanagar, was disrupted when miscreants hurled stones near NT road.

Also Read  Cops have clues on who killed Shivamogga youth, they will be nabbed soon, says Bommai

However, the police brought the situation under control and ensured that the procession would move on smoothly. Azadnagar, Vidyanagar, Clarkpet and Seegehatti were the most affected areas as communal tension gripped the city.

Commercial establishments remained shut on the procession route to avoid untoward incidents. Miscreants also set tyres afire at Vidyanagar.

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A group of men murdered a right-wing activist at Seegehatti in Shivamogga on Sunday night. The deceased has been identified as Harsha (28).

Harsha was a tailor by profession and according to his family members, he was getting threat calls.

Police confirmed that Harsha was also facing two cases. He was accused of sharing provocative posts on social media. They suspected that it could be the reason behind the killing.

Police have claimed that Harsha, resident of Seegehatti in Shivamogga city, was an active cow vigilante. He told his mother that he was going out to have dinner with friends on Sunday night. The gang which came in a car reportedly killed him near Kamath Petrol bunk on Bharathi colony road and fled the spot. Police registered a case.

Several organisations staged a protest in front of the mortuary at McGann Hospital in Shivamogga, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the murder.

Security has been tightened in the city following the murder. Additional police forces have been summoned to Shivamogga on Sunday night itself.

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App-based cab aggregators Ola and Uber as well as bike taxi aggregator Rapido will continue to operate without licence in Karnataka in the days to come till the state government succeeds in convincing the high court to lift the stay.

At a meeting chaired by Transport Minister B Sriramulu, the department conveyed to the association of taxi and auto rickshaw drivers that it cannot take action against any of the aggregators at the moment.

While all the associations are united in their opposition to the bike taxis, different sections have different complaints about Ola and Uber. Drivers who earn their living by getting passengers through the apps complain of poor earnings which violate the transport departments guideline fixing the charges per kilometre. Those who run conventional taxis (city taxis) oppose the aggregators for their predatory pricing.

Transport Commissioner N Shivakumar confirmed to DH that the department was not initiating action against the aggregators, which have challenged the Karnataka On Demand Transport Technology, Aggregators Rules 2016 in the Karnataka High Court. The high court has directed us to hold meetings with the companies and resolve the issues. The companies have submitted applications for renewing the licence. We have held one round of meetings in this regard. We hope to resolve the issue soon, he said.

Hamid Akbar Ali of the Airport Taxi Owners Association said their demand has remained consistent. It is unfortunate that the punishment for unlicensed operations is applicable only to individual drivers and not to the corporate companies. However, what we are asking is uniform fare and an end to the predatory pricing practised by Ola and Uber. The minister assured us that he will speak to the legal advisers and get the stay vacated in the court, he said.

Tanveer Pasha of the Ola, Taxi for Sure and Uber Owners and Drivers Association said the minister promised to look into the possibility of building an alternative to Ola and Uber apps. We have cited GoaMiles, Goas homegrown app, and the minister said he will see the possibility of incorporating such a model, he said.

However, Radhakrishna Holla of the Karnataka State Travel Owners Association said the governments failure to enforce the laws was the reason for illegal taxi operations. In a representation to Sriramulu, he also cited the rules of the department as well as specific guidelines by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways which are not followed by Rapido. We welcome them if they stick to the rules, he said.

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The students of government and aided schools in seven North Karnataka districts may continue to get boiled eggs as part of the midday meals in the next academic year also.

An order issued by the government earlier states that the scheme will be in force till March 30, 2022. However, sources told DH that discussions were on to extend the benefit for the next academic year also.

We are waiting for the study report on health benefits among kids post-consumption of boiled eggs. The Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University has been asked to conduct a study and submit a report said a senior official from the department.

An official said that the fund crunch was the only worrying factor for extending the programme. This year, the Centre provided Rs 23 crore and the state government chipped in Rs 15 crore. The state will have to bear the cost of the programme is extended.

Meanwhile, the department is also planning to expand the scheme to some more districts. As per the proposal submitted to the government, it has been sought to bring Gadag, Chamarajanagar, Bagalkot and Haveri districts under the scheme.

The state government began providing boiled eggs and bananas with midday meals at schools following a rise in the number of malnourished and anaemic children in north Karnataka. The scheme was launched on December 1, 2021. Children are provided 12 eggs per month and the cost per egg is Rs 6.

Currently, Bidar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Koppal, Ballari and Vijayapura districts have been covered under the scheme and children studying in Classes 1 to 8 are getting the benefit. However, for the students who refuse to eat eggs, the schools are providing bananas. As many as 14.44 lakh students are getting the benefit.

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Presidential candidates pose for a photo before their TV debate at MBC in Seoul, Monday. From left are Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People's Party, Sim Sang-jung of the minor opposition Justice Party and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party. Joint Press corps



By Kang Seung-woo



The two leading presidential candidates, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), did not mince words during the first of three TV debates hosted by the National Election Commission (NEC), Monday, taking swipes at each other's policies and pressing the opponent for answers to corruption scandals.



Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party and Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party also participated in the debate.



Two more debates are scheduled for Friday and March 2, while the war of words is expected to intensify as the March 9 election date approaches.



Citing a recently unveiled deposition regarding a large real estate development project in the Daejang-dong area of Seongnam south of Seoul, Lee attacked Yoon, saying two suspects involved in the venture mentioned Yoon in their conversations. One of them even hinted that he had information that could wreak havoc on the PPP candidate. But Yoon flatly denied the allegation, saying he never met any of them.



Lee has been accused of handing out business favors to Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, a key investor in the development project, while serving as mayor of Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province from 2010 to 2018.



Yoon shot back, saying the suspects mentioned in the deposition were closer to Lee and that the document also referred to the land development scandal as "Lee Jae-myung gate."



They also clashed over the government's measures to combat COVID-19.



Yoon said Lee had acknowledged the Moon Jae-in administration's failure to effectively deal with the coronavirus pandemic, citing his remarks that the government's handling of COVID-19 infections will change completely should he be elected.



"Lee's remarks sound like he is representing an opposition party," Yoon said.



In response, Lee took a jab at Yoon, who has frequently found himself in hot water for failing to wear a mask during his public appearances.



"It is not right that one of the most uncooperative people is disparaging the government's quarantine measures," Lee said.



They also traded barbs over the passage of an extra budget bill to help the country ride out the pandemic.



"When there is a fire, you need to put it out quickly, rather than complaining about the size of the bucket," Lee criticized Yoon and the PPP for delaying approval of the bill.



But Yoon criticized the DPK for ramming the bill through a parliamentary committee.



"We told the DPK to persuade the government and send an extra budget of 50 trillion won, since it is the ruling party, but the government just came up with 14 trillion won," he said.



The two candidates also presented contrasting economic policy targets. Lee said he will focus on stimulating economic growth by addressing inequality, while Yoon pledged to foster a digital, data-based economy.



Korea's election law requires candidates to have at least three TV debates hosted by the 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 start of official campaigning.


Karnataka BJP Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, KS Eshwarappa on Monday, said the murder of a Hindu activist in Shivamogga district was an act of goons belonging to a particular community and the statements by the Congress have encouraged the attacks.

"We will not allow this 'goondagiri' in the state," he said.

Miscreants hacked Harsha, a 28-year-old Bajrang Dal activist, to death on Sunday night in Shivamogga. Prohibitory orders have been clamped for two days in the district following incidents of stone-pelting and burning of vehicles. The city has been turned into a police fortress and the police department is on high alert throughout the state.

Eshwarappa said: "... goondas can't have such courage. I have spoken to Home Minister Araga Jnanedra on the issue. These goondas are encouraged by Congress state President DK Shivakumar's statement on the hijab row alleging that 60 lakh saffron shawls have been sponsored by the BJP leaders and his statement on removing the national flag and hoisting of saffron flag."

Also Read  Stones hurled at funeral procession of Bajrang Dal worker, vehicles set afire

"The responsibility of the family of the murdered youth is the responsibility of the organisation. The youth was a good man and an honest person. I am travelling to Shivamogga to meet his family."

BK Hariprasad, the leader of the Opposition in the legislative council, condemned Eshwarappa's statement. "His statement will spoil the peace in the society," he said.

DK Shivakumar stated that proper investigation has to be conducted on the murder and culprits, whoever it may be, should not escape the law. "They should not be protected," he said.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said that there are four to five persons behind the murder. "In this case, a clear cut message would be given to miscreants who think that they can get away after indulging in such an act. A befitting answer would be given to such an attitude," he said.

Priyank Kharge, a former minister dubbed it as the failure of the chief minister and home minister. "What was intelligence doing all these days? Hijab row is raging in Shivamogga, flag row also took place here, what is intelligence doing?" he questioned.

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The CEN (Cyber Economics and Narcotic Crimes) police have booked a case against unknown persons for allegedly uploading provocative posts on social media defending the alleged murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha in Shivamogga.

The police have booked a case against Facebook page 'Mangalore Muslims', one Mohammed Shafiq and other Facebook users based on a complaint filed by the social media monitoring cell of the city police, said City Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar.

According to FIR, the suspects have defended the murder of Harsha and stated that it was carried out as he had allegedly abused Prophet Mohammed in 2015. The post further said that none who abuse the Prophet will be spared. The FIR further said that the 'Mangalore Muslims' page is found repeatedly posting provocative posts to spread hate among the communities.

Also read: Three held in connection with murder of right-wing activist in Shivamogga, says Home Minister Jnanendra

Mohammed Shafiq, who is named in the FIR, had shared the provocative posts with other groups on social media. The police have booked under various sections of IT Act and 153 (A), 505 (1) (B), 505 (1) (C) and 507 of IPC, said the Commissioner.

Social media monitoring cell

City Police commissioner N Shashi Kumar formally inaugurated the social media monitoring cell on Monday. The cell has been functioning for the last two months and keeping a close watch on social media accounts to prevent untoward incidents. The team members are also coordinating with the state intelligence team.

Under the organisation desk of the Cell, about 1,064 accounts of religious, political, women, student, labour and other organisations are being monitored. The online media desk of the Cell is keeping a watch on 139 accounts related to online media portals, online news channels and regular web news channels.

The individual desk of the Cell monitors 354 accounts including that of habitual cyber offenders, hate speeches posted on social media platforms, political leaders and other prominent individuals. The law and order desk is monitoring 257 social media provocative speakers' accounts, and others.

Urging people not to post and share provocative content on social media, the city police commissioner said mischief-mongers will not be spared. Following tension in Shivamogga, the police have strengthened security in sensitive areas in the city commissionarte limits.

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Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said that three people were arrested in connection with the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha in Shivamogga, an incident that has caused communal tensions in the district.

Jnanendra said that an investigation is on and prima facie, five people are responsible for the murder.

The minister asserted that the state government will not allow the communal tension to spread to other parts of the state. An adequate police force is deployed in the region, he said. The police are investigating the causes responsible for the murder. Shortly, a report will be submitted, he said.

On whether Harsha's murder was linked to previous attempts on his life, Jnanendra said this is still under investigation. "I met family members of the victim earlier in the day and assured action against those responsible," he said.

Also Read  Stones hurled at funeral procession of Bajrang Dal worker, vehicles set afire

On arrests made in connection with the case, he said that while some people have been arrested, some were yet to be nabbed.

The government is strengthening security measures in Shivamogga. As many as 1,200 personnel were deployed following the murder on Sunday evening. We are deploying 200 additional personnel from Bengaluru, and 200 will be dispatched from other parts of the state," he said.

While five people had carried out the murder, Jnanendra said that the number of people who played a role behind the scenes is yet to be ascertained.

On demands to ban PFI and SDPI, Jnanendra said that there are several criteria to ban organisations. "We will take action (against the groups)," he said, dismissing allegations that BJP was taking a soft stand against them as they divide minority votes and hurt the Congress prospects.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai made an appeal for peace.

Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik met Bommai and petitioned him, seeking action against those responsible for Harshas murder.

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New workgroup draws support from industry leaders as the open FPGA toolchain matures

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 18, 2022  CHIPS Alliance, the leading consortium advancing common and open source hardware for interfaces, processors and systems, today established the FOSS Flow For FPGA (F4PGA) Workgroup to drive open source tooling, IP and research efforts for FPGAs.

FPGA vendors such as Xilinx (now part of AMD) and QuickLogic, industrial FPGA users and contributors such as Google and Antmicro, as well as universities including Brigham Young University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University and University of Toronto, can now officially collaborate under the umbrella of the newly launched F4PGA Workgroup.

FPGAs are essential for a wide variety of low-latency compute use cases, from telecoms to space applications and beyond. This new F4PGA toolchain will enable a software-driven approach to building FPGA gateware, making code integration easier than ever, said Rob Mains, General Manager at CHIPS Alliance. Under the umbrella of the CHIPS Alliance, this workgroup will help unite current FPGA efforts so academia and industry leaders can collaborate on accelerating open FPGA innovation.

The initial F4PGA projects are focused around the free and open source FPGA toolchain formerly known as SymbiFlow, as well as the FPGA Interchange Format, which is designed to enable interoperability between open and closed source FPGA toolchains. CHIPS Alliances newest member Xilinx, now part of AMD, collaborated with Google and Antmicro to develop the Interchange Format definition and related tools to provide a development standard for the entire FPGA industry. The FPGA Interchange Format allows developers to quickly and easily move from one tool to another, lowering the barriers to entry for the entire supply chain  from FPGA vendors to academics and FPGA users.

In addition to the work around the FPGA Interchange Format, several CHIPS Alliance members have collaborated on the FPGA tool perf framework. This open FPGA tooling project provides a comprehensive end-to-end FPGA synthesis flow and FPGA performance profiling framework, allowing developers to analyze FPGA designs by looking at metrics such as clock frequency, resource utilization and runtime.

CHIPS Alliance members have also worked on the development of the FPGA Assembly (FASM) format. The FPGA Assembly (FASM) format is a textual format specifying which FPGA feature should be enabled or disabled; the textual nature of FASM makes it easy to analyze and experiment with in different designs.

Industry support for open FPGA tools has continued to rise with QuickLogic becoming the first company to fully embrace the open source FPGA toolchain in 2020, and now with Xilinx participation in the FPGA Interchange project. The strong support for the F4PGA Workgroup promises to help further accelerate industry adoption across geographies and increase confidence in open source FPGA tooling as a viable option for all types of designs.

To learn more about the F4PGA Workgroup, please visit: https://chipsalliance.org/workgroups/.

About the CHIPS Alliance

The CHIPS Alliance is an organization which develops and hosts high-quality, open source hardware code (IP cores), interconnect IP (physical and logical protocols), and open source software development tools for design, verification, and more. The primary focus is to provide a barrier-free collaborative environment, to lower the cost of developing IP and tools for hardware development. The CHIPS Alliance is hosted by the Linux Foundation. For more information, visit chipsalliance.org.

About the Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation was founded in 2000 and has since become the worlds leading home for collaboration on open source software, open standards, open data, and open hardware. Today, the Foundation is supported by more than 1,000 members and its projects are critical to the worlds infrastructure, including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js and more. The Linux Foundation focuses on employing best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users, and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, visit linuxfoundation.org.






Minister Coveney to attend Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels

Press release

On 21 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney T.D. will attend a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, along with his European counterparts.

Foreign Ministers will discuss the security situation in Europe with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and will assess how to coordinate the EU response to the situation and how best to move towards a de-escalation of security tensions.

Ministers will also discuss a range of other current foreign policy issues, including the recent developments in Mali and Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as coordination of diplomatic efforts on climate issues. EU Foreign Ministers will also meet with the Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council to discuss regional cooperation.

Speaking ahead of the discussion on Ukraine, Minister Coveney said:

This meeting comes at an important juncture. The developments we have seen in recent days are very concerning. We urgently need to see a move towards de-escalation, stabilisation and diplomacy by Russia, including a substantial withdrawal of military forces, respect for the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and the halting of information manipulation.

As we have made clear at the UN Security Council, Ireland is a steadfast and consistent supporter of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

ENDS

Press Office

21 February 2022

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Minister for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora visits South Africa

Press release

Minister for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy T.D., today begins a visit to South Africa. During his visit, Minister of State Brophy will co-chair the South Africa-Ireland Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) with his South African counterpart, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Alvin Botes. The JCC is the structured bilateral consultation mechanism between Ireland and South Africa, covering a range of areas of shared interest, from political, economic and cultural matters to science and technology, education, agriculture, and social development.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Minister Brophy said:

I look forward to this opportunity to build on the ever-growing cooperation between Ireland and South Africa, our largest trading partner on the African continent, and to renew the strong, deep ties between our two countries as we forge a path to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Ireland and South Africa share wide ranging cooperation and a number of key multilateral priorities, and I look forward to discussing these with my South African counterpart.

Minister Brophy added:

As Minister for Diaspora, I am particularly looking forward to meeting with the Irish community in South Africa, the largest Irish community on the African continent as well as with representatives of the many South Africans who have studied or worked in Ireland, especially alumni of the Kader Asmal Fellowship  an Irish Government Programme funded by Irish Aid, which sponsors South African postgraduates to come and study in Ireland.

During the visit, Minister Brophy will also launch the pilot Irish Tech Challenge Fund South Africa, an initiative to incentivise partnerships between Irish technology expertise and South African entrepreneurs and businesses, and meet with Irish businesses and partners with an emphasis on enhancing business links in the research area. The Minister will also have the opportunity to meet with a number of Irish community associations, who form part of the largest Irish community on the African continent.

ENDS

Press Office

21 February 2022

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Minister for the Diaspora welcomes lifting of most Covid-19 travel restrictions for Australia

Press release

The Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Mr. Colm Brophy, T.D., has welcomed the news of the lifting of most COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions to Australia for fully vaccinated visa holders.

Speaking today Minister Brophy said:

I welcome the news that from today, Monday, 21 February 2022, most regions of Australia will reopen to all fully vaccinated visa holders without restrictions or exemption requirements. Irish citizens living in Australia have never felt further from home as they have during the pandemic. The reopening of unrestricted international travel between our countries brings renewed joy and will raise the spirits of our diaspora in Australia and their family and friends here in Ireland, who have endured long and painful separations."



"The States and Territories within Australia have different requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated international arrivals. Irish passport holders should make sure to check the rules at their point of arrival before making arrangements to travel. Arrivals into Western Australia, including the City of Perth, will have to quarantine on arrival until at least 3rd March."

"The welcome news from Australia coincides with the latest update to Irelands Digital COVID certificate service allowing Irish passport holders living abroad to update their certificates to include any additional COVID-19 vaccine boosters recognised in Ireland. With access to updated EU-DCCs reflecting booster doses, it will be easier for Irish people living in Australia or elsewhere abroad to travel back to Ireland or anywhere in the EU. This is a demonstration of the Irish Governments commitment to our Diaspora and to facilitating a return to normal international travel as restrictions imposed to combat the pandemic recede.

Note for Editors From Monday, 21 February 2022, all fully vaccinated visa holders can travel to most regions in Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption. This includes Bridging, Visitor and any other visa types that allow travel to Australia. Unvaccinated visa holders will still need a valid travel exemption to enter Australia. Learn more: Vaccinated travellers | COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au) The State of Western Australia including the city of Perth, will maintain some local restrictions, including a 7 day mandatory quarantine. Full details of these are available on the website of the Western Australia authorities at www.gov.au Useful links: Irish Embassy Australia: Australia - Department of Foreign Affairs (dfa.ie) Irish Consulate General Sydney: Sydney - Department of Foreign Affairs (dfa.ie) Australian Embassy Dublin: Home (embassy.gov.au) ENDS Press Office 21 February 2022

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Statement by Minister Simon Coveney on the decision of the Russian Federation

Statement

Statement by Minister Simon Coveney on the decision of the Russian Federation to recognise the separatist territories in Ukraine

Irelands support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and its right to choose its own foreign and security policy path is unwavering.

The decision by the Russian Federation to proceed with the recognition of the non-government controlled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine as independent entities contravenes international law, is a blatant violation of Ukraines territorial integrity, and marks a clear and unilateral breach of the Minsk agreements.

Ireland supports a clear and strong EU response, including additional sanctions measures.

ENDS

Press Office

21 February 2022

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Where to Watch / Stream The Hidden Kingdoms of China Online Theatrical release - Not available on any OTT Platform right now.

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The Hidden Kingdoms of China : Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Songs About The Hidden Kingdoms of China The Hidden Kingdoms of China was directed by Ben Wallis . This movie is available in English language. Michelle Yeoh and Ben Wallis are playing as the star cast in this movie. The Hidden Kingdoms of China scores a 6.7 digit binge rating out of 10 and is a good movie to watch in the Documentary genre.

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AV1 codec support on Qualcomm processors might not be here until 2023 though!

Its mobile rivals Samsung and MediaTek have it. And other tech companies like Nvidia and Netflix have it. And now Qualcomm is also getting on the AV1 bandwagon as per a recent report. According to Protocol, the mobile chipmaker is planning to add support for AV1 to its upcoming flagship Snapdragon mobile processor. The report also adds that 2023 would be the year AV1 finally sees broader adoption.

Snapdragon AV1 support: Heres what you need to know

Qualcomm is said to introduce AV1 codec support with a future Snapdragon processor codenamed SM8550. Now, the current Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 carries a code name SM8450 while the supposedly next-in-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ with SM8475 model name is rumoured to be in the works. That pattern of nomenclature would suggest the one with SM8550 could be Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, thats likely to release in 2023.

More specifically, it would be Snapdragons Adreno GPU that supports this native AV1 feature.

Needless to say, things might change subject to market conditions and other factors.

Now whats somewhat reassuring is that earlier this year, in an interview with Anandtech, Qualcomms SVP Alex Katouzian said, we haven't been able to accommodate AV1. We'll probably accommodate in the future, but up until now, we just haven't been able to do it. Its not that we don't want to do it - we just haven't had the ability to plan it in in time to try to make that happen.

AV1 (AOMedia Video Codec 1.0) is an open-source royalty-free video codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media, which consists of big tech companies like Meta, Amazon, Netflix, Google, Microsoft, and Intel among its founding members. AV1 vaunts better efficiency in video decoding, i.e., faster video playback and streaming with improved visual quality at bit rates about 50% less than H.264 (HEVC).

So, although Qualcomm is taking its sweet time adopting this AV1 codec, when it does arrive, a large share of the Android phone market will reap its potential benefits. And we will be looking forward to this.

For more news, buying guides, feature stories, reviews, and everything else tech-related, keep following Digit.in.
People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo stands next to a monument during his visit to the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall in central Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of People's Party



Despite falling support, centrist party candidate isn't backing down



By Nam Hyun-woo





People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo appears to be headed down a difficult path for the remainder of his election campaign, as his influence as the No. 3 candidate is waning after he withdrew his proposal to form a single candidacy with main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol.



Ahn's main problems are threefold. Recent polls found that his support rates are falling from double digits to single digits, while calamities have been hitting his campaign one after another. His wife was hospitalized after getting infected with the coronavirus and two of his party's campaign workers died in a tragic accident.



On Monday, the People's Party and PPP played the blame game.



People's Party campaign chief Rep. Lee Tae-kyu said that the PPP is not "sincere in its proposal for the coalition," and that its members had been spreading rumors that Ahn would drop his candidacy or give up campaigning.



"If the PPP thought the talks for a single candidacy would unfold positively after everything that has happened, the party is either ignorant of the reality or arrogant," Lee said. "The PPP's comment that it didn't expect that the talks would break down is complete nonsense."



Lee's comment came a day after Ahn withdrew his proposal to field a unified candidate with Yoon. Ahn said during a press conference that he had given Yoon a week to ponder his proposal, but that the main opposition candidate did not respond to him at all, ignoring his request.



After Ahn's announcement, PPP campaign spokesman Lee Yang-soo said, "Everyone found the announcement odd, because Yoon called Ahn on Sunday morning and asked for a meeting between the candidates, and Ahn replied that they should meet through working-level aides."



The People's Party denied PPP spokesman Lee's comment that Ahn had told Yoon that they were "supposed to meet after working-level talks," and said that Ahn's remarks mean that "they were supposed to have a working-level meeting in the past but it is too late."



The debate over their coalition had been the subject of a heated debate after Yoon's support rate tumbled in December amid the PPP's factional infighting and other scandals.









However, the party seems to no longer see a single candidacy as an attractive option anymore, as recent surveys show that the gap is widening between Yoon and the No. 2 candidate, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). In seven out of five surveys released on Sunday or Monday, Yoon was ahead of the DPK's Lee outside each survey's margin of error.



While the People's Party is saying that Ahn has decided to give up on forming a coalition with Yoon and would finish the election on his own, some are speculating about Ahn's abrupt decision to give up on the coalition talks.



The Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that the PPP and People's Party had been negotiating a plan for Yoon becoming the unified presidential candidate and Ahn taking the prime minister post if Yoon wins the election, citing anonymous sources. It continued that Ahn's wife, Kim Mi-kyung, played a key role in persuading him to finish the race without forming a coalition.





Banners for People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, top, and main opposition People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol hang on a street in Gangdong District, Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
And I thought, Well, this is fine now, I guess Ive arrived, and were going to get a permit. Then I said, All right, we get a permit, then, to build the house?; Oh well, now, he said, thats something else. I cant give you a permit, theres nothing to cover this. And if you were to go to the council for it, you wouldnt get it. I said Well, why not? You said it was the best thing that has come into the region  why cant I build it?.



Dont you see, here we have what we call the balance of trade in Los Angeles. There are the brick people; theyre selling bricks to build; here are the lumber people; theyre selling lumber. What youve done is to give concrete the right of way over all those other fellows. Why, they wouldnt be in the market, you couldnt sell anything after a while if I gave you a permit to go with this thing. You see what the situation is in the building industry?.
The role of remote working hubs could be about to become more prominent under new initiatives announced this week by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys.

For the first time, workers will now be able to book office or desk space in their local hub through a new mobile app called Connected Hubs. Hubs had been off-limits for long periods during the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions but are now seen as an alternative to working fully from home or fully returning to the office.

Minister Humphreys also announced 5 million in funding, through the Connected Hubs 2022 Call, which will be used to build capacity and enhance existing Remote Working facilities.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys TD at the Mill Hub in Drogheda Photo: Julien Behal

These initiatives will be the subject of a major new National Awareness Campaign, designed to promote the many benefits of choosing your local hub for your working day.

Minister Humphreys also revealed that the number of Remote Working facilities on the Connected Hubs Network will exceed 200 this week. This represents over half of the 400 hubs pledged as part of the government's Our Rural Future policy.

Announcing the series of initiatives, Minister Humphreys said: If COVID-19 has taught us one thing  its that the benefits of Remote Working are huge.

Less time spent commuting. A lower carbon footprint. More time spent with family and friends. But above all  a better quality of life.

Over the past two years, we have embarked on a mission never seen before. My Department has invested 100million in the development of remote working facilities in our towns and villages nationwide.

Across Ireland, we have taken many old and derelict buildings and re-purposed them into state-of-the-art Remote Working facilities.

Ronan Whitty, Director of Business, Innovation & Enterprise At The Mill andThe Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys TD at the Mill Hub in Drogheda Photo: Julien Behal

Former banks, cinemas, garda stations, convents and train stations have become local digital hubs.

In addition, we have provided funding to upgrade and enhance existing hub facilities.

These are now part of a new network called Connected Hubs  which is at the forefront of our efforts to make Remote Working a reality for tens of thousands of workers.

Minister Humphreys added: Today represents the next chapter in our Remote Working journey. And it also demonstrates how we are putting Our Rural Future into action.

Im really pleased to launch the new Connected Hubs mobile app which will enable workers to book their desk space in their local hub with ease.

The number of hubs available on the Connected Hubs network will this week surpass the 200 mark meaning we are already halfway to our target of 400 hubs nationwide as committed under Our Rural Future.

Today I am also launching a new 5million Connected Hubs Fund which will aimed at upgrading and increasing capacity in our existing hub facilities. In addition, over the coming weeks and months, I will be announcing further funding for the development of new remote working facilities as part of Our Rural Future.

So my message to remote workers today is clear: Whether you are in Donegal or Waterford, Louth or in Kerry, East Coast, Midlands or along the Border, we have a hub for you.

Minister Humphreys concluded: Thankfully we are now beginning to return to normal life, but that does not mean we should go back to the old normal  the days of the long commute, sitting in traffic when you could be spending that time with your family and friends.

Equally not everybody wants to or has the space to work from home permanently. The kitchen table or your bedroom is not a permanent solution. If you want a clear line of where work-life ends and family-life begins  then working from your local hub is the solution for you.

Today, I am also specifically encouraging employers and businesses to look at the facilities available through Connected Hubs when developing their future plans for blended or hybrid working. These hubs can enable your staff to work in a safe, secure environment with high-speed broadband and all the necessary office equipment available to them.

Over the coming weeks, my Department will embark on a major awareness campaign to highlight the benefits of Connected Hubs for both workers and employers.
The National Union of Journalists has welcomed reports of a potential overhaul of Ireland's defamation laws.

Government approval to develop a Bill in Ireland could mean changes in how defamation cases are brought, with increased scrutiny and reforms that support media freedom.

"Helen McEntee, minister for Justice, is expected to seek Cabinet approval this month over laws that would contribute to a shakeup, preventing the wealthy and powerful from targeting journalists and hiding behind legislation," the NUJ claimed.

The NUJ contributed to the review of current legislation and has been calling for an end to what they described as "the shameful use of Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) wielded in recent years by individuals attempting to intimidate and silence journalists left facing staggering legal bills."

Ian McGuinness, NUJ general secretary said: Action to tackle this scourge would be very welcome news. The rise of so-called lawfare, including SLAPPs, to stymie investigative journalism and thwart reporting is of enormous concern to the NUJ and all those who care about media freedom.

"The NUJ is also clear that public confidence in the media must be maintained. Libel actions are expensive, and the Press Council of Ireland continues to offer redress to readers. In welcoming these proposed reforms, we would also emphasise the importance of maintaining the Press Council of Ireland on a sound, financial footing.

Other reforms reported include closer assessment of defamation cases to ensure Ireland is the most appropriate place for action, case dismissals by courts if they are not progressed within set timescales, and changes in compensation procedure.
ADA [ndash] Memorials services for Clifford Brent Hall, 63, of Ada are 10:00 A.M. Thursday, May 5, 2022 at Trinity Baptist Church, Doug Brewer will officiate. Mr. Hall passed away Monday, April 25, 2022 at a local nursing home surrounded by family. He was born August 8, 1958 in Shawnee, OK t
By Paul Tyson





The British and people around the world are honoring Queen Elizabeth II on her 70th anniversary of coming to the throne. She is now the longest serving monarch in the history of the United Kingdom.



In her recent platinum jubilee message she asked that Prince Charles's wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, be given the title of Queen Consort when Charles becomes king. This was a generous act by the Queen who did so of her own volition since neither Charles nor Camilla had requested this.



The Queen's action gives an additional seal of approval to Charles that will be welcome, at a time when the ruling Windsor family has been engulfed in scandal, including Prince Andrew's recent decision to settle a sexual abuse lawsuit. There is also controversy over the Sussexes, Harry and Meagan, who appear to be living a life in exile in Los Angeles. This is important since the royal family and the Queen still matter politically.



I served at the U.S. Embassy in London during key periods of the royal soap opera involving Charles, Diana and Camilla and I have some thoughts on what happened and the parties involved. Opinions and predictions from outsiders can be more accurate than what the British sometimes believe.



That was true of the Charles-Diana-Camilla tabloid love triangle that appeared to be in sharp contrast to the picture of duty displayed by Queen Elizabeth and the late Prince Philip.



Royal scandals are nothing new. After all, Queen Elizabeth was only destined to come to the throne after Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson, clearing the way for Elizabeth's father to become George VI. When he died, she became Queen in February 1952.



The Charles and Diana story is well known. Living in London at the time, I personally saw the tension and distance between them at receptions, which was also widely reported in the newspapers. Camilla and Charles had earlier been involved in their early 20s. But he hesitated in marrying her and Camilla decided to marry someone else. But their mutual attraction did not die.



Under pressure to produce "an heir and a spare," Charles met, courted and married Diana. It did not prove to be an easy match and it turned into high drama on all sides.



The Diana the world came to know blossomed into a media personality. The day after her separation to Charles was announced, she spoke at a charity lunch I attended. I was in the private receiving line and had a short chat with her. She was stunning and appeared grateful for the sympathetic attention and kind words she was receiving from the audience.



The talk at my lunch table which included a mix of Brits and Americans was that Camilla was the home wrecker. The Brits thought the public would never accept her and that she and Charles would never marry. A number of the Americans, especially a California divorce lawyer, disagreed. He believed that time would heal all wounds. I opined that if Charles divorced Diana and continued his affair with Camilla over the next few years, the public sentiment would become "Charlie, make an honest woman out of her. Marry Camilla."



Charles did divorce Diana in 1996 and her tragic death a year later cleared the way for the Prince of Wales to eventually marry Camilla in 2005. Princes William and Harry wanted to see their father happy, so everyone seemed to try to move forward. Charles and Camilla still seem to be quite happy with each other after nearly 17 years of marriage.



Camilla is known to the royals. She comes from the proper aristocratic background and as a mature woman, she knew what was expected of her. She has fitted comfortably into the royal family, playing the role of the Duchess of Cornwall, the wife of the heir.



Diana had a more complicated relationship with the royals. When Diana died with Dodi Fayed there were concerns in society circles that she was on a downward spiral that would only get worse. But it must be also pointed out that the Queen was happy for Diana to keep the title of Her Royal Highness even after Charles divorced her, although Charles in the end prevailed in stripping her of the title.



By endorsing Camilla as Queen Consort, Queen Elizabeth is acknowledging Camilla's love for Charles and the excellent job that she has done. By this action, the Queen is seeking to heal divisions within the royal family and making sure that the public will accept Camilla once Charles ascends to the throne.



Well done, Your Majesty. Have a wonderful platinum jubilee.





Paul Tyson is a retired U.S. diplomat teaching diplomacy and government at New England College.


Dundalk Institute of Technology have announced that they will host the annual conference of The International Council for Traditional Music Ireland, which will be held virtually on 25th and 26th February 2022.

The conference brings together research that considers places and sounds beyond the norm of traditional music studies and ethnomusicology under the theme Music: Connectivity, Interaction and Mediatisation.

Researchers from the Creative Arts Research Centre at DkIT are prominent across the two days.

Programme Director for the BA (Hons) Music, Dr Georgina Hughes will present on the work of Scottish percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie while Head of Department of Creative Arts, Media and Music, Dr Adele Commins will present on an opera by Dublin-born composer Sir Charles Villiers Stanford.

Dr Anne Marie Hanlon, conference convenor at DkIT, will present on gendered experiences of the Irish music industry in a session with recent DkIT graduate Joanne Cusack, now completing her doctoral studies with a scholarship at Maynooth University, who is examining the legacy of A Womans Heart.

Dr Daithi Kearney, Co-Director of the Creative Arts Research Centre at DkIT, will present a paper on a series of podcasts by Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland and his student Leandro Pessina, a recipient of a DkIT Postgraduate Research Scholarship, will critique the representation of Co. Louth in a recent series of videos by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.

In addition to several papers on Irish traditional music, the diversity of sessions includes a plenary on music in China.

The keynote speaker for the 2022 conference is Professor Therese Smith, University College Dublin, who will present a paper entitled How Can I Keep from Singing?.

Her presentation will critically consider how musicians and dancers have adapted to the restrictions of the pandemic, and how might these adaptations have lasting imprints on artistic practice.

Professor Smith is the recipient of the inaugural Oirdhearchas Award from ICTM Ireland.

ICTM Ireland is affiliated to the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM), a non-governmental organization in formal consultative relations with UNESCO.

Its aims are to further the study, practice, documentation, preservation and dissemination of traditional music, including folk, popular, classical and urban music, and dance of all countries.

ICTM Ireland brings a local focus to the activities of ICTM and provides a regional forum for scholars of diverse musical traditions.

DkIT previously hosted the Annual Conference in 2015 and also hosted the joint Society for Musicology in Ireland (SMI) and ICTM Ireland postgraduate conference in 2019.
Dundalk TD Ruairi O Murchu has urged the government to speed up the review of visa requirements for Irish people and their families in Ukraine after he was contacted by a businessman from North Louth.

The Sinn Fein TD says he has been in touch with Brendan Murphy from Omeath, who runs a business in Kyiv, over the last number of days as efforts continue to try to get Irish peoples families out of the war-threatened country.

Last week, the Department of Justice said it was reviewing administrative arrangements for visas so that Irish citizens and their family members in Ukraine can leave with minimum red tape.

Ukrainians cannot enter the State without a visa, the department of justice has said all visa applications will be looked at as quickly and as humanely as possible.

Deputy O Murchu says the problem lies in the fact that Irish citizens who are in Ukraine with their families cannot get them straight to Ireland, despite being told by the Department of Foreign Affairs to leave immediately.

Deputy O Murchu said: 

Mr Murphy, who lives in Kyiv, received an email on Friday night from the Irish Ambassador in Ukraine.

Irish people were told to leave as soon as you can and that consular assistance may not be available to them if the situation deteriorates.

But those with Ukrainian partners or children would have to travel out via a Schengen country, where Ukrainians can arrive visa-free, such as Prague or Warsaw.

There is no timeline as to when the visas would be processed.

It could be days or weeks, we just dont know.

There are new, temporary visa arrangements in place now for British citizens to get back to Britain, and the government here needs to do everything possible to ensure that people like Mr Murphy and his family can leave and come straight back to Ireland.

I have raised this issue with the Minister for Justice personally last week and handed her Mr Murphys letter and have spoken to officials from Foreign Affairs at the EU Affairs Committee and will continue to liaise with Mr Murphy in order to get the visa situation streamlined.

I have forwarded them the latest correspondence from him over the weekend.

This is an incredibly serious issue for Mr Murphy and his family, as well as others in this position.

The government needs to deliver for them as soon as possible.
Irish Rail is working on adding more trains to the Enterprise service to run hourly trains at peak times, as well as working towards a journey time of 90 minutes between Dublin and Belfast.

In addition, head of Irish Rail, Jim Meade, responding to Dundalk TD Ruairi O Murchu, admitted there is no timeline on the introduction of a two or three day week rail ticket for workers who are only in the office part of the week.

The Sinn Fein TD is a member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee and on Thursday, asked the Irish Rail boss about plans for an hourly train service between Dublin and Belfast.

It had been indicated previously that it would be 2027 before the hourly service is running, but Mr Meade told Deputy O Murchu last week that Irish Rail are working with Translink in the North to acquire additional fleet with a view to having an extra train based in each city so that hourly services could be run at peak morning and evening times.

Mr Meade said:

There is a requirement to get people into Dublin earlier in the morning and get them home in the evening.

We should be able to have this hourly peak service on from the back end of next year, with a view to having a full hourly service by 2026 or 2027.

We are also targeting a 90-minute journey time.

We are still working out the details of the new fleet and whether we electrify the line, what propulsion would be used, and we need to be looking at other options that arent diesel.

The SEUPB funding is not in place yet, but the two companies are funding some research into the specifications of the fleet so we wont lose time on it.

The news on the partial week rail ticket was not as good, however.

Deputy O Murchu said the National Transport Authority (NTA) had been at the committee previously and had discussed the possibility of a flexi-ticket but there were technical difficulties.

The Louth TD asked that any and all options are explored, even on an interim basis, to get this up and running for commuters.

He said:

Even if we have to go back to prehistoric times where peoples tickets are manually punched, we need to be doing whatever it takes.

Mr Meade said that while the NTA were working hard on the issue, difficulties remained in sorting the technical, revenue and taxation aspects but there was no timeline at this point as to when it would be done.
Friday night saw Dundalk FC team up with Womens Aid Dundalk to raise awareness about domestic abuse and celebrate the role that women play at Dundalk FC.

As part of the campaign, a bucket collection took place at Oriel Park before Fridays league opener against Derry City with all proceeds going to Womens Aid Dundalk.

On the field, Dundalk players wore Womens Aid Dundalk T-shirts bearing the charity's logo and helpline number as they warmed up.

The whole of last week saw the club engage in an awareness campaign about the issue of domestic abuse and coercive control, including a video series about the role that women play at Dundalk FC and a video where players detail some of Irelands domestic violence stats.

Ann Larkin, manager of the local branch of Womens Aid, was blown away by the response and believes the campaign will have far reaching effects:

It was a fantastic night for Womens Aid Dundalk. We really appreciate the work put in by Dundalk FC they pulled out all the stops for us.

I know they really wanted to reestablish their connection with the community and honour the females at the club.

People were so generous especially given the night that was in it,, it was an amazing night, people were coming prepared to give with the money in their hand ready and there was a huge number that gave.

We can only hope that this continues and generates more conversation, the awareness that it has raised about the issue is a huge part for us, having these conversations will be the only way we will see change happen.
Aid from mainland to Hong Kong brings Wuhan experience against epidemic

By Liu Caiyu and Chu Daye (Global Times) 14:34, February 21, 2022

From preventing cross-infection among medics, quickly reducing new infections and preventing mild cases from progressing into severe cases, the arrival of aid from the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong will bring a lot of Wuhan experience to fight against the new wave of COVID-19 epidemic to the city, experts noted. Hong Kong reported 6,067 confirmed cases on Sunday.

The aid team from the mainland that was put together so quickly has already made good progress, Xia Baolong, head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said at the fourth coordination meeting held in Shenzhen on Sunday.

Among the 114 team members who arrived on Saturday to Hong Kong in the second tranche of aid are four management personnel and four specializing in treating severe cases, and 106 testing personnel. Many come with experience of dealing with COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan, the Chinese city hit the hardest in the early stages of the outbreak.

The epidemic in Hong Kong might be the most severe in China since the Wuhan outbreak two years ago, Jin Dongyan, a biomedical professor at the University of Hong Kong, told the Global Times.

Among the 6,067 confirmed cases on Sunday, 6,055 were locally transmissions, of which nearly 1,000 cases were detected from residential compounds.

The outbreaks in Wuhan and Hong Kong are different but the anti-epidemic experience accumulated in Wuhan is still of great value for Hong Kong, where the seriousness of the outbreak is approaching to that of Wuhan in the earlier period, Wang Guangfa, a respiratory expert at Peking University First Hospital, who was also among experts of the National Health Commission to visit Wuhan in early January 2020, told the Global Times on Sunday.

One of the most important references for Hong Kong is that none of the more than 40,000 medical staff who aided Wuhan contracted the virus. This capability will definitely raise the morale of medical staff working in Hong Kong and the confidence of residents and the Hong Kong government to beat the novel coronavirus, Wang said. Lack of confidence to win over the virus is one of the reasons why Hong Kong has such a record high number of COVID-19 cases, some said.

In addition, Hong Kong medics can draw on the clinical experience of the medical personnel who were dispatched to Hong Kong. Some of them not only experienced the Wuhan outbreak but accumulated a vast amount of experience in treating patients, ranging from mild cases to severe cases in many rounds of local outbreaks in other mainland cities. For example, they know how to treat patients to avoid mild cases progressing into a severe case to reduce the death rate, Wang noted.

Though many patients in Hong Kong have only mild symptoms, they are still contagious and could spread the virus to their family members and colleagues, so, screening out the sources of infection and cutting the chains of transmission is essential, which proved effective in Wuhan and in other mainland cities, a Wuhan-based medic told the Global Times on condition of anonymity. Quarantining patients who live with elderly people, even though they have mild symptoms, is particularly important, the Wuhan doctor said.

Data shows that before a patient with COVID-19 exhibits symptoms they are contagious and could spread the virus easily and quickly to people who are in close contact with them, experts said.

Another 14 deaths and dozens of severe cases were reported, Hong Kong health authorities said on Sunday.

Aid from the mainland naturally brings more Wuhan experience to Hong Kong. Building makeshift hospitals to expand Hong Kong's capability to quarantine and treat patients is exactly what Wuhan did in the early period of the outbreak to alleviate its overloaded medical system, which helps to place sources of infection within quarantine and cut off transmission chains, experts noted.

Designed and built by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), two community isolation treatment facilities in Penny's Bay and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal began construction on Saturday. They are expected to provide about 9,500 quarantine units, the Global Times learnt from CSCEC.

Just like Wuhan which also received aid from across the country to eventually overcome COVID-19, Hong Kong is also receiving the best resources from the mainland. With the best resources and unity from the country, experts are positive that Hong Kong can overcome the epidemic.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Candidates hit for making populist pledges



Korea's fiscal deficit has surpassed 100 trillion won ($83 billion), while its national debt soared to 240 trillion won as the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic during the past two years. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance Sunday, the nation registered a deficit of 71.2 trillion won and 30 trillion won in consolidated fiscal balance in 2020 and 2021, respectively.



Last year, the nation posted a 4 percent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) and raked in an additional 61.4 trillion won in tax revenues than previously estimated, mainly boosted by heavier taxation on soaring housing prices. Despite the rise in tax revenues, the fiscal deficit has continued to increase due mainly to the Moon Jae-in administration's "big spending" measures.



As a result, the national debt is estimated to have reached 939.1 trillion won last year, an increase of 240 trillion won from the pre-COVID-19 era. Worse still, the deficit is likely to increase further this year, given the supplementary budget bill under discussion at the National Assembly, heralding 70 trillion won in fiscal deficit and 100 trillion won in national debt for 2022.



What matters is the high chance that asset markets involving real estate and stocks will become weak this year coupled with growing uncertainties in the global economy, darkening the prospects for exports by domestic enterprises. Against this backdrop, it seems difficult to expect a huge surplus of tax revenues for the year as seen in 2021.



Some experts even warn that this year's tax revenues might not meet what the government estimated earlier. They even express concern that the fiscal deficit will surpass 200 trillion won early next year should the coronavirus pandemic show no signs of abating. If that is the case, the nation will have to issue sovereign bonds to make up for the deficit. Despite the dismal forecast, major presidential candidates are taking flak for making populist pledges without any detailed plans to finance them.



According to the Korea Manifesto Center, more than 300 trillion won will be needed to implement some 270 pledges made by Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party offered some 200 pledges that will require 266 trillion won. Such pledges will lead to a snowballing of the national debt.



However, the candidates have failed to present any measures to increase tax rates or reduce spending, raising concerns that the country will face economic difficulties after the election. More worrisome is the fact that the candidates are desperate to win the election at any cost, offering numerous pledges that will require a huge amount of money. The nation will likely suffer from the fallout of the March 9 election regardless of whoever wins. The rival candidates should explain how they will carry out their pledges without widening the fiscal deficit further.


A Cork mother whose son has spina bifida has welcomed the announcement that an extra 19m will be available for children who are in need of orthopaedic surgery.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that any child with spina bifida or scoliosis, who was in need of surgery, would have it done within four months at the end of the year.

The news comes just weeks after Cork Spina Bifida Association chairwoman Valerie Hennessy called for an intervention in the services provided for children with spina bifida and to fast-track children for surgical review as a matter of urgency.

Ms Hennessy, whose 13-year-old son was considered an emergency case and was waiting a year and a half before having spinal fusion back in 2018, said the Spina Bifida Paediatric Advocacy Group is cautiously optimistic about the funding.

We have some concern about the fact that they have announced an extra 107 procedures for children with spina bifida this year, yet the list continues to grow, and Childrens Health Ireland do not have a centralised database of children under the age of 18 living with spina bifida, she said.

We dont have any reassurances yet that the funding allocated will extend into the spina bifida services in Temple St and also we want to know that urology services will be prioritised and extra theatre capacity.

She said that if these measures go ahead as promised, it would be a huge relief to know our kids will be seen in a timely manner which they deserve.

Ms Hennessy added: Spina bifida is a very complex condition and there are numerous appointment check-ups required constantly for our children, such as urology, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, endocrinology, respiratory, the list goes on.

These services are vital in keeping our children as healthy as they possibly can be. They need to get these check-ups and surgery when required and not have to wait years for the same and deteriorate while doing so.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that any child with spina bifida or scoliosis, who was in need of surgery, would have it done within four months at the end of the year.

As you could see from the media coverage over the past few weeks, children with SB are suffering needlessly and have suffered for far too long. It is not acceptable and is absolutely cruel, both for the child and their families.

"I am hoping this is a promise that will follow through and not empty words. The doctors and nurses are amazing in these hospitals and we are very lucky to have them, but they are only human. They need the funding and resources to be able to care for our children properly, she said.

A motion was passed unanimously calling on Cork City Council to write to Mr Donnelly and fast-track the 82 children with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus requiring urgent orthopaedic intervention. The motion was proposed by councillors Eolan Ryng, Kenneth Collins, and Fiona Kerins.

Sinn Fein councillor Eolan Ryng.

Regarding the funding announced by the minister, Cllr Ryng said: This welcome news will come as a relief to families and particularly the children themselves. Huge tribute must go to the families for their campaign and determination. It simply shouldnt have come to this.

Lets hope that the children involved here will get the care they need and deserve urgently.
SEVENTY-six-year-old former scout leader Michael Noel Sheehan was sentenced to one year in jail for indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy-scout in the 1980s.

Judge Helen Boyle imposed a sentence of two years with the second year suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Boyle said, In terms of gravity, this is a serious assault by an adult on a child. You were 40 or 41 and he was 13."

You were found guilty on a single count on the indictment. It was not a case of continuing coercive control over a long period, it was one incident.

There is the element of breach of trust. You were in a trusted position  a position of authority over the young boys who were allowed by their parents to go away with you. The parents of those children trusted you to look after them and you did not.

It is clear this had a significant impact on him. He said he found it difficult to concentrate and he lost interest in school. His life changed in ways he didnt think possible. When other boys were talking about great things that were going on for them he often felt isolated, as if he was looking in from the outside.

Defence barrister Paula McCarthy said the accused continued to express his innocence and did not accept the verdict of the jury. She said he suffered from ill-health and had no remaining family so he effectively led a reclusive life.

Ms McCarthy BL said that after a prison sentence the property he had lived in as a caretaker would no longer be available to him and he would in effect be homeless.

'MOST VIVID MEMORY'

The victim said, There is absolutely nothing that could have prepared me for the indecent assault inflicted upon me by my scout leader Noel Sheehan during a weekend away in Chimney Field when I was 13 years of age and the impact this would have on my life. To have my innocence robbed by these actions at the very young age of 13. This experience remains the most vivid memory I have from my entire life.

A jury of nine men and three women reached the unanimous decision that he was guilty of the indecent assault at the end of a trial earlier this month.

Sheehan told gardai that the man who made the complaint against him was a bit of a fantasist.

The complainant later said the accused had sought to denigrate his character with comments such as this.

Michael Noel Sheehan, also known as Noel Sheehan of Chimney Field, Glenville, County Cork, was convicted of indecently assaulting the boy-scout on a weekend away in Glenville between January 7, 1986, and April 31, 1987. Indecent assault is the same as sexual assault.

Interviewed by Detective Gardai Dave Barry and Dave Moynihan, the defendant said he never slept near "the youngfellas" and as for an indecent assault he said, It could not and would not have happened.

When details of the allegation were put to the defendant by detectives, he replied, Rubbish I categorically deny it. Not him nor anyone else."

HELPLINE

Scouting Ireland said afterwards, We welcome the successful prosecution and conviction in the courts of Noel Sheehan and our thoughts are with the survivor whose bravery in reporting Mr Sheehan led to todays conviction. We deeply regret the abuse of any child while engaged in scouting. The safety of all our young people is paramount for Scouting Ireland. We encourage anyone who has information or who has been the victim of abuse while in scouting to come forward to the authorities. Scouting Ireland Helpline is open Monday  Friday 9.30am  5.00pm. Freephone 1800 221199 (ROI) and 00353 87 0934403 (NI).
The Biden administration said Saturday it would halt all federal decisions on new oil and gas projects due to an ongoing legal battle over how to assess their climate impacts.

The administrations pause comes alongside an appeal of a decision from a Trump-appointed judge, who ruled earlier this month that the administration could not use a higher estimate for the cost of allowing additional carbon dioxide emissions.

[W]ork surrounding public-facing rules, grants, leases, permits, and other projects has been delayed or stopped altogether so that agencies can assess whether and how they can proceed, the Department of Justice wrote in its legal filing.

The legal dispute revolves around the social cost of carbon, The New York Times explained. This is the metric used to determine how much a given fossil-fuel project may cost the economy by contributing to the climate crisis so that it can be weighed against the initial economic benefits. The Obama administration set the social cost of carbon at $51 per ton of carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels, while the Trump administration lowered it to $7. The Biden administration then raised it back to $51 and has convened a working group to update it further.

However, that was not the end of the story. Ten Republican attorneys general sued the Biden administration for upping the estimate again, saying that it disproportionately harmed energy producing states, HuffPost reported. Then, on Friday, February 11, U.S. District Judge James Cain of the Western District of Louisiana ruled in favor of the Republican states and blocked the Biden administration from using the higher social cost of carbon estimate, as AP News reported at the time. Cain wrote that the higher estimate would artificially increase the cost estimates of lease sales.

Environmental groups praised the Biden administration for halting new leases and permits while the court battle plays out, but expressed concern about how it would ultimately resolve.

Its a mixed bag, Center for Biological Diversity director of government affairs Brett Hartl told The New York Times. They will have to issue the leases at some point, and they wont be able to use the social cost of carbon.

However, the Department of Justice felt that its appeal would ultimately triumph.

From President Nixon on, every President has imposed some internal Executive Branch requirement for federal agencies to assess the costs and benefits of major government actions, the legal filing reads. Section 5 of Executive Order 13990, which directs the development of rigorous, standardized estimates of the social costs of greenhouse gas emissions for use in regulatory analysis, falls comfortably within this well established tradition of presidential supervision of Executive Branch policymaking. But in replacing presidential supervision with judicial decree, this nationwide preliminary injunction upends that tradition, unsettles more than five decades of regulatory practice, intrudes upon the Presidents Article II authority, and casts doubt on the legality of numerous Executive Orders issued to guide agencies in their preparation of regulatory analyses.

In the meantime, immediate fallout from Cains decision and the administrations appeal puts the agenda of both the pro-fossil-fuel and the pro-climate-action camps on hold, The New York Times reported. A lease sale for drilling in Wyoming is now delayed, as is the work of the interagency group that was updating the social cost of carbon.

The consequences of the injunction are dramatic, the Biden administration wrote in the filing. Pending rulemakings in separate agencies throughout the government  none of which were actually challenged here  will now be delayed. Other agency actions may now be abandoned due to an inability to redo related environmental analyses in time to meet mandatory deadlines.
Certain sounds are ancient, like the thunder of bison hooves across the prairie that turn the Great Plains into a giant drum. The American bison, our national mammal, was hunted to near extinction beginning in the early 1800s, and by late that century, less than a thousand remained.

The largest land-dwelling mammal in America, bison aid in balancing and maintaining a healthy ecosystem and help to create habitat for many species, including plants and birds. Their hooves aerate the soil, dispersing seeds and helping plants to grow.

Widespread restoration of bison to Northern Great Plains Tribal lands can help support food sovereignty and aid in the restoration of the prairie ecosystem, according to a new study, a South Dakota State University press release stated. Impacts on agricultural systems due to climate change may also be reduced by the presence of bison.

The study, The Potential of Bison Restoration as an Ecological Approach to Future Tribal Food Sovereignty on the Northern Great Plains, was published last month in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

The buffalo is important to Indian communities, to our people culturally and ecologically to our lands, said the president of the InterTribal Buffalo Council and Blackfeet buffalo manager Ervin Carlson, the press release said. We know bringing them back will not only heal our people but also help us with the changes we see on our grasslands due to drought.

Once, 30 to 60 million bison traveled across the Great Plains and were a main source of hides and meat, driving the economy of many Plains Indian Tribes. In an attempt to destroy the Tribal members livelihood, mass hunting of bison was encouraged by the U.S. government. As bison numbers dwindled in the late 19th century, the Tribes lost their main source of food and were driven onto reservations.

The herds today are small and isolated. Today there are about 350K Plains bison in production herds, 30K in public herds and about 20K bison in tribal herds, Hila Shamon, lead author of the study and a landscape ecologist and mammalogist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, told EcoWatch in an email.

Bison are a social species and rely on their herd to survive; an evolutionary strategy to maximize fitness. They group together for predator vigilance, collective foraging and learning, Shamon said.

Bison are megaherbivores  large herbivores that weigh more than 1,000 kilograms  and are important contributors to the grassland system of the prairies, South Dakota State University reported. The physical impact of bison and other animals on the environment modifies it in such a way that it creates habitat for different species.

As they graze, wallow and trample, bison make the landscape more habitable for hundreds of prairie species in different ways.

In the wake of the bisons grazing, grasses of differing heights provide birds with nesting grounds, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Some birds even line their nests with bison fur.

As the great bison wallow, they create holes that fill up when it rains, turning their wallows into amphibian breeding pools and water troughs for other prairie species. Several rare and medicinal plants also rely on these indentations in the land to grow.

Bisons movements drove nutrient cycles, altered vegetation structure and fire regimes that in turn supported other prairie species. They are considered ecosystem engineers, Shamon told EcoWatch.

Today, most bison are no longer free roaming and are kept in production or conservation herds. However, they can still have an impact on the landscape. Studies show that under some management schemes, bison can have positive impacts on riparian vegetation restoration, and create heterogenous grasslands that can support many grassland specialists, Shamon said.

Grasses are shorter where bison commonly graze, and prairie dogs dine on these shorter grasses and dig their burrows there, World Wildlife Fund reported. When bison make their way through the deep snow of a Great Plains winter, the paths they forge become highways for elk and pronghorn antelope, among other inhabitants who stick around through the winter months. As they dig through the snow, bison also make the hidden prairie grass available for animals who wouldnt otherwise be able to access it.

Prairie species evolved alongside bison, an iconic animal central to Plains Indian culture and communities for centuries, said Shamon, as reported by South Dakota State University. Against the backdrop of a changing climate, continued and new research is needed to develop bison restoration and land management strategies that maximize biodiversity and address the complex socio-economic and ecological needs of Native Nations.

For thousands of years, Great Plains Tribes used every part of the bison  including the hides, bones and horns  for food and to make clothing, shelter, tools and musical instruments, and for other specialized uses.

Buffalo are central to our community, said study co-author and faculty member at the Aaniiih Nakoda College Daniel Kinsey, as South Dakota State University reported. Fort Belknap reintroduced buffalo in the late 1970s, and we are fortunate to have such a successful program that is a product of hard-working people. It is my duty to connect our students, the younger generation, to the buffalo and the ecosystem and to work with students to incorporate our traditional knowledge into the present research. We recently established a new iitaanni/Tatag a (bison in Aaniiih and Nakoda languages respectively) Research and Education Center for this purpose.

Bison are an extremely adaptable species able to adjust to high temperatures and lack of water. Despite their size, bisons needs are not as great as those of cows when it comes to taking refuge in the shade and seeking water; thus, where bison graze, grassland streams are not overrun with sediment.

Bison are adapted to the climate of the Great Plains, Shamon told EcoWatch. Their physiology is what makes them tolerant to extreme weather.

Compared to the rest of the country, the Northern Great Plains is becoming disproportionately warm and dry due to climate change, reported South Dakota State University. This will put the regions agricultural system and the prairie ecosystem at risk as the climate crisis continues. Impoverished prairie communities that depend on the environment for their livelihoods will face a greater possibility of hardship.

What we provide in this research article are successful solutions that are implemented on Indigenous lands. Many of those solutions may be applicable on other properties and some may not. The key is maintaining a high level of diversity and innovation to enhance sustainable solutions to climate change impacts, said director of research for the Center of Excellence for Bison Studies at South Dakota State University Jeff Martin, as South Dakota State University reported.

The quality of the land on Native American reservations is often less than optimal and poverty and food insecurity disproportionately affect Tribal communities.

In rural Native American communities, poverty is two to three times higher than in white rural communities, and, despite much of the grasslands being used for agriculture, Native Americans are twice as likely to be food insecure than white people and are 25% more likely to remain food insecure in the future, reported South Dakota State University.

Restoration of bison herds on the Tribal lands of the Great Plains strongly correlates with the establishment of food sovereignty for the Plains Indians. However, the numbers of bison that would be needed to attain both restoration of herds and food sovereignty for Tribes are yet to be achieved, South Dakota State University reported.

A reintroduction plan entails a feasibility assessment. There are certain criteria that need to be met in terms of habitat requirements, population genetic viability, social tolerance, and funding. Every reintroduction is unique and needs to be tailored to a specific community and place, Shamon told EcoWatch.

According to South Dakota State University, theories derived from both commercial and conservation bison herds may need to be used for the successful reintroduction of bison on Tribal lands.

Future bison reintroduction success requires merging the concepts of conservation and commercial herds or the growth of both herds until production meets local community food demands and conservation meets ecosystem service needs, reported South Dakota State University.

The study recommended that management strategies for the reintroduction of bison on Tribal lands include Indigenous and cultural knowledge and be in keeping with the preservation of the bisons wild nature for commercial and conservation herds. It also recommended monitoring how the reintroduction of bison affects an areas biodiversity based on agreed upon monitoring and assessment standards.

We are renewing our relationship with the buffalo as our relative, they are central to our lives, said study co-author and member of the Pte stakeholder group, Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Roxann Smith, as South Dakota State University reported. Together, our community is reclaiming our traditional ways and piecing our ecosystem together again as we heal together.
By Derrick Z. Jackson

Given the rate at which the waters in the Gulf of Maine are heating up, Mainers may need to swap out the lobsters on their license plates for squid. All of New England could issue new specialty plates featuring creatures threatened by the speed climate change is slamming the gulf: a critically endangered right whale, a cute puffin, or a vanishing cod.

For all the escalating climate-related threats to iconic and commercially valuable marine life in the Gulf of Maine, though, scientists say there is one creature we should especially keep our eye on  a barely visible creature that helps those whales, puffins and cod survive: the zooplankton Calanus finmarchicus.

Often likened to a grain of rice, this copepod  or microscopic crustacean  is the keystone of the sub-polar food web that makes the Gulf of Maine one of Earths richest marine ecosystems. By munching on phytoplankton and microzooplankton invisible to the naked eye, Calanus pack themselves so densely with fatty acids that researchers call them butterballs of the sea. Species that directly eat Calanus at some point in their lives include herring, mackerel, cod, basking sharks, haddock, redfish, sand lance, shrimp, lobster and right whales. The tiny crustaceans fuel the vast North Atlantic food web, where bigger fish forage on smaller fish until the bigger fish end up in the bellies of seabirds, seals, tuna, other flesh-eating sharks and whales  or on our dinner plates.

Bigelow Laboratory zooplankton biologist David Fields has said that the ideal timing of the Calanus finmarchicus life cycle for fish larvae in the spring and whales in the late summer is one of the top examples of why the Gulf of Maine is beautifully intertwined and synchronous. It is what has made the ecosystem so productive.

That very synchronicity, Fields said, also makes Calanus highly vulnerable to the gulfs warming. It makes these tiny creatures a giant symbol of climate change. These metaphoric grains of rice in the ocean are now, like grains in an hourglass, slowly draining away.

Dramatic Declines

The Gulf of Maine already marks the southern end of the range for Calanus finmarchicus on this side of the Atlantic. With record warmth in recent years, the species is in a decline that correlates with right whales bypassing the gulf in search of food hundreds of miles to the north in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. There are also early correlations with a decline in baby lobsters. While scientists are often careful to say that correlations do not necessarily mean causation, the decline of Calanus populations coincides with current and projected declines for many fish populations in the gulf.

Last summer, a major summary paper on expected climate-driven changes to the Gulf of Maine by 2050 estimated that current global warming projections mean that populations of lobster, cod, haddock, pollock, herring, northern shrimp, Acadian redfish, and red hake will all be diminished further than they already are. That finding adds to a 2016 assessment by two dozen scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which found that more than half of more than 80 fish species on the Northeast US Continental Shelf have a high or very high probability of distribution shifts due to climate change.

This is despite valiant federal and state efforts to rebuild the stocks of several of those species, including haddock and redfish. Some of those shifts mean that as some species shrivel in prominence in the Gulf of Maine, other species historically more plentiful in the mid-Atlantic, such as longfin squid, butterfish and black sea bass, will likely be more present. Major effects are already being felt in New Englands fishing communities.

Core populations of lobster have moved northward more than 100 miles over the last half century, giving Maine a momentary boom while lobstering has crashed in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Long Island Sound. Last year was the most valuable in the history of Maines lobster industry, with 108 million pounds of crustaceans bringing in $725 million in value. But lobsters are moving so fast toward Canada that there are signs that Maine has already peaked in volume.

The 2021 catch was the third straight of about 100 million pounds, still down from the record range of 123 million pounds to 133 million-pounds from 2012 to 2016. Maines commissioner of natural resources, Patrick Keliher, said in a press release, Last year was one for the books and it should be celebrated. But there are many challenges ahead.

Compound Impacts

The bedeviling thing about the shifts, according to Andy Pershing, director of climate science at Climate Central, and one of the authors of the 2050 summary paper, is that warming is unleashing compound events that can spur species declines. As a human parallel, Pershing cited Hurricane Idas landfall last year in New Orleans. He noted that while some people died during the actual hurricane, far more succumbed to the heat wave that followed because of a lack of power and air conditioning.

In the oceans, the climate-driven warming temperatures set catastrophe in motion. One example is Maines northern shrimp, which was a sweet, crawfish-sized regional winter delight. The shrimp fishery has been closed since a crash of the species following the hottest waters on record in 2012. A study last year found that the crash was not directly due to the heat. It was more likely that shrimp were gobbled up by longfin squid attracted by the warmer waters. The studys authors said their findings provide further evidence that changing species interactions will have major impacts as ecosystems face disruptions due to climate change.

Catastrophic Effects on Seabirds

Last summer, I personally saw how compound events create chaos for seabirds at one end of the Calanus food web. I spent several nights on three islands managed by National Audubons Seabird Institute and the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. I had visited there many times since 1986, but had never previously seen so many carcasses of tern and puffin chicks strewn across the landscape. Nor had I experienced what I realized was a funereal quietude from the absence of terns screeching to help protect their chicks.

The die-off was the result of a relentless double whammy of heat waves and record rain events. Some chicks starved because the heat drove traditional puffin and tern prey  such as haddock, hake and herring  too far away or too deep for parents to catch. Others died of hypothermia because they could never dry out from the rain. Steve Kress, the retired founder of the 49-year-old Project Puffin, told me that Eastern Egg Rock, the first island he repopulated with that bird, endured 54 days of rain events. The prior record was 32.

Islands throughout New England reported record chick failures of puffins and various species of terns. Many puffin chicks that survived the onslaught were so underweight and undersized that researchers called them micro puffins. On Eastern Egg Rock, research assistants led to me to a spot where an adult tern and its chick appeared to die next to each other. They speculated that the chick died of hunger while the adult died in the vain effort to find enough food. You hear of humans dying of heartbreak, research assistant Jasmine Eason told me. This looked like it.

An adult tern and its chick lie dead on Eastern Egg Rock, Maine, possibly due to overexertion for the adult from trying to find food for the starving chick. Photo by Derrick Z. Jackson.

I heard heartbreak too from seabird researchers like I have never heard it. Longtime Canadian ecologist and seabird expert Tony Diamond, commenting on what hes seen on Machias Seal Island, the island in the gulf with the most puffins, said, Sometimes Im shocked by the meals the birds are bringing in compared to what we used to see. Thirty years ago, it was big, fat juvenile herring. Today, so many times, theyre bringing in tiny little fish in their beaks. Its not nearly enough to sustain them if this keeps up.

Fellow Canadian researcher Heather Major, Project Puffin ecologist Keenan Yakola, and Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) scientist Kathy Mills all worry about how the warming creates mismatches in when prey bloom and spawn and when predators come and go. The timing is crucial for migratory animals. Puffins, for instance, come to Maines islands for only about four months of late spring and mid-summer to breed. Right whales fatten up in New England and Canada for their winter calving waters off the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Climate change is threatening puffin populations by driving traditional prey  such as haddock, hake and herring  too far away or too deep for parents to catch. Here, an adult puffin settles for butterfish, a more southerly species too oval for its young to swallow. Photo by Derrick Z. Jackson

A species like the Arctic tern will leave for South America in the fall, but its survival the next year and the survival of its chicks may depend on everything thats happening in Maine while it is away, Yakola said.

Record Heat

What a tern, whale or puffin will return to after their winter migrations depends increasingly on whether humans act to curb the warming. The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) recently announced that last fall was the warmest on record in the gulf. Average sea surface temperatures in early October that used to hover around 60 degrees Fahrenheit were nearly five degrees warmer. Even in November, a month where temperatures historically descended into the high 40s, they stayed in the low 50s.

The data shows that sea surface temperatures last summer were the second warmest ever recorded in the gulf, four degrees Fahrenheit higher than the historical average. The six warmest summers ever recorded for sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Maine have all been logged since 2010. In 2020, the gulf hit a single-day sea-surface record temperature of nearly 70 degrees. The primary reason is that the warm Gulf Stream is expanding its presence as cold currents coming down from Labrador are losing their power.

Were getting to levels that are really exceptional, Mills said. Were already running ahead of climate models. Theres always going to be some year-to-year variability, but the warming has become a persistent pattern where variability doesnt get us back to normal, she added.

For cold-water sea animals, such a four-to-six-degree difference in sea temperatures is akin to stepping out of an air-conditioned home into punishing Arizona summer heat. The big question is can humans keep natures air conditioner running in New England.

Don Lyons, director of conservation at National Audubons Seabird Institute, home of Project Puffin, said he remains hopeful that the Gulf of Maine can inspire action on climate change because theres been so much investment in preserving so many species of animals and so much habitat. These waters are concentrated with historic conservation victories, from the restoration of puffins to the rebounding of fish stocks, and from the 1972 creation of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge to the 2016 creation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Marine Monument.

So far, the overall investment and vigilance in preserving the gifts of the gulf continues to pay dividends. Over the last decade, there have been enough cooler summers interspersed with the record heat to keep puffin populations at record levels, with at least one bird being 32 years old. Some cousins of the puffin, razorbills and murres, are increasing their population. Were not going to avoid all impacts, Lyons said. But I think its possible for us to bend the curve.

In a sign of a conservation victory, here a healthy, banded puffin in Maine returns to its young with a plentiful haddock catch. Photo by Derrick Z. Jackson

Bending the curve of course ultimately means curbing the fossil fuels driving the heat-trapping gases of climate change. It means that we cannot just ooh and ahh at whales and puffins; we need to look out for the health of creatures like Calanus finmarchicus. In the paper on the gulf at 2050, Pershing, Mills, Diamond and 10 other co-authors said this zooplankton is the signature invertebrate animal of the North Atlantic subpolar ecosystem.

Without it, theres no telling how many more whales we will see blowing at the surface, how many puffin will be bringing fat juvenile haddock for their chicks, or whether there will be a fat Maine lobster on your plate. It was only in 2016 that a campaign by schoolchildren resulted in officially designating the lobster as the state crustacean of Maine. Perhaps now there should be a campaign to make to Calanus finmarchicus the official plankton of New England, before they  and the lobsters they help sustain  are gone.

Derrick Z. Jackson is a UCS Fellow in climate and energy and the Center for Science and Democracy. Formerly of the Boston Globe and Newsday, Jackson is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a 10-time award winner from the National Association of Black Journalists, a 2-time winner from the Education Writers Association, a commentary winner from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and co-winner of Columbia Universitys Meyer Berger Award

Reposted with permission from the Union of Concerned Scientists.




Spain's swine slaughter and pork production increase 3% in January-October 2021

Spain's total number of swine slaughtered and pork production grew 3% from January to October 2021, compared to the same period in 2020, according to a report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) citing Spanish official data.

Additionally, there was an upward trend in carcass weight. The USDA also cited Eurostat data showing that the Spanish pig herd hit a record 32.796 million swine animals in 2021, a 5% rise compared to the previous year, while the sow herd grew 1%, to 2.635 million sows.

The Spanish pork sector struggled to remain economically profitable last year due to increased production costs, mainly in feed, electricity and labor costs.

Spain is a net pork meat exporter, shipping more than half of its domestic pork production.

From January-November 2021, total Spanish pork shipments rose 5% compared to the same period of 2020.

However, from July through November 2021, Spanish pork exports to China strongly declined by 42% due to lower Chinese pork demand. Other Asian markets for Spanish pork (North America, and Chile) developed positively in 2021 but did not offset losses from decreased Chinese demand since July 2021.

- USDA




Colombia sees 3.8% increase in pig slaughter numbers in 2021



There were 5.19 million head of pigs slaughtered in Colombia last year - a figure that represents an increase of 3.8% compared to the 5.00 million head harvested in 2020, according to information from Porkcolombia.

2021 was characterised by very positive results for the Colombian swine industry, supported by a significant increase in the demand for pork that was on par with the increase in prices.

The countrys pork production for 2021 closed at 491,233 tonnes, a 4.9% increase compared to the previous year (468,429 tonnes).

Imports saw an increase of 72.8% from 76,050 tonnes in 2020 to 131,443 tonnes in 2021. The increases seen in terms of slaughter, production and imports are related to the increase in per capita consumption which reached 12.2kg in 2021, up 13% compared to the estimated 10.8kg in 2020.

Live pig prices have reached historical levels throughout 2021, consolidating an annual average of COP$7,564/kg (US$1.92), up 38% compared to the average in 2020 (COP$5,841/kg; US$1.48).

- Pig333 / Porkcolombia
By Park Jae-hyuk







A renowned expert in machine learning joined LG Energy Solution (LGES) in its newly created position of chief digital officer (CDO), the company said Monday.







According to LGES, Pyun Kyung-suk from Nvidia's Silicon Valley headquarters will lead the Korean battery manufacturer's efforts to digitally transform its entire global facilities into data-centric operations.







"I will make efforts for the growth of LGES to lead the future of the global battery industry and for the development of Korea's manufacturing industry," the CDO said in a press release.







Pyun worked previously as one of five principal data scientists at the U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) computing company. He led multiple projects there as a lead architect in the field of autonomous vehicles, industrial AI and cloud AI.







In particular, he enabled Nvidia to enhance its competitiveness in quality by developing an inspection system to screen for manufacturing defects  a system that now forms part of the AI curriculum at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).







He has also networked with global experts in relevant fields by serving as a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, one of the world's largest professional associations for electrical and electronic engineers.







Before joining Nvidia, he worked for HP and Samsung Electronics.







He received his master's degree and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University, and his bachelor's degree in control and instrumentation engineering from Seoul National University.







"Dr. Pyun has gained global perspective and experience in operating and developing solutions for AI-based monitoring in smart manufacturing. We are thrilled to have him, as Dr. Pyun is the right fit who is capable of accelerating efforts to turn LGES' global battery manufacturing facilities into smart factories," an LGES official said in a statement. "Based on his accumulated experience in world-renowned firms, we expect LGES to take a further step forward in battery manufacturing processes by utilizing AI and big data technology."






Spain's import of piglets from Netherlands increases 22% in 2021



Spain imported a total of 1,552,851 piglets from the Netherlands last year, according to data from Dutch statistics service RVO.

The figure represents an increase of 22% over 2020 when 1.27 million Dutch piglets were imported. Imports were experiencing a significant increase over the last six years, from 194,000 head in 2006 to 1.55 million in 2021, an increase of more than 700%.

2021 started with significant increases in the number of imported piglets, which gradually decreased to end with weekly values below those of 2020.

- Pig333 / RVO.
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Pitt student Michael Burke, 21, gets a COVID-19 booster shot from nursing student Colette Sayegh, on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, at the Peterson Events Center in Oakland, Pa. Millions of individual Americans immune systems now recognize the virus and are primed to fight it off if they encounter omicron, or even another variant. (Andrew Rush/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP, File)
Experts say these deaths are likely from the surge the county saw when the omicron variant emerged.
The exterior of a Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Services Center is seen on May 28, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. In the wake of Missouri recent controversial abortion legislation, the states' last abortion clinic is being forced to close by the end of the week. Planned Parenthood is expected to go to court to try and stop the closing. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
P. J. O'Rourke, author of "Peace Kills: America's Fun New Imperialism", speaks during panel discussion during a luncheon at the Book Expo America convention, Saturday, June 5, 2004, in Chicago. ORourke, the prolific author and satirist who re-fashioned the irreverence and Gonzo journalism of the 1960s counterculture into a distinctive brand of conservative and libertarian commentary, has died at age 74. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey, File)
In this Dec. 11, 2018 file photo, then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke speaks at EPA headquarters in Washington. Government investigators say Zinke misused his position to advance a development project in his Montana hometown and lied to an agency ethics official about his involvement. The Interior Department's inspector general said in a report made public Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, that Zinke continued working with a foundation on the commercial project in the community of Whitefish, Montana even after he committed upon taking office to breaking ties with the foundation. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
Customers enter Lotte Department Store in Dongtan on Aug. 20, 2021. Yonhap



By Kim Jae-heun



Lotte, Shinsegae, Hyundai and Galleria are battling for an increasing number of high-income, young salaried workers south of Seoul, as large IT firms have established offices in the newly developed communities of Dongtan, Pangyo and Gwanggyo, respectively in the Gyeonggi Province cities of Hwaseong, Seongnam and Suwon, according to industry analysts Monday.



Shinsegae and Hyundai set up their department stores in Yongin and Pangyo in 2007 and 2015, respectively. They are competing with newcomers like Galleria and Lotte, which opened their branches in Gwanggyo and Dongtan in 2020 and 2021, respectively.



Gyeonggi Province was less attractive than Seoul for department store chains in the past. Chains did run shops in the area, but they did not sell luxury brands, which are synonymous with big margins for retailers.



However, after Samsung Electronics moved 700 employees from Seoul to Dongtan in 2016, followed by IT giants like Naver and Kakao setting up their headquarters in Pangyo, department stores began to target young and wealthy customers living in southern Gyeonggi Province.



Hyundai Department Store's Pangyo branch saw sales surpass 1 trillion won in the last two years. It is the only department store in Gyeonggi Province to achieve over 1 trillion won in revenue. It has been successfully attracting customers living nearby in Gwanggyo as well as the cities of Yongin, Anyang and Yeoju, and its sales increased year-on-year by 23.2 percent to 1.24 trillion won.



"The commercial district of southern Gyeonggi Province is growing steadily thanks to the convenience of accessibility via the Gyeongbu Expressway. Large companies like Samsung Electronics and Naver have come to the region and retailers are competing against each other to target the high-income IT firm workers," a Hyundai Department Store official said.



Populations are growing in the regional cities of Yongin, Hwaseong and Osan, which encourages retailers to expand their businesses in the vicinity.



Lotte Department Store opened its Dongtan branch last August and successfully established itself there by achieving 235.5 billion won in sales in only four months. Lotte plans to attract customers living in a 5-kilometer radius of its Dongtan branch, who find travelling to Gwanggyo or Yongin too far.



Galleria Department Store does not want to lose its customers to Lotte in Gwanggyo, and is putting much effort into opening at least one boutique for Hermes, Chanel or Louis Vuitton at the branch.



In 2021, its sales soared by 60.9 percent from the opening year of 2020 to reach 601.6 billion won.



"Gwanggyo branch is important to us. We introduced the world's largest Samsung Electronics store there and the number of international luxury brands helped our sales in the town to increase," a Galleria Department Store official said.



Galleria's prospering business in Gwanggyo adversely affected Shinsegae Department Store's sales in Jukjeon, which is only 7 kilometers away. Shinsegae showed only a 15.2 percent sales increase, which is lower compared to its three rivals.


Athens, AL (35611)

Today

Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 63F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 63F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Lincoln confirmed it will put the MKZ out to pasture in 2020. The sedan is based on the Ford Fusion, which is also scheduled to retire in the coming months as the company pivots towards high-riding models.

Introduced at the 2012 New York Auto Show, the MKZ is the oldest member of the Lincoln portfolio by a wide margin, so its demise hardly comes as a surprise. The firm quietly broke the news as it announced plans to release an electric SUV built using technology borrowed from Rivian. The 2020 model is already out, and Lincoln tells Autoblog production will end in mid-2020, with sales continuing through the rest of the year. There will be no 2021 model.

Though never a home run, the MKZ will be remembered as a significant car because it ushered in the design language that characterizes every model Lincoln sells in 2020 when it received a mid-cycle update for the 2017 model year. And, with up to 400 horsepower on tap, it also stood out as the most powerful production Lincoln ever released. Power and an elegant design weren't enough to give the nameplate a significant boost, and annual sales dropped to 17,725 units in 2019 from a peak of 34,009 cars in 2014. Even the Navigator outsold it.

In recent years, the MKZ perplexingly became the autonomous car world's darling. Faraday Future, Didi Chuxing, Aurora , and Qualcomm are among the companies that tested their technology with MKZ-based prototypes.

Lincoln explained the Hermosillo, Mexico, factory that makes the MKZ and the Fusion will "prepare for production of new Ford vehicles," but it didn't specify which ones. There's absolutely no evidence the company is developing a direct replacement for its entry-level sedan, so the Continental will carry the torch on its own. Its days might be numbered, too, because several unverified reports claim Lincoln will again consign the nameplate to the attic in the coming years to free up the production capacity it needs to build electric cars in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Once it goes, Lincoln's range will be entirely sedan-free for the first time since the company was created in 1917. Some automakers still believe in the sedan, like Audi, but Lincoln seems to be a student of Ford's philosophy.

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ROMAN NOSE STATE PARK, Okla.  Fishermen could be back on the lake this summer if all goes as planned with a new dam structure at the state park near Watonga, Okla.

Engineers had to go back to the drawing board after draining Lake Watonga last spring to allow repairs to the earthen dam at Roman Nose park, according to Chaz Patterson, northwest region fisheries supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

A sinking suspicion

The work last summer was put on hold after subsurface water along the bottom of the dam was discovered as a contractor was cleaning the back side of the structure.

When heavy equipment was placed in the drained lake bed, water began seeping up from the ground, Patterson said, making it impossible to place the equipment where it was needed and providing a poor foundation for the reconstructed dam.

On the path forward 2022: Bulding a resilient community: ALL NWOK, AG AND ENERGY STORIES On the path forward 2022: Building a resilient community is a special section that will publish in the Enid News & Eagle for eight Sundays

Engineers needed time to determine where the water was coming from, how deep the subsurface water extended and how they could safely and permanently remove the water, Patterson said.

Whenever they go to help build back the dam, they need a solid foundation, he said.

Speaking after a conference call on the matter Wednesday, Patterson said all the questions have been answered, and work should begin soon to start removing the water so the 70-year-old dam structure can be renovated to last in to the next 50 years and possibly beyond.

Were getting close to the point of getting started again, Patterson said, adding that after Wednesdays call the completion date is looking like sometime in June. But any weather delays could push it back further  Other than that, everything is going to plan.

The original problem

Lake Watonga had been drained last April so workers could repair the earthen dam constructed with Lake Watonga by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation in 1955.

Patterson quote You have to tackle the issues as they come up. This was an unexpected issue that wasnt discovered until we started working. It takes time to work through the logistics and fix it, and thats what were going to do. Its not a real simple easy fix. We want to do the due diligence and get it right. Chaz Patterson, northwest region fisheries supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

The dams pipes were rusting and deteriorating for several years, and about five years ago the pipes failed, Patterson said last April. Water started leaking through the pipes, washing the backside of the dam out.

As water kept going through the pipe and washing out the dam, the problem kept getting worse and worse because that flow was continuous all the time, he told the News & Eagle last August. We would have lost the dam if it would have continued.

The lakes level was pulled down to help at that time, but repairs couldnt wait any longer. The department began removing fish from Watonga Lake in April, relocating them to other lakes, Patterson told the News & Eagle in August.

Patterson said then plans were for pipes to be dug out of the center of the dam and a concrete structure installed on the lake side to catch the overflow water, which will be the primary structure.

The backside of the dam will be repaired and repacked and the crew will bring dirt in to bring it back to grade, Patterson said in August.

Spillways on the northwest and southeast sides will be renovated and re-armored, as will the face of the dam.

A new plan

To combat the subsurface water found after the lake was drained, engineers are going to put additional French drain pipes in the back of the dam to collect and remove water accumulated due to the leaking dam, Patterson said.

You dont know how long it will take to replace a pipe, he said. Theres a lot more work than taking a metal pipe out, thats just part of it.

He said such projects have to be handled with patience.

You have to tackle the issues as they come up, he said. This was an unexpected issue that wasnt discovered until we started working. It takes time to work through the logistics and fix it, and thats what were going to do. Its not a real simple easy fix. We want to do the due diligence and get it right.

We dont want to have any issues for a long time. Thats why you have to be so thorough. You dont want to have to come back and have to repair something else.

Once subsurface water is gone and the dam repaired, the lake will be spring-fed again, which Patterson estimates will take a month to fill. Fish will be restocked, he said, and Lake Watonga will be back to normal.

Patterson said the delays have been frustrating.

But you just have to remind yourself that these problems come up, he said. You got to tackle it one thing at a time and keep moving forward.
Philippines urges European investors to back green bond after COP disappointment

The Philippines has urged European investors to support its forthcoming $500 million green bond debut after the "disappointing" response of developed nations to support climate finance for emerging economies at the COP26 climate conference.

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Sunday, February 20, 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)

A new initiative announced by the Biden administration is designed to help bolster the country's defenses against possible cyberattacks on the country's 150,000 public water systems that serve 300 million Americans.

According to a White House fact sheet, the Water Sector Action plan outlines actions that will take place over the next 100 days to improve the cybersecurity of the water sector.

It noted that, "the incidents at Colonial Pipeline, JBS Foods, and other high-profile critical infrastructure providers are an important reminder that the federal government has limited authorities to set cybersecurity baselines for critical infrastructure and managing this risk requires partnership with the private sector and municipal owners and operators of that infrastructure."

Similar to electric and pipeline action plans, the White House said the new plan will assist owners and operators with deploying technology that will monitor their systems and provide near real-time situational awareness and warnings. The plan will also allow for rapidly sharing relevant cybersecurity information with the government and other stakeholders, which will improve the sector's ability to detect malicious activity.

'An Increasing Threat To Water Systems'

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said cyberattacks represent an "increasing threat to water systems and thereby the safety and security of our communities."

"As cyber-threats become more sophisticated, we need a more coordinated and modernized approach to protecting the water systems that support access to clean and safe water in America," Regan said. "EPA is committed to working with our federal partners and using our authorities to support the water sector in detecting, responding to, and recovering from cyber-incidents."

According to the EPA, The Water and Wastewater Sector Action Plan focuses on promoting and supporting the water sector's adoption of strategies for the early detection of cyber-threats and allow for the rapid sharing of cyber-threat data across the government in order to expedite analysis and action. Actions include:

Establishing a task force of water sector leaders.

Implementing pilot projects to demonstrate and accelerate adoption of incident monitoring.

Improving information sharing and data analysis.

Providing technical support to water systems.

Advisory From Federal Security Agencies

Last October, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency issued a joint advisory with other security agencies. It highlighted "ongoing malicious cyber activityby both known and unknown actorstargeting the information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) networks, systems, and devices of U.S. Water and Wastewater Systems (WWS) Sector facilities.

"This activitywhich includes attempts to compromise system integrity via unauthorized accessthreatens the ability of [water systems] to provide clean, potable water to, and effectively manage the wastewater of, their communities."

Cyberattack On Florida Water Treatment Facility

CNN reported last year that, "Cybersecurity experts have long warned that insecure remote work software is a major source of weakness for hacking.

"The issue was brought into stark relief on February 5, when hackers gained access to a Florida water treatment facility by using a dormant remote access software and then tried to poison the water supply. The hack was quickly caught by a human operator at the facility, but the incident highlights a potential economy-wide problem as the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed millions of workers to work from home."

Attempt To Poison Water Treatment Plant

In June 2021, NBC News reported that a hacker tried to poison a water treatment plant that served parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. "It didn't seem hard. The hacker had the username and password for a former employee's TeamViewer account, a popular program that lets users remotely control their computers, according to a private report compiled by the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center in February and seen by NBC News.

"But of all the country's critical infrastructure, water might be the most vulnerable to hackers: the hardest in which to guarantee everyone follows basic cybersecurity steps, and the easiest in which to cause major, real-world harm to large numbers of people."

'Starved For Funding'

Riggs Eckelberry, founder and CEO of OriginClear, a water treatment equipment company, observed that, "Washington has displayed a dismaying lack of interest in our 150,000 water systemsperhaps because they are local and relatively unregulated. The reasons are complex but the bottom line is we are falling behind by $75 billion every year in terms of water infrastructure need.

He noted that, "We are quite unprepared" for a major cyberattack on U.S. water system. "There are few reservoirs of clean water outside of the municipal water districts and we are frankly, not ready."

###
Monday, February 21, 2022

1157

Wikipedia says the capital of Russia moved from Kiev to Moscow that year, as Moscow was a minor trading center compared to the great city of Kiev. The Russian Orthodox Christian church was founded in Kiev by Andrew the Apostle. Andrew the Apostle put up a cross at the site of a future great city on the Dnieper River and now that is a hallowed site in Kiev. Kiev was the capital of the Duchy of Moscow in the 14th century in another account.

1856

The "Charge of the Light Brigade" becomes a legend as British cavalry attack the Russians in Crimea. This illustrates the long affiliation of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia. The long-standing Russian desire for a warm water port makes Sevastopol and Crimea an essential part of the Russian Empire and a threat to maritime Britain, the leading world empire at the time.

1941

Ukrainians fed up with Stalin's purges initially welcomed the invading Germans. But then they found out Hitler was worse than Stalin and joined the resistance. Stalin moved the factories out of Ukraine back to the Ural Mountains, saving the production he needed to win the war. Decades later, Russian Jews became a leading immigration group to the new state of Israel. Many have gone to the settlements on the West Bank.

1954

New Premier of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev, a Russian who became Ukrainian, transfers the Russian speaking peoples of Crimea and the Donbas from Russia to Ukraine, with the idea that the two republics and peoples were inseparable, so it didn't seem to matter at the time.



Khrushchev was born in the Donbas when it was still a part of Russia. Khrushchev became president of Ukraine and was brought back to the politburo in Moscow just prior to Stalin's death as he became the dark horse candidate for Premier when Stalin died. As Premier he brought his homeland into Ukraine his first year out of love for Ukraine.

1991

Ukraine, third largest nuclear power in the world at the time, destroys its nuclear weapons in exchange for Russian promises by treaty to never invade Ukraine.

1991

First Bush president promises Russia that NATO will not expand Eastward into Eastern Europe.

1994

Last Russian troops leave Berlin September 1994, as Russia completes withdrawal from Eastern European Warsaw Pact occupied countries.

1997

American President Clinton begins the process of expanding NATO into Eastern Europe, especially the Baltic States.

2014

Putin moves in "green men" troops just prior to a plebiscite in Crimea, wherein the people vote to be a part of Russia. The occupation may have influenced the 98% approval, as those opposed probably did not vote. But the vote under more fair circumstances would probably still be overwhelming. Jealous, the Russian speaking peoples of the Donbas rebel against the central government of Ukraine and ask Putin to intervene. Putin resists at first, then eventually goes along with the rebels, preferring to limit Russian direct involvement largely to providing arms.

2020

Minsk agreement passes UN general assembly unanimously December 20. This allows some autonomy in the two Donbas provinces. Ukrainian parliament refuses to approve agreement, no doubt frustrating the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, Zelenskyy and Putin.

2022

"Bellicose Western assessments" says Ukraine, are more a problem than the Russians. President Zelenskyy fears alarmist statements will encourage business to leave Ukraine, allowing Putin to destroy the Ukrainian economy just by threatening.

NATO

The NATO alliance is just a defensive alliance, says the West, nothing for Russia to fear. Oh, really?

What about Kosovo vs Serbia in 1999 or Afghanistan 2001, or when NATO members France, Britain, and USA attack Libya in 2011. What about refusing to let Russia join NATO? Putin's fears are not unrealistic.

Empire Problem

It has been said that those who come to believe absurdities can easily be led to commit atrocities.

Witness what happened in storming the US capital January 6, 2021. The growing acceptance of militarism and empire in the USA since WWII has taken the republic a long way down the road to fascism and dictatorship, a lot like what happened to the Roman Empire. The Empire run by Emperors gradually eclipsed the Roman Senate. In the modern American example, the imperial presidency has all but eclipsed the exclusive congressional right to declare war. Obstructionism in congress shows how far demonization of the other side has eroded the essential democracy principles of tolerance and forbearance. Honeymoons disappear for Democratic Party presidents. Tradition of being united in overseas policies also disappears.

Captives of the Military Industrial Congressional Media Complex

Much of congress has become attached to their local examples of the military industrial congressional media complex. Yes, truth is the first casualty in war. Most congresspeople and presidents do not understand how military spending is a dead end for economic growth. They keep using the military to stimulate local economies and fail to see the widespread manufacturing job loss that comes with every military buildup. Kowtowing to the warmongers becomes rampant among politicians, with little deference to the other side's claims. Empire becomes a Cold War legacy as Gulf War 1991 is ginned up to keep the military money addiction going. Media get caught up in "if it bleeds it leads" seeking high wartime ratings.

Wargaming View

From a wargaming point of view, it is clear from the map that Ukraine points like a dagger into the heart of Russia. It is no wonder Putin is freaking out about Ukraine joining NATO or the EU. Furthermore, Putin fears the example of a successful democracy next door might inspire Russians to replace him with someone like Navalny. In the West, people keep ignoring the twenty-year effects of $5 billion in USA money and operations that helped depose the Russian leaning leader for a Western leaning leader in 2014, forcing an alarmed Putin into action. Why are so many Ukrainians dying (14,000) to keep territories, once a part of Russia, that don't want to be a part of Ukraine? Why isn't the Minsk agreement the solution?

Six summary pages from new book:

https://www.academia.edu/69983378/Weather_Wealth_and_Wars_Empire_and_Climate_Discoveries_Change_Everything

New Book:

Weather Wealth & Wars, Empire and Climate Discoveries Change Everything!

This 400-page book was copyrighted October 29, 2021 with a price of $20 postpaid (paypal).

Please cite this work as follows: Reuschlein, Robert. (2022, February 21), "Ukraine War Absurdities" Madison, WI, Real Economy Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.expertclick.com/NewsRelease/Ukraine-War-Absurdities,2022267645.aspx

Dr. Peace, Professor Robert Reuschlein, Real Economy Institute, Nobel Peace Prize nominee 2016-2021 with accelerating interest from the deciding Norwegians. A consistently growing pattern shows intense interest in my work on my expertclick.com website; daily "hard looks" per year went from 2 to 3 to 48 to 128 to 200 to 322 by the October 8th, 2021 Nobel Peace Prize announcement.

Contact: bobreuschlein@gmail.com Info: www.realeconomy.com
The story of Tom and Eyvette Hetheringtons nearly 100-year-old home is a fairly happy one, with a roster of owners whove been drawn to its graceful Italian Renaissance-style lines and thoughtful craftsmanship.

Everyone who has owned the house, it seems, added on a room or a feature completely in harmony with the architecture, and so have the Hetheringtons, turning its basement  a space not often found in Houston  into a gorgeous wine room.

Tom caught the wine collecting bug on his first trip to Napa nearly 25 years ago, and the local attorney has always wanted a large cellar.

Now he has one, with refrigerated, walk-in spaces that can hold hundreds of bottles on each end of the basement and a beautiful center hang-out area with contemporary furniture. Its all set against a backdrop of cool gray concrete blocks and a rough ridge of concrete  part of the homes original foundation  that stretches around the room and forms an unusual mantel for the fireplace.

Julie Soefer Julie Soefer The concrete foundation works as a mantel in the wine room. / Julie Soefer The concrete foundation works as a mantel in the wine room. / Julie Soefer

The house we moved from had a wine cellar, and it was nice, but it wasnt a destination. It was a closet, said Tom, 49 and a Houston native whos a founding partner at the McDowell Hetherington law firm. This was something that I wanted. The basement is a very unique space in the house.

Millwork and racks for bottles of wine are made of mahogany, wood that youll find elsewhere in the 6,500-square-foot home.

A little history

Houstons population grew dramatically in the early 20th century, doubling between 1900 and 1910 and nearly doubling again by 1920. Upscale neighborhoods popped up in a variety of places, including what was then called the South End with Courtlandt Place, Montrose, Boulevard Oaks and other neighborhoods near what was then Hermann Hospital and the Rice Institute.

Thats where Ned and Linda Eppes built this house, one of the citys first that was made of concrete. Ned Eppes was a concrete pioneer selling concrete pipe for sanitary sewers, drain pipes and other infrastructure to cities all over Texas and the region, so it was natural that he wanted a home made of this material, too.

Julie Soefer

Designed by architects John McLelland and Brickey, Wiggins and Brickey, the home was built in 1926 and now is on the National Register of Historic Places and has Texas Historic Landmark status.

Changing needs

When the coronavirus pandemic shut down work, school and everything else in March 2020, the Hetheringtons  Tom and Eyvette , their three kids and two dogs  found themselves struggling for places where everyone could have a little privacy. Daughter Blake is from Toms first marriage and is a sophomore in college now. Their daughter Ellie is a sophomore at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts and son Tommy is in eighth grade at Annunciation Orthodox School.

Before the pandemic, theyd have told you their house was fine. Suddenly together all of the time, they were competing for space  indoors and out.

When Tom and Eyvette saw this home in July 2020, they immediately fell in love with it, made an offer and moved in. It had been well cared for and didnt need any remodeling or changes to get rid of unwanted colors or finishes.

But they did want to start over with furniture and called on Laurie Pearson of L. Pearson Design, who they knew because their kids attended school together at Annunciation Orthodox School. Pearson decorated every room in the home and helped with finishes in the new wine room, too.

Travel had come to a halt, and the Hetheringtons wanted a backyard that felt like a getaway. A prior owner added a loggia, and with the pool and palm trees, it felt a little like a trip to South Florida.

We both really like Miami, and the house had a great Mediterranean feel. We werent traveling as much and it felt like a vacation spot, a resort, said Eyvette , a retired attorney who recently turned 51. We dont like the cookie-cutter look in a house, and it was so different from things that weve seen.

Even as travel restrictions have eased, the Hetheringtons remain home based. Yvette is a cancer patient  she calls herself a cancer fighter  initially diagnosed in late 2015. Treatment left her in remission until she was diagnosed again with stage 4 colon cancer in August 2019, which shes still fighting.

Shes praying for a miracle or a cure  or both  and wants to make the home as comfortable as she can for her family.

Everyone gets something

The formal living room may not get used every day, but its a beautiful room where anyone can curl up with a book. The grand piano that came with the house gets plenty of use  Blake and Ellie both play.

Pearsons goal was to embrace the homes historical look, its hardwood floors, mahogany millwork and arched doorways without being too stodgy with the furnishings.

I didnt want it to be super traditional, because I wanted it to look updated, not older and old school. You have to be careful when youre trying to mix the two looks, Pearson said.

Julie Soefer Julie Soefer The Houston home of Tom and Eyvette Hetherington. / Julie Soefer The Houston home of Tom and Eyvette Hetherington. / Julie Soefer

Embracing color, they opted for Toms favorite color in the living room in a pair of blue velvet sofas, blue print pillows, a clear acrylic table, blue Murano glass lamps and a blue and white rug. Then they found the perfect piece of art at Dimmitt Contemporary Art, a piece of geometric art in shades of blue by painter Sarah Ferguson.

Off of this room is a sun room, where they can watch TV or go for a Zoom call or private conversation. Their goldendoodles, Bella and Beau, love this room because they can see everyone walking by outside.

Julie Soefer Julie Soefer The home office has a view of the front, side and backyards. / Julie Soefer The home office has a view of the front, side and backyards. / Julie Soefer

The formal dining room already had nice window treatments and a Swarovski crystal chandelier. The Hetheringtons brought their dining room furniture from their prior house, reupholstering the chairs in a lively pattern with swirling Chinese dragons on a blue and white background.

Julie Soefer Julie Soefer The couples traditional dining chairs were recovered in a lively print with Chinese dragons. / Julie Soefer The couples traditional dining chairs were recovered in a lively print with Chinese dragons.

Weve been sick a long time, so we havent used the dining room a lot. We like to entertain, and wed like to use the room, Tom said. One of these days  Im sure well use it again for big holiday dinners.

Julie Soefer

The more casual spaces where the family gathers are the den, a few steps down from the kitchen, and breakfast area, a slim space thats full of charm.

Julie Soefer Julie Soefer Peacock blue wallpaper adds charm in the breakfast room. / Julie Soefer Peacock blue wallpaper adds charm in the breakfast room. / Julie Soefer

The breakfast area was a small room with plain white walls, so Pearson installed bold teal grasscloth wallpaper and a small, space-saving banquette with a modern table and chairs. They opted to keep a pair of original built-in corner cabinets, embracing the homes history.

A blue sectional sofa fills the small den, where they watch TV and the dogs have full access to the furniture.

Julie Soefer

From here, a back staircase leads to the kids game room, where Ellie and Tommy hang out when cousins visit, and where Tommy plays video games. It has white Lovesac sofa that the kids chose, fuchsia drapes and built-in cabinets painted turquoise. Decorative pillows are a lively mix of the two colors, and whimsical giraffe art is sure to draw a smile.

Julie Soefer

The primary bedroom suite  bedroom, bathroom, closets and an office  got the blue-and-white treatment, too, with a dark blue and white polka dot tete-a-tete at the end of the bed and a comfortable chair and ottoman in dark blue.

Julie Soefer Julie Soefer The Houston home of Tom and Eyvette Hetherington. / Julie Soefer The Houston home of Tom and Eyvette Hetherington. / Julie Soefer

Since Tom works long hours and often stays up late, he did not use this office when Eyvette needed to sleep or recover from cancer treatment. So she seized it as her own, a place to get things done and peer out the windows at the lovely view in three directions.

This new home meets the overlapping needs of everyone in the family, and the loggia, pool and beautiful backyard proved to be more valuable than any of them imagined.

The outdoor space was a benefit we have hugely enjoyed that we didnt anticipate, Eyvette said. We have two big tables out there, and our family can come over and we can eat outside. We have blankets for when its cool, and we can enjoy wine outside. Its a slice of heaven in the Museum District.
President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed "in principle" on Sunday to meet, U.S. and French officials said, leaving a narrow window for diplomacy as Russia appeared on the brink of launching a new war in Ukraine.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said the two leaders had accepted the meeting and it would take place only if an attack doesn't occur. The details of the summit will be worked out this week, when Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Although senior U.S. officials say they believe that Putin has made a decision to invade, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that U.S. officials "are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins." She confirmed that Biden accepted the invitation - "again, if an invasion hasn't happened."

She also reiterated the administration's position that Russia seems to be "continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon."

Amid the diplomatic efforts, the United States has warned the United Nations that it has credible information showing that Moscow is compiling lists of Ukrainians "to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation," according to a letter obtained by The Washington Post. The letter does not describe the nature of the intelligence that undergirds its assessment.

The developments came after Russia continued to keep in place 30,000 troops it has deployed in neighboring Belarus despite earlier promises to withdraw them by Sunday. Earlier in the day, top administration officials echoed Biden's assessment from Friday that Putin has made a decision to invade within days.

"Everything leading up to an actual invasion appears to be taking place," Blinken said Sunday morning on CNN's "State of the Union."

Blinken said U.S. officials will "use every opportunity and every minute we have" to see if Putin can be dissuaded. Blinken has sought to meet again with Lavrov this week. "The plan is still to do that - unless Russia invades in the meantime," Blinken said.

As The Washington Post first reported Saturday, Biden became confident of Putin's plans to invade after receiving a report that the U.S. intelligence community became aware of an order given to Russian subordinates to proceed with a full-scale attack, according to several people familiar with the matter. The United States obtained intelligence on the order as Russian military and security officials were taking steps to implement it, and did so very recently, the people said.

Biden convened a rare Sunday meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room, conferring with top advisers including Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Vice President Kamala Harris called in from Air Force Two on her way back to Washington from Munich, said an administration official who, like some others in this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

A separate senior administration official said that the meeting ran about two hours and touched on recent diplomatic conversations and work by the Treasury Department, which oversees sanctions. Officials also addressed efforts by the Defense Department, which has deployed thousands of troops to Romania, Bulgaria and Poland in recent days to reassure NATO allies in the region.

More than 150,000 Russian forces are amassed at the Ukrainian border, marking the largest military buildup in Europe since the end of World War II. The move to extend Russian military exercises in Belarus has drawn the concern of Western officials, who have noted the country offers the Kremlin a shortened path to assault the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv from the north.

The military chief for Belarus, Viktor Khrenin, cited the "aggravation of the situation" in eastern Ukraine as reasons for the joint exercises with Russia to continue.

Khrenin said the military would continue exercises "to ensure an adequate response and de-escalation of military preparations of ill-wishers near our common borders." Just four days ago, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei told The Post that "not a single serviceman" and "not a single piece of military equipment" from Russia would remain in Belarus after the exercises concluded.

The U.S. government remains concerned about U.S. citizens in Russia facing unexpected violence. In a security alert on Sunday, the State Department warned of threats against shopping centers, railway stations and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow, and advised Americans there to be aware of their surroundings and avoid crowds.

Blinken reiterated that Americans in Ukraine should not count on the U.S. government to evacuate them. The United States will have consular services available along the Ukrainian border with Poland, "but in terms of evacuation, that's not going to happen," the secretary said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

In a Facebook post from Sunday night, the Ukrainian military contended that "Russian occupation forces" had carried out "yet another provocation" aimed at falsely implicating Ukrainian troops in violence. In this case, heavy fire was aimed at Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine.

"With Ukrainian defenders refraining from any aggressive acts that could possibly trigger a violent response, the occupation forces continue to destroy civilian infrastructure on the temporarily occupied territories and sporadically shell civilian settlements," the statement said. "It is obvious that the adversary continues to use the Russian propaganda machine to wage information warfare, to falsely accuse the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to further escalate the situation."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday pleaded with Western governments to reveal their sanctions plans against Russia to serve as a deterrent, while accusing leaders of appeasing the Russians. U.S. officials said they have not done so to prevent Russia from taking steps to avert or soften any blows from sanctions.

Blinken said Sunday that the United States and European partners have built a "massive package of sanctions" against Russia, and that the point of them is to deter Russia from going to war.

"As soon as you trigger them, that deterrent is gone," Blinken said. "And until the last minute, as long as we can try to bring a deterrent effect to this, we're going to try to do that."

Harris, speaking to reporters after attending a security conference in Munich, said officials planned "some of the greatest sanctions, if not the strongest, that we've ever issued," and said they would "exact absolute harm for the Russian economy and their government" if Russia invades.

But she warned that even though the Biden administration has ruled out sending U.S. troops to fight in Ukraine, the crisis could affect Americans.

"In this situation, that may relate to energy costs, for example," Harris said. "But we are taking very specific and appropriate, I believe, steps to mitigate what that cost might be if it happens."

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby also defended the decision to wait on triggering new sanctions. While what is planned is "unprecedented," Kirby said, Russia has not yet invaded.

"If you punish somebody for something they haven't done yet, then they might as well just go ahead and do it," Kirby said on "Fox News Sunday." "So, we're holding that in advance and we're hoping that that could affect the calculus of Mr. Putin."

The discussions about sanctions came as the international community waited to see whether Putin would unleash an assault on Kyiv and the human suffering that would go with it.

Austin, speaking on ABC's "This Week," warned that Putin could take control of the capital city very quickly.

"We see a lot of tanks and armored vehicles there. We see a lot of artillery. We see rocket forces," Austin said in an interview recorded on Friday while he was in Poland. "If he employs that kind of combat power, it will certainly create enormous casualties within the civilian population."

Austin said the sanctions planned will "have effects that Mr. Putin has not realized before," and predicted they also will affect Russian citizens.

"The decisions that he's making now will bring about a lot of pain and suffering on his comrades in Russia," Austin said.

Russia's continuing bellicose posture and steady artillery fire attacks in the eastern separatist regions of Ukraine have dimmed hopes for an effective diplomatic resolution.

Still, Macron spoke with Putin for about 90 minutes on Sunday, according to Kremlin pool reports. Macron's office said that the two leaders agreed to resume diplomatic discussions through the Normandy Format talks, an arrangement established seven years ago by France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine to resolve conflict in eastern Ukraine, and for the French and Russian foreign ministers to meet in the coming days.

The Kremlin's statement was more vague, saying that "taking into account the acuteness of the current state of affairs, the presidents considered it expedient to intensify the search for solutions to diplomatic means."

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was the "last country" to speak of war. Peskov called on the United States and NATO military alliance to see reason and ask themselves why Russia would attack anyone. He added that the West is fueling hysteria with claims of a Russian attack, even as Russian troops and weapons appeared to be moving closer to the Ukrainian border.

Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the United States, said during a contentious interview on CBS's "Face the Nation" that Russia has withdrawn a lot of troops from the Kaliningrad area "and nobody even sent us a thank-you." Kaliningrad is nestled between Poland and Lithuania and does not border Ukraine.

Antonov denied that there are plans to invade and said that Russia has the right to deploy where it wants on its own territory.

"Russian troops are on sovereign Russian territory," Antonov said, overlooking the Russian forces it also has in Belarus and Moldova, another former Soviet state.

Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, said during a separate interview on the same program that over the last few days, Ukraine has seen a stark difference between what Russian officials have claimed and done.

"While preparing to defend our country, we're using every possibility to still choose the diplomatic path and force Russia to choose the diplomatic path," Markarova said. "We are calling not only on the aggressor, which is Russia, but also on all of our friends and allies to get together and use every opportunity to still deter Russia from invading."

- - -

Lamothe and Wang reported from Washington, Khurshudyan reported from Severodonetsk, Ukraine, and Dixon reported from Moscow. The Washington Post's Sean Sullivan, Ashley Parker, John Hudson, Missy Ryan Sammy Westfall and Ellen Nakashima in Washington contributed to this report.
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San Antonio police are searching for the suspect in a deadly shooting at a North Side apartment complex.

Officers were called to the Coronado Apartments, at 9525 Lorene Lane, for a shooting in progress. When they arrived, they found a man in his 20s in the street. It is unknown whether he was transported to the hospital.

Officials at the scene said there was a woman with the victim who was unharmed.

Witnesses said the victim was arguing with another man at the time of the shooting but could not provide any additional suspect information.

This is an ongoing investigation.

RELATED: 2022 San Antonio homicide map

Taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II speaks during an audience where she met the incoming and outgoing Defense Service Secretaries at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, Feb. 16. Reuters-Yonhap





Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19, Sunday, but is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, Buckingham Palace said, adding that she still plans to carry on working. The diagnosis prompted concern and get-well wishes from across Britain's political spectrum for the famously stoic 95-year-old.







Britain's longest-reigning monarch and a fixture in the life of the nation, the queen reached the milestone of 70 years on the throne Feb. 6, the anniversary of the 1952 death of her father, King George VI. She will turn 96, April 21.







The palace said the queen, who has been fully vaccinated and had a booster shot, would continue with ''light'' duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week.







''She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines,'' the palace said in a statement.







People in the U.K. who test positive for COVID-19 are now required to self-isolate for at least five days, although the British government says it plans to lift that requirement for England this week.







Both the queen's eldest son Prince Charles, 73, and her 74-year-old daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall contracted COVID-19 earlier this month. Charles has since returned to work. There are also thought to be several recent virus cases among staff at Windsor Castle, where the queen is staying.







Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, said the queen would likely be given one of several antiviral drugs that have been approved in the U.K. to treat COVID-19.







''If you do get them early enough, it does reduce the risk of severe disease developing, so I would imagine any doctor for a patient in their 90s would be considering giving these antivirals,'' he said.







A host of senior British politicians sent get-well messages on Sunday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: ''I'm sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from COVID and a rapid return to vibrant good health.''







Health Secretary Sajid Javid wrote that he was ''Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a quick recovery,'' while opposition Labor Party leader Keir Starmer wished the queen ''good health and a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Ma'am.''







A file Buckingham Palace handout image released Feb. 6 shows Britain's Queen Elizabeth II smiling as she sits in Sandringham House in Norfolk, eastern England, Feb. 2. AFP-Yonhap





Elizabeth has been in robust health for most of her reign and has been photographed riding a horse as recently as 2020. In the past year she has been seen using a walking stick, and in October she spent a night in a London hospital for unspecified tests.







The queen's doctors ordered her to rest after that and she was forced to cancel appearances at several key events, including Remembrance Sunday services and the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland in November.







This month she returned to public duties and has held audiences both virtually and in person with diplomats, politicians and senior military officers. During one exchange caught on camera last week, she walked slowly with a stick and said ''as you can see I can't move'' in apparent reference to her leg.







The queen delivered two televised messages to the nation early in the pandemic in 2020, and has sought to lead by example. She let it be known she had been vaccinated, and last year sat alone during the funeral of her husband of 72 years, Prince Philip, because of coronavirus restrictions.







Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said members of the royal family are probably more concerned than the queen about her situation.







''I would guess that she will be matter-of-fact about the diagnosis in a way perhaps that the people around her are less matter-of-fact,'' he said.







The queen has a busy schedule over the next few months of her Platinum Jubilee year, and is scheduled to attend in-person public engagements in the coming weeks, including a diplomatic reception at Windsor, March 2, and the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, March 14.







On March 29, she has a remembrance service at Westminster Abbey for Philip, who died in April 2021 at 99.







Public celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee are scheduled over a long June 2 to 5 weekend, with festivities including a military parade, a day of horse racing and neighborhood parties.







The queen is the latest monarch from around the world to catch COVID-19. Queen Margrethe of Denmark, 82, and Spain's King Felipe VI, 54, both tested positive for the illness earlier in February and had mild symptoms.







Her diagnosis comes after a difficult week for Britain's royal family.







On Tuesday the queen's second son, Prince Andrew, settled a U.S. lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed he had sexually abused with her when she was 17 and traveling with the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew strenuously denied the claim by Virginia Giuffre. He agreed in a settlement to make a substantial donation to his accuser's charity.







On Wednesday, London's Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into allegations that people associated with one of Prince Charles' charities offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure honors and citizenship in return for donations. (AP)


Texas experienced a spike in deaths the week of the February 2021 winter storm unlike any other in the past six decades, another data point that suggests fatalities attributable to the disaster are far higher than the states official count.

The Texas Department of State Health Services in December said the storm killed 246 people, from various causes, including hypothermia, carbon monoxide and medical emergencies caused by the loss of electricity. A Houston Chronicle analysis of weekly deaths in Texas since 1964, however, found more than 1,000 deaths during the third week of February in 2021, that could not be explained by historical patterns or COVID-19.

Its clear something is going on there, said Dr. Bob Anderson, chief of mortality for the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, which also tracks excess death data. Thats a pretty big jump in February that seems to correlate with the blackout. Its theoretically possible that something else could be driving that, but it seems pretty compelling.

Texas communities from the Panhandle to Rio Grande Valley experienced below freezing temperatures for several days. Widespread blackouts beginning Feb. 14 left more than 4 million homes and businesses without power; for many, electricity was the only source of heat. Freezing pipes led to boil water advisories for more than 12 million Texans.

In the Houston area alone, Rodrick Draper, 47, froze to death in a vehicle in Acres Homes; Pramod Bhattarai, 23, died from carbon monoxide after using a charcoal grill indoors, and four members of a family perished in Sugar Land after a fireplace blaze they had started for heat grew out of control.

Texas, like every state, has experienced far more deaths than expected since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, which further obscures the increase in fatalities the week of the freeze. The Chronicle examined weekly deaths since 1964, when the state health department began keeping those records, to view the freeze week in a historical context.

The winter storm and outages occurred during the winter 2021 COVID-19 wave in Texas. A total of 6,484 Texans died during the seven-day period, the eighth-deadliest week during the pandemic, according to state health department data.

Excluding the coronavirus deaths makes the spike in fatalities clearer. Without them, the freeze week stands not only as the deadliest of the pandemic, but perhaps the deadliest in Texas history, except for the second week of September 1900, when a hurricane struck Galveston and killed 6,000 to 12,000 people.

Raw numbers are a flawed metric because as the population of Texas grows, so does the annual number of deaths. The freeze, however, also stands alone when measured by deviation from historical trends.

Two stand out.

The first is the size of the one-week spike in deaths. Past years saw periods of elevated deaths, especially during winter flu seasons. However, only the week of the freeze, excluding COVID deaths, had at least 15% more fatalities than the preceding and following weeks.

The second shatters the expected number of deaths based on historical patterns. Comparing different parts of a single year is difficult because of the cyclic seasonality of deaths in Texas, which peak in winter and dip in summer. So, the Chronicle compared the number of deaths each third week of February from 1964 through 2019. On average, deaths grew at a rate of 2.0% during that period; prior to 2021, the highest single-year increase was 15%.

During the week of the 2021 freeze and blackouts, deaths jumped 29% from the year before. Excluding virus deaths, no other week of the pandemic saw an increase that high. Of the 2,860 weeks between 1964 and 2019, only six had a greater year-over-year jump in deaths.

So, how many Texans died because of the blackouts and winter storm? Experts say that question, because of all the variables surrounding deaths that week, is difficult to answer.

Based on historical trends, deaths for the week of the winter storm should have increased slightly more than 4 percent compared to 2019  the last pre-pandemic year. This produces a projection of 4,142 deaths.

However, Texas tallied 6,484 deaths that week. Subtracting 1,212 recorded COVID-19 fatalities, leaves 1,130 deaths unexplained.

Is 1,130 the death toll from the blackouts? Probably not, said Anderson of the CDC. He said other potential drivers of deaths must be factored in, including undiagnosed COVID deaths and non-virus deaths caused by the pandemics strain on the health care system. These occur every week, however, and cannot account for the surge in deaths during the freeze.

Some of these excess deaths are going to be due to these other causes, for sure, Anderson said. You just wouldnt expect those to spike in a single week.

This week, Israeli statistician Ariel Karlinsky presented to the Legislature his research that concluded an extra 814 Texans died during the storm and blackouts than otherwise would have based on historic trends.

Karlinsky said he believes the states tally of 246, which the health commissioner said included deaths directly and indirectly attributable to the storm, is inaccurate. He expressed disappointment the death toll has become a partisan point of contention between Republicans and Democrats.

What is to be done  whether its winterizing, connecting the power grid, subsidizing it, thats a political and economic question, Karlinsky said. The number of people who died is not.

zach.despart@chron.com
Texass primary election is especially important this year. Thats because Republican lawmakers redrew the states political maps after the 2020 Census to fortify their majorities.

With most legislative and congressional districts now carefully configured to favor one party, many races effectively will be decided in the March primary.

Here is a roundup of hard-fought Democratic and Republican primary contests for federal, state and local offices in the San Antonio area.

Early voting ends Friday. Election Day is March 1.

28th Congressional District, Democratic primary

In perhaps the most closely watched congressional primary in Texas, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar is again trying to fend off progressive immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros, after narrowly defeating her in 2020.

Cuellar, one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, was already under fire from the left before FBI agents searched his home and campaign headquarters in January, upending the race.

Authorities have not disclosed the nature of the investigation, but ABC News has reported that a federal grand jury sought records from organizations with ties to the oil-rich former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. Cuellar has visited the country and served as chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus. Cuellar has said the investigation will show that there is no wrongdoing on my part.

The presence of a third candidate, educator Tannya Benavides, raises the possibility of a runoff if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote.

The district, newly drawn to include a larger share of San Antonio, runs all the way to the border, including Laredo, the hometown of both Cisneros and Cuellar.

28th Congressional District, Republican primary

Though Cuellar won re-election in 2020 by a margin of 19 percentage points, national Republicans are targeting this seat, sensing opportunity in a potential GOP wave year and the possibility Cuellar could lose the Democratic primary.

Seven Republicans are seeking the nomination. The three who have raised the most funds are Ed Cabrera, a rancher and businessman; Cassy Garcia, a former staffer for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who is backing Garcia in the primary; and Willie Ng, a former San Antonio police officer and Republican nominee for Bexar County sheriff.

35th Congressional District, Democratic primary

With longtime congressman Lloyd Doggett running for a newly drawn congressional seat in deep-blue Austin, four Democrats are running to replace him in the 35th Congressional District, which stretches from Austin to San Antonio.

Former San Antonio city councilwoman Rebecca Viagran is among the contenders. But two Austin-based candidates have attracted the bulk of the fundraising and endorsements: former Austin city councilman Greg Casar and state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez.

Both are touting their liberal bona fides. Casar, a democratic socialist and former labor organizer who championed some of Austins most progressive policies in recent years, has the support of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Rodriguez, who is backed by a number of his statehouse colleagues and at least three Texas members of Congress, argues that he would be a more effective legislator than Casar, pitching himself as the progressive who makes progress.

Texas House District 122, Republican primary

State Rep. Lyle Larson, by some measures the most moderate Republican lawmaker in Austin, is retiring from the Legislature, creating an opening in his red-leaning northern Bexar County district.

Four Republicans are competing to succeed him: attorney and trucking industry executive Adam Blanchard, former San Antonio city councilwoman Elisa Chan, financial executive and Air Force veteran Mark Cuthbert, and former Bexar County Republican Party chair Mark Dorazio.

Blanchard has easily led the field in fundraising, boosted by endorsements from Larson and Texans for Lawsuit Reform, an influential tort reform group. But Chan has loaned her campaign $750,000, allowing her to nearly double Blanchards spending through mid-January. Dorazio has trailed in fundraising, though he maintains close ties to GOP activists and has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Bexar County Judge, both parties

Three Democrats with varying resumes but few discernible policy differences are competing for the countys top elected post, which has been held by the retiring incumbent, Nelson Wolff, since 2001.

The wide-open primary features Ivalis Meza Gonzalez, former chief of staff for Mayor Ron Nirenberg; state Rep. Ina Minjarez, a former prosecutor in the Bexar County District Attorneys Office; and Peter Sakai, a former district court judge and city attorney for local municipalities. A fourth candidate, Gerard Ponce, has raised only a few hundred dollars and has unsuccessfully sought a number of local offices in recent years.

Two Republicans are running in the GOP primary: Nathan Buchanan, a small business owner and former constable candidate, and Trish DeBerry, a former public relations executive who resigned as Precinct 3 commissioner to run for county judge. Buchanan has reported minimal fundraising, positioning DeBerry to represent the party in November.

Republicans last won an election for Bexar County judge in 1998.

15th Congressional District, both parties

The district remains anchored in Hidalgo County along the border and stretches all the way north to Wilson and Guadalupe counties just east of San Antonio. But it will have new representation next year, after Republicans tweaked the boundaries to favor a GOP candidate and incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez decided to run for a neighboring seat instead.

Nine Republicans are running for the seat, led by the 2020 nominee, Monica De La Cruz, who was recently endorsed by former president Donald Trump and is backed by Republican House leadership. A super PAC aligned with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has supported De La Cruz and run radio attack ads against one of her main primary foes, Mauro Garza.

Six Democrats are seeking their partys nomination, including Eliza Alvarado, a former staffer for Gonzalezs predecessor, Ruben Hinojosa, and co-founder of a nonprofit that focuses on voter registration; Ruben Ramirez, an Edinburg attorney and Army veteran endorsed by Gonzalez; John Villarreal Rigney, an Edinburg attorney and small business owner; and Michelle Vallejo, a small business owner from the McAllen area.

Texas Senate District 24, Republican primary

Three Republicans are running for this newly crafted state Senate district, which sweeps around the west side of Bexar County, covering all of Medina County and parts of the Hill Country and Atascosa County. The latter is home to former state senator Pete Flores, a Republican who is making a comeback bid for the seat being vacated by state Sen. Dawn Buckingham, who is running for land commissioner.

Flores, who lost re-election in a different district in 2020, is backed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has appeared on the stump with with Flores and cut his campaign a $150,000 check. Flores main rival, former congressional candidate Raul Reyes, has called Flores a lapdog, suggesting he would be beholden to Patrick and the Senate leadership.

Reyes himself has raised the vast majority of his campaign cash  $300,000 out of nearly $323,000  from a single source: Billy Hopper, the retired sheriff of Loving County, a tiny community in far West Texas located well outside the district.

Texas House District 124, Democratic primary

Three Democrats are running for the west Bexar County seat held by state Rep. Ina Minjarez, a Democrat who is running for county judge. The field consists of Josey Garcia, an Air Force veteran and co-founder of a nonprofit that provides humanitarian aid to migrants; Steven Gilmore, a San Antonio criminal defense attorney; and Gerald B. Lopez, a Northside Independent School District trustee.

Texas House District 31, Republican primary

After nearly two decades as one of the most moderate Democrats in the Legislature, longtime state Rep. Ryan Guillen switched to the Republican Party last year, shortly after his south Texas district was reconfigured to favor a GOP candidate.

In his first time on the GOP ballot, Guillen is backed by a laundry list of prominent Republicans, including Trump, Patrick, Abbott and Speaker Dade Phelan. He is being challenged from the right by primary opponents Alena Berlanga, a nurse who serves on the Floresville Independent School District board of trustees, and Mike Monreal, a construction executive and retired Navy captain.

Statewide races to keep an eye on:

Land Commissioner, both parties

With incumbent Republican George P. Bush running for attorney general, 12 candidates are vying to take over the Texas General Land Office, which administers disaster recovery after major storms, oversees the Alamo and contributes oil and gas royalties to the state's $44 billion public school endowment.

State Sen. Dawn Buckingham, an eye surgeon from Lakeway, has emerged as the favorite in the Republican primary, winning the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and top Texas Republicans. But with eight GOP candidates running, she may be pushed into a runoff.

The four-candidate Democratic primary includes conservationist Jay Kleberg and Austin attorney Jinny Suh.

Agriculture Commissioner, Republican primary

Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is battling for a third term against East Texas state Rep. James White and rancher and economics professor Carey Counsil. Both have accused Miller of being ethically challenged, pointing to corruption charges filed against a top aide who is accused of soliciting bribes from farmers in exchange for hemp licenses.

Miller, who calls the indictment baseless, is supported by Trump and has maintained a wide lead in public polls.

Attorney General, both parties

Though all public polls have him well ahead of his three primary challengers, Attorney General Ken Paxton could be forced into a runoff against either Land Commissioner George P. Bush , U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert or former state Supreme Court justice Eva Guzman .

All three have argued that Paxtons legal entanglements would make him vulnerable against the Democratic nominee in November. The Democratic hopefuls include former ACLU attorney Rochelle Garza, former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski and civil rights attorney Lee Merritt.

jasper.scherer@chron.com
On Sunday afternoon family and community members gathered to honor Lina Sardar Khil, a San Antonio girl who went missing on Dec. 20 and has yet to be found. Lina's fourth birthday was Sunday.

We had prayed that today she would be with us, and we would be having a celebration, instead we are having an observance. It is very solemn, said Pamela Allen, Founder and CEO of Eagles Flight, an advocacy group which works with refugee families. It was our hope above all hopes that we have her here celebrating her fourth birthday.

Around 2 p.m., more than 50 people gathered under a wooden pavilion in a courtyard of the apartment complex where the Khil family lives on the Northwest side of the city.

Red balloons were tied to the pavilions wooden beams. Violin music played over the quiet crowd. Prayers and songs were shared, and four doves  one for each year of Linas life  were released into the air, along with 12 more doves representing family members sending their love to Lina in hopes of bringing her home safely.

RELATED: Police search Fredericksburg lot for missing Lina Khil after tip about burial site

Today is to remember and pray for Lina, said Riaz Sardar Khil, Linas father, through translator Iawang Mangal. We have not forgotten her. Today is to (remind) law enforcement officers that now is two months, and we dont have Lina with us.

Today brings together the American community and Afghan community and Muslim community from different countries, Khil said. We are all together to show the unity and remember Lina and give a positive message.

Jessica Phelps

On Dec. 20 Lina disappeared from a playground at the Villas del Cabo apartment complex, where her family lives. Police and other community search groups have been searching in the area around the complex without success.

Police also have searched areas in Fredericksburg in response to several tips. Divers from the FBI looked in creeks about two miles from Linas home, the Express-News previously reported.

I feel in my heart she is alive, Khil said. Law enforcement has never found anything that she is alive or dead. That is why I am hoping she is alive, and we will get her back.

The total reward for information that helps find Lina increased to $250,000 as of Sunday. The Islamic Center for San Antonio has increased its donation to $200,000 for Lina, KSAT reported. In addition, $50,000 of the reward has been offered by Crime Stoppers for information that results in an arrest.

Jessica Phelps

Khil said he thankful to the Islamic Center for its efforts to get Lina back.

Jessica Phelps

It is a lot of money that could get Lina back but what I think is, we dont need money, Khil said through a translator. Just please feel our pain and give back Lina. Please pray for Lina.

There is just a lack of answers, said Frank Trevino, a community member who has been helping coordinate community searches for Lina. Trevino has been volunteering with searches for missing people since 1997 and runs his own private community search group.

Jessica Phelps

Usually, you have some inkling of what happened and how it happened. In this case there is nothing, Trevino said. I have walked these grounds time and time again trying to figure out what, where and when. But there are just no answers, there is really nothing.

We pray for the soul of Lina today, said Kenny Vallespin, pastor at Summit Church, who addressed the group. Father God, you know where her soul rests today. Father God, if you just offer her life to you. Please let the events that appear today glorify you but also celebrate the beautiful life of Lina.

claire.bryan@express-news.net

Jessica Phelps

Jessica Phelps

Jessica Phelps
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While Emily Rhodes classmates daydreamed about roller-skating and rainbow-colored Lisa Frank posters, commerce was on her mind.

The eighth-grader at New Life Academy thought of how her mother bought candy in bulk at Sams Club and decided to parlay that purchase into a payday. She packed the candy in her backpack and sold the treats to classmates before lunchtime  $1.25 for a Twizzler, $1 for a pack of Skittles.

I was always the one trying to find business in something, said Rhodes, 35.

But there was one hitch  she hadnt factored in her mother missing the cache of candy.

At age 11, Rhodes made a decision that guides her every day  she walked down the long center aisle at New Life Church and accepted the Lord.

Faith is the foundation for Rhodes life and her Christian-based business, Upright Cleaning (www.commercialcleantexas.com). Shes one of San Antonios rising African American entrepreneurs, with a company that cleans construction sites, offices and realty properties in and beyond San Antonio.

Robin Jerstad /Contributor

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio professor uses lessons learned from European unrest to teach U.S. politics

About the author A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning. See More Collapse

Wearing a hard hat, safety vest and steel-toed boots, Rhodes works with her team, pressure-washing surfaces, disinfecting rooms and stripping and waxing floors. But before the team starts work, she has everyone bow their heads and leads them in prayer.

Rhodes said her 15-member team has cleaned hospitals, fast-food franchises and the recently restored City Hall. Contracts also have included work with the Border Patrol, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Rivercenter mall and SeaWorld.

From 2005 to 2006, she attended the University of Houston, but she felt there was another venture to pursue. So during the summer, Rhodes worked at a financial firm to earn $4,000 to buy a Dodge Neon. Then came an exit strategy from the company that she knew wouldnt fulfill her ambitions.

Thirteen years ago, Rhodes tried selling vacuum cleaners door to door. After her first sale, she learned the customer had bad credit. She turned to a temporary services agency for employment. That resulted in three callbacks. Rhodes picked a telemarketing company. On the second day, the company shut her division down. She said that in hindsight, those jobs were not meant to be.

Im learning to be grateful for the open doors and the closed doors, Rhodes said.

Robin Jerstad /Contributor

On ExpressNews.com: At 84, this unsung Samaritan serves homeless on South Side of San Antonio

Her hearts desire was not to come home on the holidays without gifts for her family. She put an ad for general cleaning on Craigs List and had two responses; one read, HELP! MOM WITH LAZY KIDS! She cleaned both homes and made $200 that day.

Carolyn Spencer, an older friend, told her there was money to make in the cleaning industry. Rhodes bought two books: Jump Into Janitorial and Construction Cleanup. Rhodes reached out to Ron Piscatelli, author of Jump Into Janitorial, for help. After sending emails and handing out business cards, Rhodes was cleaning three houses a day.

The next year, Rhodes was referred to a landscape business owner, Hector Garcia. He asked her to partner with him on a janitorial contract for the Border Patrol in eight cities. During the 90-day probation period, Rhodes was involved in hiring workers and training them on her way of cleaning.

Rhodes prayed for guidance to start her own business. And when she decided to clean construction sites, her mother, Tina Jackson, 53, asked for specifics. Rhodes drew up a plan and presented it. Jackson said her daughter started with small sites, got her certification and license, and bloomed from there.

Shes always been a go-getter, Jackson said. When she locks her mind on something, she can do it. Im so proud of her.

On Rhodes mantle sits a photo of her grandmother, Sara Watson, who cleaned homes in New York state. It reminds Rhodes that shes expanding her ancestors legacy for the next generation.

She credits mentors who have helped her, like Mindy Jackson, who shared insights about the industry.

Businessman Frank Dunn first met Rhodes at a networking lunch. Impressed by her drive, he said he would probably ask her for a job one day.

Robin Jerstad /Contributor

I want other young ladies that look like her to know that they can do this kind of work, Dunn said. Theres a whole industry of everything out there.

He recalled visiting Rhodes when she was trying to get a contract on a hotel south of the city. With hard hats on, Dunn watched as Rhodes talked to the prospective client, explaining her teams work process. The man asked Dunn when he was going to say anything.

Thats her company, Dunn replied.

Rhodes got the contract.

Her being the only woman on site has been a learning experience for some clients. Rhodes has had moments when clients have addressed her as sweetie or honey. Shell respond that maybe they forgot her name is Emily Rhodes.

Its a kind correction to let them know Im not that person, Rhodes said. Dont disrespect me or disrespect yourself.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios own Ted Lasso: Lifelong optimist believes human kindness can win the day

Now, shes sharing her philosophy of being bold but humble. She created Kingdom Business Classes, an eight-week online streaming class to help others start their own businesses.

Rhodes said shes learned grace from her team leaders and workers. Shes had team members who have overcome lifes struggles, such as drug addiction, and she loves to see them turn their lives around.

Theres not a day that we dont need a second chance, Rhodes said. Why not give it to someone else?

Team leader John Wall, 48, said working with Rhodes has been an education.

I just enjoy the work, Wall said. Its a good opportunity. Were looking for that differential between when we walk in, and we want a wow effect when we walk out.

Rhodes celebrates her teams milestones, birthdays and the Christmas holiday. At the end of each job, the woman who stepped out on faith joins workers to inspect the site for any last touch-ups.

I love when they see a project done, Rhodes said, and spending time with them and saying, Wow, we did this.

vtdavis@express-news.net
CONROE  Hundreds of people crammed into the veteran-themed Honor Cafe here Saturday as Marcus Luttrell, the retired Navy SEAL of Lone Survivor fame, made the case for sending his twin brother Morgan to Congress.

But in between praise for Morgans toughness, Marcus Luttrell also took thinly veiled shots at Christian Collins, his brothers much younger rival in the March 1 Republican primary.

Nothing against anybody running against my brother, but if youre a boy trying to be a man in this world, youre in the wrong spot, Marcus Luttrell said.

About a 15-minute drive south on Interstate 45, the 33-year-old Collins was in the middle of his own rally at Grace Woodlands church, where he was joined by two of his most prominent supporters: U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, both members of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus. Up the road, Marcus Luttrell needled Collins  without mentioning him by name  for bringing in people from out of state just to talk smack about me and my brother.

The 11-candidate Republican primary to succeed retiring congressman Kevin Brady has divided conservatives in Houston and Washington, with the vast majority of local officials, donors and deep-pocketed outside groups lining up behind either Collins or Morgan Luttrell. The two align on virtually every major policy issue, and both have attracted the support of right-wing conservatives, though Collins is more assertively throwing his lot in with the partys far-right faction and focusing on topics that animate the most devout Trump supporters  enthusiastically calling for a nationwide audit of the 2020 election, for one.

Luttrell  a former Navy SEAL, like his brother  also vows to aggressively support conservative policies in Congress, listing priorities that include building a southern border wall, stopping radical classroom indoctrination and ending federal vaccine mandates. Likening the D.C. swamp to a war zone, he says his time on the military battlefield has primed him for the vicious political fights that have come to define national politics.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle

But Collins, a conservative activist and political operative who previously worked for Brady and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, insists that Luttrells rhetoric is undermined by his support from a super PAC with close ties to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California. Collins also frequently notes that Luttrell, 46, is backed by two Republicans, U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw of Houston and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who have sparred with the partys far-right faction  represented by Greene and others who prize uncompromising loyalty to former President Donald Trump and his agenda.

Framing himself as an insurgent willing to play hardball with Republican House leadership, Collins pledged Saturday to formalize his alliance with Greene and other like-minded members by forming an America first, patriot squad, a reference to the four-member squad of progressive Democrats that includes U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

The question for this district, Congressional District 8, is not whether we will elect a Republican, because we will. Its what type of Republican, Collins said. My race isnt about me versus the other guy, or whatever. This race is about the people versus the Washington establishment, the globalists, the uniparty.

At a debate this month, Luttrell defended his support from the McCarthy-affiliated super PAC, saying the group is backing him because Im a better candidate, plain and simple. He also vowed to never come off the line on certain issues and suggested that standing up to House leadership presents a lesser challenge than the life-or-death decisions he faced in the Navy.

Luttrell also sideswiped Collins at the debate for bashing Kinzinger, whose outspoken criticism of Trump has alienated him from the party. Disavowing Kinzingers anti-Trump actions, Luttrell said his campaign had returned a $5,000 check he received from Kinzingers PAC last year, though he also pushed back on Collins characterization of Kinzinger as a traitor.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

I dont agree with anything Adam says politically anymore. But that man is not a traitor to his country. He fought in a war for his country, Luttrell said, before turning to Collins. Did you? No, you didnt.

Cawthorn, speaking at Collins rally Saturday, said it was after watching the debate that he decided to endorse Collins over Luttrell  resolving that the latter embraced a laissez-faire, hands-off approach to governing in Washington, D.C.

The America-first patriots have to come around Christian Collins so that we have someone who wants to come to Washington, D.C., not just to take up a seat  but to go up there to actually get something done, Cawthorn said.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

With less than a week left of early voting, the race has seen a cascade of outside spending, led by a $593,000 infusion from the McCarthy-aligned super PAC last week to fund a TV ad promoting Luttrell. The 30-second spot says Luttrell will crush the woke mob and protect Texas energy, like he did serving in Trumps Energy Department  a reference to Luttrells role as a special adviser under former Energy Secretary Rick Perry. (Trump has not endorsed a candidate in the primary.)

Even with the pro-Luttrell TV ad, Collins has benefited from most of the outside spending in the race, including more than a half-million dollars apiece by a super PAC affiliated with the House Freedom Caucus and a super PAC funded entirely by Robert Marling, a banking executive from The Woodlands. Another super PAC called Drain the DC Swamp, largely funded by a Colorado-based GOP megadonor who has also supported far-right Republicans such as Greene and U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, dropped $75,000 on direct mail and texting to support Collins.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

The torrent of outside spending has helped Collins remain financially competitive with Luttrell, who had raised nearly $2.2 million through Feb. 9, more than five times as much as Collins. Former Navy judge advocate general Jonathan Hullihan, who has hauled in $196,000, was the only other candidate to break six figures.

Four other GOP candidates had raised between $17,000 and $44,000 since the start of the campaign: former Navy helicopter pilot Dan McKaughan, businesswoman Candice Burrows, Willis public works director Taylor Whichard and Jessica Wellington, a former district director for retired congressman Ted Poe. The four remaining candidates had not reported any fundraising.

The winner will face the lone Democrat to file for the seat, former San Jacinto County Democratic Party chair Laura Jones. The seat, though heavily reconfigured during last years redistricting process, is expected to easily remain under Republican control. Under the new boundaries, Trump would have carried the district with 63 percent of the vote in 2020.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle

Despite retaining its partisan makeup, the district lost about 175,000 residents from south Montgomery County, while also ceding most of its northern rural territory to neighboring districts. It now includes more than 300,000 new residents in west Harris County.

One of the districts longtime residents, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, told attendees at Luttrells rally Saturday that Luttrell was within reach of an outright win March 1  potentially allowing him to avoid a grueling May runoff election.

Heres my message to you: We dont want (Luttrells wife) Leslie and Morgan having to work three more months and raise another million-and-a-half dollars, Patrick said. We want to win a week from Tuesday!

Staff writer Cayla Harris contributed to this report.

jasper.scherer@chron.com


Australias reopening for international travel over the next three weeks is expected to provide a notable uplift in passengers for select markets across the former Yugoslavia, as the region saw significant traffic flow to and from the continent prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Most Australian citizens and residents can now travel abroad. As of tomorrow, entry into most Australian states will be permitted to anyone with a valid visa, while from March 3, the state of Western Australia, which boasts a large Croatian, Macedonian and Serbian ethnic population, will finally permit its citizens and residents to leave the states boarders after two years. Australia expects huge pent-up demand to generate close to record travel during the upcoming Southern Hemisphere winter. Australias reopening for international travel over the next three weeks is expected to provide a notable uplift in passengers for select markets across the former Yugoslavia, as the region saw significant traffic flow to and from the continent prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Most Australian citizens and residents can now travel abroad. As of tomorrow, entry into most Australian states will be permitted to anyone with a valid visa, while from March 3, the state of Western Australia, which boasts a large Croatian, Macedonian and Serbian ethnic population, will finally permit its citizens and residents to leave the states boarders after two years. Australia expects huge pent-up demand to generate close to record travel during the upcoming Southern Hemisphere winter.





Gulf carriers accounted for over 70% of travel between Australia and the former Yugoslav markets prior to Covid-19. Their performance in the former Yugoslavia has been hit hard by the continent adopting one of the strictest boarder policies in the world. These measures forced the suspension of Emirates service to Zagreb, Etihad Airways to Belgrade and Qatar Airways operations to Skopje and Sarajevo. The Qatari carrier has also slashed its frequencies to the Croatian capital from fourteen weekly to three weekly, while its operations to Belgrade have now mostly recovered, alternating between five and seven weekly rotations compared to daily flights two years ago.





Croatia has seen the largest number of passengers travelling to and from Australia compared to the remaining markets in the former Yugoslavia. In addition to having a sizable diaspora in Australia, Croatia has seen strong passenger growth from the continent due to tourism, with the country becoming increasingly popular Down Under. Based on OAG data, in 2019, the last full year Australian nationals and residents were permitted to head overseas, 62.888 travelled indirectly between the two countries, meaning they either started or ended their journey in Australia or Croatia on a single itinerary. Based on that data, passengers travelled the most from Sydney and Melbourne to Zagreb. Croatia also saw a notable number of Australian passengers arriving in Split and Dubrovnik. Qatar Airways was the main carrier of choice between the two markets, with over 40% of all travellers opting to fly the Qatari carrier via Doha. In 2020, the airline was also planning to introduce seasonal operations to Dubrovnik to cater for the Asian and Australian markets. However, those plans did not materialise due to the pandemic. Qatar Airways was followed by Emirates as the preferred airline for transfers between Croatia and Australia, while combinations with Star Alliance member carriers, mainly Croatia Airlines and Singapore Airlines, were also popular. Another regional carrier, Air Serbia, profited from its codeshare cooperation with Etihad, with just over 1.400 passengers flying in combination between the two to reach either Croatia or Australia, making it the sixth busiest airline between the two markets. Emirates has said it hopes to restart its flights to Zagreb.





Busiest Australia - Croatia routes in 2019









Busiest airlines for indirect traffic between Australia and Croatia in 2019

Serbia was the second largest EX-YU market from Australia with Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane providing the biggest number of passengers. Qatar Airways was again the carrier of choice, handling 41% of the Serbia  Australia market. It was followed by Etihad Airways with 32%, and the Emirates - Flydubai combination, which accounted for 11% of passengers. Although Qatar Airways has managed to quickly rebuild its frequencies to Belgrade thanks to a notable increase in travellers from India, it plans to maintain between five and seven weekly flights to the Serbian capital this summer, although this could be revised as the Australian market fully reopens. Etihad Airways, which catered for a significant portion of passengers between the two countries, has said it is evaluating the possibility of resuming flights between Abu Dhabi and Belgrade.





Busiest Australia - Serbia routes in 2019









Busiest airlines for indirect traffic between Australia and Serbia in 2019

Macedonia was closely behind Serbia in terms of passenger flow to and from Australia prior to the pandemic. Gulf carriers relied on transfer traffic from Down Under to feed the bulk of their flights to Skopje. A whopping 62% of passengers flew with Qatar Airways between the two markets, followed by Turkish Airlines and its codeshare partners, which held an 11% share of the market, and the Emirates - Flydubai combination with a 10% passenger share. Both Qatar Airways and Flydubai suspended their services to the Macedonian capital in March 2020 and are yet to restore flights. The Dubai-based carrier has tentatively scheduled its return to Skopje for late October, however, Australias reopening could see the two Gulf airlines revise their plans for the Macedonian market.





Busiest Australia - Macedonia routes in 2019









Busiest airlines for indirect traffic between Australia and Macedonia in 2019




Sterling, VA (20165)

Today

Rain showers this evening becoming steadier and heavier overnight. Low 57F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening becoming steadier and heavier overnight. Low 57F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
GREAT FALLS  With support from the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee (MWBC), four wheat and barley varieties developed by Montana State University (MSU) Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology were approved for public release during the annual stakeholders meeting held at the beginning of the year.

Montana wheat and barley producers see their crop check-off investments come to fruition at this highly anticipated meeting when the Varietal Release Committee decides to release Montana cultivars. This year, the committee voted to include MT in the naming of all new varieties released by MSU.

This change will bring clarity at the seed dealer for producers looking to purchase Montana State developed varieties, said Executive Vice President Cassidy Marn. We are hopeful that it will continue to brand the highly successful public breeding program and improve the marketability of our genetics. Combining producer input, extensive agronomic trials and end use targets, these new varieties are a fit for your operation, and for our buyers around the world.

The four new crop varieties released include:

Spring Forage Barley: A cross between Lavina and CDC Cowboy resulted in the more reliable, harvest flexible MT16F02902. A taller, high yielding, awn less forage with extended grain fill period that is certain to be widely adapted in the northern plains, Dr. Jamie Sherman is hopeful to name the new release MT Cowgirl. MT Cowgirl will bring common sense, reliability and profits to producers looking to plant this new release. Lets face it, a farm doesnt need a cowboy anymore. The MT Cowgirl has proven to be the backbone of the operation.

Semi-Dwarf Spring Durum: MTD18313 is a spring durum with a pedigree of Alkabo/Brigade/Alzada/Strongfield. MTD18313 has high yield potential under dryland environments, early heading and maturity, consistent high-test weight under dryland environments, normal cadmium content, fungal leaf spot tolerance, sawfly tolerance and straw strength, good semolina quality, average protein strength and a pasta color retention trait. This variety will look to be an excellent tool in the tool belt for eastern Montana producers who want to harvest durum earlier and tend to have lodging issues on the farm.

Spring Durum: MTD18348 with a pedigree of Alzada/Strongfield//Brigade/Carpio. Favorable traits include very high yield potential, low grain cadmium accumulation, very high protein strength, excellent semolina quality, fungal leaf spot tolerance, good test weight, large seed size and high grain protein. MTD18348 is looking to rival the Golden Triangle mainstay of Alzada with superior yield and excellent pasta quality.

Hard Red Winter Wheat: MTS18149 with a pedigree of the semi-solid variety Loma (MAES, 2016) to AAC Gateway [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Lethbridge, Alberta), 2012]. Great yielding, improved winter hardiness and higher stem solidness than Loma, aluminum tolerance, and excellent end use characteristics. End users will be delighted to see high falling numbers, low PPO, high water absorption and strong mix times (7.1 Min). Look to see MTS18149 be desirable for northern Warhorse and Loma producers as it out yields and has better stem solidness. Northern Golden Triangle winter wheat producers are recommended to give MTS18149 a try.

The Montana Wheat and Barley Committee promotes local research and market development around the world, and develops superior plant varieties and best farm practices for generations to come. Visit MontanaWBC.com to learn more.
Travelers walk with their luggage outside Ben Gurion International Airport near Lod, Israel, Nov. 1. 2021, as the country opened its border to individual tourists. UPI-Yonhap





Israel announced Sunday that it would allow unvaccinated tourists to enter the country beginning next month as the latest wave of the COVID-19 coronavirus recedes.







Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that foreign tourists, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, would be required to take PCR coronavirus tests before their flights and upon landing. The rules go into effect March 1.







''We are seeing a constant decline in morbidity data, so it is time to gradually open up,'' Bennett said.







Israel has largely restricted the entry of foreign tourists for the past two years and virtually closed its skies to foreign visitors late last year with the arrival of the highly contagious Omicron variant. Recent data has shown a sharp drop in new cases, mirroring patterns in other countries around the world.







Bennett's office said that restrictions would also be eased on Israelis returning to the country, with travelers no longer required to take a PCR test before their flight.







Requirements for weekly testing of school children will also be halted in the coming weeks. (AP)


The rise in Covid-19 cases and the new federally mandated reimbursement program from insurance companies has led to an increase in demand for mail-order, self-administered Covid-19 tests. Home testing, if correctly administered, can give you vital information about the need to avoid contact with others to limit spreading the virus. At-home testing is convenient, but the tests must be properly administered to avoid getting false negative results.

Recently, the Biden Administration launched a program to distribute at-home Covid tests sent through the US Postal Service. To get the taxpayer funded tests, you can go to http://CovidTests.gov, fill out the form, and receive four tests shipped directly to your home.

In the middle of winter, beware. Many of the at-home tests are not accurate when frozen. Montana temperatures dip below freezing this time of year, and tests sitting too long in cold temperatures may freeze and possibly malfunction. Manufacturers generally recommend a storage temperature of 59-86 degrees, F, but tests can be in lower or higher temperatures for short periods of time. Read all the instructions with the test you receive.

For best results from a test delivered in sub-freezing temperatures:

Bring the package out of the cold as soon as possible and leave it unopened at room temperature for two hours.

Once the package is at room temperature, you may open it and perform the test according to the instructions. If the test line(s) appear as indicated in the instructions, you can be reasonably confident the test is performing as it should.

If the line(s) do not appear in the correct location(s) and within the correct time as shown in the test instructions when you perform the test, the results may not be accurate, and a new test should be used.

If tests cannot be retrieved from an outdoor mailbox in a reasonable amount of time, consider in-person testing options, such as through your local health department. Health insurance providers are also required to reimburse members for the cost of up to eight rapid tests per month. Check with your insurer for specific information on how to obtain tests. In any case, please only obtain what you need. We dont want to create scarcity nor cause higher costs to insurers that may drive up future premiums.

All of us need to take common-sense measures, such as testing when symptomatic, to avoid spreading the virus. By utilizing best practices when ordering and using Covid tests, fewer tests will be required, and transmission levels may be lowered in Montana.

Vaccines remain an effective tool to reduce infection, reduce spread, and reduce the severity of infection. Covid-19 vaccines help prevent serious illness and death if you contract the virus. If you havent already, talk to your doctor about whats best for you and your family.

For more information, find us at http://csimt.gov.

Troy Downing is the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Montana State Auditor. Commissioner Downing is a two-tour combat veteran, businessman, and entrepreneur.
Fairfield, MT (59436)

Today

Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 40F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 40F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Eggs have been linked to salmonella outbreaks in six different countries, including the UK - and Spanish farms have again been implicated.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) revealed that nearly 300 cases of salmonella enteritidis had been recorded.

Two people had died and 25 people were hospitalised, said EFSA. A Spanish packing centre has been linked with the outbreak.

A report just released by EFSA said the latest outbreak came to light in September 2021 when France reported an increase in salmonella enteritidis ST11 infections.

By 11 January, 272 confirmed cases had been reported in five European Union, European Economic Area countries and the UK.

A total of 216 cases were in France, 22 in Spain, 12 each in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, seven in Norway and three in Denmark.

Some cases reported in France in 2021 had visited restaurants serving eggs distributed by a common supplier, Spanish Packing Centre A, said the authors of the report.

"The eggs originated from three Spanish farms, one testing positive for the outbreak strain. Fresh table eggs from the farms linked to the outbreak were withdrawn and redirected for use in heat treated egg products.

They said that no other countries received eggs from the same farms via Packing Centre A during the summer of 2021, so the source of infection for cases in late 2021 and in countries other than Spain and France could not be established.

But they said: This 2021 outbreak is linked microbiologically to a historical cross-border outbreak reported by the Netherlands in 2019.

"Eggs consumed by cases in the Dutch outbreak were traced back to a Spanish farm, but it was not possible to identify an epidemiological link with the 2021 outbreak.

"This suggests a wide distribution of the outbreak strain that could affect the food supply chain and/or earlier steps in the production chain.

"There may be multiple heterogeneous sources of salmonella enteritidis ST11 and the outbreak strain could also be circulating at other farms, inside or outside Spain, said the authors.

They warned that the risk of new infections caused by the outbreak strain and contaminated eggs remained high in the EU and EEA.

It was important to foster cross-sectoral investigations of contaminations in the egg supply chain in countries where salmonella enteritidis ST11 had been detected, they said.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that this specific strain of salmonella enteritidis ST11 linked with the outbreak in France was part of a wider microbiological cluster of salmonella that likely had multiple different sources of contamination and had persisted in food supply chains in Europe for several years.

From the information available, many of the UK cases in this specific strain reported in 2021 and in previous years had illness likely associated with travel outside the UK during their incubation period.

"There is no evidence of this specific strain being linked to the UK domestic market and no indication that the strain is circulating within the UK food chain at this time. UKHSA will continue to closely monitor the situation.

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has previously called for Britain to source only British eggs after a number of health scares involving imported eggs.

Previous cases of salmonella found in the UK have been traced to both Spain and Poland. There have also been incidents of eggs contaminated with fipronil and dioxin.

Salmonella in British laying flocks was down last year, according to figures released by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

The APHA report revealed that a total of 42 adult laying hen flocks, originating from 28 separate holdings, tested positive for salmonella under the statutory testing programme during 2020.

This was a reduction of 12.5 per cent compared to 2019, when 48 positive flocks from 34 separate holdings were positive.

The 2020 figures were also 37.3 per cent lower than the 67 positive flocks in 2008 when the National Control Programme (NCP) was first implemented.
Sheep farmers in Wales are being urged to nominate rams with top-performing traits for the next phase of the RamCompare project.

Nominations are open for farmers to select rams believed to have good lamb growth characteristics, carcase weight and conformation for use within the RamCompare programme.

The aim is to encourage uptake of the new set of breeding values created from RamCompare which farmers can utilise when selecting rams.

This will lead to more commercial lambs hitting target carcase specifications and reaching slaughter weight sooner, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of UK livestock farming as well as improving the profitability of sheep farms.

The research is the UK-wide progeny test for terminal sire breeds, funded by the levy board Hybu Cig Cymru  Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), sister bodies AHDB and QMS, and Agrisearch in Northern Ireland, working with partners across the food chain.

Each year nominated rams are selected from a range of terminal sire breeds and used on commercial farms across the UK.

On the project to date, 313 terminal sire rams have been on test producing over 30,000 lambs from commercial ewes.

Alwyn Nutting, who farms at Glascoed near Newtown with his son Dylan and the rest of the family, is one of the Welsh farmers already involved in the project.

He encouraged sheep breeders to get involved: I would encourage pedigree ram breeders to get involved in the Ram Compare project as its important for the research to have a wide range of breeds represented. In past years of the project rams from Welsh breeders have scored very highly.

Ram breeders can only benefit from being part of the RamCompare programme, seeing how the performance of the offspring from their rams compares with the performance of other breeds, reared together under the same management conditions on commercial farms.

The project is primarily looking for rams with Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) in the top 20% of the breed. The natural service sires should be shearlings or older and have a known, high health status.

Nominations of fit and fertile, older stock rams are also welcome. Frozen semen is also being purchased in batches of 30 straws for use via artificial insemination.

Bridget Lloyd, RamCompare Project Coordinator, said: This is a great opportunity for breeders to contribute to this industry project, data from which can be used to promote their flocks and the rams they have for sale.

"Updated results are released in May bringing leading flocks into the spotlight through breed specific articles and commercial farm case studies.
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Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Feb. 19. AP-Yonhap





The U.S. Embassy in Moscow warned Americans late Sunday of potential attacks in public places in Russia, including along the border with Ukraine where the Kremlin has massed troops in advance of a feared invasion.







"According to media sources, there have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas," the embassy said in statement.







The mission did not point to specific reports.







The embassy's warning said there was a risk of attacks in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, "as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine".







Western countries have been warning for weeks that Moscow could be planning an attack on its ex-Soviet neighbor, accusing Russia of building up a force of tens of thousands of troops.








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Dufry International AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

Dufry appoints Xavier Rossinyol as Chief Executive Officer as of June 1, 2022



21-Feb-2022 / 07:01 CET/CEST

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





AD HOC ANNOUNCEMENT PURSUANT TO ART. 53 LR

Julian Diaz, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Dufry AG (Dufry), will step down from his position as Chief Executive Officer on May 31, 2022 and will not stand for reelection as a member of the Board of Directors at the 2022 AGM. Xavier Rossinyol has been appointed as new Chief Executive Officer of Dufry effective June 1, 2022. In order to ensure a smooth transition, Xavier will join as designated CEO and member of the Global Executive Committee on March 1, 2022.

Julian Diaz joined Dufry as Chief Executive Officer in 2004 and was elected member of the Board of Directors in 2013. During his tenure, Julian led a team that successfully executed the strategy of profitable global expansion and sustainable growth that enabled Dufry to become the world's global leading travel retailer it is today. In recent years, he has driven the digitalization strategy and a strong ESG engagement.

Xavier Rossinyol was already part of Dufry's management team from 2004 to 2015, first as Chief Financial Officer until 2012, and then as Chief Operating Officer EMEA and Asia until 2015. In the past nearly seven years, he has been the CEO of gategroup, the leader in airline catering and on-board retail.

JUAN CARLOS TORRES, Chairman of Dufry, said: 'In the name of the entire Board of Directors and company, I express our immense gratitude to Julian Diaz for his outstanding dedication and extraordinary contributions to Dufry and its stakeholders. He has been the driving force of the group's development. I am very pleased to have Xavier back as our new CEO. His unparalleled industry experience, leadership skills and strategic vision will enable Dufry to recover further from the Covid-19 crisis and accelerate short- and long-term value creation.'

JULIAN DIAZ, CEO of Dufry, commented: 'I am grateful for the opportunity I had to lead Dufry over the past eighteen years and to contribute to its impressive growth. I thank the Board of Directors, the shareholders, suppliers and partners for their trust and support, with special thanks to all my colleagues of the Global Executive Committee and our employees. I very warmly welcome Xavier back as new CEO of the company. His unique experience will be a perfect match to lead the group to its next phase.'

XAVIER ROSSINYOL, designated CEO of Dufry, explained: 'I am honored to have been appointed as new CEO of Dufry and I thank the Board of Directors for their trust. Dufry is a great company, with an amazing team of experienced and dedicated professionals. We have a strong financial position and enough liquidity to address the short-term recovery. As a team, we will re-energize the growth and address the long-term challenges of the industry and the group. Our focus will be to captivate our customers and generate renovated shareholders value, working with our landlords, suppliers and other key partners.'

For further information:



CONTACT


Complete switch to green energy

Today - 'Green Energy Day 2022' - Beter Bed is announcing that it has switched entirely to green electricity at all its sites in the Netherlands. From now on, the sleep expert's head office, distribution centres, and more than 100 stores will all use only electricity generated by wind power from European wind farms. This switch to green energy is in line with the ambition of the parent company Beter Bed Holding (BBH) to become fully climate-neutral by 2030. Opting for green electricity makes possible a major reduction in CO2 emissions - no less than 2700 tonnes each year.

Electrification of the vehicle fleet

On the way to climate-neutral operations, Beter Bed is also taking steps to make its vehicle fleet more sustainable. The service department based in Uden and Nieuw-Vennep has started using its first two Peugeot e-Expert electric vans. Using just one electric vehicle already saves 22 tonnes of CO2 per year. The e-Expert has an action radius of up to 330 kilometres and is supplied with green electricity from the charging stations close to Beter Bed's distribution centres. In the coming years, Beter Bed will continue to electrify its fleet. By 2025, 50% of the entire fleet is expected to consist of electric vehicles.

Jaap Westland (responsible for Sustainability and Innovation at BBH) explains: "Following on from the electrification of passenger cars, electric commercial vehicles are coming onto the market that match the driving range for our logistics. That enables us to take the next steps towards reducing our CO2 emissions."

Compensation for CO 2 emissions

In the coming years, BBH will invest heavily in making its operations fully climate-neutral. Until that's been achieved, the company will implement various projects to offset its remaining CO 2 emissions, for example by participating in the reforestation project 'Serra do Sudeste' in the south of Brazil. In cooperation with local community and land owners, the degraded land in the region is being restored and planted to create a natural biodiverse forest. This project is being led by The Green Branchand to guarantee quality it is accredited in accordance with the Verified Carbon Standard.

Fully climate-neutral by 2030

One of the main priorities of BBH's sustainability strategy is to reduce CO2 emissions so as to help combat climate change. In the coming year, BBH aims to cut the CO2 emissions caused by its activities by half compared to 2020; in 2025 a CO2 reduction of 75% must be achieved, with the ultimate goal being to operate in an entirely climate-neutral manner by 2030.

About Beter Bed Holding

Beter Bed Holding (BBH) is the Netherlands' leading sleep specialist in retail, wholesale and B2B.



Our mission is simple. We believe that the better we sleep, the happier, healthier and more productivewe are. And we won't rest until everyone gets the high-quality sleep they deserve.



Listed on Euronext Amsterdam, BBH operates the successful retail brands Beter Bed, Beddenreus, the new subscription brand Leazzzy and the digital organisation Lunext. In addition, through its subsidiary DBC International, BBH has a wholesale business in branded products in the bedroom furnishings sector, which includes the well-known international brand M line.

With 4 distribution centres, a fleet of 80 vehicles, 134 stores and a fast-growing online presence, our team of over 1,000 dedicated employees served nearly 200,000 customers in 2021, generating over  200 million in revenue.

Providing expert sleep advice is at the very heart of our strategy, and thanks to our revolutionary 'Beter Slapen ID' tool, our sleep consultants help customers to get the perfect night's sleep. BBH is proud that M line is the official sleep supplier of TeamNL, Jumbo-Visma, NOC*NSF and the KNVB.

For more information

Press enquiries: Uneke Dekkers / CFF Communications

T +31

For the Pdf version of the press release please click on the link below. Press photos can be downloaded here .

Attachment
NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indian coding and marking systems market value is set to increase to $127.6 million by 2030 from an estimated $42.7 million in 2021, at a CAGR of over 12% during 2021-2030, says P&S Intelligence. The key reason behind it would be the rapid growth of the food and beverage industry, where these machines are a government mandate. Therefore, the rising demand for packaged food and beverages, as a result of India's growing economy, is pushing up the demand for coding and marking systems.

This demand was further highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove the sale of packaged and pre-cooked food. With people forced indoors, the footfall at grocery shops decreased, and online orders for food and beverage items rose, thereby propelling the requirement for high-quality packaging. The government mandates the proper labeling of all such products with the ingredient list, manufacturing and expiry dates, nutrient information, and manufacturer details.

Get the sample pages of this report at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/india-coding-and-marking-systems-market/report-sample

Key Findings of India Coding and Marking Systems Market Report

The actual coding and marking systems witness higher sales compared to the software because of their wide usage in a range of industries, including FMCG, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automotive, and electrical & electronics.

Most Indian coding and marking systems market end users prefer printers based on the continuous inkjet technology, as it enables high-speed printing, can work on virtually any material for long hours, has minimum servicing requirements, and is cost-effective.

FMCG companies are the largest users of coding and marking systems and software because of the stringent government mandates on them to provide explicit product details on the packaging.

Users are now shifting to digital technologies from analog ones because digital printing solutions enable high-volume printing at high speeds.

The manufacturing sector is a lucrative opportunity area for Indian coding and marking systems market players as the production machinery and its individual components are now being extensively coded for tracking and tracing purposes.

Moreover, the Indian government is taking numerous initiatives to boost the domestic manufacturing of FMCG and pharma products, electronics, and automobiles, all of which require proper coding and marking.

Encouraged by the growth of various industries in the country, printer companies are expanding their manufacturing output and product portfolio. For instance, Markem-Imaje Group (a Dover Corporation subsidiary) inaugurated a new office and factory in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, in November 2020. The complex houses printer and printing ink production facilities, sampling centers, and laboratories.

Browse detailed report on India Coding and Marking Systems Market Growth and Demand Forecast to 2030

Similarly, Domino Printing Sciences plc, a key Indian coding and marking systems market player, introduced a UV-curable black ink for the food and beverage industry in April 2020. The UV97BK ink complies with the safety standards implemented on food packaging and works with inkjet printers, the most-popular of all coding and marking systems in the country currently. Other key companies in the industry are Danaher Corporation, Control Print Limited, RYNAN Technologies Pte Ltd., Hitachi Ltd., and Kishu Giken Kogyo Co. Ltd.

India Coding and Marking Systems Market Segmentation Analysis

Based on Offering

Systems

Software Solution

Based on Systems

Continuous inkjet

Thermal Transfer Overprinting (TTO)

Thermal inkjet

Drop on Demand (DoD)

Print and apply labeling

Laser coding and marking

Based on End User

Automotive

Engine parts



Transmission and steering parts



Suspension and braking parts



Equipment



Electrical parts

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods

Food



Personal care products



White goods



House care products

Electrical and Electronics

Extrusion

Chemicals and agrochemicals

Chemicals



Fertilizers



Seeds



Small pouches/packaging chemicals

Construction

Cement



Steel



Wood



Glass

Pharmaceutical

Browse More Related Reports

Coding and Marking Systems Market - The global coding and marking systems market generated a revenue of $3,832.4 million in 2019 and is predicted to attain a valuation of $7,469.6 million by 2030. Furthermore, the market would advance at a CAGR of 6.4% between 2020 and 2030.

Coding and Marking Systems Market in U.S. - The biggest trend presently being witnessed in the U.S. coding and marking systems market is the rising popularity of digital printing solutions over the conventional techniques. This is mainly ascribed to the fact that digital printing solutions, including continuous inkjet, have the ability to provide printing of millions of characters by using only a liter of ink.

Coding and Marking Systems Market in Turkey - As per numerous reports, 20% of the contribution to the Turkish GDP is made by the food and beverage industry. Moreover, the government plans to significantly boost its food output by 2023, to take the industry's contribution to the GDP to $150 billion. This would mean heavy investments in farming, food processing facilities, warehouses, and logistics networks. This translates into an enormous growth potential for the Turkish coding and marking systems market, as these systems are a necessity at food processing factories.

About P&S Intelligence

P&S Intelligence is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness.

Contact:

Prajneesh Kumar

P&S Intelligence

Phone: +1-347-960-6455

Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.com

Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn Twitter

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1224988/P_and_S_Intelligence_Logo.jpg


HANOVER (dpa-AFX) - German re-insurer Hannover Re AG (HVRRY.PK, HVRRF.PK) Monday said it has transferred altogether 11 catastrophe bonds with a volume of more than $2.7 billion to the capital market for its clients in fiscal 2021, higher than previous year's $1.6 billion.



The company noted that demand for catastrophe bonds as alternative risk coverage has traditionally come from companies in the insurance sector. Now, the company experienced growing demand from companies outside the insurance industry. Clients from other industries are also increasingly turning to Hannover Re and its partners for the placement of insurance risks with investors.



Last year, Hannover Re was able to assist companies in the energy, logistics and technology sectors with the transfer of insurance risks to the capital market.



Looking ahead for fiscal 2022, Hannover Re anticipates a volume somewhat in excess of $100 billion for the ILS market. This comes after a volume of around $95 billion in 2021, a figure that does not include securitisations in the area of mortgage financing.



It is expected that up to two-thirds of the volume in the ILS market will likely originate from collateralised reinsurance, the volume of which was virtually unchanged in 2021.



For 2022, Hannover Re expects to see an increased market volume for both catastrophe bonds and collateralised reinsurance.







Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

HANNOVER RUECK-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
U.S. President Richard Nixon toasts with China's Prime Minister Zhou Enlai during a banquet in Beijing during his official visit to China, in this file photo taken Feb. 21, 1972. AFP-Yonhap





At the height of the Cold War, U.S. President Richard Nixon flew into communist China's center of power for a visit that, over time, would transform U.S.-China relations and China's position in the world in ways that were unimaginable at the time.







The relationship between China and the United States was always going to be a challenge, and after half a century of ups and downs, is more fraught than ever. The Cold War is long over, but on both sides there are fears a new one could be beginning. Despite repeated Chinese disavowals, America worries that the democratic-led world that triumphed over the Soviet Union could be challenged by the authoritarian model of a powerful and still-rising China.







''The U.S.-China relationship has always been contentious but one of necessity,'' said Oriana Skylar Mastro, a China expert at Stanford University. ''Perhaps 50 years ago the reasons were mainly economic. Now they are mainly in the security realm. But the relationship has never  and will never  be easy.''







Nixon landed in Beijing on a gray winter morning 50 years ago Monday. Billboards carried slogans such as ''Down with American Imperialism,'' part of the upheaval under the Cultural Revolution that banished intellectuals and others to the countryside and subjected many to public humiliation and brutal and even deadly attacks in the name of class struggle.







Nixon's 1972 trip, which included meetings with Chairman Mao Zedong and a visit to the Great Wall, led to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979 and the parallel severing of formal ties with Taiwan, which the U.S. had recognized as the government of China after the communists took power in Beijing in 1949.







Premier Zhou Enlai's translator wrote in a memoir that, to the best of his recollection, Nixon said, ''This hand stretches out across the Pacific Ocean in friendship'' as he shook hands with Zhou at the airport.







For both sides, it was a friendship born of circumstances, rather than natural allegiances.







Then U.S. President Richard Nixon and first lady Pat Nixon look at a sculpture depicting a mythical beast on the palace grounds of Beijing's Forbidden City as heavy snow falls, Feb. 25, 1972. AP-Yonhap





China and the Soviet Union, formerly communist allies, had split and even clashed along their border in 1969, and Mao saw the United States as a potential counterbalance to any threat of a Soviet invasion.







Nixon, embroiled in the Watergate scandal at home and a war in Vietnam, was seeking to isolate the Soviet Union and exit the prolonged and bloody war that had divided American society. He hoped that China, an ally of communist North Vietnam in its battle with the U.S.-backed South, could play a role in resolving the conflict.







The U.S. president put himself ''in the position of supplicant to Beijing,'' said June Teufel Dreyer, a Chinese politics specialist at the University of Miami. Chinese state media promoted the idea that a ''prosperous China would be a peaceful China'' and that the country was a huge market for American exports, she said.







It would be decades before that happened. First, the U.S. became a huge market for China, propelling the latter's meteoric rise from an impoverished nation to the world's second largest economy.







Nixon's visit was a ''pivotal event that ushered in China's turn outward and subsequent rise globally,'' said the University of Chicago's Dali Yang, the author of numerous books on Chinese politics and economics.







Two years after Mao's death in 1976, new leader Deng Xiaoping ushered in an era of partial economic liberalization, creating a mix of state-led capitalism and single-party rule that has endured to this day.







China's wealth has enabled a major expansion of its military, which the U.S. and its allies see as a threat. The Communist Party says it seeks only to defend its territory. That includes, however, trying to control islands also claimed by Japan in the East China Sea and by Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea, home to crucial shipping lanes and natural resources.







The military has sent a growing number of warplanes on training missions toward Taiwan, a source of friction with the United States. China claims the self-governing island off its east coast as its territory. The U.S. supplies Taiwan with military equipment and warns China against any attempt to take it by force.







Still, Nixon's trip to China was touted afterward as the signature foreign policy achievement of an administration that ended in ignominy with Watergate.







Embarking on the process of bringing China back into the international fold was the right move, but the past half-century has yet to put relations on a stable track, said Rana Mitter, professor of Chinese history and modern politics at Oxford University.







''The U.S. and China have still failed to work out exactly how they will both fit into a world where they both have a role, but find it increasingly hard to accommodate each other,'' he said.







Chinese officials and scholars see the Nixon visit as a time when the two countries sought communication and mutual understanding despite their differences. Zhu Feng, the dean of the School of International Studies at Nanjing University, said the same approach is key to overcoming the current impasse.







''The commemoration of Nixon's visit tells us whether we can draw a kind of power from history,'' he said.







President Joe Biden meets virtually with Chinese President Xi Jinping from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Nov. 15, 2021. AP-Yonhap





Though his trip to China gave the U.S. leverage in its Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union, America now faces a new geopolitical landscape  with echoes of the past.







The Soviet Union is gone, but the Russian and Chinese leaders, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, are finding common cause as they push back against U.S. pressure over their authoritarian ways. The Vietnam War is over, but America once again finds its society divided, this time over the pandemic response and the last presidential election.







U.S. President Joe Biden has said he wants a more predictable relationship with China but major differences over trade and human rights persist, making it that much more difficult to find such mutual understanding. The prospect of long-term stability in ties raised by Nixon's visit seems to be moving farther out of reach.







''China-U.S. relations are terrible,'' said Xiong Zhiyong, a professor of international relations at China Foreign Affairs University. ''There are indeed people hoping to improve relations, but it is utterly difficult to achieve.'' (AP)


BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks rose in cautious trade on Monday as investors cheered news of a possible summit between the United States and Russia. A decision on the summit will be taken after a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two nations next week, if an invasion hasn't occurred. The benchmark CAC 40 was up around 0.1 percent after ending 0.3 percent lower on Friday. Car parts group Faurecia was little changed, giving up early gains after forecasting higher sales in 2022. Worldline edged up slightly. The payments company has entered into exclusive talks to sell its TSS terminals business to Apollo Funds. Vaccine maker Valneva gained 1 percent. The biotech firm's Scottish unit has received a grant of up to 20 million pounds ($27 million) to partly fund the research and development of manufacturing its Covid-19 vaccine VLA2001. 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.
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks rose on Monday as investors welcomed the prospect of a U.S.-Russia summit to find a diplomatic solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Market participants also cheered data showing that the U.K. private sector grew at its fastest rate in eight months in February. The benchmark FTSE 100 rose 35 points, or half a percent, to 7,548 after closing 0.3 percent lower on Friday. Hammerson gained half a percent. The real estate investment trust said it is in discussions to potentially sell its Victoria Gate and Victoria Quarter shopping centers to entities related to Redical Holdings AG for around 120 million pounds ($163.1 million). Beverage company Diageo rose 0.7 percent after launching a new 1.7bn share buyback program. Miner Anglo American added 0.7 percent after announcing it has restarted operations at its Grosvenor metallurgical coal mine in Queensland, Australia. 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.
The complex will combine a 50MW photovoltaic plant with 128MWh of long-term green hydrogen storage and batteries. The solar part is described by the company as an agrivoltaic plant that will host a herd of 1,830 sheep.From pv magazine France French hydrogen specialist Hydrogene de France (HDF) has announced it has secured further financing for what it claims to be the largest hydrogen production complex in the Caribbean - the Renewstable Barbados (RSB) project. The new funds are being provided by French investment firm Rubis, which has secured a 51% share in the project, an investment that follows ...

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.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices were subdued on Monday as global leaders push for a diplomatic solution to Russia-Ukraine crisis. New reports on the progress in the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna also kept prices under pressure. Benchmark Brent crude futures slipped 0.2 percent to $91.27 a barrel, while U.S. WTI crude futures were down 0.3 percent at $89.98. Investors watched the latest developments in Ukraine as last-ditch diplomatic efforts continued to prevent what Western powers warn could be the imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden and Russia President Vladimir Putin have accepted in principle a French proposal for a diplomatic summit on the Ukraine crisis. The meeting would occur only if Russia doesn't invade Ukraine. Moscow continues to deny it plans to invade Ukraine and says it is already pulling troops back from areas near the border. Meanwhile, talks in Vienna on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers have made 'significant progress', Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said. Separately, Iran's top security official Ali Shamkhani said talks with European negotiators were ongoing and would continue. 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.
The "Europe Biochar Market 2022-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The publisher's report denotes that the biochar market in Europe is anticipated to progress at a compound annual growth rate of 14.22% and 10.81% in terms of value and volume during 2022-2028. Italy, Germany, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, and Rest of Europe form the market in this region.

Germany's goal is to become greenhouse gas neutral by 2045. In order to achieve this, it has set the initial targets of reducing emissions by at least 65% by 2030. In this regard, the country's first climate law states annual reduction targets for individual targets for each industry.

These are set in line with the European greenhouse gas emission reduction plans. The possible agricultural benefits of biochar to enhance soil fertility could ultimately lead to greenhouse gas reduction, thereby contributing to the growth of the biochar market.

The key factor supporting the biochar market's growth in France is the soil enhancing properties possessed by biochar. Moreover, biochar offers natural carbon sequestration to the soil and preserves the carbon levels in the soil. The surging demand from the wastewater and dairy waste management sectors is also expected to propel the biochar market over the forecast period.

Other than this, the growing demand for organic food products on account of the rising focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle has led to higher penetration of biochar in organic farming. Thus, all these factors drive the biochar market on a progressive path within France.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Favorable Initiatives

Availability of Cheap Feedstock

Ability of Biochar to Sequester Carbon

Reliable and Constant Energy Flow

Challenges

High Cost

Lack of Demonstration Projects

Contamination of Biochar and Its Feedstock

Opportunities

Opportunities for Biochar Market in the Future

Growth in the Organic Farming Industry

Companies Mentioned

Air Terra

Airex Energy

Anulekh Agrotech Pvt Ltd

Arsta Eco

Biochar Industries

Bioenergy Earth Systems

Carbofex

Carbon Gold

Carbons Finland Oy

Farm2Energy

Novo Carbo

Pacific Biochar

Pyreg GmbH

Pyrotech Energy

Renewable Carbon Resources Australia

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yahaq5

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220221005175/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
Initiative of Luiss Guido Carli, Renmin University of China and George Washington University

ROME, Feb. 21, 2022(Washington, DC) are launching "ACE", which stands for "America, China & Europe", a brand new triple degree in Business Administration which - by bringing together three different countries, with their managerial and institutional cultures - represents an absolute new entry.

The highly innovative and geographically itinerant four-year ACE degree programme will give students the opportunity to obtain three degrees, one for each University, valid and recognised in the United States, China and Europe, and to aspire to positions of responsibility in multinational and global institutions. This international learning experience will allow students to immerse themselves in the economic, social and managerial culture of the three continents.

Enrolled students will spend the first year at their respective Universities learning the fundamentals of economics and management.

They will then jointly attend the second, third and fourth years in the three capitals, starting from Luiss University in Rome, moving on to Renmin University in Beijing, and concluding their studies in the United States, at George Washington University. The enrolment fees for ACE are in line with the university fees of the student's home university for the entire duration of the course.

"The ACE degree programme, the result of a partnership between Luiss, Renmin and George Washington University, places Italy at the centre of the international higher education scene and aims to respond to the need to train 'future-ready' global managers capable of working and interacting in increasingly multicultural contexts," said Luiss University Rector Andrea Prencipe. "Drawing an ideal read thread between the capitals of Rome, Beijing and Washington, in line with our Strategic Plan and an innovative educational model, means for us training professionals with a cosmopolitan character and encouraging the international mobility of talents," he added.

"Renmin University of China, one of China's top universities, is the first institution to introduce business education programmes in the People's Republic of China. Our university also benefits from close industrial ties and a large alumni network," said Liu Wei, President of Renmin University of China.

"In 2019," he continued, "Renmin University of China and Luiss Guido Carli University jointly launched the Social Sciences Universities Network (SSUN), the first university network in the humanities and social sciences worldwide that contributes to the growth of future global leaders. This new "ACE" Global BA is a significant milestone for SSUN in exploring innovative models of talent development. What makes this triple degree programme unique is its ability to integrate the strengths of three world-class universities in the social sciences, giving graduates a strong competitive advantage in the labour market."

For more information:

LaPresse SpA Communication and Press Office Director

Barbara Sanicola - barbara.sanicola@lapresse.it

+39 02 26305578 M +39 333 3905243

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/774bf4c9-c88f-4cf2-9cef-f9ae51366480

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.


SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global military wearable medical device market size is expected to reach USD 46.7 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 30.1% from 2021 to 2028. The growth of the market is attributed to the improvement in the overall performance of military soldiers with the help of innovative technology and the rising demand for lightweight military devices.

Key Insights & Findings from the report:

By application, the heart monitor segment held the largest revenue share in 2020 as the system directly detects any uncertain change in the health of an individual, and the patient can be treated as early as possible.

North America led the market in 2020 and is expected to maintain its lead over the forecast period owing to technological advancements and increasing R&D investment in military devices.

led the market in 2020 and is expected to maintain its lead over the forecast period owing to technological advancements and increasing R&D investment in military devices. Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period due to the rising cardiovascular events in the region and rising healthcare spending.

is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period due to the rising cardiovascular events in the region and rising healthcare spending. The industry is highly competitive with players who are developing advanced medical devices for the soldiers that can be used in war zones or in extreme environments.

Read 164-page market research report, "Military Wearable Medical Device Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Heart Monitor, Performance Monitor), By Region (North America, Europe, APAC, LATAM, MEA), And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028", published by Grand View Research.

Military Wearable Medical Device Market Growth & Trends

The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the market for military wearable medical devices because wearable technologies could monitor, detect, and prevent the spread of the virus. The Covid-19 virus has indirectly increased the demand for wearable medical devices. According to the WHO guidelines, viral infection mainly spreads through the eyes, nose, and mouth and it is difficult to identify the virus during the initial days of contract. Hence, with the innovative technology, the individual can regularly check and monitor their body temperature, oxygen level, heart rate, and body performance so that if they found any negative result, then they can immediately take precautions and treatment.

As soldiers have to train and work in a rough and harsh environment, the wearable device they are carrying must be lightweight and must provide full information of the soldier's health and performance. Many market players are developing and introducing such wearable devices, which can bear the toughest environment of the battlefield. With the help of the device, armed forces can track and monitor the sleep of every individual, circadian stability, and all physical activity so that they can make necessary changes for better results as per the data.

As per the soldier modernization program, the military has decided to opt for lightweight wearable devices as soldiers already have to carry heavy stuff with them and such devices can increase the speed of the movement. The devices should be easy to carry and made of the toughest material to adapt to the environment. These devices should result in the betterment of the overall performance of the individuals.

Military Wearable Medical Device Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global military wearable medical device market on the basis of application and region:

Military Wearable Medical Device Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Heart Monitor

Sick Alert



Heart Rate Variability

Performance Monitor

Sleep-wake Cycle Alert



Core Body Temperature Monitoring

Military Wearable Medical Device Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

U.K.



Germany



France



Italy



Russia

Asia Pacific

China



Japan



India

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico



Argentina

Middle East & Africa

& Egypt



Saudi Arabia



Israel

List of Key Players of Military Wearable Medical Device Market

Fitbit

Zephyr Technology Corporation

Camntech

Bittium

Polar Electro

Oura

Garmin

NeuroMetrix

GOQii

Apple Inc.

Samsung

Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research:

Wearable Artificial Kidney Market - The global wearable artificial kidney market size is anticipated to reach USD 7.7 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 96.7%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing number of patients suffering from renal failure and technical advantages of artificial organs are anticipated to boost market growth.

- The global wearable artificial kidney market size is anticipated to reach by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 96.7%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing number of patients suffering from renal failure and technical advantages of artificial organs are anticipated to boost market growth. Wearable Artificial Organs Market - The global wearable artificial organs market size is expected to reach USD 17.7 billion by the year 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 16.2%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing cases of transplant failure coupled with the increasing shortage of organ donors are creating massive growth opportunities for wearable artificial organs.

- The global wearable artificial organs market size is expected to reach by the year 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 16.2%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing cases of transplant failure coupled with the increasing shortage of organ donors are creating massive growth opportunities for wearable artificial organs. Exoskeleton Market - The global exoskeleton market size is expected to reach USD 1.3 billion in terms of revenue and 26,114 units in terms of volume by 2030 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 18.0% in terms of revenue and 11.0% in terms of volume from 2022 to 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc.

Browse through Grand View Research's Medical Devices Industry Research Reports.

About Grand View Researc

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

Grand View Compass | Grand View Pipeline

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg
- More than 7000 farmers are FSA certified under Sustainable Agriculture Initiative by Mane Kancor

KOCHI, India, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The increased demand for natural and organic products globally during the pandemic has been encouraging international producers of mint-based products to turn to India as the country produces 85% of the world's mint supply. Considering the ever-increasing demand for high-quality mint-based products, Mane Kancor Ingredients Pvt. Ltd, one of the largest flavour and fragrance companies in the world, is encouraging sustainable supply chains for mint in the Flavour & Fragrance Industry. Its pioneering Mint Sustainable programme introduced in 2016 is now gaining global attention as it addresses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) right from the nursery to distillation.

"It all started when we realised that the farmers were shifting away from mint cultivation due to continuous increase in cost of inputs- high cost of cultivation, reduced productivity, climate change and market fluctuations. It increased the cost of production of mentha oil while alternate synthetic variants were 25-30% cheaper," says Geemon Korah, CEO, Director, Mane Kancor, established in 1969, now part of France-based Mane Group.

Bringing in modern cultivation practices, the Kochi-headquartered Mane Kancor approached the Mint farmers and supported the cultivation right from the nursery stage. "We introduced a technology called Early Mint Technology (EMT) with the help and guidance of scientists from CIMAP (Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)," adds Geemon.

According to the research done by Mane Kancor, Early Mint Technology (EMT) helps farmers increase their yield by 20%, reduce their cost of cultivation by 20% and the irrigation requirement by 25%. "We are now closely working with CIMAP to provide the latest high-yielding and climate resistant planting material. CIMAP has developed the latest variety of the crop 'CIM UNNATI' which is claimed to increase the yield by 20%," says Geemon.

Mane Kancor agronomists have trained around 7000 farmers on sustainable agricultural practices and prepared them for certification by a third-party auditor under Farm Sustainable Assessment (FSA) programme by Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) platform to provide them access to better markets and better prices. All these farmers' fields are geo-tagged and geo-mapped with remote sensing & satellite imagery services to ensure traceability of the raw materials produced.

At field level, Mane Kancor supports local steam distillation plants involved in the production of mint oil and improves the distillation efficiencies. It also provides direct market linkage to sustainable mint farmers by way of Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed at beginning of each season. Apart from the dedicated mint oil and menthol manufacturing facility at Bareilly, the company is currently expanding its capacity across its manufacturing facilities in India. Its world-class innovation centre at Angamaly hosts expert analytical teams and top-of-the-line technologies who conduct research activities on innovations in many natural product segments and product development initiatives. It also involves in CSR activities in the mint growing belt to support local farmer communities.

Media contact:

Tel: +919995803455

Email: enquirykancor@mane.com

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1750593/Mane_Kancor_Innovation_Centre.jpg
Ananda Developments Plc - Exercise of Warrants

21 February 2022

ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC

("Ananda" or the "Company")

EXERCISE OF WARRANTS

Ananda announces that 17,211 ordinary shares of 0.2p each in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") have been issued following the exercise of warrants at 0.45p per share.

Application will be made for the new Ordinary Shares to be admitted to trading on the Access segment of the AQSE Growth Market and admission is expected to become effective on Friday, 25 February 2022.

Following this issue, the Company has 798,949,032 Ordinary Shares in issue, each share carrying the right to one vote.

This figure of 798,949,032 Ordinary Shares may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

-Ends-

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC

Chief Executive Officer

Melissa Sturgess



Investor Relations

Jeremy Sturgess-Smith +44 (0) 7463 686 497

ir@anandadevelopments.com PETERHOUSE CAPITAL LIMITED

Corporate Finance

Mark Anwyl



Corporate Broking

Lucy Williams

Duncan Vasey +44 (0)20 7469 0930

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

About Ananda Developments

Ananda is an AQSE-listed medical cannabis company creating UK-based operations to grow and provide carbon neutral, consistent, medical cannabis for the UK and international markets.

The UK medical cannabis market is predicted to be worth 450m by 2025 and the European market is predicted to be worth USD4.2bn by 2027.

Ananda, through its 50% owned subsidiary, DJT Plants Limited, was granted a Home Office licence in May 2021 to grow >0.2% THC cannabis in a new research facility to breed and stabilise 65 strains.

For more information, please visit: https://anandadevelopments.com/
PRESS RELEASE

Paris, February 21, 2022 - 5:45 pm

Societe de la Tour Eiffel announces the sale of the Marche Vaugirard shopping centre to Societe des Grands Magasins

Societe de la Tour Eiffel announces the sale of the Marche Vaugirard to Societe des Grands Magasins, a specialist in acquiring and redeveloping city-centre retail assets. The shopping centre, acquired in 2017, is located in Paris's 15th arrondissement.

The sale concerns 2,210 m of floorspace, split between 25 shops on 2 floors, plus 87 parking spaces.

"This sale marks the end of Societe de la Tour Eiffel's asset disposal plan launched in 2019. The Marche Vaugirard deal, following the sale of Nimes Sept Collines, is the culmination of a long collective effort by the Societe de la Tour Eiffel teams." said Christel Zordan, Chief Executive Officer of Societe de la Tour Eiffel.

"We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Marche Vaugirard, a city-centre site with a healthy customer base of locals and office workers and an ideal place to apply our regeneration know-how. We will be working with the tenants to make it an even more attractive, modern shopping centre, that can match shoppers' expectations and be a lively hub for the whole community", said Frederic Merlin, Chairman of Societe des Grands Magasins.

Deal advisors: ROC Notaires, Alcaix (Notaries) / Up Real Estate, EOL, CBRE (Brokers)

Contacts

Media relations

Laetitia Baudon - Consulting director

Agence Shan

Tel. + 33 (0)1 44 50 58 79

laetitia.baudon@shan.fr

Investor Relations

Alienor Kuentz - Account director

Agence Shan

Tel. + 33 (0)1 42 86 82 45

alienor.kuentz@shan.fr

For Societe des Grands Magasins

Press contact: Francois Cathalifaud

Tel. +33 (0)6 62 15 50 03

Francois.cathalifaud@elabe.fr



About Societe de la Tour Eiffel

Societe de la Tour Eiffel is an integrated commercial real estate company with 1.8 bn in assets and a powerful service culture. It operates across the real estate cycle, supporting companies of all sizes and sectors, and directly manages assets in high-potential regions via a rigorous management process

Societe de la Tour Eiffel is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (Compartment B) - ISIN Code: FR0000036816 - Reuters: TEIF.PA - Bloomberg: EIFF.FP - Indexes: IEIF Foncieres, IEIF Immobilier France.

www.societetoureiffel.com



About Societe des Grands Magasins

Societe des Grands Magasins is a family firm created in 2018 with the ambition of helping to revive city centres, notably in mid-sized towns, by taking over, redeveloping and reinvigorating existing sites. It currently has 9 high street shopping centres in operation and has struck a deal to take over 7 Galeries Lafayette stores.

www.societedesgrandsmagasins.com



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A person checks the app store on a smartphone for "Truth Social," with a photo of former U.S. president Donald Trump on a computer screen in the background, in Los Angeles, in this file photo taken Oct. 20, 2021. AFP-Yonhap





Donald Trump's new social media app started a gradual rollout late Sunday and should be "fully operational" by late March, potentially raising the former president's profile more than a year after he was banned by major platforms.







"This week, we will begin to roll out to people on the Apple App store," said Devin Nunes, CEO of the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), parent company of the new app Truth Social.







The former Republican congressman was speaking Sunday on conservative Fox News.







"I think, by the end of March, we're going to be fully operational  at least within the United States," added Nunes, who resigned from the U.S. House to lead the Trump group.







Trump has described Truth Social as an alternative to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, all of which banned him following the assault on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021.







The former president has been accused of inciting his followers to use force in a bid to overturn the result of the 2020 election.







On Sunday, the App Store was allowing visitors to pre-order Truth Social starting Monday, the Presidents Day holiday in the United States.







Later Sunday, the app was reported as available to some of those who had pre-ordered.







"It's actually very moving for me to see people that are on the platform that have had their voice canceled," Nunes said.



Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump descend Marine One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, in this file photo taken Jan, 20, 2021. AFP-Yonhap





"We want (customers) to tell us what they would like to have on the platform, which is the opposite of some Silicon Valley tech oligarch freak telling people what they want to think and deciding who can or cannot be on the platform," he said.







Trump and his wife Melania Trump also plan to offer for sale 10,000 NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, Monday, illustrating key moments in the Trump presidency. NFTs are certified digital images that can be bought and sold. "TRUTH is coming..." congresswoman Elise Stefanik, the third-ranking House Republican, tweeted Friday, in an allusion to the ominous "Winter is coming" catchphrase of the television series "Game of Thrones."







She posted a screen grab of her message on Truth Beta, the test version of the new site, saying, "I'm so excited to be on TRUTH!"







And Donald Trump Jr. celebrated on Twitter, posting, "Time for some Truth!!!" and including what he said was his father's first post on Truth Social: "Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!"







TMTG, asked for comment by AFP, did not immediately respond.







The group reportedly has a $1.25 billion treasure chest as it seeks a niche in a crowded conservative social-media marketplace, currently served by platforms such as Gettr, Parler and Gab.







Before being banned by Twitter, Trump had some 89 million followers there and used the platform constantly, both for presidential statements and to attack rivals.







Trump, who is 75, has hinted but never definitively said whether he will seek the presidency again.







He is currently under the shadow of multiple investigations and lawsuits, including over his tax filings and his efforts to cling to power after losing the 2020 election. (AFP)






Deventer, February 21, 2022 - RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductors supply and quality services, announces that it has been informed by Prime Capital Debt SCS, SICAV-FIS - Robus Recovery Sub-Fund ("Robus") that Robus has initiated legal proceedings before the Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main (Landgericht Frankfurt am Main) against its wholly owned subsidiary RoodMicrotec GmbH.



Robus is the holder of the perpetual bond (Genussscheine) of EUR 1,994k that RoodMicrotec GmbH issued in 2010. Robus claims that it is entitled to an 11.7% compensation payment in relation to 2017, 2018 and H1-2021. In addition, alleging non-compliance by RoodMicrotec GmbH of the terms and conditions of the perpetual bond, Robus claims the repayment of the nominal amount of the perpetual bond asserting the extraordinary termination of the perpetual bond. RoodMicrotec GmbH has been informed by Robus that the total amount claimed in the proceedings amounts to EUR 2,568k to be increased with 11.7% interest for the applicable period.

RoodMicrotec GmbH contests all allegations and claims, and denies that any compensation payments are due on the perpetual bond or that any grounds for extraordinary termination of the perpetual bond exist. Accordingly, RoodMicrotec GmbH will ask the court to reject Robus' claim.

As announced on February 18, 2022, RoodMicrotec GmbH reached a full and final settlement of the 2012 perpetual bond with a nominal value of EUR 500k also held by Robus. RoodMicrotec GmbH shall pay Robus a total settlement amount of EUR 400k nominal, without any interest, in two equal nominal instalments of EUR 200k each by February 28, 2022 and June 30, 2022. This final settlement was reached before and confirmed by the Regional Court of Hamburg.

RoodMicrotec N.V. will keep its shareholders and other stakeholders informed of significant developments and will issue additional statements if and when appropriate.

About RoodMicrotec

RoodMicrotec is a leading independent company for semiconductor supply and quality services. With more than 50 years of experience in the semiconductor and electronics industry, RoodMicrotec is well-established as a highly valued partner for many companies worldwide. The Company provides full-turnkey ASIC services for complex microchips that are customized to handle specific applications for individual customers. In cooperation with strong partners, RoodMicrotec manages the entire development and production flow of ASICs in the target volume, ranging from low quantities up to multiple millions per year. The turnkey solution includes project management, wafer test, assembly, final test, qualification, failure analysis and logistics. All services comply with the industrial and quality requirements of the high reliability, aerospace, automotive, healthcare and industrial sectors. RoodMicrotec's headquarters are located in Deventer, Netherlands, with operational units in Nordlingen and Stuttgart, Germany. For more information visit https://www.roodmicrotec.com

Further information

Martin Sallenhag - CEO, Arvid Ladega - CFO

Telephone: +31 570 745623 Email: investor-relations@roodmicrotec.comWeb: www.roodmicrotec.com

This press release is published in English and German. In case of conflict between these versions the English version shall prevail.

This communication contains information that qualifies as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.The company's managing director and CEO Martin Sallenhag, is responsible for arranging the release of this document on behalf of RoodMicrotec.

Attachment
Regulatory News:

La Francaise de l'Energie (Euronext: FDE ISIN: FR0013030152), a carbon negative energy producer, is proud to announce that its mine gas capture activity has now entered the Greenfin France green finance label in the circular economy category.

The Greenfin France green finance label is the reference public label for the "Energy and ecological transition for the climate". It allows to specifically distinguish investment funds contributing to the energy and ecological transition. This is a guarantee for investors of the quality and transparency of the environmental characteristics of such funds and of their contribution to the energy transition and the fight against climate change.

Acceleration of the deployment of abandoned mine methane production units in France and Belgium

FDE currently captures mine gas at several sites in France and Wallonia in order to prevent it from being released into the atmosphere. This fatal gas is mainly composed of methane which global warming power (GWP) is 82.5 times more powerful than CO2 according to the sixth IPCC report published in 2021.

FDE, which is already the main contributor to the effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the Hauts-de-France region, continues to accelerate its activity in this area with the objective of avoiding 3 million tonnes of CO2eq emissions a year thanks to the deployment of new cogeneration units in Hauts-de-France and Wallonia.

La Francaise de L'Energie confirms its objective of achieving annualized revenue of 35 million and an EBITDA margin of over 45% by the end of 2022.

Next announcement:

H1 2022 Results March 24th 2022

Reuters code: FDE.PA Bloomberg code: FDE.FP

About La Francaise de l'Energie (FDE)

FDE is a carbon negative energy producer, specializing setting up decentralized energy production sites. La Francaise de l'Energie supplies gas, green electricity and heat to regional players, thus replacing imported energy with local, cleaner energy. La Francaise de l'Energie has strong development potential and aims to become a benchmark independent player in the energy sector in Europe. The company benefits from the innovative company label awarded by Bpifrance.

More information available on www.francaisedelenergie.fr

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward looking statements and estimates concerning FDE's financial condition, operating results, strategy, projects and future performance and the markets in which it operates. Such forward-looking statements and estimates may be identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "is designed to," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "objective," "should," or the negative of these and similar expressions. They incorporate all topics that are not historical facts. Forward looking statements, forecasts and estimates are based on management's current assumptions and assessment of risks, uncertainties and other factors, known and unknown, which were deemed to be reasonable at the time they were made but which may turn out to be incorrect. Events and outcomes are difficult to predict and depend on factors beyond the company's control. Consequently, the actual results, financial condition, performances and/or achievements of FDE or of the industry may turn out to differ materially from the future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by these statements, forecasts and estimates. Owing to these uncertainties, no representation is made as to the correctness or fairness of these forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates speak only as of the date on which they are made, and FDE undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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LAS VEGAS, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today VIMworld.com announced its first-ever Global VIM Producer Contest, offering an exciting opportunity for artists and NFT producers globally to join. The top few winners, chosen by community vote, will share a pool of over ~$20,000 USD, where the #1 winner will take home ~$13,000 USD and will have their Smart NFT along with its background story to be incorporated into VIMworld Open-Metaverse.

VIMworld aims to build an Open-Metaverse utilizing the proprietary Smart NFT technology they've created. An Open-Metaverse that is inclusive to everyone and appealing to all NFT projects. In keeping with the tradition of empowering all voices of our community, this contest will have a special twist!

The Theme:

For this very first Global VIM Producer Contest, VIMworld is seeking submissions for VIMs that embody and represent their beloved Dutch community. The enrollment is open to ALL. The winning VIM will be minted and available for a special NFT drop on the King's Day celebration on the 27th of April.

For complete details, submission guidelines and to register for the contest, visit https://community.vimworld.com

Koningsdag as it's known in the Netherlands is a national holiday. The entire county turns out for a national block party where everything and everyone possible is covered in orange to celebrate the birthday of the reigning Dutch monarch, King Willem Alexander. The celebrations begin the night before and continue throughout King's Day with citywide flea markets, street-corner musicians, DJ booths, boat-packed canals, organized parties, parades, music, food, drink, and visits to one or two cities from the King and the royal family.

Submissions for this contest will be carefully reviewed and narrowed down by a panel of expert judges consisting of members from the VIMworld team and the Dutch community until only the highest quality submissions remain. When the final few have been chosen, the winner will be decided by a global community wide vote.

Aside from the prize money, the #1 winner will also receive the very first mint of the VIM with the ID #1 -- a highly sought after and valuable NFT. In addition, up to seven finalists will each receive monetary prizes as well.

About VIMworld

VIMworld is a revolutionary Open-Metaverse powered by Smart NFTs (Non-Fungible token). The platform consists of gaming, virtual assets, defi, linked with real life assets via IOT technology. We have created a platform where users can create, care, feed, grow, and exchange their Virtual Integrated Metadata (VIMs) designed by talented artists from around the world. Owners of the VIMs will benefit from the massive growth of the VImworld.com ecosystem. VIMworld is aggressively striving to push the boundaries of what's possible with the blockchain, both online and in the physical world. Visit www.vimworld.com .

VIMworld is also hiring, please visit: https://www.vimworld.com/careers

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Reference is made to the announcement on 12 April 2019, in which Hexagon Composites ASA (the "Company") announced the provisional award of up to 2,492,438 Performance Share Units ("PSUs") to senior executives and entitled employees. Each vested PSU will give the holder the right to receive one share in the Company at an exercise price corresponding to the par value of the shares being NOK 0.10. The total program ended at 1,078,628 PSUs of which 299,440 PSUs have been awarded to primary insiders. Please refer to attached forms for further details.

The transaction is settled in treasury shares, following which the Company holds 693,270 treasury shares, representing 0.3% of total shares outstanding.

To settle the tax obligation resulting from the awarded PSUs, a primary insider has sold some shares. Further details of the primary insider's transactions pursuant to the market abuse regulation article 19 are attached.

For more information:

David Bandele, CFO, Hexagon Composites ASA Telephone: +47 920 91 483 | david.bandele@hexagongroup.com

Hiva Ghiri, VP Investor Relations, Hexagon Composites ASA Telephone: +47 958 66 790 | hiva.ghiri@hexagongroup.com

About Hexagon Composites ASA

Hexagon delivers safe and innovative solutions for a cleaner energy future. Our solutions enable storage, transportation and conversion to clean energy in a wide range of mobility, industrial and consumer applications.

For more information, please visit www.hexagongroup.com (http://www.hexagongroup.com) Follow us on Twitter: @HexagonASA

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Attachments
Climate tech venture firm Aera VC is today announcing a $US30 million first close of its new fund investing in startups accelerating the planet toward a sustainable future.

The new climate-focused fund is launching with a portfolio of global climate stars including Houston-based chemical decarbonisation firm Solugen now valued at $US1.8 billion as well as Shiok Meats (Singapore), Carbon Chain (London), Noya and Twelve (San Francisco); and Fable Foods (Australia).

Contributors to the fund include purpose-driven investor families from around the world who are leveraging their resources to decarbonise industries deeply in need of climate solutions.

Aera is also today launching an investment DAO (Distributed Autonomous Organization) called Aera Force, with 2000 ETH (approx $US6 million) earmarked specifically for pre-seed projects harnessing the power of blockchain to conquer climate and carbon related challenges.

Established in partnership with the creators of Dream DAO, the Aera Force DAO will expand the global community of innovators, scientists and founders formed in the past five years by Aera VC.

"The entire world needs to be rebuilt and decarbonised," says Aera VC Founding Partner Derek Handley, who has been investing in environmental and social-impact ventures since serving as the Founding CEO of Richard Branson's B Team sustainability collective in 2013.

"At Aera, our long-term vision is about investing across the sustainability spectrum, by backing breakthrough technologies that reverse climate change, whether they spawn from blockchain innovations or through scientific discoveries. Every industry needs to be reimagined, from finance, food and fashion, through to chemicals, cement and construction. And we are backing the very best founders hell bent on making this happen."

Derek points to the example of carbon negative chemical maker Solugen, which Aera VC invested in five years ago when it was a two-person startup, as a company setting out to transform a high emission industry to net zero. The Texan-based Solugen recently received investment from Singapore's Temasek and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), joining a list of 45 climate tech unicorns compiled by a global market intelligence platform Holon IQ.

The new Aera fund expects to make up to 30 new seed investments over the next two years and will also contribute to follow-on rounds. The fund is continuing to accept further subscriptions up to $US100m from institutional investors in 2022 who will join the international community of family offices.

The company's new headquarters in Singapore positions Aera VC as one of the first global climate funds based out of the Asia-Pacific region. Aera VC portfolio companies have gone on to raise over a billion dollars since receiving Aera's backing.

Aera VC was formed in 2016 when Derek joined forces with fellow New Zealander Nick Winstone to launch the globally distributed venture firm from their bases in New Zealand and New York. A seasoned team of geographically dispersed partners have since joined the company, now one of the prominent climate funds based out of the Asia Pacific region, including Alex Andre de la Porte in Australia (Sydney); Guneet Banga in Hong Kong, Milena Nikolova in Singapore, and Dream DAO co-founder Josh Thompson in New York.

About Aera VC

Aera VC invests at the frontier of deep technology and sustainability to accelerate the world to a better future. Since launching in late 2016 the company has pioneered investments into transformational technologies to reverse climate change and advance new breakthroughs for humanity. See aera.vc and aeraforce.xyz

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220221005042/en/

Contacts:

Julie Landry, julie@connectpr.co.nz, +64 21 895 098
Airtel today announced that it has joined the SEA-ME-WE-6 undersea cable consortium to scale up its high speed global network capacity to serve Indias fast-growing digital economy. The 19,200 Rkm SEA-ME-WE-6 will connect Singapore and France, and will be amongst the largest undersea cable systems globally, said the company.

Airtel said that it will be a major investor in the SEA-ME-WE-6 and will be anchoring 20% of the overall investment in the cable system, which will go live in 2025. The 12 other consortium members of SEA-ME-WE-6 include Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company, Dhiraagu (Maldives), Djibouti Telecom, Mobily (Saudi Arabia), Orange (France), Singtel (Singapore), Sri Lanka Telecom, Telecom Egypt, Telekom Malaysia, Telin (Indonesia).

Through SEA-ME-WE-6 Airtel will add a significant amount of 100 TBps capacity to its global network. Airtel said that it has acquired one Fiber Pair on the main SEA-ME-WE-6 system and will co-build four Fiber Pairs between Singapore  Chennai  Mumbai as part of the cable system. Airtel will land the SEA-ME-WE-6 cable system in India at new landing stations in Mumbai and Chennai.

SEA-ME-WE-6 will be fully integrated with Nxtra by Airtels large Data Centers in Mumbai and Chennai to enable global hyperscalers and businesses to access seamless integrated solutions and will strengthen Indias position as an emerging data center hub in the region.

Ajay Chitkara, Director and CEO, Airtel Business said:

Undersea cable systems along with data centers are vital infrastructure for supporting 5G and the digital economy. Airtel has been ahead of the curve on this front and already operates the largest undersea cable network out of India in addition to the biggest network of data centers. Our investment in SEA-ME-WE-6 is another step in our journey to future-proof our network and build large integrated capacities to enable Indias digital ecosystem.
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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.

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BLEAT is designed to work in three parts. Firstly, it is required to input the transplant recipients HLA-B typing information into the software, alongside HLA-B typing information for any potential donors. BLEAT will then align the HLA-B sequences to reference sequences and assign a leader peptide (M or T) to each allele. Secondly, BLEAT provides a leader genotype to potential candidate donors (MM, TT, or MT). The tool then compares the assigned leader genotypes between the recipient and potential donor, stratifying them into leader match or leader mismatch categories. Importantly, the third and final part of the tool operates by ranking the top candidate donors based on HLA-B reported outcome data, with the goal of reducing clinical risk to the recipient. The authors further tested the capabilities of their tool by evaluating its performance in a validated dataset. Encouragingly, BLEAT showed high performance with respect to genotype assignment and leader matching between transplant donor and recipient. To aid laboratories and transplant centers, we designed a tool to automate the assignment of the leader sequence to each HLA-B antigen. The user can specify the HLA-B antigen typing for patients and candidate donors; the tool provides the leader genotype for each individual and indicates donors whose mismatched antigens are in the same (favorable) or different (unfavorable) families. We hope this tool will facilitate the use of the leader SNP in prospective donor selection to lower the risks of GVHD in the patient, explained Dr. Petersdorf.

Next, the authors sought to understand the distribution of leader genotypes across US populations; these data are pertinent to all patients and particularly patients from underserved communities who often have only mismatched donor options for transplant procedures. The T allele was found to be the major allele across all race categories - white, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African American, and American Indian/Alaskan Native - in available donor registries; however, the frequency of individuals with the TT genotype differed markedly. The data are important for searching unrelated donors to achieve optimal leader matching for all patients.

The authors have made BLEAT publicly available here, providing a valuable resource to clinicians and researchers working in the field of transplant research. Summarizing this study and potential next steps, Dr. Petersdorf concluded we examined over a million US donors from the Be The Match Registry to confirm the physical linkage of the leader SNP to the coding regions that define the peptide-binding region of the HLA-B molecule. These data provide novel information on the frequency of the leader sequences in individuals of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. We found that the SNP of interest is not the only position that can be variable; however, the SNP is the most common variant. We then asked whether information on the complete nucleotide HLA-B sequence (allele) is necessary to define the SNP of its linked leader sequence and found an exceptionally high correlation between the SNP and the antigen. These results mean that laboratories and transplant centers require only a serological-level definition of HLA-B to define its leader sequence. Finally, the distribution of the leader genotypes is highly dependent on the race and ethnicity of the individual. At the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, we are using the HLA-B leader to avoid high-risk HLA-B mismatches.
It always seems impossible until its done.

 Nelson Mandella

There they were  the elderly white couple with gray hair. They stood out from the crowd of mostly young people of all races from every corner of the world.

But still, they joined the youngsters as they walked out in protest from the auditorium where they had been witnessing the proceedings at Glasgows November 2021, COP26 global climate conference.

By staging their walkout in COP26s final hours, the Civil Society Representatives of farmers and NGOs (AKA powerless observers) to the summit were protesting what they saw  with considerable justification  as the conferences failure to protect the planet and its people. They were calling out the official delegates for failing to reach binding agreements to control global temperature rise and failing to adequately support developing countries, which are fated to bear the brunt of climate-change destruction in the coming decades. Upon leaving the building, they joined thousands of other protesters assembled in the nearby streets.

The protesters stated their own positions clearly  positions in direct opposition to the hem-and-haw compromises the official delegations had painstakingly (or, grudgingly?) reached and were now touting as significant achievements.

COP26 is a performance one Indigenous activist from Canada, quoted in the Guardian, told the representatives before the walkout. Its an illusion constructed to save the capitalist economy rooted in resource extraction and colonialism.

And the antidote?

What do we want? someone in the group leaving the conference shouted.

Climate Justice! the crowd responded.

When do we want it?

Now!

These young people had come to Glasgow, mostly at their own expense, to try to twist some metaphorical arms at COP26. They wanted to confront the delegates with a straightforward message: You are not doing enough to stop the climate crisis. You must do more, much more. Now. Before its too late.

The message was mostly ignored, especially by the representatives of countries where fossil fuels dominate the economy or development and strongly influence national policy. The final emissions-reduction pledges were so watered down that, even if they are met, they wont prevent dangerous global warming in the very near future  well within the lifetimes of the young protesters. The commitments to finance climate mitigation and resilience in developing countries, even if they are kept, will meet just around 10% of the needs. Tellingly, India and China pulled a last-minute stunt to undermine the delegations agreement on phasing out coal.

The anger in the street was palpable. This summit is becoming a joke, one protester who had attended several previous COP conferences said. And theres a real need for them to listen to people like these, he continued, pointing to the stream of Civil Society Representatives exiting the conference.

Unconscionably, theyre not listening.

But heres the thing. Social and political movements invariably grow from small kernels, beginning as the complaint or vision of a tiny minority of people. If their idea has merit, it gains traction, gains adherents  slowly at first, but then exponentially. And eventually it breaks through the business-as-usual barriers. Historical examples, such at the abolitionist movement and the suffragettes, abound.

A few years ago, there was no discernable youth climate movement. Then, in 2018, Greta Thunberg staged her first, solo climate strike, and within a year there were more than a million school strikers in 125 countries. Two years later, 100,000 protesters showed up in Glasgow.

What will it take for the climate movement to break through, to take control global climate policy? Remember that gray-haired couple walking out of COP26 with the Civil Society people?

When their generation is ready to join up with the youngsters, therell be a sea change in global climate policy at our ecological house.

Philip S. Wenz writes about the environment and related topics. Visit his blog at firebirdjournal.com.

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More mothers in Linn and Benton County want to bear their children from the comfort of home, a trend that may be partly influenced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Often not covered by insurance, it can be an expensive decision.

Around 35,000 births, or less than 1% of all births nationwide, occur at home, according to a 2020 report by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

In 2021, Linn County saw 785 births, 61 of which occurred at home. That's a 21% increase over the past decade, the Oregon Health Authority reports. Benton County saw 991 births, 19 of which occurred at home, a 33.8% increase over the last 10 years.

A mother's perspective

Autumn Benton, a marriage and family counselor from Corvallis, birthed all three of her children at home.

"Women have been doing this since the beginning of time," Benton said. "Animals have been doing it since the beginning of time."

Benton wanted to make the births of her children as comfortable as possible with people she knew, far from COVID-19-filled ICUs.

"I, at an early age, always associated hospitals with something being wrong, illness or injury or something that sends you to the hospital," Benton said. "I felt if I start at home, I'm going to be giving myself the best chance out of the gate to feel comfortable and feel safe."

Home births are associated with lower risk of maternal intervention, such as caesarean sections and pain medication, than hospital births, according to a 2020 study published in The Lancet medical journal.

Cost of home births

While home birth services are covered under the Oregon Health Plan, most private health plans cover little to none of the costs.

Benton and her husband paid entirely out of pocket for the home birth of their third child, Zinnia, last year. Home birth is not a covered benefit under her husband's plan through Samaritan Health Services where he works as a nurse.

After appealing the issue to Samaritan's CEO, Benton protested outside of the Samaritan Health Plans building in Corvallis last summer.

In an email, Samaritan Vice President of Human Resources Gail Worden-Acree said the hospital chain's members retain "the right to choose a home birth and to assume responsibility for those costs as they would for other excluded or non-credentialed health care providers."

In the U.S., uncomplicated hospital births can cost $12,000 on average, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

In Linn and Benton counties, birth centers can charge up to $9,500 for out-of-hospital births. Home births with the assistance of a midwife or doula can cost up to $4,500.

In 2021, the Oregon Legislature pushed a bill requiring health insurers to offer care in all birth settings, including home births and free-standing birth centers. The bill, HB 2388, died in committee during the last legislative session.

Making it as a midwife

Making a living performing home births is hard on midwives and doulas who often work on-call 24/7 without benefits or predictable hours.

According to Liz Baer, a midwife from Albany and co-owner of Midvalley Birthing Services serving Albany and Corvallis, a single birth can mean a full work week for a midwife.

"As far as postpartum care goes, we usually see people 24 to 36 hours after a baby's born, three to four days after one to two weeks, and then again in six weeks," Baer said. "We provide both obstetric and pediatrics care, which is why we see them a little bit more often than other providers."

Getting paid is a challenge for midwives navigating competitive health care networks, said Linda Bennett, a doula and retired midwife of 20 years from Salem who practiced in the Corvallis area.

"For a midwife, of any type, to be covered by a network provider, they would have to have a specific contract with the insurance company," Bennett said. "The insurance company does that to control their costs, so they want to pay that provider as little as possible for the birth, which in a hospital where you've got high volume, that can still be viable."

The doula dilemma

While midwives are trained and certified to perform deliveries and medical evaluations, doulas provide emotional support for delivering mothers, often helping out with such domestic duties as household chores and child care.

These skills can mean a five-figure pay gap for doulas, who typically make $30,000 a year compared to as much as $100,000 for the most highly trained midwives, AARP reports. This leaves doulas in a bind when it comes to living on low wages and working a demanding schedule.

"The problem that a doula has is that you spent a day at least at a birth, which means that for two weeks before that birth, and two weeks after that, you can't hold down a regular job, you don't have benefits at all," Bennett said.

"For doulas, the limitation is getting enough money from each birth, which usually requires cash on the barrelhead from parents who themselves are also struggling."

Home birth and women's rights

For Benton, insuring home births is about protecting more women's right to choose how they bring new life into the world.

"I feel like that's what I got to have, an experience where I felt my own capability and power," Benton said. "I wish more people were given the chance to have that."

Tim Gruver covers the city of Albany and Linn County. He can be contacted at 541-812-6114 or Tim.Gruver@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @T_TimeForce.

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Commentary: Drawing wisdom, strength from China-U.S. "ice-breaking" history

Xinhua) 14:50, February 21, 2022

File photo 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)

BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- On Feb. 21, 1972, then U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China upon invitation, embarking on an "ice-breaking" journey attracting attention worldwide. During his visit, China and the United States reached an important consensus on principles for handling bilateral relations and published the Shanghai Communique, a major step forward in normalizing bilateral relations.

Looking back at history, the most fundamental reason why China and the United States were able to make the handshake across the Pacific Ocean was that both sides adhered to the principle of mutual respect and sought common ground while shelving differences.

With the future in mind, China and the United States should draw wisdom and strength from their "ice-breaking" history to bring ties back on track and work for the sound and steady development of bilateral relations.

As China and the United States are two major countries with different political systems and cultural backgrounds, it is normal to have divergences. This is the reality the two sides realized 50 years ago. However, for some time, certain U.S. politicians have viewed China-U.S. relations from a zero-sum game perspective and stirred up troubles unilaterally, making bilateral ties extremely difficult.

Hyping up ideological antagonism is an obvious infringement of the original intention of developing China-U.S. relations. Only by transcending divergences and seeking common interests can the two countries accord with the trend of history and the general expectations of the international community.

As both China and the United States have undergone tremendous changes over the past 50 years, it is imperative to view each other from a correct perspective for the two sides to continue co-existing peacefully. Whatever development stage China is in, China's goal has never been to threaten other countries. Instead, it aims to bring a better life to its people and promote the common development of all nations.

Photo taken on Oct. 28, 2021 shows the Commerce Department building in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Some U.S. politicians who hype up the rhetoric of containment and competition against China are merely driven by the "anxiety disorder" from seeking hegemony. Such a practice won't help solve the problems faced by the United States and will only damage the interests of both countries and the world at large.

History and reality have fully proven that China and the United States stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. They can get many things done for the good of the two countries and the whole world when they cooperate with each other.

The multiple challenges faced by humanity demand cooperation among all countries, particularly China and the United States. As the two largest economies in the world and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and the United States shoulder the major responsibilities for world peace, development and stability.

Under the current circumstances, the two countries should demonstrate a sense of responsibility, strengthen cooperation, and work with all countries to address the challenges and to inject more certainties and positive energy into a world witnessing many turbulences and changes.

History is the best textbook. Only by learning from the past can China and the United States make a better future for bilateral relations.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
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.
Gettysburg, PA (17325)

Today

Rain likely, heavy at times in the evening. Low near 55F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Rain likely, heavy at times in the evening. Low near 55F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Gillette, WY (82718)

Today

Cloudy with occasional showers. Low around 40F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers. Low around 40F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Pune, India, Feb. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global solar photovoltaic (PV) market size is projected to reach USD 1,000.92 billion by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 25.9% during the forecast period. Rising demand for renewable energy resources and dependence upon electricity is likely to fuel market progress. Fortune Business Insights provides this information in its report titled "Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market, 2021-2028."

Solar Photovoltaic is a technology that converts sunlight into electricity. It is considered the most reliable energy resource because of its effectiveness in extracting electricity. It eliminates pollution emissions and reduces dependence on fossil fuels by providing sustainable energy resources. Germany, Spain, U.S., and China account for the countries possessing major solar resources globally. The rising demand for effective fossil fuels is likely to fuel solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. Further, the dependence upon electricity is increasing rapidly globally. The demand for sustainable and continuous electric supply is likely to fuel solar PV technologies' demand. These factors are likely to fuel the market progress during the upcoming years.

Get Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/solar-pv-market-100263

Companies Profiled in Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market:

Canadian Solar Inc. (Canada)

BrightSource Energy, Inc. (U.S.)

First Solar (U.S.)

SunPower Corporation (U.S.)

Trina Solar (China)

Yingli Solar (China)

Wuxi Suntech Power Co. Ltd. (China)

Jinko Solar (China)

Waaree Group (India)

AccionaEnergia S.A.(Spain)

Nextera Energy Sources LLC (U.S.)

Vivaan Solar (India)

eSolar Inc. (U.S.)

Tata PowerSolar Systems Ltd. (India)

Abengoa (Spain)

Report Scope & Segmentation

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 CAGR 25.9% 2028 Value Projection USD 1000.92 Billion Base Year 2020 Solar Photovoltaic Market Size in 2020 USD 154.47 Billion Historical Data for 2017 to 2019 No. of Pages 220 Segments covered Technology, Grid Type, Installation, Application and Geography Solar Photovoltaic Market Growth Drivers Rising Investments in Solar Power and Increasing Off-grid Areas to Boost Market Growth Low Manufacturing Costs and Higher Solar Irradiance Levels to Boost Market Growth in Asia Pacific Prominent Companies Launch New Projects to Boost Brand Presence Globally





Impact of COVID-19

Raw Material Shortage and Closure of Industries to Negatively Affect Market Growth

This market could be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the closure of major industries and the shortage of raw materials. The emergence of the pandemic and the sudden spike in cases has led to the imposition of restrictions. The halt on manufacturing and the closure of industries is likely to fuel the product demand. Further, the adoption of reduced capacities, part-time shifts, and production machinery is likely to fuel the product's adoption. These factors are likely to support the growth of the market during the pandemic.

Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market.

Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/solar-pv-market-100263

Market Segments

By technology analysis, the market is segmented into multi-si, thin-film, mono-si, and others. As per installation, it is classified into roof-mounted, ground-mounted, and others. Based on grid type, it is bifurcated into off-grid and on-grid. By application, it is categorized into non-residential, residential, and utilities. Regionally, it is divided into Asia pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Report Coverage

The report provides a detailed analysis of the top segments and the latest trends in the market. It comprehensively discusses the driving and restraining factors and the impact of COVID-19 on the market. Additionally, it examines the regional developments and the strategies undertaken by the market's key players.

Drivers and Restraints

Rising Investments in Solar Power and Increasing Off-grid Areas to Boost Market Growth

Solar PV is a technology that boosts electricity production using solar energy in several off-grid areas. Several people worldwide live without continuous electric supply and facilities. As per the statistics provided by the World Energy Outlook, approximately 1 billion people or more still live without an electric supply. As a result, the development of solar energy is gaining traction. Solar energy is the most readily available source of electricity, which, in turn, may fuel its adoption in off-grid areas. Significant investments in solar energy lead to increased solar PV sales. Energy generation companies focus heavily on the production of solar power and the incorporation of solar energy generation technologies. These factors are likely to drive the solar photovoltaic (PV) market growth.

However, the requirement of large land use and constraints regarding its uses are likely to hinder market progress.

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Regional Insights

Low Manufacturing Costs and Higher Solar Irradiance Levels to Boost Market Growth in Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the solar photovoltaic (PV) market size because of low manufacturing costs and higher solar irradiance levels are likely to boost the product's adoption. The market in Asia pacific stood at 71.37 billion in 2020 and is projected to gain the largest market share in the upcoming years. Furthermore, approximately 77 GW of solar capacity has been installed in developing countries in 2020 and the electricity demand is rising rapidly in countries such as India, Japan, and China. These factors are likely to fuel market progress.

Europe has the second-largest solar photovoltaic (PV) market share owing to the installation of solar power infrastructure. Increased spending on renewable energy resource development is likely to fuel solar PV technology. For example, the EU Renewable Energy Directive announced its plans for sustainable energy resource development. These factors are likely to facilitate the growth of the market.

In North America, the increased solar photovoltaic capacity in the U.S. and Canada is likely to fuel the solar PV demand. The region possesses more than 100MW off-grid solar PV installations, which, in turn, may propel market growth.

Competitive Landscape

Prominent Companies Launch New Projects to Boost Brand Presence Globally

Prominent companies operating in the market launch new projects to boost their brand presence. For example, Canadian Solar declared that it commenced the biggest commercial and industrial (C&I) construction project in Malaysia in collaboration with EleapsSdn. Bhd., The 5 MWp and Antah Solar Sdn. Bhd. The project is situated in Penang, Malaysia, and spans approximately 26,000 m2. This strategy may boost the company's brand image globally. Further, the adoption of technologically advanced production techniques may enable companies to reduce production costs, time consumption, improve product quality, and fulfill organizational goals.

Industry Development

July 2021: Waaree Energy stated that it completed a 300+MW solar module's launch for the Aquamarine Solar PV project. The company offers Mono PERC Solar PV modules for installation in WSP.

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Major Table of Contents:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Regulatory Landscape Porters Five Forces Analysis

Qualitative Analysis  Impact of COVID-19 Impact of COVID-19 on the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market Steps Taken by the Government to Overcome the Impact Key Developments in the Industry in Response to COVID-19 Potential Opportunities and Challenges due to COVID-19 Outbreak

Global Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market Analysis (USD Billion) (MW), Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Technology Monocrystalline Silicon Thin Film Polycrystalline Silicon Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Installation Ground Mounted Rooftop Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Grid Type On-grid Off-grid Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Residential Non-Residential Utilities Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa

North America Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market Analysis (USD Billion) (MW), Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Technology Monocrystalline Silicon Thin Film Polycrystalline Silicon Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Installation Ground Mounted Rooftop Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Grid Type On-grid Off-grid Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Residential Non-Residential Utilities Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country U.S. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Residential Non-Residential Utilities Canada Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Residential Non-Residential Utilities



TOC Continued!

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Pune, India, Feb. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Transmission Line Market size was USD 81.39 billion in 2020. The market is expected to grow from USD 86.88 billion in 2021 to USD 138.99 billion in 2028 at a growth rate of 6.9% in the 2021-2028 period. This information is provided by Fortune Business Insights, in its report, titled, Transmission Line Market, 2021-2028.

According to our analysts, the market is expected to gain traction on account of the factor that smart grids are extending across the globe as the capitalization in smart grids networks is progressively rising. Moreover, the government is also emphasizing smart grid expansion in various nations.

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Companies Profiled in the Transmission Line Market:

Nexans (France)

ABB (Switzerland)

General Electric (U.S.)

Prysmian Group (Italy)

Sumitomo Electric (Japan)

Valard (Canada)

Arteche Group (Spain)

MYR Group (U.S.)

Kiewit (U.S.)

Burns & McDonnell (U.S.)

AECOM (U.S.)

Salasar (India)

COVID-19 Impacts:

COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts Majorly on Power Projects, set to Hinder Economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the world, thus hampering the global economy. The pandemic has influenced numerous business sectors, such as production, hospitality, oil & gas, aviation, and others. Moreover, governments of numerous nations had deployed national lockdowns and imposed stringent guidelines in order to curb the spread. The outbreak of pandemic has also interrupted supply chains as the government made declarations regarding lockdowns and employed travel restrictions.

To get to know more about the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market,

Please Visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/transmission-line-market-106347

REPORT SCOPE & SEGMENTATION:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2021-2028 Forecast Period 2021-2028 CAGR 6.9% 2028 Value Projection 138.99 billion Base Year 2020 Market Size in 2020 81.39 billion Historical Data for 2017-2019 No. of Pages 210 Segments covered Type, Voltage, Application, Region Growth Drivers Increasing Energy Demand to Augmentn Market Growth Expansion of Smart Grids and Micro-grids Network Propel Growth in Market Rising Retrofit and Refurbishment of Existing Infrastructure Augmented Market Growth Pitfalls & Challenges Higher Dependency on Import May Hinder Market Growth





Segments:



Type, Voltage, Application, and Region are studied for the Market

On the basis of type, the market is classified into underground, overhead, and submarine.

In terms of voltage, the market is categorized into 130kV  220kV, 221kV  660kV, and above 600kV.

By application, the market is segregated into industrial and utility. The utility segment held a leading share of the market in 2020 and is anticipated to extend at a substantial CAGR during the forecast.

Geographically, the global market has been branched across five vital regions, comprising North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America.

Report Coverage:

The report offers a rounded study of the transmission line market along with latest trends and impending predictions to institute approximate investment gains. An expansive review of any forthcoming prospects, jeopardies, competitions or driving aspects is also stated in the report. Moreover, an in-depth regional examination is also mentioned. The COVID-19 influences have been added to the report to aid investors and business experts to comprehend the jeopardies in an augmented manner. The key companies functioning in the market are acknowledged, and their tactics to boost the market growth are described in the report.

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Drivers and Restraints:

Extension of Smart Grids and Micro-Grids Network to Bolster Market Growth

Smart grids are extending across the globe as the investment in smart grids networks is broadly surging. Governments are also emphasizing on smart grid expansion in numerous nations. The investment in cross-border grid networks is also growing across the globe. Besides smart grid, the micro-grid network is also noted to expand massively across the globe. The rising power consumption surges the demand for network infrastructure for the transmission of electricity throughout the globe. This is expected to bolster the transmission line market growth.

Regional Insights:

Asia Pacific is projected to hold the largest transmission line market share over the forecast period. The demand for electricity is expansively rising in this region, owing to the growing population. Urbanization and industrialization are also registered to be elevating.

Europe is probable to grow at a considerable rate during the forecast period. This region is incessantly extending its electricity generation capacity, owing to rising demand for continual power supply.

North America is anticipated to record considerable growth during the forecast period. The region is presently experiencing high power utilization and major penetration of electronic equipment.

Competitive Landscape:

Various Contract Declarations by Crucial Players to Boost Market Growth

The vital companies present in the market embrace numerous tactics to boost their position in the market as dominating companies. One such important tactic is procuring companies to reinforce the brand value among users. Another effective strategy is announcing diverse contracts achieved publically and preserving the prestige among audience.

Industry Developments:

May 2021: Salasar declared a contract worth INR 238.65 crore from Power Grid to build transmission lines and substations based in Arunachal Pradesh. This agreement involves the construction of a transmission line network of 132KV type and the substations of extra high voltage capacity.

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Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Regulatory Landscape Porters Five Forces Analysis

Qualitative Analysis  Impact of COVID-19 Impact of COVID-19 on the Transmission Line Market Steps Taken by the Government to Overcome the Impact Key Developments in the Industry in Response to COVID-19 Potential Opportunities and Challenges due to COVID-19 Outbreak

Global Transmission Line Market Analysis (USD Billion), Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Type Underground Overhead Submarine Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Voltage 130kV  220kV 221kV  660kV Above 660kV Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Utility Industrial Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa



TOC Continued.

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About Us:

Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

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Sale of TSS activities to Apollo Funds

Worldline received a binding offer by Apollo Funds,

retained by the Board, and comprising:

Total consideration at current fair value of  2.3 billion

 1.7 billion upfront, and

up to  0.9 billion in preferred shares

Closing expected in H2 2022

Paris La Defense, February 21, 2022  Worldline [Euronext: WLN], a leader in the payments industry, has entered into exclusive talks with the Apollo Funds (as defined below) on the basis of a binding offer for the purchase of its Terminals, Solutions & Services (TSS) Business Line.

Following the strategic review of TSS aimed at supporting its ongoing transformation and further accelerating its development, Worldline has entered into exclusive talks with the investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo (NYSE: APO) (the Apollo Funds) upon receipt of a binding offer, for 100% of the shares of TSS, comprising a  1.7 billion upfront consideration as well as preferred shares that could reach up to  0.9 billion in value depending of the future value creation of TSS.

Worldline has entered into exclusive talks with Apollo Funds following a competitive process considering the overall quality of its offer, its strategic vision and industrial focus, its commitment to support the current TSS management and its sensitivity towards the French social context. Moreover, Apollo has a strong track-record in value creation and corporate carve-outs, with successful transformation of previously acquired businesses in France.

The contemplated transaction also encompasses the signing of a partnership agreement cementing the strategic and long-term commercial relationship between Worldline and TSS over the next 5 years.

Alongside the Apollo Funds, Worldline will remain associated to future value creation opportunities made possible by the robustness and quality of the TSS business and the transformation plan shared between the parties via the ownership of the preferred shares. This structure has been designed to align interests between Worldline and the Apollo Funds and will be directly linked to the total value creation achieved by TSS during its ownership by the Apollo Funds.

Gilles Grapinet, CEO of Worldline, said: I am very happy to announce today that weve signed an agreement to enter into exclusive talks with Apollo, a highly renowned and successful global investment firm, that offers to take-over the future development of our payment terminal activity and its teams. As we communicated at the time of the acquisition of Ingenico in February 2020, we initiated a strategic review of our payment terminals business to ensure that it would have the best possible conditions to execute its ambitious transformation. Following the validation of Worldlines Board of Directors to divest TSS in October 2021 and after conducting a rigorous process over several months, we have signed an agreement with the candidate we believe is the best fit to ensure the takeover of the business, in the best interest of its customers and employees. The TSS business, world leader in its space, has a very promising development potential and is supported by highly talented people under the strong leadership of Matthieu Destot. We trust Apollo can provide TSS with the best assets, expertise and support to ensure the pursuit of its successfully initiated transformation journey towards an as-a-service business model, reinforcing further its long-term success.

This announcement is a major milestone in the execution of Worldlines strategy after the acquisition of Ingenico and numerous new acquisitions in 2021 in Greece, Italy and Sweden, strengthening its leadership position in payment services. This contemplated transaction, while being fundamentally triggered by the best interest of TSS, will also simplify our group structure, further increase our focus on our core activities and massively deleverage our balance sheet allowing the acceleration of our next strategic developments towards establishing Worldline as a truly global Paytech leader.

Michele Raba, Apollo Partner, said: TSS is the leading hardware player in the payments infrastructure ecosystem with a strong Ingenico brand and leading market shares across all regions of operations. We are excited about partnering with TSSs management team to continue growing TSS in hardware, software, and services areas where there is already strong momentum. We look forward to supporting TSS in its next phase of business transformation and becoming the ecosystem enabler in the new world of payments acceptance globally. Worldline will remain a key customer for TSS and an important partner in this strategic journey.

Matthieu Destot, head of TSS global business line, said: We, as the TSS management team and all the TSS talents across the world, are thrilled by this announcement which is opening an exciting new era for our Terminals, Solutions and Services activities as an independent company under the Ingenico brand.

This operation marks a key milestone to accelerate the current dynamic in our already well engaged business transformation journey. From a predominantly hardware and associated services business to becoming the ecosystem enabler in the new world of payments acceptance, with a greater mix of software and cloud-based services, leveraging our latest range of Android OS-based platform (AxiumTM), our Terminal as a Service (TaaS) offering and our Payments Platform as a Service (PPaaSTM) platform.

Apollos track record in investing in the business transformation of such a fast growing technology company, our worldwide leading position with an undisputed installed base of points of payments acceptance to transform and now, the new investments capabilities to capture the omni channel commerce services based on our promising POS payments orchestration platform, will allow us to create even more value to our Banks, Acquirers, ISVs, Value-Added Service Providers and Fintech customers and partners, for our new shareholder, Apollo, and for our talented teams.

Based on the current valuation of the preferred shares, the total consideration amounts to  2.3 billion at the time of the transaction announcement. The fair value of the preferred shares, estimated using a Black and Scholes model, will be accounted for  0.6 billion on Worldlines balance sheet, as discussed with Worldlines auditors as part of the preparation of the 2021 financial statements. The fair value of the preferred shares upon completion is expected to correspond to the c.80% achievement level of TSS business plan and would reach its full value of  0.9 billion if c.90% of TSS business plan is delivered, assuming limited valuation multiple re-rating at exit. The main impact of the disposal on Worldlines discontinued part of its financial statements will consist in a conservative non-cash technical impairment of c.900m compared to TSS book value defined at Ingenico closing, pre-Covid components shortage crisis.

This transaction is subject to the signing of a final and definitive agreement between the parties and will be carried-out in the framework of the relevant social processes and ongoing dialogue with the employee representatives bodies. The completion of the transaction is also subject to the approval of relevant regulatory authorities and is expected to close in the second half of 2022.

Latham & Watkins is serving as legal counsel to Worldline. UBS Investment Bank and BNP Paribas are acting as lead financial advisors to Worldline.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and the French offices of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP are serving as legal counsel to the Apollo Funds. HSBC is acting as lead financial advisor, and Barclays and Societe Generale as financial advisors to the Apollo Funds.



Forthcoming events

February 22, 2022 FY 2021 results

April 27, 2022 Q1 2022 revenue

July 27, 2022 H1 2022 results

October 25, 2022 Q3 2022 revenue

Worldline Contacts

Investor Relations

Laurent Marie

+33 7 84 50 18 90

laurent.marie@worldline.com

Benoit dAmecourt

+33 6 75 51 41 47

benoit.damecourt@worldline.com

Communication

Sandrine van der Ghinst

+32 499 585 380

sandrine.vanderghinst@worldline.com

Helene Carlander

+33 7 72 25 96 04

helene.carlander@worldline.com

Apollo Contacts

Investors

Noah Gunn,

Global Head of Investor Relations

(212) 822-0540

IR@apollo.com

Media

Joanna Rose

Global Head of Corporate Communications

(212) 822-0491

Communications@apollo.com

ABOUT WORLDLINE

Worldline [Euronext: WLN] is the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry and #4 player worldwide. With its global reach and its commitment to innovation, Worldline is the technology partner of choice for merchants, banks and third-party acquirers as well as public transport operators, government agencies and industrial companies in all sectors. Powered by over 20,000 employees in more than 50 countries, Worldline provides its clients with sustainable, trusted and secure solutions across the payment value chain, fostering their business growth wherever they are. Services offered by Worldline in the areas of Merchant Services; Terminals, Solutions & Services; Financial Services and Mobility & e-Transactional Services include domestic and cross-border commercial acquiring, both in-store and online, highly secure payment transaction processing, a broad portfolio of payment terminals as well as e-ticketing and digital services in the industrial environment. In 2020 Worldline generated a proforma revenue of 4.8 billion euros. worldline.com

Worldlines corporate purpose (raison detre) is to design and operate leading digital payment and transactional solutions that enable sustainable economic growth and reinforce trust and security in our societies. Worldline makes them environmentally friendly, widely accessible, and supports social transformation.

ABOUT APOLLO



Apollo is a global, high-growth alternative asset manager. In the asset management business, Apollo seeks to provide its clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three business strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity. For more than three decades, Apollos investing expertise across its fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of its clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, Apollos retirement services business, it specializes in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Apollos patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns its clients, businesses it invests in, its employees, and the communities it impacts, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of December 31, 2021, Apollo had approximately $498 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

Disclaimer

This document contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including references, concerning the Group's expected growth and profitability in the future which may significantly impact the expected performance indicated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are linked to factors out of the control of the Company and not precisely estimated, such as market conditions or competitors behaviors. Any forward-looking statements made in this document are statements about Worldlines beliefs and expectations and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements include statements that may relate to Worldlines plans, objectives, strategies, goals, future events, future revenues or synergies, or performance, and other information that is not historical information. Actual events or results may differ from those described in this document due to a number of risks and uncertainties that are described within the 2020 Universal Registration Document filed with the French Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) on April 13, 2021 under the filling number: D.21-0303 and its Amendment filed on July 29, 2021 under the filling number: D. 21-0303-A01.

Revenue organic growth and Operating Margin before Depreciation and Amortization (OMDA) improvement are presented at constant scope and exchange rate. OMDA is presented as defined in the 2020 Universal Registration Document. All amounts are presented in  million without decimal. This may in certain circumstances lead to non-material differences between the sum of the figures and the subtotals that appear in the tables. 2021 objectives are expressed at constant scope and exchange rates and according to Groups accounting standards.

Worldline does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation or responsibility to update or amend any of the information above except as otherwise required by law.

This document is disseminated for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase, or a solicitation of an offer to sell, any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States unless they have been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or the securities laws of any U.S. state, or are exempt from registration. The securities that may be offered in any transaction have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or the securities laws of any U.S. state and Worldline does not intend to make a public offering of any such securities in the United States.

Attachment
LONDON, Feb. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Since the start of the pandemic, Meridian Gaming has helped local communities in 30+ markets by donating over 2.000.000 US$ to Covid-related projects and charities.



The project beneficiaries have been more than 350 hospitals and medical centers of Europe, LATAM, and Africa.

For over 18 months now, Meridian keeps supporting national hospitals and medical centers, safe houses, transfusion centers, gerontology centers, social welfare NGOs, health foundations throughout Southeast Europe, European Union, LATAM, Central America, Africa, and Asia.

The company has also partnered with World Health Organization (WHO) to help its Global Covid-19 Relief and Solidarity Response Plan. Thanks to the company, the WHO has been able to support the worlds most vulnerable countries in their efforts to roll out COVID-19 response campaigns.

Global Donation Program to Combat SMA

Meridian is a record holder of its kind in the campaign to repair the social-economic consequences of the pandemic.

As other serious diseases are active amid the pandemic, the Group has for years supported the fight of children, their parents, and national humanitarian foundations for timely treatment of SMA with their donations.

Our communities have been tested and tempted as never before - that is why the example of Meridian reminds us that global solidarity is the only sustainable value in times of uncertainty.

Corporate Communications and Queries

For more information and queries:

Meridian Gaming Ltd.

Villa Seminia, 8

Sir Temi Zammit Avenue,

Ta' Xbiex XBX1011 Malta

www.meridian.bet

info@meridianbet.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a065ac2f-2361-40c0-b445-16efcdd37b58
Dublin, Feb. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Thailand Medical Cannabis Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Thailand medical cannabis market reached a value of US$ 26.3 Million in 2020. Looking forward, the market to grow at a CAGR of around 32% during 2021-2026.

Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Cannabis, also known as marijuana, comes from the hemp plants such as cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main psychoactive part of cannabis and is used for medicinal purposes in several countries across the globe. Similar to several other countries, cannabis was extensively used as a traditional medicine in Thailand. It was also used for several medical purposes like muscle relaxer, to ease women's labor pains and as a condiment in cooking.

However, the sale and possession of marijuana was banned and criminalized in 1935 by the Cannabis Act and was further criminalized by the Narcotics Act of 1979. Despite this, the marijuana culture in Thailand has softened over last few decades, though not completely. Recently, Thailand government has legalized cannabis for medical purposes. There are several factors that will drive the demand for cannabis in Thailand.

Thailand possesses geographical advantage over the production of cannabis because of its annual tropical climate resulting in lower production costs as less artificial light needed and temperature control are required for the cultivation of cannabis.

Moreover, Thailand has historically had a strong tradition of using cannabis for medical purposes which is also expected to create a positive impact on its demand. Some of the other major factors that will drive the market include foreign investments, ageing population, increasing number of clinical trials and R&D investments, etc.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the Thailand medical cannabis industry performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What are the popular species in the Thailand medical cannabis industry?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the Thailand medical cannabis industry?

What are the key derivatives in the Thailand medical cannabis industry?

What are the various applications of medical cannabis?

Who are the major end-users for medical cannabis?

What are the major routes of administration in the Thailand medical cannabis industry?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the medical cannabis industry?

What are the cultivation and harvesting requirements for cannabis?

What are the processing requirements for cannabis?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the Thailand medical cannabis market?

What is the structure of the Thailand medical cannabis industry and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the Thailand medical cannabis market?

Thailand Medical Cannabis Market Segmentation:

Market Breakup by Cultivated Species:

Indica

Sativa

Hybrid

Market Breakup by Derivatives:

Cannabidiol (CBD)

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Others

Market Breakup by Application:

Cancer

Arthritis

Migraine

Epilepsy

Others

Market Breakup by End-Use:

Pharmaceuticals

Research and Development Centres

Others

Market Breakup by Route of Administration:

Oral Solutions and Capsules

Vaporizers

Topicals

Others

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fqfhkh
Atlanta, Georgia, Feb. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Executive MBA (EMBA) offered by Georgia State Universitys J. Mack Robinson College of Business is No. 7 among U.S.-based programs and 23rd worldwide, according to 2022 rankings from CEO Magazine.

The U.K.-based publication determines its EMBA rankings by fact-based criteria, with greatest emphasis on quality of faculty. Other attributes evaluated include international diversity, class size, accreditation, faculty-to-student ratio, cost, international exposure, work experience, professional development, gender parity and delivery methods.

This has been an extraordinary year for Robinsons Executive MBA program, which is marking its 40th anniversary, said Brian Jennings, associate dean for graduate programs and executive education. We have a long track record of producing leaders, which is a testament to our faculty and alumni. It is very gratifying to see this continued success recognized in by CEO Magazine.

Robinsons EMBA prepares leaders for whats next in their careers. The 17-month program, taught at Georgia States Buckhead Center, broadens mid-to senior-level managers understanding of global business and strengthens their professional networks. The program format (every other weekend) allows participants to earn an MBA while maintaining their careers. It culminates in an international business residency and consulting project, most recently South Africa, where students meet with business leaders from around the world.

Learn more about the Georgia State University EMBA program at https://robinson.gsu.edu/emba.

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Dallas, Feb. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per the report published by The Brainy Insights, the global digital education market is expected to grow from USD 7.78 Billion in 2020 to USD 107.25 Billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 30% during the forecast period 2021-2030.



Education is one of the most important sectors in the world that has seen substantial transformations in recent years. Digital Education is the solution for this global scourge of education. It is especially beneficial to underdeveloped countries, which have long struggled with issues of access and affordability. Digital education is defined as an innovative technique of incorporating digital technology and tools into the teaching and learning process and is also known as Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) or digital learning. The term "digital education" refers to the creative use of technology to exchange ideas and reach a wider audience. The key drivers of the digital education industry include increasing internet penetration, time constraints experienced by aspirants, geographical obstacles in attending physical classes, and the low cost of online instruction. Furthermore, as the demand for high-quality certification grows, more people are turning to digital learning programmes.



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The increasing usage of smartphones, the rise in internet penetration across the globe, engaging teaching methods, availability to global material, and educators' important aspects driving market expansion are all major reasons driving market growth. Personalized learning, effective self-directed learning skills, sharpened critical thinking skills, self-motivation, and expanded learning possibilities are the fundamental qualities of digital education for students and professionals.



Key players operating in the global digital education market are Alison, Coursera, Edmodo, Edureka, edX, Federica EU, FutureLearn, Intellipaat, Iversity, Jigsaw Academy, Kadenze, Khan Academy, LinkedIn, Linkstreet Learning, Miriadax, NovoEd, Pluralsight, Udacity, Udemy and XuetangX among others. To enhance their market position in the global digital education market, the key players are now focusing on adopting the strategies such as product innovations, mergers & acquisitions, recent developments, joint venture, collaborations, and partnership.



 In response to the COVID-19, Coursera announced an initiative in March 2020 to assist universities and colleges in delivering learning online. Through Coursera for Campus, the business has stated that it will provide free access to the course catalogue to all impacted universities around the world. Universities can sign up and give their students access to Coursera's leading university and business partners' more than 3,800 courses and 400 specialties.



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The science, technology, engineering, & mathematics (STEM) segment dominated the market with a market share of around 66% and the market value of around 5.13 billion in 2020.



The course type segment is divided into business management, science, technology, engineering, & mathematics. The science, technology, engineering, & mathematics (STEM) segment dominated the market with a market share of around 66% and the market value of around 5.13 billion in 2020. Computer science, health and medicine, engineering, chemistry, and physics are a few of the scientific and technology subjects available. Computer science and programming are both concerned with the development and testing of algorithm-based computational systems. The growing use of IoT in companies demands the hiring of trained workers who can manage data using a variety of tools, methodologies, and programming languages. Companies have begun to rely on digital education platforms to upskill their employees, which has resulted in a surge in the use of computer science and programming courses in recent years.



The instructor-led online education segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 32% over the forecast period.



The learning type segment is divided into instructor-led, self-paced. The instructor-led online education segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 32% over the forecast period. Instructor-led online education involves the delivery of content to students by the instructor, who delivers direct instructions to students, either individually or in groups, at some time during the course. The demand for instructor-led online education is predicted to rise as students become more aware of the benefits of instructor-led education.



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The academic institutions and individuals segment dominated the market, accounting for around 70% of global revenue in 2020.



The end user segment is divided into enterprises, individuals, and academic institutions. In 2020, the academic institutions and individuals segment dominated the market, accounting for around 70% of global revenue.



Regional Segment Analysis of the Digital Education Market



 North America (U.S. Canada, Mexico)

 Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of the Europe)

 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan India, Rest of APAC)

 South America (Brazil and Rest of South America)

 Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA)



Among all regions, North America region emerged as the largest market for the global digital education market with a market share of around 35.8% and a market value of around 2.79 billion in 2020. North America leads the digital education market, owing to a growing need to improve employee skills and student technicalities, increased scalability through online learning, rising demand for distance education and government initiatives, and increased penetration of handheld devices in this region.



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About the report:



The global digital education market is analysed based on value (USD Billion). All the segments have been analysed on global, regional and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each segment. The report offers in-depth analysis of driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges for gaining the key insight of the market. The study includes porters five forces model, attractiveness analysis, raw material analysis, supply, demand analysis, competitor position grid analysis, distribution and marketing channels analysis.



About The Brainy Insights:



The Brainy Insights is a market research company, aimed at providing actionable insights through data analytics to companies to improve their business acumen. We have a robust forecasting and estimation model to meet the clients' objectives of high-quality output within a short span of time. We provide both customized (clients' specific) and syndicate reports. Our repository of syndicate reports is diverse across all the categories and sub-categories across domains. Our customized solutions are tailored to meet the clients' requirement whether they are looking to expand or planning to launch a new product in the global market.



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Dallas, TX , Feb. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Whether you're looking for SEO or marketing services, KISS PR Digital Marketing & Web 3 is now offering support for cryptocurrency. This allows clients to have both SEO and marketing services across the board, as well as a firm grasp on digital strategy.









KISS PR Brand Story, one of Texas leading digital public relations & storytelling platforms, has recently launched its blockchain marketing services to help crypto, NFT, and DeFi companies with projects and company announcements.

For over a decade, KISS PR Brand Story has been helping startup blockchain company owners get their projects known in the crypto world and on mainstream media.

We help companies promote their crypto, NFT, DeFi, and any blockchain-related projects using our content distribution platform, said Rene Perras, KISS PR Executive.

And because we know that most of them are startups, we offer them affordable price options, Perras added.

Asked what specific blockchain marketing services KISS PR Web 3 Technology provides, Kashif Sultan head of Web 3 enumerated six sub-services.

We do news press releases, banner advertisement campaigns, influencers marketing, affiliate marketing, and Web 3 development services. Sultan.

We also do social media marketing, including Telegram groups, Reddit, and Tiktok., Sultan added.

According to its website, heres how KISS PR Brand Storys NFT Promotion and Marketing works:

Allows company owners to access influencer marketing and NFT shilling campaigns.

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KISS PR Brand Story is leading digital marketing, storytelling, and public relations platform that helps blockchain, crypto, NFT, and DeFi companies promote their projects on the most prominent crypto or blockchain sites. With more than 50,000+ stories published for clients all over the globe, KISS PR Brand Story is currently expanding their operations.

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Chicago, Feb. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Southeast Asia agriculture equipment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.20% during the period 20222028.



Scope of the Southeast Asia Agriculture Equipment Market

Report Coverage Details Market Size (Revenue) $13.1 Billion Market Size (Unit Shipment) 16,92,905 units CAGR (Volume) 7.20% Historic Year 2019-2020 Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Market Segments Type and Countries Countries Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Other Key Vendors John Deere, AGCO, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, CNH, Kubota Corporation, CLASS, Changzhou Dongfeng Agriculture Machinery Group Co. Ltd, Weichai Lovol & Shandong Heavy Industry, SDF Group, YTO Group, Yanmar

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Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

The Southeast Asian agriculture equipment market by revenue is expected to reach approx. USD 13 billion by 2028.

Among various equipment such as harvesting & threshing equipment, weeding & plant protection, seedling & irrigation equipment, and land preparation equipment segments, agriculture tractors are expected to witness high demand in Southeast Asian countries.

The pandemic has triggered the demand for organic and healthy food consumption habits which is expected to push the demand for agriculture produce in the region. The governments are focusing on crop yields especially rice production which is expected to drive demand for rice planters and combine harvesters in the market.

The COVID-19 had disrupted the supply chain resulted in shortage of raw materials and labors in Southeast Asian region. The pandemic has triggered labors shortage issues in countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand due to which there is high dependency on foreign labors especially in agriculture industry.

The labor shortage issues push demand for digitalization and automation in agriculture equipment. The demand for auto steering, artificial intelligence is increasing in agriculture equipment such as sprayers and farm tractors.

Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Philippines rely on import of agriculture equipment from Malaysia, China, and Japan. To reduce the dependency on imported agriculture equipment, Indonesian government has invested USD 538 million for uplifting local production in 2021.

Various Government initiatives of providing crop insurance, rising population and availability of large fertile land suitable farming are the main drivers for growing demand for agriculture equipment in the region during the forecast period. While excessive use of fertilizers, harsh climate and changing rainfall pattern can hamper the agriculture industry growth and demand for farm equipment in the region.

John Deere, Kubota, and CNH Industrials holds more than 70% of market share in the region. Other prominent vendors are AGCO, Mahindra, CLAAS, Dongfeng, Changfa, Weichai Lovol, SDF Group, Yanmar and YTO Group in Southeast Asian Agriculture equipment market.

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Volume | 20222028

Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20222028

Market Dynamics  Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by type and countries

Competitive Landscape  12 major vendors and 5 distributors profile





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Southeast Asia Agriculture Equipment Market  Segmentation

Land preparation equipment expect to capture a major share in the Southeast Asia agriculture equipment market as they are used before seeding and planting of crops. Southeast Asian governments are taking initiatives to increase the crop yield. Land preparation equipment help to speed up crop cultivation by providing soft soil mass for transplanting and speeding.

Thailand has approx. 20.4 million hectors of farmland, with 10 million hectors used for rice cultivation. The country relies heavily on the agriculture sectors, accounting for 6.2% of the total GDP. The Government has taken initiatives to encourage farmers to grow coffee, apples, and other temperate crops. These measures will increase the demand for machines to improve production efficiency.

Seedling and planting equipment are important for cultivation of maize, soybeans, and peas. Irrigation is necessary for rice cultivation where optimum amount of water is required. Hence, the increasing demand for maize, soybeans, and peas along with increase in rice cultivation is likely to boost the demand for seedling and planting equipment.



Southeast Asia Agriculture Equipment Market by Type

Land preparation equipment Cultivator Leveller Others

Seedling Planting & Irrigation Equipment Planters Seed Drillers Irrigation Pump

Weeding and Plant Protection Equipment Weeder Sprayers

Harvesting and Threshing Equipment Combine Harvesters Threshers Others

Agriculture Tractors Two-Wheeled Four-Wheeled



Southeast Asia Agriculture Equipment Market by Countries

Indonesia

Thailand

Malaysia

Philippines

Vietnam

Others

Southeast Asia Agriculture Equipment Market  Dynamics

Increased investment by Indonesian Government to upgrade local agriculture equipment production. The Indonesian government has invested USD 538 million for the development of agriculture equipment in the country. It focuses on local production of agriculture equipment to reduce dependency on China and other countries for agricultural imports. In 2020, the import of agriculture equipment hampered due to COVID-19 lockdowns in the country, which negatively affected the agriculture industry in the country and region. Therefore, the government has decided to invest in R&D and manufacture agriculture equipment locally. Rice production is one of the major agriculture products in the country. The government has planned to invest in R&D to increase the rice production and to improve yields on favorable land, while expanding rice production to frontier areas, where rice plant must withstand harsher environment. The demand for 2W tractors in the market is high due to their portability and flexibility. Government financial support to farmers for buying agriculture machinery has a positive impact on equipment demand.

Key Drivers and Trends fueling Market Growth:

Innovations in Agriculture Industry increasing Demand for Modern Farm Equipment

Rise in Incomes and Transformation of Food Consumption Push Demand for Organic Food Products

Integration of Digital Technology with Agriculture Industry pushing Growth

Establishment of Rice Research Institutes to promote Innovative techniques such as Ideotype Breeding

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Why Should You Buy This Research?

This report is among the few in the market that offers outlook and opportunity analysis forecast in terms of:

Volume (Unit sales) Type Countries

Value (USD) Type Countries

Gain competitive intelligence about the economic scenario, advantages in Southeast Asia countries major projects and investments, dynamics, and market share.

Examples of the latest technologies.

Get presentation-ready format and easy-to-interpret data.

Enable decision-makers to make informed and profitable choices

Gain expert quantitative and qualitative analysis on value/volume growth projections of the Southeast Asia agriculture equipment market share

Complete supply chain analysis

Get COVID-19 impact analysis of the market



Major Vendors

John Deere

AGCO

Mahindra & Mahindra ltd

CNH Industrial

Kubota Corporation

CLASS

Changzhou Dongfeng Agriculture Machinery Group co. Ltd

Jiangsu Changfa Agriculture Equipment co Ltd

Weichai Lovol & Shandong Heavy Industry

SDF Group

YTO Group

Yanmar

Distributor Profile

Cans Agrinusa

PT Wahana Inti Selaras

ETM Valstar Tractors

Cans Agrinusa

ALL Planters



Explore our industrial machinery profile to know more about the industry.

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About Arizton:

Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.

We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts.

Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.

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MANSFIELD [mdash] Patricia Ann Thursby-Daniels, 77, of Mansfield, Texas, formerly of Elkhart, Indiana, died Sunday April 10, at Mansfield Hospital in Mansfield, Texas. She was born May 30, 1944, in Elkhart, Indiana, to Robert James and Opal Mae (Allison) Thursby. On Feb. 14, 1965, she marrie
Governor Youngkin Statement on House and Senate Budgets

Governor Glenn Youngkin released the following statement on the proposed budget amendments released by the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.

"As we look at the budget proposals released today, it is clear we have a lot of work to do before the March 12 deadline to complete Virginia's two-year budget.

"As I have repeatedly said since last summer: the state government has been overtaxing Virginians. Government revenue paid by taxpayers is soaring to record new highs, and Virginia has fallen behind much of the nation in its recovery from the pandemic, and particularly falling behind our competitor states to the south. There's $13.9 billion in unanticipated money projected in this budget cycle, and with prices rising and families feeling the pinch, it's time to do the right thing and give the money back and provide common sense, ongoing tax relief.

"The House budget provides nearly $5.3 billion in tax relief for all Virginians - including significant tax relief for our military veterans and common sense tax relief worth $1,500 to a typical Virginia family in the first year. This represents the priorities I outlined in the Day One Game Plan Virginians voted for last November. Speaker Gilbert and Chairman Knight have delivered on our shared promises.

"While it does not include nearly enough tax relief, the Senate budget proposal also includes common sense, bipartisan priorities on which we can find common ground. I know Senator Howell and Senate Leadership are eager to work in good faith on these and other important priorities.

"Despite the major differences outlined today, there's a clear path forward. The extraordinary financial position we are in means we can provide this much needed relief to families and businesses while still delivering a record investment in our students, teachers, and schools, standing up for law enforcement, making urgent investments in behavioral health, and doing more to strengthen our workforce and economy. The idea we have to choose between tax relief and our shared priorities is a false choice.

"I want to thank Chairman Knight, Chairwoman Howell, committee members, and the committee staff for their hard work ahead of today. But, this is just the beginning. I look forward to hosting House and Senate Leadership and the budget conferees to a meeting on Friday after the House and Senate have passed their budgets so we can sit down together and get to work."

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The Alliance will: catalyze bankable, greener infrastructure projects at scale and speed; raise up to $500 million of early-stage project development and project preparation capital which aims to generate up to $10 billion in investment opportunities; support the continents transition to Net Zero emissions with investments in greener, climate-resilient and sustainable infrastructure.

The African Development Bank Group and Africa50, in partnership with the African Union Commission and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), are exploring collaboration with global partners to create an Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa.

African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina made the announcement on Thursday while speaking at a thematic roundtable on climate change and energy transition at the 6th European Union-African Union Summit in Brussels, Belgium.

The European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the French Development Agency, AFD, and the Rockefeller Foundation have expressed their interest in joining the Alliance. And there is a strong push to attract more African and global partners.

It is globally acknowledged that climate change continues to devastate Africas economies and the livelihoods of its people, despite the continents minimal contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change has taken lives, caused food insecurity, displaced populations, damaged critical infrastructure, and disrupted economies. Increased geopolitical tensions could further threaten livelihoods and stability.

The key challenge for infrastructure development on the African continent is the dearth of bankable opportunities. Therefore, project development and preparation are critically important. Evidence shows that there is enough capital looking for yield. However, what is missing, is a robust pipeline of de-risked projects with stable long-term cash flows. There is also increasing institutional investor appetite for green, sustainable, environmental and social investments. That is why these African institutions and global partners are intent on mitigating the adverse effects of climate change through prompt investment in greener, climate-resilient, inclusive, quality and sustainable infrastructure.

The Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa will complement, enhance and partner with continental and global initiatives to crowd in private capital to fund green infrastructure projects. The idea is to bridge investment gaps and engender financing at scale and with speed.

The Alliances overarching goal will be to leverage the private sector to transparently develop transformative infrastructure that sustainably bridges Africas infrastructure deficit in a climate-resilient manner. It will do this by addressing universal energy access and strengthening Africas energy systems, while minimizing sovereign debt accumulation, especially during this period of limited fiscal capacity across Africa.

Specifically, the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa will raise significant capital to accelerate Africas just and equitable transition to Net Zero emissions, with two strategic objectives: (i) to develop and fund a robust pipeline of transformational bankable greener projects, and (ii) to catalyze financing at scale and speed for Africas greener infrastructure.

To build a robust pipeline of bankable projects, the Alliance will raise up to $500 million to provide early-stage resources to develop greener infrastructure projects. This will start at the pre-feasibility stage all the way through to commercial and financial close.

These resources will also support the development of innovative ideas for accelerating the transition to Net-Zero which, if proven sustainable, can be further scaled up and replicated across countries.

To achieve scale in greener infrastructure project development, the Alliance will execute its program with three categories of infrastructure project developers: a scaled-up Africa50; Africa50 in co-development with local African developers; and select experienced third-party private infrastructure developers.

The Alliances project development activities are projected to generate up to $10 billion in investment opportunities. This will be mobilized from a combination of co-investments, co-financing, risk mitigation and blended finance from Alliance members, other development finance institutions, commercial financial institutions, and foundations; public and private global and African institutional investors; project sponsors; and multilateral development banks sovereign operations and G-20 bilateral donors.

Alliance members will come together to use their collective efforts to expedite Africas transition to Net-Zero by bridging the climate-resilient infrastructure gap, thus helping Africa to meet its global development ambitions

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Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces VEC Update: Critical Employment Claims Backlog Reduced by Nearly 89%

Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced a nearly 89% decrease in the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) backlog. This is the first step in the governors day one game plan commitment to fix the VEC and put government to work for Virginians.

On day one, Secretary of Labor Bryan Slater, Chief Transformation Officer Eric Moeller, and VEC Commissioner Carrie Roth, launched Governor Youngkins transformation initiatives at the VEC. The VECs Executive Team and agency staff focused on eliminating remaining backlogs and improving service and communications at the agency. Since January 15th, the backlog of employment separation reports have been reduced by nearly 89% from 246,273 to 27,728 and unpaid pending claims have been reduced from 24,887 to 15,846.

Virginians deserve an unemployment insurance system that is responsive, efficient and customer focused, said Governor Glenn Youngkin. On day one, my administration launched the VEC transformation effort with an initial focus on reducing the backlog and we are starting to see encouraging initial results. We have a lot more work to do, but I want Virginians to know we are serious about making the VEC, along with all other state agencies, work for them.

There is a tremendous amount of work to be done to refocus on our customers, the individuals and employers, and get them the resources they need. As an initial step, our team is hyper-focused on tackling the remaining backlogs, doubling down on training and building a world-class employment services agency. This focus is already starting to pay off, said Virginia Employment Commissioner Carrie Roth.

Eliminating backlogs is job number one, said Secretary of Labor Bryan Slater. We will spare no resource to get this work completed for Virginians who deserve an answer about their unemployment claim. I am proud of our team and their resolve to see this through.

Reducing backlogs is the critical first step as we fix VEC processes to help struggling Virginians that have been affected during the pandemic, said Chief Transformation Officer Eric Moeller. We have started the process of transforming the Commission and begun delivering results for the Commonwealth.

If Virginians or employers have questions about unemployment claims we encourage them to visit the VEC website at www.vec.virginia.gov , email VEC at customerservice@vec.virginia. gov or call 866-832-2363 between 8:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

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Kyle Flanigan, CEO and co-founder of U.S. Specialty Formulations, talks about the company Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, at its facility in Allentown. The biotech company is working to develop an oral COVID vaccine. (Rick Kintzel/Morning Call)

For Kyle Flanigan of Bethlehem, one of few African Americans in a pharmaceutical business leadership position, getting into the field wasnt a challenge; it was what came afterward.

The challenge for Black people in this industry is recognition and promotion, said Flanigan, 51, co-founder and chief executive officer of US Specialty Formulations, which makes medications and vaccines.

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The numerous systemic and institutional challenges for Blacks have been well documented by others, said Flanigan, who declined to discuss anything negative he may have experienced.

His focus is instead on making USSF the first company to get an oral COVID vaccine approved for public use. That history-making accomplishment could add Flanigan to the list of people whose contributions are celebrated during Black History Month.

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However, Flanigans demeanor doesnt indicate someone whod let it go to his head. He admits his simple love for his line of work outweighs any desire for glory.

Creating an oral vaccine [for any illness] is an extraordinarily difficult process, Flanigan said. People have been trying for a very long time.

Before it can be approved by the Food and Drug Administration for public use, a vaccine must go through pre-clinical-trial lab testing and then three clinical trial phases, where its tested on progressively larger numbers of people.

Were actually in the middle of phase one, but whats cool is we got unexpected data showing were successfully generating antibodies with the oral COVID vaccine, Flanigan said. Were looking to raise $60 million to complete phases two and three and then, once approved, market globally as well as here in PA.

As of right now, the vaccine sits in small, clear vials, each with a cap of a different color.

Whats nice about this oral vaccine is its stability in extremely hot temperatures, Flanigan said, holding up one of the vials. Plus, you wont need a medical professional to administer it. It can be mailed to your house once you get a prescription for it. Even better is that phase one showed minimal adverse effects, namely mild stomach discomfort, nothing like the flulike symptoms or arm soreness some people experience with injections.

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As of yet, no data suggests the oral vaccine cannot be tailored to address new COVID variants, Flanigan said.

The quick work stems from the product that got USSF started.

Flanigan, then a marketing director for a pharmaceutical electronics manufacturer, met Garry Morefield of Nazareth in 2012, when their daughters were on the same gymnastics team. Morefield owns VaxForm, a biotechnology company that at the time was trying to develop an oral vaccine for strep throat, scarlet fever and other bacterial infections.

I was having trouble finding the kind of manufacturing capability I wanted for my vaccine, so Kyle and I discussed how we could solve the problem ourselves, Morefield said.

Flanigan said, We realized we needed a company separate from VaxForm to produce the clinical materials for the vaccine and keep that production in house.

Morefield said, So, we founded [USSF] and brought in the research and development from VaxForm for the clinical trial phases to get the vaccine approved and out to the public.

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USSF switched its focus to developing that oral vaccine for COVID in early 2020, seven years after it was founded.

Its just one of the changes the company has undergone in that time.

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The partners began the company with $100,000 of initial capital, a much smaller-than-usual startup amount for a pharmaceutical manufacturer, Flanigan said. USSF started in an 800-square-foot space at Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeast Pennsylvania in Bethlehem.

We help customers develop formulations [specific methods or formulas for making clinical products], Flanigan said. In many cases, theyre bringing us ideas theyve maybe tried in the lab but havent yet gotten to the manufacturing stage.

USSF is one of the rare small-batch manufacturers, providing a valuable service for companies unable to afford the means to do this themselves.

Small batches can range anywhere from 50 vials in early-phase clinical trials to 10,000 vials in latter phases or 20,000 for approved products, Flanigan said. While federal regulations apply equally to all drugs, whether produced by thousands or millions of vials, the cost of installing and maintaining the infrastructure to make smaller batches is more expensive.

As a result, the cost per unit is cheaper for big pharma companies having larger batches made, but they have to keep those orders large, Flanigan said. The bottom line is there arent many businesses out there who do the work we do.

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Whats also unique about us is that, since we do our own in-house testing, we have the technical experience to offer customers a lot more depth in setting up formulations for medications and vaccines, as well as the required quality-control testing as they move their drugs forward, he said. We also purify and ferment in house for ourselves and our contract customers.

USSF now has a more adequately sized facility at South Albert and East Tioga streets in Allentown, which it acquired in 2020. The 41,000-square-foot rectangular former silk mill building is being retrofitted to house more staff, supplies and equipment to become a modern, cutting-edge pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, Flanigan said.

The facility contains a clean room, where clinical products are made, and other rooms where theyre stored and checked for quality and federal compliance as part of the development process.

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There are a lot of details to pay attention to so we make sure were doing everything correctly, USSF Quality Executive Director Patricia Eckhart said.

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USSFs work has drawn support from influential people in the community.

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Its always an honor when your district hosts a business doing cutting-edge manufacturing, said U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, who serves the Lehigh Valley. USSF was very forward-thinking in working on an oral vaccine that doesnt have to be injected and can be stored at ambient temperatures, both of which prove to be challenging. This pandemic has shown us we must pay attention to health issues in other countries. More populations around the world are going to need to be vaccinated.

Flanigan hopes the company can do more to give back to the community.

USSF increases the opportunities for high-tech manufacturing positions to the area, he said. As we grow, well require very highly skilled and highly educated people to move to the Lehigh Valley, which is a key benefit to our area.

There is a lot of opportunity in this field, but you have to stay flexible in your thinking and open to various opportunities as they present themselves, he said.

Thats just part of what he learned growing up as the son of a pharmaceutical director, whos job often kept the family traveling across the country.

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Its hard to say where he was born and raised, Flanigan says: I would say between Yorktown Heights, New York, and Kankakee, Illinois.

When it came time to pursue higher learning, Flanigan chose Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington.

I was looking for a solid education and also wanted to strike out on my own, he said. My parents suggested HU as they had both attended and met there. My time there, without the safety net of my parents being close by, was a significant inflection point in my life. It was a great learning experience and opened my eyes to the larger Black diaspora.

Flanigan earned a bachelors degree in chemistry from Howard and a doctorate in materials science from the University of Washington.

He then began pursuing his dream.

Ive always wanted to lead a tech firm, he said. There is a significant need for high-quality pharmaceutical manufacturing at the smaller scales. I have a unique skill set and saw an opportunity to fulfill a social need.

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Morning Call reporter Andrew Scott can be reached at 610-820-6508 or ascott@mcall.com.
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Verdagy operates laboratory and pilot plant facilities in Moss Landing, California to further develop and rapidly scale the technology platform.
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Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday vowed to unleash violence if he lost next years presidential race to President Mnangagwa, amid divisions in the opposition outfit.

Interim co-vice president Prof Welshman Ncube didnt attend yesterdays Harare rally.

Addressing supporters at a by-election campaign launch that lacked institutional clarity at the Zimbabwe Grounds in Harares Highfield suburb, Chamisa said if the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) fails to do things correctly he will unleash violence.

He said his party currently neither has a constitution nor values and ideas it is anchored on.

Today we have come without the party constitution and values, but to make some declarations. I am going to win the 2023 elections. If ZEC fails to do things correctly in the upcoming by-elections and also in the 2023 general elections, I will unleash people in the streets.

I will be at the forefront while you rally behind me. This country will never move forward if I lose the presidential election. Even today, if you want, I can unleash the people. I am going to win those elections because this time I should not be going to the courts to challenge the results, he said.

Yesterdays rally was Prof Ncubes second snub of CCC party events in less than a month into the partys formation.

He first snubbed its January 24 launch and the latest disregard comes after a meeting he held last week in Bulawayo with expelled MDC-T vice-president Dr Thokozani Khupe and former Nkayi South legislator Abednico Bhebhe of a possible political reunion which Chamisa said he was yet to be briefed.

The fractures at the top interim leadership were also yesterday visible after Chamisa did not want his deputy, Tendai Biti, to address supporters until they demanded he addressed them.

Interim secretary-general Charlton Hwende said the absence of co-vice president Prof Ncube at the rally did not matter.

He was not there and if he was not there, does that matter? asked Hwende.

Divisions in the CCC are emerging resulting from purges targeting members believed to be the old guard including former legislators Murisi Zwizwai, Willias Madzimure and Thabitha Khumalo among others.

Chamisa also admitted yesterday that his councillors have been involved in corrupt land deals that have prejudiced residents and urban councils of revenue.

He said his party will come up with a structure of its executive saying the current leadership is made up of caretaker leaders. Herald
Hisense announced a new Dimensity 810-powered smartphone dubbed Infinity H60 5G. It brings a curved 6.6-inch AMOLED with FHD+ resolution, an in-display fingerprint scanner and Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the front. Theres a pill-shaped cutout with a 16MP main cam and an unspecified depth helper.

The back houses a 64MP main cam which by way of software interpolation upscale shots to 108MP if you need to. The auxiliary modules include a 5MP ultrawide snapper and two 2MP units for macro shots and depth data. The more interesting bit is the faux leather material on the back which should help with the grip and durability.

Elsewhere, H60 5G brings a 4,200 mAh battery with 30W wired charging. 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Pricing and availability were not revealed yet. The phone comes in a single blue color.

Source
Samsungs Galaxy S22 series finally brought an increase in charging speeds after being left in the dust by most Chinese competitors. The two larger members of the new Galaxies S22 lineup claimed to offer 45W wired charging speeds while the vanilla S22 retained the 25W of its predecessor.

The industry has been moving at a fast pace when it comes to charging speeds in the past few years. You can get a midrange phone from competitors with 65W charging while flagships from brands like Xiaomi and vivo have already crossed the 100W threshold. So while 45W isn't a big deal it's at least a major step forward. Plus, a valid point can be made that the tradeoffs in battery capacity aren't worth the few saved minutes after a certain point.

Alas, even those 45W turned out to only exist in marketing materials, so it wouldn't matter.

So how do the brand new S22+ and S22 Ultra fare in terms of charging speeds? Our review team put the pair through our charging tests using three chargers  original Samsung 45W and 25W chargers as well as a third-party 65W PD charger for good measure. Note that the two Samsung chargers support both power delivery (PD) and programmable power supply (PPS) standards while the third-party solution is only PD certified. Lets examine.

We can see the Galaxy S22+ reached a 62% charge after 30-minutes with the 25W Samsung brick and a mere 64% when using the 45W one. What about the S22 Ultra you ask? That one reached a 61% charge after 30 minutes on the 25W charger and 60% with the 45W brick. Our third-party 65W PD charger managed to fill up the Ultras battery to 65% during the same time, but those results are all within the margin of error.

30min charging test (from 0%)

Higher is better

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (65W PD, no PPS)

65%

Samsung Galaxy S22+ (45W)

64%

Samsung Galaxy S22+ (25W)

62%

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (25W)

61%

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (45W)

60%

A full charge on the S22+ from 0% took 1:01 hours with the 45W charger and just one minute longer with the 25W one. A full charge starting from 0% on the S22 Ultra with the 25W charger took exactly 1:04 hours while the 45W brick accomplished the task a mere 5 minutes quicker at 59 minutes. The 65W PD third-party charger took 1:02 hours.

Time to full charge (from 0%)

Lower is better

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (45W)

0:59h

Samsung Galaxy S22+ (45W)

1:01h

Samsung Galaxy S22+ (25W)

1:02h

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (65W PD, no PPS)

1:02h

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (25W)

1:04h

What does this mean? Well, Samsungs 45W charging rate claim is outright misleading when even paired with the original Samsung charger it does not offer any real tangible benefits in terms of charging times over the 25W solution.

To make matters worse, Samsung was in the exact same position with the Galaxy Note10+ back in 2019. The company then dropped the claim of 45W charging on the Note 20 Ultra. Having reinstated it with the S22+ and S22 Ultra we thought it has learned from its mistakes and got it right this time. Alas, once again the specs sheet writes checks that the real life performance can't cash.

There are two important takeaways from this. The first is that if charging speeds matter to you the Galaxy S22 series will be just as disappointing as the Samsung flagships that came before them. Much like it has been for the past two years, you'd need an hour to get a full charge.

The second one is that if you do end up getting the S22+ and S22 Ultra there's no point splurging the official retail price of $50/50 on the 45W Samsung charger. The 25W brick will literally work just as well for just $20/20.

Our full reviews on the Galaxy S22 series are coming in soon so expect more details on charging and just about every other aspect of those phones.
Week 7 brought us a diverse trending with 5 makers placing smartphones in the top fine and Samsung easing its grip on the leading spots.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra is still the most popular phone in our database by a country mile, but this time it's the Redmi Note 11 that came second.

The vanilla Galaxy S22 dropped to third, but it managed to edge out the newly announced Redmi K50 Gaming.

In fifth we have the Motorola Frontier, which captured a lot of attention even weeks before its official announcement. Clearly, you guys are interested in checking that 192MP camera out and frankly so are we.

The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G lost ground for the second week in a row and is now sixth, just ahead of the Realme 9 Pro+ that made its official debut this week.

The middle member of Samsung's new flagship trio - the Galaxy S22+ only ranked eight as the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is now down to ninth.

Realme will take courage from seeing both of its new number series phones in the top 10 with the 9 Pro taking the final available spot.

We lose a quartet of Samsung devices in the S21 FE, the A52s and A12 smartphones and the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra slate.
Like many destinations around the world, Hawaiis travel rules are always changing as COVID conditions fluctuate in the Aloha State. After a holiday surge that saw a peak of more than 6,000 cases on Jan. 18, cases have dropped to a weekly average of 415.

If youre traveling to Hawaii, here is what you need to know to plan for your trip: Hawaii mandates a five-day self-quarantine for domestic travelers from the mainland and U.S. territories.

The state also requires travelers from the mainland U.S. and its territories to register for its Safe Travels Hawaii program.

The program offers two ways to bypass quarantine: Show proof of full vaccination or a negative result on a pre-travel test. You dont have to do both, its one or the other.

If you want to skip the screening at the Honolulu airport, you should upload your documents to the states online portal, Safe Travels Hawaii. Once youve done so, youll get a QR code via email.

You no longer have to answer a health questionnaire on the portal 24 hours before the flight. The state eliminated that requirement on Jan. 4.

At the Guam airport, once you get to your boarding gate, there will be an area where you line up to get pre-cleared with your QR code.

Show the QR code to the United agent, and youll receive a wristband that will allow you to skip past the processing line at the Honolulu airport.

Vaccination details

To participate in the Vaccination Exemption Program, Hawaii requires an up-to-date vaccination. Hawaii considers you up to date if you have had your full vaccination at least 14 days before arriving in Hawaii.

At the height of the surge, state officials were considering adding the COVID-19 booster to be considered fully vaccinated. But on Feb. 8, Gov. David Ige said that wouldnt be happening.

For anyone who doesnt qualify for the vaccination exemption, including children 5 years and older, your other option to bypass quarantine is to have a negative result on a pre-travel test.

Test details

To participate in Hawaiis Pre-Travel Testing Program, youll need to have a negative test result from one of the states approved travel partners.

According to the states COVID-19 online portal, travel partners on Guam include Diagnostic Laboratory Services and the Department of Public Health and Social Services. For the CNMI, Commonwealth Health Corp. is listed as a trusted partner. Only Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests are accepted, according to the site.

Also, the test must be within 72 hours before departure from Guam  the state wont accept test results if you receive them after your departure.

The results must be uploaded on the Safe Travels portal or you have to have a hard copy to show when you arrive in Honolulu. Even if you have uploaded it onto the portal, though, I suggest bringing a hard copy anyway because you just never know.

If you havent registered on the Safe Travels site or havent uploaded your vaccination or test documents, youll have to wait to get screened instead of going straight to the baggage area.

Quarantine details

If youre not fully vaccinated or didnt take a pre-travel test, you are required to self-quarantine for five days. Youll have to go directly from the airport to a hotel or motel  there is no government quarantine facility like there is on Guam and youre not allowed to quarantine in a vacation rental like Airbnb.

You cant leave your hotel or motel to get food or other supplies, and you cant hang out with anyone while youre in quarantine.

You can expect to receive emails and text to check if youre complying with quarantine, and you might even get a visit from police or plainclothes investigators. If you violate self-quarantine, you face possible fines of up to $5,000 and one year in prison.
Another person has died from COVID-related causes, and 44 people were hospitalized with the virus, according to the Joint Information Center.

Guams 317th fatality occurred Friday at Guam Regional Medical City. The 74-year-old unvaccinated man had underlying health conditions and tested positive on Feb. 12.

We are yet again faced with the harsh reality that this virus continues to take from us. For those who have experienced the loss of a loved one, Jeff, Josh, and I extend our deepest sympathies and prayers, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said in a press release from the center.

We must continue with the public health interventions that have helped us gain ground throughout this pandemic. Please get vaccinated and boosted if its your time, and keep a close watch on vulnerable family members. Testing is open to all, and life saving treatments are available.

Hospitalizations

There were 30 people at Guam Memorial Hospital and 14 people at GRMC on Monday. Six people were in intensive care, and two were on ventilators.

Twenty-nine of those hospitalized were vaccinated, and 15 were not.

There were 274 new cases of COVID-19 from Saturday through Monday, not including cases that were previously reported. They include:

303 of 392 people tested positive on Saturday (179 previously reported).

232 of 836 tested positive on Sunday (141 previously reported).

59 of 189 tested positive on Monday.

Testing

There have been 42,818 cases of COVID-19 reported on Guam, and there were 3,505 active cases on Monday.

Free community testing will be held 8 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at the old carnival grounds in Tiyan.

Testing also is available 9 a.m.-noon Tuesday through Saturday at the Northern and Southern Region Community Health Centers.
Find out where and how you can get vaccines and testing for COVID-19 this week, based on information provided by Joint Information Center.
THE European Union (EU) yesterday decried the failure by the Zimbabwean government to improve its human rights record, but lifted long suspended sanctions on two top officials and former First Lady Grace Mugabe.

The bloc announced that it was lifting sanctions on Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Valerio Sibanda and Mugabe.

It, however, maintained its embargo on the Zimbabwe Defence Industries.

The announcement came soon after President Emmerson Mnangagwa returned from Belgium for the African Union (AU)-European Union (EU) 6th Session last week, which he hailed as a great success.

Chiwenga and Sibanda have been on the suspended sanctions list since 2014, while Mugabe was added in 2020.

In maintaining the embargo on ZDI, the EU said the renewal of sanctions was a result of the human rights situation in the country which had not changed as evidenced by closure of democratic space.

The situation in terms of respect for human rights has not improved in Zimbabwe. Intimidation of the political opposition and other government critics has continued to restrict the democratic and civic space, which is under threat of shrinking further, through the Data Protection Act.




Haiti - Limonade : Inauguration of the faculty of midwives





Friday, February 18, 2022 at the Henri Christophe campus in Limonade (North Dept.), Alex Larsen, the Minister of Public Health proceeded to the inauguration of the Faculty of Midwives, in the presence in particular of Mrs. Sophia Loreus, Minister for Status of Women, the Director General of the Ministry, Dr Laure Adrien, the Ambassador of Canada to Haiti Sebastien Carriere, the Rector of the State University of Haiti Fritz Deshommes, the representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA-Haiti) Saidou Kabore, the Dean of Campus Henry Christoph Nadege Daudier, the President of Campus Herisse Guirand, local authorities, departmental directors of the Great North, members of civil society and a cohort of 60 students all of the first batch.



In his speech, Minister Larsen congratulated the students who chose to embrace this noble profession despite the difficult context of the country and wished them to become true accomplished professionals for the benefit of the country.



Excerpt from the speech by Sofia Loreus Minister for the Status of Women and Women's Rights :



"[...] Despite the low progress, we still have in Haiti, the highest maternal mortality rate in the Americas region. The work of Midwives today largely contributes to the reduction of this rate and therefore contributes to the mission of ensuring the improvement of women's health throughout their lives and not only at the time of the birth [...]



[...] The profession of midwife is a job that contributes to strengthening the empowerment of women. With 98% of women practicing this profession and given the enormous care needs represented by a population of nearly 3 million women of gestational age, there are enormous opportunities for job creation in this sector. We also recognize that political efforts must go towards the recognition of midwives as professionals in the health sector to enable the realization of these opportunities.



[...] Too few of our fellow citizens, our women and daughters, know that the day-to-day work of midwives is not limited solely to care related to pregnancy and childbirth. It is our responsibility to make the general public and other professionals better aware of the vital role that midwives play in women's health [...]



[...] A faculty is a teaching and research institution. It is therefore a tool for permanent and sustainable development. We therefore wish good work to the professionals who will supervise the personal development of the students and that of this faculty which constitutes an achievement for all of Haitian society."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Diaspora Covid-19 : Daily Bulletin #703





GLOBAL SITUATION 2019-2022:

Epidemiological situation:



Monday, February 21, 2022 the number of people infected worldwide with the Covid-19 coronavirus and its variants since the start of the pandemic (March 11, 2020) amounts to 425,103,065 cases (+1,271,414 in 24 hours ), the day before (+1,383,565)



Number of countries infected: 221



*Healings: 350,857,149 people have been cured of Covid-19 worldwide (+1,971,711 in 24 hours), the day before (+1,809,279)

*Deaths: 5,906,908 people died of Covid-19 worldwide (+5,452 in 24 hours), the day before (+7,219)

*Active cases (less deaths and recoveries) in the world is currently 68,339,008 cases (-705,749 in 24 hours), the day before (-432,933)



Average cure rate in the world: 82.53% (+)



Average mortality rate in the world: 1.38% (-)



World: Number of daily confirmed cases





(Day-1)



Vaccination: 10.64 billion doses of vaccine injected (+30 million doses injected in 24 hours. Update February 21, 2022 (latest data available).



HAITI:

Epidemiological situation:

According to the Ministry of Public Health, +18 new in 24 hours of Covid-19 and its variants have been confirmed in Haiti as of February 16, 2022 (latest partial data available) for a total of 30,226 confirmed cases throughout the national territory (48.7% women and 51.3% men), since the first case (March 19, 2020 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30319-haiti-health-origin-of-the-first-2-cases-of-covid-19-in-haiti.html ). Previous update (+46 cases on February 15, 2022).



Healings: 25,158 (+3 in 24h)



Cure rate: 83.23% (-)



Deaths: 819 deaths (+0) ()



Mortality rate: 2.70% (-)



5th Wave (Omicron Dominant):

Total of the 5th wave (starting December 27, 2021) amounts to 4,231 confirmed cases and 53 deaths



Haiti: Active Cases Trend: (less recoveries and deaths)





(Day-1)



Screening since the start of the pandemic: 176,473 tests (+125 in 24 hours) since March 19, 2020, latest data available. Note that the very small number of people screened at the national level out of a population estimated at 11.6 million citizens, does not statistically allow us to make a representative estimate of the situation in Haiti, which results in a number of daily confirmed cases largely underestimated. By way of comparison, the Dominican Republic has carried out more than 3 million tests on its population since the start of the epidemic.



TOP 5 of the most affected municipalities in the West (2022):

Delmas: 718 (+3); Petion-ville 610 (+1); Port au Prince 399 (+0); Tabarre 273 (+0); Croix-des-Bouquets 218 (+2)



Confirmed cases by department (2022 / 2021 / 2020):

West: 2022: 2,456 cases; (2021: 9.890); (2020: 6,945 cases)

North: 2022: 257 cases; (2021: 664); (2020: 677 cases)

Center: 2022: 211 cases; (2021: 1.001); (2020: 508 cases)

Artibonitis: 2022: 155 cases; (2021: 855); (2020: 593 cases)

Northeast: 2022: 146 cases; (2021: 404); (2020: 314 cases)

Southeast: 2022: 209 cases; (2021: 768); (2020: 274 cases)

South: 2022: 204 cases; (2021: 891); (2020: 262 cases)

North West: 2022: 239 cases; (2021: 383); (2020: 229 cases)

Grand'Anse: 2022: 94 cases; (2021: 861); (2020: 176 cases)

Nippes: 2022: 30 cases; (2021: 249) (2020: 149 cases)



Cumulative deaths by department (2022-2021):

West: 292 deaths (2020: 104 deaths)

North: 53 deaths (2020: 34 deaths)

Center: 74 deaths (2020: 13 deaths)

Artibonite: 39 deaths (2020: 39 deaths)

North East: 7 deaths (2020: 6 deaths)

South: 51 deaths (2020: 6 deaths)

Southeast: 14 deaths (2020: 9 deaths)

North West: 15 deaths (2020: 12 deaths)

Grand'Anse: 7 deaths (2020: 13 deaths)

Nippes: 26 deaths (2020: 5 deaths)



Distribution of deaths by age (since the start of the epidemic):

0-9 years: 15 deaths

10-19 years: 10 deaths

20-29 years: 29 deaths

30-39 years: 54 deaths

40-49 years: 78 deaths

50-59 years: 133 deaths

60-69 years: 185 deaths

70-79 years: 181 deaths

80 years and over: 134 deaths



Vaccination:

150,734 Haitians (1.29% of the population) +920 in 24 hours have received a 1st dose of vaccine since July 16, 2021, date of the first injection through 149 open vaccination centers https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35051-haiti-covid-19-list-of-149-vaccination-centers-open-in-the-country.html and 100,126 Haitians are fully vaccinated (2 doses, 0.86% of the population) +889 in 24h. Update February 15, 2022 latest information available (source MSPP).



List of the 149 Vaccination Centers open in Haiti (and hours) by department:

(updated October 20, 2021, latest information available)

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35051-haiti-covid-19-list-of-149-vaccination-centers-open-in-the-country.html



DIASPORA:

Epidemiological situation:



USA:

*Cases since the first case (February 29, 2020): 80,087,617 cases (+15,056 in 24 hours), the day before (+48,030)

*Healings: 51,673,955 healings (+129,104 in 24 hours), the day before (+128,108)

National Cure Rate: 64.52% (+)

*Deaths: 959,412 deaths (+282 in 24 hours), the day before (+830)

National mortality rate: 1.19% (=)

*Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries): 27,454,250 (-114,330 in 24 hours), the day before (-80,908)

Tests: 938,711,191 last data available.



USA: Number of daily confirmed cases





(Day-1)



Vaccination: 550.56 million doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection in the United States (+880,000 doses in 24 hours). Update February 21, 2022 (latest data available).



DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

Confirmed cases since March 1, 2020: 571,856 cases (+304 in 24 hours) the day before (+352). First case (March 1, 2020)

Healings: 565,226 healings (+405), the day before (+265)

National Cure Rate: 98.84% (+)

Deaths: 4,357 deaths (+0 in 24 hours), the day before (+3)

Death rate: 0.76% (=)

Positivity rate over 4 epidemiological weeks: 6.65% (-)

Active cases: (excluding deaths and recoveries) 2,273 cases (-101 in 24 hours) the day before (+84)



Dominican Republic: Trend of active cases: (minus recoveries and deaths)





(Day-1)



TOP 5 Provinces with the most new cases in the last 24 hours:

Santo Domingo: +119 new cases in 24 hours (+41 compared to the day before)

National District: +32 new cases in 24 hours (+3 compared to the day before)

Santiago: +16 new cases in 24 hours (-47 compared to the day before)

La Vega: +5 new cases in 24 hours (-25 compared to the day before)

San Christobal: + 4 cases ()



Tests (since the 1st case): 3,075,508 tests (+7,402 in 24 hours), the day before (+7,806)



Vaccination: 15.21 million doses of vaccine injected since February 16, 2021, date of the first injection in the Dominican Republic (+20,000 doses injected in 24 hours). Update February 20, 2022 (latest data available).



QUEBEC:

Warning: Quebec health authorities no longer update data on the Covid situation on weekends. The figures below are therefore the latest available.



Confirmed cases since the first case (February 27, 2020): 908,466 (+1,837 in 24 hours), previous (+2,055)

Healings: 870,517 people (+3,489 in 24 hours), previous (+2,547)

Cure rate: 95.82% (+)

Deaths: 13,835 deaths (+23 in 24 hours), previous (+22)

Death rate: 1.52% (=)

Active cases: (excluding death and recovery) 24,114 cases (-1,675 in 24 hours), previous (-514)



Quebec: Confirmed case trend:







Test: 16,534,178 people tested since the first case (+21,316 in 24 hours)



Vaccination: 18,279,492 doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection (+17,500 doses in 24 hours), latest data available - MSSS as of February 18, 2022)



FRANCE:

*Confirmed cases since the first case (January 24, 2020): 22,286,829 cases (+ 59,003 cases in 24 hours), previous (+ 76,638)

*Healings: 19,004,136 healings (+82,657 in 24h), previous (+248,996)

National Cure Rate: 85.27% (+)

Deaths: 136,673 deaths (+79 in 24 hours), previous (+148)

Death rate: 0.61% (-)

Active Cases: 3,146,099 (-23,654 in 24h), previous (-172,506)

Test: 243,529,298 (last data available February 17, 2022)



France: Trend of active cases: (minus recoveries and deaths)





(Day-1)



Vaccination: 140.51 million doses of vaccine injected since December 27, 2020, date of the first injection in France (+170,000 doses injected in 24 hours. Update February 21, 2022 (latest data available)



Previous bulletin : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36007-haiti-diaspora-covid-19-daily-bulletin-702.html



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30319-haiti-health-origin-of-the-first-2-cases-of-covid-19-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30165-haiti-flash-first-case-of-covid-19-in-the-dominican-republic.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Written By

Reporter

Sophia Voight is a reporter for the Hastings Star Gazette. She is from Oshkosh, WI and graduated from the UW Oshkosh with a bachelor's degree in Multimedia Journalism in 2021. She can be reached with any news tips at svoight@orourkemediagroup.com

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ZIMBABWE Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) markers yesterday downed tools in dispute over allowances, which could delay the release of the 2021 Ordinary and Advanced Level results.

The teachers said Zimsec had failed to honour its pledge to pay them US$25 per day for those staying out of residence and US$12 per day for those in residence.

Instead, they received $19 000 and $9 500 for the 28 days of marking respectively, prompting a walkout.

In Manicaland province, a leaked video showed Zimsec officials being booed by disgruntled teachers at Marymount Teachers College who were refusing to mark the A-Level Geography paper before they were paid the outstanding allowances.

We are aware that we owe you. The other group is owed 50%, while the first phase is owed 75%, but be assured that by the end of this week, we will make sure that everything is settled, a Zimsec official in Manicaland could be heard telling the teachers.

At Hillside Teachers College in Bulawayo, teachers marking the O-Level History paper downed tools on Friday last week.

This was confirmed yesterday by Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou.

Teachers are just asking for their share. They are not charity workers. The responsibility of running a countrys examination centre is not childs play. Zimsec must stop forthwith treating teachers who are examiners as if they are of no account. We are aware that examiners started boycotting marking examinations last week on Friday, and that the boycott is continuing. Zimsec must urgently resolve the quandary that teachers are facing or else face the wrath of teachers, he said.

Teachers, who checked in for marking as far back as February 9, have not been paid their T&S [travel and subsistence] allowances. It is unfortunate that markers are not in residential accommodation. We have also received reports of examiners becoming stressed and collapsing or dying because of Zimsec ill-treatment.

In Gweru, police had to be called in following a stand-off between Zimsec officials and teachers that were marking the O-Level Heritage Studies (History) papers at the Midlands State University.

PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe claimed that three markers were arrested in Gweru.

This is criminalisation of people who have genuine grievances that must be taken care of. It appears that Zimsec and the government are conniving to get slave labour, and they must separate between crime and genuine cases. Police have arrested two male markers and one female marker and we are calling for their release. Otherwise we will call for everybody to down their tools, he said.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that there was a disagreement between the markers and Zimsec.

Police were only called in to ensure that law and order prevailed. No one was assaulted or forced to do what they did not want to do, Nyathi said.

He said after negotiations, 50 markers went back into the marking room while 150 who were mingling outside were asked to either leave the campus or go back to their duties.

They later rejoined their counterparts.

Nyathi said he was not aware of any markers who were arrested.

Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said he could not comment as it was a Zimsec issue.

Zimsec spokesperson Nicholette Dhlamini said: I have confirmed with teachers at Hillside and other areas, there is no strike. All teachers are marking. Newsday
Nebraska Is One of the Best Places to Live for Older Americans
We couldnt help but notice the number of articles in recent editions of this news
Editor,

It seems that every day there is news about some Republican elected official going off track with a crazy dispute. Now, Gov. Greg Gianforte has jumped into the fray with a complaint about the use of the word equity.

The Montana Board of Education has revised its Ethical Standards for Teachers, which it does every five years. The word equity was included in the revision, pertaining to a teachers recognition of the need for equity in education.

Equity in education is different from equality. A good example of that is the school funding formula. Back in the 1980s, small ru...
The demands of the general people of Kurdistan and the world to remove the name of the Kurdistan Workers Party from the terror lists are increasing at a after the campaign for international justice for the Kurds, joined by more than 1,000 figures of intellectuals, academics, politicians, scholars, artists and activists from 30 countries.

North and eastern Syria's omponents, joined the campaign to remove the name of the PKK from the "terror list." "; Because this party supports the oppressed peoples, it did not hesitate to answer the call of the peoples facing oppression.

From Sengal to Kobani

They cited the resistance of Kobani and Sengal, when the Guerilla forces responded to the call of the people of the region after been attacked by ISIS mercenaries.

They added, "The Kurdish people faced genocide throughout history, but thanks to the thought and philosophy of the leader Abdullah Ocalan, the people rose up again to demand their rights, and the Workers' Party infused the spirit of resistance in the Kurdish people again."

Noting that women were oppressed throughout history, they said: "they were known as the weak sex in society, but thanks to this party, woman were able to know their rights and duties."

And a member of the Coordinating Committee of Kongra Star in Shiran, Kobani, Salama atti stressed that this party represents the Kurdish people and women in particular, as it is the party of life and existence.

Salama Atti appealed to all women to join the activities organized to remove the name of the PKK from the "terror list", and said that "the people represent the Kurdistan Workers' Party", and pledged to raise the pace of struggle until their demand is fulfilled.

PKK fights for women

For her part, the spokeswoman for the Kongra Star coordinator in Shiran district, Darcin Hassoun, said that "the Kurdistan Workers' Party is struggling for women to obtain their rights. stressing that "all women must rise up to have its name removed from the terrorist list."

The PKK became very popular as its struggle against the policies of enslavement and oppression imposed by the capitalist regimes brought the oppressed peoples together around it, and scholars called Hassoun to remove its name from the "terror lists" because it is a humanitarian party.

A

ANHA
Kentucky Is One of the Worst Places to Live for Older Americans
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SUBMIT
A MOUNTAINEER from Henley has encouraged children to set some crazy dreams after visiting them at school.

Garth Miller, who will attempt to set the fastest known time from London to the summit of Everest and back in May, spoke at an assembly at St Marys School.

He told the pupils about the equipment he will be using and about what scares him the most about the challenge.

Mr Miller, a former army officer said: Its important to encourage children because as a result of the pandemic everyones world has got a bit smaller. Im worried that, especially with children, were living digitally. Its important to encourage them to get outside.

Speaking during the assembly, he told the children: Set some crazy dreams, whatever it is you want to do because you can do it if you work hard.

Mr Miller said it would take him two days to travel to Mt Everest, 10 days to climb to the summit and back down and another two days to return to London. He said he was most scared about the Khumbu Icefall, which he will cross using a rope and ladder and the death zone, which is when climbers reach the 8,000m mark.

Pupils had an opportunity to try on some of Mr Millers equipment, including a large puffer jacket, goggles and a helmet.

In his bag he had a tent, stove, sleeping bag, harness, rope and a teddy bear as well as some building blocks with key words to inspire him to keep going, including teamwork, resilience, hard work, determination, perseverance and strategy.

One pupil said their dream was to buy a million springer spaniels and another said it was to skydive from the top of Mt Everest.

Headmaster Rob Harmer said: Hes a regular, normal guy but he had a dream and hes trying to show the children that anything is possible if you approach that dream with strategy, determination and hard work. I think from the looks on their faces that they were in awe at what they were being shown.

Mr Miller plans to visit all the primary schools in Henley before he starts his journey.
Johnson refuses to say if he could quit over probe

15:18, February 21, 2022 By JULIAN SHEA in London ( China Daily

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to say whether he would quit if an ongoing police inquiry finds that he broke lockdown laws during the pandemic.

During a BBC interview, Johnson was asked numerous times, but declined to answer directly, saying: "I can't comment about a process that is underway." When asked if people should find his explanation about attending Downing Street gatherings being probed by the police plausible, he said: "There is literally not a bean I can tell you about that."

Early in the pandemic, government posters showed a COVID-19 patient wearing an oxygen mask, with the slogan "look her in the eyes and tell her you never bend the rules. Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives".

But toward the end of 2021, reports emerged of gatherings having taken place at Johnson's Downing Street office, and in government buildings.

On Dec 1, Johnson told Parliament "all guidance was followed completely in (Downing Street)". A week later, he told a BBC interview "all the guidelines were observed".

The following day, a recording of Downing Street staff joking about lockdown parties was leaked to ITV News, which Johnson said left him "sickened" and "furious", but he added that "I have been repeatedly assured that the rules were not broken".

On Dec 13, he told Sky News "I can tell you once again that I certainly broke no rules  all that is being looked into", a week before The Guardian published pictures of him at a large outdoor gathering in Downing Street in May 2020.

Johnson's response to this was "people at work, talking about work", although in January 2021, he apologized to the House of Commons, admitting he had attended but that he "believed implicitly that it was a work event" and so "technically" no rules were broken.

Senior civil servant Sue Gray led an inquiry into the lockdown gatherings, and her report has only been partially published so far, because of ongoing police inquiries into 12 of the 16 social events she looked at.

Johnson is one of around 50 people to have been sent a questionnaire by London's Metropolitan Police service relating to the gatherings, with The Guardian reporting that he attended as many as six of those under investigation.

Several of Johnson's own Conservative Party members of Parliament have publicly called for him to go, as have senior figures from other parties, but Foreign Office minister James Cleverly told Sky News that it would not be good for the country to have "a vacuum at the center of government" in the current global climate.

When asked if this meant Johnson should carry on regardless of the police findings, Cleverly said: "That's exactly how you should take it."

Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said if Johnson would not go, then he should be pushed.

"Boris Johnson is not fit to be prime minister," he said.

"If Johnson is found to have broken the law, he must fess up and resign. No more cover-ups, no more lies.

"If he won't resign, Conservative MPs must do the right thing and sack him.

"For a sitting prime minister to be found guilty of breaking the law would be unprecedented and put to bed once and for all the Conservative Party's claim to be the party of law and order."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The rocky rollout of a city Education Department program to help students with disabilities recover from the pandemic has left hundreds of occupational and physical therapists who staff the initiative waiting months to get paid for their extra work, the teachers union charges.

Therapists have been working additional hours before and after school and on weekends as part of a sweeping $250 million, federally funded Education Department initiative to offer extra support to special education students who missed out on critical services during the pandemic.

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(Shutterstock)

In an internal union survey of 383 Education Department-employed therapists in late January, 222 people said they had yet to see a dime for extra work stretching back to November, according to Melissa Williams, the therapist chapter leader at the United Federation of Teachers. Thirty-nine others said theyd been partially compensated.

Since then, some therapists said theyve gotten initial payments for a small portion of the hours theyve worked.

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The jobs were posted, we performed the labor, its unacceptable you cant figure out how to pay us, Williams said at a meeting of the citys Panel for Educational Policy.

The massive recovery services program has been mired in chaos since the start, facing several delays as city guidance shifted and administrators struggled to recruit staffers and students.

That, combined with an already complicated payroll system for therapists and scant training for schools on how to operate payroll for the recovery system, contributed to the widespread paycheck delays, therapists say.

(Shutterstock)

Compensation for therapists can be complicated even in normal times, since they often work across multiple schools, use different payroll software and require a special waiver to get paid overtime.

The issues got worse during the recovery program, therapists say.

Our payroll secretaries werent trained for a very long time in how to handle all of this, said Alison Loebel, a veteran physical therapist in Queenss District 29, who has been working in the program.

Even after payroll secretaries figured out how to log the extra hours, some said they didnt have the information they needed from the Education Departments central offices about where to bill the expenses, Loebel added, further delaying the payments.

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Loebel estimated shes worked roughly 50 hours during mornings, afternoons and weekends staffing the recovery program at three different schools since December. She said she finally got a check Friday for eight hours worth of work.

Were making every effort to process all pending transactions as quickly as possible, and weve provided training to school staff, distributed FAQ and instructional videos, and are offering direct assistance to schools to support this process, said Education Department spokeswoman Sarah Casasnovas.

Loebel said she was happy to take on the extra work because she knew how important it was for kids, but grew increasingly frustrated with each email from her program supervisors.

I started getting resentful every time I got it  because there was no word about if we were getting paid for this work, she said.

Loebel and Williams said theyve been pushing union officials to pressure the Education Department and file an official labor grievance.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

UFT President Michael Mulgrew said he believes the Education Department is addressing the delays, but he criticized the agency for taking so long.

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The [Education Department] designed a new program but couldnt figure out how to get people paid, so the union had to keep pressing to get this fixed, he said.

The Tweed Courthouse, on Chambers St. in Manhattan houses Department of Education offices. (Jeff Bachner/for New York Daily News)

Advocates and educators worry that if the payroll snags continue, therapists will drop out of the recovery program, adding challenges to the short-staffed initiative.

Its really frustrating because the office of special education has put this out there as an opportunity for kids with disabilities  but if the providers arent ready and able then not a lot can happen, and the providers cant be ready and able if the [Education Department] isnt paying them or taking too long to pay them, said Maggie Moroff, the special education policy director at Advocates for Children.

Loebel said she tries her best to keep her annoyance about the payment delays separate from her work with the kids, but her patience is wearing thin.

I always have a smile on my face with the kids  but its frustrating and tough, she explained. The [Education Department] thinks of us last, its pretty systemic and chronic this kind of lack of respect.
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
Uniontown, PA (15401)

Today

Cloudy with rain this evening...then scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low around 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain this evening...then scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low around 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Several Queens homes have been targeted in a month-long string of burglaries, with the stolen profits totaling at least $120K, police said Sunday.

The burglary spree began Jan. 18, when a man broke into a home near 170th Pl. and Lithonia Ave. in East Flushing about 1:30 p.m.

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The burglary spree began Jan. 18, when a man (pictured) broke into a home near 170th Pl. and Lithonia Ave. in East Flushing. (NYPD / DCPI)

The break-in triggered a house alarm, sending the crook running. It wasnt clear how much property he made off with.

The same man struck again a week later on Jan. 26, entering a home near 35 Ave. and 164 St. in Murray Hill about 11:30 a.m., when he broke in through a locked door, police said. When a 74-year-old man returned home a few hours later, he discovered $80,000 worth of electronics and jewelry had been stolen.

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Several Queens homes have been targeted in a string of burglaries, with the stolen profits totaling at least $120K. (NYPD / DCPI)

On Jan. 31, three men broke through a locked door at a home near 159th St. and Laburnum Ave in East Flushing about 8:15 a.m. A 38-year-old woman returning home later that night found $22,000 worth of jewelry and other items gone, police said.

On Feb. 1, another home near 45th Ave. and 169th St. in East Flushing was broken into about 2 p.m. A 38-year-old woman arrived home that night to find $1,400 of her jewelry and possessions stolen.

On Feb. 4, the burglar once again entered a home near Poplar Ave. and Robinson St. in East Flushing through a locked door about 11:50 a.m., making off with $16,000 in jewelry and electronics.

The thief took 10 days off from his crime spree before breaking into a home near 35th Ave. and 164th St. in Murray Hill, police said. A 37-year-old woman discovered $2,500 worth of property missing later that night.

Two days later, the burglar entered a 66-year-old mans home near 156th St. and Jasmine Ave. in East Flushing, tripping a house alarm around 12:30 p.m. He took off on foot with an undetermined amount of property.

The burglary spree began Jan. 18 when a man (pictured) broke into a home near 170th Pl. and Lithonia Ave. in East Flushing. (NYPD / DCPI)

Home surveillance caught the man on camera, who police described as between 25 and 35 years old.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
A man was shot and robbed in a terrifying Brooklyn home invasion by a ruthless trio of thieves, police said Sunday.

A woman knocked on the 39-year-old victims door on Voorhies Ave. near Shore Parkway in Sheepshead Bay about 2 p.m. Saturday claiming he owed monthly dues, cops said.

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A man was shot and robbed in a terrifying Brooklyn home invasion Saturday on Voorhies Ave. near Shore Pkwy. in Sheepshead Bay. (Jeff Bachner/for New York Daily News)

When the man opened the door, two men forced their way into the apartment, flashed guns and demanded the victim turn over any valuables.

The victim fought back, prompting one of the robbers to shoot the man in the left leg, cops said.

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A ruthless trio took part in a home invasion at a man's Brooklyn apartment Saturday on Voorhies Ave. near Shore Pkwy. in Sheepshead Bay. (Jeff Bachner/for New York Daily News)

The robbers zip-tied the wounded victims wrists and picked through the apartment, stealing a Rolex watch, an iPhone 12 and multiple credit cards totaling $1,600, officials said.

The crooks took off, leaving the man in the apartment.

He was later taken to NYU Langone Hospital  Brooklyn where he is expected to recover.

Police are still searching for the three robbers and released images of the crooks in the hopes someone may recognize them.

Police are still searching for the three robbers and released images of the crooks in the hope someone may recognize them.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
A man was stabbed in an unprovoked attack aboard a Manhattan train Sunday, the latest violence in a troubling increase of subway crimes, police said.

The 31-year-old victim was riding a downtown No. 6 train when a stranger stabbed him twice in the arm as the train rumbled toward the Canal St. station at about 6 p.m., cops said.

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Blood is seen on the platform of the Canal Street station on the 6 line after a stabbing in Manhattan on Sunday. (Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News)

His assailant remained on the train heading for the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station.

The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.

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Blood is seen on the platform of the Canal Street station on the No. 6 line after a stabbing in Manhattan Sunday. (Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News)

Police were still searching for the stabber Sunday night.

Police responded to the Canal Street station after a man was stabbed aboard a No. 6 train in Manhattan on Sunday. (Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News)

Overall crime on transit is up about 65% this year compared with the same time frame last year, the most recent NYPD data show.

From Jan. 1 through last Sunday, 276 people have been the victim of a crime underground, compared with 167 people in same period last year.
Anantara's world renowned luxury is coming to China's Anji County in northwestern Zhejiang Province. A popular escape for nature lovers and hailed as an eco-tourism destination, Anji County is located three-hours' drive from Shanghai and less than an hour's drive from Zhejiang's capital of Hangzhou.

Known for its cooler climate, clean air and breathtaking scenery, Anji has been designated as an ecology-friendly city where the residents have established a thriving eco-friendly agricultural and tourism sector showcasing pollution-free green products, such as white tea, alpine vegetables, and flowers. Anji is also home to one of the largest natural bamboo forests in the world with over 60,000 hectares of bamboo groves containing over 40 different species.

Emerald mountains and tea plantations form the backdrop of the new Anantara Anji which is located on 165 acres of land. In addition to 162 guest rooms with sizes ranging from 53-216 sqm, the property will feature state of the art meeting facilities, an outdoor swimming pool with bar, four international restaurants including Chinese and international cuisine, a full fitness centre and a children's activity zone.

Complementing the area's natural surroundings, an Anantara Spa with full healing and wellness facilities and a Zen pavilion will be available to help replenish guests' health and wellbeing. Sustainable programs such as tree planting activities for the whole family, which will be organically integrated with the resort's facilities will also be on offer creating an ideal place for multi-generational travel experiences.

Anantara's culture-minded guests will be able to enjoy a wide range of indigenous experiences nearby including ancient temples and the residence of Wu Changshuo, a prominent painter, calligrapher and seal artist during the late Qing Period adjacent to the resort. Guests can also do day trips to the area's famous bamboo forests, stream rafting sites or harvest tea in nearby plantations.

The resort's unique architecture is designed by internationally renowned architect, Meng Fanhao of Line+ Studio which has been recognised for its creative and innovative designs. Construction will commence in March 2022 and is due to be completed by the end of 2024.

Anantara Anji will join Anantara Guiyang Resort in Guizhou Province and Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort in Yunnan Province as the brand's third property in China connecting guests to genuine places, people and stories through personal experiences, and providing heartfelt hospitality in the world's most exciting destinations

Hotel website
With more than three decades of hospitality experience, Perez has been the general manager of many properties throughout the country for some of the top hospitality brands, including IHG Hotels & Resorts, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels, and Extended Stay America. He also served in many leadership roles for several well-known hotel management companies, such as Highgate, Real Hospitality Group, and TPG Hotels & Resorts. In his new role with IRHG, Perez will oversee The Alexander All Suite Oceanfront Resort in Miami Beach, FL.
Stough began his career in the F&B industry as a high school student in need of a part-time job. Later, during his time studying historic preservation at the College of Charleston, he continued to hold part-time positions in the restaurant industry and his passion for food and service truly began to blossom. He has more than 12 years in hospitality, having held positions from server assistant to maitre d' and everything in between. Stough is making the move to the beverage team working with wine director Vonda Freeman following a successful tenure at Indaco Charleston as general manager. Now the Charleston-based area wine director, he assists in maintaining and overseeing the wine programs in the market. In his role, Stough will educate and train on a weekly and monthly basis to keep staff engaged and interested while constructing training materials for the continued development of Indigo Road teams.
Originally from Arizona, Ellis spent most of her adolescence in Tennessee before attending Lee University, where she studied to become a teacher. During her college years, she worked various front and back-of-house hospitality roles before eventually settling into her role as a bartender. As she went on to become a teacher for six years, she still bartended in her spare time. Eventually, Ellis embraced her passion for the beverage industry and entered it full time, utilizing her teaching skillset to train and lead her team. She ran the bar program at Gray's on Main before opening O' Be Joyful in TK year. During this time, she also expanded on her industry knowledge by attending various mixology and spirit programs, including A Bar Above. After, Ellis joined the IRHG team, serving as the beverage manager for its Nashville concepts, Oak Steakhouse Nashville and O-Ku. She now oversees all beverage operations for the hospitality group. In this role, she enjoys cultivating a team that works collaboratively to produce creative and flawlessly executed cocktails.
JLL announced the appointment of Kuraudo Ohashi as Executive Vice President, Head of Advisory, Hotels & Hospitality Group, Japan. In the newly created role, he will report to Takahiro Tsujikawa, Senior Managing Director, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, Japan, and will be based in Tokyo.

In his position, Ohashi will serve the maturing Japanese hotel sector, which continues to transform to meet the demands of both domestic and international travelers through advisory on operational, development and investment strategy and asset positioning. Through his expertise, he will also partner with owners on looking to attract interest from global investors and hotel operators.

His appointment follows the establishment of a dedicated Asset Management and Advisory presence in Japan in September 2021 by JLL. The decision was driven by heightened activity in the Japanese market and the requirements of many hotels to maintain cash flow, upgrade facilities and reposition strategies during and post-pandemic. Ohashi will work closely with Nathan Cook, Head of JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group's Asset Management business in Japan.

Ohashi joins JLL from Mori Trust in Japan, where he was Manager, responsible for the company's hotel and resort business division. For 17 years at this company, Ohashi focused on hotel development, asset management and advisory to a diverse range of clients in Japan.

JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group's Japan Advisory and Asset Management team has been further bolstered by the hiring of Asuka Takahashi, who joins the firm as Vice President, Advisory and Asset Management, reporting to Cook.
When U.S. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, he proclaimed, we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history. More than 45 years later, those accomplishments have soared to include political greatness, and astounding achievements across every field.

At IHG Hotels & Resorts, we celebrate and honor the diversity and cultures that have shaped the foundation of our global company. As part of our Early Careers university program, we contribute resources and the opportunity to pursue an IHG internship to students of HBCUs to help foster a successful career in hospitality.

This month, were recognizing some of our Black leaders at our hotels in the Americas in a two-part series. These are just some of the many Black colleagues who not only keep our hotels thriving but are also advancing progress in the industry, as well as inspiring and opening doors for others. Were sharing their stories, advice, and the challenges they face.

Lekecia Harris, General Manager, Staybridge Suites Charleston  Ashley Phosphate Photo by IHG

Lekecia Harris, General Manager, Staybridge Suites Charleston  Ashley Phosphate

Six years ago, Lekecia Harris attended a sales convention in Charleston, South Carolina.

There were 12 to 15 hundred people, but only two of us were Black. It was the first time in my life where I felt I didnt belong, but at the same time, I knew I needed to be in the room.

That unwavering knowledge is threaded throughout Harriss career. Even though she may have felt like an outsider, not only did she deserve to be in those spaces, she had to be there to create more opportunities for others.

Today Harris is the General Manager of Staybridge Suites Charleston  Ashley Phosphate, and its a role she manifested for herself.

I had just moved to Charleston and saw the hotel being built, and I said  out loud, I am going to work there. And I did, says Harris. I started out as a Night Auditor. It was the only position they had open when I walked through the doors, and three months later, I was Front Office Manager, then Director of Sales, and now Im the GM.

Harris also credits her competitive streak with helping her succeed.

I love winning when the odds are against you. This is a competitive industry, and I want nothing less than for the hotel Im managing to be at the top. Im proud of the praise and accolades our hotel receives.

Her success and passion also motivate Harris to mentor others in the field, including two people who also became GMs.

Ive worked with some of the best people and thrive when I can uplift and encourage them to aim higher.

Raeshawna Scott, General Manager, Kimpton Banneker Hotel Photo by IHG

Raeshawna Scott, General Manager, Kimpton Banneker Hotel

After completing her hospitality major and graduating from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the oldest historically black college in America, Raeshawna Scott began working in hotels almost immediately.

Her first leadership role was in 2002 as an Assistant Front Desk Manager. She worked her way up in the industry performing many duties including Director of Housekeeping and Assistant General Manager before becoming a full-time General Manager of Kimpton Banneker Hotel.*

Working in hotels  no two days are the same, and I love that we get to show kindness and warmth to people from all walks of life, says Scott.

But its important to recognize, she says, the many challenges of being a black woman in leadership  in any industry.

I have found that you are questioned more as a black female leader, says Scott. You must be even more aware of what and how you communicate, so you dont fall into the stereotype of being angry or aggressive versus assertive.

The unique complexity is that those challenges run parallel to vast advantages and opportunities. Like her fellow hospitality leaders, Scott says the best thing about her career is molding the future of the industry.

There is nothing more fulfilling to me than helping a room attendant grow into a leadership role or mentoring an operations manager into assistant GM or GM, says Scott. Its all about seeing the potential in people and helping them achieve their goals.

Kennaese Kay Butler, General Manager, Candlewood Suites Safety Harbor  Clearwater NE Photo by IHG

Kennaese Kay Butler, General Manager, Candlewood Suites Safety Harbor  Clearwater NE

I took pride in my work and it didnt go unnoticed, says Kay Butler as she describes finding success in her decades-long career in hospitality.

Butler began working as a housekeeper in 1988 and was quickly promoted to Executive Housekeeper. Each day was filled with laughter, relationship building and hard work, she says. It was my goal to show my team, that I too, would jump in and help wherever it was needed. This allowed me to gain trust with my staff.

Butler is now the General Manager of Candlewood Suites Safety Harbor-Clearwater NE, where she brings that same level of dedication and caring with not just her colleagues, but others in the industry as well.

I remember mentoring a young woman who was new to the industry. She was working at a hotel that needed some work and when she reached out to me for help, it filled me with great joy, says Butler. Together, we created an action plan, hired a new team, created a culture, and soon the hotel was seeing success.

A natural leader, Butler wants other Black men and women to know how important it is to be their own champion.

Moving up in my career wasnt always easy. I was not taken seriously. I was a Black American with big dreams, but now I am a Black American with fulfilled dreams, she emphasizes.

Never give up on yourself and position yourself with people who will mentor, encourage, and cheer you to success. Black people have opportunity. Allow yourself to be heard, seen, remembered, and respected in this industry, or any industry of your choice, and you will grow.

Ronnell Williams, General Manager, Holiday Inn Chateau Le Moyne  Photo by IHG

Ronnell Williams, General Manager, Holiday Inn Chateau Le Moyne

Ronnell Williams began working in hotels 20 years ago as part of housekeeping. Over the years, he advanced his career working roles as bell captain, front desk agent, director of the front office, and assistant GM.

I remember when I became a general manager for the first time. I was so excited to lead a property, says Williams.

He oversees the Holiday Inn French Quarter-Chateau LeMoyne (an IHG company-managed property owned by a Black-founded and Black-led company).

My goals are to make guests happy, mentor my colleagues, and of course, make a profit for the hotel.

Williams says he feels lucky to have worked with great mentors and brands in his career and wants to pay it forward.

My advice to minority aspiring GMs is to have a strong network and learn from seasoned GMs. Never stop learning in general, and finally, its all about making an impact in your current role.

*Kimpton Banneker is named after Benjamin Banneker, born to free Black couple in 1731, who became a noted almanac author, surveyor, and farmer.

Stay tuned for part two of our series
Radisson Collection - Radisson Hotel Groups luxury lifestyle collection of iconic properties - is proud to launch the brands first art exhibition with fashion illustrator Fei Wang, known as Mr. Slowboy . As part of a series of global art collaborations , Radisson Collection is partnering with emerging artists to create a curated selection of immersive artwork highlighting the iconic locations of the brand  s exceptional hotels.

"The Mural Lovers" - Radisson Collection Hotel, Grand Place Brussels  Photo by Radisson Hotel Group

This first exhibition held at Radisson Collection Hotel, Palazzo Touring Club Milan, will launch in the lead up to Milans most exciting calendar moment, Milan Fashion Week, from 18th  21st February. The exhibition at the new and recently opened Radisson Collection Palazzo Touring Club, Milan will feature a selection of Mr.Slowboys artwork captured at Radisson Collection properties in Brussels, Nanjing, and London. Mr.Slowboy has been in residence at the hotel earlier in the week to create real-time sketches of Milans famous street style with the city abuzz with the fashion elite, of which eight of the sketches will join the existing exhibition featuring works from his visits to the other luxury lifestyle, Radisson Collection hotels. Discover a video of his discovery of Milan here.

Milan Style Sketches Mr Slowboy for Radisson Collection Photo by Radisson Hotel Group

Charismatic contemporary artist and Chinese illustrator, Mr.Slowboy, is highly respected in the art and fashion worlds for his retro-styled, two-dimensional pencil illustrations. He has worked with global luxury fashion brands such as Alfred Dunhill, and British heritage brands like Barbour and Fortnum & Mason whilst also sketching famous fashion personalities like photographer Scott Schuman, known as The Sartorialist. Mr.Slowboys first work was inspired by The May Fair, A Radisson Collection Hotel in the center of London, which features a strong fashion heritage as the official hotel for London Fashion Week, thus Milan is a natural next stop for Radisson Collection and Mr.Slowboy to continue their partnership, as one of the worlds leading fashion destinations.

"The Explorer" - Radisson Collection Resort Nanjing  Photo by Radisson Hotel Group

Guests attending the exhibition launch will have a unique opportunity to take part in a curated Origins of Fashion tour to discover the best behind the scenes haunts of this fashion capital including Borsalino boutique, the oldest hat shop in Europe with a history closely linked to cinema and fashion, and the ornate interiors of Camparino in Galleria, the oldest Campari bar in the city within the shopping heart of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. In addition, they will have the chance to attend an exclusive Meet the Artist session, before heading off to experience the classic Milanese tradition of aperitivo in the hotels exceptional Presidential Suite and indulge in a tasting menu at Bistrot Bertarelli 1894 Milano, the signature restaurant concept at Radisson Collection Hotel, Palazzo Touring Club Milan, which serves Italian cuisine with a creative New Wave culinary approach. Following the exhibition launch, guests visiting the hotel will have the opportunity to view Mr.Slowboys sketches which will remain on display in the hotels Veloce Bar. Guests browsing the hotels historical library will also find signed copies of Mr.Slowboys new book Portraits of the Modern Gentleman on display which includes a series of illustrations and tips for assembling a coveted closet for sartorialists and artists alike. A guide to experience the same Origins of Fashion tour will also be available for guests to experience while staying with Radisson Collection.

Set in the heart of Italys fashion, design and business capital close to the Duomo, Radisson Collection Hotel, Palazzo Touring Club Milan opened in September 2021 after an extensive renovation by Studio Marco Piva, while still preserving the buildings historical significance and its unique identity. The 89-room hotel is housed within a building dating back to 1915 on Corso Italia, and was formerly the headquarters of the not-for-profit Italian national tourism organization Touring Club Italiano.

"A Good Choice" - Radisson Collection Resort Nanjing  Photo by Radisson Hotel Group

Radisson Collection has always had a strong heritage and connection with art and design dating back to the construction of the SAS Royal Hotel in Hammerichsgade which later became the Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, Copenhagen. This hotel was designed by Arne Jacobsen, one of the greatest Danish architects of the twentieth century and has been celebrated as a "Landmark of the Jet Age" characterizing the 1950's, and Jacobsen's signature architectural style, and is still celebrated as a prominent example of Danish modernist architecture. Today, art and design are recurring signature elements in Radisson Collection hotels, which feature art from both local and internationally celebrated artists.

Our Radisson Collection guests have a passion for discovering new art and fashion trends, and are always looking for creative ways to elevate their guest experience and fill their travels with memories worthy of their own art collection. We are incredibly proud to launch this new exhibition and guest experience as we continue our series of global art collaborations and celebrate the opening of our new luxury lifestyle Radisson Collection hotel in Milan  and at what better time than when Milan shares its fashion looks for the Fall / Winter 2022 season, says Cristina Serra, Global Senior Vice President Brand Strategy & Guest Experience at Radisson Hotel Group.

"The Team Players" - Radisson Collection Hotel, Grand Place Brussels  Photo by Radisson Hotel Group

A selection of the Mr.Slowboy artwork collection will be on display at Radisson Collection Hotel, Palazzo Touring Club Milan until August 2022 as well as on the @radissoncollection Instagram page. More Radisson Collection partnerships will continue to be revealed throughout 2022 when artists will visit and share their inspirations from flagship Radisson Collection hotels in the UK, Spain, Belgium, Italy, as well as other key locations across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The next artist highlight will be the exhibition of Radisson Collection art partner Rich McCor, known as paperboyo, who will join the brand in celebrating the 65th anniversary of Radisson Collection Hotel, Moscow in May, and the grand opening of Radisson Collection Hotel, Gran Via Bilbao later in the summer where he will put on his own exhibition and unique destination discovery through photography for hotel guests.

"The Date" - Mr.Slowboy at Radisson Collection Hotel, Grand Place Brussels Photo by Radisson Hotel Group

"A Fresh Start" - Mr.Slowboy at The May Fair, A Radisson Collection Hotel, Mayfair London Photo by Radisson Hotel Group

"The Holiday Makers" - Mr.Slowboy at The May Fair, A Radisson Collection Hotel, Mayfair London Photo by Radisson Hotel Group

"A Priceless Moment" - Mr.Slowboy at Radisson Collection Resort Nanjing Photo by Radisson Hotel Group

"The Curious City Couple" - Mr.Slowboy at The May Fair, A Radisson Collection Hotel, Mayfair London Photo by Radisson Hotel Group

About Radisson Hotel Group

Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world's largest hotel groups with nine distinctive hotel brands, and more than 1,600 hotels in operation and under development in 120 countries. The Group's overarching brand promise is Every Moment Matters with a signature Yes I Can! service ethos.

The Radisson Hotel Group portfolio includes Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels.

Radisson Rewards is our international rewards program that delivers unique and personalized ways to create memorable moments that matter to our guests. Radisson Rewards offers an exceptional experience for our guests, meeting planners, and travel agents at over 550 hotels in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.

Radisson Meetings provides tailored solutions for any event or meeting, including hybrid solutions placing guests and their needs at the heart of its offer. Radisson Meetings is built around three strong service commitments: Personal, Professional and Memorable, while delivering on the brilliant basics and being uniquely 100% Carbon Neutral.

The health and safety of guests and team members remain a top priority for Radisson Hotel Group. All properties across the Group's portfolio are subject to stringent health and safety requirements, as outlined in the Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol.

More than 100,000 team members work at Radisson Hotel Group and at the hotels licensed to operate in its systems. For more information, visit our corporate website. Or connect with Radisson Hotels on:

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My first restaurant opened in Hoi An three decades ago. At the time, Hoi An was an old trading village and Vietnam was cut off from the western world thanks to a trade embargo designed to invert the result of what we call the American War. But us Hoianese persevered, and shortly after I served my first meals, a small group of New Zealanders trickled in for dinner. Australians and Europeans soon followed. By 1995, the United States was allowing trade between our countries to resume and our Ancient Town began to blossom into the major tourist destination that it is now.

I learned a lot about Westerners, particularly how different they are from us Vietnamese. For example, they are typically punctual, outspoken and they eat a lot of protein.

For the past two years, however, we Vietnamese have been separated from the West once again, though this time by a viral pandemic rather than a war. It is a different time than when I met those New Zealanders to be sure. The economy is global. Democracies and communist economies have learned to co-exist harmoniouslyfor the most part. Because I own a mini-empire of restaurants and a hotel, largely made possible by Western visitors, this Lockdown 2.0 should feel more painful, but it does not. It may well be more painful for those on the outside.

The reason has a lot to do with the differences between us, which I have found myself reflecting upon lately. In the East, we believe in seasons and balance. We are humble and scrappy, always preparing for the next test. If you disagree, tell me, how many American or European businesses could survive without customers for two years, as we have?

I read that Americans are now quitting their jobs en masse. We in Vietnam have witnessed our own Great Resignation too, though ours is not a resigning from work; rather it is about being resigned to the vicissitudes of life generally and the drought that comes naturally after a flood. We do not complain about such things. We welcome them as a time to cleanse and reinvigorate ourselves.

After thirty years working virtually non-stop, the pandemic has afforded me a once in a lifetime opportunity to take stock of my life and my business. For me personally this has been a period of introspection, not panic. My father taught me that out of every negative situation or event, we can find something positive. He also admonished that if I just waited for someone to tell me what to do, I would never be free. Of course he was right, even in a lockdown!

Prior to the arrival of COVID-19, my business involved running several restaurants, a cooking school and hotel, and employing 500+ staff. When the pandemic emptied out Hoi An, I was forced to put my restaurants on hiatus. Without the work that has consumed my life for so long, I had to find something to fill my time. This did not prove difficult.

Over the years, I have wanted to update, upgrade and remodel several of my establishments. Even before the pandemic I had plans to make improvements, but when I realized how long it would be until Hoi An was likely to see international tourism return, I decided that a large-scale remodeling could be undertaken. I have now built the largest F&B venue in Hoi An. We recently opened up during the Tet Holiday, our new year, and served hundreds of guests a day.

During the lockdown, I also created a wellness-focused food and hygiene kit to be donated to frontline workers in Vietnam. We are also developing an herbal coffee with a partner in Thailand, which recently reopened.

As well as expanding my business operations, I sought to explore myself during Covid. I have long been interested in the arts. I am an avid dancer, with Tango being my personal favorite. I have gotten to a reasonably competent level now.

When I dance, I communicate with every part of my body. I am aware of every muscleits position, how it connects and coordinates with the rest of my body. I have learned how to regulate my breathing to conserve my energy. And what I learn during these lessons helps in other ways. For example, even cueing up a shot at the pool tableknowing how to place my legs to create the solid foundation and how each arm should be positioned, either firm or relaxed, to make the best shot. And when I sit in front of my drum kit, I have to balance my arms and legs, both synchronizing or separating their movements, while at the same time delivering the correct amount of force to the drum skins and cymbals.

Developing myself through the arts is a beautiful journey and the best way to get to know myself. I believe that exploring these latent skills or abilities can help in every aspect of my life, including my business, of course.

It is said that God created us perfectly but I would say that perhaps there are two deficiencies. Our eyes and ears only point outwards. In order to be fulfilled and reach our full potential, we need to look inwards and listen to our bodies.

It is also about finding balance, which is a core Eastern value. The artistic side of us provides the yin component and our work, our career, provides the yang. Everything I do outside of work, helps me in my work.



Rather than dwell on the negative aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, or race to get back to the old normal, as we have seen happen in the West, I have used my time to reflect and look inwards. Ultimately I hope to emerge from this situation as a better, and possibly more successful and fulfilled, person.

James Scurlock

Taste Vietnam by Ms Vy
A question that comes up time and again when the Triptease team speaks to hoteliers, is what a good hotel booking engine conversion rate looks like. While every business is different and there can never be a best' booking engine for hotels, taking a look into typical conversion rates can offer some guidance. Fortunately, tracking customer booking behavior on over 10,000 hotel websites globally puts us in a unique position to be able to analyze exactly this kind of data.

While we previously ran in-depth booking engine software analysis back in June 2021, the rapid pace of change in the hospitality industry over the past year means that its always a good time to take another look, and to make sure that your online booking engine is working as hard as possible for your hotel.

In this article well share new data comparing the conversion rates of the most popular booking engines around the world. This analysis was drawn from Triptease global hotel data from November 2021 to January 2022.

Looking for a more detailed analysis of how your website and booking engine compares?

Fill in the form at the bottom of this page to request a bespoke analysis with a member of the Triptease team.

Benchmark your booking engine performance

One key learning has remained consistent since the last time this analysis was run: There is a huge difference between the searcher conversion rate of the highest and lowest performing booking engines from our comparison set. In fact, the searcher conversion rate of the highest-performing booking engine is now more than three times higher than the lowest. That means if youre currently at the lower end of the scale, you could be missing out on a significant volume of bookings because of a poor booking engine user experience.

Source: Triptease

This graph looks at global booking data from November 2021 to January 2022 for a list of hotel booking engines that are most widely used by Triptease customers. Visitor conversion rate measures the full-funnel performance of both your marketing site and booking engine, whereas searcher conversion rate essentially measures the performance of your booking engine alone.

Searcher conversion rate is a measure of your booking engine's success, whereas user conversion rate is a measure of the combined performance of your website and booking engine together.

Whats interesting to note here is the significant jump between the user/visitor conversion rate and the searcher conversion rate. Its no surprise that customers who actually reach your booking engine have a much higher chance of running a search and completing a booking. What this chart shows is that there is huge room for improvement across the board when it comes to guiding website visitors to the booking engine and encouraging them to search.

Using personalized messaging to guide website visitors more easily towards your booking engine is one quick tip every hotel can employ, no matter how well your booking engine currently performs. A Triptease Nudge Message is one of the most popular ways of doing this. The clue is in the name - this is a small, subtle message that can be set up to display to specific types of customers, providing additional information, discounts or special offers that will encourage them to visit the booking engine and run a search. Here are a few examples:

Source: Triptease

Get your booking engine ready for the rebound

With so many signals that the severity of the pandemic is decreasing, and with the travel rebound continuing to gather force, now is the time to make sure that your website and booking engine are set up and ready to convert every customer that visits.

If benchmarking your own hotel against the data above has made it clear that your booking experience could be working harder, there are some quick, simple changes you can make that will have significant impact.

A price comparison message - like Triptease Price Check - is designed to appear on the booking engine when your customer runs a search. If you have the best price online, it will show the customer your price compared to those of your selected OTAs. This gives them peace of mind that theyve found the best price direct and theres no need to visit other websites to double check. Price Check works on both desktop and mobile booking engines, plus theres a version that can be embedded directly into the booking engine page content, providing a more subtle, premium feel.

Source: Triptease

Even if you dont currently have the best price online, there are still ways to keep that customer on your website and persuade them that the best deal is direct. An Undercut Message can be set up to appear when you dont have the best price for the customers search. Adding discount code functionality to this message - allowing you to instantly offer the customer an exclusive discount code or added extra benefit when they book direct - can make the difference between securing the booking or losing your customer to an OTA.

Source: Triptease

Of course, there is always a chance that the customer is just simply not ready to make their booking today, which is where retargeting can help. Triptease Retargeting provides fully-dynamic display ads, meaning you can show a customer their most recent search itinerary and your most compelling price for their dates even after theyve left your website. Stay front of mind and bring customers back to the booking engine when theyre ready to convert.

How does your booking engine compare on mobile?

Customer preference for mobile was already a significant trend before the pandemic and has only continued to grow, as the graph below shows.

Source: Triptease

This is great news if your hotel is already optimized for mobile customers. Unfortunately, Triptease data also shows that - while mobile visitors continue to make up the majority of all website visitors, that number drops to only 46-53% of searchers, and then to only 28-38% of bookers.

Source: Triptease

So what does that tell us? Customers want to use mobile, but its likely that hotel booking experiences are still not offering a user-friendly path to making their purchase on mobile, so they give up. Alternatively, mobile searchers may not be ready or willing to book on their mobile, which is why Triptease recently launched Save search messaging for mobile hotel websites (you can read more about this feature below).

We see this same trend for mobile usage reflected across all the booking engines we analyzed, with more than half of visitors in all cases being on mobile.

Source: Triptease

That said, in almost every instance - from the top performing booking engine right down to the lowest - the mobile booking engine typically converts at less than half the rate of the desktop booking engine. The only exceptions are booking engines C, D and I in the graph below which convert at slightly over half the rate of the desktop booking engine.

Source: Triptease

Thats a huge number of potential direct bookings dropping out at the most crucial point of the journey. So even if your own mobile booking conversion rate is at the higher end of the scale, theres clearly still many improvements that can be made to the mobile booking process to capture more of those customers.

Equally, if youre at the lower end of the scale there are still lots of ways you can improve the experience for customers on your existing mobile booking experience.

Triptease Targeted Messages are created with a mobile-first mentality, which means that we focus on building functionality that will work seamlessly across both desktop and mobile experiences.

An example of this is our newly launched Save search message. This message works on both desktop and mobile, allowing your customers to use email or native sharing features (such as text messaging or social media platforms like WhatsApp and Twitter) to share their search details so that they can return to their booking later.

Source: Triptease

Save search is currently the third highest performing Triptease message type in terms of conversion rate so this is definitely an easy win for hotels looking to make quick improvements!

A wide range of Triptease Targeted Messages have been designed to work seamlessly on mobile as well as desktop. For more details and an assessment of your mobile booking experience, get in touch with the team via the form below.

Price parity is still the key to great conversion rates - especially from metasearch

While the analysis above can be helpful in showing you the potential booking engine performance that is available to you, it's of course not possible to ever know exactly what a particular booking engine is going to do for your hotel. To win a race you need a great car and a great driver - so while choosing a booking engine that typically provides a high performance can get you some of the way there, the rest is up to you. That means spending time monitoring parity and keeping your rate distribution under control using tools like Tripteases Parity products.

The single greatest factor that drives direct bookings is price - and with more customer booking journeys than ever before starting on metasearch (where prices are front and center) your parity has never mattered more.

Looking specifically at Triptease metasearch data, we can see that having the best available rate on your direct channel could triple your booking engine conversion rate. In other words, it can triple your chance of converting lookers into bookers.

Source: Triptease

Note that this is booking engine conversion rate (meta bookings/meta impressions) - so it represents people who went on to book after having specifically searched for a hotel on metasearch. It is the combined effect of both getting that click on metasearch, compounded by the higher propensity of that guest to convert, because they saw a better price. This is not to be confused with website conversion rate, which denotes the rate at which any visitor to your website goes on to book.

How to secure a booking engine conversion even when you dont have the best price on metasearch

Metasearch customers are the most price sensitive visitors to your website. If youre being undercut on metasearch, theyll already know that you dont have the best available price but its likely theyll still visit your website for research purposes before heading to an OTA to book the better rate.

If a potential customer has seen a better price elsewhere in their metasearch results, Triptease tools allow you to automatically provide them with a promo code when they arrive on your website.

Source: Triptease

This will disrupt the typical journey of a metasearch customer who has seen a better price elsewhere, giving them clear reason to stay on your website and book direct. The best bit? In addition to increasing your booking engine conversion rate, this new feature maximizes your metasearch ROI too. Paying for clicks in the metasearch auction is money down the drain if that customer visits your website then books somewhere else. Offering exclusive discounts and special offers to customers that you know have seen a better price in metasearch means less wasted budget and more direct relationships with your customers.

At Triptease we believe that real direct booking success comes from joining up data and learnings from across the entire customer journey, and this is a prime example of our strategy in action.

This unique whole booking journey approach means you can provide personalized experiences on site, based on what that guest has just experienced off site. If a customer has seen a better price on meta, youll likely need to make a better offer than usual on your website in order to convert them. If a customer hasnt seen a better price elsewhere, theres no need to provide the same kind of discount. Triptease allows you to offer this level of tailored targeting automatically. That saves you time and money, and ensures that every guest gets the right booking experience.

About Triptease

Triptease is a SaaS startup building industry-leading software for the hotel industry. The company was co-founded in 2015 by Charlie Osmond, Alasdair Snow and Alexandra Zubko and has offices in London, New York, Barcelona and Singapore. Triptease's most recent funding was led by British Growth Fund alongside Notion Capital and Episode 1.

The Triptease Platform is built to help hotels take back control of their distribution and increase their direct revenue. The platform identifies a hotel's most valuable guests then works across the entire customer journey - from acquisition to conversion - to make sure they book directly at the hotel.

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This time last year, 25-year-old Aaron Williams was fulfilling his dream  as his drill rap lyrics put it, his chain got the big rocks.

The up-and-coming Brooklyn hip-hop artist went by the name Supa Gates and rapped about guns, a gold chain with big gems and access to flashy cars.

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He had just been called an artist to watch by superstar rapper Drake and was in talks to sign with Atlantic Records.

He was scheduled to go on tour and was preparing for his first live show on July 5.

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But Williams never got to take the stage, and his mother blames his dream for cutting his life short.

On April 11, 2021, just a week after his 25th birthday, Williams was shot multiple times in the passenger seat of a Mercedes-Benz in Crown Heights. He died almost two months later at Kings County Hospital.

Aaron Williams

I dont think my son really realized the danger of what was ahead of him. I really dont, his mother Racquel Peters told the Daily News this month. No one told me. I would have told him to stop. I would have moved him out of the area.

The danger Williams mother referred to lurks in the viral and often vicious drill rap scene, which Mayor Adams and other city officials recently called out for inciting deadly violence among its participants.

Police investigate the shooting on Albany Ave. and St. Johns Place in Brooklyn on April 11, 2021. Aaron Williams was shot multiple times in the passenger seat of the Mercedes. He died almost two months later at Kings County Hospital. (Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News)

Since Williams was murdered last April, young men including Tahjay Dobson, Nickalus Thompson and Jayquan McKenley have died in a string of murders that cops have connected to the aggressive genre.

The problem is social media, Instagram, said Peters, 48.

These people see these rappers posting about their studio time, their videos, dinner, their jewelry . . . jealousy creeps in. They want to make a name for themselves in the street and they target these rappers.

Aaron Williams, 25, with his mother Racquel Peters

While many drill rappers are known for the gang ties they mention in their lyrics and music videos, Peters insists her son was different.

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Aaron grew up in Catholic school, completely in Catholic schools, she said. I kept a really close eye on him. Aaron was not in a gang. He worked for me and was in the process of starting his own company.

Though mother and son had plans to start businesses together, including a transportation service, Williams primary passion was always his music.

Aarons talent was present since the age of 5, his mother recalled. His kindergarten teacher called us because she said Aaron kept nodding his head and closing his eyes. He said he could not stop hearing the music.

By the time Williams was 14 he was making beats. A few years later he became a DJ.

When he turned 21, he started thinking about rapping. And I kept saying, Pursue your dream of just doing the DJing, because I didnt like the idea of rapping, Peters said.

Aaron Williams, 25, with his mother Racquel Peters

When Williams was stuck in his mothers basement with COVID for a few weeks he started writing lyrics.

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I saw how talented he was, Peters said. And he started sending out different videos and things like that. Everyone made comments about it. And the next thing you know, he started saying Mom, this person is interested in me, this one is making me offers.

Williams quickly realized that rapping about the streets  whether or not he actually lived that lifestyle  would propel him to popularity a lot faster than other topics.

Hits like Backout and Yellow Bentley, where his staccato lyrics mention partying, drugs and expensive jewelry, have hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.

Aaron never got noticed until he started singing about the streets and acting like hes part of it, a family member said shortly after his death.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

If they thought that he was in a gang, I cant say, his mother said this month. I told him to be careful.

Aaron Williams

Peters is certain that jealousy over her sons career played a role in his unsolved slaying. Before his death he mentioned being threatened online, and the individuals she thinks are responsible have left a trail of comments on some of his online posts.

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He said, Do you know how many people send me hate things and threaten me on the internet? Peters said. And I said For what? And he said, Just because.

Despite recent promises by officials that theyre taking hard action against drill rap murders Peters is frustrated by what she sees as a lack of response from the NYPD and DAs office in her sons case.

I was told hopefully the person who shot my son will do it again and then he will be caught and he can be arrested for both murders, she said. Its a slap in the face.

Police investigate the shooting on Albany Ave. and St. Johns Place in Brooklyn on April 11, 2021. Aaron Williams was shot multiple times in the passenger seat of the Mercedes. He died almost two months later at Kings County Hospital. (Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News)

While she waits for an arrest, Peters visits Williams grave weekly and worries about her younger son, who is 21, falling prey to the same predators.

I was lost and I still am lost, she said. I still cry every day. A part of me is gone.
Deutsche Hospitality brings together five separate hotel brands under a single umbrella. Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts has 60 hotels housed in historic traditional buildings and lively city residences and also offers health and beauty oases set at the very heart of nature. MAXX by Steigenberger is a new and charismatic concept which places the focus on the essential in accordance with its motto MAXXimize your stay. Jaz in the City branded hotels reflect metropolitan lifestyle and draw upon the local music and cultural scene. IntercityHotel offers more than 40 upper mid-range urban hotels, all of which are located within easy walking distance of railway stations or airports. And Zleep Hotels  a well-known and successful hotel brand in Scandinavia which offer service and design at a great rate for the many. The portfolio of Deutsche Hospitality currently includes almost 150 hotels on three continents 30 of which are in the pipeline.
In 2012, following the publication of her first Book, Taste Vietnam: The Morning Glory Cookbook, Ms Vy realised that it was time to bring all of her businesses under one 'umbrella' group. As she was rapidly becoming internationally known in the media as the 'go to' person for anything related to Vietnamese cuisine, she thought it was also time that she created a brand identity which enable customers to easily identify her restaurants and hotel. Having sold over 35,000 copies, Taste Vietnam seemed the right choice of name. It also reflected Vy's passion for Vietnamese cuisine and cooking. Since opening her first restaurant, Ms Vy, Vy has always had one eye on the future and never a person to rest on her laurels, she is always looking for opportunities and ventures. With the Taste Vietnam brand, Ms Vy hopes to give Vietnamese cuisine the place it deserves on the world stage. Already regarded as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world, it is unique in the way that it places strong emphasis on the balance and harmony of flavours and textures. Even after over 30 years in restaurants, Ms Vy's passion remains undiminished.
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In 1997, Wayne Luckett, then a Southwestern Bell engineer, moved his family to Johannesburg, South Africa, for a job assignment that lasted 5 years and led to an appreciation, if not devotion, to the countrys fine wines. When he left, he returned to Houston with what he thought was a two-year supply of his favorite Bordeaux blends, Pinotages and Chenin Blancs.

Six months later, after sharing with family and friends, the wine was nearly gone.

The necessity of restocking his supply led to the invention of a new career for Luckett: wine importer and distributor. Today, Luckett and his son, Warren, run Branwar Wines, supplying many of Houstons top restaurants and building a niche in South African wines in an international industry dominated by California and Europe. Before the pandemic, Branwar was selling as many as 2,500 cases a year to more than 200 customers, and employing about a dozen people.

Like many businesses, Branwar was hard hit when COVID-19 all but shut down the economy and battered its restaurant, bar and hotel clients. And like many businesses that survived the shock, Branwar made tough decisions  at one point furloughing nearly its entire staff  and pivoting to new markets, such as liquor and grocery stores. Its new customers include the grocery chains H-E-B and Central Market and the liquor store chain Specs.

We were really on a continued growth pattern before COVID, Wayne Luckett said. COVID really gave us some tremendous challenges. But with things starting to open now, were beginning to see more daylight.

Falling in love

Wayne Luckett, who worked more than 30 years for Southwestern Bell (now AT&T), wasnt a big wine drinker when he was sent to South Africa. But as he dined with clients and friends in restaurants in Johannesburg and Cape Town, wine was always part of the meal. He began to develop an appreciation and then a palate for wine.

The food tasted better, he said, and to be quite honest, I fell in love with wine.

That love of wine followed him back to Houston. When his stash of South African wines had nearly run out, he called American friends in Johannesburg to ask them to ship more wine. The couple  businessman Ron Gault and his wife, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, the celebrated journalist who integrated the University of Georgia  said they were planning to start a wine label and asked if Luckett wanted to be involved.

That discussion led Luckett to the wine business, first as a broker to help bring the Gaults Passages label to the United States and later as an importer and wholesale distributor. In 2010, Wayne and Warren Luckett launched Branwar  a combination of the names of Wayne Lucketts two sons, Brandon and Warren.

Brandon Luckett is an orthodontist in Ohio, but Warren was always interested in business. After graduating from Morehouse College in 2007 with a bachelors degree in finance, he spent a year with the Wall Street bank Morgan Stanley before deciding he wanted to work in a more entrepreneurial environment. He received an MBA from Texas Southern University and joined his father in the business.

On HoustonChronicle.com: CEO of Mexcor vangelizes for Latin Americas craft distillers

The younger Luckett has focused on marketing and promotion, educating customers on South African wines. Historically, the country is known for a red grape varietal called Pinotage, but South African winemakers also produce more well-known wines, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Noir.

The Western Cape, a South African province is a top wine-producing region, with a Mediterranean climate similar to wine-growing regions in Europe. But South African wines are typically more affordable than that of French and other European wines (Branwars wines are priced from $8 to $51 per bottle wholesale.).

If you look at the exchange rate, its like 15 to 1, Luckett says. Thats the kind of bargain you get when you purchase the product and then you pass that savings onto the customer.

Passion and belief

South African wines make up well less than 1 percent of all the wine sold in the United States, said Jon Moramarco, a wine analyst and managing partner of advisory firm bw166 in Santa Rosa, Calif. Operating in such a niche category requires real belief in the wine and passion to present and sell it, Moramarco said. But because South African wines represent such a small segment of the market, a lot of restaurants want to offer some South African vintages to set their wine lists apart.

What also sets Branwar apart, Moramarco added, is that it is among the few Black-owned wine distributors. Branwar became a minority wine vendor for the city of Houston in 2017, and it supplies wines to Levy Restaurants, which provides food services to public venues.

Because of the focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, Moramarco said, a lot of people want to do business with Black-owned businesses or Black-produced products. So, Id say at this point in time, thats actually a great opportunity for them.

Kevin Jackson, manager and sommelier of Davis Street at Hermann Park, has bought wines from Branwar since 2019 when the restaurant opened. He said the company is knowledgeable about their wines and offers competitive prices. In addition, while larger distributors require customers to buy a certain number of cases, Branwar will sell just one case if thats what the customer needs.

As a small business, Jackson said, its important we have that flexibility.

Wayne Luckett also provides an unmatched level of service, Jackson said  available pretty much around the clock.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Ultimate guide to Texas Wine Country

Vernita Harris, a former chair of the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce, agreed. She has known Wayne Luckett and bought his wines for years. Around Christmas, she ordered 15 bottles from a liquor store Branwar supplies, but the store didnt have it all in stock.

Wayne personally delivered the wine, she said.

Rebuilding mode

Branwar is still rebuilding from the pandemic-driven recession, which claimed about a quarter of its customers and cut its peak sales volume by more than half, to about 1,000 cases a year. It also is contending with other challenges as it works to get back on its growth track.

Millennials, the nations largest demographic cohort, dont drink as much wine as their baby boomer parents, according to a 2022 report on the U.S. wine industry. They prefer spirits, craft beers and ready-to-drink cocktails  and that trend is likely to continue unless the industry changes the way it markets to younger customers, says Rob McMillan, the reports author and founder of Silicon Valley Bank.

Wine sales, McMillan said, could fall as much as 20 percent over the next decade.

Warren Luckett, himself a millennial, has turned his marketing efforts toward his age cohort. Hes hosted wine tasting events with local artists or clothiers to help make wine more accessible to younger people who may feel intimidated if theyre not familiar with different types of wine. During wine tastings or when talking to customers, Luckett will highlight a wine made with sustainable methods. He enjoys introducing lesser-known varietals to the market.

We like to call ourselves the grape breakers, he says. We like stuff like Pinotage or Chilean Carmenere. We pride ourselves on finding the funkier grape varietals and giving them homes in the Texas market.

Wayne Luckett says he likes to have a good story behind every bottle of wine.

We find that it really sticks with the consumer, he said. Yeah, you can have a glass of Cab or Chardonnay, but when you add a story on who the winemaker is and what type of awards its won, it sort of opens up a new appreciation for that glass of wine youre drinking.

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Isabella Donoso, general manager of Davis Street, was more familiar with liquor than wine when she was introduced to Branwar in 2017 when she was working at downtown Houston restaurant Kulture. She said the Lucketts were always patient and helpful. And they always tell stories and provide details about the wines they are selling, whether its about the region where the grapes were grown or the history of the winemakers.

The Lucketts have expanded their product line beyond South Africa, distributing wines from California, Oregon, Italy and several South American countries. Theyve also set their sights on moving into new markets. In 2019, they expanded into Atlanta, where Warren Luckett now lives.

At some point, Wayne Luckett says, wed like to have distribution in all four corners of the us: north, south, east and west.
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One morning last September, Jonathan Brown and Carl Roaches Jr. were busy brewing a batch of beer in Browns home garage in Pearland. Bags of grain lay on the floor. A large pink-and-green balloon reef took up space in a corner, left over from an Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority birthday party Browns wife had hosted.

The garage doesnt look like a brewery, but its where Brown and Roaches, along with their partners Devon Daniel and Miguel Rodriguez, have operated For the Culture Brewing for the past three and a half years.

Theyve been mostly making beer for private events to build up their following while searching for a location to open a brewery. The road to finding a brick-and-mortar location was very brutal, said Roaches, but by the end of 2021, they had locked something in.

When they finally open later this year, For the Culture will be Houstons first Black-owned brewery. The umbrella company, Craft Culture X, is a joint venture with a majority women-owned brewery, Ovinnik Brewing.

The project adds much-needed representation in an industry that is still very white and male.

Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle/Contributor

BLACK-OWNED: New furniture store among home design news in Houston

Craft Culture X 7201 Wynnpark Opening late 2022 See More Collapse

None of us grew up with craft beer, said Brown, whose aha-moment beer was La Fin du Monde from Canadian brewery Unibroue. For Roaches, it was Allagashs wheat beer. Oh, this is what beer can taste like? he remembers thinking.

Around this time, in 2009 and 2010, they began learning about different beer styles, falling deep in a rabbit hole that would eventually lead them to make their own.

As a Black man, Brown noticed he stood out when walking into a brewery. Roaches recalls times when taproom staff would assume what kind of beer they wanted to drink.

With For the Culture Brewing, they hope to bring real representation to the beer industry. Too often, breweries have used their culture instead, says Roaches, citing a beer called Sexual Chocolate that previously had a voluptuous African American woman on the label.

NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here.

'A WAY TO GIVE BACK': Black-owned bar in Third Ward plans to mentor other minority-owned businesses

Thats not representation, he said. Youre simply using our bodies.

Seeking to be the change he wanted to see in the industry, Brown bought a home brewing kit and began experimenting, at first just with a big pot on a stovetop. In 2018, the team was able to buy a small but functional three-vessel system.

Brewing from the wheeled steel contraption with their garage door open has gained them some attention in the neighborhood. The other day, they had to explain what they were doing to a city councilman who lives on the same block. I thought yall were crawfish boiling, he replied.

For the Culture specializes in heavier beers, like Belgians, porters and stouts, but theyve been diversifying their offerings over time. They make a couple IPAs and a blonde ale infused with hibiscus and elderflower. Last fall, they were excited about a chocolate milk porter they were brewing with chocolate they sourced straight from Mexico.

They didnt know anyone in the industry or even how to brew beer when they started, but they found their footing with help from brewing consultant Michael Ferguson and the Texas Craft Brewers Guild.

Access to knowledge is hard as a minority-owned business. Access to capital is even harder.

Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle/Contributor

'ONES TO WATCH': The Breakfast Klub ranks among Yelps top Black-owned restaurants in the country

With just the four partners and their own savings, it took the For the Culture crew years to secure a location for their brick-and-mortar brewery. Roaches doesnt talk about the process fondly, saying hyperbolically that it was difficult to find a place where you dont have to sell your organs or where you wouldnt find a dead body in the back.

The price of commercial real estate is prohibitive, and every time they got close to a deal, something came up. In one instance, they found out the seller was in a property dispute and didnt have the full rights to convey the title of the building. In another, a landlord backed out after learning how many changes would have to be made to the space to open a brewery.

And while Texas is as pro-business as it gets, anything to do with alcohol comes with extra hurdles.

In the meantime, they had built up a following on social media, with many people eager for them to open, asking what was taking them so long. They were able to make some money from For the Culture merchandise, but it was a drop in the bucket.

Finally, in August 2021, the team was approached by another brewery in planning similar to them: Ovinnik Brewing, led by Janine Weber and Jen and Chris Mathis. They were further along in the process than For the Culture, having already found a space and secured enough funds for the construction, but they were looking for a buffer for their first few years in business.

The resulting partnership, Craft Culture X, will bring the two breweries under one roof. They will have a dozen taps, with an equal share of their own brews as well as a few For the Culture-Ovinnik collaborations.

CREATING A SPACE: Inside Houston's groundbreaking Black-owned supermarket, which was a nightclub in a past life

Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle/Contributor

Construction began in January at 7201 Wynnpark in the Lazybrook/Timbergrove area. They hope to be officially open by late summer or early fall of this year.

Roaches says the breweries visions aligned well: two groups drastically underrepresented in the beer world coming together.

Even before the joint venture took shape, the team saw its name, For the Culture, as more than just for the Black community. Its for women, its for the LGBTQIA community, too, said Roaches.

While they wait to open Craft Culture X, theyve been spreading this larger message. Last fall, Roaches was a speaker at the Craft Brewers Conference in Denver, teaching operators how to make their breweries more inclusive, avoid cultural appropriation and be a real presence in their communities.

Brown says he wants For the Culture to be a model for other people of color, so they can say: I want to be in beer, too. I can do this.

emma.balter@chron.com
The victims of a fatal domestic violence shooting on Sunday in San Antonio may have been long-time Houston-area educators, according to Spring Branch ISD leaders.

Michael Burger, 20, was arrested Sunday in connection with the shooting deaths of two unidentified people who San Antonio police say may have been his parents. Spring Branch ISD said Monday that reports suggest William Burger, assistant principal of Cornerstone Academy, and his wife, Noreen Burger, were the victims

"It is with a heavy heart I share that we are aware of news coming out of San Antonio with unconfirmed reports that point to the tragic death of our beloved Bill Burger and his wife, Noreen," Angel Purdy, principal of Cornerstone Academy, wrote in a Monday email to the school community.

"This is the most difficult news to share, and we know for you to learn," Purdy wrote. "We are filled with sorrow as we hear these reports. As always, our Cornerstone Family and our Spring Branch Family will rally around us and our entire community during this difficult time."

San Antonio Police Department

A representative from the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office said early Monday afternoon that it had not identified the victims.

Spring Branch ISD said they remain in touch with San Antonio police and the investigation remains active. A crisis team will support students and staff on Tuesday when school resumes, the district stated.

William Burger has worked for Spring Branch ISD for three decades, serving as an assistant principal for the past 11 years, according to Lexi Marshall, assistant director for communications at Spring Branch ISD.

Noreen Burger worked in the district for 25 years before her retirement in 2020. She has since worked as a substitute teacher.

"Our hearts are heavy as we hear these reports," Marshall said in a Monday statement. "However, we cannot confirm anything past that at this time as this is a San Antonio Police Department active investigation."

On Sunday, officers heard several gunshots and responded to the 3800 block of Parkdale Street in San Antonio where they found Michael Burger armed with an assault rifle and a shotgun, according to police. Two people were dead outside of the apartment, police said.

A responding officer, who has not been identified, commanded Burger to drop his weapons and then fired his duty weapon. No shots struck the suspect, who was quickly taken into custody, police said.

Investigators found shell casings on the porch of the first-floor apartment, said San Antonio Police Chief William McManus. The victims were in their 40s or 50s.

"It appears that it could be a family violence incident," McManus said at a news briefing from the scene. "Again, probably his parents, but were not sure at this time."

Staff writer Dennis Rudner contributed reporting from San Antonio.

anna.bauman@chron.com
The first time Aaron Ambroso met Tiffany Jin, at a Montrose coffee shop, they talked about what it might look like to create a museum about climate change. The idea immediately interested Jin, who grew up in Houston, studied biochemistry and architecture, and has a background in art and design.

Not many people talk about opening a museum, Jin said.

The pair, who are in their 30s and now dating, started looking for a place to build it.

Fast forward a year-and-a-half and Ambroso and Jin run the Houston Climate Justice Museum in a section of an east Houston warehouse, where people used to make fittings for pipelines. A garage door serves as the entrance. Passesrby stroll through to the clay studio behind them. It comes after the Climate Museum launched in New York, claiming to be the nations first.

The small room holds a big dream that is already gaining traction. The space serves as a place for climate storytelling and group tours and, on Monday,the building hosted a press conference for the mayor, thanks to cooperative weather. Thunderstorms could have forced them to cancel because heavy rain falls loudly on the metal roof. The area is not climate controlled  which comes with logistical challenges but saves money, and fits the founders vision.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Yes, the Earth is still warming. Scientists say 2021 was the sixth-hottest year on record

More Information Visit the Houston Climate Justice Museum Hours: Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: 3308 Garrow St., Houston, TX 77003 See More Collapse

If climate change, we believe, is something so radical that we have to rethink how we live, then we also have to rethink our institutions, Ambroso said one recent evening. What happens when we dont have climate control within a museum? And how does that change its mission and what it does? Can you have a museum and not preserve things?

Here, then, in this industrial-turned-artist space is their way of asking what purpose a museum should fill in a warming world where climate impacts people unequally. Ambroso, who moved to Houston from North Carolina to work at the Museum of Fine Arts, didnt find other museums focused on that. Jin, who was deconstructing her parents home in Alief and worked part-time in a vegan restaurant, wanted to tackle the giant question.

They eventually quit their jobs and took the leap, with help from friends and advocates. They felt Houston was a good place to try. Here, climate change was impossible to ignore.

Every time it rains, Ambroso said, theres water in the street.

In some ways, youre always worried about some strange weather, Jin continued.

Or toxic contamination, Ambroso added.

The duo continues to look for grants, and they plan to rotate what art they show. In the space now is a diorama of a prairie with a pipeline going under it, rethinking the concept of a diorama and telling the story of what they consider mismanaged land preservation. A photograph of a group of indigenous people protesting a pipeline hangs next to a reproduced oil panting of Yellowstone, asking the observer to wonder how and why museums present the landscape art they do.

It feels more like a homemade art project than a polished, marble-floored institution but for that reason feels ever more approachable and genuine.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Climate change to bring more triple-digit heat, extreme rain to Houston, report says

The shelves of their living library are filled with what they call artifacts of climate change. Theres a burst pipe from Winter Storm Uri. A water-damaged vinyl record. And teen activist Chante Davis velvet black purse. The 18-year-old high school senior donated it after owning it through Hurricane Katrina, which flooded her Louisiana home and forced her to Houston, and Hurricanes Ike, and Harvey, which flooded her Texas home.

Davis, who lives in Spring, wasnt sure she wanted to donate the item because climate change had already cost her so much, possessions included. Shes a member of the youth-advocacy group Sunrise Movement. She saw potential in the museum bringing the issue to the forefront for people in the region. I hope that they take away the message that the climate crisis has been happening, she said. Her purse  her story  was worth people thinking about.

emily.foxhall@chron.com
Several high-level whistleblowers, who helped spark an FBI investigation of Attorney General Ken Paxton after accusing him of corruption, are now calling out what they say are false and misleading statements hes been making about them on the campaign trail.

The group, which includes three former deputy attorneys general, issued a statement Monday highlighting the embattled Republicans unchallenged assertions  in interviews with friendly media outlets  about the whistleblowers case against him. The broadside comes as Paxton faces the fight of his political life in the March 1 GOP primary.

Eight whistleblowers accused Paxton of bribery and corruption tied to a series of acts and favors he allegedly performed for multi-millionaire Austin investor Nate Paul, just as his real estate empire was falling on hard times.

The whistleblowers describe several instances in which Paxton allegedly used his taxpayer-funded office to assist the once high-flying businessman, including: ordering up a legal opinion that helped property owners like Paul avoid foreclosure, mysteriously walking off with sensitive law enforcement files Paul was trying to get his hands on, and improperly hiring an outside lawyer to go after Pauls adversaries.

Their stories about Paxtons efforts on behalf of Paul, which leaked out into news reports and eventually court papers, helped trigger an FBI investigation of Paxton, who was already under unrelated state felony indictment for securities fraud. Paxton and Paul deny any wrongdoing.

All of the whistleblowers got fired or resigned, and Paxton has called these former top aides  representing the top echelon of the attorney generals office  rogue and disgruntled employees. The four speaking out now filed lawsuits against the attorney general, who is trying to win the Republican Party nod for a third four-year term in office.

Paxtons three Republican rivals are citing the FBI investigation and the whistleblower allegations in their pitch to voters that Paxton needs to go. Paxton in turn has sought to undermine the whistleblowers when hes been asked about it. And thats the rub.

Though the four former Paxton aides said their preference was to remain silent while the wheels of justice turned, they decided they could no longer stay quiet.

In recent weeks, Paxton has made numerous false and misleading public statements that we feel obligated to correct, the four former Paxton aides said. The people of Texas deserve the truth. The four include former Deputy Attorneys General James Blake Brickman, Mark Penley and Ryan Vassar; and former Director of Law Enforcement David Maxwell.

Paxton spokesman Alejandro Garcia, contacted by phone and email Sunday afternoon, declined to respond Sunday evening after objecting to the short notice and the Houston Chronicles refusal to agree to run his entire statement without regard to its length or content.

Paxton attacked the whistleblowers in a Jan. 31 interview with conservative North Texas radio host Mark Davis and during a Feb. 9 appearance in a video posted on YouTube by Texas Scorecard, a conservative media outlet started by the far right group Empower Texans.

In the exchange with Texas Scorecard, which touched on the attorney generals efforts to launch a criminal investigation Paul wanted, Paxton said he didnt create this issue  it was referred to me from Travis County.

But the Travis County district attorney at the time, Margaret Moore, said Paxton was the one pushing for the investigation, not the other way around. She wrote in an Oct. 9, 2020 letter that her brief involvement in the matter  done at his behest  cannot be used as any indication of a need for an investigation. She later instructed her employees to have no further contact with (Paxton or his) office regarding this matter.

Paxton also said in the interviews that he was blindsided by the allegations, first aired publicly in late 2020, and still has no idea why the whistleblowers publicly accused him of committing crimes.

I didnt know why they did it. They didnt explain it to me. They didnt come to me and say you did this. Likewise, in the Scorecard interview Paxton asserted that his aides never specified their allegations against him.

No specific allegation, just youve done something wrong. Now youre in trouble. And then everybody points to me as like, youve done something wrong,  Paxton said. I still to this day, I have no idea what crime I committed.

Yet the whistleblowers write in court papers that they pushed back against Paxton in real time as he went to bat for Paul. And the lawsuits themselves identify at least six federal and state criminal laws that we accused Ken Paxton and his office of violating, including bribery, obstruction of justice and abuse of office, the whistleblower statement noted.

They also say in the lawsuit that they reasonably concluded that Paxtons bizarre, obsessive use of the power of his office to help Nate Paul was part of an effort to repay him for giving Paxtons longtime mistress a job, helping him remodel his house and other assistance. Paul also gave Paxton a $25,000 campaign donation and a political action committee headed up by his lawyers gave another $25,000. All that went unmentioned in the friendly media interviews.

In the Scorecard appearance Paxton theorized, but offered no actual proof, that the FBI was out to get him before his top aides publicly accused their boss of corruption and went to the federal law enforcement agency to file a formal criminal complaint against him. His rationale: The FBI was upset that Paxtons office was investigating FBI agents for the way they handled a summer 2019 raid of Pauls offices.

What it looks like is the FBI had already infiltrated my office, Paxton said. And they found a way to work with people in my office without me even knowing. He added: When you investigate the FBI  it can be turned on you, and it was, and these guys were involved in it.

The whistleblowers say thats false. They went to the FBI on Sept. 30, 2020 after we could not convince Paxton to abide by the law, according to their statement.

We had no previous contact with the FBI before that date and believe this was the first time the FBI became involved with the investigation of Paxton and his office, the four whistleblowers said.

Paxton has tried to stop the lawsuits by arguing that as an elected official he is not subject to the Texas Whistleblower Act. Hes already lost the first two rounds of that argument  first at the trial court level and then on appeal.

In turning Paxton down, the 3rd Court of Appeals wrote that if his view of elected leaders immunity from the law were upheld it would have the effect of stripping whistleblower protections from employees who might report misconduct by the thousands of elected officials throughout the State  particularly by those who direct and lead the agencies of this State.

The attorney general is now asking the Supreme Court to overturn the appeals court decision, a move the whistleblowers say is designed simply to keep the lawsuit from moving forward while hes fending off GOP primary challengers.

Ken Paxtons cynical, baseless argument has won him what he most wanted, a delay in the truth coming out so that he can travel the state misleading Texans, the whistleblowers said.

jay.root@chron.com
The mists of time have blurred the connection between American presidents and bargain buys on sheets and pillowcases, known as the white sale, that have preoccupied many this long holiday weekend.

But on this Presidents Day, 2022, we implore you to spare a little time to reflect about the office and the people who have held it.

This plea comes as millions of our fellow Americans have inched closer toward a form of presidential idolatry that is not only bizarre and unprecedented in a country that evangelizes about servant leaders, but dangerous. It threatens to unravel the very fabric of our democracy, and if not checked by a renewed sense of patriotism and civic responsibility, our government of, by, and for the people will begin to resemble a tattered bed sheet  one that no white sale can replace.

The tendency toward deification of the president was well-understood even as the 55 delegates gathered in Philadelphias Independence Hall in 1787 to form a new national pact among the states, sealed by a Constitution full of compromises.

One of the biggest compromises reached was over the nature of the presidency. Some delegates to the convention had wanted the president to be chosen by Congress. Others believed state legislatures should choose. Some wanted the president to have unlimited veto power, and others wanted the Congress to be in charge of the military, even as others argued that the executive function of the new three-part federal government should be filled by a committee, rather than a solitary figure.

When the dust cleared and the Constitution was at last ratified in 1789, the resulting office was a patchwork of influences, all settled onto the shoulders of George Washington, who himself was full of contradictions. He had led the Continental Army to victory over Great Britain, creating space for a new form of self-rule government. But as a tour at Mount Vernon will quickly make clear, he was also the owner of many slaves, was given to aristocratic flourishes more in keeping with a grand English manor house than a leader of the modern worlds first democratic republic.

These contradictions were seen in Americans themselves, too. Some Founders expressed concern that a number of their fellow Americans leaned toward an elective monarch or a monarchical republic.

Even after Washington took office, some monarchical trappings adhered to the office. Writing in the journal Democracy recently, political scientists Nancy Isenberg and Andrew Burstein note that citizens of the new nation celebrated Washingtons birthday almost as reverently as their British cousins marked the birthday of their monarch. The president himself was squired around in a lavishly equipped carriage; people burst into rousing choruses of God Save the King when their own King George appeared in public.

But when it counted, Washington rejected such kingly reverance. He chose to step aside after two terms as president, not because he had to, but for the good of his self-governing nation.

It was an astonishing act, an abdication of power not unlike his retirement from the military after the war, and possibly the most important act of his presidency, historian Jill Lepore has written. He knew it would set a precedent, that no president should rule forever, or even for very long.

Former president Donald Trump, a man who once pondered why Washington didnt name Mount Vernon after himself, finds it impossible to comprehend the first presidents selflessness, his devotion to something larger than himself.

Throughout our long history, the men who have been elected to succeed Washington are a mix of the good, the bad and the mediocre. They include heroes and geniuses, crooks and racists, and many more who were none of these things. Most were simply men thrust into urgent circumstances and tasked with challenges few could fully solve. We owe them our gratitude for having made the effort, and we owe ourselves honesty about their character, their successes and their failures.

From Thomas Jefferson with his golden pen, to Abraham Lincoln standing at Gettysburg, to FDR on the radio, to Ronald Reagan at the Berlin Wall  our presidents have had many grand moments and made large contributions, but none of them deserve the kind of idolatry so many or our fellow Americans have reserved for Trump.

The man brooding about 2020 while he and his minions plot a 2024 comeback, the man who seemingly would be king or despot is the first we have had who rejects the basic tenets of democracy. His obstinacy requires Americans of good will  Republican, Democrat and independent  to stand up, to speak out.

Recent polls and guarded comments from a few Republican Party leaders suggest that maybe, just maybe, the former presidents hold over the party is weakening, however slightly. We can only hope so.

Washington warned in his Farewell Address about the danger of disunion. We should heed that warning as our own divisions seem only to grow deeper.

Perhaps this Presidents Day we need a new kind of white sale, a political variety in the mold of the original that was created in 1878 by Philadelphia department-store magnate John Wanamaker to lure shoppers back into his store during the traditional lull after the holiday season. Marked-down prices on sheets, towels and linens  produced only in white in those days to facilitate bleaching  symbolized a fresh new year, a new beginning.

Couldnt we all use a new beginning, a political reset for our discourse? Another president we commemorate today, the nations 16th, was intimately acquainted with new beginnings. In a few appropriate remarks delivered during a horrendous civil war, Abraham Lincoln spoke of unfinished work and a new birth of freedom.

One hundred fifty-eight years later, we are not waging war against each other, thank God, but we are fighting over who we are as a nation. Our two greatest presidents, not the one voters put out of office a little over a year ago, offer us hope for fresh, new beginnings. They deserve our utmost gratitude and even more, our attention.
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Avian influenza has been detected for the first time in Maine, officials said Sunday in the latest of several cases throughout the country, while emphasizing that there is no threat to human health.

On Saturday it was detected in New York State in a noncommercial backyard non-poultry flock in Suffolk County, on Long Island. That flock is being culled and the property quarantined.

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In Indiana, the highly pathogenic strain of flu has been found in at least four commercial poultry farms, two of them just last week, The Associated Press reported Saturday. Health officials said they are culling 15,200 birds at the latest farm to prevent its spread.

Farms that raise turkeys and chickens for meat and eggs are on high alert, fearing a repeat of a widespread bird flu outbreak in 2015. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

In addition a 6.2-mile perimeter has been marked around the latest farm, in Greene County in southern Indiana, quarantining and monitoring the 13 commercial flocks inside it, AP said.

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Staffers from the Animal Health Board have reached out to noncommercial poultry owners within that circle to schedule testing.

The turkey infections were the first confirmed ones in U.S. commercial poultry since 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement. Indiana is the third largest turkey producer in the U.S.

All specimens are being tested to see how pathogenic they are, AP said.

A worker is sprayed as part of the decontamination process at a farm in Dubois, Ind., on Jan. 17. 2016. (Sarah Ann Jump, AP)

Bird flu occurs naturally among wild aquatic birds all over the world and can make its way into domestic poultry and other bird and animal species, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says on its website.

This particular flu strain rarely jumps to humans, and no human cases have been found in the U.S., the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. Poultry workers and others who come in direct contact with bird saliva and gets that into their mouth or eyes are the only ones who could be exposed to infection, and even that is hard to catch, health officials say.

Health experts emphasized that the heat of normal cooking kills bacteria and viruses so its not a food-borne threat.

With News Wire Services
STOW Dalton, Lanesborough, North Adams, and Pittsfield received Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and Senior SAFE Grant funding to support fire education programs for children and older adults

"The Department of Fire Services' S.A.F.E. grant program continues to make effective fire safety education available to hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts kids," said Governor Charlie Baker. "Thanks in part to these grants, Massachusetts has raised a generation of fire-safe families and we are glad to continue those efforts with today's awards."

Dalton Fire Department will receive $4,575 to partner with local schools to teach fire safety. They will also receive $2,855.00 for senior center presentations and home visits with smoke/CO alarm installations.

Lanesborough Fire Department will receive $3,675.00 to be used to teach fire safety lessons to pre-K5 and high school students. They also will get $2,555.00 for senior center presentations and home visits with smoke/CO alarm installations.

The North Adams Fire Department will receive $4,502.00 to teach all pre-K-12 students various fire safety topics and

$2,781.00 for senior center presentations and home visits with smoke/CO alarm installations.

The Pittsfield Fire Department will receive $6,275.00 to partner with local school system to teach fire safety and $3,255.00 for presentations, battery replacements, and smoke/CO alarm installations.

Fire departments in 227 communities will receive Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) and Senior SAFE grants; one community will receive a S.A.F.E. grant only; and six communities will receive Senior SAFE grants only.

"The Department of Fire Services' S.A.F.E. grant program continues to make effective fire safety education available to hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts kids," said Governor Charlie Baker. "Thanks in part to these grants, Massachusetts has raised a generation of fire-safe families and we are glad to continue those efforts with today's awards."

The average number of children dying in fires annually has dropped by 78 percent since the S.A.F.E. Program began  a decline almost 30 percent greater than the decline in fire deaths overall. In light of that success, the Department of Fire Services launched the Senior SAFE Program to provide firefighters with funding to deliver fire safety education to older adults, who face a disproportionate risk of dying in a fire.

"Fire safety education works," said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy. "The S.A.F.E. and Senior SAFE grant programs allow trained and trusted firefighters to make a direct connection with youngsters and older adults in their own communities. These grants are an outstanding example of state and local partnerships."

The S.A.F.E. and Senior SAFE programs are funded through legislative earmarks to the Executive Office of the Public Safety & Security, and they are administered by the Department of Fire Services. A full list of recipient department and their awards can be found here.

"The fire departments delivering these safety messages are reducing the risk of fire, injury, and tragedy in cities and towns across the Commonwealth," said State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey. "No child has died in a Massachusetts fire since March of 2019, and fire deaths overall continue to trend downward. Programs like S.A.F.E. and Senior SAFE are among the reasons Massachusetts is one of the most fire-safe states in the nation."
Williamstown Select Board Members Rally to Defense of Chair

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the year when two members of the Select Board's terms will be ending.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Most members of the Select Board last Monday pushed back against some harsh criticism of the panel's chair.

Janice Loux, a frequent critic of the Select Board and town officials, used the public comment portion of the Feb. 14 meeting to accuse Andrew Hogeland of being dictatorial toward his board colleagues and of placing blame on the town's diversity committee for failures to create mechanisms for reporting diversity, equity and inclusion work that were required in an article passed by town meeting in August 2020.

Loux charged Hogeland with minimizing racism and sexism.

"The whole concept and idea when you spoke at the last [Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity] meeting and your references tonight spoke to the idea of, 'Well, I didn't think we were going to write things down. And I didn't think the town voted on making those reports that are in Articles 36 and 37 in their requirements,' " Loux told Hogeland.

"You have an obligation. It was the will of the people to put that training together, and we should not be doing it haphazardly. We should be putting money towards it. It is not DIRE's job. And if anybody had failings around all this, it was the Select Board. It was your job to make sure there were policies. It was your job to make sure there was a police force that wasn't doing the things that they did. It was your job. It wasn't DIRE's job. DIRE did their job."

Loux went on to say she thinks Hogeland runs roughshod over the Select Board itself in his capacity as chair.

"I get the sense it's the Andy Hogeland Show, and, 'I'm doing this, and I'm doing that,' " Loux said. "I don't get a sense from my view  I'm not speaking for any Select Board members, this is my observation  that they're well involved in this. It's not a one-man show."

Jeffrey Johnson said he has a good and open relationship with Hogeland.

"I talk to Andy whenever I need to," Johnson said. "The man you see in front of you [in meetings] is not the man you'll meet offline, and what I mean by that is there are multiple times I think every board member has encouraged people to come and have private meetings.

"Specific to the DIRE meeting, Andy's talked to me. Andy asked for criticism, constructively. He wants to learn. What more do you want than that?"

Johnson served on the DIRE Committee prior to being elected to the Select Board last spring and continues to serve on the equity committee as its representative from the Select Board.

Jane Patton joined Johnson in defending Hogeland, mentioning how difficult it has been to chair the board in the months following revelations of sexist and racist behavior among members of the Williamstown Police Department. And she implied that Hogeland's willingness to take on different Select Board initiatives might create a misperception in the community about the board's dynamics.

"I would like to say that over whatever number of years we've both been on the Select Board, we have not always agreed," Patton said of Hogeland. "We have had some pretty challenging moments, early on. I don't see you as trying to be some kind of authoritarian, 'I've got this all handled,' chair.

"You're probably taking on way too much, and you're always willing to take on more. It is easy to, through your own filters, see things in different ways. . I support the way [Hogeland's] doing this, and if I don't, I think you know that you'll hear from me."

Another member of the board was less complimentary.

"I've had struggles with the chair when it comes to agenda items, and it hasn't always worked out," Wade Hasty said. "So I can understand if anyone on the board feels that they have some friction. Hopefully it will buff out in 23."

Hogeland's current term on the Select Board ends in May 2023. Hugh Daley, who also would be up for re-election in 2023 after first being elected to the Select Board along with Hogeland in May 2014, was the first member of the board last Monday to react to Loux's original comments. He said her tone in the meeting would discourage other members of the community from stepping up to serve on public bodies.

"I really dislike the idea that somebody would go out of their way to personally  attack an individual member in that way," Daley said. "Everybody here donates their time and expertise to do this job, and when we make it look like that type of job, who is going to want to do this?

"That doesn't mean there shouldn't be accountability, but I will tell you there's not a single member of this board who doesn't take this job seriously, that doesn't take the problems that occurred  the great majority of which did not happen under this board but were revealed to this board  we took it all to heart and have been working to fix this stuff."

Daley went on to say that Loux's comments on Monday provided an example of how people ought not engage in civic life.

"We have to treat each other better," Daley said. "We're in this together. I used to say: We're all in the same boat, we just have to start rowing in the same direction. Now I keep saying: We're all in the same boat, we need to stop drilling holes in it.

"Work together. Be positive. We can improve. We are improving."

Nat Romano spoke from the floor of the virtual meeting to support Daley's assessment.

"Disrespecting people through personal attacks at meetings, and this is not the first time this has happened  only disrespects the fabric of our democratic processes," Romano said. "It discourages active community engagement. It makes other people feel they shouldn't speak up because, what if their perspectives are not valued?

"That is really damaging to our community."

Hasty's reaction was that the board needs to hear more criticism, not less.

"I don't shy away from negative feedback, and I hope no one on the board does," Hasty said. "I prefer negative feedback over no feedback, which is often what we're getting from the town."

Hogeland could be seen nodding as Hasty made that point.

Hasty then continued, "I also caution the board not to participate in the actions that are encouraged to curb  personal animosity toward any particular person, to stop, to cease, to limit."

Ironically, Monday's meeting began with an announcement from Hogeland that nomination papers are available from the town clerk for the two Select Board seats and seven other offices that will be on the May town election ballot.

But, then again, irony abounded at the session.

Hogeland also started the night by announcing a new policy he borrowed from the current chair of the DIRE Committee. He said public comment would be limited to three minutes per speaker and that if the speaker engaged in personal attacks, they would receive a warning from the chair; if the warning is ignored, the speaker then would be prevented from making public comment at the next board meeting.

At the end of her remarks later in the meeting, Loux said, "Go ahead and punish me, but I will never stop." But Hogeland did not interrupt Loux's testimony to admonish her against making personal attacks, nor did he cut off Loux or any other speaker on Monday after three minutes; she spoke for about five. And when Loux was through, neither Hogeland nor another board member suggested she would be subject to a prohibition from speaking at the next Select Board meeting.

Ironically, while Loux criticized Hogeland for his treatment of the DIRE Committee, three people that spoke at the meeting who have served on that panel, Johnson, Patton and Andi Bryant, defended Hogeland. And the public comment rules that prompted Loux to say Hogeland wants to, "punish those who don't speak the way you want," were adopted from rules instituted by the current DIRE Committee chair.

The final irony of the evening was provided by Johnson, just after the board adjourned.

"Happy Valentine's Day, everybody," Johnson said as the meeting ended.
Community Sessions Will Inform Mohawk Theater RFP

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Residents will have a chance to weigh in on future plans for the Mohawk Theater during two forums in March.

The forums will be held Monday, March 7, and Wednesday, March 9, both at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey said they will be informational sessions on how the request for proposals process works and for brainstorming ideas to inform bidders what the community would like.

"The focus is to engage the community and that they have a voice," said Macksey.

The mayor withdrew a bid recommended by the prior administration just weeks into her term. The proposal by a New York developer to transform the former movie house into an events venue for a planned hotel at 103 Main St. drew condemnation from residents at several City Council meetings.

Many objected that the plans didn't include a long hoped for performing arts venue and that the price accepted was only $21,000 (the RFP also required the winning bidder to restore the marquee.)

The future of the 84-year-old Main Street structure has been in doubt for more than 35 years now. The movie house has been vacant since about 1991 and the interior completely gutted nearly two years ago. The costs and space needs to transform the cinema into a performing arts venue have been daunting.

The city has invested $2,656,435 in public grants into the theater project with $889,000 used for various studies and engineering, including a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant of $30,000 to look into connecting it to the Dowlin Block, where the proposed hotel would be located.

Another $600,000 in borrowing approved by the City Council in 2009 with the supposition that historic tax credits would somehow pay that off. About $52,000 is left on that loan.

Macksey had said her decision to reject the proposal was based the loan debt and that the bidder didn't have enough time to put forth an "adequate" plan.

Veselko Buntic, the sole bidder, told the City Council during a presentation of his plans that he had learned about the request for proposals about a week before it was due and that he would have provided a more comprehensive presentation given more time.

The mayor said she wants to be sure there is more communication and transparency when this next RFP goes out.

"I want to get some community input and in the RFP, it's a little unique, but we're gonna have community comment," she said. "Just thoughts about what people want, but the understanding that we know that the Mohawk can't stay the way it was. We need to get up with current times."
Bernard Madoffs Ponzi scheme played out across the front pages of New York tabloids, but the deaths of his sister and brother-in-law may be more private thanks to a victims rights law in Florida.

Sondra Wiener, the 87-year-old sister of Madoff, and her husband, Marvin Wiener, 90, were found dead Thursday at their Valencia Lakes home in Boynton Beach, about 60 miles north of Miami, the Palm Beach County sheriffs office confirmed Sunday.

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Both suffered gunshot wounds, and officials said the scene appears to be a murder-suicide.

An official cause of death is pending an investigation by the medical examiner.

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No other details were released, but the couples family has invoked Marsys Law, which protects the privacy rights of crime victims.

Bernie Madoff's sister and brother-in-law were found dead in a suspected murder-suicide. (Louis Lanzano/AP)

Marsys Law was first passed in California in November 2008, named after University of California Santa Barbara student Marsalee (Marsy) Ann Nicholas, who was stalked and killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983. A week later, her mother was confronted in a grocery store checkout line by her daughters killer, who was, unbeknownst to her, out on bail.

The law, sponsored by Marsalees brother Dr. Henry Nicholas, aims to provide privacy rights to victims and their families, both in keeping information confidential and in providing updates on issues like criminal proceedings.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

Marsys Law for Florida is about giving victims constitutional standing equal to that of the accused and convicted  no more, no less, reads a description from the advocacy group Marsys Law for All. Victims are the ones hurt by criminals, and yet we often treat them as though they have nothing at stake.

The law ensures that victims and their families get timely, pertinent information, including the death, release or escape of suspects and plea deals. The legislation also ensures that the victims and their families be treated with dignity, respect, courtesy, sensitivity and fairness.

Floridas version was passed by voters in November 2018. About a dozen other states have similar laws in place.

The law is currently headed to the Florida Supreme Court after two Tallahassee police officers invoked it to protect their own identities after fatally shooting a transgender man in May 2020. The officers have argued that the man, Tony McDade, threatened them after stabbing a neighbors son to death, making them victims as well.

Last month, the Miami-Dade Police Department invoked Marsys Law to shield the name of the police officer who shot a teenager, leaving him paralyzed. The arrest report said the teen was holding a gun but did not specify if he ever pointed it at officers.

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Madoff, the disgraced financier behind the $65 billion Ponzi scheme, died last year at age 82 while serving a 150-year sentence in federal prison. His older son, Mark, died by suicide in 2010, and his younger son, Andrew, died of cancer in 2014. His wife, Ruth Madoff, 80, is still living. She previously claimed that she and her husband attempted suicide when his scheme was exposed.

The Wieners were reported to have lost millions of dollars because of the Queens-raised Madoffs scam, according to Floridas SunSentinel newspaper.
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Of the 11 homes over $3 million that have sold or are pending since October, five have sold and six are pending, according to data provided to the Idaho Press.

The five $3-million-plus homes that sold were on the market for an average of 37.4 days.

The most expensive home sold for $4.65 million after eight days on the market. The home, in Eagle, had a private dock on a lake and sat on over 2 acres, according to Zillow.

Three of the five homes sold for below the asking price, one was bought exactly at the original price, and one sold for $1,000 above asking.
A 57-year-old Florida man died Friday after being run over by the street sweeper he was driving.

The unidentified worker was operating the cleaning vehicle in a supermarket parking lot shortly before midnight when he briefly pulled into traffic on Brandon Blvd. in the city of Brandon, according to WFTS in nearby Tampa.

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When the driver made a U-turn to return to the lot, his vehicle was reportedly t-boned by a Chevrolet Corvette.

Police say the crash caused the street sweepers operator to be thrown from his vehicle and into the street in front of it. Still rolling forward, the sweeper killed the driver. Police say the victim was not wearing a seatbelt. The 43-year-old man driving the Corvette suffered serious injuries, WFTS reports.

[ Man, 41, dies after crashing into NYC snowplow truck on Bronx expressway ]
Name: Linh Lam

Company: Jamf

Job title: Chief Information Officer

Date started current role: September 2021

Location: San Francisco, USA

Lam is responsible for leading Jamfs information technology and solutions while continuing help the company grow. Lam joins Jamf from ICE Mortgage Technology as their SVP & Chief Information Office. Prior to ICE Mortgage Technology, Lam was an information technology leader at Hitachi Data Systems where she led large-scale, global customer relationship management and digital experience transformations that supported the companys transition from a hardware to cloud software and solutions company.

What was your first job? When I was 15, I worked in retail, in a shopping mall. I spent all the paychecks I earned from that job to buy clothes from the retailer I worked for.

Did you always want to work in IT? I didn't start with the goal of being a CIO. I set out for a career in the technology sector that allowed me to see the operation from end to end, and then solve problems that arose, which my CIO position allows me to do.

What was your education? Do you hold any certifications? What are they? I have a bachelors degree from Stanford University.

Explain your career path. Did you take any detours? If so, discuss. Ive always been drawn to problem solving and technology so, after I graduated from university, I started in consulting as it afforded me the opportunity to explore both areas at a very fast pace. With more experience, I found myself also drawn to people and culture, interested in what drives teams and what makes an organisation successful. I discovered that although IT enables successful organisations, to solve the complex challenges they face, you have to be able to understand people and what technology best suits them.

What business or technology initiatives will be most significant in driving IT investments in your organisation in the coming year? As the world continues to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, technology to enable hybrid workplaces and virtual collaboration will be critical for most businesses. The hybrid workplace will look very different to pre-COVID conditions, so we have to invest in the right areas to enable our teams to have the best experience. Investment in automation and security to scale our operations as we continue to grow is also going to be an important area of focus for us this year and beyond.

What are the CEO's top priorities for you in the coming year? How do you plan to support the business with IT? Scaling our organisation for growth in a global, hybrid work environment is our biggest priority. Jamf is a high-growth company that is powered by its amazing employees so understanding their needs and providing them with the right resources and technology to succeed is always ITs imperative. As we enter 2022, some of our strategic initiatives include automation of operations, so we can better enable our customers buying and support experience, enhancement of our virtual collaboration capabilities, and continued integrations to bring our global workforce together safely.

Does the conventional CIO role include responsibilities it should not hold? Should the role have additional responsibilities it does not currently include? The CIO role is unique in the organisation as it has the role of overseeing all aspects from start to finish, following the buyers journey from buying to support, the employee experience from hire to retire and everything in between. A successful IT organisation must understand and continually enable and transform these experiences. Traditional responsibilities of assisting with back-end infrastructure and supporting employee devices and connectivity are staples for all CIOs, but increasingly, you see CIOs driving digital and operational transformations because of the breadth of coverage and delivery.

Are you leading a digital transformation? If so, does it emphasise customer experience and revenue growth or operational efficiency? If both, how do you balance the two? Digital transformations are driven by enabling great customer experiences while progressing operational automation and optimisation. As businesses grow, their products and go-to-market strategies evolve rapidly with a customer focus. Often their back-end operations and supporting systems do not get the same attention, something that is needed in order to scale with a companys evolution. So, while our focus is enabling a great customer experience, the automation and scalability required to support this experience remain as guiding principles.

Describe the maturity of your digital business. For example, do you have KPIs to quantify the value of IT? As businesses grow and evolve, their operations and delivery capabilities across people, processes, and technology, will continue to mature to drive success. When introducing new technology or capabilities into an organisation, we must think ahead in terms of scale. For example, if we doubled in size, would this solution scale with us, or would it require more investment? At Jamf, we laid a strong digital foundation that has served our employees, customers, and partners well in providing best-in-class solutions while managing Apple enterprise devices that will continue to scale as we enhance our services and capabilities.

What does good culture fit look like in your organisation? How do you cultivate it? An environment where team members are curious and open to new perspectives and ideas makes for a great culture. Innovation and excellence come from teams with diverse thoughts and willingness to embrace and adopt positive changes. We foster an environment where strategic concepts and directions are provided, but the how things are achieved are open for our amazing teams to own, define and drive.

What roles or skills are you finding (or anticipate to be) the most difficult to fill? Most companies are removing geographical barriers when it comes to hiring. Companies that exclusively hired staff local to their physical offices previously are now much more open to appointing remote workers in this new virtual environment. This allows them to select from a larger pool of talented prospective employees that would not have been accessible otherwise. While this is exciting, it is also leading to more competition for top talent, regardless of skillset. What Ive found is that the biggest challenge in hiring isnt necessarily finding the right technical skillset, but in finding the right team and cultural fit. Especially in a virtual environment, ensuring that team dynamics and culture are healthy and thriving is crucial.

What's the best career advice you ever received? Even when things are heated and stressful, it doesnt cost anything to be nice.

Do you have a succession plan? If so, discuss the importance of and challenges with training up high-performing staff. A leader is only as good as his or her team and there is data to support the assertion that employees generally leave their jobs due to their managers/leaders. Therefore, its important to understand the performance goals that team members have for themselves and provide them with the opportunities to achieve them. There may not always be obvious or apparent opportunities for progression for these employees, so it is the challenge of a leader to work with our team members to shape them.

What advice would you give to aspiring IT leaders? Information technology is transformative and innovative, it doesnt only support companies; it drives and enables them. Beyond the technology, strive to understand business challenges and value delivered by the technology.

What has been your greatest career achievement? My greatest career achievement has been driving a digital transformation for a global company that directly impacted customers, partners, and employees experiences. Under my guidance, the organisation reached beyond our employees, engaging with customers and partners to understand what they valued in their digital experience with our company. Learning from this, we delivered personalised experiences that also supported automated back-end support and operations behind the scenes. This led to increased customer satisfaction scores, reduction in support volumes, as well as allowing us to scale up and take on new customers and partners globally.

Looking back with 20:20 hindsight, what would you have done differently? Im a firm believer that our past experiences influence and shape our decisions for the future. Therefore, I wouldnt change the past as its afforded me the opportunity to be where I am today, but I hope I continue to learn from it as I grow, and my perspective evolves.
Gungor Arslan, owner, editor-in-chief and columnist of the daily Ses Kocaeli, was killed in a gun attack in front of his newspaper's editorial office on February 19. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) and its Turkish affiliates condemn this brutal killing and call for justice.

Gungor Arslan was shot by an assailant in the chest and in the right leg outside his office in the city of Izmit. He was rushed to a hospital where he died of gunshot wounds.

Kokaeli region governor, Seddar Yavuz, said the authorities had arrested a suspect in connection with the journalist's killing and recovered the weapon believed to have been used in the attack. According to media reports, the suspect said in his first statement that "two people had instigated him to commit the crime."

The authorities confirmed there's an ongoing comprehensive investigation into the murder.

Regularly threatened for his reporting

Gungor Arslan was regularly threatened for his reporting over corruption cases, bribery and clientelism in his media, Ses Kocaeli. Threats escalated into action in April 2020, when a group of unidentified attackers opened fire at the offices of the local newspaper.

In an article published the day before his death, Arslan reported on corruption allegations against Kocaeli Mayor Tahir Buyukakn, from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

IFJ and EFJ affiliate, Gazeteciler Sendikas (TGS), said that Arslan's killers wanted to "silence him" and urged investigators to identify and detain the masterminds behind the killing.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "We condemn the senseless killing of our colleague Gungor Arslan and urge the authorities to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to find his killers and and the masterminds behind this terrible crime and bring them to justice. We mourn the loss of a brave journalist who did a great job exposing corruption and wrongdoing. We send our condolences to his family, colleagues and friends at this difficult time."
The residence of prominent television journalist, Chamuditha Samarawickrema, was attacked by four unidentified assailants in the Piliyandala district of Colombo on February 14. The International Federation of the Journalists (IFJ) and its Sri Lanka affiliates, the Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions (FMETU), the Free Media Movement (FMM), and the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), urge the Sri Lankan authorities to expedite their investigation and bring justice to the perpetrators.

The assailants reportedly stormed the Cambridge Court housing complex, where Samarawickrema and his family were staying, at around 2:00 am and began throwing stones and feces at the house, damaging several windows.

CCTV footage showed the assailants arriving in a white car and threatening the security guard on duty by pointing a gun at his head. The suspects, who concealed their identities by wearing helmets and facemasks, were also seen carrying several items while entering the home, including a bag and a cardboard box.

According to police, Samarawickrema, who has been known to criticise the ruling Rajapaksa government, was shaken but unhurt after the raid. The journalist, affiliated with Hiru TV and who also runs an interview program, Truth with Chamuditha, has previously aired episodes investigating government corruption, the Rajapaksa family, and the Sri Lankan police.

An investigation into the attack was launched by police on February 15, and a court ordered security to be given to Samarawickrema following the incident.

This is not the first time Samarawickrema has been targeted. He has been vocal about receiving several phone call threats and in 2021 claimed that his life was under serious threat.

FMETU's General Secretary, Dharmasiri Lankapeli, said: It is no secret to the people that there were powerful political hands behind all these incidents. The attack on journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrema can be suspected of being a similar act. Therefore, the FMETU strongly urges the government and the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the attack and reveal to the country the real thugs behind the attack.

FMM Convener, Lasantha De Silva, said: "This attack underscores the dangerous environment in which journalists have been working in Sri Lanka in recent decades. Therefore, we urge serious attention of the government on journalists safety.

SLWJA Secretary, Frank De Zoysa, said: If there was an issue regarding Chamuditha Samarawickramas use of media, it should have been reported to the relevant authorities in accordance with the law of the country. SLWJA strongly condemns such arbitrary attacks on journalists and urges the government to investigate the case and punish the guilty.

The IFJ said: The attack on Chamuditha Samarawickremas residence is yet another deliberate attempt to stifle press freedom in Sri Lanka. The IFJ urges the government and authorities to expedite their investigations, bring the perpetrators to justice and end the culture of impunity for crimes against journalists in Sri Lanka.
Yemeni government must do all it can to save the lives of four journalists on death row

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) sent on February 21, 2022, a letter to the President of the Republic of Yemen, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, urging him and his government to do everything possible to save the lives of four Yemeni journalists on death row for simply doing their job.

Abdulakhleq Amran, Akram Al-Waleedi, Hareth Humaid and Tawifq Al-Mansoori were arrested together with five other journalists in July 2015 at the Palace of Dreams Hotel in Sanaa, where their media had moved to access communications and utilities. The State Security Court in Sanaa, under the control of Ansar Allah/the Houthi Movement, has sentenced them to death.

The IFJ and the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) launched an emergency call to members and the global journalism community to join the campaign to put pressure on the Houthi authorities to release our colleagues and save their lives.

The IFJ is now calling on the Yemeni president, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, to instruct the Yemeni government to do all it can to save the lives of four Yemeni journalists on death row.

Read the letter below:

Global call to save journalists lives in Yemen

Dear President Hadi,

We are writing to you on behalf of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the worlds largest journalists organization representing 190 national journalists unions and over 600,000 media professionals around the world.

The IFJ is recognized representative of journalists within the UN and its specialized agencies and we have associate membership in UNESCO. We also have similar status within regional intergovernmental organizations and mechanisms.

We are reaching out to you with an urgent request to instruct the Yemeni government to do all it can to save the lives of our four colleagues in Yemen who are currently on death row. According to the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS), the IFJ affiliate in Yemen, they are facing imminent danger of being executed.

Abdulakhleq Amran, Akram Al-Waleedi, Hareth Humaid and Tawifq Al-Mansoori were arrested by Ansar Allah security forces, together with five other journalists, in June 2015 from the Palace of Dreams Hotel in Sana. The media they were working for had moved its offices to the hotel to have access to communications and utilities. While their other five colleagues were released in a prisoner of war exchange deal in October 2020, they have been subjected to physical and psychological torture and deprived of their basic rights guaranteed by international law.

Our colleagues were convicted in April 2020 by the State Security Court in Sana of treason and aiding the enemy. In reality, their only crime was doing their job as journalists.

Sadly, since April 2020, the YJS, our affiliate in Yemen, has documented over 200 serious attacks on journalists and the media in the country including killings, injuries, detention, threats, the closing and confiscation of media houses and depriving journalists of their basic rights. All parties involved in the conflict have continued their appalling disregard for the lives and safety of journalists working in the country. Security forces and civilian departments controlled by your government are accused of such acts. We call on you to make it clear that attacking journalists, women and men, and harassing them are forbidden and any such attack will be investigated promptly.

Mr president,

The excruciating period of time waiting on death row our colleagues have been enduring is causing deep pain and anguish to their colleagues, journalists and media workers and trade union leaders all over the world. All are reaching out to you to act swiftly to put pressure on Ansaar Allah to release them.

Earlier this month, we wrote to the UN special envoy for Yemen appealing to him to work with all parties involved in the Yemen conflict to save our colleagues lives and secure their release. We attach a copy of that appeal to this letter. The IFJ has also launched an international solidarity campaign with our colleagues which is supported by thousands of journalists and human rights activists around the world.

Signed by IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, and IFJ President, Younes Mjahed
From January to December 2021, Kaspersky products used in the Philippines detected and foiled more than 50 million web threat attempts, according to statistics from the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN). This latest KSN report has moved the Philippines two places up in Kasperskys global ranking of countries most attacked by web threats.

In a nutshell, this means Filipinos who have been mostly stuck at home surfing, working, banking, or studying via the web during the entire second year of the pandemic have had a heightened exposure to further dangers of the internet.

KSN is the cloud-based threat intelligence service of cybersecurity company Kaspersky.

From 2017 to 2021, in the malware-detection history of KSN, the cyberthreats detected in the Philippines have gone up sharply by 433%.

The monitored cyberthreat attempts logged on devices of Kaspersky users in 2017 were 9,487,775 compared to 50,544,988 in 2021.

Because of the internet, carrying on with work and school during the pandemic has been significantly possible. The internet has also provided people a temporary escape from real life during lockdowns. This is true not just for Filipinos but for everyone around the world, says Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.

Web threats are attacks via browsers. Cybercriminals normally use drive-by downloads and social engineering to try to spread malware to devices of internet users.

A drive-by download infection, which is used in most of the attacks, happens when visiting an infected website.

In such attacks, cybercriminals use file-less malware, the most dangerous way of infecting a device because its such a complicated malware that is difficult to detect and counter.

On the other hand, social engineering are attacks where an internet user downloads a malicious file into the computer. This happens when cybercriminals trick the victim to believe she is downloading a legitimate program.

Throughout this period until now that we are recovering and adapting to the new normal though, we have been seeing nonstop activities from cybercriminals who have been honing their skills. Unfortunately, this means people will be more vulnerable to cyber-intrusion. We cannot stop using the internet so we really encourage Filipinos to be extra cautious and really get into the habit of practicing cyber-hygiene. These basic habits remain the same and include regularly scanning devices for viruses, changing passwords, keeping apps, software and operating systems up to date, and wiping your hard drive, he advises.

Information on such suspicious and malicious files that attempt to penetrate internet-connected computers with Kaspersky products are sent with permission by device users to KSN. This complex cloud infrastructure collects and analyzes cybersecurity-related data from millions of voluntary users of Kaspersky products around the world.

The threat-related data shared from computers of Philippine-based participants along with data from other Asia Pacific countries are processed in Kasperskys two data centers in Zurich, Switzerland.
The author of this article is Mr. Nakul Mathur, MD, Avanta India

The views and opinions expressed are not of IIFL Securities, indiainfoline.com

Every vertical of the Indian real estate sector, be it the office spaces industry or residential home buying, faced severe headwinds during the pandemic. However, the year 2021 has displayed a fantastic resurgence and some motivating trends for the office space industry. According to a recent report by real estate research firm Colliers, renewals for office spaces accounted for over 30 per cent of the total leasing during a 15-month period.As the office spaces industry is looking at a robust revival, the following trends are likely to remain buoyant.Hybrid Work SchedulesSeveral companies across the globe had asked their work force to work from home and increasing number of people now want a mixture of working from home and going back to the workplace. As highlighted in a survey by Prudential, 68% of global workers now prefer a hybrid workplace model where there exists a flexibility to work outside the office occasionally.From the cost-saving perspective, both organisations and employees have saved a great deal of expenses from the hybrid model. In the post-pandemic world, a mix of office and work from home arrangements are going to be an omnipresent trend.Co-working spaces to flourishThe co-working office spaces industry is set to witness a 20-30 per cent hike in seat absorption. The robust IT sector of India will be at the forefront of this rising demand. As the cost of operating in India is lower in India as compared to other markets, the demand will see a strong revival in the post-pandemic 2022.Moreover, the demand for flexible spaces has been at an all-time high from start-ups as they are moving cautiously and want to save cost in the backdrop of a dismal year in terms of business. In addition to this, established corporates are expanding to the Tier II, and Tier III cities and hence, 2022-23 will see a rise in demand for flexible office spaces.Tech-enabled environsThe World Economic Forum (WEF) believes that in the post-pandemic year 2022, the office spaces will be highly tech-enabled. The AI (Artificial Intelligence) assisted job roles, and office environment will be a common sight. The usage of sensor-based dispensers, adaptive technologies and robotics will be preferred in the minimal touch inspired new normal.AI in offices will primarily be used for repetitive tasks and will let the humans focus on creativity, imagination, and the strategic part. While technology will help the office occupiers, it will also help the operators in saving a significant cost.Retrofitting and repurposingAs the year went by was tough on the business and finances, large corporates and start-ups are focussing on repurposing and redesigning the office spaces they already occupy. The judicious use of available spaces and retrofitting of properties will be a trend in the coming year. The alternative use of the existing spaces to maximise value will be a trend in large as well as small companies.The role of interior designers and architects will play a major role in office spaces optimisation going forward. Moreover, uncertainties attached with the new variants of the coronavirus is also leading the companies to tread cautiously in terms of investment in new office spaces.Open sustainable spaces and natural touchThe year 2022-23 is expected to witness offices spaces with a lot of open spaces and natural touch. As the pandemic has shifted the focus on social distancing and a healthy work environment, the offices will be duly ventilated. Use of sustainable materials such as bamboo, installation of indoor plants, efficient air conditioning and social distancing will be ensured at all costs. The use of tech-enabled and minimal touch equipment will be in vogue.Incidentally, sensing the trend of ultra-hygienic office spaces in 2022, the large co-working players have already put in place the world-class sanitisation mechanisms and technology backed office spaces.Flexible lease termsThe pre-pandemic lease terms were infamous for rigid terms and conditions and non-flexible payment plans. However, the pandemic has altered the way the world works, so has the working style of lease providers. The professional office spaces will now be available at flexible and negotiable lease arrangements. As the uncertainties are still to fade away completely, the corporates prefer a no-strings-attached relationship. The icing on the cake is that the relaxed lease terms are coupled with flexible or deferred payment plans. This kind of arrangement is a win-win for both the businesses and the operators. The year 2022-23 will witness a change in the way leases and rentals work.Focus on mental wellbeingThe Coronavirus pandemic was a blow to the physical as well as mental wellbeing of the working class. In the gradual opening of the workplaces and office spaces, the corporates are ensuring that the workers are mentally fit and sound. This is leading to the provision of recreational facilities, gym, play areas and food joints in the office spaces so that the employees do not get stressed and feel burnt out. Moreover, the offices are being redesigned in such a way that lets the workers feel at ease. This will be a widely seen trend in the office spaces industry in 2022-23.Conclusively, with companies planning a comeback to offices in 2022-23, the office spaces industry has adapted to the new normal. The high-density offices are a thing of the past, and the new format will cater to the changing preferences of the workforce in a more open environment. The office spaces industry has learnt a great deal from the pandemic, and the strategies for 2022-23 will be heavily impacted by the lessons learnt.
A social media platform linked to Donald Trump appeared on the Apple app store in time for Presidents Day, though its debut so far has fallen short of making the internet great again for the former presidents followers.

Several users who tried signing up for the platform called Truth Social got error notices or were put on lengthy wait lists. Numerous attempts to register on TruthSocial.com were met with a 405 Not Allowed message.

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Former President Donald Trump's new social media app started a gradual rollout late Monday. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The MAGA alternative to Twitter  which booted Trump from its platform after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection  was created by Trump Media & Technology Group. Former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) is the CEO for the 45th presidents new technology company. He told Fox Business last month that Truth Social would be up and running by the end of the first quarter of 2022. A note on the apps Apple Store page indicated Bug Fixes Sunday night.

While Trump has trumpeted his latest attempt to create a platform that will allow him to speak freely, Nunes assured Fox Business that Truth Social will be a family friendly social media outlet.

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FILE - Former President Donald Trump (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

The former president operated a heavily trafficked Twitter feed before being banned by that platform, where he was frequently flagged for spreading disinformation. On Jan. 8, 2021, following the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump fanatics whod been falsely told the 2020 presidential election had been rigged, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook suspended his accounts.

After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them  specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter  we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence, Twitter announced then.

[ Trump shuts down blog after less than a month ]

The former president, who frequently claims traditional and social media treat him unfairly, attempted to launch an alternative to the platforms from which hes been exiled. After much ado, a blog called From the Desk of Donald J. Trump debuted in May 2021. It lasted less than a month. Trumps Twitter account showed nearly 89 million followers at its peak.

(Jenny Kane/AP)

Truth Social posted updates Monday claiming that Due to the overwhelming demand at launch, we are currently rate-limited on onboarding new users to the platform.

The situation was being addressed, according to the upstart tech company. Trump supporters, including Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, wrote on Twitter on Sunday that she had successfully joined Truth Social. She, too, had been banned from Twitter for repeated violations, mostly regarding misinformation related to the COVID pandemic. Her first message on Truth Social claimed Big Tech has stolen her freedom of speech.

Fox News star Sean Hannity is said to have joined the new platform.

Im on Truth Social!



As the only Member of Congress to have had my personal @Twitter account banned, I understand what millions of conservatives have gone through having their personal freedom of speech stolen from them by Big Tech for not parroting the approved messaging.



1/3 pic.twitter.com/CcKH3Fnr5a  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) February 20, 2022

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

Fox Business reported that Truth Social is rolling out on a staged approach and intends to populate itself in the next 10 days.

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who sits on the congressional committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, went on Twitter to express doubt that Trumps latest venture will be a success.

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Social media sadly thrives on conflict. #truthsocial (which is ironically named) will be boring and fail, because it will be all Trump-fed drones. BUT, please dont come back to real social media if you left for Trump and Nunes great idea. You get your one shot. https://t.co/aOlw8m9dPp  Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) February 21, 2022

Social media sadly thrives on conflict. #truthsocial (which is ironically named) will be boring and fail, because it will be all Trump-fed drones, Kinzinger tweeted.

He also asked that Truth Social users who flee Twitter do not return to real social media.

Donald Trump Jr. posted a screenshot from what appeared to to be his dads verified @realDonaldTrump Truth Social account on Twitter last week.

Get Ready! it read. Your favorite President will see you soon!

Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama, has 130 million followers on Twitter, making him that platforms most-followed figure.
1908 eventures Pvt Ltd (subsidiary of Ador Multi Products Ltd ), the company that runs the curated clean beauty platform, Sublime Life, has raised nearly 2 million US Dollars (close to Rs15 crore) through funding from Roots Ventures, the family offices of Apar Industries and Umesh Sanghvi India as well as from HNls and senior professionals from Reckitt, Google, |BM and founders of a digital marketing firm.Promoter group, Ador, and founders participated in this round as well with guidance from the transaction advisors, Nyuleaf Advisors, and ALMT Legal Bangalore.1908 eventures Pvt. Ltd. was set up in 2016 by Ador Multiproducts Ltd (AMPL), a leading contract manufacturer for Indias foremost personal care brands. The companys flagship brand, Sublime Life, established in 2019, curates sustainable, ethical, effective and cruelty-free skincare brands including Martiderm from Spain, Faith in Nature from UK and a number of homegrown brands like Juicy Chemistry, Mom's Co, Dr. Sheth's, and Bare Necessities.As Sublime Life focusses on becoming the biggest and pioneering clean beauty platform led house of brands with strong plug and play capability for brands in product development, manufacturing and supply chain, further investments are being strategically evaluated to match the vision.Funds raised in this round will be utilized towards scaling up and strengthening the operations of Sublime Life, as also boosting 1908s strategy to establish itself as a House of Brands. 1908 took its step towards the latter with the acquisition of home care brand, Santic, less than a year ago. The company is also evaluating more brand acquisitions and investments that find synergy with Sublime Lifes brand positioning.Sharing the details on the recent funding, Deep Lalvani, CEO, 1908 E-Ventures said, As we move forward to transform our legacy B2B contract manufacturing business, | am happy to partner with Roots Ventures, and other experienced investors. We would use these funds to grow our existing owned and exclusive brands portfolio, launch international brands and also acquire smaller D2C brands in the BPC and wellness space creating a unique platform with end-to-end capabilities.Commenting on the investment, Japan Vyas, Managing Partner, Roots Ventures said, Indias D2C ecosystem has evolved over the past 5 years and has seen emergence of unique product offerings in the beauty and wellness space. Rather than just a brand acquisition strategy, brands require a platform which enables R&D to distribution. Leveraging the parent companys existing capabilities in R&D and manufacturing, the Company intends to create a Portfolio of domestic and international brands and an ensemble of brand enabler services to be used as a plug and play offering for external brands for a fee.On Monday at around 9:44 AM, Ador Multi Products was trading at Rs88 apiece down by Rs0.75 or 0.85% on Sensex.
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A special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Ranchi today sentenced Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav to five years' imprisonment and imposed Rs 60 lakh fine on him in the Rs 139-crore fodder scam case.

Yadav was convicted in the case on February 15 and the quantum of punishment was scheduled to be given out today. Yadav has been found guilty of illegal withdrawals to the tune of Rs 139.35 crore from the Doranda treasury by the CBI court.

The ailing 73-year-old veteran politician, who was shifted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, from Hotwar jail following the conviction last week, was earlier sentenced to 14 years in jail in four other cases related to Dumka, Deoghar and Chaibasa treasuries in Jharkhand.

File Photo

A total of 170 people had been named as accused in the Doranda treasury scam case. Of these, 55 have died, seven have become government witnesses, six are absconding and two accepted the charges against them.

The fodder scam was unearthed in the 1990s in united Bihar.

Preparing a report on the financial irregularities, the Bihar auditor general had commented: Cattle were transported on scooters, police vans, oil tankers and autos in the fodder scam.

File Photo

Yadav was accused in another fodder scam case in Bihars Banka. That trial is still underway. He has been convicted in all five fodder scam cases of Jharkhand.

The fodder scam covered Ranchi, Chaibasa, Dumka, Gumla and Jamshedpur district treasuries in Jharkhand and Banka in Bihar. The scale of the fodder scam was estimated at Rs 950 crore (in rough value through dollar conversion, it would be about Rs 2,255 crore today).

Yadav was disqualified from the Lok Sabha due to his conviction and sentencing in the Chaibasa fodder scam case.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Back in the mid-2000s, the software industry and the venture capitalists funding software startups became interested in the idea of platform as a service (PaaS), promising a simple, one-stop-shop platform for software developers to take their ideas from source code to production.

Despite the early success of some of these platformsmost notably Heroku, which is now a Salesforce companyPaaS never became a mainstream way to build enterprise-grade applications, as developers generally sought out greater control and scalability on their own terms. This led us instead to the container and Kubernetes era.

But now, as the task of software development continues to become more and more complex in the cloud-native era, there is an emerging set of platforms that is making similar attempts to those of the PaaS providers of yore: providing an elegant developer experience for building your applications, and a simple route to getting those applications in front of users.

As RedMonk analyst James Governor wrote in 2020, There is a host of new platforms and approaches designed to make it easier for developers to maintain flow, with solid automation. New companies have been founded on the basis of opinionated tooling that really understands how modern developers want to work. Thats new code rather than glue code.

The new PaaS power players

At their heart, these providersmost notably Vercel and Netlify, plus a flood of fast-followerspromise to separate the task of front-end web development from the job of actually running that code in production.

By building out global edge networks on top of the major cloud providers, these vendors offer a managed route to deploying modern web applications, without breaking flow or having to employ a devops team to worry about running them at scale.

This approach has given rise to what Kleiner Perkins investor Bucky Moore calls third-party serverless infrastructure solutions. By being serverless, these platforms promise total abstraction of the back-end tasks required to host and run a web application, including auto-scaling, patching, backup, maintenance, and replication.

The maturation of these serverless capabilities, combined with the rise of modular web design and popular web frameworks like React, has opened up a significant opportunity for a small group of founders to not just provide managed access to serverless infrastructure, but attempt to truly revolutionize the developer experience.

Millions of developers have already flocked to these platforms in search of a better developer experience, and their low-code approach has clearly caught the eye of venture capitalists too, which have invested more than a combined $500 million in Vercel and Netlify to date.

Vercel: a CDN for front-end developers

Vercel collapses distinctions between development and production with highly productive workflows, doing the grunt work of setting things up for the developer. Its a [content delivery network], but made for front-end developers, RedMonk analyst Governor wrote.

Founded in San Francisco in 2015 by Guillermo Rauch, Vercel has been built on the popularity of his Next.js JavaScript framework for the largely Facebook-maintained React library. Like Ruby on Rails before it, React has become the dominant mode of modern web development, making it the most popular framework according to Stack Overflow and powering the popular websites of Hulu, Hilton, Reddit, Twitter, and the BBC.

We wanted to make the building, deployment, and collaboration on top of front-end projects really streamlined, Rauch told InfoWorld. We pivoted from using servers and invested in serverless and edge computing to not just hide complexity, but actually remove it.

Vercels native understanding of Next.js is what eventually drove engineers at Branch Insurance to switch from a largely self-assembled AWS stack of S3, CloudFront, and Lambda@Edge in late 2021.

In a microservices architecture, the idea is that you can move things around to find the best way to handle certain problems, Joe Emison, Branch Insurances CTO, told InfoWorld. It makes less sense to stay with an Amazon service that is worse than a competitor now.

As front-end developer Thom Krupa wrote in a review of the product, Vercel feels very much like Apple but in the front-end world. The platform is like MacBook, and Next.js is like MacOS. They fit. Maintaining the infrastructure and working on software is a great advantage and gives a next-gen user and developer experience.

This commitment to developer experience was on full show when Vercel hired the creator of the much-loved Svelte compiler, Rich Harris, in November 2021. Both Svelte and Vercel want to make building for the web both enjoyable and fast, Rauch wrote at the time.

Netlify: Jamstack forms the basis of this CDN and back-end services pairing

Vercel is often spoken about in the same breath as Netlify, a similar platform based on the Jamstack development model. Using this architecture, developers are served a prerendered Jamstack interface that is deployed over a content distribution network, which mirrors content across multiple servers so that it can be delivered at low latency to anyone in the world.

Then JavaScript components pull the relevant back-end services, like data from a database or additional functionality like user authentication or payments via APIs, all via a user-friendly dashboard.

Peloton and Nike are notable Jamstack converts.

Netlify with Jamstack looked at modern developer workflows, built that into the platform, and saw that it is about that trade-off of either enabling everything and adding a layer of cognitive overhead, or of restricting things and making people more productive, RedMonk analyst Governor told InfoWorld in an interview.

For Netlify CEO Matt Biilmann, its about finding the areas where developers want to be helped, and giving them options where they want to do things themselves.

Developers havent magically evolved to handle more complexity than before. [So] we always have to shift complexity around and figure out how to allow them to focus on the complexity that matters for the problems they are trying to solve, Biilmann told InfoWorld. If you can find that line, you enable them to focus on doing what they do best.

The edge providers seek to build dev tools on their CDNs

The content delivery networks are a key element in this new stack, so its not surprising that the likes of Cloudflare, Stackpath, and Fastly are looking to layer developer-friendly tools on top of their CDNs.

Cloudflare has been steadily inching into this space since the launch of its serverless Workers product in 2017. Now, it provides a range of options for static hosting, including Workers Sites and Pages, a full-fat CI/CD for Jamstack projects that launches straight from a GitHub repo. We needed developer functionality for our network, Cloudflare CTO John Graham-Cumming told InfoWorld.

And while Workers might not be as slickly packaged a developer experience as Vercel and Netlify, Graham-Cumming is pushing hard to change that. Cloudflare has built Cloudflare on Cloudflare developer platforms, he said. We are an engineering-led company and driven by engineering to push on everything being good enough for developers. If it doesnt meet their standards, you will hear about it, he said.

Cloudflare is banking on its developer experience being able to match rival providers in this space, but it also hopes that its pricing, including not charging outbound data egress fees, is a compelling proposition.

RedMonks Governor said platforms like Cloudflare and Fastly do have some distinct advantages over their newer rivals: These platforms genuinely offer a great experience on two sides, a faster end-user experience that feels snappier and more native, and, potentially, a better developer experience.

What the cloud providers are doing

Where do the hyperscale cloud providers fit in to this new ecosystem? As Moore at Kleiner Perkins wrote, What has been even more surprising is the cloud providers response, or lack thereof, to this growing threat.

Amazon Web Services sticks with primitives, but AWS Amplify provides a different path

In fact, AWS CTO Werner Vogels doubled down on AWSs focus on providing customers with primitives and not platforms towards the end of 2021. You have always asked us for more of these components, he said on stage at the vendors Re:Invent conference. By now, we have over 200 of these services and, believe me, it is sometimes overwhelming. But remember, you have asked for this  it is basically your fault.

Although some in attendance were disappointed by the lack of a distinct shift toward more opinionated platforms, AWS did announce the public beta of Amplify Studio, a low-code development environment for building web and mobile apps.

At its heart, Amplify Studio lets developers pick up a designers Figma design file and automatically translate it into React UI component code, where it can be deployed across the appropriate AWS resources and tweaked using a visual development interface.

We want to make this the easiest way to build a front-end application, in an opinionated way, but one where you can always escape, with the extensibility to drop down to lower levels, Ken Exner, general manager for AWS developer tools, told InfoWorld.

As service-oriented architectures continue to grow in popularity, developers can also use GraphQL, or even the managed AppSync service, to connect to legacy data stores or pull in pre-built components for maps, user authentication, or other multipurpose APIs. This is also a strong area of focus for Vercel and Netlify, the latter of which recently acquired the startup OneGraph, which focuses on helping developers use and connect these various GraphQL APIs.

In the context of Amazon, Amplify has spent more time thinking about the developer experience than other products, RedMonks Governor said. The AWS Amplify team is doing an excellent job of tracking modern developer trends and needs, and is probably the most developer-focused product group in the company right now.

If AWS had the developer experience of Vercel, they would get all of my money for the rest of my career, developer Simon Willison tweeted during Re:Invent. As Exner said, It is a customer base that is not particularly forgiving of a poor user experience.

Still, beyond AWSs nascent efforts with Amplify Studio, none of the big three cloud providers have so far looked to go toe to toe with Vercel or Netlify.

Microsoft: Its integrated innovation doesnt nail the developer experience gap

Microsoft has long been considered to be in the best position to pull all these approaches together, given its hugely popular Visual Studio Code editor, the ubiquitous GitHub source code repo, CI/CD through Actions, and deployment across Azure. That said, Microsoft has a long way to go to fulfill the promise of what it used to call integrated innovation and really nail the developer experience gap, Redmonks Governor wrote.

Google: No opinionated collection yet, but that may change

Google also has some heritage in this space with its Firebase developer platform and its Cloud Run service for simplified serverless deployment, but it also has yet to pull these pieces together in an opinionated way.

Google did recently hire the former head of developer experience at Netlify, Sarah Drasner, who spends as much time as anybody in the industry thinking about how to make web developers more productive.

The serverless successors to PaaS and Heroku may have limited utility

Are all these projects not just platform as a service for the React era? I think in some ways yes, but incorporating important elements of infrastructure, platform, and CDN for an end-to-end platform for succeeding on the web, Vercels Rauch said.

Maybe this is PaaS; we havent used that terminology, Cloudflares Graham-Cumming said, I think of it more as a new way of writing code to not worry about the OS, or scaling or the network part, but in whatever language you want. That is the slight difference here.

Netlifys Biilmann is unashamedly influenced by Heroku and, in fact, Heroku cofounder Adam Wiggins was a seed investor in Netlify. However, Biilmann is determined to avoid making the same mistakes that saw many customers abandon the Heroku platform when they reached a certain scale. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to avoid that. Anything we offer should scale from hobby project to massive enterprise scale, he said.

AWSs Exner also hailed Heroku as a phenomenal developer experience. Now, he sees efforts like Amplify Studio being built in that image of the original promise of PaaS, but without seeing users hit that wall that was typically involved with those platforms.

There has even been speculation that Heroku is looking to pivot into the serverless era under Salesforce, especially after the launch of Salesforce Functions. Salesforce Functions are currently deeply linked to the Salesforce platform, however, and, although Heroku and Salesforce Functions can be made to work together by developers willing to put in the work, they remain distinct ways to build enterprise applications.

Jonathan Lister Parsons, who built the UK pension consolidation service PensionBee on Heroku back in 2014, says that if he could do it all over again today, he would leapfrog microservices for a serverless architecture.

I see serverless as a reaction to the fact that building something scalable on a microservices architecture is too complex, he told InfoWorld. Working in a serverless world makes an API call to your own function and someone elses almost identical.

And while today Heroku is not an environment that is geared up for serverless functions, Lister Parsons believes that serverless and nonserverless applications can live in harmony within an enterprise environment, so it is about picking the best tool for the job.

Is the new serverless PaaS viable for the long term?

RedMonks Governor believes these serverless platforms are operating within a narrower aperture than the previous PaaS providers, one that suits a particular way of building apps that is popular at the moment. That doesnt mean they arent powerful, but it might just limit their longevity.

Although Gartner analyst Fintan Ryan sees good early momentum for these platforms among teams building greenfield consumer-focused applications with significant scale demands, he said that the enterprise will be slow to get to this.

He still believes this underlying trend will last, because people want a massive distribution of an application or experience across edge networks without latency issues. At the moment, Vercel and Netlify are the latest in a long line of tools that are benefiting from being shiny and new, and that mean-time-to-dopamine part is key to adoption.

Kleiner Perkinss Moore remains bullish on serverless infrastructure solutions that differentiate on design and end-user ergonomics. Its clear that developers will be interfacing with them more, and cloud providers less, over the coming years.

Regardless of what we end up labeling this category and who comes to dominate it, any developer team looking to get from idea to live application as quickly and painlessly as possible will find it increasingly difficult to resist their allure.
Develeoper Buchanan Partners has indicated it plans to buy Parcels 1 and 2 at the Cannon Branch project this year, but the future of the other four undeveloped parcels remains unclear. The land is in Manassas along Gateway Boulevard between Godwin Drive (right side of map) and the Prince William Parkway overpass.
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The Uber driver who was made to beg for her life and then fatally shot by a passenger in Pennsylvania this month was a loving mother with the biggest heart, a longtime friend said.

Mother-of-four Christi Spicuzza was found dead outside of Pittsburgh on Feb. 12 after being shot in what police suspect was a robbery attempt.

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She was so kind and caring, checking in on people, making sure everyone was OK, Stephanie Contreras, who attended high school with Spicuzza, told Pittsburgh news station KDKA in a report published Monday.

Her big heart is how I will always remember her.

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Christi Spicuzza

A man identified as Calvin Crew, 22, was charged last week with criminal homicide, robbery and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Spicuzza, who was 38.

Her kids were her world, Contreras told the TV outlet. Her family was her world. She literally was the person you want your daughter to grow up to be.

[ Uber driver begged for her life, talked of four children before she was fatally shot by customer ]

Calvin Crew

Spicuzzas body was found in Monroeville in Allegheny County. A dashcam video recovered by authorities allegedly showed the passenger pull out a gun during the Feb. 11 Uber ride and tell Spicuzza to keep driving, according to a transcript published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Im begging you, I have four kids, Spicuzza reportedly told the man.

Funeral services were held at Monroeville Assembly of God church Monday evening.
The Kino cultural complex on Cork's Washington Street is set to reopen on Monday night February 28, as a fully-licenced bar and nightclub, according to new operators Banger Productions.

The 250-cap venue, which over the years has functioned as an arthouse cinema and gig venue, is being pivoted toward a nightclubbing space in its newest incarnation, with the current daytime coffee-shop coming to a close.

Regular events are set to include the Ceol Ti house-music night on Tuesday, and 'Thirsty Thursdays', as well as a weekly open-mic night on Wednesdays, open to all genres from 7pm until close.

"We've been knocking on many doors for the last four years of different clubs, to bring our ideas," says Banger Productions' Chloe Gonzalez, "and they listened to us, but they didn't really see the vision. Like, we really are trying to bring that more modern nightlife that you see in the UK and elsewhere to Cork."

The venue's new management reached an agreement with its owner to keep the doors open after Covid lockdowns and several management changes in recent years.

"We were after doing an event in the Kino in December, obviously, when all the restrictions were going on, and we were talking to the people who were there and managing it at the time," Gonzalez says. "They loved our ideas, and we were on the way to making it our residence space, but then they closed."

As Covid restrictions eased, Gonzalez and co got their plans back on track.

"We're really confident that we are going to succeed, because I definitely think we do want to bring a whole different vibe to the nightlife of Cork," says Gonzalez.

New management at The Kino: Blue and Chloe Gonzalez.

The promoters are looking to make their mark, and build on their work in the local events and entertainment space, including smaller Cork venues like the Suas upstairs bar on North Main Street. But they're emerging at a time of change for Cork's music scene as the Covid crisis has altered gig-going habits and the city's nightlife alike.

"It's been really difficult for club owners over the pandemic, a lot of places haven't opened their doors again, which is really sad to see. I think people are still afraid after a few months [to head out], which is completely understandable.

"For younger people, once there's somewhere there for them to go and play the music that they want, they'll come along, especially in the spot that it's in."

Longer-term, the owners of the Kino have had plans approved for the demolition of the current building, and the creation of a five-storey student accommodation development on the site. Plans for that development include a cinema, performing arts space and cafe/bar on the ground floor.

In the meantime, the new management say that they're open to local promoters, artists and DJs about working in collaboration on events.

"We're open to everything, and if it works, it works. We just want to try as much as we can - you're not going to succeed unless you try. We're very open-minded people, very welcoming to whoever wants to come in, look at the space, have a conversation with us, and see what we can do with them," says Gonzalez.
A third-level institute has been ordered for a third time by a state employment watchdog to pay victimisation compensation to the same law lecturer.

The new 25,000 victimisation compensation to Kathleen Moore Walsh now brings to a total of 45,000 Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) has been ordered to pay the US national in victimisation compensation since 2004.

In reaching the decision ordering WIT to make the 25,000 award under the Employment Equality Act, Workplace Relations Commission Adjudicator Breiffni ONeill noted that the previous two awards do not appear to have had the desired objective of being dissuasive as WIT lecturer, Ms Moore Walsh has once again been victimised.

Read More Tribunal awards lecturer 15,000 for victimisation

After reviewing evidence heard over three days in the case, Mr ONeill found that Ms Moore Walsh was victimised when WIT failed to re-run a 2013 interview process it repeatedly committed to re-running as a direct result of Ms Moore Walsh having taken proceedings against WIT.

In 2013, Ms Moore Walsh was unsuccessful at interview for the post of Assistant Head at WITs Dept of Humanities. Previously in 2004, an Equality Officer ordered WIT to pay Ms Moore Walsh 15,000 compensation for victimisation and this was reduced to 5,000 on appeal to the Labour Court.

Two years later in 2006, an Equality Officer ordered WIT to pay Ms Moore Walsh 15,000 concerning a separate successful victimisation claim and this award was not appealed to the Labour Court.

2013 interview

Ms Moore Walsh lost out in the 2013 interview process to a male colleague and the President of WIT agreed to appoint an external investigator of the process and put the appointment on hold after Ms Moore Walsh raised concerns that the chair of the interview panel had previously given evidence against her at a Labour Court hearing.

The external investigation found that the interview panel chair had mentioned Ms Moore Walshs previous claims against WIT to the interview board before the interview started.

The investigation also found that the interview chair ought not to have been assigned to an interview board where Ms Moore Walsh was a candidate, given the prior existence of a perception of bias and that Ms Moore Walsh had been adversely impacted by her experience at interview.

WITs then HR Manager confirmed to Ms Moore Walsh that WIT would stage a fresh interview process in response to the findings made by the external investigation.

Ms Moore Walsh submitted a fresh victimisation complaint arising from the 2013 interview process to the Equality Tribunal which found in November 2016 that Ms Moore Walsh was victimised.

However, this ruling was subsequently set aside by the Labour Court in December 2017 after it concluded that the 2013 process was outside the scope of the six-month period that it could review. In 2018, WIT then proceeded to appoint the successful male candidate from the 2013 interview process.

WRC findings

In his findings, Mr ONeill found that Ms Moore Walsh was subjected to adverse treatment by WIT when they failed to re-run the 2013 interview process despite an external report, commissioned by themselves, recommending that they do so.

Mr ONeill also found that the decision not to re-run the 2013 interview process, and the decision to instead appoint the successful candidate from that process, was in reaction to Ms Moore Walsh having taken legal proceedings.

Mr ONeill stated that WIT had made the 2018 appointment from the impugned interview process despite informing Ms Moore Walsh on numerous occasions that they would re-run it and obtaining permission from the Department of Education in 2014 to do so.

Mr ONeill also pointed out that WIT had told the Labour Court in 2017 that it proposed to re-run the 2013 competition process. Mr ONeill has also ordered WIT to instigate a binding appeal mechanism for interview candidates who wish to appeal the outcome of an interview process.

He has also ordered WIT to communicate the identities of those on every interview panel to all candidates involved in a selection process at least three days in advance of the interview taking place. Ms Moore Walsh has been employed as a lecturer with WIT since 31 October 1997 and earns a monthly salary of 7,054.

Ms Moore Walsh's claims

Ms Moore Walsh told the WRC that the successful male candidate was appointed five-and-a-half years after from an interview process that was found to have been tainted by her victimisation and was heavily criticised in an independent report commissioned by WIT itself.

Represented by Adrian Twomey, Jacob and Twomey Solicitors, Ms Moore Walsh stated that no consideration was ever given to any skills, experience or qualifications that any of the candidates had accrued in the intervening period and no new candidates were considered.

Ms Moore Walsh stated that it was astonishing that WIT would rely on the Labour Courts 2017 determination to justify ignoring the external investigators report and failing to abide by its own undertakings to her.

WIT claims

At the WRC, WIT stated that Ms Moore Walsh had challenged a process concerning a promotional vacancy both internally and externally, and ultimately, the matter was resolved by the Labour Court December 2017 ruling.

WIT stated that that was the end of the matter and it was entitled thereafter to implement the decision that had originally been made but which had been put on hold for very many years by reason of Ms Moore Walshs proceedings.

WIT stated that it relies on the decision of the Labour Court and submitted that the new WRC case by Ms Moore Walsh is an attempt by Ms Moore Walsh to, in effect, re-litigate a case in which she has been unsuccessful.

WIT added that this is an abuse of process and should be dismissed on the basis that the complaint does not disclose a prima facie case, and secondly, the application is without merit.

Ms ONeill did not uphold Ms Moore Walshs separate discrimination claim on the grounds of gender.
The UK and EU have reiterated their determination to find durable solutions to the Northern Ireland Protocol after a meeting on the contentious trading arrangements ended without a breakthrough.

UK foreign secretary Liz Truss and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic issued a joint statement after taking stock of progress in negotiations to reduce red tape associated with the disputed Irish Sea trade rules.

On Monday, Ms Truss and Mr Sefcovic jointly chaired an EU/UK committee on the implementation of the protocol.

Afterwards, Mr Sefcovic said intensified negotiations over recent months to find an agreed settlement had so far resulted in neither a breakthrough nor a breakdown.

Mr Sefcovic, who described his relationship with Ms Truss as positive, said talks would continue with a laser focus on practical solutions.

Negotiations are anticipated to be more low key in the coming weeks and months, with both sides mindful of the imminent Assembly election campaign in Northern Ireland.

Asked about a deadline for progress, Mr Sefcovic told a press conference in Brussels that the EU was not in the business of setting artificial deadlines.

With Liz Truss we are determined to keep our eyes on the ball to find durable solutions for the benefit of Northern Ireland, he said.

Mr Sefcovic added: My objective remains the same  to provide Northern Ireland and all stakeholders on the ground with stability, predictability and opportunities stemming from the protocol.

Loyalists in Northern Ireland are opposed to the protocol (PA)

Ultimately, this is the only way to protect the hard-earned gains of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement in all its dimensions, while avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and minimising disruptions caused by Brexit without compromising the integrity of the EUs single market.

The protocol has created new economic barriers on trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Agreed by the UK and EU to ensure no hardening of the Irish land border post-Brexit, it has instead moved regulatory and customs checks to the Irish Sea, with Northern Ireland remaining in the EU single market for goods. The region also applies the EU customs code at its ports.

Unionists and loyalists claim the arrangements have undermined the sovereignty of the UK, but a majority of Assembly members at Stormont support the protocol, claiming it offers Northern Ireland a degree of protection from what they portray as the negative economic consequences of Brexit.

Earlier this month, the main unionist party in the region  the DUP  withdrew its first minister from Stormonts powersharing executive in protest against the protocol  a move that effectively collapsed the administration and removed its power to take significant decisions.

The joint statement issued by the EU and UK on Monday stated: Vice president Sefcovic and Foreign Secretary Truss underlined that the UK and EU share an overriding commitment to protect the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement of April 10 1998 in all its dimensions.

Vice president Sefcovic and Foreign Secretary Truss took stock of the intensified and constructive talks that have taken place between them over the last months.

They underlined the ongoing determination of both parties to ensure that the outstanding issues in the context of the protocol are addressed, and durable solutions found for the benefit of citizens, businesses and stability in Northern Ireland.

The joint statement continued: In addition, vice president Sefcovic and Foreign Secretary Truss reiterated the importance of further engagement, including with the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, and wider Northern Ireland civic society and business.

Vice president Sefcovic and Foreign Secretary Truss noted that the joint bodies established by the Withdrawal Agreement should meet regularly, and agreed to discuss any point raised by the EU or the UK that is of relevance to the Withdrawal Agreement in general.
Day after day, immigrants arrive in Ireland to take up new jobs, begin studies in a new college, and start an adventure with new friends.

Central to all of that is finding somewhere to live  a new home, away from the one they left behind, in search of a better life.

One young Italian professional woman says that trying to find a room in Dublin is like falling in a dangerous hell after her experience.

In the past few weeks, she received offers that hinted at sex being required when replying to three separate advertisements online.

In one, the prospective landlord told her he wanted photos of her and her future housemates before giving them an appointment to view the property. He also said he only wanted females to move in and was looking for fun to cover rent.

Another advertiser told her he wanted someone who would share a bed with him in a property he was hoping to secure, because he wanted to half the rent for the room. When she refused the offer, he texted her to ask if she would like to be his girlfriend.

The third advertiser replied to her query telling her that a room and himself came together for 200 per month.

What if there is someone more desperate than me and would accept it because of no other choice? she said, adding that there are more people looking for rooms in Dublin than the number of rooms available.

Vulnerable foreign nationals

The woman believes foreign nationals are targeted with sex-for-rent offers because they are seen as vulnerable.

If we come here, it is because maybe the situation in our own nation is not so good so they think we are desperate. We are looking for a better future for ourselves. We are at the start point so we are more fragile, we dont really know people.

On Thursday, Justice Minister Helen McEntee told the Dail that sex-for-rent practices are currently not illegal but said that the Justice and Housing departments are now working together to address the issue, with advice from the Attorney General, Paul Gallagher.

Ms McEntee told the Dail, It is not a criminal offence, I would like to see it as a criminal offence. It is appalling behaviour. It is the worst type of preying on victims and we need to make sure that we stamp it out.

She was responding to the chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on housing, local government, and heritage, Steven Matthews, who said sex-for-rent practices were morally reprehensible and said they may not even be legitimate tenancies.

Social Democrats housing spokesman Cian OCallaghan, is a member of the same committee.

He said it is particularly worrying that a number of migrant women have been targeted as they don't have networks here to support them, as Irish people would have.

He said: They would have less of an ability perhaps to get support, to get advice. This really needs a very fast response from government."

His party colleague, Limerick councillor Elisa O'Donovan, said she was not surprised to hear about this behaviour, given that she was subjected to a similar treatment a number of years ago.

When I was seeking accommodation when I moved home to Limerick in 2014 I was inappropriately propositioned and contacted by landlords after viewing properties, Ms O'Donovan said.

She said the ongoing housing crisis meant people are desperate for accommodation.

Opportunistic landlords are aware of this and are taking advantage of people in desperate situations.

Of course, female international students are targeted in particular because there is a significant power imbalance in these situations. It is completely unacceptable behaviour by these men Ms O'Donovan added.

A spokesman for Threshold, the national housing charity, said the lack of housing options is leaving many tenants  and people trying to access private rented housing  vulnerable and at risk of such predatory behaviour.

Noeline Blackwell, chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said: We would absolutely condemn any propositioning of a person on any variation of sex for rent. Any such intimidation, threat, or coercion is contrary to Irish law, which stipulates that sexual actions must be voluntary and freely given."

Womens Aid chief executive Sarah Benson said the request for sex in lieu of rent for accommodation is an incredibly exploitative and enormously abusive tactic that targets the vulnerability of people in the rental market.

She added: It is an enormous abuse of power trying to leverage literally the roof over somebodys head in exchange for violating their bodily autonomy.

Ms ODonovan, Threshold, Ms Blackwell, and Ms Benson are at one in urging anyone either offered or living in a sex-for-rent arrangement to contact gardai.

However, Garda authorities have told the committee on housing, local government, and heritage, that the Garda Siochana Analysis Service has not found any incidents in relation to sex for rent.

In correspondence, the gardai outlined that there is no specific incident type on the Pulse system, no Irish Crime Classification System crime type, or no legislative Act that GSAS could rely upon to capture relevant incidents; essentially, there is currently no way for gardai to record an incident of this nature.

The correspondence said that a series of Pulse Incident keyword searches were conducted to identify any similar incidents recorded to gardai since January 1, 2021, but none were found. The searches included extortion and coercion, according to the correspondence.

Our investigation

The committee's scrutiny on this issue follows an investigation by the Irish Examiner in December, which revealed that properties were being offered for low or no rent in return for sex in Limerick and Dublin.

One of the properties unearthed by the Irish Examiner was a house in Newcastle West, Limerick which would be shared with the landlord. He advertised a room in his house for a single lady with a twist. The ad said: Can do reduced rent for occasional fun. When contacted by a prospective tenant, the landlord made it clear that sexual activity was required on a weekly basis in return for rent of 200 for the first month and 250 per month thereafter.

One of the Dublin properties was offered for free in return for a friends with benefits arrangement. The advertisement read: Hey currently have a room to rent in North county Dublin, not looking to rent for cash but instead a fwb situation. Strictly applies to females, no males will be considered.

A spokesman for the Department of Housing said that both the Department of Housing and the Department of Justice are continuing to consider the advice received a month ago from the Attorney General, Paul Gallagher, to see what action is necessary to address these exploitative practices.

In recent correspondence to Sinn Fein's housing spokesman Eoin O Broin, Ms McEntee, said: I was concerned to read reports of advertisements of the kind referred to where properties are offered for rent in return for sexual favours. It goes without saying that, as Minister for Justice, I do not want to see a situation where people in vulnerable positions are taken advantage of or forced to provide sexual services.

Mr O Broin said it is now time for action on the practice.

Its been over six weeks since the Irish Examiner reported this scandal and given that the Attorney General has now reported to Minister Darragh OBrien, what we need to hear is what the Minister is going to do," he said.

The focus should not be just on the individuals who are offering such arrangements, he said, but also on the online platforms hosting the advertisements.

He said if the Attorney Generals advice is that legislation needs to be changed, there needs to be coordinated joint action from Mr OBrien and Ms McEntee.

Mr O Broin added: This is a matter of urgency. We cannot allow even one more of these ads or even one more person to be subjected to this kind of appalling behaviour and therefore it is incumbent on the minister to respond publicly and then act.

Recent research by UK housing and homeless charity Shelter shows that the problem is by no means unique to Ireland. That research suggested that 30,000 women in Britain were propositioned with sex-for-rent arrangements between March 2020 and January 2021. There has been no such survey carried out in Ireland.

Ms McEntee told the Dail on Thursday that it is difficult to know the prevalence of the practice in Ireland. She said that there had been a suggestion that a survey could have been carried out by the Residential Tenancies Board but she said: It was felt that this is a very personal and very difficult thing for somebody to respond to in a survey.

She added that such a survey would have been of landlords and tenants, which would not have covered all situations.

In the UK, the House of Lords has accepted an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill which would create a new offence of arranging or facilitating the requirement or acceptance of sexual relations as a condition of rental accommodation. If the legislation makes it through the House of Commons, the maximum sentence on conviction would be seven years.

And in recent days, the UK's safeguarding minister, Rachel Maclean, said the Online Safety Bill currently working its way through parliament will include offences relating to the incitement and control of prostitution for gain in the list of priority offences which internet companies will need to take proactive steps to tackle.

That legislation is aimed at user-to-user sites, where the majority of sex-for-rent advertising takes place, while police are being trained in dealing the issue.
THE profound impact of his Byzantine catholic upbringing on one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century is explored in Andy Warhol: Revelation at the Brooklyn Museum in New York until June 19. Catholicism is not the first thing that springs to mind when considering Andy Warhol but it greatly influenced his art and appeared frequently in his artworks.

From iconic portraits of celebrities to appropriated Renaissance masterpieces Warhol played with styles and symbolism from Catholic art history, reframing them within the context of Pop art. He retained some catholic rituals throughout his life while unapologetically living as a gay man.
A 22-year-old Cork man was killed following an accident on the Killarney Forest Rally on Sunday afternoon.

The incident occurred on the days fourth stage at about 2pm during the second running of the Mount Eagle stage that finished to the east of the village of Cordal in Kerry.

It is believed the competing car went off a forest road. No other vehicle was involved.

Emergency services were deployed to the scene as quickly as possible and the event was halted.

The competitor, who was seriously injured, was taken by ambulance from the scene to a nearby location from where he was airlifted to Cork University Hospital.

A second member of the crew was then taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital but his injuries are not believed to be serious.

The event organisers issued a statement on Sunday night: "The Killarney and District Motor Club regrets to inform that following an accident on stage four of the Killarney Forest Rally, a competitor succumbed to his injuries and passed away in Cork University Hospital tonight [Sunday].

"We extend our sympathies to his family and friends. May he Rest in Peace."

Earlier in the morning, the crews had traversed the same stage as the opening stage of the rally without incident.

Gardai have commenced an investigation into the accident and Motorsport Ireland will conduct its own inquiry into the tragedy.
Panda, torchbearer of diplomacy, celebrated

(China Daily) 15:20, February 21, 2022

Half a century after Nixon's China visit, mascot keeps working its magic

They have large heads, large eyes, no neck, a pear-shaped body, fat legs, a bulging tummy, and short arms, but for the past 50 years, giant pandas from China have captured the hearts of people in the United States.

This week marks the 50th anniversary of former US president Richard Nixon's historic visit to the People's Republic of China. During the visit with first lady Pat Nixon, Chairman Mao Zedong promised that two giant pandas would be sent to the US. He fulfilled the promise and "panda diplomacy" began between the two countries. Nixon reciprocated by sending China a pair of musk oxen.

On April 16, 1972, 18-month-old giant pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing arrived at Maryland's Andrews Air Force Base and were taken by police escort to the National Zoo in Washington.

The gift of the placid, black-and-white bears was part of China's long-standing tradition of panda diplomacy that began during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) when Empress Wu Zetian sent a pair of pandas to the Japanese emperor.

"It's soft power," said Andrew J.Nathan, a political-science professor at Columbia University who specializes in Chinese politics and foreign policy. "Pandas are very cute and lovable," he told The New York Times. "So it fits into that kind of friendship diplomacy image," he added.

When the National Zoo presented the bears, it declared April 20 to be "Panda Day". Twenty thousand peopleincluding Pat Nixonsaw the pandas. "New pandas melt hearts at national zoo," declared a headline in The New York Times.

What followed at the zoo in the nation's capital were huge crowds and pandemoniumboth of which continue to this day at US zoos with giant pandas.

Top attraction

The following Sunday, 75,000 people went to the National Zoo and waited in a line going back hundreds of meters to catch a glimpse of the bears. They continued to be the National Zoo's top attraction until Ling-Ling died in 1992, followed by Hsing-Hsing seven years later.

The pair produced five cubs, but none survived more than a few days. The Panda House remained empty until 2000 when the Chinese government reached an agreement with the US for two new giant pandas. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian will reside at the zoo until their return to China in 2023.Their first cub, Tai Shan, returned to China in 2010, and Mei Xiang gave birth to a female cub named Bao Bao in 2013.

The National Zoo is one of three zoos in the US that have pandas; the others are Zoo Atlanta and Memphis Zoo in Tennessee. Three pandas born in the US remain in the country: Xiao Qi Ji, born at the National Zoo in 2020, and Ya Lun and Xi Lun, twins born at Zoo Atlanta in 2016.

The San Diego Zoo had pandas from 1996 to 2019, when its contract with China ended. Donald Lindburg, the zoo's former director of giant panda research, said the enduring appeal of the animals, for both the zoo and its visitors, was simple: "They're beautiful."

Megan Owen, vice-president of conservation science at the zoo's Wildlife Alliance, a conservation organization that operates the zoo and its safari park, told China Daily that the pandas "marked a new era for global diplomacy and wildlife conservation".

"The seed of friendship sowed 50 years ago has born many fruits and has touched many aspects and corners of our two countries," she said. "We can't wait to welcome the next pair of giant pandas to San Diego Zoo to carry the torch of friendship."

Zoos benefit from the increased number of visitors and revenue that pandas generate, helping to offset the cost of acquiring and keeping the animals.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
A proposal by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to consider renaming a Queens post office that honors LGBTQ rights pioneers is sparking outrage among local activists.

Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens, Bronx) is soliciting suggestions for the Jeanne and Jules Manford Post Office Building in Jackson Heights, a representative for the congresswomans office told Community Board 3 in Queens last week.

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Jeanne Manford is considered to have been the first parent to march with their child in an LGBTQ parade a half century ago. She went on to found PFLAG, the countrys first LGBTQ group designed to build solidarity between parents and LGBTQ children, with support from her husband, Jules.

The Jeanne and Jules Manford Post Office Building in Queens. (Google)

A name change would erase our history, fumed former City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Queens), who worked with AOCs predecessor Joseph Crowley to name the post office for the Manfords five years ago.

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Is it that she doesnt know our history? Did they not check to see who the post office is named after right now? Does she not know who Jeanne Manford was? Dromm said to the Daily News on Sunday.

An Ocasio-Cortez spokeswoman said its typical for members of Congress to consider new names for local post offices and suggestions are being sought for a Corona, Queens, post office as well.

She said the congresswoman is very open to keeping the Manford name.

Well consider all community input, AOC spokeswoman Lauren Hitt told The News. It seemed like a small but interesting way to engage our community in the legislative process.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at 'Get Out the Vote' rally on Feb. 12 in San Antonio, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The renaming idea began with a community suggestion to honor the late LGBTQ activist Lorena Borjas, according to Hitt.

You dont take one pioneer of the LGBT movement and pit them against another person, Dromm said.

Longtime LGBTQ activist Allen Roskoff, the head of the influential Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, also denounced the proposal.

How dare she put our communitys heritage up for a popularity contest or a vote, he said. We are outraged.

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Dromm and Roskoff, both progressive veterans of LGBTQ struggles, said they generally support Ocasio-Cortez.

I like her policies, but this is typical of her not being connected to the community, said Dromm, who helped Jeanne Manford found PFLAGs Queens chapter and left the Council due to term limits at the end of last year.

The Manfords and their son Morty are deceased, he noted.

We have been hidden from the public for so many years, Dromm said. We want to create that visibility for the community and keep that history alive.
US president Joe Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with Vladimir Putin, provided Russia holds off on what American officials believe is an imminent assault on Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the US administration has been clear that America is committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins.

Ms Psaki said of the proposed meeting brokered by French president Emmanuel Macron: We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war.

And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe, provided Russia does not invade Ukraine.

The chorus is growing louder every day. We urge the Russian government to de-escalate and choose the path of diplomacy. I stand alongside leaders who are #UnitedWithUkraine. pic.twitter.com/aoM2UfMAdm  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 20, 2022

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Mr Putin and Mr Biden could meet if they consider it necessary, but emphasised that its premature to talk about specific plans for a summit.

The meeting is possible if the leaders consider it feasible, he said in a conference call with reporters.

Russia has rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraines northern border, a move that US leaders claimed put Russia another step closer to a planned invasion.

Demonstrators holding a huge Ukrainian flag march along the street in Odessa (AP)

This action extends what the Kremlin said were military exercises, originally set to end on Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraines neighbour to the north.

They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraines borders, along with tanks, warplanes and artillery.

The continued deployment of the Russian forces in Belarus raised concern that Russia could send those troops into the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about three million people less than a three-hour drive away.

A US official said that Mr Bidens assertion that Mr Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack.

A Ukrainian serviceman pauses while walking to a frontline position outside Popasna, in the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine (AP)

The United States and many European countries have claimed for weeks that Mr Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine  a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russias orbit  and is now trying to create pretexts to invade.

Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Mr Putin moves his forces into Ukraine.

US officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called for the West to do more.

If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesnt exist anymore as a deterrent, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox News.

Russia held nuclear drills on Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval manoeuvres off the coast in the Black Sea.

The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraines soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict.

Mr Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russias military build-up.

Meanwhile, US vice president Kamala Harris said at a security conference in Munich, Germany: Were talking about the potential for war in Europe.

Its been over 70 years, and through those 70 years  there has been peace and security.

After a call with Mr Macron, Mr Putin blamed Ukraine  incorrectly, according to observers there  for the escalation of shelling along the contact line, as well as Nato for pumping modern weapons and ammunition into Ukraine.

Mr Macron also spoke separately to Mr Zelensky, to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and to Mr Biden.

In the eastern Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilisation and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories.

Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action.

Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border.

Ukraines military said two soldiers died after the separatist side opened fire on Saturday.

Mr Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview on Russian state television: When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation, can lead to irreparable consequences.
Burma Junta Airstrikes Hit Lower Myanmar as Fighting Intensifies

Junta troops traveling in an armored column in Kayah State. / Loikaw PDF

The Myanmar junta has launched airstrikes in and around the town of Moebye in Kayah State, where intense clashes between regime soldiers and Peoples Defense Forces (PDF) have been taking place since last Wednesday.

Fighting broke out on February 16 when two junta armored cars and over one thousand regime soldiers entered Heigh Kwee Dam and War Yi Phu Pha Lai Village near Moebye.

Resistance fighters from Moebye PDF, Loikaw PDF, Demoso PDF, Pekon PDF, Karenni Army, Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, Karenni Generation Z Army, Fight for Justice and other groups are battling the military regime forces.

One resistance fighter told The Irrawaddy that there have been daily junta air and artillery strikes in and around Moebye.

While we are talking, the airstrikes are coming, he said.

The fighting is still going on. It has been six days now, he added.

War Yi Phu Pha Lai and Wi Thae Ku Shar villages, which are close to the border of Kayah and Shan states, are seeing the most intense clashes.

On Monday, PDF fighters claimed to have killed a number of regime soldiers. One resistance fighter was killed.

Last Thursday, around 20 PDF fighters died in the fighting. However, the PDFs claim that junta casualties are far higher.

A local resident told The Irrawaddy that artillery based in Pekon Township has been firing at least five times a day.

The blast from the artillery shakes the walls of our houses. Some walls are cracking now.

Thousands of people from Moebye, Pekon and the town of Nan Mei Khon have fled the fighting.

Over 170,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Kayah State, with clashes taking place almost daily in Loikaw and Demoso townships, according to the Karenni Human Rights Group, which is helping the refugees.

Some 120,000 of those displaced are still in Kayah State, taking shelter at monasteries and in the forest, after being forced from their homes by junta raids and air and artillery strikes. The largest number of refugees come from Demoso Township.



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Burma Myanmar Junta Rejects ASEAN Envoys Request to Meet Shadow Govt Representatives

Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn speaks during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat press conference in Phnom Penh on Feb. 17, 2022. / AFP

The Myanmar junta on Sunday rejected a regional special envoys request to meet with a group of ousted lawmakerswhich it has branded a terrorist groupamid attempts to break a yearlong political stalemate since the coup.

Myanmar has been in chaos, with its economy paralyzed and more than 1,500 civilians killed in a military crackdown since the putsch in February 2021, according to a local monitoring group.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)a 10-country blochas been at the forefront of diplomatic efforts to end the crisis, which triggered mass protests and a brutal crackdown on dissent, including 12,000 people arrested.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, the new ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar, told a meeting of the blocs foreign ministers Thursday that he planned to visit in March and meet with top junta officials.

With backing from Malaysia, he has also sought to meet with members of a National Unity Government dominated by lawmakers from Daw Aung San Suu Kyis ousted party that is working to overthrow the junta.

Myanmars Foreign Ministry issued a statement late on Sunday saying it would promote constructive cooperation with ASEAN including the special envoy.

However, it could not agree to the special envoy engaging with unlawful associations and terrorist groups because they were perpetrating violence and pursuing (a) total destructive path.

The ministry said the suggestion was contrary to the principles of the ASEAN charter but also undermines ASEANs counterterrorism efforts.

The ministry again urges the two members not to use ASEAN platforms to make such comments and encourages [them] to condemn the terrorist acts, the statement said.

In May last year the junta declared the NUG terrorists. It has jailed several high-ranking members of Daw Aung San Suu Kyis party.

Most NUG members are in exile or in hiding and Prak Sokhonn gave no details on where or when any future meeting might take place.

Myanmars top diplomat was barred from Thursdays meeting in Phnom Penh over a lack of progress in defusing the violence, although Prak Sokhonn said junta representatives had been allowed to listen in on discussions.



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Burma Myanmar Junta Team to Make 1st Appearance Before ICJ in Rohingya Genocide Case

The ICJ holds a hearing on Myanmars case in December 2019. / ICJ

Myanmars junta is set to replace Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the UNs top court Monday as it seeks to dismiss a case over the alleged genocide of Rohingya Muslims.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi personally presented Myanmars arguments at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) when the case was first heard in December 2019, but was ousted as civilian leader in a military coup last year.

The Nobel peace laureate, who faced criticism from rights groups for her involvement in the case, is now under house arrest and trial by the same generals she defended in The Hague.

In its preliminary objections on Monday, Myanmar will argue that the court has no jurisdiction over the case, and must throw it out before it moves on to substantive hearings.

Local Myanmar media said the junta has a new delegation led by Ko Ko Hlaing, international cooperation minister, and Thida Oo, attorney general, who will attend virtually.

Both have been hit with US sanctions over the coup.

The case brought by the mainly Muslim African nation of Gambia accuses predominantly Buddhist Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya minority over a bloody 2017 military crackdown.

The ICJ made a provisional order in January 2020 that Myanmar must take all measures to prevent the alleged genocide of the Rohingya while the years-long proceedings are under way.

Bloody crackdown

Gambia will make its counter-arguments on Wednesday.

Around 850,000 Rohingya are languishing in camps in neighboring Bangladesh while another 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmars southwestern Rakhine State.

The ICJ was set up after World War II to rule on disputes between UN member states. Its judgments are binding but it has no real means to enforce them.

The Rohingya case at the ICJ has been complicated by the coup that ousted Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her civilian government, and triggered mass protests and a bloody military crackdown. More than 1,500 civilians have been killed, according to a local monitoring group.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi now faces trial herself in Myanmar on a raft of charges that could see her jailed for more than 150 years.

Ahead of the hearing, the shadow National Unity Government dominated by lawmakers from Daw Aung San Suu Kyis ousted party said it, not the junta, is the proper representative of Myanmar at the ICJ in the case.

It also rejects Myanmars preliminary objections, saying the hearings for these should be canceled and the court should quickly get down to the hearing of the substantive case.

The NUG holds no territory and has not been recognized by any foreign government, and has been declared a terrorist organization by the junta.

Gambia accuses Myanmar of breaching the 1948 UN genocide convention.

Its case is backed by the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Canada and the Netherlands.



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Burma Myanmar People Urged to Join Six Twos Revolution General Strike Against Regime

Myanmar anti-military regime protesters in Mandalay during the 22222 (Five Twos) popular uprising on Feb. 22, 2021. / The Irrawaddy

Anti-regime forces have called on the Myanmar people to join a mass protest planned for Tuesday that is being referred to as the Regathering for the Six Twos Revolution, a reference to the date, 22.2.2022. The protest is also being referred to as Revolt by the Rural, Defiance by the Urban.

Last year on Feb. 22 (22.2.2021), three weeks after the military seized power, protesters across Myanmar took to the streets in a general strike known as the Five Twos Revolution, in one of the largest nationwide shows of opposition to the military.

People have been urged to take to the streets in the Six Twos Revolution wearing bamboo or other hats as well as Thanakha, a traditional face powder, and holding flowers and bouquets. People, if possible, are also urged to scatter papers bearing anti-coup slogans along with flowers, raise a three-finger salute and bang pots and pans at 8 p.m.

Strike committees have urged the people to join the protest by any other means if they are not able to participate in said activities.

Millions of people took to the streets in last years Five Twos revolution. And we want to organize a campaign on Feb. 22 this year in which millions of people can participate. We want to show that people still oppose military rule and that the anti-coup movements remain strong, said Ko Khant Wai Phyo, a member of the Monywa General Strike Committee.

We always have trust in the people. People have time and again shown that they are totally against the coup and military dictatorship. I believe we will be able to show it again tomorrow. So, we have suggested those methods which we think can allow people to subtly show their opposition with minimum risk to themselves, he said.

Over 30 general strike committees from different parts of Myanmar led by the General Strike Coordination Body (GSCB) have called for the strike. Myanmar expats in foreign countries, celebrities and activists have also called on the people to join the mass demonstrations on Tuesday.

Activists and Buddhist monks in Mandalay took to the streets on Monday, urging the people to join the Six Twos Revolution.

The leader of a womens alliance in Mandalay, Ma Aye Myint Aung Aung, said: At this time last year, many people across the country took to the streets. But, mass demonstrations cant be held this year. So, we have suggested the ways people can participate in the protest. And I would like to urge the people to join the protest.

Meanwhile, pro-junta Telegram accounts issued threats against activists who show support for the Six Twos Revolution, urging the regime to arrest those who back the general strike on social media.

GCSB spokesman Ko Nan Lin told The Irrawaddy: The military regime and its pillars are really frightened by public campaigns. So, they have used threats to deter the people from participating in those campaigns. They are trying to instill fear in people because they are frightened by public campaigns. In no country are people arrested for holding flowers and wearing Thanakha. I want to urge the people not to worry about threats from the other side.

He added: Every public activity is a serious blow to the military regime. Fighting is not the only answer in the Spring Revolution. There will be progress in this revolution only when we make collaborative efforts through military, political and diplomatic means and public campaigns.



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Not all slaves looking for freedom followed the network of the Underground Railroad to the northern states and Canada. Until recently, one of Floridas largest contributions to African American history has gone largely unrecognized: Its role in the original Underground Railroad.

During this years commemoration of our nations Black history, in partnership with the HistoryMiami Museum bring details from the Saltwater Underground Railroad to life right here in our backyard of Key Biscayne.

Come to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Feb. 27 and join Park Rangers and the HistoryMiami Museum on an interactive walk and talk to learn more about the Saltwater Underground Railroad. For additional details and to sign-up for the program, email Ranger Kimberly at Kimberly.cooke@floridadep.gov.

Local historian Joan Gill Blank has documented our islands role as the springboard to freedom. During the early years of the 19th Century, hundreds of slaves in Florida and Alabama secretly set sail from Cape Florida to the British Bahamas. Over the years, many escaped slaves took refuge with Seminoles and some intermarried. They were called Seminole Negroes. It is estimated that just before the lighthouse was built at the southern end of Key Biscayne in the early 1820s, more than 300 men, women and children fled Cape Florida to freedom in the Bahamas. In small Bahamian sloops, dugouts and outriggers they took to the seas to reach the northwest end of Andros Island, settling at Red Bay and Nicolls Town.

Many did not make it, perishing during the attempt to reach freedom. Scipio Bowleg(s) (a vintage Seminole name and to this day familiar in the Bahamas), made it across in his dugout. And, a hundred years later, his grandson could still relate tales of his grandfathers crossing.

Spread the news about the history tour at Bill Baggs on Feb. 27.

Learn more about our islands fascinating history from your Key Biscayne neighbor and historian, Joan Gill Blank. Her book is: Key Biscayne, A History of Miamis Tropical Island and the Cape Florida Lighthouse. You can visit www.saltwaterrailroad.org for more historical information.
Thomas Suarez began playing chess before he even stepped foot into a classroom as a child.

It was a love and hobby instilled in him by his father  a way the two of them could connect and remain close over the years. Today, at age 17, chess remains at the forefront of Suarezs life.

But it now extends beyond just his father.

The junior at Gulliver Prep in Miami is sharing his interest in chess with a group of students at San Martin de Porres, a K-8 school with 300 students in Nejapa, a neighborhood in Managua.

It is a school he became familiar with when living in Nicaragua through his middle school years, and where his parents continue living today. He moved to Miami his freshman year in high school and lives with his aunt.

Theyre just starting this (chess) program and they are an underprivileged school and I thought I might help, Suarez said of San Martin de Porres.

He raised $3,000 through tutoring others in both Chinese and math and was able to purchase 100 chess sets, two demonstration boards and 20 timer clocks for the school.

Suarez received a discount through the United States Chess Federation  from which he ordered the supplies, and which he is a member of  since the materials are being used for education.

The reason he became involved in San Martin, he said, is because it represents the Saint of Social Justice.

Community service to the school was important to me, Suarez said. A lot of people have gotten ahead with chess. They remind me of something I used to do and something that is fun.

They should all have access to something like that. Its an outlet for these kids. Its providing them an opportunity to move forward. That school is so close to my home; I will always keep it in my heart and my mind.

Suarezs father works for a company in Nicaragua. The Gulliver Prep student left Nicaragua as a young teenager because there was a lot of social unrest.

I wanted to finish my last year in Miami, he said.

Suarez attended American Nicaragua School through eighth grade, and while there, learned there was a chess school at San Martin. He became interested in their program, and set out to get to know the school.

Chess was kind of the big thing for the neighborhood, he said. Its just something that everybody played. I got into it pretty early myself. Its an entertaining game.

The thing about chess is that there are so many things that can happen in a chess match. You can play with many different people  have different strategies. The school that had this chess club, San Martin, had 12 students compete for national competitions in Nicaragua.

The tutoring Suarez has provided in order to fund the chess equipment is unrelated to Gulliver. He has been providing the services five days a week as a way to save money.

He tutors underclassmen at his school, friends, and siblings of friends. He has been studying Chinese since sixth grade, so Im proficient.

Asked why Chinese, he said when he lived in Nicaragua, there were two foreign language opportunities at his former school: French and Chinese.

French filled up fast. So he signed up for Chinese, and I ended up liking it.

He belongs to the Chinese Club at his school, the chess club, and in a community service club he said provides outreach to a school in Colombia.

Suarez wants to eventually  and possibly  pursue a career in computer science/mathematics and work in the software development field.

He visits his family every year in Nicaragua, having returned last summer and went back to visit the kids and it was fun.

It does feel nice to give back, he said. It feels like that was something important to me growing up.

Asked if chess is something his father continues teaching him, or if all is fair play these days, Suarez paused and responded, I think he has an advantage because of his experience.

To help:

If you are interested in helping Thomas Suarez fund more chess sets or timers for students at San Martin de Porres, email him at Thomas.Suarez@icloud.com
Ithaca, NY (14850)

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Rain likely. Low around 55F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

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Alice Springs founded software engineering firm HutSix is looking to expand into South Australia.

HutSix, which has its roots in custom software for remote health practitioners and Indigenous organisations, plans to expand into South Australia while continuing to tackle social equity disparity in regional and remote Australia.

The company has been meeting with AWS South Australia, 42, MIT, Lot Fourteen, Nik&Co Consulting and others to gauge support.

The first outcome is a sponsorship agreement with nonprofit, tuition-free coding education provider 42. HutSix will take on a cadre of cadets throughout the year.

HutSix CEO Brad Bellette and executive assistant Erika Hamilton presented their values and approach to a booked out audience of 42 students, and HutSix is excited to offer a workplace and mentorship to students who want to write code that brings change to a generation.

The company plans further visits to Adelaide during 2022 to form working relationships with others who want to to provide culturally appropriate technological solutions.
Management software company Xuno and Flexischools are combining their capabilities and technological expertise to make school software kinder and clearer to the ears.

Xuno is a school management and information system (SIS) that incorporates student management, welfare and communications. Schools use Xuno as a complete SIS solution or individual modules to augment other SIS products. Flexischools is an ordering, payments and communications platform for parents, schools, and suppliers.

The partnership will allow school communities better access to the modules and solutions that best meet their specific needs. Together, Xuno and Flexischools provide services to over 20% of Australias schools.

Schools want every element of their software to be at a high standard. When we listen to an orchestra, we expect that it is made up of individually skilled musicians. With school software, too often, our educators have had to put up with the cacophony of a one-person band  a bunch of instruments strapped together providing a range of sounds, none of them particularly pleasing, points out Xuno CEO Dr Kiki Tanousis.

Our system was born out of specialist products from the get-go. As leaders in student management, reporting and analytics, we recognise fellow leaders operating in parallel fields. Thats why we are delighted to work with Flexischools, he adds.

Flexischool founder and Inloop group CEO Geoff Austen advocates schools having access to the best of all worlds.

It is a pleasure to collaborate with Xuno, a like-minded group that runs some of the nations best-respected educational software. We have a long history of working with schools alongside other software and payment systems to deliver service and support for parents, the school and their in-house and third party service providers.

Austen says InLoops recently announced sale of the LanternPay business to Hicaps will allow the group to invest more time and resources into the Flexischools platform. Austen cites recent launch of the FLX debit card and savings app for students as an example.

Says Austen, It is a natural extension of the long relationship we have had with families across Australia  giving Aussie kids the convenience of cashless transacting in a safe and secure environment outside of school as well as inside.



Together, both are working to make elements of each others software appear in both systems.
Mayor Adams got snubbed on his own turf this weekend.

Prominent LGBTQ rights activist Allen Roskoff didnt invite Adams to his birthday party at Manhattans Zero Bond nightclub Saturday because of the mayors recent interest in hiring pastors with anti-gay views, the Daily News has learned.

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Allen Roskoff attends the 2015 LGBTQ Changemakers Award Ceremony at Macy's Herald Square in Manhattan, New York. (Bennett Raglin/WireImage)

Zero Bond, an exclusive club in NoHo, brimmed with Big Apple politicos for Roskoffs 72nd birthday bash, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, state Attorney General Letitia James, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and several current and former Council members.

But Adams  whos known to regularly patronize the members-only club and even held his election night victory party there in November  was conspicuously absent because Roskoff said he made a point of not inviting him.

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Why would I invite someone Im at war with? Roskoff told The News on Sunday.

New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams speaks at his election night victory party at Zero Bond on November 2, 2021, in Manhattan, New York. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Haute Living)

Adams has faced intense backlash from Roskoff and other LGTBQ community leaders since it emerged earlier this month that the mayor was looking to hire former Councilman Fernando Cabrera as the executive director of City Halls sprawling Office of Community Mental Health.

Hizzoner backed off picking Cabrera for the mental health job amid outrage over the ex-councilmans long history of anti-gay rhetoric  including offering praise for Ugandas notoriously homophobic government during a 2014 visit to the country.

Former City Councilman Fernando Cabrera (D-Bronx) (Angus Mordant/for New York Daily News)

But as first reported by The News last week, Adams then moved to find a new faith-based administration post for Cabrera, who is a Christian pastor in the Bronx.

Late Monday night, Adams announced Cabrera will serve as his senior faith adviser.

Adding to the controversy, Adams last week appointed Erick Salgado, another pastor with a long history of anti-gay and anti-abortion views, as an assistant commissioner for immigrant affairs. Prior to that, Adams tapped Gilford Monrose, a Brooklyn pastor who has criticized gay rights activists for demanding uncompromising acceptance, to lead his new Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships.

Asked how Adams spent Saturday night in light of Roskoffs Zero Bond snub, City Hall spokesman Fabien Levy declined to comment other than sharing a link to a tweet the mayor posted of himself meeting with former Yankee shortstop Alex Rodriguez in Midtown.

Entrance to Zero Bond nightclub in Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood. (Google Maps)

Roskoff, who has known Adams for decades and is the founder of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, said hes especially insulted by the mayors silence amid mounting criticism over his hires.

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He hasnt called me or anyone else in the gay community, as far as I know, to try to explain, he said.

Roskoff added: What is this City Hall? An employment agency for homophobes?

Allen Roskoff, a gay rights advocate, speaks during the March on Washington, Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on the 57th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran New York political consultant who worked for ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said Adams controversial appointments could have a strategic element to them.

He noted that marriage equality and other gay rights priorities may not be top-of-mind issues for the political base of outer-borough Black and Latino voters who carried Adams to victory in Novembers election.

If its a political calculation, he could say, So what? Sheinkopf said of the pushback to Adams appointments. He may have made a calculation that Latinos are more important citywide than gays.

Regardless of Adams reasoning, criticism over his appointments has grown in recent days.

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On Monday afternoon, the City Councils LGBTQ Caucus  which is made up of six Democratic members and one Republican  condemned Cabrera and Salgado and urged Adams to keep both men out of his administration.

We, the LGBTQ Caucus, stand firmly against these appointments, the members said in a joint statement. Our democratic government should represent the people, and its officers should be individuals on whom all New Yorkers can rely. Our city is home to plenty of qualified potential candidates for these roles.
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.
As a last-ditch diplomatic drive to prevent a full-scale war in Eastern Europe appeared to falter Monday, New York officials sized up the possible local threats rippling from the expected Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Western leaders have warned that the invasion is on track to begin this week and could result in the largest war in Europe since World War II, a conflict all but certain to rattle markets and yank the globe back into a new Cold War.

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Protestors hold signs protesting Russia's troop build-up and threat to invade Ukraine during a #StandWithUkraine" rally organized by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America outside the UN in Manhattan, New York on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News)

In New York, more than 4,500 miles from the brewing battle, the menace seemed remote, but the upheaval still carried dangers  a point underscored by Gov. Hochul, who convened her cabinet Sunday for a review of the states cybersecurity defenses.

The governor said her office has been in close contact with the White House and the federal Homeland Security Department, and that a cyberattack could upend New Yorks infrastructure.

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The reality is that because New York State is a leader in the finance, health care, energy and transportation sectors, our state is an attractive target for cybercriminals and foreign adversaries, Hochul said in a statement. It is my top priority to keep New Yorkers safe, and we will remain vigilant.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (Mary Altaffer/AP)

The governor said leaders in her cabinet would engage in continuing reviews of possible threats, and she asked New Yorkers to remain cognizant of possible cyberstrikes on their personal devices.

Mayor Adams, who has been in regular contact with the governor about security threats, directed the New York City Cyber Command to be on heightened alert, according to City Hall. Before taking office, Adams warned that a devastating cyberattack could freeze basic city systems like water and electricity.

Mayor Adams is regularly briefed by the police commissioner and the citys chief technology officer about potential threats and is aware of the potentially heightened threat now driven by world events, Fabien Levy, a City Hall spokesman, said in a statement.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

President Biden has said that he is convinced Russia intends to attack Ukraine, a neighboring nation of 44 million people in what was once the Soviet Union. Biden has described an imminent invasion that would strike at the capital city Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered an emotional, grievance-filled speech to his country Monday, declaring that it was madness that former republics of the Soviet Union had been allowed to leave. Ukraine has never had traditions of their own statehood, Putin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the history of Ukraine and the Soviet Union in his TV address to the Russian people.



Mr Putin described eastern Ukraine as ancient Russian lands.



Follow live updates here: https://t.co/CI7ZOdKzx4 pic.twitter.com/zKfoJKFiqu  Sky News (@SkyNews) February 21, 2022

Biden has dangled crippling sanctions over Putins head, but ruled out sending U.S. troops to Ukraine. The president noted in a TV interview this month that things could go crazy quickly if America creeps toward warfare with nuclear-armed Russia, a nation with a million-soldier-strong army.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. (AP)

President Emmanuel Macron of France spent some three hours on Sunday negotiating with Putin by phone. By days end, the contours of a possible meeting between Biden and Putin had surfaced.

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But the hope of a summit seemed to be slipping away Monday. Jake Sullivan, Bidens national security adviser, told ABC News that the chance of a diplomatic solution was diminishing hour by hour.

All signs look like President Putin and the Russians are proceeding with a plan to execute a major military invasion of Ukraine.  White House national security adviser Jake Sullivanhttps://t.co/NtIBeN4KzY pic.twitter.com/niHOv17Q8A  Good Morning America (@GMA) February 21, 2022

We have seen, just in the last 24 hours, further moves of Russian units to the border, Sullivan said. We couldnt predict the exact time or day, but it certainly looks like the Russians are proceeding.

The U.S. estimated last week that Russia has massed between 170,000 and 190,000 troops in and around Ukraine. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson charged in a BBC interview published Sunday that Russia has plotted the biggest war in Europe since 1945.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Angelo Roefaro, said that the United States will impose strong, robust and effective sanctions if Putin orders an invasion.

Flashes of violence erupted in Eastern Europe in recent days, with the Ukrainian government blaming artillery fire on Russian-backed forces, and the Kremlin suggesting that Ukraine is aggressing against Russia  a notion flatly rejected by the West.

Protestors hold signs protesting Russia's troop build-up and threat to invade Ukraine during a #StandWithUkraine" rally organized by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America outside the UN in Manhattan, New York on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News)

In New York, the most immediate impact of a Russian invasion in Ukraine would likely be a spike in energy prices, said Brian Taylor, a professor at Syracuse University who studies Russia and international security.

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But Taylor added that the cyberthreat is a legitimate concern, particularly if tensions between the West and Russia spiral out of control. A tit for tat between the White House and the Kremlin could include crippling sanctions on Russia followed by cyberstrikes on America.

Cyberwarfare would mark a major escalation by Russia, Taylor emphasized Monday morning. But he added that things sometimes happen in war, where each side sort of ratchets it up.

Then all of a sudden, he said, theyre doing things that they wouldnt have imagined at the beginning of the crisis.
Jacksonville, TX (75766)

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Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

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Joplin, MO (64801)

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New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin says he has tested positive for COVID-19 just days after attending the state Democratic convention.

The former Harlem state senator, who was appointed by Gov. Hochul after she replaced Gov. Andrew Cuomo, says he is fully vaccinated and boosted and is experiencing only mild symptoms.

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New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin speaks during the New York State Democratic Convention in Manhattan, New York on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Seth Wenig/AP)

Cat and our girls tests came back negativepraise God! Benjamin said in a Sunday night tweet. Ill be isolating at home as they monitor for symptoms and get tested again in a few days.

I tested positive for COVID today. Thankfully, Im vaxxed, boosted, and in good spirits, since Im only experiencing mild symptoms.



Cat and our girls tests came back negativepraise God! Ill be isolating at home as they monitor for symptoms and get tested again in a few days.  Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin (@LtGovBenjamin) February 21, 2022

The announcement came after Benjamin joined Hochul, Hillary Clinton and a raft of top Democrats at the state partys confab in midtown Manhattan.

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[ Hillary Clinton mocks Trump in well-received speech to state Democrats ]

There are no other reports of infections traced to the event.

New York Governor Hochul updated New Yorkers on the states progress combating COVID-19 on Sunday showing the states positivity rate at just 1.54%.

The vaccine is a key tool to beat back this virus and keep our families safe, Governor Hochul said. Parents and guardians, please talk to your pediatrician or health care provider about getting your children vaccinated, and boosted if eligible, if you havent already.
Opinion Columnist

Chris Powell has worked for the Journal Inquirer since 1967, first as a reporter, then as an editor, and now as a columnist. He was managing editor from 1974 until retiring from that position in 2018.


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02/18/2022



Dr. Arup Kumar Ghosh, assistant professor of computer science, celebrates the award winning paper of student Mausam Parajuli.

by Buffy Lockette

Undergraduate and graduate students from across campus presented their research to a panel of faculty and staff judges as part of the 2022 JSU Student Symposium on Feb. 15-16 at Houston Cole Library.

Nearly 50 students submitted their work in a variety of fields, with the following winning awards:

Best of College of Science and Mathematics , Undergraduate : Kritika Maharjan, author of "The Utilization of the Xenopus Embryos for the Determination of the Teratogenic Potential of Methylene Blue." Mentor: Dr. James Rayburn.

"The Utilization of the Xenopus Embryos for the Determination of the Teratogenic Potential of Methylene Blue." Mentor: Dr. James Rayburn. Best of College of Science and Mathematics , Graduate : Ryan Long, author of "Molecular Evidence of Cryptic Hybridization in the Japanese Nezasa Bamboos (Pleioblastus section Nezasa)." Mentor: Dr. Jimmy Triplett.

, : Ryan Long, author of "Molecular Evidence of Cryptic Hybridization in the Japanese Nezasa Bamboos (Pleioblastus section Nezasa)." Mentor: Dr. Jimmy Triplett. Best of College of Arts and Humanities , Undergraduate : Sarah Kate Norris, author of "Ceramics and Economics in Early China." Mentor: Dr. Tray Ridlen.

, : Sarah Kate Norris, author of "Ceramics and Economics in Early China." Mentor: Dr. Tray Ridlen. Best of College of Social and Behavioral Sciences , Undergraduate : Dakota Heathcock, author of "Mapping a New Way: A New Approach to Electoral Polling in America." Mentor: Dr. Ben Gross.

, : Dakota Heathcock, author of "Mapping a New Way: A New Approach to Electoral Polling in America." Mentor: Dr. Ben Gross. Best of College of Health Professions and Wellness , Graduate : Luke Cody, author of "Virtual Reality as an Effective Therapeutic Intervention for Sport Injury." Mentored by Dr. Chris Clark and Dr. Jennifer Savage.

, : Luke Cody, author of "Virtual Reality as an Effective Therapeutic Intervention for Sport Injury." Mentored by Dr. Chris Clark and Dr. Jennifer Savage. Best Paper , Undergraduate : Kayla Way, author of "The Utility in Using Xenopus Frog Embryos to Determine Teratogenic Versus Nonteratogenic Potential of Chemicals." Mentored by Dr. James Rayburn.

, : Kayla Way, author of "The Utility in Using Xenopus Frog Embryos to Determine Teratogenic Versus Nonteratogenic Potential of Chemicals." Mentored by Dr. James Rayburn. Best Poster , Undergraduate : Trinity Elston, author of "Diving into the Unknown: A Genetic Investigation of Type-2 Diabetes-Associated INSR Variants of Uncertain Significance." Mentored by Dr. Ashley Turner.

, : Trinity Elston, author of "Diving into the Unknown: A Genetic Investigation of Type-2 Diabetes-Associated INSR Variants of Uncertain Significance." Mentored by Dr. Ashley Turner. Best Paper , Graduate : Morgan Brown, author of "Cryptic Hybridization in the Temperate Bamboos: Is Pleioblastus Simonii a Species of Hybrid Origin?" Mentored by Dr. Jimmy Triplett.

, : Morgan Brown, author of "Cryptic Hybridization in the Temperate Bamboos: Is Pleioblastus Simonii a Species of Hybrid Origin?" Mentored by Dr. Jimmy Triplett. Best Poster , Graduate : Elizabeth Rains for "Mental Health Collaborative," mentored by Dr. Kimber Wickersham.

, : Elizabeth Rains for "Mental Health Collaborative," mentored by Dr. Kimber Wickersham. Best Cover Design : Conner Gayda, for design of the symposium program, mentored by Chad Anderson and Christian Dunn.

: Conner Gayda, for design of the symposium program, mentored by Chad Anderson and Christian Dunn. Houston Cole Library Award for Research Excellence : Deandrea Stowe, "Recommendations and Considerations for Return to Play Protocols for Athletes at Various Levels Who Test Positive for COVID-19." Mentored by Dr. Chris Clark and Dr. Jennifer Savage.

: Deandrea Stowe, "Recommendations and Considerations for Return to Play Protocols for Athletes at Various Levels Who Test Positive for COVID-19." Mentored by Dr. Chris Clark and Dr. Jennifer Savage. Best of Showcase: Mausam Parajuli, author of "Using Z3 Constraint Solver to Solve Systems of Equations and Puzzles," mentored by Dr. Arup Kumar Ghosh.

The symposium was directed by Dr. David Thornton, computer science professor. Since 1995, the symposium has highlighted the creative activities of JSU students. Originally limited to students in the arts and sciences, it was expanded in 2017 to include the entire university. It provides a forum to publicly display and acknowledge the best work of JSU students.

Presentations can be viewed on the symposium's YouTube channel.
President Biden agreed to meet with Russian President Putin in principle as long as the superpower does not invade Ukraine, the White House announced Sunday.

The talks would be brokered by the French.

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As the President has repeatedly made clear, we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Lavrov are scheduled to meet later this week in Europe, provided Russia does not proceed with military action. President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement, again, if an invasion hasnt happened.

FILE - President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, arrive to meet at the 'Villa la Grange', June 16, 2021, in Geneva, Switzerland. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

As Russia continued amassing troops and extending its so-called military exercise along Ukraines border, Biden agreed to the meeting after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet Feb. 24.

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We are always ready for diplomacy, Psaki stated. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.

In this photo provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, Russian soldiers take part in a military drill in Russia. (AP)

French president Emmanuel Macron had proposed the summit during back-to-back phone calls with Biden and Putin on Sunday, CNN reported, citing an Elysee Palace statement.

Blinken had said on Sundays State of the Union on CNN that President Biden is prepared to engage President Putin at any time, in any format, if that can help prevent a war.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a discussion during the 'Munich Security Conference' in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 18. (Michael Probst/AP)

Earlier, Russia had reneged on earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of troops from Ukraines northern border, putting it a step closer to invading its neighbor, The Associated Press reported.

If Russia does invade, the U.S. has intelligence indicating its planning a number of human rights violations and abuses, including targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, unjust detentions, and the use of torture, which would most likely be enacted on Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons, the U.S. wrote to the United Nations Sunday, according to The Washington Post.

Demonstrators rally outside of the White House in solidarity with Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, in Washington. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Specifically, we have credible information that indicates Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation, wrote Bathsheba Nell Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. We also have credible information that Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations.
The ghosts of Algerias war of independence from France still haunt both countries, six decades on.

France has made tentative attempts to heal the wounds but refuses to apologise or repent for its 132 years of often brutal colonial rule.

With the 60th anniversary of the Evian accords which ended the bloodshed signed on March 18, 1962, AFP looks at how France has struggled with its Algerian legacy.

 Independence 

Algeria, which Paris regarded as an integral part of France, became independent on July 5, 1962 after a devastating eight-year war.

So bitter was the divide in France over Algeria that the decision to pull out led some top generals to attempt a coup.

French historians say half a million civilians and combatants were killed in the war  the vast majority Algerian  while the Algerian authorities insist three times as many lost their lives.

It took France nearly 40 years to officially acknowledge that the events in North Africa constituted a war.

 Exodus 

In the space of a few months of independence, one million pieds-noirs, settlers of European extraction, fled to France.

Ironically, they often ended up living alongside Algerian immigrants. Many would later become the backbone of the French far right.

Some Algerians who fought for the French, known as Harkis, were executed or tortured in Algeria, but their numbers are highly contested.

Another 60,000 ended up in squalid internment camps in France.

 Presidents ponder the past 

Valery Giscard dEstaing was the first French president to visit independent Algeria in April 1975.

His successor Francois Mitterrand said France and Algeria are capable of getting over the trauma of the past during a visit in November 1981.

Nicolas Sarkozy admitted the colonial system was profoundly unjust.

Francois Hollande called it brutal and in 2016 became the first president to mark the end of the war  causing uproar among his opponents.

Emmanuel Macron  the first French president born since the war  infuriated the right by calling the colonisation of Algeria a crime against humanity during his election campaign in 2017.

He said it was time France looked our past in the face.

 Symbolic gestures 

After he was elected president, Macron apologised to the widow of a young French supporter of Algerian independence, a communist who had been tortured to death by the French army in 1957.

Macron also admitted Algerian lawyer Ali Boumendjel was tortured and killed the same year, a murder French authorities had long denied.

After the January 2021 publication of a state-commissioned report on colonisation by Algerian-born French historian Benjamin Stora, Macron said symbolic gestures could help reconcile the two countries.

He also begged forgiveness from Harkis who had been abandoned by France.

 History rewritten 

But Macron has rejected calls for France to apologise or repent for its time in Algeria.

He sparked a major rift in late 2021 after he accused Algerias post-independence political-military system (of) totally rewriting the countrys history.

Two weeks later he described the 1961 massacre of scores of Algerian protesters in Paris by French police as an inexcusable crime.

In January 2022 he also recognised two 1962 massacres of pieds-noirs who opposed Algerian independence by French forces, as well as the deaths of anti-war protesters killed by Paris police the same year.
In the 60 years since Algeria won independence from France, it has gone through multiple crises with its former occupier, often fuelled by domestic politics.

Yet the two sides had surprisingly good relations for the first four decades, and it was only in the 1990s that things started to fall apart, experts say.

Generally, despite appearances and criticism, there has been a stable, very balanced relationship, said Luis Martinez, a Maghreb researcher at Sciences Po university in Paris.

That is despite the devastation caused by the eight-year war of independence that finally led to the signing of the Evian accords on March 18, 1962, ending the conflict.

French historians say half a million civilians and combatants died  400,000 of them Algerian  while the Algerian authorities insist 1.5 million were killed.

Under French General Charles de Gaulle, whose administration signed the accords, and his successor Georges Pompidou, Paris had good relations with Algiers.

The same was true of the administration of Francois Mitterrand, even though he had been interior minister when Algerias armed independence struggle began in 1954 and remained opposed to the countrys independence.

Mitterrand was surrounded by Socialist Party people, who were all pro-FLN, said historian Pierre Vermeren, referring to the National Liberation Front, which led the revolt and has dominated Algerian politics ever since.

(Mitterrand) was able to take a back seat and let others deal with Algeria, said Vermeren, a professor at the Sorbonne University.

France was allowed to continue its nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara until 1967, and de Gaulle managed to negotiate a secret deal with the new Algerian state to allow for chemical weapons tests until 1978.

But in 1992, Paris raised hackles by criticising Algiers for suspending elections, in which Islamist parties had won the first round.

Algeria withdrew its ambassador in response.

The polls cancellation sparked another decade of devastating conflict in the North African country, until Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who rose to the presidency in 1999, offered an amnesty that paved the way for peace.

Despite being close to France, Bouteflika made use of anti-French discourse, primarily for domestic consumption, Vermeren said.

To win back control of the ideological and political sphere after the civil war, (the Algerian leadership) forgot that France had helped them fight the Islamists, he said.

They went back to their traditional enemy.

 Good ties in secret 

Under Bouteflika, Algerian leaders used ever-stronger language, accusing France of genocide during its more than 130-year occupation of Algeria.

Then, in 2019, a vast protest movement toppled the autocratic leader after two decades in power  but the new regime has kept up the anti-French discourse.

Observers say however that cooperation behind closed doors has been surprisingly close.

In 2013, Algeria allowed French forces to use its airspace to reach Mali, where they were battling jihadists.

French-Algerian relations are good when theyre in secret. Theyre more hostile when theyre in public, said Naoufel Brahimi El Mili, who has written a book on 60 years of secret stories between the two countries.

When Emmanuel Macron became president, he had good relations with Algeria.

Visiting Algiers during his campaign in February 2017, he described colonisation as a crime against humanity.

After his election, he made gestures aimed at healing past wounds on both sides of the Mediterranean.

But he refused to apologise for colonialism, a highly sensitive topic in France, which for decades saw Algeria as an integral part of French territory and where far-right discourse has been escalating.

Comments reported last October dampened hopes around reconciliation.

Macron accused Algerias political-military system of rewriting history and fomenting hatred towards France.

In remarks to descendants of independence fighters, reported by Le Monde, he also questioned whether Algeria had existed as a nation before the French invasion in the 1800s.

Once again, Algeria withdrew its ambassador.

 Algeria votes Macron 

Now, weeks ahead of the French presidential election in April, relations appear to be looking up again.

Millions of French citizens of Algerian origin and descendants of Europeans who left after independence are among those casting votes.

Algeria will vote for Macron, said author El Mili. Algerians are convinced that a Macron II will be bolder.

Xavier Driencourt, a former French ambassador to Algeria, shared that view.

They dont want (candidate) Valerie Pecresse who has a fairly right-wing tone, and definitely not (Eric) Zemmour or Marine Le Pen, he said, referring to conservative Pecresse and two far-right presidential hopefuls.

But much remains to be done. In recent years Algeria has diversified its international ties, with China becoming its main trade partner.

Martinez from Sciences Po said Macrons comments had done a lot of damage.

Theyll go back to the drawing board, and try to see what they can agree on, he said.

Former envoy Driencourt said it takes two sides to have a relationship.

Would Algeria be interested after the election?

Im not very optimistic, he said.
He is one of the heroes of the revolution. General Rachid Ammar, 64 years old at the time of the events that marked Tunisias history, was admired by his troops for his Olympian calm and reasoned management of the crisis  to the point that one of the opposition bloggers at the time of the dictatorship, young Yacine Ayari, portrayed him as a virtuous soldier trying to strike the coup de grace to the wavering power of former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The man who said no, he titled a blog in early January 2011, claiming that the Chief of Staff had refused to carry out the presidents orders to shoot at the crowds. The story spread like wildfire on social networks, further cementing the populations sympathy for a Republican army, despite the abuses committed during the revolution, especially after January 14, when Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia.

Cover of Jeune Afrique magazine, 30 January 2011.

But on Monday, February 14, the general who said no appeared before the specialized transitional justice chamber in Tunis. In the morning he appeared as a witness in a murder case and in the afternoon as a defendant alongside other senior officials of the security apparatus, in relation to repression of a sit-in at the Kasbah, a central district of the Tunisian capital. The tragic events took place on February 25, 26 and 27, 2011, resulting in five deaths and several injuries.

Protesters forcibly removed

The second Kasbah sit-in, on Government Square at the entrance to the Medina, began on February 20, 2011. A first sit-in had been organized a month earlier by young people from all regions of Tunisia in this place symbolizing government power. During Kasbah I, the demonstrators demanded socio-economic rights that had been violated for decades and the departure of government top dogs. But they stepped up their demands in Kasbah II, calling for the resignation of Mohamed Ghannouchi, Prime Minister under Ben Ali and still in office after the dictators departure, as well as the election of a constituent National Assembly.

Five days after the sit-in started that icy February, the protesters were dislodged by force. They scattered around downtown Bourguiba Avenue, on Sadiki Street, Barcelona Square, the Passage, Madrid Avenue and Lyon Street. This is where, over three days, five young men  two of them aged 17  were shot dead by security officers positioned alongside the soldiers.

Interior Ministry and army pass the blame

Last Monday, the specialized chamber confronted Farhat Rajhi, Interior Minister at the time of the events, and General Ammar. For over two hours, these two tried to pass the buck and put responsibilities onto others. Before the Truth and Dignity Commission (IVD), which heard Rajhi twice in 2018, the former minister had said that the army Chief of Staff became from the afternoon of January 14, 2011 the strong man of the Interior Ministry, responsible for directing the ministrys operations room and coordinating army and police forces.

But faced in court with the general, the former minister backtracked. He did not say the orders were given by the general, but rather: My prerogatives were limited to the management of administrative matters because I am a career judge and I do not master the workings of the security sector; Ask Ahmed Chabir, the director of national security, who worked in tandem with General Ammar, about the generals role at the time of the events. I never set foot in the operations room.

In another confrontation before the specialized chamber on the morning of February 14, Ahmed Friaa, who was Interior Minister from January 12 to 27 and is accused in this case, said something similar to that of his successor: I was appointed by Ben Ali to head a ministry which I didnt know how to operate. When I told him I am a university student, I know nothing about security, the ex-president replied you will help us on political affairs and local development and you will know how to calm things down, your directors general will take care of security.

Intertwined responsibilities

In the indictment filed by the IVD and forwarded to the specialized chamber, General Ammar was cited in the case of young Anis Farhanis death on January 13, 2011. This accusation came from the fact that from January 9, the day the army was deployed throughout Tunisia, a coordination structure was reactivated between the ministries of Interior and Defence: this was the Commission to Combat Disasters. The first meeting of this commission was attended by Interior Minister Rafik Haj Kacem (dismissed on January 13), Defence Minister Ridha Grira, head of the presidential guard Ali Seriati, and several high-ranking military officers including General Ammar and General Ahmed Chabir, director general of military security.

General Ammars name is mentioned in the case of the death of the young Anis Farhani, on 13 January 2011.

Aniss sister Lamia Farhani, who is a lawyer for the civil parties, explains: It is this crisis structure that gave orders to the security agents on the ground. The chain of responsibility in the crimes committed during the revolution goes back to senior officials of the Interior Ministry, army and ruling party. This is why their presence [at this trial] is important to us: in our opinion, they are complicit in the extreme violence suffered by the demonstrators at that time.

General Ammar denies any responsibility for the deaths that occurred during the revolutionary protests, including that of Anis Farhani. There were never any attacks on our troops, whose mission was to secure the sovereign institutions. The protesters brandished only socio-economic claims, he said.

Militarisation of the Interior Ministry

Ilyes Bensedrine, former deputy director in charge of investigations at the IVD, explained to Justice Info why the IVD directed its charges of voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder against the senior military officer and not against the politician.

General Ammar did everything to get the appointment in February 2011 of former head of military security General Ahmed Chabir as director of national security at the Ministry of Interior, resulting in the de facto militarization of this ministry. Thus, the de facto responsibility for the events of Kasbah II belongs to General Ammar. According to the Rome Statute, he has command responsibility in this case. The victims were dying for three days. He should have promptly opened an administrative investigation to stop the excessive violence of his agents.

In a book about January 14 and the days after entitled The Investigation, journalists Abdelaziz Belkhoja and Tarak Cheik Rouhou counted the number of victims who fell after January 14, when the much-hated police withdrew, depositing their weapons in the barracks and leaving most of the field to the army. On January 15, the authors counted 34 deaths by bullets, including 20 killed by the army. The next day, of the 18 martyrs of the revolution, 10 were killed by the military. It was during the curfew that the soldiers fired with a weapon of war, the Styer rifle. Some inexperienced officers, students of the military academy called in as reinforcements during the state of emergency, fired deadly bursts. On the ground, the psychosis was general.

In four years of the specialized chambers operation, this is the first time that very senior members of the security apparatus have clashed over the truth of their responsibilities. None of the three men, two ministers and a general, called to the stand on Monday February 14 admitted any responsibility for the disproportionate use of lethal force against peaceful protesters. That was eleven years ago.

The court announced the next hearings for April 25, during which it decided to invite a representative of the Ministry of Defence, to question him about the movements of the army during the fateful days of February 25, 26, and 27, 2011.
An alleged leader of a rebel group in the Central African Republic will go on trial in September to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the International Criminal Court (ICC) said Monday.

The Hague-based court said in a statement the trial of alleged Seleka leader Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, 51, is to open on 26 September, 2022.

The CAR authorities handed Said to the ICC in January last year in response to an international arrest warrant.

One of the poorest countries in the world, the CAR spiralled into conflict in 2013 when president Francois Bozize was ousted by a rebel coalition called the Seleka, drawn largely from the Muslim minority.

The coup triggered a sectarian bloodbath between the Seleka and anti-Balaka forces, who were mainly Christian or animist.

The ICC, the worlds only independent war crimes court set up in 2002, late last year confirmed charges against Said including counts of torture, persecution and cruel treatment of detainees suspected to be Bozize supporters.

Two former anti-Balaka leaders, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom, are on trial at the ICC.

France, the former colonial power in the CAR, intervened militarily to stem the 2013 conflict, deploying some 2,000 troops under a UN mandate who were eventually withdrawn in 2016.

The United Nations deployed its own peacekeeping mission the following year, which remains.

Thousands lost their lives in the conflict, and the country remains gripped by sporadic violence.
Myanmar hit out Monday at a genocide case brought against it by The Gambia for alleged persecution of Rohingya Muslims, urging the UNs highest court to drop the claim on legal grounds.

Banjul dragged Myanmar before the International Court of Justice in 2019, accusing the predominantly Buddhist country of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority after a bloody 2017 military crackdown.

When the case opened in December 2019 Aung San Suu Kyi personally represented Myanmar at the Hague-based ICJ, but she was ousted as the Asian countrys civilian leader in a military coup last year.

The Nobel peace laureate, who faced criticism from rights groups for her involvement in the case, is now under house arrest and on trial by the same generals she defended in The Hague.

Myanmar is not seeking to impede the judicial process of the court, its agent Ko Ko Hlaing told the judges in the imposing courtroom at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

On the contrary it is seeking to answer the proper administration of justice, Myanmars international cooperation minister said.

Both Hlaing, who was in court and Myanmars attorney general Thida Oo, who was attending virtually, have been hit with US sanctions over the coup.

 Proxy applicant 

Christopher Staker, another lawyer for Myanmar, said the ICJ did not have the jurisdiction because it was not a case brought by two states, as required by the ICJs statutes.

The court lacks jurisdiction and the application is inadmissible because the real applicant in these proceedings is the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Staker said.

He accused The Gambia of not acting in it own rights but stepping in on behalf of the OIC, referring to the 57-member body that was set up in 1969 to represent global Muslim interests.

Staker said was only after the OIC proposed that the case should be brought against Myanmar at the ICJ that The Gambia agreed to step forward, not the other way around.

Set up after World War II, the ICJ rules in disputes between states, and bases its findings mainly on international treaties and conventions.

The OIC is an international organisation, not a state, Staker pointed out.

It cannot be possible for an international organisation to bring a case before the court by using a state as a proxy applicant, Staker said, adding The Gambia has never objected to this.

The ICJ made a provisional order in January 2020 that Myanmar must take all measures to prevent the alleged genocide of the Rohingya while the years-long proceedings are under way.

The ICJs rulings are binding, but the court has no real means to enforce them.

 Bloody crackdown 

Gambia will make its counter-arguments on Wednesday.

Around 850,000 Rohingya are languishing in camps in neighbouring Bangladesh while another 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmars southwestern Rakhine state.

The Rohingya case at the ICJ has been complicated by the coup that ousted Suu Kyi and her civilian government and triggered mass protests and a bloody military crackdown. More than 1,500 civilians have been killed, according to a local monitoring group.

Suu Kyi now faces trial herself in Myanmar on a raft of charges that could see her jailed for more than 150 years.

Ahead of the hearing, the shadow National Unity Government dominated by lawmakers from Suu Kyis ousted party said it, not the junta, is the proper representative of Myanmar at the ICJ in the case.

It also rejects Myanmars preliminary objections, saying the hearings for these should be cancelled and the court should quickly get down to the hearing of the substantive case.

The NUG holds no territory and has not been recognised by any foreign government, and has been declared a terrorist organisation by the junta.

The Gambia accuses Myanmar of breaching the 1948 UN genocide convention.

Banjul says its case is backed by the 57-nation OIC, Canada and the Netherlands.

burs-dk-jhe/cdw
Britain and the EU will agree on Monday at a key stocktaking meeting to keep talking on reforms to post-Brexit trade rules with Northern Ireland, as both sides try to avoid splits during the Ukraine crisis.

Months of negotiations on the so-called Northern Ireland protocol have yielded little progress, prompting speculation that Boris Johnson, UK prime minister, could soon suspend parts of the accord to curry favour with Eurosceptic Tory MPs.

But Liz Truss, UK foreign secretary, will tell a meeting in Brussels that she wants to settle the row to allow both sides to focus on building a stronger relationship and focus on external issues, not least the situation in eastern Europe and standing up to Russian aggression.

The joint committee  a forum including the UK, the European Commission and EU member states set up to monitor the Brexit agreement  is meeting for the first time since June 2021.

The meeting will note some limited progress in talks to simplify post-Brexit trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but will acknowledge that big gaps remain. It wont be a breakthrough or breakdown, said one EU diplomat.

The stand-off over the protocol has triggered speculation in Brussels and Whitehall that Johnson will soon deploy Article 16the safeguard clause of the agreement, allowing him to suspend some parts of the deal.

Contingency planning has been stepped up in London for such an outcome, including likely trade retaliation by the EU. The US has also warned of trade repercussions if Article 16 is activated, although the UK insists Washington is not linking discussions on steel tariffs to Northern Ireland trading rules.

But Johnson is under pressure from the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Tory MPs to suspend the protocol, which was agreed in order to avoid the return of a north-south trade border on the island of Ireland and left Northern Ireland in the EU single market for goods.

Iain Duncan Smith, former Tory leader, tweeted on Sunday: Time to call time on the Northern Ireland Protocol. Two years after we formally left the EU, the Protocol still gives Brussels a hold over wider UK policymaking. Its divisive, restrictive and is causing real harm to the local economy.

EU diplomats fear that Johnson may cede to that pressure, particularly if the Metropolitan Police fine him for breaching Covid rules in the so-called partygate affair, putting his leadership under renewed scrutiny.

It wouldnt surprise us. Johnson will do anything to stay in power, said one diplomat.

An alternative UK strategy could be to request further delays to instigating full checks on goods from July while continuing talks. The EU would have to decide to refuse or restart legal proceedings for the UKs failure to implement the protocol.

British government officials admit that there has been increasing chatter about Article 16 and that Northern Irelands pro-UK Democratic Unionist Party, which opposes the protocol, has been urging the ERG to push Johnson to put it into abeyance.

One Tory official said there was no imminent move towards using Article 16. The official added: Nobody is expecting all that much from Mondays meeting but that obviously doesnt necessarily mean Article 16 is inevitable.

The only concrete achievement after months of UK-EU talks has been to ensure free circulation of medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after Brussels agreed to change its rules to allow UK regulators to approve them.

The two moved some way to converging their positions on customs formalities, but large gaps remain on the sensitive issue of checks on food, and animals and plants.
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Last year, Tenisha Tate-Austin and her husband, Paul Austin, filed a lawsuit and say they were victims of appraisal bias.
The caricature of Alvin Bragg  a caricature he helped create with his Jan. 3 memo telling Manhattan prosecutors to go easy on armed robbers and only try to lock up people, including those accused and convicted of some violent crimes, as a last resort  is colliding with the day-to-day demands of being Manhattan DA in the midst of an increase in violent crime. Were not complaining.

Data from the Vera Institute of Justice analyzed by The City website reveals that between the start of the year when he took office through the first week in February, an average of 73 defendants per week from cases in Manhattan have been sent to jail. Thats up a bit from the average of 66 over the final three months in Cy Vances term. Bragg is requesting bail in about four out of 10 felony cases; the amount averages about $47,500, well above the $25,000 average during Vances last two years.

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New lawman may not be so different from the old lawman. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News)

It is true that Vance sought bail more often  in more than half the felony cases during his last two years. Braggs hesitancy to ask for those accused of felonies to be locked up, below the low levels already reached by Vance late in his tenure, demands serious scrutiny. But it is simply not the case that he has exited the field on violent crimes.

After his incredibly rocky start  in which he issued directives that downgraded violent felonies to misdemeanors and otherwise pandered to decarceration advocates, then blamed the blowback on poor communications and legalistic language, not the underlying ideas, before finally reversing a policy or two but still without retracting them  its refreshing to see that the new Manhattan DA indeed understands that those accused of seriously harming others often ought to await disposition of their cases in jail, not in the community.

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Of course advocates feel betrayed by a man they thought would help empty Rikers. But to adapt the old saw, a pragmatic prosecutor is a progressive prosecutor whos been mugged by reality.
A Greece ferry fire survivor is found alive. The ferry is seen on fire in the Ionian Sea near the island of Corfu, Greece, on Friday.
President Ronald Reagan has an award in his name to recognize businesses who encourage employees to work the polls on election days. (Whitehouse.gov photo)
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An excerpt from Changing How We Think About Difficult Patients: A Guide for Physicians and Healthcare Professionals.

After I finished my residency in EM and started working as an attending physician, I realized I had a problem. I believe a lot of you have the same problem. Some of our patients are so angry, oppositional, and non-compliant that we get angry and frustrated. We become cynical as we start to think, nothing I do can help this person. We start to feel exhausted and burned out. I researched the problem from the side of the patients and the physician. I read the literature. I wrote a lecture about it in which I suggested some solutions to our residents in training. I expanded that lecture into a book that has just been published by the American Association for Physician Leadership.

You dont have to change your job and you dont have to leave the profession that you worked so hard to get into. You actually have to change the way that you think about your difficult patients. It sounds like wishful thinking, I know, but you can do it.

All of us have adopted a very negative attitude towards our patients. Its not really our fault because human doctors naturally have a very suspicious and skeptical nature. Our cavemen ancestors had to be on the lookout about lions and bears lurking outside their caves. We are taught to be on the lookout for danger in the form of urgent Zebra diagnoses and dramatic deceptions. On top of all that, we hear our senior residents and attendings loosely tossing about derogatory names for our patients like gomers or dirtballs. Everyone in the nurses stations and the breakrooms mocks their patients and tells stories to lighten the mood.

If our patients do not act the way we expect them to or comply with the treatment plan, they are labeled as difficult patients. Once you believe a person is difficult, given the concept of confirmation bias, you will naturally look for (and find) evidence that supports that belief. Of course, we find ourselves avoiding difficult patients, cutting off their conversations, and quickly discharging those people we cannot stand.

Our patients go through some very predictable fears and responses to illness and injury. In turn, medical students and residents also think and respond with some thought distortions and misunderstandings about their patients and themselves. Armed with awareness and familiarity with the typical patterns, we learn more about what to expect. We anticipate when we will get push-back and we are better prepared to act calmly and confidently.

Additionally, we can get curious and ask better questions during those challenging interactions. What else is true about that grumpy old man? Is he someones father or grandfather? Could some of the patients behavior be a symptom of his disease? If we remember that, dont those facts make the patients actions a lot more understandable? Is there another way to approach a problem to which you see only one solution? Can you reach some collaborative plan that satisfies both the patient and you?

With intention and practice, you can guide yourself towards better thoughts. More optimistic thoughts lead to more positive feelings which lead to more effective actions and improved results. In addition, it just feels better as a professional to think, feel, and act with more kindness and empathy. What you think really matters and with a little guidance and repetition, you can find that you have no more difficult patients.

Joan Naidorf is an emergency physician and author of Changing How We Think about Difficult Patients: A Guide for Physicians and Healthcare Professionals.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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As Pandoras box of coronavirus opened in 2020, it engulfed our planet into an abysmal nightmare. As darkness fell, those of us in medicine sought refuge under a lamp called knowledge that sparked its flame from scientific evidence. But what if medicine and life itself were being written in real-time on a clean slate?

From the get-go, the medical world switched up its protective parental gear.

Moral responsibility got perceived as heroism. Working in masks and shields by day, they dove into all forms of media to dispel misinformation by night to save lives. A stark transformation from their usually hiding away from the media limelight. Even though they were better prepared with protective gear during subsequent waves, day after day felt like deja vu.

Across the aisle, COVID long-haulers and psychologically distraught populations posed as human burnout of a novel kind.

Never before had the Greek alphabet been used in such common parlance, as now when even elementary schoolers were rattling off COVID variants.

Alpha, Beta, Gamma began to rip our worlds apart.

According to the CDC, the original SARS-CoV2 virus had a basic reproduction number (R0) of 2 or 3, implying each infected person could potentially spread it to two or three contacts.

The Delta variant with R0 of five to nine persons, with myriad mutations on its attacker spike protein, had the potential to evade existent precious vaccines and thus proved an apocalyptic super spreader. According to the Oxford English dictionary, Delta, the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, is used by scientists and mathematicians in equations to denote change. The coincidence of its name in the way it depicted the change in life as we knew it, we were soon to witness, was beyond glaring.

True to the theory of survival of the fittest, change is an essential component of living beings.

Coronavirus also mutates to survive and thrives in supportive media of petri dishes of our human body, especially the unvaccinated, who serve as its welcome haven.

A dangerous disparity between the vaccinated and unvaccinated worlds is reminiscent of haves and have-nots, this time from fundamental differences in sensibility and empathy.

A sense of entitlement disillusions people with magical thinking for immunity from all things bad. But how could anyone remain immune from what affects Mother Nature?

It felt like the time warp of 2020, as vaccinations inched up, the hope of finally reaching that endgame of endemicity appeared to be on the horizon.

However, just as the world prepped to ring into 2022, a new, more infectious mutant, Omicron, emerged.

With the potential to multiply 70 times faster in airways than the Delta variant but ten times slower in lungs than the original coronavirus, it showed the comparatively lower need for ICU admissions and death rates, stirring speculations about whether this could be the beginning of the end of this chaos.

Nonetheless, its tsunami continued to sweep away countless precious lives. Its visceral severity seeped in the grief of loss and long-term sequela. But this time, we were not at square one.

Under immense pressure and time constraints, scientists working behind the scenes brought cumulative knowledge from bench to bedside despite critique from naysayers.

Novel vaccines, new and repurposed drugs, tests that relentlessly chased close on the heels of viral variants spoke volumes of ongoing scientific checks and balances.

Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.

Pandemic data showed the greatest morbidity and mortality from the virus in those with high body mass index, sedentary lifestyles, waning immunity, to name a few.

The rising stock prices of indoor exercise bikes during the shutdown ironically was proof as though of mankinds bargaining stage pandemic grief.

But is just individual healing going to be the way out of this chaos?

Deep down, as humans, we are all the same.

Yes, the need for future improvements for better access to vaccinations, indoor ventilation strategies exists, as does embracing work-home balance, respecting circadian rhythms, individual will for masking without disdain when sick, even knowing our neighbors name and value as occurs out of respect so effortlessly in certain cultures of the world.

Exercise, sunlight, meditation, those best things in life indeed are free but undervalued and undermined, as are physicians pleas for medical and scientific compliance.

The virus may be here to stay, but our way out of the apocalypse would be a responsible and responsive global village willing to align with science and communal living rather than decry it.

Hopes that efforts to get society back on its feet from a health standpoint, back to school and work, would boost our confident human psyche to arise like a phoenix from the ashes of pandemic uncertainty and apathetic inertia hunkering down.

Hindsight is 20/20. If it arms our foresight.

Is it coincidental that 2020 be the iconic digits heralding an era when we finally acknowledge natures way with some clarity in vision  that of patience as a virtue while respecting constant change?

Onward to another new year would just be a calendar page turn if objects in the rearview mirror of time were not envisioned as red flags looming closer than they appeared.

Through the looking glass wherein upside-down is just another perspective as long as our loves are still with us. Could we be the welcome change to this unwelcome nightmare? The real question remains: How far have the naysayers come?

So whats in a name, you ask? Delta, not just viral nomenclature. Perhaps, a symbol of change, as a surprise gift that cannot be returned but only repurposed to give us the best possible returns. So when all hell breaks loose, may we take a moment to gaze up at the sky, at how willingly the clouds change and transform to the dance of the wooing breeze, as happens wilfully in nature and teach us to embrace our inner Delta and solve our own equations.

Ayushi Chugh is a neurologist and can be reached on Twitter @AyuSheMD.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
SPRINGFIELD, Ore.  Following weeks of searching for a missing man in the Springfield area, police say he has been located on the other side o
The Twin Parks fire killed 17 Bronx residents last month, largely because self-closing fire safety doors didnt function properly. Malfunctioning doors on the property had previously been the subject of housing code violations. Keeping our communities safe requires sustained investments in tenant legal advocacy to ensure that potentially deadly conditions are addressed with urgency. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees on continued funding for this work after the upcoming fiscal year, and its essential that the city continue to prioritize resources for these protections.

Unlike the citys Right to Counsel program that provides low-income New Yorkers with lawyers for eviction defense, New York Citys Anti Harassment Tenant Protection program (AHTP) supports proactive tenant actions to address housing violations and hold harassing landlords accountable. Organizations like mine, Brooklyn Legal Services Corp. A (Brooklyn A), use AHTP to fund community-led advocacy, empowering tenants to keep their homes safe and affordable.

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The case of our client Gilbert shines a light on what these efforts look like. Gilbert was sitting in his bedroom one day in February 2020 when he heard a crash. His kitchen cabinet had collapsed, destroying his sink, his oven and all his dishes. He had no phone number for his landlord, but for months, he wrote letters to the address where he sent his rent check describing his deteriorating conditions  and got no response. Gilbert had to adapt to living without a kitchen, eating meals from a nearby bodega, and using the bathtub faucet for drinking water. It was five months before a family member told him he should file a case against his landlord in Housing Court.

Reduced staff and COVID-19 protocols made Housing Court even more daunting for self-represented tenants than it had been before. Gilbert managed to file a lawsuit but was not sure how to describe the extent of the damage, which now included water-warped floors from the resulting leaks and a roach infestation from the holes left in his wall. When the court ordered the citys Department of Housing Preservation and Development to do an inspection, it was the first time that Gilberts months-long struggle became something official: a list of housing code violations.

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In New York, there are several agencies tasked with enforcing state and city laws related to housing. In many cases, however, violations exist for months or even years without being reported. Once reported, violations are often not addressed in the legally required timeframe. A recent piece in The City uncovered 18,305 open violations across the city for fire-safety doors alone. As we were reminded by the Twin Parks fire, these doors are a matter of life-or-death, yet The City found that roughly 4,800 of the door safety violations had been open for over two years. Even if a portion of those violations remain open for bureaucratic reasons, it is a stunning indictment of our housing system that so many New Yorkers are living in potentially lethal conditions without a straightforward means of redress.

One reason that violations stay open is that penalties heavily rely on court enforcement. This means that Gilbert had to seek out legal assistance to push his claims through court and force his landlord to make the necessary repairs. Thankfully, the AHTP Program referred him to Brooklyn A and we were able to help him overcome the indifference that he had confronted for nearly half a year. With legal representation, Gilbert was able to force his landlord to restore his kitchen to working order and get compensation for the damages he suffered because of the destruction.

Tens of thousands of renters across New York City continue to live with unregistered or unaddressed conditions that threaten their health, safety and wellbeing. AHTP is an essential tool to organize and empower these tenants in the exercise of their legal rights. New Yorks housing agencies rely on tenants to report dangerous conditions. Reporting and following through on these issues, though, requires time and resources that may be hard for tenants to spare.

The right to safe housing is only as strong as the tenants who can advocate for it. The staggering number of unaddressed housing violations demonstrates the stakes. Support for AHTP beyond Fiscal Year 2023 is essential to ensuring the safety of thousands of New Yorkers. Ensuring reliable and sustainable funding for proactive tenant advocacy is a critical component to the path forward for a safer and healthier city.

Hale is a staff attorney with Brooklyn Legal Services Corp. A and chair of the Brooklyn Tenant Lawyer Networks Part B Committee, which focuses on tenant-led lawsuits for repairs.
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Tusla - Child and Family Agency today launched Tusla National Fostering Week 2022 (February 21 to 27), its fostering awareness and recruitment campaign.

Now in its third year, the campaign focuses on the need to recruit carers for older children in communities across Ireland. A local placement will ensure a young person can maintain important connections with their friends, sports, school, and community, and reach their full potential.

Across Ireland 3,984 foster carers currently open their homes to 5,265 children. In Carlow, Kilkenny and South Tipperary, there are currently 306 children in foster care. Foster carers play a critical role in the child protection system and ultimately a key role in the wellbeing of young people.

Speaking at the launch of Tusla National Fostering Week 2022 Kate Duggan, National Director of Services and Integration, Tusla said: Tusla foster carers provide a safe, secure and stable home environment for the most vulnerable in our society. Right now, there are children and young people in your community who may need a safe place to live. A local placement will ensure they can maintain connections with their friends, sports, school and community. If you have been considering fostering, we would urge you to have another think about the positive difference you would make in the life of children and young people in your community.

Commenting on Tusla National Fostering Week 2022, Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Roderic O'Gorman TD said: We all share an ambition for children in care to thrive and to reach their potential. For most children in care, this is best achieved through foster care and the committed care these children receive from foster carers, in a family setting. Ireland can be proud of the fact that over 90% of all children in care, reside in foster care, a figure that compares favourably with our European neighbours. I would like to take this opportunity to again recognise and acknowledge the work of foster carers. They have made this achievement possible, through their committed care of these children. I would encourage anyone who is considering becoming a foster carer to contact Tusla on the details provided and to make that first step in improving the wellbeing and happiness of some of our most vulnerable children.

Tusla Care Leaver, Shannon Joyce said: I first went into relative foster care with my younger brother and sister when I was seven years old. I stayed with my family until summer 2021. My whole experience of foster care has been a rollercoaster to say the least. I've met so many people and heard so many stories throughout the years. I wouldn't change a thing! I'm so happy that I can take all the experiences I have had and all the lessons I have learned and use them to be the best role model and mentor I can be for the young people I teach. Fostering can be an amazingly positive experience for the carers, and children. If its something you are feeling drawn to you can learn more about it on fostering.ie

Catherine Bond, CEO, Irish Foster Care Association (IFCA) said: The Irish Foster Care Association is delighted to support Tuslas National Fostering Week. Fostering provides a loving and stable environment in which a child or young person can reach their full potential. The transition to foster care can be challenging for any child, but older children and teenagers are at a particularly important time in their development. An increase in local foster carers across Ireland will enable a young person to maintain their connections with their friends, sports, school and community, all of which provide comfort in difficult times. We would encourage anyone thinking about fostering to get in touch and learn more.

Marissa Ryan, CEO, Empowering People In Care (EPIC) added: Every child deserves a loving home. Research from around the world has shown that family settings are the best possible place for children to thrive and achieve their full potential. At EPIC, we see first-hand the hugely positive impact foster-carers have on the children and young people we work with. Foster-carers change lives when they offer children a place to call home.

To find out more about becoming a foster carer, see fostering.ie, call freephone 1800 226 771 or email tusla.fostering@tusla.ie. Tusla National Fostering Week is supported by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Irish Foster Care Association(IFCA) and EPIC, a national organisation that works with children in care.
The new university in the South East took a step closer today with the announcement of its first chairperson and confirmation of the date it will open its doors.

However, while investment in new campuses in Wexford and Waterford were supported by the minister, there was no mention of a future campus being located in Kilkenny. The new university will have "multi-regional campuses in Carlow, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow."

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Science and Innovation, Simon Harris, today announced the appointment of Dr Patrick Prendergast as the first chairperson of the new technological university (TU) for the South East.

Minister Harris confirmed the new university will open its doors on 1 May.



Dr Prendergast, the former Provost of Trinity College, will be joined on the new governing board by Jim Bergin, CEO of Glanbia, and Ruth Beadle, who holds a key leadership role at Sanofi, which has a manufacturing facility in Waterford.

Speaking today, Minister Harris said: After decades of debate, the technological university for the South East is finally a reality.



Today, I have formally granted designation status to the fifth technological university in the state. This is the first university presence in the region and marks a truly historic moment in higher education for staff, students, regional stakeholders and local communities in the South East."

Institute of Technology Carlow (IT Carlow) and Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) jointly applied for technological university (TU) designation on 30 April 2021, under the Technological Universities Act 2018.



There followed a rigorous assessment process by an international advisory panel, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland (QQI). The panel reported to Minister Harris and enabled him to consider all data, implications and statutory requirements before making his decision.



Upon establishment of the new TU, SETU will see current students from the former IT Carlow and WIT graduating in 2022 with university qualifications. SETU will have multi-regional campuses in Carlow, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow.



Welcoming the announcement, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said: Ive been campaigning for this day for many years, and I heartily congratulate the colleges and Minister Harris for getting us to this point. This new university will help us to secure more economic investment for the region.



Indeed, I think some of the new IDA jobs we secured for Waterford and Kilkenny in the past year were spurred by the assurance that this would happen. The new university will also lead to more indigenous businesses being founded in the region fostering more job creation.



Crucial to making an economic success of Irelands South East region is retaining and attracting talent and creating well-paid jobs. Its a virtuous circle. Making higher education accessible to all is the best way to make Ireland a country of equal opportunities.

Minister Harris has now charged the institutes with undertaking an open public competition to identify and propose to him a suitable candidate for designation as the TUs first president.
The leaders of the three coalition parties in the Irish Government will on Monday discuss proposals to end the rules on mandatory mask-wearing.

It comes ahead of a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, at which ministers are expected to accept the advice from health officials.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin confirmed last Friday that the Government would be accepting the guidance from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) that will bring an end to mandatory mask wearing.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has recommended an end to the mandatory wearing of masks, but they will be advisory in healthcare settings and on public transport.



(left to right) Minister for the Environment Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan, Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar at a press conference in Government Buildings earlier this year (Niall Carson/PA)

The changes are expected to come into place on February 28.

In his letter to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, Dr Holohan said: Nphet concluded that there is no longer a continuing public health rationale for retaining them and advised that the following measures could be removed with effect from 28th February as planned.

Mandatory mask wearing in areas where it is currently regulated for, including: public transport, taxis, retail and other indoor public settings, and staff in hospitality settings.

Public health measures in early learning settings, school-aged childcare, primary and secondary schools, including physical distancing measures such as pods, and mask wearing.

Mr Donnelly is expected to bring a proposal to Cabinet on Tuesday.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the infamous armorer during the deadly production of low-budget western Rust is working at a tattoo shop in her Arizona hometown, according to a report.

According to paparazzi photos obtained by TMZ, Gutierrez-Reed was spotted leaving Belton Tattoo shop in Bullhead City, Ariz., a town located between Las Vegas and Phoenix. She is reportedly the shops receptionist, but its unknown how long shes worked there.

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The photos were taken by The Image Direct.

"Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed.

Gutierrez-Reed, 24, was on the on-set armorer on Rust and is the crew member who handed a loaded gun to assistant director David Halls before he handed it to star Alec Baldwin. The actor then shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Oct. 21 at a ranch in New Mexico. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting.

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The family of Hutchins filed a wrongful death lawsuit last week accusing producers and crew members, including Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed. The paperwork alleged that Baldwin acted recklessly and, because of cost cutting, the production failed to follow industry standards for gun safety, which resulted in the cinematographers death.

[ Alec Baldwin, Rust producers sued by family of slain cinematographer Halyna Hutchins ]

The Santa Fe County sheriffs office is still investigating the shooting, with a focus on how a live round got into the gun. No criminal charges have been announced yet.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Were used to people coming in from out of town to play cowboy who dont know how to use guns, Randi McGinn, the Hutchins familys lawyer in Albuquerque, said last week. You dont hand somebody a gun until you give them safety training.  No one should ever die with a real gun on a make-believe movie set.

Gutierrez-Reed is herself a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the prop weapons supplier contracted by the Rust production team. According to her lawsuit, Seth Kenney and PDQ Arm & Prop, his company, mismarked a box of ammunition that was brought to the set and contained live rounds.

A box of ammunition found on the set after the shooting was labeled dummies but actually had seven live rounds.

Kenney has denied any wrongdoing.

According to Gutierrez-Reeds lawsuit, Kenney and Thell Reed, her father and an armorer in Hollywood, brought live ammunition to the production of Paramount Plus series 1883 last year in Texas so actors could shoot vintage guns at a firing range.

Thell Reed told Sante Fe Sheriffs deputies Kenney took a can of live ammunition containing 200 or 300 rounds back to New Mexico with him after the Texas trip.

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Ultimately, the production safeguarded the guns on set, but not the ammunition, her lawsuit states.
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Proud American Vanlines called itself a moving company but customers say it functioned more like a kidnapping ring for furniture, abducting possessions and holding them hostage.

According to the Justice Department, the Fort Lauderdale-based company stole the identities of reputable moving companies and used them to lure in unsuspecting customers. It allegedly covered its tracks by posting phony reviews on consumer websites praising its service.

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In fact, the feds say, the company would load up the truck with a customers possessions then jack up the price  threatening to auction off the goods unless the customer paid in full.

Read the full story at MiamiHerald.com.
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City Council also addresses a report for how to redraw city wards and issues related to federal ARPA funds.
President Joe Biden's executive order will also allow the US to impose sanctions on anyone operating in those areas.
CNN's Paula Newton reported from Ottawa. This story was written by Aya Elamroussi and Jay Croft in Atlanta. Paradise Afshar, Travis Caldwell, Raja Razek, Chris Boyette, Amir Vera, Chuck Johnston and Jenn Selva contributed to this report.
The cover of the Korean edition of "Leyli and Majnun" by 12th-century Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi / Courtesy of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Korea



By Kwon Mee-yoo



"Leyli and Majnun," an epic love poem by the 12th-century Azerbaijani poet, Nizami Ganjavi, has been translated into Korean, as a literary gesture to commemorate the ties between Azerbaijan and Korea.



The year 2021 was declared the "Year of Nizami Ganjavi" in Azerbaijan and on the occasion of the 880th anniversary of the poet's birth, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Korea supported the first-ever translation of Nizami's poems into Korean.



Azerbaijani ambassador to Korea Ramzi Teymurov noted that the Korean publication of "Leyli and Majnun" is of great importance in terms of "introducing wonderful examples of Azerbaijani classical literature to Korean readers and at the same time, contributing to the elimination of information scarcity about Azerbaijan in Korea."



"Nizami Ganjavi, a prominent representative of world literature, a great Azerbaijani poet and thinker, is one of the rare personalities who opened a new page in the artistic thought of mankind. Throughout his life, Nizami Ganjavi lived and created in the ancient Azerbaijani city of Ganja, one of the important cultural centers of the time, and created wonderful pearls of word art that enriched the history of Eastern philosophical-social and artistic-esthetic thought," the ambassador told The Korea Times via email.



"In 'Leyli and Majnun' that is being presented to Korean readers, Nizami was the first to bring to literature the legend of love widespread among the peoples of the Middle East and created an immortal epos about freedom of conscience and love."



Professor Kim Seong-ryong of Hoseo University and Ramin Abasov, who earned his master's degree from the university, contributed to translating the Azerbaijani literature into Korean.



Abasov studied Korean at the Azerbaijan University of Languages and majored in Korean classic literature at Hoseo University. After returning to Azerbaijan in 2005, Abasov has been working as a Korean translator.



Abasov's master thesis was themed, "Introducing 12th-century Azerbaijan love poetry to the Korean public," and he added a partial translation of Leyli and Majnun as the appendix.



"But I've always desired to translate the whole poem into the Korean language someday. Because the great poet Nizami Ganjavi and his great works have remained unknown to Korean readers. Nizami Ganjavi's poems were translated into many foreign languages so far. But there is no Korean translation among these translations. And I decided to make a contribution to this," Abasov said.



"Nizami is the most influential and prominent poet in Azerbaijan's history of literature. Through his literature works his humanistic view of life, human nature, free will are studied from elementary school in Azerbaijan. His name is perpetuated in Azerbaijan. In memory of Nizami Ganjavi you can find lot of monuments, museums, art centers, streets and avenues carrying Nizami's name."



Abasov quoted a saying in Azerbaijan, that "Shakespeare is the Nizami of the West," reflecting the greatness of the poet.



"(Nizami's) poems displayed not only Nizami's high mastery of poetry, but also his philosophical, aesthetic and ethical views. The virtue of Nizami's poetry lies in his ability to express people's desires and yearnings, with humanism common to all mankind, with the highest artistic skill, with the delicacy of progressive ideas, in their fluency and simplicity, perceptibility, actuality and profoundness," Abasov explained.



"In his poems, he sang about the purity and unconditional love that the human heart longs for. He praised women's beauty and wisdom while asserting women's liberation and natural rights from the strife of feudal society. Assuming Nizami lived in the 12th century, when the precepts and laws of Islam were strongly governed, it is a quite surprising and notable thing."



As the poem was written in the 12th century, translating idiomatic expressions and medieval language features took a lot of time.



"I had to do a lot of searches. Especially, differences between Korean and Azerbaijan, or the Middle East's culture, as well, were one difficult part of the translation," Abasov said, adding that he is grateful to his academic advisor, Kim, who revised and perfected the translation.



"If I have the chance, I would like to translate more wonderful literary works of Azerbaijan poets into the Korean language. I think Korean readers would very much enjoy reading the great Azerbaijan poets' works, like those of Fuzuli (16th century), Nasimi (14th-15th centuries), Khatai (15th-16th centuries) and others."



"And of course, it would be great if I had the chance to work on the rest of Nizami Ganjavi's poems which are included in Khamsa, such as, 'The Treasury of Mysteries,' 'Khosrow and Shirin,' 'The Seven Beauties' and 'The Book of Alexander.'"


President Moon Jae-in talks about the renewable energy project to build floating wind turbines in Ulsan at the city's tech-industrial park in May 2021. Korea Times file



By Ko Dong-hwan



People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and his rival Lee Jae-myung's ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) clashed over a renewable energy project to build floating wind turbines in Ulsan.



Speaking in front of Lotte Department Store in the southeastern coastal city, Feb. 19, Yoon said that DPK lawmakers are trying to benefit only their allies through the project, which is still in the planning stages. He called the national renewable energy-based power generation project "conniving that goes beyond ignorance" on the part of the DPK.



"Why on Earth is the city of Ulsan seeing a renewable energy-based wind power project being erected which fishermen and other citizens had opposed it?" the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate said during his speech on Saturday. "I think you all know who will benefit from the project by getting orders for the project's construction. I can tell you that none of those who oppose the DPK's doctrines or who are not the party's core supporters will get a piece of the pie from the project."



Yoon's harsh rhetoric against the DPK in his Saturday speech also targeted Lee's alleged involvement in a controversial urban development project in Seongnam's Daejang-dong, a case that has persisted for months without prosecutors having proven the allegations. "Think about Daejang-dong. Can't you people smell something rotten from all the way over here? We must excommunicate the core members of the DPK who elected the evident suspect as their presidential candidate."









Yoon's speech came after Lee visited Ulsan on Feb. 5 and promoted the project as a new cash cow for the city, which was a major heavy and chemical industry base for decades, leading to the launching of a new industrial park in the city and thus new jobs for local residents. Lee said that the country must disperse its economic growth, which has been heavily concentrated in the capital area, to broader local regions, and that this project will be a perfect chance for the city to solve that issue.





Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party raises his fist while speaking to people in front of Lotte Department Store in Ulsan, Feb. 19. Newsis
Medical experts finished testifying Monday in the competency hearing of convicted cop killer Markeith Loyd, but a judge has not determined yet whether to delay his sentencing for the 2017 killing of Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton.

Under Florida law, defendants are found incompetent to proceed when they lack the ability to consult with their attorneys or are unable to understand the proceedings against them.

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Loyd, 46, faces a possible death sentence after a 12-person jury unanimously recommended he should be executed for fatally shooting Clayton when she tried to arrest him for killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend.

If she finds him competent to proceed, Circuit Judge Leticia Marques will decide whether to follow the jurys recommendation or sentence Loyd to life in prison. His sentencing is set for March 3.

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On Monday, Dr. Jeffrey Danziger testified for the defense that he interviewed Loyd for about two hours and administered the gold standard of psychological tests that determines if someone is faking a mental illness.

My conclusion, my opinion, is this is someone with a genuine psychotic disorder who was not feigning mental illness, Danziger said.

Loyds delusions, such as his belief that spirits tell him facts about the case and how to act in the courtroom, hinder his ability to consult with his defense attorneys, Danziger said.

He is an intelligent man, Danziger said, who can talk about his childhood or what he had for dinner, but anything related to the case, [he] would likely go off into delusional tangents.

At a hearing earlier this month, another psychologist also testified on behalf of the defense. Dr. Xavier Amador told Marques he diagnosed Loyd with schizophrenia and found him incompetent to proceed.

Amador said Loyd suffers from various delusions, including believing that the judge and prosecutors on his case are slave masters intent on killing a slave, which is how Loyd refers to himself. Amador also testified about Loyds diagnosis of anosognosia, which impairs his ability to recognize his own mental illness.

My testimony wouldnt convince him in any way, shape or form that he has a mental illness, Amador said.

But on Monday, Dr. Katherine Oses, a psychologist called by prosecutors, said she diagnosed Loyd with antisocial personality disorder, not a delusional disorder or psychosis.

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After about 90 minutes of evaluating Loyd, Oses concluded that his references to Marques and prosecutors as creatures stem from a biased perception of the nature of the legal process.

Loyd is competent to proceed with the sentencing hearing, Oses said.

As experts testified Monday, Loyd quietly read through a stack of papers, a stark difference from his profanity-laced rant before testimony at the last hearing. Following his tirade, Loyd was escorted out of the courtroom by deputies and placed in a different room where he could still observe the proceedings.

One of his attorneys told Marques she had observed in a recent interaction that Loyd was full-blown psychotic.

Hes manifested that behavior since the day he was arrested, the judge said.

Loyd has avoided the death penalty once before when a 2019 jury recommended he be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for his killing his ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, and their unborn child.

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mcordeiro@orlandosentinel.com; lgarza@orlandosentinel.com
Steve Garbacz is executive editor of KPC Media Group and editor of The News Sun. He loves talking to now-retired Purdue professor Larry DeBoer, who is one of Indianas top minds when it comes to understanding taxation in Indiana. Email Steve at sgarbacz@kpcmedia.com.
TWICE member Momo's kind actions to Jeongyeon during their concert in Los Angeles are warming hearts. Keep on reading for all the details.

TWICE Momo Warms Hearts for Kind Actions to Jeongyeon During LA Concert

During TWICE's concerts in North America, ONCEs were ecstatic to welcome Jeongyeon's return to the stage after taking a hiatus for mental and physical health reasons.

During the shows, fans can see her fatigue on stager, but many are still highly touched by her efforts to perform for fans. Jeongyeon still managed to stand on stage with her members despite her hair problems.

Among the videos taken during TWICE's Los Angeles concerts, fans were able to spot a touching moment between Jeongyeon and Momo. Due to her long hiatus from activities, Jeongyeon appeared to forget her positioning in some songs.

Thankfully, Momo was there to rescue Jeongyeon!

ALSO READ: TWICE Jeongyeon Draws Concern After Looking Gloomy at LA Concert

During their performance of "Knock Knock," Jeonguyeon was seen looking around, seemingly forgetting her position in the choreography. The idol looked bewildered and awkward as she stood.

Thankfully, Momo spotted Jeongyeon looking out of place and immediately walked over to her, taking her hand and leading Jeongyeon to her place.

Another thing that people noted is what part Momo helped Jeongyeon. When Momo runs over to hold Jeongyeon's hold, Chaeyoung is singing her land, "Come in, come in, baby / Take my hands." People theorize that this was intentional, making Momo's actions even more clever and appropriate.

ALSO READ: TWICE Jeongyeon Shocks With Weight Loss During Concert in LA

The warm scene between the two members proved TWICE's close and strong comradeship. Both audiences who watched them live and those who saw the clip online said they felt warm after watching the video and were moved by the footage.

Check out TWICE's performance of 'Knock Knock' here:

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

TWICE Recent Activities

TWICE held two shows in Los Angeles, California, performing in The Forum on February 15 and 16. In addition, TWICE performed in Oakland at the Oakland Arena on February 18.

TWICE's next show date is February 22 in Dallas at the Dickies Arena.

TWICE will perform in Atlanta at the State Farm Arena on February 24. The girl group will then embark on a two-day concert in New York at the UBS Arena from February 26 to 27. The New York concerts will conclude TWICE's North American leg of their fourth world tour "III."

On April 23 and 24, TWICE will perform in Tokyo, Japan, at the Tokyo Dome.

For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Alexa Lewis
Law enforcement agencies across the state of Idaho are reporting an increase in drug and drug trafficking cases, particularly when it comes to cases involving fentanyl. Read more
Gov. John Bel Edwards told the group that the state's litter problem may be the worst it's been in his life.
China moves to boost digital sector growth in less developed provinces

By Xie Jun (Global Times) 15:23, February 21, 2022

People visit a display center of the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Area in southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 22, 2019. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Chinese tech giants like Tencent and Alibaba are planning to build more data centers in western regions in the country, after the central government launched a project nicknamed "eastern data western calculation" to store and process more digital data in China's western provinces.

China has approved the setting up of hub nodes of the national computing power network in multiple regions including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Northwest China's Gansu Province, which marks the official start of the "eastern data western calculation" project, according to a document released by several government departments recently.

A few technology giants said that they have taken similar action to transfer digital data generated in the east to data centers in the western and northern parts of China, where are rich in electricity.

"Tencent will actively participate in China's initiative of 'eastern data western calculation', optimize the current allocation of data centers, enhance trans-regional computing power relocation," said a Tencent representative involved in a relevant project.

According to information sent by Tencent to the Global Times, the tech giant has allocated data centers in a number of provinces. For example, the company has put into operation a data center in Gui'an of Guizhou, with a total area of about 470,000 square meters. Tencent is expected to store 300,000 servers in the data center.

Tencent also planned to build two data centers in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, as well as one data center in Shanghai.

Similarly, Alibaba Cloud has arranged to build more than 100 data centers in 25 regions around the world so far, said Qu Haifeng, a research fellow of the Alibaba Cloud data center, according to information sent by Alibaba Cloud to the Global Times on Sunday.

Five of them are super data centers. They are located in Hangzhou and Nantong; Heyuan of South China's Guangdong; Zhangbei of North China's Hebei Province, and Ulanqab, a city in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

In June 2020, Alibaba Cloud's super data center in Ulanqab started providing cloud computing services. In November of that year, the company's western cloud computing data center was landed in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

China's data center shares surged on Friday following news of the "eastern data western calculation" project, with Capitalonline Data Service Co rising by the trading limit of 10 percent.

Fu Liang, an independent technology expert, said it's an inevitable trend that high-tech companies take action to transfer their data to regions with more appropriate conditions - namely, cheaper electricity and cooler weather - as the need for computing power and data storage.

"Telecom operators are making arrangements for data relocation, and it's a trend that they will go with the policy direction, such as arranging data centers in the hub node regions, to see if they can get some bonuses," Fu told the Global Times.

According to Fu, transferring computing power to western regions will contribute to China's goal of cutting carbon emissions, as the geographical conditions of western regions will help companies decrease energy consumption.

Tech analyst Xiang Ligang also said that with China's development of high-technology sector like smart cars, demand is rising for computing power and data storage ability and safety.

According to him, China will form a "multiple-layer" data storage system, with "cold data" -referring to data that isn't frequently used like deposit data -being stored in the western regions, while other data will be stored in areas close the companies' locations.

Xiang also noted that the "eastern data western calculation" project will significantly stimulate local digital industry growth, while providing opportunities for relevant suppliers, like those providing data storage or heat radiation services.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Three new bridges stand side by side over Central Floridas treasured and troubled Wekiva River.

From the road above them, the scenery nestles in treetops. From beneath, the bridges suggest artifacts left by a civilization of inhabitants much larger than humans.

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Their 360-foot decks soar monumentally over the river. Their legs plunge to earth as elephantine columns engraved with shapes of tree trunks. The undersides are sculptural. Not a bit of it touches water.

Emerging from the Wekivas intimate wetlands in a kayak or canoe, drifting under the spans and looking up six stories is to be hushed by the mismatch: prodigious bridges, prized but modest river, tiny person.

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The space is an open-air cathedral. Raising it was storied.

This could not have happened without the collaborative effort of many, said Nancy Prine, who was there for the decades of toiling.

She and three other people who had prominent roles in the way the Wekiva Parkway bridges were designed were invited by the Orlando Sentinel to paddle along the river for their first look at the three bridges from the water.

They were: Prine of Friends of the Wekiva River; Lee Constantine, a Seminole County commissioner; Deborah Shelley, a former longtime manager of the states Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve; and Charles Lee, Audubon Floridas advocacy director.

The bridges over the Wekiva belong to the 25-mile, $1.6 billion Wekiva Parkway, which is a toll road that provides the final segment of already completed beltway around Orlando along state roads 429 and 417 and a few miles of Interstate 4.

A trio of new bridges over the Wekiva River are nearly done as part of the Wekiva Parkway north of Orlando. The Orlando Sentinel invited four people who played central roles in the look of the bridges: Nancy Prine of Friends of the Wekiva River in foreground; Lee Constantine, a Seminole County commissioner wearing sunglasses; Deborah Shelley, active in Lake County environmental affairs; and Charles Lee, Audubon Floridas advocacy director. The visit was in late January 2022. (Kevin Spear / Orlando Sentinel)

The Wekiva Parkway came after interventions of governors and legislatures because of its environmentally sensitive location.

The parkway crosses east and west through spring-soaked wilderness of the Wekiva River basin: a wedge of wildlands  including Seminole forest, Rock Springs preserve and Wekiwa Springs park  in a vice of metro Orlando.

Environmentalists protected that landscape as sacrosanct. Developers clamored for acreage. Transportation officials strained to finish the beltway. Traffic killed bears on the only highway across the river, State Road 46.

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After years of tough talks, lawmakers passed the Wekiva Parkway and Protection Act. It authorized the road and costly environmental safeguards.

That was 18 years ago.

The Wekiva Parkway will be complete next year, extending from near Apopka and Mount Dora to near Sanford.

But the trio of bridges across the Wekiva River that cost $60 million is nearly done. One is open, carrying traffic of S.R. 46, which the parkway supplants. The other two, for the tolled expressway lanes, will open in a few months.

The bridges are incomparable on many levels.

From a high level, they stand at the end of a long road of compromise and consensus that could not happen in todays polarized politics, said Constantine, a state senator from Altamonte Springs when the parkway act passed.

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Gov. Bush said protect the river, build the road and get complete agreement, he said.

At a low level, literally to the bottom of the piers, is their color.

The Wekiva River is one of only two in the state designated as a National Wild and Scenic River.

A trio of new bridges over the Wekiva River are nearly done as part of the Wekiva Parkway north of Orlando. One is open, carrying traffic of S.R. 46, which the parkway supplants. The other two, for the tolled expressway lanes, will open in a few months. (Kevin Spear / Orlando Sentinel)

At a meeting 11 years ago, a National Park Service biologist referred to the S.R. 46 bridge that the parkway bridges would replace.

The color thats out there now is exactly the wrong color, he said of the bare concrete.

A bridge color was selected after evaluating sample swatches, considering iconic bridges elsewhere and narrowing the choice to four finalists.

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The darkest one was chosen, Prine said.

The Florida Department of Transportations vendor calls it dark brown. It will be applied as a penetrating stain  about 5,100 gallons of it. The application, occurring now, will cost $1 million.

Dark brown doesnt convey the sense of the finish, especially when sunlight bounces off the river and shimmers on the bridges bellies.

I think it blends nicely, said Shelley, who has been active in Lake County environmental affairs. Its sort of like tree bark with shadows. Its certainly a lot better than stark white.

The group paddled south, going upriver from the states Katies Landing to the north side of the bridges.

From that direction, the view of the nearest bridge is heavily camouflaged by trees. A truck appeared, more visible than the bridge, rolling swiftly from east to west as if slipstreaming through leaves and not on concrete.

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Lee didnt respond immediately when asked what he thought of the structures appearance. It took me a full minute to figure out where you were seeing the bridges, he said.

The transportation department worked outside its box for that view.

If you have ever followed FDOT construction before, you know that we like to clear and grub and take out everything within the roadway section, said Rick Vallier, the states parkway manager.

Nancy Prine of the Friends of Wekiva River paddles toward the bridges over the Wekiva, which are barely visible in this shot because of tree canopy. It took me a full minute to figure out where you were seeing the bridges, said Audubon's Charles Lee, paddling nearby. (Kevin Spear / Orlando Sentinel)

At the Wekiva, trees were left to overhang portions of the bridges.

The contractor asked for more area to construct these bridges and we were very adamant about not removing any trees or vegetation, Vallier said.

That included a cypress estimated at 900 to 1,200 years old.

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We had an arborist come in and trim a couple of limbs for safety, John Hatfield, construction engineer for DOTs Central Florida region. Supposedly its a contender for having one of the largest diameters of cypress trees.

The Wekiva bridges are to serve as a wildlife undercrossing, a big one.

The main span over the river is 360 feet. Adjoining both sides are spans 260 feet long. There are another six spans to the west, each at 145 feet long, and two spans to the east, each at 159 feet.

The total of wildlife crossing at the river is 2,068 feet, or vastly more than from the old State Road 46 bridge that was in the same place.

Before the boat trip, Prine had a hope that the years of work will live up to our expectations.

Minutes after arriving, the four visitors agreed the bridges had been done well, and as well as they expected from discussions so many years ago.

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But soon, they turned to their rising worry over suburban development that threatens to crowd around the Wekiva Parkway in Lake County.

The jury is still out as to whether or not the spring shed will be protected, said Shelley of the landscape that soaks up rainfall and funnels it underground to the springs along the river.

The four said that there may not be the same resolve for protecting the river now as when the law was passed authorizing the parkway.

This happened only because environmentalists, Florida elected officials, roadbuilders and even developers were willing to set aside ideological pretense, Lee said. It is hard to imagine such a good outcome happening again in todays rancorous political setting.

The noise from traffic on just one of the bridges was unmistakable, promising that the volume from all three bridges will not be pleasant.

But the staccato clatter from the S.R. 46 bridge, tires slapping concrete joints, rang out harshly far from the river.

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That old bridge was a blight, in the visitors memories, with its 36 pilings pounded into the river bottom, forming a picket fence that stymied wildlife, water and paddlers. Those pilings were carefully plucked out by road builders.

Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. >

The Wekiva bridges are somewhat like many coastal bridges that soar upward so that large vessels can pass beneath. It is startling to see that much structure amid Wekiva wetlands.

Just south of the bridges is a wide area of Wekiva River, without trees hindering views.

From there, the main bridge span creates a photo frame of sorts at 360 feet wide and 54 feet from the water to the bottom edge of concrete.

As the four were set to paddle back to Katies Landing, a great egret flew toward the bridge. Lee pointed out the large, white bird to the others.

It didnt simply slip through the picture frame. It performed within its generous airspace: rising, angling right, dropping left and flying on.

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Thats pretty cool, Constantine said.

kspear@orlandosentinel.com
MISSOULA, Mont. - Opening weekend for the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival may be narrowing down, but there's still a whole lot more to see.

One being the showing of Newtok, which captures the decade-long battle between the government and the Indigenous village of Alaska as the Yup'ik people fight to keep their homes safe.

With the permafrost melting around them, it erodes into the oceans. Faced with the wrenching decision to leave their land behind and start a new life.

We spoke with the directors of the film, Andrew Burton and Michael Kirby Smith, who share why this story is aimed to show audiences how climate impacts our Indigenous communities.

They shared, "ultimately in our opinion, it just comes down to the people depicted in the film and following a few storylines and trying to make it as personal as possible and our hope is that the viewer connects with the people depicted in the film and that you're invested in their stories and what they've been forced through is then represented above those larger issues of climate change and Indigenous rights."

If you want to watch the film on the big screen it will be screening on Monday night at 5:15 pm at the Wilma Theatre, click here to reserve tickets. Plus with the festival going hybrid this year, if you can't make the screening you can also stream it online by clicking here.
BILLINGS, Mont. - The Billings Logan International Airport has delayed or canceled some flights due to the snow storm impacting southeast Montana Monday.

The following flights are canceled, according to BIL:

Delta Airlines flight 3821 to Salt Lake City, Utah originally scheduled to depart at 11:15 p.m.

The following flights are delayed, according to BIL:
KYIV, Ukraine  Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraines northern border, a move that U.S. leaders said put Russia another step closer to launching what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraines capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace.

Russias action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraines neighbor to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraines borders, along with tanks, warplanes, artillery and other war materiel.

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A Ukrainian serviceman walks to a frontline position outside Popasna, in the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Russia extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. Ukraine's president appealed for a cease-fire. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (VADIM GHIRDA/AP)

The continued deployment of the Russian forces in Belarus raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away.

In Kyiv, life outwardly continued as usual for some on a mild winter Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what U.S. President Joe Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack.

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Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capitals St. Michaels monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared.

We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life, Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. We should appreciate it every day. Thats why I think everything will be fine.

Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing, said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh.

A U.S. official said Sunday that Bidens assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence.

Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea.

The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraines soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict.

The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive sanctions if it does.

Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russias military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion.

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Were talking about the potential for war in Europe, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. Its been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security.

European and U.S. officials insisted they were still pursuing what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken depicted as last-ditch diplomacy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed on Twitter for a cease-fire. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyys offer Saturday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Putin blamed Ukraine  incorrectly, according to observers there  for the escalation of shelling along the contact line and NATO for pumping modern weapons and ammunition into Ukraine. The Kremlin statement mentioned a cease-fire only in passing and made no mention of Zelenskyys call for a meeting.

Macron, who has been prominent in European diplomatic efforts with Putin, spoke separately to Zelenskyy and to Biden after his talks Sunday with Putin. Macrons office said both the Ukrainian and Russian leaders had agreed to work toward a diplomatic solution in coming days and coming weeks.

Blinken also renewed his offer to meet one-on-one with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov next week  on the condition, he said, that Russia had not invaded by then.

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Up to the last minute, there is still an option for him to pull back, Blinken told NBCs Meet the Press.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory urging greater caution by Americans in Russia overall. Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance, it warned.

In the eastern Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action.

Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. >

Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraines military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday.

Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences, Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television.

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On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote.

Right now, we dont respond to their fire because ... the soldier said before being interrupted by the sound of an incoming shell. Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.

___

Heintz reported from Moscow and Miller from Washington. Mstyslav Chernov in Zolote, Ukraine, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Aamer Madhani in Munich, Ellen Knickmeyer, Robert Burns and Darlene Superville in Washington, Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv contributed to this story.
Most people look at a raccoon and think Cute. Or maybe Does that raccoon have rabies?

Steve Meyers might look at that same raccoon and wonder Is that a potential client?

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The same goes for black bears and opossums. And rivers, lakes and wetlands.

Does it matter that animals and water bodies dont have the cash to hire attorneys? Not to Meyers. When the Orlando attorney sees Central Floridas natural treasures under threat, his brain immediately goes to work, looking for ways to use the law for their salvation.

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We are on the environmental Titanic. We are losing our natural world, says the 61-year-old Central Florida native. Our waterways are crashing. Ecosystems are not sustainable. If we dont save it now, we lose the chance forever.

And if the right law doesnt exist? Hell help write it  as he did with the groundbreaking 2020 Orange County charter amendment that conveyed a right to local water bodies to be free-flowing and healthy, protected from pollution. Then hell go to court to fight for it.

Other people share Meyers passion for defending ecological underdogs, as evidenced by the torrent of anguished protest that greeted 2015s sanctioned hunt of black bears. And certainly, Florida has had its share of great legal minds  people who could stand at the boundaries of the law and see possibilities no one else could perceive.

But Meyers is a rare combination of both. And that is why he is among this years finalists for Central Floridian of the Year.

Orange County stands up for nature

If Meyers story sounds a bit familiar, its because he was nominated by Chuck ONeal, a 2020 Central Floridian of the Year finalist. ONeal heads an advocacy group, Speak Up Wekiva, that fights developments and decisions that put the natural world in peril. And while you may not recognize that group either, you almost certainly recognize (and probably voted for) their biggest victory to date: That 2020 charter amendment, known in Orange County as the clean water amendment.

On its face, the Orange County amendment is clearly one of the biggest environmental coups in Floridas history. It is the first of its kind to grant rights to water bodies  the right to be clean of pollution, the right to keep wetlands intact and streams flowing free. It also gave private citizens the right to sue.

It passed with a jaw-dropping 89 percent of the vote. And many people say that without Meyers creative thinking, enthusiasm and legal expertise, the Orange County Charter Review Commission never would have put it on the ballot.

Orlando Attorney, Steven Meyers, stands adjacent to the waterways of Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane that he is suing on behalf of to protect them from a Lake Nona developer on Wednesday, February 9, 2022. Meyers is finding innovative ways to defend Central Floridas most fragile, endangered places, and battling to ensure Orange Countys Charter Right to Clean Water amendment, that voters overwhelmingly passed, is withheld. (Rich Pope, Orlando Sentinel) (Rich Pope / Orlando Sentinel)

Hes really a brilliant legal mind, says Nicole Wilson, an environmental-law attorney who was a member of the charter board  and won election to the Orange County Commission in the same 2020 election that saw the clean-water amendment approved. The way we moved jurisprudence forward with this  it was because he said You know, I think we can come at this from a different angle.

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The victory was clouded from the start, however  four months before voters went to the polls, the Legislature created a new law that prohibited counties from adopting any provision that granted rights to natural systems.

Knowing it would be an uphill battle, Meyers and others picked a planned development of nearly 2,000 acres near Lake Nona as the spot to make their stand. According to its own application, the proposed Meridian Parks Remainder project would destroy 112 acres of wetlands, including some that are critical to the health of nearby water bodies. When Meyers filed his suit, he named five nearby water bodies as plaintiffs: Crosby Island Marsh, Lake Hart, Lake Mary Jane, Boggy Branch and Wilde Cypress Branch. All of them would be affected or partially destroyed by the proposed development.

But Meyers didnt just go after the development. He also included the audacious argument that the Florida Legislature violated the state constitution and attacked the fundamental rights of Orange County voters when they passed the law that would block the clean-water amendment.

That argument pushes the stakes even higher  and if the lawsuit prevails, it could benefit voters in all 67 counties because it would keep the Legislature from overriding them, Meyers says.

Were sick of seeing the will of the people ignored, he says.

Not his first fight

The Orange County suit isnt the first time Meyers has gone to bat for the environment. In his nomination letter, ONeal said he first met Meyers in 2015 when the group filed a legal challenge to Floridas highly controversial black bear hunt. Meyers sent the group a $1,000 check and a note that offered something far more valuable - help with litigation. Within two weeks, Steve was driving up to Tallahassee to represent (pro bono) Floridas black bear population at a hearing on an emergency motion for a temporary injunction to stop the bear hunt, ONeal says.

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Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

They lost that lawsuit, though the state agreed to call a halt to the hunt if the bear population suffered significant harm. Meyers says that promise wasnt kept. We lost 40 percent of the bears in Seminole County, he says.

In 2017, Meyers filed suit (again, on behalf of Speak Up Wekiva) against the city of Orlando and a planned development known as Princeton Oaks. They lost at the trial level, appealed and lost again.

Yes, theres a theme here  and its one Meyers has learned to live with. He knows, ahead of time, that hell lose a good number of the cases he files. Thats because lawmakers and local officials make sure the deck is stacked in favor of big-money developers, he says, and against the natural systems that so many Floridians hold dear. And when he goes to court to fight for environmental causes  without pay  he knows hell be outmanned by brigades of high-dollar lawyers working for developers.

Still, its a fight he wont surrender. In fact, he, ONeal and other environmental advocates are already planning the next line of attack: A 2024 statewide ballot question that enshrines rights of nature into the Florida Constitution.

We are not going to back down, Meyers says. Were sick of the people being ignored.  we are destroying this state so a handful of people can profit.

kfluker@orlandosentinel.com

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This story originally misidentified the plaintiff in the Princeton Oaks lawsuit.
Are you planning to attend NH Pumpkin Festival this year? If not, what would make you attend?
The Abbey, a Lake Geneva area resort located in Fontana, is continuing to struggle to find employees and as one way to help recruit workers, the resort proposed establishing a hospitality academy.

But neighbors are continuing to push back against the program, citing concerns about students coming over from other countries on visas.

After an overwhelming number of Walworth residents expressed disapproval of the proposed Lake Geneva Hospitality Academy, Walworth Town Board members unanimously voted to push the decision to Aprils board meeting.

The Abbeys proposal is to buy the retreat center behind Inspiration Ministries and create a training academy where students would also be able to live. As part of the agreement, Inspiration Ministries would retain about 30 acres of property on the north side of the site, and Abbey Provident Venture would obtain about 20 acres of property on the south side.

But many residents are against the project and the Wednesday, Feb. 16, Walworth Town Board meeting was filled with concerns and comments regarding the project.

The main concern was the possibility of this academy turning into a J-1 Visa program, with many of the workers coming from other countries. With that, some residents felt their safety would be jeopardized.

One resident said, I feel very unsafe as a resident of the town of Walworth  If we start to look at other areas that brought in J-1 programs, especially Wisconsin Dells, crime rates went through the roof.

Erik Barber, president of Inspiration Ministries, rebutted that argument saying he called the police department in that area and the Wilderness Resort.

I have great concern that there is a lot of misinformation thats going around driving the fear and anxiety around the project, said Barber. The clear answer from the police department and Wilderness Resorts, who by the way has 1,300 to 1,800 J-1 visa students every single year, said there is not an issue with the crime as it relates to J-1 visa programs.

There may be 15 J-1 visa students that join the program, not nearly as many as residents may think, Barber added. And these students are well educated and come from middle-upper class families, he said.

Cary Kerger, the managing member of Abbey, explained the value that this program would add.

Its going on the tax rolls which is helping the economic viability of the community. This is a workforce development program. One of the largest issues the state of Wisconsin faces is a shortage of workers, said Kerger.

Although the board pushed back the decision for Inspiration Ministries to operate as a recreational camp, it unanimously voted to allow the rezoning of a road for the safety of the establishment.

In order to vote down the program, the board needs to provide substantial evidence that there are legitimate concerns for safety and that it does not fit under the guidelines of a recreation camp, said Plan Commission Attorney David Rasmussen. If they vote for it, they would also need to prove how it could benefit the community.

With that in consideration, the board voted not to make any decision and take time to better analyze the issue.

The matter was also set to go to the Walworth County Zoning Agency on Thursday, Feb. 17. But that committee also tabled any decision, until the town made its decision.
MOUNT PLEASANT  For the first time in almost three years, a public update on Foxconn in Racine County is scheduled. It is to be held today.

The meeting, open to the public, will be held at 5 p.m. at the County Board Chambers, 14200 Washington Ave., Yorville.

An agenda for the update, which will come during a joint session of the Racine County Board and the Village of Mount Pleasant Committee of the Whole, gives little insight into what is going to be announced.

The agenda, released Monday morning, consists of one item: Staff presentation and update regarding Tax Incremental Financing District No. 5 and introduction of TID No. 5 Dashboard.

TID No. 5 is the district set up specifically for Foxconn.

The TID No. 5 Dashboard is already live online at racinecounty.com/Foxconn.

It reiterates how, starting next year, Foxconn will be required to pay taxes as if the TID is valued at $1.4 billion, even if the value of the property is far below that.

While the states contract with Foxconn has been substantially changed  an initial potential of $3 billion in tax incentives to Foxconn was reduced to $80 million  Racine Countys and the Village of Mount Pleasants agreement with Foxconn remains unchanged. There have been no publicly known attempts to renegotiate.

The county and village have already spent more than $300 million on the project. There was $110 million spent to acquire more than 2,000 acres of land (the cost was actually $170 million, but $60 million was provided by Foxconn); another $200 million for infrastructure related to sanitary sewer, water and related infrastructural project that has remained largely unused thus far; and nearly $8 million in professional fees.

Claude Lois, who was Burlingtons mayor from 2000-2008, has been paid about $1 million since being hired as Foxconn director in 2017. His wage is due to increase to $200 per hour later this year; its currently $175 per hour.

According to the villages website, his job title is Foxconn Project Director. But in an interview last month he said his title is project director for the TID No. 5 development in the Village of Mount Pleasant.

TID No. 5 could have been transformed by Intel, which last year was searching for a home for what it plans as the worlds largest microchip factory. But Intel last month picked a site in Ohio instead of in Mount Pleasant.
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AgrAbility PA works with farmers with disabilities or mobility issues to keep them going on the farm.
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 21 (ANI/NewsVoir): The Department of Prosthodontics and Implantology at SRM Kattankulathur Dental College & Hospital has enabled a quick restoration of a patient with facial defect using "Silicone Cheek Prosthesis".

The patient, a 53-year old male, was not able to socialize with others because of the defect in the cheek. The team at Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery headed by Dr Vivek aided in removing the squamous cell carcinoma developed in the cheek. The patient was then referred to Maxillofacial Rehabilitation Department to rectify the defect left behind after the removal of the tumor in the cheek. The defect was successfully rectified through "Silicone Cheek Prosthesis" by Dr Vidyashree Nandini (Professor & Head, Prosthodontics) with her team. She said, "After the restoration of the defect on the cheek he was able to attend a social gathering the same day." The cheek prosthesis made of silicone material, in this instant, replaces the lost part of the cheek thereby camouflaging the existing defect.

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She added that "Injury, accidents, tumors can result in body parts being lost or removed surgically. Artificial replacement of lost body parts is called a prosthesis; silicone and acrylic polymers are the materials used in the prosthetic process. Silicone has the quality of mimicking nature closely. Such replacements can also be given for lost parts of the eye, ear, nose, cheek, etc, in the Maxillofacial Prosthetic section."

This process requires high-end skills, with advanced materials and technology. It is available only in a few centers in the country and SRM Kattankulathur Dental College & Hospital is one among them.

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Overall, about 10 adults per 100,000 develop oral cancer during their lifetime. Oral cancer rates are significantly higher for males than for females. The removal of such tumors commonly results in defects. In such situations, defects are constructed using artificial replacements with so that affected person/s have a better quality of life.

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)
Jaipur, Feb 21 (PTI) With BJP leaders demanding postponement of the Rajasthan Administrative Service main examination, the Congress leaders too have lent support to candidates agitating for its deferment.

Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: Eve-Teasers Stabbed to Death in Shivamogga; Two Arrested.

Congress MLA Sanyam Lodha, who is also an advisor to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, has written a letter to the CM urging him to get the examination postponed by two to three months.

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"Syllabus has been changed and time for preparation is only three months. Necessary book material is also not available in the market. It is a request to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to provide relief to RAS aspirants by postponing the exam, Lodha said.

RAS main exam is scheduled to be held on February 25 and 26 for which aspirants have been protesting in parts of the state.

Lodha said the syllabus for the RAS main examination is vast and more extensive than that of the Union Public Service Commission's civil service examinations.

Some new subjects too have been added in the syllabus for which more time for preparation is needed, he added.

In such a situation, it would be fair to postpone the exam date by two to three months so that aspirants get ample time to prepare for the exam.

Congress MLA from Chaksu assembly constituency, Ved Prakash Solanki, also has urged Chief Minister Gehlot to get the examination deferred for some time.

"I request respected Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot ji to postpone the RAS Mains exam and give ample time to candidates for the preparation. Change in mains syllabus after prelims result has not given proper time to the candidates," Solanki said.

Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena and Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore too had written to CM Gehlot seeking rescheduling of the examination.

(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, February 21: An American woman, who had recently visited the Amazon forests, was diagnosed with a rare case of myiasis, a type of tissue infection, in her eye and underwent a "successful surgery at a private facility here, hospital authorities claimed on Monday. During the operation, "three live human botflies almost 2 cm in size" were removed from the 32-year-old woman, they said.

Myiasis is the infection of a fly larva (maggot) in human tissue. This occurs in tropical and subtropical areas The patient visited the emergency department with complaints of swelling in the right upper eyelid along with redness and tenderness.

She also revealed that she had been feeling something moving inside her eyelids once in a while for the past 4-6 weeks, Fortis hospital, Vasant Kunj, said in a statement. She had consulted doctors in the US, but the myiasis (botfly) could not be removed and doctors discharged her on few symptomatic relief medications, it said. Rare Medical Surgery Performed on Boy to Restore His Skull Bone at City Hospital in Lucknow.

Dr Mohammad Nadeem, consultant and head emergency department, at the hospital, said, It was a very rare case of myiasis. Therefore, these cases need to be evaluated in detail urgently".

"The US national is a traveller and had a history of visiting the Amazon jungle two months back. Suspecting foreign body from her history of travelling, and noticing movements inside her skin, diagnosis was done," he said. Dr Narola Yanger from the surgery department proactively managed to remove "three live human botflies almost of 2 cm in size -- one from the right upper eyelid, second one from back of her neck and third from her right forearm," the statement said.

See Pic:

Doctors at Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj successfully remove Three Live Myiasis (Botfly) from 32-Year-Old US national pic.twitter.com/WNM69BgswZ  Shalini Bhardwaj (@Shalini_Journo) February 21, 2022

The surgery was completed in 10-15 minutes with all aseptic precautions, without any anesthesia. The woman was discharged on symptomatic prescribed medicines from the emergency department, it said.

Myiasis burrow into delicate membranes and feed on underlying structures. Such cases have been reported earlier too from tropical and subtropical areas like Central and South Americas and Africa, the statement said.

In India, such cases have been reported mostly from rural areas particularly in children where the botflies have entered through either nasal opening or musculoskeletal skin lesions, it claimed.

Had the yiasis not been removed, it could have caused considerable destruction of tissues, resulting in complications such as extensive erosion of nose, face, and orbit. This could have led to rare meningitis and death, doctors claimed.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Constituent Assembly for the drafting of the Constitution has denounced the position of the UN Secretary General's Special Advisor on Libya, Stephanie Williams, regarding the constitutional process in the country, saying she is "biased and represents a violation of international law and obligations by adopting the vision of certain political parties
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 21 (ANI): A day after Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao met his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray, his cabinet ministers and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai in a bid to stitch an anti-BJP alliance, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said that a political front will never be formed without the Congress.

This meeting holds importance as it highlights an effort to unite against the Bharatiya Janata Party at the national level ahead of the 2024 General elections.

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Speaking to reporters today morning, Raut said, "We never said that a political front will be formed without Congress."

"At the time when Mamata Banerjee had suggested a political front, Shiv Sena was the first political party that spoke about taking Congress along. Chief Minister KCR has the ability to lead by taking everyone along," Raut said.

Also Read | Karnataka: 26-Year-Old Bajrang Dal Activist Allegedly Murdered in Shivamogga.

Notably, Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, and Congress are in an alliance in Maharashtra.

This meeting came after Telangana Chief Minister Rao gave a call to Opposition parties to unite against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Sunday said the meeting will expedite the process of political unity at the national level against the BJP.

Telangana Chief Minister had earlier hit out at the BJP and said that it should be "expelled" from the country or else the country will be "ruined". He also called for political forces coming together to "oust" the BJP from power.

As part of efforts to bring various opposition parties together against the BJP, Chief Minister KCR is also planning to meet his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Shivamogga, February 21: A 26-year-old Bajrang Dal activist was stabbed in this district headquarters town, following which violence broke out during his funeral procession that left a photo journalist and a woman cop among three injured. They were injured when miscreants pelted stones during the funeral procession that took place amid tight security on Monday, even as several vehicles were torched and damaged while there were reports of some shops being ransacked.

According to official sources, there was stone pelting when the body of the deceased Harsha was being taken from District McGann Hospital here. Two persons have been arrested in connection with the murder, police said.

Police tried to bring the situation under control and made way for the funeral procession to move further and the final rites to take place.

Harsha, a resident of Seegehatti, was attacked by a group of unknown persons at Bharati Colony here on Sunday night, following which he was taken to McGann Hospital where he succumbed to injuries.Karnataka Minister K S Eshwarappa, who is from the district alleged that "Musalman goondas" are behind Harsha's murder.

He said, "recently D K Shivakumar (state Congress President) had made an instigating statement that at a government school premises, the national flag was lowered to hoist Bhagwa flag and 50 lakh saffron flags were brought from Surat in lorries and were distributed among students. This had given abetment Muslim goondas. We will not allow such goondagiri in Shivamogga and will suppress it." Karnataka: Police Arrests Man for Rape and Murder of Woman in Hubballi.

Shivakumar hit back at the minister, saying Eshwarappa cannot sleep without taking his name. According to Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Selvamani, "already section 144 has been imposed (for two days). Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) himself is monitoring the maintenance of law and order.. we are doing all that we can and bring the situation under control at the earliest."

ADGP Murugan said efforts were on to bring the situation under control. Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Commissioner were visiting various places and using force wherever required, and the administration is taking all the necessary measures to ensure peace and order is not disturbed.

He said a case has been registered and the investigating team has already arrested two accused in connection with yesterday's murder and have gathered complete information about who were all involved in it. Efforts were on to nab the others, he added.

Regarding damage to property, separate cases will be booked and who ever was involved, whether it is a Hindu or a Muslim, merciless action will be taken against them, he said. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. Don't put fire to your own city." The SP has formed four teams under DSP (Deputy superintendent of police) level officers, and the additional SP himself is supervising the investigation, he added. Karnataka Shocker: Eve-Teasers Stabbed to Death in Shivamogga; Two Arrested.

Earlier, hundreds of people and Hindu workers took part in the funeral procession that was joined by Minister Eshwarappa, who is also Shivamogga MLA, and Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra. The administration had declared holiday for schools and colleges in the city today, while shops and commercial establishments remained shut in parts of the city. Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, appealing for peace said that the government will get the murder investigated and punish the guilty at the earliest.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, who met the family earlier today said he has not got any information about involvement of any organisation behind the murder so far, but four-five member group was involved. "Police have information on who was involved in the murder and were behind them and very soon they will be arrested. According to information, four to five people were involved," he said. In response to a question, Jnanendra said, Harsha was a Hindu karyakarta and there is information that there were a couple of cases against him, and earlier too there was an attack on him."They are all being looked into." Karnataka: Bajrang Dal Activist Killed in Shivamogga; Security Beefed Up, Schools, Colleges Closed for Two Days

Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar said there is information that the murder might have been due to personal issue.

"There is such information, such reports are there in the media also, we don't know. Guilty must be punished and justice should be given to the family of the deceased," he said.

Reacting to Eshwarappa's allegation against him, he said the minister "can't sleep without taking my name.....If I have incited people, let them take action against me. Case should be booked against him (for his recent comments on the national flag) first, he should have been sacked from the Ministry."

Meanwhile, "#JusticeForHarsha" was trending on Twitter, with several users demanding justice for the young activist.

Among them were actor Raveena Tandon and BJP leaders Kapil Mishra and the saffron party's Andhra Pradesh state general secretary Vishnu Vardhan Reddy.
New Delhi, Feb 21 (PTI)The statement on in-principle approval of One Rank-One Pension (OROP) for defence services was made by then Finance Minister P Chidambaram on February 17, 2014, without any recommendation by the then union cabinet, the Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court.

However, the Centre in its additional affidavit filed in the pending matter on OROP said that the cabinet secretariat had conveyed the approval of the Prime Minister (on OROP) as per the Transaction of Business Rules on November 7, 2015.

Also Read | Karnataka Hindu Activist's Murder: 3 Held, Protesters Torch Police Bus, Bajrang Dal Gives Bandh Call.

Respondent respectfully submits that this statement (of the then Finance Minister dated February 17, 2014) is not based on any decision or recommendation by the then Union Cabinet. On the other hand, the cabinet secretariat conveyed the approval of the Prime Minister in terms of Rules 12 of the Government of India (Transaction of Business Rules) 1961 on November 7, 2015, the affidavit said.

It added that following this, the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare of Ministry of Defence vide communication dated November 7, 2015, conveyed the policy of OROP for the defence force personnel.

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A post-facto approval of the Union Cabinet dated April 6, 2016, was also conveyed by the cabinet secretariat on April 7, 2016, it said.

The clarification was given by the Centre after a bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, while hearing a PIL filed by Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM) on February 16 asked the government to clarify whether the statement made by then Finance Minister on February 17, 2014, was based on any decision or recommendation by the Union Cabinet.

The bench had also asked the Additional Solicitor General N Venkatraman to place on record the proposals before the union cabinet for its approval.

The affidavit placed on record the communication dated April 7, 2016, issued by the cabinet secretariat conveying the ex-post facto approval and the proposal placed before the Union Cabinet.

To the Court's query about the financial data of the outflow that is likely to be incurred by the Centre if non-MACP is grouped with MACP personnel for payment of OROP, the government said that the total financial outflow from 2014 would be in the range of Rs. 42,776.38 crores.

The Centre on Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) said that it is more or less automatic unless otherwise a person gets disqualified for specific reasons such as disciplinary proceedings.

It said that a Sepoy of three years and Sepoy who had crossed eight years qualifying for MACP are not equated even for OROP purpose since they do not qualify the criteria for same length of service.

Therefore, one of the qualifying conditions for the OROP benefit is benchmarking defence personnel having the same length of service. Consequently, one who had not put in the same length of service and therefore not eligible for a MACP cannot be benchmarked with personnel who has qualified for MAVP, it said, adding that the condition same rank with the same length of service had remained constant throughout.

It said, It was, therefore, the consistent plea of the Union that the comparison sought to be made by the petitioners is between comparables and non-comparables and between apples and oranges. Therefore, this plea of the petitioners should not be allowed to succeed.

The government said that the data of total financial outflow from 2014 in the range of Rs. 42,776.38 crores have been placed on record only for the convenience of the court and should not be treated as a concession or an agreement by the Union to the contentions of the petitioners.

The contention of the petitioners defeats one of the core values of the OROP, which is not only same rank but with the same length of service. This pair cannot be impaired. One cannot take only the same rank and ignore the length of service and similarly one cannot merely take the length of service and ignore the rank, it added.

The government said that while framing the OROP regime it has not brought out any discrimination between defence personnel who are in the same rank with the same length of service while the petitioners are seeking an OROP on merely the same rank overlooking the same length of service.

It also sought to counter the contention of IESM for automatic revision of OROP saying such dynamic calculations are unheard of in practice whether it is a pay scale or pension or any other financial emoluments given to a government servant.

This is not in vogue for the simple reason that it is impossible to put it as a scheme of implementation, it said.

On February 16, the top court had said that Centre's hyperbole on the OROP policy presented a much "rosier picture" than what is actually given to the pensioners of the Armed forces.

It asked the Centre to place before it as to how many persons in the Armed forces have received Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP), how many are in Assured Career Progression (ACP), and what would be the financial outlay, if the court directs MACP to be also factored in for OROP.

On July 11, 2016, the top court had issued notice on the plea filed by IEMS through advocate Balaji Srinivasan seeking implementation of OROP as recommended by the Koshyari Committee with an automatic annual revision, instead of the current policy of periodic review once in five years.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kannur (Ker), Feb 21 (PTI) A CPI(M) worker was allegedly hacked to death in north Kerala district of Kannur in the early hours of Monday, police said.

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Haridasan, a fisherman, was allegedly attacked by a gang of assailants in front of his house at Punnol near New Mahe at around 1.30 AM while he was returning home after work, they said.

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The 54-year old was rushed to a hospital in Thalassery by the neighbours who reached the spot hearing the sound but died on the way, police said.

The body was shifted to Pariyaram Medical College Hospital.

Police said there was a CPI(M)-BJP clash in the Punnol area a week ago.

The CPI(M) alleged that the party activist was hacked to death by a group of RSS-BJP men. The BJP has denied the allegations.

The CPI(M) alleged that Haridasan was "brutally attacked by the RSS workers, hacked several times and severed one of his legs" to ensure his death. RSS has not reacted to the allegation.

The CPI (M) has called for a hartal in Thalassery municipality and New Mahe panchayat today to protest the killing.

(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, Feb 21 (PTI) The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Monday assured the Delhi High Court that it will deposit Rs 600 crore within two days in an escrow account for Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL), which had initiated execution proceedings against DMRC concerning an arbitral award of over Rs 4,600 crore in its favour.

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait took on record the statement made by DMRC's counsel and reserved the order on the execution petition.

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Senior advocate Parag Tripathi, representing DMRC, initially submitted that the corporation will pay Rs 600 crore in 72 hours and urged the court to grant some time to it to approach banks for taking the loan for paying the arbitral award amount.

He said the money received by it from governmental agencies is for the completion of metro projects and the amount cannot be used by DMRC for paying the arbitral award amount.

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"I have money in my account but it is earmarked for a project and it is not my money. I do not have to power to dispose of this money, Tripathi submitted on behalf of DMRC.

The court, however, asked the DMRC to deposit Rs 600 crore within two days, and the counsel appearing for it agreed

Meanwhile, senior advocate Ramji Srinivasan, appearing for certain banks, said they are lenders to the project and they need their money, irrespective of the fact that it is paid by DMRC or DAMEPL.

He urged the court to ensure that the money received shall not be disbursed outside and be given to the lenders.

He said the outstanding amount to the lenders was more than Rs 9,000 crores when the amount which has to come from the present proceedings is about Rs 6,000 crore.

DAMEPL was represented by senior advocate Rakesh Kumar Khanna.

In an earlier affidavit, DMRC has stated that as of February 14, it has a total of Rs 5,694.25 crore as funds which include Rs 1,452.10 crore as DMRC funds and Rs 2,681.29 has project funds.

The court had earlier directed DMRC to give details of its funds and balance sheet.

On January 24, the Supreme Court had asked DMRC and DAMEPL to request the high court to hear the dispute relating to the execution of the arbitral award, saying that any further delay is detrimental to the interest of both the parties.

Last year, DMRC had told the court that since the corporation was facing a financial crunch, undertaking a sudden liability would impact public interest and authorities were therefore working out a solution.

It had said that it would deposit Rs 1,000 crore in favour of DAMEPL in an escrow account and suggested taking over the debt of the Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary to the extent of the award money, saying that it would be a better position to negotiate with the lender banks.

The offer, however, was turned down by DAMEPL and the court had observed that if the decree-holder did not want to accept the proposal, it could not be forced to do so.

The high court had earlier pulled up DAMEPL for playing hide and seek with the court and holding out-of-court communications with DMRC to settle the dispute relating to the execution of the over Rs 4,600 crore arbitral award passed against the PSU.

An arbitral tribunal in its May 2017 award had ruled in favour of DAMEPL, which had pulled out from running the Airport Express metro line over safety issues, and accepted its claim that the running of operations on the line was not viable due to structural defects in the viaduct through which the train would run.

The arbitral award pertained to a concession agreement between the two entities, which was signed on August 25, 2008. Under the agreement, DMRC was to carry out the civil works, excluding at the depot, and the balance, including the project system works, were to be executed by DAMEPL, a joint venture of Rinfra and a Spanish construction company -- Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles -- with a shareholding of 95 and five per cent respectively.

DAMEPL had borrowed from 11 banks -- Axis Bank, UCO Bank, Punjab, and Sind Bank, Andhra Bank, Central Bank of India, Dena Bank, Allahabad Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of India, IIFC UK, and Canara Bank London -- to carry out operations on the line.

The Airport Express line was commissioned on February 23, 2011, after an investment of over Rs 2,885 crore, funded by the DAMEPL's promoters' fund, banks, and financial institutions.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], February 21 (ANI): Cultural group 'Vomedh' organised a cultural extravaganza 'PAGAH' on Sunday to celebrate International Mother Language Day in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar aimed at safeguarding and promoting the Kashmiri language as the mother tongue.

Comedy and dramas were performed by both Muslims and Kashmiri Pandits which reflected bonds of brotherhood in the Kashmir valley.

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The people of both communities showed great enthusiasm towards the mother tongue of the Kashmiri language.

Speaking to ANI, the vice president of Vomedh, Bharti Kaul said, "We are celebrating mother tongue day. If we do not hang on to our mother tongue even in other states, we will lose it. Mother-tongue is the backbone of society."

Also Read | Karnataka: 26-Year-Old Bajrang Dal Activist Allegedly Murdered in Shivamogga.

Organiser of the event, Rakesh Roshan Bhat told ANI that they started the campaign to save the Kashmiri language since the onset of the pandemic and organised many online programmes for the same.

"Vomedh is a cultural theatre group and for the last 12-13 years we have been trying to preserve the Kashmiri language and culture in Jammu and Kashmir and other states. Since ever the pandemic started, we began a campaign to save and promote the Kashmiri language. We conducted numerous online programmes in relation to that," he said.

Bhat informed that numerous cultural events were organised during the day where the participants performed Kashmiri drama, musical performances and much more.

"Since International Mother tongue Day is celebrated across the world on February 21, we thought to organise an on-ground event and make people understand the importance of saving the mother tongue. We have organised Kashmiri drama, musical performances among many. It is the beginning today and we will try to put in more efforts towards saving the mother-tongue," he said.

Tariq Ahmed, a participant lauded the organisation of the event and said that both Muslims and Kashmiri Pandits participated that highlighting the prevalent brotherhood in the Union Territory.

"This was the first function at Srinagar. Both Muslims and Kashmiri Pandits participated in this program. It was very nice. It shows that the brotherhood is still there in the Union Territory. Such programmes should be organised even in the future," he said. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Indian Air Force and Chikkaballapur Police rescued a 19-year-old student who fell 300 feet from a steep cliff onto a rocky ledge in Nandi Hills here on Sunday evening.

Nandi Hills (Karnataka) [India], February 21 (ANI): Indian Air Force and Chikkaballapur Police rescued a 19-year-old student who fell 300 feet from a steep cliff onto a rocky ledge in Nandi Hills here on Sunday evening.

The Air Force used a Mi17 helicopter to rescue the student, Nishank.

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"The District Collector of Chikballabpur contacted Air Force Station Yelahanka with an SOS message about a young trekker stuck in Bramhagiri Rocks in Nandi Hills after slipping and falling 300 feet below," PRO Defence said.

"A Mi17 helicopter was promptly launched and after an intense search and with the ground guidance of local police was able to locate the stranded and immobile victim. The terrain being treacherous for a landing, the Flight Gunner of the Mi17 was daringly lowered by winch next to the survivor. The flight gunner helped the survivor to harness and winched up safely."

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The on board Air Force medical assistant attended to the survivor while the helicopter flew him to Air Force Station Yelahanka from where the survivor was taken to the nearest Civil hospital.

Recently, the Indian Army rescued a youth who was stuck in a steep gorge in Kerala's Malampuzha mountains. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 21 (ANI): A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Honnali in Karnataka, MP Renukacharya on Monday announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the family of a Bajrang Dal activist who was allegedly murdered in Shivamogga.

"The loss of Harsha is like losing my own son. I stand with his family and am giving them Rs 2 lakh," said Renukacharya.

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State Home Minister Araga Jnanendra announced that three persons have been arrested in connection with the case.

Briefing mediapersons here, the Home Minister said, "We have not yet received any final report related to arrests. Three persons were arrested and some people were taken into custody. As per my information, five people are involved in this murder. For now, we do not want to disclose anything further. Inquiry is going on. After the investigation, the information will be shared."

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The Home Minister said police officials have been instructed to analyze the situation and maintain law and order.

A 26-year-old Bajrang Dal activist Harsha was allegedly murdered on Sunday night in Shivamogga. Security was tightened in the city following the incident. (ANI)

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Ukhral (Manipur) [India], February 21 (ANI): Ahead of the Manipur assembly elections, Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that this election will decide the future of the people of Manipur.

Gadkari, while addressing an election rally in Manipur's Ukhral, said, "This election is not going to make the future of any political party but the future of Manipur. BJP is a party of common people, we think about the country as a whole, we never discriminate Northeast with any other state in the country."

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According to Gadkari, Manipur is moving ahead on the path of socio-economic development due to planned infrastructural boost and various public welfare schemes under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi.

Gadkari, while seeking people's support in the election, said, "Without the support of Manipur, we cannot imagine the success of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Our government is giving the highest priority to development in Manipur."

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The Union Minister of Road and Transport said that several projects are announced for the construction of highways in the state. "BJP is committed to making Manipur the economic powerhouse", added Gadkari.

"We want to make Indian Economy the strongest in the world and without Northeast's support, it is not possible", the BJP leader said.

Addressing the election meeting in Manipur, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that BJP never discriminates on the basis of caste, religion, creed, gender. "People may have different caste, religion, creed, gender, but we are all Indians and we want to fight against poverty. We are all sons of this soil."

Manipur will go to polls in two phases on February 28 and March 5. (ANI)

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Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], February 21 (ANI): Schools re-opened for offline classes for classes 3 to 8 in Jammu on Monday amid strict COVID-19 protocols.

The school principal and students expressed their happiness in joining the physical classes.

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Speaking to ANI, Rameshwar Mengi, the Principal said, "Today is a festival day for the teachers' community as the students are back in the school."

"Teachers are very happy and are celebrating it like a festival as the students are back in the school and they are also very happy. Parents don't need to hesitate to send their children to school. They are safe here as we are following all the COVDI-19 guidelines," Mengi said.

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Bhumi, a student shared her happiness saying she was bored attending offline class now she felt happy coming back to school.

"I am feeling very happy, online classes were very boring, and offline classes are more interesting as we meet our friends share time with each other, and clear our doubts with teachers in person," Bhumi said.

"Durning offline classes we found many difficulties while clearing our doubts as technical glitches were one of the reasons," she added.

Another student, Aradhya Gupta said she is very happy coming back to the school after two years.

"I am very happy coming to school after two years. Now, the study process will be smooth as we found it difficult in online classes," Gupta said.

Earlier on February 14, the Jammu and Kashmir administration decided to reopen schools for classes 9-12, while colleges and universities will start offline classes from February 15. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Nigerian Government is to launch a Sensitization Campaign Against Money Rituals, according to a statement issued on Monday by Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant to the President (Media), Office of the Minister of Information and Culture in Abuja
Hardoi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 21 (ANI): Two days after a special court in Gujarat sentenced 38 people to death for the 2008 Gujarat bombings, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lashed out at Samajwadi Party claiming that a convict's father is an active Samajwadi Party worker.

The Chief Minister representing the Bharatiya Janata Party said that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav should come out with a clarification in the matter.

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Addressing a public meeting in Hardoi, the Chief Minister said, "A Gujarat court has convicted 38 people in Ahmedabad blasts case. Of these, 8 have a connection with Azamgarh. Of these 8 convicts, a convict's father is an active Samajwadi Party worker. SP Chief should give clarification and apologize before the public."

In view of the approaching Uttar Pradesh elections, one of the seats in the spotlight is Azamgarh that for long, has been considered a Samajwadi Party bastion. In 2014, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav won the seat.

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Assembly elections are being held in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to March 7 in seven phases to elect all 403 members of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on March 10, 2022. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Feb 21 (PTI) Sistema Group company Binnopharm Group will acquire Dr Reddy's Laboratories' anti-bacterial medicines under the Ciprolet and Levolet brands in Russia, Uzbekistan and Belarus, the companies said in a joint statement on Monday.

The Binnopharm Group, which is one of the leading pharmaceutical production companies in Russia, has inked a deal with Dr Reddy's in this regard.

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The product portfolio includes various dosage forms such as tablets, solution for infusions and eye drops.

The companies, however, did not disclose financial details.

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The acquisition of Ciprolet and Levolet is an important step to enhance our position in the antibiotics market, one of the key market segments for Binnopharm Group. These strong brands have already had the trust of millions of consumers  according to independent analyst estimation they are leaders in their market segments," Binnopharm Group CEO Rustem Muratov said in a statement.

The products will be a valuable complement to the company's portfolio of antibacterial products, he added.

"We are also acquiring rights to these products in Belarus and Uzbekistan in line with our strategic goal to strengthen presence in the international markets," Muratov noted.

Dr Reddy's CEO  Branded Markets (India & Emerging Markets) M V Ramana said the drug firm's Russia and CIS markets continue to be strong performers. "This deal is a step towards divesting brands in non-core areas in order to consolidate and strengthen our play further in our key focus therapy areas of gastro-enterology, pain management, cold and flu, allergy, oncology, neurology, paediatrics and women's health," he said.

During the transition period, Dr Reddy's will continue to supply the product to Binnopharm Group to ensure availability in the market.

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Following their intimate wedding on Saturday, newlyweds Shibani Dandekar and Farhan Akhtar made their first appearance for the media today. The duo, posed for their first official photos as husband and wife. Not just that, they also distributed sweets to the paparazzi along with their staff. Farhan Akhtar-Shibani Dandekar Wedding: Hrithik Roshan, Rhea Chakraborty, Anusha Dandekar and Others Arrive in Style for the Couples Big Day in Khandala (View Pics).

While Shibani looked divine in a pale pink embroidered saree that she accessorised with heavy-duty diamond jewellery, Farhan matched her in a similar coloured silk kurta and jacket. The duo reportedly registered their marriage in Mumbai on Monday. Earlier today, Shibani had even shared an Instagram Story captioned "Let's go." It showed her having her hair and makeup done. Farhan Akhtar and Shibani Dandekar Dance to Dil Chahta Hai Tunes on Their Wedding Day (Watch Viral Video).

Check Out The Pictures Below:

Happy Together!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by yogen shah (@yogenshah_s)

Sweet!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Manav Manglani (@manav.manglani)

Farhan and Shibani who have been dating for almost three years now tied the knot at Farhan's family farmhouse in Khandala in the presence of close friends and family members. The wedding was preceded by a Mehendi in Mumbai. The daytime wedding was attended by several celebrities including Farah Khan, Rhea Chakraborty, Satish Shah, Ashutosh Gowariker and Ritesh Sidwani. Hrithik Roshan also attended the wedding with his parents, Rakesh and Pinkie Roshan.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Paris [France], February 21 (ANI/Sputnik): French flag carrier Air France told Sputnik on Monday that it has cancelled flights to and from Ukraine on February 22 owing to security risks as a "precaution."

"Air France is continuously monitoring the evolution of the geopolitical situation in serviced territories in order to ensure the utmost level of flight safety. Flights AF1752 and AF1753 to and from Kiev on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 are cancelled due to the situation on the ground [in Ukraine] and as a means of precaution," a company spokesperson said.

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Kiev's Boryspil airport continues to display the two Air France flights as scheduled at the time of the writing.

The precarious situation in the breakaway Donbas region in Ukraine's east has deteriorated in recent days, with the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) claiming that the Ukrainian armed forces have shelled their positions. The Ukrainian security forces also reported a sharp increase in the number of ceasefire violations in Donbas, while denying any offensive actions.

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In 2014, the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the DPR and LPR after they declared independence following what they considered a coup in Kiev. Early clashes escalated into a protracted military conflict that claimed thousands of lives and displaced over 2 million Ukrainians. A ceasefire was reached in 2020, but fighting continued to break out occasionally.

In the past few months, Western countries and Ukraine have accused Russia of deploying additional troops along the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for invasion. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed these allegations, saying that it has no intention of invading Ukraine, while stressing that it has the right to move its troops within its territory.

Russia has also expressed concerns over NATO military activity near its borders and ongoing military support of Ukraine, including an increase in the number of Western military advisers in the breakaway Donbas region and increased arms deliveries to Kiev. (ANI/Sputnik)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Nicosia, February 21: As the specter of all-out war in Ukraine looms large, a confrontation between Russia and the West over Ukraine will undoubtedly have ripple effects on the countries of the Middle East, which must take hard decisions and choose sides.

The prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine would put them in the difficult position of choosing between doing business with the West or with Moscow.

A possible war in Ukraine will certainly affect some areas that are of great importance for the Middle East region: energy, agriculture, the question of refugees, and state relations with the West and Russia. Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Indian Embassy in Kiev Issues Advisory for Indians to Leave Ukraine.

As Russian natural gas accounts for about 40% of the EU gas market, it would be very difficult to fully replace it in case of Russian cuts. Surely, the US would require Qatar and Saudi Arabia to do their utmost to cover the shortfall, but this is easier said than done.

It is worth recalling, that Qatar has recently been designated by the US as a major non-NATO ally, and that on January 31, US President Joe Biden had discussed this issue in Washington with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Currently, Qatar is the largest global supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), alongside Australia, but its production is close to maximum capacity and is tied up in long-term contracts to India and South Korea. So, it cannot supply all the quantities needed.

Furthermore, Qatar wants to see an end to a European Commission antitrust investigation launched four years ago into the way Qatar was selling its long-term contracts to European customers.

There is no question that Saudi Arabia will try to help and is already under strong US pressure to increase its oil production in order to drive down oil prices which have skyrocketed.

Riyadh at the same time must be very careful so as not to harm its relations with Moscow, as Saudi Arabia's dominance of OPEC is due to its partnership with Russia.

Many analysts are convinced that in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, oil prices will exceed one hundred dollars per barrel, triggering a jump in global gas prices, and rises in a huge range of products where energy is a significant production cost. This will affect people all over the world.

Ukraine is one of the world's top wheat exporters and the country was known as the breadbasket of Europe. So, a possible disruption in its wheat supplies will heavily affect several Middle Eastern countries, like Egypt which imports about 80 per cent of the wheat it needs from Ukraine, Libya and Lebanon which import about 40 per cent, and Yemen about 20 per cent.

Lebanon and Yemen are already very close to famine, but if war breaks out, all countries in the Middle East are expected to be affected by the inevitable rise in prices. Sharp price increases invariably spark demonstrations in the Middle East, sometimes quite violent, causing political instability.

If the crisis in Ukraine escalates further, a new refugee crisis will be created, and desperately needed humanitarian aid may have to be diverted for example from Yemen to refugees in Europe. The crisis will become even worse due to the skyrocketing prices in energy and agricultural products and there will not be funds available for reconstruction and development.

Now let's see some of the possible political implications the crisis in Ukraine may have on specific Middle East countries.

A country that is most likely to be affected is Libya, where Russia and the West support different warring factions. The West generally supports the UN's internationally recognized government in Tripoli, while Russia is on the side of eastern-based General Khalifa Haftar in Tobruk.

Last December the scheduled national elections were called off and now there is a risk that the Russian-backed Khalifa Haftar faction could again form a breakaway government at war with the government in Tripoli, leading to a new round of fighting in the war-torn country.

Due to the situation in Ukraine, it is now highly unlikely that the West and Russia will come together to stabilize the situation in Libya.

Turkey also finds itself in the position of having to choose between the wishes of Moscow or Washington. The US Administration wants Ankara to continue its military supplies, particularly drones, to the government in Kyiv, while Kremlin spokesman has stressed that Turkey's ongoing arms sales to Ukraine threatened to destabilize the region.

Turkey is unlikely to fully align itself with the West against Russia, given its complicated relationship with Moscow, involving cooperation in some areas and competitive, even adversarial, relations in others.

In the economic field, it relies on Russian natural gas for its industry and on the millions of Russian tourists visiting Turkey who bring much-needed hard currency. In the geostrategic field, they support opposite sides in the war in Syria and Libya.

Other Middle Eastern states will find themselves in the unpleasant position of picking a side. The United Arab Emirates, for example, does not want to alienate Moscow by aligning with the West, but it will be forced in the end to comply with Washington's wishes.

During the past few years, the relations of several countries in the Middle East with Moscow have improved dramatically, after a perceived decrease in US interest in the region, but now the crisis in Ukraine has changed almost everything, and they cannot ignore Washington's wishes without paying a price.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ottawa, February 21: Canada looks to end COVID-19 protests with tougher financial measures after another weekend of arrests. Canadian authorities on Sunday froze the finances associated with certain individuals and companies believed to be involved in the ongoing protests in Ottawa, according to Mike Duheme, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) deputy commissioner of federal policing, reported CNN.

The RCMP froze 206 financial products, including bank and corporate accounts; disclosed the information of 56 entities associated with vehicles, individuals and companies; shared 253 bitcoin addresses with virtual currency exchangers; and froze a payment processing account valued at $3.8 million, Duheme said at a news conference.

"We continue to work at collecting relevant information on persons, vehicles and companies and remain in daily communication with the financial institution to assist them," Duheme said. Canada Protests: All You Need to Know About Anti-Vaccine Protests By Thousands Including Truckers in The Country.

A weeks-long blockade in the Canadian capital has led to almost 200 arrests and prolonged suffering for businesses caught in the middle of protests against COVID-19 mandates.

Police said they employed pepper spray and escalated tactics over the weekend to disperse crowds and make arrests with protesters gathered in front of the Parliament building, reported CNN.

Some of those arrests included protesters who allegedly had smoke grenades and fireworks, and were wearing body armour, police said. Ontario's Special Investigation Unit is also reviewing an incident where a woman was reportedly seriously injured after an interaction with a police officer on a horse, and a second where an officer discharged a less-than-lethal firearm at protesters.

Ottawa Interim Police Chief Steve Bell told a news conference Sunday police operations had seen a dramatic decline in the number of protesters, reported CNN. Bell said 191 protesters had been arrested and 107 people charged. Charges included obstructing police, disobeying a court order, assault, mischief, possessing a weapon and assaulting a police officer, he said.

Chris Harkins, deputy commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police reported at the news conference 76 vehicles had been seized and towed, reported CNN. The Ottawa protests were started in late January by a group of truck drivers opposed to a COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandate.

But others outside the trucking industry have joined to express their frustration with an array of other COVID-19 health measures, such as requirements to wear masks in schools.

Officials vowed to end the protests through unprecedented protocols, including the Emergencies Act. The law allows the Canadian government to tap into military forces.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Beijing, Feb 21 (PTI) China on Monday questioned Australia's claim that a Chinese warship had fired laser at the surveillance aircraft while in flight over Australia's northern approaches, saying the allegation does not square up with facts.

Australia called it "a serious safety incident" and said "acts like this have the potential to endanger lives".

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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday that he'd called on the Chinese government to explain the "dangerous" and "reckless" act allegedly carried out by a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship last week.

"This was dangerous, it was unprofessional and it was reckless for a professional navy, and we want some answers as to why they did this," Morrison said as he called for full investigation.

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"At worst, it was intimidating and bullying," he was quoted as saying by CNN.

"They're the ones who need to explain, not just to Australia, but to think of all the countries in our region," he added. "It could occur to anyone else who is just simply doing the normal surveillance of their own Exclusive Economic Zone."

Morrison said on Monday that the Chinese authorities had not yet responded to his call for answers.

Asked for his comment on the incident, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here on Monday after we verified with relevant departments, the information released by Australia does not square up with facts.

Chinese ships conformed with international law in the high seas, he said.

"The Chinese vessel was sailing normally in the high seas, which was in line with relevant international laws and practices and perfectly legitimate," he said.

"We urge the Australian side to respect the legitimate rights that Chinese ships enjoy in relevant waters in accordance with international law, and stop maliciously spreading false information about China, Wang said.

Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesman for the Chinese defence ministry, said the Australian statement was completely inconsistent with the facts.

Tan said the Australian anti-submarine patrol aircraft arrived in the airspace surrounding China's warship formation and came within 4-km of one ship.

"The Chinese warships always maintained safe, standardised and professional operations during the entire encounter with the Australian aircraft, Tan said.

Such malicious and provocative actions can easily lead to misunderstandings and misjudgments, posing a threat to the safety of ships, aircraft and personnel.

The Chinese Defence Ministry also released two photos taken by the Chinese warship in the statement, saying the Australian aircraft was very close to the Chinese warship, and placed sonar buoys around it.

Earlier, Australia released several images of the two PLA vessels- a Luyang-class guided-missile destroyer and a Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock vessel, which it said were sailing in the Arafura Sea at the time of the incident.

Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the incident took place in Australia's exclusive economic zone and said the use of lasers can result in the blindness of the crew, it can obviously result in damage of equipment.

This is second-time China has faced such an allegation.

In 2018, China had denied a similar accusation by the US that the Chinese personnel at Djibouti logistics military base in the Horn of Africa used lasers to target American aircraft injuring the pilots.

The US had formally complained to China alleging that the Chinese military injured two US airmen by directing high-grade lasers at American aircraft in Djibouti and asked Beijing to investigate the incident.

The incident came at a time of heightening tensions between China and Australia over a host of issues.

China has vocally opposed the AUKUS - the US, Australia and UK pact - which helps Canberra to acquire the US nuclear submarines to boost its security in the face of increasing hostilities between the two countries.

Commenting on the incident, Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, a Beijing-based think tank, told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post that the scenario may be that the P-8A was getting very close to the Chinese warship, but I am not sure if China shone lasers against it.

Hu said, "if the plane flew very close to Chinese warships, the Chinese side may have used a laser for ranging  as the close distance may affect our security, and we did it for the sake of defence, but added this scenario was very unlikely.

Fu Qianshao, a former member of the PLA air force, said lasers are used for tracking the range of a potential target, and sometimes for jamming, but will not cause harm to the target unless a weapon is fired afterwards, a capacity Chinese warships lack.

The Post quoted John Blaxland, professor of international security, as saying that lasers are used largely to determine the firing range and designate a target.

Pointing a laser is often referred to as painting a target before firing live munitions, which is widely seen as a hostile act, just short of crossing the threshold of open conflict or war, he said.

He added that laser beams themselves are dangerous because they can cause permanent blindness if shone into someone's eyes, as well as damaging important navigational and air safety systems.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
North Waziristan [Pakistan], February 21 (ANI): Five terrorists were killed in Pakistan's North Waziristan during an exchange of fire with security forces.

The terrorists were killed following an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted by the security forces, the Dawn newspaper reported on Sunday.

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A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the terrorists, including sub-machine guns, hands grenades, and a large number of multiple caliber rounds.

"The killed terrorists were involved in terror activities against security forces, target killing and kidnapping for ransom," the Pakistani newspaper quoted Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

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One Pakistani soldier was also killed during the exchange of fire.

Contrary to claims made over efforts to eradicate the networks of militant groups from its land, the increase in the incidents of terrorist attacks shows that the reality is quite different in Pakistan.

Three policemen were injured in a hand-grenade attack at a police station in Pakistan's Peshawar city on Sunday.

On January 25, over 10 Pakistani military personnel were killed in an attack in Kech, Balochistan. Just over a week later, on February 2, the Noshki and Panjgur districts of the same province saw the killing of seven military personnel, including an officer.

Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group in Balochistan, claimed the responsibility for the attack. They claimed to have killed "more than 100 enemy personnel" in Noshki and Panjgur.

In another terrorist attack, unidentified motorcyclists shot a Christian priest and injured his companion in Peshawar.

Police suspect the Islamic State (IS) to be behind the attack. These attacks were mostly carried out by banned outfits, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad, February 22: Pakistan's former spy chief and architect of the mujahideen network against the former USSR's invasion of Afghanistan, has been named one among thousands other high-profile figures from around the world in a massive leak of secret banking data from a leading Swiss bank.

General Akhtar Abdur Rehman Khan was the closest aide of former dictator General Zia-ul-Haq. Both died under mysterious circumstances in a plane crash in 1988.

Khan has figured in a massive leak, dubbed as the SwissLeaks', which was provided to Suddeutsche Zeitung, a German newspaper, by a whistle-blower, who claimed to have exposed the secret wealth of clients notorious for drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The investigation was heralded by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which has 47 different media outlets across the globe. Pakistan Should Compensate Victims of 9/11 As Attacks Were Planned in Karachi, Says Former Canadian Minister Chris Alexander.

They identified accounts identified as potentially problematic holding over USD 8 billion in assets at Credit Suisse. The data covers accounts that were open from the 1940s until well into the 2010s. However, it does not cover the bank's current operations. Senior intelligence officials and their offspring from several countries that cooperated with the US also had their money stashed at Credit Suisse, a New York Times report said.

As the head of the Pakistani intelligence agency, General Akhtar Abdur Rahman Khan helped funnel billions of dollars in cash and other aid from the US and other countries to the mujahideen in Afghanistan to support their fight against the Soviet Union, the NYT report said. According to the newspaper, an account was opened in the name of three of General Akhtar's sons in 1985, even though Akhtar never faced charges of stealing aid money. Years later, the account would grow to hold USD 3.7 million, the leaked records show, the NYT report said. Pakistan: Telecom Ministry's Subsidiary Refuses to Launch Projects in Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

An OCCRP report claimed that the Saudi Arabian and US funding for mujahideen fighters battling Russia's presence in Afghanistan would go to the CIA's Swiss bank account. The end recipient in the process was Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence group (ISI), [at the time] led by Akhtar, the report said. The report further added that by the mid-1980s, Akhtar was adept at getting the CIA cash into the hands of Afghan jihadists.

It was around this time that Credit Suisse accounts were opened in the names of his three sons. OCCRP's report stated that one of the two Akhtar family accounts at Credit Suisse  held jointly by three of Akhtar's sons  was opened on July 1, 1985. That same year, US President Ronald Reagan would raise concerns about where the money intended for the mujahideen was going. By 2003, this account was worth at least five million Swiss francs (USD 3.7 million at the time).

A second account, opened in January 1986 in Akbar's name alone, was worth more than 9 million Swiss francs by November 2010 (USD 9.2 million at the time), it said. However, one of General Khan's sons told the project's representative this information was not correct and conjectural, the Dawn reported. According to the OCCRP, the data also revealed that 15 intelligence figures from across the world, or their close family members, have held accounts at Credit Suisse.

Credit Suisse said Switzerland's stringent secrecy laws do not allow it to comment on accusations about individual clients. Credit Suisse strongly rejects the allegations and inferences about the bank's purported business practices. The matters presented are predominantly historical, in some cases dating as far back as the 1960s, including a time where laws, practices and expectations of financial institutions were very different from where they are now, the bank said in a statement.

Furthermore, the accounts of these matters are based on partial, selective information taken out of context, resulting in tendentious interpretations of the bank's business account, it added. The latest leaks follow the Panama Papers in 2016, the Paradise Papers in 2017 and the Pandora Papers last year. It may lead to more unearthing of secrets of the world's high-profile figures.
Tokyo, February 21: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will take part in an online meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) countries this week, the Japanese government said Monday.

The talks will be aimed at measures to de-escalate tensions between Russia and Ukraine, sources here said.

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Kishida said he would make his utmost efforts in lockstep with the G7 and other members of the international community to deescalate and ultimately resolve the crisis on the Russia-Ukraine border, stating in parliament, "While the situation remains critical, Japan will continue to make diplomatic efforts with other countries to ease tensions."

Kishida urged Russian President Vladimir Putin last week to find an "acceptable" diplomatic solution to the current impasse and held a teleconference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during which a number of pertinent issues were traversed, government sources said.

Also Read | Joe Biden to Talk About Ukraine With G7 Leaders This Week, Says White House.

Kishida's participation in the Thursday summit, meanwhile, to be hosted by Germany, was announced by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

Matsuno told a press briefing on Monday that the government has been urging Japanese nationals in Ukraine to evacuate, and has been taking measures to bring this to fruition.

He said Japan has chartered an aircraft near Ukraine as part of its plans to evacuate Japanese nationals.

There were about 120 Japanese nationals in Ukraine as of Saturday, local media quoted the government as saying.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Algiers, Ageria (PANA)  A human rights watchdog has slammed the Algerian authorities for continuing to repress protests and called on them to immediately release human rights defenders, civil society activists, opposition figures, journalists, and all others arbitrarily imprisoned for peacefully exercising their rights to speak and assemble
Moscow [Russia], February 21 (ANI/Sputnik): French President Emmanuel Macron held a second phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, BFMTV reports.

"New call on the same day. Emmanuel Macron spoke again on the phone with Vladimir Putin this Sunday," the French TV channel reported shortly before midnight without giving any details on the substance of the talks.

Also Read | Presidents Day 2022: Date, History, Significance And Everything You Need To Know About Washington's Birthday .

According to BFMTV, the phone conversation lasted for one hour.

Earlier on Sunday, Downing Street said that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had discussed the situation in Ukraine with Macron, with Johnson telling his French counterpart that Putin's "commitments" to Macron suggest openness to finding a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis.

Also Read | Nepal Protest: Dozens Injured in Protests Against US Grant Pact as It is Tabled in Parliament.

Earlier on Sunday, Putin and Macron held phone talks at the French side's initiative. The presidents agreed on trilateral group (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) talks on Ukraine to be held on Monday, according to media reports. The Russian president also reportedly confirmed to Macron the intention to withdraw troops from Belarus after the ongoing joint military exercise is over. (ANI/Sputnik)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Peshawar [Pakistan], February 21 (ANI): Pakistan's banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for a hand grenade attack on a police check post in the Phandu region of Peshawar, said South Asia Media Research Institute (SAMRI).

A total of 4 policemen were allegedly killed and injured in the attack. Taking to Twitter, SAMRI said, "Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims responsibility for a hand grenade attack on a police check post in Phandu region of Peshawar. 4 policemen were allegedly killed & injured in the attack. 4 policemen were allegedly killed & injured in the attack."

Also Read | Presidents Day 2022: Date, History, Significance And Everything You Need To Know About Washington's Birthday .

In January alone, several terrorist incidents rocked Pakistan as major cities including Islamabad and Lahore were targeted.

On January 25, in an attack in Kech, Balochistan over 10 Pakistani military personnel were killed. Just over a week later, on February 2, the Noshki and Panjgur districts of the same province saw the killing of seven military personnel, including an officer.

Also Read | Nepal Protest: Dozens Injured in Protests Against US Grant Pact as It is Tabled in Parliament.

Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group in Balochistan, claimed the responsibility for the attack. They claimed to have killed "more than 100 enemy personnel" in Noshki and Panjgur.

In another terrorist attack, unidentified motorcyclists shot a Christian priest and injured his companion in Peshawar. Police suspect the Islamic State (IS) to be behind the attack. These attacks were mostly carried out by banned outfits including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Moscow/Islamabad, Feb 21 (PTI) Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Russia on February 23-24, the official Russian media has reported, signalling the first visit by a Pakistani premier to Moscow in 23 years.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that preparations for the visit of the Prime Minister Khan were underway, the state-run TASS news agency reported on Sunday.

Also Read | India, France Agree on Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance.

"The visit will take place on February 23-24," it quoted a source in diplomatic circles as saying. Khan's visit has not been officially announced by Pakistan and Russia.

Khan is expected to hold a key meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, sources in Pakistan said earlier.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis: German Airline Lufthansa to Suspend Flights to Kyiv.

Pakistan and Russia are expected to strike major deals during the trip, including a movement forward on Russian investment to build a USD 2 billion worth gas pipeline, Pakistani media reported last week.

A Russian delegation was in Pakistan recently to negotiate toll-free proceedings and tax exemptions in connection with the Pakistan Gas Stream Project.

The Pakistani leadership wants to sign a commercial agreement with Russia during Khan's visit. Another project which is likely to be on the agenda is the gas pipeline from Kazakhstan.

Khan will become the first Pakistani premier to visit Russia in 23 years after former premier Nawaz Sharif travelled to Moscow after the end of the Cold War.

Pakistan's ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years and the chill in the relations between Pakistan and the US has further pushed the country towards Russia and China.

In April last year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Islamabad after a gap of almost nine years. During the visit, he conveyed a message to Pakistani leadership on behalf of President Putin that Moscow was willing to extend all possible help to Islamabad.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kyiv [Ukraine], February 20 (ANI): Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Sunday said since there are no "strike forces" of the Russian troops in any city, it is inappropriate to say that the "attack" will be carried out in the next few days.

"Today, as of this hour, Russia has not formed yet a strike force in any city where it surrounded Ukraine. Therefore, it is inappropriate, in my opinion, to talk about the attack tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. But this does not mean that the risks are low, and it does not mean that there is no threat. I want to remind our partners that the threat has existed since 2013," Reznikov told Ukraine's 1+1 broadcaster, reported Sputnik.

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The minister added that the Ukrainian military is ready to receive Russia's troops.

The recent tensions are a result of Russia's build-up of around 150,000 troops just over the border from the Donbas region in the east, in Belarus to the north and Crimea to the south, which began in the autumn.

Also Read | Nepal Protest: Dozens Injured in Protests Against US Grant Pact as It is Tabled in Parliament.

Russia claims the surge of forces has always been for military exercises and that it poses no threat to Ukraine or any other nation, but has refused to offer any other explanation for the biggest build-up of military might in Europe since the Cold War. (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, February 21: A 32-year-old man was arrested in connection with the gang-rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in the national capital, an official said Monday. The other accused, however, is still at large, he added. Sharing details of the case, DCP (Outer north) Brijendra Kumar Yadav said a kidnapping case was registered on February 15 against unidentified persons after a girl went missing in the Narela Industrial Area Police Station.

On February 19, an information was received from one Rahul Rai of village Sannoth, who had returned from Jhansi, regarding a foul smell emanating from his shop and a labourer working there missing. Bihar Shocker: 17-Year-Old Girl Stabbed By Miscreants After Failed Gangrape Bid In Begusarai.

Acting on the information, a police team searched the shop and found partially decomposed body of the missing girl hidden under gunny bags containing cow dung cakes. "The spot from where the body was recovered, was also examined by a Crime Team and the body was shifted to the mortuary of BJRM Hospital Jahangirpuri," the DCP said.

The police then immediately swung into action and deployed several teams to nab the accused. "Finally, a tip-off was received and one of the accused was arrested from the outskirts of the Sannoth Village on the intervening night of February 20-21," Yadav said, adding the accused was trying to flee to Mumbai.

During interrogation, the accused, a native of Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh, revealed that he, along with another person, lured the victim to the work place after consuming liquor. The duo then sexually assaulted her.

"Fearing that the victim will disclose their identities, the accused strangled her with the 'palazzo' she was wearing," the official said. The DCP further informed that raids are being conducted to nab the second accused.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 21, 2022 04:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Mumbai, February 21: In a shocking incident that occurred on Sunday, an autorickshaw driver was arrested for allegedly sexually harassing and abusing a nurse while ferrying her in the vehicle. The nurse had noted down the vehicle's registration number, which helped the cops to track down the driver.

As per the report published in Times of India, the incident occurred on February 17 in Andheri. A 24-year-old nurse, after completing her night shift at the hospital, headed over to the bus-stop to wait for a bus. According to police, Dinesh Chaurasiya approached her and offered to drop her off at Andheri railway station. He said he could drop her at a share-auto rate, which she agreed to. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 2 Held for Kidnap, Rape and Murder of 6-Year-Old Minor Girl in Awagarh.

Instead of taking her to the railway station in Andheri, Chaurasiya drove to an isolated spot on Gulmohar Road in Juhu. He stopped the vehicle and flashed at her, but she raised an alarm. He left her and fled with the vehicle. The accused has been charged under relevant sections of Indian penal code (IPC), and will be presented before the magistrate within the next 24 hours, said police.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 21, 2022 01:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Hyderabad, February 21: Andhra Pradesh minister for Industries and Information Technology Mekapati Gowtham Reddy died of cardiac arrest here on Monday. He was 49. The minister collapsed at his home and was rushed to Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, where he was declared dead. Gowtham Reddy, who had returned from Dubai only two days ago after attending Dubai Expo, is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

Apollo Hospitals said in a statement that Gowtham Reddy collapsed suddenly at home. He was brought to hospital at 07:45 a.m and was unresponsive, not breathing and in cardiac arrest on arrival. Oscar Fernandes, Former Union Minister and Senior Congress Leader, Dies in Mangaluru.

"He received immediate CPR and advanced cardiac life support in our emergency department. The emergency medicine team and specialists including cardiologists and critical care doctors have attended to him. CPR was done for more than 90 mins. Despite our best efforts he could not be revived. He was declared to have died at 9.16 a.m. today morning," the hospital said.

Hailing from Nellore district, Gowtham Reddy was elected to the Assembly from Atmakur constituency on YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) ticket in 2014 and 2019. After YSRCP came to power in 2019, Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy inducted him into the cabinet and entrusted him the portfolio of industries and information technology.

Son of former YSRCP MP Mekapati Rajmohan Reddy, Gowtham Reddy was an industrialist politician and was one of the highly educated ministers. He was known as a friendly and affable person in political circles.

His sudden death sent shock waves in the state. TDP leader and former minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, Telangana Congress leader and MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and YSR Telangana Party leader Y. Sharmila were among the leaders who visited Apollo Hospital. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has expressed deep shock and profound grief over the untimely demise of Gowtham Reddy.

Terming Gowtham Reddy as a "young promising" leader who was known to him since early days, the Chief Minister expressed anguish over the tragic incident and said that words fail to describe the loss of his young cabinet colleague. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members with a heavy heart.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 21, 2022 12:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Iranian President #EbrahimRaisi said that #Tehran welcomes the constant expansion of relations with all Central Asian countries. pic.twitter.com/7r8NrZ9PpQ IANS Tweets (@ians_india) February 21, 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.)
San Francisco: Apple is reportedly planning to launch several new Macs with an M2 chip later this year. In "Power On" newsletter, Mark Gurman claimed that company to debut a 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, 24-inch iMac, and a redesigned MacBook Air, all outfitted with the rumoured M2 chip, reports The Verge. The M2 is believed to be shipping this year, and current rumors suggest that it could be a replacement for the M1. Apple Releases macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 Update With Security Improvements.

The M2 is expected to have the same 8-core CPU as the M1, but there will be speed and efficiency improvements as it may be built on a smaller node. It is expected to have additional GPU cores, with 9 and 10-core GPU options, up from the 7 and 8-core GPU options in the original M1 chip.

Meanwhile, TSMC will release its first 3nm chips in 2023, although according to Nikkei Asia these will first be adopted by Apple for use in new iPads. Gurman says Apple will release new Macs in March, and then again in May or June. Apple is already expected to reveal a 5G iPhone SE, 5G iPad Air, and potentially one new Mac at a rumoured March 8 event. The iPhone maker is also set to roll out iOS 15.4, which comes with a face mask-friendly Face ID, in March as well.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 21, 2022 08:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, Feb 20: German airline Lufthansa has said it will suspend flights to Ukraine capital Kyiv from Monday amid growing fears of a Russian invasion, BBC reported. The airline said it will also stop flights to Odessa, a key port on the Black Sea.

"The safety of our passengers and crew members is our top priority at all times," said Lufthansa, as per the report.

Last week, Dutch airline KLM had said that it is suspending flights to Kyiv. Lufthansa said it will operate flights on Sunday before the suspension come into force on Monday. The suspension is expected to remain in place until the end of February. Russia-Ukraine Conflict: As the Ukraine Crisis Escalates Middle East Countries Will Be Forced to Pick a Side.

On Saturday, Germany's Foreign Office urged its citizens to leave Ukraine "now".

It said: "If there is a Russian attack on Ukraine, the options for assisting German nationals are very limited."

Lufthansa said it continues "to monitor the situation closely and is in close contact with national and international authorities".

It added: "Affected guests will be informed and rebooked on alternative flight connections."

The airline usually operates 74 flights to Ukraine every week under its Lufthansa banner or other carriers it owns, which include Austrian Airlines, Eurowings and Swiss, BBC reported.

Lufthansa said it would continue to fly to Lviv in western Ukraine.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 21, 2022 09:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Across Taiwan, his image and name are everywhere  on statues and street signs and at a lavish memorial hall in the capital. Chiang Kai-shek was long heralded as a national hero who worked to unify China and fought both the Japanese and the communists.

But now many Taiwanese view Chiang as a despot who repressed island culture and unleashed a deadly campaign against dissent. This week, Taiwans parliament passed a bill calling for a full investigation into the authoritarian rule of the late strongman while erasing his name and likeness from landmarks across the island.

The parliament dominated by a party that opposes Chiangs Nationalists approved a transitional justice bill late Tuesday to review what became known as the White Terror, a period that elders still remember in horror.

In the normal course of things, we havent done enough for justice, said Yang Chen-lung, 65, executive director of the Memorial Foundation of 228, a nonprofit for victims of the crackdown. Thats because there was no law that lets us pursue this, so its something weve looked forward to. Clearly Chiang was the mastermind behind White Terror, he said.

The foundation takes its name from Feb. 28, 1947, when protesters took to the streets of Taipei a day after government agents beat a woman who was selling unlicensed cigarettes and shot and killed a passerby.

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As many as 28,000 people were believed killed after Chiang ordered a massacre of participants in protests against his rule in 1947.

Others suspected of questioning his rule were killed or sent to prison in the decades that followed, the period known as the White Terror. Some studies say 140,000 people were imprisoned and thousands were executed. Chiang died in 1975 and Taiwan embraced democracy in the late 1980s.

Chiangs Nationalists had fled to Taiwan in the 1940s after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Tse-tungs Communists.

The bill to investigate Chiangs rule was proposed this year because the Nationalist Partys chief opposition, the Democratic Progressive Party, controls the presidency as well as parliament. The Nationalists had controlled one or both until May 2016.

President Tsai Ing-wen backs the legislation and is expected to sign it by years end.

In February she called for opening classified documents from Chiangs rule and within three years completing a report on suppression of protests that began Feb. 28, 1947.

Chiang Kai-shek in 1943, before the Nationalists fled the Chinese mainland for Taiwan. Among his many titles was generalissimo. (Anonymous / AP )

The bill would allow that investigation to proceed, said Liu Chao-hao, a ruling party lawmaker who worked on the legislation.

People harmed during the White Terror expect the bills outcome to give them a sense of justice, Liu said. This is totally positive, 100%, he said.

Many Taiwanese welcome the chance to assess Chiangs rule.

I believe the majority [of Taiwanese] prefer to fairly and reasonably and apolitically review what Chiang did, not to hunt down his past in a parochial and political way, said Huang Kwei-bo, vice dean of the College of International Affairs at National Chengchi University in Taipei.

The legislation will require government offices and schools to remove statues of Chiang. Schools as well as streets bearing his name across the island of 23 million people should eliminate those references, according to the bills text.

Under then-President Chen Shui-bian, who was modern Taiwans first non-Nationalist leader, the government encouraged schools and other institutions to remove the balding, smiling effigies of Chiang from their campuses. About 200 statues were removed and ended up in a park in Taoyuan, where they are a tourist attraction.

Tourists pass statues of the late Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek at a park in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. Tributes to Taiwans former leader would be removed across the island under legislation approved by lawmakers. (Sam Yeh / AFP/Getty Images )

An untabulated number of other institutions retain their statues, while roads in most cities bear Chiangs nickname Zhong Zheng. The name is ubiquitous, as common as Broadway or Main Street in the U.S.

The bill passed in line item form, making it hard to calculate a vote percentage, but ruling party lawmakers say most of their members favored it.

Chiangs legacy is complicated, to say the least. Over the decades the U.S. viewed him as an ally, but also with suspicion.

Chiang succeeded Sun Yat-sen as the leader of the Nationalist Party, known as the Kuomintang, which helped overthrow Chinas last imperial dynasty and establish the Republic of China. When the Nationalists fled to Taiwan, they repressed local languages and customs.

In recent years, Taiwan removed his name from Taipeis international airport and his likeness from currency.

Jennings is a special correspondent.
Iranian voters delivered a decisive reelection victory to President Hassan Rouhani, endorsing his efforts to engage with the West and find a peaceful path out of diplomatic isolation, according to official results released Saturday.

The Iranian interior ministry announced that Rouhani won 56.9% of the votes cast in Fridays election compared with 38.6% for his closest rival, hard-line judge Ebrahim Raisi. Two other candidates also received votes.

Jubilant young supporters wearing green and purple headbands and scarves celebrated in the streets and sounded car horns in middle-class northern Tehran, a Rouhani stronghold.

With this election, the Iranian nation has announced that it wants to improve relations with the world based on mutual and national interests, Rouhani said in a speech on state television.

Today, the Iranian nation knows that it wants to follow a nonviolent path of engagement with the world.

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By giving Rouhani a second four-year term, Iranian voters cemented their support for the 2015 nuclear agreement that Iran signed with six world powers, under which Tehran has curbed its uranium enrichment in exchange for an easing of international economic sanctions.

Although some Iranian hard-liners have criticized the deal because it has failed to bring immediate economic benefits to most people, Iranian voters have signaled in two consecutive national elections that they firmly support a diplomatic approach to resolving Irans international disputes. Rouhanis win follows last years parliamentary elections in which moderate and reformist candidates had their best showing in years.

But Rouhanis policy of conciliation faces a severe challenge from President Trump, who is considering toughening U.S. policy toward Iran. On Saturday, Trump began a visit to Saudi Arabia, Irans arch-rival, where he was due to sign a $100-billion arms sale agreement. Trump was next scheduled to visit Israel, another ally whose government views Iran as a disruptive force in the Middle East.

Iranians have once again endorsed a policy of dialogue with the West, but the question is if Trump will unclench his fist and embrace this window for diplomacy, said Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, which advocates for better U.S.-Iran relations.

Rouhani won nearly 23 million votes, a strong improvement over the 18.6 million he garnered in 2013, signaling that he had broadened his support well beyond the young and educated urbanites who propelled him into office.

Despite some analysts fears that economic frustrations would depress voter turnout, 75% of eligible voters cast ballots. That continues a trend in Iran, where slates of candidates are determined by a 12-member Guardian Council but campaigning and voting are relatively free, and turnout has not dipped below 60% for a presidential election in 20 years.

The result was as much an endorsement of Rouhani  himself part of the clerical establishment  as a rebuke to Irans security establishment and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was widely believed to have backed Raisi. The previously little known judge was a lackluster candidate who promised cash handouts to the poor but was associated with the executions of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s.

Whenever you give Iranian voters any space to choose, they will choose the most reformist-leaning candidate out there, said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.

Its not because Tehran folks think [Rouhani] is a democrat, but they happen to believe he is better than the alternative. You could not have picked a darker, more shadowy character than Raisi.

Whether Rouhani will be able to use his mandate to bring about further reforms remains to be seen. In the Islamic Republics theocratic system, the supreme leader has the final say on foreign policy matters, and conservative mullahs impose restrictions on what Iranians can wear and watch.

Under Rouhani, TV satellite dishes are more tolerated and the dress code for women has been somewhat relaxed, although headscarves remain mandatory. But he has failed to enact political reforms, such as gaining the release of three major opposition figures who have been under house arrest since the Green Movement protests of 2009.

Rouhani promised during the campaign that all the remaining economic sanctions against Iran  including some imposed by the U.S. because of Tehrans support for terrorism  would be lifted in his second term. He also called on Irans security forces, led by the shadowy and powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to go back to the barracks  an implicit call to rein in their backing of militant groups in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere.

He does not have a great deal of leverage or power to carry out everything he wants to carry out, said Misagh Parsa, a sociology professor at Dartmouth College and author of the 2016 book Democracy in Iran.

He told Iranians, I am going to get rid of all the sanctions, but his problem is the supreme leader has the final say. The supreme leader and hard-liners have been thriving since the [U.S.] hostage crisis and the Iran-Iraq war by instigating conflicts to promote national cohesion.

Some analysts said Rouhani would avoid a confrontation with Khamenei in part because he could be angling to succeed the ailing, 77-year-old supreme leader. Khamenei was a sitting president when he was selected to become Irans second supreme leader in 1989.

At 68, Rouhani may have improved his chances considerably over another contender for the leadership, Raisi.

Average Iranians have already said wed rather have you, and that is much more consequential in the long term for the Islamic revolution, Vatanka said.

Most Rouhani supporters were not thinking that far ahead.

The election campaign and todays victory have provided a window for the youth to express themselves and be happy at least for a few days, said Mostafa Hashemi, 31, celebrating in Tehran with a purple balloon in one hand and a firecracker in the other.

It is a refreshing break every four years, so who cares what the future will be. Seize the moment.

Special correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran and Times staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia

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Some Saudis see Trumps visit as the chance for a crucial turning point in its relationship with the U.S.

UPDATES:

12:55 p.m.: This article has been updated throughout with more details, quotes and background.

2:45 a.m.: This article was updated with remarks from Irans interior minister.

This article was originally published at 1:04 a.m.
The Latin American region, where Brazil is a part of, has been rich with tourist spots and plenty of celebrations and festivals to take part in.

Rio de Janeiro is considered one of Brazil's areas to be housing most of the attractions for visitors - from the colossal Art Deco statue of Christ called Cristo Redentor that towers over Rio de Janeiro to the white sand of Copacabana.

However, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, traveling in Brazil might have dramatic changes with the implementation of restrictions and requirements.

READ NEXT: COVID Cases Around the World Increasing by 25%, With Brazil's Infection Rate Rising to 129%

Brazil Traveling Requirements

The U.S. Department of State has raised a Level 4 travel advisory for Brazil, and travelers were advised not to travel to the country due to the spread of COVID-19.

U.S. government personnel are not allowed to travel to areas within 150 kilometers of the international land borders with Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru without advance approval from security officials due to crime.

According to the State Department, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Paraguay are also included in the list.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also raised a Level 4 travel advisory in Brazil. However, the CDC advises that if one must travel to Brazil, they should ensure that they are vaccinated and updated with COVID vaccines before travel.

For those who are not vaccinated, testing as close to the time of departure, no more than three days, should be done, according to CDC.

In addition, wearing masks is required in indoor areas of public transportation. Children under the age of two do not need to test.

Where to Go in Brazil

Brazil offers a wide range of choices for travelers. People can enjoy the beachside and participate in the iconic carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil's financial capital Sao Paulo is also open to the public, with locals visiting the Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo, as well as at the 100-year-old Caffe Ristoro.

Due to the spread of COVID-19, many have changed in the area, starting with the Carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro.

Instead of being held on the final weekend of February, officials have decided to celebrate it in late April as the number of COVID cases in Brazil jumped due to the continuous spread of the Omicron variant.

A joint statement issued by the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo noted that the decision was made because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes and his Sao Paulo counterpart, Mayor Ricardo Nunes, conducted a video call to discuss the health crisis in Brazil. They coordinated with their health secretaries so they could properly decide on what to do.

"The decision was made respecting for the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and the need, at this time, to preserve lives and join forces to drive vaccination throughout the country," as stated in the joint letter of Sau Paulo and Rio de Janeiro cities.

Paes said Rio's Street parties would not continue in the same manner they did before the pandemic. The parade is a major tourist attraction for Rio de Janeiro and a central figure of the city's pre-Lenten party.

For COVID-wary visitors, Sao Paulo could be a better option with its city parks, including the most famous Parque Ibirapuera, which occupies 1.6 million square meters, Bloomberg reported.

Cantareira in Sao Paulo is also known for its forested trails. Sao Paulo has not dismissed the mask requirement with vaccine passports needed to attend gatherings with more than 500 people.

READ MORE: Indigenous Groups Push to Protect 80 Percent of Amazon From Deforestation

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Visiting Brazil in 2022 - All Travel Regulations Explained (Brazil Travelers Health Declaration) - From iVisa






Several experts foresee a short-lived shortage of avocados from Mexico in the U.S., even though the federal government lifted the temporary ban on Friday.

It can be recalled that the U.S. Embassy announced on Friday that Washington lifted the ban on Mexican avocados, paving the way for exports to resume, USA Today reported.

The Guardian also mentioned that the move from the federal government also resumed the inspections of avocados from Michoacan, Mexico.

However, experts think that the week-long ban on fruit would have an effect on its prices and stocks in grocery stores.

READ NEXT: Mexico President Cites 'Conspiracy' Against His Country Behind U.S. Avocado Ban

Experts on Brief Avocado Shortage

When it comes to the stocks of avocados in the grocery stores across the U.S., Cornell Sc Johnson College of Business professor of applied economics, Miguel Gomez, said that the shortage that will be caused by the ban will be only for a short time.

"I think that the disruption in the market will be very short now because [avocado from] Peru is going to come in late in March, early April," Gomez said, adding that Peru might start shipping their avocados in mid-March.

Agtools Inc CEO Martha Montoya told KENS 5 that some avocados are now "too ripe" for travel and that there will be a vacuum of product availability for at least five to seven working days.

As of Friday, International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Chief Public Policy Officer Robert Gunther said that there is no avocado shortage in the USA. However, the week-long ban on Mexican avocados will affect the supply as "additional time" is needed to materialize the products.

"Markets will remain in a state of flux as competing as competing companies look to load up on fruit to refill depleted inventories... The time needed for transportation and distribution will also play a role," Gunther underscored.

Despite predicting the effect of the U.S. ban on avocados, Gunther said that it is still "early" to tell how long the interruption in "picking, packing, and shipping" will affect the avocado market.

Aside from shortages, experts also believe that prices will also be affected. University of California's agriculture and resource economics professor, Daniel Sumner, said that avocado prices will also be somewhat higher "for at least few days" due to the missing shipments while the ban was imposed.

It is known that aside from Mexico, the United States also sources the avocados from Peru, Chile, Colombia, as well as Southern California. However, the avocados from the said areas are only a "tiny fraction" of what Mexico is importing into the U.S.

In 2021, the United States imported around $3 billion worth of avocados. Of that amount, $2.8 billion came from Mexico equating to 1.1m tons of the fruit.

Meanwhile, Mexico's avocado exports total amounts to $3.2 billion and 80 percent of that avocados directly go to the USA.

Mexico Avocado Imports Ban

It can be recalled that the U.S. imposed an import ban on Mexico avocados on the eve of the Super Bowl this year, following a threat received by an inspector from drug cartels.

According to Mexico's Agriculture Department, the U.S. health authorities called on the ban claiming that one of their inspectors received a "threatening message" on his official cellphone.

The temporary suspension affected the state of Michoacan in Mexico, as it was the only state authorized by the USA to import avocados in its market.

READ NEXT: Mexico: Experts Reveal 3 Theories on Mysterious Massive Bird Crash, Deaths in Viral Video

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Avocado Shortage Fears Cause Rush for Guacamole Alternatives - From Good Morning America
The Brazilian city of Petropolis has seen more heavy rain that led to floods and landslides, killing at least 152 people, with victims including at least 27 children and teenagers.

Meanwhile, officials noted that 154 are still missing and about 900 people are being housed in schools and shelters, according to a BBC News report.

Authorities said that recurring downpours have blocked the work of emergency teams. Officials also noted that it is unlikely anyone will be found alive.

Workers are doing the work with spades and shovels through the rubble and muck. People involved in the emergency operation were also using hand tools and chainsaws in unstable areas. Teams have also deployed 41 sniffer dogs.

Roberto Amaral, the coordinator of the local fire department's special rescue group, said that bringing heavy machinery into the area is impossible. He added that they have to go little by little, saying that they have to "work like ants."

Over 80 houses on a hillside were hit by landslides, and more than 300 vehicles had been swept away by the floods.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro flew over the area, describing the situation as "like scenes of war." He added that the city was experiencing "enormous destruction."

READ NEXT: Brazil Pres. Jair Bolsonaro Continues Russia Trip Despite U.S. Objections, Ukraine Crisis

Survivors Looking for Missing Loved Ones

The first series of funerals occurred on Thursday for the victims who had been formally identified.

Giselli Carvalho recalled her daughter, Helena. She said that she enjoyed "my baby's company" for little more than one year.

Carvalho also lost her mother and niece in the Brazil flood.

Helena just started nursery a few days before the landslide destroyed her family home, according to another BBC News report.

Resident Nilson de Oliveira Vargas Jr. and his brother had been looking for any updates regarding their sister's whereabouts for two days.

He said that Marilene, his sister, was in the kitchen with his niece. He added that Marilene pushed her daughter out of the door and told her to run, with his sister being left behind.

Survivors were digging to find their missing loved ones. Rio de Janeiro's public prosecutor's office reported that it had compiled a list of missing 35 people, as of February 17 reporting, according to The Guardian.

The state fire department said 25.8 centimeters of rain had fallen in three hours last week, with almost as much as the previous 30 days' total.

Weather forecasters said at the time that more rain can be expected in the coming week.

Rio de Janeiro's governor, Claudio Castro, said in a press conference that the rains were the worst in Petropolis since 1932. Castro said that no one could predict rain "as hard as this."

Meanwhile, text messages were sent to warn residents to take refuge at relatives' homes or in public shelters due to the volume of rain that was affecting the city, according to France 24 News report.

The local Civil Defense said that the rain will continue with an intensity between moderate to strong in the next few hours.

READ MORE: Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, El Salvador's Nayib Bukele Express Support to Joe Rogan

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Brazil landslide: Rescue crews called in as buildings in Petropolis are wiped out - from Daily Mail






Potentially marking the return of Donald Trump to social media, the former president's new social media venture, Truth Social, is expected set to launch in Apple's App Store on the U.S. Presidents Day holiday Monday, Reuters reported.

A verified account for the network's chief product officer, Billy B., responded to questions about the app from users invited to use it during its test period in a series of posts late Friday. According to screenshots viewed by Reuters, one user asked when the application, which had been accessible for beta testers this week, would be released to the general public. The executive confirmed that they are currently scheduled for release in the Apple App Store on Monday, February 21.

The launch would restore Trump's presence on social media more than a year after he was banned from Twitter, Facebook, and Alphabet's YouTube following January 6, 2021. Supporters of the late president attacked the U.S. Capitol after Trump was accused of posting remarks inciting violence, per CNBC.

Last February 15, Trump's eldest son Donald Jr. posted on Twitter a screenshot of his father's verified @realDonaldTrump Truth Social account with one post, or "truth," which captioned "Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!"

U.S. Representative Devin Nunes Leads Trump Media & Technology Group

Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the venture behind Truth Social, is led by former Republican U.S. Representative Devin Nunes.

"Truth" will join a growing list of tech companies marketing themselves as advocates of free speech in the hopes of attracting users who believe their views are being suppressed on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

So far, none of the companies, including video site Rumble and Twitter competitors Gettr and Parler, have come close to matching the mainstream counterparts' popularity.

Nunes appeared on "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo" of Fox News, where he revealed that it is "going to be awesome" because of "so many more people that are going to be on the platform."

By the end of March, the app is believed to be completely operating, at least within the United States, Nunes continued.

According to Reuters, the software is now at version 1.0, indicating it has achieved a level ready for public release, and just as recently as Wednesday, it was at version 0.9.

In an apparent attempt to increase activity on the app, Nunes on Friday urged users to follow more accounts, engage in conversations, and share photos and videos. Nunes also welcomed a new member who seemed to be a Catholic priest and encouraged him to invite more priests to participate, said Reuters.

ALSO READ: NBA All-Star 2022: DJ Khaled to Headline Star-Studded Performances on All-Star Saturday Night

'Truth' Features Would Resemble Twitter, Chief Product Officer Suggests

During Friday's question-and-answer session, the chief product officer suggested that the startup's features will be similar to those of Twitter.

When asked if users would be able to edit their "truths," the executive responded, "not yet." Twitter users have long sought the option to edit posts after they have been published.

An upcoming major feature to be released on the application will be direct messages between users.

The platform also considers allowing users to sign up in order to push notifications when others post content, the executive said. He hinted that the ability to block other users would be a key feature.

Truth Social will release a policy on verified accounts "in the coming weeks," the chief product officer added.

Even when more information about the app becomes available, TMTG remains shrouded in secrecy and is viewed with skepticism by those in the IT and media circles, according to reports.

In a press statement issued October 21, TMTG plans to list in New York through a merge with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp. and stands to gain $293 million in cash held in a trust, assuming no DWAC shareholder redeems their shares.

READ MORE: NBA All-Star Draft: Who's Playing in Team LeBron and Team Durant?

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Donald Trumps social media app truth social available online, users begin posting - from WION
Security agencies will reinstall the fence around the U.S. Capitol ahead of President Joe Biden's state of the union address, to be held on March 1, per Fox News.

The Daily Mail mentioned the move was made over a possible protest from the Freedom Convoy, a group composed of protesters in trucks who demonstrated in Canada for weeks against COVID restrictions and mandates.

The protest resulted in a blockade in the Ambassador Bridge border crossing, an area that connects Windsor and Detroit.

Despite the outlets confirming that the fences will be reinstalled next week, the United States Capitol Police (USCP) on Friday underscored that the fences to be re-erected around the Capitol is part of their discussions with several law enforcement agencies, and the decision about it is not yet final.

USCP said that they are collaborating with law enforcement agencies across the National Capital Region and that they are aware of the plans of protests involving truck convoys in Washington D.C.

The agency also added that they will be working with several local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies such as the United States Park Police, DC's Metropolitan Department, and the United States Secret Service.

"The United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service have been closely working together to plan for the upcoming state of the union," USCP assured.

It can be recalled that the Capitol grounds were placed in major fencing following the January 6 Capitol insurrection. The police and military were also reportedly present in the area during that time.

READ NEXT: Pres. Joe Biden Mocked for Recalling Story About Putting Dead Dog on Republican Woman's Doorstep While Forgetting Key Info

Americans to Join "Freedom Convoy" in Capitol Protests

In the light of weighing whether the fences around the Capitol shall be reinstalled, reports noted that protesters from the United States will join the "Freedom Convoy" in their alleged protest in the Capitol.

The group identified as "The People's Convoy" is planning to join the "Freedom Convoy" in their demonstrations and head to Washington D.C. this week.

The organizer of the effort, identified as Maureen Steele, said around 1,000 trucks are expected to start the demonstration that will begin in Barstow, California, per Daily Mail.

"This is about our rights, as well as the freedom of the future generations," the organizers of "The People's Convoy" said.

It can be recalled that the "Freedom Convoy" also inspired several protests from a different country. According to CBS News, the demonstrations against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions inspired other countries, including France, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

Protests on Pres. Joe Biden's Vaccine Mandate

Last month, protesters without face masks rallied on Washington D.C. and gathered around Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument to retaliate against Biden's vaccine mandate.

According to reports, public employees, Feds for Medical Freedom, and 200 people representing the D.C. firefighters were among the crowd who attended the rally during that time.

"The goal is to show that a unified front on bringing people together - vaccinated, unvaccinated, Democrats, Republicans, all together in solidarity," event organizer Matt Tune said during the January protests.

It can be recalled that Biden's vaccine mandate required companies with more than 100 employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing.

READ NEXT: Mike Pence Slams Donald Trump, Says Ex-President Is 'Wrong' to Claim He Had 'Right' to Overturn 2020 Election

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Fence Around the U.S. Capitol Comes Down. What's Next? - From CGTN America
Former U.S. Army Prosecutor Glenn Kirschner predicted that former U.S. President Donald Trump "will be indicted," adding that Trump's days "are numbered."

Kirschner said that he is not sure which jurisdiction will indict Trump first, but "he will be indicted," according to a Newsweek report. He then continued to say that it is not coming quickly enough but that justice is underway.

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron ruled last Thursday that Trump, with his children Ivanka Trump and Donald Jr., must follow with the subpoenas and answer questions under oath as part of the investigation.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is currently leading the investigation against Trump over his business practices involving Trump Organization.

Trump lashed out at the judge's ruling. He said in a statement that he cannot get a fair hearing in New York due to the hatred towards him by judges and the judiciary.

READ NEXT: Mike Pence's Documents to Be Turned Over to the January 6 Select Committee After Donald Trump's White House Records: National Archives

Classified White House Documents

Trump may also face a Justice Department investigation on top of the New York probe. It would be over his handling of classified national security information after he took classified White House documents to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Kirschner also said that Trump is possibly facing a "five-year felony" over the classified White House documents that he brought with him to Mar-a-Lago when he left office, according to another Newsweek report.

The National Archives confirmed in a letter to House Oversight Committee that some 15 boxes retrieved from Trump contained classified national security documents.

Archivist David Ferriero wrote in the letter that the agency identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes.

Kirschner was referring to the 18 U.S. Code of 1924, which addressed the removal and keeping of classified documents or materials.

The law states that the punishment for the crime is a fine or imprisonment for not more than five years of both.

However, Trump dismissed the issue, arguing that what happened was normal. The former president said that the National Archives did not "find" anything and that they were given upon request.

Trump then went on to say that the "Democrats are in search of their next scam."

Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi called on DOJ on a tweet, saying that the "ball is in your court."

Lawmakers are also seeking information about the contents of the boxes that were retrieved from Mar-a-Lago. However, the National Archives cited the records act as holding them back from releasing further details regarding the matter, according to an Aljazeera report.

Meanwhile, House investigators will be looking to see if Trump's actions during his presidency and after his term violated the Presidential Records Act.

Under the Presidential Records Act, presidential records belong to the U.S. government, not to any presidential administration.

The Act was instilled in 1978 after former President Richard Nixon intended to destroy documents referring to the Watergate scandal.

READ MORE: National Archives Asks DOJ to Investigate Donald Trump for Hoarding Classified Documents to Mar-a-Lago

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: To Pardon or Not To Pardon Donald Trump for his Crimes, That . . . is Not a Difficult Question - from Glenn Kirschner






California Gov. Gavin Newsom has passed a new bill that will allow private citizens to file a lawsuit against gun makers, saying that the new policy was created with the Texas abortion law as its blueprint.

Newsom said in a news conference that they will use the same law to save lives and improve the health and safety of the people in the state of California if Texas can use the law to ban women's right to choose and put their health at risk, according to a Daily Mail report.

Newsom asserted that the Texas law was unethical and criticized the Supreme Court's decision to let it stay in effect.

However, the Democratic governor said it opened up the door, and either people can complain about it or play by those rules.

Newsom said that the state of California will be playing by those rules. He then added that they will have to see "how principled the U.S. Supreme Court is."

Democratic State Senator Bob Hertzberg, who penned the proposal, said that their message of the U.S. Supreme Court is what is good for the goose "is good for the gander."

The Firearms Policy Coalition vowed a legal battle should the California bill become a law. The gun advocacy group aimed to influence legislation and public opinion of gun rights.

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California Bill Against Gun Makers

Hertzberg's office said that if a citizen wins a case against a manufacturer, they could receive up to $10,000 in damages for each weapon.

The California bill would allow citizens to file a lawsuit against companies that take .50 BMG rifles, ghost guns, or ghost gun kits and manufacture, import, transport, or distribute them in California, according to The Hill report.

California has imposed a decades-long ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons. However, a federal judge overturned that ban last year.

Meanwhile, California's new bill has not been filed yet in the state legislature, according to an Aljazeera report.

The Texas abortion law is unique in that it prohibits the government from enforcing the law while letting private citizens seek enforcement.

The Firearms Policy Coalition called Newsom's proposed restrictions a "modern-day Jim Crow" that is designed to suppress the exercise of human rights.

Ghost guns and ghost gun kits will not also be allowed under the new bill. These are guns bought online and assembled at home that do not have serial numbers, making them difficult to trace.

Lawsuit Against Gun Makers

Recently, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims' families reached a settlement worth $73 million against Remington Arms over how the company marketed the rifle used in the massacre in Newton, Connecticut on December 14, 2021.

It is the first time a U.S. gun maker has settled in a lawsuit related to a mass shooting, according to a Time report.

A 2005 federal law that largely protects firearm and ammunition manufacturers, as well as sellers, from liability when their products are used in crimes.

The gunmaker filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and in 2020, which was a time when its assets were auctioned and sold.

It was assumed that the bankruptcy recognition may have made Remington's representatives more "willing to come to the table in a way that other gun manufactures would not be," according to Timothy Lytton.

Lytton is a Georgia State University law professor.

READ MORE: SNAP Benefits 2022 Schedule for California, Florida, Texas and More: When to Get Food Assistance Each Month

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Gov. Newsom backs California bill that allows citizens to enforce weapons ban - from ABC7






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People can no longer walk in to the Laois National Drivers Licence Service without making an appointment first.

The loss of a walk-in services has been criticised as 'a retrograde step' by Laois Offaly TD Brian Stanley.

The centre serving Laois is at Portlaoise Shopping Centre. Now the public must either make an appointment over the phone, or online before they can walk in. If they want to do so online, they have to possess a Public Service Card.

Sinn Fein Deputy Stanley has accused the Road Safety Authority (RSA) of "deliberately using Covid to downgrade services".

"This is not acceptable. It needs to be reinstated," he said.

He is reacting to the statement last week by Minister of State for Transport Hildegard Naughton in the Dail that the walk-in service at NDLS in Laois Shopping Centre is to be terminated.

All NDLS centres are operating as normal to the public nationwide. Appointments must be booked to attend an NDLS centre and are made available through the booking system online at www.ndls.ie or by telephone at 0818 919 090. Appointments are booked in 10 minute slots and customers can be assured of the service within their allotted time. The front office provider which was put in place in 2021 will no longer offer a walk-in service," Minister Naughton said.

Dep Stanley compares the move to banks closing down branches during Covid-19.

Walk in services were understandably suspended during the pandemic. The Banks received a lot of criticism over closing local branches and removing face to face services and now a Government body are doing it. This is a retrograde step."

Meanwhile people must have a Public Service Card to use the website.

"The statement by the Minister that the people can go onto Government website which requires a Public Service Card is not on. Firstly, not everyone has access to online or may not have a computer, and secondly public service cards are not available to all the population. In any case the Data Protection Commissioner has ruled that Public Service Card does not have any legal basis for accessing State Services.

"The Government need to reinstate full walk-in services or transfer the service back to Laois County Council motor tax office, where it operated efficiently up to a few years ago. The other alternative which I have proposed to successive Ministers in the past is to use the local Post Office service network to issue driving licence as is the case in other jurisdictions.

"People who are not online or the elderly are entitled to have an accessible service available. Otherwise, the Government commitments regarding social inclusion are hollow, he said.

Last week a County Clare TD said his constituents have faced problems using the booking system.

Deputy Michael McNamara informed the Minister that a woman in her 80s had told him she spent an hour and a half on the phone trying in vain to get an appointment. The TDs office rang the NDLS and spent 45 minutes waiting but nobody answered.

Another constituent took time out of work to attend his appointment in the NDLS Centre in Ennis and his paperwork was in order  only to discover that the staff would not accept cash from him and he did not have a card. He rang his wife for card details but this would not be accepted as his wife was not present. Read more below.
The Irish Dental Association (IDA) has published an independently commissioned research paper outlining an alternative proposal to the medical card scheme or Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS), to bring about its urgent reform.

Dentists say they have published the report calling for the introduction of credit or voucher system as the current "medical card scheme nears total collapse."

Prepared by Professor Ciaran ONeill, Professor of Economics at Queens University Belfast, the research paper sets out a model for a credit or voucher scheme that provides an entitlement of a given value for a specified period of time to cover a given range of services and care.

In his report, Professor ONeill estimates that the annual cost of such a scheme offering a voucher for 100 towards dental care would be approximately 108 million. His report also estimates the costs associated with vouchers of a higher value, between 200 and 500, as a total cost per annum of 93m and 232.5m respectively.

This scheme would provide coverage for commonly required services at levels of reimbursement that reflect the cost of care, says Professor ONeill in his report. It would afford a degree of clinical autonomy that would remove perversities in the current system and help rebuild relations between the public, providers, and Government.

In Portugal, a scheme of this type was shown be associated with improved oral health outcomes.

Welcoming the paper, President-Elect of the IDA and Chair of the GP Committee, Dr Caroline Robins said: Dentists want an entirely new scheme that reflects modern dental practice and care, one that allows vulnerable groups to access routine dental care in their community. We have never understood the rationale behind a scheme that restricts the number of preventative treatments allowed, such as fillings to save a tooth, while permitting an unlimited number of extractions.

In addition, the latest suggestion from the Department of Health that dentists would consider providing a scale and polish and an expanded examination as an interim response has no prospect of retaining dentists in the scheme either. In fact, proposals which effectively require dentists to enhance further the existing subsidisation of the costs of providing treatment will only have one outcome and that is a further migration of dentists from the scheme.

Reimbursement levels to dentists were reduced following the financial crisis of 2008 and treatments available to medical card holders suspended or available in emergency cases only. This has not changed in the 13 years since.

Prior to the pandemic, between 2017 and 2019, expenditure on the scheme had significantly fallen, while between 2015 and 2020, there was a drop of 31% in dentists holding DTSS contracts, continuing the downward trend in participating dentists that preceded the pandemic.

There are now believed to be just 750 dentists treating medical card patients, which is less than half the number of DTSS contracts held by dentists up to two years ago. To put it in context, that is one dentist per 2,000 medical card patients and parts of the country where there is just one dentist covering an entire town or region.

Fintan Hourihan, CEO of the Irish Dental Association, said: What this paper shows is that an entirely new scheme is required, and the model set out by Professor ONeill deserves serious consideration by all parties to the current scheme.

The spend on the medical card scheme in 2021 was 39.6m and a far cry from the 86m spend in 2009. Despite the suggestion of an extra 10m being made available this year, it is not nearly enough to solve the underlying problems associated with the scheme or have any substantial impact on the rapid exodus of dentists from it.

Without any meaningful plan or roadmap to reform coming from Government, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see how the medical card scheme can survive, which means more and more of our most vulnerable patients will lose out on important access to dental care. Ultimately, a new model has to move away from a system which allows restrictions to be placed by the state on treatments which are covered. A new scheme will only succeed if it attracts sufficient numbers of dentists as a professionally appropriate and economically viable alternative, and, most importantly, it has the confidence of the patients it is designed to serve.

While we remain deeply frustrated, we invite the Government to engage with us to explore new ways of improving access to dental care, including this proposal from Professor ONeill. Ultimately, patients, Government and dentists require a more sustainable solution that ensures access to care for those who need it most.
Pearce Doherty has said foreign direct investment would continue to grow in Ireland under a Sinn Fein Government.

The spokesman for finance made the prediction during a wide-ranging virtual talk at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), in which he laid out Sinn Feins economic vision.

Taking audience questions, the Donegal TD was asked how Sinn Fein would tackle Irelands long-term dependency on foreign investment.

I would hope that FDI (foreign direct investment) would continue to grow in Ireland. And that would be the agenda of a Sinn Fein Government. For every job that we have, we want to keep it but we also want to attract more.

The issue here isnt about the success of our FDI strategy in the past, which has been hugely successful. Its about the infrastructure that has been developed around those companies coming here.

What has happened is that we have neglected our SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and our micro enterprises. We have to make them a lot more robust, a lot more profitable, Mr Doherty said.

In his speech, Mr Doherty referenced the milestone shift in Irish corporate tax policy, which will see the country agreeing to join the OECD framework for a global rate of 15% tax, giving up its highly prized previous rate of 12.5%.

He said that his party backs the need to fundamentally reform the international tax landscape to reflect the new realities of the global economy.

Mr Doherty also called for a new industrial strategy, which he said must be regional as well as national, harnessing and strengthening the capacity of our higher and further education colleges throughout the country, North and South.

"Rules that can't be enforced shouldn't exist. @sinnfeinireland has long argued that the EU #fiscal rules don't make sense. Precedents for replacing rules with standards exits, and this could work more effectively." @PearseDoherty pic.twitter.com/zLL2SlQKKz  IIEA (@iiea) February 21, 2022

Corporation tax for smaller businesses, he said, should be aligned at 12.5% on both sides of the border.

A successful Derry means that there is a successful Donegal and vice versa, and we need to be mindful of that, he told the audience.

However, Mr Doherty also appeared to acknowledge that long-standing back-and-forth between the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government over the issue of the regions corporate tax rate was unlikely to be resolved soon.

Asked whether aligning corporation tax rates on both sides of would be a priority after the upcoming Assembly election, Mr Doherty said that his party still favoured the move but that it appeared currently impossible.

Sinn Fein favour the 12.5% rate across the island of Ireland. The issue in terms of being able to do that is that as part of the negotiations with the British Government, any benefit from reducing the corporation tax will go to the British Exchequer as opposed to the Northern Ireland Executive.

And also, the cost of doing it initially, because you would lose some tax revenue, would also have to be borne by the Executive which means that costs have to be found in cuts to healthcare or cuts to capital expenditure or cuts in other areas.

That makes it impossible to do.

But yes, where we want to be is having a single 12.5% rate across the island of Ireland.

This is some of the problems when part of your island is under British rule. And we dont have those levers.

During a speech that criticised Government policy on housing and childcare costs, Mr Doherty also took the opportunity to question the logic behind EU fiscal rules, which were temporarily suspended in March 2020 to allow member states to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He told the audience that rules that arent credible cannot be enforced.

Sinn Fein have long argued that the fiscal rules are not fit for purpose  overly complex, undermining principles of sovereignty and economically damaging.

Faced with recurring problems in healthcare provision, social inequality, housing need, infrastructure deficits, and the threat of climate breakdown, the current framework must be abandoned and replaced with a system that respects the democratic mandate of national governments and supports progressive policies.

He continued: Many have argued for a move away from fiscal rules and replacing them instead with fiscal standards.

Setting out his partys position on the complex and divisive issue, he said: Any golden rule that encourages investment cannot be restricted to environmental policies but must also include investment that furthers social development and reduces inequalities  such as housing and childcare.

Mr Doherty, whose partys position on the EU has shifted in recent years, said: Were very clear in Sinn Fein, our place is in the European Union. Our place is at the heart of the European Union. We have been very engaged in the referendum, where part of our island has been withdrawn from the European Union against the consent of the majority of people there.

We were the first to argue for special status, and where what is now the protocol, is very much what we had penned out at that point in time.

But that doesnt mean to say that, that we cant criticise or critique the European Union in some of the directions. Nobody would level the accusation that I would be against Ireland, but yet I criticise many of the directions that the Government are taking in relation to policy directions of this state, he said.
Nearly 9,000 homes and businesses were without power on Monday evening, after Storm Franklin hit the island of Ireland.

In the Republic of Ireland, 8,600 customers were without power on Monday evening, while in Northern Ireland the figure had fallen to 350 from a high of around 10,000.

The damage and disruption was a result of the third storm to pass over the island in recent days, after Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice wreaked havoc.

This latest storm brought coastal flooding and fallen trees to parts of the island once again, with the north and north west worst affected.

Met Eireann said gusts of more than 130kph were recorded in Co Galway and Co Donegal.

Very windy with some severe gusts, but easing through the morning while scattered showers in the NE gradually die out  By late morning it will be dry & bright for most but cloud will extend into the west this afternoon, followed by outbreaks of rain  Highs of 7 to 11C  pic.twitter.com/2HRApJXPCe  Met Eireann (@MetEireann) February 21, 2022

Status orange wind warnings issued for parts of the north and north west lifted early on Monday, while a yellow wind warning for the entirety of the Republic of Ireland expired at 9am.

A yellow wind warning for the counties of Wicklow and Wexford had also been issued, as the storm passed over the island.

A spokesperson for ESB said that the majority of people in Ireland will have power restored by Monday evening.

However, it was expected that some people in the north west could remain without power into Tuesday.

Apologies to 29,100 customers who are without power following #StormFranklin. Our crews are working to repair the damage and reconnect customers. To report an outage or check estimated restoration times see https://t.co/EU6R9nRfwR. pic.twitter.com/RW0k3N0wec  ESB Networks (@ESBNetworks) February 21, 2022

Storm Franklin arrived as parts of the country were still clearing up after Storm Eunice.

Brian Tapley, from ESB, warned on Monday that his companys technicians had been working for three to four days and that there were worries about fatigue.

Precautions had been put in place, with Sligo County Council making the decision in advance to close certain coastal roads, as well as the popular Strandhill promenade, due to fears of flooding at high tide.

Council staff in Sligo and elsewhere were still working on Monday evening to clear debris and reopen blocked roads.

Met Eireann has warned that the poor conditions will not disappear this week, with the weather set to remain unsettled.

The national forecaster has said that some parts of the country could see snow later this week.
Condition planning permission has been granted for the development of new housing in a high density type development in Portlaoise housing estate which is still growing nearly a quarter of a century after the first application was lodged.

Laois County Council has granted conditional planning permission to Twomilehouse Construction Ltd for seven new homes in the Kilminchy estate off the town's Dublin Road with none being set aside for council tenants.

The original application lodged in February 2021 sought permission to build eight terraced type houses in two blocks on a site at Lake Crescent.

Communal parking outside both blocks, common entrances into both blocks, and all ancillary site works to include connection to existing mains services was also sought.

However, Laois County Council planners told the developers in April 2021, the application for eight homes was 'far higher' than what is approved for the area. They added that permission was granted in 2018 for just two homes on the two sites. A planners report concluded that the new proposal was unacceptable as the new density represented a four fold increase on what was originally planned.

The decision ultimately reached by county hall reduces the density but only slightly. Acting Director of Services for Planning in Laois County Council signed off on the building of seven new homes in two blocks.

Prior to the decision being reached, the local authority also confirmed that there would be no requirement to set aside 20% of the development of social housing as is normal under the so-called Part V.

Engineers acting on behalf of the Kildare developers successfully argued in 2020 that there was no Part V obligation for the development of the site. The case was made that more than 155,000 was paid by Bresc Estates in 2008 in lieu of the social housing element on the same development site in Kilminchy.

The confirmation of the development on the site marks the latest construction project in the Portlaoise estate which has been development in multiple phases by different developers since the first application was lodged in 1998.

The Twomilehouse project is the smallest of a number of new construction projects in the pipeline for Kilminchy which already has hundreds of houses and apartments.
The following deaths have occurred in the wider Leitrim area:

Rose Reilly (nee Brady), Berinagh, Moyne, Longford



Peacefully, in her 88th year, at Mullingar General Hospital. Predeceased by her husband Charles, parents, brothers & sisters. Rose will be sadly missed by her loving family, sons Thomas & Sean, daughters in law Sandra & Adele, grandchildren Alannah, Ciara, Gemma, Cathal, Gavin, Dylan, Conor & Gillian, brothers in law, sister in law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours & friends. Reposing at her residence (N39XK25) Berinagh, Moyne from 2-7pm Monday. Funeral cortege will be arriving at St. Francis Xavier Church, Moyne on Tuesday 22nd February for requiem Mass at 12 noon. Roses Funeral service will be streamed live on http://www.dromard.ie/church/ (House private Tuesday morning). Burial afterwards in Colmcille Cemetery.

Bobby James McGourty, Coolegraine, Dowra, Leitrim



The death has occurred of Bobby James McGourty, Aughrim, Coolegraine, Dowra, Co. Leitrim and formerly Teebawn, peacefully at St. Patrick's Hospital, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. Deeply regretted by his loving wife Maureen, son Seamus and partner Rachel, daughter Rosaleen and partner David, grandchildren Aoibheann, Oisin, Liam and Niamh. Remains reposing at Keegan's Funeral Home, Dowra, from 5-7pm this Monday evening with removal to The Church of the Immaculate Conception, via Tober well, arriving at 7.30pm. Funeral Mass on Tuesday at 11am with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. Walkthrough only in the church and funeral home. No handshaking please. Please respect current Health guidelines on the wearing of face masks.

Terry Moran, Dromahair, Leitrim / Maugheraboy, Sligo



Peacefully, surrounded by his loving family at North West Hospice. Terry, loving husband of Lisa, dear son of Mary and brother of Diane, Michelle, Liam and Laurence. He will be sadly missed by his loving wife, mother, sisters, brothers, mother and father in-law Mario and Lesley, sisters-in-law Sarah, Lynette and Charlene, brother-in-law Adrian, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, relatives, friends and all those he met. Reposing at his mothers residence at Oak Park, Maugheraboy, Sligo on Monday from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. Funeral Cortege will leave his residence on Tuesday morning at 11:00am to arrive at The Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception, Sligo for Requiem Mass at 11:30am. Funeral will proceed to Lakelands Crematorium for a private cremation Service after. You can stream Terrys funeral Mass live by following this link - https://sligocathedral.ie/live-feed-from-cathedral/ Family flowers only. Donations in lieu of flowers if desired to SHOUT and/or North West Hospice care of The Foley and McGowan Funeral Home, Market Yard, Sligo.

May they all Rest in Peace
Kiltyclogher Drama Festival Committee is delighted to announce the return of their Annual Drama Festival which takes place from Saturday March 5 to Saturday March 12.



Audiences can look forward to a delightful and varied programme to suit all tastes. So come along and enjoy eight nights of first class drama.



On Saturday March 5, the confined section of the festival gets off to a great start with Phoenix Players Tubbercurry performing Brian Friels hilarious comedy The Communication Cord.

If you want a good laugh this is the one for you.

Sunday 6th they have the first play in the open section with Letterkenny Music & Drama Society performing Dramateurs a hilarious new comedy by Kieran Kelly and a must for all lovers of amateur drama.



Monday, March 7 the second play in the confined section is performed by Enniskillen Theatre Co. They take on The Night Alive by Conor McPherson. This play portrays the relationship between an older man and a young girl.

Tuesday 8th they have the second play in the open section with the ever popular Cornmill Theatre who bring us a new play The Door on the Left by Killian McGuinness. The play is set in South Leitrim against the backdrop of the Civil War.



Wednesday, March 11 the third play in the confined section unfolds when Newtownstewart Drama Group presents Family Plot by Daragh Carville. Inside their family grave, three generations of Kerrs are dead and buried  but still condemned to argue!

Thursday 13th Ballyshannon Drama Group performs Arthur Millers powerful play All My Sons in the third play in the open section. Arthur Miller creates a post-war American family in a tragic downfall of lies, greed, love, and loss, and demands its audience examine their own social responsibilities to all the sons of American wars.



On Friday, March 11 Kilty welcome back the winners of the 2019 confined section, Mullingar Theatre Lab in One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest by Dale Wasserman. A psychiatric hospital patient Randle McMurphy leads a revolt against cold Nurse Ratched in this stage adaptation of the Ken Keseys famous novel.

The final night, Saturday 12th they close the festival with Dalkey Players (winners of 2018 All Ireland Drama Festival) in Eurydice by Sarah Rhul which retells the myth of Orpheus from the perspective of Eurydice, his wife.

The Adjudicator for this years festival is Declan Drohan.



The official opening will be performed by Tommy Moran, Ballinamore

The Kilty Drama Committee are very grateful to Killasnett Co-op, Manorhamilton the main sponsors of our Festival. They also want to thank all their sponsors for their continued support.

All patrons are guaranteed a warm welcome and an opportunity to catch up with friends over a cup of tea and some lovely homemade apple tart and buns.



Please note doors open 7.30pm and curtain up at 8pm.



Season Tickets: 50 and nightly tickets 10. Tickets on the door or on 071 9854368 /083 1847432
Hello, its lunchtime in Paris, and the main presidential candidates present their programs to the French main employers organization, le Medef. Environmentalist Yannick Jadot, leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon, Communist Fabien Roussel, Conservative Valerie Pecresse, Socialist Anne Hidalgo, far-right candidates Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour have all been invited.

What happened during the weekend? While most of the candidates were on the campaign trail, outgoing president and likely candidate Emmanuel Macron spent his time multiplying diplomatic contacts to avoid a military escalation in Ukraine. He tried to organize a summit between the American and Russian presidents without having the guarantee that such a meeting could be held.

Why does it matter? This situation reinforces the contrast between a president in office and the candidates. Emmanuel Macron has until March 4 to officially register his candidacy. He already has the necessary number of sponsorships needed to appear on the ballot.

Candidates who dont have the 500 signatures yet, have twelve days left to check the box. On March 4 the final list of presidential candidates will be published.

Four of them are already making headlines: leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon (La France Insoumise), center-left Christiane Taubira, and far-right candidates Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen. All are complaining about a procedure they consider anti-democratic and energy-consuming.

They cant be surprised. For more than forty years, it has been well known that a candidate must obtain the sponsorship of five hundred elected officials. There is a total of 42,433 of them in France, mostly mayors. They can only give their support to one candidate per election cycle.

Since 2016, the names of all sponsors are made public before the vote. Some are thus reluctant to support a candidate, even though giving their signature does not officially count as political support. The accounting of these sponsorships is ensured by the Constitutional Council, which publishes the new names of the sponsors and the beneficiary candidates twice a week.

Previous French presidential elections have shown that politicians who advocate radical positions struggle to reach this figure of 500. This year, the abundance of candidates at both ends of the political spectrum adds obstacles.

More on this topic: Whos who in the 2022 French presidential election

Five years ago, Jean-Luc Melenchon could rely on what remained of the network of local communist elected officials. Now they back their candidate, Fabien Roussel, who reached the 500 threshold last week, leaving Jean-Luc Melenchon to his doubts (370). Christiane Taubira was able to run in 2002 thanks to the baking of a small party, Le Parti Radical de Gauche (PRG, which is not radical but rather center-left). This time, the PRG abandoned her and she is far from reaching the goal (86).

In 2017, Marine Le Pen was already the main candidate of the far-right and despite her warning calls at the time, she was able to collect 627 signatures. This year, she faces the rivalry of Eric Zemmour with the risk that neither of them gets the necessary number. Marginal candidates are in the same boat: Trotskyist Philippe Poutou (Nouveau Party Anticapitaliste) is weakened by the dissent of Anasse Kazib with a dim prospect of success.

Jean-Luc Melenchon (370 sponsors), Marine Le Pen (366), and Eric Zemmour (291) are three of the five highest-ranking candidates in the polls. They warn of a potential denial of democracy if they dont obtain the necessary signatures. Asked if the election would be illegitimate in the case neither Marine Le Pen nor Jean-Luc Melenchon nor himself would appear on the ballot, Eric Zemmour said yes.

On Sunday, the Conservative mayor of Cannes (south) announced he would give his sponsorship to leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon for the sake of plurality. Francois Bayrou, a former Justice minister and a key ally of Emmanuel Macron, said last week that he had gathered about one hundred sponsors to rescue struggling candidates.

The greatest attention will be paid on Tuesday and Thursday when the additional signatures will be published. The environmentalist candidate Yannick Jadot should cross the threshold, after Conservative Valerie Pecresse, Socialist Anne Hidalgo, undeclared candidate Emmanuel Macron, independant Jean Lassalle and Trotskyist Nathalie Arthaud. All eyes will be on the four latecomers.

More on this topic: French presidential election, how does it work?

Quote of the day

"Its either Macron or me"

Far-right candidate Eric Zemmour (Reconquete!) presented himself as the main opponent of the outgoing president Emmanuel Macron on Saturday. "It is not Emmanuel Macron who has chosen me as his opponent, it is France who has chosen me as Emmanuel Macrons opponent. We embody the two simplest and clearest visions for Frances future. Its either Macron or me," he said. Eric Zemmour is statically tied with the other far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and with Conservative Valerie Pecresse. He has not yet the necessary number of sponsors to appear on the ballot.

Countdown

48 Days until the presidential elections first round

62 Days until the presidential elections second round

Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow

Read the previous column: The threat coming from the cold

Gilles Paris(Columnist)
TWO online public meetings will take place this Tuesday and Thursday evening, February 22 and 24 on water quality in Limerick city and county and on the draft River Basin Management Plan (2022-2027).

This plan sets out the environmental objectives to protect and restore our rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters together with the actions and measures required to ensure those objectives are achieved. The two online public consultation meetings, both at 7.30pm, offer an opportunity for local people to input into this draft plan, to make a submission and to get involved in helping to protect and restore local water bodies.

Ruairi O Conchuir, community water officer, said people throughout Limerick City and County are now asked for their views on what can be done to improve water quality in waterbodies.

"Recent reports show the effects of climate change are becoming more noticeable. Agencies responsible for protecting Irelands rivers have found that agriculture, forestry and hydromorphology (physical changes) are the leading causes of pollution in our rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters. While the latest water quality data shows that 53% of our surface waters (rivers, lakes, estuarine waters) are in 'good' or 'high' ecological status, it also shows that 47% are in an 'unsatisfactory' ecological status," said Mr O Conchuir.

Good water quality in our natural water bodies is a "precious resource", he states.

"The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) works to promote a healthy water environment. It does so by identifying water quality issues and seeks ways to improve them. The EPA assessment of river water quality in 2019 and 2020 indicates some recovery in water quality, with more rivers showing improvements (345) than declines (230). Water quality analysis indicates that agriculture, hydromorphology (or physical changes to habitat conditions and water flow) together with forestry and urban waste water are the main pressures on water quality."

Mr O Conchuir says the work of LAWPRO forms part of a new and collaborative approach engaging all stakeholders, specifically at a local level, to protect and improve water quality.

"Over recent years, Ireland has made substantial progress in how we manage our water services and how we work collaboratively to improve water quality. Despite this water quality is still in decline. Healthy and well protected river catchments are vital for people, nature and our economy. Clean water is vital for protecting public health, supporting economic growth and preserving our natural water bodies. In turn, clean water support habitats, biodiversity and ecosystem which depend on water, which in turn support all of us in the face of a climate and biodiversity emergency.

"LAWPRO encourages local people to get involved in the management of their local water bodies, to have your say and get involved. The two meetings in Limerick city and county will focus on different municipal districts."

The meeting of Tuesday, February 22 at 7.30pm will focus on the Adare-Rathkeale / Limerick City West, North & East municipal districts. The meeting will cover the following catchments: River Shannon, Lower Shannon & Shannon Estuary. To register for the meeting please click here

The meeting on Thursday, February 24 at 7.30pm will focus on the Cappamore, Kilmallock and Newcastle West municipal districts and will cover the following catchments: Lower Shannon, Mulkear, Deel, and Feale. To register for the meeting please click here
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A WOMAN who was found slumped over the steering wheel of her car on a grass margin along the N69 was convicted, at Newcastle West court, of failing to give a breath specimen.

The defendant, Ann Houlihan, who has an address at Bank Place, Cashel had indicated through her solicitor Michael ODonnell that she was contesting the charge but she failed to appear in court when the case was called.

Evidence was given by Tom Culhane that he was driving from Limerick on January 26, 2020 about 7.15pm when he passed a car facing him on the wrong side of the road. H

e returned to the car and saw a woman thrown against the steering wheel and tried to wake her. The headlights were on in the car. He rang the gardai and later gave a statement.

When Michael ODonnell tried to cross examine Mr Culhane, Judge Carol Anne Coolican told him he could not do so as his client was not in court to give him instructions on the evidence given.

Your client has to be here, she said, pointing out that the case had been adjourned in October to the November court for mention and then put in for hearing on the February date.

Mr ODonnell told the judge his clients partner had told him she was under the weather.

Garda John Whelan also gave evidence and told the court he found the defendant slumped over the steering wheel. The key was in the ignition but in the off position and the engine was not running. The car was in gear.

He tried to rouse Ms Houlihan without success but the ambulance personnel, who arrived at the scene, did wake her and he cautioned and arrested her and brought her to Newcastle West garda station. She slept through most of the journey and had to be helped from the squad car by Garda Cathy Healy.

Garda Alan ODonnell was on patrol with Garda Whelan and said in his evidence that he checked Ms Houlihans pulse. I saw a half empty bottle of gin on the passenger seat, he said.

He also gave evidence of seeing marks on the grass margin indicating the car had travelled over 100m on the incorrect side.

The ambulance wouldnt take her to hospital, he said, and Ms Houlihan became in and out of responsiveness in my opinion when it suited her. . She became very abusive and aggressive towards gardai.

I was present when she refused to give a sample of breath, he said.

Garda Earl Flynn was the garda authorised to take specimens. He spoke to Ms Houlihan and formed the opinion she was highly intoxicated. He explained the procedure for taking breath samples and observed the 20-minute nil-by-mouth period.

When he asked her if she understood, she didnt reply. After the observation period, he told her about the penalties for failing to give a sample.

When asked, Garda Flynn said, she indicated she wasnt going to provide a specimen of her breath. She just nodded her head like that, the garda said (shaking his head from side to side).

By the time the time limit had expired, no specimen had been provided.

Garda Cathy Healy was the member in charge and said Ms Houlihan had given her, her address and date of birth. After she had been in the medical room, Ms Houlihan fell asleep in the public room but, at 9.15pm, when her partner had been contacted to collect her, she began shouting and attempting to kick out and to swipe items off the desk.

She initially refused to sign the bail bond twice but later agreed to do so.

Solicitor Michael ODonnell said a lot of the case centred on the compos mentis of Ms Houlihan at the time and whether she understood what was going on.

She was slumped over the steering wheel. She was unconscious, coming in and out of consciousness. She didnt reply regarding understanding of compliance, he said, adding that she wasnt given the choice of whether she wanted the specimen in Irish or English.

There would be a question mark about her capacity to refuse, he said. She didnt have control of her bodily function.

In response, Inspector Pat Brennan said Garda ODonnells evidence was that he felt she was choosing when and not to understand and that she had given her address and date of birth.

Judge Coolican said she had heard the evidence and was satisfied to convict. She fined Ms Houlihan 500 and disqualified her from driving for one year.

Recognisance with leave to appeal was fixed at 500 with 200 in cash to be lodged.
THE DEPARTMENT of Public Health Mid-West are advising people in Limerick to avail of the flu vaccine in order to reduce the risk of severe illness associated with the flu.

The department have said we can expect further increases in infections in the community as society returns to pre-pandemic levels of social activity.

While the flu did not circulate widely in the Mid-West region during the 2020/21 flu season, there is now evidence that influenza is circulating as the numbers of cases notified have increased in recent weeks.

Flu is a highly infectious illness that affects all age groups and may result in serious disease with poor outcomes for our most vulnerable, particularly the elderly and those with weak immune systems.

You can get a free flu vaccine if you are: aged 50 and older, aged less than 50 with a long term illness that increases your risk of developing complications of influenza, aged 2 to 17 years, a healthcare worker, pregnant, living in a nursing home or other long-term care facility, in regular contact with pigs, poultry or waterfowl.

There were nine new influenza cases confirmed in the Mid-West region between February 6 and 12 according to the Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting [CIDR] system.

To date, there have been 14 cases confirmed during the 2021/22 flu season (October 2021 to March 2022) in the Mid-West region.
TWO LIMERICK towns are looking to make the humanitarian leap in become designated Fairtrade destinations in support of third-world farmers and their families.

Adare Tidy Towns and Newcastle West Tidy Towns are embarking on Fairtrade journeys to become Fairtrade towns.

Dolores OMeara, Chair of Limericks Fairtrade Committee said that Fairtrade Fortnight is a step in the right direction towards equality.

She is encouraging Limerick people to look for the Fairtrade logo and put those items into their shopping baskets.

Fairtrade embraces the United Nations Sustainability Goals which aim to end poverty in all its forms, everywhere, while leaving no one behind.

This ambition is central to Fairtrades mission which want to ensure that food producers and farmers have a living wage within their country.

For the next two weeks, starting February 21, hundreds of individuals, companies and groups across Ireland will come together as part of Fairtrade Fortnight to share the stories of the people who grow our food and are often exploited and underpaid.

Limerick City and County Council and Fairtrade Limerick is delighted to announce that Adare Tidy Towns and Newcastle West Tidy Towns are embarking on a Fairtrade journey to become Fairtrade towns.



More info: https://t.co/DMTPmB3Akn pic.twitter.com/5bgNxO4Bnn  Limerick Council - Comhairle Luimnigh (@LimerickCouncil) February 21, 2022

Vicki Nash, Chairperson of Newcastle West Tidy Towns said that becoming a Fairtrade town adds another dimension to the community as a whole.

Many of our schools are regular participants in Fairtrade projects and I look forward to their support of Newcastle Wests Tidy Towns Fairtrade journey.

Cllr Bridie Collins, Chairperson of Adare Tidy Towns said that Adare is delighted to host Limericks launch of Fairtrade Fortnight.

I am looking forward to Adare becoming a Fairtrade town and the support of the Adare community, businesses, visitors and tourists in making this happen.

To participate in the events series, click here.
FOLLOWING a record number of calls for help last year the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has launched a campaign seeking volunteers.

As part of the campaign, which runs until March 13, the charity is reaching out to people across Limerick to encourage them to come forward and join SVP.

Nationally, just over 191,000 calls for help were made to the Society during 2021 - 12% up on the number of calls in 2020 and the highest on record for the Society.

The theme of the recruitment campaign for volunteers is You know who you are - But we dont and those who are interested in applying can do so online at svp.ie/volunteer or by phoning call 01 884 8246.

The characteristics required of our volunteers include; kindness, compassion, discretion, respect and being non-judgemental. Volunteers are our greatest strength, they know the issues in their communities and can address immediate needs as well as helping families and individuals, young and old, move towards self-sufficiency and equal opportunity through friendship and support," said SVP National President Rose McGowan.

SVP volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. We could not do the work that is requested of us without local volunteers. If you have a few hours to spare each week and want to get involved contact us today: https://t.co/CdCzonF1pp pic.twitter.com/XsZHVNB8uq  SVP - Ireland (@SVP_Ireland) February 20, 2022

"Offering a little help at the right time can give people hope for the future. Volunteers sharing their time and skills can change lives forever. Volunteering with SVP involves working with and supporting the largest and oldest voluntary charitable organisation in Ireland. Training will be provided and the time commitment, while variable, is usually 3-5 hours weekly, she added.
Credit Suisse Group AG on Sunday denied allegations made in media reports at the weekend that the bank managed accounts of clients involved in criminal activities.

Credit Suisse strongly rejects the allegations and insinuations about the banks purported business practices," the Swiss bank said in a statement. The matters presented are predominantly historical, in some cases dating back as far as the 1940s, and the accounts of these matters are based on partial, inaccurate, or selective information taken out of context," Credit Suisse.

According to the media reports, which are reportedly based on leaked information on more than 18,000 accounts, the Swiss bank had clients allegedly involved in human rights abuses, corruption and drug trafficking.

While as a matter of law Credit Suisse cannot comment on potential client relationships, we can confirm that actions have been taken in line with applicable policies and regulatory requirements at the relevant times, and that related issues have already been addressed," the bank said.

Credit Suisse said it has reviewed a large volume of accounts potentially associated with the matter and around 90% of them are closed or were in the process of closing before the media reports emerged. It said it will continue to analyze the matters and take additional steps if necessary."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text
Young Muslim women in a politically polarized belt of Karnataka are presently in a tricky situation due to restrictions against the hijab at some government colleges. Many fear the row, which has reached the states high court, could harm the cause of girls education in the minority community. A wide range of research and datacollected through government and private surveysshows these fears are rooted in reality.

Political undertones aside, the anti-hijab view is seeking a uniform dress code on the arguments of equality and public order". But the weeks-long protests for their rights by college-going students has made their education a parallel casualty. This is something that could very well have been resolved at the college level, but it was blown out of proportion in the politically charged atmosphere of coastal Karnataka," said Zakia Soman, a womens rights activist. Come what may, institutions should be most concerned about education disruptions for these women, she said.

Muslim girls still lag behind other social groups in education, but if forced out of state-run institutions for not removing the hijab, they could lose out on their great strides made in recent years. School attendance among Muslim girls has significantly grown across India since 2015, including in Karnataka, shows the National Family Health Survey. Colleges, too, have seen an uptick: 10.3% of Muslim women in the age group 18-23 were enrolled for education in 2019-20, up from 7.4% in 2014-15, shows an analysis based on the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE). The overall enrolment ratio for women in this age group is 27.3%.

Campus diversity

The current episode is not the first case of targeting of marginalized groups on campuses. The improving representation of various communities is making campuses more diverse. In the last seven years, the proportion of Muslim students as well as those from the scheduled castes and tribes have risen noticeably, albeit at different rates.

When presence of any community increases in any institution, their social and cultural identity also get reflected on campuses," said Khalid Khan, an assistant professor at Indian Institute of Dalit Studies who has analysed AISHE data. The increasing presence of these new forms of identities, he said, are often considered a threat by conventionally dominant groups, resulting in identity-based confrontations on campuses as well, Rohith Vemula's 2016 suicide being one of the extreme outcomes of it.

Muslims, in general, have faced greater discrimination than other religious groups in recent years, shows a 2019-20 study by Pew Research Centre. Such a phenomenon could inevitably be spilling over to campuses, too, as Karnatakas example shows.

Hijab question

In criticizing the hijab, Hindu nationalist groups have called it a patriarchal practice. Almost two in three Muslim women in India told the Pew survey they wore the burqa, 12% wore the naqab, and 8% hijaball different forms of face veil. But covering the head outside home is also highly common among Sikh women, and to a lesser extent, Hindu women, too.

True, there is enough evidence that the hijab is a patriarchal imposition, Soman said. But women may wear it for various reasons, including personal choice, religious commitment and assertion of identity, and it also has a special role in taking Muslim girls closer to school, Khan said.

"Those from weaker sections may wear hijab to negotiate with their parents to continue higher education by convincing them that their cultural identity would not be at risk because of attending educational institutions," said Khan.

Cultural discrimination on campus will marginalize not just Muslim women but women in general, pointed out Reshmi Sengupta, an associate professor at FLAME University, Pune, who worked as a consultant with a government committee set up to review the implementation of an earlier panel's (Sachar committee) recommendations on the status of Muslims in India.

Dropout risks

When France banned the Muslim face veil in 2004, it led to increased school dropouts among girls in the community, a Stanford study shows. In India, too, such controversies could bear similar results. They put girls between the twin burdens of a patriarchal clothing and discriminatory singling-out by political outfits, said Soman.

Enrolment among Muslim girls already drops sharply at higher education levels. Upto middle school, their representation is in sync with, or even exceeds, their share in population. But it starts falling short in secondary school, and by college, was an abysmal 5.6% as of 2019-20.

If hijab restrictions prompt dropouts, it is highly likely that these girls will soon be married off, and marriage is one of the prominent reasons for drop-out among older girls", said Khan. If the motivation at all is to discourage the hijab, what is a better tool than education and empowerment of these women, argued Soman.
Chinas more explicit warnings in recent days against a Russian invasion of Ukraine show how Beijing is walking a tightrope, trying to build up a partnership with the Kremlin while preventing its relationship with Washington from becoming outright hostile.

A shared interest in confronting the US has driven the China-Russia relationship to its closest point since the early years of the Cold War seven decades ago.

But since Chinese President Xi Jinping this month gave his Russian counterpart his strongest support to date in Moscows standoff with the West, Beijing has been calling for a resolution of the crisis through diplomatic channels, aligning its position closer to that taken by the U.S. and its allies.

The shift in tone, say Chinese diplomats and advisers to the Chinese government, comes after days of closed-door deliberations by top leaders and reflects Beijings desire to avoid an even more adversarial relationship with Washington that could cause China to be isolated from the West and hurt the countrys development in the long run.

China still wants to hold together the relationship with the U.S.," said Wang Huiyao, a government adviser and president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing think tank.

Speaking to Europes pre-eminent annual strategic forum Saturday, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi used some of the clearest language yet by a senior Chinese official in seeking to temper a Russian offensive against Ukraine. The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of any country should be respected and safeguarded," Mr. Wang told the Munich Security Conference by video link. Ukraine is no exception."

His comments followed Mr. Xis remarks three days earlier, when the Chinese leader, in a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, also called for dialogue to resolve the Russia-Ukraine crisis, remarks indicating a desire not to push European countries further away.

By contrast, when Mr. Xi endorsed Russias opposition to any expansion by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in his Feb. 4 joint statement with President Vladimir Putin, it left out any mention of Ukraine. That statement was issued when Mr. Putin attended the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics as Mr. Xis guest of honor.

Behind the Beijing-Moscow joint stance against NATO enlargement is Mr. Xis eagerness to show solidarity with Mr. Putin as both countries ties with the U.S. have soured, according to people with knowledge of Beijings thinking. Just as Russia is worried about threats to its security from any NATO expansion, one of the people said, China is concerned about its territorial integrity as a result of the U.S. meddling in Taiwan."

They feel like theyre in the same boat," the person added. Beijing sees Taiwan as Chinese territory and bringing the self-governing island into its fold as part of Mr. Xis China Dream" of national revival.

However, Chinas leadership appeared to have underestimated the reaction to the Feb. 4 statement from the rest of the world.

Many in Washington and Brussels saw the entente as one of the clearest signals yet that Beijing intends to join forces with Moscow to reshape the global order closer to their two countries authoritarian vision. That, on top of Beijings coercive behavior toward countries from Australia to Lithuania and increased military activities near the Taiwan Strait, has offered more support for President Bidens effort to work with allies to guard against China.

While tilting closer to Moscow, the Chinese leadership still sees it in its interest not to have the bottom fallout of its ties with the U.S. It needs continued access to American financial and technological resources to ensure economic security and developmentan access that could be jeopardized should Beijing decide to help Moscow evade sanctions in the event of an invasion.

China recognizes its relationship with the U.S. is contentious and competitive," said Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund, a Washington-based think tank. But they dont want to be pushed into the Russian camp."

Beijing started to make clear its position against an invasion of Ukraine as its topmost decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee, reappeared in public view. Over more than a week, the seven-member group had huddled behind closed doors for discussions, including how to respond to the Russia-Ukraine crisis and manage Chinas partnership with Russia without hurting Beijings own interests.

The latest, more explicit remarks, mentioning Ukraine by name, indicate Beijing for now has settled on a strategy to oppose a Russian invasion of the Eastern European country while continuing to blame the U.S. and its allies for hyping the threats from Russia. In Beijings view, say Chinese diplomats and government advisers, that serves its interests in preventing outright hostility with the U.S.-led Western world and in maintaining its principle on opposing any countrys interference in another countrys internal affairs.

Meanwhile, Beijing is set to kick off a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of former President Richard Nixons trip to China. The seven-day visit in 1972 paved the way for the resumption of diplomatic ties between the two countries and set the stage for Chinas opening to the world.

The purpose of the events, Chinese diplomats say, is to encourage scholars, business people and others to speak up for the need for continued engagement between the two world powers. As the Biden administration continues a hard line on China started by President Donald Trump, Chinese diplomats have complained about the difficulty in getting meetings with administration officials.

One event planned in connection with the Nixon visit anniversary, for instance, is a roundtable discussion with more than two dozen international business executives, to be held on Thursday by the Center for China and Globalization, the think tank headed by Mr. Wang, the government adviser.

Wed like to show the room for development in Chinas market is still huge for American and other foreign companies," Mr. Wang said.
China widens choices for COVID-19 booster shots

15:35, February 21, 2022 By WANG XIAOYU ( China Daily

People receive COVID-19 vaccines at a temporary vaccination site in Nan'an district of Chongqing, Southwest China, March 27, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

China began delivering COVID-19 booster shots over the weekend based on technologies different from those used in initial inoculations in the country, in an effort to reinforce herd immunity against the disease.

The method, known as sequential immunization, targets people over 18 years old who are fully vaccinated with one of the three inactivated vaccines produced by Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech, according to the National Health Commission. Two shots are required for full vaccination.

Instead of receiving an additional shot developed with the same technology, which has been standard practice in the country since October, people eligible for a booster now have wider choices. They can get a protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine made by Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical or a viral vector vaccine from CanSino Biologics.

Protein subunit vaccines use a subunit of virus antigen to trigger an immune response, and viral vector vaccines use a modified version of a different virus to instruct our cells to fight the virus, according to Chinese researchers.

"Research has shown that boosters of both the same and different technologies are effective at further improving protection against the disease," Wu Liangyou, deputy director of the commission's Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, said at a briefing on Saturday. "The public only needs to select one of them."

As of Friday, more than 1.23 billion people, or roughly 87 percent of the country's total population, are fully vaccinated on the Chinese mainland, commission data show.

However, the ongoing pandemic and the threat of emerging variants have stoked concerns about waning immunity over time.

A number of countries in the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia have already begun using different vaccines from those originally given for their booster shot programs. In a December report, the World Health Organization also said it supports a flexible approach to different vaccines for booster shots.

Shao Yiming, a member of the country's vaccine development expert panel, said sequential immunization is often rolled out when dealing with tricky and quickly mutating viruses.

"This method is favored for combining advantages of different vaccines and preventing people at risk of experiencing side effects for one particular kind of vaccine from going through them again," he said.

"It is a new tool to advance the establishment of herd immunity and make the immunity barrier sturdier and last longer," he said, adding that the approach has proved to be safe and effective based on domestic and foreign studies.

In addition to upgrading its vaccination strategy, Shao said China has ramped up research into vaccines tailored to tackle the Omicron variant, which has become the dominant strain around the globe.

The country's top drug regulator has received or is reviewing clinical trial applications for several new vaccines, including inactivated vaccines targeting the new strain and broad-spectrum vaccines designed to ward off multiple variants.

"Authorities have also formulated research and appraisal guidelines for such variant-specific vaccines to advance the process," he said. "Even a new variant can entirely evade immunity triggered by existing vaccines; however, we're able to scale up production of new vaccines swiftly," he said.

China reported 101 locally transmitted infections on Saturday, including 65 cases in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and 16 in Jiangsu province.

Wu said the outbreak in Inner Mongolia is the Delta variant. The outbreak is at an early stage and the risk of it spreading further is high.

The infection cluster in Suzhou, Jiangsu, is the Omicron variant and the situation is quickly developing. Epidemiological investigation and mass screening are underway to curb transmission, he added.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The leaders of the three coalition parties in the Irish Government will on Monday discuss proposals to end the rules on mandatory mask-wearing.

It comes ahead of a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, at which ministers are expected to accept the advice from health officials.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin confirmed last Friday that the Government would be accepting the guidance from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) that will bring an end to mandatory mask wearing.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has recommended an end to the mandatory wearing of masks, but they will be advisory in healthcare settings and on public transport.



(left to right) Minister for the Environment Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan, Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar at a press conference in Government Buildings earlier this year (Niall Carson/PA)

The changes are expected to come into place on February 28.

In his letter to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, Dr Holohan said: Nphet concluded that there is no longer a continuing public health rationale for retaining them and advised that the following measures could be removed with effect from 28th February as planned.

Community Employment workers praised for glass clean up in Ballymahon playground Cllr Pat OToole has called on Longford County Council to provide public lighting at the Kayak Club carpark on Thomond Road in Ballymahon.

Mandatory mask wearing in areas where it is currently regulated for, including: public transport, taxis, retail and other indoor public settings, and staff in hospitality settings.

Public health measures in early learning settings, school-aged childcare, primary and secondary schools, including physical distancing measures such as pods, and mask wearing.

Mr Donnelly is expected to bring a proposal to Cabinet on Tuesday.
Met Eireann is forecasting sleet and snow this week in the wake of Storm Franklin.

The third named storm of the week battered Ireland on Sunday and Monday with strong winds and heavy rain hitting most areas.

Man tried to break into Edgeworthstown business twice inside space of a month, court hears A man charged with a number of attempted robberies in Edgeworthstown is due to reappear before Longford District Court on April 26, when DPP directions are expected to be available.

The last remaining wind warnings in the country, for Wicklow and Wexford, expire at 12pm on Monday but we are far from in the clear on the weather front. There is a chance of sleet or snow across the country right through until the weekend during "colder interludes," according to Met Eireann.

In its forecast for Monday night, Met Eireann said: "Mostly cloudy tonight with patchy rain and drizzle spreading from the west ahead of a band of heavier and more persistent rain that will arrive later in the night. Turning windy again overnight as southwest winds increase fresh to strong and gusty ahead of that band of rain, before veering northwesterly. A generally mild night with lowest temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees occurring towards morning."

See the rest of their forecast for the week below:

TUESDAY 22ND FEBRUARY

A wet start in the east on Tuesday but rain will quickly clear eastwards, followed by sunny spells and scattered showers with the chance of sleet on high ground in the northwest. Blustery, in fresh to strong and gusty west to northwest winds, easing off in the evening. Highest afternoon temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees.

Becoming mostly dry with long clear spells early on Tuesday night, though cloud will increases as the night goes on with patchy outbreaks of rain developing in the west late in the night. Lowest temperatures of 0 to 5 degrees, with a touch of frost possible in the east early, but temperature will increase after midnight as southwest winds increase moderate to fresh and gusty.

WEDNESDAY 23RD FEBRUARY

Sunny spells and scattered showers on Wednesday morning but more persistent rain will spread from the Atlantic through the afternoon and evening. Another blustery day with fresh to strong and gusty southwest winds. Highest afternoon temperatures of 6 to 11 degrees, coolest in then north west and becoming cooler across the country through the afternoon.

It will turn much colder early on Wednesday night as rain clears to the east. Showers will follow behind, falling as sleet and snow in places as well as the chance of some isolated thunderstorms and some hail with lowest temperatures of -2 to +1 degrees allowing some frost and icy stretches to develop in mostly moderate southwest winds.

THURSDAY 24TH FEBRUARY

A chilly day with sunny spells and scattered blustery showers, some falling as hail, sleet and snow on higher ground. Highest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees, coolest in the north but feeling even colder in fresh to strong and gusty westerly winds.

Wintry showers will mostly become confined to northwest coasts overnight with good dry clear spells developing. Lows will fall to 0 to 4 degrees, coolest towards morning with a touch of frost possible as west to northwest winds ease light to moderate.

FRIDAY 25TH FEBRUARY

Mostly dry with good sunny spells in the morning but cloud and some isolated patchy drizzle will spread from the west through the afternoon. Highs of 7 to 10 in light to moderate southwest winds.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK

Mild over the weekend, cloudy with outbreaks of rain on Saturday, drier with sunny spells on Sunday.
The role of remote working hubs could be about to become more prominent under new initiatives announced this week by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys.

For the first time, workers will now be able to book office or desk space in their local hub through a new mobile app called Connected Hubs. Hubs had been off-limits for long periods during the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions but are now seen as an alternative to working fully from home or fully returning to the office.

Man tried to break into Edgeworthstown business twice inside space of a month, court hears A man charged with a number of attempted robberies in Edgeworthstown is due to reappear before Longford District Court on April 26, when DPP directions are expected to be available.

Minister Humphreys also announced 5 million in funding, through the Connected Hubs 2022 Call, which will be used to build capacity and enhance existing Remote Working facilities.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys TD at the Mill Hub in Drogheda Photo: Julien Behal

These initiatives will be the subject of a major new National Awareness Campaign, designed to promote the many benefits of choosing your local hub for your working day.

Minister Humphreys also revealed that the number of Remote Working facilities on the Connected Hubs Network will exceed 200 this week. This represents over half of the 400 hubs pledged as part of the government's Our Rural Future policy.

Announcing the series of initiatives, Minister Humphreys said: If COVID-19 has taught us one thing  its that the benefits of Remote Working are huge.

Less time spent commuting. A lower carbon footprint. More time spent with family and friends. But above all  a better quality of life.

Over the past two years, we have embarked on a mission never seen before. My Department has invested 100million in the development of remote working facilities in our towns and villages nationwide.

Across Ireland, we have taken many old and derelict buildings and re-purposed them into state-of-the-art Remote Working facilities.

Ronan Whitty, Director of Business, Innovation & Enterprise At The Mill andThe Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys TD at the Mill Hub in Drogheda Photo: Julien Behal

Former banks, cinemas, garda stations, convents and train stations have become local digital hubs.

In addition, we have provided funding to upgrade and enhance existing hub facilities.

These are now part of a new network called Connected Hubs  which is at the forefront of our efforts to make Remote Working a reality for tens of thousands of workers.

Prestigious award for Longford's Stephen Olwell Opticians As eyecare providers go, Stephen Olwell Opticians is very much an exception to the rule.

Minister Humphreys added: Today represents the next chapter in our Remote Working journey. And it also demonstrates how we are putting Our Rural Future into action.

Im really pleased to launch the new Connected Hubs mobile app which will enable workers to book their desk space in their local hub with ease.

The number of hubs available on the Connected Hubs network will this week surpass the 200 mark meaning we are already halfway to our target of 400 hubs nationwide as committed under Our Rural Future.

Today I am also launching a new 5million Connected Hubs Fund which will aimed at upgrading and increasing capacity in our existing hub facilities. In addition, over the coming weeks and months, I will be announcing further funding for the development of new remote working facilities as part of Our Rural Future.

So my message to remote workers today is clear: Whether you are in Donegal or Waterford, Louth or in Kerry, East Coast, Midlands or along the Border, we have a hub for you.

Minister Humphreys concluded: Thankfully we are now beginning to return to normal life, but that does not mean we should go back to the old normal  the days of the long commute, sitting in traffic when you could be spending that time with your family and friends.

Equally not everybody wants to or has the space to work from home permanently. The kitchen table or your bedroom is not a permanent solution. If you want a clear line of where work-life ends and family-life begins  then working from your local hub is the solution for you.

Today, I am also specifically encouraging employers and businesses to look at the facilities available through Connected Hubs when developing their future plans for blended or hybrid working. These hubs can enable your staff to work in a safe, secure environment with high-speed broadband and all the necessary office equipment available to them.

Over the coming weeks, my Department will embark on a major awareness campaign to highlight the benefits of Connected Hubs for both workers and employers.
Cllr Pat OToole has called on Longford County Council to provide public lighting at the Kayak Club carpark on Thomond Road in Ballymahon.

Cllr OToole raised the issue at a recent meeting of Ballymahon Municipal District.

Its nowadays used as an overflow carpark for the GP practice and OHanlons pharmacy and in winter its very dark and could do with some public lighting, he said.

Director of Services John McKeon explained that the council would look into it and see if they could use the public lighting budget to carry out the works.

Cllr OToole (pictured) also complimented workers on the Community Employment Scheme in Ballymahon for the stellar effort theyve put into making the playground on Thomond Road a safer place for local children.

There was a lot of anti-social behaviour down there with people leaving drinks and broken bottles and cans and debris behind, said Cllr OToole.

I spoke to Paul Newell (Area Engineer for Ballymahon Municipal District) and to Ciaran Murphy in Longford County Council, who is in charge of the playground in the county and we decided wed get a couple of workers on the community employment scheme on it.

Some of the crew are going down there every morning to do a quick sweep and a clean of the area.

The anti-social behaviour started up over Christmas and we had the council, the Gardai and the CE scheme involved and it seems to have sorted the problem, he concluded.
It quickly becomes apparent when you speak with Joe Gilmore, Managing Director of Ireland West Airport, why it had been on an upward trajectory, since he took over the role in 2009.

And yes, it was dealt a near catastrophic blow when airports throughout the world and the wider aviation industry came to a complete standstill in March of 2020 as a result of Covid-19, from which they are still very tentatively recovering.

But that story is only part of a wider narrative which paints a glowing success story for an airport that decades previously had faced near insurmountable odds, in the infancy of its existence.

When first broached on the subject of challenges of the last two years, it was not routes or runways, subventions or stress that he wanted to speak of, but rather the devastation of having to let staff go, during those dark days, when none of us knew what lay ahead.

It had only been 2019 when the airport had recorded a passenger count of 800,000 plus and a turnover of some 15million.

In the normal course of events, that figure would have shot through the one million passengers figure, but it was not to be, at that time.

Last month, it was revealed that last year's passenger numbers had plummeted by 79% and that passenger numbers stood at 176,317 last year.

New air of optimism

But 2022 has brought a new air of optimism and hope, as many of the clouds of Covid have lifted.

If you go back to February 2020, before all of this kicked off, we had just come off a record year in 2019. We had a turnover of about 15 million and we had just over 800,000 passengers going through the airport, making a small profit of about 100,000.

So we were starting to get into a good situation. Our objective here was to get to a million passengers by this year to be honest.

Reflecting on the closure of the airport that is located at Knock, he admitted it was a massive shock to everybody.

I never thought that I would be closing the airport for a global pandemic. Previous to that I had closed the airport for one or two days, for the snow and the ice back in 2010, I think it was and then when the volcanic ash from Iceland that was a major concern for some days.

The other reality was that we had to lay off staff. That was the toughest part and we laid off 90% of our staff. While at the time, we expected it to be short term, in reality there were some staff laid off for nearly two years. It was a complete devastation for the aviation sector across the country and the globe.

Government support

Joe said that the passenger numbers fell to what they had been experiencing in the 1980s and 1990s, but it would have been much worse had it not been for government interventions.

Its important to acknowledge that the governments intervention for the aviation sector and the general wage supports that were put in place for this airport were vital.

Like a lot of businesses we would have been in a critically difficult position at the moment. We received funding under the EWSS scheme, the wage support schemes and under a Covid damages scheme for the aviation sector, so that helped to alleviate most of our losses last year. We lost over 4million in 2021 and through those schemes we were nearly able to compensate for 80-90% of those losses.

That has allowed us now in 2022 to be in a position where we have a balance sheet with some cash in the bank, to be able to restart the business, to invest in places like marketing, group development and other things to get back to the roots, he explained.

Key infrastructure for the region

One of the biggest challenges at a regional level is getting national attention and focus on important pieces of infrastructure for the region and we were happy that back in 2017 with the launch of the National Development Plan, the government recognised the airport as a key transport infrastructure for the region.

And that it was one of the States four main airports for economic and tourism development along the Wild Atlantic Way and the Atlantic economic corridor.

We have gone through a crazy period and it is great to be able to start getting back to these projects back on the table and investment streams.

The airport MD explained that the busiest routes are to the UK market, with ten destinations to the UK. That market has rebounded very strongly in the last month, since the restrictions were lifted and extra capacity is being put in there.

We had Flybe doing Birmingham Edinburgh and Manchester, back in 2019/2020 but they went out of business, so Ryanair have stepped in and taken over those three services, so we are seeing a big rebound in the UK with the busiest routes, our London routes with almost half the passengers that go through out airport, go to London.

Aer Lingus will also be back in on March 13 with daily flights to destinations for the rest of the summer, this was a very good marker for the future.

Early Stage of Recovery

Joe says that the airport is at an early stage of recovery and that is what the priority will be in the interim.

Finally, for many people in the region, he points out how travel to the Ireland West Airport at Knock can work out better on many different levels than Dublin or Belfast.

12% of overseas visitors who come through Ireland West Airport visit Longford (circa 10,000). 40% are holidaymakers, spending an average of 4 nights in the Longford region. 15,000 outbound passengers from Longford use the airport annually.

Joe added that while restrictions were lifting, things about EU Covid digital certs and what happens in the landing country remained important, when arriving at foreign destinations.

You can fly from Ireland West Airport to 19 International destinations in 2022, with 55 weekly departures. The forecasted passenger numbers for the years is circa 679,000 (85% of 2019 total).

New services have been announced to Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester with Ryanair and the frequency of services to Edinburgh, Luton, Cologne and Milan in 2022 has increased.

400k has also been invested in an overseas marketing campaign planned with TI and Ryanair/Aer Lingus to promote the West of Ireland in overseas markets in Q1/Q2 2022.

Ireland West Airport looks set to become even more important for the region in the years and decades ahead.
Tech & Science, Nature & Weather, Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: February 21 2022

South fork wind project to kickstart New York's offshore wind industry, provide clean energy to Long Island.

Governor Kathy Hochul, alongside United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and other elected officials, recently celebrated the start of construction of South Fork Wind, New York's first offshore wind project, jointly developed by rsted and Eversource off the coast of Long Island. Building on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) January issuance of the Final Sale Notice for the New York Bight, the recent key offshore wind contract milestone, and the State of the State announcement of a nation-leading $500 million investment in offshore wind ports, manufacturing, and supply chain infrastructure to accompany New York's next offshore wind solicitation, New York continues to advance the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035.

"The harsh impacts and costly realities of climate change are all too familiar on Long Island, but today as we break ground on New York's first offshore wind project we are delivering on the promise of a cleaner, greener path forward that will benefit generations to come," Governor Hochul said. "South Fork Wind will eliminate up to six million tons of carbon emissions over the next twenty-five years benefiting not only the Empire State, but our nation as a whole. This project will also create hundreds of good-paying jobs, helping spur economic growth across the region as we continue to recover from COVID-19. This is a historic day for New York, and I look forward to continue working with Secretary Haaland as we lead our nation toward a greener, brighter future for all."

US Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said, "America's clean energy transition is not a dream for a distant future - it is happening right here and now. Offshore wind will power our communities, advance our environmental justice goals, and stimulate our economy by creating thousands of good-paying union jobs across the nation. This is one of many actions we are taking in pursuit of the President's goal to improve both the lives of American families and the health of our planet."

The Governor, who made today's announcement in Wainscott, celebrated South Fork Wind kickstarting New York's offshore wind generation when it becomes operational in late 2023. South Fork Wind will be one of the first commercial-scale offshore wind projects to commence operation in North America. Selected under a 2015 Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) request for proposals to address growing power needs on the east end of Long Island, the project will be located about 35 miles east of Montauk Point and its 12 Siemens-Gamesa 11 MW turbines will generate approximately 130 megawatts of power - enough to power over 70,000 homes. Its transmission system will deliver clean energy directly to the electric grid in the Town of East Hampton. Over a 25-year period, South Fork Wind is expected to eliminate up to six million tons of carbon emissions, or the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road annually.

NYSERDA President & CEO Doreen M. Harris said, "With construction beginning on the South Fork Wind project, we are solidifying New York State's clean energy vision and blazing a trail as we lead the nation in offshore wind development. As our state's first offshore wind project, South Fork is helping to usher in the grid of the future as New York continues to build the most robust offshore wind project and supply chain in the nation, strengthen workforce development and partnerships with labor to provide a pipeline of talent for these critical projects, and establish the green economy that will power New York for years to come."

Long Island Power Authority CEO Thomas Falcone said, "In 2017, the forward-thinking approach of the LIPA Board of Trustees led to the approval of the South Fork Wind project at a time when there were no other power purchase agreements for offshore wind in the country. As the first offshore wind farm in New York, South Fork Wind is the beginning of a new industry for our region that will be vital to New York meeting its goal of a zero-carbon electric grid by 2040."

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "New York is setting the example for the nation on tapping into the potential of offshore wind to help meet our energy needs while the state transitions to a cleaner, greener energy future. South Fork Wind is an exciting and transformative project that will help achieve our state's ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ramp up renewable energy sources while safeguarding our natural resources and driving new economic opportunities here on Long Island and across the state."

Acting Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said, "South Fork Wind's groundbreaking is a historic milestone for New York's offshore wind industry and for all New Yorkers in our efforts to address climate change. The Department of State continues to work with our stakeholders and government partners to minimize potential project impacts and avoid disruptions to our coastal economy as we transition to a cleaner, greener future. Through our combined efforts, New Yorkers will continue to enjoy Long Island's pristine beaches and the rich ocean resources off our State as we reduce the State's carbon footprint."

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "This significant milestone solidifies New York's global leadership in the clean economy. The groundwork we lay today is creating new, exciting employment opportunities for New Yorkers while also protecting our environment for future generations. As Co-chair for the Just Transition Working Group, I thank Governor Hochul for leading the charge and for her unending commitment to ensuring the inclusion of disadvantaged communities in this movement."

Public Service Commission Chair Rory M. Christian said, "The South Fork project will play a key role in developing much needed clean-energy for New York State and it will help New York achieve its nation-leading renewable energy goals while creating jobs and opportunities for individuals and industries. South Fork is a win for Long Island, and a win for all New Yorkers."

Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner Jeanette M. Moy said, "The start of the first off-shore wind project in New York State demonstrates Governor Hochul's strong commitment to meeting the challenges of sustainability and ensuring New York's future is green. OGS is proud to have a role in the South Fork Wind project and in advancing the State's forward-looking climate and green-energy initiatives."

Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and President & CEO-designate Hope Knight said, "Offshore wind is crucial to fueling a green economy and promoting sustainable economic opportunities. The start of construction at New York State's first offshore wind project at South Fork Wind signifies at important step towards achieving clean energy goals and creating green jobs, which advances Empire State Development's mission to prepare our economy for the future. With today's announcement, New York State will continue to be leaders in the fight against climate change while strengthening our standing in offshore wind manufacturing."

This milestone follows BOEM's approval last month of the project's Construction and Operations Plan (COP). The COP outlines the project's one nautical mile turbine spacing, the requirements on the construction methodology for all work occurring in federal ocean waters, and mitigation measures to protect marine habitats and species. BOEM's final approval of the COP follows the agency's November 2021 issuance of the Record of Decision, which concluded the thorough BOEM-led environmental review of the project.

Senator Todd Kaminsky said, "Today's announcement helps solidify New York as a leader in the green economy. The CLCPA set the most aggressive goals in the country and offshore wind on Long Island is central to meeting them. This project is a catalyst and shows that you can think big and get it done on Long Island."

Assemblymember Steve Englebright said, "The South Fork Wind Project is a key first step to our state's commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and meeting the challenge of climate change. I applaud Governor Hochul's vision and determination to advance and enhance New York's renewable wind energy portfolio."

Assemblymember Fred Thiele said, "I'm proud to say that Long Island is an emerging trailblazer in renewable energy and will soon lead the state and the nation in offshore wind energy production. South Fork Wind Farm opens an exciting new chapter for us here on the East End, and I look forward to soon having a greener grid powered by this historic investment. I thank Governor Hochul for her continuous leadership and support."

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, "Long Island has been a leader in all things clean energy, and as we begin construction on New York's first wind farm, we are changing how we power our homes and businesses here in Suffolk. This historic project, which puts Suffolk County at the heart of the offshore wind industry and will power roughly 70,000 homes, is a major victory for our economy, for labor, and for our environment as we remain committed to addressing the impacts of climate change on our region."

East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said, "In 2014 East Hampton was the first municipality in New York to adopt a 100% renewable energy goal. Today, with the beginning of the construction of New York's first offshore wind farm we are very close to reaching that goal. We applaud Governor Hochul's nation leading investment in offshore wind energy which puts New York at the forefront of our country's efforts to combat climate change."

New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe said, "Today, we are moving from concept to reality with the groundbreaking of South Fork Wind Farm, New York's first offshore wind project. Congratulations to rsted and Eversource! This day is the culmination of years of perseverance to launch this project and new industry that will change the way we power our economy. We have a long way to go to meet our climate goals, but major investments like this combined with the leadership and commitment of Governor Hochul, Secretary Haaland, and BOEM Director Lefton are setting us on the course for a clean energy revolution."

rsted Offshore North America CEO David Hardy said, "With the start of construction on New York's first offshore wind farm, we continue to deliver on our vision of a new U.S. energy industry that will generate clean power, jobs, and economic opportunity. I am grateful for the many champions who have supported South Fork Wind to get us to this critical moment, and for the Biden Administration and New York's leadership and commitment to the offshore wind industry."

Eversource Energy President & CEO Joe Nolan said, "Today we make history as we celebrate the start of construction on New York's first offshore wind farm. As homegrown experts in regional energy transmission, we have led the way on countless infrastructure projects, but today, we commemorate something entirely new and different. For the very first time, we will be leveraging our expertise to harness the vast, untapped potential of offshore wind."

Nassau Suffolk Building and Construction Trades Council President Marty Aracich said, "The start of the construction phase for Offshore Wind marks a new era in reaching New York State's goal of significantly reducing emissions. The skilled trades have a role by placing shovels in the ground as they implement the last leg of this relay race and position NYS to reign supreme along the Eastern Seaboard in combating climate change. Governor Hochul's shared vision and commitment with NYSERDA enhances the alliance of Orsted/Eversource and North America's Building Trades Unions. New York State remains focused on providing opportunities that will create a local workforce leading to a brighter, cleaner future for generations to come. Many thanks to Governor Hochul, Secretary of Interior Deb Harland, Amanda Lefton, Doreen Harris, and our partners in Labor for providing leadership as well as a moral compass guiding the earth on a path to heal itself."

Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO President John R. Durso said, "This is a victory for Long Island and all New Yorkers. This is not only a crucial step forward in the fight against climate change, but it means jobs and new clean energy resources on Long Island where it is needed most. After many years of hard work in planning and development by rsted and Eversource, with support from labor and community allies, we are realizing the success we have all been waiting for."

South Fork Wind will be built under industry-leading project labor agreements and specific partnerships with local union organizations, ensuring local union labor's participation in all phases of construction on the project. Onshore construction activities for the project's underground duct bank system and interconnection facility are the first to begin and will source construction labor from local union hiring halls. rsted and Eversource reached these provisions and protections working closely with a range of external organizations and experts, a commitment the companies carry to all stakeholder relationships to support coexistence.

Long Island-based contractor Haugland Energy Group LLC (an affiliate of Haugland Group LLC) was selected to install the duct bank system for the project's underground onshore transmission line and lead the construction of the onshore interconnection facility located in East Hampton. This agreement will create more than 100 union jobs for Long Island skilled trades workers, including heavy equipment operators, electricians, lineworkers, and local delivery drivers who will support transportation of materials to the project site. Fabrication of the project's offshore substation is already underway.

New York State has five offshore wind projects in active development, the largest portfolio in the nation. This current portfolio totals more than 4,300 megawatts and will power more than 2.4 million New York homes, and it is expected to bring a combined economic impact of $12.1 billion to the state. The projects are also expected to create more than 6,800 jobs in project development, component manufacturing, installation, and operations and maintenance. Achieving the State's 9,000 megawatt by 2035 goal will generate enough offshore wind energy to power approximately 30 percent of New York State's electricity needs, equivalent to nearly 6 million New York State homes, and spur approximately 10,000 jobs.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan
Food, Wine, & Dining, Music, Movies & Entertainment, Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: February 21 2022

New this year: free play all day arcade games.

Event producer, Starfish Junction just confirmed that this years Spring Craft Beer Festival will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2022, returning to Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum for another great celebration of craft beer and brewing. Local, national, and international craft breweries will be in attendance pouring samples of their finest brews. New this year: a special selection of wines, spiked seltzers, and hard ciders will be offered, plus Arcade Alley, a mini arcade within the footprint of the festival. Tickets for this special event are on sale now at www.SpringCraftBeerFestival.com . Tickets for this special event are very limited, a sell-out is expected. This is a 21+ event.

The Spring Craft Beer Festival is back and we couldnt be more excited to see everybody return to the Coliseum for some long-overdue fun, said Andy Calimano, owner of event producer, Starfish Junction. Were pulling out all the stops to make it our best fest yet. There will be amazing breweries pouring amazing beers; weve got a selection of hard ciders, spiked seltzers, and wine so everyone can find something they enjoy; plus, weve added a mini arcade right into the heart of the festival. It is going to be a good time for sure.

With a focus on great beer, the event will feature local favorites like Five Boroughs Brewing Co. and Westhampton Beach Brewing Company to global brands including Sullivans Brewing Company (Ireland) and Nicaragua Craft Beer Co. This years brewery list will be our most diverse collection yet, boasted Calimano.

The Spring Craft Beer Festival will offer two ticket options:

GENERAL ADMISSION (GA) Ticket ($60): 2:30pm-6:00pmincludes all samplings, a tasting cup, and free play in the Arcade Alley.

(GA) Ticket ($60): 2:30pm-6:00pmincludes all samplings, a tasting cup, and free play in the Arcade Alley. GENERAL ADMISSION PLUS (GA+) Ticket ($80): 1:30pm-6:00pmincludes all thats included with the GA ticket plus: a bonus hour/early admission; a designated seating area/lounge; and specialty beers poured exclusively in the lounge (not available to other ticket holders). These tickets are limited and will sell-out in advance.

Food will be for sale from venue concessions and will feature specialty items cooked with beer from local breweries, parking will be $5 per vehicle. All transactions including parking fee payments and food purchases are cashless, they will accept credit or debit card only. Designated driver tickets are also available for $15 each. No one under 21, including designated drivers, will be admitted and photo ID is required for entry. Parking is $5.00 per car. Safety protocols have been instituted by event producer, Starfish Junction, to help reduce exposure to COVID-19 and associated variants. Starfish Junction will adhere to all local, state and national requirements for live events, check event website for details.
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21 February 2022

Wildcat Petroleum Plc

("Wildcat" or the "Company")

Appointment of Iran-focused Upstream Oil & Gas Consultancy

Wildcat Petroleum Plc (LSE: WCAT), a company targeting investment opportunities in business and assets within the upstream sector of the petroleum industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of TBP-GEO as petroleum consultants. Their role is to assist WCAT secure oil production contracts in Iran if sanctions against Iran are eased by the United States of America, the United Kingdom and others. WCAT will not engage in any business activity with the Islamic Republic of Iran as long as sanctions imposed by the United States, United Kingdom and European Union prevent it from doing so.

TBP-GEO are highly experienced petroleum consultants who are familiar with the Iranian oil industry after spending nearly 20 years working with the National Oil Company of Iran ("NIOC"). Between 1999 -2002 one of the principals at TBP-GEO was involved through Global Geo Services ASA ("GGS"), the geology and seismic exploration consultancy, in the planning and execution of a 2D seismic survey of 106,000 km (PC-2000) in Iranian territorial waters (Persian Gulf & Oman Sea). Since then, GGS has worked on the marketing and sale of this data-set in agreement with NIOC, only when international sanctions allowed them to do so. The principals at TBP-GEO continue to be involved in the day to day running of GGS.

Wildcat director, Glyn Roberts, was also involved with the Iranian multi-client seismic survey - including sales and marketing of the results - this during the period 2000 to 2005. He is currently business partner at Spec Partners Ltd with one of the principals of TBP-GEO. Due to his long-term business and personal relationship with both principals of TBP-GEO he has recused himself from discussions concerning the appointment of TBP-GEO.

The agreement between the Company and TBP-GEO will remain dormant until the United States, United Kingdom and European Union ease sanctions, such that WCAT can legally conduct petroleum business in the country. Until such point, neither Wildcat, nor TBP-GEO on behalf of Wildcat, will conduct any business with the Iranian regime. Only when the United States, United Kingdom and European Union come to an agreement with Iran on the Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) and clearance has been given by both the British and American governments and the European Commission will Wildcat and TBP-GEO seek to secure an oil deal in Iran. At all times WCAT will comply with the terms and conditions of any international sanctions imposed on Iran by the either the USA, EU or UK.

TBP-GEO has received an on-boarding fee of 7,500 which was satisfied by the issue of 300,000 warrants with an exercise price of 0.5p which vested immediately.

Mandhir Singh, Chairman of Wildcat, commented: "The ultimate aim of WCAT has consistently been to become a profitable oil producing company. Currently, in Vienna, there are talks mainly between Iran and the USA aimed at resurrecting the Iran Nuclear Deal. The management of WCAT believes that there is a significant chance that these talks will be successful and subsequently sanctions will be eased by the USA in the near term. The appointment of TBP-GEO, I believe places the company in a stronger position to successfully negotiate a deal if sanctions are lifted. However, even if sanctions are lifted there can be no guarantee that WCAT will successfully enter into an oil deal in Iran, and it will continue looking to source an appropriate asset elsewhere especially on the continent of Africa."

Trond Christoffersen, CEO of TBP-GEO, commented: "We look forward to working with WCAT in order to assist them in achieving their goal of becoming a producing oil company. As a sign of our confidence in sourcing an appropriate Iranian petroleum asset when sanctions are lifted we have decided to take our compensation in terms of equity in WCAT (warrants)."

IRANIAN SANCTIONS

In 1970 Iran was a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

However, in 1979 the new regime ushered in by the Iranian revolution secretly started to pursue nuclear technology.

In 2015 Iran and several world powers (UN, EU and USA) signed the JCPOA agreement. This agreement placed significant restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.

In 2018 the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew the US from JCPOA, claiming that the deal did nothing to curtail Iran's ballistic missile program and its proxy warfare in the region. A year later Iran started to ignore the limitations placed on its nuclear program by JCPOA.

The current talks in Vienna are aimed at restoring the original JCPOA deal.

IRANIAN OIL DEAL

Iran has a centralised economy which makes it a very bureaucratic country. Even if it is agreed in principle to lift sanctions against Iran in Vienna, it might take many months to sort out the details. Therefore shareholders must not take any successful conclusion to the Vienna talks as an indication that WCAT will necessarily secure an oil production deal in the months that follow. It might take many years to secure an appropriate deal and such a deal might never materialise.

Even if a new deal is signed and WCAT manages to secure an appropriate Iranian oil asset, sanctions could be re-imposed at any time if there are any infractions by any party to a restored JCPOA deal. This could result in WCAT losing all of any investment it makes in Iran.

The chance of WCAT securing an appropriate oil contract in Iran should be considered high risk, a very long process (months/ years) with a high probability that it never actually agrees a suitable deal.

It is in order to increase the probability of securing an appropriate deal in a timely fashion that WCAT decided to secure the services of TBP-GEO.

Enquiries:

Wildcat Mandhir Singh msingh@wildcatpetroleum.co.uk Guild Financial Advisory Ross Andrews ross.andrews@guildfin.co.uk Pello Capital Nick Josh NJ@pellocapital.com Yellow Jersey (Investor Relations) Tom Randell +44 (0)20 3004 9512 wildcat@yellowjerseypr.com

Notes to Editors:

Wildcat Petroleum (LSE:WCAT) is listed on the standard segment of the official list, with shares traded on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. WCAT is seeking to acquire a business operating in the upstream sector of the petroleum industry - namely exploration, appraisal, development and production of oil and gas, with a primary focus on assets that are at the later phases of exploration and production.

https://www.wildcatpetroleum.co.uk/

GLOSSARY

TBP-GEO - www.tbp-geo.com

Spec Partners Ltd - www.specpartners.net

JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran Nuclear Deal)

GGS - www.ggs.no

PC 2000 seismic data set - (Persian Carpet 2000)
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning is extended 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... 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 SATURDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Mississippi River At Red River Landing. * WHEN...Until Saturday evening. * IMPACTS...At 48.0 feet, Access roads will be inundated and evacuation of all river islands must be complete. Protection of people and property in the river bottom land on the river side of the levees must be complete. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 12:00 PM CDT Tuesday the stage was 50.0 feet. - Forecast...The river will is expected to fall below flood stage Saturday afternoon. - 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 &&
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Last weeks article introduced us to the song Come Back to Manistee from the Broadway musical, The Sultan of Sulu, written by popular Midwestern writer and satirist, George Ade in 1901, with music by Nathaniel Mann and lyrics by Alfred Wathall. However, the question remained of how Manistee came to be referenced so prominently in the comic opera written and whether or not said question could be answered.

Looking at a who was who in theatrical circles in the United States around the turn of the 20th century, one can find that Ade was connected to various up and coming artists, actors, writers, theatre managers and scene decorators in big cities such as Chicago and New York.

Along these same lines (albeit, local lines) in December 1900, the Scandinavian Opera House, formerly located on First Street between Poplar and Greenbush streets, burned to the ground, leaving a void for an arts and culture center in Manistee. By the following year, T.J. Ramsdell was in the process of planning an extravagant new opera house on the corner of Maple and First streets and by 1902 he, along with his son Frederick (Fred) W. Ramsdell (a renowned artist) had secured a Chicago architect, Solon Spencer Beaman, to design the building.

Among Freds acquaintances was fellow artist Walter Wilcox Burridge, a New York native who rose to fame as a celebrated scene painter for countless theatrical productions in Chicago and New York City.

In 1997, Burridge scholar and Manistee native, Jerry J. Smith compiled a book in conjunction with the Manistee Art Institute on the works of Walter Burridge. While doing research for the book, it was discovered that Burridge was the set designer for the Broadway production of The Sultan of Sulu.

Among the articles and photographs published in Smiths book, To Michigan, Oz, and Back, was a brief article about Ades play and its connection with Manistee. The article was published in the Over the Teacups column in the Manistee Daily News on March 11, 1903. Portions of the original article follow:

The Sultan of Sulu is having a very successful run at Wallacks  New York, and while George Ade saw fit to take some liberties with Michigan, the song Manistee is conceded to be the hit of the piece.

It is rendered by a quartet of the vaudeville type strong on close harmony, and given to the trick of stopping suddenly and marching to the exit side of the stage before letting loose the final heart-rending blast.

By the spring of 1903, as the Ramsdell Theatre was still under construction, Fred Ramsdell brought in Burridge to design a drop curtain for the theatre. Later titled A Grove Near Athens, the drop curtain remains today as a key aspect of the Ramsdell Theatre experience.

An interview with Burridge, written up as an article and published in the Detroit Free Press on May 25, 1903 not only prominently mentions the Ramsdell Theatre but also makes mention that Burridge, Fred Ramsdell, Ade and theater manager Henry Savage (producer of The Sultan of Sulu, among many others) were all acquainted. Portions of the original article follow:

Manistee is to have one of the finest theatres in the country, far in advance of most of the cities in the matter of appointments, beauty, furnishings and cost. T.J. Ramsdell is spending $150,000 on the house which will open in September. Yes, I am painting the scenery for the theatre.

Walter W. Burridge, the most famous of American scenic artists, leaned back in his chair in the Russell House cafe, and started to talk about the Manistee house and his own work. In the course of his char, Mr. Burridge paid a beautiful tribute to the memory of Biff Hall, told a new story on George Ade, and joked about the world and its inhabitants.

Really the Ramsdell Theatre is going to be a beauty. Fred Ramsdell ... is decorating the house himself. The color scheme is green, gold and grey. I am making the drop, which will show the statue of the goddess Flora and the Parthenon in the distance. The thing is wholly Greek, you see.

Yes, laughed Mr. Burridge, in reply to a question. I am here to have a conference with Mr. Savage about new scenery for his operas, George Ades new play, The Circuit Judge, and The Lieutenant-Commander, Blossoms musical comedy. This means about $200,000 worth of scenery. I regret to state that I will not be able to keep all of this money.

While The Sultan of Sulu continued to be performed around the United States for several years, as time passed, its popularity faded. However, the plays distinct reference to Manistee continued to be regarded as something special to those that originally knew of its connection.

To this end, Roy M. Overpack referenced the song in a speech given at the 14th Annual Convention of the State Association of the Superintendents of the Poor held at the courthouse in Flint, Michigan in September 1917. As Mr. Overpack was Manistee Countys superintendent of the poor, he had to provide a speech at the convention. During his speech, Overpack provides a possible reason why the song was included in the play. An abbreviated portion of his speech follows:

We hope that you have enjoyed your visit in Manistee. Those of us who live here are very fond of this city. Everyone who has been a resident of Manistee always has a warm spot in his heart for the old hometown, they always come back to Manistee whenever the opportunity offers, and they stay as long as they possibly can. Even George Ade, the playwright, wrote a song once that was sung all over the country in the comic opera, the Sultan of Zulu. This song was entitled (Come) Back to Manistee. George Ade had heard of the wonderful feeling of loyalty on the part of former residents of this city.

Manistee is one of the lumbering cities of Michigan. It is not as large as it once was; it once had a population of about 14,000 people and today the population is about 10,000. We are not downhearted over this fact because we believe that Manistee, what it has lost in quantity, has made up in quality. Our last saw mill ceased operations here this summer. At one time our little lake up here was entirely surrounded with sawmills. We are not as bad off as many former lumbering cities, because we have other industries that are taking the place somewhat of these saw mills.

I suppose you have all had the pleasure of visiting our large salt plant in this city, which when it is completed will be the largest plant of its kind in the world, turning out about 8,000 barrels of salt every day. This immense quantity of salt will eventually lead to the establishment in this city of a large chemical industry. We have an iron works in this city that ships its products all over the world and that has a reputation for substantial products, like the Rock of Gibraltar. We have a fine furniture factory, a wooden ware factory, and a number of other minor industries.

We want you to tell your people about our well kept streets, about our well kept homes and lawns, and over and above the industrial institutions in any city, the greatest asset of this community is the quality of its citizenship, and we want you to tell your people that the citizenship of Manistee is right. We confidently believe that in the near future you are going to hear more of our city, and we want you to watch the papers and watch Manistee grow, and then when you see that Manistee is forging ahead and becoming one of the important cities of the state of Michigan, we want you to sing with George Ade, (Come) Back to Manistee. (Applause)

The last known production of The Sultan of Sulu was in 2009, when the Canton Comic Opera Company (now American Musical Productions) of Ohio performed the once widely known, but now obscure play, that somehow mysteriously made reference to the former lumber and salt epicenter that was Manistee.
Every day, Midland native Lynn Rhinehart looks at her grandfathers union pins before she starts her workday. The union pins of a Dow Chemical mechanic are a gentle reminder of the importance of Rhineharts work at the U.S. Department of Labor as well as her Midland roots.

As a senior counselor in the Office of the Secretary in the U.S. Department of Labor, Rhinehart supports Secretary Marty Walsh, who is the vice chair of the White House Task Force on Organizing and Empowerment.

The task force was set up by an executive order signed by President Joe Biden in April 2021. It includes 20 representatives from cabinet agencies and White House offices. The mission of the task force is to support worker organizing and collective bargaining.

Its the first-ever attempt by a president to use executive branch authority to mobilize the executive branch in support of workers who are trying to organize and form unions, Rhinehart said.

Once the president issued the April executive order, the task force had six months to reach out to stakeholders and agencies, compile a list of recommendations, and submit a report in October. The task forces report underwent review and was published this month, listing 70 recommendations for different government agencies to take action to support workers. The support would extend to workers in both the private and public sectors.

Some recommendations include forming a Know Your Rights Initiative to provide information on workers right to organize, creating strong anti-retaliation protections, and having the U.S. Department of Labor set up a resource center on unions and their benefits.

The task force, the report and its recommendations are based on the premise that is a central premise of the Biden-Harris Administration: that unions and collective bargaining are good for the country. They are good for workers, communities, businesses and economy," Rhinehart said.

The work is not over for Rhinehart and her team. One of the reports recommendations is for the task force to file a second report in six months time with additional recommendations, and a status report on the implementation of the previous recommendations.

For Rhinehart, having the chance to support the task force is a culmination of her career in the labor movement. She feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the Biden administration, which has been open about its support of unions. According to Rhinehart, interest in forming unions is high, but there are too many barriers and very little information readily available for workers to organize.

I view this as a really unique opportunity to be able to take action to try to meet popular demand. Its not often that you get a chance to work with an administration that wants to promote and facilitate worker organizing when theres such a huge demand among workers for unions and organizing, Rhinehart stated.

Rhineharts career began in Midland and has taken a turn or two before leading her to the nations capital. After graduating from Midland High School, she pursued a degree in liberal arts and a minor in womens studies at the University of Michigan. Rhinehart came to realize in the midst of her studies that the best way for women to obtain fairness in the workplace was through unions.

You have a collective bargaining agreement that sets out your pay and your benefits, and everybody gets it whether youre a man or a woman, whatever your race or ethnicity. My interest in womens rights really brought me into the labor movement, Rhinehart said.

After college, Rhinehart began looking for jobs that dealt with labor movements. She was employed as a paralegal at Bedhoff & Kaiser, one of the leading labor law firms in the country. She then worked at the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) in the health and safety department and as a lawyer.

Rhinehart originally planned to work in Washington, D.C., for two years and return to Michigan to go to law school. But she eventually decided to stay in D.C., start her legal career and earn her law degree from Georgetown University.

Today, Rhinehart lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, but travels to Midland often to visit her family, including her dad, Dick Rhinehart, who is the co-founder of Ayre/Rhinehart Realtors. She remains fond of her hometown and the education she received there.

It all started in Midland, Rhinehart said. Its a very supportive environment with lots of culture and arts, which have been a passion of mine along with workers rights.
There is still tension on the border between Russia and Ukraine, with over 100,000 Russian troops believed to have assembled ahead of a possible invasion. Whether or not the Russian army will invade remains to be seen, but, if they do cross the border, what is Vladimir Putin's objective?

Here comes a look at three reasons Russia might decide to invade Ukraine.

1. NATO's eastward expansion

Putin has said that the expansion of NATO is "menacing", so the fact that Ukraine could join the European Union and join NATO is a concern for the Russian president. In December of 2021, Russia demanded a guarantee that Ukraine would never join NATO and that NATO would order forces in other Eastern European countries to back down, but this hasn't happened. Furthermore, the USA has sold hundreds of anti-tank Javelin missiles to Ukraine in recent years and Turkey has supplied the Ukrainian army with armed drones.

2. An obsession with Kyiv

Another key element to the debate is the fact that Kyiv and Ukraine used to be an important part of the Soviet Union, with Putin viewing its breakup in the 1990s as a step back. He has previously labelled Kyiv as "the mother of Russian cities", which is why there is more of an obsession with Ukraine and its capital than with other countries with whom Russia shared a border.

3. Proving Russia is still a superpower

Another theory is that Putin wants to throw his weight around a prove that Russia is still a superpower. "It's the return of history, where great powers go at it and things get really bad sometimes," Barry Pavel, a director at the Atlantic Council, told the New York Times. "We need to think about spheres of influence as remits in which a state can exercise disproportionate influence that's not only territorial," Graham Allison, a political scientist at Harvard, added.
Weather Alert

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is 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...From Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff will likely result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, especially in areas that have already received heavy rainfall over the past few days. Several main-stem rivers could go into flood. A few locations could see significant flash flooding. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - A slowly moving upper low will move across the area Wednesday into early Thursday. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are likely with the potential for very heavy rainfall. 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 early Thursday afternoon. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. &&
Meadville, PA (16335)

Today

Thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight with light rain possible. Low 54F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight with light rain possible. Low 54F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Meadville, PA (16335)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight with light rain possible. Low 53F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight with light rain possible. Low 53F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who made her Hindi debut with Manoj Bajpayee's The Family Man 2 last year, is among the most-popular South stars. Post the success of the Amazon Prime Video series, her fan-following witnessed a huge increase in the Hindi belts. Last seen alongside Allu Arjun in the Pushpa song Oo Antava, the actress is now all set to entertain her fans with another pan-India release, titled Shakuntalam.

Taking to social media, Samantha has finally unveiled her first look from Shakuntalam which is based on the evergreen Indian legend of Shakuntala. In the first look poster, the actress is looking gorgeous as Shakuntala in a white outfit embroidered with red flowers. She is sitting on a rock in a forest, surrounded by animals and birds. Ace designer Neeta Lulla has reportedly designed her costume for the film.

Sharing the poster on Twitter, Samantha wrote, "Presenting... Natures beloved.. the Ethereal and Demure... Shakuntala from #Shaakuntalam (heart emoji) #ShaakuntalamFirstLook". Take a look at it here:

Ever since the release of the first look poster, Samantha fans are going crazy and expressing their excitement on social media. The U Turn actress' look is getting a big thumbs up from netizens.

A user wrote, "More perfect than a painting". Another social media user tweeted, "Can't wait to watch this on theater Rockstar to superstar (fire emoji)". A third tweet read, "The goddess SAMANTHA AS SHAAKUNTHALA (heart emojis) @Samanthaprabhu2 this will be a special film for you and your fans Sam".

Here are the reactions:

The goddess SAMANTHA AS SHAAKUNTHALA  @Samanthaprabhu2 this will be a special film for you and your fans Sam  NARESH M CHANDARAN (@naresh__off_) February 21, 2022

Wow  marry me   Dr Prince Soni (@DrPrinceSoni1) February 21, 2022

Not a hater of sam or guna.Her physiq 4 d char is perfct.But looks artificial vt too many animals&birds. they could've have added a beads chain Or a garland on her neck.nails vt dif color. However, color enhancement in the poster was good, #Samantha #Shaakuntalam https://t.co/e5aIiEfqMm  Roopa kARTha  (@eshwargaru) February 21, 2022

You have got the most Attractive personality , perfect to play this character #ShaakuntalamFirstlook#SamanthaRuthPrabhu @Samanthaprabhu2  pic.twitter.com/qwfdwxXjxK  SamanthaRuthPrabhu Update (@SamUpdate1) February 21, 2022

Has all potential to become the biggest woman centric blockbuster from South 



And Sam you beautyy... #Shaakuntalam #ShaakuntalamFirstlook https://t.co/pC1FlfyBsH  N'cafe  (@NayanCafe) February 21, 2022

Happy tears ...Dream to see u in this ki d of roles #SamanthaRuthPrabhu#Shaakunthalam  ... (@sammucult28) February 21, 2022

Oh my goddesses 

Perfect perfect perfect  DivyaSamFan (@Di36204067) February 21, 2022

Actor Dev Mohan is expected to play the role of Dushyant. As per the poster, the Telugu film will also be released in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.

Do you think Samantha is the perfect choice for the role of Shakuntala? Tell us your honest opinion in the comment section below.

For the unversed, Shakuntala was the daughter of Meneka and Rishi Vishwamitra, according to Hindu mythology. Rishi Kanva, her teacher, resided in a jungle with her. She fell in love with King Dushyant after meeting him in the jungle. After getting married, Dushyant abandons her in the forest after she gives birth to their child (who eventually becomes King Bharat), promising to return for her shortly. Dushyant, on the other hand, forgets about Shakuntala due to a sage's curse, until fate reunites them again.

Coming back to Samantha, she has various interesting projects in her kitty including Yashoda (Telugu), and Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal (Tamil). Post The Family Man 2, she is expected to team up with Raj & DK again for the Citadel spin-off.

On the Bollywood front, the actress is rumoured to be making her debut with a women-centric film, produced by Taapsee Pannu. There is also a buzz that Yash Raj Films (YRF) has offered her a three-film deal. However, nothing is yet confirmed and an official announcement is still awaited.
Ever since its premiere in December last year and ending on February 4, earlier this month, Sony TV's Shark Tank India regularly made headlines. While the 'Sharks' became national icons, their memorable dialogues are being translated into funny memes that are doing the rounds on social media. Recently, all the 'Sharks' appeared on The Kapil Sharma Show and their family members were present among the studio audience. During his appearance on the comedy show, 'Shark' Ashneer Grover, the co-founder of Bharat Pe, courted controversy.

He was criticised by Niti Singhal, a fashion designer who was among the 198 contestants, for his 'doglapan'. Her business model, Twee in One, was turned down by Ashneer along with harsh criticism. He had said, "Bahut hi ganda fashion hai yeh (Its terrible fashion). Nobody will wear this in my house. Aap yeh band kar do (You should close it down)". However, his wife, Madhuri, was later seen wearing the rejected design on The Kapil Sharma Show, leading to accusations of hypocrisy or 'doglapan,' a term he frequently uses on the show.

Later, in an Instagram post, Twee in One praised Madhuri for wearing their design on the hit show and thanked her for believing in the work. Commenting on the post, Madhuri replied, "Thank you for the dress. I think the sharks didnt like the dresses presented on the side board, the dresses worn by you and the models were good. Keep up the good work and wish you all the best for your venture!"

Now, Ashneer has finally reacted to the incident while talking to Rohan Joshi and Sahil Shah. According to him, the entrepreneur normally develops clothes for models, but the examples she displayed on the show were not the greatest. He said, "So I told her that I would make a mop out of it because it was so bad. So many of the entrepreneurs leave behind clothes for the sharks to try, and she left one for my wifeand I dont know what my wife liked, she wore it to The Kapil Sharma Show, and a behind-the-scenes photo went viral, and the girl said that I had attacked her designs, but my wife was wearing them. Clearly, my wife has a mind of her own, and she doesnt listen to me".

Here's Ashneer's interview with Rohan Joshi:

For the unversed, Shark Tank India also featured Namita Thapar (Emcure Pharmaceuticals CEO), Anupam Mittal (Shaadi.com founder), Vineeta Singh (SUGAR Cosmetics founder), Peyush Bansal (Lenskart co-founder), Aman Gupta (boAt founder), and Ghazal Alagh (MamaEarth co-founder) as Sharks along with Ashneer.

Source: Indian Express
In September 2017, Bimbo Bakeries USA turned off the ovens in its bakery at 300 E. 24th St., closing the location and laying off 125 workers.

That ended nearly 80 years of bread baking in the 46,000-square-foot building that opened in 1939 as a Honey Krust bakery.

It became Colonial Baking in the 1940s and then, in 1996, Earthgrains.

In 2001, Sara Lee Corp. bought it.

And then in 2011, Sara Lee sold it to Bimbo Bakeries, a Mexican company with bakeries in 22 countries.

In the years that followed, Bimbo closed several of its bakeries.

One of the reasons for the Owensboro closing was the age of the building.

The companys website says, Newest bakeries incorporate the latest power and energy saving, air emissions and water usage reduction technologies.

And the Owensboro location couldnt do that.

When it closed almost five years ago, many people thought a new company would soon move into the building.

But so far, the old bakery is still closed.

Its assessed for tax purposes at $1.3 million, and the tax bill still goes to Earthgrains Baking Companies in Dallas.

The building is one of 82 that the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp. has on its spreadsheet to show to any companies looking for an existing building in Daviess County.

Some of the buildings are occupied, said Brittaney Johnson, EDC president. A few companies want at least 50,000 square feet, and thats hard.

Buildings on her list, she said, range from 1,000 square feet to 100,000.

One on Kentronics Drive has 230,000 square feet.

But, Johnson said, There are several companies in there now, using part of the space.

If a building has a loading dock, she said, the list shows that as well.

LoopNet, a site listing real estate thats for sale, shows two warehouses at 1400 and 1600 W. Seventh St. with a combined 30,000 square feet for sale for $1.3 million.

But few industrial buildings are listed for sale here.

One building that used to be on the list is now completely full.

The old Owensboro G.E. Motors Plant at 3301 Old Hartford Road has 95.92 acres with 427,000 square feet under roof.

It sat empty for more than six years when a company of local investors, Owensboro Warehouse Leasing LLC, bought it in 2017 for $2.750 million.

Jim Estes, representative of the developers, said the building has been turned into an industrial warehouse where space can be increased or contracted depending on the tenants needs.

And it stays full, he said.

Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com
Reliance Jio on Monday said it will land the next-generation India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Maldives, to connect the country with India and Singapore.

The Jio IAX system originates in Mumbai and connects directly to Singapore, with branches including additional landings in India, Malaysia and Thailand.

The India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) system connects Mumbai to Milan, landing in Savona, Italy, and includes additional landings in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean.

IAX is expected to be ready for service at the end-2023 while IEX will be ready for service in mid-2024.

"Aside from economic development, this will accelerate social development through high-speed internet access throughout the Maldives allowing us to attain the equitable development we seek," said Maldivian Minister of Economic Development, Uz Fayyaz Ismail.

The multi-terabit and high-speed IAX system will connect Hulhumale in Maldives directly with major internet hubs in India and Singapore.

"IAX will not only connect Maldives to the world's content hubs, but it will also support the explosive growth in data demand expected from the new initiatives being launched by the government of Maldives," said Mathew Oommen, President, Reliance Jio.

The high-speed systems will provide more than 200Tb/s of capacity at speeds of 100Gb/s, over 16,000 kms.

IEX and IAX together will be one of the most important developments in telecommunications infrastructure in this decade, linking India, Europe to Southeast Asia, and now the Maldives, said Reliance Jio.
The Dustin Worthington Memorial Fund is holding its 23rd year of the I Love Cows essay contest.

According to University of Kentuckys College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the contest is open to all Kentucky FFA and 4-H members that are interested in the cattle industry and awards a heifer to each winner, while encouraging youth to participate in a chain program where winners donate their first-born heifer back into the program.

With this memorial fund and essay, students that have a passion for beef cattle and the cattle industry are benefited and they are donated a calf, said Benji Kilgore, ag teacher at McLean County High School. Theyre able to maybe start a cattle operation of their own (or) expand the operation that they have and do something that I think is really important to have to our FFA chapter; which is to give back.

The contest, which was created in memory of Dustin Dale Worthington of Harrodsburg in Mercer County, began in April 2000 founded by his parents Dena and Dennis Worthington, originally with the idea of doing a scholarship fund despite it not being one of Dustin Worthingtons top priorities.

Dustin didnt like school and he never did, Dena Worthington said. In kindergarten, he said Im not going to college. So, every year was a struggle.

Dustin Worthington received his high school diploma at 16 after being homeschooled and was keen on getting his feet wet in the farm industry.

He wanted to farm and we didnt have, at that time; my father had just sold their farm ... so we really didnt live on a farm, Dena Worthington said. But Dustin wanted to haul cows.  He would go to stockyards and he had two or three trucks.

Dustin Worthington passed away on April 4, 2000 due to an automobile accident after he and his friend Dale Goodpaster went to Goodpasters grandparents home to measure gates and were leaving a country store in the Mayo area when they hit head on with a semi-trailer truck.

Dustin Worthingtons love of hauling cows influenced Dennis Worthington to have the idea of giving a student a cow as opposed to setting up a scholarship fund to help youth to develop a heifer.

And part of that idea was that it would potentially begin starting ones own herd with hopes to creating a business.

Dena Worthington said that McLean County has made multiple appearances in the contest since 2003 and that The Friends of McLean County 4-H and FFA started donating animals for the contest almost annually since 2013.

Kilgore said he was familiar with the program when he was in high school and said that sees the benefits of this program.

Im all for it, Kilgore said. Im a big supporter of the cattle industry myself (and) I love cows as well. I grew up raising beef cattle and without that, I wouldnt be where I am today with the experiences that it gave me.

Dena Worthington has been surprised by the turnout and the longevity that the program has continued to have and hopes that it makes a larger impact statewide.

...We would love to have it in every county in Kentucky, Dena Worthington said. Thats our goal is to introduce Dustin to everybody around the state. He was worth knowing and he was a likable young man. He was a larger than life personality.

The award ceremony takes place each year on April 4, the day of Dustin Worthingtons anniversary, at the Mercer County Extension Office.

We choose to make something good out of something bad, Dena Worthington said.

Since 2000, more than $475,000, or 309 animals, has been awarded with 124 of recipients donating back to the program.

Typically, more than 60 to 100 essays are sent in annually with eight to 10 animals donated.

Dena Worthington said that the essays that stand out are more about passion and the content rather than the grammar.

You can just tell if they put thought and effort into their writing, Dena Worthington said.

Kilgore, however, sees the contest as a way for his students to apply all of their knowledge.

We are encouraged to intermingle all the subjects (and) incorporate all the subjects into agriculture, Kilgore said. And this is a great way to incorporate writing into our curriculum and use the skills that the students learn in their other classes and put them into real-life effect.

With the 23rd ceremony coming up, Dennis Worthington wont be in attendance as he passed away in October 2021, but Dena Worthington is looking on the bright side.

Hes with Dustin now, Dena Worthington said. Thats what gets me through.

However, Dena Worthington feels that Dustin Worthington would have been happy to see what his legacy has done for young people that share the same enthusiasm.

I dont think that he would have believed he made that kind of an impact on people, Dena Worthington said. ...I think he would have been very shocked and proud; proud that he made that kind of impact in somebodys life and peoples lives have changed from (this).

The deadline for essay submissions is March 3.

For more information on the contest, including rules and the application form, visit dustinworthingtonmemorial.org or facebook.com/dustindale.worthingtonmemorial

If interested in donating a heifer or beef breed animal, contact Dena Worthington at 859-612-7260.
This is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and Aubreys Song Foundation for Eating Disorders, a local nonprofit, is focused on spreading awareness and education, as well as offering support for families who are affected by eating disorders.

Education and awareness, according to Executive Director Carolyn Ferber, is the first line of defense in prevention.

Through education, she said, the foundation can go into schools and other avenues in the community to speak with youth about body positivity, early detection and intervention.

She said the foundation also works to help provide education, webinars and training for healthcare professionals, to help them understand what to look out for and how to address and treat eating disorders.

Eating disorders are prevalent in Kentucky, where 900,000 individuals are challenged by the condition and nearly 30,000 of them are experiencing life-threatening conditions.

Early education and intervention, she said, could help catch instances of eating disorders before they progress to a critical level.

Key indicators that someone might be affected by an eating disorder, according to Ferber, are skipping meals, eating very little, obsessing over their weight or their need to lose weight, losing a significant amount of weight in a short period of time, binging a large amount of food in a short period of time and leaving for the restroom at the end of a meal for long durations.

Identifying red flags, however, is not always easy, and there are not clear-cut risk factors for those who could potentially be affected by eating disorders, Ferber said.

Its a very secretive illness. People who have eating disorders do a very good job of hiding their behaviors, she said.

Individuals who could be at high risk might be athletes who are dealing with a significant amount of competitive pressure, especially in regards to weight, including runners, cheerleaders or wrestlers.

Eating disorders, she said, can also be triggered by a traumatic event or experiencing significant pressure at home that might make an individual feel like they have no control.

Those who are affected by eating disorders might also display signs of anxiety, depression, poor body image, low energy, irritability, inability to heal from injuries and abnormal menstrual cycles, according to Ferber.

If we can catch it early, ideally theyre going to have a team or a therapist to address the underlying mental piece of it, a physician and a nutritionist who will help them re-establish a healthy relationship with food, she said.

Those who might have reached a more critical condition might also experience dehydration, malnourishment and organ failure, among other health concerns.

For individuals who receive intervention at later stages, Ferber said, they might need more intensive care, whether that is inpatient treatment to address immediate health concerns or a residential program focused on intervening in eating disorders.

Typically when they do get to that point, they have to go out of state, and that becomes a real challenge, she said.

Although there is an intensive outpatient program in Louisville, Ferber said there is a lack of access to inpatient care for eating disorders throughout the state, which creates a barrier to treatment.

This is where, she said, advocacy for those affected by eating disorders and education surrounding the subject becomes important in helping the community understand how significant of an issue it is.

For National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Ferber said the foundation will not only help spread education about eating disorders, but will also offer a support group for families and loved ones of those affected by eating disorders, to help them better understand the condition and how to support their loved one who is experiencing it.

The support group meeting will be hosted Thursday, Feb. 24 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Logsdon Center on Friendship Drive. Advance registration is required.

For more information about the support group or other advocacy and education opportunities, visit AubreysSong.org.

Christie Netherton, cnetherton@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7360
If Ford Motor Co. had been able to buy the property it wanted in Daviess County back in 1956, the worlds largest automotive glass processing plant could have been a major employer for decades.

But Ford couldnt find enough land locally at prices it wanted to pay.

So, in 1958, Ford opened the plant, with more than 2 million square feet under roof, in Nashville, producing more than 15 million auto parts a year.

And it wasnt just Ford that Owensboro lost.

Six other major industries looked at the city in 1956.

But none could find suitable land at reasonable prices.

So, in early 1957, the Owensboro-Daviess County Industrial Foundation was formed to make sure the county never lost a project for lack of land.

It works with the city and county to secure land for development.

Today, many industries  including Swedish Match, Mizkan (Ragu) and Toyotetsu Mid America  are in industrial parks developed wholly or in part by the foundation.

But land for new development is always in short supply in Daviess County.

More than 15 square miles of the county is in a flood-prone area.

And land not in the flood plain can get expensive.

In 1975, Caterpillar Tractor Co. was considering a $100 million plant that would employ 3,000 people on 700 acres in eastern Daviess County.

But the ordinance that Daviess Fiscal Court proposed would have allowed the property to be condemned if prices were too high or people wouldnt sell.

Landowners threatened to sue and the deal fell through.

Enough land for mega project?If another mega project came along today, could Daviess County find enough land for it?

After all, in 1990, local officials managed to secure options on 1,100 acres bordering the Green River to land the Scott Paper Co. plant, which later became Kimberly Clark.

No, we dont have enough land for a mega site, Daviess Judge-Executive Al Mattingly said recently. Wed be hard pressed to put together 1,000 acres because so much of the county is in a flood plain Its even hard to put together 100 acres.

He said Daviess County is a partner in Bluegrass Crossings Business Centre in Ohio County and Paradise Regional Business Park in Muhlenberg County.

And it would get a share of the taxes from industries there.

And we work hand in hand with Hancock County, Mattingly said. A lot of the workers there live in Daviess County. But we dont get the tax revenue from the plants there.

Mayor Tom Watson said, Half the country is giving away land to get projects, and people here want to sell it. Theres so much of the county thats in the flood plain, and farmland is getting so expensive. Its hard to find available land.

But Brittaney Johnson, president of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp., said that agency is trying.

Were having conversations with several property owners in the county for about 880 acres, she said. Were waiting on environmental studies and considering taking an option on the property.

Im not saying we wouldnt at some point buy the property, but for now were wanting options.

The largest tract, she said, is 300 acres.

But some of the property is in the flood plain and would have to be built up, Johnson said.

The flood plain is a huge problem, she said. It would be very difficult to find the land for a mega project.

In 1998, the city, county and industrial foundation created Pleasant Valley Industrial Center, a 145-acre industrial park on Pleasant Valley Road, buying the land for $1.8 million.

But when nothing had happened there by 2007, they sold the property to Owensboro Health for $2.9 million.

Owensboro Health Regional Hospital opened there in 2013.

Last year, former City Commissioner Larry Conder, who is now a candidate for Daviess County commissioner, wrote an In My View for the Messenger-Inquirer that said the community needed to find 100 acres not in the floodplain with access to rail, reliable power, natural gas, water and sewer and direct access to a four-lane highway to lure industry to the county.

Last week, he said, We need a collaborative effort to have 100 acres shovel-ready with all the infrastructure in place. I dont think we have that.

Last year, Ford Motor Company and SK Innovation announced plans for a $5.8 billion battery plant on a 1,551-acre site in Hardin County.

And Pratt Paper announced plans for a $400 million paper mill on 200 acres in Henderson County.

The land in Henderson and Elizabethtown was owned by local government, Conder said. But it had sat empty for more than 10 years. If we dont do something, businesses will ignore us. Bold action requires leadership that knows they wont be in office when something happens.

An internet search shows 136 acres available on Reid Road with rail access, 175 acres at the Owensboro Riverport and 40 in the East Industrial Park.

And the airport has several tracts of land available for development  88 acres on Kentucky 81 and 38.2 acres, 14.9 acres, 17.1 acres and 4.4 acres on other parts of its property.

Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 19, 2021

CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112

LANSING, Mich. - With the increasing rise in COVID-19 and flu cases, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will be issuing a face mask advisory and offering guidance to keep loved ones safe and prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses during the holidays.

MDHHS will issue a Public Health Advisory that recommends everyone over the age of 2 should wear a face mask at indoor gatherings regardless of their vaccination status. In addition, establishments should implement a policy to ensure that all persons entering or seeking services, including employees, wear a mask. This face mask advisory will remain effect until further notice.

"The increases in case counts, percent positivity and hospitalizations have us very concerned," said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. "We are issuing the face mask advisory and are looking to Michiganders to do their part to help protect their friends, their families and their communities by wearing a mask in indoor settings and getting vaccinated for COVID-19 and flu as soon as possible if they have not already done so."

In addition to the MDHHS advisory, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also issued recommendations for safe gatherings including getting vaccinated, wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands. Mask wearing is considered an effective mitigation strategy and is recommended for all in public indoor settings in areas of high transmission and indoors for those who are not vaccinated. Practice social distancing when possible, especially in places where the vaccination status of those around you is unknown.

"COVID-19 cases are high as we head into the holidays, and we must take every measure we can to keep our families and loved ones safe - which starts with getting vaccinated," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. "Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are available to children ages 5 and up, and boosters are available for eligible Michiganders. The holidays can be a time to spread great cheer and we recommend taking measures including wearing a mask indoors to not spread COVID-19 to loved ones."

It is also encouraged to get the flu vaccine which can be administered at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine. If you or family members are unwell, remain home, get tested and let close contacts know as soon as possible if you test positive for COVID-19. If you are infected with COVID-19, seek treatment with monoclonal antibodies.

Notably, getting vaccinated supports every effort to relieve the burden on Michigan hospitals, where the challenges caused by the continued pandemic response, increases in high acuity, non-COVID patients, overcrowding and understaffing have reached a critical point in areas of the state. Hospitals work to ensure that available supplies and personnel are used efficiently and effectively. Should a facility need to move into crisis standards of care then routine practices are modified, procedures cancelled, resources conserved and items in short supply may be reallocated. The goal of all hospitals is to avoid reaching that level of crisis standards of care.

"What we're seeing is truly unprecedented," said Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, president of Spectrum Health West Michigan, who shared that Spectrum Health currently has 370 hospitalized COVID-19 patients - 86% of those patients are unvaccinated. "Our teams are tired but working hard to care for their communities. We're counting on people to help us by getting vaccinated or getting a booster dose if eligible, wearing masks and being smart about holiday gatherings."

If you are considering traveling, it is recommended that you be fully vaccinated or delay travel until you are fully vaccinated. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the completion of their primary vaccination series: two weeks after the second dose for a two-dose mRNA vaccine series or two weeks after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In addition to getting vaccinated, you should get tested for COVID-19 before and after you travel. If members of your family are unable to be vaccinated, CDC offers safer travel tips including wearing a mask, avoiding crowds and washing hands often.

MDHHS follows CDC guidance in offering the following special considerations for holiday gatherings:

Immunocompromised people should take all precautions of unvaccinated people, including wearing a well-fitted mask.

Choose to wear a mask if a member of your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease or is unvaccinated.

If you are gathering with groups from multiple households from different areas across the state and country, consider additional precautions like getting tested for COVID-19 to reduce the risk of spreading to loved ones.

To maximize protection from COVID-19 for age-eligible children and adults, get vaccinated as soon as you can. To find a vaccine near you, visit VaccineFinder.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 15, 2022

Contact: press@michigan.gov

Governor Whitmer Expands Access to Child Care, Adding Seven New Regions

The MI Tri-Share Child Care Program now covers 59 Michigan Counties

LANSING, Mich. - Today, Governor Whitmer announced the MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Program expansion to seven new facilitator hubs in pilot regions across Michigan, expanding access to nearly all of Michigan. In last week's budget recommendations, Governor Whitmer included $2.5 million to continue support for this an innovative program that increases access to high-quality and affordable child care through a unique collaboration that leverages both state and business support.

This innovative public private partnership works to increase access to high-quality, affordable child care for working families while helping retain and attract talent, Tri-Share now covers 59 counties in Michigan plus the City of Detroit.

"Expanding access to high-quality, affordable child care will help every kid succeed from day one and help parents get back to work knowing that their kids are safe and cared for," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "We must continue investing in programs like Tri-Share that put Michiganders first and help us grow our economy."

Each facilitator hub serves as an intermediary between employers, families and child care providers, and provides overall program management.

The new facilitator hubs include:

St. Clair RESA serving St. Clair County

Southwest Child Care Resources serving Kalamazoo County

Vibrant Futures serving Kent County

Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership serving Shiawassee County

Child Care Network serving Branch, Genesee, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, and Washtenaw County

Marquette-Alger RESA serving all the Upper Peninsula, including Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft Counties

Otsego County Economic Alliance, Inc. serving Otsego, Crawford, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Roscommon and Oscoda Counties

"The pandemic has only exacerbated the reality that without affordable child care, less parents can fully participate in the workforce," said Susan Corbin, Director the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. "As we continue down the path of building a new, better economy for Michiganders, we must find ways to decrease the costs that put stress on family budgets, like child care."

Through Tri-Share, the cost of?child care?is shared equally by an eligible employee, their employer and the State of Michigan, with coordination being provided regionally by a facilitator hub.??

"Almost a year after launching Tri-Share, we're pleased to see that the program now covers nearly two-thirds of the state, and is continuing to grow tremendously with bipartisan support," said Cheryl Bergman, CEO of the Michigan Women's Commission. "The introduction of seven new pilot regions not only broadens the program's breadth, but also meets the needs of more working parents and the businesses that seek to employ them."

Since its launch in March of 2021, the Tri-Share program has gained tremendous momentum, garnering significant interest and a recent $800,000 investment by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to help fund further expansion.

"The Tri-Share program is designed to address the current childcare crisis, making childcare more affordable for working families in St. Clair County," said Dr. Kevin Miller, Superintendent of St. Clair County RESA. "We've been collaborating with our Economic Development Alliance (EDA), Michigan Works, and our business partners. Our RESA will be the Tri-Share 'hub' as we have the connection with county childcare providers through our Great Start Collaborative. The power of the Tri-share grant is the cost-sharing between the State of Michigan, the business community, and our hard-working families."

"Families living in rural areas face unique child care challenges," said Lyndsay Carey, Director of Early Childhood Education at Marquette-Alger RESA. "Tri-Share is a program that helps families, children and employers alike. We're excited to welcome it to the Upper Peninsula where even more Michiganders can take advantage."

"As a mother of two young children, age 5 and 2, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate childcare costs and availability in our rural area," said Jenna Smith, Mayor of the City of Marquette. "The expansion of the Tri-Share Program to the Upper Peninsula is a win worth celebrating. I'd like to offer sincere thank you to all involved."

"Otsego County Economic Alliance is honored to be selected as a grant awardee of the MI Tri-Share Child Care Pilot program," said Lisa McComb, Executive Director of Otsego County Economic Alliance. "We look forward to serving as a Regional Hub for our Northeastern Michigan employers, employees and childcare providers in Otsego, Ogemaw, Roscommon, Crawford, Oscoda and Montmorency counties. This innovative program will provide an opportunity to assist our communities in transitioning back to full-scale and growing our local economies.

"When affordability levers like Tri-Share are in place, we have more tools in our toolkit to provide the necessary resources to ensure that more families have help navigating the evolving work environment," said Chana Edmond-Verley, CEO of Vibrant Futures. "We look forward to connecting more families and employers in Kent County to Tri-Share.

Details about the Tri-Share program, including current pilot regions and participating employers, can be found at michigan.gov/Tri-Share.

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Informacion de retiro de formulas para participantes de WIC

       

NEW: FORMULA RECALL CLIENT FAQ (English / Espanol / )

If you are a health care provider, please click here.

Consumers should not use certain powder formulas produced by Abbott, including Similac, Alimentum, EleCare and PM 60/40. See FDA website for the full recall notice.

The recall is due to a germ found at an Abbott facility that can cause infection in infants.

What do I do?

I have already purchased formula

I have formula benefits remaining on my card

UPDATED 3/9/22: Temporary Choices for Powder Formula

I have Similac Alimentum, Elecare, Elecare Jr. or PM 60/40 benefits

Breastfeeding Support

If you have already purchased formula:

1. Find out if your formula is included in the recall by checking the code on the bottom of the can.

The product has been recalled if:

The first two digits of the code are 22 through 37, AND

The code on the container contains K8, SH, or Z2, AND

The expiration date is April 1, 2022, or later.

You can also use Similacrecall.com to find out if your formula has been recalled.

2. If your formula is included in the recall, the fastest way to receive your refund or replacement is to return your recalled formula, including open cans, to the store.*

Each store has a process in place for returning recalled products, such as an exchange, a store credit or a refund.

WIC clients have the same rights as all other customers. Stores must follow the same recall process for WIC clients as the general public.

It is not necessary to identify the formula as a WIC purchase.

Some stores may not accept formula that was purchased elsewhere or may ask for a receipt. You may want to call ahead and ask about return processes of stores in your area before you go. If you have trouble with your return, please call 1-800-942-1636, choose option 2 and ask to speak with vendor staff for help.

*Note: If you are unable to visit a store to return your formula, you can request a refund at Similacrecall.com. This will require you to return the formula at no cost, and the refund may take several weeks.

If you have formula benefits on your WIC EBT Card:

WIC will now allow you to buy other brands of powder formula with your WIC benefits if your formula is listed below. There is no need to have your food package changed.

1.Click the image below to find the Similac powder formula listed in your WIC benefit balance.

2. Use your WIC EBT Card to buy any of the powder formulas shown as choices for that formula.

3. Depending on the size you purchase, one or two cans of Similac formula will be removed from your benefit balance. Click the image below for more details.

Liquid concentrate and ready-to-feed formulas were not affected by this recall, but may be difficult to find in a store. If you have a food package for liquid concentrate or ready-to-feed, and wish to change your food package to powder, contact your WIC clinic.

Some Similac formulas were partially or not affected by the recall and you may continue to see these available on the store shelves.

The following powdered formulas are partially affected:

12.5 oz Similac Sensitive powder

12.4 oz Similac Advance powder

14.1 oz Similac PM 60/40 powder (only can lot #27032K80)

The following formulas are not affected:

Isomil

Neosure

All concentrated liquids and ready-to-feed

For not affected formulas, ask store staff for help if you can't find your formula on the shelf. If the store tells you that it is not available, contact your WIC clinic.

If you have Similac Alimentum, EleCare, Elecare Jr. or PM 60/40 benefits:

1. Your health care provider can help find a similar formula that meets your child's needs. Ask them to look at the List of Authorized WIC Formulas and send a new WIC Special Formula and Food Request to your WIC clinic. The List of Authorized WIC Formulas now includes hypoallergenic store brand formula options.



2. WIC staff will then add your new formula to your benefits and help you find it.

Important Note:

If your child has used a recalled formula and has symptoms such as poor feeding, irritability, temperature changes, jaundice, grunting breaths, abnormal movements, lethargy, rash, or blood in the urine or stool; call your child's health care provider to report their symptoms and seek medical care right away.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 7, 2021

Contact: Press@Michigan.gov

Governor Whitmer Announces $3 Billion in Refunds for Michigan Drivers

Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association adopts the governor's plan to lower costs for Michiganders by delivering $400 refund checks per vehicle to drivers.

LANSING, Mich. -- In a move that will put money back into the pockets of Michigan drivers, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) today announced that the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) has acted upon the governor's call to return surplus funds to Michigan policyholders and will immediately begin the process of refunding $400 per vehicle to Michigan drivers. Drivers are expected to receive checks in the second quarter of 2022.

"These refunds and the recently announced statewide average rate reductions are lowering costs for every Michigan driver," said Governor Whitmer. "Michiganders have paid into the catastrophic care fund for decades, and I am pleased that the MCCA developed this plan so quickly after unanimously approving my request to return surplus funds to the pockets of Michiganders. We are working together to put Michigan drivers first, and I am directing DIFS to ensure that the MCCA and Michigan's auto insurance companies accurately, fairly, and promptly issue these refunds."

"The Governor and I called for these refunds because we recognize that this surplus money belongs to Michigan drivers, and we need to put it back in their pockets," said Lt. Governor Gilchrist. "These refunds are a major win for all drivers-especially Detroiters-who have paid the highest insurance rates in the nation for decades. There is still work to be done, and Governor Whitmer and I will continue to take action in the best interest of Michigan drivers."

"DIFS stood with Governor Whitmer in calling upon the MCCA to return surplus funds to Michiganders with auto insurance, and we applaud the MCCA for taking the necessary next steps to deliver the largest refund possible to drivers while maintaining the viability of the fund," said DIFS Director Anita Fox. "In the coming months, DIFS will work to ensure that refund checks are issued to Michigan consumers as quickly as possible."

In November, Governor Whitmer called on the MCCA to issue refund checks to consumers from its projected $5 billion surplus, which the MCCA then voted unanimously to issue. The surplus and refunds are possible, in part, due to the historic bipartisan auto insurance reform signed into law by the Governor in 2019.

The MCCA's analysis determined that approximately $3 billion of the surplus could be returned to policyholders while ensuring continuity of care for auto accident survivors. The refund plan submitted to DIFS Monday by the MCCA will return money to every Michigander with an auto insurance policy in force as of 11:59 p.m. on October 31, 2021. Eligible consumers do not need to take action in order to receive a refund. The surplus funds will be turned over by the MCCA to the insurance companies operating in Michigan by March 9, 2022, and the insurers will be responsible for issuing checks to eligible policyholders. DIFS will direct insurers to issue refund checks to consumers as expeditiously as possible, but in no event later than 60 days after the transfer of funds. That deadline and additional guidance to insurers will be detailed in a bulletin to be issued by DIFS in the near future.

Additional information about the auto insurance reform law, including the uninsured driver amnesty period, which expires before January 1, 2022, can be found at Michigan.gov/AutoInsurance. Frequently asked questions, tips for shopping for insurance, and an insurance locator to help find licensed agents are also available.

The mission of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services is to ensure access to safe and secure insurance and financial services fundamental for the opportunity, security, and success of Michigan residents, while fostering economic growth and sustainability in both industries. In addition, the Department provides consumer protection, outreach, and financial literacy and education services to Michigan residents. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/DIFS or follow the Department on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

To view the full letter from the MCCA, click the link below: ?

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 29, 2021

Contact: Press@Michigan.gov

Kurt Weiss, Weissk1@michigan.gov

Governor Whitmer Signs Budget that Puts Michiganders First, Helps Working Families, and Grows the Economy

Budget funds skills training programs, expands childcare to 105,000 more kids, repairs 100 bridges, and puts $500 million into rainy day fund

LANSING, Mich. - At the Lansing Community College West Campus, Governor Gretchen Whitmer today signed SB 82 and HB 4400 which ensure funding is now in place for Fiscal Year 2022 which begins on October 1. When combined with the K-12 school aid budget signed earlier this year, the total budget invests $70 billion into Michigan's future. The budget provides strong investments for the state's economy, lowers the cost of childcare for Michigan's working families, invests in education and skills for Michigan's workforce, protects access to affordable healthcare, prioritizes cleaning up our water and environment, and rebuilds crumbling bridges.

"This is a budget that puts Michiganders first. We are coming together to grow the middle class, support small businesses, and invest in our communities," said Governor Whitmer. "This is a comprehensive budget that builds on the school aid budget I signed this summer, which made the largest investment in K-12 education in Michigan history without raising taxes. The budget fully funds Michigan Reconnect and Futures For Frontliners, putting 167,000 people on a tuition-free path to higher education or skills training, fixes 100 crumbling bridges, expands low or no-cost childcare to 105,000 kids, replaces lead service lines in Benton Harbor and beyond, permanently raises hourly pay for direct care workers, puts $500 million into our rainy-day fund, and make additional investments to protect water and environment. The budget is a testament to what we can do when we work together. Now, we should continue in that spirit of collaboration to use the billions of federal dollars we have to help our families, communities, and small businesses thrive."

"There is no doubt that this is a budget that is going to make a real difference for families and businesses in Detroit all the way to the Upper Peninsula," said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. "From Grand Rapids to Traverse City to Saginaw to Flint, this is a budget that helps every corner of our state. Families win, businesses win, and our schools win. There is so much to like about this budget, and I am excited about what the future holds for us."

"I can't say enough about the working relationship I had with Sen. Stamas and Rep. Albert," said State Budget Director David Massaron. "Together we were able to develop a budget that is going to help families and businesses across our state. The pandemic has been hard for everyone, but now we have put so many resources to work that will make a difference. The state is well positioned for the future."

SKILLS

The budget fully funds Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners, providing direct support to help people get higher education or skills training as the state moves towards its Sixty by 30 goal of having 60% of working-age adults earn a postsecondary education or skills training by 2030. The investments in today's budget will help the 167,000 Michiganders who have signed up for Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners pursue their potential and provide employers with the talent they need to succeed. The funding for Reconnect will provide a tuition-free path to an in-demand industry certificate or associate degree for Michigan adults aged 25 and older, Futures for Frontliners will pay for frontline workers to attend local community college tuition-free, and there is also additional funding for the Going Pro program, which backs employer-based training grants to help workers earn industry-recognized credentials and certificates.

"Community colleges are a proud partner in the statewide effort to build a better Michigan," said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, Ph.D., Mott Community College President. "As a community college President, I am extraordinarily grateful to Governor Whitmer and a bi-partisan majority in the Michigan Legislature for approving a nearly 5% increase in funding this year for our institutions, especially in these very challenging times. This bipartisan, forward-thinking commitment to higher education and skills training will make our state stronger and ready for the challenges of the future."

"This sustainable, bipartisan budget will make key investments to address the number one issue for the business community: talent," said Rick Baker, President & CEO of the Grand Rapids Chamber. "From a historic investment to make childcare more accessible and affordable, to additional funding in important workforce development tools like Going PRO, this is a budget Michigan employers and employees can be excited about to help our state fully recover and thrive."

"Solidifying Michigan's role as the global mobility leader has to be a priority for our state, and that requires an investment in innovation and talent," said Glenn Stevens Jr., Executive Director of MICHauto and Vice President of Automotive and Mobility Initiatives for the Detroit Regional Chamber. "MICHauto applauds the important commitment that the Going PRO Talent Fund makes to the people of Michigan and the long-term competitiveness of our state's signature automotive industry."

CHILDCARE

The budget expands access to childcare, helping families get back to work by making 105,000 more children eligible for low or no-cost care and increasing rates and issuing stabilization and startup grants for childcare providers. It also delivers a one-time, $1,000 bonus to childcare workers, who work hard every day taking care of our kids. Investing in childcare is a shared priority that helps families and businesses thrive as we usher in a new era of prosperity for our communities.

"The unprecedented and strategic investment in child care is a game changer that will help parents get back to work, allow child care businesses to keep their doors open, address the low wages that have made it difficult to recruit and retain child care workers, and ultimately give children a high-quality early learning experience," said Pat Sorenson, Senior Policy Analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy. "We are grateful for the leadership of the governor and the broad bipartisan support for child care in the legislature."

INFRASTRUCTURE

The budget invests $196 million to repair or replace nearly 100 crumbling bridges in serious and critical condition and create 2,500 jobs. It also helps local governments prepare for climate change and extreme weather and fixes dams to mitigate flooding and other hazards.

"Smith's Bridge is vital to our community, for commuters, public safety forces and school bus drivers," said Ferrysburg Mayor Rebecca Hopp. "I appreciate the governor following through on her pledge to commit funds to replace this lifeline and MDOT's ongoing help and support for our community. The budget delivers on several key issues that matter most to families in Ferrysburg, including childcare, healthcare, skills training, and bridges. As an employee of the Ottawa County Careerline Tech Center, I know first-hand the importance of skilled trades. I am grateful to the legislature and the governor for coming together to get this done."

HEALTH

The budget invests in healthcare to keep Michigan families safe too. It makes permanent the $2.35/hour raise for direct care workers who have been on the frontlines of the pandemic, taking care of our most vulnerable. It also offers alternatives to traditional nursing homes for our seniors and funds treatment for sickle cell disease and expands the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program to ensure moms have the support they need.

WATER

The budget funds the replacement of lead service lines in Benton Harbor to provide access to safe drinking water and provides new funding for the Emergency Drinking Water Fund to help the state address drinking water emergencies. There is funding to clean up contaminated sites across the state, resources targeted for the Western Lake Erie Basin, and investments to eliminate lead poisoning in homes.

"When we invest in the environment around us, we invest in peoples' health. Our new budget does just that," said Conan Smith, Michigan Environmental Council President & CEO. "It protects Michiganders by fortifying homes against climate change; by removing lead from our walls; and by keeping manure, PFAS and other contaminants out of our drinking water. Together, these investments provide a solid grounding for even bolder future actions."

PUBLIC SAFETY

The budget makes investments to keep families and communities safe and reduce crime, with funding to hire and train state troopers and corrections officers, including resources to ensure every trooper is equipped with a body camera. The budget also provides funds for 911 system upgrades and improved training.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

Finally, the budget puts $500 million into the state's rainy-day fund, the largest one-time deposit ever that brings the total rainy day fund balance to nearly $1.4 billion, the largest in state history. This fiscally responsible investment ensures the state has resources in place to prepare for potential crises, public health or otherwise. We are also enacting another fiscally responsible clause by passing tax legislation to save small businesses in Michigan $200 million annually and keep those dollars in the state instead of sending them to Washington, DC.

The governor looks forward to further collaboration with the legislature to spend the billions in federal funds available to the state from the American Rescue Plan. By working together in the same spirit of collaboration utilized to pass this budget, the governor is confident that state government can deliver meaningful change to uplift our families, communities, and small businesses and usher in a new era of prosperity for Michigan.

See below for a link to Governor Whitmer's transmittal letter on Senate Bill 82 and House Bill 4400.

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In a latest development in the Rs 22, 842 crore bank fraud allegedly committed by ABG Shipyard company, its main promoter and fomrer chairman Rishi Kamlesh Aggarwal reached the CBI headquarters on Monday to get his statement recorded.

Earlier, he was grilled on February 17 by the federal probe agency and was again summoned to join the probe on Monday.

Rishi Kamlesh Aggarwal reached CBI headquarters along with his counsel Vijay Aggarwal's legal team.

"Rishi responded to our summon. He has joined the probe. Our team of elite officials are questioning him. He will be questioned for the second time in connection with the case," a CBI official told IANS.

Rishi will be confronted with others and a few documents.

The CBI had recently issued a lookout circular (LOC) against Rishi and eight others connected to the case.

The CBI had recently revealed a shocking fact that there were around 100 high value bank fraud cases that could not be registered due to non- accordance of specific consent u/s 6 of DSPE Act by the state governments where the general consent has been withdrawn

The CBI has seized incriminating documents, i.e account books of ABG shipyards, its sale-purchase details, minutes of Board meetings, share registers, contract files.

Also, the bank account details of ABG Shipyards and related parties have been obtained. Subsequently, lookout circular (LOC) against the accused have already been issued by the CBI. Earlier, State Bank of India had also got the LOC issued against the main accused in 2019. In the instant case, there are 28 banks involved in consortium with huge amounts of disbursement.

There were different kinds of bank loans, including CC Loan, Term Loan, Letter of Credit, Bank Guarantee, etc., that were given as advance by the banks.

The fraud is primarily on account of huge fund transfers by ABG Shipyard Ltd to its related parties and subsequently making adjustment entries. It is also alleged that investments were made in its overseas subsidiary by diverting the bank loans, and funds were diverted to purchase assets in the name of its related parties.

"They took a loan of Rs 1,228 from Indian Overseas Bank, Rs 1,244 crore from Punjab National Bank, Rs 1,614 crore from Bank of Baroda, Rs 7,089 crore from ICICI Bank and Rs 3,634 crore from IDBI Bank. Later they didn't pay the bank their dues. Initially, the bank initiated an internal inquiry in which it was found that the company was cheating the consortium of Banks by diverting funds to different entities," said the CBI.

The CBI official said that ABG Shipyard Ltd has been in business with SBI since 2001. The account of ABG Shipyard turned NPA on November 30, 2013. As per the Bank complaint, the NPA is to the tune of Rs 22,842 crore and the majority of the disbursement happened between 2005 and 2012 by a consortium of 28 banks led by ICICI Bank and including SBI.

The account was restructured under CDR mechanism on March 27, 2014. However, the operations of the company could not be revived.

On September 10, 2014, N.V. Dand and Associates was deputed to conduct a stock audit of ABG Shipyard Ltd. The Audit Firm submitted its report on April 30, 2016 and observed various faults on the part of the accused company. Subsequently, the account of ABG Shipyard Ltd was declared NPA.

In keeping with a policy implemented since 2014 of red-flagging suspect accounts, commissioning forensic audits by empanelled forensic auditors, and making CMDs liable, a forensic audit was initiated based on the lenders' decision in the Joint Lenders Meeting dated 10 April 2018.

Ernst & Young LLP was appointed Forensic Auditor. As per the usual practice, these forensic audits cover a period starting approximately three to four years prior to the date of declaration of NPA, which, in this case, was 2016.

The forensic audit of ABG Shipyard Ltd, therefore, covers the period from 2012 to 2017. Meanwhile, the company ABGSL was also referred to NCLT, Ahmedabad on August 1, 2017 by ICICI Bank, being lead bank, for Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process(CIRP). In between April 2019 to March 2020, various Banks of the consortium declared the account of ABG Shipyard as fraud.

The CBI is investigating this biggest fraud committed by any company so far.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 14, 2021

Contact: press@michigan.gov

Gov. Whitmer Signs Directive to Coordinate All Available State Resources to Deliver Safe Drinking Water to Residents in Benton Harbor

Lt. Governor Gilchrist visits Benton Harbor, hosts roundtable with local residents and community leaders

LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer today signed an executive directive aimed at ensuring access to safe drinking water for Benton Harbor and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II visited the community, meeting with residents and community leaders. The directive implements an all-hands-on-deck, whole-of-government approach to move forward with urgency and ensure that every parent can give their kid a glass of water with confidence.

In addition to the executive directive, Governor Whitmer announced the state is committed to expediting lead service line replacements using additional federal, state, and local resources, with the goal of replacing 100% of lead service lines in Benton Harbor in 18 months.

"Every Michigander deserves safe drinking water, and every community deserves lead-free pipes," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "I'm proud to sign an Executive Directive today that will pursue a whole-of-government approach to protect access to safe drinking water right now and work tirelessly to replace every lead service line in Benton Harbor as soon as possible. I cannot imagine the stress that moms and dads in Benton Harbor are under as they emerge from a pandemic, work hard to put food on the table, pay the bills, and face a threat to the health of their children. That's why we are also expediting the timeline to replace lead service lines in an effort to ensure that 100% of the pipes are lead-free in the next 18 months. We will not rest until the job is done and every parent feels confident to give their kid a glass of water knowing that it is safe."

"Today's executive directive is a step forward in the important work we have done in Benton Harbor," said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist. "The directive will implement a whole-of-government approach that brings together state, federal, local and municipal governments, and organizations on the ground, in the community, to solve short-term problems and replace Benton Harbor's lead service lines as quickly as possible. Residents of Benton Harbor deserve access to clean, safe drinking water, and today's executive directive mobilizes the resources of government to achieve that goal."

To protect Benton Harbor's youngest residents and prevent lead exposure, a request was submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, to confirm authorization of WIC ready-to-feed formula. This will allow eligible WIC clients in the City of Benton Harbor currently receiving powder or liquid concentrate formula manufactured in ready-to-feed form access to formula that does not require mixing with water. Ready-to-feed formulas would be redeemed like current formula benefits, using the WIC EBT card at authorized WIC vendors.

"Every Michigander deserves access to water they can trust to drink and that they can trust to give to their family," said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. "I am committed, our department is committed and our partners are committed to continuing to put the health of the people and families of Benton Harbor at the center of every decision we make. We are taking every precaution and addressing this problem with all the tools that we have at our disposal. We will be here, working in this community, providing bottled water until further notice."

A notification was submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to expand use of Medicaid Child Health Insurance Program Health Services Initiative funds for lead prevention services for Benton Harbor households. Once the notification process is complete, households with children under 19 years of age enrolled in a Medicaid Health Plan, or a pregnant person enrolled in a Medicaid Health Plan, would be eligible for a free environmental investigation into lead hazards within the home, and to provide the necessary lead abatement work to ensure the home is lead-safe.

"Benton Harbor is a proud community with a rich history and everyone I talk to in Benton Harbor wants to protect their children, neighbors and friends. They just want to know that the water is safe to

drink," said Regina Strong, Michigan's Environmental Justice Public Advocate. "That's why Governor Whitmer's actions today are so important. They reflect what we have committed to do - ensure that everyone in Benton Harbor has access to clean, safe drinking water. Standing with the families of Benton Harbor is an environmental justice priority that we must address with urgency."

"Today's executive directive is the result of close collaboration between the City of Benton Harbor and the Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration to meet the needs of residents in Benton Harbor," said Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad. "I am grateful for the state's diligent work to respond to our concerns and provide resources for residents in need. I look forward to continuing our work with state and federal governments to protect residents of Benton Harbor, promote access to safe drinking water, and take advantage of the resources we have to replace the city's lead service lines as soon as possible."

"Water is the first human need," said Bishop James Atterberry, Brotherhood Church. "It is the building block of life. In Michigan, we are blessed to be surrounded by the most magnificent bodies of freshwater on Earth, and every single one of our residents in every community, deserves access to safe drinking water. Today's executive directive is a good step forward for the city of Benton Harbor, and I look forward to continued action from state, federal, and local governments to fix the issues that Benton Harbor residents face. We will not rest until every child is safe from lead and every family knows their water is safe."

Executive Directive (ED) Actions

The executive directive builds on ongoing efforts underway at various departments and by critical stakeholder groups and community leaders, ensuring state government and its partners are all rowing in the same direction and laser-focused on shared goals.

Here are some of the actions the directive takes:

Residents of Benton Harbor must continue to have access to free bottled water until further notice.

Residents must be offered free or low-cost lead-related services including but not limited to drinking water testing and health services.

The State of Michigan will collaborate closely with federal partners, county officials, city officials, and community leaders to communicate up-to-date information and leverage every available resource to accelerate lead service line replacement.

Lead Service Lines (LSLs)

Under Michigan's Lead and Copper Rule, the strictest nationwide, every community is required to replace 5% of its LSLs every year, meaning 100% replacement in 20 years. However, any community experiencing an action level exceedance, or ALE, is required to replace their LSLs at a rate of 7% per year, meaning 100% completion in just under 15 years.

Recently, the Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration delivered just under $20 million to Benton Harbor to speed up their LSL replacement timeline. Today, the governor announced the state is committed to expediting lead service line replacements using additional federal, state, and local resources, with the goal of replacing 100% of lead service lines in Benton Harbor in 18 months.

With additional federal funding expected under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act making its way through Congress, the State of Michigan will receive billions more to fix its infrastructure, including lead pipes.

Lead

There is no safe level of lead. Lead exposure harms brain development in children and it causes both short and long-term health problems for adults. The leading causes of lead exposure are drinking water and paint. About 34 million homes have lead-based paint and around 9.2 million have lead pipes. Michigan's top priority is simple: safe drinking water for everyone.

Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration Actions

In the two and a half years since the Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration took office in January 2019, the State of Michigan has invested more in its water infrastructure than the previous five years-from 2014 to 2018-combined. The governor launched the MI Clean Water plan to invest $700 million to build up drinking and wastewater infrastructure while supporting 10,000 good-paying jobs. The plan addresses high water rates, tackles toxic contaminants like PFAS, builds up sewer and septic systems that can't meet demand, and replaces lead service lines. In addition to MI Clean Water plan, Michigan has invested millions in drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater facilities across the state supporting thousands of local jobs.

To view the full executive directive, click the link below:

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 21, 2021

Contact: press@michigan.gov

Governor Whitmer Kicks Off 10 Days of 2021 Accomplishments

Governor Whitmer counts down to 2022 by highlighting administration's progress on 10 kitchen-table issues that makes a difference in people's lives

LANSING, Mich. - The Whitmer-Gilchrist administration will begin counting down the last 10 days of 2021 by celebrating Michigan's accomplishments over the past year. The state has delivered real change on the kitchen-table issues that made a difference in people's lives. Today, the governor and lieutenant governor are setting the stage for all 10 days by highlighting some key numbers and gearing up for a new year and new opportunities focused on growing the economy, creating good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for Michiganders.

"Since I took office, I have been laser-focused on the kitchen-table, fundamental issues: childcare, K-12 education, skills training and post-secondary education, water, infrastructure, and good-paying jobs," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "We faced a once-in-a-century pandemic and because our effective management of COVID-19, Michigan's economy is emerging stronger than ever. We have a $3.5 billion surplus, up from a projected $3 billion deficit, billions in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, and an unprecedented opportunity to deliver real change that makes a difference in people's lives. I will work with anyone, for everyone, as we usher in a new era of prosperity for families, communities, and small businesses. As we finish our third year, I remain laser-focused on growing Michigan's economy, creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for families by making investments that will deliver real change."

"Throughout 2021, Governor Whitmer and I put Michiganders first and put in place programs and investments that positioned working Michigan families and communities for success," said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. "We promoted the safe and effective vaccines to protect Michigan from COVID-19. We enacted historic state budgets that closed the school-funding gap, expanded eligibility for low-cost childcare, funded transformational infrastructure investments across our state, and put Michiganders on a tuition-free path to better paying jobs. As we head into 2022, Governor Whitmer and I remain focused on fundamental issues that make a difference in people's lives. We will work hard, in every city and community in Michigan, to continue expanding access to high-speed, high-quality internet access; affordable housing, education, and training; childcare, healthcare, good-paying jobs, and clean water."

10 DAYS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Every day for the next ten days, December 22 through December 31, the administration will highlight progress in key issue areas and results delivered for Michiganders.

Day 1: Roads & Bridges

Day 2: Education & Skills

Day 3: Public Safety & Criminal Justice

Day 4: Delivering for Older Michiganders

Day 5: Water, Environment, Climate

Day 6: Supporting Small Businesses

Day 7: Early Learning & Childcare

Day 8: Expanding High-Speed Internet

Day 9: Supporting Veterans

Day 10: Building the Future of Mobility

KEY NUMBERS

GDP: Michigan had the best 2021 Q2 GDP growth in the Midwest and third-highest in the U.S.

Surplus: Michigan turned a projected $3 billion deficit into a $3.5 billion surplus

Roads: In three years, Michigan has invested nearly $4.75 billion to repair, replace, or rehabilitate 13,198 lane miles

Vaccines : 70%+ of Michiganders 16 and up have gotten their safe, effective COVID vaccine

Education: closed the funding gap between schools in Michigan

Workforce: put 170,000 and Michiganders and counting on a tuition-free path to higher education or skills training through Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners

Bridges: repaired, replaced, or rehabilitated 903 bridges since taking office

Childcare: expanded low or no-cost childcare to 105,000 kids

Rainy Day: put $500 million, the most ever, into Michigan's rainy day fund

Refunds: Michigan will give every driver $400 per vehicle by Q2 of 2022

Auto Jobs: In three years, Michigan has created over 16,000 auto jobs and counting

Jobs : Michigan's economy added 145,000 jobs this year, including 67,000 in the last three months

LOOKING AHEAD

In 2022, the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration will stay laser-focused on growing the economy, creating good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for families. To advance those goals and usher in a new era of prosperity for Michigan, the administration will work with the legislature, local communities, and citizens to effectively utilize billions in federal dollars under the American Rescue Plan and billions the state is expected to receive under the newly enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

LONG-TERM ECONOMIC GOALS

The Whitmer-Gilchrist administration's focus on the economy is driving the state towards bold, long-term economic goals:

Grow the middle class and?lift 1 million families out of working poverty

Meet the?Sixty by 30?goal of having 60% of working-age Michiganders earn a postsecondary education or skills certificate by 2030

Becom e a?top-ten state?for small business growth, revenue growth and venture capital funding in five years

Build?75,000 new or rehabilitated housing units

Continu e to grow household income

Ensur e 100% access to?high-speed internet?in five years ?

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Prohibitory orders were imposed in Karnatakas Shivamogga on Monday following the killing of a Bajrang Dal worker. The right wing activist, 26-year-old Harsha, was allegedly murdered late on Sunday in Shivamogga. Shivamogga deputy commissioner Selvamani R said Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in the area. The overall situation is peaceful. Local police and RAF have been deployed to maintain law and order, he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.




CROMWELL  The towns LGBTQ+ Committee is preparing to Spring Into Pride starting in April, with a series of family activities to spread awareness of relevant issues as well as educate those of all ages.

Co-chairwoman Lana Dupont joined the panel in 2019, years after her twin transgender daughters graduated from high school in 2013. Her daughters, who are now models, had a tough time in school, so she became their advocate, Dupont said.

Shed like to see safe spaces and gender-neutral bathrooms for students in the schools, as well as more age-appropriate books on the subject. We have assemblies for every other thing, Dupont said. Why not this?

There are human beings not like you in our community. The key is that theyre human beings, and you need to treat them as such, Dupont said. Kindness and compassion and understanding is so important. All of these projects help people interact with the LGBTQ+ community.

By reaching out to people, getting to know people that are different from you, is what makes change happen, she added.

Committee members, such as Co-Chairman Matt Brown, will also be working on bringing The Laramie Project production to town for National Coming Out Day Oct. 11.

It tells the story of the 1998 homicide of college student Matthew Shepard, a young, gay man who was beaten and left to die in Wyoming.

The local production is expected involve a host of stakeholders, such as older individuals, educators, drama students and others.

Ive been passionate about making sure to increase awareness, education and understanding. Its a message thats been resonating more with the community, allies and local students, said Brown, whose friends and family are part of the LGBTQ+ community.

The town will again participate in the Middletown PrideFest, and will partner with local organizations such as Cromwell Youth Services, to hold educational events.

Some children may have older siblings among the LGBTQ+ population, Brown said.

The idea is to provide fun, educational activities for people of all ages, he said.

We are looking to make sure to bring visibility and awareness for the entire LGBTQ community and allies as well, he said.

Last year, the town council denied committee members request for a rainbow flag crosswalk. Officials said there would be issues with the towns insurance company, Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency, in regards to traffic and safety, Councilman James Demetriades said.

Still, Brown said, neighboring communities can manage it.

There must be a way to balance the artwork of the Cromwell Creative District and pedestrian safety, so it is possible, Demetriade explained. I dont think that just because some are reticent that we shouldnt do it.

Many surrounding towns, such as Middletown, have pride crosswalks, Dupont said. For us to be rejected was very disappointing and upsetting.

The group will be trying again this year for permission to fly a LGBTQ+ flag as well as create a sidewalk, Dupont said. Committee members already have plans to create lawn signs.

Another possibility is using town or school property for a display, the councilman added. Its about the will and want to do this, and making a statement, Demetriades said.

We have wonderful teachers that are amazing that are involved in our committee and do things with the kids, Dupont said. They get push back  and do it anyway  because they know what is necessary. This is the world that we live in.

Shed also like to see the Board of Education get more involved in the project. I want to see change, Dupont said. I dont want all of this to keep getting pushed aside or its not important, not in the budget.

She pointed to the suicide rate among LGBTQ+ people.

A national survey of adults in the United States indicated such individuals are overall more likely to report suicide-related thoughts, plans, and attempts within the past 12 months compared with heterosexual adults, the National Institutes of Health said on its website.

I want to see there be a support in the school system for these kids, some of whom dont have support at home, Dupont said. In our society, as a whole, its getting better  but its not where it should be.

Brown shared a similar sentiment.

Id love to continue to see a community where LGBTQ people feel comfortable walking with their family down the street, demonstrating their love, feeling comfortable and accepted, and making sure to dispel any disinformation, he said.

The committee gathers on the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. More information is on the groups Facebook page.
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MIDDLETOWN  The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded $1.06 million to a three-year Wesleyan University project that will use an interdisciplinary lens to look at the history of race, industrialization and politics in Connecticut.

The gift is part of the foundations Humanities for All Times Initiative, which disbursed $16.1 million to 12 liberal arts colleges across the country. Mellon is the nations largest funder of the arts, culture and humanities.

The project, Carceral Connecticut Project: The History of Race, Capitalism, and Violence in the Connecticut River Valley, is a collaboration between Demetrius Eudell, dean of the social sciences and professor of history; Sonali Chakravarti, professor of government; Jennifer Tucker, associate professor of history; and Jesse Nasta, assistant professor of African-American studies and director of the Middlesex County Historical Society.

The project is an intersection of all their interests.

Each one of us really engages deeply with these questions and issues in our scholarship and our teaching, Nasta said. Weve all been thinking about race and capitalism and violence in some way or another for years.

One of the main goals of the project is to bring attention to the states complacency in slavery and perpetuating inequality. Connecticut is often praised as being a blue, politically moderate state. However, there are some parts of its history  and present  that contradict this reputation that the group hopes to address.

Connecticut, along with Massachusetts and Rhode Island, were the three New England states with the largest populations of enslaved people, Tucker wrote in an email. Many of the prominent New England merchants had ties to the slave trade and made vast fortunes from it.

We hope to learn more about the people, ideas, and machines that connect the histories of industry, manufacture, trade, and money with the stories of enslavement, migration, Native America, family, and social networks in our city and region, Tucker added.

Wesleyan courses

There are a number of different ways that CCP will be implemented throughout the upcoming years. The team has developed a variety of courses that will be offered to Wesleyan students in the next three years, covering topics such as race and slavery in New England, law and policing, notable jury trials in Connecticut, and visual methods in the Humanities and the Social sciences.

These courses will be taught by the programs investigators, as well as two new postdoctoral fellows that will be hired as part of the project. There will also be a number of conferences, theatrical performances, and even a documentary film by John Hulsey that explores the industrial heritage of Connecticut.

History in private hands

Although some of the work through the project will take place on campus, there will be ample opportunities for Middletown residents to get involved. There will be a number of exhibitions and events open to the public, as well as a partnership with Springfield Armory National Historic Site and Coltsville National Historic Park.

Part of the purpose of the project is to connect Wesleyan with Middletown, especially around questions of the abolition of slavery, abolition of prisons, the impact of industrialization, capitalization, Chakravarti said. We would really love to have Middletown residents at speaker series and attending other public events.

We certainly hope there will be lots of community involved, Eudell added. The exhibitions, the documentary film  we certainly want them to come and give us their comments, their impressions, their opinions.

Middletown residents are especially encouraged to submit oral histories and photos to help the investigators paint a better picture of city history.

Peoples oral histories and memories of Middletown before and during Middletown in the 60s and 70s will give us a very important perspective, Nasta explained. They will be shaping the stories we tell through their own knowledge and their own memories.

A lot of material isnt in archives, its still in peoples homes. Thats part of the scanning and digitalization efforts. A lot of the pieces of this story are in private hands, he said.

Interconnected history

By uncovering more about Middletown and Connecticuts history, the team hopes that residents will be able to have a better understanding of their local history when it comes to race, capitalism and violence.

There is all this history that is interconnected, Eudell said. Once you begin to understand these interconnections, perhaps you can begin to think, this is the nature of society. It created certain advantages for some and disadvantages for others.

Do we want to continue in this process or do we want to do something different? And to do something different, we need to understand how we got to where we are and where we think we want to go, Eudell explained.

Nasta also said that lessons learned from Middletowns history can be applied more generally.

Middletown has a lot to teach about the history of the U.S. more broadly, Nasta said. So much happened here  economically, culturally, socially  that the records at the historical society, and the stories that were uncovering in Middletown through this project, will shed light on these themes much more broadly.

For information, visit carceralconnecticut.com.
Yale New Haven Health announced this month it plans to buy three more hospitals operated by Prospect Health.

In addition to Bridgeport Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Yale New Haven Hospital and Westerly Hospital, the system will add Waterbury Hospital (357 beds), Manchester Memorial Hospital (249 beds) and Rockville General Hospital (102 beds).

The purchase continues an ongoing trend toward health care consolidation on small and large scales. Health systems like Yale or Hartford HealthCare continue to take over or merge with other hospital chains, and smaller medical practices selling out to larger groups.

In the year 2000, there were roughly, I think, 32 or 34 independent nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut, said Lynne Ide, director of program and policy at the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut. Fast forward 20 years later, and there are only four independent nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut. Every other hospital in the state has been taken up by a larger health system.

What we're seeing is consolidation of health care services, she said.

Chris OConnor, CEO of Yale New Haven Health, has been at the forefront of hospital consolidations in Connecticut.

He got his start at St. Raphaels as an emergency room tech during his undergrad years. His mother was a nurse at St. Raphaels for 40 years.

That was my mom's hospital, he said.

After he completed school, OConnor returned to St. Raphaels and eventually became CEO and brokered the deal that brought the hospital into the Yale New Haven Health system.

OConnor said there is no single reason why a smaller hospital system decides to sell to a larger one. In St. Raphaels case, the viability of it as an independent agency was waning, though most aren't in that situation, he said.

The external agencies, in our case, it was the bond insurers that said that 'you need to find an alternative solution,' he said.

That being said, OConnor agreed there is a trend toward consolidation, both of hospital systems and smaller medical practices.

I think times have changed and the pressure on health care entities is extreme, he said about the trend.

From a marginal cost perspective, the ability to aggregate the back-office functions and have more systemic structure around those more deployable costs, supply chain, information technology, legal, all of those have greater value when you're looking at larger scale, he said.

Vertical consolidation

The National Council on Compensation Insurance, a research and advocacy group, referred to hospital mergers as horizontal consolidation in a 2018 report. When doctors sell private practices to larger groups, thats vertical consolidation, and its been driven, at least in part, by the Affordable Care Act, the organization says.

The ACA increased incentives to move patient care from an inpatient to an outpatient setting, motivating hospital systems to acquire physician practices in order to capitalize on increased outpatient revenues and secure referrals for hospital-based services, NCCI wrote.

There are also administrative reasons. There are more back-office responsibilities now, doctors say, in large part driven by insurance companies.

Focusing on some of those back-office functions is not why many doctors went into medicine, OConnor said. They went in to serve patients. So, relieving themselves of some of that back office rigor, I think, has appeal to many physicians  not all, but many.

David Emmel is the legislative chairman of the Connecticut State Medical Society and the Connecticut Society of Eye Physicians. Hes also a practicing ophthalmologist in Wethersfield.

His colleague, Bob Russo, is executive director of the medical society and a retired radiologist.

Both doctors previously had small, private practices. Emmels only employee was his wife. Russo inherited the practice from his father, and his aunt and her friend did all the billing.

The doctors sold their practices to larger health systems. Emmel likened it to what he called a hardware store model.

The old-fashioned hardware store where you'd walk in and someone would greet you and say, What are you looking for, and they find everything you want and you never had to take a step, he said. Now you go to a Home Depot and you wander around and hope you find what you need.

Russo said the system manipulates doctors into selling their practices.

I think it's an effort to manipulate the system to the advantage of people that believe they're practicing medicine, like the insurance companies, sometimes the pharmacies, definitely the legislature, where they come in with rules and regulations, and just kind of pound at you to kind of bend you into what they want you to do, he said.

The method of manipulation, according to Russo and Emmel, is increasing administrative costs. When Emmel started in private practice, his wife did all the billing.

By the time I was forced to go into a group practice, I needed six full-time employees just to manage the business aspects, he said. It's not like there was one thing that broke the camel's back, it just was the administrative burden that's growing and growing and growing for all physicians in the face of remuneration that has grown either not at all or, in some cases, is actually going down.

Emmel is an ophthalmologist, and he said, insurance companies now require a prior authorization for every cataract operation.

That means my surgical coordinator has to be on the phone, often for hours for every given patient, trying to obtain prior authorization and to maintain a schedule that has some semblance of reasonableness, he said. It's frustrating to patients, and we spend time calming patients down who think they have a date for surgery and then find out they have to wait.

Competition

When asked if there is a concern that health care monopolies may form, limiting a patients choice to a single megacorporation, OConnor said, I bristle at that word, because I don't think it exists.

There's pretty brisk competition, he said. I don't think we're going to that extreme, personally. You have three very broad health systems  four if you count Trinity, but they're a little bit smaller  between Nuvance, Hartford and Yale New Haven that, I think, are going to be around for a while. So, I don't see a monopoly as the outcome, personally.

However, a class action lawsuit filed this month alleges that Hartford HealthCare has created a health care monopoly that limits patient choice and drives up prices.

HHC has used unlawful and anti-competitive methods to restrain trade, to acquire a monopoly on acute inpatient hospital services in many key regions in the state, and to abuse that monopoly by using it to extract higher prices from insurers, employers, and patients throughout the areas it does business, the complaint alleges.

In a statement, Hartford HealthCare said, the complaint is without merit.

The allegations misrepresent the many ways Hartford HealthCare is working to transform health care, building a system of care that is more accessible, has lower-cost options, is a champion for equity, and both attracts and delivers excellence, the statement said.

John Brady, a former emergency room nurse and executive vice president at AFT Connecticut, a union that represents many nurses in the state, said it would be concerning if HHC and Yale ever merged.

If those two big dogs ever merged, then you could argue that there is a monopoly in Connecticut, he said, suggesting that consolidation will continue.

I think were going to be down to a couple of big chains, Hartford and Yale, and maybe a few other ones, he said. We are starting to get to the point where theres not a lot of other small ones to go.

Pride in independence

Nuvance Health was formed through consolidation, when Western Connecticut Health Network merged with Health Quest.

Nuvance chief operating officer, Kerry Eaton, said consolidation allows communities and patients greater choice and enhanced access to highly skilled specialists and the latest treatments with an accessible medical record across a broader geography, particularly during the pandemic.

The pandemic clearly highlighted the benefits of a larger health system where talent, supplies and clinical knowledge were shared as COVID-19 repeatedly surged, Eaton said in a statement. Our hospitals worked together to accommodate patient overflow, while also sharing ideas, equipment and PPE.

In addition to being the newly named CEO of Yale New Haven Health, OConnor is also chair of the Connecticut Hospital Association, which he said brings together every entity, regardless of whether you're a system or an independent hospital.

OConnor said he believes there is a role for independent hospitals in the state in the coming decades. He said theres great sensitivity to the fact that we have to provide a venue that does whatever it can to help support those independent hospitals.

Places like Griffin Hospital and Middlesex  they believe adamantly in their independence, and great for them. They're wonderful colleagues, OConnor said.

Other independent, nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut include Day Kimball Healthcare in Putnam and Stamford Health, where Asha Shah is head of infection prevention.

We pride ourselves on being independent, she said.

Independence helps us maintain a focus on providing expert, compassionate care, said Kathleen Silard, president and CEO of Stamford Health.

It is not easy for a health system to remain independent in todays environment, but we believe it is in our communities best interest, she said.

National trend

Silard said consolidations have long been a trend nationally.

That trend toward health care consolidation is not new, and is not unique to Connecticut as advocacy group the NCCI explained in 2018.

The reason for that consolidation, according to NCCI, is cost savings. Hospital mergers can lead to operating cost reductions for acquired hospitals of 15 to 30 percent, NCCI wrote.

But that cost savings does not necessarily flow downstream. Reductions in hospital operating costs do not translate into price decreases, the organization wrote. Research to date shows that hospital mergers increase the average price of hospital services by 6 to 18 percent.

Another advocacy group, the Health Care Cost Institute, examined consolidation across the nation, and ranked metro areas by how consolidated they are by using a metric called Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI).

A higher HHI value signifies a more highly concentrated market  that is, within a market, a smaller number of hospital systems account for a larger share of hospital admissions, the group wrote. The scale goes from zero to 10,000.

On the high end is Johnson City, Tenn., with an HHI of 9,046. Urban metro areas tend to be less consolidated and New York City is second from the bottom with an HHI of 667, ahead of Riverside, Calif.

In Connecticut, the group compares three metro areas (with much of Fairfield County considered the New York City metro area and the corners or the state not populated enough to consider).

The Hartford metro area was given an HHI of 3,181 in 2019, considered highly concentrated. Health care in New Haven is also considered highly concentrated, with an HHI of 3,059. With an HHI of 2,260, health care in the Bridgeport metro area is considered moderately concentrated.

Patient care

Before he retired, Charles Motes was most recently health director at the Bristol-Burlington Health District, but over the course of his career, he was director of health and social services in East Hartford, the first full-time director of health in Southington and the first director of health of the Plainville-Southington Health District.

Motes said cost, for both hospitals and patients, is only one measure to consider.

We must factor in improvements in patient care as a bottom line item, he said. It does me no good if the cost of my care is less, if there is no improvement in the care I receive.

Ide believes patient care concerns are often lost as hospital chains become larger. The result, she said, is the services provided, like maternity care, are shuffled from one location to another.

Especially if you're a smaller hospital that has been gobbled up, they often will take certain functions and move them to another hospital in their system, she said. Very rarely are consumer interests  patient interests  put front and center in those negotiations.

Brady said hospitals are different from other necessary public service agencies like police or fire departments.

Compare hospitals to school systems. School systems are governed by elected boards of education, he said. Hospitals are governed in theory by boards of directors who are not elected by the public. The people sitting on the board elect their replacements.

In a nonprofit hospital they don't even answer to shareholders" despite being funded with public funds, he said. "Theyre funded with Medicare, Medicaid and insurance premiums.

So, when it comes to consolidation, Brady argues the decision should be based on a statewide strategy and, at least to some degree, left to the public.

Brady said he does not believe hospitals have the interest of the public at hand.

Hospitals have to remember that they serve a purpose, he said, and that purpose is to serve the public good.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect Day Kimball Healthcare is also an independent, nonprofit hospital in Connecticut.
The Army's controversial new fitness test may replace the decades old standard by which troops are measured later this year after years of advocacy by Army leadership confronting a skeptical Congress worried about the test's practicality and lopsided gender disparity in performance.

On Sunday, the timeline for the test's implementation was posted on the Army's official website and was quickly taken down. The briefly-available outline said that the Army's Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT, would be administered and used to evaluate soldiers starting in April. The test was introduced to the service in 2019 but the results were only used to help Army leaders figure out how the test should be graded and which events would survive, with the data not impacting troops careers.

All active duty soldiers and full time Army National Guard and Reserve troops would still have until Oct. 1 before their performance on the new test would begin to impact promotions or could lead to administrative actions, according to screenshots of the now deleted webpage. Failure to pass a fitness test is grounds for separation from the Army. All part time National Guard and Reserve soldiers would be required to have an ACFT score in their record no later than April 1, 2023.

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All active duty and full time Guard and Reserve soldiers would be expected to take two tests per fiscal year. Part time troops would take one test.

Army officials insist the timeline is not yet official and was published prematurely. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, who expressed major concerns over the test, has the final say.

"A contractor inadvertently posted a pre-decisional ACFT course of action that has not been approved by the Secretary of the Army," Col. Cathy Wilkinson, an Army spokesperson told Military.com in a statement. "We apologize for the confusion. Once the Secretary of the Army makes the final decision on the Army's fitness test, the Army's priority is to clearly communicate the test of record and the timeline."

Military.com obtained early data in May on the test showing nearly half the women in the Army could not pass the ACFT, a problematic finding given the force's recent string of commitments to foster a more inclusive environment. The test requires soldiers dead lift between 140 and 340 lbs., something smaller soldiers, especially women, struggled to achieve high scores in testing.

Women began to perform better on the test as the Army conducted further testing and substituted doing planks instead of a leg tuck event -- an event which tasks soldiers with pulling themselves up on a bar and then touching their knees to their elbows -- which requires a lot of upper body strength. The early data Military.com reported on was collected before the plank was introduced as an alternate event.

Yet simply passing the test might not be enough for soldiers' careers. High scores can lead to getting troops into elite courses such as Ranger school and can snowball into quicker promotions and more job opportunities. Internal figures from 2020 showed only 66 women scored 500 points or higher, compared to 31,978 men. A score of 600 is the max. The two mile run is by far the most commonly failed event.

When that data was cited in Wormuth's confirmation hearing, she said she was skeptical of the necessity of the CrossFit-style test. While the Army needs some baseline of physical fitness, she said she wasn't sure if such a difficult test was needed for a force where such a minority serve in ground combat roles and given the Army's need to be a competitive employer in growing fields such as cyberwarfare.

"I have concerns on the implications of the test for our ability to continue to retain women," Wormuth, the first woman to serve in the role, told lawmakers at her confirmation hearing last year.

Congress delayed the ACFT's implementation in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act -- which sets funding and policy priorities for the Pentagon. Lawmakers directed an independent study be conducted on the test's impacts on retention and soldiers' ability to train for the test in different environments. That study, conducted by Rand Corp., has since been completed and findings are being reviewed by Army leaders. Those findings are expected to be publicized in early March.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: Can the Army's New Fitness Test Survive Critics and Become Official in April?
MOSCOW (AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered forces Monday to maintain peace in separatist regions of eastern Ukraine in a further escalation of tensions that followed the Kremlin's recognition of the areas' independence despite warnings of sanctions and international condemnation.

The Kremlin decree, spelled out in an order signed by Putin, left unclear when, or even whether, troops would enter Ukraine. But it further fueled fears of an imminent invasion and underscored the steep challenges the U.S. and Western nations face in staving off a military conflict they have portrayed as near-inevitable.

The Kremlin's announcement came just hours after Putin, in a rambling, fact-bending discourse on European history, recognized the independence of the eastern separatist regions, paving the way to provide them military support and antagonizing Western leaders who regard such a move as an unjust breach of world order.

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden will soon issue an Executive Order that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing in the regions, or on anyone determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine. She said those measures would be separate from tougher sanctions the U.S. is preparing in case of a Russian invasion.

In a joint statement, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel called it a blatant violation of international law and said, without elaborating, that the bloc will react with sanctions. Leaders of France and other nations condemned the move as well.

The developments came amid a spike in skirmishes in the eastern regions that Western powers believe Russia could use as a pretext for an attack on the western-looking democracy that has defied Moscows attempts to pull it back into its orbit.

Putin justified his decision in a far-reaching, pre-recorded speech blaming NATO for the current crisis and calling the U.S.-led alliance an existential threat to Russia. Sweeping through more than a century of history, he painted todays Ukraine as a modern construct that is inextricably linked to Russia. He charged that Ukraine had inherited Russias historic lands and after the Soviet collapse was used by the West to contain Russia.

I consider it necessary to take a long-overdue decision: To immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic, Putin said.

Afterward he signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions independence, eight years after fighting erupted between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces, and called on lawmakers to approve measures paving the way for military support.

Until now, Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of supporting the separatists, but Moscow has denied that, saying that Russians who fought there were volunteers.

At an earlier meeting of Putins Security Council, a stream of top officials argued for recognizing the regions independence. At one point, one slipped up and said he favored including them as part of Russian territory  but Putin quickly corrected him.

Recognizing the separatist regions' independence is likely to be popular in Russia, where many share Putins worldview. Russian state media released images of people in Donetsk launching fireworks, waving large Russian flags and playing Russias national anthem.

Ukrainians in Kyiv, meanwhile, bristled at the move.

Why should Russia recognize (the rebel-held regions)? If neighbors come to you and say, This room will be ours, would you care about their opinion or not? Its your flat, and it will be always your flat," said Maria Levchyshchyna, a 48-year-old painter in the Ukrainian capital. Let them recognize whatever they want. But in my view, it can also provoke a war, because normal people will fight for their country.

With an estimated 150,000 Russian troops massed on three sides of Ukraine, the U.S. has warned that Moscow has already decided to invade. Still, Biden and Putin tentatively agreed to a meeting brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron in a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

If Russia moves in, the meeting will be off, but the prospect of a face-to-face summit resuscitated hopes in diplomacy to prevent a conflict that could cause massive casualties and huge economic damage across Europe, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy.

Russia says it wants Western guarantees that NATO wont allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members  and Putin said Monday that a simple moratorium on Ukraines accession wouldnt be enough. Moscow has also demanded the alliance halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe  demands flatly rejected by the West.

Macrons office said both leaders had accepted the principle of such a summit, to be followed by a broader meeting that would include other relevant stakeholders to discuss security and strategic stability in Europe.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, meanwhile, said the administration has always been ready to talk to avert a war  but was also prepared to respond to any attack.

So when President Macron asked President Biden yesterday if he was prepared in principle to meet with President Putin, if Russia did not invade, of course President Biden said yes, he told NBCs Today show on Monday. But every indication we see on the ground right now in terms of the disposition of Russian forces is that they are, in fact, getting prepared for a major attack on Ukraine.

Putins announcement shattered a 2015 peace deal signed in Minsk requiring Ukrainian authorities to offer broad self-rule to the rebel regions, a major diplomatic coup for Moscow.

That deal was resented by many in Ukraine who saw it as a capitulation, a blow to the countrys integrity and a betrayal of national interests. Putin and other officials argued Monday that Ukrainian authorities have shown no appetite for implementing it.

Over 14,000 people have been killed since conflict erupted in the eastern industrial heartland of in 2014, shortly after Moscow annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula.

Potential flashpoints multiplied. Sustained shelling continued Monday along the tense line of contact separating the opposing forces. Unusually, Russia said it had fended off an incursion from Ukraine  which Ukrainian officials denied. And Russia decided to prolong military drills in Belarus, which could offer a staging ground for an attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Ukraine and the separatist rebels have traded blame for massive cease-fire violations with hundreds of explosions recorded daily.

While separatists have charged that Ukrainian forces were firing on residential areas, Associated Press journalists reporting from several towns and villages in Ukrainian-held territory along the line of contact have not witnessed any notable escalation from the Ukrainian side and have documented signs of intensified shelling by the separatists that destroyed homes and ripped up roads.

Some residents of the main rebel-held city of Donetsk described sporadic shelling by Ukrainian forces, but they added that it wasnt on the same scale as earlier in the conflict.

The separatist authorities said Monday that at least four civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling over the past 24 hours, and several others were wounded. Ukraines military said two Ukrainian soldiers were killed over the weekend, and another serviceman was wounded Monday.

Ukrainian military spokesman Pavlo Kovalchyuk insisted that Ukrainian forces werent returning fire.

In the village of Novognativka on the Ukraine government-controlled side, 60-year-old Ekaterina Evseeva, said the shelling was worse than at the height of fighting early in the conflict.

We are on the edge of nervous breakdowns, she said, her voice trembling. And there is nowhere to run.

In another worrying sign, the Russian military said it killed five suspected saboteurs who crossed from Ukraine into Russias Rostov region and also destroyed two armored vehicles and took a Ukrainian serviceman prisoner. Ukrainian Border Guard spokesman Andriy Demchenko dismissed the claim as disinformation.

Amid the heightened invasion fears, the U.S. administration sent a letter to the United Nations human rights chief claiming that Moscow has compiled a list of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to detention camps after the invasion. The letter, first reported by the New York Times, was obtained by the AP.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the claim was a lie and no such list exists.

___

Karmanau reported from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Cook from Brussels. Lori Hinnant in Kyiv; Angela Charlton in Paris; Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani in Munich, Germany; Geir Moulson in Berlin; and Ellen Knickmeyer, Robert Burns, Matthew Lee and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
Andhra Pradesh's minister for industries and information technology Mekapati Gowtham Reddy, who died of cardiac arrest here on Monday, was a fitness enthusiast and used to regularly do workouts in gym.

On Monday morning, he was preparing to leave for the gym when he collapsed at his residence in Jubilee Hills and was taken to Apollo Hospital but could not be revived. He was 49.

One of the servants at his house said he used to have coffee around 6 a.m. every day and leave for the gym at between 7 and 7.30 a.m. When the minister did not call the staff for coffee, one of them went upstairs to check and was shocked to find him collapsed on the sofa. "He was unresponsive and we all shifted him to hospital," the employee said.

Gowtham Reddy, who returned from Dubai at 4 a.m. on Sunday, spent the day at his residence and went out in the evening to attend an engagement. He was back home by 9 p.m. and like every day woke up around 6 a.m.

The employee said the minister used to go to gym regularly every morning and evening. His colleagues in the cabinet, leaders of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) recalled how he used to focus on physical fitness and advise others to pay attention to their health.

TDP leader and former minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy said he met Gowtham Reddy at an engagement last night. "I met him at 8.30 last night and I can't believe that he is not with us at 8.30 in the morning," he said.

One of the minister's aides said he did not have any health issues and there was no instance of him visiting the hospital even with a fever.

In April last year, he had tested positive for Covid-19 with mild symptoms but had recovered at home.

Son of former MP Mekapati Rajmohan Reddy, Gowtham Reddy had his college education in Hyderabad. He did MSc in textile from University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), Manchester, the UK in 1997. He was one of the directors in the family company KMC Constructions.

Gowtham followed in the footsteps of his father to enter politics and was elected to the Assembly from Atmakur constituency in his native Nellore district in 2014 on YSRCP ticket. He retained the seat in 2019 and became a minister for industries and information technology.

A highly educated and articulate leader, he was popular among the people and even among his political rivals for his affable and friendly nature. Leaders of opposition parties recall that he was a non-controversial person who never used any harsh word even while criticizing his political rivals.

Gowtham Reddy is survived by wife Srikirti Reddy, a businesswoman, daughter Sai Ananya Reddy and son Krishna Arjun.
MUNICH (AP)  Acknowledging the real possibility of war, Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up a weekend of outreach to European allies with a push to bolster the Wests resolve in confronting Moscow with crippling sanctions as increasingly dire signs suggest Russia's Vladimir Putin plans to order an invasion of Ukraine.

In a burst of diplomacy at the annual Munich Security Conference, Harris tried to make the case to American allies that rapidly escalating tensions on the Ukraine-Russian border meant European security was under direct threat and there should be unified support for economic penalties if the Kremlin invades its neighbor.

Were talking about the potential for war in Europe. I mean, lets really take a moment to understand the significance of what were talking about, Harris told reporters before her return to Washington on Sunday evening. Europe, she said, might be at its most perilous moment since the end of World War II.

It's been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security," she said. "We are talking about the real possibility of war in Europe.

President Joe Biden met with his national security team later Sunday in Washington to discuss the unfolding developments. Harris participated while flying back from Germany. Before leaving Munich, Harris and her team briefed them about her meetings and exchanges at the conference.

Biden is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with Group of Seven leaders on Thursday to discuss Ukraine, and his top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, intends to meet in Europe with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this coming week  talks that the American says will be scrapped if Moscow has invaded.

In Ukraine, shelling on Sunday escalated in and around territory held by Russia-backed rebels, separatists evacuated thousands of women and children and Putin oversaw tests of nuclear-capable missiles. Putin has massed more than 150,000 Russia forces at the border.

During a series of choreographed meetings and a major address at the security conference, Harris told global leaders they were at a defining and decisive moment for the world.

Harris met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the leaders of the three Baltic nations, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Biden sent Harris to Germany with straightforward marching orders to amplify his concern that a Russian invasion was highly likely and make clear to European allies that they must be ready to impose the toughest sanctions Moscow has ever seen.

Harris told reporters that an invasion  and subsequent sanctions on Russia  would likely have costs for Americans, as well.

When America stands for principles, and all of the things that we hold dear, it requires sometimes for us to put ourselves out there in a way that maybe we will incur some cost, Harris said. In this situation, that may relate to energy costs.

The vice president's appearance in Munich was largely overshadowed by Bidens declaration from the White House late Friday that he was convinced that Putin had decided to invade. And her message of unity in Europe in the face of Russian aggression was overtaken by Zelenskyy. Soon after meeting with Harris on Saturday, he used his appearance at the conference to question why the U.S. and Europe were waiting to impose sanctions against Russia.

What are you waiting for? Zelenskyy asked of Western leaders. He said the sanctions that targeted Russia after Ukraines economy collapses and parts of our country will be occupied would provide little comfort.

Harris said she wouldnt second guess Zelenskyys desires for his country and she stood by the U.S. decision to hold off on preemptive sanctions. The purpose of the sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence, she said.

Blinken also told NBC's Meet the Press that as soon as you trigger the sanctions, of course, any deterrent effect they may have is gone, they get absorbed by President Putin and he moves on.

Zelenskyy also repeated Ukraines desire to join the NATO even as Putin demands guarantees from the U.S. and the alliance of that not ever happening.

Harris, meantime, heard pleas to increase U.S. troop levels from Baltic leaders who worry their countries could be the next ones that Russia sets its eyes on.

Lithuania's president, Gitanas Nauseda, urged the U.S., which has bolstered its troops presence in the Baltics in recent weeks, to do even more and create a permanent presence in Lithuania. Currently, the U.S. deploys a small contingent of troops to the country on a rotational basis.

Estonia's prime minister, Kaja Kallas, echoed that call. We have lost our independence to Russia once, and we dont want it to happen again, she said.

Harris offered no promises, though she predicted in her address at the conference that the U.S. will further reinforce our NATO Allies on the eastern flank if Russia invades Ukraine.
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The Red Sox have signed right-hander Tyler Danish to a minor league contract, Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors reports (Twitter link). The contract contains an invitation to Bostons big league Spring Training camp.

Danish recently took part in a chat with MLBTR readers, discussing his career and some of the ins and outs of being a professional ballplayer. As Tim wrote at the time, Danish expects to sign with an MLB team within the next week or so, and that deal has now come about with the Red Sox. Since Danish was a minor league free agent, the lockout didnt prohibit him from signing.

A second-round pick for the White Sox in the 2013 draft, Danish posted a 4.85 ERA over 13 innings for Chicago, pitching in parts of the 2016-18 seasons. This represents his only big league experience, as subsequent minor league contracts with the Mariners (prior to the 2019 season) and Angels (last May) didnt result in another call to the Show. In between those stints in affiliated ball, Danish also pitched for teams in the independent Atlantic League and American Association.

As Danish noted during his chat, he kinda broke my whole delivery down and almost rebuilt it from the ground up in 2020, resulting in some interesting numbers during his season in the Angels farm system. Mostly a grounder-specialist for the bulk of his career, Danish still posted a 47.1% grounder rate over 60 1/3 innings with Triple-A Salt Lake in 2021, but he also had a strong 25.8% strikeout rate.

Danish also improved his control, though became a little more susceptible to the long ball, with nine home runs allowed over those 60 1/3 frames. Hell now get a chance to catch on with the Red Sox in Spring Training, with seemingly a decent chance at winning a job given the unsettled nature of the Boston bullpen.
A member of popular music group Antwi ne Antwi, David Kwasi Okyere has lamented that it is becoming difficult for the Ghanaian music industry to compete with Nigerians because of inadequate finance in the industry.

The musician who is now known as Antwi Galley in an interview with Blogger Attractive Mustapha stated that even though there are great talents in Ghana, one key factor that can be attributed to Ghanaian musicians inability to fly higher within the international market is funding.

Sharing his experience through out his music journey, Antwi Galley said that he was in Nigeria when a popular Ghanaian movie titled Love Brewed in the African Pot was premiered in Nigeria somewhere in the 1990s. According to him, the audience was huge as uncountable number of people queued to watch at the Cinema. He however retorted that this trend has changed because Nigerians have overtaken Ghana in the movie industry.

He recalled again that In 2004 they performed in Belgium with Senegalese musicians and he noticed how they invested in big banners whiles the Ghanaian artistes were projected on small posters.

If you are competing with a rich man you suffer and thats why we are suffering, we dont have the money .

"Today look at the kind of sounds and plugins we are buying for music, most are being created by Nigerians because they have the money, Antwi Galley added.
Ghanaian transgender Ohemartin has disclosed that she uses the female washroom whenever she is in public places despite possessing a male genital organ.

Ohemartin, age 22 stated in a recent interview on the Delay said she feels she may be violating the male sections of public washrooms should he be using them.

Throwing more light on his life as a transgender, Ohemartin stated that constant heckles and humiliations from her friends landed her the decision to metamorph to her current state.

He stated that growing up as a male, she naturally possessed feminine qualities and that always made playing with fellow male children an uncomfortable thing to do.

"I started playing with dolls at the tender age of ten," she told host Deloris Frimpong Manso.

Ohemartin stressed that he is comfortable with his current outlook and believes that God loves him no matter the transformation; this he said is the reason he attends church regularly not having to bother about anything.

Speaking on the consequences that may befall his transgender operation should the anti LGBTQI+ bill be passed in court, he stated that he believes the bill will rather be lenient on individuals like himself.

He revealed that his current state hasn't affected his relationship with his mother whom he said supports her in so many ways.

Having kids is one of his greatest wishes but he vehemently stated he will not live or be in any sort of relationship with anyone.

watch the full interview here;

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An economist, Dr. Adu Owusu Sarkodie has advised the government against cutting down on its expenditure.

Some individuals have advised government to cut down on its expenditure considering the current economic situation.

Former Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, for instance, believes not much revenue can be raked in with E-Levy.

Mr. Terkper noted that the government must consider its expenditure and make some cuts to help the situation.

Seth Terkper said, while in office and was faced with a similar challenge, the NDC government despite being in an election year, publicly went back on its promise to construct 150 E-blocks and instead constructed about 50, to enable it to channel its investments into other pressing expenditures.

Seth Terkper said the action taken by the NDC is a model the government can follow to navigate the current challenge.

Dr. Adu Owusu Sarkodie, however, does not think that will be a great idea in the present situation.

He says such suggestions are ill-informed.

Advancing his argument on The Big Issue, Dr. Owusu Sarkodie said, I have heard people advising government to cut down on expenditure. I see some of these suggestions as not well-informed. In the times of economic slowdown, you don't advise government to cut down expenditure, but to spend prudently.

Besides, the expenditure we are talking about are very rigid in the budget. The compensation of employees, interest payments, statutory payments, can't be cut, as they are backed by law. Doing this, is cutting down capital, goods and services, he further argued.

The example that is mostly given is the office of the president. Some of the projects like the free SHS, etc are under this office. If you advise government to cut down expenditure from there, you are advising it to stop free SHS, and One District, One Factory or you are asking it to relocate it to the sector ministries to be part of their budgets?

He however agreed that government officials will need to tone down on their lavish lifestyles.

That is why I am advocating for prudent spending. Yes, if it will take government officials using already existing cars among others, yes we will have to do that. We can't expect to burden citizens while they live in luxury.

This is what I call prudent or efficient spending. Not cutting down on expenditure.

Moody's and Fitch recently downgraded Ghana's credit rating.

Moody's downgraded Ghana's long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to Caa1 from B3, and changed the outlook from negative to stable.

It said the new rating reflects the woes of Ghana in fixing its liquidity and debt challenges.

The government has declared intentions of revitalizing the economy through the introduction of the electronic transfer levy.

Many have, however, argued that the e-levy is not a reliable means of generating revenue.

citinewsroom
Security and economic issues will be at the heart of the official visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who visits the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, the Congolese presidency said.

President Felix Tshisekedi is due to meet with his Turkish counterpart, who will be backed by "a strong delegation" of government members and businessmen from Turkey, said a press release from the Congolese presidency.

Erdogan's African tour, from February 20 to 23, will move on to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau.

His two-day DRC trip is intended to help Ankara and Kinshasa to strengthen cooperation in the political, economic and security fields, the presidency added.

It "follows the bilateral meetings held between the two heads of state" in September in Ankara and December in Istanbul.

Last September, Tshisekedi paid an official visit to Ankara and then travelled to Istanbul in December where he took part in a Turkey-Africa summit.

Relations between Ankara and Kinshasa have been good for several years and the volume of Turkish investments in the DRC continues to grow.

Bilateral trade between the two amounts to about 40 million dollars but Turkey is seeking to strengthen its presence in Africa. Since 2003, the volume of its trade with the continent has increased from two billion dollars to at least 25 billion dollars.

Erdogan has visited Africa nearly 40 times since 2005, as prime minister and president, since when Turkey has opened some 40 embassies on the continent.

Turkey's influence covers the realm of defence with Ankara inaugurating its first African military base in 2017 in Somalia.

The DRC faces insecurity in its eastern region due to the presence of dozens of armed groups that regularly threaten civilians.

Military operations are underway against these groups which include the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Islamic State's branch in Central Africa blamed for thousands of killings in the eastern DRC.
Following separate Sunday telephone conversations with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukranian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, French leader Emmanuel Macron has said all parties are prepared to work towards a ceasefire in east Ukraine.

Putin has warned that the US and NATO must take Russia's security demands 'seriously'

Emmanuel Macron and the Russian leader spoke for 105 minutes on Sunday.

Putin blamed Kyiv for the military escalation in east Ukraine, but said diplomatic efforts to find a resolution needed to intensify.

Putin "noted that the cause of the escalation is provocations carried out by the Ukrainian security forces," according to a Kremlin version of the Paris call. The Kremlin response added that the two leaders "believe it is important to intensify efforts to find solutions through diplomatic means".

The French president then spoke to the Ukranian leader separately.

All parties have agreed to continue to use diplomacy to resolve the crisis sparked by Kremlin fears of an eastwards expansion of the sphere of influence of NATO, the Cold War era defence alliance intended to counter a Soviet military threat.

There is to be a meeting of the tri-partite contact group involving Russia, Ukraine and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development as soon as that can be organised.

French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is to meet his Moscow counterpart, Serguei Lavrov, within the next few days.

US President Joe Biden is willing to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "at any time" to defuse Ukraine war tensions, according to a statement by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Russian troops to stay in Belarus

Russian military exercises in Belarus will continue, the authorities in Minsk announced Sunday, leaving Moscow with a large force near the northern Ukraine border

Moscow had previously said the 30,000 troops it has in Belarus were simply carrying out readiness drills with its ally, which would be finished by 20 February, allowing the Russians to return to their bases.

But, as the day arrived for the operation to end, the Belarus defence ministry said Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko had decided to "continue inspections", citing increased military activity on their shared borders and an alleged "escalation" in east Ukraine.

The move will be seen as a further tightening of the screws on Ukraine, already facing increased shelling from Russian-backed separatist rebels and a force of what Western capitals says is more than 150,000 Russian personnel on its borders.

The decision not to withdraw will also be seen as a rebuff to efforts by leaders like Macron and Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz to urge their Russian counterpart to pull back from the brink of war.

Boris Johnson warns of war

Russia is preparing to plunge Europe into its worst conflict since World War II, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said, warning that any invasion of Ukraine would freeze Moscow out of global finance.

"The fact is that all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun," he said in a BBC interview broadcast Sunday from the Munich Security Conference.

Russian invasion plans would see its troops not just enter Ukraine from the rebel-held east, but from Belarus to the north and encircle the capital Kyiv, Johnson said, citing US intelligence relayed to Western leaders by President Joe Biden.

"People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail," he said, after previously indicating that the West would continue to support any Ukraine resistance after an invasion.

"I'm afraid to say that the plan we are seeing is for something that could be really the biggest war in Europe since 1945, just in terms of sheer scale."
21.02.2022 LISTEN

Ali Awudi, the leader of one of the gangs involved in the Nimo gun and cutlass fight in January known as the Bombom gang has been arrested by the Police, Modernghana News can report.

It can be recalled that on January 18, 2022, your most trusted Ghanaian online portal reported an incident at Mamobi-Nima involving a shooting that resulted in multiple people sustaining injures.

After several weeks of investigations, the Police has arrested the leader of the second gang.

Suspect Ali Awudi, one of the Nima Riot Kingpins and leader of the Bombom gang has been arrested by the police. The suspect who has been on the run since the recent Mamobi-Nima violence which occurred on January 18, 2022, was arrested at Aflao through an intelligence-led operation, an official statement from the Ghana Police Service said on Sunday.

Suspect Ibrahim Hussein, alias Kumodzi, leader of the Kumordzi group was also arrested on February 4, 2022, in a similar intelligence-led exercise.

Already, 14 suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident with the Police still carrying out investigations to ensure every perpetrator of the riot is arrested and made to face the law.

The Ghana Police Service in an assurance to the Ghanaian public, says it will do whatever it takes to arrest all other members of the gang and dismantle their activities through the due process of the law.
Championing economic globalization, despite countercurrents

Xinhua) 16:21, February 21, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The picturesque Swiss town of Davos is celebrated for hosting the World Economic Forum (WEF). It has also been a witness to China's endeavor to champion an open, cooperative and mutually beneficial world economy.

On his first trip to attend the annual WEF meeting in 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "Whether you like it or not, the global economy is a big ocean that you cannot escape from."

Five years later, at the 2022 WEF virtual session, Xi said, "Economic globalization is the trend of the times. Though countercurrents are sure to exist in a river, none could stop it from flowing to the sea."

Despite the countercurrents of protectionism and unilateralism, China has been consistently committed to promoting win-win cooperation and common development through its opening-up drive and has injected confidence and momentum into a world afflicted by uncertainties.

Back in 2013, Xi proposed a significant initiative to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In less than nine years since then, over 140 countries spanning different regions, cultures and stages of development, as well as more than 30 international organizations, have signed BRI cooperation documents with China.

Scholars and experts have expressed their appreciation for the initiative's role in boosting connections across the globe, particularly in an economic sense.

In December 2021, the China-Laos Railway, a flagship BRI project, started operations. With a total length of 1,035 km, the electrified passenger and freight railway helps convert Laos from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

Thanks to the BRI, many more people in the world now have access to clean water, safe electricity and modern transportation. Kenya saw its first modern railway put into operation, the Maldives has built its first inter-island bridge, and Belarus is able to produce passenger vehicles...

Apart from the BRI, China has also been exploring new channels to contribute to world development. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which was launched in 2016, is a prime example of such channels.

In his address at the AIIB inauguration ceremony, Xi said, "The initiative to establish the AIIB is a constructive move. It will enable China to undertake more international obligations, promote the improvement of the current international economic system and provide more international public goods. This is a move that will help bring mutual benefits and win-win outcomes to all sides."

Surely enough, other than providing international public goods, China is also committed to sharing the development opportunities its large market brings with the rest of the world.

In 2021, for the fourth consecutive year, Xi delivered his keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo. Through his speech, an unequivocal message was sent to the world that China will steadfastly advance high-level opening-up.

To make good on the commitment, China has advanced the construction of 21 pilot free trade zones, initiated the high-caliber development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, and shortened the negative list for foreign investment.

It has also prompted the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and officially filed an application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Today, openness has become one of the hallmarks of the world's second-largest economy.

In 2021, China's foreign trade exceeded 6 trillion U.S. dollars for the first time and its economy expanded 8.1 percent year on year. Contributing over 30 percent of global growth in recent years, China has become a key anchor and driver for the world economy.

"The WTO would not be the World Trade Organization without China," WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said at a recent high-level forum on the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the WTO.

China's persistent efforts to push win-win cooperation and common development for the world attest to its simple but meaningful aspiration: to secure good livelihoods for its own people and promote happiness and well-being in other parts of the world.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
The former Bihar chief minister along with other accused was pronounced guilty by the court on February 15.

Lalu, 75, appeared in the court virtually. He is in judicial custody and is admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) due to his poor health conditions.

Beside Lalu Prasad, the court had convicted 74 others, including former MP Jagadish Sharma, Public Accounts Committee president Dhruv Bhagat in the case while 24 were acquitted for want of evidence.

Earlier, the former Bihar chief minister was found guilty in four cases related to the Rs 950 crore fodder scam, and is serving a sentence of 27.5 years of imprisonment.

In the fifth case related to the scam, an FIR was lodged in the Doranda police station in 1996 and later the CBI took over the case for investigation.

Initially, in case number RC 47 A/96, a total of 170 were accused of corruption, of which 55 have died, seven became witnesses, two confessed to the crime while six are still absconding.

During the hearing of the case in the CBI special court, 575 people testified on behalf of prosecution, while 35 from the defendants. The probe agency produced 15 documents in the case.

Crores of rupees were illegally withdrawn in the name of transporting animals and arranging fodder for them in Bihar's animal husbandry department. The animals included bull, buffalo, cow, goat and sheep. The documents submitted by the department regarding the transportation were found to be fake. The vehicle numbers shown in the documents were of scooters, mopeds and motorcycles.

The cases occurred during the period of 1990-1996. The Bihar CAG had sent the information about the graft to the government time and again, but the government did not pay heed to it.

The CBI produced the documents in the court, which showed that then Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, despite knowing everything, did not take any action. Lalu also held the portfolio of Finance Ministry.

Earlier, the former Chief Minister has been to prison six times, but was granted bail by the High Court each time.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav arrives for the judgement at Special CBI Court in connection with multi crore Fodder Scam case in Ranchi on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 .

Disappointment spread among Lalu's supporters, if someone shed tears, someone expressed concern over the health of the leader, Misa remained silent.
Marie-France Grangaud says she has only one regret: she has spent eight decades in Algeria, the country of her birth, but she still hasn't learned Arabic.

Sixty years after the Evian accords which ended French colonisation of Algeria, some Europeans remain -- and call themselves "true Algerians".

"Right up until my final year of high school, there wasn't a single Algerian in my class," she said.

France occupied the North African country for 132 years and, over time, hundreds of thousands of Europeans settled there.

Despite a devastating eight-year war that finished in 1962 with Algeria winning independence and many of these "pieds-noirs" -- literally "black feet" -- moving to France, around 200,000 chose to stay.

According to historian Helene Bracco, about 30,000 Europeans were still in the country in 1993. But the "black decade" of civil war in the 1990s pushed many others to leave for France.

Grangaud, the daughter of a Protestant family, was born in 1938 and grew up in an environment that was "exclusively European", she said.

She spent most of her childhood in the western town of Oued Rhiou, as her father was away fighting in World War II.

"We were living in an isolated area where there was no school," she said.

So when her father returned, the family moved to Algiers.

At a meeting for young Protestants she met Jean-Paul Grangaud, whom she married on March 10, 1962, just days before the Evian accords that brought an end to the war.

Shortly before independence on July 5, 1962, the couple moved to France as her husband was called up for military service. They didn't stay long.

The following year they returned to Algiers and "settled there for good," she said.

"We didn't try to integrate with the other Europeans who had stayed, but we rather wanted to know Algerians," Grangaud recalled.

He became a teacher in pediatrics at a hospital in Algiers, where he supported the sick and his students "as best he could with very few means", she added, with emotion.

In 1961-62, he had built good ties with independence fighters, giving them medicines and blood, Grangaud said.

'Children of the land'

A crowd waves banners backing 'French Algeria', on December 10, 1960 during a visit by French President General Charles de Gaulle. By - AFP

The doctor, who became an adviser to the health minister, took Algerian nationality in 1970. He died in 2020 at the age of 82.

The couple have five children, three of whom have Algerian names.

"They grew up here, went to Algerian schools and speak Arabic fluently," said Grangaud.

Like her husband, she got Algerian nationality, in 1972. She did so "by choice", because of her attachment to the land where she was born.

That, however, did not prevent the couple from facing some challenges in being accepted.

"Not being like everyone else, that is to say, not Muslim, and of French origin," she said.

"We were young and optimistic. We said, 'This is our home, we were born here. Let's stay.'"

Leaving "was so traumatic" for the "pieds-noirs", Grangaud said, because they "were all very attached to Algeria".

One who left as a child but returned as an adult, is Caroline Altairac-Janssen.

She said her mother's family had been in Algeria for five generations but she moved to France in 1959 when her father was posted there.

After independence, some of her family chose to stay, as they had roots and a social life "deeply anchored" in the country.

Algerians welcome independence leader Ferhat Abbas in July 1962. By - AFP

Altairac-Janssen returned to Algeria decades later in 2006 to look after a family business started nearly a century before, in 1918.

"Today I'm definitively Algerian in my heart," she said. "It's a magnificent, misunderstood country."

She is also "proud to be a French person in Algeria and honoured to be accepted as such," the 69-year-old said.

"I have lots of memories of childhood and being a teenager, holidays at my grandparents or with my cousins. All of us were children of the land of Algeria."
The descendants of Algerian Muslims who fought for France during the eight-year war of independence are 60 years later struggling to overcome the "shame" of their families' past.

The National Liberation Front (FLN) had launched an armed struggle in the North African country in 1954, aiming to end more than a century of French colonial rule.

French historians say half a million civilians and combatants died -- 400,000 of them Algerian -- while the Algerian authorities insist 1.5 million were killed.

Colonial authorities, seeking to boost troop numbers and weaken the FLN, used a mixture of blackmail, violence and financial incentives to persuade what some estimate were 300,000 Algerian Muslims to fight on their side.

After Algeria won independence in 1962, some of the fighters known as "Harkis" moved to France, where they were initially housed in grim camps and have since faced decades of racism.

Others stayed in Algeria, where they are widely seen as traitors.

In both cases, many have left their children in the dark about their role in the war.

'Form of protection'

Crowds in Algeria in December 09, 1960 carry banners demanding that Algeria remains French during a visit by French President General Charles de Gaulle. By - AFP

Harki fathers have often banned their families from talking about the subject "as a form of protection against the shame associated with what they did", said Algerian clinical psychologist Latefa Belarouci.

"Children see the shame of the fathers as a debt," she said.

The quest to reconcile with the past has often been further complicated by the two countries' tumultuous relations since Algerian independence.

Expert Pierre Daum said both France and Algeria have long promoted narratives on the Harkis that are "full of errors".

"The first big mistake is to think that these men joined the French army by ideological choice," he said.

Most had relatives who were starving in French-run "concentration camps", while others, trapped between the FLN and France, had little choice but to join the colonial power, he said.

Daum is just one researcher who is challenging the narrative that after the war, most Harkis moved to France or were massacred in Algeria.

'Collective memory'

The streets of Algiers are decorated with National Liberation Front FLN and soon independent Algerian state flags on July 1, 1962. By - AFP

Historian Gilles Manceron said it was unclear how many were killed, but that only a small fraction of the Algerian men who fought for France moved there when the war ended.

Those who stayed in Algeria often faced "discrimination or total exclusion", he told AFP.

While many were tortured and some executed for atrocities and alleged crimes during the war, "the vast majority stayed in their villages without being killed", he said.

Anthropologist Giulia Fabbiano said that "the Algerian national discourse still treats (Harkis) as traitors to the nation".

But Harki experiences, both in France and Algeria, were far from uniform, she added.

"Growing up in a Harki family today or in the 1970s in a camp or on the margins of French society" is not the same, she said.

Despite the stigma, "some families in France have kept ties, sometimes very close, with their relatives in Algeria," she said.

And while French presidents since Jacques Chirac have recognised the contribution of the Harkis, psychologist Belarouci said more needed to be done.

Recognition "won't do much to restore their self-confidence, to rebuild their psyche and overcome shame and hatred," she said.

"Only working on the collective memory can do that."
Member of Parliament for La Dade K otopon, Naa Odoley Sowah, has lamented the deplorable state of the Trade Fair Center, two years after it was demolished for redevelopment.

Structures housing businesses worth millions of Ghana cedis were pulled down together with equipment and furniture for the redevelopment.

Business owners cried out accusing the government of sabotage as they said they were not given ample time to relocate while g overnment officials at the time said the move was to make way for redevelopment of the Trade Fair.

But when Citi News visited the Trade Fair Center , the structure was overtaken by weeds, with debris from the demolition still scattered around the place .

The Member of Parliament told CitiNews that the situation was condemnable and that government must make good its promise to redevelop the facility.

People had their businesses there, which have completely been shut down. As we speak, when you go there, its now turning into a forest. We need to know what plans they have for Trade Fair.

The traditional Council says a committee has been set to look into the issue, I have decided to wait and see how that pans out since the land belongs to them. While we wait, something has to be done about it. Authorities of the place should clear it to keep it safeshe said.

citinewsroom
A judgment has been pronounced by the High Court, Tamale, in favor of the Jahori clan over the Jahori lands in the Bole Traditional Area.

This was declared on the 27th of October, 2021 after an ex-parte motion was moved by the plaintiffs, praying the court for nine reliefs to be granted.

Jahoriwura Fuseini Nungbaso, Zakaria Issahaku Chancheriwura and Abdul-Rahman Yussif filed a suit at the Tamale High Court against Sonyonwura Kotobire Ibrahim and others over the above mentioned parcel of lands in the Bole Traditional Area.

The land is situated along the Sawla-Bole Highway, thus from Ginkomoh Stream in the North to Doli in the South. It is also bounded on the North of Tari lands, on the South of Mandari lands and on the East by Kakulase lands.

It is worthy of note that the defendants refused to enter an appearance or file a statement of defense to the suit. After listening and examining all the pieces of evidence adduced by the plaintiffs, His Lordship, Justice Daniel Kweku Obeng entered a judgment, granting 6 reliefs in favor of the plaintiffs and against the defendants on the 27th of October, 2021. Inclusive in the 6 reliefs is an award of general damages of GHC 20,000 to the plaintiffs, against the defendants for trespass onto the plaintiffs land.

The Jahori clan was minded of the responsibility of holding the tradition of Gonjaland, so the clan heads first filed a complaint of encroachment by the defendants on the said land at the Gonja Traditional Council. The Council on two counts affirmed the claims that the said lands belong to the Jahori clan and so, the defendants should refrain from any further encroachments. The defendants blatantly refused to adher to the directives of the Gonja Traditional Council, which ultimately compelled the Jahori clan to resort to the courts for an amicable and peaceful resolution of the matter.

After successfully securing the judgement, the bailiff attempts to serve the defendants personally failed. In view of this challenge, the counsel for the plaintiffs filed an ex-parte motion for a substituted service, which was granted by the court.

The court in granting the motion for a substituted service on the 9th February, 2022 directed the substituted services to be effected in three different means:

1. Posting a copy of the entry of judgment and cost on the known place of abode of the defendant

2. Posting of a copy of the entry of judgment and cost on the notice board of the High Court, Tamale

3. Posting of copy of the entry of judgment and cost at a public place within the community the defendants resides.

This order shall remain for a period of 14 days from the day of posting after which it shall be deemed sufficient notice, the court declared.
There are a few Ghanaians in the Diaspora in conflict with Nana Akufo Addo, over various issues, including massive corruption and poor governance. They are hitting hard against the NPP government to fix the country.

This has made some NPP members and supporters angry, thus; many are threatening Twene Jonas and Ohene David to be deported. One of the targeted critics lives in the United States of America and the other in Germany.

It seems since Ghana is a lawless country with a very weak judiciary system, many Ghanaians think its the same in all the foreign countries. The law is corrupt but effective in many countries.

Deportation is a type of administrative punishment imposed on foreigners for committing administrative offenses. In the interest of national security, protection of morals, or committing a crime, a foreigner can be deported after serving his time in prison from that country to his native country.

It, therefore, baffles me when I hear from Ghanaians claiming they will make sure to have Twene Jonas, Ohene Davis, or Serwaa Broni be deported when they havent committed any crime. Who are you to let these people be deported?

Decades ago in Ghana, before I traveled to Europe, I used to see at the rear of commercial vehicles, Travel And See, when I arrived in Europe, I fully understand the meaning of those inscriptions behind those vehicles. The best you can get from traveling to foreign countries is education.

Twene Jonas, Serwaa Broni, and Ohene David have become enemies to the Ghanaian government on various issues but the truth is they can't be deported because they haven't committed any crime in their respective countries of residence

Unfortunately, there are thousands of Ghanaians living in Europe and the United States of America for decades that still behave and think like rural dweller that hasnt seen electricity in their entire life.

They have refused to embrace integration, development, and the impact of education on them. Such people are those that often say they will let Twene Jonas, Serwa Broni, and Ohene David be deported.

How did the name Serwaa Broni appear in this article? The other day, I heard someone saying he will let that Canadian citizen be deported because, in her passport, it is stated that she is a Ghanaian.

According to the person claiming Serwaa Broni is blackmailing Nana Akufo Addo, its only someone born in Canada who is a real Canadian citizen. What a moron?

I know a man who couldnt control his daughter, therefore, lied to her they are coming on holiday in Ghana. He then flew back to that foreign country leaving her daughter behind.

Even though his daughter wasnt born in that foreign country, since she has documents revealing she lives in that foreign country, its embassy in Ghana assisted her to return. So people shouldn't talk about what they don't know.

By the way, who will be so stupid to live in America, Germany, or any foreign country as an illegal immigrant and expose himself with videos on Youtube criticizing and insulting politicians, chiefs, and the president of his country? Each one of them is legally documented.

Even if any Ghanaian politician goes to the Canadian Embassy to make a report that a certain woman is claiming of having a relationship with President Nana Akufo Addo, that politician shouldnt expect the Canadian Embassy to file a criminal case against Serwaa Broni, let alone to be deported.

The problem in Ghana is since most of the leaders dont accept any responsibility, they dont know how to solve problems. The way those after Serwaa Broni decided to deal with the problem was completely wrong.

It may be likely that Serwaa Broni is not speaking the truth and, therefore, hasn't had an affair with the president but the way the problem was handled has led it spread like a bush fire on social media.

Why would some NPP politicians try to solve this problem by intercepting Serwaa Broni with others in a vehicle at gunpoint to seize her things including mobile phones? What pieces of evidence are they pursuing to destroy?

What they did to Serwaa Broni is a serious crime that could lead all of them into prison if it had happened in any developed country. People shouldn't take the law into their hands because they are fighting for Nana Akufo Addo.

If Europe or America is like Ghana, politicians wouldn't go there for medical treatment. Look at all the resources Ghana has yet corruption has destroyed the country's economy beyond recovery.

Do they want Twene Jonas and Ohene David to praise them? If the government can't stand criticism they must stop the corruption, find a way to retrieve the stolen monies, and avoid that fraudulent E-Levy.

I'm sorry, those who think they can let any Ghanaian residing in a foreign country in conflict with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo be deported, are just wasting their time because they are dreaming of fools paradise.

Social media can educate and carry also false news at the same time, therefore, Ghanaians should be very careful over Serwaa Broni's case with the president. People should avoid attacking and calling her names. If indeed, she is lying, there wouldn't be anything more to prove if people are claiming those pictures she has exhibited are photoshops.

However, if it's true that she has had a relationship with the president and has ample pieces of evidence to provide, the reaction of the social media will provoke her to bring them out to damage and ruin the reputation of the president, which wouldn't be good for Akufo Addo if the foreign media gets interested in the case.

I want to make it clear to Ghanaians threatening the lives of Twene Jones, Ohene David, Serwaa Broni, etc, that if anything happens to them while in Ghana, it is that day they will know the difference between the laws of Ghana, Germany, Canada, and the United States of America.
Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak is asking Ghanaians yet to re-register their SIM Cards not to waste their time to queue for the exercise.

According to him, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the telecommunication companies do not have the mandate to block SIM cards.

If you have not re-registered your sim, do not waste your time. Neither the NCA nor the Telecos can block your SIM after 31st March. The re-registration is an affront to our constitution, Ras Mubarak shared with 3news.

The telecom companies in October 2021 commenced the re-registration of SIM cards for all subscribers.

The exercise which is earmarked to last for six months is expected to end on March 31, 2022.

Since it was commenced, the exercise has been opposed by many Ghanaians including various groups.

According to Professor Raymond Atuguba, Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, the telcos in the past five months have been involved in illegality during their process of SIM Cards re-registration.

As far as I know it is the NIA that has the legal mandate to capture such data and store it. That mandate has not, legislatively, been given to the telecommunications companies, it has not legislatively, been given to even the NCA or the National Information Technology Agency (NITA).

NITAs functions do not include holding the biodata of citizens of this country, he said on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, as part of a protest to the ongoing SIM Cards re-registration.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Mr. Samuel Nartey George has indicated that the Minority will sue the telecommunications companies in the country should SIM Cards of Ghanaians be blocked after the deadline of the re-registration exercise.

The telcos since October 2021 have been re-registering the SIM cards of subscribers under the directive of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation.

After March 31, 2022, when the exercise comes to an end, all SIM Cards that are not re-registered will be blocked by the National Communications Authority (NCA).

Speaking to TV3 in an interview on Monday morning, Sam George stressed that threats to have SIM Cards blocked are jokes.

According to him, should SIM Cards be blocked after March 31, the Minority will sue the telecom companies.

It is hot air, it wont happen there is no law backing thatOn the 1st of April people who have not registered will have their SIM cards. Ghana is not a banana republic. We will sue them and we will win the case, the Ningo Prampram MP shared.

Sam George is just one of the top Ghanaian personalities that have opposed the re-registration of SIM Cards in the country.

According to Professor Raymond Atuguba, Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, the telcos in the past five months have been involved in illegality during their process of SIM Cards re-registration.

As far as I know it is the NIA that has the legal mandate to capture such data and store it. That mandate has not, legislatively, been given to the telecommunications companies, it has not legislatively, been given to even the NCA or the National Information Technology Agency (NITA).

NITAs functions do not include holding the biodata of citizens of this country, he said on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, as part of a protest to the ongoing SIM Cards re-registration.
Austin Gamey

21.02.2022 LISTEN

A Labor Dispute Resolution Expert, Austin Gamey is encouraging employers, particularly those in the government sector to involve their employees in decision making to avoid strike actions.

He said always waiting for strike action before engaging employees is not the best corporate practice.

Speaking to Accra based Joy News today, the former Member of Parliament for North Tongu in the Rawlings era stated that, the inability of employers to involve their employees or even labor unions in decision making is the reason for the rampant strike actions by different unions.

According to him, inclusivity must be the core of every organisation indicating that people who manage other people and resources must learn the art and science of involving the employees at decision making levels.

Inclusivity as I mentioned earlier is not a figure of speech. It is doable. It must be done. People who manage people and resources must learn the art and science of living and involving people. The law enjoins us to share relevant information and we put that there because the constitution demands that we must take steps to ensure that working people participate in decision making, he stated.

His comment follows the rampant strike actions staged by different labor unions in the country.

The leadership of UTAG is yet to call off its strike even after a court imposed an interlocutory injunction on the strike. According to the group, a mistrust of the employer is what is causing their hesitancy to return to the classroom.

The College of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) also went on strike but suspended it after a while.

Adding to the list very recently is the staff at the Ghana Meteorological Agency who started an indefinite strike action on February 18 as a result of poor conditions of service.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Hon. Samuel Nartey George has emphasised that the Minority in Parliament will continue to push to have the Minister for Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu removed from office.

Speaking in an interview on TV3s New Day programme on Monday, February 21, 22, the MP noted that contrary to allegations, the Minority does not hate nor hold anything against the Minister in charge of Health.

He said the Minority only wants the Minister out of office because he has refused to think although he continues to receive taxpayers money as salary.

We are not being too hard. We are just using the law. If the health minister said he stopped thinking, we dont pay our ministers not to think. There is a reason why there is brain matter in your head.

It is to think. So if you are a minister of state and you are not thinking you have no business being a minister of state, Sam George shared.

Asked whether Kwaku Agyemang-Manu can be forgiven by the Minority for erring, the Ningo Prampram MP answered, Parliament and government is not a church. Forgiveness is for God.

Last week, all 137 Members of Parliament on the Minority side filed a motion of censure to begin a process to have the Minister for Health removed.

The call for the head of the Minister is for his involvement in the procurement of the botched Sputnik V vaccines last year through a middleman that ended in controversy.

Sam George insists that even if the Minister survives the vote of censure, he will personally stay on his neck to ensure he sits up to do his work moving forward.

The Health Minister if he survives the vote of censure in Parliament or whoever replaces him should bear in mind that Im going to be on his neck, the MP added.
21.02.2022 LISTEN

Austin Gamey, a Labor Dispute Resolution Expert says government is as vulnerable in handling labor matters.

Today on Accra based Joy News, he noted that the reason for the rampant strike actions is due to government lack of strategies in dealing with labor issues from escalating into full blown crisis.

According to him, government is just as vulnerable as any other employer in the country.

This, he urged government to learn the art and science of negotiating and resolving issues.

Government is as vulnerable as the word vulnerable because it is also an employer. If you go to cabinet and youre discussing your matters thats your matter. If you go and read a statement somewhere you have read your statement and that is your power, but when it comes to labor relations then they are the same as any other employer and so must learn the art and science of negotiating and resolving differences," he stated.

He added that government must open up and be truthful to its employees while involving them in decision making.

Mr Gamey stressed that the law enjoined employers to have an open channel of communication with their own employees. "Because hiding behind any curtain would not help matters because the government is also vulnerable, but must learn the art of negotiating."
A three-judge panel of Karnataka High Court, formed to look into the petitions on hijab row, resumed hearing on Monday afternoon.

Even as the bench headed by the Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi is hearing the matter on a day-to-today basis, the hijab crisis continues in the state, raising concerns over the law and order situation.

Meanwhile, many students across the state have boycotted crucial II PUC practical exams that have started on Monday for not being allowed to wear hijab in the classrooms. However, majority of the students, including those from Muslim community, took off their hijab and attended exams.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant has extended the prohibitory orders surrounding 200 meters of surroundings of schools, PU Colleges, Degree Colleges or other educational institutions till March 8.

If II PUC students remain absent for practical exams they will lose out 30 marks and that will make them get a maximum score of 70 marks in theory exams. To attend CET, the students will have to score a minimum of 45 marks. The scores of practical exams are crucial for the future of students.

The main exams are scheduled between April 16 and May 6. Practical exams will be held for physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, computer science and electronics subjects. The marks will be uploaded to the website of PU Board immediately after exams. If students remain absent for practical exams, no second chance would be given to them.

More than 40 students in Vijayapura district boycotted exams for being asked to remove hijab and staging protests before the District Commissioner's Office. More than 10 students refused to take off their hijab and waited near Women's Polytechnic College in Hassan on the premises. Later, they got into an argument with the Principal demanding entry into classes with hijab.

Prohibitory orders will continue in Koppal district till February 26. The district administration has warned that around 300 meter radius more than five people can't gather. Meanwhile, the six students who started the agitation at Udupi Pre-University Girl's College have remained absent for the practical exams.

As many as nine students of Madikeri Junior College staged a silent protest at the entrance gate. They sat near the gate holding placards containing messages of 'hijab is our right, our choice', 'we want justice'.

Students of Kolar Government Pre-University College demanded a letter from the Principal for not allowing them with hijab to classrooms. They claimed that the court has consented for the entry of students in colleges which do not have a college development committee. They have also staged a protest.

The larger bench has directed the state government to see to it that it's interim order is not violated. Counsels for petitioners have been vehemently pressing for allowing Muslim students with hijab by reconsidering interim order. One of the counsels has requested the court to allow Muslim students to wear hijab at least on Fridays, the jumma day which is considered as most auspicious day for Muslims.

The counsels have also submitted that there is no legal sanctity for the College Development Committee (CDC) and School Development and Management Committees (SDMC). They have also questioned MLA, representing a political party and ideology being let in the academic environment.

The bench has already questioned Advocate General Prabhuling Navadagi representing the government on the legal sanctity of CDCs and SDMCs. He had submitted that the order issued by the government on February 5, did not ban the headscarf but only gave the power of deciding on uniform to CDCs. He also clarified that the government has taken a conscious stand not to intervene in the matters related to religious symbols and it is unnecessarily being dragged into the issue.

The Advocate General will present his arguments on three points and stated firstly he would prove that hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam, preventing its use did not violate Article 25 of the Indian constitution and the challenged Government Order was in accordance with law. The bench has questioned Advocate General on why the government has referred to verdicts given by the high courts and the Supreme Court while giving the order.
A broadcaster with Accra-based Power FM, Oheneba Boamah Bennie, who was sentenced to 14 days in imprisonment in Nsawam prison has been released today, Monday morning, 21 February 2022.

The Accra High Court Criminal Division sentenced Mr Boamah.

Apart from that, he was also to pay GHS3000 to the court.

Mr Boamah posted alleged secret videos regarding the 2020 election petition featuring President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and some Supreme Court Judges in a secret meeting.

The Journalist created the impression that President Akufo-Addo had met the Judges to influence them with bribes in order for them to rule the 2020 election petition in his favour.

It later emerged that the video was fake and defamatory.

The journalist who was sued by the Attorney-General, and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame pleaded guilty and accepted that the video's source was not authentic.

---Classfmonline
21.02.2022 LISTEN

Nation states are habitually doomed to defeat their best interests. Conditions of mad instability are fostered. Arms sales take place, regimes get propped up or abandoned, and the people under them endure and suffer, awaiting the next criminal regime change.

Nothing is more counter-intuitive than the effort to isolate, cripple and strangulate the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. For all the talk about terrorism and concerns about failing regimes, the Biden Administration is doing every bit to make this regime fail and encourage the outcome it decries. Along the way, a humanitarian catastrophe is in the making.

Prior to the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021, foreign aid constituted a mainstay of the economy, covering roughly three-quarters of public spending. After August 15, an almost immediate cessation of funding took place, led by the United States, and those less than noble institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. But it did not stop there. Billions of dollars in Afghanistans own funds were frozen. (For the US alone, this amounted to $9.4 billion.)

This particularly nasty bit of statecraft was justified by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson as necessary to coerce the Taliban into good conduct. Releasing such reserves was no guarantee that the Taliban will actually use it effectively to solve problems.

Johnson should know, given his governments profligate tendency of waste and dissoluteness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ever one to relish hypocrisy, he claimed that Britain and its allies needed to ensure that that country does not slip back into being a haven for terrorism and a narco-state. Ironically, the sanctions and asset freezing regime will be an incitement to just that.

The move did not only paralyse the Central Bank of Afghanistan but impose dramatic limits on the use of bank accounts by Afghans. Loans have been left unrepaid, the amount in deposits has declined, and the liquidity crisis has become acute. In November 2021, the UN Development Programme observed that the economic cost of a banking collapse in the country would be colossal.

The UNDP also remarked that the banking situation had to be resolved quickly to improve Afghanistans limited production capacity and prevent the banking system from collapsing. Unfortunately, the organisations Afghanistan head, Abdallah al Dardari, was wishing to do the impossible. We need to find a way to make sure that if we support the banking sector, we are not supporting the Taliban.

This foggy-headed reasoning typifies much policy towards Afghanistan, dooming humanitarian programs and other measures of assistance. It also renders Washington, and its allies, culpable in fostering famine, starvation, and death. As long as they can focus their attention on the wickedness, and lack of competence, of the Taliban regime, this monumental bit of callous gangsterism can be justified. The Afghan civilian can thereby be divorced from the government official disliked and disapproved of by foreign powers.

With pestilential force, this contorted line of thinking finds its way into the heart of the US State Department, which has expressed its desire to cooperate with the UNDP and other institutions to find ways to offer liquidity, to infuse, to see to it that the people of Afghanistan can take advantage of international support in ways that dont flow into the coffers of the Taliban.

In January, the crisis was becoming so grave as to compel the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to describe a landscape of catastrophe: the selling of babies to feed siblings, freezing health facilities overrun by crowds of malnourished children and people burning their possessions to keep warm. Without a full-fledged effort by the international community, the Secretary warned, virtually every man, woman and child in Afghanistan could face acute poverty.

A modest request was made: that Afghanistan receive $5 billion in aid. The UN chief has also urged the release of international funding to pay the salaries of public sector workers and aid the distribution of health care, education and other vital services.

The international community, or at least a portion of it, is certainly not listening. Sanctions continue to be the mainstay of the treatment of Afghanistan, as orchestrated through the UN Security Council. Perversely, this is done, in the words of the Australian Department of Trade and Foreign Affairs to promote the peace, stability and security of Afghanistan. This is darkly witty stuff indeed, given that sanctions are, by their very purpose, designed to destabilise and target governments, while impoverishing the populace and creating desperation.

What President Biden has done this month is tinker with the freezing order by decreeing the release of $7 billion. But there is a huge catch: half of the funds will be reserved to satisfy legal claims brought by the families of US 9/11 victims; the rest will be placed in a designated humanitarian fund for Afghanistan. In doing so, a foreign government has effectively determined how to deal with a countrys national assets and foreign reserves, effectively initiating a de facto theft.

Many a famine and societal collapse has been a product of engineered circumstances. This impending mass murder of Afghan civilians, argue the undersigned luminaries of a note published in CounterPunch, is preventable. For those on a list including Noam Chomsky, Richard Falk and Tariq Ali, the Biden Administration should immediately end these cruel and inhumane policies by lifting the sanctions, unfreezing Afghanistans foreign assets, and increasing humanitarian aid.

For those wedded to the canard and moral excitement of the rules-based order, causing a degree of horrendous harm comes as second nature. Having lost Afghanistan, as every great power has tended to do, revenge is being sought.

Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He currently lectures at RMIT University. Email: [email protected]
Dr Eugene Owusu, the Presidential Advisor for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has said Ghana is totally committed to achieving all commitments made at the 2022 Global Disability Summit.

He reiterated Ghana's long standing support for disability-inclusive development and the need for concrete actions to achieve real change in the lives of persons with disabilities.

Dr Owusu stated this in Accra, after a Summit cocktail reception organized by Madam Ingrid Mollestad, the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana.

It brought together Heads of United Nations (UN) Agencies in Ghana, members of the diplomatic community, civil society organizations, government agencies and the private sector.

The 2022 Global Disability Summit, which was held virtually was on the theme, "Promoting Equality: Lasting Change for Persons With Disabilities Through Joint Action".

It was hosted by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre of Norway and Mr Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the International Disability Alliance (IDA).

The first Global Disability Summit, held in London in 2018, was truly a pacesetter, and succeeded in mobilising action and commitments to promote disability inclusive development and the rights of persons with disabilities.

Dr Owusu said it had been a privilege for the SDG Unit of the Office of the President to really directly support the organization of the historic and phenomenally successful 2022 Global Disability Summit.

He expressed gratitude to Norway for reaching out to Ghana in the spirit of partnership.

Dr Owusu reiterated the cliche, which says that "disability is not inability".

He pointed out that there was a wealth of talents that sat with persons with disability, which if the global community were to have a heightened chance of achieving the SDGs, they must fully leverage. "And we must do so not just for the goals, but we must do so because we must not leave anybody behind."

Declaring that it was not just a cliche, but a commitment that global leaders had made that they must achieve the SDGs and in doing so they must not leave anybody behind.

"For me personally, yes, it is about the SDGs but importantly it is about inclusion; it is about the rights of persons with disabilities, it is about the dignity of persons with disabilities but importantly it is about social justice," he said

Dr Owusu said participants at the 2022 Global Disability Summit had heard a lot of positive actions and commitments which the global community had made to support persons with disabilities, particularly with respect to inclusions.

He also made mention of the tremendous benefits that come with including persons with disabilities in development and the tremendous economic and social benefits.

He said, he was delighted that Ghana had frontally put forward her commitments in the context of the Global Disability Summit, which the President alluded to in his statement at the Summit.

He said Ghana was totally committed to achieving every commitment that she made in the course of the Summit."But we cannot do that alone, we really look forward to working with all of you, the private sector, which is here; civil society, other government agencies, the UN, all of you, we look forward to joining hands with you to actualise that commitments Ghana has made. "

Borrowing from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's speech delivered at the 2022 Global Disability Summit, Dr Owusu said: "We, all of us must let our humanities manifest in our support, and in our compassion for persons with disabilities".

Dr Owusu said, he believed it was right to do so, and that it was a moral obligation that all of humanity have to do to truly make that happen.

Madam Mollestad noted that improving the rights for disabled persons would have impacted not only at the individual level but also for society at large, adding that socioeconomic development had to be inclusive for everybody.

Madam Mawunyo Yakar-Dagbah, National President, Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, expressed gratitude to the Government of Ghana for its intention to implement every commitment made at the 2022 Global Disability Summit.

She described the Summit as a great success and urged global leaders to abide by their commitments.

Mrs Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, a Member of the Board of Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations/a Member of UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, said the Summit was a great moment for disability movements worldwide.

GNA
21.02.2022 LISTEN

An Accra Circuit Court has fined Ghanaian musician Samuel Adu Frimpong, aka Medikal GHS3,600 after pleading guilty to brandishing a gun in public charge.

The celebrated rapper was arrested by the Police in October 2021, for brandishing a gun in a video on social media.

After his first appearance in Court, Medikal was granted bail to the tune of GHS100,000 after spending five days in remand.

Subsequently, when he was arraigned in Court, the musician pleaded not guilty to his charge as the case was adjourned.

Today at the Accra Circuit Court, Medikal has changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.

Standing on the plea of the suspect, the court presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Essandoh has sentenced the rapper to 300 Penalty Units.

It translates to a fine of GHS3,600 that must be paid by Medikal.

Should he default payment, the omo ada hitmaker will serve nine months in prison.
21.02.2022 LISTEN

Mr. Baba Kanvili, a Communication team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Northern Region, said he does not believe former President John Evans Atta Mills died at the 37 Military hospitals as was widely reported.

According to him, the former first gentleman of the nation died at a point when he was being conveyed to the hospital for medical attention. but was pronounced dead on arrival by a team of medical Doctors at the Military health facility.

He made these remarks on Northern based Zaa TV's newspaper review segment dubbed "Lahabali Churi Kahagibu Saha" hosted by Mr. Alhassan Yushawu Jahanfo on Monday, February 21, 2022.

He further backed calls by some NPP MPs to probe circumstances leading to the death of the late President to bring finality to the mystery surrounding the death of the former President.

He challenged the Member of Parliament for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) constituency and younger brother of the late Professor Mills, Mr. Samuel Atta Mills to make the autopsy report of the late former President public if he truly has it in his possession.

Mr. Baba Kanvili also questioned the blood relationship between Mr. Samuel and the late President claiming that the posture of the lawmaker leaves much to be desired.

He urges the public to back the NPP MPs to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of former President Mills.

On his part, Tamale North Youth organizer and rep of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the programme, Mr. Ali Gbrimah said the call by the NPP MPs to probe the death of the former President is needless.

He noted that the action by the NPP MPs is a ploy to divert the public attention from what he described as the wanton rejection of the obnoxious E-levy being pushed by government.
Research by Global Info Analytics, a polling company in Ghana, has revealed that 67% of New Patriotic Party (NPP) members in the Dome-Kwabenya constituency are against government's E-levy.

The research, which saw 587 random men and women from all the 10 electoral areas of the constituency interviewed, revealed that 77% of the total sample population do not support the controversial E-levy.

Only 16% declared support for the E-levy and 7% indicated they had no opinion on the subject.

Based on political affiliation, only 28% of persons who declared affiliation to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) support the E-levy in the constituency.

According to the report, 91% of NDC members in the constituency were against the E-levy, and 6% declared their support.

The reasons for kicking against the E-levy include the fact that the tax will further worsen the tax burden on residents, the high rate of the tax, and not seeing the benefits of other taxes collected by the government.

24% of those who kicked against the levy said the rate was too high.

23% of them said they didn't see the benefits of other taxes, while 18% of the respondents believe that the government can cut down on waste and its expenditure to generate the revenue needed for its development.

This comes at a time the government is holding town hall meetings to educate Ghanaians on the need for the E-levy.

The government has said that the town hall meetings are aimed at explaining the importance of the E-levy to Ghanaians as well as taking feedback and inputs from relevant stakeholders on the levy.

The government also says the feedback 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 Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said that the government is convinced about the need for the e-levy and how it encapsulates the idea of burden-sharing for Ghana's development.

By Jonas Nyabor
About five bedrooms and stores have been destroyed by early dawn fire on Sunday at Aboabo in the Tamale Metropolis.

The cause of the fire is yet to be established.

No casualties were recorded.

Properties worth thousands of cedis including physical cash were totally burnt to ashes.

It took the intervention of personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service to bring the fire under control.

Electrical gadgets including electrical polls belonging to the Volta River Authority (VRA) were also damaged by the fire.

Some sources who spoke to journalists at the fire scene said the fire might have been caused by an electrical fault.

A victim, Ibrahim Jawal whose store has been affected told the journalists that they have lost everything and appealed to government to support them.

"As we speak, everything in my store have been burnt, I couldn't retrieve even a single thing.

"I left some monies that were supposed to be taken to the bank, but because yesterday was the weekend, I couldn't send it, that money too have been burnt.

"We are calling on the government to come to our aid, otherwise, we are doomed," he stated.

The Tamale Metropolis has been experiencing fire outbreaks in recent times.

About a month ago, several stores were also burnt to ashes at the Aboabo markets.

Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service has launched an investigation into the matter.
A lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University, Dr. Solomon Kwarteng Forkuo has urged government to dissolve the National Labour Commission (NLC) for the poor handling labour related issues as he believes it is of no importance to the state.

According to the outspoken lecturer, the NLC has not been up to task in resolving labour issues resulting in rampant strike actions.

Speaking on OTEC FMS breakfast show dubbed Nyansapo on Friday, February 18, 2022, Dr. Forkuo told the programmes host Captain Koda that the NLC has failed to solve labour unrest between government and public workers in times of negotiations on salaries and conditions of service.

Dr. Kwarteng Forkuo made this call whiles commenting on the recent strike of UTAG which has for the past month led to an impasse between government and the teacher union.

Dr. Forkuo however described the UTAG strike as worrying as both academic and economic activities on the Universities campuses was grounded to a halt.

He urged UTAG and government to come to a compromise for academic activities to continue.
Ghana imposed lockdowns in the Accra and Kumasi districts on 30 March 2020 to limit community transmission of the new coronavirus. But members of the public found ways to evade the restrictions, making them ineffective. People went about their daily lives as usual, where they could, and avoided checkpoints. Police were sometimes seen humiliating or violently handling people they caught breaking the rules. Eventually the government suspended the restrictions.

Various public commentators  from the media to politicians  attributed the mass defiance of the restrictions to indiscipline. Some even applauded the police for treating offenders harshly. This way of seeing wrong behaviour, whether it's bad driving or poor academic performance among students, has become widespread in Ghana. The behaviour is put down to individuals' bad attitudes, irresponsibility and stubborn defiance .

On the other hand, a growing number of studies have shown that limited compliance with lockdown measures was connected to broader social issues. These include the informal structure of Ghana's economy, inequalities in access to housing and public services, and the lack of well-developed infrastructure to deliver welfare.

Less has been said about the historical and institutional roots of the inequalities  the processes and factors that created the conditions that made it difficult to contain the crisis. It's important to understand these so as to be better prepared to deal with any similar future crisis.

My colleagues and I took a closer look at this in a recent paper . Using media, scholarly and institutional sources, we unravelled how unresolved historical injustices, deepened in new forms, undermined effective containment of the pandemic.

We found a clear picture of people responding to the restrictions in different ways that were driven by their socio-economic status. We believe that seeing their behaviour as indiscipline deflects attention from the deeper determinants of these responses. It also serves to legitimise police violence.

A history of inequality

It's helpful to look at the example of head porters, popularly called kayayes in Ghana. These working class people, mainly young female migrants from the poorer parts of northern Ghana , make a living by carting the goods of customers and traders in Ghana's busiest southern cities  mainly Accra, Tema and Kumasi.

They featured heavily in the violation of the lockdown restrictions. Close to 30 of the kayayes decided to evade the lockdown restrictions and the hardships that would follow by smuggling themselves in a cargo truck to their home towns. They risked spreading COVID-19 from a hotspot area to poor parts of the country where healthcare facilities had few resources. The police arrested them on their journey.

One kayaye was quoted as saying :

We came to Accra to look for something to eat. We don't have anyone in Accra to give us shelter, we have been sleeping on the streets. We decided to go back to our hometown, when we were told there is an outbreak of a disease in Ghana and only return when the whole situation is resolved.

The public ridicule and sarcastic commentary on the Kayayes behavior closely followed the popular narrative that blamed the mass-defiance of the lockdown on indiscipline. That narrative, however, hides more than it reveals.

Research has shown that kayayes face severe hardships, including malnutrition and inadequate access to healthcare, education, sanitation and accommodation.

The northern part of Ghana, where most kayayes come from, has long remained the most impoverished part of the country. This has roots in colonial development models which denied the place development resources because they did not have raw materials the colonial government valued . Successive post-colonial governments have not only failed to dismantle these discriminatory structures for delivering socio-economic development, they have actually replicated them.

This favours the southern parts of the country. According to the 1969 industrial enterprises directory, about 59.5% of all industrial establishments in the country were concentrated in Accra-Tema. That of Kumasi and Sekondi-Takoradi stood at some 16.5% and 10.2%, respectively. These three cities combined hosted over 86% of all registered industries in the country .

Those numbers still hold true . Socio-economic developments in Ghana have retained the spatial discrimination and exclusions of the colonial era.

The IMF/World Bank-funded structural adjustment reforms implemented in the country in the 1980s actually deepened these patterns.

The reforms attracted substantial private capital, especially foreign direct investments. But the incentives related to economies of scale and profitability directed the investments to the southern industrial enclaves, where poverty was least endemic. For instance, for close to a decade (2001 to 2009), only one investment project was located in the Upper West region , one of the poorest in Ghana.

The success of the few targeted interventions meant to bridge the development gap between the north and the south has been undermined by corruption and mismanagement.

The result is widening inequality and migration of young people from the north to the southern cities for opportunities. The kayayes are typical among them.

They support the economic development of their host cities by filling market transportation gaps and assisting in market exchange. Thus, kayayes play important roles in the socio-economic life of Ghana's southern cities. But with their low income (some earn as low as GH20 cedi or $4 a week) , they are blocked from getting decent housing.

This is because formal housing interventions focus on [high income and middle class people] . And landlords demand several years of advance lump-sum rental payments in the informal housing market.

Accommodation and skills training promises made to kayayes by politicians have gone unfulfilled. They continue to make a living by carting goods in the day and sleeping on the streets at night.

Some find accommodation in the rapidly expanding low-income slum neighbourhoods . But it's not secure because the city authorities frequently destroy these settlements .

Even while the government was enforcing the stay at home restrictions, one of its local agencies, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, made over 1,000 people , including kayayes, homeless by demolishing their houses because they were deemed illegal.

These were the conditions prompting the decision of some kayayes to try to get back to the north in a cargo truck, illegally.

Lessons for building back better

Public disapproval of people who resisted lockdown rules was based on the idea that they were just being indisciplinestubborn to adapt to positive behavioral change.

As our analysis shows, however, that perspective ignores the deeper historical determinants that placed people like the kayayes at the heart of the violation of the restrictions. Inspired by the indiscipline narrative, the government used the violent power of the state to compel compliance. The strategy, as we have shown elsewhere , did not work.

A more sustainable way to contain the next crisis lies with measures that give the majority of Ghanaians a shot at a decent life. Such measures could include:

dealing with corruption and mismanagement so that public resources are available to be used towards employment and housing

moratoriums on evictions

extension of public services to poor neighbourhoods and upgrading slums

directing private capital and public investments to poorer parts of the country

building robust infrastructure and systems for delivering welfare and social support on a large scale.

_Samuel Ametepey and Savior Kusi contributed to this and the original article .

Festival Godwin Boateng does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Festival Godwin Boateng, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, The Earth Institute, Columbia University
In South Africa, English is only the sixth most common language spoken within households. But it's dominant outside the home, including health and medical contexts.

Communicating information relating to health in South Africa requires careful consideration of the cultural context in which this information is to be received. Clinicians must think about this to enhance their relationship with patients and the patient experience.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed the need to communicate concepts of health in ways that the public understands.

It matters, too, when talking about mental health  a field often entwined with people's cultures and histories, and where outward symptoms might not show. South Africa has come a long way in understanding the struggle of language within psychiatric or mental healthcare. But some concepts are still only vaguely understood by the general public. This is not just true for poor mental health  like anxiety and depression  it is also true for good mental health.

Flourishing is one way to think about good mental health. Flourishing as a concept involves what it means to live a good life or a life worth living. Flourishing is an old concept. But in recent years , interest has grown in how flourishing relates to health. Most of the published research, however, is overshadowed by western ideals and concepts, mainly pointing towards internal mechanisms such as personal traits for flourishing.

We set out to understand what flourishing means by way of a deep dive into studying real people and cultures in South Africa. Flourishing is related to people's lived experiences, which differ from place to place.

Recognising how people conceive flourishing in relation to, or in spite of, a diagnosed medical condition can help clinicians grasp why and how patient perceptions of health may not always align with medical terms. Such local understanding can transform how clinicians frame clinical decisions and weigh the impact communal resources and relationships may have on how patients are cared for, or feel cared for within clinical spaces.

Ukuphumelela in Soweto

As we started our second year of a study of stress and chronic illness , we realised that people wanted to talk about how they conceptualised good health as much as they wanted to explain what caused them to become sick.

We interviewed 30 people in Soweto who had expressed interest in discussing what it means to live a good life, a flourishing life. They were a balance of men and women. Most were middle class and middle aged (around 45-50 years old), and relatively healthy.

Soweto is an urban area of more than five million people. It is heterogeneous in terms of housing, language, occupations, and living standards. Speaking IsiZulu, the most commonly spoken language within South African households, we found that flourishing was largely a social concept and has personal attributes. The people we spoke to used the IsiZulu word ukuphumelela (roughly translated as becoming victorious) when speaking about doing well despite obstacles.

Many people used their personal journey to describe how they flourished (or not), and how they defined ukuphumelela. We found ukuphumelela involved three elements: material or structural factors (like money or financial security); internal or personal character (like discipline); and social dynamics (like reciprocity and caring for others).

One young man explained:

I can say it's a person who's not from a good background  Managed to finish school after all those worst case scenarios so now he's made it  He's just started a family, got married and we've all witnessed that. He now drives fancy cars. He looks after his siblings and he has renovated his home so that it shows he's made it in life.

A woman in her early thirties explained ukuphumelela in terms of the term ubuntu, generally understood as meaning a person is a person because of other people. She said it was important to her to help others, despite her own limited means. It underscores the idea that the self extends beyond an individual to include their community.

These findings show that the ideas people use to describe good mental health are not universal.

Our findings showed that people in Soweto defined flourishing by both individual and collective elements. Individual elements include things like determination, faith in God, and overcoming challenges. Often these individual characteristics were bolstered by structural elements like having an opportunity to pursue a good education and have enough money to cover basic needs.

Also connected were collective elements, such as having strong mentors and caring for others. Flourishing is not just about what an individual becomes in their pursuit of a good life but also the impact they have on the people around them. In this way, many people described flourishing not as an end point or goal, but a journey.

Good life and health

Recognising how people think about themselves in relation to others, and what it means to live a good, meaningful, and flourishing life, is crucial for understanding health.

Speaking the language of good health is also an important element of understanding, designing programmes for, and elevating the health of people and populations.

This research emphasises the social and relational aspects of health that could make the clinic a poor solution for fostering good public health. Investing in churches as places to gather, or mentorship programmes through schools and community centres, may facilitate improved health and well being in meaningful ways.

Without understanding ukuphumelela  what fuels or impedes someone to flourish  health promotion will struggle to serve the people who need it most.

Emily Mendenhall receives funding from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant nos R21TW010789 and is affiliated with Elsevier for her work as Editor-in-Chief of SSM-Mental Health.

Edna N Bosire and Lindile Cele do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Lindile Cele, Research associate, SAMRC Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand And

Edna N Bosire, Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Georgetown University (USA) & Kamuzu University of Health sciences (Malawi); Researcher, DPHRU, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) & Brain and Mind Institute, Aga Khan University, East Africa., University of the Witwatersrand And

Emily Mendenhall, Professor, Georgetown University
As Kenyans approach a general election in August 2022, many lack confidence in the electoral process.

According to a national opinion poll conducted by Afrobarometer in 2019, only 29.2% of Kenyans thought that the country's 2017 election was free and fair. Another 33.5% thought that there were minor problems, 12% that there were major problems, and 21.7% that the elections were not free and fair at all.

Moreover, according to a 2021 poll commissioned by South Consulting , although around half of Kenyans have confidence in the electoral commission to support a free and fair election, around half also believe that the government's favoured candidate will win, no matter how people vote.

Despite this scepticism, a majority of Kenyans will likely still turn out to vote as they have done in previous polls . This isn't to say that voter apathy is not an issue. It is, and contributed to the electoral commission's ability to register only 25% of its target in last year's mass voter registration drive and about 23% of its target this year.

Nevertheless, only 10.4% of respondents in the 2019 Afrobarometer survey said they would not vote in 2022.

So, many who lack confidence in the integrity of the process will still make the effort to go out and vote. How can we explain this paradox?

Sceptics might say that some voters are simply paid to turn out to vote. Handouts may be common during campaigns , but it is possible to receive money and not vote, and to receive money and vote differently . The costs involved in voting  getting to the polling station and the hours of work or 'hustling' lost  often outweigh any financial inducement received.

In our recent book, The Moral Economy of Elections in Africa: Democracy, Voting and Virtue , we investigate this paradox by looking at the political opinions and feelings that develop around elections.

We do so by drawing on research conducted in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda between 2014 and 2017. This included participant observations of campaigns and elections, over 300 qualitative interviews, and nationally representative surveys.

The research focused on the moral claims made by officials, politicians, civil society, international observers and voters. It revealed how elections are the site of intense moral claims-making, which, among other things, helps explain why there is such vigorous participation in processes that often seem flawed.

Turning out

We found that some voters are motivated by hope that the next election will be better. Others by a higher level of confidence in lower-level races where reports of malpractice are less widespread. Voter turnout is also boosted by the fact that Kenyans vote for six posts in one day.

More importantly, many citizens are motivated by a sense that voting is a civic duty. The importance of this is reflected in the sharing of inky finger selfies on election day, for instance.

Elections are also valued as a moment when voters can reject those they believe have failed or likely will fail to protect and promote their national, community and individual interests. Citizens get to cast their ballot for a candidate in whom they have greater confidence.

Yet, this explanation raises further questions. If people are motivated by a sense of civic duty and claims-making around the kind of leaders they want, why have a minority been involved in electoral malpractice over the years? This includes those who cast multiple votes or disrupt voting .

We found that deviation from electoral rules can be the result of bribery or coercion. It is also often possible for such actions to be justified, both to oneself and others, as a virtuous act in the interests of an individual, community or the nation. This is not a Kenyan phenomenon. Aspects of the moral economy we describe occur in other African states, as well as European and North American nations.

To give one example, if a handout is interpreted as a bribe, it's likely to be unsuccessful as citizens opt to 'eat' with one candidate and vote for another. We found that handouts only tend to be successful when  as historian Paul Nugent has argued regarding Ghana  they are converted into some kind of moral authority and viewed as a sign of generosity, accessibility or assistance.

If candidates don't find ways to build relationships with communities  for instance, if they simply turn up and throw money at people during campaigns  they will be viewed with suspicion. They will likely be accused of being corrupt or illegitimate, and waste their money.

Strike first

But what about involvement in violence or rigging, which are both illegal and  as our surveys and Afrobarometer surveys have revealed  broadly unpopular across the continent?

In addition to recognising the role of politicians in organising and inciting violence, interviewees sometimes excused violence as an unfortunate, but necessary, part of the political game.

At times, it was justified on the basis that it was necessary to prevent a greater injustice. This could be the need to use strong-arm tactics to ensure order, to strike first to pre-empt an attack, to defend, or to reject electoral injustice.

When it comes to rigging, it's tempting to think of ballot fraud as things done to unsuspecting citizens by wily politicians. In reality, we found that these processes are sometimes co-produced. 'Over-voting' in a candidate's strongholds, for example, usually takes place with the complicity of some community members.

Similarly, our research found that the main justification provided by those who admitted involvement in multiple voting was an assumption that other candidates were doing the same. As one man explained of a party primary in 2007:

Yes, of course our opponent also tried to stuff ballots, it was only that we stole more than they could.

This need to counter the rigging an opponent would likely engage in was often intertwined with the idea that one had to prevent the 'other' from winning. The justification was that their victory would, for one reason or another, 'be disastrous' for the individual, community or nation.

The danger for democracy

There are many reasons to think that Kenya will avoid major political disruption in 2022, including the fact that the main candidates are going to great lengths not to frame their campaigns in ethnic terms.

But the fact that many Kenyans lack confidence in the electoral process is worrying both for public engagement and because of the range of behaviours that it may be used to justify.

In other words, by making a range of illegal and unhelpful behaviours appear to be more justifiable, fears, evidence and perceptions of election malpractice can undermine the fight for a stronger and more stable democracy.

Gabrielle Lynch received funding from the UK's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC): ES/L002345/1, 'The impact of elections in sub-Saharan Africa', and from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK.

Justin Willis has received funding from the UK's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC): ES/L002345/1, 'The impact of elections in sub-Saharan Africa' and from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK.

Nic Cheeseman has received funding from the UK's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC): ES/L002345/1, 'The impact of elections in sub-Saharan Africa' and from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK.

By Gabrielle Lynch, Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Warwick And

Justin Willis, Professor of History, Durham University And

Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central Constituency, Mr. Kennedy Agyapong has asked his government to be bold enough to tell personnel of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) if it can no longer continue the programme.

Personnel of the programme last week hit the streets of Accra to demonstrate against tgovernment over unpaid allowances.

While some say they have not been paid for three months, others cry about starvation in the last 11 months due to the failure of the government to pay their due.

Speaking to GTV on Monday morning, Kennedy Agyapong descended on the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

He said the NPP government is behaving like the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to him, government must stop doing propaganda and stop the programme if it can no longer pay the personnel.

The NPP is behaving like the NDC with the whole NABCO, the government should pay the employees their due.

The government has to pay the NABCO employees. It is complete propaganda by the NPP. If the government cannot continue the program they should tell them. Government has no excuse, they have to pay the NABCO employees, the Assin Central MP shared.

Expressing displeasure at the treatment of NABCO personnel, Kennedy Agyapong urged all aggrieved personnel to continue to demonstrate until what is due them is paid.

If the NABCO employees have to demonstrate for 3 months straight, for government to pay them they should, they have every right and government has no excuse but to pay them, the NPP MP noted.
Turkey's latest diplomatic drive in Africa continues to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, after several bilateral cooperation agreements were signed between Kinshasa and Ankara during a brief visit by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the DRC on Sunday.

Security and economic deals were reached during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "historic" official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, when President Felix Tshisekedi welcomed him in Kinshasa at the weekend, where he was accompanied by a delegation of Turkish government members and businessmen.

According to Congolese sources, a military framework agreement, a protocol on financial aid and a cooperation deal on the defence industry were signed.

Tshisekedi described the cooperation agreements as "win-win" deals for improving relations between the two nations, adding that the DRC has requested Turkish assistance in the fight against militia groups operational in the east of the country.

This comes as Turkey's influence in the realm of defence in Africa stepped up a gear in 2017, when Ankara inaugurated its first African military base in Somalia.

Erdogan's African tour moves onto Senegal this Monday and is due to wrap up with a visit to Guinea-Bissau.

Ankara is seeking to signicantly strengthen its presence on the African continent, with Erdogan visiting Africa nearly 40 times since 2005, as prime minister and president, and has opened some 40 Turkish diplomatic missions.

Since 2003, the volume of Turkey's trade with Africa has increased from $2 billion to at least $25 billion.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has yet again descended on Dome Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo over her continuous absence from parliament.

Speaking to GTV in an interview on Monday morning, the long-serving Parliamentarian accused Adwoa Safo of dancing on TikTok to the chagrin of the NPP MPs in Parliament.

People are insulting me because of Adwoa Safo's behavior. She used my children to get me to go and campaign for her in the last elections and now she's not coming to parliament but sitting on TikTok dancing, Kennedy Agyapong shared.

The Assin Central Constituency MP continued, I went to the extent of going to Dome Kwabenya to campaign against the son of my very good friend, the former Speaker of Parliament Hon. Mike Oquaye in the last elections for Adwoa Safo to win. Don't think because I have two kids with Adwoa Safo, I would not speak the truth to her. Even at gunpoint, I will continue to speak the truth.

According to Kennedy Agyapong, Sarah Adwoa Safos constant absence from Parliament is due to her constant demand to be made the Deputy Majority Leader in the house.

Adwoa Safo is demanding to be made Deputy Majority Leader, hence her constant absence from Parliament. I don't get why a whole cabinet minister will be demanding to be made a deputy majority leader, Kennedy Agyapong bemoaned.
Beyond the reach of bloody conflicts in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, rescued apes swing from one branch to another under the leafy canopy at a wildlife sanctuary.

On the edge of a national park that is home to endangered gorillas, the Lwiro Ape Rehabilitation Centre (CRPL) has for two decades nursed wounded and traumatised animals to recovery and taken in orphans.

The centre houses scores of chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos among its wards, often saved from poachers in a region where illegal activities go largely unchallenged in the insecurity caused by many armed groups.

During a recent visit, half a dozen apes gathered behind a fence to choose the best banana to peel and eat after a fresh food delivery.

Female chimpanzees walked around, carrying their babies on their backs.

The Lwiro Ape Rehabilitation Centre nurses wounded and traumatised animals to recovery and takes in orphans. By Guerchom NDEBO AFP

Each of the 110 chimpanzees at the sanctuary in South Kivu province eats six kilogrames (13.2 pounds) of fruit, cereals and vegetables a day, its staff say. The infants are bottle-fed.

"These orphaned baby chimps are coming to us because of insecurity and war," centre manager Sylvestre Libaku said, urging the government to secure the region to "let the animals live peacefully in their natural habitat".

'Unhealed wounds'

Weeks or even months of effort are needed to stabilise an animal in its new home. Tarzan, a chimpanzee collected last June in Bunia in the troubled Ituri province to the north, still lives in quarantine.

Animals are often saved from poachers in a region where illegal activities go largely unchallenged. By Guerchom NDEBO AFP

The ape has unhealed wounds on his skull, but "is doing better. The hair is starting to grow [but] he is still kept in his cage, waiting for him to be able to mix with the others", Libaku said.

However, Byaombe, another injured chimpanzee picked up more than a year ago, is a source of worry. The animal receives care every day but "without success -- its future is not reassuring", he said.

In his laboratory, Damien Muhugura handles samples taken from sick animals.

"We do parasitological analyses to search for intestinal worms, for example," among other bacteriological and biochemical risks, he explained.

The facility extends over four hectares (almost 10 acres) inside the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, named after two extinct volcanoes and listed as a UN World Heritage Site.

Animals brought in from large forests where they roamed freely "feel trapped" on the small territory, said Assumani Martin, a veterinarian for the CRPL.

The sanctuary is beyond the reach of bloody conflicts in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. By Guerchom NDEBO AFP

In November 2020, 39 grey parrots were released into the Kahuzi-Biega forest, after a stay for adaptation at the Lwiro facility, founded in 2002 by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature and the Centre for Research in Natural Sciences.

Since then, no animals have been introduced to the reserve because of the insecurity in and around the protected domain, Libaku says.

Covering 600,000 hectares, the national park lies between the extinct Kahuzi and Biega volcanoes. It provides a sanctuary to a remarkable diversity of wildlife, including some 250 eastern lowland gorillas, the last of their kind.

UNESCO describes the park as "one of the ecologically richest regions of Africa and worldwide", but it is also one of 52 sites on the World Heritage endangered list for the planet.
Israel and Morocco are seeking to nearly quadruple their annual trade to more than $500 million, Israel's economy minister said Monday during a visit to the North African kingdom.

"The annual level of economic and commercial exchange between the two countries, which today amounts to $130 million, must very quickly reach $500 million... and go beyond that," Israeli minister Orna Barbivai told journalists.

Her remarks came after the signing of a trade deal alongside Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour, which aims to designate special industrial zones in Morocco.

The deal will also boost cooperation between the two countries' private sectors and allow for the exchange of expertise in the field of innovation, Mezzour said.

The Moroccan minister moreover pointed to sectors with "strong investment potential", including the digital sector, agribusiness, automotives, aerospace, renewable energy and pharmaceuticals.

Barbivai arrived in Rabat on Sunday for a four-day visit, marking the latest step in efforts to expand cooperation between the two countries since they normalised ties in late 2020.

The trip comes less than three months after Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz made an unprecedented visit in November, signing a security pact that angered Morocco's neighbour and rival Algeria, and the Palestinians.

Earlier on Monday, Barbivai and her Moroccan counterpart Nadia Fettah Alaoui reviewed agreements "under negotiation" over taxation and customs cooperation, a Moroccan economy ministry statement said.

The Israeli minister is scheduled to visit economic capital Casablanca and tourist hub Marrakesh, to tour Israeli textile and agricultural companies and to meet ministers and business representatives during her four-day trip.
Mali's lawmakers on Monday approved a plan allowing the military junta to rule for up to five years, AFP journalists said, despite regional sanctions imposed on the country over delayed elections.

The army-dominated legislature also decided that the country's interim president cannot stand for a future democratic election, as part of the same bill.

After staging a coup in the impoverished Sahel state in August 2020, Mali's military rulers initially promised to stage a vote in February 2022.

But in December last year, the junta proposed staying in power for between six months and five years, citing security concerns.

In response, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) last month imposed a trade embargo and closed its borders with Mali. The bloc has called the potential length of the transition unacceptable.

On Monday, 120 members of Mali's 121-seat interim parliament, called the National Transitional Council,voted to allow the junta to govern for up to five years.

It also voted to forbid the interim president from standing for future election.

Of the lawmakers attending the vote, none voted against the bill or abstained, AFP journalists present said.

The bill does not mention Mali's Interim President Colonel Assimi Goita by name -- leaving open the possibility that he could run if he steps down ahead of a future election.

Nor does the bill mention on what date a future election might be held.

Goita has pledged to restore civilian rule, but he has refused to commit to a date.

Tensions with the junta contributed to France's announcement last week that it was withdrawing its troops from Mali which are deployed under the anti-jihadist Barkhane force in the Sahel.

The landlocked nation of 21 million people has struggled to contain a brutal jihadist insurgency that emerged in 2012, before spreading three years later to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Across the region, thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed and two million people have been displaced by the conflict, of which Mali remains the epicentre.

On Monday, ECOWAS stated that its mediator for Mali, former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, will visit the capital Bamako on Thursday.
21.02.2022 LISTEN

2019, was declared by President Akufo-Addo as the Year of Return for Africans in the Diaspora, as part of its commemoration of the 400th year since the first slave ship from Africa landed in Virginia. The declaration and related events were aimed at reviving the unification of Africans on the continent with their Daspora brethren.

This was a fantastic initiative by all standards that must be applauded. That notwithstanding, we can never mention the "Year of Return" without giving credit to H.E. John Dramani Mahama for his role in the home coming agenda of Africans in the Diaspora.

On December 28, 2016, he granted 34 Ghanaian citizenships to Africans in the Diaspora. At an event to launch the "Right to Return" project, President Mahama said: "I'm not giving you anything in citizenship, you are already citizens of this continent, I'm only giving you your right that was taken away from you."

"Let me say that in doing this, I deserve no thanks or praise because I'm giving back to you what rightfully belongs to you," he continued.

This is a clear justification of the fact that former President Mahama is the initiator of the home coming of Africans in the Diaspora agenda in Ghana which cannot be disputed. The closest claim one can make is that the "Year of Return" was a continuation of Mahama's "Right to Return."

This is what great and visionary leaders do; they set the pace for others to follow. That is Mahama for you. I am still at a shock how we ever allowed him to slip away.

Nevertheless, we still have hope, and we cannot help but agree with Charles Wesley that the Lord has been his strength.

According to the Bible, for those God foreknew, He predestined and in the end He glorified. President Mahama's life is predestined, and will end in glory. The Captain of Israel's Host will guide him and will never abandon him in 2024.

Anthony Obeng Afrane
Ghana's first trial on the introduction of genetically modified foods into our agriculture

21.02.2022 LISTEN

The case for Food Sovereignty Ghana & 3 ors Vs National Biosafety Committee & 4 ors, SUIT NO. HRC/43/15, appeared before the Human Rights High Court in Accra on February 16th and 17th 2022 in a continuation of the trial of Ghana's first legal challenge of bioengineering in food.

FSG's Communications Director, Edwin Kweku Andoh Baffour sat in the witness box for cross-examination by the Counsel for the 1st to 4th defendants on February 16th and the proceedings continued on February 17th.

Counsel for the fifth defendant also cross-examined FSG's witness. Lawyer Wayoe Ghanamannti raised several objections and also took a turn at cross-examining the witness to establish the crux of his testimony with the court.

The court set March 1, 2022 as the date for the plaintiff's second witness, Dr Christoph Then to be cross-examined.

Dr. Christoph, then Executive Director of Testbiotech ( www.testbiotech.org ). He studied veterinary medicine and has been working for about 20 years on issues in the field of biotechnology.

From 1992 until 1998, he coordinated the 'No Patent On Life!' campaign in Germany. Till the end of 2007, he was Greenpeace Germanys expert and also Head of Department on Agriculture, Genetic Engineering and Consumer Affairs.

Testbiotech is acting as an independent expert group, dealing with the impact assessment of biotechnology. Testbiotech promotes independent research, examines ethical, social and economic issues and assesses risks to health and the environment. "No Patents On Seeds! is an international coalition of civil society groups that is calling for the prohibition of patents on plants and animals.

FSG will again call as witness, Prof Latham from the USA to assist with this genetic engineering debate. We shall be announcing the details soon.

FSG is most grateful to these world-renowned scientists for graciously agreeing to testify on our behalf. We believe that Ghana is blessed to have these two genetic engineering experts to explain this highly scientific matter to the Court of Ghana because this is a critical global matter and not just about Ghana gov't policy of getting Ghanaians to eat GMOs.

FSG has for the past nine years been advocating against the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in Ghana's agriculture.

Seven years ago in 2015, at the first announcement of plans to commercially release genetically modified cowpeas and rice on the Ghanaian market by government agencies, FSG was left with no choice but to sue the relevant bodies connected to the intended approval for commercial release of Bt cowpeas and NEWEST rice. The case was filed in March 2015.

FSG's main concern was that this was the first time humans were going to feed on this type of GM Cowpea.

Crucially, of great significance, is the absence of any long term epidemiological studies regarding its effects on human health and the environment.

The release carrying news of an application for commercial release was also problematic because according to the Ghanaian Scientists themselves, the GMO cowpea would look no different from the conventional Songotra variety grown locally.

FSG's Counsel, Lawyer Wayoe Ghanamannti, is holding forth in Court and we pray and know that the good spirits of the good people of Ghana are with FSG and our legal team as we fight to protect the food we all eat as citizens.

Hearing continues for our first witness, Communications Director, Edwin Kweku Andoh Baffour. The court adjourned till February 28th at 1pm.

Source: Food Sovereignty Ghana
Private legal practitioner, Isaac Wilberforce Mensah is questioning the propriety of the charges pressed against the leader of the #FixTheCountry Movement, Oliver Barker-Vormawor by the state.

Mr. Barker-Vormawor was remanded in custody by the court after an earlier arrest by the police when he arrived in Ghana.

He has been charged with treason felony for making comments on social media suggesting a coup d' etat.

Speaking to Citi News, Isaac Wilberforce Mensah urged the state to consider charging the suspect with sedition instead.

Treason Felony under 128 (b) is focusing on the usurpation of executive power. Is fighting E-levy a usurpation of executive power? The word here is usurp which, in its literal dictionary meaning, means taking over executive power. So I think we really need to look at these matters carefully. I will have thought that prosecution may come under the laws of sedition among others which have to do with the publication of such materialsThe matter is still under investigation, and it can change at any time. As we speak right now, treason is not a crime in Ghana because there is no punishment ascribed to it, he suggested.

#FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, was charged with treason felony after he made comments on social media that have been deemed to be a coup threat.

The Ashaiman District Court on Monday, February 14, 2022, remanded Mr. Barker-Vormawor, into police custody till February 28.

In a related development, the High Court in Tema threw out an application by, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, to compel the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Attorney-General to answer some questions about his detention .

He wanted justification as to why he was kept in police custody for more than 48 hours before being arraigned at the Ashaiman District court on Monday, February 14.

However, the presiding judge, Justice Daniel Mensah, maintained that the 'habeas corpus' application filed by his lawyers cannot hold because Mr. Barker-Vormawo has already been put before a court and has been denied bail.

The judge advised his counsel to either appeal against the bail refusal by the District Court or apply for the same at the High Court.

---citinewsroom
A couple of days after West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar returned Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recommendation to convene Assembly session from March 7, stating that the proposal did not meet constitutional norms, Banerjee said on Monday that it has become the duty of some people to put up resistance without even knowing the reason.

"There are some people whom I respect, don't disrespect. Showing disrespect doesn't go with my constitution. It has become their duty to interrupt without even knowing the reason," the Chief Minister said, adding, "I don't know why he is doing this. This is delaying things unnecessarily."

Banerjee went on to say, "The Governor returned the file. I am the Chief Minister and I have signed the file. He is saying to get it approved by the Cabinet and then send the file."

The Chief Minister claimed that she is the voice of the Cabinet.

"However, despite that I have been trying to be decent and send the file approved by the Cabinet," she added.

Banerjee was referring to the incident when Dhankhar returned the Chief Minister's recommendation to convene an Assembly session from March 7, stating that the proposal did not meet constitutional norms.

In a video tweet, Dhankhar had said, "The Constitution permits the Governor to summon the House on the recommendation of the Cabinet. This is spelt out in the Constitution as also the process is laid down in the rule of business.

"The government sent me a file on February 17 seeking to summon the Assembly on March 7. However, that had the endorsement of the Chief Minister. The role of the Cabinet decision in this situation is necessary."

"The only option that I had was to send the file back to the government so that they can send it back with constitutional compliance. As and when the file comes, the matter will be considered in accordance with the Constitution," he added.

It should be mentioned here that Banerjee had earlier alleged that the Governor had withheld several files, causing delay to the development of the state.

In reply, Dhankhar had said that there is no file pending with him, and if any file is pending then the onus is on the state government and not the Raj Bhavan.
A leading members of the #FixTheCountry Movement, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has refuted claims that he worked under former President John Mahama as a presidential staffer.

He said the allegations levelled against him by the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe aka Abronye DC are factually inaccurate.

A release from the private legal practitioner and law academic who is currently in prison custody said available public information does not support the claims Abronye DC made in his statement to the Ghana Police Service.

I have today furnished the Police with a list of officers appointed by the former President, under the Office of the President Act and which was reported to Parliament by the office of the former President during all his time in office, he said.

As the Police will confirm, the list does not contain my name, and there is no record anywhere that presents me as a presidential appointee to who the term presidential staffer properly applies, he added.

He has also dismissed claims that he received GHS20,000 monthly while he worked as presidential staffer under Mahama.

The Cambridge PhD student, currently in police custody, explained that he worked as a civil servant at the Foreign Affairs Ministry but only seconded to the presidency as a liaison officer for the ministry.

He said he worked there for two years before he resigned to work for the United Nations.

---3news.com
The investigator in the case involving the 14 alleged murderers of the late Major Maxwell Adams Mahama, says Kofi Nyame, an accused in the case hit the deceased with a 5-inch cement block on the head.

Chief Inspector Samuel Agyarkwa, who is also the 14th prosecution witness, told the court that the accused used the block to hit the deceased when he was lying beside a wall of a mud house.

He drops the block on his head, the witness said during a further cross-examination by Mr Theophilus Donkor, the Counsel for Nyame and John Bosie.

Fourteen persons are standing trial at an Accra High Court over the killing of Major Mahama, who was an officer of the 5th Infantry Battalion at Burma Camp.

The late Major was on duty at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region when on May 29, 2017, some residents allegedly mistook him for an armed robber and lynched him.

The mob had ignored his persistent plea that he was an officer of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The accused persons are William Baah, the Assemblymember of Denkyira-Obuasi, Bernard Asamoah alias Daddy, Kofi Nyame a.k.a Abortion, Akwasi Boah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi, Michael Anim and Bismarck Donkor.

Others are John Bosie, Akwasi Baah, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismarck Abanga and Kwadwo Anima.

The Counsel disagreed with the witness, saying if a 5-inch block was used on the head of the deceased, it would damage the skull of his head.

Asked whether he took charge statement from the accused persons, the witness answered in the affirmative, adding that both were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder.

The Lawyer asked the witness whether his investigations revealed that the accused persons had met before the sudden death of Maj. Mahama?

Chief Inspector Agyarkwa responded, saying: My lord, l cannot tell but both accused

persons were at the same place when the late Maj. Mahama was murdered, and they took part in the attack.

They actively took part in lynching Maj. Mahama and the video confirmed their participation couple with their own statement given to the police, the investigator said.

Mr Donkor then prayed to the court to ask the witness to make available his Diary of Action used during his investigations.

GNA
An Accra Circuit Court has adjourned the case of Charles Nii Armah Mensah, aka Shatta Wale, a dancehall artiste and three others for one month.

This follows a petition filed by Mr Jerry Avernogbor, Counsel for Shatta to the Chief Justice, a source told the GNA.

The prosecution, at the last sitting, explained that when a case was withdrawn, it had to be sent to an office under the Chief Justice for reassignment to a new judge or court.

The court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh, therefore adjourned the matter to March 21.

Chief Inspector Dennis Terkpetey had at the last sitting indicated that the prosecution was withdrawing the charge.

Lawyers for Shatta Wale had objected to same, saying the Police was not empowered to withdraw the charges and if they wanted to, they must justify their actions.

Shatta wale is standing trial with Kojo Owusu Koranteng, aka Nana Dope, Eric Ventnor, aka Gangee and Iddrisu Yusif for publication of false news.

They have denied the charge and are on bail.

GNA
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, says international organisations have hailed Ghana's first digital 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC).

Mr Nkrumah said the successful release of the results within 44 days of exiting the field had received international interest in the lessons learned from the implementation of the 2021 PHC.

In addition to sharing statistics, engaging with data users and advocating for data uptake for decision-making, the objectives of the 2021 PHC dissemination strategy includes conducting sustained intercensal activities for continuity and maintain public awareness of the importance of the census and sharing lessons learned from the 2021 PHC with the global community, he said.

This was in a speech read by Ms Fatimatu Abubakar, the Deputy Minister of Information on behalf of the Minister on Monday in Accra at a Census Workshop on the theme: Good Practice in Digital Censuses.

The workshop, which seeks to provide the platform for sharing valuable lessons from the 2021 PHC and to explore the use of new technologies to improve data collection, brought together over 70 experts from 17 countries, including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Office of National Statistics.

The UNFPA officials in July 2021 expressed satisfaction about the 2021 PHC during a visit to selected centres in Osu and Adabraka to monitor the exercise, which started on Monday, June 28, 2021.

Mr Niyi Ojuolape, the UNFPA Country Representative, said: From what we have seen during our monitoring exercise, the processes were going on well and we hope it will continue.

Mr Nkrumah said Ghana was one of the few countries that successfully conducted the census during COVID-19 pandemic due to the integration of technology such as virtual engagements and automation of processes, and strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

He said some countries had delayed theirs because of the pandemic as it created more operational challenges, such as ensuring public confidence and procuring relevant PPEs.

There are other challenges associated with delaying censuses, particularly around financing and resourcing the census, which the Ghana Statistical Service faced but successfully overcame with government support, development of partnerships and leveraging of resources, he said.

Despite the challenges, the Minister said censuses must be conducted because they provided fundamental information for monitoring the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Agenda 2063 and the national development agendas.

That, he explained was important because censuses provided consistent and timely information disaggregated for small population groups and small geographies and was vital to the leave no one behind agenda for the exercise.

He said the Ghana Statistical Service would release the final five volumes of the General Report of the 2021 PHC this week, saying we will have access to myriad indicators from all modules of the census questions for decision-making.

Ms Enyonam Azumah, Team leader for Human Development, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, said Population and Housing Censuses were one of the most complex and costly statistical operations.

The introduction of technology, she stated, such as collection on an electronic device was innovative with benefits to the timeliness and quality of the information collected.

Touching on partnership, she said the recent Strategic Vision set out by the UK Foreign Secretary reiterated the UK's commitment to building a stronger network of technology and the use of innovative digital approaches to accelerate development outcomes.

The provisional figures from the 2021 PHC show that there are 30.8 million people in Ghana, compared to 24.7 million people recorded in the 2010 census, the Ghana Statistical Service announced.

The 2021 PHC counted and collected detailed information on all persons that spent the Census Night, that is Sunday 27th June 2021, in the country.

The initial enumeration period was from June 27 to July 11, 2021, with a mop-up period, first for one week and subsequently extending it to August 15 in some areas with challenges.

Prior to the Census Night, the listing of structures took place between 13th and 25th June 2021. Structures listed were completed buildings, uncompleted buildings at various levels of completion above window level and unconventional structures such as metal containers, and kiosks.

The census is expected to provide important information to support the evidence-based implementation of the national development agenda and support the tracking of achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 of the African Union.

GNA
Two key ministers from the Upper West Region have urged residents to accept the E-levy to speed up development.

Mr Amidu Chinnia Issahaku, the Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources and Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister of the Interior, who addressed participants at a Town Hall meeting in Wa on the E-levy, asked Ghanaians not to depend on the opposition party for credible information on the electronic transaction tax.

Mr Issahaku observed that since Ghanaians were not backing down on their demands for development and salary adjustments, the government needed to find an innovative way of generating revenue to meet demands.

He said the road from Wa-Tumu-Bolgatanga needed to be worked on, saying, "As long as the people are entitled to demand development, the government too has to devise innovative ways to find money to meet the people's demands."

"Citizens must be willing to pay more to get the needed development," he said.

Mr Issahaku, who is also the MP for Sissalla East, said three new tax measures had been introduced in Europe to revive the economies of some countries there and that radical measures were needed to revive the Ghanaian economy too.

He quoted former President John Mahama, who once said IMF was like a bitter pill to administer to a patient and stressed that going to IMF for funding would freeze employment in the country.

Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister of the Interior and MP for Nandom, said the world was going digital, saying, "If we don't tax that sector where will we get money to fund government projects."

He said the Upper West Region was safe due to the massive investment in security, saying, "In the past people could not walk freely at night without fear of attack or their motorbikes being snatched from them."

He claimed that the E-levy tax was targeting the rich but not the poor and that about 5,000 people were recruited into the police service, indicating that without the acceptance and approval of the E-levy many people could not be employed.

He described the E-levy as a reasonable tax, but some people had demonised it in such a way that others think wrongly that the E-levy was a bad tax

He appealed to all Ghanaians to accept the E-levy, which would help in the development of the country.

Other speakers at the forum included Ken Ofori Atta, Minister of Finance, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information and Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, all took turns to explain the importance of the E-levy to the development of the country.

GNA
The National Executive Committee of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has resolved to suspend its strike action.

This was disclosed by the General Secretary of the University of Ghana Chapter of UTAG, Prof. Ransford Gyampo in a Facebook post.

He however noted that per UTAGs constitution, members of the Association have five days within which to vote to reject or accept the decision of the NEC.

Be informed that at a National Executive Committee meeting held this evening, we decided to suspend our industrial action and to allow negotiations to commence and be concluded in two weeks.

UTAG has been on strike since January 10 to force the government to restore the conditions of service agreed in 2012.

An injunction has however been placed on the strike after an appeal by the National Labour Commission (NLC).

The court has on two occasions ordered both parties to adopt an out-of-court settlement.

UTAG has however not taken a decision to end the strike. The 2012 conditions of service pegged the Basic plus Market Premium of a lecturer at $2,084.42.

UTAG had complained that the current arrangement has reduced its members' basic premiums to $997.84.

---citinewsroom
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) grilled Ravi Narain before Chitra Ramkrishna to probe certain irregularities related to the alleged abuse of co-location (Colo) facility by a stockbroker at the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

Mr Narain was the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of NSE before handing over the charge to Ms Ramkrishna. He then became shareholder director and vice-chairman of NSE before resigning in June 2017.

Earlier, it was speculated that he had fled to London, but the CBI source confirmed that Mr Narain is very much in India and his statement was recorded.

Ravi was asked to join the investigation. He responded to our summons. He was called at a Delhi office where he was grilled. He is also a suspect in the case, the source from CBI told IANS.

He was elusive and tried to evade a lot of questions. He also requested that the lookout circular (LoC) issued against him be closed.

CBI is set to record a statement of Anand Subramanian who was hired as chief strategic adviser by Ms Ramkrishna flouting all rules.

Last week, Chitra Ramkrishna, the ex-MD and CEO of NSE, was grilled by CBI in Mumbai. On 18th February, she recorded her statement with the agency.

CBI had asked her around 50 questions. She had tried to play the victim card by claiming she did not know a lot of things. She had also claimed that she was innocent and somebody was trying to frame her.

CBI had asked her: for how long she had been sending emails to Yogi Baba; was she given any cut for sharing classified information; if yes, where did she invest the money.

CBI had already issued a LoC against Chitra, Anand Subramanian, the former group operating officer (GOO) and Ravi Narain, the ex-NSE CEO (before Chitra).

Sources told IANS that Chitra and two others involved in the case were a flight risk and, hence, the LoCs were issued. Arrests in the case are now more likely. There was a flight risk. There were possibilities that they may flee abroad and we issued the LoC by way of taking preventive steps, sources had told IANS.

The CBI has already lodged a first information report (FIR) against Ms Ramkrishna based on the 192-page order passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). SEBI recently penalised Ms Ramkrishna for passing sensitive information about NSE to this unknown or faceless spiritual entity residing in the Himalayas.

Earlier in May 2018, CBI registered a case against Sanjay Gupta, owner and promoter of OPG Securities Pvt Ltd, Aman Kakrady (brother-in-law of Sanjay), Ajay Shah (who is alleged to have facilitated Mr Gupta by developing and providing algo software Chankaya) and against some officials of SEBI and NSE.

Last year, SEBI imposed an overall penalty of over Rs5 crore on OPG Securities, along with its promoter and MD Sanjay Gupta, and two other directors, Sangeeta Gupta and Om Prakash Gupta. SEBI imposed a penalty of Rs5 crore jointly on the company and the directors, along with Rs10 lakh fine each on OPG Securities and Sanjay Gupta.

As per a complaint received by the market regulator from a whistle-blower, OPG Securities used the systems at NSE to its advantage by hiring Nagbhusan Bhat, who was working with Omnesys Technologies, to figure out which server was working better.

The brokerage also allegedly made certain arrangements with a staffer from NSE data centre, Jagdish Joshi, who would inform it of the time when the servers would start so that they could be the first to connect.

Read: NSE Algo Scam: SEBI Imposes over Rs5 Crore Penalty on OPG Securities, Sanjay Gupta and 2 Directors ) NSE was the second-largest shareholder of Omnesys Technologies which had the knowledge that connecting faster would put the server ahead in the queue. (

The colocation or algo scam came to light in mid-2015, when Moneylife wrote about it for the first time , following multiple letters from a whistle-blower. For this, NSE had filed a defamation case against us. A single-judge had penalised NSE for Rs50 lakh for filing a case against us. After filing an appeal against the order, NSE paid up the penalty. Meanwhile, in the wake of the scam, the top brass of NSE had to resign and a new management team took charge.

Last Thursday, the income-tax (I-T) department conducted searches at the Mumbai and Chennai residence of Ms Ramkrishna. At around 7am, about eight officials from the I-T department landed at the home of Ms Ramkrisha and her mothers house. Ms Ramkrishna stays at Chembur. Her mother stays in a separate house.

The I-T department also carried out a search operation at the residence of Mr Subramanian who had remained a mystery for everyone outside NSE. The searches were aimed to check charges of tax evasion and financial irregularities against her and others, a media report says quoting officials. ( Read: The Mysterious Anand Subramanian, Raided Today along with Chitra Ramkrishna

During the searches, icriminating documents were recovered from the residences of Ms Ramkrishna. The I-T department scanned various transactions and digital records. They also recorded the statements of a few of her employees.

In an order issued on 11 February 2022 , SEBI barred Chitra Ramkrishna, Ravi Narain, former vice-chairman and Anand Subramanian, former GOO and adviser to MD and CEO, from associating with any market infrastructure institution (MII) or any intermediary registered with SEBI. While imposing a monetary penalty of Rs3 crore on Ms Ramkrishna, the market regulator has asked NSE to forfeit her excess leave encashment of Rs1.54 crore and the deferred bonus of Rs2.83 crore. The market regulator also restricted NSE from launching any new product for six months.

Chitra Ramkrishna resigned from NSE on 2 December 2016. However, SEBI raised serious questions on how the NSE board allowed her to exit from the Exchange, despite the misconduct in appointing and sharing confidential information with an unknown person.

Read our coverage on NSE Algo Scam here https://www.moneylife.in/tags/nsealgoscam.html

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The Gujarat High Court (HC) division bench of chief justice Aravind Kumar and justice Ashutosh J Shastri pulled up a Gujarat police inspector for "sipping Coca-Cola" during the online hearing of a case and was punished in a unique manner last week. Inspector AM Rathod was then asked to distribute 100 Coca-Cola cans to members of the bar association or face disciplinary action.

Before the contempt proceedings against city traffic cops for thrashing a woman for traffic rule violation before the bench headed by the chief justice, Justice Aravind Kumar noticed a police officer, who had logged in in the name of police inspector A M Rathod, drinking from soft drink can.

Inspector Rathore was appearing before the court for the online hearing of a case in which he has been accused of assaulting two women at a traffic junction.

This isn't the first time that something like this happened in court. The chief justice shared that a few months back, he had similarly pulled up a lawyer for eating a samosa during a virtual court hearing. "One advocate once appeared before us was eating samosa. We said we don't have any objection to him eating samosa but the only issue was that he cannot eat samosa in front of us and everyone since others are also tempted. Either he should give it to everybody or he shouldn't eat," chief justice Kumar reportedly said.

During the hearing, when the chief justice noted the cop sipping Cola he said, "He is drinking Coca-Cola during video conferencing. Who is this police officer?" Additional Government Pleader (AGP) DM Devnani apologised on behalf of the cop. "I convey my sincere apologies. I will just ask him to switch off his video," Devnani said. Even otherwise, he is in trouble,advocate Devnani entreated. Chief justice Kumar however, refused to let it go and quipped He will be in more trouble.

"The can shows it is Coca-Cola, we don't know the contents of it. Is he an IPS officer? Is this the way an officer acts; if he would have been in physical court, would he have come with a 'Coca-Cola' can?," chief justice Kumar asked.

After that the chief justice went ahead and said, "He should distribute 100 cans of 'Coca-Cola' to everybody in the bar association, otherwise we will ask the chief secretary to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him. We will not leave him until he complies with this. It should reach by today evening."

After the chief justice directed the cop this punishment, senior advocate Bhaskar Tanna weighed in and said, "Should (it) be something less harmful than Coca-Cola, maybe lime juice?"

To which the chief justice replied with, "Amul juice. Ask him to arrange Amul juice. He also needs to show virtual proof today evening that this was done, otherwise, we wont let him go. The chief justice also warned of disciplinary proceedings against Rathod if he failed to follow the directive.
On Monday, the indices opened gap down, try to go up and ended with loss. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 328 stocks advanced, 1,847 declined and 54 remained unchanged with advance decline ratio of 0.18, indicating major weakness in broader markets.

The trend of the major indices on Mondays trading are given in the table below:

Russian President has convened the meeting of National Security Council today among the news of meeting between Russian and American President. Butterfly Gandhimati Appliances closed 7% higher after reports of Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals looking to acquire controlling stake in the company. Dhani Services closed 20% lower after reports of identity and misuse of PAN card details for availing loans.

TCS closed 2% down before its ex-date for buyback tomorrow. It has set 23 Feb as record date for buyback. Bank of Baroda Financial and IRCTC will launch a co-branded RuPay contactless credit card.

The daily passenger air traffic has crossed 3 lakh mark after 45 days signaling recovery in economic activities. MM Forging management has given guidance to achieve Rs 1,100 crore revenue for FY21-22 and Rs 1,500 crore for FY22-23.

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd will land the next generation multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives. It will connect Hulhumale directly with the worlds major internet hubs in India and Singapore.

Indiabulls Real Estate fell 15% on the news of raids by Enforcement Directorate on India Bulls group even though this company is now been taken over by Embassy group of Bangalore.

The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below:

The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below:
In a significant order, the Bombay High Court (HC) has expressed anguish and taken strong exception to several instances of notaries (persons authorised to perform certain legal formalities) working from taxis and private cars parked outside the Court premises. The Court said they degraded the legal profession and ordered them to pay costs while also directing the department of legal affairs to consider certain recommendations to the draft Notaries (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which proposed digitisation of the records of a notary.

A division bench of Justices SJ Kathawalla and MN Jadhav took note of several instances of malpractices by such notaries. The HC came across discrepancies in the affidavits submitted in a bunch of petitions.

It has recently been observed that notaries have started notarsing documents from vehicles parked in a public parking lot instead of an office/chamber. It has also been observed that notaries have been operating from taxis around the vicinity of this court, the order said. The bench noted that this practice has degraded the legal profession, causing anguish not only to the judiciary but also lowering the dignity of the profession in the eyes of the general public.

Observing that the legal profession cannot be allowed to function from streets, the HC also frowned at BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) for not taking action against advocates and notaries who are functioning from parking areas and streets manned by the BMC. The judges said they are unable to understand how BMC and the appropriate authorities have not taken any action till date.

The Court said that, while it was aware that several lawyers had to give away their office premises amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the dignity of the profession needs to be maintained and it cannot be allowed to function from the streets.

The Court said it cannot be disputed the presence of notaries in close proximity of court premises was essential. "Therefore, it is recommended notaries be provided with a designated place in and around the premises of courts without notaries having to incur the costs towards purchasing, renting an office or chamber," the bench said in its order

While hearing a case pertaining to unprofessional manner in which advocates appointed as notaries were functioning, the Bombay HC said the Notaries Act requires 'major reform' and forwarded recommendations for it to the Centre.

"We are, on a daily basis, coming across matters wherein notaries, advocates and parties are mischievously getting documents notarised," noted the bench of justices SJ Kathawalla and Milind Jadhav.

They annexed pictures to show what extent the legal profession has degraded causing anguish not only to the judiciary but also lowering the dignity of the profession in the eyes of the general public/common man.

The bench had sought for suggestions or recommendations regarding changes required in the Notaries Act and rules framed to avoid any mischief being played by advocate, notary or party in the course of getting document notarised. Advocate Nausher Kohli was appointed as amicus to assist the Court.

Advocate Kohli, along with advocate Akash Agarwal, proposed certain suggestions to the Bill, like the use of technology: including an updated list of registered notaries. It also sought an amendment to one of the form XV which provides for maintaining a notary register. The draft bill proposes digitisation and automation of notarial work.

The judges directed the department of legal affairs to consider their order and Kohlis reportsuggesting extensive use of technology and a model code of conduct for notarieswhile amending the Act.


Bharatiya Janata Party State President Satish Poonia r Bharatiya Janata Party State President Satish Poonia reminded Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of the unfulfilled resolutions in the last three years and asked him to announce a loan waiver for farmers and to reduce VAT on petrol, diesel. Poonia called a press conference two days before the announcement of the state budget and counted the issues which according to him were pending even after three years of the formation of the government. Speaking at the press conference, Poonia said, "There is information coming that around 1000 petrol pumps situated in the border areas of the state are on the verge of closure as petrol and diesel are being smuggled from adjoining states at cheaper prices. A little reduction in VAT could have eased the challenges of these petrol pump owners and people of the state as it could have helped the state to earn decent revenue. Raising a demand for farmers' loan waiver in the upcoming budget, he said there have been constant reports coming in that farmers in different areas of the state are committing suicide. A farmer in Bhilwara committed suicide 3 days ago. Also, reports of farmers' suicides have been coming from Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and other districts. Not implementing the farmer loan waiver, which was announced by Rahul Gandhi in a pre-poll rally, is a big reason for these suicides, he added. Thousands of farmers across the state have lost their lands. Over three lakh farmers have NPA loans worth Rs 6000 crore. Over one lakh farmers have lost their lands to auction. The loan waiver by cooperative banks is much less than the requirement of the farmers. Over 60 lakh farmers of Rajasthan are suffering the cons of bank loans and hence they should be given relief by announcing loan waiver in the budget, said Poonia adding that more jobs should be created as unemployment in Rajasthan also stands at 27pc He also asked the state government to furnish data on how many youths should have got jobs through skill and technical training. The Gehlot government should bring a white paper in this regard, he added.




In a setback for the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT), the Supreme Court has expunged the former's uncalled remarks against former Member (Non-Life), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) P.J. Joseph.

The Supreme Court in its recent order on an appeal filed by IRDAI against Atkins Special Risks Ltd and others said: "Having heard learned counsel for the parties and on perusal of record, we are of the opinion that the remarks made by the Tribunal against Mr. P.J. Joseph in paragraphs 8 and 9 of the impugned order dated March 16, 2018 as well as the comments in paragraph 1 of the said order were uncalled for and deserve to be set aside."

"I am happy that the uncalled remarks by SAT in its order has been expunged," Joseph told IANS.

The SAT on March 16, 2018 setting aside an IRDAI order had said: "We fail to understand as to how Member (non-life) could make such false statement in the impugned order. In our opinion, the impugned order passed by P.J. Joseph (non-life) virtually amounts to aiding and abetting corruption in the insurance business by the regulator which cannot be tolerated."

The SAT had directed the insurance regulator to entrust the matter to a competent officer other than Joseph for fresh orders on Atkins complaint on merits.

The SAT's remarks were questioned by legal eagles then.

"The stinging remarks against the Member (Non-Life) by name, with due respect to the SAT, are quite unfortunate and seem to be crossing swords with the repeated and well advised principle of 'judicial restraint' by the Supreme Court of India," D. Varadarajan, a Supreme Court advocate specialising in company/competition/insurance laws, had told IANS.

Going by an SAT order dated March 16, the concerned IRDAI official was not even arraigned as a party, Varadarajan added.

The IRDAI on January 9, 2018, disposed off the complaint by London-based reinsurance broker Atkins Special Risks Ltd against rival Marsh India Insurance Brokers Pvt Ltd of poaching its reinsurance business offering unlawful payment to Jagdish Pershad Gupta, Chairman, Jagson International Ltd.

Atkins' complaint was that between 2002 to 2012 it provided international reinsurance cover to Jagson. From 2010 onwards Jagson's Gupta started demanding, through email, a cut in Atkins commission.

In 2012, Jagson's reinsurance business was given to Marsh.

Atkins hired a private investigation firm to find out any payment of kick-backs by Marsh to Gupta.

As per the SAT's order, the investigation firm had confirmed kick-backs to Gupta for diverting the reinsurance business to Marsh from Atkins.

Atkins alleged that during the telephonic conversation, Gupta had said that Marsh had agreed to pay him $4,00,000 in order to obtain Jagson's business.

The SAT, in its order, said Atkins had relied on documentary evidence in support of the contention that Gupta had sought a bribe and was bribed by the officers of Marsh for diverting the reinsurance business from the appellant to Marsh.

The IRDAI stand that Atkins did not submit any documentary proof is false, said SAT.

An IRDAI official had then told IANS that the proof given by Atkins was not strong and hence focused investigation on Marsh's books were not made.

The right to appoint or change reinsurance broker vests with the primary insurer. Interestingly, neither the IRDAI's order nor the SAT order mentions the name of the primary insurer for Jagson or the reason for the change in reinsurance broker.

Reinsurance plays a major role in insuring huge risks. Many private general insurers are happy to front the business as the primary insurer passing on the lion's portion of the risk to reinsurers. As a result the reinsurance brokers gained importance, a senior industry official had told IANS.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.
February 21, 2022

Russia's Security Council Recommends To Recognize The Donbas Republics

Updated (again) below

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The Russian National Security Council has been meeting today to discuss the recognition of the Donetzk People's Republic (DNR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LNR) as independent states.

The whole meeting was shown on public TV. RT-English provided a live translation. The purpose of the show was to present Russia's arguments to an international public.

Last week the Russian parliament submitted a resolution which asked the president of Russia to recognize the DNR and LNR. Earlier today the leaders of the DNR and LNR made a formal official request to recognize their republics.

The security council heard the opinions of the prime minister, foreign minister and defense minister. The leaders of parliament and of the security services also spoke.

The military reported that earlier today a group of Ukrainian saboteurs had tried to cross onto Russian ground but was prevent from doing so. A published video of the incident showed two burning BMP infantry fighting vehicles. Russia says that five of the intruders have been killed and one of them has been arrested.

Defense minister Shoigu reported that there are some 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers at the border of the DNR and LNR together with more than 500 tanks and lots of artillery. He also pointed out that the Ukrainian president Zelensky had announced that the Ukraine would leave the Budapest agreement and start to build nuclear bombs. He said the Ukraine has the knowledge and means to do that and called the move extremely dangerous.

It was pointed out that recent artillery attacks had destroyed part of the water supply for Donetzk and that the destruction of a pipeline left many people without gas. This is seen as an emergency situation. Some 70,000 refugees have been received in Russia.

Several members of the security council pointed out that some 700,000 of the 4.6 million inhabitants of the rebellious Donbas region already have a Russian passport, some 500,000 more have applied for one. These are formal Russian citizens which Russia must protect from harm.

All members were of the opinion that the current situation needs a new solution. The Ukrainian government is obviously unwilling to fulfill the Minsk agreements by giving more autonomy to its Donbas region. It is instead trying to regain the region by war.

All were of the opinion that the republics should therefore be recognized. The head of Russia's foreign intelligence service, Sergey Naryshkin, said the the republics should be integrated into Russia. Putin told him that such a step was not under discussion.

After hearing all opinions Putin said that he would make the decision later today.

What would it mean if Russia recognizes the DNR and LNR as sovereign states? For one - the Minsk agreement, which the Ukraine does not want to implement anyway, would be null and void.

What other steps would follow was not discussed but there are certain possibilities.

The DNR and LNR could ask for a common defense agreement with the Russian Federation. The Russian military could then move into the DNR and LNR.

Neither the DNR nor the LNR incorporate all land that defines the formal administrative Donetzk and Luhansk regions of the Ukraine. The republics, with Russia'S help, could try to extend the border of DNR and LNR to the original administrative borders of those regions. That probably would mean a war which I still find unlikely to happen.

The economic integration of the DNR and LNR into Russia's economy should be no problem. Both regions are rather rich with minerals like anthracite coal. Both have large industrial installations and a well educated Russian speaking public.

An open question is what the 'west' would do if Russia recognizes the republics.

The national security council is expecting more sanctions but several members shrugged them off. They said that sanctions would be imposed anyway no matter what Russia does or does not do. They expect that in the long term the sanctions will increase Russia's autonomy and expand its economy. The sanctions are also expected to erode over time as Russia offers desirable products and is in itself a large market.

I find it unlikely that the 'west' would impose all sanctions it has prepared in response to Russia's move today. It would the expense of all economic ammunition that can be used against Russia. As Russia still could take more serious action some sanctions must be held back for that eventuality.

Later today Russia's president Vladimir Putin will give a televised speech to announce his decision.

I will update this post when it is known.

Update:

Maxim A. Suchkov @m_suchkov - 18:11 UTC  Feb 21, 2022 #Putin has just had phone calls with @OlafScholz & @EmmanuelMacron. #Kremlin says #Russian president "briefed both leaders on the results of Security Council gathering & told them he is going to respective order [apparently on recognition of LNR/DNR].

Update 18:28 UTC:

The above tweet has now been confirmed by an official Kremlin statement about the phone call (machine translation):

Vladimir Putin had telephone conversations with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron and Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz. Vladimir Putin informed about the results of the expanded meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, which considered the current situation around Donbass in the context of the State Duma's decision on the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. Today, the leadership of the DPR and LPR received appeals to recognize their sovereignty in connection with the military aggression of the Ukrainian authorities, massive shelling of the territory of Donbass, as a result of which the civilian population suffers. With all this in mind, the President of Russia said that he intended to sign a relevant decree in the near future. The President of France and the Federal Chancellor of Germany expressed their disappointment with this development. At the same time, they indicated their readiness to continue contacts.

Update 19:42 UTC:

It has happened. After a TV speech on the development of the Ukraine since the begin of Soviet communism and after laying out the list of Russian grievances with western aggression Putin signed the official recognition of the Donbas republics as independent states. There are now also cooperation agreements on defense and other issues signed by Putin as well as the heads of the Donbas republics.

If the Ukraine continues its war on Donbas Russia will respond with force.

Posted by b on February 21, 2022 at 17:42 UTC | Permalink

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Moultrie, GA (31768)

Today

Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.
The Russian strategy in the ongoing Ukrainian crisis is aimed at not allowing NATO to accept Ukraine as its member. In reality the war clouds have thickened due to the American and British stance and verbosity.

The ongoing war of nerves and escalating tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine has entered its fourth month after the Russian forces started their build-up in areas near the Ukrainian border in November 2021, but the genesis of the conflict goes back to 2013 or even to 2008, when Ukraine applied for NATO membership.

Historically, Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union until 1991 and is currently a country lodged between Russia and Europe. After 1991 even its polity seemed to be under Moscow's influence and its foreign policy over the years has wavered being either pro-Russia or pro-European Union.

But the current crisis owes its genesis to a rather vital source of energy, i.e. natural gas, which both the Russians and the Americans have not clearly mentioned in their talks or given out as a reason for the conflict.

Genesis of the crisis

If we try to decode the crisis we found that it is basically about energy and how it will shape-up the regional and global geopolitics. It is a fact that in spite of various global initiatives and campaigns to replace the fossil fuels, we still do not have any viable source of sustainable technology, which could provide low-cost and dependable power on a massive global scale. In this scenario, natural gas, the least polluting fossil fuel has become more and more critical as an viable energy source.

Russia, which is the world's largest exporter of natural gas, currently supplies about 35 per cent of Europe's demand. In reality at the heart of the current conflict lies the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which will link Russian gas fields directly with Germany - the largest European economy, resulting in Western Europe becoming more dependent on Russian gas.

In 2021 Germany whose 13.3 per cent energy needs were met by nuclear energy needs Nord Stream 2 gas supply really quick, as it is committed to shut down its nuclear plants by the end of this year. Though Germany has invested massively in wind and solar power generation, yet it can't be sure about their final gestation. One of Germany's largest trade partners Russia hopes to meet Germany's energy demands through Nord stream 2.

Nord Stream

Nord Stream is a labyrinth of offshore natural gas pipelines in Europe, running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany and then further on to Western Europe. The Nord Stream projects have been fiercely opposed by the United States and Ukraine, as well as by other Central and Eastern European countries, because of concerns that the pipelines would increase Russia's influence and bargaining power in Europe.

In the past older Russian pipelines carrying gas to Europe passed through Ukraine. These gas pipelines generated revenue for Ukraine, as they passed through its land. But Russia in 2010 launched the Nord Stream 1 bypassing Ukraine through under sea pipelines in the Baltic Sea, Nord Stream 2, targeted to go on-stream by the middle of this year, follows the same route and will double the gas supply through the network to 110 billion cubic metres per year.

Further, the US advisors think that Vladimir Putin will be able to use Nord Stream 2 for strategic leverage as he'll be controlling a vital energy source to many European countries. And this may impact the American influence in the region.

Russia-Ukraine Ties

Historically, Ukraine has always acted as a natural buffer zone between Russia and Europe. It has always given enough lead-time to Russian army to prepare and strategies while the enemy forces passes through the vast steppes of Ukraine.

However, even after the break-up of the former Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has tried to control Ukraine, through installing puppet governments. But since the early 2010s, most of the regimes in power in Ukraine have shown pro-US tendencies. To warn such regimes, Putin annexed the Crimean region from Ukraine in 2014.

After losing Crimea, Ukraine applied for NATO membership with more vigour. Putin cautioned NATO that it would face consequences if Ukraine were accepted as a member.

The danger upper most in Russian generals view is that in case of Ukraine becoming a NATO member, NATO boots would be much more nearer to Russia.

In the latest episode, the American and British reactions, after Russia started to build up its military presence at the Ukrainian border in November 2021, were very hysterical and during the last two months the American leadership has predicted a Russian attack the very next week, but so far nothing has happened on that front. Biden's first statement on the conflict avowed that the US would not allow Nord Stream 2 to go on-stream if Russia invaded Ukraine. He also warned Russia of strict international sanctions.

Meanwhile, to complicate matters further, Russian-backed rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine have announced plans for military mobilisation amidst increasing tensions. Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said he had issued a decree for "general mobilisation" on Saturday, while another separatist leader, Leonid Pasechnik, signed a similar decree for the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic.

But Putin knows quite well that a full-scale invasion of Ukraine will be enormously costly for the US and West European countries. No one could predict Putin's next action but the real intention behind all this brinkmanship is that he is insistent on keeping Ukraine as a buffer zone and could go to any extent to thwart the US plus UK and western European countries' effort to allow Ukraine in their and NATO's camp and influence. So far, he has been able to achieve this through intimidating tactics and not war, as he also knows that how costly that scenario would be for Russia. And if Germany were forced to cancel its Nord Stream 2 contract than the economic cost of a war would be a financial catastrophe for Russia, which it is ready to avoid.
A police officer views the crime scene where one person was shot dead and five others were wounded, at Normandale Park in Portland, Oregon, Feb. 19, 2022.
Hardee Auto Sales is looking to relocate its dealership to the Conway city limits, but the company needs city officials to approve an annexation request and rezoning to make its plans work.

The move would create a new U.S. 501 headquarters for the dealership, eventually closing its satellite office off U.S. 701 and using its existing location  also on U.S. 501  for additional space, said Trent Hardee, one of the applicants.

Conway leaders heard about the request to rezone and annex 18.6 acres during Monday's council meeting.

Craig and Trent Hardee, on behalf of Hardee Family Holding, LLC, filed an annexation petition in December. They are also seeking to rezone the property from Horry County Commercial Forestry Agriculture to Conway Highway Commercial. The property, located at 3525 U.S. 501, is just north of Tractor Supply and, upon being developed, would be accessible from U.S. 501 and Highway 548. The land is currently vacant.

Trent Hardee said the dealership plans to develop eight of the 18.6 acres along U.S. 501.

We just want something thats going to be an addition to that side of Conway, Trent Hardee said. Weve grown over the years. We just need space for sales and admin staff. We want to expand that footprint some.

Hardee said the company will also close its satellite office off U.S. 701 on the north side of Conway due to a RIDE III project that would widen that road. He noted that the property will be condemned by the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the dealership is currently in negotiations with DOT.

Hardee Autos current location is at 3990 U.S. 501, just north of the proposed development in city limits. The dealership has used that location since the mid-90s. The current location will be converted to auxiliary space.

Earlier this month, the Conway Planning Commission voted in favor of recommending the request to city council.

The push behind this is to consolidate this to a one-shop center, Trent Hardee said at the planning meeting.
Horry-Georgetown Technical Colleges new offer of free tuition will help Christopher Johnson reach his goal of becoming a teacher, and being the first of his siblings to go to college.

It lifts a huge burden off our shoulders, Johnson said, while his two-year-old daughter played in the background.

The college announced last week that free tuition would be available to students applying for classes this semester, as well as for summer and fall, thanks to a combination of state funds and the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF), said HGTC spokesperson Nicole Hyman.

Some people in Johnsons life told him hed never be able to go to college, as he said he spent a lot of time in trouble and never got his high school diploma.

I struggled as a young kid when I was going through school  I tried to pull myself out of this hole, and before I knew it I was left in the dust and I couldnt pass, Johnson said.

Now in his thirties, Johnson finally received his GED in 2019 and immediately began attending HGTC in pursuit of a degree in early childhood development. His wife works full time while he attends school full time.

Johnson has two semesters left before he takes advantage of the partnership between HGTC and Coastal Carolina University, where he can finish two years at HGTC and transfer to complete his teaching degree at CCU.

Two times in a row, the Johnsons landlords decided to sell the homes the Johnsons were renting. They were crunching the numbers to figure out how to save up for a new place to live, and continue to keep Johnson in school when they found out about the free tuition program.

Thats something I didnt expect to happen and when I got the info I thought, Man, this is awesome! Every penny can go to getting us into a place, getting us on our feet, Johnson said.

He hopes that people in similar situations can take advantage of HGTCs opportunity.

This really opens the door for students like me who are in their thirties or even their forties who want to get a career going for themselves and are afraid they cant do it, Johnson said.
St. Rose of Lima parishioners held a parade in May 2020 to honor the Rev. Alexander Anderson's 45 years as a priest, and he was treated to his first ride on a motorcycle.
Russian battleplans have called for an "overwhelming intensity of fire" on Ukraine that could kill "tens of thousands" within the opening days of a conflict, as President Vladimir Putin moved his troops within three miles of the two countries' border, the US has warned.

Tanks, trucks and artillery have been spotted just two and a half miles from Ukrainian territory in Russia's Belgorod region as new satellite images reveal convoys and troops hiding in civilian areas and the tree-lines of forests in Soloti and Valuyki - a short distance from Ukraine's Kharkiv region where major military bases are located, the Daily Mail reported.

Diplomacy is continuing despite the threat, though the Kremlin on Monday downplayed the possibility of a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Putin after the White House said that the American leader had agreed "in principle" to talks brokered by France, provided war did not break out in the meantime.

"It's premature to talk about any specific plans for organising any kind of summits," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that no "concrete plans" had been put in place for a meeting, the Daily Mail reported.

The next high-level negotiations between the two sides are due for Wednesday this week, when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with the issue of Biden- Putin talks expected to be on the agenda.

Meanwhile Russian military exercises in Belarus which were due to end on Sunday were extended to an unspecified date, meaning 30,000 men plus ballistic missile launchers, artillery and tanks will remain in place on Ukraine's northern border and within easy striking distance of Kiev.

Biden warned at the weekend that Putin has already given the order to attack, leaving the world guessing as to where and how hard the hammer will fall.

American officials who claimed to have seen some of the Kremlin's battle plans warned that a full scale bombardment of the country is being prepared.

"We were told to expect tens of thousands of casualties in the opening days," one of the officials told The New York Times.
Scotsdale asks voters to approve measure that would allow town to not hold some elections
President Joe Biden View Photo

President Biden delivered a speech on the situation with Russia and Ukraine.

Biden was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

Today, I made two vital calls, as Ive been making for some months now  two vital calls that  on the situation in Russia and Ukraine.

The first was to a bipartisan group of members of Congress who are currently representing the United States, along with Vice President Harris at the Munich Security Conference.

The second was the latest in a series of calls over the past many months with the heads of state of our NATO Allies and the European Union to bring them up to date on what the United States thinks is the current state of affairs, and whats likely to happen in Ukraine in the coming days, to ensure that we continue to remain in lockstep  that is the European Union and NATO.

Despite Russias efforts to divide us at home and abroad, I can affirm that has not happened. The overwhelming message of both  on both calls was one of unity, determination, and resolve. I shared with all of those on the calls what we know about a rapidly escalating crisis in Ukraine.

Over the last few days, weve seen reports of a major uptick in violations of the ceasefire by Russian-backed fighters attempting to provoke Ukraine in the Donbas. For example, a shelling of a Ukrainian kindergarten yesterday, which Russia has falsely asserted was carried out by Ukraine. We also continue to see more and more disinformation being pushed out by  to the Russian public, including the Russian-backed separatists, claiming that Ukraine is planning to launch a massive offensive attack in the Donbas.

Well, look, there is simply no evidence of these assertions, and it and devies [sic]  it defies basic logic to believe the Ukrainians would choose this moment, with well over 150,000 troops arrayed on its borders, to escalate a year-long conflict.

Russia state media also continues to make phony allegations of a genocide taking place in the Donbas and push fabricated claims warning about Ukraines attack on Russia without any evidence. Thats just what Im sure Ukraine is thinking of doing  attacking Russia.

All these are consistent with the playbook the Russians have used before: to set up a false justification to act against Ukraine. This is also in line with the pretext scenarios that the United States and our Allies and partners have been warning about for weeks.

Throughout these tense moments, the Ukrainian forces have shown great judgment and, I might add, restraint. Theyve refused to allow the Russians to bait them into war.

But the fact remains: Russian troops currently have Ukraine surrounded  from Belarus, along the Russian border with Ukraine, to the Black Sea in the south  and all of its border.

You know, look, we have reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week  in the coming days. We believe that they will target Ukraines capital, Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people.

Were calling out Russias plans loudly and repeatedly, not because we want a conflict, but because were doing everything in our power to remove any reason that Russia may give to justify invading Ukraine and prevent them from moving.

Make no mistake: If Russia pursues its plans, it will be responsible for a catastrophic and needless war of choice. The United States and our Allies are prepared to defend every inch of NATO territory from any threat to our collective security as well.

We also will not send troops in to fight in Ukraine, but we will continue to support the Ukrainian people.

This past year, the United States provided a record amount of security assistance to Ukraine to bolster its defensive  $650 million, from Javelin missiles to ammunition.

And we also previously provided $500 million in Ukrai-  in humanitarian aid and economic support for Ukraine. And earlier this week, we also announced an additional sovereign loan guarantee of up to $1 billion to strengthen Ukraines economic resilience.

But the bottom line is this: The United States and our Allies and partners will support the Ukrainian people. We will hold Russia accountable for its actions. The West is united and resolved. Were ready to impose severe sanctions on Russia if it further invades Ukraine.

But I say again: Russia can still choose diplomacy. It is not too late to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table.

Last night, Russia agreed that Secretary of State Blinken and Foreign Minister Lavrov should meet on Feb-  on February 24th  February 24th in Europe.

But if Russia takes military action before that date, it will be clear that they have slammed the door shut on diplomacy. They will have  they will have chosen war, and they will pay a steep price for doing so  not only from the sanctions that we and our allies will impose on Russia, but the moral outrage that the rest of the world will visit upon them.

You know, there are many issues that divide our nation and our world, but standing up to Russian aggression is not one of them. The American people are united. Europe is united. The transatlantic community is united. Our political parties in this country are united. The entire free world is united.

Russia has a choice between war and all the suffering it will bring or diplomacy that will make a future safer for everyone.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a striking new photo of Arp 298, a pair of interacting galaxies in the constellation of Pegasus.

Arp 298 is located about 206 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Pegasus.

The Arp in this galaxy pairs name signifies that they are listed in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies compiled by the astronomer Halton Arp, Hubble astronomers explained.

His atlas is a gallery of weird and wonderful galaxies containing peculiar structures, featuring galaxies exhibiting everything from segmented spiral arms to concentric rings.

Arp 298 comprises two galaxies: the barred spiral galaxy NGC 7469 and its smaller spiral companion, IC 5283.

Discovered by the English astronomer John Herschel on November 12, 1784, NGC 7469 is also classified as Seyfert galaxy.

It hosts to an active supermassive black hole and a bright ring of star clusters.

IC 5283 was discovered by the French astronomer Guillaume Bigourdan on September 4, 1891.

The new image of Arp 298 contains data from three separate Hubble proposals, the researchers said.

By combining observations from three proposals, Arp 298 is captured in glorious detail in seven different filters from Hubbles Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).

The process of planning Hubble observations starts with a proposal  a detailed plan of what an astronomer intends to observe and their scientific motivation for doing so, they added.

Once a year, these proposals are gathered and judged in a grueling review process which assess their scientific merit and feasibility.

Fewer than 20% of the proposed observations in any given year will make it through this process and be approved, which makes observing time with Hubble highly prized indeed.
The 500-pound black bear thats been wreaking havoc on a wealthy Lake Tahoe neighborhood broke into yet another home on Friday as he continues a seven-month streak of evading police and California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.

Known by locals as Jake, Yogi, or Hank the Tank, according to a recent article from CBS Sacramento, the bear has caused extensive property damage to 33 residences and is responsible for at least 152 incident reports in the area, Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the CDFW, told SFGATE.

Whats problematic about this bear is how large it is, he said by phone Sunday afternoon. (Adult males typically weigh 150 to 300 pounds, though individuals over 600 pounds have been recorded in California.) Its learned to use that size and strength to break into a number of occupied residences, bursting through the garage door or front door. Its pretty frightening. A lot of these calls are emergency calls people are fearful for their safety.

The animal was last seen on Catalina Drive in the Tahoe Keys, where he broke a small window and forced himself into a home while the occupants were inside. They proceeded to call police, who cleared the house and hazed the bear until he exited through the back door and fled the property  a course of action that usually involves making noise with loud sirens, firing bean bags at the animal, or anything that might make a bear think twice about interacting with humans again, said Tira.

The problem is, he continued, It seems to do little good. This bear has been hazed and chased off a million times, but keeps returning.

Jake, or Yogi, or Hank, is what Tira describes as a severely food habituated bear, one that has lost all fear of people and thinks of them as a food source. In a meeting held Wednesday, members of a local homeowners association agreed to allow CDFW personnel to capture the bear. Previous trapping efforts, which tend to yield more success for the department in the wooded settings where it usually operates, have proven futile in the residential areas where the bear has become acclimated. The traps were also repeatedly vandalized by some residents, leaving officials with no choice but to reassess their strategy.

After the incident Friday, officials collected DNA evidence to make an accurate match when or if they capture the bear. Right now, theyre exploring possible relocation options and looking into accredited facilities such as zoos and wildlife sanctuaries that could take the bear in, but Tira said every decision poses its own unique challenge.

You relocate a bear like this, you relocate a problem to another community, he said. You relocate it to the wilderness, and they starve because theyre not used to hunting for food. They die a slow, agonizing death.

Not all wild bears do well in captivity either, he noted.

Its a stressful environment. They can suck up veterinary resources and time, Tira said. And there may not even be a facility that can take the bear in at this time. We may not be able to get permission, and theres lots of laws that restrict and rightly safeguard the movement of animals across state lines.

Euthanasia is a last resort, he said. But some residents believe that while the bear they fondly refer to as "Chunky" or The Big Guy has a right to be there, they hope to see him safely transported to a wildlife sanctuary.

Hes a well-known local, a spokesperson for the Bear League, a Tahoe-based nonprofit that advocates for the animals, told CBS. We dont want anybody to get hurt. We dont want the bear to die either. Its how the community feels. They dont want bears to pay the price for human ignorance.

The bear isnt considered a threat to people, but Tira said its difficult to determine what specific events may have led to its pattern of bold behavior. He explained the CDFW manages a year-round education program to inform residents, tourists and local businesses about how to bear-proof their properties and safely coexist with the animals, which is done in partnership with law enforcement, the U.S. Forest Service and California State Parks. Still, Tahoes dense bear population coupled with high traffic areas filled with residents and tourists means encounters with the animals arent exactly uncommon.

Theres lots of opportunities for bears to access human food and garbage, unfortunately, Tira said. Once they access it they realize its a lot easier to get food that way. And leftover pizza might be a more calorie-dense meal than grubs or insects, for instance.

When the pandemic hit, out-of-towners came to Lake Tahoe in droves, and reports of conflict with bears in El Dorado County subsequently doubled. Ann Bryant, executive director of the Bear League, told SFGATE in 2020 it was a unique year for the level of unpreparedness among visitors.

A lot of folks, unfortunately, do not have a clue about the rules for visiting and vacationing and staying in bear country, Bryant said at the time. People call because they saw a bear and think he escaped, like, dont they live in a zoo? What is a bear doing walking loose? Its just been mind-boggling, the attitude.

The devastation of last years Caldor Fire also encouraged bears to freely roam Lake Tahoe as more than 22,000 residents were evacuated from the area, and reports of intrusions doubled or tripled once people returned, Simon Brown, a public information officer with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, told SFGATE at the time.

When reached by phone on Sunday, Bryant told SFGATE the current problem is that while the Keys "has more bears per capita than any other neighborhood" they for years refused to allow people to install bear boxes.

Some of the animals were born there, but others seek it out for its prime hiding spots and food because many of the trash cans aren't locked up, she said. Recently, the local homeowners association approved use of the boxes, according to Bryant, but residents have to go through a costly application and permitting process to obtain them before they can place them on the curb next to their trash bins.

"They think having them by the houses is unsightly," said Bryant. "I think seeing a hole punched in every other garage door by a bear is considerably more unsightly."

Bryant said she received a call about the bear from a Keys resident who saw him on her Ring security camera Thursday afternoon. They chased the animal away before he was spotted again Friday.

"Based on the calls we get from the public, the calls we go out on and the bears we know, the number of bears that come in and forage within the Keys is definitely double any other neighborhood," she said.

The Bear League has reached out to the CDFW with a number of accredited wildlife sanctuaries they hope to see the bear transported to  some within California and others that are out of state  but Bryant said they have not yet heard back from the department. (She declined to share the names of the sanctuaries but said the organization has worked with several of them in the past.)

"We want the bear off the streets and to put an end to this," said Bryant. "But he shouldn't die."

As the community remains at odds, the fate of the animal is still up in the air.

Everythings on the table, if you will, Tira said. Theres no guarantee that we will catch the bear.

SFGATE reached out to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department for additional comments and did not hear back by time of publication.

SFGATEs California Trending News reporter Ariana Bindman and Tahoe editor Julie Brown contributed to this report.
This time last year, millions of Texans were shivering without power during one of the coldest spells to hit the central United States. For five days, blackouts prevented people from heating their homes, cooking or even sleeping. More than 200 people died in what is considered the nation's costliest winter storm on record, amounting to $24 billion in damages.

Twelve months later, the state's electrical grid, while improved, is still vulnerable to weather-induced power outages.

"If we got another storm this year, like Uri in 2021, the grid would go down again," said Andrew Dessler, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University. "This is still a huge risk for us."

Now, a recent study shows that electricity blackouts can be avoided across the nation - perhaps even during intense weather events - by switching to 100% clean and renewable energy, such as solar, wind and water energy.

"Technically and economically, we have 95% of the technologies we need to transition everything today," said Mark Jacobson, lead author of the paper and professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. Wind, water and solar already account for about one fifth of the nation's electricity, although a full transition in many areas is slow.

The study showed a switch to renewables would also lower energy requirements, reduce consumer costs, create millions of new jobs and improve people's health.

For years, some have expressed skepticism about the viability of large-scale adoption of renewables, owing it to their costs. But Dessler said that while solar was an expensive energy source 10 years ago, it is one of the cheapest today.

"A lot of people's understanding of renewable energy is extremely out of date," said Dessler, who was not involved in the research.

Wind energy can also be very effective and provides half of Texas's energy some days - a fact he surprised podcaster Joe Rogan with when he appeared as a guest on Thursday's episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience."

"Solar and wind are the cheapest energy sources available," Dessler said. "People don't seem to understand that, and they also don't understand that we know how to make a reliable grid that's mainly renewables."

In the recent study, Jacobson and colleagues showed how to meet energy demands every 30 seconds across the United States with no blackouts in a greener, more populated nation in 2050 and 2051.

In the simulations, they imagined all vehicles were electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Electric heat pumps, water heaters, wind turbines and solar panels replaced their fossil fuel alternatives. The team also included new geothermal sources but no new hydroelectric plants.

They modeled grid stability throughout the contiguous United States, including data from a weather-climate-air pollution model, which includes climate factors and statistically typical weather patterns that occur in a given region. Using energy consumption data from the Energy Information Administration, the team simulated energy demands for 2050-2051. Energy supply had to equal energy demand every 30 seconds, otherwise the model shut down.

The team found the actual energy demand decreased significantly by simply shifting to renewable resources, which are more efficient. For the entire United States, total end-use energy demand decreased by around 57%. Per capita household annual energy costs were around 63 percent less than a "business as usual" scenario.

"Everything that we currently do using fossil fuels would be done using technology that is run through electricity," said Anna-Katharina von Krauland, a co-author and doctoral candidate in Jacobson's lab. "The amount of energy that's needed to perform activities, basically to turn on the light or to fuel industrial processes, that would actually be decreased if you use more efficient energy supply."

During an extreme weather event, the lower energy demand is important to help keep the grid online. In Texas, a complete green transition would reduce the annual average end-use power demand by 56%. It also reduces peak loads, or the highest amount of energy one draws from the grid at a time. Jacobson said many homes would also have their own storage and wouldn't need to rely on the grid as much.

The team also found interconnecting electrical grids from different geographic regions can make the power system more reliable and reduce costs. Larger regions are more likely to have the wind blowing, the sun shining or hydroelectric power running somewhere else, which may be able to help fill any supply gaps.

"The intermittency of renewable energy declines as you look at larger and larger areas," said Dessler. "If it's not windy in Texas, it could be windy in Iowa. In that case, they could be overproducing power and they could be shipping some of their extra power to us."

The study stated costs per unit energy in Texas are 27% lower when interconnected with the Midwest grid than when isolated, as it currently is.

"In pretty much across the board, we find that it would be less expensive, more reliable, make better use of the energy if we were to expand on interconnection," von Krauland said. She adds though that "even if every state were islanded by itself that it would still be feasible to implement 100 percent wind water and solar energy in every individual state."

During winter in Texas, Jacobson said more properly maintained wind turbines would also help maintain energy supply. During the February 2021 cold spell, some frozen wind turbines were shut down because of a lack of de-icing equipment. (Coal, gas and nuclear sources also shut down from direct freezing of the equipment and contributed to a much larger dip in energy.)

"On those days that it's cold, you have a lot of wind, which is really good news because when it's cold, you have the heating demand," Jacobson said. "You actually get more power output on cold days."

During the winter, low sunlight may also render solar panels not as useful. In this case, the wind turbines and solar panels are complementary energy sources. If both were to fail at a point, then another energy source, such as geothermal or hydroelectric, could kick in.

Batteries are also used to supply energy when solar or wind power is low, but the team showed long-duration batteries are not necessary or helpful for grid stability. Many 4-hour batteries currently on the market can be connected to provide long-term storage, such as during blackouts. This finding is particularly useful as ultralong duration battery technology may still be relatively far away from hitting the market.

"It's wrong to think of renewables as unreliable because you don't think about renewables by themselves," Dessler said. "You think of them as part of a system. A stable grid that features a lot of renewables will also feature a firm dispatchable power that will pick up when the renewables go down."

The team's simulations also suggested blackouts in California, like those in August 2020, could also be avoided at a low cost. Installing more offshore wind turbines during the summer could provide energy to help cool buildings. Transitioning to all clean, renewable energy could also decrease energy demand in California by 60%.

The team has laid out plans for all 50 states on how to achieve 100% renewable energy.

In addition to improving grid stability, the study found operating a clean, renewable grid could create almost 5 million long-term, full-time jobs, from construction to manufacturing to indirect employment at businesses. The systems would also produce cleaner air, which could reduce pollution-related deaths by 53,000 people per year and reduce pollution-related illnesses for millions of people in 2050.

"This is an incredibly important study," said Robert Howarth, a professor at Cornell University and who is not involved in the research. "The fossil fuel industries continue to argue that renewables are a dangerous experiment, and that grid stability and reliability will continue to depend at least in part on fossil fuels. Here, Jacobson and his colleagues clearly show this is not the case at all."

Dessler agrees that he does not think the findings of this study are "controversial at all."

"Obviously, it will work just because there's so much renewable energy available on the planet. Just from a physics standpoint, there's no fundamental constraint here," he said. "The constraint is political. You've got to get people to get together and decide to do this, and that's really what's difficult."

During the February 2021 cold spell, former Texas governor Rick Perry said Texans would spend even longer in the cold and without electricity "to keep the federal government out of their business" and thwart Democrats who want to propose new regulations.

Around 15 states and territories and more than 180 cities have created policies increasing the amount of renewable electricity, but Jacobson hopes findings like this will give confidence to policymakers to pass laws and policies for a more rapid transition. Jacobson's previous studies and work through his nonprofit The Solutions Project have helped informed plans such as the Green New Deal and state legislature.

"We do need a really rapid transition by 80 percent [of clean energy] by 2030 and 100 percent as soon as possible after that," Jacobson said. "It really requires a large scale effort among lots of people to solve this problem. It's not one scientific study that is going to solve the problem."
Jerri-Lynn here. This post examines how banning sales promotions of soft drinks could be more effective than imposing a sugar tax as a means to get people to cut back on their consumption.

By Wisdom Dogbe, Research Fellow, University of Aberdeen, and Cesar Revoredo-Giha

Senior Economist and Team Leader of Food Marketing Research, Scotlands Rural College.

Originally published at The Conversation

Obesity is one of the most serious health problems facing the UK, where around 65% of adults are either obese or overweight. This has implications. In 2006/2007, obesity cost the NHS 5.1 billion. That means we are likely to pay more taxes in the future to keep the NHS functioning unless something is done. Obesity also predisposes people to a risk of several serious health issues, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers, depression and anxiety.

The consumption of high sugar products such as soft drinks are a major cause of obesity and diabetes. In April 2018, the UK government introduced a soft drinks levy on sugar-sweetened beverages in an effort to reduce the amount of sugar people consumed and control the situation.

The levy was imposed on industries which manufactured or imported sweetened beverages in three tiers: drinks with a sugar content of less than 5g/100ml attracted no tax; drinks with sugar content 5-8g/100ml attracted the basic level tax of 18p/litre, and those containing more than 8g/100ml attracted a higher tax level of 24p/litre.

In an attempt to assess the effectiveness of the policy, researchers from the University of Cambridge concluded that two years after the implementation of the policy, though the sugar content of soft drinks was reduced by 30g per household per week, the volume of soft drinks purchased has remained the same.

This troubled us so we conducted the first study comparing the effectiveness of the soft drinks levy to proposed mandatory restrictions on soft-drinks promotions.

Sales promotions are marketing strategies used by retailers to lure consumers to buy their products. These include temporary price reductions, Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF), buy Y for X, coupons, and so on. Unfortunately, more unhealthy foods  those high in fat, salt and sugar  are promoted than healthy ones. While the overall aim is to boost sales, consumers take advantage of promotions for the thrill  the excitement of getting a bargain. This leads to impulse buying, stockpiling and over-consumption.

Finding the Right Strategy

In June 2018, the UK government announced its intention to ban promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) by location and price through legislation. It then began a consultation on the plans between January 12 and April 6, 2019.

The consultation received 807 responses from individuals, businesses and organisations. Around 60% of respondents were in favour of the governments proposal to restrict HFSS promotions. Although the study was carried out to encourage the government to implement the policy as quickly as possible, it will only come into force in April 2022.

In our study, we looked at the spending of 2,568 households in Scotland and compared the impact of both policies on different groups of consumers according to income levels, location, life stage and Scottish index of multiple deprivation. Those in more deprived areas were more likely to continue to buy high sugar drinks despite the tax.

We also predicted how consumers would react to a restriction on the promotion of sweetened drinks based on their spending patterns. Our results suggest that when the government goes ahead with this policy in April, the annual quantity of drinks purchases could reduce by 35.8% compared to 1.4% by the soft drinks levy. Thats around 25 times effective more than the soft drinks tax.

Studies assessing its impact conclude that the sugar tax policy is very effective. But promotions are a major driver of retail purchases and tend to be heavily directed towards less healthy options. The results from our study suggest that banning promotions on soft drinks will have more success in cutting down the consumption of sugary drinks.

This would be good news for the government, the NHS and the health of consumers. The reduction in sugar intake could help to tackle diabetes, the most expensive burden on the NHS, reduce obesity and increase life expectancy across the UK. And in turn the government could save on the amount it contributes towards the treatment of obesity and weight-related diseases.
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans.

Without the presence of Carl Icahn as protagonist, this latest pig tale might otherwise rate as a story of minor interest.

Recall that Icahn came to prominence in the 1980s, as a ruthless corporate raider, known for acquiring companies such as Trans World Airlines and engaging in swingeing asset striping in the quest of siphoning off beaucoup bucks. Many younger readers might not recognize his name, but they surely would recognize the 80s icon and fictional character he in part inspired, Gordon Gekko.

To be fair, with these latest porcine interests, Icahn currently seems to be on the right side of an issue for a change (although I declare my suspicions up front; one never knows with Icahn, and theres almost certainly more to this story than whats been publicly disclosed).

Sticking with those known facts, hes acquired some McDonalds shares  a few hundred rather than the thousands in which he typically deals  and has nominated two directors to its board with the aim of improving the food behemoths suppliers treat their pigs, according to the FT, Carl Icahn launches board fight at McDonalds over treatment of pigs:

Activist investor Carl Icahn has launched a highly unusual board fight at McDonalds to demand changes to the way its suppliers treat pigs. In a statement on Sunday, McDonalds said Icahn had nominated two board directors as part of a campaign related to a narrow issue regarding the companys pork processing. Icahn has asked McDonalds to require that all its US pork suppliers end the practice of keeping pregnant pigs confined in small crates. The company pledged in 2012 to phase out the use of what are known as gestation stalls for pregnant sows in its US pork supply chain in 10 years. It said on Sunday that by the end of 2022, it expected to source 85 to 90 per cent of its US pork from sows no longer confined to stalls, and to completely eliminate the practice from its supply chain by the end of 2024.

The FT, CNN (Billionaire Carl Icahn targets McDonalds over pig welfare), the Grey Ladys Dealbook (Carl Icahn Pushes McDonalds to Change Way It Sources Its Pork), and BBC (McDonalds pig policy fight escalates with board nominations) all ran with this porky tale today.

Two weeks ago the Wall Street Journal highlighted Icahns longstanding interest in McDonalds pig policy, Relentless Wall Street Billionaire Has a Secret Cause:

Carl Icahn, the billionaire investor known for his relentless campaigns against CEOs and rivals, has a secret cause that he has pursued for a decade. In 2012, McDonalds Corp. pledged to stop buying pork for its Bacon McDouble cheeseburgers, McRib sandwiches and the like by 2022 from producers who use small crates to constrain pregnant swine. Left unmentioned was that Mr. Icahn had pushed for the change behind the scenes. A decade on, Mr. Icahn has concluded the original promise was hogwash. McDonalds now often has its producers move pigs out of the containers only after confirming theyre pregnant. Many wait to do so until the sows are four to six weeks into their 16-week pregnancies. Mr. Icahn had expected the use of so-called gestation crates to be banned altogether.

Icahn, whos not known for letting an issue of interest slide, doesnt believe McDonalds has fulfilled its 2012 pledge. According to the WSJ:

The man who helped send TWA into bankruptcy and partly inspired Gordon Gekko, the ruthless corporate raider in Wall Street, is spending a lot of time advocating for better treatment of pigs, using many of the same tactics. Mr. Icahn got involved with the Humane Society of the United States, which is leading the push, at the behest of his daughter, Michelle Icahn Nevin, a vegetarian animal-lover who was working there at the time. He learned details of the pigs plight when he hosted a Humane Society executive for dinner at his Manhattan penthouse. The nonprofit was having trouble getting McDonalds to take action until it corralled Mr. Icahn.

Now, at this point, I can just imagine Michael Douglas saying, Whats my motivation for this concern for the welfare of another sentient being? In other words, what lies behind Icahns latest crusade? The answer, per the WSJ, may surprise long-term Chan watchers:

Animals are one of the things I feel really emotional about, says Mr. Icahn. He and his wife have three small dogs. He says he feels particular affection for pigs, pointing to their intelligence. A recent study suggested a kinship with humans by showing pigs can play videogames with their snouts.

If I concentrate carefully, I can almost hear the snorts that this latest Icahn confession elicits.

Yet after watching from afar Icahn wreak corporate havoc for decades, I for one am now pleased to see that the 86-year old billionaire many times over has finally discovered some living creatures he can feel emotional about.

Oink, oink!

Although McDonalds hasnt so far abandoned gestation crates entirely, other companies have done so. Indeed, rival Burger King has gone one better, at least in terms of making a pledge, to phase out the use of such crates for both pregnant and non-pregnant sows alike. According to the WSJ:

Massachusetts and California have outlawed the sale of pork produced using such crates in most circumstances. Some brands say they dont use them at all, including Applegate Farms and Niman Ranch. The parent company of McDonalds rival Burger King, Restaurant Brands International Inc.,has set a goal to eliminate the use of crates for both pregnant and nonpregnant sows.

The crates came into widespread use just before corporate raiders strode onto the scene, to reshape U.S. companies and the wider capitalist landscape in their wake. Per the WSJ:

Widespread use of gestation crates began in the 1970s as pork producers gave priority to efficiency. A 1978 article in the industry publication National Hog Farmer suggested producers consider the sow a valuable piece of machinery whose function is to pump out baby pigs like a sausage machine. Under that mind-set, the industry went, no pun intended, hog wild into moving pigs into gestation crates, says Matthew Prescott, senior director of food and agriculture for the Humane Society, who has been focused on eliminating the crates since 2002.

Over to the pink paper for the last word. According to Josh Balk, vice-president of farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the US, whos known Icahn for more than a decade:

He is absolutely  to his core  someone who will fight to prevent cruelty to animals.

For his part, Icahn is not pussy-footing around, and is close to taking action, telling Bloomberg TV last week, according to the FT:
Yves here. Yesterday, quite a few readers participated in a lively, and sometimes heated, debate over Trudeaus activation of the Emergencies Act to remove protestors, most important, truckers and their trucks, after police sat pat. Although some argued strongly otherwise, citing the view of relatives and friends in Canada, most Canadian-connected readers seemed to think that the Emergencies Act move was a political plus for Trudeau. Polls show little support for the truckers. Readers also contended that the Emergencies Act was not a stealth Patriot Act, a measure that would be renewed ad nauseam. They strongly felt there would be a big backlash if it didnt expire after 30 days, which I believe is the inertial course of events.

This post argues the reverse. And interestingly, the staunchly neoliberal Financial Times also speculates that Trudeaus crackdown may exact more of a political cost than is fully apparent now. From its Justin Trudeau ends Canadas trucker siege but leaves bitter divisions:

Its predecessor, the War Measures Act, was used by Trudeaus father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, to put down a violent rebellion in Quebec in 1970. It could bring up bad memories in the francophone province, which is a crucial source of support for Trudeau. The Liberal prime ministers opponents in the Conservative party, many of whom backed the Freedom Convoy, cast the measure as over-reach, while scholars questioned whether the high bar for its use  a serious danger to lives or safety that cannot be tackled by existing laws  had been met. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is taking the government to court over it. I think the use of the Emergencies Act overall is not going to damage Trudeaus brand, said Lori Turnbull, a politics professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Everybody in Ottawa is so happy to have this out of here and if a government cant protect its own capital, then that raises really frightening questions. She added that this is not going to be the ballot question at the next general election but that the Liberals should be wary of looking too excited about it. The issue prompted chaotic scenes in parliament. After Melissa Lantsman, a Jewish Conservative MP whose grandparents survived the Holocaust, said Trudeau fans the flame of an unjustified national emergency, the prime minister accused the Tories of standing with people who wave swastikas. Pierre Poilievre, the favourite to take over the Tories, praised the truckers and accused Trudeau of vaccine vendettas. According to polling by the non-profit Angus Reid Institute prior to the act being used, two-thirds of Canadians felt Trudeau  who chided protesters as fringe  had worsened the situation. However, 72 per cent said the truckers should go home, among them Trudeaus core voters. People have short memories, said a Liberal insider, who said the prime minister was communicating clearly and decisively after weeks of inaction by all levels of government.

Now to the current post. Please welcome Professor Desai:

By Radhika Desai, Professor Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba as well as Director, Geopolitical Economy Research Group and President, Society for Socialist Studies. Originally published at New Cold War

After weeks of inaction against truckers paralysing life in Ottawa and across Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act and politicians and pundits went into overdrive trying to make sense of it. Not many succeeded.

Why Trudeau took this step was not immediately clear. Many supported it. Many others did so while berating him for the delay in taking the step: New Democratic Party leader, Jagmeet Singh, called the delay a failure of leadership. Others, however, questioned whether it was necessary or right. For the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), Trudeau had not met the high and clear bar for invoking the Act: it should be used only where existing laws are inadequate. That they were not inadequate was clear since the Ambassador bridge, the most important of all transportation links between Canada and the US, was cleared of protesters and trucks with a mere court injunction.

The CCLA also objected that the Act applies only when the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada is threatened. Do the protesters constitute such a threat? The element of menace is undoubtedly present in the so-called Freedom Convoy. It clearly leans to the hard right, contains white supremacists, Christian fundamentalists, Islamophobes, conspiracy theorists who declared their aim as being overthrow the government through non-parliamentary and electoral means. Such insurrectionism smacks of fascism. Moreover, the hacking of the GiveSendGo fundraising website revealed considerable foreign funding, with 52,000 US donors giving $3.62 million compared to 36,000 Canadians giving $4.3 million. This also raises the possibility that the US right-wing encouraging Trumpist, 6 January-style fascistic politics in Canada. What is not clear is how many protesters belong to the hard core of those committed to such objectives.

The real issue, however, is that the authorities are paralysed before the protesters. Will the Emergencies Act end that paralysis? For weeks, the law remained unenforced and few arrests were made. Many asked whether law enforcement would have been so lax had the protesters been left-wing, Indigenous or non-white. There is evidence of considerable sympathy for the protesters among police forces across the country. Perhaps this is because the electorally insecure prime minister and provincial premiers are unwilling alienate the largely suburban, white middle class the protesters appeal to. Trudeaus minority government cannot afford to lose that support.

Why did Trudeau act when he did? He may have been forced into action after his phone call with US President Biden. That the Americans are unhappy about the trade disruption the protests have caused is plain from much US commentary on the subject. Such motives had already forced Ontario premier Doug Ford, otherwise reliant on the same suburban, white middle class voters that made up the Ford Nation set up by his late brother, to clear the Ambassador Bridge just days before.

While he was at it, Trudeau may also have taken the opportunity to put the opposition Conservative Party in a fix. Erin OToole was replaced as Conservative leader for not supporting the protests by an interim leader who clearly supports them but the divisions remain. The traditional party of law and order is now home to a hard-right insurrectionist element that will oppose the Act in parliament while more traditional conservatives will support it. This division can give Mr Trudeau considerable political and electoral advantage.

However, any advantage Trudeau secures from dividing the Conservatives will fail to compensate when, as is likely, his melodramatic gesture falls flat or unfolds in a darkly farcical fashion. The plain fact is that the reluctance that Canadian authorities have shown in enforcing the law is not going to disappear simply because the Emergencies Act is in force. Many Western premiers have already refused to use it and are, instead, using the opportunity created by the protests in lifting more pandemic restrictions though the danger is far from gone. Since the ordinary laws of Canada were already adequate to deal with the protesters infractions, what is worrying is what the increased authoritarian powers will be used for.

The only really useful element of power that the Emergencies Act gives the government is the right to use anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing mechanisms, particularly the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). However, the protesters can use crypto currencies, long left deliberately unregulated by monetary authorities. As for FINTRAC, as a critic noted some years ago, it has been called out  for weak laws and half-hearted enforcement. Much financial skullduggery hides behind privacy laws and these groups are bound to exploit it

Canada appears a long way from Trumpist fascism. However, one should recall that fascism does not storm bastions of power; it is let into powers corridors by those in charge.

Today, Canadas leaders appear as prone to do that as any others. Yesterdays invocation of the Emergencies Act could come to count as Mr Justin Trudeaus worst political decision.
Insecticide resistance and rapid pest evolution threatens food security and the development of sustainable agricultural practices, yet the evolutionary mechanisms that allow pests to rapidly adapt to control tactics is unclear. The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) has evolved resistance to over 50 different insecticides, making the insect a super-pest that wreaks havoc on potatoes around the world. In new research, a team of U.S. scientists analyzed whole-genome resequencing and transcriptomic data sets of the Colorado potato beetle focused on the ancestral and pest ranges of this global super-pest in North America.

Herbivorous pests cause an estimated 18-20% damage to crops and cost nearly $470 billion annually on a global scale.

The ability of insect pests to evolve resistance to insecticides threatens food security and the development of sustainable agricultural practices, especially when their rate of evolution outstrips the development of novel control strategies.

This is the case with insect super-pests, which repeatedly evolve insecticide resistance even as they are faced with completely novel insecticides, thus perpetuating the arms race that defines the pesticide treadmill.

The Colorado potato beetle is a global super-pest and an especially tractable example of rapid evolution to insecticides.

This super-pest has evolved resistance to over 50 different insecticides in all the major classes, in some cases within the first year of use.

This species has demonstrated an ability to rapidly evolve in response to a wide range of environmental pressures, including host-plant defenses and climatic variability.

The Colorado potato beetle originated in the Great Plains region of the United States, following a host shift to potato  an introduced crop  in the mid-19th century (around 1859) that allowed for rapid spatial expansion from Nebraska to the Eastern U.S. in a 20-year period and colonization of Eurasia by the early 1900s.

Despite rapid expansion, populations are genetically differentiated and insecticide resistance is geographically heterogeneous, even over local landscape scales.

In particular, beetles from Long Island, New York are known to have the highest levels of baseline resistance and are typically the first populations to develop resistance to all compounds, whereas populations in the Pacific Northwest remain susceptible to insecticides despite an equivalent duration of usage and comparable treatment practices.

Nonpest populations are native to the Great Plains and Mexico, where they use ancestral host plants, primarily Solanum rostratum.

This beetle was one of the first to be attacked with chemicals in the modern era, and its been very successful at evolving past those attacks, said senior author Professor Sean Schoville, a researcher in the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

For other insects were hoping to control, theres lessons to be learned from studying this pest. What mechanisms does this insect use to get past these insecticides?

Professor Schoville and colleagues first sequenced the genome of the Colorado potato beetle in 2018.

In the new study, they compared genomic and transcriptomic variation across populations of the Colorado potato beetle in the United States, Mexico, and Europe, as well as nine closely related species in the Leptinotarsa genus.

They discovered that these different regional groups evolved so quickly because their parent populations already had the genetic resources necessary to overcome insecticides.

The genes that evolve are well known to be involved in insect resistance, Professor Schoville said.

But whats interesting is that different populations are altering different parts of genes or different genes in the same pathway.

This similar, but not identical, pathway to resistance across different populations is known as repeated evolution.

This rapid evolution based on a wealth of existing genetic diversity is at odds with an older model of evolution that assumed rare mutations have to slowly arise in a population, he said.

While new mutations do develop and can contribute to insecticide resistance, the potato beetles rapid response to new chemicals in different parts of the country can be explained only by its existing diversity.

The results were published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.

_____

Benjamin Pelissie et al. 2022. Genome Resequencing Reveals Rapid, Repeated Evolution in the Colorado Potato Beetle. Molecular Biology and Evolution 39 (2); doi: 10.1093/molbev/msac016
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(Natural News) Climate reporting at the Associated Press (AP) is about to see its largest single expansion thanks to a huge influx of philanthropic grants totaling $8 million.

In a move that Climate Depot describes as checkbook journalism, the climate lobby has pretty much purchased the AP to use as a propaganda mouthpiece for global warming politics.

The AP will now have zero obligation to serve as watchdogs over public affairs and government and instead be approved messaging lapdogs to their paymasters, says Marc Morano, quoting the APs stated mission and objective, which is pretty much null and void at this point.

Will the AP ever offend [its] donors and look critically at the UN IPCC climate panel? Or NASA? Its a laughable thought.

The AP actually announced on February 15 that it is no longer wary, as it once was, of accepting millions of dollars from outside special interest groups pushing a climate agenda.

Led by the Rockefeller Foundation and various other globalist groups, the new climate-funded AP will simply parrot whatever climate agenda is being pushed at any given time, passing it off as journalism.

This initiative, with the help of the Rockefeller Foundation and others, will enable us to closely examine efforts to cope with climate change, both the problems it poses and its potential solutions, said AP Deputy Managing Editor Sarah Nordgren.

The AP is bleeding cash so it was ripe for the picking

Keeping the climate hysteria going is an important part of the agenda because that is what drives the policy changes desired by the globalists, including the elimination of fossil fuels, meat, and other pollution.

Some doctors are even now diagnosing their patients with climate change  that is how far gone the world has gotten due to climate propaganda.

Now, the AP will be leading the way in advancing the next phase of the plan, which involves assigning more than two dozen journalists across the world to cover climate issues.

The announcement illustrates how philanthropy has swiftly become an important new funding source for journalism  at the AP and elsewhere  at a time when the industrys financial outlook has been otherwise bleak, the AP admitted.

From here on out, the AP will have its new climate team, which spans across not just the United States but also Africa, Brazil and India, push out climate story after climate story, all from the perspective that cow flatulence and gas-powered vehicles are killing the planet.

This far-reaching initiative will transform how we cover the climate story, says Julie Pace, the APs senior vice president and executive director.

Over three years, the AP will actually rake in far more than just $8 million, and about 20 of its climate journalists will be new hires. The following five organizations are contributors to the effort:

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Quadrivium

The Rockefeller Foundation

The Walton Family Foundation

Brian Carovillano, an AP new vice president who supervises partnerships and grants, says he is already noticing a difference in the morale of his organization because of the grant money that has already been received.

I think it has changed the mindset of the newsroom a little bit, the 2019 Pulitzer Prize winner is quoted as saying.

After years of basically feeling a little beleaguered, people are proud that theyre part of an organization that is dreaming really big and actually has the ability to do it.

What Carovillano did not say, however, is that these changes violate the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics for journalists.

More related news about the climate change hoax can be found at Climate.news.

Sources for this article include:

ClimateDepot.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Victorian Labor Member of Parliament (MP) Kaushaliya Vaghela has accused fellow politician Daniel Andrews of being a misogynist.

In a tweet, Vaghela issued a statement claiming that Daniels traumatized her by treating her as a nuisance, as he allegedly also did to many other women.

I would like to thank everyone who has expressed their support and encouragement for me on this very traumatic day, Vaghela wrote.

I have suffered in silence for years and when I did complain I was treated as a nuisance by the Premiers office.

Vaghela went on to state that she now feels empowered and gratified to be able to tell her story publicly without the need to care about retribution.

Vaghela says that Andrews routinely treats women within his party poorly, claiming that he bullies them and makes them disappear from public life.

She also claims that Andrews acts spitefully in retaliation against anyone who crosses him, which made Vahela feel unsafe.

I am scared of him and Im scared about what hes going to do, she alleges. I was scared before I crossed the floor.

He will take revenge, she added. Everybodys scared. Thats why nobody says anything against him. And anyone, any woman that does, they disappear, like Jenny Mikakos.

Daniel Andrews runs Labor gangs that reward yes men with high political roles, Vaghela says

As you may recall from late last summer, Andrews ordered Melbourne residents to wear a face mask while drinking alcohol, suggesting that they pour the fluid through the mask in order to keep everyone safe against Fauci Flu germs.

Andrews also pushed to lock up the unvaccinated in jail, the unvaccinated including anyone who does not agree to take booster shots.

A person can already have been double injected, only to end up being classified as unvaccinated for refusing to get boosted, under Andrews tyranny.

Vaghela is also accusing Daniels of running fearsome Labor gangs that wander around party events looking for who will best suit Andrews agenda. Those considered to be valuable assets are rewarded with high-level positions while others are rejected.

The gang says if people do what they say, then in return the gang will advise the Premier or the relevant minister in deciding who should get such roles, in returning favours, Vaghela said.

Daniels and other members of the Labor Party have come forward to denounce Vaghelas claims, calling them untrue. In speaking to the press, Daniels referred to Vaghela as that woman.

Tim Pallas, the Treasurer, also inquired about the state of Vaghelas mind, saying:

It is worrying for me that she said that and it goes to the state of mind. I can assure her should she need assistance from the government in any way to help with her state of mind, we will support her all the way.

Considering all the lies that were spread about innocent men during the height of the #metoo movement, there is a good chance that Vaghela is lying about Andrews, regardless of how much of a scumbag he truly is when it comes to covid fascism.

At the same time, Vaghela could also be telling the truth, so an investigation could be in order.

I have a documented chronology going back to April 2019 when I first sat down to complain about the bullying I was being subjected to, Vaghela says. This chronology will be provided to WorkSafe as part of my complaint.

Four years of bullying and abuse has taken its toll, so I ask the Premier and his team to stop.

More related news about Daniel Andrews can be found at Tyranny.news.

Sources for this article include:

RebelNews.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The collapse of Western civilization is continuing apace as evidenced by a new round of insanity coming from Austria. There, police have charged a woman with bodily harm against a Syrian migrant after he tried to rape her in Vienna, in what has to be one of the most insane law enforcement policies ever.

The Vienna police are being accused of hiding a rape case involving a Syrian migrant after only making the case public three days after it occurred, and only after a request for information from the Austrian press. The police have also controversially charged the female victim for bodily harm for stabbing her attacker, despite the man being accused by the police for trying to rape her, European news website ReMix reported.

Shortly before midnight on Tuesday last week, the 22-year-old woman attempted to enter the front door of her apartment building on Schonbrunner Strasse in the district of Meidling when she was attacked out of nowhere. Police say a Syrian migrant pushed the woman into the courtyard, immediately grabbed intimate parts of her body and pushed his victim to the ground.

However, thats when the alleged rape attempt took a different turn.

According to reports, the woman managed to get a knife she kept in her purse and stab her attacker a number of times until he finally let go of her. Upon letter her go, however, he did grab her purse (robbery) and ran away severely injured.

He was found by police at a nearby subway station a little while later with stab wounds and cuts and then transported to a hospital.

After being provided with medical aid, the 24-year-old man was arrested. He is a Syrian asylum seeker who, when arrested, had alcohol in his blood and a small amount of marijuana in his pocket. The Syrian initially denied the crime, ReMix reported.

For some reason, police in Vienna did not make the case public until three full days, noting the crime in a press release. But even then, that was only at the request of the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, which was tipped off to the incident by informed readers.

The delay has led several Austrian citizens to rightfully accuse the police of being too woke to release the information, which the department denied, naturally.

But the really crazy thing is that the prosecutors office in Vienna is now charging the woman with bodily harm.

An absolutely insensitive approach, her attorney, Michael Dohr, said, going on to call the charges absurd and noting that his client, the real victim, is still dealing with the trauma of the attack.

Europe has been dealing with negative fallout after allowing millions of Syrian refugees into the country for years. For instance, in one of the most horrific consequences, one of the terrorists who shot and killed 130 people in Paris in November 2015 was identified as a Syrian refugee.

In a radio interview two days before the attack, Natural News founder and editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, told James White that an attack of sleeper cell migrants was bound to happen.

And then theres also the question, why is it only young men that are fleeing in Europe? All the photos of the migrants are young men men that happened to be military-aged men. And were told that theyre fleeing Syria, for example, because of the war there I think theres a very real possibility, James, that in Europe especially, this is a planned, boots-on-the-ground occupation of Europe with an activation date at some point in the future where all these young men will be activated, they will pick up rifles or weapons or whatever they can find, and they will overrun the nations of Europe with their belief system, Adams said at the time.

Adams was right, of course, and as evidenced by the lunacy involving the Austrian woman who was attacked and then charged for defending herself.

Visit Insanity.news for more head-scratching news.

Sources include:

RMX.news

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Tractor-trailer drivers in California and throughout the United States are preparing to emulate their brothers and sisters in Canada with a Freedom Convoy of their own to protest ongoing federal pandemic mask and vaccine mandates.

According to the Epoch Times, the Let Freedom Roll convoy will begin on the left coast and travel cross-country to Washington, D.C., gathering steam and participants along the way.

The outlet added: A national group, called The Peoples Convoy, is organizing the truckers who will hit the road for the nations capital city to demand the Emergency Powers Act be lifted, ending the mandates, according to Chris Marston, chairman of the American Foundation for Civil Liberties, a non-profit that advocates for civil liberties issues and is helping coordinate the truckers protest. Though previous news reports stated the convoy wouldnt depart California until March 7, organizers now say the convoy will leave earlier than planned.

Freedoms cant wait, Marston told the outlet in an interview.

The organization has called on Americans to join its call to freedom in the spirit of our brave and courageous neighbors to the northour Canadian brothers and sisters who led the charge.

Canadas Freedom Convoy protest has not only captured attention in the worlds remaining democracies, it has also inspired similar protests after hundreds of trucks parked outside of the Parliament building in Ottawa to push back on Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus vaccine mandate.

Maureen Steele, the organizer of The Peoples Convoy, told Steve Bannons War Room podcast this week that a map of the convoys travel route will be posted online to the groups website.

Also, Steele indicated that the organization has learned something from government and establishment responses to the Canadian protest: In order to ensure that donated funds to the truckers will actually go to them and wont be frozen or stolen, the group will take donations directly on their website, not go through a crowdfunding platform like GoFundMe or GiveSendGo.

Peter Navarro, former President Donald Trumps onetime economic adviser who regularly appears on Bannons podcast, praised the Canadian truckers for spearheading the charge against democratic governments that have used COVID-19 to become tyrannical.

They are like the Boston Tea Party. Theyre the fountainhead of a worldwide movement, which is basically on the right side of both science and economics. And we have to thank those Canadian truckers, Navarro said during an appearance on the show this week.

Also, Dr. Robert Malone, a virologist and immunologist who led the development of mRNA vaccines and an outspoken critic of the way the federal government has handled the pandemic overall and mandates, also suggested during Bannons program that soon D.C. will witness a new kind of woke  which supporters of the convoy have labeled an awakening.

I think that the truckers, when they hit the Capitol, may well wake up a large number of our representatives and senators that are kind of a little bit asleep right now, Malone said.

Joshua Yoder of U.S. Freedom Flyers, a recently formed group of American air, rail and trucking professionals who believe in the right to travel freely without any restrictions including vaccine status, also voiced approval for the convoy on Bannons show.

These are Americans who want their voices to be heard. Weve been shut out for so long, Yoder told the program. Theres a lot of average people coming together, uniting  This is people speaking out and voicing their frustrations, and I think the government would do well to listen to us. Its been far too long,

Leigh Dundas, a civil rights attorney based in Orange County, Calif., known for battling vaccine passports, told the Epoch Times: Ive been keeping the communication channels open between groups  acting as a de facto clearinghouse between different truckers who wanted to get connected  and do something similar, but also different from what Canada did.

The fight to recapture freedom has begun. The time to join is now.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) It now appears that the nation of Canada has fallen. The once-free country is now under UN occupation and globalist control, with no remaining mechanism for the restoration of democracy. Trudeau and his Nazi deputy Freeland have declared that no one can speak against the government, or they will be hunted by police and prosecuted under some sort of emergency powers. In doing this, Trudeau and Freeland have taken peaceful resolutions off the table and seem to be trying to invoke violence across the nation.

Canadas leaders no longer answer to the people of Canada. Instead, they answer to criminal-minded globalists who seek the total destruction of both Canada and the United States. As you can see from the video below, World Economic Forum leader Klaus Schwab is openly bragging about being the puppetmaster behind Trudeau, Macron, Merkel, Freeland, Jacinda Ardern and many other so-called world leaders.

They are all puppets to a globalist, anti-human agenda that seeks to enslave humankind. Importantly, their loyalties are not with the nations they claim to be running, but rather with the globalist agenda that aims to destroy national sovereignty and enslave the entire world under one world government.

The world is now waking up to the shocking Alex Jones reality: There really is a global extermination agenda and a one world government conspiracy that has been under way for decades. In fact, we are now witnessing the final stages of this effort, with Canadas corrupt, criminal leaders spearheading the effort to criminalize dissent, outlaw freedom and unleash extreme government violence against innocent people.

UN troops have already landed in Canada and are active there now

UN troops have landed in Canada and now occupy the nation, posing as Ottawa police in order to carry out acts of brutality against the citizens there. The following video shows the UN charter jets after they landed at a Canadian airport:

The following photo shows the nameless, faceless UN goon troops pretending to be Ottawa police, dressed as authoritarian thugs, complete with black face masks and olive drab bulk uniforms that smack of a dystopian sci-fi flick:

Here they are marching in deployment against Canadas peaceful protester, who are unarmed:

Heres a compilation of clips showing some of the brutality of local police. Some of these police appear to be from Ottawa, while other videos show what appear to be UN troops, which are dressed in olive drab green. They both appear to be attempting to achieve the same goal: Government-sponsored terrorism against innocent, peaceful protesters.

And dont forget the police horse trampling incident over the weekend, where RCMP police goons deliberately drove their horses into a crowd of defenseless people, ultimately trampling an elderly woman who suffered a severe injury:

As I pointed out in my podcast, this is what happens when Leftists vote for socialists. They actually get Marxists in power, and they lose all their freedoms. To all the people in Canada who voted for Trudeau (which is only 1 in 3, it turns out), you are getting exactly the tyranny you deserve because you were too stupid to recognize the lies of the political Left. You thought you were voting for progressives but you were actually putting Nazi fascists into power, and now theyve revoked your freedom (permanently).

Now, people are waking up to the obvious truth: The most dangerous entity in any nation is the government itself. Furthermore, its now obvious that every government eventually turns to terrorism against its own citizens to stay in power and try to silence dissent.

It wont be long before Trudeau orders the Canadian goon squads to open fire on innocent Canadian citizens. The first massacre isnt far off, and it will be followed by the activation of Canadas large-scale death camps which were built under the cover of covid but were actually intended to carry out genocide against Canadas own citizens.

Listen to my full podcast today for more details, covering Trudeau, UN occupation, government terrorism, the WEF penetration of cabinets (and other pieces of furniture), and much more.

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(Natural News) Canada has quickly devolved into a tyrannical regime under China-loving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the police state apparatus loyal to him adopts some very familiar techniques.

In addition to using animals  in this case, horses  to push back and trample demonstrators, Canadian police have also adopted the tactic of hiding their identities by covering their names and badge numbers, as protesters noted online.

Can someone please explain why these cops have their names & badge numbers covered? pic.twitter.com/tHF95UiwCo  MachRedacted, a small, fringe minority (@MacRedacted) February 18, 2022

These are agents for Big Pharma pic.twitter.com/ioBITiussO  Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) February 19, 2022

Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus response to the Freedom Convoy truckers is 180 degrees opposite of how he responded to ongoing Black Lives Matter violence after George Floyds death in May 2020; while demonstrators during that period were ordered dispersed after smashing windows and setting fires, the protests continued and Trudeau never once thought about invoking the Emergencies Act as he did last week to deal with truckers he called fringe and likened to Nazis.

Last week during a debate over his invoking of the act, Trudeau insulted truckers by claiming they were standing with swastika wavers and against Canada, which led to MP Melissa Lantsman, a Jewish member of the opposition Conservative Party, to demand he apologize.

Conservative Party members can stand with people who wave swastikas, they can stand with people who wave the confederate flag, Trudeau said in response to Lantsmans demand he explain his reason for invoking the act. We will chose to stand with Canadians who deserve to be able to get to their jobs, and get their lives back. These illegal protests need to stop and they will.

The Daily Mail added:

Trudeaus comments sparked uproar in the house, and forced the Speaker of the House to reprimand him and others, reminding them of rules against using inflammatory language in Parliament during the debates.

After being reprimanded, Trudeau refused to apologize and again repeated that the blockades were illegal, and the measures to repress the protests were necessary.

Lantsman said in the interview on Wednesday night that Trudeau was showing his true colors with his denigrating remark.

I sit there and watch him divide and wedge and stigmatize Canadians every single day, and today the rest of Canada saw a G7 prime minister go after a Jewish member of Parliament, and then walk away and not apologize, she told Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

When you accuse somebody of standing with a swastika, you get an influx of people calling you Nazi, and thats not okay, said Lantsman, who is descended from Holocaust survivors adding that her office received a flood of complaints from Canadians falsely accusing her of supporting Nazism.

And [Trudeau] is driving that  hes been driving division in this country throughout, since the protests started and before the protests started, for his political gain, she continued.

I think his leadership is in trouble. The countrys in trouble and hes lost control of the situation. Weve got an urban-rural divide. Weve got a east-west divide and thats being wedged by the prime minister, Lantsman added.

Other images of the totalitarianism of Canadian authorities under Trudeaus direction were also posted online.

I am not able to eat anything from last 24 hours after watching this video. How can @JustinTrudeau attack his own country people. Justin Converted beautiful Canada into Banana Republic. #TrudeauDictatorshipMustGo pic.twitter.com/WWwgMN4OsV  Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) February 19, 2022

Trudeau is stamping out freedom. One trampled protester at a time. Remember Ottawa. pic.twitter.com/dkA9GRV2A5  Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 19, 2022

The tyranny led a GOP freshman lawmaker from New Mexico to propose legislation offering Canadian truckers temporary asylum.

Justin Trudeaus heavy-handed crackdown against peaceful protesters in Canada is not the action of a Western Democracy, but that of an authoritarian regime like Venezuela, Rep. Yvette Herrell tweeted Saturday along with a video clip of Fox News host Tucker Carlson discussing the situation in Canada.

Just as we provide asylum for political prisoners, we should do the same for truckers who have been subjected to violence, had their property confiscated, and their bank accounts frozen by a government that is quickly becoming the embarrassment of the free world, she continued.

I am introducing legislation that would temporarily grant asylum to innocent Canadian protesters who are being persecuted by their own government. We cannot be silent as our neighbors to the north are treated so badly, the New Mexico Republican added.

Sources include:

CitizenFreePress.com

ConservativeBrief.com

DailyMail.co.uk
Page Content

Prime Minister of St. Maarten Silveria E. Jacobs hosted the new Dutch State Secretary of Kingdom Relations and Digitalization, Ms. Alexandra van Huffelen in her first in-person meetings during her introductory tour of St. Maarten today, Friday, February 18, 2022. The first meeting was held with the Prime Minister, followed by a meeting with the full Council of Ministers. This was followed by a meeting with the Minister of Finance. State Secretary Van Huffelen was accompanied by the Director-General of the Government Information Service Henk Brons, Director of Kingdom Relations/Countries at the Ministry of the Interior Saskia de Reuver, Dutch representative on St. Maarten Chris Johnson as well as political advisors in her delegation for all three meetings. Prime Minister Jacobs was supported by Secretary General of the Ministry of General Affairs Hensley Plantijn, as well as her senior and legal advisors in the cabinet, while the Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance Arno Peels, as well as the legal and policy advisors of the Finance Cabinet, supported the Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion. The Secretary General Cassandra Jansen and secretariat staff of the Council of Ministers were also in attendance to support during all three meetings held with the State Secretary.





Throughout the three introductory meetings, a positive commitment was pledged for the realization of the desires and goals of St. Maarten based on equity while maintaining good communication and transparency, openness, building trust and an understanding of the realities on both sides including an understanding of what is/is not possible for both St. Maarten and the Netherlands.





State Secretary Van Huffelen confirmed that the intention of the Kingdom Act COHO, currently executed by the Temporary Working Organization (TWO), is to render assistance which will continue not only in monetary form but in strengthening the basis for a more robust and resilient Government. A more cooperative relationship has been pledged for future Kingdom Relations and this includes addressing poverty, climate change, education and the environment.





Prime Minister Jacobs and her cabinet expressed the challenges that the Government of St. Maarten faces in terms of among others capacity of staff, the high cost of living, the difficulty of hiring persons due to the 12.5% cost cutting measures to increase capacity and the yearly threat of hurricanes compared to the rest of the Dutch Kingdom to State Secretary Van Huffelen. Prime Minister Jacobs informed that based on the above, an assessment should be done collaboratively, of the effects of the measures on the affected workers, to be able to decide on the best way forward regarding the temporary measures.





Updates, concerns and queries were provided by each Minister related to their respective ministry. Follow up discussions will continue with relevant Ministers as they join on the various aspects of the





project tour with State Secretary Van Huffelen during her three-day visit. The work visit began with meetings today, followed by a tour of the Pointe Blanche prison with Prime Minister Jacobs and the Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson. The tour will continue with a visit to other recovery projects on Saturday and Sunday. The introductory tour with State Secretary Van Huffelen will also include visits and meetings with various key stakeholders within the community.





Todays face-to-face meetings were enlightening, positive and a good start to continued respectful, equitable dialogue and negotiations in the days, weeks, months and years to come in Kingdom Relations, Prime Minister Jacobs stated.
(Natural News) Whatever you may have thought of Canada before last week, you probably would have agreed with the assertion that it was a free country.

But now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invoked a rarely-used law to crack down on a peaceful protest he simply disagrees with, you likely have a different impression of Americas northern neighbor: Maybe Canada isnt so free, after all.

And youd be right.

Under Trudeaus evoking of the Emergencies Act, state and federal police agencies from around the country have descended on the capital of Ottawa to violently put down the imminently peaceful Freedom Convoy protest against his inane, pointless COVID vaccine mandate for truckers. And in addition to destroying the fundamental right of citizens to redress their grievances to government, a right first recognized by Americas founding fathers, police are also targeting another fundamental liberty: The free press.

According to Canada-based Rebel News, one of the outlets reporters on the ground was threatened with arrest for the crime of covering the demonstration and the resulting police crackdown:

The newly-invoked Emergencies Act gives authorities extraordinary powers to seize the assets and bank accounts of protesters, as well as new powers of arrest and detention to deal with those participating in now unlawful protests.

Instead of allowing media to capture the detentions of the Convoy for Freedom to Ottawa demonstrators and the seizure of their properties, the Ottawa Police service has offered to also detain members of the media for doing their jobs.

A tweet from Ottawa Police said: All media who are attending the area, please keep a distance and stay out of police operations for your safety. Anyone found within areas undergoing enforcement may be subject to arrest. There will be a media availability later

All media who are attending the area, please keep a distance and stay out of police operations for your safety. Anyone found within areas undergoing enforcement may be subject to arrest. There will be a media availability later today at 474 Elgin Street. #ottnews  Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 18, 2022

Needless to say, the Ottawa Police announcement was met with anger and derision online.

Threatening to arrest reporters who cover your crackdown on political dissidents. Amazing.  Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) February 18, 2022

Media please keep away. Your state-approved talking points will be provided at a later press conference  Allan (@AllanRicharz) February 18, 2022

Under EA, police have no authority to arrest anyone who resides, works or is moving through that area for reasons other than to participate in or facilitate the assembly. The same force that failed to enforce laws for three weeks, now threatens to illegally arrest journalists.  Evan Dyer (@EvanDyerCBC) February 18, 2022

The Ottawa Secret Police have issues with being reported on. How surprising. Shame. I can remember when Canada was a free country.  Will Collier (@willcollier) February 18, 2022

What dont you want the public to see?  Cpt America_CFC (@Wolfey79) February 18, 2022

No. This is flawed. I can appreciate the reasons, but the end result will simply be that you are left with people holding cell phones and livestreaming it all anyway and no one with some sort of journalistic integrity trying to tell the story.  LJ (@meanreus) February 18, 2022

Hmm, rounding up the media. This sounds familiar. Very 1930s Russia.  Jacob Airey (@realJacobAirey) February 18, 2022

Translation: Were going to be doing things, that were not suppose too. We dont want you filming it, and putting it out there, for the world or Canadians to see.  Jeff Felton ??? (@Mukilteo1) February 18, 2022

Sounds like media blackout dont want video proof of what is really going on?  Anita ??? (@MuskokaBeauty) February 18, 2022

In recent days, Trudeau has literally said he did not agree with the Freedom Convoy protest but he had no problem with Black Lives Matter demonstrations that turned violent and caused property damage in 2020. That should tell you all you need to know about this China-loving tyrant.

Sources include:

NaturalNews.com

RebelNews.com
(Natural News) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has quietly lowered speech standards for childhood development amid ongoing mandates related to the pandemic that have been found to have harmed children greatly.

Before, the CDC recommended that by 24 months kids should know roughly 50 words, but suddenly, out of nowhere, the agency has changed that to 30 months.

Instead of highlighting the harmful effects [of masks] & lockdowns have had on children, the CDC just lowered the bar for milestones, a Twitter account called BowTiedRanger tweeted along with screengrabs of the CDC policy change.

The CDC just quietly lowered the standards for speech in early childhood development. Now children should know ~50 words at 30mo rather than 24mo. Instead of highlighting the harmful effects ?s & lockdowns have had on children, the CDC just lowered the bar for milestones. pic.twitter.com/11QraOgFbJ  BowTiedRanger (@BowTiedRanger) February 18, 2022

According to the CDCs Your Baby By 30 Months website:

What most babies do by this age:

Social/Emotional Milestones

Plays next to other children and sometimes plays with them

Shows you what she can do by saying, Look at me!

Follows simple routines when told, like helping to pick up toys when you say, Its clean-up time.

Language/Communication Milestones

Says about 50 words

Says two or more words, with one action word, like Doggie run

Names things in a book when you point and ask, What is this?

Says words like I, me, or we

But while the CDC and the far-left Democrat Party claim that they are only trying to protect children by keeping them in masks, in fact, the mandates are harming children and stunting their development. Think about it: Most children are expressive and respond (and learn from) the stimuli offered via interaction with other children, but masking literally covers up a lot of that expressive interaction, and that has proven psychologically harmful, as new studies have shown.

Not all Western leftists emulate Democrats in the U.S., as noted by National Review:

Europe has taken the opposite approach, keeping masks off children, and even the World Health Organization advises against masks for young kids and recommends them only in select cases for older students.

There simply is little to no evidence that masking in school mitigates the spread of Covid.

Whats more, the outlet continues, Quite simply, face masks perpetrate real educational and emotional harm on students.

Regarding childhood development, face-to-face interaction is crucial to academic and social development, the outlet continues, adding that requiring facemasks isnt the same as other pieces of clothing.

For kids in particular, its not just that masks are a minor inconvenience, they come with an unhealthy trade-off: Its easiest to see in the development of language and literature. A mask muffles the voice and obscures the face and so stymies early phonemic awareness, a critical aspect of early reading.

And to the point of the CDCs quiet childhood development milestone change, this critical learning process requiring facial and voice recognition begins when kids are infants.

A compelling study tracked the eye movements of babies while watching a speaker. Very young infants focus on a speakers eyes, but between four and six months, infants begin to track the mouth of the speaker; they rely on lip movements to develop early language, National Review notes.

As children age, they continue to use lipreading for communication. They dont have the same ability to discern sounds as adults and so need to see a speakers mouth to pick out every word. The author of the aforementioned study writes that a mask robs us of a plethora of linguistic signals that are essential for communication,' the outlet adds.

Consider that if humans did not need voice and facial stimuli as part of their early development, then humans would have developed over the millennia without the ability to learn that way.

The fact is, the militant U.S. left wants to continue mask mandates as a means of control and to harm early childhood development. After all, to the leftist elite, it is easier to rule tyrannically over idiots than an educated population.

Sources include:

NationalReview.com

CDC.gov
Yesterday Canadas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, announced crowdfunding for Canadians protesting for freedom will be considered terrorist financing. This comes as no surprise since her grandfather was a highly connected Nazi and shes close to George Soros.

(Natural News) (Article by Joe Hoft republished from TheGatewayPundit.com)

The Trudeau regime is being led by Trudeau and by the granddaughter of a high level Nazi under Hitler. Chrystia Freelands family has Nazi connections. Her grandfather was a high level Nazi who was being sought after the war by Polish authorities.

Freelands mother was Halyna who was the daughter of Nazi Khomiak. He was pictured with higher-up Nazis in Poland.

Freeeland is a fan of George Soros and has been pictured with him more than once. Soros helped the Nazis in his youth. Freelands grandfather was only three levels down from Hitler who was his bosss bosss boss.

Freelands mother met her when she was in Russia. [Look at how Freeland smiles at Soros below.]

Chrystia Freelands grandfather was a Nazi. She like George Soros and now she is pushing an anti-freedom agenda on Canadians and referring to those who support freedom and protest against the insane anti-freedom mandates as terrorists.

Here is the entire composite for the points above.

Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com
(Natural News) Black Lives Matter filings reveal prominent Democratic lawyer Marc Elias and another longtime ally of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have taken on key roles in the charity amid scrutiny over its leadership and finances.

(Article republished from WashingtonExaminer.com)

Elias, best known for his funding of British ex-spy Christopher Steeles discredited anti-Trump dossier while he served as Clintons 2016 campaign general counsel, appears to be representing the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation through his recently formed Elias Law Group. BLMs national organization repeatedly lists the Elias firm as one of its addresses and states in its short-year 2020 Form 990 that its books were now in the care of the Elias Law Group.

Additionally, Minyon Moore, a longtime top ally of both Bill and Hillary Clinton, is now listed as part of BLMs board of directors in the charitys filings.

Its not clear when BLMs relationships with Elias Law Group and Moore began.

Black Lives Matter filed a charitable organization registration statement earlier this month with the New Mexico attorney generals office, listing addresses for BLM in Arizona and Oakland, California, but says BLMs other address is c/o [courtesy of] Elias Law Group in Washington, D.C.

BLM also filed an annual registration renewal fee report with the California attorney general this month, with the filing saying multiple times that one of its addresses was c/o Elias Law Group. The filing also states BLMs books are in the care of  the organization that is located at  c/o Elias Law Group.

The latest filings addition of partisan lawyer Marc Elias confirms the group is more political than charitable, Scott Walter, the president of the Capital Research Center, a conservative investigative nonprofit group, told the Washington Examiner. But it also suggests that finally some left-wing heavyweights have begun to deal with the embarrassing mess made by a major activist group the institutional Left has failed to, pardon the term, police.

The national Black Lives Matter group pulled off an accounting maneuver that allowed it to delay reporting what it did with its $60 million bankroll from 2020. Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, the charity that serves as the face of the national BLM movement, quietly changed its 12-month accounting cycle to run July through June, giving it until mid-May to report what it did with the millions that flooded into its coffers beginning in the second half of 2020.

The new BLM filing with New Mexico also said that Minyon Moore is a Board Member for BLM, and BLMs California filing lists her as a Board Member too.

Hillary Clintons Onward Together PAC was reportedly incorporated by Elias in April 2017, and Elias is listed as a Governor for the Clinton PAC in a business filing for the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Moore was listed as the Director/President at Onward Together for the fiscal years of 2017 , 2018 , and 2019 .

Clinton posted on Facebook in May 2020 that Onward Together would partner with Eliass Democracy Docket to protect Americans right to vote by mail. And she posted in June 2020 that her followers should join Onward Together and Marc Elias in the fight for voting rights by signing up for Democracy Docket.

Elias wrote on the fifth anniversary of Clintons loss to Donald Trump that I am still with her.

Elias was punished by a federal appeals court panel in March for a deceptive, duplicative Texas court filing, and the judges shot down his effort to wriggle out of the sanctions in January.

He benefited from dark money for years with his Democracy Docket Legal Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of the Hopewell Fund, whose board hired a left-wing dark money firm (Arabella Advisors) to manage its fiscal sponsorships.

While at Perkins Coie, Elias represented Joe Bidens presidential campaign and the DNC in 2020 and was the general counsel for now-Vice President Kamala Harriss failed presidential bid. He also represented the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and multiple other PACs.

Elias has testified before a grand jury set up by special counsel John Durham.

Moore is listed as a top leader at the Dewey Square Group consulting firm. She has a long history in Clintonworld, including serving as an assistant to President Bill Clinton and as the director of White House political affairs, where she advised both Bill and Hillary Clinton. She went on to work as the CEO of the Democratic National Committee.

The book Shattered: Inside Hillary Clintons Doomed Campaign lays out the key role Moore played in Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, including serving on the Super Six executive council with Jake Sullivan, Huma Abedin, John Podesta, Robby Mook, and Jennifer Palmieri.

Moore is described as a close Hillary confidante in the book, which notes that she helped Clinton plot her 2016 run from the start and that Clinton made her a power player within the campaign. The book also says that both Moore and Elias set up shop at the campaigns Midtown office.

There seems to be very little daylight between the Democratic Party and Black Lives Matter, Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, a conservative legal foundation, told the Washington Examiner, adding, An avowedly Marxist organization is now being represented by the most prominent Democratic Party lawyer in the country.  Does that say more about BLM or more about the party operatives that are now seemingly running the show there?

The co-founders of Black Lives Matter were self-described Marxists. BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors announced in May she was resigning from the organization amid the scrutiny over her personal real estate purchases, but BLMs new filing with New Mexico identifies Cullors as an Executive Director for BLM. Cullors has said she and a co-founder are trained Marxists, and her memoir included a foreword written by Communist Party USA vice presidential candidate Angela Davis and an opening epigraph from Assata Shakur, who was convicted of murder in the death of a police officer in New Jersey.

Read more at: WashingtonExaminer.com
(Natural News) The so-called fact-checkers are out again trying to insist one side of a scientific debate is wrong and another is right because they happen to agree with one side. Thats advocacy, not science.

(Article republished from PolarBearScience.com)

Here are some facts (check the links provided for additional references):

Scientists in Arctic nations in the late 1960s were worried about the survival of polar bears because numbers worldwide had declined due to overhunting. They were worried enough to put together an International Treaty to protect them in 1973 (Crockford 2019). In my book (Crockford 2019: 101-106), I cited a number of polar bear specialist who had made estimates of polar bear numbers in the 1960s, that included: Harington (1965, Canada), Larsen (1972, Norway), Lentfer (1965, USA), Jonkel (1969, Canada), Brooks (1965, USA), Ln (1970, Norway), Scott (1959, USA) and Uspenski (1961, Russia). I stated my professional opinion was that a plausible global population size in the 1960s was about 10,000 (range 5,000-15,000), based on the reports and papers these eight men wrote about how they had come to their decisions, which indicated they had used the best information available at the time. Polar bear specialist Markus Dyck, who died doing polar bear research earlier this year, also used this figure of 10,000 as a reasonable estimate for the 1960s. In other words, this statement by fact-checkers is a lie: the book defends Uspenskis 5,000 estimate, arguing that it was based on the best methods available at the time. IUCN polar bear specialists are the only group I am aware of that insist there is no low benchmark population figure prior to legal protections for the species they champion: sea otter scientists dont do this, nor do humpback whale experts, even though benchmark estimates for their species are unlikely to be any more accurate than the one I suggest for polar bears (Crockford 2019). This makes polar bear specialists look biased and unprofessional. After protections were initiated in 1973 internationally (Russian banned hunting well before this, in 1956), the IUCN listed polar bears as vulnerable. Overhunting ceased. By 1996, polar bears were uplisted to least concern because numbers had recovered. The global estimates provided at the time  years before polar bear specialists insisted none of their estimates were accurate  was 21,470-28,370 (Wiig et al. 1995). A change in population size from about 10,000 in the 1960s to about 25,000 in 1993 is consistent with a species recovery due to focused protection. Polar bears remained least concern for 10 years, until 2006. Since deciding that polar bears should be again demoted to vulnerable in 2006 due to threats from climate change, IUCN polar bear specialist have insisted their global estimates are not trustworthy and low-ball every estimate for every subpopulation thats studied. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds: they willingly used a 2013 Kara Sea estimate of about 3,000 for the 2015 IUCN Red List assessment (Regher et al. 2016; Wiig et al. 2015) because the IUCN rules stated they had to have numbers for all subpopulations if they were using computer projections to predict future threats. However, no PBSG status report has even acknowledged that this Kara Sea estimate exists: they dont provide their reasons for dismissing it, they simply do not cite it at all (e.g. Durner et al. 2018). Specialist Steven Amstrup insisted that The most well-studied sub-populations show that as sea ice has become less and less available, polar bear body condition has declined, recruitment (reproduction) has been reduced, and population sizes have declined. He doesnt say which subpopulations but I can tell you that hes referring to Western Hudson Bay and Southern Beaufort Sea. I disagree with his assessment of the data for those but lets assume hes right. What hes leaving out are the data from the Svalbard area of the Barents Sea and the Chukchi Sea, which are almost as well studied and have lost proportionately more ice than Amstrups two favourite regions. However, bears in both the Barents and Chukchi Sea subpopulations are thriving: numbers are stable or increasing, bears are in excellent physical condition and cub survival is good. The contradiction between these four regions with regard to loss of summer sea ice and health impacts on polar bears is scientifically significant. The fact that Amstrup and his colleagues chose to ignore these contradictions is a big red flag regarding their scientific objectivity. Computer projections are not facts: calling a computer model predicting future conditions a study is ludicrous. There is a strong likelihood that the 2020 prediction referred to in the fact check will be as incorrect as the one that Amstrup spearheaded back in 2007  which failed spectacularly. With regard to this statement: No matter how many bears there are out there, if there are too many ice free days, female bears will not have sufficient fat reserves to nurse their cubs, and cubs will start dying at a rapid rate, Amstrup said. Frequent years with too many ice free days assure population decline. See point 8 above regarding Barents and Chukchi Sea bears where numbers have not declined despite profound and continued loss of summer sea ice. Over the last few years (except last year), ice coverage for Amstrups beloved Western Hudson Bay bears has been more like the 1980s than the 2000s. Yet the predictive models that Amstrup and colleagues used for the IUCN assessment assumed a continuous decline in every subpopulation region, year after year (Regehr et al. 2016; Wiig et al. 2015). No other overhunted species has failed to continually increase its population size once protection from over-hunting was provided: there are solid scientific grounds for expecting global polar bear numbers to increase, even if slowly, over time. Its embarrassing to watch polar bear specialists insist that none of their global population estimates are valid counts yet state confidently that their predictions about the future be treated like unassailable facts.

Read more at: WattsUpWithThat.com
(Natural News) The family of an emergency dispatcher in Phoenix, Arizona who died after working a grueling 15-hour shift just shortly after recovering from COVID-19 is suing the city for $35 million, according to The Daily Mail.

The dispatcher, 49-year-old Pamela Cooper, collapsed at home the morning after her shift. She was rushed to a hospital in nearby Mesa and put on life support after her heart stopped twice. Her brain was swollen and she never regained consciousness. Doctors did not expect her to survive. She was later taken off life support.

Shirley Ryan, Coopers mother, said Cooper had informed her about the shift. Cooper has been a dispatcher for 20 years, but it was her first week back after six weeks of taking time off to recover from COVID-19.

Cooper was still feeling unwell but was out of paid leaves. She went back to work since she was supporting both her mother, a widow on social security, and her husband, whose unemployment stimulus ran out. Ryan and Joel, Coopers husband, both slammed the city of Phoenix for overworking Cooper despite her condition.

This should never have happened, said Jonathan Michaels, an attorney representing Coopers family. He said no one should have to die for their job. Michaels has already filed a Notice of Claim to support the family.

Dispatcher dies after 15-hour shift

Ryan said Coopers first few days back on the job were difficult. But it was not until Friday, Feb. 26 that Cooper really started to go downhill. She texted Ryan around 3:30 p.m. that day and said she couldnt breathe.

She was supposed to clock out at 7:30 p.m., a standard 10-hour shift. However, she was told to stay until nearly 12 a.m. Cooper texted her mother about the situation, who replied that Cooper would be going home in an ambulance if she works overtime. Cooper said there was no opting out or she will get written up.

Dispatch messages show that Cooper informed her boss that she was not feeling well during her extended shift. The city of Phoenix requires dispatchers to work extra hours if there are not enough workers to cover the necessary shifts. However, supervisors should send home dispatchers that report feeling unwell.

Dispatch messages showed Cooper had said I might die when told she needed to work until 11:30 p.m. In one message exchange, Coopers apparent supervisor thanked Cooper for staying on and asked her to help herself to free food provided by the center. Cooper replied that she will remain sitting because she can barely walk.

Records show Cooper eventually left work at 12:45 a.m. The next morning, she collapsed at home. Medics were able to revive her on the scene, but her heart stopped once before she made it to Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa. Her heart stopped twice at the hospital and her brain swelled due to a lack of oxygen.

They could have sent her home when she wasnt feeling well because thats protocol, said Joel. He claims that the center simply overworked his wife.

Ryan said she thinks her daughter was just worn out from the demanding shift. She also blasted the city for not doing more to protect Cooper from contracting the coronavirus in the first place in January. She claimed that the city did not begin deep-cleaning the dispatch center until after Cooper was already sick with COVID-19.

More could have been done

The dispatch center at Phoenix where Cooper worked was already understaffed prior to the pandemic for many reasons. For starters, it paid very little despite the immense toll it took on dispatchers. In fact, 51 of the 299 dispatcher positions within the citys police and fire departments remain unfilled.

City officials were looking to increase pay last year but had to put it off due to budgetary uncertainties amid the pandemic. To deal with staff shortages, supervisors required that dispatchers work extra hours and hold over shifts. But these measures have just led to missed shifts and burnout-driven resignations. In Coopers case, the hold-over shift led to her death.

Vielka Atherton, a spokesperson for the city, only said the city received the claim. In a statement, Atherton said that their thoughts and prayers go out to Coopers family, friends and co-workers. She said Cooper made a tremendous contribution to the community after serving for over 21 years. She will be dearly missed.

Frank Piccioli, president of the dispatchers union of which Cooper was a member, stated that they will fight on in Coopers name to put a stop to mandated overtime. [We] will always remember her spirit, he added.

Atherton told reporters that the citys human resources department will look into Coopers situation. She noted that extensive measures have already been put in place at the citys dispatch centers to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some centers have installed plexiglass barriers and offer free COVID-19 testing to employees.

However, three dispatchers told the Phoenix New Times that more could have been done for Cooper. They also said their supervisors did not always take the threat of COVID-19 seriously. (Related: Fauci denies desperate lefts accusations Trump downplayed COVID threat.)

Go to Pandemic.news for more articles with updates on the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

PhoenixNewTimes.com
(Natural News) Researchers out of Hungary claim that a new variant of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) proves that it came from a laboratory rather than nature.

While examining DNA from soil collected in Antarctica, researchers say they identified traces of a unique variant of coronavirus that they then sent to firm Sangon Biotech in Shanghai.

The scientists also uncovered genetic material from Chinese hamsters and green monkeys, which may suggest the virus was being examined in a lab using either the animals themselves or their cells, a report about the matter states.

According to Viscount Ridley, the presence of three key [covid] mutations in the sample is characteristic of the early sequences of the virus. This contradicts the claim by both the media and the government that SARS-CoV-2 came from bats at a Chinese wet market.

The findings suggest that the Fauci Flu either escaped or was deliberately released from a laboratory, likely in Wuhan. (Related: The American government was also caught tampering with a Wuhan lab journal.)

Covid didnt emerge naturally; it was clearly manufactured

Early on in the plandemic, Peter Daszak, president of the EcoHealth Alliance, thanked Tony Fauci for dismissing the lab leak theory. It turns out that EcoHealth has extensive ties to the gain of function research on coronaviruses that took place in Wuhan.

Daszak also created a pressure campaign via a letter that was published in The Lancet declaring the lab leak theory to be bogus. That letter actually called on scientists to not look any further into the matter and to just believe the government.

We also later learned that Daszak had been hired by Facebook to conduct fact checking, also known as censoring, on all information pointing to the lab leak theory. Anything even entertaining that idea was labeled as misinformation on the social media platform.

Google and YouTube also cooperated with the censorship campaign, pulling down search results and videos that talked about alternate theories to the bat-wet market propaganda.

Hilariously, Daszak was also exposed for leading a World Health Organization (WHO) investigation into the matter that lasted a full three hours. Daszaks investigators were in and out of that Wuhan lab back in February 2021, after which they immediately declared the lab leak theory to be debunked.

All they did for their investigation, by the way, was ask employees at the facility if they had tampered with bat coronaviruses. They said no, and that was that.

Not long after that, the WHOs leading infectious diseases experts came out to admit that the first covid patient, whom they dubbed patient zero, was likely a lab worker at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which debunks Daszak and his misinformation campaign.

In a world full of coincidences (wink wink), heres another one, wrote someone online about the new discovery. The World Military Games were held in Wuhan one month prior to the outbreak of the virus.

And some people still believe the wet market bat soup story, joked another.

Another asked why more politicians are not demanding an investigation into where covid came from, seeing as how the official story no longer holds any weight whatsoever.

Oh, they dont want to investigate themselves, this same person added. Or did it come from a meteor?

Yet another questioned the idea that DNA was somehow magically discovered in Antarctica, of all places, and immediately sent to China? Something does not add up with this story.

Am I the only person laughing at this? this person asked. Theyre openly mocking us.

The latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

Summit.news

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The Daily SA is reporting that one of the hackers involved with the recent GiveSendGo hack targeting Freedom Convoy protesters in Canada is tied to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Canadian Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and INTERPOL.

A Canadian hacker who reportedly worked for all three of these deep state entities claimed responsibility for extracting and leaking to the media the identities of those who contributed money to the Freedom Convoy via GiveSendGo.

Aubrey Cottle, who is said to have a history of pro-nazi and antisemitic remarks on social media, claims that she was also one of the early founders of the hacking collective Anonymous. He posted a video to TikTok claiming credit for the breach, which led to the names and personal information of GiveSendGo contributors being spread across corporate-controlled media outlets.

Cottle claims that he had to perform the hack in order to stop an insurrection similar to the one that leftists claim occurred at the Capitol building in the United States on Jan. 6, 2021. Cottle also said he wants to prevent foreign political influence and stop truckers from terrorizing cities.

Cottles video was posted to a website that was redirected from GiveSendGo following the breach.

In the past, Cottle also claimed responsibility for hacking several conservative free speech sites including Gab. He also reportedly posted hacked user and credit card data online for the world to see.

Deep state routinely hires hackers to harass, intimidate detractors

Analyst commentator from Troy Watson of The Daily SA explains that law enforcement entities and intelligence agencies routinely hire hackers like Cottle to conduct cyber operations against online targets.

In this case, it appears as though Justin Trudeau and his allies may have paid Cottle to hack the identities of the GiveSendGo contributors in retaliation for their rejection of covid restrictions requiring injection with covid vaccines.

The fact that Cottles online TikTok manifesto was directly linked to the GiveSendGo hack supports his claims of responsibility, Watson writes.

The use of doxing to expose Freedom Convoy supporters to cancellation is a state-sponsored gray zone activity that circumvents constitutional and legal safeguards of due process. Expect more state-sponsored gray zone activity against dissident citizens in the future.

What Cottle did is illegal, just to be clear. And the medias publishing of his spoils is also questionable in terms of its legality. At a bare minimum, it is highly unethical and shows which side the media stands on when it comes to health freedom.

Isnt doxing illegal? asked a reader at Natural News. Or shouldnt it be? Its a form of extortion. I intend to write to these news outlets and tell them Im making a donation in their honor. Right after I cancel every TD Bank account I have and take my business elsewhere.

At The Gray Zone, Kit Klarenberg further delineated how Cottles rhetoric mimics that of leftist Canadian politicians, who claim that the Freedom Convoy protesters have been holding the Canadian capital of Ottawa hostage for weeks while terrorizing the peaceful citizens who live there.

Cottle also apparently alleged without evidence that the global convoy movement that is emerging out of all this could be a cover for a type of Trojan Horse attack where extremists and militia groups arrive in large numbers with weapons since large convoys of trucks moving in capital cities will look normal given the theme of these worldwide protests.

Operating in broad daylight for many years, the prolific cyber-warrior has somehow been able to function freely without any legal repercussions, Klarenberg further notes.

More related news about the establishments assault on the Freedom Convoy can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

ForwardObserver.com

NaturalNews.com

TheGrayZone.com
(Natural News) A new paper published in a top-ranked biology journal found that concerns about the acidification of ocean water are grossly overblown.

Published in PLOS Biology on February 3, the paper analyzed 91 studies on the effect of ocean acidification on fish behavior.

The paper found that better-quality studies tended to find smaller effects on fish behavior, and that the studies with the most dramatic results tended to have low sample size  making them less statistically reliable.

For over a decade, scientists have warned that the acidification of ocean water could decimate fish populations. They claim acidification changed fish behavior, making them less likely to evade predators.

As carbon emissions pushed pH levels higher and higher, climate advocates sounded an apocalyptic tone. Fewer fish would mean fewer fisheries, which would imperil the livelihoods of millions of fishermen across the globe. It could also mean fewer medicines, many of which are derived from marine life. (Related: Reduced oxygen levels in ocean water impact marine species development, could threaten our food supply.)

Those scientists and climate advocates are exaggerating, the new paper suggests.

We contend that ocean acidification has a negligible direct impact on fish behavior, wrote the authors of the paper. They also noted that lower-quality studies are published in high-impact journals and have a disproportionate influence.

The paper adds to a growing body of evidence for the so-called replication crisis, in which scientific findings fail to hold up upon repeated testing. While the crisis is thought to be most acute in the social sciences, it has also affected medicine and biology. Many findings in cancer research, for example, fail to replicate.

The PLOS Biology paper is not the first to question the consensus on ocean acidification. A 2020 study published in Nature found that ocean acidification does not impair the behavior of coral reef fishes. (Related: Reef fish found to be surprisingly resilient to ocean acidification caused by carbon dioxide (climate change).)

Ocean acidification is environmental groups back-up plan in case climate fails to warm

The idea of ocean acidification has been widely scrutinized.

In an article published by the Spectator on April 30, 2016, James Delingpole wrote that ocean acidification is a trivial, misleadingly named, and not remotely worrying phenomenon which has been hyped up beyond all measure for political, ideological and financial reasons.

Delingpole also cited book author Matt Ridley, who wrote on the topic in the Rational Optimist. Ocean acidification looks suspiciously like a backup plan by the environmental pressure groups in case the climate fails to warm. I agree. Thats why I like to call it the alarmists Siegfried Line  their last redoubt should it prove, as looks increasingly to be the case, that the man-made global warming theory is a busted flush, Ridley said.

Ocean acidification theory appears to have been fatally flawed almost from the start. In 2004, two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists, Richard Feely and Christopher Sabine, produced a chart showing a strong correlation between rising atmospheric CO2 levels and falling oceanic pH levels.

The chart, which Feely presented in Congressional testimony, implies great danger from ocean acidification as the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide rises.

Mike Wallace, a hydrologist with decades of experience, noticed that key information had been omitted in the presentation. The chart only started in 1988, but there were records dating back to at least 100 years before. He corresponded with Feely and Sabine, which led to NOAA updating its World Ocean Database.

Wallace was then able to extract the instrumental records he sought and turned the data into a meaningful time series chart, which reveals that the oceans are not acidifying.

On December 26, 2014, Arizona Daily Independent News Network reported that NOAA was caught committing fraud in Congressional testimony about ocean acidification.

It has recently been uncovered, that a NOAA scientist, Dr. Richard A. Feely, used cherry-picked data in testimony before Congress in 2010, the report said.

The report also noted that ocean acidification is just another bogeyman of climate alarmists.

They claim that our carbon dioxide emissions will produce acidification of the oceans that will cause marine life to die. These claims ignore the fact that marine life evolved when atmospheric carbon dioxide was 10 times higher than now. The oceans have never been acidic, even when carbon dioxide was 10 times higher, but the pH has cycled within the alkaline range of 7.9 to 8.2 correlative to the Pacific Multi-decadal oscillation, the report said.

More related stories:

Is ocean acidification another climate change HOAX? Scientists blow the whistle on massive, coordinated data manipulation and FRAUD.

Study: The global ocean appears to be absorbing far more carbon dioxide than current climate models predicted.

Mitigating the effects of ocean acidification: Conservation of shoreline plants and seaweed could preserve coral and shellfish habitats.

Climate alarmists are shifting their focus on ocean acidification because global warming is not happening.

Sources include:

FreeBeacon.com

Spectator.co.uk

ArizonaDailyIndependent.com
(Natural News) Speculation is growing that after more than a year and a half, John Durhams probe into the origins of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax is not just bearing fruit but is about to shed light on just who ordered the operation to begin with.

Last fall, Durham, a former U.S. attorney who was named a special prosecutor by then-Attorney General William Barr near the end of Donald Trumps presidency, indicted Michael Sussmann, a former Clinton campaign lawyer who has been charged with lying to a federal agent by falsely claiming there was a nefarious Internet link between Trump Tower and Russias Alfa Bank, which has ties to the Kremlin.

In a filing earlier this month, Durham noted that a tech exec believed to be Rodney L. Joffe worked with and through Sussmann, a U.S. investigative firm hired by Law Firm 1 (believed to be Perkins Coie) on behalf of Clintons campaign, several cyber researchers and staffers at multiple internet companies to assemble the purported data and white papers.

In connection with these efforts, Tech Executive-1 exploited his access to non-public and/or proprietary Internet data, the filing stated. Tech Executive-1 also enlisted the assistance of researchers at a U.S.-based university who were receiving and analyzing large amounts of Internet data in connection with a pending federal government cybersecurity research contract.

Durhams filing added: Tech Executive-1 tasked these researchers to mine internet data to establish an inference and narrative tying then-candidate Trump to Russia. In doing so, Tech Executive-1 indicated that he was seeking to please certain VIPs, referring to individuals at Law Firm-1 and the Clinton campaign.

Translated, what Clintons campaign did is exactly what the former Democratic presidential nominee has repeatedly  and falsely  accused Trump of doing.

But for an operation like this to have been pulled off using the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Department of State and U.S. intelligence community assets, it would have had to be approved at the highest levels

Or maybe the highest level  Barack Obama.

Kash Patel, a former chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense in the final months of the Trump administration and one of the investigators who discovered that the allegations contained in the Steele dossier against Trump were fraudulent, discussed this aspect of Durhams filing in an interview with Newsmax TV, telling host Greg Kelly what the special counsel is unearthing amounts to the biggest criminal conspiracy against a sitting president in the United States history.

He said that members of Clintons campaign were paid millions and millions of dollars to go out and buy false information from a tech executive, he said.

And heres the worst part. They secured a, quote, sensitive arrangement with someone in government to gain access to White House servers. That means someone in government gave them permission and paid the contracting tech executive companys firm to allow that work to happen, Patel explained.

He also noted that as Trump and his administration were getting settled in early 2017, false information was being leaked regularly by the intelligence community to willing friendly reporters in the media the Deep State knew would publish without question and without corroboration.

That could only have been done with the utilization of the intelligence community willingly. And that, to me, is the biggest criminal scandal that we have yet to talk about, said Patel.

Trump has since responded to Durhams filing and findings.

The latest pleading from Special Counsel [John] Durham proves indisputable evidence that my campaign and presidency were spied on by operatives paid by the Hillary Clinton campaign in an effort to develop a completely fabricated connection to Russia, he said.

This is a scandal far greater in scope and magnitude than Watergate and those who were involved in and knew about this spying operation should be subject to criminal prosecution, he continued. In a stronger period of time in our country, this crime would have been punishable by death. In addition, reparations should be paid to those in our country who have been damaged by this.

Sources include:

NaturalNews.com

WesternJournal.com
Anti-epidemic supplies provided by the Chinese government arrive in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, on Feb. 18, 2022. (The Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands/Handout via Xinhua)

SYDNEY, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- A new batch of anti-epidemic supplies provided by the Chinese government arrived in the Solomon Islands on Friday to help the South Pacific island nation fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The supplies included oxygen generators, oximeters, protective suits and over 300,000 test kits.

Chinese Ambassador to the Solomon Islands Li Ming (R) and Solomon Islands Minister for Health and Medical Services Culwick Togamana pose for a photo in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, on Feb. 18, 2022. (The Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands/Handout via Xinhua)

Chinese Ambassador to the Solomon Islands Li Ming said China is willing to further strengthen its cooperation and exchanges with the Solomon Islands in all areas in a bid to promote a better future for the bilateral relationship.

Solomon Islands Minister for Health and Medical Services Culwick Togamana expressed gratitude for the Chinese government and people.

He said the timely-donated test kits would be dispersed to hospitals, area health centers, post aides and other rural institutions throughout the country.

All these medical consignments are essential resources that will increase the country's capacity and capability to deal with the pandemic, he said.

Solomon Islands Minister for Health and Medical Services Culwick Togamana attends a ceremony in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, on Feb. 18, 2022. (The Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands/Handout via Xinhua)

The Solomon Islands is struggling to curb the local transmission of coronavirus, which continues to overload its health system.

Government data showed a total of 5,043 cases have been reported as of Wednesday since community transmission began in the South Pacific nation in January 2020, but health authorities believe that the figure is under-reported due to the limited testing capacity.

Anti-epidemic supplies provided by the Chinese government arrive in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, on Feb. 18, 2022. (The Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands/Handout via Xinhua)

Health authorities also warned the public that the health system can not cater to all who tested positive or showed symptoms of COVID-19, as the current isolation facilities within and outside of established health facilities are congested.
A fake website has overtaken the official website of immigration and emigration department to obtain a visa for visitors to Sri Lanka. This is a clear cybercrime. As a result, the country has already lost a large amount of revenue.

This fake website has been launched under the name www.etagov.la/svisa, extracting all the information from the official government website available at eta.gov.lk. The fee charged for a visa through this website is more than double the official fee. There is no charge for transits visa, but on this site, the fee is US $ 7.

It is questionable whether this is a fraud committed with the connivance of anyone in the state machinery or whether the issuance of Sri Lankan visas has been hijacked by a third party. This requires immediate and appropriate action.




























(Natural News) As China-loving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invokes the Emergencies Act in a tyrannical crackdown on peaceful Freedom Convoy demonstrators protesting his insane COVID-19 vaccine mandate, real domestic terrorism just occurred at one of the countrys oil drilling sites.

According to Canada-based Rebel News:

Twenty masked and violent attackers armed with axes and flare guns raided an oil drill site near Houston, British Columbia in the early hours of Thursday.

The alleged attackers, whom the Royal Canadian Mounted Police say engaged in a violent confrontation with employees of Coastal GasLink also assaulted attending police officers, injuring one.

On Thursday, February 17, 2022, shortly after midnight, Houston RCMP was called to the Marten Forest Service Road (FSR) after Coastal Gas Link (CGL) security reported acts of violence at their work site, the RCMP reported in an official statement.

It was reported approximately 20 people, some armed with axes, were attacking security guards and smashing their vehicle windows. It was initially reported that some CGL employees were trapped, but all had managed to safely leave the area, the RCMP added.

Upon police attendance at the 41 km mark, the roadway had been blocked with downed trees, tar covered stumps, wire, boards with spikes in them, and fires had been lit throughout the debris. As police worked their way through the debris and traps, several people threw smoke bombs and fire lit sticks at the police, injuring one officer, the statement continued.

Quite obviously this was a planned attack  and a legitimate act of domestic terrorism, given that the attack was launched against a vital infrastructure, oil production.

A statement by Coastal GasLink said the attackers wore masks and camouflage and moved to surround and then attack oil workers in what the company described as a highly planned and dangerous unprovoked assault.

Rebel News added that the Morice River drill site off of the Marten Forest Service Road is where a former blockade and opposition camp sprang up in 2021 lasting 59 days.

In one of the most concerning acts, an attempt was made to set a vehicle on fire while workers were inside, the companys statement noted. The attackers also wielded axes, swinging them at vehicles and through a trucks window.

Flare guns were also fired at workers. Workers fled the site for their own safety and remain shaken by this violent incident. Fortunately, there were no physical injuries to Coastal GasLink workers, the statement added.

Its a miracle no one was killed, much less seriously injured.

Ezra Levant, founder of Rebel News, tweeted about the hypocrisy of Trudeau going after Canadian truckers with full force versus taking on legitimate domestic terrorism: Foreign-funded left-wing eco-terrorist just committed more violence in one day than 100,000 truckers have done in three weeks. But theyre Gerald Buttss people, so they get special permission for violence. Its the peaceful truckers who must be crushed.

Foreign-funded left-wing eco-terrorist just committed more violence in one day than 100,000 truckers have done in three weeks. But theyre Gerald Buttss people, so they get special permission for violence. Its the peaceful truckers who must be crushed. https://t.co/FhWncRH4vZ  Ezra Levant ?? (@ezralevant) February 18, 2022

Added journalist and tech entrepreneur Stewart Muir: Lets see if the Emergencies Act is brought into effect here. Extensive evidence exists of foreign funding to equip and arm these attackers, using the same crowdfunding tools that Ottawa truck rallies employed.

Lets see if the Emergencies Act is brought into effect here. Extensive evidence exists of foreign funding to equip and arm these attackers, using the same crowdfunding tools that Ottawa truck rallies employed.  Stewart Muir (@sjmuir) February 17, 2022

Coastal GasLink added that the terrorists used grinders to sever locks on gates securing the construction site and proceeded to vandalize heavy equipment and trailers, causing millions in damage to equipment and property.

Equipment hydraulic and fuel lines were also cut, causing dangerous leaks, the company stated. Damage and environmental impacts are still being assessed. We are working to contain and clean up the environmental damage caused by the attackers. We also understand the attackers felled trees, placed tire spikes and lit fires on roads in an effort to impede access to the remote worksite.

Now that a real act of domestic terrorism has occurred, what is Trudeau really prepared to do to protect Canada?

Sources include:

RebelNews.com

NewsTarget.com
Vacation photos that tourists take of whales and zebras and posted on social media are helping scientists for conservation purposes.

Without knowing, these photos allow researchers to track, monitor, and collect information for conservation purposes of endangered species.

The photos are not only confined to whales and zebras as scientists have already gathered millions of photos of other animal species, including sharks, dolphins, turtles, giraffes, and African carnivores.

The photos allow the researchers to determine the movement and population trends of these animals.

By using artificial intelligence (AI), scientists are able to extract and analyze data from wildlife images in the so-called new field of imageomics.

For the first time, scientists are more capable of protecting both threatened and endangered species by preventing their extinction.

The New Field of Imageomics

Researchers from the Ohio State University have developed an AI algorithm that tracks public social media posts about animals.

They revealed this groundbreaking development during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on Feb. 20, according to Phys.org.

During the meeting, Tanya Berger-Wolf held a presentation to discuss the founding of the so-called new field of imageomics; characterized as the human advancement in using AI to analyze wildlife images, as per Ohio State News.

Berger-Wolf is the director of the Translational Data Analytics Institute at the Ohio State University.

Furthermore, she is a professor of electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science. Berger-Wolf also teaches evolution, ecology, and organismal biology at the university.

Also read: 5 Critically Endangered Animals in The World

Social Media Photos and AI Algorithm

Tourists may not know that the photos they post on social media are evidently beneficial for the Ohio State University researchers as these images serve as a source of data for the AI through the development of the said algorithm.

The AI is able to collect data by directly extracting the biological information of animals from these photos.

In addition to public social media photos posted by tourists, the researchers have also used camera traps and drones to capture a glimpse of these animals.

Imageomics has so far helped researchers to easily create a database consisting of millions of photos of both threatened and endangered animals with the primary objective of protecting them and combating extinction.

Tracking and Conservation of Animals

Wildlife environmentalists and conservations have traditionally relied on field surveys to manually count the population number of animals in their specific habitat in the wild.

Over previous decades, counting is done either from the ground or from low-flying airplanes, as per the Yale School of the Environment.

On the other hand, a separate group of scientists has also developed the method of using satellite images and deep learning to contribute to the monitoring of endangered species across the planet.

The method was performed by researchers from the University of Bath and Oxford University in the UK.

With the precise tracking of animal population and movement, wildlife enthusiasts will be able to further improve their protection efforts on threatened and endangered animals.

Relocation of animals and eliminating human-related activities that pose a threat is expected to be easier in the future.

Related article: Alert! Endangered Animals Dying Out Because of Goverment Delays
Almost all of SpaceX's internet satellites were lost to a strong geomagnetic storm after having launched on Feb. 3 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Around the same time, 49-member cohort of the newly-launched satellites encountered a catastrophic solar storm, disabling at least 40 of them.

NASA had long been spotting potentially catastrophic geomagnetic storms before they struck. These powerful storms can "literally melt humanity's electronic infrastructure," writer Andrew Tarantola quoted in Engadget.

These storms damage electronics and satellites in orbit.

In the recent case, SpaceX reveals that 40 of the communication satellites will re-enter or have already entered Earth's atmosphere.

A statement from SpaceX in Science & Technology explained that the storm greatly increased atmospheric density around the satellites' low orbit, creating a friction that disabled them.

Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist, said that the incident is believed to be the largest collective loss of satellites from a single geomagnetic event.

Threat of solar storms for life on Earth

Research showed that destructive solar storms hit Earth every century or two and could affect life on Earth at any time, especially since this form of magnetic fields and plasma gas are unpredictable and difficult to prepare for.

Aside from destroying modern technologies, they do have limited effects on humanity.

"These storms cause the atmosphere to warm and atmospheric density at our low deployment altitudes to increase. In fact, onboard GPS suggests the escalation speed and severity of the storm caused atmospheric drag to increase up to 50 percent higher than during previous launches," according to SpaceX.

The company explained that the Starlink team tried to save the newly deployed satellites by putting them in safe mode "to minimize drag," but unfortunately, the increased drag prevented the satellites from leaving safe mode.

SpaceX announced that the deorbiting satellites pose no collision risk, and will completely burn up as they re-enter the atmosphere and will create no orbital debris.

Also read: New Largest Comet Ever Observed "Wings its way" Toward the Interior Solar System

Extreme space weather event

University of Michigan researcher, Gabor Toth, said that there are only two natural disasters that could impact the entire US--the pandemic and extreme space weather event.

"We have all these technological assets that are at risk," he said.

"If an extreme event like the one in 1859 happened again, it would completely destroy the power grid and satellite and communications systems - the stakes are much higher."

Toth and his team are working on developing state-of-the-art computer learning systems and statistical analysis schemes to extend the time between a solar eruption and its resulting winds slamming into our magnetosphere.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) currently employs this innovation, which will afford astronomers and power grid operators a scant 30 minutes of advanced warning before solar winds reach the planet, enough time to put vital electrical systems into standby mode or otherwise mitigate the storm's impact.

"From that point, we can run a model and predict the arrival time and impact of magnetic events," Toth said.

NASA is also currently working on two more missions reported in PR Newswire to better predict the tumultuous behavior of our local star and fully understand the Sun-Earth connection.

Also read: Earth's True Source of Water: Scientists Explain Earth's History with the Moon
Namibia intends to sell off 170 of its elephants in order to control herds that were progressively colliding with humanity in December 2020 and has claims to over 24,000 elephants.

Pursuant to a declaration issued by Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism; the government is in the throes of recovering 57 native elephants that were auctioned off last year.

Wild Elephants Auctioned in Namibia

According to Romeo Muyunda, a spokeswoman for the Department of Nature, Forests, and Tourist, the authorities have already seized elephant colonies wherein many of them are pregnant, as mentioned in a report in National Geographic.

Wiles CITES, the intergovernmental organization pact that governs the transfer of wild African elephants, was modified in 2019 to prohibit elephants from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Africa from getting shipped overseas to every part of the world where the creatures do not or have not previously resided in the outdoors, except if there is a substantiated preservation gain.

Senior counsel of the UK-based Born Free Foundation, which condemns transferring endangered creatures from the wilderness, Mark Jones expressed his thoughts and says that Namibia's officials must adhere to worldwide elephant professionals and reject these tragic shipments while it's not too far.

Grobler was arrested for breaching the property, prompting the government to make today's announcement to explain the present position of the bidding, according to Muyunda.

According to a report in VOA, trading wildlife into confinement had already had been fraught with the dispute, partly as there is disagreement concerning as to if such extremely maneuverable, majestic creatures can survive prosperous life in confinement.

Furthermore, splitting up populations harms connections between many tight relatives. Experts affirmed that two calves were conceived after the elephants were captured from the outdoors and that they are performing well. It also announced that 57 elephants that it is yet to capture from the jungle were already sold to 3 potential buyers.

As per Muyunda Namibia's administration informed that they can't offer information at this moment until the whole phase is finished.

"Elephants have fundamental demands for interesting natural and environmental contexts, as well as the flexibility to choose their hunting alternatives and partners."

Also read: DNA in Elephant Tusks Reveal Illegal Ivory Trafficking Networks: More than 4000 Tusks Tested





Namibia Government Seized Elephant Colonies





While into today's announcement, 37 elephants are already caught, including 22 for shipment. Grobler claims to have been situated on a shared path when he launched an aircraft above the property to observe the elephants. It's debatable if Namibia can actually transfer wild elephants to an international wildlife park or even other customers beyond southern Africa.

The Fish and Wildlife Administration refused to speak if certain facilities in the United States had applied for licenses to acquire elephants from Namibia.

The chief executive officer of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in the United States, Dan Ashe, stated in a letter on February 14 that the organization is ignorant of such engagement by its affiliates in the Namibian elephant sale.

"Such requirements cannot be addressed in captivity," explains Michele Pickover, executive director of the South African-based EMS Institute, a non-profit that campaigns for disadvantaged citizens and wildlife conservation.

Calves may be seen in aerial shots of a property where 22 captive elephants are being housed for transport. Ashe in a quick interview says that they acknowledge the worries about the paucity of openness around this effort.

According to him, he is concerned that several elephants may be expecting, that the tension of confinement may lead to early deliveries, and that Affiliates are by no responsibility to notify AZA concerning prospective wildlife shipments.

Following the publication of this story on February 15, the service's FOIA department contacted National Geographic and stated that it had no evidence of submissions, ruling out U.S. institutions as a potential route for these elephants.

Also read: "Catastrophic" Drought in the Horn of Africa Kills Over a Million Livestock




The brain is known for consisting of neurons and receptor nerve cells responsible for humans and other animals to feel pain.

In severe cases known as chronic pain disease, a dilemma to the healthcare industry-studying how the brain controls pains may be essential for future treatment.

Recent research suggests that modifying a particular area of the brain can prevent receiving the stimuli of chronic pain.

This research is currently being led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor Fan Wang.

The research aims to further understand how the brain processes pain stimulus and be able to turn it off; to help people suffering from chronic pain.

A complete understanding of these processes may one day create a unifying treatment for chronic pain.

Chronic Pain

The Johns Hopkins Medicine, an office of Johns Hopkins University (JHU)'s School of Medicine, attributed chronic pain to wide-scale expenses and economic burden to the US.

The disease not only affects the productivity and financial resources of its victim but also affects the economy of the country due to expenses in the healthcare industry and loss of productivity in workplaces.

In addition, the university's medicine body differentiated chronic pain from acute pain, which is the immediate but short-lived pain experienced from certain stimuli.

However, chronic pain can last longer, spanning from at least three months or even years.

Chronic pain is associated with long-term health conditions or diseases such as arthritis and level 4 cancer.

Chronic pain has cost the US $635 billion worth of expenses related to the treatment of the disease, according to a report from JHU researchers published in The Journal of Pain in 2012.

Also read: People Suffering From Chronic Pain More Likely to Develop Dementia

Off Switch Button for Pain

MIT Professor Wang is conducting a study on potentially altering the pain control mechanisms of the brain-as approximately 50 million Americans are suffering from chronic pain.

The disease prevents people from living a normal life, as per the MIT campus news.

Wang made a groundbreaking discovery of a potential off switch for pain located in the brain's amygdala.

The professor is viewing that controlling the so-called switch could allow the emergence of future treatments against chronic pain.

Furthermore, succeeding research on pain-suppressing neurons in the coming years can create a new therapeutic approach of either mitigating or completely curing the disease, said Wang.

Cases of Chronic Pain Outside the US

More than 30% of people across the world are suffering from the long-lasting effect of chronic pain, according to several reports published in the journal The Lancet in 2021.

The leading causes of chronic pain are arthritis, joint pain, and back pain.

The reports highlighted that chronic pain is linked with a lower life expectancy and that continuous unregulated medical prescriptions may only increase the risk of the disease.

In light of Wang's research, the possibility that one day we can treat chronic pain is likely in the coming years or decades.

However, the absolute eradication of pain is not the objective as the stimuli also protect us from both external and internal harm.

For instance, the signal of normal pain allows us to identify its cause-but not to the extent similar to chronic pain.

Related article: Could Spider Venom Relieve Chronic Pain?
HERMITAGE  While giving birth to her son, Katie Rairigh nearly died from COVID-19 complications, but she now believes that God was not ready for her to leave this world.

After being hospitalized for 126 days, the Hermitage woman just wanted to come home  home to a family that now includes her infant son Isaac.

Isaac, now almost 6 months old, was born Sept. 4 via emergency C-section while his mother was sedated and on a ventilator, unaware that he was delivered at 33 weeks.

It would be 40 days until Rairigh, 34, got to meet her son, who spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit under the care of what the family calls a very dedicated staff who loved on him.

Isaac is doing great as his mother continues to heal and regain her strength with help from her husband, Michael, and her other children, Owen, 3, and Ella, 4, along with many loved ones and even some complete strangers.

She still has a difficult time wrapping her head around everything that shes been through, and her road to recovery has been a long one.

She came home on Jan. 8 but was soon back in the hospital for what medical personnel initially believed to be a gallbladder attack.

Fundraiser set for COVID survivor CLARKS MILLS  The Rairigh family of Hermitage is overwhelmed by the support thats come their way since COVID-19 turned their lives upside-down.

Doctors determined that she was actually experiencing a rare bile duct condition that healthcare providers are seeing in some COVID patients.

She may need another surgery at some point and she has to be very careful about what she eats.

Katie wonders whether other complications will materialize and said its hard to keep track of all of the new information about COVID.

In the meantime, she is very happy to be at home, quickly learning to appreciate little things  like having the strength to carry Isaac around the house and energy to play with Ella and Owen  that the virus temporarily robbed from her.

When she learned she was pregnant with her third child, she and her husband were thrilled  they had thought that another baby wasnt meant to be.

They never could have imagined how the pregnancy would play out.

Katie, who teaches kindergarten at Oakview Elementary School in Lakeview School District, wasnt too worried when she came down with cold-like symptoms shortly after the school year began.

She and her husband, who is an audiologist, along with Ella and Owen all tested positive for COVID at some point.

Katie had not gotten the COVID vaccine. After troubles conceiving, she said she worried that the vaccine might interfere with her pregnancy.

Michael convinced his wife to go to the hospital when her symptoms worsened, especially since she was pregnant.

Story continues below video

She was taken by ambulance to Sharon Regional then transferred to UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh.

I dont even remember getting into the ambulance, she said. She also didnt remember going into the hospital.

Isaac was due Oct. 18, and the hospital staff kept a close eye on Katie, who had to be sedated.

Because her condition had become so serious in just a few days, doctors decided to perform an emergency c-section on Sept. 4.

Michael had little time to process this information, scared that he could lose both his wife and child.

I just told her that I loved her 100 times, he said.

Isaac had trouble breathing at first after he was born, but he quickly improved. Meanwhile, Katie was on a ventilator, which is often not a good sign for COVID patients, Michael said.

He visited several times a week and constantly called the hospital for updates only to be told that his wife may never wake up and she was the worst COVID case that the staff at Magee had seen.

One of her lungs collapsed on Sept. 27 as she was being moved to prevent bedsores, and her family was told to prepare to say goodbye to their Katie.

They all continued to pray, and her mother Sharon Krusey stayed by her side. She also hung her daughters photo on the outside of her hospital room door.

Another hospital visitor, a woman named Ashley, told the family that while she praying for her own loved one, that photo popped into her head.

God told Ashley that He was not done with Mrs. Rairigh and would be breathing new life into her.

And while Mrs. Rairigh remembers very little about her hospital stay, she clearly remembers visiting heaven, where she was greeted by loved ones and heard God say that hed be breathing new life into her.

She was eventually taken off the medication that kept her sedated, and she woke up on her own on Oct. 12, immediately wondering what had become of her baby.

She was overjoyed to learn that Isaac was OK, and she got to hold him for the first time on Oct. 21, her birthday.

I cried a lot, Katie said.

Ella and Owen visited her on Christmas Eve, the first time they had seen her in months, and she said it was a wonderful Christmas gift.

Before spending a few weeks in rehab, the staff at Magee held a parade for the family as they left the hospital.

They needed it too. They needed a miracle, Michael said of the celebration.

Katie was giddy with excitement when she was finally back in Hermitage, where Welcome home signs are still on display.

She mourns the all the milestones  selecting Isaacs coming home outfit, sharing news of his arrival, giving him his first bath, and simply just settling in at home together  she missed during her recovery from COVID.
The Lancaster County farm of Reuben King. Last month, the ATF seized firearms from his property. He has yet to be charged.
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Homestead, FL (33030)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
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Pikeville, KY (41501)

Today

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 63F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 63F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Im frustrated on all sides. I have a lot of friends who are teachers in the district, so Im very torn. I think parents have been left in the dark for the most part, and now all were hearing is animosity.
Longview, TX (75601)

Today

Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
Viral infections can wreak havoc on human lives and livelihoods. For instance, the highly infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has claimed more than 5.88 million lives and infected over 424 million individuals worldwide.

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant has been characterized as more infectious and virulent than other variants. In addition, previous reports have indicated that the Delta variant had significantly increased the mortality rate and hospitalization compared to the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and its other variants.

Study: A highly virulent variant of HIV-1 circulating in the Netherlands. Image Credit: Federov Oleksiy / Shutterstock.com

Background

One of the main concerns associated with viruses is their susceptibility to error-prone replication. This causes a high rate of mutations that may alter the transmissibility and virulence of the virus. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is an RNA virus that is constantly monitored for its altered virulence. This virus has claimed more than 33 million lives worldwide, and around 38 million individuals live with the virus.

HIV-1 first emerged around 1920 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and had subsequently diversified into many subtypes by 1960. The subtypes and the most common circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) between the subtypes pursued varied routes for global transmission.

In due course, these strains developed strong relations with ethnicity, geography, and mode of transmission. Previous studies have highlighted the difference in virulence between CRFs and subtypes via assessing the genotypic effects on virulence.

These studies have also focussed on the association between the virus and the host and other epidemiological factors. Scientists have stated that the co-receptor used for cell entry is the main underlying factor that causes the difference in virulence between subtypes and CRFs. The most common methods to estimate HIV-1 virulence involve measuring the concentration of viral particles in blood plasma (viral loads) and determining the concentration of CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood (CD4 counts). CD4+ T cells track immune system damage caused by the virus.

Clinicians prescribe antiretroviral drugs to reduce viral load and restrict the decline in CD4 count; however, an unsuccessful antiviral treatment would lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Scientists reported that both the viral load and the decline in CD4 count are driven by genes. Hence, researchers believe that both these properties could change with the emergence of new HIV-1 variants.

A New Study

A new study published in the journal Science reported the presence of a subtype-B variant of HIV-1 with remarkably high virulence, circulating in the Netherlands during the past two decades.

The current study is part of an ongoing study (the BEEHIVE project), where researchers identified a group of seventeen individuals with a specific subtype-B viral variant.

Participants have been enrolled in eight cohorts across Europe and Uganda in the Beehive project. All the participants were in their early stage of infection, and their viral samples were fully sequenced.

Among the seventeen participants, fifteen belonged to the ATHENA study in the Netherlands, one from Belgium and one from Switzerland.

Scientists replicated the Beehive test finding with the ATHENA data to examine the viral variant in more detail. They analyzed data from 6,706 participants in ATHENA with subtype-B infections and observed a significant enhancement in viral load in individuals with this viral variant. In this study, the authors referred to this variant as the VB variant. VB individuals are those who were infected with this variant, and individuals who were infected with a different strain of HIV are referred to as non-VB individuals.

Key Findings

Scientists reported that the VB variant has circulated in the Netherlands since the late 1990s. They reported that enhanced virulence is a property of the virus rather than a confounding property of individuals in the transmission cluster. Additionally, the absence of viral load evolution inside the clade of VB variants reflects that the enhanced virulence is a property of the whole clade.

According to the World Health Organization, 350 CD4 cells/mm3 indicate advanced HIV. If an individual infected with the VB variant is left untreated, the advanced HIV stage would be reached within nine months from the diagnosis, compared to thirty-six months for non-VB males (30 to 39 years old). In the older age group, the advanced stage is reached more quickly.

VB variant has been highly monitored in the context of the Dutch HIV-1 epidemic. This study revealed that the VB variant doubles the rate of CD4 cell decline. After adjusting for its higher viral load, this has been estimated via counts and T cell percentages.

Interestingly, scientists reported that per-parasite pathogenicity, which is high in the VB variant, is a heritable condition. The genetic sequence suggested that the VB variant emerged in the 1990s due to de novo mutation and not via recombination. The variant has increased transmissibility with an unknown molecular mechanism of virulence.

Conclusion

The current study reported the presence of a highly virulent variant of subtype-B HIV-1 in the Netherlands. In the future, in vitro studies are required to determine the role of the viral genotype and uncover the virulence mechanism at the molecular or cellular level. In addition, scientists believe that there is a high possibility to observe a higher replicative capacity of the VB variant.
Throughout each stage of its life cycle, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) interacts with host membranes. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 penetrates the cell by crossing the plasma membrane, thus replicating inside host-derived membrane compartments. SARS-CoV-2 subsequently obtains its envelope from the host and exits the cell through the Golgi apparatus and lysosome.

For viruses to fulfill their structural, metabolic, and trafficking requirements, they must rely on host pathways; however, viruses often need to modify these pathways to be effective. SARS-CoV-2, for example, re-engineers the host internal membranes into double-membraned vesicles (DMVs) and convoluted membrane (CM) areas to enable replication.

Study: A global lipid map reveals host dependency factors conserved across 2 SARS-CoV-2 variants. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon / Shutterstock.com

SARS-CoV-2 and lipids

Several previous studies have found that SARS-CoV-2 infection involves the modulation of host lipids as a core characteristic. Several lipids and lipid-associated proteins, such as very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL), steroid hormones, and various apolipoproteins have been identified as biomarkers of infection.

Furthermore, elevated triacylglycerol (TAG) and polyunsaturated free fatty acids are suspected of being involved as markers of severe disease outcomes. Obesity, diabetes, and hypertension have also been identified as important risk factors in people who acquire severe COVID-19.

In a recent study posted to the preprint server bioRxiv*, SARS-CoV-2 appears to alter host lipid biosynthesis by relying on certain human metabolic pathways to survive and multiply effectively. To come to this conclusion, the authors conducted an intricate lipid study of both infected cells and cells ectopically expressing individual SARS-CoV-2 proteins.

Assessing changes in lipoprotein levels

The researchers first conducted global lipidomic profiling of HEK293T cells that overexpress the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which is primarily used by the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to enter host cells. These cells were then infected with either SARS-CoV-2 or a control virus for 24 hours, which was followed by an analysis of cellular lipids through liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS).

Taken together, a total of 514 lipids were identified in HEK293T cells. Of these lipids, 79.6% differed between the SARS-CoV-2 and mock-infected cells, the levels of which changed between2- and 64-fold following infection.

The researchers then sought to understand how lipid composition was altered following exposure to SARS-CoV-2. To this end, the most significant changes were observed in both glycerolipids and phospholipids, with TAG and cardiolipin (CL) exhibiting the greatest changes, with changes in the TAG species being dependent upon their fatty acid composition. More specifically, TAG species with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) chains were found to be eight times more abundant than saturated or monounsaturated species in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells.

When examining the changes that occurred in phospholipids following SARS-CoV-2 infection, several saturated phospholipids declined, of which included phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and phosphatidylinositol (PI). Notably, PC and PG were reduced by 1.5- and 1.7-fold, respectively. Comparatively, several polyunsaturated species increased including plasmalogen-linked phosphatidylcholine (P-PC), which increased by 2.7-fold.

SARS-CoV-2 alters the lipid composition of its host cells.

Lipidomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells

Untargeted lipidomic profiling of cells transfected with each SARS-CoV-2 protein was then performed, aside from nsp3, nsp14, nsp15, nsp16, and orf3b due to transfection efficiency challenges. After 48 hours, total cellular lipids were extracted from these proteins and subsequently analyzed by LC-ESI-MS/MS.

Taken together, 396 unique lipids were identified from the SARS-CoV-2 proteins, which consisted of glycerolipids, phospholipids, sphingolipids, and acyl-carnite lipids. Of these lipids, 80% were significantly changed in at least one transfection with a given SARS-CoV-2 protein.

The most common lipids that increased following transfection with a viral protein included PIs, diacylglycerols (DAGs), and ether-linked lipids, particularly vinyl-ether phosphatidylcholines (O-PC), which were elevated in 75%, 43%, and between 26% and 43% of transfections, respectively. Comparatively, the lipids that were decreased in the SARS-CoV-2 protein transfections included Lyso-PC, CL, and TAGs, which were reduced in 75%, 43%, and 50% of transfections, respectively.

A closer look at SARS-CoV-2-induced lipid changes

After acquiring the aforementioned data, the researchers looked to better understand how each SARS-CoV-2 protein affects lipid remodeling during infection. TAG, for example, exhibited an increase in remodeling by SARS-CoV-2 orf6, nsp5, orf9c, orf3a, and orf7a proteins, whereas polyunsaturated PC was impacted by orf6, orf9c, orf9b, and E.

Taken together, the findings from these experiments point to TAG as the most significantly and substantially increased lipid following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Notably, other viruses including hepatitis C virus (HCV) and rotaviruses both cause lipid droplets (LDs) to accumulate during infection, which are the cellular reservoirs for TAGs. The researchers observed a similar phenomenon to occur following infection with SARS-CoV-2, wherein LDs increased in each infected cell in a time-dependent manner.

Implications

By thoroughly examining the effect of individual viral proteins on host lipids, the researchers were able to reveal a complex network of many different SARS-CoV-2 proteins that play a role in different aspects of host lipid remodeling. Thus, the use of glycerolipid production inhibitors to prevent viral replication highlights the value of both of the lipidomic datasets in understanding COVID-19 pathophysiology and their potential as anti-SARS-CoV-2 treatment options.

Given the rapidly spreading and mutating nature of SARS-CoV-2, it is vital for scientists to understand the underlying biology of its life cycle to assist in the development of prophylactic and therapeutic options for COVID-10.

*Important notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
The first variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), namely the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7), first appeared in Britain in late 2020. It was more contagious than earlier lineages and was found to increase hospitalizations by about 42%. The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) wreaked havoc in India in April 2021, while the most recent variant is Omicron (B.1.1.529), which was first detected on November 22, 2021, in southern Africa.

A new study, available on the arXiv* server, proposes a simple dynamic model for estimating the relative contagiousness of two variants of SARS-CoV-2, namely Alpha and Delta. Furthermore, it demonstrates how to compute the effective reproduction number for a new variant without contemporaneous sequencing results. This is important to assess the state of the pandemic in real-time.

Study: Relative Contagiousness of Emerging Virus Variants: An Analysis of the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Image Credit: anushkaniroshan/Shutterstock

The Study

Peter Reinhard Hansen, the author of the study, utilized statistical methods from econometrics to estimate the infectiousness of new viral variants and better predict case numbers once a new variant emerges. He used Danish health data to calculate the reproductive number (R 0 ) for alpha. The R 0 provides an estimate of the average transmissibility of an infectious disease in a susceptible population with minimum immunity. Alternatively, R t measures the direction for case numbers during the pandemic.

The key object of interest (denoted by ) was the relative contagiousness of two virus variants, also referred to as the competitive advantage. The time series of the ratio of new-variant cases to total cases were modeled to be binomially distributed, with a time-varying parameter, t. The relative proportion of the two variants provided insights into the relative contagiousness. This ensured the analysis was independent of R 0 for the existing lineage, which is a great advantage as the R 0 varies notably over time due to a wide range of factors. As long as the variation in sampling does not systematically favor one variant over another, the analysis should be robust to factors, such as time variation and testing intensity. In terms of methodology, Hansen used maximum likelihood estimation and logistic regression techniques.

Weekly proportions of Alpha and Delta variants relative to all cases.

Key Findings

Estimating the reproduction number for a new variant could be challenging because genomic data for positive cases are available with some delay. However, Hansen showed that the R 0 for a new variant could be estimated from the aggregate R 0 and most recent estimate of the proportion, . The effective R 0 can also be projected forward with high precision, making it possible to be computed without contemporaneous sequencing results. The method was applied to Danish data to study the Alpha and Delta variants. The proportion of the new-variant cases increased rose from below 0.5% to over 90% during the period when the Alpha and Delta were the dominantly circulating strains, and it was also observed that the progression of the Delta variant was much more rapid than the Alpha variant.

Figures with empirical results for the Omicron variant.

The first sample period, corresponding to the Alpha variant, was November 9, 2020, to March 14, 2021 (18 weeks). The second sample period, May 17 to July 25, 2021 (10 weeks), was the period where the Delta variant was dominant in Denmark. Estimates showed that the Alpha variant was about 86% more contagious per week than the ancestral variant. The Delta variant was estimated to be 216% more contagious than the Alpha variant on a weekly basis. The R 0 for the Alpha variant was 1.5 times larger than the ancestral variant, while for the Delta variant, it increased by an additional factor of 2.17. These results imply that 80% of individuals need to be immune to the Alpha variant and 90% to the Delta variant to reach herd immunity.

Concluding Remarks

This study demonstrated how the relative contagiousness of a new virus variant could be estimated by maximum likelihood estimation and adopting logistic regression techniques. The advantage of this method is its applicability in time series with missing data and also the possibility of extension to cases with more than two competing variants. Hansen stated that the results for the Alpha and Delta variants have external validity as they relate directly to the basic R 0 of the virus. Given the speed with which novel variants have emerged, it is plausible that even more contagious variants will emerge in the future. It is, however, encouraging that existing evidence shows that the Omicron variant is less severe and that vaccinations continue to reduce transmissions and disease severity.

*Important notice

arXiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Northwestern University behavioral scientist Linda Teplin will present research on Saturday, Feb. 19 from her groundbreaking Northwestern Juvenile Project at the upcoming 2022 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The meeting, "Empower with Evidence," will take place online Feb. 17-20.

For information about media registration, email [email protected] and include "AAAS Annual Meeting" in the subject line.

Teplin, the Owen L. Coon Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, will participate in the scientific session "How Have Studies of Crime Impacted Criminal Justice Policy and Racial Inequality?" at 1 p.m. EST Saturday, Feb. 19.

On the same day, Teplin also will participate in a media availability (MA) session from 11-11:30 a.m. EST. A new offering at AAAS this year, MAs are casual discussions between reporters and experts over Zoom. Teplin will discuss "Long-Term Outcomes of Juvenile Justice Youth: How Data Drives Reform," the topic of her scientific session presentation.

Drawn from the 25-year longitudinal study, the Northwestern Juvenile Project, Teplin will discuss findings that are influencing policies and addressing racial inequalities in the criminal justice systems. She also will recommend future directions for research.

About the media availability (11 a.m. EST):

"Long-Term Outcomes of Juvenile Justice Youth: How Data Drives Reform."

The presentation is based on data collected in the study, the Northwestern Juvenile Project. In the mid-1990s, researchers interviewed 1,829 randomly selected youth who were newly admitted to juvenile detention. The investigators then followed them for the next 16 years no matter where they were living -; conducting a total of 17,766 face-to-face interviews. The study's overall goal was to ascertain the health needs and outcomes of youth in the juvenile justice system.

About the scientific session (1 p.m. EST):

"How Have Studies of Crime Impacted Criminal Justice Policy and Racial Inequality?"

Although crime rates overall in the U.S. have dropped since the late 1990s, the U.S. compares unfavorably alongside other developed countries by several metrics: Homicide rates are 17 times higher in the U.S. than the United Kingdom; the U.S. has one of the highest incarceration rates among industrialized nations; and Black individuals are disproportionately affected.

In this interdisciplinary panel discussion organized by Teplin, four behavioral scientists who have spent decades studying crime will discuss studies focusing on successes and failures in the implementation of scientific research designed to reduce crime.

Moderated by Daniel Nagin of Carnegie Mellon University, panelists include Robert Sampson, Harvard University; Teplin, Northwestern University; and Alex Piquero, University of Miami.

The topics to be discussed are: The Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, a 25-year longitudinal study that examines how family, school and neighborhood characteristics affect criminal behavior in juveniles and adults (Sampson); the Northwestern Juvenile Project, a 25-year longitudinal study of needs and outcomes of detained youth that has precipitated reform in the juvenile justice system (Teplin); and a body of studies focusing on successes and failures in the implementation of scientific research designed to reduce crime (Piquero).
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers from the United Kingdom (UK), performed an epidemiological cohort study to assess differences in transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron and Delta variants in England.

In England, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) became dominant and rapidly replaced the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) in January 2022. Studies have revealed that as compared to other SARS-CoV-2 variants, the Omicron variant is related to increased transmissibility and reduced vaccine effectiveness.

In the current study, the researchers used secondary attack rates and household clustering for assessing the transmissibility of the Omicron and Delta variants at the time when both variants were circulating in England.

Study design

The current study was performed between 5 and 11 December 2021, in England when both the Omicron and Delta were co-circulating. SARS-CoV-2 positive results were reported by National Health Service (NHS) laboratories to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Lab reports with lateral flow device (LFD) testing data were stored in the second generation surveillance system (SGSS) of UKHSA.

Omicron and Delta variants were defined by genomic sequencing and genotyping of confirmed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cases and through S-gene target failure (SGTF). Genomic sequencing in England was held in the cloud infrastructure for big data microbial bioinformatics database (CLIMB) and coordinated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Genomics, UK (COGUK).

Vaccination data for COVID-19 in England was retrieved from the National Immunisation Management System (NIMS). SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals data were sent for contact tracing with nationally collated data (NHS test and trace records) and the assessment of transmission to named contacts was performed using this data. Two or more SARS-CoV-2-positive cases at the same residential dwelling with identical unique property reference numbers (UPRN) were defined as household clusters.

Findings

During the study, the researchers observed a mean of 2.0 contacts per case for the Delta variant and 1.7 for the Omicron variant, out of which 1.6 and 1.1 were household contacts and 0.4 and 0.6 non-household contacts for Delta and Omicron, respectively. When exposure was inside and outside the household, the serial median interval to a secondary case was four days and three days for Delta and Omicron, respectively.

The cycle threshold (CT) values were  30 days for a nucleocapsid and open reading frame (ORF) 1ab gene in Delta cases (98.7%), and Omicron cases (99.2%). Among named household contacts, the unadjusted secondary attack rate for Omicron and Delta was 15.0% and 10.8%, respectively, while in non-household contact it was 8.2% and 3.7%, respectively.

The team noted that for Omicron cases, the ratio of overall transmission risk to household contact was 1.48 and for non-household contacts 2.14 as compared to the Delta cases. In non-household settings, for exposed contacts to Delta who have received three doses of vaccines, the secondary attack rates were 3.0% as compared to 5.1% in non-vaccinated contacts. Similarly in household settings, it was 7.6% compared to 12.9%, respectively.

When the number of the vaccination dose was reduced from three to no dose, the transmission in non-household settings was 3.1% vs 4.9%, respectively, while in household settings it was 6.2% vs 11.8%, respectively. Similarly adjusted ratio risk of transmission in non-household cases who had received the third dose of vaccine was 0.51 compared to two doses, while for household contact the ratio was 0.68.

The team analyzed that in household settings, individuals who have received three doses showed a protective adjusted risk ratio in contacts (0.88) or exposers (0.78) compared to two doses. While in non-household contacts, it was 0.76 while no differences in exposers were observed.

The researchers showed that, in unvaccinated household contacts of unvaccinated Omicron cases, the secondary attack rate was 16.2% compared to 14.6% in unvaccinated Delta cases with a 1.11 adjusted risk ratio. While in non-household contacts, it was 11.6% for unvaccinated Omicron cases and 6.3% for unvaccinated Delta cases with an adjusted risk ratio of 1.84.

The team observed that the risk of household transmission was lower in all other age groups particularly children as compared to contacts aged 30-39 years (except 40-49 years old), males (compared to female contacts), and exposers under age 30 (compared to 30-79 years old exposers). In non-household contacts exposers. under 20 years of age were at less risk of transmission than 30-69 years olds.

As compared to the East Midlands (reference region), non-household contacts of exposers in London were more probable to become cases while North West household contacts were less probable to become cases. The researchers observed that among the reported 13.5% Delta and 8.8% of Omicron asymptomatic cases in households exposures, half of the cases had the probability [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.47 (0.44-0.51)] for transmission to their household contacts compared to symptomatic cases.

For Omicron variants, the overall risk ratio of household clustering was 3.54 compared to the Delta variants. Furthermore, as per the vaccination status, specifically in the index cases that were 14 days after the third dose of vaccine, there was an increased risk of household clustering in the Omicron variant compared to the Delta. Additionally, the team observed that younger cases index cases (<30 years age) and Black ethnic group had a lower probability of household clustering as compared to >40 years age and the White ethnic group, respectively.

In the restricted model, including individuals with travel history outside the UK, there was an overall adjusted odds ratio for household clustering of 4.53 for Omicron index cases compared to 4.51 in Delta while no significant change was noticed in the model excluding cases with travel history outside the UK.

Conclusion

The findings of this study demonstrated a high transmission risk from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant as compared to the Delta variant in both household and non-household settings. It also showed the significant attenuation of the protective effect of COVID-19 booster vaccinations in reducing onwards transmission from Omicron cases, as compared to the Delta variant.

The study highlighted the need for genomic surveillance to identify and understand the impact of newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants on hospitalization, disease incidents, and deaths and to accelerate public health interventions like the roll-out of the booster vaccination for these emerging variants.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Promoting the fight against the use of drugs of abuse, anticipating to the appearance of new psychoactive drugs and assessing the risks these have on human health are the main objectives of the European research project approved by the European Commission and led by the Research Group on Neuropsychopharmacology of Amphetamine Derivatives of the University of Barcelona. This project, to be carried out from 2022 to 2024, counts on the participation of Professor Jordi Camarasa, Professor Elena Escubedo, the lecturer Raul Lopez-Arnau, and Professor David Pubill, from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, and the mentioned research group.

Under the title "Early and effective detection of addictive and hallucinogen potential in the next generation of psychoactive drugs to speed up the implementation of control measures by the EU (NextGenPS)", this project also counts on the participation of teams of the Chemical Institute of Sarria (IQS), the Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), the University of Graz (Austria), and the University of Poitiers (France).

The challenge of fighting against new psychoactive drugs

By late 2019, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) had identified more than 700 psychoactive drugs (NPS). Among these products are the new psycho-stimulants and hallucinogens with strong effects of which the long-term and short-term adverse effects on human health are still unknown.

These NPS have been designed to copy traditional drugs (cocaine, amphetamines, etc.) and therefore prevent the legislation and potential illegalization from the European Union. In this scenario, from the moment these substances appear in the illegal market until they are prohibited, there is a long period of time during which there are mortal victims of intoxications. Therefore, it is essential to promote the fast exchange of information and establishing a risk evaluation system to activate rapid control measures on this problem in the European Union.

NextGenPS: identifying and analyzing emerging drugs

NextGenPS is a proactive and transversal project that will enable the identification and early characterization of new psycho-stimulants and hallucinogens with a high ability to generate an abusive use or inducing psychedelic effects through a new predicting strategy.

To reach these objectives, NextGenPS intends to select certain NPS from the updated UN databases, considering its innovative profile, the lack of scientific knowledge on the compound and the potential it may have to induce dependency or hallucinogen effects. The project will also synthesize the substances with another addictive or hallucinogen potency, will design analytical protocols to make forensic and toxicological analyses, and will characterize the action mechanisms and psychostimulating, hallucinogen and addictive properties.
Tragedy in Petropolis: Radio amateurs provide support Brazil's LABRE reports on the amateur radio response to the landslides and flash flooding that hit the Brazilian city of Petropolis on February 15



A translation of the LABRE post updated February 18 reads:



The tragedy caused by a storm in Petropolis two days ago [Feb 15] already accounts for more than a hundred fatalities. It was a very large volume of rain, 240 mm, in about two hours, the worst since 1932.



At that time, a group of radio amateurs organized and trained to act in emergency was activated, the ROER Network of Emergency Operations of Amateurs, petropolis, with great performance in other tragedies in the region.



See below the report of PY1ZV Fabio Hoelz, how ROER was acting on the first day of the disaster.



Today, Rio de Janeiro already has its REER - State Network of Emergency Radio amateurs, linked to the State Civil Defense and coordinated by PY1IBM Sales Morenno. Py1ZV itself is the coordinator of the Serrana Region 1 of REER-RJ.



It is up to REER-RJ to coordinate, within the scope of the State Civil Defense, the action of radio amateurs, providing support to local networks such as ROER, which is linked to the Municipal Civil Defense. RENER is the body that brings together state networks. Thus, we are all together, speaking the same language and acting in harmony. The biggest beneficiaries are those who can count on the work of volunteer Radio Amateurs, especially those working directly at the disaster site.



Summary of the first day of ROER operation in response to storms in Petropolis

 A station was installed in charge of firefighter operations at 15GB and an operator with a portable radio was sent to the Civil Action Command at the Civil Defense Headquarters and to the Advanced Fire Station in the Alto da Serra region.

 In a second moment, a station was activated at the Civil Defense headquarters with an advanced operator with the leadership and command of the actions, and another at the advanced command post in the Alto da Serra region, as a time to improve and stabilize communications and improve signals. through GO-BOX system and antenna base and launched advanced operator with rescue teams.

 Portable station launched at IML and Alcides Carneiro Municipal Hospital.

 Two repeater systems were used for communications: one for VHF and the other for UHF located in Morro da Bandeira. Both are maintained and owned by ROER and all non-emergency traffic was directed to the VHF ARP Repeater, also in the same location.

 In addition to these actions taken, ROER is in charge of maintaining the City Hall's private VHF system, which is meeting the demands of the Municipal Guard, Petropolitan Transit Company, Secretary of Civil Defense and Secretary of Health.

 Traffic was relatively small throughout the operation, especially in the afternoon, when cell phone signals were restored in the crisis region.



Summary of the SECOND day of ROER operation in response to storms in Petropolis

 Improvements were made to the station in charge of firefighter operations on the 15th GB with the arrival of support from GRATE  GREMIO DE RADIOERS DE TERESOPOLIS, and also to the station at the advanced base in Bairro Alto da Serra with an antenna for UHF, now giving operability 100% on all available ROER system repeaters and point-to-point for operation.

 A new semi-portable station was launched to assist the State Civil Defense.

 IML operator was demobilized for reestablishment of modal communications with the agency

 The station was maintained in the Vila Felipe community.

 The conduct continues to be to use two repeater systems for communications, one VHF and one UHF linked, located in Morro da Bandeira, owned and maintained by ROER, and all non-emergency traffic was directed to the ARP Repeater of VHF also in the same location.

 At various times, radio amateurs were deployed together with firefighters in the Alto da Serra locations.

 At dusk, the power supply at Morro da Bandeira was discontinued due to a strong electrical discharge that also took the Petropolis City Hall repeater station off the air, and access to the maintenance site is blocked by two barriers and a power pole. listed, this region is sensitive because it concentrates all the Internet links, Radio and TV transmitters and repeaters of public (fire department and Military Police) and private services. The ascent of a mission composed of a backhoe loader team, maintenance of the energy concessionaire and ROER is scheduled to try to restore the system of the City Hall.

 On this second day, even with modal services re-established for a large part of the municipality, traffic was intense due to the logistical needs of the points supported by the Amateur Radio Network. The system proved to be very efficient and faster in responding to requests than those made by standard means (Whattsapp, cell phone) which generated this large flow.



Source LABRE: https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Brazil


A patient living with HIV who received a blood stem cell transplant for high-risk acute myeloid leukemia has been free of the virus for 14 months after stopping HIV antiretroviral drug treatment, suggesting a cure, according to the Weill Cornell Medicine physician-scientists who performed the transplant and managed her care. As in two other successful cases that have been reported, the transplanted donor cells bore a mutation that makes them resistant to HIV infection.

The new case of long-term HIV remission was reported on Feb. 15 at the 29th annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, in Denver.

The patient received transplants of blood- and immune-cell replenishing stem cells after having her own blood cell population, including leukemic cells, destroyed by high-dose chemotherapy. The transplanted cells came from two sources: stem cells from a healthy adult relative were used to quickly restore her blood cell population to reduce infectious complications, and umbilical cord blood from an unrelated newborn child was used to provide long-term blood reconstitution.

Cord blood is used to supply blood stem cells for transplants for patients unable to find matched adult donors. Transplant specialists have found that cord blood may be used successfully even when they come from an unrelated donor whose immune markers only partially match the recipient's.

Doctors in this case used cord blood containing an HIV-resistance gene variant called CCR532. HIV normally uses the CCR5 co-receptor to help it infect immune cells, but the receptor's 32 variant effectively blocks viral entry.

Three months after the transplant, tests showed that the patient's blood cell population was entirely derived from the HIV-resistant cord blood cells. Post-transplant studies could no longer detect HIV by various sensitive assays. The patient eventually stopped taking antiretroviral drugs to suppress her HIV infection, and so far, has been off the HIV drugs for 14 months, with no signs of HIV re-emergence after close follow-up during COVID 19 pandemic-;indicating a likely cure, although physicians at this stage prefer to call it long-term remission. She has also been leukemia-free for more than four years.

Two prior cases of long-term remission in HIV-positive cancer patients after adult CCR532 stem cell transplantation have been reported. This case is the first to use cord blood cells, and the first to treat a woman and someone who identifies as mixed-race. Since the CCR532 variant is much more common in people of European heritage, it is harder to find well-matched CCR532 donors for traditional stem cell transplants into nonwhite patients, although the use of cord blood partly alleviates this problem.

Stem cell transplant specialists Dr. Jingmei Hsu and Dr. Koen Van Besien and infectious disease specialist Dr. Marshall Glesby were the physician-scientists who led the NIH-funded clinical trial at Weill Cornell Medicine in collaboration with investigators at University of California Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and several other institutions.

The investigators concluded that cord blood containing the CCR532 variant offers a possible cure for both hematological malignancies and HIV and should be considered as a stem cell source when HIV-positive cancer patients need blood stem cell transplants. However, the procedure is considered too risky for HIV-positive patients who otherwise don't need such transplants.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread rapidly worldwide, evolving into multiple variants with immune evasion capabilities and higher transmissibility than the ancestral variant. A new review paper published in PLoS Pathogens discusses the new variants and the structural mechanism underlying antibody-mediated neutralization as well as mutational antibody escape.

Introduction

Viruses use multiple mechanisms in order to escape host immune responses. These include the addition of complex glycans to shield viral antigens, block antibody-mediated neutralization and complement activation, mutations in the epitope residues, and the production of shortened viral glycoproteins with common viral spike epitopes.

Activated B cells within germinal centers undergo class-switching and become memory B cells, further showing the expansion of the cell population, somatic hypermutation, and selection to enhance antigen binding.

SARS-CoV-2 has a spike protein antigen that binds to the host cell angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor via its S1 subunit and accomplishes membrane fusion through the S2 subunit. Being an RNA virus, it shows high mutation rates, high yields, and short replication times. These allow it to adapt to different environments under selective pressures, evading host immunity and demonstrating drug resistance. Despite its proofreading system, over 25,000 mutations have been identified in the viral genome.

Some of these mutations facilitate antibody escape, and mutational antigenic profiling helps identify the hotspots of such mutations in spike or envelope proteins. By defining the functional binding epitopes, antibody escape mapping helps predict the selected mutations in the presence of convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). This could be important in developing therapies.

The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein shows greater conformational variability in the later variants compared to either the ancestral or D614G variants. This could be because the variants play important roles in binding and locating the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the host cell surface.

Different SARS-CoV-2 variants

So far, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified four classes of SARS-CoV-2 variants, namely, variants being monitored (VBMs), variants of interest (VOIs), variants of concern (VOCs), and variants of high consequence (VOHCs). There are 10 VBMs, with two VOCs, namely, Delta and Omicron.

The Alpha VBM has 69/70 and 144 in the NTD and N501Y mutation in the receptor-binding domain (RBD), with higher infectivity and more rapid syncytia formation, along with higher binding affinity. The structure of the RBD and NTD are not significantly altered, but it is associated with higher mortality and viral spread than the ancestral variant. Both Pfizer and AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccines provide long-term protection against this variant, equivalent to that against D614G.

The Beta variant has multiple mutations, including the K417N, E484K, and N501Y in the spike, with NTD deletions at 241-243, that reduce antibody binding, as well altering the structure of the NTD neutralizing epitope. The E484K mutation increases RBD binding to ACE2 because of the enhanced electrostatic interactions at the interface, contributing to higher infectivity.

There are suggestions that the Beta variant weakens viral interactions with the T and B cells, causing immune surveillance escape. Both vaccines show reduced efficacy against this variant than against either D614G or Alpha.

The Gamma has the same or very similar mutations as the Beta variant in the RBD (K417T/N, E484K, and N501Y) but is more susceptible to antibodies due to allosteric interactions with more distant mutations. Vaccine efficacy against this variant is high.

With the Delta variant, there are 11 defining mutations in the spike, with P681R being highly conserved and driving efficient furin cleavage, which leads to higher membrane fusion and greater pathogenicity. Despite the Alpha variant having another non-synonymous mutation at P681, the Delta has greater transmissibility by 60%.

The presence of several RBD mutations such as L452R, near the edge of the ACE2-binding surface, may indicate that this variant accumulated multiple immune evading and antibody escape mutations while retaining high ACE2 binding. The T478K mutation replaces the E484K mutation in earlier variants, conferring loss or binding reduction by class 1 and class 1 neutralizing antibodies.

Both Omicron and Delta variants contain multiple mutations and deletions in the NTD, at a supersite, unlike any other variant known so far. These change the antigenic surface and the glycan shield around this supersite, enabling these variants to escape from NTD-specific neutralizing antibodies in convalescent sera induced by infection with the ancestral variant or by vaccination.

Omicron contains 34 or more spike mutations, many of which are known to enhance transmissibility, and indeed it is more transmissible even than the highly contagious Delta variant. Besides, it contains spike fusion-enhancing mutations and those which enhance receptor binding affinity.

Vaccine-induced and therapeutic antibodies

With the Pfizer vaccine, neutralizing antibodies were low or undetectable against the D614G, Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants but increased after the second dose. Even so, compared to the Alpha variant, the neutralization titers were 3- or 16-fold lower with the Beta and Delta variants. The AZ vaccine produced similar results, indicating that the neutralizing response to these variants is significant only after the second dose of vaccine.

Most monoclonal antibodies considered potentially or actually valuable against SARS-CoV-2 infection lost activity against Omicron. Only 3/9 mAbs retained some activity, such as ADG-20 and Sotrovimab. According to some reports, at five months from the second dose of both vaccines, the recipient sera showed little or no antiviral activity against the Omicron variant. Still, a booster dose of a nucleic acid vaccine, like the Pfizer vaccine, increased vaccine effectiveness to 75%.

Neutralizing antibodies are directed against the RBD, in 90% of cases, with the rest targeting the S2 subunit and the NTD. However, the S2 subunit appears to be more conserved and could thus be a better target for the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies. The immunodominance of the RBD could be due to lower glycosylation, better accessibility, and exposure of cryptic sites because of multiple conformations.

Antibody-mediated neutralization and escape

An analysis between the structural contact sites and escape maps suggested that these maps complement each other; therefore, comprehensive knowledge of immunodominant epitopes on the spike protein and escape mutations would aid efforts to understand viral evolution and rational design of antibody therapeutics, vaccines, and other countermeasures.

Antibodies are classified depending on whether they bind epitopes that overlap with the ACE2 receptor and recognize RBDs in open or closed or both states. Class 1 nAbs compete directly with ACE2 by binding RBDs in the up conformation, class 2 nAbs compete directly with the receptor by binding both up and down RBDs, and class 3 nAbs bind the spike outside the RBD-ACE2 binding interface, in both up and down RBDs.

Class 4 nAbs bind a cryptic epitope in the up RBD. Finally, there are anti-NTD nAbs. However, therapeutic nAbs continue to target the RBD because mutations in the NTD supersite occur in many variants, including Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. These mutations block neutralization by anti-NTD antibodies.

However, the paper also points out that antibodies are being generated against these variants that can effectively neutralize them, but at a slower pace than that of the evolution of the variants themselves.

No viral variant so far has emerged with those mutations that escape all 3 antibody classes. Therefore, close monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 sequences is warranted because the development of a strain that can escape all 4 antibody classes would be a big burden.

The future: broadly neutralizing nAbs

Several anti-RBD antibodies have been identified, such as A23-58.1 and B1-182.1, and mAb 222. These are broadly-neutralizing nAbs, binding to a highly conserved region at the tip of the RBD away from the mutational hotspots that harbor K417, E484, and N501. Such antibodies have great potential for development and use as cocktails in the effective treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Engineered molecules are also being conceptualized and developed, such as broadly neutralizing nanobodies that bind conserved regions on the RBD not accessible to human antibodies and outside the ACE2-binding surface; biospecific antibodies that comprise paired antibodies with non-overlapping epitopes on the spike; and multivalent nanobodies. All are reported to have high potency of neutralization and block mutational escape effectively.

Moreover, vaccine-induced cross-reactive adaptive cellular immune responses are also important in long-term immunity to this virus, with minimal risk of mutational escape. However, as the virus continues to evolve,

worldwide genomic surveillance, better vaccination drive, development of bnAbs, and new drugs are vital to combat COVID-19.
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have performed numerical simulations based on network theory which show how numbers of infections in a pandemic change when a new variant emerges.

They found a non-linear dependence between how infectious the new variant is compared to the existing one, an effect not seen in previous work. Their model may be applied to understand real pandemics such as COVID-19 and inform control measures.

Ever since it began to spread in late 2019, COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on people's lives. With wave after wave of new variants continuing to wreak havoc around the world, scientists have been looking for ways to understand how the disease spreads. In particular, there is the issue of how new variants appear, spread, and end up displacing the existing strain. Understanding the dynamics of variants in a population is vital to controlling their spread.

A classic framework for modeling pandemic dynamics is the "compartmental" SIR model, looking at the numbers of susceptible (S), infected (I) and recovered (R) members of a population. The numbers are related by equations and solved, giving many of the salient features of how a disease spreads; the pandemic spreads rapidly before slowing down as the number of susceptible cases decreases and more patients recover.

However, the model cannot account for the varied nature of the population i.e. a given infected individual does not have an equal probability of infecting all others, and the number of contacts that people have can vary greatly from one person to another. Any model that tries to capture pandemic dynamics and get to grips with where and how it spreads needs to use a more sophisticated model.

That's why Emeritus Professor Yutaka Okabe and Professor Akira Shudo from Tokyo Metropolitan University have turned to network theory, a mathematical framework that is able to capture how different members of a population connect to others. Using different types of networks, they were able to create a more realistic model for how an infectious disease might spread. Key features included dynamic absorbing states, states in which the network can get stuck in over time e.g. a state with no infected people. With a few infections and low infectivity, the network would collapse back to the infection-free state.

The team performed numerical simulation of the microscopic model on the network; in the middle of a simulation of infectious disease, they added a variant that is more transmissible than the original strain. Looking at the numbers, the team found that a variant with the same infectivity as the existing strain in fact fails to take off at all.

This is a direct result of the non-linear nature of the simulation, as the network collapses back to an absorbing state with no infections. As the infectivity of the new variant is ramped up, the population becomes more likely to become infected with the variant as opposed to the existing strain, increasing the rate for the new strain at the expense of the old one.

The non-linear nature of how the infection numbers increase with the variant infectivity is a product of the microscopic nature of the network model, giving a more detailed, nuanced picture than before.

The team hopes that their model may be utilized to form effective strategies to contain infectious diseases, looking at points of significant connectivity in the network and understanding how their isolation affects overall infections. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, fundamental studies of how diseases spread are a vital piece in informed decision making aimed at bringing normal life back to society.
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(Newser)  Unimaginable tragedy in Michigan on Thursday, when a mom driving her three sons ended up in a frozen pondtrapping the boys fatally. The unnamed 30-year-old swerved into oncoming traffic for unknown reasons before hitting a curb and rolling into the retention pond around 11am, CNN reports. She was able to escape the car, but despite what police say were frantic efforts, the brothers, ages 4, 3, and 1, were restrained in car seats and she could not free them, MLive reports. Two were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital soon after the crash, and the youngest was pronounced dead later that night.

The vehicle penetrated seven inches of ice and ended up upside-down in 3 to 4 feet of water. Officers were on the scene within three minutes, but the vehicle had been submerged about 12 minutes before the last child was freed. A police captain says rescue efforts were hampered by the fact that the ice did not completely break, WWMT reports. Police say the cause of the crash is still under investigation but there is currently no evidence the mother, who suffered minor injuries, was under the influence. Road conditions are also not believed to have been a factor. (Read more Michigan stories.)
(Newser)  The New York Times is out with a story that provides new ammunition to critics of the CDC. The gist, as reported by Apoorva Mandavilli, is that the agency has collected reams and reams of COVID data since the pandemic began but has made public only a "tiny fraction" of it. Why? A big part of the reason is that the agency is concerned that releasing it in full would result in it being misinterpreted. But as Mandavilli writes, "much of the withheld information could help state and local health officials better target their efforts to bring the virus under control." Outside experts have in some cases relied on data from Israel instead.

A CDC spokeswoman says the agency must ensure that any data released is "accurate and actionable," though critics aren't satisfied with that. "We are at a much greater risk of misinterpreting the data with data vacuums, than sharing the data with proper science, communication, and caveats," says Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist who helped run the independent COVID Tracking Project. The story reports that she's among outside experts "stunned" to learn that the CDC has kept such volumes of data under wraps.

Another factor is that the pandemic has shown that the agency's data systems weren't equipped to handle so much data and disseminate it quickly. "We're working on that," says the CDC spokeswoman, and the story notes that the agency has received $1 billion to modernize its systems. The story is generating criticism of the CDC, particularly on the right. The site Townhall, for instance, calls it an "eye-popping admission." And this sentiment in the Steve Kirsch newsletter is a common one turning up in reaction: "Let's be clear. The CDC hid the data because the data proves they were lying to us. That's the real reason." For the record, the MIT Technology Review previously described Kirsch, a tech entrepreneur, as a "misinformation superspreader." (Read more COVID-19 stories.)
(Newser)  A Tennessee mom who was an active parent at a local school is accused of being a little too active, allegedly trading items to teen boys for sexual favors. Law & Crime reports that 38-year-old Melissa Blair has been indicted for charges including statutory rape, after allegedly making contact with at least nine underage boys online for what McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy describes in a release as "sexual encounters." Per the sheriff, the state's Children's Services agency received a tip on Dec. 9 that Blair had been having such encounters with minors, said to be students at McMinn Central High School, after contacting them on social media. A search warrant was executed at Blair's residence on Dec. 15, a probe that "revealed additional evidence," Guy says.

WTVC reports Blair has never been an employee at the school, but a school official says she had a child who used to go there before being transferred, and that Blair had been involved with the booster club. The outlet, which reports the alleged victims were between the ages of 14 and 17, spoke to the mother of one of the boys, who says vape pens were among the items offered by Blair to her son. She notes that her family has been "devastated," adding, "People focus mostly on the perpetrator. They don't realize how ... we don't know what to do next." Another mom of a student who wasn't involved in the case tells WZTV that she'd be "livid" if it happened to her kids, noting of the victims and their families, "My heart just hurts for them."

Guy, who says two of the alleged victims are now adults, says "there may possibly be other victims who are now adults, and we also encourage them to contact us." He adds: "This type of case is difficult and shocking even to seasoned detectives." Blairwho's been charged with 18 counts of aggravated statutory rape, four counts of human trafficking by patronizing prostitution, and one count of solicitation of a minorposted a $100,000 bond Tuesday night after turning herself in and was released from detention. Per the conditions of Blair's bond, she can't contact her alleged victims or go on school property. Her next court hearing is set for Feb. 28. (Read more statutory rape stories.)
(Newser)  During an attempted robbery by an armed passenger on the night of Feb. 10, Uber driver Christina Spicuzza was captured on dashcam video pleading for her life before her passenger eventually killed her, police say. Calvin Crew, 22, allegedly held a gun to Spicuzza's head as he had her drive around several Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Her phone history shows that multiple money transfer apps were accessed during the drive. "Come on, I have a family," the 38-year-old can be heard saying on the video. "I'm begging you, I have four kids." But police say Crew shot her in the head, killing her. Her family reported her missing when she didn't return home at the end of the shift, and an Amazon delivery driver found her body on the side of the road Feb. 12, USA Today reports.

Crew was arrested Feb. 17 and is charged with criminal homicide, robbery, and tampering with evidence. He can be heard on the dashcam video saying, "I got a family too, now drive," CBS 2 Pittsburgh reports. Police are trying to figure out what may have been stolen from Spicuzza, and whether to charge Crew's girlfriend, who allegedly called the Uber for him. The ridesharing company says it is cooperating with the investigation and both accounts involved have been banned. "It was a senseless killing that left four children without a mother. My heart breaks for Christina's children and her family," the Allegheny County police assistant superintendent says. (Read more Uber stories.)
(Newser)  The idea of not-so-upright characters stashing money in a Swiss bank account is a staple of Hollywoodand a large leak of account holders with the giant Credit Suisse suggests it's right on the money:

The leak: A whistleblower gave the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung data on more than 18,000 accounts. The newspaper then shared the information with the nonprofit Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and 46 other news organizations, including the Guardian and the New York Times.

A whistleblower gave the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung data on more than 18,000 accounts. The newspaper then shared the information with the nonprofit Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and 46 other news organizations, including the Guardian and the New York Times. Customers: The Guardian ticks off some of those account holders: "a human trafficker in the Philippines, a Hong Kong stock exchange boss jailed for bribery, a billionaire who ordered the murder of his Lebanese pop star girlfriend, and executives who looted Venezuela's state oil company, as well as corrupt politicians from Egypt to Ukraine." (The story details them all.) The OCCRP calls attention to a "Yemeni spy chief implicated in torture," per CNN.

The Guardian ticks off some of those account holders: "a human trafficker in the Philippines, a Hong Kong stock exchange boss jailed for bribery, a billionaire who ordered the murder of his Lebanese pop star girlfriend, and executives who looted Venezuela's state oil company, as well as corrupt politicians from Egypt to Ukraine." (The story details them all.) The OCCRP calls attention to a "Yemeni spy chief implicated in torture," per CNN. Customers, II: The Times takes note of "heads of state, intelligence officials, sanctioned businessmen, and human rights abusers, among many others." It ticks off King Abdullah II of Jordan, as well as former Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak's two sons. "Other account holders included sons of a Pakistani intelligence chief who helped funnel billions of dollars from the United States and other countries to the mujahedeen in Afghanistan in the 1980s," the paper notes. In regard to the shadier characters, the Times points out that a simple Google search would have raised red flags.

Whistleblower: "I believe that Swiss banking secrecy laws are immoral," says the anonymous person, per the Guardian. "The pretext of protecting financial privacy is merely a fig leaf covering the shameful role of Swiss banks as collaborators of tax evaders."

"I believe that Swiss banking secrecy laws are immoral," says the anonymous person, per the Guardian. "The pretext of protecting financial privacy is merely a fig leaf covering the shameful role of Swiss banks as collaborators of tax evaders." Bank responds: "Credit Suisse strongly rejects the allegations and inferences about the bank's purported business practices," says a spokesperson, per the Times. She adds that some of the revealed accounts date back to "a time where laws, practices, and expectations of financial institutions were very different from where they are now." (The accounts run from the 1940s through the 2010s, and the Guardian notes that about two-thirds of them were opened after 2000.)

(This isn't the bank's only recent scandal .)
(Newser)  Police in northern New York state are looking for answers in the killing of a 21-year-old student who was found dying from gunshot wounds in the town of Potsdam Friday night. Elizabeth Howell, a music education student at SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music, was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 7pm Friday, around an hour after police responded to reports of an unconscious woman around 100 feet away from the campus, ABC7 reports.

Michael Snow, 31, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, Syracuse.com reports. University officials say the suspect, who is being held without bail, "has no affiliation with the college, either as a student, employee, or graduate." Snow is a resident of Massena, around 20 miles north of Potsdam. State police say he passed through Potsdam, Hopkinton, Malone, Westville, Hogansburg, and Massena Friday evening in a gray Honda Civic with NY registration KVE2731, and they have asked anybody who saw him or his vehicle to call (518) 873-2750.

SUNY Potsdam says Howell, a cellist who performed with the Crane Symphony Orchestra, was due to graduate this year. Classes were canceled Monday. "She was an aspiring educator with a bright future ahead of her," Potsdam President Dr. Phil Neisser said in a letter to students and faculty, per ABC7. Police have not disclosed a possible motive, CBS New York reports. (Read more SUNY stories.)
Crimea and Ukraine were ruled by the Ottoman Empire, and then Crimean Tatars, until annexed by Russias Catherine the Great in 1783.

by Eric S. Margolis

World War III? Or a bad, expensive joke?

Russia has declared a nuclear test alert. The Ukraine crisis is beginning to become very scary.

When the old Soviet Union broke up, I and other moderates called for the former Moscow-dominated states of East Europe to become neutral. Otherwise, East-West conflict would, I warned, be inevitable (see my book War at the Top of the World).

Instead, the rabidly anti-Russian US war party drove NATO east to the former Soviet borders, making a major confrontation near certain.

We are there today, playing Russian roulette with nuclear weapons.

Washington is beating the war drums and sounds borderline hysterical, warning the Russians are coming. Moscow scoffs at the whole business, saying President Joe Biden is trying to divert attention from the big economic and political mess in the US.

Nothing like a jolly little war to distract public opinion at a time when rightwing forces are fast gaining ground in the US and now, of all places, in placid Canada.

The truckers blockade that shut down the Canada-US border cost Ottawa billions in lost trade, seriously damaged the image of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and showed that less than 100 ZZ Top look-alike truckers could hold Canada to ransom.

It was also a vivid rehearsal for what the hard right may have in store for November elections. The mob assault on the Capitol on 6 January was only a trial run.

Meanwhile, back in darkest Ukraine, pro- and anti-government factions are trading occasional shells while the US government in Washington claims war is imminent.

The facts on the ground do not support such alarmism. Russia may have up to 150,000 troops positioned around Ukraine (similar to the same strategic advantage that Germany enjoyed over Poland in 1939) but all these units are so far positioned inside Russia. Most of the NATO troops rushed to the east are from outside their home territory.

Crimea and Ukraine were ruled by the Ottoman Empire, and then Crimean Tatars, until annexed by Russias Catherine the Great in 1783. They remained an integral part of the Russian Empire until the 1920s, and, after a brief bout of independence after WWI, until the Communist era.

But one must remember that in the 1930s, Josef Stalin and his Jewish Himmler, Lazar Kaganovitch, murdered some six million Ukrainians by starvation or shootings in an effort to eradicate Ukrainian nationalism and independent farming. This was likely the worst atrocity in Europe until 1944  done by the key US/British wartime ally. Small wonder the invading Germans in WWII were initially greeted as liberators.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, an ally of billionaire George Soros, now claims that Moscow will stage a false flag operation to justify invading Ukraine. Its true, Russia just about invented such ploys in the 1919-1920 period when Moscows secret police rounded up and crushed the anti-communist opposition. KGB has always loved such deft operations.

But who is Blinken to make such allegations? British media revealed that George W. Bush and UK PM Tony Blair discussed painting US aircraft in UN colors, then buzzing Iraqi anti-aircraft units to provoke a false flag attack on the UN, justifying a US-British attack against Iraq. In fact, the entire Iraq invasion was based on a farrago of lies, double-dealing and torture.

Right on cue, former US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland (born Nudelman), remerges to press for war against Russia. She spent US$5 billion engineering the overthrow of Ukraines former elected government which leaned towards Moscow.

As ye sow, so shall ye reap.

Copyright Eric S. Margolis 2022
(Newser)  In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered with the aid of French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said President Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with Russias President Vladimir Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault on Ukraine that US officials warn appears increasingly more likely. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europeas long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand.

Any Biden-Putin meeting would take place after that, CNN reports, though it notes Psaki did not sound optimistic. We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war," Psaki said in a statement cited by the AP. "And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon. Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine's northern border, a move that US leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraine's capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace.

(Read more Ukraine stories.)
(Newser)  Carl Icahn holds a small stake in McDonald's, but the financier has two things he wants now that he's a player in the company's machinations: two people of his choice named to the Mickey Dee's board, as well as an improvement in how the company treats the pigs it uses for its pork products. The Washington Post notes it's an attempted power grab by Icahn, with McDonald's claiming the 86-year-old is trying to jump-start a proxy battle by gathering up enough shareholder proxy votes to switch up the board and push a cause dear to his heart. The New York Times reports that the fast-food giant confirmed on Sunday that Icahn held 200 shares in the chain, though Icahn tells the Post it's only 100, which would give him about a $25,000 stake in the $187 billion company.

Still, that holding gives Icahn an in to nominate Leslie Samuelrich, president of investment fund Green Century Capital Management, and Maisie Ganzler, chief strategy and brand officer of the Bon Appetit Management Company, to the board. Icahn's beef with McDonald's meat sourcing? That the pigs used to provide the pork for the restaurant's sausage patties and other pork products aren't treated well. Specifically, Icahn accuses the chain of breaking a promise it made a decade ago to phase out keeping pregnant pigs in cramped, 2-foot-wide gestational crates, or "sow stalls," which animal rights activists have called inhumane. Earlier this month, Icahn told the Wall Street Journal that McDonald's does eventually move the sows out of such crates, but only after the first four to six weeks of their 16-week pregnancies.

"Animals are one of the things I feel really emotional about," he said, noting his particular pull toward pigs. Icahn became aware of the pigs' plight thanks to his daughter, Michelle Icahn Nevin, a vegetarian who's done work with the Humane Society of the US. The Times calls it the start of a "bitter, and peculiar, contest," as such "corporate agitators" usually only go after a company if they're not doing greatand McDonald's has actually seen its shares climb more than 18% over the past 12 months. In a Sunday statement, McDonald's notes that Icahn hasn't pushed Viskase, a company that produces and supplies packaging for the pork industryand which Icahn holds a majority stake into make similar commitments. It also vows that by the end of 2022, it will source 85% to 90% of its pork from sows not housed in gestational crates, with a goal of 100% by the end of 2024. (Read more Carl Icahn stories.)
(Newser)  Whether President Biden will end up meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine tensions remains to be seen, but one thing they might want to talk about are lists allegedly held by Russia that detail Ukrainians it wants to detain or assassinate if Russia invades Ukraine. Foreign Policy first reported Friday on the supposed lists, which multiple sources familiar with US intel say include names of Ukrainian political opponents, anti-corruption activists, and Russian and Belarusian dissidents banished abroad that Russia would want to arrest or kill. "As we've seen in the past, we expect Russia will try to force cooperation through intimidation and repression," a US official tells the publication.

Over the weekend, the US sent a letter to the United Nations' high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, notifying the UN it has "credible information that indicates Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation," including vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community, reports the Washington Post. The letter sent Sunday, penned by Bathsheba Crocker, the US ambassador to the UN, adds that the US also has dependable information "that Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations."

Foreign Policy notes the Biden administration appears "startled" at how detailed and formal the lists seem to be, and that Russian intelligence agencies are apparently playing a part in building these hit lists. Per the New York Times, the letter notes that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed the UN Security Council on Thursday of the concerns about the alleged lists. Blinken is set to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday, as long as no invasion takes place. On Monday, Kremlin press chief Dmitry Peskov called reports of any list like those described as "absolute fiction," adding, "There is no such list. It's a fake." (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  Former President Trump has been exiled from social media for a while now, but Reuters reports that his return is upon us. The app for Truth Social, part of his new media company, is now available for download in the Apple App Store. The development comes on Presidents' Day. The Twitter-like site has been in testing for a while and available only to a core group, but now anyone can download it. However, many new registrants were being met with messages about a waitlist "due to massive demand." The Washington Post notes that the app is expected to be in the Google Play Store soon. "Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!" Trump himself wrote on his verified Truth Social account on Feb. 14, as tweeted by son Donald Jr. the following day.

"I think by the end of March we're going to be fully operational at least within the United States," former Rep. Devin Nunes, who is now CEO of the Trump Media & Technology Group, said on Fox News Sunday. Trump was booted from Twitter and Facebook after the Capitol riot in January 2021, and he announced his plans to launch his own social media outlet in October, notes the Post. We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced," he said at the time. This is unacceptable. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
(Newser)  Australia and China are sniping at each other over an incident at sea. Australian authorities say a Chinese warship shone a military-grade laser at an Australian military jet, reports Reuters. But China says it was the Australian pilot who was in the wrong during the incident, which took place last week off the north coast of Australia, reports CNN. In Australia's view, the military jet was within its territorial zone and was making a routine pass of the two Chinese ships in the region when the laser came out. "This was dangerous, it was unprofessional, and it was reckless for a professional navy, and we want some answers as to why they did this," says Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. "At worst, it was intimidating and bullying."

China's view, as expressed by officials and in state publications, is that the Australian pilot flew too close to the ship, and the captain responded appropriately. "From the photos taken by our ships, it can be seen that the Australian plane is very close to our ship and also drops Sonobuoys around our ship," says a defense spokesman. Sonobuoys are used to detect submarines. "Such malicious provocative behavior is very easy to lead to misunderstanding and misjudgment, posing a threat to the safety of ships and personnel on both sides."

Writing for the Conversation, international security professor John Blaxland of Australia National University notes that the use of a laser in such instances is generally considered a hostile act, not only because it could disorient a pilot but because laser sightings can precede a military strike. In his view, larger global politics are at play: "China may be seeking to send a message to Canberra that its naval patrols in the South China Sea are not welcome." (Read more Australia stories.)
(Newser)  Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into eastern Ukraine early Tuesday local timehours after he declared that Moscow was recognizing two breakaway territories in the country's east as independent states. Putin ordered Russia's defense ministry to send troops to Luhansk and Donetsk for "peacekeeping operations," the Guardian reports. It's not clear when Russian troops will enter the two territories, which declared themselves "people's republics" in 2014 but were not recognized by any country until Putin's move Monday, reports the AP.

It's also unclear whether the Russian troops will remain in areas held by Russian-backed separatists or whether they will move into parts of the territories claimed by rebels but still under the control of the Ukrainian government, the New York Times reports. In a speech recognizing the two republics, Putin said Ukraine is a historic part of Russia that "never had a tradition of genuine statehood," Al Jazeera reports. "Modern-day Ukraine was in full and in whole created by Russia, Bolshevik, Communist Russia," he said.

In his speech, Putin slammed the US and NATO for trying to "blackmail" his country. "Russia has every right to take retaliatory measures to ensure its own security," he said. "That is exactly what we will do." After Putin announced the recognition of the two breakaway regions, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden plans to introduce new sanctions related to the territories, which will be separate from the sanctions to come in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, reports Reuters. (Read more Ukraine stories.)
(Newser)  One of two teenagers involved in a fight at a New Jersey mall earlier this month says he isn't whitebut he agrees that it was racist for police to give him better treatment than the Black teenager he traded blows with. Video from the Bridgewater Commons Mall shows police kneeling on and handcuffing 14-year-old Kye while Joseph, 15, whose parents are Colombian and Pakistani, was allowed to remain sitting on a couch. "I dont understand why they arrested him and not me," Joseph told NJ Advance Media Friday. "I say that was just plain old racist. I dont condone that at all. Like I said, I even offered to get arrested."

"I even offered to get handcuffed, I offered to get detained after Kye was detained, and they turned my offer down. I even asked they why they detained Kye and not me, and they said because Kye was resisting," Joseph said. According to Josephwho was on top of Kye when police intervenedhe went to the mall to warn another boy that a group of teens planned to attack him and ended up fighting Kye after confronting a seventh grader he believed planned to instigate the fight. Joseph denies being a bully and says he has been receiving threatening messages calling him a "racist white teen."

NJ Gov. Phil Murphy said last week that he was "deeply disturbed by what appears to be racially disparate treatment." Police say an internal affairs investigation is underway, the AP reports. The Somerset County prosecutor's office is also looking into the incident. On Saturday, a week after the fight, protesters gathered outside Bridgewater police headquarters demanding justice for Kye, reports CBS New York. The teenager's relatives, who are being represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, say the officers involved should be fired. (Read more New Jersey stories.)
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Sudeshna Singha a Bishnupriya Manipuri youth was the 2nd lady martyr for Mother tongue. They fought to achieve the recognition of Bishnupriya as one of the Manipuri languages beside Meitei.

by Pradip Kumar Dutta

Greetings to all my friends around the world on the occassion of International Mother Languages Day which falls on the 21st February. On this day in 1952 Bengali youth(of the then East Pakistan) Salam,Rafique,Jabbar and Barkat laid down their lives in the Dhaka streets to achieve recognition of Bangla(Bengali) as one of the state languages of Pakistan. It was perhaps the first time in history that people sacrificed their lives for establishing their Mother tongue as a State language of their country. The demand was justified. More than 55% of the population of Pakistan spoke and wrote in Bangla. Since inception of the country the rulers tried best to impose Urdu as the only State language. A motion brought in Pak assembly in 1948 by Shaheed Dhirendra Nath Dutta of Cumillah(the then East Pakistan and now Bangladesh) was turned down.

Sudeshna Singha

All political persuasions failed and Students had to go for mass agitation and shed their blood to get Mother tongue Bangla's recognition as a State Language. The recognition finally came in 1954 and was incorporated in Pakistan's constitution in 1956. But starting from 1953,the Bengali population started to observe 21February as a day of Remembrance of the Language Movement Martyrs. Early morning bare feet procession to the graves of the Martyrs and laying floral wreaths there and also at the Shaheed Minar( a beautiful piece of Architectural marvel in memory of the Language Movement Martyrs) singing a song of remembrance of the Shaheeds became a must do for all the patriotic Bengali people on 21 February morning.

Day long cultural events and seminars were arranged to glorify the Mother tongue and the supreme sacrifices of the Shaheeds were arranged all over the Province. Ekushey(Bengali for the date 21st) became a symbol of unity and struggle for emancipation. All politial movements against Pakistani oppression and dominance used to derive inspiration from the success of the Language movement paving the way for the final Great War of Liberation of Bangladesh from the clutches of Pak neo colonial regime in which Bengalis got full fledged support from friendly Indian people and Mrs Indira Gandhi's Government. All Indian political parties were also in support of the Indira Government.

In 1961 similar Language movement took place in Cachhar of Assam to get recognition of Bangla side by side with Assamese in their part of the State. 11 youth including the first lady martyr for language Kamala Bhattacharjee had to sacrifice their lives here. That movement too came out successful.

Sudeshna Singha a Bishnupriya Manipuri youth was the 2nd lady martyr for Mother tongue. They fought to achieve the recognition of Bishnupriya as one of the Manipuri languages beside Meitei.

From 1948 to 1956 the Bengali speaking people of Manbhum fought for the recognition of Bangla in place of Hindi in their Manbhum District which came under Bihar during partition of the Indian subcontinent. Finally they succeeded and most of Bengali speaking Manbhum was reorganised as a new District Purulia of West Bengal.

Besides our Subcontinent attacks on culture and language had been practiced in many places mostly by the colonisers and regional stronger forces. Culturally rich Maya and Inca languages and literature almost perished under Spanish colonisers. Many languages in the world had gone extinct with time. Reasons were either aggressive attitude of the rulers or lack of patronising from the authorities that cultural,religious or linguistic minorities deserve.

To put emphasis on the importance of all mother languages of the world a few Bangladeshis residing in Vancouver,BC,Canada led by Mr Rafiqul Islam and Mr Abdus Salam(dont confuse with the Shaheeds of 1952) and including my friend Hafizur Jahangir joined hands with some of their friends of different nationalities and formed an organisation,namely Mother Language Lovers of the World Society and started lobbying with the UN in 1998 for recognition of 21st February as the International Mother Language Day.Finally Bangladesh Government also had to be involved. Bangladesh PM Honourable Sheikh Hasina took personal interest in the matter.Intense lobbying and hard toil of MLLWS and Bangladesh Government finally paid the dividend and the recognition was achieved from UNESCO in 1999. The proposal was moved by 21 member countries of UNESCO the main initiative being taken by Bangladesh. The motion was adopted unanimously supported by all 188 members of the organisation as on that date. Ironically,Pakistan was one of the 21 co proposers in this case. Bangladesh Education Minister during that period Mr Sadeque,the countries Ambassador in Paris(the Headquarters of UNESCO being stationed there) and other senior Bangladesh officers working with different UN agencies had to put in a lot of efforts to work out the glorious achievement.

The stalwarts of the endeavour and the organisation MLLW were honoured by Bangladesh Government with the highest Honorific Medals of the country(Swadhinata Padak and Ekushey Padak).

Let us pay homage and show deepest gratitude to all Language Shaheeds/ Martyrs of all countries including our own. Lets observe the day in celebrations and festivities with due solemnity. Let all the languages,cultures and traditions of all people of the world survive with due respect and receive due patronising from all concerned authorities.
Quinn Townsend is the policy manager at Alaska Policy Forum. Bethany Marcum is CEO at Alaska Policy Forum. Kymyona Burk, Ed.D., is a senior policy fellow in early literacy at the Foundation for Excellence in Education. Madeleine Ashour is the senior advocacy associate at the Foundation for Excellence in Education.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

Talented professionals must be made in charge of running the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) if it has become effective, opined one of the Kingdoms leading businessmen and advertisement gurus of the region.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, in light of upcoming chamber elections, Promoseven Holdings President Akram Miknas said the Chamber needs a total to revamp.

Businessmen can hold titles within the Chamber but the day-to-day functioning and implementation of schemes should be left to professionals to make the Chamber more constructive for addressing the issues faced by the Kingdoms traders.

These professionals must be given targets and set objectives to achieve. I have a feeling that the Chamber should not be managed by big businessmen because they will be serving their interests alone. He said, as of now, the functioning of the Chamber is more aligned to the work of the Economic Development Board and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.

The Chamber lacks a personality and independence of its own. He said historically the biggest problem with democracy in general and elections, in particular, is that it takes a lot of time for the process to grow roots and for the people to understand. This process could lead to a few controlling things while serving their interests.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Dr Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, met with Israels Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Benny Gantz, on the sidelines of the 58th Munich Security Conference.

They stressed the importance of intensifying joint efforts to maintain security and stability in the region and to promote peace regionally and internationally.

The meeting also discussed the development of bilateral cooperation and several issues of shared interest.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Lower Criminal Court sentenced a man to six months behind bars after he was found guilty of tax evasion and importing banned goods.

The confiscated items were also ordered to be confiscated from him.

He was also fined BD1,245 which is equivalent to the value of the seized items. Two other men were involved in the case but were acquitted for lack of evidence against them.

Smuggling

The man, a GCC national, was arrested at King Fahad Causeway after attempting to smuggle a large number of banned tobacco items.

He reportedly concealed them in hidden places in his car.

Investigations uncovered that the defendant was abetted by two accomplices; an Arab man and an Asian man, both of whom were acquitted.

They reportedly tasked him to smuggle the items and agreed with him to meet him in Bahrain to receive them.

The duo was arrested following a warrant issued by the Public Prosecution which stated in a statement that they are studying the reasons why they were acquitted ahead of appealing their sentences.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Solidarity Bahrain, one of the largest insurance companies in Bahrain and a subsidiary of Solidarity Holding Group BSC, recently hosted a long service awards ceremony to honour its employees at its headquarters.

The ceremony witnessed the attendance of the executive management from Solidarity Group Holding and Solidarity Bahrain.

The event was streamed virtually to all staff to ensure compliance with precautionary measures.

During the event, employees who completed 5, 10 and 15 years of service received a certificate of appreciation from the executive management.

The appreciation event is held annually.

More than 40 Long Service Awards were handed over to employees for their dedicated commitment and loyalty.

Mohammed Awachi, AGM  Corporate Support, said: The Long Service Awards comes as a testament to Solidarity Bahrains keenness to appreciate and continue to develop our human capital, as we believe our employees are our strongest assets.

The long service award is one of many employee recognition schemes designed to motivate, attract and retain the very best of people, he added.
Japan's government will start shipping coronavirus vaccines this week to municipalities and medical facilities, for use by children aged between five and 11.

Vaccinations for that age group will be officially included in the public inoculation program on Monday.

The government plans to deliver a total of about 12 million doses of coronavirus vaccine nationwide through May. Inoculations are expected to begin in some areas as early as this month.

For children in this age group the vaccine will contain one-third of the dose for those aged 12 or above. Children will receive two jabs with a period of three weeks in between.

Unlike people aged 12 or older, children aged five to 11 are not required to try to receive a coronavirus vaccine as there is not yet enough data to verify its effectiveness against the Omicron variant.

Parental consent will also be required for children in the age group to be inoculated. The health ministry is calling on parents to have a thorough discussion with their children, as well as to consult with their home doctors before making a decision.

The ministry urges children with respiratory and other underlying health problems to be vaccinated as they have a higher risk of developing severe COVID symptoms.

The ministry does not recommend mass vaccinations at school. Children will be inoculated at vaccination sites in their municipalities, or at clinics on an individual basis.

There are concerns that some municipalities may find it difficult to secure doctors and staff to support vaccinations for children. The challenge is how to secure a system for children and their parents who wish to receive shots.
Our mother language is our unique possession. In the same way, other peoples mother languages are also priceless to them. In broader sense, the day teaches us to have respect for peoples rights.

by Anwar A. Khan

According to Samuel Johnson, Language is the dress of thoughts. Without language one cant be able to express his thought. It must be your Mother Language.

International mother language day has a great history in Bangladesh. It was formerly known as Bhasa Dibosh which is a Bengali word which means Language Day. People observe this day by showing respect to the sacrificed soul during the language movement of 1952.

The 21st February is a red-letter day in our national life. On this day in 1952, the brave sons of our motherland laid down their lives to protect the interest of our mother tongue. Since then, we had been observing this day as Shaheed Day.

When Pakistan was created in 1947, it had two geographically separate parts: East Pakistan (currently known as Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (currently known as Pakistan). The two parts were very different from each other in the sense of culture and language. The two parts were also separated by India in between.

In 1948, the then Government of Pakistan declared Urdu to be the sole national language of Pakistan, even though Bengali or Bangla was spoken by the majority of people combining East Pakistan and West Pakistan. The East Pakistan people protested, since the majority of the population was from East Pakistan and our mother language is Bangla. We demanded Bangla to be at least one of the national languages, in addition to Urdu. The demand was raised first by Dhirendranath Datta from East Pakistan on 23 February 1948, in the constituent Assembly of Pakistan.

To demolish the protest, the government of Pakistan outlawed public meeting and rallies. The students of the University of Dhaka, with the support of the general public, arranged massive rallies and meetings. On 21 February 1952, police opened fire on rallies. Abdus Salam, Abul Barkat, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abdul Jabbar and Shafiur Rahman died, with hundreds of others injured. This was a rare incident in history, where people sacrificed their lives for their mother tongue.

Since then, Bangladeshis celebrate the Mother Language Day on 21st February as one of our tragic days. We visit the Shaheed Minar, a monument built in memory of the martyrs and its replicas to express their deep sorrow, respect and gratitude to them.

This signalled some other significant features of the post-1952 phase of intense struggle to generate defiance and stimulate the development of more mass movements in future. In early 1971, our central task was to deploy mass people against the Pakistani military government in a credible revolutionary offensive. Each people reiterated and refined the demands for rights and freedom and built support for the cause of establishing Bangladesh.

The Language Movement of 1952 is the fledgling mass movement of people of all classes and religions that could herald a peoples movement truly independent of nationalism and Bengali, being our state language. Each generation of us faces a different set of economic, political, and social conditions. There are no easy formulas for challenging injustice and promoting democracy. But unless we know this history, we will have little understanding of how far we have come, how we got here, and what still needs to change to make Bangladesh more livable, humane, and democratic.

The course of our movements explores the history, sociology, and politics of Bangladeshs struggles for freedom and social justice. The organising class puts more emphasis on fighting for social change. The bottom line of course is to encourage students to see themselves as potential history-makers, by learning from the past and learning the skills and analytic tools to help mobilise people for action now and in the future.

The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle. The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all-absorbing, and to some extent put all other tumults to silence. It must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favour freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.

But we can be prideful and joyful especially because of our triumph or success of our just cause. 21st February, 1952 is a milestone in our history of struggles to establish Bangladesh and Bengali language as our state language. This is a solitary event in the world history that a sovereign and independent country was born in 1971 based on a nations mother tongue.

21st February has taught us that this struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.

In everyday parlance, that sometimes the time was ripe for movements to emerge, to grow, and to bring about change. Ultimately, movements are about real people making choices about how to use their time, talents, and resources. Our great leaders and patriotic people did the right thing at the right time to throw away the yoke of the roughshod Pakistani rule which persecuted us for more than two decades. Howard Zinn competently said, Freedom and democracy does not come from the government, from on high, it comes from people getting together and struggling for justice.

Politicians are elected and selected, but mass movements transform societies. Judges uphold, strike down, or invent brand new law, but mass movements drag the courts, laws and officeholders all in their wake. Progressive and even partially successful mass movements can alter the political calculus for decades to come, thus improving the lives of millions. All our struggles were hard-won outcomes of protracted struggle by progressive mass movements, every one of them are epoch-making.

A mass movement aims to persuade courts, politicians and other actors to tail behind it, not the other way around. Mass movements accomplish this through appeals to shared sets of deep and widely held convictions among the people they aim to mobilise, along with acts or credible threats of sustained and popular civil disobedience. All our mass movements are politically aggressive. And thats why, we achieved success every time.

Mass movements are kindled into existence by unique combinations of outraged public opinion in the movements core values, political opportunity and aggressive leadership. The absence of any of these can prevent a mass movement from materialising, but in our movement of 21st February in 1952, the seeds of something may have been sown to eventually emerge Bangladesh as a new independent and sovereign state in 1971.

A progressive mass movement is inconceivable without a prominent place for the energy and creativity of youth. The movements in 1952, 1962, 1966 and 1969 for the upright causes of our people were spearheaded, and often led by young people. Any mass movement aiming at social transformation must capture the enthusiasm and energy of youth, including the willingness of young people to engage in personally risky behaviour.

A mass movement consciously aims to lead politicians, not to be led by them. Mass movements are civilly disobedient, and continually maintain the credible threat of civil disobedience. Bangladeshs people remain in remarkable, consistent agreement on political issues, a shared commonality of views that holds strongly across lines of gender and age. A mass movement is an assertion of popular leadership by the people themselves. It makes politicians into followers. It truly happened in our country. As a matter of fact, the mass movement of 21st February 1952 acted as a prelude to the creation of Bangladesh.

It is also gratifying that in 1999, UNESCO declared 21st February as International Mother Language Day. This declaration has turned a national celebration into an international event. We used to celebrate the day at our national level because it was not only important regarding our mother tongue. Rather, the day had greatly influenced all the struggles of the people to establish legal rights including our Liberation War.

But with the declaration of the UNESCO, a new dimension has been added to the day. The teaching of the day is that we all should respect the mother languages of others.

Our mother language is our unique possession. In the same way, other peoples mother languages are also priceless to them. In broader sense, the day teaches us to have respect for peoples rights.

On this day, everybody wakes up early and gathers before the martyrs monument barefooted just to offer their profound respect to the martyrs. The govt. and different organizations arrange programmers to celebrate the day. All the states under UNO also celebrate the 21st February as International Mother Language Day every year.

-The End 

The writer is an independent political analyst based in Dhaka, Bangladesh who writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs.
We hit it out of the park here in Hakuba this week with another storm delivering huge amounts of snow.

The gullies are filling and the base just keeps growing. 3 big powder days and we also had a 10cm day thrown in there at Tsugaike too. From my experience the 10 cm day is probably the perfect amount for most skiers. They can get that floating feeling whilst still taking an edge on their turns. That is until they get up to speed with deeper powder technique and the floating feeling and then thats what theyll be chasing forever. Thats why people keep coming back to Japan to ski and snowboard.

We are one step closer this week with the Japan borders opening up. The Japanese government announced that business and student visa holders can enter with only a home quarantine of 7,3 or zero days depending on where you have arrived from. Bit by bit we are seeing positive movement for tourism to open before next winter.
Heavy snow hit Hokkaido prefecture in northern Japan on February 21, 2022. The capital Sapporo was blanketed in over 30cm (12 inches) of snow, creating whiteout conditions that left vehicles stranded on the expressway.

In the city of Hokuto, one person died in a vehicle pile-up involving at least 10 cars on an expressway. About 700 trains and 198 flights to Hokkaido were cancelled. The blizzard is forecast to continue in the north and east of the prefecture, with 70cm (28 inches) of snow expected.
Taiwan on Monday lifted an import ban on food products from Fukushima and four other Japanese prefectures imposed in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Amid efforts to secure Japanese support for its bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration said that the ban on food products from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Gunma, Tochigi and Chiba prefectures will be "adjusted" based on risks -- a change from the ban based on the production areas.

The ban was lifted except for certain food items such as mushrooms and wild animal meat. Food products from the five prefectures still have to carry prefecture-specific origin labels and documents proving that they passed radiation inspection.

In March 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Following the disaster, 55 countries and regions introduced import curbs on Japanese food products, but most have already lifted them.

In a 2018 referendum, Taiwan voters chose to maintain the ban, after which the government of President Tsai Ing-wen had continued barring food imports from the prefectures. ...continue reading
At an elevation of more than 6,000 feet near the top of a volcano exists a land of snow monsters.

On the summit of the volcanic Mount Zao in Japan, about 220 miles north of Tokyo, an unusual natural phenomenon gives birth to snowy, monster-like figures every year

The strange occurrence, which the Japanese call "Juhyo,". The snow monsters can look even cooler at night, as some of the monsters are illuminated in a variety of flashy colors.

According to reporting from The Atlantic, the snow monsters are created through the repeated process of high winds blowing snow onto rime ice that then binds to trees and tree branches, creating snow clumps that appear monster-like

Thousands of tourists travel across Japan each year to see the so-called snow monsters, which typically are around from the end of January through mid-March
MIRAMAR  A week after a victim of a robbery fatally shot a 16-year-old, Miramar police said they arrested two other teens who were involved in the robbery on Valentines Day.

A 16-year-old and 17-year-old were arrested on armed robbery charges Monday, police said. The South Florida Sun Sentinel is not naming the boys because they are juveniles.

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About 9:30 p.m. Feb. 14, police were called to the 15600 block of Silver Shores Boulevard where a man said three people walked up and robbed him, according to police. He shot one of them, a 16-year-old male who died at Memorial Regional Hospital.

According to police. the man said he was sitting in a gazebo watching YouTube videos on his phone when he was approached by three individuals who were dressed in all black and wearing face coverings, gloves and hoodies.

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Portions of the incident were captured by surveillance cameras pointed in the direction of the gazebo area.

The teens approached the victim in a methodical stalking manner as they positioned themselves to attack [him], according to an arrest warrant.

One of the three, pointed a gun at him as the other two took his property after a short struggle.

[ RELATED: 16-year-old dead after being shot by robbery victim in Miramar, police say ]

The victim was robbed of his cell phone and a bag at the Silver Shores Clubhouse, said Tiffany Roy, a spokesperson for Miramar police.

As the teens backed away, video obtained by police appears to show a gun being pointed the victim, the warrant stated.

The teens then began to run away, with their backs to the victim.

The victim  who had a concealed carry permit  removed his gun from its holster and yelled at the teens to stop. The victim said two of the teens turned around, one of which appeared to be pointing a gun back at him.

The victim fired shots at the armed teen, and one bullet struck him in the back of the head. The teen fell to the ground and the others kept running.

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Two guns were recovered by police at the scene, according to police, a Taurus 9mm belonging to the victim and the other  a Glock 9mm  was found next to the teens body.

Three spent bullet casing were recovered by police, two of which were the type of ammunition in the victims gun and one that was the type of bullet in the suspects gun, according to the warrant.

Ballistics testing on the spent shells are pending, police said.

The teens and the victim did not know each other, Roy said.

This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
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If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click the button below to email David Rees, editor-in-chief. For news tips or story ideas, contact one of our editors.

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BROOKFIELD  The boards of selectmen and finance must decide how the town will use $5.26 million in federal pandemic relief money after an ad hoc committee suggested various priorities, including small business grants.

Brookfield continues to inch forward with plans for relief fund allocations, but is still sorting out meeting times, dates and essential details like whether the final decision will come before residents for a vote.

After months of committee meetings and hours spent poring over hundreds of pages of guidance, Brookfields ad-hoc committee members delivered its recommendations for spending American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds during a Board of Selectmen meeting on Feb. 7.

The committees top 12 priorities are expected to cost around $2.37 million, while the total list contains 23 items worth $5.3 million. The priorities list includes money for the fire department, small business grants, behavioral health/case management, and a resident grant program for things like mortgage and rent relief, among other items.

First Selectman Tara Carr called the presentation very comprehensive and praised the due diligence and hard work the group put into its final recommendations.

They did a phenomenal job, she said. They were charged with a really hard task and they had a great group that came together.

Committee Chair Colette Sturm was pleased with the presentation and said she hopes the selectmen will consider the 12 most highly recommended uses for the funds.

Carr would not comment specifically on line items but said she was paying close attention to the top 12 recommendations, which jumped out at her during the presentation. The Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance have final input on how the $5.26 million will be spent, with the possibility that their priorities differ from the committees.

I thought it was very well received, Sturm said. We were grateful that the Board of Selectmen was able to receive it all and are taking time to consider the proposals.

Carr specifically praised Sturm for spearheading the project.

Shes such a great asset to the town in so many ways, Carr said. She just did such a super job on this ad hoc committee.

Now that members have fulfilled their charges, the ad-hoc committee will no longer meet on a regular basis. Meanwhile, Carr is scheduling a special meeting to discuss further actions. A date has not yet been set.

The first step is to get with selectmen and figure out how we want to move the ball down the field, she said.

Some Danbury-area towns began the process of allocating funds in 2021, while others, like Brookfield, are moving more slowly. Theres still time  per federal guidelines, the funds must be obligated by December of 2024 and spent by 2026.

In November, New Milford approved 16 items totaling just over $3 million in its first round of ARPA expenditures. The town opted to allocate funding in tranches rather than all at once. Ridgefield also approved a plan to allocate funds toward its Route 7 sewer project in late 2021. But Redding is still several months away from any decisions, and only began forming its ad-hoc committee on November.

Sturm said she would keep tabs on Brookfields continuing allocation process as it moves to selectmen and finance board members in the coming months.

Thats only natural, she said. When you spend so much time invested in something, youre going to follow it through to the end.
The following school, church and library events and opportunities are taking place in the greater New Milford area:

The Kent Art Association's 29th annual Student Show was a success with eight schools entered and awards presented to eight individuals, a release said.

The winners include: Callie McGuire from Millbrook High School, Sam Hoyt from Harlem Valley Regional High School, Anna Gleason from Fredrick Gunn School, Aurora Smedvig The Hotchkiss School, Wyatt Lee Marvelwood School, Winslow Rock Kent School, Jack Seeds Forman School, and Bodhi Walsh from South Kent School.

New Milford boy awarded at automotive technician training competition

Dean Faulds of New Milford High School took top honors in an automotive tech competition by demonstrating technical know-how and earning a $7,000 grant to any one of 13 Universal Technical Institute-Exton campuses across the country. Additionally, Faulds was also presented with a first-place trophy to commemorate his achievement, a release said.

Thirty students from the Philadelphia-metro and surrounding areas began the day with an individualized written exam before facing off in a variety of hands-on, automotive assessments.

Roxbury student earns honored from Florida Tech

Jayden Cornwall of Roxbury has been named to the Fall 2021 Dean's List at Florida Institute of Technology.

Trinity Lutheran Church in New Milford holding events

Ash Wednesday is March 2. The church will be open from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. for prayer and meditation.

Imposition of Ashes - from 7-8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Ash Wednesday Eucharist - 6 p.m.

Trinity will observe self-imposition of ashes in which those attending may give themselves the mark of the cross on the forehead. For communion, parishioners will take the individual cup and Host set on the small table. Pastor will bless people from the altar. There is no close contact.

Trinity Lutheran Church,107 Kent Road (P. O. Box 388), New Milford, 860-354-3450

Kent: United Nations Association of Connecticut gives scholarships

The United Nations Association of Connecticut has announced that at least three scholarships will be available to Connecticut graduating high school seniors this year.

Joseph Baxer, president of the Connecticut Chapter, emphasized the scholarship goals are to encourage and support students with a demonstrated interest in promoting peace through work in international relations and diplomatic service, and to cultivate an understanding of, and support for, the work of the United Nations in the United States, a release said.

Application information is available from the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation (northwestcf.org and the Connecticut Community Foundation (concf.org).

Baxer indicated that speakers are available for presentation on the UN and other topics of international concern for civic groups, libraries and high schools. For further information, email unaofct@gmail.com.

New Milford library tax items available for pick up

New Milford Public Library announces that the following tax items are available for pick up during library hours: Federal 1040 and 1040-SR form, instruction booklets for Federal 1040 and 1040-SR and limited quantities of CT-1040 form.

For more information, call 860-355-1191.
PharmaCielo expects to begin exporting dried flower in the first half of 2022, with volumes growing through the remainder of the year.





The Company's upstream and downstream scale and quality uniquely position it to be a formidable competitor with psychoactive flower currently being imported into the EU and other markets from Canada and other producing countries.





The new regulation also creates greater legal clarity, provides quotas for a new low-THC extract category and offers producers new business opportunities.

TORONTO, Canada and RIONEGRO, Colombia, Feb. 20, 2022 /CNW/ - PharmaCielo Ltd. ("PharmaCielo" or the "Company") (TSXV: PCLO) (OTCQX: PCLOF), the Canadian parent of Colombia's premier cultivator and producer of dried flower and medicinal-grade cannabis extracts, PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings S.A.S. ("Holdings"), today welcomed the Colombian Government's passing of Regulation 227 (the "Regulation"), which aims to make the country's cannabis industry more competitive on a global scale. In July 2021, the Colombian government signed Decree 811 into law. The government's announcement today introduces a set of practical regulations implementing the legal provisions of Decree 811 that, among other important advances, will enable PharmaCielo and other producers to begin exporting dried flower and access additional opportunities for CBD-based products. In the coming weeks, the Colombian government is expected to release further technical commercial guidelines.

With the GACP1 designation already in place, and the ability to re-allocate part of its existing 50 tonne quota toward dried flower, PharmaCielo expects that it is well-positioned to begin exporting dried flower during the first half of 2022, with volumes growing through the remainder of the year.

Management Commentary

Bill Petron, CEO of PharmaCielo, commented, "The passing of the Regulation 227 is a historic development for the Colombian cannabis industry, opening the large and growing global dried flower market as well as multiple CBD-based opportunities, to Colombian producers. The Colombian government has consistently demonstrated its desire to build this industry into a global leader, and in our opinion the announcement today makes Colombia the most export-friendly and competitive jurisdiction in the world. Dried flower accounts for up to 50% market share in most mature cannabis markets globally, and represents a massive opportunity both for the Colombian industry, and PharmaCielo. With scalable cultivation and processing capacity in place, a structural cost advantage, and the sophistication to ensure consistently high-quality products, PharmaCielo is positioned to capture market share against current international exports from markets like Canada."

Mr. Petron continued, "The government's revised approach to the quota system will both ensure speed to market, as well as greater efficiency throughout the sales process. We expect 2022 to be a very exciting year of growth for PharmaCielo, as we launch and expand dried flower exports, bringing global patients access to high quality, affordable medical cannabis products."

About PharmaCielo

PharmaCielo Ltd. (TSXV: PCLO, OTCQX: PCLOF) is a global company, headquartered in Canada, with a focus on ethical and sustainable processing and supplying of all natural, pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products to large channel distributors. PharmaCielo's principal (and wholly owned) subsidiary is PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings S.A.S., headquartered at its cultivation and processing center located in Rionegro, Colombia.

The board of directors and executive team of PharmaCielo are comprised of a diversely talented group of international business executives and specialists with relevant and varied expertise. PharmaCielo recognized the significant role that Colombia's ideal location plays in building a sustainable business in the medical cannabis industry, and the Company, together with its directors and executives, is executing on a business plan focused on supplying the international marketplace.

For further information:

Ian Atacan, Chief Financial Officer

+1 416-562-3220

[email protected]

Media and Investor Inquires:

[email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expects", "is expected", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" or "will" be taken, occur or be completed or achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements regarding the issuance of the Units, including the terms thereof and the closing date therefor.

The forward-looking statements in this news release are necessarily based on assumptions, including assumptions with respect to PharmaCielo's ability to obtain necessary approvals for the issuance of the Units.

Forward-looking statements can be affected by known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including changes to PharmaCielo's development plans, the failure to obtain and maintain all necessary regulatory approvals relating to the export of cannabinoid products and the import of these products into other countries, TSX Venture Exchange approval, the inability to export or distribute commercial products through sales channels as anticipated due to economic or operational circumstances, risks associated with operating in Colombia, fluctuation of the market price for the Company's products, risks associated with global economic instability relating to COVID-19 or other developments, risks related to retention of key Company personnel, currency exchange risk, competition in PharmaCielo's market and other risks discussed or referred to under the heading "Risk Factors" in PharmaCielo's Annual Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2019, which is available at www.sedar.com. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, PharmaCielo undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

_________________ 1 Good Agricultural and Collection Practices

SOURCE PharmaCielo Ltd.
Ahead of the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections, Union Minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur, in a press conference on Saturday, claimed that the Samajwadi Party (SP) has links with the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blast case and also gives protection to terrorists.

Thakur has asked the Samajwadi Party chief to respond to his allegations. Anurag Thakur said, When it comes to terrorism, BJP has a zero-tolerance policy on it while Samajwadi Party gives full protection to terrorists.

I would like to tell you that Ahmedabads serial blast is linked to the Samajwadi Party and the 49 people who have been convicted, one of the masterminds is Mohammed Saif, the son of Shahbaad Ahmed who is a Samajwadi Party leader. Who is this Samajwadi Party leader? Why is Akhilesh Ji quiet on this? Thakur said.

The BJP leader further accused the Samajwadi Party chief of doing appeasement politics and said, Will Samajwadi Party break its silence on the people who have made Azamgarh a place for terrorists? They do not trust the police or ATS, but they give full support in protecting the terrorists. I would say Aatankiyon se karein Pyaar, Jinnah ke kaseede gaaye hazaar, UP police pe karein waar, Samajwadi hai Tushtikaran ki yaar. Because of the appeasement politics, these goons and terrorists have gotten stronger in the Samajwadi Party government. In the last 5 years, CM Yogi Adityanath worked to eliminate goons and mafias in UP, he further said.

Accusing Akhilesh Yadav of giving protection to the terrorists, Thakur said, I would like to say, Akhilesh ne thana hai, Aatankiyon ko bachana hai (Akhilesh is determined to save the terrorists). In 2012, in Samajwadi Partys manifesto before the UP election, it was written that they will roll back the terrorism charges levelled against the Muslim youths. At that time, Samajwadi Party was the first national political party that promised in a manifesto that terror charges would be withdrawn from Muslim youths and the party will also take action against such police officials. And when they came to power in 2013, the charges were dropped. They went to the court. Akhileshs government did not investigate. Court took cognizance of it saying that today youre withdrawing cases against them, tomorrow will you give them Padma Bhushan?, the BJP leader stated.

Anurag Thakur asked the Samajwadi Party Chief to break his silence on the matter. He said, I would like to ask Akhilesh Ji as to why he is silent regarding the connection of his leader in the 2008 Ahmedabad Serial Blast case.

People have lost their lives and many were injured in the Ahmedabad serial blast incident. The connection of the incident is directly related to Uttar Pradeshs Samajwadi Party. That is in the past few days even after the courts judgement, the leaders of the Samajwadi Party are silent, Thakur told.

According to the BJP leader, in the 2008 serial blast, 56 people had lost their lives, and hundreds were injured. We welcome the judgement of the judiciary. In this, 49 people were convicted in the blast case. 38 terrorists have been given the death sentence, 11 terrorists have been given a life sentence. This all has happened when Gujarats Chief Minister Narendra Modi was there. After the blast took place, all the agencies asked Narendra Modi not to visit the place where the incident took place. But, he went to the spot, to the police commissioners office, hospital to see the injured, Anurag Thakur said. I would like to say that be it SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) or the Indian Mujahideen, PM Narendra Modi has worked to end terrorism, he added.
EAM will also hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from EU and other Indo-Pacific countries on the sidelines of the Forum.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday began his three-day visit to France during which he will attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific amid Chinese assertiveness in the region. During his visit, Jaishankar will hold a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian. Jaishankar will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council.

EAM will also hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from EU and other Indo-Pacific countries on the sidelines of the Forum. He will also give an address at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). EAM Jaishankar begins his 3-day visit to France, a key strategic partner; he will attend the EU Ministerial forum for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, hold bilateral meetings with @JY_LeDrian and @florence_parly, interact with think tanks and chair India Heads of Missions in EU Conference, India in France wrote in a tweet.

S Jaishankar held wide-ranging and productive talks here with France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and both sides discussed cooperation, Ukraine situation and Indo-Pacific. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, Arrived in Paris. Held wide-ranging and productive talks with FM Jean-Yves Le Drian. Discussions on bilateral cooperation, Ukraine situation, Indo-Pacific and JCPOA reflected our deep trust & global partnership. Look forward to participating in EU Ministerial Forum on Indo- Pacific.

Meanwhile, China has formed 3,200 acres of artificial land in the South China Sea, raised an airstrip with the capacity to land fighter jets and large commercial planes, built 72 fighter-jet hangers, and commissioned 10-12 large aircraft on Fiery Cross, Subi, and Mischief Reefs in the Spratly Islands. It has made military installations in the Woody Island of the Paracel Islands.

The construction of these artificial islands is in clear violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, of which China is also a signatory. This visit comes after Jaishankar participated in Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 in Germany and held a series of meeting with ministers from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world.
A three-story elementary school is finally rising in Boca Raton, a brand-new building thatll be equipped with the latest technology and will help ease student overcrowding across the region.

Blue Lake Elementary School, at 1798 Spanish River Blvd., is set to open in August and most of the staff positions have been filled, according to Principal Seth Moldovan. Their mascot? Floridas official state reptile, the alligator.

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And both students and parents can look forward to a full-time gifted program, new technology, including 3D printers and new Chromebooks, a fine arts program and more, Moldovan said.

Blue Lake will technically be the citys first new elementary school since 2001. (Another school, Verde, was recently rebuilt as an elementary school, given new buildings and made into a K-8 school to relieve crowding in local middle schools.)

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[ What will Boca Ratons new elementary school be called? The top names are in. ]

Blue Lake is going to be a state-of-the-art build, Moldovan said. I think its going to be unique because, for many of the kids, its going to be the first time that theyre ever in a school building.

Calusa has an outdoor campus, this is three stories. I dont think any other elementary school in Palm Beach County has three stories.

The school will start with about 700 students and within five years, work its way up to the mid-900s, according to school district projections.

The official name of the newest elementary school in @CityBocaRaton is...Blue Lake Elementary! @05CPrincipal Seth Moldovan shares the origins of the name. Blue Lake Elementary opens to students this August. @ScottSingerUSA @frank_barbieri pic.twitter.com/aJK9uTdkm0  The School District of Palm Beach County (@pbcsd) February 2, 2022

The name of the school, which was the top choice among those who had a say, saw almost unanimous approval across social media: Congratulations!!! Love the name and mascot, one parent wrote on social media. Great name and logo. Love the colors!!!, wrote another.

Boca Raton's newest elementary school, Blue Lake Elementary, is set to open its doors in August. Construction continues at a steady pace on Wednesday, February 16, 2022. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Blue Lake Elementary will sit near Don Estridge High Tech Middle. It will be able to accommodate about 1,000 students, and school district officials hope it will help with overcrowding at Calusa and Verde K-8.

Moldovan, who most recently was the principal at Verde K-8, said hes already hired 32 teachers and other instructional staff and only needs to find about 15 more before the start of the school year.

The school is drawing mostly from the Palm Beach School District, but Moldovan said hell likely need to open up the candidate pool to external hires soon.

There have been other challenges in opening a new school during the pandemic, according to Moldovan.

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Theres obviously supply-chain issues with building anything these days, especially a school, he said. But [developer] Moss has been able to work with all their third-party vendors, and theyve been able to get almost all the supplies we need.

Boca Raton's newest elementary school, Blue Lake Elementary, is set to open its doors in August. Construction continues at a steady pace on Wednesday, February 16, 2022. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The debate over boundaries for Blue Lake, and which students will be rezoned to the school, became a source of contention among parents throughout the city, as the details were hammered out. But after much public discussion, a school district subcommittee has recommended a plan for new boundaries at the school.

Change is always scary, Moldovan said. Change is never easy. But were going to have an exceptional staff at the newest school in Palm Beach County and kids are resilient.

Now, School Board Superintendent Mike Burke must bring the study that was recommended to him to the rest of the School Board at a date that has not yet been set. They will discuss and hear from still-divided parents and at a second meeting, approximately a month after the first, will vote whether to adopt it.

Moldovan has high hopes for the Blue Lake Gators.

Im just excited to meet the families and the students that are going to be part of the Blue Lake community and to start registering students for next school year once the boundaries are determined, he said. Once the school board does vote on and approve final boundaries, well begin the registration process.

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Austen Erblat can be reached at aerblat@sunsentinel.com, 954-599-8709 or on Twitter @AustenErblat.
A CBI court on Monday sentenced former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to five years imprisonment in the fifth fodder scam case and imposed a fine of Rs 60 lakhs on him.Yadav was declared guilty on February 15. Of the 99 accused in the case, 24 were acquitted, while three-year jail terms were pronounced for the 46 accused. The fate of the remaining accused will be decided on Monday. Yadav has been found guilty of illegal withdrawals of Rs 139.35 crore from the Doranda treasury by a special CBI court in Jharkhands Ranchi.

The hearing for the pronouncement of quantum of punishment for Yadav has been scheduled for today.

Yadav has been sentenced in four fodder scam cases. This case (RC 47A/97) was the fifth and the biggest in which Rs 139.35 crore was illegally withdrawn. The Rs 950-crore fodder scam relates to the fraudulent withdrawal of public funds from government treasuries in various districts of undivided Bihar.

Of the original 170 accused in the matter, 55 have died, seven have become government witnesses, two have accepted the charges against them and six are absconding. The court gave the verdict on February 15 against the remaining 99 accused, including Yadav. The scam came into light after a raid conducted by Deputy Commissioner of Chaibasa Amit Khare at the Animal Husbandry Department in January 1996. The CBI was roped in by the Patna High Court in March 1996 after increasing pressure to investigate the case. The CBI registered an FIR in the case at a time when Bihar was still undivided.

In June 1997, Yadav was named an accused in the case for the first time in the chargesheet filed by the CBI.

Following the chargesheet and mounting pressure from the Opposition, Yadav resigned as the Chief Minister after which Rabri Devi succeeded him in July 1997 even while he continued to operate behind the curtains in Bihar.

Due to the bifurcation of Bihar and the formation of Jharkhand, the case was transferred to the Jharkhand High Court in October 2001. Special CBI court began trial in the fodder scam case in February 2002. Yadavs first conviction came in September 2013 in the Chaibasa treasury case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.70 crore. He was handed over five years in prison leading to his disqualification from the Lok Sabha membership. He was later granted bail by the Supreme Court.

The RJD supremos trouble renewed again in 2017 when a special CBI court in December 2017 convicted him in the second scam case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury. He was sentenced to 3.5 years of jail term but was granted bail in July last year after completing half of the sentence. The former Chief Ministers third conviction came in January 2018 in the Chaibasa treasury case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 33.13 crore. He was awarded five years of imprisonment in this case. Two months later, the special CBI court in March 2018, had held him guilty of conspiracy and corruption charges in the scam case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.76 crore from Dumka treasury from December 1995, to January 1996. It had handed him 14 years in prison and slapped a fine of Rs 60 lakh on him.
The US has affirmed its commitment to pursue diplomacy in the Ukraine situation as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are scheduled to meet later this week in Europe. Reiterating its commitment to handling the situation diplomatically, the US confirmed the meeting between Blinken and Lavrov, according to a statement released by the White House. However, it asserted that the said meeting will take place only if Russia does not proceed with the military action.

The statement added that following this engagement, US President Joe Biden has accepted in principle a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin only if Russia does not invade Ukraine. The White House also warned Russia of consequences should the latter choose war. We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon, read the statement.

In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an invasion. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATOs military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security.

Moscow has also said Russia has the right to move troops within its national territory. Russia has also warned Western countries that military deliveries to Kyiv may encourage the latter to use them against the breakaway Russian-speaking region of Donbas.
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NEW HAVEN  Ainissa Ramirez, a scientist and writer, described her book The Alchemy of Us as being about how technology shaped us.

Her new project, however, is more about how our shapes have inspired technology. And shes planning a childrens book about it.

Ramirez has been delving into the life of Sarah Boone, a Black woman born into slavery, who saw a challenge brought on by New Havens huge corset industry and invented an improved ironing board with features we know today.

As a science evangelist, Ramirez sees such an invention, Patent No. 473,653, issued April 26, 1892, as a great example of practical ingenuity.

A former associate professor of materials science in the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, Ramirez said she really enjoyed getting kids excited about science. She left Yale in 2012 because she decided, Id rather pour my energies into getting the general public excited about science.

Boones ironing board fits well with the topics about which Ramirez has written. In The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another, she writes about eight inventions: clocks, steel rails, copper communication cables, photographic film, light bulbs, hard disks, scientific labware, and silicon chips, according to the MIT Press website.

Ramirez had read about Boone in a book about Black inventors, but one day she was looking through a folder labeled local inventors in the New Haven Free Public Librarys local history room. I had no idea that she was from New Haven, Ramirez said. Sarah Boone, what are you doing here? And she said, Hey, I live here!

Boone, born Sarah Marshall, had married as a teenager and her husband, James Boone, was a free Black and a mason and paid for her freedom, Ramirez said. Theres no documentation, but that happened very frequently. North Carolina had a huge tradition of African Americans who were good at masonry and carpentry.

They arrived in New Haven by 1856. I know that from the city directory, Ramirez said. There were definitely some rumblings before the Civil War and they said, lets get out of here. The couple lived at 30 Winter St. in the lower Dixwell neighborhood, but the house no longer exists, Ramirez said.

Boone, who died in 1904, is buried in Evergreen Cemetery. Ramirez went on a search through census records and Boones genealogy, since her mother, husband and sons are listed on her headstone. According to biography.com, the couple had eight children in all.

Its very difficult to find information about 19th-century African-American women, Ramirez said. But she said the staff at Evergreen were more than happy to help her. I was very reluctant to go because at the end of the day I am a chicken. The folks over there were so kind. They said, Come on over.

Once she got past the scariness of being in a cemetery, Ramirez said, It was wonderful to see her headstone, but when I saw the back side, the whole genealogys there.

Evergreen has another monument to New Havens Black history: Edward Bouchet was the first African American to earn a doctorate from any American university when he graduated from Yale in 1876 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

Unfortunately, there is no verifiable image of Boone. Ramirez believes the images that appear online are of sculptor Edmonia Lewis, for whom a postage stamp was issued in January as part of the U.S. Postal Services Black Heritage Series.

A tapered ironing board

Ironing boards in the 19th century were just that: wooden boards set between two chairs. Women used two irons, keeping one in the fire so there would be no time wasted heating them up. Boones new ironing board was tapered.

New Haven was a hotspot for this new fashion of the time called corsets, Ramirez said. The rise of the corset changed womens fashion, so dresses were no longer simple garments but were drawn in at the waist. The hourglass figure was born.

Now youve got to iron this dress that looks like a figure 8, and thats what Sarah Boone solved, Ramirez said. She came up with a way to iron fitted clothes.

The Strouse, Adler Co. on Olive Street, now home to luxury apartments, was a major manufacturer of corsets and other womens garments. Corsets were used for a variety of purposes, including to help children have straight spines, according to Kandie Carle of East Haddam, The Victorian Lady, who performs as a presenter of living history, wearing vintage clothing and describing their use.

Lots of ironing

One of the key elements of the style of the time was an A-line skirt  narrow at the top and very wide at the bottom and thats why that design was very helpful, Carle said of Boones ironing board. At the time, with no synthetic fabric, everything wrinkled, she said, including cotton, linen, silk and satin.

There were so many women who were doing piecework, Carle said. They would come to your house and pick up your laundry. It was tedious work.

Boones invention has a lot of features that we have on our ironing boards today, Ramirez said. It narrowed so it could go in very fitted spaces like the neck. It was collapsible. On the surface it had a cushion, it had padding. You didnt have to worry about the impression of the wood on the fabric.

In her patent application, Boone wrote, My invention relates to an improvement in ironing-boards, the object being to produce a cheap, simple, convenient, and highly effective device, particularly adapted to be used in ironing the sleeves and bodies of ladies garments.

The reason why her one patent was significant was, Sarah Boone, until she was the age of 48, couldnt read, Ramirez said. She learned how to read in her 50s and she wrote this patent.

Boone is included in the New Haven Museums From Clocks to Lollipops exhibit about the wide variety of products invented and manufactured in New Haven.

Ramirez wants to increase knowledge about Boone and her accomplishment. I would like to institute a Sarah Boone Day, which is April 26, which is the day that her patent was issued, she said.

Were trying to entice more women and girls in STEM  science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Ramirez said. For them and people of color, she said, Sarah Boones the whole package.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382
Star Trek: Space: The final frontier! These are voyages of the Starship Enterprise. To boldly go where no man (as in human) has gone before! One futuristic episode in particular paid tribute to the United States Constitution. The episode was televised in 1968. It was the tumultuous decade wherein the integrity of this precious document was tested. The Civil Rights movement, the counterculture movement and a host of other legal issues stood at the forefront on what democracy ought to look like. Thus, the show gives tribute to this living document in a futuristic episode depicting how it ought to be viewed.

Its just this simple: a 23rd century Captain Kirk had come into the knowledge of holy Words and it was also known as the greatest of holies. Kirk discerned that those holy writs were the U.S. Constitution. It was at that point that he enlightened the elites that the words therein were meant for everyone, or it was meaningless.
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BRANFORD  Chester artist Christopher Owens creates to make people happy, he says.

Adding color and light and his own special touch to repurposed finds, Owens glowing artwork is one of a kind.

Owens newest creation, what he calls little houses are repurposed Vermont maple sugar buckets made into sugarhouse lamps.

These little houses will be on display at Gather Gallery, 1048 Main St., Branford Feb. 26 and Feb. 27.

At the gallery, 25 little houses will be set up as a small lit-up village. As a nod to the artists days restoring lighthouses, the display will include a lighthouse floor lamp, created out of three sap buckets and a piece of wood stove pipe.

Owens has worked on the restoration of lighthouses on Rose Island in Narragansett Bay, R.I.; Bird Rock Island on Crooked Island, Bahamas; and Goose Rocks in Penobscot Bay in North Haven, Maine.

He has also worked as a lighthouse keeper.

We all need a little lighthouse in our lives. As a lighthouse keeper I was always taking care of the light, he said.

Restoring lighthouses is my other passion, said Owens, who has also worked as a woodworker, a chef and businessman. The formula is you do something like a bed and breakfast and the income funds the restoration.

But these little houses represent a lot less investment from him and the buyer, costing $450 each.

Well have some fun, like youll put a down payment on your house," Owens said about the exhibit.

The vintage buckets originated from a farm in Champlain Valley, Vt.

They served on farms for 40 years, said Owens.

Now that tubing has taken over as a way to collect sap, these are relics, antiques, he said.

Transformed into lamps, they are bright and colorful, playful and rustic. The orange, red, green and blue hues are inspired by Owens mother, Patricia Owens, who owned a vintage clothing store in Vermont.

These are right out of my moms color palette, he said. It was her favorite color palette.

She was like Martha Stewart of the north, he added. She just had that sense of design and color."

Caryn Paradis is a self-professed Christopher Owens fan. Her little house is orange, with a yellow cupola and an orange star on top.

I just love that color because its happy, said the Chester resident and interior designer.

Yet, for this art lover, its more than the happy palette.

Its not just the color, its the whimsy, Paradis said. Hes taken something really useful and utilitarian and reframed it in a whole new way that makes it magical.

This was intentional, said Owens.

Part of the idea was to not make them perfect, he said. So, thats why theres different sizes and theyre a little crooked. Theyre rustic beauty.

They came from a working farm, so were not going to gentrify them at this point, he added.

Owens has made a name for himself locally  hes been called the Starman  for his handmade wooden stars, lit up with soft white lights, that illuminate Chester and Madison centers during the holiday season.

In Chester, 200 of the stars, light up the center in town in the annual art installation Starry Nights.

Owens remembered making the stars in his studio  a 1904 garage  and wondering at about the 100th star, if it was all worth it.

It was a fall day and it was snow flurrying and I walked out, I looked around and I slapped myself and was like, Youre in your shorts, youre listening to Dave Matthews, its snow flurrying, youre looking at the stream and youre making people happy and youre making money, he said. Stop complaining.

So, every little house has a star atop it.

John Lattizori, who grew up with Owens in West Hartford, talked about how the stars and the little houses are similar.

One of the things I like about Chriss artwork is, its functional, but you can touch it, he said. He makes it so people use it.

A picture or a painting is beautiful, but theres something about his artwork, Lattizori said. Its 3D, you can touch it, you can feel it, you can play with it.

Its the way he is, he continued. He loves for people to experience his artwork.

The little houses are created out of galvanized steel maple sugar buckets. They are cut about a foot high, with a circular metal saw, and fashioned into lamps in the shape of a house.

Owens told the story of cutting the buckets.

Cutting the metal makes a very manly show of sparks, so when my girlfriend would stop by, I would grab any piece of metal to cut, just so she got the working-sculptor spark show, he said.

The weather lids, traditionally used to keep leaves, twigs, rain and snow from falling into the sap bucket, are the perfect shape to use as roofs for the little houses, he said.

The bases are reclaimed barn lumber or maple. Galvanized pipe connected that base to the little house and the electrical wiring is vintage-looking.

The window material is the maple syrup filter cloth, traditionally used to filter out any material that may have inadvertently ended up in the bucket during sap collection.

To allow light to shine up above and below, Owens punctures holes in the roofs and the base of the house before attaching to the base.

Paradis talked about the uniqueness of the little houses.

Its funny because the base is smaller and then it tapers out, so it has this kind of like storybook feel to it, Paradis said. Its a little skewed, so it looks like it could come out of a childrens book.

And that is part of their appeal to collectors.

Because its a sap bucket and because each one is very different, theyre all very dynamic, Paradis said.

The mullions dont actually line up perfectly, the windows arent exactly the same. Some are bigger, some are smaller, some are skewed, she said.

Paradis hasnt decided where she will display this artwork once it arrives at her Chester home.

Definitely in a prominent place, she said. But, the thing about the house is that it glows. You wouldnt necessarily use it as a reading lamp, its meant as an art piece.

It just looks happy and homey, she said. So, it would be really kind of cool to put it in a place where you see it when you first walk in the door and you just leave it on as a warm glow and a welcome. Some place where I want to see it and be happy.

Owens considers himself an old soul.

Everything I do restores, he said. I feel like maybe Im born in the wrong century.

Paradis concurred.

He sees the world a little differently, sometimes I call him the Magic Man, said Paradis. He takes stuff that other people would see as kind of ordinary and he makes it magical.

Lattizori said he appreciates Owens commitment to sourcing materials in the United States.

Hes trying to help the local businesses and hes conscious of what he buys and what he puts in them, he said. I think thats kind of neat in this day and age.

As soon as he sent me the picture I said, immediately, I want the first one, he recalled.

I just thought it was the neatest thing, he said.

The Annapolis, Md. resident has a spot already picked out in his 100-year-old home for the yellow little house, topped with a red star.

I have an old antique workbench in my living room and theres a spot right on the end where its going to go, he said.

Owens said when he leaves his studio awash in light from the lamps, its magical.

Now that they are all lit up, I swear this a playhouse at night, he said. Everything comes alive when I leave, just like the classic childrens story.

Little Houses will be on display at Gather Gallery, 1048 Main St., Branford Feb. 26 and Feb. 27. For more information visit chestercottagect.com.

Contact Sarah Page Kyrcz at suzipage1@aol.com
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 48F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 48F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Bola Tinubu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has informed Nigerian youths that they will become presidents of the coun...

Bola Tinubu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has informed Nigerian youths that they will become presidents of the country after him.

There has been clamour for youths to occupy top political positions in the country, which gave birth to the #NotTooYoungToRun movement.

Speaking on Sunday when he visited Lamidi Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo, at the palace, Tinubu asked the youths to create room for elderly people.

You wont allow the elderly ones to pass and you havent become president. What if you become president, will you chase us out of town? Tinubu asked.

You will grow old and become president. But I will become the president first.

In January, Tinubu visited President Muhammadu Buhari during which he announced his intention to contest the presidency in 2023.

The former Lagos governor has been travelling across the country to consult with stakeholders over his presidential ambition.

In January, Tinubu visited Oyo state over the deaths of Jimoh Oyewumi, the Soun of Ogbomoso; Saliu Adetunji, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, and Alao-Akala, former governor of Oyo. He also met with Seyi Makinde, the state governor, in Ibadan.

On January 20, he also paid a visit to Minna, Niger state capital, to consult Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), former military head of state, and receive his prayers.
BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday urged all parties to take due responsibilities and make efforts towards peace on the Ukraine issue, instead of just escalating tensions, creating panic and even playing up war threat.

Wang made the remarks when answering questions on the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), European security, and the situation in Ukraine at the 58th Munich Security Conference via video link.

In terms of the expansion of the NATO, Wang said European friends should seriously ponder whether continuous NATO eastward expansion would be conducive to maintaining and achieving lasting peace and stability in Europe.

On the Ukraine issue, it is time to return to the original point of the Minsk-2 agreement as soon as possible, since this agreement is a binding one reached through negotiations among all parties concerned and has been approved by the UN Security Council, and it is the only way out for solving the Ukraine issue, he said.

He called on the relevant parties to sit together with a full discussion and work out a roadmap and timetable for the implementation of the agreement.

Ukraine should become a bridge of communication between the east and west, instead of the front line of confrontation between major powers, he added.

As for the European security, all parties can raise their own concerns, and Russia's legitimate security concerns should be respected and taken seriously, Wang said.

"China expects all parties to find a solution that is truly conducive to safeguarding European security through dialogue and consultations," he added.
MARGATE  A Margate man was shot dead by police after officers say he was choking his wife, after holding her and her baby captive.

Margate Police said they responded to a 911 call just after 7 a.m. Sunday about a possible domestic violence situation at the 6900 block of Northwest First Street.

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When they arrived, officers said they heard screaming from inside a home. They made contact by phone with a woman inside, who said her husband, later identified by police as Louisson Pierrot, 38, was holding her and her 1-year-old baby captive, the department said in a statement.

The wife, who police do not identify, spoke to police via cell phone from inside a closet. Pierrot got into the closet and took the phone from his wife and police lost contact with her, they said.

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A SWAT team entered the home and saw Pierrot choking his wife, the department said, and one officer shot him several times. Pierrot was taken to Broward Health North, where he was pronounced dead.

The woman and her baby were taken to a separate hospital and were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting and the officer who fired his weapon has been placed on administrative leave, as is policy after police shootings. The department did not immediately identify the officer, but said the incident was recorded on his body camera.

This is developing story, so please check back for updates.

Austen Erblat can be reached at aerblat@sunsentinel.com, 954-599-8709 or on Twitter @AustenErblat.
Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel has cautioned that it is not right to crucify record signing, Romelu Lukaku over his current form. Lukak...

Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel has cautioned that it is not right to crucify record signing, Romelu Lukaku over his current form.

Lukaku has been a huge talking point over the weekend after the Belgian recorded just seven touches in Chelseas 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

The striker has struggled in recent weeks for the Blues and Tuchel was asked about his recent form during his press conference on Monday ahead of Chelseas Champions League tie against Lille.

Tuchel said: Its not the time to laugh about Romelu  he is our player and we will protect him. What can I do? I dont know. Well, we have to deal with it.

The data is out there and speaks the language that he wasnt in our game.
There was commotion in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, EBSHA, on Monday as two deputy speakers emerged, Mr Obasi Odefa and Mr Kinsley Ik...





There was commotion in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, EBSHA, on Monday as two deputy speakers emerged, Mr Obasi Odefa and Mr Kinsley Ikoro.





Odefa represents Onicha East State Constituency while Mr. Kinsley Ikoro represents Afikpo North West Constituency in the state House of Assembly.





The state House of Assembly had in a plenary declared vacant the seat of the embattled deputy speaker, Odefa and elected Ikoro to take over the position.





The speaker, Mr Francis Nwifuru said that Odefa resigned from the house and called for nomination for the election of the new deputy speaker.





According to him: Obasi Odefa resigned from the House of Assembly and he is not questioning it. He cant prove me wrong. He knows his signature. We are guided by the constitution and the rules of the house.





Im the speaker and the chief lawmaker of the state. I see the press briefing he did as something that did not come from his mind. Maybe because he has made up his mind to resign.





Obasi Odefa knows fully well that he used his own hands and signed his resignation. He wrote to me personally that he has stepped down or resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and defected to APC. He has toed the part of honour to have resigned.





A motion moved by Onu Nwaonye representing Ohaozara West Constituency and seconded by Anthony Nwagede representing Izzi East Constituency nominated and elected Ikoro as the new deputy speaker.





In a swift reaction, Odefa said he is still the deputy speaker of the house and that he never resigned from the house as claimed by the speaker and other members.





He accused Nwifuru and the members of the house of forging his signature and threatened to drag them to court.





He, however, petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP, and Commissioner of Police of the state police command and other security agencies to come to his rescue, adding that his life is in serious danger.





According to him: Im still the deputy speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly. They forged my signature and they know what that means. Because of the threat, I was receiving that they will kill me and abduct my children.





I have written to the IGP, commissioner of police, DSS and other security agencies to protect my life. There was a threat and intimidation by the agents of the members of the house to my life.
The Federal Government on Monday directed filmmakers to eschew money ritual contents in their movies. Minister of Information and Culture,...

The Federal Government on Monday directed filmmakers to eschew money ritual contents in their movies.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this during a media visit to Daily Trust office in Abuja.

The minister said the confession of some money ritual suspects that they learnt the heinous act on social media have boosted the resolve of the Federal Government to sanitise the social media.

He said, Many have also blamed Nollywood for featuring money rituals in some of its movies, saying this has negatively influenced the vulnerable youth. To mitigate this, I have directed the National Film and Video Censors Board, the body set up to regulate the film and video industry in Nigeria, to take this issue into consideration while performing its role of censoring and classifying films and videos.

I have also directed NFVCB to engage with stakeholders in the film industry in order to express the concerns of the government and Nigerians on the need to eschew money ritual content in their movies.

Earlier, Mohammed said, For those who may still be in doubt, ritual killings have assumed a worrisome dimension in recent yearsRecently, in Ogun State, four young men, one of whom is 18 years old, murdered their 20-year-old female friend for money rituals.

One of them said they learnt about using human parts for money rituals from social media. Of course, you are also aware of a case involving a female student of the University of Jos who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend for ritual purposes. These killings have been widely reported by the media.

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The fact that some of these ritualists said they learnt the money-making tricks from some social media platforms has given a further fillip to our campaign to rid social media of unwholesome content.

Mohammed said the government wont allow the social media space to be suffused with dangerous content, adding that the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), wont relent in its efforts to ensure responsible use of social media.

The minister appealed to religious, traditional and political leaders to be part of efforts to reorientate youths to realise that success comes through hard work, not money rituals.
The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC, has postponed the Local Government elections slated to hold on March 25, 2022, due to...





The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC, has postponed the Local Government elections slated to hold on March 25, 2022, due to security challenges in the State.





According to the commission, the chairmanship and councillorship election will no longer hold as scheduled due to security challenges.





The commission cannot hold elections in 10 out of the 27 local government areas in the State due to security challenges in those council areas.





The ISIEC Chairman, Mrs. Ugochi Onyeka, made this announcement while addressing members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, at the Commissions Secretariat, along Orlu Road in Owerri, the State capital.





The electoral umpire said the Commissions offices in five local government areas were recently razed by hoodlums.





According to the ISIEC boss, The security breaches were such that the Commission cannot guarantee peaceful polls in those council areas.





The Commission cannot conduct polls in an atmosphere in which life and property cannot be guaranteed.





We assure that the elections would hold in the 27 local government areas soon. The Commission is in touch with the security agencies to ascertain when it will be most appropriate to conduct the elections.





Reacting to the development, the Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, and Chairman, Labour Party, LP, in Imo State, Mazi Ichie Eke said the IPAC was in full support of the ISIEC in the indefinite postponement of the elections.





He assured the Commission of IPACs readiness to work together with them and ensure peaceful, credible and free, and fair polls at the council areas whenever the elections eventually held.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday called on the old generation of Nigerians to give way for the younger breeds in the building ...

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday called on the old generation of Nigerians to give way for the younger breeds in the building of a prosperous Nigeria.

According to him, rather than competition, the old generation should collaborate with the younger ones and provide them with the requisite knowledge and experience to transform the country for the better.

Obasanjo stated these in his capacity as chairman of the occasion while speaking virtually at the 2022 annual lecture of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation with the theme, Beyond Boko Haram: Addressing insurgency, banditry and kidnapping across Nigeria.

During the event, the guest speaker and governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, suggested a national response to stem the tide of insecurity in Nigeria.

Also, the CEO of MMF, Aisha Mohammed-Oyebode, said the organisation was committed to improving the socio-economic development of Africa in line with the dreams of her father and late Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed.

She said the MMF, through its programmes, has made notable impacts in the lives of people, especially the marginalized, disadvantaged, and vulnerable, in addition, to contributing to promoting good governance and empowerment in line with its vision and mission.

Obasanjo in a veiled reference to the old generation of politicians jostling for the Presidency of Nigeria in the 2023 elections, was responding to the lecture by Fayemi that he (Fayemi) was in secondary school when he and the late Murtala Mohammed directed the affairs of the country.

The former President said, We need to have an intergenerational collaboration. Fayemi said he was in primary school when Murtala-Obasanjo were there. So, if people of Murtala-Obasanjo are competing with you as governor then something is wrong.

Murtala-Obasanjo group should be stepping aside. Whatever experience and knowledge you have, we should be able to give it to you and should be able to give it to those coming after you, so that whatever you have you are passing it down to those of you who are coming behind not to start competing with you but make you have access to what would make you Nigeria better you find it.

Obasanjo blamed insecurity in the country on the access to weapons after the Nigerian civil war.

He stated that beyond the crisis caused by the controversial Sharia law, unemployment also contributed to the insurgency in the country.

The former President also said that his fear about Boko Haram had materialized with their links with international terrorist organisations.
No fewer than five persons, including a suspected drug peddler, were on Monday killed and scores injured in a renewed war in Yenagoa, the Ba...





No fewer than five persons, including a suspected drug peddler, were on Monday killed and scores injured in a renewed war in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, between notorious members of the Bobos and Iceland cult groups.





It was gathered that the killings, which started in the early hours of Monday at OMPADEC area of the state capital, have spread to other parts of the suburb known as Amarata with residents scurrying for safety.





A source informed newsmen that the killing of the suspected drug peddler at OMPADEC area at about 3 am by suspected Bobos cult members may have triggered the anger of the Iceland boys who control the area in Amarata.





The deceased, who some persons claim does not belong to either of the cult group, was reported to have had an altercation with some unknown persons at a popular bar in Amarata area of Yenagoa, known as Kimiowei Lounge during a birthday party.





He was trailed to his house and shot twice before he was dealt machete cuts, we heard two shots fired at about 3am. And we heard voices shouting.





In retaliation, the Icelanders invaded the Ebis Mechanic base of the Bobos and shot dead one boy known as Peter in broad day light.





They also dispossessed residents of mobile phones and other valuables at gun point.





The cause of the crisis remains unknown but has been linked to the killing of the suspected drug dealer.





The spokesman of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the renewed cult clash in the state capital, said only one person was killed along the Ebis Mechanic Area with operatives of the A Divisional headquarters investigating and searching for the deceaseds family.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Rain likely. Low 52F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Rain likely. Low 52F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
Some of the oddest scenes of the Chinese economy at work in Jessica Kingdons Oscar-nominated documentary Ascension involve the assembly of sex dolls. The gratuitous proportions of the life-size female dolls keep them from being too lifelike, but the workers assemble them and inspect their exteriors to remove imperfections. Apparently, the dolls are made to order, and aureoles are painted on in specified colors and sizes, all of which is checked with smartphone photos and apps. Its a bizarre mix of the personal and impersonal.

While some of the labor Kingdon observes is far more mundane, this is not a political film or even really about manufacturing. She weaves together a mesmerizing film that spans the gap between the lowest rung factory workers and the burgeoning wealthy class in China. Some scenes capture the training given to butlers, who learn about French haute cuisine and table settings and the deferential behavior that will be expected of them by wealthy Chinese employers.

Kingdon has a fly-on-the-wall perspective, and no matter how closely the camera observes people, none of them seem to be aware of being watched. Thats true of workers snapping together plastic parts from a conveyor belt as well as intense combat exercises for men training to become bodyguards.

The documentary is not the first to focus on Chinese manufacturing and the global economy, like the 2019 documentary American Factory about an Ohio auto plant taken over by a Chinese company. Ascension isnt analytical, and it merely observes, though the conditions are stark. Employers advertise factory jobs that pay 20 yuan, or less than $3, an hour. Benefits may include meals, residence in a dormitory or being able to work while sitting. Some warn that dyed hair and tattoos are not acceptable. The doc includes manufacture of all sorts of products, and most of the workers do mind-numbingly simple and repetitive tasks in workplaces full of computer technology and automation. One worker tells a newcomer about having to buy the boss lunch every so often to try to find a way to advance  or risk falling out of favor by not doing so.

Kingdon breaks less familiar ground in filming two other sectors of the Chinese economy. There are classes for people who want to learn how to build fan bases, presumably through social media. One woman explains to eager participants how to monetize fandom. Another instructor fields questions on how to handle various types of interactions in the growing world of international commerce. How do you hug in a business situation? How hard should one hug?

The film also documents the lifestyles of newly wealthy Chinese people. A resort hotel and water park feature massive aquariums with sharks and spectacular shows. A team of butlers in training learns how to ring bells to summon servants.

There is no narration and little context. Kingdon filmed in more than 50 locations, but theyre not identified. Sometimes the sound comes from factory machines or captured snippets of conversation, but there is a soundtrack by Dan Deacon, who is known for electronic music performances mashing up song samples.

Kingdon previously made a short film called Commodity City, about Yiwa, a sort of massive mall for wholesale distributors of Chinese-made products sold around the globe. That film found the quirky human connections between people working as middlemen. Ascension delivers more of a sense of awe  of the engines of Chinese commerce, the vast workforces, the energy of people driven to make money and the resulting spectacle of rising consumerism. The extreme ends of the businesses seem worlds apart, but Kingdon connects them in a fascinating look at the daily grind.

Ascension opens Friday, Feb. 25, at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge.
A Palm Beach County woman used a knife and a meat cleaver to kill her husband, stabbing him 140 times, police say.

Melvin Weller, 62, was discovered in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of their home on the 4400 block of Anna Lane in Palm Springs, according to court records.

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Facing a charge of first-degree murder is his wife Joan Burke, 61, who appeared in court for the first time Sunday for the killing, which was discovered Feb. 11.

The body was found by Ricardo Anthony Green, her son and his stepson, when he got home from work.

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Green called 911 and police arrived to find Weller, already dead, with more than 140 stab wounds, as well as a skull fracture from a meat cleaver, court records show. Burke had cuts on her hands, which police say in their report was likely caused by a knife slipping and cutting herself as she allegedly stabbed Weller.

When officers searched the home, they found Burke, conscious and alert, but she didnt speak to them, they wrote in a report. Investigators said they believe a violent struggle occurred, based on the blood stain locations and patterns on nearby kitchen cabinets and walls.

Wellers family told investigators that he had a physical disability, which made it difficult for him to walk and affected his grip strength, according to court records.

Burke, who is represented by the Palm Beach County Public Defenders Office, is due back in court March 21.

The couple had been going through a divorce, court records show. A dissolution-of-marriage case was filed by Weller against Burke in December of 2021, but those records are not public and the case is still open.

Austen Erblat can be reached at aerblat@sunsentinel.com, 954-599-8709 or on Twitter @AustenErblat.
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A custody swap turned deadly Sunday when a man who was picking up his child in the Costco parking lot shot the mother's new boyfriend, according to multiple senior law enforcement sources.

Police took the shooter into custody for questioning but hadnt booked him with a crime as of Monday. Officers found two guns at the scene and were trying to determine whether the father acted in self-defense. They were also working to recover video from the stores security system and a dashboard camera in the victims car to analyze exactly what happened, the sources said.

The tragic confrontation outside the popular warehouse club off South Carrollton Avenue occurred when a woman went to the stores parking lot to meet her childs father about 7 p.m. Sunday, one of the sources said. The pair were romantically estranged, and the mother arrived at the Costco parking lot to drop off her child after the store had closed, one of the sources said. With her was her new boyfriend and another minor.

An argument erupted between the men, and the womans ex-boyfriend shot her new partner at least once in front of both children, the sources said.

First responders pronounced the wounded man dead at the scene. Police have described him as a 44-year-old man but have not identified the victim or the shooter.

Meanwhile, the father waited for police to arrive and gave officers his pistol, which was one of two guns found at the scene, the sources said. Detectives took him to police headquarters for an interrogation. By Monday, he had been allowed to leave.

Police suspect the slain man possessed the second weapon during the confrontation but were working to confirm that, the sources said.

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Charges depend on whether authorities determine the killing meets Louisianas definition of justifiable homicide.

People in Louisiana can kill without being prosecuted if they prove they reasonably feared they were facing imminent danger of losing (their) lives or receiving great bodily harm. There is no duty to retreat if the person claiming self-defense is in a place where they have the right to be present.

Authorities in New Orleans for years have said public arguments that escalate into gunfire are one of the main reasons the citys homicide rate is consistently high each year.

The Costco shooting was one of at least two killings in New Orleans overnight. In the other, one man was killed, and a second man was wounded during a shooting reported in the 7900 block of Chef Menteur Highway at about 1:20 a.m. Monday.

Police said one of the victims rammed a car into the vehicle of another person with whom he was arguing. Someone in the struck vehicle began firing a gun, killing one of the victims and critically wounding the other, police said.

Authorities haven't publicly named any suspects in that case.
Ciaya Jordan Whetstone started her weekend taking in the Carnival parades in Metairie on Friday night before hitting the town with friends. About 7 a.m. the following day, she was dropped off at a hospital in an unresponsive state and was soon pronounced dead.

Now, the New Orleans police are investigating the death of the 21-year-old University of New Orleans student as her loved ones mourn and try to sort out what happened to her during the hours before she turned up at the hospital.

Whetstone, who is from Bamberg, South Carolina, was in Metairie to attend parades with her friend Juliet Orr but left the route about 8:30 p.m. Friday, Orr said.

She said Whetstone then went to a bar with friends, and another friend brought her to her boyfriend's house in Harahan afterward. In the middle of the night, however, Whetstone decided to go check on her dog Zoe at her Lakeshore Drive apartment in Gentilly, Orr said, using the Uber ride-hail app to get there.

Orr said that when Whetstone got to her apartment, the ride-hail driver apparently waited there while she checked her dog. Her roommate Reese White said she told Whetstone to stay, but Whetstone insisted that the driver was her friend and left with him to "go find her car," White said, who added that Whetstone appeared intoxicated.

"I tried to convince her not to go," White said Sunday.

Another friend, Roberto Torres, said he called Whetstone about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, just as she got back into the Uber car. Torres said he overheard the driver ask her do you like to party?" Whetstone told Torres told that she would call him back. When she didn't, he tried her again.

"I called. I called. I called  nothing," Torres said.

That was the last time that Whetstone's friends who agreed to be interviewed heard from her.

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Asked about a social media post about Whetstone's death Sunday morning, an NOPD spokesperson would confirm only that a woman was brought to a hospital just before 7 a.m. and was pronounced dead by paramedics, and that the death is still unclassified.

It is not clear who dropped Whetstone off at the hospital. The police say she arrived via "private conveyance," a term law enforcement uses in cases where an ambulance isn't used.

Orr, who along with Torres worked with Whetstone at the mall retailer Buckle, said they are all shattered by their friend's death. She described Whetstone as an animal lover who "never met an enemy."

"She was the most uplifting and loving and hopeful person that Ive met. Shes never talked bad about anybody," said Julia Brooker, who became close friends with Whetstone after both moved to New Orleans from separate cities.

Whetstone was studying psychology at UNO, where she had a dream of helping kids through trauma therapy, Brooker said.

Chris Ferrand, Whetstone's stepfather, said everybody in her family is "still in such a shock." Ferrand, who lives in South Carolina with the rest of Whetstone's family, said they are working on funeral arrangements for their daughter and are ready to get her back home.

"Weve got a tough few days ahead of us," Ferrand said.

Anyone with information regarding her death is asked to contact the Homicide Unit at (504) 658-5300 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.

This story was updated on Feb. 21, 2022, to reflect the correct timeline of events.
The Biden administration on Friday released a screening tool to help identify disadvantaged communities long plagued by environmental hazards, but it won't include race as a factor in deciding where to devote resources.

Administration officials told reporters that excluding race will make projects less likely to draw legal challenges and will be easier to defend, even as they acknowledged that race has been a major factor in terms of who experiences environmental injustice.

The decision was harshly challenged by members of the environmental justice community.

"It's a major disappointment and it's a major flaw in trying to identify those communities that have been hit hardest by pollution," said Robert Bullard, a professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University in Houston and a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

Environmental justice advocates meet with EPA's Michael Regan Environmental justice advocates gather with EPA Administrator Michael Regan for a roundtable discussion to talk about regional issues at the D

President Joe Biden has made combating climate change a priority of his administration and pledged in a sweeping executive order to "deliver environmental justice in communities all across America." The order, signed his first week in office, sets a goal that the 40% of overall benefits from climate and environment investments would go to disadvantaged communities. The tool is a key component for carrying out that so-called Justice40 Initiative.

Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House's Council on Environmental Quality, said the tool will help direct federal investments in climate, clean energy and environmental improvements to communities "that have been left out and left behind for far too long."

Catherine Coleman Flowers, a member of the advisory council who served on a working group that gave the Biden administration recommendations for the tool, said she agrees with the move to exclude race as an indicator.

She called the tool a good start that will likely improve with time and said including race as a factor risked having the tool struck down by the Supreme Court.

"Race is a factor, but race isn't the only factor,'' she said. "Being marginalized in others ways is a factor.''

The screening tool uses 21 factors, including air pollution, health outcomes and economic status, to identify communities that are most vulnerable to environmental and economic injustice.

But the omission of race as a factor goes against a deep body of scientific research showing that race is the greatest determinant of who experiences environmental harm, environmental justice experts pointed out.

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"This was a political decision," said Sacoby Wilson, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. "This was not a scientific decision or a data-driven decision." Wilson has studied the distribution of environmental pollutants and helped develop mapping tools like the one the Council on Environmental Quality released Friday.

"How can the White House address environmental racism without addressing race?" the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice asked in a tweet. The New Orleans-based group works to help families harmed by decades of industrial pollution in the Gulf Coast region.

"Time and time again, data has clearly shown that African-Americans disproportionately live in communities with higher pollutants than other races of people," the group said.

The center's executive director, Beverly Wright, helped organize a "Journey to Justice" tour by EPA Administrator Michael Regan last fall. The weeklong tour focused on low-income, mostly minority communities in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas and led to a series of enforcement actions by the EPA to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems afflicting minority communities in the Gulf Coast and nationwide.

This isn't the first such tool to exist in the United States, or even in the federal government. California, Maryland, Michigan and New Jersey have had tools like this for years. And the Environmental Protection Agency has a similar tool, EJ Screen. Many of those screening tools include some information about the racial makeup of communities along with environmental and health data.

The public has 60 days to use the tool and provide feedback on it. The CEQ also announced Friday that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine are working on launching a study of existing tools.

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Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.

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Follow Drew Costley on Twitter: @drewcostley.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Recent headlines had me thinking about a question I posed five years ago to a coastal legislator. He opposed regulations on fossil fuel emissions, fearing they would hurt the oil businesses that employed his voters.

Dont you think you have a responsibility to explain the dangers of sea level rise caused by those emissions? I asked. The coastal master plan says that could eventually drown your voters homes and businesses.

His response: They arent worried about what might or might not happen 40 or 50 years from now, theyre worried about paying their mortgages next month.

He had hit the bull's-eye on the decadeslong hurdle facing public acceptance  or even discussion  of the dangers presented by climate change at that time. Climatologists were still pointing to the end of the century  80 years away  when serious impacts would hit and were still debating on how serious those impacts would be.

Unfortunately, recent news confirms thats no longer the case. The serious impacts of climate change are not a future threat, they have arrived.

Heres one example of especially dire news for Louisianas fight to prevent the rising Gulf from swallowing its sinking bottom third  a struggle we once thought we had 50 years to win.

Research published last week in the Public Library of Science reported: Hot oceans are now the new normal after passing a tipping point in 2014.

Records from the last 150 years show that in 2019, 57% of the global ocean surface recorded extreme heat, which was comparatively rare a century ago.

Climate change is not a future event, co-author Kyle Van Houtan said in a release. The reality is that its been affecting us for a while. Our research shows that for the last seven years more than half of the ocean has experienced extreme heat.

This is likely transformative news for most coastal communities, and could be existential for many on Louisianas sinking coastal landscape from Mandeville to Lake Charles because of several scientific facts.

First, 90% of the rising atmospheric heat caused by human actions the last 150 years has been absorbed by the oceans. As every kid learns in high school chemistry class, water expands when heated, which is one of two forces driving the acceleration of sea level rise. The other is the melting of ice stored on land in Greenland and Antarctica and in glaciers worldwide which is flowing more rapidly into the oceans.

Second, warmer ocean waters are also the fuel that leads to rapid expansion and intensity of tropical storms. Thats why we now routinely see minor storms turn into raging Category 4 monsters in 24 hours, as Hurricane Ida did.

Third, while more intense hurricanes have stronger winds that alone are more destructive, they also drive higher storm surges. These not only level coastline communities like Grand Isle, but now reach further inland behind existing surge levees to places like LaPlace. This is why recent storms of all sizes are among the most expensive in history.

Finally, that tipping point for ocean temps means the amount of human-caused heat absorbed in the past will continue to power accelerated sea level rise for centuries.

So, the science concludes we cant stop the oceans from responding to the centuries-long abuse from fossil fuels. Coastal communities are now stuck in a more dangerous and costly era. Some might survive through continuous and costly adaptation; others will have to relocate or cease to exist.

But the science also shows we have time to prevent even worse outcomes this century for our grandchildren  if we begin now enacting dramatic cutbacks on emissions.

That will almost certainly mean a serious reinvention of economies in fossil fuel-dependent communities. This is no longer about the next mortgage payment.

Its about the possibility of even living in these communities for the next generations.

Bob Marshall, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Louisiana environmental journalist, can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com, and followed on Twitter @BMarshallEnviro.
Elysburg, Pa.  Knoebels Amusement Resort will be cutting hours for the 2022 season due to staffing issues. The new park hours during the summer season will be noon to 8 p.m., according to Stacy Ososkie, public relations director for Knoebels. Previously, the park was open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

To encourage more people to apply for jobs at the park, Knoebels has increased wages and is offering perks such as free admission to any of Pennsylvanias amusement parks. Scholarships, employee discounts, and team member social events are among the other incentives offered.

Our increased wages for this season alone means an additional $1.5-plus million investment in our team, Ososkie said. Team members working more than 30 hours per week will be eligible for an extra $.50 per hour through the end of the operating season on Oct. 30.

Recruitment efforts began early this year to help ensure there will be adequate staffing. After just one week, we are thrilled that several hundred team members have indicated they plan to rejoin us this season and we are optimistic this trend will continue, Ososkie said.

Several job fairs are planned, including events at Shamokin Area High School on March 26 and Southern Columbia Area High School on April 2. Both events will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Ososkie said they are hoping to have 1,800 staff members this year. At the peak of the 2021 season, the park had 1,575. Some rides were closed last year due to reduced staffing.

Additional information on jobs at Knoebels is available on their website.

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Harrisburg, Pa.  Pennsylvania State Police announced they are continuing to investigate a 1980 cold case involving the homicide of Baby Boy John Doe in Larksville Borough, Luzerne County.

At a recent press conference, PSP along with Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce announced they are partnering with Othram, Inc. for DNA testing in regard to 42-year-old cold case.

"With the advancements in technology over the years, the Pennsylvania State Police continues to look for new ways to support older cases," said Major Jeremy Richard, PSP acting deputy commissioner of operations. "We are hopeful that technological advancements combined with public support will generate leads and a conclusion for this case."

The Criminal Investigation Unit at Troop P, Wilkes-Barre began its investigation on Aug. 6, 1980, after an employee of the now defunct West Side Landfill discovered the infant's body within the mounds of garbage dumped from local waste haulers. An autopsy determined the full-term, white, male infant had died within two hours of birth due to immediate neglect. A second forensic opinion in 2000 held that the infant may have lived for several days.

Baby Boy John Doe is listed as Unidentified Person 15765 (UP-15765) in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS). PSP is encouraging the public to submit any tips via the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers website.

State police also recently solved the cold case of Marise Chivarella in Hazleton. Chivarella, who was 9 at the time, went missing on March 18, 1964. Through investigation, police found that Chivarella was raped and murdered. The suspect, John Paul Forte, died of natural causes in 1980.

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A pedestrian died after being hit by a car in Hallandale Beach late Sunday, police said.

The fatal crash happened about 10:30 p.m. at the corner of Northwest Fourth Avenue and Hallandale Beach Boulevard. Hallandale Beach Police Department spokesperson Capt. Megan Jones said the victim, a man in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity was not released by authorities.

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We have some indication that it was a hit-and-run, Jones said. A witness did come forward.

The driver had left the scene of the crash by the time officers arrived.

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Police said Monday that they expect to release further details soon.
Danville, Pa.  A woman who was allegedly COVID-19 positive allegedly assaulted a staff member at the Danville State Hospital in Montour County.

Pennsylvania State Police at Milton were dispatched to the hospital on Jan. 31 for a report of an assault against a staff member, according to the arrest affidavit. The staff member had attempted to break up a physical altercation between Margarita Maldonado, 30, and another individual. Maldonado then allegedly grabbed the staff members hair, spit on her, and bit her on the arm. Maldonado also pushed the staff member to the ground. Staff told police that Maldonado had COVID-19 at the time, according to the affidavit.

Maldonado was charged with a felony of aggravated assault, misdemeanor of simple assault, and summary harassment at the office of District Judge Marvin K. Shrawder.

Docket Sheet

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Berwick, Pa.  After hearing a woman scream inside a residence, Berwick Police said they made contact and were told please get him please get him he ran upstairs as they entered.

Officers observed a large red mark across the womans neck as they spoke with her on the night of Feb. 12, 2021. According to the report, the woman was visibly shaken as she told officers she was assaulted by Christopher Cole, 28, of Berwick.

A search of the residence located near the 500 block of Brian Manor failed to locate Cole. Officers said a noise was heard from the roof area and a search located an open window that led into a neighbors apartment.

After authorities made contact with the neighbor, they were given consent to search the apartment. According to the report, Cole was located when officers observed his feet sticking out from a covered area. Cole was ordered to show his hands and slowly crawled out of the hiding spot.

Officers said the accuser stated she filed for a PFA against Cole that went into effect on Feb. 2, 2022. The accuser allegedly told police Cole had nowhere to go in the area.

More bruises were observed on the accusers arms as officers spoke with her, according to the report.

Cole was charged with two felonies in first-degree strangulation and second-degree criminal trespassing and held at the Columbia County Prison on $40,000 monetary bail. Court records show Cole, who was also charged with second-degree misdemeanor simple assault, is scheduled to appear before Judge Richard Knecht for a Feb. 28 preliminary hearing.

Docket sheet

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Danville, Pa. A horse was surrendered and ultimately died after authorities with the Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania SPCA investigated claims of a down animal.

According to the report, the horse was so malnourished it could only stand for a brief time period before falling to the ground. A witness said the horse wondered into a barn in the morning of Feb. 18, 2020 on a property near the 80 block of Scenic View Drive.

Jessica Ann Kurzawa, 39, and Timothy A. Kurzawa, 43, both of Danville were charged with third-degree felony aggravated cruelty to animals after authorities said they surrendered the horse. They were also charged with third-degree misdemeanor neglect of animals sustenance/water and summary neglect of animals vet car.

No bail was listed for either Jessica or Timothy Kurzawa although both are scheduled to appear before Judge Marvin Shrawder on March 9 for a preliminary hearing.

Jessica Ann Kurzawa docket sheet

Timothy Kurzawa docket sheet

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Dick Bell, from left, Margaret Riley and John Guise pray during a community prayer group meeting at Centre Meeting House in Winchester.
EAST CHICAGO  Cleveland-Cliffs plans to indefinitely idle Blast Furnace No. 4 at the Indiana Harbor steel mill, the second blast furnace in East Chicago to be taken offline in the last three years in a major blow to and further erosion of integrated steelmaking in the Calumet Region.

The Cleveland-based steelmaker said no jobs will be lost as workers will be transferred to other positions at the sprawling mill along the Lake Michigan lakefront. The dwindling amount of steelmaking capacity along the Lake Michigan lakefront will, however, have long-term effects on employment opportunities at the Region's steel mills.

Indiana Harbor had still operated five blast furnaces a little over a decade ago.

Cleveland-Cliffs announced it would raise steel prices as it took the steelmaking capacity offline, reducing the overall supply on the market at a time of strong demand. It plans to increase the price of carbon hot rolled, cold rolled and coated steel products by at least $50 per ton.

The flat-rolled steelmaker plans to idle Indiana Harbor Blast Furnace No. 4 because of operational improvements that include adding hot-briquetted iron to the blast furnaces and maximizing the use of scrap in basic oxygen furnaces.

All the employees will be transferred to other positions at Cleveland-Cliffs Indiana Harbor Works, which combines the former LTV and Inland steel mills that were consolidated under previous ownership. The company said it currently has more available job openings at Indiana Harbor in East Chicago than it had workers at the blast furnace, which forged raw materials into iron, the precursor for the steel that goes into cars, appliances and buildings nationwide.

Cleveland-Cliffs expects the closure will reduce its carbon emissions as integrated steelmaking is a carbon-intensive process that involves burning coke, a form of coal that's been stripped of impurities.

"Our strategy of increasing productivity at our ironmaking and steelmaking facilities through the use of both in-house produced HBI and additional scrap has allowed us to reduce coke rate and consequently reduce CO2 emissions, as well as to stretch hot metal utilization and still be able to produce similar amounts of crude steel with fewer blast furnaces," Chairman, President and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said. "Said another way, by concentrating the operation and maximizing productivity at IH No. 7 we are improving our carbon footprint and, at the same time, lowering our cost structure for the same level of steel production and shipments. Most importantly, as we have enough job openings on site for all impacted employees, we are now able to fill several available job openings at Indiana Harbor Works with the current workforce of IH No. 4.

Cleveland-Cliffs said normal operations will continue at the Indiana Harbor steel mill and the Riverdale Works mill it supplies just across the state line. Indiana Harbor Works still has two steel shops, the hot strip mill and finishing facilities.

The United Steelworkers union is requesting a meeting with the company to discuss the idling.

"We have not had any meetings with the company," USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap said. "We were notified right before they announced it. We were told nobody would lose their jobs and it was for efficiency reasons. Of course, we're concerned about continuously losing blast furnaces over the decades. I can't even tell you how many blast furnaces we had at one time. Of course, we're concerned about capacity."

Once the largest steelmaker complex in the world, the mill in East Chicago is down to just a single blast furnace. Indiana Harbor Blast Furnace #7 will now supply all operations at the steel mill in East Chicago and Riverdale Works in Riverdale, Illinois.

Indiana Harbor Blast Furnace No. 4 at the sprawling 3,100-acre Indiana Harbor campus had an annual capacity of 2.1 million tons per year. Its indefinite idling will reduce Cleveland-Cliffs' total portfolio of blast furnaces from 8 to 7.

Previous mill operator ArcelorMittal indefinitely idled Blast Furnace No. 3 at the former LTV steel mill in East Chicago's lakefront Indiana Harbor neighborhood in 2019 instead of undertaking the major expense of relining it. ArcelorMittal said it reached the end of its current campaign and that it was unwilling to make the significant capital investment needed for continued operation.

Blast Furnace No. 4 was the last left standing at the Indiana Harbor West mill that previously belonged to Youngstown Sheet and Tube, J&L, LTV Steel and ISG before being bought by ArcelorMittal in the early 2000s and Cleveland-Cliffs in 2020.

Cleveland-Cliffs said the idling will not affect its expected production level this year. The blast furnace should cease production in the next few months.

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Men sweep up glass and debris left after a driver crashed through the front doors of Swank Blow Dry Bar on Oakland Park Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale around 2:30 a.m. Monday, February 21, 2022. The salon is expected to reopen on Tuesday. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

A driver crashed through the windows and front doors of an Oakland Park hair salon  sending shattered glass everywhere after being rear-ended by a drunk driver early Monday morning, according to police and the salons manager.

Fort Lauderdale police responded to the two-car crash at Swank Blow Dry Bar, at 2216 E. Oakland Park Blvd., about 2:28 a.m. Monday, Fort Lauderdale Police spokesperson Ali Adamson said.

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At this time, I am unable to confirm the outcome of that investigation, and I have not been informed if an arrest was made, Adamson said.

Swank Blow Dry Bars manager, Sher Filliater, said she raced to the salon at 3:30 a.m. after police phoned her about the crash.

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An early Monday morning car crash left broken glass, debris and ruined furniture at Swank Blow Dry Bar in Fort Lauderdale. The salon will reopen on Tuesday. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Its a hot mess, said Filliater, who has been sweeping up glass and mopping up motor oil on the hardwood floors all morning. The whole front of my salon is just gone.

According to the police report, a 62-year-old man driving a 2017 Honda sedan rear-ended the 28-year-old driver of a 2019 Hyundai sedan at the corner of North Federal Highway and East Oakland Park Boulevard.

Filliater said police told her that the Honda driver refused to take a breathalyzer and was handcuffed and taken to a nearby hospital. The second driver who careened through the windows, she said, passed out immediately and police said when he woke up, he was hysterical. That driver also was taken to a hospital.

Filliater, says she and Swank Blow Drys owners, who live in Sarasota, have been calling salon customers all morning to cancel appointments.

[ RELATED: Pedestrian struck and killed in Hallandale Beach ]

The clients were very understanding, and they were like, Do you want me to come by and help clean up? Filliater said. I had to tell staff they couldnt come in, and theres some heartache, because some staff live paycheck to paycheck.

The impact destroyed the salons Plexiglas front doors, ruined salon chairs and hair-care products and wrecked its wine bar, Filliater says. By early afternoon, salon workers started nailing up plywood boards over the windows.

The salon will reopen Tuesday and  for now  clients will need to come in through the back door, Filliater said.

Thank God, it happened in the wee hours of the morning, and no clients were harmed, she said.
CROWN POINT  A seventh-grader at St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point has returned to class.

Jaden Mendez was severely burned in December in an accident that took place while he and his father, Jimmy, were repairing a furnace at a Region business.

Mendezs story was shared with the St. Marys community then spread throughout Northwest Indiana.

The outpouring of love and prayers for Jaden was incredible," St. Mary's School principal Tom Ruiz said in a press release. "We received numerous communications from people in our own church community, from folks of other faith backgrounds, from various organizations, and community members who simply wanted to know how they could help. Seeing Jaden in the hospital in Chicago shortly after his accident was absolutely gut-wrenching, but seeing the progress hes made is amazing.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help support the Mendez family and received significant support.

Mendez was released sooner than expected and is easing back to school at a pace conducive to his pain and energy levels.

I am thankful to be back at school with my friends. They give me so much support. I am continuing to get better and I am grateful, Mendez said.

Mendezs parents expressed their gratitude for the support they received since the incident.

Jaden is continuing wound care and therapy, Theresa Mendez, Jadens mother, said. He has a long road to recovery and getting back to normal. Our family is thankful for the continued prayers and support. Those prayers and support got us where we are today.

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HAMMOND  The lyrics of a song written more than 100 years ago still ring true today, Gary City Councilman William Godwin said Friday at Purdue University Northwest.

We have a story to tell. We have a history to be proud of, Godwin said. Were part of a living history.

Godwin, the current president of the Gary City Council, addressed the Black Excellence Brunch as part of PNWs Black History Month activities.

Lift Every Voice and Sing, the Black national anthem written in 1899, Godwin said, contains the lyrics:

Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod.

Bitter the chastening rod.

More than a century since slavery was outlawed and African Americans could vote, problems remain, Godwin said. These include confrontations with police, housing discrimination, and voting rights.

Black excellence is about all of us, Godwin said, our unique experiences, our special skills, and different resources. We must do everything within our power to make ourselves better and make America better.

Through black excellence, the councilman continued, African Americans must lift up the voice of the best of all of us. Its never a solo; its always a choir.

Looking over an audience that included young people, Godwin recalled that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders were active in their 20s and 30s, not too far removed from college students.

We have to do our part, Godwin said. Use your talents to lift up and inspire others. Do it for a cause that is bigger than you.

Held in Alumni Hall, the brunch was among monthlong events at PNW that included lectures, skate parties, gatherings, and art displays at both campuses.

The schools Black History Month observance featured an open-house-style reception in the Multicultural Lounge on the Hammond campus. In addition, faculty members are presenting two lectures on racism and civic responsibilities.

Throughout February, PNW invited students and faculty members to share their original pieces of art celebrating black history.

This was the first such PNW brunch during Black History Month. Britt Hudson, Purdue Northwests assistant dean of students, explained, We wanted to have an opportunity to have black students, faculty, and staff together.

PNWs Black Student Union had previously held a formal dance, Hudson said, but this was the first such get-together sponsored by the university.

Hudson said black students represent 15% of PNWs enrollment.

Colin Fewer, Purdue Northwest associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students, hoped Godwins comments makes some ripples today.

Fewer added, Its nice to have a classy celebration for Black History Month and give our students a chance to talk to each other.

PNW Chancellor Dr. Thomas L. Keon noted that black history should not be relegated to a month, but its something that goes on always.

Keon cited the need to understand the feelings of those who we captured, took away from their homelands, and then brought them to work on plantations for free  and subjugated to horrendous situations.

Diversity, Keon said, is the future of Northwest Indiana and the future of the U.S.

Attending the brunch were members of Sigma Gamma Rho, a black sorority chartered at PNW in 1976.

Raven White, the sorority president and a junior psychology major from Gary, said shes never had any negative racial experiences in college, but its still good to be around people who look like you.

Also represented was PNW chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. Arriana Bulling, the groups president and a junior mechanical engineering technology major from Gary, recalled engineering classes being surrounded by a bunch of white males.

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The number of people attempting to vote twice at the same election in Indiana, let alone succeeding, is infinitesimally small compared to the millions of Hoosier voters who consistently follow the rules.

But a quirk in Indiana law currently could allow a double voter to potentially avoid a criminal penalty for casting a ballot twice in the same election.

On Monday, the Republican-controlled Indiana House voted 70-25 for Senate Bill 328 to close that loophole and make other election law changes.

Specifically, it would be a level 6 felony, punishable by up to two-and-a-half years behind bars, for a person to knowingly or intentionally vote more than one ballot in the same election, unless the voter is casting a replacement ballot due to a candidate's death or another authorized reason.

"Oddly, Indiana is that only state that did not clearly make attempting to vote twice illegal," said state Rep. Tim Wesco, R-Osceola, the sponsor.

The legislation now goes back to the Republican-controlled Senate for a decision on advancing it to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to be signed into law.

That may be easier said than done, however, after the House inserted a controversial provision barring county party chairmen in just Marion County from running for, or holding, local elected office  seemingly in violation of the Indiana Constitution's ban on the General Assembly adopting local or special laws regulating the election of county or township officers.

The provision, championed by black Indianapolis lawmakers, appears to target Marion County Democratic Chairwoman Kate Sweeney Bell, a white county clerk candidate, for overseeing a pre-primary slating process that saw the party Sweeney leads endorse her for clerk over other candidates, including former state Sen. Billie Breaux, who is Black.

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MERRILLVILLE  The town continues to pursue a project to promote the municipality on bridges at major roadways.

It appears there are a variety of choices in the endeavor, including deciding if Merrillville should install signs or get a paint job to write Merrillville on the Interstate 65 bridge over U.S. 30, as well as the 61st Avenue and 93rd Avenue bridges over I-65.

Town officials said Michigan City, Valparaiso and Lebanon are among communities that have signage on bridges in their communities. Merrillville is reaching out to officials there to get an understanding of what the project could involve.

Steve King, Merrillvilles engineering administrator/public works director, said Merrillville will need approval from the Indiana Department of Transportation before adding signs or paint to the bridges.

He also indicated INDOT could require regular inspections of certain types of signage, which can become expensive.

Councilman Jeff Minchuk said a nice paint job could accomplish the same objective as a sign, but with much less maintenance and no inspection costs.

Keep it simple, he said.

Councilman Shawn Pettit said he would prefer signs consisting of back-lit letters. He said Merrillville will gather cost estimates and discuss the matter with INDOT before making a final decision.

All of this has to be approved and looked at by INDOT, he said.

In addition to the signage, Merrillville officials also are exploring painting the town seal on walls below bridges.

With all our newer projects like the community center, we tried to put our seal everywhere, Minchuk said.

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LAPORTE  A South Bend woman was seriously injured in a snowmobile accident in the city of LaPorte on Saturday night.

Spencer Laskowski, 20, of Osceola, attempted to cross U.S. 6 on snowmobile with one passenger. While crossing, the snowmobile collided with a passenger car operated by Travis Bryan, 20, of LaPorte. Laskowski and his passenger, Alysen Walls, 21, of South Bend, were ejected from the snowmobile.

Walls was airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital, where she remains in critical condition with a serious head injury. Laskowski was treated at Northwest Health Hospital for minor injuries.

Neither occupant of the snowmobile was wearing safety gear.

The accident is still under investigation, and alcohol is considered a contributing factor.

Indiana Conservation Officers were assisted on the scene by the LaPorte County Sheriffs Office, Kingsford Heights Police Department and LaPorte County Emergency Medical Services.

At approximately 9:45 p.m., LaPorte County dispatch received a 911 call referencing an accident in the 300 block of U.S. 6.

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MICHIGAN CITY  Overall crime in the city was up 0.1% in 2021, Police Chief Dion Campbell said. Digging deeper, however, reveals telling statistics that will influence future police work.

Violent crime was down 0.33%. Firearms offenses were up 22.78%. Crimes against a person were down 5.75%. Sex offenses were down 10.52%. Crimes against property were down 4.14%. Interference with government, which includes resisting law enforcement, was up 4.29%. Drug offenses were up 10.63%.

There were six homicides in 2021, down from eight in 2020. Nationally, there was a 30% increase in homicides, Campbell told the City Council in his annual report.

We know that firearms are a big issue in our community, Campbell said, so the department has been aggressive in collecting firearms. Nearly twice as many handguns  165  were taken off the streets last year.

Lax gun laws and easy accessibility are very, very concerning, Campbell said. A proposal in the Indiana General Assembly would remove the requirement to obtain a permit to carry a handgun.

The number of total calls decreased about 10%, to 37,355, in 2021. However, there were 679 more incident reports completed, and a 24% increase in arrests.

We actually arrested 384 more people than we did in the year 2020, Campbell said. There were 22 more juveniles and 362 more adults arrested.

The city saw a nearly 13% increase in the number of accidents, to 1,218. I find that a very significant increase in accidents, Campbell said.

Council members received a detailed report on areas with high call volumes, including the Eastport, Elston Grove and Westside neighborhoods, Walmart, Lighthouse Place, Meijer and Washington Park.

A lot of these statistics will drive what we do in the future, Campbell said.

One of the things that tells me, first of all, is that were short of manpower, he said. When he joined the department, it had 100 officers. Thats now down to 73. Two officers were recently hired away by Chesterton.

We really need to hire quality officers and maintain quality officers. Getting us to a quality wage is necessary, Campbell said.

Traffic operations need to be beefed up, including the ability to saturate areas where theres a high number of incidents. Thats one of the things were looking to build as soon as our numbers increase, he said.

The detective division is his other primary focus. Thats why were aggressively looking to hire.

Were going to develop a street hawk unit to provide targeted enforcement on guns and violent crimes, he said. Were going to put that unit together as soon as we get our numbers up to where we need them to be.

In think the MCPD is in a great place, he said. Its just getting us to that competitive wage.

Campbell wants the police department to be community-oriented.

I believe we have to implement things now and not have the future arrive not prepared, he said. Theres no blaming anyone. I think its a great time, a great position for us to work together.

Councilman Gene Simmons, D-6th, is a former police chief. You have to have more officers in order to be proactive, he said. Thats a key component, being out there in the community and doing more initiatives.

Councilman Bryant Dabney, D-1st, said the city should consider using American Rescue Plan Act funds to subsidize Ring doorbell systems in exchange for being able to see the video and get leads on shootings. Shot spotter technology should also be considered, he said.

Campbell said he would work on setting up a council workshop on law enforcement technology.

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On the morning of Feb. 1, Michael Barbaro sent an email to the Daily team with the subject line 5 Years! For those of us still waking up bleary-eyed after producing that mornings episode, it was a reminder: The Daily was having a birthday.

Since 2017, our team has produced nearly 1,300 episodes and told countless stories. (You can revisit some of them in a playlist below.) Daily listeners have been with us through impeachments and elections, terror attacks and natural disasters, a riot at the Capitol and a global pandemic. Youve allowed us into your lives, and youve shared with us your feedback and personal stories.

As we reflect on the shows half-decade history, we thought wed share an excerpt from Michaels email:

Team,



Five years ago this morning, we published the very first episode of The Daily.



Listening back, as I did a few days ago, the host sounds gratingly high-pitched, but the episode vibrates with ambition. A new president had his first vacancy on the Supreme Court (sound familiar?), and we asked our inaugural guest, the ever-patient Adam Liptak, to prerecord two entirely different second segments, mini biographies of the two likeliest nominees, because we didnt know which judge Trump would select.



Neil Gorsuch was his choice, and those who hit play on Feb. 1, 2017, heard something remarkable: the authority, curiosity and humor of The Times brought to life in a totally new and intimate way.



The question was how many people would actually listen? From the start, we confronted a mountain of justifiable skepticism. Did the world really need a five-day-a-week news podcast? Wouldnt episodes get stale after 24 hours? Wouldnt Times reporters get tired of coming on?



Fair questions, all. There were ample reasons to think we would fail.



But what nobody could foresee back then was that the right combination of producers and editors, the right blend of audio journalists and storytellers, of composers and wordsmiths, Pro Tools wizards and guest whisperers  not to mention the worlds best newsroom  could make a daily news podcast not just urgent and essential, not just beloved and addictive, but transcendent.

[] Heres to the next five years.



Michael

(And for some bonus birthday fodder, check out the origin story of our theme music and this list of the names we almost called the show.)
WASHINGTON  Just above the Reflecting Pool, on the steps leading to the Lincoln Memorial, hundreds of people gathered on Sunday to remember the approximately 14,000 Ukrainian lives lost since 2014 in the fighting with Russian-backed separatists in the countrys east.

Among those in attendance was Oksana Markarova, Ukraines ambassador to the United States, and two former American diplomats  Marie Yovanovitch, the American ambassador who was recalled from Kyiv and fired by then-President Donald J. Trump in 2019, and William B. Taylor Jr., who served as acting ambassador to Ukraine after Ms. Yovanovitchs departure until January 2020.

A long string of speakers addressed the crowd at the Stand With Ukraine rally on a chilly afternoon, including a group of priests from Ukrainian Catholic, Ukrainian Greek Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox churches who sang Panychida  a memorial prayer for those who have died in the conflict.

A lot of us felt like we needed to do more and show Ukraine and show the world that people of the United States support Ukraine, said Maryna Baydyuk, president of United Help Ukraine, one of the groups that organized the rally.
MUNICH  In an appeal that was at times bitterly critical of the West, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine urged allies on Saturday to begin imposing sanctions on Russia now rather than wait for an invasion, and he took aim at repeated American declarations that an attack would happen within days.

What are you waiting for? Mr. Zelensky asked a large audience at the annual meeting of the Munich Security Conference, which he attended despite warnings that his absence from Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, could give Russia an opportunity to strike. We dont need your sanctions after the economy collapses and parts of our country will be occupied.

By turns grateful for allied unity and frustrated by its apparent ineffectiveness, Mr. Zelensky described Europes security architecture as brittle, even obsolete, as he portrayed the plight of his country since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.

He was emphatic that no deal to avert the crisis should be struck with Russia that did not include his country.
How will Russia invade Ukraine?

Acting on the advice of American intelligence agencies, President Biden said on Friday he was convinced that Vladimir Putin would attack Ukraine in the coming week, in the coming days. But how the Russian leader will do it  all at once, as senior U.S. military and intelligence officials expect, or in a series of smaller attacks  remains unclear.

One possible option is a python-like squeeze, made all the easier by the fact that Belarus is allowing Russian troops to remain indefinitely in the country, where they can menace Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Putin might be betting that he can shatter Ukraines economy and oust its government without having to roll in tanks immediately.

If Putin struck to take the whole country in a single blow, it could provoke the largest, most violent battle for European territory since the Nazi surrender in 1945. There is little question that the full package of sanctions against Russia and technology export cutoffs would be invoked almost immediately. International condemnation would follow, though it might not last.

On the ground: Russian artillery fire escalated sharply in eastern Ukraine over the weekend, deepening fears of an imminent attack and potentially giving Russia a pretext to invade. Ukrainians reluctantly left their homes, with some evacuating to Russia.
ATHENS, Greece  A survivor has been rescued Sunday morning from the stern of a still burning passenger ferry, Greeces coast guard said. There are 11 people still missing.

A coast guard spokesman told The Associated Press the man, a Belarussian, was found on the left rear side of the Euroferry Olympia in apparently good condition.

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Smoke rises from the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia, which is on fire for third day, in the Ionian Sea near the Greek island of Corfu, on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Rescue teams in Greece searched a burning ferry Saturday for a dozen of people believed to be missing after it caught fire in the Ionian Sea while en route to Italy, while passengers described a frightening evacuation from the ship. (Petros Giannakouris/AP)

The fact that this man succeeded, despite adverse conditions, to exit into the deck and alert the coast guard ... gives us hope that there may be other (survivors), coast guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told state broadcaster ERT.

The rescued survivor, a man in his 20s, is a driver of a truck with Lithuanian license plates. Other details about him werent available at this time.

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The survivor told his rescuers he had heard other voices below deck. Alexiou said his understanding was that he hadnt heard any just before making his way onto the deck, but added that the situation is evolving. The survivor has been taken to a hospital to be examined as a precaution.

The Italian-owned ferry, which was carrying more than 290 passengers and crew, as well as 153 trucks and 32 cars, caught fire on Friday, three hours after it left the northwestern Greek port of Igoumenitsa, on the mainland, bound for Brindisi, Italy. The Greek coast guard and other boats evacuated about 280 people to the nearby island of Corfu. One of two passengers rescued Saturday wasnt on the ships manifest and is, presumably, a migrant. The other person rescued Saturday, a 65-year-old Bulgarian truck driver, had respiratory problems and has been hooked to a ventilator in a Corfu hospital intensive care unit.

The ferry has been towed to the port of Kassiopi, in northeastern Corfu, by three tugboats, authorities said. Firefighters were still battling the blaze, which, although confined in certain spaces, reignites from time to time, and thick smoke is hanging over the ship.

The extreme temperatures in some parts of the ship have impeded the rescuers, made up of the Greek fire services Disaster Management Unit and a team of rescuers from private operators, from searching the whole ship. The ferry is slightly listing from the tons of water poured into it, but authorities say its not in danger of capsizing.

A Greek prosecutor on the island of Corfu has ordered an investigation into the cause of the fire. The Italy-based company that operates the ferry said the fire started in a hold where vehicles were parked.

The ships captain and two engineers were arrested Friday, but were released the same day, authorities said.

Passengers described a dramatic rescue situation.

We heard the alarm. We thought it was some kind of drill. But we saw through the portholes that people were running, truck driver Dimitris Karaolanidis told the AP Saturday. You cant think something at the time (other than) your family ... When I hit the deck, I saw smoke and children. Fortunately, they (the crew) acted quickly.

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Officials said the people rescued included citizens of Albania, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Italy, and Lithuania.

Petros Giannakouris and Lefteris Pitarakis contributed to this report from Corfu.
Uncertainty drove oil prices higher when trading opened on Sunday as more Russian troops massed on Ukraines borders, but they fell later in the night as news reports said President Biden would consider direct talks with his Russian counterpart as long as Russia does not invade.

Oil prices had been essentially flat over the last week as traders anticipated a potential nuclear deal with Iran that could allow the country to bring millions of gallons of oil to the market. But with tensions ratcheting up along the Russia-Ukraine border, oil markets opened in evening trading more than a dollar a barrel higher. In a sign of the volatility of the market, prices eased later on Sunday night and were up about 20 cents a barrel in the European morning.

President Biden and other senior American officials have said that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has already decided to invade Ukraine despite the threat of crippling sanctions. Any invasion would most likely interrupt Russian natural gas and oil shipments to parts of Europe and then be followed by a decline in purchases of Russian energy by the West. Nevertheless, negotiations continued on several fronts.

The United States and many other industrialized countries will most likely release millions of barrels of oil from their strategic reserves as soon as a significant invasion occurs. There is also talk in Washington of suspending federal taxes on gasoline. Such measures could help restrain prices at the pump, at least for a short time.
Known as the social cost of carbon, the metric is designed to underline the potential economic threats from greenhouse gas emissions so they can be compared to the economic benefits from acts like oil drilling. Economists and climate scientists say it is needed because climate-fueled heat waves, storms, wildfires and flooding already cost the United States billions of dollars annually but those costs are often not taken into account by policymakers. Factoring in those costs could make it harder for fossil fuel projects to win federal approval.

But 10 Republican-led states sued the government, and on Feb. 11, Judge James D. Cain Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana found that the Biden administrations calculations artificially increase the cost estimates of oil and gas drilling.

Judge Cain, a Trump appointee, said using the social cost of carbon in decision-making would harm his native Louisiana and other energy producing states. He issued an injunction preventing the administration from considering the metric. The Justice Department said it intends to appeal.

In an ironic twist, the fallout from the judges ruling  at least initially  is that the federal government has stopped work on new oil and gas leases, as well as permits to drill on federal lands and waters.

Work surrounding public-facing rules, grants, leases, permits and other projects has been delayed or stopped altogether so that agencies can assess whether and how they can proceed, the Department of Justice wrote in a legal filing late Saturday asking the court to stay the injunction against using a climate metric.
We believe President Putin has made the decision, Mr. Blinken said on Sunday, but until the tanks are actually rolling and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward.

The White House released a statement on Sunday night that Mr. Biden had accepted in principle a summit with Mr. Putin after the meeting between Mr. Blinken and Mr. Lavrov, again specifying that it would only take place in the absence of an invasion.

The information passed to Mr. Biden from the intelligence agencies left unclear whether Mr. Putins orders would lead to a massive invasion or a more gradual approach that would give the Russian leader more opportunities to exploit fissures just beneath the surface in the Western alliance arrayed against him. He could, for example, test the proposition that Germany or Italy, the two Western European countries most dependent on Russian-provided gas, might falter in their resolve.

Those were the scenarios being discussed most intensely this weekend at the Munich Security Conference, the annual meeting of government ministers, corporate leaders and strategists, where attendees gamed out Mr. Putins choices.

If he is intent on escalating, I dont think its a sudden blitzkrieg to Kyiv and the ouster of the Zelensky government, said Ian Bremmer, the president of the Eurasia Group, a geopolitical consulting firm. Its much more likely to look like a recognition of the independence of the breakaway territory around Luhansk, in the east.

You hope, if you are Putin, that leads to more skittishness of some of the NATO allies, less alignment with NATO, more opportunities for Russia to get what it wants without having to go full-scale into Ukraine, Mr. Bremmer said.

A few weeks ago, some American officials shared that sentiment. Mr. Putin, they noted, presumably wanted to achieve his goal  a halt to Ukraines drift toward the West  as cheaply and with as few casualties as possible. All he sought was a friendly, pliable government like the one he has in Belarus, said one senior American official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the continuing diplomatic efforts. The president of Belarus, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, has tied the security of his country to the presence of the Russian military. (They will be here as long as necessary, said Mr. Lukashenko, who is considering inviting Russia to place its nuclear weapons back on Belarusian territory.)
The announcement that Queen Elizabeth II had tested positive for the coronavirus comes at an awkward moment for Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, who was expected to announce on Monday the lifting of the remaining pandemic restrictions in England, including the legal requirement for those who test positive to isolate.

Mr. Johnson, who faces a police investigation into whether he himself broke lockdown laws, had been expected to bring to an early end the restrictions that were scheduled to expire on March 24.

There was no sign that the queens diagnosis would change the timing of Mr. Johnsons decision, which is expected as part of a statement on how Britain intends to live with coronavirus.

But in a Twitter thread posted before Buckingham Palaces announcement on Sunday, Mr. Johnson said that, thanks to the vaccination program, the country was now in a position to set out our plan for living with Covid this week.
MOSCOW  President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia was holding an unscheduled meeting of his Security Council on Monday, as the Kremlin said that tensions are rising and the U.S. continued warnings that his nation stands poised to attack Ukraine.

Mr. Putin held a second call with President Emmanuel Macron of France at 1 a.m. Moscow time on Monday morning, after speaking with the French leader on Sunday, the Kremlins spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters.

Mr. Macron proposed a summit between President Biden and Mr. Putin, the French presidency said, but Mr. Peskov did not confirm that preparations for such a meeting had begun.

Its clear that tensions are rising, Mr. Peskov said. Its too early to talk about concrete plans for organizing any summits.
The Visual Investigations team at The Times, as well as outside researchers, have been tracking military activity in the region. However, the area has been cloudy for days, making it difficult to collect traditional satellite imagery. But there were few clouds around Belgorod on Sunday. New imagery revealed fresh tracks in the snow, leading analysts who pored over the images to focus on small deployment sites near the tree line.

The new findings come after U.S. intelligence officials claimed that 40 to 50 percent of the more than 150,000 Russian forces surrounding Ukraine have moved out of staging and into combat formation.
For weeks, as Russia sent more and more troops to Ukraines borders, the Biden administration has predicted that President Vladimir V. Putin would orchestrate some sort of pretext for an invasion, probably in Ukraines east, where a conflict with Moscow-backed rebels has been underway for years.

Now, developments there  driven in large part by the separatists widely seen as Russias proxies  could be giving him such an opportunity.

On Saturday, artillery fire escalated sharply in the east, and thousands of residents fled to Russia in chaotic evacuations, fueled by rebel leaders assertions, without evidence, that Ukraines military was planning a large-scale attack on the territory they control.

Western leaders have scoffed at the idea that Ukraine would launch such an operation while surrounded by Russian forces, and Ukrainian officials dismissed the claim as a cynical Russian lie. But the ginned-up panic was having real effects, with refugees frantically boarding buses and refugee tent camps popping up across the Russian border. Separatists urged women and children to leave and told men to register to fight.
The worry is that these territories will become the setting for a catastrophe, whether staged or accidental, that could lead to far wider violence. A stray shell, for example, might hit a residential building, or there could be a terrorist attack on fleeing refugees. Whatever the situation, Ukraine would be blamed, and Russia would have a pretext to invade.

Russia, despite repeated accusations from the West, says that it has no intention of invading, and that it simply wants its legitimate geopolitical interests respected.

On Sunday evening, the Ukrainian military issued a statement saying the Russian-backed separatists in the Luhansk region had opened fire with heavy artillery on their own capital city with the goal of blaming the Ukrainian military.

In the absence of any aggressive action from the Ukrainian defenders, the occupiers themselves are blowing up infrastructure in the occupied territories and firing chaotically on towns, the statement said. Russian news agencies reported artillery strikes in the area. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

While attacking ones own side to blame an enemy may seem particularly sinister, it would not be the first time it has happened over the eight-year history of the two enclaves.

Analysts have suspected numerous violent events to be false-flag attacks. And insider violence by Russias security services or local proxies has been an integral aspect of the republics history for years, according to the Ukrainian intelligence services and public statements by comrades of some of those killed.

In recent days, both sides along the eastern Ukrainian front have been making ominous predictions about a mass-casualty event somewhere out in the mining and farming villages  and they are blaming each other even before it has happened.
MUNICH  The Munich Security Conference convened this weekend under the banner of Unlearning Helplessness. The phrase had ominous echoes with Russia threatening Ukraine, and Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, drove them home by accusing the West of appeasement.

It was here 15 years ago that Russia announced its intention to challenge global security, Mr. Zelensky said on Saturday at the annual gathering of international policymakers. What did the world say? Appeasement. Result? At least the annexation of Crimea and aggression against my state.

The mood at the conference  the Davos of foreign affairs, a venue of often bracing conflict  was subdued, almost disembodied, marked by stunned nervousness over the possibility of a European war, diminished by harsh Covid-19 restrictions and missing the Russian participation that has often stirred vigorous debate.

The Russian no-show felt ominous, a symbol of a Europe newly divided. Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, put the choice facing the continent starkly: either a system of joint responsibility for security and peace or spheres of influence, which she compared to the carve-up of Europe into Allied and Soviet spheres at Yalta in 1945.
Bernie Madoffs sister, Sondra Wiener, and her husband were found dead on Thursday in their home in Boynton Beach, Fla., in what the authorities said was an apparent murder-suicide.

The Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office said deputies responded to a 911 call and found Ms. Wiener, 87, and her husband, Marvin, 90, both dead from gunshot wounds.

The Medical Examiners Office personnel arrived on the scene and took possession of both Marvin and Sondra, according to the sheriffs Facebook page and Twitter account. The cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiners Office.

Though the social media accounts of the Sheriffs Office included the names of the couple, a statement from the office identified only Ms. Wiener and said the family had invoked Marsys Law for the male, which provides protections for crime victims.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen here reacting during a roundtable discussion at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora in Miami's Coral Way neighborhood on Monday, February 7, 2022, has proposed a new map of congressional districts that erases a Black majority-minority district in North Florida. (Matias J. Ocner/The Miami Herald)

There is mixed news from Tallahassee about the most important American principle: the right to vote. Redistricting is going a bit better than usual. Voting rights are going backward.

The decision of Fair Districts and other voting advocates to file no Supreme Court challenge against the Legislatures House and Senate maps reflects the effectiveness of the anti-gerrymandering initiatives the voters approved in 2010. The maps are fairer than they used to be.

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Although not perfect  notably for lack of transparency in the drafting process  the House and Senate plans signify that the chamber leaders read the Constitution better than Gov. Ron DeSantis does despite his Harvard law degree. However, the maps may still be challenged in lower courts, where there would be more time to consider them carefully.

The rabidly partisan governor continues to demand a flagrantly unconstitutional congressional districting. It is aimed brazenly at electing two more Republicans and two fewer Democrats and wiping out the minority-access seat of Rep. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, a Black Democrat. Fortunately, the Florida Supreme Court refused to write an advisory opinion that DeSantis hoped would give him cover.

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The Fair Districts initiatives, passed as constitutional amendments by voters in 2010, prohibit denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice. They also forbid districts drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.

Sad to say, the House and Senate leaders come out no better than DeSantis on the rest of their election agenda.

They intend to ban ranked choice voting, severely curtail the peoples right to amend the Constitution by the petition-initiative process, establish DeSantis election police, create new traps to disqualify tens of thousands of mail ballots, and harass election supervisors with new busywork requirements for combing and purging voter rolls.

Some supervisors are already threatening to quit over their personal exposure to high fines in the 2021 law thats under challenge in a Tallahassee federal court.

The new mail ballot provisions, strikingly similar to what Texas enacted last year, require the ballot to be returned inside a security sleeve inside a new security envelope that must bear either the voters drivers license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number before the wad of documents is stuffed into the mailing envelope.

Make any mistake, and the ballot wont be counted. Thats in Senate Bill 524 and House Bill 7061, this years comprehensive voter suppression legislation.

Whats happening in Texas shows why its bad legislation. With a primary approaching on March 1, mail ballot rejections were running at 40% in Harris County and up to 25% in a suburb of Austin. Applications for those ballots, which require the same picayune details, were being turned down at nearly the same rates.

As in the Florida legislation, the Texas law provides for giving voters an opportunity to come in and cure the defects. That is spiteful harassment of voters and election supervisors alike, based on the cynical assumption that many voters wont bother or be notified in time.

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Signatures alone should be sufficient, as they were for generations, because they can be matched against registrations.

Amid all that unfounded zeal, the ruling party shows no interest in investigating strong evidence of real-life, actual fraud. There is an apparently organized campaign to fraudulently re-register voters as Republicans. The perpetrators can be charged as felons, but there should be severe financial penalties for their sponsors as well.

As for ranked-choice voting, the Republicans intend to ban it before its even tried in Florida. They dont want anyone to know how it might nominate moderate, consensus candidates, discourage nasty campaigning, and end the necessity for poorly attended municipal runoffs. Clearwater and Sarasota wanted to try it in their local elections but gave up for lack of cooperation from the Secretary of State.

[ RELATED: Congressional special election shows the need for ranked choice voting | Editorial ]

Ranked-choice voting, sometimes known as an instant runoff, has caught on from San Francisco to New York City and from Alaska to Maine and more than 40 places between. It would vastly improve Florida politics.

New York City had a hugely successful ranked-choice Democratic primary last year that nominated Eric Adams, a Black man who is an ex-cop, out of a 13-candidate field that also included Andrew Yang. The process yielded a moderate leader in a seemingly progressive city, wrote Christina Greer, a Fordham University political scientist, in a New York Times op-ed.

Also under attack is the ability of Floridas people to amend their own constitution through the initiative process  as they did with the Fair Districts amendments.

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Not satisfied with already having made it harder and costlier to obtain the necessary signatures, the sponsors of HJR 1127 and SJR 1412 are trying to amend the Constitution to limit initiatives to matters relating to procedural subjects or to the structure of the government or of this constitution.

That would have excluded the $15-an-hour minimum wage initiative that just over 60% of the voters approved in 2020 as well as the class size, smoke-free workplace and pregnant pig initiatives in 2002, among others.

Theres a plausible argument that such details dont belong in a constitution. But Florida citizens have no other way to get around a Legislature that the big lobbies seem to own.

Florida should enable its citizens to enact ordinary laws by initiative, as seventeen other states do. That would relieve pressure on the Constitution.

When the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee took up the amendment, more than 40 citizens signed up to speak against it or register opposition. They were an ad hoc coalition of environmental, labor, civil rights and good-government groups and concerned citizens. The only lobbyist in support represented the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

The people lost on a party-line vote that day, but theyll have the last word if this reprehensible amendment makes the November ballot.

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The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.
And it comes, surprisingly, at a time when the national union membership rate matched historic lows, down significantly from the 1950s, when more than a third of American workers were part of a collective bargaining unit. Last year, according to the federal governments Bureau of Labor Statistics, the union membership rate for workers was 10.3 percent.

So why are museums the outliers in an otherwise diminished national labor movement?

Organizers say their efforts to convince white-collar arts workers to unionize have been fueled by increasing frustration over the pay gap between museum employees and executives, and that pandemic layoffs only heightened the concerns of some employees looking for better wages and job security.

Museum workers realized that the human resource policies in terms of pay and benefits were oftentimes byzantine, said Tom Juravich, a professor who researches labor movements at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. They realized that they were being treated more like servants to the elite.

Mary Ceruti, the director of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, which unionized in 2020, said that labor efforts are part of a larger push for change at institutions that are also being asked to diversify their work force and to feature a broader sweep of art.

Unionizing has emerged as one way that staff are trying to affect institutional change, said Ceruti. Most museum leaders share the same goals as our staff organizers: to make museums places that both reflect and inspire our constituencies.
Russia recognizes separatist regions, escalating tensions

In a fiery speech filled with historical grievances, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia would recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, territories in Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. Western leaders fear the move could lead to one of the biggest conflicts in Europe since World War II.

Putins decision followed a session of the Russian Security Council at which he accused the U.S. and its allies of using Ukraine as an instrument of confrontation with Russia. Ukrainian officials warned that the recognition could allow separatist leaders to request military help from Russia, possibly paving the way for a military offensive.

Also on Monday, the Russian news media broadcast claims of assaults by Ukrainian forces, charges that Ukrainian military leaders forcefully denied. American officials have repeatedly predicted that the Russian military would stage false attacks on their own forces as a pretext for war.

The escalations cast doubt over diplomatic solutions. President Biden had agreed on Sunday in principle to a proposed summit with Putin, but White House officials said that such a meeting in the coming days was notional at best and would not happen if Russia were to invade. Heres the latest.
There have been dozens of wars in the almost 80 years since World War II ended. But if Russia invades Ukraine in the coming days, it will be different from almost all of them. It will be another sign that the world may be entering an alarming new era in which authoritarianism is on the rise.

In todays newsletter, Ill explain the two main ways that a war in Ukraine would be distinct. I will also update you on the latest developments, with reporting from my colleagues around the world.

1. Regional dominance

A Russian invasion of Ukraine seems likely to involve one of the worlds largest militaries launching an unprovoked ground invasion of a neighboring country. The apparent goal would be an expansion of regional dominance, either through annexation or the establishment of a puppet government.

Few other conflicts since World War II fit this description. Some of the closest analogies are the Soviet Unions invasion of Afghanistan in the 1970s, Czechoslovakia in the 1960s and Hungary in the 1950s  as well as Vladimir Putins 2014 annexation of Crimea. The U.S., for its part, invaded Panama in the 1980s and used the C.I.A. to overthrow an elected government in Guatemala in the 1950s. Of course, it also launched several faraway wars, in Iraq, Vietnam and elsewhere.
Two Miami Herald reporters, Carol Marbin Miller and Daniel Chang, as well as ProPublica, were awarded the state reporting prize for Birth & Betrayal, a series that revealed how a Florida law to lower malpractice costs for obstetricians was preventing hundreds of families from getting adequate support to care for their severely brain-damaged children. A fund that was meant to provide for the children instead repeatedly turned down requests while amassing $1.5 billion in assets. Its director and board left in the wake of the reports, and the law was revised.

A New Yorker article by Ian Urbina, reported with The Outlaw Ocean Project, on the efforts by the European Union to keep out migrants received the international reporting award. Mr. Urbina and his team discovered that migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were intercepted at sea by Libyans and held indefinitely in Libyan detention centers, a shadow immigration system funded by the European Union.

Adam Feuerstein, Matthew Herper and Damian Garde of Stat, a medical news site, won the medical reporting award for revealing that Biogen had used a back-channel campaign with the Food and Drug Administration to get its Alzheimers treatment approved despite objections from the agencys own scientific advisers.

The environmental reporting award was given to the ABC News anchor David Muir, the executive producer Almin Karamehmedovic and the producer Esther Castillejo for The Children of Climate Change, which aired on the ABC programs World News Tonight and Nightline. Mr. Muirs dispatches from Madagascar depicted how climate change has led to a famine affecting half a million children.

Sarah Stillman, a staff writer at The New Yorker, won the Magazine Reporting award for her work tracing the exploitation and working conditions of the migrant laborers who contract for disaster-recovery firms to clean up the damage inflicted by climate disasters. She spent a year traveling to disaster zones and speaking with workers and climate-change experts.

Linda So, Jason Szep and the staff of Reuters were awarded the political reporting prize for their examination of intimidation and threats by supporters of Donald J. Trump against officials and poll workers involved in the electoral process of the 2020 election. The Reuters team tracked down nine people responsible for a series of threats who said they believed they had done nothing wrong. Only two expressed regret.
Mr. Nelson said he had been taken advantage of by Fortress.

The vultures at Fortress bought the loan just weeks before the loan expiration for one reason: to foreclose on a healthy property that has performed well over seven years with the intent to steal millions of dollars in equity they are not entitled to, Mr. Nelson said in a written statement. Fortress has no concern whatsoever for the students or for the investors.

Mr. Nelsons firm, based in San Clemente, Calif., generates much of its revenue from working as a property manager on nearly two-dozen student-housing complexes. Some of those it owns outright; others purchased with tens of millions of dollars it raised from small real estate investors. He also generates millions of dollars in fees from sponsoring the investment vehicles that those investors put money into, called private placements  a kind of unregulated offering sold by securities brokers.

But as he and his firm have come under criticism over the management of some of those properties, he has faced a host of problems. Local health and building officials have issued fines or have had to pay for the garbage to be removed from the properties, and lenders including Fannie Mae, the giant federally controlled mortgage-finance firm, sought control of buildings he ran. His bankruptcy gambit for three properties  near the University of Mississippi, Texas Christian University and the University of Houston  failed, and by the end of last year his firm was no longer in control of them.

The complex near the University of Texas, called Skyloft, is the subject of a lawsuit by hundreds of investors who claim the $75 million they committed for the purchase of the building is missing. They also claim they were not aware that Axonic could foreclose on the property if Nelson Partners defaulted on a $35 million loan it took out to help finance the purchase. After Axonic foreclosed, it sold Skyloft to another investment firm.

Mr. Nelson has repeatedly blamed the pandemic and Covid restrictions for limiting his ability to collect rent, hire maintenance workers and pay monthly dividends to his investors.

He purchased the Auraria property in Denver just a few months before the pandemic. The $46 million loan was arranged in November 2019 by a division of Cantor Fitzgerald, a Wall Street investment firm. The loan was quickly sold to another hedge fund before the affiliate of Fortress bought it last fall.
As people across the world grapple with the prospect of living with the coronavirus for the foreseeable future, one question looms large: How soon before they need yet another shot?

Not for many months, and perhaps not for years, according to a flurry of new studies.

Three doses of a Covid vaccine  or even just two  are enough to protect most people from serious illness and death for a long time, the studies suggest.

Were starting to see now diminishing returns on the number of additional doses, said John Wherry, director of the Institute for immunology at the University of Pennsylvania. Although people over 65 or at high risk of illness may benefit from a fourth vaccine dose, it may be unnecessary for most people, he added.

Federal health officials have said they are not planning to recommend fourth doses anytime soon.

The Omicron variant can dodge antibodies  immune molecules that prevent the virus from infecting cells  produced after two doses of a Covid vaccine. But a third shot of the mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech or by Moderna prompts the body to make a much wider variety of antibodies, which would be difficult for any variant of the virus to evade, according to the most recent study, posted online on Tuesday.
The mountain gorillas that live in Rwandas Volcanoes National Park have frequent encounters with humans. On any given day, the animals might come across smartphone-toting tourists, fecal-sample-swiping biologists or antibiotic-administering veterinarians.

So when the coronavirus started spreading around the world in early 2020, experts worried that people might unwittingly pass the virus to the endangered apes, which are known to be vulnerable to a variety of human pathogens.

In the past, other human viruses have caused respiratory illness in the gorillas, said Dr. Kirsten Gilardi, the executive director of Gorilla Doctors, an international team of veterinarians that provides care for wild gorillas. We were on pins and needles wondering, OK, if this virus gets into the mountain gorillas, whats it going to do?

In March 2020, in an effort to safeguard the animals, Rwanda temporarily closed Volcanoes National Park. When the park reopened a few months later, it had strict new precautions in place, including requiring tourists and researchers to wear masks and keep their distance from the gorillas. These rules, plus a general drop-off in tourism, mean that the parks gorillas have had relatively few close encounters with humans during the pandemic, Dr. Gilardi said.
In a city accustomed to wave-making entrances from its elected leaders, Adrienne Adams, New York Citys new speaker of the City Council, has spent the first six weeks in a relatively splash-free zone.

She has not danced in a cameo appearance on a television news weather report, or posted a social media video of herself singing along to Lady Gaga, as her predecessor, Corey Johnson, had done in his first weeks on the job.

Ms. Adamss rollout has been far more sedate, partly by design and mostly by circumstance, with a spate of high-profile crimes affecting the tenor of the city, as well as her schedule.

In mid-January, she spoke at a memorial for a woman who was shoved to her death at the Times Square subway station, and then at a vigil for an 11-month-old girl who was shot in the face in the Bronx. Days later, Ms. Adams attended the separate funerals of two police officers who were killed in Harlem.
The weekend after Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a plan to address safety concerns on New York Citys subways that focused on stopping homeless people from sheltering in the system, at least eight violent incidents took place in stations and on trains, only one of which involved an attacker who appeared to be homeless.

There was little pattern to the attacks, which the police said began Friday evening, when a 31-year-old man was stabbed in the left forearm in Morningside Heights in Manhattan on a southbound 1 train by a man he had asked to stop smoking, and ended early Monday morning, when a 30-year-old woman was struck in the face with a small metal pipe on a southbound 4 train in the Bronx.

Altogether, the attacks took place in every borough in which the subway operates, on four different train lines and in four different stations. None of the attacks were fatal, though some of the victims were hospitalized, and few arrests were made.

The varied nature of the attacks underscored the difficulty of rooting out random violence in the nations largest transportation network, which encompasses hundreds of miles of track and is used by millions of people each weekend.
Had we sought out people that voted the same way in order to keep them together, that would have been the definition of illegal gerrymandering, said State Senator Michael Gianaris, a Democrat and leader of a task force that drew the lines.

Maybe at the end of the day, this will have the effect of bringing people together, he said.

That will be exceedingly difficult in the 11th, should the lines hold.

But whatever the evident governing difficulties, a fierce battle is unfolding to represent the district as Ms. Malliotakis, who has tied herself closely to Mr. Trump and voted against certifying the results of the 2020 election, runs for re-election. She also broke with her party to vote for the infrastructure bill.

While candidates in many races face difficult balancing acts between appealing to the most die-hard partisans in a primary and achieving broader appeal in a general election, those tensions will be thrown into sharp relief in the 11th District.

It certainly gives the Democratic nominee a very good chance, said John Mollenkopf, director of the Center for Urban Research at the Graduate Center of CUNY, of the new district lines. But thats going to take a Democratic nominee who can appeal to the more conservative Democrats on Staten Island.

On the Democratic side, the biggest open question had been whether Mr. de Blasio would run, an idea that sparked viscerally negative reactions on Staten Island. At Grant City Tavern, where the ceiling is designed to look like an American flag and a portrait of Mr. Trump hangs on the wall, one patron knocked over his drink at the mention of the former mayor.

He commissioned polling around the race, but took himself out of contention on Tuesday.

The most high-profile Democrat in the race is former Representative Max Rose, who won the earlier configuration of the district in 2018 and lost to Ms. Malliotakis in 2020. Mr. Rose, who grew up in Park Slope, had cast himself as more of a Staten Island Democrat with a brash personal style and relatively centrist politics, and some party officials see him as a strong general election fit in the new district.
When you talk about iconic giants in the field of public health, he stands pretty much among a very, very short list of people, said Dr. Fauci, who first met Dr. Farmer decades ago, when Dr. Farmer was a medical student. He added, He called me his mentor, but in reality he was more of a mentor to me.

In the latter part of his career, Dr. Farmer became a public health luminary; the subject of a 2017 documentary, Bending the Arc; and the author of 12 books.

In 2020, when he was awarded the $1 million Berggruen Prize, given annually to an influential thought leader, the chairman of the prize committee said Dr. Farmer had reshaped our understanding of what it means to treat health as a human right and the ethical and political obligations that follow.

Dr. Farmer, who never settled into the easy life of an elder statesman, was vigorously involved in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, prodding the Biden administration to drop intellectual property barriers that prevented pharmaceutical companies from sharing their technology.

Its not just about health security, in the senses of defending yourself, he said. Its not just about charity, although thats not so bad. Its also about pragmatic solidarity with those in need of assistance.

Paul Edward Farmer Jr. was born on Oct. 26, 1959, in North Adams, Mass. Pauls mother, Ginny (Rice) Farmer, worked as a supermarket cashier, and his father, Paul Sr., was a salesman and high school math teacher.

When Paul was around 12, his father bought an old bus and fitted it with bunks, converting it into a mobile home. Paul, his parents and his five siblings spent the next few years traveling, mostly in Florida, living for a time on a boat moored on a bayou. He credited this period with giving him a very compliant GI system, a knack for sleeping anywhere and an inability to be shy or embarrassed.
Paul Willen, an architect and civic advocate who helped turn Trump City, a plan for a massive development on Manhattans West Side, into a tamer, gentler and more livable neighborhood called Riverside South, died on Feb. 2 in Berlin, Vt. He was 93.

The cause was heart failure, his son, Paul S. Willen, said.

For decades, a 57-acre slice of Manhattan waterfront, a former rail yard that stretched from 59th to 72nd Streets, had tempted and confounded developers. Donald J. Trump had various schemes for it in the mid-1970s, after which an Argentine company took it on. When that project failed to get financing, Mr. Trump stepped back in, with a bolder, brasher proposal.

He envisioned a giant shopping mall, topped by what at the time would have been the worlds tallest building, along with a clutch of skyscrapers and television studios (headquarters for NBC), all of which he called Television City. In 1988, after NBC pulled out, he renamed it Trump City.

Community groups and urban advocates were horrified by the plan. They mobilized and asked Daniel Gutman, an urban planner, to conduct an environmental review. In a search of city documents, he discovered Mr. Trumps earlier plan for the site, from the 1970s, which had been produced by Gruzen Samton, Mr. Trumps architects at the time, and designed by Mr. Willen, who worked in the planning department there.
Not only do these places lock away carbon, slowing climate change; they also protect the surrounding coastal area by absorbing the brunt of the ever more powerful storms that our warming planet is tossing at us.

Now with the arrival of the invasive ash borer, some of these wetland forests are starting to undergo profound transformations. As trees die and decompose, their stored carbon will be released to the atmosphere, and their roots may no longer hold on to soil.

People who own land along tidal rivers face mass tree death and could even lose some of their land to rising water. In one of Marylands popular reserves, Pocomoke River State Park, home to perhaps the largest expanse of green and pumpkin ash in this part of the world, the forest could be hollowed out.

At a time when high-level climate and biodiversity conferences are front-page news and the plights of the rainforests of the Amazon basin and the Tongass of Southeast Alaska are well known, its been distressing to see these wetland forests  the Mid-Atlantics own version of those faraway expanses  fall apart with little public recognition.
To the Editor:

Re Who Are We Caring for in the I.C.U.?, by Daniela J. Lamas (Opinion guest essay, Feb. 7):

It is difficult for me to read Dr. Lamass essay because her account of the realities of both the patients and the families struggle at end of life in the I.C.U. mirror exactly what we experienced almost 15 years ago.

My 85-year-old father entered the hospital after a fall and ended up in the I.C.U. with acute respiratory distress syndrome. We agreed to aggressive treatment, in the futile hope of his recovery.

As unprepared as we were for the outcome, we begged our primary physician to keep him artificially alive until the family could gather. Fortunately, he agreed. But we came away wondering if doing everything possible harmed our father.

We knew that these treatments were really for us, to give us time to come to terms with the (unimaginable) inevitable. There are no good or right answers to the questions Dr. Lamas asks, but she has identified the issues.
When youre furnishing a small space, finding cabinets that are just the right size can be a challenge.

Theres no shortage of expansive credenzas or towering chests of drawers, but smaller-scale cabinets that can be squeezed into an tiny entry hall, placed between a pair of twin beds or positioned on either side of a fireplace can be harder to find.

There arent that many options on the market, said Beata Heuman, an interior designer based in London, who designed her own pint-size, 35-inch-wide Lyre cabinet after failing to find suitable pieces for her living room. That was something I made for my house because I really couldnt find what I wanted.

Small cabinets are helpful for holding lamps, speakers and decorative objects that might otherwise sit on a table. But they come with an added benefit: extra storage.
Romance scams  the term for online scams that involve feigning romantic interest to gain a victims trust  have increased in the pandemic. So have crypto prices. That has made crypto a useful entry point for criminals looking to part victims from their savings.

About 56,000 romance scams, totaling $139 million in losses, were reported to the Federal Trade Commission last year, according to agency data. That is nearly twice as many reports as the agency received the previous year. In a bulletin last fall, the Federal Bureau of Investigations Oregon office warned that crypto dating scams were emerging as a major category of cybercrime, with more than 1,800 reported cases in the first seven months of the year.

Experts believe this particular type of scam originated in China before spreading to the United States and Europe. Its Chinese name translates roughly as pig butchering  a reference to the way victims are fattened up with flattery and romance before being scammed.

Jan Santiago, the deputy director of the Global Anti-Scam Organization, a nonprofit that represents victims of online cryptocurrency scams, said that unlike typical romance scams  which generally target older, less tech-savvy adults  these scammers appear to be going after younger and more educated women on dating apps like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge.

Its mostly millennials who are getting scammed, Mr. Santiago said.

Jane Lee, a researcher at the online fraud-prevention firm Sift, began looking into crypto dating scams last year. She signed up for several popular dating apps and quickly matched with men who tried to offer her investing advice.

People are lonely from the pandemic, and crypto is super hot right now, she said. The combination of the two has really made this a successful scam.

Ms. Lee, whose company works with several dating apps to prevent fraud, said that these scammers typically tried to move the conversation off a dating app and onto WhatsApp  where messages are encrypted and harder for companies or law enforcement agencies to track.
The beach campsites that line the Gulf side of the waterway offer an airy respite from the dense confines of the interior.

But the most visually distinctive of the campsites, built in places otherwise ill-suited for tents, are the chickees, a term derived from the word for house in Mikasuki, a language spoken by many members of the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes. The simple structures, each only 10 feet by 12 feet, are little more than elevated stilt platforms  and, lacking walls, theyre unforgiving of errant footsteps.

The tranquillity we experienced atop the Sweetwater Chickee, tucked away from the Wilderness Waterway by a mile-long tendril of water, was broken in the early afternoon by the sudden screeching of an osprey, grasping a fish in its talons, as it tried to evade a pair of bald eagles. In the middle of the night, the heavy exhales of an animal breathing at the surface of the water  it sounded distinct from that of the dolphins we saw surfacing in the moonlight the night before  left us wondering how close the tide would lift the water line to the edge of our tiny, exposed shelter.
WASHINGTON  President Biden came into office vowing to make harm reduction  a public health approach geared toward helping drug users stay safe rather than abstain  a central pillar of his drug policy agenda, at a time when illicit fentanyl has driven a surge in overdose deaths.

Instead, his strategy is in danger of being derailed by a Washington drama over crack pipes that is more about political gamesmanship than public health. The clash is a revival of decades-old fights over clean needle exchange programs that addiction experts hoped had finally been laid to rest.

Lawmakers of both parties introduced legislation last week to bar federal funding for drug paraphernalia in response to a story in The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative website, asserting that federally funded addiction treatment programs would distribute pipes for smoking crack cocaine as part of safe smoking kits. In response, White House officials said tax dollars would not be spent on pipes.

But with the Beacon story ricocheting around the conservative ecosystem  amplified by Republican including Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Ted Cruz of Texas  Congress is pursuing plans not only to bar federal funding for crack pipes, but to impose restrictions on a new program that would have, for the first time, allowed federal funds to be spent on sterile needles for syringe services programs.
WASHINGTON  The Internal Revenue Service said on Monday that it would allow taxpayers to opt out of using facial recognition technology to gain access to their online accounts and would shift to an entirely different identity verification system next year as the agency tries to alleviate backlash over its use of biometric data.

The decision came after the I.R.S. said this month that it would transition away from using a third-party service, ID.me, to help authenticate people creating online accounts by using facial recognition to verify their identity.

The I.R.S. adopted the technology as a way to enhance the security of taxpayer information and avoid data leaks, which have been a growing concern among lawmakers. But activist groups and lawmakers from both parties expressed alarm, saying that the use of video selfies to verify accounts was an invasion of privacy.

The I.R.S., which signed a two-year, $86 million contract with ID.me, will continue to work with the firm. Taxpayers can still choose to have images of their faces scanned to gain access to their accounts, but those who decline to use facial recognition technology can verify their identity during a live, virtual interview with representatives from the company.
WASHINGTON  Many of the nearly 5,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division who arrived in Poland last week are working with Polish forces to set up processing centers for tens of thousands of people, including Americans, who are expected to flee neighboring Ukraine if Russia launches a full-scale invasion of the country, U.S. military officials say.

The Biden administration has repeatedly said U.S. troops will not fight in Ukraine or rescue Americans trapped there by a Russian attack. But U.S. commanders and their counterparts in Poland have been preparing parts of several Polish military facilities and erecting tents for possible evacuees.

So far, American officials said, there have been few, if any, people who have sought to use the facilities. But a nationwide attack on Ukraine could result in one million to five million refugees, with many of them pouring into Poland, Pentagon officials have estimated.

That could lead to the largest flood of refugees in Europe since nearly a million Syrian refugees arrived in 2015, a surge that had a profound impact on European politics by bolstering far-right parties.
MANZINI - A shootout between two warders and four unknown men resulted in two minors being shot at OK Foods Kwaluseni, while a customer got injured as he attempted to run away.

The incident took place on Friday at around 7:45pm. The unknown men attacked the warders, who were in a white Toyota van, and were patrolling around the OK Liquor Store just before it was about to close for the day. The two minors; Sandziso Dlamini (16) and *Nsindiso (17) are pupils at Swazi National High School. The real name of the other pupil will not be revealed because his parents could not be reached for an interview at the time of compiling this report. It is said the victims of the shooting incident were quickly sent to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital, where they were treated.

Bullet

A bullet was reportedly lodged in a sensitive area in Sandzisos stomach, while Nsindiso had a bullet removed from his right knee. They are both still admitted. The other victim, who is a man estimated to be in his 30s, only sustained minor injuries from the shooting. He was sent to hospital and later discharged. There have been claims that the men who were shooting at the warders attacked them on suspicions that they (warders) were responsible for the alleged ill-treatment of incarcerated Members of Parliament, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza of Hosea and Mthandeni Dube of Ngwempisi.

Narrating the events that led to the exchange of gunfire, an eyewitness said it was just before 8pm when gunshots were heard and seemed to have been directed towards the warders. He highlighted that while the men were shooting at the warders, they hurled insults at them and declared that they wanted to kill them. It is unknown how many of the men had guns.

While the men were shooting, the members of His Majestys Correctional Services (HMCS) reportedly got under their vehicle to shield themselves from the bullets. None of them were hit. That is when they retaliated and started firing at the men, the source relayed.

He further mentioned that the car belonging to the Correctional officers was shot at more than four times. The source claimed that as the men were shooting, they allegedly threatened to burn the warders with tyres wrapped around their necks. While under the car, the witness said the warders fired shots at the unknown men, and in that skirmish, the two boys and a customer were injured. OK Foods Kwaluseni Store Manager Sifiso Maseko confirmed that the incident happened just before 8pm, when they were preparing to close. Maseko said as per the norm, warders were outside to provide security.

He relayed that they heard noise from outside and he quickly went to check what was going on. He then saw customers at the grocery store lying on. Maseko shared that he later noted that the people who were shooting were behind the fence outside the stores. They were shooting at the security forces vehicle and in the process, two minors, who usually sell cooked mealies around Matsapha, were shot, he recounted.Maseko elaborated that a customer also sustained an injury on the knee during the shooting. He said no money was stolen and the staff was also safe, except for the three victims. The store manager added that they went to visit the two minors at the RFM Hospital.

Admitted

Meanwhile, Sandziso is still admitted to the RFM Hospital. His father, Blessing Dlamini, who is a police officer, said he thanked God and the angels that his son was alive. He appreciated the OK Foods management for visiting the victims on Saturday. This showed me that they truly care for their customers and may God bless them, he said. The officer said he forgave the men who shot his son and brother, (the customer who was injured when trying to run away). HMCS Communications Officer Gugulethu Dlamini confirmed that two officers were shot at. The Correctional Services spokesperson said the officers were not injured save for the vehicle which was shot at five times. Although this is the first time officers of the HMCS have been attacked by unknown men, members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) have been on the receiving end of public attacks. In November last year, this publication reported that a police escort vehicle was shot at by unknown people while ferrying police officers at night.

The escort was one of the new vehicles that were bought by government recently. It was said to have had government registration number plates. The police vehicle was travelling between Mathangeni and the Matsapha Police Academy at around 8pm. Again, they were attacked in that same month. We should not even count the events in which this happened, the work of national security forces is one. We implore the nation to refrain from disturbing security forces while at work, pleaded Dlamini. The communications officer said everything should be done and addressed peacefully, not with weapons. When asked if it was true that the warders were intentionally attacked, she said it was difficult to say because the warders were at a place which was prone to attacks and the place was about to close.

Attack

Whether they intended to attack us or had ulterior motives, we dont know. As the Correctional Services, we are at the receiving end of criminal injustice, she said. Dlamini pointed out that offenders came from communities and went through pastors, schools, police and the courts. She said the arrests of offenders who were then kept at Correctional facilities were not within their control. Even so, Dlamini said this did not mean people should attack national security forces. She reiterated her pleas to members of the public to respect the law and abide by it. Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the shooting. She said police were investigating a matter where unknown men shot at a HMCS vehicle at OK Foods Kwaluseni and no arrests had been made.
WAYANAD, India  Armed only with a bamboo stick, Bijesh T.K. was part of a team looking for a tiger that had escaped from a wildlife sanctuary. But it was the tiger that saw him first.

It tried to bite my neck, but thankfully my helmet protected me, he said, describing the attack last year near Wayanad, in the southern state of Kerala. Its jaw was so wide that my whole head could have fit inside.

There was nothing his colleagues could do. They tried to shoo the tiger away, but it clamped its teeth onto Mr. Bijesh T.K.s right arm, refusing to let go, before finally slipping back into the wilderness. His arm was left permanently damaged.

Mr. Bijesh T.K. and hundreds of other part-timers across India risk their lives every day for a frontline job that is vital for preserving the countrys forests but often pays less than minimum wage.
SADO ISLAND, Japan  About 40 miles off the northwestern coast of Japan, Akiyoshi Iwasaki is eager to share some history of the mountainous, lightning-bolt-shaped isle where he grew up.

After years of lobbying by local residents, Mr. Iwasaki, a bar owner, is delighted that the Japanese government has nominated three gold and silver mines on Sado Island for UNESCO World Heritage designation, hoping to showcase them alongside Mount Fuji, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Kyotos shrines.

The mines supplied precious metals to the shoguns who ruled Japan during the two and a half centuries when the country was all but cut off from the rest of the world. Yet there is a darker part of Sados history that Mr. Iwasaki, 50, knows little about: the period during World War II when about 1,500 Koreans were conscripted to work in the mines as subjects of Japans colonial rule.

People in my generation dont know about those workers in the mines, Mr. Iwasaki said.

In Japan, such history is often viewed as best forgotten, or at least consigned to a settled past. But in South Korea, the wounds of Japans 35-year occupation remain raw, and that has made Sado the latest flash point between these two Asian neighbors that seem irrevocably divided.
LONDON  After almost two years of restrictions, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain said on Monday that it was time to live with the coronavirus, announcing an end to Englands remaining legal curbs and most free testing, and making his country an outlier in its handling of the pandemic.

Although careful not to declare the countrys health crisis officially over, Mr. Johnson sought to put the country firmly on the path to normalcy, albeit just a day after an announcement that Queen Elizabeth II had tested positive for the virus.

Some critics say that news underscores the risks of moving too quickly to scrap restrictions, while political opponents say that decisions are being taken in Downing Street to distract attention from a police investigation into whether Mr. Johnson broke the coronavirus laws he himself set.

However the statement is another political landmark for Mr. Johnson, putting his government ahead of most others in Europe in the speed with which it hopes to return to normal life. Having initially claimed the virus would be sent packing in 12 weeks, Mr. Johnson  who was himself hospitalized after being infected in 2020  withdrew many restrictions last year but was later forced to reintroduce some to cope with the arrival of the Omicron variant.
Russia is planning the biggest war in Europe since 1945, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain told the BBC on Sunday, warning that a conflict would be a catastrophe for Russia.

As the world nervously waits to see President Vladimir V. Putins intentions, Mr. Johnson said that all the signs showed that the plan has already in some senses begun and that the intelligence pointed to Russias intention to invade Ukraine.

People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail, he told the BBC, noting that this applied to Russians as well as Ukrainians. He was speaking in Munich.

Mr. Johnson warned that a conflict in Ukraine would be a catastrophe for Russia, and suggested that Britain and the United States were prepared to ratchet up sanctions against Moscow beyond those that have already been outlined.
PARIS  President Biden and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia have accepted the principle of a summit meeting to be held some time after Thursday, the French presidency said in a statement on Monday.

The meeting, to be held on the condition that Russia does not invade Ukraine, would address security and strategic stability in Europe. The groundwork for a summit would be prepared in a planned meeting on Thursday between Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, the statement said. Mr. Lavrov confirmed his willingness to attend that meeting.

The French statement offered hope that Mr. Putin has decided against an invasion, at least for now. However, U.S. officials are far from certain that Thursdays meeting between the nations top diplomats will happen.

Mr. Biden said on Friday that Russian forces intended to attack Ukraine within days, and that U.S. officials believed the target would be the capital, Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million people.
When France introduced speed cameras 20 years ago, it drastically reduced the number of car accidents and helped save tens of thousands of lives. Now the government is taking aim at another scourge: the earsplitting noise that has been a fact of life for residents of French cities.

New sensors, or sound radars, were placed in seven cities last week as an experiment. The sensors can detect and take pictures of vehicles making excessive noise, a problem that officials say has gotten worse in recent years. The hope is to eventually set a noise-pollution limit and fine those motorists exceeding it.

If the mayor didnt buy a radar, we would have bought one ourselves, said Raphael Bianchi, who lives in the Place de la Bastille in Paris. He said his 1-year-old son was constantly awakened by motorcycles roaring outside their apartment: Its unbearable  its a constant acoustic aggression.

The initiative follows a mounting intolerance by the French to street noises, particularly motorcycles and souped-up scooters. According to a study by Bruitparif, a state-backed center that monitors noise in the Paris area, a modified scooter crossing Paris at night can wake as many as 10,000 people.
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In 2014, Russia dispatched a group of soldiers to lay groundwork for the annexation of Crimea in Ukraine. These soldiers wore no insignia, and while Moscow denied that the little green men, as they became known at the time, were in fact Russian soldiers, President Vladimir V. Putin eventually confirmed their presence on the peninsula.

Another column, consisting of missile systems covered in cloth, were spotted on the Don highway, along the Ukrainian border, that links Moscow with the Black Sea. Multiple groups of military trucks were also observed driving along that highway.

Members of law enforcement in Russias Rostov region increased security measures at train stations and border crossing points, where refugees, fleeing what they said was an increasingly tense situation in the breakaway republics, were processed before being sent to other cities across Russia on trains.

In a further escalation, the head of Russias Federal Security Service said in a meeting with Mr. Putin and top-level security officials that two groups of saboteurs tried to penetrate Russia in the Rostov region.

At the meeting with Mr. Putin, Russian security officials pointed to the situation with the saboteurs and also with the refugees, fleeing two separatist republics, as one of the main reasons for Moscow to move forward with formal recognition of the two separatist entities.
MOSCOW  President Vladimir V. Putin kept an anxious world guessing about whether he plans to invade Ukraine, announcing on Monday that he would decide by the end of the day whether to recognize the independence of two breakaway regions of Ukraine.

With Russian state media issuing an ominous drumbeat of unsubstantiated reports about aggression by Ukraine  which U.S. officials have warned Moscow would use as a pretext for a military intervention  Mr. Putin used a televised meeting of his Security Council to declare that a peace agreement for the Russia-backed separatist territories was in effect dead.

His subordinates, all of whom favored recognition, used the meeting to blame the United States for the escalation in tensions. Still, Russias foreign minister said he was willing to meet his American counterpart for talks this week in Geneva.

Americas goal in its foreign policy, including in Ukraine, is the collapse of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Mr. Putins Security Council said. The people of Ukraine are against this, Mr. Patrushev said of the countrys pro-Western path. Theyre being scared, theyre being forced to take this path.
As Russia appeared to be preparing for a military incursion into Ukraine, diaspora groups in cities worldwide took to the streets to express solidarity with friends and family back home  waving Ukrainian flags, singing nationalist songs and holding placards denouncing President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

The demonstrations this weekend, including in Washington, and cities in Belgium, France, Italy and Spain, were a vivid symbol of Ukrainian national feeling, the thing that Mr. Putin, who has assembled a massive military force on the countrys borders, has dismissed as a myth.

In central London, where some 200 people gathered, the bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Kenneth Nowakowski, led a group singing The Duckling Swims, a mournful Ukrainian folk hymn about a young man going off to war. A few shed tears.

Ukrainians gather annually to commemorate dozens of protesters killed in 2014, as security forces cracked down on a demonstration in Kyivs Maidan Square against Viktor Yanukovych, the pro-Russia president at the time. The protests followed Mr. Yanukovychs rejection, under pressure from Russia, of a deal with the European Union, and eventually led to his ouster.
MBABANE  Government has budgeted E20 per month towards funeral cover for each elderly person in the country, starting from the next financial year.

Eswatini has around 75 489 registered elderly in the system. This means in total government will part with E1 509 780 towards the funeral cover per month. In an interview yesterday, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg confirmed the proposed budget towards the funeral cover for the elderly. Rijkenberg had been asked about the current status of the funeral cover for the elderly. He was also asked how much each elderly will be covered for in the event he/she passed on. The minister stated that for now, government was not sure exactly how much will each elderly person be covered for. He stated that the Deputy Prime Ministers Office would issue a tender for funeral service providers to show interest in providing this service. He said the tendering process would reveal how much each elderly would be covered for.

Budget

He mentioned that the budget was ready and was within the Deputy Prime Ministers Office budget. Rijkenberg said the DPMO was aware of everything as they were leading the process.

Principal Secretary in the Deputy Prime Ministers Office (DPMO) Makhosini Mndawe was interviewed prior. However, he referred all questions to the Minister of Finance, stating that he (finance minister) would be in a better position to clarify whatever needed to be explained. Mndawe stated that all he could say was that the funeral cover for the elderly was anticipated in the next financial year. Currently, some elderly pay for funeral cover from their own pocket. It should also be noted that some of the elderly purely rely on their grants to cater for the funeral cover. 15 000 of the elderly who are paid electronically receive E500 grant per month. The rest are paid after three months meaning they receive E1 500.

Government has considered the inclusion of the funeral cover for the elderly after His Majesty King Mswati III mentioned during the Official Opening of the Fourth Session of the 11th Parliament that the elderly people should be well catered for. The King mentioned areas of grants and social services as well as funeral cover. The elderly should get a dignified departure on earth. This will come for free from government starting from the next financial year, the King was quoted saying.

Costly

Sigodlo Lukhele, a 78-year-old elderly of Maphalaleni, said the initiation of free funeral cover by government was a positive move if the mandate would be fulfilled. Lukhele said experience had taught them that burial was costly even to those who were not elderly. When an elderly gets a sponsor to build him/her a house, you always ask yourself what will happen when they die if they could not even afford to build a house, Lukhele said.
WASHINGTON  Top American officials said on Monday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine remained imminent amid continued troop movements, propaganda and bellicose language from Moscow, suggesting that prospects are dim for a summit between President Biden and President Vladimir V. Putin in the days ahead.

Jake Sullivan, Mr. Bidens national security adviser, said on NBCs Today Show that the president is willing to go the extra mile on diplomacy, but added that every indication we see on the ground right now in terms of the disposition of Russian forces is that they are in fact getting prepared for a major attack on Ukraine.

Mr. Putin ratcheted up tensions further Monday, announcing that he would recognize two breakaway Ukrainian regions as independent states. Russian media also broadcast claims of assaults by Ukrainian forces, charges that Ukrainian military leaders forcefully denied.

American officials have repeatedly predicted that the Russian military would stage false attacks on their own forces as a way of providing Mr. Putin a pretext to go to war.
Video Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain said it was time to end legal restrictions and learn to live with this virus a day after it was announced Queen Elizabeth II had been infected. Credit Credit... Andrew Testa for The New York Times

After almost two years of restrictions, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain on Monday said it was time to live with the coronavirus, announcing an end to Englands remaining legal curbs and most free testing, and making his country an outlier in its handling of the pandemic.

Although careful not to declare the countrys health crisis officially over, Mr. Johnson sought to put the country firmly on the path to normalcy, albeit just a day after an announcement that Queen Elizabeth II had tested positive for the virus.

Some critics say that news underscores the risks of moving too quickly to scrap restrictions, while political opponents say that decisions are being taken in Downing Street to distract attention from a police investigation into whether Mr. Johnson broke the coronavirus laws he himself set.

In any event the statement is another political landmark for Mr. Johnson, setting his government ahead of most others in Europe in its speed in plotting a return to normal life. The new plan means that, starting Thursday, routine contact tracing will end and those who test positive will no longer be legally obliged to isolate themselves, although they will be urged to do so.

The supply of free tests, which are currently available widely, will end on April 1 for all except the most vulnerable, effectively forcing people to pay to find out whether or not they are infected. Enhanced sick pay to support those suffering from coronavirus will end in late March.

Speaking to Parliament, Mr. Johnson said he was setting out a strategy for living with the coronavirus, rather than declaring the pandemic at an end.

It is time that we got our confidence back, we dont need laws to compel people to be considerate to others, we can rely on that sense of responsibility toward one another, said Mr. Johnson. He added: Let us learn to live with this virus.

Wishing Queen Elizabeth a speedy recovery, Mr. Johnson said that her illness was a reminder that the virus has not gone away. But, he said, Whilst the pandemic is not over we have now passed the peak of the Omicron wave.

The rules would apply only to England, if the changes are approved by Parliament. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own powers over health issues and make their own rules.

Even some of Mr. Johnsons own lawmakers have expressed concern about the new strategy, particularly because of the restriction on the availability of free tests.

On Monday, a cabinet discussion on the details of the move to end most free testing was delayed for a few hours at the last moment, with news reports saying there had been differences among ministers about the continuing costs of coronavirus measures. Over the weekend, Mr. Johnson said testing was costing taxpayers around 2 billion, or $2.7 billion, a month.

Tim Loughton, a Conservative member of Parliament, said the country had to learn to live with Covid and not lock everything down and retreat until it goes away. But, speaking before the announcement, he told the BBC that he had slight apprehensions in that I think we still do need to have testing available widely, because I think that is the reassurance people can have that theyve taken all possible precautions and they dont want to infect other people.

The health secretary, Sajid Javid, said earlier Monday that a second booster vaccination would be offered to adults 75 years and over, people living in care homes and those 12 years and older who suffer from conditions that suppress their immune systems.
The data contains account information over a number of decades and includes account holders names, the opening and closing dates of their accounts, and their maximum and closing balances. The leaked data does not include information about the cash flow through the accounts, the source of the funds or the extent of any bank inquiries into whether the money was possibly tainted.

Most of the account holders named in the leak are either out of power or dead, decreasing the chances that the revelations will inspire accountability efforts. But little suggests that officials in power now have fewer avenues for private gain than their predecessors did, Mr. Houry said, despite moves by some countries to increase oversight of government spending after the mass protests against corruption and autocratic rule during the Arab Spring, which spread across the Middle East in 2011.

Frankly, they have all been window dressing because the power dynamics have not changed and no state controller is able to hold the powerful to account, Mr. Houry said.

In the years before President Mubarak of Egypt was ousted during an Arab Spring uprising in 2011, a circle of businessmen close to him acquired vast fortunes as Mr. Mubarak privatized state assets and made other efforts to liberalize the countrys economy. His sons, Gamal and Alaa, also got rich.

The Mubarak brothers held six accounts at Credit Suisse, including a joint account that swelled to about $196 million in 2003, according to the leaked data.

Each of the sons fathers-in-law also had accounts at the bank worth millions of dollars, as did other businessmen linked to the Mubaraks, whom the Egyptian authorities tried on corruption charges.
Creating meat literally out of thin air sounds like technology youd only expect to see in sci-fi movies, but according to Air Protein, its very real and viable.

Air Protein, the startup behind the air-based meat project, was co-founded by Dr. Lisa Dyson, an award-winning research physicist and strategy consultant, with the goal of producing meat alternatives. Such plant-based meat alternatives like Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat are all the rage these days and touted as the sustainable future of the meat industry, but Air Protein is taking sustainability to a whole new level with its air-sourced proteins. They are basically relying on a bunch of microbes capable of converting CO2 into amino-acids, with the final product being a protein-based flour that can be used to make a bunch of meatless products.

Photo: Emerson Vieira/Unsplash

Its fermentation re-imagined, Air Protein CEO, Lisa Dyson, described the process. Its reimagined in a way that makes it carbon negative. When you undertake fermentation today, it actually produces CO2. By contrast, our cultures consume elements of the air and are able to make a nutritious flour that is carbon negative.

Air Protein is the only startup currently involved in making proteins out of the air, but their technology was inspired by research that NASA carried out in the 1960s. They were trying to come up with ways that astronauts could grow their own food on space voyages and discovered these microbes, called hydrogentrophs, that, under the right circumstances, fed on CO2 and produced amino-acids.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Air Protein (@airprotein)

Fast forward to when Dr John Reed and myself were looking at how we can have a positive impact on the issue of climate change, Dyson told New Food Magazine. We were pondering the same problem  minimal space, minimal time to make food  but in a different context. Thats what allowed us to see that this very different approach is something that could actually address what the world needs right now. We were able to leverage the thinking of NASA scientists in a completely different context.

The behind-the-scenes process is obviously a lot more complicated than what Air Protein has so far revealed, but the company claims that it is also the most sustainable way to produce proteins right now. The magic happens in these giant vertical tanks that take up a lot less land than both cattle grazing and plant-growing, and the energy required for the fermentation process comes from renewable sources. Thus, Dyson says, its both cheaper and more sustainable than other meat alternatives.

One is that key inputs are elements of the air that we breathe, so theyre abundant and around us, the Air Protein CEO said. And the other is that renewable power is another key input. The beauty of that is that renewable power is becoming more and more abundant and lower and lower cost.

If you want to compare our production process to one of soy production, it would take a soy farm the size of Texas, an enormous state in terms of area in the US, to give you the same amount of protein as an air protein farm the size of Walt Disney World, Dyson added.



Another key advantage that air-sourced protein has over both conventional meat and its many plant-based alternatives is production time. The protein-rich flour can be produced in days, compared to the years necessary to raise cattle and the months and resources needed to grow crops.

But is the world ready for protein produced by C02-munching microbes? Well, Air Protein certainly believes so, and if the current trends in the food industry are any indication, they are right to be confident. Meat alternatives are attracting important funding, and the demand from eco-conscious consumers is certainly there, so its just a matter of creating a good enough product. Air Protein describes its products as highly nutritious, sustainable and delicious, but well just have to see what the market thinks when they hit store shelves.
Fraser Seitel

Forget the Great Resignation. What about the Great Cancellation?

Everybody these days seems to want somebody to lose his/her/its job. Fire Joe Rogan! Down with Jeff Zucker! Can Whoopi Goldberg! Oh no, not Whoopi! Nobodys safe from the beheading buzzards. And its just not fair.

Most of us, alas, need to work to earn a living. And it isnt civil to call for somebody else to lose their income, no matter how miserable or unqualified or obnoxious you believe them to be. Oh sure, there are some individuals so grotesquely annoyingVladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Stephen A. Smith come to mindthat you may wish Schadenfreude to rein down upon them, but its still wrong.

Thats why its with great reluctance and a heavy heart that I feel compelled to urge that Mark Zuckerberg should fire himself.

Mr. Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta or Facebook or whatever hes calling his company these days, must relinquish his post immediately; and, unlike Tom Brady, vow never to return. For the sake of the millions of Meta shareholders (Full disclosure: Im one of em!), Mr. Zuckerberg needs to resign.

Now, clearly, Zuckerberg deserves great credit for building a technological colossus rivaling the greatest corporations in history. His story, of course, is well known. After creating Facemash at Harvard in 2003, along with his roommates and assistance from fellow students Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, he quickly outmaneuveredi.e., dumpedhis friends and started down the road to fame and billionaireship.

While the Winklevoss brothers and other sore-loser, multi-millionaire early investors may condemn his methods and tactics, Zuckerberg over the past decade has proven an astute leader, whose company, with two billion daily users, still ranks as the worlds number-one social medium.

But now his time is up.

Early in February, with growth slowing and TikTok making significant inroads into its market, Meta announced that quarterly profits declined eight percent year-over-year after spending $10 billion in the metaverse of augmented and virtual reality. Metas shares lost 23 percent in one day, and $240 billion of company value was wiped out. And it has remained thus ever since the disastrous earnings announcement and conference call.

Obviously, Zuckerberg alone isnt wholly responsible for Metas current problems and stock market nosedive (Theres an impending WWIII, after all). But for the following reasons, Mark Zuckerbergs ability to manage the company he founded has reached the point of diminishing returns.

Hes terrible at public relations

In an era where positive communications and effective PR have become a priority for any leader, Mark Zuckerberg is now, has always been and will continue to be the worst public face/voice/spokesman for his company.

First, he doesnt enjoy the spotlight. He rarely talks to the press or addresses investors. And while years of media training have made less painful his infrequent appearances before Congress, hes still hugely uncomfortable answering the preening gasbags questions.

Second, like a few other CEOs and politicians at the top of the pile, Mr. Zuckerberg is too arrogant for his own good. Hes convinced, as he says repeatedly, that Facebook is a force for social good, and that the companys primary problem is one of controlling the narrative, rather than acknowledging its flaws or refining its programs or strategies.

Third, Metas myriad public problems demand an aggressive public relations response. Some companies, even big ones, can get away with staying in the background and not getting sucked into public controversies. Meta doesnt have that luxury. From Cambridge Analytica privacy breaches to whistleblower charges of profits over safety to allegations of political misinformation, the company desperately needs a CEO willing and capable enough to handle its massive public relations challenges.

Hes too detached

To deliver the kind of positive PR Meta requires, the company must be led by a skilled communicator, which Mark Zuckerberg aint.

Like others of similar acumen, wealth and successJeff Bezos and Elon Musk, for exampleMr. Zuckerberg is a reluctant public spokesman. Thats understandable. His skill lies in computer programming, not public speaking. But whereas both Mr. Bezos, a computer scientist, and Mr. Musk, a physicist, come alive when discussing their quest for innovations on earth and elsewhere, theres no such twinkle in the eye of Mr. Zuckerberg. Indeed, on those rare occasions when hes obligated to speak, the Meta CEO comes across as passive, detached and, well, dull.

Now, if youre CEO of a bank, dullness can be considered a virtue. Bank of Americas CEO Brian Moynihan, for instance, is dull as dishwater. But since hes steward of a $3 trillion empire in business to safeguard peoples money, his dullness translates to stability and prudence.

The CEO of a visionary social media company, on the other hand, must communicate the opposite of dullness.

He has no succession plan

An essential element for any CEO to assure shareholders of corporate continuity is planning for who takes over once the chief bids adieu.

Apple shareholders feared the worst in 2009 when the company reluctantly acknowledged that Founder and CEO Steve Jobs had fast-moving cancer. But a year-and-a-half later, when Jobs finally stepped down, Tim Cook was groomed and ready to succeed him.

In Metas case, by contrast, Mark Zuckerbergs number two, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, has acquired nearly as much public relations baggage as her longtime fellow-billionaire benefactor. Once the high profile darling of feminist activists, Ms. Sandbergs performance in recent yearsleading Facebooks fumbling efforts to handle the Cambridge Analytica scandal, snooping into high tech critic George Soros financial dealings and other assorted public embarrassmentshave driven her into relative corporate seclusion.

So, the company, now in free fall, has no one inside to turn to, other than competent and articulate public relations professional Nick Clegg, whos good but not ready for prime time CEOmanship.

So, whats a Meta to do?

Well, heres what once hot bike-maker Peloton did this month after announcing a $439 million quarterly loss and watching its stock descend from $115 a share to the low $20s in one year. Peloton Founder and CEO John Foley announced hed step down immediately and bring in the Chief Financial Officer of Spotify to replace him as CEO.

In response to the news, shareholders rejoiced, and Pelotons stock immediately rose 25 percent.

My fellow Meta shareholders and I can only hope Mr. Foley has Zucks cell number.

***

Fraser P. Seitel has been a communications consultant, author and teacher for 40 years. Hes author of the Pearson text The Practice of Public Relations, now in its 14th edition, and co-author of Rethinking Reputation and Idea Wise. He may be reached directly at [email protected].
Sena Pottackal

Do you know how common disability is? Almost everyone will experience some form of disability during their lifetime, either temporary or permanent; its the only minority group anyone can join at any point in ones life. More than 1.85 billion people around the globe and 61 million in the United States identify as a person with a disability. Nearly 300 million people have a visual disability, and I joined this community in 2004 when I learned I was legally blind due to a progressive eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. I and other persons with disabilities face significant healthcare disparities in comparison to our non-disabled counterparts.

According to the World Health Organization, PWDs are three times more likely to be denied healthcare and four times more likely to be treated badly in the healthcare system. As a blind woman, I observed firsthand how inaccessible communications have hindered disability inclusion and prevented our community from obtaining equitable healthcare during and before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article is featured in O'Dwyer's Mar. '22 Food & Beverage PR Magazine

(view PDF version)

The blind and partially sighted community in the U.S. continues to struggle to safeguard our health due to disability exclusion and inaccessible communications throughout the pandemic response. As a simple illustration, because we rely on our sense of touch to navigate the physical world, were more likely to contract the virus. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ignored this and omitted blindness/low vision from the list of high-risk medical conditions prioritized as a vaccination group.

When we did become eligible, we faced accessibility barriers, further delaying our vaccination because the online vaccine portal wasnt designed to support the inclusion of blind and partially sighted patients through screen reader navigation. [A screen reader is an assistive software, and it renders text into Braille and speech output, enabling us to access digital spaces.] On the New Jersey Department of Health Vaccination portal, I struggled to select a vaccination site because the options were displayed as colored dots on a map rather than as an accessible textual list. Therefore, I and others needed help even completing the registration process. These accessibility issues exhibited themselves throughout the countrys vaccine program.

According to Kaiser Health News, A web accessibility nonprofit, WebAim checked COVID vaccine websites gathered by KHN from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In January 2021, it found accessibility issues on nearly all 94 webpages, which included general vaccine information, list of vaccine providers and registration forms. By failing to meet accessibility standards, these webpages violated both the Americans with Disabilities Act and The Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Fortunately, the government learned from some of its past mistakes and went on to develop a screen-reader accessible website for requesting free COVID tests. However, these tests are inaccessible to blind consumers, creating another barrier to protecting our health during this pandemic. As our government and healthcare organizations prepare for future health crises, they must design websites, programs and products with better disability inclusion and accessible communications.

Even before the pandemic, blind and partially sighted patients encountered negative health interactions caused by numerous inaccessible touchpoints throughout the patient experience. Communication touchpoints are where informational transactions occur and include communication channels such as face-to-face conversations, phone calls, emails, websites, etc. From personal experience, the following is the sequence of inaccessible communication challenges we might face when attending a doctors appointment.

First, it may commence with the absence of accessible mechanisms to discretely disclose our disabilities, request accommodations and independently complete intake forms. Therefore, we cant provide our healthcare team with critical information in advance, which could have prepared them with valuable knowledge and guidance about how to provide us with a more equitable patient experience.

Second, we may encounter medical professionals without exposure to disability etiquette or training, so they may not know how to provide verbal directions or facilitate a disability-inclusive conversation. As a result, they may invade our personal space by grabbing or touching us without permission in an attempt to direct us to an examination room. Upon arrival, they may ignore us and ask our companion questions about our health, restricting our participation in our own medical treatment.

Finally, it may conclude with the distribution of inaccessible documents (e.g., patient summaries, doctor referrals, scripts, informational pamphlets and follow-up reminders). Because these documents are inaccessible, we must ask others to read them to us, sacrificing our privacy in exchange for access.

These are all avoidable and can be resolved through thoughtful collaboration. Therefore, healthcare professionals can provide valuable solutions by approaching inclusion gaps with an open mind, flexible attitude, and willingness to embrace the disability communitys motto, Nothing for us without us.

Moreover, professionals in the healthcare industry possess the power to catalyze change and curate a culture of disability inclusion by implementing accessible communications practices. The patient experience for blind and partially sighted individuals could be improved considerably by taking onboard these recommendations:

Create an accessible communications mechanism to allow patients to electronically complete paperwork, disclose a disability and request accommodations before an appointment.

Allow patients to choose their preferred method of communication. Because disability isnt a monolith, preferences can vary from person to person, even if they identify as having the same disability.

Educate staff about how to guide patients to and from an examination room with verbal directions and/or sighted guide assistance.

When directing patients to rooms, ask us if we need help. If we say yes, ask if wed like guidance by a sighted guide and/or verbal directions. If we request a sighted guide, offer your arm and ask from which side wed prefer guidance. Well respond, hold onto your elbow on the indicated side and walk a half step behind you.

If we request verbal directions, instruct us when to turn left or right, whether were approaching stairs or an obstacle; etc.

Train staff how to facilitate an inclusive conversation during the examination. Initiate the conversation, for example, by introducing yourself with your name and title, repeating this each time you reenter a room to help us understand to whom were speaking. Throughout the visit, treat your patient as your primary point of contact and speak directly to them, unless they defer a particular question or the entire conversation to their companion.

Provide accessible materials in alternative formats, such as a Braille document, an accessible electronic format and/or a large print document with at least 16-point font and high color contrast.

In addition to the blind and partially sighted community, accessible communications enable the inclusion of nearly 400 million with a hearing disability, approximately 200 million with a cognitive disability and about 18 million people with a speech-related disability. Recognizing this, Current Global conducted a study, Digital Accessibility: The Necessity of Inclusion, which surveyed 800 people with disabilities to understand their lived experience consuming content as PWDs. You can find out more about the implications of this study and how its results crystalize the public relations and business benefits of embracing accessible communications.

A community of nearly two billion with $13 trillion in collective buying power is hardand foolhardyfor any company or brand to overlook. To find out more about how firms like Current Global are championing accessible communications and helping address and confront the health equity issues facing so many of us as PWDs, visit accessible-communications.com.

***

Sena Pottackal is a Junior Associate at Current Global.
S-3 Group is working with Canadas DC embassy to review the effectiveness of its Connect2Canada online platform.

The firm will help the embassy better communicate its advocacy messaging as well as its other activities across social media platforms.

The goal of the digital strategy is to tell a cohesive story that leads to greater C2C brand awareness across the US and stimulates interest in Canadian affairs.

S-3s agreement calls for it to reimagine the diplomacy outreach beyond the embassy to include Canadian business executives, celebrities and thought leaders.

The work began Feb. 1 and runs through April 22. S-3 will receive payment of $28K for its efforts.
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MBABANE  While the health sector continues to be marred by challenges, its budget has been slashed by about E200 million and patients share their struggles.

Last year, government allocated about E2.8 billion and made a provision of E2.42 billion for the 2022/2023 financial year. For patients, it is not only the strain of illness but the anxiety to have to endure the better part of the day stuck in a queue with the hope of seeing a doctor. Patients at the Mbabane Government Hospital are not taking kindly to the frustration of poor service at the countrys only referral hospital, but also having to return home without getting assistance due to the slow movement of the queues to see nurses and doctors. This has been attributed to the fact that there is always a shortage of doctors at the referral hospital.

This reporter also experienced firsthand the frustration at the same hospital. Having woken up early to beat the queue and arriving at around 8am, I was told that I first had to get a stamp for the day and queue to see a nurse and doctor, despite the fact that the previous day I was attended to and having gone through the same process. As if that was not enough, I was further directed to see a nurse to assist with my ailment, so I had to queue in order to be attended to. In an interview with some of the patients found at the hospital, they decried the pain of having to spend more than 10 hours just to see a doctor. The patients stated that such experience was worse on Mondays and Wednesdays where there were a lot of patients visiting the hospital.

Queue

They said another thing was that while the queues moved at a snails pace, elderly people did not queue but were prioritised and seen first. This means, whether you are in the first place, it takes a while for you to be attended to because they ensure that elderly people are first attended to before the rest, a patient said. *Sihle is among the patients who were interviewed and vented her disappointment about the state of affairs at the government hospital. According to Sihle, who stated that she had arrived as early as 6am on Wednesday, the hospital had a poor plan when it came to assisting clients. She said the queues would improve if those attended to on the previous day would be made a priority. Another patient *Nomsa stated that she had arrived at the hospital at around 5:30am in order to be first in the queue but had waited for over five hours and had not received assistance. Nomsa said the service at the hospital had deteriorated to unacceptable levels, stating that it was very painful for ordinary emaSwati who had no medical aid but had to queue in public hospitals.

Dispensary

Meanwhile, Siphiwo Motsa mentioned that while she had completed everything she had come for at the hospital, she failed to get medication the previous day due to the fact that the dispensary closed very early at around 6pm each working day. Motsa noted that what was devastating was the fact that when she came back she discovered that most of the prescribed medication was out of stock and she needed to buy it from a pharmacy. How can a dispensary of such a large hospital close at 6pm? Where, in this world, does that even happen? Why isnt government hiring people to work the night shift and give out medication. This is madness, Motsa said. Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) President Welcome Mdluli said government had done everything in its power to collapse the healthcare system and emaSwati should be ready to be frustrated even more.

Mdluli said the healthcare system had collapsed due to the fact that government was not rising to the occasion to deal with the disease burden in the sense that it failed to provide adequate staff, among other things. He stated that there were few nurses compared to the number of the patients who required medical assistance. Mdluli noted that while patients were frustrated by the poor service at the hospital, the healthcare workers were also going through same. He said government was responsible for the frustrations of both patients and healthcare workers.

The president said government had unfriendly policies involving that when one retired, the post became redundant yet in the past the post would be filled. As government is trying to address the issue of the wage bill, it is crippling the healthcare system, he added.

Closing

Regarding the issue of the dispensary closing early and not meeting the needs of the patients, Mdluli said it was under the Dental and Medical Counsel. He said there were on call employees at the pharmacy but did not show up to assist the nation after hours yet they were getting paid. Questions were sent to the Director of Health Services Dr Vusi Magagula on what caused the long queues at the Mbabane Government Hospital and whether the hospital had enough staff and why their dispensary closed early. In response, he said the administration at the hospital had not responded to the questions.
The Prime Minister told protesters outside the Parliament that measures would not be lifting because of their actions, but because the need for them was passing.
The man formerly dubbed Australias most wanted will be extradited to Victoria in coming days following his arrest in far north..

Sydney Morning Herald 22 Feb 2022
Newsy 27 Feb 2022

Watch VideoNorth Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, in a resumption of weapons tests..
NOTE FOR 2022 READERS: This is the 19th in a series of award-winning open letters to the next century, now just one generation..

Mashable 02 Feb 2022
Starting today, the congestion charge applied to those driving into central London will no longer be active on weekdays from 6pm. The price cap, instead of going back to 11.50, will remain at the current rate of 15. The decision was made by London mayor Sadiq Khan in mid-December to strike a balance between helping [...]
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  With all eyes on a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is sending his top security envoy to the Balkans where Moscow has been trying to maintain influence mainly through its ally Serbia, according to reports.



Serbias pro-government media said Monday Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful secretary of the Kremlins Security Council, is due to arrive in Belgrade in the coming days for talks with Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic. Moscow hasn't made an announcement about Patrushev's trip.



The talks are reportedly to focus on Moscows claims that mercenaries from Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia are being sent from those Balkan states to fight on the Ukrainian side against the pro-Russia rebels amid fears of a Russian attack.



Officials from Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia have rejected those claims, which were made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week.



Theres information that mercenaries are being recruited in Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina to knock Russia out of balance and send them to places including Donbass, Lavrov said according to the Russian TASS news agency, referring to the rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine. We are now double-checking that.



Vucic on Monday called a meeting of Serbias top security officials who reportedly also discussed the reports of mercenaries from the Balkans going to Ukraine. Dozens of Serb fighters have in the past fought in eastern Ukraine, but on the side of the pro-Russia rebels.



Serbia has formally declared neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine standoff that threatens a major war in Europe. However, Serbias state-controlled media is squarely supporting Moscow in the crisis, carrying Russian propaganda without any questions raised.



Although formally seeking...
The main political grouping in the European Parliament called on Monday for a review of Switzerland's banking practices and for the country's possible inclusion in the EU's dirty-money blacklist.
The French Presidency said both leaders accepted a French proposal to hold a US-Russia summit. Meanwhile, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen outlined possible sanctions in case of an invasion. DW has the latest.
The French Presidency said Macron proposed a US-Russia summit to both leaders, which they accepted "the principle" of. Meanwhile, the EU chief outlined possible sanctions in case of an invasion. DW has the latest.
The White House says the US president has agreed in principle to a meeting with his Russian counterpart so long as Moscow does not invade Ukraine.
South Africa: KZN moves to complete rental housing units

KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements and Public Works MEC, Jomo Sibiya, says the department is moving with speed to complete more than 22 857 rental housing units across the province.

The units are geared towards affordable Social Housing and Community Residential Units (CRUs).

The social housing instrument will yield a total of 16 399 units and the CRU instrument will yield 6 458 units, Sibiya said.

Sibiya was speaking during a meeting held with the leadership of Newcastle Local Municipality on Monday.

He visited Newcastle to receive technical reports detailing progress around the projects with an investment of over R1 billion.

The projects include Johnston, Blaaubosch and Cavan (JBC) Housing Development Project Phase 1, with 2 518 units and Johnston, Blaaubosch and Cavan Housing Development Project Phase 2 and 3, with 8 985 sites.

The JBC Housing Development project is packaged to ensure an Integrated Residential Development Project (IRDP), with a focus on delivering serviced sites for people in the affordable market.

In his address, Sibiya reiterated that speed, efficiency and hard work remains the hallmark of the departments work during this term of office.

This is what we want to share with the local leadership today, Sibiya said.

Expanding footprint of affordable rental housing

The MEC said his visit to Newcastle is part of the departments efforts aimed at ensuring that it meets its targets.

The N11 CRU and Hospital Street Social Housing Project in Newcastle, with a budget of more than R387 471 436.80, forms part of our determination to expand our footprint for affordable rental housing beyond the urban centres.

We are playing an active role in terms of stimulating local economic investment by using construction and the built environment as a catalyst. We want to prevent the migration of people to bigger cities in search of job opportunities and a better life, Sibiya said.

He said the department has ensured the acquisition of skills and jobs for the young people of Newcastle and wants to prepare them to be part of efforts to grow the local economy.

In the future, they will generate much needed revenue for local municipality. Our investments in rural and township areas should be viewed within the context of creating well-paying job opportunities for professionals in the built industry and other sectors of the economy, Sibiya said.

Warning to shoddy housing contractors

The MEC warned that the department continues to deal decisively with elements that seek to interfere with housing projects, and called on communities to stand up against any form of human rights abuse.

We wish to warn other implementing agents that are constructing shoddy houses that we wont hesitate to act. We will blacklist them and ensure that we recover any money paid to them, the MEC said.

He welcomed support from national government, through Human Settlements Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi.

She is in support of our efforts aimed at putting an end to all practices that result in housing projects that are forever under construction. We are firm behind the decision of taking away development status from municipalities that are failing to deliver houses to our people.

Critically, corruption associated with the allocation of houses and the overall administration of beneficiary lists continue to receive our immediate attention. We have stated in the past that we will never fold our arms when deserving community members are side lined by rogue elements that are manipulating processes associated with the compilation of beneficiary lists.

During the inauguration of councils held last November in various municipalities across the province, Sibiya offered to work with municipalities to speed up the roll out of socio-economic infrastructure, including human settlements.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-02-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. [Photo/Agencies]

By Liu Heran and Zuo Shang

US Secretary of State Antony Blinkens South Pacific trip wrapped up with the US-Japan-ROK ministers meeting in Hawaii on February 12 following his visit to Fiji. The highlight of Blinkens trip was the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Melbourne, Australia, where he met with 18 leaders of Pacific island states via video link, news came from AP.

Analysts pointed out that the move was to rope the island countries in to fill up the so-called Indo-Pacific network; it is also a vital step by the Biden administration to get more deeply involved in regional affairs. In his tight schedule of meeting with the heads of governments, foreign ministers, and social dignitaries of foreign countries, Blinken was conveying several implicit strategic considerations in addition to the explicit emphasis on maintaining regional prosperity and stability for common interests.

First, he was peddling the new Indo Pacific strategy. While Blinken was on his way to Fiji, the White House released a 19-page new report on Indo-Pacific Strategy, which specified the moves it will make to reinforce regional security and forge cooperative relations. At the press conference in Fiji, Blinken not only introduced the government officials to some of the articles in the new report but also announced its central message and policy orientation on behalf of the US Department of State.

Second, he was peddling anxiety and flaunting American strengths. During the trip, Blinken emphasized the border tension between Russia and Ukraine several times and implied the increase of Russian troops to the area, adding that once Russia takes any military action, Washington and its allies will fight back immediately with economic sanctions and step up the defense deployments on the east wing of NATO. He was obviously trying to win the trust of South Pacific governments and their people by presenting the US as a peace lover within its self-made game-playing framework and bragging about its ability to cope with the geostrategic crisis.

Third, he was pledging to the allies Americas determination to get involved in regional affairs. During the Fiji trip, Blinken confirmed the decision to re-open the embassy on the Solomon Islands, spend USD 12.4 million on renting premises, and form a seven-member mission to dilute the political resources other out-of-region countries have previously garnered through local police cooperation and reconstruction.

Yet it is not uncommon for hard-nosed America to pay lip service only. Even its traditional allies like Australia and New Zealand are full of doubts about America engaging in South Pacific affairs.

On the one hand, Bidens policies will not necessarily get through. Pew Research Centers latest poll showed Bidens support rate falling to 41% among the public and 76% within the Democratic party, putting a huge question mark on the misterms and the 2024 presidential election, not to mention that less than 10% of Republicans endorse his current policies. This means any policy that the White House puts forth now is likely to meet huge resistance at the Congress. In other words, it is as uncertain for Biden to be reelected as it is for his policies to be carried out in the remaining two years of his first term.

On the other hand, selling nuclear submarine technology to Australia has cost America public support in the region. In September 2021, the US, the UK and Australia forming the AUKUS alliance regardless of objection from surrounding countries broke the regional power balance and pushed Australia in the direction of becoming a nuclear weapon state in the southern hemisphere. This triggered an uproar in South Pacific because the consequent risk of nuclear proliferation and geopolitical strife will surely endanger the people on the island states. Historically Americas nuclear tests had caused devastating impacts on them, including the Marshall Islands, and sequela such as lymph cancer, leukemia and bodily deformity is still plaguing the locals. Therefore, the South Pacific island states that loathe being dragged into the zero-sum swirl will hardly grow trustful or dependent on the US.

(The authors are from the Academy of China Open Economy Studies, University of International Business and Economics)
MANZINI  Financial partners are the reason behind the need to minimise the wage bill, says the Minister of Public Service, Mabulala Maseko.

When asked if government was finally heeding the International Monetary Funds (IMF) advice of 2011, wherein the country was to implement the Enhanced Voluntary Early-Retirement Scheme  EVERS  without delay and dispose of 7 000 civil servants, Minister Maseko said many partners had raised concerns. IMF shared the advice and so have other partners whom we approach for financial assistance. They raise the concern that for an economy like ours, with a population of about 1.16 million, the wage bill is too high, he said. It is worth noting that in 2010, the country aimed at reducing the civil service by 20 per cent through implementation of EVERS, but the scheme was suspended after government workers unions vehemently opposed it. In a statement by the IMF in 2011, it encouraged the countrys authorities to find means to cut the wage bill by E240 million, as envisaged under the programme, and to implement without delay EVERS.

Targets

This was after the country missed two fiscal quantitative targets; the first being overall financing of the budget, which was off the mark by E581 million (1.9 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP)), the second was in respect of payment of domestic arrears, which was off the mark by E59 million (0.2 per cent of GDP). This is the same advice that was issued by the IMF in the 2014 Staff Report, wherein it recommended cutting the wage bill, trimming non-priority expenditure and implementing the EVERS. In its 2020 Staff Report, the IMF reported that despite some success in containing the wage bill, the fiscal deficit remained elevated, translating into further domestic arrears and public debt build-up.
Vancouver police's homicide unit is investigating after the bodies of two women were found shot dead in a vehicle in the upscale neighbourhood on Sunday.
Foreign tourists are welcome in Australia once again after nearly two years. Meanwhile, German officials say COVID travel restrictions will be eased early next month. Follow DW for the latest.
Hector King Jr. says he was told a man that looks, dresses and rides a bike like him had been stealing, and Giant Tiger had issued a no-trespass notice against him. He believes he was racially profiled. That kind of degraded me, you know? King says.
After Paris said both Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin both accepted "the principle" of holding a US-Russia summit, the Kremlin said no plans have yet been made. Follow DW for the latest.
The timing of the Munich Security Conference gave Germany a chance to underline its commitment to trans-Atlantic alliances. But the Ukrainian president warned that old international security structures are under threat.
Leaders of the separatist regions in eastern Ukraine are urging the Russian president to recognize them as independent states. Such a step could further escalate tensions between Moscow and the West.
Trade unions have lashed out at the government's decision to limit statutory sick pay for workers who fall ill with COVID-19.
The step threatens to escalate tensions with the West and gives Russia a reason to move troops into eastern Ukraine.
MANZINI  The re-introduction of the Enhanced Voluntary Early-Retirement Scheme (EVERS) should target non-productive sectors, says an economist.

The economist was asked based on the initiative by government to re-introduce the programme it had been speaking about for over a decade. He said the re-introduction of EVERS would not solve the financial crisis immediately. The economics scholar said it was a long-term solution to the government wage bill challenges. He recommended that government should find other measures that would have immediate effects on the financial challenges faced by the country. His reasoning was that government needed to have the financial muscle to fund the programme as it would not come cheap. This, he said, should also be something lucrative to the civil servants. He said an initial plan should be to target non-productive sectors failing to meet the demands. The economics scholar said this would pave way for the employees to start programmes that would help them tender and render services to government using their expertise.

The economist said this would improve the civil servants well-being in that they would generate better salaries from their business establishments. He said there was a need to merge some government departments to provide the administration with an opportunity to minimise the wage bill, while also using available resources where they were needed. On the other hand, the economics scholar said a civil service reform was needed in the country in order to deal with the increasing number of public servants and allocate them tasks reflective of their skills.

Professionalism

The civil service reform, according to the economist, would be a deliberate action to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and professionalism of the bureaucracy with the view to promote better service delivery. This, the economist said, would increase accountability while assuring sustainability under overall fiscal constraints, and strengthening measures for performance management. The country needs to adopt efforts to overhaul and reform the civil service and parastatals in terms of wages and employment. The size and cost of the civil service is becoming excessive and this deficiency, therefore, is a key issue and target of structural adjustment as argued by the IMF before. The growing concern with containing the size and improving the performance of the civil service signifies a reframing of the role and the dimension of government, reflecting a fundamental shift in economic development policy, the economist said.

The scholar posited that the civil service and employment reform resorted to various mechanisms including the removal of ghosts and posts; enforcing retirement regulations; freezing recruitment; eliminating guaranteed rights; containing wages and retrenchment. He said like in many developing countries, the recruitment of civil servants bordered on being an incentive for political patronage and social welfare for loyalists while sidelining the need for the recruitment and the availability of resources. The economist said political influence was the sole reason the country was ignoring the alarming figures of public servants that had dried State coffers. According to the scholar, voluntary retrenchments were an option as opposed to retrenching civil servants within departments that were no longer competitive. However, the economist said there could be fear from government that retrenchment would incite destabilising social upheavals.
International leaders have strongly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to recognize separatist territories in eastern Ukraine, and vowed new sanctions. Follow DW for the latest.
BOSTON (AP)  Dr. Paul Farmer, a U.S. physician, humanitarian and author renowned for providing health care to millions of impoverished people worldwide and who co-founded the global nonprofit Partners in Health, has died. He was 62.



The Boston-based organization confirmed Farmers death on Monday, calling it devastating and noting he unexpectedly passed away in his sleep while in Rwanda, where he had been teaching.



Farmer was a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of global health equity at Brigham and Womens Hospital. He wrote extensively on health, human rights and social inequality, according to Partners in Health.



A compassionate physician and infectious disease specialist, a brilliant and influential medical anthropologist, and among the greatest humanitarians of our time  perhaps all time  Paul dedicated his life to improving human health and advocating for health equity and social justice on a global scale, wrote George Q. Daley, dean of Harvard University's Faculty of Medicine, in a statement.



Partners in Health, founded in 1987, said its mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. The organization began its work in Cange, a rural village in Haitis central plateau, and later expanded its operations to regions including Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America.



Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder, who wrote the nonfiction book, Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World, told The Associated Press the two traveled together for a month as Farmer treated prisoners and impoverished people in Haiti, Moscow and Paris.



He was an important figure in the world, Kidder said. He had a way of looking around corners and of connecting...
With the Ukraine situation still on a knife edge, the government on Sunday asked the family members of all Indian diplomats in the country to return to India. The decision suggests a rethink on the prevailing security situation by Indian authorities who had so far maintained that there was no reason to panic and that the Indian mission would continue to function normally.
Businesses hard hit by the red light setting and Omicron will be able to get some relief from a new Government support scheme outlined by Finance Minister Grant Robertson. The new Covid Support Payment of a maximum of $24,000 will...
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett argued that the new Iran nuclear deal is "weak" compared to its 2015 predecessor and will cause the Middle East to become deadlier and more dangerous. The situation comes after former United States President Donald Trump's administration withdrew from the initial agreement.
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz blasted United States President Joe Biden over rising tensions between Russian and Ukraine, blaming the Democrat's "fecklessness." He argued that the U.S. president's weakness allowed President Vladimir Putin to take more aggressive actions against its neighbor.
Hong Kong (AFP) Feb 21, 2022



Covert meetings, whispered threats, and mysterious phone calls - warnings of reprisals by authorities from shadowy messengers are hounding Hong Kong's civil society as China flattens a pro-democracy movement. Unlike the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong long hosted a vibrant landscape of citizens' groups who cultivated rights advocacy, union mobilisation and civil disobedience as a key fabric of
With fewer major carriers accepting passengers, "the market is getting smaller," one New Zealand travel agent told Insider, "but demand is growing."
International tourists and business travellers are arriving in Australia with few restrictions for the first time in almost two years after some of the strictest pandemic measures of any democracy were lifted.
SeattlePI.com 22 Feb 2022

ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greek efforts to locate 10 people missing for five days after an Italy-bound ferry caught fire at sea were..
MANZINI  Government is targeting to let go of 7 500 civil servants in a period of two years in order to manage its wage bill.

This follows that in almost a decade, the total amount of money that government pays to its employees has increased from an expenditure of E4 billion to E7.4 billion. In light of this, government is targeting to reduce it by 44.5 per cent, such that its expenditure in the national budget is at 25 per cent. The civil service currently has about 40 000 permanent employees and 5 000 part-time personnel in various sectors. To achieve this, the administration has set aside about E700 million which shall be partitioned into packages for the civil servants to be disposed of. Minister of Public Service, who is also the Maphalaleni Constituency Member of Parliament (MP), Mabulala Maseko, said government was engaging in management audits to realign the civil service.

Programmes

He said the outcome of these programmes would result in about 7 500 civil servants being enrolled in the Enhanced Voluntary Early Retirement Scheme (EVERS). Maseko said the intention of government was to reduce it from about 48 per cent of the overall budget to a quarter of the national budget (25 per cent). He said one of the tools that had been used in the past three years was Circular No. 3 of 28  hiring freeze and suspension of promotions. The minister said this resulted in his ministry having to evaluate if vacant posts after retirement or natural attrition of public service workers needed to be filled.

Distributed

In order to contain the wage bill, weve set aside E700 million which will be distributed in two financial years. In the 2022/23 financial year, we shall spend E500 million and the balance be used in the subsequent year to pay those who would take voluntary retirement, Maseko said. He said those who would be let go, shall be first capacitated with entrepreneurial skills in order to assist government in the creation of employment. The minister said the Eswatini Institute of Management and Public Administration (EIMPA) would be used to capacitate the employees with business skills before exiting the civil service. This should not be misconstrued; we are not fighting people, but it is worth noting that for the economy to grow, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role and the civil servants will assist in that as they shall be offered great packages.

On the other hand, the wage bill, according to the Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenbergs budget speech, had soared at alarming rates for five years before the hiring freeze policy was implemented. Rijkenberg said the accelerated increase began in 2013/14 when the wage bill increased by 13.5 per cent from E4 billion to E4.5 billion. He said it increased by a further 7.5 per cent to E4.8 billion in 2014/15 and another 10.7 per cent in 2015/16 to reach E5.3 billion. Thereafter, he said it further increased by 22.5 per cent to E6.5 billion in 2016/17 due to the salary review implemented in 2016. In 2017/18, Rijkenberg said the wage bill grew by 6.3 per cent to reach E6.9 billion. This, he said, in a period of five years, from 2013, was a total growth of 61 per cent in the wage bill.

Reduction

In 2018/19, the minister said there was a slight reduction in this alarming growth trajectory, with a relatively muted increase of 2.5 per cent settling at E7.1 billion due to the hiring freeze that was implemented. In 2019/2020, Rijkenberg said a further dampening of this trend continued with only a 0.5 per cent increase in the wage-bill while in the 2020/21 financial year, automatic notching, COVID-19 hiring and the cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA) led to a further 6.5 per cent increase to E7.4 billion. Meanwhile, the retrenchments in government were supposedly hinted during a joint negotiation forum (JNF) between the government negotiating team (GNT), which represents the employer, and the public sector associations (PSAs), which represent employees. PSA leaders claimed that the GNT informed them that the implementation of the salary review exercise last year could only be possible if government could retrench about 3 000 civil servants. They said the representatives of the employer conveyed to them that this was because government did not have the financial muscle to cater for the salary review exercise.
Downing Street is confident the Prime Minister will still deliver his living with Covid plan on Monday despite a delay to ministers approving his proposals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has recognised the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine  a move that will severely ratchet up tensions with the West.
Here's the latest for Monday February 21st: Biden and Putin could meet, if Russia doesn't invade Ukraine; Protesters arrested in Canadian capital; Tear gas fired at anti-coup protesters in Sudan; Police helicopter crash off near Los Angeles.


Monarch said to have mild symptoms, but staff may look to drugs recently approved in UK



#monarch
Russia has been laying the ground for military action against Ukraine since 2014, when it seized Crimea. David J Galbreath examines three likely scenarios, if military action does take place.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow was considering recognising the independence of east Ukraine's two separatist republics, a step that would further escalate the Ukraine crisis.
The main political grouping in the European Parliament called on Monday for a review of Switzerland's banking practices and for the..

News24 21 Feb 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to recognize the independence of two Ukrainian regions, establishing what could be a pretext for an attack.
Rumble 03 May 2022

This is called "ordinary fascism": he jerked, I fired a shot. This is how the killer casually describes the death..
Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

VC funding in the Americas more than doubles to record US$64.5 billion while Europe sees record-breaking VC investment even as M&A dries up.

According to a KPMG report, total fintech investment in the Americas rose from US$83.5 billion in 2020 to US$105 billion in 2021 (US$53.7 billion in H2'21).

VC funding accounted for US$64.5 billion of 2021 investment - more than double 2020's record US$24.8 billion. The US continued to attract the largest portion of fintech investment in the Americas, accounting for US$88 million in total investment during 2021 (US$44.4 billion in H2'21).

According to KPMG, in the Americas more broadly, total fintech investment soared in 2021, with investment rising to record highs in Canada (US$7 billion) and Brazil (US$5.2 billion).

Meanwhile, overall fintech investment in the EMEA region rose to a record US$77 billion in 2021 (U$29.8 billion in H2'21).

VC investment in EMEA also reached a new high of US$31.1 billion, including a US$900 million raise by Germany-based N26 and a US$800 million raise by UK-based Revolut during H2'21.

Fintech investment was incredibly robust across the region, with record levels of investment in the Nordic region (US$18.5 billion), Germany (US$5.4 billion), Ireland (US$1.6 billion), Africa (US$1.8 billion), and Israel (US$900 million).

In the meantime, after dropping to US$14.7 billion in 2020, fintech funding in the Asia-Pacific region grew to US$27.5 billion in 2021......................

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Bahrain ranked first in MENA for financial, investment, and trade freedom, according to the 2022 Index of Economic Freedom published by the Heritage Foundation.

The kingdom ranked 4th for overall economic freedom amongst MENA countries, said a statement for Bahrain Economic Development Board.

According to the report, Bahrains overall investment framework remains transparent, and foreign and domestic investors are treated equally. The financial system remains vibrant and generally free from government involvement. No restrictive measures have been implemented in the banking sector during the past year.

It said the government maintains a pro-business commercial environment and supports business start-ups.

The 2022 Index of Economic Freedom measures the level of economic freedom based on 12 factors, grouped into four categories: rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency, and open markets.

Commenting on the report, Ali Al Mudaifa, Chief Investment Officer at Bahrain EDB, said: Bahrains high ranking amongst countries in the region is a reflection of the countrys business-friendly environment and forward-looking regulations. Weve got exciting plans ahead of us in line with the Economic Recovery Plan, which aims to attract investments worth $2.5 billion into the country by 2023 through the enhancement of our overall business environment.

Companies in Bahrain benefit from a range of competitive advantages and opportunities, which can be identified and leveraged with the support of the EDBs team that has the expertise and resources to get companies off the ground. These competitive advantages include the countrys 45% operational cost savings compared to the rest of the region, and its pioneering regulation, which is reflected by Bahrain ranking 2nd globally for tax burden in the 2022 Index of Economic Freedom, it said. - TradeArabia News Service
In the week ending February 18th 2022, a study revealed that 70% of investors' hedge fund portfolios met or exceeded their target returns in 2021. Furthermore, hedge funds generated an alpha of 2.4%, which is above historical averages and marks the second consecutive year of positive alpha generation across the industry. According to Barclays' study, 'Hedge Fund Outlook 2022', investors appear even more bullish across most hedge fund strategies than they were last year.

However, losses abounded in January, but the hedge fund industry largely shielded its investors from the worst. Hedge funds in aggregate were down -2.42% on the month, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions.

The Eurekahedge Hedge Fund Index also declined -1.05% in January 2022, outperforming the global equity market as represented by the MSCI ACWI (Local) which declined -4.91% over the same period. Global equities tanked as rising bond yields and the escalating tensions between the United States and Russia over Ukraine led to heightened risk aversion among ma......................

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Entities in Manistee Countys region are teaming up to make it easier for people to become certified first responders during an ongoing personnel shortage.

Some of the entities are aiming to alleviate the local shortage by making training easier for people who work a traditional workweek or by focusing on training local first responders on how to become instructors.

Another method is training people in ways that take the burden off an overworked sector and training others who can help with situations like the pandemic and transporting patients on ventilators.

At the February Manistee County Public Safety meeting, Mobile Medical Responses northwest region supervisor Jason Sopha said there are 27 paramedics and 14 EMTs who are going through a mandatory ventilator class.

It is the intention to be able to alleviate some stress off of the air division  and be able to put the patients who can go by ground transfer due to weather who are on ventilators through this training, Sopha explained.

He said the training is going on throughout the rest of the month and that those training meetings had been well-received by participants.

Sopha said another training is the Mi-LEAP program through Michigan Works!. According to the MiLeap section of the states website, employers joined a multi-employer consortia to address regional workforce needs and advance existing employees through re- and up-skilling.

Sopha said the program helps people in gaining education within their specific career fields. He added that MMR is also involved in several other training programs. One of those would "bring instructor coordinator certifications back to Manistee County, (basic life support) CPR instructor certifications."

Its a huge undertaking for us. ... and were also upping the ante in getting our critical care transport and flight paramedic certifications as well. So the next six months for us are going to be pretty demanding," Sopha said at the meeting.

Sopha also noted that MMR has been in talks with West Shore Community College about teaming up to offer classes.

And there is a hybrid paramedic course, he said. Typically in years past, (if) you wanted to become a paramedic you have to have an EMT license. You go from anywhere of a year and a half to two years of training. That includes classroom time, it includes ride time, it includes roughly 800 to 1,000 hours of working in a hospital in various settings.

The hybrid aims to get those people interested in the career up and running quicker, Sopha said.

So that again we can start righting the ship when it comes to having a lack of qualified paramedics, not just in Manistee County, but throughout the entire region we provide service to, he said.

Dan Yost, WSCCs director of EMS and fire programs, said the department is changing the format for some of the upcoming classes for the fall semester.

Yost said they are listening to what local EMS providers need and offering weekend and other types of classes and options that hadnt been available in the department before like hybrid classes.

Were trying to accommodate the needs of the local communities really, Yost said. This is coming from people in Manistee and Mason county and even Oceana County, Lake County has showed interest as well in getting people through an EMR course possibly even an EMT.

Images submitted/West Shore Community College

Yost said the college is working with Mobile Medical Response and Life EMS primarily.

There is also an element of creating classes that get people trained and on the job faster, that has been factored into some of the trainings.

Classes on becoming an emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician and paramedics are included in the program.

Yost said there are classes for people who have had no medical experience and want to become EMTs, but also ones that set up a smooth transition for that next level.

What were going to do is in the fall semester that you would have to do the EMR course, he said. And then in the winter semester were going to do what they call an EMR to EMT matriculation course. So, essentially within the two semesters youre going to become an EMT its just a different way to do it.

The matriculation course is 15 weeks.

Yost said the people who are already licensed EMRs, instead of going to class for two semesters, they can do that and become an EMT in one semester next winter.

There is also an 18-week virtual EMS instructor coordinator course that starts on April 3 at the college.

Images submitted/West Shore Community College

Yost said the department is trying to offer more EMS or health care type trainings that nurses, doctors and others need.

One (reason is its) a major need in the area and thats part of the reason why were switching our format is because the need seems to be more heavily for EMR and also for the current EMRs looking for a faster track to become EMTs, he said. Were just offering a different approach to see if that benefits more of the local people and schedules.

Yost commented on the ongoing personnel shortage of first responders and how some people are opting to pick up some shifts part time and even that little bit will help.

Theres just so many ways that people can still help out without compromising their normal job, he said. Its just the shortage of people we have and were trying to fill those needs of our local responders.

More information on the classes can be found online at westshore.asapconnected.com or by contacting Yost by email at dyost@westshore.edu.
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Around 90 regional residents made a bold jump into a pool of cold water in honor of Special Olympics Michigan (SOM) on Saturday as part of the annual Polar Plunge.

The Great Lakes Bay Region joined forces to raise more than $40,000 for athletes of the Special Olympics to continue programs which focus on team building and physical fitness. Event organizer Heather Fox said she's thrilled to surpass the monetary goal of $30,000.

This year's jump likely began a tradition for the Midland Police Department.

Community Relations officer Brennon Warren said the department was able to raise more than $5,000, which was the monetary goal for Chief Nicole Ford to make a jump. He said 60-65 Midland area residents supported the police department's fundraiser.

"The best part about it was that she (Ford) never thought we'd get to that $5,000," he said, adding the team was able to reach the funds Friday night.

Warren said local officers created a friendly competition between the Great Lakes Loons, one of the sponsors of the event who had a goal of raising $3,000.

"It allows us as a police department to interact with the athletes, and I think that's special for them," he said, adding it was his first time jumping himself. "It's a special thing to be a part of."

A group of Freeland High schoolers were able to raise $5,000 as well.

Ally Deleeuw, president of National Honor Society and senior at Freeland High School, brought together around 46 high schoolers to make the jump and support SOM athletes.

"I think just showing support for them (SOM athletes) and acting as allies is important," she said, after mentioning she was a bit nervous ahead of the jump.

After a brave cannonball, Alex Duley, an NHS member at Freeland High, said the water took his breath away and his clothes felt icy.

"I did a little dance and then I jumped in," he said. "After doing it, I feel good. It makes me feel good doing it for someone else."

He said he forgot a towel, which many jumpers cited as a key asset post-plunge. But, Duley said he was planning on changing out of his wet attire and warm up with hot chocolate that was sold at concessions throughout the event.

Fox said Midland's Dow Diamond is a great facility for a Polar Plunge event because it allowed easy access to the indoors for jumpers to change clothes quickly after a shivering shock.

Despite some jumpers' concerns with the temperatures, Fox said Saturday's weather was ideal for the event.

"As long as there's no bad storms...we've had it all over the years," she said.

The event was also sponsored by the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Michigan, which Fox is a part of. She said those fundraising for the event can continue up to three months post-event.
Omans Jusoor Foundation has marked the launch of four projects, to the tune of RO345,000 ($894,000), implemented within its social investment programme in North Al Batinah. The projects were funded jointly by OQ and Sohar Aluminium.



The ceremony was held in Al Qurm Natural Park in Shinas, under the auspices of Sayyid Khalifa Al Mardas Al Busaidi, Secretary General for Governorates Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, reported Oman News Agency (ONA).



The event was attended by Sheikh Saif Hamiyar Al Malik Al Shehhi, Governor of North Al Batinah, Chairman of Jusoor Foundations Board of Directors.



The first project was the development of the 28,000-sq-m Al Qurm Natural Park in the Wilayat of Shinas with a total cost of RO200,000 funded by Sohar Aluminium and OQ, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior.



The development included the implementation of a 3 km walkway, an arena theatre, a migratory bird viewing platform, 11 family rest areas and barbecue sites, as well as the construction of a crossing bridge over the waterway, children's games, green fields and a cafe. It also included the establishment of a park gate, mosque, security booth, toilets and parking lot.



The second project was the construction of a park in the mountainous area of Al Hayleen in the Wilayat of ASuwaiq on an area of 2,000 sq m, which is surrounded by a 320-m walkway. The park is equipped with children rides, as well as a cafe, toilets and family rest areas, to the tune of RO55,000 funded by Sohar Aluminium.



The third project was to provide equipment to clean beaches in the wilayats of the Governorate. This project, with a total cost of RO40,000, was funded by OQ. In addition to the supply and installation of 60 recreational rides for public parks in the Wilayat of Sohar for a total cost of RO50,000 funded by OQ.



Sheikh Saif Hamiyar Al Shehhi, Governor of North Al Batinah, said: These projects fall within the programme of social projects implemented by Jusoor Foundation that contributes to cultural development.



Sheikh Saif also pointed out that the Board of Directors of Jusoor Foundation takes into account that the projects are sustainable and benefit the public.



Jusoor Foundation continues to implement other projects as per an annual action plan, which demonstrated its positive role in the Wilayats of the Governorate of North Al Batinah. he added.



Al Mutasim Said Al Sariri, Member of the Board of Directors of Jusoor Foundation, Representative of OQ, said: These social projects reflect the extent of the real partnership between the government and the private sectors and proves the achievement of social responsibility. OQ is constantly working to continuously contribute to sustainable development projects, especially those that meet the aspirations of the community, whether through projects implemented by Jusoor Foundation, projects implemented by OQ directly, or those carried out in partnership with some government institutions.
Ann Brown, age 67, of Palestine, Texas, passed away Sunday, May 1, 2022 in Palestine, Texas. Funeral service will be held at 10AM on Friday, May 6, 2022 at Evangelistic Temple. Burial will follow at Tennessee Colony Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6PM to 8PM on Thursday, May 5, 2022 a
Belgian postal service bpost has committed to the sustainable delivery of letters and parcels via 19 new bike trailers in Antwerp.

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The switch is part of bposts ongoing transition to a more eco-friendly fleet to improve air quality in the city. The post is also working to set up a partnership with the City of Antwerp to install parcel lockers in public places to increase the number of sustainable options for picking up parcels.

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Alain Wolfaert, mail center manager at the Antwerp Center office, said, The introduction of bike trailers is just the first step toward emission-free transport in Antwerp. Later this year we will also begin using electric vans in Antwerp. Delivering parcels with bike trailers enables us to take six cars off the road and make 1,500 fewer journeys every year. There are also positives for sustainable and social employment, as delivery staff dont need to have a driving license.
Photo: (Photo : PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a baby formula recall on Thursday, February 17, for three powdered infant food due to bacterial contamination. A mother in Virginia, however, was placed in a difficult position because she could no longer source out one of the baby formulas her teenage son needed for his sustenance.

Mom Claire Rowan's 16-year-old boy, Will Rowan, only eats EleCare Jr., a hypoallergenic baby formula mainly used for kids with protein allergies and gastrointestinal conditions. However, the teenager suffers from Crohn's disease and several other conditions like eosinophilic, esophagitis, and gastroenteritis, which makes it hard for him to eat proper food.

The mom said that nothing gets in her son's mouth except for EleCare Jr., which he eats through a feeding tube. The teenager would occasionally try other food to check his food tolerance but this meant he could risk suffering from anaphylaxis as he is allergic to almost any food.

Read Also: Unsafe Infant Loungers: CPSC Sues Leachco for Refusing to Recall the Product

Baby Formula Recall Means No More EleCare in Stores

Over the weekend, their regular delivery of 60 cans of the baby formula didn't arrive due to the baby formula recall. Desperate, Claire turned to social media to ask for help and alternatives for Will. The mother said they will drive anywhere just to get the food.

"Our choices are no food or likely anaphylaxis so we are putting this out to our community for any help we can get," she wrote, per WUSA9.

Soon, Claire's post became viral as it was re-shared in other communities. Friends also helped the family source out a usable and safe baby formula. In the end, the Rowans were able to acquire four and a half non-contaminated cans of baby food that will help Will get through a few more days until his doctor provides him with his new food plan.

FDA's Baby Formula Recall

Per the FDA's advisory, some batches of EleCare Jr., EleCare Infant, Similac Total Comfort, Similac Advance, Similac for Spit Up, Similac Sensitive, and Alimentum are not safe for digesting. These formulas, produced by Abbott Nutrition's Sturgis facility in Michigan, have an expiration date of April 2022 and contain K8, SH or Z2 in its product codes along with the digits 22 through 37.

According to FDA Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas, they are aware that many families solely rely on these products for their children's condition, hence the need for the baby product recall and an immediate resolution to the product's availability. The FDA also made it clear that only powdered form of these products is affected. Families may still use the liquid formulation if they prefer.

The products included in the baby formula recall have apparently gotten complaints from other consumers who said that their children suffered serious infection from drinking the baby formula. Preliminary investigations showed that the powered forms were likely contaminated by a Cronobacter sakazakii bacterium. Symptoms of the infection include fever, diarrhea, abdominal pains and cramps, and stomach ache, which could progress into meningitis and sepsis.

Related Article: Rice Baby Cereal Recall Underway in all Walmart Stores Due to High Arsenic Content
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

A two-year-old girl gets locked inside a childcare center, which shocked her mom Stephanie Martinez, as she found her alone after the workers had left for the day when she went to pick her up.

Martinez arrived at KinderCare Learning Center north of Miami at 6:28 PM and saw the childcare center with no staff, locked and her child looking through a window at the front door, Inside Edition reported. The mom said she was late picking up her child for only 15 minutes.

Mom calls 911

A video that Martinez shared showed a dark room where her daughter was, and she could be heard telling the dispatcher that her daughter was crying.

The mom said that her daughter, Anastacia, managed to push a chair to the door to "stand on it, and call my name." According to Martinez, she could see her daughter, who is shorter than the door, as she had stood on the chair.

The 911 operator could not believe what she was hearing, as she asked if the child was inside all by herself, which Martinez confirmed, and added that her baby was crying. The operator also asked for the child's age and seemed surprised when the mom replied that she was only two years old.

Firefighters responded to the scene and were able to break down the door after about 20 minutes. The paramedics checked the girl and ruled her in good health. The mom said her child was "super traumatized."

KinderCare closes at 6 PM but usually stays open for parents who regularly pick their kids late. Police investigators said that the daycare worker responsible for checking out children left at around 6:20 PM and locked the doors.

The investigation is still ongoing, with the police noting that it is still unclear what led to the incident as daycare workers told them that they used a tablet to monitor all children.

Read Also: Switched at Birth: A DNA Test Discovers a Century-Old Birth Story

Mom Mulls Filing a Suit

As of Friday, Martinez plans to file a lawsuit, as per her lawyer, Mark DiCowden. He said that the incident could have been avoided "if Kindercare did not abandon their responsibilities and the toddler." He added that nobody at Kindecare answered the phone in this emergency. The daycare also failed to apologize for their bad behavior and provide anything but a "bad excuse" for the unfortunate incident. According to Martinez, she did not receive a call from the daycare to pick her child up.

On the other hand, the daycare released a statement saying that while they are grateful that the child was immediately found, they also admitted that this incident should never have happened.

KinderCare said that they take all concerns about children's safety seriously and comply with following a specific protocol anytime an issue is raised. The childcare protocol involved notifying agency partners like state licensing and Child Protective Services, which the statement said they already did.

The daycare also admitted to putting the staff members involved on administrative leave while the KinderCare officials and agency partners like the Broward Sheriff's Office Child Protection Services and Plantation Police investigate the matter.

Related Article: Baby and Toddler Developmental Milestones Changed After 20 Years to Have Clearer Benchmark for Delays
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

A patient who had undergone heart surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) three times as a child now works as a nurse in the same hospital.

Now, patients lined up for heart surgery find their anxiety and fears washed away when they see the "zipper" beneath her scrub suit, Today reported.

Growing up with a heart defect

As a child, MarlaJan Wexler-Gormley spent a considerable amount of time at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Having gone through three open-heart surgeries herself, she had her first surgery for her congenital heart defect at six months old.

She was born in August 1981, and doctors noticed her heart "murmur." Later, doctors found a "minimal ventricular septal defect." The doctors assured her parents that it would heal independently, and they did not need any surgical intervention.

However, when her parents brought her home, things quickly changed. Her parents noticed she had difficulty feeding. She was always short of breath and was sweaty. She also often gruntled and was losing a considerable amount of weight.

Her mom thought that something was not right. Hence, to seek a second opinion, her mother visited CHOP. Doctors told her parents that she has a Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect.

According to the Center for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC), congenital heart disease is caused by structural heart abnormalities, which sometimes lessen the oxygen in the blood, causing the babies to look blue. For babies, it is associated with arrhythmia, dizziness, slow development, and vulnerability to getting infections in the heart.

Read Also: Switched at Birth: A DNA Test Discovers a Century-Old Birth Story

Getting the surgeries

Her first surgery was six months when she underwent a procedure to help her until she was big enough for a surgical repair. She had her first open-heart procedure at two years old. It was difficult for her parents because she had a cardiac arrest while going through the operation.

At four and six, she had two more open-heart surgeries. She also mentioned a surgery where she was utterly dependent on oxygen and medicine to treat her heart failure, as her heart was no longer working.

After her surgery at six, she anticipated another major operation to replace her pulmonary valve.

Paying it forward

After the series of operations, she returned to everyday life with restrictions. She was not allowed to participate in games and sports, and her "zipper" is a reminder of her life battles. She, however, excelled in science and wished to be a forensic pathologist.

She finished college with a biology degree and wondered about her next career move. After talking to her mom's friend about her childhood experience, her eyes were opened to nursing.

Then it suddenly made sense. She remembered her favorite nurses as a child who helped her through operations and how they impacted her. She applied to nursing schools and set her heart in pediatric nursing.

She finally received a new pulmonary valve in 2020, 34 years after her last open-heart surgery. Helping patients and families in CHOP helped her psychologically as she threaded through fears and anxieties that she had to deal with, she said.

Related Article: Baby and Toddler Developmental Milestones Changed After 20 Years to Have Clearer Benchmark for Delays
Last month, Display industry consultant Ross Young claimed that display panels for the third-generation iPhone S3 began production and predicts that the new iPhone will debut in April, reported MacRumors. Although Mark Gurman had made that prediction days earlier, many considering Young a good source for rumors.

One of Young's latest rumors point to Google delivering a foldable smartphone in Q4, with volume production starting in Q3. Other rumors suggest that Google is expected to release their first-gen foldable smartphone in the US$1,400 range. In comparison, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 currently sells for between $1424 and $1900 (at Best Buy).

It's back! Looks like Google's foldable Pixel will start panel production in Q3'22 and launch in Q4'22.  Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) February 14, 2022

Many experts expect Google's foldable phone to look like the Galaxy Z Fold. It will be an infolding phone with a 7- to 8-inch display and a cover display attached to the outside.

On the other hand, Patently Apple covered a foldable smartphone patent from Google back in April 2021 illustrating a different form factor than Samsung's as illustrated in their patent figures below. Only time will tell which form factor that Google has finally decided on.

Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi have released foldable phones, but they were mainly for domestic use in China. Google is likely to enter North America and Europe, so Google and Samsung are expected to compete directly in the global premium smartphone market.

Googles smartphone market share is only 1 percent, but Google must have concluded that it is worthwhile to enter the foldable phone market, as it has just started.

Google is also expected to unveil its first smartwatch, Pixel Watch, in May. Samsung Electronics and Google jointly developed Ware OS3, a smart watch-only OS, for the Galaxy Watch 4 in 2021. Samsung even gave up its own OS Tizen, which had been used for eight years, for the development and installation of Wear OS3.

In 2021, 1.3 billion non-foldable smartphones were shipped according to IDC. In a secondary report, IDC reported last week that the Worldwide market for foldable phones will only reach 27.6 million units by 2025. So Google entering the market is perhaps a marketing move, but it's not going to put a dent in the market, especially against Apple.

While Apple has a string of patents covering possible future foldable iPhones, the company is unlikely to enter this segment until consumers show more interest in this category.

At present, all indicators point to Apple's next-big thing being a mixed reality headset that will help lay the groundwork for the coming metaverse mega market. In December, Bloomberg reported that the metaverse opportunity could be close to an $800 Billion market.
Last Monday Patently Apple posted a report titled "The Netherland's Antitrust Authority has issued Apple its Fourth Fine Since December for not opening up the App Store's Payment Options. Today Apple was handed their fifth fine.

Reuters is reporting that "The Dutch antitrust watchdog fined Apple 5 million euros ($5.7 million) on Monday, the fifth such penalty in successive weeks in a row over access to non-Apple payment methods for subscriptions to dating apps.

The ACM has been levying weekly fines of 5 million euros since Apple missed a Jan. 15 deadline to make changes that the watchdog had mandated.

It said the U.S. company had not made any new proposal to comply with its ruling in the past week.

"We have clearly explained to Apple how they can comply...," the watchdog said in a statement. "So far, however, they have refused to put forward any serious proposals." Apple declined comment on Monday.

Of course one of the problems associated with complying with the ACM is that it would set a precedent. Once Apple complies with one European country on this issue, other EU member countries would make similar demands in a nanosecond. It's a political mine field issue that Apple legal has to carefully maneuver.
Middle East Energy, the regions most reputable and comprehensive event for the energy sector, is expecting a sharp increase in the number of international visitors on the back of increased demand when the global energy event returns kicks off in Dubai on March 7.

Formerly known as Middle East Electricity, the event has representation from 131 countries, with visitors, hosted buyers, and VIPs from Algeria, Morocco, Kenya, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and the UAE already confirmed, said the event organisers Informa.

In terms of visitor attendance, the top countries in the list are Nigeria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with uptake from the latter witnessing a 40% increase in the number of visitors already registered for the exhibition.

According to a research from Middle East Energy, the T&D (Transmission & Distribution) is the top product sector of interest for Saudi visitors, with automation and digitalisation the critical subject areas of interest, as the world moves to smart grid technology.

This is followed by Renewable & Clean Energy, focusing on solar, wind, and hydrogen, which can be attributed to the countries announcement last year it would cut its carbon emissions to net-zero by 2060 and would invest more than $180 billion to reach the goal, it stated.

Azzan Mohammed, Exhibition Director, Global Energy & Utilities Forum and Middle East Energy, said: "We have seen a clear uptick from our international markets, which is an indication of the pent-up demand from those within the energy sector wanting to meet in-person to discuss, debate and understand the latest trends within the industry."

"With over 500 exhibitors, we are also showcasing the latest innovations and technologies shaping the industrys future," he added.

Overall, the renewable and clean energy has emerged as the most popular section with visitors, with solar energy in particular.

This is also evident with UAE visitors, with 70% stating they are specifically attending to learn more about solar, training, batteries, and wind.

With a strong Solar Conference, powered by Intersolar, alongside Technical Sessions, including sessions on Decarbonising the Critical & Backup Power Market, Building Utilities of the Future and Technologies in Energy Storage the sessions at Middle East Energy this year reflect a transitioning energy landscape.

"With a legacy spanning more than 45 years, we have grown to be one of the leading events for the energy sector in the region. Despite the challenges of the previous two years, the industry continues to adapt and seek out new opportunities to drive the energy transition agenda forward," stated Mohammed.

He pointed out that following the discussions at COP26 and the announcement of UAE hosting COP28 in 2023, countries around the world are doubling down on their commitments to introduce new energy ecosystems to support the energy transition and ultimately achieve their emission reduction goals.

"At Middle East Energy, were supporting this move by providing a platform to learn from experts in this field and see the products from around the world that are helping to achieve this," remarked Mohammed.

The sector analysis also shows a strong representation of interest in Critical & Back Up Generators from Nigeria, alongside growth in data centres attending for this sector, with representatives from Equinix, Amazon Web Services and more, signing up.

Internationally, Middle East Energy will host exhibitors from countries including France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, China, the UK and the US. A total of 13 international pavilions have already been confirmed.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Middle East Energy is hosted by the UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure. Informa, organisers of the event, have confirmed over 18,000 attendees, and 500 delegates are expected during the three-day energy showcase.

As part of Informa's commitment to providing the highest hygiene and safety levels, the event will again take place under the protocols introduced via the companys Informa AllSecure health and safety mandate.

The enhanced measures include 35 guidelines covering all aspects of cleaning and hygiene, social distancing measures, and the use of PPE, screening, and a track and trace in conjunction with local authorities.

This years event sponsors include Perkins, Baudouin, Newage Stamford AVK, and Rieloo UPS.-TradeArabia News Service
At a glance Experts Rating Pros The display is actually useful

Fabric covering is a nice touch

Above-average efficiency Cons Both USB ports should have the same charging speeds Our Verdict If youre looking for a power bank with multiple ports, a sleek design, and fast charging capabilities, this is it.

Price When Reviewed

Einova 64W Ultra-Fast Power Bank : $69.99

Best Prices Today  Einova 64W Ultra-Fast Power Bank

Retailer Price Delivery $59.99 Free View Einova 69.99 View

Editors note: On 03/07/22 this review was updated to reflect this products name change from the Eggtroinc Laptop Power Bank to the Einova Ultra-Fast Power Bank.

For the last few weeks, Ive been testing the $69.99 Einvova 63W Ultra-Fast Power Bank and, well, Im very happy with it.

Compared to the majority of power banks, which typically consist of black plastic housing with a power button and a few LED lights and some ports on one end, Einovas design stands out. The Ultra-Fast Power Bank has a fabric covering on top and bottom, a small display on the top that shows the exact battery percentage, and three ports: two USB-A and one USB-C.

The USB-C port pulls double duty. You use it to charge the pack, and you can, of course, use it to charge your phone, laptop, or even a Nintendo Switch. The USB-C port supports charging at up to 20V/2.25A (45W) of output, and up to 20V/1.5A (30W) of input. The middle USB port supports up to 12V/1.5A (18W) of output, with the standard USB port offering the base charging speed of 5V/2.4A (12W) of output.

Note: This review is part of our roundup of portable power banks. Go there for details on competing products and our testing methods.

As part of my typical testing procedure, I connected the Einvova Ultra-Fast Power Bank to an AVHzY USB Power Meter and allowed it to measure each ports output. The USB-C port triggered DCP 1.5A, QC 3.0, QC 2.0, Samsung 9V, and Huawei 9V. I was also able to successfully trigger the full Power Delivery output of 20V/2.25A.

The middle USB port triggered the same charging standards and capped out at its listed maximum output of 18W. Finally, the last USB port triggered Apple 2.4A, DCP 1.5A, and Samsung 5V.

I also used the AVHzY USB Power Meter to measure the total output capacity to calculate the efficiency of the 20,000mAh capacity. Over the course of a few hours, the pack used a total of 64.3734Wh, giving it an efficiency rating of 86.99 percent. The average efficiency of all the packs Ive tested (well over 30 by now) is 83.44 percentmeaning the Einova is slightly above average.

Charging the pack was speedy, going from empty to 100 percent in 2 hours and 40 minutes when charging at its full 30W max speed.

mentioned in this article Mophie Powerstation XXL Read our review MSRP: $69.95 Best Prices Today:

You can use all three ports on the Einova to charge various devices at the same time, with a maximum output between the three of 63W. There isnt a power button on the pack. You plug in a device, it detects something is there, and starts charging. And, finally, the pack does support passthrough charging so you can charge the pack via the USB-C port while simultaneously charging another device via either standard USB port.

I really like the Einvova Ultra-Fast Power Bank. Its well designed, has plenty of power, and has above-average efficiency. If its efficiency had beat out the Mophie Powerstation XXLour current top pick for best power bankthe Einova would have replaced it.
The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has charged West African states to implement robust systems that will help cut the flow of financial resources to criminals who cause terrorism and political insurgence in the sub-region.



He noted that Africa was losing an average of $88 billion a year to illicit financial flows, with a chunk of it going into the financing of terrorism and insurgency.



He said the rising spate of coups detat, terrorist activities and other acts of instability in the region in recent times called for increased efforts to plug the loopholes and deny the perpetrators resources to help end the menace.



The Vice-President noted that members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) could achieve that by strengthening their collaboration in the fight against money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF) in the region.



He gave the charge in a speech read on his behalf by the Senior Presidential Advisor, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, at the closing ceremony of the 24th Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) Technical/plenary meeting and the GIABA Ministerial Committee (GMC) meeting in Accra yesterday.



Recent coups



Dr Bawumia cited the recent military takeovers in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso and the failed attempt in Guinea Bissau, as well as an uptick in terrorist insurgence in the region, as wake-up calls to governments in the region to step up their fight against ML/TF.



Our responsibility to stop the flow of illicit financing is an urgent one, which will cut down the outflow of funds to these groups and channel same into our development recovery to improve the quality of life of our people, he said.





Source: graphic.com.gh









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Rescue workers and residents searching for their missing relatives continued digging through mountains of mud and rubble in Petropolis, which President Jair Bolsonaro said Friday looked like it had been through a "war."



It is unclear how high the steadily rising death toll will go. It is unlikely any more survivors will be found beneath the wreckage, authorities say.



The dead include at least 28 children, police said.



Weather chaos continued to batter Brazil as more violent rains lashed the southeastern state of Espirito Santo Sunday.



The new storms killed at least two people, said emergency officials in Espirito Santo, which borders Rio de Janeiro state, where Petropolis is located.



One person was crushed by a collapsing wall and killed in the city of Alegre, and another swept away trying to retrieve a car from severe flooding in the city of Nova Venecia, officials said.



The storms forced more than 1,200 people to evacuate their homes and destroyed another 43 people's houses, they said.



They are the latest in a series of deadly storms to hit Brazil, which experts say are made worse by climate change.



In the past three months, at least 219 people have died in severe rainstorms, mainly in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo and the northeastern state of Bahia, as well as Petropolis and now Espirito Santo.



Pope Francis sent his latest message of condolences Sunday following his Angelus prayer at Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican.



"I express my closeness to those people hit in previous days by natural calamities," he said, mentioning "devastated" Petropolis as well as Madagascar, hit recently by deadly cyclones.



"Lord, welcome the dead in peace, comfort the family members and support those who offer aid," he said.



'Mega clean-up'

The storm turned streets in Petropolis into violent rivers that swept away trees, cars and buses, and triggered deadly landslides in poor hillside neighborhoods that ring the city of 300,000 people.



It dumped a month's worth of rain in several hours on the picturesque tourist town, which was the 19th-century summer capital of the Brazilian empire.



The city held what it called a "mega clean-up operation" Sunday, aided by 370 sanitation workers sent in as reinforcements from the nearby cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niteroi.



The mayor's office urged residents to stay home except in case of "extreme necessity" to let clean-up crews clear the piles of muck and debris still clogging streets.



Authorities have so far recovered more than 300 cars that were "strewn around the city, blocking streets and sidewalks or stuck in rivers," they said.



"We need our streets clear so we can speed up the job of getting our city back on its feet," Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said in a statement.



There is no word on when those who lost their homes or had to evacuate will be able to return to the hardest-hit areas, if at all.



At least 856 people are being housed in emergency shelters, according to officials.



A steady stream of funerals for victims meanwhile continued at the city's main cemetery, where the local government brought in extra grave-diggers as reinforcements.

Source: France 24









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.

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A Qantas flight from Los Angeles was the first to touch down in Sydney at 6:20 am (1720 GMT) followed by arrivals from Tokyo, Vancouver and Singapore.



"It's fair to say weve all been waiting a long time to welcome visitors back to Australia," Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said.



The national carrier expects to more bring than 14,000 passengers into Australia this week  the start of what many believe will be a long, slow recovery for a tourism sector devastated by the pandemic.



"I think we're going to see a very, very strong rebound," Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said at Sydney airport, wearing a t-shirt with the words: "Welcome Back".



Attracting tourists from China, previously Australia's biggest market, would be difficult while the country enforced a zero-Covid policy, Tehan said.



"But as soon as that changes, Tourism Australia have been doing a lot of work to make sure that we will be ready to encourage those Chinese visitors to come."



Only 56 international flights are scheduled to land in Australia in the 24 hours after the re-opening  far below pre-pandemic levels  but Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had "no doubt" the number will scale up in time.



'Fortress Australia'

Australia closed its borders to almost everyone except citizens and residents in March 2020 in an attempt to slow surging Covid-19 case numbers.



The travel ban  which also barred citizens from travelling overseas without an exemption and imposed a strict cap on international arrivals  earned the country the nickname "Fortress Australia".



Every month under the policies has cost businesses an estimated AUS$ 3.6 billion ($2.6 billion), according to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with tourism particularly hard hit.



Tony Walker, managing director of Quicksilver Group, which operates cruises, diving excursions and resorts across the Great Barrier Reef, told AFP he was "very excited about being able to re-open".



International tourists "make up around 70 percent" of business for tourism operators on the reef, Walker said, making the two-year border closure "incredibly difficult".



During the pandemic, his company had to reduce its employees from 650 to the 300 it has today.



Morrison on Sunday said tourism had "really borne the brunt of this Covid pandemic" and he thanked the sector.



"It's been tough, but Australia is pushing through," he added.









Source: France 24









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.

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Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Sunday that she had decided to postpone her trip to France because of rising tensions in Ukraine and would immediately fly back to Canada.



"We will be relentless in our pursuit of a diplomatic solution. There is still time for Russia to choose the path of de-escalation and dialogue," Joly said on Twitter in announcing the decision.



Joly was in Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference.



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Reporting by Chris Gallagher in Washington; editing by Grant McCool

Source: REUTERS









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A former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA), Professor Joshua Alabi has called on the government to embrace scientific and other forms of digital education platforms such as Open and Distance education to help bridge the gap at Ghanas tertiary education level in relation to enrollment at the pre-tertiary and tertiary.

According to Prof. Alabi, the gross enrollment ratio in Ghana at the tertiary level is a little over 20 per cent, and there was therefore the need to bridge the gap.



Prof. Alabi was speaking on behalf of former President John Dramani Mahama at the induction ceremony of Professor Richard Asiedu Addo as a professor of the Alfred Noble University in Ukraine at a ceremony in Accra.



The ceremony was officiated by Rev Professor Emeritus Edwin M Korley on behalf of the President of the university.



He expressed the hope that the collaboration between Prof. Asiedu Addo and the Alfred Noble University would also facilitate Open and Distance Education in Ghana.



Professor Alabi in congratulating Prof. Asiedu Addo also urged him to continue to show commitment, integrity and above all profess the truth.



Professing the truth in our part of the world goes with its own challenges but you have to be firm and focused.



His Excellency John Mahama as a former Soviet trained knows the quality of education that comes from Ukraine and he is very confident that Ghana education would benefit from this collaboration



The ceremony was chaired by Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII Paramount Chief of Abeadze Traditional Area and graced by some Members of Parliament, University Professors, politicians, chiefs , some members of the clergy among many others.







Source: graphiconline.com









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The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum has refuted the claims raised by the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) on the payment of the Capitation grants to the basic schools, posting of teachers, and political appointments of teachers by his ministry.



The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) last week at a presser gave the government two weeks to restore the salaries of teachers whose names were deleted from the payroll.



According to the union, some names of teachers have been deleted from the payroll for the past fifteen months, and also also for prompt payment of capitation grant to the basic schools,



The union also rejected plans by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to appoint headteachers for schools in Ghana, adding that the Ministry has no such power to appoint headmasters for the various schools.



The Minister set the records straight said the concerns raised by NAGRAT through their press conference said their engagement deliberately misrepresented some facts and created a wrong impression about work interference between the Ministry and its agency the Ghana Education Service.



Dr. Yaw Adutwum explained that" the Ministry has not made any advertisements to such effect. All steps taken so far in the operationalization of the STEM schools have been done together with the Ghana Education Service and the TVET Service".



According to him, "It is important to emphasize that since the coming into effect of the Ghana TVET Service through the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020, Act 1023, the management of institutions under the pre-tertiary space is now at the behest of both the GES and TVET Service".



The Sector Minister noted that "Consequently it has become necessary for the Ministry to Co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the performance of these agencies to ensure harmonious achievement of our strategic outcomes. At no point should this coordinative role be interpreted as interference".



The Minister of Education, also Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe noted that "contrary to claims of non-payment of recurrent fees, feeding (perishables) and intervention grants the Ministry has disbursed a total of GHC 133,950,053.00 to National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited and the Ghana Education Service on 7th February, 2022 to carter for recurrent expenses including perishables".

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has refused to heed a High Court ruling to rescind their strike action.



The University teachers have been on strike for weeks and have been directed by an Accra High Court to resume work following a law suit by the National Labour Commission (NLC) against the striking Lecturers.



The Labour Division of the Accra High Court on Tuesday put an injunction on the strike after it upheld an interlocutory application by the NLC.



The court presided over by Justice Frank Aboadwe Rockson ordered UTAG to suspend its strike immediately and, additionally, the lecturers cannot embark on any strike until the final determination of an application filed at the court by the NLC.



But according to the President of UTAG, Prof. Solomon Nunoo, in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show ''Kokrokoo'', UTAG isn't ready to rescind its decision.



He disclosed that their demands haven't been met yet, so they are filing a countersuit in the court.



He noted that the Association isn't pleased with the court order, therefore, they have directed their legal counsel to fight back the case.



UTAG, he revealed, will reappear in court on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.



''Tomorrow at 1:30 pm, they will look at the substantive case to declare whether the strike is legal or illegal, and also the motion to set aside the injunction ruling also has been filed . . . The calls coming in about the President intervening, I think it is all in the right direction. If the President will step in and intervene, fine, I think it will also help the matter but the most important thing is that the condition of service of the University teacher is extremely bad and must be dealt with," he said.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Rwanda's ambassador to China, James Kimonyo, has embraced social media to market coffee and chilli from the east African country.



Mr Kimonyo told BBC Focus on Africa radio that he had to move away from the traditional way of advertising in exhibitions after seeing that China's online shopping industry was huge.



The ambassador last month caused a stir on social media when he donned an overall and rode on a delivery bike to deliver Rwandan coffee to a customer who had purchased online.



"China's TikTok economy is about $5.4 trillion and not only that, China is the biggest internet user and it has the largest number of online shoppers and is well connected - with 99% of the population owning mobile phones and the mobile payments systems here are very effective," he told the BBC.



Mr Kimonyo has been in Beijing for three years and says this is the new way to conduct diplomacy in an evolving world.



"When you are posted in a mission like this, which is big like China, and you know its a big market - very focused on business - what you do is to go out there and take advantage of what is happening," he said.

Source: BBC









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The UAE has reached the top spot globally as a rough diamond hub, trading over $22.8 billion worth of rough diamonds in 2021, said the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC, the worlds flagship Free Zone.



The countrys polished segment continues to grow at pace, closing in on the current market leader, added Ahmed Bin Sulayem as DMCC hosted its Dubai Diamond Conference (DDC) held under the theme The Future of Diamonds.



Since 2015, the UAE has increased its rough diamonds trade by 76%, overtaking Belgium as the worlds leading rough trade hub. The total diamond trade in the UAE grew by 83% between 2020 and 2021, demonstrating both the industrys resilience and Dubais critical role in the global sector.



Dubai boasts direct flights to other diamond hubs across the world, including mining countries in Africa and manufacturing centres in India, resulting in a connected supply chain with Dubai at its centre. Additionally, Dubai is home to the two Kimberly Process (KP) offices in the UAE, making the emirate the only entry point for rough diamonds in the country.



Ahmed Bin Sulayem, also Chairman of Dubai Diamond Exchange, said: I am humbled to share that in 2021, Dubai, UAE, became the number one rough diamond trading hub in the world. With USD 22.8 billion in rough trade last year, we are continuing to grow thanks to the trust and support received from so many of our guests here today  we accomplished this together.



This major milestone clearly demonstrates the determination of both Dubai and DMCC in advancing the global industry. Having grown to become the rough diamond capital of the world, we understand the importance of listening to the market, adapting, and taking action  which is why the Dubai Diamond Conference is such a critical event for the sector. Through this same method, we will continue to work towards becoming the capital for polished diamonds as well.



The fifth edition of the conference convened 550 government officials, trade association members, and leaders of businesses across the supply chain  from miners and manufacturers to financiers and retailers.



This years DDC featured speakers including Dr Diamantino Azevedo, Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Republic of Angola; Bruce Cleaver, CEO of De Beers; Sergey Ivanov, CEO of ALROSA; Yoram Dvash, President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses; and Ronnie van der Linden, President of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association.



Seeking to encourage dialogue on the most critical challenges and growth opportunities in the industry, the DDC offered attendees a busy agenda that included four main panels titled: Why did diamonds do so well during COVID?, The New Consumer and Changing Demands, Rethinking the Diamond Supply Chain and Perspectives from the trade associations.



DMCCs Dubai Diamond Exchange is the largest diamond tender facility in the world and home to over 1,100 diamond companies, providing members and industry professionals with state-of-the-art infrastructure, facilities and services to trade with confidence.  TradeArabia News Service
The Accra High Court has ordered the Police to protect and assist the Osu Kinka We Dzasetse and Elders and Councilors of the Osu Stool to perform the final funeral rites of the late Chief of Osu, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI.



The Order from the court dated 18th February, 2022 said the Police should provide protection and assistance for the celebration of the laying in state and the final funeral rites of the late Chief.



The court ordered that if the duty becomes beyond the Police, the Police can call on the Military and other Security.



The Order follows a suit filed by Nii Saban Atsen VII, Osu Kinka We Dzasetse suing on behalf of himself and on behalf of the Osu Kinka We Dzase.



The respondents in the case were Nii Nortey Adumuah IV and David Lantei Odartey, styling himself as Nii Odartey SRO III.



Nii Kinka Dowuona died on February 5, 2021 after a short illness.



With the Court Order, his funeral is set to take place from 23rd  27th February, 2022.



The newly installed Osu Mantse, Teteete Nii Nortey Owuo IV will preside over the ancestral journey of his predecessor.









Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Scientists at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have underscored the need for Ghana to promote local food production and consumption.



The benefits of local food to the citizenrys health were numerous, they argued, noting that the rich nutrients and vitamins available in local dishes could help improve life expectancy in the country.



The high nutritional contents in local cuisine such as aprapransa, apiti, akyeke, oto, akple and okro soup, tuo zaafi with ayoyo soup, which is rich in carbohydrates, irons and zincs from the leaves with pounded dawadawa, amongst others, helped to boost ones immune system, they said.



Professor Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson, the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, said ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition as well as promoting sustainable agriculture was within the countrys reach.



The government, therefore, should liaise with stakeholders and other key institutions, including the KNUST, to intensify research and broaden the base of local food production and consumption in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health.



This was in a speech read on her behalf by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo, at the Universitys 2022 Food Festival, held under the auspices of the Department of Food Science and Technology, at the Royal Parade Grounds, in Kumasi.



Achieving the SDGs: Our Food, Our Culture, Our Health, was the theme.



It sought to espouse the rich cultural heritage of the country regarding the variety of the indigenous foods available in the Ghanaian society, the nutritional benefits and the identity of the people.



The festival attracted local and international participants along the food value chain, including exhibitors from Uganda, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Germany, amongst others.



Prof. Mrs. Dickson said consuming indigenous foods could serve as a remedy for many ailments given the nutritional value of those foods.



Food plays a massive role in achieving the SDGs. Our culture and food are all inexplicably linked and cannot be separated from the other, she stated.



Prof. Daniel Y. A. Duah, acting Dean of the International Programmes Office (IPO), KNUST, was not happy that the popularity of traditional Ghanaian cuisines had dwindled in recent years.



As a country, we should be gearing towards developing our local culinary abilities and skills that reflect various beliefs, customs and habits and using ingredients, cooking methods and energies that are homegrown and known in our context.



Indeed, local dishes in the past did not only satisfy our hunger but the local ingredients as shown by research, go beyond nutrition to nourishment of the body, he argued.



Prof. Nana Afia Opoku-Asare, of the Department of Education Innovations in Science and Technology, who chaired the programme, indicated that food was the most essential requirement in human life.



The Food Festival, she said, was appropriate to rekindle interest in traditional foods to benefit the people.

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.

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Founder and Director of the World Sustainability Organization, Paolo Bray, has made an urgent appeal to the Government of Ghana to collaborate with traditional authorities to preserve Ghanas depleting forests, and prevent environmental degradation from threatening the country.



Speaking in an exclusive interview with GHOneTVs Natalie Fort, globally recognized environmental expert, Paolo Bray, stressed, the role of traditional authorities in the protection of natural resources must not be underestimated; Agriculture should not only aim at preventing degradation of the environment, instead farmers with the support of traditional authorities, should aim at restoring and improving preexisting habitats, protecting existing biodiversity and helping it to flourish.



Paolo Bray further opined this should be applied also in the fisheries sector, with the aim being not only to protect fish stocks from over exploitation, but instead to promote the establishment of more marine protected areas.



Ghanas rapid deforestation has been driven by agricultural expansion (largely for cocoa), wood harvesting for energy, population growth, gold mining and timber lobby groups. Inefficient and poor management of forest resources, has over the years led to over exploitation; resulting in degraded forests that are more susceptible to wildfire and flooding.



Since the early 1990s, Ghana has lost more than 30% of its forests, which is now covering 21% of the country. With a remarkable 80% of Ghanaians depending on the forests for their livelihood, deforestation has a major impact on communities, hence the need to urgently tackle the menace. Paolo Bray stated Traditional leaders have the power to institute control mechanisms, to regulate human activities with regards to the environment. They must be empowered by the government, to use their indigenous ecological knowledge to conserve and protect, the environmental resources within their jurisdiction.



Collaboration between traditional and political leaders is the only sustainable solution to preventing environmental degradation in Ghana he added.



The World Sustainability Organization is a global organization whose key objective is the conservation of ecosystems, aimed at protecting critical habitats and endangered species globally, by means of sustainability certifications - Friend of the Sea and Friend of the Earth and related conservation and awareness projects, it is headquatered in Italy.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Authorities at the Philip Quaque Anglican Boys School in Cape Coast have called for immediate steps to rehabilitate the school building, as it has became a death trap.



The school which is the first basic school in West Africa and for that matter Ghana needs urgent attention.



The school was established in the year 1765 and has produced prominent personalities across the globe.



Madam Deborah Sam, a tutor in the school expressed her frustrations, saying; "per the nature of the school, we are uncomfortable teaching in the classes because we fear the building will collapse on us".



"Just yesterday one of the pillars fell on one of the pupils who sustained injuries and is still in the hospital receiving treatment," madam Sam said.



The school authorities are therefore seeking support from government, benevolents, institutions,old students, NGOs and all stakeholders to renovate the school building.



"We fear for our lives when sitting in the classroom, thus we don't have good tables and chairs to sit and write on, we are appealing to government and stakeholders to come and help us renovate our school as well as give us new tables and chairs," the pupils expressed their worry.



On her part a representative from the central regional Anglican Education Unit, madam Baaba Bearheart said the unit has been writing letters to various quarters to help the school but have proven futile.



She further called on the Anglican church to as a matter of urgency to come to the aid of the school.

Source: Sally Ngissah/Peace FM News









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Some residents in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region say the passage of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) bill into law will negatively affect their businesses.



The residents, therefore, called on the Government to drop the bill and find alternative means to raise money to support the economy as the people were already saddled with other taxes.



The residents, in a random interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga, said the levy would especially affect the poor and less privileged in the rural areas, who received little monies from relatives and friends for their upkeep.



The Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, on November 17, 2021, proposed a 1.75 percent E-Levy on electronic transactions above Gh100.00 per day for mobile money transfers in the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament.



The Minister said the E-Levy, which was intended to widen the tax net to include the informal sector and reduce public debt, would cover Mobile Money (MoMo) transactions, bank transfers, merchant payments and inward remittances.



This move by government did not go down well with some sections of the public, generating several discourses that resulted in the Yentua demonstration, literally meaning We wont pay, by the National Democratic Congress.



A Momo vendor at the National Investment Bank area, Mr Jefferson Akantinaba, told the GNA that some residents had started withdrawing their monies upon the announcement of the introduction of the E-Levy.



Some people have started withdrawing their monies because they think if the E-Levy is introduced, there will be more charges, and they cannot afford. My colleagues and I think that the Government should not introduce the levy, else our businesses will collapse, Mr Akantinaba said.



Madam Jemila Malik, another vendor, said she took time to explain to her customers discussions on the levy were still ongoing, and that it was not yet implemented, but some do not believe and will simply ask me to withdraw their monies for them.



She said patronage of her on MoMo service had drastically reduced as compared to the time when government had not proposed the E-levy.



Mr Bukari Issah, an Auto Electrician, said: This levy will affect those of us who earn little monies daily and transfer some to our old parents in the village for their upkeep. In fact, the authorities should cancel this E-levy thing, so we all have our peace.



Some other market women in the Bolgatanga main market told the GNA that though they did not fully understand the conversation around the E-levy, once they had to pay extra charges through MoMo transactions for goods and services, they were against its introduction.





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.

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Parents of the eight-year-old girl in a viral video chastising the New Patriotic Party(NPP) and President Akufo-Addo for being stingy because they have not financed her schooling after she campaigned for the party in the run-up to the 2020 election, have apologised for the act.



The young girl in the video said during the 2020 election campaign period, she did a video with which she campaigned for the now Minister for Works and Housing and MP for Bantama, Francis Asenso- Boakye and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which went far on various online platforms.



According to her, after winning the election, the NPP government and Nana Addo have not done anything for her as would have been done if it were the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and John Dramani Mahama, who would have been catering for her schooling and family by now.



In the latest video, a feminine voice asked the Primary Two girl, Adobea, what she is saying Akufo-Addo has done to her.



In her response, the young girl said mm Asenso Boakye, when I did a big campaign (for him) it went viral. They didnt look for me ooo. If it were NDC, John Mahama, he would have been taking care of my schooling, and would have even extended the care to my family.



MP for Bantama and Works and Housing Minister Francis Asenso-Boakye, with Adobea and her family

They (NPP) have worn POP on their hands(stingy). When they get up, all they know is Fellow Ghanaians, Follow what and what; big English. Fix the country, Fix the country, has he(Nana Addo) not heard it?



Upon watching this viral video, Asenso-Boakye who should have been angered about it, rather searched for the whereabouts of Adobea and visited her on Friday 18th February, 2022.



The visit to the eight-year-old girl and her parents at Abrepo in the Bantama Constituency, was to thank the young girl for the supposed video she did in 2020 to support the campaign of the NPP.



Speaking in the presence of Adobea, her parents, other family members and cotenants, Mr. Asenso-Boakye, on behalf of the President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and the NPP thanked the the Basic Two pupil for the campaign she did for them during the 2020 election period. He was happy for the girls gift of eloquence and boldness in communicating.



However, suspecting that the small girl must have been led to say the sort things she said in the viral video, the Bantama Member of Parliament advised the parents to guard against pushing the girl into anything political, since it could affect her life in future.



He counseled other parents, guardians, and caretakers of children to eschew all sorts of attempts to cause children into doing partisan politics.



To Adobea, Francis Asenso-Boakye informed her that President Akufo-Addo is already catering for her schooling as his government has put in policies and programmes making basic and Senior High School education free for all pupils and students in public schools.



The former deputy chief of staff at the office of the president presented a brand tablet and an undisclosed amount of money to Adobea.



He encouraged her to learn hard in school and be obedient to her parents.



Mr. Addo and his wife pleaded with Hon. Asenso-Boakye and President Nana Addo to forgive them and their daughter, Adobea for the vial video which might have hurt them and their party.

They explained that they did not know about the video until they saw it on online platforms at which time they could do nothing about it.



They thanked their MP and the President for their patience and love towards the girl when the duo were supposed to be angry with her and or her family.

Adobeas parents opined that it would be ungrateful for any Ghanaian to criticize President Nana Addo when all eyes can testify that he is performing incredibly well.



Little Adobea thanked Asenso-Boakye for the tablet. She prayed, like pastors do for their church members, for Asenso-Boakye and charged politicians to unite to help develop the country.

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.

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Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Deputy Majority Leader has informed Parliament that the Minister for Communications and officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) have been invited to update members on the ongoing registration of citizens for the Ghana Card.



He explained that the NIA officials would engage the House during the Committee of the Whole meeting on Wednesday, February 23, 2022.



Additionally, the meeting is intended to discuss the continuing registration of citizens towards the acquisition of the ECOWAS Identity Card also known as the Ghana Card and other electronic registrations currently going on in the country.



Mr Afenyo-Markin made the announcement when he presented the Business Statement for the fifth week ending Friday, February 25, 2022.



Mr Afenyo-Markin also informed the House that President Nana Akufo-Addo would deliver the message on the State of the Nation on Thursday, March 3, 2022, in accordance with article 67 of the 1992 Constitution.



He clarified that though March 3, 2022, does not fall next week but members are being prompted in advance to prepare themselves for the occasion.



Mr Afenyo-Markin also told the House that there would be a Joint Caucus Meeting on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, to discuss pertinent issues affecting members.



He said the Leadership of the House would take part in the discussions and resolve important issues that affect members.





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.

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The Minority caucus in Parliament on Friday questioned the absence of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) from the Business Statement for the fifth week ending February 25, 2022.



This comes days after the leadership of the Majority in Parliament disclosed that the government would no longer withdraw and re-lay the E-levy bill, as communicated earlier.



Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, inquired the Majority to declare its position on the levy to clarify any misconception.



"It is not even in our business statements this week. We want to know the direction of the government on that E-levy policy. If it is no longer a priority, please let us know," Mr Buah said.



Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, MP for Juaboso, said: May I know when the E-levy will be brought back to the floor of the House?



"I say that because some members of the honourable House are going round telling Ghanaians that some of us are secretly supporting E-levy."



Responding to the concerns, Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader, advised the Minority to build consensus with the majority in passing the E-levy bill.



He said: "Yesterday, we considered the Sputnik report by consensus. Why dont we do the same for the E-levy?



Previous efforts to discuss the bill on the floor of Parliament had not been fruitful.



Presently, the nationwide conversation has been around the government pushing through the contentious 1.75 per cent E-levy estimated to rake in some $1 billion annually or sign up on the IMF programme.



While some analysts have proposed seeking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) Policy bailout as an adequate recourse amidst public disapproval of the E-levy, the government has not been in support.



Other schools of thought have also overlooked calls for the government to go under an IMF programme insisting that the options left for Ghana to consider are fiscal discipline, a reduction in wasteful expenditure, and the sealing of revenue leakages.



So far, the government has held three town hall meetings on the E-levy to get the citizens to understand the importance of the bill.



The fourth town hall meeting is scheduled for the Upper Wast Region on Monday, February 21, 2022, at the Regional Library, Wa.



The 1300 hours meeting would have Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister for Information, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister as some of the speakers.



The others are; Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister for Interior and Mr Issahaku Hamidu Chinia, the Deputy Minister Sanitation and Water Resources.





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.

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NPP Member of Parliament(MP) for Akim Oda constituency, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has condemned the coup allegation made by Abronye DC.



The Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC was arrested and put before an Accra Circuit Court over his claims that former President John Mahama is involved in a coup plot.



He was charged with two counts of publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.



According to the police, preliminary investigations showed that Abronye's claims against the former President, are untrue.



Meanwhile, he has been granted a bail of 100,000 with two sureties.



The Akim Oda MP, speaking on UTV's Adekye Nsroma programme, described the comments as "unfortunate".



"Abronye's comments are unfortunate but must not be trivialized . . . investigations must be made to find out why he made such comments. We cant say Abronye is one of us so we won't give any importance to what he says . . . Those of us enjoying the political and media space must watch our comments because coup is not something to toy with," he admonished.



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Potential New Patriotic Party's Presidential Candidate Hon Alan Kyerematen has paid for nomination forms for all aspiring polling station executives across the country.



The Trade and Industry Minister funded the entire nomination forms in all 275 constituencies to facilitate the ongoing polling station level election process within the elephant family.



To lessen the burden on the grassroots leaders, the hugely revered party stalwart sent out moneys to the various constituencies to cover the cost which otherwise would have been borne by the very grassroots members of the party.



In the case of orphan constituencies Hon Alan Kyerematen paid for both the nomination forms and the cost of the passport pictures of the aspiring polling station executives.



This gesture forms part of longstanding efforts by Hon Kyerematen to support polling station executives as he is noted to place much emphasis on the well-being of the grassroots of the New Patriotic Party.



Political pundits and experts have already earmarked Hon Alan Kyerematen to replace Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo as the next Presidential candidate of NPP heading into the 2024 General Election as he is widely respected as an honest and credible politician.

Source: Peacefmonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Bahrains first Business Angels firm Tenmou has opened registration to SMEs wishing to benefit from the guidance and investment avenues it provides through a tie-up with the Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) in the US.

The project aims to grow the SMEs sector in Bahrain and increase its contribution to GDP, in line with the government's recent economic recovery plan.

Bahraini SMEs may now apply to join this programme by contacting the Tenmou team and following through on registration and acceptance processes, according to Nawaf AlKoheji, CEO of Tenmou. He explained that this programme will be taking 25 startups at the beginning of March and another 25 startups again in August at dividing them into groups of 5 surrounding their sector, either Sports, Retail, Tech, Food, and Beverage or Manufacturing, and pairing them up with a reputable mentor to attend a one-on-one mentorship style programme once a month for three months where they will be given the tools and the direction to take grow their SME.

The mentors to attend the programme include Suzy Kanoo - CEO and president of Khalil bin Ebrahim Kanoo Company and International Motor Trading Agency, and Al Ghalia Group - managing firm of Cafe Lilou, Monsoon and Fatto, Khaled Albalooshi - Founder of K-Labs, Mahmood Abdulsamad Mohamed - Owner, Reps Fitness Studio & Ministry of Youth & Sports, and Ammar Awachi - CEO of TAHA International Industrial Services.

AlKoheji added that the companies accepted in the programme will have the opportunity to be provided with the tools and guidance necessary for their growth, increase productivity, upsurge their competitiveness, and ability to reach their services and products to regional and international markets.

He said that concluding the mentorship aspect of the programme the startups will then be given the opportunity to participate in a pitch night hosted by Tenmou and CIPE where they will pitch to a pool of investors and potentially receive investment.

Tenmou launched this programme last December through an agreement signed by AlKoheji, with Abdulwahab Alkebsi, President of CIPE.-- TradeArabia News Service
The governing New Patriotic Party NPP has said the Electronic Transaction Levy is a nationalist instrument for development and as such calls on the Minority in parliament to approve the bill.



The party believe the bill will help mobilize more revenue for the government while reducing the ballooning debt situation.



The National Communications Director for the NPP Yaw Boaben Asamoa said this during a press engagement on the Electronic Transaction Levy bill held in Kumasi on Friday, February 18, 2022.



He noted that the implementation of the E-levy will help generate internal revenues devoid of high rate interest which will be channelled into productive sectors of the economy.



Mr Boaben Asamoa added that the huge mismatch between revenue generation and infrastructure needs was not sustainable if the country was to accelerate its economic transformation agenda within the shortest possible time.



He however challenged the Minority in Parliament to support the policy if indeed they have good intentions for the future of Ghana.



He explained that the proposed e-Levy when approved will transform the Ghanaian economy and in effect protect the vulnerable.



The e-levy which was introduced by the incumbent government in its 2022 budget is to be rolled out after parliament's approval ensuring that Ghanaians are taxed on their electronic transactions.



The e-levy has been met with strong opposition from the Minority in Parliament as they have vehemently kicked against its approval.









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.

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The Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, has said the proposed E-Levy is not regressive but a comprehensive system to get all potential taxpayers to contribute their quota to national development.



He said the rate of 1.5 per cent and the exemption of the first GH100 transfer per day meant that the tax was pro-poor and, therefore, not regressive.



He added that the levy, whose proposed rate had been reduced from 1.75 to 1.5 per cent, was the most effective way to widen the tax net and raise adequate revenue to prosecute the governments agenda and provide jobs for the youth.



Mr Ofori-Atta gave the explanation when he spoke with the media last Saturday on the sidelines of the 24th meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), which he chairs.



He said the ongoing town hall meetings across the country had afforded him the opportunity to properly explain the dynamics of the tax to the populace, saying that it had been well received.



Ghanaians are largely in favour of paying the E-Levy, contrary to the impression being created from Parliament, he told newsmen.



Consequently, the minister expressed optimism that the government would be successful at securing parliamentary approval for the levy, which had initially been billed to take off on February 1.



Tax of the future



Commenting on the status of the E-Levy, Mr Ofori-Atta noted that the current situation where only 2.4 million people were paying direct taxes when estimates showed that about 20 million people should be paying, needed to change if the country wanted to adequately fund its development aspirations.



He explained that after various analyses, the E-Levy became the most potent avenue to rope more people into the tax bracket.



He said e-commerce had become the business of the future, with almost every Ghanaian participating in it.



Citing the strong growth in the value of mobile money transactions from GH78 billion in 2016 to almost GH950 billion last year, Mr Ofori-Atta said: Clearly, it is a tax handle for the future and we must engage it so that we can support our debt, our employment and our infrastructure.



As a friend told me, we have a system of taxes with everybody holding buckets where they can bring in or dodge. Now, we have brought a water-hose system of which everybody will be in there so that we can all contribute, he noted.

Source: graphic.com.gh









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Whats now known as the Sunshine Ridge Retirement Residence in Osoyoos struggled in its first few years, but the ensuing legal mess took much longer to clean up.
David Eby, B.C.'s attorney general and minister responsible for housing, speaks in Vancouver on July 28, 2021. Eby is signaling the provincial government is preparing to remove some of the powers municipal governments have to approve housing developments in their communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The Bahrain Technology Companies Society (BTECH) has given the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani an overview of the new BTECH approach, which is in line with the government's economic recovery plan.

The Minister held a meeting with the Board of Directors of BTECH, which was represented by Chairman Tareq Fakhroo and Treasurer Rashed AlSnan.

During the meeting, the Society extended its appreciation to Al Zayani for his efforts in supporting Bahraini companies and developing the work environment in the sector to help companies improve their services and products, implement growth and expansion plans, and increase their exports to foreign markets.

The Society singled out the efforts of Al Zayani in developing the SME sector through SME Development Council, which he chairs, and increasing its market share, its ability to provide quality employment opportunities for citizens, and its contribution to the GDP of Bahrain.

Al Zayani listened to a presentation of the Society's overall activities and events during the previous period, as well as the role it played during the Corona pandemic, in the context of the ICT sector's vital role in maintaining the conduct of public life in various sectors such as e-commerce, education, health, among others, as well as the Society's directions and plan, which aim to increase the contribution of Bahraini ICT companies to the GDP.

BTECH is a specialised non-profit Society, which was founded in 2012 as part of the kingdom's efforts to improve the efficiency of its national economy on the one hand and to strengthen its position in the ICT markets on the other and has been working to be major leverage to strengthen the position of ICT companies in the Bahraini market as a first step in helping them achieve the outstanding position they deserve in regional and international markets.-- TradeArabia News Service
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American Airlines is reducing its summer flight schedule again because of delivery delays Boeing Co.'s South Carolina-based 787 program is still trying to resolve.

American already announced cutbacks to its overseas flights for the upcoming summer season in December because of the Dreamliner issues. The carrier is now saying some of the new jets it expected to receive this April probably won't arrive by then, prompting more changes.

"Due to the continued impact of Boeing's delayed delivery of our new 787-8 aircraft, this weekend, we were forced to make adjustments to our summer schedule," a spokesperson for the Texas-based airline said in a statement Feb. 21.

American thought it would receive at least four of its Dreamliners by April. It said it now expects to receive only 10 of the planes by the end of the year, instead of the planned 13.

The remaining three aircraft won't be delivered until 2023.

Deliveries of the wide-body that's assembled in North Charleston have been stopped for all but a couple months since late 2020 as the planemaker works to resolve production issues. Boeing has declined to give an estimate for when 787 handovers will resume, deferring to the Federal Aviation Administration, which will have to give its approval for deliveries to resume.

In a message to employees, American said it was taking a "proactive approach to reduce the negative impact Boeings delays could have on our business and our customers."

The carrier is delaying the launch of its route between Dallas and Tel Aviv and temporarily suspending service for its Seattle and London, Los Angeles and Sydney and Dallas and Santiago, Chile routes. Flights between Miami and Sao Paulo, Brazil, are also being reduced.

The company still has "tremendous confidence" in the 787, despite the delays, the message said, and will keep working with Boeing.

In a written statement, Boeing expressed "deep regret" for the impact the 787 delays are having on customers.

The company has said it will compensate American Airlines for its inability to deliver the widebodies on time.

During its quarterly financial update last month, Boeing announced that it took a $3.5 billion charge on the Dreamliner program, primarily to account for anticipated penalties paid to customers that have been dealing with the consequences of the 787 holdups.

Boeing also said it expects to incur $2 billion in costs from production changes that have slowed 787 assembly in North Charleston.

When Dreamliner deliveries do resume, the FAA will be performing final flight checks on all of the aircraft, the safety agency said last week. Previously, certain Boeing employees had been authorized to certify the planes.
Back in the 80s I heard a nurse say this: People used to be afraid to go into the hospital because they might die there. Now I talk to people who are afraid to go to the hospital because they might not be allowed to die there.

Things have changed since then. But the fact remains that a large portion of high-tech, high-expense medical resources is spent because, when benefit to the unconscious patient is at the vanishing point, the hospital staff do not feel authorized to stop.

The situation has changed in part because more people have found a way to direct their own care appropriately after they have lost the ability to think or communicate.

Have you had a conversation with anyone about your wishes concerning medical care at the end of life? Have you written anything down?

Many older adults have had this discussion with their doctor, and/or their spouse, adult child, close friend or pastor. Some include this subject as part of their estate planning when a lawyer helps them draw up their will. The shorthand term for bringing this discussion to bear on real medical decisions is advance directives. The matter of advance directives is important enough to merit another reminder even if you have executed yours already.

But first, what are advance directives? These two are at the top of the list:

1. The living willin South Carolina the legal form is called Declaration of a Desire for a Natural Death. This form addresses the use or withholding of life-sustaining treatments for one who is very ill with virtually no chance of recovery and who no longer has capacity to make decisions.

2. Health Care Power of Attorney. This form names an agent or proxy to act on ones behalf if one is no longer capable of communicating consent or refusal of treatment. It reinforces the living will by empowering a trusted, informed person to carry it out when the time comes.

Some hospice organizations and practitioners also use a document called Five Wishes. This includes the living will and the naming of an agent, plus other helpful information, and is legally valid in our state. But these documents and the various conditions they cover can seem complicated and are best handled in discussion with a medical, legal or other advisor familiar with them. This column has a different purpose than to spell out the content of advance directives: it is to simply say, DO IT!

Here are 10 reasons why you and I should attend to advance directives now.

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1. CLEARNESS. Completing advance directives for end of life care makes you think carefully about your beliefs and values: what qualities or abilities make life worth living, what you want your legacy to be, how you want your loved ones to accompany you in your last journey, what kind of moral statement your use of limited health care resources will make.

2. LACK OF PRESSURE. Decisions made later when youre in a crisis situation are less thought-out, less reflective of deeply held values, more subject to the high emotional pitch of the moment. The emergency room or ICU are not the best places to calmly deliberate options, for you or your familyespecially not your family.

3. PRACTICAL. Advance directives make clear to your loved ones and health professionals what kind of medical interventions you want and what you do NOT want. They are based in values but they govern actions and have consequences. (Note that advance directives go into effect only when you are no longer capable of communicating your wishes.)

4. ASSURANCE. You are assured that a person who knows you well, who is informed and in whom you have confidence, will speak up for you and represent your wishes in what are sometimes difficult negotiations about medical procedures. That person you choose is authorized with the Health Care Power of Attorney.

5. TRUST. Working out your advance directives promotes trust between you and your health care providers, and also within your family or whoever will serve as your agent, when these tough issues and the reasons for your decisions are discussed honestly and with candor.

6. CONNECTIONS. Advance directives network with other decisions and responsibilities you need to address in view of your mortality. These things include making a will, donating organs or tissues, figuring out what kind of insurance you need and how much, thinking about how and where you want to be buried (cremation, green burial, etc.), even having a say about what your obituary discloses or leaves out about you!

7. TEAMWORK. One idea is to gather a team to help and support you in thinking through your end of life goals and decisions. Your team could include a trusted doctor or nurse, a pastor or congregation member who understands your faith perspective, a member of your family or close friend who can accompany you, someone with experience in sticking with a loved one who was dying. Such a team can give you both encouragement and direction.

8. MOVEABILITY. If you travel or move, valid advance directives you made in South Carolina will normally be accepted wherever you go. If you do move residence to another state, or if you have moved from another state, its still a good idea to update your documents. In fact, reviewing your documents is a good idea even if you stay put, especially when there has been a significant change in your circumstances (disability, divorce, etc.).

9. SAFEGUARDING. Advance directives give some elders the means to declare that they dont want to make foolish use of limited medical resources at the point when prolonging life is merely prolonging their dying, when do everything possible is disconnected from any meaningful medical outcome.

10. GRIEVING. When your loved ones know that your own expressed values and decisions were honored in the care you received at the last, that can help them grieve with less moral anxiety (guilt), depression, or sense of unfinished business. You may even be a model they will remember in their turna guide in making the last journey with hope, courage, compassion, and resolution. What a gift to leave them.
When twin sisters and nurses Windy Hucks and Cindy Cox lost their mother Claudine Robertson in December 2021, they wondered how they could honor her 30-plus-year nursing career at her funeral service.

The two found the Nurses Honor Guard of South Carolina, a non-profit dedicated to paying tribute to nurses by performing the Nightingale Tribute at funerals and memorial services. Now, the organization is looking to recruit new members to its Charleston division.

The service, similar to that of a military tribute, officially releases the nurse whose passed away from their nursing duties. Members of the honor guard attend all services wearing the traditional white uniform, cap and cape.

"It gave me goosebumps," said Hucks, who works as a registered nurse in Conway, South Carolina.

The ceremony itself is very brief, only allotting for about five minutes of the total funeral service. Members recite the Nightingale Tribute and lay a white rose on the casket or next to the urn, symbolizing the nurses dedication to the profession.

After the Nightingale Tribute is recited, a triangle is rung after a roll call for the nurse. The nurses name is called three times and the triangle is rung after each call of the name.

"Of course, she didn't answer," said Hucks. "But after the third ringing of the bell, they officially relieved my mom of her nursing duties. You could hear a pen drop."

A lit Nightingale lamp is carried up at the beginning of the ceremony and is then extinguished and presented to the family with personal condolences made. And according to Hucks, two nurses stood guard alongside her mothers casket, swapping out nurses every 15 minutes until the memorial services began.

Hucks and Cox have both worked in nursing for over 30 years, getting their passion for caretaking from their mother, who they say would come home from work beaming with joy after caring for her patients at McLeod Loris Hospital in Loris, South Carolina.

When Hucks and Cox graduated nursing school, the two even worked at the same hospital as their mother, learning her tips on bedside manner.

"The nurses honor guard is a very special tribute to anybody in the nursing field," said Cox. "Nursing was my mom's calling and it became me and my sister's calling as well."

The organization is a nationwide non-profit, but began in South Carolina in the summer of 2019 when registered nurse Stormy Shealy founded the Upstate chapter of the organization.

Shealy has worked as a registered nurse in the emergency department for Prisma Health for over 30 years.

"When I heard about nurses who honor other nurses at the time of their death, it spoke to my heart," said Shealy.

Shealy said she started the organization at a pizza parlor in Easley, where she and a few of her colleagues brainstormed how they could start a chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard in their home state.

Now, the organization has 138 members across four regional chapters, including the Upstate, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Lowcountry regions.

"I believe nurses need to be honored not only in life, but in death, as well," said Shealy. "Serving on the honor guard is even more fulfilling than my 32-year nursing career, and I love being a nurse."

According to Shealy, nurses these days are under extreme physical and emotional stress, largely due to the overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients in emergency rooms and intensive care units.

Not only that, but some hospitals in the state have experienced staffing shortages in the midst of a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant.

While the state health agency continues to ask residents to get vaccinated and boosted to curb the spread of the virus, children and adults are still getting infected and hospitalized with COVID-19.

"We are literally on the front lines of this pandemic," said Shealy. "I think even more than ever, nurses should be honored and respected."
SUMMERVILLE  Carol Grant remembers the day the pandemic first affected her Flowertown Bed and Breakfast.

On March 14, 2020, her emails and notifications went off, signaling weeks and months of silence at her and her husband's 1889 home.

"All my reservations started canceling," she said.

Donna House, the general manager of 27 State St. bed-and-breakfast in Charleston, said she remembers guests calling, anxious and in tears, hoping to cancel reservations at the last minute.

"It hit me that something really serious was going on," she said.

It was a familiar update that many bed-and-breakfast owners and staff across the Lowcountry and likely, the nation, could relate to as tourism came to a standstill in 2020.

Bed-and-breakfast spaces are often seen as one of many different lodging options when touring. Owners in the Lowcountry say the small, homelike nature of their inns often is what pulls people in.

"It's like your home away from home," Grant said.

When the pandemic swept the planet, it came at a time when different areas in the Lowcountry were having conversations around bed-and-breakfast spaces. They were primarily focused on separating bed-and-breakfasts from short-term rentals offered by companies like Airbnb and Vrbo.

In Summerville, 2020 marked the first time the town adjusted its regulations to officially separate bed-and-breakfast businesses from short-term rentals.

In the neighboring city of Charleston, officials were regulating new ordinance rules as short-term rentals boomed in popularity in the city.

And though it might be easy to mistake a short-term rental for a bed-and-breakfast, owners of the latter highlight that the experience is different.

Not a hotel or short-term rental

A bed-and-breakfast isn't something a homeowner can wake up one morning and decide to do. At least not legally.

In February 2020, the town of Summerville approved a clear definition of what a short-term rental is. The motivation in doing so is to ensure that residential areas maintain their character, according to town planning staff.

Summerville defines a short-term rental as "the leasing or rental of an entire or extra dwelling unit by a permanent resident typically using a hosting platform in increments of less than one month.

Prior to this, property owners were told to follow guidelines surrounding bed-and-breakfast businesses.

In town, a bed-and-breakfast is a residential home or space that has no more than five guest rooms. Guests are also lodged and fed for pay.

Additional guidelines include details such as owners having to live on the property, serve breakfast and make sure the establishment doesn't cause a disturbance to the community.

Both short-term rentals and bed-and-breakfasts require a business license in Summerville as well. If both are done legally, it can be hard to separate what a short-term rental looks like versus a bed-and-breakfast.

But bed-and-breakfast owners argue the distinction comes down to service and social interactions.

Carol Feldhaus owns Caroline's Bed and Breakfast in Summerville. Part of what prepared her to run Caroline's was something as small as entertaining family and friends at home, she said. She and her husband opened their bed-and-breakfast in Summerville in 2016 after moving from the Midwest.

The biggest hurdle was getting used to someone new being in their home and making sure they were comfortable and entertained.

"That was kind of a learning experience," she said.

Grant agrees.

"It really is like we're opening our house to guests," Grant said.

Part of the reason why it's important for them to separate from a traditional short-term rental is so guests know what to expect.

With a bed-and-breakfast, they said it's often understood that there will be some level of service similar to a hotel, but much smaller. With a short-term rental that's not always the case.

In the Charleston French Quarter, where House manages 27 State St., short-term rentals aren't allowed. The reason is because people were abusing it, House said.

Prior to the regulations, she said the historic community had to deal with situations like people frequently moving in and out of the neighborhood. Cars were also flooding the streets for parking.

When Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg took office in 2016, finding a solution to what some labeled an unchecked short-term rental industry became one of his goals. Officials said the growing industry posed a threat to the residential nature of neighborhoods.

Over the years as the prices for homes went up, House said residents were less likely to want their neighbors to offer a short-term rental. The French Quarter is also filled with art galleries.

All of this fed into the French Quarter Neighborhood Association limiting the rental spaces. The 27 State St. space is an 1814 home that has been a bed-and-breakfast for years, prior to the emergence of services like Airbnb or Vrbo.

It also led to the eventual creation of the current short-term rental ordinance in Charleston, as well as law enforcement creating a specialized team of officers focused on criminally prosecuting illegal short-term rentals.

In Charleston, the regulations around short-term rentals and bed-and-breakfasts are somewhat similar to Summerville's. Some of the differences include specifically having rules around how bed- and-breakfast spaces advertise with signage.

Having worked for larger 200-room hotels and smaller inns, House said she agrees the service component combined with the home feel and small size is what separates a bed and breakfast.

For some owners, it's also what has likely made the spaces stand out through the pandemic.

The pandemic's 'bright' side

Following city and town shutdowns and new health precautions from the pandemic, some bed and breakfast owners look back at the experience somewhat positively.

Flowertown Bed and Breakfast went two months without seeing any guests. And while a stressful period, Grant said it didn't take long for people to gravitate back.

When guests did start to trickle in, the attraction wasn't initially the rooms. To Grant's surprise, it was the home's outdoor venue that pulled people in.

"They just called us up and we started booking weddings like crazy," she said.

She and other bed-and-breakfast owners in Summerville also organized an outdoor tour of porches to bring awareness of the businesses' presence and raise money for a local library. Feldhaus at Caroline's also participated in the tour.

In Charleston, House said she was nervous when the doors initially reopened in 2020.

"My stomach was in knots," she said.

She, like other owners, would be living with the guests and was worried about potentially catching the coronavirus.

After taking some time and increasing COVID precautions, she said she eventually became comfortable. This ended up working out since more people were pushing to reserve a room at the home when businesses slowly started opening in 2020.

"We had guests coming from New York wanting to stay," House said.

One of the surprising positives for many owners in the area was the enthusiasm from people wanting to stay at their establishments. House said it felt like they had just become more visible for some reason.

Other owners believe the size of bed-and-breakfast homes was what pulled people toward them.

Many bed-an-breakfasts are as small as three rooms. This is in comparison to larger hotels with hundreds of rooms. Feldhaus said she believes people were just a little more comfortable, especially prior to vaccines.

"People were just busting to get out of their house," she said.

Mohamad Hakimian owns 1837 Bed & Breakfast off of Wentworth Street in Charleston. Similar to House, he has worked for large and boutique hotels in the past.

Hakimian reopened his bed-and-breakfast in June 2020 after closing it earlier in March. The business only allowed one room to be booked until February 2021.

This was also when their reservations started to pick up even more, with people taking the vaccine.

Thats when we knew the pandemic was kind of slowing down and people were anxious to travel," he said.

They ended 2021 with it being their strongest year ever. And 2022 is shaping up to be stronger.

Hakimian points to a combination of people preferring the smaller bed-and-breakfast spaces and wanting to travel more.

"I also think people saved a lot of money during that time," he said.

For Feldhaus, last month was Caroline's strongest January since they opened the business in 2016. And the same noticeable increase in customers has been seen at 27 State St. as well.

Grant said she's happy the pandemic introduced new ways to use Flowertown and for new customers in general. The goal is to make the porch tour an annual tradition.

But she and other owners are excited that people are looking at their spaces more than in previous years.

"It's sharing a house," Grant said. "If I'm willing to open up my home to you it's a different experience."
The campaign against oil and gas is short-sighted and Saudi Arabia will continue to invest in this sector and will work to raise its production capacity, said Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy.

Taking part in the International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) 2022 panel discussion on the main topic of the conference "enhancing global recovery through sustainable energy", Prince Abdulaziz said the Kingdom will also work to achieve net-zero emissions, adding that most of what is spent on is technology, where the Kingdom is working with an integrated system, said a Saudi Press Agency report.

The panel saw also the participation of UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Al-Mazrouei; Kuwaiti Minister of Oil, Dr. Mohammad Abdul Latif Al-Fares; Bahraini Minister of Oil, Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa; Iraqi Minister of Oil, Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismail; and Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El-Molla.

The Saudi Minister of Energy said if we do not achieve our collective goals, we will not achieve our individual goals, and the Kingdom continues to invest and expand its production capacity, noting that focusing on specific elements such as alternative energy alone would be a huge mistake and the world must look at all energy sources.

Bahraini Minister of Oil Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa praised the Middle East Green Initiative that seeks to make the region safe and reduce carbon emissions, referring to the big role of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Minister of Energy, in leading the efforts of Opec+ and saving the international oil market from the drop.

Meanwhile, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al-Mazrouei said that hydrogen will be a promising and attractive market, where the UAE seeks to be part of this future and has projects in around 40 countries worldwide.

He noted that the conference seeks to encourage the youth to focus on hydrogen through the petroleum industries in addition to blue hydrogen, adding that if investments are planned in a good way, it will contribute to reaching innovation.

For his part, Kuwaiti Minister of Oil Mohammad Abdul Latif Al-Fares said: We hope the issue of Opec and Opec+ ends this year and they should have a cooperation agreement that should be implemented through a correct approach in coordination in this changing sector.

Iraqi Minister of Oil Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismail highlighted the importance for Opec+ to commit to the current agreement for the interest of the energy market with the current multilateral discussions, referring to the way of achieving balance in the market between supply and demand to avoid any surprises in the future in a way that serves the interests of all.

He noted that Iraq is going through a strategic transition phase and counts of changing all energy generation stations to some 33 gigawatts and to receive the remaining power from the solar and fossil fuel energy, pointing out that Iraq has signed several agreements with global companies to generate solar energy, where the government has prepared a strategic plan and allocated money from the general budget to realize this goal.
North Augusta, SC (29801)

Today

Mostly clear skies early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms late. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms late. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
There have been contradictions about our local government's strategy on COVID-19 testing and limitations for those who have come in close cont Read more
The Chinese Communist Party has enlisted an unknown but substantial number of American academics in its effort to, among other things, steal intellectual property. The Trump administration commendably launched a China Initiative in the Department of Justice to look into such infiltration, not only in academia but also in the business world. Reportedly, the Biden administration is about to shut down that effort:

The DOJs China Initiative, launched under former President Donald Trump, is an attempt to focus law enforcement efforts on identifying Chinese government infiltration of academia and the technology and economic sectors meant to undermine the United States and enrich Chinas intellectual property base. The DOJ under President Joe Biden is reportedly nearing the end of a review of the program. According to a report from Reuters this week, the Biden administration is expected to end a program focused on professors working illicitly with the Communist Party and remove China from the name of the China Initiative amid concerns that label could fuel anti-Asian rhetoric.

Anti-Asian rhetoric? It is actually anti-CCP rhetoric, but never mind, we cant have that! But how about anti-American rhetoric? The Biden administration, and the Democratic Party generally, engage in it relentlessly, with consequences that are entirely foreseeable:

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin described the program, and all national security protocol meant to protect the U.S. from Chinese government theft and espionage, as evidence of systemic racial discrimination in America.

Of course he did! Joe Biden, along with the entire American Left, has indicted our country for systemic racial discrimination, endlessly. In fact, that is the core of their political philosophy. So it is inevitable that our adversaries will take advantage of our leaders own bizarre attacks on our country. How could they pass up such an easy opportunity?

Both the so-called China Initiative and the rampant anti-Asian acts and words in the US boil down to its systemic racial discrimination and reflect the entrenched social problem in the US, Wang claimed. Statistics show that anti-Asian hate crimes rose 76 percent in 2020. A quarter of young Americans of Asian descent were targeted by racial discrimination and bullying over the last year.

The CCP throws back in the Biden administrations face its lame PR campaign over anti-Asian hate crimes, more or less all of which, if they amounted to assault, were perpetrated by derelict blacks in urban areas.

There is, of course, anti-Asian discrimination in the U.S., carried out by institutions like Harvard that fight tooth and nail to keep Asians out. It may be noteworthy that the CCP doesnt single out this most obvious example of anti-Asian discrimination: it knows who its friends are.

The Chinese Communist Party has repeatedly used alleged systemic racism  a common complaint from the American left  as a cudgel to condemn the American government while dismissing concerns about the ongoing genocide against Muslim ethnic groups it is currently perpetrating.

I dont think it is an exaggeration to say that the mainstream of the Democratic Party, which now controls the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate, hates America and considers our history to be irredeemably evil. It is no surprise that leaders of hostile countries adopt the Democrats indictments of America as their own. What is hard to explain is why anyone votes for politicians who espouse such noxious and irrational beliefs.
Barton Swaim commends three new books in the popular history mode on Lincoln  by Brian Kilmeade, Brad Meltzer and John Avlon  in the Wall Street Journals Review section this weekend. Swaim recounts this anecdote lifted from John Avlons Lincoln and the Fight For Peace, with which Swaim concludes his review:

On April 8, 1865, Lincoln visited Gen. Grants headquarters near Richmond and consoled wounded Union soldiers in a field hospital. When he began walking toward a tent separated from the others, a doctor tried to stop him. Those, the doctor said, were for wounded Confederates. That, Lincoln replied, is just where I do want to go. There, too, the president spoke peaceably to the wounded. Years later one of the sick rebels, Col. Henry L. Benbow, recalled Lincoln extending his hand. Mr. President, I said, do you know to whom you offer your hand? I do not, he replied. Well, I said, you offer it to a Confederate colonel, who has fought you as hard as he could for four years. Well, said he, I hope a Confederate colonel will not refuse me his hand. No, sir, I replied, I will not, and I clasped his hand in both mine. I tell you, sir, he had the most magnificent face and eye that I have ever gazed into. He had me whipped from the time he first opened his mouth.

Lincoln was assassinated on April 14 and died the following day.

I add as a footnote that Peter Cozzens reviews Walter Stahrs 848-page doorstop biography of Salmon Chase in the same section. Chase was of course Lincolns Treasury secretary and, on Lincolns appointment in 1864, Chief Justice of the United States. Cozzens concludes his review on a note that grabbed my attention: Mr. Stahr weaves Chases personal and political lives together deftly, revealing for readers the whole man. Salmon P. Chase: Lincolns Vital Rival is as powerful and moving a political biography as I have read. This is the concluding paragraph in its entirety:

Chase knew profound personal tragedy. By the age of 44, he had lost three wives to untimely deaths. After his third wife succumbed to tuberculosis in 1852, Chase never remarried. He also lost nine siblings and four children. The tumultuous marriage of his beautiful and fiery daughter Kate to the alcoholic Gov. William Sprague of Rhode Island, a union doomed to mutual infidelity, and their scandalous divorce caused Chase intense grief. Mr. Stahr weaves Chases personal and political lives together deftly, revealing for readers the whole man. Salmon P. Chase: Lincolns Vital Rival is as powerful and moving a political biography as I have read. I learned a great deal from it, and I warmly commend it to those seeking a fuller understanding of the turbulent American 19th century and the critical early decades in the struggle for black rights.

Among other things inspirational in their own right, his story might help to put our own troubles in perspective.
Netflix is streaming the movie made of Robert Harriss Munich. The film is titled Munich: The Edge of War. Played by Jeremy Irons, Neville Chamberlain is the hero of the piece. The Free Beacon has commissioned Andrew Roberts to cast a historians eye on the proceedings. The heading of Robertss review deems it The Edge of Nonsense.

Roberts is not entirely negative, but the minus outweighs the pluses: The movie Munich is well-written (based on Robert Harriss bestselling 2017 thriller), lavishly produced (by Netflix), fast-pacedand an absolute historical travesty. Roberts extracts humor of a kind from the films historical mash-up:

Neville Chamberlain was such a poor wordsmith that this movie is reduced to quoting (without attribution) the words of Winston Churchill about people falling below the level of events, a phenomenon of which Chamberlain was the primary exemplar. Churchill is not even mentioned in this movie despite its several scenes of the House of Commons, which was where he made the greatest critique of the Munich Agreement. Do not suppose that this is the end, Churchill prophetically said of Chamberlains sacrifice of Czechoslovakia. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigour, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time. Churchill was proved totally right within a matter of months, whereas for all this movies attempted advocacy, Chamberlain is still wrong eighty-four years later.

Roberts is quoting from Churchills brilliant October 5, 1938 speech condemning the Munich Agreement. The speech is is posted online in its entirety here. Churchills speech stands the test of time. With Robertss capable assistance, the film should be consigned to the ash heap of history.
One of the mysteries of the COVID era is that there has been no attack on vaccine mandates for their racial disparate impact, since vaccination rates are so much lower among blacks especially. When New York City imposed vaccine mandates for access to restaurants and other public accommodations, I expected some eager civil rights lawyer to file suit because of its racially discriminatory effects. After all, as reported here last month, traffic cameras are racist.

Well, Seattle is close. It has decided to repeal its bicycle helmet laws because . . . well, let Public Health Insider explain it:

Bike helmets save lives and help prevent serious injuries. A review of several published studies estimates that bike helmets provide a 63-88% reduction in the risk of head and brain injuries for people who ride bikes. As part of the movement to encourage the use of bike helmets, the King County Board of Health passed a law in 1993 requiring anyone riding a bike to wear a helmet. However, data presented to the Board of Health has shown racist and discriminatory enforcement. Seattle Police Department data collected and analyzed by Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and the Helmet Law Working Group shows that police disproportionately gave helmet law citations to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color cyclists. Their analysis found that Black riders were nearly four times as likely to be cited by police for not wearing a helmet while biking compared to White riders. Further, in Seattle, nearly half of the citations issued for biking without a helmet were given to people living homeless. In light of this data, and in alignment with the Board of Healths declaration of Racism as a Public Health crisis, on February 17, 2022, the Board of Health repealed the King County bike helmet law while affirming the importance of helmets in preventing serious injury and death. . . To help support more equitable access to helmets, the King County Council allocated $221,000 in the supplemental budget passed in November 2021 to support Public Healths work distributing free helmets to those who may have trouble accessing them and promoting bike safety.

Of course, there is no data offered as to helmet compliance rates by race. Maybe no such data exist. Best guess is that the top-line BIPOC more than four times likely to be cited is simply the number of tickets measured against the general demographic profile of King County. It seems implausible that Seattle law enforcement is deliberately and selectively targeting minorities for helmet law violations. I wonder what the data would look like if it could be broken out by income level. Common sense suggests that many people dont have helmets because they are poor. But thats inconvenient to the race-mongers. And good to know that racism is a greater public health problem than head injuries from bicycle accidents.
I dont have a firm conclusion about just what we should do about the Ukraine crisis (beyond not sending Kamala Harris to Munich to embarrass the country). We ought to arm the Ukrainians with all the weapons they can use (short of nukes), impose serious sanctions on Russia, and perhaps some heavy cyber actions. But it is also worth considering that if Germany wont stand up with the rest of the NATO alliance to naked Russian aggression, maybe they deserve to be ruled by Russia. It would be a deserved irony if Putin tells Germany that eastern Ukraine is my last territorial demand.

The economic dislocation here could be significant. If global oil markets are roiled, it will be interesting to see how the Biden Administration handles $7 a gallon gasoline at the pump. Suspending the 18 cents a gallon federal gasoline tax wont help very much.

And is it even remotely possible the Biden team is contemplating direct U.S. military involvement in eastern Europe? Dont entirely rule it out. A century ago Randolph Bourne famously said, War is the health of the state. Heres the 21st century version that appeared in the Washington Post:

The ultimate Keynesian dream!

Dont think this is completely fanciful. Whats the point of having this superb military youre always talking about if we cant use it?, Clintons Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once demanded of Colin Powell.

ChaserIt turns out that Ukrainians are pretty good at creating memes suitable for the situation. A reader sends along these:
By Gao Hongbao and Sun Xiaoshun

GAO, Mali, Feb. 21 -- The 9th Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Mali hosted the technical training for medical staff of the Gao Hospital at the Chinese level II hospital on February 16. Both the Sector East Command of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the Gao Hospital spoke highly of this training.

The Gao region of Mali lacks medical resources, and terrorist attacks occur frequently under a turbulent situation. To provide local people with better medical care and save more lives, the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent established a medical technical support mechanism with the Gao Hospital.

During the technical training this time, the Chinese peacekeepers shared the diagnosis techniques and treatment experience to the participants, and donated medicines, medical consumables, and other materials to the Gao Hospital. "We appreciate the technical experience and medical supplies provided by the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent. Today's training event is a good start for the cooperation between the two sides," said Joseph, director of the Gao Hospital.

A number of officials from the Sector East Command of the MINUSMA also participated in the event. And the commander of the Sector East Command sent a letter of thanks to praise the important contribution made by the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to the improvement of the medical conditions in Gao.
UW in the News

State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage:

Utility Dive interviewed Charles Mason, the H.A. Dave True Jr. Chair in Petroleum and Natural Gas Economics at UW, for an article noting that the U.S. Department of Energy will spend $6 billion on a program designed to keep nuclear power plants from closing. Mason said the high operating and maintenance costs of running reactors can make them uneconomical in some markets.

The UW Board of Trustees last week voted to lift the mask requirement in most indoor spaces at UW. Cowboy State Daily and WyoFile were among media outlets reporting on the changes that will take place beginning today (Monday). The Laramie Boomerang and Big Horn Radio Network published UWs release on the boards action.

MSN reprinted a Roll Call article in which UW economist Anne Alexander was quoted. Alexander said about 50 cryptocurrency firms have relocated to Wyoming to take advantage of the crypto laws. Many of those companies have just incorporated in the state, not moved their actual headquarters.

Camellia Moses Okpodu is the new UW College of Arts and Sciences dean as of last June. She was profiled in a Wyoming Public Radio interview, where she discussed her goals and the reorganization of the college.

Law360 interviewed UW College of Law Professor Michael Duff, a labor law expert, for an article that discussed how attorneys of color are underrepresented on both the union and management sides of the labor law field. The article noted that labor law diversification has improved the last few years.

In a Buffalo Bulletin article republished in The Jackson Hole News & Guide, UW psychology Professor Carolyn Pepper discussed the factors that have led to Wyoming having the highest suicide rate in the nation.

WyoToday Media published UWs release announcing that Tommy Orange, a Native American writer whose New York Times bestselling debut novel, There, There, was nominated for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize, will give a free public reading from his book next month on campus.

UWs fourth IMPACT 307 incubator will be located on the Cheyenne campus of Laramie County Community College. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle noted that IMPACT 307 focuses on the creation of innovative and scalable businesses.

Registration is now open for the Yellowstone symposium, an event celebrating Yellowstone National Parks 150th anniversary. The Cody Enterprise published UWs announcement for the event that is sponsored by UWs College of Law and the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources in collaboration with Yellowstone National Park. The symposium is scheduled later this spring in Cody.

Sheridan Media published UWs release announcing that UWs IMPACT 307 will host Foundational Topics for Licensing Intellectual Property, a new Lunch and Learn series webinar this week.

UW business Professor Emeritus Sherrill Shaffer spoke with WalletHub for a column that offered professional decision-making advice on debt consolidation loans.

Hits 106 posted UWs release on its website announcing the university and state community colleges collaboration on the opening of the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative. The initiative will offer degree/certification programs that will benefit Wyomings second-largest industry, tourism and hospitality.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Sunday threatened to direct its members to stop going to work if the challenge of fuel scarcity across the country persists the next few days.

Mohammad Yunusa, the TUC national treasurer, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on Sunday during a delegate conference of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies.

The federal government had said methanol, a chemical additive, found in recently imported fuel exceeded Nigerias specification.

The development has resulted in a shortage of petrol and queues reappearing in major cities including Abuja and Lagos.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the scarcity worsened last week across many cities, as many struggled to go to work or engage in other daily routines.

Traffic gridlocks appeared across major parts of Abuja as many service lanes were closed to traffic due to queues from petrol stations.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited had on Friday assured Nigerians that the company had placed significant orders of over 2.1 billion litres of methanol-free petroleum to ensure that the long queues of petroleum end in a few days.

We will soon direct workers to stop going to work if the challenge of fuel scarcity across the country persists for the next few days, Mr Yunusa was quoted by The Cable as saying.

The congress also demanded that President Muhammadu Buhari should swing into action by identifying and punishing those who caused the scarcity that has brought untold hardship upon Nigerians.

The unions position is very clear. Those who caused this scarcity should be identified and punished very well.

The position of SSAS CGOC is that workers should stop going to work until there is enough fuel to take them to work.

This is the way to do it. We are waiting for our centre to respond to our position but our position in SSAS CGOC is that there is no need to go to work and when there is regular supply, then we will start going to work, he added.
One more body has been recovered after the explosion of an oil storage vessel off the Nigerian coast over two weeks ago, bringing the death toll to four.

The Trinity Spirit, a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility operated by Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL), exploded and was engulfed in flames on February 2 with 10 crew on board.

The vessel had a processing capacity of 22,000 barrels of oil a day and could store two million barrels, according to SEPCOL.

The Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, said it was carrying between 50,000 and 60,000 barrels of oil at the time of explosion, raising concerns of environmental disaster.

The site of the explosion at the Ukpokiti oil terminal is closer to Delta State.

One body was found on February 6, and two more a day after. Three survivors were found.

The director-general National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Musa Idris, told PREMIUM TIMES one more body was found on Wednesday, about two weeks after the incident.

He said the agency was continuing with its monitoring of the site, conducting aerial surveys and diving to monitor for any oil spill.

Our people are still there to know whether oil will come out or not. They were supposed to do diving yesterday, because yesterday morning one more body was recovered, he said.

The explosion is the second major accident in the oil industry in the last three months. It follows the spill that occurred in Nembe, Bayelsa State, in December 2021, at an oil wellhead operated by Aiteo.

Eric Omare, a former president of the Ijaw Youth Council, said the government has to step up its regulation of the industry to prevent further loss of lives and destruction of the environment.

This is just a tip of the iceberg, he said. As the oil and gas industry matures, and the relevant regulatory agencies dont do what they are supposed to do, there will be more of such disasters. I think that they need to wake up in the interest of the environment and the lives of the people of the region.
Anti-corruption campaigners have delivered a stinging rebuke of President Muhammadu Buharis decision to appoint an official named in the Pandora Papers to the Nigerian Ports Authoritys top job, saying the move is one of the clearest evidence the president lacks the will to deal with rampant government corruption.

Mr Buhari last week appointed Mohammed Bello-Koko as substantive managing director of the NPA, months after initially appointing him in an acting capacity. Many Nigerians say the appointment and its sheer audacity strengthen the belief that the Buhari administrations vow to ensure transparency in public service is nothing but a sham.

It is a pattern, said Idayat Hassan of the Centre for Democracy and Development in West Africa told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday. It is nothing new.

In a report assessing the six years of the Buhari administration, CDD had said Mr Buharis often-repeated promise to fight corruption with zero tolerance has remained largely unmet.

Last November, PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr. Bello-Koko, then acting MD of NPA, hid behind two firms tucked away in the British Virgin Islands, notorious secrecy and tax haven, to invest in the London property market, a common destination for dirty money flowing from the Global South.

The revelations came from Pandora Papers, a trove of 11.9 million leaked confidential records obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, ICIJ. The ICIJ then coordinated a team of 617 journalists from 150 news outlets, including those from PREMIUM TIMES, to dive into the data.

The reporters spent two years sifting through the leaked records, tracking down sources, and digging into court files and other public records from dozens of countries. It is the biggest collaboration of investigative journalists  from 117 countries and territories  in history.

The leaked records came from 14 offshore services firms from around the world that set up shell companies and other offshore nooks for clients like Mr Bello-Koko, who seek to shroud their financial activities, often suspicious, in secrecy.

Mr. Bello-Koko used two BVI-incorporated shell companies  Marney Limited and Couldwood Limited  to secretly acquire a total of five London properties, including one in 2017 after his public service appointment. He was appointed executive director for finance and administration in 2016 and later acting MD in 2021 before taking his substantive appointment this week.

As a public servant, he continued to serve as a director of the two companies in breach of the countrys code of conduct law. The full extent of the officials violation of the countrys laws has not been fully determined but, last year, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International, demanded a transparent investigation of Mr. Bello-Koko and others.

The Code of Conduct Bureau declared a commitment, last year, to investigate Pandora Papers investigations. However, such an announcement has never been matched with action.

It is quite unfortunate that the relevant anti-graft agencies have failed to investigate revelations of the Panama, Paradise, and Pandora papers, said Auwal Rafsanjani Musa, the CISLAC director, in a statement to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, also criticising the Buhari administrations failure to act on previous global investigations exposing offshore shenanigans involving Nigerian officials before the Pandora Papers.

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We find it also disturbing that Mr. Koko who was mentioned in the Pandora papers has not been publicly cleared by any law enforcement or anti-graft agency yet, he is to replace Hadiza Bala Usman who was suspended and Nigerians are yet to see the findings of the committee set up to look into allegations raised against her, he said.

Mr. Buhari has repeatedly vowed his commitment to efforts against corruption, regarded as the countrys biggest problem stalling development.

This whole process mocks the anti-corruption efforts of the government, and it is not surprising that Nigeria continues to fall on the Corruption Perceptions Index which we released last month. There is no way the anti-corruption efforts of the current government will be taken seriously, Mr Musa said.

Mr. Bello-Koko replaced Hadiza Bala, who was suspended last year for alleged misconduct and corruption. The government did not make public the probe report on the allegations made against Ms Bala by his then supervisor, Rotimi Amaechi, the minister for transportation.

The controversial appointment is another indication of the corruption-prone tendency of the Buhari-led government, said lawyer Inibehe Effiong. It shows convincingly that the government is not taking the fight against corruption seriously. The government should not downplay allegations of this nature. The allegation of ownership of assets abroad should be properly investigated.
The run up to the 2023 general elections was always going to be torrid. For one, project Nigeria has not, since the heady days of the struggle for independence, and in the ferment of the civil war, appeared more imperilled. On several fronts, the barbarians are literally at the gate. In major parts of the north and down south, non-state actors are demonstrating a capacity to deploy weapons and tactics that daily undermine the integrity of the state, while simultaneously hurting the economy.

Within the gates, all the main measures of domestic well-being have collapsed. As bad as the unemployment indices are, they are but passing commentary on the high levels to which domestic poverty has risen  all of these worsened, no doubt, by rising and volatile domestic prices. Output numbers released last week by the nations bean crunchers confirm that the economy may have finally put the strictures from the COVID-19 pandemic behind it. Nonetheless, the numbers by which the economy continues to recover are nothing like what it needs to grow and develop.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, the race to succeed President Buhari, whose somnolent administration failed to make the dent on the economys major drawbacks that it promised at the hustings, is heating up. Accordingly, this newspapers bias is for a candidate familiar enough with the nations lead peeves  political and economic  and knowledgeable enough to proffer workable solutions.

Amongst the diverse offering of would-be candidates for office of president next year, one stands out: the incumbent governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Whereas those advocating his candidacy for office of the president are advertising Mr Godwin I. Emefiele as capable, regarding his understanding of the economy, PREMIUM TIMES finds his candidature disturbing. This has nothing to do with his inability to bring about stable domestic prices in his role as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria since 2014. Or with the many monetary policy contortions that have willfully eroded the value of the naira and the balance on the nations gross external reserve in the same period. Nor is our worry with Mr Emefieles candidature a response to the Central Banks many failed interventions in diverse spheres of the economy, all of which have seen the banks balance sheet balloon far faster than the yield on its spend.

Instead, PREMIUM TIMES believes strongly that the operational and administrative autonomy granted the central bank by its enabling statute was precisely to protect the governor from political influence. Indeed, this newspaper recognises no measure of this intent greater than the Central Bank of Nigeria Acts cap on how much ways and means support the bank may lend the Federal Government  a provision of the Act that, as with so many others, has been shredded by Mr Emefieles leadership of the Central Bank.

While Mr Emefiele may have violated the spirit and letter of the Central Bank Act by succumbing to political pressure as Central Bank Governor, as is evidenced by the Banks continued monetisation of the Federal Governments fiscal deficit, PREMIUM TIMES believes that it could not have been the intendment of the framers of the Central Bank Act to protect the governor from political influence by protecting a politician in that office.

If Mr Emefiele wants to run for political office, common sense and good breeding dictate that he does not sully the hallowed offices of the Central Bank as part of this process. PREMIUM TIMES notes that whereas he could have, he has not distanced himself from the clamour of those who would have him become president next year.

It is in defence of the sanctity of a key institution of the countrys economic governance that PREMIUM TIMES calls for Mr Emefieles immediate resignation as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to pursue his political ambition, if he has any, or to publicly repudiate any association with the groups clamouring for him to run for president.

It is our considered view that the statutory independence granted the Central Bank and its governor is compromised, if not totally eroded, when a sitting and serving Governor of the Bank becomes a closet politician angling or lobbying to be appointed to or to contest for a partisan political office. Whether he openly makes known his partisan political interest or does so through shadow proxies is immaterial.

Once occupancy of a partisan political office becomes his major preoccupation, his commitment to the banks service can no longer be guaranteed. His resignation is even more desirable because for as long as he remains at the helm, while he is consciously and calculatingly seeking the occupancy of a partisan political office, the important work of the Central Bank and the monetary policy direction of the country are likely to be subordinated to the pursuit of the actualisation of his political ambitions. In the end, the independence of the Bank is lost. And the nation poorly served by shielding a politician in this very important office.

This concern becomes very critical when we recall the ignominious role played by the Central Bank in the 2015 presidential election and in previous elections.
Bola Tinubu, a presidential aspirant and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday in Ibadan, Oyo State said no amount of blackmail or intimidation can stop his quest for the presidency in 2023.

Mr Tinubu said this when he visited the Olubadan of Ibadan designate, Lekan Balogun, in his Alarere residence, Ibadan to seek his blessings for his presidential ambition.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how after months of speculation, Mr Tinubu formally declared his intention to run for the countrys presidency in 2023.

He disclosed this to journalists after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.

In his interview with State House reporters, Mr Tinubu said it had been his age-long ambition to lead the country one day.

I have informed the President of my ambition but I have not informed Nigerians yet, I am still consulting. And I have no problem consulting. And Ive not set a parameter of limitation to the extent of how many people I will consult.

You will soon hear. All you want to hear is the categorical declaration. Youve gotten that truth from me that I have informed Mr President of my ambition, and you dont expect more answers than that, he said.

His position was also confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES by his spokesperson, Tunde Rahman.

Mr Tinubu has since met with many political blocs across the nation and beyond in his quest to become president in 2023.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, an estranged loyalist of the former governor recently launched a scathing attack on him.

Visit to Olubadan

Mr Tinubu, during his visit to the Olubadan expressed strong determination in his quest to become the nations president in 2023.

The former Lagos State Governor said he was honoured to be in Ibadan to solicit the support of Olubadan and the people of Ibadan, and therefore, called for their prayers on his presidential ambition.

According to him, this period is historical and reminder of history.

Each time a Yoruba wants to be president, issues are raised, questions are asked and all sorts of hang-up are encountered.

We are at a crossroad, people are volunteering to confront me when they were asked that who would confront the Lion of Bourdilon, he said.

Mr Tinubu expressed his readiness and determination, saying no intimidation or blackmail could stop him from pursuing his quest for the presidency.

Im out to become President of Nigeria. No intimidation, no blackmail can stop me.

I have read about a Greek Philosopher that if you want to fight a pig, you must be ready to be smeared and Im ready to be dirty, he said.

Mr Tinubu congratulated the new Olubadan for the grace to ascend the throne, which he said, would give the ancient city a new outlook.

He said that this was in consideration of the robust background of Mr Balogun as an educationist, politician of progressive leaning and a humanist.

Elated Olubadan

Meanwhile, Mr Balogun, in response, said Nigeria needs a strong leader that will further strengthen its unity comes 2023.

Mr Balogun, who spoke through his brother, Kola Balogun (PDP-Oyo South), said the situation in the country currently, called for a leader that would further strengthen its unity.

The Olubadan designate said that he had known Mr Tinubu for a long time and his antecedents as the governor who laid the foundation of the present Lagos.

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Yorubas are the leading light of Nigeria, our people contributed a lot to make Nigeria what it is and without the Yorubas, Nigeria cannot be where it is today.

But, it is very sad to note the to your tent oh Israel that has of recent become the sing-song of the people.

We are looking forward to a Yoruba president that will further strengthen and unite the country come 2023.

We need a leader that has national focus and acceptability; the road may be rough, but, by Gods grace, you will triumph, he said.

NAN reports that among those joined Mr Balogun to receive Tinubu were his wife,

Olori Olufunmilayo; Otun Balogun of Ibadanland, Tajudeen Ajibola and Ekaarun Olubadan, Hamidu Ajibade.

Others are former Minister of Industries, Onikepo Akande and Mutiat, wife of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja.(NAN)
The embattled deputy governor of Zamfara State, Mahadi Ali, has spoken for the first time since the State House of Assembly began the procedure to impeach him, saying the lawmakers cannot go on with the process.

They cannot go ahead with the impeachment process because the issue is before a court of law, Mr Ali said at a press briefing at the state capital, Gusau, Sunday evening.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Assembly has started a process to impeach the deputy governor.

18 members of the House voted for the impeachment move, following which the Chief Judge of the state inaugurated an Investigative panel to probe the deputy governor, in line with the procedure for impeachment.

If they continue, they are illiterates

But Mr Ali on Sunday reacted to the drama in strong words. He said the lawmakers would be acting as illiterates if they continue with the impeachment move.

I am here today to comment on the impeachment move against me. I have heard that the CJ (Chief Judge) has inaugurated a panel to investigate me. How could they go ahead with such a move? How could the CJ inaugurate the panel when the issue is before a court of law? Mr Ali, who spoke in Hausa language, said.

The deputy governor, who is a lawyer, said he had told the lawmakers that they could not continue with the process.

But this shows that they are nothing but illiterates to me. If they continue the move then they are illiterates. They should know there is a limit to what they can do.

You see what I have been saying? God is great. This government that came to power through court verdict because of the failure of the APC and we were announced winners having come second, we are now disobeying a court order. A court has said that every party should wait for it to declare its verdict on the issue but they have decided to continue, he said.

He also accused the chief judge of inaugurating a kangaroo panel.

And the CJ went ahead to inaugurate the panel. Imagine. She, who has been the Chief Judge for over 15 years with her status and knowledge of what should be right but today, illiterates are making her do what is wrong. Its shameful.

When asked by a reporter to comment on the allegations against him, Mr Ali said if he joins APC, all the allegations would be history.

ALSO READ: Court refuses to stop impeachment proceedings against Zamfara deputy governor

Its nothing. What they are saying is simple. If I finish from here and go and join their party (APC) everything will be forgotten. So, is there truth in the allegations? The only thing they want is to fulfil their wish but that is not how I do my things, he said.

Rift over defection

The deputy governor, Mr Ali, parted ways with Governor Matatwalle after he refused to join the defection to the APC.

They had all taken their offices on the platform of the PDP after the Supreme Court disqualified candidates of the APC, who had been declared winners in the 2019 elections.

The House had served Mr Ali the impeachment notice through the Secretary to the State Government before asking the Chief Judge to constitute an investigative panel to verify the allegations against the deputy governor.

Offences

The House, through its Chairman, House Standing, Shamsudeen Basko, said Mr Ali was accused of three offences.

These are abuse of office, criminal self-enrichment using public funds and failure to discharge official duties.

Mr Basko said: Abuse of office. This includes Constitutional breach of sections 190 and 193 (1), (2) (a)(b)(c), of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

Criminal self-enrichment using public funds; includes criminal diversion of state funds, conspiracy to defraud the state and approval of dubious retirement in his office.

Failure to discharge constitutional duties, which give rise to insubordination, he added.
The panel inaugurated by the Zamfara State Chief Judge, Kulu Aliyu, to investigate allegations against the deputy governor, Mahadi Ali, began its proceedings Monday afternoon in Gusau.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the House of Assembly had taken steps to impeach the deputy governor.

18 members of the Assembly voted in support of the impeachment which made the Mrs Aliyu to inaugurate the panel.

Mr Ali had during a press briefing Sunday evening said no panel could investigate him because the case is before a court of law.

Monday proceeding

PREMIUM TIMES reports that neither Mr Ali nor his lawyer was present at the sitting though the secretary of the panel, Ashiru Tsafe , said he had served the deputy governor with all the required documents inviting him to the proceeding

He submitted scanned copies of the documents sent to Mr Ali via email and WhatsApp to the panel.

Those who were invited to testify at the sitting include: The state Head of Service, Kabir Gayari, Abubakar Muhammad, a director general and secretary to the state executive council, Mainasara Bakura, former permanent secretary at the deputy governors office, and director of finance at the deputy governors office, Maikano Yan ruwa.

In his testimony, the former permanent secretary, Mr Bakura, said while he was the deputy governors wing, Mr Ali didnt use to come to the office but only communicated with him through phone calls or through his Aide de camp.

I only communicated with him through telephone and it was very rare. When he wanted to speak to me, he called or asked his ADC to call me. Sometimes, when I tried to reach him on phone it would not go through. I only saw him on television attending parties out of Zamfara, he said

The former permanent secretary, who was at the deputy governors office from November 2020 to November 2021, said the deputy governor gave him oral directives on financial deals.

When asked if it was okay for him to follow oral directives, Mr Bakura said he abided by standing instructions from his principal.

He also said he met a tradition where three cheques are usually issued at the end of every month on how the finances of the office were spent.

I issued N10 million cheques twice

While facing the panel, the director of finance at the deputy governors office, Mai Kano Yan ruwa, said he issued cheques of N10 million twice per month to the Principal Private Secretary, Mr Ali, as security votes.

He said he issued another N10 million cheque every month to the Cashier, Lawal Adamu, as administrative running cost.

While confessing that he couldnt account for how the security votes were spent at the deputy governors office, Mr Yan ruwa said the cheques were issued based on verbal instruction because the deputy governor does not issue written approval.

He also said auditors used to query the vouchers returned by the Principal Private Secretary to the deputy governor, adding that he once alerted the permanent secretary on the issue.
The suspended head of the police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abba Kyari, has said the allegation linking him to an international drug cartel by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is untrue.

Mr Kyari disclosed this in an affidavit in support of his motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ANJ/CS/182/22 and filed before Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The motion was filed on his behalf by his lawyer, C. O. Ikena.

The affidavit, dated February 16 and filed February 17, was deposed to by Mr Kyaris younger brother, Muhammad Usman.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Kyari had filed the application for the enforcement of his fundamental rights.

In the document, Mr Kyari, who described the allegation as trumped up, said the NDLEA had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

Mr Usman, in his deposition, said: The applicant (Kyari) is a Deputy Commissioner of Police formerly attached to F1B-1RT, Abuja.

That the respondent is Federal Republic of Nigeria represented by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Abuja.

That a suspect has been shipping in drugs (cocaine) to Nigeria from Ethiopia using all the Airports in Nigeria with the knowledge of the NDLEA officers.

That usually, NDLEA officers cleared him and even escorted him from the airport to his destination.

That on that fateful day, the suspect as usual shipped drugs (cocaine) from Ethiopia to Enugu Airport, and the officers of NDLEA cleared him within the airport and escorted him out of the airport.

Then officers of FIB-IRT arrested the suspect with the help of an information.

That before the Informant accepted to work with the officers of FIB-IRT, they both had an agreement to compensate the Informant.

That officers of FIB-IRT having noticed that officers of NDLEA were the ones clearing the said suspect with his drugs (cocaine), they immediately took suspect to NDLEA and also reported those officers involved in the act, he averred.

Mr Usman said instead of the NDLEA to handle the matter accordingly and bring the officers involved to book, they decided to frustrate the informant thereby refusing to compensate the informant.

That it was at this juncture that the attention of the DCP Abba Kyari was called, whom because the NDLEA officer involved is his friend.

And he (Kyari) decided to intervene for the purpose of compensating the Informant.

That the NDLEA officer, who refused to compensate the Informant, was the one who framed DCP Abba Kyari up on a trump-up allegation that he was trying to bribe him.

That the agent of the respondent (NDLEA) declared the applicant wanted because of a mere allegation that he was trying to bribe an NDLEA officer without sufficient proof, he added.

He said it was based on the allegation that the Nigerian Police Force arrested him and handed him over to the NDLEA.

That the applicant is being kept in custody since February 12.

He said Mr Kyari had been kept in custody since his arrest on February 12 without having access to his medical treatment.

Mr Usman averred that his arrest and continued detention were an infringement on his fundamental human rights.

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That the allegation upon which the applicant is arrested and detained is a trump-up allegation without sufficient proof, he said.

He described Mr Kyari as a decent police officer who has distinguished himself in arreas of serving his fathers land as a police officer.

According to him, the applicant has risked his life in so many areas of serving and protecting his country as a police officer.

That the applicant needs to be compensated and not to be dragged about, receiving torture, degrading and inhuman treatment by anybody or agency whatsoever.

That there is no sufficient proof that the applicant has committed any offence to warrant this torture, degrading and inhuman treatment, he said.

Mr Usman averred that all the efforts made for the agency to grant his elder brother administrative bail proved abortive.

That faced with the above situation and scenario, the applicant has no option than to bring this application pursuant to Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution Federal Republic of Nigeria seeking redress from the court against the respondent.

That the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has not made out a prima-facie case against the applicant, he added.

He said Mr Kyari was ready to appear in court to answer any charge against him.

Mr Usman, who said that Mr Kyaris fundamental rights would continue to be infringed upon by the NDLEA if the court did not intervene, urged the court to grant the application for bail in the interest of justice.

That he has a liable surety who is in court, he said.

The judge, Mr Ekwo, who fixed February 24 for the hearing of the motion, ordered that the NDLEA be put on notice.

(NAN)
Two teenagers have reportedly drowned at the dam in Rayfield Resort, Jos, Plateau.

The victims are Michael Nyam, eight years, and Elijah Solomon, six years old.

Gyang Pwol, a witness, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Jos that the boys were drowned Saturday evening.

He said that they were both residents of Rayfield community.

Mr Pwol explained that the duo got drowned while trying to get back the shoes of one of their friends that fell into the dam.

They jumped into the deep water in the dam to rescue a shoe of their friend, unfortunately, the volume of water was too much.

Before help could come, they got drowned, he said.

Mr Pwol who also confirmed that their remains had been buried, did not give further details.

However, Ubah Ogaba, the Police Public Relations Officer of Plateau Command, said the incident was not reported to the police. (NAN)
A Maiduguri-based newspaper, Yerwa Express News, has cried out over cyber attacks on its social media platforms by suspected terrorists..

The newspaper raised the alarm on Sunday through a press release signed by its Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Abdulhamid Al-Gazali.

It said it suspects the attacks were launched by a terrorists cyber syndicate, who finds our consistent reports against ISWAP and Boko Haram, unsettling.

The syndicate (has) taken the habit of filing various impersonation reports against our pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp since we started a new project to detail the public about the growing threats of the terrorist groups across the North East and the Lake Chad Region.

Checks conducted by Network Against Scam and Cyber Crime on all our platforms revealed that the coordinated attacks started last month when our Twitter account, @YerwaExpress, was reported repeatedly after we published several reports against ISWAP.

As a result of the consistency of the syndicate, Twitter Inc. took down the page on January 22, 2022, without contacting us for verification. As a matter of fact, they are yet to respond to our appeals despite providing our incorporation and trademark certificates, among other things.

On Facebook, the syndicates antics include opening multiple pages with our name, logo and information. The purpose is to convince Facebook to also take our official page down.

The latest attack in which we lost control of the page, with username @Yerwaexpress, was on February 19, shortly after we published a report about why ISWAP is a more dangerous faction of the terrorist organisations operating in the Lake Chad Region.

There were also multiple unsuccessful attacks on the news site, www.yen.ng, as it is effectively defended. You can always visit it for our reports.

We are therefore issuing this statement to inform our readers of this unfortunate development. However, all resources have been put in place to restore and secure the platforms within the shortest time possible.

In the meantime, you can follow us on the following:

Facebook: @yerwaexpressnews2016

Instagram: @yerwa_express

Twitter: @yerwaexpresskan

As Facebook is being informed of this breach, we kindly request that you help us report the page @Yerwaexpress for impersonation as we no longer have control over it.

We assure you that our commitment to bringing you authentic and timely news is only further emboldened as this is proof that our work is making the required impact, the newspaper said.
A prosecution witness, Vera Esideme, testified on Monday at the Ikeja Special Offences Court in the trial of Chima Igwe, a former acting Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO).

Mr Igwe was arraigned in November 2021 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) for alleged certificate forgery and he pleaded not guilty.

Ms Esideme, an investigator and resident in Abuja, said she got to know Mr Igwe in the course of the investigation.

She said as part of the investigation, they wrote letters to the institute demanding Mr Igwes letter of approval that enabled him to proceed with his PhD programme, the letter he submitted after completion of the programme, promotion letter and others.

Then in the course of carrying out our investigation, we also came across a document that was made requesting for certificate verification by the former DG FIIRO, Ms Esideme said.

She said they got three petitions written against the defendant  Forged certificate by Chima Igwe, Call to probe a PhD certificate, and Demand for immediate probe and request to present a PhD certificate.

Objection

The documents (petitions) were tendered as part of the prosecution evidence. However, Mr Igwes lawyer, Sam Opara, objected to their admissibility.

He said all the documents are not original and where the original is not present, a reason must be given your lordship and that is what they called the foundation.

Mr Opara also said that the makers of the documents are not brought and the witness is not the maker.

He cited a case in the Supreme Court in 2016, Nyesom Wike vs Peterside and Giwa vs Yarbun.

He said: where the maker of a document is not called to testify, the document will not be accorded probating value notwithstanding its status as a public document.

He stressed the need to properly certified the documents, adding that the foundation hasnt been laid if the makers of the document were not called to testify.

But the prosecution lawyer, Henry Emore, said the documents came from private citizens and were written to the ICPC (a public institution), and immediately it was seen by the commission, it has become a public document.

He said all the documents are public documents and can be tendered without the makers.

Addressing part of the objection made by his colleague, he said, the foundation being referred to was that they are photocopies.

Mr Opara said there is no need to call the petitioners.

Ruling

The judge, Sherifat Solebo, ruled that the documents are relevant and fundamental to the proceeding.

There is nothing proscribing the admissibility, she said.

She admitted the document as evidence A1, A2 and A3.

The matter continues on February 22, 23 and 24.
A group known as Citizens Network for Peace and Development (CNPD) has called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to run for the office of president in the 2023 general elections.

The group has also asked Mr Jonathan to dump his party, PDP, and join forces with President Muhammadu Buhari in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to achieve this goal. This is even as it asked the latter to support the former president.

The call comes amid speculations that the former president is nursing another presidential ambition.

He is, however, yet to officially announce his intention to contest in the 2023 elections or defect to the APC.

President Buhari had in the 2015 election, defeated Mr Jonathan, ending 16 years of PDPs reign in a massive campaign that painted the Jonathan-led administration as corrupt and clueless.

The APC has, since assumption of office, blamed Mr Jonathan and the PDP for its seeming inability to deliver many of its election promises to Nigerians.

The National Coordinator of CNPD, Raphael Okorie, who made the call in Abuja on Sunday, said the group is ready to mobilise at least eight million citizens to return Mr Jonathan to the office of the president.

He said the group wants the former president to accept the offer to serve and rescue Nigeria at a crucial moment like now because of his track records in office.

We call on former President Jonathan to once again avail himself to be of service to the country he loves so much This is a rescue mission you cannot refuse to lead sir.

We call on President Buhari, who has done so much in his few years in office to throw his support behind the candidature of Goodluck Jonathan, should he accept to vie for the office of president.

Coming at the heels of the end of his tenure, we are confident that Jonathan more than any other candidate will ensure continuity, stability and fair play across the polity. We say to Mr President that you have sacrificed so much for this nation.

We are ready to mobilise no less than eight million Nigerians towards the 2023 polls. We say so with all sense of responsibility.

Mr Okorie said the leadership requirement to move Nigeria forward is nothing short of a tested and trusted nationalist, strong and committed to the Nigerian project.

We have carefully scanned the political firmament in search of a credible, knowledgeable, selfless, trusted and patriotic candidate to occupy the exalted position of President of Nigeria.

Our searchlight has fallen on Goodluck Jonathan. His antecedents speak volumes. His compassion and passion for peace and Nigerias development cannot be overlooked.

Jonathans track records as an achiever are clearly evident around us. A good number of megaprojects initiated by his administration litter the horizon and though quite a number stand today in credit to the present administration in the spirit of continuity, the fact remains that he has left indelible footprints in the sands of time.

The group also noted that with the level of mutual ethnic mistrust in the country, what Nigeria needs is a Jonathan to steer the ship.

It said those who vigorously criticised the Jonathan administration usually misunderstood his conciliatory and transformative approach to governance.

We need a leader who is a true democrat. A leader who is acceptable by all. One who appeals to the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the Muslim and the Christian, the Northerner and the Southerner.

It is not clear how many will handle Mr Jonathans return to the APC  at a time when many interest groups in the South want power to shift from the North to that region.

While he meets that requirement, he will be constitutionally entitled to only a single term of four years in office.
Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, has claimed that Nigerias secret police, the State Security Service (SSS), was preventing him and others from having access to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Mr Kanu is being detained by a court order in the SSS facility in Abuja. He is standing trial for alleged treasonable felony and terrorism.

Mr Ejimakor, Monday afternoon, posted a comment on Twitter, claiming that Mr Kanus lawyers were not allowed by SSS to visit the IPOB leader on Thursday.

He said: Last Thursday, we were not allowed visitation with Onyendu because, according to DSS, the special squad in-charge of visitations went on outside assignment

They asked us to come on Monday (today). Today, were at DSS. Theyre telling us the same thing. We DISAGREE, he added.

Mr Ejimakor and the others, including another of Mr Kanus lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, and Mr Kanus brother, Emmanuel, were still around the SSS headquarters, Abuja, as at 2:30 p.m., hoping they would be allowed in to visit the IPOB leader.

He said he sent a message to a lawyer with the SSS, appealing for his intervention. But the lawyer had not responded, he said.

Barr Ejiofor actually just arrived, he went straight inside. I think he is protesting. I am in the car doing this thing (answering calls). Another barrister, Prince Mandela is here.

We are basically four (persons), but you know they allow (only) three (persons to go in), the lawyer said.

PREMIUM TIMES asked Mr Ejimakor what he thinks was the reason for the action of the security agency.

I dont know and I cant speculate, he responded. It is wrong, and the court ordered the visitation, twice a week  Monday and Thursday.

And I personally, I came from the east to see him last Thursday, it didnt work, so I stayed over to see him today, he said.

The public needs to know that this is happening twice in a row. Since the last hearing on 16 February we have not set our eyes on him (Kanu), he added.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the spokesperson for the SSS, Peter Afunanya, he requested our reporter to send a text message to him, but he did not respond to the message as of the time of filing this report.
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in Jabi, Abuja, on Monday, adjourned the trial of a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, on charges of his alleged involvement in the controversial $1.1 billion Malabu Oil scam.

The trial was previously slated for continuation of trial for Monday. But the proceedings were stalled due to the absence of the prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the EFCC had on Friday submitted a letter asking for an adjournment of the case because the prosecution counsel was no longer with the commission.

The judge, Idris Kutigi, on the basis of the commissions letter, on Monday, adjourned the matter until March 10.

Charges

The anti-corruption agency is prosecuting Mr Adoke and six others on 42 charges including bribery involving the Malabu Oil scam.

The defendants include Aliyu Abubakar (second defendant), a businessman; and Rasky Gbinigie (third) described as the company secretary of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited.

Others are Malabu Oil and Gas Limited (fourth), Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited (fifth), Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited (sixth) and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited (seventh).

The Malabu deal involved alleged fraudulent transfer of the highly lucrative Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 245 to Malabu in 1998 and subsequently to Agip and Shell.

Then Minister of Petroleum Resources in the regime of the late dictator, Sani Abacha, Dan Etete, was said to have transferred the oil block to Malabu, in which he had interest, in 1998.

EFCC alleged in the charges that Mr Adoke, as the AGF, played a key role and received a N300 million bribe in facilitating a fraudulent deal between Malabu and Shell with Agip over the oil block.

Other charges include forgery of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) documents concerning Malabu to implement shady change of ownership and shares allotment structures of the firm.

The defendants have all denied all the charges

Prosecutors and investigators handling the case within and outside Nigeria believe that a large chunk of the $1.1 billion paid over the transfer of the oil block was paid as bribes to company officials and senior officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration in which Mr Adoke served as the AGF.

Shell, Eni and their officials were prosecuted in Italy for their roles in the scandal. Although they were acquitted, Italian prosecutors are on appeal regarding the case.

Previous hearing

In January, Hassan Adamu, a former Nigerian ambassador to the United States, told Mr Kutigi of the FCT high court in Jabi how he first used a fictious name and introduced Alhaji Aliyu Jabu for the registration of Malabu Oil and Gas in 1998.

Mr Adamu, an EFCC prosecution witness, also told the court that he later notified Dan Etete, the former minister of petroleum, that he was no longer interested in being a shareholder and director in the company, so he asked Mr Etete to change his name.

So, I told Dan Etete that he should change the pseudonym I gave him to Alhaji Aliyu Jabu to be a shareholder. That I am no longer interested in the business. Alhaji A. Jabu then signed all the documents to be shareholder and director. Since that time, Etete never contacted me again, neither did I attend any meeting with regards to Malabu Oil and Gas, a transcript of Mr Adamu court testimony partly read.
A National Assembly official, Anthony Adebanjo, who faces age falsification allegation, has applied to the Federal High Court in Abuja for a restraining order against any move to sack him.

Mr Adebanjo, a director and assistant clerk of the National Assembly, denied the allegation in his application filed on February 14, 2022. He also prayed in the application for an order restraining the authorities from acting on the alleged false claim.

A non-governmental organisation, Crime Free and Peace Initiative, had accused Mr Adebanjo and two other officials of the National Assembly of age falsification leading to contradictory dates of birth in their personal files.

Last year, the orgainsation filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1269/2021 at the court, seeking an order removing Mr Adebanjo and the two others  Okpara Nnachi and Dauda El-Ladan  from office.

The trio  Messrs Nnachi, El-Ladan, and Adebanjo  were sued as the first to the third defendants, in addition to the Senate President, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Chairman of the National Assembly Commission, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, as co-defendants.

The suit cited and exhibited an October 14, 2020 report of the National Assembly affirming the allegations raised against the trio of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd defendants for falsification of records.

In the copy of the report of investigation subsequently sent to the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) of the police in Abuja, the National Assembly accused Mr Adebanjo of falsifying his date of birth of April 14, 1962 to April 14, 1964.

It also accused Mr El-Laden of having three different dates of birth  October 6, 1961, October 6, 1962, and October 6, 1963  in his personal file.

For Mr Nnachi, he is said to have sworn to an affidavit reflecting September 9, 1965, as his date of birth, instead of the correct September 9, 1962 captured in the nominal roll.

In its application filed November 19, 2021, the plaintiff sought an interlocutory injunction restraining the three officials from continuous occupation of their continuous occupation of their various designations.

The organisation stated that the police SIB requested the National Assembly to release them but nothing was ever heard about it.

Rebuttal

The officials have denied the record falsification allegation, with Mr Adebanjo filing an application on February 14, 2022 to seek an order of court restraining the Senate from acting on it.

In the affidavit he filed in support of the application, Mr Adebanjo said he had not been served with the plaintiffs suit as he only got wind of it via a newspaper publication.

The newspaper publication is alleging that I have been sacked as a result of facts related to the instant suit; however, nothing of such has occurred as of the time of filing this application.

That I have every reason therefore to believe that the allegations contained in the false newspaper publication might come through if nothing is done to prevent it, he stated.

He added that the plaintiff is out to tarnish and/or bring my reputation into odium in the eye of any reasonable or right-thinking member of the society.

His right, Mr Adebanjo noted, is about to be infringed as a result of the false allegations contained in the said newspaper publication.

That I believe if the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th defendants are not restrained by the order(s) of this court they could take any step or an action in line with the false allegations contained in the said newspaper publication, his affidavit read in part.

The respondents have yet to respond to Mr Adebanjos application.
Retired paramilitary officers in the country have asked to be exempted from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The retired officers, under the aegis of the National Association of Retired Paramilitary Officers, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Monday ahead of their participation in the public hearing by the House of Representatives on the bill to Amend the Pension Reform Act 2014.

The statement was signed by the National President of the association, Victor Ogbebor.

The bill, first sponsored by Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun) in 2017, seeks to amend the Pension Reform Act to provide for exemption of the Nigeria Police Force from contributory pension scheme.

However, at the time, the police said they were not interested.

The CPS, established under the Pension Reform Act of 2004, was repealed and replaced with the Pension Reform Act in 2014.

It mandates a minimum contribution of 10 and eight per cent of employees monthly emolument by the employer and employee respectively. This is paid into the employees Retirement Savings Account (RSA).

The bill before the House also provides that a pensioner shall receive at least 75 per cent of his/her retirement benefits upon retirement and criminalises the undue delay in the payment of pension.

Lawmakers had said the bill, if passed into law, will ensure proper remuneration of police officers at retirement and also enhance their welfare.

Public hearing for the legislation is scheduled to hold on February 22.

In the statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, the association noted that the military and other paramilitary agencies such as the SSS and DIA have been withdrawn from the CPS due to the hazardous nature of their jobs.

The association said the reason it advances exempting the military, together with the police and other paramilitary agencies, is because they also face similar hazards and difficulties in the course of their constitutional or assigned duties.

The argument of some people that the withdrawal of paramilitary agencies from the CPS, will destroy the very soul of the scheme is not true, it said.

This is because the PENCOM accrued assets is only less than 10 per cent  the disinvestment being alleged is therefore insignificant.

The association further noted that the problem of the CPS is caused by the ignoble role of pension administrators who are allegedly profiting from the scheme to the detriment of the contributors on whose behalf they are investing the funds.

This inordinate profit undisputedly is what informs the resistance of those against the withdrawal of the para-military Services from the CPS despite the minute share of their contribution.

That in spite of the huge profits declared at the end of every year at Annual General Meetings, pensioners who are on the new scheme (PENCOM) have been on the same amount as programmed monthly pensions from the period of retirement from service until last year when they decided to add some pittance.

This is contrary to Section 72 of the Act, which states that the contributions shall be invested by the pension fund administration for safety and maintenance of fair returns on the amount invested, the association said.

It also complained that pensioners who had very few years to retire before the commencement of CPS lost much more.

The CPS may be good if affected individuals have sufficient number of years to do so before retirement and not for people who are at the verge of retirement. At the implementation of the contributory pension scheme in June 2004, the circular from the office of Head of Service of Civil Service of the Federation only exempted people who have three years left to go on retirement from being enrolled on the scheme.

If you have three years and even one month to go on retirement, you are dumped in the CPS when no meaningful contributions have been made by retirees who have put in 25 years and above.

Retirees under CPS get little or nothing from monthly pension compared to their colleagues in the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme who earn 80 per cent of their monthly salary while in the service as their monthly pension. Retirees on CPS earn peanuts far less than 20 per cent of their monthly salary while in the service as their monthly pension, it said.

While the association thanked the House of Representatives for embarking on the exercise of removing the police force from the contributory pension scheme, it pleaded that the paramilitary services be included in the exercise in the interest of justice, equity and fair play.

Alternatively, they also asked that the House look into the possibility of reverting CPS retirees who have put in 25 years and above in the service of their nation before the commencement of the contributory pension scheme in June 2004 to Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

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They said this was apt since they did not have sufficient time to contribute anything meaningful that would have placed them at vantage position on retirement.

This, they said, will put an end to the agitation against poor implementation of CPS.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited started its week with an assurance to Nigerians that the distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) would soon normalise after it recalled the bad product imported into the country last week.

The NNPC Group Executive Director (GED) Downstream, Adetunji Adeyemi, gave the assurance at a briefing in Abuja, while concerted efforts were being made to end the challenges in the supply of petrol.

Mr Adeyemi stated that the company was expecting over 2.3 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in the country by the end of February and that over 1 billion litres of the product were currently being distributed nationwide.

He assured that the product being dispensed at various filling stations in the country was safe, as the expected 2.3 billion litres would restore the sufficiency level above the national target of 30 days.

Mr Adeyemi explained that in order to accelerate PMS distribution across the country, the company had commenced 24 hours operations at its depots and retail outlets.

He disclosed that NNPC had constituted a monitoring team, with the support of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and other security agencies to ensure smooth distribution of PMS nationwide.

In the meantime, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Abdullahi Gaya, assured Nigerians that his Committee would handle companies who imported methanol-blended Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) into the country.

A statement by Garba Deen Muhammad, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC Limited, quoted Mr Gaya as responding to a question from one of the committee members in that regard.

Mr Gaya spoke during an engagement with Management of the NNPC organised by his committee on the current fuel situation in the country.

While briefing the committee, the NNPC CEO/GMD, Mele Kyari, explained that the situation came about as a result of the discovery of methanol in the PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria under the subsisting commercial contract operated by NNPC and its partners.

According to Mr Kyari, tests did not reveal methanol presence because Nigerias specifications do not include methanol.

We are a law-abiding company. There is no way we could have known about the methanol presence.

The only way we could have known about it is if our suppliers, in good faith, made the disclosure to us.

In this particular instance, the discovery was made by our inspection agents who noticed the emulsification at the filling stations and brought it to our attention.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the four cargoes which are all from the same source also contained methanol-blended PMS, Mr Kyari said.

He said NNPC moved swiftly to trace all the affected products and quarantine same.

While assuring the Committee and Nigerians that measures have been put in place to accelerate fuel supply and distribution in the country, the NNPC CEO said the company had placed significant orders of over 2.1billion liters of methanol-free PMS to ensure the queues vanish in few days.

He pledged that NNPC would co-operate with the committee and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to get to the root of the matter.

The NNPC CEO also expressed deep empathy with Nigerians on the current situation and assured that adequate measures have been put in place to maintain supply sufficiency and prevent future occurrence.

Also in the week, the ongoing rehabilitation works on the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) was applauded by three former Managing Directors (MDs) of the Company.

The MDs who visited the refinery on an inspection of the ongoing rehabilitation advised PHRC Management to ensure that members of staff use the opportunity of the rehabilitation to acquire specific expertise on key operational areas.

The three former MDs are Bafred Enjugu, who was in-charge from 2014 to 2017; Shehu Malami, who was the MD from 2017 to 2018 and Abba Bukar, the immediate past MD who retired in March 2020.

They expressed delight at being able to inspect the ongoing works and advised the management to manage cost and ensure a successful completion of the rehabilitation.

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In his remarks Abba Bukar thanked PHRC management for the opportunity to see firsthand, the ongoing works and staff who worked with him when he was at the helm of affairs at the refinery.

To manage the overall cost of the project, Bukar advised PHRC management to evaluate all the warehoused spare parts to determine those that can be used in the ongoing rehabilitation as a way of saving cost.

On his part, Shehu Malami called on the management and staff of PHRC to ensure the successful completion of the rehabilitation project within budget, as it was in the interest of all PHRC staff, whether serving or retired.

He commended PHRC for achieving ISO recertification and enjoined the management team to ensure that proper processes and procedures were adhered to especially in the course of the rehabilitation.

In his remarks, Bafred Enjugu advised PHRC management to use the opportunity offered by the ongoing rehabilitation to build skills and expertise in specific areas like rotating equipment, electrical and mechanical engineering.

He noted that subject matter experts that would be developed through exposure to the rehabilitation would serve as reservoirs of knowledge that can be used for the provision of solution in other locations and as resource persons across the company.

Furthermore, he said PHRC Management should pay attention to the rehabilitation project by ensuring that products that would later be refined in the plants would be of standard in quality and to specification.

Earlier, the serving MD of PHRC, Mr Dikko described the visiting former MDs as professionals who gave their best to NNPC and the refining sector in the country as they all worked both in Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) and PHRC.

He said that by coming to see the ongoing rehabilitation, the former MDs had demonstrated the spirit of camaraderie, as their visit and support for the project would boost the spirit and morale of staff.

Mr Dikko said the visit showed that staff who retired from the system still had pivotal roles to play in the activities of the company.

He briefed the former MDs on the progress made on the refinery rehabilitation and the Corporate Social Responsibility efforts being made for host communities.

Mr Dikko said these efforts had led to relative peace and assured that PHRC would continue to work with hosts communities through honest engagements and social investments that would create mutual benefits.
Yusuf Abdullahi, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Bauchi State, said four people died, while seven others sustained injuries in an auto crash that occurred in Bauchi on Sunday.

Mr Abdullahi confirmed the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Bauchi.

According to him, the accident, which involved one Sharon bus with registration number TRR 391 YX, and an Opel Salon with registration number AA 268 SHR, occurred around Giwo Science Academy, along Bauchi-Kano road.

The sector commander explained that the accident occurred around 2:45 p.m, while personnel of the corps arrived the scene in record time.

Mr Abdullahi attributed the crash to speed violation and dangerous driving.

Fourteen people were involved in the crash and there were nine male adults, four female adults, one female child.

Four people lost their lives to the crash and they included three male adults, a female adult and seven others, including five male adults and two female adults were seriously injured, he said.

Mr Abdullahi explained that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the morgue of State Specialist Hospital for identification.

In the same vein, the Sector Commander said that the injured persons were also responding to treatment at the same hospital. (NAN)
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, struck out the suit seeking to challenge former Vice President Atiku Abubakars Nigerian citizenship and his eligibility to vie for the office of the president.

Delivering judgment, Inyang Ekwo dismissed the suit on the grounds that the plaintiff that instituted the case lacked the locus standi (legal right) to do so.

The judge described the plaintiff as a busy body and meddlesome interloper.

Suit

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a group, the Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA), in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/177/2019, had sued Atiku, his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as 1st to 4th respondents, respectively.

EMA challenged Mr Abubakars eligibility to contest for presidency on the grounds that he was not a Nigerian citizen by birth.

The group asked the court to hold, among others, that considering the provisions of Sections 25(1) &(2) and 131(a) of the constitution and the circumstances surrounding the former vice presidents birth, he cannot contest for the top office.

It argued that as of the time Mr Abubakar was born, his part of Adamawa State where he hailed from was part of Trust Territories of Northern Cameroon and not Nigeria.

NAN also reported that the Adamawa State Government, through its Attorney-General (AG), had on July 27, 2021, sought an order of the court to be joined in the suit.

The court, in the motion dated April 26 and filed June 24, granted the prayer of the AG of Adamawa to be joined in the case as the 5th defendant.

The Adamawa government subsequently argued in court that Mr Abubakar was eligible to vie for the office of the president.

It said Mr Abubakar, against whom the suit was primarily directed, is a citizen of Nigeria from Adamawa who had been elected as a governor of the state in 1999 and served as the Vice President of the country between 1999 to 2007.

It stated that the suit threatened the right of not just the ex-vice president to contest the office of the president but that of the citizens of Nigeria, of Adamawa origin covering 12 out of the 21 Local Government Areas in the state.

The lawyer listed the local government areas to include Ganye, Jada, Toungo, part of Mayo-Belwa, part of Fufore, part of Song, part of Hong, Maiha, Mubi-North, Mubi-South, Michika and Madagali.

Plaintiffs lawyer reacts to judgement

The plaintiffs legal team has expressed dissatisfaction with the judgement and vowed to appeal against it.

Kayode Ajulo, the lead counsel for the plaintiff said, the court struck out of the suit on the grounds of the locus of the plaintiff despite superior courts decision on the legality of an incorporated organisation to institute actions for the protection of the extant provisions of the constitution and statutes.

While we commend the court for the wealth of industry of the presiding judge, it is quite instructive that though the matter was merely struck out, same can be refiled.

However our client has instructed us to appeal the said decision to the Court of Appeal, the lawyer said.

He noted that as a civil society organisation established for the enthronement of rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution, his client would ensure that the law of the land must be strictly adhered to by all comers.

Without prejudice to the judgment of the court, Mr Ajulo said, we have commenced our clients further brief to appeal and to file a motion for injunction pending appeal for an order of the court restraining Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from parading himself as a Nigerian Citizen by birth in contravention of the extant provisions of Sections 25 and 131 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended pending the hearing and determination of the Appeal.
The Anambra Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has said the state government owes its retirees over N14 billion outstanding gratuities.

Chikwelu Adigwe, the state NULGE president, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Sunday.

The state government is owing our retired staff over N14 billion outstanding gratuities and it is sad that many of these retired staff have died while struggling to get their entitlements.

Gratuity is supposed to be paid immediately you retire from active service but they keep saying no money, even when they generate so much revenue from the local government revenue windows.

As a union, we are making our position known to the state government. We have written urging the state government to re-constitute the Local Government Pension Board to solve these problems.

When the board was functional, people receive their gratuity in due time.

The law to establish this board has been passed by the state assembly and we are urging the governor to do the needful so that all these problems of gratuities and pension arrears will stop, he said.

Mr Adigwe said he was dissatisfied that transition committees were being used to run the local government system in the state, saying it was affecting the administration of the 21 local councils negatively.

He urged the state House of Assembly to use its constitutional powers to stop the renewal of the local government transition committee.

He also urged the governor-elect, Charles Soludo, to conduct local government elections within the first six months of his tenure.

The NULGE president also called for scrapping of the contributory pension scheme as it was not favourable to workers.

The salary structure we are being paid cannot work with the pension scheme. If the scheme must stand, then let us have the standardised salary structure.

Mr Adigwe advocated that the states Board of Local Government Service Commission should be made up of retired or serving local government employees and not politicians who do not understand the system.

On the unions expectations from the incoming administration, he called for improved workers welfare, car loans and housing schemes, as well as constant engagement of workers by the state government.

(NAN)
Chris Bickersteths KOTO pepper sauce is considered by many to be one of the best in the U.S. In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, he speaks about its history and his firms growth, his African background and other matters.

PT: As an avid consumer of pepper sauces, I have had so many pepper sauces here over the years, including famous ones like Sriracha, Tabasco and even the scorching Satans Blood with a heat index of 800,000 Scovilles units. None of them comes close to the intensely gustatory pleasures of your KOTO pepper sauce. It is not just my opinion. Many gourmands of pepper sauces I know agree with this evaluation. KOTO pepper sauce has become one of my most famous gifts to friends and family. I discovered it in a Sierra Leonean grocery store in Durham, and I finally asked the owner about the producers of this excellent sauce, which inevitably led me to you. What is your name? Could you tell us where you were born and where you grew up?

Bickersteth: My name is Chris Bickersteth. I grew up in Freetown, Sierra Leone. My mother is Jamaican, and my father is Sierra Leonean. They met in London and got married. My father was an accountant, and my mother, a nurse. My mother introduced us to Caribbean food so I grew up eating Caribbean and African food. My Mom made juices, jams, and sauces based on Caribbean methods, but she was so creative. She used African fruits to make most of her juices. My grandmother was a Yoruba woman from Abeokuta. My Yoruba name is Oduntola. She and her siblings migrated to Freetown and settled there. She was a very successful trader of palm oil, quite wealthy. I watched and admired her as a child as she conducted business with wholesalers, retailers, and producers. She knew how to talk to people, and she was a great businesswoman. She owned many properties. She was so successful she sent all her children to England to go and study. She inspired my going into business.

PT: You are the maker of KOTO pepper sauce. In many African cultures, boys and men dont cook. Its considered a strictly female duty. What got you interested in cooking?

Bickersteth: (laughs) My mother. My father died when I was young. My Mom is not a typical African woman. She didnt subscribe to the idea that boys shouldnt cook. She taught all of us how to cook and introduced us to Caribbean cooking.

PT: Are you the first child?

Bickersteth: No, Im stuck in the middle. I have an older brother, Nigel and a younger sister, Heather.

PT: What was your favourite food back home?

Bickersteth: My favourite Sierra Leonean dish is Krain-Krain. Its made from jute leaves and palm oil. You add any meats of your choice. Its eaten with cassava fufu.

PT: When did you migrate to the United States?

Bickersteth: I was first in London. I did my A-Levels there and I was planning to do my ACCA, the professional accounting exam. That was in 1984. I lived there for some time, but there was too much partying with my friends, so I decided to leave and come to New York. That was in 1986. I stayed with friends in the Bronx. If you are young, New York is the place to be. I was working full time and taking classes at Baruch College in New York. I met my wife in New York, in the Bronx. She was a friend of the friends I lived with, and she used to visit them. She was a student then. We got married and had our first child. We decided to leave New York for Dallas. She later got a job as a professor at the University of Texas in Dallas. My wifes brother also lived there. We stayed with him and his family for some time before getting our own place. I started taking classes at UT Dallas. I was able to transfer all my credits. The university was a commuter school in those days, for older adults who are working. I was working full time and taking classes. The college was five minutes from our home and my place of work. I was able to finish my degree.

PT: What degree did you get?

Bickersteth: I got a degree in accounting.

PT: How did the idea for a pepper sauce start?

Bickersteth: After living in Dallas for ten years, we moved to Virginia. My wife got a job at George Washington University in Washington D.C. I would go to African grocery stores and see a lot of badly packaged products. It got on my nerves. You see products from Asia and the Caribbean all packaged nicely. We, too, have a lot to offer the world. That was what got me started.

PT: What year was this?

Bickersteth: In 2008-2009. I wanted to do something better. I started in my backyard. I played around with recipes, and I packaged two or three dozen and took them to African grocery stores. A couple of weeks later, when I went back, none of them was on the shelf. An official from the Virginia Department of Agriculture in charge of food safety had removed them because they were not registered. They left some paper for me to contact them if I wanted to register my product.

PT: What next?

Bickersteth: I contacted them and spoke to the inspector. I had to take a class about acidified food sauce. It is required if you want to manufacture hot sauces. Either you or somebody in your company must take this class, how to control the bacterial level to keep the sauce safe.

PT: Who taught this class?

Bickersteth: Various Food Science departments of the universities.

PT: After taking the course, what was the next step?

Bickersteth: Someone told me I could do the cooking in my house or find co-packers to partner with. Co-packers are people who make products for other people. They have the machinery; theyve taken the appropriate classes, and they know food safety laws. For example, you have to send your product to a lab for testing. This lab could be commercial or a part of a Food Science department. And if you are going to sell your product inter-state, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be involved. The laboratory will give you a Process Authority letter to certify that your product is safe for consumption. I went to a co-packer and he registered the process with the FDA. Every time you make the product, you have to use the exact recipe because thats what the Process Authority letter authorises.

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PT: So you worked with a co-packer.

Bickersteth: Yes. You could start your own kitchen if you have money, work with a co-packer, or work in rented commercial kitchens. I started working with a co-packer in 2010-2011 in Virginia Beach. He has a company called Ashburn Sauce Company. He has his own products, and also packages for other people. You give them the recipe, they make the product and charge you some money. But he had never seen my kind of recipe. Im the first African hes ever worked with. He was used to making the typical vinegary sauces. We struck a deal. I would go down there, and we would work on it together. We needed big cast iron pots, which he didnt have. I had to buy these and some other cooking utensils. I would drive down and make the sauce myself, and the two of us would bottle and package it together. Ill load the truck and drive back to Northern Virginia. I did this for a couple of years. Luckily, I started this with my cousin Solomon who passed away last year. I concentrated on the production, and he handled the marketing and distribution. I miss Solomon terribly. We sell the sauces mainly to stores and distributors. We hustled. We talked to everyone who would listen to us about our products.

PT: How did you finance your business?

Bickersteth: As I said, we worked with Ashburn for some years. We paid him some X amount of money, but he wasnt making much money from the deal. The vinegary sauces were much easier to make; they take a shorter time. Ours takes the whole day. He advised us to do it on our own. He is a mentor to me, and we still work on some stuff together. He helped me out a lot. So, we went and got our own place in Northern Virginia. We found a place in Fredericksburg, Virginia, an empty 1,500 sq ft. place. Solomon and I decided that we could sell some shares to family and friends to raise money. We needed money to build out the kitchen. That was an extremely challenging experience. We did most of the work ourselves. We hired architects to make it into a commercial kitchen. We thought it would only take 3 or 4 months, but it took up a year! The cost of doing it was far more than we expected. Commercial kitchens need the hood system to suck the air out and bring in fresh air. That alone cost about $60,000. All the money we raised went into just that one unit. Inspectors kept asking us to change things. We eventually got all the permits. If I had to do it again, Ill pay a contractor to do it.

PT: When did you start production?

Bickersteth: We started about six years ago. My wife and kids helped when we started. My daughter would help every now and then. My middle son, Ayinde, always helps me out. I work full time as an accountant and do this on the weekends. I work seven days a week. We would drive up to New York, New Jersey, Baltimore and Philadelphia. A couple of months before Solomon passed, I told him I cannot do it anymore. We hired my son Ayinde to work full time with us. Prior to coming on board full time, he was working in marketing for an electrical company when he got out of college. He understands a lot about our business already, and he took the necessary classes online with a North Carolina college, which is much easier. When I took the classes, I had to go to Pennsylvania, rent a hotel, and stay there for a whole week while completing the course. I used my vacation from my full-time job. Solomon and I have put a lot of sweat equity into the company.

PT: How do you see the future of your business?

Bickersteth: Its very bright. We now make five different sauces, and we have ginger beer with four flavours. (Traditional, Sorrel, Passion Fruit and Tamarind). These are all on our website: www.kotollc.com. We market to wholesalers right now, because its much easier. The retail part of our business is just about 1 per cent of our sales. My son is thinking of scaling this up, using social media platforms to advertise, and even working with Amazon. There are also prospects of getting into the supermarkets, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Big Box stores. We are thinking of automating production because there is an increase in demand. We need filling machines, conveyor belts, labelling machines, a printer for date and number. Weve applied for loans and are waiting to hear back. Our original investors have been patient and we are grateful. It typically takes about ten years and beyond to start making money. The profit margin per product is slim and we reinvest any profit back into the business. We have venture capitalist investors looking to come on board. I get calls from all over the world from people inquiring about the products. A friend wants me to come and start a factory in Nigeria. We sell our products all over the U.S.  Georgia, California, Texas, Ohio. The distributors sell them to the African grocery stores. Even though the profit margin is lower with distributors, the turn-over is faster and payment is guaranteed.

PT: What else would you like to tell us and do you have any advice for potential African immigrant entrepreneurs?

Bickersteth: There are so many African products to bring to market. Making a high-quality product and good packaging are essential. For example, the potential venture capitalist investors were very impressed with our ginger beer packaging. The products will sell themselves, once they are high quality. We are also thinking of bringing bitter kola drink to market. As an entrepreneur, you have to enjoy what you do. If you dont have the capital, think creatively. Build the business and reinvest in it. Its a lot of work and you have to have a passion for what you do. We havent even begun to tap the potential around us. We want to partner with black-owned bakeries out there, so we could use the fibre left over from making ginger beer into ginger cookies, the way we do at home. We need to make the business very successful here in the U.S. before thinking of establishing abroad. This is the biggest market in the world.

The name for the pepper sauce, KOTO, came from a place in Freetown. The Kru people of Liberia settled in a part of Freetown called Kru Town. We called it Koto for short. Kru people love to eat very hot pepper. This pepper sauce took its name from that neighbourhood. My wife, who is a professor of African History, wrote the story on the bottle.

PT: Thank you and good luck with everything.
The presidency on Monday described as ignorant the calls for President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.

In a statement, the presidents media aide, Femi Adesina, said Civil Society Organisations that have been calling for assent to the bill are cashing in on the delay by the president to foment civil disorder and muddy the waters.

He said the president has a window of 30 days within which to sign the Bill or decline assent. To this end, he said, the executive could do due diligence on it till March 1 since it was transmitted on January 31, 2022.

Some interest groups are cashing in on what they consider a delay in the signing of the Electoral Bill into law by the President to foment civil disorder and muddy the waters.

One can just pity their ignorance of Constitutional requirements A proposed legislation that has to do with the electoral fortunes of the country needs to be thoroughly scrutinised, and be made as near-perfect as possible.

Those playing cheap politics with it are, therefore, encouraged to hold their peace, knowing that the right thing will be done within the lawful time, part of the statement read.

The statement comes amid calls from civic groups for the president to assent to the legislation on or before February 22.

The lawmakers transmitted the bill to the president on January 31, for assent  after the latter had declined assent to the bill five times.

In March 2018, he rejected the bill on grounds that it could usurp the powers of the electoral umpire, INEC. In July of the same year, he rejected the bill citing drafting issues.

In September, he failed to act on the bill until the time frame elapsed. In December, his reason was that it was too close to the 2019 general elections.

And in December 2021, he declined assent to the current bill based on the adoption of direct primaries as the only legally approved procedure for the nomination of candidates.

In an interview, Mr Buhari promised to sign the legislation should the lawmakers review the bill and allow for more options for mode of primaries.

Last month, both the Senate and House of Representatives amended the bill making provision for direct, indirect and consensus modes of primaries. It was transmitted to the president for assent a week later.

While the president has 30 days to act on the bill, as prescribed in the constitution, civil groups have said if it is not signed by February 22, it could affect the schedule of the 2023 elections.

In the new bill, INEC is required to issue Notice of Election not later than 360 days before the day appointed for an election and since INEC has fixed February 18, 2023 for the election, the bill has to be signed by February 22 for the law to take effect.

Some CSOs have since declared Tuesday, February 22 as a day for National Protest  to demand immediate assent to the legislation.

Read the full statement:

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

ASSENT TO ELECTORAL BILL: NO NEED FOR SABER RATTLING

Some interest groups are cashing in on what they consider a delay in the signing of the Electoral Bill into law by the President to foment civil disorder and muddy the waters.

One can just pity their ignorance of Constitutional requirements, as the President has a window of 30 days within which to sign the Bill, or decline assent, after it had been transmitted to him by the National Assembly.

It is on record that the amended Bill was sent to the Presidency on January 31, 2022, which means that the Executive could do due diligence on it till March 1, as prescribed by the Constitution.

A proposed legislation that has to do with the electoral fortunes of the country needs to be thoroughly scrutinized, and be made as near-perfect as possible.

Those playing cheap politics with it are, therefore, encouraged to hold their peace, knowing that the right thing will be done within the lawful time.

Femi Adesina

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Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)

February 21, 2022
The High Court of Delta State has jailed a former Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Edna Mogekwu, and three ex-officials of the institution for refusing to honour invitations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC).

According to a statement by the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugwa, on Monday, the trial judge, Marshal Umukoro, convicted Ms Mogekwu on three out of the five charges preferred against him by the commission.

The court sentenced her to one years imprisonment for Counts 2 and 3 and to one months jail term for Count 1, the ICPCs statement said.

The sentences will run concurrently, the statement quoted the judge as ruling. This implies the convict will spend one year in prison being the highest sentence imposed on her by the court.

Other officials of the institution, also convicted by the court, are Collins Onyenwenu, a former Registrar, Andy Ughusuena, a former Bursar, and Joseph Idabor, a former Director of Works of the Polytechnic.

The statement said the officials were each sentenced to one months imprisonment each on each of four out of the five counts filed against them. The sentences are also to run concurrently, which means they will only spend one month in jail.

Charges

The ICPC had filed a five-count charge against the convicts accusing them of frequently refusing to honour the commissions invitations.

ICPCs counsel, Ogochukwu Iwoba, had told the court that the former rector and her accomplices were under investigation for acts of corruption by the commission but failed to appear for interrogation when they were invited in 2015.

Their refusal to comply with an order from the commissions investigators to produce records were said to be in violation of Section 28 (1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under Section 28 (10) of the same Act.
A Divisional Police Officer in Abuja, Olabisi Daves, has sought justice for her colleagues killed during the #EndSARS protests that rocked Nigeria in 2020.

During the nationwide demonstrations against police brutality and other forms of human rights violations, hoodlums infiltrated the protests, unleashing mayhem on police personnel.

Ms Daves who is the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Life Camp Police Station in the FCT, made the appeal on Monday during the launching of Police Station Visitors Week by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Conducting top staff of the NHRC and journalists around its detention facility, the DPO asked Abdulrhaman Yakubu, who led the visitation team, about what the commission was doing to bring justice to murdered cops whose loved ones are in immense distress.

What is your commission doing about police officers who were beheaded and their bodies roasted by criminals during the #EndSARS protests? Ms Daves asked.

Responding, Mr Yakubu, a representative of the NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, said addressing rights violations remains the commissions core mandate.

The NHRC takes issues of rights violations seriously, and individuals fingered in the killings of police officers must be brought to justice, Mr Yakubu assured.

Backstory

The then Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, had in November 2020, lamented the extent of damage caused by hoodlums who attacked police officers and stations in the wake of the #EndSARS protests.

Mr Adamu made the observation when he visited the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the State House in Marina.

According to official records, six police officers were lynched in Lagos, 36 critically injured, while 46 police stations were torched.

The police visitors week, Mr Yakubu explained, is in furtherance of the commissions mandate to carry out periodic audit of places of detention across the country.

He added that the exercise is geared towards ensuring that practices in detention facilities conform with human rights standards.

Giving insights on the project, which is part of a larger project on strengthening police reforms in Nigeria being funded by MacArthur Foundation, Mr Yakubu, who heads NHRCs department of Civil and Political Rights, said six states alongside the FCT had been selected for the exercise.

He listed the states to include  Sokoto (North-west), Bauchi (North-east), Benue (North-central), Oyo (South-west), Imo (South-east) and Edo (South-south).

In carrying out the assignment, these trained visitors are tasked to collect and document information regarding the police stations, suspects (detainees), condition of the detention facility, and welfare of the detaining authorities, Mr Yakubu explained during his interactions with police personnel during the flag off exercise on Monday in Abuja.

During the inspection of the police stations five cells, this reporter observed only two detainees who said they were brought into the facility on Sunday.

There was also a temporary legal practitioner at the station whose responsibility is to ensure compliance with human rights requirements as enshrined in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015).
The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) says it received three petitions calling for the investigation of Chima Igwe, the ex-Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO).

An Investigator with the ICPC, Vera Esidene, said this on Monday while testifying at an Ikeja Special Offences Court as the first prosecution witness during the trial of Mr Igwe over alleged certificate fraud.

While being led in evidence by a member of the ICPC prosecuting team, Kehinde Adetoye, Mrs Esidene said that in 2019, three petitions were written against the embattled Mr Igwe calling for the investigation of his Ph.D. certificate.

The first was titled, Forged Ph.D. Certificate by Chima Igwe, the second was titled, Call to Probe the Ph.D. Certificate, and the third petition was titled, Demand for Immediate Probe and Request for the Ph.D. Certificate, she said.

The ICPC investigator said that upon receiving the petitions, the commission assigned the case to her team, which immediately swung into action.

Part of our strategies was to write letters to the defendant and to FIIRO and invite some of the staff members.

We also wrote letters requesting some documents from the staff, precisely the defendants letter of approval to enable him to seek for his Ph.D.

We requested for the letter he submitted after he claimed to have completed the programme. We also requested for his promotion letter and an extract of the board meeting minutes held at FIIRO, Mrs Esidene said.

During her testimony, Mr Adetoye requested that the three petitions that were written against Mr Igwe be tendered into evidence.

Defence counsel, Victor Opara, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, however, objected to the submission of the prosecutor.

Mr Opara said the objection was on the grounds that the copies of the three documents (petitions) were not original copies and as a result, fell short of the requirements of Section 86 of the Evidence Act.

Where the original is not presented, a reason must be given to your lordship. There is no foundation as to where the original is.

The makers of this document were not brought and the witness is not the maker. I refer your lordship to Section 83(1)(b) of the Evidence Act. As a result, this document remains documentary hearsay, he said.

Responding, the lead prosecutor of the ICPC team, Henry Emore, said that the copies of petitions were public documents.

The documents are from private citizens but were addressed to the Chairman, ICPC. Immediately these documents were received by the ICPC, they became public documents.

The witness has presented the documents in their proper form and we have met all requirements for certification of the documents under Section 104 of the Evidence Act, he said.

Justice Sherifat Solebo, in a ruling, admitted the petitions into evidence noting that there was no need to bring the authors of the petitions to court for the petitions to be admissible as evidence.

The petitions are fundamental to this trial. The Certified True Copies of any public document is admissible in evidence not the original.

There is nothing proscribing the admissibility of these three documents. I hereby admit them as Exhibits A1, A2 and A3, Solebo said.

The case was adjourned until February 22 for a continuation of trial.

Charges

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Igwe faces a three-count charge of giving a document with false information, using office to proffer unfair advantage and making false statements to a public officer.

The ICPC alleged that Mr Igwe, while being a public officer with FIIRO, knowingly gave to the organisation, with intent to deceive, an attestation letter signifying the completion of a Ph.D. degree programme from the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Republic of Benin.

The offences contravene Sections 17(1)(c), 19 and 25(1)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.

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He was appointed the acting DG of the institute on May 13, 2019, and sacked in February 2020 after failing to present his PhD certificate more than 17 years after claiming to have bagged the degree, according to Punch newspaper.

He received several promotions based on the purported certificate. His alleged offence came into the limelight when his colleagues petitioned the ICPC.

According to information on the institutes website, the 57-year-old joined as a Research Officer 1 and rose through the ranks to become the Director of Chemical Fibre and Environmental Technology Department in June 2010.

(NAN)
Swearing in front of the camera that he would deal ruthlessly with the people who steal and refine crude oil illegally, crisscrossing the creeks, physically pulling down some of the illegal refinery structures, is drama taken too far by Wike. It begs the question: Why now? Wikes desperation to add to the false narrative and perception of an action governor and the dialectics of the 2023 elections are very clear in the minds of the discerning, and the people cannot be fooled all the time.

The debate about politicians being among the best actors on earth is as old as humanity. What makes acting in politics so attractive is its subtle nature, emotional appeal and the interplay between human perception, real-life challenges, and human vulnerability. At the centre of all political drama is symbolic and connotative communication, where the unsavvy audience are fed, albeit subtly, messages that the subconscious assimilate, which concretise existing conceptualisations, create new meanings or re(shape) perceptions. Just as Soyinkas seminal drama, The Trials of Brother Jero used an intricate web of plot, setting, and character to communicate the hypocritical nature of religious activists in Nigeria, political drama manipulates plot and character to advance a metaphor of strength, growth, or decay.

We get a glimpse of political drama from time to time in Nigeria. We should remember Chief Festus Okotie Eboh, Governor Ayo Fayose, Senator Dino Melaye and other respected leaders, who are potential Oscar award winners. Recently, politicians and political leaders have acted more political drama than addressing the issue of crude oil theft and its corollary, illegal refining, in the country. Unfortunately, this issue for which we prefer drama to making hard leadership decisions, profoundly affects the economy, environment, public health, and social cohesion. Let us x-ray this political drama, scene by scene, and identify the symbolisms of the drama, the characterisation of the political Jeros, and possible solutions to the problems of crude oil theft and illegal refining.

Scene one: This opens in the setting of the creeks of Niger Delta, littered with networks of pipelines and induces the illegal tampering with oil pipelines from base to terminals, by criminals who are bent on stealing crude oil. The protagonists are youths who blame poverty, unemployment and the exclusion of their communities from tangible development initiatives as the reasons for their actions. These youths have collaborators and benefactors in this nefarious activity. We must confront pertinent questions, whose answers have ramifications for Nigeria: What is the plot? Who are the heroes and the villains? And, what is the impact of their activities on the oil sector, and by extension the national economy? What is the actual volume of crude oil stolen every day and every month? Who are the thieves and their sponsors?

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) figures for stolen crude from January to December 2021 and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC; formerly DPR) figures for January to December of the same 2021, differ. They range from 115,000 to 300,000 barrels per day (bbl/d). This estimate translates to between 42 million to 110 million barrels of crude oil per annum. At an estimated price of $90 per barrel, these amount to between $3.8 billion and $9.9 billion per annum. At its peak, the amound of stolen crude is more than the amount of crude oil produced in three African countries put together  Ghana, Cameroon and Chad. This oil is stolen from the pipelines linking the wells to terminals. More baffling is the fact that billions of naira are spent annually to protect this same network of pipelines. The volume of stolen crude oil implies that we cannot meet our OPEC production quota and we are hence losing trillions of naira to some smart boys in the creeks, with consequential impact on the Nigerian economy. We were producing 2 million bbl per day in the past, but today we are doing only about 1.3 million bb per day due to crude oil theft. The unknown thieves have always gotten away with their loot from early 2000 till date. This raises multiple questions for which there are no answers yet. Just imagine what $9.9 billion per year, if properly managed, could do in our communities  the number of roads, hospitals, schools, and other infrastructure that it would have built. This does not even take into consideration, the environmental degradation, associated risk and their impact on our livelihoods.

Scene two: This scene opens with big foreign vessels/badges in the high seas carting away some of the stolen crude oil to foreign refineries overseas. It is estimated that eighty per cent of the stolen oil is exported, while the remaining 20 per cent goes into illegal refining in the numerous refineries dotting the landscape of the Niger Delta creeks. These vessels and illegal refineries are very conspicuous and visible to be noticed, yet the illegal operations ensuing have been going on without any significant challenge from government or governmental institutions, including security agencies.

How can it be that in the past years, since these criminal activities have been in the public domain, not a significant number of criminals engaged in them have been caught, arraigned, prosecuted, and incarcerated on being found guilty? Crude oil theft and illegal refining generate illicit wealth that fuels drug consumption, arms proliferation, and the activities of criminal gangs.

It is noteworthy that all the areas where these crimes against Nigeria are perpetrated have naval and marine police presence, yet the thieving of crude oil has been going on in the past 20 years. It is alleged that some security personnel connive with and even protect the criminals and the gangs operating these illegal activities. The activities of these hoodlums have been known for a long time, but the political will to stop them has not been present. How can it be that in the past years, since these criminal activities have been in the public domain, not a significant number of criminals engaged in them have been caught, arraigned, prosecuted, and incarcerated on being found guilty? Crude oil theft and illegal refining generate illicit wealth that fuels drug consumption, arms proliferation, and the activities of criminal gangs.

Scene three: It opens with the devastating environmental pollution and deadly soot caused by illegal refining activities within the major cities and villages in Rivers and Bayelsa States. Soot is a deep black powdery or flaky substance consisting mainly of amorphous carbon, produced by the incomplete burning of organic matter, such as crude oil. This phenomenon has been on for about seven years but has gotten worse from 2016 to date. I dealt extensively with this issue of soot in two editions of this column on December 27, 2021 and January 3, 2022, under the title, Playing politics with soot and our collective conscience. Despite the enormous health implication and the damage to the economy of immediately impacted states and the country, both the Federal Government and the impacted state governments did little or nothing to solve the problem for over six years.

The government of Rivers, a major impacted State, through its Ministry of the Environment, set up a technical committee to investigate the soot issue. It produced and submitted a report in 2017/2018, yet nothing was done about it. Local citizens set up a pressure group and campaigned both locally and internationally to get the worlds attention to the issue, yet nothing significant has happened. The group, led by Eugene Abel, sued the Federal Government of Nigeria for this monumental neglect of the lives of Rivers State residents because it has not tackled the soot problem. Local citizens and civil society organisations pushing to hold the government responsible for solving this environmental problem are continuing in their various actions to keep the issue on the front burner of the publics mind.

Scene 4: Enter Governor Nyesom Wike. In his ecclesiastical and messianic approach to dealing with things, Wike suddenly woke from slumber after six years of doing nothing about the soot problem and swept in to rescue Rivers State from the hazard, which is a consequence of illegal refining activities. Maybe spurred by the sting of our earlier articles on soot, Wike developed a burning desire to create an imagery of a working governor who is solving the problems of citizens of his State. The melodrama started. He marched into the Niger Delta creeks, like a Tarzan, with cameras rolling, journalists writing and security men brandishing AK47s. The sudden haste to bulldoze illegal refineries and blame the soot problem on everyone but himself as the governor responsible for the state, will make one think that illegal refining and the soot problem started in 2022. Although I am happy that something is being done, at least for now, it is evident that these actions are not driven by altruistic intentions.

The symbolism of Governor Wikes drama is not lost on us, such that even an uncritical mind can see through it. Swearing in front of the camera that he would deal ruthlessly with the people who steal and refine crude oil illegally, crisscrossing the creeks, physically pulling down some of the illegal refinery structures, is drama taken too far by Wike. It begs the question: Why now? Wikes desperation to add to the false narrative and perception of an action governor and the dialectics of the 2023 elections are very clear in the minds of the discerning, and the people cannot be fooled all the time.

Affected states cannot pretend to be helpless. They have primary responsibility for the security and protection of the environment and land administration. States should enforce their environmental laws and must work in synergy with the Federal Government and local communities to tackle these evils and not play theatrics with them. They should start with a massive enlightenment campaign on the dangers of illegal refining within the communities

The truth is that the triumph of illegal refineries and the consequential soot plague, is the product of a criminal collusion between the government, security agencies at many levels and local communities. It also has links with the collapse of our official refineries, which has persisted for three decades.

A responsible governor, prioritising environmental stewardship and public health above political patronage and electoral conquests, would have declared an emergency on illegal refining and its related effect, soot, in 2016. The problem of illegal refining and soot plague became aggravated in 2016, and the perpetrators were allowed to develop this alternative economy that was lucrative to locals. This economic boom feeds into the sense of entitlement to proceeds of crude that is predominant locally.

This crime was an open secret, and everybody knew about it, including the governor. Wike looked away as the boys doing this criminal business became wealthy, and he enjoyed their support. Even local people know its an intricate web of political interplay, economic interest and multilayered compromise by many actors.

Having established the interplay of forces at work, It is now more critical than ever that the Federal Government shows real commitment to tackling the twin evil of crude oil theft and illegal refining. A national roadmap with explicit definitive action is needed beyond setting up task forces that will not yield any result. A cocktail of actions is required and urgently too, from awareness creation, surveillance, security and regulatory enforcement, to environmental remediation actions. Fortunately, the NIMASA Deep Blue project can be expanded and strengthened to take up the additional responsibility of tackling illegal refining through the deployment of technology. The Federal Ministry of Environment has been too silent and absent in the problem of soot arising from illegal refineries. The Federal Government should deal with the issue of compromise and collaboration by security personnel and restore the trust of Nigerians in our security personnel and architecture.

Affected states cannot pretend to be helpless. They have primary responsibility for the security and protection of the environment and land administration. States should enforce their environmental laws and must work in synergy with the Federal Government and local communities to tackle these evils and not play theatrics with them. They should start with a massive enlightenment campaign on the dangers of illegal refining within the communities, while enforcing existing laws and assuring the people of providing an enabling environment for an alternative economy to replace the illegal economy created by the illicit stealing of crude oil and refining it. Impacted and affected communities need to understand that they have a role in tackling illegal refining. They should resist the temptation of allowing politicians to use their livelihood and environment as a chessboard.

Dakuku Peterside is a policy and leadership expert.
Four officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been killed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists at Galadiman Kogo in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

The terrorists also killed six residents of the town during an earlier night raid on Sunday.

The spokesperson of NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, confirmed the death of the officials on Monday from the agencys headquarters in Abuja.

A bomb explosion has rocked an operational vehicle of the Niger State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, killing four personnel instantly, Mr Odumosu said.

The driver of the vehicle sustained very serious injuries during the blast and had been rushed to the hospital where he is currently battling for his life.

The explosion occured along Galadiman Kogo axis in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State at the early hours of Monday morning, involving some officers and men of NSCDC Niger Command attached to Shiroro HYDRO Power Station, Shiroro, Niger State.

Mr Odumosu said the officials were on a routine patrol in the early hours of Monday morning when their patrol vehicle stepped on a buried land mine which exploded immediately killing all occupants except the driver who is currently in a very critical condition.

He identified the deceased personnel as: ASC I Mohammed Ibrahim; ASC II Cheche Ahmed; IC Yunusa Mahmam; and CAI BALA Abdullahi.

The driver identified as Inspector Bala Adamu is currently in the hospital receiving treatment, the official said.

The Commandant General of NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, has commiserated with families of the deceased officers and men who paid the supreme price in service to the nation and reassured residents of Niger of the Corps resolve and commitment to the security of lives and property of Nigerians without deterrence, the statement said.

Also the Niger State Government, while commiserating with the entire people of Shiroro local government area, particularly the affected communities, said Governor Abubakar Bello would take every necessary step to assuage the sufferings of the affected people by providing humanitarian interventions.

Mary Noel-Berje, the media aide to the governor, said the Mr Bello is saddened by the ugly news emanating from Galadima Kogo, barely three weeks after similar attacks, in which many lives and properties were lost as well as many residents displaced.

As Government, we are determined not to hands up to these dare-devil terrorists. Niger State is actively supporting the federal government led efforts to overcome the menace of these heartless terrorists, Mrs Noel-Berje said in a statement.

These people have come under several attacks for no fault of theirs, their lifestyle have been forced to change. I feel and share in their pains. I will not rest until their lifestyle return to normal, she said, quoting the governor.

The statement added that the governor also condoled with the security agencies for the loss of some of their personnel, sympathized with their family members, stressing that their sacrifices will not go in vain even as he pledged his unalloyed as well as continued support to them within the available resources so as to win the war against the terrorists.

The governor prayed God to grant quick recovery to those injured and repose of the souls of those killed, the statement said.

Six civilian casualties  Residents

The Co-convener of Concerned Shiroro Youth, Abubakar Yusuf-Kokki, told PREMIUM TIMES that six other residents were killed by the marauding terrorists earlier on Sunday in Galadima Kogo.

Mr Yusuf-Kokki said the use of IEDs by terrorists in the area is strange and has created panic among the residents.

Concerns are rife among residents of the war-torn areas about the ugly development bearing in mind the more devastating dimension this menace have taken.

Explosions of this magnitude are new and unusual which is attributable to the kid gloves this war is being prosecuted with by Government, Mr Yusuf-Kokki said

Earlier warning

The Niger State Government had in November warned that a breakaway group of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram terrorists was establishing camps in the state.

The Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane, raised the alarn at a press conference.

Mr Matane said armed bandits were aligning with insurgents to indoctrinate residents in some communities in Shiroro Local Government Area.

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The group has been preaching a strict Islamic ideology and banning women from going to conventional schools, he said.

The official identified some of the communities visited by the armed groups as Shukuba, Koki, Kusare, and Madaka.

Mr Matane said the group was assuring residents of protection but asked them to reject western education as well as government directives.

These people often go to communities to communicate with them and assure them that they will not harm them, and join them during Friday congregational prayer to preach to them on the need to forsake western education and embark on civil disobedience,

They also made a video claiming that they are not kidnappers, but engaging in religious activities. They have assured us (Government) that they are God sent to establish an Islamic caliphate. Despite their rapprochement, we are not negotiating with them, Mr Matane said.

Specifically, Mr Matane said ISWAP is trying to establish a camp at National Park at Babana in Borgu Local government Area of the State.

The official said the collaboration between the armed bandits and Boko Haram has escalated attacks on innocent residents in recent times.

Mr Matane, who said the state had spent over N5 billion in tackling security challenges, said the government was worried the situation has continued to escalate.

After the alarm raised by the Niger government, the federal government announced that it was deploying massive security personnel to the state to check the activities of the terrorists.
Two yet-to-be identified persons have died from generator fumes in Awka, Anambra State, Nigerias South-east.

The victims, a male and a female, were found dead inside a room at students lodge in the area on Sunday evening.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this in a statement, Monday, said the two corpses have been recovered and deposited at a morgue in the state.

Preliminary investigation reveals fumes from the generator were strongly perceived from the room, he said.

Mr Ikenga said the police, responding to a distress call, forced the victims door open to bring out their remains.

No mark of violence was found on the bodies, he said.

He said the Commissioner of police in the state, Echeng Echeng, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

The commissioner, he said, urged residents who use generators to keep them away at a safe distance to avoid the penetration of fumes inside their rooms.

Universitys reaction

Some residents of the area said the victims could be students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

But when contacted, the institutions spokesperson, Chika Ene, told PREMIUM TIMES, Monday, that it was not yet certain that the victims were students of the institution.

The two persons died at an off-campus hostel, not our school hostel, Mrs Eneh said.
In 2008, the German industrial conglomerate Siemens was fined a combined $1.34 billion following bribery investigations in the U.S. and Germany. A U.S. official called the scale of the kickback scheme unprecedented.

The company had bribed its way to lucrative contracts across the world. After its head offices were raided, staff at all levels of the company were implicated in corruption. One of the most notorious was Eduard Seidel, who used cash, luxury watches, and other gifts to curry favour with powerful Nigerians, including presidents and vice-presidents, for two decades.

Mr Seidel faced trial in Germany for bribing foreign officials, receiving a one-year suspended prison sentence and a fine and costs of 240,000 euros. Before that sentence was over, he had acquired or still owned at least four properties in Dubai and a house in Quinta do Lago, Portugal  an impressive portfolio even for someone earning Mr Seidels ample salary of around 300,000 euros annually.

Mr Seidel told prosecutors in 2008 that he had not illegally enriched himself. But information from Suisse Secrets  a collaboration among 48 media outlets and across five continents  reveals that Mr Seidel stashed more than 54.5 million Swiss francs ($41.9 million) in a Credit Suisse bank account that was active until at least 2016, almost a decade after he was found guilty. It was one of six accounts he had at the bank or its subsidiary. German prosecutors told reporters from OCCRP partner Suddeutsche Zeitung they were not aware of Mr Seidels Credit Suisse accounts.

The Suisse Secrets Investigation

Suisse Secrets is a collaborative journalism project based on leaked bank account data from Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse.



The data was provided by an anonymous source to the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, which shared it with OCCRP and 46 other media partners around the world. Reporters on five continents combed through thousands of bank records, interviewed insiders, regulators, and criminal prosecutors, and dug into court records and financial disclosures to corroborate their findings. The data covers over 18,000 accounts that were open from the 1940s until well into the last decade. Together, they held funds worth more than $100 billion.

I believe that Swiss banking secrecy laws are immoral, the source of the data said in a statement. The pretext of protecting financial privacy is merely a fig leaf covering the shameful role of Swiss banks as collaborators of tax evaders. This situation enables corruption and starves developing countries of much-needed tax revenue.

Because the Credit Suisse data obtained by journalists is incomplete, there are a number of important caveats to be kept in mind when interpreting it. Read more about the project, where the data came from, and what it means.

Five of these accounts were opened in the 1980s or 1990s when he was at the height of his powers in Nigeria. Two of the accounts were closed in December 2006, just one month after police raided Siemens headquarters, and shortly before Mr Seidels name began appearing in news reports. A fourth was closed in early 2016, and two more  including the account that contained over 54.5 million Swiss francs  continued to be active for some time beyond that.

While in Nigeria, Mr Seidel appears to have run a company alongside a senior official from the Nigerian communications ministry. Mr Seidels wife also founded a company with the help of the Nigerian minister of communications. A lawyer for Mr Seidels wife said this company had never developed any business activity.

Siemens told Suddeutsche Zeitung that it had been unaware of Mr Seidels companies and his Credit Suisse accounts.

Mr Seidel told reporters he resolutely denies the allegation that he stole money from Siemens or received money due to corrupt or criminal behaviour in Nigeria.

Swiss compliance specialist Monika Roth said that, given the context of the Siemens scandal, Mr Seidels account should have been noticed by Credit Suisse compliance officers. Mr Seidel had a very good incomebut not one that brings you 54 million [Swiss francs], she said.

When clients have wealth that is hugely incommensurate with their income, Ms Roth said, banks are obliged to ask questions about where it came from. Sometimes, she said, the answer can only lie in corruption and kickbacks.

In a written reply to detailed questions about Mr Seidels accounts, Credit Suisse said it could not comment on individual clients due to confidentiality restrictions. It said the bank operates its business in compliance with all applicable global and local laws and regulations and has taken a series of significant measures in line with Swiss financial reforms.

Greasing Palms

Mr Seidel spent almost his entire career at Siemens and rose through the ranks, taking over the companys communications division in 1985, the same year he opened his first Credit Suisse account. Mr Seidel later told German investigators that his predecessor taught him how to win business in Nigeria using bribes, which accounted for up to 15 to 30 per cent of every contract. Foreign bribery was legal in Germany until 1999 and was often noted in Siemens accounting entries as Nutzliche Aufwendungen, or useful expenditures. Bribes were even tax-deductible.

Regulations tightened in 1999 with Germany becoming a signatory to the OECD anti-bribery convention. Despite this, money for Siemens bribery continued to flow through slush funds, consultants or frequently in suitcases of cash brought from Europe.

By 1991, Mr Seidel had become a familiar face in the corridors of power in Nigeria. Over the course of two decades, he wined and dined military rulers and presidents from successive regimes. He visited the offices of ministers and attended weddings or holiday events with offerings of expensive gifts like Rolex and Gautier watches, or even outright cash.

None of the senior officials in Nigeria have ever been tried for their role in the matter. Most have publicly denied ever accepting bribes.

Mr Seidel was a particularly frequent visitor to the office of Nigerias state-owned telecommunications company, NITEL. Seidel was allowed access to bid documents of other contractors and in most cases he determined the bid specifications, said Titi Omo-Ettu, a former engineer at NITEL, in a book about NITEL published in Nigeria. Siemens bribed its way to four Nigerian telecommunications contracts worth around $130 million making payments of at least $4.5 million.

Mr Seidel distributed money liberally and effectively, as did his counterparts elsewhere. The U.S. court that tried the Siemens case found company staff had handed out around $1.4 billion in bribes in Nigeria, Russia and China, among others, in order to win illicit contracts that netted them over $1.1 billion in profits.

Mr Seidel eventually stepped down in 2005, just one year before the Siemens scandal broke. On November 15, 2006, German authorities raided Siemens headquarters in Munich, kicking off what became one of Europes biggest corruption cases.

The newspaper headlines dragged Seidel into the spotlight. He was added to a due diligence database on November 20, 2007, meaning any rudimentary compliance check would raise a flag against his name. Yet at least two of his Credit Suisse accounts remained open.

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Swiss money laundering laws compel banks to tell authorities about dubious deposits in accounts of clients who pose compliance risks, and to do so immediately. Compliance specialist Roth said it was puzzling and inexplicable if Credit Suisse had not informed German prosecutors of Seidels account.
Plattsburgh, NY (12901)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low around 50F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low around 50F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
From 18 to 20 February, Dr Kunio Mikuriya, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), attended in person the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Founded in 1963, the MSC has become a major security forum organized on an annual basis. This year, more than 100 ministers and over 30 heads of state and government, as well as heads of international organizations attended the MSC in person.

During the session on fighting kleptocracy and corruption, several topics were discussed, including illicit trade. In his intervention, Secretary General Mikuriya highlighted the potential danger for Customs administrations to have to rely on low quality data while controlling high volume of shipments from e-commerce that have further grown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WCO-coordinated enforcement operations demonstrated that e-commerce has become one of the major conduits for illicit trade. Therefore, it has become essential to obtain access to good quality data for risk management purposes, using digital technology in a paperless trade environment. Like in the case of traditional containerized trade, where there is an established data flow from the trade community to Customs, there is also a need for Customs to enhance cooperation with the e-commerce operators, including e-commerce platforms. The development of Public-Private Partnerships with e-commerce actors for the purpose of data sharing, in addition to the ongoing cooperation with other law enforcement agencies to identify high-risk packages, is considered a matter of urgency.

Within the margins of the Conference, Dr. Mikuriya had a number of discussions with ministers and political leaders as well as heads of international organizations. He had a bilateral meeting with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to discuss the progress in the area of multilateral trade negotiations as well as possible cooperation on e-commerce and trade transparency. During a meeting with Ms. Majlinda Bregu, the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Secretary General Mikuriya explored the ways that the WCO could contribute to regional integration in South-East Europe and particularly in Western Balkans. During a bilateral meeting with Mr. Jurgen Stock, his counterpart from INTERPOL, Dr. Mikuriya raised the topics of leadership, management and enhanced cooperation as the globe is slowly recovering from the pandemic.
Southbury, CT (06488)

Today

Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 49F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 49F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
TOKYO, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Niwano Peace Foundation will award the 39th Niwano Peace Prize to Father Michael Lapsley, SSM of South Africa in recognition of his relentless struggle against apartheid and other forms of social discrimination as well as various peacebuilding activities in other parts of the world.

An award presentation ceremony will take place in Tokyo on June 14. In addition to an award certificate, Father Lapsley will receive a medal and a cash prize of 20 million yen.

Born in 1949 in New Zealand, Father Lapsley was ordained to priesthood in Australia in 1973. His religious conviction led him to work as a chaplain in South Africa at the height of apartheid there. But his involvement in anti-apartheid activities led to his expulsion from South Africa. Since then, he has moved globally, contributing to the healing of South Africans as well as many others all over the world.

In selecting Father Lapsley as a recipient for 2022, the Niwano Peace Prize Committee said he "lost both hands and one eye" due to a letter bomb explosion but he "did not become bitter" and, as one Committee member put it, "Rather he set about working on healing and reconciliation. He saw damage and he has strived to heal it."

Niwano Peace Prize:

The Niwano Peace Foundation established the Niwano Peace Prize to honor and encourage individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to inter-religious cooperation, thereby furthering the cause of world peace, and to make their achievements known as widely as possible. The Foundation hopes in this way to enhance inter-religious understanding and cooperation and to encourage the emergence of still more persons devoted to working for world peace. The prize is named in honor of the founder and first president of the lay Buddhist organization Rissho Kosei-kai, Nikkyo Niwano.

Niwano Peace Foundation:

The Niwano Peace Foundation was chartered in 1978 to contribute to the realization of world peace and the enhancement of a culture of peace. The Foundation promotes research and other activities based on the spirit of religious principles and serves the cause of peace in such fields as education, science, religion and philosophy.

Contact:

(Mr.) Seiji Hironaka/ (Ms.) Natsuki Kudo/ (Ms.) Aina Hirano

Niwano Peace Foundation

Tel: +81-3-3226-4371

Fax: +81-3-3226-1835

E-mail: info@npf.or.jp

https://www.npf.or.jp/english/

SOURCE Niwano Peace Foundation
LONDON and BANGALORE, India, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) (listed on BSE & NSE) has announced that the company has been selected by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to provide critical customer support to UK citizens for an initial period of two years, with an option to extend further. The partnership is already underway having launched earlier last week, and the contract could be worth up to 211 million across the term of the contract, employing over 2,000 HGS Work@Home positions across the UK.

HGS new logo

The UKHSA is responsible for NHS Test & Trace and this contract will assist with future contact tracing needs for Covid-19 and other health security risks such as a large flu outbreak or new pandemic.

The advertised cost of the contract is the maximum that can be spent, and the total could be less.

Over the last decade, HGS has developed and grown its partnership with the UK government, with this becoming its biggest-ever win in the public sector to date, drawing on a foundation of excellence created by the UK business delivering existing public sector campaigns across the country.

Adam Foster, CEO, HGS Europe said, "I'm beyond proud that HGS will be supporting the UK government in its effort to exit and recover from the pandemic. Winning this opportunity is a credit to the past 10 years of expansion of the UK business, and the public sector expertise we've developed and have become recognised for."

"HGS has been successfully operating in the UK market for over 10 years. While revenues for year ended March 2021 were approx. GBP 67 million, in the nine months ended December 2021, HGS UK more than doubled their revenues to GBP 87 million. Our public sector business has been a key part of this success story with some marquee clients. The significant investments we have made in strengthening our expertise in this vertical, focused sales strategy, Cloud technology, and deployment of HGS Work@Home delivery have enhanced our presence in this demanding market. The UKHSA engagement is a fantastic addition to the UK business, both from a growth and complexity perspective," stated Partha DeSarkar, Executive Director and Group CEO, HGS.

HGS appreciates the trust that has been placed by the government and the responsibility to ensure that the public receives the exceptional services that they expect and deserve. This award reflects the company's continued investment in public sector expertise, delivery capability, and infrastructure and its unique ability to compete with and in many cases outperform key competitors in the UK public sector space.

"Our partnership with UKHSA and the responsibility this has bestowed on HGS isn't being taken lightly. We understand the reality of the requirement and are confident in our ability to deliver service of the utmost quality," said Graham Brown, Chief Revenue Officer, HGS UK.

About Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS):

A global leader in optimising the customer experience lifecycle, digital transformation, and business process management, HGS is helping its clients become more competitive every day. HGS combines automation, analytics, and artificial intelligence with deep domain expertise focusing on digital customer experiences, back-office processing, contact centres, and HRO solutions. Part of the multi-billion-dollar conglomerate Hinduja Group, HGS takes a "globally local" approach. HGS has over 19,100 employees across 34 delivery centers in six countries, making a difference to some of the world's leading brands across verticals. For the year ended March 31, 2021, HGS had revenues of Rs. 55,889 million (US$ 753.9 million).

Visit https://hgs.cx to learn how HGS transforms customer experiences and builds businesses for the future.

For Media Queries:

United Kingdom

Graham Brown

Chief Revenue Officer

Tel: 07436 153525

Email: graham.brown@teamhgs.com

India:

Thanuja B M

Hinduja Global Solutions Limited

Tel: +91 8971145454

Email: thanuja.megharaj@teamhgs.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1706541/HGS.jpg

SOURCE HGS
Increase in birth rate of premature infants, rise in installations of NICU units, and surge in awareness regarding neonatal care drive the growth of the global infant incubator market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Infant Incubator Market by Product (Hybrid Incubator, Normal Incubator, and Transport Incubator), Application (Neonatal Hypothermia & Low Birth Weight, Jaundice, and Others), and End User (Hospitals, Maternity Hospitals, and Neonatal & Pediatric Hospitals): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030". According to the report, the global infant incubator industry generated $131.7 Million in 2020, and is anticipated to generate $249.05 Million by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 6.5% from 2021 to 2030.

Prime determinants of growth

Increase in birth rate of premature infants, rise in installations of NICU units, and surge in awareness regarding neonatal care drive the growth of the global infant incubator market. However, high cost of infant incubators and poor accessibility toward neonatal care in developing regions hinder the market growth. On the other hand, technological advancements in neonatal care devices present new opportunities in the coming years.

Download Sample Report- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2727

Covid-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the growth of the global infant incubator market, as hospitals around the world were completely focused on the COVID-19 situation.

However, the market is anticipated to witness recovery and show stable growth soon.

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Infant Incubator Market- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/2727?reqfor=covid

The Neonatal Hypothermia and Low Birth Weight segment to maintain its leadership status

Based on application, the Neonatal Hypothermia and Low Birth Weight segment held the highest market share in 2020, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the global infant incubator market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 7.1% from 2021 to 2030, owing to increase in prevalence of neonatal hypothermia, as preterm and low birth weight neonates specifically are more susceptible to hypothermia.

The Neonatal and Pediatric Hospitals segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on end user, the Neonatal and Pediatric Hospitals segment accounted for the largest share in 2020, contributing to more than half of the global infant incubator market, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is owing to surge in admissions of neonates with preterm birth in neonatal & pediatric hospitals as well as increase in the number of NICU installations in neonatal & pediatric hospitals. However, the hospitals segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 8.6% from 2021 to 2030, owing to increase in adoption of infant incubator in hospital.

For Purchase Inquiry- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2727

North America to maintain its dominance by 2030

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue 2020, accounting for nearly half of the global infant incubator market, owing to presence of well-established NICUs and neonatal care in the region. Moreover, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 8.34% during the forecast period, owing to rise in inclination toward adoption of advanced infant incubators for monitoring and diagnosis of neonates.

Leading Market Players

Atom Medical Corporation

Bistos Co., Ltd.

Dragerwerk Ag

Fanem Ltd.

General Electric Company (GE Healthcare)

Medicor Elektronika Zrt.

Mediprema Group

Ningbo David Medical Device Co. Ltd.

Phoenix Medical System Pvt. Ltd

Zhengzhou Dison Instrument

Meter Co. Ltd.

Official Press Release: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/press-release/infant-incubator-market.html

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AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model):

AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports.

Get an access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access

About Allied Market Research:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domains. AMR offers its services across 11 industry verticals including Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Materials & Chemicals, Construction & Manufacturing, Food & Beverages, Energy & Power, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive & Transportation, ICT & Media, Aerospace & Defense, and BFSI.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
In a bid to attract and retain talent, 59% of HR leaders have had to create better policies around flexible working.

LONDON, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from Lattice, the leading people management platform for businesses with people-first cultures, reveals that 39% of HR leaders believe labour shortages are here to stay for up to two to three years. In addition, 59% of workers say that the pandemic has made them more likely to quit their jobs.

"We're entering a period of existential reckoning when it comes to the balance between work and our lives. The tables are turning, and employees have a real opportunity to exercise bargaining power. In response to this 'Great Reshuffle' and unprecedented global disruption, HR leaders are having to seriously rethink how they attract and retain staff in the short and long term," explains Jack Altman, CEO at Lattice.

In the past two years, studies have highlighted Generation Z as the hardest-hit demographic in the pandemic. The impact on work is no exception with Gen Z (37%) identified as the most motivated to quit their jobs in contrast to older staff (15%). The significant interference of the pandemic has even inspired workers (17%) to leave a job without another one lined up, with Gen Z most likely to do so than older generations. This could be partly encouraged due to the current job climate with 10% feeling confident that they could find another job.

As HR teams reassess their people strategies in line with the Great Reshuffle, 57% of HR leaders agree that there are not enough skilled staff available to plug the current vacancy void. And limited talent means that candidates are in a unique position to negotiate a higher pay than before. In response, HR teams are getting creative and over half of HR leaders (53%) say they have or are planning to recruit freelancers or contractors to address the shrinking talent pool.

"This research study shows that pre-pandemic approaches are no longer applicable and businesses have a new opportunity to really rethink how work works. First is revaluing the importance of a positive culture in attracting and retaining talent. From purpose and filling in the 'why' behind work to creating a trusted community built on equality and collaboration, and giving staff the tools to grow, will together help create a positive differentiator.

"The second key factor is the need for authentic connection between employers and employees. HR leaders cannot optimise purpose, community, or growth in a vacuum. Ongoing, iterative change, based on what staff are telling you, is the crux of how HR leaders can build an effective people strategy for today and tomorrow," concludes Jack Altman, CEO and co-founder, Lattice.

These findings are revealed through Lattice's Rethinking Work: Attracting and Retaining Talent in an Employee-Led Market Study , which surveyed over 2,000 full-time workers and over 200 HR leaders from multiple business sectors in the UK.

About Lattice

Lattice is the people management platform that enables people leaders to develop engaged, high-performing teams. By combining continuous performance management, employee engagement, development, and growth in one solution, HR and People teams get powerful, real-time analytics that leads to actionable insights turning managers into leaders, employees into high-performers, and companies into the best places to work. Based in San Francisco, Lattice serves over 3,775 customers including Slack, Monzo, and Tide. Learn more at: www.lattice.com .

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/745587/lattice_logo_full_color__33_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Lattice
"I am honored to assume this role," Hunsaker said, "and grateful to join an organization that is absolutely dedicated to the delivery of quality patient care and the superior service it provides healthcare facilities, physicians, and advanced practitioners across the country."

An accomplished senior leader, Hunsaker has worked in the healthcare staffing industry for nearly 30 years and achieved notable success in many leadership roles, including Corporate Controller and Senior Director Lean/Customer Service.

"We are thrilled to name Dianne as Divisional Vice President of Finance," said Keith Shattuck, CEO of All Star Healthcare Solutions. "Dianne is an innovative and inspirational leader who fully embraces our caring, high-performance culture. She is driven by integrity and passionate about mentoring and developing people and leaders. Her vast experience and industry expertise will provide strategic financial direction as we continue to grow."

About All Star Healthcare Solutions

All Star Healthcare Solutions is one of the fastest-growing healthcare staffing companies in the country. Founded in 2003 and based in Deerfield Beach, Florida, the company places physicians and advanced practitioners on locum tenens (i.e., temporary) assignments and in permanent positions at hospitals, health systems, medical practices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities throughout the United States, delivering exceptional care to patients who might otherwise go without it.

Company Purpose Statement: The five points of All Star embody its Core Values and serve as the backbone of the company's "Red Carpet" Service offering. Its people connect quality providers to patients, supporting their clients and the community.

SOURCE All Star Healthcare Solutions
BASKERVILLE, Va., Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It is a privilege for the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) to administer a scholarship program to ensure the next generation of African-American/Black and Hispanic farmers receive the training and skills that will enable them to thrive in the agricultural industry. "Higher education provides essential tools, knowledge, and resources that will allow these scholars to continue their family farm legacy for future generations" says John Boyd, NBFA President.

John Boyd, Jr., 4th generation Black farmers in Mecklenburg County, Virginia continues the legacy of his forefathers while creating educational opportunities for future generations to stay on family farms. National Black Farmers Association President John Boyd and Next Generation of Black And Hispanic Scholarship Program Director Kara Boyd are excited about future generations keeping the family farm in the family. John Boyd Jr., Founder and President, National Black Farmers Association.

The Next Generation of Black and Hispanic Farmers Scholarship (NGBHF) Program application deadline for the 2022-2023 academic year is May 15, 2022. In its first year, the NGBHF Scholarship Program awarded 4 scholarships. This year up to 10 scholarships will be awarded to eligible graduating high school seniors who plan to enroll or are enrolled in an agriculture program of study at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln with a commitment to engage in the family farm operation post college graduation.

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

Be Black, African American or Hispanic high school student farmers with a verifiable family farm operation by the USDA Farm Service Agency;

Have a minimum high school grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent);

Meet academic and admissions criteria for post-secondary education (refer to application for specific criteria);

Commit to farming on the family farm upon college graduation.

Scholarship Award Includes:

Tuition provided for up to 30 credit hours per academic year to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln;

Campus-based housing (traditional hall, double occupancy);

All-access meal plan;

Mandatory fees per academic year;

Up to $1,000 in textbook funds per academic year.

Scholarship Requirements:

Be a full-time student by the 6th day of classes each semester at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln;

Enrolled in an approved degree program in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (Degree programs include: Agronomy, Animal Science, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Applied Science, Grassland Systems, Horticulture, Mechanized Systems Management);

Remain in good standing academically (a cumulative GPA no lower than 2.5) during the four-year course of study;

Remain in good standing administratively, with no student code of conduct and/or legal sanctions during the program;

Participate annually in the Emerging Leaders in Ag and Diversity program.

Apply NOW! Next Generation of Black and Hispanic Farmers Scholarship Application

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aiRv-S16D4

Questions? Contact Us: [email protected] or (804) 691-8528

www.BlackFarmers.org

www.JohnBoydJr.com

www.NativeAmericanFarmers.org

Contact:

John Boyd, Jr.

(434) 210-2286

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE National Black Farmers Association
MIAMI, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- If you're looking at turning your passions into dollars, dropshipping is one of the best ways to sell products online without having any inventory to create passive income, according to Asia Abston at Absolutely Abston.

She's also the founder of The Luxe Life Academy that teaches eCommerce and marketing.

"Out of the 2,500 students I've taught, I can tell you horror stories from entrepreneurs who spent thousands of dollars in inventory that just sits in a rented warehouse because they can't sell the product. Instead, become a drop shipper. They will remove risk and save you time," said Asia Abston. "I teach students to start in a niche preferably something they're passionate about because they'll know more about the topic than most people. You don't want to sell everything because you can't compete with Amazon," said Asia Abston.

"Out of the 2,500 students I've taught, I can tell you horror stories from entrepreneurs who spent thousands of dollars in inventory that just sits in a rented warehouse because they can't sell the product. Instead, become a drop shipper. They will remove risk and save you time," said Abston.

Drop shippers allow you to concentrate your time and money on marketing, customer service, and other activities that bring customers to your site.

When an order is placed on your website all the shipping information will go to the supplier, who will take care of the order. They will pack and ship the product directly to the customer. They only get paid, when you get paid.

Abston knows what works and what doesn't through trial and error while creating a successful eCommerce site after the 34-year-old college dropout lost her bartender job at the beginning of the pandemic. Now she's closing in at making a million dollars by the end of the year.

"Losing my job, was the best thing that ever happened to me. This wouldn't have happened if I was still bartending," said Abston.

Now she uses her experience and has created several courses including a free course to help people generate their own passive income through drop shipping.

Since she's a drop shipper, she doesn't have a warehouse or pay for inventory. Most people don't even know it exists or that it's a lucrative business. Instead of teaching people to buy merchandise, she introduces students to drop shipping and teaches them how to master the art of selling.

"You don't need a bank loan or MBA to get started to tap into the trillion-dollar online shopping market, but you need a computer, Wi-Fi, the internet, and the tenacity to master the material in the course. I teach you how to get started from anywhere with nothing," she said.

She also recommends buying a sample to make sure it's something you want to sell. The world of eCommerce seems competitive, but you have to understand what is different about you and your product to make it stand out.

Is it your customer service, do you have something unique, are you talking to an underserved market, price, delivery or are you aligned with an influencer?

"I teach students to start in a niche preferably something they're passionate about because they'll know more about the topic than most people. You don't want to sell everything because you can't compete with Amazon," said Abston.

If you start with a niche such as makeup, you can sell skincare, lip gloss, and mascara in the niche and you'll have multiple opportunities to make a sale.

After you found your niche, you need to find products associated with it from suppliers.

"I teach a 15-point checklist to find the right suppliers then it's time to launch your Shopify store. I also teach the importance of outsourcing for the work you're not good at. Lastly, we learn the importance of marketing your brand as your life depends on it because it does," she said.

Before you spend a dollar on marketing, you need to understand your niche.

You want to ask questions such as who loves it, who hates it, and why? You also want to find out how the product can be improved and what countries are buying it. Once you found your audience, you need to find the best way to reach them.

You also want to understand their pain points and offer a solution that your product solves.

"For example, if I'm selling microphones, I'm going to reach out to podcasters who are overwhelmed with buying options and tired of looking. I'm going to reduce their pain points and make it easier for them to buy my microphones," said Abston.

After you understand your audience's pain points, she leads you through the marketing process. You could buy digital ads or market your brand free organically.

To learn more about creating passive income through drop shipping, you can listen to her podcast, read her blog or take one of her courses on The Luxe Life Academy.

For further information or to schedule an interview contact Asia Abston at (772) 207-0578 or [email protected].

Absolutely Abston

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

SOURCE Absolutely Abston
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Key Advertising Production Services Sourcing and Procurement Report Highlights:

Market growth 2022-2026: USD 226.3 Billion Growth momentum & CAGR: Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.63% Top Pricing Models: Hourly pricing, and Commission based Fee pricing Key consumer countries: North America , Europe , and APAC Supplier Selection Criteria: Technical specifications, Operational requirements, Acceptance criteria, and Evaluation criteria Top Suppliers: RSA Films, WPP Plc, and The Interpublic Group of Companies Inc

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Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers:

Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the Advertising Production Services market. The report also aids buyers with relevant Advertising Production Services pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as Unit-based pricing, and Bundled pricing, category management strategies and best practices to fulfil their category objectives.

For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, www.spendedge.com/report/advertising-production-services-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth:

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors.

Identify favorable opportunities in Advertising Production Services TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities.

To know more about various other market drivers, trends and challenges.

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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contacts

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
WISTON, England, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jim Scott, owner of components solutions experts Artemis Aerospace, discusses how he sees the aviation industry adapting and emerging from the COVID-19 crisis.

The pandemic has changed the aviation industry irrevocably. Unlike any other crisis in the sector's history, COVID-19 not only grounded numerous aircraft, wiped billions from industry revenues and cost 200 million jobs, but it also fundamentally changed consumer behaviour overnight.

Jim Scott - Artemis Aerospace - Aviation in the post-pandemic era: why now is the time for optimism

However, despite these extraordinary setbacks and unparalleled circumstances, as we emerge and recover from the pandemic, one thing has become clear: the aviation industry has a unique opportunity for transformation.

The acceleration of some technological advances that were already in the pipeline, such as automation, along with new business models and growing travel demand are sparking the dawn of a new era  one that ultimately has efficiency and environment at its heart.

Automation  increasing efficiency in a restricted world

While automation has long been a buzzword in the world of aviation, technological advances and investment in automated services for both the commercial and cargo sectors have surged over the last couple of years.

Automated innovations have been crucial to maintaining operations throughout the pandemic, instilling passenger confidence and creating safer working environments for employees across the board. There is no doubt that automated innovations will continue to evolve as we navigate the new aviation ecosystem.

From touchless check-ins to contactless immigration and supply chain support, automation in a post-pandemic world will generate greater efficiency and help to solve many of the challenges we face going forwards as we work towards getting back to pre-pandemic levels of business.

Transforming the business model

Traditionally, business travellers have always been the main revenue source for commercial operators with 75% of airline travel profit attributed to passengers travelling for work. However, with business travel unlikely to recover to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon, airlines will have to reinvent and rework their business models to address this.

Past crises have demonstrated that business travel takes the longest to recoup. For example, it took four years following 9/11. The added complications brought about by COVID-19, such as the popularity of remote working and online meetings  along with their associated cost savings  has meant it is likely that business travel, while still a necessity in certain situations, will not reach its previous levels ever again.

Meanwhile, leisure travel has rebounded more quickly than forecast and, indeed, as long as people have been allowed to fly, the demand has still been there.

With this in mind, airlines will need to assess and restructure cabin configurations, landing slots, networks, aircraft sizes and ticket pricing to maximise their potential while business travel remains subdued.

However, growth is not limited to passenger traffic and cargo is still estimated to increase  even double  over the coming decade.

Ecological advances

Despite the lull of the last two years, flights are expected to double in the next 20 years, so, as an industry, we have a responsibility to ensure we are doing everything we can to minimise our environmental impact.

Biofuel and electrically powered aircraft are key to reducing the carbon footprint and environmental impact of air travel  and we are closer than ever before to making these a reality for commercial airlines.

While there is still some way to go in rolling out biofueled aircraft across the industry, Boeing has already committed to making planes that fly on 100% biofuel by 2030 and even staged the first commercial flight in 2018 using 100% biofuel.

Likewise, as far back as 2010, the Swiss company Solar Impulse built an electrically powered aircraft that could run on solar power during a 26-hour trial flight.

These advancements have continued, with Harbour Air's thirty-minute flight of its six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver and NASA's new all-electric plane that is currently in development.

It is possible that, much like motor vehicles, jet planes will eventually become hybrid alternatives with the benefit of reducing environmental impact, cuttings fuel costs and lowering maintenance expenses.

Aviation  at the forefront of innovation

As an industry, aviation has achieved so much. Not only has it become one of the safest and most reliable modes of transportation in the world, it has also contributed exponentially to social and economic development.

The allure of travel and connecting people with places  along with cost-effective and quick methods of transporting cargo  will always be attractive options and undoubtedly this will continue well into the future. The question now is not "Will aviation reach pre-pandemic levels?" but "When will it surpass pre-pandemic levels?"

www.artemisaerospace.com

Sources

https://www.hrdive.com/press-release/20190326-lolacom-raises-37-million-to-transform-corporate-travel-1/

https://www.bts.gov/archive/publications/america_on_the_go/us_business_travel/entire

https://financesonline.com/business-travel-statistics/

https://www.condorferries.co.uk/business-travel-statistics#:~:text=75%25%20of%20airline%20travel%20profit,revenue%20comes%20from%20corporate%20travel

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights/back-to-the-future-airline-sector-poised-for-change-post-covid-19

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/23/boeing-says-it-will-make-planes-able-to-fly-on-100-biofuel-by-2030

https://www.forbes.com/sites/uhenergy/2021/07/12/time-to-clean-the-skies-electric-planes-have-arrived/?sh=55aecdc734a8

https://www.icao.int/Meetings/FutureOfAviation/Pages/default.aspx

Artemis Aerospace offers an innovative approach to component solutions for the aviation sector. Established in 1999, the company has earned a reputation for outstanding customer service by solving problems and providing a range of realistic options that offer customers the flexibility and freedom to choose a solution that suits their timescale and budget. Its services include component supplies, component repairs, lessor support, flight simulation hardware support, consignment stock management and global aircraft logistics.

With decades of expertise in global aviation logistics, the expert team works with trusted MROs, OEMs, and aftermarket suppliers around the world to offer 24/7 support to its global customer base.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1749036/Artemis_Aerospace_Jim_Scott.jpg

SOURCE Artemis Aerospace
From the 11th to the 18th of February 2022, the World Customs Organization (WCO) supported the Customs Administration of Madagascar (also known as Malagasy Customs) with its human resource management (HRM) modernization initiative. As part of its modernization programme, Malagasy Customs has identified the establishment of a competency-based HRM system as a strategic priority to effectively implement its mission and strategic plan as well as to meet the opportunities and challenges emanating from the Covid-19 crisis and the implementation of trade facilitation agreements such as the World Trade Agreement on Trade Facilitation (WTO TFA).

The support was delivered virtually by the WCO Lead officer in charge of the People Development Portfolio and a WCO recognized expert in the area of HRM. The mission met its objectives by achieving the following outputs: (i) WCO People Development Diagnostic initial findings agreed upon, (ii) Preliminary Malagasy Customs HRM modernization roadmap formulated, (iii) Malagasy Customs HRM modernization project team (16 people, including 7 men and 9 women) trained on the WCO standards and tools related to the establishment of a competency-based HRM system in a Customs environment including the WCO People Development support methodology, the WCO Guide on Establishing a competency-based HRM system in a Customs environment, the WCO Guide on Managing Human Resources through crises and beyond in a Customs environment. The mission also recalled key elements of the Revised Arusha Declaration related to the critical role of human resources services and policies in promoting integrity in a Customs environment.

The agreed next steps were to finalize the HRM Modernization work plan including a realistic Roadmap as well as to initiate the development of the necessary tools for the establishment of a transparent and competency-based HRM system by Malagasy Customs, namely the job catalogue, the competency framework, the competency dictionary as well as selected competency-based job descriptions for the approved pilot site.

Mr. Ernest LAINKANA, Director-General of Malagasy Customs, expressed his gratitude towards the WCO experts for the outstanding assistance provided as well as thanked the government of the United Kingdom for providing the necessary funding through the HMRC-WCO-UNCTAD TFA Capacity Building Programme to deploy the WCO support to the Malagasy Customs in the area of Human Resource Management. He added that through the modernization of its HRM system, he is confident that Malagasy Customs will be able to meet the demands of its internal and external stakeholders at national, regional and international levels.

For more information about this activity and the WCO People Development Programme, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.
"We are happy to perform the very first official weddings in Antarctica, not just ceremonial as often happens," said Alberto Aliberti, President of Atlas Ocean Voyages. "Atlas Ocean Voyages prides ourselves in delivering luxury adventures in remote and captivating destinations and Happy Ever Atlas is perhaps the most adventurous destination-wedding experience to date. We are glad to make this most unique wedding experiences for our guests."

Atlas Performs First Legal Wedding in Antarctica

Each wedded couple received an included, official U.K. wedding license, valued at more than $650, which is also recognized by the United States government. World Navigator hosted a shipwide wedding reception, as well as held separate bachelorette and bachelor group-parties, to create a unique, complete and unforgettable nuptial exchange. The package also included a one-tier wedding cake, digital photo package, welcome itinerary & giftbag, custom nuptial announcements and Thank You cards.

Atlas Ocean Voyages is a luxe-adventure, expedition cruise line designed for discerning, fun-seeking travelers to immerse in unique and awe-inspiring moments in remote and captivating destinations. Launched in August 2021, World Navigator features 98 suites, solo suites with no single supplements, and staterooms and is the line's first newly constructed small expedition ship, which can reach smaller, authentic and exclusive locales where larger ships cannot reach.

World Navigator will cruise the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and Iceland, Greenland and The Arctic in summer 2022; Central and South America in the autumn; and return to Antarctica for her winter 2022-23 season. Atlas' second ship, World Traveller, launches in November 2022, with three additional sister ships, World Seeker, World Adventurer and World Discoverer, to join the fleet through 2024.

For more information, please visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com. Please also follow Atlas Ocean Voyages on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AtlasOceanVoyages), Twitter (www.twitter.com/atlascruises), Instagram (www.instagram.com/AtlasOceanVoyages), and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/atlascruises). Travel Advisors can call 1.844.44.ATLAS (1.844.442.8527) to book their clients on an unforgettable luxe-adventure expedition.

SOURCE Atlas Ocean Voyages
SYDNEY, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Australian brand Piping Hot Australia and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) announced today their research partnership to develop a sustainable fibre made from seaweed. Piping Hot has commissioned this innovative biomaterial research as a vital investment in its mission for clean oceans.

Commencing in February 2022, UTS climate scientists will be building a prototype fibre developed in response to Piping Hot's ambition to protect oceans for future generations. The biobased solution will sequester carbon from the ocean and reduce the environmental impact of synthetic fibres.

This Australian innovation could transform the global polyester industry.

"It is an honour and privilege to partner with the distinguished Professor Peter Ralph and the UTS Climate Change Cluster. As part of Piping Hot's mission to defend the oceans, our purpose-led investment into marine biotechnology and material science is of vital importance. Together we intend to impact change though marine science and transform the industry's reliance on fossil fuels" - Stan Wan CEO and Managing Director of Piping Hot Australia.

"We are delighted to be collaborating with Piping Hot on this exciting research project. The UTS Climate Change Cluster and Piping Hot are equally committed to a more sustainable future for our planet, and the development of sustainably sourced materials is crucial to achieving that goal. Developing new nature-derived alternatives for the fashion and textile industries has the potential to revolutionise products and their impact on the oceans."  Distinguished Professor Peter Ralph, Director, UTS Climate Change Cluster.

Piping Hot has been dedicated to Australian families since 1975. Piping Hot is synonymous with Australia's coastal lifestyle, offering a full range of fashion, footwear and accessories for the family. Piping Hot is on a mission to help families save money and protect the oceans. Focusing on transparency, circularity and recycled materials, Piping Hot products are sustainably sourced. The brand is available through selected retailers and online at pipinghot.shop.

UTS is a leading university of technology located in the heart of Sydney's innovation precinct. UTS has a distinct model of learning, strong research performance and a leading reputation for industry and professional engagement. With an emphasis on social impact and a strong commitment to sustainability, UTS is rated the No.1 'young' university in Australia.

Media Contact:

Amy Low

[email protected]

SOURCE Piping Hot Australia
BANGALORE, India, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Automotive Telematics Market is Segmented by by Channel (OEM and Aftermarket), Vehicle Type (Commercial Vehicle, Passenger Car, and Two-Wheeler), Application (Fleet/Asset Management, Navigation & Location-Based System, Infotainment System, Insurance Telematic, Safety & Security, V2X, and Others), and Connectivity Solution (Embedded, Integrated Smartphones, and Tethered): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192026. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Automotive Industry .

The global automotive telematics market size was valued at USD 50.4 Billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 320.6 Billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 26.8% from 2019 to 2026.

Major factors driving the growth of the Automotive Telematics market are:

Ease of vehicle diagnosis due to the predictive analysis of telematics systems propels the automotive telematics market growth. Furthermore, intelligent transportation systems, Better driver and vehicle safety, improved performance of autonomous vehicles, enhancement of business decisions for fleet owners, and rise in the trend of connectivity solutions all contribute towards the growth of the automotive telematics market.

Government regulations for vehicle telematics, as well as a rise in the popularity of connectivity solutions, are propelling the market forward.

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GROWTH TRENDS OF THE AUTOMOTIVE TELEMATICS MARKET :

The automotive telematics market is expected to grow thanks to advanced diagnostic systems. This system in a car transmits vehicle data to both dealers and customers, allowing for the prediction of potential vehicle problems before they occur. With the help of connectivity solutions, fleet managers can easily track vehicle records and determine which vehicle has traveled the most, allowing them to provide services accordingly. Diagnostic systems monitor engine health by keeping track of smoke emissions and fuel consumption. As a result, the market's growth is expected to be fueled by the ease with which vehicles can be diagnosed using mobile applications.

Safety services provided by telematics solutions in vehicles are an excellent example of cutting-edge aftermarket technology that involves data sharing between vehicles and humans. Safety is a term that refers to a combination of telecommunications and automobile technology that is used to increase vehicle efficiency, lower fuel consumption and maintenance costs, improve security and safety measures, and assist the driver in improving the overall driving experience. Live traffic updates, automatic toll transactions, insurance telematics, roadside assistance in the event of accidents or breakdowns, and smart routing & tracking are expected to provide key players in the automotive telematics market with an exponential growth opportunity.

Due to the increased demand for fleet safety and security in the transportation of goods via commercial vehicles, vehicles now include real-time monitoring, geofencing, and diagnostic features. The automotive telematics market is expected to grow rapidly in developing countries, according to telematics service providers. The use of automotive telematics in electric vehicles is also expected to boost the market growth in the future. The market's leading vendors are eager to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs).

Furthermore, the growth of the telematics market is fueled by government rules and regulations for vehicle safety, security, and tracking in various regions. Moreover, Automobile manufacturers are incorporating connectivity solutions into their vehicles to increase vehicle sales now that connectivity has become a necessity. Consumers expect their cars to perform tasks similar to those performed by computers and smartphones. As a result, the automotive telematics market is expected to grow at a promising rate as customer demands for staying connected 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even while traveling grow.

Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/reports/ALLI-Manu-3K12/automotive-telematics

AUTOMOTIVE TELEMATICS MARKET SHARE:

Based on channel, the OEM segment was the highest revenue contributor in 2018, accounting for USD 33.7 Billion, and is estimated to reach USD 225.6 Billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 27.9% during the forecast period.

Based on vehicle type, the Two Wheeler segment is expected to be the most lucrative during the forecast period.

Based on application, Safety & Security is expected to be the most lucrative. Typical applications offered under the safety and security features of telematics devices include tracking stolen vehicles, automatically alerting help centers in the event of accidents, driver monitoring, and remote locking/unlocking of vehicles.

Based on connectivity, the Embedded segment is expected to be the most lucrative during the forecast period. Government mandates, cost optimization of service plans, and the growth of cloud-based services are all contributing to the growth of embedded telematics solutions.

Based on region, the Asia Pacific region is expected to be the most lucrative. The rise in fleet management and concerns about safety and security are two key factors driving the growth of the China, India, and Southeast Asian automotive telematics solutions markets. Furthermore, the APAC telematics solutions market is expected to benefit from an increase in the trend of connectivity solutions.

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Key Market Players

Cartrack

Masternaut Limited

Mix Telematics

Omnitracs

TomTom telematics BV

Trimble Inc.

Verizon Connect

HARMAN International

I.D. Systems

Telectrac Navman

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SIMILAR REPORTS:

- The Telematics Control Unit (TCU) market was valued at USD 2675.5 Million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 12060 Million by 2027, at a CAGR of 24.0% during the 2021-2027.

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- The global OBD Telematics market was valued at USD 1756 Million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 3252.3 Million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 9.2% during 2021-2027.

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- The global automotive trailer market was valued at USD 20,152.8 Million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 29,793.9 Million by 2030, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.9% from 2021 to 2030.

- Global Passenger Vehicle Telematics Market Insights and Forecast to 2028

- Global 5G Telematics Control Unit (TCU) Industry Research Report, Growth Trends and Competitive Analysis 2021-2027

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Click here to see related reports on Automotive Telematics Market

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DALLAS, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Axxess, the leading technology innovator for healthcare at home, is hosting a webinar on March 1 at 1 p.m. CST featuring a discussion among home care leaders on how to keep employees happy.

The discussion, to be led by workforce expert Eric Scharber, Managing Principal, SimiTree Healthcare Consulting, will also include Ken Albert, President and CEO of Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice, and Sonnie Linebarger, Chief Operating Officer of Bristol Hospice.

Axxess and SimiTree recently released results of their 2022 Industry Trends Report, based on a survey of more than 1,800 respondents providing input into current workforce challenges and strategies organizations can use to more effectively engage and retain employees.

"This webinar will offer solutions from industry leaders having success in managing the staffing challenges identified in our survey," said Axxess Founder and CEO John Olajide. "Attendees will hear from an expert on industry workforce issues and two leaders who are successfully steering their businesses toward growth. It will be a conversation other providers can learn from."

Best Practices for Home-Based Care Employee Engagement and Retention will be held virtually on March 1, at 1 p.m. CST. Registration is open.

Providers will learn actionable steps to retaining their employees, including:

Metrics to monitor and strategies to respond

Innovations and steps to reduce employee burnout

Ways to improve staff onboarding and career journeys

About Axxess

Axxess is the leading technology innovator for healthcare at home, providing solutions that help improve care for more than 3 million patients worldwide. Trusted by more than 9,000 organizations, Axxess offers a complete suite of easy-to-use software solutions that empower home health, home care and hospice providers to grow their business while making lives better. The company's collaborative culture focused on innovation and excellence is recognized nationally as a "Best Place to Work."

About SimiTree

SimiTree unites former Simione Healthcare Consultants and BlackTree Healthcare Consulting experts, services and approaches to help post-acute organizations raise performance levels and realize revenue potential in a complex market. Offering a full spectrum of clinical, financial, and operational services, SimiTree is committed to change the post-acute industry by aligning business and care in a way that makes organizations stronger, healthier, and better able to focus on patient needs. For more information, visit https://simitreehc.com/.

SOURCE Axxess
ZURICH, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BC Platforms (BCP), a global leader in healthcare data management and analytics, today announced a new data partnership with Japan's Mitsubishi Space Software Co. Ltd. (Mitsubishi), one of the country's oldest bioinformatics companies. The collaboration, which provides secure access to Mitsubishi's cancer specific cohort of 8,000 patients, will accelerate the provision of cancer genetic data analysis services to medical institutions for cancer research.

As part of the collaboration, Mitsubishi joins BCP's BCRQUEST network, which is revolutionizing drug development & personalizing care. This global, federated data partner network enables analytics and deeper insights. BCP has built this network, which reaches over 22 million patient lives in the catchment area, and data partners across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific to enable the realization of the full potential of real-world data.

Nino da Silva, Deputy Managing Director, BCP, said: "At BCP, our mission is to accelerate the translation of research into global clinical practice through the faster generation of translatable, actionable, research insights. We encourage health systems to invest in consenting and data infrastructure as it provides strong foundations underpinning personalized medicine and ultimately improve outcomes for patients. Through our partnership with Mitsubishi, a long-standing leader in the field of bioinformatics, we expect patient lives will be directly, positively, impacted. This collaboration also adds significant data from millions of Asian patients to fuel research with connections to 30 hospitals in Japan. Such achievements are part of our continued efforts to scale our vision to build the world's leading analytics platform for healthcare and the life sciences industry."

Mitsubishi Space Software Co., Ltd., commented, "At Mitsubishi, we have long been supporting patients by utilizing and researching genomic research and providing cancer genetic data analysis services to medical institutions for cancer research. We are looking forward to working with BC Partners, and its BCRQUEST network, to enhance Japan's provision of clinical and genomic datasets to benefit research, patient care and personalized medicine."

This latest data partnership builds on recent successes of delivering industry-leading interpretation services on genomics related insights, including pharmacogenomics in clinical practice in Asia and around the world. In October 2021, BCP announced its partnership with Bumrungrad International Hospital (BIH) , in Bangkok, Thailand, one of the largest private hospitals in Southeast Asia and a world leader in healthcare delivery and pioneering clinical research. BCP is supporting BIH on its transition from single-gene tests to multi-gene panels for clinical pharmacogenetics, providing data interpretation support on single nucleotide variations.

About BC Platforms

BC Platforms is a global leader in providing a powerful data and technology platform for personalized medicine, accelerating the translation of insights into clinical practice. Our technology drives the infinite loop between personalized care and research discoveries, leveraging latest science, deep technical expertise, strategic partnerships, and harmonized, diverse data collections. Our high performing genomic data discovery and analytics platform enables flexible data integration, secure analysis, and interpretation of molecular and clinical information. Additionally, BC Platforms has developed a Global Data Partner Network BCRQUEST.com, which allows us to access real-world data equivalent to approximately 22 million patient lives, including longitudinal clinical data in addition to 500k patients' genetic data, across 14 countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa, providing rich data for pharmaceutical and medical research and development.

Founded in 1997 from an MIT Whitehead project spinoff, the Company has a strong scientific heritage underpinned by over 20 years of working in close collaboration with a network of leading researchers, developers, and industry partners. BC Platforms has global operations with its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, research and development in Espoo, Finland, and presence in London, Boston and in Singapore. For more information, please visit www.bcplatforms.com or follow us on LinkedIn @BC Platforms .

About Mitsubishi Space Software

Mitsubishi Space Software was established in 1962 as a system engineering company.

Our cooperate mission is "We support future society with high-quality and highly reliable solutions based on advanced science and technology which are cultivated by space system development."

Based on this philosophy, since the foundation of our company, we have been engaged in space system development and we have expanded the activity areas with Defence Systems, Communication Systems, Aviation Systems, Disaster Prevention & Environmental Systems, Life Science, In-vehicle Systems, Public IT and Information Security.

We entered the bioinformatics area in 1992. Firstly, our main field of business was basic research, then since 2016 we expanded the activity area into the clinical environment by cancer genetic testing. Currently, we are a Biomedical informatics company that has contracts with many hospitals and are in charge of clinical sequences.

Contact information:

Tero Silvola

BC Platforms AG

[email protected]

Katja Stout

Scius Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE BC Platforms
PHOENIX, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blo Blow Dry Bar, North America's original blow dry bar and blow dry bar franchise, announced today the signing of a three-unit franchise agreement in the Phoenix-area. This agreement will continue the significant franchise development momentum Blo Blow Dry Bar saw in 2021 as the brand now boasts more than 140 locations opening and operating across the United States.

Leading this growth is Phoenix-native Amy Norris who spent more than 20 years in corporate America as a bank district manager. Norris and her husband also founded a non-profit, RaeRae of Light, in memory of their daughter Reagan who was diagnosed with a critical congenital heart defect (CHD) which raises awareness on the condition and supports the Phoenix Children's Hospital. As someone who frequently has blow outs, Norris decided she wanted to bring the concept closer to home and signed on with Blo Blow Dry Bar. Norris is currently in the process of securing the location for her first bar in the Northwest Valley area, which she hopes will open by the end of 2022.

"One aspect I am so excited about is that I truly enjoy and believe in this concept," said Norris. "I shared an instant connection to Blo Blow Dry Bar and their team so I knew I wanted to join the Blo family. I've seen firsthand how much women enjoy getting blow outs, but my bars will also bring growth to the Phoenix market and employment opportunities for its community members. I can't imagine a more perfect fit."

With a favorable real estate landscape and vast opportunity for market growth, company executives are actively seeking franchisees to continue to expand in key markets across the country.

"Arizona is one of our target markets with five areas currently available for development," said Patrick Pantano, Vice President, Franchise Development, Blo Blow Dry Bar. "Amy's knowledge of the Phoenix area and passion for the business makes her a great fit to help fuel expansion in the area, and we are excited to see all of her success."

Blo Blow Dry Bar creates a space where people of all ages, ethnicities and orientations are welcomed, represented and made to feel gorgeous while emphasizing the need for self-care and wellness. Combining a sophisticated design with a fun and energetic environment, the blow dry bar cultivates a seamless and enjoyable experience for guests upon their arrival, during and after their services. Expertly trained stylists are available for consultation seven days a week to meet the needs of all guests. The brand's hair menu includes their signature styles, ranging from sleek and straight to lively and bouncy curls, with customizable options such as braids, ponytails and updos for any occasion. Blo also offers makeup services from expert artists on-hand to help guests look and feel amazing for any occasion.

The growing franchise is just at the start of the runway, staking its claim as a leader in the $47 billion a year industry and continues to expand at a rapid rate. Every year, more cities across the globe are painted pink. Every day, a new guest discovers how wonderful the Blo Blow Dry Bar experience is. Superior service and consistent results are a top priority for all guests as well as franchisees. The brand goes beyond beauty  it is strategically positioned to meet growing customer demands within the wellness and self-care industries with an established foundation for business success.

"This partnership will introduce a new community to our catwalk-quality blow outs," said Vanessa Yakobson, CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar. "We have seen tremendous growth within the last year  proven by our successful business model, strong culture and exceptional franchisees. We are consistently looking for more great franchisees like Amy, and look forward to what 2022 brings for the brand."

Blo Blow Dry Bar is currently seeking single- and multi- unit operators to join the brand's rapid expansion. For more information about franchise opportunities visit https://franchise.blomedry.com/.

About Blo Blow Dry Bar

Blo Blow Dry Bar is North America's original blow dry bar and blow dry bar franchise. The company transformed beauty norms and reinvented the salon industry when it launched the "no cuts, no color" concept: only blow outs. Since opening its first location in Canada in 2007, Blo has grown to over 140 locations across the U.S. and Canada and continues to expand rapidly. With a mission to enhance the lives of those in the community through the power of flawless blow outs and beauty services, Blo Blow Dry Bar offers perfectly styled hair and exceptional customer experiences seven days a week. For more information visit www.blomedry.com.

Media Contact: Morgan Ganz, Fishman Public Relations, (847) 945-1300, [email protected]

SOURCE Blo Blow Dry Bar
NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The desire to "Become Your Own Boss ('BYOB')" is a phenomenon that is spreading across the world. While many people have entertained the idea for years, the uncertainty of the pandemic has sparked many to leave their jobs or make drastic changes in their lives to become their own bosses.

Beth George in her Teaching Bakery Bagels Made By BYOB BAGELS

Texas A & M professor Anthony Klotz coined the term "the Great Resignation" and pointed to several factors that are unique to the pandemic, including "pandemic epiphanies," which he describes as "people ... reflecting on their lives [and asking], 'Am I living the life I want to live?... is life making me happy and is life giving me a sense of purpose?'"

The Eagle, Jan 8, 2022 A&M professor who predicted 'Great Resignation' ." by Alex Miller.

Beth George and Frank Mauro of BYOB BAGELS have been helping entrepreneurs become their own bagel bosses since 2013. BYOB BAGELS' business has soared since 2020, which they attribute, in part, to "pandemic epiphanies." Beth notes, "We offer a unique service at the right time in history."

During the pandemic, BYOB BAGELS has helped nearly two dozen clients open successful bagel businesses with a purpose. Despite coming from different backgrounds, BYOB BAGELS' clients share common goals: They seek the independence of owning their own businesses, desire purpose in their work, and have a passion for making the best bagels.

Tina Iordamlis of Bagels on Park in Weehawken, NJ transitioned from 25 years in the corporate world to building a bagel shop in her hometown just months before the pandemic surfaced. Reflecting on her reasons, Tina said, "I wanted more from life than working for someone else. By opening Bagels on Park, I fulfilled my dream of running my own successful business while pursuing my passion for cooking and baking."

Tiffany Lopes started making bagels during the lockdowns, and dreamed of opening a bagel shop in her small town. With BYOB's guidance, she opened Sunrise Bagel in Waterville, Maine. Even without a background in business, Tiffany quickly caught on and Sunrise Bagel has become a focal point for great food and conversation. "I still find it surreal and am so glad took the leap with BYOB's support and guidance. The comments we get are so amazing"

Jennifer Davis of Hidden Bagel Co. in Spokane, WA came to BYOB BAGELS with years of experience in the food industry. "I figured out the ice-cream business on my own, but wanted to short-cut my learning curve with bagels." In an enthusiastic text, she wrote, "I'm sure you see it everywhere, but people are soooooo happy with your bagels!!" And then said with glee, "I'm a bagel rockstar!"

Terry Perusini hails from the music industry, but had a hankering to step into the food industry. Thrilled with the immediate success of the Bagel Barn in Burlington, Ontario, he notes, "The response has been well beyond what I ever imagined. We are constantly sold out and the typical customer response is 'These are the best bagels I have ever had!' There is no doubt these bagels are at a whole new level."

Father and Son, Richie, Sr. and Richie, Jr. Bonanno are the owners of Grandpa's Bagel in South Marlboro, NJ, priding themselves as "Not Your Average Bagel Joint." After retiring from a long career on Wall Street, Richie, Sr. wanted to help his son launch a business after graduating from college. Richie Jr. has conquered the art of artisan bagel-making, delighting their customers daily with bagel and schmear masterpieces.

BYOB BAGELS continues to expand into other realms. In pages 36-42 of the Feb 2022 article entitled, "The Holey Saviour" in Vera Magazine, Virgin Atlantic's In-Flight Magazine, Jessica Prubas explores BYOB's involvement with the development of a non-profit mission-based bagel shop that is being built in Coney Island, under the umbrella of Concern for Independent Living, a NY non-profit, with the mission to provide housing and services that enrich lives and strengthen communities.

BYOB BAGELS has also been featured in numerous publications, including the New York Times, CBS Sunday Morning, Food 52, The London Times, and others.

Media Contact:

Galee Kalikow

914-262-6745

[email protected]

SOURCE BYOB BAGELS
CHICAGO, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To improve Chicago children's chances for success in life from the very start, the University of Chicago's Center for the Economics of Human Development (CEHD) seeks to partner with an experienced childhood organization to launch an ambitious home visiting program supporting Chicago's parents and families.

The research center is replicating an effective and well-established Ireland-based home visiting program called Preparing for Life (PFL) in Chicago to serve and support local children and families. The Home Visiting Partnership Project will provide comprehensive support for parentswith prenatal education, evidence-based parenting programs and case managementfor at least five years. CEHD researchers will analyze outcomes for children to understand which supports are most effective.

CEHD and PFL are seeking a local community-based partner to take the lead in service delivery. Guided by community and stakeholder input to shape the program, this organization will work with the partners to hire highly trained early childhood professionals, recruit families, build relationships with parents and support their parenting efforts. Outreach will focus on selected neighborhoods in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Funding is available through CEHD for the home visiting activities and CEHD will provide training, materials and support. Partners will follow children and families over the years to assess outcomes and the impact of the program.

This program is an exciting opportunity for an organization with experience in serving families to engage with them for the long-term and to learn from families' experiences. The organization will also have the opportunity to partner with the preeminent child development specialists at PFL as well as the University of Chicago to adapt an evidence-based home visiting program to their community needs.

Interested organizations can learn more about the program and how to apply at cehd.uchicago.edu/homevisiting .

About the partners: The Center for the Economics of Human Development at the University of Chicago works to understand the circumstances under which people thrive and reach their fullest potential. Preparing for Life is a program of Northside Partnership, a community based non-profit established to support social and economic regeneration Dublin City, Ireland.

CONTACT:

Becky Harles

[email protected]

872-212-4544

SOURCE University of Chicago Center for the Economics of Human Development
"Saving seniors and transforming healthcare is hard work and is at the core of what we do," says Christopher Chen, M.D., ChenMed CEO . "So, our Impact Report celebrates best-in-class primary care, along with the extra efforts our company and employees make to help communities better address both economic and social conditions."

The proven ChenMed approach to high-touch primary care available at all Chen, Dedicated, and JenCare Senior Medical Centers is highly personalized to delight patients and deliver better health. ChenMed doctors honor seniors with affordable VIP care; by detecting and managing high-risk diseases; and by reducing hospital sick days.

"Our physician-led teams understand how social determinants of health create inequities in health care, and we do whatever it takes to help our patients enjoy better health," Dr. Chen adds.

The 2021 ChenMed Impact Report is a multi-media document that spotlights mission-critical patient care improvements and results, along with measures taken to protect at-risk populations during the coronavirus pandemic. The informative review also celebrates ChenMed's community service and humanitarian relief, helping fuel the work of worthy charitable causes, and strategic investments to empower employees at every level.

"Our Impact Report is a direct reflection of what it means to show up every day with a sense of purpose," says Stephanie Chen, J.D., ChenMed chief legal and culture officer. "At ChenMed, we believe that we can transform healthcare, impacting the lives of our team members, our patients and the communities we serve. This report tells the stories of what we do, day in and day out, to show our commitment to changing the world."

ChenMed celebrates team member success as they work to transform healthcare and save seniors, creating special moments along the way and celebrating diversity by honoring and recognizing heritage months throughout the year. Team members have access to high-touch, hi-tech care that provides a dedicated physician, medical center and feature-rich patient mobile app for on-the-go care. And now, ChenMed team members have a new parental leave benefit.

Alexandria Beranger, M.D., ChenMed medical director of quality and patient experience, is one of the leaders featured in the "Power of Purpose" ChenMed 2021 Impact Report. "Together we're serving the most vulnerable and fighting healthcare inequities all across America. We're changing lives," Beranger says. "It's why I became a physician, to be able to lift people up every day."

About ChenMed

ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. The company operates nearly 100 senior medical centers in 12 states. Named one of Fortune 2020 "Change the World" companies, ChenMed also was honored by Newsweek as a "Most Loved Workplace" in 2021; and certified as a Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute. Bringing concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations, ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center and JenCare Senior Medical Center.

SOURCE ChenMed
Recorded operating profit KRW 88.9 billion and net profit KRW 31.6 billion in 2021 with the outcome of its relentless focus on R&D

Attributed to export upswing of Nabota, KRW 1.1 trillion overseas technology transfer of Fexuclue tablets, and growth of highly profitable ETC drugs

SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Daewoong Pharmaceutical (Daewoong) (CEO Sengho Jeon & Changjae Lee) recently announced its 2021 financial results with its all-time high revenue. The consolidated annual sales in 2021 was KRW 1.153 trillion rose by 9.2% y-o-y, and operating profit and net profit marked KRW 88.9 billion and KRW 31.6 billion, up 423% and 31.3% y-o-y respectively. According to separate financial statement, Daewoong delivered KRW 1.055 trillion in sales, KRW 95.5 billion in operating profit and KRW 40.5 billion in net profit.

The increase in last year's sales and record operating sales reflected KRW 1.1 trillion worth overseas technology transfer of Fexuclue tablets (ingredient name: fexuprazan hydrochloride), Daewoong's gastroesophageal reflux disease drugs which received new drug approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of Korea late last year, rapid export growth of Nabota, a botulinum toxin product which had settled all legal disputes in and outside Korea and is currently marketed under the name Jeuveau in the U.S., and a stable growth of highly profitable ethical-the-counter (ETC) drugs.

Sales of ETC drugs increased to KRW 778 billion from KRW 709.4 billion a year ago, driven by a strong sales growth of highly profitable products, such as an oncology drug Luphere Depot injection and a hyperlipidemia drug Crezet tablets. Daewoong is to further accelerate its growth in ETC drugs, with the upcoming release of Fexuclue 40 mg film-coated tablets in the first half of this year.

Sales of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs marked KRW 114.4 billion, slightly up from KRW 113.3 billion in the previous year. In response to the growth of health supplements market, Daewoong has been actively expanding its businesses by promoting a liver-specialized brand Ener Thistle and launching Say Health for the hospital channels.

Sales of Nabota surged to KRW 79.6 billion from KRW 50.4 billion a year ago. Its domestic sales nearly doubled y-o-y, and overseas sales increased by more than 60 percent, centered on the U.S. in which the company's all botulinum toxin-related lawsuits and business uncertainties were resolved favorably to Daewoong. Nabota is also expected to launch in Europe and China within this year, following its record-high quarterly sales figures in the U.S. since Q2 2021.

Global sales except Nabota sharply rose to KRW 36.9 billion from KRW 14.8 billion in the previous year. Daewoong signed a series of technology export contracts on Fexuclue tablets, which received new drug approval at the end of last year. The contracts totaling KRW 1.1 trillion thereby allowed the company to secure the sales channels penetrating the global antiulcer drug market estimated about KRW 40 trillion, including the two largest markets, the U.S. and China, and Central and South America and the Middle East.

In 2021, Daewoong invested KRW 127.3 billion, which exceeds 10% of its annual sales revenue, in R&D, and created the business cycle that the R&D outcome leads the growth of sales and operating profit and assures new growth engine. The company saw business upturns and made key achievements last year; it received new drug approval of Fexuclue tablets and generated more than KRW 1 trillion profits from overseas technology transfer, and this year is expected to introduce Nabota to the world's second and third largest botulinum toxin markets, Europe and China. In China, Daewoong has already submitted a biologics license application. Furthermore, the phase-3 trial of Enavogliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor for diabetes first developed by a Korean pharmaceutical company, was successfully completed earlier this year and showed a strong possibility that Daewoong will successively introduce new drug, following Fexuclue tablets.

"In 2021, we were pleased that our robust R&D investment and efforts drove major results throughout the year, improving social wellbeing with new drug and reporting all-time high revenue," said Sengho Jeon, Daewoong Pharmaceutical CEO. "We will propel new drug development and business growth simultaneously this year, in addition to introducing our excellent drugs, including Fexuclue tablets and Nabota, to Korean and overseas markets and accelerating new drug development through proactive partnership."

Daewoong also considers that the prolonged risks and disputes associated with its botulinum toxin business were completely and favorably resolved in 2021, as the criminal lawsuit filed by its competitor was cleared in Korea, and the final ruling of the U.S. International Trade Commission was invalidated, including the import ban. Daewoong sees 2022 will be another record year that it starts to bring tangible improvement in profitability.

SOURCE Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Peacekeepers report a significant increase in terrorist attacks in the Central African Republic, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.

"Our colleagues at the peacekeeping mission there said they have noted a significant increase in the number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), especially in the northwest of the country," said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Among the IEDs found since the beginning of the year, "three out of five devices exploded on vehicles belonging to our peacekeepers or to the country's army," Dujarric added.

He said the mission, known as MINUSCA, believes the armed Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation group active in the area is deliberately targetting UN peacekeepers and Central African Republic armed forces with the devices.

On the humanitarian side, the UN deputy special representative and humanitarian coordinator for the Central African Republic, Denise Brown, visited Ouaka prefecture in the country's midsection a few days ago and expressed her concerns about the situation, notably in the town of Boyo, the spokesman said.

"She said that following the arrival of armed combatants in the town, there are allegations of killings, houses burned down and agricultural supplies stolen," Dujarric said, adding that MINUSCA deployed peacekeepers there to protect the population.

There were no reports of casualties. 
DENVER, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC) released the following statement from EACC Chairman and Co-Founder Deacon Yoseph Tafari.

"H.R. 6600 which passed in the Foreign Affairs committee without any deliberation, Hearing or Constituent inputs is a legislative measure that will harm the people of Ethiopia equally as the war itself has cost the nation thus far.

HR6600 Ethiopia Stabilization, Peace Act will not fulfill the stated purpose nor resolve the current crisis in Ethiopia. Tweet this

"H.R. 6600 has all the hallmarks of providing last-minute support to Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) by targeting Ethiopia as a nation committing "Genocide", a claim not supported by UN High Commission for Human Right Report of Nov. 13, 2021."

"Concurrently on Feb. 16, 2022, Sarah Jackson, Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, at Amnesty International reported "Tigrayan forces have shown utter disregard for fundamental rules of international humanitarian law which all warring parties must follow. This includes repeated incidents of widespread rape, summary killings, and looting, including from hospitals." H.R. 6600 further sidesteps critical Human Right abuses perpetrated by TPLF as reported by UNHCR and Ethiopian Human Right Council."

Furthermore, H.R. 6600, a biased resolution clearly ignores the root cause of the conflict and the following steps the government has taken while TPLF failed to cease its offensive operations:

Halted Ethiopia's Defense Force from entering Tigray

Defense Force from entering Tigray Provide Humanitarian aid into Tigray

Allows full unfettered access except in Tigray controlled by TPLF

Lifted wartime state of emergency three months early

Release prisoners including individuals suspected in the insurgency

Established reconciliation commission to begin a national dialogue

In Tigray, the Humanitarian aid is primarily caused by TPLF continued incursion in the neighboring Afar and Amhara region. This is confirmed by the United Nation where the fighting in Afar region is still the main reason for aid blockage. Combined with the Amnesty report, it is regrettable US congress has provided political cover for TPLF for never calling out its crime, instead of advanced H.R. 6600.

"H.R. 6600 contains extremely damaging provisions to the bilateral Security interests, investments in Ethiopia, especially for post-war reconstruction, diaspora's Civil Liberties, and Ethiopia's ability to work with international financial institutions including USAID. These draconian measures are specially to lend collateral benefit to TPLF at a great expense to the ordinary Ethiopian people in order to coerce the Ethiopian government into compulsory negotiation."

"On January 10, 2022, President Biden had reached out to the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and promised to continue diplomatic efforts based on "Constructive Engagement" by underscoring the importance of the U.S.-Ethiopia relationship and the potential to strengthen cooperation on a range of issues. Concurrently, the direct testimony of Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs underscores the same policy approach during Congressional testimony when asked to support a similar provision contained in H.R. 4350, Article 6464, which was subsequently removed from the Senate D1605."

"The laws governing these measures are already in the books for the Department of State to utilize when appropriate. However, H.R. 6600 - Ethiopia Stabilization, Peace, and Democracy Act will not fulfill the stated purpose nor resolve the current crisis in Ethiopia. Therefore, EACC appeal to the American people to call their representative in Congress and demand not to support H.R. 6600"

--EACC Chairman and Co-Founder Deacon Yoseph R. Tafari

Ethiopian American Civic Council is one the largest Ethiopian American diaspora community in the United States with approximately 750,000 supporters in all 50 states. The EACC represents all of the nearly 90 Ethiopian ethnic groups, US-based, 501(c) 4, nonprofit organization.

SOURCE Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC) www.eaccean.org

SOURCE Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC)
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ETHOS ASSET MANAGEMENT INC USA , announced a new long-term financing partnership with SAVI Capital Partners Latam LLC. SCPL is a subsidiary of The SAVI Group that provides competitive financing solutions for projects through its affiliation with institutional asset management firms, which lend capital against SCPL short-term structured guarantees in the forms of SBLC and/or blocked capital accounts.

The SAVI Group

Carlos Santos, President, and CEO of Ethos, stated, "We are delighted to announce this significant deal with SCPL, a prestigious financing company, part of The SAVI Group. We have been in long-term negotiations with Mr. Santiago Vitagliano, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The SAVI Group. We were inspired and impressed with Mr. Vitagliano's entrepreneurial achievements, leadership, and professionalism in all our dealings together. This is an inspiring project in the Sunshine State, Florida, at a very exciting time, post Covid19. The project is comprised of 149 luxury oceanfront residences sponsored by the two top developers in the region. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity granted to The SAVI Group to prove the Ethos-SAVI platform, which can transcend significantly larger opportunities with both firms in the near-immediate future. We are very pleased to continue our growth and significant presence in the USA."

Mr. Santiago Vitagliano, Founder and CEO of The SAVI Group, stated, "Our long-term strategic relationship with Ethos Asset Management is allowing for the expansion of our financing capacity geared towards long-term investments in commercial real estate and private equity across Canada, USA, Latin America and EU. Our team is thrilled to embark on this cornerstone deal with Ethos and their management team. Mr. Carlos Santos, President, and CEO of Ethos has been extremely accommodating of the deal's timeline and capital requirements demonstrating to be a capable strong allay capable of diligently performing on their promises. We are honoured to launch this venture with him and his team while continuing our growth in multiple sectors."

Hans Kastensmith, Attributed Holdings Managing Partner said, "AHI is pleased to be a part of the Ethos team and the financing of the SAVI Capital Partners Latam LLC. SCPL project having worked with Mr. Vitagliano to bring this financing to a close and to open a long-term financing arrangement between SAVI and Ethos. SAVI is a strong, forward-looking fund with great prospects in investments in the commercial real estate sector in the Americas. We are very proud to be a primary part of the Ethos team as Mr. Santos and his group rapidly expand their footprint in the world financial markets."

About Ethos Asset Management:

Ethos Asset Management (Ethos) is an independent, US-based company with a global reach in resource mobilization and project financing.

For more information, please visit https://www.ethosasset.com/ .

About The SAVI Group:

The SAVI Group is a US-based investment firm specializing in acquiring, managing, lending commercial portfolios and private equity investments. For over two decades, SAVI has actively developed and managed assets and portfolios for Qualified Clients and Qualified Purchasers in the residential, office, retail, industrial, and healthcare sectors. SAVI focuses on the very best opportunistic off-market transactions with a value-added strategic component that provide a competitive advantage over the investment's lifecycle.

For more information, please visit https://www.savigroup.com/

Contacts:

The SAVI Group:

Mr. Santiago Vitagliano, Founder, and CEO of The SAVI Group;

[email protected]

Ethos Contact:

Mr. Hans Kastensmith

Attributed Holdings International  Ethos Associate

[email protected]

www.attributedholdings.com

+18585354814

SOURCE Ethos Asset Management Inc
TOKYO, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fiducia Inc. announced that it has executed the first closing of its inaugural fund (Fiducia Growth Tech Limited Liability Investment Limited Partnership), with an initial size of 3.26 billion yen. The fund, which has started investments, will continue its fund-raising activity to grow in scale over the period of about one year.

The participating institutional investors of the fund include AI Capital Co., Ltd., Tokyo University of Science Investment Management Co., Ltd., Nanto Bank Co., Ltd., and Pavilion Capital. The investors range from a renowned gatekeeper and a venture capitalist to a large regional bank and a reputable Singapore-based private equity fund.

The Latin word "Fiducia" was chosen as the corporate name with the intent of executing fiduciary duties and social responsibilities. Fiducia intends to cultivate and invest in innovative companies in real technology (Real/Deep Tech) and health care innovations. Fiducia will invest in these companies and help them with expertise in finance and investments. Fiducia will help them build better business networks and, most importantly, help them to grow.

The management and employees of Fiducia will aspire to contribute to the globalization of the companies in its investment portfolio.

The integration of the virtual and the real worlds is rapidly progressing, which presents great business opportunities for Real/Deep Tech companies, including ones from Japan. Healthcare innovation from Japan's academia is advancing, but it is yet to be discovered by international investors. Fiducia focuses on investments in these two promising areas, and helps them grow to maximize investor returns.

The growth capital business bridging the gap between startups and public equity markets is now an important arena for private investments worldwide. However, this segment is underdeveloped in Japan. Fiducia aspires to help develop growth capital investments on Japanese soil to invest in and to help develop Real/Deep Tech and Health care Innovation companies.

Many large companies in Japan are rebalancing their business portfolios by spinning off non-core technologies. While some of these technologies will become more attractive if they were managed independently, they still struggle to attract financing from local venture capitalists because these companies are busy focusing on developing local IT platforms and subscription businesses. This is a perfect opportunity for Fiducia. The asset management company intends to act proactively and also work together with other counterparties to fulfill its goals.

Fiducia aims to build a balanced portfolio - not with a scattered shotgun approach but with an intentional bias toward concentration, allowing us to focus on growth investments in the Real/Deep Tech and Healthcare Innovations. This approach allows Fiducia to spend more time with the companies in which it invests, to give their management business and financial advice and to help them build business networks locally and globally.

Domestic Real/Deep Tech companies and Healthcare innovators are not limited to the Tokyo metropolitan region; they also exist in the rural regions. Fiducia hopes that its investment activities could contribute to the transformation of the industrial structure and the revitalization of rural areas.

Comments from Founders:



Takumi Shibata, Fiducia's Co-Founder, said: "Re-energizing Japanese businesses and revitalizing regional communities will call for urgent solutions. Our focused investments in Real/Deep Tech area and in Healthcare innovations will help to solve these issues, with attractive returns to investors. Fiducia will be excited if its focused profit-seeking investment approach and returns can contribute to solving these national challenges on any scale possible."



Tokihiko Shimizu, Fiducia's Co-Founder, said: "Fiducia is convinced that focused investments in Real/Deep Tech and in Healthcare Innovations offer promising investment opportunities that deliver attractive returns. Growth stage investors like us are operating in a less crowded space in Japan and enjoy blue ocean-type access to investment opportunities. This is one more reason why Japan needs this growth-stage investment segment to grow. I will endeavor to contribute to building a strong, disciplined and focused investment business in order to cater to our investors' need for returns, based on my past business experience in national pension management, private equity and venture capital investments."

SOURCE Fiducia Inc.
John Maddox is an accomplished pharmaceutical and consumer health industry executive with diverse experience in operations, supply chain, and business management. As COO of Formulated Solutions, John will be responsible for daily global operations ensuring on-time delivery and enabling Brand Partner supply chain success for one of the fastest growing Consumer Healthcare CDMOs in North America. In his role, he will have oversight of all safety, operations, supply chain and engineering functions including customer relationships with our roster of world-class Marketing Partners.

Prior to joining Formulated Solutions, John served as General Manager for Catalent Pharma Solutions in St. Petersburg, Florida, a global leader in contract pharmaceutical softgel development and commercial manufacturing. He also spent more than seven years with Bayer Consumer Healthcare in manufacturing supply chain leadership positions, accountable for several key brands including Claritin and Coppertone. Prior to his roles within Bayer, John held positions in operations, engineering, and project management roles with both Teva and Baxter.

John holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA, with honors, from Washington University in St. Louis.

About Formulated Solutions

Formulated Solutions, founded in 1999 as a product development consulting firm, is now known as one of the most innovative contract manufacturing and formulation development companies in North America. With over 650 million units of annualized production capacity, Formulated Solutions exists to enhance Consumer Healthcare products through creativity and invention, delivering our Marketing Partners unmatched OTC, Rx, and Medical Device formulations, innovative packaging and cost-effective reliable supply of liquids, semi-solids, Aerosols, Barrier Aerosol package forms.



www.FormulatedSolutions.com

SOURCE Formulated Solutions
DENVER, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gates Industrial Corporation plc (NYSE:GTES), a global manufacturer of innovative, highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions, today announced that the Company will participate virtually in the Evercore ISI Industrial Conference on Monday, February 28, 2022. Ivo Jurek, Chief Executive Officer, will present at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time.

To listen to a live webcast of this presentation, please visit the Events & Presentations section of the Gates Investor Relations website at investors.gates.com, and click on the event webcast link.

About Gates Industrial Corporation plc

Gates is a global manufacturer of innovative, highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions. Gates offers a broad portfolio of products to diverse replacement channel customers, and to original equipment ("first-fit") manufacturers as specified components. Gates participates in many sectors of the industrial and consumer markets. Our products play essential roles in a diverse range of applications across a wide variety of end markets ranging from harsh and hazardous industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing and energy, to everyday consumer applications such as printers, power washers, automatic doors and vacuum cleaners and virtually every form of transportation. Our products are sold in 128 countries across our four commercial regions: the Americas; Europe, Middle East & Africa; Greater China; and East Asia & India.

SOURCE Gates Industrial Corporation plc
LONDON, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GlobalData Plc (LSE: DATA), a leading intelligence platform for the world's largest industries, has announced a partnership with Snowflake, a premier data warehouse built for the cloud, to enable Snowflake customers to access and purchase data from GlobalData's Marketplace via the Snowflake platform.

In today's business environment, the need for trustworthy and timely data has never been more important, which is why it's critical for tomorrow's market leaders to access, share, and use data instantly and seamlessly.

GlobalData's strategic relationship with Snowflake means customers will have a flexible cloud solution for accessing proven, proprietary datasets efficiently. This will provide customers with immediate and secure access to data, eliminating the need for lengthy and costly extract, transform, and load (ETL) processes; and reduce the time and effort needed to integrate data into their business operations and decision-making processes at scale.

Initially, GlobalData will provide access to six authoritative datasets via the Snowflake platform, covering pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and climate risk, as well as alternative datasets spanning patents and job analytics. New datasets will be added over time from GlobalData's Marketplace, which covers 150 productized datasets relied upon by over 4,000 customers.

Commenting on the announcement, Jonathan Hardinges, GlobalData's Chief Strategy Officer, said:

"GlobalData continues to provide best-in-class data and insights to help our clients solve complex business problems, and Snowflake offers us the opportunity to provide customers with more efficient access to authoritative data and greater value from its use at scale.

"We are particularly excited to partner with Snowflake, as this will help us deliver against our customer-obsession agenda by giving customers the flexibility to access and use our intelligence where, when, and how they need to."

Kieran Kennedy, Head of Marketplace at Snowflake, added:

"GlobalData and Snowflake combine to make a powerful solution for any organization seeking to leverage the power of data sharing. With the ability for customers to access GlobalData's broad data coverage, this marks an exciting and welcome next step in further expanding the coverage of Snowflake's Data Marketplace."



For more information, visit the GlobalData Marketplace

About GlobalData



In an increasingly fast-moving, complex, and uncertain world, it has never been harder for organizations and decision makers to predict and navigate the future. This is why GlobalData's mission is to help our clients to decode the future and profit from faster, more informed decisions. As a leading information services company, thousands of clients rely on GlobalData for trusted, timely, and actionable intelligence. Our solutions are designed to provide a daily edge to professions within corporations, financial institutions, professional services, and government agencies.



Media Contacts

GlobalData

Mark Jephcott

Head of PR EMEA

[email protected]

cc: [email protected]

+44 (0)207 936 6400

SOURCE GlobalData
ATLANTA, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Groundfloor , the wealthtech platform that allows everyone to build wealth through real estate, is announcing a new round of capital totaling $118 million. The mixed funding round includes $5.8 million in equity from Medipower , as well as $7.2 million in equity from more than 3,600 individual investors via SeedInvest and $5.0 million in convertible notes from 86 individual investors via Groundfloor's own platform. Additionally, as part of the strategic partnership, in its first year Medipower plans to invest up to $100 million via Groundfloor's investment platform and up to an additional $220 million in the second year. Medipower's Chairman Yair Goldfinger will join Groundfloor's board.

Medipower will participate in Groundfloor's real estate loans alongside retail investors, on the same terms, and in a balanced way. There's no special credit box, no impact on standard origination, underwriting, and servicing processes, and no special advantage over retail investors in return for the scale of capital being committed. This partnership validates once again that Groundfloor's platform offerings for retail investors meet the institutional quality bar. Additionally, in order to ensure individual retail investors continue to have equal standing, the amount that can be invested by Medipower in any one loan is limited, as is the total amount that can be invested each quarter. These safeguards have been engineered to ensure that there is always not only sufficient opportunity for the retail investor, but a greater breadth of opportunity for them over time.

"This is an important moment for Groundfloor's loyal and rapidly growing base of retail investors and the entrepreneurs whose real estate projects they finance," said co-founder and CEO Brian Dally. "Retail investors deserve their share of the same pie on which hedge funds, private equity, and all other financially privileged players have been enriched in the modern Wall Street-oriented era. This new strategic relationship supports our mission to deliver that and is purposefully structured to be consistent with our vision for a level playing field in saving and investing."

Groundfloor plans to use these funds to scale its operations, with a focus on customer acquisition and product development. The Atlanta-based company is hiring another 50 new employees in 2022, to nearly double in size, while rolling out its second mobile app and expanding into dedicated markets. Already this year, Groundfloor announced plans to create a local lending footprint in Jacksonville, Florida as the first of many local joint venture partnerships to come.

The funding news comes on the heels of significant growth and new product successes. In 2021, Groundfloor:

Launched a new way to save and invest with its Stairs mobile app , offering investors 4-6% in annualized returns and already seeing more than $22 million invested;

, offering investors 4-6% in annualized returns and already seeing more than invested; Continued to provide investors healthy returns from its LROs, averaging 10% returns across all its real estate loans;

Grew to more than 150K registered users with over $220 million in assets under management, achieving 114% revenue growth to $12.0 million ;

registered users with over in assets under management, achieving 114% revenue growth to ; Was recognized for many awards including the Inc 5000 list of fastest-growing companies, the Deloitte Fast 500 Technology list, Benzinga's Global Fintech Awards, Atlanta's TiE Growth and Impact Awards, and certification as a 2021 Great Place to Work.

"The numbers don't lie. Groundfloor has a proven track record when it comes to residential real estate in the United States," said Medipower Chairman Yair Goldfinger. "Their differentiated approach to capital markets and mission to serve retail investors delivers impressive results in loan origination and asset management that align perfectly with Medipower's goals. We're excited to enter into this new partnership and power more rapid growth for Groundfloor within the single-family residential housing market."

About Groundfloor

Founded in 2013, Groundfloor is an award-winning wealthtech platform that allows everyone to build wealth through real estate. Groundfloor was the first company qualified by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission to offer direct real estate debt investments via Regulation A for non-accredited and accredited investors alike. Today, it remains the only product offering everyone the ability to build fully customizable real estate debt portfolios for short-term, high-yield returns. Headquartered in Atlanta, Groundfloor has won numerous awards for its rapid growth and innovation including the Inc. 5000 and Deloitte's Technology Fast 500. To date, Groundfloor has raised $41.8 million in funding from a variety of sources, including venture capital and online public equity offerings. As of its most recent round of financing, the company remains over 30% customer-owned.

About Medipower

Medipower is a full-service commercial real estate firm specializing in retail real estate, primarily open-air, quality well located shopping centers, in growing high barrier-to-entry markets. The company is publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the symbol MDPR. With a broad range of experience and expertise in acquisitions, redevelopment and management of shopping centers, Medipower owns and manages about Sqf 2M. retail properties and residential developments in the United States and Canada.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Hela Sheth

GROUNDFLOOR

[email protected]

SOURCE Groundfloor Finance Inc.
SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HanAll Biopharma (KRX: 009420.KS) announced today the appointment of Almira Chabi, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer and Chief Development Officer at HanAll Pharmaceutical International (HPI), a U.S. entity wholly owned by HanAll Biopharma, to strengthen its R&D capability.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Chabi as Chief Medical and Development Officer. Dr. Chabi will bring invaluable expertise and leadership to our next phase of growth to develop innovative treatments for patients," said Sean Jeong, M.D., MBA, CEO of HanAll Biopharma.

Dr. Chabi is recognized as a leading figure with extensive experience in all phases of drug discovery and development, particularly in ophthalmology and neuroscience. Throughout her career, she has performed multiple successful drug development and NDA fillings. Dr. Chabi also brings a wealth of experience working with business development and venture capital teams performing due diligences for compounds and devices, and serving on various boards.

Dr. Chabi pursued her career working on an array of projects at global biopharma companies such as Merck and Genentech. Prior to the role at HanAll, Dr. Chabi served as a Vice President, Global Therapeutic Area Head for Glaucoma & Neuroprotection, as well as Lead for Artificial Intelligence Programs at Santen.

"I highly value the potential and commitment of HanAll Biopharma to provide innovative therapies that serve patients' needs," Dr. Chabi stated. "I look forward to working with the team at HanAll at this critical stage of developing tanfanercept in dry eye disease and other inflammatory eye disorders as well as the range of other programs," she added.

Dr. Chabi received her undergraduate and medical school education at the University of Wisconsin. In addition to completing residency training in ophthalmology and surgical fellowship training in Cornea & External Diseases, she completed an ophthalmology research fellowship at Cornell University, and has served as adjunct clinical staff at Wills Eye Hospital as well as Stanford University. Dr. Chabi is also an alumna of Wharton Business School's Management Program.

About HanAll Biopharma Co., Ltd.

HanAll Biopharma (KRX: 009420.KS) is a global biopharmaceutical company founded in 1973 with a mission of making meaningful contributions to patients' lives by introducing innovative, impactful therapies to address severe unmet medical needs. HanAll has been operating a portfolio of pharmaceutical products in areas of endocrine, circulatory, and urologic diseases for more than 48 years. HanAll is now focused on autoimmune disease, ophthalmology, oncology, and neurology to discover and develop innovative medicines for patients with diseases for which there are no effective treatments. Its leading pipeline asset, HL161 (INN: batoclimab), an anti-FcRn antibody drug, is in Phase 3 and Phase 2 trials across the world for the treatment of rare autoimmune disorders. Another main asset, HL036 (INN: tanfanercept), an anti-TNF alpha protein drug, is in Phase 3 clinical trials in the US and China for the treatment of dry eye disease.

For further information, please contact:

HanAll IR/PR team ([email protected])

Forward-looking Statements

The contents of this announcement include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes," "estimates," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "may," "will," or "should" and include statements HANALL (the company, we) makes concerning its 2021 business and financial

outlook and related plans; the therapeutic potential of its product candidates; the intended results of its strategy and the company, and its collaboration partners', advancement of, and anticipated clinical development, data readouts and regulatory milestones and plans, including the timing of planned clinical trials and expected data readouts; the design of future clinical trials and the timing and outcome of regulatory filings and regulatory approvals. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. The company's actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors our expectations regarding its the inherent uncertainties associated with competitive developments, preclinical and clinical trial and product development activities and regulatory approval requirements; our reliance on collaborations with third parties; estimating the commercial potential of our product candidates; our ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual property for its technologies and drugs; our limited operating history; and our ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development and commercialization of its product candidates. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in Korea Stock Exchange (KRX) filings and reports, including in our most recent annual report as well as subsequent filings and reports filed by the company with the KRX. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of publication of this document. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise the information in this press release, including any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by Korean law and regulations.

SOURCE HanAll Biopharma
NEW DELHI, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The study undertaken by Astute Analytica foresees a major leap forward in revenue of the Global Harvesting Robot Market from US$ 591.1 Mn in 2021 to US$ 3,293.8 Mn by 2030. The market is registering a growth at a CAGR of 21.2% during the forecast period 2022-2030. Humans have varying operational quality whereas harvesting robots can work consistently with no individual or temporal differences. Moreover, harvesting robots can inspect the crop to detect diseases and monitor crop development, allowing for more efficient farm management and optimizing the food-production chain. The UN predicts that the world population will rise from 7.3 billion today to 9.7 billion in 2050. Therefore, there is a strong need for increased automation and robotization in the farming industry to meet growing demands and compensate for labor shortages.

Request a Sample Report of Harvesting Robot Market: https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/harvesting-robot-market

Market Dynamics

Drivers:

The growing impetus of the harvesting robot market is attributed to factors such as growing demand for food security and gradually increasing awareness of smart agriculture. According to the researchers at the University of Bonn, the global food production could fall by over 20% by 2050, and the population will rise to 9.8 billion by 2050, so they advocate responsible use and support of harvesting robots. Furthermore, smart farming is an emerging concept that refers to managing farms using modern Information and communication technologies to increase the quantity and quality of products while optimizing the human labor required. Therefore, with the gradual increase in the awareness of smart agriculture, the demand for harvesting robot is increasing across the globe.

Restraints:

Owing to highly unstructured orchard environment and variable outdoor conditions, harvesting robot technologies have achieved only limited successes in the past. No commercial viability has been achieved and every apple destined for fresh market is still handpicked. This is due to the fact that agricultural workspaces such as apple orchards and grape vineyards are biologically driven environment. Furthermore, the lack of generalized design limit standards in agricultural robotics has further increased inconsistency in the design approaches.

Opportunities:

Rising labor cost is encouraging automation in the agriculture sector. Furthermore, AI-equipped harvesting Robots is an emerging opportunity in the Global Harvesting Robot Market due to its enhanced dexterity to tackle crops of various shapes and sizes.

Regional Analysis

Europe dominates the Global Harvesting Robots Market in 2021

Europe is the highest shareholder region in the Global Harvesting Robots Market in 2021 owing to the rising number of farmers demanding harvesting robots in the region. The EU is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of agricultural products. Europe's farm policy has changed considerably in recent decades to help farmers respond to peoples' changing attitudes and expectations. Furthermore, AI and advanced robotics are opening new horizons in agriculture sector in Europe. Germany is the highest shareholder country in the European harvesting robot market.

North America holds the second highest share in the Global Harvesting Robot Market in 2021

North America harvesting robot market has the second highest share after Europe in the Global Harvesting Robot market owing to a well-established agricultural sector in the region. The US is the highest shareholder country in North America harvesting robot market. Fully autonomous robot type is projected to grow with the fastest CAGR during the forecast period owing to rising labor shortages in the region.

Asia Pacific has the fastest CAGR in the Global Harvesting Robotics Market during the forecast period

Due to rising labor cost and reducing number of people engaged in agriculture, Asia Pacific region is anticipated to hold the highest annual growth rate in the Global Harvesting Robot Market during the forecast period. In Asia, decreasing farmer and labor population leads to increasing labor costs, higher harvesting input energy consumption and less resource utilization. To solve these problems, researchers are engaged in providing long term and low-tech alternatives in terms of mechanization and automation of agriculture by way of efficient, low cost and easy to use solutions. China is the highest shareholder country in the harvesting robot market of the APAC region.

Saudi Arabia has the fastest CAGR in the Middle East & Africa harvesting robot market

Saudi Arabia is estimated to have the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Saudi Arabia holds 20.4% of the MEA harvesting robot market in 2021. In terms of application, greenhouse agriculture has the highest share in the MEA market as modern techniques of hydroponic, aeroponics and nutrient film techniques are possible only under greenhouse framing and it helps to produce disease free and genetically superior transplants continuously.

Brazil is the highest shareholder in South America harvesting robot market

Brazil holds the highest share in the harvesting robot market of with its extensive land area, abundant sunlight, and natural resources. The agricultural sector represents more than four percent of the annual value added to Brazil's gross domestic product. However, Argentina is registering the fastest CAGR in the harvesting robot market of South America over the projection period. In terms of harvesting type, fruit harvesting has the highest share in the market in 2021.

Impact of COVID-19 on Harvesting Robot Market

The outbreak of COVID-19 greatly affected the agriculture sector, labor scarcity was reported during the pandemic, which resulted in low agricultural output. Farmers have faced an increasingly high level of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the destroyed crops, a stockpile of crops, and disruption in the supply chain. Supply chain disruptions directly resulted in economic losses for farmers and increased food prices for consumers. Despite the government's efforts to minimize the disruptions in the food supply chain, the survey results indicate that farmers still suffered economic losses. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, more farmers and low-income consumers become highly vulnerable due to agricultural income losses and declining cash income. Thus, COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the market growth, as major players in the market reported a slight decline in their sales of harvesting robots.

Request Free Sample Copy @ https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/harvesting-robot-market

Competitive Landscape

The key players in the Global Harvesting Robot Market are Agrobot, Dogtooth Technologies Limited, FFRobotics, Green Robot Machinery Pvt. Ltd., Harvest Automation, HARVEST CROO, CERESCON B.V., Panasonic, Energid Technologies Corporation, Four Growers, Metomotion, Root Al, Inc., Tortuga Agriculture Technologies, Inc., Appharvest, Inaho Inc., Denso Design, Xihelm, Certhon Harvest Robot, and Squse among others.

Segmentation Overview of Global Harvesting Robot Market

The following are the different segments of the Global Harvesting Robot Market:

By Robot Type segment of the Global Harvesting Robot Market is sub-segmented into:

Semi-Autonomous Robots



Fully Autonomous Robots

By Harvesting Type segment of the Global Harvesting Robot Market is sub-segmented into:

Fruit Harvesting



Vegetable Harvesting



Leafy Vegetables





Pumpkin







Lettuce







Cabbage







Others





Fruit Vegetables





Tomato







Cucumber







Okra







Others





Seed Vegetables





Egusi Melon







Ito Melon







Others





Root Vegetables





Sweet Potato







Irish Potato







Carrot







Raddish







Others





Spices





Chilli Pepper







Garlic







Basil







Others



Grain Harvesting



Others

By Application segment of the Global Harvesting Robot Market is sub-segmented into:

Outdoor Agriculture



Greenhouse Agriculture

By Vegetable Harvesting Application segment of the Global Harvesting Robot Market is sub-segmented into:

Outdoor Agriculture



Leafy Vegetables





Pumpkin







Lettuce







Cabbage







Others





Fruit Vegetables





Tomato







Cucumber







Okra







Others





Seed Vegetables





Egusi Melo







Ito Melon







Others





Root Vegetables





Sweet Potato







Irish Potato







Carrot







Raddish







Others





Spices





Chilli Pepper







Garlic







Basil







Others



Greenhouse Agriculture



Leafy Vegetables





Pumpkin







Lettuce







Cabbage







Others





Fruit Vegetables





Tomato







Cucumber







Okra







Others





Seed Vegetables





Egusi Melon







Ito Melon







Others





Root Vegetables





Sweet Potato







Irish Potato







Carrot







Raddish







Others





Spices





Chilli Pepper







Garlic







Basil







Others

By Region segment of the Global Harvesting Robot Market is sub-segmented into:

North America



The U.S.





Canada





Mexico



Europe



Western Europe





The UK







Germany







France







Italy







Spain







Rest of Western Europe





Eastern Europe





Poland







Russia







Rest of Eastern Europe



Asia Pacific



China





India





Japan





Australia & New Zealand

& New Zealand



South Korea





ASEAN





Rest of Asia Pacific



Middle East & Africa (MEA)



UAE





Saudi Arabia





Rest of MEA



South America



Argentina





Brazil





Rest of South America

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For Additional Information OR Media Enquiry, Please Mail Us At: [email protected]

About Astute Analytica

Astute Analytica is a global analytics and advisory company which has built a solid reputation in a short period, thanks to the tangible outcomes we have delivered to our clients. We pride ourselves in generating unparalleled, in depth and uncannily accurate estimates and projections for our very demanding clients spread across different verticals. We have a long list of satisfied and repeat clients from a wide spectrum including technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and many more. These happy customers come to us from all across the Globe. They are able to make well calibrated decisions and leverage highly lucrative opportunities while surmounting the fierce challenges all because we analyze for them the complex business environment, segment wise existing and emerging possibilities, technology formations, growth estimates, and even the strategic choices available. In short, a complete package. All this is possible because we have a highly qualified, competent, and experienced team of professionals comprising of business analysts, economists, consultants, and technology experts. In our list of priorities, you-our patron-come at the top. You can be sure of best cost-effective, value-added package from us, should you decide to engage with us.

Contact us:

Aamir Beg

BSI Business Park, H-15,Sector-63, Noida- 201301- India

Phone: 1-888 429 6757 (US Toll Free); +91-0120- 4251598 (Rest of the World)

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.astuteanalytica.com

Follow US: LinkedIn | Twitter

SOURCE Astute Analytica
"We are surrounded by women and girls that inspire us every single day. Creating this simple, but powerful and colorful change to our iconic milk chocolate bar serves as a reminder of how important they are in our lives," said Veronica Villasenor, Vice President, US, The Hershey Company. "So grab a Hershey's bar, share one and celebrate all women and girls through a simple, and sweet, gesture."

To continue the celebration of "SHE," Hershey's is partnering with Girls on the Run, a nonprofit organization with a mission focused on supporting, empowering and inspiring girls to realize their limitless potential. As part of the partnership, Hershey's is donating $150,000 to Girls on the Run.

"For over 25 years, Girls on the Run has inspired girls and women to be confident and resilient while finding strength in connection with one another," said Elizabeth Kunz, CEO of Girls on the Run. "We are proud to partner with Hershey's Celebrate SHE campaign to shine a light on all the amazing SHEs in our lives!"

In addition to the work the Hershey's brand is doing through Celebrate SHE, The Hershey Company is on a journey of celebrating and investing in women in the workplace and communities. Named #1 on the World's Top Female-Friendly Companies list by Forbes in 2021, The Hershey Company is among only a handful of Fortune 500 companies led by women. Hershey is committed to equal pay, career development and supporting impactful non-profit partners among other initiatives to support women. To read more about how The Hershey Company is investing in women in the workplace and communities, visit here.

Want to Celebrate SHE? Share a photo and story of a woman or girl you're celebrating on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #CelebrateSHE. Hershey's will share some of these stories on social channels throughout the entire month of March, in recognition of Women's History Month.

You can learn more about the Celebrate SHE campaign here. Be sure to watch the special Celebrate SHE ad featuring multi-talented star Mindy Kaling.

"Girls rule. Celebrate accordingly," exclaimed Mindy Kaling.

Let's all celebrate together.

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company is headquartered in Hershey, Pa., and is an industry-leading snacks company known for bringing goodness to the world through its iconic brands, remarkable people and enduring commitment to help children succeed. Hershey has approximately 17,000 employees around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, quality products. The company has more than 90 brands around the world that drive more than $8 billion in annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop, and Pirate's Booty.

For more than 125 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically and sustainably. Hershey founder, Milton Hershey, created the Milton Hershey School in 1909 and since then the company has focused on helping children succeed.

To learn more visit www.thehersheycompany.com

Follow:

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LinkedIn

Facebook

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SOURCE The Hershey Company
DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,500 people from African and foreign countries are expected to attend the 16th Nile Day 2022 commemorations in Tanzania's business capital Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, an official said on Sunday.

Nile Day is an annual event held in commemoration of the establishment of the unprecedented Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) on February 22, 1999, by ministers in charge of water affairs in the Nile Basin countries.

Nile Day provides an opportunity for Basin citizens to come together to celebrate the benefits of Nile cooperation and exchange experiences, views and ideas on topical issues related to the cooperative management and development of the common Nile Basin water and related resources.

Anthony Sanga, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Water, told a news conference that the Nile Day will be marked by revisiting best ways of managing and developing the shared Nile waters and related resources for win-win benefits.

He said the commemoration is also an occasion for participants to appreciate the rich and varied cultures which exist within the Nile Basin.

Sanga said the theme for the Nile Day 2022 is: "The Nile: Our Heritage for Peace and Prosperity".

He said the event will be attended by ministers in charge of water affairs in the Nile Basin countries, representatives from NBI member states embassies in Tanzania and officials from ministries whose activities relate to the management and development of the shared water resources such as water, environment, energy, agriculture, foreign affairs and finance.

NBI member states are Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Eritrea participates as an observer. 
Infrastructure Monitoring Players with key offerings:

The infrastructure monitoring market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as offering differentiated products through customized products and services to compete in the market. The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including:

Acellent Technologies Inc. - The company offers infrastructure monitoring for buildings, pipelines, bridges, and more.

The company offers infrastructure monitoring for buildings, pipelines, bridges, and more. Campbell Scientific Inc. - The company offers infrastructure monitoring such as bridge monitoring, dam monitoring, mining, structural health monitoring, and geotechnical.

The company offers infrastructure monitoring such as bridge monitoring, dam monitoring, mining, structural health monitoring, and geotechnical. GEOKON LLC - The company offers infrastructure monitoring for bridges, dams, geogrids, mines, piles, pipelines, groundwater, and many more.

The company offers infrastructure monitoring for bridges, dams, geogrids, mines, piles, pipelines, groundwater, and many more. Mistras Group Inc. - The company offers infrastructure monitoring for amusement parks, bridges, commercial buildings, dams, airports, marine ports, and roads and rails.

The company offers infrastructure monitoring for amusement parks, bridges, commercial buildings, dams, airports, marine ports, and roads and rails. National Instruments Corp. - The company offers customized solutions for infrastructure monitoring and testing the health and performance of structures, large machinery, and types of equipment.

The company offers customized solutions for infrastructure monitoring and testing the health and performance of structures, large machinery, and types of equipment. To know about all major vendors with their key offerings - Download a free sample now!

Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Infrastructure Monitoring Market Analysis Report by Technology (Wireless and Wired) and Geography (Europe, North America, APAC, MEA, and South America), and the Segment Forecasts,2022-2026". Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders. Track key industry opportunities, trends, and threats. Information on marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales, and supply functions. https://www.technavio.com/report/report/infrastructure-monitoring-market-industry-analysis

Infrastructure Monitoring Market - Drivers & Challenges

The infrastructure monitoring market is driven by the rise in global construction and infrastructure development activities. However, factors such as vulnerability to cyberattacks may impede market growth. The holistic analysis of the drivers & challenges will help in deducing end goals and refining marketing strategies to gain a competitive edge. The infrastructure monitoring market analysis report also provides detailed information on other upcoming trends that will have a far-reaching effect on market growth.

Infrastructure Monitoring Market Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2021-2026)

Wireless - size, and forecast 2021-2026

Wired - size and forecast 2021-2026

Infrastructure Monitoring Market Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2021-2026)

Europe - size and forecast 2021-2026

- size and forecast 2021-2026 North America - size and forecast 2021-2026

- size and forecast 2021-2026 APAC - size and forecast 2021-2026

MEA - size and forecast 2021-2026

South America - size and forecast 2021-2026

To gain further insights on the market contribution of various segments - Grab an Exclusive Free Sample Report

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Infrastructure Monitoring Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 9.76% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 10.48 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 8.94 Performing market contribution Europe at 29% Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Acellent Technologies Inc., Campbell Scientific Inc., GEOKON LLC, Mistras Group Inc., National Instruments Corp., Sixense Group, Spectris Plc, Structural Monitoring Systems plc, Toshiba Corp., and Xylem Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Content

1. Executive Summary

1.1 Market Overview

2. Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

2.1.1 Parent Market

Exhibit 08: Parent market

Exhibit 09: Market characteristics

2.2 Value Chain Analysis

Research and development





Developers or manufacturers





Sales and distribution





End-users

3. Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 10: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 11: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026

Exhibit 12: Global - Market size and forecast 2021 - 2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 13: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2021 - 2026 (%)

4. Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five Forces Summary

Exhibit 14: Five forces analysis 2021 - 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 15: Bargaining power of the buyer

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 16: Bargaining power of the supplier

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 17: Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 18: Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 19: Threat of rivalry

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 20: Market condition - Five forces 2021

5. Market Segmentation by Technology

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 21: Technology Market share 2021 - 2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Technology

Exhibit 22: Comparison by Technology

5.3 Wireless - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 23: Wireless - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 24: Wireless - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Wired - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 25: Wired - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 26: Wired - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Technology

Exhibit 27: Market opportunity by Technology

6. Customer landscape

Technavio's customer landscape matrix comparing Drivers or price sensitivity, Adoption lifecycle, importance in customer price basket, Adoption rate and Key purchase criteria

6.1 Overview

Exhibit 28: Customer landscape

7. Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 29: Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 30: Geographic comparison

7.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 31: Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026($ million)

Exhibit 32: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 34: North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 34: North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026(%)

7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 35: APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 36: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 MEA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 37: MEA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 38: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 39: South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 40: South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 Key leading countries

Exhibit 41: Key leading countries

7.9 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.1.1 Rise in global construction and infrastructure development activities

8.1.2 Surging capital investments in structural health monitoring

8.1.3 Aging infrastructure and superior benefits associated with infrastructure monitoring

8.2 Market challenges

8.2.1 Vulnerability to cyberattacks

8.2.2 High installation costs of the systems

8.2.3 Lack of skilled technicians and professionals for deployment and calibration

Exhibit 43: Impact of drivers and challenges

8.3 Market trends

8.3.1 Adoption of automation and standardization in the maintenance and repair of civil infrastructure

8.3.2 Thriving IT and telecommunications industry

8.3.3 Rising incidences of catastrophic failure of infrastructure in recent years

9. Vendor Landscape

9.1 Competitive Scenario

9.2 Overview

Exhibit 44: Vendor landscape

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 45: Landscape disruption

Exhibit 46: Industry Risk

10. Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 47: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 48: Market positioning of vendors?

10.3 Acellent Technologies Inc.

Exhibit 49: Acellent Technologies Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 50: Acellent Technologies Inc. - Product and service

Exhibit 51: Acellent Technologies Inc. - Key offerings

10.4 Campbell Scientific Inc.

Exhibit 52: Campbell Scientific Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 53: Campbell Scientific Inc. - Product and service

Exhibit 54: Campbell Scientific Inc. - Key offerings

10.5 GEOKON LLC

Exhibit 55: GEOKON LLC - Overview

Exhibit 56: GEOKON LLC - Product and service

Exhibit 57: GEOKON LLC - Key offerings

10.6 Mistras Group Inc.

Exhibit 58: Mistras Group Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 59: Mistras Group Inc. - Business segments

Exhibit 60: Mistras Group Inc. - Key offerings

Exhibit 61: Mistras Group Inc. - Segment focus

10.7 National Instruments Corp.

Exhibit 62: National Instruments Corp. - Overview

Exhibit 63: National Instruments Corp. - Business segments

Exhibit 64: National Instruments Corp.- Key news

Exhibit 65: National Instruments Corp. - Key offerings

Exhibit 66: National Instruments Corp. - Segment focus

10.8 Sixense Group

Exhibit 67: Sixense Group - Overview

Exhibit 68: Sixense Group - Product and service

Exhibit 69: Sixense Group - Key offerings

10.9 Spectris Plc

Exhibit 70: Spectris Plc - Overview

Exhibit 71: Spectris Plc - Business segments

Exhibit 72: Spectris Plc- Key news

Exhibit 73: Spectris Plc - Key offerings

Exhibit 74: Spectris Plc - Segment focus

10.10 Structural Monitoring Systems plc

Exhibit 75: Structural Monitoring Systems plc - Overview

Exhibit 76: Structural Monitoring Systems plc - Business segments

Exhibit 77: Structural Monitoring Systems plc - Key offerings

Exhibit 78: Structural Monitoring Systems plc - Segment focus

10.11 Toshiba Corp.

Exhibit 79: Toshiba Corp. - Overview

Exhibit 80: Toshiba Corp. - Business segments

Exhibit 81: Toshiba Corp.- Key news

Exhibit 82: Toshiba Corp. - Key offerings

Exhibit 83: Toshiba Corp. - Segment focus

10.12 Xylem Inc.

Exhibit 84: Xylem Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 85: Xylem Inc. - Business segments

Exhibit 86: Xylem Inc. - Key offerings

Exhibit 87: Xylem Inc. - Segment focus

11. Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.1.1 Market definition

11.1.2Objectives

11.1.3 Notes and caveats

11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 88: Currency conversion rates for US$?

11.3 Research Methodology

Exhibit 89: Research Methodology

Exhibit 90: Validation techniques employed for market sizing?

Exhibit 91: Information sources

11.4 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 92: List of abbreviations

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a convenient way for one person to take measurements without the help of a second person," said an inventor, from Surprise, Ariz., "so I invented the STAY PUT MEASURE. My design eliminates the need to struggle when using a tape measure by yourself."

The invention provides a temporary way to adhere a tape measure to a wall surface. In doing so, it eliminates the need for another person to hold the tape measure. As a result, it increases efficiency and accuracy. The invention features a simple and durable design that is convenient and easy to use so it is ideal for homeowners, contractors, designers, etc. Additionally, it is producible in design variations and a prototype is available.

The original design was submitted to the Phoenix sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-PBT-107, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I'm a professional general contractor and I felt more could be done to remotely observe and monitor construction site activities," said an inventor, from Irvington, N.J., "so I invented the SMART CONTRACTOR. My design could help to keep large or multiple construction projects moving forward without costly delays or issues arising, using real time monitoring."

This patent-pending invention provides an improved way to monitor activities at any construction site. In doing so, it enables the user to remotely monitor, communicate and record activities. As a result, it increases efficiency and productivity and it eliminates the need to spend time visiting all areas of a large construction site. The invention features a user-friendly design that is convenient and easy to operate so it is ideal for construction companies. Additionally, a premium model is also available.

The original design was submitted to the New Jersey sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-NEJ-104, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp
This participation comes out of the interest of Jazeera Paints in presenting its contributions related to the industrial and construction aspects to the visitors of the conference, employing its expertise and research summary to develop this field in cooperation with other parties participating in the conference.

About IPTC

Founded in 2005, the International Petroleum Technology Conference is the leading multidisciplinary technical event in the Eastern Hemisphere. The scope of the conference program addresses technology and related industry issues that challenge industry and management professionals around the world.

This edition of the IPTC will be held 2123 February 2022 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with Saudi Aramco serving as the Exclusive Host.

Regional energy ministers, industry leaders, and governmental representatives will have an opportunity to discuss and share their views on timely industry topics and trends, exchange expertise and experience, present state-of-the-art technology and innovation, and to stimulate further research of technical and business activities.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1750526/Jazeera_Paints_IPTC.jpg

SOURCE Jazeera Paints
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KMFA Classical 89.5 announces launch of the Draylen Mason Composer-in-Residence program with Dallas-based, rising composer Quinn Mason named as the inaugural commissioned composer. Mason will spend the week of February 21-25 in residence with KMFA in Austin, Texas.

Composer Quinn Mason Composer Quinn Mason

With classical music historically dominated by white (mostly male) composers, performers, and managers, works of composers of color and other minorities have been overlooked and underrepresented, not only on concert stages, but also on record labels and on classical radio stations, which rely on recorded music for their daily playlists. The Draylen Mason Composer-in-Residence program was inspired by the national call for greater diversity in classical music.

"KMFA strives to bring our listeners a diverse range of music, including works by the underrepresented, including women and composers of color," explains KMFA Director of Broadcasting & Content Anthony McSpadden, who conceived the program. "Now that we have a world-class performance space and state-of-the-art recording capabilities, we're excited to turn our attention to the creation of new music from composers of color, like Quinn, and we'll share the fruits of these efforts with other classical broadcasters around the country in hopes that they be able to add to the existing works already in their libraries."

Following a week of creative exploration, Mason will compose three new works consisting of one for piano, one for ensemble, and one for choir. Each piece will be recorded at different times by select performers in KMFA's acoustically stunning Draylen Mason Music Studio, built for just this sort of music discovery.

Performances of Mason's new commissioned works will be premiered over several months with three live concerts beginning this May. These performances will be recorded and distributed to classical radio stations around the country for incorporation into their playlists following the world premieres.

"I'm extremely honored to serve as KMFA's inaugural Draylen Mason Composer in Residence," said composer Quinn Mason. "It is in this position that I hope I can bring my personal musical voice to a wider audience with music that has meaning to me and will hopefully have meaning to a variety of listeners. I'm especially looking forward to creating new compositions just for this residency, in collaboration with world class artists."

The Draylen Mason Composer-in-Residence program honors the memory of Draylen Mason, a promising young Austin musician killed in 2018 by the Austin package bomber.

ABOUT QUINN MASON:

Twice commissioned by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Mason is a prolific, Dallas-based young composer whose work is being acclaimed and performed around the country. Texas Monthly declares he "might be classical music's next superstar," while Dallas Morning News critic Scott Cantrell calls him "a most impressive talent." Still in his 20s, he has assembled an astonishing output of music in multiple genres. His orchestral music has received performances in the US by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and Utah Symphony Orchestra, among many others. His chamber works and music for wind ensembles have been extensively performed.

ABOUT KMFA:

KMFA 89.5 is an independent public classical radio station in Austin, TX. Established in 1967, KMFA serves approximately 120,000 listeners each week and features locally produced shows like Classical Austin, Early Music Now, and From The Butler School, as well as nationally distributed programming from Public Radio International, American Public Media, and National Public Radio.

Media Contact: Motley Crew Media for KMFA

Nicole Shiro | 512.740.6665 | [email protected]

Amy S. Layton | 512.695.0799 | [email protected]

SOURCE KMFA Classical 89.5
SHANGHAI, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LAIX Inc. ("LAIX" or the "Company") (NYSE: LAIX), an artificial intelligence (AI) company in China that creates and delivers products and services to popularize English learning, today announced that it plans to change the ratio of its American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") to its Class A ordinary shares (the "ADS Ratio"), par value US$0.001 per share, from the current ADS Ratio of one (1) ADS to one (1) Class A ordinary share to a new ADS Ratio of one (1) ADS to fourteen (14) Class A ordinary shares. A post-effective amendment to the ADS Registration Statement on Form F-6 will be filed with the SEC to reflect the change in the ADS Ratio. The Company anticipates that the change in the ADS Ratio will be effective on or about March 4, 2022, subject to the effectiveness of the post-effective amendment to the ADS Registration Statement on Form F-6 on or before that date.

For LAIX's ADS holders, the change in the ADS Ratio will have the same effect as a one-for-fourteen reverse ADS split. Each ADS holder of record at the close of business on the date when the change in ADS Ratio is effective will be required to surrender and exchange every fourteen (14) existing ADSs then held for one (1) new ADS. Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as the depositary bank for LAIX's ADS program, will arrange for the exchange of the current ADSs for the new ones. LAIX's ADSs will continue to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "LAIX".

No fractional new ADSs will be issued in connection with the change in the ADS Ratio. Instead, fractional entitlements to new ADSs will be aggregated and sold by the depositary bank and the net cash proceeds from the sale of the fractional ADS entitlements (after deduction of fees, taxes and expenses) will be distributed to the applicable ADS holders by the depositary bank. The change in the ADS Ratio will have no impact on LAIX's underlying Class A ordinary shares, and no Class A ordinary shares will be issued or cancelled in connection with the change in the ADS Ratio.

As a result of the change in the ADS Ratio, the ADS trading price is expected to increase proportionally, although the Company can give no assurance that the ADS trading price after the change in the ADS Ratio will be equal to or greater than fourteen times the ADS trading price before the change.

About LAIX Inc.

LAIX Inc. ("LAIX" or the "Company") is an artificial intelligence (AI) company in China that creates and delivers products and services to popularize English learning. Its proprietary AI teacher utilizes cutting-edge deep learning and adaptive learning technologies, big data, well-established education pedagogies and the mobile internet. LAIX believes its innovative approach fundamentally transforms learning. LAIX provides its products and services on demand via its mobile apps, primarily its flagship "English Liulishuo" mobile app launched in 2013. On the Company's platform, AI technologies are seamlessly integrated with diverse learning content incorporating well-established language learning pedagogies, gamified features and strong social elements to deliver an engaging, adaptive learning experience. LAIX provides a variety of courses inspired by a broad range of topics and culture themes to make English learning more interesting and is committed to offering a fun, interactive learning environment to motivate and engage its users.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident," "potential," "continue" or other similar expressions. LAIX may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about LAIX's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a variety of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: LAIX's goals and strategies; LAIX's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the education market; LAIX's ability to monetize the user base; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China; PRC governmental policies, laws and regulations relating to the Company's industry; the potential impact of the COVID-19 to LAIX's business operations and the economy in China and elsewhere generally; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of the press release, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

For further information, please contact:

LAIX Inc.

Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE LAIX Inc.
SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today announced it welcomed Dr. Peter Kyungsuk Pyun as the newly created position of Chief Digital Officer, CDO, as the company ramps up efforts to digitally transform its entire global facilities into data-centric operations.

Before joining LGES, Pyun worked at Nvidia Corporation, Silicon Valley headquarters, as one of five principal data scientists. Widely known as a skilled individual in the manufacturing field of global data science, Pyun brings over 20 years of expertise in machine learning and extensive global experience.

At Nvidia, Pyun led multiple projects as a lead architect in the field of Autonomous Vehicle, Industrial AI and Cloud AI. His successful leadership of an industrial AI team on defect inspection for manufacturing products is now a part of an AI curriculum at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Pyun received MS and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University focusing on Machine Learning and Computer Vision. He received his BS in Control and Instrumentation Engineering from Seoul National University with great distinction.

"Dr. Pyun has gained global perspective and experience in operating and developing solutions for AI-based monitoring in smart manufacturing. We are thrilled to have him as Dr. Pyun is the right fit who is capable of accelerating efforts to turn LGES's global battery manufacturing facilities into smart factories," LG Energy Solution said in a statement.

"Based on his accumulated experience in world-renowned firms, we expect LGES to take a further step forward in battery manufacturing processes by utilizing AI and big-data technology," added the company spokesperson.

LG Energy Solution had earlier announced plans to transform all its global manufacturing facilities into smart factories, to better improve battery manufacturing process. By converting into smart factories, LGES believes it can make data-driven decisions, enable automatic calibration and reduce potential battery-related issues. The company is confident it can also improve its profitability by yielding higher value and cutting quality-related costs.

About LG Energy Solution

LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220) is a global leader delivering advanced lithium-ion batteries for Electric Vehicles (EV), Mobility & IT applications, and Energy Storage Systems (ESS). With 30 years of experience in advanced battery technology, it continues to grow rapidly towards the realization of sustainable life. With its robust global network that spans the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia, LG Energy Solution is more committed than ever to developing innovative technologies that will bring the future energy a step closer. Under its ESG vision "We CHARGE toward a better future," LG Energy Solution is doing its utmost to prioritize environment, fulfil social responsibilities and shape sustainable future. For more information, please visit https://www.lgensol.com.

Contact:

Sally Seung Yeon Lee

Global Communications Team / LG Energy Solution

[email protected]

+82 2 3773 6571

Ashlee Semin Shin

Global Communications Team / LG Energy Solution

[email protected]

+ 82 2 3773 4381

SOURCE LG Energy Solution
NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to study of Zion Market Research, Medical Equipment Calibration Services industry gathered revenue worth nearly US$ 1.1 billion in 2020 and is predicted to gain returns about US$ 3.73 billion by 2028. Additionally, Medical Equipment Calibration Services market is prognosis to register CAGR of almost 9.6% in 2021-2028.

Read Market Research Report "Medical Equipment Calibration Services Market- By End-User (Clinical Laboratories And Hospitals) And By Services (Original Equipment Manufacturer, Third-Party Services, And In-House Services): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, And Forecast, 20212028."

Growth of medical equipment calibration services market over forecast timespan is subject to easy availability of tissue imitating 3D shades and breakthroughs in 3D printing. Apart from this, new business strategies such as yearly calibration service subscription and easy access to workforce at reasonable salaries will facilitate business growth. Furthermore, rise in funding of healthcare sector will ensure huge returns on investment for medical equipment calibration services market. In addition to this, wide spread of COVID-19 pandemic has facilitated expansion of medical equipment calibration services industry. Apparently, growing necessity for medical device maintenance will open new avenues of growth for medical equipment calibration services market in years to come.

Hospitals Segment To Dominate End-User Landscape By 2028:

Growth of hospitals segment over forecast timespan can be credited to patient safety which is a top-most priority of clinics & hospitals. Additionally, large-scale demand for medical equipment calibration services in hospitals post-COVID-19 pandemic will create lucrative growth avenues for market.

Third-Party Services Segment To Contribute Majorly Towards Market Share By 2028:

Segmental expansion in 2021-2028 can be attributed to growing hospital demand on reducing costs and saving time for focusing on other core medical activities. Additionally, need for fastest turnaround time for medical device calibration outcomes has resulted in popularity of third-party services.

Get More Insight before [email protected] : https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/medical-equipment-calibration-services-market

North America To Make Notable Contributions Towards Regional Market Size By 2028:

Expansion of medical equipment calibration services market in region over anticipated timeline is subject to presence of robust healthcare infrastructure in North America. In addition to this, stringent laws passed by U.S. government pertaining to use of calibration of medical equipment will spur regional market scope. Presence of mammoth players in sub-continent will account massively towards market growth in North American sub-continent over ensuing years.

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2020 USD 1.1 Billion Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 3.73 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of almost 9.6% 2021-2028 Base Year 2021 Historic Years 2016 - 2020 Forecast Years 2021 - 2028 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Application, and By End Use Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered T.A.G Medical Products Corporation Limited, NS Medical Systems, Transcat, Inc., Biomedical Technologies Inc., Hospicare Equipment Services Corp., JM Test Systems Fluke Biomedical LLC, Jenn Medical, and Tektronix, Inc. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/buynow/su/medical-equipment-calibration-services-market

Request Pre and Post COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Businesses: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/6771?covid19=true

The global Medical Equipment Calibration Services Market is segmented as follows:

Medical Equipment Calibration Services Market: By End Use Industry Outlook (2021-2028)

Clinical Laboratories

Hospitals

Medical Equipment Calibration Services Market: By Services Outlook (2021-2028)

Original Equipment Manufacturer

Third-Party Services

In-House Services

Medical Equipment Calibration Services Market: By Region Outlook (2021-2028)

North America

The U.S.

Canada

Europe

France

The UK

Spain

Germany

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Southeast Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Get Free Sample Report with All Related Graphs & Charts (with COVID 19 Impact Analysis): https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/medical-equipment-calibration-services-market

List of Key Players of Medical Equipment Calibration Services Market:

T.A.G Medical Products Corporation Limited

NS Medical Systems

Transcat Inc.

Biomedical Technologies Inc.

Hospicare Equipment Services Corp.

JM Test Systems Fluke Biomedical LLC

Jenn Medical

TektronixInc

Press Release For Medical Equipment Calibration Services Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/news/medical-equipment-calibration-services-market

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The global Balloon Angioplasty Market accrued earnings worth approximately 3.22 (USD Billion) in 2021 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 3.98 (USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 4.4% over the period from 2022 to 2028. Viscosity Reducing Agents Market : The global Viscosity Reducing Agents Market accrued earnings worth approximately 10.1 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 19.2 (USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 5.1% over the period from 2021 to 2028.

The global Viscosity Reducing Agents Market accrued earnings worth approximately 10.1 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 19.2 (USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 5.1% over the period from 2021 to 2028. Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Market: The global Digital Patient Monitoring Devices Market accrued earnings worth approximately 63.1 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 447.3(USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 24.1% over the period from 2021 to 2028.

Browse through Zion Market Research's coverage of the Global Medical Device Industry

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INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Managed Health Services (MHS), an Indiana health coverage provider, is pleased to announce a partnership with Englewood Community Development Corporation (ECDC) to support Compass on Washington, a new 36-unit permanent supportive housing (PSH) apartment development for persons who have experienced homelessness. MHS will also assist with wraparound services and community events once the project is complete. MHS is providing a $270,000 grant for the construction.

"Homelessness is a chronic issue in Indianapolis and around the country and is of great risk to an individual's ability to live a healthy life," said Kevin O'Toole, MHS President and CEO. "MHS is committed to supporting and advancing health equity across the communities where we live, work, and serve. We're excited to expand our housing focus to Compass on Washington in Indianapolis."

Scheduled to open in spring 2023, Compass on Washington will be located next to the Horizon House on East Washington Street and will feature 36 one-bedroom units. This unique 4-story L-shaped building will include office space for support services staff and numerous resident-serving amenities and community spaces on the first floor, parallel to Washington Street. The upper floors, perpendicular to Washington Street, will consist of high-quality individual apartments for Compass on Washington residents. Compass on Washington is ideally located just a few blocks from downtown Indianapolis and an example of equitable transit-oriented development situated along IndyGo Route #8 and the proposed Blue Line Bus Rapid Transit.

Compass on Washington will operate as Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), an innovative, evidence-based approach to engage & offer permanent housing plus supportive services to persons who have experienced chronic homelessness. Partners including but not limited to Horizon House and ECDC will provide quality management, intensive and flexible services to Compass on Washington residents as they find safety, healing, recovery and belonging in their new community.

"We are appreciative of MHS' support of Compass on Washington," said Joe Bowling, Executive Director of Englewood Community Development Corporation. "This investment will ensure that formerly homeless individuals will not only have a place to live, but a community in which to call home. The impact of the project will be substantial and ongoing."

About MHS

Managed Health Services (MHS) is a managed care entity that has been proudly serving the state of Indiana for over 25 years through the Hoosier Healthwise and Hoosier Care Connect Medicaid programs and the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) Medicaid alternative program. MHS also offers Ambetter from MHS in the Indiana health insurance marketplace, and Wellcare by Allwell, a Medicare Advantage plan. All of our plans include quality, comprehensive coverage with a provider network you can trust. Visit mhsindiana.com to learn more. MHS is a wholly-owned subsidy of Centene Corporation, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services.

SOURCE MHS
Factors such as growing government initiatives, increase in penetration of smartphones, and blended learning through AR will offer immense growth opportunities. Governments globally have taken initiatives and are promoting e-learning to improve education services. The governments of countries such as Thailand, China, and Hong Kong are offering tablets to aid in education. Governments are also increasing the funding amount of the various initiatives to boost microlearning platforms. In addition, gamification of training and education is due to an increase in the number of smartphones and mobile devices. However, the data security concerns due to the proliferation of education technology will emerge as a key factor likely to hinder the market's growth.

View Microlearning Market Outlook for Additional insights on Drivers, Trends, and Challenges

Microlearning Market 2022-2026: Segmentation Analysis

Component

Solution

The solution segment held the largest microlearning market share in 2021. The segment will continue to account for the largest market share during the forecast period mainly due to the availability and adoption of cloud services, which make it easier to transform a solution into a mobile application. Furthermore, the adoption of education apps and other digital media, such as videos and massive open online courses (MOOCs), is increasing across the world.

The solution segment held the largest microlearning market share in 2021. The segment will continue to account for the largest market share during the forecast period mainly due to the availability and adoption of cloud services, which make it easier to transform a solution into a mobile application. Furthermore, the adoption of education apps and other digital media, such as videos and massive open online courses (MOOCs), is increasing across the world.

Services

Geography

North America

North America emerged as the largest regional segment of microlearning market in 2021. The segment is likely to contribute to 41% of the market's growth during the forecast period. The growth of this region can be mainly attributed to the significant increase in the adoption of technology by numerous organizations to provide adequate training to their employees. US and Canada are the key markets for microlearning in North America . Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in Europe .

emerged as the largest regional segment of microlearning market in 2021. The segment is likely to contribute to 41% of the market's growth during the forecast period. The growth of this region can be mainly attributed to the significant increase in the adoption of technology by numerous organizations to provide adequate training to their employees. US and are the key markets for microlearning in . Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in .

APAC



Europe



South America



MEA

Receive our market sample report now to uncover highlights on the other contributing segments of the microlearning market

Microlearning Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis and Scope

The microlearning market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. To leverage the current opportunities, market vendors must strengthen their foothold in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the microlearning market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile & M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Strategic initiatives of top microlearning market vendors are:

Bigtincan Holdings Ltd.: In June 2021 , the company announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Vidinoti SA to further its mission of creating the Buying Experience of the Future In August 2021 , the company entered into a binding agreement to acquire Brainshark, Inc.

In , the company announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Vidinoti SA to further its mission of creating the Buying Experience of the Future In , the company entered into a binding agreement to acquire Brainshark, Inc. Cornerstone OnDemand Inc.: In December 2021 , the company partnered with WaitWhat, which brings masters of scale podcasts and courses exclusively to cornerstone customers

In , the company partnered with WaitWhat, which brings masters of scale podcasts and courses exclusively to cornerstone customers Larsen and Toubro Ltd.: In December 2021 , the company partnered with Kemroc ink pact to distribute the latter's cutting-edge products in India . In November 2021 , the company signed MoU with the Tamil Nadu government to build a Data Centre at Kanchipuram

In , the company partnered with Kemroc ink pact to distribute the latter's cutting-edge products in . In , the company signed MoU with the Tamil Nadu government to build a Data Centre at Kanchipuram International Business Machines Corp.: In December 2021 , the company signed a three-year agreement with AIB to accelerate hybrid cloud digital transformation. Product launches In December 2021 , the company launched a new IBM z and cloud modernization center for the acceleration of hybrid cloud.

Some other market players covered in this report are:

Axonify Inc.

BTS Group AB

Epignosis LLC

Gnowbe Group Ltd.

iSpring Solutions Inc.

Qstream Inc.

For customized reports with extensive product offerings and strategic moves of each vendor, Speak to our Analysts

The report also covers the following areas:

Microlearning Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026

Detailed information on factors that will assist microlearning market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the microlearning market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the microlearning market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of microlearning market vendors

Related Reports:



Education Consulting Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

Edtech Market by Sector and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

Microlearning Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 13.70% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 1.68 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 12.21 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution North America at 41% Key consumer countries US, China, UK, Canada, and India Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Axonify Inc., Bigtincan Holdings Ltd., BTS Group AB, Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., Epignosis LLC, Gnowbe Group Ltd., International Business Machines Corp., iSpring Solutions Inc., Larsen and Toubro Ltd., and Qstream Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

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TASHKENT, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A gas explosion in a private medical clinic in the eastern Andijan region of Uzbekistan has killed one person and injured four others, the Uzbek Emergency Situations Ministry said Friday.

Earlier in the day, based on preliminary reports, the ministry said that seven people were injured.

The gas explosion occurred on the first floor of the three-story private medical center, "one person died at the scene and four others were taken to the district hospital with various injuries," it said.

Authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into the incident. 
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Water-soluble nutrition is a critical aspect of ongoing health, one that the team at Naikela Botanicals is well aware of. Water-soluble nutrition is simply nutritional vitamins that can dissolve in water and be easily absorbed by the body. This ability for tissue to quickly sponge up these vitamins is critical. Unlike fat-soluble nutrients, the body cannot store water-soluble vitamins, and they typically need to be replenished every couple of hours.

Aaron Moeller, blend master and co-founder of the Hawaiian-based tea powder brand Naikela Botanicals, is very familiar with the importance of this aquiferous form of nutrition. "Water-soluble nutrition isn't appreciated or understood properly," the herbal mixologist says. He goes on to explain that water-soluble nutrition includes key elements, like vitamins C and B, as well as various electrolytes. "These need to be replenished every couple of hours," Moeller says, adding that "Naikela's tea powder blends are uniquely suited to allow you to fill up on those vitamins regularly."

Naikela Botanicals has been a leading name in the tea powder world for years now. The innovative brand has developed a line of delectable tea powders that use various herbal ingredients, like Tulsi and Ashwagandha. These are combined in powder form, added to water, and then consumed, delivering many of their nutritional benefits to the body in lightning-fast water-soluble form.

Along with offering an accessible and enjoyable form of water-soluble nutrition in the first place, Naikela's unique agricultural and production methods have set the gold standard for how consumers should access this critical form of nutrients. Naikela's plants are Certified Naturally Grown. Moeller explains that, "This means our farm is held accountable to other farmers who annually evaluate our property to ensure that our farm practices are natural and sustainable."

Along with being 100% natural, Naikela's ingredients are also GMO-free and grown without pesticides or herbicides. In addition, the products avoid all fillers, preservatives, and other chemical or synthetic ingredients. Even their sweetener comes from naturally grown, powdered stevia leaf.

Once grown, the herbs are hand-picked, artisanally sun-dried, powdered, and mixed in a process that is utterly unique to the Naikela brand. "Those blends are the culmination of 20 years of R&D," Moeller says, adding that over that time he has tinkered with the formulas until he has honed them into the perfect blend of delicious water-soluble nutrition.

While the awareness of water-soluble nutrition is growing, few companies are delivering on the demand for water-soluble vitamins like Naikela. The Aloha-State's line of tea powders offers consumers a way to access clean, effective nutrition  and all while enjoying a steaming cup of tea rather than choking down a fist full of vitamins.

About Naikela Botanicals: Naikela Botanicals is operated by Aaron Moeller. The herbal mixologist sustainably farms at Makanalani, a 131-acre agricultural property and nonprofit youth center on Kauai's North Shore. Learn more about both Naikela and Makanalani at naikela.com .

Media Contact:

Sherry Romoli

(954) 723-8534

[email protected]

SOURCE Naikela Botanicals
DUBLIN, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Irish medical device company, Neuromod Devices Ltd. (Neuromod), has welcomed the findings of an independent study performed at the German Hearing Center (DHZ) at Hannover Medical School, which found that 85% of tinnitus patients experienced a reduction in their tinnitus symptoms (based on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score[i] across 20 patients) when using the Lenire treatment device.

This study showed that six to 12 weeks of treatment using Lenire, a bimodal neuromodulation device developed by Neuromod that provides sound and electrical stimulation of the tongue, can safely achieve clinically meaningful improvements in tinnitus symptom severity in a real-world clinical setting.

The study was led by Drs. Thomas Lenarz, Anke Lesinski-Schiedat, and Andreas Buechner from the Department of Otolaryngology at the Hannover Medical School, Germany.

These results were recently published in the highly ranked scientific journal, Brain Stimulation[ii].

The real-world data are consistent with the outcomes of Neuromod's large-scale clinical trial (TENT-A1), which included 326 participants. The TENT-A1 trial, the results of which were published in October 2020[iii], showed that 86.2% of treatment-compliant participants reported an improvement in their tinnitus symptoms after a 12-week period using Lenire.

The Hannover study involved shorter durations of treatment (6-12 weeks) and observed a mean improvement (reduction) in THI score of 10.4 points, which exceeds the clinically meaningful difference of 7 points. This real-world data from the Hannover study is in line with the TENT-A1 study, which observed similar improvements after 6 weeks of treatment and achieved a total of 14.6 points improvement after a full 12 weeks of treatment. Furthermore, there were no reported treatment-related adverse events.

Commenting on the publication of this new analysis, Dr Ross O'Neill, CEO and Founder of Neuromod said: "Results from real-world studies can turn out to be different from those of clinical trials, for a variety of reasons, so it is really encouraging to see that the study performed by Professor Lenarz's team showed similar levels of efficacy and safety for the Lenire device as in our own large-scale TENT-A1 clinical study, which was published as the cover story in Science Translational Medicine just over a year ago. The Hannover study involved shorter-term use than our studies but we saw similar levels of improvement after 6 weeks of use in the TENT-A1 study. Furthermore, there were no reported treatment-related adverse events with Lenire, confirming the device's safety in a real-world setting. We are committed to contributing to the body of evidence of using bimodal neuromodulation to treat tinnitus and we were encouraged to see Lenire perform well on studies conducted by eminent Otolaryngology clinicians and researchers, such as Professor Thomas Lenarz and his team in Hannover."

Lenire works by delivering mild electrical pulses to the tongue, through an intra-oral component called the 'Tonguetip', combined with sound played through headphones to drive long-term changes or neuroplasticity in the brain to treat tinnitus.

The TENT-A1 clinical trial, which involved 326 participants across Ireland and Germany, demonstrated Lenire's efficacy in improving participant's tinnitus symptoms. 86.2% of treatment-compliant participants reported an improvement in their tinnitus symptoms after a 12-week treatment period[iv]. When followed up 12 months post treatment, 80.1% of treatment-compliant participants had sustained improvements in their tinnitus symptoms.

The TENT-A1 study represents one of the largest and longest followed-up clinical trials ever conducted in the tinnitus field and was the cover story for the scientific journal Science Translational Medicine in October 2020.

Neuromod specialises in non-invasive neuromodulation technologies and has designed and developed Lenire, which has been used to treat tinnitus patients since 2019.

To date Neuromod has raised significant venture equity and debt financing to fund ongoing expansion of the availability of Lenire in Europe and the organisation's FDA submission process in the US. This funding has been led by Fountain Healthcare Partners; an international life science focussed venture capital fund.

For more information please contact:

Robert Magee

Senior Communications Manager,

Neuromod Devices

[email protected] / +353 87 670 6826

Notes to Editor:

About Brain Stimulation*

Brain Stimulation publishes on the entire field of brain stimulation, including non-invasive and invasive techniques and technologies that alter brain function through the use of electrical, magnetic, radio wave, or focally targeted pharmacologic stimulation. Brain Stimulation is ranked 13 out of 208 in Clinical Neurology and 19 out of 273 in Neurosciences; with an impact factor of 8.955) in February 2022. Manuscripts considered suitable for the journal are peer-reviewed and the journal only accepts about 20% of submitted manuscripts.

About Neuromod Devices Ltd

Founded in 2010, Neuromod Devices Ltd. is a medical technology company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Neuromod specialises in the design and development of neuromodulation technologies to address the clinical needs of underserved patient populations who live with chronic and debilitating conditions. The lead application of Neuromod's technology is in the field of tinnitus, where Neuromod has completed extensive clinical trials to confirm the efficacy of its non-invasive neuromodulation platform in this common disorder. Neuromod's tinnitus treatment device, Lenire, is currently available in Ireland and throughout Europe. For more information visit www.neuromoddevices.com.

About Fountain Healthcare Partners

Fountain Healthcare Partners is a life science venture capital fund with offices in Dublin and New York. Founded in 2008, Fountain is Ireland's largest dedicated life science venture capital fund with more than 300 million under management. Fountain invests in entrepreneurs and companies with disruptive technologies or products that have a clear pharmacoeconomic benefit and a defined pathway to commercialisation, value enhancement and exit. Fountain typically leads or co-leads its investments and has sourced private and public deals from start-ups, corporate spin-outs and turnaround situations.

References

[i] Tinnitus Handicap Inventory is a clinical standard for measuring the impact of tinnitus on someone's day-to-day life. Measured on a scale of 100, the higher the score, the greater the impact of tinnitus. Reducing a person's THI score should correspond to improved quality of life by reducing how their tinnitus is affecting them.





[ii] Buechner A, Lesinski-Schiedat A, Becker P, Lenarz T, Real-world clinical experience with bimodal neuromodulation for the treatment of tinnitus - A case series, Brain Stimulation (2022), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2022.01.022.





[iii] Conlon et al., Sci. Transl. Med. 12, eabb2830 (2020)





[iv] As measured by Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score

SOURCE Neuromod Devices
AMSTERDAM, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - NuNet's proposal to create decentralized computing for Cardano staking pool operators is awarded $120,000 through community voting on Cardano's Catalyst 7 fund round with over 198 million worth of ADA votes. With the approval, NuNet was awarded the second highest grant in USD value in Cardano's Catalyst history.

NuNet will utilize the fund to develop a use-case integration of its decentralized computing framework that will let Cardano stake pool operators leverage community-provisioned hardware to run their block-producing nodes. As of now, Cardano's stake pool operators rely heavily on servers controlled by big tech giants , and NuNet's economy of decentralized computing will allow it to decrease that dependency.

Dr. Kabir Veitas, NuNet CEO: "Leveraging NuNet for accessing decentralized hardware for running Cardano nodes and stake pools is an excellent match for communities and ecosystems working towards radical decentralization. NuNet allows to decentralize applications on a hardware level utilizing worlds latent compute resources owned by different community members and connecting many diverse devices into a single framework. Concretely, the Decentralized SPO computing will greatly increase the resilience and true decentralization of the Cardano network on the fundamental level and ensure that the network is decentralized from ground (hardware) up."

The development process has already kickstarted  the team is researching and testing various solutions for covering protocols features of the platform that will enable it. The first step towards operating the block-producing node is already functional running passive Cardano relay nodes on NuNet's Private Alpha . In the meantime, the NuNet team conducted test runs of P2P communication using symmetric NAT connection and also found positive results developing secure shell access for stake pool operators. With the help of Catalyst grant, the Cardano community and technical partnerships with selected SPOs, the NuNet team will proceed with the development of the production usage of these features geared towards Cardano stake pool operators. NuNet made its Jira development board publicly available for everyone to keep the process and progress transparent. The team will also be releasing regular updates on decentralized SPO's progress and overall platform development.

When the platform features are ready, NuNet will invite other Cardano SPOs to run trials on the NuNet testnet followed by the full release of Decentralized Computing on the mainnet later in the year.

About NuNet:

NuNet is a computing framework that provides globally distributed and optimized computing power and storage for decentralized networks, by connecting data owners and computing resources with computational processes in demand of these resources.

SOURCE NuNet
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine being diagnosed with lung cancer and having the tumor surgically removed on the same day, thereby increasing the opportunity for limited follow-up therapy  or even curing the cancer. A team of pulmonary and thoracic experts at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital are the first in the region to combine these two steps, thus saving precious time for patients in addressing the "beast of all cancers," according to Eric D. Anderson, MD, director of Interventional Pulmonology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

"Coupling this early diagnosis with same-day surgery for lung cancer is a win for patients," said Dr. Anderson. "Given the impact of lung cancer  the leading cause of cancer deaths -- this is a major step towards stopping the disease in its tracks, resulting in better outcomes and giving patients an improved chance at life."

In this new approach  Combined Robotic Assisted Thoracic Surgery (CRATS)  high-risk lung cancer patients first undergo a low dose CT scan of the lung to monitor for tumors. If a tumor is detected, the Ion robot bronchoscope is used to biopsy the lung tumor. If the lung tumor is found  through real-time biopsy  to be cancer, then the endobronchial ultrasound is used to determine if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. If the lymph nodes are normal, then the patient undergoes surgery to remove the portion of the lung with the cancerous tumor using the DaVinci robotic video-assisted thoracic surgery system during the same anesthesia procedure. This new process  diagnosing lung cancer and removing the tumor at the same time -- saves valuable time by removing the cancer right when it is detected, thereby limiting the opportunity for spread of disease and allowing for the start of additional therapies sooner if needed. In some instances, this approach can be curative of the cancer.

B-roll of CRATS procedure and interview with Eric Anderson, MD

"Millimeters matter," says Dr. Anderson. "We know that the earlier we find the nodule in the lung and the smaller it is, that has the greatest impact on mortality. If we find the nodule at 1 mm, there is 90% chance of survival. At 2 mm, there is 80%, and at 3 mm 70%. Combine those odds with the potential immediate removal of the tumor, and the Ion robot gives patients a real chance for better outcomes."

Previously this process of diagnosis and treatment could take several weeks -- a critical time when cancer can continue to grow, and patients can experience increased anxiety about their health and prognosis.

"This combined therapy of diagnosis and surgical removal of the tumor at the same time offers new hope for patients with lung cancer," said Dr. Marc Margolis, Chief of Robotic Thoracic Surgery at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, "Removing a cancerous tumor in the lung, when possible, is key to advancing the opportunity for improved outcomes for these patients. The earlier we can remove the cancer, the sooner we can help our patients with any additional therapies they may need to move forward with their life."

Wayne Norris, 67, had the low dose CT lung screen that indicated a tumor. He was immediately scheduled for the combined procedure in the event the tumor was cancer.

"We feel blessed not to have had to wait for biopsy and to schedule surgery. It was a relief to get this all taken care of at one time and get the cancer out," said Norris, whose tumor was diagnosed as cancer and removed immediately.

About the Ion robot

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is the first and only hospital in the region to have the Ion robot -- a "game-changing" tool according to Dr. Anderson, that enables surgeons to reach peripheral nodules in the lung to diagnose lung cancer sooner, thereby increasing the opportunity for earlier diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide for both men and women.

Ion endoluminal is a minimally invasive robotic-assisted system that helps address a challenging aspect of lung biopsy by enabling physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung.

While survival rates for lung cancer have improved over the past decade in part due to early screening, physicians know that improved outcomes are directly linked to early detection. Coupled with regular screening for those at high risk, the Ion system makes possible earlier and more accurate detection of cancer, especially for small nodules.

In addition to giving surgeons real-time guidance for improved accuracy, the Ion robot can navigate through small and tortuous airways to reach nodules in any airway segment within the lung with its flexible biopsy needle that can pass through very tight bends to collect tissue in the peripheral lung. The catheter's 2 mm working channel can also accommodate other biopsy tools, such as biopsy forceps and cytology brushes, if necessary. The system's fiber optic shape sensor technology, developed by Intuitive, is to provide the physician with the precise location and shape information of the catheter throughout the navigation and biopsy process.

About MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

SOURCE Georgetown University Hospital
In its 50th year, THON has raised more than $200 million to fund critical cancer research and provide comprehensive care and support for Four Diamonds families. The theme of THON 2022 was "Spark Endless Light" and saw the annual no sleeping or sitting dance marathon return in-person to the Bryce Jordan Center and virtually. This year, there were over 600 dancers who took a 46-hour stand in the fight against childhood cancer. Recording artists Chelsea Cutler and Bea Miller headlined Friday and Saturday night performances, sponsored by PNC, and LA Rams Super Bowl Champion and Penn State alum Nick Scott also made surprise appearances during THON Weekend 2022.

"Reflecting back over 50 years, we are so proud to see how far THON has come and how college students can impact change when we come together," said Kate Colgan, Executive Director of THON 2022. "What started out as an event organized by 78 Penn State students has grown into over 16,500 student volunteers and $200 million total raised for families facing childhood cancer. As a result of volunteers and supporters, we are now $13,756,374.50 closer to the day we dance in celebration of a cure."

THON was founded by Penn State students in 1973, and over the years has grown into the world's largest student-run philanthropy. Founded by Charles and Irma Millard immediately after their son Christopher died of childhood cancer 50 years ago, Four Diamonds has partnered with THON since 1977. Together, THON and Four Diamonds have supported more than 4,800 families experiencing childhood cancer by covering 100 percent of all medical expenses, provided comprehensive specialty care services at no cost to Four Diamonds patients at Penn State Health Children's Hospital, and provided funding to create a diverse cancer research program through the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine.

"The Four Diamonds and THON community are united in our efforts "For The Kids" and we will not stop fighting until there's a cure for pediatric cancer," said Suzanne Graney, executive director of Four Diamonds. "These past few years have proven just how adaptive and resilient THON and Four Diamonds are. Through our desire to evolve the ways in which we fundraise, we have been able deliver our highest total ever. We understand it takes a special kind of passion and spirit to achieve this level of success, and we are so grateful to THON for what they make possible for our families."

To learn more about THON and where to make donations, please visit www.thon.org .

ABOUT THON

THON is the largest student-run philanthropy committed to enhancing the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer. THON is comprised of over 16,500 Penn State student volunteers who aim to provide emotional and financial support to Four Diamonds families, as well as to spread the mission of THON and childhood cancer. Since its start in 1973, THON has raised over $200 million dollars to support its sole beneficiary, Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children's Hospital.

ABOUT FOUR DIAMONDS

Four Diamonds' mission is to conquer childhood cancer. Since its creation in 1972, Four Diamonds has helped more than 4,800 children and families by covering 100 percent of medical bills and comprehensive specialty care services for every Four Diamonds family. Four Diamonds also supports a robust pediatric cancer research program at Penn State Health Children's Hospital and Penn State College of Medicine, which is dedicated to seeking improved treatments and cures for childhood cancer to benefit every child around the world. For more information, visit FourDiamonds.org .

Media contact:

Dan Pettine

Allen & Gerritsen

[email protected]

484-941-1097

SOURCE THON
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Petland is aware that Mr. Campbell Bee faces charges of Animal Cruelty and the seizure of animals at his Sarcoxie property near Joplin, MO. If the allegations of animal cruelty are true, Petland supports the legal system's prosecution of such.

Petland is appalled by the false narrative promoted by Bailing Out Benji and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) alleging our company's involvement. Petland demands Bailing Out Benji's and HSUS immediately retract their false and defamatory posts identifying Mr. Bee as a Petland breeder.

No Petland store bought any puppies bred by Mr. Bee on the property on Aspen Road in Joplin, MO or bred by Mr. Bee on any other property.

In 2020, Mr. Bee lived in St. Charles, MO and provided transportation for other breeders on a few occasions to several Petland locations. None of these puppies that were transported were bred by Mr. Bee  he only served as transportation.

Bailing Out Benji and HSUS conveniently and irresponsibly redacted the St. Charles address on the documents they posted to further their false narrative. The documents they shared to falsely implicate Petland are Certificates of Veterinary Inspection required when a dog is transported out of state, not breeder documentation.

HSUS continues to perpetuate misinformation to eliminate pet ownership and to further their political agenda to outlaw the sale of regulated pets. Their continued false narratives are appalling.

Petland demands Bailing Out Benji's and HSUS immediately retract their false and defamatory posts.

Contact:

Elizabeth Kunzelman

[email protected]

740-775-2464

SOURCE Petland
NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Volkswagen AG (OTC: VWAGY) between March 29, 2021 and March 30, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important March 15, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Volkswagen securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Volkswagen class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=1493 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than March 15, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the name "Voltswagen" was never going to be used by the Company's U.S. subsidiary; (2) the Company and its spokespeople purposefully misled reporters, even after the reporters' inquiries about whether the name change was an April Fool's joke; and (3) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Volkswagen class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=1493 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Verified Market Research recently published a report, "Rugged Servers Market" By Type (Dedicated, Standard), By Application (Military & Aerospace, Telecommunication, Industrial), and By Geography. According to Verified Market Research, the Global Rugged Servers Market size was valued at USD 451.25 Million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 733.73 Million by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 6.28% from 2021 to 2028.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/download-sample/?rid=217730

Browse in-depth TOC on "Rugged Servers Market"

202 - Pages

126  Tables

37  Figures

Global Rugged Servers Market Overview

Rugged servers are used in a variety of industries, including military, aerospace, marine, and power, to increase factory productivity and meet demanding product quality and safety criteria. Rugged servers are built to withstand harsh environments. In difficult situations, these servers are utilized to send data to client devices. Solid and durable qualities are essential in military applications to provide protection against environmental pollutants. Rugged servers are used in conjunction with portable military command communication systems to allow battlefield clients and command centers to communicate and analyze data.

Rugged servers are well-suited for controlling processes in a variety of manufacturing industries, helping to balance product costs and quality while also ensuring regulatory compliance. Certain processes in process industries, such as food and beverage and pharmaceuticals, must be operated at severe pressures or temperatures. Conventional servers cannot perform successfully in manufacturing processes under such extreme temperatures, and working in these settings would be difficult for humans as well. As a result, some severe rules mandate the use of rugged servers in such situations to ensure the industry's safety and security.

Rugged servers, like any other system, are vulnerable to hacking and virus attacks, which result in the loss and misuse of sensitive data and have a negative impact on industrial processes by disturbing the whole security mechanism. Security has become a serious worry for the processing and manufacturing industries as digitalization has increased. As a result, rising data privacy and security concerns are projected to hamper the market growth over the forecast period.

Key Developments

In September 2020 , The RS4105L22 4U GPU server, the RS1.532L21X2F dual server, and the Crystal Group FORCE RS2606 have all been launched by Crystal Group. These servers are built specifically for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) applications.

, The RS4105L22 4U GPU server, the RS1.532L21X2F dual server, and the Crystal Group FORCE RS2606 have all been launched by Crystal Group. These servers are built specifically for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) applications. In February 2020 , The Dell EMC PowerEdge XE2420 server was launched by Dell Technologies. It is a small, high-performance server with a short depth that's designed for usage in space-constrained and difficult environments.

, The Dell EMC PowerEdge XE2420 server was launched by Dell Technologies. It is a small, high-performance server with a short depth that's designed for usage in space-constrained and difficult environments. In February 2020 , Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Mercury Systems have signed an OEM agreement (HPE). Mercury Systems will create new robust rack mount servers based on HPE's ProLiant server technology as part of this agreement.

Key Players

The major players in the market are Core Systems, Crystal Group, Inc., Mercury Systems, Inc., Systel, Inc., Trenton Systems, Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., CP Technologies LLC, Emet OEM Solutions, Sparton Rugged Electronics, NCS Technologies, Inc.

Verified Market Research has segmented the Global Rugged Servers Market On the basis of Type, Application, and Geography.

Rugged Servers Market, By Type

Dedicated



Standard

Rugged Servers Market, By Application

Military & Aerospace



Telecommunication



Industrial



Others

Rugged Servers Market By Geography

North America



U.S





Canada





Mexico



Europe



Germany





France





U.K





Rest of Europe



Asia Pacific



China





Japan





India





Rest of Asia Pacific



ROW



Middle East & Africa

&



Latin America

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Virtual Private Server Market By Operating System (Windows and Linux), By Organization Scope (Large enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)), By Geography, Forecast, 2020-2027

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Visualize Rugged Servers Market using Verified Market Intelligence:-:

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SOURCE Verified Market Research
ANAHEIM, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SDI Presence, LLC (SDI), the IT consultancy and managed services provider (MSP), announces its acquisition of Scientia Consulting Group, Inc. (SCG), a West Coast IT consultancy. The acquisition is the latest for the growing IT services firm, which has expanded its presence in local government and utilities markets.

"SDI appreciates the value of being present for our clients in delivering highly available and strategic technology solutions for their organizations," states SDI Presence Founder and CEO David A. Gupta. "The SCG team's strong consultative technology expertise and commitment to service excellence adds to SDI's ability to locally deliver advanced technology services to California-based organizations."

For over 16 years, SCG has provided technology expertise to local government and public safety organizations in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. SCG has served as its clients' trusted advisor for public safety projects involving computer aided dispatch software, records management, mobile technologies, video surveillance systems, scheduling and staffing tools, license plate and facial recognition, access control and authentication systems, and disaster recovery and restoration. SCG also carries an in-house software development team with experience in application development including: CAD integration frameworks for 3rd party applications, data warehouse/analytics, Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliant law enforcement message switch systems, medical procedure software, electronic subpoena systems, and electronic pre-hospital care reporting.

"This is an exciting time for SCG, as we join forces with a complimentary firm that shares our values and culture," states SCG CEO Phil Danie. "I look forward to leveraging the increased resources and capabilities of SDI to provide our clients with additional services and solutions in managed services, cloud and cybersecurity."

The SCG business will be integrated into the SDI Presence organization and will shortly operate under the SDI Presence brand name. The SDI Presence brand builds on the firm's strong commitment to being present for its clients, partners, and community - a value that has always been the hallmark of the business. In 2021, SDI secured an infusion of private equity capital with Abry Partners, a Boston, Massachusetts-based private equity firm, to funds its growth.

About SDI (SDI Presence LLC)

SDI Presence LLC is an IT consultancy and managed services provider (MSP) that leverages its strong team presence to advance our clients to a secure digital enterprise. With a 25-year corporate resume, SDI delivers strategic managed services, IT consulting, and hybrid cloud solutions to optimize our clients' technology environments. SDI is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), with a portfolio of clients that includes some of the nation's largest airports, utilities, commercial real estate portfolios, and government agencies. Visit us at sdipresence.com and connect with us on Twitter and Instagram.

For media inquiries, please contact Dawn Nash Pfeiffer at 312.580.7516 or [email protected]

SOURCE SDI Presence LLC
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19 pandemic has put unprecedented stress on emergency nurses and other health care providers, testing their resiliency and taking a toll on their collective mental health and well-being.

On Thursday, with clear bipartisan support, the Senate passed the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act which will earmark much-needed funding to help nurses, physicians and other health care workers overwhelmed by caring for patients during nearly two years of the pandemic's relentlessness.

The bill's provisions include, among other things: establishing grants for training health care professionals on ways to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, substance abuse and other mental health conditions; grant funding for employee education, peer support programming and behavioral health treatment; and creation of a national education and awareness campaign focused on encouraging health care workers to seek support and treatment.

"When you see statistics indicating nurses die by suicide at a considerably higher rate than non-nurses, you quickly realize the critical importance and timing of this legislation," said ENA President Jennifer Schmitz, MSN, EMT-P, CEN, CPEN, CNML, FNP-C, NE-BC. "Our country's mental health crisis has only worsened during the pandemic, and emergency nurses can certainly attest to the stress, fatigue and burnout they've experienced.

"Passage of the Dr. Lorna Breen Act will deliver help to health care workers, ultimately saving lives and preserving their ability to provide the best care possible to patients," Schmitz added.

ENA praised the efforts of Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., for introducing the bill in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively. The House passed the bill in December. During ENA's virtual advocacy event in May 2021, Kaine spoke emotionally to ENA members about sponsoring this important legislation as a way to help health care workers at a time they need it most.

The bill now goes to President Biden to be signed into law.

About the Emergency Nurses Association

The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With more than 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.

ENA Media Contact:

Dan Campana

Director of Communications

847-460-4017

[email protected]

SOURCE Emergency Nurses Association
Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela (C) waves to supporters after delivering a speech in the Labour Party's rally in Floriana, a town near the capital Valletta, Malta, Feb. 20, 2022.

Malta will go to the polls on March 26 after Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a general election on Sunday morning. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

VALLETTA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Malta will go to the polls on March 26 after Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a general election on Sunday morning.

He made the announcement while addressing a party rally in Floriana, a town near the capital Valletta. Abela also announced his Labour Party's election slogan -- "Malta Together. "

This will be the first time that Abela will lead the Labour Party into an election after replacing Joseph Muscat following the political crisis that unfolded at the end of 2019 and which finally led to Muscat's resignation.

The Labour Party is leading in the political surveys by a significant margin with the opposition Nationalist Party failing to make any remarkable inroads, according to some media reports.

The Nationalist Party is led by Bernard Grech who will also face his first general election at the helm of the party. Grech also announced on Sunday the party's election slogan: "With you, for Malta."

Malta uses the single transferable vote system whereby the electorate is split into 13 electoral districts, with candidates contesting every district on the party tickets. The party which gets the highest number of votes for its candidates governs. 

Supporters of Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela are seen in the Labour Party's rally in Floriana, a town near the capital Valletta, Malta, Feb. 20, 2022.

Malta will go to the polls on March 26 after Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a general election on Sunday morning. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Feb. 20, 2022 shows an election poster for Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela in Floriana, a town near the capital Valletta, Malta.

Malta will go to the polls on March 26 after Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a general election on Sunday morning. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

Supporters of Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela are seen in the Labour Party's rally in Floriana, a town near the capital Valletta, Malta, Feb. 20, 2022.

Malta will go to the polls on March 26 after Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a general election on Sunday morning. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela is seen after delivering a speech in the Labour Party's rally in Floriana, a town near the capital Valletta, Malta, Feb. 20, 2022.

Malta will go to the polls on March 26 after Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a general election on Sunday morning. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela gives a speech in the Labour Party's rally in Floriana, a town near the capital Valletta, Malta, Feb. 20, 2022.

Malta will go to the polls on March 26 after Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a general election on Sunday morning. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

Malta's Prime Minister Robert Abela (L) and Malta's Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech (R) attend a debate in Pieta, Malta, on March 23, 2022. Robert Abela and Bernard Grech held a televised debate, also the final debate on Wednesday night before the country goes to the polls for the general election on March 26. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)
NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Clariant AG ("Clariant" or the "Company") (OTCMKTS: CLZNY). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Clariant and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On February 14, 2022, Clariant disclosed that it will delay issuing Q4 2021 and full year 2021 financial results due an ongoing internal investigation into potential accounting fraud. Specifically, Clariant is investigating internal whistleblower complaints that the company has known about since September 2021, pertaining to booking issues aimed at boosting results to meet targets.

On this news, Clariant's American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") price fell $3.11 per ADR, or 14.55%, to close at $18.26 per ADR on February 14, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
In response to questions regarding the declining number of Christians in Europe, Chairman Lee pointed out that today's churches do not provide enough of an explanation about the words of the Bible that closely relate to the daily lives of individuals and communities. He also said that the detailed prophecies of the Bible were written as signs that occur in the future, and that testifying the fulfillment of the prophecies led to an increase in Shincheonji Church membership in Europe.

Chairman Lee also explained that according to the Bible, the number "666" mentioned in chapter 13 of Revelation is not about Covid-19 but a parable about King Solomon, representing a person who betrays God at the time of Revelation. He further said that "the whole book of Revelation is written in parables," which can be understood "when what is prophesied (in parables) is fulfilled in the physical reality."

A church leader attending the press conference asked how Chairman Lee came to understand the specific year, month, day and time in Revelation 9 as the words of prophecy. Chairman Lee replied, "Because I saw it at the site where the event happened. I tell what I came to see and hear."

Samuel Kabo, pastor of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Ales in France, was also amazed by Chairman Lee's ability to provide specific details regarding the fulfillment of Revelation. "I was very impressed that Chairman Lee testified without even looking at the book of Revelation," Pastor Kabo said." And concerning certain events such as the sixth trumpet, again there was a date. How did he know this date with so much precision, with the time?"

An official from Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Europe said, "The Covid-19 pandemic has brought disease, disaster, and hardship all over the world, while also limiting religious activities. Chairman Lee highlights that it is most important to interact with each other beyond religions. We hope that this event will serve as an opportunity to restore Christianity in Europe."

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

SOURCE Shincheonji Church of Jesus
TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamwork Commerce, a retail management software developer, and Google Cloud have combined their services to enable retailers to provide products seamlessly and more efficiently to their customers.

To help retailers face the new challenges of post-pandemic times, Teamwork partnered with Google Cloud to launch a powerful backend, which was once reserved for enterprise clients only, to all clients on the new Teamwork POS Pro platform.

Google Cloud's Partnership Advantage

Together, Teamwork Commerce and Google Cloud will help retailers solve their most challenging issues such as capturing omnichannel revenue growth, driving operational efficiencies, and becoming a customer-centric, data-driven retailer.

Teamwork utilizes Google BigQuery, Cloud Composer and Looker to provide its clients with instant responses to any analytical query and bring power of data-driven decisions to all aspects of business operations. In addition to that, clients can utilize ML models (with BigQuery ML and Vertex AI) to solve demand forecasting problems connected to replenishment, assortment planning, product allocation and other.

Teamwork moved to Google's Kubernetes Engine to assist with an increase of eCommerce users around the holidays. Kubernetes has allowed Teamwork retailers to not overload the system when thousands of people want to perform tasks like checking the balance of their gift card or placing an order.

Compliance is becoming more and more crucial in different regions. Teamwork Commerce's global cloud headquarters (CHQ), runs on Google Cloud, allowing retailers that operate or sell in different countries to better follow compliance in any fiscal region they may be operating in.

About Teamwork Commerce

Teamwork Commerce is a leading Omnichannel Solution, providing retailers with Point-of Sale, Order Management, Inventory Control, CRM, and Analytics. They also boast an ecosystem of integrations with top solutions making unified commerce a seamless activity. Teamwork works closely with its partners to ensure it utilizes cutting-edge technology to meet the needs of the ever-changing retail landscape. Top retailers in over 20 countries globally use Teamwork Commerce to take the friction out of retail, providing their customers with the best possible experience. To learn more, visit us at www.teamworkcommerce.com .

SOURCE Teamwork Commerce
DUBLIN, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Managed Services Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global managed services market was valued at USD 161.37 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach USD 311.32 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 12.44% during the period of 2022-2027 (henceforth, referred to as the forecast period).

SMBs are expected to be the driving factors that are positively impacting the market growth, as more and more SMBs are looking to outsource non-core activities. According to Datto, on average, MSPs report a client base of 122 clients, and about 60% of the MSP's clients have between 1-150 employees; also, only 5% of the MSPs reported clients with over 500 employees.

Key Highlights

Managed services offer various benefits that are proven to positively impact the development of the organization that adopts such services as they can focus on their core expertise. It is estimated that successful deployment of managed services will help in reducing IT cost by 25-45% and will also increase the operational efficiency by 45-65%. Also, 25% of organizations said downtime costs averaged between USD 301,000 and USD 400,000 per hour (source: Intelligent Technical Solutions).

and per hour (source: Intelligent Technical Solutions). Moreover, the year 2022 will be all about application deployments matched to the speed of development. The application maintenance and support services will be pivotal to the managed services in IT. Application performance monitoring (APM), for instance, will imbibe a quick feedback mechanism for developers. Front-end monitoring (for studying user behavior), ADTD (for application discovery, tracing, and diagnostics), and AIOps analytics (for detecting application lifecycle patterns and anomalies) will all be parts of APM. These solutions will help the DevOps team to analyze business problems better. It will cut down on their mean time to repair (MTTR).

With industry requirements, standards, and consumer needs changing by the day, businesses are now seeking result-based outcomes. They require possession of pre-defined or expected criteria documented clearly, in real-time. The MSP will now be seen using advanced analytics and reporting to state the impact of technologies implemented and present factual data.

Further, the Blockchain and IoT technologies are set to create better opportunities for the managed services providers, as these organizations require expertise to implement these technologies. To get a hold of these opportunities and stay relevant and keep up with the competition, the managed services providers are increasingly acquiring essential skillsets for these, among other innovative technologies, like AR, VR, and AI.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the demand for cloud-based solutions has seen significant growth owing to remote working models being adopted by enterprises. As more IT decision-makers look to take advantage of modern cloud environments, they're increasingly running into longer project runways and the need for bigger budgets. In fact, nearly half (48%) of the United States and the United Kingdom IT decision-makers say the average length of time it takes them to complete a single multi-cloud application migration successfully is 1-2 months (source: Wanclouds).

Key Market Trends

Manufacturing is Expected to Hold a Significant Market Share

In the current technology-driven business environment, big data stands as one of the primary drivers of productivity and efficiency for manufacturers. With the high rate of adoption of sensors and connected devices and the enabling of M2M communication, there has been a massive increase in the data points that are generated in the manufacturing industry.

Industries are pitching hard and fast to switch to a "smart industry," where data generation and visualization can become real-time. From descriptive to predictive, the evolution of analytics has made the industry aware of the benefits that it can reap from this volume of data. The motto of the manufacturing industry is moving toward a metrics-based industry, which can improve decision-making based on the data-driven use of statistics.

With the concept of Industry 4.0 influencing production establishments in the manufacturing industry, the amount of data produced from the manufacturing industry has snowballed, as they have been able to create data from each process point, varying from temperature, pressure, humidity, stress, strain, and quality, among multiple others.

There are several applications in the field of semiconductors, consumer electronics, and the automotive industry, where manufacturers have to monitor numerous variables to ensure the quality of end products, wherein big data analytics has emerged as an effective solution to the traditional methods.

As most of the small and medium manufacturing industries are more concentrated on hardware equipment and lack expertise in software solutions, they are outsourcing these big data analytic solutions.

Outsourcing the software services is further reducing their expenditure. This trend of outsourcing other software services, such as field service management and ERP, would boost managed services during the forecast period.

Asia Pacific is Expected to be the Fastest Growing Market

The digital transformation has become a top priority in the country and moving at a rapid pace, as a greater number of companies are implementing formal strategies to support their efforts. In January 2021 , China's State Council released a proposal to help the digital economy flourish throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). According to the plan, China's digital transformation of industries will reach a new level by 2025, while digital public services will become more inclusive, and the digital economy governance structure will visibly improve.

, State Council released a proposal to help the digital economy flourish throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). According to the plan, digital transformation of industries will reach a new level by 2025, while digital public services will become more inclusive, and the digital economy governance structure will visibly improve. The managed service providers in China are focusing on reducing security risks and optimizing operations for the end-users by keeping up with the latest technologies. The managed services market is majorly offered by the telecommunication companies in the country. Also, these companies are strategically acquiring companies offering managed services to gain more market share.

are focusing on reducing security risks and optimizing operations for the end-users by keeping up with the latest technologies. The managed services market is majorly offered by the telecommunication companies in the country. Also, these companies are strategically acquiring companies offering managed services to gain more market share. Further, the banking sector in India is experiencing a colossal change due to the rapid evolution of technology in their vertical, which led to the adoption of cloud computing services by these organizations for addressing their issues. Further, the managed storage providers in the country are investing in developing an integrated cloud storage platform dedicated to the BFSI sector.

is experiencing a colossal change due to the rapid evolution of technology in their vertical, which led to the adoption of cloud computing services by these organizations for addressing their issues. Further, the managed storage providers in the country are investing in developing an integrated cloud storage platform dedicated to the BFSI sector. Moreover, the ongoing extensive investments by the Indian government toward physical infrastructures, like smart cities, are expected to create more opportunities for the deployment of managed services, like data storage, security, and network management, in the country. Currently, the Indian smart cities program is focused on transforming 100 cities.

In January 2022 , KPMG India and Qualys have announced a partnership to add Qualys solutions to KPMG's Managed Security service. KPMG's industry-leading and globally recognized cybersecurity services in India will be combined with Qualys' world-class cybersecurity innovations to enable enterprises to protect their network, applications, endpoints, and cloud workloads from security vulnerabilities, provide visibility, and ensure compliance.

, KPMG India and Qualys have announced a partnership to add Qualys solutions to KPMG's Managed Security service. KPMG's industry-leading and globally recognized cybersecurity services in will be combined with Qualys' world-class cybersecurity innovations to enable enterprises to protect their network, applications, endpoints, and cloud workloads from security vulnerabilities, provide visibility, and ensure compliance. Whereas, with the service industry taking up the largest portion of its GDP, Japan has much to share in the area of managing the service industry. Japan has always been a market-oriented economy and represents the second most developed economy in the world. Currently, the country is focusing on the manufacturing sectors, including the production of hybrid vehicles, robotics, and optical instruments.

Competitive Landscape

The Managed Services Market is consolidated, as major players dominate it. Some of the major players in the market are:

Fujitsu Ltd

Cisco Systems Inc.

IBM Corporation

AT&T Inc.

HP Development Company LP

Microsoft Corporation

Verizon Communications Inc.

Dell Technologies Inc.

Nokia Solutions and Networks

Deutsche Telekom AG

Rackspace Inc.

Tata Consultancy Services Limited

Citrix Systems Inc.

Wipro Ltd

NSC Global Ltd

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d0tut5

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Military GNSS Anti-Jamming Systems" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

With the increase of GNSS-dependent military platforms, there is an increase in jamming and interference devices to counter the efficiency of such platforms. There is rapid development in jammers and that forces countries especially those with electronic warfare to either modify and modernize existing GNSS systems or develop new ones to tackle growing jamming issues.



This report provides the transforming industry of GNSS anti-jamming solutions for military applications. The report reveals the strategies behind new technology reforms of anti-jam antennas and receivers and provides market opportunities hidden in the latest technology developments.



The report discusses technology adoption patterns for new anti-jamming technologies in various military organizations across the world. The report throws light on how various countries are preparing themselves for the new norms in electronic warfare and issues of jamming electronic munitions, aircraft, and battleships.



Global Military Ant-jamming markets are starting fresh. Many platforms using conventional anti-jamming methods and algorithms will need to replace their old technologies. The change has begun and it will see an acceleration from 2024. Before that many platforms will run tests and pilot projects. Those who have already started with the tests will rule the new electronic warfare authority.



In the U.S. and Europe, emphasis is more on the precision of PNT data by developing Assured PNT solutions is a growing field of technical and operation strategy. The US is stronger on developing APNT solutions and will be supplying the technology to European allies for laboratory and field testing from 2021. Anticipating the growing tensions in the South China Sea, the U.S. is preparing a new set of satellites, ground segment and anti-jamming, APNT solutions for ground, air, and seaborne platforms. The new solutions with anti-jamming and precision PNT capacities will be integrated into over 700 platforms



The report offers a detailed analysis of the global military GNSS anti-jamming market over the next eight years, and provides market size forecasts. Furthermore, it covers key technological and market trends in the industry and analyzes factors influencing demand for Military GNSS Anti-jamming systems.



The report finds that global GNSS anti-jamming markets will reach US$7.55 billion through 2029 from US$2.00 billion in 2021. The major growth of the market is anticipated from 2026 when the majority of deployments of new GNSS anti-jamming technology developments will take place in GPS Operational Control System (OCX), Assured PNT and M-code enabled antenna and receivers. You can learn more about these developments inside the report.



In particular, it provides an in-depth analysis of the following:

Overview: Snapshot of the Military GNSS Anti-jamming market during 2021 - 2029, including highlights of the demand drivers, trends, and challenges. It also provides a snapshot of the spending concerning regions as well as by application, types, and platforms. It sheds light on the emergence of new platforms like APNT devices CRPA s and M-code enabled receivers

Market Dynamics: Insights into the technological developments in the space programs and anti-jam antennas and receivers and a detailed analysis of the changing war preferences of defense agencies around the world. It also analyzes changing industry structure trends and the challenges faced by the industry participants

Segment Analysis: Insights into the Military GNSS Anti-jamming market from a segmental perspective and a detailed analysis of factors influencing the market for each segment

Regional Review: Insights into present Military GNSS Anti-jamming market strength and future demand for top countries within a region

Regional Analysis: Insights into the Military GNSS Anti-jamming market from a regional perspective and a detailed analysis of factors influencing the market for each region

Trend Analysis - Key Defense Market: Analysis of the key markets in each region, providing an analysis of the Military GNSS Anti-jamming market platforms expected to be in demand in each region

Key Program Analysis: Details of the top programs in the Military GNSS Anti-jamming market are expected to be executed during the forecast period

Competitive landscape analysis: Analysis of competitive landscape of the global Military GNSS Anti-jamming market industry. It provides an overview of key defense companies, together with insights such as key alliances, strategic initiatives, and a brief financial analysis

Reasons to buy:

Determine prospective investment areas based on a detailed trend analysis of the Military GNSS Anti-jamming market over the next eight years

Gain an in-depth understanding of the underlying factors driving demand for different Military GNSS Anti-jamming platforms in the top spending countries and other potential non-U.S. markets across the world and identify the opportunities offered by each of them

Strengthen your understanding of the market in terms of demand drivers, industry trends, and the latest technological developments, among others

Identify the major channels that are driving the global Military GNSS Anti-jamming market, providing a clear picture of future opportunities that can be tapped, resulting in revenue expansion.

Channelize resources by focusing on the ongoing programs that are being undertaken by the defence ministries of different countries within the global Military GNSS Anti-jamming market.

Make correct business decisions based on thorough analysis of the total competitive landscape of the sector with detailed profiles of the Military GNSS Anti-jamming systems providers around the world which include information about their products, alliances, recent contract wins and financial analysis wherever available

Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Executive Summary



3 Current Technologies for Military GNSS Anti-Jamming Systems

3.1 Overview

3.2 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)

3.3 GNSS Anti-jamming System

3.4 M-code Signals

3.5 GNSS Anti-jamming Antenna Technology

3.5.1 Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna (CRPA)

3.5.2 Assured PNT Devices

3.5.3 Immune Satellite Navigation System (iSNS)

3.5.4 Anti-Jamming GNSS System for Unmanned vehicles

3.6 Anti-jam Receivers

3.6.1 BAE MicroGRAM-M GPS receiver

3.6.2 M-code enabled Receiver Cards

3.6.3 Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR)



4 Current Market Overview Military GNSS Anti-Jamming Systems

4.1 Overview

4.2 Approaches to Military GNSS Anti-Jamming

4.3 Leading Anti-jam Receivers

4.4 Leading Anti-jam Antenna

4.5 Airborne Anti-jamming Systems Contracts

4.6 Ground-based Anti-jamming Systems Contracts



5 Market Analysis and Forecast Factors

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Segmentation

5.2.1 Market segmentation by Regions

5.2.2 Market segmentation by system-element

5.2.3 Market segmentation by end-use

5.3 Forecast factors

5.3.1 Drivers

5.3.2 Inhibitors

5.3.3 Opportunities

5.3.4 Challenges



6 Country Analysis

6.1 Overview

6.2 Military Grade GNSS Anti-jam Development in the U.S.

6.2.1 GPS Modernization

6.2.2 Next-Generation Operational Control System (OCX)

6.2.3 The US Air Force Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) programs

6.3 GNSS Developments in Russia

6.4 GNSS Developments in Europe

6.5 GNSS Developments in China

6.6 GNSS Developments in Japan

6.7 GNSS Developments in India



7 Forecast Military GNSS Anti-Jamming Systems Market to 2029 by Region



8 Forecast Military GNSS Anti-Jamming Systems Market to 2029 by Technology



9 Forecast Military GNSS Anti-Jamming Systems Market to 2029 by System Element

10 Forecast Military GNSS Anti-Jamming Systems Market to 2029 by End-Use



11 Opportunity Analysis

11.1 End to End Assured PNT devices

11.2 M-code approved anti-jamming systems

11.3 Miniature and Lightweight Designs



12 Events based forecast to 2029 for the Military GNSS Anti-Jamming Systems

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Events forecast factors

12.3 Global Market

12.4 Forecast by Technology

12.5 Forecast by Systems Element

12.6 Forecast by End-Use

12.6.1 Global Anti-jamming Satellite Technology Market by End-Use



13 Leading Companies in the Military GNSS Anti-Jamming Systems Market

13.1 Antcom

13.1.1 Products and Services

13.1.2 GNSS Anti-jamming Products and Services

13.1.3 Recent contract wins

13.1.4 Recent Projects completed

13.1.5 Strategic Alliances

13.1.6 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.2 BAE Systems

13.2.1 Products & Services

13.2.2 Segment Revenue

13.2.3 Financial info (revenues, profit last 5 years)

13.2.4 GNSS Anti-jamming Products & Services

13.2.5 Recent contract wins

13.2.6 Recent Projects completed

13.2.7 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.3 Chelton Limited

13.3.1 Products & Services

13.3.2 GNSS Anti-jamming Products & Services

13.3.3 Recent contract wins

13.3.4 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.4 Collins Aerospace

13.4.1 Products & Services

13.4.2 Financial info (revenues, profit last 5 years)

13.4.3 GNSS Anti-jamming Products & Services

13.4.4 Recent contract wins

13.5 Elbit Systems

13.5.1 Products & Services

13.5.2 Segment Revenue

13.5.3 Financial info (revenues, profit last 5 years)

13.5.4 GNSS Anti-jamming Products & Services

13.5.5 Recent contract wins

13.5.6 Strategic Alliances

13.5.7 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.6 General Dynamics

13.6.1 Products & Services

13.6.2 Segment Revenue

13.6.3 Financial info (revenues, profit last 5 years)

13.6.4 GNSS Anti-jamming Products & Services

13.6.5 Recent contract wins

13.6.6 Strategic Alliances

13.6.7 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.7 Hertz Systems Ltd Sp. z o. o.

13.7.1 Products & Services

13.7.2 GNSS Anti-jamming Products and Services

13.7.3 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.8 Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)

13.8.1 Products & Services

13.8.2 GNSS Anti-jamming Products & Services

13.8.3 Recent contract wins

13.8.4 Strategic Alliances

13.8.5 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.9 Lockheed Martin

13.9.1 Products & Services

13.9.2 Segment Revenue

13.9.3 Financial info (revenues, profit last 5 years)

13.9.4 GNSS Anti-jamming Products & Services

13.9.5 Recent contract wins

13.9.6 Strategic Alliances

13.9.7 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.10 Mayflower Communications Company Inc.

13.10.1 Products and Services

13.10.2 GNSS Anti-jamming Products and Services

13.10.3 Recent contract wins

13.10.4 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.11 NovAtel Inc. (Hexagon)

13.11.1 Products and Services

13.11.2 Segment Revenue

13.11.3 Financial info (revenues, profit last 5 years)

13.11.4 GNSS Anti-jamming Products and Services

13.11.5 Recent contract wins

13.11.6 Recent Projects completed

13.11.7 Strategic Alliances

13.11.8 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.12 Orolia

13.12.1 Products and Services

13.12.2 GNSS Anti-jamming Products and Services

13.13 Raytheon

13.13.1 Products & Services

13.13.2 Segment Revenue

13.13.3 Financial info (revenues, profit last 5 years)

13.13.4 GNSS Anti-jamming Products & Services

13.13.5 Recent contract wins

13.13.6 Strategic Alliances

13.13.7 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.14 Thales

13.14.1 Products & Services

13.14.2 Segment Revenue

13.14.3 Financial info (revenues, profit last 5 years)

13.14.4 GNSS Anti-jamming Products & Services

13.14.5 Recent contract wins

13.14.6 Strategic Alliances

13.14.7 SWOT ANALYSIS

13.15 TUALCOM

13.15.1 Products and Services

13.15.2 GNSS Anti-jamming Products and Services



14 Conclusions and recommendations



15 About the Publisher

16 Appendices

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lxiuwm

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

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U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
HOLLAND, Mich., Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tiara Yachts , a family-owned manufacturer of American-made luxury watercrafts, announced today it has earned the 2021 Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Award from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) for outstanding customer satisfaction in multiple product segments.

Winners were announced at the Miami International Boat Show during the Innovation Breakfast hosted by the NMMA. Tiara Yachts was recognized in the following categories and segments:

Outboard Boats, Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Inboard Boats, Express Cruisers

"We love hearing that our new and returning customers have had great experiences with Tiara, and we have our manufacturing and customer service teams to thank for that," said Tom Slikkers, CEO and President of Tiara Yachts. "As we look ahead into 2022 and see boating emerge as a top outdoor activity, we will continue to offer the best luxury yachts to our customers. The demand for boating is growing and we are prepared to meet it."

The Marine Industry CSI Awards honor boat and engine manufacturers who have achieved the highest level of customer contentment, as voted on by customers. Scores are calculated by surveying those who purchased a new boat or engine within the calendar year. Manufacturers must reach an independently assessed standard of excellence in customer satisfaction of 90 percent or higher over the previous year to be eligible for the award.

The past year has seen an increased demand for boating, with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reporting it was the largest conventional activity in the nation with $30.8 billion in current-dollar value added.

For more information about Tiara Yachts, visit tiarayachts.com.

About Tiara Yachts

Tiara Yachts, headquartered in Holland, Michigan, is one of the oldest privately held boat manufacturers in the United States. The Tiara Yachts model line includes inboard vessels from 39 to 53 feet in the Open and Coupe lines. Outboard powered Tiara Yachts models range from 34 to 48 feet in three distinct Series: Luxury Sport (LS), Luxury Crossover (LX), and Luxury Express (LE). For more information, please visit tiarayachts.com .

Media Contact:

Lauren MacGregor

Lambert & Co.

[email protected]

989-944-5626

SOURCE Tiara Yachts
PHOENIX, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Unity Rd., the first true vertically integrated cannabis dispensary franchise from Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTCQX: INLB), continues to establish itself as a rising trailblazer in franchising. The first brand of its kind to become an International Franchise Association (IFA) member, Chief Franchise Officer Mike Weinberger will be presenting on Sunday, February 27 at 10:30 a.m. PST in the 'Education Track' of the organization's annual convention.

Weinberger's presentation, "Cannabis and Franchising: The Perfect Match," will share insight on how franchising has made its way into cannabis, providing attendees with an inside look at the roadmap to franchising this type of concept, the value it brings to franchising and future industry growth.

"The franchise business model has proven itself to help current and future entrepreneurs succeed across various industries, but there has been little to no true presence from the cannabis industry in franchising until recently," said Weinberger, who has 20 years of franchising experience. "Sharing thought leadership and industry trends in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry at the IFA Convention is an important step in educating industry leaders and acknowledges society's increasing acceptance of cannabis enterprises."

The brand's Vice President of Communications, Jayne Levy, is also facilitating a Thought Leadership Roundtable session on the topic "Building Your Brand: For the Start-Up Franchisor."

The IFA's Annual Convention is regarded as the most prestigious event for the franchise community and geared toward new and existing franchisors, franchisees and suppliers. The conference provides them with the latest news in the industry and helps build a community with others to match unique learning styles for potential growth and to maximize business development. In addition to Unity Rd., attendees will have the opportunity to hear from other franchise leaders such as Marco's Pizza and Unleashed Brands.

"Cannabis is a 25-plus billion dollar a year industry that is still in its infancy," added Levy. "IFA's Annual Convention is the perfect opportunity for us to share the economic value of franchising brings and why now is the right time to get involved in the rapidly growing space. The franchise model is the solution to keeping dispensary ownership local and Unity Rd. is the one leading the charge."

Unity Rd. is the first to truly franchise cannabis dispensaries on a national scale in the U.S. Launched in 2018, the cannabis franchise has franchised shops in operation in Boulder, Colorado and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and multiple agreements signed with nearly 20 entrepreneurial groups who are in various stages of development nationwide.

The complexities of operating a cannabis business make it difficult for small, independent dispensaries to understand and stay on top of all the varying regulations and everyday challenges of managing and operating a compliant and successful dispensary. The Unity Rd. franchise opportunity provides a solution for industry newcomers and small, locally owned and operated dispensaries to compliantly thrive, thanks to the robust backing and support of a national franchise.

The dispensary franchise is actively seeking qualified partners who would benefit from the systems, processes and ongoing support the franchise offers. To learn more about the Unity Rd. franchise opportunity, contact [email protected], call 720-923-5262 or visit unityrd.com.

ABOUT UNITY RD.

Unity Rd. is bridging the two previously disconnected worlds of cannabis and franchising. The industry trailblazer is the first to bring the cannabis dispensary franchise model to the United Stateswith duality of prowess in both industries to back it up. Built up from a collective 200 years in the legal cannabis industry and franchising, the company helps eager operators enter the complex industry with ease. The marijuana franchise pioneer offers its partners the knowledge, resources, and ongoing support needed to compliantly and successfully operate a dispensary. Launched in 2018, Unity Rd. has signed multiple agreements with nearly 20 entrepreneurial groups across the country. Recently, it was named one of the top cannabis retail leaders in the nation by MJBizDaily magazine and one of the "Best Cannabis Companies to Work For" in both the dispensary and cultivation categories in Cannabis Business Times' elite 2020 list. The company is also the first cannabis business to earn a Franchise Times Dealmakers award. For more information, visit unityrd.com.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE ASSOCIATION

Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 775,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.2 million direct jobs, $787.7 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.

MEDIA CONTACT : Anna Pool, Fishman PR, [email protected], 847.945.1300

SOURCE Unity Rd.
HOUSTON, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Houston Law Center and Georgetown University Law Center, in collaboration with Free Press' Media 2070 project, will explore historic and contemporary racial discrimination in all modalities of modern media. The virtual colloquium will run from February 25 to February 26 and both days will begin at 10:30 a.m. EST.

The Media 2070 project, launched by the media and tech advocacy organization Free Press, is calling for media to repair the harm caused to the Black community by media institutions and government policies. As part of this effort, Media 2070, and more than 100 allied organizations and leaders, joined 25 members of Congress last year in calling for the FCC to conduct an equity audit of its historical and present-day policies and their impact on the media landscape.

Inspired by the Media 2070 project, UH Law and Georgetown Law, along with Free Press, decided to convene this virtual colloquium on race and racism in American media.

UH Law Center Dean Leonard M. Baynes said, "I am delighted that UH Law is collaborating in holding this important conference along with Georgetown Law and Free Press. The goal of the conference is to examine issues of underrepresentation of people of color in the media in ownership and employment historically leading to suboptimal programming, representations, and coverage. By bringing together such impressive and knowledgeable scholars, government officials, policy makers, activists, and business owners, we hope to chart a path forward to remedy this lack of representation and its negative consequences."

"It is incumbent upon us as leaders to help and guide the community to address our own unconscious biases that impact how we learn and interact with each other," said William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of Georgetown University Law Center. "I, along with my colleagues, are looking forward to participating in this virtual conference and tackling issues of racial injustice and the causes at the root of racial inequities within our society."

"We are so grateful to the University of Houston Law Center and Georgetown Law for their partnership in convening this critical discussion. The conference is an important opportunity to address how government policies exclude the Black community  and other communities of color  from controlling our nation's communications infrastructure. This exclusion has resulted in the creation and distribution of anti-Black narratives that continue to undermine our country from fully realizing a racial justice society and democracy," said Joseph Torres, Senior Director of Strategy and Engagement Free Press/Media 2070.

Panelists will cover topics including the history of racism in American media; assessment of historic efforts by (and failures of) the FCC, Congress, state regulators, and others to address racism; the role of the First Amendment's Speech Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause as legal frameworks; legal and policy approaches to address racial injustices, including corporate activism; and how reparations may fit into a remedial approach.

Speakers include:

Leonard M. Baynes , Dean and Professor of Law University of Houston Law Center

, Dean and Professor of Law Law Center William M. Treanor , Executive Vice President and Dean of Georgetown University Law Center; Paul Regis Dean Leadership Chair; Professor of Law

, Executive Vice President and Dean of Law Center; Paul Regis Dean Leadership Chair; Professor of Law Honorable Shelia Jackson Lee , U.S. Member of Congress for 18th District of Texas

, U.S. Member of Congress for 18th District of Howard Shelanski , Professor of Law Georgetown University Law Center

, Professor of Law Law Center Paul Starr , Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, and Stuart Professor of Communications and Public Affairs, Princeton University

, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, and Stuart Professor of Communications and Public Affairs, Cathy Hughes , Founder and Chairperson of Urban One

, Founder and Chairperson of Urban One Joseph Torres , Senior Director of Strategy and Engagement Free Press/Media 2070

, Senior Director of Strategy and Engagement Free Press/Media 2070 Robin A. Lenhardt , Professor of Law Georgetown University Law Center

, Professor of Law Law Center Anthony E. Varona , Dean Emeritus and M. Minnette Massey Professor of Law, University of Miami School of Law

, Dean Emeritus and M. Minnette Massey Professor of Law, School of Law Anupam Chander , Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Technology, Georgetown University Law Center

, Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Technology, Law Center Mignon Clyburn , Former Commissioner Federal Communications Commission

, Former Commissioner Federal Communications Commission Catherine J. Sandoval , Associate Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law

, Associate Professor of Law, School of Law Safiya U. Noble , Associate Professor of Gender Studies and African American Studies University of California, Los Angeles , Co-Founder and Co-Director of theUCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2).

, Associate Professor of Gender Studies and African American Studies , Co-Founder and Co-Director of theUCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2). Malkia Devich Cyril , founding and former executive director of MediaJustice

Click here to register for the event.

University of Houston Law Center media contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Assistant Dean of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected]; Elena Hawthorne, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-1125, [email protected].

Georgetown University Law Center media contact: Deborah Gales, Georgetown Law Assistant Director, Office of Event Management, 202-662-9003, [email protected].

About the University of Houston Law Center

The University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) is a dynamic, top tier law school located in the nation's 4th largest city. UHLC's Health Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Part-time programs rank in the U.S. News Top 10. It awards Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, through its academic branch, the College of Law. The Law Center is more than just a law school. It is a powerful hub of intellectual activity with more than 15 centers and institutes which fuel its educational mission and national reputation. UHLC is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 47,000 students.

About Georgetown University Law Center

Georgetown University Law Center is a global leader in legal education based in the heart of the U.S. capital. As the nation's largest law school, Georgetown Law offers students an unmatched breadth and depth of academic opportunities taught by a world-class faculty of celebrated theorists and leading legal practitioners. Second to none in experiential education, the Law Center's numerous clinics are deeply woven into the Washington, D.C., landscape. Close to 20 centers and institutes forge cutting-edge research and policy resources across fields including health, the environment, human rights, technology, national security and international economics. Georgetown Law equips students to succeed in a rapidly evolving legal environment and to make a profound difference in the world, guided by the school's motto, "Law is but the means, justice is the end."

SOURCE University of Houston Law Center
UrbanLink Media intends to open the NFT Mint at 12:00 PM Mountain Standard time Tweet this

Shane Hall of UrbanLink Media explains, "I cannot think of a better way to advocate for children suffering as a result of poverty than through leveraging the cryptocurrency community. This event will also allow us to increase awareness and education surrounding NFT's while giving back at the same time."

The charity event will take place on February 26th, 2022. UrbanLink Media intends to open the NFT Mint at 12:00 PM Mountain Standard time and will be available for bid on OpenSea.io at that time.

For more information on this project, its whitelist, and how you can support this cause, please visit:

Youth Gifts NFT Event

www.urbanlinkmedia.com

About UrbanLink Media:

UrbanLink Media is a digital marketing agency focused on driving consumer behavior through industry-leading campaign design and execution. Through marketing, branding, and strategy, UrbanLink Media supports brands grow their businesses in multiple verticals including e-commerce brands, music, NFT projects, and biotech.

 Howcroft, NFT Sales hit $25 billion in 2021, but growth shows signs of slowing, 2022

 Childfund.org, Child Poverty in America, 2022

 Smith, Economic status may be a warning sign for youth suicide

SOURCE UrbanLink Media
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market research report on "Global Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market By Services (Storage, Packaging, and Transportation), By Packaging Methods (Dry Ice, Liquid Nitrogen, Gel Packs), Industry Competition Analysis, COVID-19 Impact Analysis, Revenue (US$ Billions) and Forecast Till 2028."

According to the latest market research report the global vaccine cold chain logistics market size was valued at US$ 3.12 Billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach US$ 4.59 Billion in 2028, recording a promising CAGR of 5.2% from 2022 to 2028.

Request Sample Report: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1127

Well-defined cold chain infrastructure and established vaccine supply networks are essential to maintain the potency of vaccines/drugs. In the healthcare industry, cold supply chain logistics is one of the important parts of temperature-controlled shipping and storage of pharmaceutical products such as vaccines, and it can maintain the quality and safety of vaccines. Recent technological advancements aid in the innovation and development of vaccine cold chain logistics services.

The growth of the Vaccine cold chain logistics market can be credited to various factors, such as the surging demand for mRNA based Vaccine, increasing need for efficacious cold chain logistics services to maintain the quality of products, high demand for infectious diseases vaccines, growing awareness among people about health & wellness, advancements in the packaging and transportation technologies, rising healthcare expenditure, and increasing R&D investments to develop vaccine storage facilities. The COVID-19 outbreak has significantly increased the demand for vaccine storage services, and hence, the pharmaceutical companies invested their efforts in developing cold chain logistics. Therefore, the rising R&D initiatives will likely offer new growth opportunities for the vaccine cold chain logistics market in the next few years. However, the high operational costs and the lack of standardized protocols for maintaining cold chain transportation are expected to hinder the market expansion during the forecast years.

Get the Detailed TOC: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/global-vaccine-cold-chain-logistics-market/1127

The prominent players in the Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics industry include:

Cryoport (U.S.), DHL Express (Germany), GAC (Dubai), Lynden International Logistics (Canada), PAREXEL (U.S.), United Parcel Service (UPS Healthcare U.S.), DB Schenker (Germany), Yusen Logistics (U.S.), DB Schenker, CEVA Logistics, Q1 Scientific, Marken Ltd., AmeriCold Logistics LLC, FedEx Corporation, Yamato Logistics, and Other Prominent Players.

The increasing investments by players in vaccine development programs, expanding pharmaceutical sector, developing cold supply chain services, and the rising government efforts to establish COVID-19 vaccines will offer promising growth opportunities for the market players operating in the vaccine cold supply chain logistics market.

Key Industry Developments from Leading Players:

In Octo 2021, Marken, the clinical trial logistics operation with UPS Healthcare (U.S.), expanded its global network to support rising demand for its clinical drug supply chain services, specifically for cell & gene clinical trials.

Marken, the clinical trial logistics operation with UPS Healthcare (U.S.), expanded its global network to support rising demand for its clinical drug supply chain services, specifically for cell & gene clinical trials. In Jul 2021 , PAREXEL (U.S.), a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, merged with EQT IX fund and private business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management for US$8.5 billion based on the company's strong growth trajectory.

PAREXEL (U.S.), a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, merged with EQT IX fund and private business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management for based on the company's strong growth trajectory. In May 2021 , United Parcel Service (U.S.) consolidated all its cold-chain logistics and delivery services into a dedicated global operation that falls under the Atlanta -based company's UPS Healthcare umbrella.

United Parcel Service (U.S.) consolidated all its cold-chain logistics and delivery services into a dedicated global operation that falls under the -based company's UPS Healthcare umbrella. In Feb 2021 , Renergen, South African natural gas and helium producer, started producing helium-powered ultra-cold mobile freezers to store the Covid Vaccine.

Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Regional Analysis: North America majorly contributed to the vaccine cold chain logistics market in 2021 owing to the surging government initiatives for logistics infrastructure and the growing demand for cold chain storages systems. Asia Pacific is expected to witness rapid growth over the forecast period (2022-2030) due to the increasing demand for vaccines, rising R&D investments for pharmaceutical industry developments, and well-developed healthcare infrastructures. Factors such as the technological advancements in the storage and packaging of pharma products, high demand for cold chain systems, and the growing innovations in the pharmaceutical sector have made China a top market for cold chain logistics.

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The Global Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Segments

The Global Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates (Value US$ Million) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2019 to 2028 by Services

Storage

Packaging

Transportation

The Global Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates (Value US$ Million) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2019 to 2028 by Packaging Methods

Dry Ice

Liquid Nitrogen

Gel Packs

The Global Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates (Value US$ Million) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2019 to 2028 by Mode of Transportation

Ground

Air

Ocean

The Global Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates (Value US$ Million) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2019 to 2028 by Holding Temperature Range

Vaccines Requiring Refrigerated Temperature

Vaccines Requiring Frozen Temperature

Vaccines Requiring Cryogenic Temperature

The Global Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates (Value US$ Million) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2019 to 2028 by Container

Active Containers

Passive Containers

The Global Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates (Value US$ Million) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2019 to 2028 by Region

Europe

North America

Latin America

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

North America Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates Revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2019 to 2028

U.S.

Canada

Europe Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates Revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2019 to 2028

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates Revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2019 to 2028

India

China

Japan

South Korea

Australia & New Zealand

Latin America Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates Revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2019 to 2028

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

The Middle East & Africa Vaccine Cold Chain Logistics Market Estimates Revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2019 to 2028

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of the Middle East & Africa

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Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic:

Global Swab And Viral Transport Medium Market

Global Live Biotherapeutic Products And Microbiome Contract Manufacturing Market

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NAIROBI, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Four people including two foreigners were Sunday morning killed after a vehicle they were traveling in plunged into a railway track near Dagoretti neighborhood in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, the police said.

Nairobi regional deputy police commander, James Mugera said two others were injured in the accident, adding that two Canadians and two Kenyans were among those killed in the accident.

Mugera said the four-wheel drive car hit a roadside wall and plunged into the track almost five meters down.

Witnesses said the car was moving to the city centre when the driver lost its control after the hit and plunged into the track.

The incident caused a huge traffic jam on the busy road as officials tried to rescue those trapped in the car for almost three hours.

Locals asked authorities to rectify boulders at the scene, which they claimed are a death trap on motorists using the road.

According to the police, fatal accidents are common in Kenya due to reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, drunk walking, drunk riding, and failure to use helmets. 
Emmerson PLC (AIM:EML) has named Jim Wynn as chief financial officer with immediate effect.

Wynn recently held the CFO position at Moxico Resources, and before that Rainbow Rare Earths.

He was also the finance director at Avocet Mining (AIM:AVM), where he set up a partnership with Morocaan mining group Managem over the Tri-K project in Guinea, the company noted.

Wynn serves on the board of exploration company GreenRoc Mining.

Prior to this, he was employed by Anglo American PLC (LSE:AAL), where he worked within the finance, business development, and strategy departments of Anglo Industrial Minerals.

We are delighted to welcome Jim to the Emmerson team, working alongside our colleagues in Morocco and in the UK to promote our growing business in Morocco and internationally, said chief executive Graham Clarke.

A key part of the project development will be putting in place debt financing, in which Jim will play a pivotal role, and which we expect to conclude in Q2/Q3 2022, Clarke added.

The statement said that Wynn would not be joining the board at this moment, nor does he hold any shares in the company.
Graft Polymer PLC (LSE:GPL) said it is making strong operational progress following its main market listing in January.

Following successful trials, it is gearing up for orders and has moved to a two-shift system at its facility in Slovenia, which means it now has the capacity to turn out 4,000 tonnes of product per year. The addition of new equipment will take eventually output to 6,000 tonnes.

Graft said it had completed the expansion of its specialist facilities in Slovenia.

It is in the final stages of its Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point certification, while it continues to focus on improving its Good Manufacturing Practices status.

In the same announcement, investors were told has been awarded four patents over its technology by officials in Slovenia.

A further two patents are in the process of changing names to reflect their importance to the companys research and development, investors were told.

This means the Graft patent estate will total seven separate elements of protection over its intellectual property.

The group is a specialist in polymer modification and the development of drug delivery systems.
Cellular Goods PLC (LSE:CBX) said its skincare products are going on sale on Amazon Marketplace today as it announced an update on its strategy and trading.

The launch on Amazon is part of a pilot programme that enables selected cannabinoid products to be purchased through the platform in the UK.

The provider of premium consumer products based on lab-made cannabinoids said it in talks with Amazon to expand the pilot to its ingestibles Feel Better range.

A direct relationship with Amazon will broaden the company's ecommerce channels and expand its reach as there is significant consumer demand for cannabinoid products in the UK, Cellular Goods said in a statement.

The company launched its inaugural wellness range of five Feel Better and Look Better products on 1 December 2021.

Although the customer response has been highly encouraging, with a returning customer rate of almost 60% and a 4.7 out of 5 average product rating, revenues have been below internal forecasts, it said.

It explained that the decision by Google and Meta subsidiaries Facebook and Instagram to prohibit the advertising of cannabis-derived products prevented its products from being promoted on those platforms, which negatively impacted sales.

Cellular Goods pointed out that its products are entirely based on lab-produced cannabinoids, which are not derived from the cannabis plant and do not contain any illegal compounds such as THC. It continues to lobby Google and Meta for a change in their policies.

The company said it has made significant changes to the media mix for its upcoming marketing campaign to work around the limitations imposed by Google and Meta, which has led to a deferment of the full marketing launch.

Sales have also been impacted by the anticipated delay in the launch of its face serum and a decision to pause sales of the After-Shave Moisturiser after some batches did not meet to the company's quality specifications.

Following the appointment of consumer goods veteran Anna Chokina as chief executive on 6 December 2021, the company carried out a review of its strategy and go-to-market plans.

Based on the review, Cellular Goods has decided to focus exclusively on wellness products across its three market verticals: the skincare range Look Better, Feel Better supplements and the Function Better recovery range.

READ: Cellular Goods appoints consumer goods veteran Anna Chokina as CEO

"I have reviewed the company's long-term strategy and strengthened its marketing plans in readiness for our big sales push which is ready to go live imminently. As a result, we are now more consumer focused and will be more aggressive in building our revenue base and market presence, commented Chokina.

"I am convinced there remains a major market opportunity to establish Cellular Goods as a premium British wellness brand. That said, much work needs to be done to execute this strategy effectively and realise our vision. Although it will take time for results of the actions we have implemented to become evident, I look to the future with great optimism."

The company has commenced its marketing campaign, with activities in February including the release of a white paper highlighting the age prevention benefits of cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabidiol (CBD) in skincare.

Cellular Goods' products have been endorsed in the magazine Marie Claire and Metro newspaper, while the company is also using of influencers to promote its products.

The full-scale marketing campaign will begin on 1 March, timed with the release of the companys face serum, and will then be expanded to include an outdoor campaign in the second quarter of 2022. This will be supported by a strong digital campaign as well as an influencer push, the company said.

Cellular Goods also announced that company founder Alexis Abraham, who served as CEO from the company's IPO in February 2021 until December 2021, will step down from the board on 28 February and will become a consultant to the company on an ad-hoc basis.

The company had cash of 7.73mln as at 18 February 2022. It has no long-term debt.
Stephen Williams and Sachin Oza, co-chief executives of Reabold Resources (AIM:RBD) Plc join Proactive London to talk about their core assets.

The firm recently announced analysis of the extended well test at West Newton. They explain the key findings, the potential production capability of the project and the next steps.

At the Victory gas field, they have now submitted the draft field development plan and are continuing the strategic review process for Corallian.
Bitcoin and Ethereum bounced back slightly following almost a week of losses, as reports circulate that the European Union is considering the adoption of cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin dropped back below the key support level of US$40,000 over the weekend but was trading 1.23% higher today at US$39,291.

Ethereum was also up 3.35%, trading at US$2,747.

According to Naeem Aslam, a market analyst at Avatrade, recent reports suggest that the European Union may be amenable to adopting cryptocurrencies over the next few years.

The European Union is open to the idea of cryptocurrencies becoming the norm over the next few years, but it must be done in such a way that terrorists and criminal organizations do not benefit from the anonymity provided by blockchain technology, Aslam said.

Aslam adds that blockchain technology will assist in bringing billions of people around the world into the financial system who do not currently have bank accounts.

The Russia and Ukraine problem, Aslam adds, is likely to cause further volatility in the stock markets.

It is safe to assume the same can be expected for the crypto markets, which has been slowly starting to mirror the stock markets, according to several reports.

Ukraine has also legalised crypto, while Russia is the in process of drafting legislation to accept it as a legal tender.

In some of the altcoins, Solana was up 10.28% to US$95.50, Terra was up 8.6% to US$52.20 and Cardano was up 3.68% to US$0.9792 as most crypto currencies bounced back.
FTSE 100 rose sharply in early trading as investors looked forward to freedom day in the UK and shrugged off the ongoing threat of war in Ukraine. The blue-chip index was up 47 at 7,561.



Boris Johnson is expected to scrap all remaining Covid legal restrictions in England, including the requirement to isolate if you test positive, despite reservations from scientists. The PM said the end to restrictions will return people's freedom.



Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has stepped upped his campaign against McDonalds over its treatment of pigs. Describing the way the animals are reared as obscene, Icahn has nominated two representatives for election to the fast food giants board.



Clipper Logistics has agreed to the key terms of a 920p per share offer from US-owned rival GXO Logistics. The offer values the UK group at around 940mln.



Among the small caps, Pantheon Resources reported what it said was another excellent result from the Talitha A well in Alaska. We exceeded original expectations with the flow rates achieved from these two sand bodies [at Talitha], said the explorer, though the keenly anticipated flow test of the Theta West well has been delayed.

Cellular Goods said its skincare products are going on sale on Amazon Marketplace today. The launch on Amazon is part of a pilot programme that enables selected cannabinoid products to be purchased through the platform in the UK.

Oriole Resources has received notice from its partner IAMGOLD that it has exercised the first of the options it holds on the Senala gold project in Senegal. IAMGOLD has the option to spend up to US$8mln on Senala to earn a 70% interest.
Its quite a selling point.

From an initial exploration programme designed to work up an attractive graphite play, Sovereign Metals Limited (ASX:SVM, AIM:SVML) is now well on the way to proving up what could shortly become the largest rutile deposit anywhere in the world.

For anyone not familiar with the mineral sands business, rutile is a significant source of titanium, a metal widely used in aerospace, clean-tech and medical applications, but which is mainly an essential component in paint pigments.

You can get titanium from ilmenite too, and in some cases rutile and ilmenite are found together. But the kicker is that its much more carbon and energy intensive to extract titanium from ilmenite than it is for rutile.

Sovereigns Kasiya deposit in Malawi already boasts a resource of 605mln tonnes of ore grading 0.98% rutile, with significant graphite credits.

There are also areas of higher grade, which may well end up being mined first, and a sizeable and ongoing exploration programme which is likely to push the resource base from its current status as the worlds second largest rutile deposit to the worlds largest.

Whats more, just over half of that total resource has been booked in the indicated category, which adds a welcome a robustness to the modelling undertaken in the scoping study Sovereign completed at the end of last year.

This study envisaged an operation that would process 12mln tonnes of ore per year to produce 122,000 tonnes of rutile as well as 80,000 tonnes of graphite over a 25 year mine life.

That in turn would generate life of mine revenues of US$6.26bn, or US$251mln per year.

Whats more, the study was to a degree moderated by what can realistically be achieved by Sovereign itself as a junior to mid-tier miner. Accordingly, the capex for the operation as planned rings in at less than US$350mln.

Whats the likelihood that if a major company swooped in and bought Sovereign out it would create a still larger operation with bigger up-front costs and greater returns? Pretty good.

But at this stage, although theres plenty of interest across the industry - how could there not be, with the worlds second largest rutile deposit? - there are no plans to sell.

For one thing, in its management team, Sovereign has a group of people who are more than capable of getting a mine built for themselves and, which is no small point, who have the in-country experience to do it.

For another, theres still plenty more value to be added yet.

We know weve got an eminently saleable and desirable product, says Sovereigns chairman Ben Stoikovich.

Indeed, thats one of the first things he made sure got checked even before the resource base got built up. On his line of thinking, there was no point building a big resource if some serious testing of the material hadnt been done first.

To that end he had a couple of tonnes of ore shipped out from Kasiya to Perth early in the process, and the results from the tests that were conducted ticked all the right boxes.

Potential end-users and off-takers came to us as we published the specs, he said. And from that point the company really knew it was onto something.

At the moment, theres 129 square kilometres of known mineralization around Kasiya, although it could go bigger in due course. But theres already so much of it that where mineralization occurs beneath or near known settlements, the current mine plan just carves out those areas and goes round them. Not too many mines can afford that kind of luxury, but in the case of Kasiya, social licence and economics arent really in conflict.

In fact, in Malawi, theres a general hunger for major projects of the kind that Kasiya looks like developing into. Not too many junior miners operate there at the moment, but the ones that do  and investors will be particularly aware of Mkango  have found the jurisdiction to be welcoming and easy to work in.

The green credentials of the process of mining rutile help too, of course. Although the ground will be disturbed as the rutile is dug up, it will be returned in essentially the same form minus the rutile after the mining is complete. Rehabilitation in this way of doing things is a constant and ongoing process.

Whats more, because natural rutile is the purest natural form of titanium and requires very little processing after extraction, its carbon footprint is much smaller. From an ESG point, thats a major tick. But it also works from the point of view of the economics too.

Typically at the moment, rutile sells for around US$1,350 per tonne, whereas ilmenite sells for just US$200 per tonne. The reason?  buyers know theyll incur significant processing costs when they buy ilmenite that they wont incur when buying rutile.

So why doesnt everyone just mine rutile?

The answer is that there arent that many pure rutile deposits around. Sierra Rutile has one, but are there any others? Not really.

Its hugely rare, says Stoikovich.

And thats all to the good.

We only know of one other deposit like this, he adds.

And for each tonne of rutile youre saving up to 2.8 tonnes of carbon. So if a paint producer bought our product they could literally claim that what they are selling is low carbon paint. Rio Tinto is one of the biggest participants in this market. They produce predominantly ilmenite, which they smelt in South Africa using coal-fired power.

So, with all this potential the plan is now to complete a pre-feasibility study by the end of this year, a process which will also run in parallel with environmental and social impact assessment programmes.

And while all thats going on, guess what?  analysts expect the global supply of rutile to decline by 70% between 2017 and 2030 - or 8% per year. The timing couldnt be better for a project like this, and it will be interesting to watch it run.
Savannah Resources PLC (AIM:SAV, ETR:SAV, OTC:SAVNF)'s David Archer joins Proactive London from Portfolio to talk about finalising its process flowsheet for the production of spodumene concentrate at its 100%-owned Barroso lithium project.

Minsol Engineering, a leading metallurgical consultant, is satisfied that the flowsheet, which has been tested and refined over the past eight months, is now finalised and ready to be adopted for detailed engineering studies as part of a definitive feasibility study.

The process will support the production of a high quality, spodumene concentrate grading greater than or equal to 5.5% Li2O, in line with current industry product specifications.
Supermarket Income REIT PLC (LSE:SUPR)'s (Supermarket Income REIT PLC (LSE:SUPR)) Ben Green talks to Proactive London about their plans for a premium listing and inclusion in a key property share index.

The REIT has received confirmation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that it was eligible for admission to the premium segment of the Official List.

Green explains why it's an important next step for the business and the benefits the migration will bring for broadening the potential investor base.
1. What happens to BPs 20% share of Rosneft (AIM:ROSN)?

BP owns nearly 20% of Rosneft (AIM:ROSN) which has a secondary listing in London, which may possibly be frozen depending upon what measures are put in place by western governments.

Read more

2. NatWest a 'buy'

NatWest got the latest bank reporting season off to a strong start last week and City analysts have maintained their bullish outlooks.

Read more

3. Crypto v Gold in Canada

Whichever side of the aisle you sit on in regard to the Canadian trucker protests, one conclusion is beyond dispute: governments are willing and able to reach into your digital wallets and take your crypto.

Read more

4. Footsie finishes lower

The FTSE 100 index closed 29.29 points, or 0.4% lower at 7,484.33 on Monday, lacking any lead from Wall Street which was closed for President's Day, as investors continue to eye the potential for conflict in Ukraine with Russia still looking poised to invade the country

Read more

5. Clipper closes in on deal with GXO

The possible offer is to acquire each Clipper share for a combination of cash (690p per share) plus new GXO shares to the (implied) value of 230p (based on US dollar exchange rates and the recent price history of GXO shares).

Read more

Plus more on tomorrow's news

Read more
KIEV, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Defense Minister Olexiy Reznikov said on Monday that there is a chance for his country to avoid a full-scale conflict with Russia, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency reported.

"I am convinced that today the maneuver for a political and diplomatic solution to an unresolved large-scale war exists and remains," Reznikov told a media briefing.

Reznikov added that there are some signs indicating that Russia's offensive is unlikely at least in the near term.

Since November 2021, Kiev and some Western countries have accused Russia of assembling heavy troops near the Ukrainian border with a possible intention of "invasion."

Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusation, stressing its right to mobilize troops within its borders to defend its territory as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's activities constitute a threat to Russia's border security.
JERUSALEM, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israel announced Sunday starting from March 1 it will open borders to all tourists, including the unvaccinated.

All tourists would be required to undergo two PCR tests, one prior to departure and the other after landing, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said in a joint statement.

For Israeli nationals, the requirement to take an antigen test before boarding the plane was canceled. Instead, only a PCR test upon arrival will be mandatory.

The unvaccinated Israelis will need no quarantine if with a negative result of a PCR test at the airport.

"We are seeing a steady decline in the morbidity data," Bennett said in the statement.

"At the moment, the situation in Israel is good," he noted, adding that this was "the result of correct and dynamic management."

Currently, only vaccinated tourists are allowed to enter the country.

Israel restricted the entry of foreign visitors in March 2020 and later eased the restrictions. As cases of the highly infectious Omicron variant were detected in late 2021, the country virtually closed its skies to foreign tourists. 
Footfall across Britain fell by 32% last Friday compared to the previous Friday, largely thanks to Storm Eunice forcing shoppers to stay at home, according to research.

Winds of 122 miles per hour hit most of Northern Europe, and even blew the roof of the O2.

Springboard, the research company that collected the data, said that footfall for the entire week was down 3.8% in the United Kingdom, although it was up 5.5% until the storm appeared on Friday.

Director of Springboard Diane Wehrle said the storm negated the positive impact that was brought on at the start of the week by the February half-term school break.

High street retailers such as JD and Superdry were 2.26% to 161p and 1.44% to 191p, while pub chain was down slightly by 0.89% to 868p in afternoon trading.
Starting this weeks round of bank results is HSBC PLC, after fellow FTSE 100 lenders Standard Chartered and NatWest last week.

Fourth-quarter results on Tuesday from the global bank will come with investors mindful that fellow Asia-focused StanChart failed to excite with its numbers a week ago.

UBS has pencilled in US$3,915mln for an underlying profit before tax, up 77% from the final quarter of 2020.

Within this, we expect net interest income to be down 2% YoY [year-on-year], with lower NIM [net interest margin], and non-interest income to be up 3% YoY for total income flat YoY.

Costs are expected to be 6% lower YoY, with lower expected UK Bank levy, for pre-provision profit growth of 23%, it added.

Smith & Nephew to stop stumbling?

Shares in the hip and knee replacement maker Smith & Nephew PLC (LSE:SN) have stumbled more than a fifth in the past year, with supply chain issues, higher shipping costs and increased investment all weighing on the bottom line.

COVID has also hit the top line, with joint replacement operations among many surgical procedures to have hit by hospitals focusing on the pandemic.

"That might mean Smith & Nephew could be a surprise beneficiary if, as and when the virus is finally beaten off, said analysts at AJ Bell.

In December, S&N chief executive Roland Diggelmann outlined a new strategy for growth, targeting compound organic revenue growth of 4%-6% a year out to 2024, along with operating margin of 21% by 2024 (with further improvements in return on sales after that).

Said the AJ Bell analysts: The 2021 results will not be a fair test of those goals but any comment made on the outlook for 2022 will be viewed in the context of the first steps to reaching those targets.

Significant announcements expected on Tuesday 22 February

Interims: Blancco Technology Group PLC, Bluefield Solar Income Fund Limited, Hargreaves Lansdown PLC, Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies PLC, Petra Diamonds, Springfield Properties PLC

Finals: Antofagasta PLC, Bank of Georgia Group PLC, Coca-Cola, HSBC Holdings PLC, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, Smith & Nephew PLC, Synectics PLC, Thungela Resources Ltd

AGMs: Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust PLC, Image Scan Holdings PLC

Economic data: Public Sector Net Borrowing (UK), Consumer Confidence (US)
AuKing Mining Ltd (ASX:AKN) has reported exceptional results from its November/December Onedin drilling program at Koongie Park in Western Australia.

The Koongie Park project, in which AKN has a 75% interest, comprises 15 licences (two mining, eight exploration and five prospecting), covering an area of over 500 square kilometres.

A major highlight of the Onedin program is the high-grade, near surface copper and silver, and other mineral intersections identified at drill hole AORD004 including:

105.3 metres at 1.94% copper, 0.76% zinc, 0.70% lead, 55g/t silver and 106ppm molybdenum from 46 metres including 16.6 metres at 10.20% copper, 1.03% zinc, 0.46% lead and 316 g/t silver from 130 metres.

A further highlight is AORD004 provides strong confirmation of high-grade mineralisation to the north of drill hole AOWB003, which reported 124 metres at1.03% copper, 1.08% zinc, 1.54% lead and 50 g/t silver from 8 metres.

Hole AORD004 is one of seven diamond drill holes drilled at Onedin as part of AUKs proposed metallurgical test work program.

The remaining assays from the Onedin drilling program are expected to be received and reported within the next week.

Outstanding intersections

We are excited to report these outstanding intersections from the drilling undertaken at Onedin late last year. The results from drill hole AORD004 are phenomenal  especially the very high-grade zone of more than 10% copper from 130 metres depth, AKN chief executive officer Paul Williams said.

Following the excellent results from AKNs first drilling program reported last year, the company has now clearly identified a significant copper deposit at its Koongie Park project, which we now have a 75% interest in.

Results such as these from AORD004 set the scene for the commencement of AKNs metallurgical test work program on the near-surface Onedin ores. In addition, these results should be highly complementary to AKNs Koongie Park resource upgrade work that has already commenced and with a report likely to be available later this quarter.

Williams spoke with Proactive earlier about the results:

The program in more detail

AKN completed a total of 1,433 metres of drilling across seven holes, with a maximum depth of 243 metres at hole AORD006.

Onedin drillhole locations.

The full list of assays from drill hole AORD004:

105.3 metres at 1.94% copper, 0.76% zinc, 0.70% lead, 50 g/t silver and 106ppm molybdenum from 46 metres including:

 11 metres at 1.19% copper, 1.28% zinc, 2.69% lead, 4 g/t silver and 269ppm molybdenum from 99.6 metres;

 18.3 metres at 9.32% copper, 0.96% zinc, 0.48% lead, 288 g/t silver and 89ppm molybdenum from 128.3 metres;

 16.6 metres at 10.20% copper, 1.03% zinc, 0.46% lead, 316 g/t silver and 76ppm molybdenum from 130 metres and

 2 metres at 0.25% copper, 2.55% zinc, 0.05% lead, 2 g/t silver and 7ppm molybdenum from 76 metres.

The significant features of the assay results from drill hole AORD004 include the following:

 A high-grade zone of >100 metres of 1.96% copper from 46 metres below surface, including a very high-grade zone of copper and silver from 130 metres;

 Promising confirmation of mineralisation to the north of drill holes AOWB003 and AORC004 which previously reported substantial intersections; and

 Further evidence of a zone of molybdenum mineralisation, extending the significant results in AOWB003 and AORC004.

Drill hole AORD004 is about 40-50 metres north of previous AKN drill holes AOWB003 and AORC004, which reported the following intersections:

AOWB003

124 metres at 1.03% copper, 1.08% zinc, 1.54% lead & 50 g/t silver from 8 metres including:

 23 metres at 0.72% copper, 1.24% zinc, 0.96% lead & 1 g/t silver from 25 metres;

 28 metres at 1.12% copper, 1.17% zinc, 1.50% lead & 1 g/t silver from 56 metres;

 22 metres at 2.02% copper, 0.44% zinc, 0.27% lead & 63 g/t silver from 92 metres and

 12 metres at 1.87% copper, 3.54% zinc, 8.58% lead 387g/t silver & 0.27% molybdenum from 120 metres.

AORC004

123 metres at 0.39% copper, 0.59% zinc, 0.96% lead & 11g/t silver from 16 metres including:

 5 metres at 0.85% copper, 0.99% zinc, 0.81% lead & 21g/t silver from 73 netres;

 5 metres at 0.82% copper, 0.38% zinc, 0.90% lead & 17g/t silver from 83 metres;

 15 metres at 0.72% copper, 0.51% zinc, 3.21% lead, 8g/t silver & 0.17% molybdenum from 118 metres;

 12 metres at 0.75% copper, 0.53% zinc, 3.43% lead, 9g/t silver & 0.19% molybdenum from 119 metres and

 4 metres at 0.12% copper, 4.14% zinc, 0.11% lead & 1g/t silver from 136 metres.

Metallurgical test work to begin shortly

Once AUK has all assays, the drill core samples will be formed into composite samples for the purposes of the proposed Onedin metallurgical test work program, which is due to start in the coming days.

Stage 1 of the test work program will be conducted in conjunction with Perth-based Simulus Laboratories and involves:

 demonstration of economic metal recoveries;

 comparison with conventional process treatments;

 optimisation of reagent usage and doses;

 initial processing kinetics; and

 likely product options.

It is expected that the program will take approximately 6-8 weeks to complete, allowing AKN to report results from the Stage 1 program in late March/ early April 2022.

Resource update

CSA Global will prepare an update of the Koongie Park resource estimate based on greater information and resource definition from the 2021 drilling program, along with information identified by AKN from existing historic data.

Resource update work is expected to be completed in late March 2022.

The current resource stands at 6.8 million tonnes at 1.3% copper, 4.1% zinc, 0.3g/t gold and 26g/t silver.

Koongie Park remains significantly underexplored at depth and along strike and highly prospective for further VMS base metal mineralisation discoveries in the tenement package.

AUK has identified multiple drill targets to expand on the existing known resources at both the Sandiego and Onedin deposits. Both deposits remain open at depth and to the south.
CuFe Ltd (ASX:CUF) has increased mining load, processing and haulage at the JWD Iron Ore Project in Western Australia following a restart of operations at the project in January.

Run-of-mine ore stock is accumulating again ahead of the crush and screen plant, while a nightshift has been introduced to enable maintenance and preparation to occur during the off hours and avoid processing delays caused by servicing the plant.

The company has also retained an additional haulage contractor to increase the rate of haulage to port.

Product hedges

Its pleasing to see the full production chain up and running again at JWD, CuFe executive director Mark Hancock said.

Iron ore pricing remains volatile, but we have been successful to date in achieving attractive pricing for JWD product, with our realised pricing last quarter impressive when compared to other West Australian producers.

We will continue to supplement our physical sales with hedge positions to protect downside, as and when the market offers attractive levels to do so, which it has done in recent weeks.

CuFe has taken advantage of improved forward pricing on offer in recent weeks to grow its hedge coverage with the aim of providing downside price protection at levels at or above the companys breakeven cost.

The current hedge positions outstanding are as follows:

February 2022 (to cover January partial shipment)

Zero cost collar - 62% index basis US$110 - 139 for 25,000 dry metric tonnes (DMT)

Lump premium swap  30.8c per dry metric tonne unit (DMTU)  25,000 tonnes

April 2022 (to cover March shipment)

Zero cost collar - 62% index basis US$110 - 139 for 25,000 DMT

Swap US$133  62% index basis  25,000 DMT

May 2022 (to partially cover April shipment)

Zero cost collar  62% index basis US$120 162 for 25,000 DMT

Lump premium swap  30.8c per DMTU  25,000 tonnes

June 22 (to partially cover May shipment)

Zero cost collar  62% index basis US$120 162 for 25,000 DMT

Sales

CuFe successfully completed a shared iron ore shipment with GWR Group (ASX:GWR) Ltd in January. The next shipment will load in March and has been sold to a South-east Asian steel mill.

The company says South-east Asia is proving to be a key market for JWD, with the vessel size at Geraldton port being a good match for the logistics requirements of the South-east Asian mills.

About CuFe

CuFe is an emerging copper and iron ore producer with a strategy focused on near-term, high-grade premium product iron ore projects and maintaining exposure to strategic metals.

The company has interests in various advanced iron ore projects along with copper and gold interests in Australia.
In this article:

Are we there yet?

Could you envision an immersive virtual world where people live, work and socialise connected to a VR device in the comforts of their own home?

Well, that is the Metaverse for you!

In the past decade, we have witnessed a revolutionary change in how we humans interact on the internet.

In the beginning, we had a textual relationship with the internet, where we interacted with each other, and the web interface was predominantly based on text and vice versa.

With the advent of mobile camera technology, our relationship with the internet traversed into a more multi-dimensional space.

Consequently, we started to share more audio-visual content on the web such as our social media content, videos on YouTube and Twitch streams.

Then, we levelled up even further with Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMPROG), where we started assuming alternate realities and identities.

This progression eventually led us to the Metaverse ecosystem, where immersion doesnt stop at sight and sound alone, instead, it has opened a new potential to host a manifestation of our reality online.

Origins

The word 'Metaverse' was coined by Neal Stephenson in his cult science fiction novel Snow Crash, where he envisioned virtual lifelike avatars who congregate in realistic 3D virtual reality environments.

In the novel, Metaverse is the sum of virtual and augmented realities concentrated on a super long 'Street' through which people walk as avatars and can access using goggles and plugging into terminals.

One of the notable examples of earlier Metaverse initiatives is Second Life, a widely successful alternative reality computer game developed in 2003, in which you play with an avatar in an open world environment that does not stick to storylines.

Like second life, we have witnessed a couple of iterations of hype created around metaverse through the years, but many of today's techno-evangelists will insist that for the first time, we have the technology, protocols and infrastructure to make metaverse a reality.

New frontier

Trailblazing this new frontier is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, with the recent Meta rebrand, which triggered a new wave of interest in the Metaverse.

Zuckerberg said: In the metaverse, youll be able to do almost anything you can imagine  get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create  as well as completely new experiences that dont really fit how we think about computers or phones today.

In this future, you will be able to teleport instantly as a hologram to be at the office without a commute, at a concert with friends, or in your parents' living room to catch up. This will open up more opportunity no matter where you live.

Youll be able to spend more time on what matters to you, cut down time in traffic, and reduce your carbon footprint, he said.

Within the Microsoft eco-system, the metaverse applied to Microsoft Teams - the software giant's online meetings competitor for Zoom.

This augmented application will allow users in different geographic locations to have shared holographic experiences during virtual meetings.

Aptly named 'holoportation, this is a 3D capture technology that lets users reconstruct and transmit high-quality 3D models of people in real-time.

Following suit, Epic Games, makers of the popular game Fortnight, has planned to stake its claim in the metaverse following a $1 billion round of funding in 2021 - including from the likes of Sony.

Further, Decentraland is one of the early key players who explicitly mentioned the metaverse as their core product.

Building the Metaverse

The Metaverse is best understood as a quasi-successor state to the mobile internet, says Mathew Ball, managing partner EpyllionCo.

This is because the Metaverse will not fundamentally replace the internet, but instead build upon and iteratively transform it, he said.

Although we havent gotten there yet, there are several large and small players alike who set out to build this platform where we hope that smooth interoperability between these metaverse eco-systems will be a key factor in their success.

Jon Radoff, author of the Building the Metaverse blog posits seven distinct layers a metaverse environment need to have:

Infrastructure  Connectivity technologies like 5G, Wi-Fi, cloud, and hi-tech materials like GPUs.

Connectivity technologies like 5G, Wi-Fi, cloud, and hi-tech materials like GPUs. Human interface  VR headsets, AR glasses, haptics, and other technologies users will leverage to join the metaverse.

VR headsets, AR glasses, haptics, and other technologies users will leverage to join the metaverse. Decentralisation  Blockchain, artificial intelligence, edge computing, and other tools of democratisation.

Blockchain, artificial intelligence, edge computing, and other tools of democratisation. Spatial computing  3D visualisation and modelling frameworks.

3D visualisation and modelling frameworks. Creator economy  An assortment of design tools, digital assets, and e-commerce establishments.

An assortment of design tools, digital assets, and e-commerce establishments. Discovery  The content engine driving engagement, including ads, social media, ratings, reviews, etc.

The content engine driving engagement, including ads, social media, ratings, reviews, etc. Experiences  VR equivalents of digital apps for gaming, events, work, shopping, etc.

Interestingly, there are more than 160+ companies operating across these seven verticals and they are together building the metaverse.

Key players on the Metaverse.

Synergy with Crypto and NFTs

Notably, crypto, NFTs and the wider blockchain technology will be key to growing the metaverse, where ownership of identity, utilities and access to environments will be at the crux of this virtual world.

Goldman Sachs Group senior equity analyst Rod Hall said it is the only technology that can uniquely identify any virtual object independent of a central authority, and this ability to identify and track ownership will be crucial to how the metaverse functions.

Apart from crypto being the potential tender, NFTs will also play an integral role in forming identity, community and social experiences in the metaverse.

Interestingly, this will allow like-minded individuals to form communities that share experiences, develop parallel economies and create content together.

Are we there yet?

Well, there are already some metaverse-like experiences out in the market, especially in the gaming industry.

Video gaming platform Roblox has experimented in meta events like hosting Gucci's 100th anniversary or opening NFL's first meta store

Meanwhile, competitor Fortnite isn't trailing much behind after holding mega-successful virtual concerts by Ariana Grande, Travis Scott, Marshemello and others.

In his annual year in review blog post, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates noted that most people don't have the VR goggles and motion capture gloves to accurately capture their expression, body language and quality of their voice.

But for business, Gates predicts that in the next two to three years most virtual meetings will move from two-dimensional square boxes to the metaverse  a 3D space with participants appearing as digital avatars.

Since its inception in 2017, Decentraland has steadily gained momentum  a piece of real estate inside its VR world recently sold for a record $2.4 million.

And there's plenty more to buy in virtual worlds like, for example, Sandbox. You'll be able to find not only land but also houses or even yachts (equipped with helipads, hot tubs and DJ booths) for those into more exotic real estate options.

However, a full-fledged metaverse might be years away, if not more, with core technologies like 5g, affordable AR and VR technology and edge computing still in its infancy, complex demands of Metaverse operations still need some time.
88 Energy Ltd (AIM:88E, ASX:88E, OTC:EEENF) has announced the acquisition of an asset package comprising producing wells, to be known as Project Longhorn, in the Permian Basin, Texas.

The assets presently yield around 300 barrels of oil per day, across 32 existing wells, and, the company expects to double volumes by the end of the year through the work-over of seven of the wells  with the programme starting in March.

It will a non-operated 73% working interest in the project, which includes 2.1mln barrels of proved and probable (2P) reserves. The company described it as a low-cost entry into production, and, highlighted that it will result in immediate cash flow for the company.

88 Energy is paying US$9.7mln to acquire the assets, comprising US$7.2mln in cash and US$2.5mln of shares.

"While our core focus remains exploration of our world-class Alaskan North Slope acreage, the acquisition of Project Longhorn provides 88 Energy with immediate cash flow and direct exposure to any further strengthening in energy prices, said chief executive Ashley Gilbert.

It also delivers optionality for incremental, low-capital, rapid payback reinvestment in the region."

To date, the Longhorn wells have produced 110,000 barrels of oil equivalent (70% oil).

88 Energys aims for an internal rate of return (IRR) between 75% and 400% depending of the type of subsequent drilling and/or work-over programmes follow. Similarly, it anticipated payback of capital expenditure over seven to eighteen months.

The company noted that it aims for a target break-even oil price in the range of US$21 to 28 per barrel.
Creso Pharma Ltd (ASX:CPH, OTCQB:COPHF) continues to make good progress in North America via its wholly owned, Canadian subsidiary Mernova Medicinal Inc.

Much of its progress lately has been in product development, through the preparation for a launch of a new range of vaporisers which is expected to drive increased revenue and incremental gross margin, as well as ongoing sales growth and provincial expansion in Canada.

The launch of the Ritual Gold vaporiser products will mark several milestones in a global cannabis vaporiser market anticipated to reach a value of over US15.77 billion ($A21.98BN) by 2028.

CPH will be hoping it can quickly crack this market, with signs so far pointing to a positive outcome.

Mernova recently reached a record weekly retail market share in Nova Scotia of 4.8% with weekly sales over C$95,000 (A$104,429) during the weeks of January 17 and January 31.

Driving these figures was strong demand from several provincial partners with sustained high performance in Nova Scotia.

Further to this Mernova entered Saskatchewan via purchase order totalling C$57,000 (A$62,657).

Saskatchewan is now the fifth province in which Mernova has commenced sales of its leading, high-THC Ritual brands and is considered a lucrative market, with no cap on the number of cannabis retail stores and monthly cannabis sales of upwards of C$13.4 million.

Additional province expansion is expected in coming months, further broadening Mernova and by extension CPHs footprint.

Mernova continues to progress, leveraging industry leading cannabis quality, and we anticipate that the launch of the Ritual Gold range will provide another revenue generating activity for the group, CPH CEO and managing director William Lay said.

Importantly, the Ritual Gold range will utilise cannabis inventory and production by-products which are not optimal in their pre-processed form for retail channels. This will allow the company to introduce a new product category that is expected to provide incremental revenue at high gross margins.

Our recent progress in Nova Scotia highlights the ongoing demand we are witnessing for our high-THC products. and we are also excited to have entered the Saskatchewan market. The company is in well progressed discussions with further provincial partners, which would allow Mernova to further expand its distribution channels.

Strong sales throughout Canada

Mernova has continued to witness strong sales through its established provincial groups, which include the Yukon, New Brunswick and Ontario, as well as Nova Scotia.

The companys weekly sales in Nova Scotia for the weeks of January 17 and January 31, equated to a 4.8% market share.

The incremental increase in total market share highlights a record for Mernova up from the previous record of 4.5%.

Mernova continues to work with its established provincial partners and licensed wholesale groups to drive recreational cannabis sales. Additional purchase orders are anticipated in the coming weeks from all five provinces.

Mernova vaporiser range

Mernova is preparing to launch its new handheld vaporiser product, which will be sold under the Ritual Gold (or similar) brand and will provide CPH with an entry point into the global cannabis vaporiser market.

The new range will utilise Mernovas top-quality, indoor grown, hand trimmed, hang dried, cured, artisanal, high-THC, craft cannabis flower which will be manufactured into one gram vape cartridges.

The range will use cannabis trim and other biomass which are not optimal for retail sale, resulting in potentially increased revenue from unused inventory.

Mernovas production process produces trim as a by-product, therefore providing a consistent supply of high-quality material for future vape production runs.

Mernova has prepared an initial 150 kilograms of biomass of its leading Lemon Haze strain for shipment to its specialised vape manufacturer, which will equate to approximately 15,000 one gram vape cartridges.

Product registration with the provinces and Health Canada regulatory approval initiatives will occur concurrently with production and CPH expects to be able to begin sale of the new range during the second half of this year.

Creso Pharma is encouraged by discussions with potential provincial customers regarding the new range.

Mernova will leverage its leading brand and existing market footprint to initiate and drive sales growth of Ritual Gold once regulatory milestones have been achieved.
Conroy Gold and Natural Resources PLC (AIM:CGNR, OTC:CGDNF) said results from two holes drilled at the Clontibret gold deposit in Ireland by Demir Export AS confirmed previous exploration work and made a new discovery.

Demir Export, a Turkish mining company, drilled the holes as part of its due diligence and validation programme prior to entering into a joint venture agreement with Conroy Gold. The two companies signed the joint venture agreement last month.

Drill hole TW001 confirmed the known lode mineralisation and also targeted deeper stockwork zone mineralisation, where the ore is found in irregular formations of veins, that had not yet been tested at depth in this area of the deposit.

Conroy said it believes the new discovery of stockwork mineralisation in TW001 is of great significance as it represents the widest gold intersection drilled to date at Clontibret. The 94.5 metre (m) wide intercept in the stockwork zone graded 1.0 grammes a tonne (g/t) gold with a higher-grade intercept of 45.0m grading 1.5 g/t gold in the centre of the wider zone. The gold grade is continuous and relatively uniform throughout these intercepts, it said.

The due diligence and validation drillholes completed by Demir Export have confirmed and added to the understanding of the Clontibret gold deposit built up by Conroy Gold, said Conroy chairman Professor Richard Conroy.

The board believes that the confirmation of the gold grades encountered in the lode zone and the discovery of the widest gold intercept yet at Clontibret in the stockwork zone indicates there is the potential to increase the overall gold content of the deposit.

The second hole, TW005, confirmed the potential to expand the existing resource towards the southwest of the deposit.

Demir Export has the mining expertise and the financial resources not only to bring the Clontibret gold deposit to construction ready status and into operation as a mine, but also to advance the significant gold potential of the other licences along the gold trend to the same status, said Richard Conroy.
Proactive Research analyst Robin Davison presents his research on Shield Therapeutics after the firm issued a trading statement indicating that it recorded modest initial revenues of 1.5mln, comprising 0.1mln of net product sales from US commercial activities, 0.9mln of royalties from sales by Norgine in the EU and milestones of 0.5mln.

The market marked the shares down by nearly 14%, as presumably higher sales were expected; this was despite a stronger than forecast cash position of 12.7mln (US$17.7mln) at the fiscal 2021 (FY21) year-end, suggesting controlled marketing costs.

He says it is possible that the market may have under-appreciated the fact that Shield has to date been providing Accrufer at minimal cost to give US physicians experience of the product in advance of establishing formulary status and reimbursement with US healthcare providers, something which only started in December.

Click here to read the report
Whichever side of the aisle you sit on in regard to the Canadian trucker protests, one conclusion is beyond dispute: governments are willing and able to reach into your digital wallets and take your crypto.

Where they take it to, and what they do with it once it gets there, is perhaps an open question.

But the fact remains that under the recently invoked Emergencies Act, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has given the government authority to sanction 34 well-known crypto wallets, and theoretically to seize funds held in them.

Whether or not the Canadians are successful, a clear marker has been laid down.

Governments are coming for your crypto.

Earlier on in the Trucker protests it was clear that financial networks were becoming a key battleground.

Crowdfunding platform GoFundMe early on took the side of the Canadian government and announced that donations to the protesting Truckers would actually be diverted to a charity of the funding platforms own choice.

After an outcry, the launching of investigations at several levels of government in the USA, and an accusation of fraud from US Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, GoFundMe agreed to return the cash to donors rather than give it to other charities. But the fact remained that the cash never got through to the Truckers, even though at that point there was nothing illegal either in making or receiving such donations.

Round one to the Canadian government.

Next, alternative funding platform GiveSendGo stepped into the gap.

Again, the Canadian government tried to step in, but with a lesser degree of success, since the founders of GiveSendGo werent quite so aligned politically with the Canadian government as the founders of GoFundMe.

Pro-Trucker groups labelled GoFundMe as GoFraudMe, and hailed GiveSendGo as a new lifeline.

But theres more than one way to skin a cat.

If GiveSendGo wouldnt willingly stop funds flowing to the Truckers, the Canadian government had other directions from which it could target that money.

On the one hand, it could label the Truckers terrorists, and thus argue that the GiveSendGo platform was being used to fund terrorism, which it duly did. For good measure, Prime Minister Trudeau added in the other standard calumnies du jour  the Truckers were racist and misogynist.

Annoyingly, the Trucker protests were almost entirely peaceful, and involved dance parties, children playing on bouncy castles, and pets.

Trudeaus claims only really looked credible to people wearing the same sort of tint on their spectacles as the government itself.

Another alternative was to wait and see if anything happened to GiveSendGo  which it duly did. Its website got hacked and taken down, and the names of donors to the Truckers made public. In certain cases this was unfortunate, as people inside the echelons of government were revealed as donors, and in other cases it was dangerous, as threats were issued.

Some had claimed violence on the Truckers side too, but to date no such story has been proved.

Meanwhile, as Ottawas then chief-of-police Peter Sloly, a long-time policing veteran, continued to keep his powder dry, the Truckers were turning to other sources of funding to keep going.

The battle for financial control turned to Crypto.

Here, the government needed the extra powers of the Emergencies Act before it could move. Prime Minister Trudeau was under heavy pressure from the Conservative right in both Canada and the US not to invoke it, but he duly did, right after Peter Sloly was ousted.

Time will tell whether Sloly will be remembered as a moderating force that tempered a tinderbox situation or just as a man who had dithered and failed to prevent the development of a carnival of chaos  the term used by the chair of the Ottowa Police Service Board Diane Deans, who was later ousted herself.

Either way, with the police in Ottawa back on side, the government felt more secure in making its next moves, both on the ground and on the financial front. Although the protestors and their trucks would be given a few further days grace, their crypto was now under direct attack

On 18 February the Crypto exchange Kraken said that it wouldnt be able to prevent the Canadian government freezing assets held on its platform.

Indeed, Krakens chief executive Jesse Powell was utterly unequivocal.

We will be forced to comply, he said on Twitter. If you're worried about it, don't keep your funds with any centralized/regulated custodian. We cannot protect you. Get your coins/cash out and only trade peer-to-peer.

One reply to that Tweet asked whether Prime Minister Trudeau had just killed bitcoin by showing how easy it is to lock up?

To be fair, though, Powell himself isnt neutral on the issue. He has publicly argued against the mandating of vaccines, and has defended people who take such a position against the charge of being anti-vax.

Note, though, that the issue of the vaccine mandates that started all this chaos has largely been lost in the ensuing melee about controlling streets and money. Is it really even about Covid and keeping people safe, or is it about much, much more?

Is it, in fact, about the broader relationship between the state and the individual?

If it is, then crypto, which after all is trackable through blockchain technology, is never going to be completely effective at keeping the state at a financial arms length.

The only asset that has ever effectively, and consistently done that throughout the ages is gold. And towards the end of last week, gold punched through the US$1,900 mark, headed once again towards an all-time high.

Financial pundits the world over ascribed this strength in gold to ongoing tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukraine.

But might there not have been another reason why buyers went heavily into gold?

It was because last week was the week the worlds governments started to come for your crypto.
Mainpuri : , Feb 21 (IANS) A BJP worker was allegedly shot at and injured by Samajwadi Party workers during a clash at Avadh Nagar polling booth in Mainpuri city on Sunday evening.

Earlier during the day, sitting Samajwadi Party MLA, Raj Kumar Yadav, sustained injuries after being attacked allegedly by BJP workers in Rasemar village.

Both incidents took place after allegations of fake voting at the two polling booths.

Former district president of BJP in Mainpuri, Alok Gupta, accused Samajwadi Party workers for allegedly shooting their party worker at Avadh Nagar polling booth.

He said, "They shot at our councillor but the bullet hit our party worker Aman Pandey who was standing there." BJP workers held a protest to demand action against the accused.

Police said that bullet hit Pandey in the stomach and he was taken to district hospital from where he was referred to Agra.

SP Ashok Kumar Rai said that the accused Anshul Yadav, Samajwadi party worker, has been arrested.

Additional police force has been deployed in the area to avoid any further untoward incident.

MLA Raj Kumar Yadav told reporters that after casting his vote, he was going to Kurawali when he was informed that some people were trying to disrupt polling in Rasemar village by not allowing voters to cast their votes.

He said that as soon as he reached there, Arun Yadav and his associates started of pelting stones at him and opened fire. "I was lucky to escape the bullets but a stone hit me near my left eye," he said, adding that accused opened at least six rounds of fire and pelted stones on his vehicle which got damaged.

Circle officer Kurawali, Vijay Pal Singh said that two persons including Aman Yadav were detained and the situation was under control.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 21 : A 54-year-old CPI(M) worker was hacked to death in the wee hours of Monday at Thalassery in Kannur, Left Democratic Front convenor A Vijayaraghavan said here.

Haridasan, the victim, was a fisherman by profession.

Kannur, for long, has been the hotbed for political crimes, especially with the BJP/RSS and the CPI(M) taking on each other frequently. According to the CPI(M), in the past two years, Haridasan has become the tenth victim in Kannur.

It is the bastion of the CPI(M) and also the home district of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

Vijayaraghavan termed the murder a calculated move by the RSS/BJP workers to destroy peace in the state.

"Kannur is going to be the venue of our upcoming party conference and the murder is a calculated move by the Sangh parivar forces. This has come as a shocker and rocked the peaceful atmosphere," Vijayaraghavan told the media at the state party headquarters here.

Haridasan was returning home around 2 a.m. when he attacked by four bike-borne in front of his house.

They first severed his left leg below the knee. His brother, who tried to intervene, was also injured.

Kannur CPI-M district secretary M.V.Jayarajan said Haridasan was killed with the knowledge of the top level BJP leaders of the district by the RSS workers.

"In an audio clip of a BJP councillor doing rounds in social media, he can be heard saying that CPI-M workers will be taken to tasks," said Jayarajan.

Meanwhile, an uneasy calm continues to prevail in the area following tension between the CPI(M) and the BJP/RSS workers over a temple festival last week.

However, Kannur district BJP president Haridas dismissed the allegations and termed it "baseless".

"The CPI(M) should does not name the culprits as that is police's job. There were issues in the area over the conduct of a temple festival. The BJP is a party which does everything to ensure peace prevails," said Haridas.

The CPI(M) has called for a total shutdown in the area.
Hyderabad, Feb 21 : Telangana's minister for information technology and industry K. T. Rama Rao has described the state as the most successful startup and said Telangana model of development can be replicated across India.

The minister delivered a keynote address at the Harvard India Conference 2022 held virtually late Sunday.

During the one-hour-long session, he highlighted the all-round development of Telangana, the Hyderabad IT ecosystem, friendly industrial policies, and investment opportunities existing in the state.

Minister KTR spoke at the conference under the theme "Turbocharging India @ 2030. "If I want to talk about Turbocharging India @ 2030, I should speak about Turbocharging Telangana since 2014," the Minister said in his opening lines.

"By 2030, I want to witness an India that leads the world, in almost every category. I strongly believe that cues for "Turbocharging India@ 2030: can be had from "Turbocharged Telangana since 2014,a said KTR.

KTR stated that the schemes and policies being executed in Telangana should be executed across the country to speed up the development wheel of India. "What Telangana has done, can be done at the national level too. Telangana Model of Development can be replicated across India, for sure," said KTR.

"Growth should be distributed fairly across society and create opportunities for all. I think that any one-sided policy emphasis will have negative effects. Diversity is India's greatest asset. The same diversity requires the widening of policy frameworks beyond the narrow focus," the minister opined.

KTR stated that the Telangana government's effective policy design & implementation, equal focus on rural and urban development, vision towards 3 I's -- infrastructure development, inclusive growth and innovation -- that helped the youngest state of India achieve remarkable progress in just 7 years.

Telangana has been progressing under the visionary leadership of CM KCR. The Telangana government's equal focus on development and welfare measures has made it a model state which is being emulated by other states, KTR said. "It used to be said earlier that what Bengal thinks today is what the country thinks tomorrow, but in the modern context it is what Telangana thinks today which influences the country tomorrow," he added.

KTR stated that Telangana achieved the third rank in the country in terms of percentage increase in GSDP at current prices between 2014-15 and 2020-21. "The NITI Aayog report says that the Gross State Domestic Product of Telangana by provisional estimates was Rs 9.80 lakh crore, an increase of 94 per cent from its 2014-15 value," he added.

Minister KTR highlighted that despite the Covid-induced economic slowdown in 2020-21, Telangana's Per Capita Income (PCI) of Rs 2.37 lakh at current pricing is the third highest in the country -- the latest data from the Union ministry of statistics and program implementation.

"Telangana is the 11th largest state in terms of geographical area and 12th in terms of population in the country. I am proud of the fact that Telangana stood in fourth place in contributing to the economy of the country," KTR said.

The state government's focus on every sector -- from agriculture to IT, power generation to industry, health infrastructure to quality education has brought in remarkable progress in the state.

He pointed out that Telangana attracted over Rs 2.2 lakh crore investments since the launch of its innovative TS-iPASS industrial policy. These investments employed about 16 lakh people.

The minister highlighted that Hyderabad has emerged as a global hub for some of the most marquee names from the IT world. "You will be amazed to learn that the five most valued tech companies of the world, namely Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook, each of them has their second-largest presence anywhere in the world outside their headquarters in the US in our city of Hyderabad," KTR said.

"The cabins of the US President's 'Marine One' helicopters are made in Hyderabad by Tata Sikorsky Aerospace Systems, a joint venture between the Tata Group and Sikorsky," said the minister. He also highlighted that Hyderabad produces one-third of global vaccine output. "I take immense pride in saying that Hyderabad is the vaccine capital of the world," he added.

He highlighted that seven villages from Telangana ranked among the top 10 under the SAGY program (Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana of Union Ministry of Rural Development).

He told the conference that Telangana is building the Kakatiya Mega Textiles Factory (KMTP), one of the world's largest Textile Parks. KMTP is expected to house state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities with a development strategy based on the 'Fiber to Fashion' concept.

"IT exports of Telangana touched a new high of Rs 1.45 lakh crore in 2021. Since the formation of Telangana, we have been able to achieve a Compound Average Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.25 per cent, up from Rs 57,000 crore in 2014 to Rs 1.45 lakh crore now. Employment in the IT/ITeS sector had also increased by eight per cent to touch 6.3 lakhs." KTR stated that the government of Telangana is developing Hyderabad Pharma City as the "World's largest integrated pharma park to promote domestic manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and to consolidate the leadership position of India in the pharmaceutical sector.

"Telangana has already built the world's largest lift irrigation scheme, Kaleshwaram Project, in just three years. This is a record in the history of irrigation projects in India," he said.

"Rythu Bandhu, the investment support scheme under which every landholding farmer gets Rs 10,000 per acre every year. The brainchild of CM Sri KCR, this revolutionary is one of the best reforms in the agriculture sector in the country since Independence," KTR added.
Jerusalem, Feb 21 : Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that Iran may soon sign a new nuclear agreement with world powers but the new deal is "weaker" than the previous one.

Referring to the negotiations in Vienna between Iran and world powers, Bennett told his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that "the talks are advancing quickly... We may see an agreement shortly", reports Xinhua news agency.

But "the new apparent agreement is shorter and weaker than the previous one," he said.

The Israeli leader warned that the lift of sanctions against Iran will provide the country with more money to build weapons.

Israel is prepared to protect its citizens' security, on its own, in any scenario, the Prime Minister noted.

While addressing the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, Defence Minister Benny Gantz urged the international community to use the emerging deal to tighten the oversight over Iran's nuclear program.

"Action must be taken to ensure that Iran does not continue enrichment in additional facilities, and oversight must be increased," he told the conference.

Israel has been a staunch opponent of the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which offered Tehran sanction relief in return for restrictions and oversight over its nuclear programme.

Former US President Donald Trump pulled out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, which prompted the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments one year later and advance its halted nuclear program.

Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Vienna between Iran and the remaining parties, namely the UK, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the US indirectly involved in the talks, to revive the landmark deal.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : India reported a further decline in the new Covid-19 cases on Monday. In a span of 24 hours, 16,051 new infections and 206 deaths were registered, the Union health ministry said.

India had logged 19,968 new Covid cases and 673 deaths on Sunday, and on Saturday a total of 22,270 new cases were reported.

The new fatalities increased the death toll to 5,12,109 in the country.

The active Covid cases have reduced to 2,01,131, which constitutes 0.47 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

The recovery of 37,901 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally to 4,21,24,284. Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 98.33 per cent, said the Union Health Ministry.

Also in the same period, a total of 8,31,087 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 76.01 crore cumulative tests.

Meanwhile, the weekly positivity rate currently stands at 2.12 per cent while daily positivity rate has risen to 1.93 per cent.

With the administration of over seven lakh vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's Covid inoculation coverage has reached 175.46 crore as of Sunday morning. This has been achieved through 1,98,99,635 sessions.

More than 11.18 crore balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories to be administered, according to the health ministry as of Monday morning.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hyderabad, Feb 21 : 'Baahubali' fame Prabhas, who is currently working alongside Indian Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, treats him with delicious homemade food.

The 'Sarkar' actor, who was overwhelmed with this gesture, took to his Twitter to praise Prabhas.

Taking to his Twitter on Monday (February 21), Amitabh Bachchan wrote, "T 4198 - 'Bahubali' Prabhas .. your generosity is beyond measure".A "You bring me home-cooked food, beyond delicious .. you send me quantity beyond measure .. could have fed an Army .. the special cookies .. beyond scrumptious." Adding wit to his praises, Big B also wrote, "And your compliments beyond digestible." Well, most of the stars Prabhas have worked with, would have tasted his warm hospitality, as he treats them with regional delicacies.

On the work front, Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan have come together for a homogenous project, tentatively titled 'Project K'. Helmed by 'Mahanati' fame Nag Aswin, the movie will have Deepika Padukune as the female lead.

The shooting process for this heavy budget movie have begun, as the stars have wrapped up a couple of schedules already.
Lucknow, Feb 21 : Ban on rituals during Muharrum, crackdown on illegal slaughter houses that impacted sale of meat, police atrocities on anti-CAA protestors and now the hijab controversy have made the Shia community in Lucknow give a second thought to their support to the BJP.

Lucknow is known to be the nerve centre of the Shias and has a Shia population of about four lakhs.

Shias are known to have supported the BJP for decades and more so, after then then UP minister Lalji Tandon resolved the issues over Azadari processions.

Because of Shia support, the BJP effortlessly won the Lucknow north, west and central seats that have a sizeable Muslim population.

"This is not the BJP we supported over the years. Leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lalji Tandon and Rajnath Singh always reached out to us. The manner in which the police cracked down on Muslim women during the anti-CAA protests was uncalled for. Then, the community was targeted during Ramzan and Moharrum when, citing Covid protocols, restrictions were imposed on us. Hindu festivals were allowed with Covid protocols," said a senior Shia cleric who did not wish to be named.

For Shias, Moharrum, which is a period of mourning, holds immense significance and they resent the curbs that were placed for two consecutive years.

"People were not even allowed to sell the tazias and there was immense police terror. Even if two people were going for burying the tazia, they were roughed up," says Hashim Jafri, a trader.

He says that they even spoke to Lucknow MP and defence minister Rajnath Singh on the issue but nothing happened.

"This time, Shias and Sunnis will unite to vote for the Samajwadi Party," he says.

Sonia Khan, a young student, asks: "If it was about Covid, then why were markets allowed to remain open during Holi, Janmashtami and Diwali?" Maulana Saif Abbas, a prominent Shia cleric and president of the Shia Markazi Chand Committee, was among those booked for anti-CAA protests.

His photographs had also come up on the infamous 'hoardings' after the anti-CAA riots in Lucknow had gone violent and this too had not gone down well with the community.

The Maulana says: "If BJP wante our support, they should have spoken to us on these issues. The anger of the community is justified." A police guideline that was circulated last year at the time of Muharram has also played a role in upsetting the Shias.

Maulana Kalbe Jawad Naqvi, one of the most influential Shia clerics, had raised an objection to the guidelines as it contained "objectionable words and phrases", and depicted the community in a bad light.

The recent Hijab controversy has also irked the Shia women.

Afsha, who studies in a prestigious college of the state capital, says that she is taunted by boys over her 'hijab'.

"The policemen remain mute spectators and even smile at the boys. It is obvious that they are provoking such elements," she says.
Hyderabad, Feb 21 : Andhra Pradesh minister for Industries and Information Technology Mekapati Gowtham Reddy died of cardiac arrest here on Monday. He was 49.

The minister collapsed at his home and was rushed to Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, where he was declared dead.

Gowtham Reddy, who had returned from Dubai only two days ago after attending Dubai Expo, is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

Apollo Hospitals said in a statement that Gowtham Reddy collapsed suddenly at home. He was brought to hospital at 07:45 a.m and was unresponsive, not breathing and in cardiac arrest on arrival.

"He received immediate CPR and advanced cardiac life support in our emergency department. The emergency medicine team and specialists including cardiologists and critical care doctors have attended to him. CPR was done for more than 90 mins. Despite our best efforts he could not be revived. He was declared to have died at 9.16 a.m. today morning," the hospital said.

Hailing from Nellore district, Gowtham Reddy was elected to the Assembly from Atmakur constituency on YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) ticket in 2014 and 2019. After YSRCP came to power in 2019, Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy inducted him into the cabinet and entrusted him the portfolio of industries and information technology.

Son of former YSRCP MP Mekapati Rajmohan Reddy, Gowtham Reddy was an industrialist politician and was one of the highly educated ministers. He was known as a friendly and affable person in political circles.

His sudden death sent shock waves in the state. TDP leader and former minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, Telangana Congress leader and MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and YSR Telangana Party leader Y. Sharmila were among the leaders who visited Apollo Hospital.

Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has expressed deep shock and profound grief over the untimely demise of Gowtham Reddy.

Terming Gowtham Reddy as a "young promising" leader who was known to him since early days, the Chief Minister expressed anguish over the tragic incident and said that words fail to describe the loss of his young cabinet colleague.

He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members with a heavy heart.
Patna, Feb 21 : Unidentified men gunned down a pan masala trader in Bihar's Muzaffarpur city, police said on Monday.

The incident happened on Sunday night. The deceased has been identified as Govind Kumar.

According to the police, the assailants barged into the house of Govind Kumar, which is located just 200 meters from the town police station and shot him in the drying room.

Jayant Kant, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Muzaffarpur confirmed the incident. He said that the accused had fired up on Govind Kumar inside the house. His family members rushed him to a nearby hospital where he succumbed due to multiple gunshot injuries and excessive bleeding.

Vijendra Chaudhary, the deceased's uncle said: "After closing the shop, he returned home around 9 p.m. on Sunday. As soon as he entered the house, the accused, who were probably following him, barged inside and fired upon Govind Kumar indiscriminately. He sustained multiple gunshot injuries and died during the treatment." "There is complete lawlessness in the city. Hence, crime cases frequently take place here. The criminals used to demand extortion from traders and industrialists in the city. The criminals should be arrested and speedy trial be held," Chaudhary said.
Washington, Feb 21 : White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced that President Joe Biden has "accepted in principle" a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Psaki's confirmation late Sunday night of a potential Biden-Putin summit followed a statement by the Elysee Palace in France saying the two Presidents have "accepted in principle" a virtual meeting brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron, who held separate phone calls with Biden and Putin on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Press Secretary said the summit would happen after a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later this week, provided that Moscow "does not proceed with military action".

"We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon," Psaki said in a statement The latest development came as the Biden administration estimates that Russia has amassed up to 190,000 troops around Ukraine, including separatist forces in the conflict-hit Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
JERUSALEM, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have discovered a new species of desert burrow-dwelling spiders in the southeastern Arava valley, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) said Monday.

The spider, which constructs silk-lined nests in burrows, was founded by HU and Ben Gurion University's researchers during the five-year monitoring of oil spill effects on the species.

The velvety black spider was named Sahastata aravaensis according to its habitat. It belongs to the Sahastata genus of the Filistatinae family, also known as the crevice weaver family, HU added.

The study analyzed how two oil spills that occurred in 1975 and 2014 in the hyper-arid desert would affect the spider populations and concluded that the incidents pose negative and long-lasting effects.

The researchers proposed that the new spider can be used as a bioindicator of persistent soil pollution in desert habitats. 
New Delhi, Feb 21 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday condoled the loss of lives in a road accident in Rajasthan's Kota.

He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

"The accident in Kota, Rajasthan is very painful. I express my condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in this accident. May God give him the strength to bear this immense sorrow," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted quoting PM Modi.

"Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in a tragic accident in Kota. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," it added.

Nine people were killed when a car carrying a marriage party fell into the Chambal River in Kota on Sunday.
San Francisco, Feb 21 : The nonprofit organisation that represents Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen has filed two new complaints against Meta (formerly Facebook), accusing the social network of misleading investors about its efforts to tackle misinformation about climate change and Covid-19.

The two complaints have been filed in the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) complaints by Whistleblower Aid, reports The Washington Post.

The first complaint alleged the presence of readily available climate change misinformation on Facebook, making Facebook's claims that it's fighting climate denial fall flat.

It also contains internal documents detailing employees' own experiences with climate-related falsehoods on the platform.

Climate denial on Facebook has gotten even worse this year, according to a new study led by climate advocacy group Stop Funding Heat and the Real Facebook Oversight Board.

The second complaint alleged Facebook's promise to combat Covid-19 misinformation didn't align with its actions.

According to The Post, the complaint cites an internal document showing a 20 per cent increase in misinformation in April 2020, as well as a May 2020 record in which employees point out the presence of hundreds of anti-quarantine groups.

Last year, US President Joe Biden accused Facebook and other social platforms of "killing people" with misinformation about Covid-19 and its vaccines, reports The Verge.

"There are no one-size-fits-all solutions to stopping the spread of misinformation, but we're committed to building new tools and policies to combat it," said Meta spokesperson Drew Pusateri in a statement.

Facebook whistleblower Haugen said earlier this month that Meta deliberately provides less help, reporting of online abuse, and safety on its Facebook platform to save on costs for people living outside of the US.

Speaking to Australia's Select Committee on Social Media and Online Safety, Haugen testified that Facebook takes down the "bare minimum" when it comes to harmful content.

Much like Haugen's previous appearances before governments from other jurisdictions, she continued to flag the core issues with the Facebook platform as being its algorithms that push extreme content and its decision to allow a higher rate of inappropriate content to remain.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : Indulge in this glitzy, modern-day Persian cafA, which has jewel-toned chenille details, baroque chandeliers, flavorful meals, and sparkling spirits to share with your special someone. What isn't to like about this? At the Good Earth Raghuvanshi Mills flagship in Mumbai, The Tasting Room by Diva, which recently reopened with a new menu, is ready to serve you.

Anita Lal, Creative Director at Good Earth, and Adil Ahmad, Interior Designer at Good Earth, collaborated on the Cafe's all-new avatar's maximal setting. A new menu inspired by flavours from Chef Ritu Dalmia's favourite destinations, including Columbia, Turkey, Italy, and Beirut, will transport you around the world.

To finish things off on a sweet note, there are sumptuous tapas, mezze platters, and charcuterie boards ideal for sharing, as well as a diverse selection of world cuisine, including Lebanese khoubouz wraps, Sea bass Ceviche, Beetroot Gnocchi, and the delectable Bastani ice cream inspired by Persia.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
New Delhi, Feb 21 : The trees that cover the granitic islands and the 1500 species of flowering plants contain some of the most rare specimens on the planet, many of which are found nowhere else on the planet.

Seychelles has become known for some of the most amazing nature walks and trails in the Indian Ocean, with over 15 trails to choose from. For nature lovers, each network of walks and trails crisscrossing the islands of Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue is unique and reflects the islands' richness and wealth.

Here are some of the best nature trails to visit on your next vacation: Copolia Lodge Trail, Mahe

Copolia Trail, located in Morne Seychellois National Park, is one of Seychelles' most popular hiking trails. The view is simply breathtaking, spanning the east coast of the main island all the way to the country's international airport. The trail is hidden beneath the lush growth of the forest, which contains many endemic palms; higher up, the area is covered in boulders.

Anse Major Trail, Mahe The Anse Major trail will not disappoint if you are looking for a relaxing beach day at the end of a hike. The isolated beach of Anse Major is reached via a relatively easy walk through giant boulders. The walk to the beach and back takes about three hours, but the clear blue sea and lagoon are ideal for a picnic.

Vallee de Mai, Praslin Seychelles has two UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the legendary Vallee de Mai, one of the world's smallest natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites, where millions of years of isolation have resulted in the evolution of many unique species found nowhere else on the planet. The VallAe de Mai, a living remnant of ancient palm forests, is the green heart of Praslin Island and home to Seychelles' largest intact forest of the endemic coco de mer palm. If you're lucky, you might even see the rare Seychelles Black Parrot.

Fond Ferdinand, Praslin Even though the Vallee de Mai is unquestionably Praslin's main draw, the alternative Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve is also well worth a visit. This 122-hectare park is six times the size of Vallee de Mai and contains more endemic plant and animal species to discover. From the elevated lookout point, enjoy endless views of Praslin, as well as several other Inner Seychelles Islands, including Curieuse, La Digue and Coco Island.

Nid d'Aigle, La Digue If you're looking for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, consider climbing to the Nid d'Aigle while in La Digue. This 333-metre 'mountain' (1092 ft) is La Digue's highest peak and is also known as the Eagle's Nest. The trail meanders through soft forest floors, granite boulders, and red earth. The highest point provides a breathtaking view of Praslin, Felicite, and Marianne Island.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
New Delhi, Feb 21 : After a successful launch in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with the prestigious Damas Jewellery Group last year, Farah Khan Ali is ready to unveil her new pret label "Farah Khan Atelier" The pieces are for the the woman who wants her everyday jewels to reflect her personality. They compliment her innate sense of style, balance and harmony. Embark on a whimsical new adventure with Farah Khan Atelier's four new collections, where each finely crafted piece of jewellery has a story to tell - embellished with a narrative that resonates with you and is an ultimate representation of your style and taste! The brand campaigns feature's sister Sussanne Khan and Amyra Dastur, women who have carved a special space for themselves in their respective fields. "Sussanne and Amyra are the perfect muses for Farah Khan Atelier as they embody the values of substance blended with compassion and style with individuality. An empowering combination that serves to inspire others as well," said the designer.

Creating each collection to celebrate living the moment of life as a gift to oneself, Farah added, "I have always believed that jewels should be worn more often because they remind you of happy moments in your life. A piece of jewellery is more than just jewellery. It is memories attached to the ones we love. Wanting to reach out to more people who believe in celebrating life as much as I do, I decided to launch Farah Khan Atelier, a brand of premium jewellery that celebrates the finest gems of the human spirit - love, faith and resilience." "To live is a miracle and we need to celebrate that fact of life. With Farah Khan Atelier, I bring you 28 years of my experience in creating joyous moments and I give you jewels that will make you feel alive and offer you an unparalleled experience of the finest in design, quality, style and finish," said the celebrated designer.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
New Delhi, Feb 21 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed grief over the passing away of freedom fighter and social worker Shakuntala Choudhary at the age of 102.

"Shakuntala Choudhary Ji will be remembered for her lifelong efforts to promote Gandhian values. Her noble work at the Sarania Ashram positively impacted many lives. Saddened by her passing away. My thoughts are with her family and countless admirers. Om Shanti", PM Modi said.

A Gandhian social worker and freedom fighter, Shakuntala Chaudhary hailed from Assam's Kamrup district and was known for her social service, especially women and children. She was popularly known as 'Shakuntala Baideo'.

She was also honoured with a Padma Shri award by the Government of India.

Expressing condolence, the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a tweet message, "Deeply anguished at the passing away of veteran Gandhian and Padma Shri Shakuntala Choudhary. Her life was devoted to selfless service, truth, simplicity and non-violence at Sarania Ashram, Guwahati where Mahatma Gandhi had stayed in 1946. My prayers for her sadgati, Om Shanti!" Born in 1920, she was primarily associated with the Kasturba Trust and was a torch-bearer of the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi across the northeast, particularly in Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya and spent a large part of her life at the Kasturba ashram.

Shakuntala Choudhary was also closely associated with Acharya Vinoba Bhave and had participated in one-and-a-half-years long 'padayatra' during the Bhooban movement.

During Mahatma Gandhi's visit to the northeast, she used to act as an interpreter and helped Gandhiji convey his message to people in Assamese.
Kashmir was once again rocked by yet another shocking case of acid attack on a young Kashmiri girl by a Kashmiri man, who was angry at the girl for refusing his advances. The girl is admitted to the hospital in a grievously injured condition and is fighting for her life. What is really alarming is the fact that this shocking incident comes after a similar such attack a few months back in Shopian in South Kashmir. So, what does it all say about our Kashmiri society? Kashmir was one of few places in the Indian subcontinent, where crime rate was extremely low during British times. Kashmiri Muslims were known to be secular, fun loving, patron of music, songs and dances and poetry. But ironically in last three decades since the rise of militancy, even as Kashmiri Muslim society tilted towards orthodoxy, conservatism and puritan practices of Islam, the same Kashmiri society has simultaneously also fallen into abyss of moral decadence.

Before 1990, incidents like throwing acid on girls for refusing advances would have been unthinkable, even though Kashmiri society was not as outwardly religious at that time like it is today. So how is it that Kashmir and Kashmiri people, who on the outside are much more visibly religious today than they were in the past are today faced with such a pathetic moral societal collapse? Take for example Hijab. The middle eastern & Iranian style hijab and abaya that are so common among younger generation of Kashmiri Muslim girls today, were practically unknown commodity in the past. While few older women would wear burqa, Kashmiri Muslim women, by and large did not adorn any Arabic or Iranian hijabs. Yet, the ethical, social and moral values of Kashmiri society were far more impeccable than they are today.

Today, it is not just the incidents of throwing acid on girls that are now becoming 'new normal' in Kashmir, but the Kashmiri society has been facing a myriad of social issues that point to overall social collapse of Kashmiri society. An epidemic of drug abuse, plague of eve teasing in public spaces especially in public transport, harassment of girls and women outside schools and colleges are some of other 'new normal' that have become part of contemporary Kashmiri social norms. It is clear that Kashmir's turn towards religious orthodoxy has neither stopped nor dented Kashmiri society's continuing fall into moral decay.

While it is true that Kashmiri Muslims have today become outwardly more religious than their father's generation, with Kashmiri Muslim men wearing long Islamic beards and nearly all Kashmiri Muslim women wearing middle eastern hijabs, such religion driven physical changes have largely been cosmetic only.

Kashmiri Muslim society may have adopted the easier part of showing off their religiosity, they have however not exactly absorbed the spiritual and moral teachings of faith. Many Muslims from other parts of India and world often point out that Kashmir looks unusually very religious with every second man showing off Islamic beard and every second woman adorned in hijabs.

I think a big part of the problem lies in the fact that Kashmir's former secular social fabric has torn apart. Forced exodus of Kashmiri Hindu Pandit community has had devastating impact on Kashmiri Muslim society as members of Kashmiri Pandit community used to be moral conscious keepers of entire Kashmiri society. By throwing them out, Kashmiri Muslims lost the disciplinarian glue that kept all Kashmiris intact in ethical and moral bond.

Orthodoxy and rise of puritan and conservatist version of Islam also disturbed Kashmir's former more liberal, moderate and progressive character, which used to promote healthier artistic and cultural endeavours such as songs, music, dances, etc. With the rise of puritan Islam, many of these cultural activities along with their more modern manifestations like theatre, movies, etc., have gone into decline as they clash with orthodox norms of conservative traditions of Islam.

What is even more disturbing is the fact that even Kashmir's pluralistic and colourful Sufi Muslim traditions which are full of celebrations, songs and dances have also come under attack of orthodox religious influences, all of which have aggregately created a disturbing impact of collective social behaviour of Kashmiri Muslim society, which has become regressive and has gone more and more inwards. Such catastrophic social changes that took over Kashmir in last three decades with the start of militancy in 1990s not only broke down Kashmir's carefully crafted net of moral values fabricated by centuries of interactions between Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims, it also paved way for the rise of religious radicalism and social orthodoxy, which along with instability caused by nearly three decades of violence has had devastating impact on social behaviour of ordinary Kashmiri citizens. The subsequent rise of social evils like growth of drug menace, eve teasing, harassment of women, etc., are only manifestations of this long going societal collapse.

There is. however. still a chance to come out of this rapid social and moral decline that Kashmiri society has been facing for the last three decades, the most important of which is to embrace modernity, secularism, progressiveness and liberalism, the kind of values that used to define Kashmiri people before 1990. Kashmir gave enough chance to religious orthodoxy and that has only made things worse by shrinking space for liberal and moderate thinking and turning Kashmiri Muslims into hypocrites, who would wear the hat of religion during the day and then indulge into irreligious activities at night in secrecy.

Kashmir's younger generation needs modern, progressive, scientific counselling and approach towards various behavioural interactions. The modern youth of Kashmir should not be shackled by bonds of religious orthodoxy, which often leads to such irrational and criminal behaviour. Kashmir's futile tryst with conservatism and social orthodoxy has only pushed Kashmiri society further deep down into the abyss of mental stagnation. We need to usher in our youth of Kashmir towards modern, secular, moderate values that used to be the hallmark of a happy go lucky Kashmiri of the past, who was honest and morally strong.

(Javed Beigh is General Secretary People's Democratic Front (Secular). The views expressed are personal)
Srinagar, Feb 21 : A faith healer was looted on Monday by thieves posing as her disciples in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district.

Police sources said two thieves posing as disciples came to the home of Rasiya Bano, a faith healer living in the Badragund village of Kazigund area on Monday.

"They sprayed some chemical on her face. She fell unconscious. The thieves fled with jewellery and some cash.

"Police team has reached the spot. More details are awaited," sources said.
Seoul, Feb 21 : The Seoul city government will provide North Korean defectors with free health checkups, online tutoring services for students and other support measures to help them better settle in their new homeland, officials said on Monday.

It is the first time in nine years that Seoul has put together support measures for defectors, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Seoul is home to 6,759 defectors, about 21.4 per cent of the total, and about 3.4 billion won ($2 million) has been earmarked for this year's support plan, up 1.5 billion won from last year.

Under the plan, free medical examinations will be provided for 200 people aged 14 or older in the first half of the year on a pilot basis, and those in need of medical treatment after examinations will be additionally given 1 million won in the name of nursing fees a year.

The program will be expanded to other defectors either in the second half or next year, officials said.

The city government also increased the amount of financial aid provided to help new defector households settling in Seoul purchase basic household items, such as TV sets and fans, to 1 million won from 700,000 won.

Also available to defectors will be welfare services for those suffering domestic violence or poverty as well as counselling programs for those experiencing depression or trauma, officials said.

The support plan also includes free e-learning classes and mentoring services for defector students through SeoulLearn, an online education platform, public jobs and community integration programs for defectors.

"The plan aims to help (North Korean defectors) gain complete independence and social integration, not only resettlement," the city government said.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production, and Investment, has said that trade with India is the need of the hour and beneficial to both countries, Dawn reported.

"As far as the Ministry of Commerce is concerned, its position is to do trade with India. And my stance is that we should do trade with India and it should be opened now," Dawood said in an interaction with the media on Sunday at an exhibition on engineering and healthcare organised by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.

"The trade with India is very beneficial to all, especially Pakistan. And I support it," he added.

About the exports to Afghanistan, the adviser said his ministry had increased the number of exporting items to Afghanistan (in Pakistani rupee) to 17.

"Still various businessmen are contacting me to include their articles/items in this list as they also want to export their goods to Afghanistan in Pak rupee," he claimed.

Talking about the trade relations with Russia, Dawood said Pakistan's exports to Russia and the countries bordering it (central Asia) and others required immediate attention and growth.

"So we need to open this trade. And that is why we are going there," he said, adding that Russia wanted to work in Pakistan in the fields of laying pipelines, constructions.
BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- In China, the first of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunar calendar is called "Lichun," or the "Beginning of Spring," which falls in early February every year. It is seen as the start of a promising season full of hope.

For Jihaoyeqiu, a villager in the mountainous Sanhe Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, his memories of spring 2018 are particularly vivid: his family welcomed a special guest, President Xi Jinping.

About a year before Jihaoyeqiu welcomed the president into his home, Xi participated in deliberations with his fellow deputies from the delegation of Sichuan during the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature. During the deliberations, Xi told the deputies, "I have been to most of the country's 'contiguous impoverished areas' and will visit Lyuliang and Liangshan, where I have not yet been, as soon as possible."

True to his word, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, went to the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture during his inspection tour to Sichuan in February 2018.

Liangshan is home to China's largest ethnic Yi community. The prefecture had long struggled with grinding poverty due to rough terrain and a harsh natural environment as well as a lack of roads and amenities. Eleven of the prefecture's 17 county-level regions were key areas in the state's poverty alleviation campaign.

Xi went to the then impoverished Sanhe, a village 2,500 meters above sea level in the Liangshan prefecture.

Xi passed through a low courtyard gate and walked into Jihaoyeqiu's home. Before stepping over the threshold, he carefully read the poverty alleviation support card on the door of the house. He then took time to enquire how the family was getting along with their life and whether their children were attending school.

"I have always been concerned about the Yi people. I am very happy to be here and I am heartened to see that your lives are getting better," Xi said. Xi was happy to learn that villagers had increased their incomes by raising cattle and growing potatoes, peppers and walnuts.

Over the years, the Liangshan prefecture had undergone a massive anti-poverty campaign, building over 10,000 kilometers of rural roads, relocating 350,000 residents to government-funded housing, and helping 215 villages develop a collective economy. More than 11,000 officials were sent to villages to assist in local anti-poverty battles.

In Sanhe, especially thanks to improved rural transport, villagers have found a path to develop their domestic industries. Today, local agricultural products such as potatoes, peppers and walnuts are sold beyond their mountains, markedly increasing incomes.

Xi, as the commander-in-chief of China's anti-poverty fight, promised that "the CPC will do whatever it takes to honor its commitment to the people."

Last year, China announced victory in its pursuit to eradicate absolute poverty. The authorities have been since then placing more emphasis on a strategy to modernize the vast countryside, or the rural vitalization drive.

During this year's pre-Spring Festival trip to Shanxi Province, Xi noted that the goal of building a modern socialist country cannot be attained without the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. 
Patna, Feb 21 : A burqa-clad girl in Bihar's Begusarai district was stopped from making transactions in a nationalised bank, an official said.

The girl recorded the incident and shared it on social media on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday when the girl had gone to UCO bank of Mansoor Chowk branch in Begusarai to withdraw money.

As per the video, three to four bank employees asked her to remove the hijab and only then apply for the withdrawal of the money. The girl strongly objected to it and called her parents. They asked the employees to show written notification that Hijab is not allowed inside the bank.

"My daughter and I used to come to the bank every month but no one had ever objected in the past. Why are they doing it now?. If any such thing has been implemented in Karnataka, why are they implementing it in Bihar? Do they have any written notification about banning Hijab in banking operations?" her father asks in the video.

The employees also asked them to stop recording the incident which the woman and her family refused.

The video was uploaded on social media and re-tweeted by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. While tagging Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi asked: "To what extent can you go to secure your post? I understand that you have mortgaged your ideology, policies, moral responsibility and conscience before BJP but you have taken the oath of the Constitution of the country. Respect the Constitution at least and arrest the alleged employees." Meanwhile, UCO bank from its official twitter handle has given a statement on this incident: "Bank respects the religious sentiments of the citizens and does not discriminate it's esteemed customers on the basis of caste or religion. Bank is checking the facts on this issue."
New Delhi, Feb 21 : After declining in early trade, key indices -- S&P BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty50 -- rose in the afternoon on Friday primarily due to value buying, said analysts.

Geo-strategic tensions between Ukraine and Russia had weighed on the indices in the recent sessions, which led to heavy sell-off by foreign institutional investors.

Investors should wait till clarity emerges on the Russia-Ukraine front, said V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

At 1.19 p.m., Sensex traded at 58,099 points, up 0.5 per cent or 266 points, whereas Nifty traded 17,330 points, up 0.3 per cent or 54 points.

Among the stocks, Shree Cement, ICICI Bank, Infosys, Wipro, and Power Grid Corporation of India were the top five gainers among the Nifty 50 companies during the afternoon trade, rising 2.1 per cent, 1.8 per cent, 1.6 per cent, 1.5 per cent, and 1.3 per cent, respectively.

Hindalco, UPL, Divi's Labs, Sun Pharma, ONGC, on the other hand, were the top five losers.
Amman, Feb 21 : Jordan's State Minister for Media Affairs Faisal Shboul said that 897 cyberattacks against the country were recorded in 2021 and all of them were thwarted.

The attacks targeted several establishments including the Royal Hashemite Court, the official body that oversees the preparation and implementation of the Jordanian King's local and international activities, Shboul told reporters here.

Those cyberattacks also targeted governmental institutions, websites and e-mail servers of institutions, and individuals,Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying.

The cyberattacks were carried out with the purpose of disrupting the network, stealing information and data, cyber spying, and exploiting infrastructure to launch attacks on other entities, he said.

According to figures revealed by Shboul, 34 per cent of the recorded attacks targeted network users, while 27 per cent of them were state-sponsored attacks.

According to the minister, 26 per cent of the cyberattacks were online crimes, while 13 per cent were related to extremist organisations and terrorist groups.

During the past six months, the National Cyber Security Centre, which has foiled the cyberattacks, has detected attacks from more than 40 countries based on the attacker's IP address, the Minister said.

Shboul admitted there were other cyberattacks that were not detected by the authorities.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 21 : Around 4.7 million children returned to their classrooms in Kerala on Monday as the schools reopened at full strength after almost two years in the wake of Covid-19.

Incidentally, schools in the state last worked in full strength in the third week of March in 2020.

On Monday morning, State Education Minister V.Sivankutty visited a state-run school and said the students were so excited to return to schools.

"Their happiness was palpable and said they do not wish to sit at home again. We have made all the required arrangements for smooth functioning of the schools which includes providing noon meals also," said Sivankutty.

He said around 1.91 lakh teachers and close to 30,000 non-teaching staff would have returned to the school campuses.

"The only difference between schools functioning at full strength almost two years back and today is we can't see our friends' faces fully as all are masked. We now are sad that schools again will close after a few weeks as this academic year is about end," said a group of girls at a school in Kochi.

At a lower primary school in Tirur in Malappuram district, the students, however, were in for a rude shock when they were turned back as the roof tiles of their school had collapsed.

"We are sad as we came with a lot of expectations to continue our studies sitting in the classrooms. Now we are told, it will take a while and we are definitely sad," said the students.

Meanwhile, for the time being students are allowed to take the call to wear uniforms or not and attendance also is not compulsory.

All the students have been advised to get an additional mask, one for the forenoon session and the other one for the afternoon session.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 21 : Thanks to Covid and Covid protocols for the past nearly two years, protests by the Congress led UDF opposition was a rare phenomenon and now with Covid on the wane and near normalcy returning, the UDF which met here on Monday decided to take to the streets demanding Chief Minister to quit as Home Minister.

The Congress led UDF concluded that Vijayan as the Home Minister has been an abject failure and has been unable to handle the law and order in the state which has gone for a toss.

On Monday morning at his hometown in Kannur, a CPI-M worker was brutally murdered by a group of people alleged to be workers of the RSS.

The UDF decided to stage a sit in protest in front of the State Secretariat on March 4 in which all the legislators and MPs will participate.

The UDF also took stock of the K-Rail- Silverline project, a pet project of Vijayan and according to top experts like Metroman E. Sreedharan who has termed the proposed project which is expected to cost more than Rs one lakh crore, an idiotic proposal and one which will destroy the environment of the state.

But Vijayan is determined to go forward with the project which if completed will see a 529.45 km corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod and a high speed train will run this distance in around four hours.

At present, even though the sanction of the project is yet to come, the K-Rail officials are going forward with laying the stones at the places that are likely to be acquired and all across the state, the officials are having a torrid time with massive protests by the people.

"The UDF will organise a 25 day protest from March 10 to April 4 all across the state on this topic, as this is one project which will bring more disasters than gains," said a top UDF leader.

The UDF also decided to see that they take up the Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's frequent outbursts and the way he is going about things, which will be taken up in the floor of the assembly starting Tuesday.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : The US has said it has credible information that indicates Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation.

"We also have credible information that Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations," Bathsheba Nell Crocker, US Representative to the Office of the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva, said.

"As the US explores every opportunity to push Russia toward de-escalation and diplomacy, Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised these concerns to the Security Council on February 17, 2022. In particular, he stated that the US has information that indicates Russia will target specific groups of Ukrainians. At the Human Rights Council, the US raised concerns about Russia's plans during the debate on your Office's periodic report on the situation in Ukraine on December 15, 2021," Crocker said in a letter to UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet.

The US said it is gravely concerned that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine would produce widespread human suffering.

In light of the OHCHR's important mandate and its reporting presence in Ukraine, US said it is sharing this information as an early warning that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine may create a human rights catastrophe.

"We are deeply concerned about Russia's continuing human rights abuses in the parts of Ukraine it already occupies and have every reason to believe those concerns will multiply following a new military offensive. I would like to bring to your attention disturbing information recently obtained by the US that indicates that human rights violations and abuses in the aftermath of a further invasion are being planned," the letter said.

"These acts, which in past Russian operations have included targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, unjust detentions, and the use of torture, would likely target those who oppose Russian actions, including Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons."
Mumbai, Feb 21 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted raids at the offices of India Bulls Finance Centre in Mumbai and Delhi in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering case lodged against the company and its promoter Sameer Gehlaut in April 2021.

The ED had earlier recorded the statement of a Pune based businessman who deals in real estate, in this connection.

The ED officials held a meeting on Sunday to plan Monday's raid. Separate teams were formed to recover a few incriminating documents.

Earlier, a case was lodged against the company and its promoter at Palghar, Maharashtra. It had been alleged in the FIR that the real estate company first took loan from India Bulls and invested in India Bulls housing shares. The company had increased the share value and the money were later siphoned off to other entities.

The Delhi High Court had issued an order barring the ED from taking coercive action against the company.

Further details are awaited.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : The 'Suisse Secrets' project investigates bank account information leaked from Credit Suisse, Switzerlands second-largest lender. The leak included more than 18,000 accounts that held in excess of $100 billion at their peaks. It is the only known leak of a major Swiss banks client data to journalists.

Switzerland is a well-known destination for money from all over the world, in part because of its banking secrecy laws. There is nothing inherently wrong with having a Swiss bank account. But banks are supposed to avoid clients who earned money illegally or were involved in crimes - and reporters identified dozens of corrupt government officials, criminals, and alleged human rights abusers among Credit Suisse account holders, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) said in a report.

Despite their notoriety - which, in some cases, would have been obvious from a quick Google search - Credit Suisse maintained relationships with some of these clients for years, though it is possible that some accounts were ordered frozen by law enforcement.

The Suisse Secrets project investigates these account holders, whose exploitation of Swiss banking secrecy is a prime example of how the international financial industry enables theft and corruption The Suisse Secrets data was provided to the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung by an anonymous source more than a year ago. Nothing is known about the source's identity.

The source, however, did provide a statement explaining his or her motivations.

It reads, in part: "I believe that Swiss banking secrecy laws are immoral. The pretext of protecting financial privacy is merely a fig leaf covering the shameful role of Swiss banks as collaborators of tax evaders. ... This situation enables corruption and starves developing countries of much-needed tax revenue.

"I want to emphasize the fact that the responsibility for this state of affairs does not lie with Swiss banks but rather with the Swiss legal system. Banks are simply being good capitalists by maximizing profits within the legal framework they operate in. Simply put, Swiss legislators are responsible for enabling financial crimes and - by virtue of their direct democracy - the Swiss people have the power to do something about it." Those cases that merited publication involved clients known to have been high-risk: politically connected people or those accused or convicted of serious crimes. OCCRP said dozens of Credit Suisse accounts belonged to prominent figures, alongside the scandals, criminal investigations, or high-profile political events they were involved in.

One example is Rodoljub Radulovic, a high-ranking member of one of Eastern Europe's largest cocaine-smuggling cartels, led by the notorious Serbian drug lord Darko Saric. Radulovic was able to open a Credit Suisse account despite a long history of involvement in financial scandals in the US. He then used it to launder over 3 million euros' worth of drug money, Serbian prosecutors say.

Another is Eduard Seidel, a former top executive in Nigeria for German telecommunications giant Siemens, whose accounts contained tens of millions of Swiss francs. Two of them remained open for almost a decade after allegations of his involvement in a major bribery scandal in Nigeria first broke.

Then there's Muller Conrad Rautenbach, a mining magnate who has openly boasted of his willingness to bribe his way to the top, and was sanctioned by the US and EU. He opened high-value accounts at Credit Suisse even after the UN warned he was allegedly overseeing corrupt mining deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The larger story that unites these cases is that of a major financial institution that allowed clients to stash away laundered or stolen assets. Nearly all of the stories rely on publicly available information, meaning that Credit Suisse's due diligence department would have had access to it as well, the OCCRP said.

"Everyone should have some access to the banking system," said Graham Barrow, a financial crime specialist.

"What you should not be able to do is use the banking system to introduce corruptly acquired wealth and legitimize it." (Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)
Lucknow, Feb 21 : The stage is now set for the fourth phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh in which 56 Assembly constituencies, spread across nine districts, will go to polls on February 23.

This phase includes 16 reserved constituencies.

Pilibhit, Lakhimpur-Kheri, Sitapur, Lucknow, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Fatehpur and Banda districts will go to polls in the fourth phase.

A total of 624 candidates are in the fray for 59 Assembly seats. The maximum number of candidates is 15 in Sawayajpur in Hardoi while a minimum of six candidates each, are contesting for two seats, including Palia in Lakhimpur and Sevata in Sitapur.

In the fourth phase, polling will be held in Rohilkhand, Terai region, Awadh and Bundelkhand regions.

In the elections held in 2017, the BJP had won 51 of 59 seats. One seat was won by its ally Apna Dal (S). Four were won by SP, while two seats were won by the Congress and two by the BSP.

In this phase, voting is also taking place in state capital Lucknow which has nine Assembly seats. Of these, eight are with the BJP.

Polling is also scheduled to be held in this phase in Lakhimpur Kheri which has become a focal point of the farmer movement, especially after the October 3 incident in which four farmers were mowed down by an SUV owned by union minister Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish Mishra.

Ashish Mishra was recently released on bail from jail last week.

The opposition has been constantly targeting the BJP on this incident and Mishra's release has further stoked the fire.

This phase is crucial for the BJP which faces the challenge of retaining its 51 seats. The party is facing resistance in the Terai region where BJP MP Varun Gandhi has been speaking up on issues against his own party. Varun is MP from Pilibhit, a farmer dominated constituency.

Then the party faces hostile voters in Lakhimpur where the opposition is refusing to let the October incident fade from public memory.

In Sitapur, the BJP faces rebel candidates.

For the Congress, the biggest challenge of these elections comes from Rae Bareli that also goes to polls this week. Both the Congress MLA, Aditi Singh and Rakesh Singh, have turned rebels and joined the BJP.

Rae Bareli is the parliamentary constituency of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the party will face major embarrassment if it fails to win seats here.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : The Disabled Doctors Association 'Doctors with Disabilities' has suggested the health ministry not to seek government IDs from disabled persons before vaccination.

"Persons with disabilities should not be asked to prove disability. People with some specified disabilities (athetoid cerebral palsy, person affected by leprosy, amputees, intellectual disabilities, visual disabilities) face difficulty during biometrics (thumb impression and iris scan) and therefore do not have Aadhaar cards. Many CVCs insist on the card despite a Supreme Court order on not making it mandatory. People with disabilities should not be coerced and any other identity card be used", reads the suggestion which has been sent to both the ministries of Social Justice and Health.

In response to a plea filed by an NGO Evara Foundation, the apex court had directed this Department to invite suggestions and responses from all stakeholders and domain experts in the area of disability with regard to existing facilities and suggestions for further upgradation of the existing framework of vaccination for the Persons with Disabilities.

The suggestion letter reads further that the prioritization concept adopted by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) lacked representation of health professionals with disabilities, and organizations of doctors with disabilities were never involved in the development of vaccine priority groups by either NEGVAC or the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Talking to IANS, Dr Satendra Singh, Founder Doctors with Disabilities, said that no one should be asked to prove disability as many individuals having specified ailments faced difficulty during biometrics. Hence, they don't have Aadhaar cards". He said that many vaccination centres insist on Aadhaar despite Supreme Court not making it mandatory. Any other identity card can be used.

The DwD has suggested that the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) has set up nine National Institutes (NIs) as autonomous bodies focusing on specific types of disabilities, and 21 Composite Regional Centres (CRCs). Their invisibility during COVID has seriously hampered disability inclusive efforts. They should be directed by the Apex Court to help people with disabilities book vaccination slots through phone or live assistance. Multiple booking methods should be developed rather than an over reliance on one app or website.
BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday refuted Australia's allegation that a Chinese naval vessel pointed a laser at an Australian defense plane last Thursday, urging the Australian side to stop spreading disinformation about China.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing.

The information released by the Australian side was found to be untrue after checking with relevant Chinese authorities, the spokesperson noted, adding that the Chinese vessels were navigating normally in the high seas in line with international law and practice, which is totally legitimate and lawful.

"We urge the Australian side to respect the legitimate rights of Chinese vessels in relevant waters in accordance with international law and stop maliciously spreading disinformation about China," Wang said. 
Bengaluru, Feb 21 : A three-judge panel of Karnataka High Court, formed to look into the petitions on hijab row, resumed hearing on Monday afternoon.

Even as the bench headed by the Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi is hearing the matter on a day-to-today basis, the hijab crisis continues in the state, raising concerns over the law and order situation.

Meanwhile, many students across the state have boycotted crucial II PUC practical exams that have started on Monday for not being allowed to wear hijab in the classrooms. However, majority of the students, including those from Muslim community, took off their hijab and attended exams.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant has extended the prohibitory orders surrounding 200 meters of surroundings of schools, PU Colleges, Degree Colleges or other educational institutions till March 8.

If II PUC students remain absent for practical exams they will lose out 30 marks and that will make them get a maximum score of 70 marks in theory exams. To attend CET, the students will have to score a minimum of 45 marks. The scores of practical exams are crucial for the future of students.

The main exams are scheduled between April 16 and May 6. Practical exams will be held for physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, computer science and electronics subjects. The marks will be uploaded to the website of PU Board immediately after exams. If students remain absent for practical exams, no second chance would be given to them.

More than 40 students in Vijayapura district boycotted exams for being asked to remove hijab and staging protests before the District Commissioner's Office. More than 10 students refused to take off their hijab and waited near Women's Polytechnic College in Hassan on the premises. Later, they got into an argument with the Principal demanding entry into classes with hijab.

Prohibitory orders will continue in Koppal district till February 26. The district administration has warned that around 300 meter radius more than five people can't gather. Meanwhile, the six students who started the agitation at Udupi Pre-University Girl's College have remained absent for the practical exams.

As many as nine students of Madikeri Junior College staged a silent protest at the entrance gate. They sat near the gate holding placards containing messages of 'hijab is our right, our choice', 'we want justice'.

Students of Kolar Government Pre-University College demanded a letter from the Principal for not allowing them with hijab to classrooms. They claimed that the court has consented for the entry of students in colleges which do not have a college development committee. They have also staged a protest.

The larger bench has directed the state government to see to it that it's interim order is not violated. Counsels for petitioners have been vehemently pressing for allowing Muslim students with hijab by reconsidering interim order. One of the counsels has requested the court to allow Muslim students to wear hijab at least on Fridays, the jumma day which is considered as most auspicious day for Muslims.

The counsels have also submitted that there is no legal sanctity for the College Development Committee (CDC) and School Development and Management Committees (SDMC). They have also questioned MLA, representing a political party and ideology being let in the academic environment.

The bench has already questioned Advocate General Prabhuling Navadagi representing the government on the legal sanctity of CDCs and SDMCs. He had submitted that the order issued by the government on February 5, did not ban the headscarf but only gave the power of deciding on uniform to CDCs. He also clarified that the government has taken a conscious stand not to intervene in the matters related to religious symbols and it is unnecessarily being dragged into the issue.

The Advocate General will present his arguments on three points and stated firstly he would prove that hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam, preventing its use did not violate Article 25 of the Indian constitution and the challenged Government Order was in accordance with law. The bench has questioned Advocate General on why the government has referred to verdicts given by the high courts and the Supreme Court while giving the order.
Tokyo, Feb 21 : Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will take part in an online meeting of the G7 countries this week and the talks will be aimed at measures to de-escalate tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the government said on Monday.

Kishida said he would make his utmost efforts in lockstep with the G7 and other members of the international community to deescalate and ultimately resolve the crisis on the Russia-Ukraine border, Xinhua news agency reported.

Addressing Parliament, he said that "while the situation remains critical, Japan will continue to make diplomatic efforts with other countries to ease tensions".

Kishida urged Russian President Vladimir Putin last week to find an "acceptable" diplomatic solution to the current impasse and held a teleconference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during which a number of pertinent issues were traversed, government sources said.

Kishida's participation in the Thursday summit, meanwhile, to be hosted by Germany, was announced by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

Matsuno told a press briefing on Monday that the government has been urging Japanese nationals in Ukraine to evacuate, and has been taking measures to bring this to fruition.

He said Japan has chartered an aircraft near Ukraine as part of its plans to evacuate Japanese nationals.

There were about 120 Japanese nationals in Ukraine till date, local media reported.
Islamabad, Feb 21 : The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government has introduced an ordinance, clamping down on social media influencers, vloggers and journalists from spreading fake news against the authorities, state institutions and the military establishment.

Through a presidential ordinance under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance 2022, anyone who is found spreading fake news or criticising the state institutions, can face up to three to five years in jail with limited access to bail.

Law Minister Faroogh Naseem announced the move as pivotal and much needed amendment of laws on cybercrime, stating that no one should be exempted from the effort to eliminate the menace of fake news.

"Media is free to criticize but there should be no fake news," he said, adding: "Spreading fake news will be a non-bailable offense with up to six months imprisonment." The move by the government has been declared as a dangerous overreach and undemocratic.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) called the law imposed through presidential ordinance as "undemocratic".

In a statement, the HRCP condemned government's attempt to silence the much-needed criticism on the performance of the government and state institutions.

"It will also inevitably be used to clamp down on dissenters and critics of the government and state institutions." The decision is also being marked as a deliberate assault against the freedom of expression, which is the basic right of every individual.

The opposition political parties have also slammed the government, questioning it for using the presidential ordinance and termed the new ordinance as "draconian".

"The amendment is not about protecting the vulnerable from cyber predations - quite the opposite," said Senator Sherry Rehman, a senior leader of the opposition political party Pakistan People Party (PPP).

The government has in the past come under the critical lens of analysts, journalists, social media influencers and the opposition parties, who have questioned the capabilities and competency of the government in policy making.

Moreover, the powerful military establishment of the country has also at times, come under criticism of supporting the government, even when the country continues to suffer because of what they called, failed policies and false promises of Prime Minister Khan.

The latest ordinance will certainly strengthen the institutional strength while also ensure protection from widespread criticism and defamation done by elements, who at times use fake news as their reliable source of information.
Bengaluru, Feb 21 : National General Secretary of the BJP and MLA C.T. Ravi on Monday stoked a controversy by saying that "intolerance is present in the community since the birth of Islam".

Speaking to reporters on the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist in Shivamogga, he maintained that there is "no connection between tolerance and Islam".

"Islam has taken birth on the premise of expansion. They cannot agree to another opinion or be tolerant of other people. There is no room for questioning and liberty. The community has to accept the brutal ways, there is no other way. May be the scholars of Islam, if they do serious thinking, the truth in this regard will come out," Ravi said.

He dubbed the murder a premeditated act and demanded that action should be initiated no matter who is involved in it.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, "Harsha, who was killed brutally on Sunday night, was a worker of our organisation. We have got many clues and arrests would be made soon. I appeal to people to maintain peace," he said.

Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa stated that the murder of the Bajrang Dal activist is a condemnable act and the culprits should be arrested soon. "When such elements are arrested and punished, these kinds of incidents of goondagiri and murder will stop," he said.

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Mining Pralhad Joshi maintained that such incidents have taken place earlier also in Shivamogga. "The government should consider the incident seriously and arrest the accused soon. One murder case can't be dubbed as the failure of the government," he asserted.

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah demanded capital punishment for the murderers of the Bajrang Dal activist. "First find the killers, whoever they may be, they should be sent to the gallows." "Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K.S. Eshwarappa belong to Shivamogga district and they have failed as ministers. I won't ask for their resignations as they are thick skinned," Siddaramaiah added.

D.K. Shivakumar, State Congress President, slammed Eshwarappa over his alleged 'saffron flag at the Red Fort' remark and stated, "Eshwarappa will blame me for everything. He has already put the state on fire by his statements, let him investigate my role." "We are also pained by the murder. Our party condemns the act of murder. We are getting inputs that the murder has taken place for personal reasons. Let them investigate," Shivakumar added.

BJP MLC Ravikumar stated that amid the hijab row, a Hindu youth had been hacked to death. He claimed that during the Siddaramnaiah led Congress rule, 18 Hindus were killed. "The government should cut the roots of these terror elements," he demanded.

Sriram Sena Founder Pramod Muthalik has claimed that the killers have been trained in Kerala. "Earlier too, they had attempted to assault Harsha many times and the deceased had filed police complaints in this regard." "CFI, PFI and SDPI must be banned, what is the government waiting for? There have been many incidents of Hindu activists being killed in Shivamogga," Muthalik asserted.

"These elements must be kept in check. If they can commit such a crime in a district from where Home Minister Araga Janendra, Minister Eshwarappa and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa hail from, it is a total collapse of the system. The community members must be careful. This is not Pakistan or Afghanistan to take out a aword and do what you want. There is law and constitution. They must seek remedies legally to their problems. They can't play out their things here," Muthalik warned.

Meanwhile, the body of Harsha, who was hacked to death, was handed over to his family. Despite prohibitory orders thousands of Hindu activists took out a procession, during which incidents of stone pelting, shops' and vehicles' torching were reported.

The family sources said that the final rites would be conducted according to Maratha traditions.

Police sources stated that they have arrested two persons in connection with the murder.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : Russian battleplans have called for an "overwhelming intensity of fire" on Ukraine that could kill "tens of thousands" within the opening days of a conflict, as President Vladimir Putin moved his troops within three miles of the two countries' border, the US has warned.

Tanks, trucks and artillery have been spotted just two and a half miles from Ukrainian territory in Russia's Belgorod region as new satellite images reveal convoys and troops hiding in civilian areas and the tree-lines of forests in Soloti and Valuyki - a short distance from Ukraine's Kharkiv region where major military bases are located, the Daily Mail reported.

Diplomacy is continuing despite the threat, though the Kremlin on Monday downplayed the possibility of a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Putin after the White House said that the American leader had agreed "in principle" to talks brokered by France, provided war did not break out in the meantime.

"It's premature to talk about any specific plans for organising any kind of summits," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that no "concrete plans" had been put in place for a meeting, the Daily Mail reported.

The next high-level negotiations between the two sides are due for Wednesday this week, when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with the issue of Biden-Putin talks expected to be on the agenda.

Meanwhile Russian military exercises in Belarus which were due to end on Sunday were extended to an unspecified date, meaning 30,000 men plus ballistic missile launchers, artillery and tanks will remain in place on Ukraine's northern border and within easy striking distance of Kiev.

Biden warned at the weekend that Putin has already given the order to attack, leaving the world guessing as to where and how hard the hammer will fall.

American officials who claimed to have seen some of the Kremlin's battle plans warned that a full scale bombardment of the country is being prepared.

"We were told to expect tens of thousands of casualties in the opening days," one of the officials told The New York Times.
Lahore, Feb 21 : The Women March, famously known as Aurat March has been taking out rallies for the past five years in Pakistan, demanding equal rights for women, LGBTs and other matters related to the empowerment of women.

Rallies of Aurat March, which showcase thousands of females, young and old, marching on the streets of Pakistan, chanting slogans and carrying banners for women rights, have been under severe criticism by religious parties and organisations, who blame the initiative as part of the vested western agenda to damage the Islamic culture and norms in the country.

This year, organisers have issued another manifesto for this year's march titled "Reimagining Justice" a.k.a. "Asal Insaf". The main agenda of the manifesto for 2022, calls for structural revision of the state and society's conception of justice.

However, religious political parties and organisations do not agree with the Aurat March agenda and have called to stand against it, threatening to use any means necessary to stop it.

President Jamiat-Ulema Islam - Fazl (JUI-F) has warned to stop Aurat March with the use of baton.

"If any attempts are made for obscenity on March 8 in Islamabad, we will condemn it", said Abdul Majeed Hazarvi, head of JUI-F Islamabad.

"If the march is allowed, we will use baton to stop it", warned Hazarvi. He said that Aurat March spread obscenity in the name of women's rights.

The latest threat comes in the wake of a letter written by Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri, who requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to celebrate International Hijab Day on march 8, marking the International Women's Day.

Qadri stated that celebrating International Hijab Day will be an effort to express solidarity with Muslim women across the globe.

Qadri also stated in the letter that Aurat March has been seen using anti-Islamic slogans, which have been raised during their marches in the past.

While the threat of a confrontation looms for Aurat March, organizers said that the march is not aimed at promotion of any anti-Islamic agenda but is focused on raising the demand to resolve systemic inadequacies.

The manifesto of Aurat March cites an excessive focus on carceral punishment to combat crime. It also highlights the economic and environmental gaps which impact susceptible groups.

The proposed charter of 17 demands by Aurat March organisers include funding to survivor centric welfare organization, universal basic income and care work income for all, de-criminalization of defamation laws.

But with religious organizations calling the Aurat March organizers as agents of the western culture who aim to damage and breach into the Muslim culture, the debate has gained widespread attention and has become the prime focus of interest in Pakistan.
Mumbai, Feb 21 : Actor Vikrant Massey has talked about the the difficulties he faced while shooting for crime thriller film 'Love Hostel' Vikrant said: "We faced quite a few difficulties while shooting Love Hostel. Personally, it was a turbulent time for me as I was going through a lot. By just playing this character, it really kept me awake for most nights. Like it really tormented my mind." "Purely because when you sit back and realise through a character that there is somebody actually living this life then it's a very unpleasant feeling. It's not something you want to sit with for long enough." He calls it an "unfortunate truth" that there are people living lives as the one you are portraying on-screen.

Shot in the rustic locales of North India, 'Love Hostel' is a tale of hope and survival in a world where power and money lead to mayhem and bloodshed.

"So, this thought kept me up. But logistically too, it was a nightmare. Due to Covid, we went through a lot of ups and downs. I suffered from Covid right in the middle of an outdoor shoot which is worrisome as I am one of the most important pillars of the film who has suddenly collapsed, and we are on an outdoor shoot spending money by the minute. Then our director got Covid so it was hard." He calls 'Love Hostel' a "start-stop kinda film".

"As we had to take that many breaks but we kind of sailed through.

Produced by Gauri Khan, Manish Mundra and Gaurav Verma, 'Love Hostel' is set to premiere on ZEE5 on February 25.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Visakhapatnam, Feb 21 : President Ram Nath Kovind reviewed Naval Fleet comprising over 60 ships and submarines, and 55 aircraft on Monday here and said safety of the seas remains a critical requirement.

Lauding the efforts of the Indian Navy, the President after reviewing the Naval Fleet said: "Indian Navy's constant vigil, prompt response to incidents and untiring efforts have been highly successful in this regard." This is the twelfth Fleet Review and has a special significance that it is being conducted on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India's Independence being celebrated as 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the Nation.

The President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said he is pleased to review the readiness of the Indian naval ships, submarines, aircraft and other elements of our maritime power.

"The excellent parade of ships, aircraft and submarines showcases the professional competence and determination of the maritime services of the nation," he said.

The parade also showcases the preparedness of the Indian Navy for any contingency.

He also said that Visakhapatnam, also popularly known as Vizag, has been an important port for centuries. Historically, it has been known as a crucial hub of trans-national trade and commerce.

From the sixth century Before Common Era to the 21st century, Vizag continues to be an important centre for industry and economy.

He also underlined the strategic importance by the fact that the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy is located here.

"Vizag made a glorious contribution during the 1971 war," said Kovind recalling the heroic action of the Eastern Naval Command in the naval blockade of the then East Pakistan and the sinking of Pakistan's submarine 'Ghazi'. That was a decisive blow to Pakistan.

"The 1971 war remains one of the most emphatic victories in our history. Officers and sailors, India believes in 'Security and Growth for All in the Region' to focus on cooperative measures for sustainable use of oceans," he stated.

Talking about Covid-19 pandemic, the president said Navy has been providing aid to friendly nations by supplying medicines and evacuating stranded Indian citizens and foreign nationals in different parts of the world under 'Mission SAGAR' and 'Samudra Setu'.

The prompt and effective deployment of the Indian Navy in the times of crisis has underscored India's vision of being the 'Preferred Security Partner' and 'First Responder' in the Indian Ocean Region, the president said.

He also noted Navy's efforts to become increasingly self reliant and how the force has been at the forefront of the 'Make in India' initiative. He said 70 per cent of the contents of several warships and submarines under construction in various public and private shipyards across the country are indigenous.

"It is a matter of great pride that India has built nuclear submarines and soon we will have our indigenously built aircraft carrier, 'Vikrant', joining the service. I was happy to inspect 'Vikrant' during my visit to Kochi in December last year," the president said.

Talking about bilateral and multilateral engagement with other countries, Kovind said these engagements are aimed to enhance interoperability, gain from best practices, develop common understanding and build mutual confidence to address maritime issues.

He also wished Navy for the forthcoming Multinational Naval Exercise - MILAN 2022.

The upcoming MILAN 22 is likely to witness its largest ever participation, with nearly 46 countries having been invited to send their warships and delegations.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mumbai, Feb 21 : Popular actor Govind Namdev opens up on the challenges of playing Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler in his next film 'Alien Frank'.

He will be seen essaying Adolf Hitler in the Hindi film 'Alien Frank' which is a completely fresh take on the book 'The Diary of a Young Girl' by Anne Frank, the most discussed victim of the Jewish holocaust, that documented her life in hiding from 1942-1944, during World War II.

Sharing about what prompted him to take up the role, he says: "I have always been fond of such intense characters because it's very challenging for any actor to play. Because Hitler is a very complex character with many contrasting characteristics as he was a painter, writer as well as romantic in nature." "So, what compelled such a sensible artistic man to kill so many people without any regrets is what drove me to delve deep into the character's mind complexity. Hence, getting into the psychology of such challenging characters who are filled with extreme feelings really appeals to me. I feel every actor dreams of playing complex characters," he adds.

The actor has done several movies such as 'Wanted', 'OMG - Oh My God!', 'Bandit Queen', 'Sarfarosh' and 'Satya' and many more.

"A boy from India gets an opportunity to read this diary after it goes viral and after reading many times he gets obsessed and develops feelings for Anne Frank in his imagination. He starts to hallucinate about the girl and develops hatred towards Hitler because he loves her. So he imagines Hitler and then it depicts his conversation with Adolf Hitler." About the challenges and preparation for the role he says: "I watched a lot of documentaries and photographs to understand his body language and learn it. He has his own distinctive way of walking, talking etc. which I practiced. The challenges you face when you play any historical character is that people are aware and have been learning about him for a long time." "So, when you don't do justice to the portrayal of the character up to the mark, then the audience won't appreciate it. When you completely get into the skin of the character, it leaves an impact on people." He also talks about such intense characters leaving a mark on your mind after the shot and how he juggles between different roles.

He shares: "When you portray such intense characters it does leave a mark on your mind for some time. I have developed my own way of coming out of such intense characters as I have also played such roles earlier. When I have to juggle an intense character to a different role of different genre, I take some rest and spend leisure time so I come out of that zone and again start getting into the skin of another character. That's how I prepare myself." The film is produced by Nitesh Kumar, written by Rajesh Prasad, and directed by Amar Singh. It is a distinctive, unconventional film to be presented in film festivals all around the world.
Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi talks to the media outside the Bihar Assembly during the ongoing winter session, in Patna on Nov 25, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi talks to the media outside the Bihar Assembly during the ongoing winter session, in Patna on Nov 25, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Patna, Feb 21 : Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi on Monday welcomed the sentencing of RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam, saying the court has taken an appropriate decision in the matter.

"It is rightly said as you sow, so shall you reap," she said.

Earlier in the day, a special CBI court of Ranchi awarded a five-year jail term to Lalu Yadav and Rs 60 lakh as penalty in connection with Rs 139.35 crore illegal withdrawals from Doranda treasury in 1997.

Another BJP leader and Health Minister Mangal Pandey said: "Many scams took place during the 15-year tenure of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi government which are in the public domain. Now, everything is happening in the court of law and we believe in the judiciary system and its justice." Responding to the statements of BJP leaders, state president of RJD Jagadanand Singh said:

"Many leaders like Renu Devi believe that RJD would collapse after Lalu Prasad goes to jail. Our party stands firm and has emerged as the single largest party in the state." "RJD is not just a political party but is a hope of common people of Bihar and Lalu Prasad is the biggest worker of the party. He stays in the hearts of common people and no one can displace him," Singh said.

"We have full faith in the judiciary but not in the CBI. Whatever CBI presents in the court is under the direction of BJP and Nitish Kumar," Singh said.
Kanul, Feb 21 : The Pakistani ambassador to Kabul has expressed the countrys serious concerns over the active presence of foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan, who use Afghan soil to carry out terror related attacks and activities in Pakistan.

Ambassador Mansoor Ahmed Khan said that terror groups like Daesh and Al-Qaeda pose a serious threat to Pakistan as they facilitate, support and operate in tandem with terror groups in Pakistan.

"Terrorist organisations present in Afghanistan have been posing threats to the security of Afghanistan as well as to other countries, including Pakistan. Daesh is there, and remnants of Al-Qaeda may be there too. Then there are elements like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch insurgents and many other groups," said Ahmed Khan during an interview with Afghanistan's Tolo News.

Khan also expressed security concerns along the Durand Line, hoping to resolve the matter with the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan.

"The fence was erected or installed in the previous years when cross-border terrorism was at its highest. One of the ways the Pakistan government could deal with this issue was to erect a fence," he said.

Khan's reservations raise questions over the Taliban leadership of the Islamic Emirate, as it does not agree to the presence of foreign terrorist groups on its soil. Afghan Taliban have also assured that Afghan soil would not be used against anyone.

It is pertinent to mention that the Taliban regime does not recognise the Durand Line, an issue that has escalated tensions between the two countries in the recent past, when Taliban fighters removed the fence, claiming that the Pakistani authorities had installed the fence on Afghanistan territory.

"Considering the current difficult condition, Afghanistan should have good political, economic and social relations with its neighbors, particularly Pakistan," said Sayed Haroon Hashmi, a political analyst.

Pakistan has also raised the same concern at the UNSC, calling on the global body to hold accountable the masterminds who continue to support, finance and sponsor cross-border terrorist attacks.

It seems clear that all is not well between the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan and the Pakistani authorities, as the issue of Durand Line fencing, cross-border terrorism and presence of foreign terror groups on Afghan soil are reliving the memories of similar exchanges of accusations between the two countries during the previous Ashraf Ghani government in Afghanistan.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a status report from the Centre on a plea filed by an absconding Indian-origin Portuguese citizen, who is accused in a rape case in London, United Kingdom in 2017.

A bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh was hearing the plea of Jose Inacio Cota, a resident of Goa, seeking directions for a full disclosure of evidence, collected during the probe of alleged rape reported from a pub in London.

Arguing that there is a treaty between India and the UK, petitioner's counsel Arpit Batra submitted that the UK is bound to provide all the documents and evidence -- physical and electronic -- collected during the investigation against a person of Indian origin. This will include medical evidence, forensic evidence, CCTV footage, the audio recording of the interviews taken by the UK police, details of calls made to the UK Police, formal police complaints, and a record of seizure of articles.

However, the counsel, appearing for the Centre, objected to the plea on the ground that the petitioner is not appearing in extradition proceedings before the lower court. It was pointed out that the petitioner is wanted in a rape case registered against him in London in May 28, 2017 and his extradition request has been filed by the UK authorities to face trial in the matter. The court will hear the matter further on March 11.

The petition stated that the petitioner has been vexatiously roped into a false case in the UK, which is racially motivated and thus discriminatory and prejudicial toward the petitioner.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : Around 1,400 individuals domiciled in Pakistan are linked with around 600 accounts opened in Credit Suisse, The News reported.

The data also contained information of the accounts which have been closed now but remained operational in the past.

Several politically exposed persons opened their accounts at a time when they were public office holders and they didn't mention it in their assets declaration submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan. One such individual received a substantial amount of funds in Credit Suisse at the prime of his political career. One of the richest accounts held at the bank by a Pakistani was also owned by a politically exposed person, the report said.

The data also contained details about some cases presently under probe in Pakistan where the investigators were fed wrong information about the assets under scrutiny. While many tend to believe that the fake accounts phenomenon is limited to Pakistani banks, it has emerged that Pakistanis have also used Credit Suisse for opening accounts in the names of their proxies in absence of proper due diligence of the bank.

Average maximum balance in accounts held by Pakistanis was 4.42 million Swiss francs (Rs841 million) compared with the overall average of the leaked data which stood at 7.5 million Swiss francs (Rs1.42 billion). Almost two hundred clients found in the data are worth more than 100 million Swiss francs (Rs 19 billion) and more than a dozen had accounts valued in the billions, the report said.

A leak from a Swiss bank has unmasked the hidden fortune of its wealthy clients in 128 countries and they range from the business individuals to politically exposed persons and those investigated, at times convicted, in connection with different criminal activities.
Kolkata, Feb 21 : A couple of days after West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar returned Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recommendation to convene Assembly session from March 7, stating that the proposal did not meet constitutional norms, Banerjee said on Monday that it has become the duty of some people to put up resistance without even knowing the reason.

"There are some people whom I respect, don't disrespect. Showing disrespect doesn't go with my constitution. It has become their duty to interrupt without even knowing the reason," the Chief Minister said, adding, "I don't know why he is doing this. This is delaying things unnecessarily." Banerjee went on to say, "The Governor returned the file. I am the Chief Minister and I have signed the file. He is saying to get it approved by the Cabinet and then send the file." The Chief Minister claimed that she is the voice of the Cabinet.

"However, despite that I have been trying to be decent and send the file approved by the Cabinet," she added.

Banerjee was referring to the incident when Dhankhar returned the Chief Minister's recommendation to convene an Assembly session from March 7, stating that the proposal did not meet constitutional norms.

In a video tweet, Dhankhar had said, "The Constitution permits the Governor to summon the House on the recommendation of the Cabinet. This is spelt out in the Constitution as also the process is laid down in the rule of business.

"The government sent me a file on February 17 seeking to summon the Assembly on March 7. However, that had the endorsement of the Chief Minister. The role of the Cabinet decision in this situation is necessary." "The only option that I had was to send the file back to the government so that they can send it back with constitutional compliance. As and when the file comes, the matter will be considered in accordance with the Constitution," he added.

It should be mentioned here that Banerjee had earlier alleged that the Governor had withheld several files, causing delay to the development of the state.

In reply, Dhankhar had said that there is no file pending with him, and if any file is pending then the onus is on the state government and not the Raj Bhavan.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : A 26-year-old man, who allegedly killed a woman in the national capital and sodomised her dead body, has been arrested, Delhi Police said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Aman Bisht, was apprehended from Jaipur from where he was planning to flee to a safer location. possibly in Nepal or somewhere in north India. He was chraged under sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 377 (unnatural offences - carnal intercourse against the order of nature).

On February 19, a call was received at the Burari police station, stating that a girl has been murdered at Kaushik Enclave in Burari area. "As a police team reached the spot, the caller submitted that when she arrived at her home in the evening, she found a dead body of a girl lying at the floor of her bedroom," Deputy Commissioner of Police Sagar Singh Kalsi told IANS.

A crime team was called to examine the spot and take all evidence. The needle of suspicion was pointing towards her husband, Bisht as he was absconding.

It was learnt that the accused, under turmoil for "unsatisfied sexual life with his wife", found refuge in drugs and virility drugs.

Kalsi told IANS that it was found that on the day of the crime, Bisht brought the victim to his residence on the pretext of getting a saree for his wife. "After getting shunned by the victim, Bisht tried to overpower her and then in a fit of rage, used brute force on her neck, killing her," the DCP said.

Bisht then allegedly sodomised her dead body, he added.

Police are awaiting forensic test results. "Further investigation is on," the DCP added.
Karchana : , Feb 21 (IANS) Taking on the BJP government on the issue of stray or abandoned cattle, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday said that the Uttar Pradesh government played politics over the holy cow and left them unattended on streets.

"The UP government has no account of number of cows in the state. They are using the holy cow to play politics and have left them destitute," said Baghel, who was campaigning in support of Congress candidates in Prayagraj.

Referring to Chhattisgarh's 'Godhan Nyay Yojana', he said that if voted to power, the Congress will implement the scheme in Uttar Pradesh and solve the problem of stray cows by constructing cowshed in each village.

"Farmers in Chhattisgarh are earning Rs 30,000 per month. The Congress will implement this system in Uttar Pradesh also. Farmers of Uttar Pradesh will be benefited by selling the cow dung. Also, Gaushalas will be built in every village of the state. It will bring relief for the farmers from the stray animals which are damaging the crops," he said.

The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said that change of power is evident in the state as voters are annoyed due to atrocities on the farmers.

Addressing public meetings in Bara, Karchana and Allahpur assembly constituencies, Baghel said BJP's politics is in the name of religion.

The Congress has been fighting the battle for the rights of farmers even before Independence, he said, adding that the Congress gave the right to food, education and medicine to the people.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : Amrapali home buyers on Monday raised, in the Supreme Court, quality issues with housing projects where the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) is the project management consultant.

Counsel for home buyers urged the top court to take cognisance of the matter against the backdrop of another condominium, NBCC Green View Society, located in Sector 37-D Gurugram, which has been declared unsafe for the residents just four years after completion.

Advocate M.L. Lahoty, representing Amrapali housing home buyers, submitted before a bench headed by Justice U.U. Lalit that NBCC's Green View Society, which has over 650 housing units, has reported major structural issues, while citing quality issues reported in Amrapali projects and urged the court to take cognisance.

NBCC is the project management consultant for the Amrapali projects and is responsible for the quality and timely completion of work.

The bench, also comprising Justice Bela M. Trivedi, noted that many residents have issues with the quality of work done by contractors and also with projects completed under the supervision of the NBCC.

It asked the court-appointed receiver, senior advocate R. Venkataramani, to look into the details, and that the NBCC should also examine the matter.

Senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, representing NBCC, informed the top court that his client has appointed two external agencies - NIT Nagpur and IMT Jalandhar -- to examine the quality issues. He assured that the construction undertaken by the NBCC in Amrapali housing projects is of good quality.

Kumar Mihir, counsel for some Amrapali home buyers, said structural safety is a big issue for home buyers and the latest news about NBCC Green View has caused grave concern among them. "Thankfully, the Supreme Court has taken note of the same and once the external agencies appointed by the NBCC will give their report on the structural strength of all the buildings, suitable measures will be taken by the NBCC under the guidance of the top court to protect the interest of the home buyers," he added.

Earlier this month, a building partially collapsed in Gurugram's Chintels Paradiso, which left two persons dead. And, days after this incident, NBCC Green View Society located in Sector 37-D, was declared unsafe for the residents. On February 17, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav directed the residents of NBCC Green View, which was deemed unsafe, after a structural audit by IIT Delhi, to vacate the condominium by March 1. Authorities directed NBCC to provide alternative accommodation to the residents till they carry out the repairs.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : China will deliver 25 J-10C fighter jets to Pakistan within weeks in a major boost to the countrys military capabilities to defend its airspace, The News reported.

UK's Financial Times reported that the first batch of combat aircraft is being tested in Chengdu, the base of its manufacturer Chengdu Aerospace Corporation.

"They will be transferred to Pakistan once Pakistan Air Force pilots and technicians complete an introduction to the aircraft," a journalist, working with a Chinese military publication, told FT.

Senior officials in Islamabad said the jets would be delivered before the end of the month, the report added.

The images of the J-10C fighter jet with the marking of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) recently surfaced on social media and were widely circulated by media outlets.

First published on social media last week, the images show two J-10Cs, equipped with China's domestically developed WS-10B Taihang turbofan engines, undertaking test flights at an undisclosed location.

"If confirmed, this could be the first time China has exported the J-10 series fighter and also the first time it has exported the WS-10 series engine," observers said.

Commenting on the matter, Chinese analysts have lauded the latest defence cooperation between the two countries, saying that the move yields great significance to them, in terms of boosting combat capabilities of the Pakistan military, promoting China's aviation equipment, and responding to their security interests in the region, The News reported.
Mumbai : Maharashtra Marathi Language Minister Subhash Desai met Union Minister for Culture G. Kishan Reddy and urged him to accord the 'Classical Language'' status to Marathi by Feb. 27, as per the wishes of 13-crore people of the state. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai : Maharashtra Marathi Language Minister Subhash Desai met Union Minister for Culture G. Kishan Reddy and urged him to accord the 'Classical Language'' status to Marathi by Feb. 27, as per the wishes of 13-crore people of the state. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai : Maharashtra Marathi Language Minister Subhash Desai met Union Minister for Culture G. Kishan Reddy and urged him to accord the 'Classical Language'' status to Marathi by Feb. 27, as per the wishes of 13-crore people of the state. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, Feb 21 : A day after dispatching 4,000 postcards to President Ram Nath Kovind, Maharashtra on Monday made a strong pitch to the Centre to accord the status of 'Classical Language' for Marathi by February 27 - celebrated as Marathi Language Day.

Marathi Language Minister Subhash Desai went to New Delhi and called on Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy and discussed the long-pending issue with him.

"We have submitted a letter and a booklet to him detailing how the state government has completed all the formalities and why Marathi deserves to be given the status of a 'Classical Language' at the earliest," he said.

Desai said that Reddy was extremely open to the suggestion and even conveyed that there is no doubt that Marathi deserves the honour.
Hyderabad, Feb 21 : Actor-politician Prakash Raj is emerging as a key figure in the efforts by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in cobbling together an anti-BJP alliance.

The actor was present during Rao's meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Sunday.

Prakash Raj, who acts in Telugu and other South Indian films, is being seen as a key member of KCR's team to forge a front of like-minded regional and national parties.

A bitter critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the actor is an admirer of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief. As Raj enjoys good rapport with leaders in his home state Karnataka and also in Tamil Nadu, KCR is believed to be using his services to reach out to various parties.

This was not the first time that Prakash Raj was seen taking an active part in the political deliberations around the front.

He was also seen with KCR in 2018 when the latter held series of meetings with leaders of various political parties to prepare ground to launch an alternate front.

Prakash Raj was present when KCR met former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Secular leader H.D. Deve Gowda in Bengaluru. A few days before this meeting in April 2018, the actor had called on the TRS leader and discussed the proposed plans to float a new front of non-BJP and non-Congress parties.

Prakash Raj had unsuccessfully contested as an independent from Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha in 2019 elections. He recently suffered defeat in the elections of Movie Artists Association (MAA), the apex body of Telugu film industry.

Prakash Raj, who claims to be a strong believer in secularism and unity in diversity, had used various forums to launch a bitter attack on policies pursued by the Narendra Modi government since 2014. He had also taken active part in protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The award-winning actor, who acted in many Telugu films, had also declared his support to the TRS in 2020 elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

After defeat in the MAA elections at the hands of Manchu Vishnu in October last year, Raj had announced his resignation from MAA saying he was pained over regionalism dominating the elections.

Raj lamented that words such as 'tukde tukde gang' and 'terrorists' were used in the election campaign. He pointed out that the Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay, while congratulating Vishnu and others, commented that "nationalism" had won the elections.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Muralidhar Rao on Monday slammed KCR for travelling with Prakash Raj to Mumbai. He asked the Chief Minister to explain what his intention was in taking the actor with him. He remarked that KCR travelling with disruptive forces is dangerous.

He alleged that KCR was visiting other states to divert attention from the people's anger towards his government.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : The National Green Tribunal has directed a joint committee of Gurugram, and Faridabad District Magistrates, and other officials, to act on a complaint alleging dumping of solid waste and leachate at Bandhwari landfill site in the Aravalli ranges, affecting the fragile eco-system and wildlife of the forest area.

A bench of Justice Brijesh Sethi said that considering the seriousness of the allegations, it appears necessary to ascertain the factual position in the matter through a joint Committee of the Haryana Pollution Control Board, Divisional Forest Officers, and District Magistrates of Gurugram and Faridabad.

The applicant stated that the issue of Municipal Solid Waste Rules and discharge of leachate around Bandhwari landfill site was earlier raised and several directions recorded the fact that there has been a serious failure of authorities in performing the responsibility.

The Haryana Chief Secretary was directed to personally monitor the compliances periodically, it said.

On August 12, 2021, the Haryana Pollution Control Board had inspected the outlet of the leachate treatment plant and also the water body in the forest area nearby to the Bandhwari landfill and collected samples, it further read.

The analysis of the sample collected revealed that untreated leachate is being discharged in the forest area which has formed a kind of leachate pond, the complaint said, adding that dumping of the solid waste in the forest area of Aravalli falling in Faridabad and Gurugram is being done by Municipal Commissioners and District Magistrates.

Directing the authorities to look into the matter, the tribunal slated the matter for further hearing for May 27.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : While heart disease has been one of the major health concerns in India, Covid-19 has exacerbated the condition significantly, said experts on Monday.

According to the Global Burden of Disease, nearly a quarter (24.8 per cent) of all deaths in India is due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

"Heart disease and Covid are intricately linked. If you remove the 'O' and 'I', Covid becomes CVD. Covid- 19 is like a stress test for the heart," Dr Ramakanta Panda, cardiac surgeon and head of Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai, told IANS.

"Covid affects the heart in 20 per cent of the cases," added Dr Bipin Kumar Dubey, Head of Department and Consultant, Cardiology, HCMCT Manipal Hospitals, New Delhi.

The cardiologists explained that Covid affects the heart in two ways: first it blocks the coronary artery, second it results in the weakening of the heart muscles.

For people who already have a blockage, Covid can cause a full blockage. In those that do not have a blockage, sudden clots can form, leading to a heart attack.

In the case of weak heart muscles, these cannot pump blood, patients become breathless, and the risk of an attack increases.

Typically, Covid causes heart conditions in those above 60, and with some form of blockage in their body, or co-morbidities like hypertension, obesity, diabetes, or are smokers.

However, Dubey noted: "In the last few days, I have seen asymptomatic patients come in, and complain of pain and then suffer from a heart attack.

"It is not dependent on how severe Covid is. Even asymptomatic patients can suffer from heart attacks and heart related issues." Even a mild case of Covid-19 can increase a person's risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year after diagnosis, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Researchers found that rates of many conditions, such as heart failure and stroke, were substantially higher in people who had recovered from Covid than in similar people who hadn't had the disease.

"The logic is simple: Covid is known to affect the lungs. The air we breathe contains oxygen and goes to our lungs. When the lungs don't do their job, the heart gets stressed and has to work harder. This increased demand for oxygen may cause heart rhythm disturbances; which in turn might lead to heart attack or heart failure," Panda said.

He stated that Covid unmasks silent cardiac symptoms among people with previously undiagnosed heart disease.

Further, Panda noted that several chemicals are released by the body to fight the Covid virus.

"These can also weaken heart muscles causing clotting of blood among infected patients. Hence, Covid-19 can also present itself as heart disease," he said.

(Rachel V Thomas can be contacted at rachel.t@ians.in)

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New Delhi, Feb 21 : A 26-year-old man was arrested for allegedly killing a woman in Delhi and sodomising her dead body, Delhi Police said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Aman Bisht, was apprehended from Jaipur and charged under the Indian Penal Code's Sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 377 (unnatural offences - carnal intercourse against the order of nature).

On February 19, a call was received at the Burari police station, stating that a girl has been murdered at Kaushik Enclave in Burari area.

"As a police team reached the spot, the caller submitted that when she arrived at her home in the evening, she found a dead body of a girl lying on the floor of her bedroom," Deputy Commissioner of Police Sagar Singh Kalsi said.

A crime team was called to examine the spot and take all evidence. The needle of suspicion was pointing towards her husband, Bisht as he was absconding.

During investigation, the accused's location was traced to Jaipur after which a police team was deployed and he was apprehended there.

"From Jaipur, the accused Bisht was planning to flee to a safer location, possibly Nepal or somewhere in north India," the DCP said.

It was learnt that the accused, under turmoil of a "unsatisfied sexual life with his wife", found refuge in drugs and virility drugs. He was also irked as his friends taunted him over his "cold" married life and sought to use his closeness with the victim to satisfy his urges.

The interrogation revealed that on the day of the crime, Bisht brought the victim to his residence on the pretext of getting a saree for his wife. "After getting brushed off by her, the accused tried to overpower her and then in a fit of rage, used brute force on her neck, killing her in an instant," the DCP told IANS, adding that he then allegedly sodomised her dead body.

There are traces of sexual act done by the accused for which the police are awaiting forensic test results. "Further investigation is on," the DCP added.
Chennai, Feb 21 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has commenced an investigation into the suicide of a school girl at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. A team of officers from the investigating agency reached Michealpetti village in Thanjavur district on Monday to interrogate the authorities of the school where the 17-year-old girl was studying.

The CBI team led by Joint Director Vidya Jayant Kulkarni has interrogated a few teachers of the school and has also questioned the school warden. The team is also inspecting the school and its premises.

The parents of the deceased girl had in a plea to the Madras High Court requested for the transfer of the case to the CBI which was allowed and the court ordered a CBI investigation into the case.

The Thirukattupalli police had initially registered a case under the Juvenile Justice Act under the IPC sections, section 75 (punishment for cruelty to child), and section 82(!) (indulging in corporal punishment with the aim of disciplining a child). The police also registered cases under Section 305 ( abetment of suicide of child or insane person) and Section 511 (punishment for attempt to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life and other imprisonments) under IPC.

The local police had also arrested the 67-year-old school warden who is a nun. The girl who had consumed poison died on January 19 and there were allegations that she committed suicide after attempts at forcible conversion by the school authorities to Christianity.

After the accused school warden came out of jail on bail, a DMK MLA Inigo Irudayaraj garlanded her in front of the Tiruchirapalli jail which turned into a major war of words with the DMK on one side and the AIADMK-BJP combine on the other side.

The MLA told the press that the school warden had done a lot of service for the people of the nearby areas of Michaelpatti and that he had come to receive her outside the jail to express solidarity with her.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : A speeding car on Monday crushed two women in the national capital of which one succumbed to her injuries, an official said. The deceased was identified as Payal, 23.

Furnishing details about the accident, DCP (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi said a PCR was received at 12.58 p.m. regarding the accident of two women near Gali No 3, near Kali Ghat, Wazirabad, Delhi.

"At about 11.45 a.m., one Maruti Swift car of Grey Colour came in a very rash manner at very high speed. The driver of the car was not able to control it and struck both the women," the official said.

Both the injured woman identified as Payal, 23 and her mother Urmila, 45, were rushed to a nearby hospital where Payal succumbed to her injuries.

"The mother is still under treatment," the DCP informed.

He further said that the accused driver, identified as Jitender of village Jagatpur, Delhi, was apprehended and sent for medical examination. It was officially learnt that the accused driver was under the influence of alcohol.

"The vehicle has been taken into custody and action in accordance with law is being taken," the official added.
Gandhinagar, Feb 21 : Chief of Army Staff, General M.M. Naravane, will inaugurate the third edition of Ahmedabad Design Week (ADW) on February 26, themed on 'Design and Innovation in Defence and Aerospace'.

Thought leaders, startups, and investors from the defence design fraternity will participate in the week-long event.

While sharing his thoughts about the event, General Naravane said, "Designing takes the experience of the past, breaks the mould of the present, and looks to create things anew for the future. Wishing ADW 3.0 all the success in taking forward design and development in defence and aerospace sectors." One of the key highlights of ADW 3.0 will be the final tranche of India's biggest defence startup and innovation challenge -- the DRDO Defence Innovation Challenge -- which will be hosted by DRDO in association with Karnavati University.

The challenge is aimed at supporting startups, micro, small and medium entreprises (MSMEs) and innovators to come up with unique solutions and breakthrough technology interventions in the national defence and aerospace sectors.

"The challenge will encourage participants to create prototypes and enable them to commercialise products and solutions they have developed. The winning teams will be rewarded with prize money and angel funding worth up to Rs 50 crore," said Ritesh Hada, President, Karnavati University, which is hosting the ADW 3.0 "ADW 3.0's theme -- 'Design and Innovation in Defence and Aerospace' -- is very much in line with the government of India's mission of achieving 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence manufacturing in India. The ADW will create a platform for starting a dialogue on the role of design in defence and aerospace, use of emerging technologies and bring together design practitioners, defence sector veterans and innovators to deliberate upon this. This will also be an opportunity to encourage innovators to explore the defence sector," Hada added.

The ADW is a confluence of design thinkers, thought leaders and practitioners from across the globe and the sole theme of the event is to facilitate discussion, deliberation and identification of scope and the application of design in various domains, fields, and industries.

Some of the eminent speakers who would be part of the event include Lieutenant General K.J.S. Dhillon, former Director General of Defence Intelligence Agency; Sudhir Mishra, former Director General, CEO and MD, BrahMos Aerospace; G. Satheesh Reddy, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, and Chairman, DRDO; Major General M. Indrabalan, Additional Director General, NCC, Bihar and Jharkhand; and Prahlad Kakkar, Founder, Genesis Film Production, among others.
Hyderabad, Feb 21 : A video of Pawan Kalyan narrowly escaping slipping off his car as a fan tried to hug him during a public appearance in Narasapuram, has gone viral. The actor-politician was back on his feet soon after falling down.

All of this happened on Sunday, as Pawan Kalyan stood on the rooftop of his car to greet the people who had surrounded his convoy. A person from the crowd rushed to embrace him, causing him to fall. It could have been a serious accident, but the actor was unhurt.

Pawan Kalyan was in Narasapuram on behalf of his Janasena Party on Sunday. The town in West Godavari district has a large number of fisherfolk dependent on cultivating an estuarine fish species known as Pulasa. They've been impacted by a recent Andhra Pradesh government order (GO) that Pawan Kalyan and his party have been agitating against.

With the video going viral, Pawan Kalyan's fans and followers have been sharing their concern about the actor's security.

The overarching sentiment was that it was deeply disturbing to see him getting hurt. "If anything bad happens, who will be responsible? Fans need to be reasonable," Pawan Kalyan's supporters said to each other on social media.
San Francisco, Feb 21 : Banned from all top social media platforms including Twitter, former US President Donald Trump on Monday launched his own social media app called Truth Social on President's Day that is currently available for Apple users.

The app on iOS platform resembles Twitter, which was previously Trump's preferred social media network.

Trump was banned from the platform in early 2021 after Twitter said he was inciting violence in the wake of the storming of the US Capitol building.

Truth Social, developed by Trump's new media company, is now live on the iOS App Store in the US.

According to The Verge, some users who signed up through the site have been shown vague "Something went wrong" error messages, while others are reportedly being told that they've been put on a waitlist due to "massive demand." Instead of tweets, Truth Social reportedly refers to individual posts as "Truths" which are shown to users on a "Truth Feed." If you see a "Truth" that you want to share with your followers, you can apparently "ReTruth" it.

Truth Social has reportedly been in beta since December with around 500 users on the platform.

Truth Social is Trump's second attempt at a new platform. In May last year, he launched a blog which was shut down in less than a month.

The new app was developed by the Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), Trump's media company helmed by former US Representative Devin Nunes.

Trump has also made the first post on the Truth Social app.

His son, Donald Trump Jr. on Tuesday, shared a screenshot of the former President's first post on the social media platform.

"Get ready! Your favorite President will see you soon," he wrote on the new platform.
Bengaluru, Feb 21 : Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Monday that the police have arrested three persons in connection with the killing of Harsha (26), a Bajrang Dal activist who was stabbed to death in Shivamogga on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, the situation in Shivamogga continues to be volatile with protesters torching a police bus on Monday.

The procession march organised for Harsha turned violent as incidents of stone pelting, and torching of vehicles were reported from Shivamogga, forcing the police to use tear gas and lathi charge against the protesters.

Meanwhile, the Bajrang Dal has called for a state-wide bandh on February 23 condemning the killing of one of its activists.

The police have arrested a person named Kasif in connection with the murder. Based on the information provided by him, two other accused have been arrested from Bengaluru.

After committing the murder, the accused came to Bengaluru while Kasif stayed back to avoid suspicion,the police said.

The accused have told the police that a gang of five people had killed Harsha and the police have launched a hunt to arrest the two absconding accused.

Jnanendra said that there no decision has been taken as such to impose ban on any organisation.

"We will see what can be done in this regard. I am not in a position to share any information on the investigation," he said.

"The mother of the deceased has asked me to punish those responsible for the killing of her son. It will prevent other children from getting killed," Jnanendra added.

Meanwhile, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, K.S. Eshwarappa, said that this was an act of outsiders and he would seek an investigation by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) into the matter.
Hyderabad, Feb 21 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday called for developing 'Bangaru Bharat' (golden Bharat) saying the country has the potential to become more prosperous than the United States.

Rao reiterated that he will play a key role in the national politics and urged people to continue their blessings in this fight to transform India into 'Bangaru Bharat' the same way Telangana was turned into 'Bangaru Telangana'.

Addressing a public meeting at Narayankhed in Sangareddy district after laying foundation stone for two lift irrigation projects, he said even seven decades after Independence, India has not achieved the development which it should have. He blamed the wrong policies pursued by successive governments at the Centre for the country not developing to its full potential.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief was addressing the public meeting a day after his visit to Mumbai, where he met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar as part of his renewed efforts to cobble together an anti-BJP front.

"Should we go to Delhi and take the country ahead on the path of progress?" he asked the audience and said the goal can be achieved with the blessings and support of people.

KCR, as the TRS leader is popularly known, said some forces were provoking and dividing people in the name of religion and caste. He claimed that Telangana has demonstrated before the nation how a government can ensure welfare of all sections of people and ensure peace and harmony.

The chief minister claimed that India has all the natural and human resources to become more prosperous than the United States. "Our students and professionals today go to the US but we can take India to a stage where people from other countries will come here," he said.

KCR listed out how Telangana achieved all-round progress in a short span of time. He recalled that many doubts were expressed during the Telangana movement. "Some people used to say that Telangana will plunge into darkness and the industries will be shut down. Today the same people who said this are facing electricity shortage," he said without naming Andhra Pradesh.

The TRS chief claimed that Telangana is the only state in the country which is supplying 24-hour quality power to all sectors. He said Telangana with drinking water supply to every household, monthly pension to widows, senior citizens, differently abled, welfare of farmers and various other schemes has become a role model for the entire country.

He claimed that no other state in the country has schemes like 'Rythu Bandhu' and 'Rythu Bhima'. Under Rythu Bandhu every farmer is getting investment support at the rate of Rs 10,000 per acre every year while under 'Rythu Bandhu' Rs 5 lakh is being paid to the family of a farmer within a week after his death.

KCR said Uddhav Thackeray told him that farmers in Maharashtra districts bordering Telangana were demanding him to introduce schemes like 'Rythu Bandhu' and 'Rythu Bhima'.

Earlier, the chief minister laid the foundation for Sangameswar and Basaveswara lift irrigation projects, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 4,427 crore.

The state government called it another historic event in Telangana's irrigation sector. The projects have been taken as part of efforts to reach the goal of irrigating one crore acres of land in the state.

The two projects will irrigate 3.84 lakh acres in Andol, Narayankhed, Sangareddy and Zaheerabad Assembly constituencies in Sangareddy district.
BERLIN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- A new freight train connection of around 12,300 km between Germany's Mannheim and China's Qingdao has been launched to further link the two countries together.

The first train of the line set off from Qingdao last Friday. According to operator China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), the train was loaded with 100 standard containers and is scheduled to arrive in the German city after a journey of 22 days.

The train is carrying raw chemical materials, auto parts, daily necessities and other goods worth around 2.5 million U.S. dollars. It leaves China via the Alataw Pass port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to Shandong Hi-Speed Group Corporation (SHSC).

More than 1,800 China-Europe freight trains were handled in east China's Shandong Province in 2021 alone. Via a total of 51 international train routes, goods from Shandong can reach 54 cities and 23 countries along China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to the group.

Deutsche Bahn's subsidiary DB Cargo established a new company DB Cargo Transasia in Shanghai at the end of 2021 to strengthen rail freight transport between China and Europe, connecting 18 European countries, according to the German state-owned rail operator.

"Climate-friendly and reliable rail freight transport is becoming increasingly important for global supply chains," Deutsche Bahn noted. "Demand is booming on the New Silk Road, the rail route connecting Europe and China."

In 2020, DB Cargo transported around 200,000 containers back and forth between Asia and Europe. By 2025, Deutsche Bahn was aiming to more than double the annual capacity to 500,000 containers.

According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), total foreign trade revenues between Germany and China increased by 15.1 percent year-on-year to 245.4 billion euros (278.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021.

For the sixth year in a row, China was Germany's most important trading partner in 2021. (1 euro = 1.14 U.S. dollars) 
New Delhi, Feb 21 : The CBI, which is probing the "yogi" fraud at the NSE, has questioned the bourse's former Chief Strategic Advisor, Anand Subramanian, who has appointed to his position despite lack of experience and paid a hefty salary, but found him to be "evasive", sources said on Monday.

A source told IANS that his statements was recorded for three consecutive days at Chennai.

"His statement is over. We have asked him not to leave the country. He will be summoned again whenever we will have a need. He was evasive throughout the questioning," the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) source said.

Subramanian, who was brought to the NSE by its then CEO and MD Chitra Ramkrishna, reportedly had access to the email ID on which the emails were sent to the "Himalayan yogi" with whom the classified informations was shared.

The source added that another team of the CBI searched the SEBI office in Mumbai, and recovered some incriminating documents, evidences and digital documents.

"These are crucial documents and evidences nailing the lies of the accused involved in the case. We are in process of making a foolproof case against all the accused. These will help the prosecution in proving our case when it will go to court," said the source.

The CBI had on February 19 grilled erstwhile NSE director Ravi Narain, who held the post before Ramkrishna.

Earlier, it was said that Narain had fled to London and is living there. But the CBI source told IANS that Narain was in Delhi where his statement was recorded.

"Narain was asked to join the investigation. He responded to our summons. He was called to the Delhi office where he was grilled. He is also a suspect in the case," said the CBI source, adding that he also "tried to evade a lot of questions". He also requested that his LOC against him be closed.

Ramkrishna was questioned by the CBI in Mumbai last week, and asked her around 50 questions, including for how long she had been sending mails to the "yogi", was she given any cut for sharing classified information, if yes, where she invested this money.

According to sources, she tried to play victim card, claiming she didn't know a lot of things. She also had claimed that she was innocent and somebody was trying to frame her.

The CBI had already opened Look Out Circular against Ramkrishna, Subramanian, and Narain, as they were deemed to be at risk of flight.

It had lodged an FIR against her on the basis of the SEBI's 192 page report, accusing her of leaking classified information to the yogi who lived in the Himalayas and is still to be found.

On February 17, the Income Tax Department had conducted raids at the house of Ramkrishna in Mumbai and Chennai and said that they had recovered incriminating documents.

The department scanned various transactions and digital records, and also recorded the statements of a few of her employees.

Recently, the SEBI had imposed a fine of Rs 3 crore on her, following the market regulator finding that allegedly shared vital inputs about the NSE with the yogi. "Information regarding organisational structure, dividend scenario, financial results, human resource policies and related issues, response to regulator, etc., were shared by her with the yogi," said the source. Between 2014 and 2016 she sent emails at rigyajursama@outlook.com.

Subramanian was made the Chief Strategic Advisor of NSE. He served at this post between 2013 and 2015 before being made Group Operations Officer and Advisor to the MD between 2015 and 2016, despite having no exposure to the capital market.

Previously working as a mid-level manager in Balmer and Lawrie, he had seen his salary increased from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 1.68 crore annually, and then to Rs 4.21 crore.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : The Supreme Court has agreed to conduct an open court hearing on a review petition filed by Cyrus Investments against its verdict, accepting all contentions of the Tata conglomerate and setting aside the NCLAT order, which restored Cyrus Mistry as the Executive Chairman of the Tata conglomerate.

In March last year, a bench headed by then Chief Justice S.A. Bobde said all questions of law are in favour of Tata Group and dismissed the appeals filed by Mistry. The top court also upheld the Tata Sons decision to sack Cyrus Mistry on October 24, 2016.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian considered the review petition filed by Mistry. Justice Ramasubramanian dissented.

The top court, in its February 15 order, said: "Applications seeking exemption from filing affidavits are allowed. Applications seeking oral hearing of the Review Petitions are allowed. List the Review Petitions on Wednesday, the 9th March, 2022." Justice Ramasubramanian, in his dissenting opinion, said: "With utmost respect, I regret my inability to agree with the order. I have carefully gone through the Review Petitions and I do not find any valid ground to review the judgment. The grounds raised in the Review Petitions do not fall within the parameters of a review and hence the applications seeking oral hearing deserve to be dismissed." In the verdict passed on March 26 last year, the top court said: "We find all the questions of law are liable to be answered in favour of the appellants (Tata Group) and the appeals filed by the Tata Group are liable to be allowed and Shapoorji Pallonji group is liable to be dismissed." It also said the value of SP Group shares will depend on the valuation by Tata Sons equities and the court will not determine the fair value.

In December 2019, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) had ruled that the proceedings of the Board meeting of Tata Sons held on October 24, 2016 removing Cyrus Mistry as chairperson was illegal.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : The emergency use authorisation to Covid-19 vaccine Corbevax for the 12-18 age group will further strengthen India's fight against Covid-19, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday.

Vaccine manufacturer Biological E. Ltd on Monday announced that its Covid-19 vaccine, Corbevax, has received emergency use authorisation (EUA) from India's drug regulator for the 12 to 18 age group. According to the Hyderabad-based firm, Corbevax is India's first indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein sub-unit vaccine against Covid-19.

In a tweet, Mandaviya said, "The @CDSCO_INDIA_INF has granted emergency use authorisation to COVID-19 vaccine CORBEVAX for 12-18 year age group. It is India's 1st indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain Protein sub-unit vaccine against COVID-19. This will further strengthen our fight against COVID-19." Earlier in the day, the apex drugs regulator, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), granted final approval to Corbevax.

The approval is likely to significantly ramp up the government's ongoing drive to vaccinate children between 15 and 18 years of age, and later those between 12 and 14 years of age.

The vaccine manufacturer had sought emergency use authorisation for Corbevax on February 13. In response to that, the subject expert committee of DCGI had granted restricted emergency use authorisation to Corbevax on February 14. The recommendation was sent to the DCGI for final approval.

Corbevax is administered through an intramuscular route with two doses scheduled 28 days apart and is stored at 2 to 8-degree Celsius temperature.

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New Delhi, Feb 21 : The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will deploy an additional 455 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the rest of the four rounds of polling in the UP assembly elections, sources in the ministry said.

This additional deployment of 455 companies will have personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal.

The sources said that these CAPFs companies will be relieved from Uttarakhand and Punjab where the one day polls were conducted on February 14 and 20 respectively.

As of now around 60,000 security personnel including 6860 Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors are already deployed in the state.

The Ministry has decided to deploy around over 80,000 of the security personnel for poll duty in various sensitive areas during the fourth phase on February 23, fifth on February 27, sixth on March 3 and the last phase on March 7.

Sources in the security grid also said that over 200 CAPFs' companies which were stationed in the state in January this year before the first phase of polling on February 10 will return to their respective frontiers and will be replaced by this additional deployment in Uttar Pradesh.

The Union Home Ministry has asked nodal officers of para-military forces' to coordinate with the UP government and district authorities for their respective deployment as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India.

The MHA has also asked the security forces to keep 50 companies of para-military forces located in UP on standby in case the need arises during the rest of the four rounds of polling.

In the first week of January this year, the MHA had given a green signal for the first movement of CAPFs to election-bound states. A total of 225 companies of different CAPFs moved to Uttar Pradesh in January for area domination.
Srinagar, Feb 21 : 'Voice for Peace and Justice', a local NGO, in collaboration with J&K Youth Development Forum on Monday celebrated International Mother Language Day in Ganderbal district.

The theme of the symposium was 'Promotion of Kashmiri language'.

Local civil society members, including teachers and scholars from different parts of the Valley, attended the symposium.

On the occasion, the Voice for Peace and Justice, an NGO, released a first of its kind Kashmiri language calendar for the year 2022.

Speaking on the occasion, renowned Kashmiri literatuer professor, Mohammad Zaman Azurda, said, "It is very unfortunate that our mother tongue Kashmiri is on the verge of extinction, and we Kashmiris are responsible for the same." He said Kashmiri language is connected with the hearts of millions of people.

Shahid Rasool, Director, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Kashmir University, thanked Voice for Peace and Justice and J&K Youth Development Forum for creating a milestone by organising the programme.

"It is a first of its kind programme where Kashmiris are given a chance to promote and preserve their mother tongue. It is unfortunate that we have distanced ourselves from Sufism and our language. Sufism is the main promoter and representative of Kashmiri language. The Kashmiri language represents peace, brotherhood and communal harmony." "The need of the hour is to promote Kashmiri language at school and college levels," Rasool added.

Social activist Farooq Ganderbali said, "Kashmiri language is our identity, but unfortunately through a properly worked out strategy from across the border, our language is forced to fade. It is an operation from across the border to ruin our cultural fabric and decades-long identity.

"Voice for Peace and Justice and J&K Youth Development Forum are in the forefront for revival of Sufism, Kashmiri language, communal harmony and brotherhood. We are duty-bound morally to work continuously for the same." Traditional Kashmiri Sufiyana music was played during the function.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : Grilled by the Supreme Court on One Rank One Pension (OROP) in the armed forces, the Centre has told it that OROP is to "bridge the gap" between the rates of pension of current and past pensioners.

In an affidavit filed by Additional Solicitor General N. Venkataraman, the Centre said: "One Rank One Pension implies that uniform pension be paid to the armed forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement and any future enhancement in the rates of pension to be automatically passed on to the past pensioners." The petitioner, Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) laid repeated emphasis on the expression "automatically" to convey that the revision of the OROP should be automatic and the Centre had failed to do and has instead made the OROP revision once in five years.

Emphasising on rejecting this argument, the affidavit said: "The dynamic calculations as contended by the petitioners is unheard of in practice whether it is pay scale or pension or any other financial emoluments given to a government servant. This is not in vogue for the simple reason that it is impossible to put it as a scheme of implementation." The Centre also answered the query whether the statement made by the then Finance Minister on February 17, 2014 was based on any decision or recommendation by the Union Cabinet. "Respondent respectfully submits that this statement is not based on any decision or recommendation by the then Union Cabinet. On the other hand, the Cabinet Secretariat conveyed the approval of the Prime Minister in terms of Rule 12 of the GoI (Transaction of Business Rules) 1961 on November 7, 2015," added the affidavit.

It further said Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, under the Defence Ministry, through a communication on November 7, 2015 conveyed the policy of OROP for the defence forces personnel. "A post facto approval of the Union Cabinet dated April 6, 2016, was also conveyed by the Cabinet Secretariat on April 7, 2016," said the Centre.

"More importantly, the policy document states that OROP is to bridge the gap between the rates of pension of current and past pensioners, which objective has been duly complied with," the affidavit said.

The top court will hear the matter later this week.

During the previous hearing, senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for IESM, said what is the morality of this government after giving a statement that it has, in principle, agreed to implement one rank one pension. He added that the sum and substance of their arguments is that they are not inclined to give OROP, but they will give one rank, different pensions. He added that the ASG said it could have been given at 10 years but they chose 5 years for the review.

"What is the morality of a statement made by a minister on the floor of the House," he said Ahmadi.

In the plea, filed through advocate Balaji Srinivasan, the petitioners have questioned the November 7, 2015 notification issued by the Centre while implementing OROP, in which the government adopted a modified definition of the expression, under which the gap between the rates of pension of current and past pensioners were to be bridged at periodic intervals.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : The Pegasus panel, appointed by the Supreme Court, is learnt to have submitted an interim report appraising the apex court about the progress on the probe.

According to sources familiar with the development, the panel has submitted an interim report in the apex court. A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli will take up the petitions in the matter on February 23.

The panel had earlier said that only two people submitted their mobiles phones with it for forensic examination.

On October 27 last year, the top court said it was compelled to take up the cause to determine the truth, as it appointed an independent expert technical committee supervised by a retired top court judge, Justice R.V. Raveendran, to probe the Pegasus snooping allegations.

The top court had authorised the technical committee to devise its own procedure to effectively implement and answer the terms of reference. The committee can hold an investigation it deems fit and take statements of any person in connection with the inquiry and call for records of any authority or individual.

Justice Raveendran is overseeing the functioning of the technical committee and he is assisted by Alok Joshi, former IPS officer and Dr Sundeep Oberoi, Chairman, Sub Committee in International Organisation of Standardisation/International Electro-Technical Commission/Joint Technical Committee.

The three members of the technical committee are Dr Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, Professor (Cyber Security and Digital Forensics) and Dean, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Dr Prabaharan P., Professor (School of Engineering), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kerala, and Dr Ashwin Anil Gumaste, Institute Chair, Associate Professor (Computer Science and Engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

A batch of petitions including those by advocate M.L. Sharma, CPI-M MP John Brittas, journalist N. Ram, former IIM professor Jagdeep Chokkar, Narendra Mishra, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Rupesh Kumar Singh, S.N.M. Abdi and Editors Guild of India were filed seeking an independent probe into the Pegasus snooping allegations.
Mumbai, Feb 21 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which on Monday conducted raids at the offices of Indiabulls Housing Finance in Mumbai and Delhi in connection with a PMLA case lodged against the company and its promoter Sameer Gehlaut in April 2021, has reportedly recovered a few incriminating documents.

The ED also questioned the Indiabulls officials about a few clients. Their data was provided to the ED by the Indiabulls officials.

Now the company has once again written to the National Stock Exchange to brief them on the ongoing matter.

Speaking to IANS, the officials of Indiabulls confirmed the raid and the ED asking about a few clients.

The ED's investigation is based on an FIR lodged in Palghar, Maharashtra, in April 2021. The FIR was filed by a person named Ashutosh Kamble.

"The company and its officials have provided the data of clients to Enforcement Directorate," said an Indiabulls official.

The officials alleged that Kamble was part of an extortion and blackmailing racket.

"The FIR is a copy-paste of earlier several patently false, vexatious and malicious complaints that the blackmailers have been circulating for the last three years now; similar allegations in a petition under the name of Abhay Yadav was dismissed by the apex court in 2019. The company had immediately approached the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the false and malicious FIR filed against the company in Palghar last year. The division bench of Bombay High Court on April 27, 2021 passed a detailed order staying all investigations in the matter," read a statement from the company.

Earlier, Indiabulls had approached the National Stock Exchange on April 28, 2021, when it wrote a letter to NSE regarding clarification about the ongoing matter.

The ED had earlier recorded the statement of a Puna-based businessman who deals in real estate in connection with the matter.

The ED officials held a meeting on Sunday regarding Monday's raid. Separate teams were formed to recover a few incriminating documents.

Delhi High Court had issued an order barring the ED to stall the investigation against the company. It had also asked the ED not to take coercive action against the company.
New Delhi, Feb 21 : After a push by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Chhattisgarh has finally embarked on an exercise to identify significant wetlands across the state and pick a few of them for preparing an environment management plan.

Incidentally, despite having more than 35,000 wetlands (of which 28,000-odd are less than 2.5 acres), as per 2011 data, there is not a single Ramsar Site in the state and the government machinery is now gearing to fill the void.

"Since 2017, after it notified the Wetlands (Conservation & Management) Rule 2017, the Centre has been pushing states to identify wetlands and plan for environment management. In 2019, it had also introduced the 'Wetland Mitra' scheme for training local community members for engaging in the protection of wetlands. In connection with a 2019 case, even the NGT had directed for status of compliance with the environmental norms in respect of significant wetlands. Chhattisgarh had not done any of these works," said a Delhi-based official.

Officials from Chhattisgarh that IANS spoke with could not explain why there was hardly any work done earlier. Lagging several other states, Chhattisgarh had, on December 17 last year, finally notified a newly constituted Chhattisgarh State Wetland Authority that met on January 10 this year for the first time and immediately embarked on the work expected. And finally, it was only on February 11 that the state government declared the Forest and Climate Change Department as the nodal department for the management of wetlands.

Current Member Secretary, Arun Kumar Pandey said: "Based on the 2011 Wetlands Atlas, we have to first demarcate on ground the wetlands of different scales/sizes. We have already identified 25-odd significant wetlands that are 400-500 acres in size." "After receiving the necessary approvals from the state government, in the first phase, those significant wetlands of the state that are essential from the avian biodiversity/aquatic biodiversity point of view and other essential reasons will be given priority in work," the first meeting had decided.

The new Authority has also demanded budget approvals for itself and also to prepare the inventory of the wetlands by a state agency using satellite images, in the first phase. It has also taken upon itself to push at least one wetland for Ramsar Site status (wetland of international significance, named after the Iranian city of Ramsar where the convention was signed and adopted by comity of nations 50 years ago.) --IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 21 : Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Amit Kumar Singal has been appointed as the Director in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said here on Monday.

According to the order issued by the DoPT, Singal has been selected for appointment as Director in the CVC for a period of five years from the date of taking charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Singal's appointment was made under the Central Staffing Scheme and the DoPT has asked the Department of Revenue to relieve him. The order also asked him to immediately take up his new assignment in the CVC.

Singal, a 2007 batch IRS officer, was recommended for the central deputation by the Department of Revenue.

The CVC is an apex body created to address corruption issues in the Central government through a law enacted by the Parliament conferring statutory status on the CVC in 2003.

It has the status of an autonomous body, free of control from any executive authority, charged with monitoring all vigilance activity under the Centre, advising various authorities in the Central government organisations for vigilance related issues.
HEFEI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Police in Qiaocheng District of Bozhou City, east China's Anhui Province, on Monday released the cause of a drowning incident that resulted in the deaths of six people the previous day.

A local villager, surnamed Guo, had been drinking prior to driving an electric three-wheeled cart carrying five other passengers, including four children, to go fishing at a local pond.

The vehicle fell into a river ditch in a village in the district's Lide Town. The driver and passengers were found dead at about 7 a.m. on Sunday. 
New Delhi, Feb 22 : Pakistan politics even at the best of times resembles a theatre of the absurd.

With Pakistan Prime Minister under siege and the clock ticking on his departure, in a fresh twist of the diabolical and devious, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz's (PMLN) central spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed that a man sitting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was attempting to put pressure on party parliamentarians.

Pakistani journalist Syed Talat Hussain stoked the fire some more by tweeting: "Mariam Aurangzeb's statement is explosive alleging PM Imran dragging 'the institutions' into politics and damaging 'the repute' by making someone 'recently appointed in Peshawar' to call N members on the planned vote of no confidence. The statement will have consequences." In a series of tweets, Mariam said that as the days of departure are nearing, Imran Khan, in a fit of fear, is using that person to pressurise the PMLN parliamentarians.

She said bringing a no-confidence motion was a constitutional right of every political party, adding that the opposition parties and the PDM would bring a no-confidence motion after consultations, at an appropriate time.

The News International reported the spokesperson as saying that because of dragging national institutions into politics by the government, their credibility had been damaged a lot already.

She warned Prime Minister Khan to stop making that person call the PMLN leaders and compete the opposition political parties in a political way.

She also warned that if the process of pressuring the PMLN parliamentarians is not stopped, the party would be forced to name that person.

Mariam said the unconstitutional acts being taken by Khan showed his fears of defeat.
New Delhi, Feb 22 : Indian students pursuing higher education in Ukraine have been caught in an uncertain and difficult situation amid the eastern European country's growing tensions with neighbouring Russia.

While parents are worried about the well-being of their children, the students are going through the hectic process of looking for flight tickets to return to India.

Students at the Ternopil Medical University in Ukraine capital Kyiv are in constant touch with the Indian Embassy. The varsity is also extending assistance to the students. There are around 20,000 Indian nationals in Ukraine. Most of them are medical students.

Nirdesh Dosi -- a resident of Rajasthan, who is pursuing MBBS -- told IANS: "In both the advisories issued by the Indian Embassy, it has been mentioned that the situation is 'bad'. After the second advisory, even students are thinking to return to India. Besides, the university has also kept the option of going home open." Considering the rise in tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Indian citizens -- whose stay in the country is not essential -- have been advised to leave Ukraine, for now.

The Indian Embassy has further told the students to keep checking its social media handles such as Facebook and Twitter for all the updates.

Around 50 per cent of Indian students have already booked tickets for home while the rest of them are trying to book one.

An air ticket from Kyiv to India costs around Rs 25-30,000. Air India is currently operating three special flights. The price of tickets is, however, on the higher side at Rs 60,000 due to which the students are facing difficulties to book one.

Air India's special flights would be operated on February 22, 24 and Feb 26.

Another student from Gujarat, requesting anonymity, told IANS: "We need to look for tickets at least a week before... Moreover, the university has stated that online classes won't be held. We have been allowed to leave for a month but at the same time, asked to rejoin classes after a month. But we will miss out on the syllabus." "Parents are quite worried. I am being told daily to book ticket and come back... things, however, don't look easy," he added.
Worldwide Greeks Logo We are excited to provide people a space to share their love of all things Greek, including information about Greek travel. People can ask questions, share their experiences, and meet other like-minded people who also love Greece and everything that goes with it.

WorldWideGreeks.com, a free online forum giving people the opportunity to discuss all things Greece, has just launched a new Greece travel section located at the website: https://www.worldwidegreeks.com/forums/travel/

Community members will be able to share information about traveling to Greece with one another, and will also allow others to post any questions they may have about traveling to the country. This is a great resource that can really help connect people to the travel information that they need.

WorldwideGreeks.com was founded in 2005 originally as a social media website. It has since evolved into a Greek forum community for everyone, whether you are Greek, married into a Greek family, are traveling to Greece, or simply love the Greek culture. You will have a chance to discuss your love of all things Greek, no matter what your background is, while participating in the community.

Nick Stamoulis, founder of WorldwideGreeks.com, said about the new Greece travel forum, We are excited to provide people a space to share their love of all things Greek, including information about Greek travel. People can ask questions, share their experiences, and meet other like-minded people who also love Greece and everything that goes with it.

The purpose of WorldwideGreeks.com is for people that are interested in Greek culture, including Greek travel. This can be a great benefit to those who love Greece, and it can also help people who plan to visit Greece be connected with resources that can help them plan their trips.

WorldwideGreeks.com is owned by the same company that owns and operates the top Greek website in English, GreekBoston.com. It offers people a place to have friendly, public discussions about all things Greek.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WORLDWIDE GREEKS:

https://www.worldwidegreeks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WorldWideGreeks/

https://twitter.com/worldwidegreeks

https://www.instagram.com/worldwidegreeks
Banker Analytics We are extremely excited to launch this package to the banking industry that allows them to take our pre-fabricated business intelligence and link their core banking information, mortgage LOS data, CRM data, and any other financial datasource within the Bank

Today, Summit Technology Group (STG) announced the availability of a new analytics service on their Lenders Cooperative platform. Bankers Analytics by Lenders Cooperative is a flexible platform built on Amazon QuickSight, a cloud-native, serverless business intelligence service powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS).



Bankers Analytics is a solution that allows financial service clients to access powerful analytics while leveraging newer technologies like machine learning.

The offering allows Bankers to ask questions in natural language of their banking data and get immediate responses without having to spend time on complex queries or legacy dashboard building.

Bankers Analytics supports easy single sign-on capabilities integrated with the banks active directory environment  hosted in a fully secure and dedicated banking cloud.

Banks only pay for what they use  no large up-front fees, or large monthly bills.

Visit: http://www.bankersanalytics.com

The Lenders Cooperative Loan Origination platform supports hundreds of lenders across the United States as they originate, underwrite, and book small business and commercial loans. Bankers Analytics extends this platform and allows financial institutions to extract business intelligence  including pipeline reporting, portfolio concentration reporting, customer profitability, and market intelligence.

We are extremely excited to launch this package to the banking industry that allows them to take our pre-fabricated business intelligence and link their core banking information, mortgage LOS data, CRM data, and any other financial datasource within the Bank, commented Ben Wallace, Chief Executive Officer at STG. Our bank partners that are using the Lenders Cooperative platform have the ability to finally see a comprehensive view of their banks data in one centralized place, and it is actually easy to build and leverage.

Plus, using AWS allows us to offer this solution at an extremely low cost to our banking partners  effectively they only pay as they utilize the solution, noted Ben. Far too often banks will buy an analytics package but not fully extract or realize the value immediately. Our solution enables the Banks to begin their data management journey  and grow into their investment as the organization adopts and gains value from the business intelligence.

Penn Community Bank, the largest mutual bank in eastern Pennsylvania, is one of the earlier adopters and is co-innovating with Lenders Cooperative to mature this framework  including the Loan Origination system and Bankers Analytics service. It is exciting to work with the Lenders Cooperative team as they help us innovate and consider new ways to support small business customers. Partnerships with organizations like STG help us ensure we are continually improving our processes, said Charles Field, Penn Community Bank Chief Financial Officer.

"Over the past two decades, AWS has built the technology, expertise, and culture of innovation to be a world leader in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Weve used these capabilities to make life better for customers around the world through products and services like Amazon QuickSight. Were excited that Summit Technology Group and the Lenders Cooperative solution can provide this valuable service to community and regional Banks, said Rebecca Wetherly, Director, WWPS System Integrator Partners at AWS. Using AWS, they can offer the community banking market powerful tooling to help them modernize and improve how they deliver services to their banking clients."

ABOUT SUMMIT

Summit Technology Group and their Lenders Cooperative platform supports over two hundred financial institutions across the United States  providing technology modernization services, operational bank outsourcing, credit administration, and a turn-key small business lending platform. Summit maintains operational facilities in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Birmingham, Alabama, and Washington, DC.

To learn more or schedule collaboration time with Summit please visit http://www.bankers.cloud.
Rock Killough's Front Porch Stories To hear Rock sing the songs he wrote is like having a direct connection to his soul. His writing and reading of short stories is just an extension of this very gifted artist. The soul of Rock is pure GOLD, stated Duane Allen, a member of The Oak Ridge Boys.

Famed country music songwriter, Rock Killough, releases his first book, Rock Killoughs Front Porch Stories, inviting readers to tour his life, his unique thoughts, and the beautiful views from the solitude of his front porch. While serving in the U.S. Army, Rock honed his unique songwriting skills, crafting music for some of country musics legends, including The Oak Ridge Boys, Sammy Kershaw, Randy Travis, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, Jr., Merle Haggard, Latimore, Jerry Jeff Walker, 4 Runner, Hank Snow, David Fizzell, Larry Cordle, and Coon Elder Band.

I always loved getting a new song from Rock Killough, stated Duane Allen, a member of The Oak Ridge Boys. To hear Rock sing the songs he wrote is like having a direct connection to his soul. His writing and reading of short stories is just an extension of this very gifted artist. The soul of Rock is pure GOLD.

Rock is a protege of legendary songwriter Hank Cochran (Make The World Go Away; I Fall To Pieces). In 1976, he found himself in Nashville and signed to one the largest publishing houses in country music, where he wrote some of country musics favorites, including Take Jesus as Your Lawyer, Where Can I Surrender, Still Loving You, and The House at the End of the Road.

Our publishing company is honored to work with Rock on his first of many books, stated Olivia (Landes) Truong, Co-founder and CEO of God Manifest Publishing. Rocks music has literally inspired generations of musicians and songwriters, from all genres, and my team feels extremely blessed to add him to our growing list of talented authors and exciting titles.

Rock Killoughs Front Porch Stories is currently available on Amazon.com in paperback and eBook (Kindle). Releases of the hardback and audio versions will be released later this year.

About Rock Killough

Rock Killough is from a small rural community in Alabama. His love of music started at age eight when he began playing guitar. By the time he graduated high school, Rock knew the road down which his future would lead, songwriting. Rocks historic career includes songs on two gold albums by The Oak Ridge Boys, gold and platinum albums by Hank Williams, Jr. and Sammy Kershaw, singles by Randy Travis and Brenda Lee and a song on Hank Williams, Jr.s infamous Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound album, as well as cuts by Waylon Jennings, Mickey Newbury, Carole King, Jerry Jeff Walker, Johnny Rodriguez, Jerry Reed, and numerous others. Rock also appeared on the first Austin City Limits Songwriters Special. As a musician, Rock has opened concerts for Willie Nelson, John Prine, and Townes Van Zandt, to name a few.

About God Manifest Publishing

God Manifest Publishing was founded in 2019 to provide big publisher services at a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the authors royalties to new and lesser-known, Christian-based authors. Whether youre seeking a professional publisher to provide the full spectrum of publishing services (copy editing, proofreading, design, and distribution), or youre a self-publisher seeking a publishing partner to provide you with one or more of the many behind the scenes services that authors need, God Manifest Publishing is ready to help your book come alive. http://www.godmanifestpublishing.com
Businesses of all sizes that use cloud and mobile technologies to work remotely and improve their connectivity present a larger attack surface for cyber-criminals to penetrate. Protective measures must keep pace.

eMazzanti Technologies President and Co-founder, Carl Mazzanti, will be a featured cybersecurity industry expert on a Cybersecurity Panel Discussion presented by NJBIZ, Tuesday, February 22, 2022. Mazzanti was also featured at the 2019 and 2020 NJBIZ cybersecurity events.

The NJBIZ cybersecurity educational virtual event is scheduled to run from 1:00 to 2:30 pm online. Interested parties may register and submit questions for the panelists at NJBIZ.com.

The panel of industry experts will explore topics such as the evolving role of government in combating cyber threats, how artificial intelligence can assist in guarding against attacks, and eliminating vulnerabilities throughout the supply chain. The panel will also address countering emerging threats, such as ransomware-as-a-service, and why small and mid-size businesses are increasingly at risk.

Businesses of all sizes that use cloud and mobile technologies to work remotely and improve their connectivity present a larger attack surface for cyber-criminals to penetrate, stated Mazzanti. Protective measures must keep pace.

NJBIZ Cybersecurity Panel Professionals

Jeffrey Kanige, Editor, NJBIZ will serve as the panel moderator. Panelists slated for the virtual event include NYC tech entrepreneur and cyber-security expert Carl Mazzanti, Karen Painter Randall, Chair, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy and Incident Response, Connell Foley LLP, Julie Tracy, Vice President, Cybersecurity, Withum, and Mike Bridges, President & COO, Paperclip Inc.

Digi-Tech Innovators Award

Recently, Jennifer Mazzanti, Carl Mazzantis wife and business partner, was honored with the Digi-Tech Innovators Award, presented by NJBIZ. The NJBIZ Digi-Tech Innovators Award showcases talented individuals who introduced significant innovations in the technology and digital space. Those innovations must have contributed significantly to the productivity and performance of their organizations.

NJBIZ Cybersecurity Services Provider

New Jersey business leaders keep their most sensitive data safe with expert cybersecurity services, consultation, and crisis control from eMazzanti Technologies. The companys experts ensure that security software is comprehensive and up to date, emails are protected, and data encryptedall while monitoring networks round the clock for suspicious activity.

eMazzanti Technologies has the technology, people, and processes to deliver premium cybersecurity solutions that are cost-effective and scale as the business evolves. In addition, they provide 24/7 network monitoring and a variety of managed services solutions.

Have you read?

Law Firm Cybersecurity Questions to Ask Your Attorney

Shorten the Long Ransomware Recovery Process with Expert Help

About Carl Mazzanti

Carl Mazzanti is the Co-founder and President of eMazzanti Technologies, Microsofts 4X Partner of the Year, and 9X Inc. 5000 list honoree. His company specializes in cybersecurity and cloud solutions, outsourced network management, remote monitoring, and support for small and mid-sized retailers, manufacturers and distributors. Carl is frequent business conference speaker and technology talk show guest on the topic of cybersecurity.

About eMazzanti Technologies

eMazzantis team of trained, certified IT experts rapidly deliver increased revenue growth, data security and productivity for clients ranging from law firms to high-end global retailers, expertly providing advanced retail and payment technology, digital marketing services, cloud and mobile solutions, multi-site implementations, 247 outsourced network management, remote monitoring and support.

eMazzanti has made the Inc. 5000 list 9X, is a 4X Microsoft Partner of the Year, NJ Business of the Year, 5X WatchGuard Partner of the Year and the #1 ranked NYC area MSP! Contact: 1-866-362-9926, info@emazzanti.net or http://www.emazzanti.net Twitter: @emazzanti Facebook: Facebook.com/emazzantitechnologies.
The caregiving industry has grown extensively over the last several years, accelerated by the increasing aging population as the first baby boomers turn 75. Even more, the pandemic forced many older adults to remain at home, leading to an increase in the need for qualified in-home care providers. With these factors driving growth, data show that the global market for home care is projected to increase by nearly 70% between 2020 and 2027.

To meet the need, the home care industry continues to advance care solutions and improve the experience for clients and care professionals. Digital disruption is one of the biggest drivers of change in recent years. From leveraging new devices and tools to simplify daily tasks, to using data analytics to match skills with client needs, professional caregivers are more specialized and able to deliver a higher quality care experience for all. Electronic records also help bring more information and consistency to an at-home visit.

Honor Technologys recent acquisition of Home Instead is just one example of how technology can enhance this field, helping to give caregivers more autonomy in scheduling, strengthen relationships with clients and improve outcomes.

As the industry continues to evolve, it is also ripe for career opportunities  from pursuing franchise ownership to becoming a professional caregiver, said Lakelyn Hogan Eichenberger, Ph.D., gerontologist and caregiver advocate at Home Instead. Serving in this field and providing high quality, empathetic care in the home to aging adults is an essential societal need and helps to ease the current strain on the healthcare system.

Dependable and compassionate individuals are needed to ensure the mental, emotional and physical health of the worlds aging population. And care professionals are excited about what the future holds for the industry.



I'm excited about providing the very best care to our clients. Technology streamlines the process of training and makes it easier for caregivers to access information. We are better trained on how certain diagnoses affect our clients and how to help our clients cope and live with their ailments. When technology decreases the time needed to complete a task, caregivers have more time to open their hearts to their clients.  Margaret, San Francisco, CA

I am excited for the comfort and support future technology will provide for the aging populations as they continue to outlive previous generations. People are living longer than ever before, so the need for newer innovations are crucial to the adaption of future dilemmas. As technology evolves, we must utilize every tool in the caregiving arsenal as well as proven hands-on applications to provide the best and most efficient support to our clients. After all, it is about supporting and addressing the needs of the individual.  Cody, Fort Smith, AR

As the caregiving field grows rapidly, a caregiver has to be on their A game as how to render top-notch services. One way is to read and be informed and continue educating, training and implementing new tools that will better assist our clients. Elayne, Henrico, VA

Technology has allowed caregivers to receive up to date information on clients which allows us to improve the client's continuity of care from one day to the next and one caregiver to the next. Caregivers are able to give feedback in real time and communicate it to all others involved. Caregivers and clients both experience the difference in quality of care and job satisfaction by being thoroughly and consistently informed." Lisa, New Braunfels, TX

For more information about becoming a part of the caregiving industry, visit: https://www.homeinstead.com/home-care-jobs/.

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ABOUT HOME INSTEAD

Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, the Home Instead franchise network provides personalized care, support and education to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, the network is the world's leading provider of in-home care services for older adults, with more than 1,100 independently owned and operated franchises that provide nearly 90 million hours of care annually throughout the United States and 12 other countries. Local Home Instead offices employ nearly 100,000 CAREGivers worldwide who provide relationship-based care services that enable older adults to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. Home Instead franchise owners partner with clients and their family members to help meet varied individual needs. Services span the care continuum  from providing personal care to specialized Alzheimers care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. Visit HomeInstead.com. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Each Home Instead franchise office is independently owned and operated. Home Instead, Inc. is a subsidiary of Honor Technology, Inc.
Before Creation, Planet Life, After Life: a thoughtful exploration of where one fits into the grand design. Before Creation, Planet Life, After Life is the creation of published author Donzella Ervin, a retired Senior Pastor of the Kingdom of God Tabernacle Church, which was founded by her and her deceased husband, Richard Ervin, in 2004.

Ervin shares, The purpose of this book, Before Creation, Planet Life, After Life, is to cause readers, especially Christians, to search for a broader perspective of Scriptures referencing mans existence before and after death. I hope this work will initiate more thought as to when, where, and how we fit into Gods mind and final plans for us.

If we embark upon this search looking at Scripture through traditional lenses, we will miss seeing the things of God, by the faith of God. He is the one who invited us saying, If any man lacks wisdom (knowledge on any subject), let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally (holds nothing back from us)! Yet, there are many church leaders who warn their parishioners against asking God questions concerning those things which plague their souls, even though the book of Job is a good example that God is not intimidated by our questions.

Considering Jobs experience and reverence for God, while searching for answers, I believe the result of our seeking and asking will bring us the comfort and steadfastness that we so desperately need in our times of sorrow and disconnectedness. It may give us that blessed assurance that we have been, are, and will be forever with the Lord! Were not strangers to Him, because He said that He chose us in Him (knew us) before the foundation of the world was laid. (Ephesians 1:4)

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Donzella Ervins new book is an inspiring discussion of faith and what the ultimate destination may be.

Ervin draws from years of scriptural study and dedicated faith in hopes of encouraging others to examine their own spiritual well-being.

Consumers can purchase Before Creation, Planet Life, After Life at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Before Creation, Planet Life, After Life, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Drivers of Pasco County, Florida, can get a full synthetic oil change at an affordable price at a Volkswagen dealership.

Volkswagen of New Port Richey, an automotive dealership in Pasco County, Florida, is offering a special discount on a full synthetic oil change. Interested parties can get the coupon at the dealerships website and must present it when the service order is written. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer and can only be used once by every customer. In addition to the synthetic oil change, this coupon also includes oil filter change. Individuals who want to schedule a service order right away can do so by clicking here.

At Volkswagen of New Port Richey, drivers can also take advantage of several other automotive services. Some of them are listed below.



Tire rotation

Battery replacement

Windshield wiper blades

Four-wheel alignment

Brake pad repair

Transmission fluid exchange

And more.

Individuals who visit Volkswagen of New Port Richey for maintenance and services can enjoy some complimentary amenities, including free Wi-Fi, Uber/Lyft services, vending machines, parts and gear boutique, beverages and much more. Drivers who are interested in the dealerships services can contact them by dialing 727-203-7509. They can also visit the dealership in person at 4719 US Highway 19 in Pasco County, Florida.
Green Turtle Kava Bar St. Augustine logo Living in Florida brings to ones awareness the issues that can arise regarding protection of our threatened and endangered species and ways in which we, as a community, can enact change as it relates to conservation efforts.

Through this partnership, the Green Turtle Kava Bar will be able to implement the shells for shells program, where a percentage of all kava proceeds will be donated to NBSTCC in an effort to promote ocean conservation. Since the Green Turtle Kava Bars inception, their focus has been on building within the community. This sense of community focus parallels the work that is being done at NBSTCC. NBSTCC works diligently to implement conservation initiatives within the community. It is through such actions as regular beach clean-ups, research and community education that NBSTCC is able to assist in making real change for marine life.

Since the opening of the Green Turtle Kava Bar, the owners have emphasized the importance of community. As co-owner, Maggie Cornelison stated, A large part of the kava experience is connectedness with ones community. Being a Florida resident has called to the attention the owners of the Green Turtle Kava Bar and the importance of ocean conservation. Ms. Cornelison went on to explain, Living in Florida brings to ones awareness the issues that can arise regarding protection of our threatened and endangered species and ways in which we, as a community, can enact change as it relates to conservation efforts. It is for this reason, that the Green Turtle Kava Bar has made it a priority to be able to give back to the community through this recent partnership with NBSTCC.

NBSTCC provides a valuable resource to the community, by not only assisting in research development but also through its community education programs. It is through such programs as the Responsible Pier Initiative, the monthly beach clean-ups or the Sea Turtle Nesting Research that NBSTCC is able to help implement long-term solutions to benefit marine life. NBSTCCs mission aligns with the values of the Green Turtle Kava Bar in its commitment to the community.

The owners of the Green Turtle Kava Bar also spoke to the historical significance of community focus with the use of kava.

She went on to speak to how kava originated with the Pacific Islanders, and how they had utilized kava as a way to come together in a collective manner and become more connected within their community through their shared experience. Through this connectedness and positivity, the Green Turtle Kava Bar works to foster an environment of acceptance.

About Green Turtle Kava Bar

The Green Turtle Kava Bar is a locally owned and operated establishment that provides kava and botanical teas. The Green Turtle Kava Bar is a place that emphasizes openness and connectedness within ones community. They promote an environment that is welcoming to all, where people can come to relax, decompress and feel a sense of belonging with like-minded others. For more information on the Green Turtle Kava Bar, please visit https://greenturtlekava.co/
SHENZHEN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen reported six new locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and one new local asymptomatic carrier on Sunday, the municipal health commission said Monday.

Five of the seven new infections were found among close contacts of previously reported cases. The other two were detected during the city's nucleic acid testings for key groups.

The new cases have been sent to a designated hospital for medical treatment and are in stable condition. 
Houston Personal Injury Lawyer Shane Kadlec offers $2000 scholarships to college students.

In the fall of 2021, The Law Office of Shane R. Kadlec established a scholarship for compassionate and community-oriented college students. The Houston personal injury firm offers scholarships to two students each semester. The awards, which are each worth $2,000, may be used to pay for educational expenses such as tuition, room and board, and textbooks. The law firm hopes to support the higher education of students who share a passion for helping others.

Attorney Shane Kadlec is excited to announce the first two winners of the Public Service Scholarship. Tionna Taite, an aspiring law student, will graduate from The University of Alabama in May 2022. After earning her law degree, Tionna plans on pursuing a career as an intellectual property attorney. She hopes to bring more opportunities to minority students in both academic and professional settings and utilize her legal skill set to take on pro bono casework. Brady Cole Miller is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin and will enroll in law school for the Fall 2022 semester. He has an interest in the criminal justice system and hopes to bring positive change as a criminal public interest attorney.

The Law Office of Shane R. Kadlec Public Service Scholarship is currently open for Fall 2022 applications. The awards are available to college and university students throughout the United States who are pursuing a degree in public service such as law, social work, government, non-profit, or education. The applicants are also required to submit an essay. All applications for the upcoming semester must be submitted no later than June 24, 2022.

About the Law Office of Shane R. Kadlec

Since 1996, Attorney Shane Kadlec has been licensed to practice law throughout the state of Texas. Located in Houston, Attorney Kadlec and his legal team serve clients throughout the areas of Katy, Sugar Land, Pasadena, Bellaire, The Woodlands, Cypress, and West Houston, among many other communities.

Mr. Kadlec is board-certified in personal injury trial law and has vast experience representing clients who have suffered harm due to dangerous accidents, including motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability, and defective products. Additionally, Mr. Kadlec and his team advocate for families pursuing compensation in wrongful death claims.

To learn more about the Law Office of Shane R. Kadlec and the Public Service Scholarship, visit https://www.injurylawyerhouston.com/ or call 281-643-2000.


InfoSystems, Inc., a trusted infrastructure, IT optimization and cybersecurity partner headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named InfoSystems to its 2022 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Elite 150 category. The list, released annually, recognizes the leading North American solution providers that have demonstrated innovative and forward-thinking approaches to managed services. These services help end users improve operational efficiencies and navigate the ongoing complexities of IT solutions, while maximizing their return on IT investments.

CRNs annual MSP 500 list identifies the leading service providers in North America whose forward-thinking approaches to managed services are changing the landscape of the IT channel, helping end-users increase efficiency and simplify IT solutions while maximizing their return on investment.

With many customers still recovering from the impact of the ongoing pandemic, MSPs have become a vital part of the success of businesses worldwide. MSPs not only empower organizations to leverage intricate technologies but also help them keep a strict focus on their core business goals without straining their budgets.

The annual MSP 500 list is divided into three sections: the MSP Pioneer 250, recognizing companies with business models weighted toward managed services and largely focused on the SMB market; the MSP Elite 150, recognizing large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on- and off-premises services; and the Managed Security 100, recognizing MSPs focused primarily on off-premises and cloud-based security services.

InfoSystems strives to lead the adoption of emerging, impactful technologies to create positive outcomes for both their clients and their community. InfoSystems solutions and managed services offerings are built on impartiality, honesty and, above all, trust. InfoSystems can provide around-the-clock solution support, plus managed services for network monitoring, user management, inventory tracking and professional guidance on cybersecurity and overall IT strategy. Their team members average over 15 years of industry experience, along with a multitude of technical certifications including Red Hat, Cisco, VMware, CISSP, HCISPP, IBM, Dell, HP, Carbon Black and more.

In addition to having to adjust their own business operations to account for the changed conditions during the pandemic, MSPs have also seen increased demand for their managed communications, collaboration and security services, said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. The solution providers on our 2022 MSP 500 list deserve credit for their innovative and game-changing approaches to managed services in these unpredictable times, as well as their ability to optimize operational efficiencies and systems without straining IT budgets.

InfoSystems is honored to have been recognized in the Elite 150 category on CRN's MSP 500 list," said Chris Kotte, Senior Vice President of Sales at InfoSystems. "This is validation of our hard work and endless effort as a team to overcome the challenges we have faced over the past year."

The MSP 500 list will be featured in the February 2022 issue of CRN and online at http://www.CRN.com/msp500.

ABOUT INFOSYSTEMS

For over 25 years, InfoSystems has provided reliable IT solutions to build and maintain strong and secure systems for both SMB and enterprise organizations. Headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, our trusted team of experts specialize in traditional infrastructure, IT optimization and cybersecurity services, as well as next gen solutions such as hybrid cloud and automation, from partners such as IBM, Red Hat, Dell Technologies, Microsoft and VMware. http://www.infosystems.biz

ABOUT THE CHANNEL COMPANY

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. http://www.thechannelcompany.com
It is always an honor to be included on this list with so many talented physicians. I am truly passionate about providing outstanding results for my patients, says Dr. Benjamin Stong.

Dr. Benjamin Stong of Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery in Atlanta is known as a thought leader in facial plastic surgery and is widely known for his groundbreaking Perialar Lip Lift procedure which has forever improved the subnasal lip lift technique.

Dr. Stong has been chosen as a "Top Doctor" for 2022 by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. Dr. Stong has been recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor each year since 2015. The Castle Connolly national selection process is rigorous, and nearly 60,000 nominees compete for recognition each year. Dr. Benjamin Stong is dual board-certified, and fellowship-trained in head and neck surgery and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Stongs state-of-the-art facility, Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery, is located in Buckhead which is right in the heart of Atlanta. From his office, Dr. Stong provides patients with beautiful results, using cutting-edge methods to improve patient comfort, minimize downtime and promote longer-lasting outcomes. Castle Connolly has acknowledged Dr. Stongs extraordinary success in cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, including the Perialar Lip Lift, facelifts, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, hair transplantation and more. While he is known for pioneering minimally invasive techniques and natural-looking results in facial plastic surgery, Dr. Stong also has a full-service med spa, The K Spa, which offers the latest non-surgical treatments in facial rejuvenation.

It is always an honor to be included on this list with so many talented physicians. I am truly passionate about providing outstanding results for my patients, says Dr. Benjamin Stong.

About Castle Connolly and Americas Top Doctors :

The mission of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is to help consumers find the best healthcare. The top doctors who are listed on their books and directory were nominated by peers in an extensive survey process of thousands of American doctors each year. These Top Doctors medical educations, training, hospital appointments and disciplinary histories are rigorously screened by the Castle Connolly physician-led research team. Doctors do not and cannot pay to be included in any Castle Connolly guide or online directory.

More about Dr. Benjamin Stong:

Dr. Benjamin Stong is the owner of Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from the University Of Alabama School of Medicine and then attended Emory University where he finished his internship in general surgery and residency at the Emory Department of Otolaryngology. Following his residency, Dr. Stong obtained a highly sought-after fellowship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery with nationally renowned plastic surgeon, Dr. Andrew Jacono in NYC. Throughout his career, Dr. Stong has earned numerous accolades and recognition. Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery is located at 371 East Paces Ferry Rd, Suite 850 in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Stong, please call (404) 963-6665 or visit http://www.kalos-plasticsurgery.com.


Money Pages, the multi-media marketing franchise that helps local businesses reach their target audiences through direct mail by distributing over 13 million magazines last year, closed out 2021 with substantial growth, adding three new units to its system in 2021. The franchise is now looking to continue its growth in key markets across the Southeast, including Georgia (Johns Creek, Athens, Augusta), Florida (Tampa  St. Petersburg, Orlando, Tallahassee), North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham, Cary  Apex, Greensboro), South Carolina (Charleston, Columbia, Greenville), and Tennessee (Nashville and Knoxville).

According to Chris Sexton, Money Pages VP of Franchising, the brands recent and ongoing growth is due largely to its prime market availability, low overhead, and recurring revenue streams, all of which allow franchisees to stake an outsized claim in an industry projected to reach $70.66 billion by 2023.

We have more than four awards planned for this year and are looking forward to continuing to grow the system into more states and local communities, said Sexton. We are also looking forward to expanding into Charlotte with our first publications in 2022. Our Richmond market is off to a stellar start with Aubrey Sylvester continuing to increase page counts and billing since his launch in October 2021.

The brands strong positioning has not gone unnoticed in the franchise industry. This year, Entrepreneur Magazine included the brand in its prestigious Franchise 500 list as No. 1 in category for Advertising Services.

Money Pages Franchisees Plan for Success in 2022

One of the franchisee powerhouse teams taking Money Pages into new territories in 2022 is Heather and Ryan Zabinksy, who signed in Summer 2021. The couple was awarded one unit in Ft. Mill, South Carolina, and also signed an Area Developer agreement for Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Zabinksys, who formerly owned an HVAC company for 14 years in Jacksonville, Florida, would advertise their previous company in Money Pages, so they were familiar with the product and knew it was an option they wanted to pursue for their next business venture.

Money Pages has a proven system that we believe in. We believe in the marketing, we believe in what the publication can do for local communities, and we believe in the power of our sales team, said Ryan. Money Pages worked with us and gave us the opportunity to put our best foot forward in our South Carolina community  and we look forward to growing from here.

Were offering an incredibly valuable service  constant business-to-consumer branding to those businesses in our immediate area on a month-to-month basis, said Ryan.

Moving forward into the new year, the couple will expand their territory into the South Charlotte region and continue to grow into North Carolina.

Another franchisee team, the Eders  Jeff and his son Nate  have strong ties to their Indiana community and wanted a local business where they could help other business owners and strengthen their towns economy.

Brownsburg-Hendricks County is a growing community with a lot of business opportunities, said Jeff. There are alot of new businesses starting up here and businesses moving into this area. Money Pages is here for that. It feels like the right time to launch this type of business.

The Eders Brownsburg, Indiana, publication will launch in Spring of 2022 and reach other surrounding Hendricks County towns of Avon and Danville with the hyper-local magazine geared to help small businesses.

Alan Worley, CEO of Money Pages, expressed his excitement that this new franchise location in Indiana is a family operation rooted in passion for small local business.

Money Pages is rooted in family, and we are thrilled to be welcoming this father-son duo to our team, said Worley. We can't wait to see what big things the Eders do for the Brownsburg community."

Sexton says the success of the brands franchisees is a direct result of its growth mindset and robust support team with a deep bench of experience.

Our most successful franchise owners have multiple units and or development areas, said Sexton. Its important, when thinking about growth, multiple units is where you are really going to thrive. Growth is accelerated by access to a very experienced leadership team that has a direct role in supporting our franchise owners.

The investment to open a Money Pages franchise starts at $107,500. For more information, visit https://moneypagesfranchising.com/

About Money Pages Franchising

Money Pages Franchising was launched in 2012 in response to ever-growing interest to bring the flagship Money Pages magazine founded in 2001 to cities across the country. The system has since grown to more than seven states and over 13 million magazines in circulation annually. Our franchise owners come from a wide cross-section of backgrounds and experiences who share a common interest being a part of their local business communities and helping readers save money. Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Money Pages on its Franchise 500, including ranking as #1 in Advertising Services, and recognized it as a Top Low Cost Franchise. Money Pages is the perfect franchise model for motivated entrepreneurs to bring an industry leading local publication to their city! Call 888.417.2552 for more information.
Naperville Divorce Lawyer Dann Duff joins Mevorah Law.

The Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices are proud to welcome Attorney Dann Duff to their practice. The team at Mevorah & Giglio takes pride in being an all-encompassing firm that is capable of assisting with nearly any legal issue their clients may face. Attorney Duffs vast experience across a multitude of practice areas will provide a strong complement to the Mevorah & Giglio legal team.

Attorney Duff is an accomplished attorney who has represented clients throughout 500 bench trials, 30 jury trials, and 15 appeals. Licensed to practice throughout the state of Illinois, Attorney Duffs legal career is broad and extensive. Primarily, Dann Duff focuses his efforts on serving clients facing legal issues related to divorce and real estate. In the realm of real estate law, Attorney Duffs skill set allows him to proficiently handle cases involving contracts, closings, real estate development, and domestic relations.

Throughout his legal career, Mr. Duff has been recognized on numerous occasions by judges for his skill level, extensive knowledge, and ability to handle a variety of legal matters. Attorney Duff is also an adept negotiator, having settled numerous cases prior to trial. Not only have his negotiation skills helped his clients to avoid the troubles and challenges of taking a case to trial, but by resolving cases more quickly and efficiently, he has also helped his clients avoid substantial costs.

The Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices are glad to add Dann to our legal team. Dann brings invaluable experience in real estate and estate planning to our practice, expanding our firms capabilities and competence, commented firm partner, Attorney Steven Mevorah.

About Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices

The team at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices boasts over 150 years of combined experience. The firm has numerous offices located across the state of Illinois, including Lombard, Bloomingdale, Naperville, and St. Charles. Mevorah & Giglio has multiple legal teams dedicated to different practice areas, including divorce and family law, personal injury, workers compensation, immigration, criminal and traffic issues, and bankruptcy. A prominent Illinois firm, Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices also serves clients in Chicago, Aurora, Schaumburg, Addison, Bensenville, Burr Ridge, Carol Stream, Downers Grove, Peoria, Hinsdale, Waukegan, and more.

For more information or to schedule a free consultation, please visit the firms website at https://mevorahlaw.com or call 630-932-9100.
Blue collar workers have always been the backbone of the American economy, and the COVID-19 pandemic provided a stark reminder for anyone who had forgotten that. - Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller

On Wednesday, Express Employment Professionals will release a new national survey of U.S. blue collar workers examining the State of Blue Collar America, including how 61% agree the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a new appreciation for their industries.

The survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, reveals Americas blue collar workforce feels they are more respected and appreciated, and even more in demand than before the pandemic.

The pandemic may have made blue collar workers feel more appreciated, but it has also added new stresses and pressures to their jobsespecially as they feel the effects of a strained labor force, as nearly three-quarters (73%) of blue collar workers say their work-life balance has been impacted by the current labor shortage. More blue collar workers than white collar workers (60%) say this. Nearly two in five (37%) blue collar workers experienced a heavier workload due to staff shortages.

But beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, blue collar industries are desperate for workers and luckily, nearly three-quarters of blue collar workers (74%) believe there is a good career path in their line of work.

Blue collar workers have always been the backbone of the American economy, and the COVID-19 pandemic provided a stark reminder for anyone who had forgotten that, Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller said. As the economy recovers, blue collar job prospects are more numerous and lucrative than at any time in recent history. Take blue collar workers word for itnow is the time to pursue one of these careers.

***

If you would like an embargoed copy of this survey or to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena Hollander, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

About Bill Stoller

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment International. Founded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing franchisor supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and related brands. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

About Express Employment Professionals

At Express Employment Professionals, were in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing 586,000 people globally in 2021 and 10 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com.


Ricardo Alberto Diaz, a private investigator who collaborates with law office of Juan C. Rodriguez, one of the most prestigious law offices in Texas, has completed his new book Cuando los recuerdos HABLAN: a tear-jerking novel about a Mexican private investigator whose heart got shattered after receiving a phone call from his long-time friends. The year is 2021 but the saddening news he got from the call opened a wave of emotions, taking him back to the youthful days of the 1970s; an era where he met the woman who changed his view in love.

Diaz shares, Claudette, is a girl from the Bordeaux area who studies in Paris. Meet Ruben, a young Mexican cadet from the academy of the International Police Association in France, AIPOL. She tells him the story of her family's wine farm. As her great-grandfather has to fight against the Germans during the First World War and her grandfather does the same 20 years later, in the Second World War against Hitler's Nazi Germany. To later succumb during the oil crisis in 1973. Ruben knows of a large-scale international criminal organization that is dedicated to the theft, forgery and fraudulent sale of missing works of art. History, fiction, romance and adventure come together in this novel full of intrigue and emotion, where the reader feels imprisoned from the first page.

Published by Page Publishing, Ricardo Alberto Diazs compelling fiction that highlights a deep kind of love. No matter how long the years have passed, Rubens affection for the woman he met in Paris stays the same.

Its an emotional read but is realistically portrayed.

Readers who wish to experience this gripping work can purchase Cuando los recuerdos HABLAN at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
The Airlot Studio We are thrilled to be a part of this dynamic new production method The Airlot 21 will be providing to our clients and long-time production partners. The Airlot 21 is the perfect addition to the deep bench strength of production services and talent available in Universal Orlando, says Pamela Tuscany

The Airlot invites Media and Industry Professionals to our open house on February 24, 2022, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 2000 Production Plaza, Orlando, FL 32819. Airlot will give a demonstration of how the virtual technology works and have a question and answer platform. The Airlot virtual production technology is similar to the tech used on Star Wars, The Batman, and The Mandalorian.

What is The Airlot? Come and experience. The Airlot virtual production technology is similar to the tech used on Star Wars, The Batman, and The Mandalorian. The Airlot is a virtual production Stage that we rent to TV and Film Producers. Our 120' circumference virtual production LED wall will immerse actors in the scene, using the latest XR and 4K technology.

Virtual Production is a paradigm shift in the way movies are made. Unprecedented In-camera visual effects create a workflow of speed, efficiency, and creative freedom never before achieved in Hollywood filmmaking. Creatives can previsualize, virtual scout, and collaborate remotely.

Gone are the days of producing expensive films on location, using unrealistic green screens, or creating cumbersome sets and backdrops. Using The Airlot technology, TV and Film productions can be produced faster and easier than ever before. At The Airlot, you can film as if you were on location anywhere in the world or beyond.

Robert Cota, Founder, and Marco Victorino, Co-Founder, are thrilled to be working with Pamela Tuscany, Vice President of, Production at USFPG. Robert and Marco will demonstrate the Airlot technology at 6:30 p.m. Filmmakers and Producers from Women in Film (WIF) will be on hand to answer questions and provide information for interested parties.

Virtual Production is here to stay, and The Airlot sets the stage for Hollywood productions to reap the rewards. The Airlot works at the studio level to help filmmakers and producers embrace the future with The Airlot as a turnkey virtual production solution for any size production. The Airlot's strategy is to help accelerate Hollywood's transition to virtual Production.

RSVP Today: info@theairlot.com and add the event to your calendar.

Angel Howansky 562 458-6700
Become a Veterinarian Camp Contest gives rising sixth to eighth graders a chance to win coveted spot at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine Junior Vet Camp held June 26  July 1, 2022. Vet Set Go is excited to offer three scholarships to Auburn Universitys Junior Vet Camp, which is one of the first in-person opportunities for tweens to explore their dream after the pandemic.

To help aspiring young veterinarians start now to pursue their dream, Vet Set Go  the first and only community dedicated to aspiring teen and tween veterinarians, together with Merck Animal Health and VCA Animal Hospitals  is inviting rising sixth, seventh and eighth grade students to enter the sixth annual Vet Set Go Become a Veterinarian Camp Contest 2022. The online essay contest will award three prizes for tween and teen students to attend the Auburn Universitys Junior Vet Camp from June 26 to July 1, 2022, at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, one of the nations premiere veterinarian schools.

The prize package is valued at $875 and includes camp tuition, materials, and room and board at the world-renowned Auburn Junior Veterinary Camp in Auburn, Alabama. Transportation to the camp is the responsibility of the winners. The contest opens on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at 8 am EST, with an online essay submission available at Vet Set Go. The contest ends on Thursday, March 31st, 2022, with all essays due by 11:59 pm EST. The three selected winners will be notified of their free Junior Vet Camp experience by May 31, 2022.

Vet Set Go is proud to offer young aspiring veterinarians a unique opportunity to access the in-person, hands-on veterinary experience they are craving, said Chris Carpenter, DVM, founder and president of Vet Set Go. Veterinarians have not been able to provide students the invaluable opportunity to volunteer and shadow in their clinics and hospitals as they traditionally would. Vet Set Go is excited to offer three scholarships to Auburn Universitys Junior Vet Camp, which is one of the first in-person opportunities for tweens to explore their dream after the pandemic.

The Vet Set Go Become a Veterinarian Camp Contest is open to students entering sixth through eighth grade in fall 2022. With the help of a parent or guardian, students enter the contest using the official entry form available Tuesday, March 1 at Vet Set Go. Student entrants are asked to complete a short online essay (300 words or less) that addresses at least one of these topics:



Why they want to be a veterinarian

Why they love animals

What they have done to get animal experience or learn more about science

Additionally, contestants will be asked to submit a photo of themselves with a favorite pet or animal or doing something to demonstrate their animal experience.

Vet Set Go surveys show 65 percent of todays veterinarians decided before the age of 13 it was the career path they wanted to pursue, adds Dr. Carpenter. Veterinary medicine is a calling, and at Vet Set Go, we believe now is the time to nurture and support these aspiring veterinarians.

Hands-on experience can make all the difference in showing the joy of the veterinary profession and preserving that early spark of interest, said Todd Lavender, DVM, President, VCA Animal Hospitals. Im proud to work with Vet Set Go to send these deserving young people to Junior Vet Camp. This years program shows these future professionals whats possible with access to mentorship and training.

Speaking from my own experience, having the passion to care for animals begins at an early age; and yet, it can be challenging for young tweens and teens to find educational or volunteer opportunities to gain the hands-on animal health experience theyre craving, said Christine Royal, DVM, Associate Vice President of Companion Animal and Equine Business Unit, Merck Animal Health. On behalf of Merck Animal Health and as an Auburn alumnus myself, were thrilled to once again partner with Vet Set Go for the 2022 Become a Veterinarian Contest and give emerging veterinarians the once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend Junior Vet Camp.

During the camp, contest winners will learn about veterinary medicine first-hand in Auburn University classrooms, laboratories, and outdoor facilities. Curriculum includes learning about public health, food animals, wildlife, anatomy, x-rays, and first aid, as well as gain valuable mentoring about veterinary science careers.

To learn more about the Become a Veterinarian Camp Contest 2022 or to enter between March 1 - 31, 2022, visit http://www.vetsetgo.com.

ABOUT Vet Set Go

Vet Set Go is the first and only web community dedicated to helping teen and tween aspiring veterinarians explore their passion. Founded by Dr. Christopher Carpenter, Vet Set Go works to encourage future veterinarians to explore their dream and to show them how they can start today. Vet Set Go! published the only book available for young veterinarians to show them how to get animal experience, volunteer, learn animal science, meet veterinarians, and/or connect with other aspiring veterinarians. The 60-page, full-color hardcover book is a Moms Choice Award winner and a Benjamin Franklin Gold Award Winner. Since 2010, Vet Set Go has connected hundreds of thousands of aspiring veterinarians to resources, activities and connections to unique volunteer opportunities. For more, visit http://www.vetsetgo.com.

ABOUT Auburn Junior Veterinary Camp

The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine offers the Auburn Junior Veterinary Camp on its campus in Auburn, Alabama each summer for youth entering the sixth through eighth grade who are interested in the veterinary medicine profession. Faculty, technicians and second-year veterinary students provide unique veterinary coursework and experiences for campers in laboratories, classrooms and outdoor facilities in one of the nations premiere veterinary schools. Over the course of its 125-year plus history, the Auburn University has produced more than 6,400 veterinarians and more than 500 specialists and researchers.

ABOUT Merck Animal Health

For over 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the worlds most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit http://www.merck-animal-health.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT VCA Animal Hospitals

A leader in veterinary care, VCA Animal Hospitals is committed to caring for the future of veterinary medicine. We are a family of hometown animal hospitals determined to positively impact pets, people, and our communities. From general practice to emergency and specialty care, VCA delivers world-class medicine to more than four million pets each year. Our national network of clinics and hospitals invest in cutting-edge tools, training and technology that enables our Associates to lead the industry today and into tomorrow. Among our talented 35,000 Associates are nearly 7,000 veterinarians  including 430 who are board-certified specialists  nearly 4,000 credentialed technicians and over 10,000 veterinary assistants  all dedicated to giving pets the very best in medical care.

As part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of brands, VCA is committed to the Mars Petcare PurposeA Better World for Pets. To learn more about VCA, visit: http://www.vca.com.
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HOHHOT/HANGZHOU, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Before the Spring Festival, Xu Zhanxiang visited villagers from Gaomaoquan Village in Hohhot, capital of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with his fellow livestreamers.

Xu is a "rural maker" -- an entrepreneur in the rural area, and he runs a local company that assists aspiring young people with rural entrepreneurship.

Livestreaming e-commerce is one of the company businesses, which helps to boost sales of local agricultural products and bring additional income to local farmers.

Capitalizing on the country's strategy of rural vitalization, Xu's company began to provide voluntary training courses for college students who aspire to be rural makers. Trainees have multiple job choices, such as taking part in livestreaming e-commerce and local factory production.

To spur college students' enthusiasm for becoming rural makers, Xu rushed around college campuses in Inner Mongolia to give speeches to students. Thirteen sessions of social practice have been carried out so far, covering around 300 students.

Caihong, previously trained as a rural maker in Xu's company, who is now working at an agricultural science and technology enterprise in Beijing, intends to develop breeding in his hometown and has been strongly backed by Xu. "For me, it is a worthwhile cause as long as one trainee is willing to contribute to rural vitalization," Xu said.

"We are happy to have young makers here and we really have a good harvest," said Liu Xiuyuan, a local villager.

Thanks to new seed varieties and scientific farming methods brought in by the young makers, the corn yield per hectare of land has risen from around 5.25 tonnes to around 10.5 tonnes now.

"Rural maker economy" is thriving. In Yulingguan Village, Qingliangfeng Township in east China's Zhejiang Province, young maker Hong Liyue set up a culture demonstration base of Asian honeybees, providing local bee owners with voluntary technical assistants and unified purchase services.

As a national nature reserve, Qingliangfeng Township offers a favorable habitat for Asian honeybees. They are easy to raise because they have strong nectar gathering capability and strong adaptability, Hong said, adding that the honey taken from these bees can be sold directly and there is no secondary process.

"Yulingguan is home to many old people. It is good for villagers to raise Asian honeybees and sell honey to fatten their wallets," said Hong.

To attract more rural makers, the township government has established a service center for rural makers in its local exhibition center of agricultural products, offering a free venue for rural makers to develop businesses.

So far, 110 makers in the township have engaged themselves in rural entrepreneurship, fostering multiple industries with local characteristics, such as homestays and vegetable and fruit cultivation.

China has stressed efforts to consolidate its poverty elimination achievements and push for rural vitalization. Xu is delighted to see growing support and recognition on him and to find more young people who are willing to start businesses in rural areas. 
BERLIN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- China remained the biggest export country for Germany's electrical and digital industry in 2021, the country's Electro and Digital Industry Association (ZVEI) said on Monday.

The industry's exports to China increased by 7.5 percent to 25.1 billion euros (28.5 billion U.S. dollars) last year, according to ZVEI. The United States ranked second, with exports up 10.2 percent year-on-year at 19.1 billion euros.

Total exports by Germany's electrical and digital industry reached 224.6 billion euros last year, exceeding pre-crisis levels in 2019 by 4.6 percent, according to ZVEI.

Exports to other European countries in 2021 recovered strongly by 11.4 percent to 144.9 billion euros, while the industry's exports to Asia grew 7.1 percent to 49.4 billion euros.

Because exports by Germany's electrical and digital industry to Asia only declined 1.7 percent in the first pandemic year of 2020, "there was less to catch up on," said ZVEI chief economist Andreas Gontermann.

According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), total foreign trade revenues between Germany and China increased by 15.1 percent year-on-year to 245.4 billion euros.

For the sixth year in a row, China was Germany's most important trading partner in 2021. (1 euro = 1.14 U.S. dollars) 
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Cindy Crawford wishes she was "kinder" to her younger self.

The American supermodel has marked her 56th birthday (20.02.22) with a poignant letter to "little Cindy" and documented the things she would tell her if she could.

The mother-of-two - who has Presley, 22, and Kaia, 20, with husband Rande Gerber - admitted she could be hard on herself and she would advise young Cindy to not be "afraid to make a fool of herself" and "fake it until you make it".

She wrote on Instagram: On the eve of another birthday, looking back at little Cindy and thinking about what I would tell her.

I would tell her to be kinder to herself, to treat herself the way she treats her friends. I would tell her everyone feels nervous in new situations and sometimes you just have to fake it til you make it.

I would tell her not to be afraid to make a fool of herself - dance, sing, etc more - even if she isnt good at it. Laugh as much as possible.

Risk showing her true self to people she loves - the payoff is worth it. Practice gratitude. Keep growing and learning and becoming  life is a blessing!

Cindy previously admitted she expected her modelling career to be over by the time she was 25.

The brunette beauty always knew life on the catwalk was typically short-lived so she's astonished to still be in the spotlight, more than three decades after she first began working.

She said: "Models used to be replaced every five years, so I assumed that at 25 I would have to go back to school. Here I am at 53! I'm representing different brands, which is appropriate, but every time I get my picture taken, to me, that's modelling."

Cindy joked she and her fellow modelling icons, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss, were like a "boy band" because of how they looked when put together.

She said: "Before Christy, Linda, Naomi, Claudia, Kate and I, models weren't well known.

"It was almost like we were a new boy band - we were all different, but we looked good together.

"Fashion was all about glamazonian shoulder pads, high heels and strong women. We didn't look like victims, we looked empowered. I really think that we felt that way, too."

While the catwalk veteran doesn't miss the runway, she does long for life backstage.

She said: "It was like a slumber party. We were all tired and a little bit punchy, but real friendships were formed."

Cindy's kids both followed in their mother's footsteps and she joked she's more well known now for her association with her daughter in particular.

She laughed: "I feel I'm most known for giving birth to Kaia now."
The Split originally broadcast in the UK on BBC One and co-produced with Sundance TV in the US. The fast-paced world of the divorce circuit provides the high-stakes backdrop to the story of three sisters, each navigating complex relationships at work and at home. In February 2021 a third and final series of The Split was confirmed. The second series, which averaged over six million and over 19 million streams, became the third most watched drama series on BBC iPlayer in 2020.Originally produced by SISTER, the multi-award-winning makers of Chernobyl, in association with Little Chick, the 6 x 60 Italian series, locally titled Studio Battaglia, will be produced by Palomar with Tempesta Film in collaboration with Rai Fiction. Abi Morgans original screenplay has been adapted by Lisa Nur Sultan and is directed by Simone Spada.With production already completed, the Italian series is set to premiere in 2022. Commenting on the production, Marco Camilli head of content at Palomar said: Working on one of the most successful series of another European country is always a complex and excellent challenge. And with a series written by Abi Morgan and aired by BBC, this is more than just a challenge, it is a huge responsibility. Thanks to the fantastic job of our talents and thanks to the precious collaboration with Rai Fiction which  like all of us at Palomar - has firmly believed in the project from the very beginning, we are more than confident that the Italian audience will love Studio Battaglia, its characters and its world.Added Andre Renaud, senior vice president - global format sales at BBC Studios : The Split is a moving and compelling study of the universal themes of love, marriage and divorce  all of which audiences around the world will no doubt be able to relate. Its a privilege for us that Palomar and Rai Fiction have chosenThe Split as their next project, and I eagerly look forward to how they, the key talent, and the creative teams will explore this series for Italian audiences next year.Italy will be the third market to license the format after it was announced earlier this year that Turkish production company MF Yapim, part of the Medyapim family, would adapt the series as Evlilik Hakkinda Her Sey for free-to-air channel FOX TV in the country. Korean broadcaster JTBC also licensed the format in 2020.
Orange Slovensko operates a countrywide network covering 99% of the Slovakian population and the company sees introducing an Android TV offering enriches the television experience for our subscribers.It's imperative that the content we're delivering is well protected," said Martin Lednar, service platforms and products manager at Orange Slovensko . "VO's DRM solutions are embedded in our headend and at the STB level to ensure end-to-end protection. VO's DRM solutions have passed rigorous industry assessments, which gives us the confidence that our content is safe, even as piracy continues to evolve.In the deployment, security agents have been integrated with STBs running the Android TV operating system, connecting Orange Slovensko subscribers to premium live and on-demand content.With i ts DRM solutions , VO assures that Orange Slovensko can ensure the highest content protection. VO's solutions support multiple DRM technologies, including Microsoft PlayReady, Apple FairPlay, Google Widevine and VO's own in-house DRM technology, streamlining content protection management.
Coast Guard vessels rescue people who evacuated from the ferry in a lifeboat off Corfu island in Greece, Feb. 18, 2022. (Hellenic Coast Guard/Handout via Xinhua)

Ten people were still missing as the rescue operation continued on Sunday.



ATHENS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The charred body of a man was recovered on Sunday in a truck on a ferry off the Greek island of Corfu, the local fire brigade announced.

A fire had broken out on the car deck of the ferry on Friday, after it departed from the port of Igoumenitsa en route to Brindisi in Italy. 280 people were rescued from the vessel, including two men who were found several hours after the mass evacuation.

Passengers of the "Euroferry Olympia" of Grimaldi Lines are seen arriving at the port of Corfu island, Greece, Feb. 18, 2022. (Photo by Stamatis Katapodis/Xinhua)

On Sunday, one more person was found alive on the ship, a 21-year-old Belarusian man who was transferred to a local hospital in a stable condition.

The man said that for several hours after the incident he had heard voices on the ship, leading to hopes that more survivors could be found, Greek Coast Guard spokesperson Nikolaos Alexiou told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

Ten people were still missing as the rescue operation continued on Sunday.

The Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia has been towed to a safe area north of Corfu, while firefighters are still battling pockets of fire on the ship, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

Passengers of the "Euroferry Olympia" of Grimaldi Lines are seen arriving at the port of Corfu island, Greece, Feb. 18, 2022. (Photo by Stamatis Katapodis/Xinhua)
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/21/2022



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KIM and USMAN

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MEMPHIS and HAMZA

RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE: BEFORE THE 90 DAYS' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)

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JASMINE and GINO

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MIKE and XIMENA

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ELLA and JOHNNY

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BEN and MAHOGANY

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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

: Before the 90 Days featured Kim Menzies and Usman "SojaBoy" Umar deciding to be exclusive and having sex for the first time, Ben meeting Mahogany for the first time, Ximena acting distant from Mike once he returned to America, Hamza thinking he and Memphis were rushing into marriage, Jasmine forgiving Gino and taking him back, and Ella losing patience with Johnny during the fifth-season episode Sunday night on TLC.: Before the 90 Days' new season stars Usman, a 32-year-old from Sokoto, Nigeria, and Kim, a 50-year-old from San Diego, CA; Gino, a 51-year-old from Canton, MI, and Jasmine, a 34-year-old from Panama City, Panama; and Memphis, a 34-year-old from Muskegon, MI, and Hamza, a 28-year-old from Kairouan, Tunisia.The series also stars Mike, a 34-year-old from Thiells, NY, and Ximena, a 24-year-old from Pereira, Colombia; Ella, a 29-year-old from Idaho Falls, ID, and Johnny, a 34-year-old from Jinan, China; Ben, a 52-year-old from Fraser, MI, and Mahogany, a 24-year-old from San Bartolo, Peru; and Caleb, a 28-year-old from Chandler, AZ, and Alina, a 27-year-old from Saint Petersburg, Russia.Usman was previously married to Lisa Hamme , 54, whom he had met on Facebook two years before filming : Before the 90 Days' fourth season.Lisa struggled to trust Usman during their relationship and they split in May 2020. Usman later served Lisa with divorce papers in December 2020 and Lisa has since remarried with a childhood friend.: Before the 90 Days will follow long-distance relationships and document how each couple found each other as well as their first in-person meeting in a foreign country "and the countless surprises, drama and culture clashes along the way."In most : Before the 90 Days cases, lovebirds are hoping to get engaged and begin the K-1 Visa process.After traveling across the world, the couples will determine if love can conquer all as they experience challenges such as language barriers, interfering families, cultural differences, age gaps, ex partners, and "shady pasts," according to TLC.Below is what happened on the tenth episode of : Before the 90 Days' fifth season:Tension between Kim and Usman was "really thick" in Zanzibar, according to Kim, after they slept in the same hotel room but weren't intimate with each other.Kim admitted she was really "frustrated" by Usman's lack of affection, given he hadn't even kissed her yet, and she noted how she felt like their relationship was "on ice."Kim said she was scared to lose her connection with Usman because she loved him and had opened her heart up to him.Kim told Usman that it was "selfish" of him not to kiss her and having sex is part of being in a relationship. Since the pair was not in an official relationship, Usman asked, "What's the point?"Kim threatened Usman, saying that if she left single, their romance would be over and she'd start dating other men back in the United States.Kim didn't want to just be Usman's friend, but she also didn't want to have to beg a man to be with her and sleep with her."So no more friendship?" Usman asked."No, we'd be done," Kim replied.Usman promised that he would respect Kim's son, and she hoped he meant that because her son Jamal meant the world to her.Usman agreed to speak with Jamal to make Kim happy, and he assured her, "You got me.""No, I don't got you," Kim argued."Okay, we're having sex tonight," Usman confirmed.Kim smiled from ear to ear and gave Usman's a high five. Usman acknowledged how he didn't want the drama of them not having sex to be the end of them and so he'd be willing to give it a try -- "the African way," he joked.Kim suddenly became excited and nervous, but she wondered if Usman would want to be her boyfriend after the sexual encounter -- if he was "testing out the goods" before buying them.She just hoped for the best, regardless, and looked forward to that evening.That evening, Usman Skyped with Kim's son Jamal, who said he didn't trust Usman.Jamal didn't want to see his mother get hurt, but Usman shared how Kim was loyal and she didn't get jealous. Usman alluded to the fact that Kim is special, but Jamal said Usman described Kim "like an assistant" rather than a girlfriend."I'm not going to hurt her," Usman insisted.Jamal said Kim's relationship didn't seem ideal but whatever made Kim happy would make him happy. Jamal also appreciated the video-chat call.Usman planned to blow Kim away, and she joked, "Where have you been for eight days?!"Before the pair had sex, Usman said, "I now pronounce you boyfriend and girlfriend... That's why we're having sex tonight.:Kim seemed overjoyed, and Usman pointed out how she could call him "baby" instead of "potential" going forward. He kept repeating how Kim was going to experience sex "the African way" for the first time.Usman said he wanted Kim to be his girlfriend because she's loyal, supportive, patient, and he felt "real love" with her. He intended to call her "Queen Kimberly" from that point on."I'm SojaBoy's girlfriend. That's so crazy!" Kim gushed.Hamza was shown picking out his wedding attire in Tunisia with his mother's help. Only one week remained until his wedding.Hamza, however, was still feeling a little uneasy about the prenuptial agreement Memphis wanted him to sign. Hamza worried it was an indicator that Memphis didn't trust him or anticipated their eventual separation.Hamza also didn't like how Memphis allegedly made a big deal out of "petty problems" and exaggerated their issues.Hamza's mother, Hayet, feared Memphis, who already yelled at her partner, would only get worse. She definitely had her reservations about Memphis and wanted to see her son happy and fulfilled in a marriage.Hayet also didn't appreciate Memphis' request for a prenup, saying a husband and wife should trust each other.Hayet didn't want to see her son get a divorce someday considering her own marriage failed and it apparently brought her great pain.Hayet asked her son, "Are you sure about [the wedding]? Why are you in a hurry?"Meanwhile, Memphis was nervous about whether Hamza was going to come through for her and be the man she needed. Since Hamza had lied about his age, she was also concerned about his career and their future together.Memphis felt the need to protect herself, but she didn't think Hamza was hiding anything else."The only thing I didn't tell him is that when we were talking in the beginning, I spent the night at my ex-husband's house. I didn't tell him that, but I didn't think it was a need-to-know thing because nothing happened," Memphis shared.Memphis said she and her ex hadn't engaged in any sexual relations since their divorce.Memphis knew she needed to come clean if she expected 100 percent transparency from Hamza, but she was afraid he wouldn't understand how close she is with her ex since they co-parent a child together due to Hamza's culture.Later that day, Memphis told Hamza about the night she had spent with her ex in the summer.Hamza then admitted he thought they had rushed into the marriage decision, which Memphis disagreed with. Memphis appeared furious, in fact.Jasmine said she never saw this coming, the fact Gino had texted his ex-girlfriend naked photos of Jasmine.She never thought Gino would do something like that to her, and most of all, she couldn't believe Gino had such a bad attitude with her after she had discovered "all of his lies."Jasmine called Gino "trash" and said she felt "super disappointed," and so she moved into another room at their swanky island resort."I feel like a clown, a joke to him, and he doesn't deserve me," Jasmine noted.Jasmine decided to enjoy the vacation by herself, and she wished she could erase Gino and this "nightmare" from her memory.Jasmine believed Gino was still in love with his ex since he wanted to make her jealous by sharing Jasmine's naked photos. Jasmine cried alone on a beach and complained about how Gino had pretended to be sweet, kind and hardworking."That person is a ghost... That person is just in my dreams," Jasmine cried. "I learned the hard way."Meanwhile, Gino said he was feeling pretty bad because he had wanted to be with Jasmine for the rest of his life. Gino couldn't defend his actions, but he told the cameras that he would never deliberately hurt Jasmine."I love Jasmine more than I ever thought I could love a woman," Gino shared. "I know that if I lose Jasmine like this, I will never find love like this again. So I'd be devastated [if she's really done]."Jasmine said she never wanted to see Gino again and that "bastard" was "dead" to her because he had damaged her reputation and shared photos of her. She said Gino was going to pay for his mistakes.Jasmine therefore reunited with Gino in his hotel room and started swearing at him."I'm going to sue you," Jasmine said.Gino claimed Jasmine's breasts were showing in the photos but they were not nude photos.Gino accused Jasmine of not being able to speak peacefully, and she became increasingly more upset. Jasmine screamed at Gino for violating her privacy and confidence, and Gino said how he had made a mistake but couldn't take it back."You're f-cking trash, a stupid old man!" Jasmine yelled. "Speak! F-cking speak! Have the balls to say something. Why did you do it?""To rub it into her face," Gino replied.Jasmine said she felt like "a piece of meat" and Gino seemed to be obsessed with his ex, which Gino denied since he had broken up with her. Jasmine then threatened to post Gino's "depressing" and "tiny d-ck" photos online.Jasmine told Gino that she didn't want to see him again and she had made "a f-cking mistake" by dating him. Jasmine lunged at Gino and attacked him physically, and so producers had to break them up."How dare you! I trusted you!" Jasmine screamed, totally out of control. "He is a loser. Stupid liar! I f-cking hate him."Once Jasmine calmed down and she returned to Gino's hotel room to get her purse, Gino begged for a second chance because he was devastated about their breakup and the idea of losing her.Jasmine said she didn't want to play games, but Gino insisted he loved her very much and his intentions for their relationship were long-term. Gino said he only loved her and she's the perfect woman."I'll never find anyone as amazing as you in this world," Gino said.Jasmine started to cry and hugged Gino because she said she loved him. Jasmine said even though her forgiveness may appear stupid, she knew that he loved her by the way that he looked at her.The pair therefore hugged and made up, but Jasmine acknowledged it would take time for her to heal from his betrayal and their blowout fight.Mike and Ximena were back to having a long-distance relationship after Mike returned to the U.S. However, the couple was engaged now and so Mike began talking to a lawyer about the visa process.Mike said he and Ximena were scheduled to get married in Colombia the following month, and he was working on being more tidy and organized at home to make his future wife happy.But Mike noticed Ximena was being a little standoffish, and so he planned another trip to Colombia so they could reconnect in person before tying the knot.Mike told his father and grandfather how Ximena had been "off" and more distant for two weeks. She also asked Mike to pay for a liposuction procedure as well as a breast augmentation.Mike said Ximena was adamant about getting these surgeries even though Mike thought she looked great as is, and his family advised Mike not to pay for the cosmetic surgery.Mike's dad and grandfather also told Mike to stop paying her rent and bills because Ximena was living "a lavish life" already in Colombia."I know Ximena and I need to work on our relationship, and that's why I have to go back to Colombia. What I hope happens on this trip is we work out the differences, find out why she changed a little bit and why her texts are different," Mike shared."But I'm confident when we're back together, I'm going to feel the same love that we had on the first trip."Mike was told to be smart and watch out for red flags.Once Mike arrived in Colombia, Ximena told the cameras how she had been "super in love" with Mike during his first visit but his clingy nature was starting to turn her off. She also didn't want to see him again until she had her surgeries completed.She had anticipated going under the knife in a few days but Mike's arrival apparently pushed things back for her and so she wasn't happy.That night, the pair went out to a club but Mike went home alone. He therefore feared Ximena had spent time with another man, but she denied it and felt interrogated.Mike demanded to be more of a priority in Ximena's life, and so he said he trusted her and was okay with her having fun with her friends. But Ximena was upset about the conversation and walked away from it in tears."It seems like I'm the only one putting in effort to connect. I'm hoping for it to get better, because if not, then the relationship -- I don't think it's going to work," Mike said in a confessional.After waiting a year-and-a-half, Ella decided to take matters into her own hands and finally meet the love of her life, Johnny, in person.The original plan was for Johnny to buy a ticket, fly to Dubai and quarantine there for 14 days amid the coronavirus pandemic and then buy a ticket to come to the United States.But Johnny was very worried about COVID-19 in America, so Ella decided to get her own ticket and fly to Dubai in order to meet him there. She hoped this would light a fire under Johnny's ass to finally meet her in-person.Ella was spending money she didn't have and putting her heart on the line for Johnny.When Ella broke the news to Johnny via Skype that she'd be joining him in Dubai, he said, "I am so happy to hear this! I know the big sacrifice you made."Johnny shared, however, COVID-19 policies and restrictions were going to make their travels very hard and controlled. Johnny claimed that if he met Ella in Dubai, he would have to quarantine for five weeks before being able to return to China."It's really too much sacrifice for a very short meet," Johnny said.Johnny asked Ella to wait for the government to update its rules, but Ella insisted they needed to meet and two weeks would be better than nothing."I'm starting to feel like you really didn't want to come in the first place," Ella noted."I feel with you it's a waiting game and I will be waiting forever. So if you do not want to come to Dubai, I am going to start looking at other options, like having an open relationship."Ella really wanted a family and she was about to turn 30 years old, so she needed a straight answer from Johnny. She decided to give him a few days to think things over before revisiting the conversation.Johnny didn't like the idea of Ella sleeping with another man, and so he had to make a choice -- and soon. He didn't want the effects of COVID-19 to ruin his relationship, because he said he really cared for Ella and wanted to be with her.Ben was shown waiting at a restaurant in Mahogany's alleged hometown in Peru to finally meet in-person, but she was once again a no-show after one hour.Ben realized Mahogany may not be real, and his world was about to fall apart."I am holding out hope that the love we shared was real," Ben lamented in a confessional.Suddenly, after believing he had been stood up, Mahogany walked in and gave Ben a hug!"Mahogany, you are real?! I love you," Ben said as he hugged his girlfriend."I can't believe it," Mahogany said.Mahogany explained in a confessional how she didn't feel prepared to meet Ben in-person and almost didn't show up. Her parents thought Ben had bad intentions for their relationship, but Mahogany said she wanted to get to know Ben for herself.Ben called Mahogany "beautiful" and said that moment was "unbelievably magical" and totally "worth the wait."Mahogany apologized for delaying their first meeting, but Ben assured his girlfriend that everything was fine and she didn't have anything to be sorry for.Mahogany said Ben looked different but "in a good way." However, she told the cameras that Ben looked more muscular in his modeling photos.And Ben said, "Mahogany does look a little different in person than she does in her pictures, and I can tell that her pictures that she sent me were [edited] a little bit. But to me, the most important thing is the aura that she gives off and just this presence of kindness and love."Mahogany told Ben that she loved his big heart and beautiful soul and the fact he loves God, but Ben acknowledged how they had a long road ahead of them and he wanted to earn his trust as well as her parents' respect.Mahogany said Ben seemed nice and attractive but she needed more time to get to know him before deciding if they could have an actual long-term relationship.Ben could also tell that they were on "two different levels" because Mahogany wouldn't say "I love you" back to him.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
Video game publisher and developer Capcom has announced the development of Street Fighter 6, a new entry in the long-running fighting game series.

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A teaser trailer featuring Street Fighter protagonist Ryu was released on Monday following the Capcom Pro Tour fighting game exhibition.

A shirtless and sweaty Ryu stands face-to-face with Luke, the final character added to Street Fighter 5, in the clip. Ryu, known for always being barefoot, is noticeably wearing sandals.

No release date or platforms were announced for Street Fighter 6 with Capcom stating that more information will be announced in the summer. The company will be celebrating Street Fighter's 35th anniversary this year.

Street Fighter 5 was released for the PlayStation 4 and PC in 2016 with the title receiving new updates, characters and stages throughout the years.

Capcom also announced a new compilation of 10 classic fighting games titled Capcom Fighting Collection, which will be released on June 24 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Capcom Fighting Collection will include the full Darkstalkers series, Red Earth, Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition and more.
It is not often that people are walking around wearing clothes they made for themselves, but this isnt the case for Lillian Maple, a junior fashion merchandising major at the University of Georgia.
Former University of Georgia football linebacker and captain Adam Anderson was cleared on Feb. 18 by an Athens courtroom to attend Georgias Pro Day on March 16 on campus after being charged with rape in November 2021.
Aerial photo taken on Oct. 13, 2020 shows a resettlement area at Sanhe Village in Zhaojue County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- In China, the first of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunar calendar is called "Lichun," or the "Beginning of Spring," which falls in early February every year. It is seen as the start of a promising season full of hope.

For Jihaoyeqiu, a villager in the mountainous Sanhe Village in southwest China's Sichuan Province, his memories of spring 2018 are particularly vivid: his family welcomed a special guest, President Xi Jinping.

About a year before Jihaoyeqiu welcomed the president into his home, Xi participated in deliberations with his fellow deputies from the delegation of Sichuan during the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature. During the deliberations, Xi told the deputies, "I have been to most of the country's 'contiguous impoverished areas' and will visit Lyuliang and Liangshan, where I have not yet been, as soon as possible."

True to his word, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, went to the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture during his inspection tour to Sichuan in February 2018.

Villagers of the Yi ethnic group move into new houses for relocated residents at Sanhe Village of Zhaojue County in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Feb. 11, 2019. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

Liangshan is home to China's largest ethnic Yi community. The prefecture had long struggled with grinding poverty due to rough terrain and a harsh natural environment as well as a lack of roads and amenities. Eleven of the prefecture's 17 county-level regions were key areas in the state's poverty alleviation campaign.



Xi went to the then impoverished Sanhe, a village 2,500 meters above sea level in the Liangshan prefecture.

Xi passed through a low courtyard gate and walked into Jihaoyeqiu's home. Before stepping over the threshold, he carefully read the poverty alleviation support card on the door of the house. He then took time to enquire how the family was getting along with their life and whether their children were attending school.

"I have always been concerned about the Yi people. I am very happy to be here and I am heartened to see that your lives are getting better," Xi said. Xi was happy to learn that villagers had increased their incomes by raising cattle and growing potatoes, peppers and walnuts.

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 8, 2022 shows a test bullet train running on the new Chengdu-Kunming railway in Dechang County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

Over the years, the Liangshan prefecture had undergone a massive anti-poverty campaign, building over 10,000 kilometers of rural roads, relocating 350,000 residents to government-funded housing, and helping 215 villages develop a collective economy. More than 11,000 officials were sent to villages to assist in local anti-poverty battles.

In Sanhe, especially thanks to improved rural transport, villagers have found a path to develop their domestic industries. Today, local agricultural products such as potatoes, peppers and walnuts are sold beyond their mountains, markedly increasing incomes.

Xi, as the commander-in-chief of China's anti-poverty fight, promised that "the CPC will do whatever it takes to honor its commitment to the people."

Last year, China announced victory in its pursuit to eradicate absolute poverty. The authorities have been since then placing more emphasis on a strategy to modernize the vast countryside, or the rural vitalization drive.

During this year's pre-Spring Festival trip to Shanxi Province, Xi noted that the goal of building a modern socialist country cannot be attained without the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. 
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
People gathered in Harmony Parking lot in Brattleboro on Friday, April 22nd for a street festival and parade in celebration of Earth Day. According to Nancy Braus of 350 Brattleboro, the goal was to celebrate the ways in which the community is working towards climate justice and to empower 
TEHRAN, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Sunday Tehran welcomes constant expansion of relations with all Central Asian countries, particularly Uzbekistan.

Raisi made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Sardor Umurzakov, according to the Iranian presidency's website.

The two sides are willing to develop and deepen all-out relations, he said, adding that "we are determined to take massive steps toward the prosperity and development of Iran and Uzbekistan by activating and using all capacities."

Umurzakov, who is also Uzbekistan's minister of investments and foreign trade, said his visit to Tehran is aimed at exploring ways to develop all-out ties.

He also expressed Tashkent's resolve to further deepen relations with Tehran in trade, economy, investment, transportation, transit and culture. 
Authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu have deployed county-level militia to seal off the home village of a trafficked woman found chained by the neck in an outbuilding and called in dozens of people for questioning over the leakage of documents linked to her story, sources told RFA.



More than 100 people in Jiangsu and Anhui have been called in for questioning by police in connection with the public leaking of information linked to the case of a chained woman, while county-level armed militia forces have been deployed in large numbers to Feng county.



Jiangsu current affairs commentator Jiang Ziyang said the move is part of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s insistence on "stability maintenance" ahead of the annual parliamentary sessions in Beijing in early March.



"The government probably won't deal with a lot of this now, because they will be sending in the militia in large numbers for the sake of stability maintenance," Jiang said. "The county-level militia will take over from here, so it's effectively a form of military control."



"I don't think the investigation by the provincial level authorities that people were hoping for is going to happen now," he said.



Authorities in Feng county detained three people including the husband of Yang Qingxia, who is surnamed Dong, amid an official investigation, but online comments increasingly pointed out contradictions in their statements about the woman's identity and raised further questions about the involvement of local officials.



The Jiangsu provincial government announced last week it was taking over the investigation, which has sparked massive public anger and online debate about rampant trafficking in women and girls for forced marriage, particularly in the region around Feng county.



Jiang said government censors are currently making sure that very little information about the Feng county case or about the trafficking of women and girls makes it onto social media.



"It's very difficult to send anything now," Jiang said. "A while back, we were writing so many posts, but now, we can't post anything, which is very scary."



Meanwhile, a social media user nicknamed @I can carry 120 pounds said she was still traumatized after being detained by police in Pei county, which neighbors Feng county, after traveling there to try to help Yang.



"Extreme fear meant that my whole-body defenses were unconsciously switched on ... it was like a sword piercing through me," she wrote after returning home.



She described the experience as prompting "the collapse of my entire world view, of everything I had always trusted, into lies."



Roads blocked

Online posts said roads in and out of Feng county are being blocked by police and militia.



Repeated calls to the Feng county police department ended in a busy tone or rang unanswered during office hours on .



An official who answered the phone at the Xuzhou city police department referred RFA to a social media account linked to the Xuzhou police department, where updates would be posted when released.



"I don't know when. Just follow that account, OK?" the official said.



A media worker who declined to be named said all news about the Feng county case is now subject to strict controls by the CCP's propaganda department, with publications ordered to use only centrally approved text, and to regard anything else as "rumor."



Activists all over the country have been receiving calls from censors ordering them to delete posts, photos and video relating to the story, the media worker said.



A Jiangsu resident surnamed Ling said the case is indicative of rampant human rights abuses in China.



"The case of the chained woman is by no means an isolated one," Ling said. "We often hear about human trafficking, missing children and begging on the streets."



"The official announcements ... have been full of holes, and the public have completely lost confidence in the government," he said.



Systemic issues

U.S.-based activist Yang Zili said the issues exposed by the Feng county case are systemic.



"The systemic problem in China is not only the lack of democracy and freedom of the press, but also legal issues," he said. "There is such a crime as abduction and trafficking in women, but it's a bit of a cover-up for far more serious offenses that include illegal detention, rape, abuse, assault and humiliation."



"Clearly the local government has been implicated from the very start ... they are a part of this organized crime racket," he said. "Obvious crimes like human trafficking can't exist for long without the protective umbrella of the government."



Former 1989 pro-democracy protest leader Lu Jinghua said the central government may still be divided about how to handle the incident, as it came amid the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.



"I don't think the central government has reached a consensus on the issue ... while the Jiangsu provincial government or the municipal authorities in Xuzhou must be under much more pressure, and is taking a number of actions relating to propaganda, such as talking about thorough investigations," Lu said.



Lu said authorities seem to have turned a blind eye to trafficking, and when they did bother to notice, it was too little, too late.



A bookstore in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou draped a chain over a display of feminist books on , in protest at the status of women, after a mentally ill woman was found chained by the neck in an outhouse in Feng county, Jiangsu.



A viral video of a woman identified on her marriage certificate as Yang Qingxia has sparked mass public anger on Chinese social media, prompting a crackdown on well-wishers and rights activists who have spoken out against rampant trafficking of girls and women in rural China, and those who traveled to her village in Feng county in a bid to help her.



The display was titled "Books you should read about Feng county," according to photos posted to social media and confirmed by Reuters, and including "Men Explain Things to Me" by Rebecca Solnit and "Masculine Domination" by Pierre Bourdieu.



However, the display was later removed due to its "controversial" nature, Reuters reported.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Vietnam insists its militia operates purely for defensive purposes and in accordance with international law.

Vietnam is strengthening its maritime militia. In late January, it held a flag-hoisting ceremony in Vung Tau province for a new militia unit consisting of five gleaming steel-hulled boats that Chinese researchers claim are equipped with heavy machine guns.

Six months earlier, the first such unit of Vietnams permanent maritime militia and self-defense force was established in another southern province, Kien Giang. Similar units are planned for at least four other coastal provinces, according to state media.

This is widely seen as a response to Chinas maritime militia, which is far larger and better-equipped, and a key lever in Beijings effort to assert control in the contested South China Sea.

But Chinese analysts argue that arming the Vietnamese militia could stoke tensions and threaten regional security. Thats a charge often leveled at China, particularly when its vessels mass around disputed reefs and islets.

Vietnam insists its militia operates purely for defensive purposes and in accordance with international law.

TK1482-class vessels of Vietnam Maritime Militia at Ba Son Shipyard receiving the final touch before leaving for the sea in July2021. Credit: QPVN (Vietnam Defense) portal Not part of the armed forces

Carl Thayer, a veteran Vietnam expert, says the nations maritime militia was only instituted comparatively recently. Prior to 2009, Vietnam did not have a formal entity called the maritime militia, he said.

The role of the maritime militia and self-defence forces evolved gradually over time but to this very day they remain an organic part of Vietnams Militia and Self-Defence Forces and not a separate service like the Vietnam Border Guard or Vietnam Coast Guard, said Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales.

In June 2005, Vietnam adopted the Law on National Defense, in which the tasks of the Militia and Self-Defense Forces were enumerated but still no mention was made of the maritime militia.

To compare, Chinas modern use of fishing militias dates back to at least 1974 when they were employed in seizing the Paracel Islands from Vietnam, according to a report published in November 2021 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington D.C.

The U.S.-government-funded research organization Rand Corp. alleged that Chinas maritime militia was actually formed in the 1950s and answers directly to the Peoples Liberation Army.

Thayer said that Vietnams maritime strategy that included the need for developing national defense in coastal and maritime areas was first publicly announced in 2007.

So it developed much later than the Chinese maritime militia, and both the scale and resources are far inferior.

The formulation of militia in Vietnam is rooted in the concept of the peoples defense, meaning militiamen are mostly fishermen, said Viet Hoang, a maritime law expert based in Ho Chi Minh City.

They are not only poorly equipped but also often poorly trained, said Viet, pointing out that several government programs to transform wooden fishing boats to steel-hull boats with better defensive capabilities for fishermen have failed because their interest was just fishing.

Arming fishermen

Theres no official figures of how large the Vietnamese maritime militia is but Chinas National Institute for South China Sea Studies estimated that it totalled between 46,000 and 70,000 personnel in 2021.

The maritime militia accounted for only 0.08 percent of the total number of militia members in Vietnam and 1.22 percent of the total number of maritime laborers as of 2016, according to a report in Vietnams National Defense magazine authored by Col. Nguyen Phuong Hoa.

In contrast, Chinas maritime militia is mostly organized by the countrys large fishing companies.

Research by Andrew Erickson and Conor Kennedy in 2016 found the only estimate of the size of the Chinese maritime militia was from a source published in 1978, which put the number of personnel at 750,000 on approximately 140,000 vessels. This number has likely grown substantially since.

In its 2010 Defense White Paper, China stated that it had eight million militia members nationwide, including maritime militia.

Analysts argue that Chinas assertive activities in the South China Sea, where Beijing claims historical rights to almost 90 percent of the sea, led to Vietnams rushed plan to expand its maritime militia and self-defense forces.

The tactics are somewhat similar to the so-called gray-zone tactics of the Chinese maritime militia, where fishermen are trained to do paramilitary work and fishing boats get armed.

Gray-zone tactics are when unconventional forces and methods are used to pursue strategic interests while trying to avoid the possibility of a conflict.

Vietnams maritime militia was present at several recent incidents in the South China Sea, such as the 2014 standoff over the deployment of the Haiyang Shiyou-981 drilling rig near the Paracel islands and some confrontations near where Vietnam and international partners explored for oil and gas.

Analysts say the new permanent militia units are intended to be more combat ready than regular maritime militia and could play an active role in confrontations.

For more than a decade, Vietnam has expended huge manpower and material resources in developing maritime militia, wrote Ding Duo, deputy director of Chinas National Institute for South China Sea Studies, in the China Daily newspaper.

According to Ding, 126 fishing boats manned by maritime militia from 14 coastal provinces and cities will be built in Vietnam during the period 2019-2022.

Chinese analysts alleged that Vietnams new TK-1482 class militia vessels are equipped with weapons including large caliber heavy machine guns.

The use of weapons on the well-equipped militia vessels would entail the risk of causing significant harm to regional security and stability, warned Lei Xiaolu, vice director of the South China Sea Probing Initiative, a Chinese think tank.

Yet Vietnamese researchers like Viet Hoang said that the main focus of Vietnamese maritime militia remains fishery, search and rescue.

They may take part in tracking and surveillance missions but the lack of training and resources poses a great obstacle to their capabilities, he said.

Canberra-based expert Thayer said that Vietnam will continue to gradually expand and modernize its standing maritime militia as new TK 1482-class vessels are commissioned into service.

However, Vietnams standing maritime militia and self-defense forces will remain under the control of local and provincial authorities, he said.
More than 100 people who were evacuated from a steel plant in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol have arrived in Zaporizhzhya, the Mariupol city council said, as Russian forces resumed their assault on the complex.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

The council said in a statement that the people who arrived in Zaporizhzhya -- a city about 230 kilometers northwest of Mariupol -- were receiving assistance after emerging from weeks in the bunkers of the sprawling Azovstal plant.



Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said 156 people were evacuated. She said several hundred more people remained inside the plant and tens of thousands of women, children, and elderly remain in Mariupol.



"There is no medicine, water, or communication services," she said at a briefing on May 3, adding that the authorities needed to rescue everyone who wants to escape.



The United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross coordinated the evacuation of women, children, and the elderly from the steel works.

"We would have hoped that many more people would have been able to join the convoy and get out of hell. That is why we have mixed feelings," Pascal Hundt of the ICRC told journalists on a video conference call.



Osnat Lubrani, UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said that 101 women, men, children, and older people could finally leave the plant, and several dozen more joined the convoy in a town on the outskirts of Mariupol. Some evacuees decided not to stay with the convoy and headed to destinations other than Zaporizhzhya, Lubrani said.



A few women who arrived in Zaporizhzhya held up handmade signs calling on the Ukrainian authorities to evacuate soldiers still holed up in the plant and their relatives and loved ones who are trapped.



UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hoped the continued coordination with Kyiv and Moscow will lead to more humanitarian pauses that will allow civilians safe passage from the fighting.

WATCH: Current Time reporter Borys Sachalko comes under fire as he accompanies a Red Cross team attempting to evacuate a village that lies between Russian-occupied Kherson and Ukrainian-held Mikolayiv in southern Ukraine.

Despite the calls for additional evacuations, Russian troops began to storm the plant soon after the latest group of people got out, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications under the National Security and Defense Council said in a statement on May 3.



According to the Vereshchuk, Russia purposely resumed the assault after some civilians got out.



"This was their plan: to allow some civilians to leave and then continue bombing. However, civilians remain there, there are people who did not have time to get out from under the rubble because the blockages were so heavy that in two days they simply could not lift them physically. We need to continue the humanitarian operation, including Azovstal," Vereshchuk said.

French President Emmanuel Macron also urged that evacuations from the steel plant be allowed to continue.



Macron spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on May 3, calling on Russia to rise to the level of its responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council by ending its devastating aggression, an Elysee statement said.



The storming of the plant comes days after Putin said he had called off plans for such an operation. Putin instead said he wanted Russian forces to blockade the sprawling plant "so a fly can't get through."

Later on May 3, Russian strikes began targeting the western city of Lviv. The strikes happened just before 8:30 p.m. local time. It wasnt immediately clear what was targeted.



Mayor Andriy Sadoviy wrote on social media that people in the city should take shelter. Train service out of Lviv was suspended.



Sadoviy acknowledged in another message that the attacks had damaged power stations, cutting off electricity in some districts.



The governor of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine said Russian troops shelled a coke plant in the city of Avdiyivka, killing at least 10 people and wounding 15 more.



"The Russians knew exactly where to aim -- the workers just finished their shift and were waiting for a bus at a bus stop to take them home," Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote in a Telegram post. "Another cynical crime by Russians on our land."

Kyrylenko said 11 more people were killed in the shelling of four towns in the region. The number includes five killed in the town of Lyman and four in Vuhledar.



Kyrylenko said the death toll on May 3 was the highest on a single day since a Russian strike on a train station in the city of Kramatorsk killed 57 people on April 8 and injured 109 others.

WATCH: Ukrainian troops southeast of Kharkiv survey heavy damage to a community cultural center, reflecting on the impact on locals, now all but gone.

Ukrainian officials say the Russian military also struck railroad infrastructure across the country on May 3.



Oleksandr Kamyshin, head of the state-run Ukrainian railways, said the Russian strikes hit six railway stations in the countrys central and western regions, inflicting heavy damage.



The governor of the Dnipro region, Valentyn Reznichenko, said Russian missiles struck railway infrastructure in the area, leaving one person wounded and disrupting train service.

Earlier on May 3, in a video address to the parliament in Kyiv, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced 300 million pounds ($376 million) worth of extra military aid for Ukraine.

Britain has already sent military equipment, including missiles and missile launchers, to Ukraine. The new aid will consist of electronic warfare equipment, a battery radar system, GPS jamming equipment, and thousands of night vision devices.



In his speech, Johnson referred to a 1940 address by World War II leader Winston Churchill as Britain faced Nazi Germany's aggression.

"The British people showed such unity and resolve that we remember our time of greatest peril as our finest hour," Johnson told the Verkhovna Rada. "This is Ukraine's finest hour, an epic chapter in your national story that will be remembered and recounted for generations to come."

"We will carry on supplying Ukraine...with weapons, funding, and humanitarian aid, until we have achieved our long-term goal, which must be so to fortify Ukraine that no one will ever dare to attack you again," Johnson said.

In Brussels, the EU's executive indicated it was prepared to propose another sanctions package to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine. But Slovakia and Hungary will not support sanctions against Russian energy, including on oil imports.



The two countries say they are too reliant on Russian oil and there are no immediate alternatives.

The sanctions will also target the Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, which will be excluded from the global banking communications system SWIFT, unnamed diplomats said.

Fighting also raged in the strategic port city of Odesa and across Ukraine's east. A 15-year-old boy was killed in a fresh Russian strike on Odesa, the city council said.

Ukraine's second-biggest city, Kharkiv, was under shelling, the military said on May 3, while the General Staff said Ukrainian forces were defending the approach to Kharkiv from Izyum, some 120 kilometers to the southeast.



Since Russia launched its unprovoked war on February 24, its troops have failed to completely take over any major Ukrainian city.

On the diplomatic front, Germany's conservative opposition leader traveled to Kyiv on May 3 for meetings with Ukrainian officials, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz made clear that he wouldn't be visiting Ukraine any time soon.

Friedrich Merz, who heads former Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Union bloc, visited the town of Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, which has been heavily bombarded by Russian forces.

Scholz refused to go to Ukraine because of Kyiv's refusal to invite Germany's head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom Ukrainians accuse of cozying up to Russia during his time as foreign minister.

"It can't work that a country that provides so much military aid, so much financial aid...you then say that the president can't come," Scholz told public broadcaster ZDF late on May 2.

The United States warned that Moscow was planning to formally take over regions in Ukraine's east.



Michael Carpenter, the U.S. ambassador to the OSCE, said Russia is planning to imminently annex the territories of Luhansk and Donetsk in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, using referendums after failing to overthrow the government in Kyiv.



Russia encountered surprisingly staunch resistance in the north around the regions of Kyiv and Chernihiv, which forced it to redeploy its troops in the south and east, where fighting has intensified in recent days.



Ukraine's east and south are seen as key strategic goals for Russia, allowing it a land link to Crimea.

Separately, Russia's state news agency TASS quoted the Defense Ministry on May 3 as saying that more than 1 million people, including nearly 200,000 children, had been taken from Ukraine to Russia in the past two months.



Defense Ministry official Mikhail Mizintsev said those civilians "were evacuated to the territory of the Russian Federation from the dangerous regions" of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, and from other parts that came under Russian control.

No details were provided on the location or circumstances of the moves.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, BBC, and dpa
A hospital in the Azerbaijani capital has been overrun with cockroaches, hampering treatment for tuberculosis patients. People receiving care at the hospital in Bakus Nizami district have complained that bugs are in their beds, clothes, and food. The staff has sprayed repellent but the infestation remains. Local officials have been criticized for not enforcing hygiene standards or renovating the infested building.
BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The total value of privately offered funds in China reached 20.28 trillion yuan (about 3.2 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of January, industry association data showed Monday.

The figure was up 514.36 billion yuan, or 2.6 percent from a month earlier, according to the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC). The number of registered private funds rose 2.26 percent to 126,916 at the end of last month.

A total of 24,646 institutions managed these funds, up 0.15 percent month on month, AMAC data shows.

Established in 2012, AMAC is a self-regulatory organization that represents the mutual fund industry of China. 
Iran's chief prosecutor says authorities will soon issue an "appropriate" response to an ultimatum made by former President Mahmud Ahmadinejad to the country's powerful judiciary.

Prosecutor-General Hojatoleslam Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said on December 18 that the judiciary will issue its response to Ahmadinejad within a day or two.

Ahmadinejad issued a 48-hour deadline for the judiciary on December 17, calling on it to issue documents proving that the former president and his close allies have been convicted of sedition and other crimes.

In an online video message, Ahmadinejad suggested that the ultimatum was a reaction to recent comments by judiciary head Sadegh Amoli Larijani, who had accused Ahmadinejad of damaging the Islamic establishment in Iran and involvement in seditious acts.

I call on the head of the judiciary to publish within 48 hours documents proving that weve been convicted of sedition, deviation, or supporting [jailed businessman Babak Zadjani, who has been sentenced to death for corruption], Ahmadinejad said.

Otherwise, I will tell the people my views about you and your performance in the past eight years and I would defend my rights through the appropriate venues, the former president added.

Montazeri has described Ahmadinejads presidency as a period of lawlessness and lies.

Ahmadinejad, who was president from 2005-13, has become increasingly isolated for challenging Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his powerful allies, namely the judiciary.

In his video message, Ahmadinejad said that if the judiciary is reformed, then the whole country would be reformed.

Last month, the former president accused the judiciary of "dictatorship" and said that it is more powerful than Khamenei.

Earlier this year, the Guardians Council -- which vets presidential candidates -- prevented Ahmadinejad and one of his top aides from running in the May election in which President Hassan Rohani was reelected.

Khamenei had suggested before the decision by the Guardians Council that Ahmadinejad's candidacy would not be in the best interest of the country.

With reporting by ISNA, Dolatebahar.com, ILNA, and RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops to be sent into a separatist-held region of eastern Ukraine in a military escalation that Western leaders have warned will spark massive consequences for Moscow.

Putin's move came hours after he announced his decision to recognize the Russia-backed separatists' call for recognition of independence in a move that was discouraged by the United Nations and swiftly condemned by Western leaders fearful of major conflict in the region.

Live Briefing: Ukraine In The Crosshairs RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Before it was clear that news of the Kremlin decree had reached foreign capitals, the White House said that President Joe Biden had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Biden's administration also said the U.S. president had reiterated to a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that the United States would respond "swiftly and decisively" and in "lock-step" with its allies and partners to further aggression against Ukraine.

The decree, on a Russian government site and dated February 21, says the order takes effect immediately. But it was unclear when any of the 150,000 or so Russian troops that Western leaders say are near the Ukrainian border might start moving into Ukrainian territory.

The decree says the Russian military will enter the region at the request of the republic to "maintain peace."

The full extent of Putin's decree is unclear, as the separatists claim all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions but control only around half of the two eastern Ukrainian regions.

The State Duma and the Federation Council are expected on February 22 to ratify Russian treaties with the separatist groups, and under those agreements potentially provide them with military assistance.

Putin listed a litany of alleged grievances against the leadership in Kyiv as well as NATO and the West in a televised speech that concluded with the signing of documents that appeared to give Kremlin backing to the separatists' ambitions.

"I consider it necessary to take a long overdue decision: to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic," Putin said in a reference to separatist-held parts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions. "I ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision and then ratify the treaty of friendship and mutual assistance with both republics."

As Putin spoke, international news agencies quoted Ukrainian government troops in frontline trenches in eastern Ukraine as saying firing from heavy weapons in the hands of the separatists had intensified.

European and U.S. leaders quickly condemned the recognition and vowed more sanctions targeting Russia or the separatist-held areas of eastern Ukraine.

The Russian ruble also plummeted, slipping past 80 against the dollar, while stocks plunged to their lowest in over a year led by a fall in Russian assets.

U.S. Embassy personnel in Lviv will spend the night of February 22 in Poland amid safety concerns. The State Department said in a statement that the security situation in Ukraine continues to be unpredictable and may deteriorate with little notice.



The United States earlier this month moved its embassy in Ukraine from the capital of Kyiv to Lviv in the west near the border with Poland.

Kyiv responded to Putin's announcement recognizing the independence of the groups by saying "the entire world" is following Russia's actions on the recognition of the self-styled groups and "everyone realizes the consequences."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on February 22 after a phone call between the two diplomats on February 21.

Putin made widespread and familiar allegations throughout his speech -- without providing evidence -- including that Kyiv was seeking to obtain nuclear weapons, that "horror and genocide" was being perpetrated against residents of eastern Ukraine, and that the Russian language and Orthodox Church were being targeted there.

He also said NATO had "completely ignored" Moscow's security demands, which have included calls for a legally binding pledge that Ukraine won't be allowed to join the alliance and the removal of NATO weapons and equipment from Central and Eastern European countries.

Putin concluded with an ominous warning for Kyiv, which he described as a "puppet regime" run by foreign powers.

"And from those who have seized and are holding power in Ukraine, we demand an immediate cessation of hostilities," he said, turning Ukrainian reports of aggression by Russia and its proxy forces on their head. "Otherwise, the entire responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine."

Western powers have repeatedly warned of serious consequences if Russia attacks Ukraine.

After Putin's recognition announcement, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Biden would sign an executive order to "prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine," in a reference to the separatist areas.

She said the order will "provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine."

Psaki stressed that wider sanctions were prepared "should Russia further invade Ukraine."

Biden also had a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the White House said.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement "condemning" Russia's decision.

"NATO supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders," the alliance chief said.

Stoltenberg said Putin's move "further undermines Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements [cease-fire], to which Russia is a party."

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel issued a joint statement saying the recognition is "a blatant violation of international law." They said the bloc will react with sanctions and reiterates its unwavering support to Ukraines independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

As Putin was speaking, Johnson repeated that a "robust package of sanctions" could await Russia. He called Putin's move "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of the Ukraine."

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said the EU must immediately impose sanctions.

Ahead of Putin's speech, the United Nations, which recognizes Crimea and the separatist-controlled areas as part of Ukraine, underscored the need for "maximum restraint" to avoid escalations.

"We would encourage everyone involved to refrain from any unilateral decision or unilateral action that could undermine the territorial integrity of Ukraine," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Earlier, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Michael Carpenter, said Russian recognition of areas of eastern Ukraine outside of government control would be "deplorable" and should be condemned.

After speaking by phone with Putin in talks to "prevent a catastrophe," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's office said the German leader had condemned possible recognition and warned Putin that the move would be a "unilateral breach" of the Minsk accords aimed at a peaceful resolution of Ukraine's eight-year war with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba noted "a lot of emotions" but said in a tweet that "it's exactly now that we all should calmly focus on de-escalation efforts. No other way."

A short time earlier, Kuleba said he had urged UN Security Council members to convene under an article of the so-called Budapest Memorandum "to discuss urgent actions aimed at de-escalation" along with "practical steps to guarantee the security of Ukraine."

Putin appeared at a rare televised meeting of the Russian Security Council on February 21 alongside Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and the Kremlin's special envoy on Ukraine, Dmitry Kozak, as well as other officials.

Putin added that there was "no prospect" of a peace plan to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Kyiv has been fighting the separatists since 2014, when Russia also occupied and illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea. At least 13,200 people were killed in the conflict so far.

Moscow has insisted that it has no invasion plans. But U.S. President Joe Biden said last week that he believed Putin might already have decided on an attack, and U.S. media have reported that U.S. intelligence suggests orders have been sent to Russian tactical commanders.

In the Security Council meeting, Putin said the current discussion was not about "adding" the separatist-controlled areas to Russian territory.

Putin and Lavrov also repeated Moscow's demand that NATO and Western leaders pledge not to allow Ukraine to join the transatlantic military alliance. Putin repeated that the "threat" for Russia "increases substantially" if Ukraine joins NATO.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has reiterated Kyiv's hopes of joining the alliance, a goal that was written into the Ukrainian Constitution in 2019, five years into the ongoing conflict with the separatists.

Zelenskiy has pledged that Ukrainian soldiers will avoid responding to provocations from separatists or Russian forces with tensions ratcheted high after U.S. and other Western officials warned of the risk of so-called false-flag operations to spark a pretext for a Russian offensive.

U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan said on February 21 that "we anticipate they very well may [roll Russian tanks across the border into Ukraine] in the coming hours or days."

Lavrov said he planned to meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Geneva on February 24.

He also said he plans to travel to Paris the following day to meet with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to lay the groundwork for a possible Biden-Putin summit that was suggested by French President Emmanuel Macron.

With reporting by Reuters and AP
In the late afternoon of February 18, the Russia-backed separatists controlling parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine announced the evacuation of residents, setting off a weekend of confusion, fatigue, and fear.

"We had a hard rain all evening," a resident of the city of Donetsk who asked to be identified only as Larisa told RFE/RL about the events of that evening. "Everyone was calling us, asking whether we were going and what we were going to do. Of course, no one would go of their own accord in the rain, at night, just based on one announcement."

She said that those leaving were mostly people who had been mobilized through their workplaces or those dependent on social subsidies.

"My friends are calling in a panic," another Donetsk resident wrote in a message to RFE/RL. "But they are afraid to go. Television is showing the same footage over and over of how children from orphanages are being evacuated. It would be awful if children are suffering because of these evacuators."

Human rights monitors have accused the separatists of exploiting the orphans for propaganda purposes.

A resident of Horlivka, a smaller city north of Donetsk and near the front line separating separatist-held territory from the government-controlled part of the region, wrote late on February 18 that "everything here seems to be quiet."

My mother can't walk. My stepfather is old and my granddaughter is a baby. Where am I supposed to take them?"

"No one I know is planning to leave," he added.

Another resident of Donetsk told RFE/RL that he went out to a central square to watch the buses being loaded up. "But the police wouldn't let me get very close," he said.

The evacuation orders came amid rising tensions in the region as Russia has amassed more than 130,000 troops along the border with Ukraine and in the occupied Ukrainian region of Crimea. The United States and NATO have warned that a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine could come at any moment.

Meanwhile, indeterminate incidents of shelling along the line of contact between Ukraine's military and the separatist-controlled parts of the Donbas have increased after weeks of near-total calm. On February 19, the Ukrainian military announced its first fatality in 37 days.

Despite unsubstantiated claims by Russia and the separatists, Ukraine denies planning or carrying out military operations in the area. Kyiv and Western leaders have accused Moscow and the separatists it supports of seeking to manufacture a pretext for a new offensive.

A mid-ranking bureaucrat in the de facto separatist administration in Donetsk who asked not to be identified had harsh words for the way Russia-backed separatist leader Denis Pushilin handled the evacuation announcement.

"Pushilin announced the evacuation when it was already getting dark," he told RFE/RL. "Who would go at night without any men, but with small children and old people in some unknown buses heading off in the direction of Russia without any information and no sign of any trouble?"

According to Russian officials on February 20, more than 30,000 people had already crossed the Ukrainian border into Russia on trains and buses. Several evacuees who spoke to RFE/RL in the Rostov region, which borders the separatist-held areas of Ukraine, said they were enticed to come after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 10,000 ruble ($130) payment to each new arrival. The amount is about equal to the monthly salary of a nurse in the separatist-controlled parts of Ukraine.

Social media chats based in the separatist-controlled areas were inundated with comments from a confused public.

"Why aren't any of the television channels talking about the evacuation?" one user wrote. "Where are we running to? Where are they taking us?"

"It will be like it was in 2014," another wrote. "They'll take us to tent camps. But back then at least it was summer. Now it is winter. No one there needs us. I'm not going."

"My mother can't walk," wrote a third. "My stepfather is old and my granddaughter is a baby. Where am I supposed to take them?"

Others noted that the homes and property of people who left during the intense fighting in 2014 were often looted or seized in their absence. Such concerns have been intensified by separatist mobilization orders specifying that cars and other private property are subject to requisition as deemed necessary.

"We leave now, and they will take away our apartments," one user wrote. "No thank you."

A teacher in Donetsk who asked to be identified only as Tatyana said she was not afraid at all until after the evacuation announcement.

"Then, after Pushilin's speech, they turned on the air-raid sirens and people began running back and forth in front of my window," she said. "And the stores were emptied out. We haven't seen anything like it in seven years."

RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson and RFE/RL's Russian Service contributed to this report.
A member of the nucleic acid test expert team from China's Yunnan Province carries out nucleic acid testing for a Chinese passenger quarantined at Landmark Hotel in Vientiane, Laos, Feb. 21, 2022.

The Chinese team started testing work in three quarantine hotels in Lao capital Vientiane for the Chinese passengers waiting for flights to return home. (Photo by Soulinan Vongsanti/Xinhua)

VIENTIANE, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese medical personnel on Monday kicked off its COVID-19 testing service in three quarantined hotels in the Lao capital Vientiane for the Chinese nationals there waiting for flights headed for China.

In view of the complexity of the COVID-19 situation in Laos and responding to the needs in the joint prevention and control of COVID-19 between China and Laos, the nucleic acid testing team was dispatched to Vientiane on Feb. 7 on an assistance mission.

The team, from China's southwestern Yunnan province, includes six experts on medical testing and traditional Chinese medicine.

Its main tasks in Vientiane include providing on-site COVID-19 nucleic acid testing services, guiding the health monitoring and closed-loop transfer of Chinese air passengers in the seven days before their departure for China, and introducing China's successful experiences of epidemic prevention and control to the related authorities in Laos.

After arriving in Vientiane, the expert team has helped the Lao side in formulating a strategy on managing quarantine hotels, and worked out COVID-19 testing service guidelines for the China-bound flights from Laos by Chinese carriers.

The Chinese experts have also provided emergency testing services at the Vientiane station and training center of the China-Laos Railway, contributing to the railway's safe and stable operation. 

Members of the nucleic acid test expert team from China's Yunnan Province prepare to carry out nucleic acid testing for Chinese passengers quarantined at Landmark Hotel in Vientiane, Laos, Feb. 21, 2022.

The Chinese team started testing work in three quarantine hotels in Lao capital Vientiane for the Chinese passengers waiting for flights to return home. (Photo by Soulinan Vongsanti/Xinhua)

A member of the nucleic acid test expert team from China's Yunnan Province carries out nucleic acid testing for a Chinese passenger quarantined at Landmark Hotel in Vientiane, Laos, Feb. 21, 2022.

The Chinese team started testing work in three quarantine hotels in Lao capital Vientiane for the Chinese passengers waiting for flights to return home. (Photo by Soulinan Vongsanti/Xinhua)

A member of the nucleic acid test expert team from China's Yunnan Province carries out nucleic acid testing for a Chinese passenger quarantined at Landmark Hotel in Vientiane, Laos, Feb. 21, 2022.

The Chinese team started testing work in three quarantine hotels in Lao capital Vientiane for the Chinese passengers waiting for flights to return home. (Photo by Soulinan Vongsanti/Xinhua)
Richmond, KY (40475)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 55F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

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Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 55F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
LAGOS, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian army said its troops killed scores of extremist militants on Monday in an ambush in the northeast Adamawa state.

In a brief statement posted on social media, the army said the troops acted on an intelligence report and laid an ambush in the early hours of Monday on the Boko Haram militants at the state's Mandara mountains.

"Scores of terrorists were neutralized at Mandara mountains. Weapons, equipment and unexploded IEDs (improvised explosive devices) were recovered," the statement said, without giving more details.

Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria since 2009. The terror group has also extended its attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin. 
Lucara chairperson to retire

21 february 2022 News

Lucara Diamond chairperson and director Lukas Lundin is set to retire from the board upon the completion of his term at the company's upcoming 2022 annual meeting of shareholders in May this year.

The Lundin family owns a 24.5% stake in Lucara and it is expected to recommend ongoing representation on the company board of directors.

Lucara said its corporate governance and nominating committee will evaluate and assess the skills as well as experience of any director nominee to replace Lundin.

"On behalf of the board and management team of Lucara, I want to thank Lukas for his invaluable contributions to the company as a founder and visionary, who was instrumental in transforming Karowe into one of the world's leading, high margin diamond mines, renowned for its recovery of large, high-value diamonds and the only mine in recorded history to have recovered three diamonds in excess of 1000 carats, said company president and chief executive Eira Thomas.

With his ongoing support, we look forward to a long and successful future at Karowe, expanding the mine underground and extending mine-life out until at least 2040."



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished






Roanoke Rapids, NC (27870)

Today

A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

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A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
YAOUNDE, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least 34 people have died so far in a cholera epidemic that is sweeping the Central African nation of Cameroon, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday.

The epidemic has hit at least four regions, including the Littoral region where the commercial capital Douala is located.

In the Southwest region, 28 people have died, and 1,055 others infected. There are 77 cases and four deaths in the Littoral region, the South region has 52 cases and two deaths and the Far North region has reported eight cases, OCHA said.

Cholera cases were first reported in localities in the Littoral and Southwest regions of the country in early January.

Last week, Cameroon's Minister of Public Health Malachie Manaouda urged people to stay hygienic and report any infections to the hospital.

Outbreaks of the water-borne disease occur regularly in Cameroon, mainly due to poor sanitation and a lack of access to clean drinking water.

Cholera, which is spread by ingesting fecal matter, causes acute watery diarrhea and can kill within hours if not treated. 
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This undated handout photo provided by the US Air Force shows Maj. Gen. Michael J. Carey. The Air Force is firing Carey, the two-star general in charge of all of its nuclear missiles in response to an investigation into alleged personal misbehavior, officials told The Associated Press on Friday. Carey is being removed from command of the 20th Air Force, which is responsible for three wings of intercontinental ballistic missiles  a total of 450 missiles at three bases across the country, the officials said. ( / Associated Press Photo/US Air Force)

The Air Force fired the general in charge of its nuclear missiles on Friday, just two days after a Navy admiral with top nuclear weapons responsibilities was sacked. Both men are caught up in investigations of alleged personal misconduct, adding to a cascade of turmoil inside the nations nuclear weapons force.

The Air Force removed Maj. Gen. Michael Carey, a 35-year veteran, from his command of 20th Air Force, responsible for all 450 of the services intercontinental ballistic missiles. Carey, who took his post in Wyoming in June 2012, will be reassigned pending the outcome of an investigation into personal misbehavior, the service said.

The Air Force would not specify what Carey is alleged to have done wrong, but two officials with knowledge of the investigation indicated that it was linked to alcohol use.

They said it was not related to the performance or combat readiness of ICBM units or to his stewardship of the force.

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Removing senior officers in the nuclear force is rare but has happened twice this week.

On Wednesday the Navy said Vice Adm. Tim Giardina, the second-in-charge at U.S. Strategic Command, was fired amid an investigation of gambling issues. He was demoted from three- to two-star rank and reassigned to a Navy staff job until the investigation is completed.

Together, the Carey and Giardina firings add a new dimension to a set of serious problems facing the militarys nuclear force. The ICBM segment in particular has had several recent setbacks, including a failed safety and security inspection at a base in Montana in August, followed by the firing of the colonel there in charge of security forces. In May, The Associated Press revealed that 17 Minuteman 3 missile launch control officers at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., had been taken off duty in a reflection of what one officer there called rot inside the ICBM force.

Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler, the nations most senior nuclear commander as head of U.S. Strategic Command, called the Carey and Giardina matters unfortunate behavioral incidents, but he would not discuss details.

In a telephone interview from his headquarters near Omaha, Neb., Kehler said he told Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, on Thursday that the two cases had not shaken his confidence in the force.

I still have 100 percent confidence that the nations nuclear deterrent force is safe, secure and effective. He added that this is something that has been on their minds as well, referring to Hagel and Dempsey.

You are going to have to make your own judgment when all the facts come out on these two particular cases, but I can say this: In these cases, this ultimately had to do with a loss of confidence in Carey and Giardina as a result of certain behavior.

Other problems have surfaced this year. In a March inspection, launch crews at Minot scored the equivalent of a D grade on missile operations. In June the Minot officer in charge of training and proficiency of missile crews was fired.

Throughout this period the Air Force and top Pentagon officials have insisted that the nuclear force is safe and secure. But the competence of its management has been questioned.

Documents obtained by the AP show that at lower levels the force is beset with morale problems and incidents of indiscipline.

The U.S. has been shrinking the size of its nuclear arsenal for many years; it is comprised of long-range missiles aboard submarines, long-range bombers and ICBMs. As of Oct. 1 the U.S. had 1,688 deployed strategic nuclear warheads, which Washington is obliged to reduce to 1,550 by 2018 under the New START treaty with Russia.

As the arsenal has grown smaller, questions about management of the force have loomed larger. Rep. Howard Buck McKeon, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in August that the Air Force must refocus on its nuclear mission. He urged it to hold failed leadership accountable and to recommit itself from the top down to the mission of safely operating nuclear weapons.

The decision to sack Carey was made by Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, which is in charge of all Air Force nuclear weapons, including bombers. The case appears to be unrelated to that of Giardina, but the two men are associated in the chain of responsibility for U.S. nuclear weapons.

Carey did not report directly to Giardina, but the ICBMs under Careys command would, in the event of war, receive their launch commands through Strategic Command, where Giardina had been the deputy commander since December 2011. By coincidence, Kowalski, who fired Carey, has been nominated to succeed Giardina at Strategic Command. The Senate has not yet confirmed Kowalski.

Kowalski selected the vice commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein, to temporarily replace Carey.

Its unfortunate that Ive had to relieve an officer whos had an otherwise distinctive career spanning 35 years of commendable service, Kowalski said in a written statement from his headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

An internal email obtained by the AP on Friday said the allegations against Carey stem from an inspector general probe of his behavior while on an unspecified temporary duty assignment. The email said the allegations are not related to the operational readiness of the ICBM force or recent failed inspections of ICBM units.

At a Pentagon news conference, an Air Force spokesman, Brig. Gen. Les Kodlick, would not provide details about the alleged misbehavior by Carey except to say it does not involve sexual misconduct or criminal activity. He said the investigation had been underway for several months.

There was misbehavior such that (Kowalski) decided that it didnt exemplify the trust and responsibilities required of a commander who is responsible for the nuclear force, Kodlick said.

Especially in the nuclear enterprise, its a position of great trust and responsibility. The nuclear deterrence mission is one of great focus, discipline. Personal behavior is vital to that, especially from a commander.

Separately, two senior defense officials with knowledge of the allegations told the AP that they are at least partly related to alcohol use. The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were was not authorized to discuss an internal investigation that is not yet finished.

Carey began his Air Force career in the enlisted ranks in 1978. He was commissioned as an officer in 1983 and is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He took command of the ICBM force, at 20th Air Force headquarters at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., in June 2012.

Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.
ABUJA, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and seven others critically injured following a road crash in Nigeria's northeastern state of Bauchi, traffic police said on Monday.

A bus travelling along the Bauchi-Kano road in the state crashed into a ditch while "violating traffic rules" on Sunday, according to Yusuf Abdullahi, a commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Bauchi, who gave the details to reporters on Monday.

Three passengers escaped unhurt, Abdullahi said, noting a total of 14 people were involved in the crash.

An investigation has proved that the incident was due to "speed violation and dangerous driving," the traffic police commander said.

The remains of the dead victims had been deposited at a morgue for identification by their families, he said, adding the injured were also responding to treatment at a government-run hospital.

Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions, and reckless driving. 
If you have ever lost your luggage, then you understand the sinking feeling as you watch the empty carousel at the baggage claim. As hope dwindled and the conveyor belt emptied, I remember standing there alone, realizing that I wouldnt be leaving the airport with my belongings. Although losing your luggage is bad enough, the dread of spending the rest of my evening filling out forms and calling customer service was much worse. Its a horrible way to start your trip. And, it becomes even more stressful if their customer service makes you jump through hoops. The good news is that you may be entitled to compensation for the inconvenience. But, how much do airlines pay you for lost luggage?

Why Does It Seem Like More Luggage is Lost?

Although many of us have been in this situation, airlines dont lose as many bags as you might think. In 2020, TSA reported that 3.5 of every 1,000 bags were mishandled, with only 4% disappearing altogether. However, lost luggage is an inherent problem if you frequently travel.

And, lets not forget that the pandemic has brought new challenges as well. The understaffing issues became even more extreme with the outbreak of new COVID-19 variants. Since more employees were in quarantine, there are fewer people to assist with flight operations and customer service.

With fewer crew members, that means more flight delays and cancellations. This in turn leads to more rerouting of passengers and reloading of luggage. The more times the bags are moved, the more chances for mistakes to happen. And, it also means it takes longer to track down and return lost bags. So even though the number of lost bags hasnt changed drastically, the response time has.

When Is It Considered Lost Luggage?

The time required to declare luggage officially lost varies between airlines. But, it typically ranges between 5 and 14 days after the flight. Keep in mind that international flights have different policies, so your itinerary could affect this timeline.

However, there are instances in which the airline drops the ball. If the bag has been missing for an unreasonable length of time and you still have not received a response, the DOT may have to enforce action.

How Much Do Airlines Pay You for Lost Luggage?

Although individual airline policies may vary, most carriers offer compensation for lost luggage after 24 hours. You can usually expect a refund for baggage fees and about $50 per day for the first 5 days. In addition to covering the cost of basic necessities such as toiletries, they will also compensate you for the value of your bags contents. Be aware that they will ask you to inventory your belongings and possibly provide receipts or proof of purchase for more valuable items.

However, there are limits to liability. The maximum amount for domestic flights is $3,800 while international flights cap the amount at approximately $1,780. Although not required by the DOT, airlines can exceed this limit at their discretion.

How Can You Claim Compensation?

Once you determine if you are eligible for compensation, the next questions are how much do airlines pay for your lost luggage and how to claim it. Unfortunately, there is a lot of paperwork and steps you must take to get your money.

1. Contact the airline customer service.

The first step is to notify the airline that your bag is missing. However, if you flew multiple carriers, this can become confusing. If you had flights on different airlines, the final one is responsible for lost and damaged luggage.

2. Request a refund.

Many airlines will refund any fees you paid for your checked bags. But, theres a catch. The stipulation usually states they will refund the money if your bags are delayed 12 hours after you submit the claim. Therefore, time is of the essence.

3. File a Property Irregularity Report.

If your bags are delayed by more than 24 hours, most airlines offer compensation. Once again, time is critical. So, before you leave the airport, make sure you file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) with the agents at the check-in or baggage claim desk.

The total amount of compensation you can claim depends on the value of the contents in your luggage. If you are trying to get the full amount for your lost possession and incidentals, youll need to list the contents and value on the claim.

And, be sure you leave your local contact information and preferred delivery address once it arrives. If you are unable to file right away, these are the domestic carriers customer service lines for baggage inquiries:

Alaska (877) 815-8253

American (800) 535-5225

Delta (800) 325-8224

Frontier online form

Hawaiian (866) 389-6654

JetBlue (866) 538-5438

Southwest (888) 202-1024

Spirit online form

United (800) 335-2247

4. Make copies and document everything.

I cant count how many times Ive lost compensation because I didnt have all the paperwork in order. So, make copies of the claim report, keep your receipts, and document everything. I go as far as to write down my claim number and the information of the agent assisting me as well. I firmly believe its better to have too much information than not enough.

5. Check your insurance policies and membership benefits.

If you purchased travel or home insurance, your policy could provide coverage for lost luggage. You should also check with your credit card since some also offer compensation as well.

What Can You Do to Avoid Lost Luggage?

Unfortunately, you never know when bad luck will strike and your bag will be the one they lose. However, there are a few things you can do to make it easier to locate your luggage or avoid the hassle altogether.

The only surefire way to avoid lost luggage is by not checking bags. If you only travel with a carry-on, youll never have to deal with lost luggage at the baggage claim.

Look for direct flights or ones with fewer connections. The less your bag has to be unloaded and reloaded, the less likely it will get lost.

Make sure your bag is easily identifiable. Many bags look similar, so choose a different color or add something unique to your luggage in case the tags go missing.

Take photos of your luggage and claim tickets. This will be helpful if you have to file a claim.

When flying multiple carriers, check with all the airlines.

No one wants to wind up in this situation. But, if the airlines lose your bag, review your Contract of Carriage. Then, youll know their policies and what youre entitled to. Not only will this save agents the time of explaining it to you, but it will also ensure you get to the right department faster. The truth is that few bags are permanently lost; it just may take some time to track it down. In the meantime, you may as well take advantage of the benefits and find the silver lining in an inconvenient situation.

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COLOMBO, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government is to kick off a program to promote the country's popular batik and handloom products to global markets in order to reboot local handloom industry, which is hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A senior official from the State Ministry of Batik, Handloom and Local Apparel Products told Xinhua on Monday that the program will be launched soon through the Sri Lankan diplomatic missions overseas.

Recently Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris said at a session about the program that Sri Lankan indigenous products were an outcome of creativity of the people and their promotion abroad will directly uplift the economy at grassroots levels.

State Minister of Batik, Handloom and Local Apparel Products Dayasiri Jayasekara requested the Sri Lankan diplomats to vigorously promote the country's batik and handloom products in their respective countries of accreditation and presented samples for displaying at missions and events.

The Sri Lankan government had set an export target for the batik, handloom, and local apparel industry at 6 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, but the country was unable to reach this target due to the pandemic. 
SINGAPORE, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said there is no perfect solution to the need of protecting U.S. citizens from COVID-19 infection amid growing fatigue with the pandemic.

In a report carried recently by Singapore's Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, Fauci said that U.S. states are facing tough choices in their efforts to balance the need to protect their citizens from contagion and the growing fatigue with the pandemic that has entered its third year.

"There is no perfect solution to this," said Fauci, a member of the White House COVID-19 Response Team, in an interview with Reuters.

The remarks were made against the backdrop that U.S. health officials said they were preparing new COVID-19 guidance on many aspects of the virus response as the Omicron case surge declined. 
Astronomers have discovered evidence of a third planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, our sun's closest star neighbor. However, experts say this exoplanet is too hot to be inhabited.

A light-year is the distance light travels in a vacuum in one year, approximately 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers).

The rocky object is one of the lightest exoplanets yet discovered, with a mass of around a quarter that of Earth.

The tiny, faint red dwarf star has an eighth of the mass of the sun and already has one verified Earth-size planet and a possible second, further away from the planet candidate.

Researchers detailed their study, "A Candidate Short-Period Sub-Earth Orbiting Proxima Centauri," in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

The study lead author is Joao Faria, a researcher at the Instituto de Astrofisica e Ciencias do Espaco in Portugal.

Proxima D: Potential Requirements for Life

With the identification of Proxima d, the third probable exoplanet, Proxima Centauri, now has the potential to host a diverse range of planets. However, the newly found planet is less than half the size of Earth and probably too hot to be inhabited.

NBC News said the new planet is so near to its star - roughly a tenth of the distance between the sun and Mercury - that an orbit around it takes only five days.

As the moon is to Earth, it's also expected to be "tidally locked," with one face always pointed toward Proxima Centauri.

This might result in temperature extremes and reduce the chances of the planet having a stable atmosphere.

Scientists are ecstatic about the finding despite the potentially hazardous conditions on the new planet.

ALSO READ: Planet Search Is Not Easy! Astronomers Tell Us How They Discovered Almost 5,000 New Exoplanets

Proxima b, the first planet discovered in the system, was verified in 2020. It's roughly the size of Earth and takes 11 days to orbit the star.

It's in the habitable zone, or the distance from a star where the circumstances are correct for liquid water to exist on the planet's surface, which is one of the main elements for life as we know it.

Proxima d, which orbits the star in about five years, is too near for the star to be in the habitable zone. Meanwhile, Proxima c, which orbits the star in about five years, is too far away.

About Proxima Centauri

Proxima Centauri might be home to a diverse range of planets.

While experts don't now have the technology to go to Proxima Centauri in any type of realistic time frame, The Verge said these planets might be among the first astronauts would visit if we ever do.

For the time being, their relative vicinity to Earth makes them ideal candidates for further investigation and monitoring. According to astronomers, they might aid experts in their ongoing search to learn how planets develop around distant stars.

According to Faria, the Proxima system might be "packed with planets."

It's also a watershed moment in the way scientists hunt for planets around distant stars, he added, which might lead to the finding of even more soon.

Other measurements will be needed to confirm the existence of the new planet, but Faria and his co-authors claim to have found it in minute changes in Proxima's brightness - "wobbles" created by the planet's gravity.

The first planet discovered orbiting Proxima in 2016 and a second planet discovered in 2019 were discovered using similar procedures.

However, the most recent search employed light collected by a new spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope on a hilltop in northern Chile's Atacama Desert - a more sensitive device than previously used.

RELATED ARTICLE: European Southern Observatory Finds New Exoplanet Orbiting Proxima Centauri; Is Proxima d Lighter Than Earth?

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 70th year of accession on February 6 this year, making her the United Kingdom's longest-reigning monarch. On February 20, Buckingham Palace has announced that the Queen has tested positive for COVID-19.

Before the Majesty contracted the virus, her son Prince Charles was reinfected with the coronavirus followed by his wife Camilla and also went into isolation. Vanity Fair reported that the prince met the Queen two days prior testing positive for the virus. Prince Charles is now fully vaccinated and boosted.

How Bad is the Queen's COVID-19 Infection?

The New York Times reported that Queen Elizabeth was infected with the coronavirus, becoming one of the world's most prominent figures to get infected. The palace issued a few details about the Queen's condition that said she is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms.

Aside from her Majesty, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also got infected and suffered the severe type of COVID-19 around the same time that he ended up in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Buckingham Palace has worked to protect the Queen from getting exposed to the virus so she remained in Windsor Castle in early 2020 with her late husband, Prince Philip. They received a dose of the vaccine on January 2021 at Windsor Castle, although the palace did not confirm any subsequent vaccine doses.

In recent weeks, the Queen started appearing in public again after canceling several engagements last fall due to exhaustion. For now, the circumstances of the Queen's infection remained unclear.

ALSO READ: 101-Year-Old Spanish Flu and World War 2 Survivor Has Now Beat COVID-19 As Well





COVID-19 Infection and Vaccine Information for Older People

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that older adults are more likely to get infected with coronavirus and that many of them might need hospitalization, ICU, or a ventilator to help them breathe. Their risk is even higher when they are over the age of 50 and further increases in the 60s, 70s, and 80s adults. People who are older than 85 years old are the most likely to get very sick.

Moreover, older unvaccinated adults are more likely to be hospitalized or die, especially if they have certain underlying medical conditions. They need to take preventive measures, such as getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and washing hands regularly to protect themselves from getting infected.

In case older adults feel sick or think they might be exposed to someone with COVID-19, they need to get tested immediately. Contact local health providers for assistance, while those who have medical emergencies must not delay seeking care.

Meanwhile, those who are already starting to show symptoms should call the healthcare provider, get tested, and follow the necessary steps when feeling sick. For those unsure of the COVID-19 symptoms, the CDC has listed these symptoms on the coronavirus self-checker website.

Lastly, help protect friends and family members who are old by following visitation guidelines under various circumstances. People in nursing homes or long-term care facilities are more prone to the virus so it is advisable to be extra careful when visiting them.

RELATED ARTICLE: COVID-19 Death in Older Women; Estrogen Levels, Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked to Severity of the Virus



Check out more news and information on COVID-19 in Science Times.
ATHENS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The charred body of a man was recovered on Sunday in a truck on a ferry off the Greek island of Corfu, the local fire brigade announced.

A fire had broken out on the car deck of the ferry on Friday, after it departed from the port of Igoumenitsa en route to Brindisi in Italy. 280 people were rescued from the vessel, including two men who were found several hours after the mass evacuation.

On Sunday, one more person was found alive on the ship, a 21-year-old Belarusian man who was transferred to a local hospital in a stable condition.

The man said that for several hours after the incident he had heard voices on the ship, leading to hopes that more survivors could be found, Greek Coast Guard spokesperson Nikolaos Alexiou told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

Ten people were still missing as the rescue operation continued on Sunday.

The Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia has been towed to a safe area north of Corfu, while firefighters are still battling pockets of fire on the ship, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. 
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The California Democratic Party sent mixed signals to racial justice and environmental activists Sunday by refusing to accept further campaign contributions from some fossil fuel companies and pledging to review contributions from law enforcement organizations on a case-by-case basis.

The move, which has been under consideration for months, was seen as a way for the state Democratic Party  the nations largest  to align its rhetoric on racial justice and the environment with its financing sources  in other words, to refrain from raising campaign cash from sources that it clashes with on those political and policy matters. The partys executive board, meeting virtually Sunday, agreed 192-48 to accept the changes. It will review the rules in two years.

The California Democratic Party has taken an important step forward to more clearly fund our important work in line with our democratic values, state party chair Rusty Hicks said Sunday in a statement after the vote. We now turn our full attention to engaging 10 million California Democrats to protect our democracy and build a California that works for all of us.

While the move sends a strong message, the party has made a political calculation that theyre going to gain more votes than they would lose as a result of taking money from these places, said Jessica Levinson, a professor of law at Loyola University in Los Angeles. Democrats hold a vise-grip on political power in California, controlling all statewide offices and comprising a supermajority in the Legislature.

You cant afford to say, Were above money from X or Y, if you feel like you might lose power in the state, Levinson said.

However, the partys leadership was split, with some saying the steps taken were not enough to show the party was willing to give up big money even from sources that are in conflict with the partys core ideals on climate policy and racial justice. One of the states partys vice chairs, controller Betty Yee, supported the changes as a balanced, comprehensive approach.

Another of the state partys vice chairs  former San Francisco supervisor and current state Assembly candidate David Campos  voted against the changes, even though he said they move the party in the right direction.

Unfortunately, Campos told The Chronicle on Sunday, they leave the door open for the party to continue to take money from some fossil fuel companies and law enforcement unions opposing criminal justice reform.

Other party activists say the agreement is full of loopholes and echoed Campos sentiment that it doesnt go far enough.

Its an absolute joke, said R.L. Miller, a Ventura County resident who is a member of the Democratic National Committee and of the state partys executive board. She is a co-founder of Climate Hawks Vote, which asks candidates to not take contributions from fossil fuel companies.

Miller noted that while the partys move bans contributions from fossil fuel companies and includes investor-owned utilities Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Sempra, it allows them from utility Southern California Edison.

The reason for that divergence, according to a report prepared for executive board members Sunday, is that Southern California Edison only provides electricity services to customers and provides no gas services, unlike the other two utilities, according to portions of the partys report obtained by The Chronicle.

Miller said that some of the energy that Southern California Edison delivers is from hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, natural gas, a practice that environmental activists condemn because of its ability to pollute groundwater and release the greenhouse gas methane.

On law enforcement contributions, the state party said it will consider donations from law enforcement unions comprised of police officers and/or deputy sheriffs on a case-by-case basis. The partys five top officers  including Hicks, Campos and Yee  would make that decision. A proposal to create specific criteria for deciding which contributions would be permissible was voted down Sunday.

Cutting off the flow of political contributions from police unions to politicians is a key element in the movement to reform policing, according to Alex Vitale, author of The End of Policing.

The way to do that is to go after the campaign contributions and endorsements that they hand out and to make those politically toxic for elected officials, Vitale said.

In 2020, The Chronicle reported that the state party had accepted $1.8 million since 2017 from four police unions and other organizations representing law enforcement employees. Officials said Sunday that the party had not accepted contributions from either law enforcement or fossil fuel sources since 2020.

Some executive board members were concerned about putting that decision-making authority on law enforcement union donations in the hands of five people.

I am holding out hope that they will do the right thing because they are all good people and all, said Sean Dugar, an executive board member from Oakland. But I dont know.

The partys decision showed that on law enforcement contributions, it was struggling with what it views as two different constituencies  people of color and organized labor.

The partys report Sunday shown to executive board members said the state party wanted to uplift the voices of those most impacted by failures in law enforcement  specifically Black and Brown communities. At the same time (the state party) should always uplift and empower the voices of working people in our party.

Dugar said the decision regarding law enforcement money shows that were not serious about the issue.

Christine Pelosi, an executive board member from San Francisco, supported tougher proposed amendments to the climate and law enforcement provisions that failed to get enacted Sunday, but said she ultimately voted yes on final passage because we are making amazing progress.

I could not have envisioned this five years ago, or even two years ago, but thats the power of the grassroots activists who pushed the proposals, Pelosi said Sunday.

Unlike other trends that start in California, Levinson said, the state partys recommendations are unlikely to ripple far beyond other solidly blue states.

Theres the saying, As goes California, so goes the nation, Levinson said. But there are a lot of Democrats in much more competitive states where I dont think they can afford to say, Im swearing off money, period. Or Im swearing off any type of money.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
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The body of a 16-year-old girl was found in a South of Market alley in what the medical examiner called a suspicious death, the San Francisco Police Department said.

The girls body was found around 6:30 a.m. Friday in the 600 block of Minna Street, where police had been called to assist paramedics with a possible overdose, according to a police news release. Paramedics declared her dead at the scene, the release said. Police did not provide the girls name.
Hello, Mia Teicher, 16, said affectionately to the newt she found at nightfall in the middle of a two-lane road outside Petaluma. The small amphibian froze and puffed up its orange chest, a warning to potential threats, before Teicher picked it up and carried it to safety.

The Marin high school junior is part of the Chileno Valley Newt Brigade, one of two Bay Area volunteer groups dedicated to preventing Pacific newts from becoming roadkill as they make their way from forest habitat to lakes and streams during breeding season. Thousands of the perilously slow creatures die on Bay Area roads each year, and the volunteers persevere through rain and darkness, even when their efforts are met with indifference, scorn or puffed up chests.

When you have 600 dead newts and you just cant keep going because its too much, Im like, If I stop now, nobody would do it, Merav Vonshak said during a survey last week, using a small knife to scrape the soft, sticky body of a newt off South Bay asphalt.

Vonshak heads up the volunteer group Newt Patrol, which has logged over 1,000 volunteer hours along Alma Bridge Road at the Lexington Reservoir in Los Gatos since 2018. The members arent able to rescue live newts mostly because of safety concerns on the windy road, but they painstakingly record the roadkill  as many as 5,000 each season  in the hope that authorities will do something.

One might wonder, why newts? Theyre not furry and charismatic like raccoons or deer, and theyre not endangered in California. Pacific newts are a genus that includes the rough-skinned (Taricha granulosa) and California newt (Taricha torosa)  the latter is considered a species of special concern in Monterey County.

Yet advocates say they face local extinction. The newts killed at Lexington Reservoir make up one of the largest rates of reported roadkill deaths for any type of wildlife globally, according to Fraser Shilling of the Road Ecology Center at UC Davis.

The volunteers are joined by a common goal to do something concrete about the biodiversity crisis  the rapid disappearance of wildlife species from habitat destruction. And there is something about the salamanders slow movements and big, vacant eyes they find endearing.

It was an emotional thing that got me started, said Sally Gale, founder of the Newt Brigade in Petaluma, which this season has rescued close to 4,000 newts and documented 790 dead ones.

Now Playing: Rough-skinned newt crossing a trail at Lake Lagunitas in the Marin Municipal Water District. Dec. 2, 2021. Video: John Blanchard / The Chronicle

Late on a warm and rainy night in 2019, Gale and her husband were driving along Chileno Valley Road west of Petaluma. As the car approached Laguna Lake, where newts head during breeding season, Gale asked her husband to let her out. He followed slowly in the car, lighting her way as she walked for a mile picking up dead and live newts.

Youre standing in front of a large car with big heavy tires, and you pick up these very soft, slow-moving and beautiful little creatures, said Gale, whose family has ranched in the area since the Civil War. You realize how defenseless they are and how vulnerable they are. And you want them to live.

Gale soon organized the brigade. Now, during breeding season from November to March, about 45 volunteers have regular two-hour shifts starting at dusk. Chileno Valley Road has broader shoulders and is straighter than Alma Bridge Road in Los Gatos, making it safer for missions after dark, when the newts tend to be on the move. When its rainy and warm there can be up to 850 live newts, so Gale calls in backup volunteers who fill up buckets of the amphibians and release them to safety.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

All of your senses are heightened and youre moving quickly, volunteer Kris Jacobsen said last week of those nights. Your neural activity is supercharged.

The lake turned pink as the sun set, and the road was enveloped in the rhythms of frogs singing and red-winged blackbirds trilling. Nearby, quails roosted noisily in an ancient oak tree.

The volunteers wear safety vests and move far off the road when a car approaches. And though the majority of neighbors support what they do, a few have been known to speed up or swear as they pass by.

We dont want to stop traffic or bother people, Gale said. The county put up Newt Crossing signs that have since disappeared.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Her group has held community meetings and looked into possible solutions. In other places, such as Berkeleys Tilden Park, a road is closed seasonally to protect migrating newts, but thats hard to do on public roads.

The state recently allocated $61 million to build wildlife crossings that allow animals to cross under or over highways at key migration routes. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 also included $350 million for such mitigation efforts. The amount is actually a fraction of whats needed, said Shilling of UC Davis, who publishes an annual report on California roadkill.

A bill introduced Wednesday in the California Assembly would require Caltrans to implement 10 new projects per year to help wildlife migrate safely, with the goal of also preventing collisions that injure and kill humans.

Shilling also helped write grant proposals to the California Wildlife Conservation Board proposing to elevate part of Alma Bridge Road along the Lexington Reservoir by about a foot so the newts could go under it, a method that is being used for the rare Yosemite toad in the Sierra Nevada. The grants, for $288,000 and $175,000, were not approved.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The need  the wildlife mortality part of it  and then the public interest is so much greater than the states response, Shilling said. You have to leave your heart out of it, because its just too heartbreaking.

Despite the high number of deaths at Lexington Reservoir, there are other places the newts can breed nearby, wildlife biologist Terris Kasteen of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in an email.

It is highly unlikely that overall numbers (in the county) would plummet to levels that warrant listing as endangered or threatened, Kasteen said.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Yet last year, a study mostly funded by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which owns some of the land around the reservoir, found the local population could experience a large drop in 10 years and that the 5,000 annual deaths there make up about 40% of the total newts. Midpen is looking into funding for a long-term solution, said Julie Andersen, senior resource management specialist.

Meanwhile, volunteers at Lexington Reservoir continue spending afternoons taking photos of dead newts on a 4.2-mile stretch of road and then removing them so theyre not counted twice. Vonshak said her background as an ecologist  she came here from her native Israel for postdoctoral research at Stanford University  helps her carry on.

I feel like what were doing is just so important, she said. I could ignore how gross it is to remove them from the road when theyre really bloody and disgusting, or how sad it is when they just look intact but theyre dead.

The work takes a toll on her back and knees. At one point, a man on a bicycle rode past, yelling, Newt Gingrich! Vonshak sighed.

She took a break to climb down to a seasonal creek, where the landscape opened up to tortoiseshell butterflies and big-eyed toad bugs.

Vonshak pointed underwater, where several male newts encircled a female in whats called a newt ball, a mating dance even slower than the amphibians stride. Nearby, an egg mass floated, diaphanous and delicate. There was some hope yet.

Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan
After a decade of building Local Butcher Shop from the ground up, co-owners Aaron and Monica Rocchino started to hit a breaking point with the Berkeley business.

For years, the sustainable meat shop off Shattuck Avenue had been the couples entire life. If the security alarm went off in the middle of the night, they got out of bed in San Rafael and drove to Berkeley to turn it off. Work emergencies kept them from picking up their daughter from dance class. Any ambitious, creative business ideas they wanted to pursue mostly got swallowed up by the daily grind. It wore on them.

But in 2021, as the pandemic was devastating small businesses throughout the Bay Area, they stumbled on a way to step away from Local Butcher Shop while keeping it alive: worker ownership. They decided to sell it to their employees.

Longer term, its a much more sustainable way to run a business, Aaron Rocchino said. The entire shop was on my and Monicas shoulders. No matter what happened, when it happened, where it happened, it was us.

Local Butcher Shop is part of a new wave of Bay Area food businesses converting to some form of worker ownership, including Reems in San Francisco and Oakland, San Francisco-based Ritual Coffee and Bettes Oceanview Diner in Berkeley. Its a major shift spurred in part by the pandemic and owners search for a more sustainable and equitable future in the restaurant industry.

The Bay Area has a long-standing culture of cooperatives and employee-owned food businesses, such as Berkeleys Cheese Board Collective and San Franciscos Rainbow Grocery. According to a 2016 study by Oakland nonprofit Project Equity, the Bay Area then had 56 worker cooperatives, the most in any metro region in the country. Some new businesses are starting life as cooperatives, such as Fluid Cooperative Cafe inside the La Cocina food hall in San Francisco.

But these moves by older businesses to worker ownership may signal a turning point for a model that is still misunderstood and dismissed in many industries. Advocates see worker ownership as an alternative to closing a longtime business, as was the case with Bettes diner. Baby boomers nearing retirement age own half of private businesses in the Bay Area, according to Project Equity. Its a statistic the nonprofit fears will lead to a wave of closures without concerted action, including converting to worker-owned businesses. The model is also a strategy to address wage gaps, employee satisfaction and other issues.

Project Equity, which is currently working with 10 food service companies including Ritual and Local Butcher Shop, has seen an increase in employee ownership inquiries.

This is the future of business, said Ritual founder Eileen Rinaldi. I believe in this movement as something that is good for small businesses, individuals, communities, and ultimately the world.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Of the four businesses changing their ownership models, Local Butcher Shop is the only one thats officially transitioned. Five former employees who are now worker-owners spent most of 2021 learning about shared governance and deciding how they wanted to structure the business. They also shadowed the Rocchinos, who brought on Project Equity to guide the process.

The Rocchinos and Rituals Rinaldi at one point entertained the idea of selling their business, but they couldnt stomach the thought of a new owner dismantling what theyd built. Selling a business can also concentrate wealth, while worker ownership further distributes it, often among racial and socioeconomic groups that normally wouldnt have access to it, advocates say. At these Bay Area businesses, low-wage workers, employees of color, immigrants and staff whose first language isnt English are getting a shot at ownership.

Rinaldi said her interest in transitioning Ritual pre-dated employee backlash over workplace culture and racism in recent years. But the controversy forced intense introspection and structural changes at the cafes that made moving toward employee ownership easier, she said.

Especially companies like ours, where I'm a white owner and my staff is really racially diverse  this is an opportunity to do something concrete that impacts income inequality, but in particular the wealth gap due to race, Rinaldi said.

Reem Assil had long believed in employee ownership as a response to deep-seated racism and wage inequality in the food industry. But during the pandemic, it also became appealing as a way to share the burden of running a small business in the Bay Area. Once Reems is sold, shell likely stay on as acting CEO or a non-voting board member, but will no longer be involved in day-to-day operations.

There are definitely perks to small business ownership, but its very lonely, Assil said. But what if you get to be a business owner with a few other trusted people, so that if you are tired or want a vacation or want to start a family, your fellow business owners can step up?

Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle 2020

For over a year, about a dozen of 30 Reems employees and Assil herself have been attending an in-depth apprenticeship program with Oaklands Sustainable Economies Law Center to prepare for the turnover of the business. The program was funded with $100,000 from the Emerson Collective, Laurene Powell Jobs philanthropic organization. That enabled Reems to pay the staff for their time and hire consultants and interpreters for Spanish-speaking employees.

Workers said theyve already felt a culture shift at Reems, particularly among staff who may not have previously felt comfortable speaking up or taking on leadership roles.

Dee Aguirre, a lead line cook, used to be terrified of sharing her opinion in staff meetings. She didnt want to say the wrong thing, so she stayed silent. But through the apprenticeship programs focus on communication, shes started speaking up more.

To me it creates a lot of leadership in people who never thought that they would be a leader, she said of worker ownership.

Employee ownership saved Bettes, a beloved Berkeley institution, from permanent closure. After the original owner announced the longtime diner would close for good in January, veteran staffers approached the buildings landlord, Denny Abrams, about helping them take over the business. He and his partner invested about $275,000 to finance the transition. Bettes is scheduled to reopen as Oceanview Diner this month, with the same chefs and menu as before. Seven employees came back to Bettes, general manager William Bishop said, for the chance to become owners themselves.

There are restaurants failing right and left and its not because the business isnt there, Abrams said. It deserves attention as one of the solutions.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle 2017

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

One of the biggest challenges to the worker ownership model remains raising awareness about it; many still find it a hazy, unfamiliar concept. Years ago, the Bettes team discussed converting the business but it fell through as concerns about management and finances mounted, Bishop said. Common questions quickly bubbled up at Ritual Coffee, too, Rinaldi said: Whats the difference between a cooperative and a collective? (In a collective, all the worker-owners also serve on a board of directors.) Does running a business in this way mean decisions as small as buying new toilet paper take forever to make? (No, but every group can structure their bylaws differently.)

The biggest barrier to there being more employee ownership is people just dont know about it, said Project Equity co-founder Alison Lingane.

Converting is an involved process that can take over a year to complete and typically requires the help of consultants. Project Equity, which focuses specifically on converting existing businesses, spends three months making sure a business is the right fit for employee ownership before even beginning the transition process.

There are multiple ways to structure worker ownership, and each model comes with legal and financial complexities. An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), for example, means that workers get shares in the company, while a worker-owned cooperative means staff must pay an initial buy-in fee to become owners. Securing bank loans to finance transitions can also be tricky; Project Equity recently launched a new capital equity fund for businesses to borrow from instead. At Reems, Assil is documenting the restaurants efforts to create a toolkit to share with other businesses.

If were going to really build a co-op movement thats thinking about longevity, we need to get more community partnerships and funding to help subsidize that work, Assil said.

Samantha Laurey/The Chronicle

The idealistic promise of employee ownership, however, doesnt always pan out. San Franciscos Four Barrel Coffee didnt end up passing the business to employees as promised after a sexual harassment scandal in 2018. Plans to turn Starline Social Club in Oakland into a cooperative was met with pushback from workers who said they werent consulted beforehand. Starline general manager Marcus Osborne said the popular club, which reopened this month, is still working toward that model but declined to elaborate further.

Still, advocates for the model have hope that it will soon become more mainstream. Kirk Vartan transitioned his A Slice of New York pizza shops in Sunnyvale and San Jose into worker cooperatives in 2017, and hes been working since to boost the concept. He lobbies local and state officials and helped the City of Santa Clara establish a worker-ownership program that provides resources to business owners. The City of Berkeley has a similar program, which is how the Rocchinos found out about employee ownership.

Vartan envisions a mass public awareness effort, just like anti-smoking or drunk driving campaigns: If you care about small businesses, theres another option for you. Have you heard of worker ownership?

He worries about the alternative, closure, which was almost Bettes fate. He sees the diners revival as a success story, albeit an unplanned one.

Thats a great example of why its such a shame to not raise awareness of this, he said.

Elena Kadvany is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ekadvany
As the omicron wave began to pick up in San Francisco in late December, it appeared the pandemics tendency to concentrate in poorer areas of San Francisco had inverted.

The Marina had become the epicenter of the outbreak, and other largely white, affluent neighborhoods had seen sharp upticks to their case rates, while lower-income neighborhoods with many residents of color were seeing relatively few new cases.

Nearly two months later, with case rates declining and the citys mask mandate lifted, The Chronicle looked back at the winter omicron surges full trajectory to see where neighborhood case rates settled.

We found that while omicron was initially concentrated in wealthier neighborhoods like the Marina, the variant soon migrated back to the lower-income neighborhoods that have borne the pandemics brunt all along.

As with other coronavirus waves, omicron ended up hitting the Bayview, and its disproportionately Black population (the neighborhood is nearly one-third Black, in contrast to the citys 5.2% Black population overall), the hardest. At its peak during the omicron surge, on Jan. 9, the neighborhoods average daily case rate was 457 new cases per 100,000 residents  a rate 70% higher than the citys daily case rate, and nearly 150% higher than the Marina.

This is in keeping with the pandemics overall course. The Bayviews total case rate since March 2020 is 22,900 per 100,000, the highest of any neighborhood and nearly twice the neighborhood average of 12,000 cases per 100,000. Assuming one confirmed case per resident, nearly one in four Bayview residents has tested positive for coronavirus since March 2020.

Monique LeSarre is the executive director of the Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness, which coordinates many aspects of the citys coronavirus response to its Black community. She described the Bayviews experience with omicron as an unceasing torrent of infections that began soon after Christmas and impacted nearly every family in the neighborhood, especially those that were Black and Latino.

It was really hard, she said. At certain points we had, at our testing sites, 500, 600 people in line and then we were getting back all the positives, so we were having hundreds of positives getting back.

LeSarre added that her organization spent all of its funding for the year providing PPE, food and other supplies to sick residents in January alone.

We were just daily pumping out phone calls, hundreds of phone calls, taking out cleaning supplies and PPE and groceries for folks  it was just a huge endeavor, she said. While shes happy the neighborhood made it through the omicron wave, she said shes worried about another surge happening around spring break when large in-person gatherings once again become common.

The Bayview isnt the only neighborhood that got dealt a heavy blow, though. When we looked at neighborhood case rates between December 1, 2021, around the start of the omicron variant, and Feb. 1, one of the latest dates with reliable data, we found that higher-income neighborhoods tended to have lower case rates over that time period than lower-income ones.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

In an emailed statement to The Chronicle, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Public Health said that income inequality and racism have played significant roles in both the distribution of case rates and the citys pandemic response.

Many individuals in lower income communities work in industries that require them to interact with the public; some perform essential services or serve as front line workers, the statement read. Additionally, there may be higher density living situations that increase the number of exposures within a household.

The department spokesperson added that the DPH has prioritized vulnerable populations by strategically plac[ing] low-barrier vaccine and testing access points in our most impacted neighborhoods, and that it will continue to prioritize those most at risk of getting sick or dying of COVID-19.

Susie Neilson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: susie.neilson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susieneilson
It is ridiculous to claim that the attacks on the San Francisco school board were not a response to the effort to change school names that celebrated racists and were not about anger over the opening of admissions at Lowell High School. Somehow it was incompetence and bad governance, which failed to get schools open quickly enough.

Funny, no one refers to the decades of school board leadership that continued overt segregation, racist suspension practices and crumbling facilities as incompetence.

To be clear, the motion to consider changing school names took little board time and most of the work was done by a committee of teachers, students and parents. The fantasy that the board could hurry up and open schools is exactly what we have seen in the red states. The board was dealing with facilities, labor negotiations and other preparations. Those clamoring for immediate opening, remember, wanted the schools opened even before the vaccinations were available.

If the recall achieved anything, it exposed the empty rhetoric of San Francisco progressives, who are happy to hang a Black Lives Matter sign in their window but heaven forbid we actually challenge structural racism.

Rick Ayers, San Francisco

Race not a factor

Regarding U.S. sprinter wonders why she was denied (Sporting Green, Feb. 16): There are too many stories of discrimination against Black athletes, but U.S. sprinter ShaCarri Richardsons claim she was disqualified from competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics because of her race is not one of them.

What columnist Scott Ostler omits is that during the same Olympic Trials, American 5,000-meter and 1,500-meter record holder Shelby Houlihan was banned from competition for four years after failing a test for a banned substance. Houlihan claims it was from a burrito that contained the substance while Richardson admitted to smoking pot and knew she broke the rules.

I would agree with Ostler that a double standard exists when it comes to the glamour sport of figure skating versus track and field, but to claim racism is a nonstarter. Both runners were disqualified for banned substances. Richardson (Black) may not have medaled at the Olympics while Shelby Houlihan (white) was a favorite. Richardson received a much lighter sentence for her misdeed than Houlihan. Case closed.

Stephen Perlman, San Mateo

PG&E doesnt mark up

PG&E is hearing from customers that energy bills are higher than normal. We understand increases are challenging. Were taking action and helping customers.

Natural gas prices have risen significantly, about 90% higher than last winter in PG&Es service area and nationwide. PG&E passes through the cost of energy purchases directly to customers and does not mark up that cost. What we pay for our customers energy supply, both natural gas and electricity, we pass through directly to our customers.

PG&E reduces gas price volatility impacts by buying and storing gas when prices are lower for use when prices are higher.

More than 70% of winter energy costs are from heating systems, water heaters, and washers and dryers.

Set the thermostat at 68 degrees or lower, health permitting. Save 2% for each degree lowered. Clean or replace air filters monthly. Set the water heater to 120 degrees or lower, install low-flow fixtures and wash clothes in cold water.

As the weather warms up, energy usage and bills should decrease. For more tips, visit the PG&E website.

Aaron Johnson, regional vice president,

PG&E Bay Area

Masks not that bad

After two years, were all tired of COVID. But imagine how much more exhausted well be if we wind up with a new surge, just because we couldnt be bothered to wear our masks just a little longer to make sure were out of the woods.
Entities in Manistee Countys region are teaming up to make it easier for people to become certified first responders during an ongoing personnel shortage.

Some of the entities are aiming to alleviate the local shortage by making training easier for people who work a traditional workweek or by focusing on training local first responders on how to become instructors.

Another method is training people in ways that take the burden off an overworked sector and training others who can help with situations like the pandemic and transporting patients on ventilators.

At the February Manistee County Public Safety meeting, Mobile Medical Responses northwest region supervisor Jason Sopha said there are 27 paramedics and 14 EMTs who are going through a mandatory ventilator class.

It is the intention to be able to alleviate some stress off of the air division  and be able to put the patients who can go by ground transfer due to weather who are on ventilators through this training, Sopha explained.

He said the training is going on throughout the rest of the month and that those training meetings had been well-received by participants.

Sopha said another training is the Mi-LEAP program through Michigan Works!. According to the MiLeap section of the states website, employers joined a multi-employer consortia to address regional workforce needs and advance existing employees through re- and up-skilling.

Sopha said the program helps people in gaining education within their specific career fields. He added that MMR is also involved in several other training programs. One of those would "bring instructor coordinator certifications back to Manistee County, (basic life support) CPR instructor certifications."

Its a huge undertaking for us. ... and were also upping the ante in getting our critical care transport and flight paramedic certifications as well. So the next six months for us are going to be pretty demanding," Sopha said at the meeting.

Sopha also noted that MMR has been in talks with West Shore Community College about teaming up to offer classes.

And there is a hybrid paramedic course, he said. Typically in years past, (if) you wanted to become a paramedic you have to have an EMT license. You go from anywhere of a year and a half to two years of training. That includes classroom time, it includes ride time, it includes roughly 800 to 1,000 hours of working in a hospital in various settings.

The hybrid aims to get those people interested in the career up and running quicker, Sopha said.

So that again we can start righting the ship when it comes to having a lack of qualified paramedics, not just in Manistee County, but throughout the entire region we provide service to, he said.

Dan Yost, WSCCs director of EMS and fire programs, said the department is changing the format for some of the upcoming classes for the fall semester.

Yost said they are listening to what local EMS providers need and offering weekend and other types of classes and options that hadnt been available in the department before like hybrid classes.

Were trying to accommodate the needs of the local communities really, Yost said. This is coming from people in Manistee and Mason county and even Oceana County, Lake County has showed interest as well in getting people through an EMR course possibly even an EMT.

Yost said the college is working with Mobile Medical Response and Life EMS primarily.

There is also an element of creating classes that get people trained and on the job faster, that has been factored into some of the trainings.

Classes on becoming an emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician and paramedics are included in the program.

Yost said there are classes for people who have had no medical experience and want to become EMTs, but also ones that set up a smooth transition for that next level.

What were going to do is in the fall semester that you would have to do the EMR course, he said. And then in the winter semester were going to do what they call an EMR to EMT matriculation course. So, essentially within the two semesters youre going to become an EMT its just a different way to do it.

The matriculation course is 15 weeks.

Yost said the people who are already licensed EMRs, instead of going to class for two semesters, they can do that and become an EMT in one semester next winter.

There is also an 18-week virtual EMS instructor coordinator course that starts on April 3 at the college.

Yost said the department is trying to offer more EMS or health care type trainings that nurses, doctors and others need.

One (reason is its) a major need in the area and thats part of the reason why were switching our format is because the need seems to be more heavily for EMR and also for the current EMRs looking for a faster track to become EMTs, he said. Were just offering a different approach to see if that benefits more of the local people and schedules.

Yost commented on the ongoing personnel shortage of first responders and how some people are opting to pick up some shifts part time and even that little bit will help.

Theres just so many ways that people can still help out without compromising their normal job, he said. Its just the shortage of people we have and were trying to fill those needs of our local responders.

More information on the classes can be found online at westshore.asapconnected.com or by contacting Yost by email at dyost@westshore.edu.
When West Oakland resident Kelly Brainard saw a contractor sanding and scraping down the Victorian home next door to her without wearing a respirator or using proper removal methods, she had a feeling something was wrong.

And by the time her yard was covered in dust and paint chips  potentially seeping into her garden where she grows fruit and vegetables  she suspected that something was very, very wrong. When she tested a small piece of debris, it confirmed her fear that it was contaminated by lead, a potent neurotoxin that can cause irreversible brain damage, particularly in young children.

Oakland, which has one of the highest concentrations of children under the age of six in the Bay Area, has been fighting to escape the Bay Area's toxic legacy: lead paint, a material that is still so prevalent, its poisoned more children in some Oakland neighborhoods than Flint, Michigan, at the height of its water crisis.

In December of 2021, the Oakland Department of Race and Equity released a damning report on how the city is ground-zero for lead contamination. Unsurprisingly, low-income areas with predominantly Black, Latino and immigrant communities in East Oakland neighborhoods are the most impacted. Substandard housing conditions and outdated homes are partially to blame, but the prevalence of lead paint is also a byproduct of racism, capitalism and greed that costs the city and its residents about $150 million each year.

Once commonly used in pipes, paint and cosmetics, by the early 20th century, cities and towns were becoming aware that lead was poisonous. To save themselves from extinction, lead industry behemoths such as Dutch Boy and the National Lead Company banded together and formed the Lead Industry Association, vehemently fighting bans, restrictions, and warning labels for decades  even targeting children by sending them Dutch Boy Halloween costumes and coloring books on how to prepare it.

After decades of legal battles, lobbying and lies, lead paint was finally banned by the federal government in 1978. But by then, it was already too late. According to the CDC, nearly 24 million housing units in the U.S. still have a significant amount of lead-based paint, and any house built before 1980 is likely to contain it.

Today, its toxic specter still haunts many historic Bay Area homes, poisoning Black, Latino and Asian children in East Oaklands Fruitvale and San Antonio neighborhoods  and its unclear whether the city will be able to escape it.

In 2000, Oakland, Santa Clara County and eight other California cities or counties initiated a yearslong legal battle with former lead paint manufacturers Sherwin-Williams (which now owned Dutch Boy), ConAgra Grocery Products and NL Industries, the rebranded name of the National Lead Company. After nearly 20 years of litigation, plaintiffs collectively won a $305 million settlement in 2019 to help clean up lead paint in homes built before the ban. While Oakland and Alameda County have received $24 million of those settlement funds, they still haven't been spent. This is in part because it took nearly two years for local politicians to agree on how much funding should be distributed and where.

Oakland is due to receive $14 million, the lions share of funding, but the city will only receive 20% to start  and it must continue to negotiate with Alameda County on how to spend their remaining 40%. But according to Darlene Flynn, the director of the Oakland Department of Race and Equity, its not enough.

There's never enough money to remedy the impacts of systemic racism, she told SFGATE over Zoom.

Diane Halberg, a pediatrician at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, has been testing and treating children for lead poisoning since 1991. While its rare for her to see pediatric patients with extraordinarily high lead levels, she says that even contracting small amounts can lead to lifelong debilitation.

If a child has between 5 to 10 micrograms per deciliter of lead in their blood, its considered severe. But Halberg says that even 2 micrograms per deciliter can impair a child for life, even after they receive treatment.

They can have issues with learning, attention and loss of IQ points, she says.

According to the report by the Oakland Department of Race and Equity, having less than 5 micrograms per deciliter can also result in permanent brain damage, aggression and antisocial behavior.

Humans have created this issue, Halberg says. Its a medical issue, but its a political and public health issue. While city officials like Flynn were aware of the prevalence of lead paint in low-income communities, she says they were still shocked by the severity of the reports findings.

Its disturbing, she says.

She also says that for many reasons, communities of color living in areas with older, more affordable housing have a higher probability of being exposed and less options for getting away. In Fruitvale, a predominantly Latino neighborhood, 85% of the housing was built before 1980, the Alameda County Healthy Homes Department said. In West Oakland, a historically Black, low-income neighborhood, about 37% of the housing stock was built before 1940, with many of the houses dating from the 1870s to 1910s.

According to Flynn, renters living in shoddy housing conditions usually wont complain about lead out of fear of rocking the boat. Combined, she says these factors create the perfect storm for vulnerable families throughout the Bay Area. There shouldn't be a power dynamic between renter and homeowner, Halberg says. The renter is not in the position to have that discussion.

And house flippers gentrifying historic neighborhoods are only making matters worse.

Brainard says that theres been a massive wave of redevelopment in her West Oakland neighborhood, and those looking to cash in seem to be either apathetic or unaware of the dangers of lead. As contractors and DIYers sand and strip down historic homes without using basic safety measures, they continue to recklessly expose the community.

Unfortunately these hazards are fairly invisible, and I think a lot of people still don't understand how serious the environment and health impacts can be, she writes via email.

Afterward, she says she called the Alameda County Healthy Homes Department, and they offered to talk with the developer to help discuss mitigation measures. However, according to Brainard, the agency still has very little teeth for enforcing these rules. She says that after multiple conversations with the developer, it still took the contractors at least a month to begrudgingly honor their commitment to health and safety.

What I dont understand is how city building code and permitting allows this to happen, Brainard writes. There were building inspections all along the process of this remodel and it doesnt seem to me that any attention was paid to the lead issue.

According to a report published by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, which ranked cities on gentrification using data collected from 2013 to 2017, Oakland and San Francisco are the most gentrified cities in the U.S. And since West Oakland, East Oakland and Chinatown are designated as opportunity zones  low-income areas that the city is rewarding people to invest in  local officials are opening the floodgates for development.

Meanwhile, the families living in these corners of the East Bay will continue to breathe in the burden.
PARIS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin pledged to "avoid an escalation, reduce risks and preserve peace" in eastern Ukraine during a phone call on Sunday, the French presidential office said in a press release.

According to the Elysee, Macron and Putin have agreed to resume the work within the framework of the Normandy format on the basis of the exchanges and proposals made by Ukraine in recent days, and to enable a meeting of the trilateral contact group to be held in the next few hours with the aim of obtaining "a commitment to a ceasefire" from all the stakeholders.

They also agreed on the need to favor a diplomatic solution to the current crisis and "to do everything to achieve it," adding that French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian will meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the coming days and several consultations will be held in Paris.

"The diplomatic work should make it possible to progress on the basis of the latest exchanges by involving all the stakeholders ... in order to achieve, if the conditions are met, a meeting at the highest level to define a new order of peace and security in Europe," said the press release.

Macron also spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by telephone over the weekend.

"President Zelensky has confirmed his determination to not react to the provocations and to respect the ceasefire," the Elysee said in another press release.

On Saturday, France urged all its nationals currently in Ukraine to leave the country and advised citizens to postpone their trip there. 
South Boston, VA (24592)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
PORTLAND, Ore. - One person was killed and five others were injured during a shooting Saturday night in Portland, near the site of a demonstration planned to protest police violence.

The Portland Police Bureau said that one woman was dead when officers arrived at the scene, just after 8 p.m. local time. The wounded victims, two men and three women, were transported to hospitals. Authorities have not released information about their conditions and have not identified a suspect or those shot.

The episode unfolded in the city's northeast, near Normandale Park, a frequent hub for protests against racism and police killings. On Sunday, police said they believe the incident "started with a confrontation between an armed homeowner and armed protesters." Beyond that, officials have not publicly discussed a potential motive and have said the investigation is "very complicated," made more difficult by witnesses they say were unwilling to talk to responding officers.

Department spokesperson Lt. Nathan Sheppard would not say whether police had made any arrests in connection to the shooting, telling reporters at a virtual briefing on Sunday afternoon that "things are changing constantly in this investigation."

"As we learn more, things change," Sheppard said. "At this point, it would be irresponsible of me to comment on arrests that were made, if any."

According to social media fliers, protesters were set to gather in the park at 7 p.m. Saturday before setting off an hour later. They sought to highlight the cases of Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by a Minneapolis police officer earlier this month during a no-knock raid, and Patrick Kimmons, a 27-year-old Black man killed by Portland police during a 2018 altercation. The shooting apparently began before the march was underway.

The area was quiet on Sunday morning, with a few strands of police tape hanging from the entrance to a nearby apartment complex the only remaining sign of the previous evening's gunfire. Neighbors said they heard a volley of shots around 8 p.m.

Brittany Patty, who lives in the apartment building, said she heard the pops just after putting her kids to bed.

"I was watching TV, and I heard the gunshots and I thought, 'Is it fireworks?'" Patty, 32, said.

Her neighbor, Chelsea Blando, said she heard up to 10 shots. She asked her husband, who was watching a World War II movie, if the sounds had come from the film. Blando, 30, called 911 when she realized the noise had come from outside her home.

"I didn't see anything, and by the time I was off the phone, the police had showed up," she said.

Blando shared video that showed a heavy police presence at the park's southwest corner and in a parking lot across the street.

An initial statement from Portland police said that homicide detectives were investigating the scene and that the Oregon State Medical Examiner would determine the cause and manner of the victim's death.

A police briefing was first slated for Sunday morning outside the Multnomah County Justice Center, but it was disrupted by demonstrators, one of whom was denouncing threats by white nationalist groups, and Sheppard left the news conference without giving an update or taking questions.

In a statement posted after the canceled briefing, Portland police said the scene of the shooting "was extremely chaotic, and a number of witnesses were uncooperative with responding officers."

"Most people on scene left without talking to police," the statement said. "Detectives believe a large number of people either witnessed what happened, or recorded the incident as it unfolded. This is a very complicated incident, and investigators are trying to put this puzzle together without having all the pieces."

Since the uprisings triggered by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Portland has emerged as one of the epicenters of prolonged protests. What began as a call for police accountability and racial justice has evolved into larger demonstrations demanding change ranging from defunding the police to income inequality.

Activists in the city have been protesting Kimmons's death for years, often led by his family, who have questioned the police narrative that officers shot Kimmons after he ran at them with a gun. A grand jury found that the two officers acted in self-defense.

Locke's death, in early February, has fueled weeks of protests in the Twin Cities and beyond, with many denouncing the use of a no-knock raid, which allows officers to enter homes without warning to execute warrants. A Minneapolis oversight board has said it will conduct a special review of the police department's no-knock warrant policy.

Prosecutors are weighing whether to press charges against the officer who shot and killed Locke, and the case has ignited new tensions over law enforcement in a city still traumatized by the police killing of Floyd in 2020.

Saturday's march in Portland was meant to demonstrate "solidarity with" Minneapolis, the social media flier said.

The shooting comes as Oregon's largest city - like many urban centers nationwide - has seen a dramatic uptick in gun violence. Last year, Portland saw 90 homicides, far outpacing the previous record of 66.

So far this year, police have counted more than 200 shootings, injuring 50 people, and they have recorded at least 14 gun homicides, Sheppard said at the virtual briefing.

"For the first month and 20 days," he said, "it's been challenging for the city of Portland."

- - -

The Washington Post's Holly Bailey contributed to this report. Timsit reported from London and Thebault from Los Angeles.
Truth Social, the app developed by former president Donald Trump's new media company, became available for download in Apple's App Store over the weekend ahead of an anticipated launch Monday.

The app says it is "America's 'Big Tent' social media platform that encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology." It was released in the App Store over the weekend and was updated late Sunday for "bug fixes." (Truth Social's website says it will be in the Google Play Store soon.)

Twitter banned Trump last year from the social media platform, citing the "risk of further incitement of violence," following the Jan. 6 insurrection repeatedly encouraged by the former president.

Numerous user accounts had emerged by Monday had reported delays or errors setting up the account.

A Washington Post reporter early Monday was able to download the app and submit an email address to create an account, but a verification email was not immediately received. Reuters reported that the app was set to be released in full on Monday, according to an executive's posts on a beta version of the platform.

The Post reported in January that it could be months after launch before the app is fully functional. Trump has been frustrated with the pace of the network's development, people familiar with the matter told The Post at the time.

Trump announced the development of the network in October, saying, "We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced." He added, "This is unacceptable."

Following the insurrection by a pro-Trump mob at the U.S. Capitol last year, Facebook and Twitter booted Trump from their platforms. He and other conservative politicians have long charged that popular social networks were trying to censor them.

After Trump's new network was announced in October, a version of the site briefly became accessible to the public, allowing people to create accounts and claim usernames. One account under the handle "donaldjtrump" posted a photo of a pig defecating.

A representative for Trump Media and Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social, did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the timing of the app's official launch.

Truth Social was listed in the top charts for downloads on the App Store Monday morning, ahead of HBO Max and TikTok.

Users signing up to Truth Social are greeted by a sign-up email that describes the platform's clientele as "Truth Sayers." "Share your unique opinion by posting a Truth, Re-Truth, photo, news story, or video link ... Don't be shocked if they take your Truth viral!," a welcome message states.

The most recent news release on the firm's website is a statement from Trump - in the style of his old tweets - about the "Freedom Convoy" protests against pandemic restrictions in Canada and elsewhere. He opined in the Feb. 4 statement that tech firms were targeting the protesters and that "TruthSocial is announcing today that we are welcoming the Freedom Convoy with open arms to communicate freely on TruthSocial when we launch - coming very soon!"

Purported screenshots of the Truth Social beta site show a platform similar to Twitter's, including "Truths" and "Likes," instead of tweets and likes.

After he lost his online platform in the spring, Trump launched a blog called "From the Desk of Donald Trump." But as The Washington Post and others reported, the site had low readership.

The blog shuttered after 29 days amid reports that Trump was upset by media coverage about its small audience.
The 500-pound black bear thats been wreaking havoc on a wealthy Lake Tahoe neighborhood broke into yet another home on Friday as he continues a seven-month streak of evading police and California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.

Known by locals as Jake, Yogi, or Hank the Tank, according to a recent article from CBS Sacramento, the bear has caused extensive property damage to 33 residences and is responsible for at least 152 incident reports in the area, Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the CDFW, told SFGATE.

Whats problematic about this bear is how large it is, he said by phone Sunday afternoon. (Adult males typically weigh 150 to 300 pounds, though individuals over 600 pounds have been recorded in California.) Its learned to use that size and strength to break into a number of occupied residences, bursting through the garage door or front door. Its pretty frightening. A lot of these calls are emergency calls people are fearful for their safety.

The animal was last seen on Catalina Drive in the Tahoe Keys, where he broke a small window and forced himself into a home while the occupants were inside. They proceeded to call police, who cleared the house and hazed the bear until he exited through the back door and fled the property  a course of action that usually involves making noise with loud sirens, firing bean bags at the animal, or anything that might make a bear think twice about interacting with humans again, said Tira.

South Lake Tahoe Police Department/Facebook

The problem is, he continued, It seems to do little good. This bear has been hazed and chased off a million times, but keeps returning.

Jake, or Yogi, or Hank, is what Tira describes as a severely food habituated bear, one that has lost all fear of people and thinks of them as a food source. In a meeting held Wednesday, members of a local homeowners association agreed to allow CDFW personnel to capture the bear. Previous trapping efforts, which tend to yield more success for the department in the wooded settings where it usually operates, have proven futile in the residential areas where the bear has become acclimated. The traps were also repeatedly vandalized by some residents, leaving officials with no choice but to reassess their strategy.

After the incident Friday, officials collected DNA evidence to make an accurate match when or if they capture the bear. Right now, theyre exploring possible relocation options and looking into accredited facilities such as zoos and wildlife sanctuaries that could take the bear in, but Tira said every decision poses its own unique challenge.

South Lake Tahoe Police Department/Facebook

You relocate a bear like this, you relocate a problem to another community, he said. You relocate it to the wilderness, and they starve because theyre not used to hunting for food. They die a slow, agonizing death.

Not all wild bears do well in captivity either, he noted.

Its a stressful environment. They can suck up veterinary resources and time, Tira said. And there may not even be a facility that can take the bear in at this time. We may not be able to get permission, and theres lots of laws that restrict and rightly safeguard the movement of animals across state lines.

Euthanasia is a last resort, he said. But some residents believe that while the bear they fondly refer to as "Chunky" or The Big Guy has a right to be there, they hope to see him safely transported to a wildlife sanctuary.

Hes a well-known local, a spokesperson for the Bear League, a Tahoe-based nonprofit that advocates for the animals, told CBS. We dont want anybody to get hurt. We dont want the bear to die either. Its how the community feels. They dont want bears to pay the price for human ignorance.

The bear isnt considered a threat to people, but Tira said its difficult to determine what specific events may have led to its pattern of bold behavior. He explained the CDFW manages a year-round education program to inform residents, tourists and local businesses about how to bear-proof their properties and safely coexist with the animals, which is done in partnership with law enforcement, the U.S. Forest Service and California State Parks. Still, Tahoes dense bear population coupled with high traffic areas filled with residents and tourists means encounters with the animals arent exactly uncommon.

Theres lots of opportunities for bears to access human food and garbage, unfortunately, Tira said. Once they access it they realize its a lot easier to get food that way. And leftover pizza might be a more calorie-dense meal than grubs or insects, for instance.

When the pandemic hit, out-of-towners came to Lake Tahoe in droves, and reports of conflict with bears in El Dorado County subsequently doubled. Ann Bryant, executive director of the Bear League, told SFGATE in 2020 it was a unique year for the level of unpreparedness among visitors.

A lot of folks, unfortunately, do not have a clue about the rules for visiting and vacationing and staying in bear country, Bryant said at the time. People call because they saw a bear and think he escaped, like, dont they live in a zoo? What is a bear doing walking loose? Its just been mind-boggling, the attitude.

The devastation of last years Caldor Fire also encouraged bears to freely roam Lake Tahoe as more than 22,000 residents were evacuated from the area, and reports of intrusions doubled or tripled once people returned, Simon Brown, a public information officer with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, told SFGATE at the time.

Courtesy of the Bear League

When reached by phone on Sunday, Bryant told SFGATE the current problem is that while the Keys "has more bears per capita than any other neighborhood" they for years refused to allow people to install bear boxes.

Some of the animals were born there, but others seek it out for its prime hiding spots and food because many of the trash cans aren't locked up, she said. Recently, the local homeowners association approved use of the boxes, according to Bryant, but residents have to go through a costly application and permitting process to obtain them before they can place them on the curb next to their trash bins.

"They think having them by the houses is unsightly," said Bryant. "I think seeing a hole punched in every other garage door by a bear is considerably more unsightly."

South Lake Tahoe Police Department/Facebook

Bryant said she received a call about the bear from a Keys resident who saw him on her Ring security camera Thursday afternoon. They chased the animal away before he was spotted again Friday.

"Based on the calls we get from the public, the calls we go out on and the bears we know, the number of bears that come in and forage within the Keys is definitely double any other neighborhood," she said.

The Bear League has reached out to the CDFW with a number of accredited wildlife sanctuaries they hope to see the bear transported to  some within California and others that are out of state  but Bryant said they have not yet heard back from the department. (She declined to share the names of the sanctuaries but said the organization has worked with several of them in the past.)

"We want the bear off the streets and to put an end to this," said Bryant. "But he shouldn't die."

As the community remains at odds, the fate of the animal is still up in the air.

Everythings on the table, if you will, Tira said. Theres no guarantee that we will catch the bear.

SFGATE reached out to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department for additional comments and did not hear back by time of publication.

SFGATEs California Trending News reporter Ariana Bindman and Tahoe editor Julie Brown contributed to this report.
Illustrative photo



Professor NGUYEN MAI, Chairman of Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE) spoke with Saigon Investment and provided some of his analysis and recommendations.



JOURNALIST: - Sir, what do you think about the prospects of Foreign Direct Investment flow into Vietnam this year?

Prof. NGUYEN MAI: - Forecasts given by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which is the world's most trustworthy platform, shows that global Foreign Direct Investments will recover in 2022, and return to the 2019 levels by 2023, and even grow much higher by 2024 and 2025. A report on ASEAN released by UNCTAD in late 2021 included some positive predictions that Vietnam remains a relatively successful country and a promising future destination for foreign investors. Investigations released in recent months by foreign chambers of commerce like Amcham, Eurocham and Kocham indicate that 60% to 65% of foreign businesses in Vietnam have plans to expand their business activities in 2022 and in the years to come. This is a pretty high percentage compared with many other countries.

Vietnam's top leaders and officials such as the President, the NA Chairman and the Prime Minister have made very significant visits to Europe, the USA, India, the Republic of Korea and some ASEAN countries. At high profile talks or investment promotion conferences, European and US Corporations vowed to pour remarkably large investments into Vietnam, including for gas power plants and offshore wind energy projects worth billions of US dollars. Such signals can ensure us that foreign investment capital in Vietnam will increase by about 10% to 15%, or between US$ 31 bn and US$ 36 bn. This means that we could reach the goal set by Resolution 50-NQ/TW issued on 20 August 2019 by the Politburo, aimed at improving the laws and policies for better quality and more effective foreign investment cooperation by 2030.

- Sir, this means that attracting sufficient FDIs could be within our reach. What do you think about our possible selection of good quality FDI projects with application of new and high technology as directed in Resolution 50-NQ/TW?

- Resolution 50 sets requirements for application of advanced technology, modern management and environmental protection in 50% of production activities by 2025 and 100% by 2030, as compared to 2018; and the localization rate, which is now 20% to 25%, is required to be raised to 30% by 2025 and 40% by 2030. I believe we will hardly meet the requirements if we do not have effective measures.

In order to attract high-quality Foreign Direct Investments, we must be able to appeal to large international corporations that are willing to transfer technologies, provide adequate training for workers and satisfy the prerequisites for green and sustainable development. These matters require suitable and appropriate measures. The first step, as directed in Resolution 50-NG/TW, is to establish and perfect the FDI laws and policies in line with latest development trends and international advancement. When we fulfill our responsibilities in accordance with the new generation of Free Trade Agreements, we are required not only to comply with trade and investment regulations, but also assume different responsibilities, including responsibility for guaranteeing the workers' rights and gender equality. EU also set high requirements for origins of products, food safety and environmental protection.

Many people may ask why we have been talking a lot for years about trying to perfect our laws and policies but they still are not yet perfect. It is true that we have not been able to make our laws perfect enough although we switched to the market economy thirty-five years ago. The laws and regulations must be enforced strictly from the central agencies to the provincial ones, especially by the authorities in charge of Industrial Parks (IPs) and Export Processing Zones (EPZs). In order to attract high quality FDIs, we must make IPs eco-IPs and our cities into eco-cities. We must not allow construction of IPs in the same old ways. Instead, we must build IPs with houses for workers, kindergartens, schools and hospitals, and other such basic needs of the people. This complies with the required laws and regulations.

The second step is to make every effort to attract major projects from the EU and the USA as well as take the most advantage of the good relationships with Japan, the Republic of Korea and the ASEAN community. We should also take a closer look to see why investment flows from these countries into our country have not been as much as into other countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

I do believe that we have not met three of the requirements. The first one is intellectual property protection. We have all the necessary laws, but enforcement remains a problem, making it impossible to stop things like violations of copyrights and trademarks. The second one includes requirements for publicity, stability, no discrimination and no unofficial hidden costs. The last step is a requirement for quick responses and formalities which are still very slow and complicated, and may take investors up to a year to complete procedures for a project to get started, and then years to complete the formalities for fire control and prevention as well as land clearance.

The third step is to have new ideas and actions, and there should be a thorough reform in administrative affairs on a national basis. Additionally, investments should be focused on specific areas. For instance, Hanoi needs to have IT, AI or Big data projects, and the capital officials should proactively call for investments from the EU and US Corporations. The fourth step, which plays a pivotal role in promoting productive investments, is to create favorable opportunities for foreign investors who are currently operating their businesses in Vietnam, because they can offer the most persuasive advertisement of the image of things that are Vietnamese or related to Vietnam.

- Thank you very much.

Tri Nhan
Sharon, PA (16146)

Today

Overcast with rain showers at times. Low around 55F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Overcast with rain showers at times. Low around 55F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
With 1.05 lakh cases pending in courts for over three decades, India's legal system is attempting to absolve itself from the inglorious title of "Quagmire". The system which inspired an angry Sunny Deol to scream "Tareekh-pe-Tareekh" from a popular Bollywood movie may be at the cusp of a mega-transformation. This is the same system which inspired a popular manufacturer to promote durable plywood -- "Chalta Rahe". Of course, purists and advocates of the system feel that they have had enough of this "Chalta Rahe" or "Chalta Hai" attitude. But, how does one change the operational style of a system in a country where "Chalta Hai" can often get omnipresent.

Stats imply that the urgency quotient for transformation in legal system is at an all-time high but unlike a swift enterprise where the need is resolved within days, the approach to a legal system of a country may take decades. For stat-seekers, 73,000 cases got piled up at the registrar of the Supreme Court while 44 million cases remained pending at courts across the country. India's legal pendency rate grew by 19 percent since last year according to this report by MoneyControl. Meanwhile, a 2018 NITI Aayog report suggests that at the pre-Covid rate of disposal it could Indian courts as many as 324 years. That, just to clear arrears.

For a system that firmly believes in the adage of "Justice delayed is Justice denied" a wait time that runs in years is beyond a major concern. Such delay fetches the country an inglorious comparison with the likes of Swaziland, Taliban or other African countries where justice delivery moves slower than a snail. Of course, the land of "technology" and the "Outsourcing hub of the world" could do much better. The Superior Court of California, for instance, suggests that trials last 3-7 days. A Europa report estimates that it took a little more than 1,400 days for Italy (the maximum in Europe) to resolve litigious, civil and commercial cases. Within Europe, Estonian courts delivered swift justice with cases cleared in under 200 days.

There are multiple factors responsible for swift justice. Contemporary debate on better legal delivery covers some of these factors such as need for more advocates, judges and better facilities. Surprisingly, such debates do not cover the aspect of technology. A reliable legal technology framework can act as the perfect information portal for litigants, advocates and other stakeholders. Such technology not only improves the chances of reducing case-loads but availability of advanced analytics and mobile dashboards can provide meaningful alerts to all. Such a framework is beyond the scope of a mere word processing tool used by attorneys but rather it could be an enterprise-wide planning tool built with the sole objective of delivering Justice.

Technology Landscape within India's Legal System:

While we deliberate on the objectives and merits of such an evolved framework, reasonable focus is needed on the current system. A partial framework around digitization and technology implementation commenced at Indian courts sometime around 1990 with the National Informatics Center computerizing several processes for the Supreme Court and other lower courts. This implementation enabled Indian courts to primarily post cause lists and judgements on the internet for convenient access by litigants. However, the volume and breadth remained limited.

The next evolution arrived during the days of lockdown. Surprisingly, the Coronavirus spurred Indian courts to adopt to a new normal. Sensing the importance of delivering justice, Indian courts allowed for physical-less services to a courtroom. The arrival of virtual courts meant benefits for advocates too. Rohan Mittal, Advocate & Co-Founder at RR Legal Chambers shares, "the luxury of having a digital library of information at disposal while remaining in court enables to appear in numerous courts at a single click. We don't have to travel through the country and there is a greater joy to argue within a virtual courtroom. If virtual courts are enabled with the correct infrastructure, Indian courts may witness a near zero pendency rate."

The reference to infrastructure is likely to include server rooms, mobile apps, algorithms, and even machine-learning tools. Besides near-zero pendency rate such tools also reduce the time taken to deliver justice which uplifts the morale of plaintiffs.

3 Simple Benefits:

When asked how a virtual courtroom could make an impact, Ram Solanki (name changed on request), a plaintiff shares, "In 2018, my case was heard at a court 500 kilometres away. I would spend Rs 3,000 on just travelling. I could have saved this money if the hearings were held virtually."

Rajiv Shankar Dwivedi agrees with Solanki's observation. He feels that besides the travelling costs, moving to a system of e-filing has done away with even "a visit to a notary or registry of the court." Dwivedi, an Advocate on record with the Supreme Court of India reveals that the tech-stack has enabled three major benefits. The first one is convenience factor while the second is enabling Indian courts to shed their over-reliance on paper.

Indian courts are estimated to print nearly 11 billion sheets of paper besides depending on an elaborate set of printers. Doing away with printing not only brings down financial costs but also enables the Indian legal system to build an environment friendly image. By going paper-less, the legal system can save 109 billion litres of water besides 1.3 million trees from getting axed, according to this report. "The tightening of lockdown and mandatory e-filing, numerous technology instruments, hardware like scanners, computers and software like PDF and MS-WORD assisted the filing process thereby reducing the reliance on multiple sets of print-outs," he adds.

The third solution is transparency in delivering justice by bringing courtroom-hearings accessible to all stakeholders.

The Futuristic Tech-Stack

With the technology stack getting digitized the fears of information-risk poses a major challenge. This explains why the system is exploring techniques such as Blockchain. Blockchain technology is currently being evaluated for protection of e-evidence from being altered. Online Arbitration is another potential alternative where arbitration processes together with ancillary judicial actions such as the selection of the arbitrator and challenge to the verdict are also likely to be done online.

Dr. Maurya Vijay Chandra, an Advocate practicing with the Supreme Court and Founding Partner at Adyopant Legal offers an elegant summary on the technology scenario at Indian courts. He says, "the integration of technology will remain a challenging task as the legal architecture is highly complex and technologies can only be auxiliary means to achieve legal justice. Also, there is still a difficulty to onboard the para-legal and elder colleagues on these techniques."

The legal system could perhaps take a cue from the enterprise sector where a fresh implementation is often looked upon as a journey. For instance, a bank approaching implementation of a Core Banking System looks at first digitizing documents and then adding other benefits -- reports, real-time analysis or machine learning. As with most technology deployments, fence-sitters are often those averse to change. But, with India's legal framework there is hope that the legal fraternity welcomes a transformation as a means to impart Justice to all.

Written by Prasanna Kumar Srivastava with additional inputs and edits from Sairaj Iyer.


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A global investment group based in Canada may not seem like the obvious investment partner for billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes as he attempts to scour the coal dust out of AGLs energy business.

But the proposed deal highlights the weight of money sloshing towards decarbonising the global economy, and few players can match Brookfields scale.

Brookfield, which describes itself as an alternative investment management company, has $US688 billion ($960 billion) of assets under management as of last year. Its assets range across real estate, renewable power, infrastructure, credit and it also has a private equity business.

It means Brookfield also has the deep knowledge needed to help the partners rid AGL of its coal problem, and - just as importantly for Brookfield - make money along the way.
The boss of health insurer Nib is expecting a boom in offshore workers to help the companys international business rebound after a tough two years due to coronavirus border closures.

The fund reported a 25 per cent jump in net profits for the six months to December off the back of $1.4 billion in revenues, with a 7.8 per cent lift in local policyholder revenue as Australians spent cash saved during COVID lockdowns on coverage.

NIB. Credit:Chris Hopkins

The groups international inbound insurance and travel insurance categories were still in the red, however, posting losses of $7.4 million and $7.9 million, respectively.

Despite this, chief executive Mark Fitzgibbon pointed to a strong rebound in the international workers division, with a 40.2 per cent growth in overseas worker policyholders over the past six months.
Hamish and Neil Balnaves pictured together in Sydney in 2014. Credit:Brendan Esposito It was in television that Balnaves made his biggest mark, as he was appointed by Hamlyn to head up the local arm of the American animation house Hanna-Barbera. In 1988, he led a management buyout of the company, rebadging it as Southern Star Group. It was, he said in 2010, the best investment of his career. I had a couple of hundred thousand dollars and was going to buy a half-share of a big boat with a friend. But I put that money into buying the business and made 130 times that money. He was, by his own admission, not known for his patience as a boss. More the opposite, he told Good Weekend in 2010. Whatever I wanted, I wanted it now. Thats the nature of that business. Producer John Edwards remembers butting heads with Balnaves on occasion, but recalls him as a courageous leader whose impact on the local industry was enormous.

Neil got the best out of executives who didnt necessarily think the same way as he did, Edwards said. He was a forceful character, and people did fall out with Neil, but he basically chose executives very well  people like Kim Williams, Patrick Delaney, Hugh Marks and Cathy Payne, who would be the most powerful female executive within the industry in the world. Thats a pretty good legacy. So too is the roll call of shows that Southern Star produced: Blue Heelers, Police Rescue, Water Rats, McLeods Daughters, The Secret Life of Us. Many of those dramas touched the culture  everybody knew who Gary Sweet was, who Steve Bastoni was, says Edwards. They took risks and at times survived by the skin of their teeth, but they built a real powerhouse, not only in Australia but also in the UK. In 2004, still suffering the effects of his boating accident, Balnaves sold the company. I couldnt work at the same pace, I couldnt travel without help, he explained.

His share of the sale amounted to $29 million. Of that, he put $27 million into the foundation that bore his familys name. I give because Ive been lucky in this country. Ive been fortunate to make more money than I can use, he said, adding, I was scared of having the kids too well off. He was determined to support the things he cared about  the arts, medicine  because Im interested in the soul of the country. During the COVID crisis, Balnaves authorised hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of 11 of the foundations grant recipients. All are basically in need of a lot of help, he said at the time. The money has just stopped. Neil had a vision to create a better Australia through education, medicine and the arts, especially First Nations artists, and was never afraid to stand up for what he believed in, said Kilmurry.

He was a champion for the creative community, not just with his philanthropy but his personal passion for the arts. We will miss his generous and fearless spirit. It was to Balnaves that National Gallery of Australia director Nick Mitzevich came looking to upscale the Adelaide Biennial. He was always very interested in working with organisations that provided new opportunities for contemporary artists, and also opportunities for people to learn about art, said Mitzevich. From his own experience working in film and television, he knew that the creative pursuits were so unstable so Neil had this great passion and focus for creating stability for contemporary artists. Like in his business dealings, Balnaves sought to boost the reach of his arts philanthropy, Mitzevich said. He would always say to me, Ill give you 10 cents, its your job to turn it into 20  always doing a deal with you, which always spurred you on. Thankfully he didnt give 10 cents, it was much more. The beauty of his philanthropy was to leverage and do more with the support he gave to make it bigger and better. He was never a passive philanthropist. The Art Gallery of NSW issued a statement on Tuesday saying that Balnaves passion for art and artists came at a time when it was difficult to secure sponsorship for contemporary art exhibitions.

Their partnership with the gallery had begun with a series of five sculpture exhibitions over five years beginning in 2003, with Balnaves unique focus, energy and voracious desire to learn adding a crackling vitality to the delivery of the series. The Balnaves Foundation Australian Sculpture Archive was established in 2010 to acquire the archives of major Australian sculptors and to extend research in three-dimensional practice. The impressive roll call of artists that the foundation enabled the art gallery to work with, and connect with our audiences, is a lasting legacy we continue to celebrate, the statement said. National Institute of Dramatic Arts CEO Liz Hughes paid tribute to Balnaves enormous generosity, deep understanding and compassion in growing Australias arts and cultural community for many years. His support for scholarships, mentoring, an Elder in Residence program and paid industry employment was life-changing for those involved and created more vital First Nations storytelling.

The Balnaves Foundation has also supported the Story Factory, a not-for-profit writing centre for young people based in Sydneys Redfern and Parramatta, for the past seven years. Founder and director Cath Keenan paid tribute to Balnaves. Neil really loved the arts, and was a really passionate supporter of lots of different art forms, she said. He was really passionate about Indigenous art in particular and helping young Indigenous people flourish and to give them opportunities. Loading After 2017 Balnaves pulled its decade long support from Australias participation at the Venice Biennale, the worlds leading contemporary arts event, after changes announced by the Australia Council for the Arts. Balnaves was also chair of Ardent Leisure Group  which operates the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast for 13 years, up until 2016. That year, four people were killed in an accident on the parks Thunder River Rapids Ride; the company was fined $3.6 million in 2020 after admitting to failings in its safety management.
Mining billionaire Clive Palmer has failed to delay a nine-week trial over $30 billion worth of iron ore contracts between his company Mineralogy and CITIC Groups West Australian interests.

On the first day of the trial, Mr Palmer told the Supreme Court of WA that he would be denied natural justice if he was not permitted documents that may be relied upon as evidence by CITIC Groups Sino Iron and Korean Steel, which operates on Mineralogys Pilbara tenements in Cape Preston.

Clive Palmers Mineralogy will clash over CITICs $18 billion Sino Iron project in WAs Pilbara, with CITIC Pacific ceo Chen Zeng. Credit:AFR

Mr Palmer is second defendant behind Mineralogy and represented himself in the proceedings, which Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Martin flagged meant being across the trial for the whole nine weeks.

Justice Martin said he didnt want Mr Palmer appealing a decision based on procedural unfairness since he didnt have a lawyer present, despite having the resources, and in not being available becoming the architect of that problem.
Two luxury cars once owned by missing fraudster Melissa Caddick and her company Maliver have been sold at a Sydney auction, with the $361,250 proceeds to be distributed among her investors.

Her husband Anthony Kolettis pride and joy, a bright blue convertible Audi R8 V10, sold for $295,000 after a spirited bidding war between two online bidders. His wifes black Mercedes Benz CLA45 AMG, which had an asking price of $45,000, fetched $66,250 at Pickles first luxury vehicle auction for the year.

The $390,000 Audi that Melissa Caddick bought for Anthony Koletti was sold by the liquidators. Credit:@supacarxposed/Instagram

Mr Koletti is understood to have protested the sale of the car to the liquidators of his wifes company.

However, court documents indicated his wife purchased the sports car for him on May 6, 2016 for $390,000, with $30,000 from a trade-in and the rest of the purchase price sourced from Ms Caddicks funds.
Sydneys train shutdown has caused all sorts of problems for tens of thousands of people who rely on public transport to get to work, university, appointments and for many other reasons.

Some people reported expensive Uber trips as surge pricing kicked in, some leaned on family members for a lift, while those who could work from home did so.

There are many stories of disruption after the shutdown left commuters stuck. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Premier Dominic Perrottet blamed the citywide shutdown on the unions, despite Sydney Trains making the final decision to suspend services.

It prompted Labor leader Chris Minns to fire back at the government by accusing Transport Minister Elliott of refusing to talk and fix a situation that had left thousands of commuters stranded on Monday.
The family of a 16-year-old Aboriginal boy who died after a collision with an unmarked police car in Sydney are demanding the NSW Coroner investigate the incident as an Indigenous death in custody.

Revesby teenager Jai Wright, a member of the Thungutti nation, died on Sunday afternoon from head injuries he sustained in the crash between the trail bike he was riding and a police car in Alexandria on Saturday morning.

Family of Jai Wright who died in what the family say was a police pursuit over the weekend. Pictured from left to right are brother Marli, father Lachlan , brother Kaidyn and Jais mother Kylie talking to the media. Credit:Edwina Pickles

However, the events leading up to the crash remain unclear and Jai's family has accused NSW Police of providing conflicting and contradictory accounts of the incident.

Finding out that the police were involved in Jais death, that a police car and him had collided, was shocking to me, it just made my heart drop, said Jai's father, Lachlan Wright.
Murderer Natasha Darcy, whose plot to kill her partner and make it look like a suicide led her to be nicknamed the Widow of Walcha, will have at least the next 25 years in jail to reflect on actions a judge has called callous and relentless as well as stupid, clumsy and ugly.

Mathew Dunbar, a 42-year-old sheep farmer, died in the early hours of August 2, 2017, after Darcy fed him a cocktail of sedatives  including a veterinary tranquiliser  then connected a tank of helium gas to a plastic bag she secured around his head, depriving him of oxygen.

Walcha sheep grazier Mathew Dunbar with partner Natasha Beth Darcy, who was found guilty of murdering him.

A jury found Darcy guilty of the murder in June last year, after a two-month trial in which the 46-year-old claimed in her defence that Mr Dunbar had taken his own life.

On Monday, NSW Supreme Court Justice Julia Lonergan declined to impose a life sentence for the murder, instead jailing the killer for 40 years, with a 30-year non parole period.
Mondays shutdown prompted an immediate attack from Mr Perrottet and Mr Elliott, who blamed the union, saying the government was left with no choice but to shut down the network amid safety concerns from the protected industrial action. However, senior ministers are convinced that Mr Elliott, who was in Darwin for part of the weekend in his capacity as Veterans Affairs Minister, should have had better control of the situation. The shutdown of Sydneys train services on Monday left thousands stranded. Credit:Kate Geraghty As Transport Minister, Mr Elliott has the authority to sign off on an order to shut down the network, however late on Monday night he insisted the decision was not made by him. I was informed of this action by Transport for NSW after the decision had been made by senior bureaucrats, Mr Elliott said in a statement.

In a radio interview on Monday morning, Mr Elliott sensationally accused the union of engaging in terrorist-like activity before insisting later in the day that he had never made such a claim. Mr Elliott also told 2GBs Ben Fordham that voters would prefer driverless trains rather than be inconvenienced by industrial action. The shutdown of all Sydney Trains and TrainLink services left tens of thousands of commuters stranded at stations on Monday morning as they absorbed the news of the shutdown. Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW secretary Alex Claassens said the government had effectively locked out rail staff who were ready, willing and available to work.

Someone in the government needs to make the decision to give us back our trains and let us run the service. The travelling public of NSW deserve better than this, he said. We will meet with anybody and negotiate as long as they respectively listen to our issues and do something to resolve it. It is about time the government came to the table and negotiated in good faith. Transport Minister David Elliott attacked unions for the disruption, but they blamed the government and said workers are willing to work. Credit:James Alcock Mr Elliott said Tuesday's limited train services should only be used by people without other transport alternatives. As well as replacement buses, two pop-up commuter car parks at Moore Park and Rosehill Gardens will provide park and walk options for people to reach the CBD. Despite Mr Elliott signing off on Sydney Trains decision in the early hours of Monday to suspend the network, the Transport Minister accused the rail union of hijacking the city.

Its the people of NSW that have been inconvenienced today, its the people of NSW that have had their lives disrupted today unnecessarily, he said. Asked whether he took any responsibility for the major disruption to commuters, Mr Elliott said: The buck stops with me. Im the Transport Minister, which is why Im horrified that an agreement made on Saturday afternoon that could have been clarified last night, therefore avoiding the industrial action this morning, has occurred. Earlier, he told 2GB that the union should not use the citys transport system for some sort of terrorist-like activity. Despite efforts to put on a basic service on Tuesday, Sydney Trains warned commuters delays would be inevitable on Tuesday. We will work into the evening [on Monday] if that is what is required to look at what we can do to get trains running again tomorrow across Sydney, Mr Longland said late on Monday. Even if we are able to resolve this issue, we will still see impacts across the network [on Tuesday].

Mr Longland said he stood by his decision to suspend the entire rail network on Monday, which was based on concerns that safety would be compromised. There was no risk of trains crashing into each other or running off the rails; what we were concerned about was customer safety, Mr Longland said. However, a lawyer representing the rail union told the Fair Work Commission hearing on Monday afternoon that it could not understand the rationale behind the governments decision to shut down the network. Loading Earlier on Monday, Mr Perrottet launched a scathing attack on the rail union, saying the government had been left with no choice but to shut down the network.
During the push last year to vaccinate the state against coronavirus, staff at Bay Centre Medical at Byron Bay, an area known for its lower vaccination rates, lost count of the number of patients waiting for Novavax.

So, when their first order of 100 doses arrived last week, the practices doctors started calling around. They made a total of 10 bookings.

The Novavax coronavirus vaccine is now available in Australia. Credit:AP

I dont think well order it again, really, said practice manager Karina Masterson, adding unvaccinated people were now more commonly asking for vaccine exemption certificates because they caught the virus over summer.

Monday marked the official first day of the Novavax coronavirus vaccine being available in Australia, the fourth brand of shot now obtainable, and the vaccine cited by a number of otherwise hesitant people as their entry to the rollout. (Some GPs and pharmacies started giving the shots last week after receiving shipments early.)
A third of Australian men who kill their female partners are high functioning elsewhere in their lives and had not previously come to police attention. Their partners were also middle-class, employed and may not have recognised themselves as victims.

Such killers are in many cases typically middle-class men who were well respected in their communities and had low levels of contact with the criminal justice system, new research by the Australian Institute of Criminology has found.

Hannah Clarke and her three children were murdered by her estranged husband in 2020.

Dr Hayley Boxall, of the institutes Violence against Women & Children Research Program, said that despite victims experiencing non-physical abuse such as coercive control, because they were successful, middle-class and educated, [the victims] did not realise the behaviours as abuse ... they werent those women, and their partner was not that kind of man.

The report will be released at the National Research Conference on Violence Against Women on Tuesday - held by Australias National Research Organisation for Womens Safety (ANROWS). It examines the trajectory towards homicide in 200 cases in which men killed their intimate partners between 2007 and 2018.
Surf lifesavers say if it wasnt for the fitness and skill of AFL Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield, a Sunday swim for a Victorian family may have ended in tragedy.

The Cats star was playing with his children on the beach of Moggs Creek, on Victorias Surf Coast, when he noticed an 11-year-old girl, her mother, and a friend being swept out to sea in a rip off the Great Ocean Road, just before midday.

Witnesses said the 31-year-old midfielder grabbed his surfboard and paddled 400 metres out through challenging surf where he held the three afloat while rescue crews were dispatched to the area.

Were very lucky we had someone as selfless, as fit and as courageous as Paddy out there because this couldve ended up very, very differently, Lifesaving Victoria general manager Liam Krige said.
The Victorian government will distribute $100 million worth of dining, wining and travel vouchers to locals and visitors as part of a renewed attempt to kick-start the hospitality and other sectors in the wake of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

The Age reported last Wednesday the new round of vouchers would be announced this week, with Tourism Minister Martin Pakula revealing on Monday $10 million of vouchers  each offering a maximum rebate of $125  would be handed out through the third, and biggest, iteration yet of the Melbourne Money program.

Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula with bar owner Tim Botterill and Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp at the voucher announcement. Credit:Scott McNaughton

Hospitality businesses and leaders have lobbied for the return of rebate vouchers and called on the state government to get hundreds of thousands of Melbourne CBD workers back to their desks, with indoor mask mandates for offices set to drop off as soon as this week.

As was the case with previous rounds of Melbourne Money, people can use the vouchers at city cafes, bars and restaurants to get part of their bill reimbursed from Mondays through to Thursdays. Mr Pakula said the Melbourne Money voucher boost would start in a couple of weeks, probably on or near March 7.
Western Australia has recorded 224 new COVID-19 cases overnight, including 213 that were locally acquired with community infection levels remaining steady in recent days.

New coronavirus restrictions took effect on Monday, including household gathering limits of 30, a 2-square-metre rule at public venues and a maximum of 75 per cent capacity at major events.

The measures, the first phase introduced to slow WAs community spread, are in place for the Perth, Peel, South West, Great Southern and Wheatbelt regions.

After nearly 500 new local cases were recorded at the weekend, there are 1178 active cases of coronavirus in WA and two people being treated in non-ICU wards in hospital.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will continue to link Anthony Albanese with episodes of industrial action even as the head of Australias union movement branded his comments about the Sydney train dispute a desperate diversion.

Mr Morrison used media appearances on Monday to sharpen his anti-union rhetoric, saying the government had already stared down sections of the union movement during his term, as several federal Coalition figures condemned a railway workers dispute for leaving Sydneysiders stranded.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is going after unions in his last salvo against Labor. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash and her junior, Amanda Stoker, joined the government pile-on in slamming the Rail, Bus and Tram Union amid a breakdown in pay negotiations, leading the former to demand Labor leader Anthony Albanese join the chorus of condemnation.

Mr Morrison told 2GB radio the opposition was giving licence to its union base.
I fear the only thing that will stop him is death, defeat, or the conviction that he would lose. On what do I base that? After a Russian missile battery shot down MH17 over eastern Ukraine, killing 38 Australians, I promised to shirtfront the Russian president. I had that very robust conversation with him on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Beijing in 2014. He insisted that Ukraine was really Russian and that their government was fascist or worse. Tony Abbott says Vladimir Putin is intent on turning Ukraine into a Russian colony. Credit:AP And then he grabbed me with both hands and said: You are not a native Australian, he said, but I am a native Russian. Its this passion for blood and soil that drives my fear that hes ready to take big risks to restore the Russia of his dreams, especially if he senses weakness.

Of course, Putin is not Hitler, and Ukraine is not Czechoslovakia, and these are not the 1930s, but there are plenty of disturbing parallels. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit:AP A fortnight back, the Russian dictator and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, issued a declaration on International Relations Entering a New Era. The main purpose is to bury the political and military alliances of the Cold War era  so no more NATO, no US troops in Japan and South Korea. At heart, what they reject is the American-backed world order, a liberal and humane set of understandings and arrangements thats enabled the very best time in human history. So, with these latter-day dictators clearly on the march, as Lenin once asked: what is to be done?

A response starts with appreciating that just because war is unthinkable to us, doesnt make it unthinkable to them. Loading Last week, the German chancellor proclaimed that war has become unthinkable in Europe, and we have to make sure it stays that way  even though he must know, that up against someone who routinely uses war to achieve his ends, the only way to avoid war is to surrender. Is Germany so ashamed of its past, and so enervated by its wealth, that it can no longer stand up to those set on taking advantage of it? We must hope that events dont give us the wrong answer. As the five decades after 1945 show, the only way to keep aggressors at bay is collective security.

Take Eastern Europe: if its Russia against Ukraine, sooner or later, Russia will prevail. Take East Asia: if its China against Taiwan, China will inevitably prevail. But if its Russia or China versus the democracies, one for all and all for one, thats an entirely different matter. Perhaps this military crisis might awaken the people of Western countries to how readily freedom thats not cherished and defended can be lost. This is starting to dawn on us in Australia. When China weaponised trade against us, with $20 billion lost in boycotts, we did not flinch. Loading And by the shrewd practise of democratic multilateralism, Australia has helped to revive the Quad, created the AUKUS alliance with the US and the UK for more nuclear submarines in the Indo-Pacific, and deepened its military partnership with Japan.

As history shows, the best way to make aggressors think again is to have a contingent of allied soldiers in place, so that an attack on a weaker country means engaging the forces of stronger ones. Theres no point unnecessarily provoking Moscow by accepting Ukraine into NATO right now, but why shouldnt the British and American trainers have stayed in place to help, if needs be, their Ukrainian comrades? Demonstrators gather at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to show their support for Ukraine on the weekend. Credit:Getty Images Theres no point provoking Beijing by declaring that the One China policy can accommodate one Taiwan too, but why shouldnt more allied soldiers slip into Taiwan to join the US special forces who have reportedly been there for some time? At the very least, NATO should be ready substantially to reinforce its frontline states and to supply the Ukrainians with whatever they need to fight on.

The point of this would not be to threaten Russia or China with offensive weapons; just to remind bullies of the natural solidarity that should exist between countries striving to be free. British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill. Credit:The Age We have to make the war thats unthinkable to us, for moral reasons, unthinkable to them for prudential reasons. We who shrink from war because its morally wrong have to make others shrink from war because theyd likely lose. We cant forget Churchills other observation that jaw-jaw is better than war-war, provided we remember that the point of diplomacy with dictators is to deliver a stern message that their demands are unacceptable. Even now, Im not sure how widely its grasped whats at stake in this confrontation between democracy and autocracy, between sovereignty and subservience  and how the whole trajectory of history could change. If Russia seizes Ukraine, a new iron curtain will ring down in Europe.
London: People who test positive for COVID-19 will be legally free to circulate in England from Thursday and all free testing will end on April 1, Boris Johnson has announced.

It will make England the first jurisdiction to allow those with infections to continue working and socialising without facing penalty, although the British Prime Minister stressed that those with infections should exercise the same consideration of others that they would if they had the flu.

Lifting restrictions: British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. Credit:Getty

But the new policy came after a row in cabinet in which Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak overruled Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who wanted funding for free COVID tests to continue.

Unveiling his Living with COVID strategy to the Commons, Johnson said that the testing and tracing budget had cost the UK government the equivalent of the entire Home Offices budget in 2021.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Over the weekend the St. Maarten police were busy conducting regular traffic controls throughout the areas of Cole Bay, Simpson Bay and Cupe-Coy, to ensure a high level of traffic safety.

During the controls that were held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the following results were achieved:

In all, 42 vehicles were stopped and controlled.

14 fines were issued for a range of offenses.

There was one suspect arrested by the patrol in connection with an incident at the Richmond drive in Cole-bay. The suspect was later turned over to immigration for failure to provide a valid residence permit.

KPSM will be continuously carrying out these controls, due to the fact that some road users are not respecting nor obeying traffic regulations of Sint Maarten. Their behavior has become a nuisance to the community and, more important, it endangers the lives of others.
Since the start of the protests against the controversial excavations, Ubuntu Connected Front (UCF) Caribbean has been excluded from participation by the government representatives of St. Eustatius and the ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). None of our numerous requests have been honored no matter what the report of the Statia Heritage and Research Commission (SHRC) may claim. The reason for this as we see it is that both local and Dutch national government refuse to see the core of the problem with the excavations in the light of colonial relations and the structures behind them. It is a refusal to address systemic racism and inequality and the effects on everyday life of people in the Afrikan diaspora to the present day. But even though St. Eustatius is an island, this attitude can no longer stand, as several decolonization themes are now very topical.

In connection with the maiden visit of the new state secretary Ms. Alexandra van Huffelen, of Kingdom Relations, and her quest to familiarize herself with the colonial part of the Dutch Kingdom, we deem it important to reiterate the importance of the respectful treatment of persons of Afrikan descent from the past, present or future.

We can remain quiet and not address the elephant in the room pointing to the fact that although her previous Dutch (Kingdom) Government, who almost on the eleventh hour before going into an election, resigned because of the blatant racist attacks by the tax department on persons of Afrikan descent, emerged even more victorious. This indicates to us that dealing with racism should be even more important than global warming. Because of a racist posture, persons of Afrikan descent might most likely be taken advantage of in the areas of, to name a few: Climate and the environment; Housing; Health; Education; Work and taxes; Law and order; Immigration and asylum; Mobility; and Arts and culture (list taken from December 15, 2021, DutchNews.nl The new governments plan: what you need to know).

It might be comforting for the present Dutch government to have as one of the areas of the coalition accord to allocate annually part of 170 million euros for arts and culture, to contribute to the establishment of a national history and slavery museum. It is the hope of our Alliance that artifacts and remains that were gained through what they might call legal plundering, should not be in such an institution but must be returned to the rightful places from which they were stolen, and treated with dignity and respect.

In a recent article of February 10, 2022, The Daily Herald Reports highlights Dutch central banks links to slavers and the slave trade where more facts of the Dutch continued accumulation of wealth because of the trade. What is mind boggling is, that even though slavery was abolished by the Netherlands in 1863, almost 160 years ago, business still continued as if nothing had changed.

A company like the Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie also known as The Dutch West India Company still owns properties in the Caribbean, including St. Eustatius. An interesting question is: who still dares to manage assets of this company, knowing that the Trans-Atlantic slave trade has been, and still is, a crime against humanity. Similar companies also were established by Denmark, French, and Sweden, all with the charter to monopolize the trading of enslaved persons.

Since the release a few weeks ago of the final report by the Statia Heritage Research Commission, the commission that was put in place to investigate the mishandling of the St. Eustatius Center for Archaeological Research (SECAR) with respect to Golden Rock excavations, recently not much been heard of, other than appointing a person to an official position within government of St. Eustatius as a Heritage Inspector and embracing the recommendations.

At the end of 2021, UCF Caribbean formed the St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance. We now have allies in Jamaica, St. Helena, the US, and the Netherlands. We will continue to expand this network of Afrikan-centered activists, scientists, and organizations and together we will push the decolonization agenda forward.
PHILIPSBURG:--- During her introductory visit to Sint Maarten, State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, Mrs. Alexandra van Huffelen, paid a courtesy introductory visit to the Parliament of Sint Maarten. The State Secretary was received by the President of Parliament, Mrs. Grisha S. Heyliger-Marten. During the visit which took place on February 18, 2022, the State Secretary held a brief discussion with the President of Parliament and Faction Leaders of Parliament on issues such as cooperation between Sint Maarten and the Netherlands, the state of affairs, and follow-up on the Kingdom Law COHO and the coalition agreement Rutte IV with regards to the Kingdom.



Both parties then posed for a photo moment and the President of Parliament presented the State Secretary with a token of appreciation for her visit.
SIMPSON BAY:--- Today, Princess Juliana International Airport welcomed the newly appointed State Secretary of the Netherlands Alexandra van Huffelen to the airport as part of her introductory visit to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Princess Juliana International Airports CEO Brian Mingo and Baris Haboglu Project leader from Ballast Nedam International Projects showed the State Secretary around the reconstruction site of the new terminal. Van Huffelen saw the impressive works on the reconstruction of the airport terminal as well as the impact that this will have on the future economy of the island and its residents. The reconstruction of the airport terminal is of vital importance for the whole economy on the island.

Brian Mingo, CEO Princess Juliana Airport: Im delighted that we can show the State Secretary the progress that has been made by the team. The good cooperation with and support from The Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations, the Government of St.Maarten, the NRPB, and other stakeholders is and has been of inestimable value to the project.

Alexandra van Huffelen, State Secretary of the Netherlands: It took some time but I can now say that Im impressed by the progress that has been made since the devastating hurricane Irma in 2017. The rebuilding of the airport terminal is a huge milestone for Sint Maarten and Im happy to see now with my own eyes that the reconstruction of the airport is taking place and that the project team is making huge progress towards the opening of the new terminal hall in August of 2023.

The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (TEATT), Roger Lawrence stated " I am pleased to note from the PJIA's reconstruction team that the former departure hall is expected to be fully completed and operational by December of 2022. That is a significant step as the full completion of PJIA is planned for Q3 of 2023. Milestones such as these are essential in terms of accountability, as well as assisting in overall capacity discussions with stakeholders to give clear timelines as it relates to the reconstruction process and ensure these timelines are upheld.

I would like to thank the airport staff for remaining steadfast during these suboptimal times as we look ahead to PJIA's restoration."

Baris Haboglu, Project Manager Ballast Nedam International Projects: Ballast Nedam International Projects has signed a contract for the renovation of the airport on St. Maarten in August 2021. One important pillar of the contract is to work with local people and companies wherever possible. By actively seeking out cooperation with local people and companies, we are not only building a renewed airport on St. Maarten but also sharing knowledge, creating work opportunities, and establishing good cooperation. With this vision, we are combining our international expertise with local experience. We expect to have about 170 to 200 local people working at peak times. In order to connect these people and talents to the project, we have been organizing several job fairs on the island.

About Princess Juliana International Airport

Princess Juliana International Airport is the second busiest airport in the Northeast Caribbean. It is an important airport hub for Saba, St Eustatius, St Barthelemy, Anguilla, Dominica, Nevis, and Tortola. The airport is one of the largest employers on the island. It has 277 workers and an additional 1700 workers within the entire airport community. In 2022 the Sint Maarten airport expects to handle 1.2 million passengers and 54.000 aircraft movements. The reconstruction works of the airport have started in September 2021. By the end of 2022, the departure hall will be ready to use for passengers. In the summer of 2023, the new terminal will be finished. Contractor Ballast Nedam International Projects is actively seeking cooperation with local people and companies which is essential for the socio-economic recovery of Sint Maarten.

Historic Timeline

Princess Juliana Airport was officially opened by Princess Juliana in 1944. In 2006 her Majesty Queen Beatrix inaugurated the new terminal building. In 2017 St.Maarten was hit by Hurricane Irma (Cat 5) and the airports terminal was heavily damaged. In January 2020 Princess Juliana International Airport signed the WorldBank/EIB loan to reconstruct the terminal. In July 2021 Ballast Nedam International Project was the main contractor selected for the reconstruction of the airport terminal.
Edith (Edi) Marie Smith, daughter of the late Glen Lester and Dorothy Jane Allison, was born in Youngstown, OH on Friday, October 11th, 1963, and she departed this life on Saturday, April 30th, 2022, having attained the age of 59 years. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death b
Americans across the country have used legal guns to defend themselves and thwart crimes, but the reports often fly under the radar and most people are unaware how often guns are used in self-defense cases.

"Having a gun is by far the safest course of action when people are facing a criminal by themselves," Dr. John Lott, an economist and president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, told Fox News Digital. He pointed to women in particular, who "behave passively" and are "about 2.4 times more likely to end up being seriously injured than a woman who has a gun to protect herself."

As crimes skyrocketed in major cities since 2020, instances of women using guns to protect themselves and stop crimes have repeatedly played out.

HERE ARE 10 TIMES LEGAL GUN OWNERS RECENTLY THWARTED CRIMES IN LIFE-THREATENING SITUATIONS

"Thank God I had my gun, or I'd probably be dead right now," a Chicago woman with a concealed carry permit said in October after two would-be carjackers approached her outside a bank.

In New Orleans just last week, a mom and Air Force veteran pulled a gun on a man who tried to get into her car while she was sitting in gridlocked traffic with her 2-year-old son. She wasn't forced to fire the weapon and the suspect took off.

'Dramatic undercount'

Lott said that, in a typical year, the media reports about 2,000 defensive gun use stories, but he added "that is a dramatic undercount, because the vast majority of successful self-defense cases don't make the news." .....
Cosmology is a branch of astronomy that involves the origin and evolution of the universe, from the Big Bang to today and on into the future. According to NASA, the definition of cosmology is "the scientific study of the large scale properties of the universe as a whole."

Cosmologists puzzle over exotic concepts like string theory, dark matter and dark energy and whether there is one universe or many (sometimes called the multiverse). While other aspects astronomy deal with individual objects and phenomena or collections of objects, cosmology spans the entire universe from birth to death, with a wealth of mysteries at every stage.

History of cosmology & astronomy

Humanity's understanding of the universe has evolved significantly over time. In the early history of astronomy, Earth was regarded as the center of all things, with planets and stars orbiting it. In the 16th century, Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus suggested that Earth and the other planets in the solar system in fact orbited the sun, creating a profound shift in the understanding of the cosmos, according to The Royal Society. In the late 17th century, Isaac Newton calculated how the forces between planets  specifically the gravitational forces  interacted.

Before the solar system was understood, people thought all planets orbited Earth. (Image credit: Getty)

The dawn of the 20th century brought further insights into comprehending the vast universe. Albert Einstein proposed the unification of space and time in his General Theory of Relativity. In the early 1900s, scientists were debating whether the Milky Way contained the whole universe within its span, or whether it was simply one of many collections of stars.

Edwin Hubble calculated the distance to a fuzzy nebulous object in the sky and determined that it lay outside of the Milky Way, proving our galaxy to be a small drop in the enormous universe, according to Scientific American. Using General Relativity to lay the framework, Hubble measured other galaxies and determined that they were rushing away from the us, leading him to conclude that the universe was not static but expanding.

In recent decades, cosmologist Stephen Hawking determined that the universe itself is not infinite but has a definite size. However, it lacks a definite boundary. This is similar to Earth; although the planet is finite, a person traveling around it would never find the "end" but would instead constantly circle the globe. Hawking also proposed that the universe would not continue on forever but would eventually end.

Cosmological missions & instruments

Launched in November 1989, NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) took precise measurements of radiation across the sky. The mission operated until 1993.

Although NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is probably best known for its astounding images, a primary mission was cosmological. By more accurately measuring the distances to Cepheid variables, stars with a well-defined ratio between their brightness and their pulsations, Hubble helped to refine measurements regarding how the universe is expanding. Since its launch, astronomers have continued to use Hubble to make cosmological measurements and refine existing ones.

NASA's COBE satellite precisely mapped cosmic microwave background. (Image credit: NASA)

Thanks to Hubble, "If you put in a box all the ways that dark energy might differ from the cosmological constant, that box would now be three times smaller," cosmologist Adam Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute said in a statement. "That's progress, but we still have a long way to go to pin down the nature of dark energy."

NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) was a spacecraft that operated from 2001 to 2010. WMAP mapped tiny fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the ancient light from the early universe, and determined that ordinary atoms make up only 4.6 percent of the universe, while dark matter makes up 24 percent.

"Lingering doubts about the existence of dark energy and the composition of the universe dissolved when the WMAP satellite took the most detailed picture ever of the cosmic microwave background," said cosmologist Charles Seife in the journal Science.

The European Space Agency's Planck space mission ran from 2009 to 2013 and continued the study of the cosmic microwave background.

ESA is currently developing the Euclid mission, which should launch in 2023, according to ESA's fact sheet. Euclid will study dark matter and dark energy with greater precision, tracing its distribution and evolution through the universe.

"At the heart of the mission is one of the billion pound questions of physics," the ESA's David Parker said in a statement.

Common cosmological questions

What came before the Big Bang?

Because of the enclosed and finite nature of the universe, we cannot see "outside" of our own universe. Space and time began with the Big Bang. While there are a number of speculations about the existence of other universes, there is no practical way to observe them, and as such there will never be any evidence for (or against!) them.

Where did the Big Bang happen?

The Big Bang did not happen at a single point but instead was the appearance of space and time throughout the entire universe at once, according to Live Science.

The expansion of the universe gradually slowed down as the matter in the universe pulled on itself via gravity. (Image credit: Getty)

If other galaxies all seem to be rushing away from us, doesn't that place us at the center of the universe?

No, because if we were to travel to a distant galaxy, it would seem that all surrounding galaxies were similarly rushing away. Think of the universe as a giant balloon. If you mark multiple points on the balloon, then blow it up, you would note that each point is moving away from all of the others, though none are at the center. The expansion of the universe functions in much the same way.

How old is the universe?

According to data released by the Planck team in 2013, the universe is 13.8 billion years old, give or take a hundred million years or so, according to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Planck determined the age after mapping tiny temperature fluctuations in the CMB.

"Patterns over huge patches of sky tell us about what was happening on the tiniest of scales in the moments just after our universe was born," said Charles Lawrence, the U.S. project scientist for Planck, in a statement.

Will the universe end? If so, how?

Whether or not the universe will come to an end depends on its density  how spread out the matter within it might be. Scientists have calculated a "critical density" for the universe. If its true density is greater than their calculations, eventually the expansion of the universe will slow and then, ultimately, reverse until it collapses. However, if the density is less than the critical density, the universe will continue to expand forever, Space.com previously reported.

Which came first, the galaxy or the stars?

The post-Big Bang universe was composed predominantly of hydrogen, with a little bit of helium thrown in for good measure, according to NASA. Gravity caused the hydrogen to collapse inward, forming structures. According to the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University, the first stars are likely to have formed before the first galaxies, when the universe was about 100 million years old.

Additional resources

You can read more about cosmology and the foundations of the Big Bang model in Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe's Introduction to Cosmology by NASA. For more answers to common cosmology questions, go to NASA's Ask an Astrophysicist page.

Bibliography

"Edwin Hubble and the Expanding Universe". Scientific American (1993). https://www.jstor.org/stable/24941551

"Illuminating the Dark Universe". Science (2003). https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.302.5653.2038

"The Collision Time of the Observable Universe is 13.8 Billion Years per Planck time: A New Understanding of the Cosmos based on Collision Space-Time". Norwegian University of Life Sciences (2021). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350874725

"The First Stars and Galaxies". Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University (2021). https://www.physics.uu.se/research/astronomy-and-space-physics/research

"The work of Nicolaus Copernicus". Proceedings of The Royal Society A (1974). https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rspa.1974.0009
Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Periods of rain. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Rain likely. Low 52F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Rain likely. Low 52F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
A delegation of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) on Monday met with the representatives of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) and discussed the recent developments in the energy sector, both at the national and the European level.

The ACER delegation, led by the head of this Agency, Christian Zinglersen, paid a working visit to ANRE, where they discussed with the representatives of the Romanian authority, led by Dumitru Chirita, the head of the institution. The meeting was also attended by Bart Vereecke, the communication strategy leader with ACER, and Bogdan Chiritoiu, the head of the Competition Council, Agerpres.ro informs.

"The discussions focused mainly on the recent developments in the energy sector, both at the national and the European level. The participants also addressed topics such as: consumer protection, ensuring adequate conditions for the functioning of electricity and natural gas markets, the challenges currently facing the Member States, as well as the solutions needed to build a secure, predictable and sustainable regional and European common market. The visit of the ACER delegation to Romania underscored one more time the importance of cooperation in facilitating access to the network and in developing a safe, feasible, sustainable and efficient, consumer-oriented energy system," reads the same press release.
The National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) has opened a criminal probe against Bucharest Sector 3 mayor Robert Negoita, in a case in which he is accused of abuse of office over the sanitation contract concluded with waste service provider ROSAL Group, the DNA reports on Monday.

Bucharest Sector 3 mayor Sorin Robert Negoita is being probed for two instances of seriously consequential abuse of office with receipt of undue benefits and for inciting abuse of office with undue benefits with particularly serious consequences.Also under investigation in the same case are:* Octavian Ghetu, executive director of the Sector 3 Mayor's Office Economic Directorate, for triple complicity in seriously consequential abuse of office with receipt of undue benefits, complicity in inciting abuse of office with undue benefits with particularly serious consequences, and forgery;* George Alexandru Manciu, at the time of the crimes head of the Sector 3 Mayor's Office Public Utilities Directorate, for double complicity in seriously consequential abuse of office with undue benefits;* Irina Gina Soroceanu, executive director with the Investments and Procurement Department of the Sector 3 Mayor's Office, for double complicity in seriously consequential abuse of office with undue benefits;* Florentina Pencea, at the time of the crimes executive director of the Sector 3 Mayor's Office Legal Department, for double complicity in seriously consequential abuse of office with receipt of undue benefits;* Mihaita Marius, at the time of the crimes secretary with the Sector 3 Mayor's Office, for abuse of office;* Elena Petrescu, Sector 3 deputy mayor at the time of the deeds, for usurpation of office with particularly serious consequences;* the representative of SC ROSAL GRUP SA, for double complicity in seriously consequential abuse of office with receipt of undue benefits;* Mirela Chetreanu, external public auditor, for forgery;* SC ROSAL GRUP SA, for double complicity in seriously consequential abuse of office whereby the civil servants obtain undue benefits for self or others.DNA argues that the crimes under investigation were committed over the interval 2000 - 2018, when 54 addendums to a sanitation contract between the Sector 3 Mayor's Office and ROSAL GRUP were signed, by which the contract was either extended or its value was increased. According to the investigators, instead of organizing a public tender, the initial sanitation contract concluded in 1999 with ROSAL GRUP SA was successively extended (although the waste service provider was no longer licensed for Sector 3 since 2013) through additional documents that also provided for the increase of sanitation fees.DNA states that the incriminated deeds caused the Sector 3 Mayor's Office a total damage of 578,446,818 RON, resulting also in undue benefits for SC Rosal Grup SA. AGERPRES
On Thursday, February 17, Archbishop of Australia Makarios performed a Doxology at the Church of St. Nicholas in Sydney, on the occasion of the beginning of the new academic year of the Theological School of the Apostle Andrew, Orthodox Times reports.

At the end of the Doxology, the Archbishop Makarios addressed the students with cordial paternal speeches, according to basilica.ro.

He then urged young people who had decided to devote themselves to the study of theology at a higher educational level, to remain steadfastly committed to Christ during their studies, something that would give them unlimited spiritual joy.

You will understand that Theology is exactly this longing to seek Christ. To meet our Lord and Savior. And in this way, to trust our whole life in Him, he stressed, among other things.

If the soul is not receptive then man instead of being altered by good alteration, he hardens more, like the clay that becomes hard when it receives the heat of the sun. If the soul is receptive then man acquires more sensitivity and his heart softens like a candle that receives the heat of the sun .

The transformation of man and the subsequent entry of Christ into him, is the true goal of Theology, the Archbishop concluded, adding that this is the existential dimension of Theology that we try to highlight, and to inspire our students, here at the Theological School of Apostostle Andrew .

In closing, he pleased the students of the School to dedicate themselves to their studies, setting as their priority in the coming years not the acquisition of dry knowledge, but the experience of the spiritual life.

Love prayer more than the internet, he urged, adding: Stay longer in the library than in cafes. Aim for spiritual discussions with your classmates, not secular ones. Enjoy our precious paternal teachings more than any other reading. You are willing to participate in the worship events of our Church. Do all that is needed to acquire an ecclesiastical ethos and wisdom.
The 14-day COVID-19 notification rate in Bucharest City is 31.42 cases per 1,000 population on Monday, marking the fourth straight day of decline, the Public Health Directorate announced.

The indicator was 32.8 per 1,000 population the day before.The notification rate has risen sharply since the beginning of 2022, from 0.72 cases per 1,000 population on January 1, to a peak of 38.10 on February 13, but has since taken to a steady downward trend. (AGERPRES)
The Foreign Affairs Council met in Brussels on Monday with European diplomats saying Russia's recognition of Ukraine's separatist provinces was a "flagrant violation" of international law.

"Ministers discussed the latest information on a possible intention on the part of the Russian side to recognize the separatist provinces in Ukraine. The ministers agreed to send a strong message of discouragement to Russia to take such a decision, which would be a flagrant violation of international law and the Minsk Agreements", reads a Foreign Ministry (MAE) release sent to AGERPRES.

In the context of the debate on the security situation in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea, including during a working meeting with the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister Bogdan Aurescu stressed that the security situation on the ground is constantly deteriorating, and it is necessary to continue searching for diplomatic solutions to the current crisis.

Aurescu underlined Romania's support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, respectively for the European and Euro-Atlantic perspective of this state, respectively of Georgia and for the European perspective of the Republic of Moldova, Agerpres.ro informs.

He called for the swift completion of the EU's robust and credible sanctions package, including as a deterrent, saying that effective public communication on its content is needed to be effective.

Minister Aurescu reiterated the idea of organizing a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Kiev, as a sign of solidarity and political support. In his view, such a meeting will express the EU's institutional support for Ukraine and will be an eloquent sign of unity among the member states.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister welcomed again the proposal of Minister Aurescu and requested, once again, the organization of the meeting.

According to the MAE, a large majority of member states explicitly expressed strong support at Monday's meeting for this Romanian initiative.

During the talks, Aurescu also expressed concern about the intensification of military cooperation between Moscow and Minsk and the increase in the number of troops and weapons deployed on Belarussian territory. He also expressed support for the preparation of a sixth package of sanctions on Belarus.

European Foreign Ministers discussed and decided on a common approach to keeping their embassies in Ukraine open.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu stated on Monday, before the start of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting, that he believes the nearing summit between the Presidents of the United States of America and the Russian Federation may bring some hope, in the context of the tense situation on the borders of Ukraine.

"We have on the agenda of discussions an extremely important subject for us - the most important subject, namely the security situation in Ukraine. We will have a very important discussion with the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister, and then a debate at the level of foreign affairs ministers of EU member-states. We will express, once again, solidarity and support towards Ukraine, towards its sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the head of Romanian diplomacy.He added that the discussion comes as a continuation of the dialogue in Munich with his Ukrainian counterpart."I believe it's very important to continue efforts directed towards dialogue and de-escalation. I believe the nearing summit between President Biden and President Putin could bring some hope. But, at the same time, I believe any discussion about the solving of this crisis must take into account, in an absolute way, the fundamental principles of international law, which must remain untouched, as well as the essential parameters of the European security architecture," said Bogdan Aurescu.He pointed out that in this context "it is extremely important to have no effects on fundamental principles such as sovereignty and territorial integrity; not turning to force, or to threats of force; the right of sovereign states to make their own choices and to follow in full freedom their own foreign and security policy," nor on principles regarding the fundamental mission of NATO.Furthermore, Aurescu also spoke of the package of sanctions prepared by the EU for Russia, in case of an armed attack in Ukraine. "It's very important to start to communicate regarding the content of this package, as it has an important discouragement effect and we should use this effect," said the Romanian minister.Furthermore, Aurescu said that he will reiterate his proposal from January-end, to organize an FAC meeting in Kiev, "as a sign of solidarity and political support for Ukraine." (AGERPRES)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu will participate, on Monday, in the meeting of Foreign ministers of EU Member States - the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), which will take place in Brussels.

Minister Bogdan Aurescu will present the Romanian side's assessment of the current state of the crisis in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea region and the impact on Euro-Atlantic security, including from the worrying perspective of an armed aggression."The Romanian Foreign Minister will support the need to continue efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the current crisis, while concluding as soon as possible a comprehensive package of sanctions as a firm and credible EU response to escalation, in close coordination with the USA, UK, Canada. In context, he will emphasize the need to support other Eastern partners, especially the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, in parallel with the support given to Ukraine, the whole region facing security risks in the current context. He will recall the importance of EU-NATO coordination," the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) reports.Also during a meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba for an exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine and EU support, the Romanian Foreign Minister will reiterate solidarity with Ukraine, including in the context of recent challenges, and will back the continued EU support for the resilience of the country. He will also reiterate his support for Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.The EU-Gulf Cooperation Council ministerial meeting is a resumption of dialogue in this format after a six-year break. Given the global and regional developments and the positive dynamics in the Gulf region and the relations between these countries and the EU and the EU member states, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs will advocate for a new EU approach towards the Gulf partners. (Agerpres)
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca will hold a new meeting with members of the Cabinet on Monday, at 17:30, at the Victoria Governmental Palace, on the management of the effects of the increase in energy prices.

According to the Executive, the following ministers will be participating in the meeting: Energy Minister Virgil Popescu Finance Minister Adrian Caciu, Laboor Minister Marius Budai, Economy Minister Florin Spataru, Entrepreneurship Minister Constantin Cadariu, and Agriculture Minister Adrian Chesnoiu."It is very difficult to come up with a government ordinance until Wednesday, but tonight we have a meeting with all the relevant ministers in charge of completing the a resolution draft," Nicolae Ciuca said at Parliament on Monday before the meeting of the National Liberal Party Executive Bureau.He was asked if regulating energy and gas tariffs could be one of the solutions."There are two solutions under discussion, this part of the regulation is also under analysis, most likely we can discuss the regulation of costs," the prime minister replied.A supplier commission that does not exceed the cost of profit by more than 5%, a reduction in the VAT on consumer bills by up to 5% and the granting of vouchers for vulnerable consumers are among the proposals considered for the energy package, according to some government sources. (AGERPRES)
Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila said on Monday that, there is currently no question of a sixth wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

"There were 13 cases with the BA2 variant. There is currently no question of a sixth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. It is about the immunity obtained at the population level either by going through the disease, or by vaccination, or both. Research is rather limited. I believe we have to look at several studies and not refer to a single study that was cited by a colleague from Timisoara," Rafila told a press conference."I believe that a first measure will be related to giving up the use of masks outside, except in crowded spaces, and it is a common sense measure and then other measures. (...) We want to have a clear timetable that takes into account some measurable indicators that allow a resumption and sustainability, because there is one thing is to resume and another is to keep a certain decision sustainable for as long as possible, as we all want," he added.""Relaxation measures must always be taken gradually, especially since we are in a situation - as I have explained to you - in which the decrease in the number of cases has not been correlated with an equally rapid decrease in the number of hospitalized cases and it would correlate less with the number of cases in ICUs. (...) We expect these indicators to be steadily declining as well as to allow these measures to be lifted. The concern is always about ensuring the ability to provide health care, and obviously no one wants restrictions, everyone wants relaxation. We want that too, and the government wants that, as well. This must be carried out by also taking into account what is happening in Romanian hospitals," the Minister of Health also said. (AGERPRES)
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church announced on Thursday the canonization of Venerable Theopahno Basarab from Albotina monastery (Vidin), a contemporary with St. Gregory Palamas and disciple of St. Theodosius the Hesychast. She is the first Romanian nun known in history. The day of celebration will be October 28, when the Saint is celebrated by the Romanians from the Bulgarian and Serbian Timok.

Born at the beginning of the 14th century in the family of the first ruler of Wallachia, Basarab I the Founder (1310-1352), she was named Theodora at baptism, being given a chosen education based on love for God and fellow people, according to basilica.ro.

Theodora Basarab married Ivan Alexander (1331-1371), the future tsar of Bulgaria, with whom she had three sons and a daughter: Michael Asen, Ivan Sracimir, Ivan Asen and Vasilissa. She raised her children by instilling in them a love of God and caring for those around them. They lost two of their sons in battles.

Together with her husband, Tsar Ivan Alexander, she founded monasteries and churches, and restored others, at a time when hesychasm was in full swing.

This period is considered by historians to be an era of cultural and spiritual renaissance for Bulgarians, with Theodora Basarab being a very important factor, who supported and encouraged the building of monastic settlements, copying books necessary for worship and the development of monasticism.

Her zeal and devotion to God and to the Saints have been observed and recorded in writing by contemporaries.

In 1345, Tsar Ivan Alexander decided to separate from Theodora Basarab. Repudiated from the imperial court, Theodora Basarab humbled herself by withdrawing to a monastery to renounce the worries, intrigues, evils and tumult of this world and to serve with love and devotion to the Bridegroom Christ.

Theodora Basarab chose to stay in Bulgaria so as not to ruin the relations between the two neighbouring states to which she was so attached in spirit, thus showing wisdom and love for the Romanian and Bulgarian people.

Since Tsar Ivan Alexander knew and appreciated St. Theodosius the Hesychast, the disciple of St. Gregory of Sinai, we are permitted to believe that the nun Theophano Basarab also knew him and became his disciple, learning obedience, almsgiving, good administration, cultivation of stillness and the prayer of the heart, the guidance that the great ascetic gave to those whom he instructed in the spiritual life.

The activity of the Venerable Theofano (Teofana) and her spiritual stature impressed the inhabitants of the cities through which she passed, being very loved by the people.

The inhabitants of the Bulgarian and Serbian Timok area still remember today, after six centuries, in the collective memory the deeds and feats of the Venerable Theophano Basarab, the Romanian tsarina that shone through faith and sacrifice in the Bulgarian land.

It is not known exactly when the Venerable Theophano Basarab reposed in the Lord. According to the tradition passed down from generation to generation among the Romanians from the Bulgarian Timok, she was buried in front of the altar of the church dug in the rock at Albotina Monastery, where she lived for a long time.

The Venerable Theophanao was buried with great honour, being mourned by the people she served, admonished and defended as a true mother who preached the love and mercy of God.

To this day, the inhabitants of the Bulgarian and Serbian Timok area celebrate her memory on October 28 each year.

Troparion, tone 5

On the chosen branch of the Basarab family, who, through her holy life, shone wonderfully, like a worthy guide of Bulgaria, and, receiving the angelic schema, for a long time she laboured in vigil and fasting, the Venerable Theophano, now let us honour her rightfully.
The latest COVID-19 tests positivity rate in Romania is 24.45pct, the Ministry of Health informed on Monday.

Within a period of 24 hours, 7,694 positive people with the SARS-CoV-2 virus were reported in Romania, out of a total of 31.466 RT-PCR and antigen tests performed.According to the source, out of the 1,101 people admitted to the ICU, 965 are unvaccinated. Also, out of 85 reported deaths, 68 occurred in unvaccinated patients, according to the Ministry of Health. (AGERPRES)
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Monday had a meeting at the Victoria Palace with representatives of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania, both sides expressing a "main" interest in developing renewable energy systems and attracting new investment in the field of energy.

According to a press release of the government, the purpose of the meeting was to strengthen bilateral relations and reaffirm cooperation between the two states.

Prime Minister Ciuca noted the importance of Italian investments in Romania and the need to expand and strengthen economic relations between the two countries, especially in the field of education, health, innovation and digitalization.

At the same time, he presented the "massive" investments that the Government is preparing both from the national budget and from European funds - PNRR (the National Recovery and Resilience Plan) and the Multiannual Financial Framework, which are opportunities for modernization in the coming years.

"In terms of investments, Italy ranks among the top investors in Romania, with more than 1,200 active companies on the market. The government welcomes Italian investments and assures Italian investors and officials of all the necessary support for the development of the Romanian business market," reads the same press release.

In his turn, the Italian Ambassador to Romania, Alfredo Durante Mangoni, congratulated the Government's efforts to modernize and digitize the state, while reiterating the support of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania, and of the entire Italian community, for this process.

According to the same sources, the discussions highlighted the need to sustain the pace of investments in an attractive format for the business environment.

"Both parties showed they were mainly interested in developing renewable energy systems and attracting new investments in the field of energy. The Romanian PM assured the representatives of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania of the Government's openness to major investments in energy," highlights the press release.

At the same time, according to the Government, a clear message was sent in support of a transparent and competitive framework on the Romanian market, announcing the implementation of the electronic invoice, part of the digitization process of ANAF (National Authority for Fiscal Administration), until the end of the first semester - beginning of the second semester, Agerpres.ro informs.

The fiscal strategy for next year will be announced by the end of May this year, the press release said.

On behalf of the Government, the meeting was also attended by Mihai Macaveiu, Secretary of State with the Ministry of Economy, George Niculescu, Secretary of State with the Ministry of Energy, Lucian Heius, Secretary of State with the Ministry of Finance, Dan Carbunaru, Government's spokesman, George Agafitei, State Councilor, Adeline Dan, Secretary of State with the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.

On the Italian side, the Ambassador, Alfredo Durante Mangoni, was accompanied by Roberto Musneci, head of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania, Giovanni Pometti, Secretary General, Pasquale Silvestro, lawyer and partner at Tonucci&Partners Law Firm, Alessandro Masotti, head of the International Clients Department and Cross Border Business Management at UniCredit Bank Romania, Giovanni Di Folco, head of Techno Engineering&Associates Group, Federico Cianciosi, Country Manager at Prysmian Group, Alice Rubini, head of the Trade Office of the Italian Embassy to Romania, Adrian Marin, CEO of Generali Romania, Nicola Longodente, CEO of Unicredit Bank Romania, Alessio Menegazzo, from Enel Romania.
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca declared on Monday, at the reunion of the Executive Bureau of PNL (National Liberal Party) that Romania can receive quite a large number of possible refugees from Ukraine.

Asked about what number of refugees could Romania receive, he replied: "A quite large number".The PM showed, regarding to the situation in Ukraine, that specialized institutions have not made an analysis yet."All this information we are receiving from open sources and during this time when we are talking we have yet to have an analysis with specialized institutions," Ciuca said, in Parliament.He said that there have been no repatriation requests from Romanians in Ukraine."We have no such requests. There is only the MAE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) press release and based on requests we are ready to act as such, there are measures prepared so that we can ensure the necessary support to an influx of refugees, including the repatriation part. Until this time we have not received any requests," the PM said. (AGERPRES)
The working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church took place Thursday, February 17, 2022, at the Patriarch Teoctist Great Hall of the Palace of the Patriarchate, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.

During the meeting, the Holy Synod approved the canonization of the Venerable Theophano (Teofana) Basarab, the first known Romanian nun, with the title: Saint Theophano Basarab, as well as her inclusion in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church, with a day of remembrance on October 28, according to basilica.ro.

The Holy Synod resolved to transfer His Grace Bishop Daniil Stoenescu from the ministry of Bishop of Dacia Felix to the position of Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Deva and Hunedoara, due to health reasons, with the title Assistant Bishop Daniil of Densus, since he has his personal residence in the territory of this diocese.

Locum tenens of the Diocese of Dacia Felix will be His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who will be remembered at the religious services held in places of worship in the Diocese of Dacia Felix as locum tenens of the Diocese of Dacia Felix.

The Holy Synod appreciated the results of the Meal of Joy program, carried out by the Social-Philanthropic Sector of the Patriarchal Administration during 2021. The total value of the donated goods in 2021 was 3,140,866 lei (635,121 Euro).

Two hundred twenty-two social-philanthropic institutions from the Romanian Patriarchate benefited from these goods and provided assistance to 19,824 people, with the number of beneficiaries constantly increasing.

The Holy Synod took note with joy of the launch of the project entitled Eco-initiatives in the parishes of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, which aims to initiate an environmental education and identify solutions to increase ecological responsibility in the Romanian Orthodox Church in Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

Regarding the Census of Population and Housing in Romania between February 1 and July 17, 2022, the Holy Synod approved that the Diocesan Centres in the country and abroad send to the clerical staff the recommendation to encourage believers to fulfil this civic duty and declare their correct religious affiliation, especially through self-review, between March 14 and May 15, 2022.

The Holy Synod especially appreciated the social-philanthropic activity of the dioceses, parishes, monasteries and social centres in 2021, a year marked by a pandemic.

At the beginning of the Solemn Year dedicated to prayer, the Holy Synod urges the faithful of the Romanian Orthodox Church, at the beginning of the Solemn Year dedicated to prayer (2022), to remain in solidarity around the moral imperative of helping the suffering and manifesting faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through prayer and the acts of Christian love.
National Liberal Party (PNL) spokesman Ionut Stroe said that by the vote in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday on the bill to abolish the Criminal Investigation Section in the Judiciary, "a stone related to credibility and the image of Romania" has been removed.

He added that the package of laws in the judiciary will soon be "repaired".

"A stone related to Romania's credibility and image has been removed today. The famous 'Special Section', created by Dragnea, was abolished by vote in the Chamber of Deputies. It was a priority of the PNL from the very beginning to get rid of this Justice Crimes Section, an instrument that had been thought of as a political weapon, an institution incompatible with European values," Stroe wrote on Facebook on Monday.

According to him, the Minister of Justice, Catalin Predoiu, drew up a good bill, okayed by the Parliament, by the Superior Magistracy Council and which took into account all the European recommendations.

Ionut Stroe mentioned that the PNL will make every effort for the bill to be quickly adopted by the Senate and then promulgated, Agerpres.ro informs.

"It is a promise kept, with a quick vote in the Chamber, and I assure you that the PNL will make every effort to get the bill through the Senate as soon as possible and promulgate it. Corruption cases in the Judiciary will not remain in the air, but will be taken over and investigated by 42 prosecutors - 12 from the Criminal Prosecution Section of the General Prosecutor's Office and 30 from the Prosecutor's Offices of the Courts of Appeal, in a new system built on the functioning model of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. We will soon honor the other promise to repair the package of laws in Justice, promoted by the same Dragnea", concluded Stroe.
MEP Eugen Tomac said on Monday in Iasi that the People's Movement Party (PMP) will not enter into any alliance with extremist or anti-European political parties.

"We condemn, without restraint, the adventures of the last days of former chairman Diaconescu. The PMP will never ally, cooperate or have anything in common with the xenophobic extremist and anti-European parties. This populist discourse does a lot of harm to Romanian society. Obviously, you can easily mislead citizens with a contemptuous speech to NATO, the EU, to the institutions of the Romanian state, especially in times of crisis, but politicians are voted to make decisions. Not as it happens now,'' said Tomac, who was elected PMP chairman at a special congress on Saturday, Agerpres.ro informs.

He also said that the current geopolitical situation in the Ukraine area should urge politicians to be responsible.

"We are the state in the East that is most exposed at the moment. We have the biggest border with Ukraine. As we can see, NATO solidarity is also displayed in a series of concrete actions. Romania is at the forefront of NATO in terms of deterring this military conflict. From this perspective, it is essential to avoid these pitfalls delivered by Moscow through various politicians who are becoming increasingly vocal in various EU countries, not just Romania. The parties that brought Kremlin's vectors in Parliament must pay this. Such behavior cannot be tolerated," said Eugen Tomac.

Regarding information that appeared in the public space, according to which five of the PMP branches would want the merger with Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), he considered that it is "a big lie".
ST. LOUIS  Ameren has announced plans to acquire its largest-ever solar farm, which may begin operations in Southern Illinois within two years.

The move comes as the St. Louis-based power utilitys renewable energy expansion has, at least temporarily, been slowed by supply chain hiccups, among other issues.

As we went through last year, we had hoped by the end of the year to have announced some renewable projects, Marty Lyons, Amerens new CEO, said on a recent earnings call. Some of the negotiations last fall and into the winter were, I would just say, slowed by supply chain issues.

At the same time, at least one environmental group is questioning whether the pace of Amerens clean energy build-out has changed.

Ameren left enough wiggle room to fall short of their commitment, Jenn DeRose, a Missouri representative for the Sierra Clubs Beyond Coal Campaign, said in a statement.

The new agreement between Ameren and Chicago-based Invenergy is still subject to closing conditions and awaits both regulatory approvals and completion of the project, which is under development.

But, once running, the new solar farm should accelerate Amerens addition of renewable energy generation and shift away from coal, which currently accounts for about two-thirds of the companys power production. The utility plans to invest billions in renewables over the next two decades while retiring its coal plants  part of a goal to slash carbon emissions and reach net zero by 2050.

The 150-megawatt facility dwarfs Amerens existing solar projects by an order of magnitude. Amerens biggest solar farm to date is a six-megawatt facility in Montgomery County, scheduled to start running next month.

The company said the new project is in southeastern Illinois but declined to provide a precise location.

The announcement raised questions about the pace of Amerens renewable energy expansion plans.

Ameren hopes the Southern Illinois solar project will begin operations in 2024, it said in a press release, but notes such a timeline requires timely regulatory approvals.

Ameren didnt say if the project would satisfy company goals to add 30 more megawatts of solar in 2022, and 20 in 2023, or if it plans to add other projects to fulfill those more immediate targets.

The company, however, indicated on its fourth-quarter earnings call on Friday that more was to come:

I would say its a start, in terms of the renewable projects that we hope to get announced, Lyons, the CEO, said on the call. We are still expecting this year to announce other projects.... Some of the bigger bulk of the projects were trying to get done are out there in that 2024 to 2026 time frame  so certainly time for some of those issues to settle down.

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Calvin Wilson Calvin Wilson is theater critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Calvin Wilson 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

Secrets upend the tranquility of a summer getaway in Stick Fly, a brilliantly acted, hilariously insightful and highly entertaining Repertory Theatre of St. Louis production.

Directed by Chanel Bragg, playwright Lydia R. Diamonds comedy-drama focuses on an upscale African American family with a home on Marthas Vineyard. But amid the grandeur of the surroundings, undercurrents of discontent gradually surface.

Family patriarch Joe LeVay (Ron Himes), a successful neurosurgeon, cant conceal his disappointment in his younger son, Kent (Ricardy Fabre), an aspiring writer whom he urges to get a respectable job. Neither is Joe entirely pleased with his other son, Flip (DeShawn Harold Mitchell), whose career as a plastic surgeon is deemed acceptable, but whose guest Kimber (Blair Lewin) is a young white woman.

But theres even more going on. Apparently, Flip is no stranger to another guest, Kents entomologist fiancee, Taylor (Amber Reauchean Williams). Cheryl (Bobbi Johnson), who has taken over housekeeping duties for her sick mother, also significantly figures in the story. And Joe dodges explaining the conspicuous absence of the family matriarch.

Diamond brings a contemporary sensibility to the play while taking an approach thats very much in the classic tradition of Chekhov and Ibsen. And she has created characters who are at once recognizable and specific. Stick Fly addresses race and class with subtlety, nuance and an edginess rooted in hard truth. But the play is perhaps best appreciated as a window into an overlooked sector of African American life.

In a nation in which The Cosby Show was notable at least in part because it was the rare television series that consistently acknowledged the existence of Black professionals, plays such as Stick Fly are clearly anomalies. But regardless of their artistic worth, such works may be appreciated as correctives to routinely stereotypical depictions of African American characters in popular culture.

The cast is excellent, triumphing as an ensemble while also embracing moments of actorly opportunity. Particularly impressive are Himes, who persuasively captures Joes humor and dignity but also his anger; Lewin, who gets to the heart of Kimbers vulnerabilities; and Williams, who imbues Taylor with fiery resolve.

Bragg has a sure feel for the material, and the production benefits immensely from the contributions of scenic designer Kyu Shin, lighting designer Amina Alexander, costume designer April Hickman, and sound designer and composer Twi McCallum.

Stick Fly takes its title from a method that entomologists use to study houseflies: gluing them to sticks. Although the metaphor may be a bit forced, Diamond seems to be suggesting that the play is an experiment in anthropology  the study of what makes us human.

If that is indeed the case, the experiment is a resounding success.

'Stick Fly' When  Through March 6; performance times vary Where  Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA, 6880 Washington Avenue How much  $25-$99; proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test required More info  repstl.org

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For the fourth concert of its 66th season, the St. Louis Chamber Chorus presented The Days of Wine and Roses, dedicated to love in its various forms  mostly secular music presented in a church, but nobody complained.

Performed Sunday afternoon in the acoustically friendly sanctuary of First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, the concert consisted of the second set of Liebeslieder Waltzer op. 65 by Johannes Brahms, a set of five Chansons des Roses by the American composer Morten Lauridsen, From the Bavarian Highlands op. 27 by Edward Elgar, and a free-standing piece, O Love, by American composer Elaine Hagenberg.

Love is examined in several ways, including romantic love, of course, but also parental love, religious love and even unrequited love. And romantic has two meanings: the compositional style of late 19th century European composers, emphasizing emotion and style, and also the instinct humans have with a mate.

Music director Philip Barnes often programs music by 21st century composers, but not avant-garde or even very modern music. Thus the concert combined both uses of the word romantic.

Brahms Love-Song Waltzes are so well known that a concert of this nature almost cant be presented without them. For the second, somewhat lesser-known group of Love-Song Waltzes, Brahms chose 14 poems translated into German from nine languages by poet Georg Friedrich Daumer, to which Brahms added one more poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The chorus performance was enthusiastic and spirited, although the womens sections sometimes sounded off. Barnes clear directions were carefully paced so that, with rubato kept under control, the music was danceable. Brahms was fond of accompanying choral music with piano four hands, and in this performance, Diana Umali and Annette Burkhart were fastidious, sympathetic accompanists.

Lauridsen, a professor of composition at the University of California, set five poems by Ranier Marie Rilke in French as Les Chansons des Roses (Songs of Roses), texts appropriate to Lauridsens reputation as a mystic. The music had so strong a French flavor that Lauridsen could have joined Francis Poulenc and his group of contemporaries. In this set, sung without accompaniment, the lower voices could be heard more strongly and more clearly.

Elgar and his wife, Alice, vacationed in upper Bavaria in 1894, and afterward, she wrote a series of texts reflecting six of the places they had visited. They also reflect the joys of love, the pain of unrequited love, parental love, religious love and the friendship of love. In some areas, the spirited, dramatic music was reminiscent of the Brahms music, and special mention must be made of the elaborate piano accompaniment, especially in the last piece, beautifully played by Umali. Elgars music introduced English as the third language of the concert, and the last piece concludes Through meadows sweet with new-mown hay / A song exultant will we send.

Hagenbergs O Love is a setting of a poem written by Scottish minister George Matheson to celebrate his sisters marriage. Her compositional style would be popular with fans of a variety of musical styles. It led directly to the standing ovation that concluded the concert.
You cant tell, just by looking at it, how old an egg is. So when youre buying eggs at a store, how can you tell which cartons have the freshest eggs?

You look at the carton.

Cartons have a three-digit number printed on the side, from 001 to 365  or 366 in leap years. As you have already cleverly intuited, the number corresponds with the number of days that have passed since the beginning of the year. A carton with the number 054 on the side, therefore, would have been packaged on Feb. 23.

These facts, and many more, come courtesy of a brand-new cookbook devoted entirely to eggs, The Fresh Eggs Daily cookbook by Lisa Steele. Steele raises chickens in her backyard, so she knows a great deal about eggs, which she happily imparts in the beginning section of her cookbook.

You know that part of a cookbook that no one ever reads? Sometimes it can be worth reading. Steeles introductory section includes such interesting information as:

 Chickens are omnivores; they will eat anything. They dont just eat plants, they eat bugs, worms, lizards and even frogs. If an egg carton is labeled vegetarian fed, it necessarily means the chickens were kept indoors. Otherwise, they would eat bugs, worms, lizards and frogs.

 Similarly, the phrases hormone-free and antibiotics-free on cartons are essentially useless terms. In the United States, it is against the law to give hormones to laying chickens, and very few commercial farms use antibiotics.

 If the carton says cage-free, it could conceivably mean that the chickens are kept in a large warehouse, with their beaks filed to keep them from pecking one another. Even free-range could mean they are kept in a large warehouse with an open door to the outside that some of the chickens may never use.

 You can freeze eggs, but not in the shell (the liquid inside will expand, cracking the shell). To freeze, whisk eggs until they are well beaten, then pour them into ice-cube trays coated with nonstick spray (silicone trays work best). Store the frozen egg cubes in a freezer bag for up to six months. Defrost overnight before using.

 Refrigerated eggs will last for three to four months. If kept unrefrigerated, they will be good for two weeks or more. (The book does not say it, but do not leave eggs out for more than an hour if they have ever been refrigerated; bacteria can enter the porous shell when it goes from cold to warm).

 Most supermarket eggs are white because they are laid by Leghorn chickens, which lay white eggs. Leghorns are favored by commercial farmers because they can produce eggs on less feed than many other breeds.

 Chicken eggs can be white, blue, green or tan, and there is absolutely no difference in their nutritional value or taste.

 Eggs are stored pointy-end down because that makes it harder for bacteria to get through the slightly alkaline white to the more vulnerable yolk. It also centers the yolk, resulting in prettier hard-cooked or deviled eggs.

 Although eggs are graded by size, they are sold by weight. One dozen large eggs weighs 24 ounces. The eggs inside the carton can be different sizes, as long as they add up to that weight.

 You can separate cold eggs more easily than room-temperature ones. So, separate eggs fresh out of the refrigerator. But then let the whites sit for 30 minutes before whipping them, because:

 Room-temperature egg whites whip better than cold ones. The opposite, incidentally, is true of cream  chilled cream whips faster.

 Anything more than the slightest drop of fat  including yolk  will keep egg whites from whipping into a stiff, airy structure. Before whipping egg whites, make sure there is no yolk (or very, very little), and that the bowl and whisk or beaters are perfectly clean.

 To bring chilled eggs to room temperature, either leave them on the counter for 30 minutes or cover them in tepid water for 10 minutes. (I have had success using lukewarm water for five minutes.)

 If you like scrambled eggs to be soft and dry, salt them before cooking. If you like them to be firm and moist, salt them after they are cooked.

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MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- While new mothers have faced many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had at least one positive impact, a new survey shows: They were able to have more quiet time with their newborns.

That's a key finding of the first known study to assess the experiences of U.S. women who had babies in the pandemic's first six months.

The women reported increased emotional distress, breastfeeding difficulties and unexpected changes in birthing plans. Social distancing and infection control measures fueled increased guilt, isolation and depression, and many new moms weren't taught how to cope or lacked support, the survey revealed.

"Moms said they felt like no matter what they did, it was wrong," said study first author Clayton Shuman, an assistant professor of nursing at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. While some increase in emotional distress and guilt was expected, he said he was surprised by the extent of it.

New mothers surveyed also reported less assistance with breastfeeding, which resulted in more stress and lower milk supply in some.

"You'd think more time at home would lead to better breastfeeding, but it did not," Shuman said in a university news release. "Because of the pandemic, many resources weren't offered or were in a format that wasn't helpful. Doing a lactation consultation on Zoom was viewed by many as intrusive and uncomfortable."

COVID-19 also forced some women to switch their birthing plans  for example, having an out-of-hospital birth instead of one in a hospital, or electing to induce labor. One woman whose doula was barred from attending her birth said the situation was "heartbreaking."

In all, 675 new moms recruited on social media participated in the survey. Most were white and married and delivered a full-term baby.

If there was a silver lining, many women were grateful for the quiet time they had after giving birth due to restrictions on the number of visitors at the hospital and at home, according to the report, which was published recently in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.

Shuman said the pandemic highlighted problems with the United States' cookie-cutter approach to maternal care.

"Providing a one-size-fits-all approach to maternal care isn't working," he said. "Because of mental health issues, we need tailored care  some do well with telehealth but not all. Prenatal and postpartum visit schedules should also be tailored to individuals, especially for new moms."

More information

For more on pregnancy and giving birth during COVID-19, go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCE: University of Michigan, news release, Feb. 17, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A type of skin cell that plays a significant role in fighting acne has been identified -- a finding researchers say could lead to new ways to treat the common skin ailment

Hair follicles have been known to be major factors in acne development, but this study suggests that other skin cells may have a larger impact.

"These findings may transform the way we treat acne," said study author Dr. Richard Gallo, professor and chairman of dermatology at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

"Previously, it was thought that hair follicles were most important for acne to develop," Gallo said in a university news release. "In this study, we looked at the cells outside of the hair follicle and found they had a major effect on controlling bacteria and the development of acne."

The cells -- called fibroblasts -- are common in connective tissues throughout the body.

First author Alan O'Neill, a project scientist at UC San Diego, said the researchers specifically looked at the role of these cells, which typically provide structural support in the skin's deeper layers.

"What we uncovered instead was that these cells were activated to produce large amounts of an important antimicrobial, cathelicidin, in response to acne-causing bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes," O'Neill said.

The study, which included examination of skin biopsies from acne patients and research in lab mice, was published Feb. 16 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

"Cathelicidin being so highly expressed in acne biopsy tissue was a very interesting finding to us," Gallo said. "Knowing this will be helpful in developing a more targeted therapy to treat acne."

O'Neill said the findings could help scientists identify treatments that target the fibroblast's ability to produce cathelicidin, "thus creating a therapeutic for acne that would be more selective with potentially less harmful side effects."

Although acne affects up to 50 million Americans each year, it is one of the least studied skin diseases.

More information

There's more about acne and treatments at the American Academy of Dermatology.

SOURCE: University of California, San Diego, news release, Feb. 16, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have discovered differences between the brains of girls and boys with autism that they say may improve diagnosis of the developmental disorder in girls.

"We detected significant differences between the brains of boys and girls with autism, and obtained individualized predictions of clinical symptoms in girls," said study senior author Vinod Menon, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Stanford University.

"We know that camouflaging of symptoms is a major challenge in the diagnosis of autism in girls, resulting in diagnostic and treatment delays," Menon said in a university news release.

In the study, he and his university colleagues used artificial intelligence to analyze MRI brain scans from 637 boys and 136 girls with autism worldwide.

Girls had different patterns of connectivity from the boys in several brain centers, including motor, language and visuospatial attention systems. The largest differences between the sexes were in a group of motor areas.

Among girls, the differences in motor centers were linked to the severity of their motor symptoms. Girls whose brain patterns were most similar to boys tended to have the most significant motor symptoms of autism.

The researchers also identified language areas that differed between boys and girls, and noted that previous studies have found greater language impairments in boys with autism than in girls with autism.

The brain differences between girls and boys with autism were not seen in youngsters without the condition.

The study was published online Feb. 15 in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Autism is diagnosed in four times as many boys as girls, and most autism research has focused on males, the researchers noted.

"When a condition is described in a biased way, the diagnostic methods are biased," study lead author Kaustubh Supekar, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, said in the release. "This study suggests we need to think differently."

Girls with autism generally have fewer repetitive behaviors than boys, which may contribute to delays in diagnosing the condition, according to the researchers.

"Knowing that males and females dont present the same way, both behaviorally and neurologically, is very compelling," said Dr. Lawrence Fung, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences who treats patients with autism at Stanford. He was not part of the study.

"If the treatments can be done at the right time, it makes a big, big difference," said Fung. "The consequences are really serious if they are not getting diagnoses early."

More information

For more on autism, go to the Autism Society.

SOURCE: Stanford University School of Medicine, news release, Feb. 17, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that doctors should be cautious about giving newborns antibiotics because they can upset a baby's gut microbiome -- the balance of bacteria in their digestive systems.

"We were surprised with the magnitude and duration of the effects of broad spectrum antibiotics on the infants' microbiome when compared to effects of those same antibiotics on adults' microbiota," said study leader Dr. Debby Bogaert, chair of pediatric medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

"This is likely because the antibiotic treatment is given at a time that infants have just received their first microbes from their mother and have not yet developed a resilient microbiome," Bogaert said in a university news release.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed to between 4% and 10% of newborns for suspected infections, the study noted. In most cases, they are unnecessary because the babies don't actually have an infection.

Along with the risk of antibiotic resistance, overuse of antibiotics in newborns results in a decrease in bacteria that promote good health, the researchers said.

To find out how antibiotics affect digestive system bacteria in newborns, the researchers compared 147 infants who received one of three standard antibiotic treatments for suspected sepsis, and 80 babies who weren't prescribed antibiotics.

Stool samples were collected before and after antibiotic treatment, and at 1 month, 4 months and 12 months of age. Babies who were prescribed antibiotics had a significant increase in levels of Bifidobacterium species compared with babies who weren't given antibiotics.

These species aid digestion of human breast milk, promote gut health and support the immune defense against infection.

Newborns who received antibiotics also had an increase in potentially disease-causing bacteria and in the number and abundance of genes related to antibiotic resistance, the study found.

Infants who were given antibiotics had a change in 251 of nearly 700 different bacteria assessed, which tilted the balance to potentially more harmful types.

The changes persisted for at least 12 months and did not improve with breastfeeding, which is known to help a babys immune system, according to the findings.

The study was published Feb. 16 in the journal Nature Communications.

"The fact that start of antibiotic treatment rather than duration seems to be responsible for the damage to the microbiome underlines we need better biomarkers or biological predictors to more accurately determine which infant will develop an infection and thus require antibiotics, and which will not," said study co-author Dr. Marlies van Houten, a pediatrician at Spaarne Hospital in the Netherlands.

More information

For more on antibiotics, see the American Academy of Pediatrics.

SOURCE: University of Edinburgh, news release, Feb. 18, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
ST. LOUIS  Sunshine pierced low, billowing clouds as people jammed the rain-washed 12th Street Bridge and Union Depot platforms. A special train eased onto Track 1 at 8:48 a.m. with an officer's sabre slung from the locomotive headlamp.

A volley by the St. Louis Light Artillery shattered the respectful silence.

Thus began the funeral procession of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, Civil War hero and occasional St. Louisan. For four hours on Feb. 21, 1891, a procession of 12,000 soldiers, veterans and notables marched past mourners on a winding, seven-mile path from downtown to Calvary Cemetery.

Young Capt. Sherman and his bride, Ellen, first moved here in 1850, living near Chouteau Avenue and 12th Street (now Tucker Boulevard). They returned briefly in 1861 when he took a job with a streetcar company. Two weeks later, Fort Sumter was bombarded.

Back in blue Union uniform, Sherman soon became Gen. U.S. Grant's most trusted fellow warrior. Sherman's capture of Atlanta in 1864 was tonic to the weary North and helped save Abraham Lincoln's re-election. His march through Georgia proved there was no safe place in Dixie.

William and Ellen Sherman returned to St. Louis at war's end. Grateful businessmen raised $30,000 to buy and furnish a spacious two-story home for them at 912 North Garrison Avenue, west of downtown. They lived there on and off for 11 of their remaining years.

From the Garrison address flowed a famous telegram. In 1884, Republicans pressed Sherman to be their presidential nominee. He wired back: "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected."

The Shermans later moved to New York but kept their home on Garrison. Ellen Sherman, a devout Catholic, died in 1888 and was returned for burial in Calvary Cemetery.

Sherman died at 71 in New York on Feb. 14, 1891. The Pennsylvania Railroad provided its executive train to return the general to his wife's side.

At Union Depot, just east of today's Amtrak station, the casket was placed on an artillery caisson pulled by four black horses. Cavalry escorted it north on 12th, followed by once-wiry veterans of Sherman's own Army of the Tennessee. Other units, including Confederate veterans, joined the solemn clattering over cobblestones.

At Calvary, one of the Sherman children, the Jesuit Rev. Thomas Sherman, recited graveside prayers in Latin and English. An honor guard fired three crisp volleys, followed by a last rumble of artillery from a distant hill.

The Rev. Sherman died in 1933. The Sherman family home eventually became an apartment building and was demolished with barely a whimper of protest in 1974. The Sherman graves are a short drive from the front gate at Calvary.

Read more stories from Tim O'Neil's Look Back series.
JEFFERSON CITY  A police investigation released on Monday shows that a flaw in a Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education webpage had been in place since 2011 and that no one had noticed the flaw until a Post-Dispatch journalist pointed out the weakness.

The 158-page report also showed that reporter Josh Renaud hadnt accessed anything that was not publicly available, nor was he in a place he should not have been, according to a Missouri Highway Patrol interview with DESE spokeswoman Mallory McGowin.

She said Josh Renaud appears to have only accessed open public data, the report notes.

The report was released more than a week after Cole County Prosecuting Attorney Locke Thompson announced he would not be charging Renaud in connection with the investigation.

Thompsons decision was reached almost seven weeks after his office received the report from the Missouri Highway Patrol, which had been tasked with the probe by Gov. Mike Parson in October.

Parson had suggested prosecution was imminent throughout the probe.

But, according to the report, McGowin said a vulnerability that left 576,000 teacher Social Security numbers exposed would have been there since 2011, when the application was implemented.

I asked her if this had ever been brought up before, and she stated not in the two years she had worked at DESE. She stated employees who have worked at DESE since 2011 have said the same thing, the police report notes.

McGowin told police when the website was brought online in 2011, the practice exposed by Renaud would have been OK.

She stated since then, that process is no longer considered best practice, the report said.

Further, McGowin said the database  like other state computer services  is actually overseen by Parsons Office of Administration, which the governor controls.

The highway patrol said it spent about 175 hours on the investigation. Three officers assisted in the probe. No cost estimate was provided.

The investigators also talked with cybersecurity expert Shaji Khan, who had verified for the Post-Dispatch that the flaw existed.

Khan, who teaches at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said he was alarmed by the information hed received about the vulnerability.

He (Khan) stated by the time he was done looking, he realized how bad the situation was and indicated the state needed to be notified immediately, the report notes.

Khans attorney, Elad Gross, said last week that Thompson would not be charging Khan either.

In a statement Monday, Gross said the report clearly shows that state officials committed all of the wrongdoing here.

They failed to follow basic security procedures for years, failed to protect teachers Social Security numbers, and failed to take responsibility, instead choosing to instigate a baseless investigation into two Missourians who did the right thing and reported the problem, Gross said.

We thank the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Cole County Prosecutors Office for their diligent work on a case that never should have been sent to them, Gross said.

Parson launched the investigation after the Post-Dispatch reported Oct. 13 that more than 100,000 Social Security numbers of Missouri educators had been vulnerable. Renaud found teachers Social Security numbers were accessible in the HTML source code of some publicly available DESE webpages.

The newspaper informed DESE of the flaw and delayed publication until the department could take action to protect the privacy of individuals in the database.

While DESE had initially planned to thank the Post-Dispatch for finding the flaw, Parson instead held a news conference during which he alleged Renaud had been hacking the states computer system.

The governor cited a state statute that says someone tampers with computer data if he or she without authorization or without reasonable grounds to believe that he has such authorization accesses a computer system and intentionally examines information about another person.

Emails later obtained by the Post-Dispatch found that the FBI told state cybersecurity officials that there was not an actual network intrusion and the state database was misconfigured.

The records showed that Angie Robinson, cybersecurity specialist for the state, had emailed Department of Public Safety Director Sandra Karsten to inform her that she had forwarded emails from the Post-Dispatch to Kyle Storm with the FBI in St. Louis. Robinson said the FBI agent indicated there was no network intrusion.

The emails also revealed the proposed message when education department leaders prepared to respond in October:

We are grateful to the member of the media who brought this to the states attention was the proposed quote attributed to Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven.

Instead, the state eventually described Renaud as a hacker.

Essential reading: Governor threatens Post-Dispatch after discovery of data vulnerability A Post-Dispatch reporter, Josh Renaud, alerted the state to security flaws on a teacher certification website, and Gov. Mike Parson responded 

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UPDATED at 10:45 a.m. Monday with police seeking charges

ST. LOUIS  Police were seeking involuntary manslaughter charges Monday against a man accused of choking and killing a 34-year-old woman who burglarized a home in the Dutchtown neighborhood.

Police said the woman broke into a home in the 3900 block of Dunnica Avenue around 6:20 p.m. Sunday. Police were called about the burglary and, when they got to the home, found the woman dead.

A 46-year-old man had put her in a chokehold, killing her, at the home, south of Chippewa Street, authorities said. The residence is a four-family flat.

Police arrested him at the home. On Monday, police said detectives would seek warrants for first-degree involuntary manslaughter. The Post-Dispatch is not identifying the man until charges are filed.

Police have not released the name of the woman who died. Police initially said the homicide case was related to a domestic incident but have not said what relationship, if any, the woman had to the man.

Kim Bell of the Post-Dispatch staff contributed to this report.

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ST. LOUIS  Prosecutors on Sunday charged a man with involuntary manslaughter in a shooting death last month in St. Louis' Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

Joshua D. Jackson, 30, was held without bail in the death of Jeffery Cook.

Cook, 60, was shot to death Jan. 29 in a home in the 2800 block of Chariton Street, in the city's Mount Pleasant neighborhood. Police listed addresses for both Jackson and Cook as the 2800 block of Chariton.

Cook was found shot on the floor of a home. Police said Cook was shot after arguing with Jackson. He died that day at a hospital. He was the first of five men to be killed that weekend in St. Louis in a violent 13-hour stretch.

The St. Louis circuit attorney's office charged Jackson with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records Monday.

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FERGUSON  An 18-year-old was shot and killed Saturday afternoon after a fight in a parking lot escalated into gunfire, according to information released Sunday by Ferguson police.

Officers were called at 2:23 p.m. to the 200 block of Newell Drive, where they found the young man unresponsive in the front yard of a home. Ferguson emergency crews tried to revive him. He was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries, police said.

The victim had been sitting in a white Kia sedan with four other people in the parking lot of a nearby business on Airport Road, witnesses told police. A conversation with a subject outside the car turned volatile, and the occupants of the car and the subject exchanged gunfire.

Police are searching the area for the suspect and occupants of the car. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Ferguson Police Department at 314-522-3100.

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For all his warmth and folksy appeal, President Joe Bidens leadership technique falls woefully short when it comes to military strategy. His disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan continues to have humanitarian reverberations. He was notoriously flip-floppy when it came to Iraq, voting against the first war in 1991 after dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait yet supporting the unnecessary 2003 invasion. Biden dissented when President Barack Obama launched the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Militarily, he seems to call it wrong more often than he calls it right.

Heres Bidens own self-assessment in 1993 regarding the first Gulf war: I think I was proven to be wrong in voting against it. After the 2011 bin Laden raid, he made it sound like it was his idea all along: We delivered justice to Osama bin Laden and we degraded the terrorist threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

Biden declared on Feb. 10 that under no circumstances would he send U.S. troops to fight in Ukraine. Thats a world war when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another, he told NBC News.

No one wants to risk a U.S.-Russian confrontation that could result in a nuclear exchange, presumably including Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader, however, is clearly testing how far he can go without prompting a U.S. military response, having witnessed U.S. fecklessness in Afghanistan and the tepid U.S. response when Putin seized Crimea from Ukraine and annexed it. It was under a Democratic administration that Russia was able to invade Afghanistan in 1979 without challenge. And now the Democratic U.S. president has ruled out a U.S. military response as a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine looms.

What possible strategic advantage did Biden see in broadcasting this, aside from reassuring his domestic audience? Biden is known for his tendency to let words fumble out of his mouth at inopportune, high-stakes moments. He should have learned from his predecessor about the dangers of riffing. Much as former President Donald Trump talked about never broadcasting his military intentions, he did exactly that with the commitment that tied Bidens hands to withdraw from Afghanistan as part of a peace deal with the Taliban. The result in Afghanistan was to give the Taliban a green light to seize control, knowing no U.S. military repercussions would follow.

Biden actually has done a remarkable job uniting the disparate political forces across Europe to speak with one voice when it comes to the harsh economic sanctions that Putin would face if he proceeds with the Ukraine invasion. That unity might be the single factor deterring Putin so far from attacking. But Putins recent talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping may have assured him that China would come to his economic rescue. Knowing that a U.S. military response wont be coming, what is there left to hold Putin back?
Farmers and ranchers in rural Missouri and Illinois, its safe to say, are a pretty conservative group, firm in their longtime dedication to the deregulation and free-market principles of the Republican Party. But now might be a good time for them to take a good look at their bank accounts and contrast their increasingly meager earnings to the astounding profits being enjoyed by the corporate conglomerate who control Americas meat, poultry and pork markets. Someone is taking it on the chin, and it aint the conglomerates.

The last entity farmers and ranchers should turn to for help is the Republican Party, which has a demonstrated record of siding with corporate interests whenever it involves a matchup against the little guy. At some point, rural voters in Missouri and Illinois will perform a frank economic assessment of their sagging financial prospects and start questioning why their party isnt stepping up to help.

Whats happening right now across America is bizarre and defies all standard economic models. Demand is high for meat, poultry and pork in American supermarkets. Supplies are dwindling and prices are through the roof  rising 20% just in the past year. Under normal circumstances, that situation would deliver a sizable financial windfall for those who control the source product  that is, the ranchers and farmers whose farm animals supply those markets. But both consumers and source suppliers find themselves increasingly squeezed.

Right there in the middle, however, are corporate conglomerates, like Tyson, Cargill and Sysco, that have seen their profitability skyrocket since the pandemic began. The Biden administration says four large conglomerates control 85% of the market. Their domination allows them to dictate purchase prices at the producer level and sales prices at the consumer level. If ranchers dare to challenge them, they can find themselves with no slaughterhouses willing to accept their animals because no one wants to get squashed by Bigfoot.

We are contemplating getting out, Montana rancher Steve Charter told The New York Times in December as he choked back tears. We are not getting our share of the consumer dollars.

The tactics employed by the conglomerates invoke the same images of the robber barons from the dawn of Americas westward expansion. Republicans, transfixed with the idea that unbridled free enterprise can do no wrong, dont dare question the unfair practices that are taking place. Ranchers like Charter have long been loath to challenge that conservative orthodoxy, yet they cannot deny the real-life effects corporate market domination is having on their ability to survive.

Whats happening here is not free enterprise. It bears all the hallmarks of abuse bordering on antitrust. If farmers and ranchers want to see this unfair corporate domination change so they can survive, theyll either have to change party loyalties or force their own party to come to grips with the monster Republicans helped create.
The article Please hold: Pricey way to jump IRS phone line at tax time (Feb. 15) documents a company which, for a price, will facilitate people jumping the telephone queue to reach the Internal Revenue Service for help in preparing their income tax returns. According to the article, at one point last year the IRS was receiving 1,500 calls per second, and only 11% of the 282 million calls received that year were answered.

While the article certainly raises questions about the propriety of this service, perhaps the better question is why so many individuals, including certified public accountants, find it necessary in the first place to seek help from the IRS in preparing their tax returns. As complicated and time-consuming as even the simplest of tax returns have now become, the need for prompt assistance from the IRS is certainly understandable.

One solution for simplifying the income tax morass: Require that all members of Congress, and all decision-making employees of the IRS, must prepare their income tax returns on their own, without outside assistance. I would imagine that after attempting to wade through the process just once, such a move might then result in the prompt simplification of the IRS statutes and regulations. Such a change would of course require the consent of those directly affected, and thus has no chance of ever being implemented.

Paul Agathen  Washington, Mo.
The League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis collaborates with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in producing a voters guide before every major election, including one ahead of the April 5 election when many municipal officers and school board members will be elected. We believe our partnership with the Post-Dispatch multiplies the effectiveness of our efforts to ensure that voters know where the candidates stand.

An informed voter casts a ballot that best represents the voters own preferences about issues that impact everyday life. Candidate statements, rather than rumor and hearsay, enable constituents to make smart voting decisions.

The League urges candidates to respond to our questionnaire. Voters deserve the respect that is shown by answering objective questions about issues. Even unopposed candidates benefit from increasing their name recognition and voter awareness.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization aiming to empower voters and defend democracy. This spring, the league plans to moderate and staff a dozen candidate forums in communities where it has been invited by a cosponsor. The forums provide an opportunity for all candidates to answer questions from their voter constituents.

Nancy Thompson  Maplewood
Regarding Jonathan Hickmans guest column Missouri needs to reckon with its history as a slave state by apologizing (Feb. 14): Those protesting the teaching of Americas slavery and Black history in schools (distinguishable from critical race theory, which is not taught in high schools) should consider the example of Berlin, Germanys former capital of the Third Reich. Berlin does not hide its shameful Holocaust history but displays many reminders of it throughout the city. For example, a Holocaust museum sits in the citys center, the Holocaust Memorial is located a short distance from the Brandenburg Gate, and memorial plaques are embedded in sidewalks in front of homes occupied by Jewish families before they were murdered by Nazis.
LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Looming US interest rate hike sees cautious close

Tuesday, May 3, 2022 - 17:17

It was a mixed start to a shorter week for stocks in London on Tuesday, with the FTSE 100 creeping into the green after the bank holiday weekend as traders pondered a bounce-back for stocks in New York overnight and sharp losses in Europe on Monday.

The mood was cautious heading into Wednesday's US Federal Reserve decision.

We currently expect 50 bp rate hikes at both the May and June FOMC meetings, before returning to a 25 bp rate hike per meeting pace of normalization...Altogether, the odds of adding more 50 bp rate hikes than we currently expect have risen in favor of extending the string of 50 bp hikes from a couple to three, or perhaps more, said economists at UBS.

The FTSE 100 index closed up 16.78 points, or 0.2%, at 7,561.33 on Tuesday. The FTSE 250 ended down 187.95 points, or 0.9%, at 20,520.76, and the AIM All-Share closed down 8.74 points, or 0.9%, at 1,013.52.

The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.2% at 751.59, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 0.7% at 18,145.74, and the Cboe Small Companies ended down 0.1% at 15,127.37.

Stocks in London finished Tuesday's session mixed with traders squarely focused on Wednesday's US interest rate decision.

Markets have a 50 basis point hike 99% priced in.

The Federal Reserve is scrambling to tighten policy amid soaring US inflation. Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed consumer prices soared 8.5% in March on an annual basis, stepping up from the 7.9% increase seen in February.

Expectations of a chunky 50 basis point hike firmed up after Fed Chair Jerome Powell last month said such a move was on the table for May.

It is appropriate, in my view, to be moving a little more quickly. And I also think there's something in the idea of front-end loading whatever accommodation one thinks is appropriate, Powell said during a debate on the global economy hosted by the International Monetary Fund on the sidelines of its spring meetings.

The dollar was firm heading into Wednesday's decision. The pound was quoted at $1.2511 at the London equities close Tuesday, down compared to $1.2568 at the close on Friday.

The euro stood at $1.0535 at the European equities close Tuesday, down against $1.0547 at the same time on Friday. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at JP129.97, up compared to JP129.68 late Friday.

Gold was quoted at $1,873.30 an ounce at the London equities close Tuesday, down against $1,906.75 at the close on Friday.

Stocks in New York were higher at the London equities close, with the DJIA up 0.6%, the S&P 500 index up 0.9%, and the Nasdaq Composite up 0.5%.

In European equities on Tuesday, the CAC 40 in Paris ended up 0.6%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt ended up 0.7%.

Keeping the large-cap index in the green was oil major BP, which closed up 5.8% after reporting a surge in underlying profit and launching a $2.5 billion share buyback.

For the three months that ended March 31, BP swung to an attributable loss of $20.38 billion from a $4.67 billion profit in the first quarter last year. BP said the reported result included pretax adjusted items of $30.8 billion.

The London-based firm attributed the loss to its decision to exit its 19.75% shareholding in state-owned Russian oil firm Rosneft. BP said that, in the first quarter, the total post-tax charge for this was $25.5 billion.

However, on an underlying replacement cost basis, BP reported a profit of $6.25 billion, up 54% from $4.07 billion in the fourth quarter of last year and more than doubled from $2.63 billion a year ago.

Brent oil was quoted at $106.12 a barrel at the London equities close Tuesday, down from $110.30 late Friday. However, the price of the North Sea benchmark remains 36% higher in the year-to-date.

Turning to shareholder returns, BP raised its first-quarter dividend by 4.0% to 5.46 cents from 5.25 cents the year before. It also announced a further share buyback. BP said it plans to execute a $2.5 billion share buyback before announcing its second-quarter results.

Peer Shell, which reports its own first quarter results on Thursday, advanced 2.0%.

This was helping to offset Segro's drag at the bottom of the FTSE 100 index, the stock shedding 10% after Kepler Cheuvreux downgraded the warehouse property investor to 'hold' from 'reduce'.

Avast tumbled 5.7% after posting lower revenue for the quarter that ended March 31, due to the sale of its Family Safety business a year ago and ahead of its proposed takeover by US peer NortonLifeLock.

Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell by 4.3% to $127.9 million from $133.7 million. The adjusted Ebitda margin was 54.5%, Avast said.

Avast guided that its adjusted Ebitda margin for the full year will narrow to slightly below 50%. This reflects 10 months with zero sales in Russia, the firm explained.

In the FTSE 250, Auction Technology rose 8.0% after JPMorgan raised the online auction operator to 'overweight' from 'neutral'.

Energean was the second-best mid-cap performer, closing up 7.6%. Subsidiary Energean Israel signed a gas sales agreement with the East Hagit Power Plant Ltd Partnership.

Under the agreement, Energean will supply gas to East Hagit for a term of 15 years, with a total contract quantity of up to 12 billion cubic feet. Energean said the agreement has the potential to generate revenue of up to $2 billion over the offtake period.

Wednesday's UK corporate calendar has full-year results from online clothing retail boohoo and trading statements from pub chain operator JD Wetherspoon and lender OSB Group. First quarter results are due from luxury car maker Aston Martin and Paddy Power owner Flutter Entertainment.

Headlining Wednesday's economic calendar is the US Federal Reserve's interest rate decision at 1900 BST. Also in focus will be a raft of PMIs, due from Germany at 0855 BST, the eurozone at 0900 BST and the US at 1445 BST. The German trade balance is out at 0700 BST.

Financial markets in Japan and mainland China will remain shut on Wednesday.

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
China will soon have three aircraft carriers, with CV-18 nearing completion. The new carrier features an EMALS (electromagnetic aircraft launch system) in a conventionally powered carrier with an engine modified to provide the large amount of electrical power needed to make its three EMALS catapults work. Satellite photos show CV-18 with three EMALS catapults under construction. CV-18 turned out to be larger than expected, in part because of the space needed for the IEP (integrated electric propulsion) system that supplied the power for EMALS. The only other carrier using EMALS is the American nuclear-powered USS Ford. China was more deliberate in designing their EMALS system and learned from the mistakes the Americans made. CV-18 appears to be the same length of the Ford and apparently displaces about 100,000 tons. CV-18 will be ready for sea-trials by the end of 2022 or early 2023,

China already has two carriers in service CV-16 and a similar CV-17 (the Shandong), which completed sea trials and entered service at the end of 2019, as it was seen moving past Taiwan. Back then it was assumed that China wanted to build two more similar carriers (CV-18 and 19) which would lose the ski jump deck and instead adopt a catapult. This was the case and CV-18 was already under construction in 2019, and in the water a year later. At that point it appeared that CV-18 would be in service by 2024.

It was believed that CV-18 might be delayed by the decision to use EMALS instead of steam catapults. The U.S. Navy has had problems getting its EMALS to work effectively and the Chinese were believed to be waiting to see how that works out before deciding. That was not the case as CV-18 was built with the IEP, which was only required if EMALS was used. What is unknown is if CV-19 will be similar to CV-18 or use nuclear-power. China has more problems with nuclear-powered surface ships than with EMALS. China has been working on nuclear propulsion for submarines for decades and encountered lots of technical problems that seriously limited the development of an effective Chinese nuclear submarine force. Chinese nuclear power experts informed the government that China did not yet have reliable nuclear power plants for surface ships and it would be a while before that technology was perfected.

Since carriers spend a lot of time in port getting upgrades and maintenance, you need three or more in order to guarantee having at least two available at all times for operations. China has already built or is building enough escort and support ships, along with air wings, to keep several carrier task forces, each built around one carrier, busy while one or more carriers were sidelined by months of maintenance and upgrades. China announced in 2020 that their first carrier, a rebuilt Russian carrier, would not remain a training carrier but would be equipped and manned with a crew that would enable it to also serve as a combat carrier.

There were some interesting official photos. In mid-2014 photos of a carrier model being displayed at an official event appeared on the Chinese Internet. The detailed model had the hull number 18 and the ship looked similar to an American CVN (a Nimitz class nuclear aircraft carrier). The Chinese CVN has four catapults and three elevators and much other evidence of being nuclear and very similar to the Nimitz class. This was an early Chinese Navy proposal for a CVN and that has apparently been refined to something that is similar to the Nimitz.

At one point it was believed that the first Chinese CVN would be more like the American USS Enterprise (CVN 65). This was the first American nuclear-powered carrier and it served as the prototype for the subsequent Nimitz class. The Enterprise was an expensive design, and only one was built, rather than the expected class of six. While a bit longer than the later Nimitz class, it was lighter (92,000 tons displacement, versus 100,000 tons). The Enterprise was commissioned in 1961, almost 40 years after the first U.S. carrier (the Langley) entered service in 1923. CVN 65 was active until 2012 and decommissioned in early 2017, two months before the second Chinese carrier was launched. China may end up going that way before building their first nuclear carrier. A large oil-fueled carrier would enable them to gain experience with a large carrier and allow designers to perfect the design of a nuclear-powered large carrier.

Chinese are keen students of history, their own as well as that of others. Chinese ship designers know all about the Langley and the Enterprise. The Chinese are also well aware that in the two decades after the USS Langley there were tremendous changes in carrier aviation. While the innovation slowed after World War II, major changes continued into the 1950s (jet aircraft, nuclear-propelled carriers, SAMs). But in the ensuing half-century, there has been no major innovation in basic carrier design. This has not been a problem because the carriers have proven useful, at least for the U.S. Navy, the only fleet to use such large carriers.

No one else has maintained a force of these large carriers. Only the U.S. has felt a constant need to get air power to any corner of the planet in a hurry. More importantly, no navy has been able to give battle to the U.S. carrier force since 1945. The Soviets built new anti-carrier weapons and made plans to use them but that war never occurred. China is building carriers but does not yet seem committed to having a lot of them to confront the U.S., but rather just a few to intimidate its neighbors.

The Chinese Navy is very popular with most Chinese and its commanders are enthusiastic about expanding in order to protect the seaborne trade that the modern Chinese economy depends on. For thousands of years Chinese rulers did not consider naval power important because it wasnt. Now it is and the navy is getting the money and encouragement to do what China has never done before. But at the moment Chinese tech is not up to the task of providing capable carrier aviation, especially on a large scale. The government also realized that the money required to make it all work was not really available either.

The sea trials for Chinas second aircraft carrier took 19 months, which is six months longer than their first carrier, CV-16 (Liaoning). There is no official word on why the second carrier took longer to debug but it was put into active service by December 2019. It is known that CV-17 has more electronics, including a powerful AESA (flat panel phased array) radar and a more capable communications and control system built into the ship. It would not be surprising if those improvements caused unexpected and repeated problems.

CV-17 is 315 meters (1,033 feet) long, which is three percent longer that CV-16. CV-17 displaced 75,000 tons, which is 12 percent more than CV-16. Obvious differences are a slightly (about 10 percent) smaller control tower and about ten percent more flight deck area. There is more space internally for maritime and aircraft fuel. It appears that CV-17 would have to be refueled about once a week when at sea.

CV-17 was considered a new design but based on the first Chinese carrier, the Liaoning. That first carrier was a 65,000-ton, 305 meter (999 feet) long ship that was itself a modified version of the last Cold War Russian carrier design. In 2016 China confirmed that CV-17 would also have the ski jump deck like Liaoning, would be somewhat heavier, and incorporate new design features that would enable it to carry more aircraft (mainly the J-15) in a larger hanger deck (just below the flight deck) as well as more fuel and aircraft weapons. Photos of CV-17 under construction revealed that it also incorporated design features that will make it more capable of surviving combat damage as well as operating more efficiently and effectively as a carrier.

In addition to the Chinese built J-15 fighter, the CV-17 had an early-warning radar and anti-submarine aircraft as well as some helicopters. CV-17 operates about 20 percent more aircraft than CV-16 (50 fixed-wing and helicopters compared to about 40). In 2019 China only had about fifty carrier qualified J-15 pilots and CV-16 was kept busy being what was designed for; a training carrier.
German engine manufacturer MTU builds diesel engines for ships and is now in trouble because some of their engines have been used in Chinese Type 53D destroyers and Type 39 diesel-electric submarines. This became an issue recently when Thailand revealed that its new Chinese S26T submarines, an export version of the Type 39 being built in China, was going to use MTU engines. This became an issue for MTU because use of their engines in warships was forbidden by sanctions and Thailand was reporting that China was violating those sanctions. China responded by contacting MTU to see if an agreement could be reached to deal with this problem. Legally, there isnt and for now the Thai S26Ts are on hold. This is not a new issue because German media have been reporting this issue since mid-2021 and MTU denied the allegations, insisting that it only supplied diesels for Chinese commercial ships.

MTU explained that they do not supply engines for Chinese warships but that some of their maritime diesels are also used for commercial ships and are thus dual-use technology. While technically true, the engines used in warships are distinct variants of the engines used in commercial ships and as early as 2002 another German engine builder posted on its web page site that MTU supplied the Chinese navy with military-grade diesel engines. After MTU established a joint-venture in 2010 with a Chinese engine manufacturer to build MTU maritime diesels in China, the head of the Chinese firm acknowledged that it supplied military versions of the MTU engines for the Chinese navy and coast guard.

In an effort to placate Thailand China offered to donate two older Type 35 submarines that are Chinese copies of the Russian Romeo-class subs which were built in China from 1962 to 1984. The Type 35 was an upgrade of the Romeo built from 1974 into the 1990s. These older subs used Russian diesels or Chinese copies. These older subs are less capable than the S26T and more expensive to operate and maintain. Thailand did not feel placated.

Russia cut economic and military cooperation with China in 1969 over a border dispute, and those links have never been fully restored because of continued Chinese theft of Russian military technology. Until 1991 Russia was the Soviet Union, a communist state that did not pay much attention to patents and intellectual property rights. After 1991, with the communist state gone, Russia agreed to play by the rules and was able to obtain worldwide patents for some of its best tech. Eventually China did as well, but has become known as a chronic cheat when it comes to other nations patents. Some Western firms go along with this, unofficially, by using the dual-use defense. When you get down to details, that excuse does not work and it is difficult to get around this when a Chinese sub with an MTU engine is being exported to another country. China still does not export military equipment containing too much Russian technology that Russia refused to give China permission to use.

Dual-use technology exports to nations sanctioned from receiving military versions has always been a problem. In the 1980s a German firm sold Iran technology to build an insecticide plant, which the Iranians promptly modified to manufacture nerve gas. That was simple to do because many insecticides are nerve gas optimized to kill insects. It is not difficult to modify that to produce a similar insecticide that kills mammals.
AVON, Ohio, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- College-bound teens, it's your turn to shine! No matter what inspires you, from art and animals to culture and high fashion, Duck brand's 22nd Annual Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest is your opportunity to wow the world with your one-of-a-kind creativity and style. Nearly $25,000 in scholarships will be awarded to the best Duck Tape attire, so pull out your scissors and skills and start making your award-winning masterpiece.

Whether you're a new or experienced Duck Tape crafter, students who are enrolled in high school or home school are invited to enter their beautiful and bold designs into the contest beginning March 30.

"Despite the pandemic the last two years and many students not having the opportunity to experience prom at all, we had more young designers than ever before crafting at home and showing off their artistry virtually," said Ashley Luke, senior product manager at Shurtape Technologies, LLC, the company that markets the Duck brand. "Inspired by culture and fashion, we were in awe of the number of stunning Duck Tape ensembles entered into the contest. Now it's time for the next generation of talented teens in the U.S. and Canada to put their creativity to the test for a chance to win cash scholarships."

How It Works:During the entry period, participants are invited to submit photos and videos of their finished Duck Tape dress or tux at StuckAtProm.com.

A panel of judges will then select 10 finalists5 from the dress category and 5 from the tux categorybased on the following criteria: use of color, workmanship, originality, accessories and how Duck Tape was used in the design.

The public will vote online to crown two Grand Prize winnersone dress and one tux. The top two designers will each receive a $10,000 scholarship. The eight runners up receive $500 scholarships and Duck brand prize packs worth $100.

Dates to remember:

Entry Period: March 30 through June 8, 2022

March 30 through June 8, 2022 Judging Period: June 15 through June 22, 2022

June 15 through June 22, 2022 Community Voting on Finalists: June 29 through July 13, 2022

June 29 through July 13, 2022 Grand Prize Winners Announced: Week of July 20, 2022

For more information about the 22nd Annual Duck Brand Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest and this year's rules, visit StuckAtProm.com.

About Duck Tape Brand Duct TapeAn American original, Duck Tape brand duct tape is the fix-all to help with everyday repairs, projects or crafts. Duck Tape offers a vast array of innovative, forward-thinking solutions that help everyone  from makers and creators to do-it-yourselfers and professionals  bring their ideas to life. The brand sets trends with its wide variety of colors and designs, inspires creativity and leads the way in DIY or jobsite projects, crafting, and more, by providing the tools consumers need to make or repair anything. Duck Tape brand is marketed by Shurtape Technologies, LLC, an industry-leading manufacturer of adhesive tape and consumer home and office products, with facilities worldwide. Visit DuckBrand.com for additional product information as well as DuckTapeMaker.com for a source of everyday inspiration, imagination and creativity.

About Duck BrandThe Duck brand offers an array of tapes, moving and packing supplies, shelf liner and home products that provide simple, imaginative and helpful solutions for a variety of tasks around the home, school, office and jobsite. Duck brand is marketed by Shurtape Technologies, LLC, an industry-leading manufacturer of adhesive tape and consumer home and office products, with facilities worldwide. Visit DuckBrand.com for additional product information.

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SOURCE Duck Brand
CHICAGO, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com (NYSE: CARS), the car-shopping marketplace, today named the Tesla Model Y the Best Electric Vehicle of 2022 winner in its Best Of awards program. As more automakers bet on an electric future, consumers are starting to pay attention to the once-outlying rogue tech of automotive.

"As EVs rapidly move from a fringe movement to the mainstream, this is the perfect award to kick off our Best of 2022 awards week. The quality and quantity of competitive vehicles poised to enter the EV space warrants expert scrutiny and independent comparison, and that's what we do best at Cars.com," said Joe Wiesenfelder, executive editor and head of EV insights for Cars.com. "Tesla is an electric car innovator, and the Model Y reflects that leadership with its efficiency, charging capability, range and options. It checks a lot of boxes for consumers who have been considering making the jump to an EV."

While EVs are still a fraction of overall vehicle purchases, about a third of active car shoppers are considering purchasing one.1 Though interest is rising  searches for EVs on Cars.com have nearly doubled over the last year  inventory levels have dropped 30% since last year.2

With dozens of new models expected to enter the market in the coming years and several go-to-market strategies being tested, there is an opportunity for local dealers to help consumers make the switch from gas to electric cars. According to a recent Cars.com survey, 94% of consumers prefer to purchase an EV from a local dealership rather than an online-only dealer or directly from the automaker.3

"For the time being, all vehicle sales will continue to lag until supply can keep up with demand, but EVs will remain a smaller percentage of the market until we address consumers' valid concerns about infrastructure, cost and range," said Wiesenfelder. "Cars.com's commitment to ongoing EV education will be critical, as will focused investments at the government and manufacturer level."

Nearly 60% of consumers are not aware of EV charging stations in their community.3 With the Biden administration promising a $5 billion investment to distribute EV charging stations across the country over a five-year period, the initiative should help ease consumers' minds.

Tesla Model Y: Why It's the Best Electric Vehicle of 2022

Better-than-market efficiency eases consumer range anxiety, with an EPA-rated 326 miles between charges for the Long Range All-Wheel Drive version, and actionable information about efficiency helps drivers maximize the remaining range. In short, the Model Y can travel farther and requires less time and less power for home charging.

Frequent over-the-air updates outstrip the mere "potential" of other models that can be upgraded after delivery. The Model Y is built to evolve; for example, quicker acceleration can be unlocked with the push of a button (and an additional $2,000).

With the roominess of a mainstream SUV and towing capacity up to 3,500 pounds, the Model Y is ready to respond to any driver's daily demands without sacrificing performance. Tesla estimates acceleration for the Model Y Long-Range All-Wheel Drive at 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, and its firm ride matches well with its dynamics, giving it an entertaining, sports-car-like driving experience.

While several new EV models  such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Lucid Air and Rivian R1T  were not available for this year's Best of 2022 voting, as the demand and production grow in this segment, so will the competition for future Best Electric Vehicle awards.

The Tesla Model Y also held the No. 3 spot on Cars.com's 2021 American-Made Index.

Award MethodologyCars.com experts chose the Best Electric Vehicle of 2022 winner based on drivability, charging speed, versatility and overall excellence. Cars.com's Best Of awards program includes six different categories: Best Value Car, Best Family Car, Best Luxury Car, Best Electric Vehicle, and the two highest honors, Best Pickup Truck and Best of the Year.

To find out more about the Tesla Model Y, why it's named Cars.com's Best Electric Vehicle of 2022 and to see other 2022 award winners, visit Cars.com/awards.

1EV Owners and Shoppers Study, June 2021; 880 responses2Cars.com internal data3Cars.com's DealerRater Survey, Feb. 16 -17, 2022; 4,727 responses

ABOUT CARS.COM INC.

CARS is a leading automotive marketplace platform that provides a robust set of industry-specific digital solutions that connect car shoppers with sellers. Launched in 1998 with the flagship marketplace Cars.com and headquartered in Chicago, the Company empowers shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and seamlessly connect with automotive retailers. In a rapidly changing market, CARS enables dealerships and OEMs with innovative technical solutions and data-driven intelligence to better reach and influence ready-to-buy shoppers, increase inventory turn and gain market share.

In addition to Cars.com, CARS brands include Dealer Inspire, a technology provider building solutions that future-proof dealerships with more efficient operations and connected digital experiences; FUEL, which gives dealers and OEMs the opportunity to harness the untapped power of digital video by leveraging Cars.com's pure audience of in-market car shoppers, DealerRater, a leading car dealer review and reputation management platform, automotive fintech platform CreditIQ, and Accu-Trade Group, a leading provider of vehicle acquisition technology and valuation data.

The full suite of CARS properties includes Cars.com, Dealer Inspire, FUEL, DealerRater, CreditIQ, Accu-Trade, Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com and NewCars.com. For more information, visit www.Cars.com.

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SOURCE Cars.com Inc.
HOUSTON, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Houston Law Center and Georgetown University Law Center, in collaboration with Free Press' Media 2070 project, will explore historic and contemporary racial discrimination in all modalities of modern media. The virtual colloquium will run from February 25 to February 26 and both days will begin at 10:30 a.m. EST.

The Media 2070 project, launched by the media and tech advocacy organization Free Press, is calling for media to repair the harm caused to the Black community by media institutions and government policies. As part of this effort, Media 2070, and more than 100 allied organizations and leaders, joined 25 members of Congress last year in calling for the FCC to conduct an equity audit of its historical and present-day policies and their impact on the media landscape.

Inspired by the Media 2070 project, UH Law and Georgetown Law, along with Free Press, decided to convene this virtual colloquium on race and racism in American media.

UH Law Center Dean Leonard M. Baynes said, "I am delighted that UH Law is collaborating in holding this important conference along with Georgetown Law and Free Press. The goal of the conference is to examine issues of underrepresentation of people of color in the media in ownership and employment historically leading to suboptimal programming, representations, and coverage. By bringing together such impressive and knowledgeable scholars, government officials, policy makers, activists, and business owners, we hope to chart a path forward to remedy this lack of representation and its negative consequences."

"It is incumbent upon us as leaders to help and guide the community to address our own unconscious biases that impact how we learn and interact with each other," said William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of Georgetown University Law Center. "I, along with my colleagues, are looking forward to participating in this virtual conference and tackling issues of racial injustice and the causes at the root of racial inequities within our society."

"We are so grateful to the University of Houston Law Center and Georgetown Law for their partnership in convening this critical discussion. The conference is an important opportunity to address how government policies exclude the Black community  and other communities of color  from controlling our nation's communications infrastructure. This exclusion has resulted in the creation and distribution of anti-Black narratives that continue to undermine our country from fully realizing a racial justice society and democracy," said Joseph Torres, Senior Director of Strategy and Engagement Free Press/Media 2070.

Panelists will cover topics including the history of racism in American media; assessment of historic efforts by (and failures of) the FCC, Congress, state regulators, and others to address racism; the role of the First Amendment's Speech Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause as legal frameworks; legal and policy approaches to address racial injustices, including corporate activism; and how reparations may fit into a remedial approach.

Speakers include:

Leonard M. Baynes, Dean and Professor of Law University of Houston Law Center

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of Georgetown University Law Center; Paul Regis Dean Leadership Chair; Professor of Law

Honorable Shelia Jackson Lee, U.S. Member of Congress for 18th District of Texas

Howard Shelanski, Professor of Law Georgetown University Law Center

Paul Starr, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, and Stuart Professor of Communications and Public Affairs, Princeton University

Cathy Hughes, Founder and Chairperson of Urban One

Joseph Torres, Senior Director of Strategy and Engagement Free Press/Media 2070

Robin A. Lenhardt, Professor of Law Georgetown University Law Center

Anthony E. Varona, Dean Emeritus and M. Minnette Massey Professor of Law, University of Miami School of Law

Anupam Chander, Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Technology, Georgetown University Law Center

Mignon Clyburn, Former Commissioner Federal Communications Commission

Catherine J. Sandoval, Associate Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law

Safiya U. Noble, Associate Professor of Gender Studies and African American Studies University of California, Los Angeles, Co-Founder and Co-Director of theUCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2).

Malkia Devich Cyril, founding and former executive director of MediaJustice

Click here to register for the event.

University of Houston Law Center media contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Assistant Dean of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected]; Elena Hawthorne, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-1125, [email protected].

Georgetown University Law Center media contact: Deborah Gales, Georgetown Law Assistant Director, Office of Event Management, 202-662-9003, [email protected].

About the University of Houston Law CenterThe University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) is a dynamic, top tier law school located in the nation's 4th largest city. UHLC's Health Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Part-time programs rank in the U.S. News Top 10. It awards Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, through its academic branch, the College of Law. The Law Center is more than just a law school. It is a powerful hub of intellectual activity with more than 15 centers and institutes which fuel its educational mission and national reputation. UHLC is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

About the University of HoustonThe University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 47,000 students.

About Georgetown University Law Center

Georgetown University Law Center is a global leader in legal education based in the heart of the U.S. capital. As the nation's largest law school, Georgetown Law offers students an unmatched breadth and depth of academic opportunities taught by a world-class faculty of celebrated theorists and leading legal practitioners. Second to none in experiential education, the Law Center's numerous clinics are deeply woven into the Washington, D.C., landscape. Close to 20 centers and institutes forge cutting-edge research and policy resources across fields including health, the environment, human rights, technology, national security and international economics. Georgetown Law equips students to succeed in a rapidly evolving legal environment and to make a profound difference in the world, guided by the school's motto, "Law is but the means, justice is the end."

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SOURCE University of Houston Law Center
(Tribune News Service)  Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will test personnel response in a base-wide active-shooter training exercise Wednesday, the first of two such exercises planned for this year.

The exercise will start on the bases Area B. Base employees and some people off base may hear lockdown notifications via the bases giant voice public address system.

The base will also spread the word of lockdowns via phone and other electronic modes.

Once the location of the exercises active shooter is identified, the lockdown will be lifted in all other areas.

The base expects the training to end no later than 3 p.m.

Readiness translates to higher mission effectiveness and a safer workplace, Wendy Larson, 88th Air Base Wing inspector general, said in a release on the base web site. No one wants to experience an active shooter, workplace violence or a widespread natural disaster. But Id rather experience any of them with some muscle memory of what I should do.

Often the focus is on the major muscle movements, such as first responders and command and control, but another capability to test is how building occupants respond to an active shooter, Larson added. Do they know when to hide or when to run? Do they know the best exit? How do supervisors account for their personnel after the fact?

Base leaders say they reformed the active-shooter training process after a chaotic active shooter false alarm at Wright-Patterson in 2018.

In September 2021, base security forces were also deployed when employees believed they heard a gunshot at or near the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. No one was found, hurt or arrested in that incident.

(c)2022 Springfield News-Sun, Ohio

Visit at www.springfieldnewssun.com
Gulf of Oman, November 1990: The USS Fife is silhouetted against the sun as it patrols the Gulf of Oman during Operation Desert Shield. When the Gulf War broke out in January, 1991, the Yokosuka-based, Spruance-class destroyer fired Tomahawk missiles at targets in Iraq.
Its not very often that an event in the West Bank village of Jililya garners the attention of members of the U.S. Congress from Wisconsin. But the killing of a 78-year-old Palestinian American from Milwaukee by soldiers of Israels ultra-Orthodox battalion has embarrassed Jerusalem, infuriated the U.S. State Department and placed a new stumbling block on the already rocky road of Israeli-Palestinian conciliation. More than a month later, the country is still coming to terms with what happened.

On the night of Jan. 12, one of the coldest of the year, Omar Abdel Majeed Asad was detained by Israeli troops near Jililya as he was driving home from a social event.

The soldiers stopped his car and took him to an empty lot, where he was handcuffed, gagged, blindfolded and laid on the ground. The time was 3:20 a.m. Forty minutes later, one of the soldiers noticed that the captive had turned blue in the face and he wasnt moving. He was taken to a nearby clinic and pronounced dead. An autopsy conducted by Palestinian doctors found that he died of heart failure.

In the nighttime skirmishes between Israeli troops and suspected terrorists in the West Bank, there are sometimes casualties. But Omar Abdel Majeed Asad was a unique case. Nearly an octogenarian, he did not exactly fit the profile of a terrorist. Then it turned out he was also an American citizen, formerly of Milwaukee.

Within hours, the Israeli military spokesman issued a statement admitting that the incident showed a clear lapse of moral judgment on the part of the troops and reflected a failure to protect the sanctity of a human life.

If the Israeli Defense Forces thought this was the end of the matter, it was mistaken. Two members of the House of Representatives contacted Secretary of State Antony Blinken and demanded to know what he was planning to do about the killing of a former constituent.

The IDF mea culpa did not impress the U.S. State Department, which called for a criminal investigation and full accountability of the incident. An army review concluded that the soldiers had made a moral mistake. The brigade commander was discharged and two junior officers had their promotions frozen for two years.

Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, IDF chief of staff, was dispatched to meet with the newly arrived American ambassador, Tom Nides, and explained that the killing was a grave moral error contrary to the ethics of the Israel Defense Forces. Three days later, Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the issue, calling it an ethical failure that should serve as a warning light for us all.

Now the question is what Israel plans to do differently. The soldiers who were responsible for the death belong to the infamous Netzach Yehuda battalion, a unit made up of members of the ultra-Orthodox community. The battalion, which is segregated from other IDF forces, hostile to outsiders and inspired by the preaching of fanatical rabbis, serves entirely in the West Bank.

Netzach Yehuda exists because of political cowardice. The Haredi leadership refuses to allow the IDF to draft its sons and daughters. The courts have repeatedly ruled that this discriminates against Israelis who comply with mandatory conscription. Back in 1999, the Israeli government made a Faustian bargain: In effect, it was send us a few hundred of your misfits and dropouts each year, and we will let the rest of the community off the hook.

Militarily the battalion is useless; no other command in the army wants it. Usually, their failures and depredations are covered up by the ultra-Orthodox politicos for whom they are a fig leaf. But on that night in January, the boys of Netzach Yehuda picked the wrong victim in an Arab with an American passport.

Certainly, Israel needs to compensate the family of Omar Abdel Majeed Asad. The check should be delivered personally, along with a sincere apology, by Herzog. And the hoodlums who caused the death of an innocent man should spend their next winters in a military prison.

But the Israeli government, unencumbered for the moment by ultra-Orthodox coalition partners, should now muster the courage to disband the rogue battalion. Decent officers and soldiers from the unit can be reassigned to other units. As Kohavi told a group of graduating pilots Sunday, You dont need a law to tell you not to leave an 80-year-old man in the cold during operational activity.

Zev Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. He was a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and the founding managing editor of the Jerusalem Report Magazine.
SREBRENICA, Bosnia  The gravestones stretch for nearly a quarter mile  7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys, slaughtered in a matter of days  but the regions top politician says the coffins are empty. The local mayor has said some of the purported victims are still alive. The commander who led the massacre is portrayed as a hero on posters that periodically appear near the cemetery.

Its been 26 years since the killings in Srebrenica, a genocide that broke Europes never-again vow and constituted the bloodiest period of this nations three-year war. Much of the world turned its attention away from the Balkans after the U.S.-brokered peace deal in 1995, and the subsequent trial at The Hague, which handed down war crime convictions and life sentences.

But a battle over reality is now pushing the country to a breaking point.

This is a place where genocide survivors live right next to people who say it never happened  or that it wasnt so bad. Denialism has long been an undercurrent of Bosnian politics and life. But in recent years, it has intensified, amplified by social media and by Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik, who has called the massacre a myth and a deception. In July, a United Nations envoy intervened. Using extraordinary powers granted in the aftermath of the peace deal, he made genocide denial illegal in Bosnia.

That move has spurred a backlash  and fears of a violent dissolution.

Bosnia is divided along ethnic and religious lines: the Orthodox Bosnian Serbs, the Catholic Croats and Muslims who are known as Bosniaks. Serbs are the majority in one of the countrys territories, called Republika Srpska. Bosniaks and Croats primarily live in the other section, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In all parts of the country, unemployment is high. So is corruption. And Bosnias power-sharing system perpetuates the tensions of the war: Each ethnic group is guaranteed a quota of positions, giving politicians little incentive to be conciliatory.

Within days of the genocide denial law, Dodik, the leader of Republika Srpska, halted his fiefdoms participation in state institutions. He warned that his territory would set up its own tax system, its own judiciary, even its own army  essentially resurrecting the forces that carried out the attack in Srebrenica. In November, a successor U.N. envoy assessed that Bosnia was facing the greatest existential threat of the postwar period.

Dodik, who was placed under fresh U.S. sanctions last month, has yet to follow through on the army threat. But two weeks ago lawmakers in his territory voted in favor of establishing a separate judiciary, in defiance of the peace agreement. The potential for new violence remains real. Russia has voiced its support for Dodiks moves.

In an interview, Valentin Inzko, the U.N. envoy who drafted the genocide law, said he acted after seeing an explosion of denialism that the countrys leaders had seemed incapable of stopping. Inzko said he knew thered be political blowback and described how hed felt the need to test his convictions before coming to a final decision. So one day before signing the law, he left Sarajevo before sunrise and drove into the countryside. Two hours later, he was alone amid the gravestones of Srebrenica.

You could feel the presence of those men and boys, my God, Inzko said.

He returned to Sarajevo by noon, his decision firm.

Dodik called the law the final nail in the coffin of Bosnia.

- - -

Because it happened relatively recently, and because international investigators swooped in soon after, Srebrenica is one of the most thoroughly documented genocides in the world.

What investigators found was a crime scene that stretched for some 40 miles across eastern Bosnia, with its epicenter in Srebrenica, a mining town that had become a gathering point for some 40,000 Bosnian Muslim refugees during the war. The United Nations had claimed the area was a safe zone, installing peacekeepers to keep the Bosnian Serb army at bay. But the army, commanded by Butcher of Bosnia Ratko Mladic, showed up anyway and took control with ease. Serb officers separated the women from the men and boys. Just dont panic, Mladic told the crowd. In fact, the men and boys were being taken to execution sites. People who tried to escape were gunned down by tanks and machine guns.

The bodies were initially buried in mass graves. But weeks later, as it became clear the war might end, they were exhumed and dumped in sites even more remote. The forensic analysts who arrived in the wake of the peace deal tended to find body parts rather than intact corpses, with remains of single individuals scattered across multiple sites. Sometimes bones had been fractured by excavators and bulldozers. Some of the gravesites were hidden away on the farmland of Bosnian Serbs. To this day, remains are occasionally found in the forest.

These are not well-traveled roads, said Matthew Holliday, the head of the International Commission on Missing Persons Western Balkan program, pointing to a map of gravesites  95 and counting. This was an effort to conceal.

Given how human remains were jumbled in those graves, the process of identifying the victims has stretched on, too. Some 7,000 people have been buried in Srebrenicas cemetery  their identities confirmed  but experts say the remains of another 1,000 victims have yet to be identified. Some of those remains are missing; others are housed in a prefabricated lab two hours north, where bags of bones and belongings are stacked floor to ceiling.

At the lab, forensic anthropologist Dragana Vucetic said her work made the crimes feel like they had just happened. She spread out the partial skeleton of the latest victim identified through DNA work  a 34-year-old whose skull and torso had been found in different mass graves. A separate brown bag sat below the exam table.

Those are the clothes he was wearing, Vucetic said.

She unwrapped the bag, and spread its contents across a silver table. Khaki pants, caked in mud. A thick, tattered shirt.

Heres a left shoe, Vucetic said, reaching once more into the bag.

Sunlight was coming through the blinds, and the air was thick with dust from the clothing. The next step, Vucetic said, would be for the family to come to the lab, confirm the identification, and consent to the burial  in which case thered be one more gravestone in Srebrenica. She took an inventory of the bones, the clothing, and then she packed everything away.

Evidence, she called it.

- - -

Bosnias tensions come to a fore, above all, in the area around Srebrenica, where some have dedicated their lives to preserving the memory of genocide and others would prefer to forget it.

In the majority-Serb area, war memorials commemorate the deaths of Bosnian Serbs  but the execution sites of Bosniaks remain unmarked. The genocide memorial center, across the road from the cemetery, is run by the national government and staffed mostly by Bosniaks. It keeps an open board position for a Bosnian Serb; it has never been filled.

Most people in the country, on both sides, had assumed the situation would be better by now. The immediate aftermath of the conflict was a time when all sides became defensive, but within a decade there were signs of a thaw. In 2004, Republika Srpska released a landmark report acknowledging the Srebrenica atrocities. Its then-president gave a televised address describing a black page in history. Many survivors of the genocide figured a reconciliation would begin.

But instead, Republika Srpska three years ago annulled the report, drawing up a replacement document  heavily criticized by independent experts  that downplayed the crimes. Close to Srebrenica, posters of Mladic have gone up, and researchers at the memorial center say a local, Russia-funded Bosnian Serb nationalist group is behind the provocations.

Were back to zero, said Hasan Hasanovic, 47, who works at the center.

For Hasanovic, what makes the country so perilous is that he doesnt know what his neighbors might think. And sometimes he doesnt want to ask. He pointed to the horizon, hills he had hiked frantically for five days in 1995. He was one of the lucky ones to escape the genocide, unlike his father, uncle and twin brother. Hasanovic noted a white house with a balcony, within view of the memorial center, where men had been separated from women and detained.

A regular Serb family lives there now, he said.

He didnt know of their views.

Many Bosnian Serbs are hesitant about even addressing the issue of the war crimes. In interviews across Republika Srpska, some said that crimes had probably been committed, but they did not rise to the level of genocide. Others acknowledged, with contrition, the scope of what happened. Still more said they were uncertain what to think, but went on at length about crimes committed by Bosniaks against Bosnian Serbs  including an attack on the Christian Orthodox Christmas Day in 1993. They named Bosniak leaders who should have been sentenced in The Hague but werent. They mentioned that their own family members, too, had been killed in the war.

But what stood out was their sense that politicians were using the issue for personal gain. People described environmental issues, corruption, their low salaries  the problems their leaders werent paying attention to. They suspected the preoccupation with genocide wasnt in their best interest.

Down the road from Srebrenica, a Bosnian Serb coal miner answered the door in the late afternoon, a bit groggy. Hed been a child during the war. Now, at 32, he was preparing for an overnight shift. His home was on some of the wars bloodiest ground  directly across from an infamous warehouse, where roughly 1,000 Bosniaks from Srebrenica were killed with automatic weapons and hand grenades over several days in 1995. The coal miner said hed heard how the warehouse had functioned as a co-op before the war  a place where farmers could sell fruit and vegetables.

He said he didnt know the story of what happened there in 1995.

Nobody told us anything, he said.

- - -

Inzko, the envoy who criminalized genocide denial, said Bosnias dynamics are often confounding  and sometimes beautiful. Hes seen Bosniaks whove helped to renovate the Catholic churches of Croats. He knows groups of friends  Croats, Serbs and Bosniaks  who shot at one another in the war and now get together for drinks. He calls the country a place of many small Nelson Mandelas.

But when you get to the level of politics, you cant find a Willy Brandt, he said, referencing the former German chancellor who knelt at a memorial to Jewish victims of the Nazis.

Critics say Dodik has done more than anybody in the country to exacerbate Bosnias tensions. Earlier in his career, he had flattered the United States, acknowledged the genocide, and talked about the importance of Bosnian reconciliation. Madeleine Albright, the former U.S. secretary of state, had called him a breath of fresh air.

But Dodiks nationalist rhetoric has built over the past decade. While some opponents see a cynical ploy to win votes, others say he has developed a conviction that Bosnian Serbs have been wrongly painted as a genocidal people and need to be defended. One government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe an unofficial opinion, said Dodik has borrowed some of the tactics of President Donald Trump by relishing provocations, making unsubstantiated claims and relying on an unquestioning Bosnian Serb media  including a TV station owned by a company closely linked to his family.

The Biden administration in January sanctioned both Dodik and the TV station, citing graft, bribery, as well as Dodiks ethno-nationalistic rhetoric.

Dodiks office did not respond to interview requests. But one of his close political allies, Nedeljko Cubrilovic, speaker of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, said in an interview that Bosnian Serbs had felt attacked by Inzkos law. Cubrilovic compared Inzko to Hitler, and noted that the diplomat had left Bosnia  his term having finished  only days after signing the law.

Still, experts and some politicians say the law is working  kind of. In an interview, Sefik Dzaferovic, the top Bosniak leader, said the climate in Bosnia would have been completely different and less toxic had a similar law been introduced in the late 1990s. Edin Ikanovic, who tracks hate speech at the memorial center, said he has seen a dip in genocide denial from Bosnian Serb accounts in recent months. (Cubrilovic declined to speak about the subject of genocide, saying, I dont give comments on things that dont need comments.)

But the law hasnt stopped accounts from projecting the same misinformation from neighboring Serbia  where some of the misinformation migrated. And the law didnt stop Dodik, at a recent nationalist celebration, from standing next to a released war criminal, Vinko Pandurevic, in a symbolic show of support.

Inzkos successor as U.N. envoy, German politician Christian Schmidt, was coy about whether he would have written a similar law. Russia has called for the envoy position to be scrapped altogether, arguing that Bosnia should no longer be under a form of international oversight. Schmidt has faced calls to revoke his predecessors law  including from Dodik himself.

Schmidt, though, said European countries, including his native Germany, have laws criminalizing the denial of internationally recognized crimes. He said that Bosnia is now no different  and the rule applies to everybody in the country, not just Bosnian Serbs.

I wont revoke it, he said.

The Washington Posts Raisa Busatlic contributed to this report.
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  Gereon may be the cutest cross between a Roomba and an angel of death that youll ever see.

The 20-inch-tall machine may vaguely resemble a robot vacuum cleaner on off-road tires, but its battlefield simulation equipment makes it a capable stand-in for enemy forces stalking the students at the German armys officer school, according to a Bundeswehr statement.

Named after the patron saint of soldiers, the robot is the brainchild of 1st Lt. Marc Wietfeld, a 31-year infantry officer at the school in Dresden.

Wietfeld said that when he was in the enlisted ranks, he spent a lot of time playing an opposing force, or OPFOR, soldier for other units. During training, he spent hours lying in wait in drafty buildings just to fire off a few blanks at fellow trainees during mock assaults.

He thought there was a better way, so he started to work on the project in his off time while majoring in management and media studies at the German Army Universitys Munich campus.

"The whole prototype was created in my basement and later in the living room with my friends," Wietfeld is quoted as saying in the German army statement.

What started as amateur tinkering caught the attention of military officials and is now a funded German army project to reproduce the one Wietfeld invented.

Multiple Gereons acting with partial autonomy could create the illusion of a larger troop presence that challenges soldiers to incoming fire. The same approach could also see use in combat, the statement said.

The robot comes with a loudspeaker, a smoke mortar and a weapon with an LED muzzle flash simulator. When firing, the decoy gun fully simulates a machine gun, the statement said.

Gereon hunts the student officers using an optic-acoustic sensor and a high-resolution camera. Its independently mounted rubber wheels can roll through grass and brush. It weighs about 26 pounds.

The vision of creating the illusion of a larger force with robots is a new twist on an old battlefield tactic.

In World War II, the inflatable mock tanks of the Ghost Army of the U.S. Armys 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company fooled Hitlers troops with realistic tank mock-ups and audio recordings.

The 1,100-person unit created the illusion of whole divisions, tricking the Germans into believing its small unit had 20,000 troops. Earlier this year, the units were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.

What makes Gereon special, Wietfeld said, is its modular design. Planned upgrades include a sensor that can give the robot three-dimensional scanning ability. A powerful laser could be used to confuse and distract modern tactical vehicles.

"The idea is for Gereon to laser on enemy tanks, for example, tricking the vehicle's sensors into thinking it's being targeted by an anti-tank weapon," Wietfeld said in the statement.

The current version is based on a 3D-printed chassis and commercially available parts. In its basic configuration, the robot costs 4,000 euros in materials, and Wietfelds team aims to keep final unit cost after upgrades below 10,000 euros, or about $11,300.

For now, Gereon remains in testing. Recently, a student group installed radio range-independent remote control, Wietfeld said, allowing the device to be controlled from anywhere. The team is still working out problems with data latency and audio functions, the statement said.

These are problems we are happy to find during testing, Wietfeld said in a German army video presentation. Only then can we fix them.
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  A Russian invasion of Ukraine has appeared imminent for days, if not weeks, as anyone who has been paying attention to the news knows.

But on the minds of many is why Russian President Vladimir Putin is so obsessed with Ukraine.

Putin has massed more than 150,000 Russian troops along Russias border with Ukraines east and southern edge  where Moscow already occupies territory  and in Russian ally Belarus on Ukraines northern border.

The U.S. government says it believes Putin can easily launch an invasion from either front any minute now.

An incursion into Ukraines east might be easier since Russia illegally annexed Ukraines Crimea peninsula nearly eight years ago and has been backing Russian proxy militias against Ukrainian forces in the east ever since.

Moving in from Belarus in the north might be even more ominous because Russian forces would be within a couple of hours drive from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

But whether an invasion begins, there are questions still worth examining.

Among the most important: Why is Putin so obsessed with Ukraine?

Theres a Russian adage that you cant have a Russian Empire without Ukraine, owing to its long cultural and economic history as the beating heart of the defunct Soviet Union. And Putin is hell-bent on re-creating a new empire to restore his declining country to superpower relevance.

To understand how Putin views Ukraine, and why its so entangled in his mythology, first look at a map.

Belarus, Ukraine and Georgia  in that order north to south  are former Soviet Union republics that broke away into ostensibly independent nations after the Communist power collapsed in 1991. They sit like a massive land barrier between Russia and Europe to the West.

Ukraine is the largest, a minerals-rich vast land of fertile fields.

Tiny Georgia was invaded by Russia in 2008, and the two fought a brief war. Then, as now, Moscow accused Georgia of attacking pro-Russia breakaway enclaves like South Ossetia. France negotiated a cease-fire that ended most fighting, but Georgia did not regain the disputed territory.

Belarus, along with several other former Soviet republics, have, or had, Kremlin-friendly leaders. But Ukraine broke from the pattern in a 2014 revolution that seated democratically elected officials and moved the country solidly toward the West. The then-pro-Russia president, Viktor Yanukovych, fled to Moscow in what became known as the Maidan Revolution.

Ukraine had also served as a lucrative source for Putins coffers. A Russian gas pipeline crosses Ukraine en route to Europe, ginning big profits for Moscow  money that Putin used to co-opt friendly Ukrainian politicians as well as to buy off his oligarch cronies, according to Russia experts and former diplomats.

But Ukraine was stepping out of Putins sphere of influence. He has been trying to get it back ever since. In that same year, 2014, Putin began eating away at eastern Ukraine, declaring swaths like the Donbas to be Russian because many people there speak Russian and have Russian passports.

A former KGB operative, Putin has said the collapse of the Soviet Union was one of the greatest disasters of modern history. He has publicly stated that he does not regard Ukraine as a real country, nor Ukrainians as separate people. Much of the West, probably unwittingly, bought into part of the narrative by referring to Ukraine as The Ukraine, the way Putin and Russian nationalists do. It would be like Americans referring to The South or The West, parts of the U.S. not separate countries.

Franklin Foer, a writer at The Atlantic who traces family roots to what is today Ukraine, argues that Putin is less concerned about Ukraine joining NATO than he is about Ukraine becoming part of Europe with its insistence on rule of law. Ukraine signed an association agreement with the European Union on March 21, 2014, a month after the Maidan Revolution and the same month Putin took control of Crimea.

Rule of law and a campaign against rampant corruption, both of which the U.S. and Europe have been urging on Kyiv with some success, further robs Putin of a tool to control or manipulate the country and its potential quislings, analysts say.

What he feared most was Ukrainian democracy, which would deprive him of influence over the colonial possession that he felt was his birthright, Foer wrote last week.

U.S diplomats in Europe  including ambassadors to Russia and Ukraine  warned throughout the 2000s that showing any inclination toward incorporating Ukraine into Western organizations like NATO would be neuralgic for Putin.

Putin now may not want to take over all of Ukraine, but he certainly wants to swallow up enough of the country to render it a submissive ghost nation, experts and analysts say. One scenario floated by U.S. intelligence is that Putin would make the invasion swift and only long enough to install a new leader.

The fundamental crisis will not end, Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden and now a senior envoy in Europe, said on Twitter, until Putin leaves the Kremlin and [Russia] finally decides whether it will build a modern nation state or whether it still seeks an empire.

2022 Los Angeles Times.

Visit at latimes.com .

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Before she even knew she was pregnant with her second child, Ashley Brauer OConnor had a dream, or maybe a prophecy. Back in May 2021, she dreamed she was scheduling a Caesarean section for Feb. 22, 2022: 2-22-22, arguably the most interesting birthday to come along in almost a decade, since 12-12-12. She soon found out she was pregnant, but her estimated due date was five days later: Feb. 27. Oh well.

Months later, her doctor informed her the baby was breech. Did she want to schedule a C-section?

And Im like, Is it possible that 2-22 is available at the hospital? It was. It felt like deja vu, says OConnor, 38, of Los Angeles. So, yes, our second child, on a Tuesday  Twosday!!  2-22.

Thats the date Jules Zia Passell has been counting down to her whole life: Born in 2000, she will turn 22 on 2-22-22.

Its been the birthday Ive waited for. I actually I didnt care about my 21st at all, she says. She has always found herself gravitating toward the number two and wondered what her 22nd birthday, the fated date when all the twos in her life would align in some sort of cosmic coincidence, might bring.

My whole life, Ive been trying to find the meaning for it, says Passell. Im still searching.

As weirdness goes in these very weird times, Feb. 22 might not rate much more than a blip, but it does spark curious notions and a line of existential inquiry: Does it mean everything, or anything, or nothing at all? What is time, anyway, other than an arbitrary human construct that happened to, in this instance, align in a way thats appealing to the pattern-recognition parts of our brains? Is it the ultimate Taco Tuesday?

Better: it is Nacho Average Taco Twosday, according to a novelty shirt that brands Feb. 22 as a fun way to mark the unique, once-in-a-lifetime ... date for taco lovers, families and friends. (What the shirt fails to mention is that it is also National Margarita Day. Kismet!)

Kanye West, now known as Ye, has scheduled a live performance in Miami on the 22nd, ostensibly to preview his newest release, Donda 2. The Atlantis resort in the Bahamas is offering 22% off, starting at $222, on hotel rooms (guests must stay a minimum of two nights). A purveyor of NFTs plans to mint 2,222 of them that day. And celebrity astrologer Aliza Kelly is going on The Drew Barrymore Show  its the actresss birthday  to talk about what it all means.

First of all: When we have a repeating number such as two two-two two-two, we have this sort of metaphysical thought which says that this evokes a feeling within us because it is connected to these higher esoteric metaphysical frequencies that align us, Kelly says.

OK.

For some people, they may see a repeating number ... as an affirmation of sorts, a sort of green light from the universe that theyre on their right path or that theyre protected, or that they have, you know, a guide or a spirit who is communicating with them, who is not earthbound. As Kelly wrote in Allure, some people refer to those repeating digits as Angel Numbers.

OK ...

And if we look to the stars and planets? Well, on Feb. 22, 2022, our great nation is making its first Pluto Return, meaning Pluto will be in the same place it was on July 4, 1776.

Pluto, in astrology, is associated with transformation and metamorphosis, and really powerful epic change that really originates from the interior before revealing itself on an exterior level, says Kelly, who notes that although the planets placement will be precise on the 22nd, weve been feeling its effects for the last few years. Which  OK!  explains a lot, if you happen to believe in that sort of thing.

Morten Heedegaard does not.

Literally, its useless, because what should make that day any different from any other date, apart from the fact that humans have invented a way of counting days, and years and months? And by coincidence, that date is going to be a date full of twos, and we originate our timing from a day and a year at which a certain guy named Jesus was born, he says. Im not sure theres any bigger meaning for it.

Nevertheless, since 2016, he has maintained a website counting down to the time 22:22 on 2-22-22 (expressed as 22-2-22 in Denmark, where he lives, he notes).

It started actually as a bit of a joke, says Heedegaard, 50. Im kind of a numbers geek. To the point where he researched the places in the world that lie at 22 degrees latitude and 22 degrees longitude. There are four of them: Two in the Atlantic Ocean, one in the desert in Libya, and another in western Botswana. Hes not sure what people there are doing to celebrate the momentous occasion, but he has heard from other fans of the date: Numerologists, engaged couples, and even doomsayers, some spouting unsubstantiated claims that Feb. 22 will be the date tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalate.

Time has gotten a bit jumbled for people in the last two years, between lockdowns and working from home and the general way that living in a pandemic has unmoored us. Maybe 2-22-22 can help us restore our sense of time, Heedegaard thinks.

I tried to make a tweet at one point, addressing the United Nations to make that date the day of self celebration and self-care, he says. They didnt respond.

Its definitely going to be a day of celebrations, though. Especially weddings. The county clerk who presides over licenses in Las Vegas expects it to be one of the busiest days ever, beating the previous marriage record from July 7, 2007 (7-7-07). In Singapore, about 500 couples will get hitched, nine times the usual number of marriages in one day. The date is considered to be auspicious in the Chinese calendar, reports the South China Morning Post, because of its even numbers, and the fact that it is a palindrome in countries that record dates as day/month/year: 22/02/2022.

And Blake Rivera-Baggott, 30, will be driving all over the state of Tennessee, where he is a wedding officiant licensed by American Marriage Ministries. He had received more than a dozen requests from couples planning to wed that day, and had to turn most of them down  he cant be in two places at once.

But there are three lucky couples who managed to get on his schedule. Overall, Rivera-Baggott will travel probably over 300 miles that day. The first ceremony is a courthouse wedding scheduled for 8 a.m., about a two-hour drive from Chattanooga, where he lives: Theyre going to get their certificate then, and then were going to do a little short, legal, bare minimum-type thing and then make it official. Then, hell drive another hour to preside over a quick noon ceremony for another couple. Then another hour and a half of driving, where hell head to the biggest wedding of the day  a 2 p.m. affair with more than 50 guests, which will be timed so the couple will seal their vows with a kiss exactly at 2:22 p.m.

Hell have one of those little digital clocks like they have at TED Talks so that people know not to go over, he says, adding that there may be a need to improv: To add a little bit of fluff in there to make sure it gets to that point where that is exactly 2:22, or if I need to cut some stuff out to make sure thats the case, I think thats the plan.

Meanwhile, Janelle Paulson, 27, and Ashlee Stepp, 28, will be in Mexicos Riviera Maya, getting hitched. The Kansas City, Mo., couple met in college on Feb. 21, 2015  but we probably stayed up till midnight, notes Paulson, so they can claim the 22nd as an anniversary, of sorts. They consider 22 to be their lucky number. The two twos signify two people coming together, says Stepp, whose last name Paulson will take. And theyll always remember their anniversary.

We plan on doing our first look at 2:22 p.m., says Paulson. We thought about doing the ceremony at 2:22, but the lighting would be bad.

Meanwhile-meanwhile, Amanda Casteel, 43, will be donning tulle for Tutu Tuesday, a Burning Man tradition that shes bringing to her hometown of Portland, Ore., where she expects to be joined by a couple hundred people for a massive dress-up party shes organized in a local park. The plan is for everyone to gather from 12:22 p.m. to 2:22 p.m., at which point they will take a big group picture in their tutus. Then, theyre going to find pubs, probably along Second Street or 22nd Street  hopefully with tacos and tequila  and the night will end at 22:22 military time, probably [with me] distributing $2 bills at some dance club somewhere.

Wait, $2 bills? Whens the last time anyone saw one of those? I just went into the bank a week ago and I told them why. And they laughed and they went and talked to their manager, and she was like Well order them and theyll be here in a week, Casteel says.

And meanwhile! In hospitals across the country, there will be babies. Perhaps some will even be born at 2:22, which will make for amusing stories on local news channels.

Alex Armstrong, 30, of Boston, is having twins.

A lot of people are like, You have to hold on as long as you can, you know, to try to make it to 2-22, she says. But if I get any more uncomfortable than I am now, I think Ill just be happy for it all to be over.

And Chelsea Campbell, 32, is due with her second child on the 22nd  and hoping the baby has a keen sense of timing. The Port Orange, Fla., resident is in a Facebook group for families expecting February babies.

Everybody in that group is like, Oh, Im trying to get labor started now, and Im trying to keep her in, she says. I want to last that long, so that way, she can have that birthday.

What does a 2-22-22 birthday portend? What will the special children of Feb. 22 have in store for their lives? Numerologist Ann Perry has some thoughts on that, but they involve taking the much-hyped date down a peg or two.

There are Popular numerologists out there that like to throw a whole bunch of hype at stuff and say, Oh, its a portal opening up, she says. I get a little frustrated with it.

First of all: The energy of the number two relates to partnership, to patience and diplomacy, balance, sensitivity and collaboration, says Perry. But numerology doesnt stop there. Its time to do some math.

So if you want to crunch the vibration around what February 22, 2022 is all about, you have to break it down in three parts. So February is the second month, right? So thats going to be just the number two, she says. Then theres the date: 22 Repeats itself, thats referred to as a master number. And then the year, for which numerologists add all the individual digits of 2022 together: 2+0+2+2=6.

Add that to 22, and then add a 2 for the month to get 30, and 3 + 0 equals ... Oh.

February 22, 2022 is actually a three universal day, says Perry. But is anyone talking about that? No. Why? Because the three isnt as sensational as talking about all those twos.

Its not necessarily a bad thing that 2-22-22 is all about threes. A three vibration, thats encouraging us all to express ourselves. For example, telling people youre no longer going to be their doormat, says Perry. Its a lot heavier energy than all this airy, fairy, flaky stuff, talking about weddings and babies and engagements.

Passell, the soon-to-be 22-year-old who has waited for this birthday her whole life, senses the heavy stuff. A few years ago, she met a set of twins who shared her exact same special birthday, and the trio became close friends. Suddenly, I was a triplet, she says. But a few months ago, one of the twins took his own life. Shes decided to spend the 22nd birthday they thought they would all spend together in Hawaii, swimming in the ocean. Its not what she thought 2-22-22 would be, but shes still optimistic.

Twenty-two is going to be the year for me, Passell says. Thats always been a feeling of mine.
(Tribune News Service)  An annual Western Pennsylvania event honoring contributions and sacrifices of African Americans during this nations military conflicts will be held Thursday, undeterred by a pandemic that led organizers once again this year to move the in-person event online.

The John L. Ford Sr. African American Heritage Celebration is offered through the Soldiers & Sailors Hall and Museum Trust.

This years announced topic, Breaking Barriers in World War II, will feature a discussion of Pittsburghs place in the struggle for civil rights in America during those years, including The Double V Campaign by The Pittsburgh Courier that shed light on unequal treatment of Blacks in civilian and military life, and the 80 Western Pennsylvanians who were among the famed Tuskegee Airmen.

The event is named for Mr. Ford, the late historian and curator at Soldiers & Sailors who developed the celebration in 2011 and died in 2019. What is typically an in-person event went virtual after COVID-19 hit in 2020, and this years presentation will again allow those to attend without leaving their homes via live Facebook and YouTube streams.

Sonya Ford, daughter of John L. Ford Sr. and the program manager at Carnegie Mellon Universitys Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, will serve as moderator of a panel that includes JaQuay Edward Carter, a local historian and Marine Corps veteran, and Michael Kraus, curator of collections at Soldiers & Sailors.

Thursdays 7 p.m. event is free and can be accessed by going to www.soldiersandsailors.org/events or clicking on this link. The streams begin about five minutes before the event begins.

Going virtual appears to have opened the event up to a wider audience, with 1,800 viewing last years program either live or archived, said Tim Neff, vice president and director for museum and education at Soldiers & Sailors, located in Oakland.

Its really for all age groups, he said. What I would love to imagine happening is multiple generations watching together.

These African Americans of World War II paved the way for the civil rights era, Mr. Neff said. Obviously, even with their significant contributions, they were segregated, treated differently.

African Americans felt the sting of that segregation both in military life and in civilian factories back in the U.S., where they were part of a production effort that supported the fight against Japan and Nazi Germany.

The Pittsburgh Courier, an influential Black newspaper that was once the nations largest (now the New Pittsburgh Courier), embarked on the Double V campaign during the war era. The campaign championed the cause that African-Americans working overseas and back home to secure victory deserved full citizenship rights in Americas democracy.

During Thursdays event, there will be a special video performance of the 6th Regiment USCT Drum Corps, which works to educate young African Americans about the pride, glory and challenges faced by [United States Colored Troops] soldiers in the Civil War, according to the Soldiers & Sailors website.

Mr. Carter, one of the panelists, said the event is an important teaching tool, and like Mr. Neff, he expressed gratitude that Mr. Fords legacy continues to link generations  in this specific case, about a pivotal era in U.S. and world history eight decades ago.

Im in my late 30s, said Mr. Carter, who is founder and president of the Greater Hazelwood Historical Society of Pittsburgh and founder and curator of the Black History Society of Western Pennsylvania. A lot of this, I didnt know about growing up.

bschackner@post-gazette.com

(c)2022 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Visit at www.post-gazette.com
South Auckland doctors say two new anti-viral drugs to treat patients with Covid-19 are needed now in a bid to manage the countrys Omicron outbreak.

But according to drug buyer Pharmac, the drugs may not be available until April at the earliest.

It comes on the back of news that almost 50 per cent of all current Covid-19 cases in New Zealand are in the Counties Manukau District Health Board area.

New data released by the Ministry of Health shows 63 per cent of all new daily cases of Covid-19 recorded in the Auckland region between February 9 and February 15 were in Counties Manukau.

Pharmac this week released the proposed access criteria for oral anti-viral drugs Paxlovid and molnupiravir, which are used to treat Covid-19.

The drugs, which are still awaiting approval from drug regulator Medsafe, work by binding to enzymes to prevent the virus from growing, and are expected to reduce the numbers of people hospitalised with coronavirus.

South Auckland GP Dr Api Talemaitoga, chairman of the Pasifika GP Network, said doctors on the front line in Counties Manukau need all the help they can get to manage the Omicron outbreak, and the anti-viral drugs are needed now.

Were expecting a peak in case numbers in March, so I cant understand why we might have to wait until after April for these drugs?

Under Pharmacs criteria, Maori, Pasifika, some unvaccinated people and immune-compromised groups would be among the first in line for the drugs and Talemaitoga said many of his patients would qualify.

We have to use all the tools we have to manage Omicron, Talemaitoga said.

Papakura GP Dr Primla Khar agreed and said doctors needed such medicines to treat those with the virus.

Papakura GP Dr Primla Khar says anti-viral drugs such as Paxlovid and molnupiravir can help treat people with Covid-19, but will do little to help stop the spread of the virus. Photo: CHRIS MCKEEN/STUFF.

We are expecting to have to deal with sicker patients, many of whom arent vaccinated, so these drugs may reduce demand for ICU beds, she said. So these anti-virals will be welcomed.

Khar said the main benefit of using such medicines was to help treat those who already have the virus but conceded they wouldn't help stop its spread.

National Maori Pandemic Group co-leader Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen said even if the new drugs were not available until after April, having drugs such as Paxlovid available to treat cases in subsequent waves of the virus would still be helpful.

These medicines will make a real difference for those people who catch Covid-19 and arent vaccinated, he said.

In a statement, Pharmacs chief medical officer Dr David Hughes said it expected the new medicines to arrive in the country between April and June.

We worked quickly to secure advance purchase agreements for molnupiravir and Paxlovid. These types of agreements enable the companies to commit to deliveries to New Zealand and will ensure these medicines are available as soon as possible.

Hughes said Pharmac had asked the suppliers to bring forward their delivery dates for the drugs.

But it is important to also acknowledge that there is significant global demand for these medicines, he said.

-Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
Whether a Waikato District Health Board psychiatrist was remiss in his care of a mentally unwell man shot by police in a suburban street in Thames has become the focus of the lengthy coroners inquest.

Vaughan Te Moananui, 33, was killed by police following a brief stand-off in a Thames street, about lunchtime on May 4, 2015, after he refused to put down the gun he was carrying.

The inquest into his death was opened in October 2019, and following those earlier hearings Coroner Michael Robb issued an interim ruling finding Te Moananuis care was not adequate.

However, more hearing time was required because the psychiatrist challenged Robbs criticisms of him.

The inquest earlier heard that Te Moananui had a long history of poor mental health, including schizophrenia, and had been admitted to psychiatric facilities multiple times. He had also been prosecuted for violent offending when unwell.

Risk factors identified on his most recent discharge from the Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre in Hamilton, about a year before his death, included isolation, alcohol consumption and not being appropriately medicated.

It was recommended he start a drug and alcohol programme and be closely monitored, but this never happened.

Instead, he moved out of his parents' home, began living alone, started drinking alcohol and massively reduced the dose of the anti-psychotic he was taking because it made him feel drowsy.

The psychiatrist, whose name has been suppressed, approved the dosage reduction as he felt Te Moananui was doing well.

The hearing resumed with Dr Rees Tapsell, director of clinical services for mental health at the Waikato District Health Board, being cross-examined by assistant coroner Andrea Twaddle.

Tapsell described the care of people like Te Moananui as a difficult dance for the team responsible for his ongoing care.

The dance is often to try and encourage patients to take their medication, and also to minimise the dose.

[However] its impossible to do that without having a reasonable frequency of follow-up and increased corroboration from others.

Twaddle asked about one instance when Te Moananui turned up to a meeting with his care worker with a black eye, which should have been a big red flag that all was not well.

A black eye is an issue for concern, Tapsell agreed.

Would it be fair to say an opportunity was missed to engage with whanau? the interlocutor asked.

Yes, we all missed that opportunity, Tapsell responded.

Earlier, he said: My expectation is where a psychiatrist is concerned about a patient, they make more of an effort to get corroborative information from other sources.

Matthew McClelland, QC, who is acting for the psychiatrist, also cross-examined Tapsell, on lines of reporting and staffing levels of the 30-strong DHB team his client was a senior member of.

McClelland said the focus should not be solely on the psychiatrist, but rather the wider situation and others who were involved in his care.

Jacinda Hamilton is acting for the police at the hearing, while Arama Ngapo is acting for the family of Te Moananui.

-Stuff/Mike Mather.
A mothers bid to have her 12-year-old son removed from his anti-vax father has been rejected by a judge, who said what she was asking was the sort of thing that could be expected in a totalitarian or communist regime.

The mother and father, who have shared custody of the boy, appeared before Judge Stephen Coyle in the Family Court at Whakatane in December.

The mother was applying for an order to have the boy placed in her interim care until he received his two Covid-19 vaccinations.

She also sought orders barring the father from discussing anti-vaccination views around the boy.

The mothers lawyer said it would be psychologically unsafe to have the boy exposed to an anti-vaccination world view.

The boy had, through his own lawyer and in discussion with the judge in chambers, made it clear he did not want to be vaccinated.

The boy said his father had told him no-one knew what was in the vaccine and that none of the vaccine companies would be held liable if there were problems with the vaccine.

The boy also said his father told him that a vaccine was foreign stuff and the Bible said you should not have foreign stuff in your body.

The boy also queried the effectiveness of the vaccine and said his stepmother had told him the vaccine was tested on aborted foetus cells.

In a recently released decision Judge Coyle said all parties accepted that he had to consider the boys age and maturity and consequently what weight should be placed on his views.

The judge noted he was concerned at the tenor of the lawyer acting for the boy, who had said it would be a distasteful prospect if the boy was not vaccinated.

The Judge did not agree and said I do not accept that [the boy] expressing a non-mainstream view, or a view that [the lawyer] disagrees with is in any way distasteful.

He said the boy was a good, sensible and intelligent young man who had a scientific bent and had to some extent adopted a scientific analysis in that he has weighed up the pros and cons of the decisions that he has reached.

What [the mother] is asking the court to do is to ensure [the boy] is only exposed to one discourse and narrative in relation to the vaccine, being a narrative which is held by the majority and the only narrative universally promulgated by the mainstream media and health professionals commenting through the media, the judge said.

To ensure the boy was only exposed to a singular narrative is the type of response that could be expected in a totalitarian or communist regime, but not in a free and democratic society ... It is not the function of the Courts to make orders, effect of which is to expose children and young people to only the mainstream narrative, he said.

He noted that the Ministry of Health gave people aged 12 and above the right to give their own consent about vaccination.

The judge said he was not satisfied that it was in the boys best interests and welfare to require him to be vaccinated, and that he should not be compelled to be vaccinated against his wishes.

[The boy] should be free to be exposed, in relation to any issue, to a plurality of views, so that he can eventually make his own decisions as to what values and beliefs he chooses to live by, the judge said.

He dismissed all the mother's applications and awarded costs to the father, should he seek them.

-Stuff/Marty Sharpe.
The Government is launching a new employment initiative to get local people into work on transport projects being built across the country.

This is the latest announcement from Transport Minister Michael Wood and Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni during a visit to the construction site for the $655 million Takitimu North Link project.

"This new initiative is centred on projects that are part of our Governments New Zealand Upgrade Programme, and offers the twin benefits of improving local employment outcomes while providing Kiwis with better and safer transport choices," says Wood.

"Local people will learn new skills to work on major infrastructure projects in communities across Aotearoa, which will create a larger pool of workers for the construction industry and help to address skills and labour shortages."

Wood says Waka Kotahi is delivering 19 NZUP projects, and he knows that discussions to identify employment opportunities on the Takitimu North Link project, which will connect Tauranga and Omokoroa with a new 14 kilometre four-lane corridor, will begin very soon.

"Im pleased that Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Social Development have agreed on this partnership to boost targeted employment outcomes on NZUP projects.

"The two have already worked together on a successful pilot project on the Te Ahu a TurangaManawatu Tararua Highway project, which resulted in local people getting heavy vehicle licenses to be trained as digger operators and drivers.

"People were also helped into jobs as administrators, labourers, builders and workers on conservation projects."

Sepuloni says the partnership between MSD and Waka Kotahi supports the government procurement directive to achieve broader cultural, economic, environmental and social outcomes for the country.

"This initiative will also ensure close engagement with mana whenua on employment opportunities, while supporting local businesses.

"MSD recognises that we are stronger when we work together. This partnership means people can be connected early to the right support and services they need from us to gain employment on the Takitimu North Link and a career."

Waka Kotahi Transport Agency is also supporting the Governments Broader Outcomes initiative, with a focus on growing local small and Maori owned businesses through its NZUP projects.

For example, Takitimu North Link stage 1 has recently sub-contracted a small hapu-owned welding start-up business.
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kunalsb BHPian



Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 74 Thanked: 138 Times

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Hyundai Tucson Petrol Automatic Review The Genesis

My wife and I both enjoy the car buying process, which generally begins with test drives of the prospective choices and ends with discussions in a cafe over steaming cups of coffee and a complicated Excel sheet.

We were cash strapped in the past when trying to buy our dream car and though we loved the Swift, Fabia and Punto, we ended up with a Ritz Zxi in 2010, as the dealer gave us a sweet deal on it.

History repeated itself in 2016, when we were in love with the Duster and Creta but ended up with the S-Cross Alpha, again, thanks to an excellent offer from the dealer.

We realised that we have always been a few lakhs short for our first choice. That being said, we have had wonderful experiences in both these cars. Being in the Armed Forces, I get to travel a lot and we do a lot of touring in whichever State we have been posted in.



Coming back to the present, we were content with our S-Cross and had no plans of upgrading. Also, since we had purchased the S-Cross about 5 years ago, we were not eligible for purchasing car through CSD. A close friend of mine (based in Pune), was in the lookout for a new car and my wife and I (based in Chandigarh) immediately rolled up our sleeves to help him in the selection process (talk about long distance relationships!). The process of car buying is always exhilarating for us and taking test drives, leafing through brochures and making comparisons keeps us in a happy state of mind. However, due to some issues, my friend could not go ahead with the deal, but my wife and I were hooked on to the scent of a new car. We are originally from Bombay and there is a local saying in Hindi, Begani shaadi mein Abdullah diwana, which aptly applied to us. Out came the coffee, the Excel sheet and we were back in the hunt.



Our Wishlist

We are in our early 40s and we decided to put our foot down and make this a Heart over our head deal and not the other way around as done earlier. Rubbing our hands with glee, we set our budget around INR 20 lakhs and zeroed onto these must-have features for us:-



Head turner (for us)- This is a very subjective criteria. This was going to be a no compromise buy for us and we needed to love the car.



5 seater with a good ground clearance- Has to be a SUV/ crossover. No sedans for us.



Petrol powered- The noose around Diesel is slowly tightening and NGT regulations are already in effect in New Delhi. Being in a transferable job, we did not want to get affected by the 10 years diesel ban and also felt the need to switch over to a less polluting option. We had clocked 25000 kms in the Ritz and 27000 kms in the S-Cross in a total span of 11 years, which also justified the decision.



Automatic- We both longed for the convenience of an Automatic and it had to be a reliable Torque Convertor unit and Dual Clutch transmission was a strict NO-GO area for us.



Panoramic Sunroof- I feel that Sunroofs are not suitable for the Indian weather but we never realised that our 8 year old daughter had become a part of this conversation and this was her non-negotiable upgrade.



Good service network- Our postings often take us to smaller cities and presence of good service network is a must have criteria for us. We have maintained our cars well and they are always serviced at authorised service centres.



Options considered

Based on the above, we had very limited options:-



Mahindra XUV 700- I had worked in Mahindra R&D before joining the Army and sincerely laud their efforts to hold their own against the competition. But, we are not huge fans of the design and I am sceptical about the reliability of the electronic wizardry in the car and expect niggles in the long run. Another drawback is the long waiting period.



Jeep Compass- Compass has always pulled at our heartstrings but the DCT gearbox and the mixed service reviews kept us at bay. Also, Compass is a smaller car and I find it to be overpriced.



VW T-Roc- Expensive, smaller and no longer available for Test drive/ delivery. Also, VW service is a roller coaster experience for many.



MG Hector- This is a purely personal choice and we do not like the brand (no offence to anyone).



Hyundai Creta- The new Hyundai design language is a big turn off for us. Hence, not considered.



Kia Seltos- We love the Seltos design language over the Creta but the lack of Panoramic Sunroof and the recent safety concerns regarding Kia kept us away.



The VW Tiguan is my favourite but has been kept out of the consideration along with the Volvo XC40 and the Germans as these are way out of our budget. We both love the design of the Harrier and had also enjoyed the test drive but did not consider it as no Petrol variant is available. I was in love with the Skoda Karoq, though it was out of our budget and presently, no longer available.



Tucson, it is!

While passing by Berkley Hyundai Panchkula, we saw a Polar White Tucson on display. I have always loved the old Hyundai designs and this is the last of that era today. Though Tucson has always been out of our budget, we ventured inside the showroom and stepped into the Tucson. The moment we sat inside, we immediately connected with the car (no connection to the BlueLink ). We appreciated the minimalist design, stark black interiors, the faux leather and soft touch materials on the dashboard and got the feeling of being seated in a well built and premium car. Tucson was ticking all the boxes on our wishlist and both of us had that knowing smile and our hearts gave a huge thumbs up to the Tucson.



Now, steps in the brain. Tucson GL(O) Petrol was costing INR 22.7 lakhs Ex-Showroom Price (ESP) and was nowhere in our budget. Tucson/ Elantra are dealt with by a separate Hyundai team and the Salesperson (Mr. Bobby Nagra) was very competent, earnest and positive. Bobby conveyed that Tucson GL(O) Petrol was manufactured in Sep 2021. He started with a discount of 1 lakhs on the ESP. We countered that the vehicle was 2021 manufactured and also a facelift was imminent. This led to a couple of negotiation meetings and finally, we were able to agree to a fantastic price that suited our budget.

Now, our brains gave a huge thumbs up to the Tucson .



Variant selection

Tucson is available in the following five variants:-

GL(O) 2WD AT Petrol INR 22.69 lakhs

GLS 2WD AT Petrol INR 24.37 lakhs

GL(O) 2WD AT Diesel INR 24.74 lakhs

GLS 2WD AT Diesel INR 26.08 lakhs

GLS 4WD AT Diesel INR 27.47 lakhs



Even though the GL(O) variant is loaded to the gills with features, GLS has the following additional features:-

1. Penta Star projector LED headlamps

2. LED static bending lights

3. Powered tailgate

4. Electric parking brake

5. Supervision cluster for the instrument console

6. Front parking sensors



According to me, based on the features, the GL(O) Petrol and GLS 4WD Diesel variants offer bang for the buck.

Luckily, in our case, the Berkley showrooms had Polar White GLS 4WD Diesel and GL(O) Petrol Tucsons in stock and discounts were being offered only against these. Any other variant/ colour would have to be ordered and no/ marginal discount was being offered.



Our views on the yet-to-be-launched Tucson

I had detailed brainstorming sessions with a close friend of mine (this one based in Bombay), who is also an automobile enthusiast. Many would say that it is a blunder to buy the present Tucson when the radical facelift is soon to be expected. But, this point worked in our favour as we find the new design to be very polarizing (never realised that we are on the other side of the generation gap). We do not like the creased body and futuristic looking grille and would never have bought it. Also, the yet-to-launched Tucson has a complete touch based interface whereas, I prefer the positive click of a button over touch based controls. Based on my experience with the S-Cross, I find it very distracting to operate touch controls while driving and feel that the present Tucson has a right mix of touch controls and tactile switches. The resale of the Tucson will definitely be affected but I plan to use this car for 10 years atleast. I also estimate that the yet-to-be-launched variant will be more expensive and beyond our budget.



Test drive & Booking experience

We took a test drive of both the Diesel and the Petrol variants. The Diesel AWD is an absolute corker and it made us rethink our decision to opt for Petrol. But, better sense prevailed and we stuck to our original plan.

One word to describe the driving experience of the Petrol variant is COMFORTABLE. The NVH levels are fantastic and the power delivery is linear. With a young kid and parents in tow, my driving style has become sedate over the years and the Tucson suits my style of driving. The overall feeling is of being seated in a well built, smooth and refined vehicle which will take you places, without any sense of urgency. Enthusiasts may want to try the Diesel or look elsewhere. I expect real world fuel efficiency figures to be 8-10 kmpl in the city and 10-13 kmpl on the highway and I am content with these. Detailed drive reviews have already been put up by more experienced and knowledgeable people in this forum.



We had a great experience working with the team from Berkley Hyundai Panchkula. They were professional and competent in their dealings. The booking amount was INR 10,000 and we proceeded ahead with the same.



Extended Warranty

3 years/ unlimited kilometres warranty and 3 years/ 30000 kms complimentary maintenance are standard on the Tucson and were the icing on the cake. I went ahead for an additional 2 years extended warranty but did not opt for any additional maintenance package. The maintenance packages are not VFM for the Tucson as the packages are for a term of 5 years but the Tucson comes with a complimentary 3 years package, so one ends up paying the entire amount only for the balance 2 years.



Insurance

The dealer matched my insurance quote from a private vendor and also agreed to transfer my existing 35% NCB onto the Tucson. I went for a Zero Dep (1 year) and 3 years Third party package from Hyundai Insurance.



Registration

I had initially planned to opt for BHARAT series registration. The BH registration amount is to be paid in tranches on pro-rata basis i.e. 2% every 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th year and so on as per the tax slab of the car.





However, there is a lack of clarity whether the future payments can be done online or require a physical visit to the RTO. Also, it is my understanding that the charges vary from state to state as some states use the Invoice price for calculation while some use the Ex-showroom price. Being in a transferable job, BH registration had appealed to me but the lack of clarity put me off. Chandigarh RTO calculates the registration fees on the Invoice price of the vehicle ie. excluding the GST. Overall, Chandigarh registration was much cheaper and I opted for the same.



On road pricing

Ex showroom price- 20,04,000/-

TCS- 20,040/-

Insurance (Zero dep)- 54,112/-

Extended warranty (4th & 5th year) - 21,086/-

Registration (Chandigarh)- 92,811/-

Total - Rs. 21,92,049/-



Bidding adieu to S-Cross 1.3 Alpha

We always feel a lump in our throats whenever we let go of our older cars. The S-Cross had served us faithfully and safely ferried us through all our Himalayan adventures. The S-Cross had clocked around 27000 kms and was in excellent condition. I had put my S-Cross for sale on a couple of online platforms like Olx, Quikr, Olx Cars, Cars24, Spinny, Team BHP classifieds, etc. and received the best deal from Olx Cars. The sale process was seamless, transparent and the payment was promptly done by them before taking delivery of the car. I was able to get 50% value for the S-Cross and was happy with it.





Our constant companion

My wife had bought this Ganesha idol in 2010 for the Ritz and we had taken an instant liking to it. Since then, it has always found a place of pride in our Ritz, S-Cross and now, in the Tucson.





Delivery experience

The Tucson was already in the showroom, so it was just a matter of arranging funds and scheduling a date. I had ample time and was able to do a detailed PDI as per the TeamBHP checklist and found all things to be okay. The car had 12 kms on the odometer. We could not pick up the car on the scheduled delivery date as all of us were down with COVID. After recovery and post the isolation period, we rescheduled the delivery and the Hyundai team was very accommodating. Our Salesperson, Bobby was aware that I had sold the S-Cross, so he arranged a pick up for me. On the D-day, the Tucson was all prepped and the paper work was ready. The Temporary number plates were affixed. As per my request, they had not stuck any tape/ flowers on the car as I strongly feel the tape spoils the paint. Also, we were not pestered for any accessories. Overall, we had a thoroughly satisfying delivery experience with all the usual bells and whistles. Kudos to the Berkley Hyundai Panchkula team.



Thus, the search for a new car which originated in Pune ended with the Tucson landing in our home in Chandigarh and yet strangely, for the first time, our hearts and heads were in complete agreement with each other. Here are some of the happy moments:-







Initial experience I have clocked around 250 kms on the odometer and have been driving mostly around the city. A long road trip is not on the cards right now. Based on the initial driving experience, these are my observations:-



Engine- This 2.0L Nu series engine with Dual VTVT has a power output of 150PS@6200rpm and a torque rating of 192Nm@4000rpm. It is a 4 cylinder setup with DOHC. It is a naturally aspirated engine and is becoming a minority in todays era of turbo-Petrol engines. It is by no means a very powerful engine for this size of the car but is competent to get the job done for everyday commutes and powerful enough for the average drivers.





Gearbox- The 6 speed Torque Convertor unit complements the engine well and as I brought out earlier, it is perfectly suited for sedate driving. The gear lever position is also shown on the MID and is helpful for newbies to automatics as it clearly shows where the lever is to be shifted. I always prefer the reliability of TC units over DCT/ DSG gearboxes.



Ride & Handling- The McPherson strut at the front and the Multi-link at the rear provide a composed ride quality. The Tucson manages all kinds of road with a poise. The handling is also balanced and the Tucson feels nimble enough to weave in and out of traffic. There is no boat like feeling in the Tucson and the average user will have nothing to complain. During the test drive, the 4WD Diesel felt a lot more planted (due to the additional weight) than the Petrol.



Wheel & Tyres- The alloys look great and the GL(O) Petrol even gets an alloy as a spare, which is surprisingly, not available in the higher variants. Tucson is shod with 225/55 R18 Nexen tyres and their replacement is not easily available in India. Many have changed their tyres but I will be sticking with these as long as they stick to the tarmac.





The Hits

- Tucson has excellent built with quality materials used all around. Based on the cars that I have previously owned, I get the feeling of being seated in a premium car. Tucson nudges into the German territory.

- Comfortable driving experience and excellent NVH levels.

- Matured ride quality.

- I love the front seats, which offer excellent bolstering.

- The Panoramic sunroof has become a huge hit with family.

- Full safety kit- 6 airbags, ABS+EBD, Brake assist, Vehicle Stability Management, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start Assist, Downhill Brake Control, Brake Assist, TPMS, etc.

- I am no audiophile but am able to appreciate the crispness and clarity of the 8 speaker Infinity setup.

- The SEND TO MAP feature of the Bluelink is very handy. The location can be searched beforehand on the Bluelink app and then it is sent to car. When the car is switched on, the location is automatically displayed on the Navigation screen.







The Misses

- I miss the front parking sensors in my variant.

- Rear parking camera could have been of a better quality.

- The remote engine start, door lock/ unlock features in the Bluelink do not always work correctly. I suspect poor network coverage of Idea-Vodafone in our area might be the culprit.

- Many features available in the lower priced Creta/ Seltos are missing in the Tucson. Ventilated seats and 360 degree parking are sorely missed.

- Not a fan of the brown key fob. It feels very plasticky and at this price point, Hyundai should be offering something better.





- The front armrest is fixed and should have been adjustable to offer better ergonomics.





- The TPMS sensor has been faulty since Day 1 and I am assured by the service time that a OBD scan will resolve the issue.





Driving modes

Economy- The car offers a lackluster performance. It feels quite slow to get off the mark. I need to tap a bit hard on the accelerator to close the gaps in slow moving traffic to discourage the occasional lane changer from sneaking in. The mode is aimed at improving the mileage and is perfectly okay for the crawling traffic. Sharing the mileage over a few trips in mixed traffic conditions.







Comfort- This makes the car a bit easier to drive. The accelerator response is much better and is suited for everyday driving conditions.



Sport- The acceleration is greatly improved. The car feels zippy though the engine becomes a bit boomier at higher revs. Suited for quick overtaking on the highways.



With the limited kilometres that I have clocked, I am yet to experience the difference in mileage offered by using the above modes. I will update the same after using the car for a longer term.



Accessories

The Tucson is fully decked and the only thing I ordered was the floor mats. Accessories for the Tucson are a bit difficult to come by. These are the floor mats ordered from Amazon. They look flashy in picture but are very muted in actual and are a perfect fit in the Tucson. The material and stitching are of an excellent quality. These are a bit cheaper on the Autofurnish website but I opted for Amazon due to their stellar return policy.





Final words

Tucson is a well built car meant for sedate drivers, prioritising comfort over performance. Courtesy, its CKD origins, the Tucson manages to offer the premium feel of the Germans at a much lesser cost of ownership, thanks to the complimentary warranty and maintenance packages. The combination of a naturally aspirated engine with a TC gearbox offers the best of reliability and refinement. It has a great kit and though it misses some new age features, all the components are of a great quality and I expect the car to age well.

This is no head-turner and also not an off roader. Many colleagues were unaware that this is a Hyundai model (thanks to the popular Creta).

In short, a premium, refined, reliable and an understated car. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.



My favourite angle





Plain Jane









Cladding improves the fantastic NVH levels. The bonnet is heavy, hydraulic struts are sorely missed.





Spacious boot- 513 litres. 60-40 split further adds to the space.





Retractable boot flap is a nifty touch





Love the black interiors





Dual zone climate control- not touch based, thankfully!





Front seats are in a league of their own- 8 way electrically adjustable for driver & 6 way for co-passenger





Comfortable rear bench with recline functionality and oodles of knee room





Good navigation interface- Purple dotted line shows the direction of the destination wrt the starting location





No Petrol badging- please ensure the pump attendant knows what to top up in the 62 litres tank.





Family favourite- sunroof adds a sense of roominess

The front passenger seat is suddenly no longer in demand and family members are queuing for the rear seat. Often, makes me look like a driver with a vacant front seat and passengers in the rear!





Bonus-one of the few cars to offer a full size alloy spare





Flush underbody with 172mm clearance

My wife and I both enjoy the car buying process, which generally begins with test drives of the prospective choices and ends with discussions in a cafe over steaming cups of coffee and a complicated Excel sheet.We were cash strapped in the past when trying to buy our dream car and though we loved the Swift, Fabia and Punto, we ended up with a Ritz Zxi in 2010, as the dealer gave us a sweet deal on it.History repeated itself in 2016, when we were in love with the Duster and Creta but ended up with the S-Cross Alpha, again, thanks to an excellent offer from the dealer.We realised that we have always been a few lakhs short for our first choice. That being said, we have had wonderful experiences in both these cars. Being in the Armed Forces, I get to travel a lot and we do a lot of touring in whichever State we have been posted in.Coming back to the present, we were content with our S-Cross and had no plans of upgrading. Also, since we had purchased the S-Cross about 5 years ago, we were not eligible for purchasing car through CSD. A close friend of mine (based in Pune), was in the lookout for a new car and my wife and I (based in Chandigarh) immediately rolled up our sleeves to help him in the selection process (talk about long distance relationships!). The process of car buying is always exhilarating for us and taking test drives, leafing through brochures and making comparisons keeps us in a happy state of mind. However, due to some issues, my friend could not go ahead with the deal, but my wife and I were hooked on to the scent of a new car. We are originally from Bombay and there is a local saying in Hindi,, which aptly applied to us. Out came the coffee, the Excel sheet and we were back in the hunt.We are in our early 40s and we decided to put our foot down and make this a Heart over our head deal and not the other way around as done earlier. Rubbing our hands with glee, we set our budget around INR 20 lakhs and zeroed onto these must-have features for us:-This is a very subjective criteria. This was going to be a no compromise buy for us and we needed to love the car.Has to be a SUV/ crossover. No sedans for us.The noose around Diesel is slowly tightening and NGT regulations are already in effect in New Delhi. Being in a transferable job, we did not want to get affected by the 10 years diesel ban and also felt the need to switch over to a less polluting option. We had clocked 25000 kms in the Ritz and 27000 kms in the S-Cross in a total span of 11 years, which also justified the decision.We both longed for the convenience of an Automatic and it had to be a reliable Torque Convertor unit and Dual Clutch transmission was a strict NO-GO area for us.I feel that Sunroofs are not suitable for the Indian weather but we never realised that our 8 year old daughter had become a part of this conversation and this was her non-negotiable upgrade.Our postings often take us to smaller cities and presence of good service network is a must have criteria for us. We have maintained our cars well and they are always serviced at authorised service centres.Based on the above, we had very limited options:-I had worked in Mahindra R&D before joining the Army and sincerely laud their efforts to hold their own against the competition. But, we are not huge fans of the design and I am sceptical about the reliability of the electronic wizardry in the car and expect niggles in the long run. Another drawback is the long waiting period.Compass has always pulled at our heartstrings but the DCT gearbox and the mixed service reviews kept us at bay. Also, Compass is a smaller car and I find it to be overpriced.Expensive, smaller and no longer available for Test drive/ delivery. Also, VW service is a roller coaster experience for many.This is a purely personal choice and we do not like the brand (no offence to anyone).The new Hyundai design language is a big turn off for us. Hence, not considered.We love the Seltos design language over the Creta but the lack of Panoramic Sunroof and the recent safety concerns regarding Kia kept us away.The VW Tiguan is my favourite but has been kept out of the consideration along with the Volvo XC40 and the Germans as these are way out of our budget. We both love the design of the Harrier and had also enjoyed the test drive but did not consider it as no Petrol variant is available. I was in love with the Skoda Karoq, though it was out of our budget and presently, no longer available.While passing by Berkley Hyundai Panchkula, we saw a Polar White Tucson on display. I have always loved the old Hyundai designs and this is the last of that era today. Though Tucson has always been out of our budget, we ventured inside the showroom and stepped into the Tucson. The moment we sat inside, we immediately connected with the car (no connection to the BlueLink). We appreciated the minimalist design, stark black interiors, the faux leather and soft touch materials on the dashboard and got the feeling of being seated in a well built and premium car. Tucson was ticking all the boxes on our wishlist and both of us had that knowing smile andNow, steps in the brain. Tucson GL(O) Petrol was costing INR 22.7 lakhs Ex-Showroom Price (ESP) and was nowhere in our budget. Tucson/ Elantra are dealt with by a separate Hyundai team and the Salesperson (Mr. Bobby Nagra) was very competent, earnest and positive. Bobby conveyed that Tucson GL(O) Petrol was manufactured in Sep 2021. He started with a discount of 1 lakhs on the ESP. We countered that the vehicle was 2021 manufactured and also a facelift was imminent. This led to a couple of negotiation meetings and finally, we were able to agree to a fantastic price that suited our budget.Now,Tucson is available in the following five variants:-INR 22.69 lakhsINR 24.37 lakhsINR 24.74 lakhsINR 26.08 lakhsINR 27.47 lakhsEven though the GL(O) variant is loaded to the gills with features, GLS has the following additional features:-1. Penta Star projector LED headlamps2. LED static bending lights3. Powered tailgate4. Electric parking brake5. Supervision cluster for the instrument console6. Front parking sensorsAccording to me, based on the features, the GL(O) Petrol and GLS 4WD Diesel variants offer bang for the buck.Luckily, in our case, the Berkley showrooms had Polar White GLS 4WD Diesel and GL(O) Petrol Tucsons in stock and discounts were being offered only against these. Any other variant/ colour would have to be ordered and no/ marginal discount was being offered.I had detailed brainstorming sessions with a close friend of mine (this one based in Bombay), who is also an automobile enthusiast. Many would say that it is a blunder to buy the present Tucson when the radical facelift is soon to be expected. But, this point worked in our favour as we find the new design to be very polarizing (never realised that we are on the other side of the generation gap). We do not like the creased body and futuristic looking grille and would never have bought it. Also, the yet-to-launched Tucson has a complete touch based interface whereas, I prefer the positive click of a button over touch based controls. Based on my experience with the S-Cross, I find it very distracting to operate touch controls while driving and feel that the present Tucson has a right mix of touch controls and tactile switches. The resale of the Tucson will definitely be affected but I plan to use this car for 10 years atleast. I also estimate that the yet-to-be-launched variant will be more expensive and beyond our budget.We took a test drive of both the Diesel and the Petrol variants. The Diesel AWD is an absolute corker and it made us rethink our decision to opt for Petrol. But, better sense prevailed and we stuck to our original plan.One word to describe the driving experience of the Petrol variant is COMFORTABLE. The NVH levels are fantastic and the power delivery is linear. With a young kid and parents in tow, my driving style has become sedate over the years and the Tucson suits my style of driving. The overall feeling is of being seated in a well built, smooth and refined vehicle which will take you places, without any sense of urgency. Enthusiasts may want to try the Diesel or look elsewhere. I expect real world fuel efficiency figures to be 8-10 kmpl in the city and 10-13 kmpl on the highway and I am content with these. Detailed drive reviews have already been put up by more experienced and knowledgeable people in this forum.We had a great experience working with the team from Berkley Hyundai Panchkula. They were professional and competent in their dealings. The booking amount was INR 10,000 and we proceeded ahead with the same.3 years/ unlimited kilometres warranty and 3 years/ 30000 kms complimentary maintenance are standard on the Tucson and were the icing on the cake. I went ahead for an additional 2 years extended warranty but did not opt for any additional maintenance package. The maintenance packages are not VFM for the Tucson as the packages are for a term of 5 years but the Tucson comes with a complimentary 3 years package, so one ends up paying the entire amount only for the balance 2 years.The dealer matched my insurance quote from a private vendor and also agreed to transfer my existing 35% NCB onto the Tucson. I went for a Zero Dep (1 year) and 3 years Third party package from Hyundai Insurance.I had initially planned to opt for BHARAT series registration. The BH registration amount is to be paid in tranches on pro-rata basis i.e. 2% every 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th year and so on as per the tax slab of the car.However, there is a lack of clarity whether the future payments can be done online or require a physical visit to the RTO. Also, it is my understanding that the charges vary from state to state as some states use the Invoice price for calculation while some use the Ex-showroom price. Being in a transferable job, BH registration had appealed to me but the lack of clarity put me off. Chandigarh RTO calculates the registration fees on the Invoice price of the vehicle ie. excluding the GST. Overall, Chandigarh registration was much cheaper and I opted for the same.Ex showroom price- 20,04,000/-TCS- 20,040/-Insurance (Zero dep)- 54,112/-Extended warranty (4th & 5th year) - 21,086/-Registration (Chandigarh)- 92,811/-We always feel a lump in our throats whenever we let go of our older cars. The S-Cross had served us faithfully and safely ferried us through all our Himalayan adventures. The S-Cross had clocked around 27000 kms and was in excellent condition. I had put my S-Cross for sale on a couple of online platforms like Olx, Quikr, Olx Cars, Cars24, Spinny, Team BHP classifieds, etc. and received the best deal from Olx Cars. The sale process was seamless, transparent and the payment was promptly done by them before taking delivery of the car. I was able to get 50% value for the S-Cross and was happy with it.My wife had bought this Ganesha idol in 2010 for the Ritz and we had taken an instant liking to it. Since then, it has always found a place of pride in our Ritz, S-Cross and now, in the Tucson.The Tucson was already in the showroom, so it was just a matter of arranging funds and scheduling a date. I had ample time and was able to do a detailed PDI as per the TeamBHP checklist and found all things to be okay. The car had 12 kms on the odometer. We could not pick up the car on the scheduled delivery date as all of us were down with COVID. After recovery and post the isolation period, we rescheduled the delivery and the Hyundai team was very accommodating. Our Salesperson, Bobby was aware that I had sold the S-Cross, so he arranged a pick up for me. On the D-day, the Tucson was all prepped and the paper work was ready. The Temporary number plates were affixed. As per my request, they had not stuck any tape/ flowers on the car as I strongly feel the tape spoils the paint. Also, we were not pestered for any accessories. Overall, we had a thoroughly satisfying delivery experience with all the usual bells and whistles. Kudos to the Berkley Hyundai Panchkula team.Here are some of the happy moments:-I have clocked around 250 kms on the odometer and have been driving mostly around the city. A long road trip is not on the cards right now. Based on the initial driving experience, these are my observations:-This 2.0L Nu series engine with Dual VTVT has a power output of 150PS@6200rpm and a torque rating of 192Nm@4000rpm. It is a 4 cylinder setup with DOHC. It is a naturally aspirated engine and is becoming a minority in todays era of turbo-Petrol engines. It is by no means a very powerful engine for this size of the car but is competent to get the job done for everyday commutes and powerful enough for the average drivers.The 6 speed Torque Convertor unit complements the engine well and as I brought out earlier, it is perfectly suited for sedate driving. The gear lever position is also shown on the MID and is helpful for newbies to automatics as it clearly shows where the lever is to be shifted. I always prefer the reliability of TC units over DCT/ DSG gearboxes.The McPherson strut at the front and the Multi-link at the rear provide a composed ride quality. The Tucson manages all kinds of road with a poise. The handling is also balanced and the Tucson feels nimble enough to weave in and out of traffic. There is no boat like feeling in the Tucson and the average user will have nothing to complain. During the test drive, the 4WD Diesel felt a lot more planted (due to the additional weight) than the Petrol.The alloys look great and the GL(O) Petrol even gets an alloy as a spare, which is surprisingly, not available in the higher variants. Tucson is shod with 225/55 R18 Nexen tyres and their replacement is not easily available in India. Many have changed their tyres but I will be sticking with these as long as they stick to the tarmac.- Tucson has excellent built with quality materials used all around. Based on the cars that I have previously owned, I get the feeling of being seated in a premium car. Tucson nudges into the German territory.- Comfortable driving experience and excellent NVH levels.- Matured ride quality.- I love the front seats, which offer excellent bolstering.- The Panoramic sunroof has become a huge hit with family.- Full safety kit- 6 airbags, ABS+EBD, Brake assist, Vehicle Stability Management, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start Assist, Downhill Brake Control, Brake Assist, TPMS, etc.- I am no audiophile but am able to appreciate the crispness and clarity of the 8 speaker Infinity setup.- The SEND TO MAP feature of the Bluelink is very handy. The location can be searched beforehand on the Bluelink app and then it is sent to car. When the car is switched on, the location is automatically displayed on the Navigation screen.- I miss the front parking sensors in my variant.- Rear parking camera could have been of a better quality.- The remote engine start, door lock/ unlock features in the Bluelink do not always work correctly. I suspect poor network coverage of Idea-Vodafone in our area might be the culprit.- Many features available in the lower priced Creta/ Seltos are missing in the Tucson. Ventilated seats and 360 degree parking are sorely missed.- Not a fan of the brown key fob. It feels very plasticky and at this price point, Hyundai should be offering something better.- The front armrest is fixed and should have been adjustable to offer better ergonomics.- The TPMS sensor has been faulty since Day 1 and I am assured by the service time that a OBD scan will resolve the issue.- The car offers a lackluster performance. It feels quite slow to get off the mark. I need to tap a bit hard on the accelerator to close the gaps in slow moving traffic to discourage the occasional lane changer from sneaking in. The mode is aimed at improving the mileage and is perfectly okay for the crawling traffic. Sharing the mileage over a few trips in mixed traffic conditions.- This makes the car a bit easier to drive. The accelerator response is much better and is suited for everyday driving conditions.- The acceleration is greatly improved. The car feels zippy though the engine becomes a bit boomier at higher revs. Suited for quick overtaking on the highways.With the limited kilometres that I have clocked, I am yet to experience the difference in mileage offered by using the above modes. I will update the same after using the car for a longer term.The Tucson is fully decked and the only thing I ordered was the floor mats. Accessories for the Tucson are a bit difficult to come by. These are the floor mats ordered from Amazon. They look flashy in picture but are very muted in actual and are a perfect fit in the Tucson. The material and stitching are of an excellent quality. These are a bit cheaper on the Autofurnish website but I opted for Amazon due to their stellar return policy.Tucson is a well built car meant for sedate drivers, prioritising comfort over performance. Courtesy, its CKD origins, the Tucson manages to offer the premium feel of the Germans at a much lesser cost of ownership, thanks to the complimentary warranty and maintenance packages. The combination of a naturally aspirated engine with a TC gearbox offers the best of reliability and refinement. It has a great kit and though it misses some new age features, all the components are of a great quality and I expect the car to age well.This is no head-turner and also not an off roader. Many colleagues were unaware that this is a Hyundai model (thanks to the popular Creta).In short, a premium, refined, reliable and an understated car. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.The front passenger seat is suddenly no longer in demand and family members are queuing for the rear seat. Often, makes me look like a driver with a vacant front seat and passengers in the rear! Last edited by vb-san : 21st February 2022 at 09:18 . Reason: typo
ABHI_1512 BHPian



Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Calcutta Posts: 681 Thanked: 7,165 Times

re: Drive from Calcutta to Roing - Eastern Arunachal Pradesh



Default route these days, for people travelling to Siliguri from Calcutta is Calcutta-Mogra-Krishnanagar-Berhampur Bypass-Moregram-Malda Bypass-Raigunj-Domohona-Islampur Bypass-Siliguri. This route is good throughout with some little bad stretches between Krishnanagar and Moregram. Raigunj bypass, Karandighi Bypass and Dalkhola bypass work is ongoing and should be over soon. At least Dalkhola bypass and rail over bridge should be operational soon. Calcutta- Siliguri can be done inside 10-11 hours easily these days without taking too much of an effort.



Since my destination was not Siliguri but Guwahati, I bypassed Siliguri early in the morning by taking the Fulbaari bypass and took the Gazoldoba route to connect back to NH 31 at Odlabaari. Started at 10 in the night from Calcutta and it was an effortless drive all throughout.















Okay, before that, since I was driving alone, I have made some plans to meet friends en route. One of my very close friend and senior from school got recently posted in Dooars, before anyone guesses, he is with the Indian Army. Accordingly, I called him up when I was at Malbazaar. And as luck would have it, he told me that he will be passing Malbazaar in a convoy and that we must meet. Also, as I sipped my morning tea at my favourite joint in this part of the world, the wonderful Petrol Bunk- Roy & Cousins, saw an interesting menu card at their Tea Moments outlet beside. I have been informed about this menu card before by fellow BHPians but this was the first time, I was actually seeing it.



I have mentioned about this unique Petrol bunk in one of the previous posts:









They have carefully printed the whole post and have thanked Team-BHP for the mention. This tells something about the reach of the forum that a Petrol Bunk in a small town like Malbaazar is recognised by the enthusiastic owner.



Morning tea over, I started and moved towards Birpara. Meanwhile, me and my friend were constantly on the phone while we were on the way towards each other. Somehow, midway while passing through the forests, we both lost the mobile network. As the route was straightforward and we knew each others vehicle, somehow we managed to wave each other out midway near Chapramari Sanctuary.







We were meeting after almost 28 years, as my friend said, we were meeting after bloody donkeys years !! He let the convoy move forward and got down from his Gypsy with men all around him and we just met as school boys during our school days. Frankly, these are the moments which remains with you long after the actual moment is gone. We were in touch always but never had the chance to meet because he was mostly moving. This chance meeting on the road will remain in my mind forever, never mind that I will now get to see him more often, at least for some months or so.



We met after 28 years and just spent some 10 minutes on the road but it never occurred to me that we were meeting after so long. Anyways, meeting over and I promised to see him soon. Rest of the journey until Assam Border was uneventful. It was at Srirampur that I was stopped and was asked about the double vaccination part. No fuss and it was a routine stop and I was allowed to proceed. For the next few hours, I was stopped at four Police check points. I was cool through two of them but snapped at the third since it was getting irritating. Upon asking why I am being stopped so frequently, they replied that they have some kind of information on WB 02 series of vehicles. It helped that I could speak Assamese and they didnt really misbehaved. All these checks slowed me down immensely and I finally reached Guwahati at around 4 in the evening which could have been earlier.















Reached Guwahati after around 18 odd hours of drive and it was one of the most comfortable drives despite many number of rumble strips donning the highways after Bongaigaon all the way till Guwahati .



While I was on my way to the hotel, thought of seeing another good friend and BHPian Reeturaj Yogi at his home. He was just his usual chirpy self and we spent some good time sipping tea and some chit chats. He is a wonderful guy and its always a pleasure meeting him.



By this time, I guess whoever has read my previous accounts of travel, knows that I love to drive through the night. One great thing about travelling through the night, specially through this route of NH 34, is that I can reach Guwahati by the evening and also that I get to travel through some congested stretches without much of traffic.Default route these days, for people travelling to Siliguri from Calcutta is Calcutta-Mogra-Krishnanagar-Berhampur Bypass-Moregram-Malda Bypass-Raigunj-Domohona-Islampur Bypass-Siliguri. This route is good throughout with some little bad stretches between Krishnanagar and Moregram. Raigunj bypass, Karandighi Bypass and Dalkhola bypass work is ongoing and should be over soon. At least Dalkhola bypass and rail over bridge should be operational soon. Calcutta- Siliguri can be done inside 10-11 hours easily these days without taking too much of an effort.Since my destination was not Siliguri but Guwahati, I bypassed Siliguri early in the morning by taking the Fulbaari bypass and took the Gazoldoba route to connect back to NH 31 at Odlabaari. Started at 10 in the night from Calcutta and it was an effortless drive all throughout.Okay, before that, since I was driving alone, I have made some plans to meet friends en route. One of my very close friend and senior from school got recently posted in Dooars, before anyone guesses, he is with the Indian Army. Accordingly, I called him up when I was at Malbazaar. And as luck would have it, he told me that he will be passing Malbazaar in a convoy and that we must meet. Also, as I sipped my morning tea at my favourite joint in this part of the world, the wonderful Petrol Bunk- Roy & Cousins, saw an interesting menu card at their Tea Moments outlet beside. I have been informed about this menu card before by fellow BHPians but this was the first time, I was actually seeing it.I have mentioned about this unique Petrol bunk in one of the previous posts: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...ml#post5106531 (Unique, one of a kind petrol pumps in your travels) They have carefully printed the whole post and have thanked Team-BHP for the mention. This tells something about the reach of the forum that a Petrol Bunk in a small town like Malbaazar is recognised by the enthusiastic owner.Morning tea over, I started and moved towards Birpara. Meanwhile, me and my friend were constantly on the phone while we were on the way towards each other. Somehow, midway while passing through the forests, we both lost the mobile network. As the route was straightforward and we knew each others vehicle, somehow we managed to wave each other out midway near Chapramari Sanctuary.We were meeting after almost 28 years, as my friend said, we were meeting after bloody donkeys years !! He let the convoy move forward and got down from his Gypsy with men all around him and we just met as school boys during our school days. Frankly, these are the moments which remains with you long after the actual moment is gone. We were in touch always but never had the chance to meet because he was mostly moving. This chance meeting on the road will remain in my mind forever, never mind that I will now get to see him more often, at least for some months or so.We met after 28 years and just spent some 10 minutes on the road but it never occurred to me that we were meeting after so long. Anyways, meeting over and I promised to see him soon. Rest of the journey until Assam Border was uneventful. It was at Srirampur that I was stopped and was asked about the double vaccination part. No fuss and it was a routine stop and I was allowed to proceed. For the next few hours, I was stopped at four Police check points. I was cool through two of them but snapped at the third since it was getting irritating. Upon asking why I am being stopped so frequently, they replied that they have some kind of information on WB 02 series of vehicles. It helped that I could speak Assamese and they didnt really misbehaved. All these checks slowed me down immensely and I finally reached Guwahati at around 4 in the evening which could have been earlier.Reached Guwahati after around 18 odd hours of drive and it was one of the most comfortable drives despite many number of rumble strips donning the highways after Bongaigaon all the way till GuwahatiWhile I was on my way to the hotel, thought of seeing another good friend and BHPian Reeturaj Yogi at his home. He was just his usual chirpy self and we spent some good time sipping tea and some chit chats. He is a wonderful guy and its always a pleasure meeting him. Last edited by ABHI_1512 : 18th February 2022 at 00:30 .
NEWT Pro is a fast, multi-threaded network inventory application for Microsoft Windows, compatible with the latest operating systems, including Windows 10 and Windows 2016 Server. While many competing products still have issues with WMI errors or other security-related failures, NEWT uses hybrid network scanning methods and auto-dissolving clients to greatly reduce scan errors, so you get the PC inventory you need. We've recently been able to narrow the requirement down to only needing remote ADMIN$ share read/write access. All this in addition to detecting what others don't, such as CPU temperature, hard drive temperature, and the most comprehensive installed software inventory available.

And we don't stop there. We also gather other useful information not available in other network auditing software, and continue to look for new ways to make IT network management even easier.

Free for Small Networks with 25 PCs or less

Starting with version 1.0, we've allowed small 10 PC networks to use NEWT Professional for free. In 2008 we increased this amount to 25 PCs or devices. At the time, competing software would prevent it from working after 30 days, forcing an angry uninstall by the user, while some tried to match our previous free 10 device license. We're committed to helping users with smaller networks save money and build their companies. Our software never expires, just as it should be.

Windows Software Inventory

Accurately detecting installed Windows software is more difficult than it seems. Over the years, we've made sure that software audits match not only what's shown in Windows Programs and Features, formerly known as Add/Remove Programs, but we've also greatly improved accuracy in other areas. Competing software can have missing install dates, or incorrect dates altogether. NEWT Professional attempts to prevent this by looking at least 5 different areas to detect the install date, more than any other software we've tried. Because of this, we feel NEWT Professional is the solution for total network inventory.

NEWT Professional Features

Fully multithreaded IP Discovery provides virtually unlimited number of IP ranges, reliable IP detection and identification of PC and non-PC devices such as network printers, routers through an internal database.

NEW multithreaded network inventory methods allow over 200 items to be retrieved accurately from 100 machines in less than 5 minutes from the first installation. Only read & write access to a Windows PC's ADMIN$ share is required. Subsequent scans are faster, and Scan Speed settings allow even faster inventory. The unique status display provides satisfying feedback of the scan progress.

Extreme low network bandwidth usage- less than 25 kilobytes/sec in each direction, allowing scanning of the slowest WANs.

Takes advantage of multiple CPUs and cores to spread out the work during scans.

Interface is 100% available during scans, increasing productivity.

Clients are updated automatically for new versions. There is no need to ever visit a remote machine.

Autonomous removal of clients - all Newt-related files are automatically removed after a specified number of days, even if the machine is removed from the network or moved to another network. Competitors who use clients may leave services and files installed on all PCs indefinitely.

NEW! More serial numbers and license keys - The latest version includes support for many Adobe Creative Suite (CS), Photoshop and AutoCAD license keys and serial numbers. Currently CS6 is unsupported.

More detailed information than pure agentless systems, such as hard drive temperature, true Internet IP, detailed RAM Slots info, default printer, network adapter connection speed, detailed antivirus info, USB version (1.1/2.0) and more.

Custom credentials feature provides a unique username and password for each machine.

NEW! Unlimited Default Credentials - Enter as many different usernames and passwords as you like and Newt will try them all on each machine until successful. When Newt finds one that allows access, it remembers by adding that credential to Custom Credentials for that particular machine.

Scan only the items you need using scan properties.

View all machines at once with a unique tabbed interface, eliminating the need to drill down through data.

Conveniently view a single machine with the Detail View.

Efficiently explore domains and workgroups, showing operating system and comments in real-time with a Fully integrated Network Browser

Count occurrences of any item with a powerful itemization tool.

Ability to include machines in the Active Directory.

Load Machine lists from simple text files or Add Machines Manually

Export data to a fully relational Microsoft Access (MDB), HTML, CSV (Comma Separated Value, importable into MS Excel) or plain fixed-spaced text files.

Time Elapsed and Estimated Time Remaining displayed during scans.

Tab Manager allows quick and easy manipulation and access to columnar data.

Perfect for network consultants who don't have time to set up solutions taking hours or days.

At less than a 5MB download, NEWT Pro is extremely lightweight.

No reboot necessary after install.

Compatible with all Microsoft NT-based operating systems, including but not limited to Windows 10, Windows 2016 Server, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP, Windows 2000, and even Windows NT 4.0. All flavors of Windows Server are also supported, including Windows 2016. Windows XP Home and Windows 98/ME are not supported.
The constantly changing dynamics of eCommerce make online entrepreneurs switch their shopping cart platforms in order to keep up with the pace.

Though undoubtedly advantageous, most merchants undergoing replatforming end up failing, affecting traffic, conversions, and even revenues. Despite the challenge of platform migration, you can actually get more revenues by replatforming, that is, if you pick the right shopping cart migration, like Cart2Cart.

Platform Migration Meaning

For starters, platform migration stems from different business complications.

Veteran merchants who started out early in eCommerce sites are most likely using outdated platforms. Because it's behind the times, the CMS doesn't typically appear robust.

With the dynamic nature of the internet, some consider keeping up; thus, entirely changing their business landscape. The worst is when the business shows no progress at all.

The only solution to all of that is replatforming; but what is it really?

As the name suggests, platform migration or replatforming means relocating your eCommerce site to another. Aside from that, the fundamental purpose of replatforming also involves taking your audiences, customers, and orders with you to another site.

Unfortunately, eCommerce data migration is one of the most underestimated tools. In return, not using it takes merchants by surprise with a sudden loss in revenues.

How Do I Move From One Platform to Another?

As mentioned, eCommerce platforms migration saw a lot of letdowns. Irrespective of the minor errors, they can lead to a significant fall-off in your organic search traffic and rankings if left unresolved.

Unfortunately, data migration checklists aren't very useful either.

Now, this is where shopping cart migration services like Cart2Cart enter the view -- to help you simplify the steps to switch to another platform with no corresponding issues.

Cart2Cart Review

As you contemplate replatforming, you have probably begun looking for ways to move from one platform to another e.g. migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce.

But a quick google search will eventually lead you to Cart2Cart, -- the first tool of this kind that has appeared on the market. With 12+ years of migration experience, it has proved itself to be the most efficient and trusted method to switch eCommerce platforms.

Cart2Cart enables you to quickly switch between various shopping carts, making it easier, faster, and more accessible to everyone. As online shopping practices became popular, switching across shopping carts no longer needs to be a hassle.

By innovating automated eCommerce migration services, Cart2Cart simplifies store eCommerce replatforming into a few steps. Assisting more than 250,000 migrations across the most popular shopping platforms, Cart2Cart offers the most advanced platform migration service.

Features

eCommerce site migration. Cart2Cart makes platform migration a fast and easy process that can be done in a matter of hours after a quick setup. You can rely on Cart2Cart for eCommerce migration because of the many shopping carts available online.

Site upgrades. If you don't have strong coding skills to keep your site updated, Cart2Cart will be of great help. Upgrading is necessary because older eCommerce sites run insecurely, are vulnerable to malicious attacks, and are outdated in style and functionality.

All-in-one eCommerce site migration. Cart2Cart offers all-in-one service packages with customization if you lack time to handle the data migration yourself or if you need custom database migration.

Migration preview. You can run the migration preview on one of the most popular eCommerce platforms if you are unsure which shopping cart to migrate to.

eCommerce site migration to and from CSV.File. Cart2Cart can automatically migrate CSV data across 85+ shopping carts. With the CSV Migration option, you can export products, categories, customers, orders, etc., from your store to a CSV file or vice versa.

Database dump migration. Cart2Cart offers database migration from SQL to another platform. This is an ideal solution when you are concerned about security, when your store isn't accessible online, or when your hosting provider blocks automatic migrations.

Throughout its running service of 12 years and counting, over 250,000 online entrepreneurs worldwide have been using Cart2Cart's aforementioned features for eCommerce site migration, all without any assistance from a developer.

Pros

It is user-friendly with a quick and simple setup process.

During the migration process, your e-store operations will not be disrupted so that you can carry on as usual.

Database migration is fully automatic; there is no need for human intervention.

It offers a free migration preview to test your new platform if you're still undecided.

Service Packages are available for those clients willing to get the job done without their involvement in the process.

Cart2Cart offers reasonable and flexible pricing.

Cons

Though customized migration can take a while, all the client's requirements will be satisfied in the end.

Unlike other platform migration solutions, Cart2Cart doesn't give false promises for custom work. Instead, they thoroughly investigate each migration case, then inform the clients about the amount of required custom work.

With this replatforming service, Shopify to WooCommerce migration takes up only a few efforts but a whole sum of benefits. Cart2Cart also makes sure that you maintain control over the process with its time-efficient and cost-effective approach.

Overall, Cart2Cart's eCommerce platform migration is a top choice if you want to focus on growing your businesses even after replatforming with just a few steps and without manual intervention.

Is Cart2Cart Safe?

With utmost security and data privacy, Cart2Cart is definitely safe, if not the safest way of replatforming your eCommerce site.

Also, Cart2Cart expertise and experience in the industry already solidifies its credibility to make sure that your eCommerce website will prosper.

In other words, Cart2Cart provides everything you need to replatform your site. If you don't think so, you can get a free trial of their service, so you would know what to expect once you zero in on your platform migration scheme.

For now, don't miss the chance to seamlessly upgrade your current online business with Cart2Cart. Just request a free demo now, and you're good to go!

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple App Store will soon launch the Truth Social app. This social media platform is created by Trump Media and Technology Group.

The online platform of former U.S. President Donald Trump is compared to Twitter since it aims to allow people to voice out their opinions.

It was revealed by the ex-POTUS after he was completely banned from various social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook.

But, Trump may soon be able to share his opinions once the Truth Social application is launched.

Apple App Store's Truth Social App Launch

According to US News' latest report, a TMTG executive confirmed this detail. This individual is believed to be the chief product officer listed as Billy B.

Also Read: Former US President Donald Trump to Launch TRUTH Social That Could Rival Tech Facebook, Twitter

However, his true identity was not revealed. He released some statements answering the questions of Truth Social users.

These include the launch of the new social media platform on the official application store of the giant iPhone maker.

"We're currently set for release in the Apple App store for Monday, Feb. 21," he said.

Meanwhile, former Republican U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes explained the current goal of TMTG. The official said they are planning to make Social Truth operate by the end of March.

However, he and his team can only do this within the United States.

Truth Social Will Still Struggle

Although Truth Social might be launched in the Apple App Store, some experts claim it will struggle to become a mainstream social media platform.

Time Magazine explained that it would have difficulty competing against Facebook, Twitter, and other giant online platforms.

One of the reasons is Truth Social doesn't aim to attract the majority of the users. If you want to see more details about the weaknesses of the Truth Social app, you can view this link.

In other news, Apple Apple Store recently postponed its payment options. Meanwhile, it previously allowed third-party payment options for dating apps in the Netherlands.

For more news updates about Apple App Store's Truth Social app launch and other related topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: [BREAKING] Trump's TRUTH Account Hacked Even Before November Beta Launch | Here's What Hackers Posted

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Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
China's navy vessel pointed a laser at an Australian military jet. For some people, this act may look harmless. However, authorities always advise people not to put lasers on any aircraft.

Of course, Australia is not happy about this action of China against its defense jets. Officials said that the incident might have endangered the affected aircraft's pilot.

"Acts like this have the potential to endanger lives. We strongly condemn unprofessional and unsafe military conduct," said the Australian Defense Force.

China's Navy Vessel Points Laser at Australian Jet

According to Business Insider's latest report, the issue happened on Thursday, Feb. 17, when a Chinese navy vessel was sailing across the Arafura Sea.

Also Read: US Embassies Suffer From High-Power Microwaves Attacks? New Report Claims Anomalous Effects

The issue started when the defense vessel used a laser, pointing it at a Boeing P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft.

ADF said that the illumination of a laser at a jet could lead to a serious accident. Because of this, Australia accused China of an unprovoked act of intimidation.

The Australian Defense Force explained that lasers could cause blindness to anyone if it is directly pointed at them. It added that this negative activity could also disrupt the navigation systems, which are critical to air safety.

Why Lasers Can Harm Jets, Other Aircraft

If you are a TikTok fan, a video recently became popular since it shows a powerful laser device that can reach an airplane in the sky.

Many individuals were amazed. However, the majority of the TikTok users said that the man could be arrested if authorities saw him.

LaserPointer Safety explained that if a laser beam hits the plane's windscreen, the light illuminated will easily spread. This can block the view of the pilot.

If ever you have a powerful laser at home, the best thing you can do is point it anywhere but the sky.

This week, some rumors claimed that crypto scammers fund North Korea's missile programs. Also, the U.S. defense department is expected to focus on developing hypersonic missiles.

For more news updates about defense and other related topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: RAF Warns Smart Meters Can Affect UK's Early Warning System-Preventing It From Detecting Missile Attacks

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Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Elon Musk claimed that he would visit the United States Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C., to say "Hi" to the people there. He said he would do this because he is the individual with the most taxes paid in the history of all taxpayers in the country, despite the many doubts around him.

After another claim by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Tesla CEO made this statement about his unpaid taxes.

Elon Musk Claims He is the Largest Individual Taxpayer in History

Musk claims that he is the record holder for being the top individual in taxpayer history to pay the most considerable tax to the IRS. The tax that Musk holds are those accumulated from his revenue and earnings in the different technology and innovations companies that include Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, Starlink, The Boring Co., and more.

In the tweet, Musk joked about saying hi to the IRS officials when he visited their office in Washington, D.C., showing that he has nothing to hide from the tax officials. Musk is firm in what he said about paying his taxes and dues correctly, despite the many doubts against himself.

Many people and supporters also claim that Musk already paid his taxes for the last year.

Read Also: Elon Musk Reminds President Joe Biden About Tesla's Achievements as an 'American-Made' Car After Announcing Venture

Will visit IRS next time Im in DC just to say hi, since I paid the most taxes ever in history for an individual last year. Maybe I can have a cookie or something   Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2022

Warren: Musk Paid 'Zero' Taxes in His Career

In an interview that got reposted on Twitter, Senator Elizabeth Warren talks about how much Elon Musk paid for taxes in 2021 and that the CEO paid "zero" in total. The Senator believes that Musk did not settle his taxes last year and is firm in her words to attack the CEO and call him out to pay his dues to the IRS, as it is a requirement, especially for top billionaires.

The Senator also attacks Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

Elon Musk and his Tax Issues

Elon Musk had a lot of disputes in his taxes as several government officials, and Senators claimed that he is not properly paying the taxes in his money made from several of his companies. One of his issues was with Massachusetts Senator Warren and her firm claims against Musk about his tax issues present in the current period.

However, it was not originally Senator Warren that claimed this against Musk and had a long stand-off about his taxes. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders also affirmed that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO is not paying his dues correctly and should adequately settle it with the proper authorities.

The exchanges between Musk and Sanders have been more than about taxes, but also looked into their work and personal lives.

The multi-tech CEO and the world's top billionaire claim that he has already settled his taxes with the IRS and is the top paying taxpayer in the agency's history. However, there are still doubts about this, with Senators going in public and on interviews, claiming that the taxes he owes remain unsettled and piling up.

Related Article: Elon Musk vs. SEC: Alleged 'Harassment Campaign' by the Federal Agency-Gets Complaint from CEO

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Written by Isaiah Richard

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Apple is bringing a new chip for its Mac lineup, and it will be the M2 chip that was the speculated Silicon SoC that was coming last year, but ultimately got the M1 Pro and M1 Max.

The new chip will also update almost the entire Mac lineup in the company, including the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and the Mac mini device.

Apple MacBook: M2 Chips Are Coming

According to the Bloomberg Power On Newsletter and Mark Gurman, Apple is gearing up for a 2022 lineup that will give the world the new era of the Mac. That is because the M2 chips are coming to replace 2020's M1, which the company considers to be its pioneer release of the M-series chip that single-handedly powers the Mac.

The M2 will be available to four new Macs in Apple's lineup, including the 13-inch MacBook Pro (last updated in 2020), 13-inch MacBook Air (last updated in 2020), 24-inch iMac (last updated in 2021), and the Mac mini CPU (last updated in 2020).

The release also remains unknown if it will drop simultaneously or be distributed throughout this year.

Read Also: Apple iPhone's OLED Display Supplier BOE Struggles with Production Due to Chip Shortage

Apple M2: Fastest Processor Yet?

Gurman said that the M2 would bring processor powers up a notch than the M1 chips, including its variants that brought the M1 Pro and M1 Max for the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

It is safe to say that the Apple M2 chip will be the next-generation version of the Apple processor that will power future Macs.

Apple's Mac Computers

The legendary M1 computer chip of Apple was released last November 2020 and changed the entire computer landscape of the Mac lineup from the company. The 5nm ARM-based processor is the fastest chip for a computer from Apple, which it claims to be better than previous releases with the Intel-powered Mac devices.

Since then, Apple did not look back on its use of Intel chips and changed different devices to the new Silicon chip, which the company made and also developed. The 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air were the first ones to experience the switch, alongside the refreshed Mac mini.

But the iMac's 24-inch release with multiple colors also brought out the M1 chip for the computer.

Apple's lineup now sells Intel-powered computers on its store and websites, but it stopped with the 2019 release.

According to the speculations of an analyst, the Cupertino giant's Apple Mac computers will soon come with the refreshed M-series chip from the company. The release will signify the new age of Apple Macs that will usher in a new version of the Silicon chip.

Related Article: Apple Store Employees Secretly Unionizing? Rumors Claim They'll Soon File NLRB Complaint

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tehachapi, CA (93561)

Today

Mostly clear. Low 41F. NW winds shifting to ENE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 41F. NW winds shifting to ENE at 10 to 20 mph.
Since last Tuesday, the storms have caused a trail of destruction as they pass through the old Brazilian imperial city, where 117 people are still missing.

The heavy rains that devastated part of the Brazilian city of Petropolis have left 176 dead and some 200 injured citizens, in what is already considered the largest natural disaster in this municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Since last Tuesday, the storms have caused a trail of destruction as they pass through the old Brazilian imperial city, where 117 people are still missing, according to data from the Fire Department as of Monday.

The human and material losses are greater than those caused by the rainy seasons in 1988 and 2011, when dozens of people also lost their lives. Over 500 firefighters are still trying to locate more victims, although their the work was interrupted this morning due to the rains and strong winds that still hit the region. Among the 176 deceased are at least 29 minors.

So far, about 850 people have been evicted from their homes and receive social assistance at one of the 20 support points installed in schools and churches. On Sunday, the Brazilian Navy finished setting up a field hospital and five low-complexity care stations in Petropolis.

 Chuvas no Rio:



A cidade de Petropolis ficou assim hoje apos temporal.



 Petropolis pic.twitter.com/hT2LJgWUWX  Noticias e Alertas para o Brasil (@Nabnoticias) February 16, 2022

The tweet reads, "Rains in Rio: Petropolis City looked like this today after a storm."

Petropolis Mayor Rubens Bomtempo announced that the removal of mud and debris will begin without interruption to ensure that economic activities can restart as soon as possible, especially in the center of the city.

We will work 24 hours a day to speed up the cleaning. We will work with machines and trucks. I am sure that, together, the State government and the Municipal government will be able to give a faster response, he said, adding that some downtown stores have already reopened their attention to citizens.

The Rio de Janeiro Urban Cleaning Company (COMLURB) sent a task force with 250 street sweepers to help clean the most affected streets, remove trees that obstruct roads, and collect antlers. The president of this company, Flavio Lopes, went to the city on Saturday to evaluate the conditions and make operational adjustments in his teams' work plans.


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With Sarah Walsh, Director, Southern CT, AIPAC



It has been over a year since the announcement of the Abraham Accords agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Subsequently, Israel reached agreements with three additional Arab states - Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

The impact of the Abraham Accords - made possible by a strong U.S. - Israel partnership - demonstrates that engaging with Israel creates opportunities for peace, prosperity and progress.

Join us to learn more about the Abraham Accords and the path forward for peace in the Middle East.

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Facilitators set up the exhibit of the hearse that carried the remains of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday, February 14, 2022, at Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette, La. The Carrying on the Dream exhibit features the hearse and other artifacts from the civil rights movement. It will be on display at Blackham Coliseum through Feb. 19.
Two small legal practices have moved into downtown office buildings.

The Baton Rouge offices of Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore are now located on the 11th floor of the Chase North Tower, attorney Matt Bailey told the Downtown Development District Board Tuesday. Sprinkle Law Firm has moved into One American Place, said attorney Richard Sprinkle.
Working on the giant smokestack at the St. Bernard Port in Chalmette on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Investors in dairy giant A2 Milk responded positively to a more upbeat outlook for its China infant formula market after the company revealed its half-year profit had plunged more than 50 per cent.

The once-ASX darling revealed profits for the December half had fallen by more than 53 per cent to $NZ56 million ($52 million), as it struggles to bounce back from the COVID pandemic and a shrinking Chinese market.

However, investors were encouraged by the companys positive outlook for its China-label and English-label infant milk formula businesses, sending shares 11.3 per cent higher in late afternoon trading.

a2 Milk CEO David Bortolussi said a declining birth rate in China had hurt sales in the country. Credit: AFR

The main driver of improvement in our revenue outlook for the second half is the growth momentum we have in our China label IMF [infant formula business] and our English-label IMF business, and they are the most profitable core of our business. So thats really encouraging, chief executive David Bortolussi said.
She says shes expecting a backlash whichever way things go: Im sure that people will say, Oh, gosh, I just want Carolyn to be behind a desk and take care of things like she always does. But that isnt what happens. You will not be able to anticipate whats coming next  and that way its a much more exciting ride. Shaw, 63, speaks in her native Irish accent, which, frankly, is flat-out confusing for most fans  shes made her name on screen in recent years with roles peering down from high up in the English establishment, from a psychiatrist in Phoebe Waller-Bridges Fleabag to a diplomat in the second series of Baptiste. Carolyn in Killing Eve was the first of the three and it established Shaw, a renowned theatre performer in the UK, as a small-screen powerhouse. In person, however, she is worlds away from the classic pent up, reserved English aristo. Fiona Shaw, writer/creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Jodie Comer at the 2019 BAFTAs, where Killing Eve picked up three awards. Credit:Karwai Tang/Wire Image/Getty Carolyns much more understated than I am, and very dry. I based her a little bit on my boss at the National Theatre [in London], whos fantastically clever and very dry and incredibly warm as a person underneath. And then I added other facts that I found out. I had learnt, for example, that spies in real life tend not to answer questions too quickly because of course they have to check their story  which is often untrue. So I did something that I dont do at all in real life, which is that when Carolyn is asked a question I pause, dont answer quickly. Whereas with me, I tend to charge in with a response. Its true that in real life Shaw is more energetic, garrulous and just louder than some of the characters shes been asked to portray in recent years. Shes also very funny.

I used to do a lot of comedy when I was younger, she says, mentioning plays like Sheridans The Rivals, and then once you become known as a classical actor you get asked to do all these things like Medea or Hedda Gabler, all those big roles that Ive played. But I think I was always a comic actress  just one that got trapped in tragedy! A recent wave of television roles, including an Emmy nomination for Fleabag, has allowed Shaw to escape that trap. Jodie Comer as Villanelle, the most fashionable assassin to grace a TV screen. Credit:Des Willie/BBCA I probably entered the television world quite late, she says, but Ive been embracing it with all my might, because I picked a very good moment to join. Thats where the writing is these days and thats what you look for. She makes an interesting point about how classically trained theatre actors like Brian Cox, Dame Maggie Smith or Damien Lewis (and though she is too modest to say it, herself) are able to call on an extra register, when required, that lifts them above TVs usual quiet, close-up performances.

Brian Cox [Emmy winner for Succession] is really fundamentally a theatre man. (Shaw played Katherina to Coxs Petruchio in a 1987 RSC production of The Taming of the Shrew). What Ive noticed is he is able to, every now and then, open a floodgate of theatricality, and then he shuts it again. Brian really can shout, she says, shouting,  and then clam up to a very interior life. I think I took a long time to understand that on film you need both. Loading She also says that contrary to what youll hear from many female actors, a good few decades in the business has served her well. When I was young I was always running round theatres, jumping around. I cant tell you the joy of not having to do that. Playing parts where you mainly do standing and sitting is just such a blessed relief! Killing Eves most-wanted list

Things move fast in Killing Eve, which means a lot of people get killed in bloodthirsty ways. The third season of the black comedy was particularly efficient in removing characters  shout out to Harriet Walters acerbic assassin trainer Dasha  and leaving those alive in particularly precarious positions. Heres where the living start season four. Villanelle (Jodie Comer) Jodie Comers Villanelle is ready to retire from the killing game. Credit:Anika Molnar/BBC I dont want to do it anymore, the Russian assassin finally admitted  it being killing people for money and, frankly, kicks  in a nocturnal heart-to-heart with Eve on London Bridge. Having tried out family life in Mother Russia (it didnt go well) and been knocked back by Carolyn when she asked to join MI6, the sociopath with supreme style is looking for a way out, albeit one where she doesnt lose her connection to Eve. This will not please the Twelve, the covert international organisation that utilised her talents. Eve Pilastri (Sandra Oh)

Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri, who is attempting to uncover the Twelve. Credit:Des Willie/BBCAmerica/Sid Gentle The former MI5 analyst, whose research into female assassins uncovered Villanelles prolific career and set off a mutual obsession, has been losing the foundations of her life. Maths teacher husband Niko was stabbed in the throat by Dasha, which led to Eve whacking Dasha with a golf club  her most overtly violent response. Niko is done with Eves career and Villanelles intrusion, while Eves attempts to uncover the Twelve have failed. Eve did try to say goodbye to Villanelle, but neither woman could turn their back on the other in season threes finale. Carolyn Martens (Fiona Shaw) Fiona Shaw as Carolyn Martens head of M15s Russian section. Credit:Des Willie/BBC Blessed with impeccable diction and deadpan observations  I cant stand breakfast. Its just constant eggs  the head of MI5s Russian section appeared to be breaking bad by the end of season three, having decided she was to blame for the murder of her son, Kenny, after he became involved in her investigation of the Twelve. Carolyn murdered her corrupt colleague, Paul, but conceded that the Twelve were too powerful to stop. Shes ready to switch sides, or take vengeance without regard for her own safety.
The federal government wants Australia to mimic Singapores high-expectations maths curriculum and place greater emphasis in Australian history teaching on the years between 1750 and World War I, as well as post-World War II migration.

Acting Education Minister Stuart Robert has spelt out the revisions he wants to the draft curriculum in a letter to Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority chair Derek Scott.

Acting Education Minister Stuart Robert wants a greater focus on lifting standards in maths and a shorter and simpler humanities curriculum. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Among them, the Commonwealth has called for more focus on student mental health in the health and physical education section of the curriculum, particularly at primary school level.

And on the debate in maths between inquiry-based learning and a traditional style of teaching, it has fallen on the side of tradition, with more mastery of foundational material in the primary curriculum, meaning children should be explicitly taught the basics of maths before attempting inquiry-based problem-solving.
When the last of Australias international border restrictions were removed on Monday, travellers jumped at the chance to enter the country.

There were tears and excitement as family and friends greeted their loved ones at Melbourne Airports international arrivals hall.

The first overseas visitors touched down on the packed flight SQ227 from Singapore about 8.15am.

Anne and Stuart reunited at Melbourne Airport on Monday. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Airport aviation chief Lorie Argus said it was the first of 12 international flights to arrive at Melbourne on Monday.
Graham Potter, one of Australias most wanted men, has been arrested in a rural town in far north Queensland after more than a decade on the run.

Officers arrested the 64-year-old at a home in Ravenshoe about 8.45am on Monday, following a tip from the public to local investigators.

Officers arrest wanted fugitive Graham Potter in far north Queensland on Monday. Credit:Queensland Police

Footage released by Queensland Police shows Mr Potters arrest in a room littered with discarded cardboard boxes and a metal cage.

Do not move, this is the police, an officer can be heard yelling in the video. Put your hands where I can see them.
Victoria Police has been ordered to pay the legal costs for Mick Gattos nephew Daniel and two co-accused after the prosecutions star witness failed to show up at court for a hearing about an alleged kidnapping over luxury handbags.

That witness, the trios alleged victim, had been subpoenaed to give evidence in person in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday as part of a two-day committal hearing.

Daniel Gatto, 38, middle, leaves Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday with his wife Atlal. Credit:Paul Jeffers

But the prosecution revealed during the hearing that he had refused to attend in person and had told police he would only appear via video link.

Prosecutor Bruce Nibbs said he believed the witness was interstate. Despite calls from a defence lawyer for police to pick the person up in a divvy van and bring him to court, Mr Nibbs said that could not be done.
Voters have cut their support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a fierce political argument over leadership and national security, with 56 per cent saying he is doing a poor job compared to 50 per cent one month ago.

Only 38 per cent of voters believe Mr Morrison is doing a good job, down from 41 per cent last month, in a setback for the government as it struggles to win back Australians before the election due by May.

But Mr Morrison holds a narrow advantage when Australians are asked their preferred prime minister, putting him ahead of Labor leader Anthony Albanese by 39 to 30 per cent.

The findings are part of a new survey that shows the Coalitions primary vote has slipped from 34 to 33 per cent over the past month while Labors core support held at 35 per cent.
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macrons office said Biden and Putin had agreed in principle to a summit over Ukraine. The Kremlin on Monday said, however, that there were no concrete plans for a summit. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that a phone call or meeting between Putin and Biden could be set up at any time. Russia has rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraines northern border, a move that US leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraines capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace. Russias action adds an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraines neighbour to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraines borders, capable at any moment of sweeping down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday (Friday AEDT) in Europe  as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand. We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in statement. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed on Twitter on Sunday (Monday AEDT) for a cease-fire after the Kremlin failed to respond to his offer on Saturday to meet with Putin. After a call with Macron, Putin blamed Ukraine  incorrectly, according to observers there  for the escalation of shelling along the contact line and NATO for pumping modern weapons and ammunition into Ukraine.

Macron, a leader in European efforts to broker a peaceful resolution with Russia, also spoke separately to Zelensky, to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and to Biden. Blinken said that Biden was prepared to meet President Putin at any time in any format if that can help prevent a war and the US official said Macron had then conveyed the offer of talks to Putin  conditioned on Russia not invading  in his phone calls with the Russian leader. Biden had asked Macron to make the offer of a summit between Biden and Putin to the Russian leader, an official from the French Presidency said on Monday. Were slowly changing the course of things. Were creating a diplomatic perspective the Kremlin accepts, the French presidential adviser said.

He is a facilitator, added the French presidential adviser, commenting on Macrons role. Praying for peace In Kyiv, life outwardly continued as usual for many on a mild winter Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decided Russian attack. Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capitals St Michaels monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared. We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life, Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. We should appreciate it every day. Thats why I think everything will be fine.

Worshippers in Kyivs gold-domed St Michaels pray for a peaceful resolution. Credit:Bloomberg Maximum tension When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences, Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview that aired on Russian state television. A US official said that Bidens assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence. This combination of Feb. 13, top, and 20, 2022 satellite images provided by Maxar Technologies shows a movement of equipment from a military garrison in Soloti, Russia, about 15 miles (25 kilometers) north of the border with eastern Ukraine. (Maxar Technologies via AP) Credit:Maxar Technologies via AP

Satellite pictures show multiple new field deployments of armoured equipment and troops in Russia near the border with Ukraine, according to satellite imagery from US company Maxar. This new activity represents a change in the pattern of the previously observed deployments of battle groups (tanks, armoured personnel carriers, artillery and support equipment), Maxar said. Kill list fears The Washington Post obtained a copy of a letter the US sent to the United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Sunday night (Monday AEDT) that said Russia was compiling lists of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation The letter, sent by Bathsheba Crocker, the US ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said Russias targets would include Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons.

Media reported ongoing shelling in Russia-backed separatist areas. CNN quoted the Ukrainian Joint Forces Command saying the heavy armament fire is directed on the separatists own territory in an effort to falsely accuse Ukraine of starting the exchange. Were talking about the potential for war in Europe, US Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. Its been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security. Vadim Kirov, of Skole in Ukraine, teaches 11 teenagers how to hold a weapon as Western intelligence offices warn that the Russian invasion is imminent. Credit:Getty Images The US embassy in Russia cautioned Americans on Sunday (Monday AEDT) to have evacuation plans, citing the threat of attacks in Moscow and along the Russian border with Ukraine. There have been threats of attacks against shopping centres, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine, the embassy said.

Theyre shooting at us now Officials in the separatist territories of Lugansk and Donetsk claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraines military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday. On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote. Right now, we dont respond to their fire because ... the soldier said before the sound of an incoming shell interrupted him. Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post. Reuters, AP
Tomorrow, Ill board a flight to Kyiv, Ukraines capital. Yes, Im aware that the entire Western world is expecting Putins forces to invade any day. But Ukraine is my favourite place, and its where Ive called home for the past six months.

Three weeks ago, my partner and I decided to do what so few Ukrainians can do  we left. We went to Montenegro, experiencing a winter so similar to that of my hometown of Sydney, it was almost as if wed arrived back into Kingsford Smith.

Sydneysider Pixie Shmigel has been living in Ukraine since September.

But we missed Ukraine, and weve decided to return, something my grandparents never got to do after they were forced to flee their homeland after World War II. Suddenly, the stories my grandparents had told me of their homeland are not just some faraway fiction, they are real and now, they mirror my life.

I grew up in the harbourside suburb of Birchgrove. I attended an expensive private girls school. My comfortable, safe world felt a million miles from what I had been told about my family history.
Wenyuan Wu is the Executive Director of Californians for Equal Rights Foundation. She writes for Minding the Campus of the National Association of Scholars and sits on the board of Parents Defending Education Action. Since late 2020, CFER has focused its advocacy and research efforts to combat the intrusion of critical race theory in American public life. CFER is encouraging reports of CRT-related practices in schools and workplaces through its online hotline.
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Forest City, NC (28043)

Today

Some clouds early with showers likely late, and a thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Some clouds early with showers likely late, and a thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
A model has made history after being the first down syndrome woman to be featured in a Victoria's secret campaign.

Sofia Jirau, from Puerto Rico, is featured in the inclusion campaign alongside 18 different women with a variety of backgrounds, to launch their new 'Love Cloud' collection.

The 25-year-old model anounced the news on Instagram to her following of 417k.
1 Police Officer Dead, 1 Hurt in Offshore Helicopter Crash

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.Authorities were investigating Sunday the cause of a police helicopter crash along the Southern California coast that killed one officer and sent another to the hospital with critical injuries.

The Huntington Beach officers were responding to a disturbance in the neighboring city of Newport Beach around 6:30 p.m. Saturday when the helicopter hit a narrow strip of water between Lido Isle and the Balboa Peninsula. Witnesses said boaters who saw the aircraft go down rushed to pull the officers out of the helicopter, which ended upside down in shallow water.

Nicholas Vella, 44, a 14-year veteran with the police department, died in the crash, Police Chief Eric Parra said at a Saturday night news conference. He leaves behind behind a wife and daughter.

Word of his death drew dozens of officers and first responders who formed a line outside the hospital to salute his casket as it was escorted by squad cars to the Orange County coroners office.

Vella was truly dedicated to his job and was doing what he loved doing, the chief said.

This is a difficult night for all of us and I would ask for your prayers and support as we support our officers families.

The second officer, who is a 16-year veteran with the department, was released from the hospital Sunday but theres still a lot of recovery ahead, police spokeswoman Jennifer Carey told the Orange County Register.

It wasnt immediately clear who was the pilot.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Orange County Sheriffs Department are investigating the crash.

A witness told KCAL-TV he saw the helicopter struggling moments before the crash.

We were driving over here and we heard the pitch of the helicopter and it sounded like the helicopter was in distress, said the witness who spoke to the station on condition of anonymity. When we looked at the helicopter it was out of control. It was obvious the helicopter was gonna go down. It did go down, and almost immediately sunk.
2 Winter Storms to Hit Millions Across US This Week: Forecasts

The United States is facing two rounds of high-impact winter storms this week that will affect millions of people along its path, a weather forecasting service has warned.

The first storm, which is expected to last into Feb. 22, is forecast to strengthen as it sweeps from Oklahoma to Detroit, said Kirk Hinz, COO and chief meteorologist at private weather forecaster BAMWX, according to ZeroHedge.

Accumulating snow is anticipated in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, while in places such as Des Moines, Iowa, Milwaukee, and Chicago, the storm will bring ice along with it. Severe weather and excessive rainfall are predicted to occur between the ArkansasLouisianaTexas region and the Tennessee Valley.

The second storm, which will pass through later this week, is expected to be a more powerful event.

Right now, we are targeting a potentially major winter storm developing again from the Southern Plains to the Northeast. This brings ice threats near Dallas, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Louisville, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia  accumulating snow from Kansas City, Chicago, near Indianapolis, Detroit, and the interior Northeast, Hinz said.

Regions most impacted by snowfall from the two storms through to the end of this week are said to be the Midwest, interior Northeast, and the Upper Plains. The region from Texas to the Midwest and to the Mid-Atlantic will be most affected by ice accumulation.

In the lower 48 states, average temperatures are predicted to fall on Feb. 22 and remain below the 30-year trend line for the remainder of February.

The National Weather Services (NWS) Weather Prediction Center also predicted a colder climate in Northern Tier states, with temperatures plunging 20 to 30 degrees F below average.

Several areas will have record-breaking temperatures, the NWS said in a weather forecast published on Feb. 21. In the Lower/Middle Mississippi Valley to Ohio Valley, temperatures are expected to be 10 to 25 degrees above average.

NWS predicts a low-pressure wave to move toward the Great Lakes by the evening of Feb. 22, and then into Quebec by morning the next day. A mixture of snow, sleet, and freezing rain might hit the region, possibly in two waves. The rate of snowfall is expected to be at one inch per hour or more.

Total snowfall amounts will likely exceed 6 inches from the Dakotas into the Upper Great Lakes. More than 12 inches are possible in some areas over the two days, the NWS said.

Significant ice accumulations are possible into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes starting Monday evening into Tuesday. Some areas may receive a quarter-inch of ice. Very cold air is expected for much of this week, with temperatures near record low values and dangerously cold wind chills in the Plains.

In North Dakota and South Dakota, the NWS expects near-blizzard conditions. The agency has discouraged people from traveling.
4-Month-Old Baby Found Safe in Colorado Apartment Where 5 Adults Died

The bodies of five people were found in a Colorado apartment on Feb. 20 after an apparent overdose, authorities said, adding that substances described as illicit narcotics were recovered inside the unit.

Commerce City Police Chief Clint Nichols said the deceased are identified as three women and two men. The bodies were found shortly before 4 p.m. inside the North Range Crossing apartment complex. Commerce City is located in Adams County, about 7 miles northeast of Denver.

If it is going to be illicit drugs, they were very, very bad, Nichols said, The Denver Post reported. If it was drugs, no one was able to get to a phone and call 911 for a medical emergency. It happened pretty quicklyspeculation on my part.

Authorities havent determined a cause of death yet and it was not immediately clear what the substances are. Police said further testing is required to determine exactly what the narcotics are.

According to a preliminary investigation, it doesnt appear the victims were killed in a violent incident and the bodies didnt have any signs of blunt trauma.

We dont know exactly what anything is as of yet, Nichols said, adding that the fire department was called out to conduct a hazardous gas test, but that was negative.

As the officers arrived at the scene, another adult female and an infant who was about 4 months old were in the apartment but survived, the chief said. Both the infant and the woman are expected to be ok.

Both individuals were transported to a hospital and it is unclear if any of the deceased adults found inside the unit are the parents of the baby.

I hope the parents were not in there, but Ive been doing this long enough  it would probably be safe to suggest the parents probably were inside and so for the infant, thats going to be a long time without parents, Nichols said.

A neighbor told the Post that he heard music and thumping in the apartment on Feb. 19 and it had sounded like they organized a party. Neighbors also said the unit frequently had police visits for various problems.

It was a party, Ian Scott told the paper. I saw what I saw.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing and detectives are in the process of obtaining a search warrant to begin their investigation. The names and ages of all the victims were not immediately available.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
There is an increased police presence in and around the blockaded section of downtown Ottawa on Feb. 17, 2022. (Richard Moore/The Epoch Times)

Ottawa Mayor Says Can Sell Protest Trucks Using Emergencies Act; Freeland Affirms Cities Have Certain Powers

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says the Emergencies Acts gives powers not only to the feds but also to municipalities and provinces, after Ottawas mayor said two days earlier said that he wanted the vehicles towed during police operations against protesters to be sold to cover the citys costs incurred by the protests of the past three weeks.

I talked about federal powers. There are also powers that lie with the municipalities and provinces, Freeland said in response to a reporters question at a Feb. 21 press conference held by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several cabinet ministers.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson had told the CBC on Feb. 19 that his city has the power to sell the vehicles due to the Emergencies Act invoked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Feb. 14.

We actually have the ability to confiscate those vehicles and sell them, he said, adding that I want to see them sold. I dont want the return to these people whove been causing such frustration and angst in our community.

At the Feb. 21 press conference, Trudeau also said the federal government will continue pursuing the Emergencies Act even though protesters have now largely been cleared from downtown Ottawa.

Dubbed the Freedom Convoy, trucks began arriving in Ottawa on Jan. 28 and 29 to stage a protest against federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truckers travelling between Canada and the United States. It turned into a much larger movement after many Canadians from across the country began joining in or voicing their support for ending the various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions.

Police began escalating their operation against the protesters in Ottawa on Feb. 18, announcing in the afternoon of Feb. 20 that they had made 191 arrests, laid 389 charges, and towed away 79 vehicles. Another 20 vehicles were towed that night.

In the context of blockades or occupations, the Emergencies Act allows the government to compel tow truck companies to remove vehicles blocking streets or lanes, which those companies had previously refused to do in relation to the protest in Ottawa.

The act also gives the state additional powers to, without a court order, freeze the protesters personal and corporate bank accounts and cancel the vehicle insurance coverage of companies linked to the protests.

Watson said independent reviews have been planned at both the federal and municipal levels to determine how the protest evolved and to prevent similar ones from happening again.

Police inspect one of the few remaining protest trucks before having it towed out of the downtown core, in Ottawa on Feb. 20, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

At a press conference at Lord Elgin Hotel on Feb. 19, convoy spokesman Tom Marazzo said the protest has always been peaceful.

There has never been violence in the three weeks that I have been here.  There was no damage, he said.

Marazzo said the convoy tried asking the city to open up local businesses so that the participants could support them, but the request met with no success.

He apologized for the noise of vehicles honking and noted that the protesters are there to defend the rights and freedoms of all Canadians.

He also called for a peaceful withdrawal, saying the protesters are not going to be a punching bag for law enforcement.

Meanwhile, Ottawa police said the Secured Area remains in effect in the citys downtown, from Bronson Avenue to the Canal, the Queensway to Parliament Hill, as announced on Feb. 17.

You can expect to see police checkpoints where you will be asked your reason for travelling within the Secured Area, said the police in the press release.

You will be required to show proof of exemption for your travel to the Secured Area.

Omid Ghoreishi and Noe Chartier contributed to this report.
Australian Education Minister Dan Tehan speaks at the National Press Club in Canberra, on Aug. 28, 2019. (Rohan Thomson/AAP Images via AP)

Australia-India to Ink Free Trade Deal in Push for Market Diversification

Australia and India are set to ink an interim free trade deal in the next three weeks, which has been considered an important move in deepening trade relations and furthering Australias push for diversification.

The agreement precedes a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) which is expected in 12-18 months and aims at boosting opportunities in both countries in various areas including education, agriculture, energy, tourism, infrastructure, mining, health, gems and jewellery, defence and textiles.

It comes after multiple rounds of negotiations between Australia and India over the last 11 years, with former prime minister Tony Abbott called in last year to aid the stalled negotiations.

The interim or early harvest trade agreement seeks to liberalise tariffs on the trade of certain goods or trading blocs between the two nations before the CECA is finalised.

The move is considered a milestone in the Australia-India trade relations as two-way goods and services trade reached $24.3 billion in 2020, almost doubles that of 13 years ago.

Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan on Monday said the long-awaited free trade agreement with India would be critical for Australia as the country continues its diversification push following extensive export bans from China.

We will continue to very strongly defend our exporters and the current actions that have been taken by China. In the meantime we will continue to find alternative markets, he told ABC Radio on Feb. 21.

The proportion of Australian trade covered by agreements had risen from 27 percent almost a decade ago to 75 percent, Tehan said.

On Feb. 10, the minister called the deal a potential game-changer in opening opportunities for both Australia and India and an important piece of our post-COVID economic recovery.

Indias Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal (L) leaves after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentary committee meeting at the Parliament House in New Delhi on Dec. 11, 2019. (Photo by Prakash Singh/ AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Indian Commerce minister Piyush Goyal has noted that the early harvest agreement will cover most areas of interest for both countries including goods, services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures and customs procedures, the Indian Express reported on Feb. 15.

Australia and India launched negotiations for the trade deal in May 2011 and went through nine rounds of negotiations. The discussions reached a stalemate in Sep. 2015 due to disagreements over market access issues particularly agriculture and services, but talks resumed in June 2020 under the Morrison government.

Justin Brown, former Defence a former Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official said last year that a deal with India would be a huge win for Morrisons trade diversification agenda due to Indias large market, especially for commodity and services exports. However, he noted the challenge will be to develop a package that is commercially meaningful.

Agriculture market access is Australias highest priority in the negotiations, but India has been unwilling to make concessions that could result in disruptions of a sector which accounts for about 40 percent of the countrys employment, he wrote in The Interpreter on Sep. 21, 2021.

More likely the early harvest will be populated from the respective country economic strategies, for example in trade facilitation issues such as fintech, investment promotion, critical minerals and skills, education and capacity-building.

Brown added that win-win outcomes are likely, but trade negotiations are hard-fought exchanges of concessions.

Brinkmanship is an inevitable part of them and, given what is at stake, its unlikely the current talks will be entirely smooth.

The relationship between India and Australia have been bolstered recently as both are members of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), along with the U.S. and Japan. Quad is a diplomatic network seeking to create a durable strategic balance in the Indo-Pacific region that safeguards the country members interests.
A mascot welcomes passengers upon arrival at the Sydney International Airport in Sydney, Australia, on February 21, 2022. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Australia Welcomes First International Travellers After Two Years of Border Closures

International tourists have started arriving in Australia for the first time after two years of closed borders, triggering emotional reunion scenes between family and friends across the country.

Travelers stepping out of aircraft at the Sydney airport were greeted by joyful well-wishers waving Tim-Tams, jars of Vegemite, and stuffed koalas as the Australian government removed international border restrictions on Feb. 21.

Federal Tourism Minister Dan Tehan was also present at the airport to welcome the first international tourists from Los Angeles who arrived on a Qantas flight at 6:30 a.m.

What wonderful, wonderful news for our tourism industry and the 660,000 people employed in it, Tehan told the Nine Network.

There is excitement everywhere, people are loving it, absolutely loving it.

The first passenger (to enter the arrivals hall) had a huge smile on their face even though they have been on a plane for  20-odd hours, he said.

Apart from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane also witnessed similar scenes.

A man hugs his granddaughter Charlotte Roempke upon arriving at Sydney International Airport in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21, 2022. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

However, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews stated that the department would check all travellers before they arrived in the country to prevent another Novak Djokovic visa incident.

Andrews said that while optimism had spread over the reopening of the Australian border, Border Force agents would be working hard to make sure every international arrival conforms to the countrys current requirements, including getting double jabbed.

According to the home affairs minister, airlines would check passengers vaccination statuses before taking off, and officers could access documents of international travellers easier with the help of the new digital passenger declaration.

When they reach Australia, there is every chance that an Australian Border Force official will look for their documentation and ask them to be able to produce it, she told the ABC.

Now, whilst were not checking every single person coming in at the border, the checks prior to entry make it very clear that you have got virtually no chance of being able to enter this country if you dont have the proper documentation.

Australian flag carrier Qantas brought in travellers from eight overseas destinations, including Vancouver, Singapore, London, and Delhi, on Feb. 21.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the company had seen strong bookings since the federal governments announcement of opening the countrys border on Feb. 21.

It has been tough two years for everybody in the tourism industry, but today is really one of the big steps on the way back to a full recovery, so we are very excited about today, he told the Nine Network.

Joyce said 14,000 people would arrive in Australia in the week commencing Feb. 21 on over 150 international Qantas flights.

Travelers wait in line to verify their Covid-19 vaccination status as they check-in for a flight to Sydney, Australia at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, on Nov. 1, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/ AFP via Getty Images)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Feb. 21 was a significant day and that all Australians had looked forward to it.

Whether you are in far north Queensland or in Sydney  that is going to be welcome news for so many tourism operators, he told Sydneys 2GB.

You dont have to be a long way away from the city to be reliant on international tourism.

The prime minister said that 1.2 million people worldwide had got visas to come to Australia, and more than 50 international flights would land in the country in the next 24 hours.

Nevertheless, the country would witness an absence of Chinese travellers as people from Australias largest tourism market were currently barred from entering, Morrison said.

Thats why were focusing our campaign on those markets that are open to travel to Australia, he said.

Meanwhile, Victoria launched its newly built $200 million (US$144 million) quarantine hub on Feb. 21 for unvaccinated international travellers, while Queensland was likely to vacate its 500-bed quarantine centre near Toowoomba for the same purpose.
This Feb. 15, 2022 satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows attack helicopters deployed at Zyabrovka airfield in Belarus. (Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies via AP)

Australia Wont Send Troops to Ukraine: PM

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has indicated Australia wont send troops to Ukraine in the event of an invasion by Russia but will provide practical assistance to allies.

US President Joe Biden believes Russias Vladimir Putin has made a decision to invade Ukraine and will do so within weeks or days.

Morrison said an invasion is regrettably inevitable, with intelligence showing Russian troops have not been withdrawn from the border.

The pretence has been sought for an invasion, Morrison told reporters in Darwin on Saturday.

There is no pretence for an invasion into Ukraine. There is no justification for it. There is no provocation of it.

Mr Morrison said Australia would stand by its like-minded allies and provide support that is necessary.

Australia has not been asked or nor would we be providing support through troops or anything of that nature, he said.

We work with our allies and partners in many other ways, and we will seek to do that with the practical things that we can do to assist those efforts.

We have had such discussions with the UK prime minister and others about how we proceed along that basis.

Russia has released footage it claims shows a withdrawal of its troops from the border but the US believes there has been a ramp-up to between 169,000 and 190,000 troops, from 100,000 at the end of January.

Late on Friday, Ukraines military intelligence said Russian special forces had planted explosives at social infrastructure facilities in Donetsk, and urged residents to stay at home.

Morrison described Russias threats against Ukraine as uninvited, unprovoked and unacceptable.

They cannot use the threat of war and invasion as a way of trying to leverage and negotiate other changes that they may be seeking, he said.

This is not how free nations, democratic nations, nations in favour of peace, should behave. We have seen this before and we cannot allow it to stand.

(We) will always be proud to stand with others like the United States and Japan and so many others around the world, the friends in Europe and the United Kingdom who have been prepared to call this out.

Trade Minister Dan Tehan earlier this week said Australia would enact strong economic sanctions against Russia should it invade.

Last weekend, the federal government temporarily suspended its operations at the Australian Embassy in Ukraines capital Kyiv and evacuated diplomatic staff.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Russia needs to respect Ukraines sovereignty.

I call upon Russia to back off. There is no place for the intimidation that we have seen from Russia, he said.

We know that the ravages of war have real consequences.
Australian PM Wants Full Investigation Into Chinese Warships Targeting of Air Force Plane

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is pushing hard for a full investigation into a maritime incident on Feb. 17 in which a Chinese warship pointed a military-grade laser at an Australian surveillance planea hostile act that normally precedes the firing of weapons, according to one defense expert.

The Morrison government has reacted strongly to the incident, which was reported by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) over the weekend, with the prime minister calling it an act of intimidation. On Feb. 21, Morrison said the government is working through diplomatic and defense channels to push for an investigation into the incident.

For what is supposed to be a professional defense force, this is a dangerous and reckless act. And worse, it can be seen, as I said yesterday, as an act of intimidation and bullying, he told Radio 2GB. They were in our exclusive economic zone, and they were pointing a laser at an Australian surveillance aircraft.

A Headquarters Joint Operations Command storyboard depicting the movements of a Peoples Liberation Army Navys (PLA-N) Luyang-class guided-missile destroyer and a PLA-N Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock vessel, including their passage into the Arafura Sea and through the Torres Strait into the Coral Sea. Note the lasing incident against a Royal Australian Air Force P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft that occurred on Feb. 17, 2022 (Supplied/Australian Defence Department).

Could you imagine if that had been an Australian frigate up in the Taiwan Strait or a U.S. vessel or a Japanese, French, German, or UK vessel? And they were pointing lasers at Chinese surveillance aircraft  just as our surveillance aircraft were. Could you imagine their reaction to that in Beijing?

John Blaxland, a defense professor at the Australian National University, said shining a laser on a target would often be construed as a hostile act by military personnel.

Pointing a laser is often referred to as painting a target before firing live munitions, such as artillery shells, machine guns, or missiles, he wrote in The Conversation on Feb. 20. This is because laser pointing is separated from firing a missile with hostile intent by a mere split second. This can be a nerve-wracking experience for those subjected to such beams.

Blaxland also said laser beams can damage an individuals eyes, as well as air safety equipment.

The Peoples Liberation Army Navy vessel, a Luyang-class guided-missile destroyer, was traversing the seas north of Australia, accompanied by another Chinese ship, a Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock vessel.

A Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) Luyang-class guided-missile destroyer (left) and a PLA-N Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock vessel leave the Torres Strait and enter the Coral Sea on Feb. 18, 2022 (Supplied/Australian Defence Department).

During the incident, the vessels were in the Arafura Sea while legally within Australias exclusive economic zone. The laser was fired at a P-8A Poseidon aircraft that was dispatched to monitor the vessels.

Australias Defence Department has responded by shining a spotlightand the worlds attentionon the Chinese militarys activities by publicizing the incident and providing images of the ships to media outlets.

Morrison was questioned during a press conference on why China was named.

It happened. It is indisputable. It was a Chinese naval vessel, he told reporters. It was possible that people could even see the vessel from our mainland, so we disclosed that because this needs to be called out.

The ADF adopted a similar tactic when Chinese spy ships were sighted off the coast monitoring military exercises.

Its an Australian surveillance aircraft this time. Whats next? Its very important that China explain themselves for this act of recklessness, Morrison said.
People walk along Bourke Street Mall during the Boxing Day sales in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 26, 2021. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images)

Australian Retail Sales in January Better Than Expected

Australian retail sales held up well in January despite the initial chaos caused by rising Omicron cases and its impact on staffing and supply chains, according to Mastercard spending data.

Across the country, retail sales were 4.9 percent higher in January compared to the same time last year, and the figure is up 14.4 percent compared to two years ago.

Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra was pleased that the Omicron outbreak failed to dampen retail sales despite early concerns around foot traffic and staffing issues.

January was an up and down month for retailers, he said. Overall, weve had a soft landing from Omicron and the impacts on sales have not been as severe as we originally feared.

Towards the end of the month, the number of infections began trending downwards and close contact isolation rules for essential workers were eased.

Data from Mastercard also show that household goods were the top-performing category, up 10.4 percent from the previous year, followed by clothing sales.

Department stores fell in growth, the only retail category to do so and was the eighth consecutive month of negative results.

Every state and territory had positive results, with Victoria topping the leader boards.

Crowds arrive in the Chinatown district in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 29, 2022. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

However, Zahra noted that it remained an uneven recovery depending on the type of business and its location.

Cashflow concerns remain a challenge for many retailers coupled with rising supply chain costs, Zahra said.

Foot traffic in CBDs also continues to suffer as many office employees continue to work from home or have hybrid arrangements.

However, it is expected to improve as the international borders opened to double vaccinated tourists, visa holders, and business travellers on Monday.

We are looking forward to the international border reopening, which is the first step towards the revitalisation of our city centres, Zahra said.

Meanwhile, AMP Capitals Australian Economic Activity Tracker improved to a pandemic-era high, as mobility, restaurant bookings, and job ads improved.

The shallow and brief dip in the tracker points to far less impact on March quarter GDP than seen with the Delta lockdowns in the September quarter, AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver said on Friday. In fact, we just see a moderation in the rate of GDP growth rather than a contraction.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison expects wages to grow with the economy as the unemployment rate sits at 4.2 percent and companies fight over workers.

Our businesses will be more prosperous as the economy grows, and I expect that businesses will be able to share those proceeds with their workers. They understand that.

They know they need skilled staff to be competitive and its in their interest to make sure that theyre supporting their employees and their workforce in the way they need to, he told reporters on Monday.
Female pigs in restrictive gestation crates, some of which had bitten at the bars so much that their blood can be seen on the bars and below. This was taken by an investigator with the Human Society of the United States, who worked inside the Virginia factory farm for one month. (HSUS)

Billionaire Carl Icahn Escalates Fight Against McDonalds On Pig Policy

Billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn has amped up his campaign against McDonalds pig sourcing from suppliers who continue to keep pregnant sows in gestation crates, something that Icahn says is obscene.

Icahn has nominated Maisie Ganzler, chief strategy and brand officer at Bon Appetit Management Company, and Leslie Samuelrich, president of Green Century Capital Management, for the 2022 director board election, according to a Feb. 20 press release by McDonalds. The company accused Icahn of making nominations based on a narrow issue of McDonalds pork commitment.

Back in 2012, McDonalds had pledged to eventually source pork from suppliers who do not keep pregnant sows in small crates. In 2017, the company predicted that it would achieve this target in the United States by the end of 2022.

At present, producers contracted with McDonalds move pigs out of small crates after confirming the animals pregnancy. Such confirmations are made only four to six weeks into a sows 16-week pregnancy.

Icahn wants these small crates, called gestation crates, to be prohibited altogether. Gestation crates tend to be roughly two feet wide. Sows cannot turn around in the constricted space, allowing producers to pack in as many animals as possible. McDonalds insists that over 60 percent of the pork it sources in the United States comes from confirmed pregnant sows that are not held in gestation crates.

But in a recent phone call with the companys CEO, Chris Kempczinski, Icahn lashed out against McDonalds interpretation of the 2021 pledge. Youre just hiding behind the word pregnant, Mr. Icahn told the CEO. When you keep injecting semen into the sow every day, you dont think shes going to be pregnant?

In its latest press release, McDonalds criticized Icahns demands, which include the company making new commitments to ensure that all of its pork suppliers in America move to crate-free pork while setting specific timeframes to achieve it.

The company pointed out that Icahn is a majority owner of Viskase, which manufactures and supplies packaging for the poultry and pork industry. Icahn has yet to ask Viskase to adopt commitments similar to what McDonalds adopted in 2012, something the fast food firm said is noteworthy.

McDonalds has also announced new milestones to release the company from ties with suppliers that deal with gestation crates.

By the end of 2022, the Company expects to source 85 percent to 90 percent of its U.S. pork volumes from sows not housed in gestation crates during pregnancy, the press release states. Despite industry-wide challenges for farmer and producers, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and global swine disease outbreaks, the Company expects 100 percent of its U.S. pork will come from sows housed in groups during pregnancy by the end of 2024.
Canada Nice No Longer: Trudeaus Totalitarian Response to Trucker Protests

Commentary

On Feb. 14, Canadian deputy prime minister and minister of finance Chrystia Freeland announced a government crackdown on the now-infamous Freedom Convoy 2022. Freeland stated, If your truck is being used in these illegal blockades, your corporate accounts will be frozen, the insurance on your vehicle will be suspended. The announcement follows Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeaus declaration of the Emergencies Act. These emergency measures were instituted following weeks of economic and quality-of-life disruptions in Canada, specifically in Ottawa.

In Ottawa, a large convoy of truckers gathered with pedestrian protesters to signal their disapproval of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other associated COVID-19 measures. These protests have spread throughout Canada, with many of the individual protesters expressing their concerns about the governments COVID-19 policies. Bari Weisss Substack channel posted an excellent article about What the Truckers Want. The Freedom Convoys message is clear: end the COVID-19 emergency measures.

A number of Canadian provincial governments have lifted COVID restrictions, including the Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario governments, but whether or not the Freedom Convoy forced the provinces to drop requirements is unclear. Trudeau, however, has doubled down on his rhetoric in opposition to the convoys requests. In declaring the Emergencies Act for the first time since its passage in 1988, Trudeau has declared war on the protesters. He stated as much: It is no longer a lawful protest or a disagreement over government policy. It is now an illegal occupation. Its time for people to go home.

The protest has been going on for some time with the assistance of everyday individuals who have crowdfunded on behalf of the Freedom Convoy organizers. On Feb. 4, the GoFundMe page for the Freedom Convoy 2022 was taken down for being in violation of  Terms of Service  and has been removed from the platform. Following GoFundMes actions, the convoy organizers turned to GiveSendGo to crowdfund. On Feb. 10, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued an order halting access to funds collected from GiveSendGo. On Feb. 12, GiveSendGo tweeted GiveSendGo is working with many different campaign organizers to find the most effective legal ways to continue funds flowing. According to CNN Business, although GiveSendGo is refusing to comply with the court order, it may still be forced to comply. Thats because the order also applies to the websites third-party payment processors. Herein lies the greater issue at hand.

Although the freedom to assemble (or protest) may be protected, governments have learned that they can quash protests by restricting activists access to payment processors and other financial intermediaries. Following 9/11, Canada amended the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) Act and broadened it to include provisions about terrorist financing, renaming it the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA). According to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, one of the objectives of the PCMLTFA is to implement specific measures to detect and deter money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities to facilitate the investigation or prosecution of money laundering and terrorist financing offences.

Following Trudeaus Emergencies Act declaration, Freeland announced that the government would broaden the PCMLTFA to include crowdfunding platforms and their associated payment service providers. During a press conference, Freeland stated, [T]he illegal blockades have highlighted the fact that crowdfunding platforms and some of the payment service providers they use are not fully captured under the proceeds of crime and terrorist financing act. Additionally, she stated that the changes cover all forms of transactions, including digital assets such as crypto currencies. The Emergencies Act declaration will temporarily allow banks, without a court order or fear of being sued, to freeze personal and business accounts suspected of being used to further the blockades and will require banks to report financial relationships with customers involved in the illegal blockades to the [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

The logical conclusion based on the Canadian governments actions is that Trudeau views the Freedom Convoy as a form of terrorism. If Trudeau wanted to shut down the protests, he could have either established a meeting with their organizers to discuss their demands or quashed the protest by sending in the military. The prime minister decided to avoid the protesters demands and to establish a third option: coerce payment services providers and financial institutions to act as intermediaries of the state. This newly found power builds on a long line of practices toward debanking politically disfavored individuals, writes the Daily Wires Ben Shapiro.

Given these circumstances, it is clear that Trudeau is scrambling for a way to disregard the Freedom Convoys demands while also quashing the protests, or occupation, as he calls it. In June 2020, Trudeau was pressed on then-U.S. President Donald Trumps idea of using soldiers against protesters and rioters. He responded, [W]e all watch in horror and consternation whats going on in the United States. It is clear that Trudeau was troubled by a heavy-handed approach to the Black Lives Matter protesters and rioters; however, his response to the Freedom Convoy has been less sympathetic. In fact, he referred to the protesters as a fringe minority with unacceptable views.

The prime minister fell into the same political trap as former U.S. President Barack Obama and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Obama, Clinton, and now Trudeau can all be depicted as out-of-touch elitists with contempt for those who hold contrary political opinions. For decades, politicians have deferred democratic decision-making to so-called experts in administrative agencies to shield themselves from political accountability; i.e., voter preferences. This long-term strategy has demonstrated a degree of contempt for the average voter. Trudeau has engaged in a similar sleight of hand by abusing the levers of government power to coerce financial institutions and payment services providers to conduct the business of the state.

by Mitch Nemeth

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Canadas COVID Police State

Commentary

Are we there yet? Can Canada under the current state of emergency (how many states of emergency can legislators declare in two years?) be officially categorized as the latest in the dwindling and discredited ranks of the third worlds police states?

The very cornerstone of democracy is the right of every citizen to disagree with, and to express his disagreement with, his government. That is, in essence, what distinguishes modern democracy from the tyrannies of antiquity, the divine-right monarchies of the Middle Ages, and the fascist and communist totalitarian utopias of the previous century.

But political dissent is now a crime in Canada. Under the Emergencies Act, the Trudeau government is empowered to seize the bank accounts of anyonepermanently revoking his credit, rendering him destitute, homeless, and unemployablewho has ventilated, or continues to ventilate, any opinion about vaccine mandates at variance with the regime. (If youre one of hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have contributed financially to the Freedom Convoy, you may already be on Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus enemies list, and having done so, you are ipso facto in violation of the Acts financing terrorism clause.)

In Ottawa and every other city throughout Canada, the most basic fundament of common law has also been annulled. Peaceful protest can lead to summary arrest, without any of the ordinary protections of due process. Indeed, the mere suspicion of being in penumbral sympathy with those who oppose Trudeaus vaccine mandates is sufficient pretext for the police to knock on your door at midnight and haul you away.

By the time of this writing, Ottawas police have already incarcerated hundreds of protesters. As in the Peoples Republic of China, Cuba, North Korea, and Maduros Venezuela, Canadas jail population, for the first time in its history, has been augmented by what can only be described as political prisoners, i.e., those who have been incarcerated for no other crime than holding political beliefs that arent approved by the Party or the State.

For the past three weeks in Ottawa, no acts of violence have been committed, no police cruisers set on fire, no shops broken into or looted, no businesses destroyed, no city blocks razed to the ground, no government buildings occupied or autonomous zones declared, no national transportation lines held hostage. All of the above characterized the riotous anti-G20, anti-pipeline, or Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrations that Trudeau failed to call lawless, violent, or insurrectionist, and against whose palpable threats to our democracy and economy he declined to invoke the Emergencies Act; on the contrary, in solidarity with their just concerns, as he called them, Trudeau theatrically genuflected (literally, in the case of the BLM demonstration in Ottawa in 2020).

In Ottawa 2022, by contrast, the protesters have been waving Canadian flags, singing the national anthem, praying the Our Father, feeding the homeless, and cleaning up their own refuse. The inescapable conclusion is that we have now officially entered the Alice in Wonderland phase of politics, in which the leaders of the world see it through a looking glass that exactly reverses everything within it, and reflects it back with perfect, albeit fearful symmetry. Every lie that the Trudeau regime has ventilated about the truckers protestsfringe, violent, extremist, insurrectionistwould have been a veridical description of the BLM, Antifa, or anti-pipeline demonstrations that it has consistently and sycophantically praised; and every prettification with which it has bedaubed its encomia of the latterpeaceful, joyous, grassroots, democraticis apodictically true of the protest it is now scurrilously vilifying.

Its in order to quell constitutionally protected and peaceful protests against Trudeaus unconstitutional and illegal COVID mandates that the Ottawa police are now fearlessly laying siege to the truckers bouncy castles, soup kitchens, and other heavily fortified installations, and beating their metal stanchions against plexiglass shields as they heroically advance in military formation against massively outnumbered and unarmed foes.

On Friday, a unit of Ottawas mounted police waded into a crowd and trampled several of the unsuspecting under equine feet. Another brave officer attacked a willowy female reporter (misogyny, anyone?) from Rebel News, allegedly beating her three times with his stanchion and shooting an exploding tear-gas canister at her leg. (In fact, for two years now, the regime has been targeting and arresting the reporters of Rebel Newsfor the crime of covering the protests and thereby practicing journalismmaking a mockery of another ancient pillar of democracy, that is, a free press.) A week before Trudeaus declaration of martial law (aka the Emergencies Act), Ottawas finest surrounded the car of a 78-year-old grandfather, and wrestled him violently to the ground, for honking in support of the truckers.

In countless scenes reminiscent of Hollywood satires on the farcical brutality of banana-republic caudillos, Canadas supposedly independent police force has turned itself into a palace guard of fascistic goons enforcing the will of the regime against an ungrateful subject population. But no member of the progressive club of European and North American democratic leaders has broken ranks with Trudeau to condemn his repressive measuresthe first and only real violence of these protestsas they reflexively do whenever they occur in far-away Russia, China, or Latin America.

Nor have the members of the Loyal Opposition, except in the most pusillanimous terms. Instead of outrage, the federal Conservatives, having been compliant with his medical tyranny from the beginning, are now finally accusing the prime minister of overreach (a masterstroke of understatement). When Trudeau calls the protesters Nazis, the Conservatives plead with him not to be so divisive, rather than standing up indignantly in Parliament and brandishing the voluminous video evidence that demonstrates that he is, plainly and simply, a liar; then explaining to him, slowly so that he understands, that the swastika his CBC big brothers were able to catch on film was there to make the point that in compelling his citizens to inject an experimental vaccine into their bodies, Trudeau is violating the Nuremberg Code.

Over the past two years, every branch of government and stratum of societylegislative, judicial, police, Trudeaus lapdog media, the colleges of physicianshas made itself the servile instrument of his regime, disseminating its medical propaganda, censoring dissident medical research, onerously fining and arresting non-compliant citizensand are now thereby complicit in his coup detat. Almost everyone, it seems, has played a role in turning Canada into an international laughingstockor what would be an international laughingstock were it not for the fact that COVID tyranny is pandemic. An insurrection has certainly taken place in Ottawa: one mounted by Canadas own government, in which all parties have treacherously conspired.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Canadian Police Freeze 206 Financial Products, Including Bank and Corporate Accounts, Allegedly Involved in Ottawa Protests

Canadian authorities have frozen the financial assets of individuals and companies that are allegedly involved in the ongoing protests in Ottawa Mike Duheme, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) deputy commissioner of federal policing, announced on Feb. 20.

Duheme said at a news conference that the RCMP froze 206 financial products, including bank and corporate accounts, and disclosed the information of 56 entities associated with vehicles, individuals, and companies.

RCMP also shared 253 bitcoin addresses with virtual currency exchangers; and froze a payment processing account valued at $3.8 million, Duheme said.

It is unclear what will happen to the money that has been frozen by financial institutions.

We continue to work at collecting relevant information on persons, vehicles, and companies and remain in daily communication with the financial institution to assist them, Duheme said.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Feb. 15 that banks would be able to freeze the personal and corporate accounts of anyone suspected to be linked with the protests, and would not require a court order to do so.

Crowdfunding platforms and the payment services providers they use would now fall under anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws, with the changes covering all forms of transactions including those in cryptocurrencies, Freeland explained.

The illegal blockades have highlighted the fact that crowdfunding platforms and some of the payment service providers they use are not fully captured under the Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act, said Freeland.

Her announcement came as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadas history to address the impact of the ongoing protests against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions by truckers and their supporters.

Prior to Freelands announcement, 10 million Canadian dollars ($8 million) had been raised on GoFundMe to support the Canadian truckers protesting COVID-19 mandates.

Yet, the platform on Feb. 4 said that it would not be giving the millions of dollars that had been raised to the organizers anymore and would instead send the money to established charities that have been verified by GoFundMe.

However, a day later the platform changed course and said it would automatically reimburse the funds to donors.

In response, House Republicans on Feb. 10 urged Democrats to hold a hearing to examine what they called Big Tech silencing and accused the for-profit crowdfunding platform of selectively discriminating against certain people by canceling their ability to organize funds through its crowdfunding platform.

In a letter (pdf), House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) also accused GoFundMe of attempting to defraud hardworking taxpayers of millions of dollars in donations received in support of an organization promoting individual freedom, by trying to divert that money away from them and instead funnel it to other unrelated causes.

The GOP lawmakers also asked GoFundMe to provide all documents and communications related to their decision to do so.

GoFundMe did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

Following GoFundMes announcement that it would redirect the money raised to charities, protest convoy organizers set up the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser on GiveSendGo.

However, the government of the province of Ontario in Canada on Feb. 10 successfully sought a court order to freeze the millions of dollars in funds raised on that platform until further notice.

Meanwhile, some critics have said the Canadian governments move to use financial powers to quell the trucker protests amounts to unnecessary overreach.

Financial crime consultant Vanessa Iafolla, an expert on matters related to fraud, money laundering, and terrorist financing, told The Epoch Times, These new powers are a broad overreach and I do not believe they are steps necessary to maintain public order.

Iafolla said the action sets a dangerous precedent as it could allow governments to target protesters economically for their political beliefs in future protests.

In a vibrant and mature democracy, citizens and government should be able to tolerate disagreement and dissent, and our charter rights to protest should not be cast aside in such a heavy-handed and undemocratic way, she said.

The organizers of the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa have repeatedly said that their protest is peaceful.

But in a virtual press conference on Feb. 18, Freeland and several federal cabinet ministers defended their decision to use broad financial powers amid the protests, stating that Canadas economy and democracy are facing a serious and foreign-funded threat.

These illegal blockades and occupations cannot be allowed to usurp the authority of democratically elected governments. They cannot be allowed to threaten peace, order, and good government and they will not be allowed to do so. These illegal blockades and occupations will end and they will end for good, Freeland said.
H'mong ethnic girl Kiab (a pseudonym to protect her identity) looks out a window at a center for trafficked women in the northern city of Lao Cai on May 9, 2014. When Kiab turned 16, her brother promised to take her to a party in a tourist town in northern Vietnam. Instead, he sold her to a Chinese family as a bride. (Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP/Getty Images)

Child Trafficking Victim Who Spoke up for Chained Woman in China Subpoenaed

Police subpoenaed a Chinese blogger because she voiced her concern for the chained woman in the rural area of Xuzhou, a child trafficking victim who was abused for 26 years by her husband and the local villagers.

Ma Panyan, a rights defender from Chongqing City, southwest China, was also sold as a child bride at the age of 12 in 2001. She however, escaped her captor. For years, shes been trying to bring the criminals to justice despite frequent harassment from police.

When she posted her thoughts about the chained woman in Xuzhou on Feb. 8, she got into more trouble with local police.

On Feb. 11, the police issued her a subpoena of alleged defamation and demanded that she report to the police station by 5 p.m. on Feb. 18.

In an interview with the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times, Panyan said that shes fortunate and has remained mentally stable after so much hardship. Thus, she felt that she ought to say something on behalf of those who share similar suffering.

Experience taught her that trying to get help from the Chinese police would be useless, she said. The police station that issued the subpoena is the same one she sought help from when she was 12. Her plea for help was actually ignored. Instead, the police notified the buyer to take her back.

Police Bribery

On May 17, Panyan phoned the police station about the subpoena; and was told by the director that they will enforce the request and come to get her if she fails to report to the police station on time.

Panyan, now a single parent with an 8-year old girl who suffers from epilepsy and autism, refused to report to the police due to the long distance and the inconvenience.

She said that she welcomes the police to come and get her, but she wont risk her childs safety by traveling to the police station. She said she has seen plainclothes police following her.

The Epoch Times called the police station at Shuanglong Town. The officer who answered the phone indicated that hes not aware of the case.

Panyan recounted what happened after she was sold as a child bride.

At the age of 12, Panyans uncle sold her to a man 17 years her senior. She went to the police station for help, but the director had accepted her uncles bribepork knuckles, eggs, and a rooster; the buyer was notified by the police and showed up to take her to his home. She was raped at the age of 13, and gave birth to a girl when she was just 14.

She said, I ran away when I was 18,  when my sister called the police, the buyers said that its no use calling the police because they had given the police station 2,000 yuan ($315.93) before they first abducted her. They [the police] wont deal with you, the buyers told Panyans sister.

Indeed, the police didnt respond to the call.

She hid at her sisters place, but the buyer showed up with 9 men and a woman, and took her away, despite her sister seeking help from the police.

The missing children playing cards are displayed by Shen Hao, the founder of a missing person website, the www.xrqs.com, on March 31, 2007 in Beijing, China. The cards show photographs and informations about 27 missing children. Shen Hao hand them to public security departments, civil affairs bureaus ,and residents in areas notorious for child trafficking. (China Photos/Getty Images)

Many Chained Women in Rural China

Panyan said, They kept me inside the house, just like the chained woman in Xuzhou, with a locked chain.

After she gave birth to a boy, the buyers let their guard down. Panyan, now 20, escaped again. Since then, she has been living the life of a displaced person, fighting for her freedom.

Panyan explained that there are many chained women in China today. Shes heard stories of women who drank pesticide to commit suicide.

Panyans mother was also a victim of traffickers.

In 1997, when Panyan was 9, her mother killed her abusive husband. The mentally ill mother was not held criminally responsible, nor was she sent to a mental hospital. Her mother ran away from home and was picked up by another man who made her his child bearing tool.

Thats when Panyan and her sisters were adopted by their uncle who later sold them as child brides.

She said her mother was abused by the man who bought her. Her teeth were knocked out, and she was chained up, stripped of her clothes even in winter, beaten, and gave birth to six children.

Panyan and her sisters finally found their mother, who was very ill by then; they took her home, and left the children with the man.

Panyans older sister and younger sister were also sold to be child brides. When their story was exposed, the three sisters story became widely known as the Child Brides in Chongqing incident.

Pressured by the public, the authorities allowed the women to divorce the men who bought them. However, neither the relatives who sold them after their mother ran away nor the men who bought them were held responsible for any crimes. The police refused to file cases for the alleged crimes such as illegal confinement and rape.

Panyan did not give up her rights and has sought justice. Her constant online posts exposing crimes of women traffickers have mad her the target of local police. She says this is how she became a rights defender.

Mary Hong contributed to this report.
The Chilean flag flies over a mountainside squatter camp built by Haitian and Peruvian immigrants, in Lampa, Chile, on Nov. 21, 2021. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Chiles Migration Crisis Escalates Amid Violent Clashes and Crime Wave

SANTA CRUZ, BoliviaSince last September, violent encounters between Venezuelan migrants, locals, and police in Chile have continued to increase, prompting outgoing President Sebastian Pinera to declare a state of exception on Feb. 16.

The state of exception will allow collaboration between the armed forces and the police with two focuses: combat drug trafficking and migrant trafficking, Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Delgado explained.

Additionally, regional prosecutor Raul Arancibia released the findings of a study on crime trends conducted by the public ministry in the Tarapaca region, which showed a 183 percent increase in homicides between 2020-2021. The spike in crime coincides with a significant surge in illegal migration in the area.

The situation is getting worse and worse, Arancibia said.

Chiles Tarapaca region in the north is the epicenter of the migration crisis, which provides an easy crossing for illegals at the Chile-Bolivia border due to the extreme remoteness and a lack of patrols.

President Pineras declaration came after the murder of a 25 year old Chilean truck driver named Byron Castillo Herrera, who Venezuelan migrants threw from a freeway overpass after an altercation on Feb. 10. According to the prosecutors report, the incident happened when at least two migrants, who were walking along the side of the highway, threw rocks at Herreras truck and the driver stopped to confront them.

Herreras death triggered three days of road blockades and protests by fellow truckers and sympathizers throughout the country amid demands for solutions to the nations spiraling migration crisis.

Nearly 500,000 Venezuelan immigrants live in Chile, which is an astounding increase from only 5,000 eight years ago. Most of the migrants are concentrated around the Santiago metropolitan area, but many entered through the increasingly dangerous Tarapaca region.

Three Venezuelan migrants in Pisiga, Bolivia wait to cross the border into Chile at night on Oct. 25, 2021. (Cesar Calani Cosso/The Epoch Times)

Another violent clash occurred earlier this year on Jan. 26, when four Venezuelan migrants attacked and hit a police officer in the face after being asked to show identification on the waterfront in the city of Iquique.

Earlier in January, criminals kidnapped and murdered a 67 year old merchant from Iquique after demanding a ransom be brought to the Bolivian side of the border near Colchane, Chile.

Socialist president elect Gabrial Boric condemned the incident against the police, calling it unacceptable and claimed the migrant issue needs to be a security priority in the country.

In response to the death of Herrera, Pineras government also announced the militarization of four provinces in the Antofagasta and Arica regions on Feb. 12 to help combat the surge in illegal immigration.

Conflicts between migrants and residents since September 2021 have fueled rising anti-immigration sentiment throughout the country, which has become a battle cry in the northern cities.

During a protest in Iquique on Jan. 30, over 4,000 demonstrators marched through the city brandishing signs with slogans saying Close borders now and Stop victimizing criminals.

The crime in our city is outrageous now. There are tent camps everywhere, Iquique resident Agustin Soto told The Epoch Times.

Soto says the citys beautiful beaches are being turned into migrant camps and there are parts of the city he wont let his wife or daughters travel alone, like the area around Plaza Brazil, due to an excess of Venezuelan migrants who are known to occasionally harass locals.

Minister Delgado directly accused Bolivian officials of a lack of collaboration on border security on Feb. 2, saying, Bolivian authorities do not seem to be interested [in working together], there is a lot of apathy regarding this.

Further, Delgado said he believed police on the Bolivian side were helping coyotes, a common term used to describe human traffickers, in their efforts to smuggle migrants across the border into Chile.
Eric Pray unpacks a lobster on a wharf in Portland, Maine, on May 29, 2020. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo)

China Accused of Failing to Buy More Maine Lobster

PORTLAND, MaineChina has failed to live up to its promise to buy more Maine lobster, Maines congressional leaders say.

Maines lobster industry was hurt by retaliatory Chinese tariffs in 2018 and failed to see substantial export gains after China committed to buying an additional $200 billion in U.S. goods, the delegation contends.

Under the Phase One Agreement, China was supposed to increase purchases above 2017 levels but China has bought almost no lobster above 2017 levels, according to a letter Thursday by Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent, and Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, both Democrats.

They urged U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to hold China accountable for its purchase commitments.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine earlier sent a letter voicing the same concerns and urging swift and appropriate action.

Maines live lobster sales to China fell in the year after the lobster tariff was imposed in July 2018, and China shifted its lobster purchases to Canadian dealers, industry officials said.

The sparring over lobster came as the U.S. trade representative accused Beijing of failing to carry out market-opening promises made when it joined the World Trade Organization. The Chinese regime rejected the accusations.
The construction of the section of a highway connecting the city of Bar on Montenegros Adriatic coast to landlocked neighbor Serbia, (Bar-Boljare highway) near the village of Bioce, north of Montenegrin capital Podgorica, which is being constructed by a state-owned Chinese company, on April 8, 2019. (Savo Prelevic/AFP via Getty Images)

China Fills the Power Vacuum America Leaves Behind

Commentary

As the West faces a possible confrontation with Russia over Ukraine, its becoming increasingly clear that the United States cant afford an open conflict with Vladimir Putinand its not because the Russian autocrat is too strong, or the United States too disinterested.

America must keep its eyes on the real challenge, an ascendant China, and a new Cold War that Washington appears to be losing. That shouldnt be.

The United States won the Cold War before by boosting its defensive capabilities and leveraging its economic prowess in foreign policy by investing in cutting-edge technologies and shoring up the economies of its allies. Over the past two decades, America seems to have forgotten its own winning strategy, while China clearly learned its lessons.

The gradual and seemingly voluntary renunciation of the United States global primacy is lately fashionably interpreted as the decline of a hegemon. Another way to see it, however, is the United States neglecting its allies, leaving them with neither financial nor security supportand giving them no choice but to side, however reluctantly, with whoever offers it. Famous for its political long game, China readily steps into the void that America leaves behind.

And so, as the late Charles Krauthammer put it, the decline of the U.S. superpower status is actually a choice, as is Americas economic engagement with China. China watches its adversary up-close: it trains its elites at U.S. universities and underwrites its economy with U.S. intellectual property. As the United States gradually abdicates its historic role as a superpower, China, the emerging new hegemon, is eager to take Americas place and fill the power vacuum.

Beijing has grown increasingly assertive in global politics, from the Middle East to Eastern Europe and Latin America. Traditionally pro-U.S. nations arent struggling anymore to choose between Beijing and Washingtonthe United States essentially has forced their hand. They have found a new patron in China thats using its growing economic strength as the United States used to against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Beijing lures its funding-starved client states with investments, starting with historic U.S. adversaries and moving to countries in need of financial support, using bilateral agreements to forge alliances of mutual dependence. As Brazils ambassador to China Paulo Estivallet explained, Wed rather not be so dependent on exports to China, but what is the alternative?

As in Latin America, the United States has been active in the Middle East and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) much longer than China. And yet, as America is pulling back, China is stepping in. Beijing has had its eyes on the oil-rich Persian Gulf for a while, eager to cement its cooperationand influencewith Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other regional U.S. allies. Some GCC states relationships with Beijing have become reciprocal, at least in the short term.

Saudi energy giant Aramco signed a $10 billion deal in 2019 to expand its business beyond the kingdom, into China, starting with the city of Panjin. Not surprisingly, in January, GCC Secretary-General Nayef Falah al-Hajraf and GCCs ministers reaffirmed their support for Chinas positions on Taiwan, human rights issues in Xinjiang, and hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics. For its part, China expresses no interest in the rights of religious minorities or Saudi girls and women. Its all strictly business.

Hungary, a European Union member state and NATO ally, has lately been vilified for cozying up to China and labeled a Chinese puppet and a Trojan horse simply because of its interest in Chinese infrastructure investment in Central Europe. Absent from the scathing criticism is any awareness that the United States failed to offer its allies any alternatives to Chinese money. Moreover, the U.S. government continues to treat Hungary as an outcast instead of an ally, blocking the U.S. ambassador nomination for 3 1/2 years and making Hungary the only democratic EU country not invited to the Summit of Democracy in December 2021.

China doesnt have such problems with its strategic partnersor targets. It approaches U.S. friends and foes alike to advance its foreign policy objectives. And so, the recent $117.5 billion 30-year ChinaRussia gas agreement resembles the 25-year ChinaIran strategic accord of 2021, though theres a symbolic element in the deals that taunts the United States.

Russia and China are superior to political and military alliances of the Cold War era. Friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no forbidden areas of cooperation, the signers announced on the opening day of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Mahmoud Abbaszadeh-Meshkini, a spokesman for the Iranian Parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, added the proverbial cherry on top.

In the new world order, a triangle consisting of three powersIran, Russia, and Chinahas formed.

America needs to remember that countries are by and large motivated by their national interest, not by ideology, and that a declining hegemon that makes cultural and ideological demands with less and less to offer in return has limited appeal. Meanwhile, China offers supposedly lucrative deals without requiring any political or ideological adjustments from the countries seeking its investment or protectionnot until its strong enough to demand everything, that is. For now, however, its all business, and seemingly reciprocal at that.

The United States should relearn its own Cold War playbook and use it against the Chinese Communist Party instead of letting China wield it against the West. America must act fast to provide credible, practical, unified alternatives to Chinas sprawling economic footprint, and to collaborate with its democratic allies while respecting their cultural and national identity.

Until the United States proposes an alternative, the national interest of smaller and larger players friendly to the United States will push them into Chinas snare disguised as investment opportunities.

The template to win this new Cold War already exists. It only needs to be revived, adapted to the new adversary, and executed. The U.S. allies will welcome Americas return.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft on display during the Dubai Airshow on Nov. 18, 2019. (Karim Sahib/AFP via Getty Images)

China Sanctions US Arms Suppliers Over Sales to Taiwan

China is imposing new sanctions on two U.S. military contractors, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, for supplying weapons to Taiwan, in the Beijing regimes latest retaliation against Washingtons support of the self-ruled island.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for Chinas foreign ministry, announced the move at a regular press briefing on Feb. 21, citing Chinas Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law. He described Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin, two of the United States largest defense manufacturers, as military industrial enterprises that have long participated in the U.S. arms sales to Chinas Taiwan region.

No details were given on the nature of the sanctions.

The measure followed less than two weeks after the United States approved a $100 million military deal to bolster the island nations missile defense system. Raytheon and Lockheed were named as primary contractors in the sale.

Foreign Military Sales are government-to-government transactions, and we work closely with the U.S. government on any military sales to international customers, Lockheed told The Epoch Times when asked about the sanctions.

Beijing consistently claims self-ruling Taiwan as part of its own territory and has never renounced using force to bring the island under its control. While the United States has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, its the islands largest ally and is bound by law to ensure that Taipei has sufficient means to defend itself.

Visitors look at the Chinese militarys J-16D electronic warfare airplane (L) and the KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft (R) during the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China, on Sept. 29, 2021. (Ng Han Guan/AP Photo)

Over the past two years, Chinese military jets have flown into the islands air defense zone on a regular basis, with the number of flights totaling 961 last year alone.

Last month, the regime sent 39 aircraft into the zone. State-run tabloid Global Times later claimed that such incursions would only increase, warning that Chinese warplanes will sooner or later fly over Taiwan.

On the global stage, the regime has sought to isolate Taiwan by pressing the last few countries that formally recognize the island to withdraw this in favor of Beijing. It has also pressured international bodies to exclude Taiwan from membership and participation.

During the Winter Olympics, which ended this week, a Beijing Olympics spokesperson repeated claims that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, earning a rare rebuke from the International Olympic Committee over the political nature of such comments.

A sign is posted at a Raytheon campus in El Segundo, Calif., on June 10, 2019. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

While the two U.S. companies have been sanctioned by Beijing before, the measures on Feb. 21 marked the first restrictions imposed on them under Chinas anti-foreign sanctions law introduced last June. The law, introduced in retaliation against growing restrictions placed on Chinese firms by Western governments over security and human rights concerns, gave Beijing broad powers over foreign firms doing businesses in China, including denying visas, deporting, or restricting travel for affected entities, and seizing their properties.

Beijing had threatened similar punishment on a number of occasions since 2010 after U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

In the most recent cases, Raytheon and Lockheed, along with Boeing, were placed under Chinese sanctions in October 2020 after the State Department gave the nod to arms sales valued at $1.8 billion. Lockheed was the target of a previous unspecified Chinese sanction in July of that year, following U.S. approval of another Taiwan request to update its missile system, where Lockheed was the principal contractor.

Spokespeople for Raytheon and the State Department didnt respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment by press time.
A Chinese worker stands in a large puddle of rain water next to iron rods at a construction site in Shanghai on Aug. 17, 2009. (Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images)

China Scrambling to Seize Pricing Power in Global Iron Ore Market

The China Iron and Steel Industry Association (CISA) revealed its Cornerstone Plan on Jan. 10, aimed at mining more iron ore domestically and reducing import dependence, as well as increasing equity mines and exploring scrap steel resources outside China. The plan is seen as part of Chinas long-term efforts to control iron ore pricing in the global market.

According to China Metallurgical News, CISAs Cornerstone Plan specifies supply targets for three major resources, scrap steel, domestic iron ore, and overseas iron ore, in 2025, 2030, and 2035 respectively. The plan, joined by major leading steel companies in China, has been submitted to the Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of the Environment.

Chinas steel exports surged by 24.6 percent year-on-year in 2021, a sharp rebound after five consecutive years of decline, according to a volume table of major export commodities released by the General Administration of Customs on Jan. 18.

Meanwhile, China has reduced its imports, with official data showing a 3.9 percent year-on-year drop in iron ore and concentrate imports in December 2021.

China, as the worlds largest importer of iron ore with an import dependence rate of over 80 percent, has been adjusting its strategy in the past years, in an attempt to gain further control over the global iron ore market.

More Super Giant Steel Companies Created to Improve Bargaining Power

Workers weld the ends of hot rolled steel on the line at the Wuhan Iron & Steel Group Corp, in Wuhan, China, on Aug. 27, 2016. (Wang He/Getty Images)

One way the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempts to gain a controlling voice and influence international resource procurement is to create more super giant corporations. Official media Securities Times quoted in January 2021 an executive of a Chinese steel company as saying, If our top 10 steel companies can reach 60 percent industrial concentration, we can enhance our bargaining power when negotiating with foreign iron ore giants in the future.

Mergers and acquisitions in the Chinese steel industry began during the CCPs last fiveyear plan (2016-2020). The fourteenth five-year plan, that started in 2021, set up the raw materials industry as a critical target, aimed to form more than five world-class advanced manufacturing clusters in the field of raw materials.

China Baowu Steel Group Limited (China Baowu) is one example used by the CCP, a company that claims to be a global leader in the steel and advanced materials industry on its official site.

Initially formed by the joint reorganization of the former Baosteel Group Ltd. and Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corp. in Dec. 2016, China Baowu grew at an astonishing pace by a concessive merger with Masteel Group in Sep. 2019, merger with Taigang Group in August 2020, the take over of China Steel Corp. in Oct. 2020, and by controlling Chongqing Steel in Dec. 2020. As a result, within 4 years China Baowu swelled into a super-giant in the world steel industry.

China Chengxin Credit Rating Group, based in Beijing, said in its outlook analysis of Chinas steel industry in January that restructuring and consolidating domestic steel companies are conducive to industry concentration, and the booming productivity in the southeast coast region will change competition patterns, thus promising to further enhance the procurement voice and cost control ability of Chinese leading steel companies.

Chinese Steel Companies in Other Countries

Security guards walk past a billboard for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the forums venue in Beijing on May 13, 2017. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese steel companies are encouraged to develop outside the country to resolve excess productivity and keep emissions out of China, according to an opinion article released on Feb. 4, 2016, by Chinas State Council.

Many Chinese energy-consuming companies have built some of their smelters in Southeast Asia and other Belt and Road (BRI) countries to produce overseas, Katherine Jiang, a financial analyst in Hong Kong, told The Epoch Times. The BRI is an infrastructure project promoted by the CCP as part of its aggressive expansion outside its borders.

In this way, instead of importing iron ore to China, these companies can process it at smelters built abroad, and then import the metal back to China. This will kill two birds with one stone as planned by the CCP: reducing domestic energy consumption and pushing the internationalization of the renminbi [Chinese currency] if it is settled in renminbi, Jiang said.

On Jan. 20, 2021, China Baowu announced its target for carbon peak by 2023, carbon reduction of 30 percent by 2035, and carbon neutrality by 2050.

Baoshan Iron & Steel Company Limited is one of seven listed companies of China Baowu. On Sep. 9, 2021, Baosteel announced a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Arabian National Oil Company Saudi Aramco.

Both sides will cooperate to build a world-class, full-process, thick plate plant, which refers to the process of ore smelting, iron and steelmaking, followed by continuous casting, hot rolling, and other processes until the final product is made into a thick plate. The announcement said that the cooperation intention is in line with the CCP BRI program.

The cost of steel production in countries in the BRI is significantly lower than in China due to the relatively low cost of raw materials, labor, land, and lower taxes. According to China Baowus official website, there are already Chinese company-led steel projects in southeast Asia alone with an annual production capacity of 54 million tons.

China Incurs Anti-dumping Cases Internationally

Chinese steel companies with operations abroad have been under investigation for dumping. As of September 2020, China is facing 15 steel-related anti-dumping investigations from the European Union and Australia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and 13 anti-dumping investigations in 2019, according to South China Morning Post. According to Zhonglun Law Firm in 2021, China will continue to be a major respondent in global trade remedy investigations, based on products in various industries. Trade remedy refers to the use of anti-dumping, anti-subsidies, and safeguards by WTO member countries in order to maintain fair trade and normal order of competition, and to provide relief to domestic industries in the event of damage caused by dumping, subsidies, or excessive growth of imported products. On Jan. 6, the Pakistan National Tariff Commission announced the first affirmative anti-dumping sunset review decision on Cold Rolled Coils/Sheets originating from or imported from China, to continue to impose anti-dumping duties on the Chinese products involved in the case for a period of five years Starting on Dec. 25, 2021, Malaysia imposed anti-dumping duties on prestressed concrete steel wire strands, or PC strands, imported from China, reaching 21.72 percent, for five years according to S&P Global Platts, a commodities and energy information provider based in London, on Dec. 28, 2021.

China Reduces Domestic Crude Steel Production

A worker pries up molten cast iron from a blast furnace at a Dongbei Special Steel Group plant in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, on July 17, 2018. (VCG/Getty Images)

In its fourteenth five-year plan, the CCP states that from 2021 to 2025 the production capacity of crude steel, cement, and other crucial raw material bulk products will be reduced, not increased.

Since 1996 Chinas steel production capacity was top in the world. In 2020 China produced 1.053 billion tons of crude steel, accounting for 57 percent of global production; but in 2021 product decreased to 1.033 billion tons, down about 32 million tons or 3 percent from the year prior, according to Chinese official data.

Reduction in crude steel production is a stated policy of the CCP to reduce dependence on imported iron ore, said state-run Economic Daily in a Jan. 21 article titled Controlling Crude Steel Production is a Must.

According to the article, Chinese enterprises lack pricing power over upstream raw materials in the global iron ore market, and profits from the steel manufacturing cycle are easily eroded by the rising cost of raw materials, which is both a loss and a failure in quality development.

Since China relies heavily on imported iron ore, imported raw materials should be prioritized for steel products that are in high domestic demand. However, if these imports at a high price are used to produce crude steel products for foreign countries, it means that profits are taken by foreign mines, while the emissions are left in China, the official article said.

Chinas Tariff and Taxation Commission abolished export rebates on some steel products, and raised the export tariffs on chromium and high purity pig iron to 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively, effective Aug. 1, 2021. Additionally, export rebates on cold-rolled and coated plates, electrical steel, and petroleum pipes have been dropped, meaning export rebates on most steel products have been returned to zero.

Another reason for China to reduce crude steel production is concern about carbon emissions. In 2020, Chinas steel industry accounted for about 15 percent of the countrys total carbon emissions and more than 60 percent of the worlds total carbon emissions from steel according to data by National Statistics Bureau.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (L) speaks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Sept. 5, 2018. (Parker Song/Pool/Getty Images)

China Strengthens Security Ties With Nigeria

The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) footprint is expanding across West Africa, and with it, Chinas concern for its nationals in the region. Three Chinese nationals working at a hydropower plant in Nigeria were kidnapped on Jan. 4, pushing the regime in Beijing to review its security ties with the West African nation.

Chinas ambassador previously had announced that criminal investigation experts would be sent to boost Nigerias efforts in its fight against terrorists and bandits.

Chinas central government is really concerned about the security situation in Nigeria and also Chinese nationals in Nigeria, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchum reportedly said in December during an event at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria to celebrate a Chinese-funded scholarship project.

The central government made the decision to send a high-level delegation from the criminal investigation experts with real experience.

Nigeria is currently facing its worst security threats in decades, manifested in the form of the Islamic terrorist groups Boko Haram and the ISWAP insurgency, kidnapping, armed robbery, and secessionist agitations.

In the first half of 2021 alone, at least 32 people were killed and another 17 abducted every day by bandits and terrorists, according to StatiSense, a private data consultancy agency. At least 10,263 deaths and 5,287 kidnappings were tracked across Nigeria in 2021, resulting from terrorism and banditry.

The Chinese ambassadors expression of paternal concern for Africas most populous nation was seen as a swift materialization of a recent blueprint issued by the CCP signaling a paradigm shift in ChinaAfrica relations.

Analysts see the move by China as a ploy to wean some African states from the economic grip of the United Statessomething that has implications for U.S. economic and energy security.

The growing penetration of China into every aspect of Africas economy, culture, security, and geography is now more than ever before a serious challenge to U.S. influence and interests in Africa, said Dr. Freedom Onuoha, a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the University of NigeriaNsukka.

Chinas recent pronouncement of its plans to work closely with Africa to further upgrade and improve the quality of ChinaAfrica cooperation through the implementation of nine programs strongly resonates with Nigeria, given Nigerias position in Africa and the geopolitical orbit of Chinese interests in the continent, Onuoha told The Epoch Times.

As Africas most populous country and West Africas regional hegemon, Nigeria has been courted over the years by successive Chinese administrations. During President Olusegun Obasanjos administration, China expanded its diplomatic drive to gain access to Nigerias oil industry largely dominated by U.S. and European energy multinationals. During President YarAduas administration, China deployed its diplomatic machinery to ensure that Nigerian resisted the planned U.S. location of AFRICOM in West Africa.

Onuoha said Nigeria has swallowed more of the Chinese bait, in the form of loans accepted by President Muhammadu Buharis administration.

The idea of improving on nine programs by the Chinese reflects a conscious effort by the Chinese government to tighten its grip on Africa in the face of renewed U.S. interest and quest to diminish Chinas growing influence and footprints in the continent.

The U.S. military is constantly surveilling Chinas multiple military options in Africa.

We know the Chinese desire a network of bases around the globe, the head of U.S. Africa Command, Gen. Stephen Townsend, told a congressional hearing in April last year, pointing lawmakers attention to Nigeria and other West African nations. My concern is the greatest along the Atlantic coast of Africa.

Over the years, Chinese contribution to peace and securitylargely in the form of deployment of Chinese Peoples Liberation Army troops in United Nations-led peacekeeping operationshas laid bare the communist regimes interests in Africa. In 2017, China inaugurated its first overseas base in the East African country of Djibouti, located just 7 miles from the U.S. militarys Africa hub, Camp Lemonnier.

Chinese contribution of troops in Africa is not essentially out of humanitarian altruism or benevolence, Onuoha told The Epoch Times.

Ostensibly, China instrumentalizes U.N. peacekeeping operation as one of the veritable tools in deepening and solidifying its broad strategic engagement across Africa to advance its growing economic and diplomatic interests or foreign policy goals.

The U.S., on the other hand, invests in peace and security in Africa mainly to ensure and assure her own strategic security, especially in preventing and countering some transnational threats such as terrorism, violent extremism, and other forms of organized crime that pose serious threats to U.S. homeland.

Research indicates that China has moved from being the least popular study-abroad destination for African students to the most popular for a growing number of study markets. The rate of growth of African students going to China for study abroad grew by 258 percent between 2011 and 2017, compared with a growth rate of 30 percent for the United States.

As of 2019, there were 6,845 Nigerian students currently studying in China512 of whom were on Chinese scholarships, according to China-admissions.com.

During the 8th Forum on ChinaAfrica Cooperation ministerial meeting that took place in Dakar, Senegal, on Nov. 2930, 2021, China welcomed the inclusion of the Chinese language into African countries national curricula, while promising to support Chinese language teaching in Africa through various ways.

Such soft power cultural initiative will increase the level of social exchanges between their peoples, Onuoha said.

Since language is a principal instrument of communication and the bedrock of social interaction, Chinese language penetration is strategically designed to win African hearts and minds in its battle with other extra-regional powers in Africa, especially the U.S. and, to a lesser extent, Europe, he told The Epoch Times.

Several African states are experimenting with the first year of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreementan ambitious trade pact to form the worlds largest free trade area by connecting almost 1.3 billion people across 54 African countries. Africa is the largest regional component of Chinas $1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to reconfigure the architecture of global commerce.

The coming together of China and Africa through the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative and Chinese recent endorsement of the African Continental Free Trade Area pose an enduring threat to the U.S., given that economic penetration and possible bonding among state actors often have the longest and [most] durable anchorage in their relationship, Onuoha said.
Chinese Regime to Cut Down on Abortions After 9.5 Million Performed per Year

The Chinese regime pledged to reduce abortions in 2022 after about 9.5 million abortions were performed annually in the country over the past five years. The figure nears the 10.6 million births that were recorded in 2021.

The Chinese National Health Commission will intervene in abortions performed by unmarried people in 2022 because more than 40 percent of abortions were obtained by unmarried young people whose age is under 24, the commission-run Health News reported on Feb. 16.

Young people were targeted for another reason, according to Shanghai-based media HealthInsight on Feb. 15.

The report quoted Chen Suwen, obstetrician director at the Family Planning Department at Beijing Maternity Hospital, saying that 25 percent of abortions were done by married women because their fetuses stopped growing. The majority of these women had abortions before, which damaged their bodies and caused their fetuses to stop growing when they became pregnant later.

We did statistics that show the more abortions a woman had, the more chance that she cant get pregnant or the fetus cant grow mature. Even if the fetus can grow mature, the woman will have pregnancy complications and it is hard for her to deliver during labor, Chen said.

Chens department performs 600 to 700 abortions every month, according to the article. Chen said she didnt want the abortions to become sterilizations, and tried to educate women on how to prevent conception and the bad consequences of the abortion.

Newborn babies lie on a hospital bed in Beijing, China on Dec. 1, 2008. (Frederic Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese culture doesnt support premarital sex, and the society doesnt support unmarried women to be mothers. However, almost 30 percent of the abortions were performed by married women pregnant with healthy fetuses, according to Chen.

A Social Phenomenon

Health News reported the commissions official data of 9.762 million abortions performed in 2019, 220,000 more than in 2018.

China has been suffering from a low birth rate in the recent decade. The one-child policy of one couple only allowed to have one child, which the regime launched in the late 1970s, caused a lack of women of childbearing age. To encourage people to have more children, the regime changed the policy into a two-child one in 2016 and then a three-child one in May 2021.

The latest data shows the policy-changing hasnt had a big impact.

Chinas National Bureau of Statistics announced on Jan. 18 that 10.62 million people were born in China in 2021, while 10.14 million people died, which means a net population increase of 480,000, or 0.034 percent. In 2021, the United States had the lowest numeric growth in history but was still higher than China. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2021 U.S. population growth rate was 0.1 percent.

Abortion is one of the reasons why China doesnt have enough births, because abortions kill the fetuses as well as damage womens health, according to Health News. However, abortion has been a Chinese social phenomenon for decades.

A woman holds a baby at a park in Beijing, China on May 12, 2021. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

From 1971, when the Chinese regime first promoted birth control, to 2017, the year that the regime changed the one-child policy to a two-child one, 390 million abortions were performed in China, mostly because of the one-child policy, Chinese think tank Evergrande Research Institute quoted official data in January 2019 (pdf).

After the regime changed the policy, the abortion number didnt decrease. State-run Beijing Youth reported on Jan 26, 2015, that abortion advertisements misled people, especially young Chinese women, to not think abortion is a big deal.

According to Beijing Youth, the painless abortion advertisements can be seen everywhere. One interviewee told Beijing Youth that the operation will be done in three minutes. The safe, cheap, and wont impact work claims encourage young women to get an abortion operation when they get pregnant by accident, and neglect to use contraception.

State-run Shanxi Times reported in March 2021 that its latest survey showed that 71 percent of Chinese people had premarital sex. State-run Xinhua reported in September 2015 that over half of those engaging in premarital sex didnt use any contraception method, over 20 percent of the women involved in these behaviors got pregnant, and 91 percent of the pregnancies ended in abortions.
Front entrance to the University of Queensland on Jan. 12, 2021 in Brisbane, Australia. (Daniel Teng/The Epoch Times)

Chinese Student Caught Tearing Down Pro-Hong Kong Democracy Posters From Australian University

An overseas Chinese student has been captured on video tearing down posters supporting democracy and freedom in Hong Kong and China at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australiaan incident highlighting the ongoing influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) indoctrination has had on the Chinese people.

The video was posted on the Twitter account of student activist Drew Pavlou on Feb. 17 and showed a young Chinese womanpresumably a studentangrily tearing posters, some already old and tattered, off a Lennon Wall on university grounds, which was set up by students in 2019 in solidarity with pro-democracy rallies in Hong Kong at the time.

Pavlou credited the video to Billie Krugelman.

A man can be heard in the video engaging in conversation with the lady whose face was blurred out.

The woman initially asked if the camera had been turned on.

Your camera has been on? You are ruining my liberty, she said in the video.

BREAKING NEWS: Chinese international student caught on video ripping down posters supporting Hong Kong democracy and criticizing Chinese dictatorship at University of Queensland Lennon Wall, laughs about Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps and denies Tiananmen Massacre pic.twitter.com/7qX1jcqtzY  Drew Pavlou For Senate (@DrewPavlou) February 17, 2022

He responded, Im allowed to film here.

I dont want to show my face, she continued. I just want to show that Im not (afraid) to show my freedom. This is my freedom to ruin this.

The man responded calmly, asking why she thought it was right to rip the posters down.

I dont think Im right, but you think you are right to tell these lies to the students, especially those teenagers? she responded.

I dont think they are lies, the man replied. I dont think that any of those are lies, can you point to a specific one that is?

You dont think they are all lies, and I think you have the time to figure out what lies to show here, she said.

The man then points to a partially ripped image of the famous tank man incident where a man stands in front of a line of tanks during the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

Are you aware of what happened then? he asks.

The Lennon Wall at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, on Feb. 21, 2022. (Supplied/James S.)

No, I dont know about that because I havent been born yet; it happened 40 to 50 years ago, right  It happened decades ago, she replied. Why are you concerned about things that happened decades ago? Im just thinking about now; Im thinking about the students and teenagers; they will be influenced by this wall.

The man responded that the poster was to help people think twice about incidents such as the persecution of the Uyghur minority in Chinas western Xinjiang province.

As far as Im aware, there are Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps, the man said.

Concentration camps. Ha, ha, ha, the woman responded. Do you have jails in Australia, you have jails in Australia. She then ran off.

In a later Twitter post, Pavlou revealed the Lennon Wall was being put together again.

We are never going to accept Chinese government censorship on Australian university campuses, he wrote on Feb. 20.

This is not the first time the Lennon Wall has been the subject of anger from Chinese international students.

In August 2019, not long after the Wall was set up, four masked men were caught on surveillance footage tearing down the display. The incident occurred just two weeks after violent clashes were instigated on university grounds by Chinese students against Hong Kong pro-democracy supporters.

University of Queensland (UQ) student and activist Drew Pavlou participated in a protest in support of Hong Kong outside the Chinese consulate on May 30, 2020, in Brisbane, Australia. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

Vicky Xiuzhong Xu, an analyst at the Australia Strategic Policy Institute, wrote in October 2019 of how the concept of nationalism had been hijacked by the Chinese regime to indoctrinate its citizens and the diaspora.

Xu said pride in Chinas achievements was distorted to represent pride in the CCP, which was a narrative channelled into schoolchildren and the publiccausing them to lash out against any perceived slight against the party or country.

They have also been manipulated to believe that criticism of the Chinese authorities is an attack on the Chinese people and motivated by anti-Chinese racism, according to Feng Chongyi, associate professor of China studies at the University of Technology Sydney, in an interview with The Epoch Times.

Feng had spoken about how overseas students, who were away from family and networks, were even more susceptible to the influence of CCP propaganda, mainly when they engaged with WeChat or Chinese associations.

In reality, they have little contact with [local] students, are not involved in local culture, and do not join the union of local student organisations, he wrote in a blog.
Chinese-chartered merchant ship Cosco Shipping Panama crosses the new Agua Clara Locks during the inauguration of the expansion of the Panama Canal in this undated file photo. China is continuing its push to displace U.S. influence in the region and already has put parts of the Panama Canal under its control. (Rodrigo Arangua/AFP/Getty Images)

Colonization With Chinese Characteristics: China Is Devouring Latin America

Commentary

A new year is supposed to bring meaningful change. More often than not, it does.

However, its important to note that change isnt always a good thing, and new developments arent always exciting. In fact, sometimes theyre downright terrifying.

Case in point: The Chinese Communist Party and government are actively looking to strengthen their ties throughout the Western Hemisphere, in particular with anti-American elements, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told the Washington Examiner in a statement. Beijing is seeking to surpass the United States in every sector, and we must take this threat seriously.

Rubio isnt an alarmist. In many ways, hes underscoring the threat from Beijing.

From artificial intelligence to vaccine technology to quantum computing to the global food supply, the CCP is determined to control everything that matters. This includes controlling countries around the world.

Right now, Beijing is engaging in a form of neocolonialism, undermining state sovereignty with big promises and even bigger threats. For those who question the idea of colonialism with Chinese characteristics, let me point you in the direction of Latin America.

As the aforementioned Washington Examiner piece states that the CCP recently unveiled an action plan for cooperation with Latin American countries. What does this action plan look like? In short, its a comprehensive initiative designed to control the region and threaten U.S. interests.

In the words of U.S. Army War College research professor Evan Ellis: The Chinese dont say, We want to take over Latin America, but they clearly set out a multidimensional engagement strategy, which, if successful, would significantly expand their leverage and produce enormous intelligence concerns for the United States.

Gerardo Aziakou Dock workers walk at the port of Santos, 37 miles from Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 1, 2013. Santos port, the largest in Latin America, is responsible for 25 percent of Brazils foreign trade. (Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images)

To be clear, if China does conquer Latin America, then the United States (and the world in general) is in trouble. After all, Latin America consists of one North American country, Mexico, as well as Central America, the entire continent of South America, and any Caribbean island with inhabitants who happen to speak a Romance language (a group of related languages all derived from Vulgar Latin).

From a Chinese perspective, Beijings plan to colonize the region is playing out nicely. Across Latin America, from Panama to Puerto Rico to Bolivia to Brazil, the presence of the CCP can be felt.

Interestingly, in Panama, 6 percent of the total population is Chinese, and as many as 35 percent of Panamanians could have Chinese ancestry. But the demographic makeup of Panama is a discussion for another day.

Conquering Latin America involves conquering roughly 16 percent of the countries on the planet. As I have noted previously, China has already conquered Africa, home to more than 25 percent of the worlds countries.

Today, the shadow of communism appears to be spreadingand spreading rapidly. Sadly, in Latin America, the CCPs shadow has been spreading for more than a decade.

Alienating America

In 2010, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) was established in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. According to Telesur, a Latin American TV network headquartered in the city, the 33 CELAC members came together to promote solidarity, cooperation, complementarity, and political agreement.

Since then, this geopolitical community has become a benchmark for unity in defense of common objectives such as the search for justice, social welfare, and happiness for the Latin American peoples. CELAC was created in an effort to offer Latin America a permanent mechanism to avoid the U.S. tutelage and meddling, were told.

In the pursuit of justice and happiness, it seems odd that the vast majority of CELAC members have opted to embrace communist China, a country known for inflicting untold levels of misery on its own citizens, as well as citizens of other countries.

Of all the countries in Latin America embracing China, Colombia appears to be the most eager. As Foreign Policy recently reported, Colombia is now backed by Beijing with state financial support. In recent times, a number of Chinese companies have won major infrastructure projects, including the long-awaited Bogota metro, the Bogota regional railway, many Colombian 4G and 5G infrastructure projects, and a major new gold mine in Antioquia.

Ever since Colombian President Ivan Duque visited Beijing in 2019, the writing has been on the wall. Sadly, it appears to be only a matter of time before Colombia joins the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). If it does, it will join a whole host of countries now quite literally indebted to Beijing.

More than 70 percent of the worlds countries have already signed up for the dangerous initiative. On Feb. 6, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez signed his country up for the BRI.

Why would Colombia make a deal with the devil? Why would its leaders enter a Faustian bargain?

Because the Colombian government, like the Colombian people, is growing increasingly desperate. The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled the country. As the Foreign Policy piece states, Colombia no longer has the luxury of being choosy about its partners. With severe budget deficits and a rising national debt, the country is submerged in a sea of crises.

The Foreign Policy piece warns that the Colombian government is becoming more dependent on Chinese financing and contractors as a source of local job creation.

Sadly, Colombias dependence appears to be reflected across Latin America. Desperation makes people do desperate things.

The CCP, an apex political predator, is only too willing to capitalize on Latin Americas vulnerabilities. The world as we know it is being reshaped, and the CCP appears to be pulling many of the strings.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A sign of Switzerland's second largest bank Credit Suisse on a branch's building in downtown Geneva, Switzerland, on Nov. 4, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Credit Suisse Denies Media Allegations Based on Leaked Documents

Credit Suisse Group has denied allegations regarding its alleged business practices or lack of due diligence after leaked documents reportedly showed that the bank had catered to dozens of criminals, dictators, and sanctioned political actors.

The latest allegations center around allegedly leaked records identifying more than 18,000 accounts belonging to foreign customers who allegedly stashed their money at the Switzerland-based firm.

The left-wing German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung claimed to have received the datawhich ranged from the 1940s until the 2010sfrom a whistleblower more than a year ago.

It doesnt cover the banks current operations.

Sueddeutsche Zeitung then shared the data with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and 46 other media organizations around the world, including The New York Times and The Guardian.

Combined, their accounts held more than $100 billion, according to The Guardian.

The Epoch Times hasnt independently verified the authenticity of the documents.

Credit Suisse said in a Feb. 20 statement that it strongly rejects the allegations and insinuations about the banks purported business practices.

The matters presented are predominantly historical, in some cases dating back as far as the 1940s, and the accounts of these matters are based on partial, inaccurate, or selective information taken out of context, resulting in tendentious interpretations of the banks business conduct, the global investment bank stated.

While as a matter of law Credit Suisse cannot comment on potential client relationships, we can confirm that actions have been taken in line with applicable policies and regulatory requirements at the relevant times, and that related issues have already been addressed.

It noted that the bank has reviewed a large volume of accounts potentially associated with the matters raised in the investigation and that approximately 90 percent of those reviewed are today closed or were in the process of closure prior to receipt of the press inquiries.

Around 60 percent of those accounts were closed before 2015, according to Credit Suisse.

As a leading global financial institution, Credit Suisse is deeply aware of its responsibility to clients and the financial system as a whole to ensure that the highest standards of conduct are upheld. These media allegations appear to be a concerted effort to discredit not only the bank but the Swiss financial marketplace as a whole, which has undergone significant changes over the last several years, the bank stated.

When contacted for comment, Credit Suisse referred The Epoch Times to its official statement.

King of Jordan Abdullah II addresses the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Jan. 15, 2020. (Vincent Kessler/Reuters)

The former boss of Lloyds Banking Group has stepped down as chairman of Credit Suisse after less than 12 months following an investigation (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The bank has previously pledged to continuously evolve our approach to financial crime risk management.

All employees are required to complete mandatory Financial Crime Awareness training annually, the bank stated.
Dominican Republic soldiers keep watch near the construction of a border wall that will cover almost half of the border with Haiti to stop illegal immigration and criminal activities in Abanico, in Dajabon Province, Dominican Republic, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Fran Afonso/Reuters)

Dominican Republic Starts Construction of Haiti Border Wall

The Dominican Republic is constructing a wall that will stretch around 122 miles along its border with Haiti, in an effort to reduce illegal border crossings and the smuggling of goods, weapons, and drugs.

Dominican President Luis Abinader said the wall, which will cover almost half of the 244-mile border with Haiti, will help fight organized crime in both nations. Haiti is the only land neighboring the Dominican Republic, and both countries are located on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

The benefit for both nations will be of great importance, Abinader said at a construction site in the province of Dajabon, about 140 miles northwest of Santo Domingo.

The wall will be 12.8 feet high and will have movement sensors, cameras, radars, and drones. It will be made from 7.8-inch thick concrete. The project also includes the construction of 70 watchtowers and 41 access gates for patrolling.

Dominican President Luis Abinader gestures near the construction of a border wall that will cover almost half of the border with Haiti to stop illegal immigration and criminal activities in Abanico, in Dajabon Province, Dominican Republic, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Fran Afonso/Reuters)

Dominican Republic soldiers keep watch near the construction of a border wall that will cover almost half of the border with Haiti to stop illegal immigration and criminal activities in Abanico, in Dajabon Province, Dominican Republic, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Fran Afonso/Reuters)

Haiti is a country known for its violent crime, including kidnappings, armed robberies, and carjackings. The Dominican Republic, meanwhile, is a popular tourist destination and has prospered in recent decades. Many Haitians cross the border clandestinely in search of work in the fields or in the construction industry.

Robbers and carjackers in Haiti, one of the poorest nations in Latin America, have attacked private vehicles stuck in heavy traffic and often target lone drivers, particularly women.

The U.S. State Department has a do not travel advisory in effect for the country. Last year, a missionary group that traveled to Haiti from Ohio to support impoverished school children and clinics was kidnapped. After 61 days of captivity, all of the abducted individuals were freed.

Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and COVID-19, the agency said in a statement. Kidnapping is widespread and victims regularly include U.S. citizens.

Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked. Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings. Victims families have paid thousands of dollars to rescue their family members.

Abinader said the crime crisis is an issue that must be overcome by the Haitians themselves.

Besides gang violence, Haiti last year also struggled with earthquakes and the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, who was killed in an attack at his private residence in July 2021.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Energy Giant Rejects Takeover Bid From Tech Billionaire Hoping to Shutdown Coal Plants Faster

A tech investors multi-billion dollar takeover bid of one of Australias largest coal-fire energy companies has been flatly rejected by the board.

Australian energy firm AGL confirmed that it had received a preliminary and non-binding offer to acquire all the shares in AGL at $7.5 (US$5.38) per share from investment firm Brookfield and tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes who has pledged over $500 million (US$360 million) in personal funds to fight climate change.

In response, AGL Energys board issued a media release on Feb. 21 saying that the takeover bid undervalued the company on the basis of a change of control in AGL and was not in the best interest of its shareholders.

The proposal does not offer an adequate premium for a change of control and is not in the best interests of AGL Energy shareholders, AGL Energy Chairman Peter Botten said.

However, Cannon-Brookes, the co-founder and co-CEO of software company Atlassian, and Brookfield were not willing to give up yet.

Theres always a back and forth in these things, Cannon-Brookes told ABC Radio in Sydney.

Well continue to work with them (AGL) and continue to talk with shareholders about why we believe our path for the company is a better one.

Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes is pictured during the announcement of a new Tech Hub near Central Station in Sydney, Australia, on June 25, 2020. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

The bid represented a 4.7 per cent premium to AGLs closing share price of $7.16 (US$5.13) on Feb.18. At that point in time, the company had a market value of around $5 billion (US$3.59 billion).

The AGLs board emphasised that it would proceed with the original plan to break down the current company into energy retailer AGL Australia and electricity generator Accel Energy by June 30.

Under the unsolicited proposal, the board believes AGL Energy shareholders would be forgoing the opportunity to realise potential future value via AGL Energys proposed demerger as both proposed organisations pursue decisive actions on decarbonisation, Botton said in a statement.

Both AGL Australia and Accel Energy have received their carbon emissions reductions targets; however, the two entities are not likely to be able to achieve them in more than ten years.

AGL Australia is anticipated to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 percent in 2030, while Accel Energys deadline to slash 55-60 percent of its emissions is 2034.

In addition, Accel Energy will have to shut down the Loy Yang A power station in Victoria three years ahead of the previous deadline of 2048 and bring forward the closure of the Bayswater power station in the NSW Hunter region to 2033, from 2035 previously.

The move by Accel Energy to close the two coal-fired power stations ahead of time is in line with the accelerated trend of energy transition in the sector to catch up with policymakers and regulators.

Solar panels on the rooftop at AGLs Docklands office in Melbourne, Australia, on Aug. 20, 2015. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Nevertheless, Cannon-Brookes disagreed with AGL on the demerger.

He told the ABC that he did not believe it was wise to demerge the energy company and that the consortium led by Brookfield could decarbonise AGLs business much faster.

The company does not have the capital to fund that transition, Cannon-Brookes said.

And as a public company, it cant do it as fast as we could do it as a private company, and that spread creates reliability and stability.

Cannon-Brookes said the prospect of AGLs demerger plan was not favourable for the climate, the Australian economy, and the companys customers and shareholders.

Its the largest emitter in Australia, but it also has a huge potential opportunity to be a big part of decarbonisation, he said.

Its not just the purchase of the company itself. Its the extra $20 billion in the capital the consortium wants to bring in to fund AGLs transition.

The takeover offer came more than ten days after the release of AGLs first-half results for the 2021/22 financial year.

The energy company reported achieving a first-half net profit of $555 million after suffering a net loss of $2.06 billion (US$1.48 billion) in 2021 due to long-term off-take agreements between AGL and wind farm developers over a decade ago.

Daniel Y. Teng contributed to the report.
Commuters arrive at the closed Central Station during a planned industrial action by workers at Sydney and NSW Trains in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21, 2022. All trains across Sydney and NSW have been cancelled. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

Entire Sydney Train Network Shuts Down Without Notice in Fight Between Union and Government

The complete shutdown of Sydneys train network from Monday morning, without prior notice, has been labelled by the New South Wales (NSW) transport minister as the most unAustralian act Ive ever heard of.

David Elliot said the transport union failed to show up to a conciliation meeting at 8 p.m. on Sunday, giving the government an impression that it would not be possible to operate services safely amid planned industrial action. The transport department then made the decision to call off all services at 2 a.m. on Monday morning.

The government and unions are blaming each other for the chaos that Sydney residents woke up to, with many stranded and unable to commute to work.

The two sides had reached an agreement on Saturday. However, due to a misinterpretation of the agreement, another conciliation meeting was scheduled on Sunday evening.

They didnt even bother showing up, he told 2GB radio. And so that was an easy hit for them to turn up to work today and put forward working conditions that would have been completely unacceptable when it comes to safety.

However, the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU) said the chaos was caused by the governments decision to shut the train network, not the planned industrial action that would have lasted for two weeks starting from Monday.

Theres no strikeworkers are simply performing the shifts were set without any changes, RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens said on Sunday.

He said all union members had gone to work, only to be told that trains were not running.

Unions NSW said the state government, in an aggressive, high-stakes tactic, cancelled all train services and blamed it on industrial action.

Lets correct the record: rail services can continue to operate. Premier Dominic Perrottet shut them down, the peak union body wrote on Twitter.

The main timetable screen is seen at Central Station after a union rail strike disrupted train services in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 21, 2021. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi)

However, Elliot said it was ridiculous for the government to choose to have train services down on a vital day when international travellers returned, universities reopened, and the city began returning to normal after restrictions eased.

To say that Im furious about their  hijacking the city on a day thats supposed to come out of restrictions and were supposed to get economic activity going again, he said. And its allegation that its the governments fault. Why the hell would I want a strike to occur on a Monday that universities are going back?

Elliot said the move by the unions was nothing but political, blaming the Labor Party as the political puppet masters behind the move.

Its not a coincidence that  12 weeks before a federal election and 12 months before the state election, that this is occurring, he told Nine.

The prime minister and premier have echoed his statements, with Perrottet calling it a coordinated, concerted attack on the government by Labor and the unions.

Im incredibly disappointed with what has occurred across our city this morning, Perrottet told reporters on Monday. This is the unions playing games with the Labor Party for political purposes at the expense of our people.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a day that should be celebrated for welcoming back Australias first international tourists in two years has been met with a lack of trains in Sydney.

Its great news from that point of view that were pushing through the pandemic, Morrison told 2GB radio. Were coming out the other side, but the union movement has decided to really pull the rug out from under that on our first day back.

The two sides met at 9 a.m. before the Fair Work Commission and the unions will also meet the premier later on Monday.
EU Ready to Hit Russia With Deep Impact Sanctions If It Invades Ukraine: French Finance Minister

The European Union is ready to impose punishing sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Bloomberg Television, adding that hopes remain for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

The sanctions that the EU is poised to launch would have a deep impact on Russia and the Russian economy and on the Russian interest, Le Maire said, while calling the current moment in the crisis a time for deescalation and diplomacy.

Le Maire declined to specify what sanctions are ready to go as that would render them inefficient as a deterrent, while insisting they would be triggered when its time.

One point must be very clearif there is any attack from Russia to Ukraine, we have a set of sanctions that are still available and that would hit the Russian people, the Russian state, and Russian economic interests, he said.

Asked about the prospect that French citizens and those of other EU countries could see energy prices rise if the sanctions include Russian energy, Le Maire suggested its a price theyd be willing to pay to stand up for Ukrainian sovereignty.

We are aware of the consequences for the EU economy, he said, adding, But the political principle is more important: We refuse any kind of attack against Ukraines sovereignty.

Le Maire hailed as a major breakthrough the prospect of a summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Biden has committed to, provided that Russia doesnt invade Ukraine.

But on Monday hopes cooled for such a high-level meeting, which could offer a possible path out of Europes biggest military crisis in decades, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters that a phone call or meeting between the two leaders could be set up at any time, but so far there there were no concrete plans for a summit.

The White House said in a statement that Biden had accepted the meeting in principle but only if an invasion hasnt happened.

We are always ready for diplomacy, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences, should Russia instead choose war.

Russia has repeatedly denied plans to invade, declarations that have been challenged by Western leaders, who over the weekend said theres mounting evidence Moscow intends to move forward with an invasion.

The armed forces of Russia and Belarus attend joint exercises at the Gozhsky firing range in the Grodno region, Belarus, on Feb. 12, 2022. (Leonid Shcheglov/Belta/AFP via Getty Images)

Echoing Le Maires remarks on hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters on Monday he still saw room for diplomacy, but would convene an extraordinary EU meeting to agree sanctions when the moment comes.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, on Saturday called for sanctions to be imposed before an actual attack occurs in order to deter a potential Russian aggression.

Develop an effective package of preventive sanctions to deter aggression. Guarantee Ukraines energy security, ensure its integration into the EU energy market when Nord Stream 2 is used as a weapon, he said in his speech at the 58th Munich Security Conference.

He told CNN that he disagreed with the idea that sanctions should only be triggered after an invasion.

We dont need your sanctions after the bombardment will happen and after our country will be fired at or after we will have no borders, or after we will have no economy  Why would we need those sanctions then? he said.

Lithuanias foreign minister echoed that sentiment, saying the EU should look for more than just an invasion as the trigger for sanctions because Ukraine is already suffering economic and other impacts from the Russian military buildup on its borders.

Borrell said he holds out hopes for a BidenPutin meeting, saying that, summit meetings, at the level of leaders, at the level of ministers, whatever format, whatever way of talking and sitting at the table and trying to avoid a war, are badly needed.

Reuters contributed to this report.
SAN ANTONIO, TexasManuel Calvillo choked up, tears welling, as he spoke of what he just saw. Mr. Calvillo just had a spiritual breakthrough, but he was not sitting in a church or templehe and his wife Maria had just seen Shen Yun at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday afternoon.

The Calvillos run a staffing and recruiting business, for which Mr. Calvillo is the IT manager. Hes also a classical violinist.

From the moment the curtains opened on a heavenly scene, Mr. Calvillo saw the grandeur and compassion imbued in Shen Yun.

The first movement, the description of how man came to Earth and then the plight of man after the fact, how monarchies were established on Earth and how it went against man because of their loss of divinity  that captured my interest, he recounted.

The cultural aspect, the aspect of divinity, of how man came to Earth first in divine form and then lost his divinity, was really, thats what part of it that captured me the most. I think because Im a musician, it  he paused, overcome with emotion. It just captured a very special place in my heart.

Shen Yuns unique music resonated with Mr. Calvillo on a deep level as well.

Being a classical musician, one of the things that I enjoyed the most was to be able to see the incorporation of European and Asian instruments in the music, and I think that is really huge because we find even in Greek culture, how many of the Asian concepts were incorporated into Greek culture and artwork and things of this nature, so I think it allows for us to be able to see how one we are as a people, he said.

Mrs. Calvillo indicated that it was her first Shen Yun performance, but not her last.

This is the first time Ive come to this performance, so it was meaningful, very deep, made me understand the culture of the Chinese, and I loved it. It touched my heart  The music was beautiful, the orchestra, amazing.

Tom and Cindy Delk at the Shen Yun performance in San Antonio, Texas on Feb. 19, 2022. (Sonia Wu/The Epoch Times)

Retired colonel Tom Delk and his wife Cindy came to see Shen Yun, which came highly recommended by Mrs. Delks sister-in-law.

Seeing Shen Yun reawakened some of my Christian beliefs in that we all believe in the same God, said Mr. Delk. Theres sometimes a lot of discord between different religions. But as long as we all agree that its the same God that we worship, thats all that matters.

He continued, The message I got is that first of all, there is a divine Creator who created a good world. And sometimes its the people that mess up this good world, but he always comes back to fix things.

Mrs. Delk said she enjoyed the historical aspects of Chinese culture. It goes back thousands of years, and it makes me realize how young our country is, she said.

The couple lived in South Korea for a time, and Mr. Delks mother is Japanese.

Im very familiar with some of the Asian cultures and traditions, but I realized that China was really the home, the base of all the Asian cultures that eventually spread out to the other countries, said Mr. Delk. And thats why watching this really brings back a lot of great memories.

Reporting by Sonia Wu.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Fire Breaks Out at German Residential Complex, 3 Injured

BERLINA huge fire broke out in an apartment building in the western German city of Essen early Monday, and three people were taken to a hospital after inhaling smoke, authorities said.

The fire service said that about 100 people were evacuated from the building, roughly the number of people who lived there, news agency dpa reported. About 150 officers were dispatched to fight the fire.

A residential complex in flames in Essen Germany, on Feb. 21, 2022. (Stephan Witte/KDF-TV/dpa via AP)

The cause wasnt immediately clear, but the fire appeared to have spread quickly after it broke out in the early hours, fueled by gusts from the latest of a series of storms that have hit northern Europe in recent days.
Cargo ship Felicity Ace is on fire in the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 17, 2022. (Courtesy of Portuguese Navy)

Fire on Cargo Ship Full of Luxury Cars Subsides, With Little Left to Burn

Firefighters have been struggling to extinguish flames on a massive cargo ship that caught fire last week while adrift off the coast of Portugals Azorean islands, a port official said.

Joao Mendes Cabecas, the captain of a port in the island region, said lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles on board the vessel are possibly keeping the fire alive and it might take some more time to douse the flames, also noting that the blaze had greatly lost its intensity.

The fire has subsided in recent hours, Cabecas told Lusa news agency, explaining that he believes its due to the fact that theres little left to burn.

The 656-foot Panamanian-flagged vessel, Felicity Ace, was on its way from Germany to the United States when it caught fire while adrift in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 16, about 90 nautical miles southwest of the Azores islands.

It wasnt immediately clear whether the batteries of the electric vehicles sparked the fire.

The ship, Felicity Ace, which was traveling from Emden, Germany, where Volkswagen has a factory, to Davisville, in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, burns more than 60 miles from the Azores islands, Portugal, on Feb. 18, 2022. (Portuguese Navy Marinha Portuguesa/Handout via Reuters)

The 22 crew members on board were evacuated the same day the fire broke out and none of them were harmed. There are some 3,900 vehicles on the cargo ship, including Porsches, Audis, Volkswagens, and Bentleys.

A Bentley spokesperson confirmed with the BBC that its vehicles were on the ship. Its not clear how many were being transported.

We are working with the shipping company to find out further information, said a spokesman.

Cabecas said crews were only able to tackle the flames from the outside by cooling down the ships structure as it was too dangerous to go on board, adding that the fire was also spreading closer to the ships fuel tanks.

Firefighters also could not use water because adding weight to the ship could make it more unstable, and traditional water extinguishers do not stop lithium-ion batteries from burning, he added.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 27, 2021. (Tal Atzmon/The Epoch Times)

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Meet Taiwans President Next Week

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Taiwan next week to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwans Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Feb. 21, noting that the visit underscores Washingtons unanimous bipartisan support for Taiwan.

The ministry said in a statement that Pompeo and his wife would visit Taiwan from March 2 to 5, during which theyll meet with Tsai, Vice President Lai Ching-te, and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. Pompeo is also expected to give a speech at a think tank on March 4.

He will also interact with people from all walks of life in domestic affairs, business, and academia to strengthen the close and friendly relationship between Taiwan and the United States, the ministry stated.

Pompeos visit to Taiwan demonstrates Washingtons bipartisan rock solid support for Taiwan and the close relations between the two nations, according to the ministry.

The Trump administration gave strong backing to Taiwan, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, including by making high-profile arms sales and through the visits of top U.S. officials to Taipei.

Pompeo, who served under President Donald Trump from 2018 to January 2021, was described as a long-term and staunch friend of Taiwan.

He riled China during his tenure in office by criticizing the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and increasing U.S. relations with Taiwan.

Tensions between the self-ruled island and the regime in Beijing have been escalating, with the most recent Chinese incursion into Taiwanese airspace involving 39 aircraft and a bomber. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to conquer the island by force if necessary.

Pompeo said in 2021 that Taiwan has not been a part of China and that the United States is legally responsible for providing Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

That was recognized with the work that the Reagan administration did to lay out the policies that the United States has adhered to now for 3 1/2 decades, he said in a U.S. radio interview.

At the Argus Americas Crude Summit 2022, Pompeo said Chinese leader Xi Jinping wants global dominationhegemony for the Chinese Communist Party, adding that the rise of the CCP could destroy the rules-based international order that has been in place since the end of World War II.

Its not about putting a Chinese tank division in Taiwan. Its about accreting political power and influence throughout the world, Pompeo said.

Nathan Worcester and Reuters contributed to this report.
Foxs Neil Cavuto Says He Was in ICU With COVID-19

Fox News host Neil Cavuto on Monday announced that he was in a hospital intensive care unit with COVID-19 pneumonia.

I did get COVID again, but a far, far more serious strand, what doctors call COVID pneumonia, Cavuto said on the air. It landed me in intensive care for quite a while and it really was touch-and-go. Some of you whove wanted to put me out of my misery darn near got what you wished for! So, sorry to disappoint you!

The Fox News host added that he has a very compromised immune system that he believes caused him to develop more severe symptoms from COVID-19, caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Because Ive had cancer and right now I have multiple sclerosis, Im among the vulnerable 3 percenters or so of the population that cannot sustain the full benefits of a vaccine, Cavuto added. In other words, it simply doesnt last.

These breakthrough cases are overwhelmingly happening among immunocompromised individuals like myself, he also said on his show, while promoting COVID-19 vaccines. Cavuto said he is fully vaccinated.

Cavuto, 63, also thanked his co-hosts for replacing him during his time away from the network. Fox News did not address his illness publicly because he asked them not to. He hasnt appeared on the channel since Jan. 10.

They were honoring my wishes, out of respect for my privacy, even though they were getting a lot of heat trying to protect my privacy, Cavuto said. I wasnt really hiding anything. I just felt I wasnt the story. The stories on this show were and are the story. Its about you, its not about me.
Mail-in primary election ballots are processed at the Chester County Voter Services office in West Chester, Pa., on May 28, 2020. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)

Fraudulent Use of Absentee Ballots, Dirty Voter Rolls Must Be Sorted out Before 2022 Midterms: Experts

Fraudulent mail-in ballots and dirty voter rolls could spawn a series of messy elections around the country, experts fear, saying their threat to election integrity cant be underestimated.

When a person dies or fails to provide notification of change of address, a dirty voter roll is often the result, because the resident essentially remains eligible to vote until the state removes them from their roll. This opens the avenue for fraudulent votes, which is exacerbated by the rise of mail-in voting around the country. Eight statesCalifornia, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washingtonallow all elections to be conducted by mail.

On the heels of the 2020 presidential election, several lawsuits were filed to take on a range of claims relating to voter fraud and electoral abuses. Former President Donald Trump and his supporters alleged the presence of numerous irregularities in the voting process. They alleged that taken together, these instances of fraud ensured a win for then-presidential candidate Joe Biden.

But concerned citizens will never know the credibility of any of those claims, because almost all of the lawsuits were dismissed on procedural grounds by the courts, according to Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at Washington-based think tank The Heritage Foundation and a former member of the Federal Election Commission.

We never got to the substantive stage of trial where witnesses could testify and courts could examine their stories, their claims, and determine their credibility, Spakovsky told The Epoch Times.

Fraudulent Absentee Ballots

According to Spakovsky, fraudulent absentee ballots became a concerning issue in the 2020 election, and their effect must be reined in prior to the midterm elections in 2022 and the next presidential election in 2024. The fraudulent use of absentee ballots involves requesting absentee ballots and voting without the knowledge of the actual voter; or obtaining the absentee ballot from a voter and either filling it in directly and forging the voters signature or illegally telling the voter who to vote for, according to the Heritage Foundation.

In the 2020 presidential election, Pew Research Center determined that 46 percent of voters voted by absentee or mail-in ballot and that nearly twice as many Biden voters voted by mail as compared to Trump voters. Data by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission shows that voters have increasingly voted by absentee or mail-in ballots for at least a decade.

An online database containing proven cases of election fraud by The Heritage Foundation lists more than a dozen cases of absentee ballot fraud in the past two years.

The whole problem with mail-in ballots or absentee ballots is that they are the only kind of ballots that are voted outside the supervision of election officials and outside the observation of poll watchers, Spakovsky said.

Ballots thus become susceptible to theft and can be altered, Spakovsky said. Voters can also be pressured and coerced in their homes to vote a particular way. Election officials inside a polling location help prevent this kind of fraudulent action from taking place.

No one can intercept ballots between the time voters mark them and put them in the ballot boxbut all that changes with mail-in or absentee ballots, he said.

Spakovsky acknowledged the need for absentee ballots for people who might be disabled, sick, or out of town on Election Day.

He referred to four previous instances of election frauda school board election, a mayoral election, a Democratic mayoral primary election, and a congressional election. Those cases involved fraud committed through absentee and mail-in voting, resulting in a stolen election, he said.

According to Spakovsky, another election vulnerability comes in the form of vote traffickingwhen third-party strangers are allowed to go to voters homes to pick up ballots and deliver them. This is commonly referred to as vote harvesting. This practice gives the ability of candidates and paid political operatives who have a stake in the outcome of the election to handle something very valuablethe ballot, he said.

One example is the 2018 election in North Carolinas 9th Congressional District.

A hired political consultant and his staff went out collecting absentee ballots from voters, forging signatures, and changing and altering ballots, Spakovsky said.

As a result of this illegal ballot harvesting and ballot tampering operation, the election was overturned.

For those who can, I encourage every person to vote in-person to having a ballot stolen, forged or altered, or being coerced to vote a certain way, Spakovsky said, noting that many states dont have basic security measures in place to prevent these kinds of activities. A state ought to require an ID for anyone voting with an absentee ballot.

When a voter requests an absentee ballot, a photocopy of their ID document should also be sent, he said. A drivers license or a free state ID would be sufficient to verify a persons identity. Alabama and Kansas require IDs for both in-person and absentee voting.

Other states, such as California and New York, have no ID requirement of any kind.

Without a requirement for proper identification and witness signatures, absentee ballots will always be extremely vulnerable, Spakovsky said.

Dirty Voter Rolls

The Epoch Times also spoke to J. Christian Adams, president and general counsel of Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), the nations only nonprofit law firm dedicated to election integrity.

Voter rolls have also been in a mess in a lot of states for a long time; ballots are sent to bad addresses, Adams said.

Duplicate and unlawful voter registrations can have an effect on elections, he noted.

For instance, in a testimony (pdf) before the House Judiciary Committee in June 2020, Adams identified a voter named Rashawn Slade from Swissvale, Pennsylvania, who had registered to vote seven times.

With the prevalence of dirty voter rolls, Adams said, ballots have been sent to abandoned lots, mines, liquor stores, casinos, and many other places.

In October 2020, PILF released a video that documented visits to nonresidential addresses that were claimed by registered voters in Nevada.

In January, PILF shared a report (pdf) examining Arizonas voter registration rolls. It found that in 2020, there were 31,641 Arizona voter registrants who had registered for a second time in a new state upon moving.

There were also 863 residents of Arizona who registered twice under variations of their names. Small differences in the way a potential voter spells his or her name can create duplicate registrations, according to Adams.

A person has the ability, for example, to register to vote using his or her middle name, while also getting registered a second time by using a full middle name, he said.

People have even transposed their date of birth, essentially creating two different people.

For the future of the nations election integrity, there must be an effort to clean up dirty voter rolls, including those where dead people still remain on the roll, Adams said.
George Gascon, then San Francisco District Attorney who took office as Los Angeles County District Attorney on Dec. 7, 2020, speaks during a new conference in San Francisco, Calif., on Dec. 9, 2014. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Gascon Continues to Backtrack His Policies

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon continued to backtrack some controversial policies over the weekend, and said a recent sexual assault case sentence may have been too short.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon continues to backtrack some controversial policies and says a recent sexual assault case sentence may have been too short.

Gascon issued a directive on Feb. 18 lifting his previous bans on pursuing life sentences against defendants and trying adults as minors.

He addressed these changes in a statement on Feb. 20, saying he became aware of extremely troubling statements by Hannah Tubbsa 26-year-old transgender female who pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girlafter the sentencing.

Because Tubbs was 17 years old when the crime was committed in 2014, a judge sentenced Tubbs to only two years in a juvenile prison.

Theyre going to stick me on probation, and its going to be dropped, its going to be done, I wont have to register, wont have to do nothing, Tubbs said in a recording played on Fox News on Feb. 21.

Gascon said in his statement that the system currently doesnt provide adequate support for someone at 26 with this level of challenges except through its adult system.

While for most people several years of jail time is adequate, it may not be for Ms. Tubbs, he said. If we knew about her disregard for the harm she caused we would have handled this case differently. The complex issues and facts of her particular case were unusual, and I should have treated them that way.

Gascon said the change in policy will allow us the space to do that moving forward.

This comes after Gascons office issued a new directive on Feb. 15 requiring prosecutors to get permission from Chief Deputy Sharon Woo to object to the defenses request to move a case from adult court to juvenile court; Woo is also to be notified of cases where a defendant is already an adult when a case is opened in juvenile court under the new policy.

Gascons policies have received widespread criticism among law enforcement since the district attorney took office in December 2020.

Eric Siddall, vice president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys told the Epoch Times in a statement that Gascon knows the politics arent in his favor.

Over the past year, George Gascon and his policies have wreaked havoc on the criminal justice system and made us all less safe. Now hes abandoning his social experiment not because hes learned anything or wants to make us safer, but because he knows that the politics arent in his favor, Siddall said.

Former LA County District Attorney Steve Cooley criticized Gascons policies and credited those rules with the outcome of the Tubbs case.

After all, it is Gascons policy as executed by his hand-picked person (recent deputy public defender) to abandon the law, justice, and any semblance of caring for the child victim! Cooley said in a statement.

Gascon is currently the subject of a recall campaign initiated on Dec. 6 by Angelenos who say his policies have led to an increase in crime since he took office.

A spokesperson for Gascon didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.
The House Armed Services Committee's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairwoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) (R) delivers remarks during a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on February 12, 2015. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

GOP Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Ban Top CCP Officials Family Members From Studying in the US

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) introduced a bill on Feb. 16 that would bar high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials and their family members from studying in the U.S. colleges, a move she said woulld combat the regimes efforts to undermine the United States.

We have to realize that China has a plan for world domination, Hartzler said in a recent interview on NTDs Capitol Report program. It sounds like some Hollywood movie; thats the reality.

We shouldnt be aiding and abetting those who want to do us harm. Its just wrong, the congresswoman added.

The bill, named the Protecting Higher Education from the Chinese Communist Party Act, would halt issuing students or research visas to senior CCP officials and their family members, including their children and grandchildren.

There are over 317,000 students from China enrolled in the U.S. higher education institutions in the 2020-2021 school year, according to data compiled by the Institute of International Education and the U.S. State Department. The number accounted for 35 percent of international students.

According to Hartzler, some of those students may have family members serving in the Partys high-ranking decision-making body the National Congress.

Particularly, she noted the daughter of CCP leader Xi Jinping reenrolled for graduate studies in the United States in 2019. Xis daughter, Xi Mingze, obtained her undergraduate degree at Harvard University in 2014.

Hartzler also raised the risk of Chinese academic espionage and intellectual property theft on U.S. campuses, especially the threat to those conducting research for Americas national defense.

In a 2019 document, the FBI warned that the Chinese authorities use some of its students and professors in the United States to operate as non-traditional collectors of intellectual property.

These Chinese scholars may serve as collectorswittingly or unwittinglyof economic, scientific, and technological intelligence from U.S. institutions to ultimately benefit Chinese academic institutions and businesses, it stated.

To defend the United States against the CCPs espionage, the Trump administration blocked visas for certain post-graduate Chinese students or researchers who have ties with institutions that aid the Chinese military.

Last April, the Biden administration said it would relax the visa restrictions. But a July report by state media China Daily said approximately 500 Chinese STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students visa applications were rejected over security concerns.

Hartzlers push came as Beijing staged the Olympic Games amid rising scrutiny of its human rights violations in Xinjiang and elsewhere.

According to researchers, more than one million Uyghur and other Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in internment camps in Xinjiang, where they have been subjected to forced sterilization, torture, political indoctrination, and forced labor. The United States has designated the regimes actions a genocide.

While the CCP commits genocide and other atrocities, they continue to send their children to the United States to receive a world-class education. This must be stopped, Hartzler said in a statement.

Dorothy Li Follow Dorothy Li is a reporter for The Epoch Times based in Europe.
A fence cordons off Parliament Hill after officers cleared a trucker protest that opposes the federal COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, in Ottawa on Feb. 21, 2022. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press)

Group Involved in Ottawa Protest Asks Court to Halt Federal Use of Emergencies Act

A group involved in the protest against COVID-19 mandates in Ottawa is asking a court to put the breaks on the governments use of the Emergencies Act to clamp down on demonstrators.

In submissions to the Federal Court on Feb. 18, Canadian Frontline Nurses (CFN) and its member Kristen Nagle are seeking an injunction to stay the Liberal governments use of the Act and associated measures while their full case plays out in court.

The group said they are opposed to unreasonable COVID-19-related mandates and restrictions that have been implemented by various levels of Canadian governments, and they want a court declaration that Ottawa strayed beyond its jurisdiction in declaring a state of emergency on Feb. 14, saying the move was unconstitutional.

Nagle, a registered nurse and director of the group, said in the court submissions that CFN backs the Ottawa protest as peaceful participants and supporters.

CFN and Nagle denounce violence and do not view violence as a legitimate means of expression or as a means of achieving ones political ends.

The applicants also seek all orders-in-council, minutes of meetings, cabinet submissions, memorandums, agreements, and constituting documents relating to the public order emergency proclamation.

As of late Friday, no date had been set to hear the motion for an injunction. Federal officials had yet to file a response to the court application.

@JustinTrudeau is using the Emergencies Act to curtail freedom & silence Canadians. The Government must be held to account Canadian Frontline Nurses has brought the first lawsuit in the Federal Court to end these draconian laws and restore freedom for all Canadians#justice pic.twitter.com/D2ob5S6oOu  Canadian Frontline Nurses  (@NursesCanadian) February 19, 2022

The court filing comes as police escalated operations against the protesters on Feb. 18, making dozens of arrests and towing many vehicles in downtown Ottawa in an effort to end the demonstration.

The protest, which has been encamped in the citys downtown core for the past three weeks, began in opposition to the governments COVID-19 mandate requiring truck drivers crossing back into Canada from the United States to be fully vaccinated if they want to avoid a 14-day quarantine. The protest soon expanded to a national movement as large convoys of trucks arrived at the nations capital on Jan. 29, with many joining to oppose all COVID-19 measures.

On Feb. 14, the Liberals invoked the Emergencies Act to give authorities additional powers to deal with the protest, such as compelling towing companies to remove trucks encamped in Ottawas downtown core.

Some additional financial measures were also added to cut off funding for the protests, including the broadening of anti-money laundering mechanisms to crowdfunding platforms and digital currencies. Banks will be able to freeze accounts of individuals or corporations involved in the protests without the need for a court order.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in the Feb. 14 announcement that the emergency measures will be time-limited and used in a targeted and proportionate fashion.

Debate on the use of the Act has been underway in the House of Commons over the past few days. While the NDP supports the governments invocation of the measure, the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois oppose its use. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said on social media on Feb. 19 that he will be filing a court challenge against Ottawas use of the Act. The Canadian Constitution Foundation and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association also said last week that they would take legal actions against the governments emergency measure. The Canadian Press contributed to this article.
Figuring out how to stay cool is probably the least of your worries latelythough theres solace in knowing summer seasons right around the corner.

In a few months, when it heats up, youll likely be begging for the frost youre now scraping off your windshield. But, while AC and refrigeration will be at our fingertips when the mugginess gets too much, did you ever wonder how people in the past chilled out when the weather got too hot?

Its tempting to imagine our ancient ancestors being technologically unsophisticated and backwards, but that simply wasnt the case; as far back as 400 B.C., even in the scorching desserts of Persia (modern Iran), industrious humans figured out how to harness the cold via ingenious architecture and simple materials to create massive refrigeration units called yakhchalswhich literally means ice pit.

A yakhchal in Yzad province, Iran. (Pastaitaken/CC BY-SA 3.0)

While you may fancy sipping hot chocolate in the cold winter now, in a few months you might rather reach for a cold one from the fridge. In the days of yakhchals, like communal refrigeration amenities, locals would store food, drinks, and other perishables in there to preserve themfaloodeh, a traditional Persian frozen dessert, for example, would help people chill out on hot summer days.

What else did yakhchals do? Like ancient AC, they even sometimes helped keep buildings cool.

Homemade faloodeh, traditional Iranian cold dessert. (bonchan/Shutterstock)

So, how did these structures manage to keep all that ice from melting?

This has to do with how temperatures rise in the day and drop at night in desert climatesdesert nights often fall below freezing, and this cold was harnessed. Canals channeled water into a shallow freshwater pond (called a qanat) near the yakhchal. This was shielded from evaporation from the sun by a wall structure providing shade. Once the water froze during the night, it was then harvested and deposited into the yakhchals pit. In some regions, ice would be shipped in from the mountains to keep the ancient fridge crisp.

Looking up through the opening from inside a yakhchal in Yzad province, Iran. (User:Ggia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

The 129 yakhchals still remaining in Iran typically showcase large, cone-shaped adobe domes, up to 60 feet high and as much as one meter thick at the base. Vents, sometimes located at the bottom, allowed cooler air to flow in with warmer air exiting from a central hole at the topwhich also let in light for community members or workers inside to see. Interestingly, the adobe material of the dome consisted of a heat resistant sand, clay, egg white, lime, goat hair, and ash mixture. Its believed the domes were also once covered with a thick straw thatch insulation layer, which dramatically helped resist the suns rays.

A yakhchal built alongside an adobe wall structure. (User:Ggia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

The domes housed pits as deep as 25 feet where the ice would be stored and kept cool below ground level. Researchers believe that winter months would have reduced temperatures of surrounding packed earth material enough to dampen the warmer months and the summer. This seasonal buffering of fluctuating temperatures allowed the yakhchal to keep its chill year round.

While the modern convenience of accessing AC with the flip of a switch is handyour powered refrigeration units and polystyrene insulation materials making keeping cool a breezeits awe-inspiring seeing how our predecessors did this without electric sockets or powertotally off the grid! Today, researchers of architecture are studying how engineers of old harnessed the elements with such genius.

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Irvine Police Make Arrest Using New Catalytic Converter Law

IRVINE, Calif.The Irvine Police Department arrested an individual with a cut catalytic converter using a newly passed city ordinance that requires those in possession of detached converters to show documentation for ownership, police announced Feb. 17.

An Irvine Police officer pulled over a black Toyota Camry near the cross streets of Main and Cartwright for equipment violations on Feb. 12, according to the department.

The female passenger admitted to having meth in her possession, Sgt. Karie Davies, a spokeswoman for the department, told The Epoch Times. After a search of the vehicle, a cut catalytic converter was found in the vehicles trunk, along with cutting tools.

(Courtesy of the city of Irvine)

Juan Gallardo-Noyola, of Orange, was arrested and taken to the Orange County Jail, police said.

Converters, which are a part of a vehicles exhaust system, convert fumes into cleaner emissions and improve the cars overall efficiency. They contain varying amounts of precious metals inside, some worth more than gold, which makes them targets for thieves.

Prior to the city-wide ordinance, police could not arrest suspected thieves with cut catalytic converters, as it is difficult to trace stolen converters back to the victim since converters do not have vehicle identification numbers on them.

As a result, the Irvine City Council adopted a new municipal code in November 2021 that requires any catalytic converter not attached to a vehicle to also have documentation, or proof that a person is in lawful possession of it.

This was the first time the department utilized the new code to make an arrest, Davies said.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, right, chairs the weekly cabinet with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Tsafrir Abayov/AP Photo, Pool)

Israel to Allow Unvaccinated Tourists Into Country

JERUSALEMIsrael announced Sunday that it would allow unvaccinated tourists to enter the country beginning next month as the latest wave of the coronavirus recedes.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that foreign tourists, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, would be required to take PCR coronavirus tests before their flights and upon landing. The rules go into effect on March 1.

We are seeing a constant decline in morbidity data, so it is time to gradually open up, Bennett said.

Israel has largely restricted the entry of foreign tourists for the past two years and virtually closed its skies to foreign visitors late last year with the arrival of the highly contagious omicron variant. Recent data has shown a sharp drop in new cases, mirroring patterns in other countries around the world.

Bennetts office said that restrictions would also be eased on Israelis returning to the country, with travelers no longer required to take a PCR test before their flight.

Requirements for weekly testing of school children will also be halted in the coming weeks.
Herb Wesson (C) attends the City Of Los Angeles's Black History Month Celebration at Los Angeles City Hall, in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2020. (Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)

LA City Council to Consider Appointing Herb Wesson to Represent District 10

LOS ANGELESOn Feb. 22, the Los Angeles City Council will consider appointing former Councilman Herb Wesson to represent the citys 10th district as a replacement for Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was suspended in October 2021 after being indicted in a federal corruption case.

With over 30 years in public service representing the residents of Council District 10, there is no better choice at this time than former council member Herb Wesson, Council President Nury Martinez said after announcing her motion to appoint Wesson last Wednesday.

Mr. Wesson cares deeply about the communities he represents and knows the district better than anyone. The constituents of Council District 10 need a voting member who understands their community to represent them within Council Chambers.

The appointment must be approved by a majority of the city council, according to Martinezs office. Wesson represented the 10th District from 2005 to December 2020. He also served as the president of the council before Martinez, from 2012 to 2020.

If confirmed, Wesson will hold the position through Dec. 31, 2022, unless Ridley-Thomas is acquitted or the charges against him are dropped.

On Wednesday, several people called into the city council meeting pushing for Wesson to be appointed to represent the district, noting that residents have not had a voting representative since Ridley-Thomass suspension on Oct. 20, 2021.

In a statement to City News Service, Ridley-Thomass attorney Michael Proctor opposed the appointment, calling it premature and anti-democratic.

Since day one, Mark Ridley-Thomas has pledged his commitment to continue serving the constituents of District 10. The Council Presidents process has lacked transparency, inclusivity or input from the voters. Those voters are thus being deprived of their first-order constitutional rights of representation. Mark Ridley-Thomas concern is for those constituentsand an appointed representative beholden to Nury Martinez does not resolve this denial of representation.

Meanwhile, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern Californiafor which Ridley-Thomas served as the executive director from 19811991has filed a lawsuit aimed at getting Ridley-Thomas reinstated to the Los Angeles City Council rather than replaced. The lawsuit also seeks to prohibit the city council from appointing Wesson or any other temporary replacement to the 10th District.

Pastor William Smart, president of the group, told City News Service last Wednesday that he wants Ridley-Thomas to be put back onto the city council.

First of all, Im good friends with Herb, however, I really feel  that the seat is not unoccupied. I still feel that it has been occupied legally by Mark Ridley-Thomas, he said. Its unfortunate that theyre moving in this direction.

In Ridley-Thomass absence, the 10th District has been overseen by caretaker Karly Katona, who does not have voting authority. The councils vote to suspend Ridley-Thomas passed with three councilmembers in opposition: Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Councilman Mike Bonin, and Councilman Curren Price. Price said before the vote that his office had been inundated with calls of support for Ridley-Thomas from South L.A. residents.

The trial for Ridley-Thomas and former dean of the USC School of Social Work Marilyn Flynn is tentatively set to begin Aug. 9. The defendants are charged in a 20-count indictment alleging a secret deal whereby Ridley-Thomaswhen he was a member of the county Board of Supervisorsagreed to steer county money to the university in return for admitting his son Sebastian Ridley-Thomas into graduate school with a full-tuition scholarship and a paid professorship.

Flynn allegedly arranged to funnel a $100,000 donation from Ridley-Thomass campaign funds through the university to a nonprofit to be operated by his son, a former member of the Assembly. The donation prompted an investigation by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Los Angeles that remains open, prosecutors said.

In exchange, the indictment contends, Ridley-Thomas supported county contracts involving the School of Social Work, including lucrative deals to provide services to the county Department of Children and Family Services and Probation Department, as well as an amendment to a contract with the Department of Mental Health that would bring the school millions of dollars in new revenue.

Both defendants have strongly denied any wrongdoing and promised that evidence will clear their names.

People can watch the city council meeting on Tuesday at clerk.lacity.org/calendar.

Joyce Kuo contributed to this report.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) talks to supporters during her election night party in Mount Pleasant, S.C., on Nov. 3, 2020. (Mic Smith/AP Photo)

Mace Says She Will Win Reelection Without Trump Endorsement

News Analysis

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) has said she thinks shell win reelection without the support of former President Donald Trump, whose endorsement or opposition carries substantial weight among GOP voters.

On Jan. 15, Mace told South Carolinas The State newspaper Im going to win without [Trump].

Mace made the comment after Trump on Feb. 9 threw his support behind GOP primary challenger Katie Arrington.

In 2018, Arrington successfully unseated long-time congressman and former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, winning the GOP nomination to challenge former Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.) in South Carolinas 1st Congressional District, which comprises Charleston and its environs. The surprise primary victory came after a public feud between Sanford and Trump.

However, Arrington was defeated by Cunningham in the general election by a 1.4 point margin.

In his endorsement of Arrington, Trump blamed her defeat on a bad car crash right before the election that left Arrington badly hurt and unable to campaign in the critical days before the race and indicated that hes confident that Arrington can win the general election this cycle.

In 2020, Mace mounted a successful bid for the GOP nomination. At the time, she and Trump were on good terms, and Trump gave Mace a ringing endorsement following her primary victory.

In a tweet, Trump said, Congratulations on last nights big win [Nancy Mace]! Keep up the great work so we can #MAGA! We need you in Washington fast! You have my Complete and Total Endorsement!

But since then, the two have had a major falling-out.

The ongoing quarrel began, in part, due to Maces comments about the Jan. 6, 2021, Stop the Steal rally.

Trump has denied culpability for the breakdown of order during the event, which he roundly criticized the same day it happened. The former president and his allies in Congress have blamed the breakdown on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) refusal to send in the National Guard ahead of the event, despite repeated requests to do so by former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund.

Just days after the rally, Mace told NBCs Meet the Press that Republicans should hold [Trump] accountable for having put all our lives at risk.

In his endorsement of Arrington, Trump called Mace an absolutely terrible candidate  whose remarks and attitude have been devastating for her community, and [are] not at all representative of the Republican Party to which she has been very disloyal.

For many Republican candidates, gaining the support of the former president is important. Polls have shown that, even though hes currently out of the White House, Trumps endorsement continues to have a marked effect on the voting habits of many Republican voters.

Meanwhile, on Feb. 7, Mace received the endorsement of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Haley, who also served in Trumps administration as U.N. ambassador, is credited by many South Carolinians with having brought jobs and industry to the state, and retains substantial influence over state politics.

Nancy Mace is a fighter who stands up to Bidens reckless spending, punches back against lawless lockdowns and mandates, and is strong on border security, Haley said in a tweet. Thats why Im proud to endorse my congresswoman, [Nancy Mace], for reelection.

Following Trumps endorsement of Arrington, Mace responded on Twitter, saying, Bring. It. On.

Arrington has marketed herself as a Trump-adjacent America First conservative, in contrast to Mace who, Arrington said, sold out President Trump.

However, despite a strong streak of electing Republican congressmen, South Carolinas 1st Congressional District has been somewhat less friendly to Trump. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won 50.6 percent of the vote in the district compared to 42.8 percent for Trump. Biden solidified that lead in 2020, winning 55.5 percent of the districts vote to Trumps 42.6 percent.

Mace also has the advantage of being the incumbent.

Since Arrington lost her election in 2018, putting a Democrat in the districts House seat for the first time in decades, some otherwise-friendly Republicans may be nervous to give Arrington another shot at the seat and risk another loss to a Democrat. By contrast, Mace has shown herself to be electable in the district, even if some GOP voters were chafed by her remarks on Jan. 6.

On the other hand, Arringtons 1.4 point loss in the district was a close one, and Republicans are widely expected to make significant gains in the House this year. Either candidate will likely have a better than average chance at defeating their Democratic challenger in November, given the discontent with President Joe Biden and the Democrat-controlled Congress.

Still, to get to that point, both Mace and Arrington will first have to survive the primary, and amid a flurry of competing endorsements, the nomination is sure to be a hard-fought one.
(L) U.S. President Joe Biden waits to speak as he visits the Sportrock Climbing Centers in Alexandria, Va., on May 28, 2021. (R) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a meeting with members of the Council of Legislators of the Federal Assembly, at the Tauride Palace, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on April 27, 2021. (Mandel Ngan & Alexei Danichev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Agrees to Meet With Putin If Russia Doesnt Invade Ukraine

Ukraine cites ceasefire violations by 'armed Russian formations'

U.S. President Joe Biden has agreed to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin if Russia doesnt invade Ukraine, the White House said on Feb. 20.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will first convene on Feb. 24 and Biden has accepted in principle a meeting with Putin following that engagement if an invasion hasnt happened, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon, she said.

Of course President Biden said yes, but every indication we see on the ground right now, in terms of the disposition of Russian forces, is that they are in fact getting prepared for a major attack on Ukraine, Jake Sullivan, Bidens national security adviser, said Monday on NBC.

U.S. officials have repeatedly said Russia plans on invading Ukraine but so far that has not happened.

There is no invasion and there is no such plans, Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the United States, said on CBS Face the Nation.

The Russian troops near the border with Ukraine are on sovereign Russian territory, he added. We dont threaten anyone.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that it was premature to talk about any specific plans for organizing any kind of summits.

Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraines national security secretary, hailed the apparent progress from a deadlock between Putin and Biden but added that nobody can resolve our issues without us.

It will be done only with our participation, he told reporters in Kyiv.

Examples of items being negotiated between the countries in informal and formal meetings include altering the scope and scale of some of our exercises in Europe, U.S. Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby said on Fox News Sunday. The issue of Ukraine seeking membership in NATO is not on the table because thats an issue for Ukraine and NATO, he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, made a flurry of separate phone calls to Western leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to try to hammer out a ceasefire arrangement in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian troops patrol at the frontline outside the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 19, 2022. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

Ceasefire Violations

Reports of violencewhich Ukraine has blamed on pro-Russian actorsspiked in eastern Ukraines Luhansk and Donetsk regions this week, where pro-Russian separatists have for years been challenging the Ukrainian government for control of the territory.

According to Ukraines foreign ministry, there were 66 ceasefire violations by armed Russian formations, many involving weapons prohibited under the Minsk agreement, all along the 155-mile border of Donbas on Saturday. The Ukrainian military also said that provocative firing had killed two Ukrainian soldiers and injured four.

Russian media blamed Ukrainian forces for the shelling. Zelensky called the accusations provocations and pure lies.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry urged an immediate response to the ceasefire violations from the international community, saying, The absence of proper reaction or a neutral stance will only serve further escalation.

U.S. intelligence has been warning of Russia using false flag events as justification for military action to invade Ukrainian territories.

A day earlier, Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-proclaimed separatist government in Donetsk, had ordered the evacuation of civilians in rebel-held territories of eastern Ukraine to Russia and a general military mobilization. He justified the evacuations to residents by pushing claims that Russian citizens in the rebel-controlled areas were being endangered, painting the Ukrainian government as the aggressor after alleging in a video that Ukraine was going to order an imminent offensive in the area.

Ukraine immediately pushed back on the claims, saying there were no orders to use force in these territories. This is an attempt to provoke our armed forces, said Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraines secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken speaks during a panel discussion at the 2022 Munich Security Conference, in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 18, 2022. (Alexandra Beier/Getty Images)

By Saturday morning, separatists said that thousands of residents in Luhansk and Donetsk had been evacuated to Russia. According to reports, Putin has offered each evacuee 10,000 rubles (about $130), the equivalent of half a months average pay in eastern Ukraine.

Read More Ukraine Separatist Leader Warns Region Is on Brink of Large-Scale War

Antonov had also claimed on Friday that atrocities are being committed against Russian-speaking people in eastern Ukraine and that mass graves with 300 people were found in the Donbas. Western powers, he claimed, are ignoring an alleged genocide.

Russian state-run media also reported several large explosions in Lugansk and Donetsk on Friday, one involving the Lugansk pipeline. State-backed media outlet Sputnik News blamed the incident on the Ukrainian military.

Estonian President Alar Karis wrote on Twitter of the situation: We are seeing a planned, premeditated escalation by Russia. No matter the outcome, the message could not be clearer: nothing uttered by the Russian state can unfortunately be trusted.

Nuclear Drills

Russia also conducted nuclear drills on Saturday, involving launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, which Putin invited Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to observe.

The nuclear posturing followed joint military exercises between Russia and Belarus involving the placement of 30,000 Russian troops near the northern Ukraine border.

A Russian ally, Belarus said alongside Russia on Sunday that the two nations would extend the joint drills, sparking further concerns about the ongoing buildup of Russian troops along Ukraines borders.

Now, theyre justifying the continuation of exercisesexercises in quotation marksthat they said would end now, the continuation indefinitely of those exercises, on the situation in eastern Ukraine, a situation that they created by continuing to ramp up tensions, Blinken told CNN in an interview on Sunday.
James Topp demonstrates against COVID-19 mandates at the Canada-U.S. border by the Pacific Highway in Surrey, B.C., on Feb. 12, 2022. (Jeff Sandes/The Epoch Times)

March to Freedom: Veteran Fired for Vaccination Status Sets Out on Cross-Canada Winter Trek

VANCOUVERStarting from the Terry Fox Plaza in downtown Vancouver with his sights set on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa, Warrant Officer James Topp began his 4,300-kilometre journey on foot across Canada Feb. 20, as he takes a stand against government COVID-19 mandates, including mandatory vaccination requirements.

And he knows firsthand. After serving 28 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, Topp is about to be released from the reserve force because of his COVID vaccination status.

James Topp gets ready to start his 4,300-kilometre journey on foot across Canada to oppose COVID-19 mandates, in Vancouver on Feb. 20, 2022. (Jeff Sandes/The Epoch Times)

With his movement titled Canada Marches and carrying the hashtags #CanadaMarches and #MarchToFreedom, Topp and his team began their trek early on a frigid Vancouver morning, destined only for more cold weather as they cross the Prairies, as well as plenty of uncertainty.

The idea to walk across Canada came recently to Topp, who said he felt compelled to do something to stand up for the people and the country he served and loved.

Im not here for profit, and I dont want to be a celebrity, but I need to do something, Topp told approximately 100 supporters who braved the cold to see him off on his march.

We need to do something to repair us because weve been deeply fractured by what has happened over not just the last couple of years, but its been kind of ongoing.

On his website, CanadaMarches.ca, Topp expands on his view by saying, We rise to serve Canadians with honesty, respect and compassion, for the purpose of reuniting our people. We do this, with the intention of ensuring our government upholds the laws that support Canadas Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Only the first few days of the march are planned so far, but Topp and his crew are looking for help creating a route from Hope, B.C., to Lethbridge, Alta., with considerations to safety, current and potential road closures, and extreme weather conditions.

James Topp (Front Right) and supporters take a group photo in Maple Ridge, B.C., the first stop in Topps 4,300-kilometre journey on foot across Canada to oppose COVID-19 mandates, on Feb. 20, 2022. (Courtesy James Topp)

For Dan Jones, the logistics and details of the march are secondary. He joined Topp and intends to partner with him all the way to Ottawa, unsure if his body is capable even though his heart is.

I feel like I have to. I cant stand around and do nothing, Jones told The Epoch Times.

Not everybody can actually walk to Ottawa to have their voice heard, so Im standing up for everybody that cant. I dont know if Im prepared for this march to Ottawa, but Im going anyway.

Wearing a high-visibility jacket and waving a large Canadian flag, Artur Rewers came to Terry Fox Plaza to shake Topps hand and show his appreciation. Rewers immigrated from Poland almost 40 years ago when the country was still communist, and he said he appreciates Topps conviction to keep Canada free.

His journey is very impressive, and I stand for all his values, Rewers said in an interview. In Poland we say, God, honour, and country, and we live by the book. You cant hesitate.  Every day when you get up, you [need to be able to] look in the mirror.

Monique Van de Plas came early to Terry Fox Plaza. She said shes struggled seeing Canadians suffer from job losses, bullying, and scapegoating because of their decisions regarding vaccination. But with people like Topp taking a stand against government-imposed mandates, she says she is feeling hopeful.

I was so disheartened for a while thinking nobody is standing up for this, but then, in the last little bit, here come the patriots, Van de Plas told The Epoch Times, referring to the Freedom Convoy movement started by truck drivers. I was always proud to be Canadian, but in the last couple of years Ive seen that dwindle with all the people just letting their charter rights be stomped on. But now people are standing up for it, and Im so proud.

Van de Plas led the singing of O Canada as a tribute to Topp, his march, and the motivation behind it.

A team member for the march will be driving a 1976 Vanguard motorhome alongside Topp and all others who join him for a block, a kilometre, or the entire trek to Ottawa. It will carry supplies, act as a first-aid centre, and give respite if weather conditions temporarily prevent the team from walking. The plan is to cover 40 kilometres a day.

Topp said his decision to initiate Canada Marches is his alone and he is not representing the military. He is also not raising money for Canada Marches, nor is he accepting donations. Instead, hes encouraging people to treat others kindly and help the less fortunate. For people who want to donate, hes endorsed the charity Wounded Warriors Canada.

Its going to start off a little bit shaky, but well build momentum as we go, Topp told his supporters on Feb. 20.

We are going to start marching here and the sounds of our footsteps are going to carry on in front of us, and they will hear our feet out east.
Mexican soldiers patrol near Naranjo de Chila in the municipality of Aguililla, Mexico, on Feb. 18, 2022. (Armando Solis/AP Photo)

Mexican Army Sends Anti-Mine Squads to Cartel Turf War Zone

NARANJO DE CHILA, MexicoSpecial squads of Mexican army troops equipped with metal detectors and bomb suits have deployed to the western state of Michoacan, where warring drug cartels have planted land mines or improvised explosive devices.

The squads apparently have found dozens of such devices along rural roads and fields in the area around the township of Aguililla.

The mines claimed their first civilian victim last week, when a farmer drove over one in his pickup truck; his son was wounded in the blast. That explosion was apparently fueled by a device containing ammonium nitrate.

But the mines found so far have also included devices detonated by radio or telephone signal, by pressureas when someone steps on themor even by vials that break and combine two chemicals.

On Friday, a soldier demonstrated how he cautiously approaches suspicious spots of disturbed soil on a dirt road in the area, before getting a signal and calling in another soldier in a bomb suit.

Mexican army troops rolled into Aguililla, a township long dominated by the Jalisco cartel, for the first time in months on Feb. 8.

Members of the Mexican army patrol near Naranjo de Chila in the municipality of Aguililla, Mexico, on Feb. 18, 2022. (Armando Solis/AP Photo)

A few days before that, an army vehicle was disabled by an improvised explosive device, or IED, planted on a road, and 10 soldiers were injured by the mine or other weapons. That was the first known successful use of IEDs against a military target in Mexico.

The Jalisco cartel has been fighting the local Viagras gang, also known as United Cartels, for control of the area for years.

Michoacan state is coveted by drug cartels for its seaport and smuggling routes as well as the opportunity to extort money from the states growers of avocados and limes.

Some say the fighting has been so fierce around the hardscrabble hamlet of Naranjo de Chila because that is the hometown of Jalisco cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera.

The cartels already have used trenches, pillboxes, homemade armored cars, and drones modified to drop small bombs in their fight for control of Michoacan.

But the primitive, buried pipe-bomb style explosives can be the most indiscriminate of weapons.

Mexican Army soldiers demonstrate a search for anti-personnel mines during a media presentation near Naranjo de Chila in the municipality of Aguililla, Mexico, on Feb. 18, 2022. The town had been the scene of a bloody turf battle between two drug cartels. (Armando Solis/AP Photo)

The cartels bomb-carrying drones have actually caused more terror in Michoacan than the land mines. While initially crude and dangerous to load and operateand still worrisomely indiscriminatedrone warfare has improved, and its not unusual to see metal barn or shed roofs opened like tin cans from the impact of drone explosions.
Modernizing Chinas Military: Exploiting Civilian High Tech

News Analysis

China has made the aligning of civil and defense technology development a national priority.

The Chinese military is pursuing intelligentized (or intelligent) warfare. For the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), this entails creating intelligent weapons. This includes such weapons as autonomous drones, capable of operating without human controls. It also entails automated systems for gathering and processing intelligenceboth strategic and tacticalfor military use.

These capabilities rely heavily on so-called fourth-industrial (4IR) technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine-learning, big data, quantum computing, and the like.

China particularly values AI as a critical technology that could prove consequential to its strategic competition with the United States. The PLA believes that AI likely will be the key to surpassing the U.S. military as the worlds most capable armed force.

This emphasis on the revolutionary and disruptive nature of 4IR technologies when it comes to future military advantage means that Chinese military modernization will be increasingly entwined with civilian technological innovation, since most 4IR breakthroughsparticularly in the areas of AIare taking place in the commercial sector.

This dependency on commercial technologies has, in turn, raised the importance of military-civil fusion (MCF). It has become an essential ingredient in Beijings long-term strategic effort to make China a technological superpower, in both military and civilian respects.

Beijing is pursuing a two-pronged innovation approach to MCF, first, by fostering research and development in critical, commercial 4IR technologies, and then promoting the spin-off of these technologies to the military sector.

It should come as no surprise, therefore, to see that MCF has intertwined military modernization with civilian technological innovation in a number of critical dual-use technology sectors, including aerospace, advanced equipment manufacturing, AI, and alternative sources of energy.

MCF also involves greater integration of military and civilian administration at all levels of government: in national defense mobilization, airspace management and civil air defense, reserve and militia forces, and border and coastal defense, according to a report by The Jamestown Foundation.

Chinese vessels, believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel, are seen at Whitsun Reef, South China Sea, on March 27, 2021. (Philippine Coast Guard/National Task Force-West Philippine Sea/Handout via Reuters)

In 2017, Beijing created the Central Commission for Integrated Military and Civilian Development, a new powerful body for overseeing MCF strategy and implementation.

That same year China issued the 13th 5-Year Special Plan for Science and Technology MCF Development, which established an integrated system to conduct basic cutting-edge R&D in technologiessuch as AI, advanced electronics, quantum computing, and 5G networkingin order to capture the commanding heights of international competition.

China has laid out a particularly ambitious program for it to lead the world in AI by 2030. In July 2017, Beijing released its New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan. This plan has three main strategic goals: first, to bring Chinas AI sector up to the level of the global state-of-the-art; second, to achieve major breakthroughs in terms of basic AI theory by 2025; and third, by 2030, make China the global leader in AI theory, technology and application, as well as the major AI innovation center of the world.

In addition, Chinas Central Military Commission created a Scientific Research Steering Committee, which functions largely along the lines of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This agency is intended to fuel technological innovation and the development of advanced technologies that might have military applications. The Scientific Research Steering Committee is part of a new top-level architecture of Chinas military technology innovation system.

Moreover, Beijing has greatly expanded funding of science and technology pertaining to 4IR technologies, particularly AI. China is building and training a new generation of AI engineers in new AI hubs, particularly through the support of national champions such as Huawei, Baidu, and Alibaba. Finally, it is carrying out a centrally directed systematic plan to extract 4IR knowledge (especially AI) from abroad through talent recruitment, technology transfer, investments, and even espionage.

These initiatives and new organizations are intricately tied to the modernization of the PLA and its eventual mastery of intelligentized warfare. AI, in particular, is explicitly linked to national defense construction, security assessment, and control capabilities. Ultimately, the aim is to inject AI into nearly every aspect of the PLAs table of equipment and inventory of operational systems.

China is only at the beginning of an arduous, multi-year (multi-decade, even) effort to harness commercial high technologies for the technological advancement of the PLA. The barriers to the widespread development and diffusion of many 4IR technologies to the military sector remain high. There is no certainty that Xi Jinpings MCF initiatives will work any better than early civil-military integration (CMI) efforts.

Nevertheless, it is unlikely that Xi, the Chinese Communist Party, and the PLA will walk away from the 4IR or the MCF anytime soon, even if they do experience setbacks. Beijing particularly believes that advances in AI will fundamentally reshape military and economic competition in the coming decades, and it is shaping its long-term plans accordingly. In particular, it is providing significant government subsidies to tech firms and academic institutions that engage in cutting-edge AI research.

Moreover, Xis personal legitimacy is increasingly tied to the success or failure of MCF. Since Xi ascended to power in 2012, military-civil fusion has been part of nearly every major strategic initiative. MCF is categorically entwined with long-term Party planning and Party consensus, and any move to de-intensify MCF would come at a great cost to Xis authority.

Consequently, Beijings long-term ambitions for exploiting civilian high tech should not be underestimated, and its subsequent embrace of MCF will continue to serve as a guiding principle for its long-term strategy of parallel economic development and military modernization.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Ukrainian troops patrol at the frontline outside the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 19, 2022. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

Non-Essential Indian Nationals Advised to Leave Ukraine Amid Russian Invasion Fears

The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Sunday called on thousands of Indian nationals to leave the country amid fears of a Russian invasion.

In view of the continued high levels of tensions and uncertainties with respect to the situation in Ukraine, all Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential and all Indian students, are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily, the embassy stated in an advisory.

At a Security Council meeting last week, Indias permanent representative to the United Nations T.S. Tirumurti said that the well-being of more than 20,000 Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine is a priority.

Tirumurti reiterated Indias call for immediate de-escalation of tensions that takes into account the legitimate security interests of all countries.

India has been in touch with all concerned parties. It is our considered view that the issue can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue, he added.

In an earlier FAQ issued by the embassy on Feb. 16 said that it was continuing to function normally to provide all services to Indian nationals in Ukraine.

India has not yet evacuated its diplomatic staff or relocated its embassy to the western city of Lviv, as some Western governments have done, including the United States, Netherlands, Britain, and Germany.

The U.S. State Department on Feb. 12 ordered the departure of most U.S. direct hire employees from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action and relocated its Ukraine embassy operations to Lviv.

Germany stated that its embassy in Kyiv will continue to remain open, albeit with a reduced diplomatic staff. Its consulate in Donetsk, which has been based in Dnipro since 2014, will likewise transfer temporarily to Lviv.

Both Canada and Australia have temporarily suspended their embassies in Kyiv and relocated their operations to Lviv.

People sing the Ukrainian national anthem during a rally in support of Ukraine held during Maidan Revolution commemoration ceremonies in Kyiv on Feb. 20, 2022. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

On Feb. 17, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky told European Council President Charles Michael that the evacuation of European Security and Cooperation Organization (OSCE) representatives and other foreign diplomats is not appropriate.

It is important that diplomats and the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission stay in Ukraine. Monitoring activities are extremely important. This is an additional deterrent, Zelensky said.

He claimed that the OSCE lacks the resources to objectively document all ceasefire violations in Ukraine, including the current morning escalation.

Russia extended military drills in neighboring Belarus near Ukraines northern borders on Sunday as Zelensky expressed his support for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern portion of the country.

NATO has also relocated its staff to Lviv and Brussels while maintaining operations offices in Kyiv.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
A man sleeps under the seats of a subway car in New York, on Oct. 31, 2017. (Richard Drew/AP Photo)

NYC Mayor Pushes to Remove Homeless People in Subway System

NEW YORKNew York City Mayor Eric Adams is making an aggressive push to try to remove homeless people from the citys sprawling subway system, announcing a plan to start barring people from sleeping on trains or riding the same lines all night.

The new mayor, at one point, likening homelessness to a cancerous sore, said Friday that the city next week would deploy more teams of police officers and mental health workers to the transit network and start enforcing rules more strictly.

People tell me about their fear of using the system and we are going to ensure that fear is not New Yorks reality, Adams said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who joined Adams at a subway station Friday to make the announcement, said the city and state cant recover from the devastation of the pandemic until people return to their jobsand ride the subway to get there.

She said the state was working to get more psychiatric beds at hospitals available by increasing the amount of money hospitals receive for having the beds.

We know its a big problem. But shame on us if this moment in time, if we dont turn over every single stone, find every possible way to deal with this, Hochul said.

Adams, a former New York City Police captain, and transit officer who once patrolled the subterranean trains, said the vast majority of unhoused people are not dangerous. But the pandemic has exacerbated the issue, with more people dealing with job loss and untreated medical and mental health issues, and some of those people are dangerous to themselves and the public.

Adams called it a complex problem, saying You cant put a band-aid on a cancerous sore, but, You must remove the cancer and start the healing process.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams waiting for the subway to City Hall in New York, on Jan. 1, 2022. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

Shelly Nortz, the deputy executive director for policy at the Coalition for the Homeless, called the mayors comment sickening and said criminalizing homelessness was not the answer.

Repeating the failed outreach-based policing strategies of the past will not end the suffering of homeless people bedding down on the subway. It is sickening to hear Mayor Adams liken unsheltered homeless people to a cancer. They are human beings, Nortz said.

Adams spokesperson, Fabien Levy, responded by saying the mayor was abundantly clear today that his heart breaks when he sees fellow New Yorkers sleeping on trains.

We are not going to abandon those who are experiencing homelessness to lives of suffering and pain and we are not going to allow the betrayal of these individuals to continue any longer. We can help those in need, uphold the law, and restore public confidence in our transit system all at the same time, Levy said.

Nortz said the coalition was pleased to hear, however, that part of the plan would involve expanding the number of psychiatric beds at hospitals.

As subway ridership cratered during the pandemic, homeless people have become more visible, sometimes sleeping on platforms or several seats on a train, something the mayor has said contributes to a general feeling of disorder in the nations largest city.

The mayor, who has emphasized the appearance of crime and disorder as being just as important to tackle as the actual crime statistics, said it was unacceptable that the system allowed, in one case, a woman to live under a stairway inside a station for months.

A New York Police Department officer and a subway conductor look down the subway platform at the Grand Central subway station in New York, on May 18, 2021. (Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)

That is not dignity. That is disgusting, he said. And thats not who we are as a city.

In addition to the tens of thousands of people who sleep in the citys shelter systems, there are uncounted thousands of people sleeping on the citys streets and sometimes subway stations and trains.

Adams announced last month he was injecting more police officers into the system, not only having officers riding trains but having other neighborhood patrol officers spend more time in stations and on platforms.

The crackdown was spurred by a string of violent incidents in the transit network, including the death of a woman who was pushed to her death in front of a train in January and a fresh incident Thursday afternoon, when a man breakdancing on a train was wounded when he was stabbed twice by another man who then fled.

In the case of the fatal shoving of Michelle Alyssa Go, police said the suspect, Martial Simon, was homeless and had a history of emotionally disturbed encounters.

Adams encountered incidents himself on his first day as mayor, when he witnessed a fight and at least one person sleeping on a train as he made a point of commuting on the subway to City Hall.

Who wants to start their day that way? Of that level of despair thats right in front of them? the mayor said Friday when reflecting on his first day.

Police statistics show major felonies in the subways have dropped over the last two years, but the numbers are difficult to compare with ridership numbers having dropped as well.

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said starting next week, the police departments officers will be joined by mental health workers in the subways. The teams will focus on high-traffic areas or areas where there have been increased reports of crime.

Trained people will look to assist those in need. We will enforce transit rules when necessary, but this is about helping people, she said.

By Michelle L. Price
A mounted police unit lines up behind public order units on foot to clear protesters in Ottawa on Feb. 18, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Watchdog to Investigate Reported Serious Injury After Mounted Police Knock Down Protesters in Ottawa

An Ontario police oversight agency said it is investigating two cases of police operations during the protest against COVID-19 mandates in the nations capital on Feb. 18 and 19, including one incident where a civilian was seriously injured.

In a news release issued Feb. 20, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said a 49-year-old woman has a reported serious injury following an interaction with a Toronto Police Service officer on a horse at roughly 5:14 p.m. on Feb. 18 on Rideau Street and Mackenzie Avenue in Ottawa.

Police advanced on protesters on Feb. 18, in some cases knocking people down. Videos circulating on social media show police on horseback riding through a crowd of protesters, and as onlookers scream, two people are seen getting knocked to the ground by the horses, including a woman with a walker. A man can be heard in the video saying, They just trampled that lady.

The OPS had initially said on Feb. 18 that it wasnt aware of any injuries after the incident.

We hear your concern for people on the ground after the horses dispersed a crowd. Anyone who fell got up and walked away. Were unaware of any injuries. A bicycle was thrown at the horse further down the line and caused the horse to trip. The horse was uninjured, the OPS said on Feb. 18.

The SIU said it is also investigating an incident involving officers of the Vancouver Police Department, who discharged Anti-Riot Weapon Enfields (less-lethal firearms) at individuals in the area of Sparks Street and Bank Street in downtown Ottawa at around 7:18 p.m. on Feb. 19. No injuries have been reported at this time, said the SIU, a civilian agency thats independent of any police service, regarding this second incident.

The agency said six investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to these cases.

In response, the OPS said in a post on Twitter on Feb. 20 that we respect the oversight process and will always fully cooperate.

The incidents came after police escalated their operation against the protesters in Ottawa on Feb. 18, making over 100 arrests on that day and towing over 20 vehicles. Mounted police and officers on foot advanced on the protesters, while horses knocked down protesters in some instances.

The demonstrations began with a protest by truckers opposed to the federal governments vaccine mandate requiring truck drivers crossing back into Canada from the United States to be fully vaccinated if they wish to avoid a 14-day quarantine upon re-entry. It soon grew to become a national movementand then a worldwide phenomenonas large convoys of trucks converged in Ottawa to stage a protest on Jan. 29, with many supporters from around the world joining in to call for an end to all COVID-19 mandates and restrictions.

On Feb. 20, the OPS threatened that police will actively look to identify anyone participating in the protest in Ottawa and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges.

If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges. #ottawa #ottnews pic.twitter.com/Ic6Q9byfvY  Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 20, 2022

At a press conference in the afternoon on Feb. 20, the OPS said the federal governments Emergencies Act has helped it to successfully carry out its operations.

In another Twitter post on Feb. 20, the OPS said 191 arrests have been made and 79 vehicles have been towed.

Editors note: This article was updated to add more details about the incidents.
Former U.S. Attorney John Durham in 2018. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)

People Need to Go to Jail After Latest John Durham Filing: Senator

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on Feb. 20 that Republicans and former President Donald Trump will ultimately be proven correct regarding their repeated claims that Obama administration officials spied on Trump.

You and I both remember when President Trump said the Democrats are spying on me,' Cruz told host Bill Hemmer on Fox News Sunday. And the corporate media collectively laughed at him. They mocked him. They said what a ridiculous claim for him to make. Well, if what special counsel [John] Durham is alleging is true, what Donald Trump said was absolutely right.

Cruz was responding to questions relating to recent court filings made by Durham in the case against Michael Sussmann, a former Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee attorney who was charged in 2021 with making false statements to the FBI when he met with then-General Counsel James Baker in late 2016.

A motion filed earlier in February by Durham and his team connected Sussmann to a technology executive who was allegedly gathering information from servers connected to Trumps residences and his office when he was president.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, speaks during a hearing to examine U.S.Russia policy at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Dec. 7, 2021. (Alex Brandon/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Republicans and Trump said the filing suggests that the Democrats and former intelligence officials were spying on Trump. The former commander-in-chief also said the court documents vindicated his longtime claims that he was the subject of a widespread and unfair witch hunt designed to weaken his presidency and reelection campaign.

Durhams latest allegations are deeply disturbing and warrant further investigation, according to Cruz.

If this is true, its a lot bigger than Watergate, he said, referring to the scandal that ensnared President Richard Nixon before his ultimate resignation from office. That was a bungled third-rate burglary. It was wrong. People went to jail for Watergate, and people need to go to jail for this if these allegations are true.

Sussmanns attorneys filed a motion on Feb. 17 that accused Durham of attempting to create negative sentiment among the public with the court filings, which they said contained false allegations. They filed a motion late last week to dismiss Durhams indictment, which the special prosecutor rejected in a court filing that was filed in response to Sussmanns.

In response to Durhams motion and Republicans claims, Hillary Clinton wrote on Twitter that Trump and Fox are trying to intentionally distort the court filing to create a fake scandal to distract from his real ones. In a public event several days later, Clinton also suggested that she might file a defamation lawsuit against Fox News.
A general view of the Centers for Disease Control headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., on April 23, 2020. (Tami Chappell/AFP via Getty Images)

People With Weak Immune Systems Should Get 4 COVID-19 Shots Within Months: CDC

People with weakened immune systems are now advised to get four shots of a COVID-19 vaccine in a time period that may be as short as 140 days.

The updated recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised get a primary series of Moderna or Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine and an additional dose as early as 28 days after the second dose.

A second booster shot is now recommended as soon as three months after the third dose.

If a person with a weakened immune system follows the advised vaccination schedule closely, they would end up with four shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in less than six months.

For recipients in the population who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, the updated guidance says they should get a second dose at least 28 days after their vaccination, and a third dose as soon as two months later, with no fourth dose advised, at least currently. These people are advised to get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for their additional doses.

Some institutions, including the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, have already begun allowing immunocompromised people to get booster doses based on the new schedule.

Moderately and severely immunocompromised people include those receiving treatment for tumor malignancies, those with certain immunodeficiencies such as DiGeorge syndrome, and those with advanced or untreated human immunodeficiency virus.

Immunocompromised, including those not covered by the updated guidance, make up about 2.7 percent of the U.S. adult population.

The guidance is for all Americans 12 and older.

Most people in the United States are currently told to get a primary series of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine and a single booster, but the immunocompromised population was advised to get four shots in the fall of 2021 because their immune systems respond poorly to the initial regimen. Until the new change, though, CDC officials said the population should receive the second booster at least five months after the first.

Narrowing the window of time for the extra doses can bolster the protection they offer, CDC officials recently explained to the agencys vaccine advisory committee.

A person is injected with Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine in Dallas, in a file image. (LM Otero/AP Photo)

The rationale for this decision was out of an abundance of caution to help this population that may not be as well protected get their booster dose sooner, particularly with concerns about initial immune response, loss of protection over time, and high community transmission due to the Omicron variant, Elisha Hall, a health education specialist at the CDC, told the panel.

Omicron is a variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. Vaccine effectiveness wanes over time against both infection and hospitalization, according to research, including a CDC-backed study.

Panel members informally backed the change.

In the past two months, Ive seen many of these immunocompromised patients, who had followed all the rules, still have significant breakthrough infections. And I really think that this will help dramatically, said Dr. Camille Kotton, a clinical director and infectious-disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

The fourth dose can be the same as the initial doses. People can also switch from Moderna to Pfizer or vice versa if they choose.

A second booster could ultimately be advised for all Americans, Biden administration officials have indicated.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Bidens chief medical adviser, noted at a briefing on Feb. 16 that the potential future requirement for an additional boost  is being very carefully monitored in real time, adding that, recommendations, if needed, will be updated according to the data as it evolves.

A CDC spokesperson, meanwhile, indicated in an email to The Epoch Times that a proposal outlined at the recent meeting by the agencywidening the interval between the first and second doses for the general population, which some other countries have done to address the elevated risk of heart inflammation after vaccinationmay become formal guidance in the future.

The timing remains unclear for when that may happen.

Males up to 49 and females between 18 and 29 have a higher than expected rate of heart inflammation after getting two shots of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, and some experts have been urging the U.S. government for months to support a wider interval between the initial doses.

The current interval is 21 days for Pfizers regimen and 28 days for Modernas regimen.

Canadian officials told the panel that theyve seen lower rates of heart inflammation after widening the interval.

I think in many ways its a win-win, its not only the reduction of adverse events, but its also the improvement in immunogenicity, said Dr. Helen Talbot, a panel member, referring to data that suggests spreading out the doses provokes a better immune response. As we approach these new variants, the higher the antibodies and the more diverse these antibodies are, the better protected people will be.
Portland police respond to a shooting in the area of Normandale Park in Northeast Portland, Ore., on Feb. 19, 2022. (Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian via AP)

Police: 1 Killed, 5 Hurt in Park Shooting in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore.One person was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting Saturday night at a Portland park.

The shooting at Normandale Park happened during a confrontation between an armed homeowner and armed protesters, according to the Portland Police Bureau. Responding officers found one woman dead, and two men and three other women were taken to the hospital.

Their conditions have not been released, and police have not named anyone involved in the shooting.

The scene was extremely chaotic, and a number of witnesses were uncooperative with responding officers, the police department said in a statement released Sunday. Most people on scene left without talking to police.  This is a very complicated incident, and investigators are trying to put this puzzle together without having all the pieces.

Lt. Nathan Sheppard, a spokesman for the department, said during a virtual news conference Sunday that it would be irresponsible to say if anyone had been arrested. He did not explain why when pressed by reporters, and he did not provide any other details about the circumstances of the shooting.

Social media flyers show that at the same time as the shooting, a march was planned for Amir Locke, a black man who was fatally shot by police in Minneapolis, KOIN-TV reported.

The number of homicides in Portland last year surpassed more populous cities such as San Francisco and Bostonand was more than double the number of slayings in its larger Pacific Northwest neighbor Seattle.
A police vehicle is seen parkned near a statue of Father Junipero Serra in front of the San Gabriel Mission in San Gabriel, California, on June 21, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Police Arrest 494 People in California in Week-Long Joint Human Trafficking Sting Operation

Nearly 500 people have been arrested in California in a human trafficking sting operation that took place ahead of the Super Bowl, authorities announced on Feb. 15.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva shared the results of the week-long campaign, dubbed Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, in a press conference, stating that the statewide operation had met with positive results.

Villanueva said the operation was conducted by the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force and more than 80 participating federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and task forces from across the state.

These included officers from Long Beach, San Bernardino County, and San Francisco, among others.

This is the seventh year Operation Reclaim and Rebuild has been conducted, officials said.

The sting operation took place between Feb. 6 and Feb. 12 and focused on rescuing victims of sexual slavery and human trafficking, providing victims with much-needed services, identifying and arresting their captors, seeking successful prosecutions, and disrupting the demand for vulnerable victims by targeting their customers, police said.

Police agencies and other trafficking task forces throughout our state joined in the enforcement operation to send the clear message that California law enforcement shares a unified mandate: Human trafficking must not be tolerated in our state! officials said.

Villanueva said that a total of 65 adults and seven minor victims were recovered in the sting operation and are now being cared for by professionals from various Department of Children and Family Services agencies as well as by victim service providers in each county.

Official data show that a total of 82 people were rescued over the week-long operation.

Police arrested 182 males for the charge of solicitation, and 30 suspected traffickers and exploiters were arrested, Villanueva said.

Official data show that police arrested a total of 494 people, of which 192 were in Los Angeles alone. Charges ranged from human trafficking, pimping, pandering, and supervising prostitution, among others.

The sting operation came as advocates and hospitality agencies were on high alert ahead of the Super Bowl, which officials have said attracts human traffickers due to the high influx of visitors.

According to the organization Its a Penalty, 47 traffickers were arrested, and 22 victims were identified during the Miami 2020 Super Bowl. At that event, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received an increase of 163 percent in calls compared with the previous Super Bowl.

In the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta, the FBI arrested 169 people involved in trafficking schemes and received an increase of 23.6 percent more calls compared to the 2018 Super Bowl.

According to the International Labour Organization, 24.9 million people are trapped in human trafficking and exploitation around the world, with women and girls accounting for 99 percent of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58 percent in other sectors.

President Joe Biden has pledged to prosecute human traffickers and bring an end to trafficking in the United States and around the world.

In December, the White House released an updated National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, with a new focus on advancing gender and racial equity as well as workers rights.

The plan links anti-trafficking initiatives to our wider efforts to counter illicit financing; advance gender and racial equity; expand the rights and dignity of working people; and promote safe, orderly, and humane migration, the White House said.
Portland police respond to a shooting in the area of Normandale Park in Portland, Ore., on Feb. 19, 2022. (Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian via AP)

Portland Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 5 Wounded Amid Reports Antifa Is Involved

A Feb. 19 shooting in Portland, Oregon, that left one person dead and five injured started with a confrontation between armed protesters and an armed homeowner, police said on Feb. 20, while there were reports alleging that members of Antifa were involved.

According to a statement from the Portland Police Bureau, officers responded to a call near Northeast 55th Avenue and Hassalo Street in the Rose Park neighborhood at 8 p.m. local time and found a woman who had been shot and killed.

The scene was extremely chaotic, and a number of witnesses were uncooperative with responding officers, the statement reads. Most people on scene left without talking to police. Detectives believe a large number of people either witnessed what happened or recorded the incident as it unfolded. This is a very complicated incident, and investigators are trying to put this puzzle together without having all the pieces.

Three women and two men who were injured in the incident were taken to nearby hospitals, according to officials.

Local media outlets reported that people were gathered in the area to protest the death of 22-year-old Amir Locke, who was shot and killed earlier in February in Minneapolis.

Mayor Ted Wheeler wrote in a Feb. 20 Twitter post that many details remained unclear.

We do know one thing for sureour community is dealing with the sadness of another senseless act of gun violence, Wheeler wrote.

Journalist Andy Ngo, who has been documenting leftist rioters and Antifa throughout the United States, claimed on Twitter that the shooting occurred when armed Antifa groups were gathering for a direct action. While Portland authorities didnt say whether the anarcho-communist group was involved, Ngo and others posted videos and photos showing individuals on the scene dressed in black bloc-style garb, which is typically employed by Antifa.

In recent years, Portland has become a magnet for riots and leftist demonstrators, which came to a boiling point during the summer of 2020. Like many other big U.S. cities, Portland has seen a significant spike in murders and shootings over the past two years, a phenomenon that police groups have said is triggered by a rise in anti-police sentiment and lax enforcement of laws by Portlands district attorney.

The Portland Police Bureau said authorities didnt provide any information about a motive or who might be responsible.

If anyone has information about this case, please contact Detective Scott Broughton at Scott.Broughton@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-3774 or Detective Rico Beniga at Rico.Beniga@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0457. The case number is 22-47502, Portland police stated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council in Moscow on Feb. 21, 2022. (Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin Recognizes Independence of Ukraine Separatist Regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 21 said that Russia recognizes the independence of the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, which some Western officials say will give Moscow the pretext to send in troops.

Putin, in a lengthy speech, said he will immediately recognize the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics. On Feb. 21, the leaders of the two areas, which make up much of the Donbas, requested that Putin recognize their independence from Ukraine.

Before, in his speech, Putin suggested that Ukraine isnt a real country and believes that its ancient Russian lands. The modern Ukrainian state, he alleged, was created by Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin, who ultimately separated Ukraine from the imperial Russian empire.

Ukraine is not just a neighboring country for us, Ukraine is a part of our cultural space, Putin said, suggesting that the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union caused Russia to be robbed of Ukraine. Now Ukraine is a U.S. colony with a puppet regime in charge, he said.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in response, said Putins declaration that he recognizes the two regions as independent is a breach of international law.

Plainly what has happened is extremely bad news.  We will be talking to our allies urgently, Johnson told reporters at a Feb. 21 news conference.

The European Unions top diplomat, Josep Borrell, called on Moscow not to make the decision and argued that it could be a precursor for Russia to annex the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

If there is annexation, there will be sanctions, and if there is recognition, I will put the sanctions on the table and the ministers will decide, Borrell said.

Hours before his announcement, Putin convened his Security Council to consider whether to approve requests by Russian-backed forces in Donetsk and Luhansk to recognize their sovereignty.

Dmitry Medvedev, the councils deputy chairman, told the meeting it was obvious Ukraine didnt need the two regions, and that a majority of Russians would support their independence. Russia already offers passports to residents of the two regions, and Medvedev said there were now 800,000 Russian citizens there.

Both separatist-controlled areas are on the border with Russia in eastern Ukraine. Theyre described by separatist leaders as the Donetsk Peoples Republic and the Luhansk Peoples Republic.

Russias Duma passed the appeals from the leaders to Putin earlier this month.

At the time, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Kremlin approval of the requests would amount to the Russian governments wholesale rejection of its commitments under the Minsk agreements, which outline the process for the full political, social, and economic reintegration of those parts of Ukraines Donbas region controlled by Russia-led forces and political proxies since 2014.

Ukrainian service members on the front line near the city of Novoluhanske in the Donetsk region, Ukraine on Feb. 20, 2022. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

Blinken said approval would undermine Ukraines sovereignty, violate international law, and call into question Russias motives.

U.S. officials have said for weeks that Russia was on the brink of or had already decided to invade Ukraine, but no invasion has thus far taken place.

Russian officials have said they dont plan to invade Ukraine as Western officials have accused them of massing more than 100,000 troops near the border with their neighbor. Purported video footage shot near the UkraineRussia border areas have shown large columns of tanks, artillery, and troops in recent weeks.

We have our legitimate right to have our troops where we want on Russian territory, Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the United States, said in a CBS News broadcast. And I would like to say you that we are not a threaten [sic] to anybody.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Feb. 21 wrote on Twitter that everyone should calmly focus on de-escalation efforts despite emotionally charged rhetoric.

Putin may meet with U.S. President Joe Biden after Blinken convenes with his counterpart on Feb. 24, according to the White House, but Russia has described it as premature to discuss the potential meeting.

U.S. officials say the meetings wont be held if Russia invades Ukraine. Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, said they have to be involved in negotiations.

No one can resolve our issue without us, top security official Oleksiy Danilov told a briefing on Feb. 21.

In Washington, Biden summoned his top security advisers. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, could be seen entering the White House on the Presidents Day holiday, according to Reuters.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Zachary Stieber Reporter Follow Zachary Stieber covers U.S. and world news. He is based in Maryland.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. Russia's Putin has recognized the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, raising tensions with West. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Putin Orders Russian Troops Into Ukraine Breakaway Regions

After Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will recognize the breakaway Ukrainian Donetsk and Lugansk regions as independent, he signed a decree on Monday ordering Russian military troops into the area.

According to a decree issued by the Kremlin and signed by Putin, the Russian Defense Ministry is now authorized to send troops into the Donbas area in eastern Ukraine to maintain peace. He also told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish diplomatic relations with both Donetsk and Lugansk, reported Russian state-run media.

It was not immediately clear whether the Russian military had yet entered the two breakaway regions. Also unclear is the size of the force Putin would be dispatching, when they would cross the border, and exactly what their mission would be.

Earlier on Monday, Putin gave a lengthy televised speech from his office in which he claimed Ukraine is an integral part of Russias history. The Soviet Union under Vladimir Lenin created the modern Ukrainian state and separated it from Russia, he further said, while adding that he believes Ukraine is seeking to create nuclear weapons that will threaten Moscow.

Ukraine has never had traditions of its own statehood, the Russian president said, describing the eastern part as ancient Russian lands.

Russia has always tried to resolve all conflicts by peaceful means. Nevertheless, the Kyiv authorities conducted two punitive operations in these territories [Donetsk and Lugansk], and it seems that we are now witnessing an escalation for the third time, Putin said, without providing specifics.

Russian state television showed Putin, joined by Russia-backed separatist leaders, signing a decree recognizing the independence of the two Ukrainian breakaway regions along with agreements on cooperation and friendship.

I deem it necessary to make a decision that should have been made a long time ago  to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk Peoples Republic and the Luhansk Peoples Republic, Putin said in conclusion.

Ukrainian Military Forces servicemen attend a military drill with Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) Swedish-British anti-aircraft missile launchers at the firing ground of the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security, near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Jan. 28, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images)

After his speech and decree, Western leaders described the move as illegal and a sign that Russia will invade Ukraine in the near future. Officials have said that between 100,000 and 190,000 Russian troops are stationed along its border with Ukraine, while videos uploaded on social media for weeks have shown heavy Russian weapons, tanks, and artillery being deployed in the region.

In response, the Biden administration levied limited sanctions against certain Russian individuals, according to a statement from the White House. Other Western leaders claimed Putins speech and decree as an escalation in the weekslong crisis.

The White House said President Joe Biden will soon issue an executive order that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in Donetsk and Luhansk.

This action will also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Monday. The administration, she continued, will also soon announce additional measures related to todays blatant violation of Russias international commitments.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putins decree requires a swift and firm response and that the United States will take appropriate measures in the near future.

The European Union, too, announced that it would issue sanctions against individuals involved in this illegal act of recognizing the two Ukrainian regions independence.

Reuters contributed to this report.
The Montreal Police logo is seen on a police car in Montreal on July 8, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson)

Quebec Police Investigating Deaths of Two Couples in Separate Incidents

MONTREALPolice in Laval, Que., are investigating the deaths of a man and a woman in their 70s.

Police in the Montreal suburb say the couples son called 911 shortly after 7:30 p.m. Saturday, after finding the bodies of his parents in their home.

Police spokeswoman Const. Stephanie Beshara says police believe the deaths may have been a homicide followed by a suicide. She says an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of the deaths.

The names of the couple, a 71-year-old woman and a 75-year old man, have not yet been released.

Meanwhile provincial police say they are investigating a separate incident in Dunham, Que., around 100 km south-east of Montreal, in which another couple was found dead in their home late Friday afternoon.

Spokeswoman Sgt. Marythe Bolduc says investigators believe the deaths of Patrizia Rao, 59, and Frederic-Lynn Blair, 62, Friday were the result of a homicide followed by a suicide.
Russian marines take position during RussiaBelarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, in a photo provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Feb. 19, 2022. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Russia Creating Lists of Ukrainians to Be Killed or Sent to Camps After Military Invasion: UN Diplomat

Russia is creating a hit list of Ukrainians that are to be killed or sent to camps ahead of a possible invasion, the U.S. representative to the United Nations European office has warned.

Bathsheba Nell Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the Office of the U.N. and Other International Organizations in Geneva, made the assertions in a letter to U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

The letter was obtained by The Washington Post and published on Feb. 20.

We are deeply concerned about Russias continuing human rights abuses in the parts of Ukraine it already occupies and have every reason to believe those concerns will multiply following a new military offensive, Crocker wrote in the letter.

Crocker pointed to information that has been recently obtained by the United States that indicates that human rights violations and abuses in the aftermath of a further invasion are being planned.

Specifically, we have credible information that indicates Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation, Crocker wrote. We also have credible information that Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations.

Crocker said such human rights violations and abuses would likely target those who oppose Russian actions, including Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons.

She said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised the matter with the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 17. The United States also raised concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putins plans during a debate at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Dec. 15, Crocker said.

Spokespersons for the U.N. and the Press Office and Information Department of the Russian government didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

Crockers letter comes as the U.S. embassy in Moscow has warned Americans of potential terrorist attacks at public places in the country amid ongoing tension along the border with Ukraine.

In a security alert issued on Feb. 20, the embassy said there have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine.

Officials cited anonymous media sources for the alleged threats of attacks, as Western officials have been warning for weeks that Russia could invade Ukraine any day now.

Russia has amassed up to 190,000 troops as well as heavy weapons near Ukraines borders, while simultaneously asking the United States and its allies to deny Ukraine and other former Soviet-bloc nations membership into NATO.

However, Putin denies that he has plans to invade Ukraine.

The nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch has warned that journalists and those who work in the media in eastern Ukraine continue to face harassment and threats connected to their reporting.
Nina Shea at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at The Kennedy Center Opera House on Feb. 18, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

WASHINGTON, D.C.Nina Shea, a senior fellow and director of the Hudson Institutes Center for Religious Freedom, said Shen Yun was a divine and inspired performance featuring the manifestation of the beauty within the human soul.

She enjoyed Shen Yun at The Kennedy Center on Feb. 18, seated in a full house.

It opened my eyes to the beauty and grace and joy of China for thousands of years before the communist party took over.  Nina Shea

The show is spectacular, Ms. Shea said. It opened my eyes to the beauty and grace and joy of China for thousands of years before the communist party took over.

The Shen Yun performance was Ms. Sheas first large gathering in two years. She said she was initially hesitant. However, it was worth the risk, she said because It was just the most joyful evening Ive had in several years; it was a dazzling performance.

Shen Yun is dedicated to reviving traditional Chinese culture, the New York-based company also raises awareness about current issues in China.

I am glad that the performance included a glimpse of some of the horror thats going on now in China. I think thats important for the world to see, she said.

[The performance] is full of faith, and its based on really universal principles of truth and compassion, and I think that this is what the communist party cannot live with, she added.

Due to Shen Yuns exposing the human rights atrocities of the Chinese Communist Party and the Shen Yun artists beliefs of Falun Dafa, the company is unable to perform in China.

Its such a positive influence on society, Ms. Shea said of the performance. Its unimaginable that some government would feel threatened by it or ban it [or] would not want their society to be exposed to it. It has positive force.

Ms. Shea also applauded Shen Yuns highlighting the different ethnicities of China. Chinese dynasties were ruled by ethnic minorities like the Mongolians and Manchurians, China also has many other ethnic groups like the Miao or Yi.

They honor the various ethnic groups with their folk dances and their ethnic dances, she said. They are preserving and educating us in the West because I have not had any exposure to that before.

I highly recommend [Shen Yun]. It was a dazzling performance, invigorating and uplifting.

Reporting by Terri Wu and Maria Han.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
A Georgia mom who thought she was preparing for her second baby got the shock of her life when an eight-week ultrasound revealed rare, naturally-conceived quadruplets. The quads, born at 28 weeks, are now 5 months old and thriving.

Madison Collier of Marietta reflected, I never thought itd be me, but I really love it.

The 34-year-old teacher said she was not on any fertility treatments and has no history of multiples in her family, so it was definitely the shock of a lifetime.

Thinking her eight-week scan was just a routine appointment, Madison attended it all alone, unaware that she was going to get a huge surprise.

She told The Epoch Times: I freaked out, started hyperventilating in the office, and ended up calling Justin [Madisons husband]. He was very, very shocked, I ended up sending him a picture because it was just so crazy.

The couple, who met in high school, then broke the news to their 4-year-old daughter, Isla.

She said, Do we have a plan for four babies?' said Madison, and Justin told her No, we dont. She was like, Well, well always have somebody to play with!'

Naturally-conceived quadruplets are as rare as 1 in 700,000, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Madison recalls her pregnancy with the quads as healthy, albeit painful, owing to the rate at which her body was stretched to accommodate four growing babies.

The quads then gave a surprise to their parents by making their fast and furious entry into the world at 28 weeks on Sept. 3, 2021, almost three months ahead of their due date of Nov. 26.

Feeling a tightness after returning home from work, Madison headed to Northside Hospital in Atlanta with her husband, where doctors confirmed she was in labor. Efforts to subdue her contractions, however, didnt work.

Babies Callaway, Eliza, Iris, and Wilderweighing between 2 pounds 5 ounces and 2 pounds 10 ounces (approx. 1.041.19 kg)were born within minutes of one another. They were then placed on oxygen and feeding tubes in the NICU to help them gain strength.

The Colliers have not yet had testing done to confirm whether the babies are identical.

The girls, to me, look really similar, said Madison; the boys, now that Im getting to know them, seem a little different. Its possible that theyre all fraternal, but again, it could have been the early split of an egg which still could result in identical twins.

During the quads stay in the NICU, Madison and Justin visited daily.

At first we couldnt really hold them, but it was quickly that we were able, said Madison. After a while, we were able to start helping with changing and feeding, and then they came off oxygen and it was really great.

Callaway had the hardest time, she recalled, yet all babies came home within three days of one another, after a little over two months in the hospital.

After being discharged from the hospital, the logistics of caring for four newborns at once hit home for the Colliers.

Dressing and undressing, diaper changes, bath time, and making bottles dominated their scheduleeverything takes a long time, said Madisonand three-hourly day feeds, lasting an hour each, disrupted the parents sleep routine, allowing them to sleep for only two hours in a row, which, according to Madison, was really exhausting.

However, at the time of writing, Madison claims the quads sleep around five hours straight per night, take naps, and are pretty much normal babies.

As to how effectively they manage their time while working and caring for their babies, Madison reveals that Justin, a marketing consultant who works from home, watches the babies while Madison works part time in the mornings, and sitters help a few times per week.

Our life is different, but weve adjusted, Madison reflected. We kind of have a system down; I figured wed get there, and we did.

The one residual shock for the Colliers is the expense of caring for a five-children family. To help with it, they started a GoFundMe page, and have also received support from their Marietta community, including a diaper drive from Islas preschool, a family van from Beaver Toyota, and six months of their mortgage paid off by local radio station The Fish.

That was a huge blessing, said Madison.

The proud mom claims her babies, now 5 months old, are all very sweet and are developing unique personalities: Iris is the laid-back one, Wilder lets his parents know what he needs, Eliza loves to eat, and Callaway is relaxed and smiles a lot.

Meanwhile, Isla has taken to her role as big sister like a duck to water, and is almost like a teacher to her siblings, said her mother. She reads and plays with them. Additionally, she also helps with their bottles, picking their clothes, and holding them.

Were really blessed, theyre very good babies, said Madison. Its not something we ever expected, but its wonderful, and now that we have them, we obviously love them dearly and couldnt imagine a life without them.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Bright newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Southern California Man Arrested 3 Times in 16 Hours

A man was arrested three times within a span of 16 hours in Glendale, California, for various reasons.

It all started around 3 a.m. on Feb. 13 when police officers saw 47-year-old James Langdon of Los Angeles pacing in a parking lot. The officers watched Langdon run out of the parking lot and then through a crosswalk against a solid Dont Walk signal, according to a press release by the Glendale Police Department (GPD).

The officers pursued Langdon on foot for the violation, and Langdon responded by running from the officers. Eventually the officers caught up, and after a brief struggle they managed to detain Langdon for the violation and arrested him on suspicion of obstruction.

Before he was booked, Langdon requested medical attention and was sent to a hospital. The officers then issued him a notice to appear in court on a future date, and he was released from police custody at the hospital.

Not even three hours later, around 9:30 a.m., the GPD was notified of a man trespassing at a business. This again was Langdon. It was determined that he had entered the business and an employee had discovered him trying to get into a closed-off area with a screwdriver.

Langdon was booked for trespassing but was let go within three hours due to Los Angeles Countys emergency Zero Dollar bail order. Police released him with a notice to appear in court on a future date.

Then, just prior to 7:00 p.m., the GPD responded to a call about a burglary at an apartment complex. Some residents had come home to find their door open and some items displaced, and they could hear a man yelling inside their unit.

When police arrived, they spotted Langdon inside the complex, wandering the halls.

Once Langdon saw the officers, he ran back inside the victims unoccupied apartment and locked the door. After the police tried to negotiate with him a few times, Langdon eventually voluntarily exited the unit and turned himself in.

After some investigation, authorities determined that Langdon had caused around $6,000 in damages to the victims apartment. Langdon is being kept in custody for burglary and felony vandalism with bail set at $150,000.
Nurse Stefanie Bresnik and other health workers attend a protest against a mandate for health workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Duesseldorf, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2022. (Max Brugger/Reuters)

Staff Shortage Concerns Challenge Germanys Vaccine Mandate

BERLINFrank Vogel, a 64-year-old local politician from the eastern German Erzgebirge region, has been scrambling to find ways to keep nursing homes open when a vaccine mandate for health care workers takes effect next month.

His region near the Czech border has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Germany. With only 57 percent of health care workers there having received two shots against the coronavirus, implementing the mandate would result in staff shortages that would force facilities to shut down.

In the end, you have the question: How do you then deal with the people being cared for in these facilities? Vogel told Reuters.

Requiring health care staff to get vaccinated by March 15 is the first step in the new governments plan to make shots compulsory for all adults.

But it has stirred concerns that thousands will be out of a job, leaving hospitals and nursing homes understaffed and overwhelming the health care system two years into the pandemic.

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced an easing of COVID-19 restrictions as a recent surge from the more infectious Omicron variant appeared to have passed its peak.

But he said a general vaccine mandate was still necessary to deal with possible new variants and a worsening situation in autumn and winter.

The debate in Germany highlights the difficulty in making vaccinations compulsory in the countrys federal system and is likely to undermine efforts to extend the rule to all adults.

Staff Shortages

Germany has a lower vaccination rate than many other western European nations at about 75 percent fully vaccinated. Around 92 percent of hospital workers have received two shots against the virus, a survey by the Robert Koch Institute showed.

People gather during a protest against a mandate for health workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Duesseldorf, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2022. (Max Brugger/Reuters)

Christine Vogler, head of the German Nursing Council (DPR), said the mandate would hit a sector already suffering staff shortages two years into the pandemic, with more than 200,000 nursing jobs currently unfilled.

I have a choice between unvaccinated caregivers and no care at all. This is a bad solution, she said.

Vogel and other district councilors in the eastern state of Saxony, which has Germanys lowest vaccination rate and where almost 30 percent of health care staff are unvaccinated, have begged federal and state health authorities to scrap the mandate which passed parliament in December.

But after a meeting of state health ministers last week, it looks likely to go ahead. All 16 states agreed to implement the law as long as they are allowed to find ways to avoid staff shortages.

For instance, facilities could use former nursing staff or people with no nursing training to give support in non-medical areas, a spokesperson for the health ministry said.

Even so, Eike Hennig, head of the medical office of the eastern city of Magdeburg, said he was skeptical about implementing the rule in a city in which around 900 health care workers, 10 percent of total staff, are still unvaccinated.

He suggested the next few weeks could be used to convince workers to be vaccinated with the newly approved Novavax vaccine, whose more traditional technology could win over some skeptics.

Feel Betrayed

However, the looming mandate, stressful work conditions particularly during the pandemic, and low pay, already appear to have prompted some to leave the profession.

Almost 23,000 health care workers have registered as job seekers in the past two months, up 60 percent year-on-year, data from the federal Labour Office showed.

We are currently registering resignations of nursing staff. They say I wont get involved in this situation from March 15, I will become unemployed. That cant be the goal, Hennig said.

Stefanie Bresnik, a 36-year-old nurse in the western city of Dusseldorf, said almost half of her colleagues are, like her, unvaccinated.

She said neither the mandate nor the Novavax vaccine would convince her to get a shot. On Saturday, she organized a protest along with other colleagues against the mandate in the city.

We feel  betrayed. So we were good enough to be exposed to this risk for these two years, and now we should get vaccinated and give up this self-determination right over our bodies? No! Bresnik said.

Some health care workers have sought to challenge the mandate but Germanys top court earlier this month rejected emergency petitions.

In my opinion, the solution at the moment is to drop the mandate and to see how the COVID pandemic develops, Vogel said.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks at a press conference on the border wall at the state capitol in Austin, Texas, on June 16, 2021. (Mei Zhong/The Epoch Times)

Texas Lieutenant Governor Seeks to End Tenure for College Professors Teaching CRT

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he would like to end tenure for new hires at Texass public universities and colleges and revoke tenure for professors who teach critical race theory (CRT).

What we will propose to do is end tenure, all tenure for all new hires, Patrick, a Republican, said at a Feb. 18 press conference.

In Texas, public universities currently review tenured professors on a six-year basis. Patrick said he would like to change that to once per year and that the law will change to say teaching critical race theory is prima facie evidence of good cause for tenure revocation.

We are not going to allow a handful of professors to teach critical race theory; we arent going to allow it to happen, he said. We will change the rules and have tenure reviewed annually.

The announcement is a response to a resolution overwhelmingly approved by the Faculty Council at the University of TexasAustin to affirm the fundamental rights of professors to teach about race, gender justice, and CRT. Patrick dismissed their academic freedom argument, saying that professors cant hide behind that concept to teach whats discriminatory in nature.

We didnt say you cant talk about race. We didnt say you cant teach about slavery. We didnt say that you ignore our history, Patrick said, referring to a series of anti-CRT measures approved by the Texas Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican.

While those measures didnt specifically mention CRT by name, they ban the teaching of ideas such as that individuals of a certain race are inherently racist.

What we said is that youre not going to teach a theory that says, Were going to judge you when you walk into the classroom about the color of your skin, that if youre white you were born a racist and thats normal, not an aberration, and youre an oppressor; and if youre a person of color, youre a victim,' Patrick said.

His comments came after he criticized UT Austin professors who supported the teaching of CRT, and he vowed to make sure public funds wouldnt be used to promote the Marxism-rooted ideology in college.

I will not stand by and let looney Marxist UT professors poison the minds of young students with Critical Race Theory. We banned it in publicly funded K12 and we will ban it in publicly funded higher ed, he wrote last week on Twitter.

An outgrowth of Marxism, CRT interprets society through a Marxist dichotomy between oppressor and oppressed, but replaces the class categories with racial groups. Proponents of CRT see deeply embedded racism in all aspects of U.S. society and demand the implementation of anti-racist policies, such as race-based redistribution of wealth and power along the perceived lines of racial inequity.
Taiwan soldiers stand next to the domestically produced corvette class vessel Tuo Chiang (R) during a drill at the northern city of Keelung on Jan. 7, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

The CCPs National Congress Will Work on Fully Occupying Taiwan: Chinese Scholar

As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is preparing for its 20th National Congress this fall, a Chinese scholar on Taiwan issues told Chinese state media that the 20th National Congress will further realize Chinas plan to fully occupy Taiwan under the guidance of the Partys overall strategy for resolving the Taiwan issue in the new era.

The scholar, Zhou Zhihuai, is the director of the Academic Committee of the Center for Taiwan and East Asian Studies at East China Normal University.

Zhou made the statement in an interview with China News Service on Jan. 19. He also said that the CCP should focus on eliminating interference from Taiwans ruling partythe Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)as well as from external forces, and should build a new mechanism to unilaterally resolve the Taiwan issue at its own pace. Zhou further predicted that in a unified state, the DPP will completely lose the opportunity to discuss reunification with the CCP.

Since Zhou is a member of a high-level think tank and considered by the CCP an expert on Taiwan issues, his statement aroused curiosity as to whether this was his merely personal opinion or whether he was sending a signal as a representative of the regime.

Propaganda War

Tang Jingyuan, a senior China affairs commentator based in the United States, told The Epoch Times that on the surface, Zhous statement appears to be his own opinion since he conveyed it through a dialogue with the reporter. However, the seminar was widely reported by Chinas state-run media, including news outlets under the CCPs United Front.

It means that his statement represents the authorities attitude, and it was released as a test to see what responses it would incur, Tang said.

In November last year, the CCP passed its third Historical Resolution at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee, putting forward Xi Jinpings Overall Strategy for resolving the Taiwan issue in the new era. A few days later, Zhu Fenglian, Chinas spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, interpreted the resolution, saying it means Beijing has a firm grip on the cross-strait relations in terms of both dominance and preemptiveness.

According to Tang, Zhous so-called new mechanism is based on Xis Overall Strategy, and Chinese authorities are now releasing it to test the reaction from the outside world. If Xi secures re-election at the 20th National Congress, similar approaches will continue to take place as part of the CCPs efforts to legitimize its occupation of Taiwan. The CCP is basically conducting a propaganda war in the international community to reshape public opinion.

The so-called mechanism to unilaterally resolve the Taiwan issue amounts to abandoning the cross-strait negotiation mechanism, Tang said.

The CCP will no longer consider negotiation and dialogues, but do things as it pleases while completely ignoring the other partys attitude, Tang said. It could be a full-scale armed invasion, or a complete blockade of Taiwan by soft military means, or supporting the pro-CCP forces inside Taiwan to carry out separatist actions, deliberately causing social unrest, and then using it as an excuse to send over troops, etc.

Tang further pointed out that the CCP is already taking concrete action, as revealed by Wang Liqiang, a former CCP agent who fled to Australia. Before his defection, Wangs main task was to divide Taiwanese people and disrupt Taiwanese society.

Nine Principles Overturned

In 1981, Ye Jianying, then-chairman of the CCPs National Peoples Congress, proposed Nine Principles on how to handle Taiwan issues.

The first principle stipulated that Taiwans Kuomintang Party and the CCP may negotiate on an equal footing. The fifth principle said that Taiwanese politicians and representatives from all walks of life can serve as leaders of Chinas political bodies. And the ninth principle encouraged Taiwanese citizens to provide suggestions and engage in discussions on state affairs.

After publication of the Nine Principles, China and Taiwan opened the Three Links between the two sides, namely postal services, transportation, and trade, which was a great improvement from the previous hostility. In the decades that followed, cross-strait relations have been moving along in a complex and intertwined pattern.

Now, seeing Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement suppressed by the CCP, and Hong Kong rapidly becoming another ordinary Chinese city, Taiwanese politicians and citizens increasingly reject the CCP. The Chinese regime has carried out rounds of intensified propaganda campaigns, including threatening to take Taiwan by force, causing serious concerns around the world. The regime also blamed Taiwans Tsai Ing-wen administration for being a major reactionary and an enemy that challenges the goal of reunification.

Blaming Tsai for being anti-China and seeking independence is a typical example of a thief shouting catch the thief, Tang said.

Tang went on to explain that the CCP is ready to break the status quo in the Taiwan Strait for two main reasons.

One is that the CCP believes that Chinas economic and military strength have increased greatly in recent years, making it finally possible to counteract U.S. troops should the United States decide to engage its military to help Taiwan. Thats why Xi emphasized the need to achieve unification during his term.

Second is the CCPs mistaken belief that the West is declining while the East is rising. It has therefore begun to take a posture of active expansion to compete with the United States for the dominance of international order. Gaining control of the South China Sea is its first step. In order to accomplish that, taking over Taiwan has become essential.

Divide and Conquer

Additionally, Tang added that the CCP is good at dividing people, and its most common method is to divide groups of people based on class or political position, instigate fights among these groups, and then benefit from the fallout.

Tang pointed to Xi Jinpings Overall Strategy for resolving the Taiwan issue statement last year, where Xi mentioned five sets of keywords. The third phrase says: placing hope in the people of Taiwan and opposing Taiwan independence.

So the CCP will not only attack the Taiwan independence advocates and the anti-communist group, but will target people in the middle, who dont strongly support Taiwans independence, in the CCPs time-tested strategy of divide and conquer.

Tang further pointed out that, as a result of the CCPs escalating threats toward Taiwan, Taiwan has reinforced its partnership with other democratic countries. However, in its propaganda to the Chinese people, the CCP reversed the causal relationship of things and repeats that it must take back Taiwan because Taiwan is now partnering with the United States, Europe, and Japan.

This trend will only continue to accelerate, Tang said, because its not just an established policy of Xi, but also one of the conditions for him to achieve re-election.

Joyce Liang contributed to this article.
A security guard show the way to a man outside of the Davos Congress Centre under snow ahead of the opening of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2018 annual meeting, in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2018. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

The Next Step for the World Economic Forum

Commentary

It has been obvious since early 2020 that there has been an organized cult outreach that has permeated the world as a whole. Its possible that this formed out of a gigantic error, rooted in a sudden ignorance of cell biology and long experience of public health. It is also possible that a seasonal respiratory virus was deployed by some people as an opportunity to seize power for some other purpose.

Follow the money and influence trails and the latter conclusion is hard to dismiss.

The clues were there early. Even before the WHO declared a pandemic in March 2020 (at least several months behind the actual fact of a pandemic) and before any lockdowns, there were media blitzes talking about the New Normal and talk of the Great Reset (which was rebranded as Build Back Better).

Pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Astra-Zeneca were actively lobbying governments to buy their vaccines as early as February 2020, supposedly less than a month after the genetic sequence (or partial sequence) was made available by China.

As a person who spent his whole professional career in pharmaceutical and vaccine development, I found the whole concept of going from scratch to a ready-to-use vaccine in a few months simply preposterous.

Something did not add up.

I knew of the names with which everyone has become familiar. Bill Gates, Neil Ferguson, Jeremy Farrar, Anthony Fauci, and others had either been lobbying for or pursuing the lockdown strategies for many years. But still, the scope of the actions seemed too large to even be explained by those names alone.

So, the fundamental questions that I have been asking myself have been why and who? The Why seems to always come back to issues besides public health. Of course the Who had the obvious players such as the WHO, China, CDC, NIH/NIAID, and various governments but there seemed to be more behind it than that. These players have been connected to the public health aspect but that seemed to be only scratching the surface.

I am not an investigative journalist and I would never claim that role, but even I can do some simple internet searches and start to see patterns evolve. The searches that I have done have yielded some very interesting coincidences.

If I give you the names of the following peopleBiden, Trudeau, Ardern, Merkel, Macron, Draghi, Morrison, Xi Jinpingwhat do you think that they have in common? Yes, they are all pampered and stumble over themselves, but that is also not the connection.

One can see very quickly that these names certainly connect to lockdown countries and individuals who have ignored their own laws and/or tried in some way to usurp them. But, there is more to it than that and I will give a hint by providing a link with each name.

They are all associated with the World Economic Forum (WEF), a nonprofit private organization started (in 1971) and headed by Klaus You will own nothing and be happy Schwab and his family. This is a private organization that has no official bearing with any world governance body, despite the implication of the name. It could just as well have been called the Church of Schwabies. The WEF was the origin of the Great Reset and I would guess that it was the origin of Build Back Better (since most of the above names have used that term recently).

If you think that the WEF membership ends with just leaders of countries, here are a few more names:

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California

Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington State

Anthony Fauci, Director NIAID

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House

Allow me to introduce more of the WEF by giving a list of names for the Board of Trustees.

Al Gore, former WP of the U.S.

Mark Caney, U.N. Special Envoy for Climate Action

Shanmugaratnam, Seminar Minister Singapore

Christine Lagarde, President, European Central Bank

Ngozi Okonja-Iweala, Director General, WTO

Kristalian Georggieva, Managing Director, IMF

Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Minister of Canada

Laurence Fink, CEO, BlackRock

You can see a cross section of political and economic leaders on the board. The leader of the organization, that is the leader of the Board, is still Klaus Schwab. He has built an impressive array of followers.

If you want to really see the extent of influence, go to the website and pick out the corporate name of your choice; there are many to choose from: Abbott Laboratories, Astra-Zeneca, Biogen, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Serum Institute of India, BASF, Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Blackrock, CISCO, Dell, Google, Huawei, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Zoom, Yahoo, Amazon, Airbus, Boeing, Honda, Rakuten, Walmart, UPS, Coca-Cola, UBER, Bank of China. Bank of America. Deutsche Bank, State Bank of India, Royal Bank of Canada, Lloyds Banking, JP Morgan-Chase, Equifax, Goldman-Sachs, Hong Kong Exchanges, Bloomberg, VISA, New York Times, Ontario (Canada) Teachers Pension Plan

The extent of reach is huge even beyond the worldwide leader network. For example, we all know what Bill Gates has been doing with his wealth via the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). But, the Wellcome Trust is equal to the task. Who is the director of the Wellcome Trust? One named Jeremy Farrar, of the United Kingdom SAGE and lockdown famearguably the architect of the U.S.-UK lockdowns in 2020is closely associated with WEF.

Concerning the reach that can occur, let me give some examples from the BMGF alone, and it comes from the time that I spent in 2020 reading their extensive funding list.

A few years ago, the BMGF awarded the Institute for Health Metric Evaluation (IHME) a ten-year, almost $280 million award. IHME (associated with the University of Washington in Seattle) was at the forefront of the computer modeling that was driving the lockdowns and the nonpharmaceutical interventions during 2020. People have seen their name often in print or on MSNBC or CNN.

In 2019, IHME awarded the editor of the Lancet (Dr. Richard Horton) a $100,000 award and described him as an activist editor. The Lancet, once considered one of the best medical journals, has been at the forefront of censoring opposing scientific viewpoints since 2020 and publishing papers that were not fit to be published. I never could understand what it meant to be an activist editor in a respected scientific/medical journal because, stupid me, I always thought that the first job of the editor was to be impartial. I guess I learned in 2020 how wrong I was.

Of course, the Lancet is also heavily funded from pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer (also a member of the WEF).

But, the BMGF reach goes far beyond just IHME and these connections have been quite recognizable. Here are some examples of the organizations and moneys received during 2020 alone broken down by areas.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grants 2020

Bill Gates has also invested heavily in Moderna and his investments have paid out nicely for him. The BMGF has also given close to $100 million to the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

The questions now have to be asked:

Is this some beginning of a controlled authoritarian society intertwined via the WEF?

Has the Covid panic been staged to set the stage? Please note, I am not a Covid Denier since the virus is real. But, has a normal seasonal respiratory virus been used as an excuse to activate the web?

The next questions, for those of us who at least pretend to live in democratic societies, have to be:

Is this what you expected and/or want from the people you elect?

How many people knew of the associations of the people that they voted for? (I certainly did not know of the associations until I did the searches but maybe I am just out of touch.)

Can we anticipate their next moves? There may be some hints.

The Next Move

Jeremy Farrar of the Wellcome Trust recently wrote an article for the WEF with the CEO of Novo Nordisk Foundation, Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen. It is a summary of a larger piece written for and published by the Boston Consulting Group.

In this article, they propose that the way to fix the problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria is via a subscription service. That is, you pay a fee and when you need an antibiotic, presumably an effective one will be available for you.

My guess is that they have the same philosophy for vaccines and that certainly seems to be the approach with coronavirus. Keep paying for and taking boosters.

In view of this philosophy, the vaccine mandates make sense. Get society addicted to an intervention, effective or not, and then keep feeding them. This becomes especially effective if you can keep the fear going.

This approach is so shortsighted, from a scientific viewpoint, it astounds me. But, like much of recent history, I think science has little to do with it. The goal is not scientifically founded but control founded.

After the discovery of penicillin almost one century ago, there were scientists who warned that antibiotic usage should be considered very carefully in practice because evolutionary pressures would lead to antibiotic resistant species of bacteria. At that time, they were considered to be rogue scientists; after all, didnt we suddenly have a miracle cure for many deadly problems?

From the time of discovery, it took over a decade before fermentation methods were developed to produce sufficient quantities of antibiotics to be practical. These methods allowed for the use of penicillin on the battlefield towards the end of WWII and undoubtedly saved many lives then and later in subsequent wars (Korea and Vietnam) by preventing serious infections resulting from wounds sustained during battle.

However, it did not take long before the medical establishment was handing out antibiotics like candy. I experienced this myself when I was a child in the 1960s. It seemed like every time we went to the doctor, no matter what the problem, I was given a series (not just one) of injections of penicillin. There were never any attempts to determine if I had a virus, bacteria, or even an allergy. The answer was: in with the needle. I cannot count how many times I was jabbed as a child.

It didnt take long before resistance species started to appear. The result was that more and more money was pumped into R&D for antibiotics. When I was in graduate school during the 1980s, one sure way to get some NIH funding was to tie the research into the antibiotic search. Antibiotics became big business.

We now have several classes of antibiotics that are used for specific cases. We have Aminoglycosides (Streptomycin, Neomycin, etc.), Beta-Lactams Cephalosporins (four generations including Cefadroxil-G1, Cefaclor-G2, Cefotaxime-G3, Cefepime-G4 , Beta-Lactams Penicillins (including Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, and Penicillin), Other Beta-Lactams (Meropenem), Fluoroquinolones (Levofloxacin, Gemifloxicin, etc.), Macrolides (Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, etc.), Sulfonamides (Sulfisoxazole, etc.), Tetracyclines, and others such as Clindamycin and Vancomycin (typically reserved for resistant bacteria). All in all, physicians have over 50 different choices for antibiotics.

The most common place to encounter antibiotic resistant bacteria is in a hospital. Most people who get some sort of infection in the normal routine of life, like a sinus infection or skin infection, will not likely encounter an antibiotic resistant species.

Except there has been another source of the problem and that has been in the food supply. Antibiotics have become very popular with large scale meat production facilities of all types including beef, poultry, swine, and even fish. These include actual farms where the animals are raised as well as in the processing of the meat. The overuse of antibiotics in these industries has also produced resistant forms of bacteria.

For example, in attempts to limit the bacteria e. coli, common to mammalians, antibiotics have been used and this has resulted in some antibiotic resistant forms of e. coli. An infection via e. coli (antibiotic resistant or not) can be avoided by proper cooking and handling of meats. However, sometimes that does not happen and there are e. coli outbreaks (also from improperly washed vegetables that may use contaminated irrigation water).

For most healthy people, experiencing e. coli (either resistant or not) is only a passing discomfort that includes intestinal cramps, diarrhea, and other GI complaints. Depending on the amount of contamination, a person may suffer for a day or two or for several days.

But, with some people, it can be serious or deadly (such as in elderly people in poor health and young children). If that occurs, then the presence of an antibiotic resistant form can be a serious matter. Presence of a non-resistant form can be treated more readily.

A few years ago I had pneumonia; a relatively mild case. I was given a choice of in-patient treatment or out-patient and it was a no-brainer. If I wanted to make sure that my pneumonia could be handled by the normal course of antibiotics (I was given a quinolone), staying at home and away from the hospital was important. I knew that hospital-acquired pneumonia could be a much more serious situation. So, I stayed at home and easily recovered. That did not mean I was guaranteed getting a more serious resistant form in the hospital but I understood that the risk was much greater.

Producing more antibiotics and giving them on subscription to the users is not the answer. That will only lead to more resistant forms and there will be this continuing loop of antibiotic use. But, if the actual goal is societal addiction to antibiotics out of fear, just like addiction to universal Covid vaccines out of fear, then it makes sense.

Finding a few universal antibiotics that deal with the resistant forms is important and it is also important to use those sparingly and only as a last resort. In addition, better management of antibiotic use in our society would go a long way to attenuating the problem.

There is nothing particularly controversial about that observation. It was accepted by nearly every responsible health professional only two years ago. But we live now in different times of extreme experimentation, such as the deployment of world-wide lockdowns for a virus that had a highly focused impact, with catastrophic results for the world.

It was the WEF on March 21, 2020 that assured us lockdowns can halt the spread of Covid-19. Today that article, never pulled much less repudiated, stands as probably the most ridiculous and destructive suggestion and prediction of the 21st century. And yet, the WEF is still at it, suggesting that same year that at least lockdowns reduced carbon emissions.

We can easily predict that the WEFs call for a universal and mandated subscription plan for antibioticspushed with the overt intention of shoring up financial capitalization of major drug manufacturerswill meet the same fate: poor health outcomes, more power to entrenched elites, and ever less liberty for the people.

From the Brownstone Institute

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Ukrainian Military Forces walk along trenches on their position on the front line with Russia-backed separatists, near Novognativka village, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, on Feb. 21, 2022. (AnatoliI Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)

The Ukraine Crisis Is on Biden

Commentary

Does anyone seriously believe that if Donald Trump were still sitting in the Oval Office, as perhaps he should be, Ukraine would be in the jeopardy that it is?

The Ukraine crisis is on Joseph Biden. And Im not just talking about how he treated that country as his familys piggy bank, with his son making a fortune off their energy giant Burisma while Joe himself threatened to withhold aid to Ukraine unless they fired the prosecutor investigating the famously corrupt company.

Unscrupulous and immoral as that was, Im talking about something even worse. Im talking about how he made Ukraine a gift to Vladimir Putin.

On Jan. 20, 2020, Biden canceled presidential approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. That was followed by a slew of other actions on energy, eliminating the United States newly won energy independence and ability to export its surplus.

With all this, Vladimir might have fainted, if he ever does such a thing, at his good fortune.

It meant Germany, Europes powerhouse, as well as many other countries, would be more dependent on Mother Russia for warmth the coming winter (and many more) via the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Biden is now suddenly threatening to cut off that pipeline should Russia invade Ukraine. Its unclear how he would do it. How long such a threat would last in the cold of a European winter isnt hard to guess.

Whether his energy policies are the most destructive of his administration is moot. There are so many.

But it does rival the chaotic departure from Afghanistan that left behind billions in modern armaments for the Taliban, an intact Bagram Air Base with one of the longest military runways in the world as easy pickings for the Chinese (their nuclear development facility a mere hour away), plus untold thousands of our citizens and allies stranded in that most primitive of locations, and the women in the hands of some of the most misogynistic people on Earth.

As for Keystone XL, Biden backed up his ruling by similarly withdrawing presidential support this January for the GreekIsraeli pipeline. It would have helped fuel Europe while simultaneously aiding the economy of two supposed U.S. allies. (Lets not even go into what kind of ally Biden really is to Israel, given his evident desperation to rejoin a renewed Iran nuclear deal. The only thing that may be saving him is the Iranians themselves seem to be uninterested in any kind of deal, just in stalling.)

Biden claimed to be ending support for both pipelines for environmental reasons. Does he really believe that?

Alternative energy is far from ready technologically to provide anywhere near the necessary needs of Europe, Asia or Africa, or any populated continent. It already has failed in Texas. Solar and wind may not even be the alternative means ultimately used, as respected energy journalist Bjorn Lomborg has been pointing out for some time.

Also, climate catastrophe has been overhyped for decades, well before it was predicted in the British Independent (2000) that Snowfalls are now just a thing of the past. In the late 1980s, a climate expert told us Manhattan would be underwater by 2018. Given the lack of safety in the streets there today, maybe its unfortunate he wasnt correct. (John Nolte has an amusing list of 53 such absurd predictions, dating back to 1967 when a dire famine was foretold for 1975. The 1970s were full of New Ice Age warnings that famously made the covers of Time and Newsweek.)

So something else other than climate nonsense must explain Bidens desire to eliminate pipelines. We already know that Russia will profit most from the abandonment of Keystone XL and the GreekIsraeli EastMed collaboration.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Republic of China is the worlds biggest provider of solar collectors, many of which fail after a relatively short time. Is it that simple?

According to Peter Schweizers new book Red-Handed, the Biden family has profited from China to the tune of $31 million. The usual suspects have ignored this, but is anyone really contradicting it? Schweizer calls what is happening Elite Capture.

At the same time, the Western powers are conferencing in Munich, an odd choice of venue, but they are calling this go-round the Munich Security Conference.

Will that make a difference? Color me skeptical, on this occasion I dont think there will be the storied peace in our time. As most of us know, there wasnt the first time, either.

With Bidenthe man Larry Kudlow aptly called Putins best friendwe have nearly three more years. Let us pray.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
On the streaming service Netflix, its hard to find anything family-friendly. Gratuitous nudity, violence, bad language, gender confusion, and political diatribes are the rule. But there is actually a Netflix series parents can watch with their children thats entertaining and exciting, and even teaches good values.

Lost in Space began in 1965, when producer Irwin Allen (The Poseidon Adventure) set the often-filmed Swiss Family Robinson story in outer space. Appearing a year before Star Trek, the series pioneered small-screen science fiction and is still beloved today. In it, a family escapes the overpopulated earth to colonize a far-off planet. When an asteroid storm sends their spaceship off course, they careen from planet to planet, encountering alien monsters and other interstellar threats.

Allen conceived the show as a dramatic space adventure, but after Season One its tone radically changed. Bill Mumy, the original Will Robinson, explains in a Fox New interview: [At first] it was a pretty dark science fiction story. But the network CBS aired the show during family hour so they started getting a lot of letters from parents saying it was too scary for little kids.

The network ordered Allen to lighten it up. He filmed the following two seasons in color and made the show more whimsical to compete with the tongue-in-cheek hit Batman. Actor Jonathan Harriss effete, scheming Dr. Smith was a viewer favorite, so Allen let him make up his own lines. He soon took center stage with a repertoire of baroque insults directed at the familys robot: You bubble-headed booby, You rusty Rasputin, You metallic monstrosity!

Harriss pseudo-Shakespearean accent was made-up, too. He actually hailed from the Bronx. The shows theme music is credited to Johnny Williams. Later, as John Williams, his scores for Jaws, Superman, Star Wars (a surprise bestseller on LP), and many others made him the movies most successful composer, with over 52 Oscar nominations and five wins.

A publicity photo of the cast from the original TV series Lost in Space. (MovieStillsDB)

Some New Characters, Some Reprised

Fast-forward to 2018, when Netflix debuted its big-budget, high-tech Lost in Space reboot. From here on, spoiler alert:

The new show finds many ways to respectfully pay tribute to its predecessor. The characters have the same names: John, Maureen, Judy, Penny, Will, Don (now a bumptious mechanic), and, of course, Dr. Smith. The ship is still the Jupiter 2, heading for Alpha Centauri. The rover is still a chariot. Incidents from the original series are re-created or riffed on. Even Dons pet chicken is named after the 1965 shows alien pet: Debbie.

Don and his pet chicken, Debbie. (Netflix)

This time, colonists are fleeing the earth after a meteor devastates the planet. Widening the scope of the story, the Robinsons Jupiter is one of several ships that crash on an unknown planet, allowing the family to find other survivors.

The show is well-cast and the leads get new backstories. John, an underutilized Toby Stephens, is a Navy SEAL who volunteered for an overseas deployment that kept him away from his wife and children for years. The importance of fathers is underscored by his familys lingering resentment over his absence.

The teenage sisters, who dont always get along, are Judy, a physician-in-training, and Penny, whose smart mouth masks her insecurity.

Don West (Ignacio Serricchio) and Judy Robinson (Taylor Russell). (Netflix)

In the first episode, their little brother Will finds a robot that will soon learn to utter the immortal catchphrase: Danger, Will Robinson!

Maxwell Jenkins plays Will Robinson, the youngest member of the family. (Netflix)

As the series proceeds, the family learns that unconditional love requires letting go of grievances. Every family deals with conflicts, old ones and new ones. The Robinsons show us how loyalty, communication, and forgiveness can heal division. John and Maureens reconciliation and rediscovery of their love for each other is surprisingly moving.

The reboots only concessions to Hollywood P.C. are a more ethnically diverse cast and a preponderance of female scientists and authority figures that goes a wee bit over-the-top when we learn that Maureen not only commands the spaceship but that she actually designed it. Talk about girl power! It helps that shes played by Molly Parker (Deadwood), a skilled actress who earns our respect without whitewashing the characters flaws. For all her good points, Maureen can be harsh and arrogant, and a lie she tells to keep Will with the family has dire consequences down the line.

But theres another woman on board: the shows cleverest innovation. A drug-addled, nihilistic hippie, she steals her sisters identity to stow away on the mission. Recognized by a crewman, she murders him and steals another identity, that of a gravely wounded officer named  Dr. Smith! The officer is played in a nifty cameo by Bill Mumy all grown up.

As the new Dr. Smith, Parker Posey shows unexpected range. So funny in Christopher Guest comedies like Best in Show, here shes ruthless, never at a loss for a lie or an excuse, more deadly than Jonathan Harris, yet still somehow a comic villain. Called upon in medical emergencies, she smirks, Im not that kind of a doctor. Poseys self-pitying sociopath, by turns lethal and hilarious, is the perfect foil for the virtuous Robinsons and deserves a bouquet of Emmys.

The introduction of the robot is so ingenious, I wont ruin it for you. As in 1965, the machine makes friends with Will and Dr. Smith tries to take control of it, but when new, malevolent robots appearanother example of the series expanding the scope of the originalthings get dicey.

Every episode is crammed full of action and suspense, and the state-of-the-art special effects are extraordinary. It never lets up for the Robinsons. One life-or-death crisis is barely resolved when another peril looms. At times its almost too much, but its never boring. (Theres no gore and things always end well, but some scenes may be too distressing for very young children.)

Its All About Family

The series gets better as it goes along. The breakneck pace of the first two seasons slows a bit in the third, making room for more mood and characterization. John finally gets his due as we see him risk everything, even his own life, for his children. His deep desire to make amends for being gone when they were young is touching, and the shows most moving scene may be the one where he entrusts the safety of a shipload of children to his daughter. Judy, only 19, fears the responsibility until her fathers unshakable confidence in her helps her to believe in herself. A child with a parent like that can move mountains.

(LR) John (Toby Stephens), Will (Maxwell Jenkins), the robot (Brian Steele), and Maureen Robinson (Molly Parker). (Netflix)

If one word can sum up both versions of Lost in Space, its family. Were Robinsons, the characters often say. We look out for each other. The parents expect grown-up honesty, responsibility, and courage from the kids and from themselves, but the story shows that upholding these virtues can be difficult. We see why Dr. Smiths amoral, me-first philosophy is tempting, and why it must be rejected.

Nostalgic viewers may prefer the low-tech creativity and charm of the original series, but I hope theyll give the reboot a look. Its a big improvement on the 1998 movie and can easily compete in quality with big-screen sci-fi epics, only without the f-bombs and other unsavory material.

If you want to know what families should avoid on Netflix, well, pretty much everything else.

Lost In Space

Starring: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Parker Posey

Running Time: 3 seasons, 28 episodes

MPAA Rating: PG

Release Dates: 2018-2021

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
The freedom convoys of truckers protesting the COVID-19 mandates are officially beginning in the United States. So far two have been confirmed: one on Feb. 23, and another on Feb. 25this coming Wednesday and Friday. Theyll cover different states and take different routes, but both will begin in Southern California and will arrive in Washington, D.C., for an indefinite protest in early March, where they plan to stay until all the virus mandates are dropped. One is under the name The Peoples Convoy, and another is under the name Freedom Convoy USA 2022.

Brian Brase, one of the core truckers organizing The Peoples Convoy, told The Epoch Times that more routes will be released as the convoy moves. After seeing what happened to convoy protesters in Canada, including GoFundMe canceling their campaign and the Trudeau administration freezing bank accounts, they set up alternative ways to donate that include direct donations and cryptocurrency, and supported by private banking, accountants, and lawyers. Additional protests are expected to be launched as well, as it continues.

Meanwhile, the Trudeau administration in Canada has begun large-scale police operations to disperse and arrest protesters part of the Freedom Convoy. This has included locking their bank accounts, trampling a protester (allegedly to death) with police on horseback, and additional threats. These policies could have a lasting impact on Canada.

In this live Q&A with Crossroads host Joshua Philipp, well discuss these stories and others, and answer questions from the audience.

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UK Government Rejects Bid to Make Misogyny a Hate Crime

The British government has rejected calls to make misogyny a new hate crime, arguing that it would only make it harder to prosecute sexual offences and domestic abuse cases.

The House of Lords inflicted a string of defeats on the governments Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill last month, passing a host of amendments including adding misogyny to existing hate crime laws.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has written to MPs setting out why she is opposed to the amendments and urging them to back the governments bill.

The Home Office has cited the Law Commission, which advises ministers, as saying legislating to make misogyny a hate crime would prove more harmful than helpful.

In a review (pdf) published in December, the commission recommended that sex and gender should not be added as a characteristic for the purposes of enhanced sentencing and aggravated offences, as it may be counterproductive in some respects.

It said, The particular model of hate crime laws is unlikely to prove an effective response to misogynistic offending, and may prove more harmful than helpful, both to victims of violence against women and girls, and also to efforts to tackle hate crime more broadly.

If misogyny is made a hate crime, the commission said, it could become harder to convict sex offenders and domestic abusers as prosecutors would need to prove a hate crime had occurred as part of another offence such as rape.

Announcing her intention to write to MPs on Monday, Patel said that there are still too many criminals getting off with inadequate sentences for appalling acts of violence and sexual offences and still people who feel unsafe walking the streets or in their own homes.

This bill is vitally important as we overhaul the criminal justice system and make our streets safer. It must be passed soon so that we can continue to cut crime, reduce violence, and protect women and girls, she said.

The Home Office said the revised version of the draft law will see a number of measures tightened, including extending the time limit for prosecution of common assault or battery in domestic abuse cases.

Home Office officials said ministers would also continue fighting to bring in increase police powers for dealing with highly disruptive protests.

The bill will be back in the House of Commons for consideration on Feb. 28.

Yvette Cooper, Labours shadow home secretary, said crime is rising and that Patel was refusing to take major steps to keep communities safe.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Servicemen of Ukrainian Military Forces walk along trenches on their position on the front line with Russia backed separatists, near Novognativka village, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Feb. 21, 2022. (AnatoliI Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine Responds to Allegation Russia Killed 5 of Its Soldiers

Ukrainian officials on Monday denied Moscows claims that Russian soldiers killed five of its soldiers near the border between the two countries.

A spokesman for Ukraines military, Pavlo Kovalchuk, said that Russian claims are false.

I reiterate that the Ukrainian armed forces have not attacked Donetsk and Lugansk, have not sent saboteurs or APCs [armored personnel carriers] across the border, have not shelled Russias territory or its border checkpoint. All of these are the products of Russias fakes factory, Kovalchuk told reporters, according to Russian state media.

Meanwhile, Ukraines Foreign Affairs minister, Dmytro Kuleba, wrote on Twitter that Ukraine didnt attack Donetsk or Luhansk, send APCs or other individuals over the Russian border, shell Russian border areas, or carry out acts of sabotage.

Russia, stop your fake-producing factory now, he said.

It came after Russian military officials early Monday said five people had been killed when the Ukrainian saboteurs were thwarted. Ukraine and its Western allies have been saying for days that Moscow could manufacture a pretext to invade Ukraine with a huge force it has massed on the border.

Russian military leaders said that a unit of the Southern Military District, alongside a border patrol by the Russian Federal Security Service, prevented a sabotage and reconnaissance group from violating the Russian state border from the territory of Ukraine, state-backed media reported.

The head of the Russian Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, told RIA Novosti that a Russian special forces member captured a Ukrainian soldier who was allegedly trying to enter Russias territory.

Ukrainian troops patrol in the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 19, 2022. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

Western countries accuse Russia of planning to invade a neighbor that it had controlled until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Moscow denies planning any attack but has demanded sweeping security guarantees, including a promise that Ukraine will never join NATO.

On Sunday evening, the White House said that President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the principle of a meeting discussing security and strategic stability in Europe. The meeting will only occur, the White House added, if Russia does not invade Ukraine.

We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon, press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said a call or meeting between Putin and Biden could be set up at any time, but there were no concrete plans yet for a summit. Tensions were growing, he said, but a foreign ministers meeting was possible this week.

Over the weekend, Ukrainian authorities called on the European Union and the United States to impose sanctions on Russia to try and avert a war, which the European Union on Monday rejected.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A Russian flag flies next to the U.S. embassy building in Moscow on July 31, 2017. (Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images)

US Embassy Warns Americans of Possible Terrorist Attacks in Russia

The U.S. embassy in Moscow on Feb. 20 issued a security alert warning American nationals of possible terrorist attacks at public places in the country amid ongoing tension along the border with Ukraine.

The embassy, citing media sources said, There have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway, and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine.

Officials did not specify exactly which media sources it was referring to regarding the threats of attacks.

Elsewhere in its its security alert, the embassy urged Americans in Russia to monitor the news for information about the situation, stay alert when visiting locations that are often frequented by tourists or Westerners, review their security plans, and avoid crowds.

They also urged U.S. nationals to carry proper identification with them, including a passport with a current Russian visa, and encouraged them to make evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.

Russia is currently on a Level 4 travel advisory and Americans are warned not to travel to the country due to the situation with Ukraine, as well as the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens, the embassys limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, harassment by Russian government security officials, and terrorism, according to officials.

COVID-19 entry restrictions are also cited as a reason for the Level 4 travel advisory.

Terrorist groups, transnational and local terrorist organizations, and individuals inspired by extremist ideology continue plotting possible attacks in Russia, the embassy said.

Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas, the travel advisory reads.

Earlier this month, the White House encouraged all Americans currently in Ukraine to leave the country as tensions at the RussiaUkraine border escalate. Americans currently in Ukraine were asked to contact the U.S. embassy in Kyiv if they need financial or logistical help to leave.

The latest security alert comes as Moscow on Feb. 20 extended military drills in neighboring Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north, raising further concerns among officials that the increasing presence of troops along the border could signal an impending attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.

Meanwhile, two soldiers in eastern Ukraine were reportedly killed and four were wounded by pro-Russian separatists shelling on Feb. 20.

However, separatist leaders accused Ukraine of attacking their forces over the weekend.

Western officials have in recent weeks warned that Russia could invade Ukraine any day now, after Russia placed more than 100,000 troops and heavy weapons within striking distance of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin denies that he has plans to invade Ukraine.

Over the weekend, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told CNBC that they have all the capabilities in place, Russia, to launch an attack on Ukraine without any warning at all.

No one is denying that Russia has all these forces in place. The question is, will they launch an attack? he said, adding that there is no certainty about whether Russia will invade.

NATO allies and the United States have the same assessment, that its a very high risk for a Russian attack on Ukraine, he said.

The United States and other Ukrainian allies have vowed to sanction Russia if it invades Ukraine.

But Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 19 called on Western officials to develop a package of sanctions that would deter potential Russian aggression.

Develop an effective package of preventive sanctions to deter aggression. Guarantee Ukraines energy security, ensure its integration into the EU energy market when Nord Stream 2 is used as a weapon, he said in a speech at the 58th Munich Security Conference.

Zelensky told CNN that such sanctions were needed before a possible invasion, and not later.

We dont need your sanctions after the bombardment will happen and after our country will be fired at or after we will have no borders, or after we will have no economy  Why would we need those sanctions then? he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 1, 2020. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

US Issues New Alert: Americans Should Leave Ukraine as Soon as Possible

The U.S. State Department has issued a new warning to Americans in Ukraine, telling them to leave immediately due to potential travel disruptions.

The Department of State continues to urge U.S. citizens to depart Ukraine immediately using commercial or private means due to the increased threat of Russian military action, the State Department said in a Feb. 21 statement.

The agency said that the security situation in the Eastern European country remains unpredictable and may deteriorate with little notice. Meanwhile, Russian military operations might severely restrict commercial air travel, which would potentially impact U.S. citizens trying to flee, the State Department said.

Early on Feb. 21, Ukraine and Russia again traded accusations over alleged fighting in eastern Ukraine. After Moscow claimed that Ukrainian soldiers crossed into its territory and Russian forces killed five of its soldiers, Ukraine denied the allegations on social media.

No, Ukraine did NOT: Attack Donetsk or Luhansk; send saboteurs or APCs over the Russian border; shell Russian territory; shell Russian border crossing; conduct acts of sabotage, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

Hours earlier, Russian military officials claimed via state-run media that it killed five suspected saboteurs who crossed into Russias Rostov region from Ukraine, and also destroyed two armored vehicles.

People sing the Ukrainian national anthem during a rally in support of Ukraine held during Maidan Revolution commemoration ceremonies in Kyiv on Feb. 20, 2022. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Ukrainian soldiers train during military drills close to Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 10, 2022. (Andrew Marienko/AP)

Amid the heightened invasion warning, the Biden administration sent a letter to the United Nations human rights chief alleging that Moscow has compiled a list of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to detention camps after the invasion. Top Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied such claims and said no such list exists.

Starting Feb. 17, shelling spiked along the tense line of contact that separates Ukrainian military forces and Russian-backed rebels in the Donbas region. Since a conflict erupted there in 2014, its estimated that at least 14,000 people have been killed.

Ukraine and the separatist rebels have traded blame for cease-fire violations with hundreds of explosions recorded daily. Separatist leaders in Donetsk and Lugansk on Feb. 18 announced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of civilians, saying they can go into Russia.

On Feb. 21, the head of the self-declared Lugansk Peoples Republic, Leonid Pasechnik, said Russian President Vladimir Putin should recognize the regions as independent states. The head of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, Denis Pushilin, also called on the Russian leader to recognize the region as a state.

I ask you to recognize the sovereignty and independence of the Lugansk Peoples Republic. I also ask you to consider the possibility of concluding a friendship and cooperation agreement between the LPR and the Russian Federation, including cooperation in defense, Pasechnik said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
US Trucker Convoy to Shut Down Traffic on Major Roads Outside Washington: Organizer

One of the U.S. trucker convoys planning to leave this week plans to shut down traffic on the Capital Beltway outside Washington.

Were going to have a shutdown, Bob Bolus, the organizer, told The Epoch Times. Well shut it down.

The Beltway encircles Washington, running through portions of Maryland and Virginia, and passes through a small part of the nations capital.

Bolus plans to lead a convoy from Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he owns a tow truck company, starting Feb. 23. After a stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the convoy is estimated to arrive in Washington in the afternoon that day.

Bolus, who said the convoy will be peaceful, declined to answer directly if truckers plan to halt traffic purposely, although he did say lanes would be kept open for emergency responders.

Its too bad if it disrupts traffic, Bolus said. [People] should stay home then, because its going to be disruptive. I dont care if it was considered an accident on the Beltway, and traffic got backed up. It is what its going to be. We have every right to be on the Beltway and on every other road in the interstate system of the United States.

Theres no set timeframe for how long the protest will last. The convoy is protesting against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, the stream of illegal immigrants crossing the United States southern border, and other policies of President Joe Bidens administration.

Other convoys also plan to arrive in Washington, although the one Bolus is leading may be the first.

Organizers of one of the largest movements, dubbed The Peoples Convoy, announced on Feb. 20 they would reach the DC Beltway area on March 5. That convoy is scheduled to leave from Adelanto Stadium, outside Los Angeles, on Feb. 23.

In a statement, organizers said the group will abide by agreements with local authorities, and terminate in the vicinity of the DC area, but will NOT be going into DC proper.

Officials in the Washington area said recently they were preparing for possible disruptions to traffic and events in the area in early March.

The U.S. Capitol Police and its partners are adding extra security for Bidens State of the Union address, which is scheduled for March 1, and Washington Police Chief Robert Contee said in a recent briefing that there will be disruptions to traffic.

As for all of our First Amendment demonstrations that happen here in the city, we have to be in a posture of preparedness, Contee said.

Authorities in Virginia and Maryland, which abut Washington, said theyre aware of the convoy and others like it.

The Virginia State Police has been and continues to monitor the situation and to communicate with our National Capital Region local, state, and federal partners. This is standard practice any time the potential exists for a significant protest that could disrupt the safe and efficient flow of traffic on Virginia highways, a spokesperson for the state police told The Epoch Times in an email on Feb. 21.

A Maryland State Police spokesperson said state troops are working with federal, state, and local agencies to monitor developments.

State police are coordinating with public safety partners in neighboring states and will be ready to respond appropriately with adequate resources to ensure the free flow of traffic throughout the routes of travel.

Brian Brase, one of the organizers of The Peoples Convoy, told The Epoch Times previously that there is a plan in place upon arrival in the Washington area, but declined to share details. Leigh Dundas, who is helping with some of the details, said the convoy is not looking to obstruct and is planning on abiding by the rules of the road.

The reason for not going downtown, Bolus said, is because of concerns over the treatment of people who were there at the U.S. Capitol during the Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6, 2021.

Im not going to subject myself or anybody else to the whims of the federal government in downtown D.C., he said. I already spoke to the D.C. police department and Im in communication with them. If hes willing to give us an escort through D.C., well consider it without arrest and [expletive]. But were not going to subject ourselves to the Gestapo tactics and some of the federal judges in D.C.

Enrico Trigoso contributed to this report.
Victorian Government-Built Quarantine Hubs Open

The Victorian Labor Government has announced that the states first Victorian Quarantine Hub (VQH) at Mickleham, will be opening on Monday to receive its first residents as the borders re-open.

The VQH is a jointly funded project between the Commonwealth and Labor Victoria under the plan for Centres for National Resilience, a project between the federal government and all the Labor States.

The facility is set to accommodate 1000 people with a major focus on ventilation and infection control and is expected to replace hotel quarantine in Victoria as of March. No private security will be onsite, but 30 police officers will be patrolling the facility 24 hours a day.

Unvaccinated, or not fully vaccinated travellers will need to stay for seven days at the facility, costing $1500 for an adult, $500 for an additional adult, and $250 for children for the isolation period but frontline workers and people that cannot self-isolate at home can stay for free.

With ten people expected to check-in on Feb. 21 and COVID-19 case numbers are expected to fall, the Police Minister Lisa Neville nevertheless reassured that the facility would still be important in the future.

I think that this will be a resource that we will always look back on and say what a great investment from the Commonwealth and state government, she said.

Neville promised that running quarantine hubs will be much cheaper than continuing with hotel quarantine with their data speculating that hotel quarantine could cost $3.5 billion (pdf) if continued for the next three years.

The Victorian government funded the initial 15 million into the Mickleham facility for planning and designing with the federal government funding the remaining costs.

The facility was originally estimated at a development cost of $200 million. However, federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham announced on Feb. 11 that the facility is expected to cost 580 million in total.

Apart from the Melbourne facility, Centres for National Resilience (CNR) are also being built in Pinkenba, Queensland and Bullsbrook, Western Australia. Currently, $821 million has been invested in the three facilities by the federal government with the total project cost estimated to be at around $1.3 billion.

The plan for the CNR is modelled after the Howard Springs CNR facility in Labor Northern Territory, considered to be the safest and most functional design for quarantine in Australia.

Whilst the Pinkenba facility is in development, the QLD government announced the opening of another quarantine facility in Wellcamp funded solely by the state on Feb. 16.

The accommodation is a 500-bed facility and set to quarantine unvaccinated travellers, international students, seasonal workers with another 500 beds expected to be ready by early April, the QLD government has not disclosed the cost in the development of the facility.
With Anti-Mandate Protesters More Determined Than Ever, This Isnt Over by a Long Shot

Commentary

While all eyes were on Ottawa this past weekend as police forces removed the Freedom Convoy protesters, other protests across the country went unnoticed for the most part.

The Canada/U.S. border in Surrey, B.C., was closed for most of Saturday, Feb. 19, with a blockade set up by convoy supporters.

Protesters in Winnipeg have blocked a street leading to the Manitoba legislature for weeks and have no intention of moving any time soon.

Over 1,000 demonstrators descended on the Alberta legislature in Edmonton, while I personally observed a protest march of thousands through downtown Calgary on Saturday afternoon.

The Calgary protest was surely one of the largest held in living memory, yet it barely garnered notice from the legacy media outlets.

I dont doubt there were other demonstrations in other parts of Canada on that day, but it is tough to find reference to them as there appears to be a concerted effort on the part of the mainstream media to ignore them. It is little wonder demonstrators have been standoffish with mainstream reporters at times.

The Freedom Convoy phenomenon hasnt been shut down through the police action in Ottawaits been decentralized. The heavy hand of the law only scattered the demonstrators and has made them more determined than ever to push back against government-imposed pandemic mandates.

To put it in short, this isnt over by a long shot.

While the government, empowered through the invocation of the Emergencies Act tries to chase down the funders of the protests in what amounts to a political witch-hunt, protesters have moved their actions closer to home where large amounts of funding wont be required. Local protesters can self-fund or pass a hat for cash donations at protests. I noticed a donation box at the Calgary rally, and I dont doubt it was pretty full at the end of the day with cold, hard, untraceable cash.

Canadas rate of full vaccination for COVID-19 among people over 12 years of age has capped out at around 90 percent. Those who are willing to be vaccinated by now have chosen to do so. The remaining 10 percent are people who will not get vaccinated for any reason no matter how hard the government tries to coerce them.

While that sounds like a tiny minority, think about it. That amounts to millions of Canadian citizens who have been villainized, banned from travel, shut out of business establishments, cut off from family members, often put out of work, and kept from even attending their childrens sporting events. Do we expect these millions of Canadians to passively accept living as second-class citizens in perpetuity?

On top of the unvaccinated, there are millions more like myself who, while being supportive of vaccinations, are appalled with the coercion being imposed upon their fellow citizens. Free choice has to reign and we cant pretend that the ostracization and coercive efforts of the state respects the ability to choose.

The narrative of the protests being supported by nothing more than an extreme, fringe minority is demonstrably false.

With millions of Canadians opposing the governments ongoing mandates, the protests will not end.

As more people are chased down, shamed, criminally charged, and potentially bankrupted by the measures being imposed through the Emergencies Act, the nature of these protests may change for the worse.

People are being cornered and feeling they have nothing to lose. There is nothing more dangerous than a person who has been put into that position. As some of these people begin to feel that peaceful protests are not achieving change, they may feel compelled to take more extreme actions. Nobody wants to see this.

The heavy hand of the state is failing to quell the protests. The government hasnt the resources to play a form of whack-a-mole in order to shut down protests springing up across the country like daisies. They used all they had in Ottawa and only managed to scatter the protests.

How many weeks or months of this national disorder is the government willing to put us through? How heavy-handed will the state get as desperation sets in on their part?

Force is failing. Its well beyond time for the government to try reason.

While Prime Minister Trudeau appears more intransigent than ever, perhaps principled members of his caucus will force a legislative compromise to come about.

Canada wont become stable, nor will it begin to truly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic until the federal mandates are lifted. Millions of Canadians are being impacted by these mandates with little benefit to be seen.

Protests are only going to become more widespread and potentially disruptive as long as the government tries to end them through force. Respect and compromise are the only ways out of this, and we havent seen much of either from Ottawa so far.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Contributed Photo / Bethel Police Department

BETHEL  An Ohio man accused of stealing a car with a child inside it was arrested Sunday in town after being found sleeping in another stolen car, officials said.

At around 7 a.m., Bethel police officers received a report of a vehicle idling in the Best Western parking lot on Stony Hill Road for several hours, police said.
The Intelligencer

STAUNTON  A pilot and two passengers reported no injuries after an airplane crashed Sunday morning in an area of Decamp Road on Illinois Route 4 in Staunton.

The airplane, a Silver 1948 Navion L-17B Single Engine Aircraft, made an emergency landing in an open field at 11 a.m. Sunday after experiencing a loss of power, according to Illinois State Police District 11.
EDWARDSVILLE  A zoning request in Jarvis Township was approved 17-8 by the Madison County Board at Wednesdays meeting.

Several area residents spoke out against the request, and petitions have been submitted against it.

Ryan Lybarger and Jason Askew had requested a special use permit to allow a landscaping business to operate on the property, located in an agriculturally-zoned area in Jarvis Township along Troy Road.

They had originally requested a variance to place a building within a setback zone and the special use permit in January. After residents objected to the buildings location, they withdrew the request to negotiate with neighbors.

One issue with the buildings location is that there are power transmission lines over part of the property, requiring buildings to be elsewhere.

A modified request with only the special use permit was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Building and Zoning Committee.

However, numerous nearby residents signed petitions opposing the special use permit, based on a number of factors ranging from the residential nature of part of the area, concerns about late hours of operation and storage of materials and vehicles, and the exact location of the building.

Some had expressed concerns about what would happen if the business were sold. However, officials said that a special use permit applies to the owner, and any new owners would have to go through the process again.

After some discussion by the full County Board, they voted 17-8 in favor.

Those voting against were Stacy Pace, R-Troy; Bobby Ross, R-St. Jacob; Mike Walters, R-Godfrey; Bill Stoutenborough, D-Alton; Mike Babcock, R-Bethalto; Jamie Goggin, R-Edwardsville; Chris Guy, R-Maryville; and Erica Conway-Harris, R-Glen Carbon.

Ryan Kneedler, R-Collinsville, abstained.

Four other requests were approved.

Justin Lynch and Chelsea Lynch had requested a special use permit to operate a hair salon from a home at 7541 Lake James Drive, Edwardsville; Robert and Kimberly Martin sought a variance to create a 1.33-acre tract of land, rather than the required 2 acre tract, at 60 Illinois 4 near St. Jacob; Anthony Shoeber on behalf of HWS Real Estate requested the rezoning of 3237 W. Chan of Rocks Road from R-5 Multiple-Family Residential to B-3 Highway Business District; and Carl Watt requested a special use permit to allow a nail salon in a residence at 1218 Key Largo Terrace, Edwardsville.

Also approved was a resolution authorizing the 2022 Green Schools program funding.

The program includes a number of specific programs with set funding amounts, including $7,932 for county sponsored competitions and programs; $3,000 for continuing educations for green school coordinators $5,625 for coordinator and school recognition; and $25,843 for school grants and incentives.

Schools receiving grants include St. Ambrose Catholic School, South Primary School and Roxana Senior High School in the Roxana district, East Elementary School in the Alton district, Meadowbrook Intermediate School in the Bethalto district, Lincoln Middle School and Leclaire Elementary School in the Edwardsville district, Highland Middle School and Highland High School in the Highland district, Trinity Lutheran School, Evangelical School, and East Alton Wood River High School.

The board also approved accepting a bid of $624,888 from Depew & Owen Builders Inc. of Centralia for the replacement of a single span bridge on East Mill Creek Road over Mill Creek in Jarvis Township.
The murder of Chinatown resident Christina Yuna Lee in her apartment at 111 Chrystie St. February 13 has sent shockwaves across the neighborhood and the city. Heres a summary of the extensive news coverage the story has received in the past week.

Lee, 35, was a creative producer who lived in the walkup apartment for less than a year after moving from New Jersey. Surveillance video obtained by the New York Post showed her being trailed into the building at about 4:30 a.m. Police say the suspect, 25-year-old Assamad Nash, stabbed Lee multiple times. He allegedly tried to flee using a fire escape but was found hiding under a bed. Cops said Nash barricaded himself in the apartment, forcing them to break in.

Nash, who is homeless, has a long record of misdemeanor arrests. As The New York Times and other publications reported, he was taken into custody in September after an incident in the Grand Street subway station in which he punched a man in the face who had swiped his MetroCard for a passenger. He was arrested on other occasions last year and charged with assault, harassment and selling a fare card. Earlier last year, after Nash was arrested for disabling multiple MetroCard machines, he was released and required only to check in three times a month.

As The Times noted, Police released Nash with a desk-appearance ticket in the assault case and on at least one other occasion. When he was arraigned on the assault charge, a judge let him go without bail.

The City looked into why Nash was never compelled to undergo a mental health evaluation. Its a step that a judge could have ordered at a hearing five weeks before Christina Lees murder, but did not. The Legal Aid Society, which has represented Nash, declined to discuss why its lawyers did not request a mental health intervention at the time of his supervised release.

There have, of course, been a large number of attacks on Asian Americans during the pandemic. Hate crimes against Asians have shot up 361% in the past year. The Asian American community was already struggling to cope with the murder of Michelle Alyssa Go, who was pushed to her death in the Times Square train station.

Gothamist pointed out the Mayor Adams is facing questions from some in the Asian American community about his responsiveness following the murder. He issued a short written response on Sunday, which State Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou called inadequate. The mayor then put out more extensive remarks: Christina Yuna Lees murder is another example of why we need to work every day to make our city safer I and New Yorkers across the city mourn her death, but mourning is not enough. We stand with our Asian brothers and sisters against all attacks  motivated by hate or not  and will work every day to ensure this violence does not go unchecked.

Lees family launched a fundraising campaign in her memory. It will benefit organizations that mattered to her. The fund is already up to more than $140,000. The appeal reads, in part, Christina was full of life. She radiated positivity, joy, and love. She supported her friends in everything that they did. She went above and beyond to make those she loved know she was there for themnever expecting anything in return. Her loss is an unfathomable tragedy that her loved ones and her community will struggle with for years to come.

If you would like to donate, you can do that here.
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Most countries have enough problems with crimes without creating abject poverty. Nigeria created abject poverty. Ironically, while earning an unprecedented amount of foreign income. There is no fund, allocation or loan that is safe once released into the care of these privileged individuals. Their first instinct is to embezzle it and justify their actions later. They see every fund or allocation as finders keepers depending on who got the first access.

This repulsive behavior is not limited to direct payments or local resources. Foreign Aids, goods and services have been converted to personal use. Food, medical supplies and technical personnel have been diverted to private businesses as part of the projects. Warehouses have been discovered where food relief donated to the poor have been transferred and sold in the open markets or for campaign materials as stomach infrastructure.

This level of indifference to the increasing poverty rate in a land that used to flow with milk and honey was unfathomable to those lucky enough to experience the saner climes provided when conscientious leaders were ruling. The irony is, those that enjoyed all the privileges yesterday are the perpetrators of poverty today. Apologists also contend that there is corruption in every country and it is not unique to Nigeria. Individual responsibility is excused by claiming everyone is guilty.

The desperate and greedy conspicuous minority that control most of the resources in Nigeria have soiled the reputation of most Nigerians. If we cannot bring all of them to justice, severe punishment must be administered as a deterrent to others. This is how corruption in other developing countries was brought to a minimum. It is how China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and South Korea made progress against corruption to reduce their poverty.

Yet, most Nigerians that shoulder the country are very honest and hard working, sometimes to a fault. There is no other way you can explain why the Country has not collapsed completely. When you see poor working class Nigerians returning lost and found fortune, many wonder if they are crazy. Yet, Nigerians have demonstrated the same honest behavior inside and outside the Country attracting commendations.

People of goodwill observe how most of the working poor and the dwindling middle class labor so hard to get through every single day. Indeed, children struggling to help their parents meet the arduous task of making a living stare you in the face. You see them on the streets and dump sites in capital cities. People familiar with some of the nefarious activities of those giving the Country a bad name wonder if they are Africans.

Despite the reputation, all Nigerians are not looters, drug dealers, ritualists or dishonest. One unifying factor regardless of ethnicity, is the vagabonds-In-Power ability to loot recklessly and blame the devil, the system or what about the other guy.

The dwindling middle class and the working poor hardly get access to the unprecedented amount of foreign income and fair returns from local resources they work so hard on. They are completely or absolutely squeezed out of fair income. Some of us claim that it is the capitalist system working like most of the rich countries, otherwise we may invite the communist system which most Africans do not want.

Distribution of wealth must come after creation of wealth. Late Steven Fajemirokun warned us that you have to create wealth first since you cannot distribute poverty. This is why the wealthy are emulated and respected. Todays leaders are not wealth creators but frail old men surrounded by cronies, Police and Army that suppress any revolt from their people. They crackdown viciously to send messages to others daring to challenge their impunity.

Reckless and ostentatious looting with impunity lacking a disabling deterrent has turned unprecedented amounts of oil income into land of abject poverty. Asian countries that have earned less with their level of corruption have almost eliminated famine and poverty. Any appreciable money Nigerians make becomes an incentive to launder it in search of greener pastures. This is how honest men and women were soiled, joining if they can't beat them.

Obasanjo in his first coming as Head of State was broke, jailed by Abacha but came back. Audu Ogbe was the Minister of Communication in the Shagari Government. He cut electricity to his Party Headquarters, NPN for nonpayment. By the time he left to go back to his State as a Lecturer, he was a poor man that got a hearful for how stupid he was.

Professor Fabian Osuji, an honest reputable man, played along with the House Committee's demand. He was shafted. Professor Adenike Grande ran away from money left in her Health Ministry at the end of fiscal year, to her Secretary. The Secretary absconded with the money and Grande was jailed. Unlike others, both Osuji and Grande never had a second chance to loot.

Even this Buhari, known as a fanatic with instinctual disdain for corruption later defended Abacha, claiming a man that openly hijacked the Treasury, never stole! We now know why. All these leaders metamorphosed from "angels" to chronic looters except Professors Fabian Osuji and Adenike Grande. Can an Angel survive in Nigeria?

The arguments that every country has corrupt leaders and their cronies, burst when you examine how the face of Poverty has changed since the 70s from Asia to Africa. China has been able to reduce poverty to almost nil as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have cut the rate of abject poverty to the nearest minimum. This is remarkable because these countries used to send their people to Africa in order to earn money during the most difficult period of their famine.

Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa


The Federal Government of Nigeria appears to be taking a cue from Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, Anambra State Governor-elect on his transformational leadership disposition that he will make Innoson Motors his official Vehicle when he assumes office as Governor of Anambra State

Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, a world renowned economist, has, during his electioneering campaign leading to the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra State, told Ndi Anambra and Nigerians that he would make Innoson Vehicles his official vehicle if elected Governor of Anambra State

The need to look inwards and patronize locally made goods coupled with the patriotic and transformational leadership disposition exhibited by Soludo seems to have gained support from the Federal government of Nigeria who in recent times has been increasing its Vehicular orders from Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited, (IVM), a Nigerian automobile manufacturer based in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

The IVM founded by an Igbo entrepreneur, Chief Innocent Chukwuma have also gained wide market acceptability from other African countries such as Ghana, Mali, Sierra Leone etc

The good news, however, is that in recent times the Federal Government of Nigeria has been increasing its orders from Innoson not only for the Super Executive IVM G80 but also for mass transit Buses. Last week, it was reported that the Federal government bought additional five IVM Buses bringing the number in its fleet to seven. The Buses, according to the report, are to be deployed as shuttle Buses in the Federal Capital Territory to ease transportation in the city

This gesture and patronage of Innoson Motors by the FG has been commended by well meaning Nigerians as the right way to go in solidifying the nation's economy by being self-reliant and less dependent on imported foreign goods

Soludo, who has continually pioneered the idea as Anambra State Governor-elect, has equally received commendations from Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and Nigerians on his decision to adopt the Innoson brands of Vehicles as his official vehicle when he formally assume office in few weeks' time!
The world and the people of Nigeria will never know what was inside Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd), the Executive Head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), that pushed him to do what was right, as he did not want to undermine the publics trust in his agency, something that is fully nil in the Nigeria police force (NPF).

In many ways, the Nigeria police force and its leadership are now a threat to Nigerian democracy because of a series of problematic institutional behaviors and actions.

From an apparent distant psychological lens, as I do not know Marwa, but he stands out uniquely.

As a psychologist who observes and narrates African institutional issues and peculiarities, especially in Nigeria, Marwa, refused to be a part of a leadership mentality that pushes fabricated versions of occurrences to be true.

Marwa, an American and global thinker, correctly applied his education and training at home and abroad when it came to the matter of the suspended deputy commissioner of police Abba Kyari.

Marwa refused to behave like what I call Nigerian type leaders who dismiss any crime by Kyari as slight and irrelevant, even when such crimes have major legal ramifications; Kyari has many of them.

Marwa must have shocked the Nigeria type of leadership known for shielding each other and their loyalties when the NDLEA went public by releasing video evidence of Kyari's drug trafficking.

Marwa, along with his official team, knew that Kyari had many pending issues, including being wanted in America for fraud, but Kyaris matter is being deliberately delayed by powerful forces, as they knew in many ways, once Kyari opens his mount, it will show active and retired senior officers that are directly involved in all kinds of criminalities.

Marwa, along with his team, as well as the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, with the constitution and law on their side, did everything possible not to allow strategic delay, useless technicalities, and false accusations by Nigerian-type police leaders stop their constitutional work, by exposing and having Kyari encircled.

Marwa around this time last year, while receiving the US ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, in his office, said he and his agency would be hard on drug traffickers, exporters and importers operating in the nation.

Marwa, a USA trained military scientist who has served globally, including in the United Nations, knows the benefit of NDLEA being in partnership with the US departments and agencies in the fight against the drug menace, and acknowledged that the US has assisted NDLEA in the areas of training, operational equipment, and logistics.

Marwa and his team, and Nigerians of today, are likely aware that the current President Muhammadu Buhari, in his past days as military head of state, imprisoned and executed drug traffickers by firing squad.

Marwa, along with his agency, now have the FBI-indicted Kyari, who as seen in the video is involved in a cocaine smuggling case. This makes it easier and faster for the Buhari government to allow the suspended Kyari to be extradited to the United States to face fraud allegations from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Marwa, along with his team, in a way, have revealed how a dwelling like the Nigeria police force and its leadership empowers and uplifts rogues to prominence, shields criminality, breeds ineptitude and, most disturbingly, a man who is suspended was still commanding some active officers to deal in drug trafficking. This is happening after Kyari was replaced as head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

Marwa and the NDLEA, as well as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, are presently and continuously improving and strengthening the capacity of the Nigerian criminal justice system, as evidenced by their cooperation with the US officials via the Ambassador to Nigeria. As such, the Buhari government should not allow Nigerias criminal justice system to be continuously soiled by one agency  the Nigeria police force.

Marwa, as part of his unique leadership, is creating for the criminal justice system an environment that can be run according to the terms of the law, equity, and justice as well as a professional law enforcement body.

From the angle of positive policing, this is not the time to simply fire or ask Baba to resign and replace him and his top deputies with another set, as the whole policing leadership system is the problem due to enduring turbulence. For far too long, poor leadership continues to damage the police institution. It is time to take an aggressive approach and the best path forward for the police is to bring in someone from the outsideMarwa. He is used to multitasking. He can handle NDLEA and NPF simultaneously and very well given his educational, leadership, and global experiential backgrounds.

John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional, and Career Development. He is a former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African Settings In 2011, he introduced State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and Nasarawa State University, where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. Currently, a Virtual Behavioral Leadership Professor at ISCOM University, Republic of Benin. Founder of the proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien Open University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, and Openness. Founder of Psychoafricalytic Psychology. Over forty academic publications and creations, at least 200 public opinion pieces on African issues, and various books have been written by him. He specializes in psycho-prescriptive writings regarding African institutional and governance issues.

Prof. Oshodi wrote in via [email protected]


Nigerian government officials are set to welcome Vicky Ford, the United Kingdoms Minister for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as the latter is on her maiden visit to Nigeria.

The British High Commission in Nigeria disclosed this development on Sunday. It stated that the visit would make value out of efforts by both countries to build on the UK-Nigeria partnership and strengthen strong security, anti-corruption, and economic ties.

The visit is as a result of the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership Dialogue in London earlier this month, where the UK and Nigeria agreed to strengthen cooperation ranging from including military cooperation, civilian policing, counter-terrorism, protecting human rights, and recognising the important role of women in achieving sustainable peace.

According to the High Commissioner: While in Nigeria, Minister Vicky Ford will have meetings with the Federal Government of Nigeria, State Governors as well as faith leaders, civil society and business leaders.

The Minister looks forward to announcing millions of pounds of new UK investments including in support of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. The Minister will sign an MoU related to anti-corruption, which will further strengthen the UK-Nigeria partnership in this area."

The statement also disclosed that the Minister would meet with civil society, the media, and political leaders and explore a range of topics from electoral reform, to climate change following COP26 and human rights.

The minister will also promote efforts to educate girls, empower women and end gender-based violence and address humanitarian needs in North-East Nigeria.

Likewise, when assuring, the Minister was quoted saying: I am looking forward to being in Nigeria for the first time.

"Nigeria is a valued friend and partner of the UK; a country with whom we want to forge still closer ties, including on trade, development, economic, environmental and security issues.

Minister Vicky Ford was appointed Minister for Africa at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in September 2021 and became the Minister for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean in December 2021.
The London government on Monday said it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would make it possible to return to Nigeria 210,610 compensation relating to the use of corrupt agents in the oil and gas sector.

In a statement issued by the British High Commission in Nigeria, it stated that the compensation was made following a thorough investigation by the U.K.s Serious Fraud Office.

It said that the MOU was signed on Monday by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in a merged commitment to renew the struggle against the illegal act.

The Nigeria Voice News' Correspondent, Mohammed Oluwatimileyin Taoheed, says the MoU was signed by the Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, and the Attorney General for Nigeria, Abubakar Malami as revealed by the commission.

It said that the MoU sets out the terms and understanding between the U.K. Government and the Nigerian Government to make this compensation payment.

In his comments, the U.K. Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, opined that: The security and defence dialogue held in February 2022 between our two countries reaffirmed both the U.K. and Nigerias commitment to work together to tackle illicit financial flows, bribery and corruption.

The U.K. has a zero tolerance policy to corruption and we hope that todays signing sends a clear statement about our commitment to this.

In a global economy where international trade is vital, it is more important than ever that companies operate with integrity and transparency.

Illicit financial flows, bribery and corruption stifle economic growth, trade, stable governance and the security of both our countries, Ford said.
No hospital can reject patients, says government

BANGKOK: Private hospitals have been warned against denying medical treatment to COVID-19 patients, with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha adding that changes to the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) scheme wont take effect until March 1.

CoronavirusCOVID-19health

By Bangkok Post

Monday 21 February 2022, 09:13AM

A COVID-19 patient at Vibhavadi Hospital in Bangkok, April 2021. Photo: AFP

Under the UCEP scheme, patients can seek treatment at any medical facility for three days, after which they will be transferred to a hospital where their state welfare and/or health insurance scheme is registered, reports the Bangkok Post.

However, the government recently removed COVID-19 from the list of conditions covered by UCEP, which means that from March 1, those who test positive for COVID-19 but do not require critical care will have to pay their own medical bills if they choose to seek treatment at private hospitals.

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said private hospitals which refuse treatment to COVID-19 patients will face penalties as outlined in the Medical Facilities Act.

Until the policy change takes effect [on March 1], COVID-19 patients can seek medical treatment at private hospitals without being charged, said the spokesman.

Patients with mild symptoms will be asked to isolate at home, while those who cant will be referred to a community isolation centre - the cost of which will be covered by other welfare schemes, such as the universal health coverage, the social security system or the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme.

Mr Thanakorn said the government will introduce a new scheme called Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) Plus, which will deal with COVID-19 sufferers which exhibit moderate to severe symptoms.

Separately yesterday (Feb 20), the Social Security Office assured workers insured under its welfare programme that there will be no changes to its scheme.

SSO secretary Boonsong Thapchaiyuth said workers who test positive for COVID-19 will be admitted to hospitels first. If their symptoms worsen, then they will be transferred to a hospital.

However, when asked if those insured with the SSO will be referred to hospitals where their insurance was registered, or any SSO partner hospital, he admitted the office has no policy on the matter.
Phuket calls for endemic designation

BANGKOK: Phuket is offering itself as the first province to declare the spread of COVID-19 as an endemic despite a growing number of infections among tourists, according to an official.

COVID-19Coronavirushealthtourism

By Bangkok Post

Monday 21 February 2022, 09:18AM

Vice Governor of Phuket Pichet Panapong. Photo: PR Phuket / file

Phuket would be delighted to be the first province for the declaration, Vice Governor of Phuket Pichet Panapong said on Sunday (Feb 20), reports the Bangkok Post.

I hope this will help alleviate concerns about the virus and [shift] focus to economic restoration instead.

Endemic status is given if a provinces infection rate does not exceed 10,000 new cases per day, while the fatality rate does not exceed 0.1%, and more than 80% of at-risk people have received two coronavirus vaccine doses, he said, citing the National Communicable Disease Committee.

Mr Pichet said the province also will ask the government to shorten the quarantine period from 10 to five days.

In the first five days, an infected person should be required to quarantine at home, a hospitel or hospital before being permitted to resume their lives for another five days under strict COVID-19 prevention measures to solve work leave issues, he said.

The daily report on the number of new COVID-19 infections should be cancelled and instead focus on reports of moderate-to-severe cases, he said.

Mr Pichet insisted Phuket is safe as it has sufficient resources to take care of locals and visitors.

The province has also expedited giving vaccine jabs to young children, together with various measures including making face masks mandatory, he said.

It has also worked with a clinic to provide basic COVID-19 treatments and advice for the provincial administration, while distributing favipiravir pills among patients with mild symptoms and providing isolation measures, he said.

However, the infection rate among tourists is still a major problem as up to 3% of them were found to be infected while 4% were detected in second tests, he said.

On Saturday, Phuket logged 549 domestic cases, including 67 from people under the sandbox scheme and 49 from the Test & Go scheme.
Phuket officials, tourism leaders move for Stepping Forward campaign

PHUKET: Leading Phuket tourism and business leaders have joined together to promote a Phuket Stepping Forward campaign, highlighting why Phuket should be reopened to resume business as usual.

tourismeconomicsCOVID-19

By The Phuket News

Monday 21 February 2022, 10:29AM

The event, held at Laguna Beach Phuket on Saturday (Feb 19), was attended by Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong and Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor), along with Pattanachai Singhawara, Director Southern Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau or (TCEB Southern), Thanet Petchsuwan, Deputy Governor for Marketing Asia and the Pacific at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and Thanet Tantipiriyakit Chairman of the Phuket Tourism Council .

Also present were well-known and respected Phuket-based surgeon Dr Sanguan Kunaporn; Pracha Asawatheera, Director Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), Upper Southern Region; Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, President of Phuket Tourist Association; and Ravi Chandra, Managing Director of Laguna Phuket.

Dr Sanguan put forward the point simply: Phuket is ready. If COVID is designated an endemic disease, we will live 99.99% like we did before COVID-19.

COVID-19 could be designated an endemic disease, like a common cold only if: 1. The virus is ready; 2. The central government is ready; 3. Local government and private sectors are ready; and 4. People are ready, he said.

However, he explained, If looking at Thailand, and especially Phuket: 1. The virus is ready; 2. The Thai government is still stuck; 3. The local government and private sectors in Phuket are ready; and 4. The people of Phuket are almost ready.

Mr Rewat said that projects were already underway to support the development of Phuket to support the Phuket MICE industry, and major events to be held in Phuket.

He added that he recently attended the executive meeting of the Southern branch of the TCEB to discuss developing Phukets MICE industry.

The PPAO is already working with local municipalities to clean up and make landscape improvements along Thepkrasattri Rd, Route 402, the main road down the centre of the island, and to jointly develop a clean and livable city, he said.

And the important point is to develop tourist attractions to support the opening of the city in full, Mr Rewat said.

Mr Rewat also noted that the PPAO was working on solving the problem of the public transport system and accelerating the development of the mass transit system from the airport to Rawai, to reduce traffic congestion making travel more convenient.

Of note, Mr Rewat referred to the mass transit system not as a light-rail project, but as an EV bus system.

Mr Pracha, the Upper Southern Region for DEPA, promoted the 5G Phuket Data Sandbox project, supported by the Digital Economy and Society Development Fund.

In order to drive the countrys 5G strategy, the project is divided into two parts: the Smart Gates system with face recognition technology and the Phuket Data Sandbox system to connect data, he said.

This is to open tourism in Phuket for safety care and disease control, which is considered a Smart Living project in the plan to drive Smart City in Phuket, he added.

Mr Pattanachai, Director of the TCEBs Southern Thailand branch, explained that progress was being made in Phukets bid to host a Specialized Expo in 2028.

The theme proposed is Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity, or LAvenir de la Vie: Vivre en Harmonie, Partager les Prosperites, he said.

Sarun Charoensuwan, Ambassador of Thailand to France, and Worawut Somwangprasert, Minister of Commercial Affairs at the Thai Embassy in Paris, had officially submitted the bid Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary General of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), on Jan 11.

In the coming months of July-August, the Bureau International des Expositions committee will meet with Thai government representatives in Phuket to see the readiness of Thailand to host such events, Mr Pattanachai said.

The event on Saturday culminated with a panel discussion on Thailand Travel Mart + 2022 Phuket, led by Mr Thanet, the TATs Deputy Governor for Marketing Asia and the Pacific, joined by Phuket Tourism Council Chairman Mr Thanet, PTA President Mr Bhummikitti and Laguna Phuket Managing Director Mr Chandra.

The annual travel mart event had been cancelled and postponed for the past two years due to COVID-19, Mr Thanet explained.

In the year 2022, the government plans to announce the opening of the country to welcome foreign tourists to travel to the country. This will benefit the economy and employment as a whole of the country, especially the tourism sector and related service sectors, he said.


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A framed photo that was salvaged from the fire that destroyed the Anawan Brewery and other businesses at 7 Park St. in Rehoboth.
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AstraZeneca shares jumped by 4 per cent on Monday as the pharmaceutical giant revealed the second successful late-stage trial of a life-prolonging cancer drug in less than a week.

The FTSE 100 group said that the drug Enhertu was shown to have slowed the progression of metastatic breast cancer containing low levels of the protein HER2 and enhanced the survival of those suffering from the condition.

Around 540 patients from Asia, Europe, and the United States were involved in the trial for the drug, which was developed in partnership with Japanese firm Daiichi Sankyo.

Success: Astrazeneca said that the drug Enhertu was shown to have slowed the progression of metastatic breast cancer containing low levels of the protein HER2

AstraZeneca said the people who used the medication exhibited positive effects, which were 'statistically significant and clinically meaningful' when measured against standard chemotherapy.

It subsequently intends to reach out to regulatory agencies across the world to try and have the medicine approved for use.

The announcement comes six days after AstraZeneca declared positive results from the Phase III trial for Lynparza, a treatment for prostate cancer, the second most common cancer affecting men globally.

That experiment showed that when the drug was used together with a common hormone therapy, it delayed the advance of the disease by over eight months, compared to standard treatment.

Lynparza has already been proven to treat ovarian and breast cancers, and AstraZeneca earned more than $2.7billion in revenue from its sales last year, against just $214million for Enhertu.

But Susan Galbraith, the Executive Vice-President of Oncology Research & Development at the FTSE 100 business, said the Enhertu findings 'could reshape how breast cancer is classified and treated.'

Gamechanger: Susan Galbraith, AstraZeneca's Executive Vice-President of Oncology R&D, said the Enhertu findings 'could reshape how breast cancer is classified and treated'

She added: 'These results for Enhertu are a huge step forward and could potentially expand our ability to target the full spectrum of HER2 expression, validating the need to change the way we categorise and treat breast cancer.'

About two million people were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, while around 685,000 deaths were caused by the disease, according to the Global Cancer Observatory.

In the UK, about one in eight women - and a small proportion of men - will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, with those over the age of 50 more likely to be afflicted by the condition.

Shares in AstraZeneca closed trading 3.97 per cent higher at 91.50 on Monday, meaning their value has grown by more than 18 per cent over the last 12 months.

The firm's annual results recently revealed it had fallen to a 196million loss in 2021 - down from a 2.9billion profit the year before - despite selling over 3billion of the Covid-19 vaccine it developed with the University of Oxford.

Until last November, AstraZeneca vowed not to make a profit from its coronavirus vaccine by selling it at cost price, unlike other pharmaceutical giants such as Moderna and Pfizer.

However, it did achieve record revenues thanks to annual sales of drugs like lung cancer treatment Tagrisso surpassing $5billion and hiked its dividend for the first time in a decade.

Meanwhile, fellow blue-chip listed Dechra Pharmaceuticals revealed on Monday that its underlying revenue rose 10.9 per cent to 332.4million while operating profit increased by about a sixth to 93.2million in the second half of 2021.

The Cheshire-based group attributed its strong performance to a significant growth in sales of companion animal products, which was helpfully buoyed by healthy demand for goods within its smaller equine and nutrition divisions.
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Press Release

February 21, 2022 De Lima expresses deep concern about a report on OFWs in HK getting fired after testing positive for COVID-19 Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima urged authorities to urgently look into reports alleging that some Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong had been fired by their employers after testing positive for COVID-19. De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion, said the government should confirm and swiftly investigate the said report. "It is unfortunate to hear reports about our overseas workers, who work day and night to be able to provide better opportunities for their families, being allegedly subjected to unjust treatments," she said. "Hindi natin pwedeng palampasin lang ang ganitong balita nang walang masusing imbestigasyon upang matukoy kung ano ang totoo. Kailangang makumpirma ang mga ulat upang mapanagot ang mga pabayang employers, at kung hindi man ay makapaglatag pa rin ng mekanismo ang gobyerno upang mapangalagaan ang ating OFWs kung magkaroon ng ganitong mga walang konsiderasyong gawain," she added. The Philippine consul reportedly said last Feb. 20 that some Filipino workers who tested positive for COVID-19 in Hong Kong were either fired or driven away by their employers. Consul General Raly Tejada said that some 30 OFWs in Hong Kong have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past few days, detailing that the consulate has rescued up to 10 Filipino workers who were forced to sleep outdoors after being sacked by employers after contracting the virus. In response, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, citing the report of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), said there were no reports of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) getting retrenched. The lady Senator from Bicol said the DOLE cannot simply ignore the report by the Philippine consul and do nothing about it. "If we really care about our workers abroad, then we cannot just let this issue pass, unacted upon, and be buried. Hindi naman po pwedeng magwalang kibo na lang dito, habang walang kasiguruhan kung may napapabayaan tayong mga kababayang nakikipagsapalaran sa ibayong dagat," she said. "Many of our OFWs have already endured months or even years away from their loved ones. We should not let them carry any more burden because we refuse to proactively assist them," she added. This 18th Congress, De Lima filed proposed Senate Resolution (SR) No. 497 directing the appropriate Senate Committee to look into the status of the national government's OFW repatriation and assistance programs amid reports of continuing delays and inefficiencies in their implementation. Concerned about the reported delays in the release of repatriated OFWs from their designated isolation and quarantine facilities in 2020, De Lima filed SR No. 426 seeking to identify the lapses in government's repatriation program and help determine any accountability for the suffering of the OFW repatriates.
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When enslaved people of color in Albany were freed from their mostly Dutch oppressors in the early 1800s, establishing their economic independence was key to getting out from under white society.

The economic liberation they hustled for built the foundation of a strong community for generations to come, but city records fall short of documenting the whole narrative.

Now historians Tricia Barbagallo and Lacey Wilson are piecing together archives and files at the Albany Institute of History and Art to fill in some gaps, their work is underwritten by grant money. Barbagallo's grant comes from the federal American Rescue Plan and Wilson's from the Charles L. Touhey Foundation, Inc.

Freedom shapes a Black economy that grows the community

The two have discovered that early Black entrepreneurs in the city pooled their resources to start new businesses and forge the path for a self-reliant, homegrown community.

They don't want to free themselves back into white society, Barbagallo explained.

Enslaved people were not legally freed in New York until 1827, but 1790 census data documented 25 free Black residents living in six Albany households.

By 1813, several of these families were listed on the first city directory as residents with occupations, suggesting they had been managing themselves for years before freedom became a legal reality.

After the state passed the gradual manumission act in 1799  which freed enslaved children born after July 4, 1799, but indentured them until they were young adults - the list grew. By 1815, the number of free Black households in the city rose to 39, according to Barbagallo.

City records dont tell the whole story

Two of several trailblazers recorded in the citys 1815 directory were Thomas Allicot and Benjamin Lattimore. Despite their occupations solely being listed as cartmen in the directory, Barbagallo and Wilson have found receipts showing they were multifaceted entrepreneurs who worked on the waterway and in other jobs, which was common for many people then.

Although city directories are a key resource to learning about the past, Barbagallo and Wilson have had to sort through other artifacts such as account books and property records to divulge the rest of their stories.

Jennifer Burns, a lecturer in Africana studies at the University at Albany validated their methods.

City directories were more of an advertising tool than a record book, according to Burns, which is why they fall short of capturing any larger story. Account books, however, frame transactions between parties that can help complete the story about what a person's profession or business actually was, she said.

Historians are able to identify Black individuals in these documents because often their names were italicized or labeled with a letter to distinguish their race.

Still, the historians discoveries have led them to find many prominent people of color conducting business in the city who were missing from directories.

Those omitted from the record included Ned Davis, a premier painter whose old account books show that he mixed his own colors and was hired to paint city hall. Notably, women such as Dinah Jackson, who ran a well-known boardinghouse, or the goose and herb dealer Volkie Speck were not documented on city directories either, despite receipts demonstrating their business transactions and revenues.

Multiple jobs and multifamily households build Black wealth

Albany historian Jack McEneny said sharing resources, homes and skills has long been integral to those attempting to gain a foothold in a community. The practice remains common in many immigrant communities, and for newly freed people of color in post-colonial Albany, it served as the foundation for establishing independence from white society.

These early entrepreneurs propagated growth and unity by sharing their homes with one another and making mutual investments. Wilson gave the example of someone living next door to a carpenter. By knowing each other in the community, your neighbor was likely willing to teach you carpentry.

For them, working together and learning from each other was about more than being good citizens. Wilson said it was also a survival technique to keep each other out of poverty while ethnocentric, prejudiced Dutch ideologies lingered.

And at a time when obtaining housing from their white counterparts wasnt guaranteed, living together gave them power in numbers. Their homes were also their first meeting places to discuss community development.

They're really hustling here to stay in their own homes, with their own family, and in their own neighborhood, operating churches, schools and everything else on the site, Barbagallo said.

As revered community members such as Allicot and Lattimore developed their wealth, they made larger contributions to the Black populace, including their $1,000 investment in founding the African Society in 1805, which worked to buy other slaves' freedom.

The African Society also collected donations from the public to buy land, sites that later became a church and school.

They don't take their excess income and go out and build a mansion ... they instead invest in churches (and) schools, in the Black community, she added.

Such establishments helped solidify the roots of the burgeoning free Black community and laid the groundwork for the success of future generations.

Allicot's own sons, for instance, went on to open their own grocery store and work as boatmen like their father.

Barbagallo called it empowerment.

They patronize their businesses, they gain economic power, economic freedom for the pursuit of happiness  and set up their own neighborhoods away from the white system, she said.

Funding for Black history and research is scarce

Both Barbagallo and Wilson hope to uncover more stories about Albanys early Black community but their time and funds are limited. Barbagallo has one year to document as much as she can online for the public and Wilsons grant allows her just two years for her research.

Barbagallo began researching African American history years ago and said theres just no money for her kind of work. Her grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan.

She said it took a pandemic and an uprising over the deaths of Black people like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor during encounters with police to spur a cultural consciousness that made the money available.

Thats why she dedicated herself to ensuring the stories of these humble people who helped shape early Black culture and history in Albany are rediscovered and remembered.

Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify that only Barbagallo's grant came from the American Rescue Plan and Wilson's work is funded by the Charles L. Touhey Foundation, Inc.
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ALBANY  A lawyer with Capital Region roots handled an eight-year-long case that used New Yorks anti-slavery laws to free eight slaves in the 1850s in the shadow of the U.S. Supreme Courts pro-slavery Dred Scott decision.

The Historical Society of the New York Courts has pulled together a special exhibition and a film narrated by James Earl Jones to highlight the legal and historical importance of the Lemmon Case in the states and nations history.

This project began with two of our trustees, Dennis Glazer and Judge Albert Rosenblatt. They recognized the historical importance of this case and wanted to bring it to the public, said Allison Morey, program director for the historical society.

The exhibit arrives Tuesday at the Albany County Courthouse to be viewed. There will be a free talk open to the public about the Lemmon Case at 5:30 p.m. March 1 at the courthouse. The exhibit moves March 7 to the Rensselaer County Court House in Troy. Its touring 45 courthouses around the state in 90 weeks.

The case sprung from a Virginia couple Jonathan and Juliet Lemmon arriving in New York City in late 1852 on their way to Texas. They were traveling with eight enslaved people. It was the intervention of Louis Napoleon, a free Black man, who took legal action to free them.

This is the story of the Lemmon slave rescue case. The hero who started the case in the New York courts in 1852 and the courageous New York judges and lawyers who brought this case to a successful and inspiring conclusion, Court of Appeals Chief Justice Janet DiFiore said in introducing the video.

It was a history making decision in which eight young people who were between 2- and 23-years-old were freed from the bonds of slavery, DiFiore continued.

It began with Napoleon working with lawyers.

Louis Napoleon signed with an 'X' because he was unable to sign his name, Morey said about the legal papers that started the court action.

The case was taken up by Erastus D. Culver who practiced law in New York City but hailed from Washington County. He had lived and worked in Greenwich before heading south. Later his law partner would be Chester A. Arthur, who worked on the case and eventually became president of the United States. Arthur is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

The eight people enslaved by the Lemmons were Emeline, who at 23 was the head of her family which consisted of her 16-year-old brother Louis, her 13-year old brother Edward, and her two-year-old daughter Amanda, and Nancy who was 22 and the head of her family which consisted of her twin seven-year-old sons Lewis and Edward and her five-year-old daughter Anne, Morey recounted.

Judge Elijah Paine Jr. would order the eight set free. New York abolitionists helped them through the Underground Railroad to move north to Canada. The Lemmons would appeal through the states courts and lose at each level.

The case made its way through New Yorks courts even as the U.S. Supreme Court issued its infamous Dred Scott decision, considered by legal scholars to historically be the courts worst decision, declaring that Black Americans were not citizens and that the Constitution didnt apply to them.

The Lemmon Decision after Dred Scott still sided with freedom. The state had laws on the books about freedom for Blacks, for formerly enslaved people. They still decided to use that as the law of the state instead of observing the Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott, Morey said.
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ALBANY  One immigrant community has reached out to welcome another through a universal language:

Food.

Members of Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple in Niskayuna prepared and served lunch to Afghan refugees at an Albany-area hotel on Monday.

People came down and briefly mingled in the impromptu soup kitchen before loading up their trays and heading back to their rooms.

Paul Uppal, president of Guru Nanak Darbar, said refugees who were relocated to Albany following the collapse of the Afghan government last year face the same issues as anyone else who has been quickly forced to flee their native soil: Loneliness, social isolation and a lack of clothing, personal care products and financial independence.

Its the typical problem of trying to assimilate in a land far away from home, Uppal said.

On Monday's menu was vegetarian Indian and Pakistani cuisine.

The lunchtime banquet was a collaboration with the Troy YMCA, Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, the Albany Hindu Temple and Tri-City India Association.

Volunteers at the Sikh Temple prepared their food out of love and respect for their refugees, Uppal said, and they will continue to provide assistance.

Organizers also made colorful garb available to youngsters, who happily darted throughout the hallways.

Fifty-one Afghan refugees are being temporarily housed at the location before they can be placed in other lodging, officials said.

Guru Nanak Darbar parishioners and officials also make periodic drops of uncooked food to other families in the Capital Region, said Gurinder Garcha, a volunteer who helped organize Mondays event.

The Albany field office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) has resettled over 300 Afghan evacuees since September.

Yet their escape from the war-torn country, in many ways, was only the beginning of the path to security. Evacuees have only been issued temporary status that expires two years from their date of arrival.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

USCRI officials said the lack of a direct path from temporary status to permanent residence leaves them vulnerable at the end of that two-year period.

Finances also remain a challenge beyond immediate resettlement needs.

As an antidote, advocates and politicians are lobbying for the Afghan Adjustment Act, a bill being floated around Congress that would create a pathway to permanent status for Afghan evacuees.

Fatima Mukhtar, board member of the Al-Zahra Islamic Center in Voorheesville, said the new arrivals are integrating into U.S. life with the help of the center.

The recently-resettled people, she said, benefit from gleaning experience from people who arrived at different times, and thus are at different stages of the assimilation process. Weekly programming is also available at the location.

Mukhtar emigrated to the U.S. three decades ago. A subsequent wave of refugees came in the early- to-mid 2000s.

They have various different levels of experience that they can build off of and that strengthens the community a lot, Mukhtar said.
ALBANY  In two cases, Tioga Downs contractors participated in fraudulent arrangements to use minority- or women-owned businesses as pass-through entities for the product of other companies in order to give the appearance that the casino project was meeting state requirements about hiring diverse companies for contracts, according to the findings of New York Inspector General Lucy Lang.

A report released to the public Friday revealed two separate but similar schemes involving the construction of a casino at the Tioga Downs harness track in the town of Nichols, near the Pennsylvania border, between 2016 and 2018. The report also highlighted that the compliance team of the Gaming Commission  the state agency that oversees gambling and horse racing licenses  did not conduct the basic oversight of contracting at Tioga Downs to uncover the arrangements.

"We did not make any criminal referrals in our Tioga Downs letter; that however does not preclude a prosecutor from taking action if they choose to do so," said Aries Dela Cruz, a director of strategic initiatives for the inspector general's office.

The release of the inspector general's report comes shortly after the office distributed 15 other reports that had never previously been released describing various misconduct among Gaming Commission employees and at state funds dedicated to horse breeding. The reports identified employees gambling on the job, engaging in workplace sexual harassment, withholding money from racing participants and improperly administrating state breeding awards.

The new report hinges on a New York requirement that construction projects completed by state licensees, like Tioga Downs, comply with a quota of giving at least 30 percent of the contracted work to minority- or women-owned businesses. These businesses are certified by the Empire State Development Corp.

In one instance, Lang found Tioga Downs knowingly used a minority- and women-owned business, Mil-Ray Food Co., as a pass-through entity to get food from Sysco Corp. and Maines Paper and Food Service Inc. Emails showed that Tioga Downs' then-president and general manager Scott Freeman was aware of and encouraged the operation. The scheme resulted in Tioga Downs improperly claiming $3 million in credits from the state.

"I am very upset and disappointed because that is totally unacceptable, said Jeff Gural, owner of Tioga Downs, as well as harness tracks Vernon Downs and Meadowlands. All of the people that were involved no longer work for me."

Officials with Mil-Ray Food Co. declined to comment. Sysco and Maines Paper and Food Service did not respond to requests for comment.

Separately, a minority-owned business, BSV Metal Finishers Inc., acted as a pass-through for electrical goods from businesses owned by white men, like Kaman Automation, and provided them to Matco Electric Corp., which was overseeing electrical work at Tioga Downs new casino. Matco then falsely reported to LP Ciminelli, Tioga Downs project manager, that BSV was the supplier, when in fact BSV was only a broker. BSV passed along $700,000 in electrical goods and improperly made $34,074, Lang found.

LPCiminelli was also implicated in another larger set of similar contracting schemes uncovered by the inspector general's office regarding the the Buffalo Billion project, one of then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos signature economic development initiatives.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

Gural said LPCiminelli had a compliance officer who was supposed to supervise those contracts and who had assured him the contracts for his project were in compliance.

LPCiminelli, BSV Metal Finishers and Matco did not respond to requests for comment.

The inspector general also found that the Gaming Commission's compliance office, which had oversight of the contracts for the Tioga Downs project, did not conduct diligent scrutiny to identify the pass-through arrangements.

"The compliance team did not discover that Mil-Ray is a business without a functioning website that is operated by an individual out of her New Jersey home, information available through a simple Internet search that should have, at minimum, triggered further scrutiny," Lang wrote.

Brad Maione, a spokesman for the Gaming Commission, said the agency works to create jobs for New Yorkers.

"It is unfortunate that individuals and companies, such as those referenced in the report, seek to unlawfully exploit the programs made to support and encourage the growth of minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBEs)," Maione said. "The commission is thankful for the efforts of the IG to investigate this issue, and we will begin developing procedures that include expanded review."
The New York City Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club plans to resolve litigation and disassociate from the parent Adirondack Mountain Club and pay a settlement of $50,000.

The NYC chapter sued ADK last summer after ADK voted to dissolve it. ADK expressed concerns about the exclusivity of a downstate retreat the chapter operates called Camp Nawakwa. Michael Barrett, executive director of ADK, alleged the chapter was circumventing tax laws and failing to report income.

In a Jan. 14 letter, NYC Chapter Secretary Eve Mancuso wrote that her board felt it was in the best interests of our organization and members to settle our legal dispute with ADK and disassociate.

ADK plans to create a new city chapter, Mancuso notified members last month.

Mancuso said ADK demanded a donation in negotiations. The NYC Chapter board authorized a $50,000 fund donation in a resolution dated Jan. 17. It is not clear how the resolution was passed on Jan. 17 and Mancusos letter was written on Jan. 14.

Mancuso and the chapters attorney Judith Bachman did not immediately respond to the Adirondack Explorers request for comment. On Jan. 3, Bachman wrote to Judge Sherri Eisenpress of Rockland County Supreme Court to say the parties have reached a settlement in principle. She requested an adjournment.

Ben Brosseau, communications director for ADK, said a settlement has not been finalized yet and had no further comment.

If the settlement is completed, the organization will continue to operate as Nawakwa Outdoor Association of New York, Mancuso wrote. Chapter members will vote on the name at a Feb. 24 meeting. The chapter plans to keep operating Camp Nawakwa, a retreat on Lake Sebago in Harriman State Park that the organization leases from the Palisades Park Commission.

ADK President Tom Andrews had told the Explorer that some members of the NYC chapter alleged exclusion, member disenfranchisement, and financial concerns. In court records, Barrett noted Camp Nawakwa was restricted to about 200 of the chapters 1,200 members. The majority of the chapters finances went to the camp.

A past city chapter member reported to ADK that the chapters board took actions and made policy to ensure that families with children would not feel welcome, according to court records.

The chapters bylaws indicate one must become a Nawakwan, to use the camp. Nawakwans pay an application fee, complete an orientation and safety course and submit dues. They also must be voted in by the board of directors. The camp has one main two-bedroom cabin with a dining hall and two bathrooms. There are six separate sleeping cabins, three tent platforms and areas to swim and launch a boat.

Responding in court documents, Bachman called the allegation of exclusion of members untrue as the qualification requirements for access to our camp have been in place, in one form or another, since 1931.

Court records also show that in January 2021, ADKs member services center received a $2,000 donation to be a pass through donation to the NYC chapter. Barrett said there appeared to be a relationship where such donations could be received by ADK so the donor could receive a tax deduction. Bachman disclosed that ADK had facilitated this process for many years, records show.

Bachman said ADKs move to dissolve the chapter was done with an ulterior motive; perhaps to seize NY ADKs funds for Defendants own use, perhaps out of jealousy being that NY ADK has generous support from NY ADKs own members, perhaps because Defendant is bothered that NY ADK is one of only two separately incorporated chapters, or perhaps as part of a larger plan to eliminate all chapters.

At the end of June, ADK held a hearing and decided to dissolve the NYC chapter. On July 1, Mancuso and others filed the lawsuit. ADK has 27 chapters and the NYC and Keene chapters are the only ones separately incorporated.

A state Supreme Court justice in Rockland County issued a temporary restraining order on ADKs decision in July. Since then, ADK made an unsuccessful motion to change the lawsuits venue to Warren County.

A version of this story was first published by AdirondackExplorer.org.
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NORTH GREENBUSH  Homebrew Emporium, which grew from a storefront on North Greenbush Road to having three Massachusetts locations and a brewery and taproom next to the original, is shrinking its footprint to focus on the flagship.

Roger Savoy, who bought an existing home brew-supply store in North Greenbush in 1997, told The Boston Globe last week that his Cambridge store, which he bought in 2001, was closing as of Feb 20. He told the paper that Emporium locations in Weymouth and West Boylston likely will close soon, too, the result of waning interest in homebrewing as small professional brewing exploded in recent years.
Farmington, WV (26555)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low near 60F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low near 60F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
The third storm in as many days to hit Ireland has been named Storm Franklin.

Status Orange wind warnings will come into effect for six counties from midday today, as Storm Franklin is set to hit Irish shores this evening.

Met Eireann has warned of 'very strong winds with severe and damaging gusts', with risks of localised flooding in coastal areas.

The first Status Orange warning is for Clare and will remain in place from 12:00 pm today until midnight on Monday.

At 3pm, Status Orange wind warnings will come into effect in both Galway and Mayo until 3am tomorrow.

An Orange wind warning is in place for Donegal, Leitrim & Sligo on Sunday from 19:00 until Monday at 07:00 due to #StormFranklin. Very high seas with severe winds will lead to wave overtopping, which may result in coastal flooding



More detail https://t.co/BoUueCIxKa pic.twitter.com/nftOR5bzOi  Met Eireann (@MetEireann) February 20, 2022

A Status Orange wind warning has also been issued for Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo, lasting from 11pm tonight (Sunday) until 7am tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a Status Yellow wind warning remains in place for the whole country, coming into place at 9am this morning until 9am on Monday.
A quick survey of the Sunday news cycle shows that Kansas City residents were enjoying the nicer weather by shooting at one another and committing brazen acts of thievery.



Here's our TKC news roundup . . .



Motorcycle crash turns into homicide investigation in Kansas City, Missouri What started out as a deadly motorcycle crash has turned into a homicide investigation in Kansas City, Missouri.KCPD says 50-year-old Jeffery Nemitz, of Ohama, Nebraska, was thrown from his motorcycle after going up a curb around 3 a.m. Sunday, at St. John Avenue and Benton Boulevard.Police say Nemitz lost control and was ejected.

Shooting leaves one with critical injuries in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) --- Police in Kansas City say a woman was critically wounded in a shooting on Sunday afternoon. The shooting occurred around 3:15 p.m. on Sunday in the 1000 block of Admiral Boulevard. There's no initial suspect information at this time. The woman was taken to the hospital with critical injuries.

Police investigate shooting outside Family Dollar in Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri police are investigating after someone was a shot outside a Family Dollar Sunday night.It happened just before 7 p.m. in the store's parking lot at 39th and Indiana.Officers say the victim has life-threatening injuries.No suspect information has been released.This is a developing story, check back for updates.

$5K in gear stolen from Kansas City musician KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) --- With events resuming after a year or two off because of the pandemic, gig workers are back at it. But one local Kansas City musician hit a sour note Tuesday morning: His personal gear was missing from his car. "It just took a second to sink in," said musician Jason Reinhard.

Mother of Jabraughn James children speaks out KANSAS CITY, Mo - Jabraughn James was shot a few a months ago in the Westport area and after receving justice, the mother of his children sheds light on what kind of person James was. Nearly 3 months after his death, a slice of justice has arrived, the mother of the victim's children sharing her story.

Mental health evaluation ordered for mother of murdered child The Kansas City, Missouri, mother arrested and charged with murdering her 6-year-old son is being held without bond and will undergo a mental health evaluation. The prosecution of Tasha Haefs, 35, was suspended Thursday after a mental health evaluation was ordered in the case.

Video How mental health issues contribute to rising crime Murders in New York City are up 47% since 2020. Former NYPD Detective Robert Boyce and UConn psychiatrist Wizdom Powell explain how mental health issues have contributed to that spike.

Developing . . .
Once again for Sunday night, inspired by the legacy of angel Candice, we take a peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Here's www.TonysKansasCity.com news gathering . . .

Building Kansas City Pays Better

Highest-paying construction jobs in Kansas City The term "recession-proof" has taken on a new and important meaning in the wake of the Great Recession of 2008, a meaning that has been renewed during the pandemic. One recession-proof industry has proven to be construction.

Traffic Trouble: Drive Safely!!!

One dead following crash on I-70 in Independence INDEPENDENCE, MO (KCTV) --- One person has been killed in a two-vehicle crash in Independence. The crash happened shortly after 7 p.m. on eastbound Interstate 70 just west of Noland Road. Multiple lanes have been closed in the area. The identification of the victim has not been released at this time.

Sunday Good Life Remembered

VIDEO: Kansas Citians enjoy warmer temperatures outside following winter storm KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Thousands around the metro went outside to enjoy the warmer temperatures and sunshine on Sunday. KSHB 41 News spoke with those living in Kansas City and visiting from out of town to see how they spent their afternoon.

Angels Look Good In Anything

Candice Swanepoel's New Forever Jeans Are Made From Old Clothes Ask Candice Swanepoel to share what she looks for in an everyday jean, and she's as concerned with the supply chain as the cut and sew. "Isn't it so much more fulfilling to know where your clothing comes from?" she asks BAZAAR.com.

PREZ BIDEN ON THE BRINK!!!

Biden and Putin agree to 'principle' of summit discussing Ukraine President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to "the principle" to meet for a summit discussing "security and strategic stability in Europe," but will only take place if Russia does not invade Ukraine. The summit will be discussed by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their meeting on Thursday.

Here's Why Armed Protests Aren't A Great Idea

2 men and 4 women were shot -- including 1 fatally -- in Portland, Oregon. Now police ask the public for help A woman was killed and five others were injured in a shooting Saturday night in Portland, Oregon, the Portland Police Bureau said.

MAGA UNLEASHES TECH TRUTH MONDAY!!!

Trump's TRUTH Social to begin welcoming Americans who pre-ordered the app Monday Former President Trump's TRUTH Social will begin to give Americans who pre-ordered the app from the Apple Store access to the platform beginning at midnight, Fox Business has learned. A source familiar with the rollout told Fox Business Sunday that the company is operating under a staged-approach, and explained that TRUTH Social will populate with new users who pre-ordered the app over the next 10 days.

Activist Investor Not Feeling Swine

Carl Icahn launches proxy fight with McDonald's over treatment of pigs Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has started a proxy fight with McDonald's over the fast food giant's treatment of pigs, pushing for two board seats at the global fast food giant. McDonald's said Sunday in a release that Icahn has nominated Leslie Samuelrich and Maisie Ganzler for election at the company's 2022 annual shareholder meeting.

THE BEEBS PLAGUED!!!

Justin Bieber Postpones Las Vegas Concert Date Due to COVID-19 Outbreak on His Team The performance has been rescheduled for June 28. Refunds will be made available at the point of purchase, according to a statement posted on Twitter. "Due to positive COVID results within the Justice Tour family, we will, unfortunately, have to postpone Sunday's show in Las Vegas," the statement read.

Hipster Styles Well Considered

Matthew Hufft is responsible for some of Kansas City's coolest modern architecture Matthew Hufft's first architectural project was designing a home for his parents in Springfield, Missouri. Now, the company he founded with his wife is responsible for some of the city's coolest modern architecture.

Kansas City Culture Is Delicious

Historic restaurants in Kansas City aim to keep roots of soul food alive The expression "soul food" first emerged in the 1960s to describe the ethnic cuisine made and eaten by African Americans during times of slavery. Historic restaurants in Kansas City are still teaching the history of soul food and keeping its roots alive.

EPIC February High Expected

FORECAST: Temperatures could reach 70 degrees Monday in Kansas City Temperatures will return to the 40s during the evening and overnight hours before rebounding quickly on Monday. High temperatures could get very close to 70 degrees by the afternoon before a strong cold front arrives.

And all of this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.

Hopefully, we'll have more for the morning update . . . STAY TUNED!!!
A conversation over literature, opinion and culture war comes to our cowtown library in the week ahead.



Take a peek at the premise . . .



George Johnson, a New York-based writer and activist, joins Kansas City activist Justice Horn in discussing Johnson's book and the life experiences that inspired and fill it. Together, they address the controversy around it.



I know the landscape that we live in, Johnson told Time magazine late last year. So, for me to not only exist but have the audacity to tell my story  (those who saw it as unsuitable) were going to at some point try and shut it down.



The collection of essays in All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto is geared toward young, queer adults of color and their allies. It lends perspective on a range of topics including toxic masculinity, structural marginalization, and consent but also carries themes of joy, positive outcomes, and making peace with ones identity.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Overnight a horrific spate of gunfire rocked an urban core neighborhood.



The aftermath . . .

DOUBLE KILLING AND A YOUNGSTER HIT BY GUNFIRE STARTS THIS WEEK IN KANSAS CITY!!!

Some data to start the discussion . . .

- Unofficially, this is the 21st homicide so far this year.



- Kansas City is now keeping pace with 2020 - The most violent year in KCMO history which also hosted 21 murders at this date on the calendar.

- This is the 2nd KCMO murder in 24 hours as temperatures start to rise - That doesn't bode well for the warmer part of the year.

Now, here's the first report . . .



Homicide Linwood and Agnes



This morning about 12:45 am officers were dispatched to Linwood and Agnes on a shooting call. On arrival officers were directed to a vehicle in a parking lot there with 3 shooting victims inside.



Two adult victims (one male one female) were found unresponsive and a third victim, a juvenile male under 10, was located inside the vehicle, he had appeared to have been shot as well.



Officers summoned EMS to the scene. They declared the two adult victims deceased here at the scene. The juvenile victim was transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries, last reported to be critical but stable.



Detectives are working to determine what led up to the shooting, the victims ID and if they live in this area or were visiting. They are also canvassing for witnesses and processing the evidence along with crime scene investigators.



There are a lot of multi family residences in this immediate area so detectives are hopeful that someone may have information. If anyone in this area heard or saw anything here or has any information they are asked to contact the Homicide Unit directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS, There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case.

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Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

2 dead, child injured in shooting early Monday morning A man and woman are dead and a child is fighting for his life after a shooting early Monday morning.It happened around 12:45 a.m. near Linwood & Agnes.Police found the three in a vehicle in a parking lot.The man and woman were dead when police arrived.

2 killed, child injured in overnight shooting in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Two adults were killed and a child under the age of 10 was injured in an overnight shooting. Kansas City police responded to the crime scene at Linwood and Agnes shortly before midnight. Officers said they found the three victims in a car parked in a lot.

Three people shot, including boy under 10, in Kansas City overnight KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City Police say three people were shot, including a boy under 10, near Linwood and Agnes about 12:45 a.m. Police were called to the area on a shooting call about 12:45 a.m. When they arrived, police say they were directed to a vehicle in a parking lot with three victims inside.

Developing . . .
Mongolia has fully lifted border restrictions to allow resumption of international trade and travel.

Early this week, the government of Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene decided to lift the heightened state of readiness and downgrading the level of restrictions as the Asian nation has fully vaccinated 92% of its population.

No restrictions will be imposed on business operations, official Montsame News Agency reported quoting the prime minister.

Mongolia fully opens its borders to international travel and is now open to all tourists and investors who are fully vaccinated, he added.

The government, administrative bodies, private entities, and tourism companies of Mongolia will put efforts into creating the necessary conditions to ensure safety and provide smooth services for all those arriving in the country for business and tourism purposes, said L.Oyun-Erdene.

With a population of 3.2 million, Mongolia has reported 459,944 COVID-19 cases, including 2,155 deaths since the pandemic broke.

Since the virus spiked in the country late in 2020, the government had imposed strict lockdown measures at least seven times during which Mongolia was under Red level of restrictions for 79 days.

The restrictions had hit hard the economy with growth dropping to -5.3%.

Image Cresdit:  AA
Brevard, NC (28712)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 63F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 63F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Johnstown, PA (15901)

Today

Heavy rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 58F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Heavy rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 58F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
TheStatehouseFile.com/ Isaac GleitzNext in line: Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, above right, directs the Senate. If Gov. Eric Holcomb became unable to fulfill his duties, Crouch would take his place.
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The outset of COVID-19 saw an outpouring of support for what were termed essential workers, and high on the list were teachers. With no experience teaching remotely, an entire profession was forced to adapt on the fly and come up with ways to keep students learning and engaged from a distance. There were plenty of hiccups, but somehow, they managed to do this.

Two years in, some of those good feelings started to sour. Amid yet another coronavirus wave, teachers were seen in some quarters as too reluctant to return to full, in-person classrooms.

What was really happening was reasonable. Even with vaccines available and safety measures in place, COVID danger has not disappeared. Teachers were looking for assurances that as much as possible was being done to keep them safe from a deadly disease. The belief that there was more to be done turned out to be justified.

An investigation by Connecticut Public Radio last month found that one-third of school districts in the state did not have enough money to maintain or improve school air quality, and about 20 percent did not even have a program in place to make that determination. Given what weve learned about COVID and how much money has poured in to cover just these kinds of issues, it was a shocking finding.

Teachers were saying their workplaces werent as safe as they should be, and the stats backed them up. It wasnt the first time in recent memory they were proven right on a major public policy issue.

Its been a decade since Connecticut became the focus of a school reform effort that swept the nation, with charter schools and standardized tests debated in the Legislature as then-Gov. Dannel Malloy pushed major changes. It was always a little odd, since Connecticut is consistently named as home to some of the best public schools in America. But not everything about school reform was really about better schools.

Its helpful to go back and remember how this started, at least the modern version of it. When George W. Bush took office after the turn of the century, one of his major initiatives besides cutting taxes for rich people was a bipartisan education reform known as No Child Left Behind. This was an example of two parties in Washington setting aside their differences and enacting some truly terrible public policy.

The law established new benchmarks for standardized testing, which were to progressively rise over the years. Eventually, as the law was written, schools were supposed to reach 100 percent proficiency on standardized tests. This was never going to happen, as everyone knew. Still, it gave lawmakers a chance to feel like they were holding people accountable.

When Bushs successor, Barack Obama, took office, he inherited a mess of a federal education policy and somehow made it worse. To get a waiver from No Child Left Behind, the federal government required states to, among other things, adopt systems linking teacher job prospects to test scores.

That led to Malloys reform efforts, and a furious, ultimately successful pushback by teachers and their unions. The final law included few of the problematic proposals Malloy introduced, and seemed to make teachers happy. The controversy then faded for a while.

Underlying all this are legitimate issues. It was never fair to call urban schools failing, as happened often during the reform debate, but there is a major resource shortfall, and an accompanying achievement gap. What never made sense was linking these facts to teachers job security, since unions are just as much a factor in failing districts as they are in rich towns where public schools are among the prime attractions.

Now there are numbers backing up teachers assertions during the Malloy controversy. Because similar reforms were enacted in states across the country at different intervals, its possible to compare what happened in their wake, and the quick answer is  nothing. A study from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University finds that the massive effort to institute new high-stakes teacher evaluation systems had no measurable impact on student outcomes, including test scores and graduation rates.

The reforms that did pass in Connecticut mostly involved intensified help for school systems that needed it most, which is something that could have happened without much controversy, as well as increasing access to preschool. On the big issues, the teachers arguments held up.

Why does this matter in 2022, a full decade after the worst of the school reform fights in Connecticut? Because this stuff never goes away. Its always lurking, and it came the surface over the past year during the debates about COVID and school closures. Partly because theyre public employees and partly because theyre so heavily unionized, teachers will always be in someones cross hairs.

Of course some districts need help, and theres much more that could be done to provide a better education to everyone in Connecticut. But targeting teachers never made any sense. Public schools are one of the things that mostly work in Connecticut. We should keep it that way.

Hugh Bailey is editorial page editor of the New Haven Register and Connecticut Post. He can be reached at hbailey@hearstmediact.com.
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Yale New Haven Health announced this month it plans to buy three more hospitals operated by Prospect Health.

In addition to Bridgeport Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Yale New Haven Hospital and Westerly Hospital, the system will add Waterbury Hospital (357 beds), Manchester Memorial Hospital (249 beds) and Rockville General Hospital (102 beds).

The purchase continues an ongoing trend toward health care consolidation on small and large scales. Health systems like Yale or Hartford HealthCare continue to take over or merge with other hospital chains, and smaller medical practices selling out to larger groups.

In the year 2000, there were roughly, I think, 32 or 34 independent nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut, said Lynne Ide, director of program and policy at the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut. Fast forward 20 years later, and there are only four independent nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut. Every other hospital in the state has been taken up by a larger health system.

What we're seeing is consolidation of health care services, she said.

Chris OConnor, CEO of Yale New Haven Health, has been at the forefront of hospital consolidations in Connecticut.

He got his start at St. Raphaels as an emergency room tech during his undergrad years. His mother was a nurse at St. Raphaels for 40 years.

That was my mom's hospital, he said.

After he completed school, OConnor returned to St. Raphaels and eventually became CEO and brokered the deal that brought the hospital into the Yale New Haven Health system.

OConnor said there is no single reason why a smaller hospital system decides to sell to a larger one. In St. Raphaels case, the viability of it as an independent agency was waning, though most aren't in that situation, he said.

The external agencies, in our case, it was the bond insurers that said that 'you need to find an alternative solution,' he said.

That being said, OConnor agreed there is a trend toward consolidation, both of hospital systems and smaller medical practices.

I think times have changed and the pressure on health care entities is extreme, he said about the trend.

From a marginal cost perspective, the ability to aggregate the back-office functions and have more systemic structure around those more deployable costs, supply chain, information technology, legal, all of those have greater value when you're looking at larger scale, he said.

Vertical consolidation

The National Council on Compensation Insurance, a research and advocacy group, referred to hospital mergers as horizontal consolidation in a 2018 report. When doctors sell private practices to larger groups, thats vertical consolidation, and its been driven, at least in part, by the Affordable Care Act, the organization says.

The ACA increased incentives to move patient care from an inpatient to an outpatient setting, motivating hospital systems to acquire physician practices in order to capitalize on increased outpatient revenues and secure referrals for hospital-based services, NCCI wrote.

There are also administrative reasons. There are more back-office responsibilities now, doctors say, in large part driven by insurance companies.

Focusing on some of those back-office functions is not why many doctors went into medicine, OConnor said. They went in to serve patients. So, relieving themselves of some of that back office rigor, I think, has appeal to many physicians  not all, but many.

David Emmel is the legislative chairman of the Connecticut State Medical Society and the Connecticut Society of Eye Physicians. Hes also a practicing ophthalmologist in Wethersfield.

His colleague, Bob Russo, is executive director of the medical society and a retired radiologist.

Both doctors previously had small, private practices. Emmels only employee was his wife. Russo inherited the practice from his father, and his aunt and her friend did all the billing.

The doctors sold their practices to larger health systems. Emmel likened it to what he called a hardware store model.

The old-fashioned hardware store where you'd walk in and someone would greet you and say, What are you looking for, and they find everything you want and you never had to take a step, he said. Now you go to a Home Depot and you wander around and hope you find what you need.

Russo said the system manipulates doctors into selling their practices.

I think it's an effort to manipulate the system to the advantage of people that believe they're practicing medicine, like the insurance companies, sometimes the pharmacies, definitely the legislature, where they come in with rules and regulations, and just kind of pound at you to kind of bend you into what they want you to do, he said.

The method of manipulation, according to Russo and Emmel, is increasing administrative costs. When Emmel started in private practice, his wife did all the billing.

By the time I was forced to go into a group practice, I needed six full-time employees just to manage the business aspects, he said. It's not like there was one thing that broke the camel's back, it just was the administrative burden that's growing and growing and growing for all physicians in the face of remuneration that has grown either not at all or, in some cases, is actually going down.

Emmel is an ophthalmologist, and he said, insurance companies now require a prior authorization for every cataract operation.

That means my surgical coordinator has to be on the phone, often for hours for every given patient, trying to obtain prior authorization and to maintain a schedule that has some semblance of reasonableness, he said. It's frustrating to patients, and we spend time calming patients down who think they have a date for surgery and then find out they have to wait.

Competition

When asked if there is a concern that health care monopolies may form, limiting a patients choice to a single megacorporation, OConnor said, I bristle at that word, because I don't think it exists.

There's pretty brisk competition, he said. I don't think we're going to that extreme, personally. You have three very broad health systems  four if you count Trinity, but they're a little bit smaller  between Nuvance, Hartford and Yale New Haven that, I think, are going to be around for a while. So, I don't see a monopoly as the outcome, personally.

However, a class action lawsuit filed this month alleges that Hartford HealthCare has created a health care monopoly that limits patient choice and drives up prices.

HHC has used unlawful and anti-competitive methods to restrain trade, to acquire a monopoly on acute inpatient hospital services in many key regions in the state, and to abuse that monopoly by using it to extract higher prices from insurers, employers, and patients throughout the areas it does business, the complaint alleges.

In a statement, Hartford HealthCare said, the complaint is without merit.

The allegations misrepresent the many ways Hartford HealthCare is working to transform health care, building a system of care that is more accessible, has lower-cost options, is a champion for equity, and both attracts and delivers excellence, the statement said.

John Brady, a former emergency room nurse and executive vice president at AFT Connecticut, a union that represents many nurses in the state, said it would be concerning if HHC and Yale ever merged.

If those two big dogs ever merged, then you could argue that there is a monopoly in Connecticut, he said, suggesting that consolidation will continue.

I think were going to be down to a couple of big chains, Hartford and Yale, and maybe a few other ones, he said. We are starting to get to the point where theres not a lot of other small ones to go.

Pride in independence

Nuvance Health was formed through consolidation, when Western Connecticut Health Network merged with Health Quest.

Nuvance chief operating officer, Kerry Eaton, said consolidation allows communities and patients greater choice and enhanced access to highly skilled specialists and the latest treatments with an accessible medical record across a broader geography, particularly during the pandemic.

The pandemic clearly highlighted the benefits of a larger health system where talent, supplies and clinical knowledge were shared as COVID-19 repeatedly surged, Eaton said in a statement. Our hospitals worked together to accommodate patient overflow, while also sharing ideas, equipment and PPE.

In addition to being the newly named CEO of Yale New Haven Health, OConnor is also chair of the Connecticut Hospital Association, which he said brings together every entity, regardless of whether you're a system or an independent hospital.

OConnor said he believes there is a role for independent hospitals in the state in the coming decades. He said theres great sensitivity to the fact that we have to provide a venue that does whatever it can to help support those independent hospitals.

Places like Griffin Hospital and Middlesex  they believe adamantly in their independence, and great for them. They're wonderful colleagues, OConnor said.

Other independent, nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut include Day Kimball Healthcare in Putnam and Stamford Health, where Asha Shah is head of infection prevention.

We pride ourselves on being independent, she said.

Independence helps us maintain a focus on providing expert, compassionate care, said Kathleen Silard, president and CEO of Stamford Health.

It is not easy for a health system to remain independent in todays environment, but we believe it is in our communities best interest, she said.

National trend

Silard said consolidations have long been a trend nationally.

That trend toward health care consolidation is not new, and is not unique to Connecticut as advocacy group the NCCI explained in 2018.

The reason for that consolidation, according to NCCI, is cost savings. Hospital mergers can lead to operating cost reductions for acquired hospitals of 15 to 30 percent, NCCI wrote.

But that cost savings does not necessarily flow downstream. Reductions in hospital operating costs do not translate into price decreases, the organization wrote. Research to date shows that hospital mergers increase the average price of hospital services by 6 to 18 percent.

Another advocacy group, the Health Care Cost Institute, examined consolidation across the nation, and ranked metro areas by how consolidated they are by using a metric called Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI).

A higher HHI value signifies a more highly concentrated market  that is, within a market, a smaller number of hospital systems account for a larger share of hospital admissions, the group wrote. The scale goes from zero to 10,000.

On the high end is Johnson City, Tenn., with an HHI of 9,046. Urban metro areas tend to be less consolidated and New York City is second from the bottom with an HHI of 667, ahead of Riverside, Calif.

In Connecticut, the group compares three metro areas (with much of Fairfield County considered the New York City metro area and the corners or the state not populated enough to consider).

The Hartford metro area was given an HHI of 3,181 in 2019, considered highly concentrated. Health care in New Haven is also considered highly concentrated, with an HHI of 3,059. With an HHI of 2,260, health care in the Bridgeport metro area is considered moderately concentrated.

Patient care

Before he retired, Charles Motes was most recently health director at the Bristol-Burlington Health District, but over the course of his career, he was director of health and social services in East Hartford, the first full-time director of health in Southington and the first director of health of the Plainville-Southington Health District.

Motes said cost, for both hospitals and patients, is only one measure to consider.

We must factor in improvements in patient care as a bottom line item, he said. It does me no good if the cost of my care is less, if there is no improvement in the care I receive.

Ide believes patient care concerns are often lost as hospital chains become larger. The result, she said, is the services provided, like maternity care, are shuffled from one location to another.

Especially if you're a smaller hospital that has been gobbled up, they often will take certain functions and move them to another hospital in their system, she said. Very rarely are consumer interests  patient interests  put front and center in those negotiations.

Brady said hospitals are different from other necessary public service agencies like police or fire departments.

Compare hospitals to school systems. School systems are governed by elected boards of education, he said. Hospitals are governed in theory by boards of directors who are not elected by the public. The people sitting on the board elect their replacements.

In a nonprofit hospital they don't even answer to shareholders" despite being funded with public funds, he said. "Theyre funded with Medicare, Medicaid and insurance premiums.

So, when it comes to consolidation, Brady argues the decision should be based on a statewide strategy and, at least to some degree, left to the public.

Brady said he does not believe hospitals have the interest of the public at hand.

Hospitals have to remember that they serve a purpose, he said, and that purpose is to serve the public good.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect Day Kimball Healthcare is also an independent, nonprofit hospital in Connecticut.
A Moose Hill Road woman was arrested for hosting an underage drinking party that included several vodka bottles, as well as marijuana and other narcotic substances, at her home Saturday, May 7.

Police said Kimberly Atherton, 53, had at least a dozen teens inside her home when they responded to the scene and that she was visibly intoxicated when she opened the door.

According to a report, a neighbor called police after a vehicle leaving the party had driven over his lawn. The complainant also told police that the party was out of control and very loud.

In addition to having slurred speech, the report said, Atherton smelled of marijuana. Police told her to sit down outside the home as they went inside.

According to police, Trumbull officers entered the home, causing numerous teens to flee the scene on foot.

In the homes basement, police found a beer pong table, empty beer cans and vodka bottles.

As they searched, officers detected a strong odor of marijuana and found several empty bags that had marijuana residue in them.

The report added that three youths did not flee and were found inside the house  one of whom was Athertons 18-year-old daughter, who was not charged.

Police said they did not know exactly how many kids had attended the party but that they were aware of a social media post advertising a small gathering for just friends.

The report stated that one father was trying to pick up his 15-year-old daughter from the party as police arrived.

The girl exited the home was visibly intoxicated, police said.

After vomiting on the front steps of the home, she told police she had consumed vodka, muscle relaxers, marijuana, and codeine at the party.

Police said EMS arrived on the scene and transported the girl to St. Vincents Medical Center.

The report added that no other partygoers needed medical attention on the scene.

Atherton was released on a promise to appear in court.

Community backlash

The incident sparked outrage on Facebook, where more than 65 users had made comments about what had happened at the home Saturday night.

The suggestions on the Facebook page Keep Trumbull Real ranged from educating kids on the repercussions of their actions to sentencing the mother with a financially burdensome fine.

When are people going to learn? Its not just your own kids youre responsible for, but if you have your kids friends at your home. You are responsible for them. We need to be parents to our kids, not their best friend, posted Diane Severino Monday afternoon. With everything we see on the news or read in the paper, parents should be protecting their kids, not harming them or others with the bad choices they make.

Theresa Doonan, founder of HeroinKillsCT, voiced outrage that Atherton was released on the scene and not taken to police headquarters.

They should have kept her in a cell until she got before the judge, she said.

I think the mother should have to do community service  at the morgue transporting the bodies of young people dead from drugs/alcohol, she added in a later post.

Shirley Coddington Bonazzo used the situation to highlight a problem going on at Trumbull High School.

My daughter wont use the bathrooms all day at school because of the drug and drinking situation, she wrote. I do believe its everywhere but our responsibility as a parent is to not allow it.

Melissa McGarry, project director of the Trumbull Partnership Against Underage Drinking & Drugs (TPAUD), commented that this case shows the risks of hosting kids.

You assume the responsibility for what happens on your property, she said. Things can get out of hand quickly with potentially tragic results.
Ukraine is closely following the deployment of Russian units, which currently number 127,000 people of the ground component, reaching 147,000 people with the naval and aviation component.

"We are closely following the Russian units, which today number 127,000 people of the ground component, reaching 147,000 people with the naval and aviation component. We do not see a pullback or a declining number because the units currently in motion can be returned to their previous positions very quickly or redeployed to another area," Minister of Defence of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov said at a briefing at Ukrinform news agency.

The Ukrainian military are ready for any scenario, he stressed.

"We do not underestimate the threat. Its level is really high. But we forecast all scenarios, choosing our tactics of behavior," the minister said.

According to him, one of the possible scenarios is that Russia will try to literally surround Ukraine with troops  from Brest to Taganrog by land, on two seas and in the temporarily occupied Crimea  and intensify activity in the temporarily occupied part of Moldova, in Transnistria.

"It was also expected that the Russian troops would escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine against this background, accompanied by other means of pressure: cyberattacks, mining of civilian facilities, attempts to arrange riots under various pretexts, etc.," Reznikov explained.

He stressed that those actions aimed to shatter Ukraine from within, to force it to capitulate, to change its political course and abandon the European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, and eventually lose its independence.

Reznikov also noted that Ukraine expected the Russian troops to stay in Belarus after the exercises: "Because they had been transported from the Far East for several weeks clearly not to be trained for 10 days and then go back."

"Similarly, the sudden exercises in Transnistria did not come as a surprise. We took appropriate response measures," the defence minister added.

According to him, Russian troops are currently actively maneuvering near Ukraine's borders, particularly in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

Ships are moving in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. There was an attempt to block even the whole of Sea of Azov, as well as access to our ports in Odesa region. But they failed. Currently, three large landing ships and five warships and boats of other classes, including one missile boat, have entered the Sea of Azov under the pretext of participating in the exercises, Reznikov said.

Commenting on the escalation in the Joint Forces Operation area, Reznikov noted that whereas 3 to 5 attacks per day had been recorded a month and a half before, already 60 attacks had been recorded on February 17, 66  on February 18, and 134  on February 19.

Earlier, Reznikov informed that 14 attacks had been recorded and one Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the Joint Forces Operation area today, February 21.

As reported, Russia continues to amass military units in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and around its borders.

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The Ukrainian Army is not planning any offensive operations anywhere as the country stands for regaining its territories and people through political and diplomatic means.

This was announced at a briefing in Ukrinform by Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.

I emphasize once again that the Ukrainian Army is not planning any offensive actions. Anywhere. We stand for regaining our people and territories through political and diplomatic means. And we will regain them in due course, both certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and Crimea along with Sevastopol, Reznikov said.

The minister also noted that the coalition of real support for Ukraine is currently growing. He recalled a series of talks held with Ukraine's international partners, including Canadian National defense chief Anita Anand, Swedish defense minister Peter Gultqvist, Dutch defense minister Kaisa Ollongren and top defense officials from other countries.

"I thanked Minister Anand for the plane that brought weapons from Canada, which we met the same day. The day before there was a plane that brought Javelins from Estonia. The Netherlands has confirmed its intention to provide Ukraine with defensive weapons. Polish friends have stated that they will increase the amount of aid," the defense chief said.

Reznikov said Ukraine was actively working to replenish reserves of both aircraft and armor.

"In particular, we again appealed to all nations, even those who are not willing to supply us with lethal weapons, to help quickly replenish the reserves of protective means," said Reznikov.

According to the defense minister, currently Ukraine is trying to work out three options for arms replenishment: production in Ukraine, imports, and international aid. He clarified that the combination of these three sources includes procurement.

The Minister informed that in the coming days a number of political events have been announced in Russia, where decisions concerning Ukraine could be made, while active diplomatic efforts are also underway.

"We are fully focused and ready to respond. In parallel lines, we are doing our current work. This week, our proposals will be considered in both parliament and cabinet. We plan to hold exercises throughout the year," the minister said.

Separately, Reznikov reminded that during his speech on Friday at an hour of questions to the government in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraines parliament, he stressed that since the enemy has already applied this method of pressure, they could do it again at any time.

"We must see this threat as permanent and be ready to fight back at any moment. And we are preparing  to implement reforms, to implement NATO principles and standards, and to provide our Army with modern weapons of Ukrainian production. And I ask everyone to believe in and support our Army," Reznikov said.

Russia has amassed military forces in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and around its borders.

The Kremlin is trying to use these military preparations as blackmail against United States and NATO, having issued an ultimatum on the so-called security guarantees to ensure NATO's eastward non-expansion and renunciation of the blocs existing security policy.

Russia has demanded that the United States and NATO respond in writing to its proposals for "security guarantees." The answer was received on January 26. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the response was generally unsatisfactory, adding, however, that dialogue would continue.

If the West refuses to accept Russia's "proposals," the Kremlin authorities publicly threaten "military and military-technical" measures.

On February 15, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that units of their Western and Southern military districts are gradually returning from the sites of exercises to their permanent bases.

As of February 16, there were 125,000 Russian ground troops on the border with Ukraine, while the total number of Russian troops amassed around Ukraine, including their naval and air components, is about 140,000. In the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas, the Russian Federation maintains a contingent of 35,000 mercenaries. According to intelligence data, the actual withdrawal of troops claimed by the Russian Federation has not been observed so far.

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The Russian Federation is making every effort to create a casus belli to launch a full-scale offensive, but it wont be able to provoke Ukraine into active hostilities.

This was stated by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov at a briefing within the national forum "Safe and prosperous communities of the future," an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

This is their task (to create a casus belli - ed.). They have long set such tasks before themselves, but our military can return fire only if their lives are threatened ... We dont carry out these shellings (of Donetsk and Luhansk - ed.), we have nothing to do with these shellings. We have warned and are now warning that they (Russia - ed.) may fantasize as much as they want, they may do anything, and we are ready for that. Moreover, the world is ready for this. I would like to emphasize once again that we understand what is happening. Russia's desire to provoke us to active moves wont work," Danilov said.

The NSDC secretary also stressed that Ukraine would never resort to a scenario involving the use of force, as it would lead to heavy casualties among the civilian population.

"We cannot conduct any military actions against our population," the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council stressed.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on February 18, the leaders of the so-called "LPR/DPR" announced the evacuation of residents of the occupied territories to Russias Rostov region over what they claimed was an alleged offensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, addressed the residents of the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, emphasizing that Ukraine is not conducting any offensive operations in eastern Ukraine, and called not to believe the occupiers lies.

Viktor Lysiuk, head of the Joint Center for Civil-Military Cooperation at the Joint Forces Headquarters, said that over the past five days, the Ukrainian military had recorded 104 shellings of civilian targets by Russian occupation forces in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Forty-four houses were damaged, four educational facilities were destroyed, two cars and a garage, as well as five civil infrastructure sites were damaged. As a result of the shelling, two civilians were injured and three people were shell-shocked.

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The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine has refuted the statement issued by the Russian FSB security service about the alleged shelling of the Russian border checkpoint in Rostov region.

This was reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Facebook, as seen by Ukrinform.

"The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine says the statement by the FSB of the Russian Federation about the shelling from the territory of Ukraine, as a result of which a building of the Russian border guards unit was destroyed is an outright provocation. In particular, the exact location of the incident has not been specified, except for a claim that it was 150 meters from the Russian-Ukrainian border within Rostov region," the statement reads.

The Ministry noted that Rostov region borders both the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities within Luhansk region and the non-government-controlled section of the Ukrainian border, which is more than 400 km long.

The agency also stressed that the Ukrainian border guards had received no information from their Russian counterparts about any incidents in the bordering areas.

"At the same time, certain sources cited by Russian outlets say this may be the territory located near the non-government-controlled part of Ukraine's border, in Neklinovsky district of Rostov region," the statement said.

In addition, the press service of the Joint Forces Operation took to Facebook to report that the building shown in photos and videos spread by the Russian propaganda media is more like a "utility room" than a border checkpoint.

In addition, JFs artillery units are stationed in the disengagement areas. Therefore, given the technical features of the artillery systems available to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it would be impossible for them to hit the said "utility room."

The JFO press service also emphasizes that the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine remain in their positions, adheringg to the Minsk agreements, not carrying out any offensive actions. "In the absence of any aggressive actions by Ukrainian defenders, the invaders themselves blow up infrastructure objects and chaotically shell settlements," the statement said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on February 18, the leaders of the so-called "LPR/DPR" announced the evacuation of residents of the occupied territories to Russias Rostov region over what they claimed was an alleged offensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, addressed the residents of the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, emphasizing that Ukraine is not conducting any offensive operations in eastern Ukraine, and called not to believe the occupiers lies.

Viktor Lysiuk, head of the Joint Center for Civil-Military Cooperation at the Joint Forces Headquarters, said that over the past five days, the Ukrainian military had recorded 104 shellings of civilian targets by Russian occupation forces in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Forty-four houses were damaged, four educational facilities were destroyed, two cars and a garage, as well as five civil infrastructure sites were damaged. As a result of the shelling, two civilians were injured and three people were shell-shocked.

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Since 2014, Russia's aggression in Ukraine has claimed about 14,000 lives.

8 years ago, the Russian Federation launched an armed invasion into the sovereign territory of Ukraine - the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Russian aggression against Ukraine continued in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and in the Kerch Strait, reads the Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on 8 years since the beginning of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.

As the Ministry notes, the armed conflict waged by Russia has claimed the lives of about 14,000 people, injured at least 30,000, including civilians, and forced more than 1.5 million people to flee their homes in Crimea and Donbas to escape occupation for the government-controlled territory of Ukraine since 2014.

The first attempt to seize part of the territory of a neighboring state by force since World War II was a blow to world security, based on international law, including on respect for the internationally recognized borders of sovereign states. The temporary occupation and attempted annexation of Ukrainian territories turned them into zones of unprecedented violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms. All those who disagree with the occupation are systematically persecuted. Russia oppresses Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar communities on ethnic and religious grounds in the temporarily occupied Crimea, reads the statement.

It is underscored that despite all the efforts of Ukraine and the international community to peacefully resolve the conflict created by Russia, Russia's aggression is only expanding.

The recent unprecedented military build-up by Russia near Ukraine's border, in the temporarily occupied Crimea and in Belarus became not only part of the pressure on Ukraine, but also an element of blackmail aimed at further undermining Europe's security architecture, norms and principles of international law, the MFA emphasizes.

Russia continues to use all possible instruments of its ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Under the pretext of naval exercises, the Russian Federation is blocking large parts of the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait, closing safe and established routes of maritime trade leading to Ukrainian ports. The latest example of such behaviour was the blocking on 13-19 February, the diplomats note.

Moreover, periodic attacks in cyberspace continue.

The aggressor state failed to achieve its key goal - to destroy the unity of Ukraine and undermine the steadfastness of the international coalition in support of Ukraine. We remain committed to resolving this armed conflict through political and diplomatic means within the framework of existing negotiation formats, as well as with the involvement of international organizations, in order to restore and build peace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine underlines.

The diplomats note that they are creating a belt of security and prosperity by implementing the strategy of small alliances as an element of Ukraine's proactive foreign policy. That is how the Lublin Triangle with Poland and Lithuania, the Quadriga with Turkey, the Associated Trio with Georgia and Moldova, and the Ukraine-Poland-UK alliance emerged.

Together with 46 of our foreign partners and international organizations, we have established the International Crimean Platform, a new format for the peaceful de-occupation of Crimea. We do develop the Platform to contain Russia's geopolitical and military ambitions, and maintain stability in the wider Black Sea region, the Ministry says.

The MFA expresses its gratitude to the states that provide Ukraine with political and practical support in order to strengthen its defence resilience and calls for further intensification of bilateral military-technical cooperation to this end.

Russia must de-escalate, withdraw its military forces from Ukraine's sovereign territory and stop destabilizing the international security situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine underscores.

The Law of Ukraine "On introduction of amendments into some Laws of Ukraine" (as to the date the temporarily occupation started)" of September 15, 2015, No. 685-VIII defines February 20 as the official date of the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea.

On February 20, 2014, Russia committed an international crime, violated the basic principles of international law and the European system, destroyed the existing balance of power in the region, caused the largest security crisis in Europe since World War II. Grossly violating Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, Russian troops began occupying Crimea. Trucks without number plates, the so-called "green men"  armed soldiers wearing unmarked green army uniforms  appeared on the peninsula. At the same time, irregular formations of mercenaries from among local residents were created and provided with weapons, led by officers of the special services and the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

On the night of February 27, the buildings of the Parliament and the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea were seized by Russian special forces and Russian flags were set on them. A so-called "referendum" was held on March 16, and two days later, on March 18, Crimea's "accession" to Russia was announced.

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Ukraine imported $874 million worth of fish, crustaceans and mollusks in 2021, which is 28.6% more than in 2020.

Ukrinform reports with reference to the National Scientific Centre "Institute of Agrarian Economics (IAE).

"Most fish and seafood are usually imported to Ukraine from Europe and North America. Norway has held the leading position in terms of the cost of supplies of this type of product to our country for over 15 years, totaling 35.2% in 2021, analysts of the relevant department noted.

Other imports of fish and seafood came to Ukraine from Iceland (13.2%), the United States (7.7%), Canada (5.6%), the United Kingdom (4.7%) and Spain (4.4%).

Overall, these six countries accounted for almost 71% of imports of this group's products to Ukraine in 2021, the IAE added.

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Canada has already developed a set of "compounded" sanction packages against Russia, which will be triggered immediately in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to Ukrinform, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said this in an interview with National Post.

"Our sanctions package is ready. We've worked with the U.S., we've worked with the UK, we've worked with Australia as well and we've been sharing information with the EU," Joly said.

She stressed that Canada has multiple sanctions packages containing a "vast array" of increasingly strong measures targeting Russian "people and entities" ready to go on "day one" if Russia invades Ukraine.

Jolie declined to detail what the sanctions packages contained but confirmed the tool box included "Magnitsky-like" sanctions, which involve the seizing of assets and travel bans on specific individuals.

At the same time, she insisted that there is still a "route to diplomacy" to settle the current crisis.

Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS / Adrian Wyld

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French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Sunday agreed to facilitate a diplomatic solution to the current crisis.

That's according to a statement released by the Elysee Palace, Ukrinform reports.

Macron and Putin agreed on the following points:

- the resumption of work within the Normandy format on the basis of negotiations and proposals made by Ukraine in recent days;

- intensive work view a view to holding a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in the coming hours in order to obtain from all stakeholders commitments to a ceasefire on the line of contact;

- the need to promote a diplomatic solution to the current crisis. To this end, intensive diplomatic work will be carried out in the coming days and weeks. The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the coming days, and a number of consultations will be held in Paris for this purpose;

- this diplomatic work should make it possible to move forward on the basis of recent negotiations by involving all stakeholders (Europeans, allies, Russians and Ukrainians) in order to hold, if the conditions are met, a meeting at the highest level to define a new order of peace and security in Europe;

- in order to carry out this work under serious conditions, the two heads of state have made a firm commitment to take all useful steps to avoid escalation, reduce risks and preserve peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call on Sunday discussed the security situation around Ukraine and supported the urgent convening of a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group.

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Amid the Russian threat and security challenges facing Europe as a result of Russia's military build-up along Ukraine's borders, the European Union intends to further deepen economic and political rapprochement with Ukraine, including by holding a donors conference to support its economy.

European Council President Charles Michel said this at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, February 20, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The Russian goal of weakening Western and European support for Ukraine is a miscalculation because it only galvanizes our resolve. In the very short term we have decided to mobilize EUR 1.2 billion of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, and I have proposed to launch an international donors conference in order to shore up the macro-economic stability of Ukraine and to support their economic reforms. But in my opinion we should also deepen the political and economic rapprochement with Ukraine, together with the European Union," Michel said.

However, he did not give a direct answer to the direct question of former Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, whether the EU should offer Ukraine some kind of emergency invitation to start membership talks with the EU to support the morale of the Ukrainian people facing the threat of war and will also demonstrate that Russian President Vladimir Putin that his strategy is backfiring.

"If we want to be smart in our geopolitical ambitions, we need to act in exactly this way so as to make sure that Russia's attempts at destabilization backfire. I personally don't need Russian aggression to push work on our Eastern Partnership. Of course, we can do more in our cooperation with Ukraine, we can strengthen our economic ties with the country, push their willingness to reform in Ukraine," Michel said.

He stressed that the events of the past few days are pushing the EU to take meaningful steps to do "as much as we can" for Ukraine - to support its territorial integrity and the country's economy.

"We are going to hold an international donors conference for Ukraine, because the current events have devastating economic effects on the country. It is difficult now for investors to invest in the country and that, of course, leads to economic instability. So you can be sure that we will support Ukraine, together with the member states, and we will strengthen our ties," Michel added.

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Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium Sophie Wilmes discussed the conditions for activating European Union sanctions against the Russian Federation.

In Munich, I met with my Belgian counterpart Sophie Wilmes to discuss conditions for activating EU sanctions against Russia, as well as global diplomatic efforts to deter Moscow from resorting to further aggressive actions, Kuleba posted on Twitter on February 20.

Meanwhile, Canada already prepared a wide package of sanctions against Russia. If Russian invades Ukraine, it will be implemented immediately.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will make foreign visits on February 21-23 to participate in EU and UN events and hold talks with the United States, according to Ukrinform.

Kuleba is expected to coordinate the efforts of Ukraine and its partners to implement a global strategy to deter Russia from its further aggression and strengthen the security of Ukraine and its citizens.

On February 21, in Brussels, the Ukrainian foreign minister will take part in a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council as a special guest. He will inform his European colleagues about the current security situation near the state border and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the efforts being taken by Ukraine and its partners to reduce tensions and intensify the process of political and diplomatic settlement.

On February 22, in Washington, Kuleba will hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The key topics will be the defense of Ukraine against further Russian aggression, bolstering Ukraine's defense capabilities and ensuring its economic and financial stability.

On February 23, in New York, the minister will address the UN General Assembly, where he will tell the international community about the current situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and along its borders.

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Ukraine is grateful to all participants in the negotiation process who are trying to resolve the escalation around Ukraine through political and diplomatic means.

This was stated during a briefing at the national forum "Safe and prosperous communities of the future" by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, who commented on a possible summit of the presidents of Russia and the United States next week.

"As far as these processes are concerned today (talks between U.S. and Russian Presidents Joseph Biden and Vladimir Putin - ed.), we welcome all issues to be resolved diplomatically. We already thank God that they started and moved out of the dead end. This wasnt the case before so we thank all the participants taking part in this for promoting these negotiations," said Danilov.

The NSDC secretary also stressed that unprecedented information and cyberattacks are currently targeting Ukraine. So everyone needs to stay calm and unwavering, he added.

"The main thing is that the military and society are ready for any challenge," Danilov concluded.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, White House Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin could meet soon if Russia doesnt invade Ukraine.

Earlier, Biden convened the United States National Security Council to discuss the situation around Ukraine.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger have discussed the current security challenges facing Ukraine and Europe.

Zelensky said this in a post on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

"Had a phone conversation with Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger. Exchanged assessments of the security situation in the region and the challenges facing Ukraine and Europe. We're both committed to de-escalation through diplomacy. Grateful for Slovakia's support and cooperation for peace!" Zelensky wrote.

Earlier, the Slovak authorities decided to send several mine clearance systems and medical supplies worth EUR 1.7 million to Ukraine.

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Foreign Ministers Edgars Rinkevics of Latvia, Gabrielius Landsbergis of Lithuania and Eva-Maria Liimets of Estonia will make a joint visit to Ukraine on February 23-25.

According to Ukrinform, Rinkevics announced this on Twitter.

"In order to express solidarity and support for Ukraine in its struggle for independence and territorial indivisibility, the foreign ministers of the Baltic states will jointly visit Ukraine on February 23-25," Rinkevics wrote.

He also called for the immediate launch of the procedure for EU sanctions against Russia, which should be imposed against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and Russia's financial sector.

The Estonian Foreign Ministry told Ukrinform that a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and other officials is expected during the visit.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that there are no signs of a de-escalation of the security situation with Russia, while about 150,000 Russian troops are stationed on Ukraine's border.

He said this in a phone call with Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger, Ukrinform reports, citing the presidential press service.

"We do not see any signs of de-escalation by Russia. The security situation remains tense, the number of the ground-based group of the Russian Armed Forces in the Ukrainian direction is about 150,000 people," he said.

Zelensky informed Heger about the aggravation of the situation, including the intensified provocative shelling by illegal armed groups of Ukrainian positions, settlements, the Shchastia entry-exit crossing point and a UN humanitarian aid convoy.

Zelensky also acquainted Heger with Ukraine's initiatives to intensify the negotiation process in all available formats with a view to achieving a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

According to the President's Office, both parties agreed that the fate of Europe is being decided in Ukraine today. They also stressed the need for further political and diplomatic efforts by the international community to prevent the escalation of Russian aggression.

In addition, they discussed cooperation between the two countries in the security area.

Zelensky thanked the Slovak government for the decision to hand over two Bozena 5 mine clearance systems and medical supplies worth EUR 1.7 million to Ukraine.

Zelensky expressed confidence that such assistance will strengthen Ukraine's capabilities in the face of existing threats.

"It is not words that matter now, but actions. We need concrete support from our partners," he said.

Special attention was paid to energy security.

The Ukrainian president thanked the Slovak side for creating additional guaranteed capacities for the transportation of natural gas on the Slovakia-Ukraine route, noting that this will strengthen the energy security of Ukraine and Europe as a whole.

He also praised Slovakia's support for Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

"We appreciate Slovakia's support for our European integration aspirations. I expect Ukraine to receive the status of a candidate country in the foreseeable future," Zelensky said.

Photo: President's Office
Vadim Petrov, a native of the Kaliningrad region of Russia, the coordinator of the Baltic Republican Party, during Sunday's protest at the Russian Embassy in Warsaw ripped up the Russian Constitution in protest against Vladimir Putin's policies.

He also handed over an ultimatum to the Russian Embassy in Warsaw, emphasizing that if the Kremlin refuses to de-escalate the situation around Ukraine's borders, his party will initiate a referendum on the Kaliningrad region's secession from Russia, Ukrinform reports.

"Putin introduced amendments to the [Russian] Constitution in order to rule forever. But after 2024, he will be an illegitimate president," Petrov said, tearing up the Russian Constitution.

He also sent an ultimatum to the Russian embassy from the Baltic Republican Party. It emphasizes that pulling Russian troops to Ukraine's borders, subordinating Belarus to Moscow and the threat of military action could lead to a full-scale war in Europe.

The document says that the people of the Kaliningrad region oppose the militarization of the region, and do not want to spoil good neighborly relations with Poland and Lithuania. It is noted that as a result of the conflict, the region may find itself in isolation, with a shortage of food.

In order to de-escalate the situation, the document proposes to pull Russian troops back from Ukraine's borders, end the occupation of eastern Ukraine and Crimea, withdraw troops from Belarus and stop supporting illegitimate president Lukashenko, and demilitarize the Kaliningrad region by 50%.

If the requirements are not met over the next two months, the Baltic Republican Party will initiate an electronic referendum on the secession of the Kaliningrad region from Russia.

"We want to draw parallels with the Kremlin's organization of a referendum in the Ukrainian Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The citizens of Russia will be informed that this was an expression of will of the residents of the peninsula.' Therefore, the referendum on the secession of the Kaliningrad region from Russia may also be an expression of will of the people of our region," the appeal reads.

It is emphasized that being guided by the will of the people of the region, the Baltic Republican Party will ask for support from all countries of the civilized world.

The document states that the party conducted an online poll of residents of the Kaliningrad region for more than a year. The survey found that most respondents see the future of the region together with Europe.

Petrov left the ultimatum in the mailbox of the Russian Embassy in Poland.

The Baltic Republican Party functioned in the Kaliningrad region for over ten years and was banned in Russia in 2003. It had its representatives in local authorities. It is estimated that many people in the region share the party's view of broad autonomy within Russia or the region's possible secession from Russia.

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Published Feb. 21, 2022

Based on recent guidance from the University of Louisiana System, the University of Louisiana Monroe has lifted the mask mandate for the ULM campus, effective immediately.

The university will continue to monitor COVID-19 rates and may, if necessary, reinstate the mask mandate on campus.

Faculty have the option to require masks to be worn in their classrooms. Students will be notified if masks are required in certain classrooms.

The mask policy and COVID-19 protocols remain for students or employees who have been exposed or tested positive for COVID-19. This includes the requirement that masks must be worn for five days following a COVID-related quarantine. Protocols for students are available at https://www.ulm.edu/coronavirus/covid19protocol.pdf, and for employees at https://www.ulm.edu/safety/employee_covid_protocols.html.

Students, faculty, staff, and visitors are encouraged to protect themselves and others by wearing masks regardless of vaccination status.

Free vaccinations are available from the Louisiana National Guard from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays on the second floor of the SUB. Free testing from the National Guard is available daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Fridays on the second floor of the SUB.

For more information, please visit https://www.ulm.edu/coronavirus/.
A barbed-wire fence marking the land border between Greece and Turkey.  UNHCR/Socrates Baltagiannis

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply concerned by the increasing number of incidents of violence and serious human rights violations against refugees and migrants at various European borders, several of which have resulted in tragic loss of life.

Violence, ill-treatment and pushbacks continue to be regularly reported at multiple entry points at land and sea borders, within and beyond the European Union (EU), despite repeated calls by UN agencies, including UNHCR, intergovernmental organizations and NGOs to end such practices.

We are alarmed by recurrent and consistent reports coming from Greeces land and sea borders with Turkey, where UNHCR has recorded almost 540 reported incidents of informal returns by Greece since the beginning of 2020. Disturbing incidents are also reported in Central and South-eastern Europe at the borders with EU Member States.

Although many incidents go unreported for various reasons, UNHCR has interviewed thousands of people across Europe who were pushed back and reported a disturbing pattern of threats, intimidation, violence and humiliation. At sea, people report being left adrift in life rafts or sometimes even forced directly into the water, showing a callous lack of regard for human life. At least three people are reported to have died in such incidents since September 2021 in the Aegean Sea, including one in January. Equally horrific practices are frequently reported at land borders, with consistent testimonies of people being stripped and brutally pushed back in harsh weather conditions.

With few exceptions, European States have failed to investigate such reports, despite mounting, credible evidence. Instead, walls and fences are being erected at various frontiers. In addition to denial of entry at borders, we have also received reports that some refugees may have been returned to their country of origin, despite the risks they faced there, which may be at variance with the international legal principle of non-refoulement.

The right to seek and enjoy asylum does not depend on the mode of arrival to a country. People who wish to apply for asylum should be allowed to do so and they should be made aware of their rights and provided legal assistance.

People fleeing war and persecution have few available options. Walls and fences are unlikely to serve as a meaningful deterrent. They will just contribute to greater suffering of individuals in need of international protection, particularly women and children, and prompt them to consider different, often more dangerous, routes, and likely result in further deaths.

What is happening at European borders is legally and morally unacceptable and must stop. Protecting human life, human rights and dignity must remain our shared priority. Progress on preventing human rights violations at borders as well as the establishment of truly independent national monitoring mechanisms to ensure reporting and independent investigation of incidents are urgently needed.

We fear these deplorable practices now risk becoming normalized, and policy based. They reinforce a harmful and unnecessary fortress Europe narrative. The reality is that the majority of the worlds refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries with far fewer resources, often bordering countries of origin in crisis.

Under EU law, border surveillance activities must be implemented in full compliance with fundamental rights. It is possible to manage borders and address security concerns, while implementing fair, humane and efficient policies towards asylum-seekers that are in line with States obligations under international human rights and refugee law including the 1951 Convention as well as European law.

European countries have long been strong supporters of UNHCRs work and are providing important contributions that help to protect refugees and support host countries. Yet financial and capacity support abroad cannot replace States responsibilities and obligations to receive and protect refugees in their own territory.

While essential as a demonstration of external support to main hosting states, resettlement and other legal pathways cannot substitute for obligations towards people seeking asylum at borders, including those who have arrived irregularly and spontaneously, including by boat.

States must uphold their commitments and respect fundamental human rights, including the right to life and right to asylum. How Europe chooses to protect asylum-seekers and refugees matters and is precedent-setting not only in the region but also globally.

Media Contacts:
Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference to unveil the next phase of California's pandemic response in the UPS Healthcare warehouse filled with personal protective equipment in Fontana, California on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
Milledgeville, GA (31061)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%..

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Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.
Press Release

February 21, 2022 De Lima calls for investigation on the arrest of health worker Dr. Naty Castro Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima called for an immediate and impartial investigation into the questionable arrest of Dr. Natividad "Naty" Castro, who initiated health programs and helped Lumads set up health centers in Mindanao. De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion, is concerned with the manner of Castro's arrest and how authorities treated her. "I join the human rights community, the community of medical professionals, and the rest of Filipino society, in calling for the safety and protection of Dr. Natividad Castro's person and rights while in custody, and for an immediate and impartial investigation into the circumstances of her arrest," she said. "I am deeply concerned with the manner of her arrest. I was shown photos of her placed in the undignified and unsanitary state of being made to walk around barefooted when her mugshot was taken. It was also reported that the arresting officers scaled the walls of her house and destroyed her door. She was also initially denied access to her counsel, her family, and her medications," she added. Castro was reportedly arrested by the police last Feb. 18 through a warrant of arrest issued by the Regional Trial Court of Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur for alleged kidnapping and serious illegal detention. She was accused of being a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA). Castro's family categorically denied this accusation while rights group Karapatan attested that Castro is a health worker who helped in setting up community centers and programs in Mindanao and trained many human rights workers for several years. The Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), for its part, maintained that "Doc Naty is not a communist, nor is she a terrorist," adding that it would pursue all legal remedies to secure Castro's immediate release. The lady Senator from Bicol said Castro's case only highlighted how the Duterte government treats people who genuinely work to serve the marginalized. "Ganito na ba talaga natin tratuhin ang mamamayang taos-pusong nagsisilbi sa kapwa at bayan samantalang yung mga gahaman na sinasamantala ang pandemya upang kumamkam ay pinagtatanggol pa ng husto ni Duterte," she said. "Indeed, state-sponsored reprisals will always be the order of the day, and even humanitarian acts will be deemed acts of subversion, if an anti-people government and its enablers remain in power," she added. It may be recalled that De Lima also called for an investigation into the arrest last year of women and children's rights advocate Sally Crisostomo-Ujano, who was tagged as "most wanted" despite spending the past two decades publicly working with various government agencies against human trafficking.


(Photo : RF._.studio from Pexels)

Whether you're working your way through medical school, or are seeking a potential job change within the medical field you're already navigating, one position should be at the top of your list: physician. The changing landscape of how the medical industry functions has benefited the already impressive perks associated with the job, giving it even more prestige than you might have imagined possible. Not only is this job highly respected and well-paid, but it's more accessible to would-be physicians than it's ever been before. In fact, there are 5 major reasons healthcare students and healthcare workers should aim to become a physician in today's professional climate:

The Demand

With a current staffing shortage in many industries, the medical industry has been hardest hit. It just so happens that one of the most demanding jobs, physicians, is in particular demand. Before the staffing crisis, new medical school graduates and would-be physicians had a much steeper climb in becoming a physician and finding an available gig.

Now, however, is the perfect time for ambitious students, new grads, and other healthcare workers to set their sights on this amazing opportunity. With the right amount of effort, you could soon find yourself with one of the most prestigious professions in the medical field.

The Pay

Physicians have almost always been at the top of the medical field in terms of pay. Their salaries are typically tied or at least close to surgeons, making the profession perfect for those looking to live the high life. While the job is seriously demanding, employers and medical corporations are willing to pay big bucks to secure top-level physicians.

There's a recent track record of physicians maintaining a high average salary, as they still held on to the number 1 spot of highest-paid medical professions during 2021. If you have dreams of becoming a medical professional in an area with a high cost of living (especially for those that prefer the city lifestyle), becoming a physician will serve you well.

The Variety

While the title of being a physician may seem as though it's a catch-all phrase, the variety in the job opportunities associated with the physician title is actually massive. Due to this, there is a ton of opportunity to dive into specific fields of medicinal practices, which will prove appealing to many healthcare students and current healthcare workers out there.

The staffing shortage caused by Covid-19 is not only increasing this demand but is leading to more specialized professional titles in the physician field. Some physicians are even moving into a new hybrid-style professional track - one that's being dubbed "Physician Entrepreneurs." If you've been wary about following this career path, these facts should help calm your mind.

The Social Status

There are many non-pay, non-workplace perks that go along with being a physician. In terms of social status and respectability, it's difficult to think of a more rewarding one. And that's not even mentioning how rewarding the job is, as you're able to literally save and improve lives day after day. After all, there's a reason medical dramas and soaps have remained a staple of cable television programming all these years - people love doctors!

For those looking to start a family, the perks that come with being a physician extend into your community like almost no other profession. You'll be able to develop personal relationships with a massive number of people you live nearby, which should help you develop an absolutely satisfying social life.

The Flexibility

Because of the wide range of job types that come with being a physician, there is always a ton of flexibility surrounding how you can perform your job. With the larger emphasis on flexible work hours and schedules being offered by some major medical industry employers, the job has become that much more perked up with looser scheduling possibilities.

Many workers are now opting for shorter work weeks when they can. With the massive salary you get from being a physician, you'll be able to cut down on the long working hours that are more traditionally associated with the medical field (if you can find an employer who supports this work model, that is. For those looking to start a family while working in the medical field, this will prove extra appealing.

Reach for the Stars

Every job in the medical industry is invaluable, and in today's climate, these pursuits are especially heroic. But if you want to live large, flexibly, and have massive job security all at once, no other job in the medical industry will serve you as well as being a physician. With the right choices and hard work, you can begin saving lives and making insane amounts of money in no time.
Sydney, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :Australia's largest energy firm and biggest carbon emitter AGL on Monday rejected a takeover bid from green-minded tech billionaire Mike Cannon Brookes, who planned to shutter the firm's coal-fired power plants.

Atlassian co-founder Cannon Brookes had teamed up with Brookfield Asset Management to offer US$5.8 billion for the electricity production and distribution firm with a view to shutting major coal power plants 15 years early.

Cannon Brookes has long been vocal in his criticism of the Australian government's pro-coal policies and the energy industry's lack of ambitious climate goals.

The bid would have seen AGL move much more rapidly to decarbonisation, including by shutting coal power plants by 2030 -- rather than 2045 as currently planned.

But AGL's board decided the unsolicited offer, which priced the firm at 4.7 percent more than Friday's closing stock price of AUS$7.16, undervalued the company and was "not in the best interests" of shareholders.

Cannon Brookes said that decision was "disappointing" but he vowed to press ahead with efforts to acquire the firm.

"I've long said that decarbonisation is the greatest economic opportunity facing Australia, but it requires vision and action," he told public broadcaster ABC.

He said the takeover could benefit AGL's 4.5 million customers and the environment.

"We strongly believe it will result in lower bills for consumers, we can fund this transition ourselves and we can build out the replacement capacity," he said.

"We'll create far more jobs... and obviously the emissions are far lower," he added. "AGL is the largest emitter in the country, it represents over eight percent of Australia's emissions." Despite widespread support for climate action, Australia's conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dragged his feet on emissions targets and pledged taxpayer cash to fund new fossil fuel projects -- despite experts saying they are no longer economically viable.

Several coal mines and plants are also located in fiercely contested electoral seats, meaning both the government and the opposition Labor party have tried to avoid irking coal-backing voters.

But the market is increasingly leaving them and politicians in Canberra behind.

AGL rival Origin Energy recently decided to shut Australia's largest coal-fired power plant in 2025 -- several years sooner than planned -- saying the facility is no longer viable given the low cost of renewables.

Origin Energy told investors the "influx of renewables" was "undermining the economics" of the vast decades-old Eraring plant just north of Sydney.

Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of both gas and coal, but the country has also been on the sharp end of climate change, with droughts, deadly bushfires and bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef becoming more common and more intense as global climate patterns change.
Brussels, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :Ukraine's foreign minister on Monday said the European Union had agreed "in principle" to set up an advisory military instructor mission in Ukraine, but the details have yet to be thrashed out.

The announcement comes as the West warns Russia could be gearing up to invade Ukraine after massing an estimated 150,000 troops at its border.

"We reached an agreement with the EU in principle that the European Union will roll out an advisory training military mission in Ukraine. These are not combat forces," Dmytro Kuleba told journalists after meeting EU counterparts in Brussels.

"The details, the main parameters and the timeline of this rollout are still to be discussed, but it's critical that we open this new page in our relations." EU diplomats said the ministers' meeting in Brussels was expected to give the green light for the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to put forward a formal proposal for the mission.

Diplomats said the mission would likely begin as classroom-based courses to help improve Ukrainian officers.

It is expected to take at least six months to be set up, and it is not yet clear if EU military or civilian personnel would be involved.

Member states have been tussling for months over the makeup of a potential mission after a request submitted in July by Ukraine for the bloc to send military trainers.

Eastern nations more wary of the threat from Russia have pushed for a larger deployment to train Ukrainian forces, while others have sought to curb its scope.

Despite its limited nature, any deployment of personnel to Ukraine risks angering the Kremlin.

Moscow has issued demands for a raft of security guarantees from the United States and NATO, including calling for the removal of all Western trainers from Ukraine.

As Western capitals have warned that Moscow could attack without notice, the United States and Britain have already withdrawn some instructors from the country.
Moscow, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :The Kremlin said Monday it was too early to organize a summit between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden, after Paris announced the possibility of a meeting to calm tensions over Ukraine.

"It's premature to talk about any specific plans for organizing any kind of summits," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that no "concrete plans" had been put in place for a meeting.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

MOSCOW, Feb. 21 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :Russia has registered 152,337 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the lowest since Feb. 2, taking the national tally to 15,522,756, the official monitoring and response center said Monday.

The country's national death toll related to COVID-19 grew by 735 to 346,235, while recoveries increased by 127,494 to 12,492,732.

Moscow, Russia's worst-hit region, reported 4,997 new cases, taking its total caseload to 2,669,186.

The number of active cases in Russia rose to 2,683,789, while the COVID-19 mortality rate dropped to 2.23 percent.

Omicron variant infections have been detected in all of Russia's 85 regions.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Annalena Baerbock on Monday exchanged views on the bilateral relations besides important regional issues.

Foreign minister Qureshi, during a telephonic call, said Germany was a valued, longstanding partner of Pakistan.

Pakistan was committed to cement bilateral relations in all dimensions, particularly in the fields of trade and investment, energy, climate change, radicalization etc., he added.

Discussing Afghanistan, the foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve in supporting the international community in its efforts to strengthen peace and stability in Afghanistan.

He also highlighted Pakistan's role in evacuation operations from Afghanistan, said a news release issued by Foreign Office spokesperson.

The foreign minister informed that Pakistan had so far facilitated over 90,000 evacuations.

The urgent need was to avert a humanitarian crisis and economic meltdown in Afghanistan, which would adversely impact stability in the region and beyond, he stressed.

The two foreign ministers exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine.

Foreign minister Qureshi also briefed his German counterpart on the grave human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), being committed by India after its illegal, unilateral action of August 5, 2019.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock appreciated Pakistan's assistance in its evacuation operations from Afghanistan and hoped for Pakistan's continued support in this regard.

The foreign minister invited the German foreign minister to visit Pakistan at the earliest convenience, adding, her visit would be helpful in preparations for the Prime Minister's visit to Germany.

He also congratulated his German counterpart on recently assuming her office.

Pakistan and Germany maintained a good trajectory of bilateral relations and remained committed to enhance their cooperation. The two countries celebrated 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations in 2021.
Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday highlighted the key initiatives of the government for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Pakistan's inclusive response to the COIVD-19 pandemic

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday highlighted the key initiatives of the government for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Pakistan's inclusive response to the COIVD-19 pandemic.

He was talking to newly appointed Executive Director of the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Catherine M. Russell, who called on him, during her maiden visit to Pakistan, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

During the meeting, the UNICEF's country programme in Pakistan as well as the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan were discussed.

The prime minister also shared Pakistan's efforts for alleviating the humanitarian and economic crises in Afghanistan.

He referred to the 'humanitarian corridor' established by Pakistan for supporting the relief operations of UN and other stakeholders.

The prime minister appreciated the collaboration between the government and the UNICEF.

He also outlined priority areas of the government for promotion and protection of rights of child in the country, including increasing enrollment of out-of-school children, upscaling of immunization programs, catering for child malnutrition and stunting, and improving the infrastructure of public education system.

The UNICEF executive director appreciated the government's cooperation in the fulfillment of its mandate and reaffirmed UNICEF's commitment to strengthen its partnership with Pakistan.

She also thanked the prime minister for the support provided by Pakistan to UNICEF's work in Afghanistan.

UNICEF is an important development partner of Pakistan and works closely with the Government on a broad range of issues especially those related to women and children.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell on Monday acknowledged Pakistan's efforts for realization of child rights and the progress towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In a meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she appreciated the response of the Government of Pakistan in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UNICEF official, who is on her maiden foreign visit after assuming office, affirmed continued collaboration with Pakistan on ensuring child rights and sustainable development agenda in line with the government's priorities and UNICEF's mandate.

She also expressed gratitude for Pakistan's support to UNICEF in facilitating its humanitarian operations in Afghanistan.

FM Qureshi congratulated Ms Russell on her appointment and expressed the hope that collaboration between Pakistan and UNICEF would further strengthen during her tenure.

He outlined the government's commitment to the promotion and protection of the rights of children and recalled the proactive role played by Pakistan internationally in furthering this cause.

The foreign minister appreciated the vital work being carried out by UNICEF, both globally and in Pakistan, for the realization of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially those related to children.

He shared the steps taken domestically to strengthen the protection and welfare framework for women and children in the country such as the Ehsaas programme and Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card.

He highlighted that Pakistan's COVID-19 response was fully inclusive covering its citizens and refugees alike.

Qureshi emphasized that despite progress over the years, children remained vulnerable across the globe particularly in places of protracted conflicts and foreign occupation such as in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st February, 2022) Australia is awaiting a response from China on the recent incident involving a Chinese vessel pointing a military grade laser at an Australian surveillance aircraft, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday.

According to the Australian Department of Defence, the incident occurred last Thursday off Northern Australia when one of two Chinese warships sailing in the area allegedly illuminated a P-8A Poseidon aircraft belonging to the Australian air force. The department decried the incident as "unprofessional and unsafe military conduct."

"We haven't received an explanation as yet, but what we've called for, working through the diplomatic and defence channels, is a full investigation into this event and for them to provide answers to how this dangerous act could be undertaken," Morrison told Australian broadcaster 2GB.

The incident occurred in the Australian exclusive economic zone, the minister stressed, branding it as "an act of intimidation and bullying."

China-Australia relations hit new low after the formation in September 2021 of the trilateral security alliance AUKUS, involving Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, deemed by Beijing as a threat to the nuclear non-proliferation. Other stumbling points in the relations of the two countries are Canberra's claims that Beijing supports the Australian opposition ahead of the Federal elections and the overall meddling in Australia's internal affairs, allegations dismissed by China.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st February, 2022) US President Joe Biden plans to discuss the Ukraine crisis with G7 leaders during a virtual meeting on Thursday, the White House informs.

"The President will participate in a virtual G7 Leaders' meeting to discuss the ongoing situation with regard to Russia and Ukraine, and priorities of the German G7 Presidency year," the White House schedule for February 24 says.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will attend the virtual G7 summit, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a Monday press conference, adding that the talks will cover foreign policy issues, including Ukraine, and Japan expects that G7 countries will make their important contributions to the discussion.

The German government announced this past Friday that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was going to hold a virtual meeting of G7 leaders on February 24, to prepare for the G7 summit, which will be held on June 26-28 in Bavaria.

The G7 foreign ministers said on Saturday that the G7 Group is ready for dialogue with Russia on European security, trust-building and arms control. The G7 also called on Russia to use its influence on the self-proclaimed republics in Ukraine's southeast (Donbas) to urge them to de-escalate.

The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russia's Rostov Region on Friday amid fears of an attack by Kiev forces.

DPR head Denis Pushilin said on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would soon order an offensive against Donbas. DPR and LPR have been reporting on constant shelling of their territories by Kiev forces.

Russia has pointed out that Western claims of a looming "invasion" of Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe. Russia published its security suggestions for NATO and the United States in late 2021 as tensions rose around Ukraine. Moscow specifically requested guarantees that the alliance would not expand eastward to include Ukraine and Georgia, to which Washington has replied by insisting it will not allow anyone to slam NATO's open-door policy shut.

The US and NATO have since submitted their responses to the proposals but asked Moscow to keep them confidential. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the West has ignored Russia's fundamental concerns and demands, including over the alliance's expansion. Russia delivered its written response to US Ambassador in Moscow John Sullivan this past Thursday.
(@FahadShabbir)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st February, 2022) The European Union and Kiev have reached an agreement on the deployment of advisory training military mission in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Monday.

"We reached an agreement with the EU in principle that the EU will roll out advisory training military mission in Ukraine, these are not combat forces this is a new element in the cooperation between Ukraine and the EU," Kuleba told reporters.

The Ukrainian foreign minister also said that Kiev is waiting for a comprehensive proposal from the EU to strengthen the cybersecurity of Ukraine
Russia's foreign minister will meet his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris Friday to lay groundwork for a mooted summit between US President Joe Biden and Russia's Vladimir Putin, France's foreign ministry said Monday

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :Russia's foreign minister will meet his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris Friday to lay groundwork for a mooted summit between US President Joe Biden and Russia's Vladimir Putin, France's foreign ministry said Monday.

Sergei Lavrov agreed to a meeting "to hold preparatory consultations for the summit agreed in principle" in a Sunday phone call between Putin and France's Emmanuel Macron, said a ministry statement.

Macron on Sunday spoke twice with Putin and once with Biden in a bid to broker the summit, saying overnight that both had agreed "in principle" to meet.

The White House said that such a meeting could take place so long as Russia did not invade Ukraine. The Kremlin then described talk of a summit as premature and that there were no concrete plans.

"It is up to President Putin to make his choice" on whether to go ahead, a French presidential official who asked not to be named told reporters Monday.
Georgia's jailed ex-president and opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili announced a new hunger strike Monday as doctors warned that failure to provide him with proper care could lead to his incapacitation

Tbilisi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :Georgia's jailed ex-president and opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili announced a new hunger strike Monday as doctors warned that failure to provide him with proper care could lead to his incapacitation.

The 54-year-old pro-Western reformer and Georgia's president from 2004 to 2013 was jailed on October 1 shortly after he secretly returned to Georgia from exile in Ukraine.

He then refused food for 50 days to protest his imprisonment for abuse of office, a conviction he has denounced as politically motivated.

He called off his hunger strike after he was placed -- in a critical condition -- in a military hospital in Georgia's eastern city of Gori.

Independent doctors said at the time his health had suffered as a result of ill-treatment in custody and his hunger strike.

"Today, I am going on a hunger strike," he told a Tbilisi court.

"My demand is that I am given adequate medical care, as advised by independent doctors." In December, an independent council of doctors who examined Saakashvili in custody, said he had developed neurological disorders "as a result of torture, ill-treatment, inadequate medical care, and a prolonged hunger-strike".

They diagnosed him with Wernicke's encephalopathy, a potentially life-threatening brain disease, and with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among other conditions.

One of the council members, psychiatrist Mariam Jishkariani, said on Monday that "Saakashvili's renewed hunger strike might prove fatal.

" "Currently, he is denied proper medical treatment and that might lead to his permanent incapacitation," she told AFP.

- 'Political revenge' - In late December, Saakashvili returned to prison, which he and a council of doctors set up by Georgia's rights ombudsperson have said cannot provide him with proper treatment.

He also protested on Monday the prison administration's decision to ban his personal doctor from visiting him in custody.

Saakashvili's arrest exacerbated a political crisis stemming from 2020 parliamentary polls that the opposition denounced as fraudulent.

It also sparked the largest anti-government protests in a decade.

Amnesty International has branded Saakashvili's treatment "not just selective justice but apparent political revenge".

The US State Department has urged Georgia's government "to treat Saakashvili fairly and with dignity".

The European Court of Human Rights demanded that the ex-Soviet nation's authorities "ensure his safety in prison, and provide him with appropriate medical care".

Rights groups have accused the Georgian government of using criminal prosecution to punish political opponents and critical media.

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili sparked an uproar last year when he said the government had been forced to arrest Saakashvili because he refused to quit politics.
(@FahadShabbir)

The heads of the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize the republics' independence

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st February, 2022) The heads of the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize the republics' independence.

"Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, in order to prevent the mass death of the civilian population of the republic, 300,000 of whom are citizens of Russia, I ask you to recognize the sovereignty and independence of the Luhansk People's Republic," Pasechnik said in an address broadcast on the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

"In order to determine the international legal personality and, as a result, the possibility of a full-fledged opposition to the military aggression of the Ukrainian authorities, to prevent casualties among civilians, the destruction of infrastructure and housing, on behalf of all people of the Donetsk People's Republic, we ask you to recognize the Donetsk People's Republic as an independent, democratic, legal, state," Pushilin said.

Pushilin thanked Russia for its mediating role in resolving the conflict in the Donbass and said that the main goal for the DPR was integration with Russia.
Ollanta Humala on Monday became the first ex-president of Peru to go on trial in a vast corruption case involving Brazilian construction group Odebrecht and bribes paid to politicians

Lima, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :Ollanta Humala on Monday became the first ex-president of Peru to go on trial in a vast corruption case involving Brazilian construction group Odebrecht and bribes paid to politicians.

Humala, 59, appeared virtually in the dock with his wife Nadine Heredia, 45, on money laundering charges for allegedly accepting $3 million in illegal contributions to the campaign that brought him to power.

Both are also accused of "concealment of real estate purchases" made with some of the money.

Prosecutors are seeking a prison term of 20 years for the former army officer who served as Peru's president from 2011 to 2016, and 26 years for his wife.

Humala is one of four former presidents implicated in a massive investigation targeting Odebrecht, which admitted in 2016 having paid at least $29 million in bribes to Peruvian officials between 2005 and 2014.

Two-term leader Alan Garcia committed suicide in 2019 when police came to his house to arrest him, while two other former presidents: Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-18) and Alejandro Toledo (2001-06), are under investigation.

Kuczynski, 83, stepped down in March 2018 ahead of likely impeachment over the Odebrecht scandal, and is under house arrest.

Toledo, 75, is under arrest in the US state of California pending a decision on his requested extradition to Peru.

Humala is out on bail pending trial, while Heredia is under house arrest. Both had spent nine months in detention in 2017-18.

Three judges will hear the case against the couple and nine other defendants, including Heredia's brother and mother.

The prosecution has presented a list of 285 witnesses, which include jailed former Odebrecht president Marcelo Odebrecht and executives Luiz Mameri and Jorge Barata.

The trial is taking place via videoconference in the country with the world's highest Covid-19 death rate per capita.

Leftist Humala came to the presidency in 2011 after beating rightwing candidate Keiko Fujimori in a runoff election.

Fujimori herself spent 13 months of detention in a case linked to Odebrecht, before being freed ahead of a presidential vote last year which she lost to leftist Pedro Castillo.

Victory would have temporarily shielded her from prosecution on charges of receiving money from Odebrecht to fund failed presidential bids in 2011 and 2016. Her trial has yet to start.
(@FahadShabbir)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow was considering recognising the independence of east Ukraine's two separatist republics, a step that would further escalate the Ukraine crisis

Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2022 ) :Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow was considering recognising the independence of east Ukraine's two separatist republics, a step that would further escalate the Ukraine crisis.

The rebel leaders of Donetsk and Lugansk made a coordinated appeal to Putin for Moscow to recognise them earlier on Monday.

The Russian parliament has also asked Putin to recognise the pro-Moscow separatist territories, which declared themselves independent of Kyiv's rule after Ukraine's 2014 pro-EU revolution.

"Our goal is to listen to our colleagues and determine our next steps in this direction, bearing in mind both the appeals of the leaders of the DNR and LNR to recognise their independence," Putin said, using the acronyms for the two separatist regions.

Putin made his remarks during an unscheduled meeting of Russia's security council, which brings together the country's most senior defence and security officials.

Calls for recognition from the rebels came as the Ukraine crisis escalated sharply on Monday, with fears mounting that Russia is paving the way for an all-out invasion of its western neighbour.

"I ask you to recognise the sovereignty and independence of the Lugansk People's Republic," separatist Leonid Pasechnik said in a video aired on Russian state television.

Denis Pushilin, the rebel head of the Donetsk People's Republic, made a similar appeal.

"On behalf of all the people of the Donetsk People's Republic, we ask you to recognise the Donetsk People's Republic as an independent, democratic legal and social state," Pushilin said.

He said the move could possibly "prevent casualties among civilians", accusing Ukraine of planning an attack, which Kyiv has firmly denied.

Pushilin also asked Putin to agree on a "friendship" agreement with the breakaway territory, that would include cooperation in defence.

Washington has said that Moscow's recognition of the territories would "constitute a gross violation of international law."The West accuses Russia of preparing to attack Ukraine after surrounding it with more than 150,000 troops.

Russia has denied planning an invasion.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st February, 2022) Separatists and nationalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) threaten the stability and integrity of the Balkan nation, so the parties in the interim conflict have to act up to prevent the breakup of the country, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.

"The nationalists' and separatists' rhetoric is increasing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, jeopardizing the stability and even the integrity of the country, and the ministers have to make decisions on how to stop these dynamics in Bosnia-Herzegovina and avoid that the country can fall apart in pieces," Borrell said ahead of the Foreign Affairs & Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

Last week, he said that the Bosnian Serb issue would be on the agenda of the council, adding that the political situation in the country was worrying. In the meantime, the power crisis in the former Yugoslav republic formed of two opposing autonomous entities - Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, created by the 1995 Dayton Agreement after a civil war between Bosnian Muslims, Serbs, and Croats - continues to mount.

Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina's tripartite presidency, has been advocating for withdrawing Republika Srpska from the BiH institutions, including the armed forces, judiciary, and tax agency, and forming parallel institutions. In early January, the United States imposed sanctions on Dodik over what it described as corrupt activities undermining the stability of BiH.

Last week, Bosnian Croats said that they may launch the formation of their region in the country unless an election law is amended to boost their national representation in the general election scheduled for October.
(UroToday.com) The 2022 GU ASCO Annual meeting included a urothelial carcinoma trials in progress session featuring BOND3, a phase 3, single-arm study of CG0070 in subjects with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) unresponsive to BCG, presented by Dr. Edward Uchio. CG0070 is a serotype 5 adenovirus engineered to express GM-CSF and replicate in cells with mutated or deficient RB:

Phase I and II trials have reported response rates (RR) of approximately 45% observed in patients with recurrent NMIBC after BCG [1-2]. BOND3, a single arm phase 3 study (NCT04452591), was launched to confirm the clinical activity of CG0070 in patients with BCG unresponsive NMIBC.

A total of 110 patients with BCG-unresponsive CIS with or without concurrent Ta or T1 disease will be treated with intravesical CG0070 at a dose of 1x1012 vp. CG0070 will be administered as follows: induction weekly x 6 followed by weekly x 3 maintenance instillations at months 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18. Patients with persistent CIS or HG Ta at 3 months may receive re-induction with weekly x 6 CG0070. Assessment of response will include every 3 month cystoscopy with biopsy of areas suspicious for disease, urine cytology, CTU/MRU, and mandatory bladder mapping at 12 months. Detection of high grade disease within the bladder will be enumerated as recurrence or non-response. The study administration schedule for BOND3 is as follows:

The primary endpoint of the study is complete response at any time on study as assessed by biopsy (directed to cystoscopic abnormalities and mandatory mapping at 12 m), urine cytology, and radiography, as above. Secondary endpoints include complete response at 12 months, duration of response, progression free survival, cystectomy free survival and safety. Correlative assessments include changes in the tumor immune microenvironment, systemic immune induction as reflected in the peripheral blood and urine, as well as viral replication and transgene expression. Baseline expression of coxsackie adenovirus receptor, E2F transcription factor as well as anti-adenovirus antibody titer will be correlated with tumor response. Study enrollment globally is ongoing including in North America, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

Presented By: Edward M. Uchio, MD, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA

Co-Authors: Donald L. Lamm, Neal D. Shore, Ashish M. Kamat, Mark Tyson, Ben Tran, Paul Anderson, Paola Grandi, James M. Burke

Affiliations: BCG Onc, Phoenix, AZ, Carolina Urologic Research Center, Myrtle Beach, SC, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, CG Oncology, Irvine, CA

Written By: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, Thursday Feb 17  Saturday Feb 19, 2022

References:
(UroToday.com) The 2022 GU ASCO Annual meeting included a renal cell carcinoma (RCC) session highlighting work from Dr. Justine Panian and investigators presenting results assessing pathologic outcomes at cytoreductive nephrectomy following immunotherapy (IO) for patients with advanced RCC. IO, either as combination therapy in the frontline or monotherapy in the second line, has improved outcomes for patients with advanced RCC. With the movement away from upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy, limited data are available on the outcomes of patients who receive IO with delayed cytoreductive nephrectomy. In this study, Dr. Panian characterized the pathologic and survival outcomes for patients who received IO followed by cytoreductive nephrectomy.

This was a multi-center, retrospective analysis of patients with advanced/metastatic RCC having received IO combination or monotherapy followed by cytoreductive nephrectomy. The primary endpoint for this study was the degree of pathologic downstaging comparing baseline clinical T stage to pathologic T stage following IO. Secondary endpoints included investigator-assessed response using RECIST principles, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

There were 52 patients identified with advanced RCC across 8 institutions who were eligible for the study. The median age was 63 years, 72% were white, and 60% were male, 81% of patients had clear cell histology, 11% had sarcomatoid differentiation, and 75% presented with de novo metastatic disease. Baseline IMDC risk included 4% with favorable-risk disease, 55% intermediate-risk, and 26% poor risk with 15% unknown. Among these patients, 23% had bone metastases and 23% had liver metastases at baseline. Lines of therapy prior to cytoreductive nephrectomy included 74% of patients with 1 line, 2 lines in 25%, and 3 lines in 2% of patients. For the line of IO therapy immediately preceding cytoreductive nephrectomy, 49% received nivolumab + ipilimumab, 30% received IO monotherapy, and 21% received combination IO/VEGF therapy. The median duration of therapy prior to surgery was 11.3 months (range 0.38-47.8), and 28% of patients discontinued treatment after cytoreductive nephrectomy for observation. The best overall response prior to cytoreductive nephrectomy was stable disease in 25% of patients, partial response in 60%, and progressive disease in 4% with 11% unknown. Following receipt of IO-based treatment, 44% of patients exhibited downstaging from the baseline clinical T stage to the cytoreductive nephrectomy pathological T stage:

There was 13% of patients that had no residual disease at cytoreductive nephrectomy. For pathologic outcomes, 85% of patients had negative margins, 75% had necrosis present, and the median tumor size at cytoreductive nephrectomy was 6.5 cm. In the overall cohort, the mean PFS was 53.7 months (95% CI 43.3-64.1):

The mean OS was 75.5 months (95% CI 67.7-83.4) for the overall cohort:

Dr. Panian concluded her presentation assessing pathologic outcomes at cytoreductive nephrectomy following immunotherapy for patients with advanced RCC with the following summary points:

IO-based strategies demonstrate efficacy in the renal primary in patients with advanced RCC

T stage downstaging was demonstrated in 44% of patients with 13% having a complete pathologic response in the renal primary following IO administration

Biomarker studies on baseline and cytoreductive nephrectomy tissue will further elucidate molecular predictors of response and resistance to IO therapy

Presented By: Justine Panian, MD Candidate, University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA

Co-Authors: Ava Saidian, Kevin Hakimi, Archana Ajmera, Pedro C. Barata, Stephanie A. Berg, Steven Lee Chang, Toni Choueiri, Hannah Elizabeth Dzimitrowicz, Hamid Emamekhoo, Evan Gross, Deepak Kilari, Elaine Tat Lam, Isabel Lashgari, Sarah P. Psutka, Bicky Thapa, Nicole Weise, Tian Zhang, Ithaar Derweesh, Rana R. McKay

Affiliations: University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, UC-San Diego Health, La Jolla, CA, Tulane University Medical School, New Orleans, LA, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Womens Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, Department of Medicine, Froedtert Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, University of Colorado Cancer Center Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, Department of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Duke University, Durham, NC, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA

Written By: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, Thursday Feb 17  Saturday Feb 19, 2022
(UroToday.com) The 2022 GU ASCO Annual meeting included a rare tumors oral abstract session featuring work from Dr. Alfredo Berruti and colleagues presenting results of the ADIUVO study, the first randomized trial on adjuvant mitotane in adrenocortical carcinoma patients. The incidence of adrenocortical carcinoma incidence is 0.7-2.0 new cases per million people per year. Among these patients, 50-70% are hormone-secreting tumors, 50% of patients undergo radical surgery, however 40-70% of patients relapse after surgery. The European Society of Endocrinology-European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors guidelines on adrenocortical carcinoma management suggest adjuvant mitotane for patients at high risk of recurrence. This indication has a limited evidence base, lacking results from randomized controlled trials. No suggestion for or against adjuvant mitotane in low-risk patients was given, since studies did not stratify patients for prognosis. The randomized controlled study ADIUVO compared the efficacy of adjuvant mitotane treatment versus observation in prolonging recurrence-free survival in patients at low-intermediate risk of recurrence.

The main inclusion criteria were: stage I-III adrenocortical carcinoma, surgical resection with negative margins, and Ki-67 10%. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to adjuvant mitotane or observation, and the primary endpoint of the study was recurrence-free survival. The study design for this trial is as follows:

A total of 91 patients were randomized in ADIUVO, 45 in the mitotane and 46 in the observation arm. This occurred between March 2008 and December 2018 at which point the trial was closed secondary to poor accrual. Baseline characteristics of patients were well-matched between the two arms: median age 51 vs. 50.5 years, female 73% vs. 67%, stage I 20% vs. 26%, stage II 67% vs. 63%, stage III, 13% vs. 11%, adrenocortical carcinoma secretion 44% vs. 36%, Weiss 5 vs. 5, respectively. Patients who refused randomization were eligible for the ADIUVO observational study. In this prospective, observational study, patients were managed as in ADIUVO except for randomization. In ADIUVO observational, 42 patients were treated with mitotane and 53 were untreated (between January 2011 and December 2018). Baseline characteristics of patients were matched between the two groups and with mitotane and observation groups in ADIUVO. As such, the ADIUVO observational cohort was analyzed in parallel to deal with the lower than expected recruitment in ADIUVO.

In the ADIUVO study, the median follow-up was 48 months over which there were 8 recurrences in the mitotane and 11 in the observation arm, while deaths were recorded for two and five patients, respectively. Recurrence-free survival (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.30-1.85) did not significantly differ between the two arms:

Overall survival (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.08-1.92) also did not significantly differ between the two arms:

In the ADJUVO observation, there also was no difference relapse-free survival (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.27-1.69) or overall survival (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.23-4.80):

The survival analysis in the ADIUVO observational study confirmed that of the ADIUVO randomized trial. Given the outcome of both studies, the number needed to treat is 55.

Dr. Berruti concluded his presentation of the ADIUVO study of adjuvant mitotane in adrenocortical carcinoma patients with the following take-home messages:

Adrenocortical carcinoma patients at low-intermediate risk of recurrence after surgery are a minority; however, they show a far better prognosis than expected and do not benefit significantly from adjuvant mitotane

The results of the ADIUVO study do not support the routine use of adjuvant mitotane in this subset of patients, who may thus avoid a potentially toxic treatment

This is an important step toward the personalization of adrenocortical carcinoma care

Presented By: Alfredo Berruti, MD, The University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

Co-Authors: Martin Fassnacht, Rossella Libe, Andre Lacroix, Darko Kastelan, Harm Haak, Weibke Arlt, Benedict Decoudier, Helene Lasolle, Irina Bancos, Markus Quinkler, Maria Candida Barisson Villares Fragoso, Letizia Canu, Soraya Puglisi, Isabelle Bourdeau, Eric Baudin, Paola Berchialla, Felix Beuschlein, Jerome Bertherat, Massimo Terzolo

Affiliations: University Hospital, Department of Endocrinology Cochin Hospital, Service d'Endocrinologie et Centre de Recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM), Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia, Maxima Medisch Centrum, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom, Service d'Endocrinologie, Hopital Robert Debre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Reims, Endocrinology Department, Reference Centre for Rare Pituitary Diseases HYPO, "Groupement Hospitalier Est" Hospices Civils de Lyon, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Endocrinology in Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany, Servico de Endocrinologia da Clinica de Bases do Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy, Internal Medicine Unit, Clinical and Biological Sciences Department, University of Turin, San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, Italy, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine and Research Center, Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM), Department of Nuclear Medicine and Endocrine Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France, University of Turin, Torino, Italy, Endokrinologie, Diabetologie und Klinische Ernahrung, Department of Endocrinology, Hopital Cochin, Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy

Written By: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, Thursday Feb 17  Saturday Feb 19, 2022
(UroToday.com) The 2022 GU ASCO Annual meeting included a session on the management of rare variants in genitourinary cancers and a presentation by Dr. Karen Hoffman discussing the role of local therapy for prostate cancer variants. Dr. Hoffman notes that the prostate cancer histologic variants typically vary with regard to PSA production, frequency of metastasis at diagnosis, responsiveness to ADT, and their clinical course. As follows is a summary of survival outcomes stratified by histologic variant in the NCDB:

The prognosis of mucinous prostate cancer is similar to that of typical prostate adenocarcinoma and is defined by the presence of more than 25% extravasated mucin. This tumor produces PSA and does respond to androgen deprivation. Surgical series demonstrate favorable pathologic features and excellent cancer control for this histologic variant. Among 47 patients that underwent radical prostatectomy (mean PSA 9 ng/mL) at Johns Hopkins University, the mucinous component varied from 25% to 90%, with 13% Gleason 6, 78% Gleason score 7, and 9% Gleason 8 disease. The pathologic outcomes are highlighted in the following table:

In this series, progression free survival at 5 years was 97%. At the population level, management of mucinous prostate cancer has been evaluated in the SEER database.1 In this series, 95-97% of patients were non-metastatic at diagnosis, and local therapy was curative for these patients. Prostatectomy was more frequently used (65%) than radiation therapy (24%), with the following stratified cancer-specific survival Kaplan-Meier curve:

Ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common histologic variant subtype of prostate cancer. Ductal adenocarcinoma can be challenging to diagnose, as PSA is unreliable, imaging can be misleading, and the disease is often diagnosed on TURP for obstructive symptoms. This subtype is more advanced at diagnosis as it is more likely to have T3 disease and lymph node involvement in prostatectomy series. In the NCDB and SEER database, approximately 12% of these patients are metastatic at diagnosis. Non-metastatic ductal prostate cancer is often approached like high-risk prostate adenocarcinoma, with higher failure rates noted than high-risk prostate adenocarcinoma. Prostatectomy usually includes lymph node dissection and nerves may need to be sacrificed, whereas radiation is usually delivered with ADT and dose-escalation with integrated or brachytherapy boost. As follows are metastasis-free survival curves stratified by ductal vs adenocarcinoma for those undergoing radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy:2

Dr. Hoffman notes that perhaps a multimodal approach is the best option for men with ductal prostate cancer, including prostatectomy followed by post-operative radiation with ADT. Surveillance after treatment should include imaging, since recurrence may not make PSA. Additionally, a chest CT should be considered given the risk of visceral metastasis. Prostate-directed radiation may be considered in the setting of metastatic ductal adenocarcinoma in order to reduce the tumor bulk, which may make systemic therapy more effective and prevent local symptoms and progression. In a series from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, 10% of patients with ductal variant and de novo metastasis responded to systemic therapy and underwent treatment of the primary tumor.

Small cell prostate cancer has an aggressive disease course with distinct morphologic features, high growth fraction, resistance to ADT, and short response to chemotherapy. Many patients are metastatic at diagnosis (63-77%), with dismal outcomes for these patients (median survival of 10 months):

Local therapy may benefit a select group of men with primary small cell carcinoma. A retrospective series of men with metastatic primary small cell carcinoma suggested that local therapy may improve outcomes and decrease morbidity from local pelvic symptoms:

The rarest of the rare histologic variants include adenosquamous (0.002%), sarcomatoid (0.003%), and signet ring (0.02%), as highlighted in the NCDB.

For these very rare variants, considerations for local treatment should consider if the tumor is localized or metastatic, assess whether the tumor is expected to cause local symptoms, and assess the anticipated clinical course.

Dr. Hoffman concluded her presentation of the role of local therapy for prostate cancer variants with the following take-home messages:

Local therapy is usually appropriate for patient with localized disease, however cancer control outcomes vary across variants

Local therapy can be considered for patients with metastatic disease in order to prevent morbid local symptoms and potentially improve outcomes

Toxicity of treatment needs to be weighed against expected clinical benefit

Presented by: Karen E. Hoffman, MD, MHSc, MPH, Professor of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Written by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, Thursday Feb 17  Saturday Feb 19, 2022





References:
(UroToday.com) The 2022 GU ASCO Annual meeting included hot topics in the urothelial carcinoma session featuring a presentation by Dr. Shaista Hafeez discussing new evidence to optimize bladder preservation. Dr. Hafeez notes that bladder preservation in muscle invasive bladder cancer relies on (i) appropriate candidate selection, (ii) developments in radiotherapy delivery, (iii) and biological personalization of radiotherapy delivery. The problem with candidate selection is that this is a heterogeneous population that may not derive benefit, as well as treatment potentially being toxic.

Diffusion-weighted MRI may be used as a biomarker for these patients, utilizing the VI-RADS scoring system. The rationale and aim of VI-RADS was to define a standardized approach to imaging and reporting mpMRI for bladder cancer, defining the risk of muscle invasion. Furthermore, VI-RADS was created through a consensus using existing literature. The now landmark VI-RADS paper was published in European Urology in 2018.1 The scoring is applicable to untreated patients and to treated patients having only received a diagnostic TURBT, but prior to re-TURBT. mpMRI is best performed before or at least 2 weeks after TURBT, bladder biopsy or intravesical treatment. Administration of an intramuscular antispasmodic agent is recommended, in addition to adequate bladder distention. MRI does not necessarily have the ability to visualize all of the histological bladder wall layers, however it is able to assess size, location, multiplicity, and morphology. A 5-point VI-RADS score is generated using the individual T2W, DWI, and DCE MRI categories and suggests the probability of muscle invasion. The dominant sequences for risk estimates are DWI (first) and DCE (second, especially if DWI is sub-optimal). The T2 sequence (structural category) is helpful as a first pass guide.

The VI-RADS 1.0 scoring is as follows:

VI-RADS 1: SC CE and DW category 1 (muscle invasion is highly unlikely)

VI-RADS 2: SC, CE and DW category 2; both CE and DW category 2 with SC category 3 (muscle invasion is unlikely to be present)

VI-RADS 3: SC, CE, and DW category 3; SC category 3, CE or DW category 3, and the remaining sequence category 2 (the presence of muscle invasion is equivocal)

VI-RADS 4: At least SC and/or DW and CE category 4; the remaining category 3 or 4 SC category 3 plus DW and/or CE category 4; SC category 5 plus DW and/or CE category 4 (muscle invasion is likely)

VI-RADS 5: at least SC plus DW and/or CE category 5; the remaining category 4 or 5 (invasion of muscle and beyond the bladder is very likely)

A potential algorithm for assessing treatment response incorporating mpMRI and VI-RADS is as follows:

A previously reported phase I study assessed the change in ADC following neoadjuvant chemotherapy among 48 patients. A change in ADC 75th percentile predicted neoadjuvant chemotherapy response with a sensitivity of 79.0%, specificity of 90.0%, PPV of 96.8%, and NPV of 52.9%:

In this trial, after a median follow-up of 103 months (95% Ci 63.9-141.7), 31.3% patients were alive and disease free. The median overall survival was 31 months (95% CI 18.5-86.9), and time to cystectomy was 44 months (95% CI 10.0-76.2).

One of the problems in radiotherapy delivery is the changing contours of a filled vs voided bladder and the influence of rectal filling. To ameliorate these difficulties Dr. Hafeez notes the utility of image-guided adaptive radiotherapy, choosing the best fit plan based on the anatomy seen on the day of treatment and not relying exclusively on the planning CT:

Dr. Hafeezs group previously lead and reported results of a phase I study assessing dose escalated bladder radiotherapy. Inclusion criteria for this trial included unifocal disease T2a-4aN0M0 and planning for a radiotherapy boost to the tumor with either 68 Gy, 70 Gy, 72 Gy, or 74 Gy (dose escalation phase). The maximum tolerated dose was determined as the dose level with an estimated probability of <15% >Grade 3 late toxicity and observed rate of <50% acute grade 3 and <10% acute grade 4 toxicity. Among 59 patients including in this study, the median age was 74 years (range: 50-90), the majority were male (85%), the most common cT stage was cT2 (71%), and 61% of patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The study schema for this trial is as follows:

The maximum tolerated dose in this study was 70 Gy, with an 18% grade 3 genitourinary acute toxicity rate, and 8% grade 3 gastrointestinal acute toxicity rate. The late RTOG grade 3 toxicity rate was 13% and grade 4 toxicity rate was 2%. With regards to bladder preservation, the cystectomy rate was 6% as four patients required salvage cystectomy.

Dr. Hafeez then highlighted the ongoing RAIDER trial, a randomized phase II trial of adaptive image guided standard or dose escalated tumor boost radiotherapy in treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (NCT02447549). This trial will randomize patients 1:1:2 to standard planning and delivery radiotherapy vs adaptive image guided tumor focused radiotherapy vs adaptive image guided dose escalated tumor boost radiotherapy:

With regards to the biological personalization of radiotherapy, Dr. Hafeez notes that radiotherapy resistant areas of the tumor may be identifiable. Their group presented work assessing normal tissue sparing with diffusion weighted MRI informed tumor boost among 21 patients undergoing bladder radiotherapy [2]. For treatment, the tumor boost volume (GTV) was delineated on the radiotherapy planning CT (GTV CT ). All tumors seen on T2 image were identified on DWI, with DWI acquisition associated with ~45% target volume reduction (p=0.002) and a >60% reduction to high dose bowel and normal bladder constraints:

Dr. Hafeez concluded her presentation discussing new evidence to optimize bladder preservation with the following summary statements:

Quantitative DWI predicts treatment outcome and provides prognostic information, although prospective multi-center validation is necessary

Dose escalation to 70 Gy in 32 fractions to the bladder tumor is feasible with acceptable toxicity

RAIDER (NCT02447549) is an ongoing multi-center phase II randomized control trial of adaptive dose escalated bladder radiotherapy

DWI acquisition during treatment may provide opportunities for radiotherapy adaption

Presented By: Shaista Hafeez, BSc (hons) MSc MBBS MRCP FRCR PhD, Clinical Oncologist, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK



Written By: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, Thursday Feb 17  Saturday Feb 19, 2022

References:
The University of South Florida is increasing opportunities for students and the general public to engage with the arts. With the build-out of 3,100 square feet of space currently underway, USFs College of The Arts is expanding its museum into St. Petersburg. The new gallery, named Generator: USF Contemporary Art Museum, will be an incubator of new ideas and artistic experimentation with time-based art installations.

The expansion of the USF Contemporary Art Museum across the bay to St. Petersburg points to a new future for this university with an unparalleled socio-economic impact on the region and state, said USF College of the Arts Dean Chris Garvin. Generator will add to the constellation of arts venues across the city with a uniquely progressive vision.

On Sunday, officials from USF, the City of St. Petersburg and others gathered at the location, an industrial space called The Factory, to celebrate the kickoff of the museums new gallery. The move will provide internship and directed study opportunities to all USF students interested in the arts. Artist and curatorial talks will connect students and faculty with time-based installations and programming specific to important environmental, social, as well as political issues and challenges. This extension is another benefit of consolidation, which officially took effect July 1, 2020, when the university began operating under a single accreditation for all campuses.

Generator: USF Contemporary Art Museum will enable us to better connect with the students at USFs St. Petersburg campus, as well as the St. Petersburg community, in an unconventional arts venue, said Margaret Miller, director of the USF Contemporary Art Museum and Graphicstudio. Our curatorial team will present installations by a diverse selection of leading and emerging artists using cutting-edge digital technologies.

The expansion of the USF Contemporary Art Museum will offer a new dimension to the established cultural community, contributing to the citys prominence as an arts destination. It will be a dedicated home for digital installations, public programs and special projects that cultivate audience engagement and foster public exchange. Generator is expected to present works by national and international artists, along with local and regional artists. Similar to the USF Contemporary Art Museum on the Tampa campus, Generator will be free and open to the public.

Our organization believes in this project, and we were proud to be the first to offer a financial contribution to support this work, said Jason Mathis, CEO, St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership. The intersection of technology and art in this district with this project is exactly the kind of leading-edge urban development work we hope to support and nurture.

Generator: USF Contemporary Art Museum is expected to open its doors in the fall of 2022. This project is a partnership between the College of The Arts, the USF St. Petersburg campus, the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership and the City of St. Petersburg.
What's up Vol Nation?! Check out @Sami_whamiii on this weeks episode of the Weekly Wrap-Up for news involving @tpusautk and their guest speaker @tomilahren, the largest increase to the HOPE Scholarship since its founding, @josiah.j.james declaring for the draft. As always, a wrap up of our 
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Pope Francis on Oct. 10 inaugurated inaugurate the universal Churchs two-year-long synodal process, which will ultimately culminate in the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican in October 2023.

By Vatican News staff reporter

Despite health and natural disaster challenges, the Philippine Catholic Church has been faithful to the call of Pope Francis in making the synodal journey an inclusive process involving every sector of the local Church, said a senior Catholic Church leader of the country.

All dioceses in the Philippines have accomplished the appointments of diocesan key persons and coordinating teams at local levels, said Bishop Mylo Vergara of Pasig, the vice president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

According to him, the coronavirus pandemic posed a big challenge in the pre-synodal process, as local lockdowns and travel restrictions slowed down the face-to-face consultations and the diocesan efforts to reach out to other sectoral groups that need to be heard and listened to. However, this had been overcome along with the other challenge posed by Typhoon Rai, which devastated parts of Mindanao and the Visayas in December.

Worldwide synodal process

The worldwide Church is currently in a two-year process in preparation for the 16th Synod of Bishops next year, on the theme, For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission. The upcoming synod is unlike any previous one, in the sense that "synodality" means walking together and listening to one another, but above all to the Holy Spirit, starting at the grassroots level.

The synodal path kicked off on October 10, 2021, at local Churches across the world, promising to listen to all, especially to laypeople. The diocesan listening phase will run until August 2022 and will be followed by a continental phase from September 2022 to March 2023. The final universal Church phase will culminate in the traditional assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican in October 2023.

Consultations in the Philippines

Bishop Vergara said that in his Diocese of Pasig, the diocesan phase is being carried out by the diocesan team, which conducted a series of orientations with training modules, updating of the consultation process for priests, religious, parish lay servants and sectoral representatives on how to facilitate the diocesan consultations in the parishes, schools, and other sectors.

This trend is also seen in other dioceses. He said the pre-synodal consultation saw the active participation by 84 archbishops and bishops, joined by some 10,000 priests and 1,000 nuns, who supervised the whole process on the ground. They covered 69 dioceses in 16 ecclesiastical provinces, five prelatures, and seven apostolic vicariates besides the military ordinariate.

Although a majority of priests in the diocese actively participated in the process, Bishop Vergara noted that there were a few ordained ministers at parish level who were simply non-compliant and did not participate due to authority issues.

Progress worldwide

The 15th Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops earlier this month expressed great satisfaction with the process at the local diocesan listening level. Close to 98% of the bishops conferences and Synods of Eastern Churches worldwide have appointed a person or an entire team to implement the synodal process.

The Ordinary Council's assessment was bolstered by the results that emerged from exchanges during some 15 online meetings with synod appointees from around the world organized by the Vaticans Secretariat General of the Synod of Bishops from November-December in 2021.

Already in the first weeks of the diocesan phase, many quarters from around the world realized the importance of an authentic experience of listening and dialogue at the local level and urged the Secretariat General to extend the duration of this phase. The Secretariat complied, extending the deadline for the presentation of the summaries of the consultations by the bishops and other ecclesial bodies worldwide to August 2022, from April.

Synodal conversion

The Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops noted a growing awareness around the world that the synodal conversion to which all the baptized are called is a lengthy process that will prolong itself well beyond 2023. The desire all over the world is this synodal journey which has begun at the local level continue this journey well beyond Synod 2021-2023 so that tangible signs of synodality might increasingly be manifest as constitutive of the Church.

In a pastoral letter on the occasion of the launch of the listening phase at the diocesan level in the Philippines in October, the countrys bishops urged Catholics to walk together and grow by listening, stressing that synodality is Gods plan.

CBCP president Archbishop Romulo Valles, who signed the letter, said the Church needs to be sensitive, adopting a selfless listening lifestyle, in order to discern what the Lord wants. This will help us see into persons and events with our soul, he said. The Church needs to give time to this journey, proceeding with patience, tenacity, and clarity of convictions, trusting in the Lord who walks with us. He also warned that we cannot journey as a synodal Church without conversion of heart. (Source: UCAN)
The overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland is urging international donors to intervene to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Somalia facing its worst drought in 40 years.

By Lisa Zengarini

Trocaire, the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland, is calling on the international community to take urgent action for Somalia, where millions of people are on the brink of severe hunger.

1,2 million children at risk of acute malnutrition

According to the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNA) in Somalia, approximately 1.2 million Somali children under the age of five are likely to be acutely malnourished due to the ongoing drought now affecting some 4,3 million people in the country. Over 300,000 risk dying if they dont receive immediate specific treatment, UNICEF reported recently

Severe drought

The food crisis has been triggered by three consecutive failed rainfall seasons, and is expected to worsen as a result of a projected below average rainy season between April and June 2022. Trocaire reports that an estimated 4.6 million people will face emergency-level food insecurity in the East African nation between now and May.

During a recent assessment in Luuq District in Gedo, southcentral Somalia, where the Irish charity manages the main health facility, the District Commissioner witnessed a father and his two starving children living under a tree in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp with no shelter and no food. These are times of great hunger. Children are the most vulnerable. There is limited access to food, and food prices are rising, predisposing families and their children to severe malnutrition, he said.

Increase of infectious diseases

Trocaire further sounds the alarm over the lack of clean drinking water which exposes millions of Somalis to the risk of contracting infectious diseases, with people and animals now competing for untreated water from hand-dug shallow wells and dwindling rivers. Cases of Acute Watery Diarrhoea/Cholera, and outbreaks of measles, are on the rise in multiple drought-affected locations.



Displaced people on the rise

Water shortages have forced more Somali families to migrate to urban areas adding to the some 2.9 million people already displaced by conflict and climate change in the country. Over 271,000 people have fled their homes, flocking to already overcrowded IDP camps. Trocaire expects that number to rise to 1.4 million in the coming months.

As the food crisis worsens, humanitarian partners are scaling up their response by reprogramming ongoing activities. However, limited resources have led to a rapid depletion of the available funding and stocks. On December 23,2021 humanitarian partners released the 2022 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), seeking US$1.46 billion to assist 5.5 million of the most vulnerable people. Less than 2% of the needed funds has come from donors to date. The Somalia NGO Consortium, of which Trocaire is a member, is therefore urging donors to intervene as soon as possible to avoid a catastrophe.

Listen to our report

Political instability and insecurity

The food crisis in Somalia comes while the country is grappling with political uncertainty caused by electoral impasse, and with the subsequent resurgence of attacks by the jihadist terrorist group Al Shabaab. The the Horn of Africa nation has been in turmoil since the collapse of President Siad Barres regime in 1991 and has been described as a failed state characterised by anarchy and disarray.
Heavy rain storms have led to flooding and landslides in the area of Petropolis in Brazil, with more than 100 people reported killed.

By James Blears

The rescue operation continues in the stricken city of Petropolis, parts of which were enveloped by landslides. The death toll stands at more than one hundred with scores more still missing.

Read also 20/02/2022 Pope prays for victims of natural disasters, hails healthcare workers in remarks after Angelus Following the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis expresses his closeness to victims of natural disasters, especially in Madagascar and Brazil. He also prays for healthcare workers as ...

Rescue teams are digging with spades, using chainsaws to fragment debris, accompanied by sniffer dogs, whose sense of scent and hearing is more acute than the human range. The city of Petropolis which is named after a Roman Emperor is located 64 miles from the City of Rio de Janeiro. Brazil`s President Jair Bolsanaro flew there following the disaster and described enormous devastation. His Holiness Pope Francis is praying for those struck and afflicted by natural disasters, which this World is increasingly suffering.

Experts say climate change over the decades has triggered greater rainfall and this has affected the land, making it heavier. soggier and more unstable.

Poverty often equals desperation and people have built in areas that are not suitable because they have nowhere else to go.

The blame game has already started. Reports are emerging that the Rio State Government spent less than half its allocation of funds for disaster prevention. The State has retaliated by saying the city failed to respond to urgent requests as to how many people had been relocated into different areas. The lunar landscape is an awful testament to a changing climate in an unstable area. Tragedy has ensued.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warns that Europe is heading towards its most significant armed conflict since the end of World War Two. Johnson made the comments as the West fears for an imminent full-scale Russian invasion into Ukraine.

By Stefan J. Bos

Britain's Prime Minister Johnson suggests that Russia seeks the biggest war in Europe since the end of World War Two. He says intelligence suggests Russia plans to launch an invasion that will encircle the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. "The plan that we are seeing is for something that could be the biggest war since 1945," he said.

"Just in terms of sheer scale, you are looking at not just to an invasion through the east through the Donbas region but according to intelligence that we are seeing coming down from the north, down from Belarus and actually encircling Kyiv itself as [U.S. President] Joe Biden explained to us last night. And you know people have to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail not just for Ukrainians but also for Russians," Johnson added.

He spoke at Germany's annual Munich Security Conference while fighting intensified between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine.

Listen to Stefan Bos' report

Video footage emerged showing Ukrainian officials, soldiers, and foreign journalists running away from what appeared to be shelling as they visited the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine on Saturday.

The group reportedly drove to an 'observational outpost' in the Donetsk region and took shelter when coming under fire by 120 millimetre artillery. A spokesperson of President Volodymyr Zelensky said they had to be evacuated to a shelter.

Explosions continued in Donetsk on Sunday morning, while separatists in the Luhansk region claimed Ukrainian government forces mounted an attack that killed at least two civilians. Russian investigators said they opened an inquiry as Russia has given citizenship to at least 720,000 people in rebel territories. The incidents came after authorities said at least one Ukrainian soldier was killed in heavy shelling over the weekend.

Zelinsky attends Munich conference

The incidents added to the misery in the east Ukraine conflict that already killed some 14,000 people. Despite the ongoing battles, Ukrainian President Zelensky defended his decision to leave his troubled nation to attend the Munich Security Conference, where he expressed frustration about war rhetoric. "Putting ourselves in coffins and waiting for foreign soldiers to come in is not something we are prepared to do. And we are being told: 'you have several days, and then the war will start.' And I said: 'Okay, then apply the sanctions today,'" Zelenskyi stressed.

However, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said: "We have prepared together economic measures that will be swift, severe, and united."

But the U.S. admits its threat of sanctions hasn't impressed Moscow with as many as 190,000 Russian troops now in and near Ukraine.

And, after pledging their drills would end this weekend, Russia and its ally Belarus said Sunday they would continue to test their military capabilities near Ukraine's border.

Yet, Russia maintains it has no intention to invade further into Ukraine after annexing its Crimea peninsula in 2014. But Moscow demands security guarantees such as not allowing Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance. The West says it's up to Ukraine to become a NATO member.
JACK ALKIRE is a Photographer for The Vidette. Alkire can be contacted at dbalkir@ilstu.edu. Follow Alkire on Twitter at d.jack_alkire

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Binh Phuoc province, one of the major industrial hubs in Vietnams Southern Key Economic Region, is known for its industrial, agricultural, commercial, and service investment.

Following the successful model of Binh Duong province, Binh Phuoc has increasingly attracted new investment in infrastructure in industrial parks.

Vietnam Briefing highlights the province along with three localities ripe for investment.

Vietnams Binh Phuoc province, part of the Southern Key Economic Region (SKER) is the largest among nineteen provinces in Southern Vietnam.

Binh Phuoc holds significant geographic importance as the province is not only a key connection between the Southern Highland provinces and commercial center Ho Chi Minh City through National Highway 13 but is also adjacent to Cambodia through the Hoa Lu international border.

Specifically, it only takes around one and a half hours to travel from Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Binh Phuoc province. Despite not having a major seaport, Binh Phuoc does have a river port at Song Be. Such a favorable location makes Binh Phuoc province an attractive destination for investment flow.

In 2021, as per the Binh Phuoc Department of Statistics, Binh Phuocs gross domestic product (GRDP) reached VND 46,200 billion (US$2 billion), up over 6.3 percent compared to that of 2020. This makes Binh Phuoc the locality with the highest growth rate in the Southeast area and ranks 12th in the country for 2021.

FDI and business environment

For 2021, industry and construction dominated Binh Phuocs economy, followed by services at 30.44 percent and the remaining 23.33 percent taken up by agriculture, forestry, and fishery. Additionally, per capita income in Binh Phuoc has reached VND 76 million or US$3304/person/year, up 9.51 percent compared to that of 2020.

Along with impressive growth in the industry sector, export turnover and FDI also showed improved performance in 2021 despite the pandemic. According to the Binh Phuoc Department of Statistics, in 2021, export turnover hit US$3.5 billion, up 17.8 percent compared to 2020, exceeding 12.9 percent of what has been planned.

In contrast, import turnover reached almost US$2.2 million, up 32.73 percent compared to 2020, exceeding more than a quarter of what was planned. This means, in 2021, the province observed a trade surplus of US$1.3 billion.

In 2021, there were 66 new FDI projects in Binh Phuoc with a registered capital of around US$600 million, which is 88.5 percent up in the number of projects and three times up in capital volume. Sources of FDI inflows during 2021 mainly came from China, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

Opportunities in industrial real estate

Opportunities for industrial real estate in Binh Phuoc can be attributed to three factors.

Firstly, the prerequisite lies in the government policies and guidelines. As stated in Decision 518/QDTTG, Binh Phuoc is expected to become a modern industrial province by 2050, which means the government will prioritize industrial expansion. This is likely to push demand for industrial real estate, aided by government incentives.

Secondly, land ready for investment and development in Binh Phuoc is abundant with around 60,000 km2 of area surface. If compared to the Northern provinces where one plot of land usually belongs to several owners, a plot of land in Binh Phuoc is typically owned by a single owner and thus easier to buy. The land is also flat and therefore easier for construction.

Last but not least, recruiting for labor is easier in Binh Phuoc, as the province is adjacent to Vietnams major population hubs including Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces, as well as Ho Chi Minh City.

Opportunities in Binh Phuoc: 3 locations for your investment

Dong Phu District  A potential spot for industrial growth

Binh Phuocs Dong Phu district has a natural area surface of over 93,445 hectares, equivalent to 13.63 percent of the total area of Binh Phuoc and 0.28 percent of the total area of Vietnam. Dong Phu has an important geographical location with access to National Highway 14 and highway DT741.

The district connects Tay Nguyen province with Ho Chi Minh City as well as allows Dong Phu, along with Chon Thanh district and Dong Xoai City to become a leading industrial, service, and commercial triangle of the province.

Dong Phu has two industrial parks and four industrial clusters. Taking advantage of its natural landscape with a 420-hectare freshwater lake, the district also has plans to prioritize ecotourism development.

Dong Xoai City  The key engine for Binh Phuocs real estate growth

Binh Phuocs provincial capital Dong Xoai city is located at the intersection of National Highway 14 and highway DT741, 101km from Ho Chi Minh City. Dong Xoai has a total area of 16,771 hectares with a population of 120,000, making it a large city ripe for investment and development.

Dong Xoai also connects Tay Nguyen with the Mekong Delta provinces. In the future, there will be a direct railway linking Dak Nong province through Dong Xoai city to Ba Ria  Vung Taus Thi Vai port. These connections and transportation accessibility would facilitate Dong Xoai trade with other parts of the country making it attractive for investors.

There are four industrial zones in Dong Xoai, all with a land size of over 500 hectares attracting manufacturing businesses. This has also created a knock-on effect with flows of migrant workers resulting in the demand for housing and infrastructure. In fact, many of Vietnams real estate giants have joined the market including Vingroup, Becamex IDC, FLC, and Dai Nam Corporation.

Phuoc Long town  a promising outlook for tourism

Similar to Dong Phu District and Dong Xoai City, Phuoc Long town holds a significant geographical location. Phuoc Long is located on two highways: DT741 connecting Dong Xoai City with Bu Gia Map district, and DT759 linking National Highway 14 with Binh Duong and Dak Nong provinces, and Cambodia.

Particularly, the province is now prioritizing turning Phuoc Long town into a new tourism hub of the province, especially ecotourism due to the Thac Mo lake and the Ba Ra mountain as they are tourist attractions.

Industrial park spotlight  Viet Kieu IP

Along with other several industrial parks, the Viet Kieu industrial park (IP) has emerged as a competitive IP in Binh Phuoc with its accessibility and product diversity.

The Viet Kieu IP, developed by Minh Khang Investment and Development JSC, offers a wide range of services including 103 hectares of land ready for use, covering up to eight industries from electronics to food processing. That also means the investors have full autonomy to opt for any lot size and renting model they favor.

The Viet Kieu IP caters to all the support needed throughout the investment process ranging from legal, construction, and recruitment services to the daily utilities including a commercial center with a total area of 12.800 m2. The industrial park is also technology-driven, and green-oriented.

Businesses at the Viet Kieu IP are offered with two years of tax exemption, 50 percent tax reduction for the next four years as well as other incentives including preferential import tax and favorable investment procedure.

Additionally, with good infrastructure connectivity with Ho Chi Minh City, National Highway 13, Hoa Lu border in Binh Duong, and Cat Lai Port, the IP has a significant advantage in location and attraction to investors.
Diplomacy still at the front of Ukraine crisis. Beijing Olympics conclude. Indonesia plans for a Capital move. A Martian anniversary. Tiny house village. The electric car race. Jim Stevenson hosts VOA Asia.
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Donald Trump's new social media venture, Truth Social, appears set to launch in Apple's App Store on Monday, according to posts from an executive on a test version viewed by Reuters, potentially marking the return of the former president to social media on the U.S. Presidents Day holiday.

Led by former Republican U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the venture behind Truth Social, will join a growing portfolio of technology companies that are positioning themselves as champions of free speech and hope to draw users who feel their views are suppressed on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

So far none of the companies, which include Twitter competitors Gettr and Parler and video site Rumble, have come close to matching the popularity of their mainstream counterparts.

"This week we will begin to roll out on the Apple App Store. That's going to be awesome, because we're going to get so many more people that are going to be on the platform," Nunes said in a Sunday appearance on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo'.

"Our goal is, I think we're going to hit it, I think by the by the end of March we're going to be fully operational at least within the United States," he added.

Also, in a series of posts late on Friday, a verified account for the network's chief product officer, listed as Billy B., answered questions on the app from people invited to use it during its test phase. One user asked him when the app, which has been available this week for beta testers, would be released to the public, according to screenshots viewed by Reuters.

"We're currently set for release in the Apple App store for Monday Feb. 21," the executive responded.

The launch would restore Trump's presence on social media more than a year after he was banned from Twitter Inc., Facebook and Alphabet Inc.'s YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, after he was accused of posting messages inciting violence.

On Feb. 15 Trump's eldest son Donald Jr. posted on Twitter a screenshot of his father's verified @realDonaldTrump Truth Social account with one post, or "truth," that he uploaded on Feb. 14: "Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!"

In addition to the post disclosing Monday's launch date, the screenshots seen by Reuters show the app is now at version 1.0, suggesting it has reached a level ready for public release. As late as Wednesday, it was at version 0.9, according to two people with access to that version.

A representative for TMTG did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple's App Store listing indicates that Truth Social is expected to be released on Feb. 21, a date that a source familiar with the venture confirmed in January. But in recent weeks, Nunes had said publicly that the app would launch by the end of March.

On Friday, Nunes was on the app urging users to follow more accounts, share photos and videos and participate in conversations, in an apparent attempt to drum up activity, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Among Nunes' posts, he welcomed a new user who appeared to be a Catholic priest and encouraged him to invite more priests to join, according to the person with knowledge of the matter.

The chief product officer's other responses during Friday's question-and-answer session suggested the startup's features would resemble those of Twitter.

Asked whether users would be able to edit their "truths," the executive replied "not yet." The ability to edit posts after publication is something Twitter users have long sought.

The next significant feature released on the platform will be direct messages, or DMs, between users, the executive wrote.

The company is also considering allowing users to sign up to receive notifications when others post content, the executive said. He signaled that the ability to block other users would be an important component.

"There will always be block functionality in the app," he wrote.

Truth Social will issue a policy on verified accounts "in the coming weeks," the executive added.

Even as details of the app begin trickling out, TMTG remains mostly shrouded in secrecy and is regarded with skepticism by some in tech and media circles. It is unclear, for example, how the company is funding its current growth.

TMTG is planning to list in New York through a merger with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) and stands to receive $293 million in cash that DWAC holds in a trust, assuming no DWAC shareholder redeems their shares, TMTG said in an Oct. 21 press release.

Additionally, in December TMTG raised $1 billion committed financing from private investors; that money also will not be available until the DWAC deal closes.

Digital World's activities have come under scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, according to a regulatory filing, and the deal is likely months away from closing.
A patient standing on a hospital balcony was killed by a stray bullet fired by security forces in Sudan on Sunday, medics said, as protesters pursued a four-month campaign against military rule.

A 51-year-old man was shot while trying to get fresh air amid heavy tear gas in the city of Bahri, across the Nile from Khartoum, the Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors, a group aligned with the protest movement, said.

The death brought the number of people killed since the protests began to 82.

Police had no immediate statement on the death and could not be reached for comment.

The protests against the Oct. 25, 2021, coup have faced crackdowns that have drawn local and international condemnation. The military leadership has vowed to investigate the deaths.

In protests in Khartoum on Sunday, security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades, and water cannon sprayed red water at protesters, a Reuters reporter said. Gunfire could be heard.

Some protesters were carried away bleeding on motorcycles, the reporter said.

The protesters managed to reach within less than 500 meters (yards) of the heavily protected presidential palace for the first time in more than a month.

"We will continue taking to the streets until we succeed, defeating the coup and achieving democracy," said Iman, a 35-year-old protester.

Protests were also held in the neighboring city of Omdurman and cities across the country, including Gadarif and El-Obeid.

United Nations human rights expert Adama Dieng, who arrived in Sudan Sunday, is visiting the country until Thursday, Agence France-Presse reported. The trip, initially planned for last month, was postponed at the request of Sudanese authorities, it added.
Mozambican forces backed by Rwandan troops on Sunday said they had driven out jihadists occupying the key port town of Mocimboa da Praia in the gas-rich north of the country.

Mozambique's defense ministry confirmed an earlier tweet by Rwanda's army that the joint force had wrested control of the town on Sunday morning.

They now control government buildings, the port, airport, hospital, and other key installations, Colonel Omar Saranga, a ministry spokesman, told a press conference in the Mozambican capital, Maputo.

The port town, from where the first Islamist attacks were staged in October 2017, has since last year become the de facto headquarters of the Islamic State-linked extremists, locally referred to as al-Shabab.

Mocimboa da Praia "was the last stronghold of the insurgents" and its recapture marks "the end of the first phase of counter-insurgency operations," Colonel Ronald Rwivanga, a spokesman for the joint military force, said in a text message.

Mozambican forces have been struggling to regain control over the northern Cabo Delgado province, site of one of Africa's biggest liquefied natural gas project, a $20 billion site operated by French energy major Total.

Rwanda sent 1,000 troops last month to shore up the Mozambican military.

Last week they claimed their first success since deploying, saying they had helped the Mozambican army regain control of Awasse, a small but also strategic settlement near Mocimboa da Praia.

At least 800,000 people have been uprooted from their homes by the violence ravaging the region, with more than 3,100 killed, half of them civilians, according to conflict tracking organization ACLED

"We will continue with security operations to completely pacify those areas and allow Mozambican and Rwandan forces to conduct stabilization operations" to enable people to return home and businesses to open, Rwivanga said.

After initially resisting outside help, Rwandan troops deployed on July 9 following an April visit to Kigali by Mozambican leader Filipe Nyusi.

They were followed weeks later by forces from neighboring countries, which are deploying under the aegis of the 16-member regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Botswana, whose President Mokgweetsi Masisi, has been outspoken on the urgent need for regional stability, became the first SADC country to send in troops on July 26.

Regional powerhouse and immediate neighbor South Africa announced on July 28 it would deploy 1,495 soldiers.

A day later, Zimbabwe unveiled plans to dispatch 304 non-combat soldiers to train Mozambique's infantry battalions.

Angola then deployed 20 specialized military air force personnel while Namibia will contribute N$5.8 million (about $400,000) toward the anti-insurgency offensive.

Masisi and Nyusi will on Monday formally launch the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado province.

The European Union on July 12 formally established a military mission for Mozambique to help train its armed forces battling the jihadists.

Former colonial ruler Portugal is providing training for Mozambican troops, with Lisbon's military instructors expected to make up half of the new EU mission.

Mozambique's northernmost province of Cabo Delgado, which borders Tanzania, has been troubled by the jihadist insurgency since 2017.

Last year the militants had grown bolder, escalating attacks as part of a campaign to establish an Islamist caliphate.

In March this year, they attacked n the coastal town of Palma, killing dozens of people and triggering an exodus that included employees from the Total project, forcing the company to halt work.


Somalias al-Shabab militant group has an annual budget of $24 million to spend on purchasing weapons, a new report finds.

The report by a Mogadishu-based research group, the Hiraal Institute, said the group uses various methods to procure weapons, including direct purchases from local black markets, and from arms traders contracted to buy and deliver weapons from abroad, mainly Yemen.

Hiraal said the acquisition of firearms, ammunition, explosives and other lethal capacity weapons remains a priority for al-Shabab, with nearly a quarter of its budget going to such transactions.

Out of an annually planned expenditure of approximately USD 100 million, al-Shababs annual planned expenditure on arms procurement is assessed to be USD 24 million, budgeted monthly at USD 2 million, the report said.

Samira Gaid, the executive director of Hiraal Institute, told VOA Somali that during research they had access to al-Shabab's annual budget documentation. They have also interviewed former al-Shabab members, clan leaders, business owners, government officials and other sources who have knowledge of how the group functions.

Just like the FGS [Federal Government of Somalia], the biggest chunk of its resources is currently being spent on security-related expenses; these, of course, include wages and operational costs, Gaid said. The group also manufactures certain types of ammunition and explosives, and a certain amount of its budget goes towards that.

Al-Shabab has recently increased its attacks in Somalia as parliamentary elections continue at a sluggish pace. Since last week, the group has carried out multiple attacks in Mogadishu and the towns of Bosaso and Beledweyne.

On Monday, the group claimed responsibility for a roadside explosion, which targeted a convoy escorting Said Abdullahi Deni, the president of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. Deni survived the attack, but two of his soldiers were killed and four others injured.

On Saturday, al-Shabab also claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Beledweyne in which 15 people were killed and at least 20 others injured.

To finance its operations, al-Shabab has a sophisticated extortion system which it uses to collect money from the business, agricultural, and livestock sectors, according to a 2021 United Nations report by the Panel of Experts on Somalia.

Al-Shabab as well as Islamic State militants have been collecting extortion money from businesses in Mogadishu for years. Last month, death threats from Islamic State led to the closure of some businesses that refused to pay extortion money. The stores later reopened after the government deployed security forces. Police also told the businesses they would not have the stores closed except on orders from the government.

The store closures forced Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble to instruct Interior Security Minister Abdullahi Mohamed Nor and the security agencies to come up with a plan to counter the terrorist threats and harassment of traders at Somalia's biggest market.

The U.N. Panel of Experts report on Somalia estimated that al-Shabab now operates around 100 checkpoints throughout the country. In one of the most profitable checkpoints north of Kismayo town, which sees an average of 30 trucks pass through in a 24-hour period, the panel reported that al-Shabab collects an estimated $15,000 to $30,000 per day.

Hiraal recommended the implementation of several measures aimed at disrupting al-Shabab's weapons purchases, including the targeting of key militant explosive experts, targeting individuals involved in the arms trade and countering arms imports from the Gulf of Aden.
Today we rejoined the world, said Australias New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrotte Monday, as the country opened to international travelers after lifting COVID-19 restrictions that had been imposed for nearly two years.

Israel said Sunday it will allow unvaccinated tourists to enter the country, beginning March 1. However, tourists will be required to pass two PCR tests  one before departure and one upon landing in Israel.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the health and mortality of healthcare workers around the world. The World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization have now published a guide on how to implement stronger occupational health and safety programs for health workers.

James Campbell, director of the WHO Health Workforce Department, said, COVID-19 has exposed the cost of this systemic lack of safeguards for the health, safety and wellbeing of health workers. In the first 18 months of the pandemic, about 115,500 health workers died from COVID-19.

The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported early Monday that it has recorded more than 424 million global COVID infections and almost 6 million global COVID deaths. The center said more than 10 billion vaccines have been administered.
Australia Monday reopened its borders to double vaccinated international tourists. They have been shut out since March 2020 under some of the worlds toughest COVID-19 measures.

Nine million foreign visitors used to head to Australia each year, but now the tourism industry is hoping that two years of disruption are coming to an end.

More than 50 international flights were scheduled to land in Australia on Monday as its borders reopened.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country was going from COVID cautious to COVID confident when it comes to travel. While many tourism businesses share his enthusiasm, some believe the recovery will be slow and that it will take time for overseas visitors to return in large numbers.

Margy Osmond, the chief executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum, an industry body, says as Australia tries to attract overseas visitors, it will face competition from other countries.

Rebuilding confidence is critical whether it is here domestically or whether it is that global travel," she said. "We are going to have to do considerable work to make people feel comfortable about coming here again. But what complicates it [is an] even more massively competitive global marketplace now. Everybody wants that leisure tourist back.

Australias largest markets for inbound tourism were China and New Zealand  two countries that still have strict COVID-19 travel controls.

Tourism Australia, the countrys official marketing agency, has said it has plans to attract visitors from Britain, Europe, the United States, Japan and Korea.

Prime Minister Morrison said international travelers who came to Australia would have one of the greatest experiences they could ever imagine.

Under current rules, foreign visitors must have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Australia has recorded about 2.7 million coronavirus infections and 4,900 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The White House said Monday it will slap sanctions on the Russian-occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized them as independent states.

"We have anticipated a move like this from Russia and are ready to respond immediately," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. She said President Joe Biden would issue an executive order prohibiting new investment, trade and financing by Americans in those areas.

Putin's pronouncement adds to Western fears that Putin is imminently set to invade Ukraine  something a senior administration official told reporters is a very real threat.

"In the last hour, we've seen Russia order troops to deploy into (Donetsk) and (Luhansk) for so-called peacekeeping functions," the official said.

"This wasn't a speech just about Russia's security," he said. "It was an attack on the very idea of a sovereign and independent Ukraine. He (Putin) made clear that he views Ukraine historically as part of Russia. And he made a number of false claims about Ukraine contention that seemed designed to excuse possible military action. This was a speech to the Russian people to justify war."

He said the White House would announce further measures on Tuesday for what the U.S. sees as a "clear violation of international law and Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as of Russia's own international commitments."

He would not say whether plans were still on for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, later this week. That meeting was intended to set the scene for a possible summit between Putin and Biden.

"We'll continue to pursue diplomacy until the tanks roll," he said. "We are under no illusions about what is likely to come next. And we're prepared to respond decisively when it does."

Analyst and author Angela Stent of the Brookings Institution said Monday that a summit between the leaders is an especially fraught proposition now.

"At this point, I think, to have another in-person meeting between President Biden and President Putin without some conditions being laid for the Russians, without them showing some goodwill or sincere interest in discussions by reversing some of the things that they're doing, I think it makes no sense to do that," she said to reporters and analysts. "Because, you know, otherwise we're just playing into the Kremlin's hands, and it looks as if they're going to go ahead and do whatever they want to do irrespective of these negotiations."

Author and analyst Steven Pifer agreed.

"I don't want to downplay diplomacy," he said. "But at this point in time, I would think that there would have to be some indication to the White House that a meeting with Putin would actually have a chance of yielding something. And right now, again, based on the experience that (French President Emmanuel) Macron had, that (German Chancellor Olaf) Scholz had, it doesn't seem like these meetings  I think they are ego boosters for the Russian president, but they don't seem to be doing anything to turn him from a course which has been one of continual escalation of the crisis."

Biden spoke to both the German and French leaders Monday, and, separately, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. In both calls, the White House said, "The leaders strongly condemned President Putin's decision to recognize the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine as 'independent.' "

Washington was immediately joined by the European Union in announcing sanctions, with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel calling Putin's recognition of these separatist areas "a blatant violation of international law."

And Psaki said the White House was prepared to do more if Russia invades Ukraine.

"We will also soon announce additional measures related to today's blatant violation of Russia's international commitments," she said. "To be clear: These measures are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine."

The Kremlin said Putin informed the leaders of France and Germany Monday of his decision and then signed documents declaring the regions as no longer part of Ukraine.

Putin, from a desk at the Kremlin, delivered a lengthy televised address to the Russian people, outlining his version of the history of national boundaries in Europe and the 1990s breakup of the Soviet Union.

He contended that Ukraine was "never" a true nation but rather historically a part of Russia.

Putin has amassed 150,000 troops in Belarus to Ukraine's north and along Ukraine's eastern and southern borders.

About 14,000 people have been killed in the flashpoint Donbas territory since 2014 in fighting between pro-Moscow separatists and Kyiv's forces, trench warfare battles that started after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

The U.S. and its NATO allies have contended that Russia is staging false-flag operations in Donetsk and Luhansk to make it appear Ukrainian forces are an increasing threat. The West says Russia is attempting to justify grounds for an invasion to protect Russian sympathizers.

Video footage has shown some residents of the region streaming in heavy traffic out of the territory in recent days, with Moscow saying the people are fleeing to safety in Russia.

Putin announced the independence for Luhansk and Donetsk, a position taken by no other country, after meeting with the Russian Security Council. Hours earlier, the separatist leaders of the regions made a video appeal for the independence declaration.

The separatists want Russia to sign friendship treaties and give them military aid to protect them from what they contend is an ongoing Ukrainian military offensive.

The Russian parliament last week called on Putin to formally recognize the DNR and LNR, both of which declared independence from Ukraine in 2014.

Putin said there was "no prospect" for peace to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine, but Moscow has contended it has no plans to invade Ukraine, even as some 150,000 Russian troops are massed at Ukraine's border.

Shelling in the Donbas region has ramped up in recent days, with the U.S. and its allies saying they believe Russia is launching "false-flag" operations it is blaming on Kyiv. Kyiv says it does not intend to launch a full-scale attack on the region in eastern Ukraine.

RIA, the Russian state news agency, said Russian military and border guards prevented a violation of the border by a sabotage and reconnaissance group from Ukraine and killed five fighters, while not sustaining any losses.

NATO countries, including the U.S, say they are willing to negotiate placement of missiles in eastern Europe and military exercise in countries closest to Russia, but have refused to accept Putin's key demand to rule out NATO membership for Ukraine and other former Soviet states.

Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
As expected, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday the end of all domestic COVID-19 restrictions as of November 24, even self-isolation for those testing positive for the infection.

Speaking before Parliament, Johnson said the nation will still encourage those who test positive or experience symptoms to stay home  at least until April 1, when the government will simply encourage people with a positive test or symptoms to exercise personal responsibility." On that day, the government will also stop paying for COVID-19 testing.

Johnson announced the scrapping of the restrictions even as he wished Queen Elizabeth I well after she tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. The prime minister said the queens positive test is a reminder the pandemic is not over.

Scientists, along with some opposition politicians, have warned that ending all testing and tracking will weaken the ability to track the disease and respond to any new surges of infection.

Jordan

That news comes as a Jordanian government spokesman said Prime Minister Bishr al-Khasawneh tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday while visiting Egypt. They say he has no visible symptoms. The prime minister is in Cairo leading his countrys delegation in cooperation talks with Egyptian officials. He arrived on Thursday.

Jordans government spokesman said al-Khasawnehs meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi was canceled and that the prime minister will be isolated upon his return to Amman.

Australia

Elsewhere, in Australia Monday, New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrotte said, Today we rejoined the world, as the country opened to nonessential international travelers for the first time in nearly two years after lifting COVID-19 restrictions.

Israel

On Sunday, Israel said it will allow unvaccinated tourists to enter the country beginning March 1. Tourists will be required to pass two PCR tests  one before departure and one upon landing in Israel.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the health and mortality of health care workers around the world. The World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization have published a guide on how to implement stronger occupational health and safety programs for health workers.

James Campbell, director of the WHO Global Health Workforce Aliance, said, COVID-19 has exposed the cost of this systemic lack of safeguards for the health, safety and well-being of health workers. In the first 18 months of the pandemic, about 115,500 health workers died from COVID-19.

The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported early Monday that it has recorded more than 425 million global COVID-19 infections and almost 6 million COVID-19 deaths. The center said more than 10 billion vaccines have been administered.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
Sixteen people including foreigners were injured in Saudi Arabia when the kingdom destroyed a drone launched against an airport by Yemeni rebels, the Saudi-led coalition said Monday.

It is the second airport attack in less than two weeks blamed on, or claimed by, the Iran-backed Houthi insurgents.

The rebels regularly launch attacks against Saudi Arabia which has for seven years led the military coalition which intervened to support Yemen's government in the face of Houthi advances.

"A drone launched in the direction of King Abdullah Airport in Jazan was destroyed, with debris falling inside the airport," the coalition said, as reported by the official Saudi Press Agency.

"Sixteen civilians of different nationalities were injured," it said, accusing the Houthis of "again launching cross-border attacks from Sanaa airport."

The airport, and the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa, are held by the Houthis, who claimed responsibility for an attack that took place on February 10, also in Saudi Arabia's southwest near Yemen.

Officials in the kingdom said 12 people were hurt on that occasion by falling debris when the Saudi military blew up a Yemeni rebel "bomb-laden" drone targeting Abha International Airport.

In response, the coalition on February 14 said it destroyed a communications system used for drone attacks located near the Telecoms Ministry in Sanaa.

In December, the coalition said the Houthis had fired more than 850 attack drones and 400 ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia in the previous seven years, killing a total of 59 civilians.

That figure compares with the 401 coalition air raids carried out in January alone over Yemen, according to the Yemen Data Project, an independent tracker which reported around 9,000 civilian fatalities from the strikes in that country since 2015.

Rights groups have long criticized the coalition for civilian casualties in its aerial bombardment.

The latest Houthi drone attack came while the United Arab Emirates, another coalition member, hosts a defense conference focused on drones. The UAE and its allies warned at the conference on Sunday of the rising threat of drone attacks, as Middle East militants rapidly acquire a taste for the cheap and easily accessible unmanned systems.

Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations, which has repeatedly warned that aid agencies are running out of funds.

The U.N. has estimated the war killed 377,000 people by the end of 2021, both directly and indirectly through hunger and disease.

On Monday, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Twitter that "following bombing" overnight in Hajjah province, its team in the emergency room of Abs General Hospital "received a 12-year-old girl and a 50-year-old woman, both dead on arrival.

They also received "10 wounded civilians, most of them women and children, including one pregnant woman."

Fighting has escalated in the province, MSF said, expressing deep concern over "the terrible impact of indiscriminate attacks, including bombing and shelling on civilians on both sides of the front lines."


Myanmars military government has criticized calls for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations special envoy to the conflict-torn country to meet bodies that oppose last years coup, which the junta has declared as terrorist groups.

With little sign of the junta implementing a five-point peace plan agreed upon with ASEAN last year, which included an immediate end to hostilities and letting a special envoy facilitate dialog, growing divisions have emerged in the 10-member bloc over how to restore stability.

After last Thursdays ASEAN foreign ministers meeting, Indonesia said it was crucial for the envoy to meet all parties in the conflict, with Malaysia calling for talks with the National Unity Government (NUG), a group made up of members of the ousted administration and other junta opponents.

The ministry notes that while some deliberations were constructive on the implementation of the five-point consensus, two members have suggested special envoy to engage with unlawful associations and terrorist groups, Myanmars ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

In its first public response to last weeks ASEAN meeting, the ministry said suggesting the envoy engage with such groups was not only contrary to the principles of the ASEAN charter but also undermine ASEANs counter-terrorism efforts.

Representatives from the military-controlled government havent been invited to ASEAN meetings since late last year.

Myanmar has been in crisis since the military overthrew an elected government a year ago, with more than 1,500 civilians killed in a crackdown against junta opponents, according to figures cited by a Thai-based activists group.

The military, which has disputed the death tally, is also fighting on multiple fronts with armed pro-democracy groups in the countryside and ethnic minority forces.

Zin Mar Aung, the NUGs foreign minister, welcomed the call by Malaysias Foreign Minister, Saifuddin Abdullah, for the special envoy Prak Sokhonn to meet with NUG.

In a message on Twitter, Zin Mar Aung thanked Saifuddin for his strong support to find a solution on Myanmar and his clear message to the special envoy.

Prak Sokhonn, Cambodias foreign minister, has said engaging with the NUG was complicated because of the juntas objections, though said the envoy could act as a bridge.

He said his predecessor as ASEAN envoy was unable to visit Myanmar because of preconditions by some ASEAN members that the ruling generals found unacceptable.

Those included access to Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the elected government ousted in last years coup. Suu Kyi is on trial accused of multiple crimes.
Pakistan is under fire for toughening its controversial cybercrime law to allow anyone to file a complaint against posting so-called fake news on Twitter and Facebook, and for increasing the prison term from three to five years for those found guilty.

The changes to what is known as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, introduced on Sunday through a presidential ordinance or decree, have made spreading fake news or defaming any person or state institution online an offense for which there is no bail.

It was important to bring this ordinance to curb fake news. Spreading fake news will now become an unbailable offense with up to five years imprisonment, said Farogh Naseem, federal minister of law and justice.

Political opponents and free speech advocates have denounced the move as an attempt by Prime Minister Imran Khans government to stifle freedom of expression.

The criminal defamation law was originally enacted in 2016 by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs government, and harshly criticized back then as an assault on dissent and political rivals.

Marriyum Aurangzeb, a spokesperson for the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N Party headed by Sharif, criticized the government Monday for what she said were draconian and black amendments to the law. She told reporters in Islamabad that the amendments give sweeping powers to federal authorities to detain anyone on allegations of spreading fake news.

In a statement, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists said the government action was unwarranted and deplorable and undermined media freedoms.

The undemocratic act will inevitably be used to clamp down on dissenters and critics of the government and state institutions, said the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent rights defender.

Reema Omer, a South Asia legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists, said the amendments have made the existing law more oppressive.

This has happened at a time when there is a global movement against criminal defamation laws, with such laws being considered incompatible with freedom of speech, Omer said on Twitter.

While defending the ordinance at a news conference on Sunday, Naseem acknowledged that recent misinformation through social media posts about an alleged rift between Khan and the first lady, as well as the use of abusive language against the recently retired chief justice of Pakistan, prompted the government to toughen the measure.

This law will put an end to such news reports, he said.
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO  Two Dutch citizens have returned 17 Mexican archaeological artifacts after three decades in their possession, the foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday.

The return of the artifacts comes as Mexico works to recover thousands of archeological pieces that had been illegally removed from the country  6,000 have come back so far, according to official figures.

Hubert De Boer and Liesebeth Mellis, who had been in possession of the items for 30 years, handed over the clay pieces during a ceremony at the Mexican embassy in the Netherlands.

Its not clear how the two came into possession of the objects, which include a few small human figurines and which were made between the years 400 and 1521.

They were previously certified as authentic by Mexicos National Institute of Anthropology and History and came from multiple regions throughout the country, including along the Gulf coast, the central plains and the southeast.

The pieces were made using the modeling, smoothing, incision and pastillage application technique, the foreign ministry said, referring to craft styles.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has called out France for continuing to allow the unregulated sale of cultural heritage items from other countries after a recent sale of archaeological pieces from pre-Columbian Mexico.

Lopez Obrador also denounced Austrias possession of a crown of feathers believed to have belonged to 16th-century Aztec emperor Moctezuma which several Mexican governments have sought to have returned.
A group of men gathered around a burning gay flag in Dakar Sunday and chanted: Senegal will never accept homosexuality. Others held signs that read: Senegal says no to homosexuality and We demand an end to the LGBT agenda.

They were among the thousands that flocked to Place de lObelisque to call for harsher penalties for sexual minorities, often referred to as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning or queer) people.

The event was organized by ultra-conservative Muslim groups who say homosexuality is being imposed on them by the West and threatens their traditional values.

LGBTQ people and numerous medical associations contend that sexual orientation and gender identity are innate and cannot be "imposed" or changed. A U.N. panel in 2018 flatly rejected the notion that homosexuality is a Western phenomenon, writing: "Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people exist everywhere, in all countries, among all ethnic groups... . Claims that same-sex attraction and transgender identity are Western are false."

Senegal is a 95% Muslim country that already prohibits any indecent or unnatural acts between individuals of the same sex, as is written in the penal code. Offenders can be punished with up to five years in prison and a fine of between 100,000 to 1,500,000 CFA  about $2,500.

Some anti-gay activists want even harsher penalties against sexual minorities, up to 10 years in prison.

A proposed bill that would have increased the prison sentence for homosexual acts to between five and ten years was rejected by lawmakers in January.

We simply want the government to criminalize homosexuality just like they criminalized rape, like they criminalized cattle theft, said Ngone Dia, a university student. Dia heads the women's department at And Samm Jikko Yi, the collective of Islamic associations that organized the event. From Wolof, the name translates to: Together for the Safeguarding of Values.

We want them to be imprisoned, even if its forever, she said. Senegal is a homophobic country and were proud to say it.

Homosexuality is criminalized in more than half of African countries. Many of these laws date back to colonial times, when British and Arab communities brought with them anti-homosexual values.

But anthropologists have found evidence of homosexuality throughout pre-colonial Africa.

In Senegal, for example, the goor-jigeen, meaning man-woman in Wolof, used to be an accepted and even celebrated community in Senegalese society.

In 1935, English anthropologist Geoffrey Gorer wrote: They do not suffer in any way socially on the contrary, they are sought after as the best conversationalists and the best dancers.

Fast forward to today and the Senegalese see homosexuality as a Western import.

The Europeans, they mistreated our grandparents with slavery. But now the African youth, were awake, we know what we want and its now our turn to make our own decisions, said Ibrahima Cisse, a construction worker who attended Sundays rally.

He held a sign in Wolof that translates to: If you catch a homosexual, kill them.

Westerners need to understand that this is Africa, this is Senegal, and they should keep their problems to themselves. We dont want that here, he said. Im not alone  all of Senegal is against this. So if they show themselves, all of Senegal will kill them.

Cisse said he hadnt yet killed any gays, but was prepared to do so in the event he found one.

When visiting Senegal, some Western leaders have urged local lawmakers to ease restrictions on sexual minorities.

During a 2020 visit with Senegals president Macky Sall, for example, Canadas Justin Trudeau made headlines when he raised the issue of the criminalization of homosexuality.

Sall later told journalists that were comfortable with our laws.



In its 2020 global human rights report, the U.S. State Department criticized Senegal for violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex persons and the existence or use of laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults.

Last May, And Samm Jikko Yi, the Muslim collective, held a demonstration similar to Sundays rally that also drew thousands of protesters. In the weeks that followed, LBGTQ activists reported a rise in assaults.

In addition to physical persecution, sexual minorities in Senegal also face difficulties finding employment, said Souleyman Diouf, the president and founder of the LGBTQ rights group Free Senegal. Diouf identifies as bisexual and uses a fake name to protect his identity.

He says he survived two assassination attempts, which led him seek refuge in France. But he still receives messages from people who threaten his infant daughter who is still in Senegal.

The problem is that the youth are being radicalized by terrorist organizations whose influence has spread rapidly throughout the Sahel, he said.

I risk being assassinated, I maybe risk being assassinated in Europe. Its just a matter of time for people like me, he said. But that wont stop us from raising our voices to say that whats happening in Senegal falls within the framework of terrorism  not, in fact, within the framework of a major religion."

If Senegal continues down this path, he said, sexual minorities could face genocide.

Its unfortunate, he said. Its very unfortunate.
So, the tortuous suspense continues as we wait to see if European history is going to be wrenched off its current post-Cold War axis and thrust into an unforeseen direction.



On the eve of World War I, then British foreign minister Earl Grey somberly told a hushed House of Commons: Last week I stated that we were working for peace not only for this country, but to preserve the peace of Europe. Today, events move so rapidly that it is exceedingly difficult to state with technical accuracy, the actual state of affairs.



What is the actual state of affairs now?



The people I spoke with in Kyiv do not seem certain.



Sunday was an emotional roller-coaster of a day  like so many preceding. We have gone up and down on a stomach-churning journey of just a few hours.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized again that all signs suggest Russia is on the brink of invading Ukraine, but he vowed to pursue diplomacy until the moment the tanks roll and planes fire to try and avert a full-blown conflict.



Everything we are seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion. We will do everything we can to try to prevent it before it happens, he said.



His bleak view seemed validated when Belarus announced that the large-scale military drills its forces have been conducting with Russia would be extended past their deadline of Sunday, adding to worries that Kremlin war planners indeed may have their sights on Kyiv itself, if the guns of February roar.



Then worries were moderately allayed when the Elysee Palace announced, after nearly two hours of phone talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and Russias Vladimir Putin, that the pair had agreed to work toward a diplomatic solution in coming days and coming weeks. And French officials said the two are endeavoring to secure a cease-fire in the Donbas in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow forces have intensified shelling to a level not seen since 2015 and 2016 say independent monitors.



The Kremlins take on the Macron-Putin talks was much more circumspect and enigmatic though, continuing Russias tactic of keeping everyone guessing and on tenterhooks. And by the end of Sunday, the White House announced President Joe Biden was ready to hold a summit with his Russian counterpart  as long as Russia had not invaded before the proposed meeting.



So back full circle then to the overarching question  is Russia going to invade?



The high-stakes, back-and-forth geopolitical drama is starting to take its toll on Ukrainian friends. The international media has focused on the resilience of Ukrainians and their calmness while under the gun. Children go reluctantly to school; the morning commute remains busy.



Some of the calmness is public-facing defiance; and anyway what are people meant to do, they have no influence to shape events.



But more Ukrainian friends privately confide anxiety is getting to them, and even the most reluctant are starting to think through practical wartime contingency plans. They are also sensibly drawing more cash out from their bank accounts and stocking up on durable food and bottles of water.

The shift in some ways came last week, an accumulation of scares and alarms. An edge has started to creep into voices and there are more mentions of what ifs. I go and visit old friends of mine. I nearly stumbled over the stacks of bottled water piled high in the hallway of their apartment right in the center of Kyiv.



They have seen history unfold before. They watched from their apartment for weeks the drama unfolding below them in 2013 and 2014 when a mass uprising toppled Putin ally Viktor Yanukovych in the revolution of dignity, an upset the Russian leader blames on the West and doesnt accept was an expression of the popular will.



My friends breathed in the acrid fumes of the fires below from burning tires and from buildings aflame, and they heard the crack of sniper bullets and saw protesters stumble and fall when struck almost eight years ago to the day. Now they feel theyre on the edge again of another vertiginous precipice.



My friends eldest son  a finance student  was thrilled with the speech Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivered Saturday at the Munich Security Conference in which he urged Western powers to not wait to impose a fresh wave of crippling sanctions on Russia in a bid to prevent war, and not implement them after the event has taken place.



The eighteen-year-old tells me that new sanctions should be imposed every day in stages, to prevent the Russian ruble regaining some of its value, underlining to ordinary Russians how painful the economic fallout will be from war for them. It is important to impose sanctions every day in stages over five days and force ruble rate to dollar to at least 120. Products and goods will either disappear or rise in price catastrophically, which will cause internal non-acceptance of war, he confidently announces.

I heard one American commentator saying the other day Ukrainians are not paying that much attention to reports on the dizzying events. That is not my impression  people are constantly sharing the latest snippet, meme, or video on messaging Apps, from WhatsApp to Facebook, Telegram to Signal. Sometimes with trepidation, and sometimes ridicule.



Mockery greeted a disinformation released a couple of days ago from Moscows proxies in the Donbas modeled on a graphic Britains Ministry of Defense put out full of arrows showing possible Russian invasion routes. The proxies announced they had secured the secret documents of the Ukrainian military outlining plans to invade Donetsk and Luhansk, the two self-proclaimed pro-Russian breakaways in eastern Ukraine. It too was full of dramatic arrows. But there was one eye-opening slip-up  the plans were in Russian, not Ukrainian!



At dinner, I glance over Kyivs skyline from a rooftop restaurant. I can see the golden domes of St. Michaels Monastery reflected in the lights of nearby buildings. Maidans anti-Yanukovych protesters took refuge from the bone-crunching batons of the Berkut riot police there.

Nearby is the bell tower of Saint Sophia Cathedral. I can spy the figurine of Berehynia, the Slavic female spirit and hearth mother, holding a guelder rose branch atop the 61-meter monument in the middle of Independence Square. And there is the towering Ukrayina Hotel, from where Yanukovychs snipers fired on protesters. It seems inconceivable that this cityscape could look so very different if war does break out.
Russia has drawn the worlds attention with its aggressive stance toward Ukraine. The former Soviet power has been rebuilding ties with Africa more quietly, strengthening economic and military cooperation, but also raising Western concerns about its tactics and goals there.

Russian flags waved in Burkina Fasos capital following Januarys military coup in the West African nation. A statue unveiled in the Central African Republic last fall shows local soldiers, backed by Russian fighters, protecting civilians.

Those are the more obvious symbols of Russias resurgent presence on the continent. Africa is a foreign policy priority, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the first Russia-Africa summit of political and business leaders in 2019.

We are not going to participate in a new repartition of the continents wealth, he said. Rather, we are ready to engage in competition for cooperation with Africa.

A second summit is planned for St. Petersburg in October. The first, at the Black Sea resort town of Sochi, generated diplomatic agreements and billions of dollars in deals involving arms, energy, agriculture, banking and more, said the organizer, the Roscongress Foundation.

Moscow has been building new ties and refreshing alliances forged during the Cold War, when the former Soviet Union supported socialist movements across Africa. After the Soviet Unions collapse in 1991, it largely withdrew from the continent.

Since at least 2007, especially in the last few years, Russia has been increasing military and other economic involvement in Africa. The 2019 summit produced contracts with more than 30 African countries to supply military armaments and equipment. Businesses, including state-backed commercial interests, have invested heavily in security sectors, technology and industries that extract natural resources such as oil, gas, gold and other minerals.

Rusal is a company that excavates minerals for aluminum in Guinea and nuclear group Rosatom seeks uranium in Namibia. Alrosa, the worlds largest diamond mining company, has pushed to expand operations in Angola and Zimbabwe, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Russia is clearly interested, in search of new economic markets and geopolitical influence in Africa, said Tatiana Smirnova, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Quebecs Centre FrancoPaix and an associate with the University of Floridas Sahel Research Group. Its important for Russia.

Trade between Russia and African countries has doubled since 2015, to about $20 billion a year, African Export-Import Bank President Benedict Oramah said in an interview last fall with Russias state-owned Tass news agency, cited by the Russia Briefing investment news site. He said Russia exported $14 billion worth of goods and services and imported roughly $5 billion in African products.

However, Africa does more business with other countries, notably China, its biggest trading partner in recent years.

Russias overtures in recent years offer cooperation without the political or other conditions imposed by Western countries, Putin has said.

Russia provides, as did the Soviet Union before, an alternative vision for African nations based on this common anti-Western critique, said Maxim Matusevich, a history professor who directs Russian studies at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

However, while the Soviets tried to sell socialist ideas of modernization in Africa, Russians today are not offering any ideological vision, he said. What theyre essentially doing is theyre contracting with African elites on a one-on-one basis.  They insist on the importance of sovereignty and contrast that with the West, which is trying to impose its values, such as transparency, honest governance, anti-corruption legislation. Again, Im not saying the West is always sincere doing that, but thats the official message  and they [Russians] are not doing any of that.

Shifting dynamics

The spread of militant Islamist extremism and other violence in Africa has created more openings for Russian military involvement. For instance, five nations in the volatile Sahel region  Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger  solicited Moscows military support in 2018. Russian fighters also have been engaged in Mozambique and Angola.

Frances planned drawdown of troops from Mali, its former colony and partner in the fight against jihadists since 2013, leaves still more room.

Last Thursday, France and its security partners announced they would exit Mali, citing multiple obstructions by the military junta that took power in 2020. France will redeploy its 2,400 troops elsewhere in the Sahel.

Private military contractors also are helping advance Moscows agendas in Africa, Western observers say. These include fighters in the shadowy Wagner Group, allegedly controlled by Putin associate Yevgeny Prigozhin. Putin has denied any connection with the group.

"Its not the state, Putin said.  Its private business with private interests tied to extracting energy resources, including various resources like gold or precious stones."

Those private fighters operate in parallel with the Kremlin, said Joseph Siegle, who directs research for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, part of the U.S. Defense Department. He said they are part of Moscows tool kit to prop up weak African leaders in exchange for economic or other advantages.

Every place weve seen Wagner deployed around the world and in Africa  be it Libya, Sudan, Mozambique, Central African Republic  it has been a destabilizing force, Siegle said. What Russia has been doing has been deploying mercenaries, disinformation, election interference, arms-for-resources deals, opaque contracts  aimed at capturing wider influence.

That influence can protect Russias interests in international circles, Matusevich said, citing Russias 2014 seizure of the Crimean Peninsula.

We know that in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine, when Russia was sanctioned in the United Nations, a lot of African nations abstained from the vote, he said. So, they are gaining diplomatic support and alternative diplomatic blocs that they can count on.

The United Nations is investigating reports of grave human rights abuses in the Central African Republic, allegedly committed by private military personnel. Meanwhile, Russian mercenaries are glorified as public protectors amid a coup attempt in the 2021 Russian film The Tourist. The movie, set in the Central African Republic, reportedly was funded by Putin ally Pregizhin.

Security concerns

In Mali, the leaders of a 2020 military coup brought in Russian military trainers  and what U.S. and French authorities say are Wagner mercenaries.

Some in Mali welcomed them by waving Russian flags, reflecting not only the countrys historic ties with the former USSR but also public impatience over continued insecurity, said Niagale Bagayoko, a Paris-based political scientist who chairs the African Security Sector Network. The organization seeks security and justice reforms, and is among advocates for more protections for civilians in the Sahel and more transparency and accountability for military operations there.

In 2013, the whole Malian population [was] enthusiastic when the French arrived  today they are rejecting their presence, Bagayoko said.

To be honest, I would not be very surprised if, in two years or so, the same could happen with the Russian presence, she said.

African countries are showing a willingness to look beyond a single foreign partner in their efforts to find stability and security, she said. There is the realization  that being only engaged with single actors . is restricting the possibility for diplomacy, but also for military apparatus.

Russia is not the only foreign government trying to broaden influence in Africa, home to vast resources including a surging youth population.

The White House plans a second U.S.-Africa leadership summit later this year, following up on an initial Washington gathering in 2014 and the European Union has announced a new $172 billion investment in infrastructure, countering Chinas Belt and Road initiative.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story included an incorrect figure regarding European Union investment in Africa. The correct amount is $172 billion.
While the ongoing situation in Ukraine is the world focus, Russia has been rebuilding ties with Africa more quietly, strengthening economic and military cooperation on the continent. That is raising Western concerns about its tactics and goals there, as VOAs Carol Guensburg reports. Contributor: Danila, Joad. Videographer: Betty Ayoub
Northern Britain and parts of France and Germany were battered Sunday and Monday by Franklin  the third major storm to strike the region in less than a week. The severe weather has flooded roads, knocked out power and left at least 14 people dead.

Storm Franklin brought heavy rains and high winds that disrupted travel and prompted more than 140 flood warnings across England and Wales as of Monday.

The storm moved through Northern Ireland and northern Britain before moving on to France, where a couple in their 70s died Sunday after their car was swept into the English Channel near a small town in Normandy.

Franklin struck even as crews were attempting to clear fallen trees and restore power to hundreds of thousands of homes hit by storms Dudley and Eunice last week.

Authorities in England issued more than 300 flood warnings and alerts, while insurers in Germany and the Netherlands estimated the damage from those storms to be at more than $1.7 billion. The German Aerospace Center said the storms would likely result in widespread damage to Europe's already weakened forests.

The AccuWeather news service reports this is the first time three such storms have struck Britain and northern Europe in less than a week since Britain's Meteorological Office began naming storms in 2015.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.


Afghanistans Taliban Monday strongly defended their government against fresh criticism by the United States that the male-only leadership in Kabul is "dominated by one ethnicity" and lacks inclusivity.

"This is invalid and we reject it," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told VOA when asked for his reaction to the critical remarks made by the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Tom West.

"In our government, all the requirements within the framework of our society and values have been taken into consideration," Mujahid insisted.

West said Saturday, while speaking at an international security conference in Germany, that his meetings with Taliban leaders on respecting womens rights to education and work have been productive, but he found them "rigid" on the question of a representative government.

"There is not one woman in a position of leadership in this government. Overwhelmingly it is dominated by one ethnicity. I think there is a dearth of professionals at the senior most levels of this government who are exceedingly well-educated," West said.

The Taliban are ethnic Pashtun, the majority group in Afghanistan, and their interim Cabinet mostly consists of senior leaders of the group, including those who are under longstanding terrorism-related U.S. and United Nations sanctions.

The Islamist group regained power from the now-deposed Western-backed government in August and the U.S. along with its NATO allies withdrew all troops from the war-torn country after 20 years.

The Taliban quickly installed an interim government, known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, but the international community has not yet recognized them as the legitimate rulers of the country.

Before considering the legitimacy issue, foreign governments want the hardline group to govern the country through a broad-based ruling system that represents all Afghan ethnicities, respects human rights, including womens rights to education and work, and disallows terrorists from using the country for cross-border attacks.

Restrictions on women

The Taliban had banned females from education and work in their previous government from 1996 to 2001. Since returning to power six months ago, the hardline group has placed restrictions on women such as requiring them to wear hijab and undertake long road trips only if accompanied by a close male relative.

Most public sector women employees, except for those in the health and education departments, have not been allowed to resume their duties.

Monday, the Taliban Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention Vice, responsible for administering the groups strict interpretation of Islam, announced that female government employees will be dismissed from jobs if they do not wear all-covering hijabs or veils while at work.

However, the Taliban have opened private and public universities to female students and have pledged to allow all school-age girls back to school in late March. They have blamed delays on financial constraints and the time it takes to ensure that female students resume classes in accordance with Islamic Sharia law.

West stressed on Saturday that Washington is not alone in urging the Taliban to meet the international expectations, saying that Afghanistans neighbors along with regional countries, including China, Iran and Russia, are also backing the call.

Taliban leaders traveled to Qatar last week for the latest round of meetings with foreign government representatives, including diplomats from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), on a range of issues, including diplomatic recognition for their government and economic as well as humanitarian aid for Afghanistan.

In its post-meeting statement, the GCC stressed the need for the Taliban to devise a national reconciliation plan that "respects basic freedoms and rights, including womens right to work and education."

Pakistan, which shares a long border with Afghanistan and is known for traditionally maintaining close ties with the Taliban, has also been urging them to ensure political inclusivity and respect human rights if they want "mainstreaming" of their country in the community of nations.

However, Pakistans national security advisor, Moeed Yusuf, while speaking alongside West at the conference in Germany, said that abandoning Afghanistan would worsen humanitarian conditions in a country ravaged by years of war and natural calamities.

"We cannot punish 35 million Afghans for 30 Taliban that some may not like. At the same time, Pakistan stands for inclusivity, for human rights and for ensuring that there is no terrorism from Afghan soil," Yusuf said.

Yusuf defended Islamabads engagement with Kabul since the return of the Taliban to power, saying decades of conflicts in Afghanistan have undermined Pakistans national security and economic interests, including hosting of millions of Afghans.

"For others, it may be a luxury to decide when and how the engagement (with the Taliban) will happen. Pakistan cannot afford instability in Afghanistan," he said. "We dont have an option but to engage and we are counseling the world to be pragmatic. Lets find a way to move forward, incentivize (the Taliban) and get the results all of us want," Yusuf argued.
BEIJING  At the height of the Cold War, U.S. President Richard Nixon flew into communist Chinas center of power for a visit that, over time, would transform U.S.-China relations and Chinas position in the world in ways that were unimaginable at the time.

The relationship between China and the United States was always going to be a challenge, and after half a century of ups and downs, is more fraught than ever. The Cold War is long over, but on both sides there are fears a new one could be beginning.

Despite repeated Chinese disavowals, America worries that the democratic-led world that triumphed over the Soviet Union could be challenged by the authoritarian model of a powerful and still-rising China.

The U.S.-China relationship has always been contentious but one of necessity, said Oriana Skylar Mastro, a China expert at Stanford University. Perhaps 50 years ago the reasons were mainly economic. Now they are mainly in the security realm. But the relationship has never  and will never  be easy.

Nixon landed in Beijing on a gray winter morning 50 years ago on Monday. Billboards carried slogans such as Down with American Imperialism, part of the upheaval under the Cultural Revolution that banished intellectuals and others to the countryside and subjected many to public humiliation and brutal and even deadly attacks in the name of class struggle.

Nixons 1972 trip, which included meetings with Chairman Mao Zedong and a visit to the Great Wall, led to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979 and the parallel severing of formal ties with Taiwan, which the U.S. had recognized as the government of China after the communists took power in Beijing in 1949.

Premier Zhou Enlais translator wrote in a memoir that, to the best of his recollection, Nixon said, This hand stretches out across the Pacific Ocean in friendship as he shook hands with Zhou at the airport.

For both sides, it was a friendship born of circumstances, rather than natural allegiances.

China and the Soviet Union, formerly communist allies, had split and even clashed along their border in 1969, and Mao saw the United States as a potential counterbalance to any threat of a Soviet invasion.

Nixon, embroiled in the Watergate scandal at home, was seeking to isolate the Soviet Union and exit a prolonged and bloody Vietnam War that had divided American society. He hoped that China, an ally of communist North Vietnam in its battle with the U.S.-backed South, could play a role in resolving the conflict.

The U.S. president put himself in the position of supplicant to Beijing, said June Teufel Dreyer, a Chinese politics specialist at the University of Miami. Chinese state media promoted the idea that a prosperous China would be a peaceful China and that the country was a huge market for American exports, she said.

It would be decades before that happened. First, the U.S. became a huge market for China, propelling the latters meteoric rise from an impoverished nation to the worlds second largest economy.

Nixons visit was a pivotal event that ushered in Chinas turn outward and subsequent rise globally, said the University of Chicagos Dali Yang, the author of numerous books on Chinese politics and economics.

Two years after Maos death in 1976, new leader Deng Xiaoping ushered in an era of partial economic liberalization, creating a mix of state-led capitalism and single-party rule that has endured to this day.

Chinas wealth has enabled a major expansion of its military, which the U.S. and its allies see as a threat. The Communist Party says it seeks only to defend its territory. That includes, however, trying to control islands also claimed by Japan in the East China Sea and by Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea, home to crucial shipping lanes and natural resources.

The military has sent a growing number of warplanes on training missions toward Taiwan, a source of friction with the United States. China claims the self-governing island off its east coast as its territory. The U.S. supplies Taiwan with military equipment and warns China against any attempt to take it by force.

Still, Nixons trip to China was touted afterward as the signature foreign policy achievement of an administration that ended in ignominy with Watergate.

Embarking on the process of bringing China back into the international fold was the right move, but the past half-century has yet to put relations on a stable track, said Rana Mitter, professor of Chinese history and modern politics at Oxford University.

The U.S. and China have still failed to work out exactly how they will both fit into a world where they both have a role, but find it increasingly hard to accommodate each other, he said.

Chinese officials and scholars see the Nixon visit as a time when the two countries sought communication and mutual understanding despite their differences. Zhu Feng, the dean of the School of International Studies at Nanjing University, said the same approach is key to overcoming the current impasse.

The commemoration of Nixons visit tells us whether we can draw a kind of power from history, he said.

Though his trip to China gave the U.S. leverage in its Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union, America now faces a new geopolitical landscape  with echoes of the past.

The Soviet Union is gone, but the Russian and Chinese leaders, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, are finding common cause as they push back against U.S. pressure over their authoritarian ways. The Vietnam War is over, but America once again finds its society divided, this time over the pandemic response and the last presidential election.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said he wants a more predictable relationship with China but major differences over trade and human rights make mutual understanding elusive. The prospect of long-term stability in ties raised by Nixons visit seems to be ever farther out of reach.

China-U.S. relations are terrible, said Xiong Zhiyong, a professor of international relations at China Foreign Affairs University. There are indeed people hoping to improve relations, but it is utterly difficult to achieve.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has castigated Nelson Chamisa, opposition leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), for saying if elected next year he will attract foreign investors in five days to resuscitate the country's ailing economy.

Speaking at a National Youth Day event in Harare on Monday, Mnangagwa said Chamisa should know that the Zimbabwe economy can only he revived by locals.

Mnangagwa, who claimed that he listened to Chamisa's remarks when he was addressing thousands of people at Zimbabwe Grounds in Harare on Sunday, said citizens of any nation are in charge of their economies.

I was troubled yesterday when Chamisa said if he becomes president whites will come in numbers in five days. It is a shame, a shame because a nation can only be built by its citizens not foreigners. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. Zimbabwe can be built by Zimbabweans, Zambia can be built by Zambians and Mozambique by Mozambicans and Botswana the same.

Britain can also only be built by the British, America by Americans, China by the Chinese Chamisa wants Zimbabwe to be built by white people. He should be ashamed of himself. The independence that we have was brought about by the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters who fought to remove the whites who are now being invited back by Chamisa. That is really shameful.

On Chamisa's remarks that CCC will defend the vote, Mnangagwa said state security agents are ready for him and his followers.

He said, Tell him that the police and other state security agents are waiting for him.

Chamisa told VOA Zimbabwe Service that Mnangagwa misquoted him.

I wish to thank Mr. Mnangagwa for being my ardent follower, its interesting that a leader like him is following. However, he did not quite grasp my argument. I did not say we must surrender the country to foreigners, but I said we must attract foreign investors to come and work with us."

Mnangagwa won a disputed election in 2018 which Chamisa still claims that was rigged by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. The Commission has dismissed his claims as false.
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Monroe, GA (30655)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Heavy downpours are possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Heavy downpours are possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
The Vitala Festival - philanthropic events in support of Music and Art  presents an evocative concert with POWER AND BEYOND PROJECT BAND on Tuesday 22 February at 19.30 at Teatro Le Salette.

The band will present a setlist of timeless classics capturing the essence of the Beat Generation, with songs by Procol Harum, The Animals, The Monkees, The Mamas & The Papas, Tom Jones and more.

Super Green Pass and FFP2 masks mandatory. Tickets 15, reduced for students 13.

Booking required and doors open at 19.00. The theatre, on Vicolo del Campanile 14, is equipped with a new, efficient air circulation system.

For information contact: wonderwallenter@gmail.com or tel. 3478248661.
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Boris Johnsons Conservative government, desperate to show the benefits of quitting the European Union, has called for an investment big bang: Hell clear regulatory obstacles so that pension funds and insurers can channel tens of billions of additional pounds into modernizing Great Britain and raising living standards. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight But the upcoming overhaul of capital rules for insurers has little to do with Brexit and likely wont be a bonanza for shareholders or investment.

Reform has been under discussion since last year and the government is close to agreeing to changes with regulators and the industry, according to the Financial Times. The pitch is that Britain is now free to scrap European rules that restrict insurers ability to pour money into things like green infrastructure or better housing.

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The changes could help reduce some of the costs related to investing in such things, but Britains big life insurers already have almost one-third of their relevant funds in illiquid assets like these; the rest is mainly investments in publicly traded bonds.

One of Britains biggest life companies, Legal & General Plc does a lot of this kind of investing and is known for the social goals set by its chief executive officer, Nigel Wilson, who was born in the deprived northeast of England.

L&G has nearly 30% of its roughly 100 billion pounds ($136 billion) of life insurance-related funds in illiquid assets and wants to lift that to as much as 50%. Rivals like Aviva Plc, Phoenix Group Holdings Plc and M&G Plc have a similar mix of assets and similar intentions.

The industry says regulatory reform will help accelerate the process, but the real limit on these ambitions is creating or finding enough suitable assets. Tweaking insurance capital rules isnt going to create new wind farms in the North Sea overnight.

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The regulations, known as Solvency II, were adopted while Britain was in the EU, but their core principles mimicked pre-existing British rules, which were designed to judge whether insurers have enough capital based on the riskiness of their assets and liabilities. Many other countries have since created similar regimes.

The kinds of products sold by life-insurance and pensions firms vary by country across Europe. So, when Solvency II was created, it had to be tailored to each countrys needs. For the U.K., the rules were written to fit long-term annuities, a mainly British product that pays people a steady income for life after retirement. They wont be torn up because they must still balance the long-term interests of policyholders against short-term profits for shareholders.

The rules are complex and make significant assumptions about the far-off future, so a large amount of prudence is required. When navigating by compass, not much can go wrong over 100 meters, but over 100 kilometers you can end up very far from where you meant to be.

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Investing in assets that pay regular income over a long duration marries well with annuities because they make long-lasting and predictable payments to policyholders. The fixed nature of annuity claims, unlike, say, claims for house fires, also means these assets dont need to be easily tradeable.

One of the changes insurers want is to loosen requirements for the predictability of cash flows from investments like infrastructure, or housing, or equity-release mortgages, which might not generate income for the first few years.

That would make it easier to invest in those areas without having to pay investment bankers to turn them into securitizations, which look more like normal bonds.

Some in the industry reckons this and other changes could free up 95 billion pounds for things like green infrastructure, but that seems far-fetched. Infrastructure only accounts for about a quarter of the industrys illiquid assets, according to estimates from UBS Group AG. If all insurers raised their holdings of illiquid assets to 50% of their funds and kept a similar mix, that would only mean an extra 22 billion pounds for infrastructure.

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One big reason why insurers want to invest more in illiquid assets is because they typically pay higher yields, which means more profits for shareholders.

Solvency II for annuities has a technical twist called the Matching Adjustment, which allows U.K. insurers to book the profits of these higher yields upfront  before theyve been received. Insurers cant just take these profits out, but they do count toward capital, making them look stronger.

However, Britains insurance regulator, which is part of the Bank of England, suggested in a 2021 study that the boost to capital from booking profits early might be too generous already.

The regulator might be persuaded to change its view, but the UBS analysts say any gain for the industry would probably be offset by higher capital charges for the risks around judging the correct value of assets that are rarely traded.

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Britains original risk-based insurance rules were created after the dotcom bubble burst and nearly ruined much of the industry, which had loaded up on stocks. Todays world is awash in debt and property with high prices and very low yields. The government should be very careful about letting insurers release capital or take more risks with liquidity, or duration.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Boris Johnson Is Left With a Brexit Meltdown: Therese Raphael

 Brexit Boosted Exports of Rich British Bankers: Mark Gilbert

 Inches and Pounds Poised for Post-Brexit Comeback: Stephen Mihm

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Paul J. Davies is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering banking and finance. He previously worked for the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Hong Kongs rapid isolation from the rest of the world has business executives, investors and expatriates asking whether Singapore will overtake the territory as Asias main financial center. If thats the ambition, theres a lot of ground to cover. A more realistic outcome is that the two locations work as complements, rather than competitors for global talent.

The situation in Hong Kong is deteriorating. Omicrons spread in recent weeks has upended the governments zero-Covid strategy, forcing it to impose ever more drastic containment measures as the hospital system teeters. The outbreak is now bigger than the surge in Wuhan at the start of the pandemic. Authorities have had to turn to Beijing not only for medical supplies, but also to help meet basic daily needs as produce disappeared from grocery shelves. One official said over the weekend that the government is in full-on war mode, while Chinese President Xi Jinping appears to be losing patience.

Singapore seems Edenic by comparison. After botching its initial response to omicron, the government has taken the latest outbreak in stride, easing requirements for quarantine and testing frequency even as case numbers soared. Though getting on a plane requires a dizzying amount of paperwork, travel is getting easier. Schools, thankfully, remain open. While official data dont indicate the number of transplants from Hong Kong, anecdotal evidence from moving companies and LinkedIn data show that relocations to Singapore have risen.

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Still, on a number of metrics that would define a financial center, the Southeast Asian city-state remains a laggard. Despite recent efforts to boost local stocks, the market is a graveyard. Average daily turnover in January was just S$1.2 billion ($890 million), compared with Hong Kongs HK$128.6 billion ($16.5 billion)  which itself has been flagging  while the market capitalization of securities listed in the territory is eight times bigger. In 2021, a record year for Asian IPOs, companies raised just $2 billion in Singapore via initial public offerings versus $12.2 billion in Hong Kong. That could help explain why one of the most high-profile Southeast Asian startups  ride-hailing company Grab Holdings Ltd.  opted to list in New York last year. (2)

Singapore is more competitive when it comes to attracting wealth  not only from China, but also India, Indonesia and Malaysia. Assets under management in the city-state reached S$4.7 trillion ($3.5 trillion) at the end of 2020, compared with HK$34.9 trillion ($4.5 trillion) in Hong Kong.(1) While Singapore has taken steps to close that gap, including a law that makes it easier for family offices, hedge funds and private equity firms to set up shop, the government announced Friday it will start raising taxes on its wealthiest 1%. Hong Kong, meanwhile, isnt standing still, and banks have been aggressively courting mainland money. Several have boosted hiring to cater to wealthy Chinese, who are taking advantage of programs that make it easier to invest across the border.

In the more whizz-bang corners of finance, such as cryptocurrencies, the rivals are roughly neck-and-neck. Hong Kong has been cautious in its approach, with plans to lay out a regulatory roadmap by July. Singapore, by contrast, assiduously pitched itself as a crypto hub last year, but some high-profile efforts have stalled. In December, the local affiliate of the worlds largest crypto exchange, Binance Holdings Ltd., announced it would wind down operations after pushback from officials, baffling the industry and dashing hopes the city-state would become the companys global headquarters, the location of which hasnt yet been publicly announced. A spokesman from the Monetary Authority of Singapore said that the central bank will adapt crypto rules commensurate with the risks posed. (Other global regulators have raised concerns about Binance in recent weeks.)

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A critical piece of the puzzle will be the ease of hiring foreign workers. Applying for a visa in Hong Kong is typically a straightforward, anxiety-free process that imposes relatively few demands on employers. Singapore has more stringent rules on recruitment of locals, and the government raised the minimum salary requirements for white-collar employees when it presented its latest budget. The economy is highly reliant on labor from abroad, with non-residents comprising 27% of a population of 5.5 million.

Singapore itself is deeply divided on the issue, which was the subject of a 10-hour debate in Parliament last year. In response to concerns aired by the opposition party, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng asked, Do [they] think Singapore will forever be attractive to investors? Is there some magic water that draws global multinationals here? All this happens spontaneously? The biggest strain on hiring may not be felt by large companies but boutique banks and smaller businesses that endeavor to set up shop with a suite of hand-picked expat employees.

Official announcements of staff relocations to Singapore have been sparse. China is an important market, and any indication of a waning commitment could be politically fraught. So while Citigroup Inc. is moving half a dozen senior equities staff from Hong Kong to Singapore and other markets, the bank is careful to note that it added 93 positions in the territory last year. Quietly, though, more businesses are starting to come up with contingency plans. Hong Kong officials, who once said the citys Covid restrictions wouldnt threaten its status as a financial center, are now worried about the cost of stricter measures. Expats and locals alike also have cited Beijings tightening grip on the city as reason to leave, pushing residents to emigrate at a record pace.

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Singapore stands to benefit as more businesses straddle both cities, and its doing a lot of the right things. But the city-state isnt content to merely share its status as a financial capital  it wants to compete. So long as China remains a desirable market for businesses and investors, Hong Kong will be a vital portal. Bankers, for one, want to be close to their clients. As the territory spirals into crisis, though, the ability to live with Covid may start to trump such quaint logistics.

(1) Even as Chinas increased regulatory scrutiny of the technology sector has slowed the pace of IPOs and bruised markets in Hong Kong, it remains a desired destination for secondary listings among companies, including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and JD.com Inc. Rising geopolitical tensions with the U.S. have increased the threat of delistingfrom New York exchanges.

(2) Hong Kongs Securities and Futures Commission defines the asset and wealth management business as asset management, fund advisory, private banking and private wealth management, SFC-authorized real estate investment trusts management and trust services. Singapores AUM figure includes asset and wealth management.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Rachel Rosenthal is an editor with Bloomberg Opinion. Previously, she was a markets reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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The class struggle takes different forms in different eras. In the Middle Ages, peasants revolted over their feudal dues (essentially their obligation to till their masters soil for no pay). In the 18th century, weavers smashed mechanical looms. In the 19th and 20th centuries, workers struck over wages and conditions. Today, as the pandemic wanes, another flashpoint is emerging: whether knowledge workers should be herded back into the office or allowed to continue with their newfound freedoms.

Across the world bosses are issuing stentorian memos telling their charges that they are expected back at their desks  and workers are blanching at the thought of resuming the daily commute and working out their resistance strategies. Should they ignore the memos? Or drag their feet as much as possible  cant March be pushed back to April and April to May? Or retire early? Or invent a new disability  fear of being loaded into cattle cars and forced to breathe other peoples disease-bearing breath?

This us-versus-them picture is perhaps a bit broad-brush. Some companies have embraced the work-from-anywhere future. Why should I, as an employer, care as long as you can get the work done and youre highly productive, International Business Machines Corp.s CEO, Arvind Krishna, asked. And some workers, particularly younger ones, prefer working in the office, either because they are short of space at home or because they want to draw a bright line between home and work. But it nevertheless tells us something important. The recruiting firm Korn Ferry points to data that suggest the gap between C-suite and employee visions of the workplace continues to grow: For example, 53% of U.S. companies consider themselves either fully office of mostly office workplaces while 78% of knowledge workers want location flexibility and 72% are unhappy about their companys current level of flexibility.

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The hard reality is that there is a fundamental asymmetry of interests between bosses and knowledge workers. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s Jamie Dimon was good enough to say out loud what other CEOs were thinking: People dont like commuting but so what? In other words, we pay you, we own you.

Bosses worries start with bums on seats: Having spent billions if not trillions of dollars collectively buying or renting real estate, they want a return for their investment. Leaving a desk empty is tantamount to burning money. But they also include fuzzy things like culture and creativity. How will new recruits be trained and acculturated into the distinctive ways of the company if the old hands are working from home? And how will companies continue to innovate if workers dont bump into each other by accident and shoot the breeze over coffee? Homeworking means that serendipity is supplanted by scheduling, face-to-face by Zoom, says Andy Haldane, the former chief economist of the Bank of England.

For their part, workers want to defend their quality of life. The period of enforced homeworking during the pandemic has not only allowed them to reconnect with their families, pets and neighbors. It has also taught them that they can be just as productive if not more so if they are freed from the time-suck of the commute and the petty distractions of the office. The data support this feeling. A Goldman Sachs Group Inc. survey in July 2021 found that U.S. worker output per hour rose 3.1% in 2020, more than double the growth rate in the previous business cycle. A Harvard Business School study of the timeframe for the first and last daily communications of more than 3 million people from more than 21,000 firms during Covid lockdowns in 16 cities in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East showed the average workday lasting 8.2% longer, an extra 48.5 minutes. Wall Street banks posted record profits and revenues during the pandemic despite the perception that banking is the quintessential face-to-face business.

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The face-off between bosses and workers will provide an interesting test of the relative strengths of the two groups. The pre-pandemic decades were glorious ones for bosses, as the twin forces of globalization and technology gave them access to millions of cheaper brains in the emerging world. In Silicon Valley, employers talked of zero-drag hiring  that is the desirability of finding workers with no family lives to distract them. In South Korea, the government introduced legislation to tackle the problem of death through over-work. But the balance of power is shifting back toward the workers. Labor shortages look as if they are here to stay, particularly in the knowledge economy. And the corporate world is divided between gold-plated companies like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, which tend to want their workers back full-time, and insurgents or, in IBMs case recovering giants, who see flexibility as a tool for hiring talent.

Is there any way of avoiding a destructive tug-of-war through compromise and conciliation? The most widely touted solution to the problem is the hybrid workplace: Employees spend two or three days a week working from home and two or three days working in the office. Though this idea is popular, it is by no means as clever as it sounds.

For one thing, it doesnt really solve the problem: Employees will simply fight over who gets the three days and who gets the two. For another, it will create a logistical nightmare. How do you make sure that workers dont all take the same days away (usually Mondays and Fridays)? How do you deal with the split between workers who may be working remotely and dialing into conference calls while others are in the office? And how do you deal with the possible emergence of a two-track workforce  people who turn up every day and those who prefer to work at home? Studies showing that people of color and highly educated women with young children are relatively keener to work from home make the two-track problem even more troubling. If offices confer big advantages in terms of culture and creativity, why only go there for two days a week; and if they dont confer those advantages, why go there at all?

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A better solution is to engage in a more fundamental rethink of office work. The pandemic has encouraged management thinkers to ask some searching questions about white-collar work. What are offices for? Do they really encourage those famous water-cooler moments? And even if they do, are a few random encounters worth the candle of commuting? Are offices the best ways of delivering obvious corporate goods such as creativity and cultural continuity? Or are better ways available? (Two new books looking at these questions contain much food for thought: Redesigning Work by Lynda Gratton, a professor at the London Business School, and The Nowhere Office by Julia Hobsbawm, a networking entrepreneur.)

The pandemic has also unleashed a wave of creativity in the more far-sighted companies. Dropbox Inc. is deliberately avoiding the hybrid model. Employees will get together at least once a quarter to work as a team and reinforce bonds but will do individual work from home. Under this plan the software company wont have traditional offices but will instead have studios configured for meetings. Alphabet Inc. is reconfiguring its offices on the assumption that employees will come to work to collaborate rather than to work in parallel with each other. There will be team pods featuring shared desks and central white boards. These pods will be flexible so that they can be reconfigured according to the size of the group. There will also be campfires where physical attendees will sit in circles interspersed with impossible-to-ignore vertical displays that allow remote workers to participate in the conversations on the same footing as people in the office. The software giant Salesforce.com Inc. has signed a multi-year booking agreement for a 75-acre retreat set in the redwoods in Scotts Valley 70 miles south of San Francisco. The idea is to use the retreat to introduce new employees to the companys culture and to hold team meetings.

Here are a few principles that should guide managements thinking about reinventing the office for the post-Covid world.

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Dont impose one-size-fits-all solutions: Managers need to focus on what is appropriate for particular tasks rather than on targets for getting people back into the office. The office might be the ideal place for brainstorming sessions or performance reviews. But it is foolish to travel to the office to do something that you can do equally well at home such as processing information or reading scripts.

Dont assume that offices hold the key to creativity: Offices can be as much about distraction as creative interaction  the noisy neighbor on the phone all day or the over-friendly colleague constantly dropping in to see how youre doing. The open plan revolution  the attempt to encourage the circulation of ideas by knocking down cubicle walls and creating open spaces  has produced mixed results. One 2019 study of a Fortune 500 company that had abandoned cubicles for an open-plan arrangement found that face-to-face interactions fell by 70% while digital interactions rose to compensate. Workers seal themselves off from the hubbub of the borderless world by wearing headphones and communicating by email with people sitting in the same room. Offices are particularly hostile when it comes to generating the sort of deep concentration  what the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls flow  that produces the most creative work.

Explore other ways of transmitting corporate culture: Senior figures tend to think that just because they learned their jobs by putting in 15-hour days and occasionally running into corporate legends in the lavatory that is the only way of preserving corporate culture. But there are other ways of transmitting the corporate DNA which dont rely on long hours justified by the occasional serendipitous meeting: organizing boot camps either in the office or elsewhere, arranging regular social get-togethers, running mentoring programs both on- and off-line. Serendipity is too important to be left to chance.

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The pandemic has demonstrated how quickly the corporate world can configure itself in the light of an existential shock. It would be a tragedy if companies ignore everything they have learned over the past two years in a rush to fill empty desks and get back to the (far from ideal) world before the virus struck.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Adrian Wooldridge is the global business columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He was previously a writer at the Economist. His latest book is The Aristocracy of Talent: How Meritocracy Made the Modern World.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Military is accused Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight of killing children The Nigerian military has killed and wounded children in an airstrike in neighboring Niger, a local governor in Niger, state television and an aid agency said Sunday, although Nigerias armed forces said they were still investigating. The attack took place in the village of Nachade in the region of Maradi, Niger, on Friday, a few kilometers from the border with Nigeria, said Chaibou Aboubacar, the governor of Maradi. He said seven children were killed and five wounded.

He did not say how he knew that Nigerian forces carried out the attack. Nigers state television also said it was carried out by Nigerian forces, without providing evidence.

As a matter of policy, the Nigerian air force does not make any incursions into areas outside Nigerias territorial boundaries. Thats our policy, army Maj. Gen. Jimmy Akpor, Nigerias director of defense information, said. He said an investigation was underway.

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Medical charity Doctors Without Borders, which cared for some of the wounded, confirmed the strike. It said that 12 people died, including four children. Local inhabitants told DWB that Nigerian forces were pursuing targets who had fled a border town.

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Bennett criticizes possible Iran deal

Israels prime minister on Sunday criticized an emerging deal over Irans nuclear program, saying it would be weaker than a previous agreement and would create a more violent, more volatile Middle East.

World powers have been negotiating in Vienna in a bid to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which was left in tatters after the Trump administration, goaded by Israel, withdrew.

The original deal granted Iran relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Israel vehemently opposed that accord and has urged negotiators to take a hard line against Iran in the current round of talks.

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In a speech to Jewish American leaders Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned that Iran has used the interim period to march ahead with its enrichment of uranium to levels approaching weapons grade.

He also noted the 10-year limits on enrichment and other key aspects of Irans nuclear program in the original deal are set to be lifted in 2025.

That leaves Iran with a fast track to military-grade enrichment, Bennett told the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

In the meantime, he said that lifting sanctions right away will deliver billions of dollars to Iran to spend on hostile proxy groups along Israels borders.

For Israel and all the stability-seeking forces in the Middle East  the emerging deal as it seems is highly likely to create a more violent, more volatile Middle East, he said.

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 Associated Press

Body found on burning Greek ferry: Firefighters battling for a third day a blaze on a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy recovered on Sunday the body of a passenger listed as missing, Greek authorities said. It is the first reported fatality after rescuers managed to take at least 281 out of 292 passengers and crew to safety from a blaze that broke out on the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia early on Friday. The dead man was found in the cabin of a truck in the ship's hold.

Thousands rally for Zimbabwe opposition activist: Zimbabwe's leading opposition figure, Nelson Chamisa, drew thousands of cheering supporters on Sunday to his first political rally since forming a new party weeks ago, as the country gears up for elections that have been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nelson Chamisa formed the Citizens Coalition for Change party in January, making a break from the country's longtime opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change. The 44-year-old lawyer and pastor lost a disputed presidential election in 2018 to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and the country's Constitutional Court threw out his challenge to the result.

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Hong Kong weighs new coronavirus controls: Stringent anti-virus controls that ban public gatherings in Hong Kong of more than two people might be tightened to stop a surge in infections, the territory's top health official said Sunday, as 14 deaths and more than 6,000 new cases were reported. Health Secretary Sophia Chan, speaking on a radio program, gave no details of possible new restrictions and called on the public to stay at home. Hong Kong already is operating under its strictest curbs on travel, business and public activity since the pandemic began. They also prohibit gatherings of more than two households.

 From news services

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The Kremlin announced Monday that Moscow will recognize the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, a move that Russia could use to justify an attack in those areas. Troops continue to gather near the Ukrainian border, suggesting that the window for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis is closing and striking a discordant note from Sundays news that President Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had agreed in principle to meet. The summit was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron during separate calls with Biden and Putin on Sunday. Officials in Paris and Washington said the talks would go ahead only if Moscow doesnt attack.

Russian officials were ambiguous about whether the summit would go ahead. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that there are not concrete plans for a Russia-U.S. summit.

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Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, struck a pessimistic chord in comments to ABC News on Monday morning: We never give up hope on diplomacy until the missiles fly or the tanks roll, he said. But the likelihood theres a diplomatic solution, given the troop movements of the Russians, is diminishing hour by hour.

Here's what to know

The United States has warned the United Nations that it has credible information showing that Moscow is compiling lists of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation, according to a letter obtained by The Washington Post.

Ukraines foreign minister on Monday urged the European Union to move forward on sanctions against Russia now, rather than waiting for the Kremlin to make additional moves.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to be in Paris on Friday to discuss the Ukrainian developments with European officials, according to French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

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Prospective buyers at an open house in Star, Idaho, in June 2021. (Kyle Green for The Post)

As the Fed raises interest rates, experts say there are some signs the market is responding. But theres a long way to go.
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Origins decision followed last years Energy Australia announcement that it would close its Yallourn power plant in Victoria in 2028, four years earlier than previously scheduled. AGL itself announced last month that it would accelerate the timetable for its coal-fired generators in NSW and Victoria by three years. The Bayswater plant in NSW will close between 2030 and 2033 rather than the original 2035 end-date and the Loy Yang A plant in Victoria in 2045 rather than 2048. Loading Under the Cannon-Brookes and Brookfield plan the closures would be fast-tracked to around 2030, with the partners investing between $10 billion and $20 billion to replace AGLs 7 gigawatts of capacity with 8 gigawatts of clean energy. AGL would have net zero emissions by 2035, they say. There is, as there was with Origins timeline for Erarings closure, some flexibility in their plan to accommodate any hiccups in replacing the generation capacity lost as the plants are shut down, but the bottom line to the proposal is that a massive amount of existing coal-fired capacity could be withdrawn from the grid far earlier than anticipated.

The eventual closure of the coal-fired plants wont shock anyone. That writing has been on the wall for some time as the share of renewables in the grid has exploded and the developed world has progressively signed on to more aggressive decarbonisation targets. What will unsettle governments ( or at least some of them) and their regulators is the abrupt acceleration in the planned pace of change. An electricity grid largely devoted to renewables and, perhaps, green hydrogen is quite different to one established to primarily handle the coal and gas-fired generators that still generate about two-thirds of the countrys electricity. While there is a lot of planning and investment in the grid to manage the transition occurring, the evolution of the grid is already struggling to keep up with the rate of evolution in the energy sources. The Cannon-Brookes/Brookfield plan is more revolution than evolution. What will unsettle governments ( or at least some of them) and their regulators is the abrupt acceleration in the planned pace of change.

For those  governments and regulators  charged with ensuring reliability and affordability of supply for households and businesses their plan would represent a significant challenge even though a considerable amount of work has gone into the design of a new national energy market that accommodates the transition to clean energy. AGLs power plants account for an estimated 8 per cent of Australias greenhouse gas emissions. Credit:Paul Jones While most of the interested parties understand the eventual endgame -- a national electricity market in which there is no coal-fired generation and limited, if any, gas-fired generation  there are plenty of heated arguments about the transition from the grid today to where it will need to be and the role that coal and gas might still play in that transition. When the current government talks about capacity mechanisms and a capacity market it is really talking about direct and/or indirect subsidies for maintaining coal and gas-fired generation even when those plants arent generating - paying operators for not producing power as insurance against a winter when weather conditions impact solar and wind generation, for instance. The presence of Canadas Brookfield in the bid (and, inevitably, as the primary funder) means it will require the federal Treasurers approval.

Loading If the Coalition were returned at the looming election that wouldnt be guaranteed. Even an incoming Labor government would have to consider deeply whether the proposal envisages too much occurring too soon for the necessary development of the grid and storage facilities to cope. While Cannon-Brookes is confident that the partners would be able to manage most of the issues in-house and would, like Origin, be flexible with their timing if not everything went exactly to plan, there are a lot of third parties interested and impacted by the fate of AGLs generators. There is much that is compelling about the vision Cannon-Brookes and Brookfield have for AGL. No- one would doubt Cannon-Brookes commitment to responding to climate change and even AGL itself accepts that its plants now have relatively limited lives and need to be replaced by greener alternatives. With $8 billion upfront and at least another $10 billion on the table, however, the partners will be driven by their economic interests rather than altruism.
The chief executive of outdoors and auto parts retailer Super Retail Group has said his business is prepared for the worst as the new year kicks off, warning a potential new wave of COVID infections could devastate the worlds already battered supply chains.

Super Retail - which owns Supercheap Auto, Rebel Sports, BCF and Macpac - is currently sitting on nearly a billion dollars worth of inventory, an increase of over $200 million on the prior half, as the business steels itself for any new COVID disruptions.

Super Retail Group CEO Anthony Heraghty has said he is happy with the companys top-line performance. Credit:Attila Csaszar

If you look at China, which is the manufacturing engine room of the world, and the suppression strategy they are still implementing ... the chances for further supply chain disruption is absolutely a possibility, Anthony Heraghty, Super Retails chief executive said.

We are coming into year three of this, and weve got a strong inventory position as well as a very conservative balance sheet which gives us the ability to manage another shock. If we get another wave, were ready for that.
Hong Kong: Vaccine pass starts Feb 24

(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The vaccine pass will be implemented in three phases with the first phase to start on Thursday, under which those aged 12 or above with at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose will be permitted to enter designated premises.

Making the announcement today, the Government noted that the pass is being implemented in phases to enable the public to fulfil the requirement of receiving three vaccine doses.

Only those who can produce valid medical proof of their unsuitability to receive COVID-19 vaccines due to health reasons are exempted.

Under the vaccine pass arrangement, scheduled premises are divided into two categories ie active-checking and passive-checking.

For passive checking premises, which include shopping malls, department stores, supermarkets, markets and bazaars, visitors will not need to show their vaccination record or medical certificate. Operators of these premises must display a vaccine pass notice at the entry points and ensure their employees have fulfilled the vaccination requirement. Law enforcement officers may also conduct random checks at these premises.

Speaking at a press briefing this afternoon, Deputy Secretary for Food & Health (Health) Kevin Choi explained: As to the question of why there are two types of premises that will ask for different types of either active or passive checking, basically, it is because risk-based assessments as well as the specific nature of those premises are taken into consideration.

For example, in restaurants, we see there is really a higher risk of infection and transmission. So there is a case for us to ensure that the electronic vaccination record, the paper vaccination record or the exemption certificate must be actively checked.

From a public health perspective, we do have preference over active checking, but at the same time, we know that for some premises, there are really operational difficulties to ensure that each and every person has passed through this kind of active checking.

Vaccination records and exemption certificates may either be presented in electronic or paper form.

For the paper form, you will always receive the paper form of the vaccination record when you get vaccinated in the Government Vaccination Programme. So that is the easy part. But of course, you could upload it to the LeaveHomeSafe app, to the iAM Smart app as well as to our eHealth app.

He noted that the vaccine pass will be implemented by administrative order in places such as schools, government and public organisation offices, public hospitals and residential care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities.

Those who seek medical treatment at public hospitals and those accompanying them as well as students are exempted from the vaccine pass requirements, Mr Choi added.

This story has been published on: 2022-02-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Victorian Minister for Health Martin Foley spoke to the ABC this morning about the relaxation of masks in certain settings. Here are some select quotes:

The public health advice is that with declining rates of hospitalisation and the continued steady increase in third dose vaccinations, that coming together has allowed this advice from the Chief Health Officer to come to me and weve dropped the recommendation for work and study from home.

Masks are likely to remain a fixture of schooling in term one Credit:AP

Masks however remain required in primary schools.

This is related to the level of vaccination in younger kids five to 11. Victoria is actually doing pretty well, I think only behind the ACT in terms of those levels. And yes, we do need to do more which is why were working with pharmacies, GPs, pop ups in those areas. The critical thing is that if we want to make sure that we can take that next step is to get those kids five to 11 fully vaccinated as quickly as we can.

On why vaccination rates remain lower than the government would like in children aged five to 11:

Theres a perception incorrectly that the worst is behind us and that we dont need to worry about vaccinations in some quarters. Some its simply a matter of ease of making the arrangements in place. We tend to see higher rates in those areas that see higher rates of vaccinations among adults and lower rates in kids. We see lower rates amongst adults, so we need to make it as easy as possible. Get the education and support programs in place and target area by area community by community. school by school to get those rates up. And thats what were doing. And well have more to say about those programs because we need to get those kids and those family members of those kids up to the same high level as the rest of the kids.

On the risk to children:

Well, young children present differently with COVID and the Omicron variant. They right from the start havent got as sick as older people. So in that respect, the public health concerns arent as high. But having said that young children live in families. They live in close proximity with adults and indeed with grandparents and older members of the community. So theres a whole population, whole of community effort, and we need to drive those rates up, particularly as we head towards winter, where we will see now that international borders are reopened. The Chief Medical Officer for the Commonwealth is predicting a return of a significant flu season for the first time in a number of years, and the prospects of either resurgence of Omicron or potentially new variants. And we need to take the measures whilst we have this relative window of opportunity to drive all of those rates up particularly with kids.
Women were coerced by abusive partners into taking out superannuation early under the federal governments pandemic relief scheme, with one estimate saying there could be tens of thousands of women affected.

Now the superannuation sector wants the government to work out the full extent of the coercion to make sure future policies have sufficient safeguards to protect women.

The superannuation sector and financial aid services want research to uncover how many women have been coerced to withdraw money from their superannuation. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Under the early release scheme, people who had lost jobs or hours in the pandemic could take up to $20,000 out of their superannuation in two withdrawals between April and December 2020.

More than 3 million people took out a collective $37.8 billion through the program, with 4.55 million applications received. Of these, 2 million applications were from women with $15.9 billion released.
The federal government could help more Australians into the property market by co-purchasing homes with lower-income earners, a leading think tank has proposed as the nations housing crisis pushes the dream of homeownership further out of reach for many.

A national shared equity scheme, where the federal government co-purchases up to 30 per cent of a propertys value, is being called for by the Grattan Institute ahead of the next election as a way to help arrest declining rates of homeownership among poorer Australians.

More Australians could become homeowners if the federal government began to co-purchase properties, a public policy think tank has proposed. Credit:Getty

The proposed scheme would enable first-home buyers and older Australians re-entering the market to buy with as little as a 5 per cent deposit when co-purchasing with the government, which would then take the same proportionate share, of up to 30 per cent, of any profits when the home was sold.

The scheme would be restricted to single people with incomes below $60,000, or couples with combined incomes below $90,000, purchasing their principal place of residence. Regional price caps would mean participants could only buy homes costing less than the median property price in their city or region.
London: Its trooperish tone, stressing that the Queen expects to continue light duties despite testing positive for COVID-19, tells you everything you need to know about the ever-stalwart monarch.

Even at the age of 95, struck down with a virus that poses the most serious threat to those of her generation, the great-grandmother intends to continue to embody the keep calm and carry on spirit that has long been her trademark.

Yet despite her admirable stoicism, the Queen  like anyone of her advancing years  is not invulnerable.

The Queen on the eve of Ascension Day, February 5 this year. Credit:Getty

We learned that for arguably the first time in her seven-decade reign when she pulled out of the Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph last November after spraining her back.
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A Louisville man was arrested after a vehicle was stolen near the University of Louisville campus Saturday night, according to Louisville Metro Police.
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Nicole Adkins, 32, of Shelbyville, Indiana was arrested Saturday night at a gas station in Georgetown, Kentucky, on an unrelated warrant. She allegedly abandoned her 5-year-old autistic son in Ohio. Feb. 21, 2022.
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A young black man sits with his legs dangling in a round pool of milky water. A tall, shaven-headed woman watches over him, carefully arranging bright flowers. Another woman stands by, anxious and worried.

This is the opening of Dipo Baruwa-Etti's An Unfinished Man, a bold, troubling, brilliant examination of the devastating effects of depression  one that in the hands of director Taio Lawson and his creative team manages to find powerful metaphors for this paralysing state.

Kayode (Fode Simbo) has been depressed for seven years. His state  represented by the pool of water in which he moves and which he cannot escape  means he can't find a job and it's beginning to affect his marriage to the British-born, ambitious Kikiope, who loves him, but is reaching the end of her patience. She wants him to see a counsellor, but he is convinced that he has been cursed on a visit to Nigeria as a child. That belief is encouraged by his mother (Lucy Vandi) and by the preacher Matanmi (Mark Springer) she brings in to "cure" her son against Kikiope's wishes.

The spirit which Kayode sees is called Itan, played by Selina Jones with fiercely graceful force. They speak together in their own language. At first, he feels she is a power for the good, as she gently embraces him (in Robia Milliner's choreography), winding her hands around his body. Later, he battles her, demanding she leaves. But all the while he ignores what she tells him  that she is the history he carries with him.

Pragmatic Kikiope, lent watchful compassion by Teri Ann Bobb-Baxter, on the other hand, suggests that some of what her agonised husband is feeling might be caused by the simple pressures of contemporary life and its expectations.

Baruwa-Etti, the 2020 Channel 4 playwright, and already announced as a thrilling, original talent by the monologue The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, packs a huge amount into the 60-odd minute running time, and not every idea entirely hits its mark. But he is wonderfully served both by all the performances, and by a production which brings everything together with impressive confidence.

Rosie Elnile's setting mixes the real and the fantastical. Carpet covers the stage around the pool, and clothes hang on homely hangers on the walls, but Itan has her own kingdom on a ledge at the back of the stage, from which she descends with stately purpose, unseen by anyone except the suffering man. A row of giant speakers are lined at the rear, through which George Dennis's soundtrack throbs.

Ciaran Cunningham's lighting holds the same delicate balance, filling the space with purplish light when Matanmi undertakes his exorcism. Meanwhile, director Lawson sends his cast around the auditorium, looking down on Kayode even as they offer their thoughts about him. There's a terrible sense of powerlessness as they all try to help: here is a good man becalmed by his psychological state, grasping at straws in his efforts to escape it.

It all makes for an involving and moving experience, powered by a rare desire to engage with an intractable and rarely discussed topic, and to give it vibrant theatrical form.
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TORONTO - When cannabis was headed toward legalization in Canada, Edmonton entrepreneur Keenan Pascal noticed people from every walk of life entering the industry.

Keenan Pascal, CEO of Token Naturals, is shown in a handout photo. When cannabis was headed toward legalization in Canada, Edmonton entrepreneur Pascal noticed people from every walk of life anxious to enter the industry.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Caine Erickson, Mint Captures **MANDATORY CREDIT**

TORONTO - When cannabis was headed toward legalization in Canada, Edmonton entrepreneur Keenan Pascal noticed people from every walk of life entering the industry.

Four years later, the chief executive of cannabis manufacturing business Token Naturals said the now established sector looks a lot more homogeneous  and the country's licensing process is partly to blame.

"Once the barriers started coming up like the capital requirements and just the effort you'd have to put (in) to make a successful cannabis company, the industry became more stale. Everyone had the same background. It was all the finance people running the industry," said Pascal.

Feeling shut out were Black entrepreneurs, who find the system often works against them in their attempts to establish a business.

If you didn't grow up wealthy or well-connected, they say, it is tougher to pitch largely white investors on your business. A 2019 study from the Canadian Venture Capital Association showed that only eight partners at 145 private equity firms surveyed, or 5.5 per cent, were visible minorities. That compares with Statistics Canada data showing 22.3 per cent of Canadians were visible minorities in 2016, projected to reach 34.4 per cent in 2036.

Health Canada's cannabis licensing process, they add, is an additional hurdle because there is a lack of guidance for applicants, who often struggle to receive security clearances once they've invested time and cash into businesses.

That could soon change. The federal government has embarked on a lengthy review of cannabis legislation and Health Canada launched discussions last month to uncover concerns Black and racialized communities have with licensing.

What they heard is that Black people are significantlyoutnumbered in the sector.

A 2020 study from the Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation and the University of Toronto based on responses from 700 executives and directors at 222 cannabis companies found 73 per cent were Caucasian men, 12 per cent were Caucasian women, 14 per cent were racialized men and two per cent were racialized women.

The racialized slice of Canada's cannabis leadership was made up of 40 per cent people of South Asian origin, 19 per cent East Asian, 15 per cent Indigenous, 12 per cent Arab and 7 per cent each for those identifying as Hispanic and Black.

"It would be great to see those numbers increase," said Sherry Boodram, consultancy business CannDelta Inc.'s chief executive. Boodram is a racialized woman who once served as a senior regulatory compliance and enforcement officer for Health Canada's medical cannabis and controlled substances programs.

"When you see people who look like you that are in those positions, you know you could make it."

Raising Capital

Before cannabis entrepreneurs apply for a licence, they must have a facility. Many don't have money for a site so they turn to banks or other lenders, but don't always have the credit history to support a loan or feel they have to clear additional hurdles because of their race.

"If you're coming in and you've never been in a community that raised capital before ... you don't have a rich uncle tap into and take you by the hand and say 'let me talk to my friends to raise more capital you', you're definitely at a disadvantage," said Pascal.

When one of Boodram's clients, a Black woman, sought funding she quickly realized investors were predominantly white men.

"She felt she had to try a lot harder, that they asked her a lot more grilling questions and that she faced a lot more scrutiny," Boodram recalled. "It wasn't really representative of what others would be facing that were not minorities."

It took years for her to push past the layers of skepticism to secure financing.

Licensing

Once the hurdles of financing and securing a site are complete, the next step is licensing. The application process involves a lot of red tape and it's common to need consultants and lawyers to navigate the process.

Boodram wishes Health Canada would offer more supports for racialized entrepreneurs seeking licensing.

"Sometimes it takes a bit longer to have Health Canada respond to them, and they're not always willing to have teleconferences, if they're not already licence holders ... so that could be better," she said.

She suggests the Indigenous Navigator Service, which links Indigenous entrepreneurs with a "dedicated professional," who can guide them through the licensing process and is knowledgeable about Indigenous priorities, as a good model that could be replicated for other communities.

When asked about concerns Boodram and others have raised, Health Canada said it is still reviewing feedback from racialized communities.

"The Government of Canada has an important role in combating racism and ensuring that its programs and policies are evidence-based and do not create or perpetuate systemic barriers for racialized communities," spokesperson Alexander Beattie said in an email.

Security

One of the final steps toward licensing  receiving security clearances  is also difficult for racialized communities, which are disproportionately affected by cannabis possession arrests.

For example, in Toronto between 2003 and 2013, Black people without criminal records were three times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than Caucasians with similar records, the Toronto Star reported.

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"There hasn't really been much movement on providing amnesty to groups that were targeted unfairly because of the drug laws," said Boodram.

She recently had a client who didn't receive security clearance because he had -- years ago -- had his licence revoked and car impounded for speeding. He didn't show up to a court date, so Health Canada rejected his application, saying it couldn't trust him to follow the Cannabis Act.

At that point in the process, companies have already spent significant amounts of cash, only to face removing the person from the business, or at the very least, limit their access to cannabis and their involvement with controlling decisions.

If the person was an investor with a large stake, they might have to slash their stake to 15 or 20 per cent and show Health Canada proof, said Boodram.

"If you get denied, it's a huge fall."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2022.
LISBON, Portugal (AP)  Portugals winter drought is getting worse, with the national weather agency reporting Monday that 91% of the country is enduring severe or extreme drought conditions.

LISBON, Portugal (AP)  Portugals winter drought is getting worse, with the national weather agency reporting Monday that 91% of the country is enduring severe or extreme drought conditions.

Average rainfall for Feb. 1-15 was just 7% of the average over a 30-year period, the IPMA said.

It added that no significant rainfall is expected for the rest of the month, while temperatures are forecast to remain above normal and the drought worsens.

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The Portuguese government is already restricting the use of reservoirs for hydroelectric power production, in order to save water for public consumption, and farmers are asking for financial aid because of a lack of grass for their livestock.

Periods of droughts aren't unusual in Portugal, but the country has witnessed an increase in their frequency over the past 20-30 years, IPMA scientists say.

The most recent droughts were in 2005, 2012 and 2017.

Scientists estimate that Portugal will see a drop in average annual rainfall of 20% to 40% by the end of the century.

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LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scrapping the last domestic coronavirus restrictions in England, including the requirement for people with COVID-19 to self-isolate, even as he acknowledged Monday the potential for new and more deadly variants of the virus.

FILE - A man wearing a face mask to curb the spread of coronavirus walks past a health campaign poster from the One NGO, in an underpass leading to Westminster underground train station, in London, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. Scientists are warning the British government not to weaken the countrys ability to monitor and track the coronavirus when Prime Minister Boris Johnson ends the requirement for people in England to self-isolate if they contract COVID-19. Johnson will announce details in Parliament on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022 of the governments plan for living with COVID. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scrapping the last domestic coronavirus restrictions in England, including the requirement for people with COVID-19 to self-isolate, even as he acknowledged Monday the potential for new and more deadly variants of the virus.

Johnson told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the country was "moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility" as part of a plan for treating COVID-19 like other transmissible illnesses such as flu.

He said it marked an end to "two of the darkest, grimmest years in our peacetime history."

"Today is not the day we can declare victory over COVID, because this virus is not going away," Johnson said at a televised news conference. "But it is the day when all the efforts of the last two years finally enabled us to protect ourselves whilst restoring our liberties in full."

Johnson confirmed that mandatory self-isolation for people with COVID-19 will end starting Thursday and the routine tracing of infected peoples contacts will stop. People will still be advised to stay home if they are sick  but will no longer get extra financial support.

Britain's Prime Minister leaves 10 Downing Street, London, Monday Feb. 21, 2022, to head to the House of Commons. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)

Mondays announcement applies only to England, which is home to 56 million of the U.K.s 67 million people. It leaves England with fewer restrictions than most other European countries, with the exception of Denmark.

Many people in England who think they have COVID-19 may now never know for sure. Starting April 1, lab-confirmed PCR tests for the virus will be available free only to older people and the immune-compromised. The government will also stop offering the public free rapid virus tests, though they will be available for purchase.

Yet the government stressed that the pandemic isn't over and the virus could still spring nasty surprises. Johnson said scientists were "certain there will be new variants and it is very possible they will be worse than omicron," the currently dominant strain.

Johnson said the fact that Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday was a reminder that this virus was still prevalent. Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old monarch was experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms.

The government plan foresees keeping the virus in check with vaccines and treatments. Everyone 75 and older will be offered a fourth vaccine dose, along with those 12 and up who have conditions that make them vulnerable to severe disease.

Some scientists said removing all restrictions was a risky move that could bring a surge in infections and weaken the countrys defenses against more virulent future strains.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, Monday Feb. 21, 2022, to outline the Government's new long-term COVID-19 plan. (Tolga Akmen/Pool via AP)

The government insisted it would retain a strong surveillance system, including the Infection Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics, which is considered invaluable because it tests people whether or not they have symptoms. It said it also will keep the ability to ramp up testing if needed.

Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, said prevalence of the virus was still "very high" and urged people to continue to self-isolate if they had COVID-19.

"People should still, if they have COVID, try to prevent other people getting it, and that means self-isolating," he said.

The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said the government's "half-baked" approach would leave Britain vulnerable.

"Ignorance is bliss is not a responsible approach to a deadly virus," Starmer said.

Johnsons Conservative government lifted most virus restrictions in January, scrapping vaccine passports for venues and ending mask mandates in most settings apart from hospitals in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which set their own public health rules, also have opened up, although more slowly.

A combination of high vaccination rates in the U.K. and the milder omicron variant meant that easing restrictions last month didnt lead to a surge in hospitalizations and deaths. Both are falling, though the U.K. still has Europes highest coronavirus toll after Russia, with more than 161,000 recorded deaths.

In Britain, 85% of people age 12 and up have had two vaccine doses and almost two-thirds have had a third booster shot.

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Monday's announcement was cheered by many Conservative Party lawmakers, who argue that the restrictions were inefficient and disproportionate. It could  and critics say was designed to  shore up Johnsons position among party lawmakers, who have been mulling an attempt to oust him over scandals including lockdown-breaching government parties during the pandemic.

But some scientists expressed alarm, saying that ending support for people to test and isolate would hit poor people the hardest.

"Todays announcement is not a plan for living with COVID, it is a plan for reducing spending on testing and cutting support for people who have or may have COVID," said Trish Greenhalgh, professor of primary care health services at the University of Oxford.

"Learning to live with COVID does not mean pretending it isnt highly prevalent or pretending the virus is no longer dangerous," she noted.

___

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MONTREAL - Bearing a load of produce bound for Sobeys, Nihal Singh pulled up to a border checkpoint in northern Montana late last month only to find the path blocked by big-riggers on the other side.

A truck convoy of anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators continue to block the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alta., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

MONTREAL - Bearing a load of produce bound for Sobeys, Nihal Singh pulled up to a border checkpoint in northern Montana late last month only to find the path blocked by big-riggers on the other side.

Semi trucks and protesters barred the way in Coutts, Alta., as they demonstrated against vaccine mandates, holding up Singh for nearly two days, one of hundreds of drivers stopped by the blockade.

After more than 24 hours, he and a group of other South Asian Canadian truckers approached authorities to find out when they could pass.

"Thats when another guy, he came out of his truck and he was, like, being racist. He was saying, 'Go back to your truck, go back to India,'" recalled Singh, a 28-year-old driver from Edmonton.

Disturbed, he and his co-driver set out for another crossing  an option unavailable to some, since oversize loads can only move through certain checkpoints  on a route that added more than 500 kilometres to their trip. The delay meant they missed their next load, costing them a week of work  nearly $6,000 between the two of them.

Singh is now mulling an exit from the long-haul industry. Frustration and disgust at the recent blockades and encampment in Ottawa may be the final straw atop concerns ranging from wages to road safety, social isolation and exhausting working conditions.

Ive been having really bad experiences in the last few months," he said.

If Singh and others are driven away, they'll be leaving a field already desperately short of labour.

The trucker job vacancy rate hit a historic high of nearly 23,000 in the third quarter of 2021, according to figures from Statistics Canada. Young drivers, women and retirement-age workers have left the sector in droves over the past two years, with some 55,000 job vacancies projected for 2023, says Trucking HR Canada.

Demand for drivers soared during the pandemic as a spike in online shopping led to a corresponding climb in deliveries. Meanwhile, the number of workers entering the industry has been dropping for years due to a confluence of factors including stagnant wages, shifting labour patterns and prohibitive insurance policies that make it difficult for new drivers to earn a living.

South Asian Canadians make up a major axle in the sector, comprising 16 per cent of truckers in 2021 compared with just two per cent 25 years earlier, according to Statistics Canada data. In cities such as Toronto and Vancouver, they account for more than half of drivers.

They also belong to a community with a high vaccination rate, in contrast to the anger over vaccine mandates for border crossing expressed by a small slice of the industry.

Statistics Canada noted last year that a larger proportion of South Asian Canadians reported a willingness to receive the vaccine than the wider population. Brampton, Ont., which has a high concentration of residents with recent roots in India and Pakistan, boasts a vaccination rate of 92.5 per cent among people five and older.

The self-described "freedom convoy" was fuelled from the start by participants with a grab bag of grievances  many unconnected to pandemic measures for truck drivers. Its co-opting by actors ranging from Confederate flag wavers to Donald Trump Jr. has led some to reconsider their place in the field.

Alberta-based trucker Lovepreet Singh, who missed a week of work due to the Coutts blockade, says the anti-vaccine mandate movement carries no resonance for him, and that concerns like labour conditions and wage theft are much more central but attract little attention.

"They don't even want to listen our opinion ... 'Go back to your country,' and stuff like that," Lovepreet recalled of comments he faced near Coutts and online.

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Kulpreet Singh, founder of the South Asian Mental Health Alliance, launched a GoFundMe campaign for truckers to help a community he says feels disempowered by alt-right voices linked to the demonstrations.

Definitely when you don't see yourself represented in a movement that is purporting to speak for you, that can be discouraging and disempowering. So whereas there have been some members of the South Asian community that have aligned with the conflict, they're very few and far between," Kulpreet said.

Monty Chrysler, who retired last year as head of training at Ontario-based International Truckload Services, said the association of even a few hundred truckers with the blockades could have "a big effect" on recruitment.

In the wake of swastikas and other hateful symbols brandished on the streets of Ottawa  suddenly calm after a police crackdown over the weekend  others may feel emboldened to verbally abuse South Asian Canadians behind the wheel.

"My only worry is that there may be hate or discrimination in the coming days," said Gagan Singh of B.C.'s United Truckers Association.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2022
The Canadian flag seems to be composed of a blend of remarkably resilient fabrics.

Editorial

The Canadian flag seems to be composed of a blend of remarkably resilient fabrics.

Its obviously a material that travels well, fluttering without a wrinkle in Beijing the past two weeks as Canadians celebrated gold, silver and bronze accomplishments.

Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS Canadas flag enters the Olympic stadium in Beijing on Feb. 4.

It must also be treated with an ingredient that is resistant to the stains of insults. The flag maintained its dignity in recent weeks as it was purposely disrespected by blockade protesters who flew it upside down and even mutated it into a version that appeared to be cross-bred with the stars and stripes of our southern neighbour.

The fabric apparently includes a weave of threads that is highly visible, as it seen as a symbol of sanctuary by the 300,000 or so immigrants that Canada accepts annually from around the world.

The flags material is also eminently elastic, covering a country that is 7,560 kilometres wide, stretching across six time zones. Some would say a single flag shouldnt be able to stretch over so much geography, and that its too much to expect compatability between regional cultures as disparate as joie de vivre Quebecers, besuited executives in Toronto, conservative ranchers in Alberta and the free spirits on the other side of the Rockies. Perhaps surprisingly, despite our differences, we all unite beneath the Maple Leaf.

To be flag-wavingly proud of ones country, its not necessary to pretend all is sweetness and light. The Maple Leaf flies despite its countrys current challenges. The Canadian flag represents a nation that is still under construction, with growing pains that sometimes sound like groaning pains.

This federation is a work in progress that includes much-needed reconciliation between Canada and Indigenous peoples, a process in which the Canadian flag offers a marker of progress. When Canada got its own flag in 1965, ignorance about the effects of colonization was so prevelant that the country still operated residential schools designed to extinguish the culture and language of Indigenous children.

Fifty-seven years later, operating under the sovereignty of the same flag, governments and institutions have apologized and pledged remedies.

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Recently, contentiously, the Canadian flag has been used as a symbol of rights and freedoms that are being vigorously contested during pandemic restrictions.

When the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force over a three-year period beginning in 1982, there was substantial discussion by government policy-makers and academics, but back then, average citizens without an abiding interest in constitutional law chose to leave the complicated charter issues to the experts.

That changed with the pandemic. Some Canadians, perceiving governments have suspended their freedoms, now have deeply personal reasons for an avid interest in legal liberties and rights violations.

Some people claim the freedom to ignore government mandates. Others insist their communities have the right to be protected from potential carriers of a highly transmittable virus. Some are angry that their right to health care is being usurped by people who refuse vaccinations but expect, and are afforded, triage priority for hospital beds.

Interestingly, on either side of the barricades that have sprung up in recent weeks, both the protesters and the counter-protesters have held fast to the Canadian flag. Perhaps thats OK  the fabric of the flag should be able to stretch enough to cover a diversity of opinion while Canada works through its current strife.

The best place for the Canadian flag, however, is not on the grill of a big rig. It belongs atop a pole. That way everyone can look up to it as we aspire to be a country that is, as the anthem proclaims, glorious and free.
MOSCOW (AP)  A long-feared Russian invasion of Ukraine appeared to be imminent Monday, if not already underway, with Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering forces into separatist regions of eastern Ukraine.

Tetyana Tomenko, a local resident, cries standing in front of her damaged house after alleged shelling by separatists forces in Novognativka, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Russia is extending military drills near Ukraine's northern borders after two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The exercises in Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north, originally were set to end on Sunday. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

MOSCOW (AP)  A long-feared Russian invasion of Ukraine appeared to be imminent Monday, if not already underway, with Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering forces into separatist regions of eastern Ukraine.

A vaguely worded decree signed by Putin did not say if troops were on the move, and it cast the order as an effort to maintain peace. But it appeared to dash the slim remaining hopes of averting a major conflict in Europe that could cause massive casualties, energy shortages on the continent and economic chaos around the globe.

Putin's directive came hours after he recognized the separatist regions in a rambling, fact-bending discourse on European history. The move paved the way to provide them military support, antagonizing Western leaders who regard it as a breach of world order, and set off a frenzied scramble by the U.S. and others to respond.

Underscoring the urgency, the U.N. Security Council held a rare nighttime emergency meeting on Monday at the request of Ukraine, the U.S. and other countries. Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo opened the session with a warning that the risk of major conflict is real and needs to be prevented at all costs.

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, sought to project calm, telling the country: We are not afraid of anyone or anything. We dont owe anyone anything. And we wont give anything to anyone. His foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, would be in Washington on Tuesday to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the State Department said.

Civilians study weapons during a training session by Ukrainian right-wing group Right Sector in a city park in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Russia extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

The White House issued an executive order to prohibit U.S. investment and trade in the separatist regions, and additional measures  likely sanctions  were to be announced Tuesday. Those sanctions are independent of what Washington has prepared in the event of a Russian invasion, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The State Department, meanwhile, said U.S. personnel in Lviv  in Ukraines far west  would spend the night in Poland but return to Ukraine to continue their diplomatic work and emergency consular services. It again urged any American citizens in Ukraine to leave immediately.

The developments came during a spike in skirmishes in the eastern regions that Western powers believe Russia could use as a pretext for an attack on the Western-looking democracy that has defied Moscows attempts to pull it back into its orbit.

An instructor, right, shows a grenade during a training of members of a Ukrainian far-right group train, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Russia extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russa-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Putin justified his decision in a far-reaching, pre-recorded speech blaming NATO for the current crisis and calling the U.S.-led alliance an existential threat to Russia. Sweeping through more than a century of history, he painted todays Ukraine as a modern construct that is inextricably linked to Russia. He charged that Ukraine had inherited Russias historic lands and after the Soviet collapse was used by the West to contain Russia.

I consider it necessary to take a long-overdue decision: To immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic, Putin said.

Afterward he signed matching decrees recognizing the two regions independence, eight years after fighting erupted between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces, and called on lawmakers to approve measures paving the way for military support.

Demonstrators sing the national anthem during a protest in Odessa, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022.Thousands of people in Odessa marched through the streets of the city in a show of unity on Sunday, marking the date on which, eight years ago, more than a hundred people were killed during Ukraine's Maidan revolution. Waving national flags and placards with slogans such as, 'No Putin, No Cry', people said they had come out to demonstrate against a potential Russian invasion, and said that they were prepared to defend their city if needed. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Until now, Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of supporting the separatists with arms and troops, but Moscow has denied that, saying that Russians who fought there were volunteers.

At an earlier meeting of Putins Security Council, a stream of top officials argued for recognizing the regions independence. One slipped up and said he favored including them as part of Russia  but Putin quickly corrected him.

Recognizing the separatist regions' independence is likely to be popular in Russia, where many share Putins worldview. Russian state media released images of people in Donetsk setting off fireworks, waving large Russian flags and playing Russias national anthem.

A woman crosses a checkpoint from the territory controlled by Russia-backed separatists to the territory controlled by Ukrainian forces in Novotroitske, eastern Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. World leaders are making another diplomatic push in hopes of preventing a Russian invasion of Ukraine, even as heavy shelling continues in Ukraines east. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainians in Kyiv, meanwhile, bristled at the move.

Why should Russia recognize (the rebel-held regions)? If neighbors come to you and say, This room will be ours, would you care about their opinion or not? Its your flat, and it will be always your flat," said Maria Levchyshchyna, a 48-year-old painter in the Ukrainian capital. Let them recognize whatever they want. But in my view, it can also provoke a war, because normal people will fight for their country.

With an estimated 150,000 Russian troops massed on three sides of Ukraine, the U.S. has warned that Moscow has already decided to invade. Still, President Joe Biden and Putin tentatively agreed to a meeting brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron in a last-ditch effort to avoid war.

Displaced civilians from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the territory controlled by pro-Russia separatist governments in eastern Ukraine, rest in a sport hall in Taganrog, Russia, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. World leaders are making another diplomatic push in hopes of preventing a Russian invasion of Ukraine, even as heavy shelling continues in Ukraine's east. (AP Photo)

If Russia moves in, the meeting will be off, but the prospect of a face-to-face summit resuscitated hopes in diplomacy to prevent a conflict that could devastate Ukraine and cause huge economic damage across Europe, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy.

Russia says it wants Western guarantees that NATO wont allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members  and Putin said Monday that a simple moratorium on Ukraines accession wouldnt be enough. Moscow has also demanded the alliance halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe  demands flatly rejected by the West.

Macrons office said Biden and Putin had accepted the principle of such a summit, to be followed by a broader meeting that would include other relevant stakeholders to discuss security and strategic stability in Europe.

Ukrainian border guard officers patrol the Ukrainian-Belarusian state border at a checkpoint in Novi Yarylovychi, Ukraine, Monday, Feb.21, 2022.(AP Photo/Oleksandr Ratushniak)

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, meanwhile, said the administration has always been ready to talk to avert a war  but was also prepared to respond to any attack.

During Monday night's emergency meeting, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Putin has put before the world a choice and it must not look away because history tells us that looking the other way in the face of such hostility will be a far more costly path.

Chinas U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun called for restraint and a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

People line up to withdraw money from an ATM in Donetsk, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, eastern Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. World leaders are making another diplomatic push in hopes of preventing a Russian invasion of Ukraine, even as heavy shelling continues in Ukraine's east. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)

Putins announcement shattered a 2015 peace deal signed in Minsk requiring Ukraine to offer broad self-rule to the rebel regions, a major diplomatic coup for Moscow.

That deal was resented by many in Ukraine who saw it as a capitulation, a blow to the countrys integrity and a betrayal of national interests. Putin and other officials argued Monday that the Ukrainian government has shown no appetite for implementing it.

Over 14,000 people have been killed since conflict erupted in the eastern industrial heartland of Donbas in 2014, shortly after Moscow annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, chairs a Security Council meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. Putin has convened top officials to consider recognizing the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. Such a move would ratchet up tensions with the West amid fears that the Kremlin could launch an invasion of Ukraine imminently. (Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Potential flashpoints multiplied. Sustained shelling continued Monday along the tense line of contact separating the opposing forces. Unusually, Russia said it had fended off an incursion from Ukraine  which Ukrainian officials denied. And Russia decided to prolong military drills in Belarus, which could offer a staging ground for an attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Ukraine and the separatist rebels have traded blame for cease-fire violations with hundreds of explosions recorded daily.

While separatists have charged that Ukrainian forces were firing on residential areas, Associated Press journalists reporting from several towns and villages in Ukrainian-held territory along the line of contact have not witnessed any notable escalation from the Ukrainian side and have documented signs of intensified shelling by the separatists that destroyed homes and ripped up roads.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, right, speaks with Poland's Foreign Minister Zbiegniew Rau, left, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. The European Union's top diplomat, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, welcomed the prospect of a summit but said that should diplomacy fail the 27-nation has finalized its package of sanctions for use if Putin orders an invasion. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Some residents of the main rebel-held city of Donetsk described sporadic shelling by Ukrainian forces, but they added that it wasnt on the same scale as earlier in the conflict.

The separatist authorities said Monday that at least four civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling over the past 24 hours, and several others were wounded. Ukraines military said two Ukrainian soldiers were killed over the weekend, and another serviceman was wounded Monday.

Ukrainian military spokesman Pavlo Kovalchyuk insisted that Ukrainian forces werent returning fire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a document recognizing the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. Russia's Putin has recognized the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, raising tensions with West. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

In the village of Novognativka on the Ukraine government-controlled side, 60-year-old Ekaterina Evseeva said the shelling was worse than at the height of fighting early in the conflict.

We are on the edge of nervous breakdowns, she said, her voice trembling. And there is nowhere to run.

In another worrying sign, the Russian military said it killed five suspected saboteurs who crossed from Ukraine into Russias Rostov region and also destroyed two armored vehicles and took a Ukrainian serviceman prisoner. Ukrainian Border Guard spokesman Andriy Demchenko dismissed the claim as disinformation.

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People from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the territory controlled by a pro-Russia separatist governments in eastern Ukraine, watch Russian President Vladimir Putin's address at their temporary place in Rostov-on-Don region, Russia, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. Putin said he would decide later Monday whether to recognize the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, a move that would ratchet up tensions with the West amid fears that Moscow could launch an invasion of Ukraine imminently. (AP Photo/Denis Kaminev)

With fears of invasion high, the U.S. administration sent a letter to the United Nations human rights chief claiming that Moscow has compiled a list of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to detention camps after the invasion. The letter, first reported by The New York Times, was obtained by the AP.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the claim was a lie and no such list exists.

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Karmanau reported from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Cook from Brussels. Lori Hinnant in Kyiv; Angela Charlton in Paris; Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani in Munich, Germany; Geir Moulson in Berlin; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Eric Tucker, Ellen Knickmeyer, Robert Burns, Matthew Lee and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

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Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine crisis at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
It should not be shocking that there is an abundance of individuals in our society that are struggling with mental illnesses and/or substance use/abuse disorders getting stuck in our legal system.

Frequently these individuals get put on probation, are civilly committed to state hospitals, are referred to the Child Protection System, or are in put in jails and prisons to serve their time.

All too often, these individuals are not given the proper resources to identify the true root of the struggles they are having, so they are released back into society without any resources, skills or knowledge to change the outcomes for themselves and their families.

Lucky for Winona, in May of 2020 a very dedicated and innovative group of professionals from a variety of the criminal justice and mental health systems in Winona County, got together and submitted a grant proposal to the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program and the Office of Justice Assistance.

The grant was written to request funding to develop cross-system programming to improve outcomes for individuals with mental illnesses, or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse who come into contact with the justice system.

In mid-October 2020, Winona County was notified that they were one of 29 awardees, the only one in Minnesota, and that the grant was fully funded.

Once that award came in, it set off the beginning of the Winona Re-entry Assistance Program Plus (WRAP+) and a taskforce was quickly created and planning and implementation of this three year grant was put in motion.

The taskforce is made up of individuals from Winona County Community Services, Winona County Attorneys office, Winona County Sheriffs Department, Winona Police Department, Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center, Winona Community Hub, Winona Health and Winona Public Defenders Office as well as Winonas Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

This groups goal of this grant is to improve public safety and outcomes for individuals by:

Reducing recidivism for justice involved individuals struggling with mental illnesses and/or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse by hiring a community health worker at Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center.

Enhancing services to in-jail participants, by hiring a criminal justice social worker at Winona County.

Providing cross training to both criminal justice personnel and mental health providers in hopes of bridging the knowledge gaps and create a common language to improve communication and knowledge of the two systems which have previously remained very much siloed. These trainings have been offered almost monthly since January 2021. You can find more information on these trainings at HVMHC.org website under Community Mental Health Trainings.

In June of 2021, Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center (HVMHC) was able to hire a community health worker (CHW) as part of Winonas Pathways Community HUB to focus on addressing social determinants of health in Winonas most vulnerable families in hopes of connecting individuals with necessary resources to address underlying concerns causing the involvement in the legal system.

The CHW will work alongside individuals and families to address their complex needs in an equitable, unduplicated and meaningful way.

CHWs work with individuals to identify the needs, of individuals; frequently looking at physical and mental health care, health insurance, medication management, housing resources, job training, and food insecurity.

Once the needs are identified, the CHW directs and/or assists people in connecting with resources in the community to help create long term solutions for individuals. This could mean establishing a therapist, finding stable and affordable housing, and securing employment.

As these needs or pathways are successfully completed, the CHW closes pathways and moves onto other areas of concern to continue making improvements in participants lives.

It is believed that once people are connected with long term resources their legal involvement will decrease and they will be able to close out of the WRAP+ program successfully.

For more information or to learn how to make a referral please visit Winona County Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils website at www.winonacountycjcc.org.

Christy Ferrington is the adult community-based services director at Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center.

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When University of Wisconsin-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County sophomore Katelyn Zajicek decided to spend her free hour on campus gaining some extra credit, she didnt expect to be presenting on a complex topic within the Capitol Rotunda just a few months later.

It was a little bit of a fluke, Zajicek said.

Her advisor was also her professor for two classes in the fall and offered the informational session to give extra credit in both classes. When she started learning more, she decided to start research as a draft for a project that could potentially be presented years later. Instead, her advisor submitted the topic and she was selected.

It pushed me because it made me speed up my timeline a little bit and showed me what I could actually do when I had nine months rather than three years, Zajicek said. But Im glad I decided to, even though I went into that meeting for the pure credit of going into the meeting.

Zajicek is a 2020 graduate of Portage High School. Now as a business administration major, she was curious about how small businesses could survive in the age of rapid technology development. She began research at the end of September, submitted her proposal in October and then started talking to businesses.

She was drawn to the topic because of family members. Her grandmother, Joanne Kjome, owns a store called Treasures on Main in Westby. Her grandfather runs a small excavating business near Viroqua. Her father runs a thermoforming business. Zajicek said growing up surrounded by business owners prompted her to examine how the influx of convenience through online delivery could eliminate small, local shops.

As we become more reliant on technology and more used to using technology in our everyday lives for every little thing, we dont necessarily support those businesses anymore, Zajicek said. So, looking at if they survive and how they will survive if we make the steps to help their survivability.

During the few months Zajicek had to conduct the work, she spent a lot of time talking to her grandma about the topic. She was largely the inspiration for the work in its first steps as she looked at the trends affecting those types of businesses. While she and her grandmother meet up for unique finds at shops in small Wisconsin towns as a bonding activity, she knows at 19 that many people dont go out shopping with friends or relatives, instead sitting at home with their online wishlist at their fingertips.

I think they are still around and still a very important part of our communities but the generation that grew up with them as being the only store to go to is retiring and phasing out as generations who grew up with technology in their pockets are taking the wheel, Kajicek said.

Zajicek will be one of a number of UW System students to present during the Research in the Rotunda event March 9 at the Capitol. Students assemble with their displays and answer questions posed by visitors as they explain their work.

In order to put the project together, Zajicek first used school resources to gather data. Then she gained information from real people, some through surveys and other through conversation. The focus of the project includes businesses throughout Sauk and Columbia counties, specifically 35 businesses primarily located within Baraboo, Portage and Reedsburg.

One portion of the work was narrowing down how she wanted to define small business. While the Small Business Administration deems most companies with 1,500 or fewer employees as a small business, Zajicek said the defining action for her is the connection to its local community.

Im looking more at the places that have 5 to 10 employees who create these communities we live in, and from what Ive seen, make it better, Zajicek said.

Todd Wickus, owner of Just Imagine Toys in downtown Baraboo, echoed the sentiment.

What you can do is create connections with those customers you can create connections with so they support you as a business, Wickus said.

Wickus spoke to Zajicek for the project. He said the focus on technology for him isnt just on the murky outlook of survivability, but also on the number of ways technology has helped his business in nearly 30 years of operation.

Zajicek has not finished the work quite yet. She is still crafting a conclusion, but knows that her project should not be the only research conducted on this topic.

I would say its something that does need to be explored further, on a larger scale, because I have a very small perspective on it, Zajicek said. If we start looking at it now before they become actually in danger of extinction, I guess, they wouldnt be. I dont think they have to be doomed, to be gone forever.

Follow Bridget on Twitter @cookebridget or contact her at 608-745-3513.

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Feynmans advice to W&M student resonates 45 years later

I goofed, and so did you: Beulah Cox 77 holds the 1975 letter from renowned physicist Richard Feynman in which the Nobel Laureate tells Cox that she read his book right, but the book was wrong. Their exchange remains a much-shared anecdote in scientific circles. Courtesy photo Photo - of - Hide Caption

Beulah Elizabeth Cox 77 is an accomplished violinist, a part of the New York City classical music scene for 30 years.

Cox has studied with a Juilliard professor and has a long list of solo, chamber and orchestral credits, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and solo performances in Paris and London. Shes performed on Broadway, including productions of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon and as an on-stage violinist in I Love You. Youre Perfect. Now Change.

She is the founder and leader of the Ambrosia Trio, a professional ensemble that gave concerts regularly in the New York area and beyond before going on a pandemic hiatus.

Years before making her mark as a professional in the arts, Beulah Elizabeth Cox was a student at William & Mary.

A wrong answer for the ages

Early in her career as a William & Mary student, Cox turned in a physics exam that contained what became one of the most famous incorrect answers in science.

Do you know how long ago this was? Cox asked when a caller wanted to know if she was the Beulah Elizabeth Cox who once corresponded with Richard Feynman.

It was August of 1975  45 years ago. Some of the details are lost to the passing years, but here is the gist: Cox saw that she had lost points on a physics exam problem that involved an electrified sphere and Gauss Law. Her answer seemed in accord with an explanation she read in Feynman.

But her answer was marked wrong. Perplexed, she wrote to Feynman, holder of any number of science honors, including the 1965 Nobel Prize for Physics. The body of her Aug. 22, 1975 letter read:

I recently took a course in elementary physics at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. An exam question concerned Gauss' Law and conductors, namely, does a hollow conductor shield the region outside the conductor from the effects of a charge placed within the hollow but not touching it? I read Chapter 5, Volume II of the Feynman Lectures on Physics , and understood all except the next to the last paragraph in which you say  no static distribution of charges inside a closed conductor can produce any fields outside . This was confusing, as it seemed to contradict all your previous statements. My instructor showed me how a simple application of Gauss' Law, with a surface of integration enclosing the entire conductor, shows that the E vector outside the conductor is not zero. Could you perhaps explain what the paragraph in question means? I would greatly appreciate a reply as I am now very confused.

Cox let Feynman know in a postscript that there was more at stake than the satisfying of scientific curiosity:

PS: I must admit I have a devious motive in writing to you because on the exam I answered with the explanation that your book gave. However my instructor did not give me any points, even after I found your book to validate my answer. If you could clarify this question for me I would be very appreciative. Thanking you in advance.

Feynman replied to Cox in a letter dated Sept. 12, 1975:

Your instructor was right not to give you any points, for your answer was wrong, as he demonstrated using Gauss law. You should, in science, believe logic and arguments, carefully drawn, and not authorities. You also read the book correctly and understood it. I made a mistake, so the book is wrong. I probably was thinking of a grounded conducting sphere, or else of the fact that moving the charges around in different places inside does not affect things on the outside. I am not sure how I did it, but I goofed. And you goofed, too, for believing me.

The Cox-Feynman correspondence, brief as it was, garnered attention, especially in the internet age: A Google search yields pages and pages of hits. Its been immortalized in print, too. For starters, the full exchange is contained in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman. Kip Thorne also referenced the Cox-Feynman letters prominently in his preface of more than one subsequent edition of The Feynman Lectures on Physics  corrected editions that note that the sphere is grounded.

Why the reply resonates today

Thorne, the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus, at California Institute of Technology and the holder of a 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics, said in an email what he believes makes the Cox-Feynman correspondence so resonant, even after all these years: Feynmans straightforward message about not accepting anything on the basis of authority  even if that authority is Feynman himself. Its a powerful and very important message, and I think it resonates with people who have some sense of the power of critical thinking.

Feynman was a big name in physics even before his Nobel. Etan Markowitz graduated from Caltech in 1962. He said during his time, Feynman taught freshman and sophomore physics for two years.

They reserved seats in the lecture hall for enrolled students, because all the upperclass physics students and graduate students all wanted to hear what he had to say, Markowitz said. Anyway, Feynman came in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for two years, talking about whatever he wanted to talk about.

Markowitz said graduate students set up a tape recorder for each session, and photographed each blackboard Feynman used. This raw material was distilled into The Feynman Lectures. Early iterations of the Lectures contained errata, not surprising considering the volume and variety of material churned out by Feynman.

In fact, Hans von Baeyer, Chancellor Professor of Physics Emeritus at William & Mary, says that Feynman errata is something of a cottage industry, and the Cox-Feynman correspondence adds a very human touch to what is mostly a set of corrections, checks and confirmations.

Markowitz even sought to bring Cox herself for a cameo appearance at a Feynman centennial a few years back, but for a number of reasons it didnt work out.

The text of the Cox-Feynman exchange, perpetuated online and in print, may never be lost. The origin story was harder to pin down. Understandably, Cox didnt save the exam and 45 years after the fact, cant recall the Gauss Law problem. She also drew a blank on the instructors name.

A dive into the microfilm

An appeal to William & Mary Registrar Sallie Marchello brought results. Marchello, engaging my inner Nancy Drew, dove into the microfilm and emerged with a number of possible names for instructors. She also found that von Baeyer was department chair at the time. Von Baeyer knew about the letters. In addition, he confirmed that Paul Cisterino was the instructor and provided an email address.

What the instructor remembers

Cisterino, astounded to be hearing about this, said in an email that he remembered the incident. He was a graduate student in physics, teaching a summer course for non-majors. Cisterino said he left academia a year or so later for a career in avionics test engineering with the Department of Defense.

The way I remember it, I gave a take-home test, and that enabled Ms. Cox to consult Feynman, Cisterino said. I don't recall exactly what the test question was, but it involved the electric field resulting from a statically charged conducting body.

He added that the class was a survey course for non-majors, and so he likely would not have required a math-heavy answer, but probably was looking for a general statement about the field, invoking Gauss Law.

She came to me right after I handed back the test and told me her answer was in accord with Feynman, Cisterino said. I was baffled by that. Because, Feynman, you knowwell, he could do this stuff in his sleep. The principle in question was basic and fundamental, and it would be hard to imagine Feynman making a mistake like that.

But Feynman did, indeed, make that very mistake. Thorne notes in his preface, Feynman was uncomfortably aware of this error, and others. Feynman could have passed the error off as a typo, but he accepted responsibility. More to the point, his I goofed, and so did you answer to Cox underscores the fact that students have responsibilities as well.

Feynman's advice is complicated, von Baeyer said. Inside the scientific community his opinion is simple and perfect: Read everything, question everything.

She acted impeccably and courageously, von Baeyer added. But in today's world, it is essential to point out that the moral of the story is NOT that Homer nodded. All scientists, including all Nobel laureates, make mistakes. But that by itself is not enough to dismiss their opinions.

Feynmans answer goes public  on the bulletin board

Feynmans reply had its first public exposure in the form of a copy posted in the corridor of Small Hall shortly after its receipt. I have a very faint memory of some students, some physics students  graduate students, I believe  pointing at me laughing and giggling and discussing among themselves, Cox said.

Von Baeyer said that he doesnt remember Cox personally or the receipt of the letter, and learned of her correspondence years later, from Feynmans book.

Cisterino said he, like Cox, had a faint memory of the letter being posted publicly for a short time in Small Hall. Cisterino added that he believes the continued circulation of the Cox-Feynman exchange has its roots in the continued interest in Feynman himself. Feynman died in 1988, a public intellectual nearly as prominent in popular culture as he was in physics. Cisterino is among those who consider the response to Cox as classic Feynman.

The ready admission that he goofed  and he doesnt know why  is so characteristic of the utter baring of his soul, Cisterino said. He had no interest in trying to fudge it to save his reputation. Having the grace to say, in essence, beats me; I dont know what I was thinking is so characteristic of his personality as I understand it.

Cox herself had put the correspondence in the back of her mind, until July 8, 2004, when a letter arrived from a firm of publishers. They were seeking permission to include her letter in a book that turned out to be Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track.

This was exciting, she said. I told my sister about it. And I said, Was I crazy? What was wrong with me? My sister just said, No  that sounds exactly like you.

Write to a Nobel Laureate? No big deal.

In fact, Cox confessed that she is a little nonplussed by references to her courage in writing to a Nobel Laureate. She said she never had any trouble initiating contact with authority figures when she had some business to discuss. Were all just people, she says.

She was raised in Hampton and at one time during her youth, family financial constraints put an end to her violin lessons. Cox called up Ronald Marshall, a prominent figure in Hampton Roads classical circles. She kept her voice low, she said, so her family wouldnt hear her negotiating for violin lessons with the concertmaster of the Peninsula Symphony.

Cox credits her father, the late Willis Franklin Cox, with inoculating her against awe of prominent persons. Willis Cox served as vice mayor of the city of Hampton and was a friend of former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton. Holton had two daughters roughly the same age as Beulah and her sister. The four girls became friends and would happily engage in a bit of gubernatorial schtick.

The limousine would pull up and the people would expect the governor to get out, Cox said. Then the door would open and out would pop four little girls.

She added that one of her fellow members of the limo quartet was the governors daughter Anne Holton, who grew up to serve as Virginia secretary of education and to be interim president of George Mason University. In addition, she is married to U.S. Senator Tim Kaine.

Coxs comfort in dealing with accomplished and famous people has served her well. She moves easily among the higher strata of the music world. And, like many others, she has noticed the close connection between music and science. She has met many physicians and scientists who are also accomplished musicians. Shes even worked with a doctors orchestra in New York City  And these guys are good! Cox said.

The fateful take-home exam is no more, but the collected papers of Richard Feynman are held in nearly 100 boxes in an archive at Caltech. He was a productive contributor to  and commentator on  science and he was an equally prolific letter writer. The Beulah Cox correspondence is filed with the other Cs (including Francis Crick), in Box 24.

Box 24s contents hold many testimonies to the contributions of Richard Feynman, but they also speak to the qualities of Beulah Cox, her physics instructor and her alma mater.

It speaks very well for William & Mary, not only because Beulah was a smart, brave and persistent student, but also because Paul, the instructor, was sophisticated enough to steer his students toward Feynman, von Baeyer said. He was also smart enough to do the right and honest thing by grading her correctly, instead of buckling under the incredible authority of Feynman's book.

Her incorrect answer on the Gauss Law problem did not discourage Cox from continuing studies in science. She augmented her music major with other science courses at William & Mary, including Physics of Music, unsurprisingly.

I've always loved science. I've always loved the way scientists think the way they question, she said. I love that. And I loved Feynmans answer to me. It's funny, I didn't feel like it vindicated my professor. I felt like it vindicated me.
Presidential spouse Bruce Jacobson to test his dance moves against other local stars

A William & Mary tradition: First Gentleman Bruce Jacobson will be the latest participant from W&M to compete in the Dancing with the Williamsburg Stars event. Jacobson, shown here rehearsing with partner Adelle Carpenter, is helping raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula and Literacy for Life. Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

William & Mary First Gentleman Bruce Jacobsons enthusiasm to be involved in the Williamsburg community has led him to spots on the board of directors for public television station WHRO and William & Mary Hillel, the Jewish student organization on campus.

It also inspired him to participate in a fundraising dancing competition called Dancing with the Williamsburg Stars (DWTWS) that has been popular among W&M representatives throughout its 13-year existence.

Jacobson, spouse to W&M President Katherine A. Rowe, is one of 10 contestants for this years DWTWS competition, nine individuals and one team, who will perform live Feb. 26 at Crosswalk Community Church.

Im finding being involved in these organizations is just a great way for me to get to know the area, Jacobson said. As you can imagine, Katherine is so deeply involved in everything William & Mary. Its nice for me to look outside of that.

Dancing with the Williamsburg Stars is a fundraiser benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula and Literacy for Life.

Donations can be made by clicking links attached to each contestants page on the DWTWS website. The opening goal for each contestant was $5,000, which Jacobson has already surpassed. But he is still behind the fundraiser leaders and is asking for all the help he can get. In addition to sponsoring the "Stars," patrons can attend the event in person. Tickets are available on the DWTWS website.

The fundraising goal for this years entire production is $70,000. This year, DWTWS eclipsed $1 million in total donations raised over the 13 years of the event.

Theyre two great organizations with terrific missions, and all the money raised is split between these two charities, Jacobson said. Its easy to see the connection between raising money and improving the community. To find mentors to work with kids who may not have them and to help folks learn to read and become more self-sufficient in the community is really important to having them be productive in their lives.

DWTWS contestants train and perform with dancing professionals. Jacobson is paired with Adelle Carpenter, the owner and director of the Virginia Regional Ballet in Williamsburg.

The theme of this years competition is the Roaring 20s. Jacobson and Carpenter will perform a fast-paced jive dance to the song Hit the Road Jack and will be accompanied by the William & Mary cheerleaders for an introductory skit.

Before Christmas, Jacobson and Carpenter worked on the basic steps of their routine, and recently theyve been fine-tuning their moves and adding elements to make their dancing more visually appealing. They typically meet for hour-long rehearsal sessions two to three times a week.

Jacobson has learned some nifty moves while prepping for the upcoming competition, but he says he still has nothing on Rowe, who is more of a natural on the dance floor.

Katherine loves to dance, Jacobson said. And shes very good.

Jacobson joins a long list of William & Mary representatives who have participated in past DWTWS competitions, including Vice President for Strategic Initiatives & Public Affairs Henry Broaddus, who won the competition in 2019.

The more I talk to people, the more I realize anybody whos got roots in this community either has done it or knows somebody who has, Jacobson said.
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McKendrick is police and court reporter for the Enid News & Eagle.

Have a question about this story? Do you see something we missed? Do you have a story idea for Kelci? Send an email to kelcim@enidnews.com
15k boost from Tarmac helps Flintshire based NEWSAR continue to reach and rescue those in need

This article is old - Published: Monday, Feb 21st, 2022

Tarmac has committed to another year supporting a vital emergency service in North East Wales.

The building products business has agreed to a 15,000 contribution to North East Wales Search and Rescue (NEWSAR) for the maintenance of its emergency Land Rovers.

The donation continues a long relationship with NEWSAR, who have worked with Tarmac to develop emergency quarry evacuation plans for all of the companies quarries in North Wales.

Gerald Davison, spokesperson at NEWSAR, said: The Tarmac funding has been transformative to our emergency efforts, and we are delighted that the company has agreed to another year of funding for the maintenance of our Land Rovers which are such a vital part of our ability to quickly respond, reach and rescue those in need.

Maintaining the fleet of emergency vehicles costs a lot for their upkeep and fuel so without Tarmacs help we wouldnt be so effective in helping people. The money includes support for our Incident Control Unit and another vehicle used in flood rescue work.

The rescue vehicles enable NEWSAR to cover Flintshire, Denbighshire, Conwy, Wrexham and Powys, and regularly assist mountain rescue teams in north Wales, as well as lowland search and rescue teams in Cheshire and Shropshire.

Beyond our people, the vehicles are our most valuable asset, enabling us to get to casualties quickly, deliver vital rescue equipment and evacuate them from the scene, added Gerald.

We work closely with the police, ambulance and fire service, as well as other mountain and lowland rescue teams, the coastguard, and air ambulance services.

And it is not only casualties. Often, we are called out to find missing people.

Tarmac has a long-standing relationship with NEWSAR, including working together to promote quarry safety.

Tim Gallagher, area operations manager for Tarmac, said: We are really pleased that we have been able to continue supporting NEWSAR this year. The work the volunteers do is vital in helping to keep the people of North Wales safe.

NEWSAR also undertake our closed-site Emergency Rescue Risk Assessments, which are used to coordinate rescues with the police.

We work closely with them to carry out joint visits to local schools and groups in the area to give talks on the dangers of playing in quarries and deep water.

Appeal to help replace Incident Control Vehicle

NEWSAR has launched an urgent fundraising appeal as it looks to replace its Incident Control Vehicle

The team needs to raise 65,000 to replace their current ageing and unreliable vehicle.

The Incident Control Vehicle is integral to search and rescue operations the team are called to, without it, they would be unable to respond to many of the calls they are scrambled to in the region.

A NEWSAR spokesperson said: Our aim is to raise 65,000 from public donations by June 2022 to pay for the purchase of the vehicle and to refit the interior with specialist equipment and power sources.

It is vital that we purchase this new vehicle, without it NEWSAR volunteers are unable to respond 24/7 to requests from the police to help search for vulnerable missing adults and children.

Find out more here: https://www.deeside.com/flintshire-based-search-and-rescue-team-launch-urgent-appeal-to-raise-funds-for-new-incident-control-vehicle/
Mother of young soldier killed in Afghanistan deeply touched by veterans fundraising efforts

This article is old - Published: Monday, Feb 21st, 2022

The mother of a young soldier killed while serving in Afghanistan has spoken of her pride after ex-forces veterans paid tribute to him during a stamina-sapping fund-raising run.

Truck driving instructor Kevin Dandy, who works for McCarthy Distribution in Wrexham, raised more than 1,000 for the Royal British Legion and a further 250 for the Curtis Palmer Programme run by the charity Pilgrim Bandits.

A former reserves fitness instructor with the Royal Signals, Kevin completed a series of 5K runs, each one with a rucksack strapped to his back containing 25 kilos.

Prior to the runs when Kevin posted about his fundraising plans on social media he was staggered by the amount of encouragement and good luck wishes he received from service families and forces vets across the UK.

They included a message of support from Cheshire mum Lisa Snow who Kevin noticed once lived in his own home village of Waverton near Chester.

Kevin reached out to Lisa and asked about her story. He was devastated to discover Lisas young son Joe Berry, 21, was killed while on an army tour of Afghanistan in 2020.

After learning more about Joe and wishing to pay a more personal tribute to him Kevin decided to do a solo power march around the city walls of Chester, again with a heavily weighted rucksack on his back. But this time he attached an A4 photo of Joe to his rucksack.

He said: Joe lost his life serving our country and at such a young age. As an ex-Forces member myself I wanted to recognise that sacrifice at the same time as raising money for services charities.

It started out as a personal tribute but I was astounded when other forces veterans turned up on the day from different parts of the UK. One even came from Yorkshire and another from Manchester. They had read about my plans and wanted to offer moral support and champion Joes name.

It was so inspiring. In the end there were five of us, blokes Id never met before but all with photos of Joe on our rucksacks. At the end of the circuit, we all went to Chester Cathedral to pay our respects at the Remembrance Day memorial there where we met Lisa. It was such an emotionally moving experience.

Pte Joe Berry was serving with the Second Battalion of the Colchester based parachute regiment when he died in February 2020.

Lisa, who now lives in Crewe, said Kevin and his fellow marchers did her son proud.

She said: I was so touched that Kevin reached out in the way he did. I want to keep Joes name alive and what Kevin and the others did was such a lovely, special tribute. It made the world of difference to me to think that complete strangers would come out and walk in Joes name like that. Ill never forget what they did.

Kevin was originally motivated to take on the energetic 5K runs challenge after hearing about the experiences of a McCarthy Distribution work colleague who also served in Afghanistan.

Steve Critchlow was lucky to escape with his life after his unit was in a fierce battle with the Taliban in Helmand Province in 2011.

He was doubly motivated after joining a Facebook group called Gone Tabbing during the pandemic lockdown. The group is open to ex-service personnel and encourages them to do loaded runs which involve carrying on their backs the equivalent weight of everything a soldier would need to go into battle.

Kevin raised a total of 1,085 for the Royal British Legion (RBL) after doing an uphill run of Moel Famau, near Mold, a circuit of Delamere Forest, Chester and park runs in Wrexham and Ellesmere Port.

He invited Ruth Jones, the RBL community fundraiser for West Cheshire, to the McCarthy Distribution headquarters on Wrexham Industrial Estate where he handed over the bumper cheque.

Ruth commended Kevin for his superhuman efforts and in turn presented him with a Poppy Appeal certificate of thanks.

She said: What he did is amazing and every penny of the sum he raised will go to help our causes supporting servicemen and their families in need.

We are so grateful to Kevin and everyone who sponsored him including all his colleagues and managers here at McCarthy Haulage.

Kevin also raised a further 250 for the Curtis Palmer Programme, named after a police officer with a brain tumour who the charity Pilgrim Bandits helped achieve his dying wish to complete a parachute jump.

The Pilgrim Bandits was established to help Armed Forces servicemen and women through issues such as PTSD, stress and mental wellbeing issues. Through the Curtis Palmer Programme it has now extended that work to support police and emergency services personnel as well.

McCarthy Distribution Managing Director, Mike McCarthy, praised Kevins gritty determination.

He said: He is a fundraising hero. We are all extremely proud of how hard he worked to achieve this and how much he has raised for two such worthwhile charities.
Are you an Amazon worker? Let us know what you think of Amazons rollback of COVID-19 safety measures and conditions at your workplace. Email us at iawv@wsws.org. Workers identities will be kept confidential.

On Thursday, February 10, Amazon.com Inc. announced that it would again be eliminating its mask requirement in its warehouses.

The message, sent to its roughly 1.1. million US employees via its scheduling and workflow app A-to-Z, states that due to a sharp decline in COVID-19 cases across the country over the past weeks, it is now possible for fully vaccinated employees to go without a facemask where permitted by local regulations. The text informed workers that the new policy would begin the very next day, February 11.

A worker inside an Amazon fulfillment center (aboutamazon.com)

The decision to alter the companys policy on masks comes as over 2,000 Americans on average still continue to die every day from COVID-19. Despite this, the American capitalist press and political establishment have mobilized a campaign to falsely declare that COVID-19 has become endemic and no longer poses a serious threat to the public. This language is reflected in the text sent to Amazon workers, which states that the current status of the virus means we can return to a normal path of operations.

As the World Socialist Web Site has previously explained, the efforts to distort the meaning of the term endemic have absolutely nothing to do with scientific fact, let alone public health. In reality, the new normal being advocated by the ruling class and its political representatives could entail 200,000-250,000 deaths due to COVID -19 annually, according to immunologist Kristian Andersen.

Its horrible right now, said an Amazon worker in Baltimore to the WSWS International Amazon Workers Voice. There are so many people out [sick] right now, he explained. COVID has crippled my building. The worker said that with so many workers calling out sick, whole departments needed to be given voluntary time off. Workers in touch with the IAWV have confirmed that they receive dozens of text messages daily informing them that another positive case has been found.

Amazons change to its masking policy comes as the official caseload of COVID-19 remains as high as it was in the fall. In May 2021, the first time Amazon announced that it would be ending mask requirements, COVID-19 cases stood at around 30,000 daily. Deaths were around 500 a day. Notably, this guidance came before the onset of the Delta variant in the US, which was significantly more deadly. Amazon brought masks back in August 2021 only to drop them again in November. At that time, COVID-19 cases stood at around 75,000 a day, with deaths around 1,500.

Official COVID-19 cases now stand at about 100,000 a daywidely acknowledged to be a significant undercount due to inadequate testing and case reportingwith a daily death toll of around 2,200. On August 6, when Amazon first announced it was bringing masks back, the daily death toll was around 600. This is nearly four times less than it is now as the company announces it is on a path to normal.

And while official daily reported cases have fallen in recent weeks, the number of active COVID-19 infections in the US remains near its all-time record, according to Worldometers coronavirus dashboard. Amazon is thus ending its mask policy while substantial numbers of workers and their family members remain both infected and infectious with the virus.

Other large retailers have made similar announcements. On Friday, February 11, Walmart, the second largest retailer, announced it too would drop masking requirements for its vaccinated workers effective immediately. The company will also end its pandemic sick pay program at the end of March.

For its part, Amazon recently cut in half the number of days in which workers can receive paid time off if they test positive for COVID-19. The move was driven by the companys desire to keep workers on the job and producing profits, despite the devastating spread of the Omicron variant. The wind down of paid leave for COVID-19 infections was itself the intended outcome of the politically motivated decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in December to cut recommended quarantine time from 10 days to 5.

A recent article in Forbes explains the real logic behind the massive corporate retailers decisions to end and shorten paid time off during the pandemic. The article (Walmart, Amazon Say Covid Sick Leave Has Cost Them A Fortune) states that Amazon has ended up paying a lot more in overtime to cover shifts left unfilled because of another employees sick leave, meaning it was paying two or three times for an hour of labor.

Speaking in October to a tech industry audience, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy cynically complained that the process around people being able to request short and long term leave at the company didn't work the way we wanted it to work.'

This comment came in response to news about workers being denied time off for COVID-19. Rather than fixing this process to the benefit of its workers, Amazon has fixed the process to the benefit of the company by simply making it policy to not allow paid time off.

As to Amazons claim that it has spent a fortune on its workers, the corporation has hid the total number of COVID-19 cases found at its warehouses, leaving many workers to become infected without even knowing whom they may have come into contact with. Amazon has only once publicly reported the total number of COVID-19 infections detected in its facilities in October 2020, nearly 18 months ago.

Based on the little information that has been reported, however, COVID-19 has continued to have a horrific impact on Amazon workers in recent months. At just one warehouse in California, the Rialto LGB7 facility, over 1,000 COVID-19 cases were recorded by management between November 12, 2021, and January 29, 2022, according to a recent investigative report by The Markup.

Amazons intense exploitation of its workforce has contributed to the colossal growth of wealth among its top executives, including former CEO Jeff Bezos (net worth $200 billion) and CEO Andy Jassy ($280 million). According to a study conducted in late 2020, Amazon and Walmart could have quadrupled the hazard pay they gave their frontline workers and still earned more profit than the previous year.
The British royal family has been cultivated for centuries as a constitutional monarchy, providing a critical pillar and head of the bourgeois state. As such, a major royal crisis always indicates a sharpening crisis of bourgeois rule.

It is not accidental that the current royal debacle centred on Prince Andrew unfolds under conditions of factional warfare within the Conservative Party, the pre-eminent parliamentary vehicle of the bourgeoisie, and another over the leadership of the Metropolitan Police, Britains largest force.

Prince Andrew [Credit: commons.wikimedia.org]

Prince Andrews settlement of up to 12 million to Virginia Giuffre was intended to draw a line under his connection with the sex trafficking of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. But it has only bought a brief period of silence from Giuffre, who has agreed not to tell her story until after the queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer.

The 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, who has just been reported as infected with COVID-19, was looking to restore some stability to the institution, making efforts to minimise the possible reign of the heir to the throne, Prince Charles. Her illness points not only to the lie that the pandemic is over, but also emphasises the precarious position of the monarchy as an institution. Her successor Charles is widely seen as a pampered buffoon, whose ecological posturing cannot hide a sense of entitlement built on a declared belief in the feudal Divine Right of Kings that led his namesake, Charles I, to lose his head.

The settlement not only failed to lift the taint of scandal from Andrew, but also triggered questions about who will be footing the bill. Reports are that the queen and Charles have made bridging loans, under conditions where nearly a fifth of British workers are already living in poverty.

The royal family have sought to distance themselves from Andrew, the queens second son, but the rot is widespread. A charity set up by Charles is enmeshed in a police inquiry into cash for honours also involving Charless younger son, Prince Harry. Harrys own ongoing dispute with the monarchy has now reached a court appeal over allowing him to provide his own private security during visits to Britain.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is joined by Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and at rear, from left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a reception at Buckingham Palace, London to mark the 50th anniversary of the investiture of the Prince of Wales. March 5, 2019 file photo (Dominic Lipinski/Pool via AP, File)

Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17 years old. The princes statement admitted no liability but announced a substantial donation to her charity for the victims of sex trafficking. This led to the filing of a stipulated dismissal of the suit against him, keeping Andrew off the stand over details of his interactions with Giuffre at Epsteins properties in 2000-2001, again covering up Epsteins activities.

Andrew had sought to have the case dismissed, claiming no recollection of meeting Giuffre and suggesting a widely circulated photograph of them together was faked. His attempts at public rebuttal backfired spectacularly.

A BBC interview, intended to clear his name, generated ridicule and criticism. Andrew told journalist Emily Maitlis, If push came to shove and the legal advice was to do so, then I would be duty bound to testify or give a statement under oath.

He evidently did not expect to be held to that. As soon as it became clear he could not prevent the case proceeding, Andrew moved to an out-of-court settlement. He has been spared a court appearance, but he will not be returning to royal duty. He was stripped of royal titles and patronages last month.

His settlement statement referred cynically to a commitment to fight against the evils of sex trafficking, in response to which lawyer Nick Goldstone told the Telegraph Andrew is toxic, and this settlement will not have changed the verdict of the court of public opinion.

Andrew expected his defence to be accepted on the basis of privilege alone, which proved a wild misjudgement. Robert Lewis, attorney for another of Epsteins victims, attributed the delay in settling the case to Andrews arrogance. Epstein, Maxwell, Andrew, the Catholic Church, said Lewis, all think the law on some level applies only to everybody else.

A monarchy that used to provide bourgeois rule with an appearance of stability in times of crisis is now itself in freefall.

The overthrow and then execution of Charles I in 1649 marked the birth of bourgeois rule out of feudalism. The restoration of his son Charles II as constitutional monarch eleven years later was aimed at safeguarding the worlds first state based on bourgeois rule through a political compromise enshrining the hereditary principle on which both the old feudal aristocracy and the newly emerging capitalist class, in their own way, depended against the re-emergence of popular opposition.

Prince Andrew, the Duke of York (left), in June 2012 (Creative Commons)

The monarchy became the most bourgeois institution imaginable: the head of state during the explosive growth of the British Empire, a symbol of the nation in two world wars, and later a tool of global realpolitik in the complex relations with US imperialism, Britains other imperialist rivals and the newly independent states across the Commonwealth. Elizabeth has done the bourgeoisie sterling service in this regard.

But the declining international position of the British bourgeoisie has gone hand in hand with an embrace of the naked speculation of financial parasitism. The monarchy has tried to court this layer, while being forced to streamline its own activities in line with its social decline.

Charless former wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, blazed the trail in forming close links with the yuppie layers of the super-rich who emerged with the speculative boom of the 1980s. Following her acrimonious divorce, she aimed to shift the succession to her son William, second in line to the throne, rather than Charles.

William, groomed as a popular traditionalist who combines Elizabeths sense of duty with his mothers facility with the newer layers of the elite and her popular touch, has stepped into this role. He is the great white hope of the monarchy, provided any reign of Charles III can be kept as brief as possible.

Faced with an efficiency drive to keep the monarchy functional as a pillar of state, those royals outside the line of succession, like Andrew, deeply resent not being as rich as the people they are courting. The richest royal, the queen, does not even make the top 300 wealthy individuals in the UK.

But the lifestyles of the lesser royals are no less lavish for that and are a major focus of public anger and loathing. Questions over how Andrew will scrabble together his 12 million come at a time when an estimated half a million people are being driven into poverty by the cut of just 20 a week from the Universal Credit social security benefit.

Andrews own courting of financial layers was seen in the sale in 2007 of his former home to Timor Kulibayev, son-in-law of the president of Kazakhstan. The country house in Berkshire was sold for 15 million, 3 million above the asking price. Kulibayevs spokesman insisted this was a commercial arms length transaction using entirely legitimate funds.

But Andrew is now down to his last chalet as he sells off his assets. This is on the market for 17 million but is understood to be heavily mortgaged and unlikely to cover the costs of his settlement. Meanwhile, rising fuel prices this April are expected to see one fifth of British households experiencing fuel poverty.

Charless charity, the Princes Foundation, is meanwhile being investigated over allegations that it helped secure a CBE award and British citizenship for one of its donors, billionaire Saudi businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz.

Mahfouz also donated to a charity run by Harry, Charless younger son. Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have been a consistent PR thorn in the side for the Windsors. Similarly groomed to make the family appear modern, they calculated that, being some way from the line of succession, they could make considerably more money based in the US as free market operators with royal associations.

There is an air of desperation among royalists. After Andrews settlement and the Princes Foundation investigation, the Sun reported Elizabeths now clearly postponed return to public activity with the headline, Thank God for the Queen. But what do they have beyond that?

The pivotal places of Charles I and II at critical moments of bourgeois rule are knownwhat place is left for Charles III? The crisis of the monarchy points to the festering rottenness of bourgeois rule. It is falling to pieces, with a ruling class in crisis escalating its social plunder and devastation. It must be swept away. That is the task of the working class in the struggle for socialism.
While the media and the Brazilian government have highlighted the decrease in occupancy rates for adult ICU beds, pediatric intensive care units are receiving an explosive number of new admissions. Children are being terribly impacted by the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

In Santa Catarina, the occupancy rate of pediatric ICU beds for COVID-19 treatment increased 433 percent in the first 15 days of February; and between December and January, hospitalizations for children under the age of 15 rose nearly 12-fold. The state of Rio de Janeiro registered an 850 percent increase in the occupancy of pediatric ICU beds between December and January, with the number of children between 6 and 12 years old hospitalized jumping from 6 to 57.

Return to in-person classes in September 2021 in Olinda, Pernambuco (Wikimedia Commons)

A CNN Brazil report revealed that on February 8, only 8 pediatric ICU beds were available for the entire state of Rio de Janeiro, all concentrated in only two hospitals in the capital. Similar situations are reported throughout the country.

Reports from health care workers show that the new variant, promoted as mild by governments around the world, is driving child hospitalizations to unprecedented levels.

At a pediatric hospital in Goiania, the capital of the state of Goias, the intensivist physician Fernanda Peixoto reported earlier this month that there has never been such a large number of children hospitalized. Children with COVID-19 can remain hospitalized for more than a month.

In the state of Ceara, pediatric intensivist physician Manuela Monte, who works at a childrens hospital in the capital, Fortaleza, told the BBC, We are a hospital of reference, and our pediatric COVID ICUs were full in January, while adult care was relatively under control. She added, Children of all age groups have been admitted with COVID. And we have had severe cases in children who had no health problems at all. Because of the immune system being compromised by COVID, they ended up getting a bacterial infection, pneumonia, or meningitis before they got to the hospital.

According to the epidemiological bulletin of the Health Secretariat of the capital of Rio de Janeiro, the number of hospitalizations of children in January was about five times higher than during the second wave caused by the Gamma and Delta variants last year.

The surge in hospitalizations is occurring while millions of children remain unvaccinated, with states registering disparities in vaccination rates, delays and missed doses. In February 16, while Parana, Sao Paulo and the Federal District have respectively, 28.1 percent, 28.6 percent and 34.6 percent of children between 5 and 11 years old vaccinated with the first dose, most of the states that provided data have less than 20 percent coverage. This is the case of Amapa, Mato Grosso do Sul and Pernambuco, which vaccinated 5.4 percent, 12.9 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively. On Thursday, the health secretary of the state of Rio de Janeiro announced the interruption of vaccinations for a week due to lack of pediatric doses.

Although hospitals are already overloaded, the beginning of classes in state school networks across the country since February 7 has yet to have its full potential impact on health care systems. With the reopening of schools, millions of unvaccinated students and education workers are being placed in crowded schools and on public transportation, which will directly drive new outbreaks of the pandemic.

In Manaus, capital of Amazonas, a world epicenter of the coronavirus in 2020 and 2021, and where school reopenings were a decisive factor in the generation of the Gamma variant, Fiocruz epidemiologist Jesem Orellana warned on local radio 18 Horas: The return to face-to-face classes on February 14, 2022 for 5- to 11-year-olds can be considered premature and puts at risk the well-being and even the life of the students, and also of an extensive chain of possible contacts, inside (education workers, in general) and outside of school (collective transport, cafeterias, LAN houses, for example), as there are still tens of thousands of unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated people in Amazonas.

On Thursday, three days after school reopenings in the state network and in the capital, the Amazonas government announced the demobilization of the Nilton Lins hospital, focused on COVID-19 treatment, which was activated in January 2021 during the Gamma variant outbreak.

School reopenings are happening at the same time as it is declared in the media, on the one hand, that Omicron has reached a plateau, and, on the other, that the abrupt surge in the number of cases would imply a subsequent equally abrupt drop.

Contrary to what the government and the media are stating, the situation remains ominous, and the risk of new outbreaks is not over. On February 15, the Fiocruz Observatory released a note pointing out that in 4 states and 7 state capitals, ICU occupancy rates remained above 80 percent, with the Federal District registering 99 percent occupancy. Another 14 states and 12 state capitals remained above 60 percent occupancy.

In February, the first cases of the Omicron subvariant BA.2 were reported in Brazil. A study conducted by four Japanese universities, not yet peer-reviewed, indicated that this version is more aggressive than the original, highly resistant to vaccines and able to reinfect people already affected by the BA.1.

In an interview with Globo, Salmo Raskin, a geneticist and director of the Genetika Laboratory in Curitiba, Parana state, declared: This study serves as a warning. Much has been said about the risk of BA.2 overtaking BA.1 as the dominant strain, as has already occurred in Denmark, India, the Philippines, and Singapore. A possible spread of this subvariant in Brazil could interrupt our beginning of decline in cases, generating new peaks and deaths.

The outbreaks of cases, the admission of large numbers of patients to hospitals and the abandonment of any policy to control the spread of the disease by the state and federal governments mark the open adoption by all sections of the Brazilian political establishment of the fraudulent herd immunity policy through mass infection of the population. With the recurring record of over 1,000 deaths daily since the beginning of the month, the response of the ruling class is to promote the new normal of large-scale infections and deaths.

Late last year, Brazils fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro began a campaign of attacks on childhood vaccination, declaring it to be an individual choice by parents, adding that he would force them to obtain a prescription to vaccinate their children. Meanwhile, his Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga delayed the start of vaccinations for children between the ages of 5 and 11, holding a public hearing that gave voice to fascistic antivax figures promoted by the government. This campaign continues, with Bolsonaros ministers in recent weeks attacking the vaccination of children as a human rights violation.

Meanwhile, the response to the pandemic by state governments, including in states ruled by the Workers Party (PT) and its allies, is becoming indistinguishable from that promoted by the fascistic president.

Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo had announced in October the end of mandatory masking, and only backed off in the face of the new outbreak of infections. The states are aggressively promoting school reopenings, discarding any vaccination goal and declaring that the schools are prepared to receive the students.

The governor of Bahia, Rui Costa of the PT, promised in January not to implement any more COVID-19 restrictions that would affect the economy. At this moment, we will not interfere with any other economic structure. He added: Schools will return on the 7th, face to face; it will not be hybrid or virtual. Meanwhile, the governor of Ceara, Camilo Santana, also from the PT, limited himself to the recommendation of postponing classes for 15 days, limiting the public in stadiums to 30 percent of capacity, and the mandatory use of N95 masks in pharmacies, schools and supermarkets.

The president of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm), Renato Kfouri, took on the sordid role of promoting in-person learning in several newspapers and on television. In an interview with CNN, after stating that the risk of children developing severe illness and even death from COVID-19 is much higher than pneumonia, influenza, measles, infantile paralysis, Kfouri advocated the return to classes, stating: I think we shouldnt fear the return to classes without vaccine. In fact, if one should wait for the vaccines to begin to work ... we are talking about a return to school in May for children over five years old, because below we wont have the opportunity yet. There is no justification today for us to keep children out of in-person schools waiting for the vaccines.

The response of the federal and state governments to the pandemic reveals that there is no concern for the mental health and education of children, as was propagated in the corporate media throughout the pandemic to justify the deadly reopenings.

During the periods of remote and hybrid education, everything was planned not to ensure the learning and health of the students but to enrich the large corporations, with several states making deals with mass education platforms setting up contracts of hundreds of millions of reais with mobile phone operators, while most children did not even have access to digital equipment and adequate learning environments. Since the beginning of the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of young people have been forced to abandon their education to guarantee income for their families, a reflection of the massive growth of poverty in Brazil and the criminal neglect of its ruling class.

The main concern of the ruling elite has always been to ensure that parents return to the workplace to guarantee the profits for the large corporations.

The ruling class in Brazil is attacking the public health measures necessary to eliminate the virus, the only viable strategy to preserve millions of lives in the coming months and years and promoting instead the mass infection of the population ever more openly. This deadly policy, aimed at ensuring the profits of big business and the obscene enrichment of billionaires, must be answered by the Brazilian and international working class with a strategy to eliminate the virus and save lives.

The vaccine is a decisive component of a set of measures to combat the pandemic and must be combined with temporary lockdowns, testing and contact tracing, the mandatory wearing of masks, the control of travel and the guarantee of full income for all affected workers.

In opposition to the endless slaughter being imposed by capitalist governments around the world, such measures can end the pandemic in a matter of months. The Rank-and-File Committee for Safe Education in Brazil (CBES-BR) is organizing the fight against the governments criminal response to the pandemic and calls on all those who agree with the need for the elimination of the coronavirus to get in touch with us immediately.
A former Fred Meyer worker in Washington state spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about conditions at the grocery chain, now owned by food giant Kroger. The worker, whose name is being withheld to prevent possible retaliation, described what life is like for grocery workers amid the continuing pandemic.

The worker, characterized the COVID-19 safety in her store as not good at all. Adding, [W]e were to acquire our own masks. They had hand sanitizer that smelled like they made it in the toilet. It smelled so gross. It was disgusting, so I always brought my own. No, they didnt take very big safety measures at all. At all.

Overall lack of safety protocols came to a head when the worker was closely exposed to an infected coworker. When the worker attempted to confront management over the incident,  [T]hey got so pissed at me, and they were like, We dont have to tell everybody.

An employee of the grocery chain Fred Meyer on Feb. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

The worker knows the potential deadly result of the companys silence during potential exposure. So, here I am picking up my kid, kissing her on the cheek, hugging my mom, she said. I could have gotten her so sick.

Quicklist, the lone holdout in many stores from the pandemics early days, is a source of pain and sometimes humiliation for the workers who must fulfill orders under the lash of their barking managers . The worker described constant harassment. We were yelled at all the time; Hurry up, shoppers. Hurry, hurry!

Fall too far behind, they write your name on the board. You dont get any, Hey, congratulations for helping a customer. Theyre like, Why are you so slow today? Your pick time was horrible.... It was like working in a prison yard.

The worker reported that management abuse has been particularly harsh when directed against older employees.

I remember there was an 80-year-old lady, she said. [T]hey were being so mean to her. They wrote her name on a whiteboard because she had the slowest pick times. Wow, does that make you feel good? Shes 80!

This type of elder abuse is not unique to one store. At one Smiths Food store in Wyoming, another Kroger affiliate, an elderly employee was charged with completing a task beyond her physical abilities, said one current Smiths employee. As a result the worker was injured. They had her drive herself to the ER. And she had to work the next day. And they didnt even check on her to see if she was okay. [T]hats just another form of them just being like, Oh, youre fine to come into work the next day. And if you cant, youre replaceable.

The Fred Meyer and Smiths Food stores have more in common than elder abuse. Namely, managers at both stores are verbally and emotionally abusive to their autistic employees.

The Fred Meyer worker said, Hes a kid with autism, and they would just yell at him. Then Im like, Oh, my God.... Im like, Dude, hes got autism. Stop it.... I remember one guy, he called him the wrong name. He called him something  Allen. He goes, Thats not my name. Dont call me that, or Ill punch you in the fing face!... There was some hostile s...

Similarly appalling treatment of an autistic worker has been witnessed by the Smiths Foods worker, who lamented the really bad bullying issues.

The worker explained, There are workers that are very mean to one of the baggers. Some of the managers are even mean to this person.  They just completely put him down  and just make fun of him straight to his face. The manager sees this happening.

Though physical and psychological abuse are common in Kroger stores, managers at the Batavia, Ohio Kroger took matters to a whole new level. Deli Manager Evan Seyfried, according to a lawsuit filed by his father in 2021, was subject to systemic and prolonged psychological torture that included sabotage of his work performance, sexual advances made to him by his manager, co-defendant in the lawsuit Shannon Frazee, and even threatening texts, including child pornography. After months of such abuse, Seyfried, a 20-year veteran of Krogers, took his own life on March 9, 2021. Seyfried found himself in Frayzees crosshairs, says the suit, because he insisted on wearing a protective COVID-19 mask during his shift.

Though workers at many Kroger locations do have the right to file grievances with their union, they know that any grievance they file will simply disappear. The United Food and Commercial Workers, the union charged with representing a large portion of Kroger workers, has betrayed their members by ignoring grievances and preventing or squelching strikes, while never failing to collect dues.

A January strike by King Soopers workers in Colorado and Smiths workers in New Mexico was betrayed by the UFCW. The strike, involving 8,000 workers was at its peak, was called off by the UFCW, forcing the workers to vote on a contract they had little time to evaluate. The new contract was tailored to suit the needs of management and imposed some major worker concessions.

Between November 2020 and April 2021, Houston-area Kroger workers were kept in a perpetual holding pattern by the UFCW. The 14,000 workers were pressing for wage improvement. Despite overwhelming sentiment for strike, the union refused to act. For roughly five months, Houston Kroger workers worked without a contract while the UFCW went through the motions of negotiations.

Arkansas Kroger workers, too, were forced to work without a contract between 2020 and 2021. All the while, the UFCW continued contract talks without setting a strike deadline.

Similar stalling tactics were used against 10,000 grocery workers in the Portland, Oregon, area in 2019. Workers for Fred Meyer and QFC, both Kroger owned, and Albertsons and Safeway, both owned by Albertsons Companies, Inc. worked without a contract for more than a year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated abusive working conditions facing retail workers that existed before the emergence of the virus. These experiences draw a line under the need to have truly representative workplace organizations, independent of the pro-company unions like the UFCW. The World Socialist Web Site encourages retail workers to organize independent rank-and-file committees to fight for decent pay and safe working conditions. For help forming a rank-and-file committee or to report conditions where you work, contact the WSWS.
We demand:

Disclosure of all concessions offered thus far on our behalf!

Immediate halt to secret negotiations by the works council and management!

Instead of blackmailing and dividing the workers, cooperation at all locations to defend jobs, wages, and social gains!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Saarlouis, Valencia and all other locations:

The blackmail at the heart of the intra-company bidding war is increasing. It is becoming ever more clear how important it is that wethose affectedspeak out and fight back.

Shift change at Ford Saarlouis [Photo: WSWS]

Since our plant managements and works council representatives in Saarlouis (Germany) and Valencia (Spain) submitted their cutback plans at the end of January to Ford Europe headquarters in Cologne, the bad news has been pouring in.

The works councils and trade unionsIG Metall and UGTknow that tens of thousands of jobs in the entire region depend on both plants. If one plant closed, there would be no comparable jobs. The works councils are stoking fears of an imminent plant closure to justify their cowardly capitulation to management and to propose ever more severe cuts.

In Spain, the extent of the concessions offered by the works councils has become known. Although the exact wording of the agreements there is being kept secret, the works council published key points, which include the following:

A wage freeze for the next four years. The works council calculates that each Ford worker will receive 7,000 less in wages by 2025, which adds up to 42 million handed over by the workforce to the company.

The extension of daily working time by 15 minutes. That adds up to more than 80 hours a year per employee, a total of about half a million unpaid hours for the year.

Saturday working for up to 18 days a year.

The introduction of flexible night shifts, and more.

The works council in Valencia organised a fake online vote with the sole aim of spreading the false message that almost 75 percent of those voting had agreed to the cutback plan. The aim of the voting manoeuvre was to intimidate Spanish colleagues and suppress any resistance.

But only UGT members were allowed to vote. Thus, only about 70 percent of the workforce participated, out of which allegedly almost three-quarters, 3,143 colleagues, voted in favour of the cuts, with 948 rejecting them and 102 abstentions. Members of other unions were not allowed to vote.

Brothers and sisters in Spain: Do not put your trust in the UGT. Who controlled the vote and the count? We know only too well how such voting results come about under the unions supervision. They are a mixture of falsification, fraud and threats.

The German works council wants to undercut the Spanish concessions. It says the offer made at the end of January is only the beginning. It wants to keep negotiating day and night until June and keep adjusting the cuts.

The same thing is happening in Spain. A Spanish newspaper called the procedure a reverse auction. The two works councils keep undercutting each other.

Saarlouis works council leader Markus Thal and new Overall Works Council chair Benjamin Gruschka have extended the offer of wage cuts, break reductions, longer work hours and harsher working conditions to cover workers at all Ford sites in Germany.

With all seriousness, the two call this solidarity for Saarlouis. It is hard to find words for such hogwash. In the past, workers understood solidarity to mean a common struggle against corporate attacks. Today, Thal and Gruschka want us to believe that it is solidarity if not only one, but all, accept the attacks without a fight.

But the extension of the cuts to all German Ford sites makes clear what is really at stake. The bidding war between our plants is to be the prelude to the imposition of massive wage cuts and a deterioration of social standards in all Ford plants and throughout the entire auto and supplier industry. Because, why should they stop at Ford? The IG Metall and UGT bureaucrats who are now preaching givebacks will tomorrow use the same arguments to advocate cuts at all the other auto plants, supplier factories and beyond throughout the entire metal-working and electrical industry.

This downward spiral has no limit and leads back to slave labour. If we buckle at Ford now, it will have dire consequences for millions of workers.

The works council bosses Thal and Gruschka and their entourage claim there is no alternative to their cowardly submission to the dictates of the corporate masters, shareholders and stock brokers.

We firmly reject this and stress that the defence of jobs, wages and social gains is possible only through an open struggle against the works council lackeys of corporate management.

Against the profits-above-everything programme of the employers and the unrestrained enrichment of those at the top of Ford we counterpose the programme of international workers solidarity.

We refuse to allow a handful of super-rich executives and shareholders at the top of the corporation in the US to decide our future and the welfare of our families.

The works council representatives have no right to conduct secret negotiations behind our backs and give back achievements fought for in the past in the collective struggle of the workforce.

Therefore, we demand an immediate halt to the bidding war and full disclosure of all previous agreements.

As an independent rank-and-file committee, we express our mistrust of the works council and demand that the wording of the cutback plan submitted to Fords European headquarters in Cologne at the end of January be made public, so that every worker can see the conspiracy that is underway and take action against it.

We therefore call on our brothers and sisters at all sites in Germany, Europe and worldwide to prepare protests and fighting measures to force the unrestricted publication of the agreements from the secret negotiations so far.

It is not for a handful of bureaucratswho, in addition to their top-rate salaries as works council members, collect supervisory board bonuses, meeting fees and expense allowancesto decide our future, but we ourselves.

We are not alone. Ford has almost 200,000 employees worldwide. Colleagues in the US have already expressed their solidarity with us. All over the world, resistance is growing against ever more brutal forms of exploitationagainst mass layoffs, plant closures and social attacks. Our struggle at Ford is part of this growing opposition.

The coronavirus pandemic has clearly accelerated and intensified this crisis. The same inhumane approach being carried out in the bidding war at Ford is shaping the criminal herd immunity policy leading to mass infections in factories and schools.

Added to this is the growing threat of war. Never before has the danger of a Third World War been as great as it is today. Instead of conducting a global war against the pandemic, the great powers are gearing up for a war against Russia.

The defence of jobs, wages and social gains therefore goes hand in hand with the fight against the pandemic and the dreadful threat of war.

There is no time to waste. The decision on where production of a new electric model will take place is to be made in the summer. The initiative must be taken out of the hands of the works councils and trade unions.

To resist the blackmail of management and the works councils, a new political orientation is necessary, which starts from the common interests of all workers at all locations and opposes the logic of the capitalist profit system.

We know that almost all of our fellow workers do not support the IG Metall-led works council. But the silent opposition must find organised expression.

This is what our rank-and-file committee is for. We want to discuss the necessary steps to defend our factories and jobs among trusted colleagues.

The first thing is to reject and stop the IG Metall and UGTs division of workers by plant and country. We want to establish contact and exchange ideas with our colleagues in Valencia, but also those in Romania and Turkey.

Together we are strong! Our rank-and-file committee continues the great tradition of workers struggles and will confidently lead the power of the workforce onto the field of battle.

Do not let yourselves be intimidated! Executives and works councils do not build cars. It is we workers who create value. The shareholders, the executives and the works councils are beneficiaries of our labour.

It is important to act now. Brothers and sisters at all locations: support and spread this call.

Get in touch with us. Send a Whatsapp message to the following number: +491633378340
French business partner and friend of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Jean-Luc Brunel, was found dead in a Paris prison cell on Saturday. The Paris prosecutors office said Brunels death was being investigated and appeared to be a suicide.

Brunel, who had been charged with rape and jailed in 2020, was a member of Epsteins inner circle of associates and started a modeling agency called MC2 Models in New York and Miami in 2004 with investment funds from the billionaire financier. They had broken off contact following Epsteins 2008 guilty plea, conviction and sentencing to 18 months in prison for procuring for prostitution a girl below the age of 18.

Ghislaine Maxwell (left) and Jean-Luc Brunel (right) along with Jeffrey Epstein (middle) on his private jet. (US DOJ)

Ghislaine Maxwell, who was recently convicted of sex trafficking with Epstein, originally introduced her billionaire boyfriend to Brunel, whom she had known since the 1980s when he was co-owner of the international agency Karin Models.

French officials said Brunel, 75, was found hanging in his cell at 1:30 a.m. at the historic La Sante prison, operated by the Ministry of Justice and located in a southern district of Paris. He was being held in pretrial detention on charges that he raped girls between the ages of 15 and 18. He was also under investigation as part of a government probe into the sex trafficking activities of Epstein in France that was begun in 2019.

In a statement, Brunels legal team said Brunel was in distress about his incarceration and the denial by the authorities of his repeated requests for a provisional release from the prison. Giving credence to the suicide explanation for his death, the statement said, Jean-Luc Brunel never stopped declaring his innocence. His decision was not guided by guilt, but by a deep sentiment of injustice.

Brunel is known to have traveled frequently with Epstein, who had an elite 8,000 square foot apartment in Paris in one of the wealthiest sectors of the city and that overlooked the Arc de Triomphe. The apartment, which had a specially built massage room and was put on the market for $14 million after the billionaires death, was the location of social gatherings organized by Epstein and Maxwell that included liaisons between his super rich friends and underage girls.

Virginia Giuffre, the most prominent of Epsteins abuse victims who settled a lawsuit against Prince Andrew of the UK last week for an undisclosed amount, has said in court filings that Brunel would offer modeling jobs to girls as young as 12, take them to the US and farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein. The court documents also include accusations made by Giuffre that Epstein sexually trafficked her to Brunel on numerous occasions and in numerous places.

There was also evidence of Brunels supplying Epstein with underage girls that was uncovered when a trove of court documents from 2004 and 2005 were unsealed shortly after Epsteins death. Written phone call messages retrieved from Epsteins Palm Beach mansion included in instance where a friend named Jean-Luc called about a teacher for you to teach you how to speak Russian who was 2x8 years old and not blonde.

Meanwhile, there were accusations against Brunel as far back as 1991 that he drugged and raped young women. Former Dutch model Thysia Huisman, told the Times on Saturday of Brunels death, It makes me angry, because Ive been fighting for years. For me, the end of this was to be in court. And now that whole endingwhich would help form closureis taken away from me.

Anne-Claire Le Jeune, a lawyer representing Huisman and other victims, told the Associated Press that she felt Great disappointment, great frustration that (the victims) wont get justice.

Responding to the news of Brunels death, Virginia Giuffre tweeted: The suicide of Jean-Luc Brunel, who abused me and countless girls and young women, ends another chapter. Im disappointed that I wasnt able to face him in a final trial to hold him accountable but gratified that I was able to testify in person last year to keep him in prison.

Giuffres attorney Sigrid McCawley, said in a statement, For the women who have stood up and called for accountability from law enforcement around the world, it is not how these men died, but how they lived, and the damage they caused to so many. The fight to seek truth and justice goes on.

The fact that Brunels death is being attributed to suicide, just like Epsteins, adds to further suspicions that there is an ongoing conspiracy within the ruling establishment to cover up the extent of the criminal sex trafficking operations of the capitalist elite that lasted for two decades. While the New York Medical Examiner declared Epsteins death a suicide by hanging, an independent autopsy expert hired by the billionaires family showed that the injuries to his neck were consistent with strangulation by another person.

When accusations of Epsteins sexual abuse of underage girls reemerged in a civil suit by two Jane Does in December 2014, Brunel sought compensatory damages in a Dade County, Florida court from the billionaire, saying he had been unfairly embroiled in the scandal and his modeling agency had suffered financially from the impact on his reputation.

Accusations contained in those court documents included evidence submitted by four victims, one of whom was Virginia Giuffre, that Epstein, Prince Andrew, US lawyer Alan Dershowitz and Brunel had forced her to have sex with them. The three men denied the allegations and Epsteins lawyer said they were old and discredited.

The way this case was worked out shows the manner in which the criminal sex trafficking operation of Epstein and others was repeatedly swept under the rug by the US judicial system. In April 2015, the presiding judge ruled that the allegations against Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz were to be stricken from the case because Jane Doe 3 (Giuffre) and Jane Doe 4 were not part of the initial lawsuit and had no bearing on the issues related to Epstein.

In her 2015 affidavit, Giuffre said, Jeffrey Epstein has told me that he has slept with over 1,000 of Brunels girls, adding that the men loved orgies with kids  that is having sexual interactions with many young teenagers at the same time. Sometimes as many as 10 underage girls would participate in a single orgy with them. I personally observed dozens of these orgies.

Julie K. Brown of the Miami Herald, who has covered the Epstein sexual abuse story for many years, wrote on Sunday morning that, just like Epstein, Brunel was reported to have attempted suicide previously while in jail. According to an anonymous source, Brunel had tried to kill himself several times and this was confirmed to the Herald by his attorney Mathias Chichportich, who said his client made several suicide attempts over the 14 months of his detainment.

However, the lawyer told the Herald that Brunel was not under any active suicide watch and was being held in what is known as the vulnerable people area of the prison which is for people who are at risk of facing violence, a common problem for detainees facing sexual assault charges. Following an attempted suicide during the Christmas holidays, a judge ruled Brunels detention was no longer justified given the status of the prosecution, Chichportich said. That decision was overruled a few days later and Brunel was sent back to jail.
Left Voice (LV), the publication of an American pseudo-left group allied with the Morenoite Trotskyist Fraction of the Fourth International (FT), has issued a Working Class Program for Safe School Reopenings. The statement marks the group as the enemy of both the working class and safe schools.

The document was issued January 28, as American COVID-19 fatalities were soaring towards 900,000 and the worldwide death toll was estimated at between 6 and 20 million.

The catastrophe facing the world working class is, however, of no great import for these upper-middle class opportunists. Their statement reeks of complacency and indifference.

It amounts to a collegial debate with members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the pseudo-left more generally. The series of Left Voice pandemic policy statements published over the last two years has the character of friendly advice to the union bureaucracies on the most expedient tactical slogans for sabotaging opposition and forcing educators and students back into COVID-ridden schools.

A a summer school student wears a protective mask while listening to instruction, at the E.N. White School in Holyoke, Mass., on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

LV makes a few rhetorical criticisms, but they are not directed against the reopening of schools. Rather, they are limited to concerns about how this reckless and murderous policy is being carried out.

In the January 28 statement, LV writes that the decision to reopen schools shouldnt be up to the capitalistsit should be decided by the people who live and work within their communities.

The statement then immediately dispels the idea that workers should insist on fully remote education as part of a Zero COVID policy, stating, Teachers, students, and parents are keenly aware that remote learning does not compare to the experience of learning in-person.

It goes on to parrot the hypocritical justification of the Biden administration (and the teachers unions) for herding young innocents into COVID-infested schools, emphasizing virtual learnings long-term impacts on students social and emotional development.

Thus, as the headline Working Class Program for Safe School Reopenings suggests, LV rejects the necessary scientific program of closing schools and nonessential businesses in temporary lockdowns and deploying the full arsenal of public health measures as part of a strategy to eliminate the virus. This is despite the clear scientific evidence that schools are primary vectors of community infection.

Left Voices insistence on reopenings marks a further capitulation to the government and the trade unions. Last September, LV had allowed for a shutdown [of] some industries as necessary. At that time, an estimated 660,000 Americans had died of COVID-19. But by January of this year, when a quarter-million more souls had been lost, LV dropped any mention of shutdowns.

This shift was a response to the mounting economic and political crisis of the Biden administration and the entire US political system, facing meltdown under conditions where the response of both big business parties to the coronavirus has exposed the bankruptcy of the capitalist system.

Bidens promise to follow the science has proven no less a fraud than Trumps lies. The Democratic administration seized on the Omicron surge as the pretense for dropping any and all mitigation measures and adopting Trumps fascistic herd immunity policy.

The centerpiece of this policy of mass infection and death is the reopening of the schools, which has rapidly proved to be a death sentence for hundreds of school children and hundreds of thousands of parents, educators and other workers.

At the bidding of the corporate oligarchy, which from the start rejected any COVID-19 policies that threatened to depress the stock market and reduce profits, Biden insisted on a full-scale return to in-person instruction. American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten and the Chicago Teachers Union, led by DSA member Jesse Sharkey, shut down and sold out the January strike by Chicago teachers in opposition to this policy. Along with the National Education Association (NEA), the AFT continues to block efforts of teachers, parents and students to fight back.

In the course of its latest statement on school openings, Left Voice admits that the Chicago Teachers Union ultimately betrayed the teachers. This, however, does not prevent it from stating in point #7: Every education worker needs a union, followed by the absurd claim that Unions are the largest organizations of the working class to stand up against capitalist interests and fight for safe conditions.

Left Voices half-truths and outright lies have one purpose: to reinforce the unions in their suppression of the class struggle. The betrayal of the teachers in Chicago, part of Weingartens nationwide campaign to keep the schools open, has profoundly discredited the unions. Teachers are well aware there has not been a single nationally organized action taken during the pandemic by the AFT/NEA to shut the schools, despite the ever-increasing death toll among educators, children and families.

Of course, Biden and the Democrats agree with Point #7. Last week, Biden announced a Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment aimed at strengthening the pro-corporate trade unions as critical instruments to keep workers on the job and suppress wages.

Why the desperate drive to force children back into disease-ridden schools? Because, as Biden and his COVID-19 advisers acknowledge, this is key to forcing parents back into factories and workplaces. What they omit to say is that the inevitable explosion of infections and deaths is critical to continuing the flow of profits to the corporate elite.

Despite Left Voices occasional recourse to verbal rabble-rousingseizing schools, abolishing capitalismit puts forward the most limited demands. To reassure the capitalists and the union bureaucrats that its program is safely reformist, it states: This is not a blueprint for a new society but merely for basic measures.

LVs initial pandemic program, published in March 2020, was written as the CARES Act was being adopted by Congress on a near-unanimous vote of both big business parties. Little wonder the capitalist politicians, including Bernie Sanders, backed it since it funneled trillions of dollars to the rich even as the pandemic was beginning to rip through the population.

In addition to hundreds of billions in direct handouts to corporations, it enabled the Federal Reserve to pump some $4 trillion into the stock market so that multi-billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk could double their wealth during the pandemic.

LV ignored these class and political issues. Instead, it put forward a list of reforms, such as free health care, universal paid sick leave, and a freeze on layoffs, admitting that they were minimal in nature. It peddled the illusion that such basic social measures could be achieved by putting pressure on the unions and the Democratic Party.

The subsequent evolution of the Biden administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress has demonstrated that no social reforms can be achieved outside of a struggle for socialism. The Democrats have joined with the Republicans to scrap all earlier pandemic relief measures and dropped any fight for even the timid reforms included in the Build Back Better plan.

By contrast, a month before the passage of the CARES Act, the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) issued an urgent call for the mobilization of the international working class in a globally coordinated emergency response to the spreading coronavirus pandemic.

The ICFI warned that The danger cannot be overstated and called for scientists from all over the world to share their research and technology, unencumbered by national interests and geopolitical conflicts.

It concluded:

In demanding that capitalist governments implement these emergency measures, the international working class does not abandon its fundamental aim: the ending of the capitalist system. Rather, the fight for emergency action will raise the consciousness of the working class, develop its understanding of the need for international class solidarity, and increase its political self-confidence.

By the time of its September 2021 COVID-19 statement, Left Voice finally admitted that the pandemic could significantly worsen. But it pointed encouragingly to President Bidens six-pronged Path Out of the Pandemic.

This plan, devised by Wall Street financiers such as the head of Bidens COVID task force Jeffrey Zients (estimated wealth, $89.3 million), can be summed up as vaccines only, keep schools open, protect profits.

While holding out hope in Bidens plan, LV cautioned that it might fall short.

For our part, the World Socialist Web Site and the ICFI were assisting workers in forming rank-and-file safety committees, independent of the unions and the capitalist political parties, among autoworkers, health care workers, teachers, parents and others in the US and around the world to fight for a Zero COVID policy. The ICFI launched a Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic, partnering with leading scientists to counter the official lies and provide critical information to the working class.

In the midst of the public health catastrophe, as medical professionals were straining every nerve to save lives and workers of all nationalities, races and ethnicities were being sacrificed to the manic greed of the ruling class, the Left Voices program made a criminally light-minded and divisive call for dismantling a system of medicine built on racism and white supremacy. Such is the reactionary, anti-worker outlook of the pseudo-lefts identity politics.

As part of the need to start addressing the long history of medical coercion, LV strenuously objected to vaccine mandates, which, it claimed, open the doors for increased state surveillance, coercion, repression, and domination.

Here LV aligned itself with the anti-vax current, promoting a poisonous form of middle-class individualism that plays into the hands of the pandemic profiteers and the far right.

There is a long history in public health of mandatory vaccinations, accompanied by mass education, which have saved countless lives.

As the WSWS has made clear, the task of socialists in the pandemic is to help the working class enforce a scientific policy that protects the lives, health, livelihoods and liberties of the population against the policy of social murder implemented and ferociously defended by the ruling class.

Left Voice talks out of both sides of its mouth. It claims to be for science but disputes the clear public health necessity for protecting the population with vaccine mandates. The working class as a class has the social right and responsibility to protect the broad masses of society from a deadly pandemic that is killing millions due to the criminal priorities of the profit system.

Above all, schools and nonessential businesses must be closed until viral transmission is ended, with full compensation to workers and assistance for small businesses.

The authors of the LV program should explain how they propose to make reopened schools safe while allowing the airborne virus to circulate freely in poorly ventilated school buildings.

Left Voice has sought to counter the widespread support among educators and other workers for the building of rank-and-file safety committees independent of the pro-corporate unions, campaigned for by the World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality parties in the US and around the world. It does so by calling for self-organized assemblies of education staff, students and communities.

This is just another means of subordinating workers to the pro-corporate union structure and the capitalist state. As LV explains, The unity of the class through democratic committees and assemblies is the only way to properly fight against these measures. To build towards that, we have to push our current organized bodies, such as labor unions, to throw their full support behind organizations like the ones organizing student walkouts for safe schools [emphasis added].

The only support the unions will give to student walkouts is the support of a noose around the neck of the hangmans victim. Randi Weingarten has notoriously bragged about her 15-hour days pushing for kids in seats. Demonstrating last week that there is no line she will not cross in the service of big business, she stated that it was time to end mask mandates in schools.

The alignment of LV with Biden and world imperialism and against the preservation of life is expressed most starkly by LVs co-thinkers in their attack on China and its successful Zero COVID policy .

China has remained ruthless in their zero-tolerance policy against COVID, writes the Revolutionary Workers Current (CRT) in Spain. This organization denounces the safety measures that have saved millions of lives in the largest nation on earth. In terms that could have been lifted from the US State Department or CIA mouthpieces such as the New York Times, the CRT condemns the use of temporary lockdowns combined with systematic contact tracing and quarantining as authoritarian.

The result of these measures, which enjoy broad popular support in China, is four COVID deaths in a country of 1.4 billion people since April 2020. This compares to the supposedly humanitarian and democratic policies of most capitalist governments, which have led to some 950,000 deaths in the US and 80,000 in Spain over the same period.

The Morenoite attack on Chinas COVID-19 policy dovetails with the American unions anti-lockdown policies and the US governments escalating war buildup against China.

The fact that Left Voice aims to provide a left veneer to the herd immunity policies of the ruling class is in keeping with the reactionary, anti-Trotskyist history of the Morenoite tendency. In Argentina, where the political tendency originated, the Morenoites popular front policies disarmed the working class and paved the way for the juntas 1976 military coup, engineered in conjunction with the US. Nahuel Morenos adaptation to the Peronist Argentine state was responsible for the deaths of thousands.

Today, this opportunist tendency responds to the resurgence of class struggle on an international scale by joining forces openly with neo-Stalinists and bourgeois politicians. The movement of growing layers of the working class into struggle against the capitalist system and its national states is undermining the discredited nationalist trade unions and driving the Morenoites and other pseudo-left parties of the upper middle class into the arms of imperialism.

There is nothing remotely socialist or Trotskyist about Left Voice, which has lined up with the global capitalist policy of mass infection and a forever pandemic.
Last week, Democratic governors on the US West Coast announced an end to indoor mask requirements that have been in place since March 2020. While deploying the false argument that COVID-19 is now endemic and not a serious threat, politicians and public health officials across the region are claiming that as cases and hospitalizations temporarily recede, masks should come off, even as the United States approaches an official death toll of 1 million.

Oregon officials announced that the statewide mask mandate will be lifted on or before March 31, whenever hospitalizations fall bellow 400 total across the state, down from the Omicron peak of 1,130.

A cashier checks out a customer at a Nordstrom Rack at a mall in Burbank, Calif. on Saturday, April 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Dr. Dean Sidelinger, an epidemiologist and health officer for the state of Oregon, was quoted in the Willamette pointing to a near future without public health restrictions, stating, The evidence from Oregon and around the country is clear: Masks save lives by slowing the spread of COVID-19. We should see COVID-19 hospitalizations drop by the end of March because so many Oregonians are wearing masks and taking other steps to protect themselves and each other, such as getting a booster shot or vaccinating their children. At that point, it will be safer to lift mask requirements. By his own logic, Sidelinger admits that the removal of masks will fuel the spread of SARS-CoV-2, leading to a future rise in infections and thus new variants.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee ended the outdoor mask requirements as of February 18 and promised an end to indoor mask requirements by March 21. Local governments and school districts are already making plans to phase out mitigation measures like masks, with King County in the Seattle region ending the full vaccination requirements currently in place for bars, restaurants and gyms on March 1.

At a press conference last week, Inslee rationalized ending mask mandates by insisting that lifting the mask mandate will somehow be rational when COVID-19 hospital occupancy reaches 5 patients per 100,000 Washingtonians. We have done a rigorous assessment, Inslee argued, At that level of hospital admissions, the hospitals will be able to have relatively normal functions at that level of admissions. This was contradicted the very next day when Washington State Health Association CEO Cassie Sauer begged Washingtonians to continue wearing masks indoors. Speaking to local news, Sauer pleaded that we need the publics help to prevent a COVID resurgence.

Speaking at a press conference last week, the Washington state schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal claimed that, as part of the transition from pandemic to endemic, I believe that it is safe and timely to eliminate the statewide masking requirement for students and allow for a decision by local health officials. Reykdal continued, I recommend the Governor and Department of Health change the guidance to reflect this in the coming weeks.

The strategy being adopted by Democratic Party politicians across the United States is best articulated by California Governor Gavin Newsoms SMARTER plan released last Thursday. The plan calls for the end to basic public health measures that slow viral transmission like the use of daily case metrics, contact tracing and quarantining and mandatory masking. Speaking for the corporations and financial interests he represents, Newsom proclaimed that society must move on from crisis mentality regardless of the pandemic reality, adding that this pandemic wont have a defined end. Theres no finish line.

While a specific date for the end to required masking in schools has yet to be released, California has already dropped indoor mask policies for those who are fully vaccinated, even though vaccination status is not something that will be checked or enforced in the population. In California, case numbers overall have decreased. However, the daily average is around 20,000 cases and 200 deaths, which is a vast undercount. In the past week, 1,470 total deaths were reported, which is 12.6 percent more than two weeks ago.

The universal end to basic mitigation measures implemented by West Coast politicians and the Democratic Party will result in a sharp increase in cases, hospitalizations and deaths this year as variants and subvariants of COVID-19, such as BA.2, continue to spread. In the spring and summer of 2021, prematurely ending mitigation measures led to a major resurgence of the pandemic, driven by the emergence of new variants. Likewise, the current abandonment of all mitigation measures will leave the populationparticularly the elderly and immunocompromisedvulnerable and unprepared for another surge of the pandemic.

The recent decisions in California, Washington and Oregon follow a similar end to mitigation measures in Democratic-led states across the East Coast, as well as other nations, with the liberal political establishment now openly embracing the herd immunity strategy of the far right. Contrary to their empty statements, their policies are not based in the scientific knowledge of epidemiology and public health.

As scientists have explained to the World Socialist Web Site, endemic has different meanings, none of which describe the nature of COVID-19. An endemic virus, like malaria and the common cold, is one that is localized to a given region or sees a stable and predictable level of cases in a population over time. Endemic does not mean that it is not a serious threat to human life or that nothing should be done to stop it.

Purposely ignoring the science, political leaders are using the term endemic to justify a return to normal, giving the green light to resume full economic capacity with absolutely no restrictions on the profit-making capabilities of the ruling class. This is accompanied with the abandonment of data tracking, allowing the United States to give the appearance of a less severe COVID-19 situation simply because cases, hospitalizations and deaths will not be closely reported.

Lifting of mask mandates will only serve to further mass infection and death. Immunologist Dr. Kristian Andersen stated on February 14 that for at least the next 10 years we should probably expect that most people will get infected a couple of times a year, and we should expect 200 to 250 thousand deaths or so in this country alone. Furthermore, every time the virus spreads from one person to another, mutations in the genetic structure of the virus can occur. Mass infection without any hindrance creates the perfect conditions for the uncontrolled emergence of new variants, increasing the chances for complete vaccine evasion.

After experiencing the horrors of the last two years, filled with extraordinary loss of life and hardships for working class and young people, the end of pandemic mitigation measures is deeply unpopular. Polls have repeatedly shown that the majority of Americans are in favor of mitigation measures which would save lives. A recent YouGov poll showed that 58 percent of Americans are in favor of protecting Americans from the health effects of the coronavirus outbreak over protecting the economy.

Maya, a parent in Portland Public Schools district, expressed her concerns on Facebook about the ending of mask requirements in Oregon and how that will impact schools. My biggest concern is that Portland Public Schools will drop the mask mandate. Each time weve eased up on safety mitigations, we have a surge in cases, she wrote. I dont understand why we pull the mitigations that are clearly working. It will lead to new bargaining with the teachers union, as their contracts include mask-wearing, and this will be Portland Public Schools putting anti-mask parents against teachers AGAIN.

As schools reopened in the new year children have been infected at record levels. According to the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP), confirmed COVID-19 cases among children spiked dramatically in 2022 during the Omicron variant surge with almost 4.2 million child cases reported since the beginning of January. To date there have been 1,334 children who have died of COVID-19 and these numbers continue to rise. Pierce County, the second largest county in Washington, saw its first pediatric death from COVID-19 on January 30 when a 10-year-old girl lost her life.

The mass infection of children and youth will have serious long-term health consequences that are still not entirely understood, but these long-term consequences include Long COVID and the long list of debilitating symptoms that go along with it. Some children who have had COVID-19 may later develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but serious condition. Additionally, children and teens ages 18 years and younger who have had COVID-19 are up to 2.5 times more likely to be newly diagnosed with diabetes 30 days or more after infection.

What lies behind the calls to end mask mandates is the drive to normalize mass infection and death without end. Preventing the spread of COVID-19 by enforcing mitigation measures threatens profits and the rise of the stock market. Both Republicans and Democrats are on board with mass infection. One of the main policies in protecting the economy is keeping schools open. Democratic governors on the West Coast, with full support from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union, have been driving this policy since last fall, before children 511 years old were even eligible for vaccination.

It is well known that the pandemic can be ended in a matter of months through the implementation of rational policies, the shutdown of non-essential production with full financial support for those affected, mass testing, robust contact tracing, isolation of infected individuals and the use of KN95 or more effective masks. China has successfully pursued a Zero COVID policy and most of that country is living life as normal as a consequence. The death toll in the US is rapidly approaching 1 million, while China has suffered less than 5,000.

The homicidal policies of the ruling elite around the world that have lead to at least 423 million infections and 5.8 million official deaths so far can be stopped, and the pandemic can be ended. However, this alternative requires the active building of a political movement of the working class, in opposition to both capitalist parties and trade unions, and unified on an international basis. Workers in every industry, including manufacturing, logistics, education and health care, must take up the fight to form independent rank-and-file committees to coordinate this struggle.

We urge all teachers, nurses and other workers interested in sharing your thoughts about the pandemic, exposing conditions at your workplace and getting involved with the rank-and-file committees to contact the World Socialist Web Site .
UN special rapporteur on torture Professor Nils Melzer gave a Q&A to the Foreign Press Association (FPA) last Friday, discussing his book, The Trial of Julian Assange: A Story of Persecution.

Melzers answers provided a devastating indictment not only of the treatment of Assange, but of contemporary capitalist society and its claim to democratic rule based on checks and balances. His efforts to secure humane and legal treatment for the WikiLeaks founder have been met with a wall of silence. This was the untouchable case.

The special rapporteur has spoken powerfully in defence of Assange since 2019. He recalled in his introduction to the FPA briefing his initial reluctance to intervene in the WikiLeaks founders defence. Years of exposure to scandalous headlines and biased reporting, Melzer writes in his book, had made him dismiss a request for help from Assanges lawyers in December 2018.

Professor Nils Melzer speaking at the Q&A to the Foreign Press Association (FPA) last Friday (screenshot of YouTube video/Dont Extradite Assange Campaign)

After re-examining the case in March 2019 in light of the findings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the case history of a now totally discredited Swedish sexual assault investigation, and the medical opinions of Doctor Sondra Crosby, who found evidence for a violation of the Convention Against Torture, he decided to conduct his own investigations.

What Melzer found really shocked me, he told the FPA conference. He concluded Assange had been subjected to inhumane treatment and found massive due process violations and facts distorted deliberately by the British and Swedish states and media. The deeper I got into this case, the more dirt came to the surface. But it was not on the side of Assange, it was on the side of governments.

Having drawn these conclusions, Melzer confronted the governments responsible, but all four involved states [the US, UK, Sweden and Ecuador, who granted then revoked Assanges asylum] refused to engage in a constructive dialogue.

He found they were engaged in a concerted effort, trying to set an example of Julian Assange to deter other journalists.

Melzers book, not really part of the job description for a special rapporteur, is his response to his inability since then to secure redress for the wrongs done to Assange through the diplomatic channels at my disposal, or by alerting the General Assembly [of the UN] or the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The UK governments refusal to respond to Melzers concerns beyond a single, dismissive letter he described on Friday as profoundly shocking and added that he has not been granted a single meeting at the ministerial level.

It is standard, Melzer explained, for him to meet with the foreign or justice minister when he intervenes in a case. But the UK has delegated meetings downward to the administrative level where they cannot take any decisions When Im given interlocutors like this, it is a message: youre not going to change anything.

Melzer acknowledged the pressure exerted by the US on the British government but added that it was not just about the US [O]ther countries, theyre not interested in having their dirty secrets published either. So, I dont think that this is just US pressure on those states. I think that those states are quite voluntarily cooperating with the US because they agree, they dont want this type of public transparency.

The UN and human rights experts are instrumentalised very often, said Melzer. He pointed to the contrasting treatment of Assange and Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. There you see the hypocrisy of official policy.

Describing the UN as the best thing we have, Melzer acknowledged, Its not a rule of law organisation. Rule of law plays as long as power politics deems its to its advantage. As soon as power politics goes in a different direction, the rule of law is neutralised. Thats the reality we live in today, And I think its a reality we have to outgrow fast if were to survive as a human species, given the challenges we have today.

In seeking to raise the Assange case within the structures of the UN, Melzer explained, I informed the Human Rights Council in my yearly meeting I informed even the General Assembly in New York. But there was no reaction. I even tried to meet with the High Commissioner for Human Rights [Michelle Bachelet]. On several occasions Ive asked, writing for a meeting, and she delegated it to a level where, again, its not helpful.

The response in the media has been equally alarming, said Melzer. The silence is deafening. Citing the BBC, he told how the broadcaster released a televised interview with him when he first issued a statement on the Assange case. The next hour, it was gone, taken offline, so theres no trace of it.

Melzer contacted the BBC to argue, What Im claiming is so outrageous, that either Im wrong, and then I have to resign, or Im right, then someone else has to resign. There is no way that an actor like the BBC can be indifferent to this But they responded to me that right now this is not newsworthy.

Criticising its coverage of Assanges extradition hearings, Melzer said, Yes theyre reporting on the court hearings, but theyre just saying, the judge said this; Julian Assange said that. Theyre not really looking at whats happening, what this is really about The UK courts are systematically violating this persons rights.

Assanges incarceration in Londons Belmarsh high security prison, for which there is no legal basis, not only destroys his health but prevents his from preparing his case and defence properly.

He compared the WikiLeaks founders treatment with that afforded the Chilean dictator, torturer and mass murderer Augusto Pinochet while he was in Britain. Pinochet was under house arrest and he was free to receive as many visitors as he wanted and had access to the public.

Asked what he thought of Assanges chances of resisting extradition, Melzer said, Unfortunately, if I look at the track record of the UK judiciary in this case, Im not optimistic, despite the fact that legally speaking there is no way this extradition could ever lawfully go forward. Critical elements of international law have been so distorted by the UK judge that it was really grotesque.

Melzer held out hope that the European Court would have the integrity to apply the law as it should be, if Assange could somehow sustain his mental health until such a verdict could be reached. However, he added, the question is whether the UK would respect that ruling.

Describing the significance of Assanges persecution, Melzer explained it was not just about Julian Assange as a person. Look at what he has revealed [through WikiLeaks]. These are some of the most grave crimes War crimes are not being prosecuted. But those who expose them are being prosecuted and subjected to ill treatment, arbitrary detention and what could amount to psychological torture.

The case is fundamentally threatening to not only the human rights of Julian Assange but the human rights of everybody else If the US succeeds in prosecuting this man and sending him to a supermax prison for the rest of his life, this will have an enormous chilling effect on the free press.

His book, he concluded, has been written to expose the facts of the case so that people can speak out. He writes in its conclusion that to ignore Assanges persecution, and work as a journalist, is a denial of reality comparable to ignoring the fire alarm in the house of our civilization, and comes at a price which we, as a species, soon will no longer be able to afford.
This year's Munich Security Conference was dominated by the escalation of war preparations between the USA and NATO against Russia.

Leading representatives of the imperialist powersincluding German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (both Social Democrats, SPD), Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), American Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskymet in the Bavarian state capital to threaten Russia and fuel the conflict with the nuclear-armed power.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Munich Security Conference (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)

In his speech on Saturday, Scholz openly stated how acute the situation is. War is looming again in Europe. And the risk is anything but averted, he explained.

Like all speakers, with the exception of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, he blamed Russia alone for the situation. The deployment of well over 100,000 Russian soldiers around Ukraine was not justified on any grounds. Russia has raised the question of Ukraine's possible NATO membership as a casus belli, although no decision at all is pending.

Then he threatened Moscow. At his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 15, he made it clear: Any further violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity will have high costs for Russiapolitically, economically and geostrategically. At the same time, he emphasized that diplomacy will not fail because of us. He added, Ultimately nothing less than peace in Europe is at stake.

Scholz's attempt to present himself as a broker for peace is absurd.

One does not have to support Putin's bankrupt Russian nationalism and militarism to acknowledge that NATO is the aggressor. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union by the Stalinist bureaucracy 30 years ago, the military alliance has been systematically encircling Russia, contrary to all assurances at the time. Altogether there have been five eastward expansions of NATO in the past two decades. Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary joined the military alliance in 1999; Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia in 2004; Albania and Croatia in 2009; Montenegro in 2017 and North Macedonia in 2020.

NATO's insistence on Ukraine's right to now also become a member of the military alliance is part of a strategy to weaken and ultimately completely subjugate Russia. When Western representatives in Munich repeatedly cited Moscow's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, they were turning reality on its head.

Indeed, in early 2014, Washington and Berlin, working closely with fascist forces, orchestrated a coup against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych after he refused to sign an association agreement with the European Union (EU). Since then, they have been systematically strengthening the right-wing, anti-Russia regime in Kiev in order to retake Crimea and Donbass, which opposed the coup by large majorities and were oriented toward Moscow.

The currently escalating confrontation is the result of NATO's systematic offensive, which is ever more openly taking the form of outright preparations for war. As early as 2017, the military alliance stationed four battle groups, each consisting of 1,000 soldiers, in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as part of the Enhanced Forward Presence. These battle groups are currently being strengthened. At their meeting in Brussels last Wednesday, the NATO defense ministers decided to set up additional battle groups in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.

In Munich, Harris boasted about further troop redeployments. We have deployed an additional 6,000 American service members to Romania, Poland, and Germany. We have put another 8,500 service members in the United States on a heightened sense of readiness. As President Biden has said, our forces will not be deployed to fight inside Ukraine, but they will defend every inch of NATO territory. She added that they will continue to support Ukraine with security, humanitarian and economic assistance.

Zelensky's appearance underscored the extent to which NATO already regards the regime in Kiev as a close ally. To thunderous applause from those present, the Ukrainian President called for a clear timeline for the country's admission to the European Union and NATO and for the the supply of the latest weapons, machinery and equipment for our armyan army that protects the whole of Europe.

He added threateningly, I want to believe that the North Atlantic Treaty and Article 5 will be more effective than the Budapest Memorandum. In the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine renounced nuclear weapons.

Scholz and Harris insisted in their speeches that Germany and the US fully support Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Let me be clear: Americas commitment to Article 5 is ironclad. This commitment is sacrosanct to me, to President Biden, and to our entire nation, Harris said. Scholz added, Germany stands by the guarantee of Article 5with no ifs and buts.

These statements have far-reaching consequences. Article 5 states that an armed attack against one or more parties will be considered an attack against all of them and that in the event of such an armed attack, each of... the party or parties being attacked Provides assistance including the use of force of arms.

To put it bluntly: if the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which is being systematically fueled by right-wing extremist militias, spreads to include an eastern European NATO member, Washington and Berlin undertake to go to war against the world's second-strongest nuclear-armed power with unforeseeable consequences.

Nevertheless, in addition to the US, Berlin of all places, which attacked Russia in the Second World War and carried out a war of annihilation throughout Eastern Europe, is intensifying the war drive.

The developments of the past few months in particular show us how necessary it is to continue concentrating on the topic of alliance defence in the North Atlantic region. We have to muster the skills that are required for this, Scholz demanded. And yes, that also applies to Germany. Airplanes that fly, ships that can set sail, soldiers who are optimally equipped for their dangerous tasksa country of our size, which bears a very special responsibility in Europe, must be able to afford that.

Scholz left no doubt that Germany was taking part in the war effort against Russia in order to pursue its own geostrategic and economic interests as a major power.

The European Union is our framework for action, our opportunity, he emphasized. Remaining a power among powers is what we're talking about when we talk about European sovereignty. Three things are needed on the way there: First, the will to act as a power among powers, second, common strategic goals, and third, the ability to achieve these goals. We are working on all of these.

At the beginning of the security conference, Social Democratic Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht called for another massive increase in the defense budget. On Sunday she repeated her appeal. We will continuously increase defense spending, she announced at a panel discussion on the future of EU security and foreign policy. The goal of Germanys traffic light coalition government is to spend 3 percent of gross domestic product on defense, diplomacy and development aid in the future.

In the midst of the pandemic, which has already claimed more than 120,000 lives in Germany alone, this is a double declaration of war. While there are said to be no funds to fight COVID-19 and the government is ending all protective measures, tens of billions more are said to flow into the military. The working class must intervene on the basis of an independent socialist program to halt mass death from the pandemic and prevent a third world war.
In a highly aggressive move, the New South Wales (NSW) state Liberal-National Coalition government this morning locked out thousands of rail staff who operate the Sydney train network, as well as some workers on intercity services between Sydney and regional centres.

The lockout has been accompanied by a deluge of lies and denunciations of the workers by the NSW and federal Coalition governments. NSW government ministers have even accused rail workers of holding a strike.

Closed turnstiles at Sydenham station, February 21, 2022 (WSWS media)

This is a sham. In reality, the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU), which covers the staff, has done everything it can for months to neuter widespread opposition among workers to a regressive enterprise agreement (EA) that attacks their wages and conditions and clears the way for further privatisation.

The union has continuously appealed to the government for collaboration and cloistered with it in backroom talks and limited the dispute to token industrial action. This was to continue today, as it has for weeks, with workers maintaining an altered working ban, under which they would only carry out their allocated shifts without changes. The ban would be protected under industrial laws.

When the workers arrived to work this morning, management told them that the entire Sydney rail network had been shut down for the day. Transport for NSW, the corporatised government agency responsible for the system, claimed the decision had been taken to ensure safety. It provided no explanation as to how workers limiting themselves to their allocated duties would jeopardise anyones wellbeing.

In other words, the lockout is a complete provocation, demonstrated by the hysterical and threatening statements that have accompanied it.

NSW Transport Minister David Elliot accused the rail workers of hijacking the city. A former police and counter-terrorism minister, he declared: I think were going to have a large standoff because they cant use the citys transport system for some sort of terrorist-like activity.

Elliots comment is a warning, not only to rail staff, but the working class as a whole. The attempt to equate industrial action with terrorism recalls the situation that prevails in out-and-out dictatorships and police-states.

As Australian governments imposed batteries of anti-democratic laws after 2001, on the pretext of the war on terror, the Socialist Equality Party warned that the measures will be directed against workers, especially as social tensions mount. Elliots statement underscores the correctness of that assessment.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison immediately joined the demonisation of the workers, indicating that the provocation was coordinated with the federal government. He linked the dispute to his governments drive to force workers to stay on the job during the pandemic and fully reopen via the profit-driven live with the virus program.

Weve had nurses, weve had teachers, weve had police officers and everyone working hard through the pandemic, and weve got international arrivals opening up today and the unions welcome to them will be a train strike, Morrison declared. Putting aside the false claims of a strike, the border reopening is a centrepiece of the lifting of all remaining COVID-19 safety restrictions.

Workers have worked hard throughout the pandemic because they have been compelled to by the governments and, above all, the trade unions. This agenda is encountering mounting opposition. NSW nurses took their first statewide strike last Tuesday against unsafe staffing ratios, intolerable conditions including long hours, and the deluging of the hospitals as a result of the official pandemic policies.

The pro-business NSW Industrial Relations Commission banned the nurses stoppage on the completely false basis that it would constitute a threat to public health and safety. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet threatened to prosecute nurses for defying that ruling.

Morrison boasted that his government had stared down threats of industrial action in the ports, with the Maritime Union of Australia preventing strikes and even limited work bans.

They backed off. Thats what our government will do when its falling into our areas of responsibility, and Ive no doubt the NSW government will take a strong stand as well, Morrison declared. Morrison warned of the consequences of unions thinking theyve got the power. He said: Weve seen it before from our waterfront to now our trains.

The comments are particularly striking because as far as the unions are concerned, they are a complete inversion of reality. Throughout the pandemic, the unions have taken their collaboration with governments and employers to new levels. They have done everything they can to keep workers on the jobwhatever the threat to safetyenforced cuts to conditions on the pretext of the pandemic and suppressed any organised opposition.

In reality, Morrison and Elliot are not referring to the unions or their leaderships but to workers themselves. These governments fear a breakout of working-class struggles in defiance of the old industrial mechanisms, including the unions.

The role of the unions is sharply evident in the rail dispute. RTBU NSW secretary Alex Classens held talks with the state government on Saturday, at which he agreed to end overtime bans and other limited action without any apparent concessions.

Classens, who is a leading member of the big business Labor Party in NSW, complained he was not told there would be a lockout if the altered work ban were maintained. He responded to Elliots hysterical attacks by publicly begging the minister for further talks. More hearings at the Fair Work Commission, the pro-business industrial tribunal established by Labor governments with the support of the unions, are scheduled for today.

The dispute, which has dragged on for months, centres on a series of changes Transport for NSW is demanding in the new agreement.

Some relate to the introduction of a New Intercity Fleettrains explicitly designed for driver-only operation that could be used to eliminate guard roles. Drivers are preventing the introduction of this fleet by refusing to man the trains because of safety and job security concerns. In the negotiations, Transport for NSW has sought to remove clauses in the current EA that have so far prevented the agency from pressing the fleet into service despite the drivers objections.

The union has called for a 3.5 percent per annum pay rise, marginally above an offer of 2.5 percent, but less than the soaring cost of living. In a statement today, the RTBU said its main aims were a commitment that no train services or lines will be lost in the event of privatisation; a guarantee that any changes to our services will leave them as safe or safer, and a commitment to maintaining the existing level of hygiene using good, fulltime jobs.

In other words, the union accepts further restructuring and privatisation, including the introduction of the inter-city fleet, but wants several worthless guarantees that it can use to impose a sellout deal upon its members. While holding some 30 backroom meetings with the government over the past six months, the RTBU has called partial and sporadic industrial action to let off steam. Workers have been isolated, and everything has been done to ensure minimal disruption.

For decades, the union has enforced the corporatisation and privatisation of the transport system. In 2014, it imposed a NSW rail EA that abolished clauses that had been in every previous agreement over two decades, prohibiting forced redundancies and mandating that any workers redeployed must maintain their original salary.

In 2018, the RTBU shut down a planned statewide strike and then enforced an agreement. That deal provided for a crackdown on sick leave, and expanded disciplinary measures, including, in some cases, forcing workers onto leave without pay. The agreement facilitated the use and expansion of contract and casual labour throughout the NSW train network. It also allowed for forced redundancies.

The union claimed the 2018 agreement had been ratified by little over 50 percent of workers. Hundreds said they would quit the RTBU.

The government offensive against rail workers is bound up with the reopening drive amid the continuing pandemic, and the stepped-up pro-business restructuring that the ruling elite insists must accompany it.

The record demonstrates that workers cannot fight these attacks through the unions, which function as an arm of government, serving the interests of a privileged officialdom. Rail staff should form their own independent rank-and-file committees to organise a genuine industrial and political fightback. This must involve a turn to other sections of workers, throughout transport and more broadly.
In paleontology, major discoveries are oftentimes made long after a fossil is physically acquired from the field. The recent finding of the headline-grabbing embryonic Oviraptor named Baby Yingliang last month in Ganzhou, China is one such example.

While the findings were published in Cell on December 21 of last year, the fossils themselves were originally discovered in a mine in 2000. Nearly 20 years later, the construction of a new natural history museum prompted Chinese paleontologists to examine many of the specimens they had collected, among them the eggs.

A close-to-hatching oviraptorosaur dinosaur embryo found in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, southern China. Photo: University of Birmingham/Lida Xing. 

When reexamined, there were minute amounts of fossilized bone visible on cracks in the egg. The egg was opened, and the fossilized remains of a developed embryo were uncovered within.

Finding an intact fossilized dinosaur egg is rare, finding a dinosaur egg with an intact embryo is rarer. Before this discovery, only eight species of dinosaurs have yielded fossilized embryos. To put this in perspective, there are currently over 700 recognized species of dinosaurs.

A discovery of this nature can reveal much about the lives and evolution of dinosaurs and modern birds.

To understand the importance of this discovery, we need to look at the group this developing animal belonged to: the Oviraptorids. The most famous species of the group is Oviraptor. Present in Mongolia 75 million years ago, this dinosaur lived alongside the more renowned Velociraptor.

When initially discovered by an expedition to Asia by the American Museum of Natural History, Oviraptor was assumed to act like its Greek namesake, egg thief. Its remains were first discovered next to a nest that was presumed to belong to the Ceratopsian, Protoceratops.

It was impossible to determine at the time what species the egg belonged to, as the contents were simply not preserved in the fossilization process. However, many years later another expedition located a similar egg, this time with the developed embryo of an Oviraptor contained within.

There were also two small skulls belonging to a relative of Velociraptor. These skulls were either predators who had failed to raid the nest or were preyed upon by one of the parents and brought back to the nest like a modern eagle does with its prey. This demonstrated that the Oviraptor was, it now turns out, simply trying to hatch its own offspring, stated a 1994 report in the New Scientist .

This discovery further helped paleontologists realize the connection between dinosaurs and modern birds, as the discovery of the nest demonstrated that this animal was not a brainless, cold-blooded monster, but rather a creature that exhibited parental care much like a modern bird.

The largest member of the group was a species known as Gigantoraptor. While most Oviraptorids would rarely exceed proportions similar to that of an emu, Gigantoraptor was larger than any land-dwelling animal alive today, reaching lengths of over eight meters and weighing over two tons.

Much like Oviraptor, Gigantoraptor is known only from the late Cretaceous period in Mongolia. In fact, every single known species of the group is known from the late Cretaceous of Asia. The first representatives of the group appeared around 84 million years ago and the group disappeared along with the rest of the non-avian dinosaurs during the KT (Cretaceous/Tertiary) mass extinction 66 million years ago.

A popular misconception is that birds are descended from dinosaurs. This is analogous to saying bears are descended from mammals. Like bears in relation to mammals, birds did not evolve into their own separate group of organisms but are rather one branch of a larger family tree we call dinosaurs.

To contextualize their relationship, we need to look at a group of dinosaurs called theropods. This group can be divided into two major subcategories: avian theropods and non-avian theropods. Non-avian theropods include animals such as Oviraptorids and more renowned creatures such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor. Avian theropods contain such organisms as ostriches, pigeons and bald eagles.

This means that dinosaurs never truly went extinct; one lineage survived the KT mass extinction and became one of the most successful vertebrate groups of all time.

The newly discovered Oviraptorid eggs only reinforce this relation between non-avian and avian theropods.

Modern reptile and bird embryos maintain different postures during development in eggs. Baby Yingliangs embryo more closely resembles postures found in modern bird eggs. This embryonic position is known as tucking and is crucial for a young birds survival during hatching as the embryo positions itself to break through its eggshell with the use of its mouth.

The Ganzhou findings also suggest that the movement of bird embryos within an eggshell was originally a behavior that developed in non-avian theropods and was likely present within this entire branch of the dinosaur family tree.

The discovery of a fully intact Oviraptorid embryo is just one of many findings from China that have helped dramatically further our understanding of our planets past. The country has experienced a renaissance in the field of paleontology and there is no doubt that we have only scratched the surface of Chinas contributions.

This comes alongside more disturbing developments facing Chinese and global populations in the social realm. Among these are the expending commercialization of fossilized specimens and the attacks on funding for research across academia.

For thousands of years in China, the remains of extinct animals have been utilized in ineffective home health remedies. This practice has destroyed countless specimens and continues well into the present. Fossils have also become a valuable commodity internationally with the fossil trade booming, much to the detriment to the field of paleontology.

In addition, tensions between the United States and China have impeded research around the globe in countless fields. The United States has done everything from blocking Chinese grants to American scientists to preventing high-profile and accomplished Chinese scientists from attending conferences in the US by withholding short-term visas.
A massive police operation to end the three-week-long, far-right Freedom Convoy occupation of downtown Ottawa appeared to be winding down Sunday evening, after three days.

Earlier Sunday, police said they had arrested 191 people in the operation launched Friday morning to evict those besieging parliament and a wide swathe of downtown Ottawa.

A still larger number of those that for days defied police orders they remove themselves and their vehicles from the occupation site were simply allowed to leave.

Police block protesters after taking the main street where trucks are parked in Ottawa near Parliament hill on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted)

The police crackdown against the far-right protesters, who had run amuck for weeks intimidating local residents and flouting anti-COVID restrictions, was unprecedented in its scope.

It relied on the expansive coercive powers the Liberal government arrogated when it declared a public order emergency on Monday, Feb. 14 under the never-before-used Emergencies Act.

The Ottawa Police, Ontario Provincial Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police led the police action. It was logistically supported by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Also involved were officers drawn from police tactical units across the country, including from as far afield as Alberta and British Columbia. Just how many police were deployed on Ottawas streets last weekend the authorities have, as of yet, refused to say. Previously, Ottawa Police had asked the federal and Ontario governments to provide an additional 1,800 officers.

Prior to moving in to clear the occupiers, police established a massive no-go zone Thursday. Reinforced in places with fencing, it comprised an area of downtown Ottawa roughly 12x20 blocks wide that is home to 30,000 people. Police set up a hundred checkpoints along their security perimeter so as to allow access only to those who live or work in the area.

While police were deployed in large numbers starting Friday morning in a clear show of strength, they also demonstratively sought to avoid confrontation. Those on the police frontlines tasked with slowly pushing back the demonstrators did not wear helmets or brandish police batons, let alone appear in full battle-style riot gear.

On Saturday, when police cleared the area on Wellington Street directly in front of the parliament buildings and met with more determined push-back from Convoy supporters, they did use their batons but only as a means to push back the protesters.

Ottawa Police reported late Saturday that 53 vehicles had been towed since the operation began, over 20 licence plates seized, and 11 commercial truck licences cancelled. They also reported that several occupiers were armed when they were detained, including with smoke grenades, gas canisters, fireworks and body armour.

Also Saturday, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told parliament that since the Emergencies Act was invoked, banks acting at the governments behest had frozen 76 bank accounts belonging to people involved in the occupation containing more than $3 million.

Reports late Saturday suggested that some occupiers had attacked police officers with unspecified weapons. Police responded by using riot-control guns that are capable of firing rubber bullets and chemical agents.

The isolated reports of police using force to detain unruly occupiers and the polices conduct throughout the three-day operation are in striking contrast with the savage violencebe it baton-charges, tear-gas barrages, or mass arreststhey routinely use when repressing left-wing demonstrators or escorting scabs across worker picket lines.

The Convoy was systematically built up and incited by the Conservative Party and sections of the right-wing media. They portrayed the small rabble of far-right activists, owner-operator truckers, and outright fascists as a popular movement speaking on behalf of ordinary working Joes. Crucial political, financial and logistical support came from the fascist-minded former US President Donald Trump and his fellow January 6, 2021, coup plotters, as well as far-right circles across the United States. Their aim was to use the convoy as a battering ram against widespread popular support for anti-COVID 19 public health measures, and to shift official politics sharply to the right.

To date, the Conservatives and their media backers have largely succeeded. This is thanks above all to the combined efforts of the trade unions and the social-democratic New Democratic Party (NDP) to prevent the working class from intervening independently in the political crisis. While Ottawa was under occupation by the far-right, provincial governments from coast to coast moved to scrap virtually all remaining COVID-19 public health measures with the approval of the Trudeau Liberal government. For their part, Trudeaus Liberals have announced an even more confrontational stance towards Russia by agreeing to arm the right-wing Ukrainian regime with lethal weaponry as part of the US-led war drive in Eastern Europe.

The federal government ultimately chose to invoke the Emergencies Act to end the occupation after far-right Convoy blockades of key Canada-US border crossings held up billions of dollars in bilateral trade. Beyond the immediate impact, which included the temporary shutdown of auto plants on both sides of the border, Canadas corporate elite was chiefly concerned that the interruption of cross-border supply chains would damage Canadian capitalisms long-term credibility as a reliable trading partner and location for investment. With the White House and big business on both sides of the border demanding immediate action, even those sections of the ruling elite that had promoted the Convoy urged the occupiers and blockaders to go home.

Nevertheless, the Conservatives have continued to extend political cover to the far-right extra-parliamentary movement that they helped fashion. Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen has cynically attacked the Trudeau government for invoking emergency powers prematurely, and postured as a defender of civil liberties.

On Saturday, the United Conservative Party (UCP) Premier of Alberta, Jason Kenney, who hailed the Convoy as it made its way to Ottawa last month, announced his government would take the federal government to court over its invocation of the Emergencies Act. Kenney, who is facing a challenge to his leadership and is desperate to appeal to the substantial far-right base within his UCP, attacked the emergency powers as unnecessary and disproportionate.

The hypocrisy in these comments is hard to beat. Not only was Kenney a leading backer of the Convoy, whose leaders explicitly declared their intention to overthrow the democratically-elected government and replace it with an authoritarian junta. His government has adopted its own draconian legislation banning protests at locations deemed to be critical infrastructure, a move aimed at suppressing left-wing and Indigenous demonstrations. On the same day Kenney railed against the unnecessary federal emergency powers, a leaked letter from a senior official in his government revealed that Alberta requested help from the federal authorities just two weeks earlier, on February 5, to clear the border blockade at Coutts.

Parliament resumed debate on the minority Liberal governments recourse to the Emergencies Act on Saturday, after proceedings had to be suspended all day Friday due to the police operation. A vote is planned for 8 p.m. Monday.

The Liberals are virtually assured of a parliamentary majority for their use of emergency powers because the NDP has once again rallied round the government. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh vowed even before Trudeau proclaimed a public order emergency last Monday that his party would vote with the government. He added that the NDP would also support the militarys deployment on the streets of Ottawa, if needed.

No substantial section of the NDP has criticized the partys fulsome support for the strengthening of the apparatus of state repression. Long-time MP Charlie Angus told the National Post that voting for the Emergencies Act was the last thing he expected to do in parliament, but concluded by saying, Thats the responsibility of being an elected official. Sometimes youre faced with a tough situation and you have to make a decision.

The trade unions, which have played a pivotal role in blocking any opposition from the working class to the far-right Convoy and the dismantling of anti-COVID measures, have likewise failed to make any serious criticism of the governments use of emergency powers. In a statement released Wednesday, the Canadian Labour Congress made a vague declaration of support for people standing up to racism and hate, while not even acknowledging that the Emergencies Act had been invoked for the first time ever. As the saying goes, silence denotes consent.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the unions and NDP have been a critical bulwark of the Trudeau government and its homicidal open economy/open school policies, which have prioritized the accumulation of corporate profits over the protection of human life. While the unions have suppressed all expressions of independent working class opposition to the spread of the virus, the NDP has assured Trudeau a parliamentary majority on all key matters.

These organizations deliberately ignore the fact, proven by countless historical experiences, that moves to strengthen the powers of the capitalist state in the name of fighting fascism or the far right, invariably pave the way for repressive state action against mounting working class opposition. Moreover, the ruling elites ever more open reliance on security forces to uphold law and order will only serve to embolden the very same state institutions, like the police and military, that have long served as breeding grounds for the far-right and anti-democratic conspiracies.
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman and Jake Silverstein. New York, One World, 2021.

An old idiom advises to never judge a book by its cover. Yet the front cover of the recently released book version of the New York Times 1619 Project speaks as much in a few short words as the following 600 pages of text. The Project, the over title reads, is A New Origin Story, that has been Created by Nikole Hannah-Jones. The dust jacket flap adds a touch of clairvoyance, explaining that the volume offers a profoundly revealing vision of the American past and present.

The Times, which wishes readers to take the 1619 Project seriously as a reframing of American history, has said more than it intended.

Origin stories lie in the realm of myth, not history. Premodern societies produced, but did not create, origin stories. They were the work of whole cultures, emerging out of oral traditions that first humanized nature and then naturalized social relations. But in modern times, origin stories have indeed been created. Closely linked with nationalism in politics and irrationalism in philosophy, origin stories aim to fuse groups of people by lifting the race above the material class relations of history. Indeed, from the racialist vantage point, history is merely the emanation of the race, as Trotsky put it in words he aimed at Nazi racial mythmaking, but that serve just as well to indict the 1619 Project, which sorts actors in history into two categories: white people and Black people, and deduces motive and action from this a priori racial classification. [1]

That the 1619 Project was a racialist falsification of history was the central criticism the World Socialist Web Site leveled at it immediately after its release in August 2019, timing ostensibly chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first slaves in Virginia 400 years earlier. All of the 1619 Projects errors, distortions, and omissionsits insinuation that slavery was a uniquely American original sin; its claim that the American Revolution was a counterrevolution launched to defend slavery against British abolition; its selective use of quotes to suggest that Abraham Lincoln was a racist indifferent to slavery; its censoring of the interracial character of the abolitionist, civil rights, and labor movements; its insistence that all present social problems are the fruit of slavery; its stance that historians had ignored slaveryall of this flowed from the Times singular effort to impose a racial myth on the past, the better to teach our readers to think a little bit more in the racial way, in the leaked words of Times editor Dean Baquet. [2]

The exposure of the 1619 Project by the WSWS, and by leading historians it interviewed, has never been met forthrightly by the Times. Instead, Hannah-Jones, the Projects journalist-celebrity creator, egged on race-baiting and red-baiting social media attacks against critics, while New York Times Magazine editor Jake Silverstein demeaned them on the pages of the Times as jealous careerists, even as he surreptitiously altered the Project. All the while, backers of the 1619 Project said, Just wait for the book. It will erase all doubts. This drumroll lasted for two years.

The mountains have labored and brought forth a mouse.

The central achievement of the book version of the 1619 Project, released in December, appears to be that it is bigger. Weighing in at two pounds and costing $23, it is probably 10 times heavier than the magazine given out free by the thousands, errors and all, to cash-strapped public schools. Unfortunately for the Times, the added weight lends no new gravitas to the content, which, in spite of all the lofty rhetoric about finally telling the truth, new narratives, and reframing, remains unoriginal to the point of banality. The book does not inch much beyond the warmed-over racial essentialism that has long been the stock-in-trade of right-wing black nationalism, and which has always had a special purchase on the guilt feelings of wealthy liberals. The late Ebony editor, Lerone Bennett, Jr., remains unmistakably the dominant intellectual influence on Hannah-Jones and the entire project. [3]

Nikole Hannah-Jones (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Associacao Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo)

The Times has spared no expense to keep afloat its flagship project. This much shows. The volume is handsomely presented. The books 18 chapters include seven new historical essays, interspersed with 36 poems and short stories, as well as 18 photographs. If anything justifies the book, it is these photographs, which alone among the contents manage to convey something truthful about American society. Yet, in their artistic depiction of everyday black men, women, and children, the photographs actually express the commonness of humanity, contradicting the 1619 Project racialist aims.

The rest of the volume, the poetry and fiction included, bears the fatal marks of the racialist perspective. What emerges is an even darker and more unyielding interpretation of race in America than that which came across in the magazine. The book is replete with blatantly anti-historical passages, such as: There has never been a time in United States history when Black rebellions did not spark existential fear among white people  (p. 101); In the eyes of white people, Black criminality was broadly defined (p. 281.) One could go on. Every contributor engages in this sort of crude racial reductionism. There are no immigrants, Asians, Jews, Catholics, or Muslims, and only a few pages on Native Americans. The 1619 Project sees only white Americans and black Americans. And these monoliths, undivided by class or any other material factor, had already appeared in colonial Virginia in 1619 in their present form, prepared to act out their racially defined destinies.

A new preface by Hannah-Jones attempts to motivate the book by noting that Americans know little about slavery. She points to a Southern Poverty Law Center study that found only 8 percent of high school students can cite slavery as the central cause of the Civil War. This statistic is not surprising. It would also not be surprising to learn that less than 8 percent of recent high school graduates know, even roughly, when the Vietnam War happened, or whether The Great Gatsby is a novel or a submarine sandwich. This is not the fault of students or of teachers. The public schools have been starved of funding by Republicans and Democrats alike. History and art have been especially savaged in favor of supposedly more practical funding priorities.

In any case, the 1619 Project will help no one understand why the Civil War happened. The books overriding theme is that all white Americans were (and are still) the beneficiaries of slavery. This makes the Civil War incomprehensible. Why was the country split apart in 1861? Why did it wage a bloody war over the next four years, fighting battles whose death tolls stunned the world? Why did 50,000 men fall dead or maimed at Gettysburg in the first three days of July 1863, a half year after Lincolns issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation? Historian James McPherson, in works such as Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution and For Cause and Comrades, answers these questions. The 1619 Project cannot.

Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address. He is visible in the upper left, hatless

The 1619 Projects denial of slaverys role in the Civil War is probably clearest in the essays by Matthew Desmond, Martha S. Jones, and Ibram Kendi. Desmonds essay, Capitalism, which appeared in the original version and now reappears in slightly longer form, argues that Southern slavery was the dynamic part of the antebellum economy, and that the wealth generated from it also built Northern capitalism. Desmond has it backwards. The demand for cotton in the North, and especially in Great Britaina demand itself contingent on capitalist economic growthgave a new impulse to Southern slavery, and not the other way around. When the slave masters seceded and launched the Civil War, among their miscalculations was to overestimate their worth in the global economy, an error Desmond repeats.

Over the years of 1861-1865 the Southern planters were destroyed as a class. Yet their clients in Britain and the North found new sources of cotton and emerged still richer. Desmond, a Princeton sociologist, was brought on by the 1619 Project to pay some attention to economics. But he winds up denying a material cause and a material effect of the Civil War. Desmonds theory cannot explain why the war happened, why the North defeated the supposedly more advanced slave South, and why it is that today we live in a world dominated by the exploitation of wage workers, and not chattel slaves.

In her essay, entitled Citizenship, Martha S. Jones reduces the antebellum struggle for equality to the activity of the small free black population in the North, focusing on the Colored Conventions movement that began in 1830. She simply writes out of existence the abolitionist movement, which was majority white and eventually reached even into small towns across the North. The abolitionist movement was undoubtedly a major political factor in the expansion of civil rights to free blacksostensibly Jones subjectand in the coming of the Civil War, ultimately fusing with the anti-slavery Republican Party through figures such as Frederick Douglass. This counts for little to Jones and historians like her. They erect a wall between agitation against slavery, which they dismiss as mere cover for white racial interest, and what they call anti-racism, a contemporary moral-political posture they impose on history. White Americans of the past, even the most dedicated and egalitarian opponents of slavery, can never pass muster before these examiners.

Frederick Douglass, ca. 1879

This immense condescension of posterity, to borrow a phrase from the late English historian E.P. Thompson, reaches new depths in the essay by Kendi, whose career as an anti-racist has been so challenging to the powers-that-be that he has been showered with millions of dollars by the white institutions of the publishing, academic, and corporate endowment worlds. Kendi thinks he has discovered that the pioneering abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison was a patronizing hypocrite who actually reinforced racism and slavery (p. 430). No one in Garrisons time, neither friend nor enemy, thought so. It should be recalled that Garrison was himself nearly lynched by a racist mob in 1835. Frederick Douglass, in his beautiful eulogy delivered in 1879, said that Garrison

moved not with the tide, but against it. He rose not by the power of the Church or the State, but in bold, inflexible and defiant opposition to the mighty power of both. It was the glory of this man that he could stand alone with the truth, and calmly await the result [L]et us guard his memory as a precious inheritance, let us teach our children the story of his life.

William Lloyd Garrison

After tarnishing the precious inheritance of Garrison, Kendi moves on to Lincoln. He rehashes the thoroughly debunked claim that the Emancipation Proclamation, the greatest revolutionary document in American history after the Declaration of Independence, was a mere military tactic. In Kendis way of seeing things, Lincolns order only made it incumbent on Black people to emancipate themselves. He goes on, And that is precisely what they did, running away from enslavers to Union lines (p. 431).

Kendi does not seem to fathom that the Emancipation Proclamation made these men and women legally free when they ran to Union lines, rather than runaway slaves with the property claims of their masters still operative. But then again, Kendi does not even ask himself what the Union army was doing in the South. His essay is called Progress. This must be meant ironically. Kendi sees no progress in history.

The bringing in of Jones, of Johns Hopkins University, and Kendi, of Boston University, is meant to clothe the 1619 Project in immense authority. A couple of other efforts have been made along these lines. Here too, a law of diminishing returns seems to have imposed itself on the Times.

Ibram Kendi

Stung by criticism that she had no sources in the original publication, Hannah-Jones has plugged in, ex post facto, 94 endnotes to her framing essay, which the editors have now given the title Democracy. Not much else has changed from the original version, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in commentarynot historyfor what the prize committee charitably called Hannah-Jones highly personal style. The new footnotes lead to many URLs as well as personal conversations with historians, including Woody Holton of the University of South Carolina, who has staked his professional reputation to the 1619 Project.

Sent in to provide authority, Holton is responsible for the most clamorous new error introduced into the present volume. Hannah-Jones quotes Holton as saying that the Dunmore Proclamation of November 7, 1775, a British offer of freedom to slaves of masters already in revolt, ignited the turn to independence for the Virginian founding fathers George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison (p. 16), supposedly because they feared losing their human property. Unfortunately for Holton, at that point Washington was already commanding the Continental Army in war, Jefferson had drafted his tract A Declaration of the Causes & Necessity for Taking Up Arms, and Madison, then only 24, had joined a revolutionary organ, the Orange County Virginia Committee of Safety.

Woody Holton (Alcethron)

This is not an innocent mistake. Holton and the 1619 Project get the sequence of events wrong to support another fiction: that the true, never-before-revealed (and undocumented!) motivation of the Founding Fathers in 1776 was to defend slavery. These are fatal errors. And yet there is a still larger issue. Whatever the individual motives of Washington, Jefferson, and Madisoneven if a single letter, article, or diary entry might one day be found from among their voluminous writings demonstrating that they staked their lives and sacred honor to defend slaveryin assessing the significance of the American Revolution much more than this must still be taken into consideration. Why was it that the great slaveless majority of colonists supported Americas second-bloodiest war for six long years? Why did thousands of free blacks enlist? And further, what was the relationship between the American Revolution and the Enlightenment, whose thought contemporaries believed that it embodied? What was its relationship to that which historian R.R. Palmer called the age of the democratic revolution that swept the Atlantic in its wake? What was its connection to the destruction of slavery in the US and elsewhere over the next century? How did it relate, ideologically, to subsequent anti-colonial struggles? An utter lack of curiosity about these and other critical questions characterizes the entire volume.

A few contributors manage to make certain valid historical points. Times columnist Jamelle Bouie provides treatment of the vociferous pro-slavery advocate, John C. Calhoun of South Carolina who saw no difference between slavery and other forms of labor in the modern world (p. 199). Khahlil Gibran Muhammad gives a useful survey of the sugar plantation system. But as a whole, and Bouie and Muhammad notwithstanding, the books various chapters are formulaic in the extreme. They identify present-day social, political, and cultural problems in exclusively racial terms, and then, each performing the same salto mortale, impose the present diagnosis on history.

Health care, the massive prison population, gun violence, obesity, traffic jamsthese, and many more problems, the Times wishes us to believe, are rooted in endemic anti-black racism first imprinted in a national DNA in 1619. The Times, a multi-billion dollar corporation closely tied to Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus, does not want readers to consider more obvious, and much more proximate, causes for Americas social and political illsfor example, the extreme polarization of wealth that has reduced 70 percent of the population to paycheck-to-paycheck existence, while the ranks of billionaires swell, their wealth doubling with astonishing frequency.

As it turns out, it is all about wealth, and more specifically, cash, as Hannah-Jones admits in a concluding essay: [W]hat steals opportunities is the lack of wealth  the defining feature of Black life, she writes (p. 456). This essay is entitled Justice. A call for race-based reparations for blacksany individual who can show documentation that he or she identified as a Black person for at least ten years. (p. 472)it originally appeared in the New York Times Magazine on June 30, 2020, under the title What is Owed.

Lack of wealth is not the defining feature of black life in America. It defines life for the vast majority of the American and world population. But Hannah-Jones is not calling for any sort of class redistribution of wealth. On the contrary, if her proposal were put into effect, the federal government, which has not authored a substantial social reform since the 1960s, would inevitably direct money away from the little that remains to support students, the poor, the sick, and the elderly of all races. The proceeds would go to blacks regardless of their wealth, including to people such as herself, for whom lack of wealth is not a defining feature of life. Only recently, for instance, Hannah-Jones charged a California community college $25,000 for a one-hour, virtual engagementthis being the charitable discount rate of her speaking fees.

In putting its imprimatur on a call for race-based reparations, the Times could not have come up with an issue more beneficial to the Trump-led Republican Party than if it had been dreamed up by Stephen Bannon himself. Hannah-Jones, of course, claims that her proposal is not meant to pit races against each other. She simply takes it for granted that the races have separate and opposed interests. On this, black nationalists and white supremacists have always agreed. Indeed, Hannah-Jones appears to be completely oblivious to the dangerous implications of the federal government, which would distribute the money, dividing Americans up by race (p. 472). The categorization of people into races by the state has been the starting point of some of historys worst crimesthe Third Reichs annihilation of Germanys Jews being only the most horrific example.

The existence of chattel slavery is also one of historys monumental crimes. But it was a crime in an unusual, premodern way. Slavery was inherited blindly, without questioning, from the colonial past. It was the most degraded status in a world where personal dependency and unfree labor were the rule, and not the exceptiona world of serfdom, indentured servitude, penal labor, corvee, and peonage. The American Revolution, for the first time in world history, raised slavery up as a historical problem in the sense that it could now be consciously identified as such, both because its existence was obnoxious to the revolutions assertion of human equality and because slavery stood in contradistinction to free wage labor, which grew rapidly in its aftermath. These contradictions breathed life into various attempts to end slavery peacefully. Such efforts came to naught. In a cruel paradox, the growth of capitalism, and its insatiable demand for cotton, nurtured the development of what historians have called a second slavery in the antebellum. Historical problems as deep-rooted as slavery are not given to simple solutions.

English convictsmen, women, and childrenchained and bound for the colony for terms of service

Yet, four score and seven years later, the Civil War, the Second American Revolution, ended American slavery, hastening its demise in Brazil and Cuba as well. In the longue duree of slaverys history, which reaches back to the ancient world, this is a remarkably compressed period. There are many people alive today who are 87 years old, a time span that separates us from 1935. That year, the high-water mark of the social reformism of Franklin Roosevelts New Deal, the Wagner Act was passed, securing the legal right for workers to form trade unions of their own choosing. The New Deal never did succeed in securing a national health care system, a relatively modest reform that has since been realized by many nations, but which has eluded the US for the intervening 87 years. By way of comparison, in the 87 years separating the Declaration of Independence from the Gettysburg Address, the United States destroyed slavery, an entire system of private property in man. It did so at a terrible cost. Lincoln was not far off when he said in his Second Inaugural Address that every drop of blood drawn with the lash might be paid by another drawn with the sword. Some 700,000 Americans had already died when he said those words.

Lincoln

Lincolns political genius lay in his unique capacity to link the enormous crisis of the Civil War to the American Revolution, and to the still larger question of human equalitythat is, to extract from the maelstrom of events the true, the essential. He did this most famously at Gettysburg, when he explained that the war was a test of whether or not the founding principle that all men are created equal  shall perish from the earth. Lincoln knew well, as he put it in another speech, that the occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must risewith the occasion, before quickly adding, We cannot escape history.

Our time is also piled high with difficulty, and we can no less escape history than those alive in the 1860s. Nearly 1 million Americans have now died in the COVID-19 pandemic, part of a global death toll of some 6 million, according to the official counting. There is a clear and present danger of war with nuclear-armed Russia and China. Social inequality has reached nearly unfathomable levels. Basic democratic principles are under assault. Manmade climate change threatens the ecology, and ultimately the habitability, of the planet. These are major historical problems, to say the least. It was once commonplaceand certainly not unique to Marxists, as Lincolns words showto appreciate that major problems cannot even be understood, let alone acted upon, without an objective, truthful, approach to history.

[1] Leon Trotsky: What Is National Socialism? (1933).

[2] Inside the New York Times Town Hall. Slate. Accessed February 8, 2022.

[3] Hannah-Jones has repeatedly acknowledged Bennetts influence. See Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America. Chicago, Ill.: Johnson Pub. Co., 2007; and Forced into Glory: Abraham Lincolns White Dream. Chicago: Johnson Pub. Co., 2007.
On May 16, 2020 Ahnaf Jazeem, a young Sri Lankan Muslim poet and a teacher, was arrested by the notorious Counter Terrorism and Investigation Department (CTID) and imprisoned on trumped up allegations of promoting Islamic extremism under the countrys draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Nineteen months later, on December 15, 2021, he was released on bail under harsh conditions. The High Court judge ordered Jazeem to produce three sureties to the value of 500,000-rupee (about $US 2,500) and to report to the CTID office in Puttalam, about 100 kilometres south of his hometown in Mannar, on the first and fourth Sunday of every month. He is currently under surveillance by Military Intelligence.

Ahnaf Jazeem, third from left, with his family members after being bailed out (WSWS Media)

Other bail conditions include no contact or interference with witnesses involved in the case and that the court be informed of any change of his permanent address. The immigration department was ordered not to issue a passport to Jazeem.

The poet taught at the School of Excellence, a private international school located in Puttalam, and he boarded at a building owned by Save the Pearls, a Muslim charity organisation for the education of underprivileged children. The police have attempted to link the charity to Islamic extremist propaganda and arrested one of its board members, Hejaaz Hizbullah, a prominent human rights lawyer, on concocted accusations.

The CTID arrested Jazeem, claiming that his poetry book Navarasam , written under his pen name Manaramudhu Ahnaf, promoted extremism and falsely accused him of teaching extremism to his students. In fact, the poems condemned the murderous policies of ISIS, as well as US-led imperialist wars, and promoted peace and ethnic unity.

A literal translation of the poems, which could be misinterpreted, was submitted to the court along with a psychiatrists report, which wrongly claimed that the book incited violence, aroused sexual feelings, promoted suicide, glorified death, and fuelled hatred against the perpetrators of violence against Muslims.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and Action Committee for the Defense of Freedom of Art and Expression (ACDFAE) initiated by the WSWS have been waging a campaign for his unconditional release.

In the following edited interview, Jazeem explains the harsh and torturous conditions he faced in police custody and in prison.

WSWS: Why and how were you taken into custody?

AJ: I was arrested in order to use me in a communalist campaign. I was expecting the police to come to my home because my book Navarasam had been featured in the Hiru TV news [notorious for its communalist campaigns] when the police ransacked my boarding house room at Puttalam, following the arrest of Hejaz Hizbullah.

Soon after, the police came to my home at Mannar and took me in custody with my belongings, including mobile phone, lap-top and books, promising to release me within three days after inquires. However, I was detained at the Vavuniya branch of CTID, which accused me of teaching extremism, showing extremist videos to children, and supporting ISIS.

I attempted to prove that Im against extremism and ISIS by reading my poems from Navarasam, but they tried to force me to accept their charges. They asked me why I didnt have Buddhist books, while having other religious literature.

Navarasam book cover

WSWS: Given that your poems prove that youre against extremism, what was your detention aimed at?

AJ: They wanted to extract a confession from me that I was teaching extremism to school children, was a supporter of ISIS, and that I learnt extremism from the Naleemiah Institute of Islamic Studies [a private Higher Education Institute for Muslims]. They mentally tortured me in order to get me to write a statement declaring that I learnt extremism from Naleemiah. Unable to bear the mental torture I relented and had to write a false letter against Naleemiah.

They called me an ISIS supporter and they wanted me to accept this. Four people relentlessly asked me the same questions for a whole day, without allowing me any sleep for several days.

I was initially tied to a chair for two weeks. They removed my spectacles and forced me to read. Reading without glasses brought tears to my eyes. The police claimed I was crying because I was the culprit. They even prevented me calling home.

I was forced to kneel, hands tied back and with my legs crumpled. My head was pushed against the table, and I was kept for a long time with my hands handcuffed and locked behind my back. They threatened me with more brutal and painful torturing methods like hogtying.

I struggled to sleep with handcuffs for about three months, and sometimes in places where they were throwing garbage. Sometimes they put cuffs on my legs at night, which kept me in pain throughout the whole night because I was unable to turn. I suffered from mosquito bites and had bugs, cockroaches and huge rats running over my body. A rat once bit me.

I was detained on the 6th floor but the toilets were on the 2nd floor and officers would not allow detainees to pass urine until after the morning. We had to continuously plea with them to allow us to go to the toilets. Sometimes they would not allow us to close the doors of the toilets, suspecting that we might try and escape. We had rashes, wounds and bleeding that were not treated.

They tried to prevent me meeting with a lawyer. After my lawyer finally got an opportunity to visit me at the CTID building, they detained me for a month in a hell-like small cell with no ventilation. I was sweating all day and night.

I was then transferred to a prison in Tangalle [down south], where I faced the same sort of treatment. Sometimes they gave me spoiled food. I had no freedom to write and was not even allowed to watch the TV news.

Finally, they remanded me at Colombo Remand Prison and brought me before the courts without informing my family or lawyer. The remand prison was very unclean and crowded with 50 people, even though it only had space for 30. There were no COVID-19 health measures at all.

When a remanded person was brought back to prison after being produced before the court, they were searched by the Special Task Force soldiers. If it was a Muslim, they told them to strip down naked and they checked their anus by inserting a needle in it with a light.

WSWS: Did you meet others who faced this situation?

AJ: Yes. There were several people, including Tamils who were detained as suspects of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and suffered torture. Some were detained for eight to nine months. I saw them torturing one person by hanging him and puncturing his genitals with a pen. A Tamil youth was severely beaten for two weeks until he agreed to accept a confession.

The officers think they are all powerful under this [PTA] law. Police told me that they could even detain me for 18 months and then remand for 10 or 20 years.

CTID officers got the signatures of detainees on blank sheets of paper and then they wrote in the confessions. My statements were wrongly translated and they threatened me unless I signed them.

Im released [on bail] but without freedom. I cant do my teaching job and am unable to speak freely with my relatives and I feel the police and intelligence services are spying on me. Two military personnel have come to my home twice. In this situation, as you know, anything can happen and at any time.

Anhaf Jazeem addressing a literature meeting

WSWS: Why were you targeted by the government?

AJ: The government wanted to show that it was arresting as many extremists as possible and try and show that it was suppressing extremism. Their aim is to create hatred among the Sinhalese against Muslims.

Despite the ethnic divisions, more than 1,700 people signed the online petition launched by the ACDFAE to defend me, which indicates that there is genuine interest in the working class for justice and democracy. People want to live united and dont want communalism. The politicians are trying to divide people.

WSWS: What was your response to the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attack?

AJ: I wrote a poem condemning the Easter Sunday attack and expressing solidarity with Christian society and the victims. The ISIS has nothing do with Islam. There is no room in Islam for massacring people. The people who allowed it to happen are in the government and in the opposition now.

WSWS: Can you comment on the campaign conducted by WSWS, the SEP and the ACDFAE for your release?

AJ: I learnt about it through my family members after my release. Actually, I never thought such a huge campaign would be carried out to defend me. I read the WSWS during my school time in English and Tamil but I never thought it would meet me in this way. Im very thankful to your organisations for their campaign, which brought the issue into focus and the legal procedures.

I have a confidence now that there are people who give voice to the fight for democratic rights and give life to it. We have to reject all ethnic and religious discriminations.

WSWS: You have written about the US-led occupation in the Middle East and you know that Washington is pressuring Sri Lanka over war crimes and human rights violations, to toe the USs line against China. How do you see this?

AJ: US imperialism, which is killing innocent people around the world, is not doing this [pressuring the Sri Lankan government] for democracy.

There are many innocent people imprisoned, including Tamil political prisoners, for years. The fight to release all political prisoners is important in defending democratic rights.

WSWS: Can you comment on the fact that the Tamil and Muslim political parties are not campaigning for the release of political prisoners?

AJ: They do not represent democratic rights.

WSWS: What do think about the SEPs policies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic?

Ahnaf Jazeem after his release

AJ: Actually, the governments have reopened the economy and left the people to die for their profits. I agree with your policies to eradicate the pandemic on the basis of proper scientific health measures. This is an opportunity to develop the consciousness of the working class against the ruling class. I agree that the brutal exploitation of working people should be stopped.

WSWS: Can you comment on our campaign to defend WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange?

AJ: Assange has not committed a single crime and should be released. He was detained because he has exposed the truth to the world. I support the WSWS campaign to defend him.
On January 12, the World Socialist Web Site launched its annual New Year fund drive with an appeal from David North, Chairman of the International Editorial Board of the WSWS and National Chairman of the Socialist Equality Party in the United States.

In opening the appeal, North stated, New Year 2022 marks the beginning of the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Humanity is in the midst of the greatest crisis since the two world wars at the first half of the 20th century.

Since this was written just over a month ago, the official global death toll from COVID-19 is hurtling towards 6 million. The imperialist powers, led by the United States, are preparing a war with Russia that could escalate into World War III.

From the beginning of the pandemic, only the WSWS has explained that this crisis will not be stopped by medical measures alone and requires the active intervention of the working class organized as an independent political force. Workers all over the world are fighting back against the criminal policies being carried out by a ruling class that has subordinated public health to their insatiable drive to accumulate profit.

Testimonials for the New Year fund sent by WSWS readers and supporters point to the critical role that the site, now entering its 25th year of publication, has played in countering the lies and propaganda of the corporate media.

We have compiled in this article testimonials from the United States and Canada submitted so far. We encourage all of our readers to donate to the New Year fund and submit your own testimonial.

Many testimonials focused on the unique coverage that the WSWS provides on the pandemic and the fight for a strategy to eliminate COVID-19 worldwide, and the growth of social inequality.

Beverly, a retiree in California and longtime supporter of the WSWS, wrote, Were it not for the WSWS, these two past pandemic years would appear to me as a discordant series of endless contradictions and distractions. Now we are being told to forget the virus! Send students and workers back to their schools, their jobs. I support the WSWS because it is the only publication that offers its rapidly growing readership an understanding of the dynamic underlying todays chaotic reality and a way forward to change society.

Beverly

Geraldine, another supporter from California, wrote, Every day since its inception, I check into the WSWS for the latest news. The pandemic and global warming threaten the very survival of humanity. While both dilemmas indisputably require a global response to ensure our survival, astonishingly the Socialist Equality Party is the only political party that fights for this. I consider it a privilege to donate to the WSWS.

Jerry from Michigan commented, In the current context, scientific knowledge on COVID-19 is essential and the WSWS is playing a critical role in providing this knowledge and drawing out its political implications. They counter the lies justifying the herd-immunity policies of the ruling class. This gives working people the tools to fight against the fraud of a safe reopening of the schools.

Jerry

Ted, a worker from Michigan, stated, As the inequalities and contradictions of capitalism grow ever larger during the COVID-19 pandemic, the working class requires an honest, thoroughly focused, and historically grounded development of class consciousness. The only reliable source for this is the World Socialist Web Site .

Keith, a reader and supporter from Alabama, wrote, The criminal mishandling of the pandemic in pursuit of profits by capitalist governments worldwide, the growing threat of fascism, and mounting socioeconomic inequality prompted me to change politically. Capitalism needs to be replaced with socialism, where workers own the means of production so we can end social inequality. I believe the Socialist Equality Party and the ICFI represent the best avenue to organize workers and educate them. This is what the WSWS is working to do.

Keith

Commenting on the New Year appeal from David North, James in California wrote, Beautiful erudition and just plain common sense in the New Year video appeal from David North. Everyone should read and/or listen to and heed these eloquent words!

Multiple testimonials spoke to the unique role that the WSWS plays in keeping its readers informed about world events and the global class struggle.

Vanessa from Michigan commented, The WSWS is a reliable source of what really happens in our world. Their reporting of domestic and international events punches a hole in the usual messaging that we are constantly bombarded with. Everyone is entitled to the truth. This is the organization that will give you the truth.

Vanessa

Anthony from Ohio stated, New year, same battles. Thats why Im giving my money to the Socialist Equality Party. I know that when we win this thing, itll be because the international working class has wrested control from the powers that be.

Aaron from Virginia wrote, There is nothing more valuable to me right now than the ability to stay informed. The WSWS has surpassed all other sources for information. I feel connected to all the struggles of my working-class brothers and sisters worldwide. The ICFI and SEP is the way forward for international socialism, and for humanity.

Corey in Nebraska wrote, The level of reporting, the range of subjects covered, the consistency, the honesty  if something major happens in the world, I can always count on the WSWS to analyze it in the proper light and give it the perspective it needs.

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25 years ago: Cape Breton workers rebel against mass unemployment

Map depicting Cape Bretons location in Nova Scotia and Canada. Source: Wikipedia

On February 24, 1997, hundreds of workers from across Cape Breton Island, in the province of Nova Scotia in Atlantic Canada, demolished a non-union building site.

Five hundred construction workers and their supporters converged on the building site in Sydney, Cape Bretons largest city, outraged by mass unemployment and union-busting, and frustrated by the failure of traditional forms of protest. They chased away two security guards and 17 non-union building workers, then set the unfinished apartment complex on fire. As news of the action spread, the crowd quickly swelled to over 1,000 participants.

For two hours the protesters prevented firemen from putting out the blaze. Fearing that they would be overwhelmed in a confrontation, Cape Breton Regional Police contented themselves with videotaping the protest and preventing more workers from joining.

Unemployment on Cape Breton, historically a center of trade union and working class political action in Canadas Maritime provinces, was at 26 percent. All of the islands main industriescoal mining, steel making, and fishinghad been dramatically downsized throughout the early 1990s. Out of a total population of 170,000, over 14,000 were unemployed.

Due to cuts to unemployment insurance, over 1,000 jobless construction workers were forced onto welfare. Unionized construction workers were also the target of a government-sponsored drive to promote the spread of cheap labor. In 1994, the Liberal provincial government enacted legislation to bar unionized workers from refusing to work with workers employed by non-union contractors.

The eruption in Sydney expressed the exasperation of the rank-and-file with the program of the trade unions and their ally, the social-democratic New Democratic Party. In response to the ruling class assault on jobs, union rights, and social programs, the official labor movement coupled impotent protests with ever-deepening class collaboration.

Union officials decried the protest, joining with the press in labeling it Black Monday. Cliff Murphy, head of the Cape Breton Island Building and Construction Trades Council, blamed the protest on a few radicals. At a meeting with the Sydney mayor, Murphy and other union leaders vowed to prevent any further such protests and to join with business and government in seeking to attract investment to the island.

50 years ago: Coal slurry dam break kills 125 in West Virginia

West Virginia in red on U.S. map. Logan County is in the southwestern portion of the state. Source: Wikipedia

On February 26, 1972, after days of heavy rain, a coal slurry dam in Logan County, West Virginia burst, sending a massive flood down Buffalo Creek that killed 125 people, injured over 1,000, and made more than 4,000 homeless.

The failed dam was owned by the Pittston Coal Company. It impounded about 132 million gallons of hazardous wastewater from the coal production process. After the initial dam gave way, two other dams downstream also burst, unable to contain the rush of coal slurry. It poured into the main river, already high from rainfall, and then gushed down into inhabited areas, sweeping away and crushing houses in its path.

There were numerous warnings that the dam was in danger of failure, yet no effort was taken by the coal company or the government to make repairs or warn residents. The West Virginia Department of Natural Resources had conducted inspections in the years and months leading up to the disaster. Many of them found that the impoundment dams had little to no actual engineering behind them. One report found that the company installed a pipe that it called an emergency spillway, but that it served no real function besides trying to fool concerned workers and inspectors.

In the days leading up to the disaster there were clear signs that the dam would fail. Workers and residents in the area made numerous complaints to the coal company of the danger. Company officials dismissed the concerns and insisted that there was no reason for fear.

In a book on the disaster, Gerald M. Stern recounted the stories of many workers whose lives were devastated. One miner, Ronald Staten, described how he narrowly survived by jumping from the roof of his home while holding onto his son just before the house was swallowed up. He was unable to save his pregnant wife who was trapped inside, When I looked back and saw her, she said, Take care of my baby Thats the last time I saw her.

After the disaster and the public becoming aware that the Pittston Coal Company knowingly ignored warnings of dam failure, mass outrage forced the West Virginia government to launch an investigation. The state sued the company, originally asking for $100 million in damages. But with government representatives fully in the pocket of the company, a settlement was eventually reached for just $1 million. While the report made clear that the company was responsible for the 125 deaths and other devastating impacts of the flood, no criminal charges were ever filed.

The tragedy, and the indifference of the company and the state to it, contributed to a mood of militancy among coal miners in West Virginia and beyond, who, over the next decade, fought bitterly for decent wages and safety. Logan County had long been a center of the coal mining industry, and home to one of the most exploited and militant sections of the American working class. It was the site of the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921, in which thousands of miners took up arms against local police and company thugs, prompting the Harding administration to deploy the Air Force against them.

75 years ago: Fritz Von Papen, accomplice of Hitler, sentenced to hard labor

Hitler, left, and von Papen

On February 24, 1947, a denazification court in US-controlled West Germany sentenced Franz von Papen to eight years hard labor for his central role in the coming to power of Adolf Hitler, and his unending support for the fascist regime that resulted. Papens fortune was to be seized, but his conditions of labor were to be suited to his advanced age.

The far-right Catholic politician had been a prominent figure in German politics dating back to the First World War. Papen entered politics in direct opposition to the revolutionary struggles that erupted at the conclusion of that conflict. When workers under the leadership of the Communist Party carried out an uprising in the Ruhr in 1920, Papen took command of a Freikorps division that oversaw their violent suppression.

He would go on to become a prominent leader of the Centre Party, rejecting any collaboration with the reformist Social Democrats on account of their base in the working class and association with socialism. Amid the social crisis and political upheaval of the Great Depression, Papen was appointed German Chancellor by President Paul von Hindenburg in June 1932. Papen formed a right-wing government dubbed the cabinet of barons. He was in constant discussions with the Nazis. Following the November 1932 election, Papen was removed as Chancellor, having failed to secure a majority of support in the Reichstag. He continued to meet regularly with von Hindenburg, agitating against General Kurt von Schleicher, another far-right figure, his replacement as chancellor.

Papen held a meeting with Hitler in January 1933, at the home of top banker Kurt Baron von Schroder, at which the two agreed to collaborate against Schleicher. Later in the month, it was secretly decided that Papen would serve as vice-chancellor in a Hitler government. Hitler revealed his plans to dissolve the Reichstag, enact emergency powers and institute a dictatorship. Papen sought to dampen down the concerns of his political associates. He helped convince Hindenburg to name Hitler chancellor, giving the Nazis state power, on January 30, 1933.

The decision expressed the will of key sections of the German ruling elite. They had decided to bring the Nazis to office in order to combat the threat of social revolution and smash the working class. Only three Nazis held cabinet positions in Hitlers first government, alongside eight traditional bourgeois politicians such as Papen who had thrown in their lot with the fascists.

Papen would be sidelined but continued to serve as a functionary in the Nazi regime as it marauded across Europe and committed genocide against the Jews. He was acquitted in the Nuremberg Trials. His arrest and prosecution in the denazification proceedings coincided with a US bid to consolidate its rule in western Germany, amid the first stages of the Cold War. Papen, however, was released on appeal just two years after his sentencing in 1949. He lived as a free man until 1969, dying at the age of 89.

100 years ago: Workers in Moscow celebrate fourth anniversary of Red Army

Trotsky and Lenin surrounded by Red Army in 1921 at Tenth Party Congress

On February 23, 1922, in what the New York Times called the largest review since the days of the emperor, the Soviet Commissar of War, Leon Trotsky, reviewed the Moscow garrison of the Red Army from a platform in the Kremlins Red Square, on the fourth anniversary of its founding.

The Workers and Peasants Red Army had been founded only four months after the 1917 October revolution at a time when the White Guard armies and foreign military intervention threatened the new Soviet Republic from every side. The Red Army had been built up from armed workers militias and remnants of the Tsarist army by Trotsky, who began by recruiting socialist workers and workers in general, and then the poorest peasants.

Over four years, it succeeded in beating back not only British, French, Japanese and American imperialist armies on the territory of Russia, but also the various counterrevolutionary armies of Denikin, Kolchak, and Yudenich that sought to destroy the revolutionary regime during the Russian Civil Warover a front stretching thousands of miles from Ukraine and the Baltic in the west to Siberia in the east to the Caucasus in the south.

The Red Army not only fought the enemies of the Soviet republic but taught its soldiers to read and gave them a basic education in socialist ideas. In the course of the Civil War, Trotsky and the Bolsheviks were able to educate an outstanding cadre of commanders. As the New York Times was forced to recognize, the army on display in Moscow, was as different from the tattered, undisciplined Red Army of 1918 as the Concord farmers of 1776 were from [World War I American] General Pershings picked battalions.

At the Moscow assembly, Trotsky spoke from the podium, summing up the international situation and the future of the world revolution. Within this context he placed the development of a professional and class-conscious workers army:

Each warrior, whether he be worker or peasant, must know and understand that at the basis of the world lies the law of change of matter, that  man has taken  his destiny into his own hands, that he is going forward, opening up new worlds, casting down all rulers from their thrones both heavenly and terrestrial, and saying: No, I do not need any sovereign lordsI am man, organized in socialism, I am the master and the ruler of all things.
The Johnson government is ratcheting up its war propaganda while detailing Britains plans for a military escalation in Eastern Europe and Ukraine, targeting Russia.

In his speech at the Munich Security Conference and an interview with the BBC Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson all but declared war with Russia inevitable. He went further than any other NATO power leader, telling the BBC that Russia is planning for something that could be the biggest war in Europe since 1945 just in terms of sheer scale. All the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at the Munich Security Conference, 19/02/2022 (Picture by Andrew Parson/No 10 Downing Street/Flickr)

Echoing US President Joe Bidens statement Friday that Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine, and without providing a shred of evidence, Johnson said information had come from intelligence agencies that an imminent Russian assault on Ukraine would be mounted from Belarus. People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entailnot just for Ukrainians but for Russians.

In Munich, Johnson warned that if dialogue fails and if Russia chooses to use violence against an innocent and peaceful population in Ukraine, and to disregard the norms of civilised behaviour between states, and to disregard the Charter of the United Nations, then we at this conference should be in no doubt that it is in our collective interest that Russia should ultimately fail and be seen to fail.

At every stage of NATOs provocations, Johnson has referenced the large number of Russians who would die in any war. At Munich he declared, I fear that a lightning war would be followed by a long and hideous period of reprisals and revenge and insurgency, and Russian parents would mourn the loss of young Russian soldiers

He threatened, If President Putin believes that by these actions he can drive NATO back or intimidate NATO, he will find that the opposite is the case. Already the UK and our allies are strengthening the defences of the eastern flank of NATO.

Johnson has positioned Britain as the attack dog of US imperialism. The Sunday Times noted, Officials say the UK has greater flexibility to push for a tough line on Moscow now the country is outside the EU. We arent forced to worry about the slowest-moving EU countries, said one.

Detailing the UKs military build-up just a few hundred miles from Moscow, Johnson said, We are increasing the British contribution to Exercise COLD RESPONSE by sending our newest aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, and 3 Commando Brigade.

We are doubling our presence in Estonia to nearly 2,000 troops; we have increased our presence in Poland to 600 troops by sending 350 Marines from 45 Commando; we have increased our presence in the skies over south-eastern Europe with another six Typhoons based in Cyprus; we are sending warships to the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea; and I have placed another 1,000 troops on stand-by to respond to any humanitarian emergency, which we all fear is increasingly likely.

Johnson boasted that Britains support for Ukraine had escalated since the 2014 coup led by neo-Nazi battalions which forcibly ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych: We have been helping Ukraine, training 22,000 troops and, in recent months, in response to the threat, we have been among the nations to send defensive weaponry in the form of 2,000 anti-tank missiles.

The prime minister cheered the expansion of NATO to Russias doorstep. In the amazing years following the dissolution of the Iron Curtain, NATO opened its doors to 14 states after 1999, and we cannot allow our open door to be slammed shut.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, outdid even Johnson in asserting that Putin was preparing to militarily take over not just Ukraine, but half of Europe. Hes been very clearhis ambition doesnt just lead to him taking control of Ukraine, he wants to turn the clock back to the mid-1990s or even before then. The Baltic States are at risk the Western Balkans as well.

Putin has said all this publicly, that he wants to create the Greater Russia, that he wants to go back to the situation as it was before where Russia had control over huge swathes of Eastern Europe.

The staggering implications of Britain being dragged into the vortex of the biggest war in Europe since 1945, which would result in the deaths of millions, is being systematically concealed from the population. Parliament has been in recess over the past 10 days and never at any stage was there even a suggestion that it be recalled to discuss a war that Johnson insists has already begun.

No debate can be permitted, even under conditions in which the vast majority of MPs from all parties back NATOs provocations against Moscow. The government, the nominal opposition parties and the media know:

1. That the Russian invasion narrative is a pack of lies used to further the geo-political aims of the major imperialist powers, culminating in the eventual dismemberment of Russia into myriad statelets and their enslavement.

2. That there is no support for such a filthy predatory war in the British and international working class.

The Sunday Times had to point out: There are aides around Johnson who think Russia has a point when it objects to Ukraines ambition to join Nato. One source close to Johnson said: Ukraine in Nato is not something the US would put up with on its borders. Its something that is open to discussion.

The herd immunity policy of Johnsons despised government is now responsible for the deaths of over 180,000 people. In the last three months the partygate scandal has wracked his premiership. A critical element in his inflaming tensions with Moscow is to deflect outwards, through the identification of an external foe, the staggering social and political tensions in the UK. The Sunday Times, in an article headlined, Ukraine couldnt have come at a better time for Boris Johnson, pointed out these additional benefits for Johnson, with Ukraine taking the lockdown parties scandal off the front pages.

The overwhelmingly pro-war constituency among Britains ruling elite was underscored in the response of Labour MPs to a petition published February 16 by the Stop the War Coalition declaring that Britain should be advancing diplomatic proposals to defuse tension and seek a solution to the crisis over Ukraine rather than ratcheting it up. This milquetoast appeal secured the backing of just 12 Labour MPs and three peers in the House of Lords. The MPs signing were all from the dwindling rump of the Socialist Campaign Group, including Labours former leader Jeremy Corbyn, who sits as an independent, having had the whip withdrawn over a year ago by current party leader Sir Keir Starmer using the anti-Semitism witch-hunt.

Such is the frothing sentiment for war within ruling circles that over half of the Socialist Campaign Group, who number just 34 MPS out of Labours total of 198, refused to sign even the timid declaration offered up by the STWC.

A genuine anti-war movement opposing imperialist aggression that threatens hundreds of millions of lives can never be built by such forces. It must be built on firm political foundations and rooted in the working class, the great revolutionary force in society capable of defeating the warmongers and ensuring world peace.
Weather Alert

...The National Weather Service in Indianapolis IN has issued a Flood Warning for the following rivers in Indiana... White River at Elliston and Edwardsport. Wabash River at Montezuma. .Multiple rounds of rain over the last few days including today will lead to minor flooding along lower portions of the White River and upper portions on the Wabash River. Additional rainfall later this week should keep portions of the White and Wabash above flood stage through Saturday. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/ind. This statement will be updated within the next 12 to 24 hours. && ...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT TO SUNDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Wabash River at Montezuma. * WHEN...From late tonight to Sunday evening. * IMPACTS...At 18.0 feet, Montezuma agricultural levee is overtopped. Fourteen hundred acres of low bottomlands flood. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 10:45 AM EDT Tuesday the stage was 9.1 feet. - Forecast...The river will oscillate around flood stage with a maximum value of 16.4 feet early Saturday morning. - Flood stage is 14.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
'It was just really debilitating': Sun Prairie mom recounts her young daughter's harrowing fight against MIS-C
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in Zurich

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The main political grouping in the European Parliament called on Monday for a review of Switzerland's banking practices and for the country's possible inclusion in the EU's dirty-money blacklist after leaks of Credit Suisse documents.

Media outlets published the results of investigations into a leak of data on thousands of accounts held at the bank in past decades and said they appeared to show clients included human rights abusers and businessmen under sanctions.

Credit Suisse said it strongly rejected any allegations of wrongdoing and that the media reports were based on "partial, inaccurate or selective information taken out of context".

The European People's Party (EPP), the conservative grouping which holds the biggest number of seats in the European Parliament, called on the EU Commission on Monday to "re-evaluate Switzerland as a high-risk money-laundering country" as part of the next review of the list.

The European Commission, which is responsible for drafting and reviewing the list, declined to comment on the EPP's statement. A spokesperson pointed to the fact that the list was updated last month and no time had been set for the next review.

"Today, Switzerland meets all international standards on the exchange of information in tax matters and on fighting against money laundering, terrorist financing and corruption," the finance ministry's State Secretariat for International Finance said in an emailed statement.

"The 'Swiss Secrets' findings point to massive shortcomings of Swiss banks when it comes to the prevention of money laundering," the EPP's coordinator on economic affairs Markus Ferber said.

"When Swiss banks fail to apply international anti-money laundering standards properly, Switzerland itself becomes a high-risk jurisdiction," he added.

"Apparently, Credit Suisse has a policy of looking the other way instead of asking difficult questions," Ferber said. When asked about the group's statement, the bank said it had nothing to add.

The EU list currently comprises over 20 countries who are deemed to have shortfalls in their rules and practices against money laundering. Among them are Iran, Myanmar, Syria and North Korea. No European country is on the list.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio in Brussels; additional reporting by Michael Shields in Zurich; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Hugh Lawson)
The debate on HB2272 has started. Should Pennsylvania get out of the business of selling liquor, essentially going with private wholesalers and retailers?

As the statewide political voice for family-owned taverns, bars, and licensed restaurants, it has raised a question among members of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association. What would the new liquor world look like in Pennsylvania if HB2272 were to be successful? For these small business establishments which supply tens of thousands of jobs that support our state and local economies, its a question that seems to have more questions than answers.

The states liquor business is a web that mixes sales, codes and politics. When you make a change in one area, it impacts others.

Tom Tyler owns McStews Irish Sports Pub in Bristol Township. Hes also president of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association (PLBTA) which represents small business taverns and licensed restaurants.

In philosophy, the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association agrees the state should not serve as a wholesaler or retailer of liquor. We also realize there are problems within the states liquor system that need to be fixed, particularly antiquated liquor codes.

Unfortunately, HB2272 doesnt look to fix outdated liquor codes. It doesnt even promise family-owned establishments that theyll be better off when purchasing their liquor to run their businesses.

For the taverns, bars and licensed restaurants we represent, supporting HB2272 is like taking a leap of faith, not knowing if our members will be protected from unintended consequences. As such, we cant take a position on HB2272, but offer suggestions to improve it.

Lets realize that because of Pennsylvanias very complicated liquor business, it is critical that if the state exits the liquor sales business that it is does so in a way to show its support of small business establishments. Our mom-and-pop taverns, bars, and licensed restaurants should not have to worry that theyll be destroyed. Meaningful protections and liquor code changes are necessary.

With politics involved in this complicated business, there is a legitimate concern that large, well-funded players, including those from out-of-state, will have an advantage in a new liquor world. Major players would view HB2272 passage as an opportunity to rework the liquor code, tilting it in their favor. Its not farfetched to believe HB2272 as it stands today could set off a series of political actions impacting all phases of liquor control, licensing, and enforcement.

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Wed rather see the glass half full by improving upon HB2272, but with the potential for unintended consequences it looks half empty.

Tom Tyler owns McStews Irish Sports Pub in Bristol Township. Hes also president of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association, which represents small business taverns and licensed restaurants.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bar owners wonder if privatization bill is half full or half empty
KITTERY, Maine  Free universal preschool won't be coming to town in the 2022-23 academic year due to a state funding shortfall, according to Kittery schools Superintendent Eric Waddell.

Waddell has notified local private preschool and nursery operators that the school district has hit a big speed bump in starting a town pre-K program, despite being awarded a sizable preschool grant from the state.

This is a change from November 2021, when Waddell proposed a pre-K program to the School Committee, when he believed state funding would allow it to happen. That has changed, he said.

Eric Waddell, superintendent of the Kittery School District.

The specific challenges involve our capacity to get a program up and running before the fall, Waddell wrote in a letter. In addition, we have come up against some significant funding obstacles for the program. Grant funds from the state of Maine came up short, and additional education funding from the state just did not come to fruition.

Waddell wrote he wont recommend a preschool program in the districts budget for fiscal year 2023 when he gives a budget presentation to the Kittery School Committee on March 1. Last fall, Waddell initially surveyed private preschool, nursery school, child care center owners and families regarding their interest in a pre-K public school program.

'Build trust': Police in York, Kittery, Eliot to hire case manager for mental health needs

The estimated cost to form a full-day preschool program running each weekday for about 64 students was about $840,000, Waddell said in a recent interview. The largest district expense would have been to pay four teachers and four educational technicians.

Its pricey. Eighty percent of our budget is to pay for our people, Waddell said.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills office announced last month $2.7 million worth of grant funding from the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan was being given to 14 state school districts to create or expand preschool programs. Kittery was on that list, with the Maine Department of Education announcing the town school district would get $514,481.

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Waddell said after state adjustments to the grant the final figure was $508,473.49. Unfortunately, the grant money can't be used to pay staff, the superintendent said. It is required the grant is used for operating costs, such as bus transportation and technology and classroom supplies.

Look inside: Kittery's expanded Rice Public Library reopening soon.

The total cost of the preschool program would be more than $800,000, leaving a $330,000 deficit, Waddell said. That deficit in reality is even higher though, he added, because the grant can't be used to pay teachers.

Further complicating funding a new program, Kittery schools were hit with the news the district would receive 8.5% less in state subsidies this year for the overall budget in 2022-23. The drop in subsidy funding, Waddell said, comes in part because Kittery's property values have increased by $172 million, a key factor in the state funding formula. Waddell said decreases in the school districts enrollment and costs of special education services last fiscal year were also factors.

Will Kittery try for preschool program again next year?

Theres a need for pre-K in Kittery and Ill continue looking into it, and the School Committee maintains its commitment to that, Waddell said. But we also have to wrestle with this very challenging (state) funding formula and Kitterys high valuation.

The pre-K program would have operated out of the Kittery Community Center and would have required the district leasing space with the town.

The grant funds from the Department of Education are only for one year, so Waddell said there was concern over how the program would be paid for in the future, which contributed to his recommendation to postpone it.

Waddell first came to the Kittery school district in 2012 and said he was surprised to learn that the town did not have a preschool program. The superintendent shared that there is a greater concentration of preschool programs in the states rural counties that are typically characterized as areas that are economically disadvantaged.

Here in Kittery there are a lot of families that dont have that advantage, he said of available child care options. This would have been a great opportunity to get those kiddos a year earlier."

The postponement of a potential town pre-K program comes two months after a local Head Start program at the Kittery Community Center suspended operations because of low student enrollment and staffing shortages.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kittery ME schools won't add pre-K in 2022-23
Nina Simone - Photo: Mike Lawn/Evening Standard/Hutton Archive/Getty Images

Stephen Marley is set to release Celebrating Nina: A Reggae Tribute to Nina Simone. The seven track EP features as many female artists revisiting songs written or previously covered by Simone, with exquisitely crafted one-drop reggae rhythms further embellishing Simones category-defying sonics.

Seven is a significant number to me and my brothers because Bob had seven sons, explained Stephen, the youngest child of Rita and Bob Marley, in an interview with Billboard.

This project is about preserving Nina Simones legacy, passing it on to younger generations, including my children, because you dont often find music this substantial. When we started the project, we reached out to Ninas daughter (Lisa Simone Kelly) and to the Nina Simone Foundation to establish a connection; we want to donate a portion of the proceeds to the things that she was all about.

Simone, who survived an abusive marriage, battled alcoholism and suffered for years with an undiagnosed bipolar disorder, succumbed to breast cancer on April 21, 2003; in her will, she requested her estates residuary gifts be held in trust to create a charity supporting the musical education of Black children in Africa.

'Celebrating Nina: A Reggae Tribute to Nina Simone' will be released March 18 on the Marley familys Ghetto Youths International imprint. The first single, Four Women, by Jamaicas Queen Ifrica, dropped on April 26, 2021, the 52nd anniversary of the recording of the 1969 album Nina Simone Live At Berkeley.

Simone wrote Four Women in 1965 about a quartet of Black females, each rejecting the stereotypes imposed upon them and seeking their own self-definition; Queen Ifricas expression of righteous indignation captures Simones intent.

Marley began working on the Nina Simone tribute EP over five years ago, motivated by his admiration for her musical genius.

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Music from the past, artists like Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, speak to my mood, my soul. Because of the racism they faced years ago, you can hear the commitment they had towards pursuing their talent and the passion they put into their music, which remains very potent today, Marley said in a statement.

Simones activism is something Marley would like to see more of from this generation. The world is upside down right now and if more people spoke out directly like Nina Simone did, I think wed be in a different situation. From her performances to her lyrics to her activist personality, Nina Simone is one of a kind and her spirit lives on

Pre-order Nina Simone's Feeling Good: Her Greatest Hits And Remixes.

For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music.

uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG.
Russian forces stepped up shelling against portions of Ukraine, but stopped short of an invasion that many experts predicted might come on Sunday.

Experts had widely viewed Feb. 20 as a potential day for an invasion of Ukraine, the date official exercises in Belarus between Belarusian and Russian military personnel were slated to end. Belarusian Minister of Defense Viktor Khrenin said in a statement Sunday that the presidents of Belarus and Russia decided to continue assessing their forces due to the increase in hostilities with Ukraine.

Russian soldiers did not cross into Ukraine on Sunday, but heavy shelling continued.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that by late Sunday morning alone, pro-Russian forces had violated the ceasefire agreement 20 times, including through using mortars, anti-tank grenade launchers and artillery systems to shell over a dozen Ukrainian settlements. One Ukrainian soldier was killed during the attacks, and another was wounded.

NATO forces have also moved into heightened readiness. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on CBS News Face the Nation on Sunday that NATO nations were prepared should military operations escalate.

We have reinforced and implemented the biggest reinforcement of collective defense since the end of the Cold War, with battlegroups in the Baltic region in  in Poland, with increased defense spending every year since 2014 and with a higher readiness of the NATO forces, Stoltenberg said.

The attacks came as up to 190,000 Russian soldiers continued to move toward the Ukrainian border from almost all sides.

Russian forces appear to be taking final positions for a possible attack. If so, they could be able to do it within a matter of days, said Michael Kofman, Russia studies director at CNA.



Open source intelligence reports show there are Russian forces north of Kiev in Belarus and trailing along Ukraines border with Russia, down to Crimea in the south, Kofman told POLITICO.

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If Russia attacks, Kofman said it will likely begin with an airstrike because there are a large number of aircraft deployed near the Ukraine border. He expects Russia will encircle Kiev, and simultaneously envelop the bulk of Ukrainian forces in the eastern part of the country.

The White House and Department of Defense declined to comment on Russian troop movements on Sunday, while the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA did not respond to requests for comment.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters in Lithuania on Saturday that Russian forces are now beginning to uncoil and move closer to the border, and that military field hospitals, logistics and combat aviation were in command and controls modes.

U.S. and European officials are also on high alert for Russian cyberattacks against Ukrainian critical infrastructure and potentially against Western allied nations. Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, told reporters at the White House on Friday that the Biden administration was formally attributing Distributed Denial of Service attacks that took out Ukrainian government websites and some banking operations last week to the Russian government. Neuberger warned that more attacks had likely been planned against Ukrainian critical systems.

The U.S. government believes that Russian cyber actors likely have targeted the Ukrainian government, including military and critical infrastructure networks, to collect intelligence and pre-position to conduct disruptive cyber activities, Neuberger said.
The fracturing of society in recent years under the strain of Donald Trumps presidency and the racial reckoning spurred by George Floyds murder has had one positive consequence: A widespread awakening of interest in the American past.

Curiosity about the countrys history has been a pathway to something more bracing: Sharp arguments about the meaning of the past, and about the lessons people living today should draw from the lives of people who died long ago.

Long-forgotten lives, like the dozens of people killed in the Tulsa race massacre, are being vaulted into public consciousness. More controversially, people who long enjoyed revered status in the national story are being dethroned as national heroes.

Historical reappraisal has been especially vigorous in a particular arena: the U.S. presidency. Woodrow Wilson, a president whose reputation among many historians placed him in the ranks of near-great leaders, has in recent years become toxic because of new attention to his deeply prejudiced racial views.

On the other hand, it is still treacherous to take on presidents of Rushmore-sized stature. Liberal San Francisco voters recently evicted school board members whom they judged too preoccupied with left-wing advocacy, including efforts to rename public schools honoring George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.

The presidency itself, like so many aspects of American culture, is now in the middle of ideological crossfire between left and right. Is there a way that the center can find its voice in arguments about the presidency?

Yes, there is. A good way to start would be to cancel the day we mark today: Presidents Day.

One hastens to add: The aim is not to cancel, in the contemporary sense of the word, any particular president. Lincoln and Washington  the two presidents most closely linked with Presidents Day  face stiff challenges when judged by contemporary standards, but they arent the targets here. Instead, it is the notion of Presidents Day  an inane name for a dubious concept that is less a show of genuine respect for American history than an insult to it.

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The problems with Presidents Day are intertwined with a basic challenge of how Americans think about their history  or, really, how the people of any country think about their national story. There are two conceptions of what it means to learn history  always in tension with each other, and sometimes in flat contradiction.

One conception  the kind of history we start learning in elementary school  is a kind of civic religion. Like real religion, this brand of history relies on homilies. Stories are told to make a point, and the point is typically to highlight virtuous dimensions of national character. The story can feature setbacks and bad guys, but the good guys should win in the end  with a patriotic lesson for the audience to carry away. The characters in this kind of history are marble statutes.

The other conception of history is something quite different  a disciplined effort to reconstruct the past as it actually happened. This enterprise relies on evidence that is always fragmentary and on interpretive arguments that are never settled with finality. This brand of history aims to liberate its audience from national mythologies, and its characters are not marble heroes. They can suffer from bad tempers, diarrhea, self-doubt  the last entirely justified, given that, unlike people who will later study their histories, they have no idea whats about to happen next, or how their decisions will look in hindsight.

So while one style of history studies the past in search of moral clarity, the other is attuned to moral ambiguity. One kind of history aims to create national heroes. The other kind  even when it is not expressly aimed at demolishing heroes  cant help but dismantle the reputations of presidents and other outsize figures, revealing all manner of unheroic traits.

A brand of history that embraces reality over myth, and ambiguity over sharp moral judgments over heroes and villains, ultimately offers far more useful lessons for a democracy.

Lincoln is the best example. For a century and a half he has defied most efforts to dismantle his historical reputation. Yet as his San Francisco critics know it is not hard to find unheroic elements of his record.

Here is the man school children know as the Great Emancipator at the famous 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates: I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and Black races.

These are words that are repugnant to our ears today. But Lincoln is also the author of words that are nearly as resonant now as they were in 1865. His second inaugural address was the most searching meditation on power, humility and citizenship ever delivered by an American leader. A month before the end of the Civil War, and his own assassination, Lincoln noted how neither North nor South had envisioned a conflict so violent:

Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes.

The Almighty has His own purposes is the enduring answer  in our own age, or in any age  to fanatics of all varieties, people who feel they are acting on the will of God, or of some other messianic design. The words likely represent the most enduring truth ever uttered by a U.S. president.

Which brings us back to the day: Whats the problem with Presidents Day?

The superficial problem is it a confection. In federal law, the holiday is still designated as Washingtons Birthday. It is a fluke of the calendar that the first presidents birthday, February 22, falls so close to the birthday of Lincolns, February 12. This, combined with the wishes of car dealers and mattress sellers, led to people transforming the holiday on the third Monday in February as an all-purpose Presidents Day. The name suggests we honor Lincoln and Washington no less than Richard Nixon or Warren G. Harding or Donald Trump.

This hints at the more profound problem. A democracy really shouldnt be mythologizing presidents at all. From the left it seems obvious that we dont need a holiday honoring 46 presidents, all of them men. From the right it seems obvious that we dont need to be honoring the aggrandizement of Washington-based politicians.

Yes, by all means lets keep a day off to reflect on lessons of the American past. But lets make this about real history  an invitation to humility and renewed commitment to national purpose  rather than mythological history, an invitation to arrogance and complacency. A better name would be Citizens Day. It seems likely Lincoln himself would agree.
President Joe Biden on Monday reacted swiftly to Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring he would recognize the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, possibly using the move as a pretext for an invasion the U.S. has warned was likely coming at any hour.

The White House said Biden would soon issue an executive order "that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in" the two Ukrainian regions under the control of Russian-backed separatists, Donetsk and Luhansk.

The order "will also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. She added that the U.S. "will also soon announce additional measures related to todays blatant violation of Russias international commitments."

But the White House added these sanctions were not the same punishing ones the U.S. has threatened for weeks -- crippling Russia's banking sector, restricting access to semiconductors, targeting Putin and those close to him, and more -- if Russia actually launched an invasion.

"These measures," Psaki said, "are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine."

The European Union said it, too, would "react with sanctions against those involved in this illegal act" of recognizing the Ukrainian regions' independence, which are under the separatists' partial control.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his administration's efforts to pursue deterrence and diplomacy in response to Russia's military buildup on the border of Ukraine, from the White House in Washington, Feb. 18, 2022. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

The announcements came soon after Putin said during a televised address that he would recognize the regions' independence.

I believe that its necessary to take a decision that has long been coming  to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donesks Peoples Republic and the Luhansk Peoples Republic, Putin said, using the names the separatists use for the regions.

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Moscow already de facto controls the two self-declared republics, which make up only a portion of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, with the authorities answerable to Russian operatives.

Putin's announcement and subsequent decrees he signed recognizing the regions' independence -- expected to be ratified by Russia's parliament on Tuesday -- raised the question of whether he would then take the more provocative step of formally annexing them, and sending Russian troops into Ukraine.

The American sanctions were comparable to the actions the U.S. took after Russia invaded Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, and most people impacted would already have likely been subject to sanctions anyway, according to Thomas Graham, who served as the White House National Security Council's director for Russia under George W. Bush.

"These aren't going to have much of an impact, if at all," on what Russia does moving forward, Graham, an expert on Russia at the Council on Foreign Relations, told ABC News.

During Putin's lengthy speech, Biden spoke on the phone for 35 minutes with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the White House.

Biden also spoke for half an hour today with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanel Macron, according to the White House; both spoke with Putin over the past couple days.

Earlier, Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, all arrived at the White House for a meeting of Biden's national security team on Presidents Day morning

Previously, while the U.S. and Western allies have said they would be united in imposing severe sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine, they had been more ambiguous about what steps they would take if Russia stopped short of a full-on invasion. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that Russia recognizing the regions' independence would "necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our allies and partners."

MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates: Biden, Putin agree to possible summit

The White House meeting came a day after officials said Biden was, "in principle," open to a summit with Putin, brokered by France's President Emmanuel Macron, on the condition that Russia did not invade. Russian officials were cool to the idea on Monday.

During their meeting with Putin, Russia's defense minister, foreign minister, chiefs of intelligence agencies, and the heads of parliament and senate, all called on Putin to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk.

PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a joint news conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following their talks in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Feb. 18, 2022. (Sergei Guneyev/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Biden said Friday the U.S. had "reason to believe" that Russia would invade "within days." On Sunday, U.S. officials told ABC News that lower-level Russian tactical commanders had been making plans on the ground, at the local level, to invade Ukraine.

A senior Biden administration official said Sunday that no plans existed yet for a potential Biden-Putin summit, and that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would discuss the format and timing later this week  as long as Russia did not invade.

MORE: 'I don't believe it's a bluff,' Defense Secretary Austin says of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine

The diplomatic proposal emerged from two calls Macron held with Putin and one with Biden Sunday; his second with Putin began around 1 a.m. Moscow time Monday morning, according to the Elysee Palace.

PHOTO: A map shows the location of Ukraine and the Russian controlled regions in the East and Crimea. (ABC News)

Biden told Macron that, "in principle, he would be prepared to meet with Putin if President Putin stood down from his invasion," Biden's top national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said in an interview with "Good Morning America" on Monday.

But, Sullivan added, "We can't say anything other than indications on the ground look like Russia is still moving forward."

MORE: Why Americans should care about the Ukraine-Russia conflict

Meanwhile, during their meeting in Moscow, Putin and top Russian national security officials bluntly questioned the usefulness of holding any new summit with Biden, suggesting it would be pointless unless the United States had changed its position.

Putin said that Macron suggested there were some "changes" in the U.S. position, although he added he could not see what they would be. Russia's foreign minister said he would speak to his French counterpart today  but was sure the U.S. would not provide positive responses to Russia's needs.

Even as U.S. officials warned a Russian invasion appears imminent, they also said they were still open to talking.

"We never give up hope on diplomacy until the missiles fly or the tanks roll," Sullivan said. "We've been working hard for months with our allies and partners to get Russia to sit down in a serious way at the table."

But, he added, "The likelihood there's a diplomatic solution, given the troop movements of the Russians, is diminishing hour by hour."

ABC News' Cecilia Vega, Mary Bruce, Sarah Kolinovsky, Luis Martinez, Conor Finnegan and Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.

Biden responds with limited sanctions after Putin recognizes breakaway Ukraine regions originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Many parents were disappointed when the Food and Drug Administration decided this month to postpone consideration of COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5.

Experts said the decision was the right one. The FDA won't have enough data until the spring to judge whether a vaccine is safe and effective for young children, a half-dozen public health, infectious disease specialists and epidemiologists told USA TODAY.

Parent activists said the move made them question the agency's sincerity in providing shots for the youngest kids, wonder whether unreleased data was hiding anything and yearn even more for the day they can stop worrying about the health of their children and families.

"I think people are really forgetting the kids here," said Fatima Khan, co-founder of Protect Their Future, an advocacy group promoting COVID-19 vaccination for children. "This is impacting our kids and how people can live their daily lives."

Vaccines and medications are typically tested on adults first, then older children and when it's clearly safe, on younger ones, which is why there has been such a lag since adult vaccinations began.

During the pandemic, Khan said, there should have been more urgency, perhaps trials running at the same time rather than in sequence.

Khan said the FDA could allow pediatricians to provide vaccine to small children "off-label"  for uses other than those approved  as other medications are provided to children off-label after authorization in adults.

The data provided indicates that vaccine is safe at a 3-microgram dose being tested in children under 5.

The FDA and Pfizer-BioNTech have not been transparent, said Melissa Braveman, a pediatrician in Washington state and mother of two small children.

Releasing more specifics would help parents decide whether to get their child vaccinated, Braveman said.

If a vaccine was only 30% effective against severe disease and complications, she would get her children vaccinated, Braveman said, because "even modest protection is better than no protection, particularly with a vaccine and dosage that have already been demonstrated to be extremely safe."

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A health care worker administers a COVID-19 vaccine shot at the Anadarko Indian Health Center in Oklahoma in early November at an event featuring vaccines for children from 5 to 11.

Some parents of older children might let them get a higher vaccine dose  at the risk of a short-term fever  to provide protection. Children 5 to 11 are authorized to receive a 10-microgram dose, but Pfizer-BioNTech found that dose led to more fevers in younger children, so they went with the lower one.

"There's really a lot of room for us to think more creatively about solutions," Braveman said.

Pfizer vaccine for kids: The backstory

In December, Pfizer-BioNTech said early data from their trial in under-5s showed their vaccine did not boost the immune system as well in 2- to 4-year-olds as it did in older children and adults. The companies said they wanted to try a third dose, to see whether that would improve effectiveness, as it has in adults.

In late January, the FDA said enough evidence supported considering two doses for the youngest children, and data on a third would come later.

The FDA reversed course Feb. 11, saying data from the wildly contagious omicron variant suggested it was best to wait until the children in the trial could receive three doses. Neither the companies nor the FDA released detailed information to support their conclusions.

Pfizer-BioNTech said they expect the full data will be available in early April.

Other vaccine makers have been further behind Pfizer-BioNTech in studies of young children, though Moderna said in January it expects to report data in children ages 2-5 in March.

Logan Hute, 9, shows off his sticker after receiving his COVID-19 vaccine at Native Health Central clinic in Phoenix on Nov. 5.

Vaccines for the youngest children are urgently needed, despite the drop in cases as the omicron surge eases, Dr. Peter Marks, the head of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research that evaluates vaccine candidates, said in a news conference last week.

"There's still a staggering number of cases," he said, and always the possibility of a new variant. Parents of young children should make sure they're vaccinated themselves and continue to mask in public indoor settings, he added.

The FDA has to follow a careful process to ensure children are safe and well protected, he said.

Marks promised the FDA would consider vaccine data as it becomes available and schedule a meeting of its expert review panel as soon as possible after it has all the relevant information.

"We are absolutely committed to moving as rapidly as we can once we have a submission," he said.

'I don't envy FDA' : What experts say

Children 6 months through 4 years old are the least likely of any age group to have a severe COVID-19 infection, though at least 1.8 million young children have caught the virus and more than 400 have died from it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Particularly because the risk of severe disease in this age group is low, "it's very important to be sure that if a vaccine is used, it's safe and effective," said Dr. Jesse Goodman, a former FDA chief scientist and now an infectious disease specialist at Georgetown University and Veterans Administration hospitals in Washington.

Hopefully, a third dose will prove convincing, Goodman said.

First lady Jill Biden hugs Akeelah Osborne after she got the COVID-19 vaccination at Children's National hospital in Washington on Nov. 17, 2021. Biden visited clinics as part of a nationwide effort urging parents and guardians to vaccinate kids ages 5-11.

If it doesn't, and the FDA had authorized children to get two doses, "it would be very difficult for those who had gotten this regimen," he said. "I think we need the science to tell us."

The FDA was in a tough spot but acted responsibly by postponing the decision, said Dr. Ofer Levy, head of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children's Hospital and a member of the FDA advisory committee scheduled to consider vaccine for young children.

"I don't envy FDA," he said. "They are criticized for moving too slowly and too quickly."

When the advisory committee meeting was scheduled, parents felt like they were promised they would rapidly have access to a vaccine, said Dr. Shama Cash-Goldwasser, a senior technical adviser at Resolve to Save Lives, a global public health effort.

"I think what we're seeing is science working," she said. "It wasn't that the FDA has flip-flopped but that they have good, high standards about safety and efficacy, and they're consistently thinking about not cutting corners."

The communication around the postponement could have been better, though, Goodman said. "There is some concern that it confuses people or affects confidence (when public agencies change direction), but I think it's better to do the right thing. In the long run, that's always better."

What German doctors do

Some pediatricians have been vaccinating the youngest children in Germany, where it's legal to give children approved medications off-label.

Wolfgang von Meissner, a pediatrician in Baiersbronn in Germany's Black Forest, said he has vaccinated about 3,000 young children over the past nine months, starting with his own. He started "below the radar," using doses that were left over from vials of adult vaccine or unused doses about to expire.

In December, von Meissner's practice, the largest in the region, began a concerted effort to vaccinate children, including those under 5.

"We believe a 3-year-old or a 4-year-old does not have a different immune system than a 5-year-old," he said. "If you believe in vaccinating a 5-year-old, you should also do it for a 4-, 3- or even 2-year-old."

A child gets a COVID-19 vaccination in Upper Arlington, Ohio, in November 2021.

Trials that showed the vaccine was safe in young children reassured him, he said.

Parents must sign a waiver acknowledging that their children are receiving an off-label product and agreeing that they won't sue him or the government in case of injury.

Von Meissner said he has seen nothing worse in the small children he's vaccinated than a skin rash and a day or two of low fever  fewer side effects than he's observed with many other vaccines.

"I've seen most of the kids for a second shot," he said, and parents haven't complained about side effects. "They all tell me it was an easy vaccine, not comparable to measles or tetanus or the others they have to get."

Germany is enduring a wave of omicron infections, he said, as well as BA.2, another variant, so vaccinating children could help contain the pandemic.

"You weigh the risk of infection and risk of vaccination," von Meissner said. "It's always the vaccination that wins from our point of view."

Contact Karen Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.com.

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pfizer COVID vaccine for kids under 5: What experts say on FDA delay
COVID-19 Testing

Source: MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images / Getty



The end of an extremely sickly winter just might be near as promising data shows a swift decline in COVID-19 Omicron variant infection and hospitalizations. States with large metropolitan cities across the U.S. reported drops in the number of new cases, Associated Press reported. According to numbers extracted from New York Times coronavirus data tracker, the state of Georgia, where over 2.3 million people experienced COVID-19 infection, reported zero new cases as of Feb. 20. Thats down from just above 16,000 one month ago. New York state coronavirus infection dropped 64 percent with new cases diving from a daily average of 2900 to 1641. In Florida, where coronavirus infection reached 5,780,682, new cases dipped 70 percent over the last two weeks.

RELATED CONTENT: Put Ya Lighters Up: New Study Finds Cannabis Could Block COVID-19 From Entering The Body

In the midst of declining COVID-19 cases, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention intends to loosen indoor mask mandates in an effort to move past the pandemic, ABC News reported.

We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters in a press briefing on Feb. 16.

The CDC also shared in tweet that, though, COVID-19 cases have significantly decreased, community infection remains high.

While #COVID19 cases are dropping across the country, community spread is high. The 7-day average of daily new cases is 121,665, a 43% decrease from the previous 7-day period.

Get vaccinated as soon as you can & get a booster when you're eligible.

More: https://t.co/25VE6knFJF. pic.twitter.com/lwLRKFLjQq  CDC (@CDCgov) February 17, 2022

Despite how integral mask have been in overall infection reduction, restrictions may drop in March or as early as the final days of February, as several Democratic governors in the states of California, Delaware, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island are ready to move forward, the outlet notedpossibly due to the upcoming voting season.

To maintain personal protection and for the health of others, continued mask wearing is strongly advised. As well, COVID-19 vaccines and boosters continue to be available across the nation. Check the Coronavirus website for information on how to get immunized and receive the latest COVID-19 updates.
Security patrols outside the US embassy in Moscow in April 2021. Pavel Golovkin/AP

The US embassy in Moscow issued a security alert to Americans in Russia on Sunday.

The embassy told Americans to avoid crowds, carry ID, and have an evacuation plan.

The alert comes as US officials warn Russia could invade Ukraine at any time.

The United States embassy in Moscow on Sunday issued a warning to Americans in Russia about "threats of attacks" in urban areas, telling them to avoid crowded places.

"According to media sources, there have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine," the embassy said in a security alert.

The security alert tells Americans to "carry proper identification, including a U.S. passport with a current Russian visa," to "stay alert in locations frequented by tourists/Westerners," and to "have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance."

The US has already been urging Americans in Ukraine to leave.

The security alert comes as the threat of Russia invading Ukraine looms. The White House said Saturday Russia could attack Ukraine "at any time."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Valerie Boyd

Source: D. Millner

Valerie Boyd, who is widely known for her biography of Zora Neale Hurston entitled Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston died on Feb. 18, after a five-year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 58 years old.

The beloved editor and journalist rose to prominence in the world of literature writing and editing The Bitter Southerner and Gathering Blossoms Under Fire, a forthcoming compilation about the detailed journal entries of Pulitzer Prize Winner Alice Walker. Boyd also lent her incredible genius to the soon-to-be-released text, Bigger Than Bravery: Black Resilience and Reclamation in a Time of Pandemic, an anthology series based on Black resilience and reclamation.

The Georgia native spent two decades writing as a reporter and arts editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the space where she would hone in on her carefully crafted biography of Zora Neale Hurston, a piece that undoubtedly became one of her largest literary achievements.

According to The Washington Post, it took the esteemed journalist nearly 5 years to piece together extensive research on Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston. The book, which was published in 2003, covers Hurstons upbringing in the all-Black town of Eatonville, Florida, through her literary activity during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s. Boyd takes readers on a journey as she masterfully paints the illuminated adventures complexities and sorrows of Hurstons extraordinary life.

Boyd previously told In Motion Magazine in an interview:

Because I am a Black Southern woman, I felt very close to Zora, as if I could paint a picture of her life almost from the inside out. I wanted to give readers a sense of what it was like to be Zora, to walk in her shoes, to live inside her skin.

The Atlanta native was widely adored by her students and staff at the University of Georgia where she led the Master of Fine Arts program in narrative nonfiction writing. According to the AJC, the innovative program brings diverse groups of students together with highly experienced writers and editors to tell true, deeply reported stories.

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One of the star authors students, Martin Padgett told the publication that he was deeply moved by the thought, care and dedication she gave to students in the course.

Because I sat in that classroom in that building and Valerie Boyd had orchestrated all these great speakers and all this great hand-holding into translating journalism in long-form  I got it right away. I just understood, Padgett explained. And then I understood how lucky I was to be in that group.

Because of Boyd, Padgett went on to write A Night at the Sweet Gum Head: Drag, Drugs, Disco, and Atlantas Gay Revolution, which has been reviewed by esteemed publications such as The New York Times and the AJC Decatur Book Festival.

Friends and family were shocked by Boyds untimely passing. According to the journalists close friend of 30-years, Veta Goler, she rarely spoke about her condition despite having gone through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment prior to her death.

I cant believe how much she did in her short years on the planet, Goler, a retired Spelman College dance history professor and Boyds power of attorney said. But she made that happen for other people as well. She was incredibly generous with her time, with information, with love, with encouragement.

The famous biographers childhood friend, Sonya Ross spoke about Boyds kind and attentive spirit.

When you had conversations with Val, she was studying you in the whole conversation, or at least you felt studied. She was listening intently to everything you had to say.

Valerie Boyd is survived by her older brother Michael and her niece Kaylisha.
Amid the recent furor over major crimes apparently committed by defendants out on low bail, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is standing his ground.

Barnes, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, once sponsored a bill to end cash bail in the state.

The 2016 measure would have barred judges from using the "nature, number and gravity" of the charges as the sole reason to hold a defendant before trial. Instead, a judge would be required to release a defendant unless there was "clear and convincing evidence" that a defendant was a flight risk or a danger to an individual or a witness.

In a statement, Barnes' campaign said he remains firmly in support of his proposed legislation, which didn't make it out of committee. His campaign likened the plan to one adopted in New Jersey under Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

President Joe Biden has also said he would like to end cash bail, though he's taken no real steps to do that.

If elected to the U.S. Senate later this year, Barnes would even support a bill to eliminate the use of cash bail nationwide, his aide said. The federal justice system does not use cash bail as a condition of a defendant's pre-trial release.

"The lieutenant governor believes we should decide who is imprisoned before their trial begins based on how much of a risk they pose to the community, not on how much money they have," Maddy McDaniel, spokeswoman for Barnes' campaign, said in response to a series of questions from the Journal Sentinel.

Subscribe to our On Wisconsin Politics newsletter for the week's political news explained.

But that's not all.

The Milwaukee Democrat also pushed a bill in 2016 that would have lowered the penalty for bail-jumping in certain instances.

Under Barnes' plan, if defendants facing felony charges violated the terms of their release before trial, they would be hit with a misdemeanor if they did not commit a new crime while on the lam. The penalty now would be an additional felony charge.

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McDaniel said he still supports this proposal. The campaign declined to make Barnes available for an interview to discuss his views on criminal justice reform.

The former two-term lawmaker's campaign responded to questions on these issues just months after Darrell Brooks, 39, was released on $1,000 bail five days before the parade attack that killed six and injured more than 60.

Brooks was free on bail in a case in which he was charged with punching and running over the mother of his child with the same SUV he is accused of using to kill and injure those at the parade. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholms office released a statement saying a prosecutor had recommended an inappropriately low $1,000 bail in Brooks earlier felony domestic violence case.

Brooks has been charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide

That is just one of several recent Milwaukee County cases in which defendants released on low bail have been accused of major criminal acts, including domestic homicide and shooting a police officer.

These incidents have stoked widespread outrage, much of it directed at Chisholm, and prompted proposals to change bail policy in Wisconsin.

McDaniel said Barnes' proposals are aimed at making sure no individual can get out of jail by paying a certain amount of cash.

"Dangerous individuals like Darrell Brooks shouldnt be able to get out of prison by paying $1,000 or $100,000," McDaniel said. "The bottom line is money shouldnt have anything to do with public safety."

Asked if Barnes has advised Gov. Tony Evers to fire Chisholm, as some individuals have suggested, McDaniel said, "The lieutenant governor believes thats a decision best left to voters."

Others aren't so sure his plans would keep the state's streets safe.

Not only does Mandela Barnes oppose holding bad actors like John Chisholm accountable, but he wants to enable more violent criminals like Darrell Brooks to walk free via reckless cash bail policies," said Anna Kelly, spokeswoman for the Republican Party.

"Unlike Barnes, Wisconsinites dont have access to taxpayer-funded private security," Kelly said, "and after Wisconsinites watched the Waukesha attack in horror, his views couldnt be more out of touch with the mainstream, and theyre disqualifying for the U.S. Senate.

Johnson just recently came out against the nomination of Milwaukee County Court Judge William Pocan, accusing him of granting low bail to people accused of violent offenses.

Other Democrats in race stop short of backing elimination of bail

Barnes' top opponents in the U.S. Senate race aren't on board with him on totally eliminating cash bail as a condition of pretrial release. The winner of the Democratic primary in August will take on U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in November.

State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski said cash bail should remain in place for violent crimes or dangerous, repeat offenders. But Godlewski said she did favor reforming the system for those charged with committing "non-violent, minor infractions."

"We need the courts and police focused on serious dangerous crimes, and we dont want to over-prosecute small infractions," said Sarah Abel, spokeswoman for Godlewski.

Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson staked out a similar position.

"Bail needs to be reformed, not abolished," Nelson said. There must be bail reform of some kind because the current system is effectively a debtors' prison."

In his county, Nelson said, officials use what they call "evidence-based decision making." The judiciary works with the criminal justice treatment services staff, he said, to determine the risk level of defendants and make decisions as a result.

Nelson said the program has the support of both Republicans and Democrats.

Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry said he believes there is inherent inequality in the current system.

Lasry said people who pose no danger to the community should not be held in jail just because they can't afford to pay their bail. But those arrested for violent crimes should not be released no matter how much money they can post.

"Its very clear that the current system isnt working," Lasry said.

Later, a Lasry spokesman for the campaign said now is not the time to eliminate cash bail. The focus should be, the Lasry spokesman said, on reducing the number of dangerous people on the street.

None of the three candidates supported Barnes' proposal to reduced the penalty for bail-jumping.

"NO," Nelson wrote.

The debate over cash bail is being played out nationally.

Barnes' campaign points to the results in New Jersey, which allowed more people to remain free while awaiting time by eliminating cash bail in most instances.

In the year after making these changes in 2017, one study said, 95% of defendants were released pretrial and 89% of them appeared at their trial date.

In addition, California did away with cash bail for people who couldnt afford it last year, and Illinois became the first state in the country to do away with it entirely. That change takes effect next year.

But Wisconsin lawmakers are pushing measures to bolster the cash bail system in the wake of a spate of major crimes apparently committed by defendants released on low bail.

In all, lawmakers have submitted 10 proposals to alter the terms of pretrial release in Wisconsin.

One constitutional amendment proposed by Republicans would require Wisconsin judges to factor in defendants charges, criminal record and public safety risk in setting cash bail. Right now, judges are to determine the amount of bail based on whether a defendant is a flight risk or a danger to society.

Another would set minimum bail amounts for criminals who have already been convicted of a felony or violent misdemeanor.

"Wisconsin lives are in danger because of the low bail that soft-on-crime judges and DAs are currently setting," said Sen. Julian Bradley, a Franklin Republican who is co-sponsor of that legislation. "This revolving door for criminals must end."

But John Gross of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School told the Kenosha News this month that Wisconsin is moving in a different direction from other states eliminating or restricting the use of bail.

Theyre not seeing spikes in recidivism, their costs are down and public safety is at the same level, but more people are out on the street, he said. And so I feel like Wisconsin is bucking the trend here.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 313-6684 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mandela Barnes supports ending cash bail nationally, an aide says
John Sullivan was barely out of his teens when his uncle William, a Foreign Service officer who served as the last U.S. ambassador in Tehran, was briefly taken captive at his embassy during Irans revolutionary tumult in 1979.

Four decades later, Sullivan himself is an American ambassador and under siege in a different, but still eerie, way. Hes in Russia, trying to stop a war, while leading an isolated, barely staffed embassy under constant watch and pressure from the Kremlin.

If history is rhyming, its partly because Sullivans uncle  whose experience was captured in a Newsweek cover Sullivan proudly displays in his office  deeply impressed upon him the importance of public service and respect for Americas diplomats. Those beliefs are why, even though he was a political appointee of President Donald Trump, Sullivan agreed to stay in Moscow when asked by President Joe Biden.

It may be passe now, but I was taught that when a president asks an American to serve, only the most compelling excuse can justify a refusal with great remorse, Sullivan said this weekend in written responses to a series of questions from POLITICO. And I had no excuse, because I love my job, and I love working with my colleagues at Embassy Moscow.

Sullivan and his shrunken team are likely to be pushed to their limits in the days ahead. The Biden administration expects that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will soon re-invade Ukraine after amassing more than 150,000 troops along the Ukrainian border. The conflict could be the biggest land war in Europe in decades, and Sullivan is a critical interlocutor in Moscow, even as the Kremlin makes his life harder by the day. Hes the one whom the Russian Foreign Ministry summons when it wishes to air grievances, whose qualifications are questioned in state-run Russian media, or more recently, who is handed written demands from Russia over what it might take to prevent another invasion of Ukraine.

Hes in an awful position, said Russia analyst Daniel Fried, who spent decades in the Foreign Service. Sullivan is surrounded by more official hostility than any U.S. ambassador in Moscow since George Kennan, whom the Soviet Union kicked out in 1952, Fried said. Of course, the threat of a war makes it worse.

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Row after row of empty cubicles

Sullivan, who previously served as deputy secretary of State under Trump, is one of a rare species in the U.S. political scene: a moderate with respect from across the political spectrum and within the government bureaucracy.

Hes managed to keep that respect despite having to carry out some uncomfortable tasks, such as telling U.S. diplomat Marie Yovanovitch that Trump was pushing her out as the Americas ambassador to Ukraine, part of a series of incidents that led to Trumps first impeachment and subsequent acquittal.

Hes a really good human being, Fiona Hill, a former National Security Council official who advised Trump on Russia, said of Sullivan, echoing many others. For the Russians, its very important to have someone they can talk to. Hes a guy they know. They know hes a straight shooter.

When Sullivan took over as ambassador, as Trump began his final year in office, relations between Washington and Moscow were already in a downward spiral, not least due to Russian interference in U.S. elections and despite Trumps repeated efforts to curry favor with Putin.

The two countries were engaged in tit-for-tat pressure on the other's embassies, resulting in staff cuts and turnover. Over the past five years, the number of employees at the U.S. embassy has fallen to around 150 from around 1,200, according to Sullivan. Critical embassy functions, including visa processing, have been largely suspended, and some facilities outside Moscow closed.

The halls and offices of the embassy are mostly quiet today, unfortunately, Sullivan wrote. There are entire floors of the embassy that are not occupied  row after row of empty cubicles and long hallways with dark offices on either side.



One big blow to embassy functions came in 2021, when Russia effectively forced the United States to lay off hundreds of local Russian staffers. There was a reported breakthrough on negotiations about staffing in December, but that agreement appears unlikely to bring the embassy back to its full strength.

My biggest concern is that our infrastructure is aging, and important systems need to be maintained or replaced, and we cant get visas from the Russian government for trained personnel to do the work, Sullivan wrote. We have had problems with elevators, generators, electrical transformers, fuel tanks, and water pumps. And it is not just a matter of inconvenience. There are real health and safety issues that need to be addressed.

Russia, meanwhile, has been complaining about a U.S. decision to bar many of its diplomats from staying more than three years in America. Russian officials say their embassy is suffering, pointing out that Russia does not hire Americans to work at its mission and needs diplomats with more experience.

Just days ago, in what the U.S. viewed as retaliation for that measure, the No. 2 official at the U.S. embassy, Bart Gorman, was expelled, leaving Sullivan without a key member of his team. U.S. officials, while criticizing Russias actions, say Russia still has more staff at its mission in the United States than America has in Russia.

If the expulsions by the Russian government continue, it will be very difficult to continue to function safely as an embassy, Sullivan wrote to POLITICO.

Sullivan has been serving in Moscow without his wife, prominent lawyer Grace Rodriguez, or adult children by his side. The Covid-19 pandemic wrecked their plans for regular visits, and the geopolitical tensions arent helping, either.

In the first half of 2021, Sullivan  under pressure from Moscow  returned to the United States for several weeks to consult with Biden administration officials. It was an unofficial expulsion that came after the Kremlin recalled its ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, for roughly three months. The envoys returned to their posts after Biden and Putin held a summit in Geneva last June.



Sullivan lives in Spaso House, which he described as a beautiful residence not far from the embassy. It has been the home of Americas top envoy to Moscow for decades.

Still, Sullivan and his dwindling staff always are wary. U.S. diplomats have at times been harassed in Russia, enduring random police stops and even physical assaults, making security all the more important.

Mike Lackey, a longtime friend who worked with Sullivan at the Mayer Brown law firm, said the ambassador seemed like he was living an isolated life. He likes jogging, Lackey said of Sullivan. Hes got this path he runs and diplomatic security services following him. Its an important release.

It was about him

In a sign of how much the Biden administration appreciates Sullivans willingness to stick around, both White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan  no relation  and Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave POLITICO on-the-record statements praising him.

We have relied on his wisdom and guidance on Russia since Day One of the Biden administration, Jake Sullivan said. He has been instrumental in helping achieve early priorities like extending the New START Treaty to preparing the Presidents June meeting with President Putin to dealing with the current Russian threat to Ukraine.

Blinken described Sullivan as a trusted adviser and gifted leader. In an incredibly challenging environment and amid constant actions by the Russian government to undercut his mission, Ambassador Sullivan represents the United States with the utmost professionalism and skill, the secretary said.

Most new presidents expect political appointees of the previous administration  which usually includes dozens of ambassadors  to resign by their Inauguration Day, and that was true for the most part for Biden. Sullivan, though, was a rare exception.

We knew from the start that we wanted Sullivan to remain in Moscow, a senior State Department official said. Hes the right person, and the post isnt one that we wanted to see vacant. When pressed, the official insisted the decision had nothing to do with other candidates or lack thereof, but that it was about him.

Given efforts by some Republican lawmakers, such as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, to block many of Bidens national security nominees from taking up their posts, Bidens decision to keep Sullivan in place looks even better in hindsight, his supporters said.



The looming war with Ukraine, which has led the United States and its NATO allies to beef up their own military preparedness, is obviously of huge concern for Sullivan. His duties have included handing over written American responses to Russian security demands related to NATO and Ukraine, which Russia earlier invaded in 2014.

Some foreign affairs observers point out that the U.S. embassy itself isnt getting nearly as many headlines as it could be, despite the hostility between Washington and Moscow and given state-run Russian medias penchant for misinformation.

This has everything to do with Johns leadership  calm, steady, listening to and watching out for his team, said Stephen Biegun, who took over as deputy secretary of State after Sullivan headed to Moscow.

Sullivan also is passionate about an issue that gets less notice: Russias detention of two American citizens, Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed. Whelan was sentenced to 16 years on espionage charges and Reed to nine years on allegations of assaulting police. The United States suspects the Kremlin is holding the pair as bargaining chips.

Hill said Sullivan is determined to get Reed and Whelan released. He takes this very, very, very seriously, she said.

Impeachment scars

Sullivan, who is in his early 60s, has worked in both the private and public realms, including as a partner at the Mayer Brown law firm and in top roles at the Pentagon and the Department of Commerce.

His main government positions have been held under Republican presidents, including both Bush administrations. But he chaired a government advisory committee dealing with Iraq during the Democratic administration of Barack Obama.

Sullivan had to walk a particularly fine line during the Trump years, when the State Department came under attack from the president and his aides, who viewed its diplomats as part of a leftist deep state determined to thwart their agenda.

Sullivan was generally well-regarded by those diplomats, even though he served as the deputy under two secretaries who were deeply unpopular.

The first, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, was viewed as aloof and dismissive of the career experts in his department. The second, Mike Pompeo, grew steadily less popular over time as he took steps that U.S. diplomats saw as breaking with the tradition that secretaries of State avoid partisan politics. Pompeo, for example, spoke to the Republican National Convention during the 2020 campaign while on a trip to Israel.



Sullivan didnt emerge unscarred. He was at times the one Pompeo sent to face career diplomats and civil servants angered by the actions of political appointees, some of whom were openly hostile to the career staffers in the department.

It was Sullivan who informed Yovanovitch, the ambassador to Ukraine, that she was being pulled out of the job because Trump wanted her gone. Trump allies, among them former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, had been deriding Yovanovitch as they sought to enlist Ukrainian officials to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter.

Yovanovitch told lawmakers that Sullivan said she had done nothing wrong and that this was not like other situations where he had recalled ambassadors for cause. He also admitted shed been the victim of a smear campaign.

Senators grilled Sullivan about this incident when they reviewed his nomination to be ambassador to Russia, one of his most uncomfortable moments in the public eye.

Sullivan implicitly said Trump and his allies were wrong to enlist a foreign government to investigate a political rival, and he praised Yovanovitchs work. But he also said, that, regardless of the reason, if a president wants an ambassador out, thats what happens.

He also was evasive on certain matters, enough so that one senator accused him of a see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil approach to his job. Still, he was confirmed as envoy to Russia on a 70-22 bipartisan vote.



Asked how long he intends to stay in Moscow, Sullivan wrote that he will continue to serve at [Bidens] pleasure, so long as he is satisfied with the job I am doing.

He noted that most ambassadors to Russia serve two or three years, and that hes already served two, so it would not be odd for him to leave later this year. But I have no plans to do so now and nothing to announce today, he wrote.

Sullivan wrote that he thinks about his uncle every day.

William Sullivan, who died in 2013, served in the Navy during World War II; his ship, the USS Hambleton, participated in the Normandy invasion. His 32 years in the Foreign Service included serving as ambassador to Laos, where he oversaw a secret bombing campaign, and as ambassador to the Philippines and Iran. He was in Iran in the late 1970s as the country underwent a revolution that ultimately deposed its monarch and left Islamist clerics in power.

On Valentines Day in 1979, Sullivan and his aides were taken captive by a group of Iranians who seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. The crisis was resolved within hours. But his relations with the White House had grown testy, and William Sullivan left in the months afterward, before the longer Iran hostage crisis that began in November 1979.

His career has always been an inspiration for me, John Sullivan said of his uncle. I am a piker compared to him  he is the real Ambassador Sullivan.
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Joining me from Pulmonx are Glendon French, president and chief executive officer; and Derrick Sung, Chief Financial Officer. Before we begin, I'd like to remind you that management will make statements during this call that include forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements contained in this call that relate to expectations or predictions of future events, results or performance are forward-looking statements.
Uncapped Glasgow second-row Kiran McDonald is one of six players added to Gregor Townsends Scotland squad for this Saturdays Guinness Six Nations clash with France at BT Murrayfield.

James Lang, Ollie Smith, Oli Kebble, Simon Berghan and Marshall Sykes have also been called up.

Rory Sutherland, Javan Sebastian, Jonny Gray, Scott Cummings and Cam Redpath have all returned to their clubs due to injury issues.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has challenged the newly-added players to capitalise on their opportunity to impress.

Scotland squad update: Ahead of this weekends @SixNationsRugby return, six players have met up with the Scotland Squad and five players have returned to their clubs.  Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 21, 2022

While it is disappointing to lose players to injury ahead of the France match, this is a great opportunity for the new players to impress and force their way into our matchday squad, he told Scottish Rugby.

The attritional nature of the Guinness Six Nations means there are often changes made to the squad throughout the championship and it is a challenge we are much better equipped to deal with given our current squad depth.

We wish those that have missed out through injury all the best in their rehabilitation, and we will continue to monitor their progress ahead of the final two games of the championship.

There is good news for Townsend on the injury front as Josh Bayliss, who missed the opening two matches against England and Wales with concussion, scored a try on his return to action for Bath at the weekend and will be available for selection against the French.
As we celebrate Presidents Day, let's remember some of the final words presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln had for us. Both of these great leaders urged us to pursue peace at home and abroad.

Lambers

George Washington was a general, but he believed our nation should promote peace more than military might. In President Washingtons farewell address to the nation in 1796 he said "Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all."

That role of a peacemaker is what would make America a "great nation" as Washington said, "to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence." We must lead by example.

It's vital we remember our role as peacemaker as we try to prevent war in the Ukraine. A Russian invasion of Ukraine would cause a grave humanitarian crisis, especially for a country already reeling from years of conflict with Russian-backed rebels. The United States must convince Russia to back away from what would be a very costly war in many ways for all involved.

Washington knew that peacemaking was less expensive than military buildups, making it critical for "avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace."

America must be sincere peacemakers. That brings us to question our role in Yemen's civil war as we continue to provide military support to the Saudi Arabia led coalition that is fighting against the Houthi rebels. U.S. bombs and military aid have been used in a war that has caused widespread suffering and placed Yemen on the brink of famine. Washington was against foreign entanglements and would rather see us be a peacemaker in Yemen instead of enabling the fight with our military support of the Saudis.

President Abraham Lincoln also urged us to be peacemakers at home and abroad. Some of Lincolns final words to us came in his second inaugural address in 1865, as we were trying to end the Civil War.

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President Lincoln said "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Lincoln would remind of us of the need for peace among ourselves, something we need to remember in this age of bitter partisan politics which seek to divide the nation. We have to remember we are stronger as one.

We should always remember Lincoln's call for charity for all, especially as 43 nations are threatened by famine, according to the UN World Food Program. Feeding the hungry, providing life-saving nutrition for infants and school meals, are essential in our role as peacemaker in the world. This is especially the case with Afghanistan, where hunger has dangerously escalated since the Taliban takeover and a severe drought. We must do more to help the millions of starving Afghan civilians.

On Presidents Day take a moment to remember what Washington and Lincoln thought most important: Our role as peacemaker in a world constantly threatened by war.

William Lambers is the author of The Road to Peace and partnered with the UN World Food Program on the book Ending World Hunger.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: William Lambers Washington, Lincoln called for peace and compassion
James Pfister

After their cooperation in World War II, President Harry Truman had to adjust to Joseph Stalin, the Russian leader, after the war. Russia was the main republic of the Soviet Unions 15 republics, a large communist state in international relations.

The partnership did not last. They became enemies in a new Cold War in a bi-polar world. The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991; now, we are moving toward a tri-polar world  China, Russia and the United States. My thesis is that George F. Kennans concept of containment worked during the Cold War. Ill discuss that here. But we must move beyond containment to a sphere of influence approach to avoid war in a tri-polar world.

In July 1947, George F. Kennan (1904-2005) wrote an article in the influential Foreign Affairs journal, which he signed as X, titled the Sources of Soviet Conduct. Kennan was active in the foreign policy governmental establishment advising Truman on the Soviet threat. His X article recommended the containment strategy, which became our basic strategic concept for Truman during the Cold War, as evidenced by the Korean War to defend South Korea on mainland Asia in 1950.

Kennan wrote that the revolutionists in 1917 (the year of the Russian Revolution) found in Marxist theory a highly convenient rationalization for their own instinctive desires. It provided a pseudo-scientific justification for their impatience and their desire for power. Only a tiny minority of the Russian people were communists during the early period; therefore, the government needed to be dictatorial by necessity. Stalin, who succeeded Lenin, were not the men to tolerate rival political forces in the sphere of power which they coveted. Their sense of insecurity was too great. Their brand of fanaticism was unmodified by any of the Anglo-Saxon traditions of compromise.

Their ideology taught them that, the outside world was hostile and that it was their duty eventually to overthrow the political forces beyond their borders. They believed in the innate antagonism between capitalism and socialism. They also believed in the infallibility of the Kremlin. The leadership was always right. There was an unshakable stubbornness and steadfastness in its orientation.

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And they could take their time; the Kremlin is under no ideological compulsion to accomplish its purposes in a hurry. Like the church, it is dealing in ideological concepts which are of long-term validity.

Kennans answer to the Soviet threat was containment. In these circumstances it is clear that the main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be that of long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.

The United States and its allies contained communism, through Korea, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam (until we left), Thailand, Indonesia and elsewhere, until the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991. The Cold War ended with an American victory, one nation under God (Richard Nixons observation).

The problem now is that the containment doctrine brought us up to or near the borders of China and Russia. As China and Russia grow to more parity with the United States in a tri-polar world, the current forward posture of the United States is on a collision course with them as they expand their spheres of influence, a natural thing for a Great Power. The United States should negotiate a change in the world order from a position of strength. If the United States remains recalcitrant, war with a Great Power may be the reward for our successful containment strategy.

In todays world, this suggested policy would call for a different approach to Ukraine. We should not have an open door to Ukraines membership into NATO, only 490 kilometres from Moscow. In Asia, we should negotiate a settlement whereby Taiwan becomes a part of China. The United States seems to be following a legal strategy, but as our Secretary of State Dean Acheson said: Law simply does not deal with such questions of ultimate power  power that comes close to the sources of sovereignty. (Abram Chayes, "The Cuban Missile Crisis," 1974, page 1).

James W. Pfister, J.D. University of Toledo, Ph.D. University of Michigan (political science), retired after 46 years in the Political Science Department at Eastern Michigan University. He lives at Devils Lake and can be reached at jpfister@emich.edu.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: James Pfister: Moving toward a tri-polar world: China, Russia, U.S.
Paratroopers from Fort Bragg's 82nd Airborne Division head out to board a plane for a deployment to Eastern Europe on Feb. 14, 2022, at Pope Army Airfield. They are among soldiers the Department of Defense is sending to Poland amid a growing Russian presence near Ukraine.

About six months after the 82nd Airborne Division commander was the last American service member to leave Afghanistan, marking the end of a nearly 20-year war there, Fort Bragg troops are again deployed to a foreign country.

Some 300 soldiers with the 18th Airborne Corps are in Germany to set up a joint task force-capable headquarters there. Another estimated 4,700 combat infantry bridge soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division are in Poland.

Since April, U.S. defense officials have been concerned about the Russian buildup of 150,000 troops in Crimea and along Russia's eastern border with Ukraine.

Pentagon documents state Russia illegally occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and then fomented a war in Eastern Ukraine that has killed 14,000 Ukrainians.

Pentagon officials have questioned Russias presence, saying the Russian government is not being transparent about what it is doing in the region.

Unlike 9/11, Department of Defense officials have not indicated that Russia poses a terrorist threat.

How would a Russian invasion affect Fort Bragg troops?

President Joe Biden and defense officials have said U.S. troops are deploying to show a commitment to NATO allies.

Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that established NATO in 1949, says that an attack against one alliance member is considered an attack on all.

Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has wanted to deter Ukraine from joining NATO.

More: 5 things we know about Fort Bragg soldiers deploying to Europe

"This is about more than just Russia and Ukraine," Biden said. "It's about standing for what we believe in, for the future we want for our world, for liberty  for liberty, the right of countless countries to choose their own destiny, and the right of people to determine their own futures, for the principle that a country cant change its neighbors borders by force."

Biden ruled out deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine in December and again Tuesday.

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He said the U.S. is ready to respond with sanctions to a Russian attack on Ukraine.

Biden said that while he hopes for a diplomatic resolution, an invasion by Russia is still possible and the U.S. has asked Americans to leave Ukraine.

Biden said the U.S. and NATO are not a threat to Russia, are not targeting Russians and do not have missiles in Ukraine.

While I will not send American servicemen to fight Russia in Ukraine, we have supplied the Ukrainian military with equipment to help them defend themselves, Biden said. We have provided training and advice and intelligence for the same purpose.

Biden said American troops are bolstering NATOs eastern flank and the U.S. will continue to conduct military exercises with allies and partners.

During a news conference Feb.9, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby would not rule out the possibility of Fort Bragg paratroopers assisting with evacuating Americans from Ukraine.

He said there are no active efforts in play to militarily evacuate American citizens from Ukraine, as the State Department and president have urged Americans to leave.

When the Secretary decided to send leading elements of the 82nd Airborne, which we talked about very publicly, we said from the very get-go that one of the reasons why we chose that unit is their multi-mission (abilities), and they're on a high-alert readiness posture as it is, Kirby said.

Will Russia invade?

During a virtual media briefing last week, public policy professors from Duke University said they did not think a Russian invasion of Ukraine is likely.

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap, a law professor at Duke, said he thinks Putin has already achieved strategic gains.

Hes crushed any illusions that Ukrainians might have had that any nation on planet earth would come to their aid in terms of putting troops on the ground, Dunlap said. That will have a significant psychological effect on the Ukrainian people and a reverberating effect, quite frankly, on even NATO allies in eastern Europe.

Dunlap said he does not think the Ukrainian military could deter Russian military effort.

The NATO countries are so rattled by the idea that there might actually be war over this, that any effort to have Ukraine join NATO wont gain traction in the foreseeable future, he said.

Dunlap said he thinks the deployment of American troops to Europe is more symbolic. He doesn't think they will fight in Ukraine.

We do have the best paratroopers on the planet, but 3,500 paratroopers are not going to stop 135,000 Russian troops, he said. So I think its a symbol. Im not particularly in favor of using military forces that way to try to send messages. If youre going to send a message, you dont do it with 3,500 troops.

More: 'This is what we do': What Fort Bragg paratroopers say about latest deployment to Europe

Dunlap said the troops would defend Poland as part of NATO action, but he doesnt think it would do much for Ukrainians.

The Department of Defense has had 8,500 troops on heightened alert since the end of January.

Kirby said those troops are ready to move if called for by the NATO response force or directed by the secretary of defense or president.

Kirby said any decision to activate the NATO Response Force, of which the United States is a part, would be a decision the North Atlantic Council has to make. He said that is not something that the U.S. would unilaterally call into being.

Kirby noted that Biden has made it clear that U.S. troops will not fight in Ukraine.

The deployment of troops to Europe, he said, is to reassure our allies and our partners; to deter aggression against the alliance; to conduct some joint training.

Simon Miles, a Duke assistant professor of public policy and an expert on Russia and the former Soviet Union, said he also does not foresee an invasion.

Miles said Russian troops do not seem aware of operational security issues and have posted videos and photos on social media.

There are kind of all over the place, and we can see that the living conditions are not the types of conditions that are suitable for a long-term military deployment, Miles said.

Dunlap said he thinks there is military value to Russia moving that many forces.

Sanctions

On Tuesday, Biden said that if Russia proceeds, the U.S. will rally the world to oppose its aggression.

Biden said the U.S. and its allies and partners are ready to impose sanctions that would put pressure on Russian financial institutions and key industries.

We'll impose long-term consequences that will undermine Russias ability to compete economically and strategically, he said.

Bruce Jentleson, a Duke professor of public policy and political science, and a former senior adviser for the U.S. State Department, said sanctions have never crippled Russia but can impose an economic cost.

Jentleson said Europe also trades 11 times greater with Russia than the U.S.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and other Republican senators introduced a bill Tuesday that would provide support to Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia.

As Russian troops continue to threaten the Ukrainian border with every indication they will invade, it is critical the United States and our NATO allies stand together to punish Putins latest aggression, Tillis said.

Tillis said the legislation proposes imposing damaging sanctions on Russia.

We should not wait for a potential invasion to respond to this threat, and (we should) do everything in our power to protect our allies and democracy in Europe, he said.

The bill proposes sanctions on major Russian banks and secondary sanctions on banks that continue to conduct business with sanctioned Russian banks.

It also proposes providing $500 million in foreign military financing for Ukraine, including $250 million in emergency funding, with $100 million for emergency lethal assistance for critical capabilities like air defense, anti-armor, and anti-ship capabilities.

Other proposals include doubling funding for U.S. military exercises in Europe; creating a new State Department program for Eastern Europe to help European allies strengthen their own defensive capabilities and incentivize greater burden-sharing; and boosting funding for State Department efforts to counter Russian disinformation.

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.

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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: How would a Russian invasion into Ukraine impact Fort Bragg soldiers?
November 26, 2009 The Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit New Mexico (SSN 779) undergoes Bravo sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean

HANDOUT/US NAVY/AFP via Getty Submarine

The wife of a former engineer has pleaded guilty just days after her husband did the same in a case that federal prosecutors have described as an elaborate espionage plot involving hidden devices and nuclear secrets.

Diana Toebbe on Friday admitted to conspiracy to communicate restricted data related to the design of nuclear-powered warships, according to the Department of Justice. That's the same charge her husband, Jonathan Toebbe, pleaded guilty to last week.

The department has says that Diana acted as "lookout" for her husband while he made three dead drops to what he thought was a foreign nation (but was actually an FBI agent).

RELATED: Husband and Wife Accused in Espionage Case That Started with a Message: 'This Is Not a Hoax'

Authorities say both Diana, 45, and Jonathan, 42, were arrested in October after Jonathan, an engineer who was working for the U.S. Navy, attempted to send restricted information to a foreign government.

According to the Department of Justice, Jonathan initially sent a package to an un-identified foreign government in April 2020 which contained "a sample of Restricted Data and instructions for establishing a covert relationship to purchase additional Restricted Data."

Unbeknownst to Jonathan, though, the government that received the package handed it off to American authorities  who worked undercover to begin communicating with the engineer via encrypted email.

Jonathan Toebbe and Diana Toebbe

West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority/AP/Shutterstock Jonathan and Diana Toebbe

RELATED: Couple Charged with Attempting to Sell Nuclear Sub Secrets Appear in Court, Remain in Custody for Now

Over time, Jonathan and an undercover FBI agent came to an agreement (he thought) that would see him selling restricted data in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency.

After participating in three dead drops  one of which saw Jonathan hide a storage card within half of a peanut butter sandwich  the two were arrested once it was determined that the cards contained "Restricted Data related to submarine nuclear reactors," authorities have said.

Story continues

Jonathan and Diana were charged with conspiracy to communicate restricted data and communication of restricted data and taken into custody nearly a year after prosecutors alleged Jonathan  with Diana's help  began sending information "concerning the design of nuclear-powered warships to a person they believed was a representative of a foreign power. In actuality, that person was an undercover FBI agent."

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

While the two were each facing maximum penalties of up to life in prison, their plea agreements have reduced that. In in accordance with his plea, Jonathan will serve "a minimum of 151 months, or 12 and a half years, in federal prison," authorities said last week.

Diana meanwhile, will serve a sentence of "not more than 36 months of imprisonment in federal prison."

Their sentences will ultimately be determined by the judge.
How to avoid a scam

The state Department of Labor and Industries has some tips to help consumers avoid becoming victims of fraudulent contractors:

 Get a contractors business card or estimate with their name and contractor registration number.

 Verify the contractors registration and get their contact number at L&Is Protect My Home website, www.protectmyhome.net, and then call the listed number to verify that you are dealing with a legitimate contractor.

 Request a performance bond for large projects, and have a contract that gives you access to the bond in case something goes wrong.

 Never put down more money than can be covered by the companys bond  $6,000 for specialty contractors or $12,000 for general contractors.

Ernesto Gonzalez, with Gonzalez and Sons Carpentry in Yakima, said consumers should always make checks payable to the business, not to an individual who says they work for the company.
It Happened here is a weekly history column by Yakima Herald-Republic reporter Donald W. Meyers. Reach him at dmeyers@yakimaherald.com. Sources for this weeks editorial include historylink.org, the National Archives, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, The Inflation Calculator by Morgan Friedman and the archives of the Yakima Herald-Republic.
Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante and his wife, zoologist Jessica Summerfield, explored Lake Chelan in search of the fabled Lake Chelan Dragon for the Animal Planet TV show Mysterious Creatures with Forrest Galante, which led them to a search for sturgeon on the Columbia River.
To the editor -- The Trump administration does not earn high marks for diplomacy or policies.

Trump withdrew from the Paris Accord and denied climate change threats to this planet.

He started a trade war with China that ultimately damaged American farmers, workers and manufacturers.

In his obsession to befriend Putin, he downplayed and ignored belligerent actions, election interference and human rights abuses.

He withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal promising a better deal. This "deal" never happened and Iran now has even more nuclear capabilities.

He tried to befriend North Koreas Kim Jong Un, but Kim still develops nuclear bombs and tests weapons.

His unqualified son-in-laws negotiations in the Middle East did not secure a lasting peace.

He had nothing but disdain for NATO and our staunchest allies.

His "policy" in Africa was to call them s--t-hole countries.

Mexico never paid for a wall and Trumps cruelty to people anywhere seeking asylum in the U.S. is deplorable.

Millions of U.S. citizens died because of his denial and gross mishandling of a major world pandemic.

He lied repeatedly, violated his oath of office, abused the power of the presidency and incited violent insurrection.

History will not revere Donald Trump and those who enable him.

ANNE ANNA

Yakima
To the editor -- I am a wildland firefighter with the United States Forest Service writing for public support for Tims Act. Wildland firefighters are exposed to risks and hazards that reduce our quality of life and shorten our life span.

Our starting wages at $15 hourly require us to earn 900-plus hours of overtime each summer to afford basic needs. If we're lucky, we work 16-hour days for 14 days straight, take two paid days off, and repeat until fire season ends. Often, local ranger districts work their firefighters 13 days straight, then grant one unpaid day off on unpaid on-call status. Unsurprisingly, many wildland firefighters are quitting, leaving positions unfilled and engines unstaffed.

Many promises made by the infrastructure bill (increased pay) will not be fulfilled. The Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act (HR 5631) will secure funding for a sustainable workforce. Tim's Act, named after smokejumper Tim Hart, who died fighting fire last summer, will fill the gaps that the infrastructure bill hasnt.

Wildland firefighters need your support to bring Tim's Act to the attention of your elected representatives. Please write your politicians in support of living wages for the hardworking people who protect your homes and natural resources.

RACHEL GRANBERG

Wenatchee
For decades, gun industry defenders have advanced the myth that guns dont kill people. Sure, a gun sitting in a locked case doesnt kill anyone, but a human brandishing one or more military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines can kill far more people, far quicker than if that person didnt have a gun at all. Guns enable people to kill people in America by margins unmatched in any other developed nation. A major lawsuit settlement Tuesday could help put a dent in those margins.

The families of adults and children slain in 2012 at Connecticuts Sandy Hook Elementary School reached a $73 million settlement with representatives of arms maker Remington, which manufactured the military-style weaponry used to kill 20 first graders and six adults. The sickest lingering aftereffect of the killings a full decade later involves the way gun makers and the National Rifle Association persist in turning this tragedy and the parents suffering into a celebration of gun rights.

Which is why Tuesdays settlement is so significant. Gun victims are finally standing up for their rights instead of leaving unchallenged the way mass-killing devices are marketed as a statement of manhood and Second Amendment preservation. Gun makers mission is not about the Constitution. Its about maximizing profits. And they do it by advertising guns using macho, military imagery and associating assault rifles with patriotism and the defense of liberty.

Tuesdays settlement shot a big hole through that nonsense. The families who lost loved ones in the 2012 massacre were limited by federal law from holding Remington liable for the bloodshed its product caused. But nine families tried a different tactic: challenging the way Remington appealed to insecure young men with advertisements like, Consider your man card reissued.

The lawsuit led to challenges all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case and tacitly affirmed that the lawsuits contention was legitimate. Gun industry representatives argued that there was no proof such marketing campaigns had any bearing on the deranged shooters actions. It was the shooters mother who purchased the weapons, and he killed her before going on the school rampage. So its a fair question whether marketing had any influence on the tragedy.

Nevertheless, the families who filed the lawsuit made a strong enough case that Remingtons insurers felt it best to settle than to risk fighting it out in court. After the Sandy Hook shooting, Remington was inundated with lawsuits and filed for bankruptcy. Predictably, the gun industry is trying to argue that since insurers made the settlement decision, this outcome doesnt represent any kind of concession by firearms makers themselves.

Of course not. The industry remains just as irrational as ever in its defense of mass-killing machines and the mass marketing behind them. If more lawsuits succeed like this one, though, gun makers can soon consider their bankruptcy cards reissued.
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The latest national and representative poll taken by Publicus and Nepszava has found that 71% of voters would watch a debate between Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his opposition candidate, Peter Marki-Zay, ahead of parliamentary elections on April 3.

The vast majority of opposition voters, 93%, want to see the debate happen, while even a majority of the ruling partys voters, 51%, would watch a debate between the two dueling candidates.



Nearly all opposition voters, 94%, believe that Orban debates with opposition parties in Parliament enough is not a valid reason to not hold the debate.



A similar proportion of opposition voters think that the government knows what it is doing and why is also not an acceptable reason to reject a debate, while 18% of Fidesz voters likewise disagree with these positions.



Other key findings from the survey showed that:



* A third of those polled (34%) said that the real reason Viktor Orban does not want an open debate is because he is afraid of unpleasant topics that may come up.

* Almost one in five (19%) of respondents said that the Prime Minister did not want an open debate because he did not want to appear on an equal footing with Peter Marki-Zay.

* And 29% felt that Orban is refusing to debate because hes afraid he wont be as good as his opponent.



Peter Marki-Zay has put up 1,300 billboards around the country to highlight the importance of a debate between the two main candidates for prime minister, claiming that the Prime Minister is afraid to debate because he knows hes lying.
Hungarys government pretends to be green but it is far from that, Mate Kanasz-Nagy, co-leader of the opposition LMP party, said on Friday.

Commenting on the Brazilian presidents Thursday visit to Hungary, he said that in political terms, Jair Bolsonaro can rightly be called the worlds biggest climate criminal who personifies everything a green party should oppose.



Bolsonaro met Prime Minister Viktor Orban and President Janos Ader but neither of them criticised him for his environmental record, Kanasz-Nagy told an online press conference.



Facing real conflicts, the Hungarian governments actions do not substantially differ from the Brazilian presidents steps, the LMP co-leader said.



Kanasz-Nagy accused Orban of circumventing environmental regulations, appropriating free beaches and building luxury hotels around big lakes. Further, he criticised the government of supporting multinational companies whose carbon emissions greatly contribute to climate change.



Kanasz-Nagy also blamed the government for its failure to accomplish the EUs strict climate protection goals.





MTI Photo: Balazs Mohai
Political commentators across the political spectrum find Peter Rona, the opposition parties nominee for President, a less than ideal candidate, although no opposition candidate in any case stands a chance of election by the strong Fidesz majority in Parliament.

Nepszavas Miklos Hargitai thinks that Peter Rona is a morally legitimate candidate for President, but may not be the best pick politically. The left-wing commentator suggests that Katalin Novak, the governing partys nominee, only represents a radical minority in Hungary, would divide Hungary even more as President, and would legitimize Fidesz policies that, according to Hargitai, keep one-third of Hungarians in poverty.



Rona, by contrast, he writes, represents voters from all political ideologies, including conservatives. Hargitai considers it a major achievement for the opposition to agree on a joint candidate, but nonetheless thinks that there would have been better choices available.



The candidate receives just a 15 minute speech in Parliament to present an alternative vision to that of the government.



Magyar Narancs in a first page editorial criticises the choice of Peter Rona. The left-wing liberal weekly notes that Peter Marki-Zay wanted to name Gabor Ivanyi, a Methodist pastor and former Liberal MEP as candidate for President. The opposition parties, however, picked Rona, whose name was originally put forward by Jobbik.



Magyar Narancs contends that Rona is not at qualified for this role, and his nomination shows that the opposition parties are still very divided and cannot agree on a candidate that would best serve their collective purpose.



168 Ora in its unsigned editorial contends that Gabor Ivanyi would have been a better pick. The left-wing weekly thinks that Ivanyi could have delivered a harsh critique of the government as he used to be a close friend of Prime Minister Orban.



In Heti Vilaggazdasag, Boroka Paraszka also lambasts the opposition for chosing Rona as their candidate for President. The left-wing liberal pundit believes that the opposition missed a chance to show unity by picking a candidate after a long internal debate that made their ideological cleavages publicly visible.



Elet es Irodaloms editor-in-chief Zoltan Kovacs is disappointed to find that the opposition considered the nomination as a partisan matter. The liberal pundit is less than convinced that Rona would increase the popularity of the opposition. Kovacs also notes that Rona was harshly criticized by former National Bank President Andras Simor, who once dismissed Rona an immoral, unscrupulous social climber.



In Magyar Nemzet, Laszlo Szocs finds Peter Rona falling short of having a proper Hungarian identity. The pro-government columnist recalls that Rona, who left Hungary as a child in 1956, once said that he feels more at home in Oxford than Hungary.



Szocs adds that in the 70s and 90s, Rona briefly advised the US government, including the CIA on Hungarian affairs. In light of this, Szocs sees Rona as a candidate who could not represent or even identify with a Hungary engaged in a war of national identity.



Too much ado about nothing, comments, Adam Feko on Azonnali. The liberal columnist believes that Hungarian voters do not care much about the election of their President, whose role is mostly symbolic and can act as an influencer only, Feko believes, adding that the opposition should have abstained from the vote rather than nominating a 79 year-old to represent progressive values.



This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher.

Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online.

Click here to Share Your Story





MTI Photo: Marton Magocsi
The Constitutional Court has rejected claims that a government decree enabling employers to oblige their employees to get vaccinated against coronavirus is unconstitutional and should be scrapped, under a ruling posted on its website on Friday.

Under the decree, an employer has the authority to order their employees to take up a Covid shot within a set period of time and force those who refuse to get vaccinated to take out unpaid leave.



Under the decree, the employer also has the authority to terminate the employment of those who refuse to get vaccinated over a period of twelve months. In their motion, the twenty petitioners argued that the legislation disproportionately restricts fundamental constitutional rights and violates the right to psychical and mental integrity.



They also argued that the decree discriminated against those unvaccinated employees whose employer establishes the need of vaccination. The decree, the petitioners said, also violates an employees right to self-determination and dignity.



In its ruling, the top court rejected the claims establishing that under the Labour Code an employee can appeal against a decision of their employer in a labour court and then turn to the Constitutional Court.



It said that the petitioners did not exhaust that first option, but directly challenged the legislation concerned in a constitutional complaint which the top court rejected because it failed to meet the legal conditions of admissibility.
Mupa Budapests live broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera will once again have much to delight the audience this March.

Who doesnt dream of taking a seat at the Met and watching an opera production of the highest quality? Since 2008, opera fans in 70 countries around the world have been able to visit the Met without having to travel to New York.



Mupa Budapest was early to connect to the live performances broadcast in HD quality, and its audiences have paid rapt attention to the performances, filling both the Festival Theatre and the Auditorium. There are many people who wouldnt want to miss a single chance to watch the latest premiere.



One of the Mets greatest strengths is its innovative spirit: On this occasion, we will be introduced to three new operas. Terence Blanchards Fire Shut Up In My Bones is an original choice on two counts as it was written by the first Afro-American composer in the history of the Met, and one who does not approach from the direction of classical music, but of jazz. Matthew Aucoins Eurudike casts new light on a familiar theme, putting two Orpheuses on stage, one of whom is the stunning counter-tenor Jakub Jozef Orlinski.



As the new season approaches, the Met broadcasts promise a marvellous array of outstanding performances once again.



Source and detailed program: mupa.hu
A civil disobedience movement launched by schoolteachers continued on Friday, as more and more teachers in an increasing number of schools protested a government decree issued the previous Friday that essentially makes it impossible to strike, Telex writes.

On Friday, teachers at Budapests Daniel Berzsenyi High School (pictured), Mihaly Vorosmarty High School, Sandor Scheiber High School, Sashegy Janos Arany Primary School and High School, and Ferenc Foldes High School in Miskolc, among others, did not perform their work duties in protest of the measure.



At Daniel Berzsenyi High School, 27 staff members chose not to work, while a further 16 teachers who could not be present in person expressed their agreement with the movements aims.



At Mihaly Vorosmarty High School, around 20 teachers took part in the protest, which began at 9:00am.



An educator at Ferenc Foldes High School in Miskolc told Telex that their protest on Friday was mostly symbolic, with only one teacher not working at the school. But from next week, similar but larger movements are planned at several more schools in the northeastern Hungarian city.



In a letter sent to Telex, 47 teachers from Sandor Scheiber High School stated:

By invoking the crisis situation, the government has made striking impossible. But the crisis situation does not apply, for example, to politicians who can hold their state of the nation speeches in front of large numbers of people not wearing masks. Teachers new to the profession have to leave the school as their salary does not provide them a livelihood, and the teaching community is aging.



At Sashegy Janos Arany Primary School and High School, 22 teachers did not perform their work duties on Friday, with support from another 14 teachers at the school.



According to Bence Gaal, the organizer of the schools protest, their ability to advocate for their rights has been curtailed. As he stated:



We also want to be a part of this movement. We have nothing to fear. Something needs to be done, and perhaps it will be able to forge ties between educators.



At Jozsef Eotvos High School in Budapest, 60 teachers did not perform their work duties on Friday, one of the institutions teachers wrote on Facebook.



On Thursday, 26 teachers from Budapests Antal Szerb High School, 33 teachers at Blanka Teleki High School, and four teachers at the Budapest Economic Vocational Training Centers Technical Training School in Pesterzsebet also joined the civil disobedience movement.





Photo: Berzsenyi Daniel Gimnazium / Facebook]
YORK  The York County Commissioners will be considering a request from the York County Visitors Bureau to grant money from the countys visitor improvement funds for the York Area Childrens Museum.

These funds are receipts from lodging taxes collected at area hotels and campgrounds. The visitors bureaus board reviews all applications and then brings forward recommendations. The county board makes the decision as to whether the funds will be granted or not.

These funds are intended for improvements at facilities, locations that will increase visitors and tourism in the county.

Also on Tuesdays agenda for the York County Commissioners:

 The board members will discuss some recommendations from the Southeast Nebraska Development District regarding a housing advisory committee.

 The appointment of Lonnie Berger to the York County Visitors Bureau will be discussed.

 A resolution will be considered regarding petty cash accounts for the sheriffs department.

 The renewal of the West Law Contract will be discussed.

 The board will talk about purchasing a dual fuel boiler for the courthouse.

 As the board of equalization, they will hear tax roll corrections from the county assessor.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting, which is held in the commissioners meeting room on the main floor of the courthouse. They can also watch/listen the meeting via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82656800209.

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MCCOOL JUNCTION  McCool Junctions FFA Chapter is proud of all it does; justifiably so for a small school whose 55-member roster impresses.

What this especially lively chapter did Monday to open FFA Week was host the community and especially elementary and pre-school students to get a wee taste of farm life.

With high school students on hand to help out, the young ones wandered through the Clay Real Memorial FFA Barn observing  and frequently interacting with  creatures great and small; from chicks to cattle, goats to guinea pigs, turtles to trout.

McCool FFA advisor Dana Hall, a 15-year veteran directing ag education at the school, took freshman members to York High for a Greenhand Degree (beginning FFA student) session with state and national officials later Monday evening.

Thursday the chapter will prepare and serve a breakfast of French toast, bacon and eggs to school faculty and staff. There will be dress-up themes each day as well.

Hall said discretion was the better part of valor in the decision to pull the plug on traditional Drive Your Tractor to School Day this year in the face of weather forecasts promising a return to miserable cold the entire week.

Activities wrap up in the high school gym at 2:30 p.m. Friday with a community ag pep rally and FFA Olympics. Events include sheep herding (rumor has it the sheep will resemble balloons), butter carving and cow milking contests, among other fun and games.
YORK  Dalton Hardisty, 22, who has varying addresses in Nebraska and Iowa, has been sentenced to probation in a case that involved threatening to kill someone and assaulting a person in Gresham.

This case began when York County Sheriffs deputies were dispatched to Gresham on the report of an assault.

Deputies were informed that Hardisty threatened to kill a man at a residence there and got into a physical fight with the individual. Both men sustained injuries.

The other man was cited for third degree assault.

Hardisty was arrested and charged with third degree assault and making terroristic threats, which is a Class 3A felony.

It was noted in court documents that Hardisty has a criminal history that includes numerous assaults. The affidavit of probable cause says Hardisty was charged as a minor for assault, and he was arrested for assault in 2015, arrested for assault and making terroristic threats in 2017, arrested for assault in 2019 and arrested for another assault in 2020.

Due to a plea agreement, the charges in York County against him, in this particular case, were amended to one count of third degree assault and the felony was dismissed. He was facing a possible maximum sentencing of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

This past week, he was sentenced in York County District Court to two years of traditional probation. That also includes two 30-day stints and one 20-day stint in jail, in the future, which can be waived by the court if he is found to be in compliance with the terms of his probation.
When Air India flight AI-267 landed in Male on Monday, the flight was saluted with water cannons in honour of 46 years of air service between India and the Maldives. Air India's first flight between Trivandrum and Male was conducted in the month of February 1976.

As seen in the video, Air India flight AI-267 was greeted at Male airport with arcs of water from two firefighting rigs on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of air service between India and the Maldives.

Read also: Domestic air traffic to cross pre-Covid levels within 2 months: Jyotiraditya Scindia

As part of the celebration, Air India tweeted, "#Fly AI: AI-267 was welcomed with a water cannon salute as it landed at Male airport #MACLmedia today to commemorate 46 years of air service between India and Maldives. Air India operated its first flight from Trivandrum to Male in Feb 1976."

Air India's AI-267 was welcomed with a water cannon salute as it landed at Male airport today to commemorate 46 years of air service between India & Maldives: Air India Air India operated its first flight from Trivandrum to Male in Feb 1976. pic.twitter.com/w7IolEEHII  ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2022

Almost 69 years after nationalization, Air India became part of the Tata Group, its founder, and the government officially transferred the airline to Tata Group last month.

With inputs from ANI

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A restaurant built from reusing a scrapped airplane has begun construction near Ghaziabad along the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. A private company is responsible for building the restaurant in the rest area located along the expressway.

Project manager Anubhav Jain said that pieces of scrapped plane have been transported from Delhi and work has begun on assembling the restaurant. In addition, the project manager provides in-depth information about the aeroplane restaurant, which seats approximately 70 people. There will be an open-air rooftop restaurant on the aeroplane petals, where birthday parties and other events can be arranged, he said.

Jain also said that it would take two to three months for it to be open. The manager said people from nearby villages will be employed at the restaurant since people from the nearby areas have been flocking to see the progress of the restaurant.

Also read: Singapore relaxes travel restrictions, Check new guidelines for Indians HERE!

In his words, the park will be developed as an amusement park so that Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad can visit it. Jain said that it would take another three to four months before shopping centres and multiplexes began to be built. Also, parks for children to play in would be built as well.

With inputs from ANI

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Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on February 21 said that the number of daily air passengers is expected to cross pre-Covid levels in the next two months. He further urged states to reduce tax on jet fuel to boost the country's aviation sector.

During the pre-Covid times, domestic airlines carried around 4 lakh passengers per day and the number began climbing up after the second wave but again declined after the emergence of Omicron infections late last year.

Scindia said capacity and fare caps were put in place to make sure that there was a "little bit of an insulated environment in which the industry can function to ensure that all our players survive and all of them get some decent market share and some levels of revenue". Airlines were allowed to operate at full capacity from October 18, 2021.

Also read: Now own a part of first Emirates Airbus A380, airline to sell skin tags

"In November, December, we started hitting numbers of 3.8 to 3.9 lakh passengers per day. We were almost back to pre-Covid levels, with Omicron, the number of travellers tanked. We fell to 1.6 lakh per day. So we had a contraction of about 65-70 percent," the minister said.

Speaking at an event organized by the All India Management Association (AIMA), Scindia said that on February 20, the traffic was at 3.5 lakh. "All things remaining equal, in the next 2 months or so, you should see us crossing pre-Covid levels in terms of daily passengers, that will herald new demand, new capacity coming in, both at airports and airlines," he said.

Last month, domestic airlines carried 64.08 lakh passengers, a decline of 17.14 percent compared to the year-ago period. In January last year, the traffic stood at 77.34 lakh passengers, according to data from DGCA.

Also read: Ghaziabad to soon get restaurant inside an old plane on Delhi-Meerut expressway

The country's civil aviation sector was significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the sector's loss was around Rs 19,000 crore in the last fiscal ended March 2021. In the wake of the pandemic, domestic commercial flights were suspended for two months starting from March 25, 2020 while commercial international flights remain suspended from March 23, 2020. Currently, overseas flights are being operated under bilateral air bubble arrangements.

Scindia also urged states to reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT) levied on Air Turbine Fuel (ATF), which accounts for about 40 percent of an airline's operational costs. "In the last 5 months, 12 states and Union Territories have reduced VAT from 25-30 percent down to 1-4 percent, including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka," he said, adding that now 24 states and Union Territories have cut the VAT on jet fuel.

With inputs from PTI

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RANCHI: The special CBI court in Ranchi on Monday sentenced former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav to 5 years imprisonment in the final and fifth fodder scam case. The special CBI court also slapped a Rs 60 Lakh fine on the veteran Bihar politician in connection with the case.

The court pronounced the sentence after virtually hearing arguments on the quantum of the sentence.

Fifth fodder scam case | CBI court in Ranchi sentences RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav to 5 years' imprisonment and imposes Rs 60 Lakh fine on him. pic.twitter.com/413701Rt5W  ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2022

The special CBI court had last week convicted RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the case and found him guilty of fraudulent withdrawal of more than one hundred and 39 crores amount from Doranda Treasury in Jharkhand.

Apart from Prasad, former MP Jagdish Sharma, the then Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Dhruv Bhagat, Animal Husbandry Secretary Beck Julius and Animal Husbandry Assistant Director Dr K M Prasad are the main accused in the case.

The special court, however, acquitted 24 other accused due to the lack of evidence. After his conviction in the case on February 15, the ailing 73-year old former Bihar chief minister was lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail and then shifted to state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.

Special CBI court judge SK Shashi had earlier ordered Lalu Yadav and the other 99 accused to physically appear in the court. The RJD supremo, who has been sentenced to 14 years in prison and slapped with a total fine of Rs 60 lakh, has secured bail in the four cases related to Dumka, Deoghar and Chaibasa treasuries.

This scam happened when Lalu Yadav was the Chief Minister of Bihar before the formation of Jharkhand. The fodder scam came to light in January 1996 after a raid at the Animal Husbandry Department. The CBI named Prasad as an accused in June 1997. The agency framed charges against Prasad and former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recorded statements of more than 565 witnesses in more than 15 years of its probe in connection with the fodder scam. Meanwhile, the CBI could not trace the six accused till date and 55 accused died during this period.

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RANCHI: The special CBI court in Ranchi, which convicted Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and several others in connection with the final fodder scam case, will pronounce the quantum of punishment for the convicts on Monday.

The special CBI court had last week found Lalu guilty of fraudulent withdrawal of more than one hundred and 39 crores amount from Doranda Treasury in Jharkhand.

Apart from Prasad, former MP Jagdish Sharma, the then Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Dhruv Bhagat, Animal Husbandry Secretary Beck Julius and Animal Husbandry Assistant Director Dr K M Prasad are the main accused.

The special court, however, acquitted 24 other accused for lack of evidence. The court then sent RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to judicial custody in Hotwar jail. Special CBI court judge SK Shashi had earlier ordered Lalu Yadav and the other 99 accused to physically appear in the court.

The RJD supremo, who has been sentenced to 14 years in prison and slapped with a total fine of Rs 60 lakh, has secured bail in the four cases related to Dumka, Deoghar and Chaibasa treasuries. This scam happened when Lalu Yadav was the Chief Minister of Bihar before the formation of Jharkhand.

The fodder scam came to light in January 1996 after a raid at the Animal Husbandry Department. The CBI named Prasad as an accused in June 1997. The agency framed charges against Prasad and former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recorded statements of more than 565 witnesses in more than 15 years in connection with fodder scam. Meanwhile, the CBI could not trace the six accused till date and 55 accused died during this period.

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Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that the state government will conduct the Caste Census in the state soon. He, however, said that the government will seek a political consensus before taking up the Census.

Speaking to the reporters here, Kumar said, "We are committed to doing a caste Census in the state. We want to hold an all-party meeting to take everyone`s ideas and experiences. It will benefit all."

Highlighting the importance of the caste Census, the Chief Minister said that it will enable the government to work for the development of various sections of the society. "We will start it soon and will also ensure it is implemented properly. Once the caste-based Census is done, the government can work for their development," he said.

We are committed to do a caste census in the state. We want to hold an all-party meeting to take everyone's ideas, their experience as to how to do it. It will benefit everyone. We will start it soon and will also ensure it is implemented properly: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar pic.twitter.com/bm3tuSsocA  ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2022

Refuting the speculations of poll-strategist Prashant Kishor rejoining the JD(U) after he met him in New Delhi, the Chief Minister said that it was a personal meeting and should not be seen with political colours.

"Is my relationship with Prashant Kishor new? When I was sick, he called me up. When I went to Delhi, I met him. There is nothing political in this. It was a personal meeting," he said.

Notably, Kishor was expelled from the JD-U for "making controversial remarks". He was vice-president of JD (U) at the time of expulsion and was seen close to the Chief Minister. Kishor had worked with the grand alliance in the 2015 Assembly polls in Bihar. The grand alliance had included JD (U) and RJD but the two parties fell out with each other later.

Kishor`s political consultancy group I-PAC had worked with the Trinamool Congress in the Bengal Assembly polls last year.

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New Delhi: International Mother Language Day is celebrated every year on 21st February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

On International Mother Language Day, &TV actor Saanand Verma (Anokhe Lal Saxena, Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai) shares his favourite fun words and phrases that he loves to use from the Bihari dialect.

Saanand Verma, essaying Anokhe Lal Saxena's character in &TV's Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, says, "In Bihar, we speak many languages like Hindi, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi, Angika and each of these languages have tens of local dialects that change from region to region. And I strongly believe that the Bihari dialect has some of the most unique, rustic, intriguing, and humorous words and phrases that can make the conversations quite fun and spicy."

He adds, "Some words can only be fun in the native language and are irreplaceable. Their meaning is lost in translation. They are best heard and spoken in that same language. When we meet anyone, we always say to each other, 'Kaisan Ba?' regularly. I have a bunch of few words that I end up saying every day. These include terms like Bhakchonhar (stupid person), Khakhuana (extreme eagerness), Labardhodho (hopelessly slow), Kutna (thrashing) and most of my favourite burbak (fool) that I call some of my close friends to pull their leg."

"Undoubtedly Bihari language has made its mark on Indian pop culture and continues to be one of the most popular dialects spoken across the nation. Whenever I come across people using common Bihari phrases like Sasur ka naati (expressing anger or irritation), Garda uda diye (anything awesome), and Ee baat? (Ye baat?) in day-to-day conversation, it makes me proud and happy. I wish everyone a happy International Mother Language Day. Never stop valuing your mother language, as it is something to always respect and cherish," he concludes.

Watch Saanand Verma as Anokhi Lal Saxena in Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai airing every Monday to Friday at 10:30 pm only on &TV.
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday termed the Opposition's criticism of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as 'Gabbar Singh Tax' as a knee-jerk reaction which is a disservice to the country's institutions.

Responding to a suggestion pertaining to the GST during a post-Budget interaction with the industry in the financial capital, the Union minister explained that the GST council consists of all the states and the Centre, and the latter has only a one-third influence on the decisions which are arrived at.

It can be noted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly called the GST 'Gabbar Singh Tax', using the fictional character from a popular movie of the 1970s. Gandhi has blamed the GST as among the reasons for the decline in economic growth.

"For whatever reason, unknowingly or unknowingly, when we try to tarnish the GST for whatever agenda, we are undermining the institution which has been created with all the states on board," Sitharaman said.

"Many knee-jerk reactions of... Oh GST has now become a? the famous words of one of the opposition leader 'Gabbar Singh Tax', they are disserving our own country's institutions," she added.

Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj said the GST is a very interesting thing where neither the states nor the Centre can decide and the decisions are basis a committee system which evaluates the process.

The ministry official's was responding to a question from L&T's Whole Time Director for the defence business J D Patil who asked why cannot his company transfer tax credit from one state to another state in which it operates. He also said that companies are unable to transfer the credit between verticals they operate in.

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Delhi government took a step towards controlling air pollution by scrapping its old petrol and diesel vehicles and procuring electric ones. The General Administration Department (GAD) has recently procured 12 electric vehicles to be used by ministers and top officers of the Delhi government.

"We have also started the process to identify and send such vehicles that have completed their lifespan for scrapping," said a senior GAD officer. According to a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, the use of diesel and petrol vehicles older than 10 years and 15 years respectively is banned in Delhi.

After the launch of the Electric Vehicle Policy in August 2020, various departments and autonomous bodies of the Delhi government have started replacing old petrol and diesel vehicles in their fleets with electric vehicles.

Also read: Ninety One cycles announces the launch of Meraki S7 at Rs 34,999! Check EMI available on THESE e-bikes

"It is being done on a case-to-case basis keeping in mind the relatively higher prices of electric vehicles as compared to conventional vehicles," said a senior Delhi government official.

In February last year, the Delhi government had directed all its departments and autonomous bodies to hire or purchase only electric vehicles for their fleets. "All departments of the Delhi government will now use only electric vehicles. Over 2,000 petrol and diesel vehicles will be replaced with electric vehicles," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said.

The GAD is also working on the replacement of several old vehicles with VIP series of registration numbers like 0001 parked in a lot near the Delhi Secretariat. "While these vehicles will be scrapped, their VIP registration numbers will be retained for registration of new vehicles to be procured by the department," the officer said. Under Delhi's Electric Vehicle Policy, 12 four-wheeler models are available and eligible for purchase and scrapping incentives provided by the government.

With inputs from PTI

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The growing trend of electric vehicles has started gaining momentum in India, and the Indian two-wheeler auto industry isn't untouched by this trend. There have been many recent announcements of 2-wheeler electric vehicles, even from big boys of the industry like a scooter by Hero and Mahindra.

To make you aware of the upcoming electric scooters in India, here we have compiled a list of upcoming electric scooters from the biggest brands in India. You are going to be seeing these vehicles sooner or later this year in the market.

Hero electric scooter

Hero has been working in partnership with Mahindra to produce a new electric scooter for the Indian market. They have even rolled out the first electric scooter Optima, from their factory in Pithampur. This new scooter will have a sleek and curvy design, with a split seat for a comfortable ride. They aim of producing one million scooters by end of this year.

Read also: Delhi govt to soon replace all petrol/diesel vehicles with electric cars

Bajaj electric scooter

Bajaj Auto is getting ready to launch its second electric scooter, which would cost roughly Rs 1.23 lakh. The new scooter is expected to have similar design features as the Bajaj Chetak. Features like sequential turn indicators and keyless entry may be missing from the model. It might be equipped with the 4kW motor from the e-Chetak, which would be powered by a 2.9kWh battery pack. Bajaj Fluir or Bajaj Fluor could be the names of the forthcoming Bajaj electric scooter.

TVS electric scooter

TVS is coming in this year with plans for many electric 2-wheelers vehicles. Moving ahead, they plan on establishing themselves in the electric vehicle market with multiple launches. For these electric vehicles, they have created a sub-brand named TVS Creon. The new electric scooter from the brand is supposed to be accessible soon enough. This new model might have 3 lithium-ion batteries combined with a 12kW electric motor.

Honda electric scooter

One of the biggest two-wheeler manufacturers in India, Honda is ready to enter the electric scooter market. The speculations are that they will be launching the new electric 2-wheeler by early 2023. They also had presented their PCX electric scooter at the 2018 auto expo. Taking a step further in 2021, they also got a patent for a scooter in India back in 2021.

Suzuki electric scooter

Another one of the Japanese 2-wheeler manufacturers on this list is Suzuki. They plan on bringing the electric scooter version of Burgman Scooter sometime this year. The scooter is expected to have a similar design to the aforementioned scooter and an electric powertrain and battery from Suzuki's global model.

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New Delhi: After fans speculated Ryan Reynolds cameo in 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' starring Benedict Cumberbatch, a few netizens think that Patrick Stewart who played Professor X in the first 'X-Men' trilogy might also be in the film.

The reason why fans are sure it might be Patrik Stewart as in the trailer is that they claim to have heard a voice eerily similar to his which said, "We should tell him the truth."

Responding to rumours, the actor told E! News, "You know, people have been imitating my voice ever since I came on the stage 60 years ago. So, I can't be held responsible for that."

Earlier, in the poster of the film, many fans speculated that the Marvel character Deadpool was present in the poster in one of the glass shards.

Many took to Twitter to discuss this and wondered if there would a special appearance by Ryan Reynolds' character. However, the actor refuted such claims and said that he wasn't a part of the film. But, fans found that hard to believe.

When Ryan was asked about the same at the screening of his Netflix film, The Adam Project, the actor told Variety, "Im really not in the movie. Im promising, Im not in the movie."

'Multiverse of Madness' also stars Benedict Wong as Wong, Rachel McAdams as Dr Christine Palmer and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo. Xochitl Gomez is set to make her MCU debut as America Chavez with the film, which is directed by Sam Raimi

(With IANS inputs)
Karnataka: A 23-year-old Hindu boy has been murdered for campaigning against wearing Hijab in schools and colleges in Karnataka's Shivamogga, triggering fresh tension over the issue.

According to sources, the victim has been identified as Harsha. He has been actively campaigning for secular uniforms in states schools and colleges. In view of the crime, the Shivamogga district administration has clamped prohibitory orders and announced a holiday for schools and colleges.

The victim is also reportedly linked to the right-wing Hindu outfit Bajrang Dal. According to the police, Harsha was allegedly stabbed to death by unknown assailants on Sunday night near a petrol pump at the Ravi Varma Lane in Bharathi Colony.

The town, around 250 km from the state capital Bengaluru, had recently seen disruption in some colleges over the hijab row. However, the reason behind the Sunday killing is not immediately known.

After the incident, some supporters of the deceased man came out on the streets and unleashed their anger. Television footage showed several men pelting stones but it was not clear what their target was.

States Home Minister Araga Jnanendra rushed to Shivamogga and met the victim's family. He said the police have got vital clues and would soon arrest those behind the incident. A youth has been killed. Such incidents should not happen. Police have got the clue and surely, they (the accused) will be arrested soon. I appeal to people to maintain calm, Jnanendra told reporters.

Reacting to the crime, Karnataka Minister KS Eshwarappa said, "I'm very disturbed by the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist. He was killed by 'Musalmaan goondas' (Muslim goons). I'm going to Shivamogga now to analyse the situation. We'll not allow 'goondaism'.''

I'm very disturbed by the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist. He was killed by 'Musalmaan goondas' (Muslim goons). I'm going to Shivamogga now to analyse the situation. We'll not allow 'goondaism': Karnataka Minister KS Eshwarappa pic.twitter.com/PRYxakUzJO  ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2022

Deputy Commissioner Selvamani R told reporters that prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC have been clamped in the town and orders have been given to shut all the schools and colleges.

Police are investigating the case and trying to find out the criminals. We are also working with them. Already section 144 has been clamped in the entire city. So, we have announced a holiday for the schools and colleges, Selvamani said.

Superintendent of Police B M Lakshmi Prasad told reporters that a task force has been formed to track down the criminals behind the incident. "Our priority is to find them out and get them punished. We request people to cooperate with us and not to act emotionally," Prasad told reporters.

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New Delhi: The Bajrang Dal has given a call for a state-wide bandh to be observed on February 23 as a protest against the alleged killing of a group member in Karnatakas Shivamogga.

Harsha, a 26-year-old Bajrang Dal activist was allegedly stabbed to death on Sunday night in Shivamogga. The police have so far arrested three accused in relation to the alleged murder.

Meanwhile, the situation in Shivamogga continues to be volatile with protesters torching a police bus on Monday.

The procession march organised for Harsha turned violent as incidents of stone-pelting, and torching of vehicles was reported from Shivamogga, forcing the police to use tear gas and lathi charge against the protesters.

The police have arrested a person named Kasif in connection with the murder. Based on the information provided by him, two other accused have been arrested from Bengaluru.

After committing the murder, the accused came to Bengaluru while Kasif stayed back to avoid suspicion, the police said.

The accused have told the police that a gang of five people had killed Harsha and the police have launched a hunt to arrest the two absconding accused.

Jnanendra said that there no decision has been taken as such to impose a ban on any organisation.

"We will see what can be done in this regard. I am not in a position to share any information on the investigation," he said.

"The mother of the deceased has asked me to punish those responsible for the killing of her son. It will prevent other children from getting killed," Jnanendra added.

Meanwhile, the security in the state has been intensified following Karanataka Home Minister's orders. More police personnel were called from Bengaluru to avoid any communal violence.

(With inputs from IANS)

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CBSE Class 10th, 12th Term 1 Result 2022: The Central Board of Secondary Education is likely to declare the CBSE Class 10th and Class 12th Term 1 exam results soon.

As per various media reports, the CBSE may release Class 10th and Class 12th Term 1 exam results this week. However, there has been no formal notification from the CBSE office on the same yet.

It is to be noted that the Board had recently announced that the CBSE second-term examination for class 10th and class 12th will be conducted in offline mode from April 26.

"The board after discussion with various stakeholders and taking into consideration the COVID-19 situation in the country has decided to conduct second-term board exams in offline mode only. The theory exams will begin from April 26, 2022. The datesheet for classes 10 and 12 will be released soon," CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj had said on February 9.

"The pattern of the question papers will be same as that of sample question papers hosted on the board's website. The students will appear in the examinations from the allotted examination centres as done during the preceding years," he had added.

Once announced, CBSE Class 10th and Class 12th students can view their Term 1 exam Results via different methods.

How to check CBSE Class 10th, Class 12th Term 1 2022 Result?

When announced, students need to visit CBSE's official website at cbse.nic.in.

On the homepage, students need to click on the 'results' link.

Students will be redirected to a new page (http://cbseresults.nic.in) where they need to click on the 'CBSE Class 10th Result 2022' or the 'CBSE Class 12th Result 2022' link.

Students then need to enter their details including their roll number and click on the 'submit' option.

CBSE Class 10th or Class 12th Term 1 Result 2022 will be displayed on the screen.

Other ways to check CBSE Class 10th, Class 12th Term 1 2022 Result

Students can also check their scores via the DigiLocker app and on the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) app.

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CTET Result 2022: The unusual delay in Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) examination is leading to frustration among the students. The CTET results were scheduled to release on the website - ctet.nic.in around a week ago. However, the results wasn't released on expected time, and the students, desperate to see their performane were kept themselves hooked to the official website (ctet.nic.in). However, the CTET results are yet to be released.

The students, frustrated and angry over the undue delay in the results, have now started venting out their anger on Twitter. The students, tagging CBSE and CTET and other relevant bodies, are asking for an official time and date for the results to be released. The CTET exam was conducted between December 16, 2021, and January 21, 2022 in in online or CBT (Computer Based Test) mode.

Here is a look at tweets by students slamming delay in CTET results:

1. Abhi Rajput, a student, tagging CBSE HQ, wrote: "CBSE India, how much would be tensed to ctet aspirants for result  Dont play with students future pls

2. Another student, Aksay, tagging CBSE HQ, wrote: "#ctetresult please give the result, we know you all are so busy but atlest have little time to notify us about when you going to give result or what is the issue. Please once think about us. Every minute is hard for us. Please dont play with our future."

3. Another student, Siddharth Mandesia, wrote: "CTET and CBSE are both of them irresponsible because they mentioned on their site to publish CTET results on 15th Feb but Still they didn't give any notification for publication for CTET result and I really disappointed from #CTET and #CBSE"

4. Another student, Prasanna Kumar, tagging CBSE HQ, wrote: "CTET DEC 21-22 Results will be published to which date Cbse_official @EduMinOfIndia @dpradhanbjp"

5. Another student, Amarendra Pandey, tagging CBSE HQ, wrote: "Release ctet result as soon as possible,Otherwise update something regarding result"

Important things to know about CTET Result 2022

The results of the CTET December 2021 examination are likely to be announced soon by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) ctet.nic.in. The students who appeared for the exam are waiting anxiuously for the results. The Central Teacher Eligibility Test, in wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, was conducted in online mode this time. The CTET December 2021 results - as per the official notification - would be soon released on its official website https://ctet.nic.in.

The result would be released on ctet.nic.in for 20 languages for two papers. Out of the two papers, Paper I was for a person who intended to be a teacher for classes I to V, while Paper II was for people intending to be a teacher for classes VI toVIII.

CTET result 2021: How to check results at ctet.nic.in?

- Once CTET December 2021 results are declared, visit the official website of CTET at https://ctet.nic.in.

- On the home, click on the "CTET December 2021 Result" link.

- You will be redirected to a new page where you need to enter your "Roll Number".

- Your CTET December 2021 Result will be displayed on your screen.

Some important things to be noted for CTET Result 2022:

- No rechecking or re-evaluation will be done once CTET Result 2021 is released on ctet.nic.in.

- CTET Results at Digilocker: Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) mark-sheets and eligibility certificates for successful candidates will be available in Digital Format in at DigiLocker.

- CBSE on January 31st after releasing the answer key for CTET-December 2021, provided the candidates the window to challenge the same till February 4.

- The answer key for the CTET December-2021 exam is available at https://ctet.nic.in/
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that Digital University is an unprecedented step in India's national education policy as it will end the problem of shortage of seats in the country.

The PM made these remarks while addressing the plenary session of a webinar by the Education Ministry on the implementation of the announcements made in the Union Budget 2022. PM Modi said that the Union Budget for 2022-23 will play a key role in implementing the New Education Policy on the ground.

The PM also reminded the audience how ''digital connectivity kept India's education system running in the time of Covid-19 pandemic.''

Further describing the young generation as the future of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called for empowering the future leaders of India. Our young generation is the future leader of the country. So empowering today's young generation means empowering India's future, PM Narendra Modi said while stressing the positive impact of Union Budget 2022 on the education sector.

During his address, the PM said, A lot of emphasis has been laid on 5 things related to the education sector in Union Budget 2022. First is the Universalization of quality education, Second is skill development, Third is urban planning and design. Fourth is internationalization - world-class foreign universities in India and fifth is AVGC- Animation Visual Effects Gaming Comic.

Stressing that the Union Budget will help in implementing National Education Policy, the PM said, National Digital University will resolve the problem of shortage of seats in India. There will be unlimited seats. I urge all stakeholders to ensure digital university starts as soon as possible.

The PM said that education in the mother tongue is related to children's mental development and highlighted that several medical, tech-edu startups have started in many states in local languages. Educational infrastructure such as e-Vidya, One Class One Channel, Digital Labs, Digital University are going to help youths a lot, the PM added.

The Ministry of Education, which is organising the webinar on the education and skill sector, will have sessions on different themes of relevance and will witness participation of government officials of various ministries and state governments, industry representatives, skill development organizations, educationists, students and other experts.

Seven parallel breakout sessions will be held under the identified themes. Action points, broad strategies and timelines for implementation in line with principles of ease of education and focus on harnessing employment opportunities will be identified by the participating teams.

The themes of the webinar are 'Digital University', 'The Digital Teacher', 'Widening Reach of One Class One Channel', 'India Specific Knowledge in Urban Planning and Design', 'Towards Fostering Stronger Industry-Skill Linkage', 'Developing Educational Institutions in GIFT City' and 'Strengthening Industry-Skill Linkage in AVGC'.

In order to facilitate efficient and speedy implementation of budget announcements, the Government of India is holding a series of webinars across various key sectors. The objective is to brainstorm with experts from the public and private sectors, academia and industry and identify strategies on how best to move forward towards implementation of various issues under different sectors, The Education Ministry officials said.

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The Constitution of India gives equal rights to every citizen of the country. When a person is killed, the charges and punishment slapped on the culprit are same - regardless of his religion or caste. The law in this nation treats everyone as equal citizen. So, in this country, the rights that a Bajrang Dal activist holds are similar to the rights of a PFI activist. However - a deep silence is observed among certain people in media and public personalities when a person from the other side is killed.

In today's DNA, Zee News Editor-In-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary analyses the double standards of so-called activists and mediapersons that were exposed post the killing of a 23-year-old Bajrang Dal activist in Karnataka's Kalaburgi.

Harsha's killing was a mob lynching.

However, for some people, it is not as horrendous as other previous mob-lynching incidents. The reason for this hypocrisy is - that even mob-lynchings have been kept in the categories of "Good Mob Lynching" and "Bad Mob Lynchings" in India.

Harsha was associated with Hindutva organisation Bajrang Dal. For the past few days, he was actively campaigning in support of the Hijab ban in educational institutions in the state. As per the inputs, Harsha was receiving continuous threats over his active support for Hijab ban in the state.

The incident took place in Karnataka's Shivamogga district at around 9 pm on February 20. As per the initial inputs, 4-5 people attacked Harsha in Shivamogga.

Some of the other localites helped Harsha's killers escape from the place of incident. During the attack, some people were also heard raising communal slogans.

However, the investigation is in its initial stages at the moment and poolice is not making any official statement.

Watch DNA for a detailed analysis of Karnataka's mob-lynching incident.
The Karnataka government on Monday told the High Court that the petitioners in the Hijab case were not only seeking permission to wear the headscarf but also wanted a declaration that it becomes part of a religious sanction to bind on everyone who followed Islam.

The government also reiterated Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam.

"This is a not a case where the petitioners alone have come before the court. They are, in fact, seeking a declaration of a particular dress format to become part of a religious sanction so as to bind everyone who follows Islamic religion. That is the seriousness of the claim," state Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi told the full bench of the High Court.

The bench comprising Karnataka Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna S Dixit was constituted to hear the case against the Hijab ban.

The Hijab row had led to tension in educational institutions where some girls sought permission to wear it inside class-rooms while some Hindu students pushed to sport saffron scarves as a counter.

Arguing further, the AG said every woman who follows Islamic faith is required to wear the Hijab as per the religious sanction, is the claim made by the petitioners.

"I am nobody to criticise and nobody to say anything but I can only say with a lot of responsibility that when a case of such kind where you not only want to bind yourself, the petitioners, you want to bind everybody, you ought to show more circumspection and discretion seeking declaration, particularly before a constitutional court," the AG submitted.

According to him, the averments made by the petitioners were absolutely without any material. "The petitioners have not placed any material whatsoever. It is zero material which has been placed before the court," he contended.

The AG reiterated that Hijab is not an essential religious practice and said religious instructions should be kept outside the educational institutions.

"This is our stand that Hijab is not an essential religious practice.

There was a statement by Dr B R Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly where he said 'let us keep the religious instructions outside educational institutions'," Navadgi told the Court.

According to the AG, only the essential religious practice gets protection under the Article 25, which guarantees the citizens to practice the faith of their choice. He also referred to "reforms in the religion" as part of the Article 25.

As soon as the proceedings began, CJ Awasthi said certain clarifications were required related to Hijab.

"You have argued the (February 5) government order is innocuous and the state government has not banned Hijab and not put any restrictions on it. The GO says that the students should wear the prescribed uniform. What is your stand -- whether Hijab can be permitted or not in the educational institutions?" the Chief Justice asked.

In reply, Navadgi said if the institutions allow it, then the government would possibly take a decision as and when the issue arises.

As the petitioners claimed that Hijab is an essential religious practice, the AG said religious practices should be fundamental in nature, which if not followed, the religion will change.

"It is that not the every activity associated with religion which can be characterised as essential religious practice, which includes dress and food," the AG argued.

Explaining further, he said these essential religious practices should precede at the birth of the religion itself and the foundation of the religion must be based on that.

"It is not that the practice should evolve after the religion comes. Essential religious practice should be part of the core belief, which is the cornerstone of the religion," Navadgi said.

Further he said the essential religious practice should be binding in nature.

"If it is optional then it is not essential. If wearing of something is optional and if somebody does not wear and it is still permitted, then it is optional and not binding. The practice must be so compulsive that if you disobey you cease to be part of that religion," the AG argued.

On January one, six girl students of a college in Udupi attended a press conference held by Campus Front of India (CFI) in the coastal town protesting against the college authorities denying them entry into the classroom by wearing Hijab.

This was four days after they requested the principal permission to wear Hijabs in classes which was not allowed. Till then, students used to wear it to the campus and entered the classroom after removing the scarves, the college principal Rudre Gowda had said.

"The institution did not have any rule on Hijab-wearing as such and since no one used to wear it to the classroom in the last 35 years. The students who came with the demand had the backing of outside forces," Gowda had said.
Lucknow: With rivals equating the Lakhimpur Kheri incident to the Jallianwala massacre to target the BJP, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday asserted that the law is taking its own course in the matter and the Opposition's attempt to derive political mileage in the polls will not succeed.

In an interview with PTI, Adityanath claimed the other parties were only fighting the polls for the second spot and said he was not at all worried about his own election from Gorakhpur Urban seat.

Asked if he has any prime ministerial ambition, the saffron-clad seer who is often dubbed as the poster boy of Hindutva answered: "I am a simple worker of the BJP and perform the task given by the party to me. I have never run after any post or chair."

The BJP's face in the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections, Adityanath laughed when asked about the Samajwadi Party's claim of being a "nayi (new) SP".

The distribution of tickets to criminals, mafias and those assisting terrorists makes it amply clear that the party has not changed "even a bit", he said.

"Nayi hawa hai par wahi SP hai" (the air is fresh but the SP is the same old one). There is not a bit of change in the nature of the party which, like in the past, has made criminals who are behind bars, mafias and those assisting terrorists as its nominees in the current election," he said.

On Akhilesh Yadav's statement in his rallies that law-breakers need not vote for him, the chief minister mockingly said, "It's the opposite. He is asking law-breakers and anti-social elements to group together for the return of old rule."

The issue of law and order has been a major poll plank of the BJP which has accused the previous SP government of giving a free hand to mafias and criminals.

About Akhilesh Yadav comparing the October 3 killing of four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri with the Jallianwala bagh massacre during British rule, Adityanath said the law is taking its own course and the state government has no role in the matter.

"The Supreme Court is seized of the matter and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is working objectively in the incident. The state government has no interference in the matter," said Adityanath who was on a whirlwind tour of Lakhimpur Kheri where he addressed five election rallies ahead of polling on February 23 in the fourth phase.

The BJP had won all eight seats in the district in 2017.

The opposition is raking up the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra is a prime accused to target the BJP

Their attacks have sharpened after Ashish Mishra got bail from the Lucknow branch of the Allahabad High Court last week.

Four farmers were crushed under the wheels of SUVs when they were protesting against the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to MOS native place for a programme on October 3 last year. Four others, including two BJP workers, a driver and a journalist were also killed in the subsequent violence.

"Opposition is trying to derive political mileage from the incident that's why they are using it as 'rajnitik shagufa'," he said, adding that the farmers will support the BJP for the various schemes launched for their benefit.

On his own election in Gorakhpur Urban seat that will go to vote in the fifth phase on February 27, Adityanath said he was not worried.

"Why should I worry, it has been a traditional BJP seat and people themselves fight for the party there and they will do it this time too," the chief minister, who is contesting from his home turf in his maiden foray in assembly election said.

The SP has fielded the widow of a former BJP leader there. Azad Samaj Party founder Chandrasekhar alias "Ravana" is also in contest besides Congress and BSP nominees.

On major opposition parties like the Mamata Banerjee-leed Trinamool Congress, the NCP of Sharad Pawar and RJD supporting Samajwadi Party to defeat the BJP, Adityanath said, "They don't have any 'janadhar' (mass base) in UP."

Asked as to who he thinks as the main opponent in the 2022 UP polls, Adityanath said, "We have no fight with anyone. They are fighting for the second position."

"We have a strong support base among 80 per cent of the voters while they are fighting among themselves for the remaining 20 per cent," he said.

On the general perception that he was ''opposed'' to Muslims, Adityanath dubbed it as "opponents' tactics as part of their vote bank politics."

Asserting that he would continue his operation against criminals and mafias after returning to power, Adityanath said, "There will be a stick of development in one hand while another hand will be on a bulldozer to run over the anti-social elements."

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New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday (February 21) met Florence Parly, France Minister for the Armed Forces and discussed contemporary developments and affirmed the commitment to cooperate on new and emerging security challenges. Taking on Twitter EAM wrote, "Convergence in our outlook and interests was visible."

Pleasure to meet Defence Minister @florence_parly. As trusted strategic partners, discussed contemporary developments. Convergence in our outlook and interests was visible. Affirmed our commitment to cooperate on new and emerging security challenges. pic.twitter.com/eHmWzExCCF  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 21, 2022

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday (February 20) began his three-day visit to France during which he will attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific amid Chinese assertiveness in the region.

Jaishankar also held a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian. "Discussions on bilateral cooperation, Ukraine situation, Indo-Pacific and JCPOA reflected our deep trust & global partnership," tweeted EAM.

Arrived in Paris. Held wide-ranging and productive talks with FM @JY_LeDrian. Discussions on bilateral cooperation, Ukraine situation,Indo-Pacific and JCPOA reflected our deep trust & global partnership. Look forward to participating in EU Ministerial Forum on Indo- Pacific. pic.twitter.com/qo5PX3fAsA  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 20, 2022

Jaishankar will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council.

EAM will also hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from EU and other Indo-Pacific countries on the sidelines of the Forum. He will also give an address at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).

"EAM Jaishankar begins his 3-day visit to France, a key strategic partner; he will attend the EU Ministerial forum for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, hold bilateral meetings with @JY_LeDrian and @florence_parly, interact with think tanks and chair India Heads of Missions in EU Conference," India in France wrote in a tweet. (sic)

(With ANI inputs)

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New Delhi: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Monday (February 21) addressed the media on the law and order situation in the state following the alleged murder of a Bajrang Dal activist Harsha.

Talking to ANI, Jnanendra informed that the law and order situation is under control in Karnatakas Shivamogga and teams of police officials have been deployed for the coming days in view of potential violence.

#UPDATE At present, everything is under control in Shivamogga. 200 more police personnel sent from Bengaluru. 1200 already stationed. RAF also present there. We've instructed SPs of other districts as well to closely monitor the situation: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra pic.twitter.com/xXtuqlqI28  ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2022

At present, everything is under control in Shivamogga. 200 more police personnel were sent from Bengaluru. 1200 already stationed. RAF was also present there. We've instructed SPs of other districts as well to closely monitor the situation, said the home minister on Monday.

We have instructed police officials to analyse the situation and maintain law & order; have to take care for 2-3 days, he added.

The statements came at the heels of violence that broke out in Shivamogga over the alleged killing of a Bajrang Dal activist, triggering a communal angle in the incident.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basawaraj Bommai, however, has denied any communal angle in the killing and clarified that the incident is not linked to the ongoing hijab controversy.

So far, three people have been arrested in relation to Harshas alleged murder while a police probe is still on to nab the remaining accused.

A 26-year-old Bajrang Dal activist Harsha was allegedly murdered at around 9 pm last night in Shivamogga. The security was tightened in the city following the incident.

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New Delhi: Karnataka leader MP Renukacharya on Monday (February 21) announced Rs 2 compensation to the family of the Bajrang Dal activist allegedly killed the other night in Shivamogga.

Renukacharya, who is the BJP MLA from Honnali, said that the loss of Harsha, the Bajrang Dal activist who was killed last night, is a personal loss for him and thus, he compensating the family.

The loss of Harsha is like losing my own son. I stand with his family, am giving them Rs 2 lakhs, said MP Renukacharya,

The loss of Harsha is like losing my own son. I stand with his family, am giving them Rs 2 lakhs: MP Renukacharya, BJP MLA from Honnali, Karnataka (file pic) pic.twitter.com/dx0IMpMRLC  ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2022

Harsha, a 26-year-old Bajrang Dal activist was allegedly stabbed to death on the night of Sunday in Karnatakas Shivamogga.

So far, three persons have been arrested in connection with the murder, said state Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Monday.

Briefing media here, the Home Minister said, "We have not yet received any final report related to arrests. Three persons were arrested and some people were taken into custody. As per my information, five people are involved in this murder. For now, we do not want to disclose anything further. Inquiry is going on. After the investigation, the information will be shared.

The funeral procession of the deceased Harsha witnessed violence including stone-pelting and arson, with a photojournalist among others sustaining injuries. Security has been intensified in the state.

There were also reports about some shops being ransacked by miscreants, and police vehicles being set on fire as part of the violence.

Several political leaders, including Mehbooba Mufti, have condemned the killing and demanded a probe into the matter.

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Bengaluru: In the wake of the murder of a 23-year-old youth in Karnatakas Shivamogga for allegedly campaigning against the hijab, states Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the investigation into the case has begun and the police have gathered vital leads.

"One Harsha was stabbed to death yesterday. Few leads have been gathered in the incident during the investigation which started last night."

One Harsha was stabbed to death yesterday. Few leads have been gathered in the incident during the investigation which started last night: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist in Shivamogga pic.twitter.com/ZtYllMHvH7  ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2022

Meanwhile, Karnataka`s leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah condemned the incident and demanded that the culprit should be hanged. Speaking to reporters, former CM Siddaramaiah said, "I condemn this incident. It took place in the district from where the home minister & CM come. The culprit should be hanged. I demand the state home minister`s resignation."

Karnataka | I condemn this incident. It took place in the district from where the home minister & CM come. The culprit should be hanged. I demand the state home ministers resignation: Congress leader Siddaramaiah on the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist in Shivamogga pic.twitter.com/O7IpjerEJV  ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2022

The war of words between the ruling BJP and the main opposition party Congress began after the murder of a 23-year-old Bajrang Dal activist Harsha for allegedly campaigning against the hijab and supporting a common uniform in schools and colleges.

In view of the crime, the Shivamogga district administration has clamped prohibitory orders and announced a holiday for schools and colleges. According to the police, Harsha was allegedly stabbed to death by unknown assailants on Sunday night near a petrol pump at the Ravi Varma Lane in Bharathi Colony.

The town, around 250 km from the state capital Bengaluru, had recently seen disruption in some colleges over the hijab row. The gruesome murder triggered violent protests in the area. States Home Minister Araga Jnanendra rushed to Shivamogga and met the victim's family. He said the police have got vital clues and would soon arrest those behind the incident.

A youth has been killed. Such incidents should not happen. Police have got the clue and surely, they (the accused) will be arrested soon. I appeal to people to maintain calm, Jnanendra told reporters.

Deputy Commissioner Selvamani R told reporters that prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC have been clamped in the town and orders have been given to shut all the schools and colleges.

Police are investigating the case and trying to find out the criminals. We are also working with them. Already section 144 has been clamped in the entire city. So, we have announced a holiday for the schools and colleges, Selvamani said. Superintendent of Police B M Lakshmi Prasad told reporters that a task force has been formed to track down the criminals behind the incident.

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New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday (February 21) expressed his views on the ongoing Hijab controversy in Karnataka and said that a uniform dress code should be followed in schools.

However, the BJP leader added that the courts decision on the matter will be the last word and accepted by the country.

Giving his opinion on the hijab demands, Shah said ultimately it has to be decided whether the country will function on the basis of the Constitution or whims.

It is my personal belief that people of all religions should accept the school's dress code. And the issue is now in court, and the court is conducting its hearings on the matter. Whatever it decides should be followed by all, Shah said in an interview with Network18.

Asked about the involvement of the Campus Front of India on the issue, the minister said, "These people may have their active involvement, but I'll just say that their intentions will not come to fruition."

"The people of India will accept the court's judgement once it comes."

The hijab issue in Karnataka had triggered a major controversy across the nation. The matter had its echo in the ongoing assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh too.

The leader also spoke on the issue of implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) saying that there was no question of going back on it.

He, however, said the decision is linked to the Covid situation.

As long as we are not free from COVID-19, this can't be a priority. We have seen three waves. Thankfully, things are getting better, the third wave is receding. The decision is linked to the Covid situation. But there is no question of going back on it. The question does not arise, he added.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi: Amid buzz about forging a third front, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao met his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday (February 20, 2022).

Reacting to the development, Union minister Ramdas Athawale said that even if Uddhav's Shiv Sena, KCR's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and other parties come together to form a third front at the national level, there will be no threat to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"We are working under the leadership of Narendra Modi and people are happy. Even if the Shiv Sena and other parties form a third front, it will not affect us. In 2024, BJP will again come to power," he said and added that "we will win" in five states where Assembly polls are currently on.

The statement came after KCR called on Thackeray and Pawar in Mumbai as part of efforts to bring together like-minded parties against the BJP at the national level.

Chief Minister Sri K. Chandrashekar Rao along with the delegation met Chief Minister of Maharashtra Sri Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai today at 'Varsha', the official residence of Maharashtra CM.@CMOMaharashtra pic.twitter.com/q1XagTpeeZ  Telangana CMO (@TelanganaCMO) February 20, 2022

 Telangana CMO (@TelanganaCMO) February 20, 2022

Talking to reporters in Pune about the meeting, Athawale said, "Even if Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao met Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and held talks about forming a third front, there is no threat to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)."

Just like the BJP had won 282 seats in 2014 and 303 seats in 2019, the party will bag 404 seats in the 2024 polls, the Republican Party of India leader said.

Earlier on Sunday, while Rao and Thackeray agreed on the need to bring a change, Pawar stressed the need for all like-minded parties to join hands to resolve various issues like unemployment and the agrarian crisis and said they will meet again.

However, neither Rao nor Uddhav or Pawar spoke about a third front in clear terms.

KCR, who travelled to Mumbai on the invitation of Thackeray, said that he and the Maharashtra CM have agreed that change is the need of the hour. The meeting between Rao and Thackeray, held at the latter's official bungalow 'Varsha', lasted for nearly two hours.

Telangana CM Shri K. Chandrashekar Rao, accompanied by his delegation, called on CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray. They discussed enhancing cooperation between two states in the areas related to water resources, industry, infrastructure, and inter-state joint irrigation projects. pic.twitter.com/GwoE6Io7gN  CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) February 20, 2022

Rao then travelled to Pawar's residence in south Mumbai where he held a political discussion with the veteran leader on how to take the country forward after 75 years of independence.

Meanwhile, Congress said that Rao's efforts to forge an anti-BJP front are welcome but cautioned that such an initiative by regional parties cannot be successful without the Grand Old Party which is the "only alternative" to the ruling BJP.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole claimed that the TRS had earlier taken a stand in Parliament which was "beneficial" to BJP but now its views about BJP have changed.

"We welcome this change of heart," he told reporters.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday launched its probe into the death of a 17-year-old schoolgirl from Thirukattupalli, who allegedly died by suicide, amid charges that she was forced to convert to Christianity.

The agencys team, led by Vidya Jayant Kulkarni arrived at Michaelpatti village near Thirukattupalli and enquired the authorities of the missionary school where the teenage girl was studying.

The girl hailed from Vadugapalayam hamlet in Ariyalur district.

Vidya Jayant Kulkarni is an IPS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre and was appointed as Joint Director in November last year.

The team reached Michaelpatti in the afternoon and commenced their investigation by interrogating the school and hostel authorities.

The Madras High Court transferred the case to CBI on a plea by the parents of the deceased girl who alleged that their daughter was harassed to convert into christianity.

On January 16, the Thirukattupalli police had booked a case under the Juvenile Justice Act and Indian Penal Code Sections 75 (punishment for cruelty to child), Section 305 (abetment of suicide of child or insane person), and Section 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other Imprisonments).

So far, the police arrested the 67-year-old hostel warden of the school.

Subsequently, after the death of the girl on January 19, the case took a different turn with charges that she had been forced to end her life after attempts at forcible conversion by the school.

A mobile recorded video was also presented as evidence in the case.

(With PTI inputs)

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Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party on Monday (February 21) announced that Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav will be one of its star campaigners for the remaining phases of Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav and Swami Prasad Maurya are also included in the list.

The move holds significance as it indicates the closing of ranks within the Mulayam Singh Yadav clan. The development came in the wake of the Yadav clan hitting the campaign trail together for Akhilesh Yadav in his Karhal Assembly constituency.

Samajwadi Party announces Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav (file pic) as one of its star campaigners for the remaining phases of UP elections SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav &Swami Prasad Maurya also included in the list pic.twitter.com/3sAADdaQCm  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 21, 2022

Shivpal`s name was missing in the list of campaigners released by the Samajwadi Party released ahead of the Assembly elections.

The SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who campaigned for his son in the Karhal constituency, will continue to lead the campaigning for the party in the remaining phases of the polls, said ANI report citing sources within the alliance parties.

The new list includes party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, Kiranmoy Nanda, and Swami Prasad Maurya, who had left the BJP to join the SP weeks ahead of the polls, among other prominent names.

The SP led by Akhilesh Yadav and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) led by Shivpal Singh Yadav are contesting the Assembly polls together, and the alliance has expressed confidence in forming the government in the state.

The BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had taken a jibe at the SP for fielding the party patriarch on the campaign trail in the Karhal constituency.

During an election rally in Unnao on Sunday, the Prime Minister said, "They (the SP) are about to lose the seat (Karhal) that they were considering safest. It is getting out of their hands. You must have seen the father (Mulayam Singh Yadav), who was earlier pushed away from the stage, humiliated and his party captured, had to plead to save his son from a certain defeat."

Third phase has made it clear, Akhilesh will become CM: Shivpal

Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) (Lohiya) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav said that the third phase of the state assembly elections has made it clear that Akhilesh Yadav will become the chief minister while interacting with the media in Etawah district on Sunday.

Shivpal said that the SP and its allies will form a government with an overwhelming majority. In the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh polls, 59 assembly seats across 16 districts voted on Sunday, with as many as 627 candidates in the fray.

Meanwhile, the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh polls ended with a 61.02 per cent average voter turnout. Subsequent phases are taking place on February 23, 27, and March 3 and 7, while the counting of votes will be done on March 10.

(With Agency Inputs)

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New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday (February 21) in Raebareli said BJP will lose the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and accused the current govt of not doing anything for the poor.

Addressing the public in Raebareli, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Be alert, BJP can do anything as they're going to lose UttarPradeshElections..."

Referring to UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Akhilesh said, " 'bulldozer Baba' said he distributed 1 crore smartphones and tablets, no one received them here (in Raebareli)."

Accusing the BJP of working for rich people, SP people chief said, " This govt (BJP) isn't a govt for the poor, but for the rich. We won't get a loan easily, will have to put our land and house for mortgage, but big industrialists ran away after looting banks."

Uttar Pradesh on Sunday (February 20) concluded the third phase of the 2022 Assembly elections and sealed the fate of 59 assembly constituencies.

(With ANI inputs)

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New Delhi: As Uttar Pradesh prepares for the fourth phase of Assembly elections, leaders of all the political parties have geared up their speeches and are launching attacks on rivals to woo voters.

Taking a dig at Samajwadi Party in city of Raebareli, UP CM Yogi Adityanath asked the public if they "want bullet train development or 'puncture wali Cycle' in the state?" UP CM said, "Yogi in state and Modi at Centre will bring bullet train-like development here."

"Samajwadi Party and other parties are doing politics at the nation's cost. Congress, SP, BSP are toying with the security of the nation and society," added Yogi.

Attacking the Samajwadi Party on its links with 2008 Ahemdabad serial blast convicts Adityanath said, "Gujarat court has convicted 38 people in Ahmedabad blasts case. Of these, 8 have a connection with Azamgarh. Of these 8 convicts, a convicts father is an active Samajwadi Party worker. SP Chief should give clarification and apologise before the public."

Uttar Pradesh will go for the fourth phase of polling for Assembly elections 2022 on February 23.

(With ANI inputs)

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NEW DELHI: Shakun Batra's directorial 'Gehraiyaan' has become the talk of the town ever since the film was released.

While some heaped praises on the film, there's a section of people who did not like the adult drama. Undoubtedly, the film, which features Deepika Padukone, Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Dhairya Karwa, has caught everyone's attention for one reason or another.

On Sunday night, Deepika organised a success bash for the film's cast and crew. Several images and videos from the party have been doing the rounds on the internet.

For the special day, Deepika pulled off an all-white attire, looking stunning in a white corset top.

In one of the pictures, Deepika, Ananya, Siddhant, Dhairya and Shakun Batra were seen posing together and sharing smiles.

While few fans loved their dressing sense and also appreciated the movie, there were others who trolled Deepika for throwing a success party as they considered the movie as a flop.

One of the user commented, Success for what?, another wrote, Success? Gajab zabardasti hai.

Another one went on writing, That is called Jabardasti flop film ko hit banana..

Released on Amazon Prime Video, 'Gehraiyaan' is based on complex modern relationships. Actors Naseeruddin Shah and Rajat Kapoor also featured in the film.
NEW DELHI: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is currently shooting with Bahubali star Prabhas for his upcoming project which is tentatively titled Project K. Big B, who is known for expressing his feelings every now and then has now thanked Prabhas for getting him home-cooked food.

Helmed by Nag Ashwin, the film also stars Deepika Padukone in lead role.

T 4198 - 'Bahubali' Prabhas .. your generosity is beyond measure .. you bring me home cooked food, beyond delicious .. you send me quantity beyond measure .. could have fed an Army ..

the special cookies .. beyond scrumptious ..

And your compliments beyond digestible  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) February 20, 2022

Taking to his micro-blogging site Twitter on Sunday night, Senior Bachchan heaped praises at the star and tweeted, T 4198 - 'Bahubali' Prabhas .. your generosity is beyond measure .. you bring me home cooked food, beyond delicious .. you send me quantity beyond measure .. could have fed an Army ..

the special cookies .. beyond scrumptious ..

And your compliments beyond digestible

On the other hand, south superstar Prabhas on Friday shared that he has completed the first shot with the megastar.

Taking to his Instagram handle, the 42-year-old actor shared an iconic picture of Big B sitting like a boss and also expressed his love for him.

For the unversed, Prabhas recently completed filming for the first schedule of 'Project K' with Deepika in Hyderabad.

Well, the upcoming movie is a mega canvas, pan-India project that's been in the news ever since its announcement.

The multi-lingual sci-fi genre project whose massive set is constructed at Ramoji Filmcity is touted to be one of the most expensive Indian films of all time.
New Delhi: 7th pay commission: Central government employees who have been eagerly waiting for the 18 months Dearness Allowance (DA) arrear might be hearing a bad news, if media reports are to be believed.

As per media reports, the government does not seem to be committing for the payments of 18-months DA arrears to the central employees. The Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief of Central government employees and pensioners were restored to 31% from 17% from October 2021, however the arrears have not been deposited as yet.

The bad news has been estimated based on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's statement that she issued last year. The FM said that due to the spread of Covid-19 in the country, dearness allowance of these employees was stopped, so that the government could use the money to help the poor and needy.

The above speculation is also coupled with media reports previously citing Shiv Gopal Mishra, Secretary (Staff Side) of the National Council of JCM. He had said that the council has placed its demand before the government however both sides could not arrive at any conclusion as yet. Media reports further said that talks have been held with the Cabinet Secretary, which still remains inconclusive. The Labour union has been constantly pressing demands for a one time settlement of dearness allowance arrears.

A Zee Hindi report, quoting Shiv Gopal Mishra of the National Council of JCM, had also previously mentioned that the DA arrears of Level-1 employees range from Rs 11,880 to Rs 37,554. Whereas, for Level-13 (7th CPC basic pay scale Rs 1,23,100 to Rs 2,15,900) or Level-14 (pay scale), the DA arrears in the hands of an employee will be Rs 1,44,200-2,18,200 that will be paid, quoted the reports.

According to the annual report of the Department of Expenditure, there are a total of 48 lakh central employees in the country and about 60 lakh pensioners.

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The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka on February 20 said that Sri Lanka has completed trials of an AC train supplied by India under a USD 318 million line of credit (LoC) extended in 2014-15.

Perfect track record!!Officials of High Commission attended the successful trial run of the second AC DMU to arrive in #Srilanka from #India under an ongoing Line of Credit. Proud of India-Sri Lanka cooperation for providing people of #lka with dependable & world class railway facilities. pic.twitter.com/X1iQqak1ci  India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) February 18, 2022

The India High Commission in Sri Lanka posted pictures of the trial run of the train in a tweet, commending India-Sri Lanka cooperation. Perfect track record!! Officials of the High Commission attended the successful trial run of the second AC DMU to arrive in #Srilanka from #India under an ongoing Line of Credit. Proud of India-Sri Lanka cooperation for providing people of #lka with dependable & world-class railway facilities, read the tweet.

In an official statement, the High Commission said, "Officials from the High Commission of India accompanied by representatives from Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) and the Sri Lankan Railways travelled aboard an air-conditioned train [AC Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU)] on its successful trial run in Sri Lanka on February 18, 2022."

Also read: Indian Railways share picturesque landscape on THIS route, details here

It further said, "The USD 318 million LoC was finalized in 2014-15 for the supply of railway rolling stock, up-gradation of railway tracks and other mutually agreed projects in accordance with request and requirements of the Government of Sri Lanka.

Recently, India also provided financial assistance of 2.4 billion USD to Sri Lanka following a two-day official visit of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, GL Peiris to India from February 6 to 8.

With inputs from ANI

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New Delhi: The much-anticipated social networking app from Donald Trump's new media firm has arrived. And, as expected, the app is currently only available for iPhone users. According to Reuters, the iOS was made available on the Apple App Store before midnight on February 21. The Truth Social website appears to be a work in progress as well, especially given it was not protected with an HTTPS URL at the time of writing this post.

The Truth Social app, which is accessible on the Apple App Store, is only compatible with iPhone, so don't look for it on an iPad. According to the app's description on the Apple App Store, Truth Social allows users to create personalised profiles.

They can use the discover tool to look for other folks. Finally, you can upload and share videos with other platform users.

Truth Social's UI is uncannily similar to Twitter's, which is not unexpected given how acclimated people have become to the micro-blogging platform's user interface. Truth Social, on the other hand, provides Truth, Truths & Replies, and Media, as opposed to Tweets, Replies, and Likes.

The app was created by T Media Tech LLC, which is Donald Trump's media company. According to the app listing, you must have an iPhone running iOS 13 or later to utilise the Truth Social app. The programme is 12.4 MB in size and is free for users. The software should be available for Android users in the coming weeks.

What About Privacy Concerns With Donald Trump's Social Media App?

Truth Social, like any other smartphone app, is guilty of accessing user data on the device. And Apple makes it plain what information this app collects from the user. It states that Truth Social may collect the user's contact information, as well as the content stored on the device as their browsing history. This app collects data that is not related to a user, such as contact information, identifiers, usage data, and diagnostics.

Truth Social is a social networking platform that caters to conservative politicians who have frequently complained about Twitter limiting their thoughts or accounts.

In fact, Donald Trump is one of the most prominent figures whose Twitter account has been suspended by the platform.\

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New Delhi: WhatsApp is working on a new interface for voice calling for some beta Android users. The new interface would be rolled out for both Android as well as iOS users, but currently it is being tested with the beta Android users.

"WhatsApp has submitted a new update through the TestFlight beta Program, bringing the version up to 22.5.0.70. The version marked within WhatsApp Settings is 2.22.5.70," WhatsApp development tracker WABetaInfo has said.

The voice calling would have a new interface when placing voice calls. References for the design change were already found in the in the previous beta updates for iOS and Android users. The new WhatsApp voice call interface would come with a round grey square in the front and center. It will also house the contact name, number, and profile picture.

"If the new interface is enabled, people can also see real-time voice waveforms. In addition, the redesign includes a wallpaper voice call, that cannot be edited at the moment," WABetaInfo said.

WhatsApp has been spotted working on a new screen for responding to users about their account ban reviews.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is also working towards releasing the 'Community' feature in a future update. Community is a private place where group admins will have more control over some groups on WhatsApp. The report said that WhatsApp Community is like a group chat and group admins are able to link other groups in the Community.

With IANS Inputs

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North 24 Parganas: Ahead of the February 27 municipality elections in West Bengal, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president Arjun Singh has warned the ruling Trinamool Congress of serious consequences if violence occurs.

Singh said that his party will give a ''befitting reply'' if the TMC goons indulge in violence during the civic polls.

"Eent ka jawab patthar se denge (will respond to a brick with a stone. If booth meddling takes place at even one location, then the presiding officer should pray for his job," Singh was quoted as saying by ANI. "I will break every booth machine," he added.

#WATCH| WB: BJP state vice-president Arjun Singh on being asked if post-poll (local) tensions occur again, said, "'eent ka jawab patthar se denge', if booth meddling takes place at even one location, then presiding officer should pray for his job, I'll break every booth machine." pic.twitter.com/vbBj9ApiV2  ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022

Singh made the controversial remark just ahead of elections to 108 municipalities in the state slated for February 27. Arjun Singh, the BJP MP from Barrackpur, was campaigning in his own neighbourhood of Bhatpara on Sunday.

The BJP has repeatedly accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal of rigging polling booths during local elections. Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari warned Trinamool Congress (TMC) led government in West Bengal that if the voting is blocked on polling day then BJP will call a bandh for 72 hours.

The BJP has also demanded the deployment of central forces in West Bengal for overseeing municipal elections. A number of petitions in this regard are also being heard by the Calcutta High Court.

The West Bengal Election Commission will conduct the civic polls for 108 other municipalities on February 27. Counting of votes for the same will be held on March 2.

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Paris: French flag carrier Air France told Sputnik on Monday (February 21) that it has cancelled flights to and from Ukraine on February 22 owing to security risks as a "precaution." "Air France is continuously monitoring the evolution of the geopolitical situation in serviced territories in order to ensure the utmost level of flight safety. Flights AF1752 and AF1753 to and from Kyiv on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 are cancelled due to the situation on the ground [in Ukraine] and as a means of precaution," a company spokesperson said.

Kyiv`s Boryspil airport continues to display the two Air France flights as scheduled at the time of the writing. The precarious situation in the breakaway Donbas region in Ukraine`s east has deteriorated in recent days, with the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People`s Republics (DPR and LPR) claiming that the Ukrainian armed forces have shelled their positions.

The Ukrainian security forces also reported a sharp increase in the number of ceasefire violations in Donbas, while denying any offensive actions. In 2014, the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the DPR and LPR after they declared independence following what they considered a coup in Kyiv.

Early clashes escalated into a protracted military conflict that claimed thousands of lives and displaced over 2 million Ukrainians. A ceasefire was reached in 2020, but fighting continued to break out occasionally. In the past few months, Western countries and Ukraine have accused Russia of deploying additional troops along the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for invasion.

Moscow has repeatedly dismissed these allegations, saying that it has no intention of invading Ukraine, while stressing that it has the right to move its troops within its territory. Russia has also expressed concerns over NATO military activity near its borders and ongoing military support of Ukraine, including an increase in the number of Western military advisers in the breakaway Donbas region and increased arms deliveries to Kyiv.



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New Delhi: US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed in principle to a summit over Ukraine, U.S. and French leaders said, offering a possible path out from one of the most dangerous European crises in decades.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement on Monday he had pitched both leaders on a summit over "security and strategic stability in Europe."

The White House said in a statement that Biden had accepted the meeting "in principle" but only "if an invasion hasn`t happened."

"We are always ready for diplomacy," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. "We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war."

Many details about the proposed summit - which was announced after a volley of phone calls between Macron, Biden, Putin, and British leader Boris Johnson - are unclear.

Today, President Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the latest developments regarding Russias military buildup on the borders of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/v3EKIj9PRb  The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 20, 2022

President Biden spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France today. They discussed ongoing diplomacy and deterrence efforts in response to Russias military buildup on the borders of Ukraine.  The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 20, 2022

A call seeking comment from the Kremlin was not immediately returned early Monday.

Macron`s office and the White House said that the substance of the summit would be worked out by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their upcoming meeting planned for Feb. 24.

US President Joe Biden agrees to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin 'in principle' if an invasion hasn't happened: Jen Psaki, Press Secretary, The White House#Ukraine pic.twitter.com/4gD7W013D9  ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2022

The news comes after a week of heightened tensions spurred by Russia`s military buildup all around the Ukrainian border. Russian forces have been amassing around its neighbor since late last year, something Western countries say is a prelude to an invasion.

Nerves were further frayed when the Belarusian defence ministry announced that Russia would extend military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday. Satellite images appeared to show new deployments of Russian armor and troops in farms and forests close to Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the extension of the exercises made him more worried that Russia was on the brink of invading. Moscow has repeatedly denied such plans.

U.S.-based satellite imagery company Maxar reported multiple new deployments of Russian military units in forests, farms, and industrial areas as little as 15 km (9 miles) from the border with Ukraine - something Maxar said represented a change from what had been seen in recent weeks.

Blinken told CNN that "everything we are seeing suggests that this is dead serious."

But he said he hoped the invasion could still be averted by peaceful means.

"Until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward," Blinken said.

On the ground, war drums have been beating ever louder over the past few days.

Sporadic shelling across the line dividing Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in that region increased sharply since Thursday; sounds of fighting continued into Monday, when a blast was heard in the centre of the city of Donetsk, which is held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Its cause was unknown.

Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine said on Monday that two civilians were killed in shelling by the Kyiv government forces, Russia`s RIA news agency reported.

Kyiv has accused pro-Russian forces of shelling their own compatriots in eastern Ukraine to blame the attacks on Ukrainian government forces.

The fighting - and Russia`s continued war drills - have put the Europe on edge.

Live TV
Moscow: Hours after French president Emmanuel Macron informed of a probable meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Kremlin said there were no firm plans for a meeting between the two leaders over the Ukraine crisis.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said a call or meeting between Putin and Biden could be set up at any time, but there were no concrete plans yet for a summit.

The statements came after the French president said the two leaders had agreed on a meeting in principle on a condition that Russia assures the US of not invading Ukraine.

Macron`s office and the White House on the other hand said that the substance of the plan would be worked out by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting planned for Thursday.

The proposed summit, which comes at a time when counter-attacked at checkpoints have intensified between Ukraine and Moscow, is believed to offer a way out of what could turn out to be Europes biggest military face-off in decades.

So far, both Washington and Moscow played down hopes of a breakthrough, and satellite imagery appeared to show Russian deployments closer to Ukraine`s border than before.

The US has accused and maintained its claim that Russia is planning to invade its neighbour Ukraine which it had controlled for centuries until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

However, Moscow still denies planning any attack but has demanded sweeping security guarantees, including a promise that Ukraine will never join NATO.

Nerves frayed further when Moscow`s close ally Belarus announced on Sunday that Russia would extend military exercises there.

Russia has tens of thousands of soldiers in Belarus - part of what Washington says is a force now numbering 169,000-190,000 troops in the region, including pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

An adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron told Reuters that Macron had put the summit proposal to Putin at Biden`s request.

"We`re slowly changing the course of things," said the adviser, who declined to be named.

The White House said Biden had accepted the meeting "in principle" but only "if an invasion hasn`t happened".

"We are always ready for diplomacy," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. "We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences, should Russia instead choose war."

Ukraine said it must be included in any decisions aimed at resolving the crisis, and that it had seen warnings online that hackers were preparing to launch cyberattacks on government agencies, banks and the military.

"No one can resolve our issue without us," top security official Oleksiy Danilov told a briefing.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Live TV
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday he was considering a request by two regions of eastern Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists to be recognised as independent - a move that could give Moscow a reason to openly send troops.

Separately, Moscow said Ukrainian military saboteurs had tried to enter Russian territory in armed vehicles, an accusation dismissed as "fake news" by Kyiv amid Western accusations that Moscow aims to fabricate a pretext to invade.

Washington says Russia has now massed a force numbering 169,000-190,000 troops in the region, including pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

European financial markets tumbled at signs of increased confrontation, after having briefly edged higher on the glimmer of hope that a summit might offer a path out of Europe`s biggest military crisis in decades. Russian shares plunged, and the rouble dropped 3%.

Russia denies planning any attack on its neighbour, which broke away from Moscow`s rule with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, but has demanded sweeping security guarantees, including a promise that Ukraine will never join NATO.

After an extraordinary meeting of his Security Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin restated those demands, insisting that it was not enough for the West to say Ukraine was not ready to join NATO at present.

In televised remarks, he also said Moscow had to consider the request made a few hours earlier by the leaders of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, which broke away from Kyiv`s control in 2014.

Ukraine and the West consider the rebels controlling the two small eastern regions to be Russia`s proxies, and have been warning for weeks that Moscow might use them to fabricate a case for war.

Former president Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia`s Security Council, said it was "obvious" that Ukraine did not need the two regions, and that a majority of Russians would support their independence.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu then appeared to raise the stakes even further by saying that Ukraine - which renounced nuclear weapons after independence from the Soviet Union - had a greater "nuclear potential" than Iran or North Korea.

After talks in Brussels with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, British foreign minister Liz Truss said Western countries were preparing for a "worst-case scenario". The airlines Lufthansa, KLM and Air France all cancelled flights to Kyiv.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson`s spokesman said Britain had seen intelligence suggesting Putin`s invasion plan had begun.

"We`re seeing seen elements of the Russian playbook that we would expect to see in certain situations starting to play out in real time," he told reporters.
New Delhi: Amid growing Russia-Ukraine tensions, the US on Sunday (February 20, 2022) warned that all signs suggest that Moscow is on the brink of invading Kyiv.

While speaking to a news television channel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, "Everything we are seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion. We will do everything we can to try to prevent it before it happens."

Blinken added that the West was equally prepared if Moscow invades.

The chorus is growing louder every day. We urge the Russian government to de-escalate and choose the path of diplomacy. I stand alongside leaders who are #UnitedWithUkraine. pic.twitter.com/aoM2UfMAdm  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 20, 2022

"Until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President (Vladimir) Putin from carrying this forward," he said.

The US Secretary of State also informed that his planned meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was still set to proceed next week as long as Moscow did not go ahead with the invasion.

The United States joins Ukraine and our other partners and Allies in calling for Russia to stop its aggression. https://t.co/GMHQc1Knb2  Department of State (@StateDept) February 20, 2022

US President Joe Biden was also prepared to engage with Putin "at any time, in any format if that can help prevent a war," Blinken added.

Images show new Russian deployments of armor, troops near Ukraine

Meanwhile, satellite images show multiple new field deployments of armored equipment and troops from Russian garrisons near the border with Ukraine, a private US company said on Sunday, in what its director said indicated increased military readiness.

The images released by US-based Maxar Technologies, which has been tracking the buildup of Russian forces for weeks, could not be independently verified by Zee News.

"This new activity represents a change in the pattern of the previously observed deployments of battle groups (tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery and support equipment)," Maxar said in a release on Sunday.

Several large deployments of battle groups had been observed around the military garrison at Soloti, Russia, as of Feb. 13 according to satellite images, Maxar said.

Images on Sunday showed most of the combat units and support equipment at Soloti had departed. Extensive vehicle tracks and some convoys of armored equipment were seen throughout the area, the company said.

Some equipment has also been deployed east of nearby Valuyki, Russia, in a field approximately 15 km (9 miles) north of the Ukrainian border. A number of new field deployments are also seen northwest of the Russian city of Belgorod, Maxar said.

The new activity comes as Russia extended military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday, heightening fears among Western powers over an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It is noteworthy that western leaders have been warning of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine, estimating that more than 1,50,000 Russian troops have encircled the country.

(With agency inputs)

Live TV
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasised the need for the US and NATO to take Russia`s demands to ensure its security guarantees as seriously as possible and to respond specifically and to the point. In his telephone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, the two leaders had an in-depth discussion of the developments around Ukraine as well as developments regarding long-term legal security guarantees for the Russian Federation, said a statement by Kremlin.

Accordingly, Putin noted that "provocations from Ukrainian militants were the reason for the escalation," adding "Attention was drawn to the modern weapons and ammunition being sent to Ukraine by NATO member countries, which is encouraging Kyiv to pursue a military solution to the Donbas problem."

"As a result, civilians in the Donetsk and Lugansk people`s republics are suffering and being forced to leave for Russia to save themselves from intensifying attacks," the statement reportedly said.

The two presidents found it expedient to step up the search for a diplomatic solution between the foreign ministers and political advisors to the leaders of the Normandy format countries.

Kremlin further said that these meetings are to help restore the ceasefire and ensure progress in settling the conflict around Donbas.

Biden speaks with Macron, discusses diplomacy

US President Joe Biden spoke with France President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday and discussed ongoing diplomacy and deterrence efforts in response to Russia`s military build-up on the borders of Ukraine, according to a White House press release. Earlier on February 6, both sides had discussed the Ukraine situation over the phone.

It further said, "President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France today. They discussed ongoing diplomacy and deterrence efforts in response to Russia`s military buildup on the borders of Ukraine."

"President Joe Biden spoke today with President Emmanuel Macron of France. The leaders discussed ongoing diplomatic and deterrence efforts in response to Russia`s continued military build-up on Ukraine`s borders, and affirmed their support for Ukraine`s sovereignty and territorial integrity," the White House earlier on February 6 stated.

On Sunday, Biden also held a meeting of the National Security Council over the situation around Ukraine, wherein, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and other members of NSC were present.

In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an "invasion".

Moscow, however, has denied these accusations, stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO`s military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security.

Reiterating its right to move troops within its national territory, Russia has reportedly warned Western countries that military deliveries to Kyiv may encourage the latter to use them against the breakaway Russian-speaking region of Donbas.

Notably, Moscow`s build-up of around 150,000 troops just over the border from the Donbas region in the east, in Belarus to the north and Crimea to the south, began in the autumn.

It has claimed that the surge of forces has always been for military exercises and that it poses no threat to Ukraine or any other nation, but has refused to offer any other explanation for the biggest build-up of military might in Europe since the Cold War.

(With Agency Inputs)

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This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image captures one of three segments that comprise a 65-light-year wide star-forming region named the Chamaeleon Cloud Complex.

The segment in this Hubble composite image, called Chamaeleon Cloud I (Cha I), reveals dusty-dark clouds where stars are forming, dazzling reflection nebulae glowing by the light of bright-blue young stars, and radiant knots called Herbig-Haro objects.

Herbig-Haro objects are bright clumps and arcs of interstellar gas shocked and energized by jets expelled from infant "protostars" in the process of forming. The white-orange cloud at the bottom of the image hosts one of these protostars at its center. Its brilliant white jets of hot gas are ejected in narrow torrents from the protostar's poles, creating the Herbig-Haro object HH 909A.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, K. Luhman and T. Esplin (Pennsylvania State University), et al., and ESO; Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Larger image



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Presidente @PedroCastilloTe: "Felicito a la @PoliciaPeru por los resultados de este operativo en la lucha contra la delincuencia en #Cajamarca. Hagamos una sola fuerza con las organizaciones vivas para acabar con la inseguridad ciudadana". #SiempreConElPueblo pic.twitter.com/jjlhkCNvP6




The motion No. 2042 was inked by congresswoman Betssy Chavez (Peru Democratico), as the first signatory, and other 19 legislators from her own political group, as well as from Peru Libre and Juntos por el Peru.





The document cites the report published by Hildebrandt en sus Trece a weekly publication that informed of the aforementioned meeting held at a hotel in Lima's Miraflores district.





It also warns that lawmakers have tried to minimize the meeting by saying it was a workshop seminar financed by the Frierich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.





The motion says that Article 43 of the Peruvian Constitution provides that the State is governed by the rule of law, that its form of government is democratic, and that it is organized pursuant to the principle of separation of powers.





"However, the Board of Congress has set aside that provision and has assumed a Montesinos-like plan that violates the purpose of our Magna Carta," the document reads.





It also states that Alva and the legislators who participated in the meeting seek to alter the spirit of the Constitution and laws so as to give priority to their particular interests over the general interest.





This censure motion is added to the one previously filed by Peru Libre.





(END) VVS/RMB

A second censure motion has been filed against Congress Chairwoman Maria del Carmen Alva over the meeting she held with a group of legislators to reportedly discuss the presidential impeachment proceeding.Published: 2/21/2022




"It (citizen insecurity) is a terrible evil, and we have started to confront it. There may be dissenting opinions or criticism from the press about one or more measures that we have adopted; the important thing is that we have started to create public safety, because only in this way can there be a safe environment for economic activities," he said.





The Cabinet chief emphasized that social development or an improvement in the quality of education, health, infrastructure, and agriculture is impossible without economic growth.





"Therefore, the aim is to ensure public safety throughout the country, and that is possible. It is quite clear to us. We want to make Peru the safest country in Latin America, but we do not have all the solutions; we are willing to listen to different opinions," he stated.





Mr. Torres affirmed that his administration declared a state of emergency in Lima, Callao, Comas, and San Juan de Lurigancho a measure that sparked opposition.

"It is a flexible measure that can also be applied to the rest of the country if requested by regions or localities. This measure is already yielding its first results. Important arrests have been made, and crime is being hit," the high-ranking official expressed.

A second measure, he said, is the one that bans two passengers on a motorcycle, which only applies to Lima and not to areas where motorcycles are the main means of transportation.

Thirdly, Mr. Torres continued, there is a proposal to equip Serenazgo (municipal patrol guards) with non-lethal weapons, taking into account that many of its members have served in the Armed Forces, the National Police or security companies, so they are fully trained to use them.





His remarks were delivered on Monday in an interview with Diario Uno.





(END) VVS/RMB
Presidente @PedroCastilloTe: "Hagamos una cruzada por el reinicio del ano escolar y para respetar e implementar el nuevo Curriculo Nacional. Revisemos la Ley General de Educacion para actualizarla con el apoyo de los actores de este sector". pic.twitter.com/jLOnrcSlkm
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan is taking measures to complete the construction of the iconic Cascade.

The City Hall said Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan tasked officials to re-start negotiations with the Cafesjian Museum Foundation.

City Hall said it proposed to the foundation to jointly develop and implement a new investment program with the purpose of modernizing the territory of the complex which is of high-significance for the city.

In this context the Yerevan City Hall is open to provide full assistance and invest respective toolbox, the Yerevan City Halls Deputy Director of the Development and Investment Programs Department Meri Harutyunyan said.

Honored Architect Narek Sargsyan stressed that if the board of trustees of the foundation is not ready to continue fulfilling their obligations, then undoubtedly a queue of investors will appear.

The problems of contractors are always taken into account, but they must take into account not obstructing the citys development. If theyre not continuing the project for some reason, then they must either attract new investors or transfer it to the city, he said.

Honored Architect Aslan Mkhitaryan said he has projects and ideas and is ready to cooperate. He noted that a hotel and auditoriums could be built there.

After the completion, the Cascade Complex has the potential to become a regional cultural center.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 is available in primary healthcare facilities (polyclinics) and mobile vaccination sites in Armenia, the Healthcare Ministry reported.

Persons aged 12 and above can get vaccinated with Pfizer. Parental consent is required for persons aged 12 to 18.

Pfizer can also be used as a booster shot for persons 18 and above, at least 3 months after full vaccination.
YEREVAN, 21 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. According to the Southern Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as a result of joint operations of the military and border guards, two infantry fighting vehicles of the Ukrainian army were destroyed, ARMENPRESS reports Ria Novosti informed.

According to the military, two combat vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces entered the territory of Russia and were destroyed. It is reported that 5 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, there are no casualties among the Russians.
By Trend

Azerbaijan and Iran to exchange business missions, this was reported at the meeting of the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Iran Ali Alizade with members of the Tabriz Chamber of Commerce, Trend reports.

Before the meeting of the joint intergovernmental economic commission, Azerbaijan and Iran plan to familiarize themselves with the existing potential of the two countries.

For this purpose, it was decided that about 15 Iranian industrialists and representatives will visit Azerbaijan, and 15 Azerbaijani - Iran.
YEREVAN, 21 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan on February 21 met with Ambassador of Finland to Armenia Kirsti Narinen.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Security Council, at the request of the Ambassador the Secretary of the Security Council presented the position of Armenia on the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, unblocking of regional transport infrastructure and resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. In this context, Armen Grigoryan emphasized that the co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group is the only format, in the framework of which the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh can be resolved.



Ambassador Kirsti Narinen highly appreciated the process of the implementation of the democratic reforms in Armenia and expressed the readiness of her country for the future continuing cooperation with Armenia.



During the meeting the sides also discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral interest.
Queen Elizabeth has caught coronavirus (AP)

The Queen has tested positive for Covid-19 and is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms, it has been announced.

It comes after the monarch came in direct contact with her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, when he had the disease last week.

Prince Charles tested positive for the virus on 10 February  the second time he has contracted Covid  and went into self-isolation. However, he had met with the Queen two days before he received a positive test.

Shortly after, the Duchess of Cornwall also tested positive for Covid-19. She had tested negative on the day it was confirmed that Charles had the virus and carried out three public engagements on the same day.

The Queens diagnosis comes just a few weeks after she reached her historic Platinum Jubilee on 6 February, marking 70 years on the throne.

Heres everything we know about whether the Queen will continue to work and how she will be treated.

The Queen is said to be suffering mild symptoms (via REUTERS)

Is the Queen still working?

Buckingham Palace has announced that the monarch is expecting to carry out light duties this week.

In a statement, the palace said: Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid.

Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week.

She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.

It comes after Her Majesty carried out her first public major engagement for more than three months on Saturday 5 February.

She met with charity workers at Sandringham House, where she cut a celebratory cake for her jubilee and used a walking stick to rest on.

Who will treat the Queen?

The Royal Household has its own physicians and the Queens doctors will be on hand to take care of and monitor her condition in the coming days.

Professor Sir Huw Thomas, head of the Medical Household and Physician to the Queen, is expected to be in charge.

Is the Queen vaccinated?

Yes, the Queen is understood to have had three doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

Story continues

Concerns have been raised about the Queens health in the last year (REUTERS)

How is the Queens health?

The Queen has been on doctors orders to rest since mid-October following a health scare.

She spent a night in hospital to undergo preliminary tests and was forced to cancel a run of engagements at the time.

In 2003, the monarch underwent surgery on both knees to remove torn cartilage. She used a walking stick following the surgery, but did not use one in public until 2021.

She was last seen leaning on a walking stick on 16 February, when she met with incoming Defence Services Secretary Major General Eldon Millar and his predecessor Rear Admiral James Macleod.

During the event, Her Majesty stood and pointed to her left leg and said: Well, as you can see, I cant move.

It was understood that she was feeling slightly stiff rather than having injured herself or being unwell at the time.

Additional reporting by PA
Feb. 21, 1997

AUBURN  There are 15 videotapes on a shelf in Karen Sheftic-Burns' office in City Hall.

The tapes cover cultures ranging from Italian to Japanese.

"There is even one on the Amish," Sheftic-Burns said.

Sheftic-Burns is the new director of human rights for the city and plans to use the videotapes to achieve one of the goals of the office.

"It's important for the office to promote multiculturalism and diversity," she said.

For just over a week, Sheftic-Burns has been the director of an office that for the last six and a half months was manned by an answering machine. The Human Rights Commission responded to the calls when the office was without a director.

The office is the only one of its kind in the county and offers assistance on a variety of situations.

"The office is open to everyone," Sheftic-Burns said. "It's the same regardless of the scope of the region."

 Compiled by David Wilcox

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It is believed that lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicles on board the ship were keeping the fire alive on the vessel.

Fire on the cargo vessel that was carrying around 4,000 luxury cars near the coast of Portugal's Azores islands has finally died down. The ship named Felicity Ace that caught fire last Wednesday was carrying luxury cars from carmakers such as Porsche, Audi and Bentley, and the lithium-ion batteries of electric cars onboard the ship was keeping the fire alive.

While the 22 crew members on board the ship were evacuated the same day the ship caught fire, firefighters kept struggling to shut down the fire. "The fire has subsided in recent hours," Joao Mendes Cabecas, captain of the nearest port in the Azorean island of Faial, told Lusa news agency, Reuters reported. He added that probable reason that fire lost its intensity is because there was little combustible material left to burn.

(Also watch | Dodge Hellcat catches fire while trying to perform burnout)

Over the weekend, Cabecas had informed Reuters that lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicles were "keeping the fire alive", adding that a specialist equipment was required to extinguish it. It was also not clear whether the batteries sparked the fire in the first place.

There were also chances of the fire reaching the ship's fuel tanks. "Our concern has been with pollution since the ship has large amounts of fuel on board and car batteries but so far there are no hotbeds of pollution," Cabecas had said.

Now as the intensity of fire is ebbing, firefighting teams and technicians could be able to board the vessel and prepare for towing it to either Europe or the Bahamas. Meanwhile, Volkswagen, which owns the brands on cars on board, has not yet confirmed the total number of cars on board.

The damage caused to the vehicles and their condition will also only be known once technicians are able to uncover the vehicles and analyze the situation.

First Published Date:
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On Feb. 19, CATL held a ground-breaking ceremony for its electric chassis R&D facility in Shanghai and the second phase of the intelligent power system R&D and manufacturing base operated by its wholly-owned subsidiary Ruiting Contemporary Amperex Technology (Shanghai) Limited (Ruiting CATL), the power battery giant announced via its WeChat account.

CATL breaking ground for two new projects in Shanghai; photo credit: CATL



The significant move came after CATL signed a cooperation agreement with the local authority of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lin-gang Special Area. The aforesaid two projects will involve a total investment of 2.8 billion yuan ($442.71 million).

CATL said it aims to build green, highly efficient and intelligent factories in Lin-gang Special Area and upgrade key technologies for the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry.

Qu Tao, Assistant to CATL's Chairman, revealed the two new projects will be dedicated to the research of the low-energy-consumption and long-range power battery architecture, the R&D of highly efficient battery systems thermal management technology and low-temperature application, as well as the multi-level battery safety protection technology. Those efforts are expected to greatly enhance the efficiency of NEV system integration, and systematically resolve such industrial pain points as range anxiety and fast charging issues.

CATL announced in Sept. 2021 that its Ningde facility had been recognized by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a global Lighthouse factory, the first battery manufacturing base joining WEF's Global Lighthouse Network (GLN).

Due to the replicability of the manufacturing system, CATL will apply its experience of building a global lighthouse factory in the construction of the two Shanghai factories.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- FAW Groups mainstay brand, Hongqi, has deepened its partnership with Chinas largest battery-swapping service provider, Aulton, the automaker announced on February 18th.

E-QM5; photo credit: Hongqi



The two parties exchanged plans for their collaborative battery swap project, which started in November 2021 in Changchun city, Jilin Province. Hongqi and Aulton wish to expand their battery swap station network to the whole Jilin Province and eventually nationwide.

According to the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance, at the end of the first month of 2022, there are 1,386 battery swap stations nationwide, 88 of which were built in January.

By February this year, Aulton has laid out over 600 battery-swapping stations in 26 cities in the country and expanding. In the city of Changchun, where Hongqi is headquartered, Aulton has set up 42 battery swap stations (including those under construction), providing an optimized re-charging experience for Hongqis E-QM5 battery-swappable model.

Aulton plans to establish a battery swap network over 120 stations in Changchun in three phases, accommodating the needs of 8,000 new energy vehicles. The Changchun network will then become the largest battery swap network in the severe cold weather area in China.

The automaker disclosed that on top of the battery-swap project, Hongqi and Aultons cooperation might also branch out to battery banks and automotive user ecosystem construction in the future.

By the end of 2022, FAW Hongqi and Aulton will diversify their business ecosystem by introducing battery swap services to governmental cars, commercial-use cars, and private cars.
The percentage of public sector employees abusing drugs in Egypt has dropped from 8 percent in 2019 to 1 percent over the first week of the Anti-Drug Law going into effect, which allows the dismissal of employees who test positive for drugs .

Law No. 73 for 2021 was enforced in December after the end of a six-month grace period given to employees to confidentially report their addiction and receive free of charge treatment.

The law was ratified by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in June after many road and train accidents were believed to be largely caused by mistakes related to drivers drug abuse.

Since 2019, authorities have been carrying out random drug tests for employees as well as drivers, including school bus drivers, as part of the states efforts to fight drug abuse.

In March 2021, 20 people were killed when two trains collided in Upper Egypt. The Public Prosecution then revealed that one of the two trains drivers assistants tested positive for drugs.

Over the first week of implementing the law, 25 out of 2,877 employees in the states administrative apparatus tested positive for drug abuse, Egypts Fund for Drug Control and Treatment of Addiction (FDCTA) said in a statement on Sunday.

Over the past three years, around 500,000 employees in the apparatus underwent drug tests, the FDCTA said, noting that the percentage of drug abuse has dropped from 8 percent in 2019 to 1.7 percent in 2021 then to 1 percent over the first week of implementing the law.

Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine El-Qabbaj has renewed the call for employees abusing drugs to request free treatment voluntarily and confidentially by calling 16023, the statement read.

Treatment of employees abusing drugs will be carried out in complete secrecy and no punishment will be doled out to those asking for treatment voluntarily before a testing campaign kicks off in their workplace, El-Qabbaj added.

Since the law was enforced, the 16023-hotline received 1,000 phone calls from employees in the states administrative apparatus, Amr Othman, the assistant minister of social solidarity said.

Those who refuse to undergo the test or deliberately attempt to flee the testing will be treated as drug abusers and their employment will be terminated, Othman said.

The goal of the law is to protect the lives of citizens and also reduce the accidents caused by the human element due to the abuse of narcotic substances, Othman added.

According to the law, state employees and civil servants will be subjected to annual random drug testing and those who test positive will be dismissed immediately without the need for judicial measures.

Any state employee who tests positive for drugs will be suspended for more than three months or until the result of the second confirmatory analysis is provided.

As per the law, the employee will receive half of their salary till the results of the second confirmatory analysis are received. If the second sample is also positive, the employees service is terminated.

The law gives state employees who test positive for drugs the right to appeal the dismissal decision by going to forensic medicine to give a final say on whether they really take drugs or not.

The law stipulates that those who are seeking jobs in state authorities, state administrative units, public sector companies, public utility management companies, rehabilitation centres, kindergartens, schools, and hospitals must also test negative for drugs.
Last Friday marked the first full week that Billings' K-12 schools have operated without a mask mandate.

Only 17 students and three staff were out sick with COVID-19 as of Friday, said Greg Upham, superintendent of Billings public schools.

COVID cases peaked for the district this semester in the week of Jan. 16-22, when 350 students and 93 staff had reported getting sick. These numbers show what was reported from the week prior.

Students are no longer able to enroll in the district's virtual learning platform unless they have a medical excuse, Upham said. Its such a challenge to get through the virtual challenge, especially this time of year.

Students were able to enroll for the remote program for any reason before the start of the spring semester.

Currently 189 students are studying virtually, according to Craig Van Nice, Chief Financial Officer and the district clerk.

Washington Elementary School principal Dee Dee Larsen said teachers are mostly happy to see their students faces again, and their smiles. Several students and staff remain masked, she said.

Its starting to feel like were getting our feet back on the ground in schools, said Brenda Koch, a K-12 executive director for the district.

Mask mandate in court

Although the mask mandate has been lifted for Billings public schools, a preliminary injunction hearing was held in Yellowstone County District Court Friday that challenged the policies that allowed for SD2 to require masking.

Judge Jessica Fehrs decision is under advisement, meaning that she will make a ruling at a later date.

Attorneys called local health officials to the stand including Dr. Neil Ku who is an infectious diseases specialist at Billings Clinic, as well as John Felton, who is Yellowstone Countys health officer and president/CEO of RiverStone health.

The mask mandate is gone, but the policy is still there, said Kellie Sironi, who represents the plaintiffs. These parents are asking this court to say we know our kids, we know what theyre struggling with. There is no definitive proof that these masks are doing what we think they are doing. Please allow us the opportunity to make that decision.

Billings Public Schools and the Elysian school district defended imposed mask mandates, and SD2 defended the school boards allowance for Superintendent Greg Upham to make that decision for the district in times of emergency.

The delegation of that authority to the individual superintendents is of paramount importance, said Roberta Berkhof, who represented the schools. Its not just masking and COVID it is whether or not to close for snow days, whether or not the entryways of elementary schools need rubber mats, she said.

Moms for America

Moms for America is listed as the plaintiff because several members of a local chapter of the group organized the lawsuit, according to Luke Hudson who is one of the plaintiffs. Not all of the plaintiffs claim association with the group and funding for the suit was crowd-funded, Hudson said.

Between 2007 and 2016, the Ohio-based nonprofit operated under the name Homemakers for America, but its stated goals remained the same. That is, educational outreach directed at mothers. The word liberty consistently appears in their mission statements.

Moms for America brought in about $123,000 in contributions in 2017, according to data from the IRS, up from just over $11,000 the year prior. In 2018, the non-profit saw nearly $231,000 in contributions.

Kimberly Fletcher, the founder and president of the nonprofit, was present in Washington, D.C., for the attempted insurrection on Jan. 6. Fletcher has spoken at several rallies in support of the fiction that current President Joe Biden illegitimately won the 2020 presidential election. In statements published online and in the nonprofit's latest annual review, she said the mainstream media misreported the violence of the day. She also claimed then-President Donald Trump and anyone else who spoke that day was absolved of any responsibility in inciting the violence.

Fletcher wrote that in the fallout of the 2020 election and rise of the Stop the Steal movement, she joined with others who rallied and fought the good fight for two months because we want legal and honest elections we can have confidence in.

Five people died the day of the attack on the Capitol, one of whom was a police officer. Two other officers killed themselves following the insurrection.

Gazette reporter Paul Hamby contributed to this story.

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In a blow to public access advocates that has drawn national attention, a federal court judge has recommended ruling in favor of the Custer Gallatin National Forest and private landowners on the west side of the Crazy Mountains in a long-running dispute over four historic trails.

On Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan issued a 28-page finding granting the two defendants cross motion for summary judgment. The groups have 14 days to file an objection. Then it is up to U.S. District Court Judge Susan P. Watters to make the final ruling.

If Watters upholds Cavans decision it would halt an attempt to force the Forest Service to defend historic trail access rights for the public across private lands. The lawsuit was filed by the Friends of the Crazy Mountains, Enhancing Montana's Wildlife & Habitat, the Skyline Sportsmen Association and Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.

"This is not the end  Judge Cavans recommendations are only one step in the whole process," said John B. Sullivan III, chairman of the Montana chapter. "We are currently evaluating his recommendations and look forward to submitting our reply for Judge Watters' review."

History

The case dates back to 2019 when the groups asked a judge to halt the Forest Service from moving ahead with rerouting the Lowline Porcupine Trail on the west side of the mountains. A judge ruled against the injunction, and this past fall the new trail was completed and opened to the public. The trail moved about five miles from private land onto mostly federal land between the forests Porcupine and Ibex rental cabins. In addition, an easement was signed for crossing a portion of the private property.

When the first attempt to halt the project failed, the groups amended their complaint and argued that the Forest Service violated three federal acts by not analyzing the environmental impacts of the trail reroute and by not complying with the 2006 Travel Plan for the forest.

The groups also asserted the Custer Gallatin had failed to protect public use on two historic east side trails in the Crazies  Sweet Grass Trail (No. 122); and East Trunk Trail (No. 136, formerly No. 115), as well as Elk Creek Trail (No. 195) on the west side.

The court was asked to vacate the Porcupine-Ibex project, and void the easement agreement the Forest Service had negotiated. The M Hanging Lazy 3 Ranch and Henry Guth joined on the side of the Forest Service to defend the trail reroute. The conservation groups also asked the judge to require the federal agency to restore, repair, reinstall, and manage the trails for public use.

In his findings, Cavan wrote that he was required to determine whether the Forest Services actions were arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with the law. He noted the arbitrary and capricious standard is narrow, and the court may not substitute its judgment for that of the agency. He was therefore required to decide whether the Forest Service had considered the relevant factors or made a clear error of judgment.

Conflict

Important to public access advocates was the Forest Services decision not to fight to maintain public access along the historic trails where they cross private land. In 2002, landowners signed and blocked the trails on the west side. Correspondence entered into the court filings show the agencys own local officials challenging the landowners blockage of the trails at the time, as the agency had for decades.

Then there was a policy shift by the Forest Service, highlighted by the reassignment of the Livingston District ranger in 2017 following a dispute over the east side trails. The Montana Farm Bureau Federation and nine Sweet Grass County landowners lobbied Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to investigate the ranger for instigating conflict and encouraging criminal actions. They based their claims on an email the ranger sent to his employees, consistent with past forest actions, that was posted on an access groups Facebook page without his knowledge.

Easements

To establish a prescriptive easement under Montana law, the Forest Service would have been required to show, by clear and convincing evidence, that use of the trails were open, notorious, exclusive, adverse, continuous and uninterrupted for the complete statutory period of five years, Cavan wrote. In addition, because the Landowners disputed and blocked public access for many years, the Forest Service would have also been required to show that any prescriptive easement had not been extinguished by reverse adverse possession. In Montana, a prescriptive easement is extinguished by acts that evidence a distinct and positive assertion of a hostile right to the publics claimed prescriptive easement, such as through locked gates and no trespassing signs, for the statutory period of five years.

The access groups argued that, like the Wonder Ranch case in the Madison Range near Ennis, the Forest Service and public had used the trails for so long that a prescriptive easement across the private land was long established. However, on that trail the Forest Service had filed an easement interest with the county.

The case certainly does not stand for the proposition that a mere claim, or belief, that an easement exists equates to a legally valid interest, Cavan wrote.

Analysis

On the issue of not analyzing the environmental impacts of the Porcupine-Ibex Trails reroute, Cavan said the Forest Service did an adequate job in its 2009 environmental assessment. He said the groups did not point to any environmental issue raised during scoping and public comment that was not addressed by the Forest Service.

The checkerboard land ownership in the Crazy Mountains is unique, dating back to when the Northern Pacific Railroad was deeded more than 50,000 acres by the federal government when the rail line was built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The access groups argued those deeds guaranteed a public easement where trails and roads existed.

Judge Cavan wrote the groups failed to establish that these deeds are connected to any parcel of land at issue in this matter.

In response to claims that the Forest Service had violated the National Forest Management Act by not protecting the publics existing access rights as directed by the 2006 Travel Plan, Cavan wrote the plan only applies to federal lands. Since the Forest Service didnt attempt to seek an easement interest by prescription, and instead negotiated, the agency therefore had no legally valid interest in the trail where it crosses private property.

Lastly, Cavan ruled against the groups' attempt to compel the Forest Service to defend public access to the historic East Trunk and Sweet Grass trails on the east side of the Crazy Mountains. Citing previous rulings, the judge said courts are confined to 'situations where an agency has ignored a specific legislative command.

Again, the fatal flaw to Plaintiffs argument is that there are no existing established rights for the Forest Service to protect, Cavan wrote. The Forest Service did not establish a valid legal interest in its potential easement interests. Hence, the Forest Service has not established that public use of the portions of trail crossing private property was a proper and lawful purpose.

Cavan noted the Forest Service has discretion as to how it will accomplish the policy objective and the courts are not to interfere in abstract policy disagreements.

Sullivan, of the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, said regardless of the court's decision his group will continue to fight for public access and will urge agencies to protect access.

New access

The Custer Gallatin National Forest is currently reviewing a proposal by east side landowners to negotiate a new trail easement from Big Timber Canyon to Sweet Grass Canyon that would provide public access. The proposal, submitted to the agency in July, would swap 4,114 acres of Custer Gallatin National Forest inholdings for 5,763 acres of private land.

The landowner group has also proposed building, at its own expense, a new 22-mile trail to create a public route from Big Timber Creek to Sweet Grass Creek. The trail would tie into existing forest trails to create a 40-mile loop.

Only one public access point exists on the southeast side of the Crazies, which is at Big Timber Creek. An old Forest Service trail up Sweet Grass Creek, to the north, is contested by the landowners  Caroccia Ranch Limited Partnership.

If the proposal passes muster, it would then go through a technical review called a feasibility analysis, which would take several months to complete.

Also last year, the Forest Service finalized a land exchange in the southern Crazy Mountains.

Two Rock Creek Ranch sections of land were acquired along a proposed new route for the Cottonwood Lowline Trail No. 272. In exchange, the forest is giving up a forested mountainside above Rock Creek and an isolated parcel along Duck Creek.

The Wild Eagle Ranch acquired an isolated Forest Service section in exchange for its 640 acres east and north of the parcels that the Forest Service is exchanging to the Rock Creek Ranch.

Senate attention

Emphasizing the national attention the access issue has raised, in a U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing earlier this month, Sen. Martin Henrich, D-New Mexico, specifically mentioned the Crazy Mountains in comments. He said to Forest Service Chief Christopher French that he continue[s] to be concerned with what I think are inconsistencies in the Forest Services approach to public access.

Heinrich cited a 2015 letter by Custer Gallatin National Forest Supervisor Mary Erickson that the agency held unperfected prescriptive easement rights up Sweet Grass Creek based on a history of maintenance with public funds and administrative use. But in current litigation, the Forest Service and Department of Justice is now saying there is not a prescriptive easement.

These decisions affect access in every state in the nation, the senator said. Why is the Forest Service and DOJ changing its position on public rights of access on that trail in particular, and what does that mean for trails everywhere in the U.S.?

French responded it is the Forest Services intent to defend access in all the places we can. However, in the case of the Sweet Grass trail he said the Forest Service was unable to defend its easement citing state law and based on the action of the landowners.

Its very complicated, French said. I know this is a concern of yours. It is not a broad policy. We handle these things on a site by site approach.

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By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Small and Medium Business Development Agency chairman Orkhan Mammadov and Turkey's Industry and Technology Deputy Minister Cetin Ali Donmez have discussed cooperation opportunities between the two countries in the SMBs sphere.

During the meeting, the parties also focused on the innovations in the field of small and medium-sized businesses.

The parties stressed the importance of such meetings in terms of the implementation of initiatives that will expand new support opportunities for SMBs.

Moreover, they discussed the joint action plan for cooperation between the Agency and Turkey's Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization. The organization's president Hasan Basri Kurt also attended the meeting.

Azerbaijan and Turkey cooperate in various fields of economy and have jointly completed giant energy and infrastructure projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and TANAP.

In 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations, which focuses on defence cooperation, promoting regional stability and prosperity, and establishing new transportation routes.

The two countries set up a goal to bring the mutual trade turnover to $15 billion in 2023. As of 2021, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $4.6 billion.

It should be noted that so far, Turkey is Azerbaijans second-largest investor followed by the UK.

Additionally, Turkey was one of the first countries that expressed its interest and readiness to participate in the restoration of Azerbaijans liberated territories.
Theres a plan B in the works.

The Wyoming Legislature failed to expand Medicaid this past week after the bill was not put up for an introductory vote. But some lawmakers who support the measure are working to extend health coverage to 18,000 to 25,000 Wyomingites regardless.

Instead of pushing through a bill, theyre examining different types of budget amendments to either expand Medicaid or give Gov. Mark Gordon the ability to negotiate with the federal government over how much the feds might pay to support growing the program. If the latter is successful, the Legislature would still need to pass an expansion bill in the future.

Theres an upside to the budget amendment approach. Its a budget session, which means unrelated bills must receive two-thirds support simply to be introduced. But budget amendments only need a majority vote  a much easier bar to reach. In fact, supporters of expansion said earlier they have 32-36 votes in the 60-member House.

Theres also a downside to the approach. Successful budget amendments are only guaranteed to last two years and then are re-upped at the start of the next budget cycle. That means if a Medicaid budget amendment succeeds, the program would likely be taken away from tens of thousands of Wyomingites if the governor and Legislature fail to act in the future.

Advocates prefer a bill to a budget amendment, but plan to support the amendment if it comes up next week.

In 2013, the Legislature passed a non-codified law that barred the governor from expanding Medicaid without prior approval from the Legislature. A budget amendment to expand Medicaid that successfully makes it through would count as approval from the Legislature, Medicaid expansion proponent Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, argues. He was in the Legislature when the non-codified law passed during a time when Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican, was pushing the Legislature to support expansion.

The expanded program would likely not remain in the budget beyond the two years, said Tim Stubson, a Casper attorney and a former member of the Wyoming House.

If you get it in the two-year budget, it doesnt mean youre given the green light as long as you want it, he said.

That said, while frowned upon, it is not illegal to change Wyoming law via budget amendments. There is a world in which a budget amendment could repeal that non-codified provision that blocks the governor  with the hope that Medicaid would be available to Wyomingites beyond the two-year time frame of the budget.

All options are on the table, said Rep. Tom Walters, R-Casper, a member of the committee responsible for drafting the budget bills.

Jan Cartwright is deputy director of Healthy Wyoming, a coalition of groups backing Medicaid expansion. She says even if the health insurance is confined to two years, the coalition backs the budge amendment approach.

We obviously support a budget amendment, she said. Even having health care for two years is better than not having health insurance at all.

Proponents also believe providing more Wyomingites health care for two years would make it harder to later rescind the program, not because they couldnt, but because people would realize the improvement in their quality of life and bank account.

If we give people health care, they wont be able to take it away, said Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander.

This idea has precedent. In 2006, a budget amendment was added that repealed Wyomings sales tax on food. The following year, a bill was passed that put the measure into law indefinitely.

As it stands, Medicaid covers pregnant women and low-income children in the state. Expansion would open it up to adults who earn less than 138% of the Federal Poverty Level, which for a family of four is roughly $28,000. Advocates for the program say it would help the working poor and the states hospitals, which provide care to those who cannot pay for it. Some of those costs are passed along to those with insurance, meaning employers and people with coverage also feel the effect.

A successful budget amendment is not the only hurdle. The governor has the ability to veto a bill or any lines from the budget he pleases. Rothfuss said he would be surprised if Gordon vetoed attempts at Medicaid expansion. It would be a big decision for the governor, as he is up for reelection this year and doesnt typically legislate through the budget.

Opponents of expanding Medicaid question its cost and sustainability. They worry, among other things, that the federal government will eventually not be able to live up to its commitments for the program, leaving Wyoming on the hook.

The Equality State is one of only 12 states that have not yet expanded the program, which dates to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Some polls have shown that the majority of Wyomingites support expanding Medicaid, including a majority of Republicans. But at the end of the day, even if residents are in favor of expansion, theyre not voting on the bill. Lawmakers are.

Expanding Medicaid could create almost 2,000 Wyoming jobs and grow the states overall economic output by $1.5 billion in five years, according to a report published by the Commonwealth Fund, a national foundation that works on health care issues. The report analyzed how a special federal bonus being offered to non-Medicaid expansion states through the American Rescue Plan Act relief program could support those states economies.

Mead believe Medicaid expansion would increase the states revenue by about $10 million annually. That was in 2015.

As of mid-week, advocates and lawmakers estimated the number of likely votes in the House was around 36, four short of what was needed to clear an introductory vote. Speaker Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, who has voted in favor of expansion in the past, said he would introduce it if the advocates could tell him there were 40. Two advocates, Cartwright and Richard Garrett, a lobbyist from the pro-expansion American Heart Association, went back and forth on whether they wanted the bill to be put up for a vote regardless of the outcome.

Barlow said he was never told that.

Last year, the Wyoming House voted to pass a Medicaid expansion bill. The vote was narrow  32 to 28  and the measure eventually died in the Senate.

This year is different from years past. Not only is there polling showing a majority of Wyoming residents support expanding the program, the federal government is having a sale on Medicaid.

The Biden administration is hoping to entice the holdouts by offering a two-year bonus in the federal money those states receive to pay Medicaid costs. Wyoming policy analysts estimate that bonus would save the state $34 million over the next two years after subtracting the $20 million Wyoming would have to contribute.

Theres little indication on what Gordon thinks of the health care program this time around. Multiple lawmakers have also said theyre not sure where he stands.

He will treat it like any other bill that comes across his desk, said Michael Pearlman, director of communications for the the governor.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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A long and historic relationship based in bison moves to a new phase as the Wildlife Conservation Society hands off its Rocky Mountain Program to Blackfeet Tribal partners.

The hundreds of bison on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation probably wont notice much difference, but the shift brings new emphasis to efforts at restoring a species central to Blackfeet culture.

It also closes a circuitous chapter in the preservation of American bison, which were nearly driven to extinction a century ago.

Weve been working with the Wildlife Conservation Society for going on 10 years to return the buffalo as a free-roaming animal along the mountainfront, said Ervin Carlson, who heads both the Blackfeet Nation Buffalo Program and the InterTribal Buffalo Council. Well still going forward with that, but now it will be Indigenous-led.

The Wildlife Conservation Society grew out of the New York Zoological Society, which was founded in 1895. One of the organizations first missions was to capture and preserve some of the last surviving wild bison.

Parallel recovery efforts produced other bison herds, including the Bison Range by St. Ignatius that got its start from a small herd of calves driven into the Mission Valley from the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Descendants of those animals got sold to Canadian wildlife agencies, which used them to establish herds at national refuges in Alberta. In 2016, several truckloads of those historic herds returned to the Blackfeet Reservation to augment the tribes growing supply.

Today, about 90 wild bison graze on the Buffalo Spirit Hills southeast of Browning, while another 700 are on Blackfeet Nation property along the Two Medicine River. Several other private bison herds also range on the reservation.

The Wildlife Conservation Society also contributed new bison to the Blackfeet herds through its relationship with the Oakland Zoo. It has been active in bison re-wilding projects at Wind Cave National Park, the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge and other places in the United States.

About a decade ago, we started looking where else can we do innovative conservation work, said WCS Rocky Mountain Program Director Cristina Mormorunni. As we were exploring bison in the northern Rockies, the Blackfoot Confederacy was thinking about bringing Iinnii home.

Iinnii is the Blackfoot language word for bison, and the Blackfoot Confederacy is the transnational union of Blackfeet Indians in the United States and Blackfoot First Nations in Canada.

That led to numerous community meetings and eventually transfers of wild bison to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, along with biological research, equipment and funding. All of that will get transferred from the WCS to Blackfeet-based organizations, including Indigenous Led and the Iinnii Initiative.

The partnership with WCS has been a supporting and positive journey in the Iinnii Initiatives growth, initiative coordinator Willow Kipp said. It is now that we take reconciliation in the growth of the Iinnii Initiative as its intended purpose: leading conservation on Blackfeet lands, through Blackfeet eyes. I look forward to the new partnership role WCS can now take on with the Iinnii Initiative, and their efforts to aid the rise of Indigenous led conservation.

In the Rocky Mountains, after almost a century of groundbreaking work, we are humble yet proud to support a transition that has been co-designed with our partners, said Joe Walston, executive vice president of WCS Global Conservation. They will now carry forward on the strength of their vision and leadership.

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Two of three critical race theory bills survived their first week in the Wyoming Legislature.

One measure more overtly seeks to bar the theory from being taught in school. The second requires school districts to publish their educational materials online.

A third, which contained an outright ban on critical race theory, did not survive introduction in the House.

Critical race theory is an academic framework for examining how racism has historically been endemic in U.S. institutions and society. Keeping it out of schools has become a right-wing focus in the past year.

It is not currently taught in Wyoming classrooms.

The main critical race theory bill left in the Wyoming Legislature cleared its latest hurdle Friday, but only after all references to critical race theory and critical theory were removed  except for the title. The bill is still called, Education-limitations on teaching critical race history.

Senate File 103 passed the Senate Education Committee unanimously. It will move on to be debated on the Senate floor next.

Debate in committee went on for over an hour and a half.

The bill drew criticism from the Wyoming Education Association and the Wyoming School Board Association.

The education association has questioned the legality of the bill and argued that schools should not shy away from difficult subjects.

Before the bill was amended, the School Board Association harped on the vague language of the draft.

Im not speaking on the philosophical argument, but to the specific text of the bill, said Brain Farmer, lobbyist for the association. It has vague language that has to be operationalized by a school district. Those lawsuits that are brought are brought against the district and the district will have to defend whether they acted in accordance with the vague language.

The bulk of the bill reads, American institution and ideals shall not include tenets that promote divisions or hatred on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin.

That language was the result of debate and amendments.

Prior to amendments, the bill stated, As used in this section, American institution and ideals shall not include divisive tenets often described as critical race theory or a social philosophy of critical theory that inflames divisions on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin or other criteria in ways contrary to the unity of the nation and the wellbeing of the state of Wyoming and its residents.

Before the bill was amended, Farmer took particular issue with the vagueness of language that read divisive tenets often described as critical race theory.

The proponents of the bill were mainly concerned that teachers would be teaching opinion as opposed to fact, namely in the form of critical race theory. Backers also say Wyoming school districts should not teach that people or groups are inherently racist because of their identity.

Zane Rothfuss, a 10th grader at Laramie High School and son of a member of the education committee, spoke in opposition to the bill. He expressed concern that many important classes would not be taught because theyre inflammatory.

It would rob me and my peers of a lot of higher learning opportunities that we have in our school right now, Rothfuss said.

Senate File 62, the second bill tied to critical race theory, never mentions the actual phrase. The Civics Transparency Act passed the two-thirds introduction vote 24 to five. One member was excused.

The bill would require Wyoming school districts to publish online an annual list of material and activities organized by school, grade and subject area, in addition to policies employed to approve those learning materials. If the bill is passed in its current form, the online materials will have to be updated on an ongoing basis over the course of the school year.

The main backers of the bill see it as a critical race theory bill to varying degrees. The prime sponsor, Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, denies that it has anything to do with the topic. He stands by the idea that its a very simple bill because all it does is create increased transparency.

Controversial materials are a good thing for our students to see, Driskill said on the floor. But they need to be balanced.

His co-sponsor and Senate President Dan Dockstader, R-Afton, said Friday morning that its somewhat related to critical race theory, then attempted to backtrack slightly a couple minutes later.

At a press conference held for the bill last fall, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow directly linked it to critical race theory.

Nationwide, weve seen K-12 school board meetings engulfed in hostile debate about critical race theory in classrooms, Balow said. It is time that we take a stand and action in Wyoming to address this very topic.

Balow has since resigned to take the same job in Virginia. Her temporary replacement, Brian Schroeder, testified earlier Friday morning in favor of a bill that more explicitly bans critical race theory.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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Here are a few tips to protect your money when using Zelle or any other P2P payment app, plus steps to take if you experience a scam.
North Dakota's Agriculture Department is hosting a free food safety course for local food producers.

The Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, at the Baymont Inn & Suites in Mandan. It will coincide with the annual Local Foods & Pride of Dakota Conference, which runs March 4-5.

Fruit and vegetable growers interested in learning about produce safety and developing an on-farm food safety plan should attend, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. Attending the session will satisfy the Food Safety Modernization Acts Produce Safety Rule requirement that requires at least one supervisor or responsible party on a farm to complete food safety training recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.

More information is at https://www.nd.gov/ndda/psr. Registration is at https://forms.office.com/g/NFBuCgZ7LF. More information about the conference is at https://www.nd.gov/ndda/2022-local-foods-pride-dakota-conference. Questions about the training or conference can be directed to Kristine Kostuck, local foods marketing specialist, at 701-328-2659 or krkostuck@nd.gov.

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One of two people accused of transporting 10 pounds of marijuana in boxes of ramen noodles has been sentenced in Morton County to two years on probation.

Tariq Alexander, 28, also was ordered to pay $560 in fines and fees. He pleaded guilty Friday to drug possession with intent to deliver.

Alexander and Latifah Rivers, 24, both of Philadelphia, were arrested on Interstate 94 in Mandan when a North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper smelled burned marijuana in the van they were driving. Troopers found two 5-pound bags of pot inside boxes of ramen noodles, according to an affidavit. Authorities also found a tracking device thats commonly used by drug traffickers.

Alexander and Rivers told authorities another person loaded the van and they were unaware the boxes they were hauling from Tacoma, Washington, to New York contained marijuana.

Rivers faced the same felony charge as Alexander. Court documents show she has entered into a plea agreement. Her Feb. 15 trial was canceled. No further court dates were immediately scheduled.

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Bismarck-Mandan area residents who had to work on Presidents Day awoke to snow, wind and cold as a winter storm pushed its way through the state.

Conditions were worst in eastern North Dakota, where a multiple-vehicle pileup on Interstate 94 led to several injuries, and several highways were closed Monday afternoon.

The system that blew in Sunday had dropped 3-4 inches of snow in the metro area by midday Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Schools were closed Monday for the holiday, as were city, county and state offices.

Bismarck city crews were plowing emergency routes and major arterial streets, and planned to move into residential areas from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. People were asked to move parked vehicles off streets.

Midday snow reports from western North Dakota ranged from 2-5 inches. The western and central parts of the state weren't expected to get much more accumulation the rest of the day.

"Light snow will linger in the south through tonight and into Tuesday," the weather service said. "Blowing snow will lead to reduced visibilities, especially in the James River Valley, where winds will be strongest. This could cause travel impacts through Tuesday."

Six inches of snow was reported in Wishek at midday Monday, with 7  inches at Fort Yates, 8 inches in Ellendale and more than 10 inches in Ashley, according to the weather service. Another 1-2 inches of snow was expected in parts of southeastern North Dakota by Tuesday. State Transportation Department officials urged motorists in eastern North Dakota to travel with caution or not travel at all.

Officials closed the westbound lanes of Interstate 94 from West Fargo to Casselton late Monday morning due to a chain-reaction pileup 6 miles west of Mapleton. Highway Patrol Lt. Troy Hischer said he believes five semitrailers and eight other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to The Associated Press. Hischer told KFGO radio that a half-dozen people were injured and taken to Fargo hospitals.

It was the second such incident in the region in four days. Fourteen vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction crash on I-94 just west of Valley City on Friday morning, amid stormy weather. There was one serious injury and three minor injuries, according to the Patrol.

Monday's pileup happened shortly before a blizzard warning was issued for the Fargo region. Officials later in the day shut down I-94 between Fargo and Jamestown, and I-29 between Fargo and the South Dakota border, along with portions of a couple of state highways in the Wahpeton area. To the north on I-29, a Mayville man was injured when his car rear-ended a snowplow in Traill County, according to the Patrol.

The rest of southern North Dakota was under either a winter storm warning or a winter weather advisory. No highways had been closed in the Bismarck-Mandan region by late afternoon.

The system moved in from the Pacific Northwest. A widespread swath of 6-12 inches of snow was expected from the central and northern Rockies to the Great Lakes region, according to AccuWeather.

"The snow is likely to create slippery conditions on roadways," AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said.

Wind gusts up to 40 mph were accompanying the storm in many areas, worsening the conditions.

A semitrailer loaded with hogs rolled in the median of Interstate 29 in eastern North Dakota on Sunday afternoon, according to the Patrol.

Brian McNish, 68, of Nesbitt, Manitoba, was hauling the hogs from Manitoba to Wisconsin when he lost control in whiteout conditions south of Thompson in Grand Forks County. When he tried to drive out of the median the load shifted, and the trailer rolled over.

McNish was not injured. Many of the hogs were alive and salvageable following the crash, according to AP. The North Dakota Stockmans Association assisted the Patrol and state Transportation Department officials. The crash happened about 2 p.m., and the crash scene was cleared about 11:30 p.m., KFGO reported.

The weather also has turned colder this week, with a drop in the jet stream allowing cold arctic air to flood into the Northern Plains.

"Temperatures have dropped 40 to 50 degrees across most of North Dakota!" the weather service posted shortly before 1 a.m. Monday.

Bismarck saw a high temperature on Saturday of 52 degrees -- 23 degrees above normal. But the high Monday and Tuesday was expected to be about minus 5, gradually warming to the single digits above zero for the rest of the workweek. Overnight wind chills in central and western North Dakota are forecast to be in the minus 30s and minus 40s all week.

Reach Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com.

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Researchers over the next three years will analyze soil samples from several parcels of state land scattered around western North Dakota to better understand the potential for carbon storage in grasslands.

Plants absorb carbon dioxide in the air through photosynthesis, then release some of the carbon into the soil. The carbon can stay stored there for a long time, depending on how the land is managed. Proponents of the process see it as a way to help address climate change.

The research project is expected to begin this spring in North Dakota, and it will also involve taking samples from prairies in Texas and New Mexico. The effort led by a Texas-based organization called BCarbon will allow for comparisons between northern and southern climates, particularly in dry regions where there is less data, founder Jim Blackburn said.

Once you get up into the north, youve got a shorter growing season, he said. Do you just put a lot more carbon in the ground in a shorter time? Or is there less carbon going in because your growing season is shorter? These are the types of questions we have.

North Dakota officials are eyeing grasslands used for grazing in Burleigh, Emmons, McLean and Williams counties for the project. One location is where a former coal mine has been reclaimed, and outgoing Land Commissioner Jodi Smith is curious to learn what role having level topsoil at such a site plays relative to other land with more natural terrain.

All the North Dakota sites are managed by the Department of Trust Lands, which oversees 700,000 surface acres of state-owned land. Smith, who has accepted another job but will still lead the department for another month, said she first learned about the project through a newsletter. She called Blackburn to inquire about getting the department involved.

Were the largest landowner in the state, Smith said, adding that North Dakota has some of the most significant grasslands in the nation. The states participation in the project can benefit all North Dakota landowners through whats learned in the research, she said.

Gov. Doug Burgum endorsed the work at a recent meeting of the Board of University and School Lands, saying the board has to be a leader given the amount of land it manages. He set a goal last year of making the state carbon-neutral by 2030 and has looked to carbon dioxide storage as a way to achieve it. So far, much of the talk within North Dakota has focused on capturing the emissions of coal and ethanol plants to inject deep underground into rocks, but storage in soil is seen by proponents as another way to work toward his goal.

Carbon neutrality involves striking a balance between the carbon dioxide released from within the state and the amount of emissions contained or offset in some way.

BCarbon certifies credits for carbon storage in soil. The emerging market -- especially for grasslands -- could be of interest to large corporations looking to offset their carbon footprints by purchasing credits that account for a certain amount of emissions stored in soil.

Almost everybody in business these days is looking for solutions to their carbon emissions profile, Blackburn said.

Landowners could earn money by choosing to store carbon dioxide through such a program. The way they manage their land could affect the amount of carbon stored. Blackburn said regenerative grazing practices show a lot of potential. Those practices vary but tend to involve closely managing where cattle graze, how long they stay in an area and the number of animals in a given location. Overgrazing can be detrimental, Blackburn said.

Management practices meant to store more carbon can also provide other benefits, he said.

A good restored grassland will hold a lot of water, whereas an overgrazed pasture will shed the water and have a lot more runoff and contribute to flooding, he said.

He added that BCarbon does not mandate what management practices participating landowners adopt.

We believe the market will basically push the landowners to become more and more efficient in putting carbon into the soil, he said.

Oil and gas giant ExxonMobil is funding the research project. The company said in a statement that carbon storage in grassland has the potential to be deployed on and around ExxonMobil operations. Subsidiary XTO Energy operates oil wells in North Dakota.

Soil samples will be taken annually in North Dakota for the project. Blackburn said they will be analyzed along with those from other states in a lab, where the samples will be burned to measure the amount of carbon they contain.

I think the potential here is potentially huge, he said. This could be a very important concept for the agricultural community going forward.

Reach Amy R. Sisk at 701-250-8252 or amy.sisk@bismarcktribune.com.

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Hong Kong: GD medical experts visit hospitals

The Guangdong COVID-19 medical expert delegation today continued its Hong Kong visit by meeting local experts and health professionals at two hospitals.

During a visit to Prince of Wales Hospital, the delegation discussed and studied serious COVID-19 cases with Hospital Authority representatives.

It also listened to presentations by the Government's expert adviser Prof David Hui and medical staff on the treatment for serious cases.

The delegation then toured the hospital's intensive care unit and accident and emergency department to understand their operation.

In the afternoon, the Mainland experts went to Hong Kong Children's Hospital where they conducted in-depth exchanges with local paediatric experts on the diagnosis and treatment of children infected with COVID-19.

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan said that the delegation had an in-depth exchange of anti-epidemic experiences with health and clinical professionals in Hong Kong, which can help the city in providing suitable treatment for confirmed patients in a more effective manner.

This story has been published on: 2022-02-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov will attend the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) ministerial meeting and the 6th Summit of the GECF heads of state and government, both of which will take place in Doha on February 21-22.

The GECF meetings will focus on the current state of the global gas market, future development prospects, and issues related to expanding cooperation among gas exporting countries.

The minister will speak at both events and participate in a number of bilateral meetings.

It should be noted that Parviz Shahbazov arrived in Qatar at the invitation of Qatar's State Minister for Energy Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum is an international governmental organization that provides a framework for member countries to exchange experience and information. The GECF is a gathering of the world's leading gas exporting countries that was formed with the goal of increasing coordination and strengthening collaboration among its members.

Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela are Forum members. Observer Members include Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Norway, Peru, and the United Arab Emirates.
Whether by toppling statues or neglecting the study of his life, weve been trying to cancel the Father of Our Nation for some time now. But it cant be done. Some people are just too awesome. []

Cancelas in noisily toppling George Washingtons statue and striking his name off of buildings? In 2020, one group demanded the removal of his statue from the campus of the University of Washington. Another outfit called for displacing, renaming, or recontextualizing the Washington Monument, the 74,000-ton obelisk on the Mall of the nations capital. In June 2020, a crowd of protesters in Portland, Ore., lit a fire on the head of a statue of Washington before pulling it to the ground. Spraypainted on this figure were such words as Genocidal Colonist, Youre on native lands, BLM, 1619, and Big Floyd. Some observers have wondered whether the name of Washington & Lee University will eventually be reduced to an ampersand.

The tendency of many today is to embrace with a vengeance Mark Antonys lines from William Shakespeares Julius Caesar:

The evil that men do lives after them;

The good is oft interred with their bones

Consequently, George Washingtons sins of omission and commission have been much in the news. By no means are all these criticisms without merit. Both scholars and journalists have thoroughly analyzed Washingtons opinions and practices as a slaveholder. To a significant degree, readers have benefited from balanced historical examinations of the Founders lives. For Christians in particularbelievers in the doctrine of original sindemythologization can hold few surprises.

In fact, well before the spectacular events of 2020, George Washington was quietly being canceled. Even worse than the attention paid by raucous crowds or by bureaucratic list makers may be the societal neglect that has led to popular ignorance. Neither lawless mobs nor woke officials have been primarily responsible for this diminishment.

Rather, Americans at large, indifferent and amnesic, have abandoned their own patrimony. Washingtons once-vital historical existence has suffered a withering away brought about by inanition. If not outright cancellation, then call what has happened to our first president an occlusion or a slow devaluation.

Young people know little about Washingtons achievements. In a recent survey, only 35% of undergraduate students could identify the commander of American forces at Yorktown. Public schools have removed Washingtons portrait from classroom walls, and history textbooks devote as little as 10% of the coverage to Washington that they incorporated 60 years ago.

His birthday celebration has passed from the scene, and Presidents Day is no substitute for what once was. Senior citizens recall Washingtons Birthday parades they witnessed as children and describe school assemblies focused on Washingtons virtues as human being, commander-in-chief, and president.

Historic homes, including Mount Vernon, have seen declines in numbers of visitors, and the percentage of students studying American history in college has dwindled dramatically. The Father of Our Country is no longer, in the words of Light-Horse Harry Lees encomium, first in the hearts of his countrymen. He is scarcely in their minds at all.

This decline in stature is not only ironic; its also reflective of a sour ingratitude. As his biographer Joseph Ellis has pointed out, Washington led the Continental Army to victory and achieved American independence. Then he oversaw the establishment of a new nation during its most fragile period of development. Thus he was truly first in war and first in peace.

Whether Washingtons eclipse is effected by sudden cancellation or by the steady withdrawal of interest and notice, the result is the same: not merely the casting aside of a single personage but also the loss of this figures positive impact on countless others.

On Presidents Day, it behooves us to pause to remember, indeed to work against the grain and to engage in an exercise that is countercultural. Although it may be hidden for a time, the evil that men and women participate in often has repercussions for many years afterward, and we should not avert our eyes. By the same token, we should not overlook what is valuable in their lives, even if recovering the good requires us to dig down and disinter what has lain buried beside the bones.

Consider the story of a prominent beneficiary of Washingtons legacy, one of the finest American leaders of the 20th century: General George C. Marshall. His biography illuminates what could be lost with the evisceration of Washington as exemplar. Indeed, Marshalls biographers uniformly recognize him as a dedicated follower of Washington and of the virtues he embodied. When Harvard University conferred an honorary degree on Marshall on June 5, 1947the occasion of his speech announcing the European Recovery Programthe citation described him as a soldier and statesman whose ability and character brook only one comparison in the history of the nation.

Growing up in Uniontown, Penn., close to some of Washingtons major exploits as a young military officer, Marshall made a thorough study of Washingtons deeds and character. From his illustrious predecessor, Marshall learned not only the way to carry himselfmaintaining an austere demeanorbut also the meaning and worth of the civil-military relationship in a republic.

George Washington knew power, which he employed as an aggressive commander, a fighting revolutionary. Therefore the first trait we are likely to associate with him might not be the ancient Christian virtue of patience. But this moral habit is a key to his success as both soldier and statesman. In his professional career, we perceive the effectiveness of all three forms of patience: waiting, perseverance, and handing over. In order for Washington to realize his goals, he first had to restrain his impetuous nature. He could not let his fiery temperament, his occasional recklessness, take root in his will. Like his near-contemporary, the Englishman Samuel Johnson, he had to reject the notion that humans are perforce governed by a ruling passion they cannot control.

Washington learned self-mastery. The virtue of temperance helped make him an outstanding leader. By controlling his ego, he was able to let go, thereby enabling his fellow citizens to flourish. The republican turn in his life meant that he deemed yielding command of greater value than clinging to power. Mindful of the glaring exception of slaveholding, we can still affirm that he understood that relinquishment is a prerequisite of freedom.

Washington was an immensely brave man. Courage is the form, the skeleton, of all the virtues; it enables them to stand up and be relied upon when put to the test. It has been described as the mean between cowardice and rashness. This virtue, fortitude, he possessed to a striking degree. Richard Brookhiser states that at Yorktown in 1781, as Washington was inspecting the field of battle, one of his aides expressed concern that his commander-in-chief was too exposed to the enemys fire: Had you not better step a little back? Washington replied: Colonel Cobb, if you are afraid, you have liberty to step back. Both Brookhiser and Ron Chernow see bravery, too, in Washingtons decision in his willprobably over the objections of his legateesto go beyond what most of his peers were willing to do and to free all his slaves following the death of his wife, Martha.

What we discern in individuals of the stature of George Washington and George Marshall is a rare devotion to duty over interest or desire. The former did not want to be president; he wished only to retire to Mount Vernon, to tend to his various enterprises, and to live out his life under his own vine and fig tree. Duty is an unnatural virtue. We are not naturally inclined to perform it. We carry it out for the sole reason that it is the right thing to do. Both Washington and Marshall would have known well the Collect for Peace in the Book of Common Prayer: To be in the service of God, who is the author of peace and lover of concord, rather than indulgence of self, is the path of perfect freedom.

Notwithstanding his flaws, I continue to revere George Washington, and, in contrast with most historians, I rank him first among our former presidents. At the end of the day, I find it reassuring that while we might attempt to cancel him, he does not cancel us. He is present and accessible in history. We can read his words and visit his home. The precedents he established remain with us. His example stands firm.

With the assistance of excellent biographical treatmentssuch as the splendid books by Gordon S. Wood, Myron Magnet, Richard Brookhiser, Ron Chernow, and Robert Middlekauffyou can bring him to life by deploying your historical imagination. Re-create him in the round and observe the struggles he faced and the challenges he met.

Study his vices and his virtues. Grapple with the actuality of a consummate leader who was limited in his moral vision and therefore unjust in his treatment of a large number of his fellow human beings, but also courageous and patient, responsive to the claims of duty and honor. Consider the complete Washington: not a marble man or, even worse, an impassive, two-dimensional cutout, but the real deal, manifestly imperfect, but still awesome, exemplary in crucial respects, and irreplaceable.
Pizza is amazing. Bagels are also fantastic. And yet, for some reason, it was not until 1982 that some ingenious entrepreneur thought to combine the two into a singular delicacy that can be enjoyed in the morning, in the evening, or at supper time. Prior to this pivotal moment in human history, one could not have pizza any time  for pizza was not available on a bagel.

Over at MEL Magazine, writer Brian VanHooker spoke with the alchemists who first brought this wonderful foodstuff to life. It's a surprisingly interesting story, especially since the men behind Bagel Bites aren't even fans of their own food.

"You won't believe this," Stanley Garczynski, the co-creator of Bagel Bites, says with a pause, "but I hate pizza." Despite the fact that he  along with business partner Bob Mosher  introduced one of the most well-known pizza products in history, Garczynski never quite acquired a taste for them. "People ask me all the time, 'How many Bagel Bites have you eaten?' and I say, 'Not very many,'" he tells me. At most, he'll have a single slice of pizza when his wife or two sons order some, but that's about it. As for his own invention, he's certainly tried them  especially in the mid-1980s when he and Mosher were first experimenting with their recipe  but he never went crazy for miniature pizza bagels the way that millions of children, college students and just about everyone else did. That might seem incongruous to the origin of Bagel Bites, but it's also a testament to their brilliance  almost everyone loves pizza, and the simple genius of snacky pizzas on a mini-bagel was such an inspired idea that even a guy who wasn't nuts about it could see the potential.

If I'm overselling this, it's because of Lender's Bagels out of Hartford, Connecticut. As someone who grew up in the 80s in Connecticut, I've always have a strong affinity for their mini bagels, but I never knew they played such a prominent role in bringing pizza to my breakfast.

How Bagel Bites took a (tiny) bite out of snacking history [Brian VanHooker / MEL Magazine]
COMPILED BY MATT GLYNN

Feb. 20, 2022

A quick read of news from the past week and a look ahead at what's coming next.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK

Presidents Day will get the week off to a slow start as many businesses and schools close for the federal holiday Monday. Here are some highlights for the week ahead:

Booster mandate delayed: Hospitals, nursing homes and home health care agencies likely would have been starting their week in a panic, rushing to get as many employees as possible their Covid-19 booster shots by the states original deadline of Monday. On Friday, however, the state Health Department said it wouldnt enforce the mandate and will reassess the situation in three months. So far, about 75% of the states health care workforce is boosted.

Starbucks vote: Elections are wrapping up at three more Buffalo-area Starbucks, where workers are voting on whether to join a union. Ballots are due back to the National Labor Relations Board by Tuesday, and are scheduled to be counted Wednesday.

The outcome for each of the three stores  at Walden Avenue and Anderson Road in Cheektowaga; Sheridan Drive and North Bailey Avenue in Amherst; and Transit and French roads in Depew  will be determined separately. In December, a Starbucks on Elmwood Avenue became the first company-owned store in the United States to vote in favor of union representation.

Real Estate & Development: It could be a busy week for real estate development in Buffalo and, more broadly, in Erie County. The Buffalo Urban Development Corp.'s board will gather at noon Tuesday, with likely discussions on the Northland Corridor, Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park projects. That will be followed later in the day by the Buffalo Planning Board at 4 p.m.  delayed from its usual time on Monday because of the Presidents Day holiday  which will review plans by Apollo Dismantling Services LLC of Niagara Falls to build a 27,500-square-foot warehouse and 65,000 square feet of additions to existing structures at 670 Ohio St. Buffalo Place, the nonprofit that manages the downtown business improvement district, will assemble Wednesday morning at 8 a.m., followed by the Erie County Industrial Development Agency at noon.

A return to in-person networking. 43North is hosting a Group Chat networking event for people in the tech, innovation, creative and entrepreneurship communities at 5 p.m. in the Seneca One tower lobby, 1 Seneca St., Buffalo. Employees from companies such as M&T Bank, Odoo and Douglas Development will be at the event.

Welcome to Week 2 of Buffalo Next. This new newsletter from The Buffalo News will bring you the latest coverage on the changing Buffalo Niagara economy  from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com.

CATCH UP ON LAST WEEK

New Era takes on a minority investor: New Era Cap Co., the Buffalo-based hat and apparel company founded in 1920, is no longer fully owned by the Koch family. ACON Investments, a private equity investment firm, now has a 15% to 20% stake in the business after converting debt to equity.

Renovation and expansion project at Bona: St. Bonaventure University in Cattaraugus County is planning to spend more than $25 million to renovate academic buildings and dorms, complete a new health and wellness center and construct a new suite-style graduate student residence hall.

New Salvation Army campus: The Salvation Army wants to thoroughly overhaul its downtown Buffalo campus between Main and North Pearl streets by demolishing five of its dated and outmoded buildings and constructing entirely new ones. The project will include a seven-story apartment building, a three-story emergency shelter and 16 two-story townhomes, plus office space.

Buffalo food delivery service launches app: Appetit, a food delivery service for local restaurants, debuted its mobile app. Unlike national platforms such as Grubhub and DoorDash, Appetit charges restaurants a $99 monthly fee and doesn't take a 15% to 30% commission on each sale. Steve Ambrose is looking to take on investors and expand Appetit to markets outside Buffalo.

A new company takes over at state-funded Dunkirk plant: California immunotherapy company ImmunityBio has assumed the lease at the state-owned $200 million drug manufacturing plant in Dunkirk that was originally built for Buffalo-based biotech firm Athenex, which has run into a series of issues. ImmunityBio has big plans to make key ingredients of its Covid-19 vaccine that is under development in Dunkirk and also assumes Athenex's hiring and investment obligations in Dunkirk.

A full return of elective surgeries: All Western New York hospitals are now off of a state list that stopped the most capacity-strained facilities from performing nonessential procedures as a way to save beds for Covid-19 patients. But with virus cases and hospitalizations plunging, more hospitals are getting electives back on the schedule  good news for patients and for hospitals' bottom lines.

ICYMI

Three reads from Buffalo Next:

1. Game day spending, player payrolls and small-market economics. What public documents tell us about the Buffalo Bills: The Buffalo Bills negotiations with New York State and Erie County to build a new stadium in Orchard Park have been ongoing, complicated and quiet. But we do have something: A small trove of documents released by the state that gives insight into both the negotiating strategies and potential plans for a new stadium. The documents provide hints into the early planning process of Bills officials, and a glimpse at how far the money spent by fans  and paid to players  actually goes.

2. For Buffalo's endangered buildings, local landmark status may not stop the wrecking ball: The city adopted its preservation ordinance as a way to safeguard the city's history; promote the intellectual, cultural and general welfare; and preserve, protect, perpetuate and use landmarks. Still, some of these properties continue to slide toward demolition the way the Great Northern grain elevator has since Archer Daniels Midland bought the brick box-style structure with steel bins in 1993, three years after it was designated as a local landmark.

3. Q&A: Douglas Jemal on his goal for downtown Buffalo as he takes on the Mohawk Ramp: After winning a bid to redevelop the city's Mohawk Ramp, the Washington, D.C., developer talked to Jonathan D. Epstein about his plans, why he'd like to see more density downtown and what's next.

The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the regions economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Deputy Business Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435.

Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com.

Buffalo Next Must-read local business coverage that exposes the trends, connects the dots and contextualizes the impact to Buffalo's economy. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
An 18-year-old and three juveniles in an allegedly stolen car fled police in Amherst and Niagara County early Monday morning before being taken into custody, according to the county Sheriff's Office.

Amherst police were investigating reports of larcenies from parked vehicles in the area of Florence Lane and Glenhaven Drive, in the northwest part of the town, Amherst Police Capt. Christopher Meyer said in an email.

Amherst officers spotted the vehicle that eventually fled on East Summerset Lane, off of Tonawanda Creek Road. The driver refused to pull over and fled into Niagara County, Meyer said.

At 2:47 a.m., sheriff's deputies learned of a pursuit by Amherst police of a Cadillac sedan entering the county, the Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Deputies located the vehicle on Lockport Road, near Shawnee Road, in Wheatfield, but the driver refused to pull over. The pursuit continued westbound into the Town of Niagara, where Lewiston police assisted by deploying "stop sticks" at Lockport and Tuscarora roads.

The vehicle, now with its front tires deflated, continued into Niagara Falls and then to New York Power Authority property in Lewiston. The four allegedly attempted to flee on foot, but were taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit, the Sheriff's Office said.

The driver, identified as Kahill J. Reeves, was charged with felony possession of stolen property; eight misdemeanors: resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle, false personation, reckless driving and three counts of child endangerment; and numerous traffic violations.

Reeves was to be turned over to Amherst police after his arraignment in Niagara County.

Three juveniles were released to their parents with appearance tickets for felony counts of possession of stolen property.

The vehicle had been reported stolen from the area of Sheridan Drive and Harlem Road, Amherst police said.

Reach Aaron at abesecker[at]buffnews.com or 716-849-4602.

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Since March 2020, children have tackled remote learning, hybrid learning 6 feet apart with masks, in-person schooling 3 feet apart with masks, isolation and quarantines.

Soon, maybe before the second anniversary of the start of pandemic restrictions, they may experience something unusual: each other's faces.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said there is a "very strong possibility" she will lift the mask mandate in schools March 7.

But there are two weeks to go before March 7 and many students are on a mid-winter break this week.

Pandemic Lessons: How can we push through the last few weeks of winter? We are close to the end of the Omicron variants surge through New York. That storm of December and January has become a drizzle now. But be sure of this: Spend enough time in it, and you can still get soaked.

Hochul said the week they come back, she will look at a handful of metrics in deciding the future of masks in schools. One of them is cases in schools. Right now, Covid-19 infections are plummeting.

Total cases among children and adults in 38 public school districts in Erie and Niagara counties were averaging 72 a day in mid-February. The rate has not been that low since last fall. There was an average of 990 cases a day during the week of Jan. 10, amid the Omicron variant surge. Many districts that had been plagued with staff shortages because of sickness and quarantines last month now have days when they report no cases.

"We had three cases in the last week," Niagara Falls Superintendent Mark Laurrie said.

In January, there were days when Niagara Falls reported more than 40 cases.

Buffalo Public Schools reported more than 200 cases on some days during the surge, including 343 on Jan. 10, according to the New York State Health Department school Covid-19 dashboard. On Wednesday, there were just four.

Thousands of rapid tests have been distributed to children to take home while they go on mid-winter break this week. Hochul said she wants students to take the test on the day they return to school, Feb. 28, and three days later.

The governor said she will be looking at a number of metrics during the week of Feb. 28. In addition to reports of Covid-19 positive cases in students, she said she will look at cases per 100,000 population; percent positivity; hospital admissions, including pediatric admissions; vaccination rates; and global trends on the coronavirus.

As neighboring states have already announced the end of mask mandates in school, students, parents and educators here are getting anxious.

More than one parent has said, "Once they come off, they're not going back on."

"It's time to let it go. It's time to let it be a local decision," Laurrie said. "Were going to let it go as soon as possible. Well do it in the middle of the day, if thats the case."

Lots of parents feel the same way.

New York State is fielding multiple lawsuits from parents demanding that the mask mandate be dropped. One case that threw out the mandate is in the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court, and more have been filed this month.

Hochul says childhood vaccination rates will drive decision on ending school masking "Gov. Hochul and the Department of Health remain committed to doing everything possible to keep children, teachers and staff safe, and our schools open," a Hochul spokesman said Saturday.

A group of 16 parents, nearly half of them from Western New York, filed a lawsuit Feb. 11 in State Supreme Court in Westchester County against the governor, state Health Department and other state officials.

The suit contends that masks harm children, and that there is no data to support the continued masking of children in day care and schools. It asks that the mandate be set aside and nullified.

"Our suit challenges the efficacy of masking so that masks can not come off and then back on again at the whim of the governor at whatever metrics she chooses," Dana Hensley, a Williamsville parent who is one of the plaintiffs, said in an email.

"The kids are really tired of it and it's very frustrating," she said.

Parents from 14 school districts in central and Western New York signed onto a federal lawsuit Feb. 8 in Buffalo against the governor, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and county Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein, among others, seeking to end the "barbaric practice" of forcing children to wear masks in school.

Two Erie County parents sought a declaratory judgment in State Supreme Court on Feb. 8 to vacate an emergency regulation from the state Health Department that requires students wear masks in schools.

"It's not natural," Laurrie said of children wearing masks, adding that the controversy over masks has become a tremendous distraction. "High school kids can't read each others facial expression, kids can't see the formation of words in elementary school."

What will happen with Covid-19 cases when kids come back to school Feb. 28, after being on break for a week?

If history is any guide, there may be more cases in school that week. Last year, the number of cases in Erie and Niagara county schools reported to New York State after vacations increased. They went up 37% the week after the February recess. The number went down the following week.

But conditions are not exactly the same because last year, children could not be vaccinated.

And if the governor does lift the mask mandate, some will continue to wear face coverings in school.

"No shame, no bullying," Laurrie said.

In Niagara Falls' elementary summer school last year, masks were not mandatory, but seven out of 10 kids wore them, he said. There was one case of Covid-19 reported, he said.

Making masks optional "would be just one more gigantic step to normalcy," he said.

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The West Seneca Town Board has unanimously adopted a law enacting term limits, which was a hot-button issue in this town of about 45,000 people in the run-up to the November election that saw voters flip control of the five-member board into Republican hands.

The law, passed at last week's board meeting, limits the town supervisor and council members to two four-year terms, regardless of whether they are served consecutively.

"It encourages new people to run, it infuses government with new ideas," said Republican Councilman Jeffrey Piekarec, who has been promoting term limits in West Seneca since before he was elected to his first term in November 2019. "I think if eight years is good enough for the president, it's good enough for a local official."

West Seneca mulls term limits for supervisor, council West Seneca returned to a five-member Town Board in 2020, and now it may be in for another electoral change affecting the board: term limits.

The law does not apply to the elected offices of town highway superintendent, town clerk or town justice. It also has flexibility by allowing an elected official who has reached their term limit in one office to run for another town position. For instance, someone who served as a council member for eight years could run for supervisor.

Piekarec renewed his push for term limits last year. In fact, West Seneca posted a survey on the town website in April about the proposal, with about 70% of the 326 valid respondents in favor of term limits.

But the measure was defeated at the Town Board meeting Aug. 9, with Supervisor Gary Dickson, a Republican, and Piekarec voting yes, but the board's three Democrats voting against the proposal.

However, after November's election  in which two seats were on the ballot  Republicans now control the Town Board by a 4-1 margin. Newcomers Robert J. Breidenstein and Susan K. Kims, both Republicans, made imposing term limits in West Seneca a key campaign priority.

GOP seeks to tip balance of power in West Seneca Town Board race West Seneca voters will choose from four candidates for two seats on the Town Council next month.

"Your votes in favor of candidates who supported this law in last November's election are what ultimately led to this law being enacted tonight," Piekarec wrote on his Facebook page Feb. 14.

Shawn Donahue, an assistant professor of political science at the University at Buffalo, said Republicans tend to support term limits more than Democrats, though it's tough to identify any major trends with term limits because municipalities can quickly enact, or repeal, such laws.

"I think there's a great amount of flexibility that towns have because of different home rule statutes," he said. "Towns are their own little laboratories of democracy."

For instance, at least five other Western New York municipalities have term limits: Amherst, Tonawanda, Grand Island, Evans and Lackawanna.

And whereas some cities have term limits for mayor, such as New York City and Binghamton, Buffalo does not  as everyone knows by now after Democrat Byron Brown won an unprecedented fifth term as mayor of the state's second-largest city.

For West Seneca, enacting term limits is just its latest electoral shift.

Republican Gary Dickson wins West Seneca supervisor race West Seneca on Tuesday elected its first Republican supervisor in 50 years. Gary Dickson, a retired FBI special agent who moved to town two years ago declared victory over his two opponents, former School Board member James R. Lawson and Councilman Gene Hart. Dickson, who had the Republican, Conservative, Green and Independence lines, had a commanding lead as early

Town voters in 2018 overwhelmingly approved adding two seats to the Town Board, which had fielded three members since 2010. West Seneca officially returned to a five-member board in 2020.

And when Dickson won election in November 2019, it marked the first time in 50 years that West Seneca had elected a Republican supervisor.

"I think eight years is plenty to get accomplished what you want to accomplish," Dickson said Sunday. "It's always good to have new ideas."

All five Town Board members are in their first terms.

Jon Harris can be reached at 716-849-3482 or jharris@buffnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByJonHarris.

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Traffic accidents killed 80 Western New Yorkers in 2021, a 54% increase from two years earlier. Now, a statewide coalition of safety and transportation groups is fighting for legislation that they say would make New Yorks roads safer.

The package of seven bills, called the Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act, would grant municipalities greater control over speed limits, require prospective drivers to study additional safety topics and offer incentives to construct safe sidewalks and bike lanes, among other measures. Backers say the bills are needed to address the persistently high number of traffic-related injuries and deaths, particularly among pedestrians and cyclists.

More than 70,000 pedestrians were injured in motor vehicle accidents in New York between 2016 and 2020, according to state data maintained by the University of Albanys Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research. National studies have shown that elderly adults and people of color are disproportionately likely to die in bike or pedestrian accidents.

Were really looking at how we can prioritize the safety of everyone who uses our streets, said State Sen. Tim Kennedy, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee and sponsored three of the bills. Theres a real movement away from vehicles into both public transit and bike and pedestrian commuting  even in Western New York, he added.

The proposed legislation would bolster that movement by encouraging municipalities and transportation agencies to adopt an urban design approach called complete streets, which emphasizes the needs of cyclists, pedestrians and public-transit users alongside those of motorists. Complete streets  such as Niagara Street in Buffalo and Main Street in Hamburg  have been shown to reduce traffic accidents and promote physical activity, according to research collected by the Department of Transportation. Neighborhood walkability has also been shown to reduce crime and abandonment and increase home values.

Several local municipalities, including Amherst and West Seneca, have expressed interest in developing more bike- and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. But large agencies like the state Department of Transportation and the Erie County Department of Public Works can be slow to update their methods, said Assembly Member Jonathan Rivera, who sponsored one of the complete streets bills and previously worked as special assistant to the DPW commissioner.

But Buffalo and Western New York are going through a bit of a shift, in that people are much more open-minded now around pedestrian and cyclist inclusion, Rivera said. ... Im certainly having more conversations about this than I had last year.

The bills would also allow New York municipalities to set their speed limits below state-mandated minimums and add questions about bicycle and pedestrian safety to the Department of Motor Vehicles written licensing exam. They would further require that drivers stay at least 3 feet away from bicyclists when passing them, as opposed to the subjective safe distance specified in current legislation.

That last measure is designed to protect cyclists like Denise Saia Goller, who was flung from her bike last June after a car side-swiped her at a North Tonawanda intersection. One minute, the 56-year-old was signaling a turn at the corner of Oliver and Tremont streets. The next, she lay dazed and semi-conscious under the stoplight  her favorite pink-camo road bike on top of her.

I know the proposal  I have a screenshot on my phone, Goller said of the minimum-passing legislation. Honestly, I cant believe we dont already have that.

But prior efforts have been hampered by a lack of political momentum, said Kennedy, who first introduced the complete streets measure in 2013. Just last year, the licensing rule passed the Senate unanimously on a 63-0 vote  but never got out of committee in the State Assembly.

A new advocacy push and a recent uptick in statewide traffic deaths might change those dynamics. On Jan. 27, 14 safety and transportation groups from around the state, including Western New Yorks GoBike Buffalo, launched a new coalition to advocate on behalf of the Crash Victim Act. That same day, the federal Department of Transportation released a three-year road map for reducing the number of U.S. traffic deaths, including new emphasis on complete streets projects.

The federal government is moving in the right direction, said Justin Booth, GoBikes executive director. The challenge is that a lot of resources are moved down to state and  theres still a bit of disconnect behind FHA and DOT. We want to make sure we have policies in place so that long-term goals of national level are consistent with what were seeing on the ground.

For local cyclists like Goller, reform cant come soon enough. Between 2018 and 2021, traffic fatalities in New York increased by more than 10% statewide, even as the total number of crashes fell  a trend experts blame on the growing popularity of larger vehicles and an uptick in reckless driving during the pandemic.

In Erie and Niagara counties, a growing share of bike and pedestrian accidents also result in serious injury or death, state data show. In early February, a 27-year-old woman was hit and killed while crossing Bailey Avenue near Broadway in Buffalo. Six months earlier, drivers in Amherst struck and killed two cyclists  a 57-year-old and a 17-year-old  within two weeks of each other.

Many roads just arent safe for nonmotorists, Goller said. A seasoned cyclist who rode as many as 100 miles per week before her accident, she claims to have always followed the rules of the road: braking at street lights and stop signs, signaling her turns and lane changes, and wearing hot-pink gloves and LED lights, even during the day.

Still, cars would often drive right behind her or pass too close, particularly at busy intersections where bike and car traffic mixed. Goller said the young driver who hit her in June initially drove off without even realizing shed done it.

Gollers life, meanwhile, has changed dramatically since the crash. An emergency room doctor diagnosed her that day with a hand sprain and likely concussion. Months later, however, as a mysterious new pain continued to flare in her hips and legs, Goller began to wonder if she had sustained another injury, as well. In October, a doctor confirmed she had blown a disk in her thoracic spine, necessitating reparative surgery and weeks of recuperation.

This totally changed my life, she said. But that intersection still hasnt changed in any way.

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WASHINGTON  The two federal employees who pushed for a safe redesign of the intersection near Western New York's new veterans cemetery are now in what one supporter described as "professional purgatory."

The cemetery director, James R. Metcalfe II, was not only reprimanded for pushing those safety changes, but also barred from the cemetery's dedication. And the program manager bringing the sprawling cemetery to fruition, Peter C. Rizzo, was transferred away from the project nearly two years ago, meaning the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' local planning guru no longer has any role in the agency's largest local construction project.

'It could have been avoided': VA Cemetery planners' warnings went unheeded before crash killed two vets "I think that my dad would most definitely happily give up his life to bring light to a dangerous situation and save somebody else's life," the daughter of one of the accident victims said.

The two men see themselves as victims of retaliation, according to complaints filed long ago with internal VA investigators, the agency created to protect wronged federal employees and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer  but those complaints linger in the shadow of tragedy. On Sept. 22, two veterans from Lockport, Christopher Rowell and Arnold Herdendorf, were killed at the intersection that Metcalfe and Rizzo were trying to get fixed.

The VA won't comment on what happened to Metcalfe and Rizzo, saying the agency won't discuss personnel matters. But advocates for veterans and federal employees, as well as New York's two U.S. senators, see Metcalfe and Rizzo as lesser victims of the same larger tragedy that claimed the lives of those two vets in the fall: that the VA ignored safety concerns at an intersection that vets are still driving through every day.

"I think both of these guys have been unjustly punished," said Marlene Roll, the national and state legislative chairperson for Veterans of Foreign Wars. "They were proven right, unfortunately. There shouldn't have been loss of life if what they said had been heeded."

Metcalfe: Silenced

Metcalfe, a Western New York native and member of the Seneca Nation of Indians who returned home to manage the new Western New York National Cemetery, started pressing for safety improvements at the intersection of Route 77 and Indian Falls Road in March 2020.

Cars and trucks rushed down Route 77 at 55 mph or more, meaning it would be difficult for vets leaving the cemetery to cross or turn onto the highway, Metcalfe told a number of public officials who largely agreed with his assessment.

But on June 19, 2020, Metcalfe got a call from Willie Clyde Marsh, executive director of the National Cemetery Administration's North Atlantic District.

Reiterating what he told Metcalfe in that phone call in a July 20, 2020 memo, Marsh reprimanded Metcalfe for "inappropriate routing of email" and left him with some orders.

"You are directed not to engage with County Officials or DOT about changing traffic patterns or stop signs or speed limits without approval of NAD (North Atlantic District) leadership," the memo said.

In addition, "you are not to discuss budget issues or potential contract scope changes" with contractors, congressional representatives or others without approval from above, Marsh wrote.

VA officials in Washington have barred Metcalfe from speaking publicly about what happened, but his wife, Darcy, has had plenty to say.

"In subsequent events, James was reprimanded for responding directly to a reporter (even though he did not); received repeated verbal and written admonishments for actions beyond his control; and was unfairly assigned an annual performance rating two points lower than the score he had earned every year for the previous 14 years," she said in a Jan. 23 email to Veterans Secretary Denis R. McDonough. "All of this took place at the hands of Mr. Marsh."

Later, in a written statement to The Buffalo News, Darcy Metcalfe said: "Imagine Jamies embarrassment in November 2020 when he was told by his executive leadership that he could not attend the dedication ceremony" for the cemetery. "Every new national cemetery director is front-and-center at their facilitys dedication ceremony, but not Jamie."

Metcalfe showed up at the ceremony anyway and sat in the back, said sources who attended.

"A day does not go by that Jamie doesnt visualize the horrific scene outside the cemetery on September 22nd, a scene that could have and should have been prevented," she told The News.

Darcy Metcalfe also spelled out her concerns in a Jan. 26 email to 75 congressional offices.

"Is there anything you can do to urge VA to pursue needed safety improvements at the intersection ... and hold VA and Mr. Marsh accountable for their wrongdoing?" she asked.

Rizzo: Transferred

Amid his work to get the cemetery built, Rizzo received a shocking email on June 22, 2020.

"Thank you for your efforts and professionalism while serving on detail at WNY National Cemetery. You have served this project well from the start of construction in September 2019," wrote Ann Marie Sweet-Abshire, a construction director at VA headquarters. "Regrettably, for reasons beyond my control, your detail is terminated effective immediately."

Rizzo responded that he was "heartbroken," and then asked Sweet-Abshire why he was being transferred. She said a VA official named Ed Gully had asked her to remove Rizzo upon instructions from Michael Brennan, executive director of the VA Office of Construction and Facilities Management.

"When I asked Ed why Dr. Brennan had requested your removal, he did not appear to know himself," Sweet-Abshire replied. "However, he did ask me if I thought you had been the person who leaked information to Sen. Schumers office, based on a recent letter being very detailed in its inquiries."

Rizzo's removal came only three days after Sweet-Abshire received an email from Alan V. Trow, director of quality assurance service at VA's Office of Construction and Facilities Management, praising Rizzo's performance and offering to extend his work at the cemetery through its opening in late 2020.

"The overall mission of VA has been and will continue to be best served by his continuing onsite role at WNY Cemetery," Trow wrote in a note that also included compliments for Rizzo from Metcalfe and an engineer on the cemetery project.

Hearing praise from all around, Rizzo felt especially stung by his sudden transfer.

"This retaliation has affected me personally by causing injury to my reputation, public humiliation and mental anguish," Rizzo wrote on July 10, 2020, in a complaint filed with the Office of Special Counsel, the federal agency entrusted with protecting federal employees from wrongdoing, and shared with Schumer's office.

Schumer  who acknowledged that Rizzo had been in touch with his office before Rizzo was removed from the cemetery  wasn't happy, either.

"It would be outrageous for Mr. Rizzo to be removed for making protected disclosures to Congress and would violate the longstanding legal protections prohibiting retaliation against federal employees who come forward to expose evidence of waste, fraud or abuse," Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote to the Office of Special Counsel on July 17, 2020.

Rizzo's burden grew far heavier, though, after the crash that claimed the lives of Rowell and Herdendorf.

"Words cannot describe how troubled I am over this deadly car crash, especially because I know it very likely would not have occurred if Mr. Metcalfe and I had been able to continue our work" on safety issues at the cemetery, Rizzo wrote in a follow-up complaint to the Office of Special Counsel last fall.

VA, DOT to do new traffic study of intersection where vets died The commitment to a new safety investigation came amid a growing sense of rage over a Buffalo News story detailing how federal bureaucrats quashed an effort to improve the intersection of Route 77 and Indian Falls Road

The reaction

Both Metcalfe and Rizzo detailed their allegations in complaints to the Office of Special Counsel and the VA inspector general. And separately, Metcalfe filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, while Rizzo took up his case with Schumer.

Asked about Metcalfe and Rizzo and their allegations of retaliation, National Cemetery Administration spokesman Les' Melnyk said: "VA protects the privacy of its employees and respects the administrative processes in place to address employee concerns by not commenting on personnel matters."

But veterans advocates, a defender of wronged federal employees and New York's two U.S. senators had plenty to say.

Roll, of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said Metcalfe and Rizzo had been "shunted aside" for doing the right thing.

"Both of these guys are are in professional purgatory, basically," said Roll, whose organization has called on McDonough, the VA secretary, to investigate the traffic safety issue at the cemetery.

Worse yet, the VA's treatment of the two men violates the law, said Jeff Ruch, a lawyer for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, who is representing the two men.

A century-old federal law, the Lloyd-La Follette Act, gives federal employees the right to communicate with members of Congress and their staffs. Ruch said the VA broke that law by punishing Rizzo for his contacts with Schumer's staff and by barring Metcalfe from communicating with lawmakers.

The trouble is, that federal law includes no enforcement mechanism, leaving Metcalfe and Rizzo to fight bureaucratic battles for both highway safety and their own reputations, Ruch said.

"They're certainly not being driven by the idea of career advancement," Ruch said. "I mean, they're conscience-stricken. They're horrified that their actions to prevent this sort of thing didn't bear fruit and almost are morally compelled to come forward at the cost of their career."

Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, also a New York Democrat, and Schumer are horrified, too.

"The fact that Rizzo was transferred away from the project, the fact that Metcalfe's efforts were denied and pushed aside, is deeply, deeply disturbing," Gillibrand said.

Schumer, meanwhile, has written three letters to federal authorities on behalf of Metcalfe and Rizzo.

"It is important to the highest standards of good government that the VA accept responsibility for the totality of any and all retaliation injuries suffered by Mr. Rizzo and Mr. Metcalfe by reversing the adverse personnel actions taken against them, accounting for inflicted reputational harm and by holding accountable those who are found to have violated the law," Schumer said in a letter to the VA secretary last year.

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Its good news, and for several reasons, that a state appeals court has extended the reprieve given to the Great Northern grain elevator. One of them is that it may help to focus public attention on the citywide problem of demolition-by-neglect.

On Tuesday, a panel of judges in the Appellate Division extended a lower courts temporary restraining order with a preliminary injunction, blocking demolition of the historic grain elevator, which was damaged in a December windstorm. The case is being expedited and will likely be heard in early April.

Buffalos commissioner of permits and inspections, James Comerford, signed an emergency demolition order a week after the storm. Archer Daniels Midland, which owns the structure and has been aching to raze it, insists that storm damage has created an ongoing hazard even though, more than two months later, its showing no signs of weakness. If its still standing strong by early April, Buffalo residents can rightly wonder why repairs couldnt have been finished, or at least begun, over the preceding four months.

But, as important as the Great Northern grain elevator is to the citys history, and even its identity, its also a symptom of a larger problem, in which structures designated as landmarks are nonetheless allowed to deteriorate to the point where demolition becomes necessary or at least plausible.

A News story earlier this week laid out the problem. Since Buffalo granted its first landmark status  to Blessed Trinity Church in 1977  14 have been demolished. Of the 134 remaining, several are at risk, including three dating to the Civil War era, two in the Cobblestone District, two in the Michigan Sycamore District and at least one church, St. Anns at 651 Broadway.

The problems include an enforcement mechanism that fails to enforce. In the Cobblestone District, for example, walls on the two buildings are crumbling. Owner Darryl Carr hasnt made any substantial improvements to the structures, at 110 and 118 S. Park Ave., which date, respectively, to 1852 and 1969. Thats despite action in Housing Court, where Carr first appeared on these matters in 2009, and despite pressure from the citys permits and inspections department.

In February 2015, Carney told Carr to fix, sell or redevelop 118 South Park. He hasnt.

Although buildings designated as landmarks may qualify as the most obvious ones in need of attention and official supervision, they are not alone. Only last year, the exterior wall of a brick building at 324 N. Oak St. collapsed onto the sidewalk and roadway. The building had been deteriorating for decades. A new owner was trying to repair it, but the effort came too late.

Not every old building needs to be saved. Sometimes, an old one can give way to a new one that will, in time, be designated as a landmark. Sometimes, theyre just not that interesting.

But, as Buffalo has seen, life remains in many of these sturdy, old structures. Developers have descended on the city, remaking and reimagining existing stock, strengthening the bones of an increasingly vibrant downtown, just what Buffalo needs to attract and retain the younger workers it needs.

Two such developers, Rocco Termini and Douglas Jemal, see that promise in the damaged Great Northern grain elevator. The believe it can readily be salvaged and made attractive for new uses, despite the doomsaying of ADM and Comerford. Jemal has offered to buy the hulking structure and hopes to become a formal party in the legal effort to save it.

Regardless, and at a minimum, the city cannot allow buildings formally designated as landmarks to deteriorate through neglect. If the designation doesnt help protect the history of a great American city, then what good is it?

  

Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing.
Upon graduating from high school many years ago, I attended a now defunct seminary college in Ogdensburg for four years in order to explore the possibility of becoming a Catholic priest. During this time, the notion of accruing wealth as part of priestly ministry never even remotely entered my mind. Then, as now, I viewed the call to priesthood as a commitment to serving Gods people simply and humbly, with a desire to share Jesuss message of peace and love. Most of the priests that Ive known in my 63 years have been wonderful examples of this.

Whatever the circumstances were under which the Rev. Joseph Klos inherited half a million dollars from a widowed parishioner, I feel that it was incumbent on him to a) convince his benefactor to donate the lions share of her wealth to either the Buffalo diocese or other charities, or b) do this himself upon gaining the inheritance. Sure, he technically had the right to keep the entirety of the estate for himself. But as a priest whose mission is to preach and live the values stated in the Gospels, his actions seem to cast another black eye on the Buffalo Catholic diocese.

Fr. Klos, heres an idea: how about giving at least half of that money to the Buffalo diocese to help pay their lawyers working to settle the many lawsuits stemming from its horrific sex abuse scandal and cover up? No matter what the bishop or anyone says, we know very well that these payments are funded by weekly collections from faithful parishioners, even if drawn from some diocesan insurance fund.

Michael Scully

Williamsville
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Deputy Economy Minister Niyazi Safarov has said that Azerbaijani investments in Russia's economy have exceeded $1.2 billion, with the majority of these investments being in the non-oil sector.

He made the remarks on February 21 at the Azerbaijan and Udmurtia Business Forum in Baku.

The deputy minister noted that Russian investments in Azerbaijan's economy totaled $6.3 billion, with $5 billion invested in the oil sector and $1.3 billion invested in non-oil sectors.

Safarov added that the two countries' trade turnover will increase by 12 percent in 2021.

He also recalled that some 14 Russian companies have applied for participation in Azerbaijan's Karabakh reconstruction.

Signed agreements

The regional public organization "Azerbaijani public center of Udmurtia 'Dostlug'" and the Russian Community of Azerbaijan signed an agreement.

The document seeks to strengthen relations between Udmurtia (Russia) and Azerbaijan.

An agreement was also signed between the Development Corporation of Udmurtia and the Export and Investment Promotion Foundation of Azerbaijan.

The agreement calls for the expansion of bilateral ties as well as investment.

Bilateral cooperation

The deputy chairman of the government of Udmurtia, Mikhail Khomich, stated that the dynamics of trade and economic cooperation have growth potential.

"The growth of trade turnover with Azerbaijan is encouraging, although the export figures are not yet high. We are aimed at increasing these figures," he said.

The official also noted that Udmurtia mainly supplies IT equipment, dairy, chemical and some other types of products to Azerbaijan.

Moreover, Advisor of the Russian Ambassador Aleksey Studyarsky also noted that the relations between the two countries are developing dynamically.

"In fact, the entire year 2022, in connection with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries will be aimed at strengthening ties, including at the regional level," he said.

Agroexpress project

Yusif Abdullayev, acting director of the Export and Investment Promotion Foundation, said that another train will depart Astara on February 21 as part of the Russian-Azerbaijani "Agroexpress" project

"This project will promote the growth of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia," he said.

He also stated that the Foundation's goal is to promote Azerbaijan's non-oil exports.

To recall, Azerbaijan sent the first train with persimmon cargo to Russia as part of the "Agroexpress" project last week. A total of 1,000 tons of persimmons were shipped to Moscow's Selyatino station in 17 wagons.

Foreign businesses attraction

Small and Medium Business Development Agency Chairman Orkhan Mammadov stated that the agency is interested in attracting foreign businesses to the country and is ready to provide the necessary assistance.

He noted that holding such events demonstrates a wide range of directions for joint cooperation between Azerbaijan and Udmurtia, including the sphere of SMBs, and allows for the faster discovery of potential fields for the realization of bilateral initiatives.

"Today's forum is attended by representatives of a number of public and private structures that create conditions for an effective dialogue between the parties," he said.

The chairman recalled that during the meeting of the Russian companies' business mission in the field of urban infrastructure development "Smart City" held in Baku in November last year, the agency and the Russian Export Center signed a joint memorandum aimed at intensifying contacts and providing support to SMBs from both countries.

"The agency is actively working to expand the geography of cooperation of local SMBs with potential foreign partners. In this regard, I would like to note an interest in establishing relations with the relevant structures of Udmurtia, in order to exchange experiences, as well as to implement joint mechanisms of business support. We are also interested in attracting foreign business to Azerbaijan and are ready to provide the necessary assistance," he said.




ST. JOHN'S, N.L.  A Spanish air force plane left St. John's Monday to bring home the survivors and the dead from a fishing tragedy off the eastern coast of Newfoundland last week, which has shaken the European country.

The sinking of the Villa de Pitanxo fishing vessel on Feb. 15 killed nine men and left three survivors. Twelve crew members remain missing at sea. The Spanish government declared a countrywide day of mourning Monday to honour the loss of the ship and most of its crew.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez "reiterates his condolences to the families of the deceased and missing sailors and offers his support to the fishing sector, (which is) fundamental for our country," said a tweet in Spanish on Monday from Sanchez's official residence.

The ship went down in rough, icy waters about 460 kilometres off the coast of St. John's. Spanish officials said last week the sunken vessel's crew included 16 Spaniards, five Peruvians and three workers from Ghana.

Those rescued were found in one of the ship's four lifeboats, while two other lifeboats were found empty and the fourth was unaccounted for. The operation to find the 12 missing fishers was called off Feb. 16, as search and rescue teams dealt with strong winds and 10-metre-high seas.

Last week, Jose Manuel Albares, Spains foreign minister, called for the search to resume as soon as weather allowed.

Sanchez tweeted Friday that he had spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the efforts. "We will resume collaboration in the search tasks as soon as the weather allows," Sanchez said.

The Newfoundland and Labrador RCMP said Friday they don't have jurisdiction in the area where the vessel sank and the investigation should fall to the country with which the Villa de Pitanxo is registered.

On Monday, a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson directed inquiries about the search to the RCMP, who reiterated Friday's position.

Story continues

Neither the Spanish embassy in Ottawa nor the Spanish consulate in St. John's returned a request for comment Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2022.

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press
Small toy figure and gold imitation are seen in front of the Polymetal logo in this illustration

LONDON (Reuters) - Shares in companies exposed to Russia and Ukraine fell heavily on Monday while European equity market volatility surged to a 16-month high after the Russian military said it had foiled a border breach from Ukraine.

While Kiev denied the report as fake news, markets reacted to the headlines, with shares in Raifeissen Bank falling more than 6% while Italy's Unicredit and Hungary's OTP extended losses to stand around 3% lower.

An index measuring European equity market volatility spiked to the highest since October 2020

London-listed mining firms Polymetal and Petropavlovsk, with operations in Russia, lost between 7% and 10%.

The news also sent yields on safe-haven German 10-year bonds to two-week lows at 0.185% while the Swiss franc rallied to a three-week high to the euro, up half a percent. The euro slipped to around flat at $1.1332 having earlier traded as high as $1.1391.

Adding to jitters was the Kremlin's earlier denial that there were concrete plans for a summit over Ukraine between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden.

(Reporting by Joice Alves, Danilo Masoni, Sujata Rao; editing by Saikat Chatterjee)
A leading Republican candidate for state attorney general said in a tweet that Wisconsin should invade Canada amid protests over the countrys vaccine mandates.

The candidate, former state Rep. Adam Jarchow, is among those supporting the Freedom Convoy that Canadas government is more forcefully cracking down on; more than 100 arrests have been reported since the protest began. The protesters have been opposing the countrys vaccine mandates, and have been showing their opposition by shutting down border crossings and business around the capital, Ottawa.

While the protests have been centered around truckers who are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to exit and re-enter the country, the vast majority of Canadian truckers  as many as 90%  are vaccinated.

Jarchow tweeted Saturday: If Canadian politicians keep this crap up, the deer hunters in WI will be forced to invade to restore liberty. Dont test us!

In the bid to unseat incumbent Josh Kaul, a Democrat, Jarchow is outraising the other Republican candidate for attorney general, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney.

As reported Feb. 15, Jarchows fundraising is outpacing Toney: Jarchow has added $100,000 to his war chest in the last month, his campaign said. Jarchows early-year haul is more than twice what Toney raised in the second half of 2021.

Toney, who has been in the race since April, raised about $43,000 between July and December and a total of $84,000 all of last year, according to campaign finance disclosures.
Though popular with Midwestern farmers and long hailed as an environmentally friendly alternative to imported oil, ethanol made from corn isnt actually reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a new study finds.

But UW-Madison researchers say there are home-grown alternatives being developed at laboratories in Madison.

Corn-based ethanol, which accounts for virtually all U.S. biofuels, doesnt really reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is likely making climate change even worse than simply burning fossil fuels, according to the paper published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

While not surprising to some scientists, the findings represent the first empirical analysis of the nations 15-year-old renewable fuel mandate and could inform debates over which types of alternative fuels should be favored going forward.

Instead, the authors suggest, the government should encourage the use of fuels derived from non-food plants like grasses that trap carbon in the ground, keep topsoils in place and dont require chemical fertilizers.

It basically reaffirms what many suspected, said Tyler Lark, a scientist at UW-Madisons Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and lead author of the paper. Corn ethanol is not a climate-friendly fuel, and we need to accelerate the shift toward better renewable fuels.

First enacted by Congress in 2005 and expanded in 2007 in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on imported oil, the Renewable Fuel Standard requires transportation fuel to contain a minimum amount of renewable fuel.

While the law calls for increasing use of advanced biofuels, nearly all the renewable fuel used is corn-based ethanol, which the Environmental Protection Agency has estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% compared with gasoline.

This is the final year in which the Renewable Fuel Standard spells out specific biofuel volumes. Going forward, the EPA will take over the role of determining how much and which types of biofuels are needed.

Its a pivotal moment for deciding what this policy  and our landscape  should look like moving forward, Lark said.

About five years ago, Lark and UW-Madison geographer Holly Gibbs assembled a team of economists, agronomists and other researchers to evaluate the accuracy of the EPAs carbon footprint estimates.

Its really the first time weve taken a retrospective empirical analysis, Lark said. We were more clearly able to estimate what happened versus what would have happened.

What they found is that in the 15 years since it was adopted, the renewable fuel standard boosted corn prices by about 30%, leading farmers to plant more corn  often on pasture and other marginal lands  and apply more fertilizer than they would have without an ethanol mandate.

The carbon released by these landscape changes offset any reduction in tailpipe emissions and may actually produce more greenhouse gasses than simply burning fossil fuels. And that doesnt include the upstream carbon emissions that come from making more fertilizers.

Any time you plow up a perennial grassland thats sequestering carbon on the landscape  you emit a lot of carbon from the soil back into the atmosphere, Lark said. Those emissions, when accounted for, have a really big role in offsetting the net benefits of ethanol.

Ethanol trade groups called the findings completely fictional and erroneous while pointing to a disputed industry-funded study that concluded ethanol has less than half the carbon intensity of gasoline.

It is so disappointing that our own land grant university can miss the mark so badly, said Erik Huschitt, president of the Wisconsin Biofuels Association.

Make way for corn

Industry groups note that total U.S. cropland has actually decreased since the passage of the ethanol mandate, which the American Corn Growers Association falsely claims invalidates the findings.

But both can be true: Even as some fields were lost to urban sprawl, farmers were also plowing up grassland, releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

Whats important for folks to consider is what would have happened in the absence of corn ethanol development and the renewable fuel standard, Lark said.

Larks team found almost 5 million acres of natural lands were brought back into production between 2008 and 2016, and farmers planted about 7 million more acres of corn than would be expected without the economic pressures created by the ethanol mandate.

And the impacts werent just limited to the atmosphere.

Those additional acres of corn required 8% more fertilizer, which led to more phosphorus washed off the land, contributing to algal blooms and aquatic dead zones, and more nitrate seeping into groundwater.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services estimates at least one in 10 private wells has high levels of nitrate, which is hazardous, especially to pregnant women and infants.

And while the ethanol mandate boosted corn prices, Lark said that has also resulted in higher feed and rental costs for dairy farmers.

What might be good for one commodity crop and interest group often comes at a cost for others, Lark said. Its often the largest agribusinesses that are able to take advantage and the smaller ones that get squeezed out.

Next generation biofuels

Lark argues that to achieve true reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the renewable fuel standard should encourage development of next generation biofuels made from native grasses and other non-food plants grown on land less suited for conventional agriculture.

Hundreds of researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center in Madison are working to make that possible.

Established in 2007 with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, the GLBRC is an interdisciplinary research center focused on economically viable and environmentally sustainable biofuels and other products.

Researchers at the center are working to develop ways of turning plants like switchgrass, sorghum and poplar into alcohol-based chemicals that can fuel car, truck and airplane engines as well as be converted into products like plastic and nylon that are currently derived from petroleum.

Were using energy crops  crops that you would grow specifically to make transportation fuels and chemicals, said Tim Donohue, a microbiologist who directs the center. These crops are not being grown on acreage thats currently used to produce food.

With deep root systems, native grasses are able to hold soil in place and actually suck carbon from the air and trap it underground. And because they are perennial, once established a crop doesnt have to be replanted and fertilized every year.

The center has generated hundreds of patents and licenses and spun off five startup companies, including the Madison-based Virent, whose plant-based fuel recently powered a commercial airline test flight.

But Donohue said commercial-scale production could be at least five years off because advanced biofuel refineries can cost as much as $400 million to build.

Despite its unintended consequences, Lark said the Renewable Fuel Standard demonstrated that its possible to replace petroleum with plant-based fuels, setting the stage for more environmentally friendly replacements.

Corn ethanol was a technology that was ready, initially, and probably filled a good role as an example of how we could get a renewable fuel blended into our transportation fuel supply, Lark said. That really can set an example of how we can use these next-generation fuels and other alternatives that are more climate-friendly.

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The B&L Caribbean restaurant in Carlisle is easy to recognize by its bright yellow exterior.

Now, with the help of the Charles Bruce Foundation, the inside of the restaurant has become a little brighter too.

The foundation, dedicated to promoting the arts in Carlisle, has teamed up with small businesses and employed local artists for a Pop-Up Wall Paintings Project that will create beauty in unexpected places, the foundation said.

B&L Caribbean at 10 W. Pomfret St. in Carlisle unveiled the projects first mural Saturday morning.

Artists Ivy Rose and Bonnie Tweedy Shaw worked together to create the colorful mural in the restaurants restroom, a space that is too often wasted according to the foundation.

The foundation said the mural gives the restaurant a touch of the island of Saint Lucia, where owner Bryan Landers is from, and reminds visitors of the beauty of the region of the world that inspired the restaurants cuisine.

The mural incorporates symbols and elements of the Caribbean island, including a palm tree, a hibiscus and a Saint Lucia Parrot, the countrys national bird.

According to the Charles Bruce Foundation, Bryan and his wife, Latoya, met with the foundation and discussed what they hoped a mural would do for their location.

The women worked with us on a plan and really made that little corner of the restaurant come to life, Latoya said in a news release.

She said they love the mural, and that the longer she looks at it, the more she sees.

According to the foundation, Rose said the easiest part of creating the mural was working while the restaurant was closed.

Smelling all those incredible island aromas was the toughest, Rose said in a news release. Im looking forward to dropping in when theyre open and eating instead of painting.

The foundations founder, Chad Bruce, said in a news release that this project is the perfect combination of what the Charles Bruce Foundation has been trying to do for the last 10 years.

We want to make sure artists get work, the public sees that work and our communities come together, Bruce said. Murals are a great way to do that. Hidden murals all the more, because they inspire folks to look for beauty where theyd least expect it.

Businesses looking to incorporate pop-up artwork in their locations can contact the Charles Bruce Foundation at www.charlesbrucefoundation.org or email epicjourney10@gmail.com.

Maddie Seiler is a news reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com covering Carlisle and Newville. You can contact her at mseiler@cumberlink.com and follow her on Twitter at: @SeilerMadalyn

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The large brick home on the property was formerly a toll stop and tavern located on Route 11, a main route for travelers, according to the website.
Judge Patrick King has announced Monday he will seek re-election to the office of Associate Circuit Judge Division 4 for St. Francois County. He is running as a Republican.

King has served as judge since Jan. 1, 2019. Prior to that, he was the chief assistant prosecutor for St. Francois County, a post he held for nearly 20 years.

He has actively practiced law for more than 30 years, and in that time tried numerous court and jury trials.

"I have devoted my life to public service, and for the past many years to the service of the people of St. Francois County," King said. "When I was elected, I told the people I would serve with honesty, integrity, hard work and common sense.

"I believe my record shows I have done so fairly and impartially. I have earned the trust the people of this county have placed in me. I ask for another four years of their trust and confidence.

King was elected Nov. 6, 2018. Since becoming judge, he has been asked to serve as the 24th Circuit coordinator for the Missouri Supreme Courts Civic Education Committee and has participated in the editing of the Missouri Criminal Bench Book used by judges throughout the state.

King is serving as municipal court judge for the cities of Leadington, Leadwood, and Iron Mountain Lake, as the circuit court now assists those municipalities.

King has been active in community life. He is past president of Farmington Kiwanis Club, has served as president of the Benevolence Board of the Farmington Ministerial Alliance, and has served on the Extended Character Committee for Farmington Middle School, as well as the board of the Baptist Home and the NESS Shelter Services Board. He is past president of the local chapter of Mizzou Alumni Association and is a life member of MAA, and has served with the Farmington Band Boosters. He is an active member and a deacon of Farmington First Baptist Church.

He is a past winner of the Daily Journal/Farmington Press "Citizen of the Year" award, the "Distinguished Service Award" from the Missouri Baptist Convention Christian Life Commission, and the "I Stand Up for Kids" award from the Children's Advocacy Center of East Central Missouri. He has twice been named "Heartland Hero" by the Farmington R-7 School District.

He and his wife Michele live in Farmington, where she is chief financial and operations officer and executive vice president at Ozarks Federal Savings and Loan Association. They have two adult children, Andrew and Melanie.

King has a Facebook page at "Re-Elect Judge Pat King" and is on the web at www.electpatkingjudge.com.

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Firefighters in Leadwood and Bonne Terre responded to two unrelated fires in the past week.

Big River/Bonne Terre Fire Department was called to the scene of a mobile home fire on Mineshaft Road outside of Bonne Terre on Saturday afternoon.

The call was sent out at 4:11 p.m., with responders on the scene within five minutes. Big River Fire Department Chief David Pratte said the fire was quickly under control within about six minutes.

The structure was well involved when we arrived on the scene, he said. One resident suffered minor smoke inhalation.

The structure is considered a total loss. No firefighters were injured during the blaze. The responders were on the scene for about 40 minutes to fully extinguish the fire.

The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time. Big River was assisted by Leadington, Desloge and De Soto Rural Fire Departments.

On Thursday evening, fire departments from St. Francois, Iron, Jefferson and Washington counties were called to a difficult-to-control residential fire in Leadwood Thursday evening.

Leadwood Fire Chief Charlie Lewis said multiple issues led to a third alarm to extinguish the blaze. Although responders were called out at 7:42 p.m., it took a while to get on the scene with equipment.

We were 10-15 minutes until arriving on the scene because the roads were iced over, he said. The rear of the house and a side porch was well-involved when we arrived.

Lewis said it took 1 to 1-1/2 hours to control the fire. The residence had a metal roof and a thick cedar wood ceiling inside, creating an extremely difficult firefighting situation.

The fire got up in the attic and there was no stopping it, he said. We could hold it, but not get it out because of the metal roof.

The home was considered a total loss and the cause of the fire was undetermined at press time. There were no injuries to residents or responders.

Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com

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Ohio is sometimes called the Mother of Presidents because it has produced seven occupants of the White House. Until recently, it has been a battleground state whose Republicanse.g., Gov. Mike DeWine, Sen. Rob Portman, former governor John Kasichhave been of the bland, mainstream variety.

If you want to see the calamitous impact of Trumpism on the GOP, look no further than the partys primary to succeed Portman, who is retiring. The two loudest voices in the contest belong to J.D. Vance and Josh Mandel. Both are onetime moderate conservatives doing their best imitation of Trumpor is it Marjorie Taylor Greene? These faux populists, who are, in fact, exemplars of elitist striving, are locked in a race to the bottom to see who can say the dumbest, vilest things to rouse the MAGA hordes.

Vance may have just won the offensiveness Olympicsand lost his soulby trashing one of Americas most distinguished soldiers. It all began when Vance said during an appearance on a right-wing podcast: I dont really care what happens to Ukraine. That led to a withering riposte from retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey: JD Vance is a shameful person unsuitable for public office. His comments are those of a stooge for Russian aggression.

Rather than slink off in shame, Vance shot back: Your entire time in military leadership we won zero wars. You drank fine wine at bullshit security conferences while thousands of working class kids died on the battlefield. Oh, by the way, how much do you stand to gain financially from a war with Russia, Barry?

Vance may think his brief stint in the Marine Corps (where he did public affairs work) gives him the standing to insult one of Americas greatest war heroes. He is wrong. While Vance was spending his time in the military writing news releases about aircraft maintenance, McCaffrey was earning four stars on his epaulets and receiving three Purple Hearts, two Distinguished Service Crosses (the Armys second-highest award for valor) and two Silver Stars. He served in both the Vietnam and Gulf wars. In the latter conflict, he commanded the 24th Infantry Division as it executed the left hook that pulverized Iraqi forces in Kuwait. That was, in fact, a war that we wonin no small part because of McCaffreys inspired leadership.

There are no words to describe what Vance said about McCaffrey, accusing the storied general of cowardice and corruption. His animadversions are not just false. They are monstrous, despicable, obscene. They are also all too characteristic of Republican politics today.

The debased tone was set by Trump in 2015 when he insulted Sen. John McCain, another war hero, by saying, I like people who werent captured. When Trump went on to win the nomination and the presidency, the message received by junior-league strivers, such as Vance and Mandel, was that campaigns should be conducted with no regard for truth or decency, that restraint is for losers, and that the more deranged your Twitter feed, the better, to show that youre nothorrorsa creature of the establishment.

To read the Twitter feeds of Mandel and Vance is to see where this nihilistic mind-set leads. These right-wing performance artists trash Anthony Fauci (Why is it that Anthony Fauci is still walking free? Vance demands); denounce Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a dictator for clearing roads of truckers protesting vaccine mandates; promote discredited theories about Hillary Clinton spying on Trump; and engage in cringing servility to Trump, whose endorsement they desperately covet.

Vance, who once called Trump cultural heroin and a demagogue leading the white working class to a very dark place, today tweets that Trump not having social media right now is a genuine loss for the country. Mandel, who endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in the 2016 primaries and once held Trump at arms length, now says: Im pro-God, pro-gun, pro-Trump.

There is no line these shameless opportunists will not cross. Mandel, who is Jewish, caters to Christian fundamentalists by saying, Separation of church and state is a myth. As chronicled in Politico, he has also called Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., terrorist spokesmen, described Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., as a pollutant, and compared Afghan refugees to alligators. Naturally, both Vance and Mandel have embraced the big lie that Trump won the 2020 election.

Of course, its possible that neither Vance nor Mandel will win the GOP nomination. The nod might go to a more establishment candidate, such as former state party chair Jane Timken, who has Portmans endorsement. She hasnt gone nearly as far as they have, but she is playing catch-up: Her new commercial implies that Vance and Mandel are trying to compensate for sexual inadequacies and shows her cozying up to Trump and carrying a shotgun.

Ohio demonstrates that, while some GOP candidates will act Trumpier than others, there is simply no room in the party for anyone who isnt at least a bit Trumpy. Which means that there is no hope for the party of eminent Ohioans such as Ulysses Grant and William Howard Taft.

Max Boot is a Washington Post columnist.
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom in January 2022 was $145.963 million, which is 6.1 times higher than the same period last year, the State Customs Committee has reported.

Azerbaijan's exports to the UK increased by 64.9 times in January, totaling $127.386 million in annual comparison, while imports decreased by 15.5 percent, totaling $18.576 million, the report added.

This occurred as a result of oil exports (217,000 tons), with crude oil accounting for 98.6 percent of total exports.

As a result, Azerbaijan and the UK established a positive trade balance of $108.810 million in January 2022. Meanwhile, there was a negative balance of $20.008 million in January of last year.

Azerbaijan and the UK are cooperating in different spheres of the economy. There are already 30 years of successful cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas sector, which entered a new stage of development in line with the challenges of the global energy sector. The energy sector accounts for $ 28.8 billion out of $ 30.6 billion of the UK investments in Azerbaijan's economy. The UK is also the biggest investor in Azerbaijan.

It should be noted that the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $667.8 in 2021. Of the total turnover, Azerbaijani exports to the UK amounted to $396.6 million while import was $271.1 million.
The Department of Environmental Quality alleges the company had barrels of unknown substances. Prompted by a visit, the company then determined it was hazardous, says the DEQ.
Campus police are investigating a possible hate crime after two college-age men allegedly assaulted someone and spoke slurs about the reported victims sexual orientation Friday night, Feb. 18, at Oregon State University.

The school Department of Public Safety said it was looking for two white men who were described as possibly intoxicated when they allegedly assaulted someone near train tracks on the eastern edge of campus, near 11th Street and Washington Avenue in Corvallis.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the department said OSU takes the report seriously.

We condemn hate and bias-motivated violence, the department said.

An email to the department was not returned before press time. Someone who answered the departments phone declined to talk about the case.

Its an ongoing investigation, they said.

The department asked anyone with information to call 541-737-7000.

Alex Powers covers business, environment and healthcare for Mid-Valley Media. Contact him at 541-812-6116 or alex.powers@lee.net.

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Within hours of arriving at Corvallis first public gaming convention on Saturday, Cooper Walter knew he had found his people.

He talked about his haul from the rows of vendors and workshops dripping with fantasy art and fan re-creations of popular anime characters at Corvallis Convention Center: Cute anime swag. Shiny dice. A deck of Pokemon cards.

Someone gave me a sexy, kind-of cupid-demon Valentines Day card, four days after Valentines Day, he said.

Walter said he moved to Corvallis from Menlo Park, California, to be closer to family. The town is smaller, he said, which he likes. But the coronavirus pandemic had turned him into a bit of a shut-in.

He said he didnt know anyone under 70.

Then, news of a gaming convention of all things, he said.

I heard nerd convention when I heard GameCon, Walter said. Those are my people.

More than 400 paid admission to the two-day event, said city Parks and Recreation Department event organizer Teri O'Malley, learning tricks for painting mini-figurines, strategies for managing tabletop gaming campaigns and showing off costume design skills in a cosplay contest. Once local artists and gaming stores are factored in as vendors, as many as 500 were at the event.

Walter, dressed in a snappy Pokemon-print suit, had just come from a judges room where he hoped the motif of generation-one starter characters from the long-running video game franchise on his clothes might win him recognition.

Like others at C3 GameCon, Yon Morgo, an Oregon State University student from Portland, had been well outside the area for other conventions. He said hes been to Boise, Idaho, Seattle, and Spokane, Washington.

Morgo said he picked up convention buddies who kept in touch and now are good friends. Saturday was a sort of family reunion in a town he said has felt empty since the start of the pandemic.

Literally three minutes away from where I live, he said. Of course I have to go.

He dressed as Gyro, a cowboy from the manga JoJos Bizarre Adventure, and stood in line with a number of cosplay contest entrants that shocked him.

Im stoked there are so many people. It makes me happy, he said. They not only wanted to come, but put effort into cosplay.

Sequoia Gartnerway, a student from southern Oregon, won the competition with a cosplay of Zagreus from the video game "Hades."

Alex Powers covers business, environment and healthcare for Mid-Valley Media. Contact him at 541-812-6116 or alex.powers@lee.net.

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A 33-year-old man died Sunday when his pickup truck went off the road, crashed into two fences and fell several feet onto the train tracks in Aurora.
Two of Somalilands operators, Somtel and Telesom, have agreed to enable interconnecting calls between their networks.

The Somaliland Chronicle reported that the deal was signed on 19th February following a series of meetings held at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. ICT Minister Abdiweli Abdillahi Soufi noted that the ministry had brokered the agreement between the two operators.

Soufi noted that the competition between the two providers affects every side in telecoms, like pricing, subsidisation and the infrastructure. By taking those factors into consideration, the Ministry has developed interconnection regulations and a roadmap that will guide the telecom interconnection.

He added that the service would launch within 40 days of the agreement being signed.
Rival Indian service providers Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have made major announcements relating to their undersea cable interests.

Reliance Jio has announced plans to land the multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Maldives (pictured), on a reclaimed island called Hulhumale, in collaboration with the Maldives Fund Management Corporation subsidiary Ocean Connect Maldives.

According to Indias Economic Times news service, the IAX system, which starts out in Mumbai in western India, will connect Hulhumale directly with major internet hubs in India and Singapore. Branches include additional landings in India, Malaysia, and Thailand.

IAX is expected to be ready for service by the end of 2023. Another service, the India Europe-Xpress (IEX) system, which connects Mumbai to Milan, landing in Savona, Italy, and includes additional landings in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean, will be ready for service in mid-2024, according to a statement from Jio. Jio is constructing both systems in association with several global partners and submarine cable supplier Subcom.

These high capacity and high-speed systems will provide more than 200Tbps of capacity at speeds of 100Gbps, over 16,000 kilometres.

Not to be outdone, rival operator Bharti Airtel has also had some big cable news this week. It has said it is participating as a major investor in the SEA-ME-WE-6 undersea cable consortium and is anchoring 20% of the overall investment in the cable system, which will go live in 2025.

Bharti has reportedly acquired one fibre pair on the main SEA-ME-WE-6 system and will co-build four fibre pairs on the Singapore  Chennai  Mumbai route as part of the cable system, which will land at Airtels new landing stations in Mumbai and Chennai. The Indian giant will reportedly thereby add 100TBps capacity to its global network.

SEA-ME-WE-6 will be fully integrated with the large data centres in Mumbai and Chennai designed and operated by subsidiary Nxtra by Airtel.

In fact the SEA-ME-WE 6 consortium announced on Monday that construction has commenced on the 19,200 km-long submarine cable system connecting multiple countries between Singapore and France. It will have more fibre pairs and more than double the capacity of previous SEA-ME-WE cables.

The SEA-ME-WE 6 consortium includes Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company, Bharti Airtel Ltd. (India) Dhiraagu (Maldives), Djibouti Telecom, Mobily (Saudi Arabia), Orange (France), Singtel (Singapore), Sri Lanka Telecom, Telecom Egypt, Telekom Malaysia, Telin (Indonesia), and Trans World Associates (Pakistan).

The system is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the Russian Natsionalnaya Oborona (National Defence) magazine, a political scientist and military expert, has stated that Armenian separatist provocations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh must be stopped, Day.Az has reported.

The initiative of the so-called "Secretary of the Security Council of Karabakh", Vitaly Balasanyan, to conduct "fire training exercises" on Azerbaijani territories, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed, as well as the adoption of a certain "law on the occupied territories" by the mythical "parliament of Karabakh," are both provocative decisions and actions. They run counter to the logic of a peaceful settlement and violate tripartite statements, as well as subsequent high-level agreements reached by the Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders.

Korotchenko described the so-called military exercises conducted by Armenian separatists as inflammatory actions.

"In fact, this is an attempt to legitimately use various kinds of provocations, sabotage and terrorist acts that the separatists are preparing to commit. Well, at the same time they improve their skills in these actions. An absolutely unacceptable decision, contrary to the norms of international law and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, which must be stopped by all available political and other means. I believe that it is necessary to do this, and not to observe how the situation will develop," the military expert emphasized.

Commenting on possible measures to prevent provocations by the Armenian separatists, Korotchenko noted that the OSCE Minsk Group has exhausted itself in the format in which it was conceived. Therefore, the organization can do nothing in this matter.

"First of all, political pressure from Russia is necessary, since Russia is one of the initiators of the tripartite statement. Unfortunately, the main point of this document has not been fulfilled, this is the withdrawal of illegal Armenian armed groups from the territory of Karabakh. Since this main basic point has not been fulfilled, we are already observing all other unlawful provocative actions. Therefore, in practical terms, everything must be done today, at the political level, first of all, to start this process," he stressed.

Korotchenko underlined that an appropriate political decision and measures should be taken to resolve the problem in real terms.

He added that the issue cannot be postponed or ignored endlessly pretending that nothing is happening.

The basic point of the tripartite statement and all subsequent agreements is that all illegal Armenian armed groups must leave the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Secondly, it is obvious that the bodies that illegally administer some processes on the part of the separatists should also be disbanded. It is necessary to work out in practical terms the question of how the Armenian population of Karabakh will be integrated into the Azerbaijani society. The main obstacle on this path, I emphasize once again, is the illegal Armenian armed formations, the complete withdrawal of which is one of the basic conditions for the peaceful development of the situation in the region," Korotchenko concluded.
A customer purchases an iPhone at a Bluetronics outlet of Mobile World in Cambodia. Photo courtesy of Bluetronics

Mobile World is all set to enter Indonesia, its second overseas foray after setting up shop in Cambodia five years ago.

"We are trying our best to open our first Indonesian store this year," CEO Doan Van Hieu Em told shareholders last weekend.

Vietnams biggest electronics retailer opened a BigPhone smartphone store in Cambodias Phnom Penh in 2017. Three years later it changed the name to Bluetronics and expanded to selling other electronics products too.

By the end of last year it had 50 stores in the neighboring country and revenues of nearly VND500 billion ($21.9 million), or 0.4 percent of overall sales.

The company had earlier been eyeing Laos and Myanmar, but it is unclear now if they are still in its plans.

Mobile World targets growth in post-tax profits of 30 percent this year to VND6.35 trillion.
Farmers harvest rice in the Mekong Delta Province of Hau Giang. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyet Nhi

Major rice producers and exporters saw their after-tax profits last year increase around 15 percent against the previous year thanks to stronger domestic and overseas sales with higher export prices.

Loc Troi Group JSC reaped the biggest-ever revenues of over VND10.2 trillion ($443.4 million) and after-tax profits of more than VND420 billion, up 36 percent and 14 percent, respectively.

Vietnam National Seed Group JSC (Vinaseed) made revenues of over VND1.93 trillion and after-tax profits of more than VND225 billion, posting respective year-on-year rises of 18 percent and 16 percent.

Both net revenues and after-tax profits of Trung An Hi-tech Farming JSC increased 15 percent to VND3.12 trillion and over VND100 billion.

Vietnam exported over 6.2 million tons of rice totaling nearly $3.3 billion last year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The average export price of Vietnamese rice rose 5.5 percent against 2020 to $526.8 per ton in 2021, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Loc Troi exported over 80,000 tons of rice worth over VND1 trillion, quadrupling in both volume and value against 2020. Vinaseed exported 60 tons of premium fragrant rice to the U.K. for the first time.

Domestic sales also increased last year, partly due to social distancing measures imposed to curb Covid-19. Hoa Sen Rice told VnExpress its sales surged 45 percent in 2021.

The Vietnam Food Association predicted Vietnam, which exported 505,700 tons of rice worth $246 million in January, would export over 6 million tons of rice this year. However, a sharp increase in prices of agricultural materials, especially fertilizers, will increase input costs and lowers farmer incomes.
The resumption of normal activities has caused a new surge in coronavirus transmission, forcing many people to take life slowly again.

Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, 26, who is expecting her first child next week, has had to abandon her dream of having her husband by her side during delivery. He and his parents have contracted Covid-19 from an unknown source and are isolating themselves in their apartment in Hanoi's Long Bien District.

"Covid patients are everywhere now," the mother-to-be said, referring to a rising wave of infections that has hit the country since the Lunar New Year holidays ended on February 6 and people returned to work and resumed other normal activities.

Thuy has had to ask her mother to come over to cook and care for her husbands family because she is almost due and cannot do much work.

"Im worried about their health and saddened by the unexpected turn of events," she says.

Many other people have also seen their lives upended by the latest wave of Covid.

After reopening for a short period, many are now making plans with more cautious manners since they have to take care of relatives who have contracted the disease and are coping with mild symptoms at home.

Since Tet (Lunar New Year), infections have steadily risen across the country to reach 47,192 on Sunday, marking a new high in single-day tally.

Though the number of fatalities has decreased and remained under 100 every day, Vietnam is yet to consider Covid-19 a common endemic illness because with increasing and unpredictable public transmission it is still a considerable burden on the healthcare system.

In Hanoi, the current hotspot with over 4,000 new cases a day, Duong Minh Hang is the only one in her family of six who has not been tested positive for Covid.

As the only healthy member, instead of taking care of her relatives, Hang has chosen to isolate herself in her bedroom so that her children, husband and parents-in-law can freely use the rest of the house.

"I have not held my children for nearly a week," she laments. She also misses having dinner with her family.

For the last several days masks and sanitizers have become an inseparable part of her life.

She disinfects everything her husband leaves outside her bedroom, except for food, she says.

Her washing machine is operating at full capacity since she and the others have to wash their clothes separately.

With some colleagues at work also contracting the disease, she says she has been grappling with stress and anxiety.

"Ive been vaccinated three times but still have to lock my bedroom at night in case the children rush in".

During Tet, Nguyen Thuy Ly, 35, also had to isolate herself in her bedroom so that her family, all of whom were infected, could use the living room and kitchen.

"It was a lonely Tet, shutting myself in," Ly says, adding she felt both lucky and sad, a common feeling expressed by others who have found themselves in the situation of having to "quarantine" themselves from infected relatives.

Keeping children safe and warm

For parents with young kids who are yet to be vaccinated, the dilemma these days is whether to send their children back to school after a long, tiring period of childcare and ineffective online learning for the kids or risk having their children infected.

As preschool and elementary school children return to school across the country, quite a few have contracted the virus, putting schools on high alert as whole classes are switched back to online mode to contain the spread.

As a result, some parents, like Le Thi Hong Hanh, a mother of a seven-year-old in Hanois Hoang Mai District, hesitate to send their children back to school so soon.

Hanh, 30, says she cannot sleep at night thinking about the possibility of her son contracting Covid.

Adults and older kids are fully vaccinated and can afford to resume normal activities but unvaccinated young ones under 12 like her son are still "vulnerable," she points out.

Students attend a class at the Dan Phuong Primary School in Hanoi, February 10, 2022. Photo by VnExpres/Duong Tam

When Hanoi announced plans to reopen elementary school and sixth grade classes on February 21, she was in a dilemma and considered keeping her child at home rather than send him to school, she says.

However, to Hanh and other parents relief, authorities recently shelved this plan, deciding to keep students on grades one to six in the 12 inner districts at home until further notice because of the increasing public transmission, freezing weather and parents lack of support.

In fact, at many elementary schools, only around half the parents agreed to send their children back to school. At many places, support among parents of children in grades one and two was less than 30 percent.

"I would rather quit my job and stay at home with my son for his online lessons rather than send him to school amid this Covid storm," Hanh says.

In HCMC, where all classes have resumed except for children under three, Hoang Minh Quan expresses concern after his eight-year-old sons school reported one case of infection within two days of reopening.

He says a few weeks ago he had been excited to send his older boy back to school and felt reassured after being briefed on how the school would react when an infection is detected.

But now he is worried after some of his colleagues' children contracted Covid and passed it on to their parents.

While admitting that staying at home could affect childrens physical and mental development, he wished the Ministry of Education and Training had stuck to remote learning for a while longer because "childrens safety should come first".

"Kids are playful and can easily forget to comply with Covid safety measures," he says, noting many people have contracted the Omicron variant in Vietnam.

So, not willing to take any chance, he has decided not to send his four-year-old son to kindergarten for now, and has asked his parents to help take care of the child.

Other parents are also taking things slowly, waiting for the new wave to subside or their kids to be vaccinated before sending them back to school.
Bamboo Airways' flights connecting HCMC and Melbourne on Feb. 19 and 20 marked a milestone in the airlines journey of expanding internationally.

On Feb. 19, Melbourne Airport and Bamboo Airways celebrated the first nonstop HCMC - Melbourne flight and handed out gifts to passengers. On Feb. 20, Bamboo Airways organized a ceremony for its first Vietnam - Australia flights in 2022 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

At the ceremony, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Department Le Truong Hien Hoa praised Bamboo Airways efforts in operating the nonstop HCMC - Melbourne route, thus bringing diverse options and benefits for travelers and enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields: economy, tourism, and people-to-people exchange.

Truong Phuong Thanh, Deputy Director of Bamboo Airways, said this is a stepping stone for Bamboo Airways promotion roadmap of upcoming routes between other major cities in Vietnam and Australia, creating opportunities for passengers to access the international 5-star oriented services of Bamboo Airways.

Bamboo Airways hands out gifts to passengers on the its Vietnam - Australia flights. Photo courtesy of Bamboo Airways

Earlier in December 2021, Bamboo Airways announced the Vietnam - Australia route and inked a Letter of Support with Melbourne Airport to promote the nonstop flights between the two countries. The nonstop HCMC - Melbourne route of Bamboo Airways helps shorten travel time between both cities to just over seven hours, less than approximately nine hours compared to transit flights. The modern wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is operated on this route with utmost fuel efficiency and superb amenities and services.

Trung Vu, a 39-year-old passenger on the Feb. 19 flight, burst with joy: "I haven't seen my family in Melbourne for a long time due to the pandemic. But thanks to this flight, my family and I had a chance to gather around, and it feels like were turning back to the pre-pandemic life."

As Australias second-largest city, Melbourne has been crowned among the most livable cities for many years regarding culture, education, and economy. Melbourne Airport is also one of the busiest airports in Australia and a crucial gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. Australia is among the countries with the largest Vietnamese community in the world, with more than 300,000 people, mainly in Sydney (New South Wales) and Melbourne (Victoria).

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the number of Australian tourists to Vietnam in 2019 reached over 383,000, just behind the U.S., Russia, and some Asian countries. In 2018, there were 562,000 people traveling directly between Vietnam and Australia.

Operation of the Vietnam - Australia route is a part of Bamboo Airways international expansion roadmap. Based on the constrained pandemic and travel reopening of the government, Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Authority, and relevant authorities, Bamboo has actively prepared for the resumption and increase of international flights from the beginning of 2022.

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner of Bamboo Airways at Melbourne Airport, Victoria, Australia. Photo courtesy of Bamboo Airways

As for routes to Asia, Bamboo is currently operating Hanoi - Narita, Hanoi - Taipei (Taiwan), and Hanoi - Incheon (South Korea). As for European routes, the airline plans to launch Hanoi - Frankfurt (Germany) in February 2022 and Hanoi - London (U.K.) in March 2022. The airline also plans to gear up operations between HCMC - Frankfurt, Hanoi/ HCMC - Munich in the coming time.

In Southeast Asia, Bamboo Airways is planning a HCMC - Singapore route in March 2022 and to other countries in the region. Regarding the fleet, Bamboo Airways has currently put in place 30 aircraft. Adding to the wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and narrow-body A321/A320NEO, Bamboo also efficiently operates Embraer jets for niche routes and restricted airports. As global aviation is expected to strongly rebound this year, Bamboo Airways is targeting an expansive network of nearly 40 international routes.
Primary school students wear winter clothes as they enter their school in Hanoi, February 10, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Chieu

Kindergartners and primary school students in several northern Vietnam localities stayed home Monday amid the coldest spell Vietnam has faced since winter began.

Current policies issued by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training state that primary schools would switch to online studying if temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius, while middle schools would follow suit once temperatures drop below 7. The temperature of the day would be announced by the national broadcaster, it added.

On Monday, temperatures in Hanoi at around 6 a.m. were recorded at around 8.8 degrees, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. It means over 455,000 students currently attending in-person classes in the capital's 18 outskirt districts are allowed to stay home.

Students of grade 1-6 in Hanoi's inner districts are still studying online as they have been doing for months due to Covid fears.

Besides allowing students to stay home during cold weather, the Hanoi education department also requested schools not to make students wear uniforms or perform activities outside in the cold.

In Bac Ninh, 350,000 kindergartners and 135,000 primary school students will study online from Feb. 21 to 25 due to the cold too. Temperatures in Bac Ninh at 6 a.m. Monday stood at around 8.2 degrees, according to the weather forecast center.

In Ha Tinh in north central Vietnam, several districts recorded temperatures of 9-9.5 degrees on Monday, meaning over 146,000 kindergartners and primary school students stayed home.

In mountainous regions of the north, over 120,000 kindergartners and primary school students in Lang Son Province, plus 30,000 middle school students, also stayed home Monday due to the cold.

The Mau Son area of Lang Son has recorded the lowest temperatures of all Vietnamese regions on Monday at minus 0.8 degrees. Downtown areas fared a little better at 5.7 degrees.

Other localities like Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam and Nam Dinh have also instructed schools to follow weather news and let students stay home once temperatures drop.

Since Feb. 18, a mass of cold air combined with rains have seen temperatures plunge in northern Vietnam during the coldest spell ever this winter. Temperatures in certain regions dropped below zero, causing frost to cover the trees and ground.
Executive Vice President of the European Commission (EC) Frans Timmermans has expressed his wish to step up cooperation with Vietnam in green energy development.

During his three-day visit to Vietnam from Feb. 17 to 19 to discuss Vietnams promises at 2021 U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Scotland last November, Timmermans said "Vietnam has taken an ambitious step forward by setting a target of net zero emissions by 2050. This is an important goal that requires first and foremost a halt to new coal-fired power projects that have no technologies to keep carbon dioxin."

"The EU is willing to continue to support Vietnam in its green transition. Vietnam has great potential to continue developing renewable energy. Over the past few days, we have discussed the directions to apply Europe's experience, expertise and financial support to accelerate this transition," according to the Delegation of the European Union in Vietnam.

The visit of Timmermans also marks the implementation of the international cooperation and development program between the EU and Vietnam for the period of 2021-2027, which was approved last December.

The EU will provide non-refundable aid of 210 million euros (more than $237.6 million) over four years of 2021-2024 for Vietnam to strengthen bilateral cooperation and promote common interests in the fields of priority areas like climate-responsive digital circular economy, responsible entrepreneurship and enhanced skills for decent employment, and strengthening governance, rule of law and institutional reform.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed Vietnam would actively develop sustainable energy and work towards reducing coal-fired power in a video sent to Russian Energy Week International Forum last October.

The country would diversify its energy sources, focusing on developing clean and renewable energy via wind power, solar power, biomass power, and waste to energy power, aiming to increase the share of clean energy to at least 20 percent by 2030 and 30 percent by 2045 in its total primary energy supply, he said.

At COP26, Vietnam was among a 190-strong coalition of countries and organizations pledging to phase out coal-fueled power generation and stop building new plants.
Pham Thi Tuoi rushed into the kitchen after parking her bike in front of the door at around 8 p.m. to grab some rice.

She was famished after not eating for eight hours.

When she saw her mother-in-law walk over, she said, "I was cold and hungry, my hands were shaking, and I thought I could not make it home."

The older woman, no stranger to this scene, said: "The hot water is already on. Take a shower and then eat."

The 28-year-old worker at Viet Glory Co. in Nghe An Province is often too hungry to work efficiently: the company prohibits eating during working hours even if it is before the start of overtime (5-7 p.m.).

Tuoi has worked at Viet Glory, based in Dien Chau District, since 2019, not long after the 100 percent foreign-owned company opened.

She was getting a salary of VND5 million ($217). "It was the same after three years," she said.

The failure to give raises was one of 11 reasons why nearly 5,000 workers went on strike from Feb. 7-14.

Authorities meet with leaders of Viet Glory in Nghe An February 8, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/ M Le

Besides the 11 main grievances the company's leadership has been informed about, other things that frustrate Tuoi and many of her colleagues include the requirement to be present 10 minutes before the start of the shift daily, attend meetings where they are not allowed to express their opinions and receiving a warning for a faulty fingerprint scanner.

"They were like small flames that sparked this strike," the female worker said.

She said the footwear company gives employees a day off every month and they must use it in the same month.

She said the attitudes of the foreign managers make "the workers resentment grow bigger and bigger.

"They curse us. If we do something wrong, we could have a shoe thrown in the face."

One time someone sneaked in some sticky rice while working overtime, and was scolded and dismissed as a warning to all, she said.

Other companies have a break of 5-10 minutes for workers to grab a quick bite.

"It's exhausting to work on the sewing machine all day. We eat at midday, and so everyone is starving and weak by the end of the afternoon shift. Many people have fainted due to hunger."

Her colleague said the company's remuneration packages are not comparable to those of other places, with unreasonable deductions, but there are work pressure and high sales targets even though wages remain unchanged.

So far this year there have been around 30 strikes across the country, fewer than that of the same period last year.

According to statistics from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the number of strikes has decreased steadily in recent years, falling from 329 in 2017 to 120 in 2019.

"This year's strikes have not been significant in scale, but there are numerous potential issues," Phan Van Anh, deputy president of confederation, said.

Workers disagree with the wage payment format and salary raises, which is the main reason for striking work and labor conflicts, he said.

Some also stem from the management's inappropriate attitude toward workers, rigid regulations, poor quality of meals, and others, he said.

Hong, 30, who works in the goods inspection department at Haivina Hong Linh in central Ha Tinh province, joined 500 other workers to strike work on February 15.

She get a total income of around VND4.5 million a month, but this has remained unchanged for nearly two years despite repeated demands by workers to the union.

On February 16, a day after the strike, the company agreed to hike wages for people who have worked for more than three years but only by a maximum of 5 percent.

She had said: "I have worked at several companies in the north in the past, and they increased workers' salaries twice a year. This company's salary system is far too mechanical."

Besides salary, the workers also have a slew of grievances that have been piling up for a long time.

Hong counts some 1,300 pairs of gloves in a day, which is deemed sufficient, yet her paycheck always has a deduction of tens of thousands of dong (VND23,000=$1) every month without any reason being given.

The shift is supposed start at 7:30 a.m., but the workers have to sign in by 7:25 a.m., and anyone who is late by even a minute has VND180,000 deducted from their monthly salary.

Hong called it unreasonable and said people would accept a cut in the allowance if they are late three times a month or something similar.

There are some things even she cannot stand, such as not being able to decide when to take her annual leave. A worker is entitled to 15 days of leave, but except for one or two of those days the rest is decided by their manager.

Last year, when the commune where her company is situated was locked down due to Covid-19, Hong was allowed to stay at home.

But when she and her coworkers returned to work, they were furious to find out the company had reduced those days from their annual leave.

Workers of Haivina Hong Linh in central Ha Tinh Province leave after about 30 minutes of strike. Photo by VnExpress/ Duc Hung

Nguyen Duc Loc, director of social sciences research organization Sociallife, said wildcat strikes have decreased and rational dialogue has become common.

Workers are known to use interlocutors and invoke legal policies while striking to begin negotiations.

But Loc is worried the recent strike could cancel this achievement.

Anh said during the two years of the pandemic employees shared the sufferings of their businesses by accepting salary cuts, reducing working hours, rotating breaks, performing multiple tasks, working overtime, and not returning to their hometown to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) so that delivery schedules could be met.

With the situation improving now, businesses should use a portion of their revenues for their workers' welfare, he said.

Tuoi's company finally decided to raise wages by 6 percent from February 1 after six days of strikes and countless negotiations.

"After three years my salary was increased by VND220,000," Tuoi said, adding she is somewhat satisfied.

Her husband is a driver, and so the couple's combined income is reasonably high for the countryside.

Hongs husband on the other hand is a freelance worker with an irregular income. Thus, with her monthly salary of around VND4 million, the mother of three always has to save up.

She said if her company pays her even a tiny bonus, she would try twice as hard. But it has no such plans.

* Names of some people have been changed.
Trafficking in persons is a horrific crime. During the recent annual meeting of the Presidents Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Vice President Kamala Harris said, We are here to focus on the estimated 25 million people around the world  as many as one in three who are under the age of 18  who are currently victims of human trafficking, she said. Human trafficking happens both abroad and right here in the United States.



Vice President Harris called for serious consequences and accountability for those who commit these crimes, and underscored the key pillars of the U.S. and global anti-trafficking efforts: prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships between the government, business and non-profit leaders, and those with lived experience of human trafficking.



Globally, human trafficking is a $150 billion per year industry. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, The fact that human traffickers launder their money through shell companies or cryptocurrencies, or even traditional banks is not the worst aspect of their crimes, but it is often the most effective way to catch them.



For the last six years, the Treasury Department has striven to identify the patterns of human trafficking in money flows. The Department has worked with various financial institutions, including hundreds of banks, piecing together which accounts belong to traffickers, to lock them out of the financial system and expose their crimes. The Treasury Department also partnered with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to help the gaming industry recognize victims of human trafficking and money laundering through casinos. Treasury began the process to expose the ownership of certain shell companies where illegal gains from human trafficking can be hidden.



Treasury Secretary Yellen also highlighted the Treasury Departments efforts to help victims who have been stripped of their identifying documents by traffickers, obtain access to the financial system and re-start their lives.



Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who chaired the meeting, highlighted the global nature of the crime and the need for a global coalition to confront it. He also emphasized the need to find more ways to put effective pressure on governments that engage in or enable human trafficking - China, Cuba, North Korea, Russia.



In the face of such heinous and profitable evil, Vice President Harris said, It will take all of us to address human trafficking.







Anncr: That was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government.
On the third Monday in February, Americans celebrate Presidents Day. The commemoration was originally meant to recognize George Washington, the first president of the United States. Beginning in 1800, the year after his death, Washingtons birthday, February 22, was unofficially celebrated throughout the new country he helped found. Eventually, the honor was extended to another great leader, Abraham Lincoln, whose February 12 birthday is close to Washington's.



George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are nearly universally considered to be the two best Presidents ever to hold the office. This is largely due to the momentous events that were taking place around them, and each mans personal integrity which caused him to respond with far-reaching decisions that set the country on a path to grow strong, prosperous and democratic.



George Washington was the most popular personality of his day. He was the only President to be unanimously elected: every representative of every state voted for him. When Washington assumed the Presidency, there literally was no government or leader that could serve as a model for him. There was no democracy anywhere else in the world. Yet he helped to enshrine the principles for which he helped fight a war, that all people, everywhere were entitled to equal rights. He was one of the driving forces behind the creation and establishment of the Constitution, the document that defines the principles and mechanisms around which the government is built and by which the rights of citizens are enshrined. By his own actions, he set standards in political and military practice, as well as economic policy. By stepping down after just two terms, he ensured that the Presidency did not become a position for life, and that Presidential power was transferred peacefully.



Likewise, Abraham Lincoln presided over a country in turmoil. Where Washington had to contend with forming a new nation, Lincolns challenge was to shepherd it through the Civil War, prevent it from falling apart and set it on a path to grow stronger and more unified than before the war. Abraham Lincoln ushered in a new paradigm by which a weak central government that held together a loose federation of states was replaced by a true union of states headed by a strong federal government.



Today, Presidents Day honors every person that held that office. But none has had the impact of, nor deserved the honor more, than Washington and Lincoln.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Baku has strongly condemned Yerevan's ongoing support to aggressive Armenian separatism in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region against the background of efforts being made to mend Azerbaijani-Armenian ties after the 44-day war in 2020.

In a statement posted on its website on February 21, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said: We strongly condemn the statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry in support of the illegal decision of February 20, 1988, which laid the foundation for the aggressive separatism of the radical Armenians of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO) of the Azerbaijan SSR.

The ministry reminded that the so-called decision contradicted the USSR Constitution, the Law on Nagorno-Karabakh of 1981, as well as all other relevant normative legal acts.

It stressed that Armenia's support for aggressive Armenian separatists and its aggressive policy based on territorial claims against Azerbaijan led to the occupation of part of Azerbaijan's territory for nearly 30 years, bloody ethnic cleansing and violation of the fundamental rights of one million Azerbaijanis.

Aggressive separatism, described by the Armenian Foreign Ministry as a "revival", has led to a decades-long catastrophe in the region. This situation has seriously hampered the development of the region in peace and security for many years, the statement emphasized.

At a time when international law is being established in the region and efforts are being made to normalize relations between the two countries, the Armenian Foreign Ministry's statement, which encourages interethnic strife, shows, on the one hand, the irresponsible behavior of this country, and on the other hand, the fact that Armenia has not drawn a lesson from the recent events, it noted.

We bring to the attention of the Armenian Foreign Ministry that such a destructive approach has no future, the ministry stressed.

The trilateral ceasefire deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the three-decade conflict over Azerbaijans Karabakh region which along with the seven adjacent regions came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

On January 11, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed the second statement since the end of the 44-day war. The newly-signed statement was set to implement clause 9 of the November 2020 statement related to the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region.

On November 26, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed a statement and agreed on a number of issues, including the demarcation and delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border by late 2021, some points related to humanitarian issues and the issue of unblocking of transport corridors which applies to the railway and to automobile communications.

On December 14, 2021, during the Brussels meeting, organized between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders at the initiative of European Council President Charles Michel, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to the conditions agreed in the Sochi meeting.

Both sides agreed to establish a temporary working group on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The issue of demining the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was also brought up on the agenda, and the European Union's readiness to provide technical assistance to Azerbaijan in this regard was underlined at the meeting.




ELKO  The Nevada Cattlemens Association announces two scholarship opportunities for 2022.

The NCA Scholarship will be awarded to a first-year college student beginning to pursue an education within the agricultural industry. This $1,500 scholarship is open to all Nevada High School graduating seniors planning to attend a community college or four-year university and majoring in an agriculture related field.

The NCA is also continuing the Marvel/Andrae Scholarship, which is available to agriculture students that have completed their first year of college and are returning to continue working towards their degree in agriculture. The 2022 amount will be $2,500.

The original seed money used to fund the Marvel/Andrae Scholarship came from Agri Beef Company. This scholarship is to recognize the legacies of Tom and Rosita Marvel and Jim and Sharon Andrae for the many contributions these two Nevada ranching families have made to the ranching industry.

Students and educators interested in these scholarship opportunities are encouraged to contact the Nevada Cattlemens Association. Scholarship application forms can be downloaded from the Nevada Cattlemens website at www.nevadacattlemen.org, or applicants can call the NCA office at 775-738-9214 or send a request to nca@nevadabeef.org for a copy.

A completed application form and required information must be postmarked by April 11, 2022 and sent to: Attn: Research & Education Committee, c/o Nevada Cattlemens Association, P.O. Box 310, Elko, NV 89803; or submitted by email with the subject line, 2022 NCA Scholarship Applicant (Your Name) to nca@nevadabeef.org.

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Dubbed what could be the 'biggest war in Europe since 1945' by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Russian troop movements on the border with Ukraine have been causing a serious stir for the first two months of 2022. The US has claimed war has been imminent for the last two weeks, and many other countries have advised citizens to leave Ukraine for fear of invasion.

Ukraine has tried its best to be a calming influence on proceedings, but NATO and Russia continue to knock heads. Fighting recently resumed in the two eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, prompting cause for a ceasefire, while markets have tumbled in the last week as hopes for a diplomatic solution have fizzled away.

Both Ukraine and Russia are supported by their traditional allies, at least traditional in what can be considered the Realpolitik of the 21st century. A clash would be terrible for the world, and the myriad actors should hope that it does not come to war.

Supporters of Ukraine

Since the 2015 Ukrainian Revolution, the country has been on a firm path to closer NATO integration. Current President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously stated his intention to get Ukraine into NATO in April 2021 and although this has yet to transpire, NATO have been stalwart in their support for Ukraine.

It makes sense, NATO was set up after the Second World War to fight the Soviet Union; Russia is the largest successor state. That is not to say the alliance has been united, some countries have been very vocal about their fears for war, such as the US and UK, while others like France and Germany have vowed to continue searching for a diplomatic answer to the crisis.

Supporters of Russia

An aggressive attack by Russia would be unlikely to have many allies supporting them. However, there is an expectation that China could support Russia in places like the UN. Russian President was recently a guest at the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, while China's foreign ministry has blamed the US for 'spreading false information' over the situation in Ukraine.

Russia also has two minor allies in eastern Ukraine, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. They are two breakaway states in Ukraine, only recognized by Russia. On Friday they both announced an evacuation of civilians and a general mobilization of troops.

Fighting has resumed between the Russian-backed rebels and Ukrainian security forces. France and Russia announced they are trying to broker a ceasefire on Sunday.
Australian peaches will soon be available in Vietnam. (Photo: abc.net.au)

"Vietnam is a priority market for our premium produce and pleased that the completion of technical negotiations will mean our peaches and nectarines will be able to access this valuable market," he said.

Summerfruit Export Development Alliance Chairman Ian McAlister said the reopening of the Vietnamese market was a good development for the industry.

He emphasised that with the right promotion, the Vietnamese market could be a significant destination for Australia.

According to McAlister, the Australian and Vietnamese governments have completed the signing of the necessary protocols for the trial export of nectarines and peaches.

The first shipment of these fruits will be delivered to Vietnam in March and April, paving the way for a larger volume to arrive in early December.

McAlister also expressed his hope that Australia will soon be able to export plums to Vietnam.

Can Tho-Con Dao speedboat service reopens after 9 months

The Mai Linh Express high-speed boat on February 19 carried 339 passengers on its first Can Tho  Con Dao trip after a 9-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 epidemic, reported VNA.

The Mai Linh Express high-speed boat departs from Can Tho to Con Dao on February 19. (Photo: VNA)

A representative of the Mai Linh Tay Do JSC, which runs the service, said the number of passengers means the boat's full capacity. To get onboard, they must have negative COVID-19 test results valid within 72 hours before the departure, fill out health declarations, and follow the 5K message.

In February, Mai Linh Express is scheduled to have eight trips between the Mekong Delta of Can Tho and Con Dao island in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Mai Linh Tay Do is one of the two speedboat operators on the route. The other  Phu Quoc Express Joint Stock Company  has yet to announce its date of resumption.

Cashless payment for restaurant, catering services on the rise

According to VNA, cashless payment has become more popular in all sectors, including restaurant and catering services, according to Winnie Wong, Mastercards Country Manager for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Speaking at the recent Food and Beverage Conference 2022 in Hanoi, Wong noted that in Southeast Asia, payment for restaurant and catering services in cash fell 60-70 percent due to safety and hygiene reasons.

She said that 2021 was a tough year for catering service sector due to COVID-19 impacts. However, the sector has found the way to adapt to the situation and overcome difficulties, she said, stressing that payment methods of customers have gradually changed.

In order to avoid direct contacts, customers tend to switch to online shopping and cashless payment. Meanwhile, sellers in all scales have also applied digital technologies to enable themselves to conduct online selling and receive cashless payment, meeting the demand of customers and safety requirements amid the complicated development of COVID-19, said Wong.

She commented that before COVID-19 broke out, Vietnam had developed cashless payment in transactions in all sectors, which paved the way for the expansion of the method in the country amid the pandemic.

New technologies have made cashless payment faster and more convenient compared to cash payment. Particularly, payment using QR codes has become more popular, especially in the context of the pandemic, making it easier for both buyers and sellers in conducting transactions.

A recent survey revealed that 72 percent of customers become more loyal to retailers that accept many payment methods, while 85 percent of shoppers wish to pay in their own way and 61 percent said they often avoid sellers that do not accept any e-payment methods.

Cao Bang: Frost covers top of Mount Phja Oac

Thick ice and frost have appeared on the peak of Mount Phja Oac in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang since early February 20, as temperatures dropped to below zero degree Celsius, reported VNA.

A close look at frost on the top of Mount Phja Oac (Photo: VNA)

At a height of 1,930m above sea level, Phja Oac is the roof of Cao Bang. Frost and ice are normal phenomena here in winter.

Also on February 20, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicted the cold air will continue to affect other parts of the central and south central regions.

From February 20 to February 21, the areas from Quang Binh to Thua Thien-Hue will see rain, showers and thunderstorms, with possible whirlwinds, lightning, hail, and strong winds.

From February 20 to 22, in the North and the north central province of Thanh Hoa, the lowest temperatures are forecast at 8-11 degrees Celsius, even zero degree Celsius in the high mountains with a high possibility of frost and snowfall. Meanwhile, the temperatures of areas from Nghe An province to Thua Thien-Hue province in the central region will be 13-16 degrees Celsius at the lowest.

Exports nosedive in first half of February, trade deficit hits US$4 bln

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam slipped into a trade deficit of nearly US$4 billion in the first half of February due to a fall in exports.

Garments are among Vietnam's major hard currency earners.

Customs statistics show between February 1-15 businesses shipped goods overseas worth US$8.75 billion, but spent US$12.66 billion on importing major industrial products and raw materials, reported VOV.

Experts attributed the fall in exports to a nine-day lunar New Year holiday during which most of production lines came to a grinding halt.

Now when businesses have resumed operations, imports and exports are likely to increase in the second half of February and the coming months. In addition, the trade balance is also expected to experience the reverse in the coming months.

Overall, Vietnams total import-export turnover from January 1 to February 15 reached US$81.68 billion, and the country endured a trade deficit of more than US$2.5 billion.

This year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is set to fully exploit opportunities from free trade agreements (FTAs), develop markets and remove barriers to penetrate new markets.

It will closely monitor the development of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world to take timely response measures. Priority will be given to boosting export promotion activities and focusing on export markets that are strongly recovering from the pandemic.

In addition, it will diversify the structure of export products, improve the competitiveness of the products, and develop brands./.
Delegates at the event (Photo: VOV)

Speaking at the event, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha, Deputy Consul General of Vietnam in Sydney, congratulated the UAVS on its achievements in 2021, noting that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the association held many activities to connect Vietnamese students and develop the Vietnamese community in Australia.

She hoped that the association would continue to strengthen its efforts to build a stronger Vietnamese community in the coming time when the Vietnam-Australia direct air route is reopened and the number of Vietnamese students in Australia increases.

According to Ms. Dang Thuy Chi, a representative from the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia said that Australia is a favourite destination for Vietnamese students with about 20,900, forming the fourth largest foreign student community in Australia.

She emphasized that the important role of the community in strengthening the Vietnam-Australia relations, especially in culture and education, as well as in promoting Vietnamese culture in the country.

The association will organize more activities in the future, she said and pledged that the embassy will continue to support and accompany it in the future.

At the conference, a new executive committee of the UAVS for the 2022-2024 tenure was elected.

Mr. Dang Minh Hung, the newly-elected President of the committee, presented the plan of the association in 2022 and thanked the Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney and the Vietnamese Embassy for supporting the association.

Nguyen Phuc Binh, President of the Vietnamese Students Association in Australia, pledged to continue to work hard to foster connections among Vietnamese students in the host country, thus contributing to developing the Vietnam-Australia relationship./.
BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Yutu-2 lunar rover of China's Chang'e-4 mission has discovered two macroscopic translucent glass globules during its exploration of the far side of the moon, which could potentially help reveal the moon's early impact history.

According to a study published in Science Bulletin, the Yutu-2 rover captured images of two translucent globules using its panoramic camera.

No composition data has been obtained for the globules. But their unique morphology and local context suggest they are most likely impact glasses -- quenched anorthositic impact melts produced during cratering events -- rather than being of volcanic origin or delivered from other planetary bodies, the researchers said.

Lunar anorthosite is a major rock of the lunar highlands, which formed in the lunar magma ocean.

The researchers said the globules are different from the glass beads sampled by the Apollo missions, as they are larger in size and exhibit colors.

They predicted that the glass globules would be abundant across the lunar highlands, providing promising sampling targets that could reveal the early impact history of the moon.

The Chang'e-4 probe, launched on Dec. 8, 2018, made the first-ever soft landing in the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3, 2019. So far, Yutu-2 has traveled more than 1,000 meters on the far side of the moonrde.

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OSCE Secretary General calls on all parties to observe ceasefire in Donbas

All parties to the conflict in Donbas should stop using heavy weapons and return to observing the ceasefire, OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid said.

"I call on the sides to withdraw heavy weapons from the security zone, adhere to the ceasefire and protect civilians," she said on Twitter Sunday.

Schmid noted that the OSCE observers recorded "increased use of heavy weapons proscribed by the Minsk agreements."

"Putting the lives of civilians at risk is unacceptable," she stressed.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Israel condemns the situation with the publication of the Israeli state media resource 11 KAN with a representative of the Russian occupation administration in occupied Donetsk. This statement posted on the Embassy's Facebook page.

We strongly condemn that 11 KAN fell under Russian propaganda and transmits Russian false narratives about the situation in Ukraine. Giving the spotlight to the representative of the Russian occupation administration further aggravates the already tense security situation and undermines the efforts to deescalate tensions. This is NOT a freedom of speech, but adding more oil to the fire, - the statement said.

The Embassy stressed that the Israeli media being used for the hybrid warfare that Russia is conducting against democracies and free nations.

It is particularly appalling that the so called interview came out at a time when all democratic world, key partners of Israel - USA, UK and EU are putting enormous efforts to deter Russian from further invasion of Ukraine, - the diplomats said.

At the same time, the Embassy demanded to remove this material from all media platforms and resources.

It is known that on February 19 D. Pushilin's interview was aired on 11 KAN TV channel. The Russian-speaking population of Israel heard only the terrorist, and the journalist's comments in Hebrew were incomprehensible to them due to their ignorance of the language.
There are 9,000 Russian military personnel in Belarus, as well as equipment, but this contingent is not enough to attack Kyiv, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said.

"According to our data, there are 9,000 representatives of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, plus equipment, including missile weapons, etc. But I want to say that for those who say that there will be an attack on Kyiv from the Belarusian side, I'm sorry, but it sounds funny to me. But threatening us, scaring us, creating a situation of such an environment - yes, it works. Therefore, exercises have begun in Pridnestrovie - so that you and I would strain ourselves, distract our resource with you, so that to divert our attention," Reznikov said at a briefing in Kyiv on Monday.

He also announced plans to hold a telephone conversation with the Belarusian Defense Minister on Monday.

"We have agreed with him on direct interactions. I wrote him a letter yesterday, and through our attache, through the attache of the Republic of Belarus in Ukraine, I asked him to inform that I am asking to arrange a telephone conversation today in order to ask him direct questions: what is going on. They officially announced the decision to continue these exercises, because formally it will be said: 'the exercises have not been completed, because Russian troops remain there,'" Reznikov said.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine declares that the statement of the FSB of the Russian Federation about the shelling from the territory of Ukraine, as a result of which the place of service of the border guards of the Russian Federation was destroyed is an outright provocation.

"In particular, it is not clear, the exact place where it happened is not indicated, except 150 meters from the Russian-Ukrainian border within Rostov region. It should be noted that Rostov region borders both the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities within Luhansk region and an uncontrolled section of the Ukrainian border, the length of which is more than 400 kilometers," the statement says.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Illegal Armenian armed groups have shelled Azerbaijani military positions located in Karabakh, the Defence Ministry reported on February 21.

In a statement posted on its website, the ministry said: Members of the illegal Armenian armed detachment in the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed, with no reason, using small arms subjected to fire the positions of the Azerbaijan army in the direction of the Shushakend village of Khojaly region at 2050 on February 20 and positions in the direction of Taghavard village of Khojavand region at 0115 on February 21.

The Azerbaijani army units took appropriate retaliatory measures to suppress the opposite side.

About 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed for five years in Karabakh under the trilateral cease-fire deal signed by Baku, Moscow and Yerevan on November 10, 2020. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw all its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had occupied since the early 1990s.

The trilateral ceasefire deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the three-decade conflict over Azerbaijans Karabakh region which along with the seven adjacent regions came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

The deal also stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the peace deal, Azerbaijan liberated 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city that had been under Armenian occupation for about 30 years.

On January 11, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed the second statement since the end of the 44-day war. The newly-signed statement was set to implement clause 9 of the November 2020 statement related to the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region.

On November 26, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed a statement and agreed on a number of issues, including the demarcation and delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border by late 2021, some points related to humanitarian issues and the issue of unblocking of transport corridors which applies to the railway and to automobile communications.

On December 14, 2021, during the Brussels meeting, organized between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders at the initiative of European Council President Charles Michel, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to the conditions agreed in the Sochi meeting.

Both sides agreed to establish a temporary working group on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The issue of demining the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was also brought up on the agenda, and the European Union's readiness to provide technical assistance to Azerbaijan in this regard was underlined at the meeting.
Meetings of the Trilateral Contact Group and political advisors to the leaders of the Normandy Four countries are unlikely before March, an informed source told Interfax.

"The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine will not meet earlier than March, and there are no prerequisites for this. Kyiv is not ready for a dialogue with Donetsk and Luhansk," the source said.

Meanwhile, the political advisors of the Normandy Four countries will also not meet before March.

"A meeting of the political advisors is possible after a Contact Group meeting, after it is completed and there will be something to discuss," he said.
The Days of Crimea will be held in Lviv on February 22 to February 24 on the occasion of the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, Head of the Service for the Support of Crimea Platform Maria Tomak has said.

"You know that one of the priorities of the Crimea Platform is the actualization of the topic of Crimea at the national level, in Ukrainian regions, as we understand that for the majority of the country Crimea is on the agenda to lesser extent. If at the national level, in Kyiv, the topic of Crimea sounds more intense within specialized media, then in Ukrainian regions to make this topic visible, present in local media, which traditionally remain important in local environments, is a challenge," Tomak said during a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

According to her, it is planned to hold several such events in different regions of Ukraine within the year.

Tomak said that within the Days of Crimea, a press conference and a solemn raising of the Crimean Tatar flag near the regional state administration would be held in Lviv, a discussion and the opening of a photo exhibition by Mumine Saliyeva and reading texts from the collection "Crimean Figs" in partnership with Ukrainian Institute, and a number of art events will be held at the Dovzhenko Center on February 24.

"The art object of Vlodko (Volodymyr) Kaufman, a famous Lviv artist, will be presented there. Another discussion will be held, which will be devoted only to the problem of cultural de-occupation and new colonization and decolonization, respectively," she said.

In addition, Tomak said that within the Days of Crimea, Lviv will host a screening of Nariman Aliyev's movie "Home" and a conversation with the director.
Statements by the Russian force structures about the alleged violation of the Russian state border by the Ukrainian subversive reconnaissance unit are fake, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said.

"The State Border Guard Service says there have been no violations of the state border in the direction of the Russian settlement of Mityakinskaya in Rostov region from the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities," the service said.

In addition, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine did not receive information from the Russian side about any non-standard situations at the border, including those related to the use of weapons.

"Such reports are nothing more than a provocation," the service said.

It is also noted that the Russian side also does not provide confirmation of such a statement.

Earlier, Moscow said the Russian security forces destroyed two infantry fighting vehicles and "five violators of the border of Russia from the subversive reconnaissance unit."
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba says that information about alleged sabotage by the Ukrainian side in the uncontrolled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as about alleged shelling of Russian territory, is not true.

"I categorically refute the disinformation of Russia. Ukraine did not: attack Donetsk or Luhansk; send saboteurs or APCs [armored personnel carriers] over the Russian border; shell Russian territory or border crossing; conduct acts of sabotage. Ukraine also does not plan any such actions. Russia, stop your fake-producing factory now," Kuleba said on Twitter on Monday.
KYIV. Feb 21 (Interfax-Ukraine)  The Days of Crimea will be held in Lviv on February 22 to February 24 on the occasion of the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, Head of the Service for the Support of Crimea Platform Maria Tomak has said.

"You know that one of the priorities of the Crimea Platform is the actualization of the topic of Crimea at the national level, in Ukrainian regions, as we understand that for the majority of the country Crimea is on the agenda to lesser extent. If at the national level, in Kyiv, the topic of Crimea sounds more intense within specialized media, then in Ukrainian regions to make this topic visible, present in local media, which traditionally remain important in local environments, is a challenge," Tomak said during a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

According to her, it is planned to hold several such events in different regions of Ukraine within the year.

Tomak said that within the Days of Crimea, a press conference and a solemn raising of the Crimean Tatar flag near the regional state administration would be held in Lviv, a discussion and the opening of a photo exhibition by Mumine Saliyeva and reading texts from the collection "Crimean Figs" in partnership with Ukrainian Institute, and a number of art events will be held at the Dovzhenko Center on February 24.

"The art object of Vlodko (Volodymyr) Kaufman, a famous Lviv artist, will be presented there. Another discussion will be held, which will be devoted only to the problem of cultural de-occupation and new colonization and decolonization, respectively," she said.

In addition, Tomak said that within the Days of Crimea, Lviv will host a screening of Nariman Aliyev's movie "Home" and a conversation with the director.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Boris Johnson have hailed the successful development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom.

They made the remarks in letters sent to each other on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and the UK.

It is gratifying that our ties in political, economic, humanitarian and other fields based on mutual trust and support between our countries have dynamically developed in last 30 years, President Ilham Aliyev wrote.

UK investments

He noted that Azerbaijan attaches particular importance to friendship and cooperation with the UK.

The achievements we attained in the economic sphere in this period are encouraging, he wrote.

Noting that the UK has put large-scale investments in Azerbaijans economy, the president stressed that the UK is one of the biggest trade partners of Azerbaijan.

Almost 600 businesses representing your country are involved and successfully operate in several important projects in Azerbaijan, he wrote.

Energy cooperation

Aliyev added that years long relations of the strategic partnership were well tested in the energy area.

Todays still successful continuation of our energy collaboration founded on the basis of the Contract of the Century in 1994 mirrors our beneficial working relationship and reciprocal confidence. It is pleasant to see our strategic cooperation with BP as our reliable partner in oil and gas production, he wrote.

The president emphasized that he highly values the support given by the UK to the Southern Gas Corridor and conveyed his congratulations on the occasion of the successful completion of the projects construction.

It is remarkable that today our interaction in the field of energy has evolved by being elevated to a new level, he wrote.

He also stated that the joint activities of Azerbaijan with the UK in the green energy transition area are very important in diversifying bilateral ties in the non-oil sector.

The president welcomed the contribution given by the UK companies for the mine clearance in Azerbaijani liberated territories and applauded their close participation in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of these territories.

I believe that the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom will continue to develop and expand by our joint efforts, he wrote.

Strategic partnership

In turn, Boris Johnson in his letter to President Ilham Aliyev reiterated the importance that the United Kingdom attaches to the relationship between the two countries.

He noted that over the last 30 years, the UK and Azerbaijan have worked together to develop an important strategic partnership.

I am delighted that since the early foundations of British investment in Azerbaijans energy sector, this relationship has broadened and flourished. Investment and trade continue to grow, he wrote.

The prime minister added that the two countries education and cultural links are extremely close, adding that they have developed increasingly valuable cooperation on important issues, including climate change and clean energy, regional security and support for women and girls.

The United Kingdom is and will continue to be, a steadfast and supportive partner for Azerbaijan. I look forward to the continued development of our partnership in the years ahead, he wrote.

Azerbaijan and the UK are cooperating in different spheres of the economy. There are already 30 years of successful cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas sector, which entered a new stage of development in line with the challenges of the global energy sector. The energy sector accounts for $ 28.8 billion out of $ 30.6 billion of the UK investments in Azerbaijan's economy. The UK is also the biggest investor in Azerbaijan.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Poland amounted to $111 million in 2021, with exports accounting for $5.4 million and imports for $105.5 million. In addition, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $7.2 million in January 2022.
Egyptian authorities succeeded in releasing 20 Egyptian sailors who were held in Yemen over the past several days reportedly over charges of trespassing into Yemeni territorial waters without a permit.
A draft opinion suggests the US Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalize abortion nationwide, according to a Politico report.
Zayed is expected to explain the necessary coronavirus-related precautionary guidelines and measures for the holy month of Ramadan

Minister of Health Hala Zayed is to hold a press conference on Thursday to expound the latest developments of the coronavirus pandemic in Egypt.

Zayed is expected to explain the necessary coronavirus-related precautionary guidelines and measures for the holy month of Ramadan.

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The pandemic had disrupted Islamic worship the world over, including in Egypt where mosques were closed to worshippers last Ramadan

For Ramadan this year, Magdy Hafez has been longing to reclaim a cherished ritual: performing the nighttime group prayers called taraweeh at the mosque once again.

Last year, the coronavirus upended the 68-year-old Egyptian's routine of going to the mosque to perform those prayers, traditional during Islam's holiest month.

The pandemic had disrupted Islamic worship the world over, including in Egypt where mosques were closed to worshippers last Ramadan.

``I have been going to the mosque for 40 years so it was definitely a very, very, difficult thing,'' he said. ``But our religion orders us to protect one another.''

Still, ``It's a whole other feeling, and the spirituality in Ramadan is like nothing else.''

Egypt has since allowed most mosques to reopen for Friday communal prayers and for this Ramadan it will let them hold taraweeh, also with precautions, including shortening its duration.

Ramadan, which begins this week, comes as much of the world has been hit by an intense new coronavirus wave.

For many Muslims navigating restrictions, that means hopes of a better Ramadan than last year have been dashed with the surge in infection rates though regulations vary in different countries.

A time for fasting, worship and charity, Ramadan is also when people typically congregate for prayers, gather around festive meals to break their daylong fast, throng cafes and exchange visits.

Once again, some countries are imposing new restrictions. But concern is high that the month's communal rituals could stoke a further surge.

``The lack of adherence that happened last Ramadan, hasty lifting of the curfew imposed at the time and re-opening of places of congregations ... led to grave consequences that lasted for months,'' said Ahmed Al-Mandhari, the World Health Organization's regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

``We have a lot of worries of a repeat of what had happened last Ramadan, especially since Ramadan coincides with another important holiday, which is Easter,'' he said by email. Orthodox Christians mark Easter on May 2.

In Pakistan, new case numbers grew from fewer than 800 a day at the start of the month last year to more than 6,000 a day a few weeks after Ramadan ended. Officials largely attributed the increase to Pakistanis flouting restrictions. After a dip, the country is back up to more than 5,000 new cases a day.

Iran on Saturday began a 10-day lockdown amid a severe surge in infections that followed a two-week public holiday for Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

Economic hardship also looms over the month for many. In war-torn Syria, Abed al-Yassin was concerned about what his iftar - the meal at sunset breaking the fast - will look like this year.

``It will be difficult to even have fattoush,'' al-Yassin said, referring to a salad that is a staple of the holy month in his country.

He's spending his second Ramadan in a tent settlement near the Turkish border after he was driven from his hometown last year during a Russian-backed government offensive that displaced hundreds of thousands.

``Our main wish is to return to our homes,'' said al-Yassin, who lives with his wife, three sons and daughter in a tent. He relies mostly on food aid, he said. Camp residents have recently received bags of lentils, pasta and bulgur and receive bread on daily basis.

Lebanon is being squeezed by the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history, exacerbated by the pandemic and a massive deadly explosion in Beirut in August.

``We are going through a period when some people are fasting whether during Ramadan or not,'' said Natalie Najm, an insurance broker. Even with her job, she can barely cover food costs, she said. ``What about others who lost their jobs?''

To prevent large gatherings in Ramadan, Saudi Arabia has forbidden mosques from serving iftar and suhoor, a meal just before the fast's start at sunrise.

Many Muslim religious leaders, including in Saudi Arabia, have tried to dispel concerns about getting the coronavirus vaccine in Ramadan, saying that doing so does not constitute breaking the fast.

With new infections exceeding earlier peaks in India, Muslim scholars there have appealed to their communities to strictly follow restrictions and refrain from large gatherings, while asking volunteers and elders to look after the needy.

Last year's Ramadan in India was marred by rising Islamophobia following accusations that an initial surge in infections was tied to a three-day meeting of an Islamic missionary group, the Tablighi Jamaat, in New Delhi.

In Pakistan, authorities are allowing mosques to remain open during Ramadan with rules in place that include barring worshippers over 50 years old and requiring masks.

But given how rules were widely ignored last year there, doctors have been asking the government to close mosques.

``We are very concerned about the gatherings,'' Dr. Qaiser Sajjad, secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association, said Sunday. He urged the government and Pakistan's clerics to put together a better plan during Ramadan to stop the spread of the virus.

``We must learn from the previous year,'' he said. Sajjad is calling for a complete lockdown of the eastern city of Lahore.

Afghanistan is leaving it up to worshippers to watch out for each other, keep their distance and stay away from the mosques if they are feeling ill.

``Saving a human life is an obligation ... you can't put the life of a human in danger or at risk at all,'' said Sayed Mohammad Sherzadi, head of Hajj and religious affairs department for Kabul province.

Malaysia has some movement restrictions in place and has declared a coronavirus emergency that suspended Parliament until August following spikes in infections. But it has lifted last year's ban on taraweeh prayers and Ramadan bazaars, which sell food, drink and clothes, though strict measures will be in place.

Back in Egypt, Nouh Elesawy, undersecretary for mosque affairs at the country's Ministry of Endowments, had a message to the faithful ahead of the start of the month: ``If you want the houses of God to remain open, adhere to the precautionary procedures and regulations.''

Ramadan also typically has a distinct cultural and social flavor for many.

In Egypt, giant billboards bearing the faces of celebrities advertise Ramadan television series, a favorite pastime for many. In bustling markets around Cairo's Al-Sayeda Zainab Mosque, shoppers browsed stalls stacked with decorative Ramadan lanterns in vibrant colors, inspected the offerings and bargained for a deal.

In another Cairo neighborhood, people posed with a giant Ramadan lantern towering over one street and snapped photos.

One Ramadan tradition in Egypt that remains a casualty of the virus for the second year is the ``Tables of the Compassionate,'' communal charity iftars where strangers would break bread together at free meals served on long tables on the street.

The tables may be gone, but not the month's spirit of giving.

Neveen Hussein, 48, said colleagues brought her ``Ramadan bags'' filled with rice, oil, sugar and other staples to distribute to needy families. It's an annual tradition, she said, rendered more urgent by a pandemic that has hurt the livelihoods of many of those already struggling.

``This is a month of mercy,'' she said. ``God is generous, and this is a month of generosity.''

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From 13 to 15 April, northern parts of the country, including Greater Cairo, will witness warm weather during the daytime, with highs ranging from 25 to 30 degrees

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) forecast on Tuesday a steady rise in temperature nationwide during the first week of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, which started today.

The Egyptian capital, Cairo, is expected to witness highs of 24 degrees Celcius today, according to the EMA.

From Tuesday to Thursday, northern parts of the country, including Greater Cairo, will witness warm weather during the daytime, with highs ranging from 25 to 30 degrees Celcius.

The EMA forecast that the southern parts of the country will also witness hot weather during the daytime, with highs ranging from 34 to 36 degrees celcius, and mild weather during the night, with lows ranging from 15 to 20 degrees Celcius.

From Friday to Sunday, the northern parts of the country will witness hot weather, with highs ranging from 31 to 37 degrees Celcius.

In the southern parts, very hot weather will prevail during the day, with highs ranging from 37 to 40 Celcius.

During the night, the EMA expects mild weather, with lows ranging from 15 to 20 Celcius.

In its statement on Tuesday, the EMA, however, warned citizens against the rapidly changing weather of Spring, expecting a decline in temperature to take place again after the beginning of the next week.

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Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Saturday that Egypt is planning to organise the first youth forum on climate change as part of the country's preparations to host the Conference of the Parties (COP27) slated for November in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Egypt is keen to enable youth and civil society to play an effective role within the framework of international efforts to combat climate change, added Shoukry, who is also the COP27 president designate.

The foreign minister made his statement during his participation in the Environmental Diplomacy and Climate Change session held on the second day of the Munich Security Conference (18-20 February).

Shoukry arrived on Friday in the German city to participate in the conference which brings together a host of senior officials, ministers, heads of international organisations, and leaders to discuss the international status quo and the critical challenges and crises on the global front.

He added that addressing climate change is not the sole responsibility of governments, noting that the issue needs the efforts of civil society and private sectors.

Civil society represents the majority of those most affected by climate change, while the private sector plays a vital part given its role in providing the necessary funding and modern technology to confront the global phenomenon, he stressed.

Egypt's top diplomat stressed the need to promote cooperation between countries to combat the repercussions of climate change, as has been the case with the coronavirus pandemic.

"One of the most prominent lessons learned from the pandemic is the importance of international cooperation," he said, adding that climate change is also a global crisis with unprecedented repercussions.

Shoukry pointed out that the issue necessitates multilateral environmental diplomacy, saying that "political balances should not reflect on climate change negotiations."

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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday that Iran may "shortly" agree a new nuclear deal with major powers but warned it will be weaker than the original 2015 agreement.

Bennett was speaking ahead of a weekly cabinet meeting following indications that the outline of a deal was taking shape at talks in Vienna.

"We may see an agreement shortly," Bennett said. "The new agreement that appears will be made is shorter and weaker than the previous one."

The 2015 Iran nuclear agreement offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, but the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed heavy economic sanctions.

Talks on reviving the initial pact, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have been held in the Austrian capital since late November, involving Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia directly and the United States indirectly.

Bennett has been a staunch opponent of the JCPOA and repeatedly warned any revenue Tehran sees from new sanctions relief will be used to purchase weapons that could harm Israelis.

"This money will eventually go to terrorism," he reiterated Sunday.

Bennett has said Israel will not be bound by a restored agreement and will retain the freedom to act if Iran advances towards producing a nuclear weapon.

"We are organising and preparing for the day after, in all dimensions, so that we can maintain the security of the citizens of Israel on our own," he told his cabinet.

'Moment of truth'

Bennett also claimed, without detailing his sources, that the new deal could expire in 2025, when the original JCPOA negotiated under former US president Barack Obama was due to lapse.

"If the world signs the agreement again -- without extending the expiration date -- then we are talking about an agreement that buys a total of two and a half years, after which Iran can and may develop and install advanced centrifuges, without restrictions," the hawkish premier said.

Since the Vienna talks resumed, senior Israeli officials have said the Israel could support negotiations on a more robust pact with Iran, one that effectively makes it impossible for the Islamic republic to develop a nuclear weapon.

There is broad opposition across the Israeli and political establishment against the terms of the JCPOA.

Signs of a deal coming together emerged at the weekend, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saying there "was the chance to reach an agreement that will allow sanctions to be lifted".

"But if we do not succeed very quickly, the negotiations risk failing," Scholz told the Munich Security Conference, describing this phase of the talks as "the moment of truth".

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, speaking at the same Munich gathering, said his country was "ready to achieve a good deal at the earliest possible time if the other side makes the needed political decision".

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Federal President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen sent a congratulatory letter to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Dear Mr President,

I extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes to you on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Austria.

Austria considers the development of relations between the two countries over the past 30 years as satisfactory, and these relations are based on mutual respect and cooperation.

I hope that together we will continue to deepen and develop the relations of friendship between our two countries in the political, economic and cultural spheres.

I wish you success in your state activity, and the people of Azerbaijan bright and prosperous future.

With deep respect,

Alexander Van der Bellen

Federal President of the Republic of Austria
Egypts Ministry of Health and Population reported 2,009 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases since the outbreak began in February 2020 to 469,457.

The ministry also recorded 58 coronavirus-related fatalities, bringing the total tally of deaths to 23,752.

The report added that the total number of recoveries increased to 400,882 after 2,121 patients were discharged from hospitals nationwide in the past 24 hours.

Egypt suffered a sharp increase in coronavirus cases over the past month before the cases stabilised over the recent week.

Cairo received on Sunday a shipment comprising over 2,158,650 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine from the US government.

The shipment was obtained via COVAX, an international initiative that seeks to ensure equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines, in cooperation with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Late in January, the US embassy in Cairo said Egypt had received more than 21 million doses of high-quality vaccines from the US.

More than 29 million citizens are fully vaccinated to date, the health ministry has announced.

The country plans to vaccinate 70 percent of its eligible population, those who are older than 12 years old, by the second half of 2022.

Acting Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar also discussed with Chinese Ambassador in Cairo Liao Liqiang a Chinese government plan to send 60 million doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to Egypt soon.

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Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Qatar on his first visit to a Gulf Arab state Monday for a major gas summit that will be dominated by tensions over Ukraine.

Raisi and Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, a close US ally, are also expected to discuss growing efforts to revive a stalled international deal to regulate Iran's nuclear programme.

Tuesday's Gas Exporting Countries Forum will be overshadowed by growing tensions around Ukraine which have boosted demand for gas as well as the price paid by consumers.

Producing nations say they will not be able to provide substantial amounts of gas to Europe if Russia, which has been accused of preparing an attack on Ukraine, cuts supplies in any sanctions showdown.

Raisi has not travelled in the Gulf region since taking office in June, and it is only his fourth trip abroad. Qatar authorities imposed stringent security for his arrival at Doha airport, where he was met by the emir.

Qatar has added the Iran nuclear dispute to its list of diplomatic hotspots where it has taken a behind-the-scenes mediation role.

Earlier this month Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani went on an unannounced visit to Tehran after the emir met US President Joe Biden in Washington.

'Common Concern'

The Qatar government said that the emir and Raisi would discuss issues of "common concern" without giving details. Diplomats said, however, that the nuclear talks would be on the agenda.

In 2015, Iran and six world powers including the United States reached a landmark nuclear agreement that offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its atomic programme.

The United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 under then president Donald Trump and reimposed heavy economic sanctions.

Talks on reviving the deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have been held in the Austrian capital Vienna since late November, involving Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia directly and the United States indirectly.

Raisi and the Qatari emir will be joined at Tuesday's summit by Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Keith Rowley. Energy ministers from the other seven forum members who include Russia will also take part.

Ministers from the 11-member group were to meet later Monday to approve a summit statement that industry analysts predicted would touch on the lack of spare supplies that could help Europe, where consumers are already paying record prices for gas.

Qatar and other countries have insisted that massive investment is needed in gas, and that they need the certainty of long-term contracts to be able to guarantee supplies to Europe.

The European Union has long resisted the 10, 15 and 20-year contracts signed by other major customers for Qatar's gas, who include China, Japan and South Korea.

The United States has asked Qatar to help Europe by preparing emergency supplies if the Ukraine crisis erupts.

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Egyptian and French naval and air forces have started joint military exercises dubbed Ramses 2022 in Egypt, the Egyptian military spokesman said in a statement on Monday.

The multi-day drills involve the participation of the French navys aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its accompanying combat groups, in addition to a number of Rafale fighter jets.

From the Egyptian side, a formation of frigates, missile launchers and special troops from the naval forces, in addition to a number of F-16 fighters, multi-tasked Rafale fighter jets and MiG-29 jets are participating, according to the statement.

The drills include a number of military activities to train the naval and air forces of both countries in planning and management of joint combat operations so as to unify operational concepts, hone field skills, exchange combat expertise as well as prepare to carry out joint missions.

The Ramses 2022 drills are part of the increasing partnerships and military cooperation between the Egyptian and French armed forces to overcome any challenges in the region and secure vital objectives in the Mediterranean, the statement said.

The training activities were attended by a number of top military brass and the French military attache in Cairo.

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Israel on Monday said it successfully tested a new naval air defence system, intercepting a series of threats in what officials called a key layer of protection against Iran and its proxies in the region.

The "C-Dome'' system is a naval version of the Iron Dome, which has been used to shoot down rockets fired from the Gaza Strip for the past decade. The C-Dome is being installed on Israel's latest-generation corvette warships, which protect Israel's coastline and offshore natural gas assets in the Mediterranean.

Monday's test simulated a number of incoming threats, including rockets, cruise missiles and drones, the Defense Ministry said.

"The systems that we are developing as part of Israel's multi-tier missile defence array enable us to operate against Iranian proxies in the region and defend against their weapon systems, which are constantly being upgraded,'' Defense Minister Benny Gantz said. "We continue to be two steps ahead of them and we will continue developing and upgrading our capabilities in order to maintain security superiority in the region.''

The C-Dome is to become part of Israel's multilayer missile defence system, which includes weapons capable of intercepting everything from long-range missiles to short-range rockets.

The test comes at a time of heightened tensions. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group launched a pair of drones into Israeli airspace last week, and Iran is believed to be close to signing a new international nuclear deal with global powers that will give it relief from crippling sanctions. Israel opposes the deal, and fears that Iran will divert newly released funds to proxies like Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has made no secret that it would target Israel's gas platforms if fighting were to break out. Israel and Hezbollah fought a monthlong war in 2006. During that fighting, Hezbollah fired a missile that struck an Israeli warship, killing four Israeli soldiers.

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said Egypt will adopt a comprehensive and neutral approach during its presidency of the upcoming UNs Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) that will be held in November in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Egypt will take into account the priorities and stances of all parties to ensure that the summit culminates in positive results in line with international efforts to handle climate change, El-Sisi said during a meeting on Monday with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry at Cairo's Ittihadiya presidential palace.

President El-Sisi stressed that the COP27 summit will support efforts to reduce emissions and provide funding for developing countries to deal with climate change, according to presidential spokesman Bassam Rady.

Climate finance has been a debated issue at every COP meeting since developed countries failed to meet their promise to mobilise $100 billion in climate finance annually by 2020 to help developing nations with mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Kerry, who is on a two-day visit to Egypt, launched earlier today with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry the inaugural meeting of the US-Egypt climate-working group to advance bilateral and multilateral climate goals ahead of COP27.

El-Sisi welcomed the launch of the joint working group on climate change, saying that he is looking forwarded to continuing consultation with the US on climate issues as part of the two countries' partnership.

Kerry voiced his country's trust in Egypt's presidency of the COP27 conference as well as its keenness to push forward Egyptian-US efforts to face climate change problems.

Kerry added that the international community appreciates the "serious" efforts exerted by Egypt to deal with climate change, including its efforts in green transformation.

The meeting also addressed reinforcing cooperation between the two countries through the participation of US companies and institutions in Egypt's efforts to boost green energy transformation as well as projects to reduce carbon emissions, Rady added.

During COP26 in Glasgow, Egypt launched its National Climate Change Strategy 2050 with five main objectives, including cutting emissions in various sectors to maintain sustainable economic growth, promoting the use of renewable energy sources, producing energy from waste, and using alternative energy forms like green hydrogen.

The Egyptian government is also pressing ahead with plans to convert thousands of petrol-powered vehicles to run on natural gas as part of its effort to preserve the environment.

Egypt has also launched green bonds tools to finance green projects, especially in clean transportation, being one of the first countries in the Middle East and North Africa to do so.

Egypt  through the Suez Canal Economic Zone  has set its eyes on the green economy and its various industrial applications, such as green hydrogen, which is one of the most important sources of clean energy globally, to attract global investors and become a global logistics and economic hub.

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Iran on Monday signalled "significant progress" in talks on reviving a stalled accord on its nuclear programme but President Ebrahim Raisi, on his first visit to a Gulf state, again insisted that the United States must lift its crippling sanctions.

Iran's ultraconservative leader, a personal target of the US sanctions, spoke out ahead of a summit of natural gas exporting nations in Qatar. The summit will take place against the backdrop of mounting tensions in Ukraine and reported advances in resuming a deal limiting Iran's nuclear programme.

The United States under former president Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 accord in 2018, saying it was not tough enough in curtailing Iran's weapons ambitions. Tehran has always denied seeking an atomic bomb.

But months of negotiations in Vienna have brought the two sides closer to a new deal.

Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that "significant progress" has been made and the number of outstanding obstacles had been "considerably reduced".

"But the problems that remain are most difficult, the most difficult and most serious to be resolved," it added.

Talks on reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have been held in the Austrian capital since November, involving Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia directly and the United States indirectly.

After arriving in Doha and meeting Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, a close US ally who has encouraged the two sides to narrow their differences, Raisi again took aim at the US sanctions that have ravaged his country's economy.

'Lift The Main Sanctions'

"The United States must show their desire to lift the main sanctions," he said.

"To reach an accord, it is necessary to guarantee the interests of the Iranian people, in particular the lifting of sanctions, (give) a strong guarantee and end dossiers of a political character."

Raisi was named in US Treasury sanctions in 2019 before he became president last year. The trip to Qatar is only his fourth abroad since he took office in August.

Qatar has added the Iran nuclear dispute to its list of diplomatic hotspots where it has taken a behind-the-scenes mediation role and the emir called for more dialogue to settle the showdown.

This month, Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani went on an unannounced visit to Tehran after the emir met US President Joe Biden in Washington.

Sanctions have badly hit Iran's oil and gas revenues and the Tehran government is anxious to get new investment and customers.

The exporters' summit has been dominated by Ukraine tensions that have raised prices and European fears that its supplies of Russian gas may be cut.

The United States has asked Qatar to help Europe by preparing emergency supplies if the Ukraine crisis worsens.

But producing nations say they will not be able to provide substantial amounts of replacement gas if sanctions against Russia do affect Western Europe.

Raisi and the Qatari emir will be joined at Tuesday's summit by Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Keith Rowley. Energy ministers from the other seven forum members, who include Russia, will also take part.

Ministers from the 11-member group met on Monday to approve a summit statement that industry analysts predicted would touch on the lack of spare supplies that could help Europe, where consumers are already paying record prices for gas.

Qatar and other countries have insisted that massive investment is needed in gas infrastructure and that they need the certainty of long-term contracts to be able to guarantee supplies to Europe.

The European Union has long resisted the 10, 15 and 20-year contracts signed by other major customers for Qatar's gas, which include China, Japan and South Korea.

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Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Monday in a telephone call the latest developments concerning the Syrian crisis with the UN special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, the Egyptian foreign ministry said.

Pedersen briefed Shoukry on the latest developments concerning political settlement in Syria, expressing his appreciation for Egypts supportive role in the settlement efforts, according to the foreign ministry.

For his part, Shoukry expressed Egypts keenness to push the political process in Syria forward to end the political impasse in the war-torn country.

The Egyptian FM asserted that the comprehensive settlement in Syria should include Syrias full sovereignty over all its territories and its political independence.

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Morocco has established a new military zone bordering Algeria, a Moroccan military publication said Monday, amid mounting tensions between the two North African countries.

The establishment of the new zone redefines Morocco's military borders, introducing a new eastern military zone alongside the previously designated northern and southern military zones.

Related Algerian presidency blame Morocco on killing three Algerians in western desert

Algeria borders Morocco to the latter's east and south.

The Moroccan armed forces' magazine said in its latest edition on Monday that the creation of the new zone dates back as early as January 5, when its command was handed over to Major General Mohammed Miqdad during a ceremony.

The zone was created to allow for "more flexibility and freedom for necessary action in the accomplishment of different missions", the magazine said.

After months of mounting tensions, Algeria cut diplomatic ties with Morocco in August, citing "hostile actions" -- a charge Rabat has denied.

Rabat and Algiers are at loggerheads over Western Sahara, as well as Morocco's normalization deal with Israel in late 2020.

Algeria backs the Polisario Front movement in the Western Sahara, which fought a war of independence with Rabat from 1975 until a ceasefire deal in 1991.

Morocco views the former Spanish colony, with access to lucrative phosphate resources and rich Atlantic fisheries, as part of its sovereign territory.

The Polisario had in late 2020 declared the 1991 truce deal null and void, following the Moroccan military's forcible reopening of a highway in the territory leading to neighboring Mauritania.

The movement has since engaged in what it calls "a war of legitimate defence", publishing regular updates on its operations.

Earlier in February, the Polisario Front said it had killed 12 Moroccan soldiers since the start of the month, as part of its struggle for independence.

Morocco rarely responds to Polisario Front claims.

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The group is a joint endeavour to advance bilateral and multilateral climate goals ahead of the upcoming UNs Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) that will be held in November in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh.

During the presser, Shoukry the COP27 president-designate  said that he and Kerry agreed during their meeting on continuing coordination between Egypt and the US on climate related issues of mutual interest.

The US plays a pivotal role with regard to the global efforts to address climate change, not only because it is the biggest exporter of emissions but given its major role in leading developed countries efforts to support developing countries in handling the global phenomenon, he added.

Egypt, Shoukry stressed, is also keen to empower youths and civil society organisations working in climate change given the important role they play in such a field.

Furthermore, the FM announced during his recent participation in the Munich Security Conference that Egypt will be organising its first youth forum on climate change as part of the countrys preparations to host the COP27, affirming that addressing climate change is not the sole responsibility of governments but also that of civil society organisations and the private sector.

In terms of bilateral relations, Egypts top diplomat said his meeting with the US envoy touched upon work areas of common concern, including renewable energy, underlining the North African countrys efforts in this respect.

Egypt possesses promising potentials, which enable it to become an energy hub, particularly with regard to green hydrogen and solar and wind energy, the Egyptian minister asserted.

Furthermore, Shoukry said that US companies can take advantage of investment opportunities in the Suez Canal Economic Zone in addition to discussing other work areas in which Egypt aspires to intensify cooperation with the US.

Kerry arrived in Egypt on Sunday for a two-day visit to meet a handful of Egyptian officials and business representatives to urge continued and increased climate ambition and to launch the inaugural meeting of the US-Egypt Climate Working Group.

Kerrys visit reflects the extended relations between Egypt and the US, the converged views in many fields, and the ongoing dialogue on all issues of common interest, Shoukry said.

Egypt looks forward to intensifying communication with the US to reflect the depth of relations between the two nations that are celebrating this year the 100th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with one another.

Additionally, Kerry expressed his confidence in Egypts hosting of the COP27, saying that Egypt has already taken many steps and is setting really ambitious [climate] goals.

Today, we announced a joint working group with one goal: Working on the upcoming climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh and to work directly to support the transition of the Egyptian state into clean energy and new means of energy, he added.

Climate change is an international security threat to all of us, so we have to continue our work every day, and this is what brought me to Egypt at this moment.

Following the COP26 that was held in Glasgow in November 2021, up to 65 countries joined the goal of limiting the global average temperature increase to under 1.5 degrees Celsius as per the Paris Climate Accords.

Our goal this year  in addition to fulfilling all promises made in Glasgow  is to include more countries to the 1.5 degree-efforts, he said.

The US envoy also urged for additional and faster efforts amid the acceleration of the climate change phenomena, including the melting of ice in the southern and northern poles and the rising sea level.

This is an existential threat to all of us, meaning it is a matter of life or death, so we have to act every day, and this is the goal of the US-Egypt working group  to improve jobs, health, security, and safety, he concluded.

Kerry is expected to speak today at the American University in Cairo on the future of international climate action in the leadup to the COP27.
Egypt denounced on Monday the latest attack on the Saudi city of Jezan by Yemeni Houthi militias using a bomb-laden drone, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement.

Earlier on Monday, the drone attacked King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz Airport in Jezan, injuring 16 people before being intercepted by Saudi air defenses.

The ministrys statement said the targeting of civilians and vital civilian institutions, including the airports in the Kingdom, is considered a flagrant violation of international law as well as a blatant threat to the security and stability of Saudi Arabia and the safety of civil aviation and the freedom of air navigation.

The ministry stressed Egypts full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and any measures it takes to face these terrorist attacks, emphasising that the security and stability of the two countries are closely linked.

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By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijan's Military Prosecutor's Office has put former Armenian presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan on an international wanted list, Trend has reported.

Both men are prosecuted under the relevant articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal CodeKocharyan and Sargsyan are being prosecuted under relevant articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, the Military Prosecutor's Office stated.

"These persons were put on the wanted list under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code for making illegal decisions to proclaim the so-called 'Nagorno-Karabakh Republic' and other crimes," the prosecutor's office said.

It was recalled that both Kocharyan and Sargsyan were active members of the anti-Azerbaijan separatist movement beginning in 1988 when the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan entered its open phase.

"Since February 1988, in order to incite national enmity, hatred between the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples, these persons arranged and held meetings in organizations and institutions of Khankandi city [in Azerbaijans Karabakh] with the participation of workers who were Armenians by nationality, the prosecutor's office noted.

They [ex-presidents] declared that Karabakh belongs to Armenians and only Armenians should live there, called for the dismissal of Azerbaijanis from their jobs, forcible eviction from Karabakh, and burning of their houses, he added.

It should be noted that in an interview with Thomas de Waal in the 2000s, Serzh Sargsyan said: Before Khojaly, the Azerbaijanis thought that they were joking with us, they thought that the Armenians were people who could not raise their hand against the civilian population. We needed to put a stop to all that. And thats what happened."

Armenia committed genocide against the 7,000-person population of Azerbaijan's Khojaly town on February 26, 1992.

A total of 613 peaceful Azerbaijanis were killed, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly people. At the same time, 487 civilians were seriously injured and 1,275 people were taken hostage. The fate of 150 hostages, including 68 women and 26 children, is still unknown. During the genocide, 56 people were killed with special cruelty, people's heads were peeled off, various limbs were cut off, their eyes were removed, and pregnant women's bellies were pierced with bayonets. As a result, eight families were completely destroyed, 25 children lost both parents and 130 children lost one parent.

Relevant documents adopted by the parliaments of Mexico, Pakistan, the Czech Republic, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Honduras, Sudan, Guatemala and Djibouti recognized the Khojaly massacre as an act of genocide. The parliaments of Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Jordan, Slovenia, Scotland, and Paraguay, as well as the executive and legislative bodies of 22 U.S. states have strongly condemned the Khojaly tragedy as a massacre. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation recognized Armenia as an aggressor and the Khojaly tragedy as genocide.

Every year on February 26, the victims of the Khojaly genocide are remembered at the initiative of national leader Heydar Aliyev.

This heinous act was preceded by a slew of others. Armenians set fire to around 20 buildings in the Baghanis-Ayrim village of Gazakh region, killing eight Azerbaijanis. A family of five, including a 39-day-old newborn, were all burnt alive.

Between June and December 1991, Armenian troops murdered 12 and wounded 15 Azerbaijanis in Khojavand region's Garadaghli and Asgaran region's Meshali villages.

Armenian military detachments bombed buses on the Shusha-Jamilli, Aghdam-Khojavand, and Aghdam-Garadaghli routes in August and September of the same year, killing 17 Azerbaijanis and injuring over 90 others.

In October and November 1991, Armenians burned, destroyed, and plundered over 30 settlements in the mountainous area of Karabakh, including Tugh, Imarat-Garvand, Sirkhavand, Meshali, Jamilli, Umudlu, Garadaghli, Karkijahan, and other significant villages.
The UK is looking forward to COP27, which Egypt will host in November, and is optimistic about the event at the global and continental level, said British ambassador to Egypt Gareth Bayley.

Bayleys statement was in response to Ahram Onlines question about how the UK views the anticipated event and the potential the country has for successfully implementing its sustainable development goals (SDGs) strategy.

Bayley made the comments at an event at the British University in Egypt (BUE) held on Monday to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Egypt.

The MoU aims to achieve constant mutual exchange of knowledge, the development of innovative sustainable strategies, the rehabilitation of young people, and the development of an entrepreneurial culture in Egypt.

The two partners are seeking support to conduct research activities and initiatives as well as strengthen Egypts rapidly expanding role in supporting climate sustainability policies, which is perfectly embodied in Egypts hosting of the upcoming COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Bayley also noted that Egypt has been exerting great efforts on the governmental and non-governmental levels to achieve the SDGs, especially in regards to the climate action.

It is a global opportunity for Egypt to show its capabilities and potentials, especially in the renewable energy sector. Egypt is really a superpower in this regard, the ambassador expounded.

During the event, the BUEs president Mohamed Loutfy noted that the BUE is the first Arab university to sign this agreement, which involves the implementation of various policies and projects that should aid the university in upholding its social and environmental responsibilities.

The BUE has always worked towards being a frontrunner when it comes to taking proper climate action, reducing the range of trade barriers through economic integration, supporting women, youth, and minorities nationwide, as well as implementing programmes that enable the creation of a more socially and environmentally conscious generation of young students and graduates, he added.

Meanwhile, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt Alessandro Fracassetti said that this MoU will help redouble the UNDPs efforts to create new and better opportunities for Egypts young women and men.

Our cooperation with the BUE is based on the main principle that lies at the heart of the 2030 Agenda: To leave no one behind. We will focus on lifelong learning, community development initiatives and policy dialogue for a more inclusive and sustainable future. Policy dialogue will give a further boost to important research topics such as local economic development, digital transformation, social and governance issues, Fracassetti explained.

For her part, Sarah El-Khishin, assistant professor of economics at the BUE said that a group of around 20 created (Hayah Karima) working group with a shared mandate of making the university more engaged in supporting the community, Egypts national agenda (Egypts Vision 2030) and the global SDGs.

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The United States and Egypt on Monday launched a joint working group to prepare for the U.N. climate change summit being held in Egypt in November, a U.S. envoy said.

John Kerry, President Biden's special envoy for climate, said the group is focused on the U.N.'s COP27 conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. He said Egypt, which is chairing the summit, has already begun its preparations and set ambitious goals.

Kerry said other world tensions, including the ongoing Ukraine crisis, "will not change the reality of what is happening every day with respect to our climate,'' and called the issue an "international threat for all of us.''

He said the climate issue is not about politics.

"There is no ideology in this. This is not anything to do with some of the issues'' of concern for the U.S. administration, Kerry said at a news conference in the capital of Cairo with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. Neither official took questions from reporters.

Kerry, who also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, was referring to conflicts in the Middle East.

Shoukry said they discussed priorities and goals of the Egyptian-chaired COP27, including making funds available to developing counties to implement the Paris 2015 agreement on climate change. He did not further elaborate.

"The test ahead of us is not just a political and diplomatic challenge to tame mother nature - it is a test pitting human nature against itself,'' he said.

In the news briefing, Kerry said they aim to implement all promises made in last year's U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. In the 2021 summit, almost 200 nations accepted a compromise deal, which outside experts said showed progress, but not success.

That deal didn't achieve any of the three U.N. goals: Pledges that would cut world carbon dioxide emissions by about half, $100 billion in yearly climate aid from rich countries to poor ones, with half that money going to help the developing world adapt to the harms of a warming world.

"Our goal this year, in addition to fulfilling all promises made in Glasgow, is to include more countries to the 1.5 degree-efforts,'' he said.

Keeping global warming from going beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) was the most ambitious goal in the 2015 Paris accord. The planet has already warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial times.

Also on Monday, the Council of Europe warned in a statement that a lack of at-scale funding for "resilient and just energy transitions'' in developing countries is an obstacle for green and sustainable development.

The European Union urged rich countries to meet the collective commitment to mobilize $100 billion per year in 2022 as financial aid to poor countries, according to the statement.

Kerry also said the U.S. was working with Egypt on its own transition to a clean energy future.

In June, Kerry announced an increase in U.S. funding to help Egypt convert to solar energy and move away from fossil fuels, a major source of energy in the country of over 100 million people.

In recent years, El-Sissi's government has taken steps to convert to renewables, seizing the advantage of the country's optimal solar and wind conditions for energy harvesting.

Kerry addresses the world from AUC

In a speech on Monday afternoon at the American University in Cairo (AUC), Kerry said that there are eight months till COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh that are full of promise and challenge, and that it is imperative to do everything to give life to the many commitments of COP26 in Glasgow.

You are preparing to host delegates and stakeholders from around the world for what is, with no exaggeration, a continuation of one of the most important conversations in the history of human beings, he said in Cairo, adding that it is particularly fitting to gather in Egypt, which is known as the mother of the world.

Recounting the contributions of ancient Egyptians to the world, Kerry said that Egypt  as the host of COP27 in November  can help the world take the next critical steps to saving civilisations.

Kerry stressed in his speech the importance of building on what was achieved in Glasgow COP26.

Almost 200 nations came together and took unprecedented steps in the cause of the climate battle. They resolved to pursue efforts to limit the earths warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius  and agreed that would require reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 45 percent by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050," he said.

With a 1.5-degree temperature rise, we may lose much of the worlds coral reefs, small fisheries, and crustaceans, including here in the Red Sea, home to some of the worlds richest marine biodiversity. With a 2-degree temperature rise, we risk losing all coral reefs and collapse of the entire ocean ecosystem. At 1.5 degrees, our staple crops  corn, rice, and wheat  will be unpredictable and unstable, especially in places like the Nile River delta and sub-Saharan Africa, Kerry warned.

Kerry praised the decisions of private sector companies worldwide, saying that Glasgow produced unprecedented private sector commitments to action, recounting a few examples of what global companies are currently doing.

Speaking about the transition to a green economy, Kerry said that it cannot be achieved without meaningful progress in securing more direct climate finance, including for adaptation, or without aligning trillions of dollars for both mitigation and adaptation through stronger national policies.

Seventeen of the worlds 20 most climate vulnerable countries can be found on this continent, he said about Africa and the need for climate finance, adding that rising temperatures and less predictable rainfall have already changed growing and planting seasons on the continent.

Egypt gets 95 percent of its water from the Nile, and experts warn of a nationwide freshwater shortage by 2025, Kerry said.

Roads, bridges, and ports can only spur economic growth and reduce poverty next year if they are built to survive the storms of tomorrow, he said, adding that in Africa, with the worlds fastest growing populations and fastest growing economies, adaptation creates jobs and saves lives.

Together this year developed countries must make every effort to fulfil our collective goal to mobilise $100 billion annually to help developing countries reduce emissions and confront the impacts of climate change, Kerry announced.

We stand ready to work with all parties and the Egyptian COP presidency to ensure that the Glasgow Sharm El-Sheikh Work Program on the Global Goal on Adaptation will accelerate effective action, he added.

* This story has been edited by Ahram Online

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An Iranian fighter jet crashed Monday in a residential area of the northwestern city of Tabriz killing three people, including two crew, state television reported.

The head of the local Red Crescent organisation said the plane smashed into a school and that one of the dead was a resident of the neighbourhood.

Local official Mohammad-Bagher Honarvar told state television that the school was closed at the time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He identified the plane as an F-5 fighter aircraft and said it went down at around 9:00 am (0530 GMT) in the central Tabriz neighbourhood of Monajem.

An investigation is underway, the state broadcaster said.

The official news agency IRNA posted on its website video footage showing firefighters putting out a blaze at the crash site.

Iran's airforce has mostly Russian MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets that date back to the Soviet era, as well as some Chinese aircraft.

Some American F-4 and F-5 fighter jets dating back to before the 1979 Islamic revolution are also part of its air fleet.

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Ukraine on Monday requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to address the threat of a Russian invasion, citing security assurances it received in return for giving up its nuclear arsenal in 1994.

The agreement, co-signed by Russia, the United States, and Britain, assured Ukraine that its "territorial integrity or political independence" would be respected in return for its decision to move all its nuclear weapons to Russia.

The independent republic of Ukraine inherited the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal when the Soviet Union formally dissolved in 1991.

"On President (Volodymyr) Zelensky's initiative I officially requested UNSC member states to immediately hold consultations under Article 6 of the Budapest memorandum," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted.

The Security Council must address "practical steps to guarantee the security of Ukraine," he wrote.

Article 6 of the 1994 agreement says Moscow, Washington, and London "will consult in the event a situation arises" that puts Ukraine's security under threat.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognised two Moscow-backed rebel regions of Ukraine as independent, in a move that could set off a potentially catastrophic war with Kyiv's Western-backed government.

In an often angry 65-minute televised national address, Putin railed against Russia's ex-Soviet neighbour Ukraine as a failed state and "puppet" of the West, repeatedly suggesting that it is essentially part of Russia.

He accused authorities in Kyiv of persecuting Russian speakers and of preparing a "blitzkrieg" against the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in Ukraine's east.

"As for those who seized and hold power in Kyiv, we demand an immediate end to their military operations," Putin said.

"Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of bloodshed will be fully on the conscience of the regime in power in Ukraine."

Putin said it was necessary to "take a long overdue decision, to immediately recognise the independence" of the two regions.

Immediately after the speech, state television showed him signing mutual aid agreements with rebel leaders in the Kremlin.

The recognition effectively puts an end to an already shaky peace plan in the separatist conflict, which has rumbled on since 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine, and has left more than 14,000 dead.

EU 'will react with sanctions'

Russia could now move in troops at the request of separatist officials, or to protect hundreds of thousands of residents who have been granted Russian passports, justifying an intervention as a defence of its citizens.

Ukraine would then either have to accept the loss of a huge chunk of territory, or face an armed conflict against its vastly more powerful neighbour.

The move drew immediate condemnation from the West, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling it "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of the Ukraine".

EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel promised the bloc "will react with sanctions against those involved in this illegal act."

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg also condemned Putin's move, saying it violates international agreements signed by Moscow.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to US President Joe Biden before convening an urgent security council meeting aimed at forging a response to Russia's recognition.

Both Putin and Zelensky had spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the previous hours.

The sudden and decisive move by Moscow overshadowed last-ditch diplomatic attempts to ease weeks of tensions over fears Russia has been planning an all-out invasion of its pro-Western neighbour.

European leaders have been urging Putin to hold a summit with Biden, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Putin he would meet his US counterpart on Thursday in Geneva.

Putin told his Security Council earlier Monday that there were "no prospects" for the 2015 Minsk peace accords aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict.

'Very big threat' to Russia

And he made clear the stakes were bigger than Ukraine, whose efforts to join NATO and the European Union have deeply angered Moscow.

"The use of Ukraine as an instrument of confrontation with our country poses a serious, very big threat to us," Putin said.

The dramatic meeting -- with Putin sitting alone at a desk as his government, military and security chiefs took turns addressing him from a podium -- came after weeks of tensions between Moscow and the West over Ukraine.

Western leaders are warning that Russia is planning to invade its pro-Western neighbour after massing more than 150,000 troops on its borders, a claim Moscow has repeatedly denied.

Ukraine on Monday requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to address the threat, citing security assurances it received in return for giving up its nuclear arsenal in 1994.

Announcing the request on Twitter, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba cited article six of the Budapest memorandum, the landmark 1994 deal also signed by Russia, the United States and Britain.

The tensions have spiked in recent days after an outbreak of heavy shellfire on Ukraine's eastern frontline with the separatists and a series of reported incidents on the border with Russia.

Ukrainian officials said two soldiers and a civilian died in the shelling of frontline villages Monday.

In one of the most potentially dangerous, Moscow claimed -- to furious Kyiv denials -- that its forces had intercepted and killed five Ukrainian saboteurs who infiltrated Russian territory, and accused Ukraine of shelling a border post.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said there was no sign of Russian forces withdrawing from the border and Moscow-backed rebels continued to shell Ukrainian positions.

In recent weeks, according to US intelligence, Moscow has massed an invasion force of troops, tanks, missile batteries and warships around Ukraine's borders in Belarus, Russia, Crimea and the Black Sea.

Biden has said that US intelligence believes that Putin has made a decision to invade Ukraine and that commanders are readying units to attack within days.

Western powers threatened a crippling sanctions package if Russia invades but it was unclear how far they would go if Russia stopped with the recognition of the separatists.

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"Feb. 15, 2022 will go down in history as the day when Western war propaganda failed," said Maria Zakharova, the combative Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson, on social media. "They were humiliated and defeated without a single shot," she added. "I'd like to ask," she later wrote, "if U.S. and British sources of disinformation... could publish the schedule of our upcoming invasions for the year. I'd like to plan my holidays."

Earlier this month, U.S. and British officials pointed to Feb. 15 or 16 as the likely start date for a Russian invasion of Ukraine. When the invasion did not happen, Kremlin officials quickly ridiculed Washington for its prediction.

"Biden has given Putin a brilliant off-ramp," McFaul tweeted. "By announcing to the world that Putin plans to invade, Putin can now embarrass Biden by not invading and blaming the West for beating the 'drums of war.' Take it Mr. Putin. Embarrass my president! (Small price to pay for avoiding war)," he added.

After Biden told reporters in Washington that he is now convinced Putin has chosen to invade Ukraine, including striking at Kyiv, McFaul and other former and current diplomats speculated about whether Biden was carefully hemming in his Russian adversary.

Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow, said on Twitter that he thinks the administration may have surprised the Kremlin with how it has competed in an information war that is shaping public perceptions and, possibly, decision-making and even real war planning.

The Biden administration's tactic of publicly disclosing real-time intelligence has raised the eyebrows of some spies, who favor more reticence, but it is drawing praise from information-war specialists and Western diplomats.

Has U.S. President Joe Biden been boxing in his Russian counterpart, making it awkward for Vladimir Putin to order a "shock and awe" invasion of Ukraine?

The Kremlin has consistently denied it is planning to invade Ukraine and has accused Western leaders of whipping up "hysteria." Kremlin-directed media have been telling their domestic Russian audiences that NATO has been fomenting alarmism and is working to shape a false pretext to attack Russia.

Other Western diplomats say the mockery is worth enduring, if it prevents Putin from ordering a re-invasion of Ukraine or disrupts his planning. "I think Biden and his team have been making a good job of it and waging an information war that must have taken the Kremlin by surprise," a senior UN diplomat told VOA on condition of anonymity.

"It has been fascinating to watch the back and forth: Washington has been forward-leaning and anticipatory and been quick to counter Russian disinformation. And I suspect they have upset some Kremlin plans by highlighting them early," he added.

He cited the quick calling out of Russia after the Kremlin last week said it was withdrawing forces from the Ukraine's borders. U.S. and NATO officials were aided in labeling the pullback a ruse by independent commercial satellite surveillance and Earth observation companies, like Maxar, that have been plotting Russia's military buildup and sharing images with the international media.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though, has been critical of Washington's information tactics, and earlier last week he distanced himself from American and British warnings of an imminent invasion, straining Kyiv's relations with Washington. He also half-mocked Western predictions, saying in a national broadcast: "We are told that the Russian invasion will begin on Feb. 16. I therefore declare that this day will be the day of unity in Ukraine."

That was not the first time Zelenskyy differed with NATO since the crisis began. Occasionally the rift has appeared awkward, considering that Kyiv depends on the Western alliance for military aid and diplomatic support, and has called for new and punitive Western sanctions to be imposed now, and not after an invasion, analysts say.

Zelenskyy returned to the West's ominous predictions at the Munich Security Conference, complaining to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris about the frequency of the grave warnings, saying the tactic is damaging Ukraines economy and risks demoralizing Ukrainians.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is unapologetic about how Washington is competing with Russia in the information war. He told reporters Sunday, "We're very confident in the information that we have. And as I said at the United Nations Security Council the other day, I recognize that in the past, sometimes we've come forward with information that's turned out to be inaccurate. We're very confident in the information we have, and we bring it forward not to start a war, but to prevent a war -- a war that's in no one's interests."

Some former and current Western intelligence officials worry about the publicizing of raw real-time intelligence appraisals, saying that if predictions are not borne out then the public will conclude the spies got it wrong, lose faith in them and dismiss the reliability of intelligence, when in fact the disclosure may have prevented something from happening.

American and British intelligence agencies remain under a cloud for their inaccurate assessments of how close Iraq's Saddam Hussein was to making a nuclear bomb and hiding and developing weapons of mass destruction. Those appraisals were used by Washington and London in part to justify the invasion of Iraq and were cited famously by then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in a presentation to the UN in February 2003.

Nonetheless, Blinken stands by the intelligence the administration is receiving, saying the scenarios that have been outlined by U.S. intelligence agencies are convincing.


KYODO NEWS - Feb 21, 2022 - 22:42 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

The head of Japan's largest business lobby suggested Monday that the country's border controls aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus are not based on epidemiological grounds, calling on the government to further ease them by simplifying immigration procedures.

Masakazu Tokura, who leads the Japan Business Federation, said at a press conference that the government's decision to raise the cap on the daily number of new entrants from the current 3,500 to 5,000 starting next month is not enough.

Tokura said he believes the real reasons behind the lack of easing are complicated immigration and tracing procedures for people entering Japan. To solve what he sees as the bottleneck, the chairman of the lobby, also known as Keidanren, requested the government to use more digital technology.

He, however, said the decision last week marked "a first step in paving a way toward allowing people to travel internationally."

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday his government will relax in March Japan's border controls in the wake of criticism from business and academic circles at home and abroad.

Within the new daily cap, foreign nationals will be able to enter the country for purposes other than tourism.

Tokyo and many other areas remain under a quasi-state of emergency, which allows prefectural governors to ask restaurants and bars to close early and stop serving alcohol.

But some health experts have started saying that the latest resurgence of infections driven by the Omicron variant of the virus has likely peaked after hitting the country for more than a month.

Tokura, also chairman of Sumitomo Chemical Co., questioned the need to continue limiting social and economic activities, and said it is necessary to draw an exit strategy from the current sixth wave of infections.

"There should be discussions as fast as possible about what it should be like under an endemic (rather than a pandemic)," he said.

On Monday, Tokyo reported 8,805 new COVID-19 cases, below 10,000 for the first time since Jan. 24. But the number of newly recorded deaths from the disease reached the highest level in more than a year at 30.

The nationwide daily count was 51,986, about 13 percent down from a week ago, with the death toll at 173.

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KYODO NEWS - Feb 21, 2022 - 19:37 | All, World

A vintage U.S. flag with signatures of Japanese-Americans, including survivors of internment camps during World War II, has been donated to a museum in Los Angeles on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of their forced displacement.

The flag was donated to the Japanese American National Museum on Saturday after Johnny Cepeda Gogo, a Superior Court judge in Santa Clara, California, launched a campaign to collect the signatures in March last year.

"The purpose is to honor all...who had to go through the camps, and they lost their freedom, they lost their liberty, they lost their livelihoods," Gogo told Kyodo News.

"Another important goal is to teach our future generations, but also to teach our fellow community members who don't know about this wrongful incarceration," Gogo said.

Since the launch of the flag-signing project, he has collected more than 1,000 signatures from across the United States.

Through an executive order issued on Feb. 19, 1942, by then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the incarceration of around 120,000 Japanese-Americans was carried out under the rationale they might spy for Japan or sabotage the war effort.

In remembrance of the 80th anniversary, U.S. President Joe Biden released a statement on Friday saying, "We reaffirm our commitment to 'Nidoto Nai Yoni,' which translates as 'Let It Not Happen Again.'"

"Despite never being charged with a crime, and without due process, Japanese-Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and communities and incarcerated simply because of their heritage," Biden said.

The number of 48-star vintage flags used in Gogo's campaign with such signatures increased to five, three of which had already been donated to other facilities. The 48 stars represent the number of U.S. states at the time of World War II.

The idea for the campaign came about after Gogo had learned about Fred Korematsu, a second-generation Japanese-American who fought a legal battle against the 1942 executive order, which Roosevelt signed following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

Korematsu filed a suit against the federal government after being arrested for refusing to comply with the internment order but lost his legal fight in 1944.

His conviction was vacated in 1983 after another trial where a San Francisco court recognized the internment program discriminated against Japanese-Americans based on race.

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KYODO NEWS - Feb 21, 2022 - 20:41 | All, Japan

Japan is considering requiring those who want a job in child care or education to submit proof that they are not convicted sex offenders, government officials said Monday, as parents have been calling for such a system amid growing cases of children being sexually abused by teachers and babysitters.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to make the envisioned system, similar to the Disclosure and Barring Service certificates in Britain, the main pillar of a new government agency that will control child-related policies, the officials said.

Earlier this month, Kishida instructed Seiko Noda, the minister in charge of child-related policies, to accelerate studying the certificate system even before the new agency is launched.

In fiscal 2020 ended last March, 200 teachers at Japanese public schools were subject to disciplinary action or reprimanded for obscene acts or sexual harassment. Cases among babysitters and child care workers were also emerging.

In Japan, licensing for teachers and babysitters is overseen by different ministries, making it difficult for authorities to prevent a person with a sex crimes history from switching between professions involving children.

While many parents have welcomed the initiative, some experts are concerned that such a system may hinder the rehabilitation of those who have served their sentences.

Hisashi Sonoda, a professor emeritus of criminal law at Konan University, raised issues such as the risk of information leak on someone's sex crime history and the ambiguity of the definition of sex crimes to be covered under the system.

The system "could lead to the offender becoming a social outcast," he said.

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KYODO NEWS - Feb 21, 2022 - 13:21 | World, All, Coronavirus

Australia on Monday reopened its border to all fully-vaccinated international travelers for the first time in almost two years, after first shutting it in March 2020 in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Tourists, business travelers and all other visa holders meeting the double vaccination requirement were allowed to enter the country from Monday, with some 56 flights expected to touch down throughout the day.

"The wait is over," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters at Melbourne International Airport on Sunday, adding that more than 1.2 million people around the world have been issued with visas and are ready to visit Australia.

The first visitors arriving at Sydney International Airport on Monday were greeted with gifts of Vegemite, toy koalas and kangaroos.

Arrivals will still be subject to varying quarantine requirements including self-isolation and caps on the number of daily new entrants from overseas imposed by each of Australia's states and territories, Morrison said when announcing the reopening earlier in February.

The outbreak of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Australia has apparently passed its peak as the country reported 17,708 new daily cases on Sunday, compared to 155,370 on Jan 14.

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By Trend

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and held a wide range of discussion covering bilateral and global issues, including the Indo-Pacific, the developments surrounding Ukraine and the situation in Afghanistan, Trend reports citing The Tribune.

Jaishankar also met his Iranian counterpart H Amirabdollahian and held productive discussions on bilateral economic cooperation, Afghanistan and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal.

Jaishankar arrived in Germany on Friday to take part in the Munich Security Conference (MSC). The MSC is expected to extensively deliberate on the escalating tension between the NATO countries and Russia over Ukraine. A wide ranging discussion with German Foreign Minister @ABaerbock. Focused on climate action and SDGs, bilaterally and globally, he said
KYODO NEWS - Feb 21, 2022 - 21:14 | All, World

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused China on Monday of reckless conduct after an incident last week during which Canberra says Chinese navy vessels targeted an Australian military aircraft with a laser rangefinder.

The incident is the latest point of tension in the progressively worsening relationship between the two countries, particularly after Morrison called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, and China retaliated by imposing tariffs on a number of Australian goods.

Chinese media earlier accused Australia of "throwing mud" at China, claiming the vessels were forced to take defensive countermeasures after the aircraft flew close to them in a reconnaissance mission.

Undated photo shows a Chinese navy vessel which the Australian Department of Defence says was involved in targeting an Australian military aircraft with a laser rangefinder. (Photo courtesy of Australian Department of Defence)(Kyodo)

The Australian Defense Department has confirmed that a P-8A patrol aircraft carrying out surveillance duties in the Arafura Sea north of Australia detected a laser pointed at the aircraft by a People's Liberation Army Navy vessel on Thursday.

"It was dangerous, it was reckless, and it was unprofessional for what should be a sophisticated navy," Morrison told reporters on Monday, demanding an explanation from Beijing.

Later in the day, the Chinese government brushed aside Morrison's accusation, saying the behavior of the Chinese ships was completely legal.

"We urge Australia to respect the legitimate rights of Chinese ships in accordance with international law and to stop maliciously spreading false information about China," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

In an online report the same day, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, The Global Times, quoted military expert Song Zhongping as saying it was "almost certain" that the Australian aircraft had been conducting a "close-in reconnaissance" on the vessels.

Song told the tabloid that Australia failed to tell the public how close its aircraft flew to the Chinese ships, "so people could not tell if the Chinese vessels were forced to take defensive countermeasures."

It quoted experts as saying the reaction was "an attempt to throw mud at China when the PLA has been sending assistance to other countries in the region like Tonga and the Solomon Islands."

The action, which occurred in Australia's exclusive economic zone, put the lives of up to 10 defense force members in danger, and sparked further concern about China's growing influence in the region, according to The Australian newspaper.

But The Global Times downplayed the use of the laser, saying almost all modern warships are equipped with similar rangefinder devices to measure the distance between objects.

They are "also used for civilian purposes and are of little danger," the Chinese paper said, quoting an unnamed analyst.

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KYODO NEWS - Feb 21, 2022 - 20:57 | All, World

Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets has rejected making any concessions to Russia under a threat of force, as Europe faces its biggest crisis since World War II amid simmering tensions over a possible Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

"I am absolutely convinced that we should not make any concessions in terms of European security architecture," Liimets said in a recent interview with Kyodo News, as the region faces "the most difficult security situation" since the world war ended in 1945.

Tensions remain high amid a Russian military buildup near its border with Ukraine, amassing as many as 190,000 troops. Possibly adding to fears of an invasion, Belarus has also said Russian forces will stay in the country beyond the scheduled end of their joint drills on Sunday.

Belarus also neighbors Ukraine and has close ties with Moscow.

In the event of an invasion, Liimets said, "When it comes to the EU and NATO member states, I believe that we are well-prepared," referring to the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, of which Estonia is a member.

While Liimets said concerned parties are preparing for various scenarios, she expressed hope for a de-escalation of the situation through continued diplomatic efforts.

Her remarks came as the United States and its European allies ramp up diplomacy in trying to defuse tensions over the Eastern European country, while warning Russia of massive consequences, including financial and economic sanctions, should it invade.

On sanctions Russia would face, Liimets said, "I am sure that they know that by now," and that Europe has been prepared militarily and economically to deal with Russia following its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Having met in Munich over the weekend, foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized countries -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States as well as the European Union -- have warned Russia it would incur "severe and unprecedented costs" should there be further aggression against Ukraine.

They also demanded that Russia "take up the offer of dialogue" with Washington and NATO.

NATO's eastward expansion has been criticized by Russia as threatening its security, with Moscow seeking security guarantees that Ukraine will not join the military alliance.

Estonia, a former Soviet republic and one of the three Baltic states, finally put to rest its own border dispute with Russia by signing a 2014 treaty, although it has yet to be ratified by their parliaments.

Citing Estonia's negotiations with Russia, Liimets said, "We have been patient and we believe you have to be patient."

Japan has a decades-old row over the sovereignty of a group of Russian-held islands off Hokkaido. The dispute has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from concluding a postwar peace treaty.

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KYODO NEWS - Feb 21, 2022 - 23:58 | All, World

U.S. President Joe Biden has agreed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to hold a summit on the Ukraine crisis provided Moscow does not take military action, the White House said Sunday, as Western countries continue their diplomatic efforts to prevent a war from breaking out in Europe.

Biden accepted in principle a meeting with Putin after a planned engagement between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday in Europe, according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

The idea of a summit was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who held separate phone talks with the U.S. and Russian leaders on Sunday.

Psaki, however, seemed to play down any optimism that the Ukraine situation is heading toward an improvement, noting that Russia currently appears to be continuing preparations for "a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon."

"We are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins," she said, while reiterating the U.S. warning that any Russian aggression will be met with "swift and severe consequences" such as economic sanctions.

The meeting between the top U.S. and Russian diplomats will also only be held provided Russia does not proceed with military action against the former Soviet republic.

In phone talks held between Putin and Macron, both sides agreed on the need to find a peaceful solution but remained at odds over who was responsible for the deteriorating security situation in the Donbass region. The two leaders held another phone conversation Monday on the situation in Ukraine.

Tensions are running high in Europe with more than 150,000 Russian troops said to have been massed along Ukraine's borders within Russian territory, in Belarus that has close ties with Moscow, as well as in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Belarus said Russian forces will remain in the country even after the scheduled end of their joint drills on Sunday, in a move that can be seen as further adding to pressure on Kyiv.

Russia has been asserting that its security is being threatened by the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the possibility of Ukraine's membership in the 30-country military alliance.

At the same time, Moscow has denied any intention to invade Ukraine.

Biden, however, said Friday he is "convinced" that Putin has decided on an invasion, while noting that diplomacy is not yet off the table.

People wait to pass through the Shehyni checkpoint in western Ukraine to cross the border into Poland on Feb. 18, 2022, amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations, including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, will also meet virtually on Thursday to discuss the Ukraine situation.

"While the situation remains critical, Japan will continue to make diplomatic efforts with other countries to ease tensions," Kishida told a parliamentary committee on Monday.

The G-7 members -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union -- have been stepping up efforts to demonstrate their unity against Russia's massive military buildup which they view as "a challenge to global security and the international order."

They have vowed to impose "severe and unprecedented costs on the Russian economy" should Moscow push ahead with any military aggression against Ukraine.

Separately, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and his Polish counterpart Mariusz Blaszczak agreed in a video call that they will not accept any unilateral change in the status quo by force when they discussed the Ukraine situation.

Blaszczak affirmed that Poland will do its best to support Japan's policy of ensuring the safety of Japanese residents in Ukraine. Poland, which borders the country's west, is likely to become a place of refuge in the event of a Russian invasion.

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KYODO NEWS - Feb 21, 2022 - 23:01 | All, Japan

Heavy snow hit northern Japan on Monday, disrupting air and railway traffic, with weather authorities warning of more blizzards for the region and also some eastern parts of the country.

Some 180 flights to and from New Chitose Airport, the main air gateway to the northern main island of Hokkaido, were canceled, while Hokkaido Railway Co. suspended all train runs to and from JR Sapporo Station Monday and the Hokkaido shinkansen bullet train services were delayed as well.

Almost 1,100 train runs were canceled in Sapporo and other areas of Hokkaido as of 9:10 p.m., or around 90 percent of the daily train services in the region, affecting 155,000 customers.

With up to 50 centimeters of snow expected in areas near the Hokkaido capital Sapporo by Tuesday evening, the railway operator said it will suspend train services at Sapporo Station on Tuesday morning.

The capital had seen snowfall of over 30 cm in 24 hours through 3 p.m. Monday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

A traffic accident involving several vehicles occurred on the Hakodate-Esashi Expressway in Hokuto, Hokkaido, with eight people rushed to the hospital. One of them was pronounced dead, local rescue workers said.

Heavy snow and wind are believed to have created extremely poor visibility conditions, or a whiteout, at the site. Many vehicles have been stranded on the expressway, they said.

About a dozen vehicles were also involved in two other accidents each in Hokuto, and multiple-vehicle accidents also occurred in other parts of Hokkaido, local police said.

In a 24-hour period Monday, 76 cm of snowfall were observed in Rausu, Hokkaido, while 64 cm of snow were seen in Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, 62 cm in Nozawaonsen, Nagano Prefecture, and 59 cm in Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture.

Heavy snow is forecast to continue to fall in the north and east, with 70 cm of snow expected in part of the Hokuriku region on the Sea of Japan coast, 50 cm in part of Hokkaido and the northeastern Tohoku region and 40 cm in some areas in the Kanto-Koshin region in eastern and central Japan in 24 hours through 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to the weather agency.
KYODO NEWS - Feb 21, 2022 - 15:57 | World, All

Taiwan on Monday lifted an import ban on food products from Fukushima and four other Japanese prefectures imposed in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Amid efforts to secure Japanese support for its bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration said that the ban on food products from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Gunma, Tochigi and Chiba prefectures will be "adjusted" based on risks -- a change from the ban based on the production areas.

The ban was lifted except for certain food items such as mushrooms and wild animal meat. Food products from the five prefectures still have to carry prefecture-specific origin labels and documents proving that they passed radiation inspection.

In March 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Following the disaster, 55 countries and regions introduced import curbs on Japanese food products, but most have already lifted them.

In a 2018 referendum, Taiwan voters chose to maintain the ban, after which the government of President Tsai Ing-wen had continued barring food imports from the prefectures.

But the government had also argued that relaxing the ban would facilitate Taiwan's application to join the trade deal, formally known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Japan played a leading role in negotiations on the trade pact following the withdrawal of the United States in 2017 during the administration of President Donald Trump.

Taiwan submitted its application in September last year, just days after mainland China filed its bid for membership.

Related coverage:

IAEA to report in April on Japan's plan to release Fukushima water

Japan 2021 farm exports hit record high for 9th year amid pandemic

Japan gov't to raise 5 tril. yen via stock sales for 2011 quake recovery
British Queen Elizabeth II visits Haig Housing Trust to officially open their new housing development in Morden for armed forces veterans and the ex-service community in London, Britain, on Oct. 11, 2019. (Photo by Ray Tang/Xinhua)

The queen is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week, the palace said.



LONDON, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday.

The queen is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week, the palace said.

"She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines," it added.

People cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London, Britain on Jan. 24, 2022. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

The announcement was made just a few weeks after the 95-year-old monarch marked her Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

Earlier this month, Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time after he fell ill with the virus in 2020. British media said he had seen the queen a few days before his positive diagnosis, citing palace sources.

People walk on Westminster Bridge in London, Britain, Feb. 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
RAMALLAH, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Palestine is in contact with several international parties to stop the eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian official said on Sunday.

"The aim of leading the contacts is to stop Israel's measures to evict families from Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and create international pressure on Israel," Ahmed al-Ruweidi, presidential advisor on Jerusalem affairs, told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

He accused the Israeli authorities of planning to completely demolish 22,000 homes in East Jerusalem, of which 250 were announced for demolition during the first half of this year.

Efforts to gain international attention on the issue "are important," al-Ruweidi said.

Sheikh Jarrah, one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in East Jerusalem that includes most diplomatic consulates, has witnessed tensions since last week.

Tensions have mounted against threats by Israeli authorities to expel several Palestinian families from their homes. 




-- China has started work on a mega project to build an integrated national big data system to improve overall computing power and resource efficiency, both crucial factors defining the country's future productivity and development sustainability.

-- The project involves establishing eight national computing hubs in the country's economic powerhouses and less developed yet resource-rich regions, as well as 10 national data center clusters.

-- By creating a national computing power network, the project will support the less developed regions with abundant renewable energy resources to store and process data transmitted from the economically advanced areas to address the soaring demand and the regional capacity imbalance.

BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has started work on a mega project to build an integrated national big data system to improve overall computing power and resource efficiency, both crucial factors defining the country's future productivity and development sustainability.

The project involves establishing eight national computing hubs in the country's economic powerhouses and less developed yet resource-rich regions, plus 10 national data center clusters, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the top economic planner.

Among the eight computing hubs, four will be set up in economically backward regions including the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the southwestern Guizhou Province as well as the northwestern Gansu Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The other four will be located in the more developed Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.

The move comes amid a surge of demand for computing capacity as the country rides the digitalization wave, but shortages of energy and land resources have limited the expansion of data centers in the more developed regions.

"Computing power has already become an important infrastructure for the national economic development," the NDRC said in a Q&A on its website, expecting China's demand for computing power to surge by over 20 percent annually in upcoming years.

By creating a national computing power network, the project will support the less developed regions with abundant renewable energy resources to store and process data transmitted from the economically advanced areas to address the soaring demand and the regional capacity imbalance.

Specifically, the four hubs in northern and western regions will be built into bases to undertake the country's non-real-time computing demand such as background processing, offline analysis as well as data storage and backup.

In the meantime, the rest four hubs in more developed regions will serve businesses that require greater network capacity like industrial internet and telemedicine, but the data centers will be gradually moved away from metropolises to balance computing capacity and resource sustainability.

A visitor watches a video at the China International Big Data Industry Expo 2021 in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Sun Wei, an official with the NDRC's department of innovation and high-tech development, said the project was "an integrated arrangement at the national level," which, like past cross-regional mega projects, has given full play to the advantage of the country's system and mechanism.

China is adept at addressing regional resource imbalances with strategic projects. In past decades, the country has realigned the allocation of key resources like water, gas and electricity by building canals, pipelines and power grids across the country.

Apart from optimizing computing capacity, the mega project is China's solution to the dilemma of supporting the highly energy-demanding data centers under ambitious carbon goals, as one mega data center could consume nearly 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year.

In Zhongwei, a city on the edge of the Tengger Desert in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the vast desert and biting cold weather used to restrict local economic development, but today such weaknesses have become ideal conditions for data centers.

Aerial photo taken on May 31, 2019 shows a cloud computing base under construction in Zhongwei City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Hongfa)

With a high share of clean energy in its power mix and an annual average temperature of 8.8 degrees Celsius to help keep servers cool, the northwestern city has already built six mega data centers serving internet companies like Meili Cloud Computing.

Gui'an New Area, a national-level new urban area in Guizhou, is now home to data centers of tech giants Huawei and Tencent. The local natural environment has allowed Huawei's data center to save over one billion kilowatt-hours of power and cut 810,000 tonnes of carbon emission annually, according to the company.

Huawei said the data center in Gui'an will also serve as its global IT maintenance engineer base and employee training base, which would need the support of 600 to 800 engineers and provide training to around 10,000 people a year, facilitating local industries related to big data as well as the service sector.

"The construction of computing power hubs and data center clusters will effectively boost investment in upstream and downstream industries," said Sun, noting that data centers bring about long industrial chains and massive investment.

A staff member checks equipment at a data center of China Mobile in Gui'an New Area of southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

Moving computing facilities to less developed areas will prompt the relocation of related industries and boost inter-regional flows of data and value, leaving more room for development in the east while ushering in a new stage in large-scale development in the western regions, he said.

The NDRC believes sectors such as construction, IT equipment manufacturing, information communication, software and green energy supply will benefit from the massive computing capacity shift.

The mega data project has "innovated the east-west cooperation pattern," said Yu Jianguo, chief information officer of China Southern Power Grid. The company has decided to invest 10 billion yuan (about 1.58 billion U.S. dollars) for an energy data center in Guizhou.

Yu said he expects the cross-regional project to strengthen industrial integration, the flow of factors and computing capacity collaboration across regions, thus unlocking the potential of regional cooperation and achieving win-win development.

(Video reporters: Sun Qing, Liu Qinbing, Pan Dexin; Video editors: Liu Ruoshi, Luo Hui) 




ISLAMABAD, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Economists in Pakistan urge the U.S. to fulfill its commitment to removing the additional tariffs it has imposed on China, saying "protectionism is a vicious cycle that affects all countries badly."





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
TEHRAN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed in a warplane crash in Iran's northwestern city of Tabriz on Monday morning, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported.

The victims were the pilot, co-pilot and a civilian, an official in Red Crescent Society of Tabriz was quoted as saying.

The F-5 warplane, which had flown from the Shahid Fakuri second Air Base in Tabriz in East Azarbaijan Province, hit the wall of a school that was closed, according to the official.

Relief agencies and the military are carrying out a rescue operation. A fire that erupted following the crash has been extinguished, the report said.

The cause of the incident is under investigation, it added. 
Hong Kong: Epidemiologists extend HK stay

The Government today said the Mainland epidemiological expert delegation will extend its stay in Hong Kong to next Monday and support the Centre for Health Protection's (CHP) virus tracking work.

Calling on the University of Hong Kongs School of Public Health this morning, the expert delegation and Department of Health officials spoke to the schools representatives about the application of genome sequencing in epidemiological investigation and analyses.

This was followed by a meeting among Guangdong Health Commission Deputy Director General Zhang Yurun, the expert delegation, Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam and CHP Controller Dr Edwin Tsui, where the epidemiological characteristics of the fifth wave of COVID-19 infections and the preliminary observations by the expert delegation were discussed.

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan said she is grateful for the Mainland experts extended stay to offer guidance and assistance.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will spare no effort and leverage the central governments experience and guidance in fighting the epidemic and fully utilise the central governments support in manpower and resources, with a view to enhancing the capability in epidemiological investigation and analyses.

Dr Lam expressed his gratitude to the Central Peoples Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government for their swift and extensive support.

The department endeavours to stabilise the situation to protect citizens lives, safety and health, he emphasised.

This story has been published on: 2022-02-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Trend

Air India is winning applause on social media for its pilots deft skills in adverse circumstances. On Friday, a clip from a YouTube live streaming channel called Big Jet TV went viral on social media, Trend reports citing India Today.

The video was recorded by Jerry Dyers, the founder of the channel for aviation enthusiasts. He is heard narrating the live incident as an Air India flight makes a risky landing at Londons Heathrow International Airport.

As the aircraft rocked slightly while approaching the runway, you can hear Dyers say, Just checking to see if hes gonna land itlooks like hes got it; winds are gusting. yeah, very skilled Indian pilot there.

The United Kingdom issued a red weather warning as the record-breaking winds of Storm Eunice hit parts of the country, bringing life to a standstill, causing damage to life and property.

As several flights stood cancelled or were diverted as they missed their approach to London Heathrow, two Air India flights landed amid gusty winds on their first attempts. The flights were AI147 from Hyderabad and AI145 from Goa.

India Today Television learnt that Captain Anchit Bhardwaj was commander of AI147 and Captain Aditya Rao was at the helm on board AI145.
A Palestinian worker displays doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines at the Palestinian Authority's storage facility in Gaza City, Feb. 21, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA/RAMALLAH, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian authorities on Monday received 500,000 doses of Egypt-made Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the coastal enclave Gaza Strip.

Carrying the VACSERA-Sinovac label, the batch was manufactured by Egypt's Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines and arrived in Gaza through its southern Rafah border crossing from Egypt.

The shipment was received by senior officials of the Palestinian health ministry at the border crossing. Ashraf Abu Mhadi, director-general of pharmacy, said the ministry thanks those who contributed to immunizing the Palestinian community.

A Palestinian worker displays doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines at the Palestinian Authority's storage facility in Gaza City, Feb. 21, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Abu Mhadi told Xinhua that the vaccines would play a key role in boosting the immunity of Palestinians in Gaza against the virus.

"The vaccines came at the right time, especially that the Gaza Strip, in which more than two million people live, is facing the peak of the fourth wave of coronavirus," he said.

He noted that the vaccines would help prevent the severe complications resulting from the infections, and called for foreign donations of medical supplies to help relieve the severe shortage. 
Overseas passengers arrive at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21, 2022.

Australia's international border reopened to travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on Monday, marking an end to restrictions that were introduced to prevent the spread of the virus in March 2020. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

CANBERRA, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Australia reported more than 15,000 new COVID-19 cases on Monday when the country welcomed its first international tourists in almost two years after reopening its border.

Australia's international border reopened to travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on Monday, marking an end to restrictions that were introduced to prevent the spread of the virus in March 2020.

Fifty-six flights were due to land in Australia in the 24 hours after reopening.

Dan Tehan, the federal minister for trade, tourism and investment, was at the Sydney international airport on Monday morning to welcome the first arrivals and said it was a milestone for Australia.

"The first passengers had a huge smile on their face even though they have been on a plane for what, 20-odd hours," he told Nine Network television. "The warmth of the welcome that the Australian people give our overseas visitors hasn't gone away."

The return of double vaccinated international visitors will reinvigorate Australia's tourism sector, which supports 660,000 jobs and contributed 60.4 billion Australian dollars (about 43 billion U.S. dollars) to the economy in 2018-19, according to Tehan's media release on Monday.

David Marshall, chair of the Canberra Region Tourism Leaders Forum, said it would take up to 18 months for the tourism industry to recover from the pandemic.

"We're really playing catch-up," he told The Canberra Times.

The country on Monday reported more than 15,000 new coronavirus infections and 17 deaths -- seven in New South Wales, six in Queensland, three in Victoria and one in the Australian Capital Territory.

Monday marked one year since Australia administered its first coronavirus vaccines.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said that more than 53.2 million vaccinations have now been administered in Australia. 

An Air New Zealand flight arrives at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21, 2022.

Australia's international border reopened to travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on Monday, marking an end to restrictions that were introduced to prevent the spread of the virus in March 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

An Air New Zealand flight arrives at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21, 2022.

Australia's international border reopened to travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on Monday, marking an end to restrictions that were introduced to prevent the spread of the virus in March 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)
New Delhi:

The Election Commission on Sunday shunted DCP (south-east) Chinmoy Biswal, citing "ongoing situation" in the area, which saw two firing incidents -- one outside the Jamia Millia Islamia University and another near Shaheen Bagh -- in three days.

"As decided by the Election Commission, this is to convey that Chinmoy Biswal IPS (2008), DCP (South-East) stands relieved from his present post with immediate effect and shall report to the MHA. In view of the ongoing situation, Commission directs that Kumar Gyanesh, DANIPS (1997) Senior most Additional DCP (South-East) shall take charge of DCP (South-East) immediately from Chinmoy Biswal," the commision said in a statement.

A 2008-batch IPS officer, Biswal after passing out from the National Police Academy, Hyderabad, was trained in Delhi and later posted as the Assistant Commissioner of Police in East District for the Commonwealth Games 2010.

Also Read | Shaheen Bagh Protest: Locals Stage Demonstration Against Closure Of Kalindi Kunj Road

He was also posted in Andaman & Nicobar Islands in December 2010 as an Assistant Superintendent of Police. In the beginning of his career in the islands, Biswal handled the high profile CBSE question paper leak case as an investigating officer.

Biswal was also conferred with the Lt Governor's commendation certificate on January 26, 2012 for commendable performance as a police officer.

Biswal and the police were criticised after a person fired from a pistol on a group of anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protesters in the area on Thursday, injuring a student of the Jamia Millia Islamia University.

On Sunday, a court in Delhi sent Kapil Gujjar, arrested for firing in the air at Shaheen Bagh area during the protest, to a two-day police custody.

Also Read | Shaheen Bagh Shooting: Delhi Court Sends Accused Kapil Gujjar To Two Days Police Remand

Kapil was produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vijeta Singh Rawat.

On Saturday, he had fired two rounds in the air at Shaheen Bagh, where anti-CAA protests are being held for over a month now.

After being overpowered by police personnel, Kapil had chanted "Jai Shri Ram" and said, "hamare desh me aur kisi ki nahi chalegi, sirf Hinduon ki chalegi (only Hindus shall have a say in our country, no one else)," as he was taken into custody by the Delhi Police.

This was the second such incident reported from Shaheen Bagh in a span of three days.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi:

A day after the firing incident at Shaheen Bagh, people held a protest against the women staging a sit-in at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act, reported ANI. People hold protest against the women sit-in protest against Citizenship Amendment Act in Shaheen Bagh area, tweeted ANI. According to reports, South-East DCP Chinmay Biswas is at the spot to oversee law and order situation.

The protesters demanded that the people, who have been sitting on dharna there for over a month to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, should clear the stretch as the commuters are facing difficulties, police said.

Meanwhile, a fringe right-wing group has called-off its planned "clearance event". The Hindu Sena claimed that the decision to abandon their plan was taken after they met senior police officials of the area. The outfit claimed that the purpose of the call was to help clear off the roads connecting Delhi to Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi: People hold protest against the women sit-in protest against #CitizenshipAmendmentAct in Shaheen Bagh area. pic.twitter.com/lrsc55GTAL  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2020

"The event has been Called-off after it was brought to our notice that our 29/01/2020 Press release and video were circulated for the purpose of fear-mongering and to fuel riot-like situation by the anti-India elements organizing and supporting the unconstitutional and illegal Shaheen Bagh protest (sic)," the press release stated.

Shaheen Bagh protestors say they won't leave site

Unfazed by the firing incident at Shaheen Bagh on Saturday, protestors said they will continue their stir at the site until the government revokes the amended citizenship law.

A 25-year-old man fired two rounds in the air in the southeast Delhi locality, triggering a panic on Saturday evening. The man was later taken into custody and no one was injured in the incident.

Soon after, more protestors were seen flocking to the site. Some sung the national anthem, while others formed a human chain and offered namaz. The protestors also raised slogans against the Delhi Police. A woman protestor, who didnt wish to be named, said the incident created a panic among them as well as the children.
New Delhi:

A woman teacher and her sister were brutally assaulted by a mob allegedly led by local Trinamool Congress leader in West Bengals South Dinajpur district. The assault that took place on February 2nd came to light after the video of the assault went viral on the social media. Latest reports say that a primary school teacher in her late 20s was protesting against some local thugs encroaching her family land. In the video, the woman teacher was tied up with a rope, dragged and beaten up on road by a group of people. The attackers were allegedly led local Trinamool Congress leader Amal Sarkar.

Trinamool Leader Behind Assault

According to an NDTV report, Sarkar has been suspended by Trinamool district chief Arpita Ghosh. While ordering Sarkars suspension, Trinamool Congress district chief Arpita Ghosh also added that, one should not stop development work. The victims have been identified as Smriti Kana Das and sister Soma Das. Though no official statement has been made so far by the BJP, some reports suggest that the two women were saffron party supporters. So far, no one has been arrested for the assault. We have received a complaint and investigation is on, Purnendu Kumar Kundu, inspector-in-charge of Gangarampur police station was quoted as saying.

Also Read: 'Mamata Banerjee Is Like Lankini': Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Says Bengal CM Has 'Traits Of Demon'

In her police complaint, the 29-year-old primary school teacher said that, They (assaulters) tried to hit me on my head with an iron road. I somehow managed to dodge the attack. When I fell down they tied my legs with a rope and dragged me for nearly 30 feet. I was beaten up, my modesty was outraged and I was threatened.

No Country For Women

Trinamool Congress president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has not issued any statement over the issue. The Dinajpur incident yet again highlights poor state of women safety in the country. The recently-released NCRB data shows disturbing, upward trend of crime against women.

Also Read: Flying Objects Existed During Ramayana Days, Arjun's Arrow Had Atomic Power: West Bengal Governor

As many as 3,59,849 cases of crime against women were registered across the country in 2017, continuing the upward trend for the third consecutive year, the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released on Monday showed. In 2015, 3,29,243 cases of crimes against women were registered and 3,38,954 cases were registered in 2016. The cases categorised as crimes against women include murder, rape, dowry death, suicide abetment, acid attack, cruelty against women and kidnapping, etc.

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Washington:

Advising its citizens to reconsider visiting Pakistan due to terrorism, the US on Friday issued the highest-level travel alert for the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with the Line of Control.

The Level 4 of US travel advisory means asking citizens not to travel to the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) along with the LoC. The rest of the areas in Pakistan continues to remain on Level 3 of the travel alert.

Do not travel to the India-Pakistan border. Militant groups are known to operate in the area. India and Pakistan maintain a strong military presence on both sides of the border, the State Department said.

Indian and Pakistani military forces periodically exchange gunfire and artillery fire across the LoC, the advisory said.

Do not travel to KPK province, which includes the former FATA. Active terrorist and insurgent groups routinely conduct attacks against civilians, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government offices and security forces, the State Department said.

These groups historically have not discriminated between government officials and civilians. Assassination and kidnapping attempts are common, including the targeting of polio eradication teams, it said.

According to the State Department, terrorist groups continue plotting attacks in Pakistan. A local history of terrorism and ongoing ideological aspirations of violence by extremist elements have led to indiscriminate attacks on civilian as well as local military and police targets, it said.

Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, military installations, airports, universities, tourist locations, schools, hospitals, places of worship and government facilities. Terrorists have targeted US diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past, the advisory added.

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New Delhi:

Continuing his attack on Arvind Kejriwal and Shaheen Bagh protest, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said when the Article 370 of the Constitution, that gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated, the pain was felt by Pakistan as well as the Delhi CM.

Adiyanath said Shaheen Bagh protest, the epicentre of the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), is a malicious attempt to disturb peace and normal life.

"When Article 370 was abrogated, pain was felt by Pakistan and Arvind Kejriwal," Adityanath said, addressing a rally in south Delhi's Badarpur.

Adityanath said in the Delhi elections, on one side there is the leadership of Narendra Modi for development and nationalism, on the other, there is the Congress and Kejriwal who "support divisive forces".

"The BJP is working with zero tolerance towards terrorism. But Kejriwal is busy with sponsoring and offering biryani in Shaheen Bagh," he said.

Lashing out at the people protesting against the new citizenship law, Adityanath on Saturday alleged that those who support terrorists in Kashmir were staging protest in Shaheen Bagh and raising slogans of 'azadi'.

Addressing a series of rallies in the national capital, Adityanath also said that "their ancestors divided India", so they have a grouse against this emerging 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat', and slammed the AAP government, saying it "supplies biryani" to protesters in Shaheen Bagh.

"(Delhi CM Arvind) Kejriwal cannot even provide clean drinking water to the people of Delhi... According to a (BIS) survey, the Delhi government is making its people drink poisonous water. But it is supplying biryani to those protesting in Shaheen Bagh and elsewhere in the city," he said.

Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been protesting in Shaheen Bagh since December 15 against the amended law and the National Register of Citizens. They say the citizenship law is discriminatory and fear it targets Muslims.

At a rally in support of BJP candidate Vijender Gupta in Rohini, Adityanath claimed Mahatma Gandhi had said India should provide citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians fleeing atrocities in Pakistan, and "therefore, it (the citizenship law) should be welcomed".

In December, Adityanath declared that his government would recover losses due to violence during protests against the law by seizing the properties of those involved in vandalism.

The UP CM also said that since Narendra Modi became the prime minister, "we have been identifying every terrorist and feeding them 'goli' instead of biryani".

"Let Kashmir remain in peace ... If you will speak the language of Pakistan, in favour of Pakistan, the soldier's gun will show you the way to hell," he said.

At another rally in Karawal Nagar Chowk in east Delhi, he again slammed the anti-CAA protesters, saying "their ancestors divided India, so they have a grouse against this emerging 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat'."

(With PTI inputs)
Sarmeen:

Air strikes by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally on Sunday killed 14 civilians in the last major opposition bastion of Idlib in the country's northwest, a war monitor said. Moscow-backed government forces have upped their deadly bombardment of the jihadist-dominated region in recent weeks, chipping at its southern edge and causing tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Eight of those killed Sunday died in a regime barrel bomb attack in the town of Sarmeen, seven from the same family, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Rescue workers pulled the bodies of a nine-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy from the debris of a two-storey building, an AFP correspondent in the town said. Their father, Abu Fida, stood by weeping. "It's a terrible disaster," he said.

Abu Fida said he and his family had fled bombardment on Sarmeen on Thursday, with just the clothes on their back. They returned on Saturday night to collect their belongings, deciding to spend a last night at home before leaving for good. "I wanted to get my family out this morning but my wife told me to go to work. So I sent them a driver with a car to transport their things," but then aircraft hit the house, he told AFP.

His wife was inside the house when it was struck, but he survived with three other children. In the rest of the emballed bastion Sunday, Russian and regime air strikes killed another six civilians, the Observatory said. The Britain-based monitor says it relies on sources inside Syria, and determines who carries out air strikes according to flight patterns, as well as the aircraft and ammunition involved.

Nine years into the war, the Damascus regime is back in control of around 70 percent of the country, but the northwestern region of Idlib remains beyond its reach. Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate controls the Idlib region, home to some three million people, but pro-Ankara rebel groups are also present. In recent months, pro-Damascus forces have pressed northwards along the M5 highway that connects the capital Damascus to second city Aleppo in the north, crossing Idlib.

Last week the government forces retook from rebels the key town of Maaret al-Numan along the highway and are now just several kilometres from the abandoned town of Saraqeb. Clashes are also raging in the bastion's eastern flank in Aleppo province, where state news agency SANA said four television journalists were wounded Sunday. The journalists for a pro-Damascus channel and two Arabic-language Iranian outlets were targeted by "terrorists", SANA said, using its blanket term for jihadists and rebels.

A Turkish-Russian deal in 2018 saw Turkish troops deploy at observation posts around Idlib, but the agreement has failed to stem repeated regime military offensives. On Sunday morning, an AFP correspondent and the Observatory said a Turkish military convoy of hundreds of vehicles entered northern Syria, deploying in Idlib and neighbouring Aleppo province. Increased violence since early December has forced around 388,000 people to escape their homes in northwestern Syria, the United Nations says.

The Observatory says that more than 260 civilians have been killed. Half of the Idlib region's residents have been displaced throughout the war, with many living in precarious shelters in the countryside along the Turkish border. Ankara -- which already hosts more than three million Syrian refugees on its soil -- fears the latest fighting will lead to another mass influx. On Sunday, hundreds of Syrian men, women and children marched towards the frontier demanding to be allowed through in a symbolic protest, an AFP correspondent said.

Also Read: Russian Air Strikes In Syria Kill 23 Civilians: Monitor

Near the Syrian border town of Harem, women lugged bags and men carried small children towards the razor-wired wall blocking the way to Turkey, he said. "From Idlib to Berlin," read one banner, referring to the German capital many Syrians dream of reaching as they escape the war. Among the demonstrators, Mohammed said he was looking to a better alternative for his family of nine after fleeing his hometown. "Our goal is to go and live in a safe country -- Turkey or Europe," he told AFP. "Here it's no longer safe." Syria's civil war has killed more than 380,000 people since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

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New Delhi:

With experts terming the new tax regime complex and unavailing, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said the new structure will definitely benefit taxpayers in certain brackets, and more clarification will be issued by the government, if needed. Soon after the announcement of new income tax regime, the government on Saturday evening came out with a list of exemptions applicable for taxpayers switching to the new tax system. "Last night one set of clarificatory notes was released, today there will be more. That the new scheme will eventually result in people paying more than in the old scheme, why would I come with such a system," Sitharaman said.

She defended the new scheme by saying that it will benefit some taxpayers falling in certain brackets, if not all. Because the income cuts are deeper in the new scheme, we believe a taxpayer from a particular income bracket will be much better off coming into the new system. And the new system, however much I repeatedly say has no exemptions, there are some exemptions that we have allowed in the new system also, she said.

Industry experts, however, said that two tax regimes with optionality for personal tax, as in case of corporate taxes, only make the structure more complicated.

With the optional new regime, taxpayers will have to evaluate what works better for them. Those committed to long-term savings and investing via 80C may be discouraged and this may likely de-motivate them from investing in tax-saving asset classes, said Archit Gupta, founder of Cleartax.

Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar Shaw tweeted that removal of exemptions and DDT will hurt individual tax payer and affect consumer spending. Ajit Mishra of Religare Broking said the widely expected personal income tax cuts have come in with lots of caveats, leaving no major impacts.

The government on Saturday introduced new tax slabs with reduced rates for an annual income of up to Rs 15 lakh for those foregoing exemptions and deductions under a simplified tax regime. The new income tax system is optional and a taxpayer can choose to remain in the existing regime with exemptions and deductions.

It is to be noted that once the option to opt for new tax regime is exercised, it will remain valid for subsequent years.

In order to provide significant relief to the individual taxpayers and to simplify the Income-Tax law, I propose to bring a new and simplified personal income tax regime wherein income tax rates will be significantly reduced for the individual taxpayers who forgo certain deductions and exemptions, Sitharaman said in her Budget Speech.

Under the new tax proposal, people with an annual income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh will not have to pay any tax. For income between Rs 2.5 lakh to 5 lakh, the tax rate (as earlier) is 5 per cent.

Further, those with an income of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh will have to pay a reduced tax rate of 10 per cent; between Rs 7.5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh 15 per cent; between Rs 10 lakh and 12.5 lakh 20 per cent; between Rs 12.5 lakh and 15 lakh 25 per cent; and above Rs 15 lakh 30 per cent.

The new tax regime shall be optional for the taxpayers. An individual who is currently availing more deductions and exemption under the Income Tax Act may choose to avail them and continue to pay tax in the old regime, the minister had said.

The proposal would lead to a revenue sacrifice of Rs 40,000 crore per annum.

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New Delhi:

Former Union minister and BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde on Saturday called the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi a drama. The Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada while addressing a public event in Bengaluru, said the entire freedom movement was staged with the consent and support of the British. "None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle," news agency ANI quoted Hegde as saying.

Terming Mahatma Gandhi's hunger strikes and satyagraha a drama, Hegde said: "People supporting Congress keep saying that India got independence because of the fast unto death and satyagraha. This is not true. The British did not leave the country because of satyagraha."

"Britishers gave independence out of frustration. My blood boils when I read history. Such people become Mahatma in our country," Hegde added.

ALSO READ | Fadnavis Enacted CM 'Drama' In Maharashtra To 'Move' Rs 40,000 Crore To 'Wherever It Belong': Anant Kumar Hegde

When Hegde asked an IAS officer to go to Pakistan

This is not the first time Anant Kumar Hegde has stroked a controversy. Earlier he had slammed IAS officer Sashikanth Senthil who resigned from his post saying "fundamental building blocks of democracy are being compromised in an unprecedented manner. Taking to Twitter, Hegdehad written: If this guy can conclude that the Union Government is fascist; then we have the liberty to call him another paid #Gaddar, dancing to the tunes set by his real paymasters! This may be the debate he wants to initiate! (sic).



In another tweet in Kannada, Hegde said that first thing Senthil needs to do is immediately go to Pakistan.

In an interview to Hindustan Times Senthil had said what is happening in the national scenario pushed me to get out of the services. I feel this reached a crescendo when it came to the abrogation of Article 370.

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By Trend

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said he met with senior Iraqi and Iraqi-Kurdish officials to discuss Turkeys ongoing fight against the PKK terrorist organization, which had been using the Iraqi territories since the late 1980s, Trend reports citing Hurriyet Daily News.

Akar, who attended the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, held meetings with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Nechirvan Barzani and KRG Prime Minister Mesrur Barzani on the sidelines of the conference.

I have very clearly told them: We have been fighting [against the PKK] for 40 years. We now need to get rid of this as soon as possible. We reminded them of our principle that wherever terrorists are, that is our target, Akar told reporters in Munich on Feb. 20.

Turkey will continue its fight against all sorts of terrorist organizations until it secures its borders and protects the safety of the country and its citizens, Akar said, stressing that the Turkish armys continued cross-border operations should not be seen as a disrespect to the neighboring countries.

To the contrary, we want to be helpful to them. We are exerting efforts for establishing order, calm and peace by eliminating terror elements, he stressed, informing that his Iraqi interlocutors also agreed on this

principle. We are all on the same page in the fight against terror and getting rid of it as soon as possible.

The minister also said he informed Iraqi authorities that the Turkish army is paying utmost sensitivity and attention in order not to harm civilians as well as historical, religious and cultural sites during the operations.
New Delhi:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday conducted raids at several locations in connection with the arrest of Davinder Singh, the suspended Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police. Singh was arrested for helping two terrorists travel out of the newly formed Union Territory and has been sent to 15-day custody of the NIA. Multiple teams of the investigating agency fanned in various parts of south Kashmir and carried out the searches at some private offices and residences, they said.

The searches come days after NIA officers interrogated all the accused arrested in the case.

Besides Singh, the others arrested were: Syed Naveed Mushtaq Ahmed alias Naveed Babu, who is a self-styled commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Rafi Ahmed Rather and Irfan Shafi Mir, who claims to be an advocate.

They were arrested from the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway near Qazigund in South Kashmir. Later, Naveeds brother, Syed Irfan Ahmed, was also arrested on January 23 after he was brought from Punjab.

He was in constant touch with his brother and had asked him to look for an accommodation in Chandigarh where they could escape the harsh winters months of Kashmir. He had visited the neighbouring country five times on an Indian passport.

Role in Parliament attack?

Was arrested Jammu and Kashmir Police officer Davinder Singh involved in the 2001 Parliament attack? This is the question that the security agencies would be probing, the latest report on Thursday said. According to a media report, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbagh Singh said that nobody is above the law and everything can be probed. The remark gains significance amid the ongoing probe by the National Investigation Agency. Now-suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police, Davinder Singh was arrested on Saturday in a car along with three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists. The links between Davinder Singh and the 2001 Parliament attack are not new. Earlier, Afzal Guru, the prime accused in the case had alleged that it was Singh who had sent him to Delhi and made other key arrangements just before the attack.

The letter

In a letter to his lawyer, which is being widely quoted by media reports, Afzal Guru had claimed that Davinder Singh tortured him and was forced to help one of the terrorists that carried out the attack on Parliament under pressure from Singh. The letter is detailed in Arundhati Roys book The Hanging of Afzal Guru and the strange case of the attack on Indian Parliament. In the letter, Guru had said that he started facing trouble after his failed separatist bid and returned to Kashmir. He had written in his letter how the STF started torturing him. He had claimed that it was the STF that provided him with the phone that was found on the body of one of the terrorists killed in the attack.

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JNU researcher Sharjeel Imam was arrested by the Delhi Police over sedition charges. (Photo Credit: File)

New Delhi:

JNU researcher Sharjeel Imam, who has been arrested by the Delhi Police over sedition charges, allegedly called for a large-scale "disruptive chakka-jaam" in Delhi to grab international's media attention. In a pamphlet, a copy of which is with News Nation, the former organiser of the Shaheen Bagh protest, allegedly wrote: "Thousands of Muslim youths are ready to disrupt Delhi which will give international media attention to our issue."

"This law [CAA] is unconstitutional and intends to disfranchise Muslims and put them in detention camps. It has already started in Assam and will follow elsewhere... Kashmir, Babri and now CAA, there are more than enough grounds for a strong reaction from Muslims across India."

The pamphlet also asked people to gather at Jamia Milia Islamia at 3pm.

The police have claimed that the pamphlet was printed and distributed in mosques on December 14, and the violence in and outside Jamia campus took place on December 15.

Also Read | Delhi Court Extends Police Remand Of Sharjeel Imam For Three More Days

On Monday, a Delhi court extended the police custody of Imam by three days, his lawyer said.

Imam was produced at the residence of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Purushottam Pathak in the evening amidst high security, said advocate Mishika Singh, appearing for the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) research scholar in the matter.

Imam was arrested from Bihar's Jehanabad on January 28 for allegedly making inflammatory speeches at the Jamia Millia Islamia University and in Aligarh.

He was brought to Delhi the next day.

The court had earlier sent Imam to a five-day police custody. PTI URD

Earlier, Imam's mobile phone and laptop along with some anti-CAA posters were seized from his house in Bihar's Jehanabad and rented flat in Vasant Kunj, the police.

During investigation, a laptop and a desktop belonging to Imam were recovered from his rented flat at Vasant Kunj, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajesh Deo said.

Also Read | Sedition Accused Sharjeel Imam Admits Viral Video Genuine, Claims 'Cut Off Assam' Remark Taken Out Of Context: Sources

His mobile phone was recovered from his house at his native place in Jehanabad's Kako area on the instance of his brother, he said.

Imam had prepared anti-CAA and anti-NRC pamphlets with "misleading and intimidating facts" and then distributed them in various mosques, the copy of which have been recovered, police said.

The shop from where he made photocopies of the pamphlets has also been identified, they added.

An FIR was registered against Imam by the Delhi Police on January 25 under IPC sections 124A (sedition) and 153A (promoting or attempting to promote disharmony or feelings of enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever) among others.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

The Lok Sabha witnessed a massive uproar on Monday after Hyderabad lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi berated the Narendra Modi government over the students protest at Jamia Millia Islamia. Targeting the Centre, Owaisi categorically said that he was with the students of Jamia. Hum tamam Jamia ke bachchon ke saath hain. Yeh hukumat zulm kar rahi hai bachchon par. Yeh jaante hain ki ek bachche ki aankh chali gayi, betiyon ko maar rahe hain. Sharam nahi hai inko, bachchon ko maar rahe hain, goliyaan mar rahe hain (This government is carrying out atrocities against the children. The government knows that a student lost his sight due to police brutality. This government is not ashamed of its action. It is beating the students, shooting at them).

Congress Attacks

While the BJP lawmakers protested against Owaisis remarks, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen was supported by the Congress. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress said that, Common people of India are protesting to save the Constitution, they are protesting while holding the Constitution and singing the National Anthem but they are being fired at. People of India are being killed mercilessly. The Opposition MPs also raised slogans of "Save the Constitution. Save our India. No to CAA" during the Question Hour.

More trouble for Anurag Thakur

Another major faceoff between the Opposition and the ruling NDA came when junior finance minister Anurag Thakur started responding to supplementaries during the Question Hour. Congress members, who were in the Well, shouted slogans against the minister and asked 'Aapka goli kaha hai? (where is your bullet?)', an apparent reference to the minister's controversial remarks. Some members also shouted 'Goli maarna band karo (Stop shooting)'.

The sharp reaction by the Congress lawmaker comes after Thakur sparked a row over his poll rally remark. During the election rally, Thakur had egged on the crowd to raise an incendiary slogan, "shoot the traitors", after he lashed out at anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protestors. The Election Commission had also banned him for three days from campaigning for the Delhi elections in the wake of his controversial remarks.

CAA Protests

The nation-wide agitation erupted after the Narendra Modi government passed the contentious legislation in Parliament on December 11. Two days later, President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent and making it a law on December 13. The Citizenship Act grants Indian nationality to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Parsis and Sikhs who fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan in half the time of other groups if they can argue they suffered religious discrimination in their country of origin.

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New Delhi :

Passengers arriving from Thailand and Singapore will be screened at airports in addition to those coming from China and Hong Kong for possible exposure to novel coronavirus (nCoV), the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday. The decision was taken at a high-level review meeting held by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba here on the preparedness to deal with the virus amid mounting global concern over increasing number of cases in China and several other countries.

"Apart from passengers coming from China and Hong Kong, passengers coming on flights from Singapore and Thailand shall also be universally screened at the airports, henceforth," the ministry said.

The secretaries of Health, Civil Aviation, Textiles and Pharmaceuticals among others attended the meeting. The cabinet secretary has held five review meetings so far. As of Saturday, a total of 52,332 passengers from 326 flights have been screened for the nCoV infection symptoms.

The Union Health secretary also held a video-conference to review the process of screening passengers from different countries. "A total of 97 symptomatic travellers picked up by the IDSP have been referred to the isolation facilities. 98 samples have been tested, of which 97 have been found to be negative. The earlier positive case found in Kerala is being monitored and is stable," the Health Ministry said.

India has reported a positive case of nCoV from Kerala. A female medical student of a university in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, has tested positive for the virus that has claimed over 250 lives in China.

324 Indians Evacuated From Wuhan Quarantined At Army, ITBP Facilities

As many as 324 Indians, evacuated from Wuhan, on Saturday reached New Delhi on board Air Indias jumbo B747 aircraft and were admitted to two quarantine facilities set up by the Army and the ITBP, though none of them have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, officials said.

The plane, carrying 211 students, 110 working professionals and three minors, reached Delhi around 7.30 am, they said, adding that none of them have tested positive for the coronavirus as yet. Another flight of the airline, which departed for the Chinese city from here around 1.37 pm to bring back Indian nationals, reached Wuhan around 5.40 pm on Saturday, the officials said.

Out of the total 324 who landed here this morning, 88 women, 10 men and six children were brought to the special quarantine facility of the ITBP in southwest Delhis Chhawla area, ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said. The Army has also set up a quarantine facility in Manesar near Delhi to keep around 300 Indians being evacuated from Chinas Hubei province in view of the coronavirus infection outbreak.

Separately, border-guarding force ITBP has set up a 600-bedded facility in southwest Delhis Chhawla area to quarantine and provide basic medical care to those suspected to have been affected by the virus. The officials said the Indians evacuated from China will be monitored for any signs of the infection for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members.

The virus has killed 259 people in China with total confirmed cases surging to 11,791 amid stepped up efforts by a number of countries to evacuate their nationals from Hubei province, officials said on Saturday.

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Mumbai:

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor on Sunday said he is suffering from an infection and is undergoing treatment for it. There were reports that the 67-year-old actor, who is in the capital to attend a family function, has been admitted in a hospital.

"I have had an infection which am getting treated. Nothing dramatic. Pollution got me I guess," Kapoor told PTI.

Multiple media reports claimed that the actor's son, Ranbir Kapoor, who was in Mumbai, rushed to Delhi to be with his father along with girlfriend Alia Bhatt. Kapoor returned to India in September 2019 after undergoing treatment for cancer in the US for almost a year.

Also Read: Rishi Kapoor Reportedly Hospitalized In New Delhi; Ranbir And Alia Wrap Shoot To See Him

The actor recently announced his next project, a remake of Hollywood film "The Intern", in which he will feature alongside Deepika Padukone.

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Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.78 per cent to USD 56.18 per barrel. (Photo Credit: Representational Image)

Mumbai:

The rupee opened on a weak note and declined by 34 paise to 71.66 against the US dollar in opening trade on Monday, after the Budget 2020 disappointed market participants. Forex traders said rupee weakened amid concerns of fiscal slippage and rising coronavirus outbreak fears.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2020 speech pegged the countrys fiscal deficit at 3.8 per cent for the current fiscal, compared to the earlier target of 3.3 per cent of GDP

The rupee opened weak at 71.62 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to 71.66, down 34 paise over its last close.

The rupee had settled at 71.32 against the US dollar on Friday.

Market participants further said that factors like weak opening in domestic equities and foreign fund outflows weighed on the local unit, while easing crude oil prices supported the local unit to some extent.

Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.78 per cent to USD 56.18 per barrel.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers in the capital markets, pulling out Rs 1,199.53 crore on Friday as per provisional data.

Domestic bourses opened on a cautious note Monday with benchmark indices Sensex trading 98.61 points up at 39,834.14 and Nifty down 6.65 points at 11,655.20.

On February 1, the BSE benchmark Sensex had logged its biggest single-day plunge in more than a decade after the Union Budget failed to live up to market expectations.

The benchmarks, which started on a shaky note on the Budget day, tanked soon after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pegged the fiscal deficit at 3.8 per cent for the current fiscal.
New Delhi:

Iran is preparing to launch a new scientific observation satellite in the coming days, the head of the countrys national space agency said on Saturday. Manufacture of the Zafar (Victory in Farsi) satellite began three years ago with the participation of 80 Iranian scientists, said Morteza Berari, without giving a date for the launch.

The 113-kilogram satellite will be launched by a Simorgh rocket 530 kilometres (329 miles) above the Earth, where it will make 15 orbits daily, Berari said.

The satellite was designed to remain operational for more than 18 months, he added.

Its primary mission will be collecting imagery, said Berari, who said Iran needed such data to study earthquakes, prevent natural disasters and develop its agriculture.

It will be a new step for our country, said Berari, noting that Iran had previously managed to place a satellite into orbit 250 km (155 miles) above the Earth.

While the Islamic republics satellite programme has concerned some Western countries, Berari said Iran advocates for the peaceful use of outer space.

All our activities in the domain of outer space are transparent, he said.

US To Continue Pressure On Iran To Prevent It From Obtaining Nuclear Weapon

The best thing the US can do for the world is to continue its maximum pressure campaign on Irans regime to prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon, a top US official said. The best thing we can do for the Iranian people and for the world is to continue our maximum pressure campaign to ensure that the Iranian regime never obtains a nuclear weapon, stops their terrorist activities in the region and cuts back on their ballistic missile program, National Security Advisor Robert OBrien said.

The US has imposed new sanctions on Iran following missile strikes by it on bases housing US troops in Iraq. Iran said the attacks were in revenge for the killing of the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, General Qasem Soleimani, in a US drone strike last week, which was ordered by President Donald Trump.

OBrien said it has never been the policy of the US to change the regime in Iran, but the people of Iran are going to hopefully have the ability at some point to elect their own government. Its never been our policy to change the regime in Iran, but the people of Iran are going to hopefully have the ability at some point to elect their own government and to be governed by the leaders they choose. I mean we hope that around the world. But thats not our policy. And were going to support human rights, he said during an interview to a private American channel.

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London:

In a first, researchers have shown that low and high exercise intensities influence brain function differently, a finding that may pave the way for better clinical applications of physical activity in patients recovering from mental illness or brain injury. The study, published in the journal Brain Plasticity, used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rs-fMRI) -- a noninvasive technique that allows for studies on brain connectivity -- to demonstrate that low-intensity exercise triggers the brian's nerve networks involved in thought control, and attention processing.

On the other hand, it said, high-intensity exercise primarily activates networks involved in emotion processing. "We believe that functional neuroimaging will have a major impact for unraveling body-brain interactions," said Angelika Schmitt from the University of Bonn in Germany. "These novel methods allow us to 'look' directly into the brains of a group of athletes, and, maybe even more importantly, understand the dynamic changes in brain structure and function associated with the transition from a sedentary to a healthy lifestyle," Schmitt said.

In the study, 25 male athletes underwent individual assessments using an incremental treadmill test. The athletes performed low and high intensity exercise bouts for 30 minutes on alternate days, the researchers said. Using the Rs-fMRI, the scientists examined the the connectivity of different brain regions in the participants before and after exercising.

Also Read: Best First Aid For Mild, Moderate Burns Is Cooling With Running Water For 20 Minutes: Study

The athletes also completed a questionnaire to measure positive and negative mood before and after the exercise. According to the study, low-intensity exercise led to increased connectivity in brain networks associated with thought processing and attention. High-intensity work-out, the scientists said, led to increased functional networks related to emotional processes, and a decreased connectivity in areas linked to physical movements. The researchers believe that the findings may lead to more studies exploring the type of exercise intensity that best suits certain behavioral modulations.
New Delhi:

Listing of insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) may be done in the second half of the next financial year, Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar said on Sunday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Budget 2020-21 on Saturday announced stake sale in LIC through an initial public offer in the next fiscal. There are a number of processes which have to be followed for the listing and some legislative changes would also be required for the listing of LIC, Kumar said.

We will follow the extant procedure for listing and for other things including the legislative changes it requires in consultation with the Ministry of Law and that process we already started ... listing in the second half of FY21 seems logical, he said.

Listing of LIC will bring in greater transparency, public participation and also deepen the equity market, he told PTI in an interaction.

Asked about the quantum of dilution, Kumar said, it could be 10 per cent but no decision has been taken so far.

The government aims to garner Rs 90,000 crore from the listing of LIC and stake dilution in IDBI Bank in the next fiscal out of total disinvestment target of Rs 2.10 lakh crore.

The government currently owns 100 per cent in LIC, while it holds around a 46.5 per cent stake in IDBI Bank.

Listing of companies on stock exchanges discipline a company and provides access to financial markets and unlocks its value. It also gives opportunity for retail investors to participate in the wealth so created. The government now proposes to sell a part of its holding in LIC by way of Initial Public Offer (IPO), the Finance Minister had said in her Budget speech.

Market participants are quite bullish about LIC and said it could be IPO of the decade akin to the Saudi Aramco listing.

The 60-year-old state-owned firm, LIC, is the countrys largest insurer, controlling more than 70 per cent of the market share. The insurer has a market share of 76.28 per cent in number of policies and 71 per cent in first-year premiums.

LIC has many subsidiaries including IDBI Bank. It acquired controlling stake in IDBI Bank last year.

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London:

A man shot dead by the Scotland Yard after he went on a stab frenzy on a busy high street in south London was a convicted Islamist terrorist, with family links to Sri Lanka, who was recently released from prison after serving half of his sentence period for preparation of acts of terrorism, police said. The Metropolitan Police said Sudesh Mamoor Faraz Amman, a 20-year-old British national with extended family in Sri Lanka, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS).

Amman was sentenced to three years and four months in prison in December 2018 after being charged with 10 terror-related offences. He was aged 18 that time. Amman was released under licence last month. He was under surveillance.

"The suspect had been recently released from prison where he had been serving a sentence for Islamist-related terrorism offences. We are confident that this is an isolated incident that has been contained," said Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D'Orsi on Sunday night.

Of the 10 offences under which Amman was jailed, seven were of making records of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism and three of dissemination of terrorist publications.

Police had been told of extremist material being posted on the social media app Telegram by an account called @strangertothisworld, which turned out to be of Amman. He had used documents about making explosives, weaponry and carrying out terrorist attacks. Among them were manuals on bomb-making, knife-fighting and close combat. Reports at the time also said he had told his girlfriend she should murder her "kuffar" (non-believer) parents.

Police found a notepad in his home, where he had listed his "life goals".

"Top of the list, above family activities, was dying a martyr and going to 'Jannah' - the afterlife," Alexis Boon, then head of the Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command, said after he was jailed over a year ago.

On Sunday, Amman was wearing a hoax bomb vest as he was pursued by armed officers as part of a proactive counter-terrorism surveillance operation before they shot him dead at the scene.

A man in his 40s, who suffered life-threatening injuries in the stabbing, is said to be out of danger and one woman in her 50s, who had non-life-threatening injuries, has since been discharged from hospital.

Another woman in her 20s who suffered minor injuries, believed to have been caused by broken glasses triggered from the discharge of the police firearm, continues to receive treatment at hospital, the Met Police said.

"Detectives from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command continue to carry out fast-time enquiries into the circumstances of the attack in Streatham High Road at approximately 1400 hours on Sunday, February 2," the Met Police said in a statement on Monday.

"Search warrants are being carried out at two residential addresses in the south London and Bishop's Stortford (Hertfordshire) areas respectively. No arrests have been made and enquiries continue at pace," the statement said.

In a statement from Downing Street after an emergency meeting with UK Home Secretary Priti Patel on Sunday night, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson once again pledged tougher sentencing measures for dangerous terrorists.

"We will announce further plans for fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of terrorism offences," he said.'

It is thought that Amman may have realised he was being watched because he stole a 10-inch 3.99 pound kitchen knife from a store on the Streatham High Road at the time of the attack and, within seconds, stabbed a woman in the back. As he ran up the busy high street he stabbed a man.

At least two plain-clothed police officers who had been following Amman, dressed in hoodies and jeans and with balaclavas covering their faces, gave chase on foot after he attacked his first victim.

It is thought that a third officer on a motorbike who had been part of the surveillance team may have been the first to open fire.

In November last year, in a similar scenario, two people were killed after convicted terrorist Usman Khan went on a stabbing frenzy in London Bridge area of the UK capital.

It later emerged that Khan's family originated from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and he was out on parole after serving part of his sentence for plotting terrorist attacks on the UK.

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By Trend

Leaders of border villages of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan held a meeting in Leilek region on Saturday, which was called "tea of friendship," the press service of the Batken Oblast state administration sad, Trend reports with reference to Kabar.

The meeting was attended by head of Leilek region of Kyrgyzstans Batken Oblast Almazbek Rakhmankulov and head of Gafurov district of Tajikistan Zafarbek Davlatzoda.

In the course of the meeting, elders of the two sides had a plov at a friendly table and noted the need to strengthen the unity of the people and unity of the youth.

Elders of Kok-Tash, Ak-Sai and Tash-Tumshuk villages of Batken region held a similar meeting on Feb. 4 with residents of the border village of Somonien of Isfara district of Tajikistan.
Mumbai:

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Aishe Ghosh said on Saturday that had society raised its voice against the scrapping of Article 370, "we would not have had to see this day".

Ghosh, who was injured in an attack by masked assailants on students on the campus of JNU in Delhi on January 5, was speaking at a panel discussion on 'Students as the Vanguard' at 'Mumbai Collective'.

The first attack on our Constitution was when Article 370 was removed in Kashmir. Had we raised our voice then, we would not have had to see this day," she said, referring to the current situation in the country.

Provisions of the Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, were abrogated last August and the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories.

"This is not the fight of only students and they cannot end it alone, but they are hoping that every section of society will rise and fight together," Ghosh said.

"Why do we have to wait for a student to die, to commit suicide, to be killed? Or for an Aishe Ghosh to be hit by an iron rod? This is not just a fight only for students," she said.

When the history of the current phase of politics in our country is written, the women from Shaheen Bagh and elsewhere in the country who are leading the protest (against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act) will feature prominently, she said.

Being a good student is not about only doing well in examinations, Ghosh said.

"If we are learning democracy in civics, then we need to implement it in society. A student is not someone who just reads about Hitler. Education and being a good student is to see similarities an stop it from happening in India," she said.

It was the "system" in the county which claimed the lives of Rohith Vemula and Fathima Latif (the IIT Madras student who committed suicide), Ghosh contended.

She also spoke about JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing in October 2016.

"If we had raised voice then that Islamophobia is existing in our system, the current situation would not have arisen," Ghosh stated.

During an earlier session, writer-director Rasika Agashe said she was not "scared of" Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah, but she was scared of "hate- filled kids who now have guns".

She was apparently referring to incidents of firing outside Jamia Millia Islamia and at Shaheen Bagh protest venue in Delhi.

"We must figure out how we are to root out this hatred," she said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leadership has asked its MP Anant Kumar Hegde to issue an unconditional apology for reportedly calling Mahatma Gandhi-led freedom movement a "drama". The Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada while addressing a public event in Bengaluru, said the entire freedom movement was staged with the consent and support of the British.

"None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle," news agency ANI quoted Hegde as saying.

Terming Mahatma Gandhi's hunger strikes and satyagraha a drama, Hegde said: "People supporting Congress keep saying that India got independence because of the fast unto death and satyagraha. This is not true. The British did not leave the country because of satyagraha."

Congress slams Anant Kumar Hegde

The Congress slammed Anant Kumar Hegde saying the Father of the Nation does not need a certificate from the "cadre of Britishers chamchas and spies. "Mahatma Gandhi does not need a certificate from cadre of Britishers 'chamchas and spies'," Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said in a tweet.

It is high time the BJP is renamed 'Nathuram Godse Party', he added.

Another Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi tweeted, "Awaiting Narendra Modi who invokes Mahatma Gandhi at the drop of a hat especially when repackaging his ideas and to gain international credibility to comment on Mr Hegde who is a senior BJP Leader."

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot while condemning Hegdes remarks tweeted: "BJP MP's statement is condemnable. BJP leaders can afford to call freedom movement a drama only because they never fought for India's independence and never made any sacrifices."

"Such statements reveal their true mindset that they use Gandhi's name just for show and have no regard for him," he said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Pakistan on Saturday summoned a senior diplomat from the High Commission of India and registered protest at the alleged ceasefire violations by Indian security forces along the LoC. The Foreign Office said that a man has been injured in the "indiscriminate and unprovoked firing" by the Indian forces in Satwal Sector of the Line of Control (LoC) on February 1.

Such senseless Indian acts... further vitiate the tense atmosphere along the LoC and pose a threat to the regional peace and stability, the FO said in a statement.

The FO summoned a senior diplomat from the High Commission of India and registered a strong protest over the incident.

Pakistan called upon the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB, it said.

The FO said India should permit the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.

India maintains that the UNMOGIP, established in January 1949, has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the LoC.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Jerusalem:

Israel launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip early Sunday in retaliation for projectiles fired from the Palestinian enclave into southern Israel, the army said. Military jets and helicopters struck targets linked to Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, shortly after midnight, with no reported casualties. Israel also suspended cement deliveries to the enclave and cancelled 500 commercial entry permits into Israel "until further notice".

The action was taken "due to the continued rocket fire and launchings of incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip into Israel," said a statement by Major General Kamil Abu Rukun, head of the Israeli military unit responsible for coordination in the Palestinian territories. Since the announcement Tuesday by US President Donald Trump of his plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, rockets, shells and explosive balloons have been fired almost daily from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, provoking Israeli retaliation.

Palestinians strongly reject the US plan, seen as heavily favouring Israel. The Trump initiative suggests that Israel would retain control of the contested city of Jerusalem as its "undivided capital" and gives the Jewish state the green light to annex settlements in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967. Rocket fire from Gaza on Saturday night forced Benny Gantz, a leading candidate in Israel's upcoming general election who was campaigning in southern Israel, to take refuge with his team in a shelter, local media reported.

Former military general Gantz heads the Blue and White party and is the chief rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the March 2 election. The Israeli army said its overnight strikes on Gaza targeted infrastructure belonging to Hamas, the Islamist group that has controlled the enclave since 2007. "Fighter jets and attack helicopters struck a number of Hamas terror targets in the northern Gaza Strip," it said in a statement.

Also Read: Israeli Army Admits Error Over Deadly Gaza Attack

Among the targets was "underground infrastructure... used as a situation room," it added. There were no casualties from the strikes, according to Hamas security sources. Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008 but over the past year the Islamists have gradually shaped an informal truce with Israel, under which the Jewish state has eased its crippling blockade of Gaza.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Uttar Pradesh Congress has constituted a five-member manifesto committee for the 2022 assembly elections in the state. Confirming the development, state Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu on Sunday said the committee will interact with poor people, farmers, women and youth in an effort to know their aspirations and problems.

"This is going to be a long process. The reactions registered by the committee will be kept in mind while preparing the manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections," he said.

The committee comprises Manish Mishra, Atul Chaturvedi, Tanuj Punia, Pankaj Gupta and Manjoor Ali. The committee members will also inform people about the welfare schemes the Congress wants to introduce for them.

Congress Poll Manifesto: Unemployment Allowance, Cashback Schemes, 300 Units Free Power

The Congress on Sunday released its manifesto for Delhi polls, promising to implement unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000-7,500 per month and cashback schemes for water and power consumers, if voted to power. Presenting the manifesto, Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra said the party will provide free power up to 300 unit per month.

The manifesto also committed to spend 25 per cent budget each year on fighting pollution and improving transport facilities. An unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000 for graduates and Rs 7,500 for post graduates per month will be provided under the Yuva Swabhiman Yojna, he said.

The Congress will launch flagship cashback schemes for power and water supply to benefit consumers saving these resources. The party, if voted to power, will open 100 Indira Canteens to provide subsidised meals at Rs 15, Chopra said.

The Congress will challenge the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the Supreme Court and demand the Centre to withdraw the law. The party will also not implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the existing form of the National Population Register (NPR), if voted to power in Delhi.
New Delhi:

Soon after a man fired two rounds of bullets in air at the Shaheen Bagh area, the epicentre of the protest against the country's new citizenship law on Saturday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has directed Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to ensure outsiders and suspicious characters are thoroughly frisked before they can access the protest side.

The man, identified himself as Kapil Gujjar, was later taken into the police custody.

The sources said as the Delhi Assembly elections are approaching, the police have been asked to keep a tight vigil so that there is no untoward incident in the national capital.

Also Read | WATCH | Shaheen Bagh Protest: What Did Kapil Gujjar Say After Firing Bullets

They said that the police will also take the help of local volunteers to facilitate frisking people entering the protest site. The sources said that the police will also randomly check people roaming around the protest site.

"The police has been directed to make all arrangements necessary for ensuring smooth access to exercise franchise to all sections of the society and instil confidence through effective public security," a source said.

Man chants Jai Shree Ram

In the latest incident, no one was injured that came even as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during a poll rally in Delhi's northwest Rohini area alleged that those who support terrorists in Kashmir are staging protest at Shaheen Bagh.

Gujjar chanted Jai Shree Ram and said, hamare desh me aur kisi ki nahi chalegi, sirf Hindu ki chalegi (only Hindus shall have a say in our country, no one else), as he was taken into custody by the Delhi Police.

The accused fired in air near police barricades. He was overpowered by police personnel and taken into custody. Further investigation is on, Chinmoy Biswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) said.

The police said they are verifying his identity.

Also Read | Kejriwal Govt Supplying Biryani To Protesters At Shaheen Bagh: Yogi Adityanath

According to eyewitnesses, the man shouted Hindu Rashtra Zindabad and fired two rounds.

The incident, which comes days after a local contractor armed with a gun had come to the site and asked the people to end the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, has triggered panic in the area.

A woman protestor, who didn't wish to be named, said the incident has created panic among them as well as children.

Many women and children were inside the tent when the incident occurred. We rushed to the spot after hearing a gunshot. Everyone is scared. But we won't leave the spot, she said.

Improve law and order situation in Delhi: Kejriwal to Amit Shah

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to improve the law and order situation in Delhi, after the man fired two rounds in the air at Shaheen Bagh.

Elections will come and go but for the sake of the people of Delhi, improve the situation in the national capital, Kejriwal urged Shah.

"In broad daylight, bullets are being fired. The law and order situation of Delhi is in tatters. Elections will keep on coming, politics will also continue, but for the sake of the people of Delhi, please pay attention to improve law and order," Kejriwal said in a tweet.

Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been protesting since December 15 at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

(With PTI inputs)
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (JIO) is also going to launch the nexed generation multi-terrabit India-Asia-Express (IAX) undersea cable system. That means JIO is also working on connecting Hulhumle in Maldives by laying fiber cables inside the sea. Jio's mega plan can also work to divert water to china's mansabas. This high speed AIX system can connect Hulhumale directly to India and Singapore.

Service can be operational by 2023: The IAX system will originate from Mumbai in the west and connect India directly to Singapore and also connect Malaysia and Thailand. The India-Europe-Express (IEX) system is going to connect Mumbai to Milan, Italy and also connect the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea. IAX is also expected to be ready for service at the end of 2023, while IEX is scheduled to be ready for service in mid-2024.

This will be great connectivity: According to reports, this high-capacity and high-speed system is going to provide more than 16,000 kilometers, more than 200Tb/s capacity at a speed of 100Gb/s. IEX and IAX together can make telecom infrastructure extremely strong, with the telecom sector getting to see the biggest and most significant change of the decade.

Speaking on the occasion of the launch of Maldives' first international cable, The Minister of Economic Development of Maldives, Uz Fayyaz Ismail has said that this is the first step towards enhancing our connectivity infrastructure and providing safe, affordable and high quality services. It is also going to accelerate social development through high-speed internet access across the Maldives along with economic development, which will help us achieve the same growth that we want. 

Reliance Jio President Matthew Oommen expressed his happiness on working with the Maldives government and JIO, saying "Today's global economy is also working with better broadband, which also serves to connect people, businesses, content and services. IAX will not only connect the Maldives to the content hub of the world, but it will also help to support the data high demand stemming from several new initiatives being launched by the Maldivian government. 

Centre to Replicate Telangana schemes at national level: KTR

If you want to win a reward of up to 15 thousand, then answer these questions.

Jio's great recharge for one month and three month
Islamabad: A black law has now been brought in Pakistan to suppress the voices raised against government entities. The Pakistan Cabinet on Saturday passed a resolution on the Pakistan Black Law. Under which criticism of government institutions on a television channel can lead to a jail term of up to five years.

This includes institutions such as the Pakistan Army, intelligence agency ISI and judiciary. A look at the provisions of this law shows that Pakistan is rapidly moving towards dictatorship. According to media reports, Pakistan has amended the Prevention of Electronic Offences Act through an ordinance. Pakistani President Arif Ulvi signed the bill on Sunday, after which it became law. Pakistani news website Geo News quoted sources as saying that the cabinet has also approved amendments to the rules of the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission.

Now, according to the new law, MPs and ministers will be allowed to campaign for their favourite candidate across the country. After the law got the green signal from the cabinet, the Pakistani president has signed both the laws. Pakistan's opposition parties have strongly criticized the government's law. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz leader Irfan Siddiqui has said that the government is trying to suppress the protest as well as the freedom of expression of the people.

Seoul calls for a resumption of talks with North Korea.

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Putin, Macron discuss over Ukraine, emphasis need for diplomatic solution
South Korea's Unification Ministry encouraged North Korea to resume diplomacy on Monday, amid concerns Pyongyang could conduct massive nuclear tests after the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

According to reports, North Korea launched seven missile launches in January but did not display its military might throughout the Olympic period, which lasted from February 4 to February 20.

In response to a question about Pyongyang restarting its nuclear tests, Ministry spokesperson Lee Jong-joo said the government is closely following the North's actions and is prepared for "all scenarios."

"Instead of leaping to conclusions about North Korea's next movements, the Unification Ministry will maintain a careful eye on North Korea's activities, prepared for all scenarios," she said during a press conference. "We urge North Korea once more to take the road of dialogue and cooperation in the interests of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula." In the midst of an impasse in nuclear discussions with the US, the North has recently upped the ante with a series of missile tests and even hinted at the potential of breaching its years-long moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile testing.

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Abdul Razak Dawood, Pakistan's Prime Minister's Adviser on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production, and Investment, has stated that trade with India is necessary and beneficial to both countries.

"In terms of the Ministry of Commerce, it is committed to doing business with India. And my position is that we should conduct business with India, and that trade should begin immediately "Dawood said this in a press conference with the media on Sunday at a Trade Development Authority of Pakistan exhibition on engineering and healthcare. "All countries, particularly Pakistan, benefit from commerce with India. And I am in favour of it "Added he.

In terms of exports to Afghanistan, the adviser stated that his ministry has increased the number of commodities sent to Afghanistan (in Pakistani rupees) to 17. "Various businessmen are still calling me to get their articles/items added to this list because they want to export their stuff to Afghanistan with Pakistani rupees," he said.

Talking about Pakistan's trade connections with Russia, Dawood said that the country's exports to Russia and its neighbouring countries (Central Asia) and others needed quick attention and growth. "As a result, we must open this trade. And it is for this reason that we are heading there "He went on to say that Russia wanted to work in Pakistan on pipelines and construction projects.

Australia reopens international borders after near 2 year

Nine Yemeni soldiers killed in landmine explosion

Israel confirms appointment of a former general as the country's cybersecurity chief
By Trend

The EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell will visit the EU-funded projects in Georgias Kakheti region during his two-day trip starting today, Trend reports via Georgian media.

Within the framework of the visit the Ambassador, together with the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Mzia Giorgobiani, will visit the municipalities under the 220 million Georgian lari ($75.8 million) worth Pilot Integrated Regional Development Grant Program, of which 186 million Georgian lari ($64.1 million) is provided by the EU.

Hartzell and Giorgobiani will meet the representatives of the SMEs, farmers and exporters, as well as visit local enterprises. The parties also plan to discuss new business opportunities in Gurjaani Technopark.

The 2020-2022 Pilot Integrated Regional Development Program for Georgia is a Government program based on the EU regional development policy, which is aimed at creating a favorable environment for promoting balanced and sustainable development in 4 pilot regions: Kakheti, Imereti, Guria and Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti.
Since the separation between Kim Kardashian and her husband rapper Kanye West, the chitchat between the two has been in the headlines. Always, Kanye West, targeting Kim, does something that the actress tolerates while not reacting, but when it came to West's verbal attack on her boyfriend Pete Davidson, now Kim has not tolerated it and now she has unfollowed from social media to teach Kanye a lesson. According to PageSix, Kim Kardashian has also tweeted on her account, unfollowing West from Instagram for being insulted by "Saturday Night Live" West.

Now that Kim has taken West's class, West has said that he is not going to bother Davidson and has only demanded a "payback". In fact, Pete has also created a new Instagram page which is verified, while it is not going to be on Instagram from 2018. That's what West commented on. Kim has avenged this by unfollowing them.

Kim has broken up three marriages: Kim has said that there are "differences" due to divorce in 2020. Kim Kardashian and Kanye got married in Italy in 2014. Kim has also had three marriages in total. His first marriage was to Damon Thomas in 2000. The two separated in 2004. She married Chris Humperis in 2011. The two divorced in 2013.

Will Andrew Garfield appear in any show after winning Oscar, know what is the truth

Priyanka spotted on a dinner date with husband Nick Jonas

Kim in a black bikini raises internet mercury
They say Nepal is a backpackers paradise. But, that is not true because, over the course of the past two decades, Nepal has become quite expensive. The rooms cost more, and food prices are skyrocketing along with the transportation cost. So how can a backpacker still enjoy the Nepal travel on his/her $20 a day budget?

Well, we have got some ideas for you. While this might not go down well with the government or the hospitality industry, these ideas can save you a lot of $$.

Check them out if you want to learn how to save money during your Nepal travel.

1. Use ride-sharing apps to get around

If you are in Kathmandu during your Nepal travel, use the ride-sharing apps available to commute because most taxis in the valley will rip you off. Since you are a foreigner, they will most likely charge double the price and will not bargain with you. To avoid this, install ride-sharing applications like Pathao or Tootle and pay normal rates. If not, the Kathmandu valley is quite small, you can just walk. These applications are not available away from the valley, so it is better to walk or take the public bus. In Pokhara, Nepals tourism capital, cabs are ridiculously expensive so just walk because unless you do that, things will not change your Nepal travel cost.

2. Bargain as much as you can

When Nepalis sees a foreigner, they think dollars. They charge you extra for everything. So please bargain as much as possible during your Nepal travel or else you will end up paying a lot more than you should. If the shop does not say fixed price, it is most likely charging you double the price, so try and haggle a bit. Who knows s/he might sell it to you at the price you quoted?

3. Eat at local eateries

Photo: Yangtaru Sekuwa Corner/ Facebook

A lot of restaurants in the valley charge a lot of money for a small portion of food. They do this to Nepalis too and if you want to avoid such places during your Nepal travel, try the local eateries close to where you are staying at. If you are a meat lover who can handle your spices, you shall love a nice Newa food place that can be found in almost all major tourist parts of the country. If you are vegetarian, there are sweet shops that will have a range of vegetable delicacies that will fill you up.

4. Use hostels instead of hotels

Source: Wander Thirst Hostel

Another way to save money during Nepal travel is ditching hotels to stay in hostels. People might think hostels are bad, but there are some in Kathmandu and Pokhara that are quite nice and offer beds for as little as $5. You also get half-decent hotel rooms at $10 so that can also be considered, but do not pay anything above that as people might try and rip you off in other ways.

5. Dont use tour guides

Photo: Unsplash/ Simon English

Nepal Tourism Board recommends a foreigner trek with a tour guide during your Nepal travel due to chances of getting lost. But, if you carry a map and go to places where there will be a lot of fellow trekkers like Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal or Everest, you will be fine. Taking a guide will only increase your expense because most of them are not as well trained as you might want them to be. But, bear in mind, it is quite important to take a tour guide to untrodden places like Makalu, Kanchenjunga or anywhere around far-west Nepal because these trails are not marked well. If you do want a local to join you, make friends along the way but do not get conned by sweet talks that are everywhere.

6. Avoid flights and take local buses to commute between cities

People collecting their tickets from Gongabu bus park.

Flight tickets for tourists are ridiculously priced, so always take a bus to travel between cities if you want to save money during your Nepal travel. If you want to make the commute even cheaper, take local buses. Travelling in these buses takes a lot of time, but it also saves you a lot of money. Check fare rates at the bus stop before boarding and brace yourself for an adventure.

7. Sneak into heritage sites

File: Kathmandu Durbar Square can be your key destination during the Nepal travel.

This might not go down too well with the authorities, but seriously, paying $10 or above to get to Banastapur, Patan or Bhaktapur Durbar squares is a ripping-off. So try and sneak in via many alleys that lead into the heritage sites. You do not get into trouble right away and if caught, you can pay for the ticket, but be a bit smart and try not to pay because most of these areas are quite overrated. Look for these entry points on the internet or a map or YouTube.
TORONTO, Febr. 21, 2022 /CNW/ - CPE Analytics, Canada's only comprehensive all financing data provider, is pleased to release its 2021 rankings of top fundraising by Canadian investment funds.

CPE Analytics, a division of CPE Media Inc. (CNW Group/CPE Media Inc.)

Covid-19 showed little impact on and has speeded up fundraising pace by Canadian investment funds. 20 investment funds joined the $1 billion plus fundraising club in 2021, raising an aggregate of $44.58 billion from all 10 provinces, up from 13 funds for $32.64 billion in 2019 before the start of the pandemic.

Average fundraising size has also gone up from $2.04 billion in 2019 to $2.23 billion in 2021.

All dollar ($) figures in Canadian dollar unless otherwise noted.

BlackRock leads all investment fund managers

BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited led with 7 funds for total fundraising of $16.49 billion. TD Asset Management Inc. ranked as second with 5 funds for $11.55 billion. Fiera Capital Corporation reported 4 funds for $6.23 billion.

RBC Global Asset Management Inc., BNY Mellon Asset Management Canada Ltd., and Canso Fund Management Ltd., rounded up the top 20 funds with 2, 1, and 1 fund(s) respectively.

Equity Funds lead in both number and total dollar

Equity Funds led with 9 funds for $16.84 billion. Fixed Income Funds and Money Market Funds raised $15.30 billion and $11.09 billion from 6 and 4 funds respectively. 1 Mortgage Fund raised $1.36 billion.

Ontario institutional investors lead in investment contributions

Of the $44.58 billion raised, investors, primarily institutional investors, from Ontario led total contribution with $27.77 billion while Quebec investors invested $10.35 billion. Alberta investors contributed $2.78 billion.

Investors from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador contributed the remaining of $44.58 billion.

Summary Report

Summary report is available for download at https://www.financings.ca/reports

Methodology

Information is based on regulatory filings by Canadian and foreign issuers.

Story continues

Ranking may change once new information become available following delayed filings.

CPE Analytics

With over 62,000 financing transactions and over 82,000 data points in its all financing database (financings.ca) (as of February 18, 2022), CPE Analytics, a division of CPE Media & Data Company, is Canada's only all financing data provider - private (angel, venture capital, private equity), public market (debt and equity), private and public investment fund, and IPO.

To learning more about us, please visit https://www.financings.ca/ https://cpeanalytics.ca

BlackRock leads $1B plus investment fund fundraising in 2021 (CNW Group/CPE Media Inc.)

SOURCE CPE Media Inc.

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Black Knight's end-to-end, all-in-one origination technology offers a digital ecosystem designed to support business expansion

-- Central Bank & Trust Company selected the Empower LOS for its comprehensive, integrated capabilities to support increased profitability and help the bank serve the community more efficiently

-- The community bank was familiar with Black Knight through its use of Optimal Blue, Black Knight's product and pricing engine (OBPPE)

-- The Empower system will be able to effortlessly scale to support Central Bank & Trust's growing business and streamline operations

-- In addition to the Empower LOS, Central Bank & Trust Company will implement Black Knight's suite of origination solutions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Knight, Inc. (NYSE:BKI) announced today that Central Bank & Trust Company, a community bank serving the people, businesses and communities of Kentucky, has signed a contract to implement Black Knight's Empower loan origination system (LOS). The bank also agreed to use Black Knight's suite of integrated origination solutions to help the organization achieve steady growth and better serve its customers' needs.

Black Knight, Inc. Logo (PRNewsfoto/Black Knight, Inc.)

"We met with several technology providers to evaluate which one would be able to offer us the software we needed to support and streamline our business," said Luther Deaton, Jr., chairman, president and chief executive officer of Central Bank. "With its fully integrated platform and ability to scale as our bank grows, Black Knight was able to give us the additional capabilities we needed to take our loan operations to the next level."

With Empower, Central Bank will have a high-performance LOS that not only helps the bank grow and better serve its dedicated customer base throughout Kentucky, but also assists in streamlining operational processes for employees. Black Knight's digital ecosystem gives Central Bank a full suite of integrated technology, data and analysis solutions to enhance its retail lending channels, all while supporting the bank's strong and steady growth.

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With advanced "lights-out processing" based on the bank's configurations, the Empower LOS platform gives Central Bank exceptional technological capabilities, including integration with Optimal Blue's leading product and pricing engine; a digital point-of-sale solution that enhances the mortgage application process for borrowers and loan officers; machine-learning technology for document classification and indexing; a digital close solution with eDelivery and eSigning capabilities; a comprehensive fee service to help mitigate fee cures; robust property tax data; automated compliance validation testing; flood zone determination services and reporting; and an actionable intelligence solution that delivers instant access to information from multiple data sources to help forecast and monitor pipeline, productivity, cycle time and pull-through.

"Building on our existing relationship with Central Bank, Black Knight is pleased to expand our support to help the bank grow and enhance operational efficiency," said Rich Gagliano, president, Black Knight Origination Technologies. "By leveraging our Empower LOS and advanced origination solutions, Central Bank & Trust can take full advantage of Black Knight's capabilities to streamline and support every aspect of their business, meet the bank's strategic goals, and enhance the customer experience throughout their loan process."

About Central Bank & Trust Company



Rooted in the community since 1946, Central Bank remains dedicated to serving the people and businesses in the areas we call home. We are here, as always, with local customer service and support, as well as online, mobile and phone banking services available twenty-four hours a day. Our trusted local professionals are here to help you thrive. To learn more about how we can be Central to you, contact a banker, visit us at centralbank.com, or stop by one of our 28 convenient banking centers. Member FDIC.

About Black Knight



Black Knight, Inc. (NYSE:BKI) is an award-winning software, data and analytics company that drives innovation in the mortgage lending and servicing and real estate industries, as well as the capital and secondary markets. Businesses leverage our robust, integrated solutions across the entire homeownership life cycle to help retain existing customers, gain new customers, mitigate risk and operate more effectively.

Our clients rely on our proven, comprehensive, scalable products and our unwavering commitment to delivering superior client support to achieve their strategic goals and better serve their customers. For more information on Black Knight, please visit www.blackknightinc.com.

For more information:

Michelle Kersch Mitch Cohen Black Knight, Inc. Black Knight, Inc. 904.854.5043 704.890.8158 michelle.kersch@bkfs.com mitch.cohen@bkfs.com

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SOURCE Black Knight, Inc.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese authorities told the nations biggest state-owned firms and banks to start a fresh round of checks on their financial exposure and other links to Ant Group Co., renewing scrutiny of billionaire Jack Mas financial empire, according to people familiar with the matter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Multiple regulators, including the banking watchdog, recently told institutions under their oversight to closely examine all exposure they had to Ant, its subsidiaries and even its shareholders up to January, said the people, asking not to be identified as the matter is private. Those people described this as by far the most thorough and wide-ranging look into deals with Ant and said institutions were told they must report findings back as soon as possible.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., which owns a third of Ant, slumped 5.1% at open in Hong Kong on Tuesday, nearing a fresh now since its listing in the city in 2019.

It was unclear what triggered the new scrutiny or whether it will lead to any actions or conclusions by regulators, the people said. The National Audit Office is leading the initiative, two of the people said. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission and the top auditor didnt immediately respond to requests seeking comment. Ant declined to comment.

More than a year after the Chinese government snuffed out the biggest initial public offering in history by Ant, Beijing has showed no letup in a crackdown that has snowballed into an assault on every corner of Chinas technosphere. Officials have handed out billions of dollars in antitrust fines to end the domination of a few heavyweights as President Xi Jinping pushes for more common prosperity.

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Chinese technology shares slumped for a second session Monday, with Tencent Holdings Ltd. sinking 5.2% on Monday due to renewed fears Beijing may roll out more restrictions for private enterprise. Meituan lost $26 billion of market value on Friday after China issued new guidelines asking for food delivery platforms to cut fees, underscoring that investor angst over the nations tech giants remains high.

The regulations and probes have pummeled the shares of firms such as Tencent, as well as dented their profits and growth and forced some to shelve listing plans. The Hang Seng Tech Index is trading near its lowest level versus its 12-month forward earnings and sales forecasts.

Ant was hit the hardest among them all. Beijing scuttled the fintech giants $35 billion IPO in November 2020, ordering it to overhaul businesses including lending, insurance and wealth management, and set up a financial holding company so it could be regulated like a bank.

As part of the restructuring, Ant has ramped up its capital base to 35 billion yuan ($5.5 billion) and moved to build firewalls in an ecosystem that once allowed it to direct traffic from Alipay, with a billion users, to services like wealth management, consumer lending and delivery. Consumer loans jointly made with banks were split from its Jiebei and Huabei brands. Assets under management at its money-market fund Yuebao -- once the worlds largest -- dropped by more than a third last year to 765 billion yuan by December.

The process was delayed last month, however, after state-owned bad-debt manager China Cinda Asset Management Co. surprisingly backed out of a plan to take a major stake in Ants consumer finance unit. The fintech firm has yet to apply for a financial holding company license.

A least a dozen Chinese banks have been paring their years-long cooperation with Ant on consumer lending since the clampdown.

Meanwhile, the nations top anti-graft group in January made rooting out corruption tied to disorderly expansion of capital one of its priorities. A month later it arrested a former party chief of Hangzhou -- the home city of Ant and Alibaba -- on corruption charges, including using his influence to help his younger brothers businesses. One of those companies had received investment from a firm controlled by Mas Ant, according to a local media report in August. Neither Ant nor Ma have been accused of wrongdoing related to the case.

What Bloomberg Intelligence Says:

Beijings call for Chinas banks to check their exposures to Jack Mas unlisted Ant Group may jeopardize the companys ties with financiers for its online-loan business, with our scenario analysis suggesting its valuation could plunge to $63 billion vs. the $320 billion level targeted in the 2020 IPO.

--Francis Chan, banking & fintech analyst

Click here for the research

The myriad restrictions mean Ant is worth a fraction of its former self as its growth prospects wane, according to some of its early Wall Street backers. Fidelity Investments slashed its valuation estimate for at least the second time last year to about $78 billion as of June 30. Others are more optimistic: BlackRock Inc. values the company at $174 billion and T Rowe Price Group Inc. views it at $189 billion.

(Updates Alibaba share move in third paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Vitalik Buterin. Jesse Morgan/ ETHDenver

Vitalik Buterin called Canada's move to freeze protesting truckers' bank accounts "dangerous."

Decentralized technology helps people retain access to their money, Buterin said.

Fans raised nearly $1 million in bitcoin donations, but Canada blacklisted some of the addresses.

Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin criticized Canada's invocation of its emergency act to prevent protesting truckers from accessing all types of funds, saying such a move points to the greater need for decentralized systems like cryptocurrencies.

He acknowledged that the disruption caused by Canadian trucker protests is unlawful, but said it shouldn't have been met with such a restrictive move that made them lose access to funds.

"If the truckers are blocking the roads and that's breaking the economy, fine, blocking the roads is illegal and there are laws against that," he told CoinDesk in an interview over the weekend at the ETHDenver conference.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a national emergency last week following protests against the country's mandate that requires cross-border truck drivers to be vaccinated. The uprising has caused significant gridlock and disruptions in the city of Ottawa and other areas.

The government then began using emergency powers to prevent protesters from accessing Canada's banking and financial system.

Canada's deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, said Thursday that banks have quickly moved to freeze the bank accounts of those involved in the protests without a court order or fear of civil liability. Digital-asset contributions and cryptocurrencies were also covered under this law.

"If the government is not willing to follow the laws ... [and] give people a chance to defend themselves...and they just want to talk to the banks and basically cut out people's financial livelihoods without due process, that is an example of the sort of thing that decentralized technology is there to make more difficult," Buterin said.

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His comments indicated that cutting out middlemen wouldn't be a rebellious move, but would actually increase efficiency.

"It's not about being lawless. In some ways, it's about bringing rule of law back," Buterin said. Governments and law enforcement can still pursue targets and go after them as they always have without having to employ such scare tactics, he suggested.

"This concept of going after intermediaries and using intermediaries to bypass all that, it's dangerous," he added. "Having decentralized alternatives to an intermediary is a good way to limit the damage."

Crypto fans of the protest raised more than $900,000 in bitcoin last week after donations via GoFundMe were blocked. But the government blacklisted a number of addresses associated with crypto donations. It's still unclear to what extent crypto funds have been affected since wallets are controlled by private key owners.

Read more: A former hedge-fund trader's AI platform predicts bitcoin returns will crush ethereum by 33% over the next 3 months. He explains how users of the service are beating the average stock-market investor by 18%.

Read the original article on Business Insider
DENVER, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC) released the following statement from EACC Chairman and Co-Founder Deacon Yoseph Tafari.

EACC

HR6600 Ethiopia Stabilization, Peace Act will not fulfill the stated purpose nor resolve the current crisis in Ethiopia.

"H.R. 6600 which passed in the Foreign Affairs committee without any deliberation, Hearing or Constituent inputs is a legislative measure that will harm the people of Ethiopia equally as the war itself has cost the nation thus far.

"H.R. 6600 has all the hallmarks of providing last-minute support to Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) by targeting Ethiopia as a nation committing "Genocide", a claim not supported by UN High Commission for Human Right Report of Nov. 13, 2021."

"Concurrently on Feb. 16, 2022, Sarah Jackson, Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, at Amnesty International reported "Tigrayan forces have shown utter disregard for fundamental rules of international humanitarian law which all warring parties must follow. This includes repeated incidents of widespread rape, summary killings, and looting, including from hospitals." H.R. 6600 further sidesteps critical Human Right abuses perpetrated by TPLF as reported by UNHCR and Ethiopian Human Right Council."

Furthermore, H.R. 6600, a biased resolution clearly ignores the root cause of the conflict and the following steps the government has taken while TPLF failed to cease its offensive operations:

Halted Ethiopia's Defense Force from entering Tigray

Provide Humanitarian aid into Tigray

Allows full unfettered access except in Tigray controlled by TPLF

Lifted wartime state of emergency three months early

Release prisoners including individuals suspected in the insurgency

Established reconciliation commission to begin a national dialogue

In Tigray, the Humanitarian aid is primarily caused by TPLF continued incursion in the neighboring Afar and Amhara region. This is confirmed by the United Nation where the fighting in Afar region is still the main reason for aid blockage. Combined with the Amnesty report, it is regrettable US congress has provided political cover for TPLF for never calling out its crime, instead of advanced H.R. 6600.

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"H.R. 6600 contains extremely damaging provisions to the bilateral Security interests, investments in Ethiopia, especially for post-war reconstruction, diaspora's Civil Liberties, and Ethiopia's ability to work with international financial institutions including USAID. These draconian measures are specially to lend collateral benefit to TPLF at a great expense to the ordinary Ethiopian people in order to coerce the Ethiopian government into compulsory negotiation."

"On January 10, 2022, President Biden had reached out to the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and promised to continue diplomatic efforts based on "Constructive Engagement" by underscoring the importance of the U.S.-Ethiopia relationship and the potential to strengthen cooperation on a range of issues. Concurrently, the direct testimony of Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs underscores the same policy approach during Congressional testimony when asked to support a similar provision contained in H.R. 4350, Article 6464, which was subsequently removed from the Senate D1605."

"The laws governing these measures are already in the books for the Department of State to utilize when appropriate. However, H.R. 6600 - Ethiopia Stabilization, Peace, and Democracy Act will not fulfill the stated purpose nor resolve the current crisis in Ethiopia. Therefore, EACC appeal to the American people to call their representative in Congress and demand not to support H.R. 6600"

--EACC Chairman and Co-Founder Deacon Yoseph R. Tafari

Ethiopian American Civic Council is one the largest Ethiopian American diaspora community in the United States with approximately 750,000 supporters in all 50 states. The EACC represents all of the nearly 90 Ethiopian ethnic groups, US-based, 501(c) 4, nonprofit organization.

SOURCE Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC) www.eaccean.org

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SOURCE Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC)
Evangeline Lilly has urged Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau to speak with residents who are protesting against vaccine mandates.

Dear prime minister Trudeau, I want to speak to you today about your current approach to and current treatment of our fellow Canadians who are protesting your federal vaccine mandates, the 42-year-old actor said in a video posted to Bridge City Newss Instagram page.

They have asked to meet with you, prime minister, medical experts, top scientists, doctors, nurses, parents, grandparents, intelligent, loving, concerned citizens.

The Marvel star asked Trudeau why he would not sit down and have a conversation with his people.

Demonstrations have been underway in Canada for three weeks as the self-styled Freedom Convoy protested against vaccine mandates. Though the movement began as a niche anti-vaccine protest in Canada, a country with one of the highest vaccine rates globally, it has blossomed into a wider venue to voice dissatisfaction with Trudeau and his handling of the pandemic.

If youre so convinced of your own reasons for the mandates, sit down and walk the leaders of a group of 2.3 million protesters across the country who represent many millions more across the nation, and explain it to them and ask them to listen with open hearts and minds, and then reciprocate, Lilly said in her video.

However, on 30 January, Reuters fact checkers debunked an incorrect report attributed to Ottawa police that claimed 2.3 million people had participated in the protests.

Listen to what they have to say with a mind open to hearing things that might go against the ideas you are entrenched in, Lilly said. You unify people by finding solutions together, not by vilifying those who say there is a better way. What we need right now from our leadership is unification, and that requires being willing to see, recognise and hear from the people sitting out in the cold at your door.

Lillys video came after Trudeau said he will invoke the Emergency Act in order to stop the Freedom Convoy protests after weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the US and caused economic harm to both countries.

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Last month, the Ant-Man star said she attended a rally supporting bodily sovereignty in Washington DC.

This was the same rally where leading anti-vaxxer Robert F Kennedy Jr compared vaccine mandates to life under the Nazis.

The 42-year-old actor shared photographs from the rally on her Instagram profile. The caption of her post stated that she believed nobody should be forced to inject their body with anything against their will.

Read more about the Canadian protests here.
MONTREAL, Feb. 21, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Quebec-based AMD Medicom Inc. ("Medicom"), one of the world's leading manufacturers of N95 respirators and medical grade surgical masks, is pleased announce a collaboration with the Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation ("The Foundation") to send nearly 1.1 million surgical masks, children's masks and N95 respirators to Haiti. The Medicom masks and respirators will be used in maternal health clinics and at the St-Michel Hospital in Jacmel through the Foundation's PASSREL project.

From left to right: Natasha Houde, VP Manufacturing, Medicom; Guillaume Laverdure, COO, Medicom; Olivier Bertin-Mahieux, Executive Director, Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation; Ronald Reuben, Founder and CEO, Medicom; Gopinath Jeyabalaratnam, Director of Public Affairs, Medicom; John Tourlas, President North America, Medicom; Julianna Egressy, VP Supply Chain / Photo: Medicom (CNW Group/AMD Medicom Inc.)

"Social responsibility is at the very heart of the mission we have given ourselves at Medicom: to protect. Today, we have the opportunity to fulfil that mission by donating more than one million masks produced in Quebec to Haiti through the Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation. On behalf of the entire Medicom team, we would like to thank the Foundation and the people who work so hard to protect vulnerable people in Haiti and around the world," stated Guillaume Laverdure, Chief Operating Officer of Medicom.

The PASSREL Project: Improving the sexual and reproductive health and rights of more women and adolescents

With the PASSREL project, the Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation supports seven health centers in the Croix-des-Bouquets communities in Haiti to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of more than 40,000 women and adolescents. The PASSREL project was made possible through a partnership with the Canadian Association of Midwives and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. On the ground in Haiti, the Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation relies on the expertise of the Foundation for Reproductive Health and Family Education (FOSREF), the Association of Nurse Midwives of Haiti (AISFH) and the Haitian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (SHOG). The Foundation benefits from the collaboration of the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population, which will be entrusted with a portion of the donated masks. The PASSREL project is funded by Global Affairs Canada.

"This donation of masks from Medicom will contribute significantly to protecting the most vulnerable in Haiti in the current health context. The Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation is proud to collaborate with Medicom, another Quebec organization, on the PASSREL project in order to promote gender equality and human rights to help overcome barriers to development," said Olivier Bertin-Mahieux, Executive Director of the Foundation.

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"This gesture represents the largest ever mask donation by Medicom. In 2021, we donated 500,000 Quebec-made surgical masks to the Quebec Food Banks. We are pleased to continue this tradition and to do more each year in terms of meeting our social responsibility objectives. None of this would have been possible without the dedication of our employees. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Medicom for their hard work, which makes donations such as this one possible," concluded John Tourlas, President, North America at Medicom.

About the Medicom Group

The Medicom Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of high-quality, single-use, preventive and infection control products for the medical, dental, industrial, animal health, laboratory, retail and health and wellness markets. Medicom was named one of Canada's Best Managed Companies for 2021 and received a Mercure Award at the Mercuriades 2021.

Medicom distributes infection control products under the Medicom, Ritmed, Kolmi, Hopen, Ocean Pacific and Hedy brands. Medicom subsidiaries include Kolmi-Hopen in France, Medicom Asia in Hong Kong, United Medical Enterprise in the U.S.A., KHM Engineering in Singapore and Medicom HealthPro Limited in the U.K.

Medicom has extensive experience in responding to the demand for personal protective equipment in the event of a pandemic. Medicom was founded in 1988 in response to the urgent need for medical gloves for healthcare professionals during the global HIV crisis. Since then, the company has been a reliable supplier of infection control solutions during multiple epidemics, including avian flu, SARS, H1N1 and Ebola, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about Medicom and the company's comprehensive portfolio of infection control solutions, including an extensive range of medical face masks, please visit Medicom.com , follow us on Twitter @MedicomGlobal or visit our pages on Facebook or LinkedIn.

About the Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation

The Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to contribute to the improvement of living conditions of populations through quality education.

Founded in 1977 by Mr. Paul Gerin-Lajoie, the Foundation works in the areas of basic education, training and professional insertion, empowerment and socio-economic development, health and food security, education for global citizenship, sustainable development, gender equality and respect for human rights.

The Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation has been present in Haiti since 1997 through various international solidarity projects. In Canada, the Foundation contributes to the mobilization of citizens regarding international solidarity issues and promotion of the French language, thanks in particular to the Grande Dictee P.G.L.

For more information on the projects of the Paul Gerin-Lajoie Foundation, please visit the Fondationpgl.ca website, their pages on Facebook and LinkedIn, and follow the Foundation on Twitter @Fondation PGL.

The Medicom Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of high-quality single-use, preventive and infection control products for the medical, dental, industrial, animal health, laboratory, retail and health and wellness markets. (CNW Group/AMD Medicom Inc.)

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SOURCE AMD Medicom Inc.

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By Trend

Colonel Malikmammad Gurbanov, head of the supply and procurement department of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, has been detained, Trend reports.

Gurbanov is accused of causing material damage to the state in the amount of 3.5 million manat ($2.06 million).

In this regard, a criminal case has been opened by the Military Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan.
NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The infrastructure monitoring market is expected to grow by USD 10.48 billion from 2021 to 2026, at a CAGR of 9.76% as per the latest market report by Technavio. 29% of the market's growth will originate from Europe during the forecast period. Germany and the UK are the key markets for the infrastructure monitoring market in Europe. Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in South America. The government expenditure on the expansion of regional railway infrastructure will facilitate the infrastructure monitoring market growth in Europe over the forecast period. Technavio report provides an accurate prediction of the contribution of all the regions to the growth of the infrastructure monitoring market size and actionable market insights.

Attractive Opportunities in Infrastructure Monitoring Market by Technology and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026

For more insights on the market share of various regions - View the FREE sample report in MINUTES

Infrastructure Monitoring Players with key offerings:

The infrastructure monitoring market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as offering differentiated products through customized products and services to compete in the market. The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including:

Acellent Technologies Inc. - The company offers infrastructure monitoring for buildings, pipelines, bridges, and more.

Campbell Scientific Inc. - The company offers infrastructure monitoring such as bridge monitoring, dam monitoring, mining, structural health monitoring, and geotechnical.

GEOKON LLC - The company offers infrastructure monitoring for bridges, dams, geogrids, mines, piles, pipelines, groundwater, and many more.

Mistras Group Inc. - The company offers infrastructure monitoring for amusement parks, bridges, commercial buildings, dams, airports, marine ports, and roads and rails.

National Instruments Corp. - The company offers customized solutions for infrastructure monitoring and testing the health and performance of structures, large machinery, and types of equipment.

To know about all major vendors with their key offerings - Download a free sample now!

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Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Infrastructure Monitoring Market Analysis Report by Technology (Wireless and Wired) and Geography (Europe, North America, APAC, MEA, and South America), and the Segment Forecasts,2022-2026". Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders. Track key industry opportunities, trends, and threats. Information on marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales, and supply functions. https://www.technavio.com/report/report/infrastructure-monitoring-market-industry-analysis

Infrastructure Monitoring Market - Drivers & Challenges

The infrastructure monitoring market is driven by the rise in global construction and infrastructure development activities. However, factors such as vulnerability to cyberattacks may impede market growth. The holistic analysis of the drivers & challenges will help in deducing end goals and refining marketing strategies to gain a competitive edge. The infrastructure monitoring market analysis report also provides detailed information on other upcoming trends that will have a far-reaching effect on market growth.

Infrastructure Monitoring Market Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2021-2026)

Wireless - size, and forecast 2021-2026

Wired - size and forecast 2021-2026

Infrastructure Monitoring Market Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2021-2026)

Europe - size and forecast 2021-2026

North America - size and forecast 2021-2026

APAC - size and forecast 2021-2026

MEA - size and forecast 2021-2026

South America - size and forecast 2021-2026

To gain further insights on the market contribution of various segments - Grab an Exclusive Free Sample Report

Related Reports:

Resistive RAM Market -The resistive RAM market share is expected to increase by USD 324.05 million from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 16.37%. Download a free sample now!

Consumer Biometrics Market -The consumer biometrics market share is expected to increase by USD 2.31 billion from 2021 to 2026, at a CAGR of 14.48%. Download a free sample now!

Infrastructure Monitoring Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 9.76% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 10.48 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 8.94 Performing market contribution Europe at 29% Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Acellent Technologies Inc., Campbell Scientific Inc., GEOKON LLC, Mistras Group Inc., National Instruments Corp., Sixense Group, Spectris Plc, Structural Monitoring Systems plc, Toshiba Corp., and Xylem Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Content

1. Executive Summary

1.1 Market Overview

2. Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

2.1.1 Parent Market

Exhibit 08: Parent market

Exhibit 09: Market characteristics

2.2 Value Chain Analysis

3. Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 10: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 11: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026

Exhibit 12: Global - Market size and forecast 2021 - 2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 13: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2021 - 2026 (%)

4. Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five Forces Summary

Exhibit 14: Five forces analysis 2021 - 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 15: Bargaining power of the buyer

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 16: Bargaining power of the supplier

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 17: Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 18: Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 19: Threat of rivalry

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 20: Market condition - Five forces 2021

5. Market Segmentation by Technology

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 21: Technology Market share 2021 - 2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Technology

Exhibit 22: Comparison by Technology

5.3 Wireless - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 23: Wireless - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 24: Wireless - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Wired - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 25: Wired - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 26: Wired - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Technology

Exhibit 27: Market opportunity by Technology

6. Customer landscape

Technavio's customer landscape matrix comparing Drivers or price sensitivity, Adoption lifecycle, importance in customer price basket, Adoption rate and Key purchase criteria

6.1 Overview

Exhibit 28: Customer landscape

7. Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 29: Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 30: Geographic comparison

7.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 31: Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026($ million)

Exhibit 32: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 34: North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 34: North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026(%)

7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 35: APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 36: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 MEA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 37: MEA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 38: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 39: South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 40: South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 Key leading countries

Exhibit 41: Key leading countries

7.9 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.1.1 Rise in global construction and infrastructure development activities

8.1.2 Surging capital investments in structural health monitoring

8.1.3 Aging infrastructure and superior benefits associated with infrastructure monitoring

8.2 Market challenges

8.2.1 Vulnerability to cyberattacks

8.2.2 High installation costs of the systems

8.2.3 Lack of skilled technicians and professionals for deployment and calibration

Exhibit 43: Impact of drivers and challenges

8.3 Market trends

8.3.1 Adoption of automation and standardization in the maintenance and repair of civil infrastructure

8.3.2 Thriving IT and telecommunications industry

8.3.3 Rising incidences of catastrophic failure of infrastructure in recent years

9. Vendor Landscape

9.1 Competitive Scenario

9.2 Overview

Exhibit 44: Vendor landscape

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 45: Landscape disruption

Exhibit 46: Industry Risk

10. Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 47: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 48: Market positioning of vendors?

10.3 Acellent Technologies Inc.

Exhibit 49: Acellent Technologies Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 50: Acellent Technologies Inc. - Product and service

Exhibit 51: Acellent Technologies Inc. - Key offerings

10.4 Campbell Scientific Inc.

Exhibit 52: Campbell Scientific Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 53: Campbell Scientific Inc. - Product and service

Exhibit 54: Campbell Scientific Inc. - Key offerings

10.5 GEOKON LLC

Exhibit 55: GEOKON LLC - Overview

Exhibit 56: GEOKON LLC - Product and service

Exhibit 57: GEOKON LLC - Key offerings

10.6 Mistras Group Inc.

Exhibit 58: Mistras Group Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 59: Mistras Group Inc. - Business segments

Exhibit 60: Mistras Group Inc. - Key offerings

Exhibit 61: Mistras Group Inc. - Segment focus

10.7 National Instruments Corp.

Exhibit 62: National Instruments Corp. - Overview

Exhibit 63: National Instruments Corp. - Business segments

Exhibit 64: National Instruments Corp.- Key news

Exhibit 65: National Instruments Corp. - Key offerings

Exhibit 66: National Instruments Corp. - Segment focus

10.8 Sixense Group

Exhibit 67: Sixense Group - Overview

Exhibit 68: Sixense Group - Product and service

Exhibit 69: Sixense Group - Key offerings

10.9 Spectris Plc

Exhibit 70: Spectris Plc - Overview

Exhibit 71: Spectris Plc - Business segments

Exhibit 72: Spectris Plc- Key news

Exhibit 73: Spectris Plc - Key offerings

Exhibit 74: Spectris Plc - Segment focus

10.10 Structural Monitoring Systems plc

Exhibit 75: Structural Monitoring Systems plc - Overview

Exhibit 76: Structural Monitoring Systems plc - Business segments

Exhibit 77: Structural Monitoring Systems plc - Key offerings

Exhibit 78: Structural Monitoring Systems plc - Segment focus

10.11 Toshiba Corp.

Exhibit 79: Toshiba Corp. - Overview

Exhibit 80: Toshiba Corp. - Business segments

Exhibit 81: Toshiba Corp.- Key news

Exhibit 82: Toshiba Corp. - Key offerings

Exhibit 83: Toshiba Corp. - Segment focus

10.12 Xylem Inc.

Exhibit 84: Xylem Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 85: Xylem Inc. - Business segments

Exhibit 86: Xylem Inc. - Key offerings

Exhibit 87: Xylem Inc. - Segment focus

11. Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.1.1 Market definition

11.1.2Objectives

11.1.3 Notes and caveats

11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 88: Currency conversion rates for US$?

11.3 Research Methodology

Exhibit 89: Research Methodology

Exhibit 90: Validation techniques employed for market sizing?

Exhibit 91: Information sources

11.4 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 92: List of abbreviations

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/

Technavio (PRNewsfoto/Technavio)

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SOURCE Technavio
By Victoria Waldersee and Ilona Wissenbach

BERLIN (Reuters) -Mercedes-Benz expects to have factories producing exclusively electric vehicles (EVs) by the second half of the decade but will steer clear of building EV-only plants, instead keeping production lines flexible in line with market demand.

The carmaker foresees some of its production lines within factories switching fully to electric even sooner, production chief Joerg Burzer said in an interview with Reuters.

"Building a whole new battery-electric vehicle factory takes time. We have taken another approach," Burzer said.

"We will certainly have some lines producing only electric vehicles in the next few years... we also see whole factories switching to electric - that is a topic for the second half of the decade."

The premium carmaker will launch production of its EQE model, revealed last September at the IAA Mobility show, in Bremen later this year, followed by Beijing and Tuscaloosa.

Mercedes is betting on the model, an electric adaptation of the E-class with a peak range of 660 km, to boost EV unit sales as it shifts investment away from internal combustion vehicles and towards electric-only production platforms.

"With the ramp-up of the EQE in Bremen and later in Beijing, we are coming into a segment where we can deliver at far higher volumes," Burzer said.

Just 2.3% of Mercedes-Benz Cars' sales last year were battery-electric vehicles, rising to 11% including plug-in hybrids, which have both an engine and a battery.

As of 2025, it expects electric and hybrid electric cars to make up 50% of sales, with all-electric cars expected to account for most of that.

Existing models are all being built in factories also producing internal combustion engine vehicles, with batteries transported by rail from the main plant in Sindelfingen to plants in Germany and Hungary.

Down the line, battery assembly and production could be brought nearer to car plants as the design of vehicles develops to integrate the battery more closely into the car, Burzer said.

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee and Ilona Wissenbach; Editing by Miranda Murray and Jan Harvey)
ReportLinker

Forecasts by Containers (Non-Pressurised Containers, Pressurised Containers), by Device (Nasal Unidose, Nasal Bi Dose, Nasal Multi Dose), by Dosage Form (Nasal Spray, Nasal Drops and Liquids, Nasal Gels, Nasal Powders, Other), by End-user (Hospitals, Home Health Care, Ambulatory Surgery Center, Specialty Clinics, Vaccination Centres, Other), by Respiratory Diseases (Allergic Rhinitis, Nasal Congestion, Asthma, Other), by Non-Respiratory Diseases (Alzheimers, Cardiovascular Neuropsychiatry Treatments, Other) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Recovery Scenarios

New York, Feb. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market Report 2022-2032" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06231686/?utm_source=GNW



The Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market Report 2022-2032: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.



Emerging Opportunities For Nasal Drug Delivery Devices



Nasal inhalation devices are subject to ongoing innovation by pharmaceutical firms and device partners to improve the care and support offered to patients, in addition to their intuitive design. In the case of emergency treatments, for example, training kits that closely mimic the real-life experience of administering a nasal spray have been designed with the goal of improving compliance and lowering mortality risk. Lock-out mechanisms on devices are also being developed to improve patient safety, while the introduction of laterally actuated nasal sprays gives more comfort and simplicity for some patient populations. Dose counters have long been recognized as aiding adherence, and fast technological advancements have expanded on this foundation to build an ecosystem of linked devices that encourage higher adherence in a more active way. Connected devices offer a powerful potential to create an ecosystem in which a pharmaceutical firm, a patient, and a healthcare practitioner are more intimately interwoven by monitoring, recording, and exchanging data on usage through the internet. Apps can remind patients to take their medications, healthcare practitioners can measure progress correctly, and pharmaceutical corporations can get anonymized data on real-world drug use. These devices are now not only applied for respiratory diseases but also non-respiratory diseases thus opening new avenue of opportunities for market players.



What Are These Questions You Should Ask Before Buying A Market Research Report?

 How is the nasal drug delivery technology market evolving?

 What is driving and restraining the nasal drug delivery technology market?

 How will each nasal drug delivery technology submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2032?

 How will the market shares for each nasal drug delivery technology submarket develop from 2022 to 2032?

 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2022 to 2032?

 Will leading nasal drug delivery technology markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?

 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2032 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2032?

 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?

 What are the nasal drug delivery technology projects for these leading companies?

 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2020 and 2032? What are the implication of nasal drug delivery technology projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?

 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the nasal drug delivery technology market?

 Where is the nasal drug delivery technology market heading? And how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?

 What can be the best investment options for new product and service lines?

 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path? C-suite?



You need to discover how this will impact the nasal drug delivery technology market today, and over the next 10 years:

 Our 629-page report provides 368 tables and 366 charts/graphs exclusively to you.

 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.

 Contains in-depth analyse of global, regional and national sales and growth

 Highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors



This report tells you TODAY how the nasal drug delivery technology market will develop in the next 10 years, and in-line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.



Forecasts to 2032 and other analyses reveal the commercial prospects

 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2032, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.

 You find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.

 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints and challenges), cost structure, impact of rising nasal drug delivery technology prices and recent developments.



This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.



Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market (COVID Impact Analysis) by Containers

 Non-Pressurized Containers

 Pressurized Containers



Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market (COVID Impact Analysis) by System

 Nasal Unidose Devices

 Nasal Bi Dose Devices

 Nasal Multi Dose Devices



Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market (COVID Impact Analysis) by Dosage Form

 Nasal Spray

 Nasal Drops and Liquids

 Nasal Gels

 Nasal Powders

 Other Dosage Form



Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market (COVID Impact Analysis) by End-User

 Hospitals

 Home Health Care

 Ambulatory Surgery Center

 Specialty Clinics

 Vaccination Centers

 Other End-User



Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market (COVID Impact Analysis) by Respiratory Diseases

 Allergic Rhinitis

 Nasal Congestion

 Asthma

 Other Respiratory Diseases



Global Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market (COVID Impact Analysis) by Non-Respiratory Diseases

 Alzheimers

 Cardiovascular

 Neuropsychiatry Treatments

 Other Non-Respiratory Diseases



In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for 4 regional and 20 leading national markets:

 North America Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Outlook

 U.S.

 Canada

 Mexico

 Europe Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Outlook

 Germany

 Spain

 United Kingdom

 France

 Italy

 Rest of Europe

 Asia Pacific Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Outlook

 China

 Japan

 India

 Australia

 South Korea

 Rest of Asia Pacific

 LAMEA Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Outlook

 Brazil

 Turkey

 Saudi Arabia

 South Africa

 UAE

 Rest of Latin America, Middle East and Africa



The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market, 2022 to 2032, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.



Leading companies and the potential for market growth

 3M Multinational Conglomerate

 AptarGroup, Inc.

 AstraZeneca PLC

 Becton, Dickinson and Company

 Consort Medical plc

 GlaxoSmithKline Plc

 Johnson & Johnson

 Merck & Co., Inc.

 Naveh Pharma Ltd.

 Neurelis Inc.

 Novartis AG

 PendoPharm Inc.

 Pfizer Inc.

 Presspart Manufacturing

 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.



Overall world revenue for Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market, 2022 to 2032 in terms of value the market will surpass US$xx million in 2022, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2032. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.



How the Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market, 2022 to 2032 Market report helps you?



In summary, our 620+ page report provides you with the following knowledge:

 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market, 2022 to 2032 Market, with forecasts for Containers, System, Dosage Form, End-User, Respiratory Diseases, each forecasted at a global and regional level discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues

 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for 4 regional and 20 key national markets  See forecasts for the Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market, 2022 to 2032 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. Also forecasted is the market in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, China, India, Japan, and Australia among other prominent economies.

 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market including company profiles for 20 of the major companies involved in the Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Market, 2022 to 2032 Market.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06231686/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Story continues

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Fortune Business Insights

The global ophthalmic devices market size was USD 25.04 billion in 2020 & is projected to reach USD 32.36 billion by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.2% in forecast period.

Pune, India, Feb. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The ophthalmic devices market size is expected to showcase an exponential growth by reaching USD 32.36 billion by 2028 while exhibiting a CAGR of 4.2% between 2021 and 2028.

Fortune Business Insights specializes in producing market research reports for the Healthcare industry, offering in-depth analysis of the industry drivers, trends, and restraints, and detailed insights into the future prospects along with a comprehensive evaluation of the historical performance of the industry. Fortune Business Insights provides detailed profiles of the companies operating in this domain and enables new entrants to strategize in an informed manner.





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Market Growth Reasons:

Higher Demand in COVID-19 Pandemic to Propel Growth

Product Innovations and Regional Expansions to Augment Market Growth

Growing Research & Development Investments and Increasing New Product approvals to Drive Market Growth

Robust Product Offerings by Key Players to Propel Industry Growth

Strategic Partnerships Coupled with Strong Brand Presence to Foster Company Growth





Ophthalmic Devices Market Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 CAGR 4.2% 2028 Value Projection USD 32.36 Billion Base Year 2020 Market Size in 2020 USD 25.04 Billion Historical Data for 2017 to 2019 No. of Pages 150 Segments covered By Surgical, Vision Care, Regions, End User





For more information in the analysis of this report, visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/ophthalmic-devices-market-102187





The developing frequency of eye issues, for example, waterfall and near-sightedness is driving the interest for the presentation of cutting edge gadgets across the globe. As indicated by the World Health Organization (WHO), near-sightedness is the most well-known visual problem that influences 1.89 billion individuals, and it is assessed that over 2.56 billion will experience the ill effects of this issue by 2020 across the globe.

The Ophthalmic Devices Market is united by the presence of significant organizations like Alcon, Bausch and Lomb, and Johnson and Johnson. The predominance of these organizations is attributable to the expanding center around creating inventive ophthalmic gadgets that are relied upon to support their business income and unite their situations in the worldwide commercial center.

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Quick Buy - Ophthalmic Devices Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/102187





Further Report Findings:

North America is relied upon to overwhelm and stand firm on the most elevated foothold in the worldwide market in the approaching years. This is owing to the presence of laid out organizations that are zeroing in on creating imaginative gadgets in nations like the U.S. The market remained at USD 10.54 billion of every 2019.

The Ophthalmic Devices Market in Europe is expected to encounter a huge development attributable to the expanding reception of intraocular waterfall focal points (IOLs) to treat individuals experiencing nearsightedness and waterfall in the area somewhere in the range of 2020 and 2027.

The vision care segment, in view of item, is expected to exhibit a significant development during the gauge time frame. This is ascribable to elements, for example, the expanding reception of contact focal points to treat vision eye infections across the globe.

Regional Analysis:

North America is relied upon to stay at the front and stand firm on the most elevated foothold in the worldwide ophthalmic gadgets market during the figure time frame. This is owing to the expanding reception of cutting edge innovation to foster these gadgets, for example, an intraocular focal point for treating waterfall illness. The locale remained at USD 10.54 billion out of 2019.

The Ophthalmic Devices Market in Europe is expected to exhibit a remarkable development inferable from the expanding center by significant organizations to foster inventive items to treat eye issues.





Speak To Our Analyst: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/ophthalmic-devices-market-102187





List of the Companies Operating in the Global Market:

Alcon (Geneva, Switzerland)

Carl Zeiss Meditec (Oberkochen, Germany)

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. (Jacksonville, U.S.)

The Cooper Companies Inc. (California, U.S.)

BVI (Waltham, U.S.)

Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Rochester, U.S.)

Essilor (California, U.S.)

Hoya Corporation (Tokyo, Japan)

NIDEK CO., LTD (Gamagori, Japan)





About Us:

Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

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It was a small event, with about 100 people gathered (safely, of course) in small, intimate groups. But it may have been the start of something big, a preview of a possible future where collaboration between two elite business schools in the heart of Silicon Valley is common, frequent, and encouraged.

Last November, student officers of the Venture Capital Club at UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business reached out to their counterparts at Stanford Graduate School of Business with a proposal: to host a founder mixer together, mingle in small groups, chat over drinks, share ideas, network. Which seems straightforward enough  the kind of thing you used to see all the time before the global pandemic  until you remember that though the two business schools face each other on opposite sides of San Francisco Bay, they also are traditional rivals.

For Berkeley and Stanford, collaboration on any level  but particularly in the VC space  occurs rarely, if ever. The question on the minds of Atusa Sadeghi and Alejandra Vergara, the two MBA co-presidents of Haas Venture Capital Club, was: Why?

OUT WITH THE OLD WAYS

Atusa Sadeghi, co-president of Haas Venture Capital Club

In terms of pushback, or students being a little skeptical  not at all, Vergara tells Poets&Quants in a recent interview, describing initial reactions to the proposal for a Berkeley-Stanford meet-and-greet. It was actually the complete opposite. I dont know if its a shift of mindset or just a generational thing, but the moment I brought this up, everyone was like, Yeah!

Were already running into each other during our internships. Its a very small world and were going to end up working and collaborating together. So why not get started sooner?

Vergara, a member of the Haas Class of 2022 whose career began in finance and asset management, and Sadeghi, a student in the Haas Evening & Weekend program who spent a dozen years as a mechanical engineer, come from professional backgrounds that emphasize collaboration over competition. In this way they are representative of something of a sea change in graduate business education: Out with the tired, old way of working against each other and viewing those in other programs as rivals and enemies; in with teamwork, partnership, and working toward shared goals.

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In this new era were always hearing, You need to be a little bit more in tune with whats going on with the market,' Sadeghi says. Theres so much happening in the market and everybody keeps talking about capital structure and changes in VC, and then you also hear about how theyre being supportive of having younger, more junior, but more experienced students enter this workspace. Yet history has shown how difficult this sector is. Its an extremely complex, complicated, competitive sector to step into. And so there have been a lot of chats, but there hasnt been a lot of movement until the past year or so.

So we kind of just took that by its head and were like, Well, we really want to make some sort of actionable insight here. We just dont want to talk about things. We really want to make some changes happen.'

MORE IN TUNE WITH WHATS GOING ON IN THE MARKET

Haas student-led Venture Capital Club was founded in 2018. From the beginning it was run by co-presidents from both the full-time and Evening & Weekend MBA programs  meaning collaboration is in the clubs DNA. But the club was secluded, Vergara says, mostly focused on engaging only those students already involved in VC. When she and Sadeghi were elected to lead the club in 2021, they quickly realized they shared a vision for change.

One of the things that we did was engaging with the Berkeley Entrepreneurs Association and building a Pitch Night, Vergara says, so that was one event where we kind of stepped outside of VC and said, Okay, whats Berkeley Entrepreneurship up to? And how can we get involved and collaborate? Another pillar was across Berkeley  engagements with students that are part of the Masters in Design, School of Engineering. Nothing formal there in terms of events, but we did have a few touchpoints.

They also did marketing  of themselves, as a club. The result: VC Club membership exploded to more than 500 members.

What Ale and I were seeing as maybe a little bit more seasoned individuals  both of us are in our early thirties  we have kind of been there, Sadeghi says, and we saw how much of a need there is to go outside of the walls of any MBA school to start really working together. We were just kind of tired of being prepared. We have extremely smart, driven, passionate, qualified people. They just need a platform to do something with it.

DEEP CONNECTIONS FORMED OVER SUMMER

Alon Dror

The obvious next step: Talk to the biggest source of VC talent in the world, which happens to be just a few miles down the road.

I had met C.C. Gong, who is the co-president of the VC Club at the GSB, over the summer, because she hosted a bunch of VC interns that were in San Francisco and we kept in touch, Vergara says. That was sort of like the initial touchpoint, but then so many more people got involved from both schools.

One of those people was Alon Dror, in the Stanford MBA Class of 2022. From his perspective  and, he says, from his classmates  there was no rivalry talk to overcome to make collaboration between schools easier.

To be honest, I havent noticed any rivalry chatter regarding any school since I got to the GSB, Dror, a native of Israel, tells P&Q. Perhaps being an international student helped with this regard. In fact, the GSBs Entrepreneurship Club leadership team is entirely international, and the VC Club leadership team is almost entirely international. If Im not mistaken the situation at Haas is similar.

We got to meet some Haas students during the summer, as we were in our summer internships. Especially helpful were some social events in San Francisco that brought together students that interned in VCs in the Bay. I dont remember how the specific conversation about a joint event started but the summer events created really deep connections between us.

Meeting the Haas students was interesting in several ways, Dror says.

Were basically living in the same ecosystem, and it was interesting to get their perspective, he says. Awesome people, it was a lot of fun. We had a group speed-dating where everyone talked about their backgrounds, ideas, and goals. Especially interesting was to hear about their entrepreneurial/VC aspirations. A good measure for a successful event  people didnt want to leave! We went to a close-by pub after the event and I felt that we really formed great connections between the two groups.

A CHANGE IN MINDSET

Alejandra Vergara

Stanford has typically dominated in the top-tier venture firms, sending many more grads into venture capital than Haas does. In fact, in its most recent employment report, Stanford sent nearly the same proportion of its 2021 class into VC  11%  that Berkeley Haas sent into all jobs under the finance umbrella.

But Haas is trying to change that. After the success of the November mixer, Berkeleys VC Club is planning more events  a sequel with Stanford this spring, as well as events with students from Whartons San Francisco campus. And then perhaps cast an even wider net.

What I personally really love about this experience in particular is that we kicked off with this one founder mixer event in November, Vergara says. Like Sadeghi, she now works in venture capital; together they are launching a new fund at Haas called Courtyard Ventures. We are now talking about hosting a second one. So this first one was, the GSB comes to Berkeley. Were now talking about spring, knock on wood, if everything goes back to in-person, having Stanford GSB host Berkeley Haas. So that way we have an annual or semi-annual cadence. And I think the event will evolve. It wont just be a mixer; that was sort of just the kickoff. But well see.

Alon kept in touch. I talked to him quite often throughout the process and he was the one that reached out after the new year: Hey all, hope everyone had a great year. Lets start talking about the next event. And its sort of like that domino effect because as Atusa said, theres other schools as well. Theres the Wharton Evening-Weekend from San Francisco. Ive gotten a lot of inbound from UCSF lately. People want to do it. You need an example to point toward, because no one really wants to be the first, because its a risk. It could have been like, Oh no, actually were too busy. We kind of need to network with our own school or whatever. And it was quite the contrary. Im happy to see sort of that inbound from other schools and hopefully itll be replicated across the country and other MBA programs as well.

Sadeghi adds: The beautiful part of it is how easy it is to do it. Theres a lot of administrative work that went into it, but its just a lot of legwork, and maybe some pushback here and there by some faculty. But if you have the intention, its not impossible.

We never had an all-school touchpoint. It was always very competitive. And for us, we wanted to create change. We were sitting in class, and people  including professors  would still say, Oh well, the other school on the other side of the bridge, or, Oh well, we dont want to talk about them. And they would do the same thing for us. And were like, You cant make change with that mindset.'

DONT MISS MBA CLASS OF 2021 JOBS: BERKELEY HAAS MEDIAN SALARIES LEAP BY $9K and STANFORD GSB GRADUATED THE HIGHEST-PAID MBAS OF ALL TIME IN 2021

The post What Rivalry? In Silicon Valley, A Meeting Of The Minds At 2 B-School Powerhouses appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Fortune Business Insights

Companies Profiled in Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market are Canadian Solar Inc., BrightSource Energy, Inc., First Solar, SunPower Corporation, Trina Solar, Yingli Solar, Wuxi Suntech Power Co. Ltd., Jinko Solar, Waaree Group, AccionaEnergia S.A.(Spain), Nextera Energy Sources LLC, Vivaan Solar, eSolar Inc., Tata PowerSolar Systems Ltd., Abengoa

Pune, India, Feb. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global solar photovoltaic (PV) market size is projected to reach USD 1,000.92 billion by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 25.9% during the forecast period. Rising demand for renewable energy resources and dependence upon electricity is likely to fuel market progress. Fortune Business Insights provides this information in its report titled "Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market, 2021-2028."

Solar Photovoltaic is a technology that converts sunlight into electricity. It is considered the most reliable energy resource because of its effectiveness in extracting electricity. It eliminates pollution emissions and reduces dependence on fossil fuels by providing sustainable energy resources. Germany, Spain, U.S., and China account for the countries possessing major solar resources globally. The rising demand for effective fossil fuels is likely to fuel solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. Further, the dependence upon electricity is increasing rapidly globally. The demand for sustainable and continuous electric supply is likely to fuel solar PV technologies' demand. These factors are likely to fuel the market progress during the upcoming years.

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Companies Profiled in Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market:

Canadian Solar Inc. (Canada)

BrightSource Energy, Inc. (U.S.)

First Solar (U.S.)

SunPower Corporation (U.S.)

Trina Solar (China)

Yingli Solar (China)

Wuxi Suntech Power Co. Ltd. (China)

Jinko Solar (China)

Waaree Group (India)

AccionaEnergia S.A.(Spain)

Nextera Energy Sources LLC (U.S.)

Vivaan Solar (India)

eSolar Inc. (U.S.)

Tata PowerSolar Systems Ltd. (India)

Abengoa (Spain)

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Report Scope & Segmentation

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 CAGR 25.9% 2028 Value Projection USD 1000.92 Billion Base Year 2020 Solar Photovoltaic Market Size in 2020 USD 154.47 Billion Historical Data for 2017 to 2019 No. of Pages 220 Segments covered Technology, Grid Type, Installation, Application and Geography Solar Photovoltaic Market Growth Drivers Rising Investments in Solar Power and Increasing Off-grid Areas to Boost Market Growth Low Manufacturing Costs and Higher Solar Irradiance Levels to Boost Market Growth in Asia Pacific Prominent Companies Launch New Projects to Boost Brand Presence Globally





Impact of COVID-19

Raw Material Shortage and Closure of Industries to Negatively Affect Market Growth

This market could be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the closure of major industries and the shortage of raw materials. The emergence of the pandemic and the sudden spike in cases has led to the imposition of restrictions. The halt on manufacturing and the closure of industries is likely to fuel the product demand. Further, the adoption of reduced capacities, part-time shifts, and production machinery is likely to fuel the product's adoption. These factors are likely to support the growth of the market during the pandemic.

Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market.

Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/solar-pv-market-100263

Market Segments

By technology analysis, the market is segmented into multi-si, thin-film, mono-si, and others. As per installation, it is classified into roof-mounted, ground-mounted, and others. Based on grid type, it is bifurcated into off-grid and on-grid. By application, it is categorized into non-residential, residential, and utilities. Regionally, it is divided into Asia pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Report Coverage

The report provides a detailed analysis of the top segments and the latest trends in the market. It comprehensively discusses the driving and restraining factors and the impact of COVID-19 on the market. Additionally, it examines the regional developments and the strategies undertaken by the market's key players.

Drivers and Restraints

Rising Investments in Solar Power and Increasing Off-grid Areas to Boost Market Growth

Solar PV is a technology that boosts electricity production using solar energy in several off-grid areas. Several people worldwide live without continuous electric supply and facilities. As per the statistics provided by the World Energy Outlook, approximately 1 billion people or more still live without an electric supply. As a result, the development of solar energy is gaining traction. Solar energy is the most readily available source of electricity, which, in turn, may fuel its adoption in off-grid areas. Significant investments in solar energy lead to increased solar PV sales. Energy generation companies focus heavily on the production of solar power and the incorporation of solar energy generation technologies. These factors are likely to drive the solar photovoltaic (PV) market growth.

However, the requirement of large land use and constraints regarding its uses are likely to hinder market progress.

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Regional Insights

Low Manufacturing Costs and Higher Solar Irradiance Levels to Boost Market Growth in Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the solar photovoltaic (PV) market size because of low manufacturing costs and higher solar irradiance levels are likely to boost the product's adoption. The market in Asia pacific stood at 71.37 billion in 2020 and is projected to gain the largest market share in the upcoming years. Furthermore, approximately 77 GW of solar capacity has been installed in developing countries in 2020 and the electricity demand is rising rapidly in countries such as India, Japan, and China. These factors are likely to fuel market progress.

Europe has the second-largest solar photovoltaic (PV) market share owing to the installation of solar power infrastructure. Increased spending on renewable energy resource development is likely to fuel solar PV technology. For example, the EU Renewable Energy Directive announced its plans for sustainable energy resource development. These factors are likely to facilitate the growth of the market.

In North America, the increased solar photovoltaic capacity in the U.S. and Canada is likely to fuel the solar PV demand. The region possesses more than 100MW off-grid solar PV installations, which, in turn, may propel market growth.

Competitive Landscape

Prominent Companies Launch New Projects to Boost Brand Presence Globally

Prominent companies operating in the market launch new projects to boost their brand presence. For example, Canadian Solar declared that it commenced the biggest commercial and industrial (C&I) construction project in Malaysia in collaboration with EleapsSdn. Bhd., The 5 MWp and Antah Solar Sdn. Bhd. The project is situated in Penang, Malaysia, and spans approximately 26,000 m2. This strategy may boost the company's brand image globally. Further, the adoption of technologically advanced production techniques may enable companies to reduce production costs, time consumption, improve product quality, and fulfill organizational goals.

Industry Development

July 2021: Waaree Energy stated that it completed a 300+MW solar module's launch for the Aquamarine Solar PV project. The company offers Mono PERC Solar PV modules for installation in WSP.

Quick Buy - Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market Analysis Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/100263

Major Table of Contents:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Regulatory Landscape Porters Five Forces Analysis

Qualitative Analysis  Impact of COVID-19 Impact of COVID-19 on the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market Steps Taken by the Government to Overcome the Impact Key Developments in the Industry in Response to COVID-19 Potential Opportunities and Challenges due to COVID-19 Outbreak

Global Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market Analysis (USD Billion) (MW), Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Technology Monocrystalline Silicon Thin Film Polycrystalline Silicon Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Installation Ground Mounted Rooftop Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Grid Type On-grid Off-grid Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Residential Non-Residential Utilities Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa

North America Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market Analysis (USD Billion) (MW), Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Technology Monocrystalline Silicon Thin Film Polycrystalline Silicon Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Installation Ground Mounted Rooftop Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Grid Type On-grid Off-grid Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Residential Non-Residential Utilities Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country U.S. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Residential Non-Residential Utilities Canada Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Residential Non-Residential Utilities



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Thomas Flohr

Vista Founder & Chairman

Aircraft

AIR HAMBURG Embraer Lineage 1000E

Aircraft

AIR HAMBURG interior

VISTA ACCELERATES INDUSTRY CONSOLIDATION WITH THE ACQUISITION OF AIR HAMBURG, EUROPES LEADING CHARTER OPERATOR



Acquisition of AIR HAMBURG s trengthe ns Vista s position across European and Middle East ern markets ;

On a combined basis, the transaction would see Vista increase flight hours by ~ 30% globally , and have a ~ 15% market share of the global charter market ;

44 additional aircraft available to Members across VistaJet and XO fleets , bringing Vistas total global group fleet to over 240 aircraft , including owned and managed ;

E xperienced AIR HAMBURG management team remaining in positions ;

T ransaction expected to be completed in the first half of 202 2 , subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals ;

Follows the recent successful integrations of Red Wing Aviation, Apollo Jets and Talon Air into Vistas global infrastructure.

Dubai, February 21, 2022: Vista Global Holding (Vista), the worlds leading private aviation group, announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire AIR HAMBURGs operating platform and maintenance services.

Founded in 2006, AIR HAMBURG has become one of the most well-established full-service private aviation companies, flying to over 1,000 destinations in Europe alone. It is the largest private jet operator by number of flights across Europe, organizing over 18,800 flights for its clients in 2021, and it is second only to Vista in terms of hours flown, recording over 35,000 hours in 2021. As a result, Vista expects an increase of around 30% in flight hours (on a combined basis) globally following the completion of the transaction.

Thomas Flohr, Vistas Founder and Chairman said: Todays announcement brings a renowned institution of the European private aviation market into the Vista group and complements our growth and service offering across Europe and the Middle East. AIR HAMBURG is an impressive, well-established and profitable business with a long-standing track record in best-in-class client service  like Vista, it is known for its reliability and consistency throughout a scaling fleet and high utilization.

Story continues

Vistas leading flying solutions, with a business model based on a floating fleet, allows us to implement a quick, seamless integration. This is yet another demonstration of Vistas unrivaled commitment to ensuring all our Members have access to the best value flying solutions across the world at any given moment.

It is incredibly exciting to welcome over 650 highly-skilled new colleagues to become part of the Vista family of experts at one of the most exciting times for our industry. It has been an absolute pleasure to work closely with the leadership team to ensure both companies capitalize fully on the global opportunities within the expanding private aviation market.

The acquisition will augment Vistas scale and fleet offering across key strategic regions and brings together two long-established reputable companies with the shared vision of delivering the most reliable and consistent flying solutions and best experiences to their Members. The merger is the latest step in Vistas relentless transformation of the highly fragmented business aviation ecosystem. Following strong global demand for private aviation services from new and existing clients, the move builds on the recent integrations of Apollo Jets, Talon Air and Red Wing Aviation.

In addition to a thriving charter business, Vista will integrate AIR HAMBURGs world-class EASA Part 145 maintenance hub at Baden Baden Airpark, along with its Executive Handling division and VIP lounge at Hamburg Airport which will be available for Vista Members to use.

Floris Helmers, AIR HAMBURGs CEO and Managing Director said: This is an incredible opportunity to remain at the top of the growing business aviation market. Over the last three years we have experienced strong growth, significantly increasing our market share across Europe and beyond. This cooperation between two of the largest operators means increasing our stability and securing further growth for our business, while allowing our team to showcase their strength and competencies to the most sophisticated clientele. We are looking forward to this next chapter in joining the Vista group.

AIR HAMBURGs growing private jet operation complements Vistas owned fleet services, and its 44 contracted aircraft, including Lineage 1000E, Dassault Falcon 7X, and Embraer Legacy models, will be available to all Vista Members.

 Ends 

About Vista

Vista Global Holdings (Vista) subsidiaries provide worldwide business flight services. A global group headquartered at the DIFC in Dubai, Vista integrates a unique portfolio of companies offering asset-free services to cover all key aspects of business aviation: guaranteed and on demand global flight coverage; subscription and Membership solutions; and cutting-edge mobility technology. The Groups mission is to lead the change to provide clients with the most advanced flying services at the very best value, anytime, anywhere around the world. Vistas knowledge and understanding of all facets of the industry deliver the best end-to-end offering and technology to all business aviation clients, through its VistaJet and XO branded services and duly licensed carriers. Vista is not a direct air carrier and does not operate or charter flights.

More Vista information and news at www.vistaglobal.com

About AIR HAMBURG

Since April 2006, the AIR HAMBURG Group has been a full-service aviation provider based in Hamburg, Germany, employing more than 650 people and consists of:

AIR HAMBURG PRIVATE JETS

AIR HAMBURG Private Jets is the main group and the largest European charter airline. Its fleet of 44 jets consists of: Lineage 1000E, Falcon 7X, Legacy 600/650/650E, Legacy 500, Praetor 600, Cessna Citation XLS+, Phenom 300/300E as well as Cessna Citation CJ3.

Over the past three years, the company has experienced strong growth, welcoming around 10 new jets per year, and significantly increasing market share. Its exceptional service has been recognized by industry bodies including the ACA Excellence Award for best executive passenger charter operator, and IS-BAO and Wyvern-Wingman certifications.

With a floating fleet business model, its private jets are strategically positioned around the world to provide the most streamlined service possible. Regardless of where clients are in the world, AIR HAMBURG Private Jets can have a jet with them in no time, ready to fly to any destination, even at short notice, and in hard-to-reach areas. Its Operations Control Center takes care of everything while passengers relax or plan their next meeting.

More information and news at www.air-hamburg.de

AIR HAMBURG TECHNIK

Where the ultimate efficiency and the highest standards meet. When it comes to the Embraer Lineage 1000E, Legacy 600/650/650E, Praetor 600, Legacy 500/450, the Cessna Citation XLS+ aircraft and the Embraer Phenom 300/300E  AIR HAMBURG TECHNIK are the team to call. Private aviation is a 24/7 business that requires speed and flexibility. Maintaining AIR HAMBURG Private Jets fleet of more than 40 aircraft has bolstered experience in highly responsive support.

The EASA Part 145 maintenance organization is based at Karlsruhe/Baden EDSB airport. Located in the heart of Europe, the base has hangarage, line and heavy maintenance, aircraft special tooling, testing equipment, and a parts logistics centre.

More information and news at www.ahtechnik.de

Contacts

press@vistaglobal.com

Vista Global Holding Limited (Vista) does not own or operate any aircraft. All flights are performed by FAA-licensed/DOT-registered EASA or U.S. certified Vista group direct air carriers and/or partner operators. Vista holds non-controlling minority stakes in XOJET Aviation, GMJ Air Shuttle, Red Wing Aviation and Talon Air.

Attachments




Popular fast-casual burger chain Shake Shack is coming to the Richmond region.

The fast-growing New York-based chain plans to build a restaurant at 5400 W. Broad St. on the site of a formers Applebees restaurant, according to Ashley Peace, president of Sauer Properties Inc., the Richmond-based development company that owns the property that is part of the Willow Place shopping center.

Theres no word when the Shake Shack restaurant would open. A Shake Shack representative could not be reached for comment.

Sauer Properties filed a permit on Feb. 9 to tear down the former Applebees Neighborhood Grill + Bar, according to Henrico Countys online building permit records. The restaurant, located about two blocks west of Willow Lawn shopping center, closed in September 2018.

Shake Shack would be near a First Watch restaurant, which took over a former Ruby Tuesday restaurant space last year.

Well be submitting a POD [plan of development] to Henrico County in the next few weeks and demolishing the existing structure soon, Peace wrote in an email. (Sauer Properties is the company behind the Whole Foods-anchored Sauer Center project on West Broad Street near the Fan District. It also owns shopping centers, including Libbie Place, Willow Place and Cary Court Park & Shop.)

This would be Shake Shacks fifth location in Virginia  three are in Northern Virginia and one opened in Virginia Beach in 2019.

Shake Shack is a popular burger chain, described as a modern-day roadside burger stand serving classic burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, crinkle-cut fries and shakes.

It started as a hot dog cart inside New York Citys Madison Square Park in 2001 and moved to a brick-and-mortar spot inside the park in 2004. The chain has more than 240 locations in 32 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and more than 125 international locations.

Shake Shack expects to open between 45 and 50 new company-operated restaurants in 2022, a record for the chain, the company said on Thursday when announcing fourth-quarter and fiscal year results.

Most of those new locations wont open until the end of the year, CEO Randy Garutti said on a conference call to investors.

Shake Shack opened 35 company-operated restaurants in the U.S. in 2021, bringing its total to 218. It also operated 151 global licensed locations at the end of 2021, compared with 128 in the prior year.

The chain opened its first drive-thru restaurant in December, and it now has three.

The company generated $739.9 million last year, up 41.5% from 2020. It posted a net loss of $10.1 million, compared with a net loss of $45.5 million in 2020.

Richmond BizSense first reported that Shake Shack would locate in Henrico.
Fredericksburg City Public Schools will lift its universal mask mandate for students effective March 1, division officials announced Friday.

The division will continue to strongly encourage masking and vaccination as part of its COVID-19 mitigation strategies, according to an announcement on the school systems website.

We have always followed state and federal law and will continue to do so, an announcement about the decision posted to the school systems website reads.

The announcement notes that Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Feb. 16 signed Senate Bill 739, requiring schools to lift mask mandates, into law.

Under a federal mandate, students will still need to wear masks on school buses and in Head Start programs.

Division employees must also continue masking under Virginia Department of Labor and Industry standards. These standards are under review per a Youngkin executive order.

Families are responsible for setting mask preferences, the divisions announcement reads. No student will be required to provide any reason and students will not suffer any consequence as a result of parental decision.

The announcement thanks families for continued cooperation with COVID-19 mitigation procedures.

In-person learning has been our goal since the beginning of school this year and it has taken all of us working together to create safe environments, it states.

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By Trend

In accordance with the combat training plan, the training exercises were held in Azerbaijan's Land Forces Operations Commando military unit, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

During practical classes held in conditions close to real combat, various tactical activities were carried out.

The commandos successfully fulfilled all the tasks assigned during the exercises.

The main objective of the training exercises, conducted at nighttime and in the daylight hours by taking into account the combat experience gained in the Second Karabakh War, is to increase the level of professionalism of commandos and improve their practical skills.




This weekend, dignitaries will dedicate a state historical marker in Culpeper to the first African American soldiers serving in the Unions Army of the Potomac during the Overland Campaign of 1864.

These men in United States Colored Troops regiments entered Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lees Central Virginia turf via Culpeper County, after crossing the Rappahannock River. Many had been enslaved, some in Culpeper and nearby counties, before joining the armys ranks and returning south. Culpeper researcher Zann Nelson has identified at least 120 USCTs who were born in Culpeper.

On May 5, 1864, thousands of African American soldiers marched into Culpeper County at Kellys Ford as part of the Army of the Potomac, the Unions primary fighting force in the wars Eastern Theater, for the first time.

The public is invited to the dedication ceremony for the marker Saturday, Feb. 26, starting at 11 a.m. at the Brandy Station fire hall at 19601 Church Road, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources said last week.

For Saturdays ceremony, on-site parking will be available. Afterward, lunch will be served in the fire hall. Today (Monday, Feb. 21) is the last day to register for the lunch at Info@Freedomfoundationva.org.

Culpeper County native Howard Lambert, founder and president of The Freedom Foundation of Virginia, will deliver opening remarks. Ed Gantt, president of the U.S. Colored Troops, 23rd Regiment re-enactor group, will serve as master of ceremony.

Other speakers will include David Ruth, a member of the Virginia Board of Historic Resources who is a former superintendent of Richmond National Battlefield Park, and Steward Henderson, a Civil War living historian and 23rd Regiment USCT reenactor.

The keynote speeches will be given by the Rev. Eugene Triplett, associate pastor of Rising Zion Baptist Church in Winston, and Dr. James K. Bryant II, a historian, author and educator who is an expert on U.S. Colored Troops.

Triplett, a Brandy Station resident, is a descendant of a soldier in the 27th Regiment USCT.

Bryant, a former professor of history at Shenandoah University in Winchester, worked for many years as a National Park Service historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He has written several books, including The 36th Infantry United States Colored Troops in the Civil War: A History and Roster.

Launched by Union Gens. Ulysses S. Grant and George Gordon Mead, the Overland Campaign was a game-changing series of battles in Central Virginia that helped win victory for the Union in the American Civil War. Eleven months after it began, Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House.

During Grants Overland Campaign, some 3,600 members of USCT regiments served under Union Gen. Edward Ferrero in his 4th Division of the IX Corps. These men served in the 19th, 23rd, 27th, 30th, 39th and 43rd USCT, as well as in the 30th Connecticut Colored Infantry.

When these troops were in Culpeper County, Confederates captured and executed at least three Black soldiers.

Under the Confederate governments policy, rebel soldiers were free to execute Black soldiers on the spot. Also, the Confederate Congress in Richmond declared the colored regiments white officers to be contributing to servile insurrection and also fair game for death or punishment.

The Black soldiers marched south across the Rapidan River to join Lt. Gen. Grants campaign, and helped neutralize Lees army before the Unions siege of Petersburg. In April 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. The USCT regiments were disbanded in the fall of 1865, shortly after the wars end.

The Virginia Board of Historic Resources approved the Culpeper marker in 2021. The manufacturing costs for the black-and-silver marker were covered by its sponsor, The Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit group.

VDHR says its markers are erected not to honor their subjects, but to educate and inform the public about a person, place or event of regional, state or national importance. The markers are not memorials, which are governed by state law.

Last November, more than 150 people helped dedicate the Maddensville Historic Site near Lignum in Culpeper County, which includes a monument to three USCT soldiers who were executed nearby on May 8, 1864. They were members of the USCT regiments that marched into Culpeper for the Overland Campaign.

What happened at Maddensville speaks to how the United States chose liberty over slavery for the first time in its four-score and five years of history, Civil War author and historian John J. Hennessy said in that events keynote address.

Of the USCTs, Hennessy said, Their presence here reflected a momentous change in this nations relationship with the institution of slavery. In many ways, enslaved people fleeing bondage helped force that change. In 1862, months before the Emancipation Proclamation, thousands fled farms and plantations in Culpeper, Orange, Spotsylvania and a half-dozen other counties, emancipating themselves, flooding into the camps of any part of the U.S. army they could find: By presenting themselves, they challenged the nation: What are you going to do with us now? 

The Maddensville monument is the first of its kind in Culpeper County, and one of few to Black troops in Virginia.

Virginia began its historical highway marker program in 1927 by installing metal signs along U.S. 1. At least one of those early markers, to Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, survives at Four-Mile Fork in Spotsylvania County.

Virginias marker effort is considered the oldest such program in the nation.

Today, there are more than 2,600 official state markers, most maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, as well as local partners in jurisdictions not under VDOTs authority.
The decriminalization was touted as a stride for justice reform. It was in fact a free pass for career drug dealers. It also was a slap in the face to every parent who ever received a knock on their door informing them their child had died of an overdose.
Bahrain-based Bank ABC Islamic has closed the year ending December 31, 2021 with net profit of $29.9 million, representing a 4.4% improvement year-on-year from $28.6 million in 2020.



The solid results of 2021 are a reflection on the banks continued focus on generating growth while maintaining prudent risk management practices, a statement said.



Despite a low profit rate environment and a market that was flushed with liquidity, the Bank successfully maintained its asset base on a year-on-year basis, which is a great achievement. Asset pricing came under pressure due to excess liquidity and impacted the operating income adversely, however, lower impairment charges helped the Bank in returning to normal performance after adversely getting impacted in 2020 on account of a regional fraud case.



In 2021, the Bank facilitated the expansion and outreach of Islamic products to one of ABC Groups core network market, Algeria. An Islamic window operation, under the brand name albuarq, was launched in ABC Algeria in February 2021 offering a complete suite of Islamic products to wholesale and retail clients.



Recognizing the Banks performance, the Islamic Rating Agency (IIRA) reaffirmed the rating of Bank ABC Islamic at A-/A-2 on the international scale and A+(bh)/A-1(bh) on the national scale with a Stable outlook, based on the results of September 2021.



Key performance highlights:



 Total operating income of US$40 million, 10.9% lower than US$44.9 million reported last year, mainly on account of lesser origination of new-to-bank corporate customers, lower profit rate environment and lower fee income. However, despite these challenges, the Bank was able to maintain its asset base on a year-on-year basis.

 Operating expenses were US$8.6 million, 35% higher compared to US$6.4 million for last year. When adjusted for one-off pandemic related items, the expenses for 2021 grew by only 7.4%.

 Balance sheet remained strong with capital adequacy ratio of 37.7%, predominantly tier 1, which totalled 36.7%.



Hammad Hassan, Managing Director of Bank ABC Islamic said: We are pleased on the overall performance of the Bank in 2021, despite the impact on top line due to a combination of factors including lower profit rate environment and subdued new-to-bank corporate client origination because of travel restrictions.



Our prudent risk management practices resulted in much lower impairments compared to last year, which was an exceptional year, adversely impacted by a regional fraud case. We remain optimistic about 2022, as the business sentiment improves, and travel restrictions reduce in our target market countries.  TradeArabia News Service
Jordon Daniel is a volunteer advocate for veterans in Colorado and a U.S. Navy veteran who served 2002-2006.
This can no longer happen in Fort Collins, where above-ground power lines have been buried since 2006. A December windstorm hit Springs and blew these two trees over onto power lines in the Old North End.
King Salman Energy Park (Spark) has announced the signing of a lease agreement with EnEx to establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to produce drone systems at Spark's digital hub.

The project will also produce power isolators and is another step forward to localise production and digitisation in the kingdom, said Spark in a Twitter message.

EnEx is a private Saudi company acting as an investor and business promotor.

Spark is a fully integrated industrial ecosystem and spans an area of 50 sq km. It is being developed with a vision to become the leading gateway to the regional energy sector, providing a complete spectrum of solutions to support business growth in the Kingdom.

Spark is also the first and only industrial city in the world to achieve silver LEED certification.

Spark offers infrastructure at international standards for global investors in the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, power and water production and treatment industries. -TradeArabia News Service
The veins of mining run deep in Superior, a Colorado community founded on coal and recently redefined by fire. For generations residents needed only to go a few miles west during winter to see plumes of steam and smoke rising from fissures in the Earth, from an underground coal mine fire that started before many of them were born.

Investigators are now looking at that coal mine fire  one of 38 monitored by the Colorado Department of Natural Resources  as a possible cause of the Marshall fire, which on Dec. 30 swept through town and burned 95% of the original portion of Superior and some homes inhabited by the descendants of coal miners.

I think the coal mining industry is so filled with dangers that there are a lot of ironies, Superior Historical Commission Chairman Larry Dorsey said.

The Marshall fire was first reported at a spot near the Marshall Mesa Trailhead, about five miles west of Superior, in the late morning of Dec. 30. Within minutes of its discovery, hurricane-force winds had whipped it into an inferno that stormed east through kindling-dry open space. By the time a heavy snowfall ended the blaze a few hours before the new year, 1,084 homes were destroyed, 1,500 acres had burned and two people were dead.

The investigation into the most destructive fire in Colorado history remains in a holding pattern as the Boulder County Sheriffs Office awaits the lab and expert reports that will help determine a final conclusion, spokeswoman Carrie Haverfield said, on Friday. Her office announced in late January it was investigating any and all potential causes of the fire including coal mines in the area, power lines, human activity, etc.

Whether or not the coal mine fire burning beneath city of Boulder open space is to blame, the fact remains that such underground fires stalk many Colorado coal towns  and have, in the past, sparked destructive wildfires.

A warming, drier climate means even low activity underground fires pose a greater risk of becoming a monster, should flames breach the surface.

In total, tens of thousands of Coloradans live within just a couple miles of one of the state's underground coal mine fires, a Gazette analysis of census data showed.

Anywhere you have historic coal mining and the right kind of climatic and geologic conditions you can certainly have fires, said Jeff Graves, program director of the Inactive Mine Reclamation Program with the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety under the states Department of Natural Resources.

There are more than 1,000 historic coal mines in Colorado. All of the coal mine fires Graves and his team are currently monitoring began prior to 1977, when the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act changed the way coal companies do business.

There was a recognition that if were going to keep operating a mine here we need to be conscious of the potential of igniting a coal mine fire, he said. New federal regulations really addressed a lot of those concerns associated with ignition.

Some fires are remote, far from where people live, and others are on the edge of towns. One lies within the city limits of Cortez.

And while some of those underground fires are considered to be low or very low activity by the Department of Natural Resources, theyre situated in wildfire-prone areas, according to the U.S. Forest Services wildfire hazard potential evaluation system.

The Marshall and Lewis underground coal mine fires, which sit almost exactly where the devastating Marshall fire began, have some of the closest residential areas, with more than 6,000 Coloradans within two miles, prior to the fire.

The Department of Natural Resources classifies both of those as low activity fires, but theyre in above-average wildfire hazard potential risk areas.

The McElmo underground coal mine fire burns on the southern edge of Cortez, within a couple miles of nearly 9,000 residents. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the fire has very low activity but high risk of trespassing.

The area west of Glenwood Springs is relatively dense with underground coal mine fires, especially around the small town of New Castle, 13 miles west of Glenwood Springs, where three underground coal mine fires burn on the periphery of a 2-mile area thats home to almost 6,000 residents. The state deems one of the fires to be of low risk, one medium risk and one high risk.

The South Canyon fires, about a 20-minute drive west on Interstate 70 then south on County Highway 134 from Glenwood Springs, are both considered highly active, with new vents forming and vent temperatures between 500 degrees and nearly 700 degrees Fahrenheit. The department notes they are also close to trail systems, where signs have been posted to let hikers know what theyre seeing is the off-gassing of an underground fire:

Coal Seam burning underground. Do not call 911.

In 2002, that coal mine fire sparked a wildfire that burned 12,000 acres and 29 homes in Glenwood Springs.

Graves said some of the fires his team monitors began prior to 1900. Experts can only speculate at the cause in most cases. Spontaneous ignition can, and does, happen. A spontaneously generated coal seam fire in Australia is thought to have been burning for more than 6,000 years.

While anecdotal stories exist, of fires ignited by miners candles and lamps, generally, we believe it to be just that natural chemical oxidation process that over time creates combustion, Graves said.

Glenwood Springs Fire Chief Gary Tillotson said his crews drive out to check on the active coal fires in the area regularly in the summer as residents and visitors call 911 to report smoke.

Usually, the underground coal fires are just venting. But he doesnt mind sending crews out again and again to check the area where the 2002 Coal Seam Fire started.

It definitely is not any less of a threat, he said.

While the burn scar is still visible near the underground fire, unburned areas remain north and south that could carry a fire. In addition, most of the homes lost in 2002 have been rebuilt and new apartments have gone up in the area as well that could burn, Tillotson said.

Following record-setting fires on the Western Slope, such as the East Troublesome, amid deep drought conditions, Tillotson said he's planning to do more mitigation around the coal fires to reduce risk.

The department has traditionally cleared vegetation around the fires for 100 feet in all directions, but he is considering increasing that scope.

The fire department needs to work closely with the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety to plan the mitigation because the ground over the coal seams can give way.

I think historically thats part of the reason we havent done some of the mitigation that nowadays I kind of feel like we should, Tillotson said.

His goal this summer is for crews to work around, but not directly over, the coal seams for safety reasons. Vegetation tends to die close to the coal seam fire openings because of the heat.

State crews with the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety have worked at the South Canyon East mine fire to seal vents with clay material to cut off air to the coals and thats helped. But he wants to be prepare for what could be another dry summer.

Knowing the drought conditions we have had for the last several years and the increased fire activity we have seen the last two or three, Tillotson said, enhanced mitigation is probably the most effective, practical thing that we can do.

Extinguishing a so-called eternal flame coal mine fire isnt impossible, but it comes close.

It's certainly very difficult, said Graves. In the history of coal mine fires in Colorado, teams have successfully extinguished one fire. In that case, the fire was burning close to the surface and workers were able to excavate the site down to the source. Often the location and depth of the fire  some of which are burning hundreds of feet underground  make such mitigation impossible.

Surface mitigation typically involves removing fuel in the surrounding land, sometimes cutting off vents that allow in oxygen. Water can be used to douse a coal fire that's exposed to the surface, but not below ground.

If you were to drill holes into the ground and actually inject water into those underground fires, it can create problems. You can actually get a steam explosion, which is a pretty significant problem, Graves said.

Each fire is different, though, and some are located in areas where the depth and terrain have historically made all but superficial mitigation efforts impossible. Most are on private property, and on-site monitoring and mitigation requires owners permission.

Our program is cooperative. Were a voluntary program in a sense; we rely on the landowner to provide access, Graves said.

Every five years the state evaluates coal mine fires, assessing and prioritizing them based on wildfire risk characteristics including surface temperatures, visible activity, proximity to infrastructure and the amount of fuel, largely vegetation, on the surrounding surface. The most recent evaluation and ranking was completed in 2018.

We have a number of fires that have very limited or almost no observed surface activity, but we know there has been a fire there in the past, Graves said.

Coal mine fires in and around the Grand Hogbacks are home to high-priority fires, based on proximity to infrastructure and historic activity. The Hogbacks are a rock feature resembling the scaly ridges of an alligator's spine that extends from the Glenwood Springs through New Castle.

Graves said hes hoping an influx of new federal funding that would more than triple his program's current $3 million budget will help extinguish more of the states coal mine fires, and step up safety measures at the rest.

The state hasnt yet applied for the money  almost $10 million per year for the next 15 years from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act  but Graves said its a guaranteed distribution; all that now stands in the way is official guidance about how to go about the request.

Its a substantial increase in funding, which is why were really excited about how we can put this to good work, Graves said.

He said he hopes the money, specifically designated for coal-related activities, will allow for excavation at sites where such endeavors previously had been financially out of reach.

Because coal mine fires are probably the biggest coal-related issue we have in Colorado, Im expecting a majority of the funds to go toward that, said Graves, whose department also deals with coal mine subsidence and other hazardous mine features. We are hoping with the new funding we will make an attempt on a couple sites to possibly extinguish them and then hopefully do some larger scale projects to slow fire growth on some of the more challenging fire sites.

The money, when it comes, will allow for changes that represent an effective paradigm shift for his department.

Others hope the money can help change the legacy of an industry whose impact will remain long after the last fuel rock is mined.

Aimee Erickson, of the Pennsylvania-based Citizen Coal Council, called the new funding the most important thing that has happened for coal communities in 45 years.

It will eliminate many dangerous abandoned coal mines, Erickson said. Mine fires are as bad or worse at polluting the air as coal fired powerplants. Putting out mine fires will protect the local people and their health. It will also reduce the risk of mine fires causing forest fires on the surface.

Superiors Larry Dorsey said he never considered the underground Marshall coal mine fire a serious wildfire threat  even though hes well aware of the danger such fires can pose, and have, in Colorado towns that owe their very existence to coal.

In the aftermath of the disaster, he knows those ruggedly independent descendants of original mining residents may now struggle to rebuild on modern-day wages, at modern-day prices.

To lose their properties and to know to replace their properties was going to cost more than they can afford is really causing some anguish, he said.
You probably will not be able to get prominent Democrats to admit it publicly, but the past year, 2021, was a banner year for the Democratic P
Bunuel wrote:

Less than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, owing to the fact that the People's Republic of China claims it as part of its "One China" territory, refusing to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes it as an independent nation, and most western nations unofficially consider Taiwan an independent state.



A. Less than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, owing to the fact that the People's Republic of China claims it as part of its "One China" territory, refusing to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes it as an independent nation, and



B. The People's Republic of China refuses to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes Taiwan as an independent nation, claiming Taiwan as part of its "One China" territory, and as a result of this, fewer than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, though



C. Refusing to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes Taiwan as an independent nation, the People's Republic of China claims it as part of its "One China" territory, and correspondingly, fewer than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, while



D. The People's Republic of China claims Taiwan as part of its "One China" territory, and by refusing to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes it as an independent nation, fewer than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, though



E. Because the People's Republic of China claims Taiwan as part of its "One China" territory and refuses to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes Taiwan as an independent nation, fewer than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, though

Official Explanation:

Choice (E) is the best answer.

A complicated question about the status of Taiwan and the One-China policy.(A) First, theres a mistake concerning countable/uncountable nouns. We can count nations and would ask how many nations?, not how much nations?, so we need to use fewer, as in Fewer than 20 nation do not have . . . Also, theres a pronoun mistake: in the section saying that the PRC claims it as part of its, we have the same pronoun used for two different antecedents, a classic pronoun trap. The first it refers to Taiwan, and the second refers to the PRC. Because of these reasons, (A) is incorrect.(B) This one has a glaring pronoun error. In the phrase as a result of this, the pronoun this refers to the entire action of the previous clause. Thats illegal: a pronoun is supposed to have a noun as an antecedent. A pronoun is not allowed to refer to the action of an entire clause. Such use of pronouns may be rampant in American colloquial speech, but it is forbidden on the GMAT. (B) is incorrect.(C) This choice repeats the double pronoun mistake in (A): the PRC claims it as part of itsagain, the same pronoun referring to two different antecedents. Thats wrong 100% of the time. (C) is incorrect.(D) In the phrase any nation that recognizes it, the it is ambiguous. It has a different antecedent from that of the its earlier in the sentence. This is a pronoun problem. Theres also a misplaced modifier. The modifier by refusing grammatically suggests that the fewer than 20 nations are doing the refusing, but we can tell that the the sentence means to say that the PCR is doing this refusing. (D) is incorrect.(E) This choice avoids pronouns for Taiwan, repeating the name instead. Everything is grammatically and logically clear._________________
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More and more business prospects have eyes on the Dan River Region.

There are more than four months left in the current fiscal year, and the region has already seen roughly double the number of inquiries from industries compared to all of 2019-20, said Danville City Manager Ken Larking.

The biggest drivers of this trend are the available sites and shell buildings that meet the needs of companies looking to relocate, Larking said.

We have the right kinds of sites and buildings that companies are looking for right now, he said.

As for whether the upcoming Caesars Virginia casino project is playing a role, Larking said it had nothing to do with the increased interest in the area.

The key factor is that we have product available for companies, and companies are looking to expand their manufacturing facilities, he said, pointing to the citys and Pittsylvania Countys investments in industrial parks including grading pads and the construction of shell buildings.

The Dan River Region has seen a surge in economic growth over the past four years, Larking pointed out. From 2018-21, more than $1 billion in economic development projects promising more than 3,000 jobs have been announced.

The influx of companies coming to the Dan River Region has led to a reduction in available space in the areas industrial parks.

Local officials are looking to solve that issue by constructing more buildings and grading pads in those parks, including a 30,000-square-foot shell structure being built off Slayton Avenue near the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in the Cyber Park.

Danville City Council voted in November to approve a moral obligation for a loan to pay for construction of the building.

The moral obligation was required from both the city and Pittsylvania County as part of a commitment from Virginia Community Capital, a banking corporation, to loan $2.87 million toward the project.

Danville has received a $1 million grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission to also help pay for it. The shell building will be promoted to industries interested in coming to the Dan River Region.

Also, a graded pad in the Cyber Park that would be able to accommodate a 200,000-square-foot building is planned.

Due to the momentum occurring throughout the region, the number of modern-day manufacturing buildings and graded sites have decreased, said Danville Economic Development Director Corrie T. Bobe told the Danville Register & Bee in November. To ensure that we remain competitive, we will need to continue to invest in new inventory.

In addition, the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority was also in the process last fall of grading a 63-acre pad at the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill in southwestern Pittsylvania County. RIFA owns the 3,528-acre mega park.

RIFA has owned the park for nearly 15 years and no industry has located there yet. More than $200 million has been spent on infrastructure development at the site.

Theres a great deal of interest in the mega park right now, Larking said. Very few sites in the U.S. are as ready as ours for a very large manufacturer.

Currently, a power line upgrade is underway to meet the needs of a large-scale business, Larking said. Officials also have funding for grading of additional pads at the site, and funding is in place to help pay for a connector road from the U.S. 58 bypass to the mega site, he said.

As for the absence of an industry there, Larking said, These things take years to come to the point where projects come to fruition.

Right now, our site is more ready than any site in Virginia for a site this size for a manufacturing facility, he said.

As for private investment, Realty Link completed construction of a 100,000-square-foot industrial shell building at the entrance of Cane Creek Centre Industrial Park late last year.

While the regions shortage of space can pose a problem for having available sites for prospective industries, it is a positive indicator of the areas economic growth.

Building more structures and adding room at the industrial parks ahead of time are important for bringing in new jobs, Larking said.

When companied are ready to look for for place to build new manufacturing facilities, they dont want to wait, he said. If youve already invested to prepare the land to be ready, they can get their business up and running quicker so they can make product quicker.

Danville and Pittsylvania County, through RIFA, own three industrial parks  Cane Creek Centre, which totals 900 acres; the Cyber Park, which has 330 acres; and the Southern Virginia mega site at Berry Hill in the county.

The Danville Industrial Development Authority owns two parks within the city limits  the 197-acre Airside Industrial Park; Riverview Industrial Park, which has 515 acres; and the 158-acre Coleman site at Gypsum Road and Celotex Drive.

There is also the Southern Virginia Multimodal Park  owned by the Staunton River Regional Industrial Facility Authority  in northern Pittsylvania County. The authority includes a cost- and revenue-sharing agreement between Pittsylvania County (61%), Danville (35%) and the town of Hurt (4%).

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It is insane that the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution still hasnt been ratified nearly a century after it was first proposed, one of the nations leading voices for womens rights said at The Richmond Forum on Saturday night.

The Constitution was written by guys for guys  white guys, said Gloria Steinem, an author, journalist and political activist for womens rights. There has always been a necessity of making it inclusive, as it is supposed to be. Otherwise, it is not a democracy.

We are still fighting this battle, including in this state, which is absolutely crucial to the Equal Rights Amendment, Steinem said.

An estimated 2,100 subscribers attended The Richmond Forum in-person at the Altria Theater and an additional 1,000 household subscribers watched the program via livestream.

The Equal Rights Amendment, which states that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex, was first proposed in Congress in 1923 but did not pass both houses of Congress until 1972.

In 2020, Virginia, under Democratic control of both the House and Senate, became the 38th state to ratify the amendment, thus reaching the required four-fifths of states to approve it. But that came well past a 1982 deadline set by Congress.

On Friday, Virginia formally withdrew from a federal lawsuit that seeks to certify the Equal Rights Amendment into the U.S. Constitution. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares office pointed to legal opinions arguing that Virginias ratification had come too late, rendering it null.

Steinem, who has been a leader in the feminist movement since the 1960s, joked that every airport should have a billboard greeting international visitors with the message: Welcome to the only democracy in the world that doesnt include women in the Constitution.

An Equal Rights Amendment is crucial and it affects a lot of different things, Steinem said. It affects insurance rates and how we vote in state legislatures. There are a lot of arcane reasons why this has happened [the failure of the amendment so far], but there are overwhelming sensible reasons why it should happen.

It just is insane that we are the only democracy in the world that doesnt assume that people are citizens regardless of gender, she said.

Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine in 1972 and is the author of several best-selling books. She helped found the Womens Action Alliance and the National Womens Political Caucus.

She was interviewed on Saturday night by Zainab Salbi, an author, journalist and founder of Women for Women International, a grassroots humanitarian and development organization.

A longtime activist for reproductive rights, Steinem said she is both worried and not worried about erosion of abortion rights in the U.S.

I remember some years ago being in the Kalahari Desert with women who lived hundreds of miles from anything we would consider a town or city, and they were showing me the herbs they used as abortifacients [that induces abortion] and also to increase fertility, she said. I think this knowledge has always been there, whether with the earliest citizens of this continent or any other continent.

She added, I dont think we can have democracy without men and women who control our own individual physical selves. I think controlling womens bodies is a first inkling of authoritarianism.

At age 87, Steinem said believes she has remained in good health because I have been able to do what I love, and that is very healthy.

Steinem said that as the U.S. becomes more diverse, younger generations have a better understanding now than in the past that race, gender and class are not overwhelming determinants, but there is an understanding that a diversity of views matters.

I think there is a greater understanding that, at a very practical level, if we are sitting with a group that is somewhere discussing or making decisions, it should look like the group that the decisions will affect, she said. That is not rocket science.
The Arabian Business Community (ABC) Bahrain edition delivered 1,570,604 referrals to businesses in Bahrain during 2021.

The ABC portal has established itself as the leading business reference resource for contact and business information about companies in the Kingdom. The portal provides a unique promotional service which helps companies to increase their business potential by allowing them to promote themselves to customers for their products and services.

In todays challenging market, companies are looking to obtain that leading edge on their competitors and ABC Bahrain provides the advantage of generating quantifiable business referrals to their corporate profiles on the portal, says Ahmed Suleiman, Director of Public Affairs of Al Hilal Group.

For just BD8 per day, a company can join the community as a Premium Partner providing it with a range of benefits including Top of Mind positioning in their field of business. The enhanced profile pages effectively provide them with a Showroom for their products and services. In addition, a company will receive email campaigns and classified advertising on the site at no extra charge.

Al Hilals strength as a media company will give added value promotional exposure not just on ABC but across Al Hilals range of publications and social media sites including the Gulf Daily News (GDN) and the groups market leading trade media such as Gulf Construction, Gulf Industry, Travel & Tourism News and Oil & Gas News, adds Suleiman.

Al Hilal has recorded an increase in the number of Bahraini companies joining the community this year and ABC has now become the most highly ranked information resource in Bahrain.

When searching for information about companies in the kingdom you will see that the Google search engine ranks ABC highly and in many cases above an individual companys social media platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, adds Ronnie Middleton, Managing Director of Al Hilal Group. This is the result of our very successful and ongoing SEO strategy which keeps ABC ahead of any other corporate information resourcing websites. Today, ABC represents the most cost-effective marketing tool any company can use. Our message to Bahrain based companies is to position yourself ahead of your competition, become a Premium Partner on ABC Bahrain!

Al Hilal Group has rolled out country dedicated ABC portals across the GCC. Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, 2021 saw a record number of business referrals being delivered across all 14 portals totaling 6,016,977.  TradeArabia News Service
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.  Myrtle Beach might seem to have it all. Amusement parks. Beaches. More restaurants per capita than Paris.

You know what Myrtle Beach doesnt have?

A Trader Joes grocery store. And a lot of people are bitter about that.

The nearest locations are in Mount Pleasant, outside of Charleston, and Wilmington. Either one is 70-plus miles away. On a good day, its about an hour and a half drive each way.

One group, however, doesnt mind the distance.

Every few weeks, in fact, it takes a dozen people on trips to the Wilmington area for a day of learning, eating and, seriously, a trip to Trader Joes.

The group? They call themselves Senior Adventures in Learning and Travel.

The group was set up during the pandemic by Kelli Barker and Carole Osborne, who realized that many retirees had been suddenly left alone without much connection to the outside world.

Its a lot of isolation, Osborne explained.

Senior Adventures offers classes on cooking, art, history  and, of course, excursions to Trader Joes pretty regularly.

The groups most recent trip to Trader Joes (and more) was last Thursday. Eleven people, including Barker and Osborne, piled into a passenger van and headed north. The day was packed: The group started out by visiting a Buddhist monastery in the Brunswick County town of Bolivia before heading to the Pilot House restaurant in Wilmington for lunch and  finally  stopping at Trader Joes.

In the van, the group discussed keeping busy in retirement. Some of them talked about starting new businesses after leaving their traditional jobs, and they talked about how much they enjoyed being together.

The group was full of grocery store aficionados. On the drive, they discussed what they liked about Wegmans, a chain whose closest location is in North Carolina, and Stew Leonards, which is exclusively in the northeast.

Despite Trader Joes fame for selling cheap wine, few wanted to buy any alcohol.

Its the food that theyre after, Barker said. Its their specialties, something that they cant get anywhere else.

Sheila Rudesill is the biggest fan of Trader Joes in the group. One person in the van suggested that Sheila should teach a class called Sheila and the things she likes at Trader Joes.

These trips, in many ways, are about more than just learning and getting to visit Trader Joes. For some people, its a major part of their social life. Many of them live alone, having lost their spouses and partners as they got older. Those on Thursdays trip ranged in age from their 50s up to their 80s.

Having stuffed themselves full at the Pilot House restaurant in Wilmington at lunchtime, the group piled back in the van, nicknamed SALTY, to head to Trader Joes. The jokes started flying.

Alright Carole, you gotta give them a time limit, said Barker, noting Sheila was with them and would spend over two hours shopping if allowed.

Rudesill protested: I know exactly what I want. I will be very good.

The group zoomed into the store, grabbing baskets and filling them with frozen foods, plants, cheese and so much more.

Walking back to the van holding a bag crammed with goods, Linda Dolittle said: I was only going to get one thing. Its all Sheilas fault.
Last week, it was peanuts. Unsalted, roasted in the shell, to be exact.

But lately, its always something, some commonplace commodity that suddenly cannot be found at the store. Strawberries. Peppers. Ground turkey. And Lord, dont even get me started on Ore-Ida Golden fries.

I used to enjoy grocery shopping. Weird, but true. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I once wrote a column rhapsodizing how foraging at the local warehouse store satisfied some primitive masculine need to hunt and gather.

But in this era of supply-chain disruption, shopping feels less like an act of manly provision than an exercise in national mortification. Once upon a time, to be an American was to feel impervious to forces of supply and demand. Oh, you might occasionally have to pay more, but if you wanted a thing, by God, you could have it. There was always enough. Indeed, having enough  and then some  was a sacred national entitlement.

Until it wasnt.

Those who waited hours in line for gasoline during the energy crisis of the 1970s may recall that close behind the annoyance one felt, there was also a sense of disbelief, even betrayal, as if some fundamental law of the universe had been violated.

Out of gas? How could we be out of gas? This is America. Were never out of anything.

Substitute Ore-Ida Golden fries for unleaded, and this moment feels much the same.

Theres a scene in Robin Williams 1984 film, Moscow on the Hudson, where a group of Soviet performers visiting New York are allowed by their KGB handlers half an hour to shop at Bloomingdales. These citizens of dull, gray Moscow surge into the shiny temple of American capitalism  Clinique! Jordache! Calvin Klein!  like children set loose in Santas workshop, swarming over a rack of blue jeans the way hungry teenagers do pizza. Not even the KGB man is immune. My God, he breathes happily, what decadence!

That scene opened in me a primal, patriotic pride. It seemed to validate every lesson I had ever learned about the exceptionalism of my country. America was a land of plenty and, therefore, a land of good.

But things are  as the movie itself soon makes clear  more complicated than that.

America remains a land of plenty, of course, but the present shortages are a poke in the eye to any sense of sacred national entitlement. It turns out this ability to have whatever, whenever, is fragile enough to be undone by idling trucks or an unruly virus.

Maybe its not the worst thing to be reminded of that every now and again. As is often observed, Americans use far more than their share of Earths resources. We are home to less than 5% of its population, but use 24% of its energy, with similarly outsized impacts on food, water and the environment.

Meantime, ocean levels are rising, the planet faces hundred-year floods and thousand-year droughts and, as is so often the case, the poor bear the brunt first and worst. If being unable to find ones preferred brand of French fries is frustrating, what is the word for being unable to find clean drinking water? And how long before that question, already relevant in other parts of the globe, finds its way home?

Maybe we should ask the good folks in Flint. Or Jackson. One suspects their responses would provide pungent commentary on the idea that being a land of plenty makes us a land of good.

If we are good, it is not by dint of what we have, but what we do with it.

Leonard Pitts Jr. is a columnist for the Miami Herald, 3511 NW 91st Ave., Miami, FL 33172. Readers may contact him via email at lpitts@miamiherald.com.
This article was first published by CalMatters. You can read more of their coverage of California state government on CalMatters.org.
Amtrak is using the Empire Builder route that rolls through Montana to debut new locomotives that it says are cleaner, faster and more fuel-efficient than their predecessors.

Engines 301 and 302, which are part of the westbound train from Chicago to Seattle, are among the first of 75 locomotives being delivered.

Amtrak and Siemens Mobility developed the ALC-42 locomotive series for heavier and longer trains traveling thousands of miles in a single trip, Amtrak said in a Feb. 8 news release. They are made in the United States and part of the Siemens Charger group of locomotives.

Amtrak is paying for the new locomotives and multiyear maintenance support with nearly $850 million set aside when the order was placed in 2019. The new engines will primarily replace the Amtrak P40 and P42 locomotives, some of which have been in service for more than 25 years, officials said.

Not every Empire Builder train traveling through Montana will have a Charger locomotive just yet, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said, adding there are now only four of the new engines operating. He said the Empire Builder now runs five days a week.

He said one of the locomotives has already encountered a pickup truck and picked up some cosmetic damage.

Magliari said the next Charger will pass through Montana on Wednesday.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said in the news release from Amtrak that the 2,200-mile Empire Builder route helps connect Montanans and brings visitors from across the country to our great state.

Amtraks new locomotives will support Montana jobs, our tourism economy and folks along the Hi-Line who rely on Amtrak to access critical services, he said.

The locomotives are part of Amtraks sustainability initiative and are more environmentally-friendly than their 1990s predecessors, company officials said. They reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide by more than 89% and particulate matter by 95%, while consuming less fuel than the locomotives being retired. They also reach a greater top speed, 125 mph.

Amtrak Vice President and Chief Mechanical Officer George Hull in a Feb. 8 ceremony at Chicago Union Station said railroading contributes a small portion of emissions nationally, and they want to be the cleanest passenger railroad operating diesel trains in North America.

Were dedicated to continuously seeking new and innovative technologies that provide solutions to meet transportation needs while reducing health and climate impacts, he said in a news release.

He said Amtrak is working with Siemens to order more of these locomotives, particularly for the long-distance trains.

Michael Cahill, president of Rolling Stock, Siemens Mobility North America, said his company is a proud partner in these efforts.

We are looking forward to seeing these Chargers safely transport millions of Americans across the nation, whether it be seeking new adventures or connecting to economic opportunity, he said.

These locomotives are Buy America compliant and built at the Siemens Mobilitys rail manufacturing hub in Sacramento, California.

The locomotives will power trains used on these services: Auto Train (suburban Washington to suburban Orlando, Florida), California Zephyr (Chicago to San Francisco Bay), Capitol Limited (Washington to Chicago), Cardinal (New York to Chicago), City of New Orleans (Chicago to New Orleans), Coast Starlight (Seattle to Los Angeles) Crescent (New York to New Orleans), Empire Builder (Chicago to Seattle/Portland), Lake Shore Limited (New York/Boston to Chicago), Palmetto (New York to Savannah, Georgia) Silver Star & Silver Meteor (New York to Miami), Southwest Chief (Chicago to Los Angeles), Sunset Limited (New Orleans to Los Angeles) and Texas Eagle (Chicago to San Antonio, Texas).

Assistant editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021.

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Lincoln has always ranked first, but FDR and Washington, who were ranked second and third respectively in 2000, swapped places in the 2009 poll and kept those rankings in 2017 and 2021.
SPRINGFIELD  The defendant arrested in Decatur after prosecutors allege he stabbed an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigator to death is scheduled to be tried April 18.

Benjamin H. Reed, 32, is pleading not guilty to three alternate first-degree murder charges in the Jan. 5 killing of 36-year-old Deidre Silas. She was murdered in the line of duty while visiting a home in Thayer, south of Springfield, to check out reports that children were in danger. Police said six children, aged from 1 to 7, had been present in the home when Reed attacked Silas.

Reed had later driven to Decatur and was arrested at HSHS St. Marys Hospital where he had shown up, apparently seeking treatment for a cut to his hand. Decatur police had been alerted and intercepted Reed at the hospital, holding him in custody until he could be handed over to the Sangamon County Sheriffs Office.

As well as the murder charge, Reed also denies further charges of aggravated battery and aggravated unlawful restraint.

His defense attorney, Craig Reiser, had earlier sought permission from the Sangamon County Circuit Court for a psychological evaluation of Reed, but later withdrew the motion.

Reed remains held in the custody of the Sangamon County Jail.

The death of Silas had provoked an outcry and Gov. J.B. Pritzker had paid tribute to her as a hero taken from us in the line of duty. Flags at Illinois state office buildings were lowered for three days to honor her memory.

Since the investigators murder, a group of state lawmakers have called for new laws that will allow DCFS workers to carry pepper spray to defend themselves while investigating allegations of child abuse.

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

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Update: Fire officials late Sunday said the fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damage. The fire is under investigation.

DECATUR  Firefighters in Decatur responded to a major structure fire early Sunday evening in what neighbors described as an abandoned home in the 200 block of North Monroe Street.

Smoke and flames could be seen pouring from the roof of the two-story home near the historic city neighborhood that includes the Gov. Oglesby Mansion.

This whole area around here and William Street has got some nice houses on it, said Paul Depeugh, who stood with his wife, Edna, watching the firefighters work.

His wife said it was sad to see so many once grand homes from Decaturs past fall into ruin and then burn down.

Yeah, it just breaks my heart to see this house destroyed, she added, as jets of water from firefighter hoses blasted through the roof, chasing down patches of still-burning shingles.

The Decatur Fire Department had two ladder trucks working the scene and numerous other vehicles while they fought to control the flames and prevent any spread to nearby houses in the close-spaced neighborhood.

Firefighters were unavailable to provide more details Sunday evening, and this story will be updated when more information is known.

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

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ROCK ISLAND  Two Rock Island County correctional officers face felony battery charges after they allegedly punched and hit an incarcerated man on Jan. 30.

Rock Island County State's Attorney Dora Villarreal said corrections officers Cameron Gerischer and Jacob Ward each was charged with one count of aggravated battery.

The charge is a Class 3 felony under Illinois law that carries a prison sentence of 2-5 years or a term on probation.

Both Gerischer and Ward have been on administrative leave since Jan. 30.

The men are accused of punching and striking an inmate repeatedly with their fists, resulting in bruising and abrasions.

The incident occurred Jan. 30 among the two corrections officers and the inmate inside the Rock Island County Jail. The incident was immediately reported to the Sheriff's Department supervisors, and an internal investigation was opened. The two correctional officers involved were placed on administrative leave.

Rock Island County Sheriff Gerry Bustos asked the city of Rock Island Police Department and the State's Attorney's Office to conduct an independent criminal investigation, according to a news release from the state's attorney's office.

The aggravated battery charges were filed Friday, and bond was set.

Last year, two female Rock Island County corrections officers, Alondra Valtierra-Martinez, 25, and Mackenzie Martin, 24, were accused of battering an incarcerated woman on Jan. 29, 2021.

Both women have since pleaded guilty to a Class A misdemeanor charge of battery.

Valtierra-Martinez was sentenced to one year on conditional discharged during a hearing Feb. 3 in Rock Island County Circuit Court, according to circuit court electronic records.

Martin was sentenced to one year's supervision during a sentencing hearing Jan. 11, according to circuit court electronic records.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  As a Republican candidate for governor, Richard Irvin has promoted himself as a no-nonsense, law-and-order candidate who as a onetime prosecutor put gangsters, drug dealers and wife beaters in jail.

Irvin was a prosecutor in Cook and Kane counties from 1998, shortly after getting his law license, until 2003. But he then worked for almost 15 years as a criminal defense attorney, specializing in defending people accused of the same types of crime he rails against in his campaign ads.

Shortly before becoming mayor of Aurora in 2017 and stepping away from his law practice, for example, he represented a man accused of attacking a police officer. Hes also represented clients accused of kidnapping, domestic violence and sexual assault.

Its a significant but unmentioned part of his resume as he follows a tough-on-crime Republican script to go after Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his fellow Democrats.

The crime issue has been pushed by billionaire businessman Ken Griffin, whose long-anticipated support of Irvin was formally announced last week and whose money is seen as critical to the GOP candidates success. Griffin, who has promised to go all-in to defeat Pritzker, made an initial contribution of $20 million to Irvins campaign.

In a widely aired campaign TV spot, Irvin portrays himself as being on the front lines in the fight against crime. When I was a prosecutor, Id go around with these guys. We raided crack houses and busted up gangs, he says, implying hes with a police officer. This apartment complex over here? It was bad. But we took it back.

John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, said Irvins aggressive promotion of his law-and-order credentials is a slam dunk at a time when crime is an issue that has resonated in Illinois and across the country.

Its not all that unusual in American politics for candidates to dramatically expand one piece of their record and diminish another, even though the part thats being diminished might be a much more consequential and longer stretch of their career, he said.

The Law Office of Richard C. Irvin & Associates merged with another attorneys firm in 2017 when Irvin took office as Auroras first Black mayor. His original firms website said 90% of Irvins focus as an attorney was on criminal defense, and that the firm handled drug cases and an array of felony cases ranging from robbery and burglary to home invasion and reckless homicide.

The site explained how a domestic battery charge can be successfully defended in court: If the victim is the only other person present when the battery occurs, and the victim does not appear in court, the state cannot prevail in the case.

Irvins website went dark just last week, which quickly became political fodder for Democrats.

Maybe its his use of language that downplays the severity of domestic violence, blaming it on how emotions can run hot or tempers can flare, or how his Aurora domestic violence attorneys will zealously defend the rights of violent abusers, the Democratic Governors Association said in a statement released Friday.

Since becoming a candidate for governor, Irvins public statements have shown subtle adjustments to his approach on crime.

During the 2020 civil unrest following the death of George Floyd, Irvin staunchly endorsed the Black Lives Matter movement, which has become synonymous with a push to fully or partially reallocate police resources to communities in economic peril  sometimes referred to as defunding the police.

But in his launch video for governor, Irvin declared that all lives matter  words that were superimposed on the screen  while pledging unwavering support for law enforcement.

In a Feb. 14 fundraising email, Irvin went even further by giving away Proud to Back the Blue stickers to donors to his campaign.

To be sure, working as a criminal defense attorney is not at odds with support of law enforcement. But voters who only know of Irvin from his TV ads and campaign rhetoric will have only a partial picture of the varied roles he has played in the criminal justice system.

Kane County court records provide a look at many of the cases he handled. In 2017, shortly before leaving his practice, Irvin represented Alexander Nunez, who was accused of kicking a police officer in the left shoulder and face, and punching someone else in the face, court records show.

Court records show Nunez pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aggravated battery to a police officer the following year and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Irvin in 2007 represented Juan Martinez, one of several alleged gang members accused of abducting eight people, four of them children or teenagers, from a restaurant at gunpoint and holding them captive at a Carpentersville home, court records show.

Irvins client pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated kidnapping about 4 1/2 months later, in early 2008, and was sentenced to 22 years in prison, the records show.

Another client of Irvins was Enrique Prado, convicted of concealing the 2013 homicidal death of 18-year-old Abigail Villalpando, court records show. Villalpando, described by relatives and co-workers as a hardworking teenager who aspired to become a cop, was beaten with a hammer, doused with gasoline and set on fire. An arson charge against Prado was later dropped.

Prado pleaded guilty to helping one man dispose of Villalpandos body after another man killed her and was sentenced to two years in prison, records show.

Irvins law firm partner was Reginald Campbell, now a Kane County judge. In 2009, Campbell represented Gary Martin, who later committed the worst mass shooting in Aurora history, over two restraining orders filed by an ex-girlfriend.

Irvin was Auroras mayor in 2019 when Martin opened fire at the Henry Pratt Co. plant in Aurora, killing five people and wounding six others, five of them police officers, before being shot and killed by police.

In an interview, Campbell said he doesnt recall much about his work for Martin other than that he was a referral to the firm. He said Irvin did not have any involvement with the cases involving Martin.

A lot of our business was through word-of-mouth, Campbell said. We handled hundreds if not thousands of cases like this.

When the Tribune asked questions about the case, the campaign sent out a news release accusing the paper of having the intention of writing a misleading story attempting to connect Richard Irvin to a 2008/2009 court case in which he had no involvement.

Irvin campaign spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis described Campbell as Irvins partner but said the two attorneys did not have a profit-sharing agreement. They shared an office and split overhead expenses, Demertzis said.

The campaign did not answer specific questions sent in writing about Irvins career as a criminal defense attorney or why he has ignored it during his campaign.

Irvin has joined the other Republican candidates in blasting the sweeping criminal justice law Pritzker signed a year ago. In an interview after announcing his candidacy, Irvin contended the law led to increased outbreaks of violent crime and had a role in the deaths of eight law enforcement officers.

But many of the sweeping criminal justices changes that were part of the law, including a controversial end to cash bail, have yet to take effect, which Pritzker noted in response when he said that Irvin doesnt really understand the law.

While voters are hearing little about Irvins time as a private attorney, his background on both sides of the justice should be considered an asset rather than a liability, said Robert Loeb, a veteran criminal defense attorney and a former Cook County assistant states attorney who also is a commissioner on the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission.

You dont necessarily have a bias, Loeb said. Youre not a tool thats insensitive one way or the other.

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Mastercard has announced the inaugural Women SME Leaders Awards 2022, the first initiative of its kind to recognise and further empower women-owned and run SMEs in the Middle East and Africa.

Nominations are now open for the awards till February 28, 2022 while those interested in attending the virtual awards ceremony, during which the winners will be announced on March 29, 2022, can register.

Small enterprises in trading owned and run by women and with a turnover of less than $13.6 million (AED50 million) and employing between six to 50 people are all invited to participate.

All female individuals or businesses who have their headquarters or offices in the Middle East and Africa or offer their services to these markets can submit their nominations for one or more of the 22 awards. The awards allow for individuals to win in more than one category.

At Mastercard, we believe that women-owned businesses are the catalyst for economic growth, improving the lives of everyone, everywhere. The passion that women SME owners display is unmatched and they raise the bar for everyone. That is why Mastercard has curated the Women SME Leaders Awards to recognise and celebrate women entrepreneurs across Middle East and Africa, said Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard.

The awards are jointly curated by the Entrepreneur Middle East team who will vet shortlisted companies and then pass onto the judging committee that will be chaired by Mastercard.

Following the independent evaluation of the shortlisted candidates by each of the judges, the winners will be decided by a vote. The Women SME Leaders Awards 2022 judging committee consists of:

 Amnah Ajmal;

 Mona Zulficar, Chairperson of EFG Hermes Holding;

 Nejoud Al Mulaik, Director of Fintech Saudi; and

 Tamara Pupic, Managing Editor of Entrepreneur Middle East.

The awards stemmed out of the inaugural Mastercard SME Confidence Index conducted last year which revealed that 81% of women entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa have a digital presence for their businesses, compared to 68% of their male counterparts. In terms of the digital footprint of these women entrepreneurs, social media (71%) leads the way, followed by a company website (57%).

These findings were aligned with Mastercards global commitment to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs to the digital economy by 2025, as part of its goal to build a more sustainable and inclusive world. The index further suggested that growing confidence levels in digital as a business imperative, is tied to a deeper understanding and wider recognition among SMEs of the advantages that result from a growing digital economy.-- TradeArabia News Service
SPRINGFIELD  Illinois corn producers will have a vote on whether to contribute more toward promoting their product.

The Illinois Corn Marketing Board has scheduled a referendum on increasing the corn checkoff one-quarter, from 5/8 of a cent to 7/8 of a cent per bushel.

The vote will be March 29 with polling at local extension offices. However, extension offices in Brown, Pike, Bond, Henderson and Menard counties will be closed and Grundy County's will have reduced hours from noon to 4 p.m.

Growers who sell a bushel of corn in Illinois pay the checkoff to the marketing board to promote the industry. The money is used for research, marketing and education.

The referendum follows a public meeting conducted earlier this month by the Illinois Department of Agriculture seeking input on the checkoff. Public comments convinced the marketing board to schedule the vote.

The matter will be approved if a majority of those casting a ballot the referendum vote in favor of increasing the checkoff.

Eligible voters who live outside Illinois or can't vote in person may request an absentee ballot. The request must be made in writing to the Agriculture Department.

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BRISTOL, Tenn.  The Bristol Tennessee City Council continues to discuss how to utilize the funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Bristol, Tennessee has received the first installment of the $5,586,805 allocated from the ARPA. The city is expected to receive the second allotment later this year.

Mary Lee Williams, the director of administration for the city of Bristol, Tenn., spoke about what follows now that they have received the final edition of the ARPA.

Were waiting on the final rule, and it just came out Jan. 6 and did have some changes over the interim rule. We have taken the information and absorbed it. The final rule was 437 pages long, so weve been educating ourselves about the act, Williams said. We will be having discussions with the City Council about these funds, particularly as were now in budget season.

Williams did not comment on the current state of the citys finances and emphasized the cautionary approach the city was advised to take in relation to ARPA.

We were guided to be very cautious (about) how we use the funds until that final rule came out, she said.

On Feb. 22, the Bristol Tennessee City Council will hold a work session, which is open to the public, during which they will discuss what to do with the ARPA funds now that they have received the final guidelines.
BRISTOL, Va.  Two years ago, city officials were well ahead of schedule developing the citys fiscal 2020-21 operating budget in the spring of 2020, when the global pandemic changed everything.

City leaders pushed pause, withdrew the proposed spending plan, froze spending, cut expenses, greatly reduced revenue estimates and then held their collective breath. By the spring of 2021, tax revenues were rebounding, and businesses  many impacted by state-mandated closures  were digging out.

Fiscal 2021 was the COVID year, and we had to really aggressively reduce expenditures to offset anticipated revenue reductions, and we were able to finish the year strong. That was gratifying and a relief for the city, Bristol, Virginia CFO Tamrya Spradlin said recently.

The city was on a clear, upward progression. Then, in March 2020 when COVID hit, all of that stopped, and we could see the revenue reduction impact that it had. It was very unnerving so for our revenue estimates to have held and our expenditure estimates to have held, was significant. And our sales (tax) and meals (tax) revenue was above budget estimates so that played a part in us having a positive fiscal year for 2021.

City leaders decided to leave the lower estimates in place as the pandemic continued.

We werent sure. Is this as bad as it gets, or is the worst yet to come? Our sales tax and our meals tax really outperformed where we thought it might go due to COVID-19, she said.

Grocery stores and restauranteurs that were able to revise their business models and provide carryout service were vital to the citys rebound, as were home improvement retailers, she said.

The citys annual audit shows it finished fiscal 2020-21 with a larger unassigned fund balance of $22 million, a $4.2 million increase from the previous budget year, while its total net position improved by $2.6 million.

Spradlin said shes proud the city didnt have to dip into reserve funds to weather the COVID storm, calling it huge for the city since one of those funds is dedicated to paying off long-term debt.

The economic recovery has proven more tangible in this current fiscal year.

At the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2021-22, restaurant and meals tax revenues continued to trend upward at $1.7 million for the quarter, compared to an estimated $1.3 million. Lodging taxes from hotel rooms also continued to rebound, at just under $500,000 for the quarter, well above the forecast $300,000. Local sales taxes were also up in the first quarter of the fiscal year, with $1.13 million in revenue against a forecast $962,000, Spradlin told the council in November.

The city received $2.91 million in the initial wave of CARES Act funding and spent the full amount by the Dec. 2020 deadline.

There were two buckets of federal money. The first was the CARES money that was originally required to be expended by the end of calendar year 2020. They extended that, but the city met that original deadline, Spradlin said.

Expenditures included more than $237,000 for information technology and to improve streaming of public meetings; $246,000 for police department overtime and hazard pay and technology; nearly $490,000 for the jail; over $289,000 for equipment to sanitize and maintain public buildings and nearly $900,000 to improve technology, sanitize and equip public schools.

The city also used a portion of the money to provide grant funds for businesses harmed by the pandemic.

The second pot of COVID money is the ARPA funds, and the city did receive the first $5 million of that in late spring, early summer of fiscal year 2021. Those monies were not expended and have not been expended, but we have quite a bit of time to spend those funds.

Those funds must be committed by 2024 and spent by 2026.

The city school division recently announced its plans to spend $9.2 million in Emergency and Secondary School Emergency Relief monies from the federal grant. Plans include $1.3 million for equipment to prevent and mitigate the spread of the virus in schools and onboard buses and $2 million to address learning loss due to lost instructional time, virtual learning and other impacts of COVID, including a summer school program.

Another $4.2 million will be used to fund sanitary improvements, storage, technology for virtual learning and toward a new school for reduced class sizes and improved learning environments.

The school division previously spent its CARES fund allocation to make environmental and other improvements to the heat and air systems, windows and roofs in school buildings, purchased a school bus to comply with state social distancing requirements and personal protective equipment, thermometers and other equipment for daily monitoring and to create safer environments.

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ABINGDON, Va.  More than $10 million in total federal funds are coming to Washington County, Virginia, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The Washington County Board of Supervisors authorized spending $175,000 of the $10,438,365 for a broadband study, which will help the county officials know where the providers are, County Administrator Jason Berry said. The county has also allocated $400,000 for a pilot project to provide broadband for 120 rural addresses two years.

The board gave $250,000 to the William King Museum of Art to finish an expansion project, and $67,000 has been used for premium pay for the Washington County Sheriffs Office, giving bonus pay to employees.

Similarly, the board approved using $350,000 to give bonus pay for county employees, including a $2,000 per employee bonus for sanitation workers.

ARPA wants to focus on employees who are at the lower end of the payroll  and those who work in general services with cleaning crews, Berry said. In 2020, trash was literally off the charts. Between 2019 and 2020, we increased our trash by 2,127 more tons.
The 2014 email to Donna Pace Foster telling her shed have more duties at the Department of Corrections without more pay was blunt.

A supervisor passed down the verdict from a deputy director: You dont have a choice whether to do them or not.

Foster was 57 years old and earning about $38,000 as a full-time executive secretary at the agency that runs Virginias prisons. Someone had moved to another agency, so Fosters new duties would be to provide administrative support to a board of people appointed by the governor that oversees jails in Virginia, and the boards committees.

No extra money was available because of budget slashes, the supervisor wrote to Foster, saying she would try to get her extra pay in the future. She wasnt yet aware that she was earning at least $10,000 a year less than the last two people who held the job.

I hope you understand my hands are tied and I have to do what my boss instructs me to do if I want to keep my job, the supervisor wrote.

Foster was beside herself, even visiting a doctor because she was so anxious. She hadnt applied for the job, had no training for it, and was stressed because she feared she was being set up to fail.

But over the next six years, she did everything she needed to do. Every year, she asked for extra pay for the extra work she was doing and, every year, the Department of Corrections told her no. In 2020, she filed an internal grievance over her salary.

For more than 25 years, shed had a spotless disciplinary record at DOC without so much as a verbal warning. But while her salary grievance was pending, she was written up for two petty infractions. Combined, she was told, they could lead to her termination. And she said a high-level DOC official berated her in a phone call, accusing her of failing to monitor an email account she said she never knew was her responsibility.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reviewed records provided by Foster and records obtained independently about her situation. At nearly every level, the records show, powerful DOC officials sided with each other in denying Fosters requests for a comparison of her salary to similar positions outside of DOC. They defended the official who she said berated her. And they denied that the write-ups  which ended up all but dismissed  came in retaliation for her salary grievance.

Foster retired on Jan. 1, saying she wanted to protect her retirement benefits and salvage her reputation. In an interview, she said the workload at DOC became so tremendous that she was overloaded with deadlines and at times struggled to complete all the work. She said she wants the public, and elected officials, to know that DOC leadership is tolerating abuses in the agency.

I did not take the time to go to medical appointments, she said. I tried my best to do as perfect as I possibly could, and Im not the kind of person who does anything to be spiteful.

Citing a state policy that does not allow release of personal information about government employees without their permission, top DOC officials, including Director Harold Clarke, declined through a spokesman to be interviewed for this story.

***

The governors board that Foster began supporting in 2014 was called the Board of Corrections and has since been renamed the Board of Local and Regional Jails.

By 2020, she had advised board members on policy, parliamentary procedure, codes, standards and legislation; became the key contact for FOIA requests to the board; worked with an attorney general counsel and a death investigator to respond to FOIA requests; became the only point of contact for updating the boards website; and updated the Virginia Town Hall website with documents.

Someone in the Secretary of the Commonwealths office told Foster she was, by far, the lowest paid classified position of all support staff for state boards and commissions.

She spoke to DOC human resources about her pay in 2020, and her direct supervisor supported her request for the states umbrella human resources agency  the Department of Human Resource Management  to do a comparison of her salary and duties to officials at other agencies doing similar work, not just others within the DOC.

Her supervisor asked a top DOC official named Dean Ricks, the director of administrative compliance, for the review, but Ricks didnt address it, Foster wrote in grievance documents. And DOC human resources told her she was at the correct pay band.

On Sept. 18, 2020, Foster filed a grievance over her salary. The DOC closed it, arguing that it was similar to one she filed in 2014 and wasnt timely. But the state personnel agency ruled that the grievance should go forward.

Her direct supervisor addressed the grievance the next month and supported her request.

But DOC human resources in December 2020 overturned his finding.

On Dec. 17, 2020, an information officer in the department notified Ricks that a Board of Local and Regional Jails email account had more than 100 unread messages in it and some appeared to be FOIA requests. He told Ricks that Foster had primary access to the account.

Ricks called her a few days later. She described his call as berating her, later writing in grievance documents that he accused her of being derelict at her job. She said she tried to explain several times that she had no idea she was supposed to be monitoring the account, but he talked over her.

Also that month, someone with an outfit in Kentucky called Appalshop  a social justice collective that runs a radio station and filmmaking institute  called the board, and Foster answered the phone. The person asked questions about the Department of Corrections and the board. Foster chatted with the person, offering some opinions that she felt were widely available, but declined to be interviewed, saying questions would need to come in writing for the board.

Foster declined an interview with that person on a second phone call, and reported the calls to her supervisor and the attorney general counsel assigned to the board.

Seven days after her phone call with Ricks over the email account, Foster sat down with her husband and DOC human resources for the second phase of her salary grievance. The man hearing the case was Ricks.

He wrote in a report that no adjustment in her salary was warranted.

And then in January, just two weeks later, Foster received a notice from the DOC. She was being written up for two violations  that she spoke with a reporter against department policy, and that she failed to monitor the email account.

Her failure to monitor the account could have caused legal liability for the board, the write-up said.

As a result of the unauthorized comments you made to the reporter, which could still be published, the Department had to report the incident to the DOC Communications Director, the Agency Head, and Chairman Francis to minimize potential damage to the relationship with the Virginia Board of Local and Regional Jails, members of the General Assembly, and the operations of the Department.

The reference to Francis is former Southampton County Sheriff Vernie Francis Jr., the chairman of the jail board.

The DOC wrote to Foster that the two infractions combined could result in her termination.

With her salary grievance still pending, Foster filed a second grievance against the department, this one alleging retaliation for what she saw as bogus charges, and alleging a hostile work environment because of her call with Ricks.

Six days later, a more senior DOC official, Joe Walters, closed the third step of her salary grievance by concurring that more pay wasnt warranted.

Her direct supervisor now needed to handle her grievance alleging retaliation and a hostile work environment. To do that, he needed to investigate  and potentially find fault  in his own supervisor  Ricks.

Ricks told him he was courteous and respectful at all times during the phone call with Foster.

The supervisor wrote to Foster that he found no evidence of a hostile work environment or retaliation.

Foster responded in writing: Not only was he not courteous or respectful, I told him at minimum three times that I was never told to check the emails and he was so preoccupied with berating me that he never once acknowledged my words. Mr. Ricks was furiously reprimanding me, blaming me for dereliction of duty and falsely claiming that I caused the department problems.

And she wrote that it wouldnt make sense for her to intentionally ignore an account she knew was her duty to monitor.

I am a person who does what I am told out of fear of being reprimanded and humiliated. I take pride in doing my job well, even when forced. I reiterate, I was NOT told to check the emails.

The two charges, she wrote, as a 25-year employee with no disciplinary record, were intended to strike fear in her and terminate her.

Foster said she then received a call from Ricks to set up an interview for the next step of her grievance against him. She was appalled that the department would allow him to hear her grievance that alleged retaliation by him, and convinced the department that the DOC human resources office should handle that next step instead.

In March 2021, the DOCs human resources officer sided with Ricks: While your description of the phone call with Mr. Ricks, if accurate, might have been perceived as curt, there is no evidence to suggest he berated or harassed you during the phone call. It appears he was carrying out his duties as a manager to investigate what he perceived as a serious issue.

And later that month, Walters, the more senior DOC official, concurred, finding no evidence of retaliation or a hostile work environment. (Walters, who earns $179,025, declined to be interviewed for this story.)

Foster wrote to Clarke, the DOC director, the next month, saying Ricks actions reek of retaliation.

She noted that no one seemed to notice or care that an email account was not monitored for 2  years  until she had a pending salary grievance and it was blamed on her.

Clarke ruled that month that her allegations did not merit a hearing.

On the day she retired, Foster wrote to the executive director of the Board of Local and Regional Jails that she did so to salvage her reputation and retirement benefits.

The disciplinary write-up alleging she neglected her job duties had been reduced to a written violation, and the allegation that she spoke to the media had been dropped.

And Foster provided some new details in her letter. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, she found the salaries of the two people who supported the jail board before she did. One was earning $10,000 a year more than her, and the other was earning $12,000 a year more. And she wrote that she had more duties than the previous two.

She mailed a copy of her letter to the Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares, writing that she hoped they would investigate the abuse and corruption that has been warmly embraced by Department of Corrections leadership.

***

After Foster got in trouble over the email account, she was able to clean up the account and respond to any emails within two days.

The Department of Corrections did not get into any legal trouble.

But Ricks, the official who pinned the responsibility on Foster, was found by a judge earlier in 2020 to have violated the letter and spirit of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act by withholding public records related to DOC strip-searching visitors to people in prisons.

The Times-Dispatch reported last year on how Ricks, who earns $132,488, and other officials made a power grab at the Board of Local and Regional Jails that resulted in obstruction of a jail death investigator.

The newspaper emailed Ricks on Feb. 10 asking if he would like to be interviewed for this story.

He didnt, but six days later, the DOC issued a press release on its website lashing out at The Times-Dispatch over a news story published two weeks earlier about the lack of independent oversight of the DOC.
We remember what many presidents said in office. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Ask not what your country can do for you Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Not so well known is what they said on their way out. Literally. Their final sentences as they made the transition from the chief executive to the dearly departed.

This Presidents Day, its worth revisiting the last words of several presidents. Some parting phrases were inspiring, some were sad, and some were, well, just plain ordinary.

George Washington enjoyed only two years of post-presidential retirement at his beloved Mount Vernon estate. He became sick in the closing days of 1799 and, with wife Martha seated at the foot of his bed as preparations for his funeral were discussed, he whispered, Tis well, and was gone.

President #2, John Adams, had ironic last words. He and the man who followed him, Thomas Jefferson, were bitter rivals. But they patched things up after their White House days and even became friends. At age 90, Adams passed away at 6:20 p.m. on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. His final comment: Thomas Jefferson survives. He had no way of knowing Jefferson had died in Virginia that very morning.

President #5 also had a predecessor on his mind when he passed away. James Monroe said, I regret that I should leave this world without again beholding him. He meant president #4 and his best friend, James Madison.

William McKinley was shot by an assassin. He knew his time had come in 1901 when he said, Goodbye, all, goodbye. Its Gods way. His will be done.

James Garfield was also shot. He struggled with the injury and subsequent infection for 79 agonizing days before finally asking his doctor, Swaim, cant you stop the pain?

Benjamin Harrisons parting words were about his late wife. I know I am going where Lucy is.

A touching tribute to true love came in the last words of James Knox Polk, spoken to his wife. I love you, Sarah. For all eternity, I love you.

For sheer mundaneness, its hard to beat the utterly mundane Millard Fillmore, commenting on some soup he had just been fed. The nourishment is palatable. (Not exactly the line youd like chiseled on your marble monument.)

Silent Cal Coolidge called, Good morning, Robert to a carpenter working at his house just before having a heart attack.

In fact, a surprising number of presidential last words came from commanders-in-chief who didnt know their demise was imminent. The man who gave the world the Gettysburg Addresss moving prose had a ho-hum last line. As everyone knows, Abraham Lincoln was shot while watching a play at Fords Theatre in Washington. When he took his wifes hand, she playfully asked what the young lady sitting in their box would think of his breach of Victorian etiquette. She wont think a thing of it, he spoke for the last time.

Likewise, John F. Kennedy answered a question with his last words. As his motorcade passed through cheering crowds, the wife of Texas Gov. John Connally said, You certainly cant say that the people of Dallas havent given you a nice welcome, Mr. President. JFK replied with a smile, You certainly cant.

The man who held the office longer than any other, Franklin Roosevelt, was sitting for a portrait when he suddenly complained, I have a terrific headache, and slumped over from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Those who made it to old age sometimes endured ill health at the end. Dwight Eisenhower, who had suffered a massive heart attack while president, was ready. I want to go. God take me, he said.

Lyndon Johnson, another heart attack survivor, felt pains one afternoon at his Texas ranch. Send Mike immediately, he cried. But by the time his Secret Service agent arrived, LBJ was gone.

The two Andrews from Tennessee, Jackson and Johnson, both left urging their children to be good.

We dont know the final words of seven presidents. They either were not recorded, or the family chose not to share them.

But those that were written down reveal how at that most personal of moments, the men who led our nation were just like the rest of us. Totally human.

Theodore Roosevelt had the most succinct last line of all. Teddy was turning in for the night on January 5, 1919 when he told his servant, Please put out the light. He died in his sleep from a blood clot a few hours later.

Holy Cow! History is written by novelist, former TV journalist, and diehard history buff J. Mark Powell. Have a historic mystery that needs solving? A forgotten moment worth remembering? Please send it to HolyCow@insidesources.com.
" " An illustration of Custer's Last Stand from the Battle of Little Bighorn; lithograph, 1876. A similar lithograph was distributed to saloons and dining places with a logo advertising the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Assn. GraphicaArtis/Getty Images

In 1896, exactly 20 years after General George Armstrong Custer was killed alongside 261 of his cavalrymen at the Battle of Little Bighorn, the beer company Anheuser Busch brewed up a wildly popular advertising campaign. The company reproduced 150,000 copies of a lithograph called "Custer's Last Fight!" and plastered it in saloons and taverns across America.

The lithograph, based on an 1888 painting by Cassilly Adams, depicts a chaotic battle scene on the Montana plains with a dozen blue-uniformed cavalrymen laying dead or wounded on the ground as war-painted Indians finish them off with clubs and spears before ceremonially scalping the white men's corpses. In the center of the violent scrum is a long-haired Custer dressed in fringed buckskin, raising his saber skyward to dispatch one last "savage" before succumbing to the overwhelming force of his attackers.

"More people 'learned' about what they think happened at Custer's last stand from this Anheuser Busch lithograph, and probably after a few Budweisers," says Tim Lehman, a professor of history and political science at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, and author of "Bloodshed at Little Bighorn: Sitting Bull, Custer, and the Destinies of Nations."

In American mythology, the popular notion of Custer's "last stand" echoes the story told in that 19th-century painting. Custer's down-to-the-last defeat ranks with the Alamo as a tale of white heroism in the face of "barbaric" aggression, of patriotic martyrs dying "with their boots on" to protect Western settlers.

But the real story of Custer's last stand isn't nearly so innocent, or cut and dry. On June 25, 1876, the Civil War cavalry hero known as the "Boy General" led a U.S. Army attack on an Indian village in the Black Hills in violation of a treaty promising those lands to the Lakota Sioux. Custer and his 7th Cavalry were clearly the aggressors, and if the Battle of Little Bighorn was anyone's "last stand," it was the Plain Indians'.

"It was crystal clear to Sitting Bull and the Lakota that they would be attacked that summer, and they saw the confrontation as one last great fight for their free way of living, before they had to submit to agencies and reservations and federal domination," says Lehman.

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Custer Cultivated an 'Indian Hunter' Image

" " George A. Custer, circa 1864. National Park Service, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Custer was a complex and controversial figure even in his day. A brash troublemaker at West Point who graduated last in his class, Custer earned fame during a series of heroic cavalry charges at the Battle of Gettysburg, which landed him on the cover of Harper's Weekly and propelled him to becoming the youngest general in U.S. military history. After the Civil War, Custer chased further glory on the Western frontier and rebranded himself as an "Indian hunter," complete with a Daniel Boone buckskin suit.

In dispatches that Custer wrote for Eastern newspapers and magazines, Custer sold himself as a veteran frontiersman with intimate knowledge of the Indians' ways, but in reality, says Lehman, Custer didn't speak a lick of Sioux or Cheyenne and had very little understanding of the tribes he fought. After the 1868 Battle of Washita River, Custer bravely (or foolishly) went to a Cheyenne encampment nearly alone to negotiate the release of hostages. The Cheyenne invited him to a pipe ceremony, which Custer took as a sign of respect, but that wasn't the intended message, says Lehman.

"They understood that Custer promised never to attack the Cheyenne again, and if he did, he would be rubbed out," says Lehman. "They took the pipe, dumped out the ashes and rubbed them into the dirt as a sign of what would happen to him."

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Custer's Folly in the Black Hills

The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 created a reservation for the Lakota Sioux in the Black Hills region of modern-day Montana. But when gold was discovered in the Black Hills in 1874, Congress decided it was time to rewrite that treaty. Custer and the 7th Cavalry were sent to Montana under the pretense of convincing holdouts like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse to come to the negotiating table, but the real intention, says Lehman, was a white takeover of the lucrative Black Hills gold deposits.

In June 1876, Custer was given orders to engage with the Sioux at the head of the Rosebud River, but Custer decided to follow tracks to the nearby Little Bighorn River. The preferred U.S. Army tactic was a dawn raid on Indian villages, but Custer worried that waiting for morning would sacrifice the element of surprise. So he split his forces in three and ordered the attack on Sitting Bull's encampment in mid-afternoon.

Under Custer's battle plan, Major Marcus Reno led a direct charge into the village while Custer and 120 men occupied a ridge where they could round up any escaping Sioux women and children to hold as hostages.

"This was a tactic Custer used in the Battle of Washita River with great success," says Lehman. "Custer wrote that once the women and children of an Indian village were under control, the warriors were much more docile."

Unfortunately for Custer, the plan fell apart almost instantly. Reno's men were easily repulsed by Sioux and Cheyenne fighters, and a contingent of Oglala Sioux led by Crazy Horse circled back on Custer's forces and trapped them on what's now known as Last Stand Hill. Custer ordered his men to shoot their horses and stack the carcasses for a makeshift bunker, but it was hopeless. The ending captured in paintings like "Custer's Last Fight" show Custer and his men bravely fighting off the Indians until their last breath, but Lehman says that the archeological record and contemporary Indian accounts say otherwise.

"The evidence suggests 'tactical disintegration,' which is a nicer way of saying that they got really scared and started to run," says Lehman. "Once the panic set in, Indian combatants said it was like hunting buffalo  'We just rode down and killed them.'"

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The Myth is Born

The shocking news of Custer's death spread like wildfire and the newspapers immediately cast him as a martyr for Manifest Destiny. The New York Herald published this wholly fictional account of the battle's final moments:

"In that mad charge up the narrow ravine, with the rocks above raining down lead upon the fated three hundred, with fire spouting from every bush ahead, with the wild, swarming horsemen circling along the heights like shrieking vultures waiting for the moment to sweep down and finish the bloody tale, every form, from private to general, rises to heroic size... They died as grandly as Homer's demigods... Success was beyond their grasp so they diedto a man."

It's unclear where the particular phrase "Custer's last stand" was first coined, but Lehman says that the mythology of a "last stand" was well entrenched at this point in the Indian Wars. Custer himself used the same poetic language in a letter to the father of a soldier named Lyman Kidder whose company was killed by an Indian ambush in 1867.

"No historian will ever chronicle the heroism which was probably here displayed because no one is left to tell the tale, but from the evidence and circumstances before us we can imagine what determination, what bravery, what heroism must have inspired this devoted little band of martyrs, when, surrounded and assailed by a vastly overwhelming force of bloodthirsty barbarians, they manfully struggled to the last, equally devoid of hope or fear."

In the decades after Custer's death, the "last stand" myth was popularized not only in beer advertisements, but in Buffalo Bill Cody's immensely popular Wild West Show, in which the real Sitting Bull actually participated for a time. This fictional version of Custer's last stand was used to justify unbridled Westward expansion.

" " This dramatic scene shows a Native American man stabbing "Custer," with "dead" Native Americans lying on the ground. It was part of Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show, a rival to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Library of Congress

"It created the image that Custer in a 'last stand' was simply defending himself," says Lehman, "and that Americans more broadly were defending themselves from these 'aggressive hordes' of Indians who represented this savagery that was well beyond the pale of civilization. People created the death that they wanted to imagine had happened to their hero."

The "last stand" story spread by the pro-Custer press had its intended effect. Lehman says the Army experienced a rush of recruitment of so-called "Custer Avengers" who waged a series of brutal campaigns over the following year that defeated the holdout Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne once and for all.

Now That's Interesting Custer's wife, Libbie, often lived with him while deployed in frontier camps, and after becoming a widow at 34, she spent the next 52 years of her long life writing books and giving lectures about her heroic husband that cemented his legacy.
Ransomware criminals would be treated as harshly under the law as rapists, armed robbers, arsonists and child sex offenders under the parameters of revamped ransomware legislation introduced to Parliament this month.

Lending legislative weight to the Ransomware Action Plan announced late last year, the new Crimes Legislation Amendment (Ransomware Action Plan) Bill 2022 lays out a number of new offences related to ransomware and data stolen by cybercriminals.

A person launching a ransomware attack intended to affect either the availability, integrity or reliability of a critical infrastructure asset, or to compromise the confidentiality of information about or stored in such an asset, would face up to 25 years imprisonment  which is generally the maximum available sentence for other crimes apart from life imprisonment.

Individuals could also face five years in jail for dishonestly accessing, enabling access to, modifying, or releasing data to another person when that data has been obtained through unauthorised access to a computer.

An aggravated offence, attracting a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment, would apply to someone who produces, supplies, or obtains data for payment  aiming squarely at ransomware criminals that have increasingly been extracting ransoms from Australian businesses.

Cybercriminals use ransomware to do Australians real and long-lasting harm, Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said as the legislation was introduced, calling ransomware an effective means of exercising power over a victim.

The government, she said, will not tolerate attacks on Australias critical infrastructure, small businesses, or targeting the vulnerable members of our community.

Ransomware attacks have continued to hit businesses of all sizes and industries: CrowdStrikes recently released 2022 Global Threat Report, for one, noted an 82 per cent increase in ransomware-related data leaks during 2021.

That included the increasing use of lock-and-leak information operations  in which stolen data is not just dumped on darkweb sites, but leaked in a controlled way by what CrowdStrike calls actor-controlled personas or entities.

The company observed over 50 targeted ransomware events per week last year, with average ransom demands averaging $8.5m ($US6.1m)  up 36 per cent from 2020.

Recognising the increasing amounts of money involved in ransomware crime, the new bill also targets the use of cryptocurrency for criminal activity, allowing police to seize digital assets that are reasonably suspected to be tainted property or evidential material.

Seized cryptocurrency would be transferred to an AFP or police-controlled cryptocurrency wallet, allowing authorities to prevent ransomware proceeds from joining the nearly $12b laundered annually through exchanges and decentralised finance (DeFi) services.

The legislation does not yet criminalise the making of ransomware payments, as the government has floated and analysts have advised.

Legislation tightening the noose

Australias government has been proactive in clamping down on ransomware, with Gartner noting that just 1 per cent of nation states had passed legislation to regulate ransomware payments, fines and negotiations by last year.

This, Gartner has predicted, will increase to 30 per cent of countries by 2025 as governments show a more united front against ransomware criminals  and fight back against increasingly aggressive use of malware that, the company believes, will have progressed to the point where weaponised malware causes human casualties.

Lawmakers in the United States are continuing to debate the countrys legal response to ransomware, with a number of bills circulating and the Biden administration recently releasing a ransomware playbook designed to provide standardised ransomware guidance for businesses.

The new legislation is an important step towards laying down the law for ransomware cybercriminals, said Tenable ANZ country manager Scott McKinnel, who welcomed the proposed legislation as a strong and clear message to cybercriminals that the Australian government will not sit idle while our critical infrastructure and way of life get disrupted.

A task of this magnitude requires global governments to leverage the combined resources and expertise of government, industry and other stakeholders to provide timely and trusted information sharing to enhance the nations cyber security.... If we work together, cyber attacks wont be the big business they are now.
Hickory Mayor Hank Guess said last spring the 40-ton arches over the City Walk pedestrian bridge would be a feature that is safe, and itll be exactly what were supposed to have, and itll last forever.

On Friday morning, Guess said he was grateful no one was hurt when the wooden arches fell onto the adjacent Main Avenue bridge around midnight.

Assistant City Manager Rodney Miller was among the officials assessing the scene Friday morning. As he was walking away, he would only say the investigation is ongoing.

When asked about the cause, Miller said: Have no idea.

Guess said a windy night might have played a role in the collapse of the arches. A news release from the city also referenced the arch falling during (Thursday) nights storm.

Carolina Weather Group meteorologist Scotty Powell said he was skeptical of the winds being an explanation for the collapse.

He said the highest wind speed recorded at the Hickory Regional Airport, which is located about 4 miles from the arches, was 33 mph and the highest recorded wind in the county was 42 mph in Newton. He did acknowledge potential for somewhat higher gusts in the area of the arches.

Forty mile-per-hour wind gusts are not a normal, everyday thing, but its definitely not out of the realm in our area to see those, Powell said. We didnt see any widespread trees coming down from those wind gusts.

Guess said taxpayers would not bear a cost because of the warranty on the arches.

He said the initial evaluation of the Main Avenue bridge showed it to be safe but further assessments are needed. The city will work with other experts and agencies, such as the N.C. Department of Transportation, he said. There was some damage to at least one side of the bridge.

When asked to respond to public concerns and questions regarding the arches, Guess said, I would tell anyone that we did everything according to the rules and according to the professionals, the architects, the engineers. I dont know what else we could have done that we didnt do.

Councilman Tony Wood said the citys focus now should be figuring out what happened in order to integrate (that information) and do something even better than what we had before.

The arches were a centerpiece for the City Walk in downtown Hickory, a project that was funded through the $40 million bond referendum in 2014. At a cost of approximately $750,000, the arches accounted for around 5% of the $14.3 million City Walk contract.

They were up for less than a year. The official dedication of the City Walk and lighting of the arches was two months ago.

There had been problems with the arches before.

The installation of the second arch was delayed last year after part of the wood splintered. Hickory Communications Specialist Sarah Killian said then the arch was fixed using a combination of adhesives, clamps and screws.

The city did not say what adhesive was used. At one point, the manufacturer recommended using Gorilla Glue.

City Walk contractor Neill Grading & Construction and engineering firm John Wood Group PLC are assessing the damage, the city said in a statement. An investigation is underway to determine the contributing factors that led to the fall of the arches. Until that investigation is complete, the debris cannot be removed, the release said.

A statement posted to Neill Gradings Facebook page on Friday said that the company had no direct involvement in the design, manufacture, or erection of the decorative wooden arches and that its subcontractor, Dane Construction, handled the installation.

The arches were built by Western Wood Structures in Oregon and shipped across the country.

On social media and on a street near the arches, there was frustration.

Hickory resident Kim Hudson, 55, was among those who came out to see the collapsed arches. She called it an embarrassment for the city.

Im really disappointed, and Id like to have some transparency into how the city decided to spend the money for the bond referendum and why this is such a complete disaster, Hudson said.

Another Hickory resident, 72-year-old Kris Ferguson, said: We saw this coming. You dont have to be a psychic to see this was going to fail.

Guess said there has been no discussion of what might replace the arches.

Councilman Wood said the feedback he received on Friday consisted of people providing support and encouragement for city leaders.

Every telephone call I have received today has been positive and that has been amazing because you would think that there would be some negativity come out, Wood said. Now, Im sure that social media is doing its thing. Theres always going to be detractors.

Councilwoman Jill Patton said she, too, had received positive messages in the wake of the collapse.

The support that I have received and the phone calls and text messages have been overwhelmingly supportive of saying, Lets just go back to the drawing board and do something bigger and better, Patton said. Weve had setbacks as a city in the past and we always pull together. We have a vision of what we want and what we want the city to be, and people are already talking about new ideas for it.

She added, I think so often it is naysayers that love to jump on something and beat it with a stick when we have to have time to assess what it is 

Kevin Griffin, kgriffin@hickoryrecord.com, is the City of Hickory reporter at the Hickory Daily Record.
RTHK: Putin to sign recognition decree of breakaway regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the leaders of France and Germany on Monday that he planned to sign a decree recognising the two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities shortly, the Kremlin said.

The French and German leaders voiced disappointment after hearing the decision, the Kremlin said in a readout of the phone calls. Moscow's move is also likely to torpedo a last-minute bid for a summit to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine.

Separately, Moscow said Ukrainian military saboteurs had tried to enter Russian territory in armed vehicles leading to five deaths, an accusation dismissed as "fake news" by Kyiv.

Both developments fit a pattern repeatedly predicted by Western governments, who accuse Russia of preparing to fabricate a pretext to invade Ukraine by blaming Kyiv for attacks and relying on pleas for help from separatist proxies.

Recognition by Moscow of the rebel regions' independence will narrow the diplomatic options to avoid war, since it is an explicit rejection of a seven-year-old ceasefire mediated by France and Germany, touted as the framework for future negotiations on the wider crisis.

Hours earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron gave hope of a diplomatic solution, saying Putin and Biden had agreed in principle to meet.

But the Kremlin said there were no specific plans for a summit. The White House said Biden had accepted the meeting "in principle" but only "if an invasion hasn't happened".

In Washington, President Joe Biden summoned his top security advisers. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, could be seen entering the White House on the President's Day holiday.

Washington says Russia has massed a force numbering 169,000-190,000 troops in the region, including the pro-Russian rebels in the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, and could invade within days. The recognition of the rebel-held areas could also provide a pretext for Russian troops to cross the border into those areas.

Russia denies any plan to attack its neighbour but has threatened unspecified "military-technical" action unless it receives sweeping security guarantees, including a promise that Ukraine will never join Nato.

European financial markets tumbled at the signs of increased confrontation, after having briefly edged higher on the glimmer of hope that a summit might offer a path out of Europe's biggest military crisis in decades. The price of oil - Russia's main export - rose, while Russian shares and the rouble plunged. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-02-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Seychelles Tourism Department recently joined forces with the Ministry for Education to revamp the school tourism clubs in a live-streamed ceremony held at the Seychelles Tourism Academy at La Misere.



The ceremony was attended by the Minister for Education, Dr Justin Valentin, the Principal Secretary for Tourism Sherin Francis, Merna Eulentin, Principal Secretary for Educational Services, John Lesperance, Principal Secretary for Educational Development Sector, the Director-General for Destination Planning and Development at the Tourism Department, Paul Lebon and the Director-General for Destination Marketing at the Tourism Department, Bernadette Willemin.



Rebranded to 'Lospitalite Tourism Clubs', the school tourism clubs, launched in March 2019, regroup students of primary and secondary schools around Mahe, Praslin and La Digue with the aim to trigger their interest in hospitality. Unfortunately, these clubs had to stop their activities due to the pandemic.



During the ceremony several videos from various schools, where both primary and secondary students, were shared to explain what 'lospitalite' and excellent service meant to them.



In her address the Principal Secretary for Tourism, Francis expressed her satisfaction in having the schools join the Lospitalite Campaign through the Lospitalite Tourism Club.



"This union is a key moment in the evolution of our Tourism Industry as it demonstrates the need to adjust the national mindset to reflect the fact that the nation relies heavily on tourism and aims to form young minds and foster proper attitudes," said Francis.



Francis also thanked the tourism businesses who have adopted these tourism clubs, as well as the former tourism department, ministry of education and the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA), in setting the foundations for the creation of the Lospitalite Tourism Clubs.



On her part Eulentin, Principal Secretary for Educational Services, acknowledges the benefits this programme will have on the education system, encouraging students to be a part of this initiative and parents to support their children.



Eulentin further states that the partnership is perfect for the schools to engage with the community, to learn from professionals in the industry and for students to forge a path for their future. She also extended her thanks to the Tourism related businesses that have answered the call of the tourism department to adopt the schools.



Also, as part of the launch, guests witnessed the burial of a time capsule made up of memories of the latest Tourism Festival, linking the past to the future, which will be opened in 10 years time.



The tourism-driven initiative 'Lospitalite - Lafyerte Sesel', spearheaded by the Industry Human Resource Development section within the Destination Planning & Development Division, has been in preparation since the third quarter of 2021.



The programme, which is based on three pillars; Sensitisation and Awareness, Education and Training and Recognition and Award, aims to bring about a change in people's attitudes and perceptions concerning customer service in general in Seychelles and is anticipated to be the start of a long-lasting national project.  TradeArabia News Service
Last week, it was peanuts. Unsalted, roasted in the shell, to be exact.

But lately, its always something, some commonplace commodity that suddenly cannot be found at the store. Strawberries. Peppers. Ground turkey. And Lord, dont even get me started on Ore-Ida Golden fries.

I used to enjoy grocery shopping. Weird, but true. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I once wrote a column rhapsodizing how foraging at the local warehouse store satisfied some primitive masculine need to hunt and gather.

But in this era of supply-chain disruption, shopping feels less like an act of manly provision than an exercise in national mortification. Once upon a time, to be an American was to feel impervious to forces of supply and demand. Oh, you might occasionally have to pay more, but if you wanted a thing, by God, you could have it. There was always enough. Indeed, having enough  and then some  was a sacred national entitlement.

Until it wasnt.

Those who waited hours in line for gasoline during the energy crisis of the 1970s may recall that close behind the annoyance one felt, there was also a sense of disbelief, even betrayal, as if some fundamental law of the universe had been violated.

Out of gas? How could we be out of gas? This is America. Were never out of anything.

Substitute Ore-Ida Golden fries for unleaded, and this moment feels much the same.

Theres a scene in Robin Williams 1984 film, Moscow on the Hudson, where a group of Soviet performers visiting New York are allowed by their KGB handlers half an hour to shop at Bloomingdales. These citizens of dull, gray Moscow surge into the shiny temple of American capitalism  Clinique! Jordache! Calvin Klein!  like children set loose in Santas workshop, swarming over a rack of blue jeans the way hungry teenagers do pizza. Not even the KGB man is immune. My God, he breathes happily, what decadence!

That scene opened in me a primal, patriotic pride. It seemed to validate every lesson I had ever learned about the exceptionalism of my country. America was a land of plenty and, therefore, a land of good.

But things are  as the movie itself soon makes clear  more complicated than that.

America remains a land of plenty, of course, but the present shortages are a poke in the eye to any sense of sacred national entitlement. It turns out this ability to have whatever, whenever, is fragile enough to be undone by idling trucks or an unruly virus.

Maybe its not the worst thing to be reminded of that every now and again. As is often observed, Americans use far more than their share of Earths resources. We are home to less than 5% of its population, but use 24% of its energy, with similarly outsized impacts on food, water and the environment.

Meantime, ocean levels are rising, the planet faces hundred-year floods and thousand-year droughts and, as is so often the case, the poor bear the brunt first and worst. If being unable to find ones preferred brand of french fries is frustrating, what is the word for being unable to find clean drinking water? And how long before that question, already relevant in other parts of the globe, finds its way home?

Maybe we should ask the good folks in Flint. Or Jackson. One suspects their responses would provide pungent commentary on the idea that being a land of plenty makes us a land of good.

If we are good, it is not by dint of what we have, but what we do with it.

Leonard Pitts Jr. is a columnist for the Miami Herald, 3511 NW 91st Ave., Miami, FL 33172. Readers can contact him via email at lpitts@miamiherald.com.
CHICAGO - Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker fully embraced his role in guiding the state through the coronavirus pandemic when he launched his reelection campaign in July, just a month after he had lifted nearly all restrictions as the vaccination effort gained steam and the state had fully reopened.

Within weeks, though, he rolled out another mask mandate for schools as the state lost ground to the delta variant. Now, two adverse court opinions have stymied Pritzkers efforts to continue masking requirements at schools and renewed questions over the governors legal authority amid pandemic weariness and parent rebellion that has droned on for months.

As a result of a lawsuit filed on behalf of parents, Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow on Feb. 4 granted the request for a temporary restraining order on the governors executive orders on masking and quarantining for schools named in the court action, finding that the measures are beyond the governors authority and deprive students of due process. The Illinois attorney generals office quickly filed an appeal.

Less than a week later, Pritzker laid out the states exit plan to lift the indoor mask mandate on Feb. 28, though he stipulated masks would still be required in schools until an unspecified date.

While the state awaited an appellate ruling on Grischows decision to grant the temporary restraining order, the Illinois Department of Public Healths emergency rule that covered masking for schools expired Feb. 13.

In an effort to continue to enforce masking in school districts not named in the lawsuit, the public health department reissued its rule Monday with minor tweaks, deleting some references to isolation and quarantine that were central to Grischows ruling.

But when the rule came before the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a bipartisan legislative oversight committee, three Democratic members joined their Republican counterparts to vote 9-0 to block the health departments rule.

The Democrats explained their votes in large part by pointing to the appellate court ruling they anticipated in the coming days. Democratic state Rep. Mike Halpin of Rock Island said he voted to block the revised rule from taking effect because were currently in a situation where the (temporary restraining order) says this rule is not enforceable.

Its possible, if not probable, that this might change on appeal, but for now as we sit here, for that reason, Ill vote to block the rule, Halpin said.

Two other Democrats who voted with Republicans, Chicago Reps. Curtis Tarver and Frances Ann Hurley, gave the same reasoning. Democratic Sens. Bill Cunningham and Tony Munoz, both of Chicago, voted present.

The anxiously awaited decision that came out of the 4th District Appellate Court in Springfield late Thursday, however, did not change course from Grischows ruling. Instead, the court dismissed Pritzkers effort to keep statewide masking and other COVID-19 mitigation measures at schools in place.

The appellate court based its decision on the fact that the legislative committee had blocked IDPHs attempt to renew the rules.

None of the rules found by the (Sangamon County) circuit court to be null and void are currently in effect, the ruling said. Accordingly, for the following reasons, we dismiss defendants appeal because the expiration of the emergency rules renders this appeal moot.

On Friday, after the appellate court ruling was announced, Halpin, who is running for a state Senate seat in the upcoming election, declined to comment on the decision. Hurley, who also voted with Republicans, could not be reached for comment.

Tarver said he hadnt yet read the appellate court ruling in its entirety but voted to halt the IDPH rule because he felt it was only right to respect coequal branches of government and not let an agency enforce a rule that, at the time, was being decided on by the appellate court.

I dont vote with, I vote for, and I voted for what I thought was right, Tarver said. My vote had nothing to do with the arguments (from Republicans).

Until now, Pritzker has seen his emergency orders throughout the pandemic upheld by the courts  and the appellate courts action did not address the legality of the governors use of emergency powers.

But that hasnt stopped Republicans from accusing Pritzker of seeking to usurp the rights of parents and local school boards.

Last weeks action isnt the first time the administrative rules committee has pushed back on the governors plans.

In May 2020, when the initial surge of COVID-19 was subsiding in Illinois, Pritzker backed down from a proposal that could have led to businesses facing criminal misdemeanor charges for opening in violation of his stay-at-home order after some Democrats on the legislative panel joined Republicans in raising concerns.

Later that summer, Pritzker issued a rule that allowed businesses to be fined for violating mask requirements, which was allowed to go into effect.

Last fall, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules instructed the Illinois State Board of Education to draft rules detailing the sanctions schools could face for violating the mask mandate and other coronavirus protocols after the board began revoking the recognition status of private schools that didnt comply.

The board of education returned the following month with guidelines stipulating the revocation process and how schools can appeal such changes, which went into effect without an objection from the committee.

Pritzker plans to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review the appellate courts decision. While Chicago Public Schools plans to continue enforcing its mask mandate, about 700 Illinois districts have pivoted to mask-optional policies.

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CHICAGO - A little-known provision in Illinois sweeping criminal justice reform legislation is sowing chaos in the race for Cook County sheriff, with at least two would-be challengers to incumbent Tom Dart furious over the prospect that they could be deemed ineligible to run.

Tucked into the end of the 700-page bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in February 2021, the new law that went into effect this year requires all candidates for sheriff to be certified law enforcement officers, starting this year. Sitting sheriffs are exempt.

But at least two of Darts potential challengers  fellow Democrat Carmen Navarro Gercone and Chris McCluster, who says he hasnt decided if hell seek to run with a party affiliation  are worried. They fear that even if they secure the required number of signatures in candidate petitions, the law could unfairly knock them off the ballot because they are trained correctional officers, which are considered distinct from certified law-enforcement officers.

In a statement, Darts campaign distanced himself from the new rule.

Sheriff Dart was not aware this new law was being considered or that it was introduced, the statement says. He only became aware of it when reviewing the lengthy legislation after it was passed and signed into law. It was a surprise to him and he has always welcomed competition and believes deeply in the democratic process.

Were he not grandfathered in, Dart himself would not have qualified to be sheriff under the new provision, except that state records show he received a law enforcement certification late last year, after the new law was signed. Dart, whos held the office since 2006, formerly was a prosecutor, a state lawmaker and chief of staff to former sheriff Michael Sheahan.

Navarro Gercone, now a top official at the Cook County Circuit Court Clerks office, first rose to the rank of first assistant executive director under Dart, overseeing 1,300 employees in courthouse security, evictions and other operations. She has served as a sergeant, lieutenant and assistant chief at the sheriffs department before that.

But she has never worked as a certified police officer, and now shes concerned she wont make it on the June 28 primary ballot.

From the start of my campaign for Cook County Sheriff, I have been shocked by the antics of machine politics, Navarro Gercone wrote in a statement to the Tribune. They seem to deny the fact that voters are terrified by the violence in our communities and are desperate for change. Instead, they are actively working together to ensure that voters do not have a choice on the ballot.

The law says a sheriff must have completed a law enforcement officer training course that meets the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Boards requirements  or the equivalent at another state or the federal government. Though Navarro Gercone is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, that does not qualify as a law enforcement certificate, according to the board.

Both Navarro Gercone and McCluster said they have sent out a flurry of messages to leaders in Springfield, including the crime bills sponsors, but have received no explanation.

One of the chief sponsors of the legislation, state Rep. Justin Slaughter, a Chicago Democrat, told the Tribune that the provision in the bill was more to honor the wishes of the Illinois Sheriffs Association. But he said there have been several questions, which I think to be honest with you need to be sorted out.

I think (one) sort of question ... that has surfaced is, how do you get this training? Do you have to apply to a police department and get through the stages of applying and then get the training? said Slaughter. Me, personally, I have gotten some questions posed to me about that.

But Slaughter acknowledged that its not unusual for the legislature to revisit omnibus bills, like the criminal justice package, that were signed into law to see whether there are any changes that need to be made.

Well continue to monitor how this is going to play, Slaughter said. Essentially, this is sort of the first election cycle when that provision becomes paramount.

In fact, one proposal sitting in an Illinois Senate committee would amend the law to exempt counties whose population is above 3 million, which would apply only to Cook County.

Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the states sheriffs association, said his organization has lobbied for such a provision for years and worked with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to get it baked into the criminal justice reform bill, a package that the association does not support as a whole.

Most people have the expectation that a sheriff is a cop, Kaitschuk said, declining to comment on the specifics of the controversy in Cook County. Im certainly not trying to take anything away from people that work in corrections because they obviously have a significant role  but the way the law is is the way the law is at this point in time.

Raoul spokeswoman Annie Thompson said the offices priority was to improve police certification and agreed to the language of the provision at the request of the sheriffs association.

In Cook County, correctional officers far outnumber certified cops within the sheriffs department, which runs Cook County Jail. Under the 2022 budget, there are at least 500 positions for police officers and 3,900 for deputies, most of which are correctional officers assigned to the jail, while others handle courthouse security.

Howard Buffett, the son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett, ended his campaign last year for sheriff of Macon County in central Illinois, citing the changing qualifications, despite holding the office previously without police bonafides.

His case, however, was marred in controversy when it was revealed the training and standards board granted Buffett a certification after he had donated millions of dollars to police training efforts. Brent Fischer, who headed the agency at the time, was fired over those revelations.

In Cook County, McCluster, a correctional lieutenant at the Illinois Department of Corrections Stateville prison, said he almost gave up his bid to unseat Dart in January after learning of the new law. McCluster ultimately decided to pursue a run because he believed there was still a chance the criminal justice legislation with the provision gets repealed  a longshot possibility.

In the meantime, McCluster said, theres one way Dart can be part of the solution: Dont use the new law to quash his opponents.

If he wants a healthy competition, dont challenge the bid, McCluster said. Because I know that Carmens going to keep running. Im going to keep running.

In response to a Tribune question on whether Dart will utilize the new law during petition objections, the incumbents campaign responded: The General Assembly passes hundreds of laws a year and we are required to follow them. Their argument is with the General Assembly, not Sheriff Dart.

Jeremy Gorner reported from Springfield.

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CHICAGO  Illinois no longer holds immigrant detainees at local jails after the last two counties that had agreements with federal authorities to house them cleared facilities earlier this month.

Kankakee and McHenry counties sued in federal court last year challenging an Illinois law aimed targeting such federal contracts, effectively ending immigration detention by Jan. 1. They lost but they were allowed to delay on appeal.

Dozens of remaining detainees left the two county jails this month, according to authorities. In winding down federal contracts in recent weeks, some detainees were deported while others were released to their families or transferred to facilities in nearby states including Indiana while they await court hearings.

The Illinois law was celebrated by activists who argue that detaining people awaiting immigration hearings is inhumane and costly. They've pushed to have detainees released nationwide, including calling for executive action from the White House.

"Although we are here demanding releases in Illinois, we want to make it clear that our demands are not for our state alone," Veronica Castro, deputy director at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said in a statement.

The two counties in the lawsuit argued they'd lose needed revenue and that ending immigration detention in Illinois would result in transferring detainees elsewhere, moving them further from their families.

A third facility that housed immigrant detainees in southern Illinois' Pulaski County complied last year.

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This entire controversy over Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischows odd ruling earlier this month that statewide mask/vaccine/testing mandates at schools are a type of quarantine and therefore fall under the states quarantine laws (which include individual due process protections) couldve all been prevented with a simple bill last year.

Most whove watched this closely knew that Judge Grischows temporary restraining order against enforcing the state emergency rules containing the school mandate language was a possibility, however remote. Southern Illinois attorney Tom DeVore has been making this mask mandates are quarantines argument for a very long time, but he has, shall we say, a less than impressive win-loss record in his pandemic portfolio.

DeVore recently described himself as a hayseed, and he comes off as not credible to many. The governor has even referred to him as a grifter, for which DeVore is suing him (and the lawyer will probably lose because of executive immunity). DeVore is also using his recent infamy to possibly launch a statewide Republican bid for attorney general at the end of February.

But despite DeVores win-loss record and his many idiosyncrasies, all it takes is one judge who is fed up with following pandemic rules and an appeals court that clearly doesnt want to touch a political hot potato and policy disaster can strike.

And, boy did it strike last week when an Illinois appellate court punted and ruled that Gov. J.B. Pritzkers appeal of Grischows TRO was moot because the legislatures Joint Committee on Administrative Rules had voted to suspend the emergency rule in question days earlier  even though both the governors office and DeVore had told the justices further action was needed.

The General Assembly hasnt done much to hold up its end during the pandemic. Until this month, the courts have mostly sided with the governors executive orders, so there was no real perceived need to change that many laws. And the less they did, the better for everyone, was the prevailing mood.

Legislators did step in last year when some school staff started using the states Right of Conscience Act, which was designed to protect anti-abortion medical care providers, to claim they couldnt be forced to take vaccines or be regularly tested for the coronavirus. As a result, that never became a thing.

If legislators at the time had also approved similar legislation to further clarify state law that the legislature never intended that mask mandates, etc. are a type of quarantine, then thered be no case to discuss today. Such an argument wouldve had the added benefit of being absolutely true. As with the Right of Conscience Act, no such result couldve possibly been envisioned at the time of passage.

But the governors people say that legislative leaders wouldnt consider the quarantine language change proposal. Members were already being inundated with angry, even threatening contacts from constituents and outsiders whod been ginned up by disinformation outlets to what we thought at the time was over the Right of Conscience Act fix. Tossing more fuel on the fire wasnt something that enough Democratic legislators wanted to do, even though doing both at once couldve saved a whole lot of grief down the road.

Whats done is done. Or, in this case, what wasnt done is now done.

Pritzker is appealing to the Illinois Supreme Court, which has been more reluctant than even the legislature to step into this pandemic topic. The state sometimes seems to be just chock full of finger-pointers and responsibility shirkers.

The unanswered question, of course, is what happens during the next COVID variant wave (if any) or the next pandemic if a mask requirement is ultimately deemed a legally defined quarantine. The future will likely not look back with kindness and the governor should not allow such a result to be part of his legacy.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

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Forsyth County continued to see fewer new COVID-19 cases but additional COVID-related deaths over the weekend.

Mondays update from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Service reported Forsyth had three additional deaths since Fridays report.

Forsyth has had 746 COVID-19 related deaths since mid-March 2020.

Meanwhile, Forsyth also recorded 343 new cases since Fridays report. The 49 new cases reported Monday marked the lowest daily count since the omicron variant surge began in mid-to late-December.

Forsyth has recorded a total of 90,735 cases since the pandemic began.

Forsyth health director Joshua Swift has expressed confidence that the pandemic has entered a new phase in really shifting toward empowering the community to take a bigger role in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and learning to live with COVID-19 while taking appropriate precautions.

Decreasing numbers of new cases are among the factors that persuaded Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines to say he plans to end the citywide mask mandate on March 1.

Thats even though the city hasnt reached the COVID-19 targets set by Joines in October.

Superintendent Tricia McManus is expected to recommend Tuesday that Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools end the districts mask mandate on Feb. 28.

Gov. Roy Cooper has encouraged local school boards and governments to end their mask mandates by March 7 if key COVID-19 metrics continue to decline at current rates.

Swift said he still encourages people to be fully vaccinated and boosted even as key COVID-19 numbers are declining.

Death totals

Despite the decline in many key metrics locally, Forsyth has had at least 54 deaths in February.

DHHS lists COVID-19 cases and deaths on the day they are confirmed by medical providers and public health officials, so individuals may have been infected or may have died days or weeks before their cases were counted.

February is on pace to be the deadliest month of the pandemic in Forsyth.

The county ended January with 73 COVID-related deaths, the highest monthly pandemic death toll to date. There have been a total of 746 since 2020.

Statewide, 89 additional COVID-related deaths were listed in Mondays report, bringing North Carolinas total COVID-related deaths to 22,237.

Local and state health officials have cautioned that an elevated number of COVID-19-related deaths could persist through early- to mid-February even as daily case counts decline.

Weve seen a peak, a plateau and a decline in cases, and weve seen a peak in hospitalization and a plateau now, Swift said.

The last step is to see deaths begin to level off and decline.

Joines said Oct. 29 that in order to lift the citys mask mandate, the city must have a COVID-19 positive test rate of 5% or less for at least two weeks and must average fewer than 10 new cases per 100,000 people over five days.

As of Mondays COVID-19 dashboard update, Forsyths positive test rate over the past 14 days was 13.5%, compared with 16.7% in Fridays report.

The statewide rate was 10.7% on Monday. The 10.3% rate on Friday was the lowest level since Dec. 23.

Mondays update had Forsyth averaging 37 cases per 100,000 residents over the most recent two-week period. Thats down from 82 per 100,000 residents in the Feb. 11 report.

Joines cautioned that if other COVID-19 variants emerge to cause large spikes in cases, reinstating the mandate is always a possibility.

Statewide update

Statewide, DHHS reported 2,060 cases Monday, 3,567 Sunday and 4,261 Saturday.

Mondays report marked the lowest daily statewide count since Nov. 30.

The record-high daily case count stands at 35,759, reported Jan. 14.

North Carolina has recorded 2.57 million cases during the pandemic, according to DHHS.

Both Swift and Dr. David Priest, an infectious diseases expert with Novant Health Inc., have said the number of local and statewide COVID-19 cases likely is underreported, in part because people who use in-home tests are not required to log results.

Hospitalizations

COVID-19 hospitalizations remain on a downward trend with 2,296 people hospitalized statewide on Sunday. Thats down from 2,492 on Friday.

The statewide hospitalization count has dropped for 25 consecutive days.

Hospitals in the 17-county Triad region had a combined 441 COVID-19 patients Sunday, down 117 since Thursday.

Statewide, 275 patients are on ventilators, including 53 in the Triad region. There were 50 children hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, including 10 in the Triad region.

Free at-home test kits

On Monday, the Forsyth health department and county public library system began distributing a second round of free COVID-19 test kits to county residents.

Test kits are available while supplies last at the health department, 799 N. Highland Ave., and all 10 county libraries.

For this round of test giveaways, the health department has 350 test kits.

The departments hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

Each of the countys 10 libraries has 100 test kits. There is a limit of one kit per adult.

Distribution times at the libraries are 9 a.m. to noon and 5 to 7 p.m. weekdays.

Library locations are Central Library, Carver School Road, Clemmons, Lewisville, Malloy/Jordan East Winston Heritage Center, Paddison Memorial, Reynolda Manor, Rural Hall, Southside and Walkertown.

Free test kits also can be ordered online at www.covidtests.gov from the federal government.

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Charlie Williams thought he knew what hed seen  he snapped a photo for reference  as he ambled past a large pond partially surrounded by tall trees in his neighborhood.

The first time he was flying, said Williams, recounting an unforgettable moment. I could tell it was black and had triangular tail feathers. And a white head.

Still, he wasnt completely certain.

The sighting came at a distance and a second bird, slightly smaller but lacking the same distinctive markings, accompanied the bigger raptor. The birds were hanging around in a neighborhood literally surrounded by development and large-scale construction.

Williams is by no means an expert bird watcher  he doesnt even consider himself an experienced amateur  but he couldnt contain his excitement.

I just kept thinking Damn, thats a bald eagle, he said. Id never seen one before.

Part of the natural range

That first sighting came on a clear day in late January. A day or so later, Williams spotted the bird again.

That time, it had landed on a branch high up in a tree laid bare by the winter. The other bird was nearby, too.

Williams snapped the best picture he could with a cell phone camera and took to (where else?) the immediacy of the internet to see what he could find out.

Theyd never been here before, he said. I hadnt heard anybody else saying anything about eagles. I didnt think Winston-Salem was a place eagles would be.

As it turns out  as regular birders know well  the whole state, urban areas included, is considered part of the bald eagles range.

Its not that rare, actually, said Halley Buckanoff, supervisor of the Valerie Schindler Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at the North Carolina Zoo. There have been quite a few sightings. Theyre on the rise in North Carolina. There are breeding pairs in Greensboro.

Rare or not, Buckanoff sensed an opportunity to educate folks  a key component of the zoos mission  and seized the mic with both hands.

Bald eagles experienced a renaissance of sorts starting in 1972 when the federal government banned the use of DDT, a synthetic insecticide with a nasty side effect of worming into the food chain and threatening certain bird of prey species.

Stopping the use of DDT helped, she said. But there are still some dangers to them.

Rodent poisons and lead found in ammunition were two that she listed off the top of her head.

Deer (or smaller game for that matter) wounded but unsuccessfully harvested by hunters would be prime eating for an eagle. So, too, might poisoned rodents.

Eagles are apex predators and well-known scavengers, Buckanoff said. Theyll eat anything thats been poisoned.

Looking for a new home

As to the how and why a pair of bald eagles wound up visiting an established neighborhood near the Meadowlark elementary and middle schools, Buckanoff quickly provided an explanation.

She pulled up on her laptop a website called EBird.org where bird watchers log sightings of different species. She zoomed in on Winston-Salem and counted a dozen since Jan. 1.

How close is it to Salem Lake? Buckanoff asked. Told that the distance is a matter of a few miles (as the eagle flies) and on top of a good sized pond, she noted that it would make sense for the birds to roam.

The smaller, unmarked bird is likely a young bald eagle. It takes six to eight years to get into their adult plumage, she said of the eagles distinctive black feathers and white head. Its probably a juvenile. (Adults) will encourage them to leave the nest to go find their own territory.

Thats not much different than the 20-something in the basement. Nobody can live with their parents forever, Buckanoff said.

Hearing all of that made perfect sense to Charlie Williams. After the second sighting, he said other neighbors reported seeing the birds and posted photographs online in neighborhood groups.

Duly alerted, Terry Matthews came as quickly as he could when his wife Julie called to say shed spotted the bird near the water. Terry got a good look that first sighting but the second is the one hell not soon forget.

I saw the bird fish, he said. He swooped down, scooped up a fish and carried it up to a tree. It was a beautiful sight to see.

The birds havent been spotted in more than week, but thats OK. Having been able to see such a majestic animal in such an unlikely spot was a real treat.

People just dont realize how many animals are in their own backyards, even in cities, she said. Just appreciate them. We have to co-exist and be good neighbors.

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The N.C. Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a former Wake Forest Baptist doctor who was accused of inserting a device into a woman during surgery without her permission and ruining her chances of getting pregnant.

The court said the woman, Kimberly Bryant, failed to prove her claims, including allegations that the doctor failed to inform her about the device and that he lied to her about her chances of getting pregnant after the surgery.

Harvey and Harold Kennedy, her attorneys, said in a statement Thursday that they intend to appeal the case to the N.C. Supreme Court.

Kimberly Bryant lost her ability to have children allegedly because of Dr. Yalcinkayas decision to insert a Gore-Tex device inside of her body during surgery without her knowledge and consent, they said in the statement. Our position is that Kimberly Bryant never should have been permanently stripped of her opportunity to have children when she was only in her 20s and when she and her husband definitely wanted to have a family.

Bryant sued Dr. Mehmet Tamer Yalcinkaya, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Wake Forest University Health Sciences and N.C. Baptist Hospital, alleging medical malpractice, fraudulent concealment and negligence and other claims. She sought $10.1 million in damages. Yalcinkaya has denied all the allegations against him, both in court papers and in a 2017 interview with the Winston-Salem Journal.

In October 2020, Judge Eric Morgan of Forsyth Superior Court granted what is known as a summary judgment, meaning Morgan ruled in favor of the doctor and Wake Forest without having to hold a jury trial. The decision meant that the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, which would prohibit Bryant from ever raising her claims again in a civil lawsuit.

Bryants attorneys appealed Morgans decision to the N.C. Court of Appeals.

According to the lawsuit, Bryant went to Yalcinkaya in 2007. Yalcinkaya was then director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Baptist. She went to him for surgery to remove uterine fibroids. The lawsuit alleges that during the surgery, Yalcinkaya inserted what is known as a Gore-Tex barrier into her body that acted like an IUD birth-control device. She alleged that Yalcinkaya never told her about the device and that over the next 10 years, she could not get pregnant.

It was only in 2017, Bryant alleges, that she found out about the device when it split in two, requiring emergency surgery. A doctor involved in that surgery told her that she would have to have a hysterectomy.

But according to appellate courts ruling, Yalcinkaya documented that during the surgery, he learned Bryant had Stage IV endometriosis. Endometriosis is a painful condition in which the cells inside the lining of the uterus start growing outside of it. He inserted the device to prevent scar-like tissue from coming back.

According to the order, Yalcinkaya told Bryant that he had inserted the device and told Bryant and her husband that she might have difficulty getting pregnant, even with the fibroids removed and using in-vitro fertilization.

Bryant claimed in her appeals that Yalcinkaya told her to rest for three months and then try again to get pregnant. Yalcinkaya denied ever saying that.

Yalcinkaya told Bryant, according to the order, that she needed to do drug therapy and possibly have a second surgery to deal with fibroids and endometriosis. Bryant said she was never told any of this.

Bryant never went back to Yalcinkaya for any further medical treatment, the court said.

A main issue that came up was whether the Gore-Tex barrier was medically-necessary and therapeutic. The court ruled that at the very least, the barrier had a therapeutic purpose when Yalcinkaya placed it in her body. And because of that, some of Bryants claims were barred by a four-year statute of limitations, the court said.

As for other claims such as constructive fraud or actual fraud, Bryant simply did not have enough proof. For example, the court said she didnt provide any evidence that Yalcinkaya intentionally concealed that she needed another surgical procedure after the first one.

Yalcinkaya also provided notes providing information about the kind of barrier he inserted into Bryant and he testified consistently that the barrier would be in Bryants body permanently, the court said.

Another woman tried to file a lawsuit against Yalcinkaya, alleging that his negligence led to a near-fatal infection from fibroid surgery, but she was ultimately unable to file a complaint because the statute of limitations had expired, according to court records. The matter was dismissed with prejudice, meaning she could not refile.

Yalcinkaya left Baptist in September 2014. He is currently practice founder of Carolinas Fertility Institute, which has offices in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Charlotte.

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Wego, a leading online travel marketplace in the Mena region, has signed a definitive agreement with Indias homegrown e-commerce ecosystem Flipkart Group to acquire Cleartrips Middle East business.

This transaction also includes the sale of Flyin.com and a technology co-operation agreement between Wego and Flipkart.

The board of Directors of Wego and Flipkart have approved the transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Cleartrip is a pioneer of online travel in India and is famous and much loved by customers for its user-friendly interface and industry-first initiatives.

Cleartrip expanded organically into the Middle East region in 2010 and acquired Riyadh based Flyin.com in 2018, which played a similar role in kick-starting online travel in Saudi Arabia. Wego and Cleartrip both have their regional headquarters located in Dubai Internet City.

"Cleartrip and Flyin are both product-driven companies with best-in-class OTA technology that have established strong brands and strong positions across the Middle East, said Ross Veitch, CEO & Co-Founder of Wego.

We are excited to welcome Cleartrip Middle East and Flyin into the Wego group. The Middle East is set to be one of the most exciting growth stories of the next decade with the travel & technology sectors taking center stage and with the Wego group playing a very crucial role. This acquisition will significantly increase our scale and capabilities and will strengthen our ability to partner and collaborate across our region. We are also excited to begin a multi-faceted partnership with Flipkart that will involve us sharing a brand across regions and co-operating on technology.

The opportunity in travel tech for India is vast, and through Cleartrip, we have been able to provide our customers with a wide range of travel experiences and deeper value, said

Ravi Iyer, Senior VP and Head (Corporate Development) at Flipkart, said: "Given our strategic priorities and focus on the Indian market, the acquisition of Cleartrips Middle East business by Wego provides continuity to its business, and we believe that they are the right partners to boost its next phase of growth."

Stuart Crighton, Co-Founder and Head of Cleartrips International Business, said: "Our focus is clear, building a world-class online travel business emanating from the Middle East but with global ambitions."

"The region is well placed to be the engine of growth for travel both as a destination and as a highly mobile, digital-savvy demographic looking for choice and value. By joining forces with Wego, we are able to offer everything from search to service and to contribute meaningfully to that story," he added.

Rothschild and Company were exclusive advisors to Flipkart on this transaction.-TradeArabia News Service
Superintendent Tricia McManus is recommending that Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools end its mask mandate on Feb. 28.

The recommendation will be part of the COVID update at the school boards regular meeting Tuesday. The school board will then vote on whether to make masking optional for staff, students and anyone else inside school buildings, according to the agenda posted on the school districts website.

Masks would still be required on buses, as mandated by federal law.

The proposed date is one day before March 1, the day the citys mask mandate expires.

Under North Carolina law passed in August, school boards must vote each month on their masking policies. Tuesday will mark the first time that McManus has recommended lifting the mandate since the start of the school year.

Previous recommendations were based on guidance from local and state health officials, including Dr. Christopher Ohl, an infectious disease expert at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health, who said last week that he has no issue with school districts lifting their mask mandates as long as they keep an eye on case counts.

He also urged people to be considerate of those who continue to wear masks.

Cases within the school district have been dropping significantly as the omicron wave subsides. For the week ending Feb. 18, the school district reported 155 total cases  123 among students and 32 among staff. Its roughly the same number of infected students and staff members since before the holiday break.

The local recommendation is also about a week earlier than what the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services recommends in its guidelines, which say that schools may consider lifting their mandates on March 7.

School districts around the state are moving to voluntary masking ahead of that state guideline. The Guilford County Board of Education voted 8-1 Monday to end the mask mandate in that district, and Wake County Schools will vote on the districts masking policy Tuesday.

More than half of the states 115 school districts now have voluntary masking.

Even if the Winston-Salem/Forsyth school board lifts the mandate, it will continue to take monthly votes on its masking policy.

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Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum Roulaison Distilling Co. partners Andrew Lohfeld and Patrick Hernandez hatched plans for their operation not on the high seas, but as friends in New York City catching up over drinks in 2013.

Working at New York Citys Kings County Distillery at the time, Lohfeld shared with Hernandez his dream of opening his own distillery to focus on producing a great craft rum. As a Louisiana native, Hernandez knew the perfect place to launch just such a plan, and the duo set out on a research and development trip to New Orleans.

I got great perspective on whiskey at Kings County, but as my experience in the spirits industry grew, I realized there was an untapped opportunity with rum, Lohfeld explains. There are all these great American whiskey brands and distilleries, which makes it a little hard to compete in that category. The rum segment was much easier to break into, and theres a better chance to make a real impact in the market.

The name  a combination of rouler, meaning to roll and saison, meaning season  honors the micro-distillerys terroir.

Roulaison is the French Creole word for the sugarcane harvest, Lohfeld explains. 'Rolling season technically refers to the rolling motion of the grinding wheels that are used to crush the sugarcane. The term is no longer really used in the modern lexicon for sugar production; we found it referenced in an old 1890s sugarcane planting guide.

The right place at the right time

Along with Florida, Louisianas hot and humid climate lends itself readily to sugarcane farming, one of just a few growing regions in America where the crop thrives. And, as sugar is the main ingredient in rum, the territory is a natural fit for a distillery site, an entrepreneurial idea thats quickly gaining popularity.

Ten years ago, there were only a few distilleries located in Louisiana, two of which made rum, Lohfeld says. Now were up to around 35 total.

With new distilleries popping up all across Florida and Louisiana, Lohfeld hopes to see the creation of a rum trail promotion to drive interest and tourism, similar to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail or Louisvilles Urban Bourbon Trail.

The industry is so much stronger now than it was 10 years ago; I cant help but think about how much further it will come along in another decade, he ponders. I think were really just on the cusp of developing those necessary relationships with stakeholders, mill workers, farmers and marketing entities.

Producing a great product

Fresh sugarcane juice is hard to come by outside of major growing regions, leaving rum distilleries not based in Florida or Louisiana to rely on molasses as their only base ingredient. Due to its proximity to sugar mills, Roulaison is fortunate enough to use either fresh sugarcane juice or molasses, which is a concentrated form of sugarcane juice. From there, the basic distilling process is similar to that of other spirits.

You start off with your sugar source and then add water and yeast, but with rum, you dont have to convert the more complex starches in grains first like you do with bourbon or rye, so its one less step, Lohfeld describes. Rum can come off the still a bit higher as well, as high as nearly 190 proof, but ours is at around 155 to 160 proof.

Because rum has traditionally been imported into America as opposed to being produced domestically, regulation isnt as strictly controlled as it is with native spirits like whiskey.

Rum is like the Wild West of spirits, Lohfeld laughs. There are no rules about barreling or storage. In some countries, the distillate must spend at least a year aging in wood barrels to be called rum. But in America, rum doesnt have to be aged at all. You can drink it right off the still.

How to taste rum

Although the ingredients and process remain fairly consistent across the board, rum does allow opportunities for color customization and flavor development. Depending on the product, drinkers may pick up inherently sweet tasting notes of brown sugar, vanilla, coconut, cinnamon, tropical fruit and other essential flavors.

Rum has such a great diversity of styles around the world, Lohfeld says. Because there are so many different ways to make it, you can hit pretty much every spoke on the flavor wheel. Ive seen rums compared to whiskeys and brandies; however, you can tweak different aspects with rum to get flavors that you just cant achieve with other spirits.

When it comes down to the tasting, Lohfeld says the best way to drink rum is however you like it.

One of my favorite introductions to rum is to make a traditional daiquiri with it and see how it works in that kind of cocktail, he recommends.

Or, you can sip it straight like a whiskey, maybe add an ice cube. Bringing the proof down with a little water helps a good craft rum to really open up and release all those great aromatic compounds.

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OMAHA -- Its 7:30 pm on a wintry Friday night and the parking lot outside of Johnnys Cafe, a South Omaha landmark, is jammed.

The scent of seared steak wafts out the heavy, faux-bronze doors as they swing outward, and diners walk into a glowing, ruby-hued time capsule of Nebraska food history.

To the left is the massive dining room, still crowded on weekends with silver-haired men in sportcoats and ladies in their best blouses being served by reliable staff, many who have worked here for decades. To the right is the dark bar, where guests saddle up  literally sitting on saddle barstools  to sip boozy Old Fashioneds and Manhattans while staring at Husker and cowboy memorabilia covering the walls.

People come in and they just say I am glad you are here, said Jack Kawa, who is 80 years old and has worked at the family business since he was a kid. We have been here for so long, and I think people still enjoy going out and having a nice prime rib any night of the week.

Exactly 100 years have passed since a young Polish immigrant named Frank Kawa bought a bar called Johnnys at the corner of 27th and L streets and decided to turn it into something more.

Now, a century later, the Kawa family continues to run whats arguably Nebraskas most iconic steak empire.

Johnnys Cafe has survived the rise and fall of the stockyards, the Prohibition Era, the glory days of Nebraskans dining out after a good day selling cattle, the building of an interstate right outside its front door, an ever-evolving neighborhood, the ever-changing tastes of the dining public and, most recently, a pandemic.

It has outlasted the cavernous Mr. Cs, famed for its Christmas-lit dining room, and Ross, which closed when its owner refused to sell to a non-family member, and Angies, a downtown spot that opened during the Great Depression and countless others.

It has outlived Frank Kawa, who came to the United States by himself as a 10-year-old boy. The steakhouse is now run by his son, Jack Kawa, and Jacks daughters Sally Kawa and Kari Harding.

It has stood the test of time like no other old-school Nebraska steakhouse has.

We will not shy away from 100 years being a huge accomplishment, especially after COVID and all the unknowns, Sally Kawa said. A lot of groundwork was laid before we ever walked in. We dont take it for granted.

The Kawa family doesnt know exactly when the bar called Johnnys came into existence, but Sally Kawa owns one photo from the earliest days, where men are lined up at the bar holding guns next to whiskey barrels and gas lanterns.

It was a little rough, she said.

The stockyards officially opened in the late 1880s. Omaha annexed South Omaha, once its own city, in 1915. The neighborhood catered to the thousands of cattlemen and farmers doing business at the stockyards. It was home to tailors, real estate agents, barbers, insurance agencies, bankers, boarding houses and brothels. It was home to the families of countless stockyard workers, many recent immigrants grinding out an existence in an unfamiliar land. Most of them ate, drank and celebrated at Johnnys.

Frank Kawa added sandwiches to his bar after he bought it in 1922. By the 1930s, it was a steakhouse, open 20 hours a day from 6 am. to 2 a.m., slinging daily breakfast with hot coffee, sandwiches at noon for the packinghouse workers and the farmers waiting for a sale and, at dinner, Nebraska beef and classic cocktails.

You could find a boozy drink there even during the dark days of Prohibition.

Frank Kawa was an active bootlegger in the late 1920s and early 30s  the sugar he used in the bakery also could be used to make alcohol  and the beer baron of Omaha, as the newspapers called him, eventually served nine months in jail for his sins.

But Johnnys went legit after Prohibition, then positively supersonic after World War II.

By 1955, Omaha had overtaken Chicago as the nation's largest livestock market and meat packing industry center. Business boomed at the steakhouse that had become a nerve center of the neighborhood.

Jack Kawa and his brother Tom were working at Johnnys by then, at first sitting on buckets peeling potatoes and then moving through the ranks: dish line, bus boy, waiter.

We did all that malarkey, Jack Kawa said.

He remembers going down to the restaurant with his dad in the 1950s, and seeing cattle trucks lined up from 27th street all the way to the Missouri River. Hoffman Packing operated out of the basement of Johnnys then, and Frank bought meat from them and other local packers. An in-house staff of butchers cut the meat, and it aged in the basement before making its way to the dining room.

Frank Kawa died in the early 1960s, and Jack and Tom took over. They expanded the restaurants seating, hired out-of-town consultants to retool and employed a staff that grew to 125 people. The interior of Johnnys cafe today dates from a remodel in the early 1970s, including that recognizable backlit landscape mural on the dining rooms south wall.

Long-time Johnnys regular and Omaha lawyer Bob Gonderinger first came to the restaurant in 1979, when he moved to Omaha for law school. His parents, from ONeill, remembered dining there when they were younger, and it just became their spot, he said.

His five kids learned how to dine out at Johnnys, he said, first eating spaghetti or chicken fingers and now, as adults, following in their filet-loving dads footsteps.

I taught them right, he said, chuckling. Its a lot more expensive now.

Johnnys is a place thats about prime rib and filet and a handful of recipes on their menu have also stood the test of time.

Oxtails on Tuesday at lunch, or a full Thanksgiving meal every single Thursday at noon, for example. The cottage cheese spread has been on the menu at least since the 1950s.

Short ribs are made the same way they always have been at Johnnys, and the soups are made from scratch, including homemade noodles and dumplings.

The Polish vinaigrette salad dressing is based on an old recipe, and is a well-known local favorite the restaurant bottles and sells in stores. Liver pate used to be a daily staple. Now the restaurant serves it only on the first weekend of the month.

Prime rib is on the menu every single day, not just on weekends, like at many other steakhouses.

Gonderinger loves the memorabilia that fills the lobby, including old family photos and framed vintage menus with eye-opening low prices. In the bar, a Scottish Highlander steer head hangs on the wall, with eyes that glow red and a wired mouth that opens and closes. Two stools at the north end of the bar are made from actual saddles, and two more sit in the lobby  a popular spot for customers to snap iPhone photos. Its a funky, dimly-lit history museum that serves slabs of beef.

Its special, he said. Its a lot of hard work and dedication, and a willingness of the next generation to step up and carry on the family tradition.

Like their dad, sisters Sally Kawa and Kari Harding grew up at the restaurant. Both left Omaha for careers in hospitality: Sally worked at Disneyland and Kari worked for Marriott hotels.

At some point, my dad asked us if we wanted to come back, Sally Kawa says. We didnt really discuss it. We just did. That was in the mid-1990s.

Jack didnt ever really retire  even now, when hes not in Arizona, hes at Johnnys every morning, sitting in his office and meeting friends in the dining room for lunch.

Covid was rough for Johnnys, like it was for most restaurants, and when they had to temporarily close, Sally Kawa said she and her sister had to rethink everything.

The kitchen and the sisters came up with an old-school TV dinner concept, which caught on during 2020, when they sent regulars home with chopped sirloin, meatloaf and even prime rib. Sally Kawa said she practiced finishing the par-cooked beef at home, perfecting how to package it for transport and writing instructions for customers on how to cook it right.

It was hard to figure out, but it was so nice to see people when they came in to pick up their meals, she said.

Now, on what they hope is the back end of the pandemic, the sisters think they have become better business owners. Their customers are back in full force, particularly for early weekend seatings.

We could get back to doing what we wanted to do, Sally Kawa said. Our cooks could cook, people could eat, and we could run the business that we want to run.

To that end, the Kawa family plans an entire year of celebration now that theyre 100. Special events are planned through 2022, including a featured steak and beverage every month, the debut of some remodeled event spaces and celebrations with employees past and present. History dinners will explore South Omahas past.

It feels overwhelming to hit the anniversary this year, after two years of COVID-19, Kawa said.

When things were difficult, we really had to think about how much we were willing to risk to keep the restaurant open and the legacy alive.

They have decided the reward is worth the risk, just as the three generations of Kawas have pressed on for the past century.

We are so proud, she said, to be the ones to carry on the tradition that was started by a Polish immigrant with no formal education, just a desire to open a bar.

The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.

The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.

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A 30-year-old Lincoln man was admitted to a local hospital and two sisters were taken to the county jail after an early-morning dust-up outside a downtown Lincoln bar Sunday.

The commotion started at about 1 a.m. when Devion Mitchell was removed from The Fat Toad Pub after being belligerent and starting a fight in the bar, Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vigil said.

Upon his removal, Vigil said, Mitchell smashed the bar's front glass window, causing deep lacerations to his arms and alerting nearby LPD officers.

As police attended to Mitchell, 21-year-old Sana Saad rushed toward him with a fist raised, Vigil said. A shard of glass from the window had caused a laceration to Saad's face when Mitchell shattered the window, prompting the woman to charge at him.

Police had to physically restrain Saad, who later spit blood toward an officer, Vigil said. Her sister, a 23-year-old, tried to push officers away from Sana Saad, according to LPD.

In the end, Mitchell was hospitalized and cited for misdemeanor assault and vandalism, while both sisters were jailed.

Saad was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer with bodily fluid, third-degree assault, obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest  all misdemeanors.

Her sister was arrested on suspicion of obstructing a peace officer.

Saad was treated at a local hospital for the cut on her face.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley

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The Lincoln Commission on Human Rights is at the center of a growing firestorm.

The City Council last week passed a broad revision of Title 11  the portion of city code dealing with equal opportunity  that includes adding gender identity, sexual orientation and military personnel as protected classes.

The next day, opponents filed a referendum petition and have 15 days to gather 4,137 signatures to stop the ordinance from being enacted. If they gather the required number of signatures, the City Council can either repeal it or let voters decide.

The Nebraska Family Alliance, which filed the petition and says it's trained more than 260 people to collect signatures, contends the ordinance will open businesses to large fines for expressing their religious beliefs on marriage and sexuality, and focuses on fears related to allowing bathroom access based on gender identity.

Proponents say because a January 2020 Supreme Court ruling in a landmark civil rights case ensured such protections its important the city align its code with federal law for clarity, so the city doesnt lose federal funds, and because spelling out such protections in city code is the right thing to do.

The new ordinance  the second time in a decade the council passed a so-called fairness ordinance to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity  is broader than the first one and provides numerous updates to the entire code.

Opponents in 2012 acquired enough signatures to put the ordinance to a vote, but the council never did that. It also didnt rescind the ordinance, so its been in limbo until now  a point emphasized by opponents.

This time around, at the center of the debate is the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights, a city agency created a year before the federal Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, when President John F. Kennedy asked cities to form human rights councils.

The city charter authorized the creation of the commission, which is charged with investigating allegations of discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation.

Today, theres lots of confusion about what that means, said commission director Mindy Rush Chipman.

A lot of the testimony in opposition (at the City Council) clarified how many misconceptions are around what the commission can do and cant do, she said.

For one thing, its jurisdiction reaches only as far as the city limits and specifically excludes city, county, state and federal agencies and  in the new version  clarifies that political subdivisions also are excluded.

That means the commission cant investigate allegations related to places such as public schools, jails or within city departments or agencies, she said.

Churches generally dont fall under public accommodation laws, and city ordinance generally exempts religious organizations, as well as private clubs not open to the public. Employers with fewer than four employees also are exempted.

In cases brought to the commission, the goal is to help both parties reach a resolution, not impose sanctions or fines, Rush Chipman said.

We try to reach that mutually beneficial resolution from the beginning  how to preserve the relationship so both parties feel comfortable, she said. Our goal is to raise awareness.

The commission is an easy, accessible way for people who feel theyve been wronged to get answers, Rush Chipman said, without hiring a lawyer and spending money. People with employment allegations typically have to exhaust administrative avenues  such as the commission  before they can file a lawsuit, she said.

The commission has two investigators who look into complaints, and their findings are then brought to nine commissioners appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council. If the commissioners find reasonable cause that discrimination has occurred, and the two parties can't resolve the issue, the case moves on to a public hearing with a public hearing officer.

While opponents are correct that fines can be assessed, a complaint must go through a public hearing before they can be assessed by the hearing officer, and that rarely happens.

Title 11 authorizes the city attorney to assess fines of up to $10,000 for a first offense; $25,000 for a second offense in five years and up to $50,000 for three offenses within seven years. Those fines aren't new, but the recent revisions reorganize the code so its clear the civil penalties apply to all three areas, not just housing, Rush Chipman said.

In the past five years, just two cases reached the point of a public hearing and neither of those resulted in fines being assessed, she said.

In the past 11 years, the number of complaints filed with the commission ranged from 99 in 2015 to 38 last year.

Of the 658 complaints filed since 2011, 44% allege employment discrimination, 32% housing and 4% public accommodation.

Allegations of discrimination based on disability are the most frequently reported in seven of the last 10 years. Racial discrimination was the most reported one year and discrimination based on national origin was most reported in two of those years.

Most often investigators find that no discrimination occurred, Rush Chipman said. Last year, reasonable cause was found in just three cases.

For there to be discrimination in a public accommodation, for instance, the discrimination must occur in a place thats open to the public, thats not exempted, and then there has to be a denial of services, she said.

Most often, the two parties are able to settle the complaint, even if theres a finding of discrimination. It isnt always intentional, Rush Chipman said, and the resolution could include training or education.

Reaching that mutually beneficial agreement is the goal, she said.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist

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Radisson Hotel Group, a global leader in hospitality, said it continued its ambitious growth and development plan with nearly 200 signings in 2021, while planning to add 400 new signed hotels in 2022 in EMEA and Asia.



The Group said it will continue the strong expansion plan of its popular luxury lifestyle Radisson Collection brand with many openings in key gateway destinations.



Key 2022 openings include the highly anticipated and recently renovated Radisson Collection Hotel, Berlin in an unparalleled location in Berlin-Mitte, Mansard Riyadh, A Radisson Collection Hotel designed as an homage to the signature Parisian Haussmann style of the mid 1800s, the Radisson Collection Resort, Galle in the popular seaside destination of Sri Lanka and the Radisson Collection Hotel, Gran Via Bilbao, conveniently located in the heart of the city, within minutes of Bilbao's iconic attractions.



In 2021, the Group celebrated the opening of key Radisson Collection properties in popular destinations such as Seville, Venice, Milan, Bodrum, Nanjing, and Shanghai, bringing the brand portfolio to 45 hotels in operation and under development.



Radisson Individuals, the Groups conversion brand established in 2020, will welcome more than 13 new destinations in 2022 with properties in Russia, UK, India, Belgrade, Athens, Paris, and Istanbul.



In 2021 the Groups resorts portfolio added around 20 new signings, bringing the total resorts portfolio to over 100 properties in operation and under development. As borders continue to open and leisure travel returns, Radisson Hotel Group will be expanding its lifestyle resort portfolio with more than nine hotels in key resort destinations such as Dubai and Vietnam with the opening of Radisson Resort Dubai Palm Jumeirah and Radisson Blu Resort, Hoi An.



2021 also marked the 10th anniversary of Radisson Blu as the largest upper upscale brand in Europe with a further expansion to 400 properties in Zambia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and India.



In 2021, Radisson Hotel Group marked a key milestone with the opening of its 100th hotel in India and cementing its leading international position in Turkey, Morocco, Vietnam, China, and Italy. The Radisson brand  which counts close to 300 hotels  expanded its presence in cities like Amsterdam, Dubai, Shanghai and New Delhi.



2021 has been another exciting and challenging year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The context triggered us to innovate which resulted in more possibilities and opportunities. We look forward to creating more growth in 2022. A heartfelt thank you to our owners, colleagues, investors, shareholders, and guests who have continued to support us throughout the journey so far, said Elie Younes, Global Chief Development Officer, Radisson Hotel Group.



Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world's largest hotel groups with nine distinctive hotel brands, and more than 1,600 hotels in operation and under development in 120 countries. The Group portfolio includes Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels.  TradeArabia News Service
The Malone Center honored the life of its founder, Millard T. Woods, during a special Black History Month celebration on Sunday afternoon.

The event showcased several local Black-owned businesses and Black artists.

Millard T. Woods founded the center in 1955 after serving for the Red Cross in Italy and North Africa from 1942 to 1945.

He was later presented the Medal of Freedom by President Harry Truman for his outstanding services in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

Sunday's event highlighted Woods' contributions to the center by presenting the first Millard T. Woods Community Service Award to Kwabena A. Mensah, Stephanie Woods (granddaughter of Millard T. Woods) and Nature Medicine Song Villegas.

Kwabena A. Mensah is the owner of Oasis Barbershop in Lincoln. Most recently he founded Visionary Youth, a program that's served more than 9,000 youths and their families with free haircuts, school supplies, Christmas gifts, basic need items and informal mentorship.

Nature Song Medicine Villegas is an intersectional activist for Stand in for Nebraska, a grassroots organization that advocates for human rights and provides food security resources. Villegas has also helped with peer support through the Malone Center.

Stephanie Woods, a regular volunteer at the Malone Center, says her grandfathers achievements arent just Black history, but American history.

"All I have of him are the stories my mother told and the legacy he left behind for my family to continue," she said. "He started what is a staple to the community of Lincoln."

On Sunday, photographs, art and information about Black historical figures lined the walls of the center, which provides programs for low income families and children in Lincoln.

The main exhibit was put together and painted by Devon Woods, grandson of Millard T. Woods.

Poems and speeches by Black activists were read by children who regularly attend the Malone Center after school program.

For several Black business owners in attendance, the event was a full-circle moment.

The Malone Center was a safe place for urban kids," said Joshua Vinson, owner of Culture Cutz. "Theyd pick us up, feed us and have after school programs. It was a place where we felt we could come and get away from all the stress we had outside."

The idea for Sunday's event came from Ishma Valenti, director of teen programming at the center, and Stephanie Woods.

The Malone Center has been a staple in the Black community ever since I can remember and it has been before I was even born," Valenti said. "Im honored to be a director here.

Reach the writer at emejia@journalstar.com

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The Nebraska Supreme Court rejected an appeal from an Omaha man seeking to overturn his first-degree murder conviction.

Isacc John, now 37, was convicted in 2020 of murdering 57-year-old Linda Chase in a grisly stabbing. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, which was rejected in his initial trial and again on appeal.

Police were called to Chases North Omaha home on Dec. 12, 2015, after her daughter went to the house and found Chase dead in a bathtub with 29 stab wounds, according to court documents.

Officers noted that little blood was found within the home, but blood spatter was present in the kitchen and on the stairs. They also reported the smell of cleaning products. A blood-soaked rug was found in the dryer.

While executing a search warrant, officers found a large, bent kitchen knife and a pair of scissors, both of which had blood and hair on them. Bottles of cleaning products were also found. John became a suspect after police learned that the two shared the residence.

When John was located about eight hours after Chases body was found, he was wearing shorts with red staining and was described as emotional. He was charged with first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon, not a gun, to commit a felony.

At his preliminary hearing, John told the court to just put me down as guilty before his public defender advised him to stop talking and enter a not guilty plea, which he did. He changed his plea to not responsible by reason of insanity shortly after.

In April 2016, John was evaluated by Dr. Bruce Gutnik, an Omaha psychiatrist, who deemed him not competent to stand trial. Gutnik testified that John displayed symptoms of schizophrenia, including hallucinations and delusions.

At the request of the state, John was also evaluated by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Klaus Hartmann at the Lincoln Regional Center, a psychiatric hospital. He was held at the center for more than a month. In the extended evaluation, Hartmann found that there was a serious likelihood that John was faking his symptoms.

Staff at the hospital said that Johns answers to questions about his mental health were vague and inconsistent, and his behavior seemed to change when he was not being observed.

The court determined John had failed to prove the insanity defense. Even if he did have schizophrenia or a similar condition, the cleaned-up crime scene indicated that he knew the difference between right and wrong.

John waived his right to a jury trial and was found guilty on both counts in December 2020. He was sentenced to life in prison with a consecutive sentence of 40 to 50 years. He immediately appealed both the conviction and sentence, arguing that the court incorrectly found him fit to stand trial and that his attorney was ineffective.

The Nebraska Supreme Court denied Johns appeal on Friday, upholding his conviction and sentences, effectively ending a process that slogged on for more than six years.

John will spend his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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OMAHA  Former Congressman Brad Ashford confirmed Saturday that he has been diagnosed with brain cancer, but said he feels confident he can overcome it.

Ashford, 72, underwent a biopsy at Nebraska Medical Center on Friday, and his wife, Ann, said they are waiting for the results to determine the specific type of cancer and treatment plan going forward.

In a phone interview Saturday, Ashford said he was feeling good and would be returning home as soon as possible.

Its brain cancer, but Ive got a lot of work to do, so Im gonna get out of here and keep doing what I do, he said.

Ashford, who first disclosed the diagnosis in a Facebook post Friday, said he felt grateful to be in the care of Nebraska Medicine.

The health care here at Nebraska Medicine is beyond anything one could imagine, its so incredible, he said. Ive been proud to work on many projects here, including the cancer center, interestingly. Theres nobody better.

Ashford represented Nebraskas 2nd Congressional District from 2015-17 after defeating former Rep. Lee Terry, a Republican, in 2014. Before Congress, he served in the Nebraska Legislature for 16 years.

Ashford, a Democrat, lost his reelection bid to Republican challenger Don Bacon in 2016. He ran for the seat again in 2018 but lost in the Democratic primary to challenger Kara Eastman.

After Eastman defeated Ann Ashford in the 2020 Democratic primary, Brad Ashford ultimately endorsed Bacon in the general election. Brad Ashford, who was a registered Republican before becoming an independent and ultimately a registered Democrat, said at the time that the country needed unifiers not dividers in Congress.

Bacon shared a statement on his Twitter account Friday in response to Ashfords diagnosis.

I, along with the whole community, stand with Brad and Ann, and pray for healing and a quick recovery, he wrote. Brad is a great leader in the Omaha community and has made a huge impact for so many. I am grateful for our friendship.

Ashford said despite his health challenges he is focused on continuing to spread his message of bipartisanship.

Im not going anywhere, he said. But I think you learn from things like this that we, as a group, working together, were so much more powerful than when were fighting.

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RACINE COUNTY  Ashley Capital, a Chicago-based real estate investment company that has been one of the biggest investors in Mount Pleasant in recent years, is announcing the expansion of Enterprise Business Park. Simultaneously, however, Amazon is closing a distribution facility it has in the park.

The Enterprise Business Park is located between International Drive to the west and Highway H to the east, immediately north of Foxconns holdings south of Highway 11. Ashley opened the business park in Sturtevant in 2016, then expanded it into Mount Pleasant in 2021.

Amazon

Amazons DML5 distribution facility is located in Building IV of Enterprise Business Park. But that lease ends in May and Amazon says it doesnt plan to renew, since DML5 has been replaced by DML8 just west of Interstate 94 in Yorkville, Amazon spokeswoman Caitlin Polochak said in an email.

As such, Ashley Capital is seeking new tenants for Building IV to move in in June or later. It is 438,000 square feet, but divisible to spaces as small as 40,000 square feet.

On spec

Ashley Capital announced last week that groundbreaking on two new buildings is expected in spring.

The two buildings are to be 390,000 square feet each at the west end of the park. They are expected to be ready for tenants by the end of 2022.

The village is expected to expand Enterprise Way, concurrent with construction on the new buildings, to connect it with International Drive.

Even after those two buildings, which will be the fourth and fifth buildings in the park even though they are titled Building V and Building VI, the park will still have space for another 125,000 square foot building, which would be considered Building I.

Building III is 397,000 square feet, and occupied by Ryder System, Inc. Building II is 376,000 square feet, and used for distribution by Fresenius Medical Care and Andis Company.

Demand for industrial space in the submarket skyrocketed during 2021, Terry McMahon, a principal at Cushman & Wakefield/Boerke, said in a statement. This increase in demand left many companies searching for industrial space with few alternatives amidst stiff competition.

McMahon  along with Cody Ziegler, also of Cushman and Wakefield/Boerke, and John Sharpe and Tom Boyle from Lee and Associates  are Enterprise Business Parks listing brokers.

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RACINE  Some meant to buy heroin. Or marijuana. Or cocaine. But they ended up on a slab. Dead from a fentanyl overdose, never knowing that they had put the synthetic drug 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine in their body.

A decade ago, fentanyl was practically unheard of. Now, it is the primary culprit of a spike in drug deaths locally and in the U.S.

In 2021, there were 68 overdose deaths in Racine County. Thats up 20% from 2020 and 40% from 2019, Sheriff Christopher Schmaling reported. Between April 2020 and April 2021, U.S. drug deaths surged 28.5%, from 78,056 to 100,306, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

How quickly did fentanyl become recognized a national problem? It was only in 2018 when an executive order made fentanyl a Schedule I controlled substance, making fentanyl as illegal as it gets, as far as drugs go, in the federal governments eyes.

But that could change.

Repeatedly, Congress has put off voting to reaffirm fentanyls drug scheduling. Its kept its classification through a series of presidential executive orders from Donald Trump and Joe Biden. That classification was most recently due to expire Feb. 18, but was pushed back to March 11.

No one is really pro-fentanyl other than the international criminals profiting from synthesizing the drug, primarily in black market Chinese labs, then being trafficked into the U.S., primarily by cartels. But debate rages among bitterly divided policymakers about how American law enforcement treats drug dealers, and if that treatment should change as the war on drugs continues to lead to increased incarceration and cost without a significant decrease in drug availability on American streets.

Drugs, dealers and laws

In federal drug cases, those convicted of dealing Schedule I drugs face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, with progressively less severe punishments associated with Schedule II through Schedule VI drugs.

Those mandatory minimums have been blamed for the explosion in the U.S.s prison population, from 330,000 in 1980 to more than 546,000 in 1986, then to 771,000 in 1990 and to 2,300,000 in 2020.

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 included the first Len Bias laws, named after the Boston Celtics draft pick who died of a cocaine overdose two days after being drafted, sparking a call for imprisonment of more dealers. Under Len Bias laws, the dealer who sold the drugs that led to an overdose can be prosecuted for homicide.

Schmaling, Racine County District Attorney Tricia Hanson and U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., are among those who want to keep fentanyl as a Schedule I drug.

Hanson said, during a roundtable hosted by Steil in Racine County on Feb. 11, that Congress needs to take action and take action quickly to keep fentanyl as a Schedule I substance. That is critical for our process, she said.

Of drug addicts, Schmaling said they need treatment and not jail time. But of drug dealers, Schmaling  who started his law enforcement career as an undercover deputy tasked with buying drugs  said they were an interesting breed  they did not care if I lived or died.

According to a survey of 243 dealers conducted by American Addiction Centers, 58% of female and 64% of male dealers said I never consider a clients potential risk for addiction when selling, while 11% of female and 9% of male dealers said they would deny my services to clients they felt were dangerously addicted.

Still, there is often significant overlap between dealers and users, notes the Drug Policy Alliance, a nonprofit founded in 2000. The majority of dealers also use, and a 2012 survey published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors found that 43% of those who had sold drugs at some point in the past 12 months also appeared to have some form of a substance use disorder.

The Drug Policy Alliance discourages enacting new policies that would lead to increases in incarceration, arguing that they dont lead to fewer drug addictions while greatly burdening public resources. The Alliance reported in 2019: Current laws were created on the premise that they would reduce overall supply, and in turn, consumption. In reality, the opposite has occurred. Meanwhile, we have increased the amount of people incarcerated for selling or distribution offenses by 3000%  from 15,000 in 1980 to 450,000 today  and drugs are more readily available, at significantly lower prices.

Under Wisconsin law, the scheduling of controlled substances is often linked to the federal classifications, including in the case of fentanyl. Hanson said that, if fentanyl is removed from federal drug scheduling for example, if someone sells marijuana laced with fentanyl, prosecutors would only be able to charge that dealer with selling weed.

This fentanyl is laced in so many different drugs, said Racine County Deputy Emil Oritz.

If Fentanyl and its analogs are not what we call Scheduled Drugs, they are not illegal. Wisconsin makes certain drugs illegal just by the type of drug it is  i.e., THC, cocaine, heroin. All others are illegal based on the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Schedule that they fall into, I, II, III, IV, V, etc., Hanson said in an email Thursday. While marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance federally, it is considered a low-level offense in Wisconsin. The state Legislature thus could increase the illegality of fentanyl if the federal government fails to act.

Opponents to keeping fentanyl as Schedule I have argued that, even if it handicaps prosecutors, doing so would exacerbate pretrial detention, mass incarceration and racial disparities in the prison system, doubling down on a fear-based, enforcement-first response to a public health challenge, according to a 2021 letter cosigned by more than 100 advocacy groups.

As we approach the 50-year milestone of President Nixons announcement of the War on Drugs, there is ample evidence that these unscientific policies destroy communities, entrench racial disparities, and do nothing to reduce drug supply or demand. Lawmakers should instead support legislation grounded in public health and evidence-based approaches to illicit fentanyl-related overdose deaths, the letter continued. Just a trace amount of a fentanyl analogue in a mixture with a combined weight of 10 grams  10 paper clips  can translate into a five-year mandatory minimum, with no evidence needed that the seller even knew it contained fentanyl  class-wide scheduling excises public health and science from drug control and will lead to over-criminalization.

Schmaling and Hanson disagree with that point of view. Both support the use of Len Bias laws to imprison dealers who sold drugs that led to anothers overdose death, even if dealers didnt know they were selling anything more deadly than pot, heroin or cocaine.

I have no interest in having addicts in my jail. They belong in a treatment facility, where they can get the much-needed help that they deserve and maybe even save their own life, Schmaling said. But I do have plenty of room in my jail for drug dealers.

Steil wrote a letter dated Feb. 10 and cosigned by more than 100 Republican members of Congress that urged Biden to keep fentanyl as a Schedule I substance. Steil has blamed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for not scheduling a vote on a bill that could make the classification permanent.

We could continue to kick the can down the road, Steil said. Speaker Pelosi has chosen not to bring this to a vote on the House floor ... theres unquestionably opposition from some on the far left to scheduling this as a Schedule I drug.

In January 2020, Californias federal prosecutors issued a release titled Its Time for a Permanent Ban on Fentanyl Analogues. Whether a Republican or Democrat is occupying the Oval Office, the policies toward fentanyl have remained largely unchanged.

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KENOSHA  Former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin is scheduled to visit Carthage College Wednesday to discuss the future of U.S. and Latin American economic relations, particularly the challenges and opportunities in the relationship between Mexico and the United States.

The Carthage College Business and Professional Coalition is coordinating the visit, scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Todd Wehr Center Jockey Club Rooms on the campus, 2001 Alford Park Drive.

Marin is an entrepreneur, an international keynote speaker, author, and serves as an advisor to two corporations in Australia and Mexico. She served in California Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggers cabinet as secretary of the state and was appointed by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 41st Treasurer of the United States.

Carthage President John Swallow will interview Marin in a fireside chat-style discussion before a live audience.

From her remarkable career in politics and government at the local, state, and federal levels, to her lived experience coming to the United States from her native Mexico, we have so much to learn from Rosario Marin, said Swallow. I am thrilled that she will be the featured speaker for our Business and Professional Coalition.

A full slate of student engagement activities is scheduled to follow on Thursday, Feb. 24, on campus.

Wednesdays event is free, but registration is required. More information and registration information is available online at: carthage.edu/businesscoalition. A web recording of Marins discussion with Swallow will be made available for registrants who are not able to attend in person.

Carthage officials are requesting that all attendees abide by Carthages COVID-19 safety protocols, including masking in all indoor spaces. More information on the colleges safety protocols are available at the colleges #StaySafeCarthage website.

The Carthage Business and Professional Coalition comprises the regions leading business, civic, and professional leaders. Members meet regularly to hear guest speakers and participate in discussions that highlight important national and local issues affecting businesses and organizations.

Supporters Former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin visit to Carthage College is supported by the Sam and Gene Johnson Distinguished Visitors Program and is sponsored by Riley Construction Company, Inc., Lee Mechanical, HARIBO of America, S.C. Johnson Giving, KABA, Kenosha County Executive, Snap-on Incorporated, Johnson Financial Group, Partners in Design Architects, Tenutas Delicatessen, Froedtert South, Pitts Brothers & Associates, Kenosha Community Foundation, Sartori Energy, LMI Packaging, The Kenosha Kingfish, and Kane Communications. Sponsorships support the Ralph Tenuta Experiential Learning Fund and the Carthage Fund.

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Stop illegal immigration before fixing legal immigration. Thats the stance of U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis.

We have a broken legal immigration system and we have a broken illegal immigration system, Steil, whose district includes all of Racine and Kenosha counties, said during a roundtable on fentanyl in Racine County on Feb. 11.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports that it recovers about 2,500 pounds of drugs every day, but still drugs pour into the U.S. by sea, sky and ground, most of it across the southern border. Seizures of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced products are on the rise, said LaFonda Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for CBPs Chicago office.

However, the majority of the drugs are believed to be coming through legal ports of entry, not across unguarded areas of the border. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics, 90 percent of heroin seized along the border, 88 percent of cocaine, 87 percent of methamphetamine, and 80 percent of fentanyl in the first 11 months of the 2018 fiscal year was caught trying to be smuggled in at legal crossing points, USA Today reported in January 2019.

Quote We have a broken legal immigration system and we have a broken illegal immigration system." Congressman Bryan Steil

A reporter asked Steil if fixing the legal immigration system  where people from Mexico on average have to wait between 8 and 20 years before being allowed to legally enter the U.S. while those from most other counties have to wait less than 5 years to get a green card  should come first as a way to weaken cartels.

Steil replied: It is absolutely imperative that we address our illegal immigration system. Ive been to the U.S.-Mexico border. Ive seen how porous it is. Ive seen individuals come across  I think that is absolutely step one.

Its estimated that 80% to 95% of undocumented immigrants pay traffickers to get them into the U.S.

The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank funded by billionaire Charles Koch, has advocated for breaking down this system by allowing those same migrants to enter the U.S. for a fee.

Currently, the U.S. (immigration) system enriches criminals, hurts immigrants, and undermines U.S. security. Theres a better way: the U.S. government should charge a fee for a work permit. Peaceful immigrants who pass a background check could skip the extortion racket and fly legally to U.S. airports, passing through security screening like everyone else, stated a 2019 commentary by Cato Research Fellow David J. Bier.

Not only would this system effectively eliminate the border chaos, it would provide billions of dollars in revenue to the U.S. government to further upgrade border security if Congress still felt that was necessary. President (Donald) Trump has demanded money for a border wall from Congress, but immigrants themselves could easily give him far more than Congress ever will.

The effectiveness of the wall has been disputed.

Steil has supported it, saying that despite its vulnerabilities, a wall across the 1,954-mile southern border would send a message that the border is not open.

The Department of Homeland Security reported in the final months of Trumps presidency that the costs of defending walled parts of the border significantly dropped while illegal entries also fell in those areas.

However, other studies have indicated that the wall is still porous and climbable, and that while crossings may be down in areas that are walled, migrants are just crossing at unwalled parts instead.

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Local health officers would be unable to shut down churches or businesses in response to COVID-19 without elected officials approval under a Republican-authored proposal being circulated for co-sponsors.

While the measure would almost certainly be vetoed if it receives legislative approval, its intent in reining in local agency power is part of an ongoing, multi-pronged conservative effort to keep more power in the state Legislature and local elected boards.

That effort by Republicans in Wisconsin  spurred by business interests leery of government regulations, unwanted shutdowns and a general belief in small government  has led to state Supreme Court cases regarding COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and local health officers decision-making authority as well as similar legislative bills.

The latest measure, which is focused on local rather than state agencies, is an expanded version of a bill Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed in April 2021.

In his veto message for that bill, which only focused on places of worship, Evers said he objected to the measures intent to take away existing tools available to state and local public health officials to combat COVID-19.

Our response to this pandemic should be about following the science and public health experts, not finding ways to make it harder to fight it, Evers said. It should be about working together to save as many lives as we can.

But according to the proposed measures authors, public health officers have sometimes abused their authority.

Accountable democracy requires we have checks in place on the power of bureaucrats, and that elected officials who are answerable to the voters are involved and accountable, Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point, and Rep. Barbara Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, wrote in their co-sponsorship memo.

Under the Republican lawmakers measure, a local health officer would need a local committees approval before asking the court to enforce an order to implement a closure or restriction on businesses.

Local health officers would also be barred under the bill from submitting the name of any individual for inclusion on the Transportation Security Administrations Do Not Board list.

Testin, Dittrich and Evers did not respond to requests for comment.

Other measures

While efforts to reduce public health officers authority through measures in the state Legislature are almost certainly doomed to fail under Evers, conservatives have had more success in Wisconsin courts.

A couple of months after the pandemic began, the Supreme Court struck down Evers stay-at-home order, after which Republicans indicated they wanted local authorities to make those decisions instead of new statewide regulations. But the latest measures seek to limit how that local control can be exercised.

Since December, the Supreme Court has also been examining the nondelegation doctrine, or the idea that elected legislative bodies cannot pass the buck on decision-making to non-elected agencies and bureaucrats in most cases.

In that court case, the alleged breach of the doctrine is a Dane County ordinance that made enforceable any order that the Dane County public health officer deemed necessary to control the pandemic.

If the Supreme Court agrees with the plaintiffs, city and county elected officials would have to vote on public health policy changes rather than delegate that power to health officials. On a statewide level, more power would rest with the Republican Legislature if the Supreme Court decides executive agencies have too much rule-making authority.

It is our position that the Legislature ought not delegate major or significant policy questions to the executive branch or administrative agencies, said Rick Esenberg, president and general counsel at the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, which is representing the plaintiffs in the case.

On a local level, Esenberg said in a statement last month, local administrative officers should not be empowered to decide what the law on COVID restrictions should be.

But the disputed local orders are legal, a spokesperson for Public Health Madison and Dane County said in a statement.

We are confident that the Wisconsin Supreme Court will uphold the legality of our public health orders, spokesperson Morgan Finke said.

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1. Yes. Raising the bar for future developments will boost the citys housing market.

2. Yes. It will help in newer areas, but more needs to be done to change Killeens image.

3. No. The new standards will just slow down homebuilding and drive away developers.

4.No. The ordinance will do little more than drive up the price of new homes in the city.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say what the effect will be until they have been in place for a while.

Vote

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Anantara, a luxury hospitality brand, has announced Anantara Anji Resort offering 162 guest rooms with sizes ranging from 53-216 sq m in Chinas Anji County in north-western Zhejiang Province.



A popular escape for nature lovers and hailed as an eco-tourism destination, Anji County is located three-hours drive from Shanghai and less than an hours drive from Zhejiangs capital of Hangzhou.



Known for its cooler climate, clean air and breathtaking scenery, Anji has been designated as an ecology-friendly city where the residents have established a thriving eco-friendly agricultural and tourism sector showcasing pollution-free green products, such as white tea, alpine vegetables, and flowers. Anji is also home to one of the largest natural bamboo forests in the world with over 60,000 hectares of bamboo groves containing over 40 different species.



Emerald mountains and tea plantations form the backdrop of the new Anantara Anji which is located on 165 acres of land. The property will feature state of the art meeting facilities, an outdoor swimming pool with bar, four international restaurants including Chinese and international cuisine, a full fitness centre and a childrens activity zone.



Complementing the areas natural surroundings, an Anantara Spa with full healing and wellness facilities and a Zen pavilion will be available to help replenish guests health and wellbeing. Sustainable programs such as tree planting activities for the whole family, which will be organically integrated with the resorts facilities will also be on offer creating an ideal place for multi-generational travel experiences.



Anantaras culture-minded guests will be able to enjoy a wide range of indigenous experiences nearby including ancient temples and the residence of Wu Changshuo, a prominent painter, calligrapher and seal artist during the late Qing Period adjacent to the resort. Guests can also do day trips to the areas famous bamboo forests, stream rafting sites or harvest tea in nearby plantations.



The resorts unique architecture is designed by internationally renowned architect, Meng Fanhao of Line+ Studio which has been recognised for its creative and innovative designs. Construction will commence in March 2022 and is due to be completed by the end of 2024.



Anantara Anji will join Anantara Guiyang Resort in Guizhou Province and Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort in Yunnan Province as the brands third property in China connecting guests to genuine places, people and stories through personal experiences, and providing heartfelt hospitality in the worlds most exciting destinations.  TradeArabia News Service
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.
LINCOLN  Calling it an opportunity to change rural Nebraska forever, University of Nebraska at Kearney Chancellor Doug Kristensen and other testifiers voiced support Thursday for a project that would expand health care education at UNK.

Speaking before the Legislatures Appropriations Committee, Kristensen promoted the proposed Nebraska Rural Health Education Building as a way to address urgent health care workforce shortages while strengthening communities across the state.

The pandemic has had a major impact on every facet of rural health providers. Clinics and hospitals can confirm the problems they have in hiring staff to provide care to the residents of this state, he told lawmakers. These shortages limit the health care that we in rural Nebraska can access, and they severely impact the ability of communities to attract new residents and businesses.

LB721, which allocates $60 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds to the project, is a chance to deliver the high-quality health care rural Nebraska desperately needs and deserves, Kristensen said. Our goal today is to take once-in-a-lifetime federal funds and expand the world-class skills of UNMC in such a meaningful way that we can change rural Nebraska forever.

A collaboration between UNK and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Rural Health Education Building would grow the states talent pipeline by expanding the existing UNMC programs offered in Kearney and bringing new options to the UNK campus, including medical nutrition, genetic counseling and respiratory care  all high-need areas in rural Nebraska.

For the first time, the UNMC College of Medicine would educate physicians in rural Nebraska, and a Master of Health Administration would be added to complement UNKs undergraduate program. Discussion is also underway for the UNMC College of Pharmacy to offer a joint degree program with UNK, which will enhance its undergraduate curriculum to ensure future UNMC students have the highest quality of preparation for rural health service.

The project builds upon an already successful partnership between UNK and UNMC. The two institutions opened a $19 million Health Science Education Complex on UNKs west campus in 2015, and that facility quickly filled to capacity. More than 300 students currently are pursuing degrees there in more than a dozen professional programs, including cardiovascular interventional technology, diagnostic medical sonography, magnetic resonance imaging, medical laboratory science, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant and radiography.

About 85% of the students who graduate from the building start their careers in Nebraska.

We know students who have been educated in UNMCs programs at UNK stay in Nebraska, and most choose to live and practice in rural areas, UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey Gold said during Thursdays hearing. Educating health care professionals close to home keeps them closer to home, which improves health care access in rural areas and contributes to a communitys economic vitality. Our current programs on the UNK campus, which opened now over five years ago, have been highly successful in these regards.

To be located directly north of the Health Science Education Complex, the new Rural Health Education Building would complement that facility both aesthetically and programmatically, offering state-of-the-art technology, active-learning classrooms, simulation and anatomy labs and clinical space. Together, the buildings would serve as a hub for health education in rural Nebraska, supporting collaborative research that improves the lives of all residents and providing professional development, training and continuing education opportunities for existing health care workers.

Student Regent Noah Limbach, who plans to practice health care near his hometown of Kearney, also testified in support of the project. Hes among the roughly 800 students currently enrolled in health science programs at UNK.

Our students go into health care to better their communities, and the pipeline that UNK has built into the health care field is admirable, Limbach said. However, there is a great need for additional resources in order for us to grow our health care network in rural Nebraska. This project will provide the education, training and culture needed to allow students like myself to stay in rural Nebraska and provide help to those who make our rural communities so special.

The Rural Health Education Building has an estimated cost of $85 million, with $25 million coming from private funds. It could be completed as early as 2025.

Meanwhile, both UNK and UNMC are developing additional strategies to work with rural Nebraska communities to recruit and retain future health care workers.
At least 12 law enforcement officers currently working in western Wisconsin have been fired or forced out from previous jobs in law enforcement, according to an investigation by The Badger Project.

One major study found that these wandering officers who were fired or forced out from one law enforcement agency and hired at another were more likely to commit violations and be fired again.

Many of these officers were young and failed to pass their new hire probation, a period that can last 18 to 24 months when the bar to fire an officer can be very low.

But some were forced out for more serious conduct.

Christopher Larson, currently employed by the Norwalk Police Department in Monroe County and by the Army as a police officer at Fort McCoy, resigned prior to completion of an internal investigation from the Monroe County Sheriffs Department in 2019, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

He was accused of repeatedly taking the long way to arrive at 911 calls so he didnt have to be the lead officer, according to an internal investigation obtained in a records request.

Norwalk Police did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Nathaniel Heffner, currently employed at the Black River Falls Police Department, failed to complete more than 300 police reports while he was an officer on probation with the Janesville Police Department, according to an internal investigation obtained in a records request. His superiors accused Heffner of being disingenuous when the officer said he was following his training, noting in the investigation evidence contradictory to his claim. He resigned in lieu of termination from that department in 2018.

Neither Heffner nor his current chief responded to messages seeking comment.

Law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin must report officers who were fired or resigned while under investigation or in lieu of termination to the state DOJ, which tracks the data. Law enforcement agencies can also consult the database before making hires, and will be notified if a new hire has previously been flagged in the system, said Steven Wagner, director of the state DOJs Training and Standards Bureau.

As long as officers keep up to date with their recertification training, only severe misconduct, such as criminal activity, usually results in a decertification, according to the state Law Enforcement Standards Board, which regulates police officers, sheriffs deputies and prison guards.

About 13,500 law enforcement officers are currently employed around the state, and about 200 of those have been fired or forced from previous jobs in the field, for a rate of about 1.5%.

In total, more than 1,200 Wisconsin officers have been fired or forced out since 2017, when the state DOJ started tracking that statistic.

A huge study in The Yale Law Journal titled The Wandering Officer found that Florida cops who had been fired from a previous law enforcement job were more likely to be fired from their next job or to receive a complaint for a moral character violation, compared to rookies and officers who had never been fired.

The study analyzed nearly 100,000 full-time law-enforcement officers from nearly 500 agencies in Florida over a 30-year period.

Although we cannot determine the precise reasons for the firings, these results suggest that wandering officers may pose serious risks, particularly given how difficult it is to fire a police officer, the study concluded.

Officers in Wisconsin who have been fired or forced out may find an easier entry back into the law enforcement workforce thanks to the current hiring situation.

The total number of both officers and law enforcement academy graduates in the state fell to its lowest in more than a decade last year, according to data from the state DOJ, further worsening a long term trend experts call the cop crunch.

And some law enforcement agencies in western Wisconsin appear more willing to hire these wandering officers than others.

The Arcadia Police Department has three wandering officers on staff at the moment, according to state DOJ records. The police departments in Osseo and Black Rivers Falls employ two.

Arcadia Police Chief Diana Anderson did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Black River Falls Chief Jeremy Isensee did not answer questions emailed to him multiple times.

Osseo Police Chief William Prudlick declined to respond in an email.

After consideration, I am declining to make a comment at this time, he said.

Patrick Solar, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and a former police chief, takes a hardline stance on the idea of hiring an officer who had been fired for cause.

I do not feel an officer who has violated their oath should get a second chance, he wrote in an email. I dont care how shorthanded an agency is or any other potential justification. Law enforcement is not a job just anyone can do.

But he is softer on the idea of hiring officers who did not pass probation at a previous law enforcement agency.

This is different, he wrote in an email. Some agencies do not do a good job of training potentially good officers. So yes, they should get another shot, depending of course on the severity of the mistake(s) involved.

The La Crosse Police Department has fired or forced out at least seven officers in the past five years, according to data from the state DOJ. The La Crosse County Sheriffs Office has fired or forced out at least three jail officers and a detention officer at the juvenile facility in that timeframe. The Monroe County Sheriffs Office has fired or forced out 11 jail or law enforcement officers, and the Chippewa County Sheriffs Office has fired or forced out at least five officers.

Below is a list of current officers in the area who were fired or forced out from previous jobs in law enforcement, as well as their current employers, according to the state DOJ.

Attempts were made to reach every officer named in this story directly or through their current law enforcement agencies. Every officer who replied had their response included in the story.

Mihai David:

Resigned in lieu of termination from Durand Police Department in 2019. Currently employed by Osseo Police Department and Monroe County Sheriffs Office

Derek Fravert:

Resigned in lieu of termination from Hudson Police Department in 2019. Currently employed by Lake Hallie Village Police Department.

Lake Hallie Village Police Department hired Fravert as a part-time officer in 2018. He also picked up a part-time police job at Hudson Police Department in 2019, but did not stick.

Derek Fravert was released from probation, meaning he did not successfully complete his probationary period, said Hudson Police Chief Geoffrey Willems in an email.

Lake Hallie Village Police promoted Fravert to a full-time position in 2021.

Officer Fravert is currently serving an 18-month probationary period and has no current formal discipline in his personnel file, said Lake Hallie Village Police Chief Edward A. Orgon Jr. in an email. I can confirm that all employees are subject to a background check, psychological exam, and a full review by the civilian Police Commission. Officer Fravert will be reviewed by the Police Commission again prior to being removed from probation. Additionally, Officer Fraverts dismissal from Hudson Police Department was also reviewed and he has declined to be interviewed at this time.

Christopher R. Larson:

Resigned prior to completion of internal investigation from Monroe County Sheriffs Office in 2019. Currently employed by Norwalk Police Department.

Nathaniel Heffner:

Resigned in lieu of termination from Janesville Police Department in 2018. Currently employed by Black River Falls Police Department.

Andrew Marciulionis:

Resigned in lieu of termination from Black River Falls Police Department in 2019. Currently employed part-time by Arcadia Police Department.

Brennan Porter:

Resigned in lieu of termination from Mondovi Police Department in 2017. Currently employed by Dunn County Sheriffs Office.

Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd said Porter has done a fantastic job for his office.

We are very thankful that things didnt work out in Mondovi for Brennan Porter, because we gained a great deputy out of it, Bygd wrote in an email.

Given a chance to comment, Porter wrote in an email: I have nothing further to share as my sheriff said it very well and I couldnt have said it better myself.

Kimberlee Potts:

Resigned in lieu of termination from Whitehall Police Department in 2017. Currently employed in part-time positions at the police departments in Strum, Osseo and Arcadia.

Peter Schneider:

Terminated for cause from Monroe County Sheriffs Department in 2019. Currently employed as a part-time officer by Melrose Police Department.

Said Melrose Police Chief Cal Smokowicz by email: Our officers are hired by the Village Board. They were aware of the incident with the previous agency and questioned the applicant on the issue during his formal interview. A board member also conducted a follow up background (interview) with another person (knowledgeable about) the incident. The officer in question was dismissed during his probationary period by Monroe County Sheriffs Office. A probationary employee has no rights to a position and no recourse if dismissed. The decision is normally up to the Chief or Sheriff of that agency as they see fit.

Ethan Shaffer:

Resigned in lieu of termination from La Crosse Police Department in 2017. Currently employed by Black River Falls Police Department.

Wilbert Steinborn:

Resigned prior to completion of internal investigation from La Crosse Police Department in 2018 Currently employed by Tomah Police Department.

Said Tomah Police Chief Scott Holum in an email: Steinborn was originally hired at Tomah PD on October 28, 2012. He resigned to take a job with the La Crosse Police Department on January 3, 2018. He was rehired by Tomah PD on August 20, 2018 and promoted to Sergeant on August 25, 2019.

Wil Steinborn is of excellent character and performs his job to a high standard, the chief continued in the email.

Steinborn received a written reprimand from former Chief Mark Nicholson for using harsh language towards a citizen, Holum said.

Scott Thorson:

Resigned in lieu of termination from Slinger Police Department in 2018. Currently employed by Jackson County Sheriffs Office.

Officer Thorson was a probationary officer, wasnt a good fit with our department and voluntarily resigned, Slinger Police Chief Dean Schmidt said.

Regarding Thorson, Jackson County Sheriff Duane Waldera wrote in an email statement: With respect to your request, Jackson County does not comment on their employees. As an employer we strongly believe in respecting the privacy of our employees, as it is important that our employees feel valued and releasing information could distract them from performing their duties and deter future qualified applicants from coming to Jackson County.

Christopher Voss:

Resigned in lieu of termination from Onalaska Police Department in 2018. Has worked for Arcadia Police Department since 2018 and as a jail officer with La Crosse Sheriffs Office since 2020.

Onalaska Police Chief Charles Ashbeck referred questions seeking information on Voss termination to city administrator Eric Rindfleisch. The city sent Voss short, handwritten resignation letter. When asked what led to the end of the officers employment with the city, Rindfleisch wrote in an email there is no other information I have to give out.

The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin. For more visit thebadgerproject.org.

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La Crescent High School senior Morgan Dayton knows struggle and heartbreak. Diagnosed with a learning disability as a young child and mourning the death a family member, Dayton has worked to move forward in her life.

Morgans older brother, Jacob, passed away last year, said La Crescent High School special education teacher Melanie Zitzner. She has dealt with the loss with such maturity and grit. Its truly amazing all she continues to do and how driven she is.

For her commitment in overcoming the heartbreak and learning difficulties, Dayton has been nominated for the La Crosse Tribunes Extra Effort Award.

Getting this award validates my hard work and my determination throughout my high school career, said Dayton. I have had some unforeseen circumstances with the loss of my brother Jake. When I lost my older brother it has taught me to work harder than ever before and to not give up.

Dayton has known some good days whenever she thinks about him and how many lives he touched during his short life; he would have been 21 on Sept. 7, 2021.

He was kind, strong, and so much more, said Dayton. He was the person I looked up to and admired; I know I wasnt the only person who felt that way. Every person Jake touched he would bring out this amazing light in them, he inspired us all to be better people. I promised Jake that I would look after our younger brother Jackson no matter what.

Zitzner has had the pleasure of working with Dayton for the past four years, watching the students confidence grow in her academic abilities.

Shes come out of her shell and gained so much confidence, said Zitzner. She is a diligent, sincere and conscientious worker with leadership and organization skills. She is a serious student with a whimsical side to her personality.

Over the years, Dayton relied on the school districts special education program for support for developing learning strategies. Zitzner noted Dayton pushed to grow in her academic skills.

It hasnt always been easy for Morgan, but since the beginning of her high school career, I have observed her consistently putting effort into her studies and persevering in the face of some learning challenges, said Zitzner. Morgan has gone out of her way to embrace opportunities to challenge herself and has overcome them.

Zitzner says Dayton improved academically by demanding more from herself and developing discipline to produce quality, substantial work. Dayton held to high academic standards for herself and has been able to meet or exceed those expectations.

She holds her own during classroom discussions and has truly grown in oral communication skills, said Zitzner. She is no longer content to merely observe others from the sidelines. Each year, I have seen Morgan progress more and more as a thinker, a doer and a participator. This area of growth will serve her well in the future.

She makes a commitment to be a team player whether it is in an extracurricular group or a school project, she does her best to fulfill her role, said Zitzner. If a project or responsibility does not come easily, Morgan always faces this head-on with more determination and focus.

An example of Daytons use of those skills is as a member of the high schools Family Career Community Leaders of America Chapter.

Morgan spent many hours preparing her project on child development, said FCCLA adviser Kristy Traxler. She did extensive research on how technology can affect young minds. She worked with another student to come up with age appropriate activities preschool children could do that did not involve technology. They then worked with a local preschool which sent home kits the girls had assembled that were filled with engaging, learning activities designed for preschoolers to do at home. This project was a perfect example of Morgans motivation, and dedication to learning.

Dayton is also active as a Link Leader, helping freshman feel welcomed at the school.

Link Leaders talk with them (freshmen) in the hallway when passing by them and make them feel safe and comfortable during school, says Dayton, and plan activities with them to participate in and be social with other kids in their class. It is very important freshmen feel like they can talk to me or other Link Leaders. We want them to tell us if they are struggling or need a person to talk to.

Her desire to help others be at ease has led Dayton to take a certified nurses assistant course. The course helps Dayton work toward a career goal of working in a health field. Her plans are to earn a radiologic technology degree and work as a radiologist and is considering enrolling at Lake Superior College in radiology.

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Dubai-based Vista Global Holding, a leading private aviation group, has entered into an agreement to acquire Air Hamburg's operating platform and maintenance services, a Vista statement said.

Founded in 2006, Air Hamburg has become one of the most well-established full-service private aviation companies, flying to over 1,000 destinations in Europe alone. It is the largest private jet operator by number of flights across Europe, organising over 18,800 flights for its clients in 2021, and it is second only to Vista in terms of hours flown, recording over 35,000 hours in 2021.

Vista expects an increase of around 30% in flight hours (on a combined basis) globally following the completion of the transaction.

Thomas Flohr, Vistas Founder and Chairman, said: Todays announcement brings a renowned institution of the European private aviation market into the Vista group and complements our growth and service offering across Europe and the Middle East.

"Air Hamburg is an impressive, well-established and profitable business with a long-standing track record in best-in-class client service -- like Vista, it is known for its reliability and consistency throughout a scaling fleet and high utilisation.

Vistas leading flying solutions, with a business model based on a floating fleet, allows us to implement a quick, seamless integration. This is yet another demonstration of Vistas unrivaled commitment to ensuring all our Members have access to the best value flying solutions across the world at any given moment," Flohr said.

"It is incredibly exciting to welcome over 650 highly-skilled new colleagues to become part of the Vista family of experts at one of the most exciting times for our industry. It has been an absolute pleasure to work closely with the leadership team to ensure both companies capitalise fully on the global opportunities within the expanding private aviation market.

The acquisition will augment Vistas scale and fleet offering across key strategic regions and brings together two long-established reputable companies with the shared vision of delivering the most reliable and consistent flying solutions and best experiences to their members. The merger is the latest step in Vistas relentless transformation of the highly fragmented business aviation ecosystem. Following strong global demand for private aviation services from new and existing clients, the move builds on the recent integrations of Apollo Jets, Talon Air and Red Wing Aviation, Vista said.

In addition to a thriving charter business, Vista will integrate Air Hamburgs world-class EASA Part 145 maintenance hub at Baden Baden Airpark, along with its Executive Handling division and VIP lounge at Hamburg Airport which will be available for Vista members to use.

Floris Helmers, Air Hamburgs CEO and Managing Director, said: This is an incredible opportunity to remain at the top of the growing business aviation market. Over the last three years we have experienced strong growth, significantly increasing our market share across Europe and beyond. This cooperation between two of the largest operators means increasing our stability and securing further growth for our business, while allowing our team to showcase their strength and competencies to the most sophisticated clientele. We are looking forward to this next chapter in joining the Vista group.

Air Hamburgs growing private jet operation complements Vistas owned fleet services, and its 44 contracted aircraft, including Lineage 1000E, Dassault Falcon 7X, and Embraer Legacy models, will be available to all Vista members, the statement said.

Vista Global Holdings subsidiaries provide worldwide business flight services. A global group headquartered at the DIFC in Dubai, Vista integrates a unique portfolio of companies offering asset-free services to cover all key aspects of business aviation: guaranteed and on demand global flight coverage; subscription and membership solutions; and cutting-edge mobility technology. - TradeArabia News Service
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has honored 62 Wisconsin State Patrol employees for their lifesaving efforts and public service.

The awards fall into two categories. The Lifesaver Award recognizes officers who saved lives or put themselves in physical danger. The other awards acknowledge accomplishments that have made Wisconsins public services more efficient and effective to meet DOTs goal of highway safety.

The State Patrol embodies the highest standards of professionalism and service. Those employees whove gone above and beyond to patrol our states highways, develop safety initiatives and streamline services are indispensable, DOT secretary Craig Thompson said.

Award recipients are nominated by their peers. Sworn officers and civilian employees are honored across all sections of the State Patrol.

We all share the pride in our hearts as we recognize the exceptional individuals who have carried out their duties under extraordinary circumstances. Through these acts and achievements, you have made Wisconsin a safer and better place, Wisconsin State Patrol superintendent Anthony Burrell said.

Thompson and Burrell were joined by Gov. Tony Evers during a virtual awards ceremony Thursday evening to recognize the award recipients. The annual awards ceremony was presented on Facebook.

Whether enforcing our traffic laws and sharing information about the importance of safe driving, developing new transportation initiatives and services, helping folks get to work safely each day, or keeping traffic and the freight that our states key industries depend on flowing, State Patrol employees play a critical role in the safety of our people, our communities and our state every day, Evers said.

Local State Patrol officers who were given livesaving awards for 2021 are:

Matthew Chambers (Tomah District)Chambers responded to a man choking at a Kwik Trip in Onalaska April 3 and performed the Heimlich maneuver to eject a piece of food stuck in the mans throat. Normal breathing was restored, and the man didnt require additional medical treatment.

Cody Digre (Tomah District)Digre was on traffic patrol in La Crosse County April 17 when he responded to a report of an unresponsive driver on Hwy. 35. The driver had suffered a drug overdose, and Digre revived the driver with two doses of naloxone. The driver began breathing again and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Philip Goldman (Eau Claire District)Goldman responded to a medical emergency at a Black River Falls restaurant May 19. He worked with an employee to give CPR compressions to an unresponsive man and set up a mask to establish airflow. The man was transported to a hospital.

Christina Holtz (Tomah District)Holtz responded Jan. 16 to a report of a rural Wilton woman who wasnt breathing. Holtz and two bystanders moved the woman to the floor, and Hotlz administered CPR. When EMS crews arrived, she helped with the defibrillator and application of oxygen. The womans pulse was restored, and she was taken to a hospital.

Carson Konkol (Tomah District)Konkol responded to a fire call in Onalaska April 17. He and an Onalaska officer saw smoke filling the hallway near one of the apartments and knocked on a door with no response. The two forced the door open and found an elderly woman inside. They pulled her from the apartment and carried her outside, where Konkol assisted with CPR. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Ryan Roth (Eau Claire District)Roth responded March 26 to a report of a drug overdose in an Eau Claire motel room. The overdose victim had a weak pulse and was in respiratory arrest when Roth administered naloxone and restored the victims breathing. The victim was able to stand up and walk from the motel room.

Other area State Patrol employees who received awards:

Lifesaving Effort AwardTroopers Robert Liddle, Daniel Restrepo and Robert Unruh from the Eau Claire District.

Meritorious ServiceRoth.

Superintendents CommendationHoltz.

Inspector of the YearJosh Mauer, Eau Claire.

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A 20-year-old Winona State University student from Stevens Point, Wis., Hannah Goman, has died as the result of injuries that occurred in a car crash Saturday morning in Winona.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a 2015 Chevy Silverado was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of Highway 61 at 12:45 a.m. Saturday when it collided with a 2010 Camry Toyota at the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway 43.

Adam Samuel Anderson, 35, of Winona, was driving the Chevy, according to the report. Trena Lynn Anderson, 35, also of Winona, was a passenger in the Silverado. Neither of the Andersons experienced any injuries due to the crash.

Goman was a passenger in the Toyota, which was driven by Nicholas Robert Lemmerond, 21, of Oshkosh, Wis. Natalie Lynne Carlson, 22, of Oshkosh, was also a passenger in the Toyota.

All three individuals in the Toyota were transported to Winona Health. Lemmeronds and Carlsons injuries were not life threatening, while Goman was being treated for her life-threatening injuries before succumbing to them.

All individuals in the crash were wearing seatbelts, according to the State Patrol. The road conditions were reported as dry at the time.

The report stated that alcohol was involved in the incident.

As of Sunday morning, Adam Samuel Anderson was in Winona County jail for charges of fourth-degree driving while impaired and criminal vehicle operation causing bodily harm, the report said.

Outside agencies who assisted with the crash were the Winona County Sheriffs Office, the Winona Police Department and the Winona Fire Department.

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Last year, James Buchanan, Pennsylvanias only president and perennially worst-ranked POTUS, finally received a little recognition  in the form of a bobblehead doll released by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee. Buchanan, the nations 15th president, joined 17 of his fellow Neglected Presidents to be recognized in the collectible form.

This year, the Buchanan bobblehead is being released alongside the rest of his fellow presidents with the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museums complete series of presidential bobbleheads. The collection features all 45 men whove served in the nation's highest office.

"Were excited to release this complete collection of bobbleheads featuring all 45 U.S. Presidents to celebrate Presidents Day, said National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar in a press release. Each president played an important part in our countrys history, and we think people will enjoy this new series of presidential bobbleheads.

The individually numbered-bobblehead dolls are mounted on a base with a replica White House and each presidents name on the front and number on the back.

The individual collectible Commander-in-Chief bobbleheads, including Buchanan's, are available for preorder for $30 plus $8 shipping fee and are expected to ship in May. (The Joe Biden and Donald Trump bobbleheads are in-stock and ready to ship now). The complete set is available for $1,250. The presidential bobbleheads can be ordered from store.bobbleheadhall.com.

Enjoy watching your bobblehead Buchanan nod his head in agreement to questions like Did you enjoy a glass of Madeira wine by the pond at Wheatland? Do many historians feel you did a poor job steering the nation from civil war? or Were you the only president to never marry?

When James Buchanan said "my vindication is complete," he was talking about the House of Representatives declining to impeach him in 1860. But he may well have said the same thing when he realized he'd been made into a bobblehead.
HERITAGE SOCIETY: The Strasburg Heritage Society will meet at Monday, Feb. 21, in the Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church, 101 S. Decatur St., Strasburg. Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m.; program begins at 7 p.m. Open to the public. Norm Mable will share the History of the Bachman Funeral Home.

Community Calendar runs as space is available. Three weeks notice of an event is appreciated. Please place the date of the event or the deadline date to register at the top of the press release. Email your information to news@lnpnews.com.
Columbia Borough police

ASSAULT

COLUMBIA: Adam Paul Witman, 23, of Columbia, was charged with simple assault following an incident in the 300 block of North Sixth Street at 7:51 p.m. on Feb. 17, police said.

THEFT

COLUMBIA: A center cap was stolen from the tire of a vehicle in the 200 block of North Second Street sometime before 10:56 a.m. on Feb. 17, police said. The vehicle's other tires were also damaged, possibly in an attempt to steal their caps as well, police said.

East Cocalico Township police

ASSAULT

EAST COCALICO TWP.: Anna Blank, 40, of Stevens, was charged with simple assault and endangering the welfare of children after slapping a six-month-old infant in the face twice, causing bruising, at an address on Chestnut Hill Road around 3 p.m. on Dec. 14, police said. The infant was in Blanks care at the time, police said.

EAST COCALICO TWP.: Mary Christine Baker, 42, of Denver, was charged with simple assault, criminal trespass and terroristic threats after showing up at a residence in the 400 block of Walnut Street and arguing with an adult there and then using a pair of scissors in a threatening manner as if she wanted to stab someone at 3:35 p.m. on Feb. 7, police said. The person knocked the scissors from Baker and held onto her as she continued making threats to harm them and their family, police said. Baker had previously been warned to stay away from the person and their residence, police said.

Ephrata police

THEFT

EPHRATA TWP.: Daqui Anthony Jackson, 22, address unknown, was charged with retail theft after stealing Yankee Candles from a store in the 400 block of North Reading Road on Sept. 30, police said.

Lancaster city police

THEFT

LANCASTER: An unidentified man and woman stole a purse from a customer at a Costco store at 1875 Hempstead Road sometime between noon and 2 p.m. on Feb. 3 and then used credit cards inside to purchase several thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from nearby stores, police said. One of the two distracted the victim while the other stole the purse, police said.

Lititz Borough police

CRASH

LITITZ: An unidentified vehicle left the road and struck a retaining wall at East Main and North Locust streets and then fled sometime on Feb. 18, police said.

Mount Joy Borough police

HARASSMENT

MOUNT JOY: Joshua A. Myers, 30, of Mount Joy, was charged with harassment after shoving a person during an altercation in the borough at 12:52 p.m. on Feb. 8, police said.

MOUNT JOY: Colette M. Hostetter, 48, of Mount Joy, was charged with harassment after repeatedly contacting a person, sending them threatening messages and attempting to break into their home after having been told by police to cease all contact at 3:35 p.m. on Feb. 16, police said.

STALKING

MOUNT JOY: Gustav Jose Schlegel, 60, of Mount Joy, was charged with two counts of stalking and one count of harassment after he was seen taking photos of a womans property in the 600 block of Bernhard Avenue on Jan. 25 and Feb. 10, police said. Schegel, the womans neighbor, violated a no-contact and no-trespass order he had signed Jan. 18 following his arrest on similar charges, police said.
LNP|LancasterOnline publishes submitted obituaries in each of its daily editions and in a searchable format online at lancasteronline.com/obit
Presidents Day is a fitting occasion to reflect on how we can all become more discerning students of the most observed and discussed institution in the world: the American presidency.

This federal holiday on the third Monday of February officially celebrates George Washingtons birthday, but now generally honors Abraham Lincolns birthday, too.

In honor of Presidents Day, I offer below a set of observations to help us better understand and evaluate the office of president and its occupants.

Observation 1: Every day is Presidents Day.

For presidents, there are no vacations or weekends, at least not in the way we enjoy them. For four or eight years, the job is unrelenting and all-consuming. Most of the decisions that reach the presidents desk have choices that range somewhere between bad and terrible.

In simpler times, James K. Polk remarked, No president who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure. Dwight Eisenhower joked that any man who wants to be president is either an egomaniac or crazy. Lyndon B. Johnson, famous for his colorful colloquialisms, said that being president is like being a jackass in a hailstorm. Theres nothing to do but stand there and take it.

If it appears that the president  any president  is having a bad day, we should bear in mind that the job is very difficult.

Observation 2: Theres the person and theres the institution.

Since the nations founding, Americans have developed close, personal connections with their presidents. For many Americans, presidents symbolize America itself.

The American public understands implicitly what political scientists and historians spend their careers teaching students: To understand the presidency, we must understand presidents. In short, presidential character matters. We cannot help but be energized by the boundless optimism of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. We marvel at the intellect of Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson. We are moved by the indomitable spirit shown by Theodore Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson as they overcame adversity to win election to the highest office in the land. We mourn our fallen heroes, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, and wonder what might have been.

But the presidency is also an institution. The president as chief executive is charged with leading an executive branch of 15 cabinet departments and more than a hundred agencies whose employees number in the millions. Did I mention that the job of president is difficult?

Observation 3: There is no presidential magic wand.

There is a powerful mythology pervasive in textbooks from elementary school through college that portrays presidents as all-powerful agents of change. This ideology, referred to as the textbook presidency, would have us believe that presidents can easily persuade Congress, the public, the news media and their subordinates in the executive branch.

Such exaggerated accounts of presidential influence stand in stark contrast to the frustrations expressed by former presidents. When contemplating Gen. Eisenhower winning the presidential election, Harry Truman said, Hell sit here, and hell say, Do this! Do that! And nothing will happen. Poor Ike  it wont be a bit like the Army. Hell find it very frustrating.

Bill Clinton once quipped that being president is like being the groundskeeper in a cemetery: Youve got a lot of people under you, but nobodys listening.

Lyndon Johnson predicted that if one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read President Cant Swim. 

The textbook presidency is not without lasting consequence. It contributes to unrealistic public expectations of what presidents should be able to accomplish, and it leads to greater cynicism toward government and a decline in civic participation when presidents fail to fulfill those expectations.

Observation 4: Judge presidents on their own terms.

It is easy to cast aside one or more presidents simply because we disagree with their politics. It is far more intellectually rewarding, and challenging, to evaluate presidents based on promises made during their campaigns. That we are willing to praise a presidents accomplishments does not necessarily mean we would have voted for him. Partisanship need not interfere with objective analysis.

We (Republicans) appreciate the steely resolve with which John Kennedy managed the Cuban missile crisis, narrowly averting nuclear catastrophe.

We (Democrats) are grateful for Ronald Reagans steadfast leadership in helping to bring the Cold War to an end.

We (Republicans) admire Lyndon Johnsons unsurpassed record of legislative success in passing landmark civil rights reform and the programs collectively known as the Great Society.

We (Democrats) praise George W. Bush for the remarkable number of legislative achievements during his first term: Medicare reform; tax cuts; education reform; trade; defense; and anti-terrorism measures.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, presidents tend to keep their promises. The promises presidents make during their campaigns are the single best predictor of the policies presidents pursue in office. For voters, the rule should be: If you dont like what a person says as a candidate, you will not like what that person does as president.

Adam B. Lawrence is an associate professor of government, policy and law at Millersville University. He teaches a course on the American presidency.
Argires Marotti Neurosurgical Associates of Lancasters team of doctors are prepared to provide various non-surgical pain relief to patients utilizing various modern treatments.

Our award-winning Neurosurgical team was founded by Dr. Perry Argires and Dr. Lou Marotti. Both have been consistently voted the Best of Lancaster County.

Dr. Jack Smith helps patients improve the quality of their daily lives through innovative pain management techniques. Regenerative medicine is a unique focus in which a patient uses their own bodys healing ability, he explained. For example, we use platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, which are a concentration of a patients own platelets, to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. This is a great option for patients who have arthritis, or tendon, joint or muscle pain.

Dr. Steven M. Falowski, honored to be elected to the Board of Directors of the International Neuromodulation Society provides spinal cord stimulation when nonsurgical pain treatment options have failed to provide sufficient relief. Spinal cord stimulators may be used to treat or manage different types of chronic pain, including back pain, post-surgical pain, arachnoiditis, nerve-related pain, peripheral vascular disease, complex regional pain syndrome, pain after an amputation, and visceral abdominal pain and perineal pain. Spinal cord stimulation can improve overall quality of life and sleep, and reduce the need for pain medicines. It is typically used along with other pain management treatments, including medications, exercise, physical therapy and relaxation methods.

Neurologist, Dr. Jarod B. John is able to offer a variety of services to patients ranging from medical management of migraines and headaches to procedures such as Botox, EEG, and EMG. He has a deep understanding of the feeling of helplessness a patient and family can experience when dealing with a neurological disorder. His goal is to help patients and their loved ones navigate this confusing and scary time and to provide a successful plan to improve their lives. This diverse group of dedicated physicians and staff offers a unique blend of neurological, neurosurgical, and pain management care all under one roof.

For more information on Argires Marotti Neurosurgical Associates of Lancaster, visit our website at argiresmarotti.com or call (717) 358-0800.
In some parts of the United States, many teachers or their family members have tested positive for COVID-19. They must stay home from work. As a result, there are not enough fill-ins to take their place.

The fill-in teachers are called substitutes.

Early this year, in one part of Texas, the schools needed 455 substitutes in a single day. They usually need only 185.

To help with the lack of teachers, leaders in California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are asking retired teachers to come back to work for a short time. In the states of Oklahoma and Utah, government workers are being asked to step in at schools.

This helps schools stay open, which experts say is better for children than staying at home as they did earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, in the southwestern state of New Mexico, some students are being welcomed in their classrooms by soldiers from the Army National Guard.

Michael Stockwell is one of those soldiers. During past military jobs, he watched part of the U.S. border with Mexico and worked to keep the New Mexico state Capitol safe.

Now, he is wearing his military uniform as he works with students as a substitute science teacher at Alamogordo High School.

When he works with teenagers, Stockwell said, he cannot act Army. He said he needs to be careful with how he speaks with them.

Due to the teacher shortage in New Mexico, many members of the National Guard are now working in schools. In 36 of the state's 89 school zones, or districts, Guard members are working.

Stockwell said when he first arrived in his classroom wearing his military clothing, students thought he was only visiting. Then he sat down in the teachers chair.

Lilli Terrazas is 15. She is in Stockwells class.

When he started taking attendance, I was like whoa, she said. But it was cool. He helped me.

About 80 soldiers are working in schools throughout the state. They all must pass security checks and take classes that all substitutes must take.

Most of the teachers do not have to be experts in their subjects, but they need to be willing to work with the students.

Stockwell started in late January.

New Mexico is dealing with a teacher shortage for two reasons: the coronavirus health crisis and recent teacher retirements. The state usually has about 20,000 teachers. There are currently 1,000 openings.

The states governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, said the use of the soldiers is only for a short time, and she is working to find new teachers. The state is offering better pay to find more teachers.

The problem reached its height at Alamogordo High School on January 13. About 30 percent of the teaching staff was out.

Raeh Burns works at the high school. One of her jobs is to make sure there are enough teachers each day. She said she knows Stockwell is OK to go where I need him to go, each morning.

In some parts of the state, parents worried about having soldiers in the school. Parents in Santa Fe wondered if the soldiers would wear their uniforms and carry guns. A school spokesman said they never planned to carry guns and decided to have them wear regular clothing.

Some of the soldiers, however, choose to wear their military clothes because they are quite young. Cassandra Sierra is a guardswoman. She is 22. She said without her uniform, I think I look like an 18-year-old.

When she is not working for the National Guard, Sierra works with students at a school where students live away from home. She said the experience helps during her work as a substitute. Kids just need patience, she said. I think I just have a lot of patience.

Another school in Alamogordo is on an Air Force base. Students there are used to seeing people in uniforms. However, they are not usually their teachers. Andrew George is 12. He said it was awkward at first. However, once he learned more about his teacher, who once led a group of soldiers overseas, he changed his mind. He said he thought: oh yeah, this is going to be fun.

Amanda Zollo is the teacher. She helped the students learn about computer security.

The schools principal, Whitney Anderson, said Zollos arrival meant she did not have to teach the class herself.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based a report by the Associated Press.

What would you say if you walked into a classroom and found a soldier as a substitute teacher? Write to us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page.

____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

positive  adj. showing the presence of a germ or condition

whoa  expression. used to show surprise

cool - adj. fashionable, stylish or appealing

uniform n. a special kind of clothing worn by all members of a group such as an army or a team

patience n. the ability to remain calm and not get upset when dealing with problems

awkward adj. not easy to deal with


The family said the victim had visible marks on the body and demanded justice while the police has promised cooperation.

Muhammad Raafi | TwoCircles.net

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NEW DELHI  An 18-year-old youth Zeeshan Malik had been admitted to a hospital in Delhi, a police officer informed his brother Ayoub Malik on the morning of February 14. Zeeshan was in Delhis Tihar jail since November 2021 after he was booked for stealing a packet of cigarettes.

Zeeshan had expressed his wish to meet his family in Deen Dayal Upadhayay Hospital where he was admitted, Neranjan Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), Hari Nagar Police Station, informed Ayoub.

Within an hour Zeeshans family including his father, mother, and sister reached the hospital. But Kumar informed them that Zeeshan had passed away.

Zeeshan worked in a car repairing workshop and lived with his family in a slum cluster at JJ Colony in Preet Vihar, New Delhi. He was detained on November 20, 2021, for allegedly stealing a cigarette packet.

Muhammad Yaqoob Malik, Zeeshans father, and a rickshaw puller told TwoCircles.net that on February 10, a police officer visited their home and asked him for Zeeshans identity card and asked him to sign a paper saying that his son had arranged a lawyer to seek bail. The policeman also sought details of Yaqoobs other family members. Although he gave details about his family but denied signing the paper and giving the identity card of Zeeshan.

Four days later Zeeshan was dead. The family is unaware of what happened in the four days.

The policeman at the hospital told us that Zeeshans vein in his brain had burst and he was complaining of incessant pain, Yaqoob said.

The pictures and videos of Zeeshans body went viral on micro-blogging site Twitter and showed bruises on his body and dark brown circles, apparently because of beating, around his eyes.

At the hospital, Zeeshans uncle Furqan Malik told TwoCircles.net that Yaqoob was shown the dead body of Zeeshan. He could not recognize his son since his face was covered in blood. There were marks and bruises on his body, Yaqoob said and added he recognized his son by fingernails. (Zeeshan had some illness and when his nails would grow longer they would burst, as per the family).

The family was made to wait for the whole day and were not handed over the body. They kept making excuses for the whole day and around late evening said that the doctors had not come and the post mortem could not be conducted. So they asked the family to come again the next day, Furqan said.

The authorities at the hospital repeated the same set of excuses for the three days and finally handed over the body to the family on February 17, he said.

Furqan alleged that the body was stinking. We could make out that he had passed away some days earlier, Yaqoob said.

The hospital authorities provided a receipt to the family after handing over the body but it did not mention the name of Zeeshan or his father.

On November 17 evening, the family and some neighbours held a protest demonstration in front of the Makkar Hospital at Patparganj Road demanding justice for Zeeshan. Immediately after the protest, the police assured them they would cooperate with Zeeshans family.

The staff of PS Preet Vihar, New Delhi will cooperate with the parents of deceased Jishan, S/O of Shri Yakub R/O E-40/144, Jhuggi Radhu Place, New Delhi in getting all the documents of post-mortem, statements, videography, etc. as soon as the same is completed by the Dr (doctor) and the magistrate, reads the letter signed by Hira Lal, SHO of Preet Vihar Police Station.

Furqan said that Zeeshans mother Shona had gone to meet his son three times before the covid lockdown. She deposited some money in the jail canteen and met her son. Zeeshan was doing very well, Shona had told his family after returning from Tihar before the lockdown.

He questioned how come did Zeeshan fell ill and died in a span of four days when a policeman had come to their home seeking details of Zeeshan for bail.

The post mortem report, he said, also hasnt been shared with the family.

There were visible marks on his body when we performed his ablution. It doesnt seem he died of illness, he said.

Yaqub hopes that those responsible for the death of his son are put to justice. Help us get justice, he said.

TwoCircles.net attempted to reach out to DCP west and additional DCP west for a comment. However, the duo did not respond. The station house officer of Hari Nagar police station said that he was busy and dropped the call.

Muhammad Raafi is a journalist based in New Delhi. He tweets at @mohammadraafi
Earlier this month, we reported on a rocket booster that is on a path to strike the moon in early March. Since that report, the space expert who first observed the object has said the booster was misidentified.

It was first thought that the booster was left over from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket used to help deploy a climate satellite in 2015. Now, it is believed to be a booster from a Chinese rocket launched in 2014.

The path of the booster was first observed by American astronomer Bill Gray. He is the creator of Project Pluto, based in the northern U.S. state of Maine. He develops and sells software that can track the path of different space objects, including leftover ones known as space junk.

Gray says all his data shows that the rocket will hit the far side of the moon  the side that faces away from Earth  on March 4. He received wide attention for identifying the booster and closely tracking its path. But Gray recently said new evidence had shown that his identification was most likely not correct.

We now have good evidence that it is actually 2014-065B, the booster for the Change 5-T1 lunar mission, Gray said in a statement on his website. Change 5-T1 was a robotic spacecraft sent on a test mission to circle the moon and return to Earth in October 2014.

Gray made his first identification back in 2015. He explained that it was based on evidence that the SpaceX booster had passed close by the moon on February 13, 2015, two days after it was launched.

Gray said he started taking another look into the boosters identify after receiving an email from Jon Giorgini, who works for the American space agency NASA. Giorgini, an engineer with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), had examined NASA tracking data and said it suggested the SpaceX rocket did not pass close to the moon.

So, Gray reconsidered his earlier observations and looked at the latest evidence. He decided that his first identification did seem to be incorrect. Now, Gray says he is effectively persuaded that the object is a rocket booster from the Change 5-T1 spacecraft.

The boosters expected strike on the moon has also been confirmed by astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell of the Center for Astrophysics. He reacted to the misidentification on Twitter.

So, the rocket about to hit the Moon, it turns out, is not the one we thought it was, he wrote. This (an honest mistake) just emphasizes the problem with lack of proper tracking of these deep space objects.

Researchers at the University of Arizona recently announced they had also confirmed the booster most likely came from the Chinese rocket. The team  from the universitys Space Domain Awareness laboratory  said it confirmed the identity by closely observing the objects composition and paint.

NASA has also confirmed the expected strike. A spokeswoman for the space agency told the French Press Agency, AFP, that the event can be an exciting research opportunity. She said NASA is interested in studying the crater expected to be created by the hit. But the spokeswoman added that that is likely to be a difficult process and it could take weeks to months to find the crater.

In the past, spacecraft have been crashed into the moon on purpose for scientific experiments. But this is likely the first unplanned strike to be identified in this way.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story, based on reports from Bill Gray, the University of Arizona, Twitter and NASA.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

boost  v. to push or shove up from below

track  v. to record the progress of development of something

mission  n. an important project or trip, especially involving space travel

persuade  v. to make someone agree to do something by presenting arguments and evidence

emphasize  v. to show that something is especially important or needs special attention

proper  adj. correct or suitable

composition  n. the parts, substances and other things that something is made of

opportunity  n. a situation in which it is possible for a person to do something

crater  n. a round hole made by an explosive force such as a bomb or an object falling from the sky
An 18-year-old Lincoln man who is already incarcerated at the state's Youth Correctional Facility was charged last week for allegedly sex-trafficking a teenage girl when he was a minor himself.

The new charge against Alessandro Mendez is the result of a Lincoln Police Department investigation that started more than 14 months ago, when Mendez was 17, according to the affidavit for his arrest.

A 15-year-old girl, who was found to be riding in an SUV with Mendez and two other men in December 2020, told investigators she had met Mendez on a chance encounter at a gas station before he brought her to an apartment near 56th and Holdrege streets, according to the affidavit.

The girl said adult men paid Mendez so they could have sex with her at the apartment  as well as in Grand Island and elsewhere in Lincoln.

Investigators also found videos on Mendez's phone of the girl performing sexual acts with adult men, along with text conversations where Mendez negotiated payments for the act.

Mendez, who in September was convicted of second-degree assault and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony for his role in a November 2020 robbery, was charged Jan. 10 with sex-trafficking of a minor.

He remains at the Nebraska Youth Correctional Facility.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley
In order to honor his Indigenous roots, Alejandro Miranda Cruz named his Madison-based film company after the eagle  a symbol of omnipotence for the native Sierra Madre Occidental peoples of Mexico.

The director co-founded Bravebird with producer and partner Noel Miranda in 2015. Since then, the duo has had the goal of bringing the perspectives of underrepresented voices into their projects. Such have included a visual profile of nonprofit Centro Hispano of Dane County, the Why I Love UW series and a feature-length film, Trace The Line, which depicts four artists navigating the throes of the early pandemic.

This is especially important to Alejandro, having previously pursued an acting career in Los Angeles  he recalled being typecast for delinquent roles, and seeing a lack of diversity on camera and behind the scenes of various productions.

But 2020 was an unkind year to Bravebird, as it was for the rest of the film industry  and for minority-led small businesses in general. Projects dried up and the companys freelance ecosystem dwindled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Noel said.

While the health crisis delivered major blows to most small businesses, those owned by people of color were hit hardest, according to an analysis published in April 2021 by the Federal Reserve. Among the 10,000 businesses the Fed surveyed in fall 2020 (all with fewer than 500 employees), 95% said their operations were negatively impacted by the pandemic.

When asked to state the financial condition of their business, 57% of respondents said fair or poor. But companies with Asian (79%), Black (77%) and Hispanic owners (66%) were more likely to characterize their standing that way.

Having been through several local programs that uplift businesses before, Bravebird was in search of a solution to stay afloat.

The business eventually found it in early 2021 through a program put forth 12 years ago by the Green Bay Packers, which is officially expanding into the Madison area this year, marked by Madison Region Economic Partnership CEO Jason Fields joining the efforts board of directors last December.

The Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protege program for a year partners applicants with experienced business leaders, who provide technical, managerial, financial and other guidance to help companies improve their competitive standing. It is kicked off by a Draft Day where proteges pitch their business to the board of directors, who then match them with a mentor based on need.

While anyone can apply to be part of the program, businesses owned by women, people of color, veterans and people with disabilities are especially encouraged to take part. Mentors must be established companies of good character and have a senior-level officer willing to provide feedback and meet regularly with their assigned protege, who themselves must have been in business for at least two years, and have a vision for growth. The initiative does not work with startups.

Added guidance

The program is administered by Green Bay-based AFF Research, which has existed for two decades, and helped work on previous redevelopment projects at Lambeau Field, among others. A requirement, in order to have the Lambeau Field project come to fruition, was to have minority- and women-led businesses participate, said Aaron Popkey, Packers director of public affairs.

Thats where AFF Research came in as a consultant that advises its clients on how to ensure their supply chains include diverse businesses, said president Anna Steinfest, who also recruits mentors and proteges.

We hit all our marks, but discovered that some of these younger businesses had challenges in sustaining themselves after the (Lambeau Field) project, Popkey said of what spurred the programs launch. They lacked certain experience and skills to further grow their businesses.

Such challenges are something Fields has observed among minority-led businesses in Madison. Theres a total empty void in this space for programs similar to the Packers. Steinfest first approached him to be part of the board of directors August, he said.

Fields regarded the city as an uptapped market for minority-led businesses to maximize their potential.

New heights

Noel said Bravebird was among the 19 proteges that participated in the 2021 cohort, along with 15 mentors. In the 2022 cohort, Steinfest said there are tentatively 21 proteges with 19 mentors this year, though those numbers have yet to be finalized.

Of Noel and Alejandros experience participating in the yearlong program, she said we had to change the way we filmed and how we communicate that to clients. She described Braverbirds mentor as a seasoned business owner who helped the duo not only build up their confidence as filmmakers, but establish a better work-life balance.

Now, Bravebird has 15-20 freelancers it works with on various projects.

Weve been pivoting back to commercial and corporate work again, said Noel, adding Bravebird is looking to do more documentaries as well.

Meanwhile, managing partner Kimberly Hazen of Madison-based DoCo Dwell, which owns rental properties in the village of Sister Bay, is part of the 2022 cohort. Hazen found out her business, founded in 2019, was accepted into the program in late January.

I would love to just get a plan and direction, Hazen said in anticipation of working with her mentor, adding she wants DoCo Dwell to take on the role of developer in addition to landlord. Shes not ruling out expansion in Madison, but Hazen said her priority is to get her feet wet first.

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No ones saying AmeriGas held a grudge against Deb Hamele and her husband for switching from propane to natural gas, but it sure made them pay  at least for a few months.

Natural gas service through Alliant Energy became available in the rural Brooklyn area where the Hameles live in late 2020. They did the math and determined that switching from tank-based propane would save them hundreds in home heating costs.

The couple canceled their account with AmeriGas on June 1, Hamele said, but when the company hauled the tank away four months later, it was still 40% full. As theyd already paid for that leftover propane, they asked for a refund. And in her Jan. 30 email to SOS, Deb noted language contained in the terms and conditions on AmeriGas website:

Company will repurchase the propane remaining in Leased Equipment upon termination if the supply of propane remaining in the tank at the time of removal is more than 5% water capacity. If Company repurchases the remaining propane, the repurchase price will be the price per gallon that you paid for your last delivery.

In short, if theres enough propane left in a tank to make it worth AmeriGas while, the company will buy it back (emphasis added).

Nevertheless, Hamele said she was told they had no obligation to return our money and it was at their discretion.

I requested they exercise their discretion and give us a refund for the propane, which Im sure they resold for a much higher rate than we paid for it, she told SOS. I have gotten no further responses nor a refund and its been over six months.

SOS contacted AmeriGas Director of Industry and Customer Relations Brilynn Johnson on Feb. 1 and she responded that same day, first to say she would look into it and later to say that the Hameles had been denied a refund due to an outdated set of terms and conditions.

In our previous terms and conditions, our policy was not to refund unused fuel upon termination of service unless it was a state requirement, she said. Wisconsin doesnt have this state requirement. However, we just updated our T&Cs, which now reflects that a refund will be provided for unused fuel when service is terminated.

The section of those terms and conditions quoted to SOS by Deb on Jan. 30 was the same as that which appeared on the companys website in mid-February. Johnson declined an opportunity to point out what, exactly, had changed in the 5,000-plus-word document.

Hamele said she got a call out of the blue on Feb. 2 from a woman with AmeriGas who claimed at the time we closed our account they were not giving refunds ... but now they were so she would put through a request for a check reimbursing us for the rate at the time we purchased the gas.

Hamele said they received a check for $358 five days later.

Send us an SOS Since September 2007, SOS has helped save Wisconsin State Journal readers more than $190,601.66 and solved hundreds of problems. You can send an SOS using any of these methods: Email: sos@madison.com Online form: http://go.madison.com/sendSOS Phone: 608-252-6198 Mail: SOS, Wisconsin State Journal, P.O. Box 8058, Madison, WI 53708

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A 21-year-old man whose driving nearly two years ago caused a crash in Madison that killed a passenger in his car pleaded guilty Monday to homicide by drunken driving.

Under a plea agreement, a second felony charge against Donovan Luz-Torres  driving with a revoked license causing death  was dismissed. There is no agreement between Luz-Torres, his lawyer Chris Van Wagner and Assistant District Attorney Patrick Winter about the maximum sentence prosecutors can recommend when Luz-Torres, of Monona, is sentenced on June 6.

The April 19, 2020, crash killed Justin D. Wixom, 18, of Fitchburg. It happened when a car driven by Luz-Torres  who told police he was kinda wasted, according to a criminal complaint  crashed into the back of a parked semitrailer truck on Hayes Road on Madisons Far East Side. Court documents state that a breath sample indicated Luz-Torres blood alcohol concentration was more than 0.17%, more than twice the 0.08% limit for Wisconsin drivers.

Wixom was in the cars front passenger seat.

Homicide by drunken driving carries up to 25 years of combined prison and extended supervision. Under a recent change in Wisconsin law, Circuit Judge Ellen Berz must sentence Luz-Torres to at least five years in prison, unless she makes specific findings that such a sentence is not required.

According to the complaint, Luz-Torres told police he was driving straight on Hayes Road when he struck the semitruck, which he said was parked right there in the middle of the street.

A witness told police he saw a white Nissan Sentra, driven by Luz-Torres, coming up behind him without headlights, only its parking lights on, at speeds estimated at 45 to 50 mph. When it passed him on the left, the witness said, the passenger had his head and upper torso sticking out of the front passenger side window, the complaint states.

Just before the car struck the truck, the witness said, the passenger pulled his body back into the car, according to the complaint.

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Students and staff werent the only ones who returned when Glacial Drumlin School in Cottage Grove went back to in-person learning in the fall.

Rocky, a 10-year-old lab mix, is once again greeting students in the hallway at passing time then spending the rest of the day in Moe Freesemanns seventh-grade English classroom.

Students greet him, then Rocky moves around the room. He gets plenty of attention when students drop a hand to pet him as he walks by their desks.

He gives you a sense of calm (and) something nice to pet when you come in if you are having a tough day, said seventh-grader Jaxon Palermo.

Freesemann turned to the idea of bringing in a therapy dog when she noticed more anxiety among students in the last four or five years compared to earlier in her 12 years of teaching.

I noticed that a lot of our students had needs that extended beyond curriculum and what I could provide for them when it comes to emotional support, she said. I know I am an animal lover and I had heard about groups that will certify dogs to be therapy dogs.

Freesemann knew she had the right dog for the job.

Rocky just has such a temperament for it, she said. I have had lots of dogs but he is very calm and has always been that way.

He started coming to school in 2018. But there was a long stretch during online learning when students did not have access to him.

Rocky is more important than ever at school, Freesemann said. Some of our students had not set foot in a classroom for one and a half years, and having the unconditional love and joy of an animal in the classroom has really helped some of them transition.

Rocky comes once a week, and while all the attention tires him out, he does enjoy it, Freesemann said.

I take out his vest in the morning, and he goes wild, said Freesemann, who is known as the dog teacher.

Rocky is a rescue from Tennessee, where he was found on the streets as a stray. When Freesemann learned of him, he was possibly 18 months old and had been at a shelter for nine months. He had a number of bald spots where his fur had not grown back after recovering from mange  a skin disease caused by mites  and he was really thin.

I sat down on the floor, and he crawled right into my lap, said Freesemann, who also appreciates Rockys calming spirit.

Freesemann said Rockys signature look is wearing a bow tie, and he has more than 100 different ones made by her mom.

Seventh-graders Nola Benson and Luci Colwin are unofficial Rocky fan club members. They both have dogs at home that they miss while they are in school, so Rocky helps fill that void.

Whenever I feel stressed or confused, I go to Rocky, or he comes to me and makes me feel more relaxed, Nola said. His kind (and) gentle eyes look at me like he is saying he believes in me.

Luci said Rocky makes everyones day.

Everyone has had a lot of stress due to the pandemic and everything that happened, Luci said. He helps everyone let go of their stress and get happier.

Students with special needs will come to Freesemanns classroom if they are having a tough day because of his grounding effect, Freesemann said. Staff members also will stop by if they need the emotional lift.

Seeing Rocky feels like exhaling after a week of holding my breath. I love my job, and it can also be incredibly stressful, said Peg Zizmann, a school counselor who regularly stops by to visit Rocky. Dogs provide ... unconditional love. He inspires me to lead with gentle empathy for those around me.

Just knowing Rocky is here at school is a comfort, Zizmann said. She wishes he could be at the school every day.

I am a school counselor and cannot overstate the mental health benefits of having Rocky here, she said.

School Spotlight: Adventures in learning, inside and outside the classroom Each Monday, the Wisconsin State Journal features a story about learning in Wisconsin. Here are School Spotlight stories from the past year.
A leading Republican candidate for state attorney general said in a tweet that Wisconsin should invade Canada amid protests over the countrys vaccine mandates.

The candidate, former state Rep. Adam Jarchow, is among those supporting the Freedom Convoy that Canadas government is more forcefully cracking down on; more than 100 arrests have been reported since the protest began. The protesters have been opposing the countrys vaccine mandates, and have been showing their opposition by shutting down border crossings and business around the capital, Ottawa.

While the protests have been centered around truckers who are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to exit and re-enter the country, the vast majority of Canadian truckers  as many as 90%  are vaccinated.

Jarchow tweeted Saturday: If Canadian politicians keep this crap up, the deer hunters in WI will be forced to invade to restore liberty. Dont test us!

In the bid to unseat incumbent Josh Kaul, a Democrat, Jarchow is outraising the other Republican candidate for attorney general, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney.

As reported Feb. 15, Jarchows fundraising is outpacing Toney: Jarchow has added $100,000 to his war chest in the last month, his campaign said. Jarchows early-year haul is more than twice what Toney raised in the second half of 2021.

Toney, who has been in the race since April, raised about $43,000 between July and December and a total of $84,000 all of last year, according to campaign finance disclosures.

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BURLEY  Allan Ward has seen his company Ida-Beef LLCs name in the news more often than he would have liked since he opened the slaughterhouse southwest of Burley in 2018.

Slaughterhouses are required to have a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector present in order to operate.

When an inspector observes an action that violates regulations, including humane slaughtering violations, a report is filed and the company has to come up with corrective measures to satisfy the USDA before they are allowed to continue processing.

Ida-Beef received violations regarding two cows in January 2019, one in May 2019 and one in Dec. 2021 that went down in corrals and had to be euthanized.

To meet federal regulations, the cow must walk on its own into the plant, with restricted prodding from employees, Ward said.

When the cows are ambulatory they are led to a stall where a captive bolt device is used to render the animal unconscious before slaughtering, which is a federal regulation.

The employees who use the captive bolt devices are trained and certified to use them, he said.

When a cow goes down in a corral and is unable to get up, the humane thing to do is to kill her as fast as possible to reduce suffering, Ward said.

The corrals, Wards said, can be wet or icy, and there are no restraints to keep the cow from moving, which increases the difficulty of euthanasia.

When processing cows, Ida-Beef has two inspectors and a veterinarian present to ensure the processes are done humanely and the meat is safe for consumers, Ward said.

After each violation, Ida-Beef improved its practices, Ward said, including implementing pressure testing equipment, which is used each morning to ensure the captive bolt devices are working properly.

After one incident, Ward said, the responsible employee was suspended and reassigned to other duties.

The USDA regulations are not overly stringent, Ward said.

Mainly, he said, they keep the plant on track with the plan the company put in place for humane slaughter and producing a safe food product.

A USDA Food Safety Inspection Service spokesperson told the Times-News after the companys recent violation, that each incident at a plant is investigated on an individual basis rather than being cumulative.

The stiffest penalty that can be issued, he said, would be a withdrawal of the grant of inspection. Without an inspector present, a company cannot slaughter.

Will this be the last violation we ever get, Ward said in regard to the December violation, Probably not.

But, he said, the company is always improving.

Because the plant processes old animals, he said, it will always be more vulnerable to violations than a larger plant that is highly mechanized and processes younger, healthier animals.

The majority of the cows that come to Wards plant are dairy cows that arent productive anymore, the remainder are old range cows.

Many are on their last leg, Ward said.

Prior to opening the plant, the old dairy cows in the area were transported by truck to California, Utah or Washington.

A percentage of them, he said, would die on the trucks.

They are at the end of their lives, and they just do not travel well on the trucks, Ward said.

Not only does having a plant closer to the Magic Valley dairies keep the animals from suffering while traveling long distances on the trucks, it also increased profits for the dairymen, he said.

Ida-Beef, along with other Idaho and national slaughterhouses, are also watched closely by the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

I understand that PETAs role in this is to look after the animals, Ward said. I think thats a good thing. There needs to be someone to stick up for our pets and animals.

But, Ward said, some people want to eat meat and when PETA asks everyone to consider going vegan, that request is unrealistic.

Continued growth

When Ida-Beef started in 2018, it had 12 employees. Now the company employs about 110 people.

Recently the business invested in new refrigeration equipment and a larger processing room that will allow it to ramp up production from 190-240 cows a day to 325 daily.

About 85% of the meat that comes from the plant is made into hamburger, and almost all of the parts of the cows are utilized and packaged together in totes, even the aortas, which are made into noodles for some eastern cultures, Ward said.

Some of the bones are sent to dog food plants and some bones like those along the spinal column in older animals are discarded, he said.

An x-ray machine on the production floor checks the totes for bones and a digital readout records the percentage of fat.

A dairy cow is really lean and doesnt have much fat on her, Ward said. They are fed to milk.

Most of the meat is sent to a plant that grinds it for hamburgers or taco meat and sold to many fast-food chains.

The demand for the product, he said, can be seen every day by the lines forming at the fast-food drive-thru windows.

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When state Sen. Robert Blairs father was in school, Blair said he was labeled stupid and a problem child.

His father was dyslexic but didnt know it at the time, Blair said. Looking back, Blair can remember only one thing his father was afraid of: having to read something in a public setting.

Even though that was roughly 80 years ago, that stigma is still alive with todays Idaho students, Blair said on the Senate floor Wednesday. He was speaking in support of a bill that would provide screenings to help identify students with dyslexia and interventions to help them learn. Eighty years ago, we did not know what dyslexia was. Today, Senate Bill 1280  can help todays students not be afraid.

Idaho senators unanimously passed the bill  what would be a change in state law that parents, teachers and experts have been fighting for for years.

Parents told the Idaho Statesman that they struggled to get their children diagnosed with dyslexia. Even after they had a diagnosis, families said school districts across Idaho didnt provide the appropriate resources to help their children. Parents across the state have spent thousands of dollars out of pocket on outside specialists so their kids could learn to read.

The International Dyslexia Association estimates dyslexia impacts 15% to 20% of people.

We work so much on literacy  but we have been neglecting perhaps 20% of our students, calling them unable to learn when in fact, they simply cant read because they havent been diagnosed properly, Sen. Carl Crabtree, a Grangeville Republican who sponsored the legislation, said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

BILL DEFINES DYSLEXIA, INCLUDES INTERVENTIONS

The bill includes a definition of dyslexia and directs the State Department of Education to put into place evidence-based screening, intervention measures and professional development.

It lays out an approach that would be phased in over the next several years.

For the 2022-2023 school year, the bill directs the Department of Education to administer an initial screener to students in kindergarten and first through fifth grades.

Students in kindergarten and first through third grades are already given the Idaho Reading Indicator. Officials have said that can help identify struggling readers with certain characteristics of dyslexia but is not enough. Beginning the following school year, the bill directs the department to administer a secondary screener to children identified by the test, their teacher or a parent as having characteristics of dyslexia.

The bill then directs the Department of Education to help local education agencies develop multidisciplinary teams to support the identification, intervention and remediation of dyslexia, and to identify universal screening and intervention measures that work for dyslexic children.

Professional development is also included in the bill, which directs the State Department of Education to provide a multisensory structured literacy program for teachers on evidence-based screening and interventions for children with dyslexia. It lays out a multiyear timeline for the rollout.

Experts have said catching students early and providing them with the proper interventions will ultimately save the state money in special education.

Senators commended the work of the parents who have pushed for this legislation. A group of parents who make up the Decoding Dyslexia chapter in Idaho attended the committee meetings, met with senators and worked for years advocating for children with dyslexia.

But some education officials said the bill didnt go far enough. Two officials from the State Department of Education testified against the bill and said it excluded the necessary funding or personnel to train teachers or an appropriate timeline.

Crabtree on the Senate floor Thursday pointed to funds already available for professional development, and said this was just a start.

We want to see what we can get done, learn as we grow here, and add money later if that is necessary, he said.

ANOTHER DYSLEXIA BILL INTRODUCED IN THE HOUSE

Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra brought forward a rival dyslexia-related bill in the House.

Ybarras bill would also define dyslexia. It would add a section on implementing a dyslexia handbook, which would include educational strategies for children with dyslexia and a description of resources and services available to educators and parents.

Students who are exhibiting characteristics of dyslexia, according to the bill, would be given a reading improvement plan, which must include evidence-based strategies.

The department would also designate a dyslexia specialist to provide school districts with support and resources and support school districts in creating reading improvement plans for children with dyslexia characteristics.

The bill also includes a section on providing training to teachers.

Unlike the Senate bill, it includes a fiscal note and estimates the cost of one statewide dyslexia coordinator at about $97,000 per year. It also estimated about $2 million in funding to provide assistive technology resources for dyslexic students and training opportunities for teachers in identifying students with characteristics of dyslexia and providing instruction.

Those plans are subject to appropriation, Deputy Superintendent for Communications and Policy Marilyn Whitney said.

Robin Zikmund, who founded the Decoding Dyslexia chapter in Idaho, criticized Ybarras bill for excluding a dyslexia-specific screener and said it didnt go far enough.

Its not going to create the change that the state needs, she told the Statesman by phone. Idaho has a huge opportunity here to do something right. We are the last state to join the effort in supporting students with dyslexia.

PARENTS SHARE STORIES OF STRUGGLES

Speaking to a Senate committee earlier this week, Zikmund shared the experiences of her son. He is in seventh grade now and reading at a first-grade level, she said.

Many of our kiddos develop behavior issues, theyre angry, theyre bullied, theyre withdrawn, she said. In fourth grade, my son had become so fearful of school, so full of anxieties, he came to me and told me he just wanted to kill himself.

She was able to take her son to get an outside evaluation, where she found out he had dyslexia. But she continued to hit roadblocks as she tried to get her son the services he needed to learn to read.

After founding Decoding Dyslexia in 2018, Zikmund said she was told by the State Department of Education they had everything in place for students with dyslexia.

I have continued to push this issue for over four years now, she told the committee.

Over the past several months, multiple families told the Statesman their children with dyslexia were not given the interventions they needed to learn. Teachers said they wanted more information on how to help these children, but didnt have the resources.

Children with dyslexia, Zikmund said, just need the right interventions to enable them to thrive.

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The Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday advanced legislation to the Senate that would create an incentive for nurses to take jobs in Idahos rural areas.

Health care facilities have long struggled to fill jobs in Idahos remote mountain towns and frontier areas. In some of those communities, a nurse practitioner may be the only available primary care provider for miles.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1287, would create a state-funded student loan repayment program for nurses who work in Idahos rural towns.

The bill creates a bucket, and the Legislature would then have to appropriate the money to fund the program, which is proposed at $250,000 per year.

We set a target of 10 nursing graduates annually to be recruited into rural Idaho, Randall Hudspeth, executive director for the Idaho Center for Nursing, told the committee when he presented the bill Tuesday. Now, it would be nice if we could recruit more, but based on (recent history) in the state, 10 is a realistic target.

About the proposed program Nurses would be eligible for up to $75,000 in student loan repayment assistance over a three-year period. The actual yearly amount could depend on several factors, such as the nurses student loan debt and how many hours a week the nurse devotes to rural health care. While the program would be open to all eligible nurses, Idahoans who graduate from an Idaho nursing school would get priority, according to the legislation.

This is a crisis for rural hospitals

In a recent two-year period, Idaho lost 26% of its rural nursing workforce, Hudspeth told the committee.

That workforce brain drain happened just as a pandemic was flooding Idahos small hospitals, as the Idaho Capital Sun and other news outlets have reported.

In 2020, I identified some concerning trends about the nursing workforce in rural Idaho and the migration of nurses, Hudspeth said.

There were 6,459 registered nurses in rural Idaho in 2018, according to Hudspeth. That number fell to 4,755 by 2020, he said.

Many nurses in rural Idaho were leaving their communities for Boise, the greater Treasure Valley and other metropolitan areas such as Twin Falls, Pocatello and Coeur dAlene. Others quit their jobs for travel nursing, retired, went back to school for advanced degrees or found new careers.

About 46% of all registered nurses in Idaho now live in Boise or the surrounding area, he said.

This is a crisis for rural hospitals. Its also a crisis for long term care agencies and other agencies that employ RNs in the community, and that rely on a resident nursing workforce, Hudspeth told the committee.

What we are more concerned about is that  there are (rural) hospitals without nurses that might close, and what the literature teaches us is that when a hospital closes in a rural community, within 18 months, the providers  mainly the physicians  will leave the community because they dont have a hospital, he said.

Hudspeth: Student loan incentives one mitigation strategy of several

Similar state and federal programs attract more graduates to rural areas, by offering to help pay off or forgive their student loans. The National Health Service Corps is for health care workers who go to shortage areas  all of Idahos rural areas qualify.

There are specific programs that help with student loans for specialists who work in rural Idaho, such as veterinarians or behavioral health clinicians in areas hard-hit by opioids.

The average student loan debt for Idaho nursing school graduates is almost $26,000, Hudspeth told the committee.

The new program would be open to licensed practical nurses and registered nurses.

RNs are the backbone of Idahos hospitals, and LPNs are the backbone of long-term care facilities, but they both work in every health care setting imaginable.

The nurses in the program would have to work in rural areas or in designated critical access hospitals.

CAHs make up more than half of Idahos hospitals; without them, people in those communities would have to fly or drive long distances to get hospital care.

Hudspeth said the plan has support from the Idaho Hospital Association, the Idaho Health Care Association, the Rural Health Association, all of Idahos nursing schools and nursing associations.

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Arent we all tired of elected officials telling us what to do without any understanding of the consequences? Enough is enough. Its time to tell elected officials in Washington State they shouldnt start a trade war with Idahoans  not now, not ever.

The Democrats in charge of the Washington State Legislature are fast tracking a bill that would impose a six-cent-per-gallon tax on all gasoline, diesel and jet fuel destined for Idaho. Rather than looking to their budget surplus or their own constituents to fund needed infrastructure, Democrat Washington lawmakers want us to pay more on the gas we need, just to help them pay their own bills.

In Idaho, we just passed the largest tax cut in state history and are returning $600 million to their rightful ownersthe people of Idaho. Idahoans already pay a variety of taxes  income tax, sales tax, property tax, business tax and more. The taxes we pay in our state provide funds for important things the citizens of Idaho value: schools, roads, law enforcement, first responders. But the state taxes we pay are for Idaho and they are spent on what we decide is best. We shouldnt have to pay taxes to Washington state to help fund their government. Thats not how things work in America.

This first-of-its-kind export tax on fuel will be added to the cost of any fuel that is refined in or travels through Washington to Idaho. Since much of the fuel used in Idaho comes from refineries in Puget Sound  and most of it travels in pipelines through Washington on its way to Idaho  Idahoans can expect to pay more at the pump.

This problem wasnt created by our friends and neighbors in Washington state. Blame this on the Democrat policymakers in that state and their willingness to jam through their agenda without concerns for what this means for our region. This is simply political greed that could very well initiate a trade war with us and other Western states. This isnt how America works  as a matter of fact Im not even sure this ridiculous plan is constitutional. But I do know that its just plain wrong, and I know we will be taking any and all measures to block this taxing scheme. The Idaho Legislature and Governor Little are stepping in right now to tell Washington state NO!

We are all tired of politicians overstepping their authority  and the power to tax is one of the most dangerous. Imposing state taxes on another state is wrong and potentially dangerous to our nation. This taxation without representation scheme coming out of Olympia must be stopped.

Bedke is the Idaho speaker of the house.

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There were no injuries in a house fire Saturday afternoon on Chatham Heights Road, but there was an undetermined amount of damage to the home.

Tones went out around 3 p.m. for a report of a structure fire, and the Martinsville Fire and EMS and the Dyers Store Volunteer Fire Department responded.

The dispatcher indicated a neighbor had noticed smoke coming from the house at 1243 Chatham Heights Road and was concerned the resident of the home might still be inside.

The neighbor tried to go inside and made it partway in, and that was as far as he could go, said Fire Chief Ted Anderson on the scene. We went in and determined that the home was unoccupied at the time, and the woman that lives here has since been located and shes fine.

Anderson said the fire started in the front left corner of the house, and although some of the damage was due to the fire, there was a considerable amount of smoke damage.

We dont know what caused the fire at the point, but well investigate and try to determine how it started, said Anderson.

Two firefighters equipped with airpacks entered through the front door of the house, and the fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes.

According to the Henry County Geographic Information Systems map, the assessed value of the house is $71,400 and is owned by Hogwest Properties of Collinsville.

Chatham Heights Road was closed from Myrtle Road to Banks Road and a fire hydrant about 200 feet from the home at the intersection of Banks Road and Chatham Heights was used to provide water.

Smoke filled the air along Chatham Heights Road as neighbors came out from their homes to see what was happening.

Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at 276-638-8801, Ext. 2360. Follow him @billdwyatt.

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After a hiatus of more than two months, the filing period for the 2022 elections in North Carolina, including those in McDowell County, will resume Thursday morning.

The candidate filing period for North Carolinas 2022 primary elections, as well as rescheduled municipal elections, was suspended by the state Supreme Court in early December of last year. The N.C. Supreme Court also moved the date for the 2022 primary elections to May 17. The general election is Nov. 8.

The filing period will resume at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, and will continue every business day until noon on Friday, March 4. In McDowell, candidates can file to run for office at the county Board of Elections, 2458 N.C. 226 South in Marion.

Candidates who filed before the suspension of the filing period do not need to re-file if they still wish to run for the same office. However, those candidates may withdraw their candidacy during the new filing period and instead file for any other office for which they are eligible. The deadline to withdraw is the close of business on Tuesday, March 1, according to a news release.

Other statewide or district offices may require that the candidate file with the N.C. Board of Elections in Raleigh.

Before the suspension of the filing period, 12 local candidates stepped forward to officially declare their plans to seek elected office in McDowell County. They were:

Ricky Buchanan, 47, of P.O. Box 3026, Marion, filed to run for another term as sheriff of McDowell County. He is a Republican.

Melissa Holland Adams, 52, of 2830 Hankins Road, Marion, also filed to run for another term as the clerk of Superior Court. She is also a Republican.

Brenda Morgan Vaughn, 67, of 897 Bethel Church Road in Marion, filed to run for another term on the McDowell County Board of Commissioners. She is a Republican and is retired from working with the Sheriffs Office.

David Walker, 52, of 160 West Payne Road in Marion, filed to seek another term on the McDowell County Commissioners. He is a Republican and works in finance and real estate.

Tony G. Brown, 66, of 159 Brown Farm Drive in Marion, filed to seek another term on the McDowell County Board of Commissioners. He is also a Republican and is a retired general contractor.

Greg Barksdale, 58, of 19 Woodland Drive, Marion, filed to run for the Marion District seat on the McDowell County Board of Education. The race is nonpartisan. Barksdale is retired from working in state administration.

Randy Branton, 60, of 145 Brewer Drive in Marion, filed as a Democratic challenger for the office of sheriff. He now works with Broughton police under the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Lisa Morgan, 58, of 6379 U.S. 221 South, Marion, filed as a challenger for the Glenwood seat on the Board of Education. The race is nonpartisan.

Dudley Greene, 58, of 87 Nix Creek Church Road, Marion, filed to seek another term in the N.C. House of Representatives, 85th District seat. He is a Republican and retired sheriff of McDowell County.

Lynn Greene, 63, of 5705 Sugar Hill Road, Marion, filed to run for the McDowell County Board of Commissioners. Greene is a Republican and is retired from law enforcement. Even though he is filing as a challenger, he is a former county commissioner.

Eddie Shuford, 65, of 131 Hemlock Hills Estates Drive in Marion, filed as a challenger for the McDowell County Board of Educations Pleasant Gardens seat. He is the industry training director at McDowell Technical Community College.
Word of mouth history has once again been confirmed as a valid part of remembering our past.

This time, it deals with the crude burials of convicts who died while constructing the Mountain Division of the Western North Carolina Railroad. That is the section of track, mostly in McDowell County, between Old Fort and Ridgecrest. It was built between 1875 and 1879 and more than 95% of the workers, most of them Black, came straight from the N.C. Penitentiary in Raleigh.

The work was brutal and the conditions were severe. Some convicts died on the job while pounding a hole through solid rock to create tunnels 15 feet tall. A large piece of rock might fall on someone, or a sledge hammer recoil might connect with a head. After all, it was almost pitch dark because until the tunnel is finished, its just a cave.

Some of the prisoners had been convicted of serious crimes, but others were there for very minor offenses that today would be misdemeanors that dont carry any jail time. Regardless, if they sassed a guard too much or tried to run, they were shot dead.

Others got pneumonia or hypothermia working in below freezing temperatures with little more than a cotton black and white striped shirt. Some of the sick ones died in their bunks, inside the bunkhouse surrounded by a tall stockade.

None of these people who died while working on the railroad were buried in a coffin. They were just placed in a hole, sometimes not very deep. No large stones were placed to mark their final spot.

Word of mouth history, also referred to as oral history, kept this part of the story alive. No official records were kept of the names of those who died, except an occasional paragraph in a regional newspaper might mention the name of a convict who was shot. Through careful research, some have been discovered.

The group of 11 persons who formed the RAIL Memorial Project in July 2020 decided not to stop their work after the respectful memorial was dedicated on Oct. 17, 2021. The memorial, on the grounds of Andrews Geyser near Old Fort, recognizes the huge contribution from the incarcerated laborers who actually did the back-breaking work of clearing the path through the thick woods, cutting the cross ties themselves, pounding seven tunnels through solid rock, clearing out dozens of open cuts (some through rock, some through dirt), and laying the rails.

Marion Mayor Steve Little, one of the 11 people on the memorial committee, found a sketch prepared in 1879 showing the approximate location of one of the bunkhouse stockades. He concluded that convicts who died from illness likely would have been crudely buried not far from that stockade, in the vicinity of Round Knob, which is where Andrews Geyser is located.

Another burial site of up to 19 convicts  according to oral history  is just outside the western end of the Swannanoa Tunnel, at Ridgecrest. Oral history maintains that a short portion of that tunnel caved-in on March 11, 1879, just hours after the two crews working from opposite sides had met in the middle, crushing 19 convicts and one guard.

Betty May, a long-time former resident of Ridgecrest, had spoken to Little in around 2010 about what her parents had referred to as the convict cemetery patch near the tunnel. She and her husband and parents used to go on evening walks and would go by the spot, which for many years was identified with flat rocks laid on the ground.

Rhododendron had slowly spread and concealed the area until a new resident to the community found the rocks in the 1990s. Not knowing their significance, he removed them to make a border for a flower bed in his nearby yard. But \May remembered exactly where the convict cemetery was located and she showed it to Little.

Anne Chesky Smith, executive director of the Western North Carolina Historical Association and also a member of the 11-person RAIL committee, had done a great deal of research in old census records to seek out names of the convicts. She was also extremely interested in trying to locate the burial sites of some of the convicts who built the railroad.

Smith contacted Blair Tormey, professor of geosciences at Western Carolina University, to discuss the possibility of using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to locate the burial sites.

Tormey suggested the best plan would be to arrange for human remains detection canines  sometimes called cadaver dogs  to explore the areas before taking the GPR equipment out on the mountain.

Paul Martin, a WCU graduate, is perhaps the most authoritative source and most widely sought authority on human remains detection canines. He is a trainer and handler of these cadaver dogs and specializes in archaeological surveys that employ these dogs in conjunction with geophysical surveying tools such as ground-penetrating radar.

The RAIL Memorial Project committee arranged for Martin, his assistant Dari Sharp and his dog, Abby, to explore the sites the committee had chosen. During the weekend of Feb. 4-6, about a dozen observers watched in silent awe as Martin and Sharp (wearing a GPS backpack receiver antenna) gave free reign to Abby. Little pointed out the areas that the owners had given permission for the search to take place. The dog walked and sniffed, having been trained to respond only to the smells unique to human decomposition.

Abby can detect these smells from burial sites as old as 1,000 years. After about an hour, her pace slowed dramatically and she stopped and sniffed intently at several places. There was an almost audible gasp when Abby sat, her sign to indicate she had detected the chemicals released by the decomposition of human remains. She sat almost a dozen times in the vicinity of Andrews Geyser, some on the Friday and more on a return visit Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday, the sun was out but the temperature was extremely cold. The start of Abbys sniffing exploration in the convict cemetery area identified by May could not start until the temperature reached above freezing. The wait was worth it, as Abby sat several times.

When Abby sits, it does not mean she is directly on top of a buried convict. All humans produce the same decomposition smell. Abby sniffing out and sitting means she has found the smell of a burial site where there was not a coffin. There is no absolute certainty that the human buried there was a convict, but the facts and circumstances strongly indicate that nobody else probably would be buried in that spot.

McDowell County resident Joe Denny, independently of the RAIL group, located several spots of sunken in land, about the size where a person would be buried, in the woods not far from the railroad tracks. Denny has hiked and explored the mountains extensively over the years and reached out to Dan Pierce, chairman of the RAIL group and history professor at UNC Asheville, to let him know about them.

The RAIL group requested permission from Norfolk Southern Railway for the human remains detection dog to sniff these several spots that are owned (either outright or by easement) by the railway. The request explained that no digging or probing would take place. Not even a rake would be used to move any leaves. There would only be sniffing by a trained dog.

Norfolk Southern denied the request, informing the RAIL group that no one could come onto railroad property. As a result, the spots identified by Denny could not be explored. The RAIL group will work with Norfolk Southern to seek permission for a future date.

One of the observers of Abbys olfactory exploration was Cat Warren, professor emeritus at N.C. State University and author of What The Dog Knows, a New York Times best-selling book that explains the fascinating abilities of dogs to find burial sites. Warren is also an experienced human remains detection dog trainer and handler.

John Boyle, reporter for The Asheville Citizen-Times and newspaper photographer Maya Carter; as well as Tim Boyum, Emmy-nominated reporter for Spectrum News and cameraman John Stampf; and Warren Wilson College professor Jeffrey A. Keith were also among the witnesses of this unique weekend. Keith is collaborating on academic research about the value of oral history.

The success of these human remains detection searches is a tribute to the power of oral tradition. While stories passed down over the generations can be very suspect, they can also be of great use to historians.

The RAIL Memorial Project team are extremely grateful to May for sharing her memories with Little, as we would have never searched the Ridgecrest site without her local knowledge.

There is more work to be done, and we encourage people to help the RAIL team by making contributions to the efforts. Contributions can be made online at therailproject.org/. Just scroll to the bottom of the homepage and hit the DONATE button.

Pierces 96-year-old mother recently told him: You know we cant bring justice to these people, but we owe it to them to preserve and honor their memory. Thats the least we can do.

McDowell County residents who are members of the RAIL Memorial Project group, in addition to Little, are retired McDowell Tech executive Ray McKesson, UNCA archivist Ashley McGee Whittle, Mountain Gateway Museum Director RoAnn Bishop, Old Fort Police Chief and Alderman Melvin Lytle, and business executive Stephanie Swepson-Twitty.
Moroccos efforts in the fight against extremism and the promotion of the values of tolerance were highlighted during a Euro-Mediterranean forum on the fight against extremism, held in Amman.

The Moroccan delegation participating in this event shed light on the efforts made by the Kingdom in the area of the fight against extremism, in particular through the supervision of the religious field, based on moderation, the training of imams, the creation of meeting spaces between the different actors, as well as cooperation with a view to creating a platform for the promotion of the values of tolerance, peace and cohabitation.

During this forum, held under the theme Young people against extremism, the Moroccan delegation highlighted the cultural diversity enjoyed by Morocco under the enlightened leadership of King Mohammed VI.

In addition to Morocco, delegations representing Portugal, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Tunisia, Jordan and Palestine took part in the forum, organized with the support of the European Commission.

The event was marked by several workshops on various topics related to the empowerment of young people as a means of combating extremism, as well as the strengthening of the values of tolerance and solidarity.

The participants particularly insisted on the involvement of young people in the development of policies and programs and on the need to combine the efforts of governments and civil society to promote dialogue, within the framework of respect for human rights.

Moroccos participation in this Forum is part of the consolidation of relations between Moroccan and Jordanian civil societies, joint action at the regional level with a view to achieving peace, as well as coordination in the fight against violent extremism through a range of initiatives, said Naoufal El Hammoumi, member of the Global Council of Trustees, which is the governing body of the United Religions Initiative (URI).

For his part, Abdelmoula Idrissi Bouzidi, member of the Forum of young Moroccans for cultural and scientific exchange, underlined the role of youth in intellectual and cultural exchange, the promotion of the spirit of tolerance between countries, as well as the eradication of the phenomenon of extremism.

This meeting is of great importance for Moroccan youth because it allows them to present their country and its culture to the other participating countries, added Mr. Bouzidi.

For his part, Achouak Chalkha, a member of the Center for Hispanic and Lusophone Studies at the Mohammed V University in Rabat, noted that the event was an opportunity for young people to discuss violent extremism and ways to confront this phenomenon which leads to terrorism.

The Moroccan delegation also took part in the Interfaith Harmony Week instituted by the United Nations in 2010 at the request of King Abdullah II of Jordan, and which has become a world week of coexistence and tolerance between religions.
Kuwait Airways has increased the number of planes it plans to purchase from Airbus to 31 from 28, the chairman of the company told, Zawya reports.

Maan Razoq told a news conference in Kuwait City the order includes nine Airbus A320neo, six A321neo, three A321neo LR, four A330-800neo, seven A330-900neo and two A350-900.

The order is estimated at $3 billion.

In November Razoq, Zawya notes, told Reuters that the airline was seeking aircraft capable of operating longer, non-stop flights so it could expand in Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia and North America.
Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry, Orna Barbivai, who arrived in Morocco Sunday for a three-day visit held, this Monday, February 21 in Rabat, a meeting with Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour that highlighted by the signing of an economic cooperation deal aiming at facilitating investments in key industrial and innovative fields.

The agreement, which is part of the implementation of the joint declaration signed on December 22, 2020, when the two sides agreed to resume diplomatic ties, launch direct flights and boost trade, aims, among other things, at creating qualified industrial zones in Morocco and thus making it possible to concretize the tripartite Morocco-Israel-United States cooperation, in the field of trade and investment and to facilitate the direct access of goods produced in these zones to the American market.

Mezzour said the deal will open prospects for trade and for investments in key industries in Morocco, citing in particular renewable energies and water management technologies as well as the automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, textile and agri-food industries.

It also provides for holding regular joint business committees to encourage investors, notably in innovative and highly technological fields, and for participation in trade fairs and economic conventions to be held in both countries, Mezzour told the press.

For her part, the Israeli minister said trade between the two countries is set to grow from 131 million dollars to 500 million dollars at least. According to Israeli figures, Morocco runs a surplus in its trade with Israel of $70 million.

The two sides agreed to hold the first session of the joint committee provided for in the Cooperation Agreement and to organize a Forum of businessmen..

Barbivai held talks earlier with finance and economy minister Nadia Fettah Alaoui on future cooperation in the fields of customs, investment promotion and double taxation.

She reaffirmed the will of the Israeli government to build a foundation of strategic partnership with the Kingdom capable of boosting a constructive and lasting dynamic in economic relations between the two countries.

Cooperation between the two countries is very natural, given the history, human relations and culture that bind them, she said.

Orna Barbivais visit to Morocco is the third by an Israeli minister, after the visits of the foreign and defense ministers, since the normalization of relations between the two countries.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday officially launched power generation at the controversial multi-billion dollar Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.

Accompanied by many senior officials, Abiy Ahmed toured the power plant and clicked a series of switches on an electronic screen to start production, officials said.

This great dam was built by Ethiopians, but for the benefit of all Africans, for all our African brothers and sisters to enjoy, said a senior official attending the inauguration.

The Gerd (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) is, since the launch of the project in 2011, a dispute with Sudan and Egypt, both dependent on the Nile for their water resources.

Cairo invokes a historic right over the river, guaranteed since a treaty signed in 1929 between Egypt and Sudan, then represented by the United Kingdom, a colonial power. Egypt had obtained a right of veto on the construction of projects on the river.

In 1959, after an agreement with Khartoum on water sharing, Egypt was allocated a quota of 66% of the annual flow of the Nile, against 22% for Sudan.

Ethiopia was not a party to these agreements and never considered itself bound by them. In 2010, a new treaty signed by the Nile Basin countries, despite opposition from Egypt and Sudan, removed the Egyptian veto and authorized irrigation and hydroelectric dam projects.

Located on the Blue Nile, about 30 kilometers from the Sudanese border, the Grand Renaissance Dam is 1.8 kilometers long and 145 meters high.

According to the Ethiopian state media, the initial production of the GDR is around 375 MW with the commissioning of a first turbine. The initial production target was 6,500 megawatts and was revised downwards to 5,000 MW, for a total estimated cost of 4.2 billion dollars (3.7 billion euros).
The president of the Constitutional Council of Burkina Faso, Kassoum Kambou, aged 66, died Saturday in Paris where he had been evacuated for medical treatment, announced the Presidency of Faso in a statement.

The President of Burkina Faso, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, deeply regrets to inform the public opinion of the death this Saturday in Paris in France of Mr. Kassoum Kambou President of the Constitutional Council as a result of illness, said the statement.

Hospitalized for several days in Ouagadougou, he had been evacuated on Friday night to France for better care, said a member of his entourage.

President of the Constitutional Council since February 2015, Mr. Kambou had not been able to preside on Wednesday over the swearing-in ceremony as president of Mr. Damiba, who took power on January 24 in a coup that overthrew elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

Kambou was the third president of the state court, which was created by the breakup of the Supreme Court in 2000.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, re-elected a week ago for a second term, is making an official trip from Sunday evening until Wednesday in Senegal. The Head of state is accompanied by a delegation of economic and cultural leaders for this visit dedicated beyond the host country to the region.

This is the second time that a German president has visited Senegal and it is the first foreign trip of Frank-Walter Steinmeier since his re-election a week ago. The head of state has a very busy schedule for these three days.

He will meet with President Macky Sall and the President of the National Assembly on Monday. The situation in Senegal but also in the region will be on the agenda of discussions. A meeting with personalities of the civil society is also planned.

On Tuesday, Frank-Walter Steinmeier will meet with experts on the Sahel and particularly on Mali. After the announced departure of French troops, the presence of the Bundeswehr is being discussed. In Bargny, the German President will meet with German soldiers on site specialized in the defense against explosives and ammunition.

This visit also has an economic dimension with a German delegation that will meet with Senegalese officials. During a visit to the Pasteur Institute in Dakar on Tuesday, the future vaccine production site will be discussed with the German company BioNTech. On Monday, Frank-Walter Steinmeier will lay the foundation stone of the new Goethe Institute in Dakar, built with African materials by the Burkinabe architect Francis Kere, who lives in Germany.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

As of July 2021, a total of 83.6 million Americans were insured through either Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program.

That's almost 1 in 4 Americans, with 76.7 million insured through Medicaid and 6.9 million through CHIP. Both public health insurance programs are funded jointly by the federal and state governments. Medicaid provides health insurance for low-income people, most of whom are 64 or younger.

CHIP provides health coverage to kids and pregnant women whose families have low incomes but make too much to qualify for Medicaid.

Affordable Care Act's impact

Before states began to expand Medicaid in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act, the program was much smaller, covering around 55 million people in 2013.

So far, 38 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid access, with financial support from the federal government.

Prior to the ACA, most states were more restrictive about who could enroll in Medicaid, a program launched following the enactment of landmark legislation President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law in 1965. After the ACA, the federal government began to shoulder more of the program's costs, footing at least 90% of the bill for new enrollees covered through the program's expansion.

Today, all adults in Medicaid expansion states who are under 65 with annual incomes less than 138% of the federal poverty line are eligible for Medicaid. In 2022, that means someone who is single without dependents and has an income of $18,754 or less qualifies, as does a family of four earning up to $38,295.

Eligibility rules in nonexpansion states vary widely and exclude more low-income people.

CHIP was signed into law in 1997. Like the Medicaid expansion it was optional, yet it was adopted in all states within three years, by 2000.

Unfortunately, 4.3 million children remain uninsured, many of whom are in poverty, live in a nonexpansion state or a state with stricter income eligibility standards for CHIP.

Even when children are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, they may not be enrolled in the program due to their parents' lack of awareness or their state's lack of outreach.

The pace of Medicaid expansion since 2014 has been far slower than the CHIP rollout. Twelve states have yet to opt in, as of February 2022, though the expansion debate continues.

And yet Medicaid's sharp enrollment growth has reduced the share of uninsured people.

Fewer uninsured Americans

About 91.4% of Americans had public or private health coverage for at least part of 2020, leaving an estimated 28 million Americans without any health insurance, according to the Census Bureau. In 2013, only 86.7% of the country was insured.

Our state, Missouri, expanded Medicaid on Oct. 1, 2021. The state estimates that as many as 275,000 people are newly eligible, though only about 64,000 enrolled in the first five months. Oklahoma expanded Medicaid in July 2021, enrolling more than 200,000 in its first few months. South Dakota may be next: its voters will decide whether to expand Medicaid in November 2022.

Of the 28.6 million Americans who have enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP since the ACA was rolled out, about 60% obtained coverage prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Response to the COVID-19 pandemic

In March 2020, the federal government responded to what it correctly anticipated as the sharp growth of Medicaid and CHIP coverage.

At the time, an unemployment surge was stripping millions of workers of their economic stability, including health insurance coverage. Medicaid enrollments tend to rise during bad economic times, as people become eligible due to lower incomes. The pandemic was no different, particularly in 2020.

What's different this time is that states, which administer Medicaid and CHIP, haven't been allowed to kick anyone out of the program during this periodeven if they would have lost eligibility due to higher earnings.

This restriction will continue as long as the federal government public health emergency declaration remains in effect. To help states with that increased financial burden, the federal government increased its share of Medicaid payments to states.

In January 2022, the Biden administration renewed the public health emergency for another three months. The emergency declaration is scheduled to expire on April 16.

Soon after this measure expires, millions who have been covered by Medicaid but now make too much money to qualify could lose their eligibility, particularly if they live in states that have not yet expanded Medicaid.

But it's not clear whether the number of Americans enrolled in these programs will decline sharply. In part, that's because more people are getting access to Medicaid for the first time due to their states' participation in its expansion.

Explore further Medicaid enrollment reaches record high during pandemic

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Britain's Prime Minister leaves 10 Downing Street, London, Monday Feb. 21, 2022, to head to the House of Commons. Credit: Yui Mok/PA via AP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scrapping the last domestic coronavirus restrictions in England, including the requirement for people with COVID-19 to self-isolate, even as he acknowledged Monday the potential for new and more deadly variants of the virus.

Johnson told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the country was "moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility" as part of a plan for treating COVID-19 like other transmissible illnesses such as flu.

He said it marked an end to "two of the darkest, grimmest years in our peacetime history."

"Today is not the day we can declare victory over COVID, because this virus is not going away," Johnson said at a televised news conference. "But it is the day when all the efforts of the last two years finally enabled us to protect ourselves whilst restoring our liberties in full."

Johnson confirmed that mandatory self-isolation for people with COVID-19 will end starting Thursday and the routine tracing of infected people's contacts will stop. People will still be advised to stay home if they are sickbut will no longer get extra financial support.

Monday's announcement applies only to England, which is home to 56 million of the U.K.'s 67 million people. It leaves England with fewer restrictions than most other European countries, with the exception of Denmark.

Many people in England who think they have COVID-19 may now never know for sure. Starting April 1, lab-confirmed PCR tests for the virus will be available free only to older people and the immune-compromised. The government will also stop offering the public free rapid virus tests, though they will be available for purchase.

Yet the government stressed that the pandemic isn't over and the virus could still spring nasty surprises. Johnson said scientists were "certain there will be new variants and it is very possible they will be worse than omicron," the currently dominant strain.

Johnson said the fact that Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday was a reminder that this virus was still prevalent. Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old monarch was experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms.

The government plan foresees keeping the virus in check with vaccines and treatments. Everyone 75 and older will be offered a fourth vaccine dose, along with those 12 and up who have conditions that make them vulnerable to severe disease.

Some scientists said removing all restrictions was a risky move that could bring a surge in infections and weaken the country's defenses against more virulent future strains.

A man wearing a face mask to curb the spread of coronavirus walks past a health campaign poster from the One NGO, in an underpass leading to Westminster underground train station, in London, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. Scientists are warning the British government not to weaken the country's ability to monitor and track the coronavirus when Prime Minister Boris Johnson ends the requirement for people in England to self-isolate if they contract COVID-19. Johnson will announce details in Parliament on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022 of the government's plan for "living with COVID." Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File

The government insisted it would retain a strong surveillance system, including the Infection Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics, which is considered invaluable because it tests people whether or not they have symptoms. It said it also will keep the ability to ramp up testing if needed.

Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, said prevalence of the virus was still "very high" and urged people to continue to self-isolate if they had COVID-19.

"People should still, if they have COVID, try to prevent other people getting it, and that means self-isolating," he said.

The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said the government's "half-baked" approach would leave Britain vulnerable.

"'Ignorance is bliss' is not a responsible approach to a deadly virus," Starmer said.

Johnson's Conservative government lifted most virus restrictions in January, scrapping vaccine passports for venues and ending mask mandates in most settings apart from hospitals in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which set their own public health rules, also have opened up, although more slowly.

A combination of high vaccination rates in the U.K. and the milder omicron variant meant that easing restrictions last month didn't lead to a surge in hospitalizations and deaths. Both are falling, though the U.K. still has Europe's highest coronavirus toll after Russia, with more than 161,000 recorded deaths.

In Britain, 85% of people age 12 and up have had two vaccine doses and almost two-thirds have had a third booster shot.

Monday's announcement was cheered by many Conservative Party lawmakers, who argue that the restrictions were inefficient and disproportionate. It couldand critics say was designed toshore up Johnson's position among party lawmakers, who have been mulling an attempt to oust him over scandals including lockdown-breaching government parties during the pandemic.

But some scientists expressed alarm, saying that ending support for people to test and isolate would hit poor people the hardest.

"Today's announcement is not a plan for living with COVID, it is a plan for reducing spending on testing and cutting support for people who have or may have COVID," said Trish Greenhalgh, professor of primary care health services at the University of Oxford.

"Learning to live with COVID does not mean pretending it isn't highly prevalent or pretending the virus is no longer dangerous," she noted.

Explore further Scientists cautious as England set to end COVID curbs

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

High school junior Nicolas Montero stays busy. He runs track, works night and weekend shifts at Burger King, and keeps on top of his schoolwork at Neshaminy High School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

But Nicolas' packed schedule is also strategic: It's a way to stay out of the house.

Nicolas and his parents are separated by a widening political and cultural rift: His parents are a part of a small but vocal minority who oppose COVID-19 vaccinations and have refused to let him get the shots.

"The thing about these beliefs is that they alternate by the day," said Nicolas, who is 16. "It's not one solid thing that they're going with, so it's just really baseless. It's like one thing they see on Facebook, and then they completely believe it."

The impasse eventually led to an act of quiet defiance: Nicolas traveled to Philadelphia, where a little-known regulation permits children 11 and older to be vaccinated without parental consent.

Not all states require parental consent for vaccination. In Oregon, teens 15 and up can consent to their own medical care, including inoculations. Rhode Island and South Carolina allow 16-year-olds to get COVID-19 vaccinations on their own. In Delaware, you need to be only 12 to get vaccines related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

That's the case as well in California, for those 12 or older who would like to get vaccines for STIs. But now California state lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow those minors to consent to all Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines, including the COVID vaccines.

In Alabama, the law tightened during the pandemic. Though the age of consent for all other medical care is 14, a new law says Alabama youths under 19 need parental consent for COVID vaccines.

A November 2021 KFF poll found that 30% of parents with 12- to 17-year-olds said they will definitely not get their children vaccinated. In light of this, two National Institutes of Health scholars wrote a piece in The New England Journal of Medicine advocating for states to expand their statutes to include COVID vaccines as a medical treatment to which minors can consent.

A House Divided

Nicolas said he thinks most of his parents' beliefs about the vaccine come from social media.

"I try to explain to them that the vaccines are safe. They're effective," Nicolas said. "I try to explain that we know people that have been vaccinated, even our own family members who've been vaccinated for months and experienced no side effects. But nothing seems to get through to them."

Nicolas' parents did not respond to multiple attempts by WHYY News to speak to them for this article.

Though he found a way to change his own situation, Nicolas worried about teens who can't travel to a place where the laws are different. "I know that this is something that teenagers all across the country are experiencing right now," Nicolas said.

So he penned an op-ed in his high school paper, The Playwickian, advocating for the age of consent for vaccines in Pennsylvania to be lowered to 14.

Last summer, after school let out, he didn't need to be in the suburbs to go to class, so he asked his aunts if he could visit them in Philadelphia.

"He gets to roam the city, get the city life. He loves that," said Nicolas' aunt Brittany Kissling, who lives in Philly's Port Richmond neighborhood. "The kid did not want to leave."

A week turned into the entire summer.

While Nicolas was staying in Philadelphia, bouncing between his two aunts' houses, his friends were getting their first COVID shots. He was worried he might get sick. Worse, he was concerned he might transmit a coronavirus infection to his elderly grandmother.

"My abuela, she's completely vaccinated, boosted and everything," said Nicolas. But he said he was still worried he could transmit a breakthrough infection.

So he started doing some research. And he found the handful of states that allow teens to get vaccines without parental consent.

To his surprise, Nicolas discovered that a bill to change the law in Pennsylvania had been introduced in the state House of Representatives. If the measure were to become law, it would mean that anyone 14 and older could give informed consent to be vaccinated for any vaccine recommended by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

As his research deepened, he learned that not only was it possible for minors to get vaccinated without parental consent in other states, it was legal in Philadelphia.

In 2007, the city's Board of Health passed a regulation that allows any minor who's at least 11 to get vaccinated without a parent, provided the young person can give informed consent.

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said the regulation is designed to remove any additional barriers to vaccination.

"It can be very difficult, especially for lower-income parents, to get time off work to go to those appointments," Bettigole said. "These are low-risk interventions. It just makes it easier for parents and families to be able to make sure their kids are vaccinated."

The regulation took effect the year after the FDA approved a three-shot regimen of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for young people, recommended in the years before they become sexually active.

It is common for states and municipalities to create specific legislation for minors with the aim of increasing access to vaccines that prevent sexually transmitted infections, said Brian Dean Abramson, an author and adjunct professor of vaccine law at Florida International University College of Law.

"The rationale behind this was that you may have children who are being abused and don't want their parents necessarily to be informed of the fact they're seeking medical interventions for that, or children who may be sexually active and are afraid that their parents will react very negatively to that if they seek some kind of medical treatment," Abramson said.

In turn, said Abramson, those policies have laid the groundwork for children to get vaccinated in the event of a disagreement like the one between Nicolas and his parents.

Practicing Self-Care

Nicolas was thrilled to learn of Philadelphia's regulation. One summer afternoon while his aunt was at work, Nicolas found a Philadelphia pop-up clinic offering vaccines. He was anxious on his bus ride therenot about needles or side effects, but that his parents would somehow catch him and prevent him from getting his second shot.

He knew his aunts would support his being vaccinatedboth of them had been, and Kissling manages a pediatrics office. But he was worried that if his aunts knew, word would get back to his parents. So, he didn't tell them ahead of time.

He returned to Bucks County for the start of the school year and arranged for a weekend visit in early September to see his aunts and grandmother again. He planned the trip just in time for his second dose.

"I did feel really liberated when I got my second shot," Nicolas said. "I felt like I was protected."

After that second shot, Nicolas told his aunts he had gotten vaccinated; they were amazed.

"He was so proud," recalled Kissling. "He had his card, and we were like, 'Wait, when did this happen? How did this happen?'"

Just before Thanksgiving, Nicolas' parents found out. They reacted the way Nicolas and his aunts worried they would: Kissling said Nicolas' mother accused her sisters of influencing him and of being neglectful enough to allow him to get vaccinated. The tension has grown to the point where Nicolas says he can't even speak to his parents.

Kissling said her family rarely discussed politics until recently. Now, she said, it's hard for the whole family to spend time together. She has left in the middle of dinners to drive home to Philadelphia because the discussion got so heated. She's not expecting a resolution anytime soonher family is one that's more likely to sweep conflict under the rug than resolve it, she said.

"Now, there's a divide," said Kissling. "It's sad because, at the end of the day, family should be family."

To cope with the tension at home, Nicolas has doubled down on his extracurriculars: He's learning to pole-vault for the track team. He joined the school paper, on top of taking part in environmental and language clubs.

Each evening after school, he lays claim to one of the private rooms at the public library, where he spreads out his books across a small desk and diligently does his homework. Recently, he was working on a paper about the history of U.S. involvement in Puerto Rico, where his grandmother is from. He was thumbing through a thick book on the Puerto Rican independence movement, marked with dozens of sticky notes every few pages.

"When I started reading this book, like almost every single page, my mouth is just wide open," Nicolas said. "Like, I couldn't believe that these things happened to my people."

He hopes to visit the island one day, and his grandmother is teaching him to cook Puerto Rican dishes in the meantime. They can now spend time together without him worrying as much that he might infect her.

Nicolas has ambitions to go to college in Washington, D.C. From there, he said, he wants to go to law school.

Kissling said she's inspired by her nephew's independence. But she knows he's still a kid who needs support and guidance. That's why she tries to stay in touch with him every day: texting, joking, asking him what he wanted for Christmas. (She expected AirPods or Amazon gift cards. Instead, he sent her a wish list of more history books about Puerto Rico.)

"He plays it off with a smile, and he laughs about it, and he said, 'Aunt Britt, it's just giving me more motivation to do what I need to do and get where I want to get,'" Kissling said of her nephew's fraught relationship with his parents. "But, deep down, I know it has to affect him. I'm 34. It would affect me."

2022 Kaiser Health News.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Parents hoping to get their young children vaccinated for COVID-19 will have to wait at least another two months. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently postponed a decision on an emergency use authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for kids 6 months to 4 years old. The FDA is waiting on additional data, which are expected in early April.

In October 2021, the FDA approved COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5 to 11, but Mayo Clinic experts say the number of those children getting vaccinated is still low.

"We still have low uptake among the children ages 5 to 11 who are school-age children and around lots of other people who may not be vaccinated. The uptake nationally in them is like low 20% for that age group," says Dr. Melanie Swift, a Mayo Clinic internist and preventive medicine specialist.

Children are as likely as adults to be infected with COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kids can get sick from COVID-19 and develop serious long-term health complications, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. The CDC says children 5-11 who are vaccinated for COVID-19 are also less likely to spread the disease to others, including at home or school.

"These vaccines are incredibly safe. They're very effective at preventing infection in those kids. And the kids do, unfortunately, transmit to eldersyou know, the grandparents who desperately want to be with those kids again. So I would make a plea for parents to go ahead and get their children vaccinated if they're old enough," says Dr. Swift.

Since COVID-19 vaccines became available to children 5-11, more than 8,300 kids in that age group have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and nearly 100 have died from the disease, according to the CDC.

Explore further How the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting kids

2022 Mayo Clinic News Network.

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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Add one feature to the technological Swiss army knife that is your smartphone: the ability to deliver doses of insulin.

The Food and Drug Administration cleared the first app for iPhone and Android devices capable of giving diabetes patients doses of insulin.

In a statement, Tandem Diabetes Care confirmed its t:connect mobile app, which pairs with the company's t:slim X2 insulin pump, will allow diabetic users to administer a dose of insulin directly through their smartphone.

The feature is used for bolus insulin dosing, said the company. According to the nonprofit organization Beyond Type 1, bolus insulin is a type of insulin taken to prevent glucose spikes after meals.

"This FDA clearance further validates our commitment to innovation and the diabetes community by providing one of the most requested feature enhancements," said John Sheridan, president and CEO of Tandem Diabetes Care.

The FDA-cleared feature will be available for free through a software update. The company did not say when the feature will launch.

Explore further Walmart to offer low-priced insulin

2022 USA Today

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(HealthDay)When you break out in hives, you want relief fast.

This common skin reaction is characterized by itchy bumps or raised, swollen patches. Fortunately, hives are usually harmless and short-lived, a Chicago dermatologist says.

"A single hive tends to last for a few minutes to a few hours. Most hives clear within 24 hours," Dr. Danilo Del Campo said in an American Academy of Dermatology news release.

Several factors, including sunlight, stress and an allergic reaction to food or medicine, can cause hives, also known as urticaria.

While anyone can get hives, Black women, people who have eczema, and smokers are at increased risk.

If you have darker skin, hives are often the same color or slightly darker or lighter. If you have lighter skin, hives will appear red or pink.

Del Campo offered these tips to get relief from hives:

Ease itchiness with a cool, damp washcloth, anti-itch cream or lotion, or colloidal oatmeal baths.

Try not to scratch, which irritates your skin more. Keeping fingernails short can reduce scratching.

Bathe in warm water. Don't rub the itchy skin with a washcloth, loofah or mesh sponge. It's best to apply soap or cleanser by gently putting it on your skin with your hands.

Use fragrance-free cleanser rather than an unscented one. An unscented product contains fragrance that's been covered up so that you cannot smell it. Because an unscented product contains fragrance, it can still irritate your skin.

Wearing loose-fitting, 100% cotton clothing can reduce the irritation on your skin.

If you often get hives or they last a long time, keep track in a journal. This can help you identify what's triggering your hives, so you can take steps to prevent them.

"If your hives don't clear after following these tips, talk to a board-certified dermatologist," Del Campo said.

Get immediate medical care or go to the nearest emergency room if you have hives along with any of the following: problems swallowing, feeling light-headed or faint, have swelling in your mouth or throat, a racing heart or shortness of breath or trouble breathing.

Explore further Dermatologist tips for managing dry, cracked heels in winter weather

More information: For more on hives, go to the For more on hives, go to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Copyright  2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Simulation on a network of numbers of susceptible (S), infected (I) and recovered (R) from a pandemic and its variant (I', R') over time. At t=21, a variant was added. Credit: DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04520-0

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have performed numerical simulations based on network theory which show how numbers of infections in a pandemic change when a new variant emerges. They found a non-linear dependence between how infectious the new variant is compared to the existing one, an effect not seen in previous work. Their model may be applied to understand real pandemics such as COVID-19 and inform control measures.

Ever since it began to spread in late 2019, COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on people's lives. With wave after wave of new variants continuing to wreak havoc around the world, scientists have been looking for ways to understand how the disease spreads. In particular, there is the issue of how new variants appear, spread, and end up displacing the existing strain. Understanding the dynamics of variants in a population is vital to controlling their spread.

A classic framework for modeling pandemic dynamics is the "compartmental" SIR model, looking at the numbers of susceptible (S), infected (I) and recovered (R) members of a population. The numbers are related by equations and solved, giving many of the salient features of how a disease spreads; the pandemic spreads rapidly before slowing down as the number of susceptible cases decreases and more patients recover. However, the model cannot account for the varied nature of the population, i.e., a given infected individual does not have an equal probability of infecting all others, and the number of contacts that people have can vary greatly from one person to another. Any model that tries to capture pandemic dynamics and get to grips with where and how it spreads needs to use a more sophisticated model.

Contrary to conventional models, the number of individuals who experienced infection does not scale linearly with how much more infectious a variant is compared to the existing strain. Credit: DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04520-0

That's why Emeritus Professor Yutaka Okabe and Professor Akira Shudo from Tokyo Metropolitan University have turned to network theory, a mathematical framework that captures how members of a population connect to others. Using different types of networks, they were able to create a more realistic model for how an infectious disease might spread. Key features included dynamic absorbing states, states in which the network can get stuck in over time, e.g., a state with no infected people. With a few infections and low infectivity, the network would collapse back to the infection-free state.

The team performed numerical simulation of the microscopic model on the network; in the middle of a simulation of infectious disease, they added a variant that is more transmissible than the original strain. Looking at the numbers, the team found that a variant with the same infectivity as the existing strain in fact fails to take off at all. This is a direct result of the non-linear nature of the simulation, as the network collapses back to an absorbing state with no infections. As the infectivity of the new variant is ramped up, the population becomes more likely to become infected with the variant as opposed to the existing strain, increasing the rate for the new strain at the expense of the old one. The non-linear nature of how the infection numbers increase with the variant infectivity is a product of the microscopic nature of the network model, giving a more detailed, nuanced picture than before.

The team hopes that their model may be used to form effective strategies to contain infectious diseases, looking at points of significant connectivity in the network and understanding how their isolation affects overall infections. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, fundamental studies of how diseases spread are a vital piece in informed decision making aimed at bringing normal life back to society.

More information: Yutaka Okabe et al, Spread of variants of epidemic disease based on the microscopic numerical simulations on networks, Scientific Reports (2022). Journal information: Scientific Reports Yutaka Okabe et al, Spread of variants of epidemic disease based on the microscopic numerical simulations on networks,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04520-0

Provided by Tokyo Metropolitan University
Measures with the potential to mitigate airborne transmission include respirator-grade masks, ventilation, filtration, bathroom exhaust fans and upper-room ultraviolet disinfection. Credit: Shutterstock

Forty percent of COVID-19 deaths in Ontario have taken place in long-term care homes. Chronic and in some cases devastating outbreaks have also been reported in shelters, detention centres and group homes for adults with disabilities. Residents and workers have died, and thousands more have been infected.

In these group facilities, termed "congregate settings" in Ontario, people eat together, and bedrooms and bathrooms are often shared. Because of this, they are very high-risk for acquiring airborne diseases.

It is imperative that congregate settings receive the best, most rigorous guidance available from Public Health Ontario (PHO). But that is not what is happening. A key aspect of infection prevention and controlindoor air qualityhas been omitted from PHO's public, written COVID-19 guidance specifically designed for these types of facilities.

Sub-standard guidance for congregate settings

Our team, which includes researchers with expertise in indoor air quality, engineering, epidemiology, public health and knowledge translation, conducted a detailed study of the public, written guidance PHO has produced specifically for institutions such as long-term care homes, shelters, group homes and correctional facilities. (The study is shared here as a pre-print, and has been submitted to a journal for peer review.)

We found no references to ventilation, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems, portable air filters, bathroom exhaust fans or even opening windows. This includes PHO's COVID-19 checklists for long-term care homes and congregate settings, which target those who are responsible for facility health and safety.

While our formal study concluded at the end of October 2021, we've continued to explore guidance on PHO's website. Even as outbreaks continue in facilities such as long-term care homes and shelters, nothing much has changed, almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic.

The precautionary principle

The 2003 SARS outbreak killed 44 people in Ontario. In his 2006 report for the SARS Commission, Judge Archie Campbell emphasized one central point: Ontario's public health and health-care systems should respond to disease outbreaks using the precautionary principle.

The precautionary principle means erring on the side of caution. If you're not sure a safety measure is necessary, take it anyway, especially if it could save lives. In particular, Campbell pleaded with decision-makers to apply the precautionary principle in the face of potential airborne transmission of a novel respiratory disease.

In 2008, PHO (then called the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion) was established, in part to ensure that Ontario would be prepared for future pandemics. PHO is mandated by provincial legislation to provide scientific and technical advice in the face of infectious disease outbreaks. It is also tasked with "evaluating the modes of transmission of febrile respiratory illnesses."

In other words, PHO is responsible for figuring out how respiratory viruses spread, and helping the province address transmission. The legislation that created PHO also specifically tasks it with contributing "to efforts to reduce health inequities."

Airborne transmission

Fast forward almost 15 years to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since mid-2020, physicians, scientists and engineers have been urging public health decision-makers to address airborne transmission of COVID-19. In July 2020, 239 scientists published a commentary in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, "advocating for the use of preventive measures to mitigate this route of airborne transmission."

In November 2020, physicians and engineers wrote an open letter to PHO and the government of Ontario, urging them to, "update the province's COVID-19 guidelines, regulations and public communication to reflect the importance of ventilation"

Meanwhile, peer-reviewed evidence of airborne transmission piled up. Studies documented airborne transmission in restaurants, hospitals, hotels and churches and demonstrated that people release fine, virus-laden aerosols when they talk, sing, or simply breathe.

At the same time, scientists and engineers shared extensive information about measures with the potential to mitigate airborne transmission such as respirator-grade masks, ventilation, filtration, bathroom exhaust fans and upper-room ultraviolet disinfection.

Accountability and change

As with responses to earlier health crises, there will likely be an inquiry into the way public health and health-care authorities in Ontario approached airborne transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its recommendations may be similar to those made by the SARS Commission 15 years ago.

The difference this time? First, the scale of death. Over 12,000 people have died in Ontario, many of whom live or work in the very same congregate settings getting incomplete infection prevention and control advice from PHO.

Second, the hope that another retroactive inquiry can generate meaningful change. While we don't discourage an inquiry, as the evidence generated by the SARS Commission is invaluable, it will not ensure accountability.

Instead, it's time to focus on broadcasting the right information far and wide. Luckily, there are many reliable sources of guidance, including the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and the Clean Air Crew.

It's also time to explore regulatory and legal mechanisms with the capacity to hold PHO accountable to its legislated mandate.

Finally, and while we attempt to mitigate the damage unfolding in real time, it's time to seed the beginnings of a new system: one that embraces the precautionary principle, values the health and well-being of people living and working in congregate settings, and treats every single preventable death as a catastrophic failure.

Explore further Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 calls for updated practices to prevent transmission

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Newly released Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data show people living in poverty or disadvantage are three times more likely to die from COVID than the wealthy.

This statistic is alarming, but it gets worse when we begin to look more closely at particular communities.

ABS data show the rate of death from COVID for people living in Australia who were born overseas was almost three times more than those born in Australia when standardized for age (6.8 deaths per 100,000 vs 2.3 deaths).

The rate of death from COVID for people living in Australia from the Middle East was over 12 times that of people born in Australia (29.3 people per 100,000).

These statistics are damning. They tell us you're more likely to survive COVID if you were born here, grew up speaking and reading English, are educated, and earn a good income.

They undermine the idea that Australia has good quality universal health care that has been accessible during the pandemic.

Poverty makes you sick

Most health problems, and the care needed to address them, follow what we call "the social gradient".

This term is shorthand for the idea that those with the most resourcesbe it money or educationhave better health and get better treatment than those with fewer resources.

In short, poverty makes you sick. It does this by limiting your access to services and supports, through money or other factors such as the type of job you work.

People at the "lower end" of the social gradient also tend to receive poorer quality health care.

Unfortunately, this social gradient is now clear in the data on Australian COVID deaths.

Not everyone has a job they can do from home. Mapping the patterns of occupations across Melbourne against COVID-19 cases points to why some parts of the city are more vulnerable. https://t.co/dzTbgnqY70 @RMIT @ResearchRMIT @UNSW  The Conversation (@ConversationEDU) July 29, 2020

For example, some people from Middle Eastern countries and other migrant or refugee communities have poorer employment conditions, such as janitorial jobs in hospitals. These jobs expose people to COVID, who then bring the virus home. They have also needed to keep working in these high risk jobs throughout the pandemic so they can afford basic living costs like food and rent.

There are also major barriers to medical care for, and information about, COVID for particular communities. During the Delta variant wave in Victoria and New South Wales, we saw this result in people from refugee and migrant backgrounds dying at home before receiving any medical care for COVID.

Authorities attributed this to a reluctance to seek health care. This reluctance can stem from a lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate health care communication and services.

Many people also distrust authorities, including the police and army, due to experiences in people's home countries. Being scared of authorities is a legitimate fear when you have come from a country where authorities may kill you.

This has been exacerbated by governments in Australia choosing to "police" the pandemic. Large fines were threatened to people who broke COVID public health orders.

This fear of fines and authorities likely contributed to a reluctance to seek medical care, and in turn more deaths. And messaging around authoritarian approaches to those who break COVID health orders are likely to have exacerbated this.

Many have also been excluded from government support.

Australian governments and health services have been failing parts of our community, from those with low incomes to people from non-English speaking backgrounds.

What can we do right now?

There are a range of actions we can take to rectify the high rates of death amongst refugee and migrant communities.

Policy wise, the federal government could extend access to Medicare and social safety net support for people experiencing issues with temporary visas, such as asylum seekers living in the community who are appealing a decision on a visa application, and are not eligible for Medicare. Adding specific Medicare items for refugees and migrants may also encourage more culturally and linguisticaly inclusive medical care in the health system.

These changes would help provide more affordable, accessible and inclusive health care, particularly for asylum seekers and refugees dealing with visa issues, and help prevent loss of life.

Governments should also involve refugee and migrant communities in the development and implementation of actions to reduce COVID deaths. Communities know what they need in a crisiswe need to find new ways of listening. A top-down, middle class response to a pandemic will create services and supports that only work for the middle class.

It's vital we look to the evidence of what may best help refugee and migrant communities reduce the risk of infection, involve them meaningfully in this process, and sharpen our focus on making life in Australia fairer, more inclusive and, hopefully, safer for all.

What has to happen next?

Currently, there are major gaps in understanding what may best support refugee and migrant communities to reduce the risk of infection and harm from COVID.

More research is needed. However that research needs to be led by peers in communities and be easy to access and participate in. In other words, we cannot repeat the mistake of creating approaches that work for just the middle class.

Best practice tells us multiple forms of research are required, and in culturally and linguistically inclusive ways.

Survey-based research must be conducted in hospitals, health centers and other clinical environments to understand how barriers to medical care and information for COVID can be addressed to better meet the needs of people from refugee and migrant communities. The research could identify more culturally inclusive ways of managing vaccinations, testing and recovery from virus symptoms.

This must be backed up by in-depth research to explore the experiences of a diverse range of communities. Just as disadvantaged groups are not all alike, neither are refugee and migrant communities (despite being commonly lumped under the term "culturally and linguisticaly diverse").

Communities who are recently arrived or longer settledall from different countrieshave different needs.

We need more listening, and less punitive approaches.

Explore further Building trust with migrant and refugee communities is crucial for public health measures to work

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
ZAMBOANGA CITY  Eight villages in the southern Philippine province of Sulu are now free from the influence of the pro-ISIS group Abu Sayyaf...
MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- Four years after Jamie Jennings started the adoption process to be a single mom, she got the call at 3 a.m. A 1-year-old girl in China with a congenital heart defect needed a home. Jamie had 48 hours to decide whether this girl would become her daughter.

Jamie looked first at the medical file. Before falling in love with the girl's picture, Jamie wanted to make sure she could handle the heart issue. To help her decide, she consulted a pediatrician and a cardiologist.

The baby had a hole in her heart that would need to be fixed. She also had a small right ventricle and pulmonary stenosis, a condition in which the valve between the heart's right ventricle and pulmonary artery is too narrow, obstructing blood flow. But doctors were confident Jamie could manage the challenges ahead.

"I finally looked at her picture at four or five in the morning, and I said, 'She's pretty cute,'" said Jamie, a middle school librarian in San Antonio.

Four months later, she boarded a plane to China to bring her daughter home.

The toddler was called Feng Binq Qing, or "blue ice," in her orphanage. It was because her heart defects left her cold and blue. Jamie named her Grace after a favorite teacher colleague.

Six weeks after arriving home, Grace had her first open-heart surgery. Two years later, Grace had a second surgery.

In the following years, Grace kept up with her peers. She played with friends and learned how to ride a bike. But if she worked too hard, her lips turned blue.

Grace was in third grade when Jamie noticed the girl's energy was waning. In fourth and fifth grade, "she had no stamina," Jamie said. "It was kind of scary." Not long after, a new cardiologist said Grace had a leaky heart valve. A medication was supposed to help. It didn't.

As the start of sixth grade approached, Jamie scheduled an appointment to discuss an operation at a children's hospital in Austin. But before that day came, Grace collapsed at school and was taken to the ER. She was in heart failure.

On the way to the children's hospital in Austin, Grace said, "Mama, I don't want to die."

As doctors worked to get her out of heart failure, her spirits were good. She often played chess with a nurse. Then she went into cardiac arrest.

After doctors resuscitated her, Grace was placed on a machine that pumped and oxygenated her blood. A week later, her doctor implanted a left ventricular assist device, or LVAD, in her chest to improve blood flow.

The surgery was tricky because Grace also has heterotaxy, a rare condition in which a person's organs are abnormally arranged inside their chest and abdomen.

The LVAD was only supposed to be temporary. Grace needed a new heart.

Two weeks later, Grace had a stroke. Luckily, there was no lasting damage. In fact, she returned to school and earned A's and B's.

A few months later, Jamie and Grace were at home playing video games when Grace complained her controller wasn't working. Jamie tried it and it worked fine. Grace was angry and her hand shook. Jamie called the LVAD coordinator.

The coordinator said to have Grace smile. It came out lopsided, a telltale sign of another stroke. Jamie called 911. Grace went by ambulance to her local hospital, then by helicopter to the Austin hospital.

Doctors said Grace needed to remain hospitalized until the transplant. They wound up spending Christmas and Grace's 13th birthday there.

Then, in January 2021, Grace became the hospital's second heart transplant recipient. She named her new heart Thor.

"It's so bittersweet because you know someone lost a child for your child to have life," Jamie said. "I'm so thankful that in their time of despair the donor's family chose to give life."

When they arrived home, Grace was nervous her heart would fail. She didn't want to be alone. So Jamie and Grace plastered sticky notes around the house that said "Thor is strong" and "Thor won't fail."

"Now that she's healthy, she's a risk-taker," Jamie said.

Grace, now 14 and in eighth grade, is excited about her future. She's learning clarinet and how to skateboard and wants to be in marching band.

"I love reading, and I want to be a scientist," Grace said. "I want to do track next year. I'm getting used to what having a normal heart feels like."

Her last stroke caused problems focusing, and she lost some peripheral vision. She's still in physical and occupational therapy. She and Jamie also benefit from therapy to talk about the trauma they've endured.

"Grace is an amazing kid," Jamie said. "She's my hero, she inspires me to be better. I'm so proud to be her mom. I got the right kid."

American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.

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MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- If you're wondering whether your child may have asthma, there are some tell-tale signs to look for, an expert says.

Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease in children and affects more than 6 million U.S. children. Despite being common, diagnosing asthma in children can be difficult because "there is no one-size-fits-all set of symptoms," according to Dr. Harvey Leo, a pediatrics specialist who practices in Michigan.

"A solid, ongoing relationship with your child's health provider can help identify asthma risks and the best treatment for your child," he said in an American Academy of Pediatrics news release.

Key questions your child's doctor will need to know include:

How often does your child cough or wheeze during the week?

Do these symptoms affect their daily activity?

Does your child's coughing or wheezing wake them up at night?

What medicines have you tried and have they helped, including nutritional supplements or homeopathic therapies?

Does anyone in the family have a history of asthma, environmental allergies or other respiratory conditions?

For children who are old enough (typically over 7 years of age), your doctor may order an asthma test. One of the most common is a lung function test (spirometry). The child breathes into a device that shows whether the child has some airway blockage, Leo explained.

Another test checks how much nitric oxide your child exhales, to assess levels of airway inflammation.

More complex lung function tests are also available and used for the diagnosis and follow-up management of asthma (such as imaging tests). There are also home respiratory monitors and medication reminder phone apps that can help manage a child's asthma.

Parents need to be aware that there are many other conditions that can look like or worsen asthma in children, Leo said. These include seasonal allergies, acid reflux, viral or bacterial infections, conditions related to a child's anatomy and heart issues.

"There are many tools that can help diagnose asthma, and treatment and medications that can help a child with asthma thrive. If you think your child may have asthma, talk with your pediatrician," Leo advised.

More information

There's more on childhood asthma at the American Lung Association.

SOURCE: American Academy of Pediatrics, news release, 2021

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MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- While new mothers have faced many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had at least one positive impact, a new survey shows: They were able to have more quiet time with their newborns.

That's a key finding of the first known study to assess the experiences of U.S. women who had babies in the pandemic's first six months.

The women reported increased emotional distress, breastfeeding difficulties and unexpected changes in birthing plans. Social distancing and infection control measures fueled increased guilt, isolation and depression, and many new moms weren't taught how to cope or lacked support, the survey revealed.

"Moms said they felt like no matter what they did, it was wrong," said study first author Clayton Shuman, an assistant professor of nursing at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. While some increase in emotional distress and guilt was expected, he said he was surprised by the extent of it.

New mothers surveyed also reported less assistance with breastfeeding, which resulted in more stress and lower milk supply in some.

"You'd think more time at home would lead to better breastfeeding, but it did not," Shuman said in a university news release. "Because of the pandemic, many resources weren't offered or were in a format that wasn't helpful. Doing a lactation consultation on Zoom was viewed by many as intrusive and uncomfortable."

COVID-19 also forced some women to switch their birthing plans  for example, having an out-of-hospital birth instead of one in a hospital, or electing to induce labor. One woman whose doula was barred from attending her birth said the situation was "heartbreaking."

In all, 675 new moms recruited on social media participated in the survey. Most were white and married and delivered a full-term baby.

If there was a silver lining, many women were grateful for the quiet time they had after giving birth due to restrictions on the number of visitors at the hospital and at home, according to the report, which was published recently in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.

Shuman said the pandemic highlighted problems with the United States' cookie-cutter approach to maternal care.

"Providing a one-size-fits-all approach to maternal care isn't working," he said. "Because of mental health issues, we need tailored care  some do well with telehealth but not all. Prenatal and postpartum visit schedules should also be tailored to individuals, especially for new moms."

More information

For more on pregnancy and giving birth during COVID-19, go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCE: University of Michigan, news release, Feb. 17, 2022

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MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A type of skin cell that plays a significant role in fighting acne has been identified -- a finding researchers say could lead to new ways to treat the common skin ailment

Hair follicles have been known to be major factors in acne development, but this study suggests that other skin cells may have a larger impact.

"These findings may transform the way we treat acne," said study author Dr. Richard Gallo, professor and chairman of dermatology at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

"Previously, it was thought that hair follicles were most important for acne to develop," Gallo said in a university news release. "In this study, we looked at the cells outside of the hair follicle and found they had a major effect on controlling bacteria and the development of acne."

The cells -- called fibroblasts -- are common in connective tissues throughout the body.

First author Alan O'Neill, a project scientist at UC San Diego, said the researchers specifically looked at the role of these cells, which typically provide structural support in the skin's deeper layers.

"What we uncovered instead was that these cells were activated to produce large amounts of an important antimicrobial, cathelicidin, in response to acne-causing bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes," O'Neill said.

The study, which included examination of skin biopsies from acne patients and research in lab mice, was published Feb. 16 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

"Cathelicidin being so highly expressed in acne biopsy tissue was a very interesting finding to us," Gallo said. "Knowing this will be helpful in developing a more targeted therapy to treat acne."

O'Neill said the findings could help scientists identify treatments that target the fibroblast's ability to produce cathelicidin, "thus creating a therapeutic for acne that would be more selective with potentially less harmful side effects."

Although acne affects up to 50 million Americans each year, it is one of the least studied skin diseases.

More information

There's more about acne and treatments at the American Academy of Dermatology.

SOURCE: University of California, San Diego, news release, Feb. 16, 2022

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MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have discovered differences between the brains of girls and boys with autism that they say may improve diagnosis of the developmental disorder in girls.

"We detected significant differences between the brains of boys and girls with autism, and obtained individualized predictions of clinical symptoms in girls," said study senior author Vinod Menon, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Stanford University.

"We know that camouflaging of symptoms is a major challenge in the diagnosis of autism in girls, resulting in diagnostic and treatment delays," Menon said in a university news release.

In the study, he and his university colleagues used artificial intelligence to analyze MRI brain scans from 637 boys and 136 girls with autism worldwide.

Girls had different patterns of connectivity from the boys in several brain centers, including motor, language and visuospatial attention systems. The largest differences between the sexes were in a group of motor areas.

Among girls, the differences in motor centers were linked to the severity of their motor symptoms. Girls whose brain patterns were most similar to boys tended to have the most significant motor symptoms of autism.

The researchers also identified language areas that differed between boys and girls, and noted that previous studies have found greater language impairments in boys with autism than in girls with autism.

The brain differences between girls and boys with autism were not seen in youngsters without the condition.

The study was published online Feb. 15 in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Autism is diagnosed in four times as many boys as girls, and most autism research has focused on males, the researchers noted.

"When a condition is described in a biased way, the diagnostic methods are biased," study lead author Kaustubh Supekar, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, said in the release. "This study suggests we need to think differently."

Girls with autism generally have fewer repetitive behaviors than boys, which may contribute to delays in diagnosing the condition, according to the researchers.

"Knowing that males and females dont present the same way, both behaviorally and neurologically, is very compelling," said Dr. Lawrence Fung, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences who treats patients with autism at Stanford. He was not part of the study.

"If the treatments can be done at the right time, it makes a big, big difference," said Fung. "The consequences are really serious if they are not getting diagnoses early."

More information

For more on autism, go to the Autism Society.

SOURCE: Stanford University School of Medicine, news release, Feb. 17, 2022

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MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that doctors should be cautious about giving newborns antibiotics because they can upset a baby's gut microbiome -- the balance of bacteria in their digestive systems.

"We were surprised with the magnitude and duration of the effects of broad spectrum antibiotics on the infants' microbiome when compared to effects of those same antibiotics on adults' microbiota," said study leader Dr. Debby Bogaert, chair of pediatric medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

"This is likely because the antibiotic treatment is given at a time that infants have just received their first microbes from their mother and have not yet developed a resilient microbiome," Bogaert said in a university news release.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed to between 4% and 10% of newborns for suspected infections, the study noted. In most cases, they are unnecessary because the babies don't actually have an infection.

Along with the risk of antibiotic resistance, overuse of antibiotics in newborns results in a decrease in bacteria that promote good health, the researchers said.

To find out how antibiotics affect digestive system bacteria in newborns, the researchers compared 147 infants who received one of three standard antibiotic treatments for suspected sepsis, and 80 babies who weren't prescribed antibiotics.

Stool samples were collected before and after antibiotic treatment, and at 1 month, 4 months and 12 months of age. Babies who were prescribed antibiotics had a significant increase in levels of Bifidobacterium species compared with babies who weren't given antibiotics.

These species aid digestion of human breast milk, promote gut health and support the immune defense against infection.

Newborns who received antibiotics also had an increase in potentially disease-causing bacteria and in the number and abundance of genes related to antibiotic resistance, the study found.

Infants who were given antibiotics had a change in 251 of nearly 700 different bacteria assessed, which tilted the balance to potentially more harmful types.

The changes persisted for at least 12 months and did not improve with breastfeeding, which is known to help a babys immune system, according to the findings.

The study was published Feb. 16 in the journal Nature Communications.

"The fact that start of antibiotic treatment rather than duration seems to be responsible for the damage to the microbiome underlines we need better biomarkers or biological predictors to more accurately determine which infant will develop an infection and thus require antibiotics, and which will not," said study co-author Dr. Marlies van Houten, a pediatrician at Spaarne Hospital in the Netherlands.

More information

For more on antibiotics, see the American Academy of Pediatrics.

SOURCE: University of Edinburgh, news release, Feb. 18, 2022

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A spokesperson for Community Medical Center has responded to a class-action lawsuit filed by a group of employees who allege that they were underpaid by the hospital.

The lawsuit was filed in Missoula County District Court last week on behalf of hundreds of workers who allege that the hospital inaccurately counted hours for many of them and hasn't fixed the problem.

The Montana Nurses Association is not a party to the lawsuit, but represents 257 nurses at Community Medical Center for collective bargaining purposes.

Megan Condra, the director of marketing and community relations at the hospital in Missoula, said the hospital is disappointed the union has taken legal action.

"Particularly because this issue stems from a ransomware attack with a third-party vendor," Condra said. "In December, we learned that the Kronos Enterprise System, our cloud-based timekeeping platform, went down nationwide due to a ransomware issue on the national Kronos system. This situation impacted all companies and employees worldwide that utilize the cloud-based version of this payroll system."

The hospital had to implement manual entry procedures, she said.

"Every employee continued to be paid every pay cycle as we worked through this unfortunate situation," she said. "In some instances, employees were overpaid and in other instances they were underpaid, largely resulting from delayed pay premiums and differentials."

The hospital also worked individually with employees who worked additional hours beyond their regular schedule to supplement their extra earnings as quickly as possible, she said.

The lawsuit alleges that after Dec. 12, the hospital simply paid employees for the same number of hours they had worked in the previous pay period, even though many employees may have actually worked more hours.

"When we regained access to the Kronos system in late January, our facility timekeepers begun the reconciliation process going back to the initial impacted pay period of December 11, 2021," Condra said. "That process was recently completed, and the final data reconciliation is now underway to address any remaining wage discrepancies."

After the problem was identified, the hospital immediately began communicating to all employees and encouraged them to go to human resources if they were concerned about their paycheck, Condra said.

"And we performed initial, estimated reconciliations for immediate payment on an individual basis in cases of financial hardship," Condra said. "In an additional attempt to proactively ensure staff were paid as accurately as possible, a reconciliation was completed after the first two pay dates with any identified underpayments being made to staff."

The lawsuit alleges that a large number of CMC employees are individually owed hundreds or thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.

Vicky Byrd, a nurse who is the CEO of the Montana Nurses Association, released a statement last week saying the hospital needs to resolve the issue immediately because many workers can't afford to miss even a partial paycheck.

"Since this process was completed, we know of no employee who has been underpaid by thousands of dollars as alleged," Condra said. "In fact, at this point, it appears there may be at least as many overpayments as there are underpayments, a fact that is conveniently ignored in these ongoing and disappointing allegations."

A final data reconciliation is underway to address any wage discrepancies, she noted, and the hospital has said it will hire an independent auditor to review and validate the accuracy of "this extraordinary complex payroll reconciliation process." She anticipates that will begin in the next 30 days.

"We are so appreciative of our team who has worked around the clock for the past two months to address the impact of this malicious ransomware attack on our employees," Condra said. "Although this criminal act was completely beyond our control, we will continue to work nonstop toward a final resolution of this matter. Ensuring our caregivers are compensated accurately for serving our patients and community is of utmost importance to us."

Community Medical Center is owned by LifePoint Health, a Tennessee-based for-profit corporation.

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With COVID cases declining and protests near the U.S.-Canada border phasing out, there are some successes to celebrate. But some, like those who are immunocompromised, are still facing an uphill battle. Here's that and more COVID news.
COOKE CITY  An investigation is underway after a snow biker was killed in an avalanche in southern Montana.

The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center reports the motorized snow bike triggered the slide on Miller Mountain in the Sheep Creek Drainage north of Cooke City on Saturday evening. The rider, whose name and age have not been released, was carried through cliffs and was partially buried.

An investigator with the avalanche center planned to head to the slide to gather more information Sunday.

Forecasters warned Saturday that a layer of weak snow was buried about 2 feet deep on many slopes in the Cooke City area, making it possible for a person to trigger a large avalanche. The avalanche center said there was a moderate danger of slides in the area Saturday.

No other details about the deadly avalanche have been released.

At least 10 people have died in avalanches in the U.S. so far this winter season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, which keeps track of fatalities nationwide.

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Western Piedmont Community College is one of 10 North Carolina community colleges selected for the Belk Centers Rural College Leaders Program (RCLP).

The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research, in partnership with Achieving the Dream, announced the launch of the RCLP, a three-year program designed to advance equitable student outcomes.

Supported by Ascendium Education Group, the program will immerse community college presidents, boards of trustees and senior leadership teams in a professional learning community aimed at removing systematic barriers, improving pathways for learners and increasing completion rates for low-income students and students of color.

I am honored that WPCC was chosen to participate in the Rural College Leaders Program. Community colleges are important to their communities, and this is especially true in rural communities where we offer much more than educational opportunities, WPCC President Joel D. Welch said. We support economic development and serve as a connector for many organizations within our community. The WPCC vision is to be a transformational community leader and participating in this program will assist us with doing that even better in Burke County.

Recently, WPCC has increased its awareness and response to inequities challenging students from historically underrepresented groups and responded with programs to close success gaps such as a Minority Make Success Initiative Grant. This grant helped license AVISOs retention solution to increase engagement, reduce attrition and optimize success. In 2020, the TRIO Student Support Services program was implemented to serve income-eligible first-generation and disabled students.

WPCCs application for the RCLP highlighted the institutions commitment to demonstrating a culture of caring for students and the community along with advancing diversity, equity and inclusion college-wide. In 2021, WPCC renewed their equity commitment through a new strategic plan.

The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research at North Carolina State University, develops and sustains exceptional community college leaders who are committed to advancing equitable college access and student success, the social and economic mobility of their colleges students, and the economic competitiveness of their regions.

The center provides professional development and research related to current and emerging student success opportunities and challenges facing community college leaders and policymakers in North Carolina and the nation.

As part of the program, WPCC will engage in a series of six professional learning events focused on driving transformational change through collaboration and data-driven, equity-minded decision-making.
Butte Symphony will hold its annual childrens concert at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 25, at the Mother Lode Theatre, 316 W. Park St.

Approximately 1,100 fifth- and sixth-grade students from throughout southwest Montana will fill the Mother Lode Theatre for the Butte Symphony's 23rd annual Childrens Concert.

Designed as a fun but educational experience, the concert gives students their first chance to hear an orchestra in a great music hall. It will explore the importance of music in our lives, as well as give the audience an opportunity to see the instruments and the musicians.

Conductor Luis Millan will engage students' imaginations and thought processes as he discusses how music fits with movies, TV, cartoons, as well as our everyday life. It is also provides students an opportunity to connect and learn about different instruments before they begin their musical journeys in middle school.

Students from up to 50 miles away will be attending with their teachers.

From Garrison to Boulder, Cardwell to Twin Bridges, Divide to Gold Creek, the students combine with the students of Butte School District to provide the most enthusiastic audience of the year.

The Butte Symphony is Montanas original and oldest symphony orchestra. It is unique in this state as our musicians are volunteer players and range in age from 15 to 85 and careers from students to doctors and engineers. Currently, the Symphony is celebrating its 72nd season.

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More than 10 cities and provinces in Vietnam have permitted students to return to online studies.

The move follows a sharp rise in Covid-19 infections among students after returning to on-site learning after just a short time.



The list of localities includes Dak Nong, Quang Ninh, Vinh Phu, Hung Yen, Phu Tho, Lao Cai City in Lao Cai Province and Buon Ma Thuot City in Dak Lak Province.

However, many localities have still decided to reopen schools for in-person study.

Bui Van Kiem, deputy director of the Haiphong Department of Education and Training, said by February 14, Haiphong had a total of 22,652 Covid-19 teachers and students, including 6,104 not yet vaccinated against Covid-19. But, staying at home still poses many Covid-19 infection risks for students from their relatives. So, the city has resumed face-to-face learning.

Other localities such as An Giang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Bac Lieu, Binh Phuoc and Danang have followed the suit of Haiphong.

Meanwhile, Hanoi has delayed the sending of grade 1 to 6 students back to school from today, February 21, as most parents have yet to approve their attendance at in-person classes amid the increasing Covid-19 infections.
Montana Technological University cut programs and faculty in recent years in response to enrollment declines.

Still, the university has grappled with a deficit of about $600,000 that the Butte-based school attributes to a tuition shortfall.

Montana Tech, like many colleges and universities nationwide, has been hit by slumping enrollment tied in part to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like many other schools, Montana Tech hoped for a solid rebound in enrollment in the fall of 2021.

Chancellor Les Cook said he and other school administrators were cautiously optimistic about enrollment experiencing a solid bump up.

Yet fall enrollment in 2021 totaled 2,339, compared to 2,583 in the fall of 2018.

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported in November that a review of national trends found nettlesome numbers for higher education: Roughly two months into the second fall semester of the pandemic, postsecondary enrollment is now running 2.6 percent below last years level, for a total 5.8 percent drop since 2019.

Cook said COVID-19 hasnt been the only dynamic affecting enrollment trends.

People are having fewer children or no other children at all. Some parents and young people question the value of a college education, he said. High school students who might have been college-bound in decades past decide they want to go directly into the job market.

People want to make money, Cook said.

He referenced a book, The Agile College, that describes demographic challenges facing schools and offers thoughts on strategic responses. A description of the book notes that colleges are already grappling with the consequences of declining family size due to low birth rates brought on by the Great Recession.

Cook said there is a lot of conversation about the relative value of a college education.

Montana Tech students often leave the university with knowledge and skills sought by high-paying employers.

Our students are in high demand, Cook said.

Meanwhile, Montana Tech said Thursday that the shortfall will be addressed with a $128,000 enrollment contingency fund and $480,000 in salary and benefit savings already accumulated in anticipation of the need to balance our budget.

Salary and benefit savings accumulated over the course of the year due to open/vacant positions, the university said.

Cook said Montana Tech is in the early stages of planning for fiscal 2023.

There are challenges ahead, he said.

Still, based on applications for the fall semester, Cook said he feels optimistic.

Montana Tech has been an affiliate of the University of Montana since 1994. During leadership changes at both the University of Montana and Montana Tech, the reporting lines were adjusted temporarily and the chancellor at Montana Tech reported director to the Commissioner of Higher Education.

Last summer, the reporting lines returned to the president of the University of Montana, who is Seth Bodnar.

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Its not often a teenager decides to start a newspaper.

But after eight weeks chronicling the lives of Latinos in Big Sky as a student intern with a local newspaper, Samantha Suazo was hooked.

I wrote about the fears, needs and everyday life of the Latino community, Suazo said. And after I finished that I realized I couldnt stop there.

She dug up stories affecting Latinos for the Lone Peak Lookout that hadnt been reported on  a common challenge she found was a lack of reliable information for Spanish speakers. Bilingual herself, Suazo wanted that to change.

My Latino community feel that we werent part of the broader community due to the lack of information, she said. I saw the issue.

Suazo, 19, founded Noticias Montana, or Mountain News, in 2020. Its the only Spanish-language publication in Montana and the online publication covers local and regional news in Gallatin County.

She writes general news, local business and feature stories. She profiles successful Latino community members, and posts news about events around Big Sky.

She always aims to publish reliable, useful and timely information for Spanish speakers, who otherwise dont always have access to local news.

I knew that Montana was actually one of the only states who didnt have Spanish media in the country. Which was shocking to me, Suazo said. A lot of people are coming here to establish ourselves and we need to do something about it.

While Gallatin County has a predominately white population, the Latino and Hispanic population has been steadily growing. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the countys Latino population grew by 138% from 2010 to 2020, and now accounts for about 5% of the countys population.

Gallatin County has the fastest growing Hispanic and Latino population in Montana, with Missoula County coming in a close second.

Yet resources are still scant for Spanish-speakers, Suazo said. Often, she sees Latinos getting local information off social media and Facebook, and worries its not always factual or reliable.

The language barrier makes doing simple things more difficult and can keep people from feeling well informed, connected and valued.

Suazo knows firsthand how hard it is to be the only one in the room who doesnt speak the language.

When Suazo first arrived in Big Sky, she was the only Spanish speaker in her class.

Originally from Honduras, Suazo immigrated to the U.S. with her mother at 12 years old. A few months after arriving in the U.S., Suazo and her parents moved to Big Sky.

There was a language barrier, culture shock and cold weather  all things that took adjusting for Suazo.

Ive learned to love it, Ive learned to establish myself and build a life from zero and create an environment that I will thrive in, she said.

She wants to make the transition to Montana for other Latinos easier. She also happens to love what she does.

Its so fun to go out into the world and listen to people and empathize with them, she said Listen to their perspective and testimony and then telling their story and giving them a voice and giving light to who they are is something I really appreciate.

As the founder, Suazo has had her share of bylines  publishing stories as often as she can.

But other teens and young adults contributed last summer as well  as part of a paid internship funded by the local nonprofit Women In Action.

Suazo doesnt do it totally alone. In addition to having other interns and contributors, she has an editor, Barbara Rowley.

Rowley and Suazo met about two years ago, connected by an adviser at Suazos school who knew Rowley might be able to support Suazo.

Rowley, a Big Sky resident with a background in journalism, edits Suazos stories first in English. Then Suazo translates them to Spanish and publishes them.

Suazo and Rowley met about two years ago and clicked over the shared interest in journalism.

Rowley enjoys working with Suazo and sees a bright future for her, regardless of her chosen career path.

I can tell with everything, that she can go places, Rowley said. She has this sparkle of intelligence and drive.

In addition to finishing her final year in high school, she also started a Latino Student Union at her school.

Samantha always says yes, Rowley said. Whenever I bring anything to her attention, whenever anyone asks her for help  that extends to people in her community needing help. Samantha always says yes and always finds the time.

Suazo is a senior at Lone Peak High School and isnt totally sure what her future holds.

The future of Noticias Montana is also uncertain. If Suazo goes out of state for college, shell have to find someone to take over the publication. Shes searching for more contributing writers and potentially a successor.

She wants to attend college  she hasnt decided on a university  and has thought about becoming a lawyer.

I want to make an impact in the world and go back to Honduras and help people there, Suazo said.

But journalism, she said, will always be a part of her.

Its definitely something I will keep close to me in the years going forward, she said. Regardless of what I do I will have ties to it, because honestly it has changed my life. Its shaped me and made me mature even more.

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In a blow to public access advocates that has drawn national attention, a federal court judge has recommended ruling in favor of the Custer Gallatin National Forest and private landowners on the west side of the Crazy Mountains in a long-running dispute over four historic trails.

On Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan issued a 28-page finding granting the two defendants cross motion for summary judgment. The groups have 14 days to file an objection. Then it is up to U.S. District Court Judge Susan P. Watters to make the final ruling.

If Watters upholds Cavans decision it would halt an attempt to force the Forest Service to defend historic trail access rights for the public across private lands. The lawsuit was filed by the Friends of the Crazy Mountains, Enhancing Montana's Wildlife & Habitat, the Skyline Sportsmen Association and Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.

"This is not the end  Judge Cavans recommendations are only one step in the whole process," said John B. Sullivan III, chairman of the Montana chapter. "We are currently evaluating his recommendations and look forward to submitting our reply for Judge Watters' review."

History

The case dates back to 2019 when the groups asked a judge to halt the Forest Service from moving ahead with rerouting the Lowline Porcupine Trail on the west side of the mountains. A judge ruled against the injunction, and this past fall the new trail was completed and opened to the public. The trail moved about five miles from private land onto mostly federal land between the forests Porcupine and Ibex rental cabins. In addition, an easement was signed for crossing a portion of the private property.

When the first attempt to halt the project failed, the groups amended their complaint and argued that the Forest Service violated three federal acts by not analyzing the environmental impacts of the trail reroute and by not complying with the 2006 Travel Plan for the forest.

The groups also asserted the Custer Gallatin had failed to protect public use on two historic east side trails in the Crazies  Sweet Grass Trail (No. 122); and East Trunk Trail (No. 136, formerly No. 115), as well as Elk Creek Trail (No. 195) on the west side.

The court was asked to vacate the Porcupine-Ibex project, and void the easement agreement the Forest Service had negotiated. The M Hanging Lazy 3 Ranch and Henry Guth joined on the side of the Forest Service to defend the trail reroute. The conservation groups also asked the judge to require the federal agency to restore, repair, reinstall, and manage the trails for public use.

In his findings, Cavan wrote that he was required to determine whether the Forest Services actions were arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with the law. He noted the arbitrary and capricious standard is narrow, and the court may not substitute its judgment for that of the agency. He was therefore required to decide whether the Forest Service had considered the relevant factors or made a clear error of judgment.

Conflict

Important to public access advocates was the Forest Services decision not to fight to maintain public access along the historic trails where they cross private land. In 2002, landowners signed and blocked the trails on the west side. Correspondence entered into the court filings show the agencys own local officials challenging the landowners blockage of the trails at the time, as the agency had for decades.

Then there was a policy shift by the Forest Service, highlighted by the reassignment of the Livingston District ranger in 2017 following a dispute over the east side trails. The Montana Farm Bureau Federation and nine Sweet Grass County landowners lobbied Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to investigate the ranger for instigating conflict and encouraging criminal actions. They based their claims on an email the ranger sent to his employees, consistent with past forest actions, that was posted on an access groups Facebook page without his knowledge.

Easements

To establish a prescriptive easement under Montana law, the Forest Service would have been required to show, by clear and convincing evidence, that use of the trails were open, notorious, exclusive, adverse, continuous and uninterrupted for the complete statutory period of five years, Cavan wrote. In addition, because the Landowners disputed and blocked public access for many years, the Forest Service would have also been required to show that any prescriptive easement had not been extinguished by reverse adverse possession. In Montana, a prescriptive easement is extinguished by acts that evidence a distinct and positive assertion of a hostile right to the publics claimed prescriptive easement, such as through locked gates and no trespassing signs, for the statutory period of five years.

The access groups argued that, like the Wonder Ranch case in the Madison Range near Ennis, the Forest Service and public had used the trails for so long that a prescriptive easement across the private land was long established. However, on that trail the Forest Service had filed an easement interest with the county.

The case certainly does not stand for the proposition that a mere claim, or belief, that an easement exists equates to a legally valid interest, Cavan wrote.

Analysis

On the issue of not analyzing the environmental impacts of the Porcupine-Ibex Trails reroute, Cavan said the Forest Service did an adequate job in its 2009 environmental assessment. He said the groups did not point to any environmental issue raised during scoping and public comment that was not addressed by the Forest Service.

The checkerboard land ownership in the Crazy Mountains is unique, dating back to when the Northern Pacific Railroad was deeded more than 50,000 acres by the federal government when the rail line was built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The access groups argued those deeds guaranteed a public easement where trails and roads existed.

Judge Cavan wrote the groups failed to establish that these deeds are connected to any parcel of land at issue in this matter.

In response to claims that the Forest Service had violated the National Forest Management Act by not protecting the publics existing access rights as directed by the 2006 Travel Plan, Cavan wrote the plan only applies to federal lands. Since the Forest Service didnt attempt to seek an easement interest by prescription, and instead negotiated, the agency therefore had no legally valid interest in the trail where it crosses private property.

Lastly, Cavan ruled against the groups' attempt to compel the Forest Service to defend public access to the historic East Trunk and Sweet Grass trails on the east side of the Crazy Mountains. Citing previous rulings, the judge said courts are confined to 'situations where an agency has ignored a specific legislative command.

Again, the fatal flaw to Plaintiffs argument is that there are no existing established rights for the Forest Service to protect, Cavan wrote. The Forest Service did not establish a valid legal interest in its potential easement interests. Hence, the Forest Service has not established that public use of the portions of trail crossing private property was a proper and lawful purpose.

Cavan noted the Forest Service has discretion as to how it will accomplish the policy objective and the courts are not to interfere in abstract policy disagreements.

Sullivan, of the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, said regardless of the court's decision his group will continue to fight for public access and will urge agencies to protect access.

New access

The Custer Gallatin National Forest is currently reviewing a proposal by east side landowners to negotiate a new trail easement from Big Timber Canyon to Sweet Grass Canyon that would provide public access. The proposal, submitted to the agency in July, would swap 4,114 acres of Custer Gallatin National Forest inholdings for 5,763 acres of private land.

The landowner group has also proposed building, at its own expense, a new 22-mile trail to create a public route from Big Timber Creek to Sweet Grass Creek. The trail would tie into existing forest trails to create a 40-mile loop.

Only one public access point exists on the southeast side of the Crazies, which is at Big Timber Creek. An old Forest Service trail up Sweet Grass Creek, to the north, is contested by the landowners  Caroccia Ranch Limited Partnership.

If the proposal passes muster, it would then go through a technical review called a feasibility analysis, which would take several months to complete.

Also last year, the Forest Service finalized a land exchange in the southern Crazy Mountains.

Two Rock Creek Ranch sections of land were acquired along a proposed new route for the Cottonwood Lowline Trail No. 272. In exchange, the forest is giving up a forested mountainside above Rock Creek and an isolated parcel along Duck Creek.

The Wild Eagle Ranch acquired an isolated Forest Service section in exchange for its 640 acres east and north of the parcels that the Forest Service is exchanging to the Rock Creek Ranch.

Senate attention

Emphasizing the national attention the access issue has raised, in a U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing earlier this month, Sen. Martin Henrich, D-New Mexico, specifically mentioned the Crazy Mountains in comments. He said to Forest Service Chief Christopher French that he continue[s] to be concerned with what I think are inconsistencies in the Forest Services approach to public access.

Heinrich cited a 2015 letter by Custer Gallatin National Forest Supervisor Mary Erickson that the agency held unperfected prescriptive easement rights up Sweet Grass Creek based on a history of maintenance with public funds and administrative use. But in current litigation, the Forest Service and Department of Justice is now saying there is not a prescriptive easement.

These decisions affect access in every state in the nation, the senator said. Why is the Forest Service and DOJ changing its position on public rights of access on that trail in particular, and what does that mean for trails everywhere in the U.S.?

French responded it is the Forest Services intent to defend access in all the places we can. However, in the case of the Sweet Grass trail he said the Forest Service was unable to defend its easement citing state law and based on the action of the landowners.

Its very complicated, French said. I know this is a concern of yours. It is not a broad policy. We handle these things on a site by site approach.

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Republican lawmakers in a handful of conservative states have stumbled on a roadblock to what they thought would be a clear path to setting new restrictions on abortion if the Supreme Court upends the landmark Roe v. Wade decision: right-to-privacy protections enshrined in their own state constitutions.

In states where courts have ruled that their constitutions explicit privacy rights extend to the right of a woman to have an abortion, the procedure would continue to be legal even if the Supreme Courts 1973 ruling is overturned, legal scholars and abortion-rights advocates said.

In Montana, the issue is playing out in the courts, where a state judge temporarily blocked three new anti-abortion laws. The states Republican attorney general appealed to the state Supreme Court, asking the justices to overturn a 23-year-old ruling that extended the states constitutional right to privacy to the right to have an abortion.

If that effort fails and if Roe v. Wade is overturned, conservative Montana could find itself a sanctuary for women seeking abortions from neighboring Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota, states where access is more tenuous, said an analyst for a research organization that supports abortion rights.

If half the states ban abortion, you are talking about people, if they can, traveling vast distances to get that right to care, said Elizabeth Nash, a policy analyst at the Guttmacher Institute. And if access remains protected in Montana, then Montana will be a place where people seek that care.

In the coming months, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in a case challenging a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The court recently let stand a Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks and turns enforcement over to citizens who can file lawsuits against people who aid in the abortion.

The ruling in the Mississippi case, legal experts speculate, could upend the Roe decision that guaranteed abortion rights around the country and allow individual states to set their own laws. In that scenario, the Guttmacher Institute predicts, abortion is certain or likely to be banned in 26 states.

Meanwhile, lawmakers and citizens in other states  including New Jersey, New York, and Colorado  are working to protect or expand abortion rights.

The original Roe v. Wade ruling was largely based on protecting the right to privacy under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. But the words right to privacy arent actually written in the U.S. Constitution, a point frequently raised by abortion opponents.

Those words are, however, written into the constitutions of 11 states, adding an unexpected twist to sorting out a post-Roe legal landscape.

Its not an issue for left-leaning states like California, which passed a 2002 law protecting abortion rights that cited its constitutional right to privacy for personal reproductive decisions. In that state, leaders are preparing for a potential rush of women from other states in search of medical care if the Supreme Court weakens or throws out its Roe decision.

But in conservative Alaska, abortion rights advocates say the constitutional right to privacy will protect a womans option there regardless of what the U.S. Supreme Court does. Voters will decide in November whether to call a constitutional convention, which abortion opponents see as an opportunity to amend the constitution to ban abortions.

In Florida, the state constitution says that every natural person has the right to be let alone and free from governmental intrusion into the persons private life. In 1989, the Florida Supreme Court found that the provision protects the right to an abortion.

Louisianas state constitution protects its citizens against invasions of privacy, but voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2020, inserting that nothing in this constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.

Right-to-privacy provisions are also found in the constitutions of Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, Montana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Washington.

Montanas constitution says, The right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed without the showing of a compelling state interest.

In 1999, the Montana Supreme Court ruled that includes the right of citizens to make their own medical decisions. We held that this right protected a womans right to procreative autonomy and her ability to seek and obtain a lawful medical procedure, which abortions were and are, free from interference from the government, retired Montana Supreme Court Justice James Nelson, who wrote the courts unanimous opinion, said in a recent interview.

Caitlin Borgmann, the executive director of the Montana ACLU, succinctly described the importance of the ruling. It is essentially Montanas Roe v. Wade, she said.

The Republican-controlled Montana Legislature, buoyed by the states first Republican governor in 16 years, passed a slate of anti-abortion bills last year. They included a ban on most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, the requirement that providers give a woman the opportunity to view an ultrasound before an abortion, and constraints on the use of abortion pills, including that an authorized abortion provider first examine and then give the woman the drug in person, an added obstacle in a rural state like Montana.

Planned Parenthood of Montana filed a lawsuit that said those bills violate the states constitutional right to privacy, along with rights to equal protection, safety, health and happiness, individual dignity, free speech, and due process. Billings Judge Michael Moses in October granted a preliminary injunction to block the laws from taking effect.

That ruling prompted one Republican lawmaker, Rep. Derek Skees, to call for throwing out Montanas socialist rag of a constitution, according to the Flathead Beacon. Theres no basis in our constitution to use the right to privacy to murder a baby, he told the newspaper.

Attorney General Austin Knudsen has asked the Montana Supreme Court to overturn Moses injunction and nullify the 1999 ruling that linked privacy rights to medical decisions. Knudsen said the courts seven members have a chance to correct what he called unrestrained judicial activism, according to legal filings.

David Dewhirst, Montanas solicitor general under Knudsen, called the 1999 decision sloppy and a mess.

This is not some sort of political stunt, Dewhirst said. The case is wrongly decided.

Martha Fuller, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Montana, said she believes Knudsens attempt to overturn the state courts 1999 privacy ruling echoes the larger national debate over court precedents in abortion law. The law is the law and not based on, This judge said this, and this other judge said that, Fuller said. Thats not where the integrity of our legal system comes from.

If the states high court rules against Knudsen, abortion advocates anticipate that lawmakers will ask voters to alter the states constitution, either through an amendment or by initiating a constitutional convention, which would be Montanas first in more than five decades.

Changing the states constitution, however, is purposefully difficult, said Anthony Johnstone, who teaches constitutional law at the University of Montana. Just to ask voters to consider an amendment or a convention requires 100 votes in the states 150-seat legislature.

Montanans always have the last word in amending our constitution, Johnstone said.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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Facts are stubborn things, and we Montanans care about them. Don Kaltschmidts recent op-ed attacking Senator Testers character was about as close to the truth as Montana is to an ocean.

So here are the facts: Senator Tester has worked with Republicans, Democrats and Independents to create jobs, combat rising costs, and assist Montanans in every corner of the state.

He played a key role in securing resources to reopen Montanas schools and support small businesses during the worst of the pandemic.

Senator Tester then worked alongside five Republicans and four Democrats to negotiate, write and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This package is creating good-paying jobs by making urgently needed investments in Montana's roads, bridges, high-speed internet, water while making us more competitive against China.

It cuts burdensome regulations for ranchers and provides clean drinking water for rural Montana. It cuts costs for working families and doesnt raise taxes on a single Montanan.

So, did the Republican politicians who claim to represent Montanans join this bipartisan coalition and deliver good-paying jobs for our state? Not a chance.

When it came time to work across the aisle to strengthen local Montana communities, Senator Daines and Congressman Rosendale put politics ahead of country and voted no. Our adversaries like Russia and China welcome their irresponsible votes.

I challenge Don Kaltschmitdt to name a single time Senator Daines or Congressman Rosendale took a significant vote in defiance of Mitch McConnell and their other Party bosses. On the other hand, Senator Tester was recently ranked as the 4th most bipartisan Democrat in the entire U.S. Senate.

Last summer, Tester aggressively defended Montana family farms, ranches and small businesses when he stood up to Senator Chuck Schumer and killed Bidens proposal to eliminate the stepped-up basis provision of the tax code. That proposal would have raised taxes on working families and impacted their ability to pass their farms and businesses on to future generations, but Tester put Montanans first.

Earlier this year, Tester stood up to President Biden and other national Democrats when he was one of two Democrats in the entire U.S. Senate to oppose the vaccine mandate on small businesses. That didnt sit well with everyone in his Party, but he stood up for the constitutional rights of Montanans, just as he always does.

Tester continues to call on the Biden Administrations Department of Homeland Security to stop the vaccine mandate for truck drivers and other essential workers who frequently cross the Canadian border. He is the leading voice on either side of the aisle fighting for farmers and ranchers who are worried this mandate will disrupt free and fair trade across our northern border.

There is another saying that comes to mind when reading Don Kaltschmidts op Ed: people who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones. Don failed to mention that he personally benefited from Senator Testers work when he took more than $1.3 million in taxpayer money to prop up his business conglomerate in the Flathead. Did he pay taxpayers back? Nope.

Montanans are fortunate to have an independent voice like Jon Tester fighting for us every day.

Sheila Hogan is executive director of the Montana Democratic Party.

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ARCHIVED - Settled weather returns to Spain: forecast February 21 to 23



Temperatures plummeted across Spain over the weekend

As storm Eunice battered much of Europe throughout the weekend, it brought a front of wintery weather to Spain with temperatures plummeting by up to 15 degrees on Saturday in the eastern half of the peninsula . On Sunday, it remained chilly for the most part and the north of the country was hit with scattered showers, but the outlook is much more spring-like for the coming week.

Monday February 21 has dawned bright and sunny in most of the country, with dry, settled weather predominating. Weak and scattered rain is forecast once again for Galicia and northern provinces, while the occasional storm cant be ruled out in the Canary Islands as the day wears on.

After a severe drop over the last couple of days, maximum temperatures are on the rise, with temperatures increasing the most in the southeast of Spain. Night-time temperatures will take a dip however, with the exception of the northwest, while a cool but light north wind will blow in most areas.

You might also like: Ghost village emerges in Spain as drought empties reservoir

Dry and sunny weather is forecast again for Tuesday February 22, with slightly cloudy or clear skies.

Looking ahead to Wednesday, temperatures will drop slightly in western Andalucia, the Mediterranean coast and the Canary Islands, while the mercury will remain stable in the rest of the country. Loose, variable north-westerly winds are expected across Spain.

Image: Aemet
ARCHIVED - Vaccination campaign in Spain hits a ceiling



Vaccination rate drops as the pandemic situation improves in Spain

After getting off to a stellar start, the vaccination campaign in Spain has slowed noticeably in recent weeks and appears to have reached a plateau, with 91% of the population over the age of 12 now double jabbed. While this figure is comparable with many other European countries, it has hardly budged at all in the last 10 days, leading experts to believe that the campaign has reached a ceiling.

On the surface, a 91% coverage might seem relatively impressive, but when one considers the entire population of Spain, the number drops significantly, meaning that 20% of people arent immunised. Of course, children under the age of 5 arent eligible and the Spanish government is pushing for the introduction of Novavax for those who are unable to take the other jabs , but that still leaves a good percentage of people who are choosing to avoid inoculations for various reasons.

According to the president of the Spanish Society of Immunology, Marcos Lopez Hoyos, the ideal is to be able to vaccinate 100% of the population, but he acknowledges that this will be an almost impossible feat. The 9% of people that remain are difficult to convince, he admitted.

The biggest fear of the experts is the emergence of a new variant just as Spain is emerging from under the cloud of the sixth wave. The fact remains that while Omicron is widely believed to cause less serious symptoms, more deaths have still been reported as a result of this variant than during other waves, and that those becoming very ill are largely unvaccinated. The data actually show that the rate of unjabbed people aged 30 to 59 who were admitted to the ICU since December is seven times higher than vaccinated.

Conflicting information and moving goalposts have no doubt sown a seed of distrust, and the uptake on the booster jab is even more dismal, even though several communities are now offering the shot without appointment at walk-in centres. According to the European Centre for Disease Control, 49.5% of the Spanish population have received the third jab, the vast majority of whom are older or vulnerable. The numbers drop off sharply among young adults, who also register the worst figures for the second dose.

Image: Archive

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Alphabet Inc.s Google has reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount with Chelsey Glasson, who said she faced discrimination by the search giant after she became pregnant.

Glasson sued Google in 2020 after repeated efforts to report pregnancy discrimination were ignored, she said in October.

She estimated her legal fight would cost more than $100,000 and take a heavy toll on her mental health.

Glasson said her experience at Google left her with insomnia, panic attacks and heart palpitations.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Glasson confirmed the settlement but didnt provide details.

Worker welfare and labor relations have become more important at big tech firms in recent times, punctuated by whistle-blower revelations such as those from former Facebook employee Frances Haugen.

Glasson has advocated for better protection and resources for whistle-blowers, using her own case as an example of the difficulties they face.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has announced that all six mobile network operators that applied for new radio frequency spectrum have qualified to participate in its auction.

Spectrum is the raw network capacity cellular operators use to communicate between their towers and mobile devices.

Icasa announced at the end of January that six network operators had applied for the 4G and 5G spectrum.

All six applications have passed the pre-qualification stage of the licensing process and can now participate in the planned auction stage at the beginning of March 2022, the regulator said in a statement on Monday.

The qualifying bidders are:

Cell C Liquid Intelligent Technologies MTN Rain Networks Telkom Vodacom

Icasa chairperson Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng expressed his appreciation and wished all the qualified bidders well in their quest for much-needed spectrum.

The fact that all six applicants have qualified illustrates the robustness of our telecommunications sector in South Africa, stated Modimoeng.

We can officially proclaim the forthcoming March 2022 spectrum auction as an unparalleled milestone in our countrys communications history as this will be the first-ever spectrum auction held on our shores.

Modimoeng said that Icasa commits itself to discharge this essential public-interest mandate to the very best of its ability.

We continue to confront the ongoing litigation head-on. With only two weeks remaining, we need to see selfless and responsible corporate citizenship at play, he said.

Icasa planned to hold a spectrum auction in March last year but faced legal challenges from Telkom, E-tv, and MTN.

The regulator ultimately conceded defeat, went back to the drawing board, and issued a fresh invitation to apply with the hope of auctioning the sought-after 4G and 5G spectrum this year.

Telkom once again filed papers in the Pretoria High Court, saying that Icasa had not adequately considered all the issues raised during its previous attempt.

It agreed to remove its urgent interdict against the auction from the court roll if all parties agreed to have its case heard expeditiously.

However, it reserved the right to re-enrol the interdict if Icasa didnt delay the auction to accommodate the hearing.

The Acting Judge President set the dates of the High Court showdown between Telkom and Icasa for 1114 April 2022.

Icasa has said that it will forge ahead with the auction, which is scheduled to conclude on 8 March. Despite this, Telkom has not yet relaunched its urgent interdict to block the auction.

If Telkoms wins its case against Icasa, it could nullify the auction.

Communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has said that her department remains in constant dialogue with Telkom, Icasa, and other stakeholders to resolve the stand-off.

Icasa said it would conduct a bidder seminar on 28 February 2022, followed by mock-auctions from 1 to 3 March 2022 with the individual bidders.

Thereafter, the auction stage will commence on 8 March 2022 with the in-person single round opt-in auction. The main online auction shall take place from 10 March 2022.

The opt-in round excludes Vodacom and MTN and allows smaller market players access to certain tranches of the spectrum without bidding against the bigger operators deep pockets.
An alleged net beneficiary of Mirror Trading International has been arrested after failing to appear before a Section 417/418 enquiry called by the schemes liquidators.

Multiple sources have informed MyBroadband that Phillip Botha was arrested and must appear before a magistrate to explain why he should not be remanded to custody.

Sections 417 and 418 of the Companies Act essentially allow liquidators to carry out a private enquiry to investigate the affairs of an insolvent business, including summoning and examining people capable of giving information about the company.

Mirror Trading International (MTI) was a network marketing scam that claimed to offer automated bitcoin-based trading services  initially in forex and later in cryptocurrency derivatives.

According to documents MyBroadband had seen, MTI started as a mirror trading system in 2019 but quickly morphed into a network marketing scheme when it posted consecutive months of significant losses.

Before MTIs collapse, the Texan and Canadian financial regulators issued warnings and bans against the scheme.

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority of South Africa (FSCA) soon followed with its own warning in August 2020, going so far as to recommend that investors withdraw their money as quickly as possible.

MTI made headlines in September 2020 after MyBroadband exposed the inner workings of the scheme, thanks to a report from a group calling itself Anonymous ZA.

In October 2020, the FSCA raided MTIs offices in Stellenbosch, as well as the homes of CEO Johann Steynberg in Polokwane and 50% shareholder Clynton Marks in Durban.

Steynberg disappeared in December 2020, shortly after investors started complaining that they were struggling to get their withdrawals processed.

The scheme promptly collapsed, and two groups rushed to lodge liquidation applications against the company.

Chainalysis named MTI the biggest cryptocurrency scam of 2020.

Court documents gave the last estimate of the funds that flowed through MTI as 29,421.03379 bitcoin  over R17.8 billion at current exchange rates.

However, a source with knowledge of the case told MyBroadband that the latest analysis shows that more than 46,000 bitcoin (over R27.8 billion) flowed through the scheme.

Steynberg was arrested in Brazil a year after he disappeared, on 29 December 2021, after allegedly presenting fake identification to law enforcement officers.

Since the collapse of MTI, there has been much legal wrangling during the liquidation proceedings, including a group of members opposing an application from the liquidators declaring it a pyramid scheme.

At least two groups have also successfully challenged the liquidators summons to appear for a Section 417/418 enquiry.

MTI shareholder Clynton Marks and his wife Cheri, who headed up communications, won their application not to appear for a second round of questioning from the liquidators.

Another group comprising Nico Boshoff, Usher Bell, Marinus Bell, Ignatius Bell, Nico van der Merwe, and Gerald Lassen also had the liquidators summons against them dismissed.

Judge Baartman ruled that subjecting them to interrogation would be an invasive public event that could not be undone.

However, Baartman also said she did not believe the applicants had a solid case to oppose MTI being declared an unlawful scheme.

MyBroadband contacted the legal representative for Phillip Botha for comment on his arrest, but they did not respond by the time of publication.

Now read: MTI liquidators slam members trying to stop it from being declared a pyramid scheme
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has said that the Road Traffic Management Corporations (RTMC) fees for South Africas new online vehicle and driving licence renewal system are exorbitant.

Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage said that although it is promising to see such systems transition to digital form, as far as they are concerned, the administration costs for these new systems are hidden taxes.

Duvenage spoke to Talk Radio 702s Bongani Bingwe regarding the administration fees.

Last year, when they put out a Gazette to ask for comment from the public about it, we saw the fees, and they were exorbitant, extremely expensive. They started out at R750 per transaction, he said.

These fees were subsequently reduced but remain high.

So, good move to get into the digital age, but at this cost, these are hidden taxes as far as were concerned.

He used the example of having vehicle ownership changed, which is 350% higher when doing it online.

If you go to the offices and have your vehicle ownership changed, its about R150 for the administration fee. If you want to do it online, its R530, he said.

Duvenage said that these were services initially provided as a component of taxes in the past, funded by the Treasury.

According to Duvenage, Outa views the transition to administration fees as another money-making scheme.

What happens is they take themselves off of the need to rely on Treasury, theres less oversight, and this is where the money-making takes place, he explained.

As we saw last year or the year before, Japh Chuwe, the CEO of the RTIA, had a salary which was very high at R3.3 million, [he] increased it to R10.8 million in one year.

Duvenage explained that, while set up costs surrounding these systems might be high, the departments should be able to wind down costs over time.

All these offices are going to, over time, require less staff, less manning, less electricity, less counters, and thats the way you want to go. You want to get people to use digital, he said.

However, he stated that there appears to be a trend within South Africas government to turn these departments into profit centres.

We see this with the RTMC, the RTIA, the DLCA. Every one of these organisations within government are making massive profits. They are turning themselves into profit centres, and this is where the breeding grounds of corruption and maladministration takes place, he said.

Duvenage said there was a legal route to take against the exorbitant fees, but Outa would instead engage with the minister of transport and the Treasury to find out more.

If we have to, well go there, but right now, we want to enquire and ask what the rationale is. We want to get Treasury involved because we dont think theyre actually watching whats happening here, he explained.

If we dont get on top of this from all oversight entities, even the auditor-general, then we are going to see a lot of abuse of power and a lot of waste of money.

When asked whether he is concerned that the system may still be open to corruption despite it being moved online, Duvenage said that it does remove a lot of the threat of corruption.

I think it does remove a lot of the corruption, but weve got to watch the costs, he stated.

A number of years ago, the RTMC was getting below R30 per transaction, and theyve upped that to over R70 per transaction. On top of that, they want to slap on these additional administration fees.

We need to have an efficient government, but we need to have a government at lowest cost production to society, Duvenage added.

They cannot develop these massive cost centres, or profit centres so to speak, and then watch how they misspend the money. Thats really futile and not acceptable to society.

Now read: What it costs to import an electric bakkie to South Africa
South Africas health department has issued a circular that dramatically reduces the intervals between Cominarty vaccines, and allows different vaccines to be mixed for booster shots from 23 February 2021.

The waiting period before you are allowed to receive your booster has also been reduced.

Those receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech Cominarty two-dose vaccine now only need to wait 21 days before getting their second shot  down from 42 days.

For the booster shot, the waiting period has been reduced from 180 days to 90 days, and you can receive either the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Similarly, those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will now be able to use Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson for their booster shot.

Speaking to Talk 702 on Monday, health department deputy director-general Nicholas Crisp confirmed the changes.

We are now able to mix the vaccines. It has been done in other parts of the world for some time, and we are now formally introducing it into our schedule, he said.

Crisp explained that South Africa increased the intervals between the first and second dose of the Comirnaty vaccine in June or July last year we the country started running out of stock.

We were very cautious and had gone to more-or-less the maximum intervals, said Crisp.

Were now going back to what most of the rest of the world is using on whats regarded as minimum intervals to get a good immune response.

Crisp said that the department is reducing the vaccine intervals for two reasons.

One is that people get tired and forget about their vaccines if the intervals are too long, he said.

Secondly, we have plenty of vaccine in stock, so theres no reason to widen the intervals at the moment.

Crisp said that early indications are that regular booster shots for Covid19 may not be necessary, but it all depends on how different new variants are.

We dont think at this stage that it looks like we will need to re-boost because these vaccines are generating cellular immunity, and thats got very good memory, he explained.

Well watch and see what happens, and it seems that as long were dealing with the same variants  or very similar variants to what we have at the moment  it may not be necessary to keep boosting.

Crisp also provided definitions for the terms homologous and heterologous boost that are floating around social media:
Guests to the Oxbow Market this summer will be able to discover an oasis of Moroccan food across from the Ritual Coffee stand. Michelin-starred chef Mourad Lahlou, proprietor of acclaimed restaurants Aziza and Mourad in San Francisco says his new restaurant in the Oxbow, Moro Napa, will offer the food and spices reminiscent of food stalls at Jemaa el-Fnaa, a popular night market he frequented growing up in Marrakesh.

Jorge Velazquez, a native of Napa, former butcher at Charter Oak, and a personal friend of Chef Mourad, will run the kitchen with his guidance. In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle (yes, I did submit some thought-provoking questions to his representatives but chefs are busy trying to keep their restaurants afloat during a pandemic so no response by press time), he said he hasnt finalized the menu, but it will focus on grilled meats served alongside flatbreads, fresh salads, wraps, and spreads, like those served at his casual restaurant Aziza.

Its food that people can enjoy multiple times a week, he said. I dont want people to come just once a month.

There have been lots of changes in Napas restaurant mix since the pandemic began. Paul Franson, who writes the informative NapaLife weekly newsletter, listed at least 20 restaurants that he knows have closed, but reports that plenty more are planning on opening.

The Oxbow Market has experienced its own upheavals, which will provide space for the new venture. Moro Napa will be located in the current home of C Casa, a taqueria that will be able to expand its offerings to include full plates by moving across the market into the larger space previously occupied by Todd Humphries Kitchen Door. The new Kitchen Door will reopen downtown in the First Street Napa complex across from Compline restaurant in early 2022.

Other chess moves at Oxbow Market include Fieldwork Brewery taking lock, stock, and (beer) barrels to the former Cru space at the northwest corner of the complex. This opened a space for another Michelin star chef, Christopher Kostow of The Restaurant at Meadowood (currently being rebuilt after burning down in the 2020 Glass Fire), and the casual Charter Oak, will soon open Loveski, with his wife, Martina Kostow. The restaurant is described as a Jew-ish deli. Nope, I dont know what the fine line between Jewish and Jew-ish deli is, either, but I want to try it anyway.

But the big news to me is Napa Valley attracting an acclaimed chef from outside the valley bringing a cuisine we havent seen a lot. Chef Mourad immigrated to the United States when he was 17 years old, joining his brother, Khalid, eventually earning a BA and masters degree in economics from San Francisco State University.

To earn money during school he got a job waiting tables at a Moroccan restaurant, Mamounia. He felt the restaurant didnt deliver the flavors of his childhood so he eventually began cooking at home, relying on memories of his mothers cooking and lessons from his grandfather at the market.

This led to him hosting Moroccan dinner parties at home and that success prompted his brother to suggest they should start a restaurant. Unlike most good cooks who are told by their friends that they should open a restaurant, they actually opened a successful restaurant, Kasbah, in San Rafael and when the lease ran out in five years, moved back to San Francisco, launching their new restaurant in the Outer Richmond as Aziza, named after their mother. In 2010, it became the first Moroccan restaurant in the U.S. to be awarded a Michelin Star. Mourad received a Michelin Star in 2015, its opening year.

What is Moroccan food? Gripping the western coast of North Africa, Morocco is a mysterious location for many. The only connection many have in the U.S. is they may have seen the 1942 movie "Casablanca" (shot completely in a California movie studio) or read the books by Paul Bowles.

If youre an adventurous cook, you probably have a cookbook or two by Paula Wolfert, who travel extensively in Morocco, focusing her first cookbook there with Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco and wrapped up her writing career eight books later with The Food of Morocco.

Like many nations, Morocco is a rich blend of several cultures, starting with its indigenous population, the Berbers, which was invaded by a series of neighbors, including the ancient Romans and later, the Arabs. France and Spain fought over territory eventually Morocco a protectorate of France and it wasnt until 1956 that it became the Kingdom of Morocco.

Beyond Mediterranean fruits and vegetables, spices are used extensively in Moroccan food, ranging from anise to caraway, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, nutmeg, turmeric, and sesame seeds. The goal is complexity, not heat. Morocco spreads between the Mediterranean and the Atlanta, so plenty of fish dishes along the coast but much of the area is mountainous and borders Algeria to the east, and Western Sahara to the south. The dish people are most familiar with is couscous, which are tiny steamed granules of semolina flour, traditionally served with a stew spooned on top.

While self-taught, Chef Mourad has attracted a lot of star power to his cooking. His cookbook, "Mourad: New Moroccan," published in 2011, is not a collection of classic Moroccan dishes but provides education on spices and techniques before laying out Moroccan recipes that he has adapted to U.S. ingredients and rethought to modernize it. The back of the book features glowing blurbs from famous chefs such as Thomas Keller, Jacques Pepin, Jose Andres, Eric Riper, and the late Anthony Bourdain. There is so much praise, the publishers ran out of room on the back cover so they had to tuck Daniel Patterson, David Kinch, and Charles Phan reviews on the inside cover.

In a press release, Steve Carlin, founder, and managing partner of Oxbow Public Market added, Oxbow Public Market continues to evolve and add exciting new options to our market mix. Moro Napa is an example of that evolution, and our diversification. We couldnt be happier for the Napa community that Chef Mourad has decided to join the market. I just hope the Napa community will try a cuisine that they may not be familiar with and, at least for lunch or dinner, take that trip to the night market in Marrakesh.

Cant wait to try his food? Here is a simple recipe from Chef Mourads book to get you started.

Chicken Skewers

From "Mourad: New Moroccan" by Mourad Lahlou

Serves 6

Marinade

3 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro

1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Chicken:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup finely diced preserved lemon rind

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Marinade: Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Trim the chicken breasts of excess fat. Remove the tenders and reserve them for another use. Cut the meat into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Add the chicken to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or as long as overnight.

Vinaigrette: Whisk all the ingredients together. Set aside.

Chicken: Soak 6 long wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes.

Lift several pieces of the chicken at a time from the marinade and squeeze them over the bowl to drain the extra marinade. Skewer the chicken, leaving 1/4 inch between the pieces to allow all sides of the chicken to cook evenly.

Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes without moving them, to mark the chicken. Turn the skewers 90 degrees to mark with a crosshatch pattern and grill for another 1 minute. The marks should be well browned but not burnt. Turn the skewers over and cook for about 2 minutes to finish cooking the chicken.

Carefully remove the chicken from the skewers and place it in a bowl. Toss with a light coating of the vinaigrette, and serve the extra vinaigrette on the side.

Ken Morris has been cooking for comfort for more than 30 years and learning in kitchens from Alaska to Thailand to Italy. He now cooks and writes from his kitchen in Napa. Email macmor@sbcglobal.net.
Authorities have identified an American Canyon man who was shot and wounded Friday in an attack on Highway 29 in south Napa.

Robert Abreu, 57, was driving to work on northbound Highway 29 near Highway 221 at about 6:40 a.m. when he was shot in the head, according to Sgt. Kyle Eddleman of the Napa County Sheriffs Office.

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Abreu, who was able to call 911 after the attack, was taken to an out-of-county hospital, the sheriffs office reported earlier. His condition was unavailable Sunday afternoon.

Sheriffs deputies arrested 42-year-old Tuong Nguyen later Friday morning in connection with the shooting as well as a carjacking in the city of Napa. The victim of the carjacking was not injured, according to the agency.

Nguyen, who has no listed address, remained held without bail at the Napa County jail for investigation of attempted murder, carjacking, and firearm possession by a felon.

The sheriffs office also confirmed the opening of an online appeal for funds to cover Abreus medical expenses. A GoFundMe page in Abreus name, which described him as a father of three and grandfather of six, announced more than $32,000 in donations toward a $100,000 goal as of 1:40 p.m. Sunday.

You can reach Howard Yune at 530-763-2266 or hyune@napanews.com

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Old family portraits can be treasured for a number of reasons, including to tell us tales from far beyond the grave. After being stored away for decades, paintings of four Calistoga kids recently found their way back into the family's hands. While happy news, it also evokes the heartbreaking story of the children's fate.

Originally from northern Italy, Francois Saviez came to the U.S. in the 1870s, according to his grandson, Frank Saviez. Arriving in the Napa Valley, Saviez managed the Three Palm Vineyard in Calistoga, then owned by the renowned Lillie Coit. Around 1900, he bought adjacent land on Larkmead Lane and Silverado Trail, where Davis Estates is now.

He farmed all that land and was a very innovative guy, said Saviezs grandson, Frank Saviez. He is a prune dehydrator and starting a winery. Theres a lot of great old history around the family.

Francois Saviez married Marie Bardot in 1895 when he was 36 and she was 26 years old. Together they raised nine children, including one from Maries previous marriage. In the span of a few short months, however, the couple was burdened with burying four of their children, who likely succumbed to scarlet fever.

The oldest child, Louis, died Dec. 3, 1907, at age 12. His obituary in the St. Helena Star stated he died of ptomaine poisoning, said to have been caused by eating canned salmon. The rest of the family also fell ill from eating the salmon to greater or lesser degrees, it was reported.

This story is disputed by Frank Saviez, however. There was some conversation about the kids dying of poisoning from canned salmon, which was a bunch of baloney, he said. Indeed, in a later obituary, there was some question of the diagnosis.

Then on Dec. 21, 1907, son Francois (Frankie) died of scarlet fever, according to his obituary in the Star. Frankie, age 10, had also been previously disabled in an accident.

Not long after, on Jan. 6, 1908, daughter Angeline, age 8, also died of scarlet fever. Her obituary, however, casts doubt about the exact diagnosis, saying Physicians  have been unable to diagnose the disease to their satisfaction, except to agree it closely resembles a form of Scarlet Fever. According to Angelines obituary, Francois himself also fell ill with the fever, but he recovered.

Then in February, the family lost the youngest child, Alfred, who was only 3. He also suffered from scarlet fever and died of pneumonia, as reported in the Stars obituary.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Saviez, who reside near Larkmead station, are once more bowed down by grief  having lost their fourth child since Dec. 3, the obituary read.

Francois and Marie subsequently had two more children, Frank said. Marie died in 1917. Francois passed in 1944.

Children's portraits returned

Frank Saviez, now 92, grew up on the familys ranch and remembers seeing portraits of his aunts and uncles as children, including those who died young, hanging in the house. Until recently he was unaware of what happened to them.

Frank moved to Fresno in 1956, had various jobs, and now farms his vineyard and makes wine.

Paul Saviez, Franks cousin, ran the ranch but lost it in a divorce. He moved to Idaho about 10 years ago.

While Paul got rid of many family mementos after the divorce, the paintings fell into the hands of Kellie Anderson, a friend of the family and proprietor of the former Calistoga Depot Trading Company.

Anderson is a self-professed junker and keeper of little stories who saw something special in the paintings.

He said theres something in the barn we left for you, she said. He just couldnt throw that story away. It must have haunted him.

Through a mutual friend of the family, Anderson was able to contact Peggy Saviez, another cousin, who lives in Calistoga. Peggy called Frank to come and get them.

There are about half a dozen portraits, though no one is sure exactly who is depicted in each one. Frank said there are three of the children who died and one of Cyril Saviez, who died in 2000.

The paintings have been knocked around a bit and show some wear, but some of the frames are still okay, Frank said.

I have to decide what I want to do with them now. Im going to try and do something with them, but that many pictures you almost have to build another room for them, he said.

Frank also has one of Calistoga artist Earl Thollanders paintings, of the farm where he grew up. Perhaps, he said, hell hang them together.

You can reach Cynthia Sweeney at 942-4035 or csweeney@weeklycalistogan.com.
Villarreal win Liverpool 2-0 (first half)

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

Ararat-Armenia defeat Noravank

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

What habits contribute to gaining excess weight?

50 Cent announces concert in Yerevan

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

Sergio Busquets receives offers from MLS clubs

Turkish Foreign Ministry on meeting of special envoys in Vienna

Opposition rally in central Yerevan starts with Sirusho's performance

Scientists create most accurate 3D model of female anatomy in history

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

Popular TV series screenwriter lies for years about her terminal illness

Alashkert and Urartu play draw

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

Antibiotics and childhood vaccinations: what you need to know?

Thomas Muller extends his contract with Bayern

Eurovision producer says Russians will not be able to vote

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

Garnik Cholakyan becomes gold medalist of World Youth Championship

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

COVID-19 situation in Armenia stabilizing: from now on, health ministry will publish data once a week

Civil disobedience actions are carried out in some Armenia cities

Bill Gates wants to marry his ex-wife

Armenia 2nd-President Kocharyan, ex-deputy PM and now lawmaker Gevorgyan trial to resume

Pashinyan to Morawiecki: This year we mark 30th anniversary of Armenia-Poland diplomatic relations

No new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Ronaldo leads Premier League for home goals

Met Gala 2022: Best carpet looks you shouldn't miss (PHOTOS)

Armenia Central Bank leaves refinancing rate unchanged at 9.25%

Demonstrators demanding PM Pashinyan's resignation block Sevan-Yerevan motorway

Police: 117 demonstrators apprehended in Yerevan

Kansas National Guard leadership visiting Armenia

Bloomberg: EU new gas partners

Armenian member of Turkey legislature says he was thrown at table of wolves

Italian PM slams Lavrov for his 'Hitler' statements in interview with local television

Artur Azaryan appointed as UEFA delegate for Real Madrid vs Man City match

South Korea and US plan to start air force exercises on May 9

Police special forces apprehend Armenia ex-president Robert Kocharyans son

Police: 70 people apprehended from Yerevan streets

World Press Freedom Index 2022: Journalism as a profession is humiliated in Armenia

Newspaper: Armenia ruling party MPs are worried

Borrell speaks on possible disconnection from SWIFT of new Russian banks

Scientists develop silicon nanochips to fight cancer cells

Cyprus becomes first EU country with full 5G coverage

Police apprehending participants of civil disobedience actions in Yerevan

State Department: Deepening US-Armenia cooperation in nuclear energy will strengthen bilateral relations

Kim Kardashian wears Marilyn Monroes historic dress to Met Gala

Scotland champion to play in group stage instead of Zenit

Peaceful disobedience actions resume in Yerevan early morning

Betis lose points

Manchester United defeat Brentford (video)

Atalanta escape defeat in final minutes (video)

Mirzoyan: Armenia appreciates US support for developing energy sector

Blinken underscores US commitment to help Armenia, Azerbaijan find sustainable peace, prosperity

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Armenia ex-president joins discussion in France Square

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Poland wants the EU to set a clear date for stopping Russian oil imports

Armenia FM meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Armenia FM meets with Director of USAID Samantha Power

Russian national team excluded from League of Nations

New James Bond might be Jacob Elordi from Euphoria

Ann Linde says Finland will almost certainly apply for NATO membership

Police beat reporters, obstruct their work in Yerevan

European Commission may relieve Hungary, Slovakia of embargo on Russian oil purchase

Resistance Movement to continue large-scale civil disobedience actions on 3 May in Yerevan and regions

UEFA suspends Russian clubs from participation in European competitions
The ruling majority "Civil Contract" Faction will not support the draft statement proposed by the opposition "Armenia" Faction on the condemnation of the "Shushi Declaration." Gurgen Arsenyan, an MP of the "Civil Contract" Faction of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, stated about this at Mondays meeting of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relationsand during its debates on the draft NA statement in connection with the ratification of the "Shushi Declaration" by the legislatures of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

"The Shushi Declaration, with its provocative and destructive nature, is unacceptable for the Republic of Armenia. It is a serious challenge to regional and global security, does not contribute to the peaceful development of our region, contradicts the Armenian-Turkish relations normalization on the principle of 'without preconditions,' and raises serious doubts about official Ankara's real behavior and intentions," the aforesaid draft states, in particular.

According to Arsenyan, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has twice stated its respective position back in June 2021. "In the statements issued on June 15 and 17, the MFA notes virtually all the theses which are reflected in the draft statement initiated by the opposition," Arsenyan said.

At the same time, he noted that the Armenian foreign ministry and the parliament should take a single position in this regard.

In his turn, the author of the aforementioned draft statement, "Armenia" Faction lawmaker Andranik Tevanyan, again stated that the adoption of this statement will strengthen Armenias "red lines" on security issues from which the country does not intend to deviate.

According to the opposition MP, the Armenian parliament is obligated to respond to the ratification of the "Sushi Declaration."

"This declaration is, in fact, a document aimed against the declaration of independence of Armenia," Tevanyan concluded.
At around 8pm on Sunday, a BMW X5 and a VAZ-2106 collided in the beginning of Abovyan, Armenia, after which the BMW collided with an Opel.

The driver of VAZ-2106, Vachagan Petrosyan, 45, and four passengersArmine Petrosyan, 39, Vahe Petrosyan, 16, Gyulnara Petrosyan, 64, and Meline Gasparyan, 34died on the spot, and the 14-year-old female passenger suffered critical injuries and was hospitalized.

A video surveillance camera recorded the moment of this tragic road accident, as a result of which the aforesaid five members of a family died and a minor was taken to the hospital.

A 53-year-old man told the police officers at the scene that he was the driver of the BMW X5.

But it turned out that another man, Razmik Davtyan, 29, was actually driving the BMW X5 at the time of this accident. He was found in a house in Armavir city at 4:30am on Monday, 2010, taken to a police station, then submitted to the investigative body, confessed, and was detained.

And the abovementioned 53-year-old man who claimed to be behind the steering wheel of the BMW X5 at the time of this accident is actually Razmik Davtyan's father.
The Azerbaijani foreign ministry issued a statement accusing Armenia of "encouraging interethnic discord," Azerbaijani media reported. The statement reads as follows:

We strongly condemn the statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry in support of the illegal decision of February 20, 1988, which laid the foundation for the aggressive separatism of the radical Armenians of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) of the Azerbaijan SSR.

We remind that the so-called decision contradicted the USSR Constitution, the Law on the NKAO of 1981, as well as all other relevant legal acts.

Armenia's support for aggressive Armenian separatists and its aggressive policy based on territorial claims against Azerbaijan has led to the occupation of the part of Azerbaijan's territory for nearly 30 years, bloody ethnic cleansing in these lands, and violation of the fundamental rights of one million Azerbaijanis.

Aggressive separatism, described by the Armenian Foreign Ministry as a revival, has led to a large-scale catastrophe in the region for decades. This situation has seriously hampered the development of the region in peace and security for many years.

At a time when international law is being established in the region and efforts are being made to normalize relations between the two countries, the Armenian Foreign Ministry's statement encouraging interethnic discord between two nations shows, on the one hand, the country's irresponsible behavior and, on the other, that it had not yet drawn the lessons of the recent events.

We bring to the attention of the Armenian Foreign Ministry that such a destructive approach has no future.

The boundless hypocrisy adopted by the official agencies of Azerbaijan is once again manifested in this statement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan persistently does not want to see the causes of the catastrophe in the region: the massacre of Armenians in Soviet Azerbaijan; the horrific events in Sumgait, Baku, several other cities of the Azerbaijan SSR; the deportation of half a million Armenians of Azerbaijan; the Armenophobia that has been nurtured for decades; the hatred being instilled by the Azerbaijani authorities against Armenians; and the promotion of all kinds of military crimes and crimes against humanity against Armenians. This is just an incomplete list of violations and crimes committed by Azerbaijan against ethnic Armenians.

The statements on "peace" are "strengthened" by Azerbaijan with aggression and provocations against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Armenia, its occupation of the sovereign territory of Armenia, and territorial aspirations.
The Azerbaijani MPs have already arrived in Armenia. Maria Karapetyan, a member of the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, told this to reporters in the NA Monday.

"Two MPs and one escort have came," she said.

Asked whether there will be contacts with these Azerbaijani lawmakers, Karapetyan responded: "In the institutional formats in which the MPs of Armenia communicate with the MPs of all [other] countriesincluding the MPs of Azerbaijanwhen they go on business trips, naturally, there will be an institutional presence in such a format this time as well."

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, the Bureau and Committees of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly will hold meetings in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Monday and Tuesdayand the members of the legislatures of the Eastern Partnership countries and the European Parliament will attend these meetings.
YEREVAN.  Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, on Monday met with Andrius Kubilius, a Lithuanian Member of the European Parliament and Vice President of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, the Office of the Security Council of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The secretary of the Security Council presented to his interlocutor Armenia's positions on stability in the region, the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the unblocking of regional communications, and the demarcation and delimitation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

Also, Grigoryan stressed the need for the Karabakh conflicts settlement under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, as well as presented humanitarian issues that need to be addressed urgently.

Kubilius, for his part, lauded the course of democratic reforms in Armenia, and stressed that Lithuania is ready to expand the scope of its bilateral cooperation with Armenia and contribute to the deepening of Armenia-EU cooperation.
YEREVAN.  The official visit of the Minister of Justice of Armenia, Karen Andreasyan, to Iran started Sunday, as he first to met with the Minister of Justice of Iran, Amir Hossein Rahimi.

The parties discussed a number of matters related to the legal sphere, the Ministry of Justice of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Also, the justice ministers of the two countries signed a memorandum of cooperation in human rights, fight against corruption, children's rights, international law, implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and a number of other domains.

In addition, agreements were reached to deepen cooperationincluding the setting up of a commission, and the extension of the agreement between Armenia and Iran on legal assistance in civil and criminal matters.

In the evening, an official dinner was given by the Iranian justice minister in honor of the Armenian justice minister.
Despite a confirmed coronavirus, Elizabeth II will continue to work, the 95-year-old queen plans to hold a series of online and telephone meetings this week, the Daily Mail reported.

Only one event, which was due to take place in person, is likely to be cancelled.

Hours after Covid's diagnosis was announced, the Queen congratulated the British women's and men's curling teams for medals at the Beijing Winter Olympics. In addition, despite her illness, Elizabeth II followed the races at Newbury and 'cheered as her horse won at Newbury.

Elizabeth II tested positive for Covid-19 days after an outbreak among staff at Windsor Castle. The diagnosis is worrying given the queen's age and recent rumours about her majesty's poor health. The Queen cancelled a visit to Northern Ireland in October on the advice of doctors and was hospitalised for a day's check-up afterwards.
If Moscow's repeated denials of any plan of invasion have sounded unconvincing to a suspicious Western audience, then Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent defining of what is happening in Donbas as "genocide" will have reinforced Western belief in an imminent "invasion".

Citing changes in the Russian leader's references to the turmoil in east Ukraine, from "smells like" to "seems like" to "is" "genocide", they warn Moscow used the same excuse for its 2014 operation on Crimea.

United States President Joe Biden claims he is "convinced" Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine, and his government believes the invasion may occur in the "coming days", with the latest Western "intelligence" indicating that Russian commanders have received orders to proceed with an invasion of Ukraine.

But the credibility of the US intelligence community has been called into question on many occasions, and such war-mongering rhetoric has been constant from the US administration since the crisis erupted.

Nobody knows for sure whether that speculated "invasion" will take place, or when it will if it does. Yet what is patently obvious is the present state of affairs is dangerous, and made worse by a cocktail of misinformation that may easily lead to a misreading of the situation and a miscalculation.

Given the layers of mists of misinformation and mutual distrust, which threaten to affect lucid judgment on both sides, it is good that President Putin and President Biden have agreed, at least in principle, to meet, either in person or virtually, to straighten things out.

After all, a solution needs to be found to address both sides' security concerns to resolve the crisis. Washington and NATO have refused Moscow's security demands, but they have yet to find a way to make sure Russia has nothing to worry about NATO's expansion or other potentially threatening moves. And that is where all the problems they are having with Moscow are rooted.

As a result, rather than scaling down recent military deployment near its borders with Ukraine, Russia is reportedly to extend the ongoing joint military drills in Belarus near Ukraine's northern borders, and the large contingent of participating Russian troops will stay "indefinitely".

War as a solution to imagined security threats is out of tune with our times. And the cost of a war for any country may be unbearable. Not to mention a hostile international environment may prove paralyzing for the already struggling global economy.

Preventing any further escalation of the inflammable situation on the Ukraine-Russia border should be the top priority of all parties involved. China urges all parties to refrain from issuing smoke signals that may start a war rather than prevent one and to seek a political resolution to the crisis on the basis of the Minsk-2 agreement.
Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan received Monday Archbishop Jose Avelino Bettencourt, the papal nuncio to Armenia, the government of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The deputy PM reaffirmed Armenia's interest and commitment to further deepen interstate relations with the Holy See.

Appreciating the decision of the Holy See to open an Apostolic Nuncio office in Yerevan in 2021, Matevosyan stressed that this proves the importance of the Armenia-Holy See interstate relations and the developments taking place in the region.

Archbishop Bettencourt, in turn, congratulated on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the Holy See, and stressed that this 30-year partnership is based on 2000 years of friendly relations.

During the conversation, the Armenian deputy premier lauded the messages issued by Pope Francis during the 44-day war against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in the fall of 2020 and afterwards, the calls for humanitarian aid for the immediate release of prisoners of war (POWs), and asked that the Pope continue mentioning in his prayers and messages the matter of Armenian POWs and civilian detainees in Azerbaijan being returned to their homeland as soon as possible.

During the meeting, they touched also upon the possibility and importance of the Holy See's involvement in the protection, preservation, and restoration of Armenian religious, historical, and cultural monuments in the regions that are now under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the 44-day war.
YEREVAN.  The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, on Monday received the Co-Chairs of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Andrius Kubilius and Maka Botchorishvili, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia commended the dynamics of the development of the Armenia-EU partnership, highly appreciating the role of parliamentary diplomacy in that context. Ararat Mirzoyan also expressed gratitude to the European Parliament for demonstrating its principled position on a number of important issues for Armenia. The interlocutors also exchanged views on the prospects of further cooperation within the framework of the Eastern Partnership.

The Co-Chairs of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly commended the reforms of the recent years in Armenia in the spheres of democracy, the rule of law, and the fight against corruption. Both sides emphasized the holding of free and transparent snap elections in Armenia in 2021 amid a number of challenges.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and the Co-Chairs of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly touched upon a wide range of issues on regional security and stability.

Touching upon the urgent humanitarian issues, Minister Mirzoyan stressed the need for repatriation of the Armenian prisoners of war and civilian hostages illegally held in Azerbaijan. The Foreign Minister stressed the inadmissibility of Azerbaijan's continuous violation of the norms of international law and the decision of the UN International Court of Justice on provisional measures.

The need for a full resumption of negotiation for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts comprehensive and lasting settlement under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship was also stressed.

During the meeting, the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey was also touched upon.
Azerbaijan has declared Armenias ex-Presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan wanted

"Former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia have been prosecuted under the relevant articles of the [Azerbaijani] Criminal Code and have been declared wanted," said Emil Taghiyev, head of the special investigation department of the Azerbaijani military prosecutor's office, Azerbaijani media reported.

He stressed that since February 1988, Kocharyan and Sargsyan had held assemblies of the Armenian employees of the organizations and institutions in Nagorno-Karabakhand to incite national enmity and hatred between the peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Besides the fact that the prosecutor of Azerbaijan is openly lying, attributing to the two former presidents of Armenia what they never saidthe expulsion of the Azerbaijanis from those territories, and the burning of their houses, it remains absolutely unclear as to the grounds on which the former presidents are declared wanted.

To note, Interpol does not accept declaring persons wanted for political reasons.
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

Civil disobedience actions are carried out in some Armenia cities

Armenia 2nd-President Kocharyan, ex-deputy PM and now lawmaker Gevorgyan trial to resume

Pashinyan to Morawiecki: This year we mark 30th anniversary of Armenia-Poland diplomatic relations

No new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia Central Bank leaves refinancing rate unchanged at 9.25%

Demonstrators demanding PM Pashinyan's resignation block Sevan-Yerevan motorway

Police: 117 demonstrators apprehended in Yerevan

Kansas National Guard leadership visiting Armenia

Bloomberg: EU new gas partners

Armenian member of Turkey legislature says he was thrown at table of wolves

Italian PM slams Lavrov for his 'Hitler' statements in interview with local television

South Korea and US plan to start air force exercises on May 9

Police special forces apprehend Armenia ex-president Robert Kocharyans son

Police: 70 people apprehended from Yerevan streets

World Press Freedom Index 2022: Journalism as a profession is humiliated in Armenia

Newspaper: Armenia ruling party MPs are worried

Borrell speaks on possible disconnection from SWIFT of new Russian banks

Cyprus becomes first EU country with full 5G coverage

Police apprehending participants of civil disobedience actions in Yerevan

State Department: Deepening US-Armenia cooperation in nuclear energy will strengthen bilateral relations

Peaceful disobedience actions resume in Yerevan early morning

Mirzoyan: Armenia appreciates US support for developing energy sector

Blinken underscores US commitment to help Armenia, Azerbaijan find sustainable peace, prosperity

Eurozone economic sentiment falls much more than expected in April

Apple faces big fine

Armenia ex-president joins discussion in France Square

Poland wants the EU to set a clear date for stopping Russian oil imports

Armenia FM meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Armenia FM meets with Director of USAID Samantha Power

Ann Linde says Finland will almost certainly apply for NATO membership

Police beat reporters, obstruct their work in Yerevan

European Commission may relieve Hungary, Slovakia of embargo on Russian oil purchase

Resistance Movement to continue large-scale civil disobedience actions on 3 May in Yerevan and regions

EU countries to continue to pay in euros or dollars for Russian gas

Resistance Movement participants return to France Square

Russian and Turkish defense ministers discuss current situation in Ukraine

Ukrainian intelligence accuses Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan of helping Russia evade Western sanctions

NEWS.am digest: Turkey says they have agreements with Armenia on border clarification

Toivo Klaar informs about meeting of Armen Grigoryan and Hikmet Hajiyev in Brussels

PACE initiates resolution on threats to journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan

Diplomat kidnapped in Haiti

Hungarian president asks Orban to form new government

Georgia PM hands over first part of questionnaire answers for accession to EU

Resistance Movement participants march in central Yerevan

Half of Japanese oppose change of peaceful constitution

Resistance movement rally on France Square in Yerevan

Blinken and Armenia FM sign memorandum on strategic cooperation in nuclear energy

Another earthquake registered on Armenian-Georgian border

FLYONE ARMENIA launches regular direct flights between Yerevan and Tbilisi

Georgia abolishes requirement to wear masks in closed spaces

One dollar drops below AMD 450, euro also falls in Armenia

Georgia PM receives Justice Minister of Armenia

Armenia MFA says there is no discussion, agreement on re-demarcating border with Turkey

Cavusoglu claims there is agreement to clarify Armenia-Turkey border

Azerbaijan president receives Brice Roquefeuil

Armenia ex-defense minister: These authorities are able to use force inside the country

Police: 244 people apprehended in Yerevan as of 2pm

Incident involving disobedience march participants occurs at Armenian State Pedagogical University

Yerevan Police apprehend opposition MP

Police: 199 people apprehended in Yerevan as of noon
Azerbaijani foreign minister Jeyhun Bayramov on Monday met with Toivo Klaar, the European Union (EU) Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, Azerbaijani media reported citing their foreign ministry.

During the meeting, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov briefed the opposite side on the current situation in the region, including the work done by Azerbaijan to implement the trilateral statements. The Minister noted the active role of the EU in supporting peacebuilding efforts in the region, in particular the high-level meetings held at the initiative of the President of the EU Council. Speaking about the agreements reached at these meetings, he stressed the importance of fulfilling the promises made by Armenia, including the provision by Armenia of information regarding the fate of about 4,000 Azerbaijanis missing in the first Karabakh war.

Jeyhun Bayramov said that the EU's support to the demining process in the liberated areas of our country, as well as other reconstruction work, was highly appreciated.

Special Representative Toivo Klaar referred to the meeting with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He stressed that the EU is ready to support the process of achieving peace, security and progress in the region. He noted that a meeting with ANAMA is planned during his visit and opportunities to increase assistance to the demining process will be considered.

The sides also exchanged views on the conclusion of negotiations on a new comprehensive agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan and expressed mutual interest in this regard, reads the respective statement.

To note, about a thousand people went missing on the Armenian side during the first Karabakh war in the early 1990s. Using the aforesaid vocabulary of the Azerbaijani FM, it can be confirmed that Azerbaijan must fulfill its own promises and provide information about these missing persons. This is truly about search and collaboration in humanitarian issues, which Azerbaijan has declined from in recent decades.

At the same time, it should be reminded that Azerbaijan itself refuses to fulfill the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020; that is, to release all the captives and stop the aggressive actions.
US leader Joe Biden has asked French President Emmanuel Macron to organize a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed adviser to the French leader.

"Were slowly changing the course of things. Were creating a diplomatic perspective the Kremlin accepts," the source said. "He is a facilitator," the source said in comments on Macrons role.

He also added that the French head of state is a mediator in the context of resolving the crisis around Ukraine.

It was reported earlier that Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Heller said that the country was ready to host a summit of Russian and US presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden if required.

Before that, Emmanuel Macron had proposed holding a summit between the leaders of Russia and the US. The latter, in turn, accepted the proposal. Issues for the summit are expected to be prepared at the meeting of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday. At the same time, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitriy Peskov said that there were no specific plans to hold the summit at the moment.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Toivo Klaar, European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Azerbaijani media reported.

Quoting the official website of the Azerbaijani President, Azerbaijani media report that during the meeting Aliyev stressed the successful development of relations and constructive dialogue between Azerbaijan and the EU. He said he is in a regular dialogue with EU Council President Charles Michel and welcomed his contribution to Azerbaijan-EU relations and the normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian ties.

Expressing satisfaction with the development of relations between Azerbaijan and the EU, Klaar said Michel has been an important supporter of the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. He expressed a hope that negotiations on the new EU-Azerbaijan cooperation agreement will be completed soon. According to Aliyev, the participation of two EU commissioners in the recent Baku meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council is an expression of the importance given by the EU to relations with Azerbaijan.

Aliyev highlighted the importance of the meeting with the Armenian Prime Minister held in December on the initiative of Charles Michel. Referring to the significance of the Brussels agenda, he stressed the importance of discussions and practical work in this regard.

Ilham Aliyev said he had given instructions to the relevant structures to conduct intensive negotiations on the new agreement with the EU and conclude them soon.

Azerbaijani President highlighted the significance of the Armenian side's constructive attitude following the Brussels meeting last year and the February 4 meeting of the Quartet format initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron in determining the fate of the missing and the sites of their mass graves during the First Karabakh War. During the meeting there was an exchange of views on the restoration of communications between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the delimitation of borders and other issues of principle.
Monday marks the 50th anniversary of former US president Richard Nixon's visit to China.

The importance of that epoch-making trip can never be exaggerated, as not only did it herald the normalization of relations between the two countries but it also played an indispensable role in shaping the generally positive trajectory for bilateral relations in the ensuing decades.

It was due to the leaders of the two countries taking the overall situation into consideration and their shared willingness to pursue common interests while overcoming differences that enabled them to end the estrangement of more than 22 years.

Of course, the United States was more confident in itself 50 years ago, when China's gross domestic product was merely 9 percent that of the US. Relations between the two countries have soured in recent years because China's GDP is now about 78 percent that of the US, which has sparked worries in Washington that with China on a rising trajectory and the US on one of relative decline  thanks to its own lack of foresight and errors of judgment  China may challenge the US' hegemony unless its rise is checked.

Yet China does not seek hegemony. Instead it upholds mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as the touchstones for international relations, including its relations with the US. Instead of brooding on how to hobble China's development, strategists in Washington should demonstrate the same foresight and wisdom that their predecessors did and look at the bigger picture of the times.

Thawing the ice that has formed between the two countries today will benefit the whole world as the two can then dedicate themselves to resolving common challenges confronting the world rather than each other. The common interests of the two countries are much greater than they were 50 years ago  the trade volume, for instance, has expanded from less than $100 million in 1972 to more than $755 billion last year  but so too are the common responsibilities they shoulder.

China has no intention of overturning the postwar order the US has established and dominates. Instead, it advocates for its improvement and contributes to it by serving as a growth engine, poverty reducer and promoter of sustainable development.

Sino-US relations are clearly at a fork in the road. Reviewing the circumstances in which Nixon's visit took place and the outcomes would be conducive to relations proceeding in the right direction.

That Beijing announced on Monday countermeasures against two US companies involved in repeated arms sales to Taiwan, serves to show how far the US has strayed from the commitments it made 50 years ago. Those commitments point the way to amicable ties. Washington should not renege on them without carefully considering the consequences.
During another weekend of protests in Canada related to coronavirus restrictions, some 200 arrests were made in the nation's capital, CNN reported.

Authorities are considering stopping the demonstrations, which have been going on for weeks, with vehicle evacuations and fines being imposed on protesters.

Police said they used pepper spray and special tactics over the weekend to disperse crowds and make arrests of protesters who had gathered in front of parliament.

According to police, among those arrested were protesters who allegedly had smoke grenades and fireworks and were also wearing body armor.

The Ontario Police Special Investigation Unit is also looking into an incident in which a woman was reportedly seriously injured and a second incident in which a police officer used firearms against protesters.

Ottawa Police Service Chief Steve Bell told a news conference on Sunday that the number of protesters had dropped dramatically.

Bell said 191 protesters had been arrested and 107 people had been charged. The charges include obstructing police, disobeying a court order, assault, disorderly conduct, weapons possession and assaulting a police officer, he said.

Chris Harkins, the deputy commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, told a news conference that 76 vehicles were impounded and evacuated.

The protests in Ottawa were initiated in late January by a group of truck drivers opposed to the Covid-19 vaccination and mandatory testing. But they were joined by others outside the trucking industry to express their dissatisfaction with a range of other anti-Covid-19 measures, such as requirements to wear masks in schools.

Officials have promised to end the protests with unprecedented protocols, including the Emergency Situations Act. The law allows the Canadian government to deploy military forces, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made it clear that troops will not be needed.
Its hard not to like Emily Yeatman, or Les Petits Bisous, her macaron shop on Havre de Graces North Washington Street. Inside, the store is filled with drawings from her step kids, motivational quotes, and the lovely aroma of butter.

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Emerging from the kitchen where she has been baking all morning, Yeatman, a 36-year-old mother of five is quick to share her life story and to offer up a bright array of macarons to customers.

Ever-so-delicate, macarons are one of those pastries that even trained chefs can struggle with. So it says a lot about Yeatman that she had never baked a macaron before she purchased Les Petits Bisous from its previous owner  and that she knocks them out of the park today.

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Emily Yeatman, owner of Les Petits Bisous, a French Macaron bakery, made these macarons at her bakery in Havre de Grace. January 11, 2022 (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

Did we mention? Yeatman painted her entire shop herself, grabbing a bucket of pink paint and a rickety ladder to do so. Im always like a DIY-person because I think theres so much fun in that, she said.

Just recently, Yeatman received a grant from the state of Maryland to help her expand into a previously-vacant space next door to her shop. There, she and friends will host events and classes for customers.

Before purchasing the shop in 2019, Yeatman was working as a public schoolteacher, but needed to find a new job to help support her family, which includes three step-kids and two children with her husband, a teacher named Jason Grahe.

An avid baker, she dreamed of launching her own baking school to combine her love of teaching with her passion for sweets. But as she set out to make it happen, she kept hearing the same thing from people over and over again.

People kept saying, Go see Wanda, shes selling her bakery. They meant Wanda Boker, the previous owner of Les Petits Bisous, or little kisses in French, who was selling her business as she headed toward retirement.

At first, Yeatman wasnt interested in taking over a bakery. As she planned her career change, Yeatman began working a six-to-midnight shift at a nearby grocery store to pay the bills. Wanda came through my line, Yeatman said. The two hit it off  and Yeatman made an offer on the business.

Emily Yeatman, owner of Les Petits Bisous, uses a piping bag to shape salted caramel flavored macarons in her Havre de Grace bakery. January 11, 2022 (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

The Aegis: Top stories Weekdays Daily highlights from Harford County's number one source for local news. >

Since taking over the business  and learning the craft of macaron baking from Boker  Yeatman has won fans and customers, many of whom have become personal friends. The community just welcomed me with open arms even though the business had been closed for months, Yeatman said.

French-style macarons conjure up images of Marie Antoinette and her friends at Versailles at tea. But in Harford County, Yeatman brings the confections into the 21st century. She asks customers what flavors they want to try  and makes them accordingly. Maple bacon and cotton candy, fruity pebbles and blackberry moonshine are all on the menu, baked to perfection and exquisitely presented.

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When the pandemic hit, Yeatman began accepting preorders during the week and setting up pickup times on weekends. At home, she spent her days trying to distract her four-year-old while her older children were upstairs attending classes online.

By night, shed bake up goodies to sell to her customers on the weekend. Its a tiny shop but we made it work, she said. Im very, very proud of that.

Les Petits Bisous

100 Washington St. N, Havre de Grace. 410-652-3889. lespetitsbisous.com
An extraordinary meeting of the OSCE permanent council has started in Vienna at Ukraine's request, the official websites of the US and UK agencies published statements by the US and UK Permanent Representatives to the UN, Michael Carpenter and Neil Bush.

According to Carpenter, "the world is on the precipice of a full-scale Russian war against Ukraine."

"We took Russias security concerns seriously. We put new proposals on the table. We tried to think of new transparency, confidence-building, and arms control concepts that would help us build a stronger and more durable European security architecture. We launched a new European Security Dialogue to spur creative ideas and to allow every country at this table to have a voice in our collective security. And we remain  and always will remain  committed to dialogue and diplomacy. And to peace. Especially to peace.

But facts are stubborn: none of us can ignore that Russias forces have been growing at an alarming rate, and that so many strike troops are poised for attack within mere kilometers of Ukraines borders. And all of this is coincident with a massive and unusual troop deployment in Belarus immediately adjacent to Ukraines border  a so-called exercise that we were all told would end yesterday, but which has now been indefinitely extended. Coincident with a large-scale nuclear exercise. Coincident with a massive naval buildup in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Coincident with bellicose rhetoric suggesting Ukraine either should not be a state or should not have an independent foreign policy," the US official said.

"The United States and its Allies have been clear that our response should Russia attack Ukraine will be unified, swift, and severe. We have been clear that if Russia further invades Ukraine, it will become a pariah to the international community, it will become isolated from global financial markets, and it will be deprived of the most sophisticated technological inputs. We have also been equally clear that there is still a diplomatic path forward if Russia is willing to engage," Carpenter added, calling for condemnation of Russia's possible recognition of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk.

US and UK at OSCE extraordinary meeting declare Russia threat to Ukraine

An extraordinary meeting of the OSCE permanent council has started in Vienna at Ukraine's request, the official websites of the US and UK agencies published statements by the US and UK Permanent Representatives to the UN, Michael Carpenter and Neil Bush.

According to Carpenter, "the world is on the precipice of a full-scale Russian war against Ukraine."

"We took Russias security concerns seriously. We put new proposals on the table. We tried to think of new transparency, confidence-building, and arms control concepts that would help us build a stronger and more durable European security architecture. We launched a new European Security Dialogue to spur creative ideas and to allow every country at this table to have a voice in our collective security. And we remain  and always will remain  committed to dialogue and diplomacy. And to peace. Especially to peace.

But facts are stubborn: none of us can ignore that Russias forces have been growing at an alarming rate, and that so many strike troops are poised for attack within mere kilometers of Ukraines borders. And all of this is coincident with a massive and unusual troop deployment in Belarus immediately adjacent to Ukraines border  a so-called exercise that we were all told would end yesterday, but which has now been indefinitely extended. Coincident with a large-scale nuclear exercise. Coincident with a massive naval buildup in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Coincident with bellicose rhetoric suggesting Ukraine either should not be a state or should not have an independent foreign policy," the US official said.

"The United States and its Allies have been clear that our response should Russia attack Ukraine will be unified, swift, and severe. We have been clear that if Russia further invades Ukraine, it will become a pariah to the international community, it will become isolated from global financial markets, and it will be deprived of the most sophisticated technological inputs. We have also been equally clear that there is still a diplomatic path forward if Russia is willing to engage," Carpenter added, calling for condemnation of Russia's possible recognition of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk.

For his part, the UK's post-chairman to the OSCE said it was entering "an increasingly dangerous period".

"Instead of acting in line with its stated commitment to dialogue, Russia has shown disregard for the OSCE commitments to which it voluntarily subscribed.

It has boycotted every meeting that Ukraine has called under Chapter Three of the Vienna Document. Extraordinarily, given the context I have just set out, it is Russia that has accused Ukraine of provocation. Every step of the way, Russia has obfuscated, distracted and delayed.

This is in stark contrast to the approach taken by Ukraine. In the face of highly provocative actions by Russia, Ukraine has made massive diplomatic efforts to reduce tension. Ukraine has continued to engage constructively in the Normandy Format and the Trilateral Contact Group. Ukraine repeatedly continue to ensure the Special Monitoring Missions ability to monitor in government-controlled areas, unlike Russias proxies who systematically attempt to restrict the Missions movement.

Here in Vienna, Ukraine has welcomed the Polish Chairs initiative to hold the Renewed European Security Dialogue. Ukraine has welcomed the early warning issued by the OSCE Secretary General and expressed readiness to consider further OSCE action to reduce tensions. Ukraine has used the OSCE Vienna Document processes to share its concerns and given Russia the opportunity to answer questions on its unusual military activity.

If the Kremlin is serious about a diplomatic resolution then it needs to engage properly and commit to meaningful talks at the OSCE," Bush said in particular.
The Council of the European Union has approved a 1.2bn-euro macro-financial assistance package for Ukraine, Deutsche Welle reported.

The package will be provided to Ukraine in the form of loans and is aimed at strengthening stability in this country in a situation of crisis, the EU Council said in a statement released in Brussels on Monday.

The assistance package is designed for 12 months and will consist of two tranches. The first of these will be transferred as soon as possible, subject to the fulfillment of political preconditions and satisfactory implementation by Ukraine of the IMF program, as well as the entry into force of the Memorandum of Understanding on Structural Measures to be agreed by Kyiv and the European Commission. The disbursement of the second tranche will be linked to the continued satisfactory implementation of the IMF program and the Memorandum of Understanding.

A major aid package for Kyiv has been approved just 21 days after the European Commission made a proposal to this effect.

French Economy, Finance and Reconstruction Minister Bruno Le Maire said that the Europeans acted quickly and decisively to help Kyiv. The provision of the package to Kyiv was announced the previous day at the Munich Security Conference by European Council President Charles Michel.
ATLANTA  Many Black communities in Metro Atlanta face high levels of environmental exposures that can negatively impact the health of Black children, and scientists are faced with the challenge of effectively communicating the dangers of environmental exposures to diverse communities. To address these issues, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a $4 million, five-year grant to support research related to addressing health disparities through transformative communication strategies.

With this grant, an Emory-led team of environmental health scientists and health communication experts from the University of Georgia will join forces to translate important environmental health research findings to key stakeholders in the community, academia and health care systems through the newly created Center for Childrens Health Assessment, Research Translation and Combating Racism. The Center will develop high-impact messaging strategies that can be used to improve childrens health by focusing on health literacy and best practices in prevention communication and dissemination.

Faculty from the Rollins School of Public Health and Spelman College, one of the nations most prestigious historically black colleges for women, will also play a critical role in advancing the science generated by the Center and ensuring meaningful discussions and rapid feedback between a community advisory board and all members of the Center.

Linda McCauley, dean, and professor at Emory Universitys Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing will direct the new Center.

This Center is uniquely positioned to foster excellence in research on childrens environmental health that will nurture the next generation of scientists and provide information that can benefit the Atlanta community, which has suffered from decades of environmental racism and has many of the highest levels of health disparities in the nation, says McCauley. Our goal is to improve the health of children, and we know better communications will lead to prevention and early detection of environmental health exposures.

We hope to expand the public health impact of childrens environmental health science by synthesizing existing research into innovative health communication interventions, curricula and policies, says Center co-director Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn, associate professor at UGAs Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Together, we will identify target audiences among marginalized and under-resourced populations and design innovative health messages that can help us better communicate with audiences that have traditionally been challenging to reach.

The Center will also partner with Sharecare, the digital health company whose comprehensive and data-driven virtual health platform helps people, providers, employers, health plans, government organizations and communities optimize individual and population-wide well-being by driving positive behavior change.

Donna Hill Howes, RN, MS, chief nursing officer and SVP, corporate partnerships of Sharecare, commented, Increasing access to information about childrens environmental health is critical to building strong, healthy communities. Working closely with our partners at Emory, UGA and the Center, we believe that, together, we can effectively support the translation of health science to action-oriented information by leveraging our content and products, connecting stakeholders across fields and utilizing our national reach to augment childrens environmental health.

Emory is one of six academic institutions in a network of Childrens Environmental Health Research Translation Centers in the U.S., and it will serve as the National Coordinating Center for the network. The Coordinating Center will be led by Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Childrens Environmental Health Network. Other Centers were awarded to Johns Hopkins University, Oregon State University, the University of Pennsylvania, New York University and the University of Southern California.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P2CES033430. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

About the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of the National Institutes of Health. For more information on NIEHS or environmental health topics, visit www.niehs.nih.gov or subscribe to a news list.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH, the nations medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. More information about NIH and its programs is available online.
A two-alarm fire broke out on the roof at the Lincoln College of Technology in East Columbia on Sunday, fire officials said.

Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services spokesman Lt. Adam Nolder said that just before 4 p.m. the department received several 911 calls about smoke showing from the college at 9325 Snowden River Parkway. When firefighters arrived, they saw heavy black smoke coming from the roof.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 5 Firefighters work to put out a two alarm fire located in the roofing system at Lincoln Technical Institute in Columbia, Maryland. (Kevin Richardson/Baltimore Sun)

Nolder said firefighters learned that the fire was burning in the roofing system between the roof and solar panels. The fire remained only in the roofing system, the spokesman said, never making its way into any classrooms.

No injuries were reported and the college was not open at the time of the fire, Nolder said.

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Battling the blaze was very labor-intensive, Nolder said, as firefighters had to use hand tools to remove roofing layers. Firefighters from Prince Georges and Montgomery counties helped respond to the fire. By 6 p.m., the fire was extinguished.
Kennesaw State hosts area Chamber of Commerce leaders in first Georgia Summit

KENNESAW, Ga. (Feb 21, 2022)  The Office of Economic Development and Community Engagement is hosting the first Chamber Summit at Kennesaw State University on Feb. 23.

This event will provide Chamber of Commerce leaders from across the region the opportunity to tour Kennesaw States campuses and research facilities and learn more about the Universitys growing academic programs and campus resources. Tyler Reinagel

Associate Vice President of Economic Development Tyler Reinagel, who joined KSU in Summer 2021 and met with Chamber leadership through the fall, sees this summit as a critical step to take to ensure community leaders area aware and learn how to engage with the university and its assets.

As I met with Chamber leadership throughout metro Atlanta and northwest Georgia, there was a real sense of excitement and energy about the resources that KSU can contribute to their communities, said Reinagel.

During the Summit, leadership and faculty members from Kennesaw States colleges will provide insights into the academic programs offered by the University as well as the efforts in place to support the development of a highly educated workforce. Chamber leaders will also have the opportunity to help shape the five-year Economic Development and Community Engagement Strategic Plan by sharing their thoughts on how their offices and the University can work more closely to building a better Georgia.

Being part of such a dynamic and growing region is part of KSUs identity, said Reinagel. The best way to share the story of what KSU has become in recent years is to invite our neighbors to campus and share the innovation, academic resources, and cultural activities that Kennesaw State has to offer.

 Meagan Lowney

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The universitys vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 21 (ANI/PNN): Polytrade finance, a Decentralized Trade finance platform backed by Blockchain technology, has been awarded the "Best Financial Institution of the Year" for supporting & empowering SMEs. The esteemed award was presented to Piyush Gupta, Founder and CEO, Polytrade, by Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Hon'ble Governor of Maharashtra at Rajbhavan, in the presence of many prominent personalities. The Award ceremony was jointly convened by the SME Chamber of India & Maharashtra Industrial and Economic Development Association on February 13, 2022. * Polytrade is committed to fulfilling the unmet demands of Rs.2,200 crore of working capital for SMEs in India * Financed more than Rs. 3,700 crore worth of invoices since 2014 Polytrade was founded in 2014 by IIT-Bombay graduate Piyush Gupta to support Indian SMEs struggling for working capital for a myriad of reasons, including lack of understanding around some trade finance instruments, lack of collateral, high cost of borrowing, and exhaustion of credit limits. Piyush Gupta, Founder & CEO, Polytrade, "We are honored to have been awarded the Best Financial Institution of the Year by the Hon'ble Governor of Maharashtra. I dedicate this award to every individual and institution who has been instrumental to the growth of SMEs across the country. This award will further drive us on our quest to transform the Trade Finance industry with new edge technology and empower the SMEs in India." According to industry data, the unmet trade finance demand for SMEs in India is more than Rs. 2,200 crore. Polytrade has successfully financed over Rs. 3,700 crore worth of invoices since its inception in 2014, and their platform will significantly increase the availability of funds for SMEs. Chandrakant Salunkhe, Founder & President, SME Chamber of India, "SMEs in India fight on many fronts with liquidity crisis being the prominent one. Polytrade platform gives a holistic solution to SMEs by providing easy access to working capital, thereby empowering the SME sector of India. Our visionary Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, quoted while praising awardees for their outstanding contribution, "Keep working towards your dreams. I wish to see you all next year, receiving an award from the Hon'ble President of India." Polytrade is a blockchain-based decentralized Trade finance protocol aiming to transform Receivables financing. It connects buyers, sellers, insurers, and investors for a seamless experience. Polytrade provides SME borrowers with access to low interest and swift financing. By onboarding on Polytrade, everybody gains as the platform bridges the gap in traditional receivable financing through blockchain technology. Polytrade aims to boost the business growth of SMEs where liquidity is not a hindrance. Contact: Aditi Saini Email: aditi@polytrade.finance Website - https://polytrade.finance This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (Jio), India's largest 4G and mobile broadband digital service provider, said on Monday it will land the next generation multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives. The high capacity and high-speed IAX system will connect Hulhumale' directly with World's major internet hubs in India and Singapore, the company said in a statement. "This is the first stride towards enhancing our connectivity infrastructure and opening vast opportunities for our people through providing secure, affordable, and high-quality services. We also aim to diversify our economy and establish ourselves as a key communications hub in South Asia," said Uz Fayyaz Ismail, Minister of Economic Development of Maldives. "Aside from economic development, this will accelerate social development through high-speed internet access throughout the Maldives allowing us to attain the equitable development we seek," Ismail added. The IAX system originates in Mumbai in the west and connects directly to Singapore, with branches including additional landings in India, Malaysia, and Thailand. The IndiaEurope-Xpress (IEX) system connects Mumbai to Milan, landing in Savona, Italy, and includes additional landings in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. IAX is expected to be ready for service end-2023, while IEX will be ready for service in mid-2024. IEX and IAX together will be one of the most important developments in telecommunications infrastructure in this decade, linking India, Europe to Southeast Asia, and now the Maldives. These high-capacity and high-speed systems will provide more than 200Tb/s of capacity at speeds of 100Gb/s, over 16,000 kilometers. Employing open system technology and the latest wavelength switched RoADM/branching units ensures rapid upgrade deployment and the ultimate flexibility to add/drop waves across multiple locations. "Today's global economy is driven by low-latency broadband, connecting people, businesses, content, and services. IAX will not only connect Maldives to the world's content hubs, but it will also support the explosive growth in data demand expected from the new initiatives being launched by the government of Maldives," said Mathew Oommen, President, Reliance Jio. "Jio is very pleased to be working with the government of the Maldives to help realize this ambition by providing high-quality, terabit capacity supporting Web 3.0-capable internet services," Oommen said. (ANI)
Indiabulls Housing Finance (IBFH) on Monday issued a statement on the recent raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Indiabulls Finance Centre in Mumbai and said that they are a "victim of an extortion racket" and have provided the required data to the agency. In a statement to stock exchanges, Indiabulls Housing Finance has said that ED has sought some information regarding certain clients and the matter originates from ECIR No. 07/HUI/2021 filed by ED on the basis of FIR lodged in village Wada, Palghar, Maharashtra in April 2021. Indiabulls Housing Finance statement read: "The company and its officials have provided the data of clients to Enforcement Directorate. The ECIR registered by ED stems out of an FIR filed by one Ashutosh Kamble who is part of the long-running extortion and blackmail racket against the company." "The FIR is a copy-and-paste of earlier several patently false, vexatious and malicious complaints that the blackmailers have been circulating for last three years, now a similar allegations petition under name of Abhay Yadav was dismissed by Supreme Court in 2019," it added. Indiabulls further said that the company has not succumbed to the threats and extortion attempts of the blackmailers for the last three years and has chosen to take them on through appropriate legal proceedings. Members of the gang were arrested and have had their bail applications repeatedly rejected by courts, including high courts, noting their conduct as extortionists and blackmailers in the court orders. "In the instant case, the complainant Ashutosh Kamble has falsified his residential address to claim favourable jurisdiction of Wada police station in Palghar, where the company has no office or business. He purchased 500 shares of the company just ten days prior to lodging the FIR, to create the subterfuge of being an aggrieved shareholder," said Indiabulls. The statement further says that the company had immediately approached the High Court of Bombay seeking quashing of the false and malicious FIR filed against the company in village Palghar last year. The Division Bench of Bombay High Court on April 27, 2021, passed a detailed order staying all investigations in the matter. Earlier on Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at offices of Indiabulls Finance Centre in Delhi and Mumbai, official sources said. Searches were conducted on the basis of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered by the ED under the Palghar police regarding a first information report against Indiabulls Housing Finance (IBHL) for allegedly siphoning off funds and for accounting irregularities committed by the promoters and directors of the company during 2014-2020. In April 2021, ED had registered a case against Indiabulls Housing Finance and its promoters. ED has registered cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) against Indiabulls Housing Finance, the company's promoter Sameer Gehlaut and some other related companies and individuals. (ANI)
Actor Jason Mewes recently opened up about his substance addiction over the years and shared one particularly sad story that involved his close friend and filmmaker Kevin Smith. As per The Hollywood Reporter, currently sober for 11 years, the actor spoke candidly about his battle on the latest episode of Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast. Mewes is best known for appearing in several of Smith's films as half of the iconic Jay and Silent Bob duo. Mewes first played the character in 'Clerks', Smith's 1994 black and white comedy that launched his career. According to Mewes, Smith likely saved his life by forcing him to get sober several times, both for his health and so he could appear in Smith's films, including 'Dogma' and 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back', among others. Talking to Jackass star Steve-O, a fellow recovering addict, Mewes shared that he hit rock bottom a few times, one moment, in particular, stood out, which was a Thanksgiving years ago. "I remember me and him sitting out in front of his house, and he's crying, saying 'I want to let you in, but the whole family is here,'" Mewes said. Mewes added, "And I had on a tank-top on, and I had track marks. And he's like, 'I can't have you see them like that.' And I'm like, 'I can't come in for a plate of Thanksgiving dinner?' And he's like, 'You can't. Here, I am going to bring you some food.' That was the first time I got sober for a while." Mewes explained that Smith never judged him or made him feel inferior during his struggles. Smith would also pay for treatments, Mewes said, explaining that his friend solely wanted him to get clean and be a member of the family. "All the trouble I had, I had Kevin's support and I know that made a big difference in the outcome of everything," Mewes said. (ANI)
Actor Huma Qureshi has a choc-a-bloc work schedule with multiple projects in the pipeline. In the past week, the actress has wrapped her Mumbai promotions of 'Mithya', gone to Chennai followed by Hyderabad and Bangaluru for the 'Valimai' promotions with Ajith and producer Boney Kapoor. Along with these, she also has the shooting of the second season of the hit series 'Maharani' in her kitty. Sharing her excitement about her upcoming projects, Huma said, "As an actor, the endeavour has always been to go out there and find the best work I possibly can. Each of these projects posed a new challenge. After the success of 'Maharani', which initially felt like a gamble, I felt even more assured to trust my gut feeling." "If I like a story, I will go all out to put my best self on screen, promote it with full gusto. I feel extremely fearless as a performer, especially with the kind of stories we are telling these days. It's our time as artists to come together and tell marvellous stories and enchant the audience like never before," she added. Upbeat but slightly weary from the travel and long days, Qureshi said that living out of a suitcase could be exhausting sometimes. "It's tiring, but I am a happy tired soul. That said, I can't wait to be home, sinking in my couch, eating dal chawal and chilling with the family," she signed off. Apart from these projects, Huma also has the film 'Double XL' with actor Sonakshi Sinha, set to release in Summer 2022. (ANI)
As per E! News, the public service, held three weeks after her tragic death, included emotional speeches by those who knew her best.

"Cheslie throughout her life sowed many seeds through her work, her philanthropy, her advocacy, and most importantly, her genuine care for others," Chelsie's mother April Simpkins said. "I know those seeds will continue to bear fruit for many years."

She continued, "I'm going to miss all of her and the living example of a pure heart. I'm going to miss that the most."

Edward Watson, a man who the aspiring lawyer helped free from prison in 2020, also attended the service and reflected on Cheslie's compassion for others.

"In life we encounter ordinary people, but there are rare cases when we meet extraordinary people," he said. "I needed help, the Lord sent the help that I needed."

The former Miss USA's death has been ruled a suicide, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to People Magazine earlier this month. (ANI)
A recent research by the University of Cincinnati discovered a unique class of medications that acted as blood thinners by inhibiting an enzyme in the genes of tick saliva. The study was published in 'Nature Communications'. The research focused on novel direct thrombin inhibitors (DTI) from tick salivary transcriptomes or messenger RNA molecules expressed by an organism. The result is the development of new anticoagulant medications that can be used to treat patients with a variety of coronary issues, including heart attacks. "Interest in ticks as a model for developing drugs that prevent blood clotting -- [often] the cause of heart attacks and strokes -- is firmly rooted in evolutionary biology," said Richard Becker, MD, professor and director of the UC Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute and UC Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease at the UC College of Medicine. "Analysis of backbone structures suggest a novel evolutionary pathway by which different blood clot inhibiting properties evolved through a series of gene duplication events. Comparison of naturally occurring blood clot inhibitors of differing tick species suggests an evolutionary divergence approximately 100 million years ago." Becker, a co-author on the study, collaborated with researchers from the National University of Singapore, Duke University and the University of North Carolina on the study, which discovered DTIs from tick salivary transcriptomes and optimized their use as a pharmaceutical. The most potent is a key regulating enzyme in blood clot formation with very high specificity and binding capacity that is almost 500 times that of bivalirudin, a drug used during a typical non-surgical procedure used to treat narrowing of the coronary arteries. Those minimally invasive procedures are performed in roughly 1 million persons yearly in the United States. "Despite their greater ability to reduce the incidence of the formation of blood clots, the drugs demonstrated less bleeding, achieving a wider therapeutic index in nonhuman models," Becker said. "The higher potency of the drug means it's not necessary to use a lot of it in treating patients, which holds the cost of goods and manufacturing down." Becker said tick saliva, as in others that feed on blood like mosquitoes, sand flies, tsetse and black flies, contains pharmacological and immunological active compounds, which modulate immune responses and induce antibody production. This research leveraged an understanding of tick-host interactions and antibody formation. "The holy grail of anticoagulant therapy has always been specificity, selectivity, efficacy and safety," said Becker. "Clinician-scientists must have the training and an environment that embraces asking questions and finding solutions, including those potential found deep within nature. An ability to both measure and adjust the drug dose and rapidly reverse its effects is particularly important for safety purposes. The next step is to complete pharmacology, toxicology, drug stability and other important regulatory steps before conducting clinical trials in humans." (ANI)
Security has been tightened in the city following the activist's death.

Meanwhile, some miscreants burnt several vehicles in the Seegehatti area in Shivamogga city. A fire brigade team has reached the spot to douse the fire.

Further details are awaited. (ANI)
The Air Force used a Mi17 helicopter to rescue the student, Nishank.

"The District Collector of Chikballabpur contacted Air Force Station Yelahanka with an SOS message about a young trekker stuck in Bramhagiri Rocks in Nandi Hills after slipping and falling 300 feet below," PRO Defence said.

"A Mi17 helicopter was promptly launched and after an intense search and with the ground guidance of local police was able to locate the stranded and immobile victim. The terrain being treacherous for a landing, the Flight Gunner of the Mi17 was daringly lowered by winch next to the survivor. The flight gunner helped the survivor to harness and winched up safely."

The on board Air Force medical assistant attended to the survivor while the helicopter flew him to Air Force Station Yelahanka from where the survivor was taken to the nearest Civil hospital.

Recently, the Indian Army rescued a youth who was stuck in a steep gorge in Kerala's Malampuzha mountains. (ANI)
This meeting holds importance as it highlights an effort to unite against the Bharatiya Janata Party at the national level ahead of the 2024 General elections.

Speaking to reporters today morning, Raut said, "We never said that a political front will be formed without Congress."

"At the time when Mamata Banerjee had suggested a political front, Shiv Sena was the first political party that spoke about taking Congress along. Chief Minister KCR has the ability to lead by taking everyone along," Raut said.

Notably, Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, and Congress are in an alliance in Maharashtra.

This meeting came after Telangana Chief Minister Rao gave a call to Opposition parties to unite against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Sunday said the meeting will expedite the process of political unity at the national level against the BJP.

Telangana Chief Minister had earlier hit out at the BJP and said that it should be "expelled" from the country or else the country will be "ruined". He also called for political forces coming together to "oust" the BJP from power.

As part of efforts to bring various opposition parties together against the BJP, Chief Minister KCR is also planning to meet his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee. (ANI)
A police source said that the victim has been identified as Haridas, a fisherman from Punnol. The incident took place at around 2 am on Monday.

The CPI(M) has blamed RSS for the murder.

Further details are awaited and a police investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI)
Two Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel sustained splinter injuries in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Manipur on Sunday, which escalated tension in the poll-bound state. The blast took place around 8 pm near Wangoo Tera police station range which is around 45 km from Manipur's capital Imphal. Constables Girija Shankar and Gaurav Rai, both from ITBP's 49 Battalion, suffered injuries in the blast which occurred when they were conducting an area domination patrol along with his colleagues and Manipur Police personnel, said the ITBP in a statement. The ITBP personnel, who are now stated to be out of danger, were part of the 'E' company of the 610 ITBP election battalion deployed for poll duties in Manipur. "An IED blast incident took place at about 8 pm near Wangootera Police Station (around 45 km from Imphal) in which ITBP constable Girija Shankar and Constable Gaurav Ray got injured. The ITBP personnel belong to ITBP's 49 Battalion which is engaged in election duty in Manipur," added the ITBP in the statement. "Both the injured ITBP personnel are stated to be out of danger and referred to Siga hospital at Imphal from Raj Medicity hospital in the city. Some splinters are yet to be removed from the bodies of the injured personnel. Vitals are normal and the condition is stable," said the ITBP in the statement. It is learnt that an NPP candidate's father was shot at by unidentified people in poll-bound Manipur's Imphal East district prior to the blast, which has left security agencies in a tizzy. Assembly elections in the northeastern state will be held in two phases on February 28 and March 5. The counting of votes in the state is scheduled on March 10. (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has expressed deep shock and profound grief over the untimely demise of his cabinet colleague Mekapati Goutham Reddy, said a press release. Terming Goutham Reddy as a young promising leader who was known to him since early days, the Chief Minister expressed anguish over the tragic incident and said that words fail to describe the loss of his young cabinet colleague. "He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members with a heavy heart," added the release. Andhra Pradesh IT and Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy passed away on Monday morning after suffering a heart attack following which he was immediately admitted to the Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad. The statement issued by the hospital said, "Today morning Mr. Gautam Reddy 50/M was brought to Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills in an emergency. He had collapsed suddenly at home. He arrived into our ER at 07:45 am and was unresponsive, not breathing, and in cardiac arrest on arrival." It further said, "He received immediate CPR and advanced cardiac life support in our emergency department. The emergency medicine team and specialists including cardiologists and critical care doctors have attended to him. CPR was done for more than 90mins. Despite our best efforts, he could not be revived." "He was declared to have died at 9:16 am today morning. We are supporting his family to the best extent possible in this difficult time," it added. He was a member of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly representing the Atmakur assembly constituency of Nellore district. Reddy was born on 31 December 1976 at Brahmanapalli village, Marripadu mandal in Nellore district to Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy and Manimanjari. He did his MSc in textiles at the University of Manchester in the UK. He was survived by his wife Sri Keerthi, daughter Ananya Reddy and son Arjun Reddy. He was also the Managing Director of KMC industries. He was first elected as MLA from Atmakur in 2014 and then in 2019. He became a minister in the Andhra Pradesh cabinet led by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy after YSRCP came to power in 2019. (ANI)
Lakhimpur Kheri, which caught national attention in October last year for the alleged killing of the farmers, will go to the polls on February 23 in the ongoing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Bharatiya Janata Party's Yogesh Verma had won the Lakhimpur seat in the 2017 Assembly polls by defeating Samajwadi Party's Utkarsh Verma Madhur with a formidable margin of more than 37,000 votes. The prestige of the Union Minister of State for the Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni will also be at stake in the Lakhimpur Kheri constituency. He's a local MP, besides having been at the centre of controversy after his son was named in the FIR in the incident leading to the deaths of the farmers. Interestingly, both the BJP and the SP have repeated their candidates. The constituency caught the eyeballs in the ongoing polls because of the political heat generated by the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in the Parliament and also outside. In 2012, Utkarsh Verma Madhur from the SP had won the seat defeating the Bahujan Samajwadi Party's Gyan Prakash Bajpai. Congress has fielded Ravi Shankar Trivedi whereas the BSP has fielded Mohan Bajpai from the seat. Khushi Kinnar from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also in the fray along with AIMIM's Mohammad Usman Siddiqui. Eight Assembly constituencies in the Kheri Lok Sabha seat are Mohammadi, Gola Gokarannath, Kasta, Lakhimpur, Srinagar, Nighasan, Dhaurahara, and Palia Kalan. A total of 28,02,835 will cast their vote out of which there are 1495069 male voters and 1307623 female voters. As many as 42,911 first-time voters have been added to the list of voters in the constituency. The BJP had swept all the seats in the district in 2017. On October 3, eight people, including four protesting farmers, died after allegedly being mowed down by an SUV belonging to Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish Mishra. A local journalist was also killed in the violence. The incident hit national and international dailies. Ashish Mishra was arrested and was in jail. Allahabad High Court recently granted bail to Ashish Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Since the 1977 election, the SP has won the polls here four times whereas the BJP has won thrice. The counting of votes of the seven-phased UP Assembly polls will take place on March 10. (ANI)
The voting began at 7 am today and will end at 6 pm.

The candidates complained that most of the polling stations in the 17th ward were rigged in Madurai's Tirumangalam.

Returning officer Terence Lyon, who investigated the complaint, had ordered a re-poll.

Notably, the voting for the urban local body elections was held in a single phase. In October 2016, the elections were scheduled but were postponed in the wake of the Madras High Court's direction. Subsequently, a host of developments, political and administrative, further delayed the polls.

Earlier on Saturday, the BJP Madurai president Saravanan submitted a petition to the district collector seeking re-election in more than 15 wards of Madurai corporation alleging that the DMK workers had cast fake votes in these booths.

In the petition to District collector Anish Sekhar, Saravanan had sought reelection in more than 15 wards of the Madurai Corporation, alleging that the DMK workers had cast fake votes in polling booths 27, 43, 32 and others.

In Madurai district, polling was held for 313 councillor posts in one corporation, three municipalities and nine town panchayats. Voting was brisk at 1,615 polling stations across the district.

The counting of the votes will take place on February 22. (ANI)
Tulsi said, 'I strongly condemn this murder. And, sadly, people have to lose their lives in the process of democracy'.

Asked about the closure of schools and colleges in the state ordered by Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, he said, "It's a very positive statement and people are being assured that whoever is responsible will be dealt with strict actions. And as a precautionary step, the schools and colleges have been closed, which is the right thing to do."

On Karnataka Minister KS Eshwarappa's statement of not allowing 'goondaism' in the state, the Congress leader said, "Yes, of course, exemplary punishment must be meted out to the killers. But then we must have some patience in going through the judicial process."

A 26-year-old Bajrang Dal activist Harsha was allegedly murdered at around 9 pm last night in Shivamogga. The security was tightened in the city following the incident. (ANI)
With the pandemic increasing people's dependence on their phones for information, one major backlash has been the spread of misinformation regarding vaccines. WHO has named vaccine hesitancy one of the greatest threats to global health. Nonetheless, some people are hesitant or refuse to get vaccinated because they do not trust vaccines and health authorities. Recent research from DTU has opened up about this. The results of the study, published in the journal 'PLOS One', showed that misinformation on social media contributed to this distrust and creates a false image of benefits and disadvantages concerning vaccines. "Where vaccine supporters often refer to news media and science sites when sharing knowledge about vaccines on Twitter, we can see that profiles belonging to anti-vaccine profiles far more often share links to YouTube videos and to sites that are known to spread fake news and conspiracy theories, which previous research has also shown," said Bjarke Monsted who holds a PhD from DTU Compute. He continued, "Furthermore, vaccine opponents profiles often link to commercial sites that sell alternative health products. This is surprising given that vaccine hesitancy often stems from a fear of financial conflicts of interest. Particularly, because previous research has shown that 12 people globally are responsible for vaccine misinformation, including people who earn a fortune from the sale of alternative health products." Along with Sune Lehmann from the Research Section for Cognitive Systems at DTU Compute, Bjarke Monsted analyzed some 60 billion tweets written before the pandemic to understand where the discussion about vaccines takes place on Twitter to better understand today's vaccine hesitancy on social media. Using newly developed methods in the area of artificial intelligence called' deep learning' and 'natural language processing, the researchers have taught a computer to identify which views on vaccines were expressed in a given tweet. In doing so, they identified the users who consistently expressed strong views in favour of (provaxx) or against vaccines (antivaxx) and from which sources the profiles shared their vaccine information. Their work shows that 22.5 per cent of antivaxx-profiles' vaccine tweets link to YouTube videos. The researchers then grouped the sources into five categories: Sites known for sharing pseudoscience and conspiracy theories, news sites, social media, YouTube (which was given its own category due to a large number of links), and finally, commercial sites relating to medicine and health. The research confirmed the echo chamber effect, making it hard for vaccine advocates and opponents to encounter each other's views on the internet--because social media algorithms ensure that people interact with others whose opinions align with their own. "In fact, we discovered that the sources of information, which people are exposed to in their social networks, depend heavily on their own attitudes towards vaccines. The more resistance to vaccines a user expressed, the further from the norm was the media picture they were exposed to from their circle of friends," said Bjarke Monsted. Suppose the health authorities want greater support for vaccines. In that case, the responsibility lies not just with the tech giants but also with media outlets when it comes to avoiding medical misinformation, said Bjarke Monsted. "Research clearly shows that combatting misinformation is a joint responsibility. It is important that media outlets do not create a false balance between views giving equal, or maybe even more, airtime to anti-vaccine arguments that are not substantiated by the scientific literature. Media should not portray medical information and misinformation as equivalent views," said Bjarke Monsted. Professor Sune Lehmann hoped that the novel method, which he and Bjarke Monsted developed and used to analyze the many billions of tweets, can provide a greater understanding of the vaccine discussion during the pandemic and in the future. "Our research covers the period before COVID-19. And there is no doubt that vaccines have become a talking point in a whole new way in the last two years. It has gained a lot of attending and been overturned in a completely new way in the last two years. Vaccines have gone from being a topic that was primarily discussed among particular population groups to becoming a markedly more mainstream topic. Therefore, the exciting challenge going forward will be to use our methodological innovations to understand whether--and how--this shift has changed the discussion and the various actors' motives," he concluded. (ANI)
Bihar BJP president and Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Jaiswal on Monday lauded the decision of a CBI court to sentence RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav to five years of imprisonment in a fodder scam case and said the people of Bihar never liked or sympathized with a "Ghotalebaaz" (scamster). "There is no sympathy. People of Bihar have never liked 'Ghotalebaaz' and that is the reason why Lalu Yadav lost Lok Sabha elections even after being such a popular leader," Jaiswal told ANI on being asked about the sympathy RJD might be getting after the announcement of sentence against Lalu Yadav. "His family members are continuously losing elections in the Lok Sabha and in future, his party will be finished," he added. Further slamming the former chief minister of Bihar, the BJP leader urged the people of the state not to elect a person whose ideology is 'if others can do corruption, then why not me.' "Voting for these types of people will further push Bihar into a pit," he added. Calling the corruption done by the former union minister 'so blatant,' even his alliance partner was forced to prosecute him. "The corruption was done so blatantly that even thought his party was part of the Congress alliance at the centre, the government was forced to prosecute him. He was sent to jail during the time of Congress government only," said Jaiswal, three times Lok Sabha MP from Bettiah. "When a person who started from fourth-grade animal husbandry quarters, ends up owning four farmhouses in Delhi, then that person is bound to do it illegally. Today it is not possible for someone who is corrupt to get away easily. The way Lalu Yadav increased his property, it was obvious that he is indulging in corruption," he added. He had committed fraud in those times when no one could even imagine committing such a big scam of Rs 139 crore from the treasury. It is obvious that the same fate has happened." A CBI court in Jharkhand''s Ranchi sentenced former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to five years imprisonment in the fifth fodder scam case and imposed a fine of Rs 60 lakh on him. (ANI)
Outer North District Police solved the gang rape and murder case of a girl within 48 hours after getting some initial leads and arrested one of the accused, informed Brijendra Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Outer North District (OND) on Monday. He stated that the kidnapping case was registered last Tuesday on the statement of the complainant regarding the missing/ kidnapping of his 14-year-old daughter against an unknown person. He also stated that their team received information on Saturday at about 1:00 am from Rahul Rai of village Sannoth. He also revealed that Rahul had been doing business in the same village with the help of the accused from the Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh for the last 15 days. According to the DCP, Rahul smelled a foul smell from his shop/workplace after returning from Jhansi on Saturday and at the same time, the accused was absent from the shop. "Acting upon this information, the shop was searched where a partially decomposed body of that missing girl was found in one corner of the shop under the heap of cow dung cakes (thepla) kept in the gunny bags," DCP of OND said. He further added, "The crime team visited the crime spot and the body was shifted to the mortuary of B.J.R.M. Hospital, Jahangirpuri by the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case. The DCP also stated that to search the accused person, a special team was formed."Finally, the accused was arrested from the outskirts of Sannoth Village in the intervening nights of February 20 and 21 while he was trying to flee from Delhi to Mumbai," the police official informed. According to the DCP, the accused revealed during interrogation that he, along with Rahul's employee, took liquor together on Saturday in the evening at Metro Vihar at about 07:30 pm and they planned to call the victim in the workplace-cum-residing place of suspect/accused. The accused further revealed that they first committed rape upon her one by one and then strangled her with the help of 'plazo' worn by the girl that night, Yadav added. The police also informed the process is on to nab the absconding. (ANI)
The Meerut police had, earlier, pasted the attachment notice at his house in Sanauta village.

He stated that the Circle Officer (CO) Uday Pratap Singh, along with the police personnel of several police stations, had conducted an operation in Sanauta village and seized the three houses of the gangster.

Many cases are registered against him including under Gangster's Act in Falavada police station.

The police further revealed that his brother, Shuaib alias Bablu, was also booked under the Gangster's Act.

"The police had already arrested Shuaib and sent him to jail and besides Parvez, a notice of attachment has also been pasted on Rashid's house", Varun Sharma, Station Officer (SO), said.

There are 28 cases registered against him and most of them are from Mumbai and Rajasthan, said the police.

The police gave details about Parvez illegal properties. "Parvez and Shuaib's father Irshad has a residential house in Ganganagar worth 28 lakhs. While Parvez Creta's price is 16 Lakh, Fortuner is worth Rs 24 Lakh and Eicher Cantor worth Rs 12 Lakh", said the police. (ANI)
The terrorist was nabbed in a joint operation of the police, Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The police said that upon a specific input regarding the movement of terrorists in Rajwar area, Handwara police along with 21 RR, and 92 Bn CRPF established a joint naka at Sultanpora Bridge.

"While conducting the search of pedestrians and vehicles, one suspected person on seeing the naka party tried to conceal his presence and tried to flee from the spot. He was tactfully apprehended by the naka party," police said.

Police recovered one pistol with magazine and five pistol rounds from his possession.

He disclosed his name as Ubaid Bashir Wani, a resident of Maidan Pora, Lolab, Kupwara.

"He revealed that he has come here to carry out the attack in the area. Being a hybrid terrorist of the JeM terrorist organization, he was working on the direction of his Pakistan handlers across the border," police said.

A case has been registered and an investigation is underway. (ANI)
"We will get more than 48 seats in the state assembly polls," he said responding to a query about Congress chances of forming government in the state.

He also said that Congress doesn't work with a spirit of revenge.

"Being a senior Congress leader, I am saying that a Congress government will not work anywhere with the spirit of revenge," he said.

Asked about state Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami meeting former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, the Congress leader said a younger brother should go to the elder brother.

"The younger brother should always remain humble. Our Pushkar Singh Dhami is humble, this is that one quality of Uttarakhand in him."

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday made a courtesy visit at the residence of former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat in Dehradun. The polling for the 70-member state assembly was held on February 14. The counting of votes would be held on March 10. (ANI)
A Delhi court on Monday remanded Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez, who was arrested last year in an alleged terror funding case, to NIA custody till February 25 along with two other accused persons in the case. Special NIA Judge Parveen Singh, also allowed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) the custody of other accused -- Muneer Ahmad Kataria and Arshid Ahmad Tonch for four more days. According to the case, Khurram Parvez who through his organisation called Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) allegedly worked as a Pakistani conduit for close to two decades, aiding in recruiting local Kashmiris as militants and financing them. After combing through heaps of incriminating evidence, the NIA, the agency responsible for probing terrorist activities in India, arrested Khurram Parvez on November 22, 2021. The arrest followed day-long search at his house and the JKCCS office in Srinagar, according to the probe agency. Recently, a city court had extended the judicial custody of Parvez and two others, Arshid Ahmad and Muneer Ahmad Kataria, by 40 more days. As alleged, they were part of the network of overground workers who gathered intelligence on probable terror targets and security installations. Some of them received funds from different people from several States, as alleged. --IANS jw/skp/ ( 223 Words) 2022-02-21-21:18:07 (IANS)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday mocked ally, National People's Party, saying no one in India knows it and voting for its candidates in Manipur elections would be fruitless as the party has "no value". Sarma, who is the convener of the BJP-led anti-Congress alliance of regional parties -- North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), of which the NPP is a constituent, said that Ministers from the NPP were earlier chosen in the Manipur government because of the BJP. "The NPP has no government at the Centre. Why would you go to the central government through the NPP. If you install a BJP government in Manipur, then you would be able to go directly...." he said while addressing an election rally at Moirang assembly constituency, where BJP candidate Mairembam Prithviraj Singh is locked in a triangular contest against Congress' Pukhrem Sharatchandra Singh and NPP's Thongam Shanti Singh. Sarma, also a BJP's top strategist in the northeast region, said that after the Manipur election, his BJP would form the government on its own and there would be no place for the NPP in it. Slamming the Congress for its policies and highlighting its nonexistence in the entire northeast region, he said that the BJP has its own governments in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura and in Manipur, it would retain power for a second term. The NPP, the dominant party of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, has been an ally of the BJP in both the northeastern states (Meghalaya and Manipur) since 2017, but in the current Assembly elections, both the parties are contesting against each other. The NPP, which won four seats in the 2017 elections, has put up 38 candidates while the BJP fielded in all the 60 seats in the Manipur elections. Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP President Conrad K. Sangma, while addressing a series of election rallies in Manipur, claimed that his party would be the single largest party in the state. Manipur Deputy Chief Minister and NPP leader Yumnam Joykumar Singh said that many BJP leaders and workers recently joined his party. Polling to the 60-member assembly will take place in two phases on February 27 and March 5. Votes will be counted on March 10. --IANS sc/vd ( 387 Words) 2022-02-21-21:18:08 (IANS)
Grilled by the Supreme Court on One Rank One Pension (OROP) in the armed forces, the Centre has told it that OROP is to "bridge the gap" between the rates of pension of current and past pensioners. In an affidavit filed by Additional Solicitor General N. Venkataraman, the Centre said: "One Rank One Pension implies that uniform pension be paid to the armed forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement and any future enhancement in the rates of pension to be automatically passed on to the past pensioners." The petitioner, Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) laid repeated emphasis on the expression "automatically" to convey that the revision of the OROP should be automatic and the Centre had failed to do and has instead made the OROP revision once in five years. Emphasising on rejecting this argument, the affidavit said: "The dynamic calculations as contended by the petitioners is unheard of in practice whether it is pay scale or pension or any other financial emoluments given to a government servant. This is not in vogue for the simple reason that it is impossible to put it as a scheme of implementation." The Centre also answered the query whether the statement made by the then Finance Minister on February 17, 2014 was based on any decision or recommendation by the Union Cabinet. "Respondent respectfully submits that this statement is not based on any decision or recommendation by the then Union Cabinet. On the other hand, the Cabinet Secretariat conveyed the approval of the Prime Minister in terms of Rule 12 of the GoI (Transaction of Business Rules) 1961 on November 7, 2015," added the affidavit. It further said Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, under the Defence Ministry, through a communication on November 7, 2015 conveyed the policy of OROP for the defence forces personnel. "A post facto approval of the Union Cabinet dated April 6, 2016, was also conveyed by the Cabinet Secretariat on April 7, 2016," said the Centre. "More importantly, the policy document states that OROP is to bridge the gap between the rates of pension of current and past pensioners, which objective has been duly complied with," the affidavit said. The top court will hear the matter later this week. During the previous hearing, senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for IESM, said what is the morality of this government after giving a statement that it has, in principle, agreed to implement one rank one pension. He added that the sum and substance of their arguments is that they are not inclined to give OROP, but they will give one rank, different pensions. He added that the ASG said it could have been given at 10 years but they chose 5 years for the review. "What is the morality of a statement made by a minister on the floor of the House," he said Ahmadi. In the plea, filed through advocate Balaji Srinivasan, the petitioners have questioned the November 7, 2015 notification issued by the Centre while implementing OROP, in which the government adopted a modified definition of the expression, under which the gap between the rates of pension of current and past pensioners were to be bridged at periodic intervals. --IANS ss/vd ( 558 Words) 2022-02-21-21:50:04 (IANS)
Anesthesia is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical purposes in humans. But can plants also be given anaesthesia? A recent study has explored this possibility. The study was published in the journal 'Scientific Reports'. Medicine has a broad repertoire of anaesthetics at its medication allows patients to better endure painful treatments or even sleep through them. As early as 1842, ether was first used for a dental treatment in New York. Since then, this anaesthetic has served as one of the main anaesthetics worldwide for over 100 years. Remarkably, anaesthetisation is also possible in plants. Claude Bernard proved in 1878 that the touch-sensitive plant Mimosa pudica did not react to touch under the influence of ether by closing its leaves. He concluded that plants and animals must have a common biological essence that is disturbed by anaesthetics. Ether anaesthetics were used during surgery, childbirth and in palliative treatment to take away patients' pain. However, the exact mechanism of action has never been elucidated. Even with modern anaesthetics, it has been often unclear as to how and where they function. One reason for this is certainly that humans are a very delicate research subject. This is where plant researchers from Julius-Maximilians-Universitat (JMU) Wurzburg in Bavaria, Germany, stepped in. Professor Rainer Hedrich's team has been leading research on the Venus flytrap for over ten years. He has already achieved many groundbreaking insights into the life of this carnivorous plant. "Unlike most other plants, the Venus flytrap is particularly sensitive to touch. In response to such stimuli, electrical impulses are triggered and transmitted extremely quickly to catch animal prey," Hedrich explained. The electrical impulses (action potentials, APs) of the flytrap are comparable to those of our nervous system. It is true that plants do not have a distinct nervous system. But they do transmit electrical information in their conductive tissue, for example, to close the trap at lightning speed: "In 2016, we were able to show that the Venus flytrap, like a human, can not only perceive touch but also count and remember the APs it has fired," explained the Wurzburg professor. "So it made sense to test whether and how ether affects the carnivorous plant's sense of touch." Before anaesthetising the plant, however, there were some tricky hurdles to overcome in order to be able to use the highly explosive ether gas. "Explosions resulting in death, unfortunately, occurred repeatedly in the medical use of ether. That's why we had an explosion-protected device made so that we could work safely without blowing up the whole institute," reported Dr Sonke Scherzer with a grin. This way, the Wurzburg researchers found out that the Venus flytrap can be anaesthetised, similar to a human being, and that it does not react to touch during this time. Investigations of the trap memory even showed that the trap cannot "remember" touches during anaesthesia. Thus, its reaction is not different from that of a patient, as Hedrich's team reported in the study. "Things got really exciting, however, when we discovered that the anaesthetised traps can perceive touch locally, but cannot transmit it," said Sonke Scherzer, the first author of the paper. Every touch of the sensory hairs leads to the release of the signal molecule calcium in the Venus flytrap. This molecule also played a decisive role in the transmission of stimuli in humans. In the plant, however, the JMU researchers were able to make the calcium signal visible by expressing genetically encoded calcium sensors. They found that the calcium signal is still produced in the sensory hairs of anaesthetised plants after a touch, but that it no longer leaves this touch sensor. Ether, therefore, interrupted the transmission of stimuli. "Now we finally knew in which tissue the ether acts," said Sonke Scherzer. But in order to understand the exact mechanism of action of the anaesthesia, the Wurzburg researchers studied these hairs in detail and found out that only the hairs of fully-grown traps trigger the fast calcium signal when touched. Immature traps, on the other hand, do not have this signal and therefore cannot catch any prey. "Now we have looked at how these two developmental stages differ and have come across an interesting gene that is found exclusively in the hairs of adult traps," said Rainer Hedrich. This gene encodes a glutamate receptor, which is apparently responsible for the rapid transmission of stimuli. These receptors perceive the neurotransmitter glutamate and are also found in humans, where they are involved in the transmission of stimuli in the synapses. Here, the plant researchers received support from Professor Manfred Heckmann, an expert on animal glutamate receptors at JMU Wurzburg. "Indeed, we see calcium signals when we stimulate the traps externally with glutamate," said Heckmann. "However, this response does not occur in anaesthetised traps or immature traps without the glutamate receptor expressed. Thus, the glutamate receptor appears to be a likely target in ether anaesthesia. When this receptor is blocked, stimulus transmission also stops." "Now we need to find out what the glutamate receptors of animals and plants have in common and how they differ," Heckmann outlined ongoing experimental research. "With this paper, we show that the Venus flytrap can serve as a study object not only for plant research but also for medicine. With it, it could be possible to investigate the mechanism of action of drugs without having to conduct animal experiments," Scherzer held out the prospect. (ANI)
Luhansk [Russia], February 21 (ANI/Sputnik): At least three civilians were injured in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) in Ukraine's southeast (Donbas), where a total of 66 violations of the ceasefire regime on the part of Kyiv forces were recorded in the past 24 hours, spokesman for LPR people's militia Ivan Filiponenko said. "As of 00:00 [22:00 GMT on Sunday], the Luhansk People's Republic's mission to the JCCC [Joint Center for Control and Coordination on the ceasefire regime] has already recorded 66 ceasefire violations. Ukrainian militants shelled 24 settlements of the republic. Weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements are actively used," Filiponenko said in a statement. According to LPR, the shelling by Kyiv forces resulted in one civilian having his lower limb amputated in the village of Pryshyb. In addition, two residents of the village of Znamyanka received shrapnel wounds. Damage to residential buildings was also recorded. Late on Sunday, Filiponenko said that the situation on the contact line in Donbas had deteriorated substantially in the past few hours, with Kyiv forces constantly shelling LPR settlements. (ANI/Sputnik)
"New call on the same day. Emmanuel Macron spoke again on the phone with Vladimir Putin this Sunday," the French TV channel reported shortly before midnight without giving any details on the substance of the talks.

According to BFMTV, the phone conversation lasted for one hour.

Earlier on Sunday, Downing Street said that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had discussed the situation in Ukraine with Macron, with Johnson telling his French counterpart that Putin's "commitments" to Macron suggest openness to finding a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis.

Earlier on Sunday, Putin and Macron held phone talks at the French side's initiative. The presidents agreed on trilateral group (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) talks on Ukraine to be held on Monday, according to media reports. The Russian president also reportedly confirmed to Macron the intention to withdraw troops from Belarus after the ongoing joint military exercise is over. (ANI/Sputnik)
US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed on the principle of a summit proposed by France President Emmanuel Macron to discuss security and strategic stability in Europe, Elysee Palace said. The development came after Macron held telephonic calls with Putin twice in the day and also spoke with Biden on the Ukraine situation. According to a release by Elysee on Sunday, President Macron "proposed a summit to be held between President Biden and President Putin and then with relevant stakeholders to discuss security and strategic stability in Europe." Biden and Putin have both accepted the principle of such a summit, read the statement. The statement further said that the substance of such a summit will have to be prepared by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their meeting on February 24. However, it can only be held at the condition that Russia does not invade Ukraine, the statement said further. As per the release by Elysee Palace, the official residence of the President of the French Republic, the French President will work with all stakeholders to prepare the content of these discussions. Earlier on Sunday, Macron spoke with Biden and Putin on the Ukraine situation. Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin also had an in-depth discussion of the developments around Ukraine as well as developments regarding long-term legal security guarantees for the Russian Federation, said Kremlin in its statement on Sunday. In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an "invasion". Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Moscow has also said Russia has the right to move troops within its national territory.Russia has also warned Western countries that military deliveries to Kyiv may encourage the latter to use them against the breakaway Russian-speaking region of Donbas. (ANI)
Bamboo Airways operates first flight on Vietnam-Australia direct route

Vietnamese carrier Bamboo Airways operated first flight connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Melbourne in Australia on February 19-20.



According to the airline's Deputy General Director Truong Phuong Thanh, this is a new milestone in its roadmap to exploit Vietnam-Australia direct air routes.



Along with the Ho Chi Minh City-Melbourne route, the airline has planned to open additional routes linking major cities of Vietnam and Australia, he said.



The route helps shorten the travel time between the two cities to about eight hours, saving eight hours compared to transit flights.





Bamboo Airlines uses 787-9 Dreamliner for flights on this route.

First passengers in the Vietnam-Australia air route operated by Bamboo Airways (Photo: VNA)





Earlier in December, Bamboo Airways announced the launch of the Vietnam-Australia direct air route and signed agreements with Melbourne airport and Victoria State for the operation of the route.



Australia is a big tourism market of Vietnam with more than 383,000 Australian visiting Vietnam in 2019. Meanwhile, more than 300,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the country.



According to a representative of Bamboo Airways, the airline plans to expand its international network to nearly 40 routes in 2022, including the Hanoi-Narita (Japan), Hanoi-Taipei (Taiwan, China) and Hanoi-Incheon (the Republic of Korea); while the Hanoi-Frankfurt (Germany) and Hanoi-London (the UK) routes are scheduled to be launched in March.



Bamboo Airways is operating a fleet of 30 airplanes, including Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and A321/A320 Neo.
As the specter of all-out war in Ukraine looms large, a confrontation between Russia and the West over Ukraine will undoubtedly have ripple effects on the countries of the Middle East, which must take hard decisions and choose sides. The prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine would put them in the difficult position of choosing between doing business with the West or with Moscow. A possible war in Ukraine will certainly affect some areas that are of great importance for the Middle East region: energy, agriculture, the question of refugees, and state relations with the West and Russia. As Russian natural gas accounts for about 40% of the EU gas market, it would be very difficult to fully replace it in case of Russian cuts. Surely, the US would require Qatar and Saudi Arabia to do their utmost to cover the shortfall, but this is easier said than done. It is worth recalling, that Qatar has recently been designated by the US as a major non-NATO ally, and that on January 31, US President Joe Biden had discussed this issue in Washington with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Currently, Qatar is the largest global supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), alongside Australia, but its production is close to maximum capacity and is tied up in long-term contracts to India and South Korea. So, it cannot supply all the quantities needed. Furthermore, Qatar wants to see an end to a European Commission antitrust investigation launched four years ago into the way Qatar was selling its long-term contracts to European customers. There is no question that Saudi Arabia will try to help and is already under strong US pressure to increase its oil production in order to drive down oil prices which have skyrocketed. Riyadh at the same time must be very careful so as not to harm its relations with Moscow, as Saudi Arabia's dominance of OPEC is due to its partnership with Russia. Many analysts are convinced that in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, oil prices will exceed one hundred dollars per barrel, triggering a jump in global gas prices, and rises in a huge range of products where energy is a significant production cost. This will affect people all over the world. Ukraine is one of the world's top wheat exporters and the country was known as the breadbasket of Europe. So, a possible disruption in its wheat supplies will heavily affect several Middle Eastern countries, like Egypt which imports about 80 per cent of the wheat it needs from Ukraine, Libya and Lebanon which import about 40 per cent, and Yemen about 20 per cent. Lebanon and Yemen are already very close to famine, but if war breaks out, all countries in the Middle East are expected to be affected by the inevitable rise in prices. Sharp price increases invariably spark demonstrations in the Middle East, sometimes quite violent, causing political instability. If the crisis in Ukraine escalates further, a new refugee crisis will be created, and desperately needed humanitarian aid may have to be diverted for example from Yemen to refugees in Europe. The crisis will become even worse due to the skyrocketing prices in energy and agricultural products and there will not be funds available for reconstruction and development. Now let's see some of the possible political implications the crisis in Ukraine may have on specific Middle East countries. A country that is most likely to be affected is Libya, where Russia and the West support different warring factions. The West generally supports the UN's internationally recognized government in Tripoli, while Russia is on the side of eastern-based General Khalifa Haftar in Tobruk. Last December the scheduled national elections were called off and now there is a risk that the Russian-backed Khalifa Haftar faction could again form a breakaway government at war with the government in Tripoli, leading to a new round of fighting in the war-torn country. Due to the situation in Ukraine, it is now highly unlikely that the West and Russia will come together to stabilize the situation in Libya. Turkey also finds itself in the position of having to choose between the wishes of Moscow or Washington. The US Administration wants Ankara to continue its military supplies, particularly drones, to the government in Kyiv, while Kremlin spokesman has stressed that Turkey's ongoing arms sales to Ukraine threatened to destabilize the region. Turkey is unlikely to fully align itself with the West against Russia, given its complicated relationship with Moscow, involving cooperation in some areas and competitive, even adversarial, relations in others. In the economic field, it relies on Russian natural gas for its industry and on the millions of Russian tourists visiting Turkey who bring much-needed hard currency. In the geostrategic field, they support opposite sides in the war in Syria and Libya. Other Middle Eastern states will find themselves in the unpleasant position of picking a side. The United Arab Emirates, for example, does not want to alienate Moscow by aligning with the West, but it will be forced in the end to comply with Washington's wishes. During the past few years, the relations of several countries in the Middle East with Moscow have improved dramatically, after a perceived decrease in US interest in the region, but now the crisis in Ukraine has changed almost everything, and they cannot ignore Washington's wishes without paying a price. (ANI)
The terrorists were killed following an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted by the security forces, the Dawn newspaper reported on Sunday.

A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the terrorists, including sub-machine guns, hands grenades, and a large number of multiple caliber rounds.

"The killed terrorists were involved in terror activities against security forces, target killing and kidnapping for ransom," the Pakistani newspaper quoted Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

One Pakistani soldier was also killed during the exchange of fire.

Contrary to claims made over efforts to eradicate the networks of militant groups from its land, the increase in the incidents of terrorist attacks shows that the reality is quite different in Pakistan.

Three policemen were injured in a hand-grenade attack at a police station in Pakistan's Peshawar city on Sunday.

On January 25, over 10 Pakistani military personnel were killed in an attack in Kech, Balochistan. Just over a week later, on February 2, the Noshki and Panjgur districts of the same province saw the killing of seven military personnel, including an officer.

Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group in Balochistan, claimed the responsibility for the attack. They claimed to have killed "more than 100 enemy personnel" in Noshki and Panjgur.

In another terrorist attack, unidentified motorcyclists shot a Christian priest and injured his companion in Peshawar.

Police suspect the Islamic State (IS) to be behind the attack. These attacks were mostly carried out by banned outfits, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). (ANI)
"Officials from the High Commission of India accompanied by representatives from RITES and the Sri Lankan Railways travelled aboard an air-conditioned train [AC Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU)] on its successful trial run in Sri Lanka on 18 February 2022," said the High Commission.

It further said, "The USD 318 million LoC was finalized in 2014-15 for the supply of railway rolling stock, up-gradation of railway tracks and other mutually agreed projects in accordance with request and requirements of the Government of Sri Lanka."

The India High Commission in Sri Lanka posted pictures of the trial run of the train in a tweet, commending India-Sri Lanka cooperation. "Proud of India-Sri Lanka cooperation for providing people with dependable and world-class railway facilities," stated the High Commisison in the tweet.

Recently, India also provided financial assistance of 2.4 billion USD to Sri Lanka following a two-day official visit of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, GL Peiris to India from February 6 to 8. (ANI)
The US has affirmed its commitment to pursue diplomacy in the Ukraine situation as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are scheduled to meet later this week in Europe. Reiterating its commitment to handling the situation diplomatically, the US confirmed the meeting between Blinken and Lavrov, according to a statement released by the White House. However, it asserted that the said meeting will take place only if Russia does not proceed with the military action. The statement added that following this engagement, US President Joe Biden has accepted in principle a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin only if Russia does not invade Ukraine. The White House also warned Russia of consequences should the latter choose war. "We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon," read the statement. In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an "invasion". Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Moscow has also said Russia has the right to move troops within its national territory. Russia has also warned Western countries that military deliveries to Kyiv may encourage the latter to use them against the breakaway Russian-speaking region of Donbas. (ANI)
India and France have agreed on a Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance with the aim to contribute to scientific knowledge and ocean conservation and ensure that the ocean remains a global common, based on the rule of law. This agreement came during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's three-day visit to France. The scope of the roadmap will encompass maritime trade, the naval industry, fisheries, marine technology and scientific research, integrated coastal management, marine eco-tourism, inland waterways, and cooperation between competent administrations on civil maritime issues. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement said that both nations plan to organize an annual bilateral dialogue on the blue economy and ocean governance to exchange views on their priorities, share their best practices and support ongoing and future cooperation. "India and France intend to make blue economy a driver of progress of their respective societies while respecting the environment and coastal and marine biodiversity," the MEA said in a joint document. India and France underscored that fisheries are a vital economic sector and play a decisive role in food security and livelihood security, particularly for coastal populations. They also highlighted that demographic, economic and societal factors have led to an increased global demand for marine products and growing stress on global fish stocks. According to the statement, India and France will make the blue economy a priority in the development of their economic exchanges. "They will facilitate contacts between economic actors, business heads organisations, technopoles and maritime clusters of the two countries, cross investments, as well as visa issuance to entrepreneurs active in the blue economy," the MEA said. Earlier today, Jaishankar held wide-ranging and productive talks in Paris with France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and both sides discussed cooperation, the Ukraine situation and Indo-Pacific. Jaishankar on Sunday began his visit to France. He will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, amid China's assertiveness in the region, on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council. (ANI)
India and France will enhance scientific cooperation in marine science and technology and also exchanges of students and researchers with aims to monitor, protect and sustainably use marine living and non-living resources and the biodervisity of the seas and ocean. The two countries have agreed on a roadmap on blue economy and ocean governance. India and France intend to tap the blue economy while respecting the environmental, coastal and marine biodiversity, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. The agreement between India and France was inked during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's three-day visit to France. Both countries aim to contribute to scientific knowledge and ocean conservation, while also ensuring that the ocean remains a global common, a space of freedom and trade, based on the rule of law, added the MEA in its statement. The areas of strengthened cooperation will include- physical and spatial oceanography, environmental impact studies, combatting marine pollution, knowledge and conservation of biodiversity and marine ecosystem and services, genetic biodiversity mapping, generating a germplasm inventory, ecosystem-based approaches, monitoring of fish stocks, fishing techniques, stock enhancement, ocean observation, marine meteorology, deep-sea exploration technology, oceanarium technology or shallow underwater laboratory, in-situ observations of marine organisms and marine energy. In addition, the MEA said that studying the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors on the marine environment, including ocean acidification, pollution and extreme weather events, coastal risks and resilience can also add to the scientific cooperation between India and France in the domain of Blue Economy and Ocean Governance. Collaboration between operational ocean forecasting centres in India (eg. INCOIS) and France (e.g IFREMER) is envisaged for ocean observations, ocean modelling and forecasting and related capacity building. The MEA further stated that India and France will remain fully committed to the knowledge summit, organised periodically by the two countries, to foster bilateral scientific cooperation. The scientific department of the Embassy of France in India and the Ministry of Earth Sciences of India will be points of contact to lay the groundwork for a workshop dedicated to marine science during the knowledge summit. France has also expressed its interest to send an expert group of scientists to India to meet the main oceanography institutes of India, including the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), as well as the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management. IFREMER, the French national institute for ocean science and technology and India's Ministry of Earth Science have initiated contacts in order to deepen the cooperation potential, including as part of the Deep Ocean Mission. The MEA also said that India and France have satisfactorily noted the launch of the university and scientific cooperation programme GOAT (Goa Atlantic cooperation in Marine Science and Technology), which was signed in Brest on January 20, 2020, between the French actors of "Campus mondial de la mer" and the Indian Institute of Technology, Goa. The two countries will support the implementation of GOAT and facilitate the issuance of visas for the students and researchers involved to encourage student mobility in the blue economy sector and in marine science and technology. They have also called for the development of partnerships between higher education institutions. In order to encourage scientific partnerships in marine sciences, the Embassy of France in India will endeavour, from 2022 onwards, to grant five student mobility scholarships in this field. India will facilitate administrative aspects for the implementation of such partnerships. India and France will seek private funding to establish a research and development centre to support joint projects and will endeavour to spur and support projects on the blue economy and knowledge about the ocean under the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA/IFCPAR). Jaishankar on Sunday began his visit to France. He will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, amid China's assertiveness in the region, on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council. (ANI)
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Sunday hit out at the Imran Khan government over its recent move to make amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016 and the Election Act, 2017 saying they are meant to silence the media and the Opposition. Tweeting in Urdu, Nawaz said that the laws which the PTI-led government is passing will be used against Prime Minister Imran Khan and company in future. "However, these laws will ultimately be used against Imran and company." She further said, "Don't say that you hadn't been warned." Under the ordinance, the definition of a "person" has been broadened to include any company, association, institution, organization, authority, or any other. Furthermore, anyone found guilty of attacking a person's "identity" will now be sentenced to five years instead of three years, reported The News International. Another amendment to the country's election laws allows any person holding any office under the constitution or any other law, to visit or address public meetings in "any area or constituency". Last Friday, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expressed 'deep concern' over the arrest of senior journalist Mohsin Jamil Baig under the Anti-Terrorism Act after an alleged 'cybercrime complaint' was lodged by Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed Baig. (ANI)
Pakistan media bodies have rejected the oppressive amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), saying it is a flagrant move to undermine the freedom of the press, speech and defiant voices in the country, local media reported. The media Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) has outrightly rejected the draconian amendments to the PECA, the News International reported. "All media bodies would take any and all legal actions to challenge the attempt to curb media's independence and its right to raise voice against any steps to curb freedom of expression as guaranteed in the Constitution," the Pakistani newspaper reported quoting JAC statement issued on Sunday. The JAC has said that it will defy PECA as it is evident that the government is pushing through its "ill-conceived and draconian agenda" through various Presidential ordinances. All media bodies stand united to defend freedom of expression and people's right to information, it added. Under the ordinance, the definition of a "person" has been broadened to include any company, association, institution, organisation, authority, or any other. Furthermore, anyone found guilty of attacking a person's "identity" will now be sentenced to five years instead of three years, reported The News International. Another amendment to the country's election laws allows any person holding any office under the constitution or any other law, to visit or address public meetings in "any area or constituency". The changes came following Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary's statement a day before. "Insulting the dignity of another person on social media will be made a punishable offence and the courts will be bound to decide the cases within a period of six months," reported the publication quoting Fawad Chaudhary's tweet. Last Friday, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expressed 'deep concern' over the arrest of senior journalist Mohsin Jamil Baig under the Anti-Terrorism Act after an alleged 'cybercrime complaint' was lodged by Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed Baig. (ANI)
Expressing concern over the presence of foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan envoy to Kabul has warned that their presence threatens Pakistan and the region. Tensions between Kabul and Islamabad have recently risen over the fencing of the Durand Line. Islamabad has emphasized the need to complete the fencing along the Durand Line, while the Taliban-led government is standing resolutely against the idea of more fencing on the line. "Terrorist organizations present in Afghanistan have been posing threats to the security of Afghanistan as well as to other countries, including Pakistan. Daesh is there, remnants of al-Qaeda are maybe there. There are other elements like TTP, Baluch insurgents... and many other groups," Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan told TOLOnews. Ahmad Khan also spoke about the terrorist threats along the Durand Line while stressing Islamabad's aim to expand relations with Kabul. "The fence was erected or installed in the previous years when the cross-border terrorism was at its highest and one of the ways the Pakistani state, Pakistani government, thought of dealing with this issue... was to erect a fence," he said. Terror attacks in Pakistan have surged following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. The increasing presence of militants on Pakistani soil since August last year has proved to be a security nightmare for the country. The incidents of the past few weeks have raised major red flags for Pakistan's security apparatus, especially in Balochistan where the Pakistan army lost several of its soldiers in major terrorist attacks. (ANI)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is likely to visit Pakistan in March, local media reported citing official sources. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are in talks to finalize the dates for the visit of the Saudi Crown Prince, which is likely to take place in March, The Express Tribune reported. "Pakistan is keen that the Saudi crown prince attends the Pakistan Day parade as a guest of honour on March 23. The two sides were in touch with each other and barring an exception, it is likely the Saudi de facto ruler will visit Pakistan which would be his second visit in three years," the media outlet reported citing sources. During his last visit to Pakistan in February 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan turned chauffeur for the Saudi crown prince as he drove him to his office from the airport. The visit had come after Saudi Arabia had extended the financial bailout package to cash-starved Pakistan to stabilize its ailing economy after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) formed the government in August 2018. The likely visit of the Suadi crown prince is followed by Imran Khan's visit to Saudi Arabia in October last year. The visit had led to another Saudi bailout package to the tune of USD 4.2 billion, USD 3 billion in cash support while the remaining oil facility was on deferred payment, the Pakistani newspaper reported. Pakistan is also set to host the regular conference of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign Ministers on March 22. It is expected that foreign ministers of OIC would also be invited to witness the Pakistan Day parade. (ANI)
Almost 90 per cent of the COVID-19 fatalities caused by the fifth wave of the pandemic occurred among unvaccinated patients, reported local media citing Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP). Of the 46 deaths (recorded from December 31 when the fifth wave began to last Friday) analyzed by CHP, 40 people had not been inoculated against the virus, Hong Kong Free Press reported citing CHP's Chuang Shuk-kwan. With four-digit daily COVID cases recorded in the past week, the fifth wave has pushed the government's pandemic work into overdrive. The unrecorded fatalities have been added to backdated death counts by the authorities. The number of COVID-19 deaths recorded since the beginning of the year stands at 75, as per Hong Kong's COVID-19 dashboard. Hong Kong is in the midst of its worst COVID outbreak since the epidemic began more than two years ago, fuelled by the less lethal but more transmissible Omicron variant, the media outlet reported adding that another 6,067 coronavirus cases and 14 deaths were confirmed on Sunday. Meanwhile, the people in the city are suddenly witnessing a severely overstretched healthcare system, depicting China's unsuccessful "zero-Covid" policy. Even as COVID-19 flooded the world, Hong Kong believed that its pandemic policies had kept the city safe, Al Jazeera reported. In the wake of the imposition of national security law, Hong Kong pursued a zero-tolerance plan that aimed to keep the virus at bay by keeping people apart. The city barred visitors, imposed the world's longest and most stringent quarantines on travelers, and pursued aggressive contact tracing tactics with sudden lockdowns and mandatory tests. China's zero-Covid strategy has adversely affected the city. The zero-Covid strategy has failed in the face of the latest Omicron wave. Hong Kong's insistence on sending all positive cases to hospitals, irrespective of the severity, has led to at least one hospital being so overwhelmed it was forced to move patients on gurneys outside, lining them up in the parking lot, reported CNN. Meanwhile, a raft of tightened restrictions and targeted lockdowns have led many experts and residents to question the sustainability of such an approach as the city enters the third year of the pandemic. On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping took the unusual step of directly calling on Hong Kong officials to take "all necessary measures." Xi's intervention has raised fears that further restrictions similar to those seen in mainland China, including a possible citywide lockdown, could soon follow, reported CNN. (ANI)
Pakistan's Islamist political party Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Sunday staged a demonstration in front of the Quetta Press Club against the non-implementation of an agreement signed by the Imran Khan government with leaders of 'Gwadar Ko Haq Do' movement, local media reported. Hundreds of workers and supporters of JI participated in the sit-in carrying party flags, placards and banners inscribed with their demands, marched on various roads and chanted slogans against the federal and provincial governments, the Dawn newspaper reported. "The people of Quetta faced a large number of problems as universities, hospitals and other offices were closed amidst protests. They had been protesting since the government hadn't resolved their issues," the publication reported citing JI's Maulana Hashmi and Maulana Hidayat-Ur-Rehman. The JI workers warned against the violation of the agreement signed in Gwadar. They said that if the issues of Quetta were not resolved, the JI workers would stage a million march next month in which people from entire Balochistan would participate. "It is a great injustice that the people of Balochistan cannot use the coast and resources of their province. The government had promised to abolish check posts, but these posts still exist, creating serious problems for the masses in their movement," the Pakistani newspaper quoted Maulana Hidayat-Ur-Rehman. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been marred with controversy since the announcement of the USD 46 billion projects in 2015. The CPEC project would link Pakistan's southern Gwadar port in Balochistan on the Arabian Sea to China's western Xinjiang region. It also includes plans to create road, rail and oil pipeline links to improve connectivity between China and the Middle East. Since the start of CPEC, it has prompted demonstrations, claiming that projects will not benefit the people of Balochistan while people of other provinces are enjoying the fruits of the mega project. The protest which started in November last year came to a halt in December after the government agreed to the demands of the people protesting the illegal fishing of trawlers in Gwadar. (ANI)
Account-holders include several key politicians and generals, including the ex-ISI chief, General Akhtar Abdur Rahman Khan, according to data leaked from Credit Suisse, an investment banking firm registered in Switzerland.

A report published in The New York Times said Khan helped funnel billions of dollars in cash and other aid from the United States and other countries to the mujahedeen in Afghanistan to support their fight against the Soviet Union.

The Saudi Arabian and US funding for mujahideen fighters battling Russia's presence in Afghanistan went to the American Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Swiss bank account, the Dawn newspaper reported, citing an Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) report.

"The end recipient in the process was Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence group (ISI), [at the time] led by Akhtar," the publication quoting the report said.

The average maximum balance in accounts held by Pakistanis was 4.42 million Swiss francs, The News International newspaper reported.

The Pakistani publication further noted that several politically exposed persons didn't mention these accounts which they opened at a time when they were holders of public office, in their assets declaration submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The latest leaks follow the so-called Panama Papers in 2016, the Paradise Papers in 2017 and the Pandora Papers of last year. A self-described whistle-blower leaked data on more than 18,000 bank accounts, collectively holding more than $100 billion, to the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, reported The New York Times.

Further revelations are expected in the upcoming days, as more information about the leak becomes public.

Earlier in January, Pakistan ranked 140 out of 180 on Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2021 by Transparency International, losing 16 spots over the previous year. (ANI)
Acting on a tip-off, the security forces and intelligence agencies conducted a joint operation in Sibi, following which, a fierce exchange of fire took place between the forces and the militants, reported Samaa TV citing security sources.

A cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the possession of killed militants, according to the sources cited by the media outlet.

In a separate operation, five militants were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Pakistan's North Waziristan on Sunday.

Earlier on February 5, security forces killed two militants in an exchange of fire during an operation in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan.

On January 25, over 10 Pakistani military personnel were killed in an attack in Kech, Balochistan. Just over a week later, on February 2, the Noshki and Panjgur districts of the same province saw the killing of seven military personnel, including an officer.

Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group in Balochistan, claimed the responsibility for the attack. They claimed to have killed "more than 100 enemy personnel" in Noshki and Panjgur.

In another terrorist attack, unidentified motorcyclists shot a Christian priest and injured his companion in Peshawar.

Police suspect the Islamic State (IS) to be behind the attack. These attacks were mostly carried out by banned outfits, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). (ANI)
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China would continue to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty.

The US earlier this month had approved a possible USD 100 million sales of equipment and services to Taiwan to "sustain" and "improve" the Patriot missile defence system used by the self-governing island.

The announcement drew a reaction from China and it advised the US against the arms deal. China had warned that it would take necessary actions to protect its sovereignty.

"China will take countermeasures against Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, which participated in a USD 100 million-worth sale of US arms to the island of Taiwan, a move that severely harmed China's sovereignty and security interests," Wang told a briefing on Monday, as quoted by the state media tabloid Global Times.

After the US approved the arms sales to Taiwan, Taipei thanked Washington for taking concrete actions to meet its security commitments stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.

"It not only demonstrates the significance the US government continues to place on Taiwan's defence capabilities but also shows the rock-solid Taiwan-US partnership," Taiwan News quoted Taiwan's Presidential Office Spokesperson Xavier Chang as saying.

This is the second weapons sale since President Biden took office and the first arms deal this year. (ANI)
Pompeo will be on a four-day visit to Taiwan from March 2 to 5. During his visit Pompeo and his wife will also meet Vice President Lai Ching-te and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and attend banquets hosted by them, Focus Times reported citing the ministry's statement.

MOFA described the upcoming trip of former United States Secretary of State as an indication of Washington's strong bipartisan support for Taipei.

On March 4, Pompeo has been invited to give a speech by the government-affiliated Prospect Foundation, the ministry said.

MOFA further said it welcomes the upcoming visit of Pompeo, who it called a long-term friend of the country who promoted closer Taipei-Washington relations during his tenure in the administration of President Donald Trump, Focus Times reported.

As secretary of state from April 2018 to January 2021, Pompeo facilitated US government approval of numerous arm sales to Taiwan, strengthened bilateral exchanges with the establishments of new platforms and agreements, and ended the State Department's restrictions on how U.S. officials interact with Taiwanese counterparts, the ministry said.

He has also openly supported Taiwan's freedom and democracy even after leaving the post of secretary of state, the ministry added. (ANI)
On the occasion of International Mother Language Day (February 21), Bangladesh recalled with horror the role of Pakistan in subduing the Bangla language and culture. Different socio-cultural organizations and civil society platforms took part in processions-cum human-chain programmes, street plays, bicycle rallies and seminars in Dhaka and other divisional towns in Bangladesh. While paying homage to the brave-hearts who lost their lives, speakers recalled with horror the role of Pakistani forces in suppressing the movement and brutal crackdown on innocent citizens. In Jessore, Narayanganj and Satkhira, a human chain rally was organized followed by a photo exhibition and movie screening of 'Falguni Howya' and a candlelight vigil. Meanwhile, a signature campaign was organised at Mymensingh. In Dhaka, a voluntary organization -- Media Forum for Human Rights and Environmental Development (MADE)-- organized a seminar-cum-discussion meeting at National Press Club to mark 70 years of the language movement. Speakers including chief guest Harun Habib, Secretary-General of Sector Commanders Forum and Liberation War-1971 freedom fighter; Omar Farooq, President BFUJ (Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists) among other intellectuals, took part to discuss the importance of Language Day and how Pakistan tried to impose 'Urdu Only' policy and continues to harbour similar sinister plans. The speakers under the title 'Twenty-One to Seventy-One' spoke about the conspiracy of Pakistan to destroy the country by destroying its language and its culture. Separately, Open Dialogue Bangladesh (OPD) organized a street play titled 'Rokte Lekha Bangla Bhasha' (Bangla language written in blood) in front of the National Press Club to pay tribute to the language martyrs. A team of artists led by Samad Bhuiyan highlighted the role played by the Pak forces to erase the Bengali culture and subjugate the intellectuals and liberals during the period. The artists depicted the Pak brutalities through drama and role play. Bharat-Bangladesh Sampriti Sangsad (BBSS) Welfare Association organized a bicycle rally in protest against Pak brutality during Language Movement in 1952. Around 160 persons took part in the rally led by Taufiq Ahmed Tafsir, President of the organization; Jatiya Swechchha Sebak Party Central leader Emdadul Haque Chalek, Bangladesh Jasdar central leader Mohiuddin Ahmed, eminent journalist Mustafizur Rahman, social activist Hafiz Shambhutak also took part among others. The rally started from Nikunja (Police Plaza) and travelled to Pakistan High Commission before ending at Hatirjheel followed by addressing the gathering. Speaking at the program, Taufiq Ahmed Tafsir stated that Pakistan used force to suppress the language movement. He said that the Pak regime never accepted the people of Bangladesh as friends but has always tried to exploit and torture the Bengalis. They added that a conspiracy by some agents of Pakistan is still active to destabilize language and cultural harmony in the country. They urged the ruling government to sever all kinds of bilateral relations with Pakistan, the killer of 30 lakh Bangladeshis and demanded justice in the International Court of Justice for the Pakistani massacre. The Pakistan Army had killed three million Bengalis and raped about 400,000 Bengali women and girls during the 1971 genocide. This is the second biggest genocide after the Holocaust that needs to be recognized as such by the global community. (ANI)
Air India Air India operated its first flight from Trivandrum to Male in February 1976.

"#Fly AI: AI-267 was welcomed with a water cannon salute as it landed at Male airport #MACLmedia today to commemorate 46 years of air service between India and Maldives. Air India operated its first flight from Trivandrum to Male in Feb 1976," Air India tweeted.

After 69 years of its nationalisation, Air India last month formally became part of Tata Group, its founder. The government formally handed over the airline to Tata Group. (ANI)
There seems to be no cessation of terrorism emanating from Pakistan despite the country facing economic and political turbulence, says a media report. The case of Malik Faisal Akram, a British-Pakistani national who took four persons hostage at a synagogue in Texas in the US, is a fit one. Later, it surfaced that he had been radicalized in Pakistan in 2020, Islam Khabar reported. On the other hand, despite claims of having controlled domestic terrorism to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Maulana Masood Azhar, Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief, continues to roam free in Pakistan spewing venom against the West and India, said the report. The report stressed that Pakistan must be blacklisted as the country that has lied to the FATF about the activities of the JeM. Citing the case of Malik Faisal Akram, the 44-year-old British national who had been radicalized in Pakistan in 2020, the report said that "this should not come as a surprise as it is a well-known fact that Pakistan is the jihadi factory of the world". Akram had been on the watch list of MI 5, the British internal intelligence service, as a "subject of interest" in 2020 and was investigated in the second half of that year after his return from Pakistan for six months, Islam Khabar reported. It further reported that MI 5 interrogated him and even checked all his computers and other documents. "Faisal Akram had been the head of the Islamic Centre, Reza Masjid on Rondell Street in London, where Muslims of Pakistani origin largely prayed. Faisal Akram had been based in Blackburn, Lancashire and had been branded as a 'menace' by the local police for expressing his desire to be on board in one of the planes that destroyed the World Trade Centre in 2001. It also came to notice during the interrogation that Faisal had visited Pakistan eleven times between 2007 and 2020. He had also been a member of the Tablighi Jamaat and had been convicted three times in the past for various petty crimes in the UK," Islam Khabar reported. According to the report, the Faisal Akram case points to the larger problem of the internationalization of terror by Pakistan. Recently, evidence emerged that Pakistan misrepresented facts before the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), about Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader, Maulana Masood Azhar, Islam Khabar reported. It further reported that in October 2021, Pakistan told the FATF Plenary Session that the JeM chief Masood Azhar was untraceable and had been declared a proclaimed offender. This claim was soon proved false by the appearance of several write-ups by Masood Azhar calling for jihad. "Reports of JeM leaders organising and attending conferences throughout Punjab (Pakistan) and other provinces, seeking recruits and funds, besides holding indoctrination and training camps have also cropped up in social media and the Pakistani press. On 19 September 2021, Azhar wrote an article criticising the media for circulating fake news instead of celebrating the Islamic victory in Afghanistan. On 29 December 2021, he called for jihad in the name of Allah," Islam Khabar reported. The US report on Terrorism (2020) had reiterated that terrorist groups targeting India, including the JeM and LeT, continued to operate from Pakistani soil. The report had also underlined Pakistan's refusal to take action against known terrorists like Masood Azhar and the "project manager" of the 2008 Mumbai attack, Sajid Mir. The report notes that both these persons remained free in Pakistan, the report added. (ANI)
Australia on Monday demanded from China to investigate the use of the laser to "illuminate" an Australian Air Force jet. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that he had called on the Chinese government to explain the "dangerous" and "reckless" act allegedly carried out by a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship last week. "This was dangerous, it was unprofessional and it was reckless for a professional navy, and we want some answers as to why they did this," Morrison said. "At worst, it was intimidating and bullying." "They are the ones who need to explain, not just to Australia, but to think of all the countries in our region," he added. "It could occur to anyone else who is just simply doing the normal surveillance of their own Exclusive Economic Zone." Morrison said that Chinese authorities had not yet responded to his call for answers, reported CNN. The incident occurred on Tuesday, the statement said, when an Australian P-8A aircraft, reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare plane was flying over the Arafura Sea, the body of water between Australia's Northern Territory and the island of New Guinea to the north. The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ship that pointed the laser at the Australian jet was one of two PLAN warships sailing east across the Arafura Sea at the time, the Australian military said, reported CNN. The Australian Defense Force released photos of two Chinese ships with the statement, which, according to their hull numbers, are the guided-missile destroyer Hefei and the amphibious transport dock Jinggang Shan. Meanwhile, at a regular briefing in Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters the ship was abiding by international law. "After checking with relevant Chinese authorities, the information released by the Australian side is not true. The normal navigation of the Chinese ship on the high seas conforms to relevant international law and practice and is completely legitimate and lawful," Wang said. "We urge the Australian side to respect the legitimate rights of Chinese vessels in relevant waters in accordance with international law and stop maliciously spreading false information about China." Earlier, state-run tabloid the Global Times accused Canberra of trying to damage Beijing's reputation in the South Pacific, reported CNN. "The Australian military knowingly hyped this with the aim of throwing mud at China," the article said, citing an anonymous analyst. The incident is not the first report of Chinese vessels pointing lasers at Australian aircraft. In May 2019, Australian pilots said they were targeted multiple times by commercial lasers during missions over the South China Sea. And in a report in June 2018, US military officials told CNN that there were at least 20 suspected Chinese laser incidents in the eastern Pacific from September 2017 to June 2018. Military tensions between China and Australia have been on the rise and spiked in November when Canberra said it was entering a pact with the United States and the United Kingdom to acquire nuclear-powered submarines. The day the sub deal was announced, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Australia should "seriously consider whether to view China as a partner or a threat." (ANI)
"Sweden decided to return home most of the staff of its embassy from Kiev because of the increased risk of invasion," Linde said, as quoted by Sveriges Radio.

Linde added that the embassy may be closed in the event of further deterioration of the situation in Ukraine.

The security staff, as well as people working with diplomatic reporting and consular matters, will remain in the embassy in Kiev, Linde said. (ANI/Sputnik)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in a recent interview with Nikkei, said France "condemns any attempt to undermine the status quo, any action likely to cause an incident that would lead to an escalation," reported Taiwan News.

The French Foreign Minister said that the stability of the strait is key to the stability of the Indo-Pacific and mentioned that France has military bases located in its Pacific territories, including New Caledonia.

Although he did not specifically mention China, he expressed concern over aggressive actions in the region, reported Taiwan News.

Le Drian said France is "very keen" to prevent a strait conflict.

In February 2021, the French Navy sent its nuclear submarine Emeraude and the support ship Seine to the South China Sea, and in October, it dispatched the signals intelligence ship Dupuy de Lome through the strait, reported Taiwan News.

Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.

Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which have been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.

Moreover, Taiwan has been extremely concerned about the situation in Hong Kong since Beijing passed the National Security Law in 2020. Hong Kong's vanishing democracy, freedom, and human rights prove that "one country, two systems" is a lie.

The PRC (People's Republic of China) is combining its economic, diplomatic, military and technological might as it pursues a sphere of influence in the Indo-Pacific and seeks to become the world's most influential power. (ANI)
"Pleasure to meet Defence Minister @florence_parly. As trusted strategic partners, discussed contemporary developments. Convergence in our outlook and interests was visible. Affirmed our commitment to cooperate on new and emerging security challenges," Jaishankar tweeted.

Earlier on Sunday, Jaishankar held talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian and exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the evolving situation in Ukraine.

Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to France. He will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, amid China assertiveness in the region, on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council.

The EAM will also hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from the EU and other Indo-Pacific countries on the sidelines of the Forum. He will also give an address at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). (ANI)
Ever since Ukraine rejected the Chinese bid to buy a major stake in the Ukrainian aviation company Motor Sich and imposed sanctions on Chinese individuals and entities involved in the deal, Beijing has reportedly employed covert tactics to acquire Ukrainian military technology. Some experts believe in the fact that China is carrying out tech theft in cahoots with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which may be interested in doing away with importing the tank engines from Ukraine. In one of his blogs for the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), political analyst Valerio Fabbri writes how Chinese intelligence is shrouded in mystery. Even security experts are often in the dark about its functioning. Unlike the traditional way of employing professional spies, Beijing uses the "Thousand Grains of Sand" technique to utilize Chinese students, academicians studying and working abroad, tourists and even companies for intelligence collection. According to Fabbri, Chinese intelligence relies on a huge global social system, a non-professional and informal intelligence network that provides information in areas of Beijing's priorities in military, socio-political and economic sectors. Last year, the Ukrainian intelligence service (SBU) detained a foreign citizen in the Eastern city of Kharkiv, who was operating under the cover of a public organisation. That man was allegedly carrying out espionage activities to obtain classified information in the field of material science for military purposes. "Although the SBU never disclosed the nationality of the foreign citizen, photos taken during the search and later released by the SBU show ID cards with the words 'Sino-Ukrainian Centre in the Russian language. All bring to believe that the arrested person is a Chinese citizen, who reportedly worked under the cover of the public organisation 'China-Ukraine Centre' for Economic and Cultural Cooperation, operating in the city since 2007," Fabbri said. Kharkiv has significant relevance for China, as it is home to Ukrainian enterprises dealing with defence technology including tank engines and other hardware. Notably, China supplies Ukrainian T-80UD engines to Pakistan, which are then used in Pakistani manufactured Al-Khalid-series tanks. Not only that, Sino-Pakistani VT-1A tanks use 6TD-2 engines also produced by the Kharkiv-based enterprise. Against this backdrop, Fabbri argued that Ukraine should perhaps take note of Chinese mechanisations and strengthen accordingly its counter-intelligence apparatus. More so in light of the fact that the US main security challenge is China indeed, as the latest developments in the standoff between Kiev and Moscow indicate, he added. (ANI)
At its party secretariat meeting, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Socialist (CPN-US) decided to vote against Millennium Challenge Corporation Pact tabled in the parliament. Party spokesperson Jagannath Khatiwada confirmed to ANI that the preceding secretariat meeting of the party decided to vote against the compact which has a deadline of Feb 28 to get ratified. "There is nothing like using one's wisdom in this. All the lawmakers and the ministers will vote against it. We urge the other parties to vote against as well," Khatiwada said. Decision of Nepal's third-largest party in the parliament comes amid the attempts of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to woo and convince leaders of other parties to pass it with a majority. Deuba from early Monday morning initiated personal meetings with leaders of various political parties to weigh the vote in support of the pact. PM Dueba has been trying to push for parliamentary arithmetic at a time when the ruling coalition partners the Maoist Center and Unified Socialist have said they would vote against the Compact in the parliament. Sources from Deuba's secretariat confirmed that the Premier still believes that the opposition CPN-UML which has been halting parliamentary proceedings for over four months would walkout before the voting on pact. The UML party has been obstructing the parliament accusing Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota of not taking action against 14 former UML lawmakers. The House of Representatives has a total of 271 lawmakers, including 97 from CPN-UML, 61 from Nepali Congress, 24 from Unified Socialist, 20 from Janata Samajbadi Party, 12 from Democratic Socialist Party, one each from Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Janamorcha, and Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party. "Prime Minister Deuba has made it clear to sitting cabinet ministers to either vote in favour of MCC or face consequences," the source informed. The parliament requires a majority in the presence of more than a quarter of the lawmakers to ratify the MCC Compact. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki on Sunday tabled the US grant MCC Compact in the parliament. Earlier, a meeting of the ruling coalition held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar on Sunday morning had decided to table MCC in the parliament. While the Nepali Congress (NC) is in favour of ratifying the MCC, the CPN (Maoist Center) and the CPN (Unified Socialist), are of the view that the MCC needs amendment. The next meeting of the House of Representatives on February 24 will see the discussion on MCC. After the discussion, the lawmakers will have time to propose amendments. However, such amendment applies only to the comments raised by the Government of Nepal or to any modification/amendment that may be made. As the alliance formed to fight against the autocracy of KP Sharma Oli hangs on thread, Chairman of the CPN-Maoist Center Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said that US grant Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) would not shake the ruling alliance. During a meeting with Nepali Congress (NC) senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel at Singha Durbar on Monday, Prachanda said MCC would not affect the ruling alliance at any cost. Stating that MCC would be decided by parliament and anything could happen, Prachanda said he had discussed the latest political situation with Poudel and reiterated that ruling alliance would not dismantle due to MCC. Likewise, NC senior leader Poudel also held a discussion with CPN-Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal. During the meeting, Chair Nepal put forth his view that MCC could not be ratified in its existing form and suggested initiating process for amendment of the agreement. NC leader Poudel, on his part, tried to convince the leaders that all should work together to get the country out of the crisis by engaging in discussions. He emphasized passage of MCC at the earliest to defuse a polarized atmosphere. Leader Poudel has been holding discussions with top leaders of CPN-UML, Maoist Center, Janata Samajbadi Party and others to garner support for MCC ratification. (ANI)
China's protracted lobbying efforts are aimed at blocking US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) USD 500-million infrastructure grant project to Nepal. The problems being faced by MCC in Nepal serve as an ideal case study for understanding how China stabs its competitors' development proposals for smaller and needy countries, reported Just Earth News. The MCC is a US Foreign Assistance Agency that aims to fight poverty. Nepal had signed the MCC agreement in 2017. With a budget of USD 500 million contributions, the MCC Nepal Compact consists of two projects: a 300-km 400 kilovolt electricity transmission line and upgrading a 100-km east-west highway. Through the transmission line, Nepal would be able to export electricity to India from its hydro-power projects. The projects would predominantly be executed by Nepali contractors and workers, thus generating local business and employment, reported Just Earth News. Despite being a well-meaning and focused program, MCC has failed to take off in Nepal as it is yet to be ratified by the country's Parliament. Moreover, Nepal's ever-bickering politicians have further muddled the issue with a group bent on opposing all constituents of the program. Ironically, some members of this group fail to acknowledge the clearly visible problems in the projects pushed by China under its Belt and Road Initiative. But they fail to understand that China lures them with debt financing linked with superfluous and unviable infrastructure projects. After these projects get stuck or shelved because of their inherent problems or motivated approach of the financer, the leftover debt imprint is too overwhelming for the vulnerable client countries, reported Just Earth News. After a few commercial setbacks, the real Chinese game unfolds for these countries in the form of an unavoidable debt trap. This trap subsequently dictates future international dealings by the trapped countries including financing from sources other than China. To counter competing financing from its adversaries, China deploys several means including misinformation campaigns and manipulation of local politicians in the target countries, reported Just Earth News. Former Finance Minister and Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat on Feb 15 asserted that the MCC is in the interest of Nepal and it needs to be endorsed at the earliest. Noting that the program has wrongly been made a sponsored propaganda citing it as anti-national; he underlined the need to cut through the misconception against the project. Nepal's Leftist political parties however continue to oppose the pact alleging it to be aimed at countering China. Meanwhile, the US has now urged Nepal to ratify the program by February 28 failing which Washington could review its ties with Kathmandu. Nepal faces several risks associated with turning down the MCC offers. Rejection of it would be tantamount to refusing a substantial amount of money at a time when Nepal's economy is suffering due to the pandemic, rising energy prices, and recession in the Gulf and other countries from where migrant workers remit money to Nepal. (ANI)
The US special representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West said that the Taliban has made no effort for an inclusive government in Afghanistan. Talking virtually at an event at the Munich Security Conference on Afghanistan on Saturday, West said that the Taliban has been productive in areas such as girls' education, while in other areas--such as the formation of an inclusive government--no progress has been made, reported Tolo News. He said that the US is expecting the Taliban to deliver on its commitments over girls' education and inclusive government. "The formation of an inclusive government is not only the US's call, but Iran, Pakistan, and the Central Asian states, China and Russia share the same call," West said. "We must see a dialogue with all segments of Afghan society unfold," he added. Norway Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt speaking at the same event said the Oslo talks were the first step of engaging with the Taliban toward the formation of an inclusive government and respect for human rights, reported Tolo News. "This was the first step; it was only the first step for more inclusive government because that is the solution," she said. "We are also following very closely what they are going to do when it comes to girls' right to education. We cannot continue financing their schools when those schools are only for boys. Moreover, the inclusive government will be a pre-condition for any development in Afghanistan in my opinion," said Huitfeldt. She also said Norway is reluctant to recognize the Taliban. "I did not meet them because we are reluctant to recognize them and will not do that," she said. Women's rights activist Mahbouba Seraj answering a question over whether humanitarian assistance alone will be enough to end the humanitarian crisis in the country, said, "No, it will not be." "It is like trying to stop bleeding from a gushing wound with a bandage. We cannot put a bandage on a gushing wound and expect for the bleeding to stop," Saraj added. The Taliban's swift ascension to power in Afghanistan occurred in mid-August, triggering economic disarray and a dire humanitarian crisis. In early September, the Taliban leadership announced the composition of an interim government headed by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a prominent member of the first Taliban government. The restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was declared in December but has yet to garner desperately-needed international recognition. (ANI)
India is looking forward to the next BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit, said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday. Shringla made these remarks at the Interaction with Bangladesh Delegation at the 10th India-Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue organized by the India Foundation. Shringla said that India remains committed to building the momentum of regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC Framework. It can be an important vehicle for enhancing economic cooperation, development and connectivity in the region. We are looking forward to the next BIMSTEC Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. The summit will be hosted by Sri Lanka next month. BIMSTEC constitutes a unique link between South and South-East Asia with five Members from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) and two from South-East Asia (Myanmar and Thailand). "Bangladesh is commemorating 'Ekushey' or Language Day. 70 years ago on this day, the youth of the then East Pakistan made supreme sacrifices for the recognition and respect for their mother language. Now the whole world celebrates this day as International Mother Language Day. I pay my tributes to the language heroes who laid down their lives for a very noble cause," Shringla said. Shringla highlighted the relationship between India and Bangladesh and said "we have been able to achieve some remarkable feats together in recent years." He said that 2021 was a milestone in their bilateral ties as both the President of India and Prime Minister paid a visit to Bangladesh to celebrate the 'Triveni' of the historic anniversaries of Bangladesh's independence, Victory Day and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also paid a visit to Dhaka last year. "These high-level engagements are reflective of the priority that both countries attach to this relationship. More importantly, they reflect the trust and confidence that we have in each other," he said. Talking about Bangladesh's growth, Shringla said, "as Bangladesh commemorates 50 years of its independence, I am happy to note that its growth has proven its detractors wrong. Bangladesh has emerged as a role model for strong socio-economic growth. The growth of Bangladesh is not just in the interest of the people of Bangladesh, but equally, in the interest of the region and beyond. It is this spirit of interdependence and fraternal ties that drive our development cooperation with Bangladesh, which is the largest that we have with any country." Foreign Secretary stressed on working closely to strengthen border infrastructure to ensure smooth transit of goods and people while ensuring that illegal activities are kept under check. An example of this approach is our objective of establishing additional border haats. Two-way trade in the recent past has witnessed a quantum jump with exports from Bangladesh, for the first time, expected to cross USD two billion this year. Early conclusion of a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement is vital to enhancing this momentum in trade, Shringla said. Another area that needs our concerted focus is connectivity. We have made some progress here but there is a need to make more effective and sustained efforts, Shringla added. Bangladesh has historically been an important trade and transportation hub for our subcontinent. India and Bangladesh have signed an 'Agreement on the Use Chattogram and Mongla Ports for Transshipment of Goods to and from North East of India', read the MEA statment. "Fully operationalizing this agreement will bring economic benefits to a range of stakeholders from both countries. While North East India will benefit from steady supply of goods, the transport and logistics sector in Bangladesh will gain considerably, bringing prosperity on both sides of the border," the statement added. India and Bangladesh have made remarkable progress in enhancing connectivity through the use of their inland waterways. In a significant development, on February 5, a cargo vessel carrying food grains sailed from Patna (Bihar) and will travel via the waterways of India and Bangladesh to reach Pandu (Assam) in early March, Shringla said. Talking about PM Modi's 'Gati Shakti' initiative, Shringla said the initiative is upgrading connectivity in India with a multi-modal perspective. Movement of products from locations of production to places of value addition and consumption needs multiple modes of transportation. "Our bilateral arrangements should reflect this paradigm to maintain the competitive advantage that our geographical proximity offers us. We can learn a lot from the regions and countries around the world that have used this model to reduce logistical costs and enhance competitiveness," Shringla said. Shringla further said that India and Bangladesh have cooperated closely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shringla said that India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers which are part of our shared resources and responsibilities. "The historic accord on Ganga water sharing has stood the test of time. We are now working on finalizing agreements for other rivers and exchanging best practices in the areas of river embankments, addressing salinity of rivers, etc." "India has used the power of technology as an enabler for people in a range of areas such as banking and financing and commerce and education. Our joint initiative to establish of IT parks in 12 districts of Bangladesh is a positive step in that direction. We look forward to having greater bilateral cooperation in this area," Shringla said. Shringla further said that in the last 10 years, our cooperation in the power and energy sectors has been mutually beneficial. "We are working towards arrangements for ensuring sub-regional cooperation in the power sector. Some of our important projects, including the Maitri Power Project in Khulna and the India Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline project, are expected to get commissioned this year." Shringla highlighted that India has started rolling out the 1000 Subarna Jayanti Scholarships announced by Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Bangladesh last year. This will offer several opportunities to students from Bangladesh for studying in prestigious institutions in India. At the same time, we have a number of Indian nationals studying in Bangladesh. Shringla further stressed on the "importance of nurturing and upholding the spirit of the 1971 liberation war, especially at a time when radical and anti-liberation forces try to destabilize our region for their own interests. In the spirit of celebrating our ties, forged in blood, the two countries jointly commemorated Maitri Diwas in 18 countries," he added. (ANI)
Pakistan's Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri has appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to declare March 8, International Women's Day, as International Hijab Day, said a think tank, Policy Research Group (POREG). This comes at a time when the Aurat March organisers on Friday announced its manifesto for 2022 based on the theme of "Reimagining Justice" in Pakistan. Aurat March, which was first held in the city of Karachi in 2018, is now organized every year to celebrate International Women's Day. The march highlight the issues women face in Pakistan however the Minister's appeal to Imran Khan do not promote forward-thinking which the women desire. The minister said that "Aurat March" held across Pakistan on that day since 2018 goes "against the principles of Islam." His request to Imran Khan is nothing but a way to demean "the status of an UN-designated international day that aims to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women," reported POREG. In a statement he wrote, "No organisation should be allowed to question or ridicule Islamic values, norms of society, hijab or the modesty of Muslim women at the Aurat March or any other event held in connection with International Women's Day as these acts hurt the sentiments of Muslims in the country." According to Dawn newspaper, the Minister is trying to "possibly take advantage of the controversy around the hijab in parts of India." The newspaper noted that "This is a critical juncture in history, when women's rights movements are gathering momentum not only in Pakistan but around the world, in the wake of increasing gender-based crimes and injustices." The Imran Khan-led PTI government is opposing the Aurat March and it reeks of deep-seated misogyny and patriarchy in the country. (ANI)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday told French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that he intends to sign a decree on Donbas soon, said Kremlin in a statement. "Taking into account all this, the Russian president said that he intended to sign a corresponding decree in the near future. The president of France and the federal chancellor of Germany expressed disappointment with this development. At the same time, they indicated their readiness to continue contacts," the statement says, reported Sputnik Putin, during phone conversations, briefed Macron and Scholz on the results of the expanded meeting of the Russian Security Council. "Russian President Vladimir Putin had phone conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Vladimir Putin briefed them on the results of the extended meeting of the Russian Security Council, which considered the current situation around Donbas in the context of the State Duma's decision on the recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics," the statement says. Russia claims the surge of forces has always been for military exercises and that it poses no threat to Ukraine or any other nation, but has refused to offer any other explanation for the biggest build-up of military might in Europe since the Cold War. On Saturday, Russia's Rostov Region had opened 15 border crossings for refugees from the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas. Later on the same day, Denis Pushilin, the head of pro-Russian separatist DPR announced that he had signed a decree on general mobilisation. (ANI)
Putin made this announcement during a televised address to Russians on Monday. Earlier in the day, Putin held a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz and stated that he will be signing a decree recognizing the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk.

According to the statement released by Kremlin, both the Western leaders voiced their dissatisfaction on hearing Putin's decision.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin had phone conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Vladimir Putin briefed them on the results of the extended meeting of the Russian Security Council, which considered the current situation around Donbas in the context of the State Duma's decision on the recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics," the statement says.

Russia claims the surge of forces has always been for military exercises and that it poses no threat to Ukraine or any other nation, but has refused to offer any other explanation for the biggest build-up of military might in Europe since the Cold War.

On Saturday, Russia's Rostov Region had opened 15 border crossings for refugees from the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas. Later on the same day, Denis Pushilin, the head of pro-Russian separatist DPR announced that he had signed a decree on general mobilisation. (ANI)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday delivered an address where he said that Ukraine was entirely created by Russia under Communist rule but radicals take credit for its independence. This comes at a time when there is a massive military build-up along the border of Ukraine and the West has expressed their worries over the possible invasion of Ukraine by Russia. He said that "radicals and nationalists take credit for Ukraine's independence, but they have nothing to do with it," adding that the "communist party never thought about future of utopian fantasy, infection of nationalism was waiting in the wings." Putin made lengthy remarks on the Soviet's history and the formation of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic under Communist rule in the 20th Century. Furthermore, Putin said that "despite injustice and deceit, Russian people recognized states after collapsing of the soviet union and helped countries, including Ukraine. Russia fully paid off Ukraine's debts, but Kyiv refused to comply with agreements on the return of property. Parasitic attitude took over the partnership in Ukraine-Russia relations. Kyiv tried to use dialogue with Russia for bargaining with the west, from the very beginning began to build statehood on contradictions. Ukraine never had its true statehood but copying model instead," reported Sputnik. He stated, "Ukrainian leaders pursued policy dictated by radicals, and the latter became impudent, imposed their will on authorities. Corruption in Ukraine corroded Ukrainian statehood, nationalists took advantage of this in 2014 with the support of the west. Ukraine is split, going through an acute economic crisis. Radicals who seized power in Ukraine organized terror, people were brutally murdered in Odessa, we will do everything to punish these criminals." Talking about Ukraine's economy, Putin said, "In Ukraine, many do not have money to pay for utility bills, this happens because fortune from the Russian empire was squandered and stolen. The collapse of the Ukrainian economy was accompanied by the outright robbery of the country's citizens, brainwashing; the state was driven under external control. Power of 'patriots' in Ukraine lost its national character, leading to de-sovereignization of country," reported Sputnik. He blamed Ukraine's authorities to have "outdone their western sponsors and invented sanctions against own citizens." (ANI)
US President Joe Biden will soon impose sanctions on two Russia-backed separatist regions in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would recognize their independence. This is a key development after Putin on Monday signed a decree recognizing the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin made this announcement during a televised address to Russians. "We have anticipated a move like this from Russia and are ready to respond immediately. President Biden will soon issue an Executive Order that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine," US Press Secretary Jen Psaki on said after the address of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. "This E.O. will also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine. The Departments of State and Treasury will have additional details shortly. We will also soon announce additional measures related to today's blatant violation of Russia's international commitments," the statement added. The Press Secretary also cleared that these "measures are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with Allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine." "We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps and on Russia's ongoing escalation along the border with Ukraine," as per the statement. (ANI)
London [UK], February 22 (ANI/Sputnik): UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said that Russia's decision to recognize the independence of the people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DPR and LPR) is "plainly in breach of international law," adding that London will be discussing with allies the potential implementation of sanctions against Moscow. "This is plainly in breach of international law. This is a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine," Johnson said during a televised press briefing from Downing Street. This came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that recognition of the breakaway territories by Moscow was a long-overdue decision. The UK prime minister claimed, however, that it was a "very ill omen and very dark sign" amid escalation tensions between Russia and NATO around Ukraine. "Plainly what has happened is extremely bad news and we will be urgently talking to our friends and allies all of whom are jointly signed up with us in this package of sanctions," Johnson said, calling Putin's decision a "repudiation" of the Minks process and the Minks agreements. In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an invasion. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Moscow has also said Russia has the right to move troops within its national territory. (ANI/Sputnik)
Taking to Twitter, he said, "Good meeting with Bangladesh FM Dr. AK Abdul Momen. Appropriate that it should be on International Mother Language Day. Noted that 2021 was a great year for the relationship. Committed to taking it to an even higher level in 2022."

Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to France to attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

During his visit, Jaishankar met with French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian and French Defence Minister Florence Parly. He also met his New Zealand counterpart and exchanged perspectives on Indo-Pacific. (ANI)
The operation was carried out on February 20 upon intelligence information received about the presence of terrorists at a hideout near Kohlu district, reported Dawn.

"As soon as troops started cordoning [off] the area, terrorists, while fleeing the hideout, opened indiscriminate fire," the ISPR said.

The statement added that a "deliberate follow-up operation, however, continues in the area to deal with the perpetrators who have suffered casualties but were able to escape into nearby mountains."

There seems to be no cessation of terrorism emanating from Pakistan despite the country facing economic and political turbulence. In January alone, several terrorist incidents rocked Pakistan as major cities including Islamabad and Lahore were targeted.

An Islamabad-based think tank, the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, recently published a report endorsing the fear that Pakistan has been slowly sliding into chaos and instability for the last couple of years. (ANI)
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The only fun part about filing taxes is the refund. Many Americans look forward to that extra cash all year. According to a recent GOBankingRates survey of 1,000 Americans across the country, 84.9% of tax filers are anticipating a refund this year, with 15.8% of them expecting more than $3,000.

2022 Taxes: IRS Free File Open, Do Your Taxes For FreeNeed Help: Here Are Some Free Tax Programs You May Qualify For

This extra chunk of change is especially appreciated during what has been a somewhat unpredictable time for the economy. GOBankingRates Lead Content Data Researcher Andrew Murray said Americans are feeling optimistic about their tax refund despite new factors around the pandemic that might have affected it. In a year where more people are uncertain about how stimulus checks and the child tax credit will affect their taxes, a good chunk of the public still expect to see a sizable tax return, Murray said. Due to these unprecedented times, however, its important to use your tax refund wisely.

Heres what tax experts recommend doing with your refund.

Taxes in 2022: Find Out Everything You Need To Know About Filing, Refunds and More

Put It in Savings

Most Americans in the recent GOBankingRates Tax Survey said theyre going to put their tax refund in savings. According to the survey, 44.6% said theyre going to hold onto their refund, and thats music to financial experts ears. Richard Lavina, who is a CPA and the CEO and Co-Founder of Taxfyle, said he recommends putting your refund into your emergency fund.

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, its that money can become sparse at a moments notice. Sometimes, a tax refund could make a tremendous difference, Lavina said. Even putting away half of your refund into savings can accrue interest and put you financially ahead of where you were before you filed.



Teens & Taxes: I Received a Child Tax Credit for My College Student  Do They Need to File Taxes?

Pay Down Debt

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If you have debt, your tax refund can help you chip away at it or eliminate it all together. According to GOBankingRates Tax Survey, 37.4% of Americans plan on using their refund to pay off some sort of debt, and CPA Wendy Barlin says this is a great choice. Barlin said that if you have debt, its good to take a hybrid approach: I recommend putting half into savings and using half to pay down debt. This way you can still put some money away while raising your credit score.



Find Out: Bitcoin and Crypto Taxes in 2022: What You Need To Know

Invest

Looking to make more money out of your refund? Think about investing it. This is what 15.4% of respondents in GOBankingRates Tax Survey said they were going to do with their refund. However, make sure you make smart investments or ask a professional before you commit. Mark Puzdrak, CPA, said its not worth investing unless youre 100% sure of what youre doing. Investing in something you know nothing about or making an investment that you are unsure about [is the worst thing you can do with your refund]. Its your money, and your money should be put to good use, Puzdrak said.

If youre new to investing, consider a robo-advisor like Betterment, which is an app that automates your investments based on your risk tolerance. Youll have access to resources to learn more about investment and wont have to worry about making big mistakes that can cost you early on. Investing can also mean putting money into your 401K. Whether its through your job or not, the more you can put in now, the more time the money has to grow.



Find: Tax Prep 2022: AARP Offers Free Assistance  What Documents Will You Need To Provide?

Try To Resist Treating Yourself

It might seem extremely appealing to take this extra cash and immediately buy something for yourself. After all, you have the money, so its not like youre going into debt. However, experts caution that blowing all your money on a luxury or frivolous purchase squanders the opportunity to make your money work for you and grow into even more money. Lavina recommended if possible to use your tax refund on something that helps your future. Its not effective to use tax refunds to splurge on luxury items and goods. Putting the money somewhere safe that allows the funds to grow appropriately is a better long-term solution than spending the money at once.

A nice compromise might be to take you and your family out to a nice dinner when the check comes in, but put the rest of the money into something that will serve you in the long-run, so you get the best of both worlds.

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Methodology: GOBankingRates surveyed 1,000 Americans aged 18 and older from across the country between January 31 and February 1, 2021, asking six different questions: (1) How do you plan on filing your taxes for this year?; (2) When do you expect to file your taxes this year?; (3) How much do you expect to receive in a tax refund?; (4) What do you plan to do with your refund? (Select all that apply); (5) Do you feel confident you are receiving all the deductions you feel qualified for?; and (6) If you received the Child Tax Credit this past year (2021) how do you feel it will affect your taxes? All respondents had to pass a screener question of: Do you plan to file taxes in 2022?, with an answer of Yes. GOBankingRates used PureSpectrums survey platform to conduct the poll.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 56% of Americans Expect a Tax Refund of More Than $1,000  Experts Say These Are the Best Ways To Use It
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Social Security is a lifeline for millions of retirees and other older Americans who are still in the workforce. Making sure you qualify for every dollar youve got coming to you is not a step you want to skip  and believe it or not, Social Security is not guaranteed. In fact, there are more than a half-dozen ways that you could miss out on benefits that you were counting on and that you paid for with your tax dollars.

Find Out: All You Need To Know About Collecting Social Security While Still Working

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You Failed the Social Security Earnings Test

Early claimers who are still working have to pass the Social Security earnings test in order to qualify for benefits. There is no such test once you reach full retirement age. In 2021, the Social Security Administration (SSA) temporarily withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 earned over $18,960, although theres a more forgiving monthly test for those entering the year of full retirement.

Find Out: The Average Social Security Check the Year You Were Born

You Came Up Short on Credits

In order to receive Social Security payments, you have to first work for a certain amount of time, pay taxes into the system and build up enough credits to qualify for benefits. In 2021, you get one credit for every $1,470 in income earned, up to one credit per quarter or four credits per year. Most people must have 40 credits to receive Social Security benefits, which means you have to work for 10 years before youre eligible.

Read More: Next Years Social Security Checks Could Get Biggest COLA Bump in 13 Years

You Have Debt That Qualifies For Garnishment

Its hard for private lenders to snatch your Social Security payments, but your benefits can be garnished to satisfy certain kinds of other debts. Among them are alimony, child support and restitution, but the states determine what constitutes a valid order for garnishment. If your benefits have been garnished for any of these reasons, contact the appropriate state agency, not the SSA.

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If you guessed that tax debt is one of the other exceptions, you would be correct. The Department of the Treasury can garnish up to 15% of your Social Security benefits every month until your tax debt is paid. The Treasury Department can also garnish your benefits for nontax debt, including any federal student loans you might have defaulted on.

Poll: Are Social Security Benefits Big Enough?

Youre Covered Under the Civil Service Retirement System

Instead of paying into Social Security, some federal employees hired before 1984 have instead been contributing to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The CSRS was formed as part of the 1920 Civil Service Retirement Act and was replaced by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) in 1987. CSRS recipients do not receive Social Security benefits unless theyre eligible through another job or through a spouse.

Are You Doomed To Work Forever? What You Can Do If Your Social Security Isnt Enough

Youre Covered By the Railroad Retirement Act

Some railroad workers are also covered by a retirement system outside of Social Security and are ineligible for benefits. People who participate in the Railroad Retirement Act pay more of their salaries into the fund but receive higher payments when they retire  particularly career employees with at least 30 years on the job.

When Social Security Runs Out: What the Program Will Look Like in 2035

You Dont Qualify For a Divorced Spouses Benefits

Some people are eligible to receive benefits on their former spouses records, but they have to meet certain qualifications first. You must have been married for 10 years or longer and you must not be remarried, although you can still qualify if your former spouse remarries. There are other requirements, too, so if you were planning on applying for benefits on a former spouses record, make sure you qualify first.

You Moved  Like, Far  in Retirement

In most cases, you can collect Social Security in another country if you live abroad in retirement, although you have to follow strict and specific rules from both the SSA and your host country. The SSA, however, is generally forbidden from sending payments to a handful of countries, but dont worry. None of them are exactly beacons for U.S. retirees.

They include Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Some exceptions can be made for some eligible retirees in those countries, but you can never collect Social Security in Cuba and North Korea.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Reasons You Might Not Receive Social Security Benefits
Jambo, a three-month-old company building a Web 3 super app for Africa, has raised $7.5 million in seed funding from an array of prominent backers in the crypto industry, including Delphi Ventures, Coinbase Ventures and Three Arrows Capital.

A super app is a one-stop mobile application for multiple services such as ride-hailing, banking, communication and food delivery. Examples include Chinas WeChat, Indias Paytm, and southeast Asias Grab, which was valued at $40 billion ahead of its U.S. share-listing last year.

Jambo wants to introduce young Africans to Web 3 financial ecosystems through play-to-earn gaming and decentralized finance (DeFi) services including currency exchanges and remittances.

Honestly, anything that helps in Africa  send money, save money, make money  is what we're testing off of the super app, co-founder and CEO James Zhang said in an interview, adding that the core of Jambo is a digital wallet.

Africa has been a fast adopter of crypto: The continents crypto market grew by over $100 billion between July 2020 and June 2021, according to the World Economic Forum, which translates into value growth of about 1,200%.

Zhang grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and said his family had been in Africa for three generations. After graduating from New York University in 2017 with a degree in computer science, he ran a crypto fund for four years before starting work on Jambo.

According to a press statement shared with CoinDesk, other backers include Alameda Research and AllianceDAO. Jambo has also garnered the support of angel investors including Do Kwon, co-founder and CEO of Terraform Labs, Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder and CEO of Polygon, and Web 3 investor Santiago R. Santos.

What WeChat did in China, Jambo will do in Africa, Santos said in the statement.

Zhang told CoinDesk that Jambos first goal is to educate young people in Africa about Web 3 and introduce them to the financial opportunities it offers. One target user-base for Jambo is university students: In 2019, around 50% of university graduates in Africa were unemployed, according to the African Center for Economic Transformation.

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Since January, Jambo has signed up over 12,000 students across 15 African nations including Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Nigeria and Ethiopia to complete a Web 3 curriculum, designed to allow students to explore opportunities in play-to-earn and DeFi, the statement said.

We're literally going campus by campus. We're, I think, signing on one to two per week, started about a month ago. Were at around more than six college campuses already. Hoping to enter 10 or 15 by the end of [March], Zhang said.

The startup is setting up local teams and offices in 15 countries to test and provide services that cater to the diversity of communities and nations across the continent, according to Zhang.

We have the long-term vision of realizing financial prosperity for billions across the continent and are committed to fostering the next generation of Web 3 innovators, builders, and creators, he said.

The funds raised will go into operations and testing the app, which will go live late this year.
(Getty Images)

Andy Murray needed to come from a set down to defeat Australian qualifier Christopher OConnell in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The former world number one dropped the opening set on a tie-break but hit back to triumph 6-7 (4) 6-3 7-5 for a 699th career victory.

It was a hard-fought return to winning ways after the chastening 6-0 6-1 defeat Murray suffered against Roberto Bautista Agut in Qatar last week.

The Scot cut a frustrated figure as he threw his racket to the floor after he was easily passed to give OConnell, ranked 158, two break points at 4-4 in the first set.

He saved the first, but the racket hit the deck again as he punched a forehand wide to hand his opponent the break.

It seemed to provide the spark Murray needed, though, as he bounced back immediately by forcing two break points and converted the second to level the set.

However, the 34-year-old was unable to take advantage of a mini-break in the tie-break and the racket was flying once more as he gave up the opening set after a 68-minute slog.

A break to love at the start of the second improved Murrays mood and he dropped just five points on serve on his way to levelling the match.

The three-time grand slam champion had to dig deep to get out of trouble at 4-4 in the decider, saving four break points to stay afloat.

(AP)

A stunning get to pass OConnell down the line brought up three match points, and the crowd to its feet, and Murray converted the second to complete a marathon victory in just under three hours.

Murray, still battling his way back up the rankings following his career-saving hip surgery, said on court: I enjoyed the result. What went on in the middle was not so easy.

I was very frustrated early in the match. I couldnt quite find may game and he was dictating a lot of the rallies. But I managed to serve a little bit better as the match went along and that helped me a lot.

Ive spoken to a lot of ex-players and they keep telling me keep playing as long as I can, nothing will replace it. I still feel like I can compete at the highest level.

Its not easy. Physically its very challenging for me but winning matches like that is obviously very satisfying.

Murray will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Jannik Sinner in the next round.
Campus News

Theatre and Dance announces spring season

CAS STAFF

The Department of Theatre and Dances spring season of dance and drama brings recognized directors and choreographers together with esteemed faculty and emerging student talent to produce innovative original productions that both entertain and explore the human condition.

Live, in-person performances return this season in the Center for the Arts and in the Katharine Cornell Theatre in the Ellicott Complex.

The lineup:

Dance

Zodiaque Dance Company

March 11-12: 7:30 p.m.

March 12-13: 2 p.m.

Drama Theatre, Center for the Arts



The 47th spring program of the Zodiaque Dance Company, UBs pre-professional dance company, features jazz, tap, modern, afro-fusion and contemporary dance works. The show is co-directed Kerry Ring, clinical associate professor, and Michael Deeb Weaver, clinical assistant professor.

Choreographers include Ring, Deeb Weaver and dance faculty members Anne Burnidge, Jenna Del Monte Zavrel and Thomas Ralabate. Guest choreographers include Buffalo artist Megan Rakeepile; alumni Richard Ashworth and Julie LaMancuso; and professional guest choreographer Takehiro Take Ueyama from the Take Dance Company.

Choreolab

April 1-2: 7:30 p.m.

April 3: 2 p.m.

Drama Theatre

Now in its third season, ChoreoLab is a performance and choreographic research laboratory for faculty, graduate and undergraduate dance students, and guess artists. Dedicated to fostering a diverse, creative environment in which to explore movement, ChoreoLab embraces contemporary trends whils supporting dancers, and investigates the role fo dance within society and culture.

Under the leadership of Jenna Del Monte Zavrel, artistic director and clinical assistant professor, ChoreoLab's spring program includes 33 student performers, both undergraduate and graduate.



Ariel Nereson, director of graduate dance, is creating a work to be performed by the entire MFA Dance cohort, along with three undergraduate dancers and additional collaborators from other disciplines, including MA theatre candidate Kaylie Horowitz and English PhD student Dana Venerable.

Guest artists Paul Ocampo and Chien-Ying Wang of the OcampoWang Dance Company are creating a new contemporary piece for ChoreoLab during their spring 2022 residency. Hailing from Taiwan and the Philippines, respectively, the pair has been making dances together since 2001. Their works have been presented in their home countries, as well as in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, China, Indonesia and the United States. Ocampo and Wong are noted for their world-embracing approach to culture.

Student choreographers include Ruby Abraham, Anna Caison Boyd, Lyssie Hartzog, Melanie Kaisen and Theo. Alongside Zodiaque Dance Company, ChoreoLab provides versatile choreographic and performance opportunities for UB students that reflect the current dance landscape.

MFA Dance Thesis Concert

April 8-9: 7:30 p.m.

Drama Theatre

The annual MFA Dance Thesis Concert will feature the premier of new works by MFA dance candidates Jacqueline Cherry and Meg Kirchhoff, with performance by MFA dancers Anna Caison Boyd, Abby Cass, Natasha McCandless and Samantha Schmeer, and undergraduate dancers Gabi Marshall, Kelly Quinn, Celia Ramos and Hayley Timberlake. Ariel Nereson, assistant professor and director of graduate dance, serves as faculty adviser.

The production showcases the culmination of Cherry and Kirchhoffs creative research from their thesis project. The concert features collaborations with media artists and the student performers.

Cherrys work is a collection of thought-provoking pieces that reflect her points of view on various concepts and experiences culminating from studies in Black feminist thought, sociology, embodiment and somatic practices.

Kirchhoffs piece, which explores the physicality of responsiveness, attention and intra-activity, is supported by a public humanities grant and features live music performed and composed by UB PhD candidate Thomas Little.

Theater

Twelfth Night

April 21-23: 7:30 p.m.

April 23-24: 2 p.m.

Black Box Theatre, Center for the Arts

Twelfth Night is Shakespeares story of a woman who finds herself in a world where she doesnt belong, and features characters freshly grieving the loss of cherished loved ones. Despite the themes of loss and grief, Twelfth Night doesnt linger in sorrow, but rather presents a world full of hope and merriment  a zany comic romp through mistaken identity, the thrill of falling in love and the discovery of lost things found once more. The show is directed by Danielle Rosvally, clinical assistant professor.

Studio Theatre Ensemble: Vinegar Tom

April 29-30: 7:30 p.m.

Katharine Cornell Theatre

Vinegar Tom was written in 1976 by British playwright Caryl Churchill, who collaborated with the feminist theater company Monstrous Regiment after meeting some of its members at a pro-choice protest in the 1970s. Their hope was to create a play about the difficulties of womens lives in 17th-century England and how women who didnt live by the mores of the time or were perceived as difficult would often be branded as witches. It was also intended as an allegory for womens lives in the 20th century.

The music was composed by Helen Glavin, co-founder of Monstrous Regiment, and the show was created collaboratively over several months before its debut on Oct. 12, 1976, at the Humberside Theatre, Hull, England.

The protagonist is Alice, a woman in her 20s living in a small village with her mother, Joan. The pair is accused of witchcraft after an argument with neighbors Jack and Margery. The neighbors have struggled economically and there are issues surrounding their sex life. Fearing that God is against them, Jack and Margery choose to believe their misfortunes are the result of Joans witchcraft, and act with malice.

It is later implied that Joans cat, Vinegar Tom, may have been responsible. Accusing others of witchcraft in order to shift blame toward nonconforming women, including the single, old, poor, shrewd or accomplished, was not uncommon in 17th century England, and so became a narrative theme of the time. It was another means to disempower women.

Violet

May 5-7: 7:30 p.m.

May 7-8: 2 p.m.

Drama Theatre

Violet is a musical about a young woman on a quest to right the wrongs of her past. Based on The Ugliest Pilgrim by Doris Betts, the award-winning production travels from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1964. The music is by Tony Award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori, known for many successful shows, including Shrek the Musical and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Book and lyrics are by Brian Crawley. Violet features a vibrant range of American roots and gospel music that depict the journeys of the soul, including the show-stopping inspirational song Let It Sing.

Violet is directed and choreographed by award-winning guest artist Terry Berliner, who served as assistant director of the original production of Violet 25 years ago at Off Broadways Playwrights Horizons. The cast and designers are students from the Department of Theatre and Dance. Musical direction is by Alison dAmato, clinical assistant professor and director of music theatre. The guest dramaturg for the production is Buffalo-based author and artist-filmmaker Annette Daniels Taylor.

Tickets for performances in the Center for the Arts are $20 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets are $5 for performances in the Katharine Cornell Theatre.

Purchase tickets online.
A Navy SEAL instructor with BUD/S students during a Hell Week surf drill, in Coronado, California, April 15, 2003. Getty

A Navy SEAL candidate died after completing the selection course's "Hell Week" in early February.

The Navy has procedures for medical emergencies, but deaths during SEAL training are not unheard of.

The training risks reflect the danger of the missions they undertake, current and former SEALs say.

On February 4, US Navy Seaman Kyle Mullen died after completing "Hell Week," a notoriously difficult part of the training for US Navy SEAL candidates. Another candidate was hospitalized on the same day.

In a press release, Naval Special Warfare Command said that Mullen and his Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) classmates successfully completed Hell Week earlier that day and that he "was not actively training at the time of his death."

The command said that Mullen's cause of death was unknown and an investigation was underway. The unfortunate event again highlights the inherent dangers of special operations, where the risk of death or serious injury is present both on the battlefield and in training.

Death in Hell Week

Navy SEAL candidates during a Hell Week exercise. Richard Schoenberg/Corbis via Getty Images

Hell Week is probably the most well-known part of any special-operations training regime in the world.

The six-day ordeal, beginning on Sunday evening and ending Friday morning, usually takes place at the end of first phase of BUD/S. During this period, students' physical and mental endurance is rigorously tested with runs totaling over 200 miles, hours of physical training, and swims in the frigid waters of the Pacific.

During all BUD/S evolutions, there is an ambulance on standby near the students in the event of a medical emergency. Navy SEAL corpsmen are ready to provide medical assistance if needed. Instructors and staff work together closely and students go through a medical check every day during Hell Week.

"All instructors are thoroughly educated in risk and injury prevention during Hell Week. There are medical personnel present 24 hours a day and doctors conduct regular full-body checks periodically to evaluate for pneumonia, cuts that are infected, and signs of disease," Bob Adams, a retired Navy SEAL officer and doctor, told Insider.

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Following 12 years in the SEAL Teams, Adams went to medical school and became an Army doctor and eventually the command surgeon of the Army's elite Delta Force. Adam's details the incredible pressures that Hell Week puts on the body in his 2017 book, "Six Days of Impossible: Navy SEAL Hell Week  A Doctor Looks Back."

BUD/S students train with logs during Hell Week, in Coronado, June 22, 2003. Handout/Getty

Hell Week can have lasting effects on those who go through it, Adams said.

"Of greatest interest to me as a doctor looking back  our core body temperatures at times dropped below 90 degrees (98.6 is normal)

, and now many years later, all of us have core body temperatures below normal," Adams added. "This matters because our brain (the hypothalamus) was permanently reset to a lower 'normal,' and when exercising or even sleeping, our sweating is greater than others as the body tries to cool itself to the new set point."

Navy SEAL students are geared to overcome adversity and push through, often against odds and reason.

"It is in the BUD/S mentality to 'suck up the pain' and move on with your job. Students are encouraged, and often forced by the realities of the training regime, to hide or deal with injuries while in training," a former Navy SEAL officer told Insider.

Those were not "life-threatening injuries," the former officer said, "but pneumonia, broken legs, ankles, hands, what have you, are happening, and the training is not stopping because of them, so students who do not want to get rolled back and repeat the training have to push through."

A dangerous profession

SEAL candidates during BUD/S training in Coronado, January 23, 2018. US Navy/PO1 Abe McNatt

The risks don't end with Hell Week. In the second phase of training, students spend most of their time in the pool learning the basics of combat diving.

It's a stressful time. The "pool competence" event at the end of second phase typically forces several students in each class to start over or drop out. Shallow-water blackouts are common throughout second phase. In the third phase, students get to handle live ammunition and explosives while sleep-deprived.

"You'll be colder, hungrier, and more tired in the [SEAL] Teams than in BUD/S  way more," a former enlisted Navy SEAL told Insider.

"Students will hear that a lot during training but you don't really believe it  how can you fathom being colder when you've just spent 10 minutes in the freezing Pacific in the middle of the night and you have to literally pie yourself

to get a little warm? But it's true and accurate. Life in the [SEAL] Teams sucks way more than BUD/S," the former enlisted SEAL said.

This is the second fatal training incident for the Naval Special Warfare community in four months. In November, Cmdr. Brian Bourgeois, commanding officer of SEAL Team 8, died of injuries he suffered during a nighttime fast-rope exercise in Virginia Beach.

For the Navy SEAL community, training deaths aren't common, but they aren't rare.

"At the end of the day, it is a dangerous profession. Training for it is dangerous and doing it is dangerous, and they are dangerous because the demands and mission-sets are high," the former SEAL officer said.

SEALs are the dedicated maritime component for US Special Operations Command and are the ones called on when there's a maritime contingency, the officer added. "There is no room for error or failure downrange. So the training must be hard."

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Los Angeles police arrested a Colorado man who allegedly showed up to Baywatch actress Alexandria Daddarios home on Saturday.

LAPD officers were called to the home and found David Adam Cako, 24, of Colorado, whom they asked to leave. When the man refused, officers arrested him and searched his car, discovering a loaded handgun, according to police .

It is unclear whether Ms Daddario, who has starred in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and HBOs The White Lotus, was present when Mr Cako arrived, according to TMZ .

The Independent has reached out to the actress for comment.

The 24-year-old man is currently in custody and faces a $35,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles Times .

Business records indicate Mr Cako is a software consultant based in Denver, Colorado.

His social media profiles indicate he regularly blogged , sometimes with sexually explicit posts, and expressed opinions about big tech surveillance.

In the future there will be so much surveillance they will have to make up news about fake people so theres news, he wrote in one recent post from this month.

The Independent has contacted Mr Cako for comment.
Attorneys for eight of the 19 Austin, Texas, police officers facing indictments stemming from tactics used during the 2020 protests over racial injustice said Monday they have yet to receive the indictments.

Attorney Ken Ervin said during a news conference in Austin that the indictments are expected to be released Tuesday and that defense attorneys have not seen them.

Ervin said the officers use of bean bags, smoke and gas to disperse the crowd was authorized by police commanders and that the officers had come under attack by some of the protesters.

Our officers were struck with frozen water bottles, water bottles filled with urine, glass bottles, rocks, exploding fireworks. Ervin said.

Ervin said there was also an attempt to throw a Molotov cocktail at the officers, but it was taken before it could be lit.

Attorney Doug O'Connell said the eight officers he and Ervin represent are free on bond and that all were previously cleared by an internal police investigation. No information about the status of the remaining 11 officers, including whether they had received the indictments, was immediately available Monday.

Texas law requires that an indictment remain secret until an officer has been arrested. OConnell said his clients were booked and released Friday and Saturday.

The eight officers include Sgts. Josh Blake, Stan Vick and Brett Tableriou; Cpls. Ed Boudreau Christopher Irwin; and officers Justin Berry, Eric Heim and Jeff Teng.

A Texas grand jury on Friday indicted the officers on charges of aggravated assault for their actions during protests over racial injustice that spread nationwide following the killing of George Floyd.

The officers are horrified, demoralized. The are worried about their families, they're worried about their future, O'Connell said.

O'Connell said he believes the charges are politically motivated because of Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza's campaign promise to take a tougher stance on police accountability when he ran for the office.

The officers are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a trial, which O'Connell said could be more than a year away.

Garza has denied the allegation that the charges are driven by politics.
Bernie Madoff. AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano, File

Late Wall Street Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff's sister and her husband were found dead last week.

Florida police said deputies found the couple dead from gunshot wounds on February 17.

Police said the incident was an apparent murder-suicide, though motive remains unclear.

The elderly sister of the notorious late Wall Street Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff and her husband were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide at their Florida home last week, police said.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said on Sunday that deputies responded to a 911 call in Boynton Beach, Florida, on February 17 and discovered 87-year-old Sondra Wiener, and her 90-year-old husband, identified only as Marvin, dead from gunshot wounds.

Wiener is the older sister of fraudster Madoff, who died in a federal prison last year at the age of 82 after scamming thousands of people for billions of dollars, multiple news outlets, including the Associated Press, reported.

According to the sheriff's office, "Detectives from the Violent Crimes Division arrived on scene to investigate further. After further investigation it appears to be a murder/suicide."

It was not immediately clear what the motive was behind the incident or what led up to it.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Insider on Monday.

The family of the man who was found dead invoked Marsy's Law, which is designed to protect the identity of crime victims, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office identified the man only as Marvin in its news release on the matter.

"The Medical Examiner's Office personnel arrived on scene and took possession of both Marvin and Sondra," police said, adding that the cause of death of the pair will be determined by the medical examiner.

Wiener's son, David Wiener, told the New York Post in 2009 that his family was among those ripped off by Madoff.

"Yes, my family's a victim. More so than anybody else. It's very painful," David Wiener told the news outlet.

Story continues

An anonymous source told the New York Post at the time that Sondra Wiener "lost millions" as a result of her brother's $65 billion Ponzi scheme.

The source estimated Sondra Wiener's loss at $3 million.

Read the original article on Insider
On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Biden could meet with Putin amid Russia-Ukraine tensions

The meeting would only happen if Russia has not invaded Ukraine. Plus, the CDC announces new guidelines for the cruise industry, closing arguments are scheduled in the hate crimes trial of Ahmaud Arbery's murderers, tech editor Brett Molina has some hidden apps on your smartphone you may not know about and we look at the history of Presidents Day.

Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here.

Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning, I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know, Monday the 21st of February, 2022. Today, Biden may soon meet with Putin. Plus new CDC guidelines for cruises and more.

Here are some of the top headlines:

The search continues today inside a burning ferry off the Greek island of Corfu. At least one person is dead while 10 remain missing. Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for COVID 19. Britain's longest reigning 95 year old monarch is experiencing mild symptoms. And Austin Cindric edged out Bubba Wallace by a nose at yesterday's Daytona 500. It was the NASCAR rookie's first Cup win.

President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin if an invasion of Ukraine has not happened. The meeting could come after secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet on Thursday this week. Blinken and other officials have been making the diplomatic rounds in recent weeks as Russia continues to sit an estimated 150,000 troops on Ukraine's border. Many leaders in the West, including president Joe Biden, have said they expect an invasion soon. Over the weekend, Blinken met with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian at the Munich Security Conference.

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Antony Blinken:

For us able to compare notes on many different issues. The first of which of course is the situation in and around Ukraine and Russia's aggression, but also many other issues of shared concern going all the way from the Sahel to the Middle East and beyond.

Taylor Wilson:

France appears to be at the heart of brokering a meeting between Putin and Biden and president Emmanuel Macron made a series of phone calls yesterday. World leaders are trying to stop war in Eastern Europe. Russia has demanded promises from the West that NATO not add Ukraine or other former Soviet countries to join as members. Russia has not formally said it has any plans to invade Ukraine, but Russia and its ally Belarus announced yesterday that they are extending military drills in Belarus, which borders Ukraine.

In Ukraine, shelling has spiked between Ukrainian forces and Russian backed separatist rebels in the Eastern part of the country. More than 14,000 people have been killed in that region since conflict broke out in 2014, following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. More recently, separatists say that at least four civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling over the past 24 hours with others injured. Ukraine's military said one of its soldiers was killed and accused separatists of using civilians as shields. For his part, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend. Politics reporter Ledyard King tells us that he promised to protect his country from potential Russian invasion and more.

Ledyard King:

Well Zelenskyy is still trying to push a peaceful settlement. He came to the Munich Security Conference this weekend to talk about how Ukraine needs more than just military equipment and helmets and bullets and words. What they need is a full embrace by the European community to get into NATO, to get into the European Union, and to be more than just this frontline against Russian aggression. With all these soldiers massing on the border, Zelenskyy made Ukraine's best case for why there needs to be support for the former Soviet country. And he came to Munich against the wishes of President Joe Biden, who wanted him to stay in Ukraine encase there was an attack. He came to Munich to make this point, that Ukraine is still independent, is still strong, and will fight to protect its borders as hard as it can.

So Vice President Kamala Harris was at the Munich Security Conference and met with Zelenskyy and reaffirmed the US's support, staunch support, for Ukraine. Saying that if there is an invasion that economic and other types of sanctions would kick in and penalize, not just Russia, but Putin himself. There's been a big debate about when sanctions should happen. Zelenskyy wants them done yesterday. But the Biden administration has been careful not to move too quickly with them because the way they're constructed, they would also hurt European countries who do business with Russia. So it's been kind of a wait and see, but Zelenskyy wants something done yesterday. Harris did not give him that assurance at this point, but she did say in a show of unity, as she met with him in front of reporters, that Ukraine is clearly on their minds and clearly a country that they will support as much as they can, short of sending troops.

Taylor Wilson:

Check out Ledyard's piece with a link in today's episode description and stay up on all our Russia Ukraine coverage at USATODAY.com.

The CDC has announced new guidance for the cruise industry. Travel reporter Bailey Schulz has an update and the industry's response.

Bailey Schulz:

So basically we are seeing the CDC loosen up its guidance for cruise ship travel. So before we saw the agency had warned all travelers to avoid cruise ships due to COVID risk. But right now they've kind of changed their tunes. They're saying only travelers who are not up to date with their vaccines, which includes any eligible boosters or those who are at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID, should avoid cruise travel. And with this kind of loosening of guidance, we're also seeing that the CDC has released a new COVID 19 program. And so this is a voluntary program that cruise lines can opt into and kind of lays out pandemic related guidelines for ships. And this originally came out a couple weeks ago, but we saw some updates last week. So what we're seeing now as far as what guidance CDC is giving cruises is that travelers who are up to date with their vaccines, which like I said, includes boosters possibly if people are eligible, they can end quarantine after five days instead of 10 without additional testing. We're also seeing that the CDC is now allowing these cruise ship operators to drop their indoor mask requirements for ships so long as 95% of people are either fully vaccinated or up to date with their booster shots. Another big change that we're seeing that do impact passengers is that those who are up to date with their vaccines can take their pre embarkation test three days prior to boarding instead of two.

I think when these guidelines originally came out, the cruise ships and cruise travel was still listed as a level four travel health notice. So, CDC was still saying, hey, avoid cruises. And cruise line industry leaders were not happy with them pointing out that all the testing and vaccination requirements that are on cruises, they felt that this is a very safe way to travel. And so I think now that we're seeing that cruise lines are down to this level three - with the CDC loosening its guidance on cruise travel and saying, okay, only avoid if you're not up to date with your vaccines, or if you're at increased risk and with the CDC now loosening up guidance around isolation and quarantine and masking - I think this is something that the cruise industry's happy with. So what the cruise lines said was that these update instructions, quote, "Move closer to recognizing the cruise industry's leadership in effectively mitigating COVID 19."

Taylor Wilson:

You can find more of Bailey's work in the Travel section on USATODAY.com.

Closing arguments are set for today in the federal hate crimes trial of the three men who murdered 25 year old Black man Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia in 2020. Jurors have seen days of testimony, including racist text messages and social media posts, along with graphic crime scene images. Several witnesses said Travis McMichael, who pulled the trigger and killed Arbery had used racial slurs in the past. His father Gregory McMichael, who also chased Arbery down, once made derogatory comments about a Black tenant behind on her rent according to one witness. And Roddie Bryan who filmed the chase and murder was said to have also used racial slurs in the past. The defendants were convicted of murder last fall and sentenced to life in prison. But state prosecutors did not present evidence that the murder was racially motivated. Something key to federal prosecutors' case. All three men have pleaded not guilty.

You might think you know your smart phone like the back of your hand, but there are a ton of lurking features you maybe had no clue existed. Tech Editor Brett Molina has some tips.

Brett Molina:

After reading a column from my colleague, Kim Komando, that's on tech.USAtoday.com, she discusses secret treasures, hidden apps on your smartphone and how to find them.

I read this and I found one that I didn't know about either. It's great. Again, it's one of the great things about having a smartphone is there's stuff in there that you never realize existed, and now you can use and it's fun. So, I'm going to go through a couple for iPhone right now. Let's start with Magnifier.

It is a super cool, pretty straightforward app, but what it does is lets you use your phone as a magnifying glass. So, if you're ever dealing something with fine print and maybe you don't have glasses or for whatever reason you need to magnify it, all you have to do is bring up your phone, you type in Magnifier in the search function.

What I've done is if I'm on the home screen, I'll swipe down, from the middle of the screen down and you'll pull up a search option with some recommended apps, type in Magnifier there and then you get the magnifier. Then you can just drag the slider, and you adjust the magnification to see how close, how far away you want to get, and it's right there.

The other one, and this is the app I didn't know existed is the Code Scanner. This is for scanning QR codes. You've seen those, the square black and white boxes that you've seen around and you hold up your camera and it points you to a website and you can go to the website. You can do this straightforward with your camera. If you ever have your camera up, you can bring it up that way, but another way to do it too is this Code Scanner. Again, as Kim points out, you search for it the same way. You swipe on the home screen, you search and you can pull it up.

If you find that you're scanning QR codes often, you can add it to your control center as well. To get to there, you go to settings, you'll go to control center and it'll give you a list of the apps that are already you there, along with a list of apps at the bottom that you can add. You'll see Code Scanner there, you can add it, you can add Magnifier there as well. That way if you ever see a QR code and you want to scan it really quick, you just go pull down control center from the top corner, hit that and then scan your QR code. It's really easy, really simple.

The last feature that I'll mention here, I use this a lot, because I found it to be just so much easier, controlling your printer from your phone or tablet. I do this a lot from my iPhone. As long as your printer supports AirPrint or any kind of Wi-Fi-based printing, you're in good shape. Basically the way it works is your printer and your phone are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Then if say there's a document you want to print, you want to do it from your phone, instead of having to turn on your laptop or something like that, you go right to your phone, you hit print. You'll look for that same printer that's on the same Wi-Fi network, you select it, hit print, done. Super easy, great feature. Again, I use it all the time, it is super, super helpful.

Taylor Wilson:

You can find more from the world of technology with the daily Talking Tech podcast.

Today is Presidents Day. It originally celebrated George Washington's birthday, which is February 22nd. And the day then became a federal holiday in 1879. Later in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved several federal holidays to Mondays. Washington's birthday then moved to the third Monday in February. Federal employees have today off, but the law never officially changed the third Monday of the month to Presidents Day. So it officially remains Washington's birthday. Though there was initially a push to change the name to also recognize Abraham Lincoln's birthday, which is February 12th. In the years since the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, advertisers have used Presidents Day as another opportunity for sales and promotions. For some of the best sales today, you can check out our friends at review.com. Or if the history of Presidents Day is more up your alley, you can find a link in today's episode description.

And you can find new episodes of 5 Things seven mornings a week, wherever you get your audio. Thanks to PJ Elliott for his great work on the show and I'm back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden could meet with Putin again, hidden smartphone apps: 5 Things podcast
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn at the 2015 Delivering Alpha Conference on July 15, 2015 Adam Jeffery/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

McDonald's confirmed that Carl Icahn has nominated two people to its board, launching a proxy battle.

The announcement comes after Icahn slammed the company for its use of gestation crates for pigs in its supply chain.

McDonald's inititally pledged to end the practice by 2022, but extended the commitment to the end of 2024.

Carl Icahn has started a proxy battle for two seats on the McDonald's board, the fast-food chain confirmed on Sunday.

The billionaire investor nominated Leslie Samuelrich and Maisie Ganzler, who will stand for election at the company's 2022 annual meeting. The announcement comes after Icahn slammed McDonald's earlier in the week for failing to end the use of gestation crates for pregnant pigs in its supply chain, a practice he told Bloomberg causes "unnecessary suffering."

"Mr. Icahn's stated focus in making this nomination relates to a narrow issue regarding the Company's pork commitment, which The Humane Society US has already introduced through a shareholder proposal," McDonald's said in a statement shared with Insider. "This is an issue on which McDonald's has been a leader."

While McDonald's initially pledged to mandate pork suppliers end the use of gestation crates for pregnant sows  a practice animal rights groups and activists have long decried as inhumane  by the end of a 10-year period culminating in 2022, the company has come up short on its goals.

In its statement, McDonald's said the company is on track to source 85% to 90% of its US pork supply from sows not housed in gestation crates during pregnancy by the end of this year, with an adjusted forecast of reaching 100% by the end of 2024.

"While the Company looks forward to promoting further collaboration across the industry on this issue, the current pork supply in the U.S. would make this type of commitment impossible," McDonald's said in the statement, referring to the 2022 timeline.

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McDonald's said it plans to meet its extended goal "despite industry-wide challenges for farmers and producers, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and global swine disease outbreaks."

Representatives for Carl Icahn did not immediately respond to a request to comment from Insider, though the investor told Bloomberg TV earlier this week that he intends to push on the issue "as much as we can."

Icahn's known to take large positions in public companies before agitating for change. In the case of McDonald's, Icahn has just 200 shares, worth about $50,000, according to the company.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Tanya Fox wants authorities to do better, but the Caseyville mayor said no further action will be taken against the officers.

A Black woman wants law enforcement in Caseyville, Illinois, to do better after her encounter with police left her feeling harassed and targeted because of her race.

As reported by Belleville News-Democrat, Tanya Fox, 40, described her January encounter with the police during a Caseyville Village Board meeting Wednesday night, where she called for accountability and the end of pretextual police stops. She claims Caseyville police officers pulled her over after following her from a hotel that they said was in a high drug area.

Dashcam video from the Caseyville Police Department obtained through a public records request shows the January encounter in which driver Tanya Fox alleged officers racially profiled her. (Photo: Screenshot/Caseyville Police Department)

You picked me out, Fox told the board members Wednesday, accusing the officers of roughing her up physically by twisting her arm and fingers while she was being handcuffed. The woman claims the officers touched her inappropriately while searching her clothing for narcotics.

Speaking to BND about the incident, Fox said her family was living at the hotel temporarily after being displaced from their home in Belleville. She was leaving the hotel for work the morning she was pulled over by police on Saturday, Jan. 8.

One officer is heard on dashcam saying, Its not harassment because  that hotel is high with drug traffic. You go that early in the morning, okay? Your ID returns out Alton. Youre from Belleville. And then you leave after you went there. The car was off, then the car was on.

A second officer said, What he was trying to explain to you is its a high drug area, okay? Youre in and out. You dont return out of there, okay? And we already know 

Im not a drug addict, Fox interjected.

A third officer, a sergeant, said, Its not harassment. Its doing police work.  If we find out you dont have anything to do with drugs, then well let you go.

The officers didnt find any drugs on the woman or inside her vehicle.

According to BND, in the official police report, the there is no mention of drugs or the hotel.

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Village officials stand by the officers actions and deny Fox was touched inappropriately or that excessive force was used during the stop.

Caseyville Police Chief Tom Coppotelli did acknowledge, however, that the officers received verbal counseling for making inappropriate statements during the stop and when Fox appeared at the police station to pick up a complaint form, according to the report.

In the dashcam video, the officers inform Fox that they pulled her over because she didnt come to a complete stop before turning right near the hotel. She acknowledged in the video that her registration was expired.

Just because every last one of yall dont know what it is to be racially profiled because youre not Black, that does not mean you do not consider  and not only consider, hold to the utmost regard  what Tanya Fox went through, Belleville-area activist JD Dixon said Wednesday to the board of all white males.

Coppotelli noted at the board meeting that the state police investigator who reviewed the Fox case is a Black man who sided with the officers handling of the Fox case.

I had the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Unit review this case, and they said that its perfect, theres nothing wrong with this case, theres no sign of racial profiling or anything that our officers did wrong, Coppotelli said. I also want to tell you that I dont find any evidence of racial profiling, and our officers acted with professional conduct, they acted with compassion, and I stand by their decision on that traffic stop that day.

Meanwhile, Fox, Dixon and the American Civil Liberties Union are calling for a statewide end of pretextual police stops, when breaking a traffic law becomes the pretext for law enforcement to look for evidence of criminal activity, such as drug possession, according to BND.

Theres the old adage that just because you can do something, doesnt mean that you should, said Ed Yohnka, director of communications and public policy for the ACLU of Illinois.

One of the ways you actually combat crime is to investigate crime, not simply to investigate someones presence in a particular area, he added.  If somebody robs a bank, you dont stop everybody that pulls into the bank for the next week. You investigate the crime.

Caseyville Mayor G.W. Scott Sr. reportedly made clear after the board meeting that no further action against the officers will be taken.

TheGrio is now on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Black woman alleges racial profiling by Illinois police after traffic stop appeared first on TheGrio.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives in Germany for the 2022 Munich Security Conference on February

The Government has done sweet FA to cut red tape and risks running out of time to take advantage of Brexit, former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has warned.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph for a new series on deregulation, Sir Iain said Britain has huge opportunities now to cut red tape in areas from finance to medical research, to recapture some of the real dynamism the economy needs, and move away from the EUs unwieldy, burdensome model of pre-emptive regulation.

But instead the Government has failed to act and could miss its chance completely, said the MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, whose Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform (TIGR) last year proposed around 100 measures to cut excessive red tape and build new flexible regulation for emerging industries.

He said: The Government has done absolutely sweet FA about this since we delivered the report to them.

They should have been getting on with it now, and they still havent done a single element of deregulation since I produced the report.

He fears that the Government is running out of time, more than two years on from the election and since the UK officially left the EU.

If you want me to write the epitaph to this Government, it is full of wishful hope, but not of delivery, Sir Iain said, warning that inexperienced ministers are too often captured by civil servants instead of driving the agenda.

There is a lot to do and they think they have a lot of time to do it in, but they dont. If we dont get this done in the next nine months, most of this stuff, it is never going to get done, because we will be into the pre-run to an election. At that stage, what are you going to show?

Instead, the burden of red tape is growing. The Regulatory Policy Committee, the Governments official adviser, estimates Boris Johnsons administration added 5.6bn to the regulatory burden on businesses just in the first year after the 2019 election.

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Sir Iain said the opportunities are vast, including cutting the City loose of EU measures so it can compete on the global stage, ditching rules such as Mifid, freeing up the insurance industry to invest in more productive assets, and setting global rules alongside the US.

He said: In financial services, we would actually then really compete with New York as global hubs.

But he singled out the Treasury, which is responsible for much financial regulation, as a department which does not agree about deregulation and is a nightmare for new areas.

The City of London financial district is seen as a man wearing a protective face mask walks along the River Thames - HENRY NICHOLLS /REUTERS

An even larger opportunity could come in scientific research.

He said: We have the capacity to dominate the global market in health research. Just look at what happened during Covid  we still have some of the best research institutions in the world here in the UK.

Tweaking the rules for medical trials and introducing a light-touch regulatory regime for markets such as nutraceuticals  health-enhancing foods and supplements  could give the UK the lead in new industries, he said.

This would leave the UK as a hub for medical technology, for trials, nutraceuticals in the medical side which would be bigger even than financial services.

Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, said Covid has shown that the state can be flexible when it needs to be, as we did in the clinical trials for vaccines and treatments.

Mr Hancock said: The UK has an opportunity right now to remove burdensome regulation and allow new innovative industries like fintech to flourish.

It is absolutely vital that we do this. The economy faces significant challenges and the only long-term way out of that is through innovation and growth.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said the Taskforces report has helped shape our ambitious plans to capitalise on new Brexit freedoms.

He said: Many of the recommendations in the TIGRR report are being taken forward, in areas such as data, gene-editing, artificial intelligence and future transport technologies.

Alongside this, we have set out new measures to ensure that the UK will become the best regulated economy in the world.
Innovative chatbot provides safe space for young people to learn about sexual and reproductive health

Its not just a random visual representation of a human. Thats important because this avatar is connected to powerful stories seeded with accurate information modeled by positive characters. 

Our research team looked exclusively at SnehAIs effectiveness with regard to SRH, but Im confident that the chatbots design can be easily adapted for different purposes, in different countries. In fact, I know our partners have developed similar applications to address domestic violence in South Africa. The latest version of SnehAI will also include child protection, says Wang.

The findings from Wangs instrumental case study appear in the Journal of Medical Internet Research .

Many AI technologies today are motivated by profit, but we must also be aware that AI can be leveraged in ways that facilitate social and behavior change, says Wang, who specializes in entertainment-education and storytelling as instruments for health promotion. SnehAI is a powerful testimonial of the vital potential that lies in AI for good.

Working with the Population Foundation of India (PFI), Helen Wang , PhD, an associate professor of communication in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, examined the user-centered design and engagement of SnehAI, the first Hinglish (Hindi and English) chatbot purposefully developed for social and behavioral change.

BUFFALO, N.Y.  An innovative chatbot designed for sharing critical information about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) with young people in India is demonstrating how artificial intelligence (AI) applications can engage vulnerable and hard-to-reach population segments.

SnehAI's chatbot avatar is based on the protagonist of a popular television drama in India. Graphic courtesy of the Population Foundation of India.

The interface of SnehAI (pronounced SNAY-ha eh-eye) is an avatar based on a popular television drama in India. The show presents themes that include gender equality and family planning. After two successful seasons, the PFI, with a technical partner, developed the chatbot in order to extend the shows reach from rural and adult populations to include urban youth in ways that promoted SRH and advocated for the well-being of women and girls.

About 18% of the worlds population lives in India. Thats 1.4 billion people, about half of whom are under the age of 25. Despite policy commitments and some recent progress, the SRH needs of young people in India are lacking, according to Wang.

Quality education about SRH is highly limited, contraceptive practices are heavily skewed toward female sterilization, and unsafe abortions are rampant, she says.

SRH misinformation compounds existing problems, with young people often unware of contraceptive options and the dangers of sexually transmitted infections. Embarrassed or uncomfortable, young people remain silent, or direct their questions and acquire information through often unreliable web-based platforms.

But Wang says SnehAI provides whats perceived as a safe space. Its an intelligent bot that provides a non-judgmental arena that arouses no concern from users about how questions might be received.

The avatar is based on the protagonist in the drama, a trusted medical doctor and a champion for health and social issues in society, says Wang. Its not just a random visual representation of a human. Thats important because this avatar is connected to powerful stories seeded with accurate information modeled by positive characters.

But the chatbot itself always clearly explains to its users, as soon as they launch the app on Facebook Messenger, that there is no human behind the avatar.

Some people might ask: Who wants to talk about sensitive personal issues with a machine? But we observed the opposite effect, says Wang. There was no concern for how someone might react to a question. Chatting with an intelligent being without having to worry about embarrassment, shame and guilt in this case actually helps build confidence and trust, especially when the users are informed about what data may be recorded and their rights to protect personal privacy.

Over five months, SnehAI interacted with almost 120,000 unique users, especially young men, with more than 8 million messages. About half of those messages were deeply personal questions and genuine concerns regarding SRH exchanged through texts and handled by the chatbots natural language processing capacity.

Overall, SnehAI successfully presented itself as a trusted friend and mentor across 15 areas representing opportunities for engagement and action, says Wang. In particular, it fostered curiosity about SRH and a willingness to ask questions. And 71,211 is the number of visits to the helplines feature of the chatbot, which demonstrates how transmedia storytelling  from a television drama to social media and then an AI chatbot  can inspire users to take action.

SnehAI is a significant representation of the potential impact of AI technologies for social good.

Wangs collaborators for the study include Sneha Gupta, a UB doctoral student in the Department of Communication; Arvind Singhal, PhD, an endowed professor of communication and director of the Social Justice Initiative at the University of Texas at El Paso; Poonam Muttreja and Sanghamitra Singh, of Population Foundation of India; and Poorva Sharma and Alice Piterova, of AI for Good UK.
By Ron Bousso and David French

LONDON (Reuters) - Chevron is looking to sell its stakes in three oil and gas fields in Equatorial Guinea, hoping a recent rally in energy prices will help attract buyers, three industry sources told Reuters.

The U.S. company acquired the assets in the west African country as part of the $13 billion acquisition of Noble Energy in 2020.

Chevron has hired investment bank Jefferies to run the sale process which could raise as much as $1 billion, the sources said.

Chevron declined to comment. Jefferies declined to comment.

The decision to sell the Equatorial Guinea assets comes as Chevron focuses on its most profitable production hubs including the U.S. Permian shale basin and Kazakhstan, the sources said.

With oil prices at their highest in seven years and a strong demand outlook, the world's top oil and gas companies are hoping to attract smaller buyers, such as private equity-backed producers, to ageing and non-core assets.

Chevron holds a 38% interest in the Aseng oilfield and the Yolanda natural gas field in Equatorial Guinea's Block 1 as well as a 45% interest in the Alen gas and condensate field in Block O. It operates the three fields.

The company expanded its presence in Equatorial Guinea in December when it signed a production-sharing agreement for an offshore block in the Douala Basin.

The Equatorial Guinea assets added 441 billion cubic feet of natural gas to Chevron's reserves in 2020, according to its annual report.

(Reporting by Ron Bousso; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)




Congressional negotiators are moving quickly to try to finalize work on a sprawling package to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year, though sticking points remain.

Lawmakers have roughly three weeks to finish crafting - and ideally pass - a bill to fund the government through Sept. 30, after advancing the latest stopgap last week.

That bill, which extends funding through March 11, marked the third time Congress has had to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government funded in the 2022 fiscal year. And while leaders have struggled to reach a broader, bipartisan agreement, negotiators are hopeful it'll be the last short-term fix.

"Oh god, no," Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said last week when asked about the prospect of a fourth funding Band-Aid. "Good lord, no."

Until just weeks ago, negotiators struggled to find their way out of a months-long stalemate over top-line numbers, how to divide funds and legislative riders dealing with thorny issues like abortion.

And while negotiators have made strides in recent weeks after top leaders announced a bipartisan framework deal for an omnibus package, which would fund the government through September, appropriators have made clear there is still much more work to be done.

Sen. Richard Shelby (Ala.), ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told The Hill that if negotiators continue to work in bipartisan fashion, Congress could finally put a bow on the package by early March. But nothing is final, he noted, until the legislation "is sealed and signed."

A new omnibus package would afford the Democratic-led Congress and President Biden a major chance to shape government funding for the current fiscal year. Under the continuing resolution passed on Thursday, funding levels are still set at those previously enacted under the Trump administration.

Democrats have already outlined their wants for a number of party-backed priorities in the annual spending legislation, including for boosts in education, efforts aimed at combating climate change, improving health care and affordable housing. And while Republicans aren't on board with all their colleagues' wish-list items, they are pushing for more funding in areas like defense.

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Leahy said in remarks on Thursday that the agreed-upon framework for the omnibus package would include the "biggest increase in nondefense programs" seen in four years. But it remains to be seen what funding will look like for those programs, as leaders continue to keep spending details close to the vest amid ongoing negotiations.

Pressed about Leahy's comments shortly after, Shelby told reporters last week "that's the Democrat agenda," while adding Republicans are focused on national security.

"But, in anything bipartisan trying to get a bill through, we're gonna have to give and get, to get," he added.

Last summer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned that Republicans would block appropriations legislation for fiscal 2022, which began in October, in absence of a larger bipartisan spending deal in the 50-50 Senate. But to strike a deal, he has said there would need to be parity in growth in defense and nondefense spending.

Days after Shelby announced the framework deal earlier in February, appropriators said they worked through the weekend on allocations for subcommittees.

In a show of progress, senators confirmed last week that all 12 subcommittees had received new top-line spending numbers for fiscal 2022, allowing each of the panels to make more headway on their slices of an omnibus package.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, wouldn't tell reporters what his panel was allocated, but said "it's better than [he] expected."

"We were very happy," he told The Hill, before adding that he believes his panel is on track to complete its work by the newly set March deadline.

Some panels will have an easier time than others in finalizing their portions in the weeks ahead.

While some have said Veterans Affairs has been a sticking point in talks, Sen. John Boozman (Ark.), ranking Republican on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, said his panel has "pretty much got all those things moving in the right direction."

"We really enjoy working with Senator [Martin] Heinrich (D-N.M.) and his staff, and then also our counterparts over in the House. Our staffs have worked together for a while and so it makes things a lot easier," Boozman told The Hill, while adding, at this point, there aren't many "major" hurdles for them to hash out in the weeks ahead.

But some subcommittees seem to have their work cut out for them.

On the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, both Chairman Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and ranking member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) say they're still working toward trying to reach common ground on issues like border wall funding.

"We're on a tight timeline. We've had a lot of conversations, both Murphy and I have, and so you know we're working in good faith. It's a tough one, it might be the toughest," Capito told The Hill on Thursday.

At the same time, top negotiators are fielding more questions about supplemental COVID-19 funds amid reports the Biden administration is eyeing billions more in funds for vaccine and testing efforts, among others.

But it's unclear if the expected spending omnibus will include such funding, which has been met with hesitancy from some, particularly after it took months for appropriators to make significant progress on the annual legislation in an evenly-split Senate.

"I'm not eager to add anything. It has taken several months of negotiations to get where we are, and I'm very reluctant to reopen it for anything else," Leahy told reporters.
Vaccination. Sergio Flores/Getty Images

A range of new studies suggest that a COVID-19 booster shot may provide protection against future variants for many months, even years, The New York Times reports. A recent study posted on bioRxiv, for instance, suggests that a third Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shot helps to produce antibodies that could be effective against yet-unseen mutations  even though the vaccines were "not specifically designed to protect against variants." "If people are exposed to another variant like Omicron, they now got some extra ammunition to fight it," Dr. Julie McElrath, a Seattle infectious disease physician, told the Times.

The new findings are similar to those found in the wake of the SARS epidemic that swept across Asia in 2003; one study found that people exposed to SARS at the time were still producing T cells  specialized immune cells  17 years later. "Memory responses can last for ages," Wendy Burgers, an immunologist at the University of Cape Town, also told the Times. "Potentially, the T-cell response is extremely long-lived."

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Good morning, Chicago.

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker fully embraced his role in guiding the state through the coronavirus pandemic when he launched his reelection campaign in July, just a month after he had lifted nearly all restrictions as the vaccination effort gained steam and the state had fully reopened. Within weeks, though, he rolled out another mask mandate for schools as the state lost ground to the delta variant.

Now, months later and with the omicron-fueled COVID surge waning, two court opinions have stymied Pritzkers efforts to continue masking requirements at schools and renewed questions over the governors legal authority amid pandemic weariness.

While Chicago Public Schools plans to continue enforcing its mask mandate, about 700 Illinois districts have pivoted to mask-optional policies.

 Clare Spaulding, Rick Pearson and Dan Petrella

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.

COVID-19 tracker | More newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Daily horoscope | Ask Amy | Todays eNewspaper edition

Ice coverage may be nearing its peak throughout the Great Lakes in a season that has trended closer to average than originally forecast, as Lake Michigans water levels are expected to continue their decline well below the string of monthly record highs reached a few years ago.

Ice cover increased in the new year as chilly temperatures froze the Great Lakes region. In recent days, the lakes have been about a quarter to more than 40% covered, sticking close to the long-term average for early February, according to data going back to 1973.

Faced with an outcry from neighborhood activists, federal civil rights investigations and pressure from the Biden administration, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday blocked a clout-heavy scrap shredder from opening on Chicagos Southeast Side.

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Local and national environmental groups hailed the citys reversal after more than two years of community organizing.

A little more than a week after racial slurs were hurled at a group of Niles West High School students, more than 100 students staged a walkout to protest what they said is systemic racism at the school.

The protest was held in reaction to an incident earlier this month at Niles West that began as an anti-mask walkout protest by a group of students, officials said. They said that as that group of students were leaving the school, they removed their masks, which prompted other students, including students of color, to engage them verbally. At that point, some of the anti-mask students yelled out racial slurs.

On the day of the walkout, Niles West administrators issued a statement saying they are saddened and furious that our students live in a world where racial incidents occur and our schools are not immune.

Susan Zingle often walks among the oaks, wildflowers and wetlands in the 774-acre Waukegan Savanna near her home. But she worries about a proposal by the Waukegan National Airport to buy 52 acres of the savanna from the Lake County Forest Preserves.

The Chicago regions forest preserves were created, starting with the first one in Cook County in 1914, to protect open space for the public in perpetuity. Some preserves have been under pressure to sell or swap land, which has led to controversies, including the latest one at the Waukegan airport.

Chicago Bulls stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine ended the NBA All-Star Game in familiar fashion Sunday night  coming through in the clutch. The Tribunes Julia Poe recaps the events top moments.
Six days after a jury said George Zimmerman was justified in approaching an unarmed Black teen and shooting him to death when a scuffle erupted, President Barack Obama asked America a difficult question.

If Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened?

Several years later, in a report published in 2020 called Stand Your Ground Kills, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence offered a response.

Statistically speaking, the answer is no, it said.

 2013: George Zimmerman found not guilty

 2015: No federal charges for Zimmerman in Trayvon Martin death

When controlling for variables, the odds of a white-on-Black homicide being found justified is 281% greater than the odds a white-on-white homicide is found justified, according to professor John K. Roman, whose research was based on the FBIs Supplementary Homicide Report, which unlike other data sets takes into account the final disposition of a proceeding.

In the days following the killing of Trayvon Martin, the concept of stand your ground laws and the consistency of their application were widely debated. Then-Attorney General Eric Holder called for a hard look at laws he contended create more violence than they prevent. At the same time, then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott convened a task force to consider repealing the law.

Scotts task force quickly concluded the majority of Floridians favor an expansive right to self-defense and recommend Floridas stand your ground law remain intact.

Stand your ground, as originally conceived, expanded the common law principle known as the Castle Doctrine to areas outside of the home, and removed any requirement that a person being attacked or approached in a threatening manner seek to remove themselves from an escalating situation before taking defensive action.

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Months after Trayvons death, however, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights embarked in 2013 on a research project based on stand your ground laws but didnt release results until 2020, long after any momentum for change created by the Martin shooting had subsided.

The commission was tasked with conducting an analysis to determine whether a racial bias existed in the assertion, investigation or enforcement of justifiable homicide laws in states with stand your ground provisions.

It reviewed FBI data in over 2,600 cases in an effort to determine foreseeable outcomes in cases similar to the Zimmerman shooting of Trayvon.

It was concluded the number of homicides of Black people deemed legally justifiable more than doubled in stand your ground states between 2005, when Floridas law went into effect, and 2011. Alternatively, it was revealed that in cases involving a white shooter and Black victim, homicides were ruled justified 45 percent of the time, as compared to 11% of the time when the roles were reversed.

In compiling an analysis of findings, Michael Yaki of the Commission on Civil Rights relied heavily upon data and testimony provided by Roman.

This is an extremely sobering, and powerful, statistic, Yaki wrote for the commission.

Florida statistics startling

Florida cases show a similar pattern.

Romans data did not include input from the state of Florida, because Florida did not add its crime statistics to the FBI database.

A team of health scientists conducted a study of its own based upon data the Tampa Bay Times had pulled together in a thorough examination of 237 stand your ground cases over several years beginning in 2012.

Their conclusion was no less startling than that of Roman, the Commission on Civil Rights reported.

The examination found that in Florida a Black person asserting a stand your ground defense in a case where a white person was killed was twice as likely to be convicted as someone using the same defense being tried in the killing of a Black person.

And if the victim were Black, and the alleged killer asserting the stand your ground defense white, he would have better than double the odds of being let go, Romans research found.

The combination of these two social scientists studies  one nationally, one focused on Florida  provide a compelling case that there is racial bias in the application of SYG laws that tilt against justice for African American victims, Yaki wrote. And bias in the application of justice.

Stand your ground, in other words, is a perfect illustration of the disparity in the administration of justice, he concluded.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, a staunch proponent of Floridas stand your ground law, disagrees.

He said statistics purporting to show a racial bias in the application of the stand your ground law in Florida and across the country are inaccurate, but continue to be widely circulated by the media.

Its a myth to think crimes should be committed proportionately. Its flawed. Its absolutely fictitious, Judd said.

He said the underlying premise  that a given segment of societys crime rate should correlate to their percentage of the overall population  simply doesnt hold water.

Because men and women each make up roughly 50% of the population, the rationale goes that we should have about the same number of each locked up, but that isnt the case, because men overwhelmingly commit a greater proportion of crimes and violent crimes, he said.

Judd said all laws in Florida, including stand your ground laws, are enforced and prosecuted by professionals who dont have the luxury of picking and choosing what laws to enforce and who to enforce them upon.

Sentencing is based on a matrix that looks at the crime committed and criminal history, he said. You cant take a particular percentage of the population and say youre picking on males because more of them are in prison. You just cant figure the data that way.

This is not the way to have a safer society 

That attitude, which appears to be the prevailing one among Floridas state politicians, underscores why little has been done to repeal or reform stand your ground laws  which now exist in some form in about 30 states.

In 2021 and again this year, Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami, introduced legislation called the Self Defense Restoration Act, which would effectively repeal the stand your ground law. If passed, his bill would restore the duty to retreat aspect of the stand your ground statute.

So far, his attempts have failed.

Michael McGlockton holds a photo of his son, Markeis McGlockton, in August 2018. Markeis McGlockton was shot and killed in July 2018 in Clearwater during an argument over a parking spot. The shooter, Michael Drejka, used a stand your ground defense but was convicted of manslaughter.

These laws suffer from pervasive racial and gender bias in their application, the Giffords Law Center report said. Disproportionately justifying the use of violence by people who are white and male against people who are not.

Two years after the report, the Giffords Law Center stands by it.

This is not the way to have a safer society, said Robyn Thomas, the executive director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Many states, including Florida, continue to tweak their stand your ground laws to expand the rights of armed citizens to counter an alleged threat using deadly force.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has gone so far as to propose legislation that would justify using deadly force against people engaging in conduct that results in the interruption or impairment of a business, or participating in looting, which the bill defined as burglary within 500 feet of a violent or disorderly assembly.

A bill creating what became known as the anti-riot law was signed by DeSantis, but overturned by U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, who declared the legislation vague and overbroad. Walker termed that the law trampled First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly and also violated constitutional due process protections.

Sheriff Judd contends that laws giving a person a right to self-defense have been around for years, and that all stand your ground did in 2005 was make it legal to stand up to an aggressor, rather than retreat.

The premise of the law is simple, Judd says: If youre walking through a parking lot and a guy confronts you with a knife and says this is a robbery and you pull your gun and shoot him, thats classic stand your ground.

But as the U.S. Commission for Civil Rights noted in its report, no two cases in which the stand your ground law is cited as a defense are the same.

Disproving stand your ground hard when someone is dead

Critics of stand your ground say that the removal of a duty to retreat has helped create an environment where people tend to escalate, or even provoke, confrontation that might otherwise be avoided.

From the rational standpoint, there are situations where you could say you didnt need to shoot someone in that scenario. But a lot of the time it doesnt matter if you did or not, said Chris Daniels, a FAMU professor working in its Center for Global Security and International Affairs. The prosecutor has to prove the person who used force didnt feel threatened. Thats hard to do when someone is dead.

Cathy Makowski demonstrates against what she calls the abuse of Floridas stand your ground law outside the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford after the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012.

Research has shown that in shall issue states like Florida, where the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services must issue a concealed weapons license if the applicant meets certain qualifications, gun purchases fueled by fear and a marketed need for self-protection have exploded.

With that, firearm homicide rates have risen by 8.6% and handgun homicide rates by 10.6% since the first stand your ground laws were passed in 2005.

These increases are being seen even though stand your ground laws do not appear to act as a deterrent to other crimes.

There is a robust association between shall-issue laws and higher rates of firearm homicides, the study said.

On Feb. 26, 2012, the night he shot Trayvon, Zimmerman was armed and working as a neighborhood watch captain. He called 911 to report Trayvon, a Black 17-year-old wearing a hoodie, as a suspicious person. Trayvon was making his way back from a store to the home of his father and his fathers fiancee in Sanford, carrying a soft drink and a bag of Skittles. Zimmerman, who is white and of Peruvian descent, confronted the teen even though hed been instructed not to do so by a dispatcher.

There were no witnesses to the ensuing scuffle and shooting, and Sanford police were initially hesitant to file charges based on Zimmermans account of how the incident had unfolded.

In the aftermath of Trayvons shooting, a detective recommended a charge of manslaughter be filed. He said head injuries Zimmerman claimed hed suffered were marginally consistent with a life-threatening episode, as described by him, during which neither a deadly weapon nor deadly force were deployed by Trayvon Martin.

After several months and much media scrutiny, Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder. Zimmermans lawyers did not use a stand your ground defense, opting instead to argue self-defense.

A jury of six women found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder or the lesser-included charge of manslaughter.

To Daniels point, Trayvon was not alive to dispute Zimmermans account of events.

Benjamin L. Crump, the attorney who represented Trayvon Martins family in a civil action against Zimmerman, presently represents Sandy Modell, the father of Ryan Modell, who was killed in March of 2016 following a white-on-white altercation with James Steven Taylor.

He had knocked on the wrong door after drinking too much at a party and coming home late. There was an altercation in the doorway and the door was slammed, Sandy Modell, Ryans father, wrote of his son in a column printed in 2021 by the Fort Myers News-Press. My son left, and the owner was safe in his apartment behind a locked door. He and his wife called the police and were instructed to stay inside. That should have been the end of it.

Instead, the owner waited several minutes, then got his gun, went back outside and pursued my son. He found him two houses away, seated on the ground facing the other way. He yelled and provoked him. When my son stood and approached, he shot and killed him with a 10mm gun that had a laser and a flashlight.

Stand your ground case: Father of Florida man killed in 2016 asks governor to intervene in Stand Your Ground case

2017: Death of 32-year-old justified under Stand Your Ground, no charges for shooter

State Attorney Amira Fox concluded Taylor had acted within the guidelines of stand your ground and declined prosecution. Sandy Modell has asked Gov. DeSantis to appoint an independent prosecutor to review the case.

Crump could not be reached for comment.

Further, Daniels said the subjective terms used to define what constitutes standing your ground are what make it dangerous in some cases.

You could theoretically feel like you were threatened by anyone, he said. If Im walking and some guy pops around the corner and surprises me, it could startle me enough that Id feel threatened, and under stand your ground I could shoot him, even though he was just walking too.

Judd admitted that a better comprehension of what does and doesnt constitute stand your ground is needed.

A lot of times were investigating cases where people dont understand the law or are trying to throw a Hail Mary and claim stand your ground, he said. Sometimes if you scream stand your ground you end up charged, because it wasnt stand your ground.

Continued discrepancy in how law is applied

While the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights study was conducted nearly a decade ago, more recent research done by the American Public Health Association indicates the commissions findings remain valid today.

APHA looked at 25 studies that estimated population-level impacts of stand your ground legislation and published its findings in March of 2021.

In at least some U.S. states, most notably Florida, stand-your-ground laws have been associated with increases in homicides, and there has been racial bias in the application of legal protections, the report said.

People pray around Britany Jacobs inside the governors office in August 2018 during a rally against Floridas stand your ground law. Jacobs partner, Markeis McGlockton, was shot dead by Michael Drejka during a dispute over a handicapped-accessible parking space in Clearwater. The Pinellas County Sheriffs Office cited the law in initially declining to to arrest Drejka.

On July 19, 2013, when President Obama addressed the nation regarding the Trayvon Martin case and asked his could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? question, he had a follow-up statement. If the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws.

Pensacola resident Cedric Alexander is a 40-year law enforcement veteran who has served as president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and was a member of Obamas Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

He echoed the former presidents concerns about the way stand your ground laws are enforced.

The key to stand your ground to me is we have to make sure it is applied equally to everyone, he said. Because theres a perception that stand your ground is not applied fairly and equally to everyone.

If were going to have a stand your ground law, we have to make sure that it is equitable for everyone regardless of race, regardless of gender, and regardless of economic background, Alexander said. If there is data out there to support that this is not the case, we need to look at that. It needs to be perceived and believed by everyone across our nation it is being applied equitably across the board.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Trayvon Martin death: Laws like stand your ground remain intact
FALMOUTH  A Falmouth man was killed in a single-car accident on Route 28 near the off-ramp to Route 151 on Sunday, the Massachusetts State Police said in a statement.

The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle died of injuries suffered in the accident, according to the statement.

At approximately 5:36 p.m., a 2006 Saab was traveling northbound on Route 28 near the off-ramp to Route 151 when, for reasons still under investigation, it veered off the right side of the road, traveled through the grass infield, entered the wood line and struck several trees, according to police.

The Falmouth Fire Department removed the driver from the vehicle and brought him to Falmouth Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The police had not identified the victim as of Monday afternoon.

The crash remains under investigation by Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section (CARS) and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section.

Related: 'Our hearts go out to his family and friends': Grafton man who died in Falmouth crash IDed

The crash near the intersection of routes 28 and 151 was the second fatal accident in Falmouth on Sunday.

Falmouth Fire and Rescue divers recovered the body of 21-year-old James A. Koshivos of Grafton after the vehicle he was driving was found submerged in waters off Central Avenue early Sunday morning. That accident remains under investigation by the State Police as well.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Unidentified Falmouth man killed in one-car crash at routes 28 and 151
Euphoria fans have speculated that Tom Holland might have had a cameo in the latest episode.

The Spider-Man star is currently in a relationship with Zendaya, who plays series lead Rue in the gritty HBO teen drama.

Holland recently said that he was petitioning to join Euphoria season two in a small role, adding: It has not happened yet and Im very disappointed.

In the most recent episode, which aired on Sunday (20 February), Lexi (Maude Apatow) finally put on her play  a thinly veiled drama about the lives of her and her friends  at their school. You can read The Independents recap of the episode here.

Some eagle-eyed fans thought that they spotted Holland sat among the audience, with one viral tweet showing a figure not dissimilar to the Marvel actor sat a few rows behind Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate (Jacob Elordi).

DAMN LEXI EVEN GOT TOM HOLLAND AT HER PLAY?? the Twitter user wrote, with the post being liked nearly 200,000 times.

There was an interview where z said she wanted to sneak tom in a shot on the show cause he was on set . . . maybe she did, one fan theorised.

DAMN LEXI EVEN GOT TOM HOLLAND AT HER PLAY?? pic.twitter.com/ztnsKYSG9v  nevaeh (@fernlangdon) February 21, 2022

Tom Holland really wasnt playing around when he said he wanted to have a part in Euphoria, another wrote.

However, many viewers said that it wasnt Holland and rather a random extra.

The Independent has contacted Hollands representatives and HBO for comment.

Zendaya revealed last month that Holland had visited the set of Euphoria season two at least 30 times and that the pair had discussed a potential cameo for him.

You know, we joke about sneaking him into the background and seeing if someone can spot him, she said.

Euphoria airs Mondays at 10.05pm on Sky, with new episode available to stream weekly on NOW in the UK and HBO in the US.
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Evangeline Lilly. Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Evangeline Lilly said Justin Trudeau could bring Canadians together by discussing vaccine mandates.

"Why won't you sit with them? They have asked to meet with you, prime minister," Lilly said.

Lilly has been a public critic of vaccine mandates in the past.

"Ant-Man" star Evangeline Lilly has urged Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau to speak with citizens who are protesting federal vaccine mandates.

Lilly  who was born in Fort Saskatchewan in Alberta, Canada, and raised in British Columbia  addressed Trudeau in a video posted to the Instagram account for Bridge City News, a Canadian news show that airs on the Miracle Channel, a Christian television network, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Why won't you sit with them? They have asked to meet with you, prime minister, medical experts, top scientists, doctors, nurses, parents, grandparents, intelligent, loving, concerned citizens," Lily asked Trudeau in the video.

"If you're so convinced of your own reasons for the mandates, sit down and walk the leaders of a group of 2.3 million protesters across the country who represent many millions more across the nation, and explain it to them and ask them to listen with open hearts and minds, and then reciprocate. Listen to what they have to say with a mind open to hearing things that might go against the ideas you are entrenched in."

Supporters arrive at Parliament Hill for the Freedom Truck Convoy to protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions in Ottawa, Canada, on January 29, 2022. Lars Hagberg/AFP/Getty Images

The Marvel star later added that Trudeau could "bring Canadians together right now" by opening up the discussion surrounding vaccine mandates.

"You unify people by finding solutions together, not by vilifying those who say there is a better way," she said. "What we need right now from our leadership is unification, and that requires being willing to see, recognize and hear from the people sitting out in the cold at your door."

Protestors  who call themselves the "Freedom Convoy"  have blocked city streets in the Canadian capital of Ottawa for almost a month and recently blocked a vital bridge between Detroit and Canada in response to a federal mandate that requires truckers be fully vaccinated when crossing the border with the US or be required to quarantine for two weeks.

Story continues

Earlier this month, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a national emergency over ongoing trucker protests, allowing the nation's government to temporarily override civil rights. The far-reaching Emergencies Act gives the Canadian government the ability to prohibit public assembly, restrict travel, and force businesses  such as towing companies  to act, with compensation.

Canadian police arrested 191 people and dispersed truckers blocking the streets of Ottawa over the weekend.

This isn't the first time Lilly has spoken publicly in opposition to vaccine mandates. In January, the actress posted on Instagram that she had attended an anti-vaccine rally in Washington, D.C.

"This is not safe," Lilly wrote in the post. "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."

Read the original article on Insider
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday announced the government would remove all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England and cut access to free tests as part of its "living with COVID" plan.

Below is a summary of the changes announced:

ISOLATION

From Feb. 24:

- The legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test will end.

Adults and children who test positive will be advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least 5 full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received 2 negative test results on consecutive days.

- Workers will not be legally obliged to tell their employers when they are required to self-isolate

- Self-isolation support payments will end

- Routine contact-tracing will end

- Fully vaccinated close contacts of positive cases and under 18s will no longer have to take a test for 7 days

- Close contacts who are not fully vaccinated will no longer be legally required to self isolate

From April 1:

- People with COVID-19 symptoms will be encouraged simply to exercise personal responsibility in same way as those with flu would be encouraged to be considerate of others

TESTING

From Feb. 21:

- The government is immediately removing the requirement for staff and children in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing

From April 1:

- Free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public will end

- Limited symptomatic testing will remain available for a small number of at-risk groups as well as for social care staff

- The government is working with retailers to ensure everyone who wants to can buy a test

CERTIFICATION

From April 1, the government will no longer recommend the use of voluntary Covid status certification

VACCINES

- A spring booster vaccine will be offered to over 75s, care home residents and over 12s who are immunosuppressed

- The vaccine taskforce will continue to ensure UK has access to effective vaccines as they are developed

Story continues

NEW VARIANTS

- The Office for National Statistics survey will be maintained to allow to continue tracking the virus with regional and age breakdowns to spot surges

(Compiled by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Alistair Smout)
PROVIDENCE  H. Russell Taub, the onetime Republican congressional candidate who was imprisoned for defrauding political donors three years ago, illegally sought help from Russian intelligence in his failed bid to unseat U.S. Rep. David Cicilline in 2016, the Federal Election Commission has found.

A few months before the November 2016 general election, Taub sent a direct message to a Twitter account known to be used by the GRU, Russias main intelligence agency, according to a recently released FEC filing. In the message to Guccifer 2.0, Taub asked for a list of Republican donors, saying, I could use your help to defeat cicilline. Taub provided an email address and later received a dossier that included opposition research reports, polling data and other information about his incumbent Democratic opponent in the 1st Congressional District race.

Taub, 33, violated federal campaign law by knowingly soliciting, accepting or receiving a prohibited in-kind foreign national contribution in the form of opposition research related to the candidates opponent, the FEC concluded.

Taub admitted wrongdoing as part of a settlement agreement with the FEC, but he was excused from paying a $31,000 fine due to financial hardship and the restitution he must pay for his previous conviction. If hes found to have misrepresented his finances, the fine will be reinstated.

In 2019, after pleading guilty to wire fraud and campaign-finance violations, Taub was sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to repay $1.1 million that he took through unregistered political action committees. Taub admitted to raising $1.6 million in donations and using more than $1 million of the money on cigars, meals, clothes, airfare, strip clubs and escorts, among other personal uses.

The investigation came after a Washington ethics watchdog filed a complaint against Taub with the FEC, alleging his Keeping America in Republican Control Political Action Committee was a scam violating campaign-finance reporting requirements.

Story continues

Ex-House hopeful sentenced on fraud: To serve 3 years, repay $1.1M

Taub formed the PAC but never legally registered it. After finding a wealthy couple from Ohio receptive to his appeals for money, he formed the "Keeping Ohio in Republican Control" PAC to solicit more money from them.

Federal investigators did not initially name the couple, but, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, an FEC document later identified them as Karen Buchwald Wright, the CEO of Ariel Corporation, a maker of gas compressors, and her husband, Thomas Rastin, a vice-president in the Ohio-based company. They gave $1.275 million to Taubs PACs.

Previous coverage: Taub had 'visions of grandeur,' says R.I. GOP chair

The recent FEC filing mentions Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The investigation determined that [the GRU] hacked the computers and email accounts of various organizations related to the 2016 U.S. election, including the [Democratic National Committee] and [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee], and disseminated stolen materials through fictitious online personas, including Guccifer 2.0, the filing said.

The documents sent to Taub from Guccifer 2.0 were apparently stolen from the GRUs various election-related hacking targets, the FEC said.

Federal law prohibits any foreign national from directly or indirectly making a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value in connection with a federal, state or local election. It also prohibits any person from knowingly soliciting, accepting or receiving any such contribution or donation from a foreign national.

According to prison records, Taub was released on Jan. 13. A lawyer representing him in the FEC case, and Cicilline's office, did not respond to requests for comment on the settlement.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Former R.I. Republican congressional candidate sought Russian election assistance
Joshua Sirefman, an urban planner who trained at the University of Michigan and began his career in Detroit, is returning to lead the evolution of Michigan Central Station as the new CEO of what is now a subsidiary of Ford Motor Co.

Joshua Sirefman, an urban planner who began his career in Detroit, is returning to lead the evolution of Michigan Central as its new CEO. He is seen here Feb. 15 at the Corktown site.

Sirefman, 54, lives in New York City and plans to look for a home within walking distance of the iconic building in Corktown, which is scheduled to open in 2023 in what city leaders have deemed a 30-acre innovation district that will advance the future of mobility.

He is transitioning into his role now for an official March 1 start date, Sirefman told the Free Press in an interview. While he will helm the huge project, he will continue working with Ford CEO Jim Farley, Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford and Ford Fund President Mary Culler.

Entrusted with a high-profile project in Detroit's oldest neighborhood that includes restoring the train station and investing in surrounding property, Sirefman "will lead the district in both its physical development and expansion of its programming, as the district enters a new phase of development in advancing its vision to help create a more accessible future for all through innovation," Ford said in a news release Monday.

"Innovation already underway includes pilots in development such as an app that helps visually impaired people navigate complicated urban landscapes in response to community needs, programs to support electrification of commercial fleets, plus rethinking how goods move on the first and last 50 feet of their journey," the news release said. "Michigan Central is partnering in a study to explore the feasibility of creating commercial drone testing corridors, and in a pilot project to make Michigan the first U.S. state to implement a public wireless electric vehicle charging system on a public road."

"Its not that you step into the Jetsons and like everything is flying around you," Sirefman said. "But, in fact, you can understand there are new and different ways to approach how we move around our cities, how we function in our cities, how mobility helps us. "

Story continues

Within circles that specialize in these urban projects, Sirefman polished his reputation as cofounder and former president of New York City-based Sidewalk Labs. The company was founded in 2015 as Google's arm for urban innovation, becoming an Alphabet company in 2016, according to its website.

"I have led transformative development projects for a range of corporate, nonprofit and government entities, including Cornell Universitys successful effort to build a new applied sciences campus in New York City, the University of Chicagos transformation of Hyde Park through the redevelopment of a vibrant new mixed-use district, and the repositioning of the New York Public Librarys renovation of its flagship building," Sirefman says in his LinkedIn online professional profile.

Under former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sirefman served as chief of staff to the deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding, and interim president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, according to his LinkedIn.

Farley, Ford played key roles

Michigan Central will operate as a limited liability corporation, a subsidiary of Ford Motor, as well the automaker's own not-for-profit philanthropic arm and business association. The company told the Free Press that the budget for the various entities and the governance models are still being formed.

"There's much more to come," Sirefman said. "Fords role is to catalyze the entire endeavor to happen but its really creating an open platform for lots of parties to participate. Its quite extraordinary for a company like Ford to take on such a role."

Joshua Sirefman, an urban planner who began his career in Detroit, is returning to lead the evolution of Michigan Central as its new CEO. He is seen here Feb. 15 on the 30-acre Corktown site.

Collaboration is essential, he said.

"I think the long-term objective for Michigan Central is to be self-sustaining. We have work to do to map out how were going to get there," Sirefman said.

He has been impressed by the track record Ford has established in working with longtime residents and stakeholders, which is crucial, he said.

"Part of Michigan Central's success should be defined by how much Corktown and communities in southwest Detroit feel a part of it and benefit from it and how much the impact on those communities is the result of a real and active dialogue," Sirefman said. "Im looking forward to meeting people in all of those communities and elsewhere in Detroit."

As a graduate student at the University of Michigan in the mid 1990s, he grew "very involved" in the work and activities of Detroit, also working with AmeriCorps.

"I worked with a Community Development Corporation on the east side of Detroit, the Islandview Village Development Corporation. ... I was the program director for an empowerment zone program," Sirefman said, describing his work with then-Mayor Dennis Archer toward a model urban industrial area.

At the time, Sirefman lived on Brooklyn Street  within walking distance of Michigan Central Station.

"I really view my career as having started in Detroit, I have always wanted another opportunity to be directly engaged and hopefully make a contribution and impact in Detroit," Sirefman said. "I dont think theres another project in the country as important as this or that has such extraordinary ingredients."

The potent combination of Ford, Detroit, Michigan Central Station and the Corktown site is "truly phenomenal" coupled with his longstanding desire to come back, Sirefman said. "I feel like it was meant to be."

Future: Transformed Michigan Central Station to include hotel rooms, wedding space

Pour Like This: 250 truckloads of concrete at Michigan Central Station in 10 hours

Nice thief: Thief returns train station clock, thanks Ford for believing in Detroit

Farley, Bill Ford and Culler all played key roles in recruiting Sirefman, he said.

Joshua is the perfect fit to lead the development of Michigan Central, said Culler, chief of staff to Bill Ford and president of Fords philanthropic organization, in the news release. His experience in mobility, developmental planning and community engagement  which was especially important to us  will be key to helping guide the districts team and partners along the path to meaningful innovation that truly helps in creating a more accessible future for all.

He will work with city officials as well as Google and others in developing the real estate project while also including neighborhood residents committed to protecting the integrity of the neighborhood. Corktown, just west of downtown, was named for the county in Ireland and honors the city's Irish immigrant history.

Defining the future

Corktown residents have been watching and waiting for this restoration project after decades of neglect.

Sirefman will identify and recruit new talent to the district and manage the business association that shapes the agenda for the district and its partners, supporting their projects and execution as they work toward collective mobility goals, Ford said in its news release.

Like all things, the best ideas in mobility come from diverse perspectives and I firmly believe Michigan Central is uniquely positioned to both catalyze such ideas and support the long-term vitality of Detroit, Sirefman said in the news release.

The new Michigan Central Foundation will provide charitable and educational training, programming and research for residents, students and businesses in the area, as well as science activities, according to the news release.

Earlier this month, Ford announced Google as a founding member of the innovation district at an event featuring Mayor Mike Duggan and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Duggan said the deal, which is designed to attract startups and investment from all over the world, is a bigger deal than the Detroit Lions moving their stadium back to the city. The site is intended to be a public-private collaboration that spotlights economic, workforce and community development  a Transportation Innovation Zone that's touted as the first of its kind in the Midwest, to test technology with support from a city willing to fast-track projects.

Coming back to Detroit

Sirefman, a New York native, earned his bachelor's degree in African American studies from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and his master's degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan. He said he views this return as an opportunity to apply all he has learned over the years.

Ford pointed to his track record at the non-profit community redevelopment organization in Detroit, saying in the news release that Sirefman "transformed a declining industrial corridor into a model urban industrial area while encouraging job growth and economic development."

How it started: Bill Ford shares vision for Corktown

Restoration: Surprising technology used to save Michigan Central Station history

Phoenix rising: Michigan Central Station on track for 2022 finish

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard at phoward@freepress.com or 313-618-1034. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford recruits Michigan Central CEO from NYC with Detroit roots
(ESI)

Traders have welcomed the prospect of a US-Russia summit as tensions on the Ukraine border continue to dominate market sentiment.

Oil and gold prices eased overnight after presidents Biden and Putin agreed to the potential meeting, which has raised hopes for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

At the start of another busy week for corporate results, two potential mid-cap takeovers are taking shape.

The board of aircraft refuelling business John Menzies is willing to back an improved 558 million offer from Kuwait's National Aviation Services, while Clipper Logistics is recommending a proposal worth 920 million from GXO Logistics.

FTSE 100 Live Monday

John Menzies and Clipper back takeovers

FTSE 100 steady on Ukraine summit hopes

PrimaryBid raises $190 million from SoftBank

UK firms worth 3bn fall into foreign hands

11:41 , Simon English

THREE UK firms worth a near combined 3 billion were set to fall into foreign hands today in the latest sign that markets could be gearing up for a post Covid deal frenzy.

First, Clipper Logistics accepted a 920p a share bid from US rival GXO Logistics, a deal that sees a key provider of deliveries for M&S, John Lewis, JD Sports and Asda disappear from the stock market.

John Menzies, the cargo group that works for airlines across the world, is going the same way.

It has accepted a 558 million bid from Kuwaiti firm Agility. That is at a much-improved 608p a share, having rejected earlier bids at 460p and 510p.

Meanwhile, the government has dropped its probe into the 1.2 billion takeover of robot software group Blue Prism by Americas SS&C. It will delist from the London Stock Exchange in March.

read more here

PurpleBricks hits all-time low

11:32 , Simon Hunt

Shares in online estate agent Purplebricks reached an all-time low of 19.3p today as the company faces the spectre of a lawsuit from self-employed workers demanding compensation for lost holiday pay and pension contributions.

The Purplebricks share price has plunged 96% since its all-time high of 515p in August 2017. The company reported a loss of 20.2 million in the six months to October 2021, following increased costs after the company shifted its business model to permanently employ its sales workers amid increased scrutiny of the treatment of workers in the gig-economy.

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Morses Club crashes

11:12 , Oscar Williams-Grut

Shares in subprime lender Morses Club have more than halved in value after its CEO unexpected quit on the eve of a profit warning.

Paul Smith, who has been CEO since 2015, is to leave the board with immediate effect. Current COO Gary Marshall is to take his place, pending regulatory approval.

Filings show Smith offloaded a significant chunk of his shares in Morses last Friday. The company said it had no prior notification of the sale, worth around 194,000.

In the same statement, Morses Club said profits for the current year are set to be 20% to 30% lower than expectations following increased costs associated with handling compensation claims.

Morses blamed a rapid increase in the volume of claims submitted recently. Claims are made in batches by companies on behalf of customers who argue they have been treated unfairly.

Read more.

Diplomatic efforts help steady FTSE 100

10:45 , Graeme Evans

The prospect of a last-ditch Biden-Putin summit brought some relief for traders today as financial markets in Europe avoided more Ukraine-led volatility.

There had been fears of another downbeat session until it emerged that France had successfully brokered a potential meeting between the US and Russia presidents.

The move halted upward pressure on the prices of oil and safe haven asset of gold, while the FTSE 100 index stood 24.04 points higher at 7537.66 after falling 1.9% last week.

The mood among traders, however, remains tense despite the latest efforts at a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis. AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said: Like everyone else, investors are left scratching their heads trying to decipher what the Russian leaders end-game is and until that becomes clear then nervousness is likely to remain.

As well as geopolitical developments, travel and leisure stocks benefited from today's plans for the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in the UK as British Airways owner IAG rose 2p to 163.6p and Rolls-Royce was a penny stronger at 118.2p.

But London's main support came from the financials sector ahead of a busy week of corporate results. NatWest, which fell on Friday after it lowered its cost-cutting target, recovered 5.2p to 239.7p and HSBC cheered 8.9p to 553.3p prior to figures due tomorrow.

The biggest faller was Baillie Gifford's tech-focused Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, which slipped 3% or 30.8p to its lowest level since October 2020 at 984.2p.

There was also further pressure on safety technology group Halma, whose shares have fallen more than 20% so far this year in a big reversal of fortunes. Halma today said it was buying a US-based light measurement business for 19.5 million but shares fell another 21p to 2265p to leave shares at their lowest since March.

Animal medicines business Dechra Pharmaceuticals had a mixed session despite reporting a 50% rise in half-year operating profits. Shares initially traded 4% higher but were later 24p cheaper at 3760p in a further to blow its chances of staying in the FTSE 100 index beyond next month's quarterly reshuffle.

The FTSE 250 index fell 32 points to 21330.54, with one of the best performers being cyber security firm Darktrace after a 6% rebound.

Inflation eats into profits at Finsbury Foods

10:27 , Oscar Williams-Grut

The maker of Mary Berry cakes has suffered a 23% drop in profits despite record sales, as the company battles inflationary pressure and supply chain issues.

Cardiff-based baker Finsbury Foods, which also makes products under the Thorntons and Costa brands, saw revenues increase 9% to 166.5 million in the six months to 25 December, driven by growth in its overseas unit and an expansion of its gluten-free product range.

But pre-tax profit fell from 7.4 million to 5.7 million. Chief executive John Duffy cited challenges arising from sudden and unexpected input cost inflation. Staff shortages and supply chain problems also weighed on performance.

Shares slipped 1.9p, or 2.1%, to 86.6p.

Deliveroo IPO platform raises $190 million

09:33 , Oscar Williams-Grut

PrimaryBid, the platform that lets small-time investors buy into IPOs, has raised $190 million from Japanese investment giant SoftBank.

London-based PrimaryBid has raised the cash from investment round led by SoftBanks Vision Fund 2. The startup is understood to be valued at around $700 million in the deal.

PrimaryBids tech lets companies sell shares to retail investors during stock market listings and rights issues. These large transactions have traditionally been the preserve of big institutions because of the complexity and cost of dealing with lots of small-time investors.

To date, PrimaryBids platform has helped companies raise more than $1 billion across 200 transactions. The companys most high-profile deal in the UK was supporting Deliveroos disastrous IPO in March 2021.

Read the full story.

FTSE 100 higher, IAG lifts 3%

08:56 , Graeme Evans

Optimism over the potential US-Russia summit helped the FTSE 100 index to climb 52.32 points to 7565.94, a rise of 0.7%.

Travel and leisure companies are most in demand, with British Airways owner IAG up 3%. Russian steel producer Evraz gained 3% and there are improved sesssions for stocks in the mining and financial sectors, including Barclays and Anglo American.

Animal medicines business Dechra Pharmaceuticals, which joined the FTSE 100 last year, rose 2% after reporting a 50% rise in half-year operating profits.

Safety technology group Halma, whose shares have fallen more than 20% this year, got back on the risers board by unveiling a deal to buy a US-based light measurement business for 19.5 million. Shares rose 8p to 2294p.

The FTSE 250 index added 62.79 points to 21,425.39, with Wizz Air and easyJet among those up by more than 2%. John Menzies has risen 5p to 588p and Clipper Logistics is up 14% or 111p to 888p after their respective takeover developments.

Mid-cap pair back takeover deals

08:11 , Graeme Evans

Prices have been agreed for takeovers at aviation services business John Menzies and online retail specialist Clipper Logistics.

Menzies has been valued at 558 million after its Edinburgh-based board backed an improved approach from Kuwait's National Aviation Services at 608p a share.

Clipper Logistics, which handles online orders for major retailiers, has reached agreement on a cash and shares approach from New York-listed GXO Logistics worth 920 million.

Both deals are subject to the completion of due diligence and other conditions.

Oil and gold prices ease

07:49 , Graeme Evans

Stock market nerves steadied today as it emerged that US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet in an effort to resolve Ukraine tensions.

The proposed summit, which was brokered by France, will only take place in the event that Russia does not invade.

Wall Street is closed today for Presidents Day, but the developments helped US futures swing into positive territory overnight. The FTSE 100 index is poised to open 15 higher at 7528, having fallen by more than 1.5% last week.

Oil prices returned to below $94 a barrel after the summit plan was announced, with investors also monitoring a potential Iran nuclear deal that could lead to the return of its supplies to a stretched energy market.

Gold earlier hit an eight-month high of $1908 an ounce before settling back at $1890.
New elected German Chancellor Olaf Scholz holds his letter of appointment





German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans to recognize two breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine as independent.

Putin told Scholz during a call on Monday that he planned to sign an order "soon" that would recognize the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic as independent, according to a statement from the Kremlin cited by CNN. Putin also reportedly informed French President Emmanuel Macron of his plans.

The chancellor's office denounced the idea, writing in a statement that it would be a "one-sided breach" of the Minsk agreement, which tamed the hostilities in the Donbas region, according to Reuters.

Scholz, during the phone call, also encouraged Putin to remove Russian troops from the Ukrainian border and deescalate the tensions in the region.

The office said Scholz would discuss the current situation in Ukraine with top figures in Kyiv and France, Reuters reported.

Putin's reported recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic as independent will likely set up a confrontation against Kyiv and its Western allies, which have been readying sanctions in the face of possible military aggression by Russia.

Moscow has amassed more than 150,000 troops on the Ukrainian border.

President Biden on Friday said he is "convinced" that Putin has "made the decision" to invade Ukraine, but emphasized that a diplomatic path forward will remain open until the last possible minute.

If Russia does, however, launch an incursion, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that a "swift" and "severe" response would follow from the U.S. and its allies.

Updated at 3:52 p.m.




German officials on Monday condemned the climate protests that have resulted in blocked roads, including near the port of Hamburg, the country's largest port.

"To massively impede people's mobility or block the movement of goods is a serious breach of the law," Bavaria's top state security official, Joachim Herrmann, a member of the Christian Social Union, told German newspaper Funke media group, according to The Associated Press.

Members of the group Uprising of the Last Generation blocked roads on Monday in Stuttgart, Freiburg and the Hamburg port in protest of food waste, the AP reported. The group demanded to end food waste, saying that disposing of vast amounts of usable food contributes to hunger and climate change.

Omid Nouripour, the head of Germany's environmentalist Green Party, said he supports peaceful protests, according to the AP, but added the road blockages may undermine the support to tackle climate change. He also condemned the activists' threat to step up the protest unless the government conforms to their demands by last Sunday.

Germany is not on track to hit the carbon emission reduction targets after the government set ambitious climate goals of being carbon neutral by 2045.

Climate protests have been occurring around Europe in recent months, with some leading to blocked roads. In London, members of the climate group Insulate Britain were arrested in October after their demonstration temporarily disrupted a road near Heathrow Airport.
The May House is the sole home that remains on Park Lane in South Bend. Indiana Landmarks plans to move the historic house to a new location in the next few months.

SOUTH BEND  It took the patience of Memorial Hospital and the effort of Indiana Landmarks to save a historic Georgian Colonial thats currently sitting in the corner of one of the hospitals parking lots at 130 Park Lane.

The city still has to give final approval for the permits needed to move the home to a nearby vacant lot adjacent to 846 Park Lane Ave., which is also owned by Indiana Landmarks. But barring any snafus, the public can expect to witness the caterpillar-like move sometime in May or June.

This is the eighth location weve looked at, said Todd Zeiger, director of Indiana Landmarks' northern regional office. We couldnt make the numbers or the logistics work at the other sites we investigated.

The number of utility lines and poles that might have to be temporarily moved are among the many factors that have to be considered when relocating a roughly 2,400-square-foot home just under a half mile on city streets.

For sale: The Kizer mansion in South Bend is on sale for $349,900. It needs $250,000 in rehab work.

Thats one of the main reasons it took a couple of years for Indiana Landmarks to get to this point, said Zeiger, who credited Memorial Hospital for its patience while he looked for a new location for the four-bedroom, 2-bath home, simply called the May House.

The home was built in 1929 by Arthur L. May, a prominent attorney with the citys oldest law firm, and his wife, Elba. The couple raised two children in the home, according to a report compiled by the Historic Preservation Program at Notre Dames School of Architecture.

The May House switched ownership in the 1950s but continued to serve as a residence until around 1969, at which time it primarily served as a physicians office. Following Memorials acquisition of the property in 1994, the Junior League of South Bend was permitted free use of the home for its offices until the organization relocated in 2019, according to the ND report.

About that point is when Indiana Landmarks approached Memorial.

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We wanted to be proactive, Zeiger said. We knew the house had been on the bubble for a long time, so we contacted the hospital to see what could be worked out.

Preservationists worried that Memorial Hospital and Beacon Health System, its parent organization, had no use for the house and that it would eventually become a liability issue for the healthcare system if it was allowed to sit vacant.

"Its the last house in what was once a neighborhood, and eventually would have become endangered, Zeiger said.

Shane Galloway, director of properties administration for Beacon, agreed with that assessment but added that it also didnt have any immediate need or plans for the property. Thats why Beacon could be patient while Zeiger looked for potential landing sites for the historic home.

To help facilitate the move, Beacon agreed to donate the house to Indiana Landmarks and also contribute to a portion of the move  the amount it would have had to spend to demolish and remove the structure.

All of those factors made the move of the house and its eventual sale as a single-family residence in the Riverside Drive Historic District feasible, Zeiger said, estimating the home could eventually be sold for about $300,000 to $350,000.

Lykowski Construction, which specializes in moving historical homes, will handle the move after it first completes construction of a new foundation and basement for the May House. Its going into a neighborhood with similar-era homes, Zeiger said.

South Bend: A Look Back: When the Remedy Building in South Bend moved

Unlike most homes that Indiana Landmarks aims to save, the May House is in remarkably good condition. It includes an on-suite master bathroom, detailed tile work and rich wood floors and woodwork.

It needs upgrading and love, said Galloway, but it also has a lot of nice features that would be cost-prohibitive today.

After it leaves its current location, the house will head north on Lafayette Boulevard before turning west on Riverside and heading up the hill to its new home at Riverside and Park Avenue, said Adam Toering, historic preservation administrator for South Bend and St. Joseph County.

But even with the short trip, the move will be a bit more complicated, because the house will be moving through an area with numerous historic buildings and homes, said Toering, who credited the efforts of Zeiger, Indiana Landmarks and Memorial to help save the May House.

"A lot of people have been working on saving this house for a long time, Toering said of past efforts by preservationists, and I know therell be collective sighs of relief when the house is settled on the new foundation.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Beacon Indiana Landmarks save historic May House in South Bend
Rep. Billy Long kicked off his U.S. Senate campaign at PFI Western Store in Springfield on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, standing in front of the "Billy Bus" emblazoned with his name and photo.

Southwest Missouri will have a new representative in Congress after next year's election. Barring any late additions to the field, it will be one of half a dozen Republicans.

Rep. Billy Long, a Republican who has held the seat since 2011, is running for U.S. Senate  leaving his position in the House open for the taking. Missouri's 7th district encompasses Jasper, Newton, McDonald, Lawrence, Barry, Polk, Greene, Christian, Taney Counties, and a small portion of Webster County. It's a dark red district (Long won almost 70 percent of the vote in 2020), a composition unlikely to significantly change when district lines are redrawn with new census data.

A number of Republican candidates have already emerged to vie for the GOP nomination. No Democrats have announced their candidacy. The winner will serve a two-year term in the U.S. House, joining the other seven members of Missouri's delegation.

Here are the candidates competing to represent the 7th District in the U.S. House next year:

Dr. Sam Alexander

Calling himself the "political outsider" of the field, emergency physician Dr. Sam Alexander is seeking elected office for the first time since 2004.

Sam Alexander

A longtime employee of CoxHealth, Alexander criticized "career politicians" in an October interview with the News-Leader and said if elected, he would use his experience in the medical field and on his family's farm to hear from a range of constituents. A group of 35 southwest Missouri physicians wrote an open letter to colleagues Friday asking them to support Alexander in the primary.

U.S. House District 7 election: Dr. Sam Alexander, ER physician and ally of Gov. Mike Parson, formally joins race

Though Alexander has never held elected office, he has been involved in Missouri politics for years. Gov. Mike Parson, who Alexander ran against in his first state House race, appointed Alexander to the State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts in 2019. He's also served on Parson's advisory board for MO HealthNet, the state's Medicaid program, and said he has advised the governor on medical issues, as well as donating to his inauguration.

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Alexander has contracted the consulting firm Victory Enterprises, according to filings with the Federal Elections Commission. His campaign had $120,147.10 on hand as of Sept. 30 (though Alexander loaned himself $90,000 on Sept. 29, according to campaign filings, driving up that number).

Alex Bryant

Alex Bryant, who launched his campaign in mid-February, is a conservative pastor and the founder of his own ministry.

Alex Bryant

He painted the current political landscape in his candidacy's announcement as a "culture war," arguing that "there is an outright attack on our conservative family values." Originally from Illinois and a graduate of Evangel University, Bryant, who is Black, is centering his platform on his religious background and experiences.

He and his ministry have garnered a significant social media following, amassing over 50,000 followers on Facebook, due in part to a viral video he and his family filmed that focused on "peace and unity."

Eric Burlison

State Sen. Eric Burlison, a Battlefield Republican, tax consultant and investment adviser, is hoping to make the jump from Missouri politics to the national scene.

Burlison was elected to the Missouri Senate in 2018, previously serving seven years in the House. He currently represents part of Greene County and Christian County in the chamber, and is a member of the Senate Conservative Caucus  a subsect of Republicans in the chamber who have taken hardline stances on issues such as abortion and vaccine mandates, at times butting heads with party leadership and the governor.

U.S. House District 7 election: State Sen. Eric Burlison jumps into race

While in the higher chamber, Burlison has been one of the most vocal advocates for the Second Amendment Preservation Act, a law passed in Missouri this year that effectively nullifies some federal gun laws and fines police who enforce them. Earlier this year, he pushed to reintroduce "right-to-work" legislation, which bans unions from requiring membership and was rejected by 67 percent of voters in 2018. He's also been a proponent of making it more difficult for voter-led petitions to end up on the ballot.

He's earned early conservative endorsements, including those of FreedomWorks, the House Freedom Fund and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Burlison recently announced Jeff Layman, an alumnus of former Gov. Eric Greitens and Billy Long's campaigns, as campaign chairman; he has also contracted consultant Axiom Strategies.

Mike Moon

State Sen. Mike Moon, like Burlison is attempting to transition from Jefferson City to Capitol Hill, as the cattle rancher and Sunday school teacher seeks the Republican nomination.

Mike Moon

Moon spent several years in the Missouri House before winning a Senate seat in 2020, representing parts of Barry, Lawrence, McDonald, Stone and Taney counties. In the year since joining the upper chamber he's been a vocal part of the Senate Conservative Caucus, urging the Republican supermajority to defund Planned Parenthood, ban critical race theory (although it is not taught in K-12 schools) and prioritize "election integrity." He's also been a vocal opponent of vaccine mandates, attending a Springfield protest outside Mercy Hospital in August.

U.S. House District 7 election: State Sen. Mike Moon announces run

The Ash Grove lawmaker picked up national notoriety in 2017 when he posted a video on social media decapitating a chicken while urging former Gov. Eric Greitens to take stronger action against abortion providers. In the online ad announcing his candidacy, Moon said if elected he would represent constituents rather than lobbyists or "party bosses"  a mindset he recently brought to the Missouri Senate floor, where he and other members of the Conservative Caucus feuded with party leadership on the rules and traditions of the chamber.

2022 elections: Who's running for Missouri's open U.S. Senate seat?

Audrey Richards

The only woman to file candidacy documents for the race thus far, Audrey Richards is hoping to carve out her own path forward in the primary field.

Audrey Richards

A Joplin native and graduate of George Washington University, Richards has never held elected office but has spent time in Washington, working for the federal Office of the Comptroller of Currency for six years.

Her platform is a far cry from the rest of the Republican field  more akin to the typical progressive Democrat than a member of the GOP. She frequently reposts critiques of both Republicans and the Biden administration on Twitter, and is focused on education funding and stronger support for rural communities.

Richards, running with the slogan of "Rural. Republican. Relentless," maintains that her ideology and candidacy are not limited to one party. She ran as an independent write-in candidate in 2020, garnering 1,279 votes, according to Ballotpedia.

Jay Wasson

After working as a state lawmaker and mayor, Jay Wasson now is running for Congress.

Wasson hadn't originally planned to campaign for the seat, he told the News-Leader in September, but said recent spending proposals from Democratic leadership in Washington frustrated him and prompted him to enter the race. He served as the mayor of Nixa for five years before being elected to six terms in Jefferson City  four in the House and two in the Senate. He also serves on the governing board for Missouri State University.

U.S. House District 7 election: Former Nixa mayor, state senator Jay Wasson enters race

As a lawmaker, Wasson focused on funding education and balancing state budgets, a policy he pledged to keep if elected to Congress. He said he would push for a "balanced budget amendment" that only allowed Congress to spend as much money as revenue gathered during any given year. In his announcement ad, he also touched on popular Republican talking points, criticizing the Biden administration's immigration policy along with critical race theory.

Paul Walker

A retired Army colonel, political science instructor and author is also part of the Republican primary field.

Paul Walker

Paul Walker, a Springfield resident and Missouri State University alumnus, told the News-Leader that his goal in running was to "fight the Woke Left and help continue the policies of our party leader, Donald Trump."

"Ronald Reagan once said, 'freedom was just one generation away from extinction," Walker said. "I'm not going to let that happen."

Walker is the author of several books on U.S. history, including "Truman's Dilemma: Invasion or the Bomb" and "Cavalry Battle That Saved the Union: Custer vs. Stuart at Gettysburg."

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com, (573) 219-7440 or on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Who's running for southwest Missouri's open U.S. House seat in 2022?
MARTINSVILLE  Despite the 2022 session of the Indiana General Assembly being a short session, a number of controversial bills have been discussed amongst the Indiana House of Representatives and Senate this year.

Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, and State Rep. Peggy Mayfield, R-Martinsville, discussed a number of topics at Friday's Third House Session hosted by the Martinsville Chamber of Commerce and Morgan County Farm Bureau.

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Bray represents all of Morgan County in the state senate while Mayfield currently represents most of the countys population in Martinsville and Mooresville in the Indiana House of Representatives.

During Friday's discussion, one topic brought up was about House Bill 1134, a controversial piece of legislation which would "promote certain concepts as part of a course of instruction or in a curriculum or direct or otherwise compel a school employee or student to adhere to certain tenets relating to the individual's sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, or political affiliation."

The bill was approved out of the Indiana House of Representatives on Jan. 26, and is now being debated in the State Senate.

Some educators have expressed concerns the bill would create teacher shortages if it becomes law.

State Sen. Rodric Bray and State Rep. Peggy Mayfield patriate in a Third House session on Friday. The session was hosted by the Martinsville Chamber of Commerce and Morgan County Farm Bureau.

Bray noted HB 1134 "has been a really controversial issue" and deals with "teaching of divisive issues."

"It talks about things like you can't promote the idea that one race is inferior or superior to another," Bray said.

The state senator said he has had an opportunity to talk to educators from throughout the state in recent weeks, and the senate has "made a very significant modification" to the bill.

Education News: Martinsville administration proposes 2-hour delay on Wednesdays for 2022-23 year.

"One of the things that I heard the most as a concern was the idea that teachers would have to post, online, what they were going to teach, either beforehand or in the next five days or so," Bray said.

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According to Bray, this part of the bill has been removed from the legislation.

Mayfield said HB 1134 is a "great example of the legislative process."

"The original language in 1134 was probably too strict," Mayfield said. "And a lot of people say 'Well, why did you vote for it?' (It is) because I know it has a process to go through where there is a lot of give and take."

COVID mandates

Currently, the Republican Party has supermajorities in both houses of the Indiana General Assembly.

Bray and Mayfield were asked why the GOP hasn't been able to end some of Gov. Eric Holcomb's executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Others are reading: In conservative Martinsville, a mom has a plan to stamp out the CRT she sees in schools.

"The emergency order doesn't really have any mandates left on it," Mayfield said. "I don't think it was so much the state of emergency that people were upset it, it was the emergency orders that were promulgated under the authority of a state of emergency."

She noted the only impact Holcomb's executive orders have right now is allowing the state to tap into federal funding to deal with the impacts of COVID-19.

Bray also reiterated there are no mandates in place with Holcomb's executive orders in relation to COVID-19.

I-69 in Martinsville: INDOT provides update on interstate project in Morgan, Johnson counties.

The 2022 Indiana General Assembly's legislative session must adjourn on or before Monday, March 14.

Friday's Third House session took place during the Martinsville Chamber's monthly luncheon. The next chamber luncheon is scheduled to take place at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, March 18, in the Lucille Sadler Room of the Morgan County Administration Building, 180 S. Main St., Martinsville.

Reporter-Times editor Lance Gideon at lgideon@reporter-times.com or 765-342-1543. Follow him on Twitter: @LanceOGideon.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: HB 1134 in Indiana discussed at Martinsville Third House session
There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed.

So, the natural question for PharmAust (ASX:PAA) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn.

View our latest analysis for PharmAust

When Might PharmAust Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. As at December 2021, PharmAust had cash of AU$2.6m and such minimal debt that we can ignore it for the purposes of this analysis. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$1.5m over the trailing twelve months. Therefore, from December 2021 it had roughly 21 months of cash runway. While that cash runway isn't too concerning, sensible holders would be peering into the distance, and considering what happens if the company runs out of cash. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.

How Well Is PharmAust Growing?

It was quite stunning to see that PharmAust increased its cash burn by 206% over the last year. While operating revenue was up over the same period, the 6.8% gain gives us scant comfort. Considering these two factors together makes us nervous about the direction the company seems to be heading. Of course, we've only taken a quick look at the stock's growth metrics, here. You can take a look at how PharmAust has developed its business over time by checking this visualization of its revenue and earnings history.

Can PharmAust Raise More Cash Easily?

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Given the trajectory of PharmAust's cash burn, many investors will already be thinking about how it might raise more cash in the future. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

PharmAust's cash burn of AU$1.5m is about 4.7% of its AU$32m market capitalisation. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money.

So, Should We Worry About PharmAust's Cash Burn?

On this analysis of PharmAust's cash burn, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap was reassuring, while its increasing cash burn has us a bit worried. While we're the kind of investors who are always a bit concerned about the risks involved with cash burning companies, the metrics we have discussed in this article leave us relatively comfortable about PharmAust's situation. An in-depth examination of risks revealed 2 warning signs for PharmAust that readers should think about before committing capital to this stock.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
In her award-winning high school essay, Emily Salko asks others to imagine the freedoms that Mira Kimmelman lost as Nazi Germany intensified its persecution of Jews during the Holocaust.

Julie Kinder McMillan, far left, Robertsville Middle School teacher, presents the first-place middle school project award certificates in the Learning from the Holocaust Contest to a team from RMS. They are, from left, Aiden Cantu, Nathanael Peters, Lennox Pack, and Kyleigh Langdale. The students are Oak Ridge High School freshmen.

The freedom that we possess is something that we all take for granted each day, she wrote. Ask yourself, are you allowed to attend school? Walk the streets of your town? Ride a bus? Live in your own house? Answering yes means that you already have 10 times the freedom that Mira Kimmelman had, and this little freedom is what sparked her appreciation of the things such as the clothes on her back, her shoes, and even her own roof.

Emily, a sophomore at Oak Ridge High School, is one of the 14 students who won awards in the first Mira Kimmelman Learning from the Holocaust Contest in 2021. Kimmelman told her story of surviving the Holocaust to students, civic and religious groups in East Tennessee for more than 50 years before her death in 2019.

Julie Kinder-McMillan, left, and Sandra Burnette, right, both Robertsville Middle School teachers, present Burnettes former student Alia Oakes, center, with her second-place award certificate as a team member in the middle school project Learning from the Holocaust Contest. Alia is now a student at Oak Ridge High School.

Her sons, Benno and Gene Kimmelman, created the essay and project contest for Tennessee high school and middle school students, sponsored by the Tennessee Holocaust Commission, to carry on her legacy and ensure that her voice continues to be heard through her books and recorded talks. The contest offers prize money ranging from $150 to $750.

Emily watched videos of Kimmelman's speeches and read articles about her and about anti-Semitism before writing her essay while she was in the ninth grade. She noticed that Kimmelman, as a teen, chose to take family photos, rather than other possessions, when her family was forced to leave home for a ghetto.

She was so brave to continue moving forward and just fighting to stay alive for her family, Emily said of Kimmelman after she received the first place high school essay award. She wrote the essay when the Black Lives Matter movement was gaining attention in the news, and she realized that people facing discrimination need to have strength and resilience.

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This poster and poem are part of the first-place project by a Robertsville Middle School team in the Learning from the Holocaust Contest. The broken glass in the poster represents Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass when Nazis targeted synagogues. Kyleigh Langdale created the poster, and Lennox Pack wrote the poem. Other team members are Aiden Cantu and Nathanael Peters.

Julie Kinder-McMillan, left, Robertsville Middle School teacher and Tennessee Holocaust Commission Teacher Fellow, congratulates Emily Salko, Oak Ridge High School student and first place high school essay contest winner in the 2021 Mira Kimmelman Learning from the Holocaust Contest.

I think her biggest message I would continue to use is just kindness toward everyone. You shouldnt judge people based on who they are as a group, based on race or religion. You should get to know someone, Emily said. You should not treat them differently because you might look different or believe in something different.

Along with the mantra of never forget often heard in relation to the Holocaust, Benno and Gene hope students entering the contest learn their mothers lessons of tolerance and kindness. The essays reflect that, as the students wrote about being moved by her bravery and resilience and about how they are applying her lessons today.

Many of the essays touched on current injustices and suggested ways they could be addressed, said contest judge Katie High, of Knoxville, a retired University of Tennessee vice president for academic affairs and a member of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission. The writers were giving world-wide atrocities serious thought, which was impressive. I wanted to cheer the students, and their teachers, because it was obvious teaching and learning were going on.

The Robertsville Middle School second-place project team in the Learning from the Holocaust Contest created this mural design, which includes Holocaust symbols and images, as well as symbols of peace and hope. Julia Hussey, Alia Oakes, Teagan Tate and Audrey Thompson are the team members.

Mira Kimmelman challenged students and those in her audiences to reflect upon the history of the Holocaust and contemporary examples of injustice.

Chloe Collins, right, a student at Oakdale School in Morgan County, receives the second-place award certificate for her middle school essay in the Learning from the Holocaust Contest from Julie Kinder-McMillan, Robertsville Middle School teacher, left.

High, who served as interim dean at the UT Martin College of Business after her retirement, said much of the Holocaust Commissions work is focused on middle school students, and that work becomes more difficult as more Holocaust survivors die.

When they talk to a group of middle school students and show their tattoos and talk about what its like to be in the camps, kids are horrified, but in awe of these survivors, because of their resilience, High said. You have planted something in their hearts.

Emmanuelle Wolf-Dubin, first-place winner in the middle school essay contest, wrote that hearing a rabbi challenge listeners to think not only of Israelis and their suffering but Palestinians, as well, reminded her of Kimmelmans message of seeing the kindness in all people. Her story, she wrote, is a message of ideals that Emmanuelle can only hope to achieve.

As a young adult, she would be imprisoned in the deadliest concentration camp called Auschwitz and was forced into the nearly unimaginable march to Bergen-Belsen, wrote Emmanuelle, a student at Meigs Magnet Middle School in Nashville. Yet, after all of these horrors at the hands of one of the most evil men in recorded history, she still preached lovingkindness in a world that seemed apathetic to her plight. Instead of focusing on that, she zeroed in on the people who helped, the people of all nationalities, races, and religions who saved her and her counterparts across Europe, Emmanuelle wrote.

Chloe Collins, a student at Oakdale Middle School in Morgan County, said she read Kimmelmans first book, "Echoes from the Holocaust," before writing her essay, which was awarded second place in the middle school contest.

Mira Kimmelman  had to say good-bye to the family she loved, she had all of her dignity stripped away, she saw things that no one should ever have to see, she lived in a world of hate, and she felt unwanted in a country that was once her own, wrote Chloe, an eighth grader this year. I am thankful for Mira Kimmelmans message of hope and tolerance that will live on forever.

Though not a Tennessee student, Soha Sherwani earned a Notable Achievement award from contest judges for her essay comparing the Holocaust with the current Chinese government repression of the Uigher people, a small and mostly Muslim minority.

The Uigher population is being forced into concentration camps, which are dubbed re-education camps by the government, and are forced to partake in direct violations of their Islamic faith, Soha wrote as a high school senior in Houston, Texas. The Uighur Muslims are exploited for cheap labor and physically abused ... it is happening again.

Now a college freshman, Soha said she read about the essay contest online as she was seeking scholarship opportunities and was moved by the emotion in Kimmelmans words. She could teach and spread love through her pain, Soha said.

For Ms. Kimmelman, her perception was undoubtedly changed by the two integral lessons she learned surviving the Holocaust: that there are always beacons of light in the darkness and that humanity must uphold its responsibility to learn and act from instances of injustices, Soha wrote. In her essay, Soha urges those concerned to join her with their voices in protesting, spreading awareness, and educating others on the injustice happening now.

First- and second-place awards for middle school contest projects went to teams of students at Oak Ridges Robertsville Middle School.

The Shoah Proliferates won first place. The team used an online survey to ask students to allow their names to be used on a poster to help remember the 6 million who died in the Holocaust, saying that people remember what they can be part of. Nathanael Peters, Lennox Pack, Aiden Cantu and Kyleigh Langdale are the team members who created the project, using a QR code for business cards that students used to access the survey. All are ninth graders at Oak Ridge High School now.

A poster with a poem and image of broken glass, symbolizing Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass when Nazis targeted synagogues, was included. Kyleigh created the poster, and Lennox wrote the poem:

Think of them not as 6 million lives lost,

But 6 million lives remembered.

Thousands more put through exhaust,

And families dismembered.

These depressing tales arent fiction,

Rather they are tales to stand the test of time.

It is our job to remember,

These lives left devoured.

The second-place team, Julia Hussey, Alia Oakes, Teagan Tate and Audrey Thompson, proposed a mural for a hallway at their school. They created artwork with Holocaust symbols, including barbed wire on a red background on one side, and symbols of peace and hope, including swallows and flowers on a blue background. A Star of David represents martyrdom and heroism.

Haley Braden, second-place high school essay winner from Anderson County High School, wrote that she knew little about the Holocaust before entering the contest. Her essay urges her generation to follow in Kimmelmans footsteps, to keep a positive attitude and mindset through the darkest hours. Because with this hope comes peace and love.

Haley wrote, We can embody her message when looking at the face of injustice. When you see something that is wrong, be sure to right it. Stand up for people who are treated wrongly and cannot stand up for themselves.

Elizabeth Bernheisel, of Dyersburg Middle School, focused on Kimmelmans second book, "Life Beyond the Holocaust: Memories and Realities," in her third-place middle school essay. The book, she wrote, offers insights on how Holocaust survivors recover, rebuild and live normal lives after experiencing unimaginable trauma.

Through letters, reunions, and travels back to Europe, Mira Kimmelman tells her story, as well as the stories of those no longer able to speak for themselves, Elizabeth wrote. She also highlights the importance of remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust, as well as the restoration that must follow.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: The Holocaust: Students reflect in award-winning essays, projects
The Anne Arundel County Senate delegation will continue discussion on a bill this week proposed by Sen. Bryan Simonaire that would force the county Board of Education to vote on existing curriculum items if a petition challenging a subject gets the signatures of at least 3% of parents or guardians.

The bill says that once there are enough signatures from parents and guardians, the Anne Arundel Board of Education must accept that petition, reply and schedule a public hearing within two business days of receipt. After the hearing, the board must take a vote to keep, modify or eliminate the contested curriculum.

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Senate Bill 364 does not challenge curriculum itself, but sets up a system for parents who have expressed frustration with the boards current process for doing so, said Simonaire, a Pasadena Republican.

This bills view was in the eye of the beholder as far as what people deem questionable curriculum, he said Wednesday, when the bill had a hearing in the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. That is the point of this bill  it is not about any one issue, subject or topic, but a process for parents to voice their concerns and have the elected board take a public position.

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He said the bill is about parents having a meaningful role in the curriculum process.

The COVID pandemic has been an eye-opener for many parents who didnt realize what was being taught in their childs classroom. Parents all across America are waking up to what many find inappropriate and age-insensitive material being taught to their children, Simonaire said.

The bill was discussed Friday morning by the Anne Arundel Senate delegation, where some members said there are already multiple avenues for parents to voice their thoughts. The board accepts written testimony on any subject, and allows in-person comments on subjects on its agenda. In the past, the board has allowed people to speak on any subject in-person for up to two minutes, but that policy was changed as part of an effort to increase the efficiency of meetings, according to schools spokesman Bob Mosier.

Sen. Sarah Elfreth, an Annapolis Democrat, said the Board of Education has switched from an appointed body to an elected body, which provides more public accountability.

Parents have means to appear before them, appear before the PTA, talk to the principal, speak to their own childrens teacher if there is an issue, Elfreth said. We have multiple means for intervention here and transparency.

Sen. Pam Beidle, a Linthicum Democrat, said she thinks curriculum should be left to educators.

Parents do have input. They can appear, she said.

Beidle said based on what she has seen on social media, the bill would be used to challenge LGBTQ curriculum and bring discussions of critical race theory to the board.

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Sen. Ed Reilly, a Gambrills Republican, supports Simonaires bill. With a county student population of at least 83,000, a petitioner would need at least 2,500 signatures to bring a curriculum challenge to the board. He said that would show an issue is of systemwide concern and deserving of a public response by the board.

Individual people with an ax to grind wont get traction, he said.

The delegation decided to review testimony on the bill and will discuss it again late this week.

One parent testified in favor of the bill before the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, saying she does not always receive a response to emails she sends to the board and feels her concerns are going unheard.

Allowing parents to create petitions against potentially problematic curriculum gives us a say in their education and creates a system of checks and balances to hold the creators of curriculum accountable, Kerry Gillespie said.

The Board of Education is opposed to the measure, saying it usurps the authority of the superintendent of schools and the board.

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AACPS has a committee that reviews curriculum and materials of instruction. Representatives from all stakeholder groups including parents/guardians, teachers and students are included in the review process. New courses are presented to the board for review and approval, Legislative and Policy Counsel Jeanette Ortiz wrote in a position statement.

Earlier this month the school board approved two new elective high school courses to start in the 2023-2024 school year: One covers African-American history in Anne Arundel County and the other explores LGBTQ+ history in America. Joe Toolan of the LGBTQ advocacy organization Annapolis Pride said he is concerned those new courses will be challenged if Simonaires bill is approved.

The LGBTQ history course was proposed by a student, an example of how input from the public is welcome in curriculum development, social studies coordinator Eve Case told the board at the Feb. 2 meeting.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland submitted testimony opposing Simonaires bill.

Without an honest accounting of our past, how can any path into a unified future be possible? It is time to lay aside fear  and more importantly, disingenuous and calculated election year tactics  and embrace the lessons that history can teach us, the diocese said in written testimony.

Another parent sent in testimony opposing the bill.

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Education is about exposing individuals to information and teaching them how to think critically about that information, Julie Grignon wrote. Well educated groups of professionals build curriculum with this goal in mind. As a parent, I may have opinions on some of the information that is presented to my child, but I still want them exposed to that information in school.
By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel is pressing the United States about the terms of an emerging Iranian nuclear deal, Israeli officials said on Monday, raising the prospect of a bilateral day-after agreement with Washington to address their worries.

While not a party to the nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers in Vienna, Israel has conferred with the U.S. administration in hope of wielding more clout over any revival of a 2015 deal with Tehran that was reached over its objections.

The United States under then-President Donald Trump withdrew from the original deal in 2018, with Israel's encouragement. Diplomats told Reuters last week that a new deal was taking shape.

"We were unhappy with the deal to begin with...and of course we are more unhappy with (the emerging) deal," Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told U.S.-Jewish leaders.

"But there is a dialogue with the American administration about several issues that are surrounding this agreement."

Among these, he said, was a demand by Tehran for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps to be removed from the U.S. terrorism watchlist. Israel's message, Lapid said, was: "This is just wrong. Don't do that."

Iran and U.S. President Joe Biden's administration have not confirmed such a demand.

Lapid said Israel and the United States were also discussing "other ways" - which he did not detail - of preventing Iran from making enough progress in projects like uranium enrichment to reach the threshold of capability to develop a nuclear bomb. The Islamic Republic denies seeking nuclear weapons.

Addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organisations separately, Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli - like Lapid a member of Israel's decision-making security cabinet - looked to post-deal talks with Washington.

"We will have to work on a complementary agreement between Israel and the U.S.," she said, without elaborating.

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Israel says it will not be bound by any deal and could eventually take unilateral action against Iranian nuclear sites.

"There is a point at which we are going to tell the Americans (that) we have the freedom to act on Israel's security the way we understand," he said. "And it might have some consequences and it might have some price tags attached to it."

(Writing by Dan WilliamsEditing by Robert Birsel and Mark Heinrich)
Business Insider

I've been renting all my clothes from Nuuly, a platform created by Urban Outfitters Inc.

It's curbed my reliance on fast-fashion, a major polluter, as well as buying clothing more broadly.

Though influenced by the pandemic, experts say the toward renting and used apparel is here to stay.

If subscription services rule our present, rental services could own our future.

That's at least what Urban Outfitters is banking on with its subscription service, Nuuly. Launched in 2019, the service offers users access to Urban-owned brands  including Anthropologie and Free People  as well as wares from similar labels. It's Urban's first foray into the rental market, and it falls somewhere between the designer buffet on Rent the Runway and subscription clothing box companies like Stitch Fix or Nordstrom's Trunk Club.

What makes Nuuly unique, and what drew me personally to the service, is that the jackets, dresses, or jeans available to rent are often the same products shoppers could buy on, say, Anthropologie's website. These aren't cast-off clothes or last season's items, and they're available to wear as many times as I can in 30 days for the low price of $88 per month.

That, coupled with broader shifts in how we shop and live in the pandemic era, led me to question my own shopping habits and consider whether I really need to own everything I want to wear.

Now, after three months of using Nuuly, I can safely say that my relationship with consumerism has shifted. Owning clothes is out; renting them is in.

How Nuuly works

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

I first heard about Nuuly via a stylish friend and hopped on board in November, right before the pandemic upended the holiday season yet again (thanks, Omicron). I, like a lot of people I know, felt at a loss about what to wear to socialize or go to parties, and Nuuly seemed like a low-risk way to give my wardrobe some much-needed help.

Nuuly works like this: You browse through an array of clothing from dozens of brands and select six items. Nuuly will charge you $88 (if you need more clothes, you can add extras for $18 a pop) and ship your selections in a durable, reusable bag. When the month is up, you'll send it all back and unlock your next round of items.

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After a few months of using the service, the biggest downside I've found is the lack of flexibility. If you receive an item you don't like or that doesn't fit, there's no way to swap it out for something different. To receive new items, you have to send everything back at once and pay to unlock your next round.

But the upsides mostly make up for that. Most of the items I've received so far are brand-new with tags still attached, which makes the experience feel a lot like regular shopping. Plus, probably because I'm a city-dweller, my items typically arrive within a few days of ordering them, and returns are easy because I live about 100 yards from a UPS store.

Nuuly also offers discounts if there's anything you want to keep, which is how I ended up with a brand-new pair of Levi's jeans for $40 off.

Pandemic-era consumers prioritize quality and sustainability over 'eco-waste'

Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

Like a lot of sectors, clothing rental was hurt by the pandemic.

According to data from Coresight Research cited by The New York Times, the market was worth $1.3 billion in 2019 and dipped to $1.1 billion in 2020. Things rebounded slightly in 2021, and analysts now estimate that the apparel rental market could bring in nearly $7.5 billion in revenue by 2026.

Nuuly saw the same dip during the pandemic, as well as inventory challenges, Urban's co-president and COO Frank Conforti said the company's most recent earnings call in November, describing its rental business as being in its "early innings."

But Nuuly is considered one of the company's most important growth initiatives, and the service saw a 55% boost in subscribers between the second and third quarters and was expected to reach 50,000 users by the end of 2021.

It's not Urban's only foray into the secondary apparel market, either: Urban launched a sister marketplace last August, a peer-to-peer resale site called Nuuly Thrift. Nuuly Thrift allows users to buy and sell clothing and receive a discount at the Urban family of brands, which is a way to keep the "cycle of buying and selling within the URBN ecosystem," CEO Richard Hayne said during the company's second-quarter earnings call last August.

Taken together, Urban's rental and resale ambitions are a symptom of a broader shift within the retail industry: brands have noticed that people just shop differently now. A 2021 survey of the "post-pandemic consumer" from the resale platform ThredUp found that shoppers care more about sustainability and quality than they did in the past  51% said they feel more opposed to "eco-waste" now than they did before the pandemic.

Some studies have shown that renting clothes has a different, but still large, environmental footprint. For me at least, renting has been a way to curb or entirely eliminate reliance on fast fashion, a major polluter.

And now that consumers are prioritizing quality and sustainability, buying secondhand goods or renting apparel is simply more normalized than it was before, Aditya Vedantam, assistant professor at the University at Buffalo School of Management, told Insider.

"There are these shifting trends and the COVID crisis has made this even more prominent. Resale and rental, all of this falls under the broader umbrella of the sharing economy," Vedantam said. "We see this in so many industries, like car-sharing, and we see this in the apparel space."

And regardless of how shopping evolves in the coming months and years, he said, "peer-to-peer rentals are here to stay."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Jack Dee has spoken out in defence of fellow comic Jimmy Carr over his widely condemned joke about the Holocaust.

Carr has been heavily criticised for comments made in his 2021 Netflix special His Dark Material after a clip went viral earlier this month.

During the show, Carr joked that people never mention the Romas murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust because no one ever wants to talk about the positives.

Following online backlash to the joke, Prime Minister Boris Johnson branded the joke deeply disturbing while health secretary Sajid Javid encouraged a boycott of Carrs work.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Monday (21 February), Dee said that he felt there had been an overreaction to Carrs comments.

These things, they come round and they go, Dee said.

Jimmy, he set it up as an unacceptable thing to say, this is the thing, he continued. A month later someone got hold of it and started to try and make a storm out of very little.

In the special, Carr introduces the joke with the words: Strap in everyone, you ready?

Dee continued: The bigger question really is about what we do with jokes like that and do we want the state to intervene on what can be said and what cant be said?

I think we dont want that. I think were sophisticated and discerning enough [of] an audience to be able to decide for ourselves without having to call the cops.

Carr is currently touring the UK with his show Terribly Funny. A number of the shows have been attended by protesters.
Manchester Uniteds Anthony Elanga was struck on the head by a coin thrown from the crowd at Leeds United on Sunday (PA Wire)

Leeds United will issue lifetime bans to any supporters found to have thrown objects onto the pitch during their defeat to Manchester United.

Anthony Elanga was struck on the head by a coin as the away side celebrated re-taking the lead in Sundays Premier League clash.

The Sweden Under-21 international recovered to net a late goal and secure a 4-2 win at Elland Road.

Now Leeds have acted and plan to come down hard on any fans shown to have thrown missiles.

Leeds United are reviewing CCTV footage and we will do everything possible to find those supporters who are throwing objects onto the field of play, a Leeds spokesperson said.

Any supporter caught throwing objects onto the pitch will be issued a lifetime ban from attending our fixtures.

Speaking after the game, interim Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick said: In the end, Anthony looked well and he was happy about scoring. Obviously things like that should not happen.

Meanwhile, West Yorkshire Police confirmed a number of arrests had been made before and during the match.

Police made a total of nine arrests following Sundays football match between Leeds United and Manchester United at Elland Road football stadium, a statement read.

Any supporter caught throwing objects on to the pitch will be issued a lifetime ban from attending our fixtures

Leeds spokesperson

Police resources were deployed throughout Leeds city centre and outside the grounds before, during and following the match to ensure the safety of fans travelling to and from the game with minimal inconvenience to the general public.

There were no reported injuries to any players or fans on either side.

Russ Foster, deputy chief constable, added: High profile football matches, such as yesterdays fixture can clearly attract some of the greatest concentrations of people and there were a few incidents both before and during the game.

We also made a handful of arrests for a number of offences including public order, throwing of missiles and breach of banning order.

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The majority of fans on both sides behaved appropriately throughout the match and there was no significant disorder.

Anthony Elangas late goal sealed the win for Manchester United (AP)

But we hope the early intervention and positive action that we took on the day will help send a very clear message that such incidents of disorder will not be tolerated.

A Football Association investigation is ongoing.

The visitors led 2-0 at half-time courtesy of goals from Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes, but Leeds levelled after scoring twice in under 30 seconds through Rodrigo and Raphinha.

Fred and Elanga came off the bench with the former restoring Manchester Uniteds lead.

Elanga was hit on the top of the head during the celebrations but was fine to continue and sealed the victory with his second goal of the season.
A $250,000 reward is being offered for information about a four-year-old Afghanistan refugee who disappeared from a Texas playground in December.

Lina Sardar Khil vanished from a park near her home in San Antonio on 20 December after her mother left her alone briefly.

She was last seen wearing a red dress, black jacket and black shoes and had her brown hair in a ponytail, police said.

The Islamic Center of San Antonio this week increased a reward for anyone providing information for her safe return to $200,000.

Lina Sardar Khil has been missing since 20 December when she disappeared from a playground in San Antonio (San Antonio PD)

San Antonio Crime Stoppers has also offered $50,000 for help returning her to her family.

Police launched an intensive search for Lina after her suspicious disappearance, searching nearby dumpsters and vehicles.

An elite FBI underwater search and rescue team joined the search two weeks later, scouring a creek in January.

A $250,000 reward from the San Antonio Islamic Center and Crime Stoppers is being offered for Lina Sardar Khils safe return (Islamic Center of San Antonio)

Police have since then continued to look for the girl, but with little progress.

On Saturday, San Antonio Police Department Chief Bill McManus tweeted their efforts to find Lina remained a priority.

Theres been no pause in our efforts. SAPD continues to work with the FBI to find Lina Sardar Khil who went missing on Dec 20. The investigation is on-going. Pls report any info no matter how insignificant you may think it is. Call SAPD Missing Persons Section on 210 207-7660.

More than 150 volunteers from the The Eagles Flight Advocacy & Outreach non-profit organisation have joined members of the Afghan community in searching for Lina.

Pamela Allen, the non-profits CEO and a spokeswoman for the family, told ABC News on Saturday: Her light is missing from her family and community. Our continuous prayer is that she will be back in the arms of those that love her.

Linas father Riaz Sardar Khil has previously told media the family fled Afghanistan in 2019 after receiving death threats.
VILNIUS (Reuters) - The Lithuanian government plans to increase military spending as it looks to beef up its defences amid heightened fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Monday.

Washington and Moscow on Monday played down hopes of a breakthrough in Europe's biggest military crisis in decades, and satellite imagery appeared to show Russian deployments closer to Ukraine's border than before.

"As the situation in the region is getting worse... I have asked Defence Minster and Chief of Defence to see possibilities to speed up planned defence purchases...," Simonyte said in a statement.

"Under the circumstances, financing the defence of the country is the government's priority."

Lithuania has budgeted 1.2 billion euros ($1.36 billion), or 2.05% of GDP, on defence this year. Any increase would need cabinet and parliamentary approval.

NATO, to which Lithuania belongs, recommends that member states spend at least 2% of GDP on defence.

($1 = 0.8817 euros)

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; editing by John Stonestreet)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU must impose additional sanctions on Belarus for hosting Russian troops amid the latest tensions between Moscow and Kyiv, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Monday, suggesting such measures could target oil and potash exports.

"We have to be very specific about the cost for the current build-up for Belarus," Landbergis told reporters in Brussels, adding the European Union could close loopholes in the existing sanctions regime to target Belarussian oil and potash exports more than at the moment.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold)
Dr. Victor W. Weedn resigned Friday as chief of the medical examiners office for Maryland after a tumultuous year of staff departures and a backlog of autopsies at least 200 deep.

In an email to the Baltimore offices staff Friday afternoon, he wrote: I am resigning my position as Chief Medical Examiner as of today. Thank you for your support throughout my tenure. Good luck.

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A state commission that oversees the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner met early Friday morning and immediately went into closed session.

The Maryland Post Mortem Examiners Commission announced Friday afternoon that Dr. Pamela E. Southall, a deputy medical examiner, will serve as Marylands new interim chief medical examiner. The announcement did not say Weedn resigned but thanked him for his service to the state and wished him the best in his future endeavors.

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Weedns resignation email was confirmed by Bruce Goldfarb, a spokesman for the medical examiners office.

Weedn took over the post about a year ago, replacing the long-serving chief Dr. David Fowler, who retired at the end of 2019 in part because of the lack of resources to handle the overloaded autopsy schedule for examiners. Southall served as interim chief for a little more than a year between their tenures.

Matters only became worse for the office that investigates suspicious and unattended deaths. It was deluged with cases largely from opioid overdoses but also homicides. The coronavirus pandemic exacerbated those problems.

[ With bodies piling up, contractors clearing backlog at Maryland medical examiners office for $850 an autopsy ]

Lawmakers and union officials have drawn attention to understaffing in the office in recent years and the Maryland Department of Health has redirected positions and funds for salaries. But the office has lost a number of examiners, and a national shortage of forensic pathologists  and conditions in the Baltimore office  has made it difficult to hire new examiners.

The examiners website lists 15 examiners, down from 20 listed in state documents in December. But there appear to be even fewer full-time examiners now, with the exodus accelerating in the past year.

Lawmakers and union representatives have derided the office for allowing hundreds of bodies to pile up.

The National Association of Medical Examiners, which sets a standard of 250 autopsies a year per examiners, had for years given the office provisional accreditation needed to ensure trust in autopsy findings by families and law enforcement. Full accreditation was restored during the pandemic as the association loosened the threshold.

Reports per examiner in the West Baltimore office have reached 390 autopsies in the states 2021 fiscal year, and at times individuals have performed far more.

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The examiners office has turned to contractors made up of out-of-state pathologists and retirees from the office, listing payment of $850 per autopsy in state documents. Per diem examiners dont tend to perform high-profile autopsies.

Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. >

Del. Kirill Reznik has been following the staff shortages and introduced legislation to require the examiners office to staff appropriately. The Montgomery County Democrat said that he didnt know the circumstances of Weedns resignation, but said it only compounds the issues the department faces.

It not only puts the department one more person down, but one highly experienced person, he said. I cant see them trying to fill 21 new positions, which theyve opened up in addition to now filling the chief role. Its a very difficult prospect. I hope they find a way to resolve it soon.

Weedn was chosen for the top position after a national search, the commission reported last year. He had served as an assistant medical examiner in Maryland from 2009 to 2012.

Dr. Weedn is an experienced and well-regarded forensic pathologist who is more than capable to serve as Marylands chief medical examiner, said Dennis R. Schrader, state health secretary and a commission member, in a statement at the time of the appointment. Im confident hell excel in the role and advance one of the nations leading medicolegal institutions.

Weedn is a forensic pathologist and attorney and had served as a professor in George Washington Universitys Department of Forensic Sciences, including as department chair from 2012 to 2018.

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He also has served as a crime laboratory director and flight surgeon with the Air National Guard. He is a former president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and has been a board member for the National Association of Medical Examiners. Weedns medical degree is from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Dallas, and his law degree is from the South Texas College of Law in Houston.

The states Post Mortem Examiners Commission is made up of doctors from the University of Maryland Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Hospital, top health officials from the state and city health office, and state police.
When Craig Grant thinks of major contributors to both healthcare and Black history, he often thinks of Dr. Charles Drew and Dr. Patricia Bath.

Both pioneers in the medical field, Drew piloted a national blood donation system for the American Red Cross, while Bath invented laser cataract surgery. But they and other Black figures are not often featured in American history, Grant noted.

"That's one of the reasons we celebrate Black History Month," he said.

Historical and local figures will be highlighted in a virtual event Saturday at the Oneida County History Center, said Grant, the chairman of the Utica/Oneida County NAACP Black History Month program.

The program is presented annually and this year will focus on the 2022 national Black History month theme of Black health and wellness.

Featured performers: Upbeat and positive describes Leeky XIV, his music, and his message

Past events: Black History Month program explores the African American past and present

Maj. Milissa Jones will speak at the 2022 annual Black History Month program presented by the Utica/Oneida County NAACP.

It's the second time the event will be held virtually due to the COVID-19, Grant said. The live-streamed event allows some speakers to join remotely, including sisters Dr. Cassandra Carter and Maj. Milissa Jones. The daughters of Utica-based Pastor Angela U. Carter, Carter and Jones grew up in Utica, Grant said.

Carter is currently a lead associate at consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, with a doctorate in sociology and an extensive background in research and work on healthy disparity. A United States Army officer, Jones is an pediatric infectious diseases attending at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, and has experience working in pediatrics for nearly a decade and serving as a field surgeon while deployed in the Middle East.

Dr. Cassandra Carter will speak at the 2022 annual Black History Month program presented by the Utica/Oneida County NAACP.

The event will also feature performances by Malik Johnson, also known as rapper Leeky XIV, creative performance club Nomadic Voices and local church choir St. Matthew's Temple Praisers.

Grant said NAACP branch officer Joseph Johnson would also be speaking, as well as students in Utica College's Young Scholars Liberty Partnerships Program and the Junior Frontiers of the Mohawk Valley, who will present major contributors to American history in "Black History Moments."

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"There are significant contributions or events in the African American experience that have not been fully implemented in American history," Grant said.

If you go ...

When: 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26

Where: Online; register in advance at oneidacountyhistory.org/programs.html

Admission: Free, but donations are encouraged

More info: Call the Oneida County History Center at 315-735-3642 or visit oneidacountyhistory.org

Leeky XIV performs during a taping for AMP the House in the courtyard at Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute in August 2020.

H. Rose Schneider covers public safety, breaking and trending news for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Rose at hschneider@gannett.com.

More: 10 people honored by Oneida County History Center include a 'radical abolitionist,' teachers

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Black History Month event to feature speakers, performers with Utica ties
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon is facing increased criticism over his handling of juvenile cases. (Associated Press)

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon said in a statement Sunday night that the sentence of a woman who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in Palmdale may have been too short.

The county's top prosecutor, who on Friday backtracked on his controversial policies that prohibit pursuing life sentences against defendants and trying juveniles as adults, said in the statement that he was made aware after Hannah Tubbs' sentencing of "extremely troubling statements she made about her case, the resolution of it and the young girl that she harmed."

On Monday morning, Fox News reported that Tubbs crowed over her light punishment and spoke of the victim in explicit terms in phone calls to her father, which were captured in jailhouse recordings.

"Theyre gonna stick me on probation, and its gonna be dropped, its gonna be done, I wont have to register, wont have to do nothing," Fox quoted Tubbs as saying in the taped recordings.

The Times could not independently verify the tapes cited by the network.

Prosecutors say Tubbs was two weeks shy of her 18th birthday when she walked into the womens restroom of a Dennys restaurant in 2014, grabbed a 10-year-old girl by the throat and locked her in a stall, court records show. Tubbs then shoved her hand down the girls pants and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors say, stopping only after someone else entered the restroom. Tubbs, now 26, pleaded guilty to the assault and was sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility. Her criminal record includes another allegation of sexual abuse of a child.

"While for most people several years of jail time is adequate, it may not be for Ms. Tubbs," Gascon said in the statement. "If we knew about her disregard for the harm she caused we would have handled this case differently. The complex issues and facts of her particular case were unusual, and I should have treated them that way. This change in policy will allow us the space to do that moving forward."

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In a statement prepared before Gascon's backtrack, the victim called the assault "beyond horrible."

"Ive waited years for this whole situation to finally be finished and that I could get justice for what had happened to me all those years ago," she said. "Not only do I have to live with that awful memory for the rest of my life, but Im also given no true justice as to what happened to me."

Critics have decried Gascon's so-called blanket policies since he took office in late 2020, and demanded he consider trying juveniles as adults or seeking life sentences when defendants are accused of especially heinous conduct. On Friday, the district attorney announced that committees will be created to evaluate extraordinary cases in which a defendants conduct might require harsher penalties than those allowed under Gascons policies, according to documents reviewed by The Times.

The filings would still need to be approved by each committee, which will include high-ranking prosecutors and members of Gascons executive team. Gascons chief of staff, Joseph Iniguez, will sit on both committees, and former public defender Alisa Blair, who oversees the offices policies on juvenile cases, will sit on the panel deciding the futures of teen defendants, according to the documents.

In Sunday's statement, Gascon appears to indicate that Tubbs' case could have been considered "extraordinary" under this new system. He said his office has "now implemented policies to create a different pathway for outlier cases while simultaneously creating protections to prevent these exceptions from becoming the rule."

"This process ensures that only in the rarest of cases, where our system has failed, will we diverge from our principles," Gascon wrote.

The policy changes come as Gascon is facing increased criticism over his handling of juvenile cases and the political pressure of a second attempt to recall him from office. The committee seeking to recall Gascon from office has already raised $1.8 million, more than the total sum pooled to back a failed recall campaign last year.

In an interview with The Times in January, Gascon said the Tubbs case was complicated by the gap in time between the attack and Tubbs identification, her criminal record and the effect the attack had on the victim. The young girl has since moved away from California and remains in therapy, according to an impact statement read in court last month, and Gascon said she did not want to testify at trial.

At 26, Tubbs is too old to be legally held in a county juvenile detention facility. But in the three years since Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his plans to dissolve the state Division of Juvenile Justice, which would normally house defendants in situations similar to Tubbs', the county has not put together a replacement program.

The Times reviewed an email that said Tubbs has been diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses and might qualify as developmentally disabled, factors that would raise legal questions about her culpability. The district attorney also expressed concern that Tubbs would be victimized if placed in an adult facility as a transgender woman and noted that a probation report recommended Tubbs be sentenced to home confinement. Instead, Gascon said, prosecutors asked for Tubbs to be kept in custody for two years where she could receive treatment and therapy.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A boy holding his phone on his bed. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE  A hawker stall assistant who met a 12-year-old boy through a gay dating app told the boy he would teach him about sexual intercourse.

Ng Tuan Loo, 54, then engaged in sexual acts with the boy, now 14, over the three occasions they met in January 2020. He would give the boy money after each encounter, and also pay for his travel fare.

Ng was jailed for two years and eight months on Monday (21 February) after he plead guilty to three out of nine counts of sexually penetrating a minor under 16, with the remaining six counts considered for his sentencing.

The boy, who identified as bisexual, cannot be named to protect his identity.

After the boy was introduced to gay dating apps around June 2019, he downloaded two such apps, Grindr and Blued, with the intention of expanding his circle of male friends. To register for an account, he falsely declared his age as 18, but indicated he was 13 on his Grindr profile.

Around end 2019 and early 2020, Ng befriended the victim on Grindr despite knowing his age. They exchanged contact details and began communicating, with Ng asked the victim if he ever had fun sex with others.

The accused told the victim that he would take care of the victim and give him moneyhe also told the victim that he would show the victim how to engage in sexual intercourse, read the prosecution in court.

Between 16 and 28 January 2020, the two met at Ngs behest. On 16 January, Ng offered to pay for the boys GrabCar trip to the older mans house, where they engaged in sex acts. He then gave the boy $70. Four days later, he asked the boy to come to his house after school. They again engaged in sex acts and Ng gave the boy $80 before he left.

On 28 January, the boy asked Ng to buy him a packet of cigarettes. Ng complied and asked the boy to collect the cigarettes from his house that afternoon. They then engaged in the same acts before the man gave the boy cash of between $20 and $30 and a red packet with $20 inside.

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On 5 February 2020, the victims stepfather checked the boys mobile phone and discovered the chats. He confronted his stepson, who said he might be gay and confessed to having physical contact with three men.

The stepfather contacted Ng to scold him over the sexual encounters, but Ng claimed that the boy had been asking him for money and asked how to settle the issue.

After ending the call, the stepfather discussed the issue with the boys mother before lodging a police report on 20 February 2020. He stated in the report that the boy had been sexually assaulted by three men. Ng was identified and arrested on the same day.

The two other men who were charged for sexual offences against the victim are Medrano Ermin Marasigan and Muhammad Azman Samsudin. Both pleaded guilty previously and were jailed for two years, eight months' and two years, eight months, and four weeks respectively.

Teo Choo Kee, Ngs lawyer, said that that his client did not mean to entice the victim. He was just being nice as he was an older man with an income while the other party was a young boy, said Teo.

For sexual penetration of a minor who is below under 14, Ng could have been jailed up to 20 years and fined, or caned.

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(Reuters) -McDonald's Corp on Sunday said Carl Icahn has nominated two members to its board of directors in an escalating fight over the treatment of pigs by the burger chain's suppliers.

The billionaire activist investor, who stated that he holds 200 shares in the company, nominated Leslie Samuelrich and Maisie Ganzler to stand for election at the 2022 annual meeting, the company said in a statement, adding that it would evaluate the nominees as it would any other board candidates.

Icahn has previously said that it is "obscene" how the animals used for McDonald's products are treated.

Icahn has insisted on new McDonald's commitments, including requiring all of the company's U.S. pork suppliers to move to "crate free" pork, and set specific timeframes, the company said.

Such a commitment would be impossible given the current supply "and would harm the company's shared pursuit of providing customers with high quality products at accessible prices," the statement said.

McDonald's pledged in 2012 to source pork from producers who do not use small crates to house pregnant sows. Icahn pushed for the change behind the scenes, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.

"Since making this commitment, McDonald's has led the industry, and today an estimated 30%-35% of U.S. pork production has moved to group housing systems," the company's statement said.

The company expects to source 85% to 90% of its U.S. pork volumes from sows not housed in gestation crates during pregnancy by the end of 2022 and expects 100% of its U.S. pork to come from sows housed in groups during pregnancy by the end of 2024, it added.

McDonald's also said it was "noteworthy" that Icahn, the majority owner of Viskase, a company that supplies packaging for the pork industry, "has not publicly called on Viskase to adopt commitments similar to those of McDonald's 2012 commitment." Icahn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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McDonald's said it sources only approximately 1% of its U.S. pork production and does not own any sows, or produce or package pork in the United States.

Icahn, who became known as a corporate raider on Wall Street, was embroiled in a proxy battle with Southwest Gas Holdings Inc in November last year.

(Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Andrew Chung and Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Mark Porter)
Stretch of Washington Street in New Smyrna Beach where the city is planning a streetscaping/improvements project to address longtime safety concerns and give the street its own character.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH  Its one of the most popular and important streets in the city. But it has also been the site of several traffic accidents and a concern for pedestrians for years.

That is why the city has an improvements project in the works for Washington Street. With a grant of just over $1 million from the Florida Department of Transportation, the project is in its conceptual design phase.

Because of Washington Streets importance in the city  both as home to several businesses and as a thoroughfare  officials want the publics involvement in this early stage.

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On Tuesday, the city invited residents to a forum in the James W. Hathaway Chambers on Sams Avenue to discuss the design ideas so far proposed for the project.

The city applied for the grant just over a year ago  for years residents have noticed the often dangerous conditions for pedestrians and drivers at some of the intersections along the particular stretch of Washington Street between Florida State Road A1A and Riverside Drive.

Primarily, the improvements are vehicular-oriented, said City Engineer Kyle Fegley at the forum. But we are also taking into consideration utility improvements.

Don Bieger is a representative of DRMP, Inc., an Orlando-based engineering firm hired by the city in March of 2021 to design the project. Bieger gave a presentation detailing how the proposed design would attempt to address safety concerns while keeping the aesthetic aspect in mind.

The "design goals," according to the presentation, are to improve safety, improve and slow traffic patterns, improve pedestrian experience, create Washington Street character, and unify the streetscape.

For segments in between the intersections, the design proposes 8-foot sidewalks with 4-by-8-foot palm trees every 40 feet on both sides of the road, both giving pedestrians space to walk in and out of businesses and residences and giving life and character to the street.

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Conceptual design for Washington Street streetscape and improvements project in NSB presented at a public forum on Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the James W. Hathaway Chambers on Sams Avenue. The design proposes 8-foot sidewalks with 4-by-8-foot palm trees every 40 feet on both sides of the road.

The design for the intersections (mainly the ones at Faulkner and Orange streets) have another approach, as they present their own particular challenges.

The design features 32-inch-wide brick medians installed with 20-foot double light poles to help improve the street's overall layout so drivers can better navigate  especially at night  thus improving pedestrian safety as well.

The use of medians was not a very popular idea with some residents who also own businesses close to or on Washington Street, with some expressing their concerns over how the changes might affect larger vehicles.

Conceptual design for the intersection of Washington and Faulkner streets, proposing the construction of 32-inch-wide brick medians installed with 20-feet double light poles as a way to improve the street's overall layout so drivers can better navigate, especially at night, thus improving pedestrian safety as well.

Bieger said that the 10-foot-wide lanes (plus 2 feet of curb) will accommodate larger vehicles. He said the city's fire department reviewed the design before Tuesday's presentation and the feedback was positive.

'We have to do something'

Although the median idea is proposed for the intersection of Faulkner and Washington streets, it is the notoriously dangerous intersection with Orange Street that the project offers the most significant change.

The conceptual design for the median is the same for the Faulkner Street intersection, but with the added detail that the median would extend along Orange Street and force drivers traveling on either side of Washington Street to turn.

Many at the forum recalled that the area is particularly dangerous for pedestrians, as drivers are often not cautious to slow down and/or watch for pedestrians trying to cross because of poor signage or blind spots when making turns.

While many voiced concerns over possible disruption to area traffic, others said that addressing safety in that area is critical.

Linda Byrd, owner of the Crimson House wine bar (which is located exactly at the Orange and Washington streets intersection), said at the forum that she would like to see these concerns addressed, even if they affected her business.

What you dont see, unless you live in that corner, is the number of almost accidents there are every single day, Byrd said. Im scared to death all the time for our customers, for our employees, our neighbors that are walking down the sidewalk and all of the sudden a car is swerving to miss somebody and coming onto the sidewalk.

Conceptual design for the intersection of Washington and Orange streets, which has long been considered dangerous for both vehicles and pedestrians. Linda Byrd, owner of the Crimson House wine bar at that intersection, said at the forum that she wants to see safety improvements done in that area. It could potentially hurt my business to put the median there, but Im supportive of it because I see how dangerous it is," Byrd said.

She said that the improvements are especially important at this time, because as new businesses move to the area, they will attract more vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

I really hope we hurry up and do this, because we have to do something, Byrd said. It could potentially hurt my business to put the median there, but Im supportive of it because I see how dangerous it is.

After the forum, Bieger said that he thought the response was positive and said DRMP engineers will now consider the community feedback received on Tuesday.

To me this was a very good group  very educated, Bieger said. And when you get highly educated people in here, you get your challengers. It was good.

Bieger said that the project would take between 12 to 14 months to be completed after the City Commission gives its final approval on the proposed design.

This isnt a traffic calming job, he added. This is How do we add pedestrians to this? How do we keep the safety and the flow?, but also How do we enhance (Washington Street)?

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: New Smyrna Beach public forum to discuss Washington Street project